NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Top 10 disappointments & NFC East debate

Episode Date: October 8, 2014

A room full of heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Chris Wesseling and Marc Sessler -- react to the latest NFL news and discuss Top 10 disappointments so far this season. Plus, the newest hero Conor Orr joins the program to discuss the Giants and the rest of the NFC East.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast is a positive locker room presence. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Anzis, and I am joined by a room filled with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Greg Rosethall. What up, boys? Hey, Dan. How are you?

I'm good, and we should all be very good, and happy because you can have a special guest later in the show. Greg, you did the scouting on this, the advanced scouting you traveled across the world to find our next around the NFL writer. Well, it was hard to find another writer shorter than me, but I found that. No, actually, Connor Orr, are new. Is that even accurate? Around the NFL writer is a little taller than me.

But, you know, it's in this. Basically, he's not at any height to the around the NFL basketball team. I'm still the tallest guy on the team at 5, 10, and 3 quarters. Not a good-looking squad. Well, very good-looking, but not good at basketball. But, yeah, Connor comes to us from the Newark Star Ledger, where he covered the Jets for a couple years, and he covered the Giants the last couple years.

He's going to be dropping into this show to talk a little NFC East. And I imagine he came in here and he saw the studio for the first time. It's got to be real nervous behind that glass, thinking with each passing minute he's getting closer to putting his headset on. no pressure though buddy yeah it's like joining you know the 86 Celtics or something like that you just don't want to mess up with that team chemistry we have officially jumped the shark we are very high on ourselves okay so we got a great show today welcome aboard Connor and we'll talk to you later we are going to get it we talked about last week west the biggest surprises of the season I said at that time I was what I was looking forward to was to the negative slant the biggest disappointments and that's what we're going to talk about today the NFL's biggest disappointments for through the first quarterish of the season. We're also going to do a little New York Giants chat, which is timely with Connor here. He's a former Giants beatman.

We're going to talk about the Giants and also the NFC East, the division that, let's face it, it's a little frisier than we thought it would be entering the season. We're going to do, of course, do our Thursday night preview as we do every Wednesday, taking a look at the Colts and the Texans, a nice AFC South showdown. Yeah, that's a little surprising too. But before any of that, you're going to talk to the... another man behind the glass, the man behind the glass, Mr. Taitai.

What's going on, guys? How are you doing? Doing good, doing good. You know, we've got the team of ATL figured out last episode, Chargers. Yeah, that's right. If anyone didn't listen. I mean, because that was a thing. Shame on you if you didn't listen.

We didn't even know that was going to happen. The Chargers. The San Diego Chargers are the 2014 team around the NFL and special shout out to Chris Wesleying for being so magnanimous and just joining us and being part of this. Don't call him a man. who is unable to compromise.

You're like an old government man that just crossed the aisle to get a deal to. Yeah, they're not my favorite team to watch, but I'm not going to hold this up to where it's week 10 and we're still waiting on our team. Bipartisanship is what they call that. I think Greg made a good point a couple weeks ago.

We can have a team of ATL and I can still have a team that I like to watch outside of it. Well, you can't. Because I gave up being a ChetSpan. You haven't heard what this is about? What if I start enjoying a team on my little iPad on my little tablet And I never even tell you about it

So you would like Ashley Madison The team of ATL? Exactly I don't know if they have Ashley Madden We have a lot of overseas listeners Ashley Madison is a website Where you can actually log on And pay with a credit card

To find someone to cheat on your wife or girlfriend with I don't do that I didn't even know the reference It seems like an awful idea I can't imagine It seems like a quite What the hell's going on out here? It seems like quite a paper trail

or internet trail, you're going to leave behind by doing that. I think people over the shoes have a little more class to probably not doing anything close to this. What if this Ashley's busy on a certain night? You know what I'm saying? I think there are many hours. What the hell's going on out here? TD, can we please do some news?

86 Celtics. No, I'm thinking more like 96 Chicago Bulls starting five. Because if this was a Celtics, he would have been Jerry Sheisting. And you don't want that. Well, no. Actually, note that if this is the Bulls, because Kevin Patra is our fifth. So this would make...

That was disrespectful. No, he's a Tony Kooch. He's a six man. Let's go back to the Celtics and go... He is Bill Walton. Mm. Yeah. Let's just bounce around different errors.

A little bit of resemblance there, too. Wow. A lot of... There's only a minor shots. I'm still a little bit disturbed by the discovery of Dan's web surfing. Clean it up. My wife, she's not going to believe me when I tell her that I only knew about that from ads. All right, so let's get into the news and we'll start with the Arizona Cardinals

who have what appears on paper to be a highly winnable game coming up against the Washington Redskins in their own building. However, they have quarterback issues, as we know. Carson Palmer has the nerve issue that seems to be going in the right direction. He threw in practice on Wednesday, but he remains a question mark. Drew Stanton also did some light throwing. on Wednesday, but he's coming off a concussion. Everyone's boy, Logan, he's the other guy in the mix here,

so you don't know who's going to start for them, but what we do know is that Palmer and Stanton seemed to be on the right path on Wednesday, at least. Is that the right path if Logan Thomas took all the first team reps? No, it's terrible. Well, it's a right path in the sense that at least it wasn't just Logan Thomas by himself. There's some indecision here, but...

This is one of those games in a loaded division in a loaded conference, you've got to win at home against Washington, and I don't really like what's going on in Arizona. It's not just the quarterbacks that are hurt. Matt Shaughnessy's out for this game, who's played a lot of snaps for them. Callias Campbell's out for this game. Patrick Peterson's not 100%.

They've lost so many people at some point you think it's going to catch up there. This is Bruce Ariens we're talking about. He got Kelly Holcomb to throw it for 400, 50-plus yards against the Steelers in the playoffs. Well, he couldn't get more than two completions for Logan Thomas last week. Well, he's got a week to practice him up. I mean, it's concerning. It was just a couple seasons ago that Arizona couldn't keep a quarterback healthy. Yeah, and we'll get into our picks and Thursday show.

But I will say I do like Logan Thomas or not. I do like Bruce Ariens versus Jay Gruden at University of Phoenix Stadium. Point made. Moving forward. Calvin Johnson, the Detroit Lions wide receiver really has a bit of the same. It seems like forever ago that opening Monday night against the Giants, he looked like his old self, the old 2000. and yard self, but he's got this ankle injury.

And on Wednesday, we learn, I guess for the first time, we now, there's a diagnosis, at least that's Calvin Johnson's diagnosis, where what he's been told, a high ankle sprain, which obviously we all know is not a good thing to have. He said that he's hopeful he'll play earlier in the week. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said that he would definitely strongly consider sitting Johnson to rest the ankle this week against the Vikings. Johnson was asked on Wednesday what it would take for him to play.

his reply via the Lions official site, a lot of treatment. So Calvin Johnson still doesn't sound like himself. Everybody knows High Uncle Sprain's bad news. The last couple of weeks, he might as well not even be out there, so I can see why they would want him to take a week off. Well, and he hasn't been happy with their plan the last couple of weeks. Our NFL media insider Ian Rappaport said that he was frustrated with his usage. He essentially was a decoy the last couple weeks.

he was frustrated that he had to play at less than 100%. And they wasted a couple weeks. I mean, because now... Well, what does he want, though? To not play? He basically, he wants to play, but it sounded like he wanted to be told not to play because he really wasn't ready to.

Perhaps. That makes sense. Him as a decoy isn't working when... The first catch he caught last week, you could tell like he was limping immediately after catching the ball. Well, they went after his ankle, too. Well, yeah, but he couldn't move. Well, it seems like it would have worked initially,

because if he's out there, you're freaking out if you're the Jets. But now teams might be willing to find out, listen, let's see what you can do. And it's a shame because the lions, after all these years, finally in Golden Tate, have an ideal compliment to Calvin Johnson, and Megatron's not healthy. I don't know if you need another. Maybe you don't need Calvin Johnson. Golden Tate's one of the best receivers in the league this year.

I'm not sure I'd go down that road. Every game he makes a play. I mean, makes a couple plays. He has been really impressive. We had a lot of scientists teed over the offseason about Golden Tate. and I was totally wrong. Wes was right on that. Greg Rosenthal, Colin, don't need Megatron in Detroit.

And Golden, he's one of those guys. He's a very good player, and he's really showing it more than ever this year. Annoyes me a little bit with some of his antics and the way he carries on. But good job by him calling out Jimmy Schwartz for the carry-off-the-field move on Sunday. I believe he said total douche move. Yes. And I agree. Other lines news, Matt Prater, the former Broncos kicker, who,

was a pro bowler actually in 2013 signed a one-year deal with the lines of course it's been a disaster in detroit uh their kicking game alex henry went one for five and two games since joining the team in august uh what is the stat they west it's one out of nine beyond 30 yards yes that's outrageous it's crazy that didn't even happen in the 1950s when you had like a 30 percent chance of kicking a field goal and by the way they play in a dome they would have beat the bills if they had a good kicker. What was their I'm forgetting if they could have won their other game. It was a Panthers game

and they missed a few kicks there too. Yeah, not a close game though. But as far as, this is the worst situation possible leading into this week with their kicking game actually just killing them, but being able to land Matt Prater is pretty good. To get that at this point of the season, they upgraded in a big

way potential. Imagine if this were this would never happen, the quarterback position where you know, we've got terrible quarterback play, the guy can't completed pass, a total disaster offense is stalled. Oh, but there's a pro bowl quarterback that, you know, drank a few, too many beers at some stage, got released by his team, he's on his couch. Bang, we've got a pro bowler sitting on our team. Josh, Freeman's made the Pro Bowl hisn?

Prater is pretty good, though. I mean, he's the guy that, you know, during the S&L Tebow skit, when Jesus comes to the Broncos locker room, he praised to Matt Prater, because that was the key to that Broncos team. Prater is also the guy. More headlines from Greg. I prayed you, Matt Prater. At Super Bowl Media Week, Matt Prater was also the guy with a really bad earring in his ear pretending to talk on a cell phone when we were trying to talk to him during the group of availability.

And I knew at that moment that Matt Prater would end up being released and signed by the Lions in October. I remember you. No, I didn't. Well, no, but he was kind of. You mentioned he was not a pleasant fellow. No, and I wrote about it, and I heard from him. That's also a lie. I'm irrelevant, mostly, in the media.

I never heard back from Al Leiter either, and I wanted to. Oh, yeah, Al Leiter ran you over at me. Yeah, he was a punk. What's up of you and kickers and punches, Dan? They don't seem to like you. You don't seem to like them. What's going on there? There's mutual disrespect towards each other, I guess.

I don't know. His analysis is too cutting of their craft. Who's the other guy I got after? You know, you're doing what he did to you? Oh, yeah. Oh, McAfee. Well, listen. He doesn't know who you are neither, Dan.

Didn't Jay Feely get annoyed at you for something? I'm biting my tongue on all this. Jay Feely annoyed at the world. He just wants a job. Finally in the news, Jaguars coach Gus Bradley confirmed at a Monday news conference that the backfield for the Jaguars is now an open competition. Toby Gerhardt is not taking the job and run with it after run with it running back. I did that.

After an off-season pipe, nailed it. And now entering the picture, Chris Wessling, Storm Johnson. Ow! Isn't it make more sense? that Storm Johnson would be in your backfield than a Toby Gairhart? Greg said he sounds like a soap opera star, Storm Johnson. Yeah, it does. Former college teammate of Blake Bortles,

and he was the best of all the running backs last week. Toby Galehart, whatever's going on there, isn't working. Dernard Robinson's looked pretty good. Jordan Todman's just a guy, so they want to narrow it down to two running backs instead of four, and from Gus Bradley's comments, It sounds like they want to give Storb Johnson a chance to take it over. They seem to have Gearhart and a bunch of change of pace guys. And the problem a little bit, I see no fix to their offensive line.

Part of the issue with Gearhart, and listen, he was a making-the-leap candidate. That looks like an absolute swing and miss. Let's be honest. You're not taking this well. I mean, this was my... The Toby Gerhardt's story came up and a Paul cast over the room. Again, because the way that my summer vacation, which is if you're a football writer at NFL.com, one week, you, I spent the first day

of it trying to crank out three of these making Greg also took one week I believe you got to crank out three of these making the leap pieces I spent about two hours watching Toby Gearhart tape getting all fired up writing a long piece thinking I feel wronged I feel wronged I could have picked someone else

It wasn't just the making the leap We did we talked we seemed to talk about Toby Gerard a lot in the summer on this podcast and then leading it to the season So he did you dirty I pretty much was just that If it makes you feel any better, Storm Johnson's not going to run well behind this line either. That doesn't give my vacation back to me.

All right, so as we hinted at the top of the show today, we are going to talk a little bit about the biggest disappointments in the season so far. We talked last week about the biggest surprises, now the biggest disappointments. Chris Wessling, who really does a great job with all these lists. Let's talk about that for a second. You're so good at this, Wes, and that's probably why Greg hired you. I don't know. It's one of those things where I don't even know how invested I am in these 10.

If you guys say you missed one or two, I would probably just agree with you and say, yeah, I didn't think of that. Good selling point. Yeah, that was kind of a Sessler sell when you try to pay Mark a compliment. I think you're somewhat invested that you went out of your way to needle Sessler's Browns by choosing the Cleveland Brown's first round draftics. Yeah, let's get into it. I did not need of them.

I actually spoke with Mark about this very issue before I wrote about it. Let's talk about that. We're going to get into that because I have something to say. about that as well. So here is Chris Wessling, the mailman, his top 10 disappointments. The New Orleans Saints, number one. The entire

operation. The entire operation, top to bottom. The Brown's first round picks are number two. E.J. Manual 3, the Detroit Lions kickers. We talked about that earlier on today's show is four. Gino Smith, five. Oakland Raiders is paycheck veterans, six.

Number seven, Nick Foles and Lashon McCoy of the Eagles. Number eight, the Patriots offense. Nine, Josh McCown, another making the leap casualty. And number 10, Morris Claiborne, cornerback, Dallas Cowboys. Who wants to start? Greg. Well, let's get into the Browns. Here's the thing I want to just say about this, Wes.

When we did the top ten surprises, the Browns were basically nowhere to be found, even though there was a lot of positive buzz about it. They were a one-and-two operation. Yeah, but there was some buzz under the surface. We all saw there could be something decent there. Brian Hoyer made honorable mention. Now they have a big win. The franchise is on fire, and they land number two on your most disappointing list.

The franchise is on fire for reaching 500 at the one-month mark? Well, you have to understand the background with this franchise. I don't know. I guess I'd defy you to tell me how their first-round picks have not been disappointments. Well, okay. Brian Hoyer has played too good to lose the job after the... Well, hold on. In August, he left a lot to be desired.

He left the door open for Johnny Mansell. Mansell could have taken that job, and he didn't. Now that I think about it, Wes is right. They have been abject disappointments to this point. It's just funny to see it number two on the list when you're thinking of the entire end of it. Well, if you throw in, it's like a shot. Throw in Barquevius Mingo. Oh, wow.

Last year's pick. I'm talking about Joe Hayden, Phil Taylor. It's fair, because we did talk about it. I'm about Trent Richardson. That guy's a bum. Brandon Whedon. Oh, wait, no. But this is this year.

The Trent Richardson's trade worked out. If you actually read the piece that I wrote. I did read it. I did read it. That's why I don't understand it. Well, Justin Gilbert. Why is the 2010 first round pick have anything? So it says picks plural.

All right. Would you like me to add all in front of the sentence, please clarify it? It is fair to say when Mansell got drafted and Gilbert got drafted the excitement level for that draft. And especially for Mansell in this room and what he would do to make the Browns more watchable was sky high. So the fact that their afterthoughts and Gilbert. was he even active last week? Well, no, he was essentially bench. So, and Chris and I did talk about this.

I don't disagree with the assessment that the, when you have two number one picks and they've essentially not lived up to the billing four weeks in, four games in. I will say this, Cleveland, at least, with Mansell not actually taking the job away the way Blake Bortles did. Petten and Company have handled the whole situation pretty well.

Would you give them that? Absolutely. I think they've handled it about as well as you can. But isn't it a little early to get on a cornerback, too? a position where it's typical for a rookie to take some time to learn how to play the position at this level? Says the guy who watched D. Milner do the exact same thing Justin Gilbert did last. In the same system. And again, I'm throwing in guys like Barquevius Mingo, who was billed in some circles as the best pass rusher in last year's draft and is now a coverage specialist for the Browns. All right. Let's move to a different spot. Let's talk a little 2012, 13 first round

picks, I think. E.J. Manuel and G. No. Smith. That's one of the big takeaways from this last month that the rest of the team around E.J. Manuel was ready to win, and he was worse than we could have imagined. And then Gino Smith, who we all were really optimistic about. And some good

things are happening for that offense in terms of the running game falls apart. What do you think about, Wes? I'll ask you. What do you think about E.J. Manuel? Because do you think that organizationally they're even that disappointed? Do you think they saw this coming? and like Kyle O'Rton was what we got from the outside to get a hint of that, but how disappointed you think they are or did they see this coming?

I think 5.5 million says it all. Yeah. They were disappointed enough that they had to go out and pull Kyle O'Rton out of retirement. The guy was going to sit on his couch all year, and they paid him $5.5 million, a guy who hasn't started really in a few years to come in and be their insurance policy. And I think they knew, we talked about this, August. Our guess was either before Halloween or before Columbus Day, Kyle Orton would be starting for E.J.

Manuel. The disappointment is not just his play, but the fact that he was overdrafted. You didn't need to take him where you took E.J. Manuel in last year's draft, and that goes on the front office right there, because you invested a pick. It could have been someone else. Yeah. And there is talk from both him and the franchise that, you know, maybe he could come back and be the starting quarterback again next year? How often have we ever seen that with a first-round pick? Well, and what's going to change? Yeah.

With what the- Jaguars held on to Blaine Gabbard two or three iterations of him and it never worked out. Right. The build did the same thing with JP Lossman. Yeah. They kept going back to him. It never seems to work out that way. The number one spot on your list, though, intrigues me, the New Orleans Saints.

I mean, imagine if they hadn't made that comeback at home against Tampa, what this by week would be like in New Orleans Place would be on fire. But, I mean, they have never looked like a very good team this year. No, I use the word malaise, and I keep coming back to that. That's what their whole season seems like. It just seems like they're going through

the motions most of the time, and I don't know what's gotten into them. You say malaise. It's actually molassee. Is that right? Incorrect. Yes. Wesleyan, if you had to take one of your fellow around the NFL scribes and place them on a disappointment list, and you can't

Judge this, pick one of your writers and put them on here. Whatever I send out a mailbag prompt, like, oh, ask questions to the mailbag. Everything's like, who would you kill if you had the chance, ATO? Who's disappointed you the most? Who's come in, you know, who's not really delivered over five, six weeks of the season? You know, let me turn this around and say, actually, over the past six months, we've done a good job of cleaning things up. And now we're at the best place we've ever been. And I think our editor's desk is great, our around the league crew is awesome.

I think you're hiding something. But it wasn't always like that. Mark, would you? Things are looking up. Would you mind us getting back to the list, Mark? Oh, sure. Yeah, back to the side. How about the Eagles?

I think they should be a little higher up, by the way, Wes. Yeah. Nick Foles and Lashon McCoy. McCoy was basically MVP level. Nick Foles had one of the great years statistically in a long time of quarterback in terms of turnovers to touchdowns. I would have thought you would have put them in the top three. but they're here at seven.

They're four and one. Right, but this is about the... Right, but I can't kill a four in one team. You can kill Nick Foles. And I have. You know who I'm disappointed with? ESPN's QBR rating, somehow is Nick Foles number 14. He's the guy that has the biggest gap between his box score

and his actual play of any player I've ever seen. Because, I mean, you made the point on Twitter. He's been outplayed by every quarterback he's played this year. I guess Kirk Cousins would be debatable, But you could say that he's, yeah, I think you can take that position. And don't we always say that you can't kill a quarterback for his team losing? Isn't it the same thing with winning too, though? Just because the Eagles are winning because their defense and special teams is giving them 17 touchdowns a week.

I mean, Foles has been dreadful a lot. And McCoy can't even average three yards of carry. To me, McCoy, I know the offensive line is in tatters, but that's the biggest surprise to me that he's been one of the worst running backs in the league. Speaking of the line, how about the disappointment is all the months of puff pieces talking about Chip Kelly's sports science. This is the one coach that's cracked the code on how no one will get injured on the entire team.

The reason these two guys are on the list, let's go at least McCoy, is the fact that offensive line cannot stay healthy, total shambles. That's on you, Chip Kelly. I like that. I think that's on luck of the draw. Then it's no more just luck of the draw

than the fact that he kept them healthy all last season. Right, I agree with that. That was a weird storyline that we saw in the summer that Chip Kelly is a man. magical formula for keeping football players healthy when they hit each other all game. Until the game is begin. Maybe it needs more RC cars driving around. Finally, before we end this discussion,

does anyone else have anybody that's not on Wes's list that maybe should be? Open-ended question, everyone just sort of sitting and searching. Wait, does anybody? Guess we should have prepared one. I sort of wondered if RG3 should be in the top 10. I was going to say RG3. I see, Wes, I have it highlighted right here because I was with you, Wes. I thought that this guy was going to be a comeback player of the year this year.

And you could maybe keep him off the list because, oh, he's hurt. But that was part of the thing with him. It's like, was he going to be able to stay on the field. But even before he was hurt, he just didn't seem like the same guy, whether it was preseason or week one. I think hurt in week two? Yeah, he was. Well, this is how the sausage was made. I got tired of writing about him already this year, so he's not on there.

That makes sense. I throw a peek behind the carton. Even though they're three and two, I throw the Steelers on there. I don't know. There's something like, they should be good. I want to be excited about them.

I want to like watching them. I know they found a way to win. And yet they've had some stink bomb performances. And even when they get a win in Jacksonville, they're about to be three and three. There's just something like the defense isn't any better. We thought it would be a lot better. We thought it would be exciting and young.

There's just, I want more. That's on my list. They were one of the, that was one of the hardest games to watch. When I watched almost all the games on games, rewind yesterday because I had an off day and that was the hardest game to get through

even harder than the Jets egg that they laid. I'm disappointed with the home crowd of the St. Louis Rams. Consistently disappointing, called out by Tony Romo, I believe, is just being a snooze fest of an environment. Well, indirectly, but yeah, he said

Okay, well, how about... Well, no, how about this? The Cowboys home stadium crowd. There's a disappointment. There you go. Tony Romo said on Sunday that it was like playing a road game in his own stadium because he estimated loose that there was about 40,000 Texans fans at his own building. He had to go to a silent snap count. Bad job, Gerald.

I should have put Cowboys fans on my list for biggest disciplines. Sure, why not? A little trolling. By the way, speaking of the Cowboys, do you think it's a little bittersweet for Cowboys fans? The 4-1 Cowboys, the fans already realize they're halfway to their win total this year. Oh. Well, I thought you liked the Cowboys.

He's a big Cowboys being. It's going to be a long December. Let's throw a... Oh, Caling Crows. Let's throw Reggie Bush, by the way, on this. Disappointments list He could just stay there Like number eight every year

Because you know I'm getting Every time I watch them I get flashbacks To the 2008 Saints Where like Reggie Bush has It looks like he's gonna have a three-yard gain And then he runs backwards for 15 yards

And gets everyone all crazy And then loses four yards Now he's hurt He's always hurt There's been a game or two so far Where I've been really impressed Last couple weeks Wes says you're wrong Greg

He got injured I don't know I guess we could Yeah What about our guy Did he ever get back is heisman i don't i don't care about that issue whatever happened are the kenny britt breakout by the way oh what about the kenny britt he had a decent game against the eagles he had a nice

touchdown catch and another play down the field and and that's his breakout hey that's what do you want from kenny britt we're devolving he was last two games the touchdown last game don't don't don't get in the way of our narrative yeah i don't want these facts t d narratives All right, Kenny Britt, number one on Wes's reformatted top 10 disappointments list. All right, that's it. Good talk, guys. All right, gentlemen, so it is time now. And just a little peek behind the glass.

We don't have enough headset, so I came back behind the glass. Team player. So I'm standing now, looking upon the group, a new group, almost the future without me I'm looking at. I kind of like this. Yeah, this is weird. But Connor Orr is now seated in my old spot next to Greg Rosenthal. Connor R, welcome to the Around the NFL group. Thank you, everybody.

This is great. You guys have no idea how weird it is watching T.D. from this angle, by the way, as he celebrates. Conner, now that you're in that chair, you're going to host on Sunday. So prepare. Well, Dan doesn't do any prep. It's just winging it, you know? I can hear you, by the way, Greg.

We were just talking, Kenny Britt. You have a history covering Kenny Britt in New Jersey. Jersey. Kenny Britt and Will Hill are two of my favorite players of all time because I've covered probably between them about 20 separate minor arrests. And, you know, you haven't covered football until you've driven to a car wash to interview the employees who saw... In Hoboken, right? In Hoboken. I was going to saw what?

Who saw somebody discarding something frantically from his pocket as vice police rolled up to the scene. I feel like we should say because it might. might sound like he was discarding an oozy or something. It was like a marijuana cigarette. Yeah, no, it wasn't a firearm. Not a dead body. I was going to say you won't have Will Hill to kick around anymore, but now that you are working for NFL.com,

Will Hill will be on your agenda. I go where Will Hill goes. He should be off the suspension list any week now. That's right. All right. So it makes sense. Since we have the former Giants Beatman, Connor or with us, I forgot Connor's name,

but in time I will. remember i just learned today that it's connor with one end so we have a gregg with two gs and a mark with a c come on guys what's unusual about the latter i don't know just come on come on yeah uh so since we have a former giants beat writer let's talk the nfc east because and i'll start by throwing it to west by the way because west who's long been i would say it's fair to say west anti giants a giant's loather yeah giants loather very interesting i'm boring the most boring team in the NFL since I've been following football. So tell us Chris Wessling what you tweeted after some film watching, I believe yesterday.

I tweeted that after watching all of the games on Game Rewan, the Giants were the most fun team to watch in week five. Wow. So why do we start there? We'll talk about all the NFCs, which is becoming a sneaky, fun division. What do we think about the Giants so far? West is excited watching them. Does everybody else feel the same way?

Well, I agree with you. I mean, watching them in the preseason, it was absolutely miserable. And now the fact that they can actually go to like a bunch or a four-wide with Odell Beckham, Victor Cruz, and Rubin Randall, I mean, you saw the first two times they went four-wide in that game. There were guys open by 20 yards. And I mean... Beckham was open twice deep once he drew a penalty and easy leaping ability on that touchdown. He just looks like a world-class athlete to me.

And that touchdown, they had not practiced that route at all before that. So, I mean, you can just imagine, you know. Question for you. I mean, when you were there through the summer and it was in the preseason, it just looked like an epic disaster to the point where this this is going to get real ugly did the players you know they say what they say did you get a sense that they really felt this could turn around as soon as it has no i mean you know just being honest because you know you have to tow that company line you always have to say that things are going to get better but i think in the back of my mind i could kind of

feel some of the veterans especially after the preseason being like what are we doing i mean is this really going to happen again but i mean credit to them i mean you know you have a new offensive coordinator that's just three years older than your starting quarterback, telling everybody that he's going to make it work, and they're making it work. I mean, they won three in a row, and they look like one of the best teams in the division. Really, they should have won the Cardinals game, too. That was a real low point, obviously, in the season where they were at home and made every

mistake you can make. If they just took care of business there, they'd be flying high, and everybody would be talking about the Giants. Wes beat me to the punch on Twitter by saying he thinks the Giants are going to win the division and are the favorites, and I agree. I think they are the favorites in the division now. It's not like we're changing our picks or anything. I just think if you look at them top to bottom,

I don't see a huge weakness, whereas every other team you can see where they're going to fall off. They're one of the more complete teams, even if they're not quite as wildly explosive. Like the offensive line so much better, the defense is pretty good up front, pretty good in the back. Get excited, Giants fans. I always hate watching the Giants too.

I feel differently this year. I just feel like they're thin at spots, though. I mean, you look at that defensive line, and if one of those guys went down, it would go into a territory where they're just dangerously thin. And then, I don't know, I want to see them play the Colts. I want to see them play the Seahawks, the 49ers, the Cowboys, the Eagles. I mean, they've got a heck of a stretch here coming up, and then maybe I'll change my mind. Cessler, what are you so worked up?

Well, I don't understand the, like, across-the-board hatred for the job. I guess I grew up in the tri-state area. I'm saying over the last five or six years, they're always on TV. They're always They're always boring. Wait, the Patriots fan doesn't like the Giants? Oh, give me. That is interesting.

Weird. They've been a pretty mediocre franchise in the regular season under Tom Cofflin. And they've had the most, they've had the most overrated player of the past decade, Eli Manning. Oh, wow. I don't know. Come on.

That's hard leaving opinion. I don't know. The only reason I disagree is because I don't know how highly he's rated by it. At this point, I'm not sure people are telling him. First bow at Hall of Fame or according to everybody. He hates this because he bleeds giant blue. The only Jets fan that loves to the podcast, you know that's not true. But I put stock into little things like dominant playoff runs two times out of five years and two Super Bowl rings.

But that's just me. I don't put that much into them because you could easily have not made the playoffs those years. And that's all just down to luck. There's nothing to do it how they did. If he plays above average football for two more seasons, three more seasons than offense, I think you have to consider him for a first battle hall of favor. And Wes will be there. I will never put the around.

Let's move on. He has been a fraction of the player of Big Ben and Philip Rivers. I know you have to leave now. Yeah, let's move on. And before we move on, I just want to say, like, standing, watching over you guys, I feel powerful. You ask me if I have a God complex. Let me tell you something. I am God.

Let's talk about the Eagles. You look more like a scarecrow. Let's talk about the Eagles. So they were the team that we all talked about as the favorite. the season, do we think they're going to kind of put it together on offense or what? Not until their offensive line gets healthy. But they will, right? Kelsey will get back.

Lane Johnson's back from suspension. I think they still miss Deshaun Jackson, too. That's fair. I think there's a lot of panic around a team that is four and one with what's going on with their offensive line. I'm not going to panic over Philadelphia, and I'm not sure that the Giants are the odds in favor to win the division. I seem to remember, like, last year in training camp, watching other teams try to

to prepare for the Eagles and not knowing what it was going to be. I mean, it was so haphazard. I mean, they were just throwing anything against the wall because that's what they were expecting. And now that you have some sort of a template, I think that the league is catching up a little bit, which I think really manifests itself in what Nick Foles has been doing this year. Well, he leads the league in giveaways, interceptions and fumbles. And I don't think Foles is going to vastly improve. I do think the offense will get it together.

Because even in those first three games, when Foles wasn't playing well in those games, they still find a way to get yards. I mean, Kelly is such a huge advantage. But the defense is blah, and the quarterback's not great. I don't know. I don't know if this division gets to playoff teams. What do you think? I picked the Giants to beat the Eagles this week

because I think the Giants are better and not just by a little bit. I took the Giants this week, too. I feel like every week we are going through this charade where everyone's picking against the Eagles, and the Eagles keep winning. Who's been picking against the Eagles? Well, there was, I remember the...

I have several. times and I don't think the special teams touchdowns are something you can rely on from week to week so I feel pretty good about picking on it. You have to give the Eagles this. They have found different ways to score every week and that it's not just how is your offense doing

it's as a team they've found ways to win games. That stuff tends to even out over the course of a season though. If you're relying on punt blocks for wins you're going to be in trouble. They've got some trash talk going on this week or that's right. What's going on?

I think it's like, it's, like, Runyon and Strahan set the bar, and then it was Osi and McCoy, and now it's, like, just minor things like, why did you say something mean about me on Twitter? You know, now we're down to, like, the lowest of the... Let me guess, Antrell Roll is involved somehow. Well, actually, Jeremy Maclin echoes... Is Carrie Williams also involved? The two mouths that roared. Well, Jeremy Maclin echoed your point, basically saying Roll talks too much. Yes, he does.

He agrees with you. It seems factual. Roll did say that the Eagles rise was attributed to a weak division. last year, which I guess seems fair. That is fair. I mean, Jeremy Maclin didn't think so, though. All right. So what we should probably get into the team that actually leads the division.

Who? That is the Dallas Cowboys, America's erstwhile team. And can I just say something? They're going to Seattle this week. I have a feeling they are going to put up a fight. Keep it within a possession. If you're going to go out on the limb, let's go out on a limb. Are they going to win or are they going to lose?

It's going to be competitive. They are going to lose 34 to 31, and they will earn people's respect despite falling in the stakes. I predict a blowout. What are they going to be, like, the Redskins and celebrate in the locker room because they lost the close game? Give me a break. That was ridiculous. If that's true, there were reports that after the Redskins lost by only double digits in their own building to a Seahawks team playing at a C-plus level that they were singing and, like, carrying out in the shower together. I'd like to imagine they were singing.

Singing would be incredible. that would be in unison they were doing like the group dance from uh i like that dad turned it into like a three-year-old's birthday party in the locker i like to think they were doing the group dance from she's all that i don't think we saw the i mean let's i don't we didn't see the whole division coming but but dallas you know in a sneaky way has developed maybe the nFC's best offensive line and that's something that when i look at dallas and is it all smoking mirrors are they going to crumble and they're going to go one and seven well they're no because that's something that week-to-week, they can lean on.

And it's more for me, can DeMarco Murray stay healthy? It's sort of in a random question, but history tells us that's been an issue. It's been an issue, and, I mean, if you're looking at a running back that could potentially net a huge contract at the end of the year, what's your mindset as far as, I mean, how many more times are you going to lower your shoulder when you know that on the open market you could probably net an extra two years and $6 million if you just come out of it clean? You know, it's a precarious situation, you know, especially with somebody that good. How about the Redskins? Finally, we just talked about their song and dance in the locker room.

I'm sure it happened. I'll stand by it. Do we have any reason to think that they're playing a little, they've been a little frisky at times this year, but do we have any reason to think they'll hang around in this division? I don't get the sentiment that I heard coming out of Monday night that Kirk Cousins played well. No, he had two unbelievable throws. One really unbelievable throws to Sean Jackson,

and they had no offense outside of that. I think the sentiment was that he wasn't a complete dumpster fire like he was. Well, I think that says it all about the Redskins. Yeah. And that's why they were celebrating. I think that's what they said. You had them in a couple weeks ago. You had them in the playoffs before the Caesar.

Not even the playoffs, but pretty good. We liked them a couple weeks ago. I'm not giving up on them as a competitive. I don't think they're as bad as one and four. I'd say they're more interesting than they were a year ago to watch. If he continues to progress, I mean, you know, just looking back at the game, He was not staring down receivers as blatantly as he used to. You could see some half-hearted attempts at least looking off safeties for the first time

since he's been an actual regular starter. So, I mean, if he can continue to do stuff like that, I mean, he could probably sneak a few games by some people. Yeah, and this league, they want you to be completely fully cooked week one of your rookie season. And Kirk Cousins is not that guy. I believe he's now one in six as a starter in his career. Not to go back to the Cowboys, but you got to lock up that Mark Sessler assistant coach of the year award.

for Rod Marinelli at this point if this continues with that Cowboys defense. What about Terrell Austin? I don't care. You said, you know, we all said it was going to be one of the worst defenses in history. What about Kyle Shanahan? And the thing about them is they seem well coached.

They just seem like they're flying all around. Greg, you're breaking the order of the segments even more egregious from this angle. All right. So that's it. That's the NFC East Talk. Connor, it's grades time from here. I'm going to give you the highest possible.

great I can c plus great job thanks for having no it was easily it be finally real quick so we're a little short on time we're going to talk about the Thursday night game the Indianapolis Colts in Houston Texans two four and three teams the best teams obviously

in that division the Titans and Jaguars are combined one and nine so this is really what this division is all about and this is a big game gentlemen how do we see this I'll start with you Chris Wesleyan I picked the Colts for one very obvious reason to me. If it's going to be close, my money's on Andrew Luck.

And Ryan Fitzpatrick, to me, Texan's offense just disappears and goes in the tank way too often. The Texans offense, the passing game at least, is one of the worst in the league. I mean, they had 30-something yards at halftime, I believe, last week against Dallas throwing the ball, and they've disappeared in the fact that the Colts now actually look like they have a halfway decent defense.

Anytime you know that you can stop the other team from passing, I don't trust them. I went with the cults, but I struggled a little bit because I don't love their offensive line and haven't for a long time and what we've seen JJ Watt do this season. All of us. You know, I don't know.

Come on. Wow. Mark, to the CD. But you know who needs to be on that disappointment list? It's Jadabian Clowny. Because that's the guy. Hold on. When he was, when he was flat,

Clap in his mouth during a New York City before the draft. What did he say he'd do to Andrew Luck? He's got the next time around. You're so mean to people, Mark. You are a factory of sadness. How about this? Live up to your big boast. This is Andrew Luck.

He's going to win this game. Clowny does have three different injuries since the Texans drafted. Yeah. That's not an easy place to win, though. I don't think this is going to be some sort of walkover. And Arian Foster looked better last week than I remember him looking for most of the last year. He looked terrific, and their running games been pretty good. I see, yeah, I see this is a one-possession game where Andrew Luck makes a play at the end in, I know, 2010 and something like that.

Feels right. That's a one-season game? Well, no, it's one-presession game. Andrew Luck does something, and away we go. Gotcha. I like it. And we all go home. Let's all go home, actually.

Actually, go downstairs and work for 17 more hours. We got a lot more to do today. But this podcast is over. We will be back on Thursday night with our full week-six preview, including hitting up all the games on Sunday. and recapping the game we just talked about. So send in your money tags, you know, keep it real. This is Dan Hansa signing off for The Mailman, the Sizzler, the Boss, and TD behind the glass. Bye.