The Ringer NFL Show - Lamar vs. Mahomes, Brees's Slow Start With Terez Paylor, and Take Mulligans | The Ringer NFL Show

Episode Date: September 24, 2020

Kevin Clark is joined by Yahoo Sports’ Terez Paylor to discuss the 'Monday Night Football' matchup of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (5:45).... Then they discuss other contenders in the AFC, and if it’s time to worry about Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (24:07). Kevin is then joined by The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti and Danny Kelly to talk about their one mulligan for their preseason takes and one thing they wish they saw coming (34:50). Host: Kevin Clark Guests: Terez Paylor, Nora Princiotti, and Danny Kelly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:01:21 Join today. Great show by Teres Pailer from Yahoo Sports and the Noah Prince Yaddy and Danny Kelly of the Ringer. Therz has covered Patrick Mahomes as well as anybody since the end of the league. and we get into that ahead of Mahomes' Week 3 clash against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, a lot of cool storylines, a lot of cool insight. And then Nora and Danny and I do a very fun segment. I guess we're calling Take Mulligan, which is essentially, we're two weeks in,
Starting point is 00:01:45 we've seen the eye test, we've seen some data, and we're going to take back, or at least amend some of our preseason takes to two of each. And that was a really, really fun segment. I think you'll enjoy it. Quick reminder on the feed, I'm sure you're listening to all of this because they've been awesome, but we've got a packed week Wednesday. We obviously had Chris Vernon and Warren Sharp, Friday,
Starting point is 00:02:08 House and Warren Sharp. And on Tuesday, we had Cole Wright and Ryan Shazier. Ryan gave his awesome player perspective. I've been really enjoying all of these podcasts. Hope you check them out. Before we get to Terrez, I want to quickly ahead of this Lamar Mahomes clash, which has the potential to be one of the best rivalries,
Starting point is 00:02:27 if not the best rivalry of the next decade. We get into that with Terrez about the possibilities that go into that and just the dynamic of these two young quarterbacks. We're going to bring it back to this summer when Lamar Jackson came on Slow Newsday and talked about the lack of rivalry between these two players
Starting point is 00:02:43 because quite frankly, one is won a Super Bowl and one hasn't. Here's Lamar. Do you identify going forward because you guys around the same age because you're the two reigning MVP's because he won a Super Bowl this year? Do you think you and Patrick Mahomes
Starting point is 00:02:54 could have that kind of rivalry? You know, Mahalmers are on the cover of Madden last year. You're on it this year. Obviously, you know, you guys are two of them. amazing quarterbacks. Do you sort of see that developing going forward, Lamar? I'm not trying to have no rivalry. I don't really look at it like live or stuff like that. I'm just playing football. I'm trying to win. And he didn't win
Starting point is 00:03:11 right now, so it ain't no rivalry right now. Okay, thank you, Lamar. Here's Terrez. All right, Teres Pailor, Yahoo Sports NFL senior writer, co-host of the Yahoo Sports NFL podcast. We're not going to spend a lot of time on this because it just happened. But Adam Schaefter, that Charger Team doctors accidentally punctured to Rod Taylor's lung before Sunday's game while administering a pain-killing injection. This is as horrible and disheartening
Starting point is 00:03:43 and upsetting a story as there's been in recent NFL history. There's only one question, Terrez. What the hell is going on? What the hell is this? I will call that a philosophy. That's brutal. That is actually one of the worst things I've come.
Starting point is 00:04:01 kind of heard about a team doing to a player, not intentionally, but all things consider, like, you know, players go into these situations with these teams, and they already don't trust the staff in the first place. So when you're trying to get just a regular routine procedure done to get ready to play, and then you mess that up, that's going to severely impact, in my opinion, the confidence level of the training staff from the players in that room. Yeah, I mean, that's the kind of thing. I think we tend to over. right, Teres, just as media, as pundits. Oh, this locker room's not going to like this or the locker room, you know,
Starting point is 00:04:38 the players going to get maddened organization over this. This is the kind of thing that leads to players losing faith in an organization. Okay. It's not a coach saying something to the media. It's not X, Y, Z. It's this. And I think that's something that bears watching. And aside from that, I mean, we thoughts, honestly, thoughts and prayers are with,
Starting point is 00:04:58 with Trotov, because that is a serious life-altering thing. We just hope he's okay. We go, you know, his career is okay. And I think that there was a rush in the Justin Herbert, I don't know, when he exceeded expectations on Sunday, there was a rush to crown him as the starter and get all excited. And I think that now that we see kind of the other side of this, it becomes much more serious situation. It's not nearly as fun, quite frankly, as people were building out to be.
Starting point is 00:05:25 All right. So we're in top of the two best quarterbacks in football, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. So according to the NFL, this is the first time ever that two former MVP's each 25 or younger are playing. That's pretty much all you need to know. There's no other stat that needs to be known except these guys dominated in an early age. They're playing each other on Monday night. I kind of like the kind of round robin that Deshaun Watson, Patrick Wilhelms and Lamar Jackson did to start the season. It's almost like a world cup group stage, right?
Starting point is 00:05:56 Like we just get to see where everybody's at. It's good for everybody except Deshawn. And Bill O'Brien. I think that that does disappoint me that Bill O'Brien's kind of taken Deshaun out of that that top run because I think when I think of the top three quarterbacks in football, I think of Lamar, Mahomes and Russell Wilson, I think in a perfect world, Deshaun Watson is right there. And I just feel like he just doesn't have the infrastructure for right now. Yeah, it sucks.
Starting point is 00:06:23 It sucks because Watson is a fun player to watch. He's creative. He already has the winning track record. So I think what we're going to see is actually something. pretty interesting here. We're like, you're going to see a quarterback who, if we're all right about the Texas trajectory, like this is a really well-paid, great quarterback. And they're not going to go very far, but I don't think he's going to get a lot of the
Starting point is 00:06:45 blame for that. I think a lot of blame for that's going to go to O'Brien and the way he's built that team around him. So that's correct for the record. I'm just hoping that at some point he gets the right things around him. And who knows? Maybe some of the draft picks. they have hit.
Starting point is 00:07:02 You know, maybe they find a way to rebuild this thing and they get lucky on some picks and they evaluate talent well and that defense comes around sooner than we all kind of projected will. But, you know, at this moment, it kind of sucks. And this happens to one great quarterback every generation. Right. Just hope at the end of their run, they kind of get that title we're all hoping for. And look, this is still very early in the process, you know, and he was drafted the same
Starting point is 00:07:27 year as Mahomes. And hopefully the Texans figure out what they're doing. at some point again i think bill o'brien is not a terrible coach i think he's a pretty good coach actually offensively i just think that he shouldn't be the gym he shouldn't have all this power uh and the the the plays the plays are not necessarily the problem i guess is is how is how you're the construction of the roster exactly and many and the construction of the organization yeah i mean there's just there's just a lot there all right so mohomes versus jackson you know mahomes as well as anybody you were you were the chief to be writer for the kansas star when
Starting point is 00:08:01 They drafted him. Do you think that Mahomes is the type of guy that needs a rival? Because I think that there's... I've spent a little bit of time around him, but he seems like he's just kind of a cool dude. And I don't think he's got this sort of, I don't know, Last Dance style, maniacal, I hate this guy, I'm going to destroy him kind of thing about him.
Starting point is 00:08:27 Or does he, and I just... We just haven't seen that to rest. No, Mahomes is a good guy and he's beloved, but, you know, I definitely think he's got some edge to him, and we start to see more of it as the years gone by. You know, last year in Chicago, counting the 10, you know, that's, like, there's stuff here, guys. You know, Eric B. Nemi called him a competitive prick for a reason. That's a real thing. I don't know if you can use that, but he said it. Oh, we can.
Starting point is 00:08:55 People around him do talk a lot about his competitiveness. That is real. And I don't think he needs a rival per se. I think football needs him to have a rival. I think it's great for the game when there's Brady and Manning. I think it's great for the game when there was Steve Young and Troy Aikman. That's just great for the game. But as far as Mahomes needing a rival to get going, I don't.
Starting point is 00:09:18 I don't think he needs it because I think he's motivated to be the greatest of all time as it is. He took a contract that will pay him a ton of money, but he structured in such a way to help this team be competitive for the next 10 years. that's a real thing. He did that to try to help the team. And I think winning matters to him, legacy matters to him. And it does because he grew up in those locker rooms with his dad and his godfather. And those guys, you know, he was around Derek Jeter and Arod and these guys.
Starting point is 00:09:49 And he learned what it took to be great. And I think he does think a lot about legacy and the place he'll leave in the game and on the world. So I actually do think he has it. I don't think he needs a rival, but I think it'd be great for all of us if, if, like, Lamar and Patrick became something like that. Yeah, and I think that's an interesting point about football needing a rival more than Patrick needs a rival necessarily, because I think that Brady and Manning were a little different. We saw it, obviously, when they played golf a couple of months ago. There's a, there's a healthy edge there between those guys. And that came out a couple of times over the 15 years or so that they played.
Starting point is 00:10:25 I think that, again, you said it. you know, Mahomes is a good guy and he's beloved. But there is any great player. There's going to be some edge there because you don't get to that place without A, using the doubters as fuel, but then be just, you know, it's just human nature to say, really, Chicago Bears? Really? So I guess the next logical question here, Terrez, is, is Lamar Jackson that guy?
Starting point is 00:10:52 If you're looking at the next decade of football, is, are we going to look back at this era and say, Lamar Jackson was this guy. Deshaun Watson was this guy. You know, if they'd meet in a couple of Super Bowls, is it Russell Wilson? Is it somebody else? Is it someone that, you know, Joe Burrow,
Starting point is 00:11:05 whatever it might be? If we're looking at Patrick Mahomes' first, let's say, decade of football, who's his big rival when we're looking back on this during his last dance style documentary? I love it, love it. So great question, because I've been pondering this a little bit.
Starting point is 00:11:18 And a great thing about being a football fan right now and the way the game has gone is that there are some quarterbacks who have a chance to be really, really, and are already good. Like, there are some guys now. You mentioned Joe Burrow. It might be Kyler and Mahomes
Starting point is 00:11:34 and Super Bowls down the road. Like, Tyler Murray is really good, really talented. But for the immediate future, right now, for what Lamar is, I think he's motivated to be great too. I think you've mentioned this a few times, Kib, like, you know,
Starting point is 00:11:47 every offseason, he's come back a little bit better. And you started seeing flashes of his improved passing in week one. the bucket throws, the throws with touch and accuracy. He had all that. He had all that. He has shown improvement as a pocket passer already through two weeks.
Starting point is 00:12:05 You can already see it. He was good statistically as a passer last year. So I'm excited for it. I think it does have a chance to be that rivalry going forward. When I look at the AFC, Terrez. I've been banging the drum for a while that I don't see anybody else in the AFC title game aside from Lamar and Patrick Mahomes in late January.
Starting point is 00:12:25 do you see the same distance in the AFC after two weeks that I see? And again, listen, there's some really impressive teams in the AFC. I love what the Buffalo Bills have done. And I've been pleasantly surprised by I've never, I picked him to win the division. And I said that there was, you know,
Starting point is 00:12:43 the only question mark, and it was a question mark, was Josh Allen. And I was actually a little higher on him at some points over the past three years than other people. I was never a Josh Allen Stan exactly. And I certainly had my doubts, certainly pre-john. draft, but I like what they've done. But when I look around the AFC right now, I still see a pretty healthy distance between
Starting point is 00:13:02 the Ravens, the Chiefs, and everybody else. Do you see that same distance, or do you see a more competitive AFC? I agree. I think there's a nice, healthy gap between the Chiefs and the Ravens and the next team. But I do think, like, those, the second tier includes a couple really interesting teams in the AFC. In Pittsburgh, I think their defense is awesome. Pittsburgh's defense is awesome.
Starting point is 00:13:24 And T.J. Watt might win defensive player a year. He looks amazing. And he's basically in a contract year. So he could have a best year, statistically, of his career on the league's best defense. So, and I like what I talked to Ben earlier this offseason two. I think this dude is ready to go. So I like Pittsburgh. I think they got a chance to win a game between the playoffs, actually.
Starting point is 00:13:44 But Buffalo, I love the fact you bring up Josh Allen. You know, Allen's a guy that I wasn't really in on before the draft, like a lot of people. but when I saw him as a rookie and I watched him play, I'm like, you know, this guy's kind of making some plays that are not a lot of quarterbacks can make, whether it's with his arm strength, but mainly with his athleticism. He's running around.
Starting point is 00:14:06 He's doing stuff. And I kind of realize it in the way the league is going now, you need a quarterback that can do that, that can make you pay even when you get the right defense. So I like the big play potential of him. His problem has been the propensity for goofy mistakes, whether that's a goofy interception or fumble. here or there. And we saw it in the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:14:25 And quite honestly, we've seen a little bit, even through the first two weeks, where there's fumbles here and there. Like, he has to do a better job protecting the football. But I do love what their officer coordinator, Brian Dayball has done. They're attacking man coverage with their route concepts. He's throwing the deep over
Starting point is 00:14:42 route with a tremendous amount of touch, which is a big deal. And Stefan Dick has been awesome for that guy. So they've done a, I think you mentioned, they've done a heck of a job putting the team, and offense around this guy. You know, he's got a chance to have a huge season. And I'm really excited to see how this office
Starting point is 00:14:59 to continue to develop score for. But I put them in that second tier with Pittsburgh, sure. Two more quick chiefs questions for you. Number one, when they drafted Patrick Mahomes, and you've written about this before. Obviously, you were the beat writer when it happened. Veach came out very quickly after. He wasn't, you know, he had just been promoted to GM and said,
Starting point is 00:15:17 he's the best player. He's one of the best players ever seen, et cetera, et cetera. How early did they know? that Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes. And has there been, and I'm not accusing them of anything, but has there been after the fact myth-making as far as, oh, yeah, we definitely knew this all the way, or was this real? They really knew what this was all going to be.
Starting point is 00:15:36 I think Vich was on it, for real. I think it's legit. Like, trust me. Like in January, before they drafted him, him and Chris Cabot started having conversations and Cabot represents Mahomes along with Lee Steinberg. So, you know, like Veach was in on this. guy early. And to be fair, like the whole organization, like there wasn't a lot
Starting point is 00:15:57 of arguing over who the best quarterback was. It was Mahomes. They loved him as an organization. I think John Dorsey went up to the right spot to go get him. They didn't go too high. They went to number 10. So Doris deserves a little credit there. But all things considered, you know, they knew. And let me tell you something.
Starting point is 00:16:14 I talked to him at the Super Bowl for a reason because I figured this is a guy they might end up liking here. And almost immediately in OTAs, which comes right after the draft. We were watching camp. I was a beat writer then,
Starting point is 00:16:28 and I'm like, oh, my God, this guy's making the third stringers look great. Guys are making dive and catching. And it's like you can already kind of see it. Internally, you started hearing guys say, hey, man, this guy is awesome. Oh, this guy is really good. And we saw it in camp.
Starting point is 00:16:43 And then, because like during the year, Kev, I had guys in a locker room telling me like, this Mahomes guy is incredible. He's making no look passes. You can't wait. Like, just trust me. Then that regular season game against Denver, the last game in a year, he made some eye-popping throws that completely justified everything, everything,
Starting point is 00:17:01 everybody had been saying. And the energy in that locker, I'll never forget it, that game. The energy afterward and the excitement those guys had talking about my homes. Like Alex Smith was a starter. He started the next game, obviously in the playoffs. But like you knew those guys believed in them right then. So that's real. That is real.
Starting point is 00:17:20 And I believe it. And I've talked to some more people, certainly not to the level you have, but it was when people saw what he could do in practice, I think that there were a lot of converts, I'll say. All right, last question about the Chiefs. If the Chiefs don't get to the Super Bowl this year, what is the reason?
Starting point is 00:17:36 They don't get to the Super Bowl to be because they run into a Super Bowl-worthy team in, like, the AFC champion. So, like, if the Chiefs lose the playoffs to Baltimore, Baltimore is probably going to win the Super Bowl. That means the Ravens are awesome. team. This is a hard team to be. The chiefs are a hard team to be in so many different ways. I'm not going to go into that. Your audience is smart. They understand all those reasons. But also injuries, also injuries might play a role. COVID. You never know, you never know when
Starting point is 00:18:06 the wrong test. That kind of deal. But, I mean, it's going to take a superhuman effort to beat these guys in the playoffs now because, you know, you're seeing the Lway late game effect with Mahomes. You don't want that guy to add a ball. So you beat that guy in January when he's all. already broken off multiple over my dead body games in the playoffs. That means that your quarterback has that trait too. And that's a hell of a sign for that team going forward. And I guess at this moment, the only team you feel really comfortable thinking might have that shot in the
Starting point is 00:18:37 AFC is the Baltimore ratings. Yeah. No, it's, again, there's a reason that we're, we're amped for this Monday night game. And I'm excited to see it. And again, I'm not sure I can even draw conclusions at all. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:18:49 We know who these guys are. If one team wins 40 to nothing, sure, I'll draw a conclusion. I don't know that's going to happen. If this is 28, 24, 35, 31, I'm going to say this was fun. I enjoyed this, but see you guys in January. That's basically my take on us. Perfect. Same.
Starting point is 00:19:05 We're going to share that same take. See you in four months, right? Let's go. There's a lot more football to be played, more development to be made individually. These teams both have to get better in certain ways. Let's see where we are four months. But for a week three matchup, man, it's hard to get better. in this. That's right. I do want to say, so you wrote a piece on Jordan Love in February,
Starting point is 00:19:26 and you talked about the success of the black quarterback. And obviously, when we're talking about Mahomes versus Lamar, Moans versus Watson, or Russell Wilson, big MVP candidate, you know, many people have, you know, ESPN branded this the year of the black quarterback. I'm curious, you know, it was only two years ago that Lamar Jackson slipped to 32nd. And I still feel, And that was obviously one of the worst decisions that the NFL teams have made in the last decade. Even my home dropping to 10 is ridiculous. And I'm curious, having seen the last three, four years. And again, it's a little bit different.
Starting point is 00:20:04 You know, Quincy Avery, who is Deshaun Watson's quarterback coach. That's something I thought was really, really funny when I talked to him last year. He said, it's not about the best quarterbacks being black. It's about the worst quarterbacks being black. He said that's when we know we've reached where we need to reach. because there is no, and this is my words, and when we were talking, but there is no black Nathan Peterman. I mean, that's just not going to happen.
Starting point is 00:20:29 Nothing against, you know, well, the Nathan Peter thing is a whole different discussion, but you kind of know what I mean when I say that. And so I'm curious now, when you look at the landscape of quarterbacks, just in the last three, four years, do you think what kind of obstacles do black quarterbacks still face within NFL scouting circles, within NFL front offices, even after the top of the sport has been conquered by some of the best black quarterbacks we've ever seen.
Starting point is 00:21:01 Well, it's being shattered because at the end of the day, if you want to compete in January, your quarterback better be able to, like, create with his legs. Right. Like, that matters. Like, the days of the statue are basically over because the game has evolved. The league, through its rules and through the influence,
Starting point is 00:21:17 that they've placed on how they're going to enforce the game has pushed it toward offense. Colleges are producing dual threat quarterbacks, zone reads, stuff like that. At the end of the day, the way the league is going is mandating you have quarterbacks that have multiple skills. Just so happens that when black quarterbacks have an opportunity to play, they typically have that skill set. So they're getting pushed this way, whether some like it or not. So what are the obstacles? just like the old romantic feeling that some guys in the league still have about wanting to build, you know,
Starting point is 00:21:53 the 1999 Michigan offense where you're going to line up it's going to be I formation, it's going to be gap, it's going to be play action off that, you know, it's going to be real traditional, 65 pocket passes,
Starting point is 00:22:07 because that's what guys grow up with. That's what they always kind of end up wanting. But at the end of the day, I also think this, NFL paychecks are outstanding. You want to continue to get those as a gym as long as possible. And if you want to be able to compete going forward, you better make sure your quarterback can make plays no matter what color they are.
Starting point is 00:22:26 So whether it's Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes or Lamont, your guy has to be able to create in January when they pulled up the perfect defense. And if he can't do that, you're probably going to lose. Maybe not in the first round, probably in the second. But if somehow you get to the AFC or NFC championship game, guess what? Your quarterback, you're facing, is going to have to go head to head and pull some plays out of his tail against Aaron Rogers or Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray.
Starting point is 00:22:56 Okay? Good luck. They don't have a choice. Yeah, no, I think it's a great point. All right, coming up, we've got a little Cam Brady-Breeze talk, but first, let's take a quick break. If you've been dealing with acne, retinas, dark spots, or wrinkles, finding treatment that works can be complicated. You need skincare that actually performs, but you don't.
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Starting point is 00:24:13 So you wrote about them this week. Yeah. Very strange week one. And now that we've seen what the Saints are in week two. I think that it's really hard for me to do the transit of property in football and say, oh, they lost the Saints and the Saints lost the Raiders. Don't never do that. It will drive you crazy.
Starting point is 00:24:28 Agreed. Nothing, nothing makes sense as far as that goes. Yes. Having said that, what do you think this team is now after two weeks? Is this the team? Is this a team where if you extrapolate how they've, what they look like now, you see them playing in January or is this team that might take longer? Okay, go ahead.
Starting point is 00:24:44 I do. I like the books. And I like them before the season because I thought their defense is better than people gave him credit for? Like, I thought last year, their deepest was good against the kind of like the run and the path. The Bucks defense can get after the quarterback
Starting point is 00:24:56 and their young corners are good and their second level players are good too. So like, A, I like the Bucs defense. B, I thought going from James to Tom Brady, you eliminate the turnovers. That's going to help this team wins in game. I didn't think they were going to win the division. I love the same to the most talented team in division.
Starting point is 00:25:12 But all these consider, I thought the offensive lines better than people thought. I love Tristan Worf's as a prospect of right tackle. I think there's some weapons there, obviously, the deep cast of tight ends, the receivers, Mike Evans, Chris Gobbin, all that. Look, it's Tom Brady, which means in January,
Starting point is 00:25:30 I just spent all this time talking about how the quarterback's got to be able to create. There are exceptions, and Tom has typically historically been one of them in recent years. And there were actually a few plays on Sunday against the Panthers. Granted, it was the Panthers,
Starting point is 00:25:46 where he alluded pressure, create a little time moving in the pocket and threw a nice pass. That actually happened a few times. Now, will it keep going? I don't know. Will he be able to do that against a good defense? I don't know. But the bucks have the ingredients of a 10-win team
Starting point is 00:26:03 and a team that can at least win maybe one playoff game. Beyond that, they do have to make improvements. They got to get on the same page communication-wise. And we'll see. Flip side of that, obviously, became the guy replaced Tom Brady in New England. Scott Yankeowski. Yahoo writer said that Cam Newton is currently on pace for
Starting point is 00:26:21 208 rushes, which would be the most all-time. Obviously, that's going to change as the year goes on, but maybe not by much. Maybe this is, maybe the design run thing is what they're going to lean on for the next 18 weeks or however long they keep playing.
Starting point is 00:26:38 Do you see, I guess it's the same question I have with the bucks, which is, is this team that has been competitive in Seattle and then obviously put a pretty good beating on the Dolphins week one, is this, is this the Patriots? And are they a 10, 11 win team? Even, you know, I bring up the opt-outs all the time, all that stuff. But is this, is this a good football team? You know, the thing that, yes, it is a good football team. But the thing that's interesting about the Patriots is that what they're doing offensively has kind of been what
Starting point is 00:27:07 they've done under Tom Brady. Like, they're going to run the football. They're going to use a ton of play action. It's just the way they're doing it's a little different. It's all that. It's still running the play action concept, Patriots pass, all that, where they pull the guard and they play action off of it. They still do all that. But now you've got to defend Zone Reed. Now you got to defend pre-snap motion. Now you got to defend poor knows, Cam is the best to ever do it at this quarterback power.
Starting point is 00:27:35 Okay? Amazing. That's a lot. That's a lot to have to defend, Ken. That's a lot, man. So, yes, I'm in on the Patriots. I think that is a team with Bill Belichick. that, you know, we talk about the chiefs and the Ravens,
Starting point is 00:27:50 but in January, Belich is not a dude you want to face. And Cam is a good quarterback, man, and he believes he is great. That's a team that can knock one of those guys off, man, with the right set of circumstances. So as long as he stays healthy, you know they're going to continue to build and develop. I never thought that their defense was just going to stink because of the opt-outs.
Starting point is 00:28:10 I've never bought this Patriots are going to lose seven games. Like, no, it's Belich. No. And we're already seeing some of their young guys develop, man. Chase Winovich opened my eyes a few games on Sunday, okay? Like these young guys are starting to play. Gilmore's still great. They're good defensively.
Starting point is 00:28:29 They're going to be good defensively. And as long as Cam stays healthy, this team's winning 10 games. And they have the potential to go far in the playoffs as well. I agree with, I mean, you in January, you combine Bill Belichick's defensive game plans, even post-opt-outs. I know, I know. and Cam Newton's ability to just make something happen whenever he wants to. I mean, that is dangerous.
Starting point is 00:28:52 I do not. Listen, we talk about the AFC and all that stuff and the healthy distance. And I do believe that the Chiefs and the Ravens are just flat out better teams. But if I'm one of those teams, I'm playing the Patriots, I'm definitely not happy about it. I let somebody else knock them out. I agree. I don't think the Steelers or the Patriots are going to be easy out in the playoffs. Like those two best teams, the Chiefs in a Rape,
Starting point is 00:29:15 they're going to have to play well in the divisional round. They're going to have to play well. Like you start giving the game away. Like one of those teams can take it. Yep. Totally great. All right. Last thing for you.
Starting point is 00:29:24 Worried about your, Bruce? A little bit. Not crazy about the fact he's not really pushing it down the field effectively. But look, it's Sean Payton. There's still a lot of talent on that team. Like, they'll probably win the division.
Starting point is 00:29:36 They'll win double-digit games. Just worried in the sense that when they get to January, I mean, Payton's going to need some amazing game plan. We know that because a little, worried about Drew Bree's ability to match you know, Kyler or Aaron Rogers or whoever he ends up facing. Like, I'm a little worried about it.
Starting point is 00:29:53 But they're going to win 10 games and make the playoffs. It's what happens there that we're going to just have to see. Yeah, there's just, there's too much talent on that team for them not to win a bunch of games. I selected the under on them. I got a little heat on it and I just feel
Starting point is 00:30:08 listen, listen, at some point, I feel like we've, I feel like we've taken for granted this age, aging curve of quarterbacks. And at some point, you're almost 42 years old. You'll be 42 by the playoffs, as Drew Brees will be. And at some point, it just starts to dip. That's all. The production starts to dip.
Starting point is 00:30:26 And there's peaks in valleys. That's all. Tress Paler, NFL writer at Yahoo, host of the Yahoo Sports NFL podcast. It's been awesome. Thank you so much, man. No, thank you for having me, man. This was great. All right, got a really fun segment coming up with Nora and D.K. But first, let's take a quick break. Today's episode is brought to you by Heineck.
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Starting point is 00:31:00 I drink Heineken, no matter the time of year, no matter the sport that was on. I was drinking it when my favorite basketball team was in the playoffs a couple of months ago. I'll still drink it when my favorite college football team is playing in December. This is my beer, and it doesn't matter the time of beer. Heineken original logger is made with pure malt and their famous A-yaste, which makes Heineken an all-season all-the-time kind of beer. So pick up a pack or get it delivered, whatever your style, and drink responsibly.
Starting point is 00:31:30 Hey, guys, foot-long season is at Subway. They make it easy to make a good call on food. So here's a little segment called Bad Call, Good Call, but we'll take a look at some of the good and bad plays from last week. Here it is. This week's bad call, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, in overtime. Not going for it on fourth and one, giving Patrick Mahomes the ball back. That leads to this week's good call, which is Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs drove down the field.
Starting point is 00:31:57 And they gave Harrison Butker a 50-plus yard field goal to win. That was backed up after a false start and a couple of timeouts. He ended up kicking the game-winning kick three separate times. And Andy Reid's faith in Harrison Butker was rewarded in the Chief Swamp. Another bad call from last week, eating too many nachos. Just really, that's not what you want. Not exactly my greatest decision.
Starting point is 00:32:23 So this week, why not make a good call instead? Like a chicken terriaki from Subway. Another good call, getting a free footlong when you buy two of participating Subway restaurants. All right, guys, let's make some good calls this week. Order contact free in the app for quick and easy pickup on game day or any day or get contact free delivery. It's footlong season at Subway.
Starting point is 00:32:41 Eat fresh. Freshly prepared in front of you. Danny Kelly, Nora Prince, It's time for take Mulligans. Danny, what's going on, man? Not too much. Just hanging in there. It's starting to rain in Seattle here, so that's gotten rid of some of the smoke, which is really, really nice. And we can go outside again. I'm glad to hear that. That's very hard. I didn't expect that take that we can go outside again. We can finally go outside. We can't be near people, but we can go outside. So that's nice. Nora is wearing a sweater over her pajamas and is fooling absolutely nobody. We've all individually roasted her at one point in the Zoom. How's it going?
Starting point is 00:33:17 Nora. I have not tried to fool anyone. I came on this Zoom and I said, I'm wearing my pajamas. And you said, you're wearing a sweater. And I said over, yeah, I'm going to be wearing my pajamas into like 6 p.m. And then I'll wear normal clothes for about two hours. And then I'll put on different pajamas. Like, what? Are you my mother? Like, I just, I didn't know that that was your, that was your, that was, that's how your, your days go. It is sometimes because here's, here's a deal. It's fall in New England. So like, I have a window open. It's like, And I got up and I started working. And I usually start working in my pajamas because I'm super productive in the early morning. So I like to like roll out of bed and immediately start. I don't want to deal with like outfit planning or whatever. But then today it was just like I felt I felt like I was in the zone, but I was also super cozy. And I was just like, you know what? We're rolling through this. But then I got a little chilly. So I put a sweater on. But don't act like I'm trying to hide this. I am upfront about, I am in fact excited about my. Bill Belichick was wearing a hoodie with 900 holes in it today.
Starting point is 00:34:24 That was incredible. That man did not look good. And I will defend Belichick with anything. And that was a, he does not look like he's having a good time right now. But don't come at me with one cannot be productive in knitwear, Kevin. Oh, I'm very productive in knitwear. That's great. All right. We're doing take Mulligans, as I said. It's pretty straightforward. We're going to do one
Starting point is 00:34:51 take we wish we could have back after two weeks. We can abandon ship. And then one thing we wish we saw coming. Very simple. We can take back any take we want. You will still be judged on your preseason takes. You just allowed to get one foot out the door on the take and maybe you get some credit. And if you get off a take and the take turns out to have been correct, you actually don't get any credit for being correct the first time. You'll be judged perhaps more harshly having seen two weeks of the season and and getting off the ship, the take ship. Nora, start us off with your mulligan. So I want a mulligan on my NFC South contender. I picked the Saints to win the Super Bowl. And not only am I not feeling great about that, part of the underlying logic there was that I was
Starting point is 00:35:38 thinking Tom Brady might look a little washed and it is in fact Drew Brees who looks washed. And And if I could flip those, I would do so. So let's unpack Breeze for a second. Yeah. Is this him now? Well, so here's the thing is that it's kind of been him, right? Like, it's not as though. He doesn't go down field anymore.
Starting point is 00:36:02 I mean, there were some morning signs. But I think that if you, you know, Drew Breeze tends to be, just have eye-popping numbers. he had what five i'm looking here five straight years of over a hundred rating he goes to 93 and again rating is not perfect he's just a kind of overall snapshot if his numbers and brees is a numbers guy it was a 93 rating last year um he has a very weird game in las Vegas so yes i get you are right it has been him but you thought there'd be maybe there'd be something more so i thought that it could be at least i was concerned that he would drop off in December but here's what's going on is that they're not going downfield and he's also inefficient throwing shorter passes.
Starting point is 00:36:45 So he's the second worst quarterback right now on throws 10 to 19 yards. Drew Breeze is supposed to be phenomenal in that area of the field. And we can talk about not having Michael Thomas for a game. That's obviously significant. But I'm scared. You know, as someone who picks the States to not only go to the student to win, I'm scared. And I'm also looking at Tom. Brady over there who they're not clicking totally.
Starting point is 00:37:14 I think they'll get better when they have more practice time. But he's got the velocity. Some of the throws he's making look better than he looked last year. Like there was the, what should have been a touchdown to Shady McCoy that he dropped. Like that had zip. So I'm, yeah, I'm tail between my legs on my NFC South pick. Does this change anything else?
Starting point is 00:37:38 So do you think that the, bucks can go further in the playoffs than you anticipated? Do you think that if they win the division, you know, having home field is so important. I don't know if you're picking anybody to have, anybody out of the NFC South to have the buy or anything like that. But does this change your, your further NFC picks or is it just the NFC South? I think that the, I don't know that I would right now pick, and part of this is because of how good the Seahawks have looked and the Packers and some other contenders. I don't know that I'm ready to be like, I no longer think that the Saints are going to win the Super Bowl. And I think that the bucks are. But could they go? Yeah. I just,
Starting point is 00:38:19 I think Brady looks really good. Um, okay. So yeah, I, I think once you get an entire year of practice under their belts and, and they have more time to get on the same page. Because where they're messing up is just when they're not thinking the same thing, when they're not on the same page, when he's not in the same page with the receivers. It's not, he does not look old to me at all. And I thought that he would look a little old. And that's always been the thing with the bucks ever since they were put together seven, eight months ago is that we thought they were going to be a better team in December than they were in September because basically that Tom Brady values, knowing where everybody is at all times and knowing having such good chemistry with his receivers and that that might take until December in the COVID off season.
Starting point is 00:39:05 And so if you look at a team like the Saints, so obviously, look, they've got, they've got new parts too. but it's not like they're replacing their quarterback and, and, you know, you're bringing in Robbenkowski out of retirement and all that stuff. And they had the continuity advantage to one thing they don't have is Michael Thomas right now. But I feel like the Bucks are a team that just from the constructs of how the season has happened, I think we're always going to get a little better over the course of the season. And now I feel like it's setting up pretty well for them. I don't, I'm keeping my NFC South takes the same, but it definitely,
Starting point is 00:39:39 the Saints are definitely on my watch list to get canceled. Danny Kelly, take a take back. To get canceled. Well, I just realized I had the Saints. I just realized I had the Saints winning or in the Super Bowl. So I'm also would like to back off that. But the one that I'm actually going to molligan on. I like that we're all going to eventually just take back of the course of the 30 minutes.
Starting point is 00:40:00 Just take back all of our takes. Yeah, I worked at like four into that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Ravens and the Chiefs are good. I feel pretty good about my pick so far. I'd also like a mulligan on picking an NFC team to win the Super Bowl. Yeah, that's actually one of the problems. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:40:18 But overall, the one I'm going to actually take back is the 49er. I had the 49ers winning the NFC West. And I think it's just, man, they're going to have a really tough time. It's a very good division right now. The Seahawks, even the Rams look good. And then obviously the Cardinals look good. And the 49ers are just decimated by injuries. I mean, it's just been kind of crazy.
Starting point is 00:40:38 Nick Bosa out for the year. I think that's a huge, huge impact for them. Jimmy Garoppolo is hurt. Rahe Moster is hurt. Richard Sherman is hurt. Solomon Thomas is out for the year. What had been the core foundation and strength of their team, really, was their defensive line.
Starting point is 00:40:57 It was like the foundation upon which their defense was built. And that is like completely changed now. They had, you know, six or seven guys that could rotate last year. And now, you know, they're missing the biggest and, most important pieces. Buckner's gone. Bosa's gone. Thomas was not necessarily like a huge piece of it, but he's gone that hurts the depth. And then, you know, you're relying on Chvonne Kinlaw, who has looked good, but like you're relying on him to make this outsized impact. And I think that's just asking a lot. Their offense is so banged up. They've got all their receivers are hurt. Kittle is hurt. Everybody's
Starting point is 00:41:29 hurt. And, you know, they've managed to get by. Like they're one in one. They destroyed the jets. It tells you a lot about how bad the Jets are. But I don't know if they can keep this up throughout the whole season and compete in a really tough division when they're just kind of trying to fight so many of those injuries. So I think that would be that would be the one that's looking the shakiest to me right now. So I'm in agreement with you. That is something I wish I could take back. And it's no fault of either of ours.
Starting point is 00:41:56 It's just that when you pick a team because they have incredible talent across the roster and they've got some really premium players at really important positions. and then they start to lose that, well, then they're not the team you picked anymore. And that's not, it doesn't make you, you know, it doesn't completely absolve you from the wrong take, but it is just a different set of circumstances. Now, if those guys have been lost on August 3rd,
Starting point is 00:42:21 we wouldn't have picked them. And, you know, look at what we do with the Eagles a little bit with their offensive line problems. We just said, oh, well, you're just, you're not the Eagles anymore. So I think that I'm in agreement with you. Obviously, Nick Bose is not going to win DPOI. that that's a take that that ship has sailed. My take Mulligan is a little bit connected to that,
Starting point is 00:42:42 which is the NFC West in general. So I picked the Niners, but I'm also a little upset that I overlooked the ramps who looked pretty good. And then I did this thing, and I'm not totally sure why I did it, probably because I'm a huge coward, that I said Kyler was going to play like an MVP,
Starting point is 00:43:02 but with the Cardinals work would be very good, which actually, I kind of feel like that was playing both sides, but I actually feel like that is almost illogical, right? Like if Kylo Murray is the guy we thought he was going to be, and I certainly did, then the Cardinals are at least going to be pretty good. I had them pegged as a seven or eight win team. But I mean, this is a guy who he has the, through two weeks, has the best rush grade for a quarterback according to PFF.
Starting point is 00:43:34 The Cardinals obviously have two wins, including over our 49ers. Playing the Washington football team, who knows there as far as whether or not that's a quality win, so to speak, when you're trying to figure out teams. But I'm looking at their schedule, okay? Lions this week, Matt Patricia and the Lions. You know Matt Patricia's going to have a great game plan ready to go. Here comes Matt Patricia. A lot of man coverage.
Starting point is 00:43:57 That's going to let Tyler just run everywhere. Yeah. The Carolina Panthers the following week. and then the Jets. I'm going to be shocked if the Cardinals are not 4 in 1 and I'm going to be disappointed
Starting point is 00:44:13 quite frankly if they're not 5 and 0. I'd be disappointed. I am at the stage now where I would be disappointed if the Cardinals are not 5 and 0 because if they lose the Lions, Panthers, or Jets, then they're not the team I thought they were.
Starting point is 00:44:26 But listen, if they drop one of those they're 4-1, that's fine. After that, it gets a little hairier. They have the Cowboys and the Seahawks. but eventually the playoffs are a math problem. And if you start 5 and 0 and it's not like this would be smoke and mirrors, because Kylo is a damn good quarterback. And so I'm starting to come around on this Cardinals team.
Starting point is 00:44:44 And having said that, by the way, I've come around on this Rams team. So I'm not picking the Cardinals to win the NFC West just yet. I want to, listen, part of being able to take back takes is that you don't want to just, you know, marry another take. They have to take back in two weeks. this podcast has turned into therapy. We're talking about disappointment and cowardice and commitment. I was a coward.
Starting point is 00:45:07 When you're talking takes, man, this is heavy stuff. So anyway, the Cardinals are good and I was wrong. And the Rams are good and I was wrong. All right. Second wave of Mulligan takes is stuff we wish we saw coming. Nora, are you okay? Yeah, I'm just, I love, I love that we're getting our feelings out here. about our takes.
Starting point is 00:45:29 I actually have, I actually have kind of a heavy Josh Allen thing too, but we'll get away from that for a second and do number one thing you wish you saw coming when you were giving your takes. I wish I'd seen coming how fun this Jaguars offense was going to be. I wish I'd bought it on Munchu Mania,
Starting point is 00:45:48 part two, especially. I wish I'd seen what lovely a relationship it seems like he has with J. Gruden and the use of motion and play action just enlivening that offense. And, you know, they're using Leviska-Cenault in all kinds of crazy ways. And they put up 480 yards against Tennessee. Like, it's just good stuff. I don't, it could even end up being a bad thing, right?
Starting point is 00:46:18 Because they're not going to win that division. I don't think, I guess. But you don't want to end up in kind of in the middle here. So I don't know if it really is something that changes where I think the Jags are going in the near future. Unless, I guess if Minchu plays well enough that they feel like they should commit to him and then they have all sorts of cap space and draft picks and whatever. Like I'm not ready to say what I think that means for the future. But what I wish I'd seen coming was just that they were going to be really fun to watch. What are your expectations for them in 2020?
Starting point is 00:46:51 I just told you. I didn't want to answer. I know. I know I know you didn't want to answer. said to you, they're going to be fun, which is fake. No, it's not. Fun is so real. I mean, the concept of fun is real, but you can't just be like, this
Starting point is 00:47:04 team is going to be fun as a take. How many games they went? So their schedule is not hard. I think they could be a 500 team. I agree with that. I agree with that. And then I think, again, I agree with you that there's a choice to be made about Manchu long term, but this
Starting point is 00:47:20 is, this team, this team reminds me a little bit of the Dolphins team last year in that even if there was a plan to tank, and I don't, just from the draft picks and how young they got, maybe at some point that was like, you know, if take a step back and get the first overall pick, that's fine. But I don't think that, you know, they were the process sixers. But this team is too good to tank.
Starting point is 00:47:43 And they have too many talented players on both sides of the ball. And they're going to win you some games. So ironically, or coincidentally, the dolphins of the Jaguars play on Thursday night. It will be interesting to see how that develops. But this is a team that's going to win, already has won games. They shouldn't. And we'll continue to win games. They're not going to make the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:48:05 But they have after that Dolphins game, they have the Bengals, Texans, lions, Chargers, Texans. Then they have the Packers and the Steelers. So that's, I mean, that's probably two losses there. But Browns, Vikings, Titans, ravens, bears, Colts. Like, there's three games in there that I'm confident. that I'm close to sure they're going to lose.
Starting point is 00:48:29 Matt Patricia is catching a lot of strays on this episode. And every episode. And every episode. No, no, no, no. I don't think Matt Patricia catches strays on a lot of episodes. I think he just, he gets a full frontal attack. That's true. That's true.
Starting point is 00:48:48 Just right. Just, no, we're not attacking the flanks. We're going right through the front here. All right. So I'm in agreement with you. on Minchumania, I just think, I also think that the difference between the Jaguars and Dolphins last year is the dolphins were near one of Brian Flores. They were obviously committed to Chris Greer going forward.
Starting point is 00:49:09 And this is Dave Caldwell and Doug Marone, who seemed to be at the tail end of their career in Jacksonville. So it would be interesting to see how any success they have this year impacts the future of those guys, particularly Caldwell. I don't know. Danny Kelly, you also wanted to talk about the Jaguars, and you also have another take as well. The first thing that I thought of was the Minchu thing,
Starting point is 00:49:33 I'm mad at myself for not being stronger in my belief of Minchu. Because I wrote an article about halfway through the season last year, and it was basically like Minchu's the real deal. He's awesome. This is a guy that they would potentially build around. And then he faded a little bit down the end, like the second half of the season, didn't look quite sharp.
Starting point is 00:49:52 Then there was questions over the off season, whether he was even going to be the starter. I kind of bought into all that stuff. I wish I would have just stuck with the Minchus, a god thing that I kind of like had said, not that he's a guy, but that he could be their guy. Oh. And now it's starting to look like. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:50:08 So I think that's one of my big regrets. Like I wish I would have seen that coming and I stuck stronger to it. But the other thing that I was, that just comes to mind that I feel like we absolutely just dismissed it the whole offseason. Maybe you guys didn't. but that Mitchell Trubisky would be the starter for the bears and that they would start two and oh like I just thought number one I thought Foles was for sure the guy I thought they were just done with Trubisky like they like ripped the band-aid off or whatever so I did I misread that
Starting point is 00:50:39 whole thing and then when he when Foles didn't stand out in camp and do anything it made a hundred percent sense that the the bears would stick with Trubisky because they're invested in him they need him like it as a front office it looks so much better if he's the guy and if he turns into like a good quarterback. So I think I just misread that. And I kind of regret not giving that more thought that Tripisky. Maybe I don't regret thinking about the Bears more, but like, you didn't, you didn't, you didn't misread that. Okay. So, but anyways, that to me has been a huge surprise that they did that and that they're two and oh. I don't know if this is going, but. Map is just about to catch another string. Yeah, they should, they shouldn't be two and oh. There you go. It always comes.
Starting point is 00:51:23 Matt Patricia. Wow. You're so mean. Listen, that's what the money's for. Not our money. Matt Patricia's money. Now, we don't make, we're actually getting paid. I'm going to have Venmo and five bucks.
Starting point is 00:51:37 We're all volunteers. But Matt Patricia, when you're at that level of football, there's a level of criticism that comes along with it. We should start a Matt Patricia catches a stray jar and like put a dollar in it every time it's donated to charity. Oh, my God. What charity? I don't want to answer that.
Starting point is 00:51:57 Yeah, I don't want to answer it either. They're playing for the Detroit Lions Foundation. All right. So they've beaten the lions by four points and then the Giants by four points. I'm not ready. They have the Falcons this week. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:52:12 I mean, that's just a disastrous game. Those two teams. The Bears might win that. I don't know what the hell is going on with the Falcon right now. Yeah, the Broken Dream team. Um, that's a good one. Uh, no, I, I, if they beat the falcons this week, I'll be a little bit encouraged and they have the Colts on October 4th.
Starting point is 00:52:31 I, I, I, I have not been particularly impressed with the two and O Chicago Bears. I'm, I'm ready to, I'm ready to believe at some point, but not, not now. Um, and yeah, that's it. Since this is take Mulligan, I want to ask you guys something. Do you think that Treviski will be the starter for the whole season? No. I think he's a little too inconsistent for that, Nora. Yeah. I can see them forcing it. Yeah. Frankly, but we were talking about this the other day.
Starting point is 00:52:59 He's looked good in two games, not for the entirety of either one of those games. Like a couple quarters, yes. Yep. Yep. Just sprinkling a few good moments in there. I'm looking at Matt Patricia's charities. I care. He gave a huge check to Rich Eisen.
Starting point is 00:53:18 Hopefully that was for charity and not just. didn't just pay rich eyes to a bunch of money no he gave a generous check to to rich eyes in st. huge charity that's nice that's very nice you should be commended for that he should be commended for that that's very good from am patricia all right my thing i should have seen coming and this again this is kind of a cousin of the kailor thing which is my take was the buffalo bills were going to be very good and josh allen was if anything going to hold them back or be a net neutral i did not anticipate him being a positive. And if he was a positive, I considered that.
Starting point is 00:53:56 I thought that might happen sparingly, quite frankly. And through two weeks, I'm wrong. PFF had this today that 20 plus yard completions in 2019, he had 18. He already has seven in 2020. This is a home run league. I've wondered and I've asked the PFF guys a million times, whether or not that there's a million times, maybe three times probably. but I've asked them if there's a sort of quantifiable benchmark you have to hit for deep passes.
Starting point is 00:54:28 Like does a deep ball only have to be, you know, if you connect on three deep balls, is it the same as, you know, for five underneath, or whatever it is? Like, what's the conversion rate, right? And like almost like a effective field goal percentage with three pointers. I'm not, I'm probably not smart enough if you formulate the question I'm trying to ask. So they probably have no idea what I'm talking about. but it's, I'm just intrigued. I just, the value of a deep pass to me is very,
Starting point is 00:54:53 very interesting. And Josh Allen has gotten better throwing to basically every part of the field since he became a NFL quarterback. And we were all fairly down on him. Danny, you were pretty down on him when he entered the league, right? Yes. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:55:10 I thought that his inaccuracy and his, you know, just decision making was, was an issue. And I didn't know if it was something that you can fix because like there's been examples in the league where guys become more accurate, but it's pretty rare that you can have like more touch and more accuracy. Like you can learn that.
Starting point is 00:55:29 It's just sort of an innate thing, I think. But yeah, that's like been the big change this year is all of a sudden he's this accurate deep ball passer, which was a huge problem last year, a huge like hole in his game. And I think it's a credit to the bills, number one, for identifying and knowing that that was a big weakness in going out and getting digs,
Starting point is 00:55:48 who is like the best deep ball receiver in the NFL and, you know, addressing what was a huge issue for them. And we'll see if it continues, if he can continue to be consistent, accurate, make good decisions. Because there's still a few Josh Allen moments in there, which makes him such a fun player because he's just kind of goes for it. But if he can continue to like develop in that area, like Nora, I think we both talked about this in the preseason.
Starting point is 00:56:13 Like that gives him MVP potential. If he can continue to build on this like start, the bills are set up with a good defense and the chance to win the division to give him, I guess, the resume builder to be in the discussion for MVP because you have to be on a good team. So, yeah, I think the start of the season is fascinating with Josh Howe. He's like a must watch player every week now. I felt like if he was replacement level, basically, they were so well constructed and constructed
Starting point is 00:56:41 for him that they could be really good and the offense could be good. And with the defense, they were going to have a good enough record. so that he could get, you know, Dark Horse MVP candidate buzz. I will say he's playing, you know, far above replacement level, certainly, and that I thought was possible, but he's exceeded my expectations as well,
Starting point is 00:57:01 even though I was pretty high on him. I think that I agree with, you know, and that's the reason that I picked them to win the division is I just thought they were a damn good team. Brandon Beans built that team really well. Sean McDermott's a good coach. Brian Daibles, a good offense coordinator. I think that when I was thinking about this take
Starting point is 00:57:17 a little bit last night. I think part of it was I give and we all give the benefit of the doubt to a good quarterback or an average quarterback, whatever you want to call it, with a really great supporting cast, right? So we do that with
Starting point is 00:57:33 Jared Goff. We've done that with Jimmy Groplo, both of whom are above average or, you know, whatever. But I certainly don't think any of them are on, you know, top 10 quarterbacks or anything. We've done that with Kirk Cousins. we've done that with really anybody who they build around and they give good plays to and they
Starting point is 00:57:53 say okay this guy can win and for whatever reason I wasn't giving that benefit of the doubt to Josh Allen who they've surrounded with the great supporting cast great offensive system Stefan Deigs go out and go going out and get him and I'm not I think it's because of the uncharacteristic mistakes that he sometimes made he would just air mail pass or you know sometimes you just have no idea where a point play would go sometimes where you're just like, where is this? You know, I was on a show a couple weeks ago and someone was like, where is Aaron Rogers now? And I said, well, he's like Tiger Woods in the sense that it's still, anytime he drops back
Starting point is 00:58:30 to pass, you could see the best thing you've ever seen on a football field. But those get fewer and far between as the years go on. I mean, this isn't 2011 anymore. And with Josh Allen, the golf analogy still holds is like what the best. back swing. When, when the, the play starts, it's, it's kind of like Phil Mickelson, maybe. Like, anything can happen when that back swing starts to happen with Josh Allen. Okay, anything. Like, we started with a Texan game where the snap would, we'd see the snap. He'd start running around and you'd go, oh, where is this going? And like, it was one of those things
Starting point is 00:59:07 where if you, with Josh Allen's play, someone against the Texans, if you took like three different screenshots of the play and been like, this is the same play. You'd be like, what in the world? How did this happen? How did he get over here? Why? How did he get out of that sack? And it's not all negative. A lot of it's positive. A lot of it's he got out of the sack. Now he's rolling out or he trucked this guy, whatever it is. But there's just a, it's a journey. Every Josh Allen passes a journey. And so for me, when I looked at Josh Allen, I didn't compare him to Jared Gough in Los Angeles or Jimmy Garoppolo and San Francisco. Not that they're in the same offensive system or anything, but I'm saying I overrate those guys because they're put in the position to succeed.
Starting point is 00:59:49 Josh Allen's being put in position to succeed. And I didn't give him enough credit, I guess you could say. And so I wish I'd seen that coming. I wish I remember where I read this. And I'm not even sure it was about Josh Allen, but it feels like it was about Josh Allen. Somebody made the comparison to that John Mullaney joke about a horse loose in a hospital where you're not sure if it's good or bad. So that was me. And I was talking about, I was talking about John Gruden.
Starting point is 01:00:17 I don't. Okay, I think there might have, okay, yeah, let's call it. I wrote a whole, I wrote a whole column about it, and then I talked about it
Starting point is 01:00:23 on the podcast like five times. So if, if it wasn't me, you've come across somebody who's doing bit infringement, which in turn is bit infringement that I'm doing on Mr. John Mullaney.
Starting point is 01:00:36 And I'm doing on the person who did it on you. So we have four degrees of bit infringement. But it's I still, I still think that that's like, that's how I feel when I watch Josh Allen is like, I've never seen this
Starting point is 01:00:51 before, but maybe it's going to be okay. I think that there's a Simpsons joke where Cresty the clown starts getting mad at people because they're stealing his joke that he stole from Steve Allen. And that's kind of where we're at right now. If someone's using a John Malaney line
Starting point is 01:01:07 that I did not write, that's bit infringement. So that's where we're at. I love the phrase bit infringement. Well, here we are. All right, Nora Brinziotti, Danny Kelly. We've taken back some takes. This is it.
Starting point is 01:01:23 The polls are closed. We can't take any takes back until December. We're not doing this in two weeks again? Oh, damn it. No, we're not doing it until we're desperate for a pod segment. Thanks, guys. Next up on the feed, Joe House and Warren Sharp. Two of my buddies, they've got their Friday gambling show that's just been electric so far.
Starting point is 01:01:44 Take your way, guys. All right, guys, we made some bad calls and good calls this week, but remember, it's footlong season at Subway, so let's try to keep them mainly good, okay? You can start by grabbing a delicious, freshly prepared footlong with all your favorite house and order ahead in the Subway app for contact-free ordering and payment to make the pickup or delivery quick and easy. So forget about that fried, greasy food and grab a tasty footlong on game day or any day. Because it's full-long season at Subway, eat fresh, freshly prepared in front of you.

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