PTI - What Now for Bears & Commanders?

Episode Date: September 21, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Frank Isola discuss the impact of the injuries of Caleb Williams + Jayden Daniels, the late-game comebacks in the Week 2 slate, and who is the best 2-0 team in the NFL is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Early morning on a Manhattan sidewalk, a shooting caught on surveillance video. It was an assassination style killing, and everybody saw it. A new podcast series from ABC Audio in 2020 goes inside this captivating case. I'm ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmeyer. Listen to burden of proof Luigi Mangione, wherever you get your podcasts. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. his national gratitude, Dave Frank. What do you thankful for? I'm Frank Isola. Backups, fill-ins, substitute teachers, and relief pitchers. How about that?

Yeah, I see what you're doing. Everybody you mentioned, you got to go to the pen to get them out to save somebody. Which could include your quarterback this week. As long as it's not more than a couple of weeks. We'll get to that. As a matter of fact, we're going to start with that. But first, welcome to people. TTI. Tony has Yom Kippur off. So I am joined by our great friend from the starting lineup on Sirius XM, Mr. Frank Isol. They like backups. People got a lot of energy. We're going to start with those two injuries we referred to to Caleb Williams and Jane Daniels. The two top picks of the 2004 NFL draft. Williams injury looked terrible when he went down in real time against the Vikings,

but reports today say he avoided significant damage to his hamstring. That's me applauding and is yet to be even ruled out of Monday night's game against the Eagles. Daniels left the commander's loss to the Cowboys with a dislocated left elbow. Again, the same one he injured last year. And Marcus Marriota is going to start for now. Frank, your reaction to the injuries and where things stand with them and their teams. Yeah, once again, it proves you need good back. In the NFL, especially backup quarterbacks.

A lot of guys get hurt. I'll let you do Caleb Williams because that's in your wheelhouse. The way you went down, we've seen this, Mike, whether it's, you know, football, baseball, soccer, NBA. When a guy goes down like that right away, you think it kills him. Presum, you're worse. Right? Usually a guy grabs the back of his hamstring.

So hopefully it's not too bad. They're not even ruling him out for Monday. Which seems a little gamesmanship. Let me see real quick. I'll just interject this. If he can miss something like two to four, you're okay. They call him week to week. Yeah.

Because we, come on, man, I was in despair until you started hearing that he walked out to his car last night. Then I felt better. And it's all right. So that's probably gamesmanship that they're saying Monday. It'll probably be a couple of weeks. But for Jayden Daniels, I tell you what, you have to be worried. For the last five games that he's played in, he's left with an injury. Wow.

And first of all, he shouldn't even been in the game at that play. Why isn't Washington kicking a field goal on the final play of the half? You go, it's a gimmee kick. going to be 1713. The injury is bad. The only good thing about it, it's on his non-throwing arm, right? But that's the arm you reach out with to brace yourself when you are. Always fall. And he runs a lot. Yesterday, seven rushes for about 65 yards. He looked good, but the problem is, Mike, he gets hurt way too often. And you look at Washington, 12 of their last 14 games they've lost. They haven't won a home game since exactly a year ago today,

September 21st. And now you're going to be a game. You know, you're 0 and 2 in that division and you got Seattle coming into your building for your home home home. Frank, their schedule is patently unfair. Yep. To go at Eagles, at Cowboys, Seattle come in? Who's scheduling him? Like Jerry Jones make that schedule for the commanders?

But I'm not with you on him being in the game. A coach has got to figure out that play. I know there's a lot of backlash here in Washington today to that. I'm not sharing in that. I just feel bad for Daniels. He is such a talented player, an MVP-level player. And you heard Tom Brady's reaction live on television for those. A lot of people had that reaction.

And we all had it when you saw it. Brady saw it faster than anybody. And so now you got Marriota, who's more than a capable backup, as you referred, with my man, Caleb. I mean, it looked like the bear season was just gone up in flames. And then you hear, okay, it's a hamstring, so you're glad it's not in Achilles and not an MCL-ACL. Yep.

You're hoping he can play in the next few weeks. Maybe the season is not completely lost. That game was awful. Ben Johnson needs to shut up about setting records. How about get a touchdown? How about that? How about maybe draft a line on a pass rusher and leave the Stanford tight in who can't catch the ball in the end zone in the draft room?

So Ben got his butt whip yesterday by Mr. Flores. He got whooped. It's okay. Those guys are going to go at it, much like Buddy Ryan and Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Johnson. You're not going to always get the best of the other guy. But I don't want to hear the weather. I don't want to hear that. In Chicago.

What is this? It's not a dome. It's not Detroit. Yeah. So he got his what, you know what, whipped yesterday by Flores live with it. Yep. 59 points. The opener, three points.

And he went, hey, the good news is they're averaging 31 points a game. That's still more than usual. I did the quick math there. All right. So we had a number of games go down to the wire. The Chiefs beat the Colts on Harrison Buckers 40-yarder as time expired in overtime. The Packers also topped the Jets on overtime field go, capping a 13-point run. Jalen Hertz was terrific through for the winning score with seconds to spare in the Eagles win in Steamy, Nashville.

And Saints quarterback Tyler Shuck somehow survived being bent in half at the goal line. Did you see this? Yes. To give New Orleans a late upset win in Baltimore. So, Mike, which of these games was the most compelling? telling to you. I'm glad I got warmed up a minute or two ago because I'm about to go off now. All right.

Okay. And people can praise the Kansas City Chiefs all they want. They're the champs. They deserve all praise you get. See them a homes like that again and Kelsey like that again. And K-9 like that? Yep. Okay.

Now, that's the, the praise is over because the morning shows slurped them without mentioning the stupidity of the Colts. It's the dumbest thing I've ever seen to have the ball 17 yards from beating Patrick Mahomes. You know the red is around you. You know Patrick Mahomes is going to come back on the field. And you're Shane Steichen, and you are Daniel Jones, and you

plunge the ball twice, and then have your quarterback run into a linebacker on the sideline. This is the dumbest, least creative, least inventive play calling I've ever seen. Especially if you haven't won. All you do is lose. You lost nine games in a row you're about to.

Yeah. 17 yards. You're going to give the ball back to 15, okay? If I am Jonathan Taylor, I want to get the hell out of Indianapolis as quickly as I can because they're too dumb around me

to understand. I've got to win this game while I've got for... People say, what about fourth down? No. No, I agree. What about first, second, and third down when you ran these dumb plays? Plus, they were aggressive on the first play when they got the whole back. So be aggressive. You got

nothing. Mike, when you're playing, I would fire the whole room of these people except for Jonathan Taylor. Mike, when you're playing the Chiefs and Patrick Mahom gets the ball twice in overtime and only scores six points, it's actually a minor victory. That's right. But you can't give him the ball back. Once he only had three, you're thinking this is our opportunity. So you're right. On fourth down, you got to kick the field goal and then you're hoping for a miracle that you get a tie.

You have to be more aggressive and creative 100%. All these coaches who are so cute, they're all so great, they're all praised by their ex-players on television and all the ex-coaches. Let's go to Baltimore. The reason why a really actually great coach essentially out of there is because they couldn't hold late leads. So what do you do? You got a guy named Henry on your squad who goes 10 or 11 carries 51 yards in the first half. You're leading. You're in a tight game.

He gets five carries to the second half. What? What? How about the Saints going on? on the road the first week, they could have won on a two-point conversion. I like them. I like what the Saints are doing. So you get out of the one-of-one quarterback. I'll praise them.

Let me give you another overtime game because I'm stuck in New York watching this game. First of all, the Packers and the Jets. Packers, 14 penalties, the Jets 13. The game was so poorly played, so undisciplined. But Aaron Glenn, the strength of your team is defense. You win the toss and you take the ball. It ends up being third and 25. You punt it back to Jordan Love.

Kick off to the Packers. you're probably going to stop him. You've got a terrific running back. You win the game. What is Aaron Glenn doing taking the ball? Everybody's praise for being so smart and so great play caller, great this. Half of this stuff is nothing. We see coaching mistakes that just get let's let go all the time.

I don't want to hear about the Ravens anymore until they actually close the deal with the greatest closing running back out there in the last 20 years. You can't close with him? That's a great win for the Saints. Please. It is a great win for the Saints. Stop it. Focus on four of the league's unbeaten teams. Frank, Seattle's filling quarterback is going to lock through three touchdowns

as the Seahawks roll the Cardinals. There was no evidence of jet lag as the 49ers just bounced the dolphins. The Bengals held Houston without a touchdown in their win on the road. And the Raiders dropped the disappointing charges to O&2. So, Frank, which of these winners is the most impressive two and all? All right, so first of all, how about the catch by Jamar Chase? How good was that? Catch of the year so far.

We're two weeks in. You know what it might do? It might stand up deep through November or December. And I love – And Philadelphia look like a championship team when you have a drive like that lightning. By the way, the temperature on the field was 157 degrees. White Tennessee has turf when you're playing two hot weather games.

Week one and week two, they're playing home games, which is ridiculous. That's a good win for Philadelphia. Yeah, but Philadelphia, we don't think everything is well with Philadelphia. That's fine. But they are winning and they're winning on the road and a comeback win like that. But how about Seattle? You lose your quarterback, the fifth play of the season. You win that game.

Now you come back, you win another. On the road against a surprising, the effective Cardinals team. And Drew Locke was good. And again, in that division, San Francisco, they've outscored the Rams and the Dolphins. I know what's the Dolphins? All right. But what about the Rams? That was everybody's Super Bowl.

Okay, but that was that. We'll see what the Rams are tonight. 62 to 20. The dolphins are a homecoming team. The dolphins should be relegated. I'm not counting that. But they had the built-in excuse in Australia. Oh, it's a long travel, then traveling back and they smoked both teams and purgues. The best built-in excuse is, oh, we get the dolphins this week.

The stunner is the Raiders. Yeah. Huh? Kirk Cousins, what is Atlanta thinking? Speaking of stupidity. Speaking of franchise with just dumb. written all over their foreheads. They got no quarterback.

Unless you're talking about tanking. We talked about the NBA and tanking. Are they tanking? Penix is starting on Thursday. What are they? We don't know what appendix has got. We don't know what appendix is physically ready. Kirk Cousins has been around for 15 years, a capable quarterback,

enough that they gave him like $187 million. So I'm going with the Raiders because nobody had that. How about the Raiders basically getting a home game in L.A.? That was amazing. You're like, where is this game so far? Oh, wait, who plays it so far? And I'll tell you what, Justin Herbert right now, they're over two. He's getting crushed.

Well, the Bengals at Houston, I don't know what to make a Houston right now. I think he'll be looking for a new quarterback. Is he going to be a free agent? They're going to just let him walk. I know. But the Bengals, I don't even know that Joe Burrow, who's still overstated at this level, he had a couple, a season and a half that were great. Since then, okay, he's been on the shelf a lot.

He has not been great in two games, but they haven't needed him to be. Their defense is actually pretty good. And when we talk about the Bengals, what do we always talk about? The quarterbacks, the wide receivers, and the fact that they're not good enough defensively. So maybe things are changing. How about Houston? You open up losing two home games. I don't know what that means of Houston and what they can do about it.

That's tough. Not sure about that. We're taking a break for coming up. Ole Miss got the biggest headline by beating LSU. Yay! Well, was there a more memorable result in college football this weekend? And does Brown's coach Todd Munkin have good reason to be feisty after the Browns beat the bucks? Mike, I think you're probably going to say about that.

I got feisty for Todd Munker. Yeah, stay tuned for that. Because he's another dude who can't figure out how to close. He won the game, though. How many of you win so far? How many going to win this year? Top Muck. Six.

Six. Five. Time to give power to the people in mail time, Frank. I am going to get and read to you. Mail time. The first one. I'm struggling here. Here we go.

More memorable college football result from the weekend. Ole Miss beating LSU or Vandy beating NC State on the last play of the game. That fourth down play from basically your end zone six seconds to go. Just run out of balance. I mean, I sometimes think the guys don't know the rules. It should have been a safety. But I heard you guys last week. and Tony talking about how this is basically a television show college football and how great of

a character Lane Kiffin is. That's not my position. And it was, I thought the game on Saturday was a lot of fun. First of all, the quarterback on Ole Miss, Trinidad Chambers. It's like Hollywood gave him a name for a quarterback. Yes. It's a wonderful college player. And Lane Kiffin wanted him at LSU.

Everything about that environment there, the way the fans were into it, Lane Kiffin wanted everybody to feel a little bad for him at the end of the game because he was getting so much abuse. That was a fun college football game. It was. It was great to see Lane Kiffin still unable to be the top 10 team. Let me see it again, still unable. And so look, he keeps his team, despite all the craziness going around, let me give Lane Kiffin this compliment.

He can keep them focused and calm and rallied when they need to explode. And they came back in that game when it was what, 24-7 and I didn't think they'd have a chance. That's the game. That's the game this weekend. Now, we'll even get into Northwestern beating Colorado 417. I love the coach of Colorado, you know. Kentucky with a big one. Florida with the big one.

Some of the Colorado kids ran their mouths. Right. Okay. Run your mouth and take 417 back to the mountains, okay? So in the meantime, the game, the game was Kiffin having to take that L and go back to Louisiana. And now they got a win. Yeah. How about the pressure is on?

Pete Golding. He's coached six games. One five. All against ranked teams. Yes. Five and one. Lost to Miami. It's the only team he's lost.

He's done a really good job. He's done a hell of a job. That's a fun team. Good for them. Trinidad champion. Love him. Early lead for Heisman. Yeah.

I think we agree on that. Early for the best name in college football. Is that too. All right, Mike, did New Browns coach Todd Munkin earn the right to be a little chesty after beating the bucks? As you know, he was responding to a reporter's question about what Mike Tomlin had said on NBC, by the way, after their first game of the season when he said the Browns are going to Brown, he was quoting Choochew Smith-Schuster.

That's when he said, I'm putting in parentheses, forget that was his response. Mike Tomlin has a Super Bowl ring in his closet. What the hell does Todd Monkin have? Todd Monkin wasn't smart enough with a lead at home, a 13-point lead last year against New England.

He wasn't smart enough as a coach to hand the ball to Derek Henry who had 128 yards and two touchdowns. Let me say it again for people on the West Coast, not smart enough as a coach to give the ball to Derek Henry in the final 13 minutes. So no, he hasn't earned anything because that strategy is as dumb as it gets.

It's as dumb as anything Indy did last night. You got Derek Henry, and you look around and you think I'm not going to give the ball to him. That's called stupid. Okay. And so whatever he says, he looks like a fool. Well, first of all, I like it for Mike Tom and you're on television.

Say something that's going to be compelling. Mike said, by the way, he loves not having to be personally accountable. That's right. He said, I could still motivate team. But if I'm a Cleveland fan, I like that my coach is being Faisa like that. Number one, we won a game on the road. We beat Baker Mayfield, speaking about revenge games. He had a two-hour delay because of the lightning.

Can I lump them into let's get, let's criticize stupid Monday? What is Tampa doing at home losing to Cleveland? By the way, Deshawn Watson in this game, 24 of 30. two touchdowns on Sunday gets his first home game Remember how everyone's going to be only two? First home game since October of 2024. His performance,

put it under the radar a little bit. I think Mike Tomlin's safe. Whose career would you rather have right now? Just humor me. Todd Monkins or Mike Tomlins? I'd rather be on Sunday night football doing what Mike Tomlins are. And if I'm NBC, Mike, we need more of that.

That's good stuff. He do need more of that. Yeah. Love it. Mike, we need less of you yelling at Todd Munkin. No, no, we actually don't. We need more Derek Henry.

See if you can get that to Todd Munkin online too. Thanks for your email. Let's take one last break, but still to come. My Cubsies lose our second best player in scary fashion. Cubs are going to cubbies. And the Rams, Aeronnell, makes his much-anticipated return tonight against the Giants. Is Chloe Kim's boyfriend going to be out there playing too? I think.

I don't think so. Oh, no, he's a habit. And here, the Mona Lisa gazed into Mona's eyes in perfect health with no undiagnosed problems and her optic nerve in excellent condition. Anyone here got eyes like Mona? Mine are brownish. Not enough people know about their eye health. That's why OCT scans are included in every standard eye exam at Specsavers locations. Should have gone to Specsavers.

Book an eye exam today. Eye exams provided by independent optometrists. Contact your local Specsavers for details. Time to get happy people. Happy 68th birthday. Rick Mahorn, truly the baddest of the Pistons bad boys. Mahorn and his front court make the loathsome Bill Lambier would throw wrenches into opposing offenses by throwing shoulders, elbows, and hips.

Mohorn won a title with the Pistons in 1989, but the franchise then left him unprotected the next day in the expansion draft. and he eventually ended up on Charles Barkley Sixers. Moorne then got under the skin of his old teammates when the two met in April as Isaiah threw a punch at Rick and Lambert, the lonesome lame beer, later stuck a ball in his neck causing Chuck to step in and start swinging. I love this brawl. How about a team with Barclay and Mahorn on it? In terms of toughness and chop busting? Yeah, that was real. Connecticut's finest.

That was real toughness back then. Happy anniversary, Barry Bonds on this day, 36 years ago. While with the pirates, Bonds became just the second player in history to steal 50 bases and hit 30 home runs in a single season joining Eric Davis. Only two people have done it since. Ronald O'Cunia Jr. and Shohei, and Shohei effectively beaming the mark, becoming the only player in baseball history, to have a 50-50 season as he went 54 homers and 59. theft for the Dodgers two years ago. Two players in baseball have had a 30-30 season at least five times. Barry Bonds and his father, Bobby Bonds.

Still, still, amazing. That may be the most amazing things. I'm not going with the homeless. Yep. The great versatility, not to mention the guy's an all-time great fielder, happy trails. It pains me to say Alex Breggman. The Cubs third baseman left yesterday's win over the Reds for the hospital.

After taking a foul ball to the baseball standing near the on-dexie. circle. Bregman later posted a picture of the damage to his left cheek and eye. He has several facial fractures. Well, skip surgery, hopes a return to the postseason since adjusting his swing midway through the summer. Bregman has been great at the plate, 15 home runs, 42 runs, better than OPS with right around 1,000 since the beginning of August.

I feel badly for him, but the on-deck circle is not there. He shouldn't have been there, and I'll tell you what, Mike, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. You think about them putting right a net all the way around. It could have happened in the Olympic Circle, too. Things have happened there. Yeah. Can't talk about it anymore.

No errors today. Let's go to the big finish. The Patriots and Broncos both bounced back with wins. Bigger deal. I think it was the Patriots, especially the way they played in the Super Bowl and in Seattle. And they destroyed Aaron Roger. Man, they beat him up. The Red Sox clinched the playoff spot.

The Braves clinched the Nile East. The Brewers set a new team record for wins in the season with 98. And how about the Padres? They've won 13 to 4. team, most significant. You saved the best for last. The Padres, Yankee starter, Cam Schlitler. They've just one earned or less for the 24th time this season.

Your thoughts quickly. Sy Young, and he's going to start the playoff opener against Boston. Miami quarterback Darren Menza has completed 90% of his passes this season. Is that sustainable? Maybe we better start talking about him for a Heisman. Last one, Monday night football. Giants at Rams. Be careful who you got.

You know what? I have the Giants pulling off an upset. A lot of pressure on the Rams, especially. It is. Well, Seattle's doing, and also San Francisco. We're out of time. Thanks for watching. I'm Frank Isold.

And I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knucklehead.