First Things First - James Cook's new deal with Bills, Shedeur Sanders' injury, How will Hurts & Rodgers play this season?

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Does Jalen Hurts need to improve for Eagles repeat? / James Cook signs new deal with with Bills / Josh Allen reflects on AFC Championship loss to Chiefs (25:03) Expect Lions to take a step back? / Is it time for Rams to panic about Matthew Stafford? (38:53) Can Aaron Rodgers still deliver on Steelers? (45:25) Is Justin Herbert a top 10 QB? / Should Bears fans be worried about Caleb Williams? (1:05:19) Ceiling or floor? 49ers, Patriots and Bengals (1:19:08) Shedeur Sanders' injury (1:24:07) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's a show that's reminding you that if you shampoo your hair too much, it strips the natural oils out. Well, it's true. So it'll look like that? Well, unfortunately, now, you know, it's not going great. No, buddy. I'm trying. I can't bring back the healthy oils. You have great hair.

Because I don't shampoo it. But whatever you did today. How do you clean it? You know, it's just kind of happening. It's like a golden retriever. You know who else? You know who else had this take a few years ago on sports TV? Your buddy, who I want to turn into your rival, Mike Greenberg.

He was like, I don't shampoo my hair. And then Ryan Clark was like, oh, it was a whole thing. I remember. Didn't do it so much. Well, you shouldn't do this. You shouldn't come on the show with wet hair. Yeah, that's why I tripped. Bill's back to cooking.

James Cook agrees to a new deal. Is Buffalo ready to make a run to the Super Bowl? And thank goodness, he didn't take Nick's advice. That wasn't my advice. cost him $20 million. That would really cost. It was my advice to the bills. They should have taken it.

The agent world was laughing at you. Well, the GM world laughing at Brandon Bean. It was your advice to him. You know what? Because I foolishly thought Brandon Bean would understand the marketplace. Meanwhile, Dan Campbell's motivated. Will losing both coordinators lead to more losses on the field? I'm glad he's mohers.

He should be ticked off. Oh, I love that. How do they question it. And finally, shout out to ESPN's NFL Nation. We do our own version of ceiling and floors for our foremost controversial teams. I don't know that they're the foremost. They kind of are.

They're our foremost controversial teams. Every time we talk them, it's hot. No, it's two of them are hot. It's not that hot when we talk the Steelers or the Patriots. The Steelers are hot. And they're in there. Steelers get hot. He makes the Patriots hot.

Also, I'm not ready to say that yet. Go ahead. Say it. I told Nick earlier, It's what I just want to let you know. And since you want to do this Kyrie Durant story, if anyone mentions Trey Hendrickson's contract situation, which is still unresolved,

we don't need to get, we don't need to discuss it. We're immediately ending the segment. So you don't want any mention. Listen, no, we are going to immediately end the segment. I'll be like, Brew, you sent us an interesting tweet. We immediately start there. Yes.

We start with Peyton and Jalen. Yesterday we had Tom Brady, the goat, talking about Patrick Mahomes. Today, another version of that. Peyton Manning talking about Jalen Hertz. Take a listen. I like the way he goes about it. He calls me a lot.

I'm just, it asks me lots of questions. They actually run a lot of plays that we used to run. Siriani to Frank Wright, to Tom Moore, sort of that chain. And he calls me with very specific questions about certain plays. So he's a student of the game. You know, there's another example. You think, I mean, he squats 600 pounds. He can, you know, run over guys.

He can throw it a mile. But his appreciation of the cerebral part of the game is what's impressive to me and how he's taking his game to the next level. And I think the sky's the limit with this guy. But when I say it, you don't say the sky's the limit. You say he's already in the sky. You say he's already there. Peyton is saying he can get there. Exactly.

Where is there to go? Exactly. You're on the edge of the universe. Exactly. He won the Super Bowl in a blowout. And was the MVP? Had three touchdowns, ran for more yards than Sequin Barkley, even though Sequin carried the team, threw for two touchdowns.

What, what? Yell at Peyton. Where else is there to go? Yell at Peyton. The sky. He's in the sky. That's not what he said. He said the sky's the limit.

That means he's ascending. I'm just telling you, yell at Peyton. Not at us. He always yelled at us. Peyton's on my side. I'm not sure about that, but go ahead. Sorry. Do you think Jalen Hertz needs to improve for an eagle.

repeat. No. Thank you. I mean, I. He just, what a trio. Not to piggyback on what to become one of your, you know, signature things now about it hurts not being able to win a Super Bowl.

Not one of them. I think his signature thing. He just won the Super Bowl. Yeah. He just proved he's good enough to win the Super Bowl. Oh, yes. And in fact, he's been to two of the last three Super Bowls and balled out. Now, some are going to say, well, Sequin's not going to rush for 2,000 yards again.

Of course he's not. But guess what? Three years ago when they didn't even have Seekwine Barkley on the team, Miles Sanders was their best running back. And he went for 1,200-some-odd yards. Sequin can do that. But even so, with Miles Sanders as the running threat, they reached the Super Bowl, Jalen was second in the MVP race, and the defense was.

not the best. It was like eighth and points allowed. So we can't just say he only got there last year because the defense was the best in the league and he had the best running back in the league because when he didn't have that three years ago, he still got them to the Super Bowl. Well, three years ago, I think they had the most sacks of any team in 40 years and the number one yards defense. Okay. The defense was very good. I think the defense has to be good, but it wasn't the best in terms of points allowed in the league. And so I think, I think, he has proven now he needs to obviously be good but he's proven he is good enough as he is if he doesn't improve and just kind of does what he does yes they can still win the nFC and get to

the super bowl okay so i i disagree with that because i don't think he's obviously doesn't need to improve for last year's eagles to win last year's super bowl like that's that happened the point where I disagree with you, Brew, is in that acting as if in 2023 or two years ago, so 2022, pardon me, when they made the Super Bowl then, I think most people thought that was the best defense in football. It was number one yards. We talked all year long about how it was like since the 86 bears, the most sacks. It was great and total right.

All of that. But it wasn't in points allowed. It wasn't in points allowed. It was number one in yards, number eight in points allowed. And so I everybody understands, and I understand. and I understand the tongue-in-cheek joke Wilds was making yesterday, which is it is not a question anymore, can you win a Super Bowl with Jalen Hertz?

Because they did win a Super Bowl with Jailen Hertz. The question that I think everyone is asking when it comes to Jailen Hertz is if the Eagles this year are not as dominant in every category other than passing as they were last year, will they? And this is where this is, and this is what I want to talk about. you about because this is where I don't think we have that big of a disagreement, but it feels like we have a massive disagreement. So the Jalen Hurd story is going into that season when they got to the Super Bowl, nobody thought he was that good.

Nobody had any expectations for Jalen Hertz going into that season. Then he was excellent throughout that year to the tune of second an MVP voting, excellent in the Super Bowl, and he came out in that NFL Top 100 list. number three player in the league. It was Patrick 1, I think Justin Jefferson, some receiver 2, Jalen Hertz 3. And going into two years ago,

he had all the respect that I think Wilds is demanding he have now that you feel he doesn't have. Again, I'm not trying to put words in your number. And then last year, or two years ago, they then leaned into the idea that they have an elite quarterback, having paid him like he were an elite

quarterback, and the team fell apart at the end of the year, and the bloom was a little bit off the rose for Jalen Hertz. And then last season, they started the year as if they have an elite quarterback, and the team was not that good. And then over the next four months of football, as coach talks about all the time, they asked Jalen to do what he does best and not do what we've never seen him do, which is be a high-volume passer, which leads to winning, and the team was utterly dominant.

So the question people have is if the circumstances on the ground change this year to where he has to be the player they asked him to be in 2023, the player they were asking him to be in 2024, will he be able to produce in ways he couldn't those years? And I don't think that's an unfair question. So three years, when he was second in the MVP?

He wasn't a high volume pass for that. He threw 30 passes a game. But it was, again, but it went up the following season. Right. It was, and so the, just a couple of games. And so the thing that I, what I don't understand your, I understand your frustration of people like, you know what, Jalen Hertz, he's not that good. I totally get that. But I don't think anybody's saying that anymore.

I don't. I mean, you're angry that he was tied with what? C.J. Stroud for the ninth best quarterback in football when you think he's fit. I was, I thought it was unfair to Jalen Hertz that there was guys ahead of him on Mike Sandals's athletic poll. who have fallen apart in the playoffs. But Lamar is one of those guys, and you think Lamar's better than him? Lamar is a multiple-time MVP. Justin Herbert is not.

Jordan Love has had little pops of success. He was ahead of love. He was had a love. I thought he was a Jordan Love. I thought it was Jason Herbert. I thought it was Jaden Herbert golf and then he was there. So I guess-off is one. And so I get the point.

So like, do you? Right now it seems like maybe I'm wrong. If you were to do your quarterback rankings, you have him fourth or fifth. Yes, I think he has earned the right to be considered the top five quarterback. Top five. That's it. Right. I'm not trying to say he's the best quarterback in the world.

I'm saying if you've been to two Super Bowls in the last three years and our Super Bowl MVP and win at a rate that is right up there with the best quarterbacks of all time, really, then you have earned a spot in the top five. And I think it is absurd and unfair, mostly. That's where I really get angry, to put guys who are still like, well, you know, whose only resume are filled with hypotheticals. So that part. If you traded this guy to the Eagles, what?

That's the main point for a lot of the arguments for Justin Herbert. If he got traded to the Eagles. So the Herbert, listen, so I agree with you. And this is, and I just thought, I guess the, the reason that I think most people in Bruse, one of them has it as a firm top four, not a firm top five. And this is where maybe the disagreement is. I think that there is a level of confidence that for Patrick, Josh, Lamar, or Joe, that as long as they're there and healthy, that team's offense is going to be elite. And I think that because we haven't seen Jalen thrive, and it's not his fault, it's not totally his fault. They gave him the chance in 2023 and didn't work out.

Under the circumstances that we have seen those four guys lead to prolific offenses in, without amazing weapons, without amazing everything around him, that he is considered a class below, not a tier one quarterback like those guys. I don't think that's disrespectful. He has the contract of a superstar, the endorsements of a superstar, star, the general ranking of he's a top 10 quarterback in the league. You think he's five. I think he's seven.

And it's like, but it doesn't seem like there's that big of a discrepancy. And it feels like a straw man disrespect. I don't think people are out there here anymore saying Jalen Hertz is carried. I don't see her that. If that's going to be a universal opinion, I'm okay with that. I do think so we have fought that fire and it is now over. Great. I still think people think that Jalen Hurts.

is being carried by this team. I think that if that fight is over, I would love it. I think that you don't think that people think that he is an important part of what they do, but not the lead singer of the band? Because that's what I think. I think many people feel that way, but I do think some significant people do think he's kind of being carried. You put any really good, like, competent quarterback in there.

So I just, I think that there is, I think they're also, while stats aren't everything, when the signature year of his career, he didn't throw for 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns, fair or not. You're talking about last year. Yes, that is going to. Two years ago he did. Right.

Three years ago, whatever we're. But we're basing this off the Super Bowl MVP and what he did in the postseason. When that is who you are, who your team asked you to be, there is going to be a ceiling on public perception. And I just think that's reality, like, across sports, so to speak.

Like if, and so I don't, I don't, and I do think the Eagles are not going to have the league's number one defense and they're not going to have the greatest rushing season ever this year. So they're going to need more from them. I think, by default. But he's shown he can give you more. He showed that in 2022. Again, I think you're underrating. Let me. No, the defense was really good, but they didn't have the run game.

No, they did not have the run game. And the defense, the sack, they got a ton of sacks, but that's not all there is to. I just think that they are, I would argue that the two years they went to the Super Bowl, they had an argument that that year they were the best defense in football. You could make a statistical or eye test argument. I think that in all likelihood, because of the personnel losses this year, that they are going to be closer to the eighth best defense in football as far as then the first best, in which case they're going to need more from their offense.

And so that's where I think he will need to do more this year. And I think that'll be interesting to see if he can. Because that part, I don't think it's unfair to say we don't know. I don't think it's unfair to say we don't know. If you felt like he has to air it out 35 times a game, yes, we don't know that. But last year he threw it 24 times a game. Three years ago, he threw it 30 times a game when they were 14 and 1 with him starting and got to the Super Bowl. So, I mean, if he has to throw it five or six more times a game, he has shown he can do that.

Yeah, if they have to have, like, coached. had it up there the other day. The league average pass attempts for game was 32 and a half, right? If they... Was it 32?3.4 is what the league average was. If they are a team that has to err it out an average

amount of times, you know, 32 times a game, can that lead to this level of success? I feel like we don't know that. Now, it might not be fair to hold that against him, but I don't think it's reasonable to say to act assured that they would

succeed. I'd have to look at, you know, we'd have to dig it. I wouldn't look at it, obviously. Joshua looked at it. But like what, I think airing it out, in our minds, we see the ball flying all over the place. But I think, like, I pulled percent, like passing percentage. So the Eagles threw the ball the least. The least percentage wise, you know, because the Patriots would always just be three and out. Yeah. So the least percentage wise. Forty-three percent of the time. Forty-three percent. Baltimore was at 46. Green Bay was at 49. Buffalo is at 50. So of the The bottom four defenses with airing it out, you have, in my mind, three of the top five quarterback. Right, which is why I think it's important that for, certainly for Buffalo, we've seen them have a prolific offense.

That's pass, pass, pass. So that's why there's not those questions about challenge. It's prolific, but it wasn't successful. I mean, it got to the AFC championship game. I don't get to. It did. It wasn't about this. It was prolific, but there was, they decided as an organization, there was.

a more successful path. Sure. By firing the O.C. And throwing the ball less and getting rid of Stefan Diggs, who's going to have a thousand yards. James Cook is back. We saw him on the field yesterday doing some exercising. Now he's got a new contract.

Four years, 48 million, 30 guaranteed. Here's his numbers, the last two seasons. I'll focus on last year, but overall, 24 touchdowns total. Last year, 15 touches a game for almost 13. hundred yards, bro. You're a big James Cook fan, correct? Yes. Do you like this deal for Buffalo?

No. No, I'm glad they got him done. And here's my thing. He's the fifth. I'm fine with it. The guarantee is a little high. Yeah. He's second in the league among running backs and guaranteed $30 million.

But he's only tied for fifth with Josh Jacobs at per year, $12 million per year. And even if you feel, Nick, like this is a, high for a running back. It's $12 million a year. You know, relatively speaking, it's not much at all. And he, running backs, I do think, are too devalued. So, I mean, clearly I think we've finding that out the last few years, how valuable running backs are.

McCaffrey's getting $19 million. You know, now Henry's getting $15. He should be more than McCaffrey. And so... Sequan's up at 20. Sequins at 20. Yeah. And Jonathan Taylor's at 14.

So I don't have a problem. Like I said, if you want to say the guarantee is a little high, at the end of the day, even if you overpay or running back a little, it's still not much compared to what these other position players are getting. And he's going to be valuable. So the guarantee is to me all I care about with this. Because he's not seeing all four years of this deal. Because he's got one year left. And then do we think James Cook is going to play five more years at a high level?

If he is, then he's, you know, one of the best backs of his generation. You know what I mean? And again, I think he's a good player, but I just think that position doesn't age that way. And you guys made fun of me at the top of the show for saying, James, take two years 20 million. You're right. It was terrible advice for James. It was the right advice for Buffalo, because what was he going to do? And the bills are in as strapped a position cap-wise, any team in the league.

And this is it, I wouldn't pay. And he had 1,000 and 9 rushing yards last year. He's a good threat out of the backfield catching the ball. And while he had 16 rushing touchdowns, which is phenomenal, the previous two years combined, he had four. So the rushing touchdowns number, he was 16th in the league in rushing yards. The rushing touchdowns number is what popped for everyone. And I think some of that was, you know, there is some of the, you know, are we going to have Josh, you know, sneak it in? or are we going to hand it off James Cook.

Again, he's obviously a good player and they obviously need him. It's not a deal I would have done if I were running the bills. And it is, there are, when there are spots on offense that I think if you're a team that still hasn't quite been able to figure out how to get stops in the playoffs defensively,

that I would not want to be paying top of the market for that position at. You're right. that running back market is cheap, but it's still the second most guaranteed money any running back's gotten. And so I just, it shocked me. Like I didn't give out that two years,

20 million thing yesterday. I don't try to be wrong in those contract things. I actually care about being right way more than it's healthy for me, anyone believe. I was shocked he got this deal. So credit to him and happy for him and his agent, I just think in two years, are we going to be running the story?

Buffalo, you know what I mean, is eating 11 million indebted. money after moving off of James Cook. I think that's likely. So would you have risk going in without him? Like they're a running team. Josh's rushes have dropped the last three years. Obviously, as he ages, he's going to become less and less of your run game.

And so you do need Cook to be able to run that. No, I know. I would have offered him an awesome raise this year and a fully guaranteed good salary for next year and said, hey, man, there's your offer. and if you don't want to take it, then, you know, if you're going to do a hold-in throughout the year when you've made no money in this league, okay,

I just don't, I would have called his bluff on that. I wouldn't have Stonewall him. I would have made him a real offer. Well, yeah, I mean, it's tough. It's tough business. Tough business. We're not in. Mike Mayotte got to run a team for years.

I mean, I'm telling you right now. Gene and Nick Wright. I'm just tough business. Josh Allen, James Cook's quarterback. joined Bussin with the boys, the podcast. It's pretty good. Put the ball on your other hand on it, though. And he was answer.

It was a good episode of Bussing with the boys, and they talked about the tush push gone wrong against the Chiefs. Take a listen. Was that a first down? I was just going to ask that. I was walking back on the field because I saw on the Jumbotron, that angle where it sure does look like I crossed. I was like, they're calling this a first down. There's no way they can't, and I was wrong, so it wasn't.

That sucks. Luckily for Josh, once again for the third time in his career, a loss to the chiefs in the playoffs has led to the league saying, we've got to change some rules, boys. We need a laser tennis-like measurement for these now. And I don't think that actually would have impacted that at all. Listen, first of all, you didn't get it. You didn't get it.

Second of all, you got the ball back after not getting it. Down three with three and a half minutes left at the 30-yard line with three timeouts for a chance to rewrite your legacy. seen you got 17 yards and won one for four for five yards. And again, I'm the show's Josh Allen guy. I'm the guy that thinks he's second best quarterback in football, but fair is fair. And third of all, and most importantly. And great job by Will Compton and Taylor-Lwan, friends who, you're right.

It's a great podcast and they're great guys. You can't answer that question. Sorry, even in that setting, you can't answer that question. You just can't. You got to do the- You got to- Sorry. You got to-

Really? That's the secret power of that podcast. They're not letting you, like, give. you know, player speak. What do you mean? They would just, no,

Travis does a podcast with his brother and won't rehash the Super Bowl loss. He, like, and so, what's there to talk about? Hey, you wish you had a catch in the person.

Yeah. It would have been nice to catch one. Nick, I, had he, he looked like he's playing along with them. I thought I got it, guys.

I thought, which I thought he got it. I mean, I'm not going to get all up in arms, about it. I thought he got it. But had he been like, I got, you know what I mean, like really upset about it? Yeah, I did get that. I'm glad you brought that. Then I think it would have been, right, I think it would have been different. I'm glad you brought that off. But just to answer it, the way he did, I hear what you're saying, because sometimes you don't need to rehash stuff,

but I thought the way him was fine. And listen, I think the bottom line is, oh, here we go. I think the bottom line is those types of plays are so easy to get. This guy can't get over the tail. It's not even a football play. The play is so effective. It's an automatic first down. We should consider banning it because one guy, who, just for the record, no one thinks is as good as Josh Allen would have.

No one thinks he's that good. This is the problem. Would have definitely gotten the first down. He was definitely got it. Give us 30 more seconds. And when he plays the Chiefs, I'm begging you. I have now two days in a row just tried to set up for you to finally have the take that you so desperately want to have. Which is what?

That Jalen Hertz is at a minimum, a top two quarterback. And you won't go there. I just like top five. You have it here. Why is Josh Allen better than Jalen Hertz? One MVP. Okay. I like MVP.

Okay. Now, granted, Jalen Hertz won Super Bowl. Say, there you go. The MVP. Just diving. SGA won both. So it would be nice. If Jalen Hertz won both, it'd be a thing.

How much will the Lions miss their coordinators? Not at all. He didn't actually say that. He just said he was motivated. That's what he's thinking about, doubting him. Next on FS1 of Fox Sports Channel. Hey, we're introducing first things first on the go. Now comes a convenient travel size.

You can put in your pocket back back. Have it available when you need it. available podcast, YouTube, and a gel. True. He now is spending part of his day writing scripts for the podcast. Wow. John is crying because you said you don't think the digital world is important. After all, everybody got promoted and now you're saying you just care about linear.

John is not crying. Sorry. Are you? Last year, the Lions only lost two games. But in the off season, they lost two coordinators. This guy. Those departures have drained some enthusiasm from the Lions' predictions and motivated Dan Campbell. Take a listen.

It's not hard for me to find things that can drive you. I mean, I feel like that's the world we're in. That's how I was a player. That's how I am as a coach. Like, I'll pull anything negative. because it motivates me. So I would be lying if I said, no, that doesn't, you know, that doesn't get me going a little bit.

You know, that's the next challenge. So, yeah, I'm excited about it. Okay, Coach Manjini is here. Brew, do you expect Detroit to take a step back without coordinator? Spencer Johnson and Aaron Glenn? I don't think they'll win 15 games. I don't think they'll go 15 and 2. But I don't consider dropping to say 12 and 5 a step back,

as long as you're still a Super Bowl contender. I still expect him to be a Super Bowl contender. So I don't think that's a step back. You win 12 games and the Super Bowl, you know, or get there at least. That's a great year. So look, everybody's talking about the coordinators, but Campbell is the guy. And I know like Glenn and Ben Johnson were there before him, but not as coordinator. So it wouldn't be fair to say they didn't do anything as coordinators.

But he's the guy that changed the culture. He, like the anger that he's probably feeling over everybody saying they're taking a step back because of the coordinators. I'm sure he's passed that on to his team and that they feel that challenge as well. And when you couple that mentality with getting the defense defensive guys back, not just Hutchinson, but Anzolone, they got DJ Reed from the Jets who's pretty good. The whole defense was hurt at the year. So I think they are still going to be a Super Bowl contender, won't win as many games. But that's not a step back. Yeah, it doesn't seem like it takes a lot to make Dan Campbell angry.

So this falls in line with that. I do feel like it's a pretty significant challenge to overcome losing both coordinators. Now, we saw it last year with Philly where it worked out really well, but the year before with Philly, it didn't work out so well. So we've seen to kind of go both ways. And the issue is when you, especially in this situation, one coordinator got promoted. So that's a positive thing. The defense coordinator got promoted from the linebacker coach. So at least there's continuity in the scheme.

He understands who the players are. They have shared experiences. You can relate on a different level. Now, he has a new responsibility. So it's going to be interesting to see how he handles that pressure and responsibility of calling the players, game planning, that sort of thing. But there is continuity. Now, with Johnny Morton, he has been a coordinator before at the Jets, but he hasn't been part of that system. So the question is, do you bring in, do you use his system?

Do you keep the system you've had? Do you try to combine systems? And typically they'll probably keep the system they had. So now Johnny has to catch up with that terminology and work in that world and then incorporate some of the things he believes in. So there's a learning curve. And it's not as easy as just saying, hey, the head coach is still there. We're going to plug these two guys in.

It's new human beings, making new decisions, new relationships. All that stuff's got to work together. Go ahead, Kate. I want to talk with Patriots. Well, I don't want to talk about the page. Can I talk about the Lions? I am also talking about the Lions. Okay, go ahead, buddy.

Week two, Lions Bears, Ben Johnson, who's a genius? Going back to play his old team. A lot of people, I don't know if you knew this coach. You're a nickname, man genius. Man genius, yeah. Like Ben Johnson. Said by Tony Soprano. And you had to play Belichick, your old coach, when you were the coordinator.

What specific advantage? advantages or disadvantage. I'm just looking forward to week two, Ben Johnson versus Dan Campbell. Who has the advantage there? Was there stuff? You're like, oh, I know Belichick's going to do this. Or like, I know this. I'm going to know this. Yeah, it's definitely the first time we played him up there. We sacked Tom Brady six times. They changed from grass to turf after we beat him there. I mean, it did happen. You can look it up. So there was a real advantage there. And what it was is you understood. Tom had seen our signals so many times defensively from being impressed.

So there's an element of give him a signal he's seen and play something right totally different. So make sure he sees the check, he acknowledges the check, and then play something different. And then with the way their protection was set, they point out the mic, everything gets set after they point on the mic. So we were moving around so much that the mic had to change multiple times. And so the first time we did it, it was really effective and it was all based on what has always given our offense problems. And then also what are they familiar with? Let's give them plenty of plenty of that, but make sure it's not what they're expected.

So is Ben Johnson going to do that to Dan Campbell? I mean, he should. If they keep the same defensive scheme, he should know what the problems are with that scheme and make sure that every single problem play that they've had that he's heard about in a team meeting, they give it to him. So your focus more granular than I am on this. I think holistically big picture, I'd be very worried if I were Detroit. And first of all, and I kind of came up with a take during the segment.

Wow. These are dangerous. When I heard Drew talking about the culture. So tell me, what did he say? Untested take. That's big. I think culture setting setting is incredibly valuable for a team that Dan Campbell took over. does that you know the sad sack can't get out of its own way we are going to build have building blocks

set a foundation learn how to win yep i think once you're a contender the culture has set into a degree and then schematics matter a lot and i think that for a team that is trying to win a championship losing your tacticians, which Glenn and Ben Johnson were, and now just happened. I think Dan Campbell guarantees the Lions a floor. You know what I mean? Because of the culture and because of how much the players love him and believe in him. But I think those next steps, you need a lot of factors, and a lot of those factors walked out the door. The other thing that happened is we don't know how Jared Goff is going to react to how his season ended.

With three interceptions, a fumble out of his little hands. and getting rocked as the one seed. When we talked about the one seeds that lose their first home playoff game, we showed you the list a few days ago. It's like young quarterback, shocking, you know, and it had real long-term effect, not long-term, but the next year effects for those teams. Also, the foundation of that team,

the way Dan Campbell laid a foundation was, I'm going to build the toughest, meanest offensive line in football. That's now totally different with a new interior. offensive line, and they have a brutal schedule. So for all those reasons, like I, I of course agree with Brew that if you're 12 and 5 win the division, that's not a tangible step back. But I think Vegas is over under on them is a sneaky signal that they might, when Dan Campbell said two years ago, we don't know if we'll ever be back here.

He might have been more prescient than we thought. And so I think that, and I know you think that Ben Johnson's not going to work. as a head coach. I don't know. No. I don't, I'm not willing to say he's not going to work as a head coach. I'm saying he's just not the Picasso. Okay.

Right. But you do think he was a very good offensive quarterback. Of course. Like they are likely to be worse at both coordinator's spots, at least in the short term, than they were last year. It's tougher schedule. I'm curious where golf's heads at, all of that. Do you think they could miss the playoffs?

Oh, I'm not saying I'm picking on predictions week in two weeks. But could they miss the playoffs? 100%. Absolutely, they could miss them. They could finish third in their own division. Yes. The division obviously is much. And to your point about culture, again, if you can promote someone from within who knows the culture, there's value in that. I thought that's one of the things that Belichick always did really well is he developed coaches and as someone left, someone else jumped in.

So the culture stayed for the most part consistent over that 20-year period. And with Johnny Morton, there's a relationship there, but he hasn't been part of that. So he's got a relationship with the head coach. And he doesn't have a relationship with the quarterback. So how's all that going to play out? They open up against. Who do they open up against? No way to talk.

The Packers. Yeah, sorry. Then they host. Then they go to week three. Yeah. And week two, the Bears. The Bears. The Bears are must win.

That's a tough. For who? For Dane. Double? No, it's not a must win for the Bears. It's not a must win for Benjohn. The Bears don't have any must wins of the whole year. Matthew Stafford missed another day.

of practice yesterday. No update today. He's dealing with an aggravated disc. Last weekend, he threw around 60 passes. That seems like an anomaly because Monday he was in that futuristic wellness chamber. Nice. And he missed practice. Didn't throw any passes yesterday. I on the morning meeting called this the most under-talkable, undercover. No, it's coming covered fine. Underdiscust story in all of sports. If only you had a sports talk show. I try and put it in. You're like, Hey, that Super Bowl contender whose quarterback appeared once

and has an aggravated disc can we do more Trey Hendrickson? I'm like, no, I want to talk about it? Is it time to worry for anybody? I'm terrified. Brew shouldn't be worried at all. Because facts of the facts.

Listen, Brew and I know we argue sometimes, no one's going to be able to argue about this. If we know anything about Chris Broussard, it's that he loves Jimmy Garoppolo. That Jimmy G wins. That Jimmy G wins. And that Jimmy G., quote,

his body simply betrayed him, end quote. Well, luckily, he's healthy now. So now the Rams, we know that Brue thinks Stafford wasn't that good last year to begin with. How many times have I heard that? And that Jimmy G. is a winner. And we also know that Brue thinks

the Rams weapons, they have their own Avengers. So they have Jimmy G, Sharp head coached their own Avengers. I think they're cooked without Stafford. I assume Brew thinks it's tomato-tomato Stafford to Jimmy G. I'm going to pull a Nick Wright card. I'll have my own opinion. He's just saying like four things.

Brew thinks this, brew thinks this. I'm not even thinking about Jimmy Garapolo. You're the one that's in love with the Rams. Jimmy Garapolo years ago was a good quarterback in San Francisco. But I've moved on. All right. And you should move on. thinking the Rams are going to do something this year.

Look, they might make the playoffs, but this is major reason for concern, all right? And it's not, Sean McVeigh thought he's going to be ready, like, right around the start of training camp. And he is not even throwing footballs three weeks away from the start of the season. I get it.

He's everybody's all-American. All right? But he's 37. He's been banged up his entire, you know, he got banged up in Detroit. And the last three years, he's really been banged up, hasn't played to the standard he had set before. I think he's going to play, but I just think he's not going to be, he'll have his moments.

He is a very good quarterback. But he is not going to be the Matthew Stafford who led them to that Super Bowl a few years ago. Well, he threw the ball 60 times a few days ago, and they thought that he'd be able to come back on the Monday. And he wasn't, but they are almost a month away, a little bit under a month away before the first game. so you do have time to rest someone, you know, in this situation. I would imagine if they felt really concerned, they would probably continue to address the quarterback situation. You can't go into a year with Jimmy Garrow.

That's what I mean. That's what I'm looking at. Like, when are we going to see a trade? But because I don't think they think they can play Jimmy? I do think they can play Jimmy. The fear for fans of the, in this situation is a fragile quarterback behind a hurt quarterback.

Like to me, that's problematic. And then the next quarterback hasn't played. He's not a quarterback. He hasn't played. He's 27 years old. So you got an older quarterback who's inexperienced. So that's not great. But we also have to remember there are medications that guys take during the course of the season

that help with aggravated backs that you may not take during training camp because you're not playing a game. Never underestimate a quarterback named Stetson. What's that mean? Really? Yeah, it's a quarterback. I'm underestimated. He's a quarterback. 5, 10, 27-year-old.

His name is that's a quarterback name. Aaron Rogers, still getting used to his new helmet and new team, but Jalen Ramsey, is he still got it. Despite throwing for 300 yards just once in his last 40 games, is anyone buying that Rogers can still deliver? I'm out on the Steelers. What? What?

This is what I said about predictions week. He can't resist. Why? He's a ass to be out for. Does he still have it? No, bro. I'm starting to think about it. What are you doing?

I mean, you want me to answer the question. If I say yes. You were 55-45 two days ago. I know. What happened? Look, they're the third best team in that division. Definitively? Yes.

You were 55-45 days ago. It's two weeks away. But right now, I am steadily moving toward the biggest. It's fluid. It's fluid. It's still fluid. It's a good day. I am, he's at 41, we've seen some video all of us.

He looks very slow. And he's going to need that offensive line to give him great protection. I don't think he's going to get it. And the run game, I think, will be okay, but not phenomenal. So I just, look, I have faith in Tomlin and his coaching. I'm not saying first losing season. This is my fault. You were flirting with that before.

I was flirting with it. It's my fault. And Nick took, it was such a good take. No, that's not it. There's no tape. I had dusty scrounging through the, you know, looking for stuff. I never saw it. I owe the show in the audience in apology.

Because I shouldn't have done it. Like a week ago, remember I ran that montage of all the times Brew kept picking the Aaron Rogers to go to the Super Bowl, to win the vision with the jets, all of this. And Brew and, right. And then, and now. And now we don't even have suspense for predictions. Maybe you never know.

It's two weeks to go. Well, he's not going to get younger. The thing that's so busy, I feel like all offseason you beat the drum for him to go to Pittsburgh. I did. And what a great fit that would be for him to finish out his career. And now to hear you say this, I don't know how to react. I know. I'm shocked.

Look, it was the best way for him to go. It was the best move for the Steelers. just because the only place he really had to go. Right, right. But I just, I think they can still win 10 games. I just think they're the third best team in the division. Okay. But if they could win 10 and miss the playoffs.

But they couldn't win, if they can win 10, they can make them last. Well, I'm so on the board for it. Okay. All right. Thank goodness. I'm a hard no. I thought he was, I thought of all the rankings in that Mike Sandoe quarterback tiers, I thought his was the most ridiculous.

I think having Aaron Rogers at 15. sandwiched he was it eight was it 50 he was 15 he was 15 he was right no he was 16 pardon me because kiler was the first person in tier 2 it was kiler then aaron i forget who 17 was um but it had he was hired in gino it had yeah gino was 17 and then it was all the young guys i think having him ahead of like expecting erin rogers this year to be better than your guy drake may my guy keelab bo nix who a lot of people like he was ahead of all of them I think is crazy. He's 41.

He'll turn 42 during the season. He hasn't been, he hasn't had an above average season in four years. And so like, I, and listen, I think D.K. Metcalf is a really good player. I also, and tell me if you disagree with me, coach, stylistically, the receiver that obviously Aaron had the most success with Devante is a historically great technician.

You know what I mean? Like he, not that he's obviously a great athlete and all those things, but Devante is about routes and releases and hand and all of that. D.K. Metcalf to me is such a different type of receiver where I don't even know if he's a great route runner.

I certainly wouldn't describe him as a technician. It's just he is, he's the combine photo that he had come to life. Like, I'm bigger than you, I'm stronger than you, I can run faster than you, and he's a great player because of it. That, to me, is not the type of receiver I expect Aaron to have a great rapport with. Like, I'm not saying he can't throw it deep, but you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, but so I just don't see that that's a great fit. And so no, I don't think he'll be able to deliver.

The thing that's so intriguing to me about the situation is everything in New York was changed for him. everything was designed to allow him to be successful. And now with him going to Pittsburgh, he's got to humble himself, and he's got to change for them. He's got to be part of their culture. I don't see, there's going to be some conflict with him and Arthur Smith in terms of scheme. They're not going to do all the things that he wants them to do. Why do you think that, coach? Because I feel that was one of the rubs with Russell Wilson.

And why Arthur liked Justin Fieldsmore, he has a belief in. what he thinks works. Aaron obviously has a belief in what he thinks works. Now, at the end of the day, it's Mike Tomlin's decision as to what they do. But what's so fascinating is will he go in this final year and humble himself, be part of the team? And will that in some ways be the catalyst that he needs to actually find some of what he used to have? How does that manifest like just quickly?

Because we're up against the 4 o'clock break. But how does that manifest on like a play-to-play basis? He's calling plays that Aaron doesn't want to run? Well, there's things that you can do that guys, a guy like Aaron has done his whole career. Okay. And if you should really build the playbook or the scheme to what he does well to maximize his talents.

But there's some coordinators that they want to do what they want to do. And they have a belief system as to what's most effective against that defense, but it may not be what's most effective for that guy. So the smart thing is to do what Aaron does well. There could be some rub here where those guys are fighting in terms of what they want to get done. You were right. You're right. That's not going to say.

Justin Herbert comes in at 7 on the QB rankings, and we welcome the one person who still thinks it's too high or too low. Too low. Way too low. Live from New York, it's a show that thinks LeBron could have played in the NFL both ways all of a sudden. That was an off-the-air take by someone who's not at the desk. A lot of controversial take. I don't think both ways, but he would have been a Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame tightest.

Pretty good. It's a good take. And Danny Parkins is here as well. All right. Hello. What's up? What's up? Second hour of first thing's first.

Today, Bear is not worried about Caleb's learning curve. Should Bear's fans be? I don't feel like I don't think it's fair to show. It's disrespectful. To show that video anymore. It's like he's learning Ben Johnson's play. This is not. Wow. Who put this together?

I've got to talk to you after the show. Replyed to your Twitter? No, it's like people are sending me takes about what you say on Colin. Oh, wow. Yeah, it's the easiest way to get to me is send something wild. Meanwhile, a fun round of ceiling or floor from Bristol's NFL Nation's reporters, which teams will reach their potential, which teams will end up on the floor with our foremost controversial teams. Again, they're not our foremost controversial.

We're right now. Danny Parkins is in to defend a controversial QB ranking. Not by him. These are the results of Mike Sandoz's QB tiers ascertained from the opinions of 50 coaches and executives. Remember it was ranked into tiers. Tier one was the Big Five, according to some people. Big four plus Matthew Stafford. Tier two goes like this.

Jaden, Herbert, Gough, Stroud and Hertz tied. Bake Show, Dak, Jordan Love, and Brock Ferdie. Haring on for Deer Life to Tier 2, Brooke Purdy. He's, you know what? What's you say about Stafford? He's in the Tier 1, Brew. He's in the two. He's in the Tier 2.

Who wants to go first year? Is it more likely Justin Herbert moves up or moves down? Go ahead. Go ahead. Just. Apparently being set up for everyone to come out. Yeah, I got my defenses up, my counter punches.

Move up, obviously. I'd have him where Stafford is right. now. He's the fifth. He's the fifth, he's the fifth best quarterback in football. And yes, I want you to succeed. If you succeed, I succeed. If you succeed, you're just making it so difficult. Go ahead. All right. Well, we can just him v. Stafford, Herbert had more yards. Well, staff. He was going to like this. Go ahead. I'm not that high on everybody's all American. More yards. Better serrating, more

touchdowns, fewer interceptions than Stafford last year. And there is something to, and I know this is where you get upset. I like that actually. How I see the NFL and the eye test. It's the eye test man. He passes all of it.

And these coaches, scouts, and executives who do the rankings, what was it, 50, you said for the athletic? They had him seventh. ESPN, put one together with coaches, scouts, and executives, 70 of them, and they ranked him seventh ahead of Jalen Hertz on both lists. The people who do this, if we were starting a team today, who you would draft, they think he's one of the best players in football because they watch

the games. So then I is. They get a lot wrong though those same people. So then I have a question. Go ahead, buddy. Throw up the tweet, Dust. Then why do you feel the need to all ready for the six straight year make preemptive excuses for inevitable failure. The Rashog Slater injury was a huge bummer. It's a huge injury. That is a huge injury. Of course it is. And so now instead of having two all pro caliber tackles,

he's gonna have to make do with just one. Like I, the, in so. As a second year player who might be playing left tack left. So here's, so I guess here's my question. Yeah. For those other guys in the top, five. If any of them lost a star offensive lineman, I don't know that Lamar has a star offensive lineman right now, but lost their left tackle. Would you preemptively be like, well, that team's

not going to be the team we thought it was. It feels to me like there is even the biggest Herbert believers already want to, because they also think the eye test is great, the arm's great, but we've actually never seen him play well in a big spot ever. So if he doesn't... The playoff game was a disaster, and the first playoff game was a disaster, and the vast majority of the win-in-jurin game against the Raiders was a disaster. And so...

Go ahead. The first half of the game against Jacksonville was not a disaster. But the game overall was a disaster. He couldn't produce a touchdown. The loss to Houston last year, a couple of those interceptions are off his guy's hands. and the pressures and the pass rush. The not his fault?

I'm sorry. I watched you guys yesterday talk about Brock Purdy, and I watched Nick slap coach on the shoulder, and he was like, the football Illuminati agrees with us that Purdy is barely a tier two, middle of the road guy. So I'll just, the football alumni agrees with me on. They don't get it all. They get it all.

A lot wrong to football Illuminati. But one member of the football Illuminati, Jim Harbaugh, his coach, went there, saw your guy with the eye test and said, you know what, he needs to throw it 10 fewer times a game. The first five, what, four or five years of his career, he averaged 39 passes a game before Harbaugh got there. Last year, he averaged 29 passes a game. What, I mean, Josh Allen, you might say, well, they did it to him, but he can run. Like, that's a big part of his security.

not so for Justin Herbert as athletic as he is. So how do you explain if he is that great? Why does one of the best coaches of the modern era go there and say, I'm taking the football out of his hand? We'll be better if he throws less. And then he lets him air it out in the playoffs and he throws four interceptions. Well, I actually disagree with Harbaugh. I'd rather see him throw it because it's just.

But he's in the Illuminati. He is in the Illuminaity. But he also last year was the only quarterback of the league. to have over 500 pass attempts and fewer than five interceptions. It was the best interception percentage since Tom Brady in 2016. He still throws the ball a lot without throwing it to the other team. It wasn't like he had a pass rating for the season. His interception rate dropped.

Yeah, and his passer rating went up. And he threw the ball over 500 times with a passer rating over 100. It wasn't like he wasn't passing at all. Right. Their team is built more to run. Their coach, no doubt, prefers to run. They've got one good receiver. Well, now you got Keenan Allen,

Well, I like Harris, the guy they drafted in the second round. Can I answer this question? I think he's going to stay where he is. Yeah, probably. Because here's the other thing. What is definitely true? And again, I think football intelligentsia is what we're trying to say, not Illuminati. I think Illuminati has a slightly different connotation.

I think we wanted, I don't think we want to. I know, but it then led to Bruce saying, and I quote, you said Jim Hart. ball's in the aluminum, which we are not actually saying. We are saying he's a member of the intelligency of the brother's also in. Exactly, right. But they love him. Because it, and here is where I have some sympathy to Danny's take. It is a very, very close cousin of my Trevor Lawrence take, which is a player that size,

with that pedigree, with that throwing motion, those things. he should be one of the best. But where we diverge is that once you are a half decade into your career, you have to be judged on what you actually have been rather than what you have accomplished. Now, the argument Brew was making against Herbert is a tricky one because that is a similar argument against Hertz. If you're that good, why do they take the ball out of your hands?

But he never slung it around like Herbert. And we also know that's not his strength and he's a runner. So I think there's a little difference. Go ahead, KW. I have a take. Oh, great. Here we go. You have to go all in for Herbert.

And this is your last ride for Herbert. It's like a retirement match in the WW. Oh. It's like if you and you would be better off. This is my, this is the take. If they go 10 and 7 and he misses the playoffs but puts up great numbers, then him getting into the playoffs and performing badly again. Oh, he can't play bad in the playoffs again.

You have to be, you have to retire. You don't have to retire, but you have, he has. My career is not open. No, but you have to be done. Like if you run into Justin Herbert on the street somewhere, you just have to walk past him like you've never met, seen it in life. Well, I mean, I think we have my favorite graphic that has ever been created since I've been at FS1. Is this one?

He's on pace. He's on pace. This is the worst thing that's ever been on TV. This got to be year six. Brew, this is the worst thing that's ever been on TV. What are you talking about? It's not bad. Then it was so different back there for quarterbacks.

But then it's the partner. Yeah. The quarterback could get pounded. The receiver's going to get pounded. It's not the same. This is correct. This has to be a massive year. Second year with Harbaugh.

They've built the system around. He has to overcome the Roshan Slater injury. There is not. The Derwin James injury or the Joey Bosa or the missed kicks or the Anthony Lynn or the Brandon Staley. Those were all things that he overcame to, oh, what has he accomplished five years into his career? No player in the history of football has thrown for more yards to start a career through five seasons than Justin Herbert. You guys act like because of two games. It's like, well, nothing he does.

And look, I agree with you. Herbert is very talented. And I agree with Nick that the best. That most likely situation is he stays about right where he is. Here's the thing I know that Nick agrees with me. I definitely don't. Oh, really? Because I remember.

Okay. If we were starting a team, who would you draft first, Jalen Hertz or Justin Herbert? Can I do I know what my team is or is it? They're my first pick. Everybody's available. You're building a team. Under that circumstance, no, I probably would take Justin Herbert. And he's a better player.

No, but that's a different. I agree with that. That's a different. I agree with that. When that happens. Okay, but can I say, can I say something else that I realized before we move on real quick? Because you guys, you just said this is the year for Herbert. You said that this is the year for Herbert.

Yeah. It also means my guy Trevor's got one more year on Easy Street. That's right. Because this is not your five friend. This is the year. He's allowed. What do you mean? I'll give you.

He has not been nearly as good as Justin. Well, in the regular season. In the playoffs, what do you think what happened if they played in a playoff game? And one guy started off down 27 points. Would he roar back and steal the victory? If I take the second seven games of his second year plus the first four. No, it's just year two. And in those next two, he was put that together and he was great.

That's not what it was. It's just year two. He's not even close to her. I'm sorry, seven MVP voting. Sorry. It was the top seven. He's not even close. This is one thing about Trevor Lawrence.

Sometimes you see this in the news where it's like a CEO is like selling their stock. Like what? Why did that guy sell a million shares? That's you. You've been slowly offloading. He had sold. Slowly. He had sold everything.

You did come back. I'll give you credit. But you had sold last year. You weren't calling him the prince. You guys. I'm going to get really mad. That's what he was. Didn't even make in his high school stacks.

You guys, first of all, you demand. demanded I stop mentioning his high school stats. I looked him up. And you demanded, and out of the long respect I have for you as a friend and the colleague, I accepted, you said when they're four and whatever, you can't call him the prince anymore. I said, you know what, you're right. And this year, there's zero and zero. I'm calling the prince. But I also said that his land and titles are on the line this year.

That's too much. It is. He's not the prey like this year. I told you. He's from 1,200 years ago. Courtney Cronin appeared on NFL Live detailed Caleb's, be kind here, Caleb's journey in learning Ben Johnson's complicated offense. Fair?

Yeah. She says it's really an overload process. The bears aren't panicking about it. They know this is his process of learning. So the bears officially aren't worried. Should Bears fans be? Danny, you're a big star in Chicago radio. You were.

Do you think Bears fans should be nervous about Caleb's process? being cynical with Bears quarterbacks comes with the territory, right? It's the franchise that drafted Mitch Tribesky over Patrick Mahomes. So I'm just saying like Bears fans are going to be skeptical and cynical about basically everything. But about what? About him not playing in a preseason game? Wild didn't like it. And him having some bad training camp practices reportedly. Like we watched 17 games of Caleb Williams last year and he was good. He was not great. He was not as good as he was supposed to be. But he was good.

Wait a minute. He took six. I mean, if you think Drake, if you think Drake May was good, then Caleb was good. I didn't. I thought Drake May was like watching like, a baby deer.

Like something, you know, I see the potential. I'm not like that was good. Okay. All right. Throwing the ball of the wrong team often. Yeah. Caleb was not.

Caleb's just throwing it to the fans. And he'll run in the wrong way. Yeah, he took 68 sacks, which is too many. A little bit. No, but he had a three and a half to one touchdown interception ratio. He threw for 3,500 yards. He played all 17 games.

They fired his play caller nine games into his professional career. Another way to look at it, he got his play caller five. Sure. And then a franchise that in the history of their organization, they've been around a while, had never fired a coach in season, was like, this is so much of a disaster, we have to get rid of this guy right now.

they've upgraded their offensive line. We all agree that probably Ben Johnson better play caller than Shane Waldron. Yes, safe to say. We all agree better head coach most likely than Matt Iberfaluse, even though we've never seen him do it. Yes. So if they upgraded it coach, play caller, and offensive line, and his baseline was a three and a half to one touchdown

interception ratio playing 17 games and 3,500 yards, why would he not be better this year than last year? That's a lot of goobly gook. I don't understand. Why? He might. He was good. That's not the standard for him to be better than he was last.

He could be better than he was last year and us still be like, we're not sure he's the franchise quarterback. I'm not saying they should be worried. I say concerned. Like just. Not worried but concerned? Yeah, not worried where you're like, he's not the guy. This is not the guy.

We're looking at Archman. Where is your house on five? This is like, why is that smoking? Yeah, it's like. All right. All right, go ahead about that. Look. And Case Keenham said this is like one of the most complex playbooks he's ever seen.

But I think the reason he didn't play in week one of the preseason was that he wasn't ready. And they didn't want to throw him out there and make him have him look bad. I just think he's being asked to play a way he has never played. High school, Pop Warner, college, obviously. Like he is being asked to play on time. And I think in the NFL, and that's why you see so many guys that are great in college that don't pop in the NFL, guys that weren't great in college become great in the NFL. Because I think they ask you to do different. Like what's successful in the NFL is playing on schedule.

If you have the off schedule stuff, that can take you to the next level. Right. And then the off schedule stuff has to be your second pitch. Yes. You have to be able to do. fastball right now. And look, I'm not writing off. I'm just saying I'm trying to drill out of him.

Like, I think what you're talking about is why they're taking this approach. I think he is trying to break Caleb down to build him back up with the belief that inherent natural wizardry stuff is not going to go away. Well, they've said the reports are that in two-minute drills and unscripted stuff I practice that he's been balling out. Right. So there have been positive reports. out of this training. Why is Ben Johnson making it so complicated? Well, the plan, apparently,

is to put it all in, see what he can handle, and then dial it back and simplify it as they get closer to the regular season. He's overloaded it since the way he started off with the Lions. Right. It just seems Ben Johnson focused centric rather than Caleb's. All right. So I, listen, I know you hated Ben Johnson's quote about the push push, and that there's never been up someone's opinion of someone else change. more by one quote more so than I suppose if a couple

out of an altar and they said I don't like I assume that flips it then your opinion of Ben Johnson right um but in Ben Johnson's defense I think we all think the Lions have a really good team offensively a really good team

I don't think we all think they have the best team in the NFL and yet over the last three years when Ben Johnson was there, they led the league in points. They were top three in every major offensive category. Jared Gough, I think, over the last three years, has more touchdown passes than any player in football. So if you are Ben Johnson, I think you probably justifiably believe whatever I am given,

I am going to get the top 1% outcome of offensively because that's what he did in Detroit. I know, but he did have a number one pick in Detroit, too. Yes, but it's not like he's like, ah, I did. No, no, no, no, a number one pick whose team had given up on and who was a shell of himself. Post-Super Bowl, they gave up on him. I get it. It's not like it's like a Brock Purdy type situation. No, no, no, but he has a number one pick here.

Tier two. Wilds, but he has a number one pick here that he chose. But don't they play a completely different way? No, I know they play different styles, but he chose. He didn't choose Jared golf, Ben Johnson didn't. You know what I mean? He chose, he could have coached Justin Herbert, Danny's guy. He could have coached Washington.

Maybe he should have. You know what I mean? He didn't know they were going to have Jaden, whatever it is. So he chose Caleb, and even though I agree with you, he seems smug. I think he's a smart football guy, and I don't think what he's doing is stupid. It might be a little me focused, but I don't think he's done. Bears, Bill's Sunday on Fox preseason he's going to play. Yeah, he's bad.

ESPN's NFL nation reporters made floor and ceiling projections for every team. Here are the most argumentative for us in our version of No Huddle. First up, San Francisco, easiest schedule team that has a genius coach, franchise QB, smelling salt, aficionado, tight end, and one of the most dominant offensive weapons ever. Or everybody's hurt and aging and Christian McCaffrey is not going to be that good. What is more likely the ceiling of 12 and 5 or the floor? of seven and ten. Brew, we start with you.

Well, to hit the ceiling, they need to be healthier, somewhat healthy. But I'm going, I'm going, by the way. Oh, is it? This feels like a scored segment.

Sealing with a bullet. All right. With a bullet. He's like, sealing with a bullet. By Nick's own admission, they got the third best running back in the league coming back,

Christian McCaffrey. I didn't even say he was third best. I said top three. Right. So he'll be best. back. But no, look, I think Robert Sol is going to strengthen the defense. I do think, I mean, Joanne Jennings will be healthy, although I think he'd be smart to sit out because I don't,

I think they'd have to pay. They just paid him. Yeah, but what are they going to do? They need Jowinny. He's like their number one receiver right now. Pierce off, but I think Purdy is a good quarterback. The schedule is what I'm looking at. And the schedule is really, really poor. And Now with Matt Stafford, iffy, I think the Rams aren't going to be, you know, what people thought. So I am going sealing for the Niners. Good schedule. Healthy Chris McCaffrey. They drafted the first six draft picks are on defense.

Then they brought in five free agents on defense. They have Sala. And in my mind, those receivers situations isn't great, but none of them are season ending. So ceiling. You guys are, you know what I mean? It was good. That was good, coach. I got to give you.

You guys are out of your mind. So first of all, we think they have a soft schedule. And it does right now look like a soft schedule. We also, and the coach taught me this, we don't know. We don't know if the Cardinals are going to be better. I am a scheduled guy and it looks like a soft schedule. The point I'm making is, is what if by the end of the year, Wilde's guys, Cam Ward is awesome. You know what I mean?

What if Kyler is the guy that, But it's, it is the easiest. It's not one of the easiest. It's the easiest by last year's winning percentage. I understand. And so what's the ceiling for this schedule? But, well, regardless, the point that I'm making is that I think the schedule while soft does not, again, it's probably somewhere in the middle, but I think they're more likely

to have a bad year. This is, I, by the way, why I thought this article, I appreciate them doing it to give us a segment. I thought the ceilings were way too low and the floors were too high. They didn't have a single team whose ceiling was better than 13 wins when every year somebody wins 14 or 15. And the floors, like, what they're saying, they're saying the Niners worst case scenario is win one more game than they won last year.

Like, so I don't, I don't look at that 7 and 10 as a true floor, which is why I think it's more likely. Like, I can absolutely see a year where to speak to a bruise on about last yesterday, the wide receivers are injured. And what if top three running back Christian McCaffrey, one time almost one MVP, gets doubled tendonitis again? And then all of a sudden, you know what I mean? It's they're all, it's all on this guy's right arm.

I don't trust that. And defensively, this is, and I think everyone will agree, the least talent they've had on that defense since the second year Shanahan took over. Oh, you gotta see what the six draft picks do. Yeah, but first, second, Leaning on rookies in year one to make over a defense, the first round pick of which already got hurt during training camp.

Yes, the Eagles, the Eagles had got great contributions by their two rookies, secondary players. That's true. But that's, that's right. They still got Fred Warner. Nick Mose. I, right, the reason. He still got some guys. The point I'm making is they added those guys because they had so many losses defensively.

And last year they weren't a great, they were a good defense. running great defense. I'm just going. I'm scoring this differently. Yeah. Because that side of the table bashed me for comparing Purdy to Drew Breeze. Drew Breeze had three straight seven.

See, I told you. This guy is all. Just saying it. Did you go and research that today? No, I just know. We all know that. That's been. Everybody knows that.

Why did you wait? Why'd you wait for just say that until today? No, he already knew it. But brew this morning was showering. And he was like, that's what I should have said. Gosh, dark. I didn't get a chance to score it, Dust. Who wanted?

Three to two to one. That's how I'm doing it now. Who got one? Coach got three. I got two. And Brew only got one. I brought up the schedule. I said the schedule in the newsre.

In the newsre, the first thing is easiest schedule. You can't just repeat what I say. You're very unenthusiastic about your love, too. Meanwhile, head to the dynasty of New England. franchise quarterback proven coach brilliant offensive coordinator who got better as coach so many offensive line rebuilt will campbell pancake and guys also on proven quarterback with no weapons ceiling for the new yingham patriots 11 and 6 floor 6 and 11 again all these floors are improvement last year it's a bad sign when I'm like floor I'm like look it's a growing

You're going to four. Yeah, six to 11. Coach, do you want to go first for the Patriots? So this is an extreme makeover when I looked at him. Six new starters on offense. So the six, including three on the offensive line. And that doesn't even include Trayvion and Henderson. Hello.

We're going to contribute a lot. Okay, so we're talking about potentially seven out of the 11 guys that are new. And then on defense, you've got five new defensive starters. You add Josh McDaniels as the OC. The schedule is not too bad at all. Second easiest. Okay. go. You look at it. They should be closed with the ceiling without a doubt.

I am with you, coach. I'm going ceiling. Wow. Do you like that? Like the new, like the obviously Josh McDaniels as a OC. Like Braybill. I mean, look, I don't want to put tons of stock in the preseason, but when you score 48 points, that's a culture change. Thank you. That's a culture change. How many were scored with Drake May on the field? Well, no, look, He played experience. He ran it back 100 yards. But I just think, and the schedule, let me put a little meat to what coach said about the schedule.

The first four games, look at that. The Raiders, the Dolphins, the Steelers, the Panthers, they could be three and one going into that game. Buffalo and just, I mean, the Saints, they got the Titan, the Brown. Like, that is a light. It's a fourth place schedule, and that is light. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry to do this, KW. and I know this isn't good for my points, but take integrity demands it. Do you know what every Raider fan is doing when they're opening up their schedule? We are. We're favored at home. I understand.

I get that. You love Vegas. Hold on. Can I just, can I just, I know that's your team, but let me just make the point that I know you agree with. Raider fans open up their schedule and they're like, man, at least we have New England week one.

Sure. Saints fans who are trying to figure out how are we not going to go 0 and 17? They're like, well, we do have a home game against the Patriots in week six. The Titans, when they're trying to construct the nine and eight Cam Ward season, every single one of those has winning at home against New England. I'm not saying that's going to happen. I'm saying that we're going into week 18 vying for the number one pick of the draft.

Nobody sees you on their schedule the next year and they're like, oh, man, The chalk up a ball. It's not the same team. It's a very different. I understand. Very different coach. No one in Tennessee is like, oh good, Mike Vrable coming home. No, no one is doing that.

Again, as much as I love, Kimmore. Coach, I understand it's not the same thing, but when we say the easiest schedule, that is based on record from last year, which is about what last year's teams were, neither here or there. My answer, you're saying that some of the teams that were bad last year have remade the team in ground out. And listen, and I said the. Patriots are an actual legitimate potential sleeper team. I believe that.

But I don't think 6 and 11 is the floor. I think the floor is 4 and 13. I think the floor is they have that Drake May doesn't pop the way we hope and I think he can and that they have a very similar season as last year, which is pretty good defense, horrific offense, and they're awful. So I think the more likely scenario is. they win six or seven games. And KW is like, hey, that's an improvement.

Raville seems to think that we can get six or seven games just by playing competent football. We're doing dumb stuff, dude. The defense is not good. Right. Dumb, don't be yourself. The number of wins you can get by playing. Six wins by not winning.

By being competent, exactly. And zero wins by having more talent. Can we win six games? Can we beat six teams? That's what I just, yes. That's what I'm saying. That's 12 wins. You need more than that.

No, that's not 12. Yes, it is. Six we don't beat ourselves, six we beat the other guys. Nice. You got zero there. Coach got three, brew, you got two, zero. How do I get zero? Zero.

I didn't realize you could get zero. Cincinnati, best offense in the league that overpowers everyone. Or a defense with or without Trey Hendrickson that hamstrings them yet again. Now, they did play their starters in the preseason. So Zach Taylor should get off to a hot start. That's the goal. Even starting the meetings a little bit earlier. That works.

Ceiling 12 and 5 floor, 7 and 10. Go ahead, Nick. All right, I. You're down. I understand. I don't care about the score. Well, then this coach, you go. No, I'm going to give a good answer.

If you don't care. No, I don't care about your silly score. Wow. If you don't want to play the game. But I feel badly that I'm going floor three in a row, but I am. I think the floor is a likely outcome. Likely.

Likely. Likely. Wow. Yeah, I think Cincinnati winning seven or eight games is what I project to happen. Like, I think that they are going to have a very bad defense, not quite the offense they had last year, because one of the underrated stories, I think, of Bengals training camp has been, wait, is that offensive line even good? And the whole way for the team to function is Joe Burrow upright throwing lasers.

They, it's August, what day is it? It's August 13th. An old TH still hasn't reported. I didn't say his name. Don't end the segment. And I don't, I don't see any world where they win 12 games. In that division with that defense, I see no world where they win 12 games. Well, this is going to be strange considering some of the stuff I've said earlier in the show.

Watch this. And I don't think it's likely. This guy. Right now I've got them as a playoff team. But I don't see 12 wins. You have 11. But that's not 12. I see floor.

Not that I don't think it's going to happen. But more likely. No, it's not closer to. It's more likely. And here's why. And I know Nick all of a sudden doesn't, in high on schedule projections. I'm not saying that.

But this schedule is a monster. You never know. Not only the division, but I mean, you got Minnesota. Denver, Detroit, Green Bay. Skip Jacksonville. Yeah, well, purpose. Buffalo, like, I mean, that's a tough scale.

That's why I'm like 12 wins with that defense. Again, right now I've got them projected as a playoff team unofficially because it's not prediction week. But I could see it going south because here's the other thing. Burroughs only 38, 30, and one in his career. Wow. Like it's not like he's only one more than 10 games once, And that year, they had a top 10 defense when they won the 12 games.

So I think like 10, 11 wins is like what they can do with that defense. And so that's why I just say the bottom club is not possible. Yeah, I think 12 is really not possible. So I look, we know what the receivers. I really like Giseki and Noah fan for the tight ends. And with Chase Brown, he averages 4.3 yards of carry. The best way they can win is actually run the ball a little bit more and control the clock. What a take.

However, that being said, I don't think they're going to be able to have the arms race through the course of the season and get to the ceiling. So I'm going for it. I'll tell you who got the ceiling. Coach, eight points. Brew, six points. You didn't even care. What did I do, Brew? You got deep.

You got deep. There you go. Dust them off. Dust them. Here's a nice video of just excellent leadership from Jalen Hertz who spoke to Shador Sanders after their joint press. and then drove him off the field. Now, Shador could walk, but he does have an injury. Brown's update on Shador Sanders, further medical testing revealed an oblique strain,

according to Mary Kate Cabot. His day-to-day, won't practice Thursday versus Eagles, and unlikely to play in this game. Saturday, how big of a setback is this in Shador's kind of journey to what we want him to be a starter? Well, as you hope he can get back, like after the next preseason game and play, but I don't think it's that huge. Obviously, you want him to play. I was really looking forward to seeing him. I'm sure the Browns were as well.

But because he played well in his first game, I don't think it's disastrous for him. Like if Gabriel, who's obviously going to play a lot, he goes out there and looks bad. That actually helps Chedur. Like, Shadour could have went out there Saturday and they both play bad. And then now he's lost some ground.

So I don't think it's the worst thing in the world because he played so well in the first game. Yeah, this is a great thing for him. Really? He's put the good tape on the record. Everybody has that. That's the last thing we've seen him do in a game. So now Dylan Gabriel has to go out,

and he's got to either match or surpass that. But this is going to be a lot harder game to do that because in the progression of preseason, this is the game where there's an element of game planning. you're going to play your guys differently. You're trying to get as close to a pre-season game as you can in this game. So the level of intensity will be higher. The level of what he's going to see will be higher.

And now all that Chodor has to do is sit back and say, hey, when I got my shot, I did great. And everybody's going to have to evaluate the other guys and be like, let's see how they do. So I thought I was going to have a unique opinion on this, but this is we're going to be close to a clean sweep. Assuming Shador is, I like that it says unlikely to play because if it was, he's just, it's today's Wednesday, he's been ruled out for Saturday.

I would have a bigger concern that, oh, this is like, he could be out the next two weeks. But if this is really something where playing Saturday would be borderline, they're going to sit him, but come Monday's practice, he'll be a full go, then I think this oddly could work out, perfectly because what now we're going to get against the Philadelphia Eagles, you know what I mean, whose first team obviously is excellent and who have, you know, one of the better drafters in GMs in football, and we consider one of the better overall rosters in football, you're going to

see Kenny Pickett, who has missed a lot of training camp and I don't think is a real, a legitimate NFL quarterback, and Dylan Gabriel, who again, it's the practice stats, but today at practice did throw two touchdowns but was six of 19 and some of that was in seven on seven some 11 on 11 those guys a little rusty

first game action against Philly. And so. Gabriel, he hasn't been an NFL game like just the emotion of transitioning from college of the NFL can he run the huddle can he run the operation at the lot like all that stuff that's still big for him. And so

Flacco's not playing. They've that clear against Philly. And so and the fact that today in practice, um, Snoop Huntley got a few reps. Maybe he gets a few, you know, maybe they give him a few snaps or, you know, a few series against Philly. But I anticipate that Gabriel and Pickett will play themselves down the depth chart. Really? Yeah. I mean, I, again, I, the, my picket feeling has been from the moment he was drafted. There was a brief preseason a couple years ago where he tricked me, where he had that all on fire preseason, but I've never believed in the traits, didn't love him in college, he's never been a good pro. Gabriel, again, this is college tape bias, but when you're a rookie

in training camp, that's the only thing I have to go on. And those ESP in Cleveland charts, I keep six of 19 in a training camp practice is really bad. Like, I agree with you, KW, that we don't know if seven of eight means anything. You know what I mean? They could be dump-offs. We don't, we don't, good training camp stats could be meaningless. Really bad is like really bad.

It's hard for that, in my opinion, to be meaningless. I mean, we look at those Cleveland stats. It hasn't been like anybody's lighting it up when they pop those on the board. No, I agree. Like one touchdown a day. Yeah, I agree. But I just, I think that Shador,

if he's ready to practice Monday, he'll be in a better position. Hey, check out the podcast if you get a chance. Where are we in the rankings? What was that number one? Cool. How about YouTube? What was that?

Not even close. She was. This guy. Subscribe to the YouTube. Honestly, what do I need to do? I say it every day. And tomorrow, the Bud List. Brew, any thoughts on the Bud List?

You're gonna. Not yet. Nothing. Nothing. Over. I'll be grinding tonight. All right. Those three names.

Smell and salts might have to come back out from. You don't need that back. It was such a. Oh, break maze. Season over under. Now this is a good play by Diggs. Late hands and everything. That is a great play.

You know why? Because he's good. Maybe. Maybe. And he's back at the wide receiver coach said. That's the improvement for Nick on Diggs. It will slowly come around. We'll be like, wow.

What is, is this the real number? 7.50. They don't believe in them. Yeah. Do you? Yeah. Well, to me, it's all about health. If he's healthy for 15 plus games, over. Absolutely.

Absolutely. And we're putting one receiver there? Huh? Yeah. You don't think you get 50 yards? Even if he's healthy? I don't think he's playing 15 games. I don't.

You think we have it locked up and we rest? No, I don't, I didn't want to do this topic because it's never fun to be like, I don't think a guy is going to be healthy all year. But your aging wide receiver who just came off in ACL who's on his 13. team in three years. I don't think he's going to play a full season. He has been locked in since he got to shore. Let's just say that. The guy has been just totally locked in. More first things first tomorrow at three o'clock. Don't forget about that podcast. Excellent.