First Things First - Rashod Bateman joins show, Bengals preseason performance, Anthony Richardson's injury

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

(00:00) Joe Burrow throws for 2 TDs in Bengals preseason game / Anthony Richardson injury (16:58) Rashod Bateman joins show (27:18) Wildes' Weird & Wonderful / Shedeur Sanders first preseason start (43:28) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's a show that is still coming back. Don't. Oh, buddy. I already knew where you were going. Again? Oh, buddy. Well, there's not many left. I got to tell you. I might have developed a bit more. You like. Oh. We are back. You want to hit? No. It was a nice, nice wallet laugh. I had a headache for 12 hours. There were 10 in here. We got. I don't even think they're the strongest ones. No, these are only 15s. I'm working my way up. Yeah, they go up to what?

75. Well, I think that's if you're unconscious. 75. But now. You had a headache? No, it's on your fingers. It leaks. It smells like a pool.

Wow. I told you. Man, let's get to swim. That's all you. So stupid. Today. We look at last night's QB's in action. Joe Burrow had a great day.

Anthony Richardson. Not so much. He's okay, though. What can we learn from last night's performances? Meanwhile, the Ravens, Rashad Bateman, joins the show. How will the Ravens do this year? And are we sure the interview won't start with, excuse me, Mr. Brassard, why are you wearing a robe and eating a sandwich?

And finally, Chador starting tonight. What are we expecting? And is there any chance? Any chance? He can earn the actual starting job. And fresh new sound from Coach Prime with an angle that I hadn't thought of. And it's almost sounds like we need a lot of time for that conversation.

Mary Kay Cabot's long, really good article. At the end of it that posted a few hours ago, cracks the door open to him winning the starting job. Cracks it open. I mean, I don't think it's likely, but it's, but it was interesting to me that she didn't preemptively say. Yeah. If he has a Tanner McKee-esque performance.

Well, he's not playing the Bengals, Yeah, that's a... That is an issue. We're starting with the Sinci showcase, at least on the offensive end. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, both suited up for Sincke's first preseason game. I thought the two-touchdown performance pretty impressive. Joe Burrow, disagreed. Take a listen.

Today was average. Today was average. But overall, I'm happy with where I'm at. Next week, I'd like to be a little better. I miss the first throw. I put all the other ones where I wanted to put them. I would have liked to have spun it a little better. Okay.

Now we're swinging the pendulum too far. I like that. Two drives, 16 steps. He's a perfection. Nine for 10, 123 yards. At two touchdowns, obviously, no interceptions. Prior to this game, he had eight preseason passes in his whole NFL. Oh, I misread that.

I thought it said possessions. Eight passes. Eight passes ever. So last night he really played. How should Bengals feel about last night? They should feel a taste of deja vu. Thank you. There is one significant difference.

And I like the fact that they're playing the starters. He looked great, Burrow, Chase, Chase Brown, the running back, all that. But that, we know, that's not the issue. And I have no problem, by the way, with the way Burrow handled it. I don't think he was being, you know, Too cool for school? Yeah, I think he was just, you know, he looks at it differently than we do, the lay people. And he said he's not spinning it.

He wasn't spinning it. He was just getting it there. But anyway, the problem was the defense. You don't say. It was their first team defense. I get it. No, Trey Hendrickson, even Shamar Stewart, who looked good, played with the second team. So he wasn't out with the first team.

You know, Britt, Taylor Britt, a couple other guys missing. But that was, for now, their best defense and most of those guys on the field were their first team. And the Eagles reserved marched down the field on them. Score 10 points. Here's the first one. Will Shipley look like he's going to challenge Seekwine Barclay for the starting job. First of all, he's untouched. Like, what in the word?

This is their backups. And then you mentioned Tanner McKee. I mean, Tanner McKee threw for 250. It's two touchdowns. I mean, my goodness. Don't forget the tush push that Wilde told us only jail and Hurts can do it. Right. So this is the problem.

And it looks like it's going to. Now, I do think they'll get out to the good start. And I'm leaning. Now I am leaning them over Steelers leaning. Wow. In the playoffs. Because I think they're good enough to make the playoffs. But the problem is you're not getting through the chiefs.

I don't think the Ravens and these other bills teams in the AFC. with that type of defense. Yeah, so I agree with everything Bruce said except at the very end. I don't think I'll pick them to make the playoffs. It's what I've said, and I know it can be a long offseason and it can be a long off season

topic-wise on certain things when my opinion is unmoved. But why would I think this year's Bengals will be different than last year's Bengals? No one has explained it to me other than Lou Aniruma was actively working against them, which he wasn't.

And so even if you get a slight upgrade there. I think it is now fair to say whatever they get from Trey Hendricks isn't going to be the sack leader. I would have been surprised if he had done that if they had gotten him signed three months ago and he was

in camp. I think it's even less likely when he's out. Like this same old story. Of course the offense is awesome. They have a great quarterback, a great receiver, and a great receiver too. It's where they have

spent all their money. They have drafted well, they've drafted high and drafted well. But I don't, and again, I'm not trying to make too much of a preseason game, but I guess if it confirms my priors of, what do you think the Bengals are going to look like? Super prolific offense. That has trouble stopping people. And I know now, you know, the Philly Media and Fan Cabal is trying to convince us,

well, actually, it's because Tanner McKee. Oh, how we did it again. You may. Maybe, I mean, listen, maybe, I mean, the folks that are like who, how list of teams Tanner McKee would start for most of them. Most of them. I mean, my answer to that list is definitely one, maybe two or three. Indianapolis? No, definitely the Saints.

And then there would be a couple other possibles. Indy would be a possible. I'm open to that as a possible. But, like, I don't think Tanner McKee is like, you're like, man, future franchise quarter. back, but he sure looked like one last night. And I just, if I'm, that to me was more of the reason for Joe Burrough's post-game disposition. Oh, that's worth that. And I mean, because I, he, what is he, he can't, if he is not thrilled with the game,

it's a bad look for him to be like, well, the offense was awesome. You know what I mean? So instead, if he's not thrilled with the game, he needs to make it about, that he could have been better. Like, I was fine. Yeah, it was nine for ten. It was nine, right. It would have been interesting.

I mean, he's obviously their team leader. And I'm not saying he should have done this. It just would have been interesting had he gone out there and been like, we got to get our defense together. You want to do that right away? I'm just saying, I'm just putting it on the board. You're the team leader. And it would kind of be more of a message to ownership of, we got to stop.

some people. Or do you want to go out and make an aggressive trade offer for somebody or or just bring in your guy like that's, you know what I mean? They don't have to trade that one. That I think would be fair. Like we need our full team out there. Yeah. We have a chance

at winning. Yeah, maybe we could admit. That doesn't feel so. We need, we need Trey. Yeah, it'd be done. Yeah. You saw what the defense looked like we need Trey. I think that's fair. Yeah. 100%. We didn't see much of Anthony Richer Richardson last night because Anthony Richardson didn't see much of the Ravens defense. Seven minutes left in the first quarter.

He gets flattened, ends up dislocating his pinky. He's okay but did leave the game. As reports are, he might even practice on Saturday. They popped his pinky back in. Here he is after the game. That's a tricky one because it's five-man pro and hot from the backside. I just got to get my eyes and just be able to no react to that. But it's five-man pro just playing hot.

He's got to be in my piece and choose and come to that. Your reaction. Well, it's very rare that we get unanimity on Twitter, but it is unanimously agreed upon by former pros. Right. That that was on him. That wasn't the running back missing assignment that he has to read who's hot,

recognize they've got five to block six and get it out. And that is a rookie mistake. It's a mistake you wish a guy wasn't making in year three training camp. It is a singular mistake. But I, and I think it's a shame that we didn't get to see more of him because we, and I know we got in an argument about it yesterday, I don't mean to. I feel we know who Daniel Jones is right now. We might not know who he's going to be in three years. But there is an, because Baker moved on from his first team, then had a year plus in the wilderness and then came out better.

Gino moved on from his. Baker looked good early. I agree. Right. And so Gino had years in the wilderness. Darnold had a couple years in the wilderness. Thing came on on the other side. This is Jones Wilderness era?

Yes. That's what I think. I think that if there's, I think it is. At best. At best. No, the optimistic viewing of it is. And I have to be open to it because I didn't, while I always believed in Baker, and I probably believed in Gino a little more than most early,

I never believed in Donald, and Donald had this great season. But the argument that was being made for Daniel Jones yesterday, I actually felt is an Anthony Richardson argument, which is don't give up on the young guy you draft high until you give him a full showing. And so that's why this is a shame to me, because he needs to play, and that he needs to play more. I think at this moment, Daniel Jones a known quantity.

See, here's the thing, and I think this is partially why Indianapolis is at least on the cusp of giving up on him. Souring, yes. Because I think the reason he hasn't been able to stay healthy, he's played 15 games in two years, is some of it, he's a running quarterback, so that could open you up to more hits. But some of it are plays like that where he just,

he didn't, wasn't processing. And in your third year, you should. not make that mistake, right? And so I think that opens him up to more injuries too. Like once he gets healthy and he's back out there, he might miss another read and get clocked and then he's injured again. And so I think that's a problem. Secondly, kind of piggybacking on what you said, Nick, when he's healthy, he should start.

Because Daniel Jones, what is this, his sixth season? Fifth six season? No, he had his first season. No, he had his full, yeah, it's his sixth year. You go out there against some backups, and you don't even complete half of your passes? No touch, like a 70 pass rating? That's inexcusable. I would be, I would be bothered by that if it were a rookie.

10 for 21, 70 pass a rating. But for a veteran who's won a playoff game to do that against some backups in the preseason, that's not good. seventh year. Josh, correct me if I'm wrong, because he did his rookie contract and then had the extension with the Giants. I mean, there's no excuse

for him to go out there and go 48% of his past. So here's the challenge. Daniel Jones completed 48% and this is lowest completion percentage in the last 20 years that Anthony Richardson, this is his hill that he has to climb.

It was 11 Tebow, 24, Anthony Richardson. Derek Anderson. We get that, but at least there's some upside with Richardson. And as Nick said, yesterday, they're eight and seven with him. So can I, and can I, I, listen, can I push back on the completion percentage thing? Sure.

Because the other, last year he had the lowest completion percentage, second lowest you're showing in NFL history or modern it, whatever the staff you just know. Yeah, 20 years. 20 years. He also was number one in the entire league in yards per completion. And so the point, those two, like, he is. I mean, he didn't complete a lot of passes, but they were long, he had a few long bombs. But it was more than a few, but I agree. So here's what I think is why I am, why I just think it's premature to give up on him for what to me is currently a known below-average quantity in Daniel Jones.

Here's the first, and I'm not saying he's turning into this player. Here is the first 15 games for Josh Allen versus Anthony Richardson. Eight and seven. Josh, again, 55 versus 51. The yards per game, Josh has him. The touchdown interceptions is Anthony has him by a ratio. The passer rating is almost identical. They're both rushing threats.

A guy wild that you desperately want to believe in from his draft class. Here's their first 15 starts. Now you can say 60% completion is better than 50, but if you're getting five and a half yards versus seven, they cancel each other out. The yards per attempt are the same. I'm sorry, the touchdown and reception ratio is close to the same, and one guy is 10 rushing touchdown zero. Bryce was, I believe Bryce was benched in probably game.

Yeah, Anthony, and Anthony's been benched. Like the, and Bryce had, you know, a nice, not nice, a great three games at the end of the year. I don't think you can give up on him, but it's interesting to watch us, to watch him learn in real time. Yeah. You're like early on, like, oh, I'm literally three. throwing myself into danger. He's like, I can't do that anymore. I took myself out of the game, realized I can't do that anymore.

And here it's like, now I know. So I do think he's only going to make these bad decisions once. I don't know about once, I mean, but I don't think he were ever. You don't think he could do that again. Then I, I think that's part of the problem. I mean, I think that that is. I don't think that will always know to head on a little bit better. I'm just saying I think that's the challenge for him.

And I will be with you. It's disappointing that Daniel Jones hasn't come out and just wipe the floor with Anthony Richardson and training camp. That's the thing. Yeah, it should be his job. Period. They wanted Daniel Jones to win this job. They can say they didn't, but they paid him like they did. They brought him in.

Daniel Jones was, whether they were going to admit it or not, started the offseason ahead. And the reason that they had the oar on the depth chart, was not, sadly, because Anthony Richardson was just cooking. It was because Daniel Jones has been disappointing by what they expected. And so you just, and some of this has been Anthony, some of the getting hurt and getting lit up has been him. But I also was watching the game, that he, a game where he looked, he got annihilated

and it missed only a few plays. They put him back in, and the first play they ran, was a designed quarterback run. And so some of that has been, you know, not recognizing your own player and not protecting him as an immature football experience-wise, young quarterback. And so, again, he's probably not going to work out.

But there's the upside that you drafted him for he has shown enough flashes of that the alternative. I might have come around on that. I might have come around. Well, because you saw Tim for 21. Yeah. Of course you come around. Rashad Bateman joins the show.

Next with Greg Jennings on FS1 on the Fox Sports Channel on Sirius XM. Welcome back to a Friday edition of First Things First. Joining us now, number seven from the Baltimore Ravens is Rashad, Bateman, Rashad. Thank you for joining us. I'd like to apologize for our lack of professionalism as we are all here in suits and ties. But there's one person here in a Ravens robe sunglasses and is about to put his feet on the table. So I apologize. We're usually much more buttoned up. Rashad This is how That's right That's my man right Like this is how I celebrate Ravens victories I am the number one Ravens fan

On the national scene And when you guys particularly on the road When you go into somebody's house And whip them I say you go into their house You put on their bathrobe You kick your feet up on their coffee table you make them make you a sandwich go make me a sandwich and get me

some potato chips that's what y'all do on the road and i'm here for it here's the yes yes i do too here's my one thing though i haven't been able to do this in the playoffs so is this the year, Rashad, where I am going to be able to do this in Nick Wright's face in the postseason. Yeah, man, I definitely think that's the year

that we all put it together. That's what I'm talking about. That's the only way we feel right now, man. Lamar's hungry. Obviously, the whole team is hungry and, man, all we got to do is, you know, connect and play big in those big time moments, man. We find a way to put together then I think we can

know we got a shot per usual. That's music to my ears. Music to my ears. I love it, my man. I'm done. Oh, wow. Go ahead, Greg. Hey, Rashah, we had an opportunity to sit down before you got drafted, and we talked about a handful of things.

The one thing we didn't talk about was injuries and kind of how they could potentially derail you and what you would have to do mentally to have to come back. Take us through the start of your career, having the hernia, the groin injury, and then the foot ends. injury and what did that do to your psyche being drafted in the first round, us as talking heads, thinking Lamar has this guy now seeing you play, wanting to be that. Take us through that beginning of your season. Then to get this contract, how fulfilling was that for you? Man, I would definitely say during that time definitely was a troubling time for me and my mental, you know, because coming in as a first round drive pick, you know, that's,

expectations always and you know you want to live up to those expectations but unfortunately you know I'm saying I did have to grow an injury and then came back with the lead as frank on my foot at that point I ain't never been hurt before in my whole you know career of playing sports so going through that was tough but just being in the NFL and not being able to you know be on the field with the team you know be that weapon with uh for Lamar was definitely hard but you boy kept fighting you know I'm saying made some plays and you know what I'm saying I think those dark days you know pay it off and You know what I'm saying? I know who I am as a receiver, you know, as a man.

And, you know, I think I'm a continue to prove with that. So I'm excited to go out and ball out of this shit too. You said you know who you are. And we found out as well as Ravens fans and the world who you are on a football field as far as the playmaker you are able to be. You led that team in deep threats and touchdowns after obviously you're tight in there. But tell us like, what? What is it like to go into those games knowing you're going to have those opportunities

and that is the role that you play? I mean, it feels good. I mean, like, because last year, I mean, respectfully, it was like the first time I ever been, you know, involved in the offense that much. I mean, I didn't get targeted like that in my rookie year or obviously the year after that. So, you know, being involved in offense paid, you know, wonderful for me, you know, to build trust with the, you know what I'm saying, Lamar, you know, the organization

and the team and, you know, being able to be on the field with Lamar and practice with him, you know, that paid off me a lot. So, I mean, we've been on the field together this year. You know what I'm saying? We're still stacking days together. My last question. You're in the huddle. As receivers, we see a lot of different coverages.

But you're in the huddle and you got not only Derek Henry who's going to force defenses to load up the box. And so you're going to probably see a lot of single hot. But you got Lamar in the huddle with you too. Like, do you feel? As a receiver, do you feel like it doesn't matter what you guys do. I'm going to have one-on-one. All I got to do is beat my guy. And we're striking up the band.

Brew can put it on the robe and put his feet up. I mean, yeah, respectfully. I mean, Lamar can do a lot of things. But obviously, you know, he does his job as a passer as well, as well. You know, I think he proves that. You know, we'll continue to prove that. But, I mean, honestly, man, we've got so many weapons on the field. It don't matter, you know, saying, who got the ball in their hands.

Somebody's going to be willing to make a play. Derek, Lamar, Zazay, you know what I'm saying? Myself, I said likely when he come back. I mean, we got all the weapons in, you know what I'm saying? What we need? We just, we got to put it together now. Rashad, you guys had, obviously, some unbelievable highlights last year. And one of them, the more iconic ones, was the, like, jump pass from of Lamar to you,

almost looked like a basketball play in the end zone. And it felt throughout last year and the year before, to be totally honest, in the regular season, that you guys were playing just totally carefree. I don't want to minimize it. It's not backyard football, but a level of that through the whole regular seasons. And then from afar, it looks like there is a tightening or almost an anxiety amongst the team in some of these post seasons. Is that a fair reading of it? And is there a way to get the regular season almost mojo into the postseason?

I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, it's football. I mean, you got to show up and play every day. I wouldn't say we perform, you know, better. We don't want to playoff games. You know what I'm saying? We don't prove that we can win. But it's all about, you know, sustaining that and showing up on that day. Everybody coming to play their best ball, man.

So I flight us, you know, just got to come in, you know, all ears, you know, chop back, you know, do everything that we can to possibly win the game. But I just think we've got to continue the energy into the postseason for sure. All right, I want to ask a question about your coach because obviously he's super old champion, great coach, one of longest tenured coaches. Also, he has a very famous brother who's also a coach. His brother, Jim, is kind of known to just be crazy. He's hiding in the background in a training camp. He's talking about remembering being born.

John seems very straight-laced and normal, for lack of a better term. Is he pretending to be normal and you've actually seen the crazy? or did the brother get all the crazy? Nah, I think Coach Harrod is pretty normal, man. He's just like a dad around the facility, man. He's just chilling, you know what I'm saying? Going by his business, calm guy, you know what I'm saying? Don't yell much unless you really make him mad.

So, I mean, nah, he's a good dude, definitely the opposite of his brother for sure. From what I've seen. Obviously, it's a long season, and you guys hope to pull. be playing well into February at the same time week one against the bills how do you balance hey it's just one week it's a long season and it's the bills we want this game I mean we professing athletes man we just got to treat the one game as a time we got a long season but uh obviously you know we want to look back but you know what I'm saying that would be anybody if you're a competitor so you know what I'm saying we're just looking to go on the game and you know come out

with a dog you know what I'm saying continue that the rest of the year don't bring out Rashad, yesterday we all I'm not doing it again. We did smelling salts. All right, and it knocked all of us. It blew our tops. Except for Greg. Greg thought he was back on the field or something.

So how much of your Sunday routine are smelling salts? Probably a little bit, a little bit. You do one every game? Yeah, like right before kickoff. Yeah. I'm gonna start doing it before every show, bro. It gets you locked in. You get tired.

Hey, that turn you up. Yeah, for the stuff. Yeah, I wish I, what? Don't, you already did one. I only have one left. It's been 30 minutes through. Yeah, I got it into my pocket, buddy. You're ready.

Hold on. Oh, you different. You need to go out with us. We are good, man. Yeah, I know, but. Crazy. Can't control them. Wow, you want to hit, you good.

What did you do? Nothing. Last one. Last one. I don't think you're supposed to call him. hit. Sorry, my bad. My eyes are watering. Rashad. I do have one more serious question.

Series question after the smelling my eyes are bleeding. How good is the defense? They ended the season as the best defense in the league. Do they look even better now? Some of those young guys, Wiggins probably, I would assume, is better this season? I mean, everybody's better

right now. You know, obviously being able go against that DB group every day, you know what I'm saying? Anjaya and that Mitch, you know, Malachi is going to be, you know, as a Ricky, he's playing out of high-level and fast right now. And, you know, obviously we got dogs everywhere across the field, but everybody's flying around right now. Things go be a good year for them again.

Man, I love it. I love it. I want to be robed up. Jordan's on the table all season long, my man. For one receiver to another, man. Okay. No, bro. No, that's not right.

That's love. That's not. Sean, thank you. Thank you, my Sean. Best of luck. Good luck against the bills. Thank you, man. First things first after the break.

Perfect. Dust, we gotta get more smelling salts. Welcome back to first first outs below. Legendary season rolls on. He's going for the record here. Grand Prix of Portland, Sunday at 3. It's getting late early for New Garden. We need a W here. Sunday 3 Eastern.

It's over for Fox. It's over for the championship, but we can get an individual racing here. Rashid Bateman? It's over. One game at a time. One race at a time. I'm not going to go to funny car. Wonderful episode of Where to Wonderful.

Start with the Wonderful. Let's take it. Ooh. I'm telling you. There's never been a more obvious superstar that no one wants to talk about except me than Cam Ward. Calvin Ridley. See how he leads him out there? No.

Look, you're right. Whilst he is not being talked about at all. I know. It's unfortunate. Because of how many yards Calvin Ridley had last year? A thousand 17. Ridley's tough. Good number.

If he's back to his form, yeah. Yeah, with Cam Ward. Watch it. Watch out for Cam Ward. We're gonna be talking about Titans. They might not be a Monday team yet. They are definitely a Tuesday late in the show team. You can judge how good your team is when we talk about.

That's true. If you are a Super Bowl contender, A Block Monday. Interesting. Do they have any Monday night games? If they do, they could definitely be a Tuesday. If you put the Titans on Monday night, that would be interesting, but I don't think so. I mean, they've got to have some nationally have a Thursday.

They could have a Thursday game. Watch out. You could get flexed in. I just said my year playing only Wednesdays. Okay. Wonderful. Seahawks, Jalen Milro. Roll tied.

He looked really good. He looked really good. Six for 10, 61 passing yards. Had some nice rushes including this. 38 rushing yards. I would like to see him succeed. The thing is, it's going to, his problem was just consistency.

Yes. And so he looked good last night, but yeah, but that's part of the consistency. So look good last night, let's see how he continues to play. Are you an Angelina? You know what, last night watching him, this is going to sound really bad, but he looked like a quarterback. Like, and I mean from a throwing perspective. I know he's an athlete that can throw the ball, but just the posture of him.

That he was ready to go maybe a little too much. Yeah, that doesn't sound bad. he was ready to move. He just looked like, no, I got, I know what I'm doing. Yeah. Confident. Yeah. Love it.

Wonderful. We saw this net drill with Caleb and it didn't go great. So then this Josh Allen net drill came along. And let's just say it goes a little bit better. Well, he also saw Caleb nail it. We saw it not go great once and then nail it once, to be fair. Look at the angle is Josh Allen's represent. No.

Did you see the, did you see the Holmes? They blindfolded him and spun him around? around he almost made it I was looking for that oh really add to weird and wonderful I couldn't see it look at this come on I mean that was yeah he's looking he's cooking off the side he doesn't like that well okay opens up against opens up against the Ravens wonderful we talked about him earlier Tanner McKee first of all this tush push just barely got it yeah that's not it this is not a jailer it's push still worked but it works exactly Greg he had a hundred

93 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He ends with 252 and three total touchdowns. Two through the air one there. Tanner McKee, something or nothing? Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say it's nothing. But what was something was the fact that they did that on that one's defense of the Bengals. That is something. Yeah.

That's not good. Yeah. Something bad. Not great. We're at Colts Ravens. Well, I got to get Greg's take on Anthony Richardson. Greg, what was your take on this? Nick said it. Nick said it.

I listened to the A block. Like this is all on AR, man. You know the protection. You know you don't have them protected. Everybody's sliding. Is it a teachable moment? Like, oh, okay, now I know that? Or is that a fatal error?

This is known. This is known. It's not like, oh. And I don't, everybody has a lapse. Everybody has one of these moments. It's just tough because these. These are moments in his career where he's at and the expectations are you can't make these mistakes. If you're in a quarterback battle and you're doing that, Daniel Jones, come on.

Yeah, that was the problem too. And then Daniel Jones comes on and they're like, all right. It goes 10 for 21. How's your pinky doing? You throw a left hand? They're forcing him back already Saturday. It wasn't great. We need you out there.

It wasn't. It wasn't. His third year, he should not be making that mistake. Just tough. No, he should. You don't even want to see rookies. Daniel Jones had the first, the one RPO and almost do the pick, and I'm like, thank you for you for trying.

Final wonderful. Fell off everybody's radar. Desmond Ritter. He was never on our radar, bro. He was on people's radars. Whose? Mine? Why?

Because he's a mediocre quarterback, I also. I love this for Desmond Ritter, though. Yeah. To be able to, sir, absolutely. Anytime you can get behind or be behind and get, get to watch a quarterback that has done it and done it at a high level and has had success and does it the way that Joe Burrow does it, you're going to get better.

Like, it's like being in a really deep wide receiver room. Everybody's going to elevate their level of play. Look at what it did for Darnold and Baker. Seriously. Darno got better. I'm not even trying to start. I'm serious. A year San Francisco is going to help you.

Yeah. And Brock. But I'm just, but still. And Baker in the Rams for a little while. Yeah. That's weird and wonderful from the National Past Times. Browns Panthers tonight at 7 NFL Network. Chodor Under Center. Coach Prime talked about Shador starting tonight. Take a listen.

Well, we've already spoken like three times a day. We just got out of the phone joking and clowning like crazy. It's going to be strange for both of us. I was in the hospital the last time I missed, I think, three games. And this time of him well. But, you know, me going out there taking that walk and him taking that walk and he know I'm not there he that different that's different for him so but he's so prepared right now a lot of people

approaching it like a preseason game he's approaching like a game expectations for shed or tonight well the last part that Dion said he has to approach it like it's a game like this is We have to accept he's a fifth round pick. Yep. We just have to accept it. Forget what we think he should have been, where he should have been drafted. He's a fifth round pick. There are 12 guys playing in this game that were drafted before Shadoor Sanders on both sides.

12 guys. We don't talk about McMillan, who was there, the Panthers' first round pick. Mason Graham, who was. Cleveland Browns, we're talking about Shadour. So he has to approach it as a game, and I believe he will. I think we're going to see him for the first half, for sure, and probably some of the second half. And if he just looks the part, like I mentioned with Jalen Merrill, and I believe he'll look apart, but if he executes, and I'm not saying he has to go down and he has to score every

single time he has the ball. But if we can walk away from watching him play and say, man, did you see Sodor? Like, did you see some of the throws he made? Did you see him like directing traffic? Did you see him commanding the huddle? If that's what we're walking away saying, and this is us, imagine what the locker room is going to be buzzing. Like, imagine what the coaching staff, he has to put the pressure on his coaching staff to then be in question of like, man, what are we going to do moving forward?

Correct. That's what he has to do. Forget what the expectations are. This is what you have as a fifth round guy. If there's any other fifth round guy playing tonight, we don't know. And if they make plays, it's like this guy was drafting the fifth round, man, he's making some noise because of something that he's doing out there on the field that's making us aware that he's out there and he should potentially get a chance to make this team.

Chadour has to do that the entire time he's out there. Yeah, no, I agree with all of that. And it's interesting because we've we talked about how from afar it looks like are they giving him a fair shot. That narrative of they're setting him up to fail has been huge with a lot of people on social media and stuff. And I feel I think the Browns are thinking about that because you mentioned an article by Mary Kay Cabin. I worked with Mary Kay at Cleveland Plain Dealer like she's a great reporter. You mentioned an article she wrote today. It was glowing.

Glowing about should be like almost too glowing. Like the Browns were like, hey, we got to get away from this narrative that we're going against him. Here's some of the descriptions of him from her. He throws an extremely catchable ball. That's wild's whole thing. He has an uncanny sense of touch. He's smooth. He's efficient.

He's a gamer. And I'm here for all of that. But I'm just saying like it definitely looks like the Browns are like we got to get away from this notion. that we're against this kid. So if he goes out, Nick, I don't think there's the chance. Obviously there's some chance, but I think it's a very remote chance

for him to start game one. And I don't even know that that'd be good for him unless he is absolutely electric in the preseason. Right. I think, though, what we've talked about before, it's for that buy week. When they're, they play seven, they'll be one in seven or two and six going into the buy.

All right. And then coming out of that, the schedule lightens a little. It's still going to be tough, but it lightens a little. That's when I think one of these young guys will get a chance. And Chador can get a head start tonight. Yeah, so I'm kind of focused on the in between of where you are. I think Chador's goal of this training camp has to have been be the best rookie quarterback on this team in the team's eyes when camp breaks.

And Gabriel's injury has given. given him the opportunity to now do that. The other, the Mary Kay's article also said he is going to play most of the game. Yeah. They talked about around, they think 50 snaps is what they're looking at. As he should. Right, which he should do because the other guy is Tyler Huntley and nothing against Stoop Huntley. He just got it.

He's a known quantity and he just got there. Like, and he is not going to make this Brown scene. For Huntley, it's a good opportunity to catch on somewhere else. But that also might be the opportunity for Shador. So here is the, if he plays, and now Mary Kay's article talks about what he does really well, seems like the article theme of it was, once the ball is snapped, he's outperformed his draft status. Before the ball is snapped, he's behind compared to Gabriel. You know what I mean?

The pre-snap stuff and the learning the play. Learning the playbook might be too harsh, but digesting the playbook, so to speak. But if he plays well today, and then in their week from now, in their second, preseason game when Gabriel plays. If Gabriel does not, one of two things will have to happen. Either he is elevated on the Brown's depth chart, and even if they don't release an official one, we will see it by practice snaps and who gets snaps with the ones and things like that, or the Browns start getting calls from other teams that would value him more.

And I'm going to keep bringing up the Rams, because if you are the Los Angeles Rams and you feel like this is Stafford's last year and he's already potentially somewhat injured and your backup quarterback is a guy with a real injury risk and you don't have a long-term plan. If Shador looks good and handles himself well and all of that, is it not worth call in? You call Cleveland and you're like, hey, you guys have him fourth on your depth chart still. He's getting fourth team reps. Is he worth a fourth round pick? You know what I mean?

And you can flip it that way. So I think Shador, the opportunity tonight is enormous and one that he only got because of the injuries to these other guys, and you got to take advantage of it. Greg, let's just go both ends of the hypotheticals. What if it goes amazingly? Like, I don't know how good amazing could be in the preseason, but like Tanner McKee. Tanner McKee had three touchdowns, 250 yards. What if that's the performance? What would that do to the locker room? And is there an actual chance that he could start week one?

That's what you want if you should do. That's what it has to be. To make this roster, to move up, I don't think he's, whatever he does, I don't think he will be week one start. That's not going to happen. But his focus needs to be, I'm going to make plays, I'm going to take advantage of my opportunity. And when this game is over, they will have a real discussion

and have to have a real discussion on, yeah, I think we're all safe to say he's better than Dylan Gabriel or he can compete with Kenny Pickett. You mentioned something really quick that I don't think we talk about, like digesting the playbook and not taking a shot at him, but when your dad has been your coach, and you got to believe Shadur has had every type of all types of input on how he wanted to run the offenses at Jackson State

and Colorado to where it was favorable for him. And so now this is the first time he's thrown into a situation where, oh, these aren't the plays that I'm used to. These aren't, this aren't my plays. Exactly. This isn't my stuff. And so he's having to learn probably something that he's never had to learn before. And so you do have to play catch up in that sense,

like where Dylan Gabriel probably has already had that. Okay. Flipside. What if it's Anthony Richardson ask? Can't be. It's just seven minutes and something went wrong. I'm telling you, again, he's a fifth round pick. If it's Anthony Richardson,

this is... Well, let's not say Anthony Richardson, not pulled because of injury. No, I mean, something went wrong. But if he's making a mistake that we're saying that Anthony Richardson, if he's making a bunch of those pre-stap snap mistakes where he's not IDing where the blitz is coming from and how to read hots and get rid of the ball,

if he's making a lot of those mistakes, is going to be tough sledding. Yeah. And then he'll stay where he is on the depth chart. I think he's going to be great. I do too. I really do. I think he's going to be amazing.

The one thing, the reason why I like that Coach Prime sound is I felt like Coach Prime brought up outside of a game where he missed when he was in the hospital since high school, like he's been on the sidelines. And I do think, and I told everybody's staff, like I'm picking my son up from camp and I've, like, missed him. Like, oh, that is a different father's son bond. Outside of just football, I wonder if that either you rise up to the occasion, like, you're not here, or is that like an extra emotional tax that he has to wear? I'm excited for him because he feels like 50 cent, clearly.

Do it home. It can't be done. Hey, let's go. All right. He posted it. He's very litigious. 50 cents. Yeah, Curtis.

Mr. Jackson. He sure is. Coming up next, Ashton Genty. Not great. It's three touch. Are you, this? If it was 100 yards. Right, exactly.

I'm with wilds on this. A podcast, not the best in the world. I'm sorry I was giving erroneous information, but it is pretty good. Our YouTube channel is about 500 million away from being the best. So help us on our slow climb to being the absolute. And we've just given up on getting that plaque, right? Yeah.

She's gone. Yeah, Giannis. She's not here today. She took the plaque. First look at Ashton Genty last night. for 2,6001 yards last year. Three brushes for negative one last night. So total over two years so far, 2,600 yards.

This guy, that's good. Something or nothing, Greg. Oh, no, I'll go to Brew. I kind of having a sense of it. I'll go to Brew because Brew agrees with me, the host. I'll go to Brew. I feel like Drew hasn't had a lot of shine this show. Brew, what do you think?

He was with a robe and sunglasses. Go ahead, Brew. Sorry. Here we go. I'm comatose. and it's not just about Gentie. He's fine. Nick, are you ready to give up on your Bravers?

Ready to give up. I don't care. And I think Gentie's good. I don't care how good you are. If you got no blocking, you're not going to be good. They're offensive line. They're the worst team in that division. How about that?

Okay, you keep saying that. I don't know if that's true or not. I also think the worst team in that division might not necessarily finish worst in that division. of the schedule differences, but I also think writing off Gentie or the Raiders offensive line based on three carries. Writing him off. He wasn't written. He just said I'm comatose. I've been writing them off. Yeah, I mean, yeah. I'm dead to the world. That's solidified it for you

last night. I mean, it was just, it's why I've written him off. I wasn't surprised at what I saw last night. It's what I expected. And again, this is not anything about Ashton Genty, I just know that you need a line. You need an offensive line. Listen, the weakness for the Raiders is their back seven defensively. Well, that's one of the weakness.

No, that is the... Last year, that was one of the worst offensive lines in league. It's gotten better supposedly on paper, but last night they couldn't do a darn thing. Last night, three carries. Wasn't that against Seattle's second team? That was a Raiders'

best. Again, Seattle's reserve. Seattle didn't even make the playoffs. Seattle are winning record left. They're not even your team. Your team is in their division. You should jump off the Raiders bandwagon now. It's not a bandwagon.

It's just a correct prediction. Go ahead. If it went watching, it's something because you got guys in the backfield before he's getting the handoff almost. But it's nothing in the grand scheme of things of understanding who he is as a runner. like knowing what we know of him. Like if he can get protection or, excuse me, if he can get blocking, he's going to hit the hole and he's going to have some success.

I'm not high on the Raiders either, but I'm not writing them off because of what I'm going. This isn't even to me about Genty. This is not about him. It shouldn't be because that second play, the only one he lost yardage on, he actually makes a great play. He does. I mean, so this one's just whatever. A lot of this.

This is the point. He makes that guy miss and then there's all the people player. Again. We're gonna see this time and time again. That's what I'm saying. Okay. All right. I'm going to go ahead and say I will go out on a limiter.

I will be the hot take guy today. Okay. I think Ashton Genties three rushes for negative one yards is nothing. I think that's a fair take. But I think Brew, it's a fair take to say it's something. Now should he yell out, I'm dead to the world, I'm comatose? Tomatose? Maybe not. On the Raiders, not Gendi. I like Genti.

You always just like you like Gino. You can't just knock guys. We know you're a good guy and you like people. It's like if you're a really good receiver but your quarterback can't get you the ball. That's all I'm saying. He's got no blocking. Okay. I think it's too early to write off the Raiders offense based on three. They scored 23 points somehow last night. I mean, somebody had to be blocking at some point.

Right? And my Shador debut tonight. We'll be back Monday at 3 o'clock to discuss everything. Have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday.