The Ringer NFL Show - Ranking the Best Play Callers in the NFL So Far This Season

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

Sheil is joined by Shawn Syed of SumerSports, and they talk about the best play callers this season. They discuss the following: The genius of Shane Steichen and the Colts offense (2:18) The cohesiv...eness of Sean McVay’s offense (7:13) How Ben Johnson’s offense is putting Caleb Williams in a position to succeed (16:05) The Hurry-Up (26:07) This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. Don’t settle for just any insurance when there’s State Farm. https://www.statefarm.com/lp/trainer The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit ⁠www.rg-help.com⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Sheil Kapadia Guest: Shawn Syed Producers: Brian H. Waters and Cameron Dinwiddie Social: Kiera Givens and Brian H. Waters Production Supervision: Conor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to the Ringer NFL show. I'm Shield Capadia. Today we are talking about the best play calling jobs in the league so far this season. This has been a big topic recently. Dan Campbell taking over play calling duties in Detroit. Packers fans upset with Matt LaFleur's play calling. Eagles fans upset with Kevin Petulow's play calling. So who's actually done a good job?
Starting point is 00:00:24 Who is setting their players up for success? That's what we're going to talk about today, what they're doing, specifically. Our guest is my friend Sean Syed of Sumer Sports. He studies this stuff obsessively. So I'm very curious to see, does he have the same guys I have? Does he have different guys I have? What order does he have them in? So we'll talk about our top three each. And then we will get to some honorable mentions. Let's take a break. We come back. We talk to Sean Syed about the NFL's best offensive play callers so far this season. This is the Ringer NFL show presented by Fandul, the best place to bet the NFL all season long.
Starting point is 00:01:03 Fan duels got it all. Same game parlies. Quick bets for jumping in live and your way so you can build the bet that fits your play. And Missouri, get excited because Fandual's coming your way December 1st. Download theFandul.com slash Ringer NFL to get started. Must be 21 plus and present in select states and 18 plus in D.C., Kentucky and Wyoming. gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler or visit RG-dashelp.com. Call 1-88-7-8-8-7-7-7 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut. All right, we are back here with Sean Syed talking best play callers.
Starting point is 00:01:58 So far this season. So this isn't, hey, we're starting a team. Who would we want? This is this season through 10 weeks. We each picked three guys here. Hopefully we'll have some time to get to some honorable mention, Sean. I'm going to get us started. The best. play caller in the NFL so far this season is Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts. I did not suspect that I would be picking Shane Steichen if you would have asked me in August and looked into the future and said, Sheel, this is what you'll be talking about in mid-November. I would have said, what are you talking about? But I think, Sean, the hardest thing to do in the NFL is produce a great offense without a great
Starting point is 00:02:32 quarterback. And that's what Shane Steichen is done. I mean, there's so much revisionist history now. Like I think it was last week or two weeks ago during the broadcast. They're like, Jonathan Taylor told us he saw this coming. I'm like, you're lying. Jonathan Taylor. What were you actually telling your friends in August about this quarterback situation?
Starting point is 00:02:49 And now it's like, oh, great supporting cast. And, you know, Daniel Jones has always been talented. It's like, give me a break. This was a broken quarterback the previous two years. Literally, statistically, the worst quarterback in the NFL, the previous two seasons with the New York Giants. And Shane Steichen has gotten the best version of Daniel Jones. And he's put him in position. to succeed. So I've got stuyken number one. Do you have stikin number one? Do you have stikin in your
Starting point is 00:03:16 top, top three? Where am I right? Where am I wrong with this? So I don't have stikin at number one. I will tell you, I do have him at number two. He does so many things so well. I think he has the ultimate understanding of his players, their strengths, and their limitations. Every year we hear about a new tight end is going to revolutionize offense. He's going to unlock everything. And this year with the Colts, taking Tyler Warren, pairing him with Stuyken, it's kind of delivering on that promise where Warren is lined up all over the field, in the backfield, on the line of scrimmage, in the slot, out wide, and is really a matchup weapon in the passing game. And I'm glad you mentioned it.
Starting point is 00:03:54 You know, with the quarterback, if you look at Daniel Jones as someone that you really believe in now, it's certainly at least in part because of Shane Stuyken. If you look at Daniel Jones as someone that you don't believe in now, then I think you have to recognize that this is a team that still has a chance to maybe be the AFC's number one seed with a quarterback that you might not even think is good. So I think Stuyken is doing a fantastic job this season in doing probably the most important job of an offensive coordinator. And that is making your quarterback's life easier on a consistent basis. Yeah, I love the Warren shout out because so many times, and there's a lot of fan bases unhappy with their
Starting point is 00:04:28 offensive coordinators and their play callers right now. And so many times it's like, why isn't player X getting the ball more? Why isn't he featured? They spent this much money on this player or they drafted this player at this time. And to be fair with Tyler Warren, like, you look at it historically, tight ends, non-brock Bowers, you know, Brock Bowers aside, they generally come in and it's kind of hard to get them involved and you're trying different things. But usually they get off to slow starts. It is, I feel like, a signal that they drafted him. They had a plan for him. And it's like, if you don't have the Colts on your main screen on a Sunday, but they're on a secondary screen or Red Zone, it's like, how is Tyler Warren just always
Starting point is 00:05:06 running for like a 25-yard game gain when you're watching them. So yeah, I like that shout-out. A couple other things I was thinking about, Sean, with Stuyken, is that, you know, we think of the Colts as a running team. And they are a great running team. But there are certain things that you can do to help your quarterback. And Greg Olson always shouts this out during broadcasts. I think that's why the nerds love him. But you throw the ball on early downs when the opponent doesn't know if you're going to throw it or pass it. It feels so simple. I remember Vic Banjo said in the summer. He's like, the first thing defensive players have to figure out after the ball is snapped is whether it's a run or a pass.
Starting point is 00:05:41 And I'm like, oh, I've never actually heard anyone phrase it like that. It's so simple. But the way he does that, putting him in advantageous situations where now those linebackers don't know, is it run? Is it pass? They're using play action at a very high rate, the third highest rate in the NFL. They're creating yards after the catch opportunity. So I just look at all these different things that he's done. And it's like if the nerds like me are like, hey, offensive coordinator, here are the,
Starting point is 00:06:06 the things you should do, Stuyken's kind of checking all of those boxes. Shill, I'm glad you're self-associating with the nerds right now. And Stikin, yeah, Stuyken may have to self-associate with the nerds because he is doing all of the right things, really pulling all of those levers. I mean, I cannot believe at this point in the season. Every week, I really, really look forward to watching the Indianapolis Colts offense. In the summer, literally, no one had any idea what this offense would look like. So for them to be at this point, and you really see it, the teaching points with their
Starting point is 00:06:35 offensive line, they are getting. getting to the exact right spots exactly when they need to. Jonathan Taylor is helping them out. He's able to get through those seams and get down the field. It is just, it is so fun. It is so surprising. And I kind of wish I had him at number one, because obviously you love that offense that he ran with the Eagles as they got to the Super Bowl.
Starting point is 00:06:53 But for him to be doing this Indianapolis, I think it's pretty special. All right. So you don't, you like him, but you don't love him. You know, he's number two on your list. So you got somebody else who you say, now this person's doing a better job. So who do you have as the best play caller? so far. Sean McVeigh is the best offensive play caller in the NFL, and it is because his offense is so cohesive. It is so thoughtful that you just have to be prepared for too many things at the
Starting point is 00:07:20 snap. He's going to present you with similar looks, similar motions, similar setups over and over and be able to run the ball from them. He's going to be able to use play action, and he's also going to be able to have Matthew Stafford throw the ball over your head. He's not afraid to run downfield concepts when you get three tight ends out on the field, they can churn yards in the run game. And Shil, when is the last time it felt like Pukua was just taken out of a game? I mean, every other week,
Starting point is 00:07:48 every other week in Philadelphia, we hear about how a defense just deleted A.J. Brown from a game with some kind of zone concept. But McVeigh has all of the tools at his disposal to make sure Pukua is running free over the middle of the field against a linebacker. When coaches are looking around the league for what is the next big?
Starting point is 00:08:06 big thing or who is at the forefront of offensive football, they're going to keep on flipping Rams film as long as McVeigh is there. All right. So coaches, if you talk to coaches around the NFL, it's one thing there. Every offensive coach is like, you got to marry up the run and the past game. Some of them don't do it and their offensive stink. But they like to tell you that, no, this is the, because I always hear that Sean McVeigh is like the best guy at doing this, marrying the run game and the past game. And you kind of alluded to it, that. It alluded to it, there, but explain to us what, like, what does that actually mean? Why is he the king of doing that? And what does that, why is that so hard on defenses?
Starting point is 00:08:44 You know, you think about it pretty simply. Like, do your run plays look and feel like your play action plays? Do some of those formations also look and feel like your past plays? Can you get to all different kind of levels of your offense from maybe a condensed, kind of tighter, under center type look? And the Rams absolutely can. She'll, I'm watching this film versus the 49ers, three tight ends on the field. I'm seeing a tight end run straight down the field at full speed.
Starting point is 00:09:09 They can get to all of these different things. So at the snap, a defense really has to play a little bit slower. I think the best defensive coordinators get their players to play really, really fast. And McVeigh knows exactly how to get you to just fall step in the exact direction that he wants you to fall step,
Starting point is 00:09:25 and now we're running a guy right by you going the other way. What's the thing you told me on Philly Special, the thing your offense's job is to what? I think that you have some saying that's like on your wall. an offensive coordinator's job is to create problems. Right. Defensive coordinator's job is to solve problems.
Starting point is 00:09:42 I think McVeigh does such a consistent job at creating problems that aren't that easy to solve because you can say, okay, we can stop the run. But now we have Devont Adams and Pug and Kou out there, just kind of running down the field wide open. So I love how McVeigh has evolved, right? We go back to his first Super Bowl. Like you're running one running back, one tight end. You're doing all of those things from that look.
Starting point is 00:10:03 Get to his Super Bowl win. And now Matt Stafford has the whole field spread out, attacking in all these unique ways. And now we're talking about three tight ends on the field shield. You know, some people want to say two tight ends, but McVeigh is making three tight ends cooler than anything else. I mean, the hipsters are obsessed with this. I cannot scroll onto any social media without someone just losing it at the Rams using three tight ends.
Starting point is 00:10:25 And I like McVeigh. I have McVeigh number two, by the way. So I don't disagree with anything you said. But explain to me why this is so cool. Like, why can't a defense just be like, oh, those guys are slower than your wide receivers? Like, this isn't going to be that hard. Is it just because, well, they can run the ball with it? What is so cool about using three?
Starting point is 00:10:44 I'm sticking up for the wide receivers here, you know? Get why. My campaign is get the wide receivers back on the field. Why are the hipsters so obsessed with Sean McVeigh using these three tight-end packages this year? Before a play starts, the offense and defense, they have a series of choices. The first thing is literally who do you put on the field? And the most common situation is the offense is in 11 personnel, which means one running back, one tight end,
Starting point is 00:11:10 and three of receivers, which now I found out that that's your favorite position here. And that first number is just the running back. The second number is how many tight ends you have on the field. The most common way a defense is going to match that is with five defensive back, nickel personnel. Think nickel, five cents, five defensive backs. When you take one of your receivers off the field at a tight end, you're giving the defense just more reason to play a little bit heavier close to that line
Starting point is 00:11:34 of scrimmage. Maybe take a defensive back off the field for a linebacker, but if you have two extra tight ends on the field, I mean, you are telling the defense, hey, you better get inside because we're going to run the ball on you. And now a Rams pass out of a three tight-in look is one of the most efficient plays across all of football by the numbers. It really does help, though, that you can't just say, hey, this guy is not going to be able to run down the field on me because their tight ends can move quite well.
Starting point is 00:12:00 And you can't just say, oh, you know, you're just, you're just showing me that and you're going to run play action pass because they actually can run on you. So they can get to everything from that same look. And, you know, is it overhyped? I'm not sure. It's like, it's like something like 15% of snaps, but it's still a real, real tool that Sean McFey has at his disposal. It is a lot.
Starting point is 00:12:18 He's done it more this season. I looked this up earlier because I knew you were going to bring it up because, you know, this is the film guys. They're just obsessed with it. He's done it more this year. three tight ends than he had done in the previous eight years combined, which as much as I'm making fun of everybody, the evolution is cool. This is what you want from an offensive coach, where it's not just like, here's my scheme. We do it every week. I mean, we do it every season. This is what we do.
Starting point is 00:12:42 It doesn't matter who the personnel is. You want someone who's kind of ahead of stuff that says, all right, this is what we do now. We used to play like you said. We loved playing with three wide receivers, but you know what? Defenses did this to make that life harder. So why don't we bring the tight ends on the field. So yeah, the way you explained it, if you're a defense and you're getting big, getting your big people on the field, well, the Rams are counting on our tight ends are going to be faster than them, and they're going to be able to get open in the passing game. And if you counter and say, all right, well, we're going to leave our defensive backs on the field. Then they're saying, well, our tight ends are going to be able to block you and we're going to be able to run the
Starting point is 00:13:16 ball. So it has been very effective this season. Their offense, I would label it as the most trustworthy offense in the NFL. It just works. I mean, they can run, they can pass. they can put together a 12 play drive. They can hit you with an explosive. And I think the big thing is they just have answers. When you have Stafford and McVeigh, it's just like, all right, you know, the first possession maybe doesn't go their way. I just have trust that they're going to break little tablet out on the sideline and say,
Starting point is 00:13:43 this is how they defended this. Hey, let's do this on the next possession. And they're going to figure it out. I don't know, like there aren't the list of offenses that I feel are able to do that on a weekly basis, it's kind of shorter than I would have to go through it. like I'll put the chiefs in that. Maybe there's a couple more, but there aren't a lot of offenses that I give that trust to.
Starting point is 00:14:02 And then some of the stuff we talked about with the Colts, those easy buttons. They throw the ball a lot on early downs. They use play action at the highest rate in the NFL. They create yards after the catch opportunity. So McVeigh's been awesome. They are among the Super Bowl favorites here, certainly in the NFC,
Starting point is 00:14:18 big matchup coming up this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. All right, let's take a break. We come back. This gets interesting. I feel like most people, would have those two guys on their list. Three, it got a little more, you know, I could have picked one of many people. So let's see who I have. Let's see who you have. The Ringer NFL show is brought to you by Fandul. Thursday night football continues to deliver and Fanduels keeping the
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Starting point is 00:15:44 Number three on my list might surprise some people. You tell me, do you have him on your list or not? Because they don't have one of the NFL's best offenses, but this isn't just best offenses. this is best play callers. I'm going to Ben Johnson in Chicago. Yeah, you're right. Do you have Johnson or somebody else at number three?
Starting point is 00:16:02 I have Ben Johnson. I wish we disagreed, but I'm excited to hear why you have them up here. All right. So the whole point of the Ben Johnson hire was put Caleb Williams in position to succeed. And any way you look at it, he has undoubtedly done that. Like, if you look at the bones of this offense, they are very strong. They create explosive plays at the highest rate in the entire NFL and their top six. in rushing success rate. So just those two things. You run the ball well, you create explosive plays.
Starting point is 00:16:30 Those are the bones of an offense that I like. You can get pretty far, even if you don't do the other stuff very well. So I like that about him. Then I was looking like, hmm, what kind of throws is Caleb Williams making? Because it does feel like there are times where you're like, man, that was schemed up beautifully. That guy's wide open. Not all the time, but there are a lot of times I felt like that. So I looked at the numbers. He's throwing into tight windows at the lowest rate in the entire NFL and the receivers he targets had the most separation of any group in the entire NFL. So he's throwing to open receivers more than any other quarterback. Now, some of that give Caleb Williams credit.
Starting point is 00:17:06 He holds onto the ball. He's creative, gives guys time to get open. But I think the other thing is, Ben Johnson, it's carried over. It's absolutely carried over what he did in Detroit. It took a few weeks. But now that we're 10 weeks in, if you're a Bears fan, you've got to be over the moon that, No, you do have a great offensive coach here in Chicago. So that's why I picked him.
Starting point is 00:17:27 What did I miss? What do you have for Ben Johnson that I missed? I mean, along with the numbers, he just leads the league in times that I look at the film and say, wow, that guy is wide open and the throw is going to be able to get there. He has such a good understanding of how to force a defense to play exactly how he wants them to play. Like, if I was a linebacker going against Ben Johnson,
Starting point is 00:17:48 that is just a worst place to be in. He knows exactly how to get a route right. in front of you and throw to someone right over you. He is constantly attacking. And, Shil, I am a little bit biased towards the go for the kill type offensive court or offensive play callers. And Ben Johnson, I mean, he seems insulted
Starting point is 00:18:02 that other teams think that they're allowed to line up across from him. He doesn't care who you are. He'll put a trick play out. And now we have Caleb Williams getting receptions. He's elevated an offense that this was a bottom of the league type unit last year.
Starting point is 00:18:13 And now you're leading a team that is contending for a playoffs. But I understand who they have played. They obviously don't get to choose their schedule. I can look at it and say, hey, some of the defenses, some of these plays, why these guys are wide open, a little bit of a defensive bust here and there.
Starting point is 00:18:27 But I really agree with you. You have to feel so, so good about what's going on in Chicago at the head coach position. Then you look over at Detroit, they're flipping over play callers. We got Dan Camel bringing out the glasses, make sure you can get that play sheet through.
Starting point is 00:18:39 It's interesting just to see what's going to go on going forward with Ben Johnson and the Bears. It's kind of interesting that if you would have said before the season, like if you would have told Lions fans, hey, after week 10, we're going to do a podcast where we're calling Ben Johnson,
Starting point is 00:18:53 one of the top three play callers, and we're talking about the Lions made a play calling change with Dan Campbell taking over. They would have thought they were like three at three and six or two and seven or something. Like it's so funny with the Lions. Like they still are Super Bowl contenders, but I like it.
Starting point is 00:19:08 They got ahead of it. They have more information than we have. And Campbell obviously decided it was time to make a move. All right. We got some time for some honorable mentions here, Sean. I was shocked knowing you like I do that you do not have Kyle Shanahan on your list.
Starting point is 00:19:26 I mean, they have like a top 10 offense with Mack Jones having started eight games this season. I don't know. I could just stop it there. I don't need to say anything else. I know you've been impressed with what Kyle Shanahan has done this season, though.
Starting point is 00:19:40 I would imagine he's on your honorable mention list as well. Absolutely. Yeah, on the short list for honorable mentions. I mean, look at the different ways that is using Kyle Ushack this year, where we look like we're a high school offense. He's kind of tilted inside, looking like a wingback in the wing tee
Starting point is 00:19:53 that you would see really across the country at the lower levels. And to build an entire offense where, I mean, the injury bug is so bad in San Francisco. We have Mack Jones out there. Obviously, you don't have Ayuk out there. But no matter what happens, like they are still putting together a competent offense,
Starting point is 00:20:09 like around that kind of 10 to 12 spot in efficiency based on, you know, a backup quarterback. It's so fun to watch Christian McCaffrey at this point in his career continue to be so, so successful where, yeah, maybe he's not going to run the fastest 40 time if we timed everyone up. But his vision, I think, really, really helps San Francisco, the way that Shanahan uses them out of the backfield on all of these passing routes. You know, regardless of what happens with the 49ers at the end of the season,
Starting point is 00:20:33 absolutely deserves a nod as someone that is still putting together such a good offense. I was looking at McCaffrey's receiving numbers earlier today. And if you just put them side by side, they basically turned him into Amman Ross St. Brown. Like the numbers are almost identical, which you're like, wait, so that does speak to also McCaffrey. You know, sometimes during draft season, it's like, this guy could be a great, you know, slot receiver. And you're like, all right, you know me. I'm like, all right, everybody's settled down with that. But with McCabry, it's like, oh, he kind of can be.
Starting point is 00:21:01 I'm on Ross St. Brown for the 49ers. We had Danny Hyfitz on earlier this week, a huge Giants fan, and we were talking about the coach opening. He said he would give up three first round picks as the Giants to trade for Kyle Schifetz. Shanahan. You are one of the biggest Kyle Shanahan fans. I know. Would you, if you were the Giants, give up three first round picks if the 49ers said, we will trade you, Kyle Shanahan? I mean, maybe I'd start the bidding at two first round picks. Let's maybe not get that third. But you know what? Let's do it. Let's get Danny Highfitz to be a little bit more excited. I mean, you add so much to a team. It just raises the level of your offense so much. You look at the
Starting point is 00:21:40 Giants specifically, you look at the talent on defense at least and say, hey, we should be able to bring in a defensive coordinator and have this be a competent unit. Now we have a coach that can really raise the level of an offense where, I mean, think about who he's done this stuff with, right? Like Mac Jones, Jimmy Grappolo, Brock Party, before anyone I think thought Brock Pretty was good. He has the ability to really make something out of nothing. All right. There you go.
Starting point is 00:22:02 High Fitz. See, Sean's with you. You're not alone on an island. I mean, they're not my pick shield. I don't have to answer for that. Let's trade them all. That's right. All right.
Starting point is 00:22:09 Who else is on your, give me another name on your honorable mention list here. I mean, we do have to mention Clint Pubiack. I think he's done a really good job limiting distress on his offensive line. Like when I think of, you have to make your quarterback's life easier. You also have to make your offensive lines life easier. You want to limit the amount of times you have to have like a regular just drop back pass where these offensive tackles are dealing with the absolute just these amazing
Starting point is 00:22:32 defensive ends across the league. You know, Kubiak, he hasn't done the three tight ends thing, the way that the Rams have. He has done the two tight ends thing, which has been really, really fun. Sometimes I go back and forth though because, I mean, Sam don't, is playing insane. Like absurd football right now. Jackson Smith and Jigba doing the same. Those guys think deserve a lot of credit.
Starting point is 00:22:52 I do think, though, the Kubik, at the very least, deserves the mention here. Listen, there might have been some text between Sean and I before the season where he was saying, you know, Clint, watch out, Clint Kubiak. I may have used the term Nepo baby. I'm not going to confirm or deny,
Starting point is 00:23:07 but this just tells you, you know, he may know a little bit more ball than I know because that Seahawks offense has been awesome so far this season. until, yes, Clint Kubiak, you could easily put him in the top three. I'm just like, and I know we said it's only so far this season, they're relying so much on explosive plays in the passing game. They're always up.
Starting point is 00:23:25 I just, I want to see a little bit more, but I look like an idiot with my preseason takes about the Seattle Seahawks. Another guy I had on my list, and Broncos fans don't get mad at me, or maybe you'll like this. I don't know if you want him on the list or not. I've got Sean Payton on this list, Sean, because you look at it, anytime you watch the Broncos, you're like, oh, there's a schemed up explosive with a guy who's wide open. And they don't have a great like pass catching group. They're okay. I'm not saying
Starting point is 00:23:52 they're not talented, but they find ways to create explosive opportunities every single week. Bo Nix is throwing into tight windows at the second lowest rate in the NFL. So he's throwing to open receivers. His receivers on average have the third highest separation of any group. The numbers are not great for Bo Nix. So I think it's more on Bo Nix than Sean Payton when you look at the Broncos sometimes and feel underwhelmed with their passing game. Shil, I want to counter your Sean Payton because he didn't make, Miles, I want to counter him with one of your favorite guys, Josh McDaniels.
Starting point is 00:24:27 Because when you look at Peyton and the Broncos, that offense, I do think it's held back by your quarterback play. And the Patriots, it's the total opposite end of that. You know, with young quarterback, sometimes you get a tendency to cut back on the playbook, the mental workload. Look at the Broncos kind of first and second down offense versus the third down offense. McDaniels is asking May to do absolutely
Starting point is 00:24:48 everything. It's because Drake May can kind of do absolutely everything. One of the things I love, just watch where May gets to in the pocket. Every single step. It is so predictable, repeatable, you know exactly where he's going to be. He's not floating. He's not drifting. It helps the offensive line out.
Starting point is 00:25:04 I think that Drake May has been clearly the quarterback that has made the leap this season. I think McDaniels deserves at least a little bit of credit for that as well. I think, yeah, I think if Sean, so to the point there with the comparison between the two, I think if Sean Payton and Josh McDaniels flipped, I think the Patriots offense would be just as good. It's hard to say better because they've been so good, but I think they would be just as good. And I think the Broncos offense would be worse. And I know Broncos fans don't want a picture scenario where they get Josh McDaniels back. So sorry about that. All right, those were the honorable mentions.
Starting point is 00:25:40 were our top three offensive play callers so far this season. His name is Sean Syed of Sumer Sports. He knows ball. Check him out at Sumer Sports or on social media. All right. I'll be right back with the hurry up. The hurry up is presented by State Farm. Don't settle for just any insurance when they're State Farm. We've got a game Thursday night. The Jets go to New England to take on the Patriots. And I just want to see the maturity level of this Patriots team. You know, they went from potential playoff sleeper to actual AFC contender in a span of like 10 weeks. I mean, I said earlier this week, I think the Patriots are going to be the one seed in the AFC and get the buy.
Starting point is 00:26:22 They're 8 and 2. They have the third easiest remaining schedule. But there's a reason why they play the games. You know, two weeks ago, the Packers were 13.5 point favorites against the Panthers, and they lost. So with the Patriots in this game, I want to say, is this like a, hey, take care of business, move on. We're ready for this.
Starting point is 00:26:40 we expect to be here type game and they just kind of smack the jets down and win by two touchdowns and it's over in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. Or could this be one of those like play with your food, riding high after last week's win over the box, that type of performance where you're saying, huh, why is this game close in the fourth quarter? Was there a special team's mishap or a turnover or something like that? So that's what I'm looking at for this game. Drake May right now is tied for best odds to win MVP. And I think he'd be my choice. if the season ended today. I just don't think that's been a great situation for a quarterback.
Starting point is 00:27:14 We talked about Josh McDaniels earlier in the show. And I just feel like May has been able to lift everyone up around him. And he's had so much put on his plate like we were talking about earlier. So it's hard to make a case that if you replaced him with another quarterback, the Patriots would be performing better. You can make the case they'd be performing as well with some of the elite guys, but better. I mean, that is a tough argument to make. So, yeah, he'd be my pick so far.
Starting point is 00:27:40 We are dealing with a small sample. Every game with a quarterback and a team like this offers a useful data point. So my eyes will be on Drake May in this football game. All right. The hurry up was presented by State Farm. You wouldn't settle for just anything for your team on the football field. Shouldn't it be the same for your insurance? So don't settle for just any insurance when they're State Farm.
Starting point is 00:28:01 Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. All right. Appreciate everyone listening. Thank you to Sean Syed. Thanks to Brian Waters for producing Kira Givens on social. and additional production supervision by Connor and Evans and Arjuna, Ram Gopal. I'm Sheila Kapadia. We will be back tomorrow on the Ringer NFL show.
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