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Real Football: Who’s back from the dead? · Go Long Podcast

• 0:00
  [music]
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: What's up, everyone?
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of Real Football.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Tyler Dunne,
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: and that's head of NFL officiating Jim Monis joining us from 345 Park Avenue here
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: with guns a-blazin', ready to defend the stripes.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know how he's going to do it.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: I went on my rant with Bob.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to hear what I think, it's there.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's in a column.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's not Packers line-specific.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the officiating...
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: Has been hot, steaming dog feces all year.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't like the fact that we just
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: forget about it by Wednesday and move
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: along
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: to the next week.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think it should be noted how terrible it is.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it's ruining, if nothing else, the flow of a football game.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: So many of these games are unwatchable when you expect laundry every play.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm going to give you the floor, Jim.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just a long-form writer with a Substack.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: You were a scout.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: You were the director of personnel with the Buffalo Bills.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: You're running the show in the UFL,
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: which the UFL is doing a lot of very, very innovative things, officiating-wise.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: And Dean Blandino, I never knew I loved Dean Blandino so much.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: I miss those days.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Where he would hold himself,
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: hold the officials accountable with those videos explaining controversial calls.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Wouldn't it be nice just to get a little accountability beyond these pool reports
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: that are just, I mean, they read just the excuse making and the circle talk.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: And it just, it's hard to read.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: It is like a fourth grader in the elementary principal's office when you say,
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I did hear a whistle, but the play was over.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know how you defend any of this, Jim, but I'm going to let you try.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: I know this is hard.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: So years ago, I'm going to say around four or five years ago, I gave up officiating.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even pay attention to officials.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: I made it a point.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: I treat them like the police.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's a thankless job that nobody wants to do.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start there.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Nobody wants to be an official.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Go to your local high school, sign up and do it if you really want to.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: I can't tell you how many times, Tyler,
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: when I get to that retirement stage in my life,
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure I'm going to give that a shot is going to be
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: a high school football official.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: I got to try it because I know how hard it is,
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: but I also know I feel like I would be good at it because of things we're talking
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: about right now.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: When I said that about the police, thankless job, nobody wants to do.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: The next part of that is there's a lot of great ones.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And there's some probably bad ones, okay?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's in every profession.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And you need to treat officials.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: I don't understand why we're not treating officials like we treat the players and
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: the coaches and draft picks that I,
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: my field of expertise or whatever you want to call it that I was in,
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: we get graded on our picks two seconds before they play football,
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: the grades are out on our picks.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: So we're graded on, okay.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Players are graded on receivers have horrible games.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: They drop balls.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: We've seen it.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's unbelievable.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: We sit there and talk about how did he drop that pass.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think we need to focus on that more than just think about this for officials.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Their livelihood,
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: just like players are graded every game by their coaches and GMs,
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: officials are graded too.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And they're graded on When coaches and GMs after games that next Monday after
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: a Sunday game,
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: we're all sending the tape in,
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: here's play number this, you missed this, you missed this, you missed this.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Well, then they get checked on that and they get graded on their performance as officials.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: So go ahead and read the rule book and try to be an official.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And you have to judge these plays and know if you should throw a flag or not
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: on these plays and you're going to be judged on it.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: So just always remember that they are being graded on their tape, too.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: They're getting evaluated.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: So they have to, by rule, throw these flags in their mind.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm with you.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to get into this.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not trying to say it's not frustrating.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's become unwatchable, to your point, the flow of the game.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And you don't want the officials to become the stars.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's, I think, how we're all feeling a little bit.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you taking over the games?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that's fair.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: The officials should never take over a game.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: But always remember.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: They are judged on making the correct calls, and the rule books have become ridiculous.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I think what the officials are trying to show all
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: of us is can we please just get back to football at some point?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: They've taken football out of football, and now this is what you get.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: You get a flag on every play.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you really want one, we all know that.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you really want one, you can get one on every play.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: Totally.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: All right,
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: and that's my defense,
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: and I'm not trying to be all the way pro-official because I've had it.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I just ignore it.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I just say, man, that's a tough job they have.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: But it's frustrating.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to ignore when they insert themselves into the story of
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: a pro football game incessantly over the course of three hours.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not there to watch Alex Moore.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not there to watch the officials constantly making these calls.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Like you said, that you can make.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: On all of these different plays,
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: but I want to stay on that point that you brought up on how they're rated,
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: how they're graded after all of these games.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So how does it work then?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Are they punished?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: Are they suspended?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Are they fired like players?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like we don't see that.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: You wouldn't see it, but they get demoted.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Not at the same rate that players and coaches are.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: No, but they don't make the money that players and coaches are,
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: and they're not driving the league like players and coaches.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: But to your point...
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: They do.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know about it?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Do you follow it?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Are we doing fantasy football official stats?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, are we?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So to your point, I'm with you on all.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like I still see the same faces every season.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on all this.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: If it's happening, I haven't noticed.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's the same guys screwing games up.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: We all go to games.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: We all grew up going to games.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it is my favorite.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: When I do, you know, I announce Friday Night Lights for PBS here in Buffalo, Toronto.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: And it's.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite part of going to any high school game is I hear it.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter where you go in high school, football, Friday, USA, anywhere.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: People cannot wait to yell at the officials.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: They spend so much time with the officials, and I get it.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's fun.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: But at the end of the day, you should be there.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Watch the game for the players and coaches.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Criticize them.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Give them the credit and all that.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: To your point,
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: if you're going to insert yourself all the time,
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: now we need to pay attention to you.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like now you want to know about these officials.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you?
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you still getting the call games?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Why aren't you getting fired?
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: I love the police analogy.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: I use it all the time.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: You could pull people over on the side of the highway for going 71 in the 65.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: If you really wanted to.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you really want to.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Technically, they're over the limit.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what we're seeing every Sunday.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's this over-officious...
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe the blame is bigger than the officials.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's the owners.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's the commissioner.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's the league.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody should agree that you want the refs to be that big.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: You don't want to notice them.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: You want them to stay the hell out of the way.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: And you usually get to that point by January in the playoffs.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: The last few years, we've talked about it.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: They do kind of take a step back and let football be football.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Why do we wait until that point?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: We should have to wait until
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: that point.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you this.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: We can move on.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: But would you want it?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Would you want endless replays?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like just have every penalty replay?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I was asking because part of me thinks that part of me is to the point where I don't know.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, what do we want?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like, because that could get that reviewing flags,
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: like roughing the passers and stuff like that.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's because it is.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think anybody's arguing.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not arguing your point.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's football.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I cannot believe we are judging how guys are landing on quarterbacks.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's no way.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: And Carl Brooks for the Packers rolls off of Jared Goff.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: The guys are aware.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's a teaching tape set.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: There it is.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: And as an official,
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: if you see the player trying his best to however they're supposed to try to land
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: without their full force, which I just can't believe we're even
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: And they're wearing equipment, helmets and shoulder pads.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Just try to do it without equipment.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I don't understand.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's the key, Tyler, is we figure out a way to readjust these rules.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think it is bigger than the refs.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: And they're the whipping boy.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: They're the ones out there making the calls.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: They're an easy target.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm with you there.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: But it's bigger than them because the league just refuses to be honest with itself.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: The NFL refuses to look in the mirror and say, you know what?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: It is unsafe to play football inherently with the blocking, with the tackling.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: And there it is.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Talked about this with Bob.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm sorry to repeat myself if you heard that one.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: But it's true.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: You have to kind of make that deal with the football gods.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: And all these players are making that deal when they sign a contract.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: They know what you sign up for.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: Injury is a 100% guarantee.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yet the rules don't reflect that reality.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: The rules are somehow trying to tiptoe through this landmine.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: Football's safe if we just kind of bob and weave our way around all of these booby traps.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: No, you're going to get hurt playing football.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: Quarterbacks are going to get hit.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: And it's illegal when you see it.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think we all kind of know when that line is crossed.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think in the early 2000s we got to that point.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: Neither one of us are saying that we want to go back to Ray Nitschke clotheslining
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: a tight end over the middle,
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: Mike Ditka, or even the 90s Greg Lloyd fire breathing off the edge.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: There is a line,
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: but there has to be an agreement amongst all parties involved that it's not
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: a safe sport and that's okay.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: If they went back to you could lead with your head and Some of
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: the stuff you just talked about,
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: if they went back to those rules, the players would still play.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: They would be like, fine.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just keep playing, man.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing to your point.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to keep playing football.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: They're not going to stop.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: They love the sport.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: They've committed to it.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: But you're going to at some point, it's what you signed up for.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: You can't complain if you go into the Army.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: You can't complain if you go to war.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: When you start playing football, the players don't complain.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: They're not the ones saying.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: They just want to hit.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And again, you can take it all the way down to the point of a receiver getting hit in the knees
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: because these safeties know they can't hit you in the upper body
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: because you might graze the head.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: All these receivers, most of them would probably tell you they'd rather get hit high than low.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: So there's...
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: They're trying to find these almost impossible targets.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: And now like the Carl Brooks play,
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: the Bretton Cox roughing the passers, Devontae Wyatt not quitting on a play.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: I seriously don't know what those three Packer players could have done in those situations.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Agree.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it's hard.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: And look,
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: and we don't even touch on the fact that there is a history of officials
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: with gambling, especially in the NBA.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: So that's another thing.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't going to bring it up.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't going to do it.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Fair, and I brought it up, because I have to at least address that, and you're right.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just like players and coaches,
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: Pete Rose,
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: players,
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Rozier in the NBA,
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: and I think what we're noticing is we're talking more NBA with this,
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: but it still gives officials, it doesn't matter what anybody wants to think.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: When you see those flags, you're thinking it.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do they have money on the game?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that's their doing.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I talked about.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's some good ones.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: And there are some bad ones.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: And there is a history of officials being involved in gambling.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: So you can't deny that.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's a fair thing to question because there is a history of it.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Just like when a player drops a ball, what do we all say?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if we're going to start saying it about Dan Campbell,
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: too, when he goes forward on his own 20.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Is he a gambler, too?
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Figuratively.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: In the best ways.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: But to your point, it's fair, though.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's all fair because they've created that because they've done it.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I can remember watching that Lakers-Kings, was it game six or seven with Tim Donahue?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: The Lakers just went to the line nonstop.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: Those Kings teams were a lot of
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: fun, man.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Trust me, I'm with you on that.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: I was dialed in on those.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: Those were like some of my underrated.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: When I bring up the NBA, it's funny you say that.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's one of the underrated great series of basketball.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: The Bibby-Chris Webber combo doesn't get talked about enough, how good they were.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Scott Pollard.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: They had every kind of role.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: They had every piece you needed on a basketball team.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: I did love watching that team.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: But, yeah, so we're good on officials.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: You're right.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: So officials are all gambling.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: We solved it.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: They're all on the take.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: The mob is getting to them.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: They should all be investigated.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's funny you brought up the Kings and the best player that,
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: Chris Weber, I mean, he's famous for that timeout at Michigan, North Carolina.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to tell you.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: I was a senior in high school.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to lie to you.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Had some money on that game back then.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, my God.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: Back then you did.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Tyler goes deep.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: When did you have your first sip of alcohol?
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Before 21?
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, here we go.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Here we go.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's not tomato, tomato.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: You didn't answer me.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Did you have it?
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Very different.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's the same thing.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: It might have been 21 when I turned 21.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: 21.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: We all 21.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: No, no.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: It was a tailgate at a football game, probably at the age of 15 or 16.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: How did we get...
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: I liked that the officials... That's right, because we said the NBA officials.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: But it's...
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be interesting if anything does get addressed offseason-wise.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know where it's at with the rules and safety.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Full-timers?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: Full-time officials?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: So...
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if that actually solves the issue that you're saying.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe more money, more stability would.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: You're right, because I think it is bigger than just the refs making calls.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think we're asking these refs to...
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: Get the hell out of the way, and they still can.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you can still take yourself out of the equation and look the other way
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: unless it's egregious.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_01: But the problem has reached a point where you need an entity above
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: the actual officials to fix this.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: You want to live by the rule.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: To me as an official,
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: you would want any flag you're going to throw,
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: you want to make sure it affected the play.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's how I always think about it if I was an official.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Man, that was a hole, but you know what?
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: They ran to the other side.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: You weren't going to make that play anyway.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: If that's how you can be as an official, then that's my style.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm good with that.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: But nothing will change.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing will get fixed because I think we just answered our own question.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's up to the owners.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: This doesn't lose the owners any money.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: People are pissed off on Sunday.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: They're tuning in on Monday.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's 100% correct.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing's going to change.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing's going to change.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Nope.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: They'll just numb everybody up with the gambling ads and move along to the next game.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think I used the word tranquilize.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: They'll tranquilize us and we'll all forget about it.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Until they lose money.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: Until people are pissed off to the point where they are Turning the TV off.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And there are,
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: anecdotally, I hear from subscribers, hell, my own dad, my grandpa a long time ago.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: There are people out there who reach a point of frustration where,
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: okay, I'm going to shut this TV off.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to go outside.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to get some work done.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to mow the lawn.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: I don't need this.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: I don't need to get pissed off.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: You definitely can't celebrate any play.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: As a fan, if you're watching a game, you have to always wait.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: To make sure there's no flag.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think that's become part of the watching games now,
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: but not going to change as much as we all want it to.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: We just burnt almost 20 minutes
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: on officials, which
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: I've given up.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Breaking this down.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to talk about it.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: I don't.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: I've given it up for years.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: I had to come defend them.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Where should we begin?
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: There's a handful of topics I want to get into, some of which we discussed ahead of time.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Some we did not.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, I was just at 5 a.m. boot camp here at Rock City Fitness, Great Valley, New York.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Check it out.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's my sister's gym.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's awesome.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: Cannot recommend it enough.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: Let me know if you want to join.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Three days a week, they have workouts Saturday, all kinds of amazing stuff.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: But anyways,
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: I bring that up because I was talking to my brother-in-law there,
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: and he loves the show, Clint DePue.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Love you, Clint.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: He said, you got to ask Monus about this Texans defense.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: What the hell happened?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: I wrote about it on my Monus report this week.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: So if you check it out, you know, I just threw a little blurb in there at the bottom line.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: And he's right.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: What happened is the question that we don't need to analyze their 18th
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: in points per play, which is just it doesn't make sense.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like the drop off doesn't make sense because the talent is still there.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if you really study it,
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: maybe games have dictated some things for Houston this year
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: where sometimes can games can get wacky and but.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: But they've never had that consistent where they just come back and shut you down,
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: shut you down.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: You don't feel that with Houston at all anymore.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't notice that the pass rush is still good.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Stingley has gotten beat like some corners do.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_00: But the players are still good.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: So then I think the natural thing is you go and look at the coach.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: Stroud has played well this year for Houston.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: The defense has actually been the issue for Houston.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: If that defense was locked down, I think this is a whole different team.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a great question too.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because we sit there and we're banging our heads about, it's not Stroud.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Get Stroud out of your...
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's fine.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's good enough to play.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: Out of all of the storylines that we could have predicted,
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: this would have been the lowest of the low on the 2026 NFL season.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good one.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: Will Anderson Jr., Daniil Hunter, Aziz Alshire, Kamari Lasseter, Derek Stinley, Jalen Petrie...
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: You've got the guys.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: You paid the guys.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: They're hungry.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think hunger is a problem.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: It didn't strike me as a Saxonville situation in Jacksonville where they're one.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, speaking of the officials,
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: they cost the Jaguars a trip to the Super Bowl gym in the AFC Championship game.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Miles Jack was not down.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: You remember this play?
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: Fourth quarter, New England.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: I want to say it was 24-13?
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: New England had the ball.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: They're driving.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: They fumble.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: Miles Jack picks it up, and he's going for a touchdown.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a wayward whistle.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: And Jacksonville gets stopped.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: They punted.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: But anyways, that team, that defense was loaded.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: I remember writing about it at Bleach Report into the next season,
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: spending some time around these guys.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: And they just deteriorated.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: They fell apart.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't the same.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of that was...
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: Blake Bortles regressed, and Blake Bortles regressed.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: Some of these defensive players,
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm thinking of Jalen Ramsey,
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: showing up in the Brinks truck at training camp a couple years later.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: They got paid, and maybe a little complacency set in.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: Here with Houston,
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: these guys,
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: the way they're wired, we wrote about it, that two-parter, Outlaws, check it out.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: These guys are nasty, belligerent, driven, crazy.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: Aziz Elshire talked about how he escaped a burning home and saved his brother
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: and his cousins and all of this stuff.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: These guys have a larger purpose,
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: so I don't think that they get paid and they let their foot off the gas.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: And also, C.J.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: Stroud didn't regress like Blake Bortles.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: C.J.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Stroud is getting to that upper tier.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: He's making himself a lot of money right now.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: No question.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: He's playing really well.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's really good.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's a mystery.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: I wish I had an answer to this.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to, yeah.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: Every season's different.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: Every season's different.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: You brought up Lassiter.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: He has not played very well this year.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's a corner I couldn't say that a guy that we've, you know, he has not played well.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: So there are players that maybe haven't lived up to what they've been, and that happens too.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: To be this,
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: to take that,
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: to go from the way we were talking historic,
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so embarrassed that we were, I probably used the word too.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah, I'm embarrassed.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: Let it go.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe Josh Allen did,
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: maybe that first game of the year this year when Josh Allen lit them up,
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: maybe that's like when Ronda Rousey finally got knocked out.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like, and then all of a sudden she retires because you're like the bad boy got beat up.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, um, When you see the unbeatable get beat up, maybe that's a blow.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying, it can get to you right out of the gates this year.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody said, hey, Houston's defense, Buffalo shredded them.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's an excellent point.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm thinking back to Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: Did you ever read that?
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: He's one of the few people I read.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it was,
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: I remember there was a little bit of blowback,
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: some pushback,
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: some criticism of that book and some of his others where you could say,
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: is he cherry picking these examples?
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, throughout history, is he just looking for the
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: exceptions and
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: point?
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: But no, I agree with his argument.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: I think there are these moments where That can change the course of history and can,
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: in sports, reroute a season one way or the other.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: You can't tell me the Houston Texans defense,
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: maybe they're not historic,
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: maybe they're not discussed amongst the 85 Bears,
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: 2000 Ravens,
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: but if Kamari Lassiter picks off Josh Allen,
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: he dropped it in the end zone, they win that game at home.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know how you quantify it,
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: but they probably are feeling pretty good about themselves defensively.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe they do.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: Get ahead of steam.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Get some momentum going.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Instead,
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: they've just been giving up 30 plus points and they haven't been able
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: to find their footing.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah,
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think you can point to those moments in professional football because it is such
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: a human game.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_01: There is so much emotion.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much psychology.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: What would be another one to you that you've kind of noticed this first month and
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: a half of the season?
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to give you credit because...
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_00: The Harbaugh Giants, we made a little wager before the season.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to owe you this.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: Over, under on their win total was, I think it was seven and a half or eight and a half.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: But I said under, you said over, and you're going to win it.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: But bottom line is, I didn't think the effect Harbaugh could have.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we'll get into it.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: We know they've had some help in the NFC East.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: Things have definitely taken a turn to help out.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: But for him to keep A brand new team he inherits basically.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: You lose your quarterback and you're winning.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really all you need to say.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to dissect it more than that.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: They are finding ways to win.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: I don't care about whatever's going on in the NFC East.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's incredible.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: But that would be the whole biggest thing.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think I talked about the NFC East as being one of my favorite divisions I wanted
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: to watch this year.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just become not even close to what I thought it would be.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so, and the Giants,
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: now it's the Giants and Dallas are the only two teams really relevant in
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: that division.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we're sitting there talking about JJ.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: And think about that.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: Before the season, it was all, is McCarthy going to be the starter in Minnesota?
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: And here he is two weeks into the Giants.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I wrote about this in the bonus report again about he actually,
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: Minnesota might want him right now,
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: the way he looks compared to their quarterback, who they're undefeated with.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was ugly in Minnesota.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: They hung on to him too long,
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_01: if anything,
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: and I think Kyler Murray's kind of living the after effects of that,
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: still trying to figure this offense out and get into a rhythm.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's such a credit to John Harbaugh.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like you put in your Monus report,
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: there's nothing more satisfying than getting a win with a backup quarterback,
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: let alone one you just picked up on the fly.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: Watching J.J.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: McCarthy,
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: Chuck it deep to Malik neighbors and play with confidence and give
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: the speech he did inside the locker room.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: I was thinking about what Matt Hasselbeck said to us where he was in that position.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: They gave Trent Dilfer the money.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: They made him the starter.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: He's a backup.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then it was October.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: Dilfer gets hurt.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_01: Hasselbeck is thrown back into action with the same team, in that case, Seattle.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then his career takes off.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: He's one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Some Pro Bowls, Super Bowl appearance.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: They were robbed by the officials, of course, against Pittsburgh.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: Speaking of officials in that game, right?
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, it always comes back to those officials.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: Just remember.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe J.J. McCarthy did some soul-searching, you know?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: It was always there.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: There's a reason that Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Dolfo Mensah love the guy.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: Between...
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: His measurables,
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: the velocity in which he threw, they just didn't throw the ball at all at Michigan.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: And he's winning championships because of a running game in defense.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: This is where I'm going to go, Bolasante.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: Let's settle down, right?
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: Agree.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: That's what you tell me.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Settle down.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's not anoint J.J. McCarthy quite yet.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: Agree.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: To me, it's a coaching thing with Harbaugh and the Giants
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: and how he has just changed everything with this team.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: It takes me back a little bit when I was with the Bills and we brought Kyle Orton in
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: at quarterback early in the season and basically threw him into
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: the offense right away.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: And you have some success and all of a sudden you're walking around the building.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: Man, I tell you what,
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think he could,
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: and then all of a sudden, you know, the more you play, everything shakes itself out.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: So to your point, let's let it play out.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: You can find ways to win a game in the NFL like they just did,
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: but let it play out and let's see.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the crazy thing for me, Tyler, to your point is everything you said is correct.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, he may not have had, quote unquote, the attempts you want to see in college.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: I went back.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's a little shaky.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, to me, there was plenty of tape to evaluate him because I did.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: And he showed ability.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: He just needed developing.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: I thought that's what you took him for.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: So they must have deemed him not developing.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like in Minnesota, he's not getting better.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: Something they deemed him not getting better to move on like that.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because Murray, we can get into Murray, but Murray is the same Murray.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: You're not getting this MVP, Kyler Murray, everybody was telling me about.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what this is right now.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: But it shows me that there wasn't a gap in Murray and McCarthy's talent,
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: it is the fact that they did not want McCarthy running that offense.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: Bottom line.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: And he was immature.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: Fair enough.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: But that's all the stuff you should know when you draft.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's your job as a GM to know the maturity level and all that.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: So you can't use that.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's on you.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: And he was fired anyway, the GM.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: He was.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe KOC didn't want him.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe that.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think any quarterback has taken that high with a head coach
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: saying that.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_01: He wanted a quarterback.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: He did the work on him.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_01: Unless he was just lying through his teeth up to the draft and then after the draft
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: about what he thought about J.J. McCarthy.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: The funny thing is how,
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: remember,
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: Sean Payton was joking around how he fleeced Everybody in that draft
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: to thinking he wanted, I think, was it McCarthy or whatever?
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it was McCarthy, but he, whatever it was, I forget the story, but he, they took him.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what it was.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: He wanted somebody to take McCarthy.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'll have to look it up.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, he was,
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: but be careful about bragging about that yet
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: because Bo Nix hasn't necessarily taken his next step either in Denver.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: That's one of the, I would put that in my storylines too that I didn't see coming.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't see a regression for Bo Nix,
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_00: and we talked about that last week on the pod,
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: but their offense doesn't look the same.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: I thought the addition of Waddle.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: So there have been.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: What about you?
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: What's another crazy?
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: You
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_01: know what, though?
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Denver's still right there, and they've got the defense.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: Say they trade for Jonathan Taylor.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: They should.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Well, either way.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: Either way,
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: to your point,
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: if it clicks for them,
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: if they figure out what it is that's a little bumpy right now in that offense,
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: like we keep talking about,
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_00: if you're finding ways to win games and you're not like the Vikings,
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: Denver, the Giants, yeah, nothing looks right all of a sudden, but you're winning.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: Huge.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, in the spirit of Halloween,
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: we figured we'd touch on one team apiece that has been resurrected,
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: that has Risen from the dead and is wreaking havoc upon the NFL.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: Michael Myers style here.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'll let you go first with your squad.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: Resurrect right now.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: You've kind of gone back and forth on a little bit, but you liked what you saw.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'd say resurrecting right now that I thought I was interested in.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: Wrote them off right away.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: And now they're back is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_01: You're going a new route.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: The Steelers.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: I thought you were going to Lions.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I like this.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: Pittsburgh.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking AFC, NFC.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: Pittsburgh is better because you have been pretty consistent all offseason
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_01: that you love their moves.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: You love their direction.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: And it's Mike Tomlin might as well still be the coach because they're winning 16 to 10.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: Other teams are missing kicks.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: Jalen Warren's popping off for 50 yards, pinballing off of defenders.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's the same stuff.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's the same stuff.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how it's possible.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_00: I just wrote that too.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I don't understand how it's the same Steelers every year.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's unwatchable.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't make sense.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: The games are just gross.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's still, it doesn't matter.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: To your point, you have McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers who are known, right?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: We know that they are known for offense and fireworks.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: Same.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: Grind out.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: You're throwing jump balls to some Frankenstein tight end.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like you said, fumbling ball.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's unreal what's going on there.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_00: But I felt like I looked at them.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: They looked old and slow.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, man, everybody told me I was wrong.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_00: I thought maybe they'd have one more.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy, give it one more run.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_00: So early in the season, I was like, yeah.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I think they're doing what we just said.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: They're still learning.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_00: I said building the plane as you're flying it.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_00: You're finding ways to win as you're still learning however style you want you
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: to look on offense.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: They still have T.J. Watt.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_00: He still somehow makes plays.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's still the same team.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll touch quickly on Detroit.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: I wrote that their window closed, I thought.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not that it closed.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's the same story.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_00: They're still going to be right there.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: But it's the same thing we just talked about with Pittsburgh.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: Detroit still doesn't have a defense.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I know this last game, Green Bay only had 17.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: But this Packer team has figured things out.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't think Detroit still has a defense.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: And golf can't move.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't think anything's changed.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: But don't forget about them is my point with Detroit.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_00: There are some champion qualities that Goff has that when you look
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: at his numbers this year and think he hasn't thrown an interception,
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: that's incredible.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: Is Aaron Rodgers good?
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: Good?
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, hold on.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: Good, yes.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's good.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's not great.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_01: You look at the numbers in a box score, and I'm like, whoa, he can – He can still sling it.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: He can sling it.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: And then you'll see like a clip.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: He can sling it.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: On social media start to make the rounds.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, whoa.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: He just rolled to his left and threw it across his body.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_01: Sidearm it to pass.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't make sense.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: Or whoever.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_01: And then you watch a full Steelers game.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: And look, he's however old he is.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_01: 42?
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: 43?
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you see it.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: When is his birthday?
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: We should know that.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know many people's birthdays.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: December 2nd.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, he's 42.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_00: He'll turn 43 in December.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: That says a lot.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's what you see.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they're wisely just – he's getting the ball and he's throwing it.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right?
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_01: Getting the ball, throwing it.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's what Brady did in Tampa.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: Right?
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_01: It reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger,
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_01: his last year in Pittsburgh with the lobs that you're talking about.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_01: And Tom Brady that last year in Tampa where it's quick release because his mind is still sharp.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: He can see everything going on.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_01: And you can almost – Feel that palpable frustration out of Aaron Rodgers
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_01: when he's usually pissed at other people, but he's at his heart of hearts.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_01: Got to be pissed at himself when you see it and you want to make a play,
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_01: but physically you can't do what you did at your 2011,
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: 2014, hell, your even 2019, 2020, 2021 peak, making those sort of plays.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_01: It's just that's not in him anymore.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_01: Father time is undefeated.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: So he's using the strengths that he has.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: Jalen Warren is central to everything they do offensively.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: They got a good rookie at receiver.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: DK Metcalf is catching the ball more than he's dropping it now.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_01: They could do what they always do, I suppose.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_01: Nine and eight.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: Get in the playoffs, maybe.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_01: Ten and seven.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think the season's so long that if Lamar gets healthy,
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: that Baltimore, I think, is still a better team.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: We'll get to Cincinnati.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_01: I'm with you.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: They lost to Pittsburgh, I suppose.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_01: If that's the Cincinnati Bengals team that is going to stick in the second half, they're better.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_01: And then the Browns are in first place.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I have a
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: hard time seeing this lasting for Pittsburgh.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_01: But I've been wrong on them before.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe they figure a way to
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: pull these
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: wins out.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_00: The thing is,
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_00: when you put it like that,
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_00: and that's how I,
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_00: whenever I'm talking about these teams,
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: it still comes back to Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar, and Mahomes in the AFC.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: You're still not, they're still not cracking into that four.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: But they are allergic to rebuilding.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's not with the Roonies ever, ever, ever.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_00: They're allergic to offense.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: They're allergic to points.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: Where, okay, so who wins the AFC North?
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then we'll get into Cincinnati.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: Who do you think wins this division?
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to think.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's prisoner of the moment.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: Probably go Cincy.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's my team for the resurrection.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: That game.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I like, okay, that's your team.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that sparked you again.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_01: First half, they barely had the ball.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_01: They barely possessed the ball.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: What, like six minutes?
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: You had,
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_01: an officiating malfunction of sorts when Boye Mafia is cut by Derrick Henry.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: He's cut.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: And he's falling into a pulling guard.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: And they say that Boye Mafia,
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: a defensive player, committed an infraction here,
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: an illegal block, unnecessary roughness, whatever the hell they called, 15 yards.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: Zach Taylor loses his mind on the sideline, as he should.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: The Ravens are up 13-0, and it easily could have been 27-0.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: Snoop Huntley,
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: Zay Flowers,
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: another Monus fresh take of the year,
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: declaring Zay Flowers more valuable than Derek Henry.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's very real.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_01: Something's up with Henry.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: It might be age.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: You just said it.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was just going to say, you father time.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to say it.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to do it.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's the only thing that maybe can slow this train down, the Henry train.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_01: But Zay Flowers is just such an unbelievable talent that he can stop and start.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't matter defensively what you're doing.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: He's going to get open.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: They're rolling in this game.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: Rolling.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then the Bengals score a touchdown in every single possession
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_01: and just blow them out of the building.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to do.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: to do.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if that's when the Bengals are firing like that.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_01: T. Higgins, Jamar Chase, Mike Gesicki, that touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_01: We take that toe tapping for granted.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: I remember growing up
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_01: watching this game.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: You'd never see those catches along the sideline and in the end zone.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_01: You just assumed it was incomplete.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_01: And now you assume it's complete the way that these guys train for it.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you can't hit the quarterback.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_01: Joe Burrow's healthy.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_01: Next to Josh Allen.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_01: When Joe Burrow's playing like that, there's nobody better in the league.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: I can't argue that.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_00: How do you feel?
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: Where's the Bengals' defense at for you?
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's better.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Dexter Lawrence can really...
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: He's made an impact.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: You just watch him.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_01: He'll take on double teams, waste one of them.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_01: He might not make the tackle, but he is completely changing the play.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's not what his job, no doubt.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_01: You're right.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_01: The running back is...
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_01: Changing direction.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody else is making a play.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_01: It all starts with Dexter Lawrence in the middle of that defense.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, for me,
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_00: because we have a similar history of growing up as Green Bay Packer fans,
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_00: which doesn't make sense, me in Central Pennsylvania and you in Western New York.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_00: But the first time I noticed an impact here,
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_00: For kind of a D tackle, but it doesn't show up in the stats, was Gilbert Brown.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you knew where I was going with that.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that's when you know,
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_00: the bottom line on those tackles,
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_00: and I always think about Haloti Nada from Baltimore,
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: but bottom line,
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_00: when you get a guy that needs doubled and game plan for, you have done your job.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_00: The stats don't matter.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: That is the number one stat that the other team has to,
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_00: the other team's looking around like,
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_00: Their whole run game now has to change because of the commitment you have to make
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_00: to block him.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: So to your point, that's made an impact for Cincinnati.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's a credit to their front office move.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_00: And we know Burrow.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that offense is you're not doing anything without offense.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: You pull up their drives in the second half.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: Nine plays, 66 yards, touchdown.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_01: Six plays, 47 yards, touchdown.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: Six plays, 88 yards, touchdown.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_01: Five plays, 79 yards, touchdown.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_01: Three plays, 24 yards, touchdown.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, this isn't a grind it out,
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: nickel and dime, 12 to 15 play offense.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_01: They are as quick strike, just venomous offense as you'll find in the game.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: It'll just take you out.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was...
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: It was unbelievable.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: If you're watching this game,
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_01: if you took your eyes off it for 15 minutes to do whatever and then you turn back
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_01: to it, what the hell happened?
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's interesting.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: I was talking to a coach out there over the offseason,
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_01: and they were really excited to maybe win a different kind of game because you think
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: about how these Bengals seasons have gone since they went
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_01: to those back-to-back Super Bowls.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been Burrow just having to play out of his mind to win eight, nine games.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_01: And he's getting injured.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just there's so much on his plate.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_01: They're constantly playing from behind.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I think there was some excitement to where,
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_01: wow, okay, we can actually work on a four-minute offense.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a defense now.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_01: Boye Mafe,
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: Dexter Lawrence,
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_01: Brian Cook, some young players ascending to where let's try to grind out some wins.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_01: It'll be nice to take a little bit off of Joe Burrow.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then you watch the second half and it's like, dude,
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_01: you've got one of the best quarterbacks of this generation to get to a Super Bowl
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: to win it.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_01: You've just got to let him work.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_01: You just have to let him throw it all over the place.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_01: Quick strikes.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_01: They can't cover everybody.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_01: Higgins has been playing better than Chase.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be tempted to just operate
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_01: in that fifth gear if I'm Cincinnati.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_01: Because what do we always say about Josh Allen?
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: Don't neuter him.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: Don't try to take this away or that away.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to go the distance, you need him in full.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_01: You need Joe Burrow in full.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you saw that in the second half.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: They may have defensively.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm looking right now, Tyler, there's ninth in points per play on defense.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: So that's incredible.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm smiling to you because I'm thinking to myself, that is a.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_00: That might be the most deadly combo right now of unstoppable offense and legit
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_00: a top 10, which I consider that's a top 10 quality defense.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that's Super Bowl worthy for sure.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you looked at their schedule.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_00: No, I don't look to.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, go ahead.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think now we can look at team schedules and forecast where this season might go.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_01: Jim, they're 4-2, okay?
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, there are two losses.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: They lost by a field goal at Pittsburgh.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_01: And they lost by five points to Jacksonville.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_01: They have Tennessee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, all at home.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_01: At Washington, home against New Orleans, at Cleveland.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_01: Then you got Mahomes and the Chiefs, but you get them at home.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_01: You're at Carolina.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_01: They might be falling apart.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_01: They have no defense.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_01: At Indy, they're giving up on the season.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_01: Fire sale.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then you finish up at home against Baltimore and at home against Cleveland.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_01: They might lose one or two more games the rest of the season.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you're telling me we're going to see a Joe Burrow,
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_00: Josh Allen, AFC championship game, you can sign me up for that.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, and hey, what about this weekend?
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_01: I'll be there at Highmark.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_01: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is what we need to hear.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you're – we need a firsthand report from you on where's Lamar's health
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_00: and where's their defense realistically for Baltimore.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: Are they really anything?
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because right now their defense isn't – this isn't Baltimore.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_00: They're 21st ranked in points per play.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's a garbage defense.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_00: But guess who's worse?
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_00: The Bills.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_00: But that's just for this week.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_00: But my point of that is they're going to need Lamar to be just like Josh Allen, it sounds like.
• 46:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have the defense, you got to outscore everybody.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_00: So they're going to need Lamar full tilt, just like Josh full tilt.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_00: Where Cincy, as we're talking through this, the Bengals at least have a defense now.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_01: That they do.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Baltimore.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_01: Let's start with Lamar Jackson.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_01: He has not played since October 4th.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_01: He has missed three games with a high ankle sprain.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I get it.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's got to be unbelievably frustrating,
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_01: bordering on maddening to relive this if you're the Baltimore Ravens.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_01: It seems like every year there's an injury with Lamar Jackson.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_01: There's like this cloud of mystery around his health.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_01: He doesn't have an agent that's going to Put a message out there through a Schefter
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: or a Rappaport or a Pellicero, right?
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_01: Where it's like, here's the messaging.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like it helps.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: Honestly,
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: it helps to have an agent to kind of like set the narrative on what the hell's going
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_01: on with your health.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_01: So he doesn't really talk about it.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: He, and he did last week ahead of the Cincinnati game.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_01: And he was asked because there's so much mystery around it.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_01: I forget what the reporter referred to the injury as it wasn't as
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: a high ankle sprain because it wasn't too high or wasn't too low.
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_01: And, Lamar's like, where'd you hear that?
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_01: And the reporter said, well, it was the report from Ian Rappaport.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't tell Ian Rappaport or anything.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's not it.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_01: He goes, it's a high ankle sprain.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_01: So those high ankle sprains, yeah, it can keep you out a month, and he's too valuable.
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_01: You want Lamar Jackson healthy in January because they haven't had him healthy
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_01: in January at times, and your season's just end.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_01: So I honestly, big picture, I think that everybody in Baltimore – Is on the same page, right?
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_01: And there definitely was something going on with Lamar and John Harbaugh and Todd Munkin.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think there was a lot of frustration out of Todd Munkin.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_01: And he's in Cleveland now, so he gets to play him twice a year.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_01: So new coaching staff, Jesse Minner.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_01: Here's what Jesse Minner said out there at his press conference this week.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_01: Lamar's one-on-one, right?
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_01: Two-time MVP,
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: obviously a high caliber player,
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_01: but I just don't like the built-in excuse of why things are going a certain way.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_01: Talking about going one and two, averaging 17.7 points a game, struggling.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_01: So while we know the caliber of player Lamar is and the numbers
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_01: when he's out there versus when he's not, we understand all that.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_01: That's why he is who he is and why he's won the awards that he's won,
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_01: but we can still operate better in those times where we don't have him for sure.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds like he's going to play, though.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_01: Everything's trending toward Lamar Jackson, playing against the Buffalo Bills.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_01: We're recording early Wednesday morning.
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_01: Things can change with this quarterback, obviously.
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_01: Minner would not confirm a CBS pregame report.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_01: That Lamar woke up and had swelling in his left ankle.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_01: But also in the CBS broadcast and then this week it sounds like they're hopeful he'll be back.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_01: That maybe they were kind of gearing up for this game.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_01: That will have some seeding implications in the AFC potentially.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_01: That changes everything.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_01: If Lamar Jackson's on the field, that changes everything for your offense.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_01: It changes everything for your defense.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think that answers your other question.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_01: If you can play on your terms...
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_01: Dictate the tempo of a game.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_01: Get Lamar Jackson going as a runner, as a thrower.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_01: He was playing so well with Declan Doyle in this offense, Jim.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_01: The efficiency numbers are through the roof.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't even really throwing the ball all over the place.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he was going like 20 and 24.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was high completion percentage.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_01: Guys are getting open, making plays on the move.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: I still am really eager to see what he looks like
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_01: with this new offensive coordinator in this offense.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_01: Did I pick Baltimore to win the Super Bowl?
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I did.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_01: Will I be bailing on them anytime soon?
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_01: No, I will not.
• 50:06
  SPEAKER_00: They definitely, if he's healthy, that's what I'm saying.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_00: He has to be healthy, though.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_01: I get it.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_01: Buffalo is coming off the bye.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like just desperation-wise, that means something, and Baltimore is a more desperate team.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think that they come into Buffalo and get a win.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_01: Gun to the head right now on a Wednesday.
• 50:27
  SPEAKER_00: Whoa.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_01: You don't think so?
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's possible.
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm laughing.
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_00: I haven't thought about the game.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_00: I haven't thought about who.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think the Bills are going to win.
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_00: I just still don't think.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_00: If Baltimore had a better defense, I'd be with you.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think their defense can do anything to the Bills.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_01: There's issues.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_01: There's issues.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm saying that with the Bills having no defense,
• 50:51
  SPEAKER_00: but I'm more counting on Lamar coming back.
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the Bills, you know, catch him on a rusty game coming back.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, no, I'm more thinking Bills win this game.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_01: The bye week is huge, too.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_00: To have that time.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_00: Agreed.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: To self-scout.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_01: Don't you love that term?
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_01: We did some self-scouting.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_00: There's no self-scouting.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_00: The only thing they're doing is getting healthy.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's what self-scouting is.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's called get healthy.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, gosh, maybe I jumped the gun on that.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's what everybody says.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_01: DJ Moore changes a lot offensively for Buffalo.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and that's what everybody says.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_00: You're right on the self-scouting thing.
• 51:32
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, let's really look at our teams.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_00: What are you going to do?
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's halfway through the season.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_00: Get healthy.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_01: I love hearing former players.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like just debunk all of these terms that are used ad nauseum.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_01: I forget who said it.
• 51:48
  SPEAKER_00: I was listening to the radio and gosh, who
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_01: in the hell was it?
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_01: Some longtime former player was saying how halftime adjustments are not a thing.
• 51:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's not a thing in football.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_01: You're at halftime.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_01: You're just taking the pads off and you're just like taking a break.
• 52:06
  SPEAKER_01: You're not devising some great game plan for the second half.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's not Friday night.
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's not the movies.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_00: What's your favorite?
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_01: Between series, there's a lot happening, though.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, plenty.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_00: There is a ton going on between coaches and fine-tuning.
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_00: There are adjustments, but it's not, I think, how we think about it.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, you were going to
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_00: ask a question.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, I was thinking, do you have a favorite all-time football movie?
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many good ones.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_00: Is there one, though, that you go to?
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_00: I have one that I think nobody watches enough.
• 52:47
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Varsity Blues is great.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's great.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm up there with you.
• 52:55
  SPEAKER_01: I was just thinking of Bud Kilmer with this Paris game and how the NFL has been
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_01: so determined to play in Paris despite all these protests.
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_01: It just reminds me of Bud Kilmer keeping Billy Bob in the game.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_01: Just sticking a needle in all those players.
• 53:11
  SPEAKER_01: Billy Bob stays in the game.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's been going on forever.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 53:16
  SPEAKER_01: We are playing in Paris.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care if it's burning to the ground.
• 53:18
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever seen my favorite?
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think people, the movie All the Right Moves with Tom Cruise.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's the greatest.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_00: It captures every football cliche,
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_00: stereotype, To me,
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how people don't watch this and not talk about it as the greatest.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to see it so we can break down some stuff on it at some point when you have time.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_00: But there are some unbelievable actors in it.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_00: You're going to be blown away by who's in this movie.
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_01: That would be a fun addition to the Real Football podcast.
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_01: We should do that.
• 54:00
  SPEAKER_01: Pull up some random old football movies and break them down.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_00: There's always a,
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_00: there's some unbelievable,
• 54:05
  SPEAKER_00: the, the, some of the lines in football movies are so good.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's just how they think things work,
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_00: how the writers and it's, it's, it's the best, the best.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pulling up a list.
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_01: Cause I mean, I mean, obviously if really,
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_01: if you're going to ask me number one, it's Rudy, Rudy still makes me cry.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_01: I don't even care.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_01: I will cry at the end of Rudy every single time.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_00: I can't watch it.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_01: You can't?
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe it.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_01: Well, no.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_01: The actual story of Rudy Ruediger is not cinematic.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's not.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_01: Teammates have said not savory things about him.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 54:41
  SPEAKER_01: But the movie itself is amazing.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, you're right.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_00: I get it.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_00: The story is amazing.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_00: The story is good.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know what?
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_01: This is cheating, but you know what would be number one for me?
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's not a movie.
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was a TV show that came and went, and we've referenced it a few times.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_01: The NFL intervened and said, you've got to get that off air.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's too realistic.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_01: Playmakers.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_01: Peak playmakers.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it was on ESPN.
• 55:09
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_01: Being in high school,
• 55:11
  SPEAKER_01: playing high school football and watching that show,
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_01: the crazy stuff that happened, it was unbelievable.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_01: And it ended.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_00: Are you looking at movies right now?
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_00: Have you pulled it up?
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_00: What was the movie?
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_00: What was the movie?
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_00: This was my freshman year in college, so it would have been like 1993.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm a freshman on the football team, so we all had to go watch as a team.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_00: We went and watched the – why am I drawing a blank on the movie?
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_00: The program?
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, the program.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, man.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_00: You want to talk about – That's one I
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_01: have not seen.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody – So that's crazy to me because the program and All the Right Moves
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_00: to me are the two greatest football movies because they just capture all
• 55:56
  SPEAKER_00: the cliches.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_00: So you have homework.
• 55:58
  SPEAKER_00: You have some good homework.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_01: That and also an idea I've been kicking around is I've got just boxes and boxes
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_01: of VHS tapes from the 90s.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_01: I used to just record football games all the time.
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know why, but I did.
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't have a VCR player,
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_01: but I want to get a VCR player and just go back and watch some of these games
• 56:19
  SPEAKER_01: and just take notes on the commercials, like 90s commercials.
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_01: It didn't get better than 90s commercials.
• 56:24
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't get better.
• 56:25
  SPEAKER_01: The broadcast themselves,
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_01: like you go back and you listen to John Madden and Pat Summerall and
• 56:30
  SPEAKER_01: the way they're narrating these games.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_01: It was, that was peak football, peak life.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_01: The 90s, it didn't get better than that.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_00: Agree.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_01: That'd be nostalgic.
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it'd be self-serving.
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_01: Completely self-serving, but that'd be fun to talk about.
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on that.
• 56:45
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe people would enjoy it.
• 56:46
  SPEAKER_01: I hope they would.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_00: When I went back on YouTube and was trying to watch all these old-timers
• 56:51
  SPEAKER_00: and see what they really look like, even guys we grew up watching, just revisit it.
• 56:56
  SPEAKER_00: And it's fascinating to watch, the commentary.
• 57:00
  SPEAKER_00: I went and watched Jerry Rice's best game statistically.
• 57:04
  SPEAKER_00: It was against the Atlanta Falcons.
• 57:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I went and watched it because I want to watch every play and like not
• 57:09
  SPEAKER_00: the highlights anymore.
• 57:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let's watch it and see how these guys really look and down in and down out.
• 57:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I saw Joe Montana miss wide open guys.
• 57:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we have this picture of, and I'm not saying he's not great.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying they had flaws.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the older you get, the better everybody gets.
• 57:26
  SPEAKER_00: But it was fun to watch the game itself,
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_00: the production of it,
• 57:30
  SPEAKER_00: to your point, and hear how they announce it, see how the game is played.
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_00: The flags didn't seem as rampant, to your point.
• 57:39
  SPEAKER_00: You're going to enjoy watching the game more.
• 57:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's more of a flow, yes.
• 57:44
  SPEAKER_00: I would agree with you on that.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_01: And there are mistakes.
• 57:46
  SPEAKER_01: Speaking of Jerry Rice, he fumbled.
• 57:47
  SPEAKER_00: He dropped one in that game, too.
• 57:49
  SPEAKER_01: In the 98 wild card game.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's blatant.
• 57:51
  SPEAKER_01: He fumbled it.
• 57:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, and you missed a call.
• 57:53
  SPEAKER_00: And Rice dropped one in this game I watched, and I was laughing.
• 57:56
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, you know, his hands never look great to me anyway.
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_00: He always had kind of weird placement of the ball, which tells you it's never natural for him.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't like trying to knock it,
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_00: but that's the stuff you notice when you watch an entire game
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_00: and not just pull up clips.
• 58:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're right.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: There's way more.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a lot of receivers.
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like Antonio Freeman called every ball with his body, right?
• 58:16
  SPEAKER_01: He wasn't catching it with his hands.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_01: It was all with his body.
• 58:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 58:19
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, these quarterbacks, it was open season.
• 58:23
  SPEAKER_00: Open season.
• 58:24
  SPEAKER_01: They were destroyed every game.
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_00: Brett Favre, Brett Favre, John Elway.
• 58:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, man, they got beat, beat, beat.
• 58:34
  SPEAKER_01: Other side of my mouth, though, Jim,
• 58:35
  SPEAKER_01: there was a clip of Herschel Walker that kind of took off last week when he was
• 58:40
  SPEAKER_01: with Dallas, like later in his career when he went back to Dallas.
• 58:44
  SPEAKER_01: And he, like, he's...
• 58:46
  SPEAKER_01: He's running right through the Minnesota defense, and the tackling is so bad.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_01: We think that the tackling was way better in the good old days.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_00: Same.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_01: It was so bad.
• 58:55
  SPEAKER_00: Agree with you.
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_00: You still see the same.
• 58:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on this when you go back and watch.
• 58:59
  SPEAKER_00: Herschel Walker,
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_00: when I went back,
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_00: he and Bo Jackson are like the same guy, just big, fast, big and fast.
• 59:06
  SPEAKER_00: They can't get out of the way.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_00: They can't make anybody miss.
• 59:09
  SPEAKER_00: But, yeah, you're right.
• 59:10
  SPEAKER_00: You still see the same.
• 59:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's funny.
• 59:14
  SPEAKER_01: Oh.
• 59:16
  SPEAKER_01: Nostalgic for a million reasons.
• 59:18
  SPEAKER_01: Let's pull those games up.
• 59:20
  SPEAKER_01: Any final thoughts, Jim?
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_00: No, those were good.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_00: Those were the mid-season-ish.
• 59:26
  SPEAKER_00: What game are you looking forward to this weekend?
• 59:28
  SPEAKER_00: Let's end there.
• 59:30
  SPEAKER_00: Easily, Lamar, Josh.
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 59:33
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to see that one.
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hold on.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_00: What about you?
• 59:39
  SPEAKER_00: What's your game?
• 59:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's definitely Bill's Ravens.
• 59:43
  SPEAKER_01: Again, we'll be there.
• 59:44
  SPEAKER_01: So everybody out there, make sure you check our coverage.
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_01: Golongtd.com.
• 59:49
  SPEAKER_01: Hang out inside the game day chat, which is a hell of a lot of fun.
• 59:52
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a great community in there.
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_01: So that's number one.
• 59:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I love that it's 1 o'clock.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_01: We've got kids.
• 59:59
  SPEAKER_01: Those turnarounds come a little quick when you're up until 12, 1230.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 1:00:07
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 1:00:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's great.
• 1:00:10
  SPEAKER_01: But otherwise, Vikings-Lions is going to be great.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, Monday night, Seahawks-Bears.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's a lot of great games.
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great game.
• 1:00:19
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good one.
• 1:00:23
  SPEAKER_01: Quentin Nelson, how much does he change things for Seattle?
• 1:00:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's good.
• 1:00:26
  SPEAKER_00: He adds some toughness, professionalism.
• 1:00:31
  SPEAKER_00: You're getting a good football player.
• 1:00:32
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it necessarily changes their team other than it helps you.
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't hurt you.
• 1:00:38
  SPEAKER_01: Didn't cost him a lot either.
• 1:00:39
  SPEAKER_01: I thought he would draw more draft capital.
• 1:00:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's a guard.
• 1:00:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's a guard, which I'm not saying that's not a good acquisition for them.
• 1:00:45
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 1:00:46
  SPEAKER_00: But for them,
• 1:00:47
  SPEAKER_00: their success is going to be if Darnold doesn't destroy them
• 1:00:50
  SPEAKER_00: with some insane boneheaded play.
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_01: Man, though, I will take Darnold in full, though.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_01: Give me the quarterback taking those chances.
• 1:00:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like watching that Kansas City game.
• 1:01:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you're going to get a mistake.
• 1:01:03
  SPEAKER_01: Didn't he throw an end zone pick?
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_01: He's got the best receiver in football.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_01: He's gunning it deep.
• 1:01:09
  SPEAKER_01: I want him unconscious.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_01: I want him taking those chances.
• 1:01:11
  SPEAKER_01: But the thing is, they have to play with a lead.
• 1:01:13
  SPEAKER_01: And last year, they very rarely played from behind at all the second half of the season.
• 1:01:20
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe Nelson,
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_01: maybe getting Charbonnet back,
• 1:01:22
  SPEAKER_01: they could start playing with the lead, feeding off the defense.
• 1:01:25
  SPEAKER_01: And that mistake that is inevitable doesn't hurt you.
• 1:01:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_00: I love Darnold, too.
• 1:01:30
  SPEAKER_00: Love the talent.
• 1:01:31
  SPEAKER_00: We've been Darnold defenders on the pod since he got drafted and was thrown to
• 1:01:35
  SPEAKER_00: the wolves with Adam Gase.
• 1:01:37
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a credit to Darnold to get to this point.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_00: But the reason I hesitate is because Darnold had these issues.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on don't hold – I don't want him to change.
• 1:01:47
  SPEAKER_00: But the issue is turnovers.
• 1:01:49
  SPEAKER_00: And he had that issue at USC.
• 1:01:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's not even the interceptions.
• 1:01:53
  SPEAKER_00: He fumbles the ball a lot too.
• 1:01:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I just – I just don't like to just glaze over that.
• 1:01:59
  SPEAKER_00: I don't, it's a fine line between don't take it away from him.
• 1:02:03
  SPEAKER_00: You can't turn the ball over.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 1:02:06
  SPEAKER_00: I hate to say it like that, but turnovers happen.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to change the player,
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_00: but we need you not to make the, how about, how about eliminate the boneheaded ones?
• 1:02:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's why I keep stressing.
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like, Turnovers happen.
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like when we talked about how the Bills fooled Kirk Cousins on a coverage,
• 1:02:24
  SPEAKER_00: that's a credit to everybody on plays like that.
• 1:02:26
  SPEAKER_00: You get a quarterback.
• 1:02:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's the Jane Daniels stuff.
• 1:02:31
  SPEAKER_00: We need you to know the situation.
• 1:02:32
  SPEAKER_00: We need you, Sam Darnold, not to throw a pick inside the 10-yard line.
• 1:02:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like those are the ones I'm talking about.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where Caleb Williams on the other side in the same game has been.
• 1:02:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's his greatest strength.
• 1:02:46
  SPEAKER_01: He's not making those boneheaded plays.
• 1:02:48
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he had one.
• 1:02:49
  SPEAKER_01: He took that sack, and it could have backed by him if Santos misses that field goal.
• 1:02:52
  SPEAKER_00: Good point.
• 1:02:53
  SPEAKER_01: That was a big one in a big moment.
• 1:02:56
  SPEAKER_01: But by and large, he's not forcing the ball in the double and triple coverage.
• 1:03:01
  SPEAKER_01: While he's still making some difficult throws downfield,
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_01: that's Ben Johnson,
• 1:03:06
  SPEAKER_01: that's the weapons, that's the line, and that's Caleb Williams himself.
• 1:03:09
  SPEAKER_01: So you just haven't seen those turnovers.
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_01: He's not killing them with the big mistake.
• 1:03:14
  SPEAKER_00: No, Caleb and Darnold, that's an easy watch quarterback-wise.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_00: They throw the football as two of the purest throwers of a football you could watch.
• 1:03:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm looking forward to that juggernaut Bears offense,
• 1:03:26
  SPEAKER_01: and it has been the last couple weeks, against the Seattle defense finding itself.
• 1:03:32
  SPEAKER_00: Is there a – what do you do?
• 1:03:38
  SPEAKER_00: What do you make of – we didn't really get into it, but the Colts –
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_00: Real quick,
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_00: and I didn't hear,
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_00: maybe, did you guys, Bob, have you guys talked about the Colts at all?
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what do you think they do front office-wise?
• 1:03:51
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think it's Peyton Manning type thing?
• 1:03:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:03:55
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and I'm going to have to run here in a minute.
• 1:03:57
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, go ahead, go ahead.
• 1:03:59
  SPEAKER_01: We can end it.
• 1:03:59
  SPEAKER_01: We can end it.
• 1:04:00
  SPEAKER_01: We can definitely,
• 1:04:01
  SPEAKER_01: I want to have an entire episode on this because you're the front office, man.
• 1:04:05
  SPEAKER_01: You've lived in this world.
• 1:04:08
  SPEAKER_01: I think you've got to be careful.
• 1:04:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think, yeah,
• 1:04:10
  SPEAKER_01: the sauce gardener trade,
• 1:04:12
  SPEAKER_01: You want to get that draft capital back to an extent that you can
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_01: with whoever's going to be GM,
• 1:04:18
  SPEAKER_01: whoever's going to be head coach, whoever's going to be quarterback.
• 1:04:21
  SPEAKER_01: Clearly, but I've got to be careful with these fire sales too, right?
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_01: You don't just want to give away all your good players.
• 1:04:29
  SPEAKER_01: You might have a good player worth being a part of the rebuild.
• 1:04:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's where I was headed, yeah.
• 1:04:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, ownership is very involved, as we know.
• 1:04:39
  SPEAKER_01: So is she telling them – Ed Dodds, who's in the interim, right?
• 1:04:45
  SPEAKER_01: I guess it's an audition, but they're finding a new GM.
• 1:04:47
  SPEAKER_01: She's got to do whatever she says.
• 1:04:49
  SPEAKER_01: If she says to get rid of everybody that you can for picks,
• 1:04:51
  SPEAKER_01: okay, looks great in theory, but I don't know.
• 1:04:56
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like some of the best turnarounds are when a team hangs on to a player or two
• 1:05:00
  SPEAKER_01: to be part of that team.
• 1:05:02
  SPEAKER_01: Even in Miami,
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_01: which is going full youth movement,
• 1:05:05
  SPEAKER_01: even they paid Jordan Brooks and Aaron Brewer, who we both wrote about.
• 1:05:09
  SPEAKER_01: So you got to have some torchbearers for the next phase.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's going to do it in this episode.
• 1:05:18
  SPEAKER_01: Real football.
• 1:05:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Tyler Dunn.
• 1:05:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's Jim Monis.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for hanging out with us.
• 1:05:24
  SPEAKER_01: Read everything at golongtd.com.
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_01: And inside the Substack app, we've got the column on the officiating.
• 1:05:31
  SPEAKER_01: Jim, I actually caught up with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul
• 1:05:36
  SPEAKER_01: about this Bill's stadium deal to kind of continue.
• 1:05:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know,
• 1:05:39
  SPEAKER_01: after I wrote the thing,
• 1:05:41
  SPEAKER_01: after sitting down with Terry Pegula,
• 1:05:42
  SPEAKER_01: there was a question of,
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_01: okay, how realistic was it really that they were going to leave?
• 1:05:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we got the governor on the matter.
• 1:05:49
  SPEAKER_01: That will be at the site soon.
• 1:05:51
  SPEAKER_01: And, yeah, all kinds of stuff.
• 1:05:54
  SPEAKER_01: It was in Baltimore.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_01: You'll see some features from our trip there.
• 1:05:57
  SPEAKER_01: It was out in Green Bay, some features from our trip there.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_01: The Monus Report is at golongtd.com.
• 1:06:02
  SPEAKER_01: Check that out.
• 1:06:03
  SPEAKER_01: Monus riffs on all the games.
• 1:06:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's always a joy.
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_01: It always makes me laugh.
• 1:06:07
  SPEAKER_01: Catch you next week, everyone.
• 1:06:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much.
• 1:06:11
  [music]