First Things First - Wemby and Spurs beat Flagg and Mavs, Rob Manfred talks World Series, BUD List, Cowboys win-streak?

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

(0:00) Ravens players remove distractions, Is Wemby the best player in the NBA?  (24:52) MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred talks Dodgers vs. Blue Jays (37:26) No hard feelings between Aaron Rodgers and Packers? (45:08) BUD List (01:04:41) Bills vs. Panthers stakes, Trust Cowboys or Broncos more?  (01:22:54) Chargers ‘have to beat’ Vikings  (01:27:06) Caleb Williams vs. Lamar Jackson, Rodgers or J-Lo more trustworthy? (01:49:21) Frenemies (02:01:16) Rodgers ‘not a revenge game’ vs. Packers, Expectations for Justin Herbert vs. Vikings? (02:09:01) Is Tua Tagovailoa not seeing his receivers?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's a show it's counting down to the World Series. Yeah, absolutely. And thinking about their walk-up songs, check out our social media page. Great job by Gianna today. Maybe. That was a great question. We think we're going to have some copyright infringement. No, it'll be fine.

It's going to be a social media post that costs us $80,000. But check it out with our- Mix is a real joyous song. It would make you laugh if you saw a player come out with that. Mine's tough. What is I don't know tell tell them yours and then they can wild out by the locks. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, it's great.

And me and bruise, you got to go to our TikTok, right? Yeah, yeah. Go to the TikTok to find it. Yep, that's fantastic. Oh, I'm making sure with me coming up. That's a hint. A soar. Yeah.

Like Jada kiss. Are you next to me? First hour. A.I. Today, Wembe Wows was brew right all along about his goat potential. Meanwhile, 29 hours away from the World Series. Commissioner Manfred joins us. Also, Dodgers must win, perhaps.

And finally, well, it's the most motivational segment of all of sports. It needs no introduction. It's the Budlis. Alongside Nick Wright and Kevin Wilds. Brew, anybody in the bubble of the Budlis? Yeah. Yeah. Who?

I mean, just a few guys. All that matters is the three that made it. I know, but was there anyone just like clawing? There's a few guys hovering around there. Aaron Rogers. Oh. Oh, Rogers didn't make it. Josh Allen.

Wow. There are a couple guys on the run. Excellent. Okay. How about that? I don't think that's true. After last night, maybe AD, Anthony Davis. Oh, man.

I didn't put him on there. That would be interesting. A stunning game from Wembenyama is what we're starting with. 40 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two dozen. I can't believe what I'm watching comments from me on my couch. Spurs win easily. Here's Wemby post game. Yeah.

The reaction around the country tonight if you watch on TV as well, Wemby added all to his game, he's unstoppable now. Okay. Did it feel like that to you, that you've added something new and you're showing the world something different? Of course, of course. It was also, you know, we needed to make a statement

in our locker room, you know. I felt like I needed to make a statement to my teammates. But yeah, it's also just the beginning, you know, because there's so much more I want to add to my game. But some things take time. Yeah. Okay, Brew, this would have been an insane question if we asked it 24 hours ago. Today, it feels like the question, is Wemby already the best player in the world?

The reporter in me, and I covered the league for almost 30 years, wants to rightly be like, let's, it's one game. I know he's played, you know, a year and a half or whatever it was. But not even, not even a year and a half because he, yeah. Because he got hurt. One game, he obviously was final. But what's he going to be like in the playoffs? And you would think, oh, he'll be great. I never would have thought James Hardin wouldn't have been great in the playoffs.

You know, I would have never thought Tracy McGrady would never win a playoff series. Now, McGready was great individually, but never won a playoff series, even with Yao Ming. So you obviously accomplishments are kind of a part of this. Sure. So let's see what he does on the biggest stage, you know, playoffs. finals, things like that. But in a vacuum, just kind of removing the accomplishments. And I'm serious.

Yes. Wow. I think I've said Yokic. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Here's the thing. And Yokic is obviously a better passer or a better playmaker.

Smart, maybe the smartest guy in the league, him, LeBron, whatever. So he's got that over Wimby. Wimby is the best defensive player in the league. by a mile. By a lot. Like last night, the Mavericks, who are known as a tough inside team with Davis and a few other guys, they had 26 points in the paint. Last year, in 1,230 NBA games, only 28 of those games did the team have 26 or fewer

points in the paint? That's 2%. That was Wimby. That was like, if you come in, he's rejecting it, and now he's, I don't want to say scaring you, but he's deterring guys from going up at the rim. I want that stat, by the way. And maybe I just, I'm not on the right NBA threads to see it. But I don't really care about his block shots as much as shots that are shots that would

have been taken against any other human being alive was standing there. He also only played 30 minutes. Right. It feels like he's just dissuades so many attempts. So that, I mean, I don't know is Yokic who actually has good numbers. defensively as far as the analyst is. Is he 40% of the defensive player that Wimby is?

You know, whatever. So Wimby is obviously more athletic. Bring me Yonis. Wimby's a better defender at this point. Obviously a better handle. And can shoot. So you can actually go to Wimby

at the end of a game and get a shot. You can't do that with Yonis unless you're just going to post him and turn around a shoot or whatever. Yokic, I hesitate to say it, but I'm just saying in a vacuum, like he can do everything. He is the first, I believe, seven plus footer with moves. Like he's got moves.

Kevin Durant is obviously great. Let's say he's a seven footer. He's a great jump shooter. Has handle can go off the dribble. Wimby is making moves. He's spinning. He's up and under. He's like, you know, it looks like you see we had Elijah on yesterday.

Wimby worked with him, you could kind of see what Wimby learned from like, I mean, look at this. That's like a dude six feet tall doing that. That was insane. I don't understand it. I didn't, I didn't understand what I was saying.

And he cut the threes out, and he's still a decent three-point shooter, but he took two. He took two. He evered nine last year. Exactly right. So, and again, all of this is caveated by it's literally one game.

Yes. But here is, you and I, our minds were in a similar place. He reminded everyone he's the best defender in the league by a mile. So if you are demonstrably the best defender in the league, how good do you have to be offensively to be the best player? Like if you are, not just because we had dream on yesterday, right? But those, that year and a half, Jordan was gone. In my opinion, Dream was the best player in basketball.

Pretty much everybody's opinion. Nobody thought he was the best offensive player in the sport any of those years. But he was like sixth best or fifth best, something like that offensive player and clearly the best defensive player. If Wimby averages 25 a game with that level of defense, does that make him the best player in the league? And here is the other reason I don't think we're overreacting. So are you saying yes, too? I don't think I have the ability to say those words because I'm so against the idea that you can become the best player alive

with no accomplishments. And so it just, it's hard for me. It goes against what, like you said as a journalist, just for me the way I've always done it. and that that is a title that is earned in the postseason. And that and those things. That's all true. And so, but what, but here's the other jarring piece of it.

If you were to say to me before yesterday, hey, random team X is playing the spurs. And they can add any one player from across the league to their roster with the sole goal of being slow down Wimby. Yes. My number one pick for that would have been Anthony Davis. So, like, they're about to play the, I forget who they play next. And then it's the Nets. And then it's the Raptors. Their next game, it's a team I can't remember.

I looked at this morning. The Pelicans. It's Pelicans who basically start everyone's sick, except for Missy, is six eight or shorter. Then it's the Nets, who are an expansion team. And then it's the Raptors, I believe. If he did this to Anthony Davis, then what does he do to a team that their weakness is big man defense? Yeah, which there are several teams like that. And the Mavs, it's their strength.

Again, is there someone other than AD that is better equipped in theory to slow him down? Janus. I don't, maybe. I mean, I don't, I'm not saying Janus because I would say Janus would be my pick. But AD would be certainly one of the first. First people you mentioned. 40 points in 29 and a half minutes against Anthony Davis, arguably the best big man defender in the league. And Derek lively is a young up-and-coming great defender.

Who looks small. Yes. He abused them. With all due respect to AD, he abused them. Every which way. In the post, I'm going by you. I'm shaking you up. I'm shooting over you.

I mean, this was bizarre. It was a revelation. And I give you an out because you want to say it too. I know. I know you. And I hear you. Look, if Wimby gets to the playoffs year after year and fizzles. Sure.

Then we'll be, you can't be the best player in the world struggling in the playoffs. But in a vacuum, I mean. I get that it was one game. So I'll open up the vacuum just a little bit. Since he was hurt and we're like, uh-oh. I mean, part of us was thinking like, is this a career jeopardizing? Yeah. Because it wasn't an injury as much.

It felt like, and maybe it's not connected. He attacked the offseason with I'm going to be stronger. Yes. And he showed that he was stronger. I'm going to be, let's say, smarter or more mature. And he went to hang out in a monastery for weeks. And not as a PR thing or, hey, we're doing an Instagram thing. Sorry, Gianna.

Like this was just like a private. I'm going to become a mom. and get focused. And then we talked to Akeem yesterday. He was hanging out with Akeem. He had sort of new moves. So to me, this felt like the latest chapter in something that I had read the book and I was waiting for it, waiting for it, and he came out and delivered.

And when we did the predictions yesterday, I actually was a little surprised how low our points were. A little bit. But maybe that's the A.D. I did not think that he was going to have this fine-tuned of an offensive game. And people, if they're watching this, like, oh, you didn't see this coming, you didn't watch him last year. Man, I watched him. He was the best defender in the league with a pretty bad shot diet.

He, yeah, he had defenses off the hook. All the time. And now he is stronger and this is, and I know this is where you eventually also want to go with it, brew. The other piece of it is this. If he is going to be one of the legends, then they can contend this year. Yes. Like all, so I just want to, the best, I know you don't like when we go super historic. No.

So I'm not including Kareem, Russell, or Wilt. The three best big men of the last 30 years, Shaq, Duncan, and Dream. Their age 22 season, Wimby turns 22 January 4th. They all were top four MVP. They all were first or second team at all NBA. And they all went to the finals. Well, in fairness, though. Dream had a better team around.

Dream had Ralph Samson, healthy, Shaq had Penny, and Duncan had David Roberts. No, and so, correct. It's not like he needs to do this to prove it. My point is, those are three of the, at worst, 12 greatest players ever.

It's doable. And they, even if we remove the finals part of it, the MVP finish and the All-MBA, that's where he, That should be the company with which he's keeping. Well, I'll say this then. And first of all, to your point, Wimby said after the game,

he did say, like, what he went through, he's not taking anything for granted. So that's kind of that dog. I thought he had the dog in him anyway, but you saw some of that last night, and I guess in the off-season. Their ceiling, I'm not saying I'm picking them to reach the finals.

That's their ceiling, though. Like they are, I mean, they could have beaten Dallas by 50. Wimby was plus 31 in 29 minutes. Like when he was on the court, it wasn't a game. It wasn't close. And that Dallas team, nobody's picking them to win the West, but it's a pretty talented team, a pretty good team. They're big.

They're supposed to have a bunch of great defenders, you know, and he just went right through him. Stefan Castle, to your point, definitely looks like he's got all-star potential. Right. And then they don't have great shooting. Harrison Barnes can shoot. They need Julian Champany. They need him to hit J's, hit threes.

But those guys are athletic. They can defend. They can all get to the whole, the plethora of point guards they have. They didn't even have Deere and five. If those guys play their role and understand he's the guy, he makes everything easier for us, and he's not ball dominant. That's the thing, too. many of our greatest players now have been

balled dominant. He is not. So you will get yours. They can win the West. Again, I'm not predicting they can win the West. You can't say they're young. They're older than okay C. I know they're not as experienced. Let me add one other piece to it. They also signed Fox not knowing

they're going to get the second pick of the draft, which means they also have if he were, if he doesn't have to keep up 40 points a game, but if at the 25 game mark, the general consensus is he is at, you know, a top

three player in the league or general consensus he's the best player in the league. They still have all the end to make a move. Yes. Like to be like, oh, we can add our version of Ralph Samson or or a shooter. You can get there.

Oh, the Janus? I, well, if they were to add. It's the LeBron stuff. It's the Yonis stuff. It's like I mean, Janus, would be, I can't even fathom. Yeah. They would hold teams of 35 points. So my point is they just have the ammo.

Yeah. And they have the ammo and they have an extra point guard. Because they didn't expect. You agree as they are. And again, I'm not predicting them to win the West. I'm just saying they're in the mix now. If you have this. They could win the West.

I would not be surprised. It's the same argument that I made three years ago for Dallas. if you have a clear-cut, unequivocal, top three player in the league, you can make the finals any year. That's just how, that is the thing about the NBA that is over the course of 75 years true. You are, if you have in their prime or even pre-prime, so long it's not over the, one of the guys who would, some people would say is the best player alive, like the Bucks with Janus, the Mabs or now Lakers,

with Luca, Joker. You're in the mix. And if Wimby is already that guy, you're in the mix. So that's franchise record for points. Previously held by, anyone? Hold on. Which franchise record for us? No, buddy.

For a season debut? Oh, okay. For a season debut. George Gervin. Correct, 1977. Well done. Franchise record for points. Franchise record for points for the Spurs.

It's got to be Gervin. I think it's David Robinson when he had wanted to see. Oh, I thought you're talking about career. For career, it's dunk. And for game, it's, yeah, Robinson. I can't do trivia anymore. Yeah. Well, Gervin is.

Okay. If you're looking to play ping pong, toss a few bags of cornhole, maybe get in a quick session of Super Smash Bros. Well, don't go to the Ravens locker room. All that stuff is gone. Luckily, this guy's back. Lamar practiced again today, brew. Here's Harbaugh on the recent article about the Ravens locker room,

which is now a fun free zone. This up was taken out of the locker room. I was informed of it after it was gone. by the equipment guy and and that the players, the veteran players, a couple of veteran players got together and decided they wanted to take that stuff out.

So my pinball machine that I had gifted the guys two years ago at Christmas, I don't know where it's at right now. Kind of messed up. Brew, do you like to hear this? The pinball machine got, we didn't get report about a pinball machine. Well, look, you remember

when I was my rant a couple of days ago at the end, Nick, I said, I love the move by Harbaugh. Like, I thought, you know, he knows I can't go in there yelling and screaming. Let me, you know, but he did it this way. Let me get rid of the toys and they'll know I mean business. If I go in there yelling and screaming, I'm out of my personality, then I go to see it. Right. And so I thought it was ingenious to know, though, now that he had

nothing to do with it. And the players didn't even consult him. So where's the respect? Where's the leadership? I mean, they just did it like regardless of him. So I don't like that at all. Oh, you don't? I am head over heels in love with it.

Are you kidding me? We are so back. The players did it? Greg sat on here talking about the players going to be upset. The players ain't going to like this. The players did it. This is even better than I thought. The veterans, they said this is not Ravens football.

We are not here to play Miss Pac-Man and Uno and Pinkpong. We are here to win football games. I love this. It is on. It is so on. I got to tell you. you, KW. I don't know if we can...

Y'all laughing. A brother is serious. Here's the thing about the setup. I just have to tell you. And I don't know if we can put on the internet, my solo came. The moment Bruce started, I saw where that train was going.

I didn't see it. And I couldn't stop smiling so much. I had to look down because I want to distract Brew. And you on the other half, we're all right. It's disrespectful. The heart wanted to take it. I got you again.

I got you again. You get him every time. It just assumes I'm going with. Yeah, I just, I was, I could, I know you too over. With that said, while that was a brilliant performance as always by Brew, I, I totally disagree with you. Oh, no. What? You agree with my beginning.

No, no, what I, what I think is this. I think the Ravens are a mess. That's what I think. And I think that we are, it is in 10 weeks if the Ravens are six and nine and the season is over. And we're doing a autopsy of what went wrong. We are going to have a laundry list of reasons we all should have been like, oh yeah, obviously. That team is all messed up. And one of them is this saga about the toys in the locker room that to the point that, to Wild's point, that I know Brew has kind of glossed over.

Yeah. Right after this brilliant move by team leadership, they played their single worst game of the year. It's just a weathering period. But they tell the whole story. And in the next one, without their best player. Correct, of course. But Lamar doesn't, maybe he could help him. He doesn't play in the secondary.

They allowed 40, was 44 to 3? 44 to 3. Or 44. What was it? 3. Oh, you know, it was 3 the next week. Whatever it was, I don't remember. But to a Texan team, they can't score on anyone.

Yeah. And then the next week, they're often scored 3 points. But, I don't, yeah. The next week, the everybody's All-American. They beat them soundly. And that high power. That's fine, but they only scored 17 points. I had Josh break out the graphic that we've mentioned a few times,

so Josh had to go back into his files and dust it off. This is what we're hoping happens that you always thought about. Last week, year, year. Now, the flaw in this obviously is we don't have a clever tagline on whatever happened in week 10, but we forgot about this storyline. Do you remember they brought in if you're going to try to steal one of my catchphrase. No, I'm not. I don't have it.

I don't have it. Remember they brought in Dean Peas, and that was one of the things to like, all right, let's augment the defense. He's not there. I don't know if he's not available or whatever. But that was kind of like,

let's bring in Dean Peas and they'll shift a little bit. So it was kind of like, you know, two heads are better than one on the defense. But if it's just still, Zach Orr, I don't know what's going to shift. Maybe they'll just get around me. Can I ask?

I am banking, and I get it. I'm banking on the, I'm not saying they're going to be the screen. great defense, but I'm banking on what they did against the Rams. Because that was I get taking the other five games ahead of that one.

But I fully, you guys know this, I fully expected the Rams to put like 35 on them at least. So can I ask you a question then in that regard before we move on? What will your confidence level be if with Lamar back, they beat

Chicago 3835? That's a good question. That's a good question. If they get a win and it's like the Ravens offense back, but the defense is what it has been every week except for the Rams game. I will probably, I will have confidence they can still make the playoffs, okay? But I would, and I would hold out hope that we're going to see what we saw last year, where the defense does improve. But it would be disconcerting.

Yeah, because, I mean, that team would not be able to win a Super Bowl. I don't care how great Lamar is, if your defense is giving up that. Those type of points, yeah. So, yeah, the defense needs to look good. So you need, right. So for you, for you to feel good, and I'm not trying to box you in, I'm really just asking, for you to feel good about Baltimore next week, it's Lamar's back and the defense looks good in a win.

Even if you're not going to worry. A win will bring joy to my heart. Yes, but to feel. And I will feel like, okay, they can still win that division. Yes. But remember, they are supposed to compete for the Super Bowl. But you would feel way better about a 10-7 win where Lamar looks awful because he's rusty. Then you would a 3835 win where Lamar looks great.

That's what I thought. And I actually think that's smart. I agree. I would take 100 to 99 win. Just take it. I would take that. I'll take it. You need W badly.

Coming up next, World Series is tomorrow. And up next, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred will be in studio. That's next on FS1 in the Fox Sports Channel. on series X-M. You should try to get the commissioner with a misdirection. I don't like this World Series, I love it. Hey, welcome back to first things first tomorrow. World Series begins on Fox as Otani and the reigning champion.

Dodgers take on Vladie Jr. and the Blue Jays. Game one of the World Series. Coverage begins tomorrow, 7 Eastern on Fox. Coverage now in studio. Commissioner Robert Manfred. Commissioner, thank you very much for joining us. Congratulations on what looks to be. a wonderful World Series.

Yeah, we're really excited about the World Series. We've had a great playoff run-up. Two really good teams, real international flavor to it, so we're excited about it. So I want to dig in on the international flavor of everything. First, two-country World Series since 1993, and then I saw there are 13 international important players, Canada, Cuba, DR, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, of course.

Can you talk about how the game has grown globally, and this just feels like a true world series. Well, you know, it always starts with players, right? And we've been fortunate to get players from around the world, Korea, Japan, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico. But we've made a huge effort in recent years to take the game to other countries. Opened in Korea, opened again in Tokyo.

We've played in London. We've been to Mexico multiple times. And that's how you build an international audience. And for us, the investment has really paid off in terms of viewing audiences, really paid off. One of those players internationally, of course, Shohei Otani, did he just play the greatest baseball game ever? Yeah, it was some baseball game. I have to tell you, you know, I think that when you think about Otani, the two words that always comes to the top of my mind is two-way, right? You know, some people have hit three home runs in postseason games, Roger Jackson being the best example.

But, you know, to pitch like he pitched and hit three home runs at the same time, I just can't imagine somebody else doing it. Now, hopefully, you know, he won't turn out to be a unicorn. Maybe we'll have another one someday. But he is a really special, special player. Quickly along those lines, and I've, because I've asked, ever since he got in the league, I've asked ex-players or current players is, do you see that maybe for a few players at least becoming something they can do? because it's not unusual at the high school level to have a great pitcher who also is a phenomenal hitter, but then they get directed into one or the other.

Do you think that he could change that? You know, I think that when you see a player like this who accomplishes these things, he clearly provides an advantage when you think about it, right? I mean, he's an offensive player and a pitcher at the same time, that people will be more open to the idea that this is possible. You know, I think the limiting factor, like it always is in athletics, I mean, this guy is an unbelievable physical specimen.

I mean, just his physical tools are so impressive. So, Commissioner, I'm a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and they're obviously a Dynasty, and I love it, but I'm a Chiefs fan. Some people are more fans of parity. I think dynasties are what across sports has always driven the most interest. You either are rooting for it or rooting against it. So I guess it's a two-part question. One is, in your opinion, if the Dodgers win, are they a dynasty,

and your feelings on dynasties in your sport? Yeah, look, I think we're only talking about are the Dodgers a dynasty because we have gone so long without a repeat winner. I mean, I don't think two does a dynasty make, not for me. Look, I think really good teams and, you know, the Dodgers are an extraordinarily good team that win multiple times. you know, kind of can cut both ways. On the one hand, it drives interest because it creates, you know,

the David versus Goliath kind of matchup. On the other hand, you know, when it appears to fans that, you know, one team is out there by themselves, particularly in a game like ours, where we play every day, we've got to fill the seats every day, that can become a problem too. So it really does cut both ways. I want to show you a video that blew my mind. after the Dodgers clinch the ALCS.

They have, you know, the party in the locker room. And then we saw this video of the Dodgers locker. The Blue Jays locker room. The Blue Jays. Oh, excuse me, the Blue Jays. And it looks like a real nightclub. There's a lighting designer. There is someone in charge of smoke.

There is a DJ. So this is to get to the World Series. You're headed up to Toronto. I don't know if this would be the atmosphere or game one, but what are you expecting the game one after? couple things about this. We definitely have an escalation problem in terms of celebrating. I mean, I, I don't know, they win. How many people are in there? No, there's a doorman, you know, two, you know, we used to give the trophy in the clubhouse.

Thank God we don't do that anymore. Because that would be a mess. But look, the atmosphere in Toronto has been unbelievable. You know, a long-time baseball person, good friend of mine, was there for Game 7 and called and said, you know, I've been going to baseball games live for 50 years, literally. He said, I have never seen atmosphere. It came through the screen. It felt electric. It was just absolutely electric, and that's great. You know, I mean, the nice thing that Toronto has done, they have really captured all of Canada in terms of their fan base. out in Western Canada in August.

And I was astounded the number of Blue Jays hats that you saw. I mean, it's a long way from Western Canada. But, you know, a real national fan base, and that's great for our sport. Well, along those lines, for me, in my lifetime growing up, the most, maybe the most notable ball player for a Canadian team, his team no longer exists. but Montreal Expo Vladimir Guerrero, Sr., who was, as a kid, it just seemed so fun to watch him because he felt like he played the game differently than everyone.

Ball could bounce, and he would still try to hit it for a home run. His son is electric in a very different way, very different body type, very different player, but just one ALCS MVP. We see this now across all sports, but baseball, of course, as well, where some of the greatest players are either son, nephews, brothers of other great players. How cool is that for you as the commissioner in watching what Vlad has done this year and, you know, the family history? I think if you go back and count and really look at it, you know, we have more father, son, multiple generation

occurrences than any other sport. And I think it's a great thing about baseball. It's something we're really proud of. It makes for great storylines. And, you know, I think during the Foxx, broadcast, you know, they showed a lot of pictures of Vladi Senior and junior when he was just a kid, really. And, you know, it's heartwarming. I mean, it's just a great story. He also looks the exact same as a little kid. And he's not the Boba Schatz's father, Dante, obviously was a great.

It's just really cool. Yeah. Commissioner, you guys, I think, do have the best all-star game at this point, which pains me a little bit because I was a long time NBA writer. But This year with the swing off that settled, you know, settled the score. He loves the swing. I loved it. Have you guys thought about doing that for the regular season? Yeah, look, the swing off was a huge hit. I mean, just a huge hit.

And, you know, like everything, you got to kind of keep the fundamentals in mind. I think probably what made it such a huge hit was the players were so into it, you know, and it was just so exciting for them. They really engaged, and it was just a great moment all the way around. Look, you know, obviously we've gone to the runaround second base as an extra innings thing. I think of the changes, it's interesting, that has remained the most controversial. You know, it's the one that you hear about, the most of people are, you know, negative on. so I'm not sure which way to take that negativity.

I was going to say they're going to be negative anyway. We can make them really negative. In that life, this is a little off the board, because one thing I really respect about what you guys have done in the last half decade is say, hey, baseball history is important. The records are important, but we also need to evolve. We need to recognize that in a lot of parts of our life, the more like, data and info and analytics have come into it, the worst the experience has gotten, so we need to adjust. Have you heard from people in similar positions to you across other sports about ways to balance,

hey, this is, listen, the numbers say you got to shoot 1003s, you know, but the audience says, yeah, I like seeing a diversity of play because you guys changed the rules to make the game more entertaining again. Is that like conversations across sports that you have? You know, I have to tell you, I love the way you frame that issue. And we do talk across sports. We have had outreach from other sports about, you know, how'd you do it, why'd you go about it, what were you thinking about? But the way you framed the question is really the most important point.

We felt like the game had changed in a way that was negative in terms of the fan experience. And our polling of fans supported that idea. So when we went to sell the change through and thought about what changes we wanted to make, you know, the goal was let's put it back to the game that people grew up loving, you know, that had a certain entertainment value to it. So, you know, yeah, we have had, you know, outreach from other sports. And, you know, everybody's thinking about it. Because the fact that a matter is sports are great and baseball is great.

was great five years ago, you know. But the fact that a matter is that everything is changing so rapidly in our society, if you try to stay still, when all that change is going on around you, you know, you're going to have problems. You have to try to think ahead and try to preserve what's really important to the fans. So when you guys have that next conversation, if you wouldn't mind telling Commissioner Silver, make dunks worth three as well. It fixed everything. It fixed everything. I'll tell you all right now. You shake your head. Maybe people are, like, ban the shift.

It was great. Make dunks worth three. All of a sudden, we're not having nothing but three. I'm just saying it fixes things. Commissioner, just quickly back to the Dodgers. Otani is obviously like the big international star. I'm a big mooky bets guy. Is there anybody else that you have your eye on?

Freddie, obviously, was the big star last World Series. You took my answer away before I could. Look, I think in a lot of ways, you know, Fred, is the heart of that team. He is the glue that holds them all together. Obviously, Mookie is a great, great player in his own right. They're blessed. I mean, they just got a lot of great players on that team.

But I do think, you know, the fact that Freddie played through what was a really tough set of injuries last year, you know, kind of made him the heart of that team. You know what I like to just to shout out the Red Sox? If it's Blue Jays, Dodgers, right? Right, but there's players from everywhere, not only internationally, but like, if you're Red Sox fan, you can move for Dave Roberts. If you're a Yankees fan, Don Mattingly is on the blue team. So it's just a fun way that history sort of showcases itself in the modern day World Series.

Game one, Friday, covered starts at 7 on Fox. It's going to be excellent, Commissioner. Thank you very much. Thank you. It's a pleasure. World Series. Absolutely. Thank you.

More first things first. After the break. Packers at Steelers, Aaron Rogers revenge game? Not so fast. Not a Corey Nam. Take a listen. Brett got traded and then he went to one of the hated rivals. You know, I was in New Jersey for a couple years. I don't have any animosity toward the organization. Obviously, I wish that, you know, things have been better in our last year there,

but, you know, I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization. I don't this is not a revenge game for me. I'm just excited to see some of those guys and be on Sunday night football again. Okay, it's not a revenge game for him, according to Aaron Rogers. Do you believe that, Greg? I do believe him. Wow. I do.

This is the one time that I honestly can sit here and say, I do believe him. And here's why. When you are removed from a situation like he was going to the jet, then suffering an injury, it shifts your mind to something completely different. Is my career over? Like, I got to get back. And then he still spends another year not even focused on what that team is doing. You're watching that team, but you don't have to play that team.

And then now you're with another organization that brought you in because they feel like you're kind of the missing piece. The last thing, because you've been so removed from what the Packers have been doing, I didn't have that luxury. I was in the division. So naturally, I'm still close to it. I see it every single week. I saw it every single week, rather. He didn't have to do that.

Now, the competitor in him would love to win. He wants to win. And more than that, more so than even that, he wants to outperform Jordan Love. He wants to outplay him and get the win and then kind of walk off, kind of give him a little wink. Like, that part of him, I'm sure he feels that way. But to have animosity towards the organization that he had a great amount of success,

I believe that he doesn't now individuals within the organization. Well, yeah. That might be different. Go ahead, Bruce. Sorry. No, I think I agree with you for the most part. Like, I don't see it as a revenge game, right? And I know obviously they had issues within the organization.

We remember the press conference where he called out the entire front of, office and defended all the players. Everybody knows you have to FaceTime me. Right, right. I mean, we remember how upset he was that they drafted Jordan Love, you know, and I know, I think their relationship is fine, but still,

he was upset about that. He was upset. They wouldn't take a receiver in the first round, his whole time there. Then, almost as soon as he leaves, they draft a receiver in the first round. So I think there's some things he didn't like about the

way it went there. But I agree with you. I don't think revenge game is probably the right word. But I do think, like you said, he wants to beat them. He wants to, you know, put egg on their face, so to speak. But I kind of have believed him. I think he's down playing the game a little bit. Yeah.

Yeah. So listen, I don't think he sees the Packers logo and it's like, I hate those. I think he sees the Packers logo and thinks of great memories and when they're throwing super touchdown. in the Super Bowl to Greg Jennings. I really do. But the Packers, every organization is just a collection of people. And I think there's a lot of people

within the organization that he does have animosity towards. And I also, it is instructive with Aaron to, you know, try to decipher his words, given previous words and past statements. Going into that Jets game, week one, he said, he tried to downplay that game as well. And then after that game, he said this, we can play you the sound.

I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets. I mean, and so I do, I agree. I don't think he has any animosity towards players on the Packers. I think, and I give Aaron credit, and he has only said good things about Jordan Love, and it seems like he was as good as he could be to Jordan Love, given the odd dynamic. but I think the management piece of it and probably a little bit of LaFleur as well, this is a chip on his shoulder, you know, the circled game of the season, even more so than the Jets game is how I would read that to be. So that's a great sound. But the time difference in the time frame is that was so fresh.

That happened. He actually, he spoke about wanting to come back to the Jets. And they were like, way they made him fly out. No, we don't want you, whatever the case may be. So yes, you're going to feel that way when you're Aaron Rogers and you play them week one. It's fresh. It's the first opponent.

It's top of mind. You want to stick it to them. Where I'm with him is, again, when you go back to the Packers and if you know, I have had the luxury of knowing Brian Gutakunuchins. One of the nicest individuals you ever want to meet. One of the nicest. So it's hard to just maintain that level of, I can't stand this guy. You can feel that way because of how things played out. However, when you are removed from it for a while, you start to consider the other's point of view.

When you're in it, I don't want to hear your point of view. I don't care. But now that he's been removed from it, go ahead, KW. I understand it. KW. Say what you're thinking. Yes, please say it. Do you want me to say it since you're supposed to be the nice guy?

No, because Greg, it's being a nice guy too. And it's Thursday. It's a nice Thursday on first things first. You don't want to call. I ask, go ahead. Who cares? No. I'm going to do it now.

I was like, Greg, do you remember who was drafted before you in the NFL draft? And which is far, you're pretty removed. Absolutely. He's pretty removed. A long time ago. And you got a successful career. Yeah, this guy can't stop talking about Chad Jackson.

And it wasn't like, you know, glad you asked. There actually is a few guys. This guy's a nice guy. And then this guy. I'm like, Greg, what he's? Why? You're far removed from it. I just still think it doesn't.

That's fair. The flame may have doled, but you can, I think you can stir up the embers a little bit. once Aaron Rogers sees guys in Packers uniforms, I'm in Pittsburgh, he's like, this is ridiculous. Yeah. This is nuts. I also feel like that plays into it as well.

If it were back in Lambo? Oh, it'd be different. I will feel slightly different because now you're going to be in the visitors' locker room. You're going to see them coming out of your tunnel, like all the parking spots. All those things. All right. All right. More on this game later in this joke.

He was fast, though. He couldn't run like Mr. Jackson. Bruce Hunter to rest. We love this video. Well, that one. I understand why. That's a good video. Live from New York, it's the show that is excited for the upcoming Bud List.

It's the second hour of first things. I didn't have anything. I thought I was going to say. Yeah. Today, Cowboys bring their high. flying offense to my eye. Can they stay hot or will Denver's defense shut Dallas down? I have an all time prediction for that game.

Wow. You're gonna love. Really? Love it. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, Josh Allen, full of our ball after a buy, never lost. But will that change in Carolina? Lions will play it all right last night too?

No, in Cleveland. But right now, of course, it's time for the most motivational segment in all of sports. Also time where we read some viewer mail, Christina went all the way to the post office today to bring back some comments from YouTube. So post office today? Wow. Why were they at the post office? I don't ask questions.

She comes back. Gianna prints off the comments, puts them in the mail to the post or PO box. So Christina, yeah, I've always thought Gianna didn't like Christina. She makes her do extra work. I get it. Here, here. These are real comments this time. Not that Don Don, Don, Don, Don.

and Don Jr. Ryan and Brian aren't real. Shohay pitch, because remember, Showeigh was on the Bud List. Yeah. Shohei pitches six scoreless and hits three home runs in the same game. Brew should take credit. The next one. I do.

Goat Bud List performance. Again, that's from you. And then finally, this is Showe's version of the tackle that turned the tide, hopefully at least. So yet I just wanted to drive home that the Budlis, we don't just say it's the most motivational segment in all sports. It actually yields results. Yes, very well done.

There you want a cowboy? I guess, I don't know. I don't know. I thought something funny. Is that? We just, I mean, what was that? We're all waiting. I don't like the cops.

That's fine. Everybody else is. So it's just three compliments. He's like, oh, okay. Am I in a cowboy hat with a little vest on? Waiting on something. I don't like a punchline. I don't like photo.

There's always a punchline. That's fine. Then at least pull a funny comic. Not just like. It was funny. It mentioned. Thumbs up. Turn the time.

Good prediction, bro. We're all waiting. Christina, failure. Well, I am looking for big time motivation this week. All right, that's what I do. And at number three, Justin Herbert. Oh, wow. Justin, what are you?

Are you like a better version of Jay Cutler? Jay Cutler. Are you a slightly worse version? of Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers, you know, great quarterbacks for the Chargers, legitimately great and Fouts are Hall of Famers. But not quite good enough to lead them to Super Bowls. Maybe is that who you are? I don't know.

You started off like gangbusters. Actually, number one on Bruce Ballet for a few weeks. Maybe, Nick, do you know him have a relationship with you? Because he goes at your squads. and he looked great in beating the chiefs, look great in beating your Raiders, and then since then it's been all downhill. Five games since then,

eight touchdowns, six interceptions, three losses. All right, so now tonight, you face Minnesota, you have a chance to right the ship. And I don't want to hear about the offensive line injuries. Tell that to see Jay Stroud. You think he wants to hear that?

No, I don't want to hear about the offensive line injuries. You got a solid receiving core and running back group. You got a coach who's great and loves you. Defense is okay. Defense is good enough. Like, I think you guys should be a very good team, but you are only going as far as you take them. And believe it or not, I believe in you.

I do. I'm not Danny Parkins, but I do believe in you, Justin. Go get it down. All right. At number two. J-Lo. J-Lo, you're an afterthought. Jay-Loh doesn't even matter this week.

It's all about Aaron. It's all about Aaron Rogers facing his former team. What about you? I think it's about you. Aaron's career, you know, he's had a great phenomenal career. It's tailing to an end. But you are in the prime of your career or getting to the prime of your career. Make this game about you.

This is your time to begin building your legacy. Aaron had to take the torch from Brett Far. You have to take the torch from Aaron Rogers. Make this the official taking of the torch. All right. Now, you've been good. I mean, contrary to popular opinion on this show, among those three,

you have been very good this season. A 108 passer rating. I guess that's something to sneak. at. Ten touchdowns, two bigs. All I hear is, oh, he'll throw the bad interceptions. He'll throw the bad interceptions this year. That's it against 10 touchdowns. And you're having a very solid year without a couple of your best receivers who will be back at some point. Now, you got the team to do something special. You can be a star and you can win a Super Bowl. You got the running back in Josh Jacobs. Plethora of good receivers, if not a

great one. The defense is going to keep getting better and already is good. You just need kind of to step it up a little bit, a little bit, and light things on fire. You got the ability. Start tonight. J-Lo, I believe in. At number one, major motivation in Root. Oh, here we go. The Raven. The whole team. All of this seems perfect. The front office, John Harbaugh, Todd Dunkin, Zach or the defense for sure, Lamar, Derek, Henry, everybody. This is it. I called it a month ago. Yeah.

I said, this is the game we're pointing at. You might be one in five going into Chicago, but you get that game. It'll turn everything around. And look at all you've done. First of all, look, you got Lamar back. You have every reason to feel like this is a fresh start. Lamar is back. All right.

The defense is coming off its best performance of the season. The veterans took all the toys out of the locker room. You're at home against a decent team, but not an overwhelming squad. Like, this is the time to begin the resurrection of your season. What an opportunity. What an opportunity. And to make the playoffs to win a division after a one in five start, When people think that can't be done.

Momentum? Talk about momentum going into the playoffs. I said while it's over the off season, you'll back me up on this. Maybe rather than running through the regular season and everything being great and peachy keen, maybe you have some adversity. I don't think you were anticipating quite this way. I wasn't anticipating. I just said it wouldn't be bad to have some.

Now, this is actually, this is a lion's share of adversity. I didn't necessarily want this much. But hey, this is adversity. If you turn this around and run into the playoffs, having won eight of nine games, whatever it's going to take, that is momentum going into the postseason, which is what you need. Ravens, let's go.

I believe in you. Wow, just an excellent bud list. That was an excellent bud list. I'm going to add to this bud list. Brian Dable. Oh, yes. I'm just not here. The knives come out for Dable.

Well, Nick, I'm going to ask you a question. Sure, I love that. You're a head coach. They have one job. What's that job? I mean, game management. They got to manage the game. They got to manage the game.

If you're a head coach, that's the expectation for the most novice of viewer watching the game. Oh, he's going to take control. He's going to know what he's supposed to do. Yeah. And when you as a head coach. head coach don't do that one thing. Here comes the noise. And the noise is deservingly loud.

Because as a head coach, if you don't manage the game correctly and the fans have something to be excited about because of the change at quarterback, the defense playing well, and you are quieting all of that excitement down because we're focused on, is our head coach to put us in a position to win these games? Is he going to protect our players? Is he going to cover off of our rookie quarterback? Because we're not going to blame Jackson Dart. We're not going to blame just the defense.

We're going to blame you. And the media in New York, boy, it's loud. The chatter, the noise, it's loud. And when it gets loud, decisions have to be made. You made a decision earlier this year. Once the noise got loud at the quarterback position, You know what? You didn't want to play Jackson Dart too soon, but you know what? The noise got loud. The booze were clamoring. You're folded. Jackson Dark, go, go, please. Now it's on you. You've been asked about, are you going to make any coaching changes? Shane Bowen? Like, the debacle on defense, what you didn't do for as far as game management? Look, you see, you see the title. It's day by dayball. Now, I'm not. I don't think they're going to get rid of you at any point this year because they care about the quarterback and they care about that young man and preparing him to just go into the next season without disruption right now.

But boy, no one's expecting you to just go and beat the Eagles this week, but we better see your team adhering to whatever you're telling them this week. You better be competitive. Brian Davel, I believe in you. Really? For the rest of the season. Wow. Well, that's good stuff. Dart could be his savior.

Because, you know, what they did with Daniel Jones, he had a pretty good rookie year. And he had several offensive coordinators while he was there with the Giants. That didn't work, obviously. They are, I'm sure they do not want to put him with several head coaches and offensive coordinators, Dart. So that could save Dable's job. Yeah, but you can't have. a massive tailspin. Like the bears.

Like the Bears after the Hillman. But they could lose. They could. They could lose. But not seven games in a row. Right. And they have a really tough schedule. There has to be some time.

Well, it's 412. And whether you like it or not, here comes the sports media ombudsman. People do like it. And I don't, whether you like it or not. I didn't say people didn't like it. I didn't. I just telling them.

So this is a positive sports media ombudsman, Brew. And it's one. near and dear to my heart. So an interesting thing has kind of developed over the past few years at this very network. We have become very heavy in guys who's came up in radio. There's obviously myself. There's T. Bob on Herbert on Wake Up Barstool.

Danny, Brew, you did radio. He didn't come up in radio. And of course, the godfather really of the network. won Colin Cowherd, which is why it warmed my heart a couple days ago when Colin won the equivalent of the Oscar for a radio broadcaster when he won National Personality of the Earth of Marcones. It is such a really cool, well-deserved, and I assume he's won many Marcones, but this is like the best actor at the Oscars. This is the biggest category, and he won it. And I am a radio guy at part, which is why this is kind of a multi-layered bud list, because there was another friend

of FS1, guy who was on this show before, Andrew Philipponi. He also won the Marconi his station did for Station of the Year, which was really good. Because it's been a tough week for Andrew Philipponi, a week ago today, Brew, there's a happy ending to this, he sent out this tweet and we'll show it to you because, says there's no way the Steelers lose tonight. In fact, I'll get my nipples pierce with no numbing agents if they lose to the bungles. It ain't happening. Now, you might say that's just a silly radio bit.

Why is that on the show other than he's Nick's friend from college? Can I stop down here first? Yeah, sure. They tried to tell me that I had to warn you about this. I didn't want to because it's such a positive story. I just want to stop down here for a second. Talking about this guy getting his nipples pierce. with no numbing agent.

Okay. I mean, do you have other video here? This is just a talking segment. There's no video. Could you just that? I'm just right. Well, I'm just, I'm just a little bit nervous. You just, so here is.

We don't want to see it right out. So here, there's nothing to be nervous about. And like I said, he said, why I was going to hate it? Like I said, you have to trust me and have faith in me of why I'm doing this. Because just like I'm always trying to do a shave your head bet, radio guys at their cores want to make these big bets and have payoffs. So how is, as you see my pink shirt, and it is breast cancer awareness month, how is Andrew Philiponi, recent Marconi winner, paying off his bet?

Update. Okay. I'll be getting my nipples pierced at Mike's beer bar. Great. The money raised through tickets stales and other stuff will go to fight breast cancer. Great. If you think it'd be fun to watch me suffer and kick breast cancers, but stay tuned for how you can be there. So shout out to a fellow Marconi winner, friend of the show, for making a terrible wager

and losing it and then raising money, turning it into a good cause. That was good. That's a good. That's I told you. I thought it's going another direct. No, I wasn't going to show video of anything. No, I was going, because you lose a lot of credibility with the audience. You're like, I'm going to do this.

And then you lose and you're like, I'm not actually doing it. So in a few days, that's happening. It's probably going to raise 50 hundred grand for breast cancer. That is good. Yes. The end is good. The end is good. Next time, make a more reasonable.

Yeah. I mean. Yeah. The no numbing agents felt like... He didn't even have to do it. No. I don't even know why he threw that in there. You could have just said it, period.

Yeah. Oh, God, is there a numbing agent? Wow. I'm going to put the Dolphins podium on the bud list. Oh, this is great. Dolphins shouldn't speak. Here's the thing. Okay.

We are in the content sports. content business and these press conferences are given us the content. But much like a responsible bartender when they see someone that's had a little bit too much, you know what? You are the lifeblood of our business, but your money's no good. Dolphins, you can shut it down. There might be fines. I don't know who's going to find you the league. Maybe we tell them like, we're good. For the sake of the league and the team, this is not helping the sport.

So now we have, and this is a true story. I was like, oh, I saw these two quotes that I will play for you. I'm like, maybe I'll run through all of the Dolphins quotes from Mike McDaniel saying, today's a good day because we're another day closer to death. And then you had another player was mad at the Bears because the Bears were playing tackle football. There was literally too much. I'm like, I don't have all day to do this. I'll just pick the two.

Here are the most two recent examples of why the Dolphins should probably shut down these press conferences. Two of course has had back to back three interception game. He was benched last week. Mike McDaniels still has faith in him. But usually if you're like, you know what, I'm still riding my quarterback. He did lead the league in passing. He's my guy. And that's why he's the start-up for the market.

Miami Dolphins. Yeah. Mike McDaniel went in another direction. Take a listen. He's going to take the snaps this week and he's going to be our start of this week. And my expectation is that we don't throw 10 picks. Okay. Real vote of confidence.

Not great. I'm just saying it's just not the way Harbaugh talks about Justin Herbert. He's the like he should have a busting campaign. right now. Now Tua. This guy. Now Tua on the other hand, he's been a little loose at the podium. Remember, he blamed some of his fellow players for being late to the team, excuse me, the players only meetings, and he blamed the leadership. He's like, hold on, am I the leader? Then he had to apologize for that. And honesty is usually a good policy, but also like, again, you're not under You don't need to start volunteer and stuff.

So here's Tua on some of the challenges he had, finding Jalen Waddle. Take a listen. Some of it has to do with being able to see guys, with their guys also up front and our guys. And I'm not the tallest guy in the back there either. So being able to see and then, you know, sometimes when that happens, you don't want to just throw it blindly. I mean, that's, again, accurate. But Greg, I just wouldn't volunteer it. Now we know he's been throwing blindly.

He's been back here. Here, go. It's just I appreciate the honesty and I like the content. But at this day, I gotta cut you guys off. He's too honest. He's too honest. He's volunteered. He's like, my problem with passing to Tyreek is he's so fast and I have such a weak arm.

That's darn it. And my problem with throwing to Jalen Waddle is our linemen are tall. It's just, it hasn't. Ben, I just... You were to a guy, Wilde. I am to a guy. I like Mike McDaniel, too. They just sometimes just say no comment or whatever, but that's an excellent one.

The Dolphins podium. That was terrific. Dolphins in Atlanta. That was great. That's motivated. Maybe they'll do it. I don't know if that was motivated. Is that going to light up this Broncos defense?

That's next on first things first on FS. And the stat that is so good. Not a stat. Whatever it is. Now at Sok World Series, having played in it last year for the first time, what lessons did you take from that that you'll apply to this year's World Series? How is it? Well, last year, I want to, you, to get out of the team of a team to be

to let me bedomed as a team as a team, to see, I think defending champion to as a different to come to so, this year like, I'm

like, I'm I'm that's Kevin Berkhart and Chohei Otani. You can see the full interview as game one kicks off coverage at 7 o'clock

on Fox. Can't wait. Welcome back to first things first. Greg Jennings is still here. Also, I think I just learned the word in Japanese for championship. Oh. It sounds like a champion.

Nice. Yeah, I like it. No huddle time. Cowboys take their high-flying offense to mile high to face the wake-up. It's the fourth quarter Broncos. Denver, without Dre Greenlaw, got suspended. But still, the Broncos are three and a half-point favorites. Who do you trust more in this game?

The Broncos or the Cowboys? Go ahead, bro. That's a great question. Thanks. It's clear. No, it's strength on strength, right? Like, great offense in Dallas, great defense in Denver, poor offense, poor defense in Dallas, offense in

Denver. So this is tough because the Cowboys, I mean, they let everybody down with that performance against Carolina. And on the road, they haven't been great. That loss was on the road. They score, what, 14 points in the

loss at Chicago. So all of a sudden that high-flying offense kind of was grounded on the road in some of their games. But I'm going to go with Dallas. Like, I I know I'm running the risk of eating my words, but I feel like that offense is just so high-powered

that I'm going to trust them. I kind of trust them more than I trust Denver's offense to keep up with them. I don't know that they'll run rough shot over Denver's defense, but I'm going to go with trust in Dallas more because I don't know if Denver can score with them. I'm on the opposite end of it. Obviously, like you said, it is strength on strength,

but I trust the Broncos because of their defense and because of what I know that they have the capability and have proven to do in the fourth quarter offensively. The one thing that I know the Dallas Cowboys struggle with is stopping the run. And against the Denver Broncos, if you can't stop the run and Bo Nix, you allow him to have any type of momentum,

you're going to have problems. The Cowboys, I love their offense, CEDE, obviously, George Pickens. But when you got a player, like Benito, who can get after the... And Cooper's been great. And then you have someone in the secondary

that they have. Like Pat Surtan, it is hard. It is hard to get things going because they're... The defense of the Denver Broncos are meant to disrupt what you do from the snap immediately.

And they can do it better than anyone in football. and they have done it better than anyone in football. They already played one of the hottest offenses, one of the best offenses in all the football and the Colts. And they kind of stifled them a little bit. I like to see. That's smart.

Go ahead. No, I'm saying what he's doing now. Yeah. Oh, building the Colts up. Like baking and then just like add a little bit more. So listen, I think the Broncos have a great defense. Do you guys think the Cowboys can get to 20? Yes, definitely.

Yeah. Okay. 100%. And the Cowboys are going to win. You get to 20 against Sean Payton and Bo Nicks. You win. We can show it to you. Two and eight when allowing 20.

And one of those two is last week's miracle. Right. And so they were a Brian Dable brain freeze away from that being one and nine. And I know they have been dominant. And it's amazing that in the last year and a half, they have 15 instances of allowing less than 20. And they're 13 and 2. That's how good the defense has been.

And I know, Greg, sometimes you think some of my team's skepticism is too facile because it's like, I don't really trust the quarterback and I trust the other team's quarterback. But this is a huge quarterback trust discrepancy. You have Dak, a 10-year vet playing the best ball of his career against Bo Nix, who has struggled mightily. And it's not as if it's like, okay, he struggled at the beginning of the year, but it's gotten better. Some of his worst games of in the last couple weeks with great endings. And again, I'm not taking it. He really did play unbelievably in that fourth quarter this past weekend.

But the week before, he played bad all four quarters against the Jets. And if we show you Dak versus Bo Nix, the numbers are obviously about as jarring as you would expect them to be. And so I do. I feel like the cowboys are just as close to a lock for, least 24 points as any team in the league. We talk about that Panther game. They still scored 27. And all of a sudden it's like, Carolina, not terrible, you know, four and three.

So I trust the Cowboys more on Sunday. I like the Cowboys plus the points. I might even like the Cowboys to win outright. But that's not my. Oh, I forgot. He has something here. The prediction, prediction of the month. Prediction of the month.

Sneak it in under the wire. Prediction, yeah, new segment. Prediction of the mon. Oh, wow. Yeah. We've been doing the segment. Privately. Brandon Aubrey is going to set the record for longest field goal in NFL history in this game.

Oh, wow. Mile high, perfect weather. The Cowboys, I think, will give him the opportunity. End of the half or something. No, I think within the flow of play, they might try it. I could see Aubrey getting an opportunity at a 70-yarder. I think you're going to hear during the broadcast. Here's Brandon Aubrey in warmups hitting from 74 yards.

And we're going to see that target field goal line. We're going to be like, is that at midfield? Is the target line at midfield? And so, yeah, mile high, great weather. I think we have, I think, which kind of adds to my confidence in Dallas. I think that they're going to be within field goal range. after two first downs. And any time that they, with the new kickoff rule and with this stadium and that kicker,

so I just think they're going to be able to get points. It's a good one. Prediction of the month. Prediction of the month. I don't hate that at all. You know what prediction of September was, prediction of the month. Taggars from the side. Everybody knows that.

Bill's touchdown favorites in Carolina, Sunday at one on Fox. Josh Allen versus Andy Dahlins, the quarterback matchup. Let's look at the defensive matchup. I know that traditionally the bills have this great defense, but check out Carolina. Yeah. Solidly not bad. Yeah, they've been better than Buffalo. What would a third straight loss mean for Buffalo, bro?

It would not make me think they're not going to make the playoffs. I still would think they're definitely making the playoffs, but I would think they're making it as a wild card. Oh. And that would be a tip of the hat to your boys in New England. And it also would make me think, okay, they're going to make the playoffs as a wild card. They're not getting to the Super Bowl. No, season's over, basically. The rest, Bob, that means the game.

Yeah, I mean, they're not going. I mean, this is their schedule. And I'm sure Nick knows we could probably put it up. The next game is Kansas City. Now, I know they've beaten them in the regular season. I wouldn't think they're going to beat them again if they lose to Carolina, but we'll see. Then you got the Dolphins. Then Tampa, you know, you got the Steelers.

You got New England again, which they probably will win instead of getting sweat by them, but then Philadelphia. So, I mean, they've got some games they probably will lose. So again, I think they'll still make the playoffs, but it would just tell me they're not a great team. And they have to figure out, like, are they going to, you know, they became elite again when they took the ball out of Josh's hands as far as throwing it 35 times a game. Now their offense is very pedestrian. So are they going to let him air it out? They do. At the risk of having some interceptions?

Again. And that defense isn't phenomenal. Tell me if you, right, but that's why I think they have to air it out because the defense isn't phenomenal. And tell me if you agree with me, Greg. I don't, all interceptions are not created equal. Some of Josh's problem was not just the volume of interception. It was week one against the Jets after Rogers tears his Achilles where the only way you

can lose is you turn the ball. over a bunch, it turns it over three times. One of the games against one of the bad Pat's teams. That's why we won. He gave it to us. And so that's different than, and I'm not trying to play favorites, but a lot of the interceptions

Baker through last year, where it's like hey, we're going to be in these shootouts, I'm chucking it downfield, I'm going to try to get two or three touchdowns a game, and I'll give you one pick a game, and we think it'll even out. I think the bills currently don't have a high enough

caliber defense, Greg, to just be like, we're going to play super conservative. Basically, we're going to try to have the Chiefs game plan last year. You know what I mean? Short little passes, low scoring, take care of the football. And so I think they have to put the ball back in Josh's hands in that regard. I agree 100%. Like, how crazy is it? Like, can we put up the bill schedule, please?

Yeah. That we're talking about the bills potentially losing three straight games to the Patriots, the Falcons and the Panthers. And the Panthers. Like this is with the Chiefs on deck. Yes, exactly.

Well, then the Chiefs. With the reigning MVP of the National Football League and you're telling me you're going to dial it back? No. To your point, let him be who he is.

That's the only way. There's a lot of reckless picks. The thing about it is, I don't even think the picks have been reckless. Like there was times in our eyes. to Nick's point, like in the red zone, he threw bad picks.

Like, that's not what he's doing anymore. But when you allow a quarterback to carry this amount of pressure and weight and he's carried you guys to the point of, you know, where he can't carry you anymore, but I'm MVP caliber, you can't go in reverse. You can't dial it back with that person. Like, you got to allow them to be whatever they need to be in order to get wins. And the only way we're not talking about this is if they choose to do that

and let Josh Allen be special. And listen, I think you can, you clearly can because they did dial it back if it's working. You know what I like? When things are going well, when you're like, hey, we are talented enough

that we're just going to play a lower variance style. But defensively, they were better. Exactly. That's my point. But now you're on a losing streak. The defense isn't as good. KW, can I turn this question on Ted just a tiny bit? Yeah, but then I have the take of the,

month. Oh, okay, go ahead. You go first. Take of the month? Yeah. I'm an old guy. Talking to my old guy buddy, my old guy, buddy's like, I ran a marathon or I did this. I'm like, shoot, if you could do that, I could do that. It's all the old guys think. Not when you're young,

it's just like, all right, you're strong, you know, whatever. Old guy's like, it's just a matter of willpower at this point because I'm old and watched. Andy Dalton, watching Joe Flacco and Aaron Rogers throw the ball around last week. He's like, let the red rifle get in there throw the ball around a little bit.

To who, man? He doesn't have Chase and Higgins. He has Tett McMillan and Xavier Leggett. They're not good? They're not Chasing Higgins. Well. And Andy Dalton is not Joe Flacco.

Joe Flacco's been better than Andy Dalton. They're always. I'm saying it's on the board. Andy Dalton has an excellent game against this bill's defense. Okay, can I take of the year? Yeah, it's definitely not take of the year. Silver medalist.

The stake of the month. Can I? Can I just put the question to you before we move on quickly? Yes. Because you are quietly. A Bill's truther. Truther, I don't believe we're there skeptical at the moment. Truther assumes, like, you have the monopoly on what's correct on this.

I think it's up in the air who's right on. They just beat the Saints. I get it, right. But is this fair? And the Ravens. The Ravens. That's fine. But you think the Panthers are kind of good.

Risky. Yeah. If the bills put it on in Carolina, will that mean anything to you? Not really. Exactly. I knew it. It wouldn't mean anything to 80 bucks. I knew it.

This is a, this is a. No win for the bills. If they lose, they lose. If they win a close one, you're a skeptic. And if they want to blow out, who cares? They could win a close one. And we could get sad Josh in a press conference. Meanwhile, Browns into England.

Wilde's life at S-Bomb. That's right. When you're asked Bob, that is what it is. First home game in almost a month for New England. Drake has feasted on some lackluster defenses, Titans and Saints. But now Vrabel says, this is a good test against the Brown Stigleston. That was awfully honestly. They're playing at a high level.

They're playing a lot of confidence. It's a lot of speed, a lot of disruption. They don't give you a whole lot of time to make decisions. And then there's enough change-ups in there that you just have to be good. You have to be sound. You can't hold on to the ball. Okay. Is anyone expecting a huge game from Drake May?

I'm not, and I'm curious where you land on all of your Yahoo of the bills really beat skepticism at the door of what defense has. Well, hold on. Same with the bills. You just did a whole thing about the bills four wins being against bad teams. Drake May, who you are every week, you turn the mountain and bruised ballot into your own little Drake May soapbox. That's not me. That's Josh. I thought he was good as Tom Brady.

Here are the defenses Drake May has played this year and what they look like. And what you'll notice is none of them are good. Well, one sixth of those is because Drake May puts it on them. Oh, well, same with the bill. Like if you have a bad outfit, but it turns out I picked out your shirt. But it's only one sixth. And so you just told us how bad the bill's defense is. That's one of them.

That's because they may put it on them. The bad the Saints defenses. They put it on them. They put it on them. The Steelers, the dolphins, the Raiders who we lost to, Steelers lost to as well. So would you agree this is the toughest defense he's face? Of course. So I think it's totally fair to say he could, the numbers could come down to earth this week.

I respect the Brown's defense. I think this can be a nice, classic, gutsy Patriots win. I don't need to see... Without a big Drake May game. No, it can just... It could be even sub-200. I would be okay with it. I just don't think...

So you don't expect a big Drake May game? I expect it in my heart, but I would be okay with a sub-200 game. I'm glad you expected in your heart because that's probably the only place is going to happen. Like, even with, I love that... So other place is his heart? No, that means what happened. Drake, man? Look, I love that Brable said this because he has firsthand experience, being a consultant with this team,

the Cleveland Brown's... just last year, he knows how to inform Drake May of everything that he's going to potentially have to see and be in dealt with. Like, and even with that, we've seen the Cleveland Browns, if nothing else, they're going to make it challenging for you as an offensive unit. It doesn't matter who's under center. And so I just, I expect him to be challenged. I expect everything that Brable said, them to disrupt the timing.

them to get after them, to muddy the picture, if you will. Drake May is going to be fine because they have the better team. Can I ask you the kind of the reverse question that Nick asked me? If Drake May, if Josh McDaniels just finds a wrinkle that he can exploit and all of a sudden Drake May is out here cooking, will you come on board the Drake May, MVP train? What do you want to? I mean, he's been on Bruce Ballad the last two weeks.

As high as second. Can he really impress you in this game? He was second in MVP. What more do you want, King of you? I'll give you something. Go ahead. I said last week, this week on Bruce Ballot, this is probably the last week Baker is up there.

That's what I expect. Because his numbers haven't been tremendous this season. He's had these heroics at the end of the games. Drake, if he cooked the Browns, that would be impressive. Joe Burrow had like 113 yards. What did Jailo do? Jared. golf, J-Lo were both sub

200. And they lost J-Lo. Lamar cooked them but, yes, Lamar. So if he cooked the Browns, oh yeah, that would, he would have a chance of really moving up my ballot. I'm okay with an ugly win. No, no.

We're getting a little high on their own supplies. Can I do it be fine, clear? You think the Patriots are better than the bills. Obviously. Yet, the bills blowing out the Panthers in Carolina would mean nothing. But the Patriots beating the Browns in a lot would be a Street, though.

You know, we're doing. Check out the podcast. If you get a chance, it's been excellent. Our YouTube channel has all sorts of good stuff on it. Original content, stuff that's not behind the paywall. We took the paywall down. It's totally free. Also, promo Super 6, play the Fox.

Oh, Ron Burgundy. Oh, this guy read promo Super 6. Come on, what are we doing? Buddy. You're not supposed to read that part of your script. You're supposed to just do it. I know. I'm promoting.

Fox Super 6. Download the app and Andrew a free shot to win your chair $10,000. It's a promo. It's not a promo Super 6. I say promo Super 6. Vikings Chargers.

Same thing. It's okay. This is the lead to the Vikings Chargers game. As the leader of the show, you need to own your mistakes. You guys relate to the team meeting. Both teams coming off of losses.

Vikings do have Aaron Jones coming back. That's good. Here's an odd stat. Herbert leads the league in passing yards, but the team 20th in points. Do you need to see a statement game from Herbert and the Chargers? No, I don't.

I need to see a win. I don't care how they win. Thursday night games are weird. They have, but they can't lose. You can't go from 3 and 0 to 4 and 4 a win. You had real Super Bowl aspirations. That's not overstating it. I know we're going to try to.

No, it's not. And it was, after week three, the conversations surrounding the charges were like, well, obviously they have a stranglehold on the division. Because they were 3-0, 3 wins in the division. So they've just got to win. I don't care what it looks like. They've just got to win. Yeah. Look, you put them on the bud list, Justin Herbert.

Like, he has to be able to overcome what they don't have. And the part of doing that is picking up wins against a team that you feel like you still are better than, regardless of who they have. have across the field. Look, man, just I'm with Nick on this one. Find a way to win. You got Joe old, man. Be the best player on the field. Yeah, you're up against Carson Wentz in a game your team needs at home.

Look, you'll take a W. But they are a team that to Nick's point, people did see as a Super Bowl, like, especially after the first few weeks. Yeah. And I thought going into the season, remember, I was like, oh, they're going to challenge the chiefs for the division championship. And then I thought when Rashon Slater got injured, that was a problem. But, you know, they withstood it until Alk got injured.

He's back. They need to look good, though. I mean, a win will be great. It'll stabilize them. But I'm talking about, like, are they really a good team? Well, somebody's going to be the, not have a chair in the AFC playoff picture. And, like, if we assume Bill's Patriots, AFC North Winter, cults, chiefs are, call them locks. Then you have the Broncos, you have the Chargers, you have the Jags

who nobody likes but adds the same record as the Chargers, and then maybe one team gets hot. Yeah, the Chargers could fall. Right, and so that's one of them. Okay. Yeah. Oh, we are doing kicks. Yeah, we got 40 seconds to do them. Yeah. Okay, Greg, you're up first. I got the Chargers tonight. Wow. I also have the Chargers tonight. I think I would be very surprised if this is not a clean suite. I am going with the Vikings. I think the Vikings are getting very close to being a...

Wow. They're very close to being just a whatever team. If they win... They're just kind of like an also-ran team. They're going from 14 wins and just like, oh, I think they need this game. Here's a prediction.

If they win, J.J. McCarthy's ankle still not ready. Oh, I don't know. Uh, brew? Every blue moon, it's rare. Every blue moon, like anything, like Steph missing a free throw. We do have to go, though, bro.

The bud list doesn't work every time. No, you're going by. Like, Steph misses free throws every occasionally. I'm going with the Vikings. Wow. Vikings, it is. Wow, good for you guys. Sorry to Dusty was yelling at me.

I'm sorry if I came off. I was rude there. I'll take it out on, Dusty. Wemby on the goat. Dust! It's a show that acknowledges. It's too early to talk about Wemby and the goat conversation. Same time.

We are going to have the conversation about it. But we know it's too early. A few more games. Like next week? Like brown him. Unbelievable. Today, Aaron Rogers versus his old team. Why he says this is not a revenge game and the statistic you need to see, making stats cool again.

That's just I have a stat that's cool. Oh, you're doing. Yep. Wow. This stat drives a little Mustang to work. Stick shift. Oh, yeah. Oh, my God.

It's like, you remember that that Travis drove with Taylor? That's what this stack. Wow. Camaro. Park. You said the cop comes up. He said, I'll fit pay you in cash.

Just a real renegade sniff. Winked at the... Meanwhile, Wembe in the World Series, a special edition of frenemies. Multiple topics. But right now, we're talking about the Bears in Baltimore. riding a four-game winning streak.

Baltimore, four-game losing the streak, bro. But they are still heavy favorites now that Lamar is back. Here is Ben Johnson. Take a listen. The record really doesn't indicate what they're capable of doing. They can put up points and bunches, and this defense has always, since Harbaal's been there, has always found a way to respond. So even last year when they didn't start off hot,

they came back and they finished the season real strong. So, excuse me, I know coming off a bye week here, They'll be fresh, they'll be rested, they'll be ripping and roaring. Smartest dude in the league, right? Ben Johnson, everybody loves me. We on the same thing. Y'all know, y'all like cackling and mocking me. Y'all know they are not your typical one-and-five team.

I've said it. They played three of the best teams in the league. They're not there else. We're just laughing, brew, because right as the soundbite was ending, you just sudden out, put the camera on me. I wanted them to get the. It's fantastic. Yeah.

Okay. What's the question came up? The question is what would a win? It's actually Caleb focus. Yeah. An answer. Sorry. My bad.

What would a win over Lamar mean for Caleb? Well, I mean, if the Bears win because of Caleb, it's the biggest win of Caleb's career. It just is. Now, it's only year two. But last year, they had it. I mean, he had an egg. He doesn't have a lot of great ones.

No, but last year he had a 10, they had a 10 game losing streak, and then they were a 10-point underdog to the Packers in week 18, and they won. So that was his biggest win as an underdog, but Jordan Love got hurt in the game. Jordan Love only threw 12 passes. And then he won as a 5-and-a-half-point underdog against Washington a couple of weeks ago, but he wasn't great.

Out of the by, great defensive game, great running game. Like if Caleb outplayed Lamar, and the Bears win, that will be you've been asking for, like, when are we going to get the statement game? That'll be the arrival game for Caleb Williams. You don't agree, bro? I don't. A win over Lamar and the Ravens would mean nothing.

Wait, I don't understand. His signature win might be the Cowboys so far. He put 52 on them, right? Outplayed DAC. A DAC was good in that game, too, obviously. my point is this if they beat the Ravens 3835

Lamar's great Caleb's great but the Ravens give up 38 points it just shows that defense hadn't learned I was wrong the Rams game

was not indicative of anything all right the defense is still horrible because he's we talk about him versus Lamar it's not him against Lamar it's him against that defense C.J Straal

cook that defense for 44 points. What did it mean? Nothing. All right? So I'm just saying like I get, oh, technically you beat Lamar, but it would, and if he wins 10, 7, you ask me this early. If he beats the Ravens 107, that means, it's a great win. I give you it's a good win.

But you didn't cook. No. If you only scored 10 points against him. Of course. But I, I, like I would think Dallas will be a bigger, bigger win. No, I totally disagree. And I shouldn't say no, like you're wrong. I just, I disagree.

No, you want to say it's an unacceptable opinion. No, I'm not going to say it's an unacceptable opinion. I'm not going to say that. But this is where I am in conflict at times with some of the supposedly smarter people that cover the NFL. Because they, a thing that, you know, that us Neanderthals do on sports TV that you don't do if you're, you know, talking about expected EPA and DVOA and the, really cool stuff is talk about like Mahomes versus Allen and you know Mahomes versus Lamar and the Brady versus Manning because to your point it's like well you're playing the defense I do believe that in football there is an impact on a

quarterback based on who the other quarterback is I think some guys rise to an occasion I think some guys play a little tighter I think I think there is a real tangible impact on it. And I think, in my opinion, we see it with Lamar up against the Chiefs. Everybody talks about that that's just a Spag's thing. I don't think that is just a spag's thing. I also think Lamar doesn't play his best football when Patrick's on the other sideline. I think it would be really impressive if Caleb Williams is staring across the sideline at a, let's assume, healthy, fully functional Lamar after not playing really well, the last couple weeks and raises his game.

To the point of we saw him raise his game against Dallas. Now we can say that's all defense dependent. I understand that. So I agree with you. I think this would unequivocally be the biggest win of his career because it also, we know the Ravens are going to be at peak everything. Peak concentration because they're not playing pinball. Peak rest because they're off a buy.

peak motivation because every single one of them is on the bud list. I mean, you can't be more motivated than that. So I just think this would be the best win of his career, assuming it comes with him playing well. I'm not talking about a assumption I made. It might be, I mean, he hasn't, and this is not an insult, he hasn't had a bunch of great wins. He played great against Detroit last year, golf's not Lamar.

But I hear you, but would you agree if he cooks them and scores 30-something points, that's a credit. He played a great game, and we will give him some praise. I'm just saying it will also be like, that's a horrible defense. Right. The Ravens defense is up. Right. The Reagan team, but it means it doesn't. It won't mean like, that won't, I don't know that that would be, I wouldn't think that would be the moment. Oh, he's arrived. Like, will any of us be like, he's here? He is a star now or, you know, right about the star. But you're still saying that the Ravens are this great team and then they're not a normal one and five team. The defense I'm hoping will. capitalizing what they did against the Rams. I'm just telling you, Brue, if the Bears win 38, 35, and Caleb Cooks,

I cannot wait for our A block. It'll be great for him. But I'm just saying, I'm not going to see here and be like, oh, Caleb's here. Because CJ Strah just did it. So I agree that I, and I think you might agree as well, Caleb needs a string. He needs to go on a type of month like Drake May did. But Drake May started on the doorstep of destiny against the bills. And that's what that would be

theoretically if Caleb But I guess my Do we have the bear schedule? Is that something available to us? Oh, wow. Great job. That's great producer. Great job, Christina.

So they don't have. So let's say Caleb plays really well. But if they just keep winning, even if they don't win a whole. Let's just say Caleb over the rest of them, this middle column starts strings together, four out of five really good games. And then is the Eagles game would,

be his doorstep of destiny game. Oh, yeah. Right? You know what? I'm not saying they win for it. But say, but they're playing well. No, no, no, not at night, but they go three and two and Caleb has four really good games. And because the Drake May thing against the Bills Wilds, that was his fourth consecutive

awesome game, fourth or fifth, whatever it was. I can't remember when they played a couple weeks ago. But so that's, you agree that he, because he hasn't strung together a bunch of awesome. That's all. I'm saying like it would be obviously you beat Lamar Jackson. That's great. But that defense has been so bad. And if he cooks him, I will think the defense is still terrible, you know? Sure. But you're right. If he strings together a bunch of wins, it'd be good. All right. Moving on to Packers at Steelers. This game is on Sunday night. We're kicking around the

idea that this is a revenge game for Aaron Rogers. He said not so much. Here's Aaron Rogers on Jordan Love. Take a listen. He's a great kid, man. He really is. I enjoy my time with him. I'm not surprised by how he's playing. He's playing great. His progression was like mine, kind of where you just kind of, first year, you're getting your feet wet, second year, feel a little bit more confident. By the time the third year comes around, you're ready to play. Who do you trust more of this game, Jordan Love or Aaron Rogers? As crazy as this is, because I did not expect myself to feel this way at the beginning of the year.

it's Aaron Rogers Wow Well you did pick them I picked them to make the playoffs I did but I thought it was going to be because they were going to get fine play from Aaron Rogers and they were going to have the best defense in the NFL they spend more money on the defensive side of the ball

they got stars everywhere and the defense is underperformed Rogers has been good he has not been great and their offense has been limited but we can do the side by side comparison of these guys it's pretty similar oh yeah like completion

percentage, which I know you don't love. Touchdowns for Rogers, fewer turnovers for love, pass-a-rating, virtually identical points, wins, virtually identical. Is it virtually identical? Three points, bro. That 108-1 to 105 is close to identical. There are seven games, right? That's a pretty small difference there, I would say. So I just, I don't think that there's much, if you want to say you like Jordan Love over Rogers because of three points in passerating, I guess that's fine. But yeah, I'll take the veteran at home who is, to my eye, more consistent this year than Jordan Love. I find him to be playing a more consistent, predictable brand of football.

You left off yards per game, which Love hasn't beat by 20-something, close to 30, yards per attempt, which Love hasn't beat. I mean, Love has most guys be playing out for a time. And they've thrown essentially the same number of passes. I think Jordan 176, Rogers 172. Jordan's got two interceptions. I think they're about the same. All the top of my head, 176, 172.

In those same number of passes, in the same number of passes, I have a great memory. I'm like LeBronie. Yeah, exactly. Rogers has five picks. Yeah. Same number of passes, a few less, five interceptions. Love has two.

I keep hearing about how J-Lo, and I get it, he is not like where Aaron Rogers was at his prime. he's not yet there. He's got room to grow. And I get it. Sometimes I'm saying stuff. I'm a little concerned. But everybody seems to think he's going to throw the bad interception.

He hasn't been doing that. He's done it here and there. He's done it here and they're. We're scarred by the Brown's pick. I mean, that's just to be fair. They have one loss. It's to a team. Nobody thinks is good.

And it was, it felt like the only way they could lose that game. It was similar in a lot of ways to the pick Jackson Dart through this weekend. The only way you can lose that game is if you throw that pick in that spot. And with Jackson Dart, we're like you're a rookie. We understand it. Jordan Love, you're in year six. A lot of team's Super Bowl pick.

We didn't understand it. But I agree with you, Brew, that that moment and the fact that they almost ran out of time against Dallas has had a very heavy weight on our Jordan Love decision-making feelings for a guy who only has two interceptions. I agree with you entirely on that. And both of their numbers are really good. And both of their numbers, in my opinion, are better than you would have realistically expected going into this year. Maybe not you.

Did you have Jordan Love winning MVP? Yeah, pre-season. Because I thought the Packers were going to be more carried by their defense. But I agree with Danny with a caveat. I trust Aaron in that I feel like I know what we're going to get out of him. But I don't think Aaron, I think he's more, I don't know if it's more trustworthy, more reliable. I think Love is more likely to go off for a huge game. Really?

I just don't. Aaron, the, Bruce right about the yards. Brew's right about the yards thing, man. That Aaron Rogers is, we talked about it yesterday, has thrown for fewer yards this year than C.J. Than Bryce. Jordan Love is a big play guy. I mean, he will stand there and he will chuck the ball. And last week, they didn't really.

It'll throw it 40 yards. And so I just, I don't think, Aaron having, I know he's had two, four touchdown games, but he hasn't had any big yardage games. And I just, the yards per attempt, which is a stat I like, and the big plays, I think is more reliable with Jordan Love. I just, and this might be unfair because, to Bruce's point, he's only thrown two picks. I do feel more concerned that Love is going to make a catastrophic error than I do Aaron, even though I know what the numbers are, I can't deny it. It's just the feeling I have watching them. There's one potential.

Has Jordan Love made it at Pro Bowl? I don't think so. I know the Pro Bowl is kind of wacky now. Let's say there's one potential all pro. That's very kind. Out of these two? Yeah. One potential all pro and one all-time legend playing.

I think we consistently underestimate all-time legend left in the tank games. And Aaron Rogers can tell you, you know, what? I looked at this game, just like I looked at the Patriots game, and I'm here, and I'm just trying to throw a lot. I think we are due for an all-time, I can take it up to this level type of game that we see from. So you think this might be like the last great Aaron Rogers moment? I think. No, he'll do that against the Bears. Harder. I think there are, I think this is a promise you he will have a great game against him. And I know that we've, the Aaron Rogers not planning on playing past this year. No, but there was reporting this week from, I think, Darlington, that

The Steelers won him past this. He looks great. That this is a game that could go either way, that he could play amazing and be like, you know what? Check that box. I can go to Malibu and hang out. Or he can play great. Like, you know what?

I still got it. Let's run it back. But I think that you see LeBron, Tiger. What is Tiger doing? Like, you can see it with all-time greats raising their game. And I've got a stat I will show you tomorrow. Oh, you don't have the same time. You want to see a shot there?

Yeah. It's not that great to be honest with you. I don't even know if we pulled it. No, it's the first game against their former teams. This was the Brady game that I, I remember I went to this game. You went to that. And did the show afterwards from the parking line. Yeah, well, we were in the stadium.

Brady was, and Brady was, I remember that. Frazzled that game. Again, it was in Foxborough. He got like a hero's welcome and then booed five minutes later. It was like very strange. Payton in Indianapolis was 386, three touchdowns, far against the Packer. is 271, three-down. I think we are in for a classic performance. I wish this game was in Lambo. Yeah. I don't know what is, can you, I don't know if you guys can put that back up just real

quick. Here is what I would say is the distinction on these. Tom Brady in 2021, I think came in second in league MVP. Peyton Manning. He wasn't good in that game though. But Tom, Tom Brady is not good in that particular. It's a little bit of a mixed bag, but I think he's a little bit of a mixed bag, but I think he's going to trend towards. But he was a better plan. Right. I mean, he was, that year he was second in MVP voting. Peyton Manning in 2013, I think that year won the league MVP, or was a year removed.

And Brett Barb in 2009 came in second an MVP. I just think those three guys, even though Farv's same age as Aaron right now, and Brady might be older than Aaron is right now, were closer to that season, closer to the peak version of themselves, than Aaron is right now. That's, I like that. That's a fun graphic. It's a good job. Legend.

We know I took off because I was supposed to feed it to you. Montana against the 49ers. Oh, yeah. I don't remember how he did. You did pretty well. What are we doing? Cowboys in Denver? Yeah.

Yeah. Broncos that won four in a row. Cowboys, get this, brew. Have gone, loss, win, loss, win, loss. Win. And now this game. They're the only team in the league besides the Vikings who haven't strung together to, like, a consensus.

consecutive somethings. Take a listen to shot. I haven't had consecutive wins or losses. Yeah, sup or ties or something or something. Wow. Talk to the guys a little bit. I guess there's more the offensive guys just out there walk through about yeah, we got a sustaining success and putting together a streak. You got to put together streaks of wins. You can't win, lose, win, lose, because what you're looking at when you do that is, you know, eight and nine, nine and eight, whatever was 17 games. It's a little harder to do the math for me. But it starts with today and the prep for today.

Because advisors on. I like this guy. I like Schadenheimer. I think I was just wrong about that. I like him. You're buying the Cowboys can start their winning streak in Denver. So I do think they're going to win this game, but I don't think they've got a long streak in them, if that makes sense. Like, I think this game they can win because I heard what you were saying earlier, Brew, like, their offense is awesome.

And we just saw Denver against your giant. Do you hear Brew say it to believe their offense was awesome? No, but he said who he was trusting. You're right. Great minds. We're opposite on Herbert and Bears, Ravens this week. We got to find some alignment. No, I think the Cowboys are going to win this game, and I like them in this spot.

But Coach Schottinheimer is probably going to have some problems with, like, a four or five game winning streak. Because their defense is just not good enough. And they've got to play Mahomes and Hertz and all these guys on their schedule still. I just think they're in trouble. They better go on a streak. Wow. They better. They should be on a three games.

win streak. They blew it in Carolina, and I get it, Carolina has improved. You blew it, Cowboys. You're supposed to win that game. Because here's the deal. This game, then they got Denver, which is it. I mean, this is Denver. Then you got Arizona and the Raiders. This should be a three-game win streak. Because guess what? After that, it's Philadelphia, Kansas City, Detroit. And then Minnesota, the Chargers, Washington, and the Giants. So my point is They're 3-3-1. What can get them into the playoffs? 10-6-1, maybe?

10-6-1. I think we'll get them in. Okay, they got three more losses then. I just said they got to play the Chiefs, the Eagles, and the Lions. Not to mention the Chargers, the Vikings. You know, like, they need to beat these teams that we think they may be better than. Yeah, they don't have a silly loss left. So I agree with you 100%, which is if they,

win this game, I think they will go on a streak. I think they will be on a four-game winning streak. Because I do think they'll beat Arizona and coming out of the buy, as much as it breaks my heart, I've got to admit, I think I slightly overrated the Raiders.

I don't think I know I no longer think the Raiders are the sixth best team in the AFC. And so I think, and so I just, I think, and the teams that scare me if I'm Dallas are teams that can pop off for a big number.

And I don't, Arizona, I don't know what's going on with Kyler Murray. By the way, that's like the most undercover story by us, I guess, as well. I don't put Arizona in that bucket. Denver is definitely, I just scored 33 and a quarter. They scored 33 and a quarter, but that's such an aberrant to who they've been all year, who they were in that game. And the Raiders just had 30 plays, not points, not yards, plays. And so if they beat Denver, I.

I do think there is a real chance, brew, that after the by, they are six, three, and one, and we are taking them very seriously. Now, their defense is just bad enough they can lose to anybody. As evidenced by the Panthers game, the flip side of that is, Panthers are, that loss is not as terrible as we thought. No. What I'll say about Carolina, to your point. So I think I agree with you, Danny, in that, I think they're going to win this game.

I just don't think Denver is going to have back-to-back 30-point games. I think that's what they need. World Series and a little Wembe talk next on Frenemies as the OT continues. Even more O'T, double ODIT. No, it's just a good world series. Game one, Dodgers, Blue Jays. Coverage begins tomorrow, 7 Eastern on Fox. Otani coming off of one of the best performances,

frankly, anyone has ever seen in any sport in game four of the NLCS. Rob Manfred joined the guys earlier today on FTF to talk about it. Take a listen. The two words that always comes to the top of my mind is two-way, right? You know, some people have hit three home runs in postseason games, Reggie Jackson being the best example. But, you know, to pitch like he pitched and hit three home runs at the same time, I just can't imagine somebody else doing it.

Now, hopefully, you know, he won't turn out to be a unicorn. Maybe we'll have another one someday. But he is a really special, special player. Thanks for hanging out with us on Frenemones. Good stuff. with the commissioner earlier, what do you expect from Otani in this World Series? So because he was,

he had a really bad NLCS up until he had the greatest game in the history of baseball, which I guess was a quarter of the NLCS. But he had been, he had been scuttling the series before as well. Yep. I do think that it'll,

that momentum will carry him into the World Series. I don't think it'll be enough because I think the Blue Jays are oddly the right type of team to give the Dodgers trouble, which is the only concern about the Dodgers all regular season was, man, that bullpen is not good. Right.

And the starting pitching has been so historically good this postseason. It hasn't mattered. I think the Blue Jays who first in the league and on base, fewest strikeouts in Major League Baseball, highest batting average of Major League Baseball, are going to put enough balls in play that they get to the Dodgers bullpen. and I think that allows the Blue Jays to actually upset him in the series. I feel like my analysis on this is skewed by Pasquatch

when he was here with us because he was just so dead on right with everything. But the Phillies and the Brewers were really bad matchups for Otani because of the volume of lefties that they had that they could throw at him. And Toronto doesn't have that. Like they don't have it in the same way. And what he just said with Kevin Burkhard about like the star player and being back in the World Series and the pressure he puts on himself to perform. I just feel like he's going to take that game for performance and be absolutely dominant.

And Passwatch said World Series MVP for Otani, so I'm going with it. Well, if the Dodgers win, I agree. But I think that he could be dominant and they lose. I think that it's on the board that he has, he hits 370 with two bombs in the World Series, but they lose. All right. Let's go from one unicorn to another. I have been dying to talk about Victor Wenamama all day. I don't really understand fully what we watched last night.

It was an alien. It was a unicorn. It was unbelievable. The Spurs route the Mavs 1.25.92. You know, 40 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks. No big deal. Here's Wembe after the game. Much more in control of myself.

The mine I'm not worried about because I saw what it's like to be confronted with, you know, potentially losing a lot. Whether it's your career or your health, you know, so I'm not taking this for granted anymore. But the body, it's, it's, I'm having more fun now that I'm not struggling to move as much. Such an impressive kid, an unbelievable game. Put something together for you, we'll do in a minute. But I don't know if you saw this. This time yesterday, Victor Wambayama, 12 to 1 to be MVP of the league.

Yeah. Right now he is three to three. one. Right, which is second best, right? Yeah, I think right there at third. Yeah, just behind. Yeah, Yokin SGA. I mean, I don't think that's an overreaction. No, I don't think it's an overreaction either. And it is, it's twofold. It's yes, because he had this monster game that I don't think anybody is shocked by him having that type of impact defensively. No. But the offensive impact against, and this is the point I keep reiterated. I think Anthony Davis would be my number one draft pick of any player in the league to try to slow Wimby down.

Like of anyone in the league. So when they, their next games against New Orleans, then it the Nets, then the Raptors. That will be easier. Yes. And so part of it's what he did offensively against AD. But the other piece of it is, I think Vegas now thinks, oh, man. man, the Spurs might be really good because of him. Right.

Because that's so hard to win MVP if you're not a top three seed. That seemed impossible going into the year. It seems more possible now. And even they might make a wimby exception, which is if they're the five seed, but he's the only all star on the team. Yep. Maybe that's how he wins it. And also, like, for the best player in the world conversation,

I have never struggled with these as much as so many people in the media does. Like, I look at it as a scouting term. Like, of course, greatest of all time, Tom Brady, he's got the most rings. Like, it's an accomplishment conversation. He's not going to be able to be in the Yokic accomplishment conversation this year

or the SGA accomplishment conversation this year. But as a scout's eye, you make fun of me for how much I rely on my eye test. Man, yes! That's the best basketball player. So here... That is the best basketball player. So he might be.

My point with whether it's your scout's eye, with Herbert or with this, I, it's your, no matter what he does this year, he can't get in the accomplishments conversation. Of course. I get that. But I also, I put such a heavy premium

to, not just winning, how you perform in the postseason, that it is impossible for me to say a guy, but just to finish the thought, I'm not saying he has to go win a championship to be,

to be eligible for this title. I just need to see him be whatever level he is in the regular season, be able to be that level in the postseason before I can, without really abandoning all my best player alive principles, say it. So best player alive to me is, it sounds like for you, best player alive, the answer to that question is the exact same answer always to, hey, there is a game tomorrow, who would you want as your number one pick? And that, to me, oddly, is not always the same.

That's not always the same person. Like there have been plenty of times that I have felt that Luca, night in, night out. Would be the guy you want tomorrow. It was the guy I'd want tomorrow, but it wasn't fair for me to say he's the best player in the world. But Wimby, Wimby might break all the rules, though, because he's 7.5. So that's what I wanted to kind of pivot to here. And we only have a couple of minutes. But I just put some random career superlatives together.

And I want you to look at him with me. And tell me if you think Wenbana is going to end up on this list. Matumbo, Ben Wallace, Rudy Gobert. Those are the guys who are tied for most defensive player of the year awards. I would happily take the over on four for Wenbanyama. I think he will win more defensive player. Yes. The only hiccup is the game.

games minimum that didn't exist for those guys. Sure. And, but yes, I would say he will break the record for most DPO-wise. Will he join Michael Jordan as the only person ever to be a defensive player of the year and win a scoring title? That really is a question of will he win a scoring title? Right. Yeah, because if I think he's going to win eight defensive player of the year.

I don't know. That's the part. That's the one that I got, I need to see, because the offense is shocking to me, But it's a reasonable question. It's a reasonable question. Okay. The next one. Scoring title and being one of the five best

defensive players. Yeah, I just, I, the scoring title one is going to be the hardest for me. These I'm most, oh, so no, that's okay. So scoring title will put a pin in at you, at least say that it's reasonable. Yeah. The overarching point here is he can be on a list with a bunch of different guys because he's such a unicorn. But Christine, we can go to the next list.

Yeah. Quadruple doubles. It's only happened four times ever. Oh, I think he will be the first player ever with multiple. Exactly. Okay. So we're in complete agreement on that. Does he have a shot at Hakeem's record for blocks?

Matumbo is second and he's 600 behind. Yeah. Yeah, because the gap between Akeem and Matumbo is like the gap between Matumbo and number seven. Correct. So I'm just going to try to do quick math in my head. Yeah, you didn't look at any of these ahead of time. 3,800 blocks. So you play.

I'm going, I'm going to say no. Akeem on the show yesterday said he's the first guy ever that he thinks can. can beat his blocks record. But if he did four blocks a game for an 80 games, he would have to average four blocks a game for an 80 game season for 13 years. Fact check me on that math. That's about right. My math is always right.

I'm going to say no to the blocks record. Okay. I think he's going to finish either first or second. So here, so, but here's one of the, the blocks thing to me, so interesting, Danny, because I also think he is going to generate a new stat. diverted shots. Yes. Aborted shots, shots that would have been,

and again, maybe the synergy folks are like, no, we have that said. And I just hasn't gotten to my brain yet. But I think he is going to, but not even altered shots, shots that are not taken, not even attempted. That would have been attempted against any other,

like 98% of guys when they get to this spot on the court with the next closest player seven feet away, take a shot, but they don't against Wimby. And the all, listen, I think he has a chance to be the greatest defense player ever, which is Akeem Olajuwon or Bill Russell. And if he does that while averaging 25 a game, he's one of the 10 greatest players of ball.

And so that's what I think is just so fast. So we're like, that's like Kobe list and a Dunkin list and an Akeem list, like all melded into one player. Like we're going to see things on the basketball court. Like he'll miss a three-pointer and have a tip slam dunk on a putback. Well, what we saw last night is a version of that. The block shot into the 4.5. Erasing a shot, like, swallowing it up,

and then a step back behind your back dribble into a 3. No, he's the only person ever that can do stuff like that. It's really unbelievable. And I don't know if, Christina, I know we have 20 seconds. If you can show my full screen of the best big men of the last 30 years, here's what they did at Wimby's age. Yeah, this is good. They all were top 4 MVP.

They all made the finals. Now, those guys had better co-stars. in Ralph Samson, Penny, and David Robinson. Let's see what Dylan Harper turns into, man. Because I know everyone loves Castle and I do too. I've talked to people in the NBA who think Dylan Harper is going to be a stud. I agreed. I don't know about as a rookie this year.

Neither do I. But I also think because of Dylan Harper, what if you flip Fox for a real wing man? Right. No, the Spurs are legit. And Wimby, it's unbelievable what he did last night. Unbelievable. It's one of the coolest things I've seen. How are you going to deal with Michael Jordan into being the fourth

Greatest player ever. Coming up next. Justin Herbert. Jordan off the metal stand? Justin Herbert. Off the metal stand. With a big game tonight. You just lost one of these.

Wow. Welcome back. First things first. We got Willie Colon and Greg Jennings out here. We go to LA. There was a game tonight. Chargers host the Vikings coming off a tough loss to the Colts. It was three touchdowns but two picks against the Colts for Justin Herbert.

Still leads the league in passing through seven weeks. They would be five and three with a win. tonight. And so I'll just tell you guys my expectation for Justin Herbert. He needs a win, any way, shape, or form, no doubt. Thursday night games are weird. But it's been a one-man show. Like the Chargers right now have 39 different starters have played this year. 39. It was seven games. That's tied for the most in the NFL. They're third in the league in drops. Their point their defense is allowed the 18th most points per game. Last year they were first. The defense got worse, the injuries piled up, and the past catchers are letting him down,

and he still leads the league in passing. So I think he's been awesome, and he's going to need to continue to be for the charges to have any shot. Yeah, he just has to be more. Like, because there's a guy. I don't need to be much more. Look, there's a guy in his same division that can say, I've had to deal with the same things. And some way or another, Patrick Mahomes has always found a way to, you know, albeit great coaching, Defense has been locked solid.

But offensively, he's always been able to be just enough to where we believe in what they have on that side of the ball because of him. That's all we're asking for Justin Herbert to be. Like I... All you're asking him to be is Patrick Mahomes? I'm not, I'm saying, I'm saying, you're saying it's, it's been a one-man show.

Well, Josh Allen has been a one-man show. Baker Mayfield this year's one-man show. There's a lot of one-man shows. that have, in my opinion, lesser ability and talent. He has a skill set that some would say it's kind of unmatched. You have to be more. I'm not going to continue to excuse what we know you're up against and what you know you're up against week in and week out.

Just get it done. Yeah, listen, from a performance standpoint, I expect him to check all the boxes. What I'm most concerned about this is durability. I got a graphic to show you right here, which is like, has me like, uh-oh. Right. the pressures, 135. He's pressured the most in the NFL. Look at the hits he's taking to us for.

62. And when you talk about Justin Herbert and him, 30 more than Cam Ward is crazy. He's been hitting 18 times more to any quarterback in the league. So when you talk about needing to do more, I'm not worried about him. Because I honestly, he leads the league in passing. Like he's doing as much as he can. What I'm worried about can he survive the season at this pace. And I understand the office line. You got Joe Alt coming back. There's some pieces coming back to help solidified off, solidified offensive line. But when you talk about what he needs to do, he needs to get the run game going

because that's going to take the pressure off him. With everything going on with the charges, it's not him. It's the lack of protection and run game. And with Brian Floyd's, you know they're going to try to get after him. Only way neutralize that is the run game. Yeah, I mean, you got to get a win, though. Like, with you, the result of the game has to be a win, but I do think he is being asked to do so much with all these injuries around him.

But we got a stealer and a packer out here. I'm very excited to talk. about this matchup with you guys and what Aaron Rogers had to say. The Packers are coming to Pittsburgh. Rogers, of course, would expect it to be, you'd expect him to be emotional about the reunion. But he had kind of a different answer. Take a listen. Brett got traded and then he went to one of the hated rivals. You know, I was in New Jersey for a couple of years. I don't have any animosity toward the organization.

Obviously, I wish that, you know, things have been better in our last year there, but, you know, I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization. And, you know, this is not a revenge game for me. I'm just excited to see some of those guys and be on Sunday night football again. So I do want to know if you expect Rogers to bounce back, but also if you believe him. So believe it or not, I do believe him. I do believe what he's saying. Bounce back, like, he didn't have a terrible game.

Let's start there. He didn't have a terrible game. Obviously, he threw the two picks, but one was kind of, I mean, great defensive play. But in terms of what he's saying, when you are, the further you are from something in an experience, the more time you have to reflect. And you don't, it's not in your face. What he's alluding to, Brett Farr, being right there as a Minnesota Viking, having to play the Packers twice. Myself, I went through it.

I had to play them twice. like I'm so close it was like it was top of mind he had went to the Jets got hurt had to rehabilitate himself had to even talk himself into am I going to play again and so now you're in a situation where you're in an organization that does it very a great way just like the the Packers organization you feel like you have a great opportunity in front of you you're not necessarily feeling like you're on a lesser of a team. So all I have to do is just be what I've been for this team and we will have a chance. But the competitor in him, he wants to win, he wants to outperform Jordan Love.

That's all of us. Yeah, we can swim in the dramatics about Aaron playing the Pack is all we want. But I'm concerned about the defense, right? Because the last time we saw the Steelers on tape, Joe Flacco turned back the hands of time. Jamar Chase has 16 receptions. He looked like a cheat code. The Bengals ran for 142 yards. And I'm saying to myself, that was the word.

rushing attack in the NFL, and that happened on prime time. So moving forward, I don't know what the Steeler brand is anymore. It's from a defensive standpoint, because that's supposed to be the backbone of the team. And right now, the explosive players was killing the Steelers. You go back to Week 1 against the Judges. Justin Fields had 11 explosive players. You talk about the Seahawks had a shootout on their turf at home. So when I look at the Steelers right now, I'm not worried about what Aaron Rogers is going to do versus the Packers.

I'm worried about if the Steelers could stop the Packers, period. I get it. That is like a very salient football point. I will swim in the dramatic. I will swim in the dramatic. I will swim in the dramatic. I wish this game was in Lambo. I know it can't be. They should have petitioned the league to put it in Lambo. And I, you're right. He will retire a Packer. His name will be in the Ring of Honor. He's a first ballot hall family. He's an all-time legend. And that animosity is years removed. And he probably is thinking like, man, I had bad blood about the Packers for our last year. And then I went to the Jets. And I saw how bad it could really get. Right? So, I'm sure time has healed a lot of those wounds. But you guys cannot tell me that when he lines up on that sideline and he looks across the Packers, and it's the one time in his career that he's going to get to play against the, he does not want to retire O and 1 against the Packers. No, no, no, no. As a player, like I said, as a competitor.

It's extra, though. I do feel like when the schedule came out, yes. Absolutely. Sunday night football. But everybody, I did it. Listen, when I was a jet and I played the Steelers, it took me until halftime to, like, get over it, right? because I was so enamored.

Like, Greg can tell you, when you pled your allegiance to a team and your identity is wrapped around a team that you thought you was going to retire with, it's hard looking at guys who you once called your brother and your family, and they're like, oh, they're coming after me now. You know what I mean? It's just a different feeling. So I understand the emotions of it, but still is half to win this game because next week they got the Colts.

So they, you know, you're talking about maybe three, two, three losses right now. All right, well, so that's Aaron Rogers. I'm not sure I'm buying what he's selling. I cannot wait for you guys to hear what Tua had to say. Someone needs to coach this man on the media. All right, gentlemen, without further ado, the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins on his attempts to throw to Jalen Waddle.

Take a listen. Some of it has to do with being able to see guys, with their guys also up front and our guys, and I'm not the tallest guy in the back there either. So being able to see and then sometimes when that happens, you don't want to just throw it blindly. You got to progress. Why would he say that out loud?

Not a rhetorical question. You got paid $200 million. Why would you say you cannot see your receiver because you're just a little guy? Why would you say that? Why did you just do little? That's what he's admitting to. It's an insane thing to say on camera. It's a bad look.

And if I was an office alignment, I would simply go up to him like, man, it's a bad time for excuses. This is about accountability and efficiency because in 2003, when you were leading the league in passing and you had career highs and completions and everybody was clapping and cheering your name, you never once complained about you was too short to throw the football. Come on, Greg, come on, come on, come on, come on, this is an issue.

You can't do that. You can't do that. He's trying to be honest, he's being too honest. We kill him for being honest. That's not honest, man. That's not honest, man. Hire me to do your PR. That is bad advice.