The Ringer NFL Show - COVID-19 in the NFL, Rams Beat the Cardinals, and Micah Parsons's Impact

Episode Date: December 14, 2021

Jason, James, and Ryan start the Tuesday NFL pod by sharing their insights on how NFL players and coaches can handle COVID situations within their teams heading into the playoffs. Then they dissect the Rams' impressive win over the Cardinals on 'Monday Night Football' and how defenses are scheming against Kyler Murray.(13:14) Next they talk about the Chicago Bears' woes,(28:14) Dak Prescott's recent performances,(35:52) and Micah Parsons's impressive development within the Cowboys' defense this season.(40:41) Finally, James and Ryan wrap everything up by discussing the AFC North playoff race and the state of the Steelers heading toward the end of the season.(48:35) Hosts: Jason Goff, James Jones, and Ryan Shazier Production Assistant: Chris Sutton Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's help everybody. I'm JJ John Gistramski. And I'm Jason Gough, and if you haven't heard, the ringer has gone local. I'm bringing the fire. I'm bringing the rain from the Big Apple with my show, New York, New York. And I'm reping Shottown with my new show The Full Go on All Things Chicago. We've got episodes three nights a week with all the reaction to the local teams and guests. Plus bonus episodes around all the big games and storylines.

So whether you're uptown, downtown, downtown, in the burbs or a transplant. Make sure you follow New York, New York, and the full go on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome into another episode of the Tuesday edition of the Ringer NFL show with me, Jason Gough, Brian Shazir, and James Jones. Fellas, let's get right to it. 37 players testing positive yesterday was the highest that there was a day of 24 and a day of 19. And those were the two days when players came back. So after players come back into your facility, you know, during the preseason, you test them to see what's happening. Like, oh, okay, all these positive tests.

This has been going on while testing is happening. and this is week, what, 15 that we are? So, you know, it's slowly, slowly but surely been creeping his way. Like I remember was it last week when the first Midwest case of the, I keep calling it the Omarion variant. But the Omicron variant was a week ago. Now all these states in the Midwest is flooded with it. So it's happening the same way it happened last year. It's just now.

Did you take heed to the warning and discipline that you may have to have? if you want to win a Super Bowl. Because dudes gonna be out for 10 days. This is gonna be enough dudes who test positive who aren't boosted or have the VACs and mess around and miss two playoff games that are vital to their teams, right? So coaches are going to have to get in these,

and y'all can speak to it better than I can, but coach is about to get into these big lecture halls or these big meeting rooms and say, yo, there's going to be guys who don't do what we're going to do, which is stay-ass in the crib and make sure nobody else comes around if you want to win a Super Bowl and go from there. I think the NFL PA also is pushing for more testing during the week.

And the NFL, for whatever reason, isn't on board with that, which I don't understand at all unless it's a cost issue. And if it's a cost issue, you're a multi-billion dollar entity. So why would the cost be, you know, I'm trying to wrap my head around, like why the PA would want it and why the NFL is, I don't know, balking a little bit at more testing throughout the week. And that's just what I heard on Good Morning Football today on the NFL network. So it's, you know, it's interesting.

It's interesting because can y'all imagine you run up into the Super Bowl and, you know, SoFi Stadium, first big showcase event. Everybody's in L.A. for the Super Bowl. And one of the quarterbacks, whether it be Aaron Rogers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom, Brady, Callow Murray, you know, the star position in the league goes down and you got to mess around and wait for that 10 days to pass and see if guys are being slid through COVID protocols like we we're going to see something here unfortunately because of everything that's running around and you know the last day or so if that's any evidence or any proof um whether

it be hockey basketball or football right now this is this is attacking the country and attacking the world how do you think these football players going to get through it fellas how many how many guys you think going to just sit at their crib Because the coach told them to sit at their crib. How many guys do you think are going to do that? I don't think none of them going to do that, man. Ain't nobody just sitting at the crib. But for me, man, it's messed up because a lot of these dudes is missing games

because they was close to Ryan, Shazir, close to Jason. What you? Man, I ain't got COVID. You're done testing me for COVID three times. Just because you're saying I'm close contact, contact a buddy. If I ain't got it, man, I ain't got it. You know what I'm saying? this stuff is just getting crazy, man.

You know what I mean? It's getting crazy. And yes, I feel like it is going to be a playoff team that has something kind of like the Rams had last night. You know what I'm saying? Where they like, dang, 24 hours before the game, Jalen Ramsey can't go. You know, Darrell Henderson can't go.

You're going to have stuff like that. You know, now if I was the coach, man, to be honest with you. Yeah, how would you handle it? How can you handle it? And not just coaches with teammates. Like what are you doing as a team leader? For me, if I'm an organization and I'm a head coach and my team makes the playoffs, we go on to a hotel.

We're going to get one of these nice hotels to where we got training table and all that stuff for you, man. You know what I'm saying? But to be honest with you, it's four weeks. And to be honest with you, it's a week-to-week thing. You know what I'm saying? So, shoot, you could be in the hotel for a week. Or you could be in a hotel for three weeks.

But, you know, three weeks of your life, we're trying to go win this Super Bowl, so we don't get nobody COVID. You know, let's make sure everybody is over here. They isolated. We're practicing and we're around the people that we're around, man. You know, because, yes, you're right, especially when Super Bowl come around.

If you don't have your team isolated and they around all them people. The week of the Super Bowl is the past week. Yeah, doing all these interviews and all that, doing doing all this stuff. And you mess around and you catch COVID. And then you can't play in the Super Bowl. man, that's going to hurt, especially if it's key players. I wouldn't even get a hotel in L.A.

I wouldn't even stay in L.A. until the day, like, I'll fly in the day before the game. Oh. Like, because, like, think about it. Think about it. But what about all the media, the media responsibilities that the league going to have? Yes, and that's the only thing, because you got to do the media stuff. You know what I'm saying? But to be honest with you, a lot of the media stuff, I mean,

shoot during the season for the players, been on Zoom, so I don't see it changing. Hey, let me tell y'all right now, them sponsors who have been waiting for this day. I'm not about to have Ryan Shazir over Zoom when his ass supposed to be at Disneyland. You know what I'm saying? James Jones has not been, you know, pushing Home Depot this entire year to all of a sudden be at the Crail.

I hear you Home Depot, but we don't win this. If we don't win this Super Bowl, I ain't saying Home Depot nothing. But I'm saying this is what happens when the money gets involved and it starts, it's kind of like when sales starts dictating the content in our industry where it's like, okay, you got to do this because the sales team bought it.

And by the way, shout out to the sales team because we always appreciate their efforts. But like it's when certain things start dictating the content. And in this case, like you just mentioned, James, like you just mentioned, Ryan, you know, the whole world's going to be in L.A., the entire world. And I can, I mean, the last event that I went to that I felt okay about before COVID happened

was probably the biggest super spreader, not only that's hit this city, but this area. a long time. That was the NBA All-Star game. That was the last time in Chicago, and just period, that I felt okay with going everywhere, and you weren't masked up, and it was the NBA All-Star game, and that's just the All-Star game, right? Think about the Super Bowl, and you got a hundred and some odd countries, you know, coming to one place and representing, you know, their love for the game and their investment in the game,

and then you've got a bunch of players who don't have to be there, but are there because because of sponsors. Like, I've only been to one Super Bowl. I cover the Super Bowl in Phoenix. and, you know, talking to all the guys when I worked for Sirius XM, I'm sitting next to Jamie Fox and Stephen A. Smith, on the left of me and on the right of me. And people are coming through. You're talking to, you know, actors, you're talking to entertainers, you're talking to players, but you're also talking to players who don't have to be there. So, like, everybody's going to be there, right? And now the NFL has a decision, not a decision to make, but, you know, if we see teams having to put guys down that are integral parts, like James said,

it's going to affect it. Like the depth of a team is really, you're going to find out what your GM has been doing all year long because third stringers are going to be playing in this Super Bowl. Yeah, but that's not what we want, though. Not at all. That's the crazy thing about it. That's not what we want.

That's why if you test positive, I mean, if you test negative for this COVID, the week before Super Bowl, we is in a hotel, man. James on his hotel. How are you going to not keep him at the crib, but keep him in a hotel, James? No, I'm saying. We go into the Super Bowl. We go into L.A., but we are in the hotel, man.

And if you do come up in there to interview us, man, it's 20 feet back. The boy's going to be in Palm City. Yeah, you ain't got to be, you got to shake my hand and all that for. Ask your questions, do what you got to do with 20 feet back, man. You know what I mean? James is going to get a chance to treat the media the way he's always wanted to. The camera good enough. It can zoom.

We're 20 feet back. We're trying to get to the Super Bowl, get all our guys to the Super Bowl, and put all the show for the Super Bowl. But they could do it. I went to a national championship last year, and I tried to go to the hotel, like to see Ohio State.

They was not having it. Locked down. Like, basically, like, their hotel is super locked down. So I think that's something that they're going to do in the playoffs. Like, when it's time for teams to actually start playing against people, like not playing against people,

but like, hey, we in the playoffs, especially when they're away, they're going to lock it down. Like, family members, nobody can come in here. Like, I don't, so I don't, I think that would be the best way to do it

is to have a hotel, you know, and probably not even be in your city. Have a hotel that's somewhere uncomfortable. Like, go to, you know, if you, if you play for Arizona, get your hotel in Albuquerque,

you know what I'm saying? Not, for real, because then, now you know players ain't going out. Real training camp vibes, huh? Yeah, because you know, because you know,

because you know, players ain't going to go out. Like, it might be one player that knows somebody from New Mexico, but, man, Calamari don't know nobody from New Mexico, man. Everybody from New Mexico know Calamari, though. They're going to find that hotel. I don't care if you do know somebody. We that came all this way.

Yeah, we ain't trying to lose. We came all this way. We're in the Super Bowl, man. We need everybody. Let them boys over there on Pittsburgh Steelers on the other side, man. Let them boys go out and be. Let's say Zee and be the talking to town this week. Yeah, you know, let Najee Harris show up with COVID, man.

But that's over here. This man is wild, though. This man calling out particular players, too, by the way. Let the left guard who's been struggling to show up with COVID so his backup can play. The coach has got a tough task because, I mean, you don't want to, man, you would hate to see Aaron Donald get COVID. You hate to see anybody get it, right? I mean. I know, but I'm just saying going to the playoffs.

the playoffs you would hate to see your players get COVID, man, and you're not able to be at full strength. You know what I'm saying? You don't prepare for this moment for the whole season. Like imagine Michael Parsons with COVID. Everybody will be like, yo, what's good? So do we want to get into this part of the conversation first? Because I wanted to jump into Monday night football with y'all.

We could do the Michael Parsons thing. You know what I love. I love. We also need to talk about how y'all did take care of business. We need to talk about that. Who is y'all? I keep telling you, you two gentlemen. have earned NFL checks from organizations around the league.

All I have done is paid my emotional investment and my time investment into a Chicago Bears franchise that don't give a shit about me right now. So this is y'all that you, you know, you can say y'all a we when we talk about Pittsburgh. Of course, James can say y'all are we when we talking about Oakland, L.A. Yeah, exactly. The entire state of California, which the Raiders have played in. And, of course, the Green Bay Packers, which I know we're going to get. get into at some point. First, let's get into the Monday night football game. The Rams and the Cardinals.

So I think the Cardinals blew a very, very golden opportunity because the Cardinals got to get that one seed. Now they slide back to three. I mean, there's a chance they can lose the division. That was a big game that they lost. They lost it at the crib. They lost it to a team that, like James said, was depleted with injuries and COVID-19 issues. You know, the best receiver during the game went stupid once again. Aaron Donald makes a play. Who's surprised about that? Leonard Floyd makes a play.

Who's surprised about that? But I felt like the Cardinals kind of got pushed around. You know, I felt like they kind of got, you know, a muscleed a little bit. And DeAndre Hopkins drops the ball, first drop of the season for the dude on fourth and two. Arizona is still a tough team. Don't get me wrong.

You know, a 10-win squad at this point in the season. They're doing something right. But that's the game that you need. There's certain teams that I don't know if they're ready for prime time just as yet. I feel that way about the Bengals. I feel that way about the Cardinals, both close. But last night was one of those things where it's like, okay, y'all started the year, 7 and 0. Y'all three and three in these last six.

I know Kylo was hurt, but they needed that win last night to me to not only make sure that they win the division, but more importantly, so they don't have to travel to Lambo. So they travel to Tampa Bay, so they have to travel to L.A. What was y'all take on last night's game? I'm going to use the James Jones. Last night, I feel like Arizona, I'm not going to just say they beat their self, but they made a lot of mistakes.

Like, they had a lot of opportunities to make plays and they made mistakes. It was one time Kyle Murray missed, I think it was AJ Green wide open. Then the best receiver technically in the game right now, you know, it's multiple best receivers. Yeah, yeah, I'm just right. You can say DeAndre Hopkins,

he drops the ball on a fourth and two on a slant. Like, it literally hit him in their hands, hit him in the face. You know, like, that's another opportunity right there. You know, they had fourth and ones. They were one of the best fourth and one teams in the whole season. You know, they didn't get those. You know, and then I feel like their clock management at the end of the game was kind of

sus. Even then they got an outside kick, I feel like they could have handled that last drive a little bit better, you know. But I think the Rams just showed up yesterday. They showed up. I think that the team is starting to play better with Odell, understanding how to use him in the system. because obviously you're seeing him starting to get more touches.

He's starting to score touchdowns. And I think Merva was still trying to figure it out at first, trying to figure out how they implement Von Miller, implement Odell and all these other stars. So I think now they're really starting to get a groove of things. I thought it was a good game, but I think Arizona let the game slip away. I think that they had multiple opportunities to score,

they didn't score, and they put them in bad position when it came to finishing off the game. My takeaway from the game is, I don't know if Arizona ready for the prime time. That's it. I don't. I don't know if they're ready for the prime time. Packers come in town with James Jones lining up at Y receiver five years after retirement. And they find a way to beat the Cardinals.

Division game, L.A. Rams come in there. Monday night football. you at the crib and Matthew Stafford and the Rams come out there without Jalen Ramsey, without Daryl Anderson, without some of their top guys, and they find a way to beat you. And they just not playing good football when they're playing in them primetime games. You look at the Packers games, they turn the football over. You know, we obviously know to pick at the end of the game,

you know, to turn over at the end of the game won the game, but they turned the ball over in that game. The last night, they turned the ball over in that. game. And I don't know what it is about these good teams on prime time, but they basically saying we tougher than the Arizona Cardinals. Yeah. The Packers ran the ball down they throat. Carolina ran the ball down they throw. And the Rams come in there even with no running game and Sony Michelle run the ball down they throw. You know what I mean? So me watching the game, I don't know if they are ready for prime time yet. And when I say they, I include the coach. Cliff Kingsbury. I don't

know if he's ready. He's making decisions out there where he's like it's regular season or as college. No, you got the ball on the 30 yard line down 10, a fourth down, and you go for it. Kick the ball and be down to score. So now you're putting your team in four down territory and you ain't got to kick the, you ain't got to kick a field goal next time you get the ball. Like I felt like that's him dropping the ball right there. That's not the right play. You know what I mean? That's not the right play. And I just don't feel like right now. out these airs is on the Cardinals team is ready for prime time. Now in the next two years, I feel like they're going to be a bona fide contender every year competing for that Super Bowl because they got Kyla Murray and they got the right pieces.

But right now this year, phenomenal team, they're 10 and three, but I just don't think they're ready for pride. I don't think they're ready to beat Aaron. I don't think they're ready to beat Tom Brady. Obviously, we see they ain't ready to beat the Rams. You know what I mean? I don't think they're ready to beat these top NFC teams, man, especially if they got to go on the road and play on the road in the cold and and find a way to beat teams. I just don't think they're ready for prime time, man.

You know, it was like, I understand that tip pass, Aaron Donald got his hand on. But that passed to Leonard Floyd, that Colin Murray threw. Everybody wants to say he's short. No, he ain't short. Kyler Murray makes special throws every day all day. Whenever he on the football, that's a bad throw in a big time game. You know what I noticed, James and Ryan and you're on the defensive side of the ball, so you probably speak to this a little bit better.

But is there certain quarterbacks who you go into a game plan with that if we can zone them up and keep him in front of us and allow him to move around but not break free, you know, extend the play? Because it seems like the times that I've seen Kyle Murray struggle is over this last six games, especially is teams is just like, hey, we're going to drop back. And if we can get there with four, you're not, you know, we're going to have all eyes on the quarterback.

You play man against Kyle and Murray, one against some of those wide receivers and that running back, James Conner, you're going to get your butt kick. But if you can stay in the zone, I saw the Rams stay in a lot more zone than I'm used to seeing them stay in. And if you got seven to eight spies as opposed to one spy, especially with an athlete like that, you're going to be cooking with gas. Yeah, on the defensive side of the ball,

when you have a quarterback that can move around, you always want to have eyes on a quarterback. Because the thing is, Kyle Emery could either beat you with his arms or his legs. To me, I feel Kyle is a more polished quarterback, like throwing it wise than Lamar. but when it comes to escaping the pocket and elusiveness, like obviously Lamar's a little bit better, but he's not far behind.

You know, so you always want to keep those guys, you always want to keep those guys in the pocket and force them to beat you with their arm. Obviously, Carla can beat you with his arm, but both of them, you can tell they feel more comfortable throwing on the run. Like, they like moving around the pocket, throwing on the run instead of just sitting in the pocket.

They like to move around, you know, because they're like when the play breaks down, So when you have a play breaking down, it's always good to have somebody looking back at the quarterback because the moment he see your, the big numbers, the moment he sees the big numbers,

he's gone. You know, and Kyle did it a few times in the game, but like you said, you noticed it. When you have six, five dudes in zones, you have to understand, like, man,

you have to make a special throw to get it over him. Like, Leonard Floyd, not short. Like, he's a big dude. No, he's this long, lean linebacker. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so like, he's a big dude. You know,

So, like, throwing it over him, even like, Zavian Collins, he's a big linebacker in the middle. Isaiah Smith, they're big linebackers in the middle. So, well, yeah, fast, faster linebackers like the league has now, and they can look at the quarterback, it makes it difficult because the quarterbacks can't put it on a rope, and those guys can, they see you so they can go get you. But if I got my back turn, then I'm trying to come chase you. I already don't have leverage. And, you know, it's a lot harder coming to make a tackle when you're, like,

redirecting yourself compared to when you already know where you need to go. James, when we talk about rhythm throws for guys at the top of a drop, whether it be a three or five-step drop, when a guy's in a shotgun, which Kyle Murray is in the shotgun most of the time, and you see his own defense, so you know that things might be a little cloudy. As a receiver, when you're expecting, okay, out of this break,

the ball should be on me, like what's happening back there when you're not one, when that ball hasn't been delivered, obviously the scramble drill, but how do the Arizona Cardinals and Cliff Kingsbury kind of counterbalance what teams are doing like the Rams, like the Packers have done to them, where we're going to just throw you in zone and hope we can get you with that four or hope you get greedyy and throw this ball into a tight window? Well, to be honest with you, what I see with Carl and Miller and Cliff Kingsbury,

they want the shot play all the time. They remind me of the Kansas City Chiefs. It's zone coverage. You got dudes that can make people miss. You have Christian Kurt. You got Rondell Moore. You got Hopkins. The shot play ain't necessarily.

necessarily what you need to do every time to get an explosive game. Get the ball out of Kyler Murray's hands quick in this zone coverage because people ain't going to ever play y'all man-to-man unless it's maybe third down, third and five or something. They probably play you third down, but you can't play a lot of man-to-man strictly because of Ryan just said if Kyler escapes and then big boys don't get them and everybody's back has turned on man-to-man, it's an explosive game.

You know what I mean? So you're going to get zone coverage 90% of the time. So you need to run these slants. You need to run these hitches. You need to run these quickouts. Get the ball out of Kyle and Murray's hands fast in this zone coverage. And then that's going to force the defense to come down. Like, okay, we can't just keep letting them get five, 10 yards,

and go all the way down the field. We're going to have to come up, play them tighter, and then that's when you take your shot played. But everybody, this is a copycat league as Ryan knows. Everybody is trying to keep Kyler Murray in the pocket. Right? You drop in seven. you're rushing for you trying to keep them in the pocket because all they're looking for is them deep shots you know what I mean and if you're able to do that and keep them inside the pocket the Rams did an excellent job yesterday I mean Kyla got out of the pocket maybe maybe two three times but other than that they kept them in the pocket and they was able to get sacks and get pressure on him so for me you know you're going to get zone coverage when we knew we were going to get zone coverage going into a game 12 was like man look eyes back on me really quick we're going to get this I'm going to get this

ball out of my hands and I'm going to let y'all do what got y'all drafted and that's catch and make people miss you know what I'm saying and you catch a five yard pass you turn it into 20 you know what I mean you catch a 10 yard pass you turn it into 30 but get the ball out of his hands quick it's zone coverage you could go find people at Walmart right now to sit down in zone coverage all right here we go here we go all right Tom a little shot at the defense all right Tom I'm just saying find a hole in the You know what I'm saying? I played receiver, man. You know I ain't going to knock my receivers,

but hey, it's zone coverage. You smart, you re-cover three. You know this is the spots in the, get the ball out of your hands, man, and let's go. You know what I'm saying? They got guys to do it for sure. Yeah. They're trying to create these deep shots every time.

No, man, get the ball out of your hands. It's all coverage, man. Take the cheese. Take the cheese that they give you. And that's exactly what the Rams did last night. No doubt about it. O'Dell Beckham. It was quick throws.

Then they came. down there they were able to run the ball well a little bit they came down there and here go vans jefferson here go cooper cup over the top of you yeah get the ball they ran a hundred screens last now i'm yelling at the tv mcvade don't run another screen but he can't run the wide receiver screens because he likes you if they sit in this all we're gonna try to give it to him and let them go to work seven yards sometimes they made the tackle sometimes they didn't you know what i'm saying but he like shoe ain't no need to hold it hey by the way uh that is that is king cooper cup to y'all going forward.

I like to display, you know, I don't get a lot of shit right on this show, but the first four weeks of the season, I was asking my guy, I was leaning on my NFL talent. I was with you, Jason. I didn't feel it. I didn't feel it all the way. I felt it a little bit. This man, this man over here, James Jones, went back in a tie machine and said the ghost

of Julio Jones was still, was still. Let's talk then. I was waiting for it, right? Here go. No, I think this is a good conversation. Ryan, if you are the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yes, sir. And they say, pick a receiver.

I knew this was happening. Who you take it, Ryan? I knew this was happening. We can't just give a dude who's having an amazing season. No, I'm just saying, I love Cooper Cup. Cooper Cup is a doll. Can I take his coach with him? You to coach.

Well, if Ryan the coach, then you go ahead. three tight ends out there and you're gonna run you're gonna run power i my OC's trying to me vee y'all tripping hey nah but no i feel you on that way like i feel you on that that's my only thing hey he's a baller he got the stats and all that but when you say the back yeah i know if you were building a wide receiver it probably wouldn't be cooper but it wouldn't be far off i'm not saying this far off you know what i'm saying if i'm building the team and i'm just going off hey this is all i got The person I'm taking is D-Hop. And the reason I'm going to take D-Hop is because,

nah, the reason I'll take a D-Hop, like you can say, you can say, Devante Adams, all these guys, the reason I'm taking D-Hop, he has proven to play with everybody.

Don't matter. Don't matter. It's all that. I'm having to go with what's proven. Hey, that boy had T.J. Yates out there. Shout out to T. T.J. and the Yates family,

if they're listening. Hey, there's nothing wrong with them. No, I don't know. No, it was. He wasn't good. It's okay. It's okay. Then he played with Nathan Peterman and all that.

I don't know. Oh, not the Peter, man. What I'm saying, you already know, Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins had the most quarterbacks in NFL history and they still go out there and ball because the quarterback, the way those dudes is built, the quarterback ain't got to be good. Throw it up, give me an opportunity, and I'll make you look good. You know what I'm saying? You know, Cooper Cup is a baller, but it's hard for me right now to put them as the best

receiver in the national football. I feel it. It's just me giving you. No, I know. I know it. I mean, that throw, that throw and that catch where nobody should get the ball or could get the ball that Stafford made

while Cup was going down in the front of the end zone. I mean, there's certain plays, man. I still marvel. I guess it's the fan in me, too. I still marvel at not just the speed, but the precision that it takes for a play to be executed to the point where

It's like this ain't about X's and O's right here. This is about precision. This is about timing. This is about accuracy. It's about being a professional. It's your crap. And I thought that was one of those moments. Like there was a lot of plays in last night's game where it's like, yo, this is next level,

like high level play. Like James Connor is a dude when you know about him, right? But James Connor is a dude who's like, yeah, this is a really good running back. Oh, he's with the Arizona Cardinals now. And then you look up and man, got 15, 16 touchdowns. Like, I mean, one-handed catches. I mean, the things that are happening out of the way. on these fields, especially at this time of the year.

Teams are separating themselves, which is why I'm trying to figure out what the hell's going on with the AFC, or is the AFC that stacked? Because you don't have a 10-win team in the AFC. I don't know if y'all been watching, but the Chiefs over this last five weeks or so, they added Melvin Ingram. The Steelers couldn't use them. They added Melvin-Igrim all of a sudden. They defense is one of the top two or three defenses in the league.

So it was an entertaining game and obviously had playoff ramifications last night. And a game that had no playoff ramifications is the one we can get to now because I don't want to end the pod on this sad note. But the Packers and the Bears, the Bears had 27 points in the first half. And they finished the game with 30. So you know how that went. Once again, and I said it on the full goal podcast, which you can hear Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays right here on the ringer.

Matt Nagy should have been let go yesterday. And all let's talk about... Y'all don't do that. Y'all don't do that. Yeah, I know. I know. It's y'all thing is going to keep getting you in trouble too, right? But the problem that I have is, like, when people talk about player development, you know,

you think about, okay, week to week, is this player getting better? Or what are you helping this player with? I think sometimes it's player protection as well. That's part of coaching to me as well. So David Montgomery and Cleo Herbert and Damien Williams are a pretty good trio of running backs. Khalil Herbert, when David Montgomery was out for three weeks, was one of the highest rushing yards, dudes in the game, right? He goes back to the bench when David Montgomery comes back. Dave Montgomery got the ball 10 times in a game that was one score or one and a half score game for the majority of the game until the 14-point turnaround with the turnover.

And then on top of it, you put Tevin Jenkins, a guy who had back surgery this year. year who hasn't played at all, who's behind Jason Peters, who is 39 years old who you went got off a fishing boat to come play football and left tackle in the NFL. You know, you knew he wasn't going to play all 17 games. Jason Peters knew he wasn't going to play all 17 games. So in that, you put a guy behind him on the depth chart who hasn't played yet this year coming off of back surgery. What do you do in the third down situation is crucial in the game? You allow him to go one-on-one against Preston Smith, one of the better edge rushers in the game. And a strip sack, fumble for holding penalties later, you've got yourself a loss. To me, player development is also

about player protection. We saw it against Cleveland. We've seen it too many times where your scheme just doesn't allow for people to get help on sides, whether it be the left tackle side this time or helping your quarterback to get away from, you know, I should say, to avoid certain shots. I mean, the dude's got cracked ribs and you dropping them back 36 times against one of the better quarterbacks in the league on Sunday night football, on the road. It's just, it's just, it's just too many, too many issues, right? It's kind of like that scene in casino where it's like, hey, if you didn't know it, you were in on it. If you did know it, you're too dumb to be here either way you need to be out. And that's how I feel about Matt Nagy. It's not just because

of the Packers either, right? But that don't help because for him to say, and the worst part about it, fellas, to me, was fourth and inches, you kicking, you punting, down 11, your defense can't stop a nosebleed right now, right? You putting, giving a ball back to Aaron Rogers with momentum, and then

after the game saying it's one of those decisions that you wish you had back. It's one of those coaching things that you would probably do differently. I don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear that at all. Guess what? You have all the control. I'm tired to hear what he could do differently. So that's my last rant until next.

week about Chicago Bears. The Package Bears game was no damn fun. And I'm sure it was a great time for James Jones as I see him wearing his Green Bay Package gear. Boy, that closet, boy, Ryan, that closet is amazing. Week to week. Who organized his closet? Who organized his closet?

Ryan, real quick, though. I'm proud of both of us because we just sat here and we let him, we let him vent. 2020 is hindsight, ain't it? Hey, none of us said a word. None of us took a deep friend. I'm in a bad place, man. Hey, we just let Jay Ben. He needed that.

I'm in a bad spot right now. He needed that. Because people in the city turning on the quarterback now, and I knew that was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen. They turned on the quarterback. Hey, listen, watch. Hey, by the end of this season, Ryan Shazier, you're going to,

because now Justin Fields is being called a powder. And we all know what that's code for. So by the end of the season, if things don't look a little, because he's had some bad moments, but he's a rookie, right? I think he's got all the raw materials. This man had 18 fantasy points, and he gave y'all 27 in the first half. What else do I have to do? That's average, that if you do that throughout the season,

your top five teams averaging points per game. Right. You know the hardest person described to what a good relationship looks like, a person who's been his shitty relationships all their life. You know what I'm saying? Like you, it's kind of hard to tell, hey, linebackers, all defense, oh, yeah, we can tell you what that looked like. But the growth, the growth and development and maturation of a quarterback, the city every once in a while is quick to pull the ripcourt on. And sometimes, you know, it's been proven, you know, that, hey, this person wasn't good,

so I don't have to believe in them. I think right now what's happening with the Justin Fields thing is I think people have Matt Nagy fatigue, so they're now looking at Justin Fields as if, why isn't he getting better? And it's like, wait a minute, the fatigue that you have about Matt Neggie, he's still in the office, he's still in the building, he's still got veto power over the play calling. So it's still happening as we can see it. It seems like it just needs that the city might need a new person to blame. And there are times where Justin Fields, you know, looks like a rookie.

And I just think that there's, the confidence is waning, unfortunately. So I'm not waning because I think he's going to be a good player. There is times that Justin Fields looks like a rookie. But there is times that Justin Fields look like a bona fide superstar, too. He throws a pick and then next possession, he throws a 60-yard touchdown. And that's part of the game. Kyle Murray looked like a rookie last night. Everybody putting him in the MVP conversation, you know what I mean?

But it was certain throws last night. You're like, what in the world is you doing? That's playing the quarterback position, you know what I'm saying? But if you're a Bears fan, if you're an NFL fan and you're watching Justin Fields play the game, you're looking at this dude like, man, this dude going to be pretty dang good, man. You know what I'm saying? The right pieces around him, the right coach around him. This dude going to be pretty dang good.

You know what I'm saying? And he's showing you that with some of the plays that he making on the field. You know what I'm saying with his legs and his arm? Yeah, he's a rookie. He's going to have the ups and downs and all that. You know what I'm saying? And like you said, it ain't like his defense helping him out getting him turnovers and just a bonus and just a big time defense.

Them boys, you know, them boys getting ran through too. You know what I mean? But you know that. You know how I go when you lose. Hey, somebody got to take the black. and they got to be the quarterback. You know what I mean? When you win, the quarterback get all the praise.

Oh, my goodness, look how good this quarterback is. Hey, you know what you mean? How good the quarterback is? Defense, loud nine points. But when you win, the quarterback, get all the praise. You know what I'm saying? When you lose, they're going to take it too. But, I mean, it definitely ain't the young fella.

Packers got it, though. If A.J. Dillon is that dude like that, then, and I think he is, that might be the best team in the NFC. That's all I got to say. We'll get y'all Mason. Send us justice. No thanks. No thanks.

For many reasons. No thanks. Shout out to Miles Garrett. All right. So moving forward, fellas. All right, so Ryan Clark mentioned on the worldwide leader that Michael Parsons is the best defensive player in all of the NFL. He said, you let them play inside linebacker.

You're going to lead the league of the tackles. You get them out on that edge. You're going to mess around. and be at the top of the league, lead, and sacks. Michael Parsons is undeniably the defensive rookie of the year. And that Dallas defense is stepping up in a way where it's following his league. And Randy Gregory is out there making plays too. I mean, they got some solid pieces on that defense.

Did they rush DAC back, though? Because offensively, they're starting to worry me a little bit. How do you all feel about the Cowboys right now? Honestly, I think that the Cowboys, like you said, they may have rushed back a little bit too fast because their offense was humming at the beginning of the season. But my defensive player of the year

still to this day is going to be TJ for right now. I feel like TJ's going crazy. But you could definitely pit Michael Parsons in the conversation for defensive player of the year for what he's done. He has not rushed as much as everybody else but has just as many sack. He's making a huge name for itself

at the inside linebacker position as well. So it's crazy because he's a utility player. He can literally do whatever you need him to do. But I think, like you said, Dallas offense, they did a little bit too much to try to force that to come back because they've seen that things were falling. Not falling, but it wasn't going the way that they wanted to go, so they wanted to bring their superstar back in there.

But I don't know if Dak is 100% like he was at the beginning of the season. Cowboys' offense, James. For me, I just feel like sometimes you hit walls like this. You know what I mean? Like somebody, people always want to find, like, why it ain't going. No, Dag Prescott stepping into his throws, Dak Prescott making good throws. You think he healthy enough, though, Jay?

And he's making some bad throws. I think that Prescott is 100% healthy. You know what I mean? As Ryan knows, you know, once training camp starts, you no longer 100% the whole, you know what I'm saying? So, yeah, it could be some. But, I mean, I don't think there's nothing to where it's like, Dane, I can't step into my throes or I can't, no.

The offense just ain't in sync right now. Now, period. The offense started out on fire. Everybody's like, oh, my goodness, look at that, Prescott, this dude phenomenal. You know what I'm saying? The offense, nothing has changed. You know what I'm saying?

It's just that teams playing a little bit better defense on them. They ain't been able to run the ball as well as they were able to run the ball early in the season. You know, Zeke is banged up. Tony Pollard's banged up. So they haven't really been able to run the ball like that and be able to get to them play action passes. off of that. You know what I'm saying? So now it's strictly just okay. You know what I mean?

We can stop the run with our front seven because these dudes is banged up and now we can play coverage on the back end. I just think they're in a slump right now. I don't think it's necessarily, you know, DAC being hurt or people being hurt. I just think they're in the slump right now. The good thing about it is they end this slump and they're finding ways to win games. In your last three games, you two and three and you ain't been playing that good on the offensive side of the fall. But even when they lost to the Raiders, they put up 30. Yeah, Dallas going to mess around and go to somebody's career and beat them. I think they're that sneaky.

But I just feel like we always try to put our finger on while. He ain't helped. No, you know what I'm saying? Just like if Aaron Rodgers, if Aaron Rodgers go out there against the Bears and the Bears' defense got after him, stuck it up, what everybody going to say. Oh, man, his toe hurt. No. Ain't nothing wrong with his toe.

You've been talking about this toe for three weeks this man to threw for 9,000 yards and 42 touchdowns. Ain't shit wrong with his toe. Stop telling me about his toe. But what I'm saying is, if he go out there and he play bad, you probably go have some of the report. It's like, oh, man, you know what that toe is? No, and 12, I tell you, no, that ain't my toe.

Shoot, we could play bad, you know what I'm saying? That man can run around and Dionne's saying this little rascal. He's still throwing five touchdowns in the game. I want to hear about his toe no more. Yeah, it's not wrong with that toe. I think Dak Prescott is healthy. I do not think they would play with the franchise like that if he wasn't. You know what I'm saying?

I mean, Dak Prescott was warming up in the Minnesota game, and Mike and them was like, no, ain't no need. Take your time. We're going to make sure you 100% healthy. Yeah, you look good out here in Warren, but we're going to make sure you could take your time. It's way longer than that you coming off of a big time injury. So I don't think it's injury.

I just think it's people getting after the Cowboys offense. You know what I mean? It's a copycat league. They see what the Raiders did. They see what, you know, some of the good stuff that the Saints did. and they slowing them down. It happens. But I don't think it's Dak Prescott not being healthy.

I just think it's the Cowboys not in sync right now on the opposite side, and they got to find it with. Hey, Jason, I'm going to say this, though, man. I ain't going to lie. Michael might be one of the best rookies that we've seen in a long time. You know, watching him at Penn State, I was like, this dude is different. And then when he was like, I don't have to play. Like, I'm cool.

I'm this good. I'm like, oh, okay. Because, you know, I did shows for the Big Ten Network, or radio side on serious and watching, you know, having to watch Penn State every single week when he was, when he was, when he first arrived, you could tell there's something different. Like, a certain dudes

who, like, when they hit you, you know, when they hit somebody out there, you could tell there's a different, like, impact, a different force. Man, when he hit Heineke, I didn't think he was getting up. Like, the dude plays with, you can appreciate it. He plays with, like, an anger and a, and a, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh,

a hustle, too. Yeah, yeah, he's always moving. And I was thinking about, like, You know, Ray Lewis, when Ray Lewis was drafted, and I believe it was, what, like 15 somewhere around, in the middle of the first round, and it was the Ravens, what, Ravens first draft was something like Ogden and Lewis, if I'm not mistaken, and you just saw, okay, this dude was different. You saw it in Miami. Like, Michael Parsons jumped down on that defense, and immediately you could tell that, okay, this ain't no rookie.

Like, this isn't some kind of, you know, growth spurt that he has to hit where it's like, okay, now he's getting it. When you're a linebacker and you come into the league, what are you asked to do as a rookie? Because we always talk about the quarterbacks and the defenses that they haven't seen and the speed of the game, how you have to get used to it.

When you're a linebacker and you come from playing three years at that position, now you got to adjust to the speed and the power guys, what's being put on your plate? And what do you think Michael Parsons has had to digest throughout this season to get him to the point where he is right now? I'm not going to lie. I kind of agree with what Michael said. Like, Michael said that NFL not hard.

And if you're good enough, and I'm going to pitch something like context to that, though. Like, because if you're good enough, the game is really not that hard. You just have to adjust to like, all right, this guy might be faster. This guy might be stronger. But if you play big time football in college, you've been against that. You know, some guys are just more technical. But the thing is, everybody is asked different, something different from each other.

So, like, for instance, I remember there, I think they had like two or three games Michael was calling like the plays. And then you seen like his production slow down a little bit. But then when they took it away from him, he was out there just playing. So like, that's where I say everybody is asked something different because when I was playing a longbacker, my rookie year, I don't know if CJ did it. My rookie year, the moment I stepped into the facility, there's like, like Ryan, you got the green dot.

And for the people listening, the green dot, obviously, is the communicator helmet, right? You got the, you get the signals, yeah. Yeah, you get the signals, you talk to the coaches. Did you do that in Ohio State? No. No, no, the call the players, yes. Okay, okay.

So they knew you had that background and knew you could handle it. They knew I can handle it, but I didn't think that I will be doing it from literally first practice OTAs. You know, like, I thought it was like, all right, let Ryan work his way, get his feet wet, and learn it. And they was like, no, you know, so every team's a little bit different. I don't know, like, because me and CJ came in at the same time, C. CJ Mosley.

I don't know if C.J. did that because he was already on, like, a really dominant defense. And he was at Alabama, right? He was at Alabama. He didn't win rookie year, but he went, like, Pro Bowl. I think his rookie year. He had a good year because Aaron Donald won rookie year. No, Khalil Mack won one of them two. One of the Hall of Famous one.

One of them two. That's my draft class. Let me y'all know. Pretty good. decent. She's here, C.J. Mosley, Aaron Donald. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So basically, like, I don't, everybody gets asked something different. I just didn't know, like, what somebody may be getting asked. Like, for me, they asked me from Jump Street to call the plays. So it would be, it's a lot easier for me to say, oh, man, the NFL is hard because I went in thinking, like, man, I got to call these plays. I got

to make sure everybody on point. You got to get people lined up correctly. You got to get people lined up correctly. So for me, I can say NFL is hard. But when I just went out there and just played, the NFL wasn't hard at all. It was like, I mean, I just go out here and do my thing. You know what I'm saying? I'm not worried about. Like, if I'm in the role position, somebody else is going to say, hey, Ryan, scoot over. Or, you know, or Ryan, hey, this play, you got to cover gronk or this player, you got to cover that guy.

If somebody else telling me that is easy. But when you're sitting in there, especially as a young guy, you're looking, you're like, all right, Lawrence might not be lined up right. Oh, I need to scoot to it over. And like once you start doing that all that stuff, like Cam, like scoot over right here, once you start doing all that stuff, that makes it a little bit more difficult when it comes to like, because now you're thinking way more. So it makes it more difficult.

And when you got to think you're not reacting as much, huh? Yeah, you're not reacting. But with Micah, I mean, they took, I think they took the green dot back from him and I think they gave it to somebody else on the defense. And now he's just out there. They're like, it's basically like saying, Michael, just go get the sack. Or Micah, you got this gap. That's it. or, you know, in this coverage, you got man, that's it.

So now I know I got man and it's like, all right, what my man might do in this situation, but that's all you're thinking about compared to thinking about, like, the whole grand scheme of what everybody else is doing, what the whole offense is doing. So it makes the game a lot easier. So, like, that's why I said, like, football, like, if you're really good, football is easy.

Like, Aaron Donald, he probably won't say this, but the game of football is easy to Aaron Donald, if you watch them. You know what I'm saying? Like, just playing football, being great, that's when it makes it harder. But, like,

Aaron Donald's damn good at football. Even if you don't, if you don't do anything else right now, he's still going to be one of the best players. He's really good at football, you know, so, but, but, like,

once you start adding all the extra stuff, that's what makes it harder because you're trying to be such a good, you're trying to be so good, you know? Yeah, yeah, you're getting more put on your plate. Michael Parsons is,

you know, you hope that you hit on picks like that. When a guy can get drafted at that position in the draft and change the dynamic of your team, he is an absolute weapon on the defensive side of the football. Our wide receiver, the focal point of our offense, I want to call him a diva because he's not one of those receivers, but he is our guy, James Jones, had to go do some daddy duties, so we appreciate his time.

He had to bounce, but it's time for us to get into this AFC North conversation. Lamar Jackson's ankle injuries opened up in a way that I didn't foresee. I thought the Cleveland Browns would at some point get it together. And I don't know why I thought that, but I thought they would get it together and be a little bit more consistent than they have been. Your Pittsburgh Steelers, who have had an up and down season, still trying to figure out what the right formula is. You know, a tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings giving up 36 points. Eight and five right now for the Ravens, 7 and 6 and 76 for the Browns and the Bengals. The Pittsburgh Steelers is sitting at 6-6-1.

So you pretty much got like a game and a half separating top to bottom in the AFC North. And a division that we knew would be tough because of how much talent is in it. We didn't know what it would look like in terms of wins and losses. The Cincinnati Bengals, like I said, to me, they're kind of like the Arizona Cardinals, a little bit of a step behind the Arizona Cardinals,

but kind of like them. And I don't know if they're ready for prime time just yet, but I love the trio of Joe Burrow, Joe Mixing, and Jamar Chase. I think they got a good young defense. How do you think this thing's going to play out here in the last, what, four weeks of the season, three weeks of the season? I'm going to be real. I don't think the Steelers are going to win a division. It's going to be tough.

It's going to be tough. Yeah, it's going to be tough on them. We got Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens. All those things are good. But the last three times we played the Ravens, we beat them. So that makes me feel comfortable going into that game. Tennessee, it's just like they're super up and down. You don't know what you're going to get with Tennessee.

They won last week soundily, but they played the Jags. So now we don't know what team we're going to get with them coming into our facility. And then with the Browns, that's an up and down situation because it basically, if they can run the ball on us, we're going to lose.

If they can't run the ball on us, we're going to win. That's basically how that game is going to go. Because that's how all their games have been going. If they can't win the, if they can't run the ball, they're not going to do well. I think the stills will make it,

I think we might mess around and have three teams in the playoffs, to be honest, because the way the AFC set up right now, I think it's a possibility that we can have three teams in the playoffs. I know we're going to have two for sure. I think the still doesn't make it, but I'm very biased.

With Lamar being hurt, I don't think Huntley can win games. Like, he's won games for them, but I don't believe him. It's a major drop-off from one to two on that depth chart, and it's tough. Because even when the Bears game, I mean, you know, the Bears gave them a few opportunities. And, you know, Huntley didn't play great, right? But he got the win. But going up against these teams that aren't the Bears. It's going to be tough down the stretch depending on how poor that ankle or how serious,

I should say, severe that ankle injury is. But with your Steelers and the defense, you know, the 62-yard touchdown pass from Cousins kind of a dagger, you know, it was a one-score game at that point. You know, they come down and put that the Frymouth, Rothensberger touchdown on the end to make it a little bit closer with about four minutes left in the game. But there seems to be these moments where the Steelers, for whatever reason, you know, All phases can't come together in two or three straight games, where it be offense.

Because you figure you put up 28 points, you're feeling like you're good. You know, you feel like you did your job. Najee Harris getting the ball 20 times, right? Ben's pass attempt still a little high. You know, I still like to see him be in the mid, you know, up lower 30s. He got up to 40 passes. What's the issue right now with the Steelers? This is real inconsistent.

Obviously, a lot of people are just out-tuffing us. Never thought you hear that. Right. But when you're watching the game, it seems like a lot of guys are just basically bullying us. And I'm not going to lie. It does hurt. We do have a lot of people hurt on the team, but that's not an excuse because a lot of people, everybody has somebody. A lot of people hurt.

You know, it just, what we have people hurt is right where you stop to run it. You know, so. But at the day, we still have to do a better job. The offense, it seems like they start playing football when it's the fourth quarter, you know, honestly. And I think they have to figure out. a way to start pinning up points earlier in the games. Because to almost come back down from 29, that's crazy. And think about it, we would have went overtime if an all-pro player

didn't make an all-pro play. You know? So to be honest. So I think with them, the offense, they really don't know what they want to do consistently, but if we get down, it forces bend to pass the ball. and we're not in any situation where we're a team that we believe that we can constantly come back from large deficits.

We're not Golden State Warriors. We're not the Kansas City Chiefs. Right. You know, like we're a hard-nosed grit type of team, so we need to keep the games close. So if they're close, we can pull them out. But when they're like this, and we have to start forcing points,

obviously Ben still has it. Like, everybody's knocking Ben. But if you watch the fourth quarter, the third or fourth quarter of that game, Bill Robertsberger, his throws was just as good as any quarterback in the league last year. It's not consistent. Right. You can't ask him to do that every single game like you used to be able to rely upon. That comes with getting older.

But the defense, they have to be, everybody understands that our defense keeps us in games. And they have not been doing that consistently for us to be known to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah, yeah. And we're coming up against that time, too, where, you know, we're getting Saturday double headers coming up. Real playoff talks are getting ready to happen. We get those weird boxes on the side of the screen that say, in the hunt for all the teams, for all the fan bases, hoping that their team could be in the hunt still where you're like, nah, y'all ain't in the hunt. But, you know, what is it, like, three teams in the NFC have been eliminated for the playoffs,

but the other 11 are like, oh, we're still 12 or still in it, right? So it's good times for a lot of fan bases around the league. We're going to keep this thing going for James and my man, Ryan Shazir. I am Jason Gaw. This has been the Tuesday edition of the Ringer NFL show. Next up on the Ringer NFL show is the Wednesday show with Kevin Clark. We'll be back in two weeks. That's right.

We've got next week off, but there will be a show here on the feed next Tuesday. Check out the full go with me, Jason Gough, every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, not on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. And of course, our engineering credit goes out to Chris Sutton on this episode with production. supervision from Arjuna Ramgapal, our guy, AR. So for Chris, AR, Ryan Shazir, James Jones. I am Jason Gawf, thanking you for downloading, for subscribing, for hanging out with us here

on the Tuesday edition of the Ringer NFL show. As always, take care of each other out there, and please be safe.