The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - NFC rankings, Bucs top Colts, Aaron Rodgers out-duels Matthew Stafford, Dolphins surprise, Patriots & more with Nate Tice

Episode Date: November 29, 2021

After a wild week 12 of NFL action, we're taking a closer look at how the results affect the NFC playoff picture. How convincing was Tom Brady and the Bucs' win over the Colts? Have the Packers become the NFC favorite? What about what's happening out in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers? Nate Tice joins Robert Mays to discuss it all + a surprising win for the Dolphins, BIll Belichick and the surging Patriots, what the hell is up with Ben Roethlisberger and more on a postgame Athletic Football Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays. Joining me tonight is my good friend Nate Tyson. Nate, how you doing, buddy? Doing well. I, you know, enjoyed the holiday week, and it was kind of funny. It's Thanksgiving for me, like Thanksgiving and Christmas were always kind of

screwy because my dad was a coach. So, like, those were work days. So, like, Christmas sometimes was December 23rd. But also, like, last week, it's like, all of a sudden, it was just like the sports week. I always forget. It's like, oh, yeah, college basketball's back. And it was like college football. I was watching curling on Friday.

It was like, yeah, it was a great sports week for me. It just kept it off with the NFL Sunday. Yeah, it's now that I have an adult life and I have to travel to see my fiance's family and soon to be in-laws and we do this. And I'm in Miami for Thanksgiving. It's very weird. The fact that it's sunny and warm and I was out watching games today. And it's almost December and I was way too hot. I had a buddy who was down here.

We went out to watch games today. And I was like, this is just disconcerting. This is just very strange. I'm never going to get used to this. Week 12? And so that part, I'm still getting used to. And then it kind of throws off how the rest of the schedule feels because now we're in the back half and it's almost December. So I'm going to go back today to a world and a place that's snowy and cold and terrible.

Watching those games in Ann Arbor on Saturday. And then in Lambo today, I was like, that's what I'm going back to. I'm very ready for the snow and the cold. So you've seen Home Alone too, right? back to New York. And it's like, yeah, of my favorite.

Yeah, of course. But it's, but I just, I just picture you like the rain scene. You know, like they, they shoot to the family and they're in Miami and it's just pouring

rain and then McCulley Coker's just enjoying New York and everything. You know, so I just like, I just like a little snapshot of that like that, like that. I'm very full after the last few days. So if I sound lethargic or tired, please forgive me.

But it was a really exciting day of games. A lot of really good ones. Some barn burners. And a lot of those centralized in the NFC playoff race. We have talked a lot about the AFC on this show over the last couple of months just because it's so cloudy and it's so hard to figure out how the pecking order should work. In the NFC, it felt like we really understood that top trench of teams, right? We have Cardinals, the Packers, the Rams, the Bucks, and then you could figure the rest out later.

but now that's becoming a little bit more confusing. And I wanted to kind of take a step back after today's games, again, that involved a lot of really entertaining games between some of those NFC teams and some important outcomes in the NFC and just take stock of where we are with the conference in general. I mean, the Bucks played a great game, the Packers and Rams wasn't as good a game as you might have hoped, even though the final score was close. Then the Vikings and the Niners played a great game that has huge implications. in the NFC.

So as you're just sorting through those results tonight and kind of taking a small step back, how would you stack it up? Like if you were trying to do it right now, I know that's a fool's error in this year and it changes every 10 minutes, but I wanted to kind of just take a breath and do it again right now just so we could tear the whole Jenga tower down here in another three days. I've like fully circled back to my preseason feelings of the Bucks is the number one team in NFC and I don't feel good about it, but I think that's where I'm at with there. I have them.

Why do you say that? Just because now, I mean, especially how this game went and how they ran the ball and how they attack. Now it's a totally different coverages they got today and how the offense played. The defense is a little question mark, but they're getting healthier again with Lomte David coming back and all that and Gras coming back. But I just feel like it's like, oh yeah, this team's really good. I think it was just I needed to maybe see this last couple of weeks to kind of re-remember that.

It's just a very talented team that can win. different ways, even if the defense has kind of been up and down this year, maybe not as a dominant as it was last year, especially in the tail stretch. But I think now they're maybe finding it, especially as they get healthier and healthier. After that, yeah, that's, I, I thought the Cardinals might have dropped off and they've looked good with Colt McCoy. And now the Kyle is going to be coming back. But I become more of a believer in the Cardinals and just what they're doing, the defense especially. And I just find they found their rhythm. They found their formula. And then Kyle is just going to add that extra dimension with them, even if they gotten banged up in other ways.

I can't believe I just have them number two. I've been a hater for him so long, but I'm like, it's almost my default at this point. At this point, where else are you going to go with it? I know. So I understand what you're saying with the box. Yeah. I watched that game today, though, and I'm worried about their past defense. And it's sort of a trickle-down effect, right?

Like the long touchdown, I still don't know the guy's name. Ashton Doolin, I think might be his name. I, there's a couple today that I was like, who? I was with my buddy watching games today, and this is not a joke. I said that guy's name wrong 10 different times. He knew it the first time he saw it. He just has that kind of brain. He's very good with that kind of stuff.

And I said it wrong 10 different times. He's like, this is his name. I still don't remember what it was. Anyway, the long touchdown that the random guy on the Colts scored. There you go. One of many plays in this game where the Colts just did an incredible job bending coverage rules with the way that they're structured. Frank Recker's awesome at this, by the way.

He was. But that play specifically, right? Sean Murphy Bunting, because Carlton Davis is still hurt, is playing outside in a big, in a big, against big personnel. He's an outside corner. That's not what he does. So you see this trickle-down effect. And then you still have some Pierre Desier in there. The Colts moved the ball extremely well.

So that's kind of like, oh, man, like how do good do I really feel about the Bucks defense? They need a weird, Carson Wentz interception down the field. Anandron Winfield that jumps eight feet in the air. A strip sack at the 30-yard line. The Colts move the ball really efficiently. Okay. And then you have the Cardinals and I kind of, I believe in the Cardinals, but I want to see what they look like with Kyler back just to get a sense of like, how good are they really? Like, their defense has impressed me consistently.

And I feel like they've really settled in. And this third year under Vance Joseph, they've kind of ascended to another level just in terms of all the different stuff they could do. Obviously, they were on by this week. It's just, they're in the back of my mind. I believe in them, but I want to see what the final product looks like as we move down the stretch. As I watched the Packers today, here's why I think that they have an argument to be right

there. I'm so impressed with the little tweaks they made today offensively with this offensive line being so banged up. Yes. The fact that you have, I think just, I mean, really Turner, I want to say. is there only day one starter in there that you would have come into with like training camp so running and freeman or running is a second year player but freeman's a rookie and then you have billy turner right tackle lucas patrick is playing center now because myers is hurt and the left tackle's name i still

can't remember it's just the all backups and the fact that they came into this game and they're just leaning into rogers quick game little tiny variations where he's just work in the flat and moving guys with his eyes and working like very surgical areas of the field. They clearly leaned into that game plan wise. They could start get, it's time to start giving Matt LaFleur a little bit of credit. So it's one of those things where it's like, all right, if their offense is going to be this flexible and they can make these sort of little tweaks on the move, like why don't we believe in them? But at the same time in the back of my mind, it's like, well, the offensive line's not getting all the way back. Even if Foxyari gets there, you still don't have Jenkins now.

So what's their ceiling, even if they can survive? But then you, you're, you're going to you look at the Rams, and it's like, how worried would she, should we be? And it just starts this whole cycle again where it's like, I don't know. Like, I just don't know. Really, everything you just said about the Packers is exactly how I feel. Because I was like, man, you know, that was a really impressive win today. It really was. Just like what you said with Matt LaFlor, it was because we're going to talk about another team and their usage of quick game. But it was like watching how this team utilized quick game. It was like, that's how you use it. He's the greatest quick game thrower in the history of professional football. And, and

And they, and they formation it up to just add that extra little 10% to it. And just, oh, having Devante Adams running stick on a linebacker is a lot better than having your second string tight end run it. You know, it's just that little like, yes, let's just create those little advantages that we have because we have a dominant receiver and a dominant quarterback. Yeah. And that's how you negate von Miller and Aaron Donald pass rush against backup, backup, backup. Yeah. But how long can you do that? That's my question is how many different times can you do that?

on tape. As we get into December and January, it gets cold. They could get the number one seed. They have the tiebreaker over the Cardinals. If you have to play all these games at Lambo and you're having to tackle 250 pound AJ Dillan when it's two degrees outside, like these are all the things that's kind of come into play. So I feel like right now, no matter how you stack them up, I think the Bucks Cardinals and Packers

in some order represent their own grouping in the NFC because I'm starting to worry about the ramps. And for a couple of, different reasons. The defense, it just seems like on the back end, they don't have the guys right now. You know, you look at it, and I think we kind of understated coming into the year, what losing all of that secondary depth and just those key complementary pieces would mean for them. Your Troy Hills, your John Johnson's, Taylor Rap has made some nice plays. But when Taylor Rap has got to cover Randall Cobb coming out of the backfield inside the 10-yard line, that becomes a problem. When you have backup corners having to cover Devante Adams on slot fades, that becomes a problem. So their defense, even if we like the guys up front, the back end just gives me pause.

I have reason for concern there. And then the Diana Rossini report this morning about how banged up Stafford is and how it's affecting him, now you start to get really concerned. When the word's chronic back issue start creeping up about a quarterback that's struggling, even though he told at the press conference today, Jordan Roderig reported that he said nothing was affecting him. But now it's just one of those things. We're in the back of my mind. It's like, man, how healthy is he? How much is it affecting their offense?

So I just have more concerns about them right now than I do about those other three teams that I would put at the top. Yeah. And even like, Kent's making sure we know. But even like I would have the Cowboys ahead of the Rams right now. Like that's where I'm at with them because it's just this Rams team, like what you're saying with the Stafford stuff, it's telling. It's not like where it's like, oh, it's a tough. in this thing where it's like, oh man, he's banged up, but he's playing okay. It's like, you can see not even just the back and like something with his leg because he's

not stepping into a lot of stuff. And you can tell him when guys are sailing stuff or something's wrong with their plant foot is when they short step because then your shoulder just rises up. And I saw Stafford a couple times. He short steps. And I know he kind of has funky feet anyways, how he throws stuff. But when it's kind of become of a consistent thing, that kind of, it's a little scary. When you're not getting those gimmies, when he's missing the gimmies sometimes or once, he's not taking the the highs of the high lows, which is what he was doing weeks one.

That's why they were so dangerous early in the season. Yes. That's why we're so enamored by it because it was like, this is what this is pushing the ball. Like that, that's why we were so exciting. Your high lows with a wrap underneath and a dig behind it, he was hit the dicks over and over and over. Now there's a couple times today. They had a smash concept. He's thrown underneath right away.

Yeah. Because he doesn't want to get hit. It's in the back of his mind. I'm not saying Stafford's soft. It just when you're hurt and you're getting hit and stuff starts to compile. Correct. Correct. It's just that little back of the mind thing makes you also just go, why got to get rid of the ball? I'm not taking it. I just got hit that last play. That sucked. I'm not doing that again. And that sucks because now the offense is you're not getting that explosiveness. And especially with the run game not being as dynamic and how they've kind of bought into more spready formations rather than the bunch stuff and the motion stuff. And I'm not just saying because Robert Woods is out, but just kind of that's what that matters. Yeah. Yeah. They lost that little window dressing. So they, They were saying we're going to run good plays and we're run them well.

But before they would run a good place with the window dressing. So now it's like, are they going to go back to that, which is a, they have a lot of stuff to answer. Even today, it's Packers drove on everything. And that was why we liked Stafford was because he was stopping defenses from driving on everything. Now he's not hitting that. And it took him until like the third or fourth quarter and finally hit the slug or route to OBJ. And it's like, that was late to adjust to that. That's, I mean, going into this game, you kind of know what you have.

It was a little, this offense is kind of just, yeah, it's a little worried. So these cracks are just opening up even more and more and more. And we talk about chemistry stuff and like OBJ, having a new receiver there. It's not just, you know, timing on everything. We want to say timing. You got to get used to how he catches the ball. He has to get used how he throws the ball. The one where Stafford sailed the ball to OBJ on the dig, OBJ is short on the route.

And so it's a double whammy. So Stafford not only doesn't throw a great ball, but he's short on the route. That's chemistry injuries. It's like that was like a nice personification of or encapsulation of what kind of what's going wrong with that offense. The details aren't there and they're missing on the execution. And that's that when that's a double whameming, you're going against a really good team like the Packers who play fast on defense.

It's hard. It's really, really hard. And I'm not totally like, oh, I'm out with the Rams. It's just like it's going to be a little harder than maybe I thought where they're going to be like throwing haymakers with all the good teams and just pounding away on all the bad teams. I think it's more like, wow, they might be going 500 the rest of the way. and limping to the playoffs,

which is way different that we thought a couple weeks ago. It's kind of funny because the Rams, like you said, they kind of want to live in this more spread out world and the transition to running the ball and being an effective running team and kind of having that mindset is difficult.

It's kind of a big jump. So they really, they don't have a lot of other way. We were so enamored as the right word with them early in the season because this was a version we'd never seen before. And it almost feels like they're stuck in this version now. Yeah.

Where with the car. They're pot committed. Yeah. And with the Packers, with the Packers and the Bucks, it's probably rude in their quarterbacks, right? It just feels like they have these different places they could go. Rogers is like, I could just live in the quick game for an entire 60 minutes and I can just shred you in these tiny little maddening ways. And the Bucks, if they want to run the ball. And obviously you had that stuff with Brady.

It was all gronk today. I mean, just working in the middle of the field and there's going to be a Godwin day and there's going to be an Evans day. But it just feels like they have different places they can go. And now I have questions. The team we haven't talked about here is the Cowboys. Because it felt like they were one of those teams. It's like, all right, if X isn't working, then why? But their running game has stalled a little bit.

They were not able to kind of sit there and pound the Raiders like I thought they might when they didn't have those two guys out there. I think that I want to wait on Dallas somewhere the way I want to wait on the Cardinals. I want to see them back with Lamb and with Cooper before I start really worrying. And I want to see the Cardinals back with Murray because it's almost weird. they've been impressive without him, but as we've seen these other teams kind of grow or regress and change over the course of the year, I don't have a feel for what the Cardinals trajectory looks like because he's been removed from the equation for three weeks.

Yeah, it was like they just did their own thing for a couple of weeks. Like they did their own subplot in a TV show. Like that's what they did. There was a little side mission for a couple of weeks. And it's like, okay, now they're coming back. Oh, wow. They're coming back for season three. Cool.

I know. That's how I feel with them. It's like, I totally forgot about them for a while. And it's like, yeah, okay. It's been impressive. But it's just, I don't feel like I can have my finger on it. I have no answer. Yes.

That's exactly how I feel. So the other game, obviously, that was huge in the NFC today, was the Niners beating the Vikings. Yeah. And I mean, this was after the conversation we had a- The Spider-Man meme game? That's what it was. So I agree with that to an extent, right?

And I think in a lot of ways the quarterbacks are like that. But now, I mean, this is the perfect next step after the conversation. had about the Niners on Friday. I mean, this was, they had a stretch. First of all, they ran for 208 yards in this game. And they did it easily. It was, and those were, it didn't come cheap. I think the average 0.1 EPA per rush in this game, which on the ground is a shitload.

Like that is a mind-numbingly efficient run game. And you look at it on the Debo touchdown, the second one, the short one, right? That was in a three-play stretch, they, line up in splitbacks on three straight plays. On the first play, they had Debo running to the right with, I think, Jeff Wilson leading up on it. On the second play, they ran a screen to Kittle because he was the other splitback and they ran like a little delayed screen to him. On the third play, they had Samuel for the touchdown and it was Mitchell leading up. How many times, first of all, how many plays period, have you ever seen a running back block?

You just never see it happen. And for them, it happens all the time. And those guys are committed to doing it and they look good doing it. Which is why they can get on the perimeter. So it's just I'm almost at a loss because of how cool the run game was and how many different layers there were to it. And that to me is why they're a little bit different than a team like the Vikings, even if we put the quarterbacks in the similar boxes, because the running game is the craziest and weirdest and furthest evolved it's ever been even for the Niners. we talk about like every coach wants to be multiple or versatile and all that stuff but this is like this is what it looks like this is actually what it looks like when every guy is kind of a gadget I'm not gadget guy I should say Swiss Army knife guy when you could play multiple positions yes multiple positions it is yes positionless football we've gotten to positionless basketball this is like the skill variety version of this now if like if Trey lance was in there and he's blocking for guys then we're going like now we're now we're really cooking with gas but we're not going to ever see that but when they drop him.

him into this. I know. And now you have an extra gap that you have to worry about combined with all this other shit. Oh, my God. Imagine because now, okay, oh, they're in splitback. They're going to hand a debone. Eli Mitchell is going to lead block. Now imagine if the backside guy can't run it down from the back side.

Or if both guys lead up for quarterback. Extra lead. I know. And that's, I mean, it's coming. I'm sure there's going to be some packages coming. I mean, you can't help it because that's going to be so spicy. I think this is a good way to put it. But it is, that is, that offense was so much fun to watch day because it's just like the types of runs they get to.

That's what's so cool now. It's like they're getting the power. They're getting to wind back. They're getting they run. I think I saw a snap a duo in there. Of course, I'm going to go excited, get excited about that. The zone stuff, they, the play action is making it hard for like just anybody to commit down, downhill on stuff. And it's, it's really cool because both receivers too are just so dynamic with a ball in their hands.

Now that I use back in there, it's, it is wild. I mean, the gear he gives them, just like one, two, three plays a game outside of Debo, they did not have that. So now you have the Yak Debo plays, you have the Yak kiddo plays, and you have those explosive little IEU catches just sprinkled into the overall mix. It changes the complexion of the whole thing. I know, I know. You're worried sometimes you're like, oh, man, they don't attack down the field, but it's like, guess what? If you get five to 15 yards a pop on every run run to pass play, who cares? Like, yeah, you want to have a couple of shots.

I think Debo had six carries for 66 yards today. That's ridiculous. And that's even what he can do with. He's a crude route runner too. And it's not like he's like, oh, man, he's just a gadget guy. You know, he's not a receiver. It's like, no, he does a receiver stuff. Like, plenty fine.

It's that he just also is a plus plus guy with the ball in the sand in the backfield. It's like what you wanted Devin Hester to be. Like that's what as an offensive player. Like that's what he's kind of doing right now is different type of guy. But it's like that's what that kind of upgrade. graded gadget guy, I think is the best way I can put it. But I'm not using that in the like demeaning way. But this whole offense and even the defense too because like it's not a perfect defense.

Like they're they're built up front. They're going to get gashed sometimes. I think in the passing game. I just said that's what's going to happen. But it's they're playing fast. And and their guys are very aware of what they're trying to do. And you can tell they're building confidence. And you see Nick Bosa is looking healthier like any one on one block with him today.

It was like the Vikings had a hold on her hat with Darry saw. Like it was just like, you can tell they're like, oh, okay, all right, ball got out, ball got out. They're trying to help with stuff. So it was, it was, they really found their flow on offense. They, I think they're finding what they are on defense. And, and it's, uh, it's really just like, I, I like what they're going. Like you said, it's a continuation what we talked about last week. The best version of the playoffs would have the 49ers in it because they're playing a really good ball right now.

Yeah, I totally agree. And then that's where they are now. And now that they won that game, they have a stranglehold on that six seat. And I mean, it's. So the one last thing I want to touch on with the run game, I think is interesting. We got to a place where the league had had a plan for the outside zone game, right? Because so many teams were doing it. Teams, defenses had plans.

And we saw it with the 6-1 and just all the variations of that. We're like, you're not getting outside on us. And that's where the Niners transition to so many more gap runs. Where they're like, all right, fine. If you're going to take that away, then we're just going to hit stuff hard on you. Now it feels like come hell or high water, he's getting the edge now. And he's just finding different ways to do it. It's the use check sprint motion.

It's Kittle killing people. He's killing people on the edge. It's absolutely ridiculous. The one play you tweeted where he gets Peterson in open space, you guys should go look at Nate's Twitter account. They have Kittle as a lead blocker coming up right to left coming across the formation. And it's not just that he blocks Patrick Peterson. He tracks him down in open space when Peterson tries to juke him. Do you know why you don't see kill shots in the open field when big guys are on small guys?

Because they can't track him in space. So Kittle doing that and then getting a hold of him and driving him out of bounds, it doesn't look like an insane play. It's an insane play. So you have all these different ways of gaining the edge. And now they have this perimeter running game that looks unlike anything else in the entire league combine with all of these layers of confusion that they can build because these guys are lining up in every single position. Speed kills and then you got power right there.

Like you, it's finesse. It's power. And then you got like misdirection. It's everything you want. Like Sun Tzu would be very proud of the 49ers offense right now. But like I want to know how hard that is. Imagine trying. I don't know if anyone's lifted, you ever hang cleaned.

It's hard. Right. That's what blocking really is. You're thrusting your hips and you're powering it through. Now imagine hang cleaning on the move. stopping in it like going full speed stopping and hankling and trying to hit a moving target and hitting a moving target that's what kiddle just does that's what that is that's why that is so difficult to do because not only is he getting a body on him he's getting leverage on him build and burying him out it's not like Patrick Pearson's like a soft corner like he he's willing like he's a big body so it's that's exactly right kiddle coming back in there and also with the bucks with gronk you're like oh yeah dominant tight ends really really helping offense and That's why maybe we're seeing a little uptick with those things, because especially if defense is one place soft again, you're going to find those intermediate zones and they're just

going to get even more and more of an uptick in their usage in the past game. And it's, yeah, it's really fun to watch killer right now. Well, here's the difference in going back to the Spider-Man, I mean, really quickly before we move on, the Vikings don't have that well to go to in the run game right now. So they have to rely on Kirk a little bit more. And that's how you see that pick underneath, just that like, just mind-blagging, like, oh, my God, I can't believe he did. that pick and that lining up under the guard is just an all-time move. It's as a quarterback, that's like your worst,

worst fear. Every quarterback's done it. I did it as a freshman once, but the thing was that was in practice as a red shirt, not during a game. John Elway's done it, but it's, yeah,

that's when you know the, the head's spinning a little bit. And I think those before a fourth down too, right? And it's like, oh, man, match me.

Woo, that's not what you want to see sometimes. But that, that, what you say, though, is about that run game, even with Dowvin Cook.

now with a banged up shoulder is that it's they moved to 11 personnel and now they've found a new cool passing game out of 11 personnel because their best players, Justin Jefferson, I mean, might as well, and Adam Theelin as well. Now it's kind of, they lose that explosiveness in the run game. They're not going to be as easy. And then you're relying on Kirk Cousins more and more, just like you alluded to. So it's like that's not exactly what you want to do because you see what happens because he has those mind popping moments when he throws a pick on stick because he just, he's

hell or high water sometimes with this stuff. He's the guy. If it unfolds, not how he thinks it's going to unfold. It's hold on your hat. Like, and if you're going to rely on them, throwing a ball 30 plus times, that's going to happen. Defenses are going to move their picture on them. And yeah, that's a little, you're kind of taking away the floor has really dropped out a little bit for them, especially offensively. All right. Let's move on.

Let's get to the things that made us sit up and take notice today. Gentlemen, you had my curiosity. But now you have my attention. All right. Every single NFL Sunday, there's so much going on. And we like to pick out two, three games performances that really made us pay attention. And I want to start with the Cincinnati Bengals absolutely crushing the Pittsburgh Steelers today. 41 to 10.

Again, you're watching a bunch of different games at the same time. There are only seven early games today, which was great. But you can't watch everything start to finish. Every time I looked up, the Bengals had the ball. every single time I looked at this game. And then you go back and rewatch it. It's like, oh, that's why. It just because, I mean, the Stewart's offense was horrendous in this game.

And we can talk about it. But I want to talk. At first I want to talk about what the Bengals did well. What aspects of what they did today really jumped out to you? It's, we've alluded to a few times is that we, we thought coming into the season that the Bengals were, like, they had to find a new way to do their offense. They can't just live and empty and everything. And they got to this under center run game.

And seeing Joe Mixon healthy again, and it's like, oh, yeah, this is really good for them. The second half against the Raiders recently. And then this game, it's like that run game, their zone run game out of under center with the tight ends in there is it's a good. It's a plus strength for them. And Joe Mixon's playing very well. That offensively is really helped. It's raised.

It's not made it so hard on them. And but defensively, though, they're a really smart unit. And that's, it's started in the year. And it's kind of was like, okay, some teams are going to give me issues, but if you don't have an offense that can threaten them vertically, they're going to, they're going to mow you down because they're smart. They're well coached. They're around the ball. It's what we've talked about with the bills is they, they have timely blitzes on third down, but they're going to make it hard on you and you have to out execute them. And the Steelers aren't an offense that's going to out execute a lot of teams at this point in time. And honestly, big Ben's on my no fly list. I'm never, I'm not going to talk about him anymore. It's just like it's unwatchable. It's unwatchable. It's unwatchable. He threw that pick six today and people were like, oh, the left tackle was in his lap. Who gives a shit? It's not as if the ball did not get hit.

There was some traffic around that. He still threw a parabolic out and it got returned for a touchdown. It's, it was awful. It was awful. And then just so many third and ten checkdowns. I mean, it's, it is so, so bad. The picky through on the ball to chase Claypool. was a double move that he tried to back shoulder, even though Claypool had like two steps on him.

I don't understand anything about what he's doing. And it was two steps on him inside. He didn't even have to throw it out. It was just like, just line it to it. If any other quarterback would just lined it. It wasn't even a bomb. It was just, hey, it was just throw it in there like a dick. And it was, he just, he threw it short.

He saw my no fly list. He took a sack and I made the joke that was like a life alert ad. Like, it really was. Like, he, he honestly. tripped over a deep he tripped over a defense alignment and it looked like a life alert ad and I was that's what it looked like and I was like come on man and yeah it's that offense is brutal but that but that speaks to the pangles defense is they can punish this if they're said not stuff and they're because they're smart that that is their huge advantage here is that they are very smart so hilton had

a play today apple had a play today I mean they're off their defensive line absolutely manhandled them Hendrickson, I mean, that pick, he was in Rothesberger's face. And then he had a pick that he cleaned up late or he had a sack that he cleaned up late. So credit goes to them. I want to talk about the offense a little bit because you talk about a team not being afraid to take shots. And sometimes you have to burn a team in certain situations. The Bengals did that today. I mean, that touchdown to T. Higgins, that's a 50, 50 ball that he's just like, I'm just letting this rip.

I know I've got one on one. It's covered three. I'm just letting this thing go. And Higgins went and got it. I believe on that play, one of many, many plays in this game, just a little bit of extra help. A little seven man protection here, a little chip there. They did a really good job of building that stuff in. The little chunk play on play action Higgins early in the game was max protection out of play action.

It was a little glance. So just little things like that and having a quarterback that's willing to take some of those chances, I just thought they were really solid today. And then they made one or two just big plays in the passing game. We're like a receiver's going up and making a play. Yep. It's, hey, we got a good run game now. And hey, if you want to single up our guys, we actually have three good receivers.

So it's not a lot of teams can keep up with that. And like you said, like Burrow, Burrow wins with accuracy and wins with creating plays off platform. Like that's how he wins. He's a very smart, accurate player. But defenses know that as well. So they're going to climb up just like how the bangles do to the big Ben. Well, Burrow takes those educated shots. I think that's the best way to put it.

It's a great way to put it. Yeah. And like Aaron Rogers does this. Aaron Rogers with all his quick game, hey, he'll throw the go ball on stick, which is an alert. Like we talk about alerts on post and everything. The go ball on a stick route is is an alert. It's like, hey, I like my one-on-one. Let's take it. Burrow does that.

That's what he does. He is willing to take those shots just to keep you honest. It's just, it's a little sweet chin music, you know, just to keep leaning back. Like that's what it does to a defense. And you know what it did today? They had Higgins underneath a couple times after hitting that go ball where he's just running a comeback and eating up that space because that's in the back of your mind now. I've already gotten burned on a 50-50 ball down the sideline.

Now I'm thinking about that the whole game. Yeah. I don't want to get dunked on again. Yeah. Please don't put me on a poster again. It's they found their formula and it's, I mean, it's really, it's been cool. You know, we were low on the bangles to start the year, but it was like, I got credit to him.

Like when they played the Ravens a few weeks ago, I talked about it where they moved to seven man protection and stuff. It was like, they didn't show that ever before. And it was now they now it's in their offense. They adjusted throughout the season. So credit to their coaches for doing that. Like that's there's other teams another team I'm talking about in a minute. I've alluded to it twice now.

But they have added a new page to her playbook because they're like, hey, defenses are doing this to us. How do we get out of it? How do we help ourselves? And that's what they've done. And so credit them. Are they a perfect team? No.

But they have answers to stuff. And they found like we talk about paths. They found their little paths for everything. And I mean, they really took it to it to the Steelers. It was like a complete team win. It was a complete dominating win. It wasn't fluky.

It wasn't tip balls or anything like that. And it was good. I also want to say one other thing. Scott Hansen can put over a player more than anybody else. I said it like a, I compared him to a wrestling manager. He, I'm not trying to like hate on Jamar Chase or anything.

He caught a screen and he just got upfield. He got upfield on a receiver screen. And Scott Hansen's like, that was such a high IQ play by Jamar Chase there to get upfield on that. I was like, it's a receiver screen. of course he's getting up the field. Man, he puts people over.

I have to allude to that, though. On that play, one guy I wanted to put over after a couple plays in this game, the block Tyler Boyd threw on that play. It is so fun. We've talked about this in regard to the Rams for years, right? And when other teams are doing it, we should give them credit. And same as the Niners today. When you have every single guy that's bought in to the little tiny dirty things he has to do,

that's when offenses get fun to watch. Boyd, just great effort on that play. He gets driven back like five yards, but he stays in front of that guy. And that allows that play to happen. Higgins had another nice block on that play. And then on a mixing touchdown later in that half, Boyd threw another great block,

just took the nickel corner, buried him in the dirt on the mixing touchdown. And there's two plays where his effort as a blocker stood out in this game. And that's why this team is fun. It's like, all right, all these pieces are working together. They seem to have some synergy on offense. They have little tiny wrinkles that are throwing at you. So now they're seven and four.

They've got some tiebreakers over some teams that are going to maybe push them for a wild card spot, whether it's the Raiders, other people. They're a game back of the Ravens still. Still, I think, another game to play against the Ravens. So that's one to watch. And they play the Chargers next week. So if they beat the Chargers next week, they have an inside track to make the playoffs. So now, let's take a small step back here. do you think they can actually make noise in the AFC playoffs with the way that the landscape of the conference currently looks?

I think they are a playoff team. I don't know about noise though. If they won, maybe they won a game in a playoffs. I'd be okay. If that counts as noise, but making a run, I don't think so. Because it's just sometimes it does too much in the passing game. Why, say a team does take away the run game. It does rely on Burrow, create stuff.

And, yeah. Yeah, but I'm not like, I'm more, I bought more stock of them than I made it would have even two weeks ago. And like, I was up on them and then I went down a little bit again. But it's like, I kind of get what they're doing. And I get it. It's like, this team actually is a valid playoff team. I think that's my best way I could put it. It's not a team where I'm like, this is counterfeit.

And it's like, wow, they're lucky. And wow, they should not be like even close to it. It's like, okay, they're doing this against better competition. They smack the Ravens. They smack the Steelers. It's, you know, those are like, I mean, they're feisty teams. It's not like some pushovers. I mean, Big Ben is, but the rest of the team isn't.

But they're finding answers and stuff. But I don't know about noise, noise, but maybe a little rattle, you know, just a little sit. For me, it's the only reason I think they can maybe win a game or even two if things break the right way. It's just because it's hard to feel good about most of the other teams in the AFC. I mean, everyone's either banged up or inconsistent. I mean, I still think that Buffalo, losing, losing Tray White sucks for Buffalo. by the way. It does. It's just, I really wanted to see that defense at full strength, and I think that he's arguably the most important player on that defense. They're still really good. I think they'll still probably be fine, but it's a bummer to lose him. I still think Buffalo in the end just is a better team than a team like the Bengals are. But other than that and the Chiefs maybe, I mean, the Ravens still have so many questions. That's the only reason I'd be like, I don't know. Like maybe just the kombucha girl meme with like with the Bengals. It's like, I don't know, maybe. Just because it's so, so. uncertain with all the other teams there. But we're saying about like 31 teams. I know, I know.

Maybe not the lions, but it's like, you know, a whole bunch of other teams. We'll revisit that next week after they inevitably lose to the Chargers. And we have to deal with that. So that's all right. Let's keep going here. The New England Patriots, you have my attention. 3613. They crush the Titans. game was closer for most of it than the final score would lead you to believe. A couple really fortuitous fumble recoveries for the Patriots on long Titans runs. It was very random. Titans ran the ball with some efficiency in this game. They piled up a lot of yards on the ground, but the Patriots, again, find a way to win convincingly.

The one thing that jumped out to me in this game, and I don't know what about the Patriots performance that you thought was the most notable, but Mack Jones's eyes on some of these plays are so good. I mean, looking at what Rogers did today and the way that he can move a linebacker and just create enough space for the quick game stuff, Mack Jones on multiple plays today is moving the flat defender because the flat controller is there. They sent born on an orb motion on one play. He keeps him there and then he finds the sail up the left sideline because the flat defender steps up. Just little stuff like that. He wasn't perfect today.

He missed Hunter Henry for a touchdown. He had a near interception in the red zone. left some plays on the table, but just constantly enthusiastic about some of the things that he's doing, even if the offense isn't the most explosive group that we're going to see. Yeah, it's like,

even though he's a rookie, he plays like, you know, he plays like a vet in those ways. It's like, you know what they put in the game plan, and this is his strength. He knows exactly where to go

with the ball every single time. Yeah. He missed those throws, but they were going to the right spot. Yeah. So it's like, all right, The process is right.

What else can I say? Like, what am I was going to do? It's like, he missed the throw. All right. It's not like, oh, man. I don't know, man. I don't know if he could do it. He's squeezing the throws in there.

But they, that whole offense, man, is they, we talk about defenses dictating what the offenses do. This offense, even it's a sum of parts offense. I mean, this whole team is kind of a sum of parts team. It's this offense, though, a couple of weeks ago against the Browns, they're in 21 personnel, like, majority of the game, it felt like, you know, and today, you barely we saw the fullback. At first,

I had to check the... When you did, though, he had a couple hits today. He's a hammerhead, isn't it? You could hear him in the upper deck, I bet. There was one play where it just, I mean, it was like a chew-choo train. It was ridiculous. I mean, him and Mason pulled.

And then there was just like an ISO lead play from Johnson and just the two cracks of their helmets back to back in succession. Like, playing against his team has to suck. Shaq Mason and Johnson like, or Jacob Johnson. pulling. That's like it's like a sawed off shotgun. Like those are those are the two those are two barrels just exploding in. It's man. But it's that's this team though is like today you saw a whole bunch of more 12. John Smith was inactive a couple weeks ago. Yeah. A healthy scratch. And this is what this team can do. We've talked about the Titans like their defense has

done some things recently where it's like okay they're they're better than maybe like really. I thought they're going to be train wreck. But you know the Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels watch film as well. We talk about this linebacker group being very small and instinctive, right, with the Titans. They like to read stuff and fly hair on fire types. We saw a ton of play action for the Patriots today. Six of his first six for 120 yards off play action. And he finished 11 for 11 in on play action, which is just from next gen stats. And that's what was the stat? Jones 11 play action attempts without an incompletion are the most without any completion since Russell Wilson last year in week eight, which, you know, Seahaw should take note of.

But watching this offense, man, it's like they are going to get you exactly how they want you. So today it was the play action day. Got some Browns. They're doing draws. They're doing screens. They're doing a whole bunch of stuff side to side. They're going to kill Henry cracking guys. Today it was like, nope, we're going to get 11 personnel and 12 personnel.

We're going to run crossers. We're going to run play action. A lot of crossers. A lot of crossers. They're taking advantage of the linebackers. And it was they, we talk about you find that matchup, you find that advantage and spam it. This was their way of doing it. Yep.

They just went bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo yeah Just keep pressing that button baby Baby keep doing it and this is what it looks like when you do it And their defense is like you like you said the Titans I know Titans just had some bad luck today because they actually did some stuff They had some great draw plays For them to hang in this game with Westbrook Akeena and something named Cody Hollister as their receivers is impressive

I mean this team is just completely decimated at that position But again I agree with you the offense had some answers Kendrick Bourne this is a big moment for you you. The Kendrick Boren game. The first touchdown, obviously the second touchdown is great, right? Yeah. He makes him a couple guys miss, sneaks up the sideline. The first touchdown he scored against Byard. They ran a play that has become, it's always been, but I think I've noticed it more this year, just a red zone favorite where you have the corner from the number three receiver with the two slants underneath it. Old faithful, baby. What's good, China, right? Is the China. I think some people

We call it a Finn or something like that too. Yeah. We called it Wisconsin. We called it Loon. Our Red Zone series was named after birds. Can you tell Paul Chris is from Wisconsin? So we had duck, Loon, Mallard.

And Mallard is the most versatile of the birds. That's what that's what. What a loser. All right. So on that on that touchdown, it's I loved it because he just plays, we talk about play with his hair on fire. He pushed vertically so hard on this.

corner out. There's nowhere to go. I know. There's only 10 yards of space. And he's just sprinting full speed before cutting the corner. And that's why it worked. It's just, Dave, again,

sell it. Some of the parts, guys doing their jobs, just little tiny contributions. It's very fun to watch. This team is 8 and 4 now. And legitimately could have the number one seat in the AFC when it's all said and done.

Which is, I know, which is ridiculous. I mean, I think the only way I can compare them is like a basketball team with a deep bench. You know, they go nine deep. They go nine deep.

And it's just like, oh, what's our advantage this week? Oh, wow, we got a great big man. You got a small number four. We're going to just run pick and roll the whole game. Okay, what's this week? Oh, we're going to run motion offense. You know, it's just like that's what they do. They find their answer and then just abuse it.

And it's fun to watch. It really is. It's, it's, yeah, I'm happy about the Kendrick Bourne stuff because this is, this is why I liked him is because he was a red zone and third down monster. That's what he does. He has just feel. He just has. feel. He has spatial awareness and just feel and hand eye coordination. He's like,

it's not like crab tree in a way. Like that's maybe like like crab always had that too. Like where crab can just contort his body and find spaces. Maybe he's a basketball player like just knows how to grab a rebound. Like that's what Kendrick Boren can do. It's a hell of a player. I mean, didn't think he would be this dynamic, but he's fun. The Ohio every piece fits together for them is really cool to watch. And I'm excited to keep watching it down the stretch. All right. Yeah. It's time now. for the State Farm, surprisingly great performance of the week, presented by State Farm. Let's talk about the Miami Dolphins. 33 to 10 win over the Panthers.

They dominated this game. I believe Cam finished 5 of 21 with two interceptions in this game. There are a lot of reasons for that. But the Dolphins defense has started to gain some momentum here over the last few weeks. They've given teams problems. Think about what they did to the Ravens a couple weeks ago in prime time. Now they're doing it to this Carolina team. The dolphins are five and seven now.

I mean, like, who knows what they can do? If they pick up a couple more wins here and what is a kind of confusing lower bottom half of the AFC. When you're watching this defense, do you feel like they've kind of found their stride a little bit? I think it's, they remember they had this 102 mile an hour fastball called their, their cover zero package. But, but that's what they were. I think they remember.

They're like, oh, yeah, we can crank it back and whip it at you. But it was kind of, they big brothered them today. They, that's absolutely right. They stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Hey, I'm not hitting you. I'm not hitting you. That's what they did today because they brought, they brought their stuff.

And then by the end of the game, they were just going soft coverage. And you could tell the Panthers were a page behind the whole game. I mean, that short yard play, I tweeted the picture of it. They knew literally what the Panthers were going to run on a third or fourth and one. The entire dolphins front shifted to the open side, which is insane. It's like if you ever play Madden and you hit the bumper buttons and you shift your D-line one way, and you can shift your linebackers the other way. They literally did that and they shifted the guys.

And it was like they blew it up. It was an option play. You know, they'll play that everybody's doing now where you hand off to one up running back and he option pitches it, blew it up because it was like they knew when that formation, that's what they're about to run. But I mean,

honestly, this is what that pressure stuff does is not only are you getting the offense guessing. Then you get them into if you're going like, the offense was smart. And actually the Panthers were. They hit the long ball to DJ Moore. And I was like, oh,

they have an answer. They went seven man protection. there. But then what the dolphins did, we go, we're stop pressuring. And now the dolphins, or I'm sorry, the Panthers are locking in CMC and protection. Like, they weren't even having them check and then release. They just said, hey, stay in there and clean it up. You didn't have a catch today. I mean, I believe you did not have a catch today. And that's insane. You want CMC on routes. And, hey, that's an advantage for the defense. If we're like, we don't have to worry about him being out in route, okay, cool. And he's just wasted right now because that's what the, that's what the Panthers

pass protection thing did. There's the rules today. They're like, he just lock them in there. and help out and find and find work dolphins started just rushing four and that's and they have so many good dbs that take advantage of that because they're going to make it tough if you're not going to you know create these one-on-ones create these match of advantages it's going to be really tough on a passing attack well that's why i liked them still being in those mugged up looks and then just dropping seven and they were doing that consistently the javon holland touchdown their or devon holland interception excuse me yeah they're in a mugged up look i believe it was a it was third and five. So they're in that, but they only have two

safeties back. There's the only two guys not on the line of scrimmage or two safeties. And they played cover two out of that look. That's wild. So when you can start getting to any coverage from that look, good luck as a quarterback. I mean, it's really difficult to pull off as a defense. It's a really

tough needle to thread because you're asking guys to cover a lot of ground to get where they need to go. But if you can start doing that stuff, you're going to have a quarterback feeling really uneasy in the ways that Cam was. today because now it's like who's coming what are they playing behind it and you just have so few answers and i think that that's where the dolphins defense is starting to get to a little bit

if they can we talk about this all the time defense is confidence if you can start building these games and start stringing them together everything starts to fall into place a little bit and it kind of seems like that's happening i want to talk about the offenses in this game for a second the panther you talk about your no fly the panther's offensive line is on my no fly list Oh, boy. It is, it's as bad as it can possibly be. It is completely unwatchable. Backups, right?

I mean, Dennis Daly is playing left tackle, which I believe he did today. It's not going to go well for you. No. I mean, their offensive line wasn't good to start the year and now the offensive line is dinged up. Unwatchable. Dolphins offensive line, not that much better. They are in a bad way. And, but that's, I wanted to kind of talk about that, even acknowledge,

that and admitting that their offense is still able to function in large part because of how quickly he's operating right so if you look at the numbers two has the third fastest time to throw in the NFL among full-time starting quarterbacks the only two ahead of him are rothusberger who should not count yeah just does not count fake offense he is playing a different sport than anyone else he does not apply in this statistic the other person is tom brady who's from another planet yeah that's that that is a different thing in a good way. Robertsberger, it's a different sport in a bad way.

So, two, is getting rid of the ball quicker than anybody. And so it's almost by necessity. Like, they need to play that way because the offensive line is so bad, but it's kind of working for them. Like, the ways that they can waddle was, I mean, there is some giddy up. Like, I'm making the meet, meep, roadrunner noise when he's catching balls underneath now because he can just take it. And if they can just create explosive plays out of slants because they can't protect,

I'm not sure how viable that is is a long-term plan on offense, but today it worked and it kind of seems like they can cobble it together when they need to. Scrounge up 17 points. That's what it is. But it helps when that's Waddle is useful in what they need. Like it's he's so key.

When you know the rules of engagement, it allows you to just create a plan that allows you to survive. Because that's kind of their feeling right now. Our QB loves getting rid of the ball quick. We got to run RPO's out of our line. Because he has to, though. He has to. Gaseki's not blocking anybody.

Like, he's a receiver too. So it's like, all right, this is what we're in. All right, let's get a guy that can create some yak. And it's like, at least they stuck in pigeonholed and using Waddle as like just a downfield threat. Like that so many guys think that, oh, we got four three guy. Let's get him down the field. It's like no, Waddle's strength was creating yards after the catch was catching those screens, catching those slants, getting off ball, getting into stack. And, you know, getting free releases on guys.

That is what they're using them like. And it looked like today, really the last couple of weeks, they've really his uptick. Like he's really seen an uptick and not just usage, but like how effective and explosive he is. And it's like, oh, yeah, that's right. There it is. There's the extremely talented guy that we saw at Alabama, even if he's undersized. But it's like, yeah, at this offense, at least they have their path. It's not the most fun path.

It's like a doom and gloom one kind of a little bit. But at least they have answers sometimes. And like you said, they know the rules of engagement. And I think every week they're like, okay, this is our limitations. this is our strength. How are we going to find our strength? And let's see if we can do it. And today they did.

Early in this season, when they were whatever they were, one in four, one and five, whatever the record is, I can't quite remember. It doesn't really matter. Yeah. It felt like the team we were watching was so far removed from what I expected coming into the season. What they look like now, even with their offensive limitations, is within the band of outcomes that I could have expected coming into the year.

Like the way the team they were today, even if you're not super excited about the way they're moving the ball, this feels like the type of team they could have been coming into the season. And it just didn't feel that way six weeks ago. So that's kind of where I'm at with them now. It's like, all right. This feels like a version of the dolphins I might have expected. Now what? I have no idea. I'm in Miami right now.

And I was talking to my fiance's cousin last night. We're just talking about the dolphins, and I was like, I don't, I don't know. Like, I don't know what they're going to do now. Like, he's, the quarterback's playing pretty, like, he's okay. He's playing pretty well. Like, their defense is starting to pick up. It's like, what do you do this off season now? What's your plan?

I mean, it's almost would have been easier if he just played horribly the entire year. Now it just throws a kind of a wrench into it. This is a conversation for another time. But it really does create some confusion about what they're going to be in the long term when you kind of have this version of, of them out there now. It's kind of funny. You say you always wish you was horrible so you can move on, like rip the bandaid off. I know sometimes it's like, oh, no, but I mean, yeah, yeah, we want a game, but no,

what are we going to do now? Because it's like, oh, are we on the upswing and he's figuring it out? Or is it's just like, oh, this is the best we can get out of them. You know, that's, that's for the Miami Dolphins to decide. That is the question for another time. For now, that was the state farm surprising great performance of the week. Because like a good neighbor, state farm is there. get a quote today.

Why don't you explain this to me like I am an eight-year-old? All right. Every Sunday, one or two things happen that we need a little bit more explanation on for how they happened and why. I want to talk about how the Chargers managed to throw up that terrible offensive performance against the Broncos today. You've been champing at the bit this entire show to destroy the Chargers for this game. I'm just going to give you the floor.

Here, I'm going to cede you the podium, sir. What do you want to say about this? I've hinted it at like three times now because I was like I'm just ready to talk about this. But like just look at the throw charts for Justin Herbert and you could like just that's all you need to see. Like the spray chart where he's targeting everything and that's all you need to see. We talk about limitations of offensive line and and talk about backups off backup offensive lines. And the Packers today use quick game to a very great effect. But they also mixed it up a little bit.

They use other things. I've talked about the Patriots against the Cleveland Browns with their Patriots have a good old. line, but against the Cleveland Browns and their dynamic pass rushers and everything. And that game and how they use draws, naked, it's play action, screens, going left to right, gang guys moving side to side, attack it down field, just ways to affect the defense line. With the chargers and it's, my fresh reasons have started a couple of weeks ago when the, in some of their past protection stuff against the Ravens and the Vikings, where they just

gave up and they started sliding guys. And I thought that was really frustrating for me because it's limiting what they can do. And I think they have good players. They have dynamic players in Keenan Allen. They have Austin Eckler. They have Mike Williams, Justin Herbert, of course. Today it was just kind of like watching this offense is it's really just, it's the basic way. It's how a 101 way to attack a defense when we know we have a disadvantage with our offensive line.

And they think running quick game, running these offensive plays, these stick, running spacing. They didn't do it the whole game, but a good chunk of it. is, you know, it's really putting a limitation on the offense. It's because now defenses can drive on stuff. It is, they ran a play today. This is the perfect example here. I'll just put it to this. It was a third and eight and they ran inverted stick, which is two guys run routes

at four yards on a third and eight. And it wasn't a four down situation. I know Brandon Staley loves to go for on fourth down. They punted. Why are you running inverted stick on third and eight? What is inverted stick mean? What are the routes? Oh, okay.

So stick, um, stick is usually the number. number three and number two spot will run quick outs. Inverted stick and the outside guy, number one, the outside receiver run a go clears out. Inverted stick is the number two spot runs an inside fade. The number one spot on the outside runs like a little stop or a hitch. And then number three spot runs a stick route. Same thing. So they ran that route with Jared Cook on third and eight.

And it was just one of those things where it was like give up. They're like, just get the ball out. Wait, we don't care. They did nothing to help the offense. They did nothing to alleviate the offensive line. There's so many batted balls with a six-six quarterback. And Justin Herbert throws a little line drivey. So he gets more bad at balls than you would think.

But there was more of that today because the Broncos defense line was like, oh, quick game again. Hands up. Quick game again. Hands up because they weren't cutting them. They weren't moving the pocket. How you help a quarterback with a bad offense line. And Justin Herbert could do plenty.

He's not some rookie quarterback. I know he's in second year. He doesn't have a ton of starts. But he plays like a vet guy. His eyes are fantastic. He's not only physically gifted. He is a very, very heady quarterback. watching this offense just not do anything.

Make it hard on themselves. We blasted Matt Nagy for stuff. This is just as bad as that. Like that's how bad. That's how kind of upset I am with this. It reminds me of last year's Eagles offense. Like when you can't protect and then we've talked about this. And then you just start squeezing and squeezing and squeezing and just laying on the quick game.

And then people start sitting on stuff. And then you just have no answers. And they just kind of throw your hands up. And it's like, well, I don't know. We're getting the ball out. We're getting the ball out. Hey, the ball's out.

But the thing is, like, defenses are too good for that now. It's not 1998. Like, it's not, like it's not, it's,

defenses have rules. Defenses are very smart about driving on this stuff. And like, okay, the red zone interception was bad by Justin Herbert, but there's, 13. I know.

And it's a game where he's taking a chance. And it's like, dude, I'm not going to like dog what just, like he does enough smart things where it's like, hey, you're going to have those. But it's,

it's just, there's several games of this where it's, it's just they're they're limiting in a way that they shouldn't be limited it's like yes i know they have talent issues up front they've had banged up the left guard was atrocious uh signio calumato he had a rough rough day rough day and i get that but there's when you move a guy nakeds and bootlegs helped the offense align because it's easier on them you also move the pocket you're moving you're moving the aiming point for the pass rushers you're moving their they go they can't just go beeline at eight yards and nine yards now they have to go oh shit i have to

play my rules. Oh, shit, I have to do backside contained. Oh, shit. I, oh, Justin Herbert's all our way outside and I have to chase him down. Man, that was tiring. There's no screens. And it's, they don't have a very fast offense. They have, they have good players, but Keenan Allen, Michael Williamson, Joshua Palmer aren't the fastest guys in the world. But you can still attack intermediate areas. There's no high lows being created. It's, it's everything's underneath or everything's way down the field. There's nothing. There's no underneath and something at 10 to 15 yards. And if you, If you look at that spray chart, that's what it looks like.

Everything is five yards or less. And then there's like three throws, 20 yards more. And there's like one or two throws at like 10 to 15 yards. And if you look at their best plays today, those are the ones that are attacking at 10 to 15 yards or hitting Eckler on a choice route because that's like their best offensive play at this point in time. It really is. And it's not like it's the worst offense in the world, but it's just it should be so much more. I know they have limitations on offense line, but it's like they can be so much more, even without the explosion. in the passing game or from their past catchers, they can be. It's just this quarterback can throw

those throws. The hardest throw to make for a quarterback is the 10 to 20 yard throws. You have a freaking guy that can do it. So do it. It's sorry. It's like I've been pent up with this. I've been online. I got agitated a guy who's just asked me a question on what I, I'm sorry if you're listening. You asked me how I define intermediate. I just said, I don't care. Have a good night. So I'm sorry about that, but it's really, honestly, it's an offense that shouldn't be as limited as it is at this point in time, even with the injuries, because they're past catchers there and Justin Herbert's healthy. And it's like, man, you have your left tackle and your center playing. It's like, those are kind of the two most important spots, right?

So maybe we should shore up everything else. You don't see the Chargers once, right, alluded to what the Bengals doing against the Ravens. And now, and like you said today, they did it. And the Panthers even did it today. No seven man protections. When they do seven man protection, it's full slide. because that's the easy button. They keep hitting the easy button as opposed to finding the matchup advantages and

spamming that. So I just feel like they're taking the easy way out a lot of times. And sometimes, yeah, it's hard to find that and hard to dial up stuff. It takes a lot of teaching to get everyone on the same page. But yeah, that's on them as game plan coaches and putting it and teaching the players. They have smart players. So a little frustrated if people can't sell. Not even a Chargers fan.

I'm just frustrated because I just, I'm disappointed. I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed with this offense right now. Every time I look at those Justin Herbert throw charts, I just start talking like Don Carly. I'm like, look how they massacred my boy. Every single time, that's my reaction. It's like, look how they massacred my boy.

But talking about the Packers versus the Chargers, if you're hiring an offensive-minded head coach, I think part of the interview should be you come to them with a hypothetical situation. Think, all right, you're playing against the Rams with Jalen Ramsey, or excuse me, with Aaron Donald and Von Miller and Leonard Floyd up front. You have one of your day one starting offensive linemen. In the Chargers case, they have two. Similar kind of situation.

You present to the offensive coach. All right, here's the problem. You have one to two of your day one offensive lineman. You're playing against a really good defensive front. I want you to lay out to me step by step, what your game plan is going to be. because of your limitations you have on offense right now. The answer to that question, in my opinion, is what separates the really,

really good offensive coaches in this league from the merely acceptable ones. And I think that you saw that today in those two situations specifically. Yep. And they don't have maybe the one nice little bar razor that the Packers have where it's like, hey, you know, my soft coverage.

Yeah. Rogers and also AJ Dillon. AJ Dillon can just be like, hey, you got a light box? Yeah, I'm going to carry three guys on my back and get seven yards for us. And I get that. But Austin Echo is a good player. And you can find ways to get him the ball and ways for the run game.

You can find advantages to that. And I completely agree with you. It's they have an answer. They're like, this is our answer for the game. And then that's the thing is defenses, good defenses. Hey, guess who, guess who, guess who's defense everyone's copying right now? Yeah, Vic Fangios. So good defenses are going to take away your rock.

Okay, what's your paper and scissors? It was like today. It was like they had rock and they're like, oh, shoot, you can do other stuff. Like that's what it seemed like. And it's like, dude, it's week 12. And this has been something that's, I mean, it's not, I get the old lines banged up, but it's like this has still been stuff that's creeped up even when the old line was healthy. And yeah, it's just gotten frustrating because it's like it's, it shouldn't be this hard.

Like you, Quick game has a place. And I'm not the biggest fan of Quick game, but it has a place. But if you're just spamming it over and over and over and then you're like, oh, okay, here's our play action shot. Let's get to hip slot. And it's like anytime you get into hip slot, here comes play action. It's like everything just is so telegraphed. I think maybe that's the best way to put it. It's telegraphed and it's yeah. It's not fluid. It doesn't, it doesn't flow together in a natural. Disjointed. Yes. And how it should. And we were expecting maybe some more Sean Pateness this with the formation and stuff. And I just don't see that. Everything just looks like,

hey, look at this play. Hey, look at this play. And it's like, okay, well, hopefully it works. And yeah, it's got kind of like a little, uh, it's frustrating. think that's the only way I got for it. I'm going to help you because you're a dare the album and you like danger. Well, Darby Allen, there is nothing you could do that is more dangerous than wrestling

CM Punk. You should see the few years in right now, CM Punk. He's with this guy, MJF. Oh, they would add each other on Wednesday. It was in Chicago.

Oh, it was awesome. Next time you and I are together. I'll make sure that we're together on a night where there's there's wrestling on. And I will. I will sit with you and I will watch wrestling with you for an entire night. That's the type of friend that I am.

What's important to you is important to me because I am a supportive friend and I am here for you. Hey, I listen to more nine inch nails now. So, you know, we slowly influence each other's taste over time. All right. It was a tough day. You know, there was no clear cut belt winner in my mind. There was nobody who ran for 500 yards. It's Leonard Four Net scored four touchdowns, but a couple punch-in scores.

That's not what jumped out to me about the Bucks performance today. I want to give the bell just to build a bell check. This is almost like a lifetime achievement award where you're looking at what they've been over the course of the season. And when we talk about the sum of the parts and everything fitting together and just the Jenga Tower that this kind of team is, I guess that's not a good analogy. I guess it's a puzzle all the pieces of getting out. Jenga Tower falls over. Yeah, yeah. puzzle fitting together.

That's kind of how this Patriots team feels. And just the amount of different, you talk about the play action today. Just the amount of different things they can do in different places they can go. And, you know, J.C. Jackson and two more takeaways today. And just,

it just feels like this is such a pure distillation of the Patriots ethos, this team. And that comes back to Bill Belichick. And this performance today and their continued ascension toward the top of the AFC, I just felt like we should acknowledge him today.

That was my thought. I agree. Yeah, it's, it's like Belichick the GM and Belichick the head coach going to get the, yeah, getting the belt. It's one big belt around him. It's, you know, he doesn't need it with the sweatpants, but it's, you know, he gets this belt. But it's, man, it, watching this team and I alluded to about the, the nine, you know, having go nine deep on offense, but that's how the defense is too. And it's, they, they have answers to everything. It was like, that's what kind of this team feels like. It's like, you want to do this, well, we'll do this. You want to do this. Well, we'll do this. You want to do this. Well, we'll do this. and they're going to make it hard on whoever they play against. And that starts at the top. I mean, every team starts at the top. It really does. Whether GM head coach, really owner, I should say, really, that's where it really starts. But I'm jiggling down.

But with Belichick, it's just, you can see his fingerprints all over this team, not just the defense, but the offense. Because we talk about the guys, it's something we go gaga over and we have on the show about like guys doing dirty work for each other. Watch this offense. Watch these receivers. Watch everybody block for one and and know their assignments, you don't see two guys running the same route. You don't see guys running short on routes.

You don't see the ball going to the wrong spot. Like everything makes sense with what they do. And that's a reflection on Belcheck. It really is. And there's spacing on offense is crazy. It is so perfect all the time. And we talk about Mack Jones in his eyes. Like the only reason it works if you're given a quick look to the flat is if that guy's in

the right spot in the flats. And it's being able to come there and then go back. It's just the ways that they can create these little tiny openings on offense. Today it was with play action, but it's also with route distribution. And that's just the overall vision and the details and how locked in they are to that kind of stuff. And it jumps out all the time. I mean, they are a really fun football team to watch if you enjoy the little tiny details of it. And they are excelling at them all the time right now.

Yep. Details matter. What's their whole line? Do your job. Do your job well. Man, Kendrick, your example, your example, in Kendrick Borges Touchout. him selling it, even though he's at the five yard line, selling it. That's a detail, though.

That's what you tell receiver, sell going vertical. And Kendrick-Borne's like, I'm going to sell going vertical. Hey, that's pretty cool, right? It's cool to see players do what they're supposed. I mean, I shouldn't say like this, but players doing the assignments, executing them exactly how it's dialed up and then like actually being a plus player on top of it. It's really fun to watch. And yeah, it's a little bit of drafting.

It's a little bit of these undrafted free agencies got. It's the signings from this office. It's like it's all come together and it's kind of like, yeah, it's, you can see it coming to fruition, especially on this wind streak they're going on right now. And yeah, this is I, it's a deserving belt right now, even if it is sometimes kind of like it's almost like a season belt, lifetime belt, offseason belt that he's taken right. Sometimes you got to give those out. Like sometimes that happens. It's all right. Every once in a while, that's how it goes. All right. All right. Guys, that's all we got for tonight. Please send in your questions for this

week's mailbag with Mitchell Schwartz by 1 p.m. on Monday. Our phone number, if you guys want to give us a call, which I encourage you to do, is 872-22-2-7073. Again, 872-22-733 if you want to shoot us an email. It's athletic football show at gmail.com. Looking forward to the mailbag show, looking forward to another great week of shows. We've got a lot of fun stuff on tap. For now, I want to say goodbye.

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