The Bill Simmons Podcast - A Quick NBA Power Poll, Minny’s QB Mess, Josh vs. Pat, and Week 9 Picks With Joe House and Peter Schrager

Episode Date: October 31, 2025

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Joe House talk about their “uh-oh” teams before doing a power poll 10 days into the NBA season (4:01). Then, Peter Schrager joins the pod to help Bill and House make their Ringer 107 picks (41:04). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Joe House and Peter Schrager Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo 15% off $15+ on NFL Gamedays with CODE: GAMEDAY at https://littlecaesars.onelink.me/vc9i/n15m71zn The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit⁠⁠ www.rg-help.com⁠⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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so your business can stay unfazed. Learn more at SAP.com. uncertainty. The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to by Fandall Sportsbook. We are also brought to you by the Ringer podcast Network, where I put up a new rewatchable is on Monday. That was super fun. We did Halloween too because it's Halloween. This is my favorite week of the year. Me, Van Lath and Chris Ryan, a lot of jokes. Halloween two, once scary, now more of a horror comedy, and we had a lot of laughs. So you go check that out. Next week, Monday, we're going to have a celebrity guest and we're also i'll tell you the movie we're doing truman show which is uh which is just an

awesome awesome awesome movie um and had a lot of fun talking about it so you have the whole weekend to watch the truman show i call it truman show but it is the truman show anyway uh that's all coming up no prestige tv anymore for me because task is done i guess i'm just waiting for the next show it's not going to be the morning show i'll tell you that much wow I can't believe the morning show. The morning show, not a horror, not a comedy. I don't know what it is. I don't know what's going on with that show,

but I watched every episode. I do like the Murdoch show on Hulu. I've been watching that one. That one's pretty solid. Although I do feel like everybody's worried about AI taking over Hollywood and yet all of these true crime shows start with, there's some sort of murder that happened and the person's either covered in blood or you see body,

and then it goes backwards three years. like don't complain about AI but then start every true crime series the exact same way I do like that show though and I like Jason Clark he's in some other show on Apple that seemed pretty interesting too but we're back into everything is a B plus or worse world series still recovering from game three I know I talked about that on Tuesday and apparently the Dodgers are recovering too because they lost game four game five and now Toronto has it all in their hands could this happen the Dodgers again, where they win the 18 inning game and then it derails them for the rest

of a World Series. Rividing, riveting sports weekend ahead. We got football, got the World Series, the NBA is in full swing. I've already run the, ran a gamut of emotions with the Celtic season. We were 0 and 3. I was convinced we win 18 games. Now we're 2 and 3. Josh Bynott is stepping up and starting to wonder if we could be a playing team again. Austin Reeves is an MVP favorite. going on. Very fun. We're going to talk basketball at the very top of the podcast with Joe House because I'm going to talk about the one team I'm concerned about, and then we're going to do a nine-day power pole. And then old friend Peter Schrager joined us. We did Ringer 107 picks, but we used Shrakes to just talk about all the teams as we did the picks. Then we settled

on our favorite ones. That's all coming up. First, a break and our friends from Pearl Chain. This is the Bill Simmons podcast presented by Fandul. If you're betting on this, the NFL. Come on. Fando is the place to do it. They've got everything. Same game parlase. Quick bets for when you want to jump in live. Your way. So you can set your own lines on just about anything. The app's fast. It's easy to use and best of all. When you win, you get paid instantly. I've been in Boston, Massachusetts recently. Guess what I did? Use Fando. Super fun. Download the Fando app or go to fendro.com.com slash BS to get started. Must be 21 plus president's select states, 18 plus in D.C., Kentucky and Wyoming. Again, promul called Win a hundred

gambler or visit rg dash help.com call 88879-777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut. All right, Thursday afternoon, Joe House is here. We're talking some basketball at the top, and then we're going to do football with our old friend, Peter Schroger. We're going to do some picks with them, too. House, we're 500 now in our picks. We clawed back to respectability.

I'm super excited about that. Super excited about this NBA season. I sent you a power pole, but before we go through it, because we did it last week, got a good time. Me too. there's an uh-oh team through nine days and we haven't discussed this

I wanted to see if you had the same uh-oh team there's no question about it we are in lockstep Bill Simmons I'm afraid we both took the over for this team I'm pretty sure we did it's a thousand percent the New Orleans Pelicans

what the fuck is going on with the Northland Pelicans West Coast uh-oh I had an East Coast uh-oh Yeah, there's a West Coast O-O-2. Oh, I can't believe we're not in lockstep. No, New Orleans is an O-O-2, but I mean, you know, they're already having, like, injury stuff and all kinds of things.

They competed in their first two games and then just got completely blown out, rolled. Yeah. Well, the goodness is they have their first round pick. Too soon. Listen, we knew with the West one of those, there was going to be one team that was probably going to be worse than we thought, but we just knew. Just by law, there has to be four bad to mediocre teams. You can't have everybody be good.

They're over under, I think, was 30 and a half. We went over with that. I wasn't thinking of that team. I was thinking of the Orlando Magic. Okay, well, sure. I mean, that's everybody's uh-oh. That's the uh-oh du jour, is the Orlando Magic. Watching them give up the 136 to Philly.

Talked about it with legs a little bit the other day, but then doing the deep dive, reading some stuff, and there's already some stuff with the coach. It's going on here. The defense piece with them where, like, basically everything goes on Suggs. It's like, oh, you have two scores? Well, we're out of options. We only have one guy to guard everybody.

I guess Jonathan Isaac's just not a guy anymore. I finally remember the two years ago when he looked like he was like 1965 Bill Russell. He's only, his whole career will come down to like he was just 15% of a guy. Never got to 20% of a guy even. Just 15% of him. guy. But the nerd started turning on Palo this week, including our own Kirk Goldsbury on Zach's pod when he was talking about how he was just concerned with some of the advanced stats. And then all week there's been stuff and there's been stuff. Go, go free give you permission

to call him a nerd? Well, I mean, he's an OG at the Sloan Conference. That gives him nerd status. I'd like to consider myself a nerd. Great. If you can go to a Sloan Conference and hang with the nerds, you're a nerd. But yeah, there's some concerning Palo stuff. There is some weird defense stuff. And then there's that trade where they gave up all their first-run picks and went all in, a trade that I fully supported. But have you watched them yet? Oh, yes. In fact, I was live tweeting during, not tweeting, I'm sorry, live texting during that Sixers game.

Because it was so eye-opening to me on both sides of the ball. On the one hand, I wasn't prepared for the speed that Philadelphia's backcourt plays at and the poise of those two guys. But on the other side of it, you know, I just kept smack in my head. It's like, this can't be just Suggs out on the perimeter. It can't be that. And it can't be the case. And our boy, Verno, you put in the thread this morning, validated this. We were texting with him about the Memphis and a whole bunch of things and then Orlando.

Validated that it can't be the case that Contabious Colwell Pope was the glue for that for that defense. Like he was the guy for that Orlando defense. I don't, it doesn't make sense because he wasn't there the year before. Yeah. Well, it's early. They're trying to incorporate Bain. The bench looks, you know, I mean, yesterday the bench. had better stats just because they were getting blown out by Detroit.

But Detroit kind of worked them. The shooting is still, you know, like yesterday, they were 12 for 31 from 3. That's like a great day for Orlando. There's also every year in the NBA, there's a team that's a younger team on the rise that gets a lot of smoke and just gets pushed up to the next level without having done anything yet.

And I think that might have happened here. I'm not counting them out just because I think the East is just, super duper weird. But we're going to go over the basketball, the little power pole I did. And one of the things that jumped out to me was there was like five East teams that are all the same team. When you're watching everybody on the TVs, it's like these guys would all, if they were in a tournament, they would all just go four and four against each other. Which I just wasn't expecting Orlando to be in that group, right? Like you watch Orlando in Chicago, or Orlando in Detroit or Orlando and

Philly, whoever, it just seemed like an even matchup and they were supposed to be like a fringe contender. Yeah, because their win total projection was like 51 games and that had them at the top of the east behind only the Knicks and the Cavs. And we

expressed skepticism properly, I think, on the preview show with Mr. Zach Lowe. I think we all, oh no, we didn't all go under one of us. I think Zach had a one of us,

Zach had a lock over. I didn't mean to call that out. He did. He did. You're throwing shots at Zach. He's not him here to defend himself. That was unintentional. Yeah,

Zach went over 50, 50 and a half lock. Woof. I told you, I texted you and I've cashed in one of my locks already. Even nine days in the season, I'm cashing in Brooklyn under 19 and a half.

I'm just, that is a win. I'm not using pencil. That's a pen. That is one of the worst teams we've had in the league. sometime. I asked Ligra the other day whether, you know, I think the worst team other than the 16-6ers, which went maybe 10 and 72, 11 and 71, something like that, was the,

this Mavericks team from 92 or 93. I think that Brooklyn team has a real chance. But guess who's having a great time? Michael Porter. He's like, this is awesome. Iso. He ended up, clear out. I think Brooklyn suits him. I think he's going to be able to pursue his interests. The best, what was Cam Thomas's game? 40. 0.0 assist. That was my favorite. All right, let's rip through the power pole and then we'll bring in Shrigues. So still have OKC is the favorites. I narrowed it down to three contenders and I have three

possible contenders. And I want to talk this out because I'm happy moving any of the possible contenders up if you want to conciliary it. But I have Denver and the Knicks and Cleveland as the three contenders. Look, whatever. Cleveland lost to the Celtics last night, but Cleveland doesn't have their team yet. I'm not concerned at all. I'm a little concerned about my 56 and a half over

the lock if these guys are just not coming back anytime soon but are you cool those three with contenders obviously but then

the possible contenders Houston Golden State and I put San Antonio so we have to have San Antonio here until further notice and I don't

I don't have any objection right? Like, if we keep getting these games out of Wembe, the impact on the rest of that team, they are very complimentary. They are deep. And, you know, it is, of course, like, we're going to hyperboize because we're only four or five games in to the season. Like, remember, the Washington Wizards with Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrez-Harrell five years ago, started off the season eight and two, and you were congratulating me on. that team the first 10 games things will happen we'll see some they could be directional they may

not be directional but this bit a san antonio team at this point in time with what they're revealing to us about the possibilities about the potential they belong right where you have i've been betting on them every game i've been betting in milwaukee and san an ntonio every game so san an San Antonio, they have an MVP candidate, their second in defensive rating right now, which isn't nothing. They don't have Fox or Sohan yet. So when you think about that, where it's like their only problem is going to be how do they work those guys back and still have minutes for everybody when everybody's playing well

and even guys like Calvin Johnson are playing well. So I think it's a clear contender. Same for Houston because Houston still has that ass kick gear and you saw it. Who did they play last night? Toronto. They just put up 139 points on Toronto. But Golden State is the one that I really vacillated on whether they're an actual contender or a possible contender. Here's why I made the impossible contender.

I think there's a real chance Adam Silver hates Golden State because I can't think of another explanation when I look at the schedule. This schedule they have, starting tonight, they're playing at Milwaukee, Saturday at Indy, home Phoenix on Tuesday at Sacramento at Denver on a Wednesday Friday home Indiana

at OKC on a Tuesday at San Antonio Wednesday at San Antonio Friday at New Orleans Sunday these are all games 17 days they have 10 games and they're basically all in different locations

that's a fuck you from who from the NBA schedulers one of the oldest teams in the league So, yes, and that's why I want to see where they are in 1116 for that New Orleans game. Who's already hurt? Who's been sitting? How fresh are we looking?

How impactful is commingo? What else am I leaving out? No, that's it. Can we continue to get the continued high performance of Moody and Pods? Like this version of Moody and Pods was supposed to be the thing that was propelling them last year that was going to give them. And Cominga, he's a revelation. is he going to be satisfied? He's seen satisfied right now.

It's a high level. You laughed when I threw the Sean Marion. The Sean Marion concept. Concept. Still sounds ridiculous. Respectfully. Respectfully. Still sounds ridiculous.

Guarding the best guys on the other team. That's a good idea. He's their best athlete. Rebant, run the floor. Guard the other team's best guy. That's the Sean Marion blueprint. Okay. fine. No, we have to wait. You're right, though. It's been good. It's a good version of

Golden State. I'm happy to have it. Every year we get more, more chances of high, effective stuff. I'm in favor of that. So they, I mean, at just those 10 games, 10 different locations, but they're also at Milwaukee, at Denver, at OKC, and then back to back at San Antonio. Those are five of the hardest road games you're going to have all season. So we'll see. That's why, that's the only reason I have them in there. But I like what I'm seeing, like the chemistry, the Alhorfer thing still hurts my feelings. Next category, the sleeper, which I had at San Antonio, but I think they graduated from Sleeperdom.

So we put Milwaukee in there. And it's just Janus and shooting. It's what we like before the year. This is one of our locks. I think this was the only one other than Sacramento's under that the three of us agreed on as an over. It was 42 and a half. Janice has just been best part in the court

every game he's played so far the shooting is there they have these sneaky dudes man I've liked Ryan Rollins I liked him before the season I like him more now did you have him feels like it

I think you did I think you had Ryan Rollins I feel like he passed through the DC vortex yeah these guys yep Cole Anthony Green Cole Anthony Kuzma was actually playing defense the other night on towns.

He doesn't have a choice. He wants minutes. Yeah. Like it took him a whole post trade. He's like, what the, what is this? This is, these teams are trying, this Milwaukee team. It took them that long to acclimate, right? If we're being, we want to be Kuzma truthers.

I don't know. If you're being super friendly to Kuzma, you could say, it took them a long time to acclimate. Took a long time to acclimate. I continue to take this team seriously. I think I had them as a five seed. I thought they could climb as high as three if they got a healthy on a season

and some other luck. They've had some guys out already, but I just like the team. I like how it's constructed and it makes sense to me when I watch it. So I have them eighth. Next group, there's four teams. Title is let's see in March.

Minnesota, Dallas, Clippers, Lakers. And I saw Minnesota in person on Friday. moving the Lakers up and I'll explain why in a second moved Minnesota down from the contenders just because of the defense now Edwards hasn't he's missed the last two but Minnesota's

25th in defensive rating right now it's just impossible to take Anthony Edwards off the floor and get any kind of a read I mean they used should be 25th in defense ever but like who you know they they play Mike Conley significant minutes

and he's still a good contributor. But he, like, they still, he knows how to play. He's got a good basketball IQ. They don't trust Dillingham. They won't play him. They can't get anything out of Terrence Shannon. Like they, this was the concern for the downside case when we were sitting and going through them at 49 and a half wins. The toughest one. Yeah, like the bench needs to get a little bit better. Devenchanso's been fine. He's playing. I don't think it's the bench, though. I think it's that guard spot. Well, they don't have. have they can't figure out the guard spot it was supposed to be delingham at this point

giving them 20 minutes yeah and also anthony edwards isn't playing but it's fine to like just say okay we're gonna let's let anthony edwards come back they came all the way back against the lakers team that was missing seven guys the other night i mean they should have won i went to the game friday which i talked about the other day and it looked like minnesota was going to win by 30 and then all the all of a sudden, their defense went sideways. Marcus Smart started diving for balls. Luca and Reeves just started doing things.

And all of a sudden, Minnesota was down 15. And it was one of those where you're watching the game going, wait, how are they down? What happened here? Why are they this far behind? I've been here the whole time, and it seemed like they were in the game. But the defense, I don't know, it's a red flag.

We'll see. That's why I said we'll see in March. Dallas, same thing with their weird team. Davis is already now, now, what is it? We hit some weird tendinitis. Who knows? They could be way further down

next time we do this. Clippers, I don't know. You might lose some money on Dallas. We might lose some money on them. Or there could be the UN Theory Committee. We would have to be show up in Dallas. Clippers. Let me ask you a question.

Am I concerned? Yes. Do you think? that any of this indictment stuff because it is apparent, it's revealing itself that Tailu is a pretty central figure in quite a bit of this.

That Damon Jones, Chauncey Billups, and Tailu. Just because he was friends with them, yeah. Yeah, I don't know. He was in some places at some times. Well, he was involved in two different things because that happened

and then the whole aspiration thing. So two different things that just are pulling your attention away from trying to invest. basketball games. It shouldn't matter for the Clippers because that is one of the deepest, smartest teams in the league. I haven't.

When you have shit like that, it's never good. There's no upside to be like, oh, we have this really weird, ongoing story that's just happening outside the basketball court, much less if you have two of them. There's just no positive out of that. It's just stuff that's pulling your attention away from what's important. So I moved the Lakers up. And the only reason I moved them up is because Reeves is playing so well. And like I saw it in person on Friday, kind of took over the game for a couple

stretches. And this is a game where Luke had 48. And then now that Luca went out, he's been a one-man show. That shot that he won the game with. Awesome. Was just, they knew he was getting the ball. That was like a fucking A-plus Lister kind of shot. So I don't know what to make of this team now because I don't really like their

four through 12 at all. I'm not sure they're going to be able to play defense. But with Luca and with Reeves, and then you're just going to move LeBron back into this and say, hey, LeBron, just do LeBron stuff and set guys up and get some stats. Like, it's not nothing. I don't know what to make of it.

What do you make of it? Well, you'll get in trouble if you ask this so I can ask it. I mean... Oh, say it. You send in the buyout contracts? They're already out. there. I mean, you already see the trades. Like, you know, the trade, the trade, we didn't,

we didn't have to wait for the maestro. We don't have to wait for you to be coming up with LeBron trades. The internet is speaking. The internet has spoken. What is the internet saying? I'm not hearing the voices. There's already a trade of, what was your favorite one? LeBron and Bronny back to Cleveland. Cleveland can't trade for LeBron. I went over this a month ago. They're not allowed to make trades. I don't know. It doesn't have to be right away. The Andre Hunter was involved. I can't remember. There was picks involved. There was a couple other things. So, well, that's interesting. I can't. I can't figure out a trade destination. I tried. I'll do it again. I'll die. But tonight, late at night when I can't sleep, I'll give it another test ride. I actually sent you a

task. Yeah. If you spent six hours, could you come up with a consent? seeable Paul George trade. Forget about Embed. He's off the table. Is there a single Paul George trade? Because I have Sixers fans in my life. And once we trade Paul George, it's like where? He's got three years left on his deal. Where are you trading them?

The teams that make sense are veteran teams that could use a veteran guy that will be able to assimilate him and take where they are in terms of the playoff profile and elevate themselves. That's the logic. that's the thesis. That's why it teams to me like a Golden State, like a Miami. Those are the teams where Paul George... So Miami was the only one. I gave that one

to. Rozier's expiring. Wiggins two years left for Paul George, who says no faster. I did that. I did that on my own as well. I agree with you. That Rojier trade, that contract is a wonderful asset magically, out of nowhere. Because you have to pay it. Miami gets this

incredible... yeah asset um it i think paul george could make sense in miami i mean why is miami saying no because of the third year of that contract yeah because you're thinking especially if you have bam and you're paying hero um could you be in play for the honest types two years from now do you want to tie up your cap and is is paul george demonstrably better than andrew wiggins like is he going to be that that much of an upside that it's worth tying up your cap for a third year. It's a fair question.

It's a fair question. It's why we didn't. We didn't have the answer. We didn't reach a conclusion. I do. Philly has to bring back Paul George and hope he plays well for like a month. And then he goes right on the dark web eBay. Just like, yo, Paul George, any interest?

I would say out loud, I don't even know that they need for him to play well for a month. Like, is that, that's just to validate that he has working for. four to limbs that work, 10 digits on his fingers that work. Would you take them on the Wizards? No. If they gave you a pick or any sort of asset to enjoy along with it, an appetizer?

It seems like they're going to be like a low 40 win team. So what's that pick you? They don't strike me as a lottery team right now. Well, we're proving our point. They're not going to be able to trade Paul George. Probably not. Have you seen the ad for RB steak tips? It's so funny.

I am literally having this conversation in a couple text threads right now. Shout out to my homeboy. Why are I in the text threads? Well, I mean, you know. How are you in an Arby's thread that I'm not in? That's that gar place. I didn't start it.

It came to me. As you would expect. You being in a Papagino's thread and me, not being involved. No, as you would expect, I am a magnet for Arby's threads. The thread found me. I didn't go hunting for the thread. I understand.

But there was a review in the Washington Post from my homie, Tim Carman. I haven't had a chance to read the review. Somebody pointed it, put it in front of me. Did he review the Arby's steak tips? He ate them and reviewed them. And I'm not going to spoil it for anybody. But here's the thing.

They're called Nuggets. They're not tips. So this is part of the thing. I've had a really hard time with this because my affinity for Arby's is so well established, so well known. I thought the branding of this was a tiny bit off because they call them Nuggets. Now, Nuggets, that's a word that we have an association with. Steak Nuggets, are they breaded?

What does that mean? If you called them tips or you called them, you try to do something like the burnt ends that the Kansas City has made famous. They look like burnt ends. And if what you're doing is conveying to people like here is protein in a cup, here is some animal-based protein in a fast food. vehicle that you get but it tastes like barbecue

taste the worst port search at 2025 this is my problem though the cup isn't appetizing like and it

doesn't convey a barbecue vibe like you don't eat barbecue it's not like you get chick foyer nuggets you get the box you're like

oh you got chick flame nuggets now I want one that little sort of envelope shape kind of thing where it might look like yeah they're all sort of nestled together

because we were chopping off the ends and we put them all together and we slapped it on this thing and we put it put a tiny bit of slough at the end, little vinegar slaw at the end of it. Okay, all right,

now my mind's working. What they're showing on the commercial and the way they're delivering it in this cup and the calling it nuggets, just had a hard time getting my head around it. I have to tell you. It's a great point. Like if you had veal nuggets or

I'm trying to think, any meat, Branzino nuggets, whatever it is, my head immediately goes with nugget to, you took a fish, a chicken, steak, whatever it is, you put it,

you air-fried it, you grilled it, whatever you did, and it's going to have an outside with like a breadcrumb type thing and that's how I'm going to eat it. And it's going to be soft inside.

Yeah. I'm getting hungry talking about it. I want to try these things now. And I have put set aside, I bookmarked Tim Carman's review of the steak nuggets. And I'm eager to get his, because when he likes stuff,

I tend to like it too. So I'm eager to get this. Wow, he's like your, your, your, uh, your palate, my muse, my palette muse, yes. Interesting. Here in the DMB, here in the DC. I'm glad we took that detour. Maybe we should do a food detour and everyone. And so I was watching football with some people on Sunday and that commercial came up and I just

started laughing and I was like, I just think a house when I see Arby's steak nuggets on a giant TV. Did anybody say, oh my God, that looks appetizing? oh my God, we have to rush out and try these? No, it's more confusion. It's more confusion. That's what I'm getting at. But there's a way to solve this. I mean, I'm going to eat them.

I'll probably, maybe I'll do an Instagram on it. I'll get some this weekend watching football. How about next Thursday? We should just eat them. That's great. This is not sponsored content, by the way. We're going to zero for Barbies. Better than Instagram.

You can do it right here on the Bill Simmons podcast. The funniest was anytime we've driven to Vegas, that one Vegas stop at like the two hours. mark and they've got like the 20 different fast food places and you just like you see the arby's and it's like do you you train me like a dog yeah train me you train me to understand i know where it is i know when it's coming my body starts responding to it next category so let's say in march was minnesota dows clippers lakers we're about to do a little drop off here and this next category is called sorry i can't tell you guys apart

Detroit, Philly, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago. I just think if any of these two teams played each other in the playing tournament, any result is possible, or in like the Emirates NBA Cup, whatever you want. The interesting end of me is that Miami and Chicago played themselves up into this group, right? Miami, I think, is better than I thought they were going to be. And Chicago just seems really comfortable. And a big part of it is Bezellis, obviously. But they've also been playing the same kind of style now for a couple of years.

They're well-coached. And I think those five teams are like right near each other. Which one of those five do you think is the best? Because I have an answer to this. I think Detroit's probably the safest bet for best. Okay. I think Philly has the highest upside because what's happening with Maxi. I must be square because obviously I thought Detroit was the right answer.

I can't. I mean, But the maxi piece, I was talking to Chris Ryan because I saw him after the comeback win against your wizards. The maxi thing is like if this is just who he is now, this is like we're now in Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell like area territory, you know, which just changes their ceiling. Absolutely positively cannot rule out that this is just where he is. He might just be a 28 points of game score now. He's effing dominant. He is unstoppable.

He seems like the fastest guy in the league now, other than when Joss decides to dial it up. You know what I mean? Yes. Like from just coast to coast, like he's just like a blur. He's got a ton of that SGA movement also. Yeah, he's been awesome.

The way he can move inside the lane. Atlanta is the one that I think could fall down from this group. If they don't, Tray's already banged up. They haven't, the defense just hasn't been there, even though I like some of their defensive. guys but they have too many players i like so i there we'll see the next one is the i smell smoke

that's orlando we covered them i really one of the subpots i didn't want to happen this year is for palo to become the trevor lawrence of the NBA so let's hope that doesn't happen that's very disrespectful to palo that's very disrespectful water treters is our next one boston and memphis um boston stumbled into something really interesting with this Josh Minot, who didn't really play the first two games. And I think if he had played opening night the way they're using him now, I think they actually would have won because there was this moment where they could have brought him in in crunch time when Tata fouled out and they didn't.

But I just think he has it. Like he's a real rotation guy and he gives rebounding and defense and a little size. And I don't, when I say this, don't just be careful. You be careful. He's doing a reasonable Tatum imitation. of the rebounding defense piece. Okay. Not the scoring, but the ability to actually protect you a little on the boards and guard people.

He did a really good job on Evamobil last night. I was like genuinely excited. And then Memphis, we were texting this morning. This Cedric Coward is a revelation. There was some good sentiment out there coming in that he was going to be a hidden gem. I think our own Tate Frazier. He's unhidden. He's in our own Tate Frazier.

on record with that? No, he's just a gem. I don't even think it's hidden. All you have to do is watch a Grizzlies game. It's like, who's that guy guarding everyone on the other team and making open threes? So I'll admit defeat on the Bain trade. I'll do it right now.

They trade Bain for all those picks. It's like, why are you guys doing this? And their attitude was we feel like we can replace Bain. Well, they've already replaced him because Coward's going to get all those Bain minutes and he's a better defender than Bain was. It's not as good of a shooter yet. So great trade for them. I love watching Coward.

This draft is a 10 out of 10 so far. They still, Memphis, I need to see the defense every night. I just don't. I mean, they're going to be, they've had some 35 games. They've had some absolute stinkers on defense already. Water treasters only because they can, as Verno always points out, when John Triple J actually play, they're pretty good. They need to get their front court back.

They're still dramatically undersized. Can they tread water until those guys come back? Next category is wait, where's our coach? That's Portland. Portland's just legitimately frisky. Professional basketball team. Drew has been really involved. It's been good to see him doing old school Drew stuff every night.

And even though, you know, the scoop piece, they've been able to kind of patch it together. He's like running offense for them. I was really interested in that game they played last night actually with him. and just like, I don't know, Portland's not bad. And if they were in the East, they'd be maybe in that conversation with some of those other East teams we mentioned.

No, they're talented. It does remain to be seen. I think they've won every game since the indictment was returned. Did they lose one in there? I think, well, they are three and two. They've won two in a row. Interesting team.

I like Klingin, too. When you think about that draft, I think Klingan went after Dillingham I think if we redo that draft he goes higher next category thank God for the World Series that's Toronto so we taped the last time they were 1 and O and they killed that land

and we were like oh my God maybe we were wrong about Toronto well they have one since I mean I'm going to lose a bet I gave them out as a lock at like over 38 and a half or 39 and a half I can't remember what it was I thought for sure they were going to be in the low 40s this team makes still

makes no sense. It's amazing. All these years, we've been going on preview shows, talking during the course of the season, make it make sense. And still, now look, last night they were missing Pertil and

Houston is huge. So Sangoon, Sangoon came within one assist, bad match. Two rebounds of a double double last night. And I only know that because I lost a parley. I had Houston and Sengun getting a double-double without parole.

That was a good bet. That was a good bet. Plus 1-35. That was a goddamn good bet. But I lost because Sengun couldn't get one more assist or two more rebounds. It's not his fault. You did great, Shengun. Don't listen to House.

Maybe I should stop calling him Sengun. Where do you think Toronto is in defensive rating after nine days? Near the very bottom, I can tell you with certainty. There, 29th. Yeah, I watched. They are way down there. You're the other issue with them. It's a team that makes sense for 41, 42 minutes.

But if we're in a sword fight at the end of the game and it's like, all right, that team has Tyrese Maxi, we're going to run a pick and roll quickly or we're going to try to do the thing where everyone stands around and watch Brandon Ingram. They have all these options that are okay, but all these other teams they're playing have like, oh, they have Janus. And the flip side to just that same point is last four minute defense. Get the stop. It's fine to say we're a team that's going to get out in transition.

We're going to force turnovers. Okay, that's fine for 42, 43 minutes. Now it's the last five minutes of the game. Nobody's running. You're in the half court. Stop somebody. I'm not ruling them out, but it doesn't look good early. Next category, league pass all-star, Charlotte, fourth and scoring, just doing their job.

The only criticism I have was Charlotte. Bander Miller's already heard, but my only criticism is, don't get blown out. Let me enjoy you for more than an hour before you're down 25. I want to see you guys go up and down. We had a fun thing. Like, who's going to play center? It's Calcbrunner.

Yeah, he's fine. He's fine. That's the answer. Oh, and Newsflash, con caniple's good right away. Yeah, immediately. He only told people that since June. Next catarr is shopping for tanks, Indiana. I look they've this is the year from hell already um and then last last ones why are we here

phoenix sacramento utah wisconsin let's just tank oh wait we can't new orleans and then dumping for darren the horrendous brooklyn nets who we can talk about with peter schrager in one second he's in the waiting room yeah fresh off arguing with dan erlofsky and nflb live we're to take a break peter shrager joe has next the bill simmons podcast is brought to by fandul's sports book Fandall turning up the heat every Sunday with power hour, every Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. Eastern. Fandul is giving you a profit boost to use on live bets during the most intense stretch of the NFL slate.

This is when games flip, underdogs rally. Parley's hit. That's pretty fun. I think there's going to be a couple down-to-the-wire games this weekend. We jumped on a bunch of them in Ringer 107. I feel like even though we took the Bears in Ringer 107, Bears, Bengals, feels like that's going to be right down on the wire. Anyway, it's called Power Hour for a reason, and it happens every Sunday only on Fandul.

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cannot be combined with any other offers plus tax where applicable. Prices may vary, delivery available from participating locations with online orders only, copyright 2025 LCE, Inc. All right, our friend, Peter Schreger is here. He's going to do Ringer 107 picks with us and talk football and,

you know, basketball starts. Shriggs gets, he gets a little antsy that he hasn't gotten an invite when we get in October. It's like, wait, I'm right here. Then it's like, you know, then I make the joke about, well, your McAfee's guy now. Then he gets, and then he doesn't know if I'm serious or not. We have this whole dance we do. And then it always ends in the right place with you here on the BS podcast. It's good to see you. You never want to be in the Bill Simmons blacklist or on the cold seat. And I'd just like to throw us a couple sprinkles in here because eight weeks have gone by

and not a single invite. We text all the time, but no invite. And then you said Joe House was on and I got very excited. Let's go. You've been on during the season, right? I think I did preseason where I told you that the dolphins

were going to win the Super Bowl and the lions were going to be terrible. So I think we have time to redeem ourselves here. Oh, Jesus. My apologies for not having you won another time during the season, but I'm glad you're here, plus you get to be here

with House. Love it. House has a hard out an hour and eight minutes from now. So we're going to zoom through Ringer 107 possibilities in a second. But what's been the dominant doing these shows on ESPN? What's been the number one go-to story in October? Outwe's defense, baby. Let's break it down.

That's what it is? Break it down. What is Mattieberfluse doing wrong? Should they have traded Parsons? Now that they have made this bad trade, what do they do? should they go get Hendrickson? A lot of Cowboys defense talk. And just this week, we shifted a little bit.

A lot of Drake May bill. Oh, my God. God, damn it. It was as if, you know, these, they beat the bills on that Sunday night. And then Monday morning, we did a lot of Drake May. Then it went away for a little bit. But then this week, it's been a lot of Drake May over at the worldwide leader. And I'm loaded to bear.

Like, I'm ready to go. I got so many notes. I'm like, good, my real house. I only could say so many things about. you know, overshone to return for the Dallas Cowboys defense. Well, House had last year's

last year's darling for the shows, Jaden Daniels. Just segment after segment about how special he was. And now Drake May just said, hey, Jaden, have a seat over there.

I'll be taking all of these segments now. For the time being, tough matchup this week, though, with Atlanta. It's a nice little test. They have a good secondary. There's a lot of momentum now at the Pats.

Could they be the one seed? It's just, it's a lot of trap elements. I know House is studying. We are not putting the Pats in Ringer 107. I'm just telling them out. Not this week. Well, look. Stay away.

I want to, I want to ask if I have permission to do this little segment with Shregs because this is the, I think this is the first time we've been on together. Second time at most. We didn't want. We shared food. Yeah, we've hung. Oh, yeah, yeah.

This is the second time. We did one like maybe like COVID, like 2020 going through like coach hiring. I was like, I remember any podcast I did for two years during COVID. So I would believe that. The segment I want to do is, what the fuck is going on with blank? Okay. The question, since we're now on this New England, Atlanta thing, what the fuck is going on with the communication issues with the Atlanta offense?

Isn't it weird? I don't understand it. What's going on with them? Okay, so I did their Monday night game two weeks ago when they beat the Buffalo Bills. and I was the sideline reporter and they opened the roof up and we get a production meeting with the Atlanta Falcons and I sit with Rahim Morris who it can light up a room and he's like, Shreggs, I coached, you know,

Cooper Cup, his triple crown season. I coached Julio Jones, our Super Bowl year in Atlanta. I was the wide receivers coach. I can go back and I coach RG3 when he had that rookie season. I was on that staff. He goes, this guy, Bijon, is not only in that conversation, he might be the best of all. And he's like our entire team runs through him.

Our entire offense runs through him. He is the heart and soul of our team. The defense respects them. They've scored 10 points since that 250-yard game in two games in a row. And it's so confusing. And Zach Robinson's the offensive coordinator. And he looked like he was dialed in.

They moved them down to the sidelines. Everything was right in that Buffalo game. Pennicks look good. You had guys out for the bills. The suspended guys weren't back yet. You start wondering. like what the heck and then they lost

some offensive linemen along the way and I know people tune out when you start talking offensive line is the reason because you're looking for a bigger you know that Rahim Morris can't get these guys ready to play and that they you know

to lose to Miami is a fireable sense and all this trust me Falcons are as frustrated as anyone this game here for them to kind of be the up to underdog trap game

like it's so out of this world if you were there in that building two weeks ago where it looked like this was a Super Bowl contender. So House, I am with you, two head-scrashing efforts, 10 points in back-to-back games. I know cousins looked 100 years old last week. Even so, to lose to the dolphins that way,

where the dolphins run the ball 37 times down their throats, like that does not add up with what I saw and what they did against the Washington commanders a couple weeks earlier before that. So Atlanta, one of the great frustrations around the league because everyone thought they made that turn after that Monday night game, and that was a national coming out party

for all those young players. And they've been just the pits ever since. No pun intended. He's been actually pretty good. Well, you know what they did, House. They landed themselves on the DNB list. They sure did. The do not bet list.

Do not bet. They're just the fucking stay away. They killed us last week. They killed us. The thing with cousins, it's like, if you go to a restaurant and they accidentally bought some bad, I don't know, bad Brandzino

and the whole table got food poisoning, do you blame the restaurant? Ron or the brand Zino, I guess is the question. Cousins was so bad. They had no chance really from the get-go. They're a stay away to me. Here's the thing. The Pats Rundee has been ridiculous.

No running back has had more than 50 yards. Yeah. What? But Bejohn and on wheel routes and screen passes against these Pats linebackers is a nightmare. This is what my Pats fan friends and I are talking about. Like if they get Bijon in space, pits in space.

The one problem with the pads. The pads are 28th defensive DVOA. And their big issue is like when their linebackers are in space, they can stop the run, they can push the line, they have a really good secondary.

But that middle of the field, I think it's... One of my favorite things you've had on a podcast in the last several weeks was Monday. You're like, everyone's raving about Spillane.

14 visor, badass. Hent's texting. You can't stand him in coverage. No. Yeah. Yeah, Hedge has had a lot of spoliant texts. It's tough because there's just times when you get the,

you just see the play and you just see in the TV, there's two people in a lot of grass. They're like, oh, no, oh my God. Anyway, I have, that game is in the no thank you pile house. Yes, we're in agreement. I'll just tell you the four stayways, unless we're doing parlias. Chargers, minus nine and a half, Titans. You didn't have that one house, right?

why not Titans in a game getting you know less than 10 what's the thesis for the Titans being competitive it's more about the Charters and the Jekyll and Hyde

when they're offensive line we know that Joe Alde is playing this week is am I right about that Shregs that's the word Joe Latt is playing football this week they don't lose when he plays and Bechtin Beckton's playing too it seems

Quentin Justin Quinn Quinn had a zero last week Didn't do much I don't know Was he on your fantasy team? I got guillotined Quit with Clinton Johnson's zero

And in our guillotine league I picked them up I have them now I took them right off your zero Yeah My zero Chop my head off And now you have

By the way Did you happen to see the interview with Kamari Vidal last week after the game Like I love this Because Justin Herbert's not going to give you much Like let's try Kamari Vidal Not exactly going to be

working on the ringer anytime either. It was just hilarious of like, Kamari Vidal is getting the interview. Usually it's like the Aaron Rogers or Matthew Stafford. Camari Vidal had that opportunity, but it wasn't one of many words. I'll say that.

I wouldn't say Herbert is Mr. Dynamo either. No. Did you sit near him at that Dodgers game? How close were you? Well, so he was at the, I was at a Laker game than he was at and a Dodger game that he was at. And neither night was he breaking down

the Titans defense. I like to do it this week. I want to put the chargers in a money line, far away situation. Okay, fine, fine, fine. Ram Saints, it's minus 14 and a half. It's just stupid. That's a flash sale price. That line should be 11.5.

I don't know. Dude, Rams coming off a buy where they're feeling really good about themselves. Saints in full sale, fire sale mode. All the veterans must go. That might be a 20 point, 30 point game, dude. I'm kind of fine with selling on, it's mother shuckers debut. You're afraid of the Mother Shucker? That's like, how do you get excited for that game if you're the Rams?

That said, those games, those 14 and a half, sorry of me. No, every one of those games matters. They need to just go. Like, it matters. I get it. The Colts just did that to the Titans. The next two weeks, they're at San Francisco and then playing Seattle. Okay.

That's the season. This is, let's take a 10-point lead and just start handing the ball off and let's go home. Let's get ready for San Francisco. I don't know. That one worries me. So I had that one in the pile of the stayaway, and then the last one was Packers, Panthers. Packers minus 13 and a half at home against the Panthers.

Give us, where do you stand with the Packers these days right now, Peter Schrager? I think that second half that they had against the Pittsburgh Steelers was as good as any half a team has had all season. And their defense is so good. And they've had a couple lapses. There's like two moments. The Cowboys, second half was bizarre. and then they gave up a couple big plays against the Browns

and that weird loss. But other than that, they have been lights out. And that defense coached by Jeff Hathley, who, by the way, is going to be one of these guys that everyone's talking about and head coaching conversations

in the next couple of months is only, you know, complimented by an offense that is so dynamic with all of these different receivers and tight ends that you don't really have a way to stop them if they're feeling it. And he completes 20 straight passes and we do all that. But to who he's throwing.

to. It could be Matthew Golden. It could be craft. It could be, you know, Heath. It could be all these guys. They have so many different players that it's really hard to defend. And whereas the Eagles, it's so much friction and there's so much like outside noise. Like, I'm pretty plugged in with these Packers guys and the players and the coaches. It is like kumbaya up there right now. They're all on the same path. Micah is like the lighting up the room, like a complete joy. Anything you might have heard about his personality. He is like house. He is just pure, pure happiness, and he brings it the best out of everybody. So Packers to me, right now, if you're asking me week nine, like a team I wouldn't want to face, it's those guys. It's funny. They're so loaded

at receiver. I waved golden in the guillotine league, not because I don't like him, but because in guillotine, you just have to have guaranteed points, right? You just got to make sure. I actually ironically waved him for Quentin Johnson. But the Packers have so. many receivers. I don't even know anybody, even like Kraft, who's awesome, who looks like Baby Grox sometimes, even he might have a game where he has like one catch for

11 yards. They have all these different ways they can go. It's daunting. And they have another tight end Musker, like they have a lot of different guys. And last week they got Christian Watson back and he's a really good deep threat. And Romeo Dobbs. So it goes on and on. The question is, the Lions

game is in week 13. Like, I'm already circling that. Like, can they keep it where they're a game up or they're tied with the lions and then can they sweep the lions? Because home field is going to matter. Interestingly enough, everybody's team that they're picking apart,

the Eagles go there next week for a Monday night football game. I think we'll learn a lot about both teams. Philly on the road in Green Bay with Green Bay probably getting all the hype train going into that. Well, and how so you know that the tie is going to matter somehow with these seeds. It's just a lot of averages.

Like right now, they're the one seed because they're, They're five one and one in Philly's six and two, but I think, you know, if they win this week. But who could figure it out? But you just know it's going to come into play. When a good team has a tie, it's always like, well, that could be one or four. So you went on that Philly team? Where do you stand on a betting standpoint these days with them?

I've come around a little bit. Now, the Giants were lively against them. And I really feel like that bad whistle that the Giants caught was undeserved. I'd be interested in hearing what the scuttle butt inside the NFL for, you know, around that because they all deserve better. That was that was a tough whistle. The Giants got, but I, this whole thing, everybody keeps talking about all. I think, you know, Peter Schroger, I'm so happy he had time to break away from a full day. He hosted first take this morning for crazy six.

Did you host first take this morning? I did. I did. Oh, my God. And then you did NFL live? That did NFL live. So we're getting like a. gaming like kind of

this is like a 15 inning you're like Will Smith catching the 16th inning for the Dodgers it's a tremendous job but everybody's talking about this idea I'm like Michael Jordan I don't believe in load management just cut up this interview 16 times over the course of the season let's go

he wants the people to see him goddamn right everybody loves this idea of the Eagles under center as opposed to out of shotgun that Jalen Hertz under center it creates you know the uncertainty

there's no question that the offense has been better and the ironic thing is that it's because the kid can't snap shotgun comfortably. Isn't that the explanation for it, Treggs? They started into it. They never were playing anything under the center to start the season and they were struggling.

Now, the last two weeks against the best past defense in the league, two weeks ago, Jalen Hertz, for 330 yards. Then last week against the Giants, they ran for 250 yards. That's what scares you if you're an opposing team. like, oh, okay, wait, they actually can do both of these things and they're both working. Offensive line's been an issue for them, which is such an interesting change from years past with Jeff Stoutland in that unit.

But let's see if they can get healthy and let's see if they can keep it going. But yes, the shotgun versus non-shockon, they were exclusively a shotgun team. And now all of a sudden it's like, wait, maybe we're better this way. It's finally fair to wonder why it took to week eight or week nine to figure that out. Shragues, do you feel like Hertz has been struggling against the triple, Umbrella, bernays robber. You're hilarious. One of my things I'm going to start doing on the pot is I'm just going to make up

defenses that just sound fancy. I got caught on Get Up last Friday because I tried making an analogy and like you have like, they give you like 15 seconds. And I said with the A.J. Brown stuff, I'm like, all right. So this is the equivalent of that couple that doesn't, you know, that's always fighting. And instead of them getting separated, they decide, screw it, let's get preck. Right? Let's have a kid. And that's an analogy. You know, House, you know that analogy. People talk about all the time. It could be a horse. Let's have a kid. It means let's double down. I mean, we get that. Harry Douglas is next to me. Bart Scott's next to me. The second I said a man getting pregnant, they're like, what? What? And I'm like, oh, God, oh, God. Like, this is, there's not going to be a, okay, I just put it out there. There's no selling going on. We've talked about this bill. You got to sell me guys. You got to laugh. So then I'm like, oh, no, you're right. You're right. Go back to the triple robber, the high safety talk that we just broke down. from robber. And that fell, that fell flat too. And then I'm like, okay, screw it. Just,

just someone break down the sluggo because that's what we do. Break down the slugging. It's like, they actually threw a sluggo this week. I'm like, I know. I know. They threw the darn sluggo. Okay, enough. But like, yes, I get, I'm trying to fit in my little analogies on these shows and my little jokes and my little quips. It'll get there. We got it. But in the meantime, we're going to break down the double high robber Sam's scissor route. And we're just going to have to talk that way for the, for the crowd of high school coaches that are watching, you know, we got to go there. House wants food involved in some of these defenses.

Like he wants, like, somebody to have a Bernays Blitz or the Arby steak, Arby State Nuggets. That's savory, creamy, yes. Yeah, the savory. Savory should be in there. He's the most savory linebacker. Things that make us have somebody. Yeah, Spelaine. Savory's Blaine.

I have three, three Pats Falcons in the no thank yous. I have three more games that I don't think should be in the. let's actually seriously talk about this for a ringer 107. And either of you hit the button. Wait, Bill, can I interrupt real quick? Yeah. How about everybody going, oh, the NBA, NBC and Amazon, they're teaching us basketball.

This is what we really want. And oh, we don't want inside the NBA being critical. Similar to what I was talking about. Let's give this a couple weeks of everyone being coached like they're a high school basketball. I'll take, slow down with how bad inside the NBA. is, guess what? When they're on ESPN, when they're on TV, they're pretty damn good. And I can get the basketball history lesson maybe from techs winners later on in my life, too.

I'm good. Yeah, I still enjoy inside the NBA. This is a good moment. I don't know. Did I text you, Shregs? That three, that three, that bucket, that three when you were, why, why were you taking threes on camera? McAfee invited me down to do the show down there in Indianapolis for when I was talking about the Knicks for him. I guess what? High school basketball player. The stroke. Love it.

Love shooting. Triggs could have played three and three with us house. I already made it. He could have spaced the floor for our pick and roll. We already made a joke about protein cup, but I'm going to go for, I'm going to double down right now. The stroke was so, the stroke was velvety. It was. Made you want to put some of the protein.

That's years and years, it was watching. I was dressed. That was Drozzen Petrovich. That was Mark Price. That was where my guys. All those great names. I used to watch. Yes.

49ers Giants 49ers favored by two and a half in Jersey the San Francisco defense was on the field for 41 minutes and 18 seconds last week against Houston that can't block the Giants just lose

major guys that their fans love every three weeks Giants defense is 30th against the rush and 26 yards per play to me it's a stay away unless you guys feel different. You've been following the Dexter Lawrence Carl Banks

controversy in New York this week he got a little saucy with him right Carl Banks is the in-house guy usually pretty positive out of nowhere just takes a very contrarian view on Dexter Lawrence who has been no one's been

criticizing his play he's a very highly paid defensive tackle gets a lot of love reputational he's saying this guy isn't playing he should be dominating he's playing an eighth string center last week against the Eagles and he's getting mauled. Dexter Lawrence fights back. Giants right now with the

Scataboo injury, with the neighbor's injury, with all the different issues they've had. And then you take in the Broncos loss and the way that thing went down. It has been a very deflating few weeks. They've won their last two home games. They did it in heroic fashion.

We love the Eagles game. You love the victory against the Chargers, but I don't know if this team can get off the mat again after the last two weeks and what's been going on in that building. So this is crazy because I think that this is the season, the game of the season for San Francisco. They cannot lose this football game and make the playoffs for that reason. Yes.

The problem is we don't know who's playing for them and their defense was on the field for 41 minutes last week. I can't name five of their defensive starters. Yeah. I think it's a stayaway, but I feel like on Sunday I'm going to bet on the Niners. Yeah. I'm going to be like, oh, he's playing? That's the best way to do it. I just want to say I'm a mildly afraid of time.

Tyrone and Tracy, if I have a Niners bet in this game. And I have them on multiple fantasy teams this week. I picked them up. Lions Vikings. This was a flash sale price. Lions minus eight and a half over the Vikings. Feels like it should probably be like six because it's a kitchen sink game for the vikes.

Cashman and Van Ginkle are back. Yep. They can play the Bernays Robber with those guys. The Bernays Robber, we love that. Bernays robber. They might even be able to play the savory steak nuggets Blitz. Isaiah Rogers can go the peppercorn blitz if we need.

Right. And yet McCarthy, tell us, what do you, House is the most in on this story of any story of that JJ McCarthy may be terrible. I think it's the most fascinating story in football this week. Honestly, like I could do a full hour with you both on this because the way it's stacking up, as much as Giants fans are like, oh man, Daniel Jones and Seekwon, they're just better when they leave us. Think about what was in the room last year.

Sam Darnold's five and two and could be the MVP if the Seahawks keep winning. Daniel Jones is seven and one is basically the MVP right now. Both those guys were in the quarterbacks room. They let them both walk. They could have franchised Donald. They didn't. And then Aaron Rogers

had made overtures, I'm told, that there was interest in Aaron Rogers going to Minnesota and they were like, that's a tough one, because that's, that would have been a nice one year, Band-Aid, who knows. They bring in your boy, Sam Howell.

They get him in a draft. They trade for him in the draft. And then after a couple months, So, like, we're actually good. We're going to sign Carson Went in August, and he's going to be the guy all on the thought that we're all good. House's faces are great. We're all good because we got JJ.

We're all good and we're all in. Now, they traded up in a draft for them for two years ago. And House, I will give you this nugget. The commanders thought they were going to get Sam Darnold last offseason in March. And then Jaden Daniels was going to be the rookie with him. At the last second, Evan O'Connell offers Sam Darnold more money, $10 million. They goes to the Vikings, and he's going to basically play that role for JJ McCarthy.

McCarthy goes down with the injury. Everything happens from there. They traded up to get McCarthy. And I feel like it was like, we drafted this guy. We went all in on this guy. We're not going to abandon him now, but a 14 and two season before those two losses at the end, that's a tough one to swallow if you're a Vikings fan. And now the weight of the world is on McCarthy because you add that on with both of your

quarterbacks being in the same draft class, with Bo Knicks being in that draft class. And it's like there's two separate things on his shoulders. There's, oh my gosh, I've got to be the savior of this franchise. And we let all this quarterback talent out the door. And oh, by the way, all my contemporaries, all my peers are fucking awesome on their teams. Well, the thing that that befuddles me is what do you go into that locker room and tell all those badass motherfuckers that were on a team that went 14 and 3 last year. What do you tell Ben Ginkle?

What do you tell Cashman? What do you tell Justin Jefferson? What do you tell Justin Jefferson? What do you tell TJ Hawkinson? People are saying TJ Hawkinson's having it down here. Oh, is he? Because JJ fucking McCarthy and Carson Wentz, the corpse of Carson Wentz, God bless him.

He shouldn't be on an NFL football field. He's going on the field and crying. He's crying on the sideline. I mean, I have empathy for the man. I don't wish bad things upon him. He shouldn't be playing professional football. That's on the franchise. The franchise did this.

What do you tell all those guys that tasted the playoffs last year that had every reasonable expectation that run this back? How do you keep that room safe? Because I think they're going to get waxed this week. I think they're going to get annihilated. They might. Look, we are very, we have a great luxury to look back in hindsight and do this now. Those eight days,

That final Sunday night game against the Lions and then that treacherous Monday night game in Arizona against the Rams, Darnold looked awful. So it was almost like 14 wins was great. And your comeback when in Seattle was huge, your comeback when in Chicago was huge and all those amazing throws you made all season,

when we needed you most, you weren't there. And I think that's what they put their head on the pillow with like, all right, we drafted this guy. When it mattered most, this guy wasn't able to pay him a hundred. There's a money ball piece too, though. Like it would have been at least 30 million a year to keep doing. Unless you franchise him and you eat that $40 million for one year and then say, okay, JJ waits another season and then we go to McCarthy.

But they use that money to get like a couple defensive linemen. Like they try to spread that money around. It's more a thing of like, like if you're the owner of the Vikings and you moved up to trade for J.J. McCarthy and you just got hurt. And then a year passes. And they're like, hey, here's what we're thinking of doing? Maybe we'll franchise tag Donald. If I'm the owner, I'm like, what about J.J. McCarthy? We traded it up to draft him. Are you telling me he can't play? Like, Jaden Daniels played last year. Bo Nix played last year.

Like, why wouldn't we play that guy? The part I don't understand is why they let Daniel Jones out of the building, who they obviously liked when they got him. Yeah. And he would have been a cheaper version of Darnold. Why didn't they just do that and try to keep them? They had like 15? Yeah, and they wanted to bring them back.

The Colts offered about the same money, if not more, but basically told him, like, you have a real shot at winning this job, and he went to Indianapolis, and he left. But Minnesota was very interested in, in, you know, retaining him. They would have loved to have had him in the room, but he took Indianapolis's offer instead. So what? Give him 20.

I don't know. Like, to me, it's all, it's amazing that they're at this spot where they're like elevating John Wolford because they might need him. And this is... People like the backup. Bosmer. People love the backup.

And you've heard all this talk about him. If he gets announced as a starter, the line might not even move house. It sounds like Shragues has more McCarthy information and then he's letting on. You don't sound optimistic about McCarthy. Here's the other part of it. He's still 22 years old,

so it's like you don't want to bail on it yet. It's just I love the sliding doors aspect of it, of like what could have been. It's another non-denial denial by Shrigues. I feel like he's getting a lot of McCarthy stuff. It's a disaster. This isn't a Josh Rosen situation, is it? How could it possibly be?

He hasn't played any professional football games. We have no idea. We have no idea. But he sat in the coach's office all season last season. Yeah, Kevin O'Connell did a meeting. They did a meeting. They ran through the schedule, like he wasn't hurt. All right.

So it sounds like we're putting the lions in some sort of pile. The good pile. And then Cowboys Cardinals is the other one. Cowboys minus two and a half Cardinals. I just, I don't want any part of this game. Why not? Huh? Why?

Who do you like in this game? I don't know. I could see Kyler running for about 150 and throwing for $3.50. Yeah, how's tonight I don't been on Kyler. We don't been on the road. All he does is dominate in Dallas. And you're supposed to take Dallas this week because they're back home, the offense, you know.

There's nothing wrong with that offense. I'm not taking them again. Shottie was pretty firing. I loved it. Stick it up the ass, whatever he said. Like, I don't care about offensive stats. Where they all? I mean, first time I'd seen him ever talk like that in 25 years.

I loved it. But Monday Night Football, I feel like Spotlight game. Maybe. maybe Kyle, I either wouldn't, I would get it at Arizona or I wouldn't bet at all on this one. That defense is so bad. I spoke to Michael Irvin this week, had a very interesting take. I want to hear both of your thoughts on this. I love this take.

It's when I hadn't heard yet. There's a million Michael Parsons' takes. Irv had a different one. He says, even if Parsons goes on and win Super Bowls and all this stuff, should have never left the Cowboys. I'm like, go on. He's like, the money would have eventually been the same. Jerry was a million dollars off, whatever. You don't pay taxes in Texas.

you pay taxes in Wisconsin. And the podcast that Micah had, if you're a Dallas cowboy, is infinitely more valuable than your Green Bay Packers podcast. Oh, and by the way, Micah lives in Texas, his mom lives in Texas. And the value of being a cowboy for life

is so much different than being a cowboy for the first three years of your career and then moving on and doing something else. I'm like, I have heard a thousand people talk about Micah Parsons. not heard this version because to everyone's naked eye, it's like, oh, Parsons got out of Dallas and is riding high and Green Bay was where it was. But like, Irv was like, no, no, I've never paid for a meal in Dallas. And I go everywhere and I'm royalty for the rest of my life. It's the greatest thing in the world. He's like, Parsons can't do that anymore. I'm like, fascinating

Taker, I love it. It is fascinating. You're doing a kind of financial modeling because if he wins defensive player of the year, would he have ever won defensive player of year than Dallas? Like, How do you measure those two trajectories? How you put them next to each other? It's very interesting. Bill, your thoughts. Michael, I've never had to pay for anything in Dallas. That's a long list of a variety of things.

You'll be the first to tell you. If I'm Michael Parsons, I'm pretty happy in Green Bay Planet. An awesome team versus a deranged franchise owned by a really old guy who just does crazy stuff. We get to take a break and then I got to talk about my five favorite games. This episode is brought to you by SAP. You know that feeling when running a business gets too demanding? The pressure to make everything happen all at once is immense. Like it's fourth and one, and you just need that last yard to seal the win.

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Bill's Chiefs. Hello friends Bill's Chiefs yet again Bill's have been a little better in the regular season Chiefs have obviously dominated the playoffs There's some Buffalo Some slight injury stuff They lost that Oliver

They just can't keep that defensive line all together Casey played Monday That has to be factored in Buffalo's run defense 31st But I don't really like any of the Chiefs running backs Rahms is probably their most dangerous runner Buffalo first running attack KC 11th against that

and it just feels like a really tight game Bill's getting one and a half at home house which Bill's as a home dog there's some good stats with this can I interest you in moving that bills line up a little bit into the four and a half five and a half range would that entice you?

I don't want to bet on this game I would prefer to just watch it and enjoy it because there are to me two very plausible competing game scripts, phenomena and I can't choose which one I think is going

to be the one. In my mind's eye, I can see this Chiefs offense scoring 41 points. No problem. I can see them firing on all cylinders. I don't like the Pacheco injury, but it kind of feels like they always

have another guy coming in the back. You know, that's like he's only getting a dozen touches or so a game anyway can I interrupt to you for a second? Please, please, please. We're putting this game in Ringer 107. This is a playoff game. I like that right away. Put the fucking chest hair in your chest. Have a drink

of bad men scotch. We're trying to win. You tell me you think the prevailing outcome is going to be. It's a playoff game. Shregs, Josh Allen at home. Yeah, but Josh Allen at home might not be enough because I watched the Ravens put up 40 points on

that team in Buffalo. I watched Drake May go into that building and win in Buffalo. Look, the Ed Oliver thing is huge. He's the best player on their defense. He's been a game wrecker all season. Now you're asking, you know, this rookie Walker to step up and play that role, which is asking a lot. They need DeKuan Jones to step up when he gets back.

And like, Bosa and Rousseau have to be better than they've even been. The bills are in a real tough spot here. They lost their best defensive player. And they've got a long season ahead of. them. And I'll add, they have zero cap space. So whereas your Patriots have the most cap space in the league, the next-48.5 million dollars house. The next four days, they can play around. They can do models. They can figure out. They can make phone calls. The bills, they can't do crap. Last year, they brought in Amari Cooper and he helped down the stretch. I don't see, the bills can't make a move.

They've got like a million dollars of wiggle room. There's nothing they can do. So the injury bug has hit them way too early. But that said, John, Josh Allen, you've been knocking on the door for all these years. You're right there. You're the MVP. This is your moment. Go and win your fifth game against Mahomes in the regular season and go control that division, which you should not have to worry about the Patriots in 2025.

This should have been a 2027 problem that they're dealing with. Yeah, you forgot about one thing. You forgot about Drake May. Drake. I'm with you for most of that. I think Buffalo can overpower the chiefs and run the ball down their throats. and when they're not running the ball down their throats, use Josh Allen to continue to run the ball down their throats.

That would be, as a chief's fan, that would be my fear, that we're just getting pushed backwards, and we don't have the ball a lot, and it's just one of those weird games. Who's this game matter more for? I know it's week nine. I do too. Oh, that's surprising.

I think this is a must for Buffalo. The chiefs can't lose any more games. The chiefs are in a bind with the one seed, for sure, and the Broncos and Chargers are going to keep winning. So, like, it's a good question. It's not just a, to me, Buffalo psychologically, like, if you lose another one, it's at home and the Chiefs again. Like, it's a lot.

I feel like for Buffalo, this threat of the Patriots is a real threat because the schedule that the Patriots have combined with the fact they've already won in Buffalo that if you lose this Chiefs game and you fall back, who knows with the past guy, they might finish Like, I don't know what the record's going to be. I don't even, as, as you know, I feel like this team has holes. They might go like 12 and 5 or 13 and 4, right? So you have that, plus you have the, the chief's whole, that whole dynamic. Whatever that is, the cloud of the chiefs.

Whereas the chiefs are always fine. They could lose any game. It's like, we're fine. We'll be back next week. Like, I just don't think, I just don't see the chiefs being like, we got to get this. They treat every game the same. Every game they have is like a Monday night game or some division rival game. Which is the most underrated value thing of this whole run.

I mean, whether it's in Brazil or it's on a Black Friday or it's Christmas Day, it's like the chiefs have the most unorthodox schedule. The NFL just shoves them in these primetime loan windows. And they never complain and they just go out there and they play football. And it's like it never catches up with them. It seems like they're always ready to go, which is why to me it's almost like Buffalo needs this one. And I'm going to say to you. I mentioned one thing, Shreggs.

The Buffalo schedule was weirdly hard. It got harder because teams got good that we didn't expect. It was supposed to be a cakewalk. Go through their schedule. Yeah, they have Bucks, week 11,

back to back at Texans on the Thursday. And then at the Steelers the next week, they're playing at the Pats in week 15, and then at the Browns, week 16, who at least is going to be able to throw defense on them. Then week 17, the Eagles.

Not easy. They already have two losses. I to me like they're we think house 12 and 5 that sounds right to me 12 and 5 this is probably swings it between 13 and 4 12 and 5 so I don't know I feel like they need the game um all right well we'll we'll table that one for a second house what's your favorite game in the slate um I have too I absolutely adore Detroit I just think the idea of getting j jay McCarthy um in into Detroit is phenomenal. Anything less than 10

is attractive to me. And then I also like Houston. And I know that people are going to say I keep trying to fade Denver and all Denver does is jam it right up my rear end, especially Bow Nix. Keep doubting Bo Nix.

I got a lot of that in the timeline last week. But I do like the idea of this. You did encourage it. You did say if Bo Nix jams it in my butt than so bit. Like you did like kind of throw that out. he did it against the Eagles.

18 points in the fourth quarter against the Eagles. Went on the road, won. That's their bad. That was an impressive win. Can I empty the notebook on the Broncos a little bit? Let's hear it. So they beat the Giants in this historic fashion and they're celebrating all this ship.

Sean Payton, Monday morning, has it cut up from his assistant. The last six biggest comebacks in regular season history, the following week, that team lost. so Sean Payton puts together a sizzle reel from Monday morning for these guys of those teams being on the other end of the other team taking a knee

in the game afterwards and he put music behind it and basically a Monday morning when everyone is riding high over this Giants game is like no time for that history tells us there is a natural letdown in this

and they go on and they kick the shit out of the Dallas Cowboys and like that's kind of the pace they're at where it's there is no this is a sprint for them there is no Broncos like yeah, well, that was a good win. Two back-to-back wins at home.

So to me, I know the Texans are favored in this game. I don't quite understand. I know Sir Tan is a huge player, as offensive player in the year. But to me, like, you're not going to get a complacent Denver Broncos this week. My answer might surprise you on this game. This is my favorite game on the board.

Oh. I love the Houston, Texas. Let's go! As do I. I mean, I heard your whole case, Shrags. you didn't like my story of cinematographer It was good And Peyton's done a good job

We've been in on Denver this year They're six and two Like I you know Houston's defense I think Really might be the best defense in the week Their top five basically Rush pass yards per play Name it

Denver's played five crap defenses Tennessee Cincinnati The Giants Dallas and the Jets Plus Indy which I wouldn't call the 85 Bears And Certan Being out is, like, massive. It's huge, but who's, I would say that's the top five most important defensive player to be out. Which receiver are you scared of from the Texans?

Are you losing sleep over Xavier Hutchinson? Nico's back. I know, but like, I don't think, all right, it's fine. Nico I'll give you. Nico's a top 10 receiver in this league. So here's what I think, I think this game is just ugly both ways. Because the Texans won't really be able to block. But I don't think Denver's going to move the ball against this Houston defense.

Houston defense is awesome I was on the sidelines Yeah they lost by two scores to Seattle They also turned Seattle over four times And their defense was absolutely unblockable They just kept getting the ball back It was crazy and no one watched Because it was two in the morning Eastern times

But Houston's defense Dominated the Seahawks that day You didn't see it in the box score But they had four turnovers They sacked Arnold and Will Anderson And Hunter were unblockable So like I'm with you on that defense It's very good

and in the back end, Stingley and Lasseter are as good a combo in the backfield as anyone. However, I just don't know, I don't know if they've got the offense and the offensive line to keep off that amazing Denver defense. They are good. Even with South Certan, they are good. They get to the quarterback.

They lead the NFL in sacks. They're really, they could dominate that offensive line in Houston. Well, if Houston pulls this off, they would be four and four. And then a little Jaguars Titans combo that have a treat after that. But then it gets, they go Bill's Colts, Bill's at Colts at Chiefs three in a row, which is pretty brutal.

So they're kind of in must-win zone. Whereas I look at Denver, like, all right, if they lose this win, this game, they're playing the Raiders on Thursday four days later. They'll win by 20 and they'll be fine. But House, so we saw, it's so funny, like we've been aligned on some of these. We don't talk, House that I don't talk about the ones. This was the one that jumped out to me. You both like the Texans.

We do. I felt like this should be a two and a half or a three because of their defense at home. I still have Bo Nix questions. I still watch him. I know that he heats up and I know that there's games where he's finished with stats.

I think he misses a lot of throws. He missed a couple last week. He tried throwing a no look past and it got intercepted last week. Piece that we haven't talked about that I do like. Is CJ Stroud back? I mean, we get to do it that way. He's bad if you guys did it. If he's back if it's a bad defense.

Can I tell you? I had him in the production meeting and it was when they were really low. And it was before that Seattle game. He had so much, so much swag in this meeting. Like, he hears it all. I think he knows that people are present. And he's like, don't worry, like, I'm good.

And I came away. I wasn't Stroud, I don't know, I don't know him that well. I came away walking away like, okay, not a huge vocal guy, not an in-your-face guy, but clearly the leader of this team and has a lot of confidence, even though their offensive line is not even close to what it was two years ago when he had that breakout season. Yeah. Well, they added a sixth guy, and it looked like that might have helped the,

often the running game a little bit. So if we just get a little variety in that offense. Their offensive coordinator, essentially. So they had Bobby Sloick, who was tremendous. And then last year down the stretch didn't, didn't gel as well. I still thought Bobby Sloick's going to be a head coach T-shirt from 2003. I don't know if you wanted.

He'll send it to you. In about 30 interviews, they hired Nick Kaley, who I think you like this guy, Bill, eight years with the Patriots under Belichick. So he comes from that world. And then himself is like, I need to diversify this, goes and works. for McVeigh for two years. So you've got the Belichick influence and the McVeigh influence. What a tree.

And they bring him in and it was a little rocky at first, but super talented, young, young offensive coordinator where you get the feeling like he's going to, it's going to start clicking as the season goes on. One other thing with the Texans, and I mentioned this a couple weeks ago, I genuinely like Woody Marks. I think he's good. And he's good out of the backfield too. And they might have hit on Noel at least with those rookie receivers.

Two Iowa State rookie wide receivers. He's the one that's always open, or it seems like he can get open. And then Collins coming back. That's another one. He, you know, no Sir Tan, maybe he makes a big play. I like the Texans. Three more quickly. Colts Steelers, Colts minus three in Pittsburgh, and Colts outdoors.

Steelers as a home dog, and there's just a slew of insane Tomlin home dog stats that we don't need to just read through. They're going to have the field goal edge yet again. You're always like minus six when you're playing in Pittsburgh with field goals. But Pittsburgh's defense, 32nd against the pass. And the Colts are just a juggernaut ripping through everything. We haven't talked about the Colts yet, Triggs. Do you believe? Are you in? How could I not?

And the only issue is I haven't seen them play like primetime or a big game or with a lot of pressure on them. They always feel like they're like the Scott Hansen, like constant break in on Red Zone, like team. I haven't watched a matchup with them with all the spotlight on them. feel like, even though this isn't that game, there's a lot of attention this week. Like, Steelers on the road and a lot of people now doing this, like, let's poke a hole in it. Let's see.

That said, Daniel Jones, the stats are insane. I think he's like number one rated quarterback regularly, number one rated quarterback under pressure. And then Jonathan Taylor is doing what he's doing. And then Quentin Nelson's probably the best player on the entire team, just absolutely dominating at the offensive guard spot.

The question is, I don't know how they're doing this on defense, and they are. They're stopping everyone and they're getting turnovers with not a lot of names. We know how they're doing it. They're playing shitty teams.

That's another way to look at. They played Tennessee twice. That kind of helps. They played Miami week one. They played Las Vegas. Which way are you leaning on this BS? Because uh-oh.

I'm nervous for the Colts. I'm nervous about it for them here. I talked to you into the Packers last week. I was happy. I loved it. I loved it when you did it. It was a great zag. I endorsed it.

I was thrilled to have it. A couple things on the Steelers defense, Shriggs. Triggs is like when he hosted first take, it feels like 38 hours ago now. We've got a hard out, so I got to empty it quick here. No, well, House can leave and we can still go.

I don't have another 25 minutes. I'm good. I want steak nuggets. So I felt this way when the Pats played the Steelers and really dominated them in the last three quarters and turned the ball over five times and just left all this offense over and over moved the ball on them.

Green Bay last week, by the time we get the second half, it was like whatever they wanted, they were just getting. And Indianapolis has a better offense to both of those teams. So why wouldn't they just get everything they want in this game? What is the Steelers defense showing us?

Fucking Joe Flacco, not Joe Flacco, Joe Flacco. Yeah, Joe Flacco. All over the place. I know. Joe Flacco was lighting them up. Who can't light up to Steelers? They're 32nd. Chase was targeted 23 times in that game,

which is the ultimate insult to a defensive backfield. We will tell you exactly what we're going to do, and we know you can't stop it. He had 16 catches, and then to see what Jordan loved did 20 in a row. It's maybe the most disappointing unit in all of football, this Steelers defense, because you go through the lists and names.

It's not only T.J. Watt, it's Cameron Hayward, and then you go to Patrick Queen, and then you get to the defensive backfield and it's like it's Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay this is not a young team this is not a cheap team it's a team you would have wanted

in 2019 is the problem or a defense that you would have wanted and it's a Tomlin coach team which at the very least you knew they would at least show up everyone this is this is tough to pick them in any game with that defense being such a sieve

well they they traded for Kyle Dugger this week from the Patriots who was just an atrocity in coverage last year like he's basically was aligned backer playing safety. And this year, Vrable, even though he had a pretty big contract, was like, I'm out.

I'm going to play this Craig Woodson over you and kind of buried him. The Stey was traded for him this week, and I think he's going to play. Yeah, because that tells you all you need to know. Another veteran that they brought back that might not have his best football in front of him. So that's where I would say, like, it's home. You got the terrible towels. You got the sticks, renegade. I get all that.

I don't know if that can cover up what they have on defense. as much as we cry about the Cowboys defense, the Steelers' events, is way more disappointing because we actually expected them to be a strength of the team. In-house, Packers, what was that? Would that line end out?

Two and a half. Two and a half. So Colts are favored by three. So that means the market is saying the Colts are better than the Steelers, which, I mean, then the Packers, which I don't think is necessarily true. I just think after that Sunday night game,

it's like the big people are like, oh, the Steelers really are bad on defense. and I don't, other than that, the Mek-Kaff plays and occasionally Warren will get like any, I don't really know what the Steelers are good at. The only thing. I just don't think they're that good.

They don't even try to go deep. And the more tape you get on them, the more you're like, oh, they do these four things. The only thing you can point to is the Colts defense is super susceptible, the tight ends. They're one of the worst, you know,

defenses against tight ends. How about giant tall, big tight ends? How are they against those guys? Pittsburgh loves to, to, to the Pittsburgh has five tight ends, it seems like, you know. Well, they run that tight end Parmesan, Robber Zip.

Robber Zip. Yeah. Suflai. Parmesan. Robber. Yeah, carrot. The Colts is going to be one of my picks. Only because I think getting it at three,

I think sounds great. It's your pick. I just want to say. I can't make a case for the Steelers. Um, other than just the voodoo that we watch. That's all. It's the fucking typical Pittsburgh at home bullshit where they do this.

That's right. Philgo hits it up right. That's the case. The running backs running down the field, and his knee hits the ball and it bounces up in the air and the Steelers recover. But we thought that was going to happen last week,

and it never happened. Well, you look at the numbers for the Colts offense, and it's astronomical, like the best rushing team, the best passing team, the best racing, like, Alec Pierce leaves the league

in receiving yards, you know, per catch. Like, it's, you know, it's... They're a nightmare. They can do everything. They can throw deep, because they're short,

they got Warren. Rookie, who's the best tight end in football. So it's like, what the hell? An amazing offensive line with a Hall of Famer. I honestly think this line's a miracle. I think this line should be minus four. I think they might win by 20. Daniel Jones is an RPO savant.

Like, this is the most function. No, I know. I watched it on the SPN today. You got to watch a lot of it. We're there. All right, two more. Just quickly, Bears Bengals, Bears, it's set it up minus minus two and a half in Cincinnati.

Since he's defense, the thing I look at I don't know if I've ever seen a defense that's bottom three in all the categories like there's not one where they're like 28th it's just there's a three in front of every number pass run first down efficiency

third day like it's it's across the board and then they can't run the ball either the 31st and run they don't try to run the ball they don't even get the ball to chase around is like Chinese food in the fridge it's fun for like two days but two weeks gets a little gamey

and I think the Bears could be the good, bad team. They win this game. They're four and three right now. They win this game. They play the Giants next week. They play Minnesota at Minnesota and then Pittsburgh. Like, as crazy as this sounds,

they could be eight and three after. And I don't even think the Bears are that good. No. Please talk me out of this because I want to bet on Caleb Williams. Well, it's hard to roll with the bench. Like, Trey Hendrickson, limited in practice. You know, obviously he's on the trade block potentially. Logan Wilson might want out.

He's not practicing. And then Joe Flacco shows up on the injury report with a shoulder injury. So you might be going back to Jake Browning if Flacco can't go. So that loss to the Jets, I mean, I got emotional. I knew obviously what was going into that game

with not only the Jets, what was their own needs, but the mangled stuff was like real. That was a wild morning to wake up to that news. And the Jets rallied around that. But that is an inexcusable loss at home up that many points to the Jets

with Justin Fields and no Garrett Wilson and no sauce gardener I can't pick you in good faith after that that performance and I'll add this we always kill the coaches for time management

Aaron Glenn who has been the joke of New York for his time management Bill did you see what he did down down eight I love it how it's like like a David Chang perfect down eight

down eight they go for two to cut it to six. Everyone's freaking out. What are you doing? And then they won in regulation. They like did the analytics the right way, which everyone preaches and no coaches ever actually do. He did it when they were down two touchdowns and then one touchdown.

They got the two point conversion on both of them. And it actually worked out. They won in regulation. And it's like Aaron Glenn, claps to you. It's one of those things when you bet on the other team and the team does it and gets it and they're down six. You just automatically think you're going to lose.

He's like, oh my God. I was up 14. Now I'm going to lose. I had this just on the money. line in that game. Did you really? Before the Mangold or after the Mangold passing news?

Because to me, that totally shifted my entire approach to this game. I will confess that I hadn't, I didn't factor in the mangled aspect of it. No, I had, the house just loves betting on bad QBs in home.

It was very hard. It was a tough card last week, finding underdogs that I felt like could win outright. But the Bengals of Jets was like, okay, these teams are not that far apart. That was really it. See,

Bengals were coming off an all-time win on the sealers, a long, 10-day break. Jets. How did you even think? Sign me up. Sign me up. That's an incredible bet.

All of the guys missing, yes. Nobody's going to know who the hell any of these jets are. Let me have it. The Bengals are bad. Last game.

We're in alignment. Seahawks minus three at Washington. So this line, it wasn't going to be on my card. Yeah, it was three when we locked the lines. Oh, right. To three, which it was a game changer.

Why? Seattle is a. I don't know what happened. I don't think McClellan's might play. McClorin was out. McClorin's out. Why would anyone even think? Why wouldn't it go the other direction?

Why wouldn't it be Seattle by four or four and a half? Yes. Three is charred. First and DVOA, which is notable. Third in yards per play offensively. First against the run. Second against yards per play with defense. Washington's defense house, I would describe it

much like you, old and slow. That's not nice. That's mean. Well, much like me too. We're old. I can guard my man. I can't really guard him. He goes right by me. Your bottom 10 in every category. I'm trying to think what the case for Washington is without McLaurin and it comes down to

it's a kitchen sink game. It is. And Darnold on the road. And that's, is there any other case? I have no case. They have a long break here. The last time they played, I was there. It feels like it was a month ago.

They beat the Texans in Monday night. I was at Monday night Kansas City, Washington they started off okay but like Washington is the oldest roster in football and last year they put these pieces in and it worked like all of those guys were perfect for the position group rooms

this year all of those guys they look like the oldest team in football and I got to say the two best addition like Tunzel and Debo are actually playing well this year those guys are really good and Wild Bill in the backfield is really good incredible they've got they've got guys who are playing well it just

they don't have that same juice. They don't have that same mojo. And just watching them last week, I can't in good faith say that just because Jaden's back, they're suddenly going to get that thing back. It feels like last year, they were way ahead of schedule. Everything went their way.

And this year we're starting to see our regression. And it might be, hey, they actually have the oldest roster in football. And it's starting to show. What are your thoughts, has it's your favorite team? I've been on this show, every show that anybody put me on saying

that I think this Washington team, the ceiling for them is six wins. They were, they could not lose the Chicago game. That was, that was the season. And we will look back and it's funny, Chicago last year had their season derailed by Washington with that Hail Mary pass. Washington went all the way to the NFC championship game. This season, Washington hosts Chicago, Chicago comes in and gets the win right at the end off of a turnover by Jaden Daniels with three minutes left. He can't catch the wet bench.

Yep. we did the hindsight house I got a question we did that with J.J. McCarthy would you pay Terry McCoran now after seeing what we've got this season? Would you pay him that huge contract he got? We know team leader, all that stuff

that he's paid as if he's one of the best wide receivers in the league. Yeah, they had to. I never had any issue with it. I mean, it's like we're trying to establish an identity a new culture. You have to remember we're fighting 25 years of a of a devil. We're trying to get Satan. Be gone, Satan. Be gone Satan.

One of the ways you do that is to pay a guy who's a stand-up guy who straddled both of the regimes, right? And he is a team leader for a team that made a tenancy championship game. It is a contract that is a reward, not a prospective. This guy's going to deliver on it. That's what it is. That's what it is. It's a reward.

So thank you. I mean, I personally say thank you to Terry McLaren. Shrigs has a holdout ever worked where the guy came back and was awesome? No. Has it ever happened in the history of football? No. I don't have any. Basketball or any sport?

Emmett Smith. Legler brought this up on Tuesday. I was like that's such a good point. It feels like we're 0 for a million. Emmett was, they were 0 and two. Emmett took him to the brink. And then he came back and was the best running back in football.

And I guess 93 when he did that. That's the last one I remember. But like for all the millions of August good morning football shows where we're, you know, detailing Jadadadian Clownies, you know, hold out. What's the latest? Like, I don't remember any of these guys ever coming out and being what they were supposed to be before they got the money. Levi-on-Belle. All right. So we're going to figure out Rigar one else.

It's the whole season, Levi-on. That's crazy. Yeah, that was tough. We're putting the bills in a parlay, and I'm going to give you three options. Bills plus four and a half with the Chargers money line against Tennessee, that's minus 118. Chargers pack money line both have to win with the bills plus six and a half. That's minus 119.

Packers would have to beat Carolina at home. Chargers would have to beat. Tennessee. That's option two. Option number three. Chargers money line. Lyons money line. Bills plus seven and a half against I knew household like that. Finally, we got to a number of like.

With some R.B. steak tips on top of it. Big nuggets. If they call them tips, I think they'd be flying off the shelf. Here's one of the many things I like. So we get to bet against J.J. McCarthy or whoever's playing for Minnesota, we get that chart, we get to bed against Tennessee again. And then bills plus seven and a half, shrags,

gives us like cheap touchdown potential, gives us the chiefs can't run the clock out because their running backs are Kareem Hunt and that other guy and Mahomes trying to run up. So it just kind of keeps the bills hanging around, which I think would be fun to root for. House is so happy. You're going to do this bed.

I can feel it. Well, you give me a heart attack. I need, you finally got to a number, with the bills where I'm comfortable. Because to me, it's a seven point swing on either side. I can count in seven either way. So give me the seven and a half. Four and a half doesn't do anything for me.

Six and a half doesn't get you there. Seven and a half now we're there. You like that. Chargers, lines, money lines, bills plus seven and a half. Good to go. Texans minus one and a half against Denver. Shraggs didn't love this one, but House and I, this is our favorite better. I don't.

Shreg's a Peyton guy. I am. It's fine. Yeah, he is like, we, yeah, I don't totally trust. You spent too many meals with Sean Payton. They might be undefeated this year, both of them. Broncos and Rams. I have my love for my Shams.

Colts minus three against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. We're grabbing this. I like that. This is going to be my pick. I urge my cautions, that's all. Yeah. That's all right. I'll take it for mine.

Seahawks, they are minus three against Washington. And we're going to grab that. And then last but not least, Bears, minus two and a half against the Bengals. We got two and a half. That's a great number. That's a great number.

We have three road favorites, unfortunately. Okay. But there's nine home underdogs on the slate. So what are we going to do? It's a funky week. So Ringer 107, brought to you by Fendule's sports book. Final picks.

Chargers, Money Line, Lyons, MoneyLang with bills plus seven and a half. Texans, minus one and a half, at home against the Broncos. Shraggs is nervous, but you did get to see that defense in person. We're awesome. hats on the ball. A great line from DeBico Ryan's what he said. He goes, you know, we're going to hit you. We're going to play this way. We're very aggressive. And he goes, he goes, and I tell the guys, if they don't like playing this way, that's cool with me. You just won't be a Houston Texan. And I was like, oh, my God, I almost got out of the room. Let's go.

Nice. So we got Texans. House is excited that we're get to bed against the Titans and J.J. McCarthy with the bills. That's two. Colts minus three against the Steelers. just this might be our last chance to ride the best offense in the league before people realize like holy shit the Colts are 12 and 1. 99 with the Rams like where they came out of nowhere and it was like I remember betting on it. It was great and it was like I remember

I was you know in college and we had fantasy football and I had all those guys Warner Hulk Bruce and I remember it being like not until they beat the Niners in week like three or four and then they kept doing it week after week after week is that what we're dealing with here? Is this the 99 greatest show on term? I remember it's such a good analogy because Warner, I remember all of us didn't trust it until like,

it was about week seven and you're like, all right, every pass the guy throws is dead on to a guy in stride. At some point, this is an accident. That's what this feels like. It came from literally out of nowhere, this Colts offense. No one in a million years in all the predictions. And there's some good parallels with that because Falk and Jonathan Taylor just being like these all-world running backs.

but the Rams are slightly better receivers. They were on turf. Seahawks minus River. Washington is our fourth pick. And then, so we're riding Texan Seahawks. Those are your two best defenses. Anybody else you would have in there? Defensively.

The Colts are really good turnover and all that stuff, but they're not in that conversation. Yeah. Denver and Seahawks best. It would have been the Broncos. Broncos probably third. Not with Sertan out. Denver, Houston, Seattle are my defenses.

And gosh, Seattle was good on that Monday. game that I saw them. And then the fifth pick, Bears minus two and a half at Cincinnati. House, if Caleb lets us down here, I'm going to be upset. He's not going to do it. He would be upset. He would be Kyler Murray for us after that. He's not going to do it. He'll be on the

DNB list. Triggs, did you have any thoughts on my crazy prediction that Tyson Bayesian will be the bear starter by week 13? Is it even conceivable? Well, you did lay it out that they paid him a lot of money to come back as the backup. Everyone loves him. He means dad isn't a professional arm wrestler. There's this great story there, but I don't think they would bench Caleb. I would have to be like, Caleb got hurt.

This guy did great. And it's, oh, we had to make a decision. That's how I look at it. Okay. That was the Ringer 107. It was brought to by Fandul, odd subject to change. We have housed for five more minutes. Shrigues, any last topic for you?

Is there a new Barclays pizza? We need a let's go on the 107. He didn't give us a one of a let's go. We need a bad. He gives the let's goes to McAfee now. Have you had, have you had Lucali? Have you had Lucali? Lucali, yeah, of course.

I've had Lucali. Is that a question for me? No, I bet he hasn't. I bet he hasn't. Have you had Lucali? What is it? In Brooklyn? Your next trip.

We got you on this one. So Mark Iacano is the, no relation to Sal, I don't think, is the proprietor. It's his little shop in Cable Hill or Carol Gardens. The line is out the door. Only about eight tables. Very hard to get a seat. My son's eighth birthday or nine. birthday last week, took them to Lucali. We got in there. Calzone, pizza, no alcohol. You bring

your own. And it's only cash. And it's a sit down. And Bill, I love the only cash. Only cash. We're not going to have any accounting for any of this stuff. Bill, I think it's one of the greatest meals I've ever had. And I'm not looking for a table or anything from those guys. Trust me, they're not worried about me. We got to go next time you come in town. House, what's your ideal Calzone? Is there anything special that needs to happen with the Calzone? It's got to have a spicy meat inside of it because, you know, you're dealing with a mass, right? With the dough and the way the cheese is, like, you know, it's a, it's a big, like, it's a big cargo boat kind of thing. So give me something that's going to get a little bite to it.

And that's like a nice sausage sauce. And I am such a calzone fan. I love that or a goat. I love it all. I think it's so good. And I think it's the most underrated food. Everyone loves their chicken parm. Everyone loves their pizza.

a good calzone. I usually put pepperoni in there. I don't know. That's exactly right. Right down there. And I just drown it in that marinera sauce. And I'll tell you, this is not a commercial for that place or any. But even just talking to you two, talking about a good calzone, has me ready to run through a wall.

Let's go. I feel like in general, especially with the Uber Eats orders or whatever you're using, I always feel like they're light on the extra the side of the tomato sauce. If I'm getting the chicken parm, I want like a big-ass thing of tomato sauce next to it that I can pour all over the chicken part. Sometimes on these DoorDash and the Uber Eats, you've got to go to that extra thing

where it's like sides and they'll have like a 50 cent extra sauce. I'll put seven of those in there. Just give me seven of them. It's worth the $7, whatever it is. I'm in-house. With the Chinese food, why don't they just put the mustard in? Yeah. I know you have the hot mustard.

Never. Just throw it in the bag. They never do. They act like it's like it's plutonium. commodity. It's like it's gold. It's liquid gold to the Chinese. I was the kid, like 12 year old kid with the noodles before the meal. I would be dipping it in the hot mustard. Everyone else is going duck sauce. I was a hot mustard guy. The flavor of the mustard. What it does for your palate, it sets you up for the rest of the meal. Let's go. All the vinegar and that. People don't realize

it would get rid of COVID. Hot mustard did. Could have. Probably did. If you ate enough hot mustard at certain Chinese restaurants, your COVID just disappeared. It was killed it. It was better in the vaccine. I can't talk about it. No, I love that. The mustard is my favorite, and they always skimp on it. It's weird, because then other things. Yeah, it's true.

I had a great dining experience last spring. Again, we're naming restaurants. These are not to get hookups or anything. Trust me, I just, have you been to Charleston house? Have you been to Hall's Chop House in Charleston? I've been to Charleston. I haven't been to halls. I don't know it.

This is my favorite dining experience, maybe in the last 10 years. I felt like a gentleman, the service. The service was incredible, the food was incredible, the steaks were incredible. I came away from that meal saying, okay, you know when you have that truly epic meal. I have nothing to gain from this. I'm not going to Charleston anytime soon. Not doing a commercial for them. Hall's Chop House, Charleston.

Bill, you got to get you down there. House, when's the latest you can eat steak where it becomes dangerous for you as an old guy in your 50s? You mean, like, at night? Yeah. Doesn't matter. I'm fine. You're just going regardless. I finally red meat past like 8.30 gets potentially a little...

I get it. I wish we had taken advantage of our 20s more. I know. I feel like we kind of did. I mean, I guess I did with all the cigarettes and jacking cokes. I feel like we did. Okay. All right, house, go drive your kids to basketball practice.

Can't wait. Good luck to him. Shraggs, a true pleasure. Give us a let's go just for all time. Let's go. Good to see you. Keep in touch. Thank you, fellas.

I love you, Shregs. Appreciate House, you the man. All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to House and Shregs, thanks to Gahau and Eduardo as well. Rewatchable is coming on Monday. We're doing the Truman Show, so don't forget to watch that over the weekend if you haven't seen that already. And thanks to the LA Times for an awesome, awesome story today about the negligence and all the

bad leadership and all the dumb stuff that happened that led to the palisades fire. and I would encourage people to go online and read the piece. This is still a massive story, obviously, in Southern California, and I don't think the ineptitude has been properly covered. So I urge you to go read that, and I hope people keep reporting about it and writing about what exactly happened here and how preventable all of this was.

So I'm going to leave you with that for the weekend. Enjoy the weekend. I'll see you on Sunday. I don't have a few years with him. Must be 21 plus in president in select states for Kansas in affiliation

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