NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2025 NFL Week 9 Early Games Preview

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon to preview the early window of Week 9 action starting with the Vikings at the Lions (01:50) followed by Colts at Steelers (10:25), Broncos at Texans (17:10), Bears at Bengals (24:45), Falcons at Patriots (32:15), 49ers at Giants (40:15), Panthers at Packers (46:47), and Chargers at Titans (54:04). Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet. We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents.

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're ready to have a dialogue about a conversation. I'm Greg Rosenthal. here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio with Patrick Claibon and Jordan Rodrigue. It's preview day.

It's preview day. What is that dialogue going to be about, Patrick? That dialogue, that conversation is going to be about the conversation and dialogue that leads to the farcical nature of the MVP award. And I, I think we should start that dialogue on Sunday, Greg. Okay. So that's a good tease, where we start deciding who is in the conversation and then boot them out. A little early?

While also highlighting how, you know, insane of an idea that is, but we need to do it. My thing, it was more in terms of the conversation. It's like, everyone can't be part of the conversation. It's also so early, it is meaningless. Let's, like, see what's up around 10 or 11 or 12 weeks. But this show, I try to make it a democracy. So I think we should have this. We should have this show starting on Sunday.

I'm into it. I love, I love a conversation. Not a full show. Just just. Me of Patrick, we're geeking out. over all the ways we could have said conversation. There's a lot of people that would be in it. We'll talk about a lot of them today.

If you weren't with us last week, we changed the game. And we broke it up between early games and then late games and primetime games. And it was a popular change. So it is sticky. And I got to say for once, the early, I think the early slate is better. And overall, it's pretty spicy this week. It's the best one we've had in a few weeks. I think they're all beautiful.

We had a statistically significant number of blowouts last week, so hopefully of the early and late do look better than they did in week eight. Let's get to the beginning here. The Minnesota Vikings with J.J. McCarthy going on the road to take on the Detroit Lions and that Legion of whom in the secondary. I love that nickname. The Lions favored by eight and a half points. The over under is 48 and a half.

Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady will be there to see this game. How do the Vikings look with JJ, Greg? That's an impossible question to answer. I listened to Kevin O'Connell on the way into work. I thought he was not reflective exactly, but much more understanding with the media in terms of all their questions of what happened to Carson Wentz. And he's ready to move forward.

The problem is the maybe number one story of the season is the lion's defense. I actually think it might be the most important thing we learned in the entire first eight weeks of the season and that the Lions defense looks Super Bowl worthy in a way that I didn't expect. And this week I tried to dive deep

and figure it out with the numbers and players and I don't think there's that much like special sauce to it other than basics. Like they have the fewest penalties in the league, for instance.

They are one of the best tackling teams in the league. So they're pretty mid-range in terms of blitz. Obviously Aiden Hutchinson who became the richest, according to guarantees, non-quarterback in the NFL

on Wednesday is a huge, huge part of it as big a difference maker as you could ever hope for coming off of an injury. But other than that, I think it's just like good fundamental play. And maybe I should have led with Hutch because that's a big deal, signing that big of a contract this early in the contract because he had a year and a half left to go. Yeah, it's incredible. The amount of money, the Detroit Lions have, not all of it guaranteed, but have at least dedicated to their core of this team. It's almost a billion dollars. And I just think it shows. is again, when they believe in their guys and Brad Holmes, he signs guys this way, he drafts this way. When they believe in their guys, they go all in on their core. And I just think that

not only is this really a cool thing for Aiden Hutchinson after everything he came back from injury wise. And you could tell so much of what he's done this year. It's been so emotional for him in returning, especially playing at home in front of those fans who you've mentioned this before, Greg, are an extension of that defense in a big way and are legitimately a factor in an edge. It's just, all this energy and this group feeds off of each other. And I think having that emotional lift and then that commitment to Aidan Hutchinson says a lot about where this team is. Would we have a defensive player of the year conversation as part of this?

Because I feel like he's in the conversation. Why am I doing it now? Well, yeah, you're doing it. The part, the part, the most important part of the conversation that we were going to have is to highlight the absurdity of the conversation. Okay, okay. But I also think about the Aden Hutchinson deal is a signal to a lot of players and teams around the league. It's not against the rules to do this.

Like, you can sign the guy, and it's not violating some sort of prime directive. I understand that people are reluctant to give money early on, but you can save yourself some consternation and drama and maybe trade. So you can do it during the season. Remember, wasn't that the whole thing with Bengals? Well, they don't like negotiating during the season. It's like, why not? What else are you doing? These guys have to play football during the season.

They're busy, okay? That's a conversation you can have. How much money would you like to make? Oh, this much? Okay, here's this. But I think, right, when looking back at what Kelvin Shepard in this defense have done in the past few weeks, like maybe, I don't know. Like, am I looking at Jake Browning a little bit differently after what the Lions did to him? Like, is it Baker falling off?

Or was that just this, this Lions defense causing all sorts of problems to a hurt team? Like, they continue to do this. And I'm worried because the, no. I'm doing it, too. The J.J. McCarthy conversation has just been this everlasting. Oh, Carson Winston-Benhan. How bad is J. McGar? Like, let the guy start a few games, but now he has to do it against this defense that has so many different looks that's so good in man coverage where I'm concerned.

And they're getting healthier too. Tarion Arnold was back fully practicing. Avanti Maddox was also back with, you know, he's play starter snaps for them. Taylor Decker is expected to play. Brian Branch is back from suspension. and they say is even more motivated than ever. I know you're excited about that. Not so sure about Kirby Joseph,

but either way, overall, good news for the Lions defense. And what, yeah, is going to be tricky. We'll see how the Vikings are up front. Ryan O'Neill,

Kristen Derisaw, weren't out there when we last saw them and Ryan Kelly will be out for this game still on injured reserve. And that's a huge problem if they don't have their guys back. Yeah, the Lions can rush four

and have all season. And certainly it's being, more effective than ever, especially with Aiden Hutchinson playing at this at this level. And it also has allowed them to your point, Greg, to play more man coverage, even as decimated as they were and getting healthier now, but as decimated as they were in the secondary. To me, that's, first of all, that's players buying in. And obviously, players go out and execute and do all of that. But that's really good coaching to me, too, is being able to stay that aggressive, not having to take your foot off the gas pedal and play outside of your

specific identity. That's good coaching. That's player buy-in. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, Calvin Shepherd has done an incredible job. I think it's one of the hardest places for a quarterback to play in general. And then this is a rookie who's had a second year player, but might as well be a rookie, who's had one outstanding gamer quarter, right? And then it has been really up and down otherwise. And coming off a high ankle sprain and coming off a lot of drama around the team and the flip-flopping of the quarterback. And there's not someone behind Max Brosner to even be an emergency quarter. I mean, it's, it is, the stakes are extremely high for J.J. McCarthy in this game for Kevin

O'Connell and for the entire team building infrastructure of what. They did sign your boy, though. The wolf pack is back. The wolf pack is. John Wolford. Let's go. But Kevin O'Connell did say it's going to be Brosmer as the backup. That's true. I did. I actually miss that. That's awesome. I think that's great. He will be. He will be. And John Wolford are are very similar people, I think. They're back together again. And read between the lines. It does sound like Darisai and O'Neill could be back for this game. The problem with Derisai is, and this is, and this is, and this is

why it's such a gift that in Hutchinson is playing so well as he hasn't looked all the way back necessarily, he's been struggling to like get through games, maybe not like who he is exactly. And they need everything to get. This is as tough a matchup as possible because Dan Campbell kind of owns Kevin O'Connell. That's a problem. When you're in a division against a team that you can't beat and the Lions have won this game five straight times, including one time where it was during that late season surge where the Lions were climbing out from under 500 and the Vikings were very good that year. They beat them then, too, and they've swept them the last couple of years. Most of the games have been close. It was not close, if you remember, in week 18 last year, in a big

spot. And I think it's partly because Jared Goff in this offense picks on the middle of the field and the Vikings defense, which does so many things, hasn't really slowed down Jared golf in this running game over the year. Yeah, still blitzing at a very, very high rate. But in terms of generating pressure when they blitz, they're number 12 there. We're used to seeing them the top two or three and you start to wonder like is this like veteran defense with Brian Flores where they have all these different

looks have people gotten enough looks at it at this point with this particular group of players or you know, it's age making its way into the circumstances where you start to wonder here's the week for it eight and a half point favorites for the line. Man you got a

big number. I think it's really need to win this game. I think part of it's they're allowing so many explosive plays up front on defense. explosive run plays specifically. They invested in this defensive line. We mentioned this. We talked about this a couple of weeks ago. This is a problem.

The lions are not only explosive in the run game, but they're fast in the run game. If they can run the ball effectively against this Vikings group, they are in trouble. Yeah. One last note on those contracts from our expert producer slash former researcher, Drew Christensen.

The lions have made 22 contract extension since 2024, one of only two teams that have more than 15, them and the Texans are far and away the teams that have locked up a young core for the long term more than anyone. And yeah, some huge money deals in there. Congratulations again to Aiden Hutchinson. Well-deserved, great comeback season for The Edge in Detroit. Let's go to another comeback team. The Indianapolis Colts are three point favorites on the road at Pittsburgh.

the over under is 50 and a half. Ion Eagle and J.J. Watt, they're on the call. Steelers coming off of a loss in the Rogers revenge game. Dimes and Company just coming off of still being good, Jordan. Another win for Dimes and Company, do you feel? Yes. First and foremost, yes. Thank you, Yoda. Do you feel?

When do you feel? That's the conversation. Because the Colts offense is a freaking wagon. And the Steelers defense is old and slow, and they're allowing a, a lot of mistackles and they're not containing and they're not making creating plays and they can't rush the quarterback and they can't, you know, it's all these things that we expected them to do. Greg, I'm ranting on your behalf because I know you got a good rant out earlier this week about about the Steelers defense and the amount of money committed to it, which is absolutely astounding relative to its production. This is a mismatch game all over the field. You need, you need probably Jalen Ramsey's best game as a slot defender to combat not only, Tyler Warren as a mismatch in the passing game, but also Jonathan Taylor in the run game and how they can use him not just running it right up the gut

or some of these middle and outside zone runs, but also if they start to use them in the screen game as a catch and run player, understanding that the Steelers have been vulnerable in preventing explosives that way. I do think it's a big time mismatch when the Colts have the ball and we'll get to the Steelers. I'm not just chalking this up as a win necessarily for the Colts,

but when the Colts do have the ball, ball. It just feels like one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. And by dynamic, I mean, it's just so flexible and can change on a play-to-play snap to snap series-to-series versus one of the most inflexible defenses in the league. And so that's a problem. And the offensive line for the Colts, who's just been maybe the best in the league, it is a big time, like step up Steelers up front type of game, especially in the running game, like show who you are because there are great players there and I'm I can't wait to watch this game I might I might have to take this game there you might have to take this you should take it okay

watch watch that the beloved Steelers defense that you enjoy seeing going out with it's Daniel Jones because three players the Super Bowl era have had a hundred passer rating in each of their first eight games of the season one of them is Daniel Jones any guesses on who Kurt Warner no two MVP seasons two MVP seasons exactly. Yeah. Lamar Jackson. No.

Rogers. Aaron Rogers. He set up. In 2011 and Tom Brady in 2007. That's the type of company that Dimes has right now. And I'm sorry to Mr. Jones for doubting you at the start of the scene. I will apologize every week if I have to because he's been so good, especially on the run. And the Steelers defense, as you guys have both noted, like the athleticism has started to become an issue.

And if Tucker Kraft had that game, I cannot imagine what Tyler Warren does against Steekeen breaks out the good stuff for Tyler Warren. I feel like when he's at home and he's just like, you know, got a glass of glass. Yeah, exactly. And he's like, all right, what do I really? It's always for Warren. Oh, yeah. It's like, Warren's great, but like every time he catches a ball.

He's sitting in a massage chair. Yeah, there's like 25 yards of space. It's amazing. It's incredible. And I, you're watching. If you're Shane Steichen and that offensive staff and if you're Daniel Jones and if you're Tyler Warren, you are watching what Tuckercraft did and you are just licking your chops. at this point because it is copyable.

Now, I know there was a lot of back and forth among Packers fans and Steelers fans earlier in the week about, oh, you know, Jordan Love and he was just getting the ball and it was yak plays and Tucker, okay, fine, great, great, love that, love that for him. Awesome. Daniel Jones can do the same thing, should do the same thing. And similar to what Jordan Love did when he was throwing the ball down the field, he's got guys who can go up and get it on the perimeter as well. So they're going to attack space and particularly, I thought, Greg, you brought.

up a really good point earlier this week. Yes. And you were ranting about the Steelers. Let's go. That's a win for me. We don't have like games. So that's the most I can get. You did make a good point when you were talking about how well other teams seem to know Mike

Tomlin's defensive rules and how inflexible it's been in terms of changing. There are some coaches who can get away with that because their dudes are better than your dudes. Robert Sala is a great example of this. A lot of coaches, offensive coaches know his defensive rules because he's been coaching so long. but his dudes are usually going to play better than your dudes, are often going to play better than your dudes.

Mike Tomlin's been able to get away with this. But if you know somebody's defensive rules and you are an offensive-minded coach, you can start exploiting space and using those rules against them. And you can scheme up mismatches and you can start exploiting all of the voids on the field where you know they aren't going to be

because the rules of the defense dictate, they don't cover certain things in certain ways, or their drops aren't yay deep, or their rushes are. a certain way. This is such a mismatch game from the playbook onto the field in terms of the Colts offense and the Steelers defense.

And I would like to see more from the Steelers defense. They do have dudes. I feel like we're walking into a trap too. We totally are. They're going to play well. And one of the reasons why I think they have a real chance in this game is can the Steelers push around the Colts defense a little bit?

I think the path is there. You look beneath the hood on some of the Colts' defensive numbers and they struggle to get off the field. They were actually dead last in the entire NFL in plays per drive aloud, which is, it's an odd stat. Bend don't break. Exactly. And they've made it work with good red zone defense and with a lot of turnovers. And DeForest Buckner is playing outstanding right now.

He's on a heater. They also got Kenny Moore back a couple weeks ago. They are a different defense when Kenny Moore is out there. So that's all helpful. But I think the recipe to beat them would be to lean on them up front. And who better to lean on them with than Darnel, Washington and this big front and a pretty good offense. Jalen Warren, like Jonathan Taylor put him in the, you know, as the as the all pro. Jalen Warren might be a pro ball running back right now.

And so I think the Steelers could go on some long drives and maybe they just need to finish him a little bit. I agree. Jalen Warren is a pro ball running back right now. He is in the pro bowl. Greg. He's in the pro bowl conversation. Oh, God. Forcing miss tackles.

We're going to wear this out before we ever get to. to this episode. I mean, it's only on Sunday, so we have to do some work here on this show. Let's get to a team coming off of a win at home. They will have to go on the road. The Denver Broncos just beat Dallas. Now they go to who are the Houston Texans. They're at home. They're one and a half point favorites fresh off of causing Mac Jones, all kinds of problems on Sunday. The over under is 39 and a half points. Kevin Coogler and Moose Johnston on the call, Greg. Which version of the Texans will play on the this football game. See, I want this game too.

I expect until I see otherwise. Remember, the show is a democracy, Patrick. No, I mean, I can't. I'm not going to take them both. They're the two of the better ones early, so you can't have them all. You got to spread it around. I guess I got to trust that the Texans offense from the first six weeks in all of last season is closer to what we'll see because of the opponent. I keep talking about, like, so much of, especially defensive,

ratings, I think, are based on who you've played. Hello, Carolina Panthers. Like, I have to see it, Houston, stand up against a really good four-man pass rush and a really creative, you know, blitz package and everything. There's a reason why the Broncos have not just the most pressure in the league in terms of percentage. I think it's 46%. No one else is even over 40. Like, they are far and away the best. And they're not blitzing as quite as much as they used to. And so I think the route for them to win this game is to keep improving in terms of their running game and Woody Marks, that has looked better, the extra offensive line and just win a defensive game. I mean, that's how this team is built. And I think they could potentially

do it that way. Using Woody Marks in the passing game as well, they haven't had a ton of trust in him early on, picking up some of those protections and some of that pressure that you have to do as a running back is pretty tough to do as a young player. But he's gaining confidence there. And and he had a big catch and run that it was one of their few explosive plays they've had all season and it really kicked off and opened the floodgates for the Texans offense last week. None of this matters. Nothing matters on either side of the ball for either team if the Broncos cannot get pressure, which I believe they will against the Texans.

And everything for the Texans offense to actually look like it did last week hinges on how much pressure they are allowing. C.J. Stroud was only pressured six times. times last week and it was not good pressure. They didn't, they barely hit him. And yet it was, I, when I watched that game, I felt worse about them actually because I was like, man, they had to make some incredible plays because it came down to, to me, CJ hitting difficult throws and a ton of miss tackles. Like Braxton Barrios just in the first drive alone, like making diving plays, making outstanding individual plays where yes, they set it up with like, but that's last week. I don't think there's almost any carryover to it anyways.

I actually disagree with you because they got some of their timing offense going to and C.J. Stroud was able to throw in rhythm and on time. Now that is something that bodes well for the future. And yes, they had to make low probability plays. There's like a ton of mistackles and like breaking through players. Yeah. Especially

with that receivers group that they're not quite all used to each other yet. You know, they were trying to go for yak plays against a pretty embattled 49ers defense. They won't be able to do the same thing against this Broncos defense with even without Pat Sertain, this is a really, really talented defense. And so to me, I did see enough of the Texans to

offense to build on, especially because like I mentioned, they were able to get that timing and that rhythm passing game going. And yes, some of the downfield shots, especially, and some of the low probability plays that were made, they were there. They were open. They were schemed to be made. And in the first half, C.J. Stroud did miss a couple of those throws.

And he hit him in the second half. So I do think that that. that's a big factor. But again, he wasn't pressured. So that's the hinge point for all of it. And that's the difference in this Texans offense because it's a lot like both offenses in the state of Texas, right? Dak's going to have those low completion percentage throws that he's had for years.

And CJ Stroud also does that as well, where you've, it's the way that the offense is structured and the way the quarterback plays where they take those chances when they get clean pockets to throw from, except the variance there when, when Dak has, you know, things are a little muddied, he can still be successful, not like he was against the Denver Broncos where things went absolutely left. And that was for an offense that was playing well. And now you're asking this Texans line where it's like there's been two or three games this year where CJ looks great and he's, you know, arms cross celebrating his guys go in the end zone

and everything looks good. But when things do get difficult, the offense completely falls apart. And it's kind of what I expect to happen. But so does Bo Nex. That's the good thing. Okay, so Bo Nix this year against pressure. Now, he faces the least amount of pressure in the league. Like last week for CJ was every week for Bo Nix.

And that's key. But by far the least amount of pressure. And that's partly because of the scheme, too. It gets the ball out of his hands quickly. He's got a good line. But he's got a great line. And it's a big test for Garrett Bowles. And, you know, on the right side, like Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter just have to have, you know, a massive game.

When Bo Nix is pressured, only two quarterbacks in the league have a, lower yards per attempt than Bo Nix. And that's Jake Browning, who's long gone and Russell Wilson, who's long gone. They still barely qualify in terms of these stats. So if you can get pressure on Bo Nix, it just hasn't worked this year. He's coming off his best game

of the season. By far. They should feel confident, but that was a game. Again, he's proven in this scheme with all the weapons that they have, that he'll make it happen. Against this Texan's defense, though, like they're a defense first team. Like, Will Anderson

wants to be in a conversation at the end of the year, by the way, you know? Like, these are the types of games. They just have to be absolutely special and just shut them down. I think what's something that doesn't bode well for the way that this, I almost said Saints, but the way that this Broncos offense kind of operates, especially with Bo Nix and Sean Payton as collaborators here. And it's probably, I think, a benefit for the Texans defense with how aggressive they play and how frequently they are able to make plays on the ball is he's throwing short

of the sticks on over half of his third down. and this Texans defense, they jump routes, they're super sticky and aggressive in coverage, and they will play tighter than you want to be played, right? Good point. And I just think that that's a huge swing point of this game because the Texans have had to score points on defense to win some of these games

because the offense has looked so bad in spurts and flashes. So I do think that this is where one of the hinge points is. Looking forward to it. Jalen Petrie, maybe all pro right now. Would he be your best nickel in the NFL? He might be my choice. I could have a conversation. Yeah, we absolutely could.

I'm looking forward to this one. Nico Collins should be back. And so they're kind of figuring out what their, I think, offense is going to look like. I think it's going to be a lot of Jalen, Noel, a lot of Nico. You got Xavier Hutchinson, maybe a little, you know, less of Jaden Higgins and Woody Marks in the mix. They got a chance.

I'm looking forward to this one. Let's take a break. And yes, we got more good games in the early slate for once the early slate came through. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with me. Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the 10. Talk to decision makers and share the insights you won't find anywhere else.

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daily. I just feel like the air has been led out of the Bengals balloon over the last handful of days. But you know what? As we learned with that Pittsburgh win, like it just takes one win to just flip it right back around. The question, though, with this Bengals Bears game is, will Joe Flacco be available?

I didn't realize that was got to be such a serious question. But let's listen to Zach Taylor talking about Joe Flacco's injury. He wants to play in the game. And so kudos to him, man. He's been here three weeks. He wants to play. I hate speaking for him, but that's what he's told me. We'll have to work through the week to see if that's able to do that.

It's a throwing shoulder. It's painful. Does he need the reps at all? I mean, you've seen what he's done. Came in, played on a Thursday, you know, after three days of practice. So I think if anybody in this league can get by with mental reps right now, it's him. It's an AC joint, his brain, in his throwing arm. We've seen quarterbacks have those over the years.

It's tricky. At another point, Zach Taylor said, it would be 50-50 if Flacco played. 50-50, and that's at this point. Just give him a chance. On Wednesday. Well, he wants to play. And our friends at Spotrack or Spotrack note in that contract,

it's 75K for every win that Joe Flacco starts. So I would want to play as well against the Chicago Bears, who are three-point favorites, Jordan, against Joe Flacko's Cincinnati Bengals. The over under is 51.5. Spiro deed is Adam Archiletta. There for the call. Are we going to see a better version of the Chicago Bears,

offense against the defense that has been rough. And the sky would be falling in Chicago, you know, that market if they don't see a better or at least a more complete and consistent version of this offense because we see it in spurts and fits that this offense really can be something and can do something. This Bengals defense, it either implodes right away or it's a slow implosion that is sort of happening over the course of a game like it did last week. And I would really expect the bears to play better than they have, or at least more consistently.

Because I think the ideas are there. And I think the players know what they're supposed to do. The penalties keep setting them back. They are leading the league in penalties and penalty yards against them. And I think it all starts with running the ball. Yes, by the way, you can run the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals defense because they are averaging not just, they're not just one of the worst in terms of yards allowed in the NFL. they're also allowing themselves to be blocked out of the play

on yards before contact at the sixth highest frequency in the NFL right now, which is not good. I'm surprised it's not higher. That tape last week, I finally got to it watching that Bengals Jets game. That was a game that is part of a season that gets an entire regime fired. That was a fiasco. If that had been on like a prime time game,

it was crazy. And they're playing these two linebackers, rookies, Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight at linebacker and it is just not going well. Yeah,

they've benched a couple of guys. I mean, but they don't have any choices. Like they bench Logan Wilson. He came back in and he struggled. Those two guys are out there basically every snap and they are getting picked on.

And I think Ben Johnson and this bear's offense can be good at like targeting a weakness on the opposing team. And you don't have to worry about the pass rush because Trey Hendrickson still hurt. Shmar Stewart, I went and checked does not

have a QB hit or a sack this year. I think he has three total pressures. There's just there's leaks everywhere, but to me it's like coaching and lack of talent. Like it's all bad. And we see the coaching increase. When we've discussed, Ben Johnson and what this Bears team has done since the buy.

They have 14 explosive runs since the buy. That's far and away the most in the NFL. And that's since week five, 183 rushing yards a game. And considering what Breeze Hall and Davis, the backup, did against this Bengals defense last week. It's just hard to not see a scenario where Chicago scores a whole lot of points in this match.

The recipe is that Joe Flacco plays close to what he's played lately, which is incredible, by the way. I can't believe how well he's playing. I think people are getting a little loss. It's like, oh, Joe Flacco, like, you know, he's turning back the clock playing this well. Did he play this well normally? He's never played this well. Other than the hottest streak in postseason history. It's all, it's those solo dinners, man.

At the very least, he is at his level where he was during the peak of his career, which is incredible. He was fantastic last week. Their offense is kind of a wagon right now. In terms of rushing success rate in efficiency, they've been one of the best teams in the league the last three weeks out of nowhere after being the worst team in the league. So this bear's defense has its share of problems. And start the clock. I don't know if we have a sound effect or anything. C.D. Deuce is back in the league.

Johnson. Are we starting the clock for him and D.A. to have a very passionate conversation? I love that they're back together. Strange bedfellows, Dennis Allen, who once traded, you know, Chauncey Gardner Johnson. But that's the thing. That's his pattern.

He goes back to teams and people that know him. He cycles through these different defensive coaches and teammates. that know him well and then you start the clock. We've all had relationships that like had to end, but man, there was a lot of good stuff to it. So you come back. Backslide.

Break in case of safety emergency. And then you go to the Super Bowl, oddly enough. Like that's, all right. That's the method. We're CJGJ. I could,

I don't know if I could see that happening. But I could see like the Bengals really doing well if lack of place. Because it's been a little lost that the bears are down their top three cornerbacks. Kyler Gordon was put back on injured. reserve Jalen Johnson has been out like they have major injuries my last I just did want to point out it is a revenge game quietly uh do we remember how Zach Taylor got in the league like people would get on him a little bit because he was friends with Sean McVay no Mike Sherman's son-in-law um that's how he was there way people yeah he was Mike Sherman's son-in-law he was on that team and then Mike Sherman

was at Texas A&M and Zach Taylor brought him to Miami this was a little highlighted because he was on hard knocks and everything and he ended up being the quarterbacks coach with the Dolphins for a long time. You know who was his assistant quarterback's coach who he elevated it over and became the offensive coordinator. Ben Johnson.

So it's like Ben Johnson. You were just handed everything on a silver spoon. I'm going to take it out on you, Zach Taylor. You know, it's kind of wild. You're probably friends. He wasn't, I would, I mean, it seems like a lot of people are friends with Zach Taylor. But it's interesting because it wasn't a burn.

I think it's true. It wasn't a burn. I think it's true. I think it's kind of like a sneaky way to explain his career, though. Just people like him. No, Zach Taylor, Jordan has the high ground. Cracking up over here. I was like, I recall back to, I don't think this was about him.

But Ben Johnson's opening press conference when he took the job, he's like, I basically want to beat all the NEPO babies in the league. That's paraphrasing. That's basically what he said. Zeroed in target locked on Zach Taylor. The bears are going to score 50. points. Let's go. Run it up. Dan Campbell style. Let's get to a, you know, talking about Super Bowl contenders. Yeah. The Atlanta Falcons, no, not them, are on the road at the New England Patriots. Greg Rosenthal, the Patriots are favored by five and a half points. The over under is 44 and a half. We do think Michael Pinnock's Jr. will be back. Hopefully for Falcons fans, it was not the best cousins outing Andrew Catalan. Our good friend Charles Davis and Jason McCordy are there. Can anything slow down? the New England Patriots of 2025, Greg.

Yeah, I think this Falcons defense has shown that they can cook up specific game plans that'll confuse you. And the offensive line communication for the Patriots hasn't been great. Greg May, I think, is taking the fifth most amount of pressure in the league, which, you know.

Does those numbers go up? Because they played arguably the one of the top three defensive players of our era last year at the game of his career. They certainly went up. And actually, the Falcons have been continuing to blitz a ton of. all season. And it's kind of stopped working the last couple weeks. They really have not been

able to pressure either the 49ers or the Miami Dolphin. So do the Patriots have like a good short game type of answer? Because I really thought Raheem Morris got outcoached a little bit by what Tua and Mike McDaniel wanted to do last week. That isn't really Drake May's game. He likes to hold the ball a little bit. He likes to invite that pressure before he tries to make a play. Yeah, I think this could be a pretty cool, another pretty cool Drake May game. I want to ask you your opinion, actually. You're more plugged in, I think, to that, well, certainly to that team, but also to that market, I think, and some of the reporting out there.

Ramandri Stevenson was not at practice on Wednesday. Oh. So kind of wondering what your instant reaction to that is. Well, it wouldn't be anything until I saw the report that the Patriots are looking for running back help from Mike Reese at ESPN in the trade market. They wanted edge help and running back. help. And I'm thinking, I mean, they're pretty, Ramandri and Trayvion Henderson, you would think that would not be a primary position. So I don't know. If there was like an injury that we hadn't seen or something

that hadn't, that hadn't been reported yet, or if you've heard of anything, or if maybe he's on the block. I mean, I don't know. But then that report kind of- He's been playing well, though. Yeah. But that report kind of counteracts it. They seem to want to put Trayon-Henderson on the field a little bit more, which I agree with. And he played great until then he lost the fumble right at the end of that game. So I was thinking... What's a Patriots game with that a lot of bumble, though? It's becoming a tradition. I was thinking that was a big step forward from him last week. He had some good pass pro

reps. My most obvious reason I'm a Patriots fan is that I check that Trayvian Henderson pass pro reps every week. And I do want him to play most obvious tell. I'm just saying. It is, that pass pro reps are a little bit of sick. Well, because I want to just see him like on the field. And there's only, it's very easy

to do. There's like seven of them every week and they had been going poorly. And they went great last week. They made a couple trades. We should, we should do the news portion of the show. Keon White, a second round pick who threw two weeks last year, I believe was leading the NFL in sacks, little known stat. I think four sacks through two weeks last week, last year, was traded to San Francisco and Kyle Dugger, their safety, who got a huge contract almost immediately after their supposed personnel chief, Elliot Wolf arrived in New England, was traded to the Steelers, both of them essentially for nothing, for six,

in seventh round pick swaps. So just they moved up one round from the seven to the six. It was basically they just gave them away. So there's two former Patriots on that Steelers safety group with Gibral Peppers who started out this season there too.

I don't know. It's weird. It is weird to be sellers. Just giving away guys? While you're leading the division where it's... Keon White, I get. He was down to being a healthy scratch

and I think it was something where he was not, he was passed by Caleb on Chase on in camp and it just didn't seem like that was working with Mike Brable. Kyle Dugger, by all accounts, was like, accepted his demotion. He was out there for 15, 20, stuff. They have like two safeties on the roster.

I don't get it. They're just getting rid of all the Belichick guys. White had four sacks in those games you mentioned. Yeah. In the other 32, he has two. Yeah, he's a guy who's a pretty good interior rush. I love that trade for the 49ers. I mean, it probably only has like a 30% chance

of mattering that much. But if you use him as an interior rusher, he could be fun. We should get back to this game. Should we give the Falcons any chance here at responding? Because I really do. They seem like a four and four type of team. You know, this is how I pick games sometimes. I got to say, the Patriots, what are they right now, six and two?

They seem more like a six and three. What do you mean? What are they right now? I just forgot if they had a buyer or not. This does seem like a game to pick the Falcons just for that. Because they seem like a four and four team. And the Patriots seem more. like a six and three team. How about that? They're just so frustrating to me because they are so mercurial and you see an identity start to emerge from them one week and then it's

completely gone or easily sniffed out by the opponent or they are beating their heads against a wall trying to do the same things and getting the same results and not adjusting or evolving. The potential of this defense, especially relative to expectation, is great. The potential of this offense is great. This Atlanta Falcons team is not meeting its potential regularly. And I think that's very concerning. And I don't, I don't know if I would pick them in any game moving

forward. They're going to win some games, but I don't trust this team. Well, they're power hitting on both sides. And there's high variance with that blitz rate. And also with the number of plays where they're stretching guys out, trying to get Bijan to break six tackles. They're relying

on Kyle Pitts in the flat to get past guys. And, you know, seeing pinnicks fire those slants in to Drake London, where, you know, the ball could go the other way, or Drake London could take it. It's just a high variance team where the outcomes could be any number of things. Like, if you just watched the game in Charlotte, the game last week against the Dolphins, you'd think this one of the worst teams in the NFL. Then we see them against the bills, the defense in that performance against the Minnesota Vikings, where it's like, okay, like, the Falcons are a coin flip. And then he was, Zach Robinson was asked about it this

week about like our defense is showing you things you're not ready for. And he said, we've actually been seeing simpler looks than we've been anticipated. Ooh, what an insult. Which makes it. Let's find the mirror on that one. But maybe kind of an insult to his players. It's like more frustrating for everybody knowing, hey, we can own these looks. We can anticipate what's coming, what's coming, but we just have to get it cleaned up.

Drake London is expected to be back at practice. They're also talking about that Darnal Mooney's kind of hasn't been himself all the way back from his injury. But they think this week now he's, he's, he's, he's, ramped up and he's ready to go. Michael Pennix is expected to take the majority of snap. So that's a good sign. On the other hand, though, like it, on paper, it's a mismatch when the Falcons are running the ball, which doesn't make sense. The Patriots events is built to stop the run. They're playing base defense. They're very good stopping the run. They should be

vulnerable against the pass. But the Falcons haven't been very good running the ball. They're below average with Bejan Robinson running the ball, 20th and rushing DVOA. Yeah, it drives me nuts. It drives me absolutely nuts. This is, we did a segment earlier this week about things were haunted by it, and I almost knew I was going to get too mad if I brought up the Fulkins, sort of wasting this Bajon Robinson season. All, you know, I just, I can't stand it. It drives me absolutely nuts. And now you got to go against Chris Tonga or I'm not sure how you say that.

You know, you would, if you were, give him a contract. If you were feeling like for Snickety this week, Greg, you could give me this game and that would piss me off, but I kind of want to watch it also. I would give it to you. I would hate watch it. Although I love what the Patriots are doing right now. Hate watching the Falcons because they drive Jordan nuts. It drives me nuts also the punchline to one of my favorite pirate jokes.

Maybe I'll tell you guys one day. The San Francisco 49ers are on the road. They're favored by two and a half points at the New York Giants. The overrunners 48 and a half. Kevin Harlan and Trent Green are on the call. And it is a, it's a sad one because we love what Cam Scadaboo was doing. The Giants not only have lost Camp Scadaboo, the league neighbors, the injuries becoming a whole lot, but they've still got Jackson Dark

against a 49ers defense and offense, Greg, that had a weird performance in Houston. Still favorite about two and a half. How do you see this one going? Yeah, I was watching that game and wondering, like, is their offensive line becoming a problem? Maybe it's the matchup.

That'll happen, but they've had people in and out of the lineup. Colton McKivitz was really struggling in that game. And, you know, when they try to pass the ball in this game, you do worry about that against this giant's front. But then the answer to that is pretty simple. Just don't pass the ball.

And just I know you're supposed to at some point. But this is the worst running defense in the league by far. Like the gap between the Giants and 31st is pretty wide right now. So it could be a CMC get rigged. I know you were like shocked about the Bengals statistic that they weren't lower. And I was like, but did you forget about the Giants? They're one of the worst run defenses of the last 20 years, at least right now they are.

Yeah, and I also think that this is another game where to mitigate the pass rush that the Giants do still have available to them, you get the ball out quickly, especially to a mismatch player such as Christian McCaffrey in the screen game and in the little quickouts and the flat, and you ask their defenders to come and tackle, which they don't do well,

especially in the second and third level of the defense. They have been so just rolling through these corners and trying different things. they're undermanned there. This front is still a strength in terms of the pass rush for the Giants. I know that there's some weird, I don't want to say weird,

but reporting about maybe Kavon-Tibodeau ahead of the trade deadline and just uncertainty throughout the entire group. And that doesn't bode well either, especially when you're coming off of just like the gut punch of losing a player who truly buoyed the entire team, clearly. Scadaboo is wheeling around the facility.

Wednesday, according to Brian. He can't keep him more. How hard do you think it is to keep that guy in the chair, honestly? Like, how hard do you think it will be? Yeah, that will be the hard thing, uh, is, is making sure that he, you know, adheres to the timeline and doesn't try to go to bananas, uh, during his bounce back. But that was, it was nasty to see, but it was great to see, um, you know, his teammates, uh, helping him off the field and the fans in Philly, uh, applauding him

off the field as well. And, and, yeah, the Tibido conversation, uh, which Mike Garifolo came out, uh, and reported that, you know, the team says they have no intention of trading Kvon-Tibato. I think that would be a great time, Greg, to do what the lions did. If you want to keep him so much, go ahead and lock it up. Yeah, I don't think that's happening. There's so many injuries on this team you really feel for the Giants. So Jermaine Illuminaur, who's been great as a peck strain, he's not practicing.

He did tell reporters he's going to play this week. That's a great sign, but it's much lesser in looking negative for Cordale Flott, who's in the concussion protocol. been their best cornerback. Paulson Adibo is still out of practice. Their other big money cornerback. And so, like, man, that's just weakness on weakness. Giants, uh, or the 49ers need, need a win here. Yeah, they do.

They're still. Yeah, and white, baby. They're still creaking back to, to health. Brock Purdy may or may not play. Kyle Shannon said it was not a long shot. Now, Cynthia, I think puts it well in a much more succinct way than I do. but it's really hard sometimes to tell how truthful Kyle Shanahan is being.

She calls him the lying liar who lies. She has a personal relationship with him and somehow can get away with that. I believe, I think. She's also a badass. Either way. That's for sure. Yeah.

And then also it's, you know, no Brandon Ayyuk, which is another problem. They're just, they're so decimated in terms of guys who catch the ball for them that I do think this is, it sort of sets up nicely to play to what's a current, current team strength is help the line dig in a little bit more don't have them past setting all the time they were it this they had a new center they've had new centers in and out a trent

williams look banged up as well against houston so you can solve a lot of problems at once here and sort of get your your team dug in a little bit more if you just run the ball and i'm wondering if it you know if it was a game plan thing because the CMC volume had been so high if i was trying to restrict CMC touches last week you have to go back to like 2021 panthers for CMC to have less than eight carries and three catches and three targets, I believe, against the Houston Texan. So maybe

a little more Christian McCaffrey in this one. Yeah, and they just need their defense to get off the field. Like, I think this could be a good Jackson Dart fantasy type of game. And Jackson Dart has kind of replaced, look, Drake May is still like, he's all that matters in

New England. And that's the case. And in Los Angeles. I kind of feel like for this time of year, the rest of the season, Jackson Darts all that mattered and all that matters for the Giants. I've been really impressed. He's been better than I would have expected. And if he continues along this path,

it's going to be like a successful season. In my mind, for the Giants, if Jackson, if they feel like they found a real franchise quarterback. Successful enough to save the jobs? I think so. I think if Jackson DART plays well the rest of the year, it makes sense to keep Brian Dable. That's my opinion.

I think, well, I think what also keeps Brian And they will and Joe Shane is the fact that they got Jackson Dart. You've seen enough from him at this point to, I think, sort of temper ownership a little bit. Yeah. You got to keep it going. That's why it's all that matters. We got eight or nine weeks to go. But the 49ers have the worst pressure rate of any team in the entire NFL.

So he could be protected. Well, let's take one more break where we wrap up the early games of week nine. The official midpoint of the season is after Monday night football. actually. 9, 18, divided by 9. Oh, yeah. Good. Round.

Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my.

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been on a lot of Panthers games this year just kind of like Spiro Detus is the designated Bengals guy I think they're just staying in Cincinnati Spirotidis and friends why don't we keep it thematic and we'll go to Jordan Rodriguez

on the Carolina Panthers at the Green Bay Packers who are favored Jordan by 13 and a half points the over under is 44 and a half affirmation Greg and Adam Amin are on the call. The only thing I think that matters in this game

is Bryce going to play. And if so, I feel like that number is way too high. I think he's going to play. Took all the first team reps this week at practice so far. Got a little good news, bad news, sitch happening in Carolina. The good news is they have determined that Rico Dowdell, to my understanding of kind of the reports out of camp

or out of practice will be the lead back. They're not going to go with this very on again, off again, two back system. Frustrating. That really, I think, limited the maximum potential of each running back. They're a week too late of doing this because the bad news here is that they are missing multiple offensive linemen as they go against the best pure pass rusher in

football, maybe ever, in Micah Parsons. and also a very stout Packers front. Oh, they already were missing Brady Christensen because he had the ACL, or excuse me, the Achilles. Taylor Moten is questionable. He's been their stalwart right tackle forever. And Cade Mays will not be available. So this is not a great week,

never a great week to be missing your line, but having a quarterback coming back from an ankle injury and also facing the Green Bay Packers defensive front. That's why that number isn't that crazy. And one thing I've learned from Cynthia's model over the years And I don't think it's all that different from some of the computer models that create these numbers is offensive line injuries really make the number move. So that could be a factor. And I think it's baking into something that I've thought about, which is I don't think this Panthers team is much better than they have been the last few years.

Like they've found a way to win games against bad teams. And I think that's great. And I think long term, like we're going to be able to evaluate them. But when they play one of the best teams in the league, like the Packers are and maybe like the bills were, you know, last week, I think they're pretty overmatched. There's still like a bottom six or seven team in terms of like just total talent. But it'll be good if Bryce is back. Well, yeah, it will be just in terms of the way that the Carolina Panthers have been successful is moving the ball, running the ball successfully, having key fourth town conversions in all of those wins to an extent that I think managing to get that 13 and a half. half point gap becomes a little bit different because of the time involved.

And the Packers' propensity to run the ball as well as the reason, again, I'm not confident that the Panthers would win the game. I just, the number feels like it's tilted a little bit more, especially when the Packers, one of the more willing to run teams, despite the way that they can be explosive in the past game, they stay committed to it. Josh Jacobs has been very effective in the run game. And the Panthers, honestly, you know, we celebrated the growth and the shift and the ability to stop the run, the bills exposed one thing with the gaps, and it was not fixed

over the course of the game. James Cook would still be running, if not for the end zone being the limit to where the plays in. I do think about that sequence in the offseason where they thought they were getting Milton Williams, and they ended up signing to Sean Wharton sort of as a consolation prize and gave him a lot of money, and he's struggled so far for the Panthers. So that change has not worked, and yet you're going up against the quarterback. who, more than any other, is asking the people in this room. Why am I not on quarterback island again?

It's not asking me. I'm first in the NFL in EPA per dropback. Jordan, just keep it up and you can join your other Jordan soon enough. I know, man, how fun was that to watch. I just, I keep thinking about what Tucker Craft just did and what Jordan Love just did and how well they're running the ball. And I think about Tucker Kraft in a mismatch situation against, like, say, Christian Roseboom, for example, and some of these defensive backs who have played really well at times, but also are not really, have not really been huge factors in run support either or catch and run support. I think the middle of the field is going to be wide open all day for Matt LaFleur to try to exploit and maximize this momentum that they have.

with this tight end that seems to be now turning into the volume one on this team the way we thought maybe a receiver would. I regretted on Sunday night not making even a bigger deal of what Tucker Kraft just accomplished because the numbers are crazy. So let's just give him his love now.

Let's do it. The third most yak yards after catch in a game by any tight end since 2006, according to Jacob Gibbs on Twitter. And this season, you know, the most yak per catch of anyone in the league, the most overall like he is that dude but I think part of that and I guess I'd have to go back and really watch it but I think part of this offense becoming whole is Christian Watson he looked

great in his first game back and he offers something no one else on that Packers team does I think he really changes the upside of this entire offense yeah on on all the levels right because you see Christian Watson in the way that these Packers receivers kind of get siloed into certain rolls and he legitimately fills all of them in different spots where when they're all there because I know the fantasy evaluation of the Packers is

generally it's frustrating. We don't know where the targets are going. When Christian Watson is there the targets are going to Christian Watson like it is a constant thing and we saw him with a great block to spring a touchdown as well and I think right

charting guys in their path back from injuries like yes it was a devastating stating injury and it's going to take time for him to be 100% fully back just like it did with Tucker Kraft last year he was still contributing but now we see like when Tucker Kraft is fully healthy how different things can be like with a full offseason to be able to come at these things so not man he looked back he looks so fast it's I guess you don't you never know yeah but sometimes the guys come back and they're clear like Christian Daryasov right now we mentioned just Trevon digs when he came back like you kind of don't know until you see them on the field

and Watson maybe it's because if you take 10% off, Pete Christian Watson, he's still the fastest guy on the field. Very explosive, big, fast player and the, what did I say? You just have away with words.

I'm sorry. I just like how you describe things. Yeah. He's a large person who runs fast. And to contrast that, big guy, run fast. Ross Tucker's game. No, sorry. No, let's go

over to the Tennessee Titans where they are facing off if Greg Rosenthal likes past blocking reps, might I introduce him to the starting running back for the Los Angeles Chargers the past few weeks. Bonnie Adel

out of Troy University. The Chargers are eight and a half point favorites on the road against the Tennessee Titans. The over under is 43. And a half, the aforementioned Ross Tucker, along with Tom McCarthy, calling this game, Greg, where we started to see things go right for the

chargers, are you back on? Yes, that. Oh, that was hesitance. Was it not? Well, it was. He took a brat. It was like, whoa. They're going to get to be instant.

I think they're going to get to their buy at six and three. And they're coming off statistically their best performance of the Jim Harbaugh era on offense. And I think you saw just the energy that they played with on defense. And some of the things Khalil Max said leading into the week and the energy that he played with that he is a force multiplier for that defense. So I still have questions there. But when Herbo is scrambling like that and he has been as effective as any scrambler in the league right now, they should, they just should be a better red zone team, which is almost their number one problem as a team this year is being better in the red zone. And that was like a great red zone

performance. So I'm hoping that reverts to the mean. I don't really correlate people's personal lives, especially I don't like to do this with players. people's personal lives correlating to their play on the field. I don't think the two are adjacent. I think that football players who play at a professional level are expert compartmentalizers and they can be a pro and all of that, regardless of what's happening in their personal life. But.

Oh. But. Took till week nine. What? We've been waiting. I don't want to step on your point. Let's go. Justin Herbert's out of the house.

Yeah. Okay. Justin Herbert's out of the house And in the wild He's at Dodgers games He's at Lakers games He's with he's I think he's dating Madison beer He's at Halloween parties

Yes she's the common factor of all these But he's got confidence And you know what Like he's always been an incredible player But you're seeing this You're seeing more zest For life out of Justin Herbert When he's on the football field

And like listen I don't think the two Are necessarily one and one correlated But I love this for him I love all of it for him His play on the field, I mean, he's got, he's got a little, like, zing to him a little bit more. He's pointing on first downs. He's running more. He's really, like, lifting what this team can do when he does.

And off the field, he's getting outside. He's outside. He's out and about. Good for him. Yeah, I was saying nine weeks till we got to the Madison dear reference. I was like, what's the trap? That I'm super familiar with, you know, before this. But I do think winning has a little bit to do with all of those things.

not necessarily that because I think it doesn't have to be the cause but they can be correlated because I'm sure Justin had left the house prior to being no famously famously never left the house like famously famously famously not outside the house he's like divante he has the taco belt inside it's inside of it makes us more likely to see him not at the house considering his relationship status but it's it's a it's a better team I think a better version of the team that's getting healthier. I was not kidding about Kermani Vodal in past protection, where he was like a little portable offensive linemen out there where considering like the issues that Bradley

Bostman had, you know, it's something that they needed. And as when Justin Herbert is making so many plays out on the edge, it's almost like he feels more uncomfortable within the pocket or he's not sure. Out of the house, out of the pocket. the correlations are all there. It's all connecting. Louis Kaiser Sese, where I think, like, we've just seen what a breakout for A Ronde, I guess, in the second. Everything is happening outside for Justin Herbert and company.

I would like to see the operation inside be a little more succinct for long term. But, hey, if it's working out there, it's working. Joe, being back, is the number one thing that transforms this team and maybe even more in the running game than as a pass protection. but certainly both. I think it's two things. One, yes, having Joe Alt back incredible. But I think really the transformation that you're seeing is a combination

of Joe Alt being back and also Arande Gadsen emerging as a true double threat tight end. So they can stay in these heavy personnel that they love to use. You can be in 12 the entire game if you want because you're getting

the ability to block the way you want to for Kamani Vidal in the run game and you're also able to disguise some of your passing looks and you're funneling a lot of those that passing volume through the tight end who you can keep on the field for every down. It's so valuable.

It's so valuable to have that guy thriving for this offense and for Justin Herbert. And in tandem with one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL and Joe Alt already in his young career, it's just I'm back in. Like, I believe the charges I was worried about him. You said the best team in the NFL. I was worried about him for a while. I still want to see more consistency out of this defense. I believe that can come along too, especially getting a game like.

like this could give them a good opportunity to get some of that confidence back. I didn't say momentum. Confidence back. Winning streak, yes? Yeah, but I just, I think I'm back. Yeah, on the chargers. I am. So this should be, you know, a matchup.

They should feel comfortable on defense. I will say, though, that was a very good Cam Ward game last week. I don't think not enough people saw. He threw a late interception, or he threw one interception that was like that he would like to have back. But other than that, I thought it was his best game as a, pro, very composed. I think they found two dudes in Chimari Dake in Alec Iyo Manor. Now, they might be like a two and a three or two, like whatever, but you just found two

good NFL players. And then my God, I feel like I'm doing a bad job because not enough people hit me like up on social or anything to ask me, did you see that Tajay Spears game? Because my God, Taji Spears, talk about coming back from an injury and back with the juice. he looked incredible last week and that's one of the better now that Spears is back and moving like that running back tandoms in the league so I actually feel like there's a little bit of positivity there

I know it didn't show up exactly in the box score and the defense keeps trading away good players and wasn't very good to begin with so that part of the bit's bad but I do kind of like the difference of Cam Ward the last two weeks since they made the coaching team. I think they're going to be more of a handful for the Chargers defense than people expect them to be.

I think they'll make it competitive, especially early in the game. Ultimately, I think the Chargers take this easily, but I do, I like the way Cam Ward has been playing and you at least see the vision, right? Like I said a couple weeks ago, they're trying stuff. They're seeing what's going to work with this team moving forward, what kind of identity they want from their new coach. Meanwhile, they asked defensive coordinator Dernard Wilson about the trade of Roger McCreary to the Rams and he was just like, yeah, you know, we started with Roger McCreary and Brownlee and Legerious Sneed and now Sneed's on IR and the other two are. playing with other teams and those were good players. I was just like, oh, that was about

as like, hey, why are you doing this to me, guys? Like, we're trying to win over here. Good luck to the Titans this week. Good luck to everyone playing in the early slate. We have one more preview show. We're going to go through all the late games and the primetime games. So just click over to that one right now, wherever you are.

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