The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Week 4 Recap: Bills over Dolphins, Ravens take control of AFC North, Patriots and Saints disappoint, and more

Episode Date: October 2, 2023

The Bills scored the biggest win of Week 4, knocking off the Dolphins to take early control of the AFC East. The Ravens, meanwhile, might already have control of a division many thought would be the best in the league. That's just two of the topics Robert Mays and Nate Tice hit in the Week 4 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube 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. Nate, how you doing, buddy? I'm doing very well. I know you're trying to be very efficient with your words tonight.

High success rate for Robert with his words tonight. But doing very well what used to be the quarter pole of the NFL season, always games wise, and now it's not. And it's just a little bit less. But still feels like a checkpoint, at least four weeks in, getting a little bit more feel for the season. But doing very well. Fun day today.

If I sound like I'm underwater, I apologize. But the excitement of today and of these games is going to get me through. I'm very excited about it. Let's start. I mean, we'll have a lot of time this week to get into the Jets Chiefs game. I think there will be a lot of opportunities to discuss it. A weird game, kind of a strange game, some really nice moments from Zach Wilson, some pretty not nice moments from the refs.

So a lot to dig into, a lot to chew on. But we're going to save that for a little bit later in the week. Some of my homes heat checks. Yeah. Yeah. It was just a strange night over. So we're going to get to that, but we will not be hitting on that tonight because we have so much other stuff to cover. And let's start with the most impressive performance of the day, the statement performance of the day.

What an outing from the Buffalo Bills. When I went back and rewatch the game and even watching it in real time today, it just felt like the ideal version of this Bills team, where you have the splash plays from the quarterback when you need them. You have that anaconda-like defense that we've talked about in the past. every element of what the bills can be at their best they were today against the Dolphins team that had been lighting up the league for the first three weeks. So I can't really say enough about how the bills played pretty much for the entire first three quarters in this game today.

Yeah, I was, I mean, just looking up right away, felt like for the first quarter, for the very least, the first quarter and a half, them just going blow for blow, the dolphins in the bills. I was starting to look up like most first downs in a game, most points scored in the game. I'm starting to look those up because that's kind of how I started feeling about that game. It felt like we were on that track for sure. Oh, yeah. I was like, how did Rams Chiefs go again?

But they, I was just watching it and blown away and just I think I test will tell you what Josh Allen felt like today. And this is his best form and best form of this Bill's offense. And I think it's again, you want to see this is exactly, they're showing the spaces in the areas that you can attack this Dolphins defense day. And this is what we talked about on our Thursday show. that if the bills do these kind of newfangled things that they're leaning into and they actually do them well like they have been this season like they're going to tear them up and sure enough if that's what you saw you saw the play action passes you saw the run game you saw stephan digs getting targeted all on the left hand side away from Howard the entire game six of his seven

targets were up from the left hand side of the field so just it was a long day for kater kuh uh but josh allen's on fire like any stat you look at uh success rate EPA per dropback paper attempt, all the good stuff, all the word out of the letter acronyms that we throw out you guys every single show. First or second. This was Josh Allen's best game or second best game ever, like playing in playoffs or regular season. And he just tore him up.

And just this offense, he only had one true design run today. And that was the touchdown. And that's what we want to see. We want to see this offense not have to lean into it, but unleash it when they need to, when they can. They go, hey, we got an opportunity here in the red zone. Boom. Okay, Josh, I don't go run the ball.

But we don't have to rely on it. It's not seven to eight times. He only scrambled a couple times and they weren't that great for him. It was truly from the pocket with a balanced run game to take the load off from to ease the game in, ease the game flow, be efficient. And it just looked fantastic. The whole operation looked amazing. I love the balance when they're playing at their best when he has a scalpel and a sledgehammer at the same time. That's the best version of this bill's offense.

And that's what it was today. I mean, there was a stretch, a couple different stretch. which is where he just did such a good job of, all right, I got my back in the flat. I have, we have Trent Shurfield line up in the backfield. It's third and two. I'm going to hit him in the backfield really quick. We're an empty. I'm going to hit Kincaid on a little stick. I see a blitz coming. I'm calling it out. I'm replacing the blitzer with the completion of Dawson Knox. And then you have those sledgehammer plays. You have the all the throws one on one outside the numbers that Stefan Diggs. You have the play

out of structure that he floated to James Cook down the right sideline. You have the Mitchell shot touchdown to Gabe Davis, which that one, I think, is worth pointing out. The touchdown to Gabe Davis, so much credit goes to Josh Allen in this game, Ken Dorsey's doing a pretty good job. Like, they are dialing up the right stuff. That was a beautiful play. They have a fake orbit motion swing. He pumps the swing, gets the corner to take one step up and then hits Gabe Davis, who kind of stalk blocks for a second and then hits the rail for the touchdown. And so Stefan Diggs is not in that play. So it's a run, run, run, run, run, run. run, run.

Even better. Boom, double move. So that's the combination of everything where they're operating in this precision like manner that we want to see them operate in. The play calls and just the designs and some of those high leverage moments are correct. And then when he has to burn you down just because the type of player he is, whether it's that cook play, the off schedule Stefan Diggs touchdown, where he makes,

he steps up in the pocket and he ad libs that, everything acting in cohesion in concert to create the best version, the version we hoped we'd see this offseason from the bills. Just those under center throws just showed like his new kind of chaotic discipline in his own way. Like on the first drive, he hits like a comeback to Stefan Diggs, not like a comeback. A comeback to Stefan Diggs. I think it goes for 17 yards. And on that play, he's just backpedaling in the pocket and still comes out on time and perfect ball placement. So he's still operating on time, but he's moving away from a pass rush. So that's truly pocket movement. even if it'll technically be out of the pocket because he was backpedaling.

Then all these run, he had five under center plays. I think all of them were play action. So that was the comeback play right there. I just talked about. Then he had a quick hitter. So you're seeing him just doing like the quick operation and just seeing this gifts how quick of a throwry is the connection he has with digs. And then 55-yard touchdown to digs on the catch and run or where he breaks the tackle.

That one was great because on that play, it's just true mirrored routes on the outside. They truly tagged just two routes, the same exact routes on the outside, which is a deep hinge route, which is. like 16, 18 yards and stop. But on that play, they have three checkdown routes underneath. And so it's a play action. Usually play action, you want to influence the middle of the field and then throw over the top of it.

Yeah. But that play action was, let's keep the kind of buzz, like flat defenders tied down. And then they had three, another guy, the runback come up through the middle. So they have three tied down routes and then did true isolated routes on step on dick. So truly create these isolations. And so that's what it is. It's design. Josh Allen sprinkling his little crazy plays.

and on time plays and then sprinkling the run game, that's nice and efficient. And that's a little sledgehammer for them too, because they're just beating these teams up with duo, which is just an at-you beat-em-up play. So it's pretty cool watching this whole package come together very, very nicely. And the other thing I was going to mention, the protection on that dig's touchdown is fantastic. He has time to let that play develop and to let that throw a rip. And the offensive line, we keep coming back to it. The improvements on the interior of the offensive line, you see it over and over and over again with the integrity of the pocket in those moments where there's a little longer developing plays and their ability to run the ball downhill at you when they want to.

So the offense, it was the best version of it today. And when he's playing like this, he is right there behind the number 15 guy in Kansas City is the best player in the league. Like full stop, no questions asked. Oh, absolutely. Can go toe to toe. And that's what, just credit in Ken Dorsey is we heard so much about the 12 personnel. Today it was all 11 personnel, three wide receivers.

but also they just sprinkled in the 21 that they've used before with Gilliam. But on all these plays that last touchdown to Diggs, you know, he had three today, was it was a jumbo personnel. It was three wide receivers, both the six offense alignment. And basically what they said on that play was just hold up for two seconds because we have Stefan Diggs with a matchup we'd love. And so that sometimes football is that simple. It's just block it up for two to three seconds and just let them rip.

just let your aces go, your queens on the chessboard go. And that's what they do on top of the team element. It's just a very complete, like, where they're able to pivot in different aspects right now. That's what I was going to say, because we always think of them as this complete roster with a lot of contributors. And then today was such a reminder that Stefan Diggs is really fucking good. Like, if you put him in those situations where he has a matchup advantage, you can keep picking at that the entire game. And eventually it becomes the biggest, most important aspect of their passing game. And it was awesome to see. Let's go to the other side. of the ball because that was the more intriguing side of the ball coming into this game.

The Dolphins offense was rolling. We were joking about what their nickname would be coming out a week four based on some of the numbers they were putting up historically. What jumped out to you the most about either the Bill's game plan on defense or just their performance on defense today? We are not letting you throw over the middle. That was how they figured out a way to do it, different ways. Again, we talked about the Sonner Thursday show again, was that you're going to let up

some to this Dolphins office. no matter how well you play. It's just inevitable, even if it's tip throws. But even, yeah, speaking of like kind of dolphins having a good play here technically, but the process of the bills was great on this play. It was the Rahimosa dunk play. Yeah. On that play. Oh, I'm so glad you're bringing this up because I thought the exact same thing. They baited them. They baited it too on this play. This is what the communication was fantastic. Rappling you exactly what was coming. Oh, they ran. So it was just mesh wheel, which is. So it's a running back on a wheel route, which is right up the sideline.

And Tua thinks he's getting a man or a pressure. And the bills bring a simulated pressure. So they're bringing only four, and they ran cover two behind it. And they hide it until right at the snap of the ball. And you don't throw a wheel against cover two. That is just, that's not what you do. Because it's basically double coverage. It's terrible.

And that's what happens. Most of Bills them out. And you can tell Tua's feet are telling them not to throw it. And that's like old classic, oh, I should not be throwing this. But he does. ends up being a good point. But there is a couple, they did that all day. The interception over the middle, with Matt Milano bumps out with the motion and just jams Tyreek Hill into it comes off of it right away. And then they're just pushing and Bernard is just playing really well. Fantastic depth. Yeah.

And that's what was so impressive is just that their ability to match routes in this game and just completely understand what the concepts were going to look like, how they were going to unfold. They were all over everything. And just a reminder of how. well-coached and smart this entire unit is. Bernard dropping right in and being that sort of factor within this past defense, we know it about Milano, we know it about the safeties. But Bernard's had some real splash plays over the last couple weeks. And we've talked about this is the guys that maybe weren't household names within this Bill's defense and some of the contributions that they're making. Another really good day from Leonard Floyd, just they, they refused to be beat up on the

edge in the run game in this game. Him and Rousseau, I thought. really did a fantastic job of just establishing themselves at the point of attack. At Oliver had really good moments in the run game today. And then again, that just like constriction that you feel when that past defense is completely on it the way that they were throughout this entire game. It's really unlike maybe two or three defenses in the league. Like the Niners play like this when the Niners are humming. But that's what the bills can feel like when it's all clicking.

Unfortunately, we're going to have to see them without Trey White here over the course the rest of the season, which was I haven't responded to an injury like that in a while, where I'm watching him come off and I'm legitimately like starting to tear up because of how much he has been through, of how they were playing, clearly of just how frustrated and devastated he was in the moment. But that's something that we can worry about down the line. What they looked like today was the sort of complete team, top the bottom, both sides of the ball that we thought they might coming into the year.

This idea that this Bill's team, this verse is. version of the bills could actually be the best version that we had seen so far, it's starting to look like that might be the case because they just have little contributors, little levers on offense and defense that they really haven't had in the past. And it's just, this is what's great when teams, most of the team gets to stick together and they just add complimentary parts and you can just start seeing like, oh, we need this. Okay, let's get a guy right here. This fits in and just bump it up to competency. And then the guys are there, the building blocks just build together. It's awesome.

I just want one last play I have to talk about. I'm sorry. I'm trying to avoid too much scheme talk. But it's it was just. You do nuts, buddy. It's just overall how the bills played in, again, this and a condo type defense, the, the bills played the dolphins play action concepts because they do so much out of the gun. And so when you do a play action out of the gun, most of the time that fake is going to go straight to the flat.

Like all that was just horizontal straight over there and not in between the tackles. The bills kind of figured. this out or kind of just leaned into this and this is how good Bernard and Milano were playing, was when that fake was happening, they're just saying, screw the flat. We're just getting back, back, back. And it's just that two, three zone. Arms up, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. And it's just, and they just say, we'll rally to tackle. They don't want to throw the flat. They want to throw down, down, down. So let's just just squeeze it, squeeze it, squeeze it, and then rally to tackle. And it was just like, man, just those little things are awesome. They did this against Washington last week.

And it's just watching this kind of vet defense just with a little bit more juice now. It's just really cool. Even the corners too. They'd be pressed up and then they would just retreat a little bit right at the snap and they were giving them all they wanted underneath. And they just said, like, we're going to dare you to throw the ball underneath and throw the ball outside the numbers. And we don't think you'll be able to do that over the course of the entire game.

And they didn't. So a top to bottom performance that even more impressive than you ever could have hoped for as a Bill's fan. And a real statement for what this team wants to be, even with some of the injuries they sustained today. We'll see what happens at corner. You know, Kyrie Leland was inactive. Christian Benford also got hurt in this game. So just something to monitor. But I think the dolphins

will be fine offensively against lesser teams in the bills and against quarterbacks that don't have that sort of firepower that Josh Allen does. O-line health is just mid-game O-line going down is never going to work out. No. Arsett injury and the Conor Williams

showed up today. Center left tackle. The inability to get to those guys on the second level, the way that they could last week when Connor Williams was playing, you noticed that in the run game in this game. So just, but again, a fantastic performance from the Bills. And I'm sure one that we will revisit here as we talk about this team moving forward. But it's time for you have my attention. Gentlemen, you have my curiosity.

Now you have my attention. So here's how we're going to do this. It wasn't the greatest performance from the Ravens today. But I think their performance in context is very important to look at. So you have my attention the Ravens newfound stranglehold over the AFC North because the Ravens win today and some of the moments from the Ravens today I think are almost more notable because of what's happening in the rest of the AFC North. This was supposed to be maybe the toughest division in the entire league. You know, four teams that had a chance to win, potentially double digit games compete to be in the playoffs. Instead, we have a Ravens team that does feel like one of those teams.

even with all the injuries that they've endured, they do feel like one of those teams that's going to be in until the end. And we have some of those other teams that were would-be contenders in the division that are heading decidedly in the opposite direction. So that was to me one of the biggest stories of the entire day is that the Ravens are here. The Bengals are trending way in the wrong way, and I don't even know what the hell to make of the Steelers. Oh, no.

Back on the no-fly list. Oh, my God. Oh, so on there. First class. But this game, and again, this is what the Ravens have done so far this year with all the injuries to key players, not just, and some depth guys too. And just week after week, different guys getting hurt this week. It felt like the receivers going down.

And then previous weeks, it was a little bit of receivers in a lot. Morgan Moses got hurt to us. It's like one more offensive line getting helped off with a bicep injury or whatever it was. And it's like in the long run, the war of attrition that is the NFL season, it's like you hope that these guys can mostly come back and you build that depth because you have. this guy Lamar that even when his kind of his legs, which is a super weapon and the NFL is taken away. I mean, for most of this game, I mean, it wasn't like, other than the touchdowns, it wasn't like a great day on the ground for him.

It wasn't a great day on offense for them. No. The Brown's defense is still very good and gave them a lot of issues in this game. It was a, oh, yeah. It was five place. They're playing a fifth round rookie. And it's like, that's how the game felt on the other side of the ball. But on this side of the ball, it was, it was a slog.

And when you have, when you're going to. a very, very good opponent, an excellent opponent, elite opponent. And really, you have some attrition of talent because of injuries right now. You need explosive plays. And this was one of those games that they can, the offenses that we have seen struggle that will probably talk about later this week and maybe later on the show is they can't create those explosives that open everything up, that create five first downs instead of going five yards, six yards, eight yards, 12 yards, because you can't do that. You can't do that against elite defenses. This Ravens' offense, even battered has figured out a way or it has Lamar to create these exceptional plays through the air

and also the run game to at least eke it together and get these plays to create breathing room, create points. It's a nice performance to see from them, even if it wasn't the classiest one. I'm telling you, it's five plays. It's five Lamar plays is like the biggest difference in this game. If they were playing anyone else than a fifth round rookie who learned he was starting this morning, I feel like it probably would have been a tougher game. but even with that in mind, he had a throwback to Mark Andrews

on a first and 10 in the first half where he's flushed to his right, he keeps his eyes down field, he has to throw back across his body to Andrews who turns into explosive play. Disgusting. There's a second and 29 where he buys time in the pocket,

he flushes to his right, and he finds Zay Flowers like 45 yards down the field for a huge chunk gain. There's a third and six. He drops in a beautiful wheel route to Melvin Gordon down the left sideline for a huge conversion, and then he finishes off that drive

with that third down completion of Mark Andrews on that floater touchdown in the back corner of the end zone. Those five plays, I said it earlier today. If I was a defensive coordinator and those five plays happened to me, I would consider other lines of work. And that was the sort of game that Lamar had. Even down to down, if the Brown's defense was playing great, he always has that in his back pocket.

So now you take that where this team is three and one, they have a quarterback playing at this level, and you hope they're going to get healthier, and you contrast that with every, else that's happening in the division. Beyond the records, it's really difficult to feel, I think the Browns will probably be okay when Watson gets back and the defense is great. I think they'll probably be hanging around here. But the Steelers and the Bengals were supposed to be playoff caliber teams this year. And they absolutely do not feel like that right now. No, the Bengals feel just listless.

I mean, we can't rely on the defense, you know, and they only can do so much anyways. And it's just, but this offense can't, I mean, it's toothless. I mean, not only just plays that are down the field and everything, even underneath throws, if Burrow has to move just even a step back. And he feels like, okay, I have to throw this with a little bit of oomph. They can't accomplish that. So everything has to be pristine. And they're not, no, it's just, it's just tough.

I will say this, rewatching that game and rewatching a few Titans defense game because they're legit, is that, like, Jeffrey Simmons, like, should be up there for a defense player of the year. Like he's on the short list right now. He is playing phenomenal football right now. I was going to say that the play we're seeing from the Bengals offensive line is uncertain to be the least. They're not playing well.

I'm certain. It's perfect. But Jeffrey Simmons is playing at an extremely high level. But that still doesn't make me feel much better about what we're seeing from the Bengals offensive line. And this, what we're seeing from the Bengals right now, who are 31st in the NFL in offensive success rate, by the way, Cincinnati Bengals. team it's been one of the best offense in the league for the last two or three years.

They're 31st in offensive success rate. What we're seeing right now is how fragile of a construction this Bengals team had. If their quarterback can't play like one of the five best players in the league, you really realize what the supporting cast actually is made up of. And we're seeing it. We're seeing it laid bare right now. And it's not pretty. Like this isn't a very good offensive line.

This isn't a very good running game. This isn't a very well-constructed offense down in and down-out. It was simple because they like to cater to the quarterback, but when the quarterback can't be the driving engine behind what they are and what their success is, then I think you see this thing start to fall apart a little bit. You see the Jenga Tower start to fall over. And it's like Burrow was the easy button for this offense. Like other offenses, there was, okay, there's not a lot of naked, there's not a lot of just like, you know, there's some screens, but they use the same personnel in those snaps. They barely use motion. They barely use tempo.

And so when you have no, you're not built with easy buttons, which is kind of cool that you do kind of a high wire act and sweet that you do it. But when the offense is the quarterback, when he's touching the ball and influences 50 of your 60 plays, 50 of your 48 of your 64 plays, like that's a big deal when he can't do that. Yeah. That's so much. That's he handles the ball.

Like that's why the quarterback is so important is they touch the ball every play, but especially with a Joe Burrow type offense where he is dictating he is the orchestrator of this offense. He is the point guard. Okay, the point guard gets hurt. Who's creating the offense? And you just see it right now. And that's exactly right. But I also don't know what the answer is.

Because that's how he wants to play. So you're going to put him in situations where he's not comfortable. You can't really create easy buttons because it's not like you can get him on the move and give him some easy answers. So it's just a really tough position to be in. I understand what the offense looks like. I understand why it looks like that. I don't understand why the defense is playing as poorly as it is. They are 26th in defensive success rate right now.

Titans had 23 first downs in this game. They were 8 of 13 on third down. They averaged six and a half yards of play. This plan that they had where we're going to let Joe play because we just need to try to gut through this three or four game stretch. Let's get to the buy. Hopefully you can get to a place where we can sneak in with 10 wins. Right.

That's the plan. He can play point guard, will win these games ugly, whatever. I get that. I get rationalizing why that has to be the path forward. But a necessary part of that, a necessary component of it, is your defense keeping you in these games. So if you're going to take that away, then the rest of the plan falls apart. And at one and three, looking the way they look right now, especially the way they look

today, it really does feel like we're heading down that path. Yeah, you see the other teams playing in these tough games for their offenses is that the defense is creating or defense is doing enough. but that's what the Bengals have done the last couple years. It's just as excited as we get about the offense and we love the defensive game plans, it's always a complimentary football. And now you're just taking away. And now they're not getting put in good spots.

The Bengals are also going three and out a bunch. So that's just exhausting for these defenses time and time again. And they're not getting in good situations. It's just, yeah, they took out the bottom card. You know, and they play the Cardinals this week. They go Seahawks and then they get the buy. And it's like, oh, my God, get us to Dubai. Like that's what it kind of just feels like for them.

Hopefully maybe they can do something, get a little bit of life against the Cardinals, but it's just like, it's tough, tough, tough. The Bengals being this bad on offense would be more notable if the Steelers weren't arguably the worst offense in football right now. They are dead last in offensive success rate through four games. They can't even function on that side of the ball. And it's not like the Texans defense has been dismantling people. I think over the course of the season, the Texans defense will probably be a solid unit.

I thought that from the start. but they shouldn't make your offense look completely hapless in a game like this. And that's what the Steelers feel like right now. And I don't know what the right answer is because we've reached a point where this is like no longer tenable. Yeah, I couldn't feel more opposite about two offenses and quarterbacks, young quarterbacks, than these two teams right now with these two quarterbacks. Yeah, that's exactly right.

Everything was Stroud in that offense. It feels like it has a plan and an answer and a failsafe and a and Stroud. just operating just wonderfully right now. Oh, God, he's, he is truly a pleasure to watch as a quarterback, like former quarterback. I can't even tell you how much fun I had rewatching that game last week. I mean, he had five or six moments where I was just had the biggest smile on my face. He's so fun. And it's really nice that they found the right guy clearly.

Yeah, or seemingly Bobby Sloick to oversee this and the way they've built it to do this with a backup offensive line and do this with, you know, acceptable weapons. Nico Collins breakout finally happening. I've been waiting for it for like three years. You've held on to that chair. It's wrinkled and yellowed, but you still have it. I can't even. So I picked him up in fantasy. He didn't get drafted in my fantasy, which is insane. And I picked him up before week one because I had like made some other bets. I was like, I'll just pick him up. And I know I want him on my team. And the depth I had a receiver, I had to drop him. Because like the other, I would have to drop like Terry McLoren to keep him.

And so watching him do this, I mean, It's like the Squidward meme where I just see everyone else partying down there. And I'm just alone in my tower after having all of the Nico Collins stock for like three years. I'm devastated. But it had to work this way. That is no. And honestly, okay, huge thing with these Shanahan guys. And I know this has been pointed out before is that they get the receivers to freaking buy in and blocking, especially when things are going well.

But especially like right now, but watching this Texas unit helps have it probably Robert Roberts as a tone center. And John Metchie is like a real good like team first kind of guy. But like you see it in the run game just like it right they used Robert Woods as like a pulling guard on a play it was hilarious. I might do it this week for wind the clock. I probably won't. It was like a 10 yard game, but it's so sweet. But they work their butts off.

It's kind of like a fun team just to watch and good energy. But why I'm saying all that, this flowing like plan, a game plan with a plan and a quarterback with a plan on every snap. They have kills and checks and answers and motion and different personnel and all this. And then you watch the Steelers. And it's like, it's such a perfect name for him because it's like welded together. It's like, it feels so just like, okay, we do this out of this formation. We do this out of this formation.

We don't use motion when we pass the ball, but we use it when we run the ball. But it's the same one or it's back and forth. It's just doing stuff to do stuff. It's just splashing the water, but you're also like drowning. So it's just that's the two differences. The Texans splash to water. And it's like, ooh, what's that? And then they sucker punch you.

And then you watch the Steelers do it. And it's just like, oh, why, why are you doing that? It's just, it's rough. And then you feel Pickett, just every play just not have, feel like he has a plan. And that's the difference between these quarterbacks right now. It feels like so much that he's like an insolent creation mode, which was always an issue with him that you would hope he would get out of. But it just is now he's playing into his worst tendencies.

We see all the quarterbacks have these types of games. And right now we're seeing Pickett go through it game after game. And it's not getting any help right now. You contrast what the Steelers have done over the last couple years with what other organizations have done around their young quarterback, where they're trying to do everything they can to ensure that that guy succeeds. Even something is simple. Bobby Sloa coming in and being the officer coordinator for the Texans.

It's a defensive-minded head coach. It's not probably the best example. But this is a guy that there's a reason he's the offensive coordinator for the Texans. Him and Tomico Ryan's know each other very well. You're coming from a system that works. He had a huge hand of what that system looked like over the last couple years in San Francisco. If I'm going to bet on a guy that's an offensive coordinator for a defensive-minded head coach, to me he is a worthwhile bet.

But then some of the other ones where you're just a lot of the other ones where you're cutting out the middleman. Having Shane Stuyck can come in and oversee Anthony Richardson's career makes all the sense in the world. Look at what the Colts look like, feel like through their first four games when they were supposed to be a team that was left for dead before the season even started. Look at what Jalen Hertz is compared to what Jalen Hertz looks like over the first couple years of his career. Look at what Tua is after Mike McDaniel came in. You see these intentional plans for these young quarterbacks and how important that is. And then you contrast that with what the Steelers have done over the last couple years, where Matt

Canada was their offensive coordinator because he just happened to have an office. in the building. You just can't do this. You've wasted two years. So even if you're a Steelers fan and you're looking at what the next 18 months looks like, think, all right, well, at the end of the season, he'll get fired and they'll bring in somebody new and we'll start all over again. We're not you're halfway through the cheap years of Kenny Pickett's rookie contract. You've wasted two of them. And now in year three, he's going to be learning a new offense, most likely, that he's never seen before. So that's probably not going to hit the ground running. So by the time he feels comfortable and whatever that new plan looks like, if you hire

the right guy, we're in year four of a five-year rookie contract. That's what the Steelers have done to themselves right now. And I know Matt Canada is going to be the scapegoat and all this, and he's going to be the one taking all the shit because of the way that they've played. But Mike Tomlin is the one who put this plan in place. Like, he's the one that decided we're going to promote this guy from the quarterback's coach just because he's here and we're going to keep him after what the offense looked like last year. And to lose an entire season on that side of the ball. And it really does seem like they're going to. That's a tough pill to swallow when you have as

much talent in other areas of the roster as this team does. Yeah. I mean, I still like the defense, even if they just got tilted today. I really, you can tell a lot with the quarterback, and especially with footwork and everything, but you don't even want to just get into that, but it's so much in trust and confidence and so much with Pickett, even on throws, I've seen him do in college. And sometimes when he's just kind of in a two-minute situation, he's not thinking. But he's throwing, you know, just even a slant route, like two steps late.

He steps, he waits to see it, another step, and then he throws. And it's just, you can just tell that everything's late because he doesn't have trust or confidence and what's getting called right now or what he's seeing. So that means it's either not getting put together right or he doesn't feel prepared. And that obviously comes with whoever's in his ear and we know who's in his ear, every play. So it's just, it's just not working right now. And they have enough. And especially with the defense that should help them out.

And again, complimentary football. But that's what this AFC, like fist fight every week is going to be like. you have to be this way. You can't be this bad and try to get out of it. It's just such a slog every snap for them. Yeah. And again, you contrast that with what the Ravens look like, even that wall banged up on offense and just what that Ravens team feels like compared

to where we're at with the Bengals and where we're at with the Steelers. And they're just having in different directions. So talk about Lamar though, but like changing the math. But like we talk about it with a quarterback game and run game and everything. But like, sorry, the second touchdown was just, it was a wineback play, which they've done before. I've seen teams do before. but it's a fake run to the running back, and he winds back and leads block, lead blocks.

It's a little bit like duo, and they used that on the second touchdown. So although they weren't very efficient in the QB run game, some pretty sweet touchdown runs that is just like, yeah, they still have that, that Ravens offense. And that's the thing. They have that. These other teams right now don't really have that on their offensive side of the ball. And I don't think the other teams have the sort of outlook that the Ravens do. The Ravens are three in one right now, and you absolutely could talk yourself into their being

much, much better days ahead for the Ravens offense. With the way that he's playing, they should be 4 and O. And with the way that he's playing and hopefully reinforcements potentially coming, if Ronnie Stanley gets back, if the receivers gets back, and they get more time just within the offense. The explosion may be waiting down the road when he's playing at this level. And you just don't feel that for either of those other two teams. And I know we've sort of been in similar territory with the Bengals in terms of early season

struggles. This is different. Like this is just different. It doesn't feel like there's light coming at the end of the tunnel. And I think they would probably tell you that if you ask them frankly about how they're feeling right now. So the feeling four weeks in between what the Ravens are and what the rest of that division is, I just didn't expect there to be this sort of gap. Speaking of terrible quarterback play and speaking of offenses that we're very concerned about,

let's get to, I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed. We're still cool, man. I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed. Patriots lost 38 to 3 today in the worst game, worst loss of Bill Belichick's entire coaching career. Wow.

Mac Jones got benched in this game. Former first round pick Mac Jones was benched in favor of Bailey Zappy late in the third quarter. And I certainly don't blame them. It got to a point in the third quarter where it felt like he was actively rebelling against the offense in a way that I can't really remember a quarterback doing in a professional football game. He tried to throw like six interceptions over a two drive stretch. Did you like his throwbacks all the way across the field? It was it was insane. Multiple throwbacks all the way

across the field. But then the one that I think probably got him yanked, it wasn't even an interception. It was an incompletion. It was his final throw of the game. And he just turned. It was just like a duck and toss. He just ducked and threw the ball like three feet over to Ponce Parker's head, I think. And that was it. That's all they needed to see. He looked like he had short-circuited at a certain point in that game, where whether it was him staring down at the pass rush, he was not playing quarterback within the offense.

And maybe that's a symptom of the Cowboys and a symptom of just having a really bad day. But this is troubling if you were the Patriots, the way that this is going right now. Oh, man. And what stinks is that, like they had so many stretches in the first few weeks where I was like, okay, this offense can be workable. And it's just a overwhelming defense, just winning, creating one-on-ones across the entire field, five up front, five across the board, safety in the post, and just kicking their ass. And then Mac Jones just short-circuiting.

The downward spiral of a quarterback, like, we don't get many of those anymore because like the quarterback pass game is just so safe now and just like, you know, you can kind of get the easy buckets and everything. So you don't really get the true spiral. And we got a spiral today. And it was a get right game for the Cowboys, but it was kind of really disappointing because Mac Jones, like, his whole game is being accuracy and precise and not making mistakes like that.

Creation is not overly your game. He's an okay scrambler and he's okay throwing on the move, but that's not his game. So it was just very terrifying to see him. You got to make good decisions if you're built like Mac Jones in order to be a viable quarterback in the NFL. You have backups on your offensive line or just at least young guys across the board. Like you're just two. I mean, they got a right tackle in the game today that I had never heard of.

before and they got back up some multiple different spots. And that's not good against the Cowboys, but that's kind of my question here. Do you feel like this is a product of playing the Cowboys defense because there had been some nice flashes over the first three weeks? Or do you feel like this is an indication that we're truly on a downslide here that there might not be any coming back from? I think it was mostly Cowboys defense, but I do think it was concerning that he like just also went into panic mode and like, but, like, just kept spamming the like the one percent

plays over and over. But I have seen enough, like, where I'm just like, I'm not, they're not great. Don't get me wrong. But I think they're okayish is the like the furthest I would go. But honestly, this game felt like a reverse Patriots game in the past. It was an overwhelming defense that forced a quarterback to make a bunch of mistakes. And there was a super efficient quarterback just dicing you up in a super efficient offense just dicing you up. And they just overwhelm you, overwhelm you and rinse and repeat. But it's just to me, I feel like this Patriots, offense has improved, but it's just they have way too much needed. They need speed at playmakers.

They need yards after the catch if they're going to live this way with Mack Jones. And also on top of it, the offensive line, of course, is just battered. So it's just like, that's just way too tough too. I don't really just, I don't know what to make of them. I don't know what to make of them as currently constructed. I don't know what to make of them moving forward. The defense is still very good. They were banged up today.

They're down to whoever at corner. The first play of Miles Bryan is out there as an outside corner after Christian Gonzalez gets hurt. They hit him with a slugger for a touchdown. I mean, when you're down to your fourth or fifth corner and, you know, Sean Wade was getting picked on early in this game, a few teams can contend with that, especially against a good Dallas team.

So I still think over the course of a season that Patriots defense will keep them in games. But let's say they keep them in some games. Let's say the best version of the Patriots defense is like the 18th to 20th best offense in the league and the defense is consistently competitive. You're a six or seven win team. Right. In this AFC. And then what?

Like, is Mack Jones your quarterback again next year after what we've seen in moments like today? If he's not your quarterback next year, do you start over again? This team has $120 million in Capspace next year. Like, they essentially just have a blank slate of a roster, but I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing based on the way that they've handled having tons of resources at points over the last three or four years. So just whatever this last. stretch of the Bill Belichick era is, whether that's one more year or two more years. I just truly don't know what to make of it because today doesn't necessarily feel like an outlier. It was a low moment for the offense, but it's not like, wow, I can't believe the Patriots played that way today.

It feels like a continuation of a lot of shit we've seen over the last two years. I know. Exactly. Like the defense and like the parts and they're doing some interesting stuff and then the offense. And the last thing, too, is that the last time Belichick really had some cap space, you made a big splash, when I signed Judon, but they signed Hunter Henry, John Smith, our guy, Kendrick Boren, Nelson Agoror. And it's like, okay, so do we really trust you with, you know, paying offensive guys? And so that's, you know, something that we got to keep an eye on, too. But I do like the defense.

And they do have a lot of fun young players on defense. But it's just like this offense can't stay toe to toe with the bigwigs. The NFC, the Cowboys are the one of the juggernauts of the NFC. And on top of that, you have in their own division, they have a couple. monsters. And on top of that, they have to play multiple other teams that are monsters. So it's like, but they don't have that offense to go toe to toe with it. The Cowboys ran a fake field goal from the 15-year-ard line. The first time ever. So you can see what different modes these teams are in. The Patriots are in survival mode on offense. And the Cowboys are running the first ever fake

field goal from the 15-yard line. And also, Dak has a new cadence. I noticed. Yeah. Yeah. Here we go. I really like it. I really like it. It definitely added something. today. I really enjoyed that in those moments. Ready, ready, Sunday, Omaha. Yeah, here we go. Here we go. It was a new addition. That was a fun little surprise today. The running game is the last thing I wanted to bring up. They lost 10 points of EPA on their runs today. No way. So the Patriots combined rushing attempts in this game subtracted 10 points from their score essentially because of how inefficient that they were. 35% of their runs in this game went for negative yardage or no game. Boy.

I think the Cowboys' defense was angry. It's a little upset after the way that last week went. Let's stick with some offenses that look barely functional right now and start talking about the New Orleans Saints. They get shut down in a 26 to 9 loss to the bucks. There are so many numbers that you could throw out about the way that they play today. I'll start with this one. Derek Carr's average completion in this game traveled 0.8 air yards. 28.2% of his throws went past the sticks.

So about a quarter of his throws went past the sticks. The Giants were dead last in the NFL last year at 36%. Alvin Kamarro, when he was asked about just the offensive performance after the game, it's been two years since we were humming on offense. And it's about time that we have some conversations about how this is going on that side of the ball. Some tough conversations. And I understand that the quarterback is playing with a sprained EC joint, and that's something to keep in mind.

But again, this is the continuation of issues that we've seen over the last couple years, independent of whoever's playing quarterback for the Saints. And today was another troubling entry in what this offense looks like post-Shon Payton. It's the first time you've ever seen a player get 13 catches and complained. That is that what Gamara did today. They're just not explosive. Holy crap. Not in any either aspect of the game.

They have Rashid and Chrysalave. So Lave. Oh my God. Even Jawan Johnson. Like, you know, like they have a guys that run. And that's the thing is that it feels like Derek Carr is playing with some of the kind of performative deep balls. Like where he just throws it to throw it. And like, yes, the Lave won probably felt like Alavi could maybe play his foot just a little bit, the one in the end zone.

But if, I mean, some of them, he's just spraying and missing. And again, yes, he has the AC joint. But even before that, I mean, even before the Packers. Like in their run game doesn't have a lot of juice to create some. some big plays. And the offensive line is just not playing well overall. That's part of the issue here is that we, in our minds, I think we still have the

Saints as like this above average offensive line at the very least. They are not bad anymore, especially when they're banged up. You got James Hurst playing guard today. At some point, I believe Andres Pete came out. Max Garcia was playing right guard. Taylor, or Taylor Penning, Taylor got Taylor on the mind after the Sunday night game.

Trevor Penning is not played well this season of left tackle. So you have protection issues. You can't run the ball consistently. And you have a quarterback who starts to get jittery when there are protection issues. And so that all combined starts to erode this thing to the final conclusion that we saw in this game. Right. What was your sticks stat?

Like how short of the sticks? Because it's just... 28% of his throws went past the sticks in this game. Yeah. I want to find his Alex number, which is, you know, short of the sticks, especially on third down, because it was just, it was just unbelievable. He looks, it was so many times, even against the Blitz, it was five guys coming, and he's hanging, Derek Carthus is, hanging, hanging, hanging, and then not finding the checkdown or to checking it down. And it's like, you got rid of the ball.

Like, push the ball, throw it. Take a chance. Because that's what this offense needs. They just don't, you can't win with like three yards per attempt. It's just impossible. We like the defense, but it's just like this, this kind of combination and this offense, it just does not feel like it's competent enough to go. There was a stretch in the third quarter that to me just kind of encapsulates everything.

They're in the high red zone. Tassum Hill comes in. He gets sacked. So now it's second and 14. Yeah. They have a short completion to Elave to set up a third and nine. And then on third and nine, he hits Camara about four yards short of the sticks. Camara gets stopped.

They kick a field goal to make it 14 to six. I was just going to ask. That's it. Near the red zone. Yeah, I remember that whole sequence. That's it. That is what this offense feels like. right now. It was a bubble to the lavee, too, right? It was just like a little, yes, yeah, below the

wide, behind the line of scrimmage. So, yeah, it was, that's exact, that was the exact sequence that you could think of for this offense right now. The thought was that there was enough of a supporting cast throughout the entire offensive roster that that they went out and spent on a quarterback, that that was the last piece to kind of take this thing to a new level and take it past what we saw last year. Right. So far, that has not been the case because the supporting cast isn't up to that level, where if you just bring in the right quarterback, this thing is just going to be rolling. And again, I know he's hurt. I know it's four games into the season, but the early returns thus far on that calculus and that recipe for the Saints offense doesn't look great. And so

if that's going to be, again, if you're going to be a below average offense potentially, what's the ceiling? Like maybe you win a shitty NFC South and you spent everything on this roster, but you're still clearly a significant step down from every other contend, team in the NFC because it does feel like we're kind of walking down that road again. Just every yard they create just feels like a battle. It's hard. And it's very hard. And I mean, there's a couple offenses that kind of feel that way and they feel like a grind.

The Saints offense feels like it's playing against the Saints defense. Like that's just how it feels like every, like they just get their, just a battle for three yards, battle for three yards and force to squeeze them like completion, forced checkdowns and get rallied. And that's just, you can't, again, you can't win. But I like that you're bringing up, too, is that like, what we saw at at all the time last year was, I mean, this was an improvement of kind of with this. It's just like, at least we just saw something, the third downs where at least pushed past the sticks.

And it's the same offense. And yes, the offensive line has been up and down. But it's just like, I don't know. It just doesn't feel like sustainable at all because it's never been consistent, at least this whole year. The buck's offense is more explosive than the Saints offense right now. The Buck's offense I watched today was more enjoyable to watch than the Saints' offense. What do we think about the bucks? What do we make it of the three and one Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now?

They're going to be frisky, but they're not upper tier, but they're going to be frisky. They have too many good players. Yes. When you break them down, they just have too many good players. They're too big to fail. I mean, they are. Even Evans goes out with the hamstring at some point in this game, and then you get a Godwin game, where he has like three or four moments. There's like, oh, man, I forgot that Chris Godwin's really good.

It was great. I know. It's great seeing a healthy Chris Godwin. And then like, Trey Palmer's dunking on guys every week. But it killed me today. Not killed me, but I actually enjoyed it. It was showing a good job from the new office coordinator that, like, he kind of understands how Baker is. Baker and Russ are from the same archetype.

Like, they throw it to the outside. That's what they prefer. They like to push the ball. Deep play actions. And so he kind of has those training wheels on him. It was so funny to watch. Outside comebacks. Outside comebacks.

Everything outside. And it was great. But that's, hey, I understand. I understand what Baker is. Like bowl with bumpers, baby. That's what you have to do. And if you do that with the right personnel around him, right? You can get decent results.

He was nine of 13 for 96 yards with six first downs off play action today. Great formula. That can work. Those are big plays. There are 15, 20 yarders. I will say, we got a few Baker creation moments again in this game where he's scrambling on third down for first downs or making plays off schedule with his legs. that I feel like we're going to turn back into a pumpkin at some point if that keeps it keeps continuing.

But I do think the overall recipe that they have on offense is the correct plan for a team with this offensive personnel. And I think the defense is going to be annoying the way that they bring pressure, the defensive talent that they have. So it kind of feels like the best case scenario for the team that they built in the offseason. where you bring in Dave Canellas, you as your offensive coordinator, your offense takes a stuff forward just in terms of like design and having a plan. You have really good receivers, really good receivers. Yes. You have enough defensive talent.

Antoine Winfield coming back just had a bunch of great moments today. Carlton Davis is back today. You still have a couple guys at front. They've got some young pieces that are playing a little bit better up front. Really well. Logan Hall. playing good ball right now. Diabi had a moment today. like the tri and shriyinka's been a little bit better than he's been in the past.

Like so you have that level of underlying roster talent combined with a better plan on offense and a quarterback that can do just enough for you. And it's, let's get to the finish line of this season as a competitive team. And that's exactly what they feel like right now. They're going to be annoying every week. No one else runs a defense like this. And they have a bunch of vets that run it, you know?

So if you're not up to snuff, they're going to take a page of you. They're like they're, they are. And they can do enough on offense. And Baker once in a while can just black out. He gets pressure and just starts firing lasers everywhere. It can happen. And honestly, reminded me because even in college when I scouted Oklahoma when Baker was there,

even when they would run mesh, which is an over the middle of the ball, two crossing routes and like a dig or a sit route over the middle of the ball, they would tag like a deep out route with it to the sideline, to the field. And Baker, every time they call mesh, we just throw that.

It was 12, 20, yards every time. And he would not even just deal with the middle of the field. And I think he was just like, yeah, whatever, I'm just throwing it outside. And that used to kill me because he's like, yeah, he can rip those over and over, but it's like, it's kind of cheating. It's like just a gimmee for him. But it's just, it's good to see Baker rips and throws the outside again. I'm going to be honest with you before we move on from this segment. Falcons were dangerously close at getting it and getting involved here. We will be discussing the Atlanta Falcons and Desmer Ritter's performance at some point later this week. But I'm going to get him to let's you off the hook here.

I have thoughts. Don't you worry. I need a few days of stew on this. It's going to be, yeah, yeah. I need some time. I need some time. I need a couple showers. We will be addressing it later on. I didn't want people to think we were just forgetting that London game and the way that the Falcons passing game looks like right now. So just put a pin in that for the moment. For now, though, let's get to we see you. Talking about Stefan Diggs in the game that he had, we're just a reminder of like, holy shit, Stefan Diggs is good. When you have one of these guys on the outside, it's very helpful. AJ Brown, we see you, my friend. Nine catches, 175 yards, two touchdowns, including just the long touchdown that he scored, not even the game winner. The game winner is just whatever it is. Like, he's just a phenomenal player.

The long touchdown that he scored is like a stutter slot fade where he catches it on the sideline and then just turning that play into a touchdown even on top of the separation that he creates. he is a force of nature. There are very few players in the league that at their best feel like that. And again, in what was an uneven performance, to say the least, from the Eagles, they are four and oh, because every single week, they just have two or three guys that's like, oh, yeah, those guys are really, really good.

And that's kind of what it felt like today again. It felt like classic Coke, man. Like, just watch some of the stuff they leaned into today. I was like, yes, there we go. Just do, to play the hits. And just the AJ Brown catches. You can see this. But just they had the inbreaker on the RPO to sell it up AJ Brown.

Like perfect. Take advantage of the safety coming down. But the one you're thinking of, that touchdown, there's four vert's. And they ran like, we'll switch with it. And Hertz is really good at fourverts. And they're good running it out of tempo. I mean, they hit two in the Super Bowl off of it. And so it was just like a little hole shot to there.

But it was like, it was just perfect. Like Hertz is in rhythm. It's a place comfortable with. Oh, yeah. And then I could just rip it to this guy. that's going to take a 20-yard game and make it 50. And it's just awesome. And then even this stutter go, the double-moved touchdown, it's like the entire game,

he's getting peppered underneath, which is just like, that's what they lived off of last year. Those little five-yard underneath routes that they just pepper underneath over and over, the high-low's on the outside. And then that just little stutter goes, just a playoff of that in a huge moment. And they can just not only just get to these like plays to get the first down, they create touchdowns on them. And it's just, again, they're just jacking home runs where other teams are just getting singles on these plays.

So it's just, yeah, when this team's clicking, when this offense is clicking, it's just a ton of fun. And you got deja vu, Devante Smith, dunking on guys again. Washington's got to just be like, come on, man. Just five posters this guys put us on. We'll have a lot of time to talk about the Eagles and some of the issues they've had. We talked a little bit about them on Thursday. And I'll be curious to go rewatch this game and actually kind of dig into maybe where it's just not as consistent offensively as you want it to be. and then on defense, I'm more encouraged by Washington's offense in this game that I am discouraged about the way the Eagles defense played.

Because we'll talk about this team here in a little bit. The Broncos might be like historically bad on defense. They are unwatchable on defense right now the way through four games. But I still thought that Taylor, Taylor Hanicki, goodness, I still thought that Sam Hal was doing enough good stuff to justify our, optimism after watching that Broncos game, where his eyes were going to the right place, he's making good decisions, he's got a playmaking gene to him. And then you watch the way they played against the bills. And I'm like, oh, no, this is not good. So to see Washington's offense come out and play like this and have this sort of performance against a pretty good Eagles defense, that to me was

the more important, more telling takeaway than Eagles panic. I guess is how I would say it. I mean, shoot, the less drive to tie up the game was awesome. I mean, just, The last touchdown was perfect timing placement. He's got that in him, and it's been an awesome watch. He's my three true outcomes king. Like he, that's why he's like Heineke. First down, scrambles and sacks. That's what this guy's all about.

I appreciate that. I really do, actually. I love it. Man, he is just enjoyable to watch. He's going to have some blowup games and he's going to take a bunch of sacks, but he is going to push that ball and he's going to put some throws on the money. Like he makes some, like, who like, yeah, high-end throws. But then he just also, yeah, he's going to take a lot of negative plays.

He is also part of the Baker Russell Wilson spectrum. So it's actually pretty funny to see another version of it getting sprinkled in. But I enjoy watching them, even if it's not always perfect. He does a lot of like just high, like high-end stuff that I just enjoy watching quarterbacks do. Yeah. And I was a little bit worried again about whether or not that was a product of playing against the Broncos and not just who he is and what he has in his DNA. but I thought today was a good entry into the Sam Howell experience. A couple more here.

The Rams offense, just in general. I know that they almost lost this game today. There were some questionable decisions on the edge of field goal range a couple different times. I just, Sean McVeigh is so close. He's so close. They went forward on a fourth and three on the first drive. And I'm like, yes, this is the mindset that you should have. Your quarterback is throwing fireballs right now.

And then they punt or then they kick a field goal on fourth and two with 717 left and you know, they're that the close back in the game. And they're kicking all these long field goals. It's like, we're so close here. Just trust your offense to get these. Your quarterback is playing very well right now. He's like a vampire like getting the young blood. So he's like getting a little bit of it. He's like getting some of that youth back in him.

And he's like, yeah, I'm going to go for a fourth down. Then it's like, oh yeah. And then he has Stafford at quarterback. And he's like, oh yeah, he's about my age. So never mind. We're going to just punt it again. Dude, they're running like an air rate offense. It's freaking awesome to watch.

Just gun and slinging it. Just get a couple big bodies and one speeds stir out there, motion the hell out of it. High lows outrout. It's fire all over there. The high part of it is my favorite because we talk about this. We're going high in the high lows. That's all he does. Stafford's ripping like 18-yard intermediate throws in these high lows every single time he gets an opportunity.

It is beautiful watching him feather those balls in there right now. They converted the fourth down early and it was like I tweeted it. like Stephen Ruiz tweeted. I'm sure a bunch of people did. And he just progresses across the board. He's standing in there. He just does that little saddle. Like,

where he looks like he's sitting on the saddle and wings it in there. It's just like a perfect throw to Van Jefferson. And it's just like tightly covered. And if you're a Colts player, it's just like, I can't do anything about that. And he just did it over and over. He's just like, oh, okay, there's one point. He hits the Higby. I'm sorry.

Like, Stafford is playing unreal ball right now. He hits a seam route to Higby. It was a trap pass. And the thing about trap pass is. it's truly the running backs can get locked in because he's going to help out the pulling guard. So it's truly a four-man route. Usually you have something underneath to give you like a hot throw or something. They run four like vertical routes.

They do switch first and they run dagger, which is a seam route, the big dig route. And so they just, they're just trusting staff or just sit in the pocket and just wing it. And he's doing it. It's freaking awesome. And then the run game's inventive enough and also has a good running back for it. Karen Williams is good in protection. He's a good simple runner. he's an official runner, he's got good vision, and he's a good pass catcher.

So it's kind of, I'm really digging this offense right now. And of course, there's Pooka Nakua. And Cooper Cup's not even back. It's pretty awesome. And hopefully he will be back. And so we're four games in. He was on our to start the season. Hopefully he'll be back sooner rather than later.

Nakua's been excellent. They ran a play. I think it was like 835 left in the third quarter. And Makua, Nakua motioned all the way across the formation. And then he went through the sea gap, like outside the. the tackle between the tight end, and then he bends it back in on this huge intermediate crosser. And again, Stafford just lairs it in. I was like, this is so fun to watch.

Like, I'm just having such a blast watching this offense. And they did it because Naku is like a great blocker too. Like, it's great. It's awesome. And he had, so they, they had a block earlier as a duo play. They run, they also do duo in like four different ways now, which is really cool with this offense, like how they motion guys and how they get guys are coming across and kicking out. everything, but that was probably that pass play was off of that look. It's just, it's like he's,

so he's like basically playing fullback for them. And then they're just also just like there's Z, just catching eight to 14 yarders over and over. Cool player. They're like just perfect for this offense. How they're using two two out. Well, it's great. I'm sorry, guys, it's late. I'm just loving it. Like the, the Rams offense is like one of the most, by the way, most fun watches in the league right now. I 100% agree. And the results are real. They are fifth and offensive success rate through the first four games. Even more encouraging than that, because we always knew that Stafford could play at this level when things around him are designed correctly.

And I think that this has been a real heat check stretch for Sean McVeigh as a play designer and a play caller. Their fifth and rushing success rate. Yes. Their running game was D.O.A. Essentially, since the back half of the Super Bowl season, they were unable to run the football with any sort of consistency. The fact that they're doing that and the quarterback is playing like he's on fire in NBA

jam. it is a very fun combination to watch right now. And so, again, they almost blew this game, but down to down, what they are doing on offense, some people thought this would be one of the worst offenses in football. And it's not like they've been humming with all this health. Cooper Cup hasn't played. They had their right guard play left tackle today. Kevin Dotson had to play right guard.

And it showed up in a couple moments, right? Like, you could tell that they had some moving pieces along the offensive line. but overall, the entire group and the way that they've kind of built this thing through the personnel that they have with Stafford playing like this, it has been really enjoyable. Like there's a few offenses right now doing some really cool stuff and the Rams are one of them. Like what they're doing with the releases, I did one on a wind-the-clock video on what they did against the Seahawks, but they're just leaning into it even more. The bunches and stacks and how they're having guys switch and change up their timings, like having guys release at different layers, which is really cool stuff. But like you're saying, the run game's so much better because the offensive line kind of got reworked. But this Kyron Williams, he's just being this efficient runner at their first touchdown with him.

And this is just cool. This is the heat check of design. They ran, it was duo read, but Stafford is reading. And because of the design that, like, you hear that correctly, Stafford is reading the play. Like, he might keep it for a touchdown. And you could tell the Colts, I think it was Quitty Pay, actually it was like, oh shit. He actually might keep it. But it's like, and that's an easy walk-in, I mean, I should say walk in touchdown.

Like Williams had to work for it. But it's like just that little design tweak that just like, hey, this design is going to work that they even respect Stafford to keep the ball just for that split second because of all the window dressing. They're just, again, doing great stuff right now. And also, Colts are doing great stuff right now. That's exactly what I was going to say. Amazing stuff right now.

The Colts getting back into this game. And I think Anthony Richardson finished 11 for 12, 11 for 20 in this game. That not an indication of the way that he played. There were a couple like balls off receivers hands. There was a drop at the end of the game the Cowher Grants had. If he catches that ball, there's a chance the Colts win this game. So the Colts ability to function on offense with a rookie quarterback with some backups along the offensive line, backup left tackle today, backup center in the game today. Arrow pointing very, very up for the Colts, Shane Steak in this entire group.

And again, the fact that they almost managed to steal this one away at the end, I think is a very good indication of that. Just let Anthony Richardson throw the big fast tight ends and just over and over, tight end after tight end. Like, Mole Cocks had that great catching run. We ran over the guy and Richardson had great plays running through Aaron Donald's grass to get rid of the throw. I got tagged about 20 times. People were like, guys, you fight. And like, seriously. But, like, Colin Granson has played fairly well this year.

And like him and Anthony Richardson have a great connection, it seems like. But Drew Ogletree is really flashed. he's been a solid, like a pretty good player for this team. He had to concussion. They were really excited about him last year before he got hurt in training camp. He was really flashing in camp. He's interesting. He's very, very interesting amongst this group.

But Richardson, man. And with how they're using him, he had a hook shot throw that went like 40 yards. The scene ball he threw to Josh Downs. On second on, what, 18 and boom, just zooms it down. It was like watching a guy who throws 105 where it looks like it's rising because of how hard he threw that ball. And it was like a 40-yard missile shot. Two offenses, I will be tuning into whenever I get a chance, I think, is the way to put a bow on that conversation.

League pass teams to the max. That's what both of these teams are. Speaking of offenses that are clicking, just very quickly, I have to mention what the Niners did today. They had a 70% success rate on offense today. They had 30 first downs on 53 plays. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. That's like, that's got to be up there. Yeah. Pretty was 20 or 21.

And having Ayuk back at full strength, like dude is just an absolute monster. The way that McCaffrey is playing right now, and I know the Cardinals' defense isn't great, but the Cardinals have been competitive this year. And so just the unbelievable Death Star Doomsday machine that they have built over there. And watching that thing function has been a true joy.

And I think we're going to have a lot of fun as we see all the different versions of it come to fruition here over the course of the year. And we got a huge, see matchup next week. We sure do. Sunday night football, Cowboys and Niners. We sure do.

We got plenty to dive into with those teams. Both very fun teams to watch right now. Let's talk about two quick coaching decisions before we get out here. He chose boiling. Always love that one. It feels like Brandon Staley might be in here every single week.

It does it every week. The Chargers have a fourth and one from their own 34-yard line. 3-34 left in the game up by a touchdown. Okay. I understand the thinking. It's one yard. Let's get it.

Let's put the game away. A lot of context here. One, your quarterback has like a chubs-like hand from Happy Gilmore, his left hand is what he's dealing with during the back half of that game. Okay? He can't even use it. And so you're asking him to take a snap under center in that moment when his hand is all mangled.

I couldn't believe it. The offense on the other side of the ball was not functional for like a very good chunk of that game. Cleo Mac had six sacks in this game. You have a fourth round rookie. You're up by a touchdown. If you can't get a stop in that situation, I don't know when you could ever hope that you could get a stop. And typically that's not where my brain goes. It's not, oh, let's make our defense get a stop.

In this moment specifically, I think that there's some validity to thinking, you know what, let's just put it away and let's get a stop. So they don't. They ultimately do get the stop on defense inside their own 20. And then Herbert has to throw a 40-yard dime to Josh Palmer on the left sideline to settle the game away. It was a dime too. Oh, my God.

But that, I was like, they went for a fourth and one. I was like, all right, you know, dance with the one who brought you. You know, like, right. I get it to an extent. Yeah, I do too. And then also he lined up under center. And I was like, this week, go under center and you do a sneak?

I know last week they went under center, but last week they handed off to Kelly, right? Like as an outback? Yeah. And it's like this week and now they do the sneak and it was like, I couldn't believe it. You have to go to the pit. They had to take pistol to take a knee or going to a pistol to take a knee. But to do the QB sneak on a very, very

important play. Yeah, that was just, that was very interesting. The, I, but the thing is, is Staley has gone for it. Like, on Fort Down one of the most times since it's been the head coach. their success rate in like one score games in the fourth quarter is like actually like very high. I believe it was second when I just looked it up during the day today. But it was, you know, I think it's just because they have so many attempts at it that we just remember these bad ones.

But it's just like something, just always the fulfilling the process always just feels us leaving wanting more. Like even when they just sometimes make the right decision like maybe last week. But even like this week when it's like, oh, it could be 50-50. It still just didn't feel like the right call. Yeah. And I just think in this moment, based on all the other contexts around the decision, that it's worth considering potentially going the other way. I also was pretty discouraged about what the Chargers offense looked like for most of that game. The Chargers offense this week was 26th an offensive success rate.

The only offenses who were worse than the Chargers in week four so far. The Saints, the Steelers, the Browns, and the Patriots, all the teams we already talked about today. Those are the only teams that were worse on a success rate basis than the Chargers. They were, Herbert was running for his life for a good chunk of this game against Max Crosby. So that offense needs to be the strength of this team what propels them when you consider the state of their defense. I know they played well today against Aiden O'Connell and Clomack had six sacks, but not a great day. And I think they were lucky to kind of escape with a win with the way that they played it with some of those, how some of those 50-50 moments went at the end. I mean, just the six sacks.

Like you can't, yes, obviously, there's going to be some luck involved with six acts. But even though how those broke down, it wasn't just like some great, great design. It was true, one-man effort plays or an error by the Raiders. And so it's like just, again, you can't rely on it. Especially when you're going against the better teams, especially when you want to be one of these top six, seven teams in a loaded AFC. Even if teams are down, it's like still freaking tough because there's so many good units. Last one here. Matt Iberfluse has the ball.

Bears have the ball. Fourth and one at the Denver 18 with two 57 remaining. All they have to do is just get out of there, potentially kick a field goal, and they decide to go for it. They get stuffed. Broncos go down, kick a field goal, game over. And this is one of those moments where I think a lot of people are going to be shaking their fist and doing the analytics. This is the newfangled NFL. And this is, this is what it's brought us. And in actuality, the math, according to several different models, including ESPNs, said the correct decision in that moment was to kick the field goal and go up three. The models will always be hungry. They eat every coach. But unbelievable. I couldn't believe it when they went for it. I was like, just take the win. It's just like, we set yourself up there.

You're relying on a defense that has been shoddy throughout the entire season. And sure enough, Oh my goodness. The mouth, I was about to call them like the Broncos, they're like the mouthwash. Like they're the Denver mouthwash for the season.

Every team that needs it, they just, that's what it felt like in the first half. It did. And then the mouth washer became the mouthwash. Like that's what the second half felt like. It was rough.

It was really hard. Karad's playing his preseason game. The vibes felt amazing. They're showing poles in the suite just high-fiving. It was like, oh, oh,

just it was too good to be true. Too good to be true. I mean, that swing where Fields takes the sack, they get the strip sack, and then you can just kind of feel it starting to slip away. It's just an all-time collapse for a team that really needed something to build on coming out of this week. And now they're sitting at 0 and 4, and they now have the first and second picks in the draft after the Panthers lost today. So that's where I think all of Chicago's minds

are collectively going. And then the other just fantastic. Just sweep the leaks. Every sport get the number one pick and just you just just just looking it's been a great time for chicago sports it's been a great great time great time to get number one picks too it's like just get the generational guys just get the guys they're like you know the class of the class my other favorite thing about the bear's day this is the last thing we'll say about this they can't even get the messaging right about banishing players to the shadow realm they chase cleopold is inactive in this game after the game reporters asked matt eberfluse why he wasn't at the stadium Matt Aberflew said they gave him a choice.

He decided to stay home. Then, like 10 minutes later, Bears PR had to release a statement saying that in actuality, they told Chase Claypool to stay home. It's like, no, no. It's not me. It's you. I'm no, no, no. You can't dump me.

I'm breaking up with you. That's what that feels like in that moment. So at least they're good at handling all the things surrounding this ineptitude. Why is it like this? It's just like they just can't help themselves. Just communicate. Just communicate. Just talk a little bit.

Just have a cohesive message. How's that old school Russell Wilson feelings today? That was pretty nice. I felt like he was back in Wisconsin playing Northern Illinois. He threw a now throw. You know, like just like a little like one steper. Like, yeah, Sean Payton. It's like, it's old school.

It's truly 2008ish saints, I won't say. I already used 2006 saints for the Lions. 2008 Saints, I'll say, for this team. Guess what we get on Thursday? Oh, isn't it like, it's bears who? Washington. Yeah. What happened last time those two two split up Thursday night?

I joked, I turned into the Joker on YouTube. So I'm sure this will be totally fine. Is that so you're your profile picture? No, I change it to the one good photo of me taking at my wedding. So I felt compelled to change it. But there's a chance we get a new one after this game. So we'll be reacting to that live on YouTube on Thursday. And we'll have lots of other great stuff coming to your guys' way this week.

Wind the Clock. We'll be back. If you guys have not been checking out, wind the clock. It's been doing a fantastic job with those on our YouTube channel in the pocket with me and Chase Daniel. Kiefer in the Beats will be coming your way tomorrow. Got some good ones to dig into. Kevin Fishbane will be chatting about the bears,

so you'll get all the proper Bears sadness from somebody who is on the ground witnessing it. Joe Rexrow talking about the Titans and their win yesterday. And Matt Barrow was talking about the just absolutely rolling. Francisco 49ers. So please come back and check that out on the podcast feed. For now, that is all we got. Appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you soon. This was the athletic football show.