The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Chiefs vs. Falcons Reaction: Kansas City's Defense steals spotlight from Patrick Mahomes

Episode Date: September 23, 2024

John reacts to the Kansas City Chiefs' 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. He praises the Chiefs' defense, led by Steve Spagnuolo, ranking them as the best in the league. He also critiques the Falcons' controversial fourth-down run play, which he believes cost them the game, and discusses Kirk Cousins' struggles under pressure, especially against the Chiefs' blitz. Despite the loss, John is impressed with the Falcons, noting they are better than expected and capable of competing with top teams like the Chiefs.John also reacts to the San Francisco 49ers' 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, particularly focusing on wide receiver Ronnie Bell's poor performance, which he believes warrants Bell being cut from the team. He calls this the worst loss of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's career.Finally, John wraps up the show with his overrated/underrated segment, John lists the Dallas Cowboys as overrated after their 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, where their defense was outmatched by Lamar Jackson. He praises Panthers QB Andy Dalton as underrated, noting how the Panthers' offense exploded after Dalton stepped in for Bryce Young. John also criticizes Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, questioning his ability to win without Tua Tagovailoa. He highlights Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley as underrated, emphasizing their impactful performances in their respective games. John continues by expressing disappointment in Bears QB Caleb Williams and calls out Tom Brady as an overrated broadcaster. He finishes by praising Packers head coach Matt LaFleur for leading the team to back-to-back wins with backup QB Malik Willis, and critiques the emphasis on passing in college football, pointing to Michigan's success with a strong run game against USC. 7:12 - SNF Football Reaction 23:35 - 49er's loss to the Rams 29:12 - Overrated/Underrated Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Download the Draft King Sportsbook app now and use the code John, J-O-H-N. That's code John. New customers get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks. Only on Draft Kings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler. In New York.

Call 877-8 Hope and Y or text Hope and Y. 67369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling, call 888-889-777-7 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in New Hampshire, Oregon and Ontario. Bonus bets expire, 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkNG.com. F.T. Ball. NFL Plus premium offer available only to new and former NFL Plus subscribers. Additional NFL plus premium terms at NFL. What is going on, my people? How are we doing? John Middlecock, 3 and out podcast. It's a beautiful day to be alive,

especially if you're a Chiefs fan, because you won the Super Bowl again, and now you're 3-0. You take down the Falcons. In a very entertaining game, Atlanta, I would say, you know, being 0 and 3 would have been a disaster, so I don't want to say save their season.

September 22nd, but that win against the Eagles was huge. Tonight would have been massive, had their opportunities. I got to talk about that fourth down call. I just not pretending to be Mike Shanahan here, but I think we've all watched enough offensive football. I just couldn't get behind that play call. And we'll just talk about some other moments in the game, some big picture topics with both teams,

something really quick on the 49ers. We do this every Sunday now, a little overrated, underrated on what I saw today, something yesterday as well. Went on with Colin as I do every Sunday after the 4 o'clock game, so you can find that on YouTube. You can find that on the podcast. Make sure if you listen to Collins' podcast, subscribe to 3 and out. We do a separate podcast, react to the Sunday game, and obviously talk about some stuff here as you're listening to. And we'll have content all week because that's what we do. We're podcasters.

Subscribe to the podcast, subscribe to the YouTube channel. And I'd say week three is in the books, but we have a double header tomorrow. I hate Monday night double headers. I really do. Part of the, you know, if you're a player or a coach,

a fan, Monday night is like, you get your own game. Stand-alone game. I don't, I just, I like standalone Monday night games, especially these two games. Kind of weird, but it is what it is. Not like I can change it.

So yeah, let's get ready for the Monday night doubleheader, talk a little football. But first, you know I got to tell you about my friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of this podcast. Do you want to go to a game? Do you want to go to a concert? I just saw Morgan Wallin does this walkout. And he always has famous people, you know, Tom Brady, Mike Tyson, whatever town he's in, has a lot of NFL guys walk out with him. He's playing at Neeland Stadium where the Tennessee Volunteers play. There's like 100,000 people.

and he had Josh Heiple, who just got an enormous win against the Sooners, which I think I'm going to go to the Sooners against Texas here in a couple weeks in Dallas. Hopefully the tickets drop a little bit. And Nico, the quarterback, and Peyton Manning walked out with him. Peyton Manning was in a full uniform with pads and put her on his helmet. It was classic. But if you want to go to one of those concerts, you want to go to a comedy show, laugh. Obviously, any football game, pro or college, do it on us.

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J-O-H-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest prices. Guaranteed. Okay, let's dive into the game. Big picture, I thought it was really fun. Both those two teams, and one thing we've learned about Atlanta

is they're a really physical team. They are really good on defense. I've been really impressed. And clearly the Chiefs have one of the best things going right now because they're a defensive team. That's what they are. The days of scoring 50 points, thrown for 450 yards,

it's not going to happen. And they don't care. They're very, very comfortable playing in that game. So when the Falcons are driving, really they had two drives to take the lead. and I'm glad because a conversation, a narrative, fair or not, listen, I'm biased, I'm not phased when the chiefs get the calls, but I understand being on the other end of it. It feels like the other team is constantly getting screwed. And Kyle Pitts, who, you know, should have been called on the pass on third down for a pass interference,

it's not called, next play, spags dowes up a great blitz, turn the ball over. Then they get the ball back. And they get a make-up call. It happens all the time in the, the NBA, and it happened tonight in the NFL. And then they got a couple other calls. So I do not want to hear about the refs were in the bag for the chiefs because they blew it. They missed the call on pits, which should have been called by the letter of the law, even though that play, that call, like doesn't bother me in most situations. But I get it. Stand-alone game Sunday night. Didn't get called. I think it's fair for people to be like, oh, this BS. Then the Falcons got the ball back with more than enough time and timeouts and got several calls.

A horse caller, a PI that was not PI, because the defender gets a spot to own the ground too when Ray Ray runs into him. And it came down to a fourth and inches. And in my personal opinion, on a fourth and inches play, I don't love lateral runs. And in theory, the Falcons are a very good running team because Bejohn Robinson is easily one of the most talented backs in the league. But on a lateral run in a zone running scheme,

it is going to open holes for the linebacker, especially when the defense is in like a goal line set. So to get the edge, especially on a defense, I would say this about the Chiefs. I don't think there is a defense in the league.

One through 11 who's as good, who's as well-coached, whose players are as smart, and top to bottom as physical as the Chiefs. We'll see with the Steelers. Obviously, they're really good this year on defense. The Falcons are solid on defense too.

I don't think their D-line is as good as the Chiefs. But every guy on Kansas City plays downhill. We'll tackle. We'll throw their body around. Which is obviously rare. I would say more than half the NFL has holes on defense when it comes to physicality. That ain't an issue with the Chiefs. So when you run a lateral run

And they're in a goal line type set When they know you're gonna run the ball And you choose to try to get to the edge It's just not a very physical play And on that obviously Bolton shoots the gap And makes a pretty easy tackle For a several yard loss Now if you want to tell me

Sneaking Cousins I'm not saying I have the correct play call But to me Trying to get to an edge in a situation like that, it's a softer run. I don't like it. Now, I'm not going to crush Atlanta. I actually was a hater of them coming into the season.

They're clearly a lot better than I thought. Because the last two weeks, it got very physical, and they matched it. And maybe a Falcons fan would say, we were physical last year, as our quarterback play. I go, okay, but there's a big difference of playing in games that don't matter in playing in some bright light games. Tonight was a huge game after you won last week. And they matched the physicality. The Chiefs to me are the best defense in the league.

And they've been that way for a while. Like I said, I think, you know, them and the Vikings have the two best defensive coordinators. I think a couple weeks ago I said Flores was the best D.C. Who's not a head coach? Obviously, I forgot about Spags. And those two guys are elite. And their defenses dominate. And on that given play, and really all night down the stretch,

Is there a coordinator right now Spaggs loves to Blitz? Who calls blitzes and hits them and has guys free coming at the quarterback more often than that? I watched a lot of football today. You see a lot of blitzes that don't even get remotely close. Yet every time, especially in big spots, when he makes the call to bring a backer to bring a safety, those guys are altering the quarterback. If they do not hit him right as he's throwing, they're making him move off a spot.

The pressure always impacts the play. And you can't say that about a lot of defenses. Because a lot of times their blitzes don't work. They get picked up. It's coming from too far away. Whatever it may be. And we don't talk about this a lot because it is hard to quantify.

But that speaks to having really, really intelligent players. speaks to having a group that has now played together for a long time. They all speak the same language. This is not a unit that gets a lot of turnover. They've had the same guy now for years. So what they do works. They have the same unity top to bottom. From Veach and Andy, what they look for on defense,

the type player Spaggs likes, the type players he needs, and it works. So when me and Colin finished and I go out there, and I'm watching the first half and a big conversation was where is Travis Kelsey? Is Travis Kelsey washed? It's like guys

one, he's an older player now. Two, the style in which the Chiefs have played early in the season is not reflective to, I think, the way we think about the Chiefs. Their first two games, Mahomes attempted 28 and 25 passes.

He completed a total of 38 passes. Like, they're not throwing the ball. They did tonight, but that's not really the way. They play completely different. They are much closer. They're basically just a better version

of what we're seeing with the Pittsburgh Steelers because they have Patrick Mahomes. Right? But they want to play defense. They're very, very comfortable playing a game in the high teams and winning it that way. They were like that last year. They were like that two years ago,

and they're like that again. Now, I do believe in Rishi Rice. Somehow he avoided the timing of his Lamborghini incident where he left the scene, and he's not going to get in trouble this year. He's a high-end wide receiver. He's really, really good. Worthy, clearly a work in progress, had a big game week one. Tonight, little miscommunication on the one pass, him coming across.

He sits because he's probably like, that's what Kelsey does all the time. He just sits in an open spot. Mahomes thought he was going to keep going, and they missed time the play. maybe in a year, maybe in seven games, that won't happen. But early on it's going to happen. They're relying on Juju Smith-Schuster. They're running back tonight because Pacheco broke his leg is a guy whose family, his sister, got married today on a Sunday.

They had had this wedding planned, as of the broadcast, for well over a year. So that means their own family, even though this guy, I had to Google him, I mean, I'd been hearing about him early on this season, but I didn't quite know this story, besides that he played at UCLA last year. We used at Ball State two years ago, ran for 1,500 yards. So I would imagine when they were planning this wedding,

he was maybe making the transition between Ball State and UCLA. They choose his date. It never crossed their own family's mind. And think about this in life. I would say in my personal experience, no one believes in me more than me. but I would put a very, very close second

in my immediate family, especially my parents. So that means his sister and their parents came up with, he's not going to be playing in the NFL. He's not only playing in the NFL because he made the defending multiple time champions, made the roster at a training camp.

Two weeks into the season, because of an injury, he's their starting running back and leads the team and carries. Think about that. That's one of the most incredible stories I've ever seen. Obviously, it's been fun. We've seen he has the alligator. But his family scheduled the wedding because they did not believe that their own son,

their own brother was an NFL player. That's who the chiefs are playing with. So their team is just dramatically different from, I think, the way we, not necessarily myself, but just the overall narrative of their squad. And they're just, they're a champion for a reason. They are elite on defense. They're awesome. they have one of the best quarterbacks we've ever seen,

who actually has been a little up and down this season, threw an awful pick to Justin Simmons in the corner of the end zone. It was easy. I mean, Simmons barely even had a jump. It's one of those that if it was an average quarterback, if that's Daniel Jones or even a car or a cousins, we crush him for. But because he's Mahomes,

and people often say this, like he doesn't get criticized as much. Well, yeah, because he doesn't do that shit when it matters. So if he does it in mid-September or October, like, what am I supposed to do? Like, cancel the season? Of course not. Because I've seen him in the biggest spots not make that mistake. But Kelsey, two things. They try to keep him fresh for the end of the season,

and they're just not going to throw to him like they once did. I would imagine if we truly broke him down, he doesn't get open as much, but because of their receiving core and the lack of, quote unquote elite threats on the outside, he gets much more focused these day and age. Like to me, when I think about the cheats or you're slowing them down on offense, obviously corral Kelsey and try to slow down the run. Like Andy, a guy who loves passing has no problem. He did it last year with Pacheco and he's doing it again with Pacheco and Steele.

He will run the ball, slow it down because he knows his defense can win him games. And he just needs Mahomes not to turn it over. And that's been a little bit of a bugaboo so far early. this season. But this team's 3-0. I would say they haven't come close to playing like an A-minus game and their defense, if it

stays relatively healthy, can carry them to 12-13 wins pretty easily. So that was a big win. I also think it was an impressive loss. Like Cousins has limitations. If you can pressure him, he can't ad lib. It's why we were so hard last week

on Fangio in that spot. It's like Vic never blitzes. Well, Vic, if you're not getting pressure, as Jay Gruden told me last week, Kirk Cousins would be like one of the best seven-on-seven quarterbacks in the NFL. Because he's accurate. If his feet can be set, he can make all the throws. But when he has to move, unlike Mahomes and a lot of the other top quarterbacks who are much better athletes, they can move ad-lib and make all these throws. Cousins has to operate within that couple-yard radius inside the pocket.

And when he can step up, can make some nice throws. He did it tonight. When he has to move, balls are all over the fucking map. And you got problems. It's why his ceiling, even when he's on,

is never as high as the top guys. And when he plays the best defenses, as he did tonight, you're like, yeah, he was okay. He's fine. He's clearly an upgrade from what they've had the last couple years. But like,

is he good enough to win a Super Bowl with? No. Is he good enough to make the playoffs with? I would say probably. And I was someone, I think you'd consider me an Atlanta doubter, an Atlanta hater coming into this season. They're better than I thought. Now, anytime you find yourself in a little bit of a hole, we know Tampa and New Orleans or by no means any pushovers, it's not a shoe and thing, but they're going to be okay.

They're going to be okay. And I just didn't love that play call in that spot. but overall, I thought they played pretty well. Kyle Pitts showed some life. Drake London is obviously, you know, a really good wide receiver. I love Ray Ray Ray-Rae McLeod, miss them on the 49ers. And Bejohn is, I don't know, top five running back talent in the league. So if I'm a Falcons fan, it sucks losing a night on a night when your owner,

how does the owner get inducted into the ring of honor? How does that process play out? The Falcons tweeted like, what a night. It's like, yeah, he owns the team. He puts himself in the ring. Is this because like when I'm dead? I want my name up there? I mean, I get it.

I mean, you can do whatever you want. You own the team. A little cheesy to me. But, hey, that's part of being a guy with billions of dollars. You can do whatever the hell you want. But overall, I think if you're a Falcons fan, you feel pretty good. But yeah, I mean, just that play call, man. I like going vertical.

in short yarder situations. I get it, you're not going to run the tush push. But trying to get to the edges against a defense that's really fast, against the defense that can penetrate, feels like a lot more can go wrong than go well. So a big win for the defending champs. They're 3-0, and just finding away in Atlanta. Got to dust themselves off.

But I think, you know, after pulling off that comeback last week against the Eagles and playing the Chiefs as well as they did tonight, In a weird way, you kind of got to feel good about yourself. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong

Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Before we get into overrated, underrated,

I do want to really quick, because Colin and I talked about it, but I just spent the last couple hours thinking about this Niners Rams game. Like cowboys. I know they came back at the end, but like, you got your ass kicked. Like, you just need to look in the mirror and figure some shit out.

The Niners not only should have won the game, they should have won the game by like 20 points. And they couldn't figure it out. And their quarterback was incredible. And they were playing a guy, and I'm not a huge, even when I was hard on Brandon Staley, I'll do it a little easier with coaches, but I would say in most walks of life,

I'm not a big call for someone's job guy. Like, especially with players. it is very, very difficult to make the NFL. And guys will get cut. It's inevitable. But like, you got to be pretty egregious for me to be like, you need to cut this guy. I remember when like 2021 and 22 was going on. And I knew so many friends of friends that I was lived in the Bay Area at the time that worked for all these tech companies.

They were making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Like new people making four or five hundred of thousands of dollars. like new people making $400,000 and they were working 10 hours a week. Some of these companies I was invested in and the stocks were plummeting. I'm like, this is, I'm not calling like these people need to be fired, but this is not right. Fucking girls going to the country club four days a week, cashing $500,000 doing nothing what had inevitably happened. They got fired because we live in a production-based society. and whether you're in certain industries in the private sector or it's the NFL, you have to prove that you're producing.

And if you're not, you're a liability. And at any moment, it could be over. Speaks for myself, speaks for a lot of people listening. That's the way the world works. And the 49ers rolled out a guy today named Ronnie Bell, who they drafted a couple years ago from Michigan. And he dropped multiple passes and one that probably would have sealed the game. and part of the reason he's out there because one, their first rounder got shot on Market Street, got very lucky he didn't die on the site, let alone at the hospital. The doctor said it's one of the craziest miracles they've ever seen, probably a two out of a hundred chance that someone in that situation would be unfazed, let alone live.

Obviously, Dibo's injured, it happens. You've got to play random guys. And Ray Ray Ray McLeod, who is a really good, solid role player in the NFL, you can't afford to keep. He's on the foul. So they're rolling out this guy Ronnie Bell who plays wide receiver. He cannot catch the ball. And listen, the 49er special teams coaching has been an embarrassment for the majority of Kyle Shanahan's tenure. Kind of been the opposite. I guess the Rams had a bad special teams last year.

But they've made big special teams moments in the history of Sean McVeigh's tenure. For Kyle, they have had so many blown coverages, given up fake punts. multiple miss field goals. They missed a big one today. You're not going to file these special teams coach in the middle of the season. There's no one else to hire.

It would be pointless for me and say that. But if you cannot catch any play wide receiver, you need to be cut. Like, you can't dress. Because if you can't do a role, whatever your role is, right, if I can't cover anybody

and I'm on dressing for game day, and we have a couple injuries in the secondary, I have to play on defense. And if I can't cover, I'm immediately a liability. And I could lose us a game. That's football. And you only get 17 of these. So every game matters.

And at the end of the season, it could be the difference of getting a wild card spot, not could be the difference of winning a division and getting a home game in the playoffs and playing on the road. These games have consequences. Losing a game in September is just as bad as losing a game in December. They all count the same. If the 49ers are serious, they cut Ronnie Bell tomorrow. He cannot be on the roster.

If you want to put him on the practice squad because you like him, listen, that's fine. I'm not saying the guy should be out of the NFL. He cannot be wearing pads on a Sunday, and you put him in a game to run routes and catch balls when he literally can't catch. Like, that is, that's low-level football. That's what shitty teams do.

And that's what the 49ers do today. And that's why the Rams, with a bunch of guys besides Stafford that you have never heard of completed one of the more impressive upsets I've seen in a while. Obviously, the 49ers have lost a couple Super Bowls over the last half decade.

You could make an argument it doesn't get any worse than losing the Super Bowl. That's the worst regular season loss of the Kyle Shan era. That was, that's an embarrassment. And it's on him when he's rolling out guys that have no chance to do their role. I'm watching the game.

Maria is a huge Niner fan. The ball that he dropped at the end of the game, she thought that he was batting it away. It was that bad. Most guys go up and high point, even if it bounced like, he like swung his hands forward. It was a joke.

It really was. Okay, let's do some overrated, underrated. Obviously, the 49ers is pretty overrated right now. The number one overrated thing in the NFL, clearly. And listen, I hopped on this bandwagon. I picked this team to win the division. The Dallas Cowboys defense the last two weeks looks like a team that's going to win two or three games.

And I understand the Saints were coming in like a freight train. The Ravens were 0 and 2 and had looked like shit last week. They blew a 10-point lead to the Raiders who just got blown out by Andy Dalton. And at one point in time during the game, you're like, are the Ravens going to run for 500 yards? And here's the thing with the Cowboys. They are great front runners. and sometimes that's a very negative term

like when things are going well people it's just in any walk of life like people are happy when things are going bad people go into the tank some teams are just built when I'm leading the game my defense which is not some run stuffing defense they're good at pass rushing

and we got dbs in theory that can cover so I'm much better when I have a 10 point lead in the second half because my defense can play to their strengths my best player on defense is a pass rusher. He's not a run stuffer. Well, when you just run at Micah Parsons,

he's not exactly hello Dignata. So when you get up on the Cowboys and can lean on them, it negates their strength because they don't get to play the pass. They've got to stop the run. And we've seen two weeks in a row, teams just lean on them.

And they look small. And they got shoved around. I told this to Colin earlier today. The final score of that, game does not reflect what we witness. Not even close. That's one of the fakesest scores of the season. That was an ass kicking. Cowboys got an onside kick. It was not close at all. They got demolished in that game. That game was over when it was 28 to 6. You might go, well, 28 to 25. Well, great. You got your ass kicked. And the Cowboys now play the Giants on Thursday night football,

which, I don't know, borderline their season. What are they going to start one in three and come storming back? No chance. So you can't beat the Giants on a short week. It's on the road. Sneaky, tough game. Giants actually look pretty good, but Cowboys defense just looks atroche.

Talk about overrated. Underrated. You know, I listened to the discourse last week about Bryce Young and a lot of former players and, you know, people on television like the Mel Kuyper's of the world, that thought the world of Bryce Young. Full disclosure, I was pro Bryce Young. I would have taken him as well over C.J. Stroud.

So I'm not playing Monday morning quarterback when I say they made the wrong pick. Because I, like many people around the NFL, would have done the same thing. But then we watched the guy play with several different coaches and several different pieces. And independent of his organization, he was atrocious. Like, despite your owner and despite your play calling, there are going to be plays when you're just sitting there in the pocket and there is a guy wide open. And that has nothing to do with the dysfunction in the organization.

You're either making the pass or you're not. And Bryce was just consistently not even coming remotely close to making the pass. And then Andy Dalton comes in. A guy who, let's face it, most people make fun of. He looked like Joe fucking Montana today. I get he's playing this. the Raiders, who, as Antonio Pierce said after the game, felt like a lot of guys on his own team quit. So Andy Dalton, and that offense, which has been putrid, as Rich Gannon said last week

on NFL radio when I was driving around, they had not had a lead during actual regulation of a game for 10 straight weeks dating back to last season. The two games they had won over that stretch were on last second field goals. They just never been up 7-0 or 10-7 at any point in a game over the last 10 weeks. And today they came out. He's the first quarterback this season to throw for 300 yards and throw three touchdowns. He had three touchdowns in the first half. You know why?

He just looked like a normal NFL player. You know an underrated part about the NFL? is having a capable backup. Because most times your backup is going to be a former starter and a guy that's easy to make fun of. But if that guy gets inserted, can you win with them?

Because how many good teams around the NFL wish Andy Dalton was their backup? Because ultimately with the Panthers, it doesn't really matter. They're clearly not going to go to the playoffs with Andy Dalton. But if you were the Chiefs, if you were the bills,

if you were one of these teams, in your court, like Mahomes, if he had, that play where he tried to kneel it and his knee kind of got bent funny, what if he just had to miss a couple weeks? Could they win with Carson Wentz? I think we'd say, yeah,

because of the defense and Andy, but what if Carson is just terrible? Like, one thing I know about Andy Dalton is like, he can just play in the NFL. And when he's on, he's not bad. And today, obviously, he was really good, but I do think that was more a reflection of, like, Andy Dalton today is light years better than Breitio.

and I think he's a guy that's easy for everyone to make fun of and it almost feels a little unfair. Overrated. This guy's the most overrated coach in the NFL by a mile. He has a huge media contingent behind him. He wears designer clothes, he's got a 50K watch on, and he wears Capriese.

He's yet to win a big game in his NFL career. And now, because Tua has a concussion, has gone for who knows how long, has to play with random quarterbacks, and his team looks like shit. If Tua's not able to come back this year, Miami is liable to lose every single game they play, and that includes any game they play against the Patriots.

Because Mike McDaniel, who's just some genius, one, he wasn't winning big games when he had Tua. They started 9 and 3 last year because they play great in the sun. The moment it gets cold, they imploded, and now they're imploding again. And I didn't like him as a playoff team this year with Tua. Look pretty on point before Tua got concussed again. Obviously, there can't be a soul that likes them now

when they're rolling out random quarterbacks named Skyler Thompson and Tim Boyle. Underrated. I said this before the draft, partly because I was just hearing this around the NFL, is there were countless teams in the NFL. And most of them had no access to either of these two players, so it didn't necessarily matter,

but you still rank your draft board that had Malik Neighbors over Marvin Harrison. Now, it's not a criticism of Marvin Harrison, just like there were teams with Julio Jones and A.J. Green. You got to rank the two of them. You can't have both guys number one. I do think Malik Neighbors has a chance to be a superstar. I mean, today, his touchdown in the corner of the end zone

where he drags his feet, his athleticism, his explosiveness, his ability to jump, the dude is a freak show. And these last two weeks, holy shit. Hold on to your ass. Who knows how it's going to go throughout the season. Ultimately, his quarterback's Daniel Jones, and in any moment can throw three interceptions

and have two fumbles in the game. But if Daniel Jones is solid and can get that young kid the ball, hold on to your ass if you're a defense. I had the volume on for a minute of that game today, the Giants and the Browns. And the one thing the broadcast kept saying is Jim Schwartz told us in the meetings, this guy's got a chance to be special. And I don't think he's just saying that.

He knows. You see him on tape. Like, this guy is a baller. Overrated. When things are easy, solid players, like when your defense and your running game is kicking ass, it can make kind of a mid-level quarterback look like a star. If he has to throw for less than 15 passing attempts, and half of them are just kind of layups.

Today, in a huge spot down three points against a team that's defense was playing awesome, Derek Carr threw one of the worst interceptions you'll see so far through three weeks. You don't need a touchdown. You don't need a huge explosive play there. The only thing you cannot do is throw that pass. And Derek has just had so many of these throughout his career where it's like, what are you doing man what are you doing

throw the ball into the ground take a sack you cannot make that pass and everyone and listen I like Derek I root for Derek and the Saints obviously I have some money on them to make the playoffs to win the division

that play cannot happen and it's plays like that that make me go my divisional bet's going to be a little more difficult to hit than I thought because not everything's going to be as easy as the first two weeks you're going to be in some of these tight games against high-level defenses. You cannot make

I mean, that's a bottom-10 quarterback type decision. It's just, that's low-level ball. And embarrassing for a guy that's been in the league of decade, making the money he's making, to even just make that decision. It's just, it's, I'm at a loss for words when the ball left his hands

because it was just so dumb. It did not need to happen. And it's one rookie quarterbacks, whatever. A guy with that much experience just piss me off. I had the Saints as well. Underrated.

Speaking of that game. Sequin Barclay is a badass. And we can debate whether you should take running backs high or not. When you do take them high, there better be no debate about their ability. They may get hurt. Obviously, you come to a line

where how much are they worth. But if you are going to pull the trigger on a guy in the top 10, especially at two overall, should be like, yeah, this guy's a total package. See it with Bejohn Robinson, really high pick. No one debates, freak show. Remember Christian McCaffrey was drafted 8th.

No debate, freak show. Sequin Barclay today, who has battled injuries, and for the majority of his career, played on a shitty team. I mean, really bad. Two years ago, they were solid. Best year that he ever had with the Giants. They won nine games.

And for most of that, his offensive line was atrocious. Now he has a good offensive line with weapons around him and you're seeing the dude shine. And to me the coolest part, to be a great running back, an unnecessary attribute,

like you do not need this to be a great running back. Break away high end speed. You do not need it. There's been a small select guy's that have truly had it, right? Barry Sanders, Adrian Peterson, Sequin is one of those guys. When he gets in the open field,

he looks like a Ferrari. And today you saw that speed on basically the game-winning touchdown, which was the deciding factor in the game. Because the Eagles were in major trouble. And Seacuan said, remember that $27 million guaranteed you gave me? Remember all those dudes,

guards and centers, getting $40, $50 million in for a agent? I got $27 million. And every time so far this season, we've left the field at the end of the game, you went, yeah, it might be the best player on the field. How about them apples? Overrated.

The hype on Caleb Williams reminds me of Trevor Lawrence. It's so strong, and we've been hearing it for so long that the expectations get out of whack. You expect to turn on their games, This happened to Lawrence, they hear with Urban Meyer, and it's happening right now with Iber Fluss and the Bears. Multiple touchdowns.

Just guys slicing and dice in the defense. You turn on the game and you go, is this guy good? That's the first thing you think to yourself. Is this guy a good player? It's crazy how off we are right now on the hype of this player in what this player actually is.

Now, the difference, even if he has a terrible season, he has physical attributes that Bryce Young does not possess. Arm strength, his body type, his athleticism. So I don't care how shitty this year ends up being, just a worst case scenario, it doesn't get better. A lot more to work with there. But we all have to agree the start of this season, we can blame whoever we want.

Virginia McCasky, who's 107 years old, Iber Fluse with his haircut and his beard, Shane Waldron, the offensive coordinator, the shitty O line, there are plays independent of all those people, all those variables, that he is not making. And honestly, they're not that close.

Like when a guy is open and no one's around you, 15, 20, 30 yards, down the field, when you are that hyped up, when you're the number one pick, and we've seen you do it in college, people expect you to make the pass. And then it flies seven yards over the guy's head. We're all sitting on our couch going, what the fuck is this? Like, we're all thinking it. So I'm not acting like this guy's career's over. Obviously, everyone's going to blame everyone else, except him, but we have to admit, so far, there's probably not a more overrated player in the league, which is unfair

because he had never even played in the league. But just based on hype, it's not even close. Underrated. Colin and I talked about this. Talked about it last week. LaFleur. I mean, everyone for two years, like, Mike McDaniel, Mike McDaniel, Mike McDaniel.

It's like, yeah, guys, we get it. Funny glasses, funny pants. I'll bet against that guy every time in a big game. Yet LaFleur, who's been of the playoffs, twice with Rogers, again with Jordan, Love three times, won a playoff game last year on the road with Jordan Love, and had the 49ers on the ropes, just won back to back games with Malik Willis. I love Kevin O'Connell.

Seems like a really impressive guy. I've never met him personally. Obviously what he's doing with Sam Donald speaks for itself. Been in the playoffs one time, at home, and lost to the Giants. Pretty sure, oh yeah, Daniel Jones was the quarterback to beat him. So it's like, listen, love Kevin O'Connell a lot. Let's see him win a big game, and then we can put him in that class with some of the these other guys. I've seen LaFleur win playoff games. I know he's lost a few too, but been there a lot.

And now he's winning games with Jordan Love, who was a nobody, 33 touchdowns last year, playoff win on the road, almost won another playoff game on the road. Now he's winning games with Malik Willis on the road. I think we need to put a little respect on Ola Flores' name. Overrated. Passing in college. Do you know that the University of Michigan, since Jim Harbaugh became the coach back in 2014, is 6 and 0 when their quarterback passes for less than 100 yards? In a day and age when we love the pass, and trust me, I love the pass, you love the pass, pass is fun. Michigan, because of their style and how they dominate on defense and how well they run the ball,

we saw them do it last year when they basically refused to pass an entire half against the top 15 team in Penn State and won the game. And they beat USC or their quarterback, I'm pretty sure, threw for like 35 yards. And they did not have a passing, it didn't exist. They had to go 90 yards to win the game. And they couldn't pass. And they did it.

So listen, I'm not trying to anoint Michigan. You're obviously not going to be Ohio State. I don't even think you could beat Penn State by not passing the ball. but that was an impressive win. And again, 6 and 0 in the Harbaugh era, which counts Sharon Moore right now, when they've passed for under 100 yards.

Last but not least, underrated. I was mainly listening to the 49ers Rams broadcast with Sanchez and Kruegler, Kugler, whoever the play-by-play guy is. He's good. Sanchez can be a little goofy, but he's fine. But I would go back and forth because I was like, I just want to hear Tom Brady. And I saw last week, I didn't listen to Tom Brady game last week.

And I heard he improved a lot. I'm not just trying to shit on Tom Brady to do this. Like I'm a Tom Brady fan, have been for 20 plus years. Meyer, everything he stands for, work ethic, playing, all that stuff. But I do view my broadcasters as entertainment. Collinsworth. He's an entertainer. Gruden went from zero to 150 subscribers on YouTube.

Why? He's entertaining. He knows how to play the game. That's all this is. And I listen to probably, I don't know, a decent chunk today of Brady. Obviously, he sounds better than week one because he's not pausing all the time. But I don't really know what he's bringing to the table. Right?

Beside, I'm Tom Brady. Because he's not super entertaining. He's not like Mr. Goofy Romo. He's not some huge personality behind the mic like Collinsworth or Gruden was. And it's just like nerdy football. That's not really what people are looking for in these broadcasts. I'm just coming to hang. I'm coming to hang with Tom freaking Brady for three hours.

Let's just kick it. Let's just watch some ball. You throw some stories out. Let me hear some stuff. And listen. I'll be the first to admit. Obviously, trying anything at that level, three games in. I'm not expecting him to be a finished product,

but I'm just trying to map this out where it's going to go, and I go like, what's going to be his thing? Because I don't think we're getting ever Collinsworth or Gruden, kind of the fun, crazy, goofy guy. Obviously Madden was the best at that. And his personality isn't really Romo. And he's not ever going to be like Aikman, asshole, blasting people, which is my personal favorite.

I don't know. I just, I don't really see it. Now, I understand from a value standpoint, having Tom, part of your company, advertisers, I'm not one of these moronic media people that just hate everything business. Like, you're not worth that.

Like, he might be worth double that to them. But I'm just talking about from an entertainment standpoint, sitting there watching the game, it pains me to say this. I just think he's pretty bad. He's pretty bleh. just meh, there's just nothing there.

If it wasn't Tom Brady and just former player X, you wouldn't even note it. You'd be like, nothing would stand out. Which, again, a little like Caleb, the hype, he's got his own commercial. Not for like Tom,

Allstate, or Dell computers or Samsung TVs. They literally made him a commercial about him becoming a broadcaster. So the hype, like Caleb, like Trevor Lawrence. It couldn't be any higher. And you're watching and you go,

let's be real. I don't know. It pains me to say this. It kind of sucks. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

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