The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Week 2 Recap: Cowboys smash Jets, Bengals fall to 0-2, Puka Nacua! and more

Episode Date: September 18, 2023

Robert Mays and Nate Tice recap Week 2 in the NFL on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Are the Cowboys the best team in the league? Who's standing out in the NFC's second tier? Which teams disappointed in Week 2? The guys answer all those questions, and a whole lot more.Follow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Nate on X: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeThis episode is sponsored by Sleep Number®: Save $400 on the New Sleep Number® c4 smart bed. Plus, special financing for a limited time. Only at Sleep Number® stores or sleepnumber.com. Sleep Number. The Official Sleep and Wellness Partner of the National Football League. See store for details.This episode is sponsored by Duer: Don't miss out - for 15% off, go now to shopduer.com and use my promo code: maysThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/MAYS and get on your way to being your best self.This episode is sponsored by Burrow: Show Burrow you’re listening to The Athletic Football Show by shopping at Burrow.com/mays and get 10 percent off your first order. 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. It's my good friend Nate Tyson. How you doing, buddy? Doing very well. That new intro music sets a different mood as I hear it.

Come think with me. As a buddy, you know, it's kind of old mood uses to be, come hang out with me. It's like, now it's like, let's have a little bit of thinking atmosphere right now. But I'm doing great. Week two, almost in the books, got two more games tomorrow. But very, very fun, slate of games. really interesting games today, which we talked about on Thursday. It was kind of hard to narrow down, but kind of lived up to the hype in different ways today. Disappointing ending. I really

wish that that play had gone for a first down. Anytime a big man can rumble for a first down in a crucial moment of a nationally televised game, we're all better off for it. So not about rooting for the Patriots, but I was a little bummed out. I'm in a group text. And obviously somebody was ahead because all I saw it in the text was Gisicki, you genius. And then it was like 10 seconds later the play happened. I was like, because I was like, what happened? I'm like, oh, it's because he went backwards, right? Okay, you're saying sarcastically.

And then that ball went in the air. And I was like, oh, there we go. I thought I wanted the first down, too. I just wanted another fun ending because that game was kind of very interesting game. I'm excited to watch it all back on all 22, but kind of a weird game it felt like. We'll dig into that game later this week. I'm sure on a couple different shows as we watch it. But a couple dot throws by Tua in big moments.

But some Patriots defense really held up. Christian Gonzalez, we talked about coming. into the week second start. He gets AJ Brown and Devante Smith in week one and then Tyreek Smith and Tyreek Hill in week two. Pretty good. Had a pretty good showing against Tyreek Hill. So excited to dig into that game, but we have a lot

that we're going to talk about over the course of this game. A big day for the Chiefs defense, a rough day for the bills, or excuse me, a rough day for the Bengals. The bills get back on track. A lot of fun stuff to dig into. But let's start with a pretty simple question, but an important question two weeks in. Two weeks into the season.

Do you think the Dallas Cowboys are the best team in the NFL? I think yes. I think yes. I think they're just playing the most over two weeks. They've had the most complete games. But, you know, we know what other teams are capable of. But I think they've put together the best two games set right now and thus are playing the best football right now. And thus are the best team.

Watching them play against the Jets, obviously it helps to play against Zach Wilson when you have arguably the best defense in the league. And I think the Cowboys might have the best defense in the league. We both thought they would coming into the season. They're playing on a pretty special level right now. Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones aside. Watching that game today, it's hard not to conclude that at this very moment, Micah Parsons is probably the most valuable non-quarterback in the NFL. He's just moving at a completely different speed.

He's affecting plays at a clip that we see very few defensive players do ever, such that Tony Romo was evoking the name of Lawrence Taylor when he was talking about Michael Parsons today multiple different times. And while that is extreme, I understand it in the moment with some of the stuff that he's doing and with the way that that defense is playing. But what really impressed me today is the way that offense played against a very, very good Jets defense. At his best, my favorite version of Dak Prescott is the surgical version. The guy that just has total command picking you apart in the quick game, intermediate areas of the field. And that's what we got today.

And if we have this version of the Cowboys offense with this version of the Cowboys defense, they suddenly become a very scary proposition, not only in the NFC, but in the NFL at large. They look like they're on par with the big boys with the AFC that have two good units. And what we've seen the Eagles at their high, especially last year, have two good sides of the ball, offense and defense. And we know the defense, even if there is some like, okay, there might be a little regression here or there. it was just like, well, they have answers to what we had questions in the past. You know, quarterback two, maybe some safety death, maybe linebacker answers. And they just go, well, throw more dbs at it. That's just like, it's just like a producer on a movie.

Throw some more money at it. It's like, no, just throw some more dbs at it. And it works. But the offense right now, even I had some questions of, is a run game going to be sustainable? Okay, so maybe injuries already to the offense align, which has hurt this team in the past. Like you said, seeing DAC and really a game plan that made sense to use quick. game to supplement the run game and limit the pass rush from the opposing team from the Jets,

which is anyone who's watch Hard Knocks, anyone who's to pay attention to the NFL. That is like one of the best units in the entire week is the Jets pass rush. So this is how you nullified. Dack had 29 pass attempts that were five eight yards are shorter. So it was quite four for the day. It was, it was quick game screens, five step ball and out throw. So everything was just timing, timing, time, get the ball out, get the ball out. And he had 10 first downs on those attempts.

It was just only got hit twice on those, like 20 of his attempts for two and a half seconds or shorter. So it was just get the ball out with his playmaker. So when you have not only CD Lamb, who is a true ace pass catcher, when you have nice complimentary pieces and when you're doing all this quick game and making all five options, like average or better or above average or better, that's really hard to four quarters, even if you're stopping the run game and making it hard on that side of the ball. So just seeing DAC with some cool design, some cool quick game, under center three step stuff. which is like, oh my God. Like you never see. I used to like Dack or Kirk Cousins likes to do it. And I've made fun of it over the years.

But it's like all of a sudden see Dack do it. And I was like, oh, my God. But it's great. He's operating perfectly in that. And it's like seeing the Mike McCarthy slant flat in a positive way. Like, actually that's what it felt like today. It was kind of a, you know, it was Requiem for him a little bit. Yeah.

It actually makes a lot of sense against this team specifically. But I think the early returns on the Mike McCarthy led Cowboys offense have been overly positive. through two games. And when you combine that with the way the defense is playing, it's hard not to be incredibly enthusiastic about this team. Even when you contrast that with what's happening with the other elite teams in the NFC, the Eagles have had an uneven start to their season, especially with some of the injuries that they've had on defense.

And I'm excited about the Niners. The Niners have a ton of talent top to bottom. But this is one of those games today from Brock Purdy where he misses three or four, five throws. And you just think, man, having an elite quarterback or a borderline elite quarterback like Doc Scott can play like at times. And having that guy be your signal caller, the guy that he has the game in his hands

compared to a guy like Brock Purdy. It's where the Cowboys just have a slight edge to me right now with this version on full display. And the defense, it's so cool the answers that they're coming up with. The defensive fronts, of course, just outstanding. Like they're doing like the five-man front stuff. The DBs have all those answers. You have different size.

You saw everybody making a play, taking turns today. But then on top of that, it's just like where you're saying with DAC as opposed to maybe a Purdy of the world is against the 49ers, if the game script's in the 49ers favor or at least somewhat neutral, they're going to be ahead. But the thing is if it's, okay, we're getting behind it. We do have to throw the ball at 12, 7, 8 times on this drive. That's where you give up the bump up for Dak. So I think, you know, regular season, of course, I think this is kind of even. But it is going to be interesting as the season goes along and defense to start tightening on what each team is doing. And if mistakes get punished, I actually think

Purdy has done some nice things over two weeks, but there are some balls that's, this is how he plays. He's going to take some chances and sometimes he misses. It is what it is. But that is just going to be the difference sometimes of some of these close games, especially when the FC starts tightening. You see some, you know, teams rising up. Combine with some of the quick game stuff and just how it get that kind of control

the game that way today, there were some that he just let rip. And that's what you love to see. That scene ball, the CD, the slug of the CD early in the game, that third and 14 where he slid out of the pocket. There was just enough playmaking combined. with kind of the game management that when you throw all of that in into a recipe with that defense, this is a really scary team. So a lot of other, we'll get to the bills a little bit later today.

They looked a lot better, but hard not to be excited about what the Cowboys have done over the last two games. Let's talk about some other teams where there's a little bit of an excitement brew, and it's time for you have my attention. Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention. Start with the Kansas City Chiefs Defense. Chief's defense, you have my attention. Jags had 4.2 yards per play today. They were three of 12 on third down.

Trevor Lawrence finished with one of the worst EPA per dropback numbers of any quarterback in the league this week. They made it incredibly difficult on a Jags offense that I think both of us thought would be among the best offenses in the league this season. Trevor Lawrence, kind of a budding superstar or quarterback. What did you see from the Chief's defense today that really stood out to you? A young defense's continued growth along with a defensive player of the year candidate. We're coming back in a proeval year.

Just a combination of those two things, really big factors. But first thing is, of course, Chris Jones coming back and everybody else, all the other pass rushers bumping down and roll. And I mean that in a good way. So Carl Loftus have a big day. And he's going to be a nut. Like that's, I think is where his ideal version is, is these two strong pass rushers can kind of work together. On top of it, just other guys. Dana gets better, FAU gets better, so they just get better looks. But also DB-wise and past coverage-wise,

I think a perfect example to show like kind of where this Chief's defense is ascending, even as last season went along and now in this season, was there's a third and two play to Christian Kirk. It was pretty early in the game. Christian Kirk is lined up in the backfield and releases across the formation. And the Chiefs are in man, but they bump, they bump it off because they realize it's going to be like a pick kind of play or a cross-formation kind of play. But just seeing these young DBs all in their second year along with Reed and other kind of a couple of other vets that they have there just going do do do do bump it off. And I compare in my mind to, it's like if you played NFL Blitz or any football video game

and when you switch characters and you know your character slightly pauses just for a split second, that's kind of how each chiefs defender did as they like pass the thing off. So it was a really, really interesting, really nice play by this defense. And I think they're going to be a plus plus unit throughout the season if they can stay healthy at linebacker. And they just have better answers than they ever had under Spagnola. Was that the player where Watson kind of planted him for a short game? Was that the player you were talking about?

So that play jumped out to me. And so they tried to sneak him out on that third and one. And the Jags had done such a good job over the last couple years with misdirection. Misdirection, motion, rub routes, just using alignment to their advantage. They take advantage of undisciplined defenses. And that was the thing that really stuck out to me today is just how discipline the secondary for the chiefs played. That one jumped out, obviously. but there was another, Trem McDuffie had a couple of them today.

There was one, there was a second and five, was a play action, and I think it was Kirk again, kind of feigned a block on him and then tried to release out to the right side. He was on him the entire time. And just those kind of misdirection, trickeration, whatever you want to call them plays where discipline is at a premium, they had four or five moments in those today where they just weren't taken advantage of.

So you combine that sort of discipline from the secondary, a talented secondary, with true superstar level play from Chris Jones today. Whether it was as a defensive tackle, whether it was lined up out on the edge, he was affecting plays constantly. So that combination of just having soundness everywhere else and game wrecking mayhem from one guy up front,

it's not a bad combination, not a bad little mixture if that's what you want the chief's defense to be. Young legs and a couple stars. It's a pretty good formula. That's kind of how you have to do it. But honestly, these are two damn good offenses that the chiefs have played so far the season. The Lions and now the Jags, who both get after you and both test your rules and very interesting

ways. They're very fun offenses to watch, but also just offenses that will test your rules and break your rules. If you're wondering why there's a whole bunch of bubbles today, not only do the Jags like to run that to Evan Ingram and all their other players, that was because they're catching the Chiefs and Blitzes. The Blitzes were blitzing, or the Plitses were blitzing a ton. They might as well be the blitzers.

but they were blitzing a ton, but that was testing the rules. And the Chiefs didn't break. Like, yeah, that's what the Jags are going to do in the run game and the past game. They're just going to keep just poking and popping all your stuff. So as they were just pushing the ball against them, it was just this Chief's defense responding. And then just having the a aces to get after the quarterback who, even with a leaky offense line that the Jags had today, yes, they kind of all the guys played, but they're banged up and they're going against a Chief's defense that was really firing on all cylinders today.

but Trevor Lawrence gets her the ball quickly. He moves around. He was affected today. And that's really hard to affect him throughout four quarters today. Even though it's like the most interesting nine points in offense has ever scored, that that's just what's fun about this Jags offense. It's just like, there's some cool plays between Trevor Lawrence and Ridley and some cool designs.

Zay Jones has like, where's the size 10 and a half instead of a size 11, you know, they would score a couple more touchdowns or something like that. So it's just an interesting offense, but the chiefs are good on both sides of the ball. They're a good team. Of course, they're defending Super Bowl chance. I was going to ask you if you were a little bit concerned about the Jags offense after that performance today. But it really did just feel like a lot of near misses. Just some dropped screens. It plays in the end zone that were near completions.

They were three of 12 on third down. The running game was not efficient. Again, and I think that's going to be a consistent concern. 33% success rate for ATNA at 12 carries for 40 yards. And I know the interior of the offensive lines banged up, et cetera. but that element I do feel like is something that to keep an eye on moving forward. But I think a lot of those near misses in the passing game are not going to be near misses every time. And they'll probably be able to get right sooner rather than later.

And you don't always play the Chiefs. You know, the Jags are a good team, but the Chiefs are a very good team right at this point in time. And it's cool seeing the Jaggs offense. And I'm really interested to watch this game a back layer this week. But it was the Jags offense finding different answers with their personnel now. Okay, we have Calvin Ridley. Okay, we have to design past plays around him. All right, Zay Jones, how are we going to use you?

Remember the play action plays, Chris Manhurts of all people? I'm like, man, how are the Jags are replaced Chris Mannhurst? They're doing it with Zay Jones of all people because they're just getting into lighter bodies and figuring out this new personnel. And I just trust that offensive staff because of what they did last year. And they also just got an awesome quarterback with an awesome number one option. So they're going to have better times than they did today. And they're not going to play Grants, Chris Jones,

every week. And he was that good today where he, he affected the game enough where it leaves me optimistic about the Jaguar's defense playing against teams that don't have a presence like that. Let's get to our next one here. The second tier of the NFC, you have my attention. We wanted to bucket this together because the Seahawks Lions game and the Packers Falcons game today, both very entertaining games that were just full of really good football all the way around. Which of these games do you want to start with. Let's go Seahawks Lions, because that's why I control left first. So we'll

start with that one. First thing, I don't think the Seahawks are going to be stopping many people this year. And second thing, I don't think the Lions are going to be stopping many people this year. But I think us as the consumer and the Watchers of football are really going to enjoy it. I think these are

two teams and the other games, the Packers and the Falcons, are four very fun, fun teams, entertaining offenses, entertaining a players on both sides of the ball, but very flawed teams, which are going to be very interesting to watch. I guess that's upsetting very, but interesting to watch as the season goes along. So, but Seahawks and Lions was, yeah, it was something.

It was something. There was some haymakers getting thrown at both sides of the ball. So many interesting little wrinkles on each side of the ball offensively. The thing that really jumped out to me and really kind of digging into it immediately here, the work that the Seahawks did with three tight ends on the field throwing the football today was remarkable. Gino was, I believe, oh, I got it. You have it. You have it in front of you? So the Seahawks, uh, Seahawks got the, Seahawks got the lines of base on 11 dropbacks. So there's nine efficient plays, six explosive plays and 22 total plays that they got them in base, 12 first downs.

So they just got them to three linebackers and just absolutely shredded them the entire day. So I had it with a 13 personnel stats. Out of 13 personnel, Gino was six of seven for 103 yards today. with five passing first downs, he had a 0.97 EPA per dropback. So every time the Seahawks used three tight ends and threw the football today, they got a point, essentially. That's how efficient it was.

And in overtime, they had two huge chunk completions in overtime. The first was a chunking into Noah Fant out of that look to start the quarter, start the period. And then Kobe Parkinson, that chunk gain down the left sideline, also out of 13 personnel.

So just those little wrinkles, that they were using out of that personnel group and consistently giving the Lions trouble. And on the other side of the ball, the Lions did a whole host of interesting shit. I mean, the way that they're using Jemir Gibbs in the passing game, there's so many different aspects to that offense where I come away from this game feeling very optimistic

about the way that both of those units are going to move the football over the course of the season. Two good offense coordinators and both have some talent at their hands and they're just really trusting their quarterbacks to do some stuff. as far as like, I shouldn't say do some stuff. They're not really creating too much, but they're really pushing the ball. And they're, I mean, Jared Groff ripped about three scenes. Oh, Gina.

Gino was always going to rip it. And he had a nice scramble. Well, even creation in the pocket. Yeah, the scramble that went late in the game was huge. And him just moving around the pocket and navigating the pocket, I thought was excellent today, especially with his two tackles not playing in this game. So he finished nine of 13 for 104 yards when blitzed in this game, which I thought was a huge kind of.

a swing for the Seahawks in their favor when you consider the state of their offensive line. He took one sack. It was a terrible sack. He only got hit once, though. That was the only time we got hit was that sack. One sack on one hit period on 44 dropbacks. That's pretty good protection with tackles being banged up and out and not in. But if you just want to look at why they're doing all this play action, it was to get the linebackers in conflict, the Lions linebackers.

And there was a draw play. And so not even a pass play, but a draw play, I want to say in the second half, Anzalone, because the lines when they're in base were running a lot of a spot drop. So they're just running out there and getting into their zone coverage. So they ran a draw play. Anzolone ran all the way to the sideline. And Kenneth Walker gained about 15 yards before he realized that it was actually a run play. And so that's what they're just doing over and over.

They're just getting these linebackers in conflict over and over and it was working. I mean, the Noah Gray wheel route was awesome. That was out of 13 personnel in the second quarter. They were doing some really good stuff. And then on the other side of the ball, the lions and their designer plays are the best. Like the flea flicker, the fourth quarter to the fourth down counterplay to St. Brown. They just do some really cool stuff on third and fourth down and shot plays.

It's just that sometimes it's just a race to 40 points, I guess, when I think with both of these teams. I think we saw some glimpses of what Jemir Gibbs can be as a weapon in the passing game, some of the option routes, the angle stuff from him out of the backfield. I think we're going to see more of that as the year goes on. We'll see what happens with David Montgomery. He banged up his thigh in this game if he's going to miss some time. I think that dings this team. But again, they have other options at running back, obviously.

What did you think of this is the first time we got to look at Devin Wetherspoon? What did you think of him? Because I think it was kind of a mixed day for the most part. They took advantage of him on that flea flicker. It was one play after he got called for past interference. I don't think that was an accident. It's like, all right, we're a little rattles. This is the time.

This is the moment. also speaking of rookies, Laporta had some nice moments, although as a pass catcher, the run blocking, the Dave Montgomery fumble was him getting blown up by Nuoosu. So again, that's the good and the bad of Laporta.

But Gibbs, like, Gibbs is so explosive. And like some, even the pick that golf had, that was going to be a choice route to Gibbs. That probably would have gone for explosive play. But if you want to see why they're hesitant to playing on passing downs or short yardage, was he got Stonewalled on a,

third and short. And then on fourth down, he gets blown up and golf gets pressure because of that when he has to be in pass protection. It was like, Montgomery isn't like the most explosive back, but that's his use. It's to take some charges and pass pro and eat those one yards and get those first downs. He's the innings eater. So that's the give and take of having Jumeer Gibbs. He's going to get better.

His eyes go to the right spot. It's just, you know, he's got to get his leverage. He's got work on his leverage a little bit. Let's go to Packers Falcons here. So another game with two of these teams that we feel, you know, played a lot of good football. they're going to be that second tier in the NFC going to play a lot of entertaining football and be relevant in this playoff race.

Number one thing that jumped out to you about Packers, Falcons, today. All the first downs that happened. It was like 40 something, 44 total first downs in this game, which is always getting entertaining. Only two sacks. One of them was for like a yard.

So, you know, not a lot of negative plays. But I mean, let's start with Arthur Smith's on fourth down. Let's just start first or foremost with that. Like Arthur Smith. should be the nerd king because he runs play action a bunch and then he also just goes for fourth down a bunch. But the nerds hate him. And he uses 12 personnel a bunch. Isn't it like just the nerds favorite things over and over, all of them at one spot? But he should be the nerd king. But went for it. Next

Gen stats tweeted this, but kind of figured out. The Falcons went for it on fourth down five times throughout the game. The offense converted three times, failed once and called for a false start on the other. The next gen stats decision guy agreed with all 10 of Arthur Smith's fourth down, decisions today. Nerd King, Arthur Smith, but also just really fun offenses, but also flawed teams. So you can just see the good and bad of these teams and how they're built offensively and defensively. I thought the Falcons run game today was excellent. I think they were 211 yards, the 48.7% success rate, which would have led the league last year. And some of those fourth down decisions when you got fourth and inches, fourth and one, the option just pitch it back to B. John

Robinson is not the worst solution. Nope. That guy is unreal. And you have a well-designed run game with that sort of talent and a guy like Tyler Alger. And we just see how dynamic and dangerous it can be when you see it all in totality. You've got this guy who was one of the most efficient runners in the league last year. It's kind of a big bruising back. And then you have already one of the like four or five most electric guys in the league with a ball in his hands. I'm comfortable saying that. Every time he's hutches it, I feel like I have to take a breath because of how ridiculous it is.

Anything could happen when any single time he touches the ball and were two games into his career. It's ridiculous. I'm excited because they sub them so much with Alger. I think which is smart, but they sub them and out. Every time he's out, I'm always kind of like, oh, like, and I really like Alger. I'm like, nice back. I was high on him coming out of the draft too, but it's just Vijon is something else. There's some of those runs that, again, it's taking a zero-yard run and turning it to 16.

It's the four-yard run and making it six. It's like just every touch he gets. And they're splitting them out on third down and designing plays for him to beat up on linebackers and it's making it look easy. And then he gets yards after the catch. Like he's just so fluid as an athlete. He's fantastic. And then just how they use everybody, you can see it kind of coming into itself.

The Falcon's offense, they had some limits, you know, last week, you know, or kind of had some rough patches last week. But just this week using the eye candy, just using Kyle Pitts as sometimes just an eye candy guy going on like split zone. And he doesn't even have to block anybody. It draws two defenders and opens up stuff in the run game. But also just using play action stuff off of runs that they've already shown. Like they had a really fun run last week.

It was a counterplay with the center and the fullback. Today they ran it a couple times, but then they ran a play action off of it today. Slacked cow pits. Yes. And it was the exact same spot on the field that they ran the play last week. And it was like, oh, there's a little tendency breaker already. So I just think this offense is going to take a little time to get going. Ritter just is terrifying.

First quarter, Ritter is the most terrifying quarterback to watch. He's just like this in college. He has to get hit once, and then all of a sudden he just calms down. But it's just until then, dude, it was just, at first quarter, it was like, what are you doing? And then he calmed down as the game went along. But that first quarter was pretty terrifying with him. I don't know what to make of him. I truly don't know what to make of him right now because there were three or four decisions in this game again today that made me want to tear my hair out.

Jair Alexander drops an interception. Quay Walker drops an interception. Just horrifying decisions a couple different times. But then what I'm really impressed me in a couple moments today is some of the off platform, arm angle, slot changing throws. He's more creative as a thrower than I expected him to be, which really jumped out today. And the ways they used him with his legs, especially in the red zone. That play where they're motioning John Hsu Smith back across and it's a design quarterback keeper to that left side.

They used it twice in the red zone, once to score. a touchdown. So his ability to do some stuff with his legs and the creativity as a thrower, it almost offsets, almost offsets the near picks that we're thrown today. So I don't know what to make of it because he converts some third and longs that like and you're just like, what the hell is that? He hits like a digger out and you're like, there. Yeah, the dagger to Drake London is just a strike that he throws on third and 15. And so it's like, okay, like you're not just kind of along for the ride here. I hope that it settles down over the course of the season. Because what I think both of us collectively thought about this offense coming into the year in that

everything else around it is going to be so dynamic and dangerous. He just needs to keep the train on the tracks. And this thing is going to be a runaway train. And that is what it felt like after today where if you're making the right plays, man, you have so much talent on this team. We saw what Drake London can do today. He snapped off Jaya Alexander on a huge completion late in the game. This team has so much talent at their disposal and they're deployed in interesting enough ways that as long as his decision making is like a B plus combined with like a B minus in the playmaking category, they can be a really dangerous offense.

And I think you saw glimpses of that today. There's some third downs. And he hit one to Johnny Smith early where he tries shit and he's going to get punished. Like don't get me wrong. But it's sometimes I want to just tell him like stop galaxy burning some stuff. the Quay Walker one was one, him trying to get to like the third read when the second read was like running wide open. And he was trying to, he was trying to be like Mr.

like 301 level like right there. And it was like, no, just take it. You have like, I think it was like Kyle Pitts. I was like, you have Kyle Pitts screaming to the opposite corner. It's like just throw it. But I do like how he operates on third down. And you could just, again, like you sent a sense of calm and just these players, man. They just have some real, real dudes.

Even Mack Hollins is making a lot of plays. And it's really nice how they're, now they're figuring out the chemistry and the formula with all these guys. Sometimes it's, okay, how do we spread this ball out? And I think every game is going to be so interesting how the ball gets spread out and what they take advantage of because they're going to have a lot of answers. I really do think that's why I'm so high on them. And I think the pack, sorry, I don't know if we're going to talk Packers, because I was going to say, we're talking all this excitement about the Falcons, they ultimately win this game. But if Jordan Love doesn't get a weird false start on a fourth and one late in the game, the Packers absolutely could have won this thing. loves numbers in this game. If you just look at the advanced stats are very, very good. He's firing him. But it's, you know, you miss Aaron Jones today. And you can really feel like this is a kind of a no kidding statement, but you can really feel missing that Christian Watson, that ace pass catcher in their passing attack.

And like, yes, you can dial up and scheme up a lot of plays. But especially in the second half when the Falcons, the Falcons past defense, I really like. I even liked it last week against Carolina. they're like as far as the coverage wise. Pass rush is up and down and rodden defense is up and down, but I do like their past defense. I'm not willing to say that. After the Trey Flowers game today,

I am not willing to say that I like the Falcons past defense. Everything outside of Trey Flowers, I think, might be fine. He eventually got yanked in this game from my cues. But that was the Packers passing game plan in the second half. We are going to isolate Trey Flowers on every single play. And that's, it's funny that we've got to this moment where I really want to see this Falcons past defense with Jeff Okuda because that's what they've been getting from Trey Flowers over the last couple of games. He's just not a starting outside corner in the NFL right now.

He's a role player. He's supposed to be in dime to like defend tight ends. He's the tight end racer. But the other corner, AJ Terrell, still good, had a beautiful PBA in the end zone where you just poked it out late. That was really nice against Wix, I think it was. But I think that the Packers, though, have a fun offense. They're missing some pieces. Bakhtiari's sad today, which is, I think, going to be a thing every time they play on turf.

But it's just, it's weird, right? What was that? It's so strange. It's so strange. I just don't know how to talk about it because it's his body. I understand it. He doesn't feel comfortable clearly playing on certain types of surfaces. But you could hear the frustration, I think, in Matt Fleur's voice today when he was asked

about it. He really didn't want to talk about it. And it was, I think, I want to say it was Matt Schneiderman from the athletic, kind of said, you know, is this just going to be a continuing thing? And he was just like, guys, we've been talking about this for two years. Like, I'm not going to talk about this anymore. And the fact that the injury was two years ago and you're missing your all pro left tackle in some of these games simply because he can't play on certain surfaces, it's a little bit frustrating. When you look at the way he played last week and the way the line as a whole played last week

when all those guys are on the field, not having that group in hugely important games really does matter. And it's not only just talent-wise, too. It's chemistry and working together as we talk about, like your fellow lineman. And today, I just don't want one offhand. And again, this will show itself in all 22. But I noticed a play that the left tackle, I think they might have been rotating left tackles. But one of the left tackers was in there for a little bit. Yeah, I couldn't tell. But Walker, who had a nice preseason. Again, the Packers are like eight deep, but offense line sick. But they, but he, having said that, does have a lot of reps, he missed a blitz. And it got beat inside and being a pressure on Jordan Love. I think a sack

on Jordan Love or at least that maybe that was the one sack. But that's just what happens when you don't have your left tackle that's had 100-something starts in the NFL. That experience is invaluable. And I think it is very frustrating, especially it's, you know, it's like a home and away split. You know, it's like you're platooning, your offensive line. You don't want to do that. You want these guys to build chemistry as the season goes along, especially for a Packers team that's going to live with an awesome run game and some cool play action stuff. problem with that potentially is that Elton Jenkins also got hurt in this game and could potentially miss a chunk of time. So now we're down all pro left tackles and all pro bowl left guards. And that is not where you want to be two weeks into the season.

But I think a lot of good stuff from the Packers today without their two most dynamic players in the scope position groups and an all pro left tackle. Like this team is going to be around the entire season. Are you a little bit worried about the spine of the defense and the quality that they have? its safety and what that's going to mean against offenses like the ones they face today that are going to kind of pick and pick at the places where you're weakest. I think they are improved from what we've seen before where you can just, hey, what's run the ball and we're getting six yards of pop? Oh, absolutely. This was a Stalismic fights kind of match up.

The Falcons getting them into heavy personnel. That is not how the Packers want to live when they're just in base three, four. And that just kind of gets them uncomfortable. And I think that, of course, that's what the Falcons want to do. They're like a triple option team basically. They're not actually, but that's how you have to, like, defend against them. Let's move on here and let's get our next attention grabber. And that is Lamar Jackson.

Lamar Jackson and this Ravens offense in general, you have my attention. We're going to talk about the Bengals a little bit later in a disappointing start, but I didn't want to just have this be Bengals lament because I really wanted to acknowledge what that Ravens offense looked like today and specifically what Lamar Jackson did in that Ravens offense today. He was dialed in. He absolutely was. And seeing two plays I want to highlight that kind of show, I think, what we're going

to see with 2023 Lamar, or at least big aspects of it, is they're both the Nelson Aguilar, funnily enough, not too. OBJ or Rashah Bateman or Zay Flowers, although they had nice plays as well. But it was Lamar in a two-minute drill hitting Nelson Aguilar on a scene ball. And it was just him sitting in the pocket and progressing. Two-minute drill. It's a pure progression read, meaning he goes left to right, one to two, to three. He sits in a pocket. He's not bouncy. His feet are nice and calm. His eyes are nice and calm. He gets to his third read. And hits Aguilar for on a seam. I think it's like a 15, 20-yard gain. And it's cool to see him get to that third read. And this is, so I looked it up. And this is the most that Lamar has thrown from the pocket in his entire career as a starter. This is the most, the highest rate that he's ever had true dropbacks, meaning non-play action, non-screens. And you can see. You can, you can see. see it. It's really cool. And then the other play I want to highlight is, even though he's had some up and down moments already this season against the Blitz was the inside fade to Nelson Hagelar for

the touchdown. Against the Blitz, man coverage look, it's just a simple answer. Inside fade, everyone does it. But you can just see the confidence that they have to run these types of plays. And also when he has a little bit better playmakers around him, oh yeah, blitzing against him is not as easy as an answer as it maybe used to be against this Ravens offense. So many great moments today. It was every. everything he could be. Today was just a summation of everything you want to see from him. A couple of those blitzes, twice, they brought a safety off the edge. And he just made a miss in space. Just very subtly, very casually sidesteps him continues to play. And what was so encouraging

today is when the pocket did get muddy and when there was a little bit of pressure, he was just so calm and how casually he was navigating that space. His pocket manipulation and movement in this game was absolutely excellent. And then you combine that with just the ability to take off and scramble every once in a while. But that's not what he's looking to do. And that's what's so encouraging here. And you could just feel the amount of heat they have on the outside from the first moment in this game.

He hits OBJ. I think it was on a quick little out on second down on first on the first drive of the game. They get a defensive holding call that Zay Flowers draws on the first drive of the game. And multiple plays you're talking about with Aguilar. I said a lot this summer. I'm excited about OBJ. I'm excited about Zay Flowers. I'm excited about Rashad Bateman and the kind of top of the roster receiving talent that they now have.

To me, the most telling addition that they made this year is that Nelson Agalor is now their number four receiver. He is a real NFL player. And you saw that today. He is a contributor to this offense potentially. And all of those moments where they're getting five guys out in the route and just looking like a modern NFL offense and letting him operate like a modern NFL offense and letting him operate like a modern NFL quarterback and him showing us he can do that, it's extremely exciting when you

have that sort of player in the athletic and gift package that Lamar Jackson is. And he's throwing the trick shots over the middle to Mark Andrews still and doing all the creation stuff. And like you're saying, he's a smart scrambler now and using it and not just, that's a crutch sometimes where he used to be kind of like one and done with the reads. And sometimes that was by design. But now it truly feels like he's getting through. all the stuff he can down the field is going, look at the space in front of me.

I'm going to take eight yards right here. And he's as good as anybody. You know, he still has those moments like Wayne Gretzky where he just bounces off the hits. It's so strange. No one get a clean shot on him. But it's cool to see the maturity of the past game. I mentioned last week or going into this week that they are letting him control more at the line of scrimmage. And seeing him's calmness in the dropback game, it feels like him at Louisville with Bobby Petrino.

But even just the past concepts are real big boy pulling. place, real concepts, real, like you said, a modern passing game. And he's operating it like a pro. Like, he has so much maturity in that area. And seeing Lamar truly the dropback passer so far has been just so cool. And I just think it's just going to get better and better as they figure out their pieces. You average 0.26 EPA per play today. Just for context, that would be, I believe, second in the NFL last season behind Mahomes or right there with Mahomes for the best number in the league.

The box score stats, he threw for 237. yards today aren't going to jump out to you. No. But consistent, I don't, I was going to say consistent positive plays. I don't even know how many negative plays he made in this game today. The ratio of positive to negative was like 90-10. Like every single time they put the ball in his hands, something good happened today outside of maybe one or two moments.

And that's remarkable against a pretty solid Bengals defense. One of the questions that we had this offseason was, okay, theoretically, put him in this sort of offense with these sort of past catchers should raise the ceiling of what the Ravens offense can be. But we don't know that for a fact because we've never seen it before. Maybe he kind of Peter principles himself and we've seen the best from him because he needed to be put in that specific sort of structure to thrive. Today is a very loud announcement that that is not the case, that we are going to see a different ceiling potentially with this offense and with him by putting him in these sort of circumstances.

It's just cool seeing him target, you know, the auxiliary targets and those are positive performers. Like you're saying, it's like when all five guys out there are plus performers catching the ball, that's good. That's good. So when you do have these mature passing games and it's just one and done reads, it's awesome. I just want to one last play that they had and this is just kind of to show that they're running the real stuff. They kind of did their version. It's 989, a mirrored concept, but they did it with two curls.

and they just run true mirrored concepts. They're letting their guys win. And they're letting Lamar pick a throw and make throws. And they have a middle redrout. And he's just getting through stuff like that. These are real concepts. So it's cool to just see them be efficient in the run game with Gus Bus and just plowing ahead, running old school eye formation stuff, spreading it out, just running a little bit

of everything and excelling at it. I'm very excited about this Ravens offense, especially as they get, you know, healthier and stay healthy as the season goes along. group we're not as excited about potentially is this Bengals team after their O&2 start. Let's get to Not Mad, just disappointed. I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed. For those that are unfamiliar, each week we pick a couple of performances and discuss the ones that didn't leave us upset.

We're just a little bit disappointed. And I think that that's fitting for this Bengals team that has started, O&2, had another pretty big letdown today on offense, especially. How worried are you about the Bengals after this start and after the game that they put together today? I'm pretty worried. I'm very, very worried about that Joe Burrow-Kaff. It's a thing. It's a thing. Just how underlying stats, just watching them, just seeing him kind of favor it and just seeing, I think, even how the game ended. But just seeing him not like kind of get into that creation stuff that we've seen him get into. And finding defense is find an answer. And I think they're struggling to find their counterpunch to that. at this point in time.

And it just feels off. Everything just feels disjointed. And I think the calf injury has a lot to tie in with that. But they just one stat to kind of show the struggles with this offense, other than just watching the games is 60% of their drives have finished in a three and out so far this season. Like they're just not sustaining anything and they're not getting any explosive plays. They just don't feel like they're throwing any punches that are real.

Everything just feels like just a glancing blow. Yeah, that's a very good way of putting it. where when they make a play, it almost feels surprising. And they were actually much better on third down today than you might expect from a team that struggled offensively. They could not move the ball on early downs, but they were actually pretty good on third down, which is not the way that you want to have to live. And he was moving around a little bit better today than he did in the first game. Like there were a couple plays where he was kind of creating and extending plays.

But then when he aggravated it in the second half and you see him using the massage gun on it after that touchdown, now it's a question of is it going to be even worse. If this was him at a playable level where the calf was feeling okay, now after hurting it again, what are we going to see from them moving forward? Yeah, that's what's scary. And so just even like right now,

like the changing picture stuff is what's given them the issues right now. Is Burrow not going to be able to confirm and not really trusting his old line and again, the calf stuff. Right now, he's had 21 past attempts of 10 or more area arts the season. so like actually pushing the ball down the field. He's only completed six.

None have gained more than 20 yards. Remember their original feeling sometimes with this Bengals offense that they didn't hit those go balls? It was just tight. Everything's just getting tight on everything. That's how the team feels. I think defenses are making them check down and teeing off on them checking it down and taking away their best weapons.

There was some cool stuff from the Bengals design. You're like, oh, there it is. Like the T. Higgins touchdown, like a little stack alignment that they ran. Like they understand it. It's just the execution's not there. The stuff that kind of made them sustainable last year, you know, the checking the ball down, I think defenses are kind of playing off of that, taking that away, which was a nice safety blanket to keep them on schedule. And they're not creating explosives.

So they have no real answers right now. And they're just, I think they're just kind of, I am pretty worried because especially that calf, if he was healthy, I'd be like, oh, he'll figure it out. But right now it's kind of like, it's really bothering him. It's really bothering the whole offense. The fact that it could be worse physically for him than it was over the first two weeks over the next couple. weeks because he heard it again, that's really scary with how poorly they were playing. And it wasn't like today wasn't a total disaster. Like there were a couple bad moments. If Irv Smith keeps his foot and bounds on that first throw down the right sideline, they sustain that drive. He throws a bad

pick in the red zone that that's not a design or calf issue. That's just a terrible decision. That's actually like, I know what you know, what I know what you know what I know play. It was so it was pretty cool because they ran a double move to Higgins. like, kind of like, hey, he's going to stop and then go up vertical through the, through the middle of the field. And they're playing off quarters where they're saying, oh, the backside quarters, the backside safety is going to help out with Jamar Chase because that's what normal defenses would do, right?

They're going to double team chase on a third downplay in the red zone, or I think it was third down, but in the red zone. And the backside safety comes off that and then poaches over and just picks it off. So it was kind of a brook can't drive it to like mitigate any damage there. And so it's just a bad play. It ends up being really bad, but it was the Ravens knowing what they were trying to get to. So division battles. And the Ravens defense really just has their number right now.

Like they just had there's page ahead on a lot of stuff. And they're finding answers before borough their offenses. Yeah. And I'm with you. If he was healthy, I would just say, they'll figure it out. Yeah. We've seen rough starts from them before. He didn't play in training camp.

Think back to the first three or four games of last Bengal season. After again, he didn't play in training camp. because of the appendectomy, they were fine. They have so much talent. The coaching staff deserves the benefit of the doubt. That's exactly the mode that I would be in if he looked right and he felt right. What they were saying after the game today where he's like, yeah, they're going to be good and bad days.

I don't know how it's going to be. I don't know what the timetable is. That's troubling because they need him to be a superstar. They need him to be firing on all cylinders with those two guys because that is the basis of this offense and why they're great. if that's not going to be the case, then what are they? Because they don't have talent advantages in other areas. It's those two guys and Joe Burrow. This offensive line is still not great.

They were functional last year in the pieces that they've added, but Jonah Williams has had some rough moments moving to right tackle. The interior had some rough moments today against the Ravens. So you start to kind of pick away at what makes this team this team. I pick them to win the most games in the NFL and go to the Super Bowl. It's troubling when you, you think about a 70% or less Joe Burrow in these circumstances because I don't even know what that team is.

Yeah. That's what's scary right now is that there's no floor. And always the line right now, we don't know what the floor is at this point in time. That's what was so cool about this offense last year is they'd lifted that floor so high on top of the highs that this offense can reach. And like they're, even when they were kind of cooking a little bit in the second half or got a little better in the fourth quarter, it was all really on third down or passing downs. Like it wasn't first and second down. They remained bad on first and second down, like even when they got removed the ball in the second half. So it's just that they have to find a sustainability so they can take the chances.

And it's not just third down to survive, which is just a hard way to live. Like, yeah, if you're clicking on first and second down, hitting a touchdown off a play action or something, some shot play early. But if you're not doing that and you're just getting third down just to get the first down, as opposed to hitting an explosive play and really knocking the defense back, the defense is going to control the game. And that's just how it felt this whole game. And it just feels like that's how the pick, how Burrow threw it where he's kind of reeling back as he's throwing it. That's how the Bengals offense feels. I know I shouldn't be doing this.

I don't have a better answer right now. Let's get to one more here. The Los Angeles Chargers. You know what? Screw this. I am mad. I'm not just disappointed. I am mad at the Los Angeles Chargers and how this is going right now.

I don't even know where to start with this. I just, let's do. this. This team two years ago, when Brandon Staley got there and we're trying to figure out what the Chargers were, they had this big armed quarterback who looked like a superstar, and I think that there are a lot of elements of that that are still in place. I think that Justin Herbert is still very good. The other two kind of calling cards is this is going to be an aggressive team that was going to push the envelope. They were going to make all of those choices that were right

on the line that other teams were afraid to make, and that they were not going to give up explosive plays because that was the entire M.O. of their head coach and his defensive philosophy. All they did today is give up explosive plays in key moments, and they decided to punt the ball on fourth and short from Titans territory early in the game, and they end up losing by a couple points. What is the point of all of this outside of the five or six Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen plays every single game that feel like similar to what you said with the, we were talking about

with the Bengals where it feels like an exception. That's kind of what it feels like right now with the Chargers offense. You have those plays and then you have everything else that we thought we could count on when this whole thing got started a couple years ago that we cannot count on anymore. And that's the thing with the offense. It's like, oh, that's a cool design. And then it leaves you wanting a little more. Like just the, there's one play.

And wherever last week, they had it, it was when they were backed up and the Herber almost took the safety. They went empty on like a third and one. And that was just infuriated. me because they were running the ball so well in that game. Today, they had like a third and three. And, oh yeah, third and three, Titans drop eight. It was in the red zone. It's when Herbert got sacked when the Titans were only rushing three. They drop eight. The Titans drop eight. And it was because they knew the Chargers were going to run a quick game. They knew they just flooded the

zone. And it was like, just pound the rock. You're running the ball. Well, not really run the ball fine today. But again, that's the Titans defense. But it was just really just, okay, so that's the offense. That's what you're supposed to live with. You're going against a Titans offense. that can make it difficult, but at least keep the cap on. They had, what was it? They had nine play action plays. Nine play action dropbacks. The gains were 70 yards, 14 yards, 20 yards, and 49 yards off play action today.

That is, you can't do that. If you're playing this type of defense, the safeties have to contain everything. Those should be at worst, just checkdowns because you're keeping a lid on all the big plays. It just is over and over. It just always feel like this. The Titans have 22 first downs. It's just they have nothing, they know answers.

It's just, and that's two weeks in a row now. And this is against a team that they should be beating. And, you know, they have the Vikings next week. But it's like, Alexander Madison might go for like 200. We said before the season that the Charger stars needed to play like stars for this team to be what some people expected that they might. And that's not happening. J.C. Jackson's rotating out series. And I think it was, I can't remember which of the corner said this.

I think it was Michael Davis after the game in the story that Daniel Popper wrote from The Athletic. So, well, yeah, when you're a corner, you kind of want to stay in the game so you can get into a little bit of a rhythm. So they're switching off series with their corners. Joey Bosa got two sacks today, but he only played like a dozen or so snaps in this game. Khalil Mack has not been the factor that they expect him to be. Derwin James has not been the factor that they're expecting him to be. The defense just isn't what was promised based on the amount of resources that they've pumped into it, especially against the Titans team that's getting these game-changing plays from Chris Moore

and has an offensive line that a normal NFL football fan could not name a single starter on the Titans offensive line, especially with Peter Skoronsky out today. Not a single starter. And they're hitting these huge gains. And Ryan Tannihill looks incredible a week after he looked like they couldn't run a functioning offense for half the game in the passing game. It's just I don't even know what to do with it anymore. Like you have an offense that you should feel pretty good about with a new coordinator

and the quarterback and some of that talent. And the rest of it, it's hard to feel good about any of it at this point. And even the answers that we're supposed to see from this Chargers team, hey, a more sustainable run game, hey, we're going to push the ball deeper and deeper and deeper and we're going to try to take the top off the defense. Just haven't seen that sustainability. You haven't seen that consistently. And like, yeah, they score a bunch of points.

They have no turnovers and everything. And yes, there are some nice plays. Like, you mentioned already the Keenan Allen play. But that's how it feels like. It's like the five or six nice plays. And then a whole bunch of just like, inconsistent drives. They went two for third.

They went two of 14 on third down today. They were two of 14 on third down. They went three of three on third down when they did end up going for it. So that helped. But they were two of 14 on third down. They could not block Jeffrey Simmons. He was an absolute menace in this game, no matter where he was lining up.

Like you said, Harold Landry, they rushed three and got a sack on a huge moment near the end of regulation. I, this is, I don't even know, again, I don't even know what to do with this team anymore. I want to put them on the no-fly list and just be like, I'll revisit you in three weeks. Yeah, I'll see you at Halloween.

I don't even know if that's an option because I pick them as one of my teams in our 10 team draft, so I can't afford to not watch them for three weeks. They don't want to mention one five and O today. But they were also real quick, some of the Titans stuff was pretty good, like good job on their offense. A lot of cool play action took advantage of the Chargers linebackers. That's another thing. We've known what this Chargers like woes for what, two, three years now, two years? we know what they have to upgrade.

And it's just like it's the same issues. It's the run game and playing play action because their linebackers just can't handle it. And just watching Tannenhill do that and the little triple option play, the Tannad Hill touchdown. It's like watching Alex Smith out of Utah, like it back in like urban Meyer, 2004, whenever Meyer was at Utah. That's what I actually like felt like. It was like, oh, that's nice. Another triple option play in the NFL. Got to love that.

That's two weeks in a row we see it. Before we move on, New York Giants. You're on notice. You're going to wait for this one. You were very close to being involved in this segment today, and then you redeemed yourself in the second half. But it looked pretty clear in the first two quarters of that game that we were going to have to include the Giants in some way, shape, or form,

and then they somehow managed to escape. I thought we're going to have to, like, talk about Jonathan Gannon. It's like, no-name Cardinals team, look what they're doing. But that was a weird game. Very strange game. I thought I could just, you know, the multi-view is fantastic. I'm a shill, but it's still awesome. I love the product, but that game was in the bottom left corner.

I felt like I didn't have to pay attention for it for about a half hour. And also, I just see the Giants just coming back, coming back, coming back, coming back, coming back. But, oh my God, they came so close. That first half was rough. That was such a rough half. They just looked lost. There's just Dobbs going everywhere, just left and right on them, up and down. Designer plays left and right, third down.

QB rushing plays. I was like, what is going on right now? As someone who invested pretty heavily in Duren Waller and fantasy around like October 15th, I was just staring out into the abyss at the end of that first half. I was like, they're not going to be able to move the ball this year. Like, this is what the Giants offense is going to look like. The amount of people tweeting about Daniel Jones is 2024 cap hit during the first half of that game. And I totally understand it. Based on the way that they looked, it's really the only response to have.

hopefully this is a snap back to reality. They'll be at least fine moving forward. But my goodness, was that a scary two quarters against Arizona? I love seeing a good Daniel Jones run game too. I love a good like Daniel Jones, like 50-yard or game. So I'm excited to actually get a weird way to watch this game. The big time schlock all 22 happened in later this week. Even if they weren't going to be better than they were in 2022, they were one of the

10 most efficient offenses in football last year. So to be an absolute train wreck, it just, it didn't make any sense. So even if they don't end up taking a step forward, and I think that there are totally reasonable questions about whether they can do that with Daniel Jones, that's fine. But getting back to functionality, I think, was the least that we could ask. And it seems like they have arrived at that point, thankfully. Thankfully. The segment is sponsored by NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV.

Like you just mentioned, they've done. a fantastic job of transforming my television watching experience over the first two weeks. My wife walked downstairs today, and I had the multi-view going on two different TVs, and she couldn't handle it. She's like, this is the most insane, ridiculous thing I've ever seen, and she just walked back upstairs because there were eight football games, nine, because I had the Bears game on the third TV. So there were nine games going at the same time, and I also had my laptop up.

She's like, why do you need the laptop? Well, I was like, well, because Chiefs Jags is a local game, so I can't get it in the multi-view one. So this is the only way that I can watch it. She was disgusted, but it was in the best possible way because that's how great of a job YouTube TV is doing. It's fantastic. I love the product. And then I go with the multi-view and then I have my monitor right here that if you ever watch me on the live stream, see me peek at. But I had just, I have the Red Zone channel on that one.

And it's kind of nice because that will tell you the sound to kind of pay attention to. If you have the multi-view going, it's like, oh, okay. Falcons Packers. Oh, okay, okay. Oh, Giant Squirt again. Okay, right? I hear third down because they're going to tip off the play. But the multi-view product is just fantastic.

Love be able to change it up, especially. That's another thing, too. It's like, oh, it's only going to be a locked four. It's like, no, you can just change and get the ones that you want. So, yeah, I'm telling you, I'm a show for this product because I just freaking love it because it's been fantastic so far. The fact that I haven't had to worry about it for a single second over the last couple weeks has been amazing. At all.

All right. Let's talk about some of these performances. Shane Steichen, I see you, my friend. Oh, my goodness. A bunch of different stuff that we can dig into today. But the first, obviously the first one is just the quarterback draw, the first Anthony Richardson touchdown run. The second is just a beautiful keeper design around the right side.

And then Gardner Minchu comes in and is just slicing and dicing from the moment he comes into the game, guys running wide open. And the Texans had a couple hurt safeties today, whatever. I still think their defense is going to be all right over the course of the season. But how dialed in? that Colts offense seems to be right now. Two games into the Shane Steichen regime is incredibly encouraging if you're a Colts fan. We got a long way to go, but I would feel pretty good about the guy you landed on if I lived in the Indianapolis metro area right now.

And not just like the past game, too, the run game's nice. Like, yeah, I thought even last week that there were some holes to be had there. But man, just how calm he had Anthony Richardson playing last week. Just everything was within his realm. And then this week, like you're saying, it's just like, when you're the specialty plays is where you see the fingerprints good and bad it's like specialty plays meaning you know red zone short yardage especially third down as well uh you know for good and worse like for the bear's offense you kind of see okay maybe ugly fingerprints you're not we're not we're not doing that today we're not but then you watch this colts offense and it's just it's just it's awesome that the second touchdown was just beautiful because they set that up and just having the end around stuff and they just have so much funky motion to you not only just use Richardson, but to unlock it and to truly just like, okay, this could be good, effective level. Let's make it very good.

Let's make it great. Or it's making a freaking touchdown. There's three goals to apply. It's an official play, a first down and a touchdown. It's like, okay, if we blocked this up, we hit this one block. This isn't only getting a first down. This could score. And that's the best when the offense isn't playing scared and taking it to them and actually having.

Because that's not like it's gadgety, but it's not unsound. That's just playing off rules, playing off what the defense. is giving you. So it's kind of cool to see how offenses get there. I mean, we see with that Eagles offense and just how he's the Occam's Razor guy, but now seeing just a little more dash of creativity with what he's got in Indianapolis is really, really cool.

Well, when you have less of a talent advantage, you have to have a little bit more of that creativity. Absolutely. Seeing him dial that up has been fantastic. I will say, I'm a little bit worried about our guy and his ability to stay on the field with how much of a wrecking ball he's acting like. That is

something to monitor moving forward. They need to make sure that they're finding the right balance of using him in that area, using him in the run game, using him as a weapon, while also making sure that he can actually be in the game. Yeah, it should be watching Cam Newton highlights, but it should only be the 2016 Week 1 Broncos game to start the season. Remember that one? That was like the one game I watched. I was like, man, football is really violent. That game sticks in my mind, but that's the game that they should watch. just clockwork orange style to Anthony Richardson.

Just like, hey, this can happen. Get down. Get down. Get down. Only if it's like a big third downplay, please. They didn't win today, but Puganakuwa, I see you, man. 20 targets in this game for a dude in his second NFL start, 15 catches 147 yards through two games. He has 25 receptions for 266 yards.

This is ridiculous. It's insane. I was high on him, but I didn't see. This is ridiculous. They're using them perfectly. This is why people like this fit, including myself, was just how the, what the Rams needed. They needed this kind of Z. He is taking over the Robert Woods roll.

Like he is just to a T. They use him as a blocker. They use them kind of as the zone beater. And then they even hand the ball off to him. Do you see Scars Guard got a little rush, a little jet sweep? Scars guard got a little jet sweep. I said the full, they're even feeding the full back. But this Rams offense, it's, I mean, Matthew Stafford is just peppering it right now.

And yes, he had two picks. One of them was off Karen Williams, but then the other one was kind of a heat check. And Pugidicua kind of, oh, no, sorry, Van Jefferson kind of drifted on the route. But, I mean, this offense is cooking. When he lets that ball go, I understand why he lets that ball go in that moment, because it's a 50-50 thing where Van Jefferson can absolutely win and he just didn't. Was Stafford on that game? Or not Stafford. I'm sorry, Sanchez.

Was he? I think he was. Okay, so he brought up a great point about the receiver drifting and how I've said, talked about this as quarterback. You have to assume a lot. I'm assuming my guy's there. I can't look at everything. And he's assuming he's going to be at that spot and break it off at a certain depth and a certain angle. So when Van Jefferson drifts just a little bit, that's when bad things happen.

That's when you're a gunslinger and you're going to trust it. That's what those guys do. They assume and trust you're going to be certain spots. But overall, really, really like what the Rams offense is doing and how they're using. Like the Pooka Dakuua stuff is just, someone's just really simple, just little hitcherouts. Just, hey, hey, they're playing 10 years off. Well, just hit you for a hitchh route for six yards. But he's such a nice big target for it that, yeah, using a perfect, perfect team fit.

I can't wait to see Cooper Cup back with this offense too. I think it's going to be, I think it's just going to be even better. Yeah, you dropped that back in. And what they were doing today, again, they lost and they didn't put up a ton of points. They're putting against the Niners defense. Oh, yeah. Like, the way that they're passing game would look today against the Niners defense was pretty phenomenal. So I'm excited to continue to watch this unit throughout the course of the season.

We forgot collectively. And I don't think I'll put myself in here just because I don't want to. We, the collective we is a football watching public. I think forgot how good Sean McVeigh is at this. When we were the discourse around the Rams and the conversation around the Rams coming into this season. The idea that they would be this train wreck. As long as Matthew Stafford was healthy and Sean McVeigh was dialed in, they were going to be functional and at least solid.

And he's dialed in even more than I thought he might be. Like what they're doing and some of the stuff they're trotting out on offense has been incredibly fun to watch. It's they we're talking about how other teams are using motion, what the dolphins are doing. Their Rams are doing it too, especially on third down. They're using two to out well speed just like the dolphins are using Tiger Kel and J-1 model. It's really, really cool. Then on top of it, I mentioned this last week and I wrote about it for Yahoo, was that

so what they're doing in the run game and just using. motion in the run game in innovative ways. They did it again. The Karen Williams touchdown again was the same play, and now they're doing play action off of it. But I agree with you, watching Shanahan and McVeigh today. It's like, oh, yeah, you guys are really good at this. And it's fun to see them kind of showing off to each other, kind of peekocking a little

bit about it. Kind of like, yeah, you see that? Yeah, you see that designed? And I felt like they were doing that a little bit today. So that's why you've got to be high on both of their offenses, just going forward. The only disappointing part about that game is that it seemed immediately like we're going to get another one of those Brandon I.U. games, and it was just to the moon. And then he gets hurt and we don't see him for the rest. I mean, he's in and out of the lineup. He was healthy

enough to play, but he absolutely wasn't right. But I want to see that offense firing on all cylinders because when they are, it is truly a sight to behold. Last guy I wanted to acknowledge, because we haven't talked about this game at all. We will a little bit later. They're playing the bills this week. So we'll chat about that game. Brian Robinson, uh, we see you. A couple really nice moments late in that game for Washington to kind of help them put that game. away. 18 carries, 87 yards, two touchdowns had two 21 yard receptions in this game and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. So just a really solid performance and a team that we will talk about more as the week goes on. Yeah, I'm excited to dive into that game a little bit.

It was a very entertaining game, like Broncos, especially in the first half and what they were doing. But Washington put it away and you could see how Rips some throws. Scary Terry had a great catch on a touchdown. It was, I'm excited to watch that play on all 22. But, you Yeah, the run game got going, which has been kind of an inconsistency for Washington the last few years. So having some a little bit like, hey, actually some good chunks happening just through the run game and not are just our receiving stars. And also just a different flavor for that offense. That might be a little bit finessey. And you get the ultimate hammerhead.

That's what Brian Robinson's going to do. So a huge game for him. So I'm excited to talk about the commanders later this week, both sides of all again. Before we get out of here, it's time for secret sauce. This is where we dig into just an element of a game, element of an element of an. offense, certain types of ideas that really helped the team win today. Let's talk about the bill's run game and just the bill's overall offensive philosophy today. We talked so much in the preview and just over the course of the week about the ways that they were going to try to

keep this thing at a calm level, allow this team to take a deep breath, allow Josh Allen to take a deep breath. Just everybody take it easy over there. And that's what we saw today from the bills. They were incredibly efficient on the ground, 35 carries, 183 yards. James Cook had a really big day. And I love just how quickly they were getting the ball out and what their passing game looked like too. 4.4 air yards per attempt for Josh Allen. Ball was getting out quick. They were giving him easy answers. Just a lot of different facets that allowed this offense to settle into a more sustainable version of themselves, a calmer version of themselves, and a more encouraging version of themselves. They're finding, like all of us in life, they're trying to find their best

selves and just find that piece, that inner piece. And how they do it is pound that rock. And find, find peace through pounding the rock. Yeah, the bill's had 30 running back rounds today. Successful and a nice even 50%. 15 of 30. That is great. And 17 of them were under center. This is exactly what I was hoping I would see from this bill's offense. And it's exactly what we said. This was a get right game for everybody. still, you know, just a little dash, just a little sprinkling of Josh Allen chaos. Which is okay. When it's a seasoning, that's fine.

That's it. You don't want it to be the whole meal. You don't want ghost chili and all of it. You just want the little seasoning of a little ghost chili. Just a little pep. But I mean, just their run game was, it was nice. I really like what they're doing. Of course, they leaned into duo today, which in duo is at your run play.

I don't know if I'll design everything. I might tweet about it. But it's nice to see this Bill's team that has been maybe. more finessey in the run game, even with Devin Singletary and kind of smoke and mirrors, do it was a, we're going to beat you run play. And they did it today. And they did it out of different personnel groupings. Really, what was cool was how they were taking advantage.

It's truly going when they went to 11 personnel and using Gabe Davis. And I've thought of Gabe Davis as best as a MVS kind of clone, vertical and a vertical blocker. And just how MVS got used with the Packers, that's how Gabe Davis got used today. by the bills, especially in the run game. They're like duo out of 11 personnel turns into basically an eye formation lead play, except it's a receiver on a safety instead of a fullback on a linebacker. And Bill's today got to it.

The Damien Harris touchdown was on it. The Latavius Murray touchdown was on it. That one was out of two tight ends, but still the same thing with Gabe Davis. And then James Cook had a big run on it. And it's really just playing out the defense, playing off the defense and making a corner tackle. And the Raiders corner was just not having it. So yeah, it's nice seeing this Bill's team find a little bit more physical. physicality. And this is what we were hoping to see. And it was a perfect game for it.

Some of the quicker hitting shotgun runs that they've had over the last couple of years, getting James Cook on the perimeter, they've been successful. So they had the duo run today. They had a draw that went for big yardage today. They ran a snap of crunch against the Jets last week, which is you have two pullers. And so there's a quick hitting gap scheme run, got him on the perimeter. So you combine that with getting your space oriented running back out in space quickly on some of those runs with some of the more physical downhill runs with their physical backs. And it all comes together in a way that makes sense. And then you combine that with a dynamic passing game led by the Chaos King.

And you have a very good offense. And so I think that this overall equation that we saw from them today is what you want to see moving forward. So excited to watch that. They solved for X for today. It was nice. It was nice. We're going to wrap up every one of these on Sunday night by talking about. what we will remember from that week in the NFL. What will you remember from week two of the

2020 three season? Maybe some teams kind of picking up on what they're running this year. And I think this might be just my little nerd moment right now, but seeing the Patriots and the Vikings using this three safety defense, seeing what the offenses are doing, especially in the run game and starting to play off what they're showing in week one already, I think this is a real moment where you kind of see where the trends are going in this league. And again, it's, I think, continuation where we talk this whole off season. But I really just feel that. I feel the identity is starting to merge for these teams.

And I think that's where I'm going to remember week two, especially when we're talking about some of these matchups. And as the season goes along, because it's like we're talking about the NFC kind of second tier. It's like how many of those teams are going to be irrelevant. And we're seeing what they're showing already. And I think that's just going to, what I remember as the season goes along. Part of it will be the slow decline of what the Chicago Bears season already looks like.

But we're not going to talk about that. not going to linger on that. For me, it's what it felt like watching the ends of those Falcons, Falcons Packers and Lions Seahawks games. That's what an NFL Sunday is, where you have those games winding up at the same time. You've got a dozen moments where I'm like frantically going to my notes to write about a specific play that those teams ran. That is what I want out of an NFL Sunday, those two games. And those types of teams are what make this so enjoyable. And being, and being able to kind of zone in on those. That's why we want to talk about them today.

But those are definitely going to be the teams, the moments, the elements of today that I will remember the most. Hey, just how we starting to say it in summer, there's so many cool units, especially on offense. And I think that's what we're seeing that already. And it's really cool to see these teams throwing haymakers and throwing the smoke of mirror stuff because I think it's only going to continue. And other teams are going to copy and the playoff of it. It's going to be a really fun season. I think this season really got it going or this week really got it going. Yeah.

The last week, the terrible offense that we saw across the NFL, that did not continue this week. The offense was actually pretty darn good this week. Just look at your fantasy team scores. That's kind of what we expected. Yeah, everybody was going nuts this week. It looked like, at least in my leagues. Yeah. So I think that when we talked before the season, one of the things, the half-baked predictions that I had is that offense would be pretty good this year,

that we wouldn't have as many terrible offenses. That was before they are in Rogers injury and before some other things that happened. But I think this week two was a better entry. free into that sort of world. And I think that's what we're going to see moving forward. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the Falcons went up for 400 yards.

Yeah, yeah, it's great. Yeah, the offense is great. That's all I want to talk about this week. All right, guys, that's all we got. We will be back with our normal slate of shows over the course of the week. If you have not listened or did not listen to Kiefer and the beats, our new Tuesday podcast, our own Zach Kiefer, breaking down three games that we did not chat about today with our beat writers at the athletic.

We're going to be doing the Jets game and the Jets perspective and the Giants tomorrow, having both of those writers on. So please come check that out on YouTube on Tuesdays. You can check out the Rusini Report with me and Diana Rusini live every Tuesday afternoon. So please come and check that out. Prospects to Prospects of Pros on Wednesday in the Pocket. The new podcast I'm doing with Tate Daniel on Thursday. So we have something coming to your way every single day over the course of the week, either on YouTube or

on the Athletic Football Show feed. So please come check that stuff out for now. That's all we got. Appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you soon. This was the Athletic Football Show.