Latest / NFL Power Rankings / #11: Who should be #1 after Eagles loss? Could Tua be in MVP conversation?
Transcript
- 0:04Speaker 1: NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
- 0:07Speaker 1: partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello, Hello, and welcome to
- 0:16Speaker 1: the NFL Power Rankings podcast, presented by Energizer. I'm Dan
- 0:20Speaker 1: Hansis and I am flying solo. On today's show, Colleen Wolf,
- 0:25Speaker 1: my usual co host, back from Germany but recuperating, which
- 0:30Speaker 1: makes sense because literally every photo or video I saw
- 0:36Speaker 1: of NFL network talent in Germany featured a beer in
- 0:40Speaker 1: their hand. So that's cool that it works out for
- 0:43Speaker 1: them that way. Colleen will be back hangover. Uh, if
- 0:48Speaker 1: they hangover, permits her too, And luckily we can sail
- 0:52Speaker 1: along here a little fireside chat um about the Power
- 0:56Speaker 1: Rankings as we had their week eleven. And you know
- 0:59Speaker 1: where we stand right now is a place for me,
- 1:03Speaker 1: as the Power Ranks guy, of a little bit of uneasiness,
- 1:08Speaker 1: because as chaotic as the season has been, uh, I
- 1:13Speaker 1: have taken some peace and tranquility from the mantra, the slogan,
- 1:18Speaker 1: the saying it's the Big three, and a whole lot
- 1:23Speaker 1: of let's see in that big three, of course, and
- 1:27Speaker 1: this rolled right through September and October. You had the Bills,
- 1:31Speaker 1: who you knew were the cream of the crop. You
- 1:32Speaker 1: have the Eagles that were winning every week, and you're like,
- 1:35Speaker 1: even if they're not number one, they're locked and loaded.
- 1:37Speaker 1: Number two, you had the Chiefs as the team that
- 1:40Speaker 1: we're also clearly a Super Bowl contender and above the
- 1:43Speaker 1: twenty eight other teams, twenty nine other teams, and um,
- 1:47Speaker 1: now it doesn't feel that way as much because while
- 1:50Speaker 1: I look at the top three of the power rankings,
- 1:52Speaker 1: are about to take a look at the top ten.
- 1:54Speaker 1: You're gonna see, yes, the Eagles still in the top three,
- 1:58Speaker 1: in fact, still a top the Chiefs still in the
- 2:02Speaker 1: top three. So you have to teams in the top
- 2:05Speaker 1: three still, But you got the Bills down at five,
- 2:07Speaker 1: and you have all these other teams in the top
- 2:09Speaker 1: ten that feel like they've closed the gap. So let's
- 2:12Speaker 1: take a look at it right now. Eagles, even with
- 2:14Speaker 1: that loss, we're gonna get into that. I kept at one.
- 2:17Speaker 1: The Chiefs up one spot off the win over Jacksonville
- 2:20Speaker 1: to tow the Vikings, Yes, a huge win in Buffalo,
- 2:24Speaker 1: beating the Bills and the referees to move up to
- 2:27Speaker 1: the number three spot. Up four, the Dolphins make a
- 2:30Speaker 1: charge into the top five with another dominant showing by
- 2:33Speaker 1: their offense and a good showing by their d So
- 2:36Speaker 1: they're up eight spots to four, the Bills down three
- 2:39Speaker 1: to five and a little bit of a funk obviously,
- 2:41Speaker 1: and then you had the Ravens six, nine, Ers seven,
- 2:45Speaker 1: Cowboys down four spots to eight after failing to get
- 2:48Speaker 1: it done against the Packers, the Titans and Jets rounding
- 2:52Speaker 1: out the top ten, and you know, the Eagles will
- 2:55Speaker 1: will start here because I think they were overdue for
- 2:58Speaker 1: a bad game. Obviously. This is a team that has
- 3:01Speaker 1: just cruised through the early early portion of the season,
- 3:05Speaker 1: and you could make the you could make the comment,
- 3:08Speaker 1: and certainly I have on the show to Colleen's dismay
- 3:11Speaker 1: that obviously undefeated into something special if you're if you're
- 3:15Speaker 1: taking that into November, But when are they going to
- 3:17Speaker 1: really get tested? How are they going to react when
- 3:19Speaker 1: they get punched in the mouth? And I think we
- 3:21Speaker 1: kind of expected maybe later in the season that would happen,
- 3:24Speaker 1: maybe a Titans team who's on the schedule, Maybe the
- 3:27Speaker 1: Cowboys when they see see them again with Dak Prescott,
- 3:30Speaker 1: maybe the Giants who have found a way to win
- 3:32Speaker 1: week after week this year. But it end up being
- 3:35Speaker 1: of all teams. The Washington Commanders, who take advantage of
- 3:39Speaker 1: Eagles mistakes make big place to stay on the field
- 3:43Speaker 1: and keep the powerful Philly offense off it, and they
- 3:47Speaker 1: you know, get a little help themselves from game officials
- 3:50Speaker 1: on some controversial calls and they steal a win away
- 3:54Speaker 1: from the Eagles. So, you know, again sighting Colleen who's
- 3:58Speaker 1: nursing a hangover and we hope she's gonna make it through. Um,
- 4:02Speaker 1: she kind of said, you know it would it be
- 4:05Speaker 1: the worst thing to take a loss if you're if
- 4:07Speaker 1: you're the Eagles, because you don't want to get caught
- 4:10Speaker 1: flat footed later in the season when the game's uh
- 4:13Speaker 1: matter more, perhaps even into the playoffs. Well, you don't
- 4:15Speaker 1: have to worry about that anymore, Eagles fans, because the
- 4:17Speaker 1: idea of a perfect season is over. Kick Mercury Morris's
- 4:23Speaker 1: bunk bed and tell him to wake up. Why would
- 4:24Speaker 1: Mercury Morris have a bunk bed. He's like seventy five
- 4:27Speaker 1: years old. I don't know his personal set up in life, actually,
- 4:30Speaker 1: but wherever Mercury is maybe it's a water bed. That
- 4:33Speaker 1: kind of makes more sense. I like that, Uh, he's
- 4:36Speaker 1: his nineteen seventy two Dolphins. They're safe for another year.
- 4:41Speaker 1: And it was a strange thing. This is why I
- 4:43Speaker 1: keep the Eagles at number one, because I caught a
- 4:45Speaker 1: little blowback on Good Morning Football this morning. Why are
- 4:49Speaker 1: they still here? Well, you, first of all, you don't
- 4:51Speaker 1: have to drop a team just because they lost the
- 4:53Speaker 1: way they lose matters. And I didn't think the Eagles,
- 4:57Speaker 1: uh were exposed in this game. Put it this way,
- 5:00Speaker 1: I mean, a primetime game can always be funky, uh
- 5:03Speaker 1: and another team start us to believe. And really you
- 5:06Speaker 1: could feel that shift in that building, that Washington who's
- 5:09Speaker 1: an inferior team, but their ability to yes, take advantage
- 5:14Speaker 1: of the turnovers, but run thirty four more plays than
- 5:17Speaker 1: the Eagles, it was astounding. They had the ball for
- 5:19Speaker 1: room was forty one minutes, and I think, what, what's
- 5:21Speaker 1: the craziest thing? And I'm not gonna say fluky, because
- 5:23Speaker 1: that's not fair to the commanders, who really did play
- 5:27Speaker 1: their butts off in this game. But to possess the
- 5:30Speaker 1: ball for over forty minutes, two thirds of game time
- 5:33Speaker 1: an average four point one yards per play, that's gotta
- 5:37Speaker 1: be a record. So it wasn't like the Eagles are
- 5:39Speaker 1: getting chewed up by a Washington offense that wasn't quite
- 5:43Speaker 1: the case. I thought they played fine. It wasn't like
- 5:46Speaker 1: the Eagles offense was bad. In fact, they only had
- 5:48Speaker 1: the ball twice in the first half. They scored touchdowns
- 5:50Speaker 1: both times. They could have been a little sharper in
- 5:53Speaker 1: the second half. The Quez Watkins drop on the fifty
- 5:56Speaker 1: yard deep pass that we saw in the fourth quarter,
- 5:59Speaker 1: I think that actually, more than anything else, including the
- 6:02Speaker 1: the fugaz Brandon Graham personal foul that essentially salted away
- 6:07Speaker 1: the wind for Washington. Quiz Watkins catching a fifty ardor
- 6:10Speaker 1: and setting up the Eagles uh for the win there,
- 6:13Speaker 1: only to fumble when he got back up and lose
- 6:15Speaker 1: the ball. It did feel like Philly was ready to
- 6:18Speaker 1: take control of that game, and they didn't. So it
- 6:20Speaker 1: was the commanders who take command. And yet it felt
- 6:23Speaker 1: like the Eagles are gonna be fine. They lived for
- 6:26Speaker 1: another day. And also, I don't see another team here
- 6:30Speaker 1: that really jumps out to me as a true number one.
- 6:33Speaker 1: Who's number one in the NFL? Right now, let's talk
- 6:35Speaker 1: about the Vikings. Okay, So the Chiefs. I like where
- 6:38Speaker 1: the Chiefs are. The Chiefs are knocking on the door there,
- 6:40Speaker 1: they're right there after that went over the Jacks. But
- 6:42Speaker 1: it's the Vikings that I think some people are gonna
- 6:44Speaker 1: naturally say, well, dummy, you have a team that wins
- 6:48Speaker 1: every week. Just about now the Vikings with the same
- 6:51Speaker 1: record as the Eagles. Now the Vikings who just beat
- 6:54Speaker 1: the Bills in Orchard Park. Pick the Vikings. No, that's
- 7:00Speaker 1: that's what I This is my job. I get to choose.
- 7:02Speaker 1: I think the making a job. Jump up four spots.
- 7:05Speaker 1: The number three feels right for this team. And I
- 7:07Speaker 1: have a lot again, like with the Commanders, so much
- 7:10Speaker 1: respect for what this team did. They overcame um a
- 7:14Speaker 1: seventeen point deficit late in the third quarter and made
- 7:18Speaker 1: big play after big play after big play. And that's
- 7:21Speaker 1: the case for this team as a team. That will
- 7:23Speaker 1: matter in January because they're playing in the postseason. They're
- 7:27Speaker 1: gonna win this division. Um the way their records set up,
- 7:31Speaker 1: the way the division is, or the Packers having a
- 7:33Speaker 1: terrible start to the year, we will see Minnesota in
- 7:36Speaker 1: the playoffs. Now it becomes a chance now that they're
- 7:38Speaker 1: tied at least in record, Eagles have the tie breaker
- 7:41Speaker 1: because of the head to head matchup in week two,
- 7:43Speaker 1: You're in a position here where, um, you could maybe
- 7:47Speaker 1: get the first seed in this conference, and then you
- 7:49Speaker 1: could knock out the wild card round. You could sit
- 7:51Speaker 1: sit that out and then have two home games with
- 7:53Speaker 1: a chance to get back to the super Bowl. That's
- 7:56Speaker 1: down the road for now. I think there's something really
- 7:58Speaker 1: exciting brewing here. Kris kirk Cousins, who has been the
- 8:01Speaker 1: very picture of mediocrity in terms of UH team success
- 8:05Speaker 1: throughout his career. Uh, he's always a five quarterback to
- 8:09Speaker 1: win eight of nine starts and make big throws. He
- 8:12Speaker 1: was pretty he was actually looking kind of like the
- 8:14Speaker 1: old Kirk Cousins in the first half of this game,
- 8:17Speaker 1: but he got on the same page and started just
- 8:20Speaker 1: shredding uh the Buffalo defense. Justin Jefferson obviously makes the
- 8:24Speaker 1: catch of the year. You had a game changing run
- 8:27Speaker 1: that eighty one yard or by Dalvin Cook. Sometimes you
- 8:29Speaker 1: forget about how special he is, and that was a
- 8:32Speaker 1: reminder that really got this game back into a competitive nature.
- 8:36Speaker 1: And then you had Patrick Peterson, you know, a guy
- 8:38Speaker 1: that maybe isn't the same duty was in Arizona, but
- 8:42Speaker 1: a ball hawk, uh for sure. So we're gonna talk
- 8:45Speaker 1: more about the Vikings in a bit with our guest
- 8:48Speaker 1: Stacy Dal's who has the NFC North on lock um.
- 8:52Speaker 1: But let's then spin toward a little conversation about the Dolphins.
- 8:56Speaker 1: This is Power Moves presented by Energizer the Miami Dolphins.
- 9:00Speaker 1: I was a little bit slow to come around on
- 9:03Speaker 1: the Dolphins. I inc in retrospect. I don't have an
- 9:06Speaker 1: issue if you look at the arc, if you follow
- 9:08Speaker 1: the power rankings, um how they made their move up,
- 9:12Speaker 1: then down, then back up the board, because you can't
- 9:15Speaker 1: minimize what this team looked like without to a tongue
- 9:20Speaker 1: of volo running the offense. They lost every game, but
- 9:23Speaker 1: they've won every game that too has started and finished.
- 9:26Speaker 1: And if you're a fan of an a f C team,
- 9:29Speaker 1: you are afraid of this Dolphins offense. Because what they
- 9:33Speaker 1: did to the Browns this week. You can say, oh
- 9:35Speaker 1: the Browns, who cares, it's there not a big time team.
- 9:38Speaker 1: Go look what the Browns did on Halloween night and
- 9:40Speaker 1: Monday Night football against Cincinnati. The Bengals were getting shut
- 9:43Speaker 1: out midway through the fourth quarter before a couple of
- 9:46Speaker 1: garbage time tds from Joe Burrow, but they completely shut
- 9:51Speaker 1: down a Bengals offense that is explosive and came into
- 9:54Speaker 1: that game completely on fire. I know they were without
- 9:56Speaker 1: Jamr Chase, but that was a team that got humbled
- 9:59Speaker 1: by the Cleveland defense. So see Miami go on the
- 10:02Speaker 1: field scoring six of their seven first drive never punt once.
- 10:06Speaker 1: And to a listen, people want to get caught up
- 10:09Speaker 1: with the too A thing and who's better to h
- 10:12Speaker 1: or Herbert or tah or this or two or that
- 10:15Speaker 1: tour right now is playing like Steve Young. I'm not
- 10:19Speaker 1: saying he is that guy, but you look at his numbers.
- 10:22Speaker 1: There was a m v P chant um in hard
- 10:25Speaker 1: Rock Stadium during this game that broke out a couple
- 10:27Speaker 1: of times, and you're like, oh, that's that's cute Dolphins fans,
- 10:31Speaker 1: But any like lent a second. They are I believe
- 10:34Speaker 1: a half a game out of being the top seed
- 10:36Speaker 1: in the a f C. To his stats and eight starts,
- 10:41Speaker 1: has seven wins. He has eighteen touchdown passes, just three picks.
- 10:45Speaker 1: He's completing sevent of his throws at a staggering nine
- 10:51Speaker 1: point one yards per attempt average, which is league best.
- 10:55Speaker 1: This is m v P production. And if if he
- 10:57Speaker 1: were on the field for that month that he missed
- 11:00Speaker 1: after that unfortunate head injury he suffered, he would be
- 11:04Speaker 1: along with Dolphins on a record setting pace. So I
- 11:06Speaker 1: don't think it's outside the realm to have to in
- 11:08Speaker 1: this conversation for m v p uh. And yet it's
- 11:12Speaker 1: not just the passing game that's been humming. Jeff Wilson
- 11:15Speaker 1: brilliant trade by Miami. He had a hundred and nineteen
- 11:20Speaker 1: of the Dolphins rushing yards in this game. And oh,
- 11:23Speaker 1: by the way, the defense. The one thing I was
- 11:25Speaker 1: on this show Steve Weich last week pointing to as
- 11:28Speaker 1: keep an eye on that. Uh, that might be the
- 11:31Speaker 1: thing that holds them back. They really shut down the Browns.
- 11:35Speaker 1: Nick Chubb really couldn't get anything going until very late
- 11:37Speaker 1: in the game when everything was decided. And it just
- 11:40Speaker 1: feels like if Miami's defense just gets to an average level,
- 11:44Speaker 1: that offense is going to take them to a lot
- 11:47Speaker 1: of wins and into January. There's just one question at
- 11:50Speaker 1: this point for me, which is, mhmm, can this team
- 11:55Speaker 1: operate at this efficiency on offense when he gets cold?
- 11:59Speaker 1: When you have to get out of Miami. But maybe
- 12:01Speaker 1: the goal here is not to leave Miami. You get
- 12:03Speaker 1: you get this Windstreet cooking for another three or four weeks,
- 12:07Speaker 1: then you could start putting your eyes on the top
- 12:09Speaker 1: of the A f C. And then again, just like
- 12:11Speaker 1: I was talking about with the Vikings, you know, you
- 12:14Speaker 1: skip the wild card round, you get buy into the
- 12:16Speaker 1: divisional playoffs, and you never leave Miami. You know, by
- 12:18Speaker 1: the way, the Super Bowl it's in Arizona. So Miami
- 12:23Speaker 1: controls their destiny to not even have to worry about
- 12:25Speaker 1: a cold weather conversation about how their offense would operate.
- 12:28Speaker 1: So the Dolphins, I'm afraid of the Dolphins. As a
- 12:31Speaker 1: Jets fan. Everyone should have a a level of trepidation
- 12:36Speaker 1: the way they're humming right now. And let's finish our
- 12:39Speaker 1: discussion about the top ten with the Dallas Cowboys. Not
- 12:43Speaker 1: to go negative, but listen, you gotta you gotta mix
- 12:46Speaker 1: it up. That's what we do in the power rankings.
- 12:48Speaker 1: The good and the bad must be discussed. And the
- 12:52Speaker 1: Cowboys drop four spots to eight at lambeau Field fourth quarter,
- 12:59Speaker 1: a chance to step on the throat of the Packers
- 13:02Speaker 1: in their building, and unbelievable opportunity lost. I think for
- 13:07Speaker 1: the Cowboys, Mike McCarthy and his big homecoming. He had
- 13:11Speaker 1: a very uh had a beautiful tan uh knee length
- 13:16Speaker 1: pea coat and a matching scarf rolling into the building
- 13:20Speaker 1: and it's just like, this was McCarthy's day, this was
- 13:22Speaker 1: Zaddie's day, and uh, Aaron Rodgers says, no, I respect you,
- 13:26Speaker 1: Mike McCarthy, but I'm gonna destroy you. And I I
- 13:28Speaker 1: got um uh heat on around the NFL podcast for
- 13:33Speaker 1: saying look out for Aaron Rodgers here stuff he was
- 13:35Speaker 1: saying on the on Pat mcavie's show last week. Don't
- 13:38Speaker 1: forget that I'm the two time m v P reigning
- 13:41Speaker 1: MVP four times. Overall, the Cowboys were in more danger
- 13:45Speaker 1: uh than I think a lot of people realized in
- 13:47Speaker 1: this game, just because how desperate Green Day was and
- 13:50Speaker 1: you saw that the way they played that fourth quarter.
- 13:52Speaker 1: So you know, the defense not being able to get
- 13:56Speaker 1: the big stops both in the fourth quarter and then
- 13:58Speaker 1: on the Packers uh driving overtime that ended with the
- 14:02Speaker 1: game ending field goal. It's disappointing, mostly because the defense
- 14:06Speaker 1: has spoiled us a little bit. You expect them to
- 14:10Speaker 1: close that game out. So it says I think a
- 14:12Speaker 1: lot about the Packers, but it also tells you that
- 14:14Speaker 1: the Cowboys, as good as they've been this season on defense,
- 14:18Speaker 1: still have work to do um and need that balance.
- 14:21Speaker 1: So disappointing effort on both sides of all. The offense
- 14:23Speaker 1: did not make plays when they needed them. Maybe you
- 14:27Speaker 1: could quibble and say, again I don't like bring it
- 14:29Speaker 1: up the game officials, but it was a little bit
- 14:31Speaker 1: of a rough week eleven on that front. Uh the
- 14:34Speaker 1: could have been a past interference call on third down
- 14:37Speaker 1: in overtime when Dallas was inside Green Bay territory. It
- 14:40Speaker 1: was not called, and then uh Zaddy decides to go
- 14:44Speaker 1: forward on fourth and three instead of the long field
- 14:46Speaker 1: goal doesn't work out, and the game's history. So it's
- 14:49Speaker 1: a frustrating loss. But it doesn't make me think that
- 14:51Speaker 1: the Cowboys are no good or they're ready for a
- 14:53Speaker 1: big tumble. But it is a maybe a wake up
- 14:56Speaker 1: call that again the league, as we get deeper into
- 15:00Speaker 1: this season, teams like the Packers, like the buf that
- 15:05Speaker 1: we expected to be good they might be ready to
- 15:07Speaker 1: make a push now. And all these teams that have
- 15:09Speaker 1: resided resided in the top ten that felt like they
- 15:13Speaker 1: were cut above that all these other teams, it's getting tighter.
- 15:16Speaker 1: It makes it harder, you think, I after working for
- 15:21Speaker 1: fourteen hours on Monday, and I sit down and at
- 15:26Speaker 1: my couch and I just want to watch nice calm.
- 15:30Speaker 1: Let's say thirty one fourteen Eagles win over the commandit.
- 15:33Speaker 1: You know how easier that would have made my job.
- 15:36Speaker 1: But that's just the way it is with the power rankings.
- 15:38Speaker 1: They the NFL wants to make things difficult. They want
- 15:43Speaker 1: to keep as many teams involved, and that means the
- 15:46Speaker 1: power ranks will always be moving. But I didn't move
- 15:49Speaker 1: the Eagles. I thought about it though. All Right, we're
- 15:52Speaker 1: just getting started here. Coming up next, Stacy Dale's a
- 15:57Speaker 1: long time favorite. We'll join us to talk about what's
- 16:01Speaker 1: going on in the NFC North. We'll talk those Packers,
- 16:04Speaker 1: the Airs, Lions, maybe even the Vikings up next. All right,
- 16:26Speaker 1: welcome back to Power Kings percented by Energizer. Here's eleven
- 16:30Speaker 1: through twenty. The Bengals off to buy stay at eleven.
- 16:33Speaker 1: The Bucks up four after a nice win in Munich,
- 16:37Speaker 1: up to twelve. Giants got some Giants fans that are
- 16:40Speaker 1: annoyed with me. I don't know, but Mike Garret Folo
- 16:43Speaker 1: is he is he a Giants fan? I know he's
- 16:45Speaker 1: a Tri State area guy, but he gave me some heat.
- 16:47Speaker 1: On Good Morning Football. We got the Seahawks down four
- 16:50Speaker 1: to fourteen, Pats at fifteen, Packers up six to sixteen, uh,
- 16:56Speaker 1: Commanders up eight spots. After that, a great performance on
- 17:00Speaker 1: Monday Night, knocking off the undefeated Eagles to seventeen. Chargers
- 17:04Speaker 1: down three. They're so beat up to eighteen, the Cardinals
- 17:07Speaker 1: up four and not buying in. But you know you
- 17:10Speaker 1: took care of business against the Rams to nineteen, and
- 17:13Speaker 1: the Chicago Bears. I don't care if you lose. You
- 17:15Speaker 1: get the green arrow up to the top twenty. They're
- 17:18Speaker 1: making a charge. And speaking of the Bears and the
- 17:21Speaker 1: Vikings and the Packers and the Lines, we must now
- 17:24Speaker 1: welcome in one of our favorites, Stacy Dale's NFL Network
- 17:29Speaker 1: reporter and an all around great woman. And Stacy, can
- 17:33Speaker 1: I just start here? Um, you're wearing a blue denim jacket.
- 17:38Speaker 1: Are you wearing the fabled Canadian tuxedo? Denim up top,
- 17:43Speaker 1: denim down low? There? It is there, it is. I
- 17:50Speaker 1: love Canada. Although these are black jeans, so it's okay.
- 17:53Speaker 1: There's a little contrast there. And by the way, I've
- 17:55Speaker 1: been holding out, Kansas. I've been holding out. You know
- 17:58Speaker 1: how many people want me to run through power rankings?
- 18:02Speaker 1: You know, I I know there are some competitors out there,
- 18:05Speaker 1: but I've been holding out to be with you. And
- 18:07Speaker 1: here we are, Uh, finally, may you love yourself? Some
- 18:11Speaker 1: Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers like the Packers win
- 18:14Speaker 1: one game and you thrust them up. You know what.
- 18:17Speaker 1: I think, Maybe that's a little high, But I think
- 18:19Speaker 1: what you're saying, I like the first part of what
- 18:21Speaker 1: you're saying better that there are many imitators in the
- 18:24Speaker 1: power rankings game, but there there's only one old zoos
- 18:28Speaker 1: er power Rankings. I think, why don't we start. Let's
- 18:31Speaker 1: get let's start with the Packers, all right? When I
- 18:33Speaker 1: watched that game, and I and I know Aaron Rodgers
- 18:36Speaker 1: talks and talks and talks, so maybe we get to
- 18:41Speaker 1: a point where you don't have to you can tune
- 18:43Speaker 1: them out. But when he went on the McAfee show
- 18:46Speaker 1: and made the comment, you know, people forget that I'm
- 18:49Speaker 1: the reigning back to back m v p UM and
- 18:52Speaker 1: then I was like, man, this feels like a spot
- 18:55Speaker 1: where the Packers are going to put up a big fight.
- 18:57Speaker 1: And maybe turn their season around. And they do it
- 18:59Speaker 1: against the Cowboys. I guess I'm buying in a little bit,
- 19:02Speaker 1: but that we might see a push for this team
- 19:04Speaker 1: now and they are in consideration for the playoffs, which
- 19:06Speaker 1: is why they cracked the top sixteen. You want to
- 19:09Speaker 1: push back on that. I don't want to push back
- 19:12Speaker 1: on it because it's Rogers, right. I mean, you believe
- 19:14Speaker 1: everything you hear on Pat McAfee. Uh, kudos to you. UM,
- 19:18Speaker 1: love that show. But listen, I think with when you
- 19:22Speaker 1: have a one seven passer rating after five straight losses
- 19:26Speaker 1: and you faced the Dallas Cowboys and you throw with
- 19:30Speaker 1: pinpoint accuracy like the m v P, the back to
- 19:32Speaker 1: back m v P. Yeah, I'm gonna jump with you
- 19:36Speaker 1: six spots because it's Aaron Rodgers and all of a sudden,
- 19:38Speaker 1: the rookie came alive. Christian Watson. We see right here
- 19:41Speaker 1: with those three touchdowns is first game with a passing
- 19:45Speaker 1: receiving touchdown, UM, which is pretty cool. And then the
- 19:48Speaker 1: run game. I mean they've gone two of their last
- 19:50Speaker 1: three games over two on the ground, Dan and Uh,
- 19:54Speaker 1: I think that shows signs that the offense has finally
- 19:56Speaker 1: coming together. The past pros a little bit better. I'm
- 19:59Speaker 1: disappointed with the injuries defensively, obviously, Stokes and Rashawn Gary
- 20:04Speaker 1: are ma some losses defensively, But yeah, I'm okay with
- 20:08Speaker 1: this jump because it's Aaron Rodgers, and I think maybe
- 20:10Speaker 1: this premonition he had that they were going to win
- 20:12Speaker 1: this game during the week means some more games down
- 20:16Speaker 1: the road. And by the way, the last time they
- 20:17Speaker 1: were four and six, it was two sixteen. I believe
- 20:21Speaker 1: they were in the table. They finished ten and six
- 20:25Speaker 1: and they made it to the NFC Championship Game. Yeah,
- 20:27Speaker 1: I'm just saying. I'm just saying the power rankings on
- 20:30Speaker 1: some level, Stacy is like the here and now. But
- 20:33Speaker 1: I think history, as my great friend Chris Wesling was
- 20:36Speaker 1: known to say, history is instructive, and I just believe
- 20:40Speaker 1: that they have a run in them. And and before
- 20:43Speaker 1: we get to the vikings, I just want to say
- 20:45Speaker 1: the Christian Watson development is huge. You know the fact
- 20:48Speaker 1: that he literally dropped a seventy yard touchdown pass in
- 20:52Speaker 1: his first game on the first play from scrimmage. I
- 20:55Speaker 1: don't want to make too much of it and make
- 20:56Speaker 1: it a narrative based conversation here, but it really felt
- 20:59Speaker 1: like it's set the tone for a very frustrating first
- 21:01Speaker 1: two months, and they've been searching, they've been so change
- 21:05Speaker 1: searching for someone to step up and fill that Davante
- 21:07Speaker 1: Adams void on some level. If he can build off
- 21:10Speaker 1: that game, it really does change so much. Well, the
- 21:14Speaker 1: confidence there is, like I'll continue to use the word massive.
- 21:18Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, they haven't had production like that since
- 21:21Speaker 1: Davante had a three plus touchdown receiving touchdown performance. And uh,
- 21:26Speaker 1: you know this is one where you don't want to
- 21:27Speaker 1: repeat history. If you're Christian Watson, we remember that drop
- 21:31Speaker 1: he had. But the only way to get better in
- 21:33Speaker 1: life is to make mistakes. So hey, he made a
- 21:35Speaker 1: couple early. He actually had a couple of drops early
- 21:38Speaker 1: in that game against Dallas Dan and uh, they came
- 21:41Speaker 1: to him on the sideline, Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers. Uh,
- 21:44Speaker 1: they corralled him and said, we're coming back to you,
- 21:46Speaker 1: so you better get ready. And he's going to change
- 21:49Speaker 1: the way defenses play. The Packers, I think a little
- 21:51Speaker 1: bit because of how good their run game has been
- 21:53Speaker 1: with jones E and aj Dillon. So hey, we'll see
- 21:56Speaker 1: Thursday Night football. They may even have Randall cobback soon.
- 21:59Speaker 1: I mean, they're they're not putting that out of the
- 22:01Speaker 1: realm of possibility. Uh to kick off. There's a night
- 22:04Speaker 1: foo ball this coming week. One thing I struggle with
- 22:06Speaker 1: that you said the only thing, Stacy is that people
- 22:09Speaker 1: make mistakes and they learned from them. And then I
- 22:11Speaker 1: look behind you, Stacy, and I see one of the
- 22:14Speaker 1: great collegiate players of all time and Nay Smith's great
- 22:17Speaker 1: game of basketball, amongst all the other success that you've
- 22:21Speaker 1: had in your life and career, and it's like, well,
- 22:23Speaker 1: I don't think you've made mistakes. Are you an outlier? No?
- 22:28Speaker 1: I'm perfect. I'm perfect. Yeah, yeah, I I you know,
- 22:34Speaker 1: I forget that I played basketball. The only reminder is
- 22:37Speaker 1: all the injuries that I have now in my later years.
- 22:40Speaker 1: So you're a warrior. So well, that wasn't the goal
- 22:43Speaker 1: that we're going to try to move forward. The Vikings
- 22:47Speaker 1: um super impressive, Stacy, and I just I'm curious, Like Listen,
- 22:53Speaker 1: I was one of the kind of doubters going into Buffalo.
- 22:57Speaker 1: I wasn't alone, but I had no choice but to
- 22:59Speaker 1: move them into the top three. Does that game warts
- 23:03Speaker 1: and all? Does that game remove any doubt to you
- 23:06Speaker 1: that they're a true Super Bowl contender or is there
- 23:08Speaker 1: still something in the back of your mind like they're
- 23:10Speaker 1: still is in mind maybe you know, you know the Midwest,
- 23:14Speaker 1: like that team has so much emotional baggage through the
- 23:16Speaker 1: years that you you're almost waiting for the other shoe
- 23:19Speaker 1: to drop, and yet here they are eight and one. Yeah,
- 23:22Speaker 1: so Cousins needs to win in the playoffs. And that's
- 23:25Speaker 1: you know, kind of always why there's a little doubt,
- 23:27Speaker 1: right the big games and the big moments, and Kirk
- 23:29Speaker 1: Cousins can get the job done. He's getting the job
- 23:33Speaker 1: done this season. It's the ko factor, man, It's the
- 23:36Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell factor. He has an incredible relationship with his
- 23:40Speaker 1: new head coach who coached him previously. If you know
- 23:43Speaker 1: Dan in Washington and now he's you know, at the
- 23:45Speaker 1: Helm here in Minnesota. I fully became a believer after
- 23:49Speaker 1: this game in Buffalo because I don't know, you've been
- 23:52Speaker 1: to him Mark Stadium. This thing is an I don't
- 23:54Speaker 1: know if I've seen a tailgate like it. Uh. And
- 23:57Speaker 1: and when you see you know, because I was there
- 23:58Speaker 1: for the Packers game this year and uh, Sunday Night
- 24:01Speaker 1: football that tailgate is something else these fans or something else.
- 24:05Speaker 1: The Chiefs of the Bills mafia is a real thing.
- 24:09Speaker 1: And for them to go in and do what they
- 24:11Speaker 1: did and then find ways to win. Right, the end
- 24:13Speaker 1: of that game was unreal. That's an instant classic. But
- 24:17Speaker 1: you know, looking at the numbers, five games they've won
- 24:21Speaker 1: this season trailing in the fourth quarter, right, Kirk is
- 24:24Speaker 1: responsible for five game winning drives this season. There's seven
- 24:28Speaker 1: and oh and one score games eight and one for
- 24:31Speaker 1: the first time since two thousand nine. Right, So they've
- 24:33Speaker 1: all bought in. And again it's the Kevin O'Connell factor.
- 24:37Speaker 1: I was in London and I had the Vikings against
- 24:39Speaker 1: I believe they play the Saints and uh and I
- 24:42Speaker 1: talked to Delvin Cook during the week and after the game,
- 24:44Speaker 1: and he said, all I want to do at the
- 24:46Speaker 1: stage in my careers win. And Kevin O'Connell has a
- 24:49Speaker 1: special way of teaching, UH, why why we're doing things,
- 24:53Speaker 1: why the offense is what it is, why this play
- 24:55Speaker 1: specifically is ran this way, And so I just really
- 24:58Speaker 1: think there's a buy in. The defense is a hell
- 25:00Speaker 1: of a lot better than it was over the past
- 25:03Speaker 1: couple of seasons. Uh, Darius Smith is back to his
- 25:06Speaker 1: form and with the Neil Hunter up front, this thing
- 25:08Speaker 1: is really good in Minnesota. And I'm all buying in
- 25:11Speaker 1: on them. Yeah, and there was again and you know
- 25:14Speaker 1: it's the past and the past is the past. But
- 25:17Speaker 1: you know when they get when they get stuffed at
- 25:19Speaker 1: the goal line? Uh. In that game, it just felt
- 25:22Speaker 1: like one of those classic, you know, gut punch moments
- 25:25Speaker 1: for Minnesota. When Davin Cut drops the pass at the
- 25:29Speaker 1: goal line on a free play, It's like, oh no,
- 25:32Speaker 1: is this just gonna That's how we're gonna remember this
- 25:35Speaker 1: great effort by Minnesota. And yet the fact that they
- 25:37Speaker 1: found a way maybe things are changing. For the vice question, Yes,
- 25:43Speaker 1: are you going to be the next media member to
- 25:47Speaker 1: don the Kirk Cousins chains without shirt on? Are you
- 25:51Speaker 1: going to be a Dan? Because if that's the case,
- 25:53Speaker 1: I'm gonna fly to wherever that is to see it. Two.
- 25:55Speaker 1: Ware's it. Here's the problem. Here's the sneaky important part
- 25:58Speaker 1: of the chain game. He's got to have like a
- 26:01Speaker 1: banging bod and Kirk Cousins Is bod is like surprisingly saucy,
- 26:07Speaker 1: it's a it's a good body. And then Patrick Peterson
- 26:10Speaker 1: looked like he was cut out of marble. And it's
- 26:12Speaker 1: just like, I'm not there yet, you know. Just give
- 26:14Speaker 1: me about six to eight years with a personal trainer
- 26:17Speaker 1: and a dietitian and I will wear the chains. Let's
- 26:20Speaker 1: check back in the mi Okay, okay, put a put
- 26:23Speaker 1: a place of wager on that one pin in that
- 26:25Speaker 1: one Let me let me ask you about the Bears,
- 26:27Speaker 1: who are also getting better stacy, and a lot of
- 26:31Speaker 1: that is connected to the quarterback. This feels like, even
- 26:35Speaker 1: in a narrow loss in Cairo, Santos, make a kick,
- 26:37Speaker 1: but make a kick, um you You feel like this
- 26:40Speaker 1: is an important developmental year, transition year for this franchise.
- 26:44Speaker 1: And maybe you and I are doing this show God
- 26:46Speaker 1: Willing a year from now and we're talking about the
- 26:48Speaker 1: Bears in the top ten because now it feels like
- 26:51Speaker 1: they got the quarterback who's hitting a stride. Now you
- 26:53Speaker 1: just gotta have a smart offseason of building in the
- 26:56Speaker 1: here and now they're competitive and fun on a weekly basis. Now.
- 27:00Speaker 1: I don't know, Dan, if I've ever seen a fan base,
- 27:02Speaker 1: because you know, I live in Chicago. It when the
- 27:06Speaker 1: loss happens, like they don't leave. Everybody stays put and
- 27:10Speaker 1: there there. They've got their phones out right during the game.
- 27:13Speaker 1: When Justin Fields has the ball, they're just they're just
- 27:15Speaker 1: videoing him, like what's he gonna do on this next play?
- 27:19Speaker 1: Since week five, he's averaging over a hundred yards rushing
- 27:22Speaker 1: the football. It's insane what he's doing. I'm a little
- 27:25Speaker 1: surprised you jumped them up one spot because they're losing
- 27:28Speaker 1: and they've lost six of their last seven games. But
- 27:31Speaker 1: there's promise and there's hope unlike I've ever seen in
- 27:33Speaker 1: Chicago for this football team. Like he leads all quarterbacks
- 27:38Speaker 1: with seven and forty nine rush yards right, he's throwing
- 27:41Speaker 1: ten passes though in six games since week five, This
- 27:45Speaker 1: this product he's putting in. Performances he's putting together consecutively
- 27:50Speaker 1: is really really impressive. I love how they've integrated Cole
- 27:53Speaker 1: comm At at at the tight end. He's finally scoring this year,
- 27:55Speaker 1: which he didn't do last year. And Darnell Mooney is
- 27:59Speaker 1: back to form. The run game is the best in
- 28:02Speaker 1: the NFL. But you gotta win football games. And so
- 28:04Speaker 1: when you mentioned the Cairo Santo, you know Santo's kick
- 28:08Speaker 1: that feel missed extra point. I'm thinking, hey, don't throw
- 28:11Speaker 1: a pick six too, But I'm also looking at it.
- 28:13Speaker 1: I'm also looking at though, Dan, like you figured out
- 28:17Speaker 1: the run game, okay in Chicago, Luke GETSI is just
- 28:20Speaker 1: you know, I talked to a couple of weeks ago
- 28:22Speaker 1: about it, and I asked him when did you decide
- 28:24Speaker 1: to put these runs in and he said, well, we
- 28:26Speaker 1: implemented the offense in the off season and the runs
- 28:29Speaker 1: have always been there. But I'm like, this thing is
- 28:32Speaker 1: substantially different, Like teams are looking at justin fields like
- 28:36Speaker 1: they would look at Lamar Jackson as I've talked to
- 28:39Speaker 1: opposing defensive players, because he is just so dynamic you
- 28:44Speaker 1: don't know what is coming big play wise, and now
- 28:47Speaker 1: in the last three games, they've averaged thirty past yards
- 28:50Speaker 1: per games. So my thing in this Detroit game, let
- 28:52Speaker 1: him throw it around. I'm okay with the pick six,
- 28:55Speaker 1: to be honest with you, because until he makes that mistake,
- 28:58Speaker 1: he's not going to change that decision in the next
- 29:01Speaker 1: game in the fourth quarter and win. So I think
- 29:03Speaker 1: they're this close in Chicago. So I see why you
- 29:05Speaker 1: brought him up one spot. No, And that's why, because
- 29:07Speaker 1: you know it is the power rankings, not the power standings,
- 29:10Speaker 1: which I always have to remind people of that. And
- 29:13Speaker 1: you know, a lot of the way I frame things
- 29:15Speaker 1: as a fan and sometimes as an analyst is through
- 29:18Speaker 1: my own Jets fandom. And I was thinking, you know,
- 29:21Speaker 1: we we passed on Patrick Mahomes because we had Christian Hackenburg,
- 29:24Speaker 1: we passed on Josh Allen because we had Sam Donald,
- 29:28Speaker 1: And now you know, did we pass on Justin Fields
- 29:31Speaker 1: because we we like Zack Wilson. I'm starting to get
- 29:34Speaker 1: those pangs of fan regret because it does feel like
- 29:36Speaker 1: Fields might be right there. He's not there yet, as
- 29:39Speaker 1: you saw from the interception, is passing game. There's still
- 29:42Speaker 1: some ways to go there. But he seems like he
- 29:44Speaker 1: might be special. And that that's all anybody was talking about,
- 29:47Speaker 1: including on the A T N podcast when the Bears
- 29:49Speaker 1: moved up to get Fields. This is an organization that
- 29:52Speaker 1: needed a shot in the arm, and here it is. Wow,
- 29:56Speaker 1: it is an absolute shot in the arm. I mean,
- 29:58Speaker 1: what he's doing, he's doing record breaking things right now.
- 30:02Speaker 1: I mean he's got to spend these last again, these
- 30:04Speaker 1: last five games, five hundred yards on the ground running
- 30:10Speaker 1: the foot like this is insane. What he's doing. He's surpassed.
- 30:12Speaker 1: He's number one most in the Super Bowl era in
- 30:15Speaker 1: a five game span, surpassing Lamar Jackson. Like it is
- 30:19Speaker 1: just and you could talk about the speed like it
- 30:22Speaker 1: you don't even realize how fast he's going because he's
- 30:25Speaker 1: so swift and he's so big. I mean, you're talking
- 30:27Speaker 1: about Cam Newton size. But I think you know, could
- 30:31Speaker 1: end up being a certainly when you think about justin
- 30:35Speaker 1: fields and his arm strength, just a hell of an acquisition.
- 30:38Speaker 1: If he can continue this growth and evolution as the
- 30:41Speaker 1: starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears. I mean, he's totally
- 30:44Speaker 1: changed the landscape in Chicago at least as of right now. Absolutely,
- 30:48Speaker 1: and finally, like real quick, because it wouldn't be right
- 30:51Speaker 1: to the Lions fans who put up with a lot
- 30:53Speaker 1: of garbage for the past I don't know, a hundred
- 30:55Speaker 1: years or so. Um, let's talk about the Lions real quick.
- 30:58Speaker 1: I'm I'm relieved, um that they have this little two
- 31:01Speaker 1: game winning streak. They get the monkey off their back
- 31:03Speaker 1: of winning a road game. All I want because on
- 31:06Speaker 1: the Round the NFL podcast that the team of around
- 31:08Speaker 1: the NFL, we we like the lines. We want to
- 31:10Speaker 1: see them to succeed I really enjoyed that hard Knocks season,
- 31:14Speaker 1: and what we don't want is the second week of
- 31:16Speaker 1: January for people like will Ian Rappaport very solemn on
- 31:19Speaker 1: Good Morning Football. There has not been a decision made
- 31:22Speaker 1: yet on Dan Campbell. We want a nice close to
- 31:25Speaker 1: the season that that sends the lines towards a off
- 31:28Speaker 1: season of hope and optimism. Do you sense that they've
- 31:31Speaker 1: turned the corner a little bit here? Um? I think so.
- 31:34Speaker 1: I it's I'm going to have them on Thanksgiving, and
- 31:38Speaker 1: so I'm really anxious to go and be around their
- 31:40Speaker 1: team a little bit because I always take something away
- 31:43Speaker 1: the energy of a team. So when you ask me
- 31:44Speaker 1: that question, Dan, let's talk in two weeks. Maybe you'll
- 31:47Speaker 1: have me back for power rankings. How fortunate would I be? Um?
- 31:51Speaker 1: But I think the first road victory. I was shocked
- 31:55Speaker 1: that that is Dan Campbell's first win on the road
- 31:59Speaker 1: as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. I know
- 32:02Speaker 1: there was a tie in there at one point. I
- 32:04Speaker 1: think one eleven and one or something as the record
- 32:06Speaker 1: on the road. I could be mistaken, but I think
- 32:09Speaker 1: that's those were the numbers. I like the talent on
- 32:12Speaker 1: this team. I really like the receivers. Obviously, DeAndre Swift
- 32:15Speaker 1: when he's healthy is really good football player. Um, the defense,
- 32:19Speaker 1: you did a good job against the Chicago Bears, and
- 32:22Speaker 1: all you can do is stack wins in this league.
- 32:24Speaker 1: And uh, you know it's a tough division. As you know,
- 32:27Speaker 1: it's a division that runs the football, um and has
- 32:32Speaker 1: I think all four teams have given others fits in
- 32:34Speaker 1: the NFL this year in terms of how they've ran
- 32:36Speaker 1: the ball. So yeah, you as Allions fan, I love
- 32:40Speaker 1: Dan Campbell, I love you know everything he represents as
- 32:44Speaker 1: far as how he approaches his players. But wins are wins. Yeah,
- 32:48Speaker 1: eight spots. They move up in the power rankings from
- 32:52Speaker 1: one and hopefully, hopefully, uh they keep on moving up. Stacy. Yes,
- 32:58Speaker 1: the first step the progress is winning in your division. Right,
- 33:01Speaker 1: They've defeated the Packers, They've defeated there. We'll see as
- 33:06Speaker 1: the season goes on how they fare against the rest
- 33:09Speaker 1: of the division this season. Stacy, you've said it all.
- 33:12Speaker 1: You're in a Canadian tuxedo. I will begin the quest
- 33:16Speaker 1: to go Kirk oh chains uh starting after the show,
- 33:21Speaker 1: A dedication that you'll be as a great athlete yourself
- 33:24Speaker 1: with aching knees or whatever the issues are. UM, I
- 33:27Speaker 1: will feel that after the transformation, I undergo for you, Stacy,
- 33:32Speaker 1: thank you for having me. There she goes the great
- 33:36Speaker 1: Stacy Dale's thank you to uh Stacy. We will be
- 33:39Speaker 1: right back after this to dig into the bottom twelve
- 33:43Speaker 1: of the Power ran its. It's gonna get sad, but
- 33:45Speaker 1: let's go along for the ride. All right, welcome back
- 34:04Speaker 1: to you Power Rankings presented by Energizer. Here is the
- 34:08Speaker 1: bottom of the rankings. Yes, we just talked about the Lions. Yeah,
- 34:12Speaker 1: they're in the twenties, but they're up eight spots to
- 34:14Speaker 1: twenty one. The Falcons down five. Marcus Mariota's cratering right now,
- 34:19Speaker 1: and you wonder how much longer Arthur Smith can deal
- 34:21Speaker 1: with that. They're at twenty two. The Saints are just
- 34:24Speaker 1: having a bad year. They're at twenty three, down three spots.
- 34:26Speaker 1: The Browns defense does not show up against Miami. But
- 34:30Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know if anybody stop in
- 34:31Speaker 1: Miami right now. They're down five to twenty four. Steelers
- 34:34Speaker 1: get T. J. Watt back and get a win, up
- 34:37Speaker 1: three spots to the Rams down eight to six and seven.
- 34:43Speaker 1: The Colts up three Uh, coming off that kind of
- 34:46Speaker 1: shocking win over the Raiders. Uh, twenty eight Jaguars twenty nine,
- 34:50Speaker 1: Raiders down five. My goodness, we'll get to them. Broncos
- 34:54Speaker 1: down four and thirty. Their quarterback can't play right now,
- 34:56Speaker 1: that's an issue. Panthers out of the seller with that
- 35:00Speaker 1: win over Atlanta at thirty one, and this the Texans
- 35:03Speaker 1: back and they're familiar digs the thirty two spot. They have,
- 35:08Speaker 1: you know what they have. They have Damian Pierce, who
- 35:11Speaker 1: is really good, who's on pace for fifty yards this
- 35:13Speaker 1: year rushing UM but not a lot else. So we'll
- 35:17Speaker 1: see what happens there. But let's let's start by talking
- 35:20Speaker 1: the Saints. Um. Who a team that throughout the summer
- 35:26Speaker 1: a lot of buzz around the Saints that they were
- 35:29Speaker 1: going to make a push and be a team that
- 35:31Speaker 1: could be potentially a Super Bowl contender in the NFC.
- 35:34Speaker 1: And I remember saying I'm wrong all the time, but
- 35:36Speaker 1: this one I was right about. I remember a lot
- 35:38Speaker 1: of giving a lot of pushback because it's like everyone's
- 35:41Speaker 1: forgetting one thing number one. And we're talking Jamis Winston
- 35:44Speaker 1: at the time, who's barely played after getting hurt early
- 35:47Speaker 1: in the season, Jamis Winston is prominently involved with Andy
- 35:50Speaker 1: Dalton behind him. There's a ceiling there, and to Sean
- 35:53Speaker 1: Payton's out there anymore. It's Dennis Allen. And I think
- 35:57Speaker 1: that's made a huge difference. This is just not the
- 35:59Speaker 1: same team. They lose to the Steelers. Who are you know,
- 36:02Speaker 1: a team that's rebuilding, uh twenty to ten? And you
- 36:06Speaker 1: know the drumbeat is only gonna grow louder now to
- 36:08Speaker 1: get Dalton out of there and put in Winston. But
- 36:11Speaker 1: I don't know what. I don't think that's gonna make
- 36:12Speaker 1: a big difference. I think the offensive line is an issue.
- 36:15Speaker 1: They struggled a block for Alvin Kamar. They struggled to protect.
- 36:18Speaker 1: If you do not protect Jamis Winston, he will throw
- 36:23Speaker 1: many interceptions. This is I know you're not hearing that
- 36:26Speaker 1: on alysis anywhere else. He will throw many more and
- 36:29Speaker 1: you're gonna hear a lot of people saying, oh, what
- 36:31Speaker 1: about Andy Dalton again? It's enough, It's enough. Here's what
- 36:35Speaker 1: Dennis Allen said, by the way, after Sunday's Lust there's
- 36:37Speaker 1: just a lot of different areas that we've got to
- 36:39Speaker 1: improve on. Yeah, you know who else you can say
- 36:41Speaker 1: that about the Rams who are bad. The Rams are bad.
- 36:46Speaker 1: It is hard to repeat as a Super Bowl champion.
- 36:49Speaker 1: But you don't usually see a team crater like Los
- 36:52Speaker 1: Angeles has I have him down eight spots, They had
- 36:55Speaker 1: him an eighteen, had him hanging around kind of like
- 36:57Speaker 1: what he was doing with the Bucks and the Packers,
- 36:59Speaker 1: because like, well, maybe they figure things out. This team
- 37:02Speaker 1: is not going to figure it out. And I know
- 37:04Speaker 1: we Matthew Stafford out. Um. It was an uphill climb,
- 37:08Speaker 1: even against the backup quarterback and the Cardinals. But you
- 37:10Speaker 1: gotta find a way to win that game, and you
- 37:13Speaker 1: get you gotta get beat up in almost blown out
- 37:16Speaker 1: basically by the Cardinals with Colt McCoy in your building,
- 37:21Speaker 1: and I kept waiting to for you know, whether it
- 37:23Speaker 1: be Jalen Ramsey or especially Aaron Donald, who I know
- 37:27Speaker 1: is still grading out beautifully on PFF and the like.
- 37:30Speaker 1: But make a play, guys, you know, pick up your defense.
- 37:34Speaker 1: I know they're extremely frustrated on that defense, that the
- 37:37Speaker 1: offense isn't doing anything. But where the game changing plays,
- 37:40Speaker 1: where the pick six is the force fumbles that the
- 37:42Speaker 1: defense to give an offense a short field, it's not
- 37:45Speaker 1: their fault, but I thought maybe they needed somebody to
- 37:48Speaker 1: step up a big, big play. That cash is huge paychecks.
- 37:51Speaker 1: They did not do it in that game. And now
- 37:53Speaker 1: you have Cooper Cup moved to injured reserve on Tuesday
- 37:57Speaker 1: after sustaining what was a high ankle sprain h on
- 38:01Speaker 1: a diving attempt of a bad John Walford pass. And uh,
- 38:04Speaker 1: I don't know, he's out at least four weeks. And
- 38:06Speaker 1: the way Sean McVeigh was talking, uh, in a logical sense,
- 38:10Speaker 1: if the Rams are out of playoff contention, are you
- 38:12Speaker 1: gonna rush back you know, arguably your best player. Uh.
- 38:16Speaker 1: We might have seen the last of Cooper Cup this season. Uh,
- 38:19Speaker 1: stay tuned on that. The Colts. I want to speak
- 38:21Speaker 1: positively about a team. Now, I don't agree with the
- 38:24Speaker 1: process of Colts owner Jim Ursay. And you know the
- 38:28Speaker 1: way uh he handled the firing of Frank Reich. The
- 38:32Speaker 1: Jeff Saturday hiring was kind of insane, but also some
- 38:36Speaker 1: of the uh, the handwringing that you heard from the
- 38:39Speaker 1: likes of Bill Kauer and thousands of others calling it
- 38:42Speaker 1: a disgrace to the game. Whatever or says the owner,
- 38:45Speaker 1: he has a pre existing relationship with Saturday and Uh,
- 38:48Speaker 1: he gets to do what he wants. But what I
- 38:51Speaker 1: thought was really unfair after watching the offense hum in
- 38:54Speaker 1: an upset of the Raiders in Vegas, was that you
- 38:58Speaker 1: would fire Frank Reich and then say, all right, now,
- 39:01Speaker 1: Matt Ryan, a borderline Hall of Fame quarterback, he gets
- 39:04Speaker 1: to come back and play. And then on top of it,
- 39:08Speaker 1: you get to go against a creating Raiders team. And oh,
- 39:11Speaker 1: by the way, Jonathan Taylor, the best running back on
- 39:14Speaker 1: the planet last year, who has been banged up playing
- 39:16Speaker 1: behind a wretched offensive line, all of a sudden looks
- 39:19Speaker 1: like Jonathan Taylor. Uh. The first time that Frank Reig Scott,
- 39:23Speaker 1: I would throw my remote if I were Frank Reich
- 39:25Speaker 1: and you know Reike's watching that game, I would throw
- 39:27Speaker 1: my remote remote so hard at my flat screen on
- 39:31Speaker 1: my wall. It would go through the flat screen, through
- 39:34Speaker 1: the wall and be found lodged in the chimney across
- 39:37Speaker 1: the street at Nate's house. That's what would happen for me.
- 39:40Speaker 1: And I don't usually lose my temper, but I would
- 39:43Speaker 1: if I was Frank Reich. So good on the Colts
- 39:46Speaker 1: for you know, being so professional in that game. The
- 39:49Speaker 1: players I'm talking about in the coaching staff for finding
- 39:52Speaker 1: way to really go out there and look efficient. And
- 39:55Speaker 1: I'm not saying that the Cults are gonna be a
- 39:56Speaker 1: team to keep an eye on here, but the fact
- 39:59Speaker 1: that they were able to come out of just a
- 40:01Speaker 1: chaos drenched environment in Indianapolis, inside the your own walls
- 40:05Speaker 1: and outside and and look so well put together in
- 40:08Speaker 1: that game. It's a kind of a testament to the
- 40:10Speaker 1: players and that remaining coaching staff. And finally, yeah, the Raiders, Man, geez,
- 40:16Speaker 1: what are we doing? What are we doing? That? You
- 40:20Speaker 1: got Josh McDaniels in the midst of another disastrous head
- 40:24Speaker 1: coaching um gig. And you had Mark Davis owner come
- 40:28Speaker 1: out and say Rome wasn't built in a day and
- 40:32Speaker 1: we're gonna be you know, patient with Josh McDaniels, which
- 40:36Speaker 1: I get it, I get it. And you have um
- 40:40Speaker 1: Mike Garretfolo saying this morning that he doesn't even think
- 40:43Speaker 1: that Mark Davis is liquid enough to be able to
- 40:46Speaker 1: fire a coach with this many years left on his
- 40:48Speaker 1: contract and then make another big higher So maybe his
- 40:50Speaker 1: hands are tied a little bit financially, but you can't
- 40:53Speaker 1: say that you can't do the Rome wasn't built in
- 40:55Speaker 1: a dayline. When you're built, you just traded away future
- 41:00Speaker 1: draft picks for a superstar wide receiver. You had this
- 41:02Speaker 1: high paid roster with a nucleus, and you you flatline
- 41:06Speaker 1: this season. This is not exactly the same situation as
- 41:10Speaker 1: the Lions or the Texans or any other number of
- 41:12Speaker 1: teams that are truly in a rebuild. This is a
- 41:15Speaker 1: team that has flopped. Uh So, ownership being showing patients
- 41:18Speaker 1: in the head coach is maybe going to calm things
- 41:21Speaker 1: down in the locker room, which they probably It's been
- 41:23Speaker 1: a very deeply frustrating, as you saw with Derek Carr's
- 41:26Speaker 1: comments on Sunday Night season. Maybe they get to relax
- 41:29Speaker 1: and breathe and don't worry about people getting fired right
- 41:32Speaker 1: here and now. But jeez, the Raiders are tempting me
- 41:35Speaker 1: to put them at last than the power rankings in
- 41:38Speaker 1: a year that there were very people respected people, not me,
- 41:41Speaker 1: respected people picking them to beat the Chiefs in the
- 41:44Speaker 1: a f C. West. It goes to show your football
- 41:49Speaker 1: it's hard to predict unless you're tug boat. Unless you
- 41:55Speaker 1: write the NFL Power rankings every week. Landing Tuesday morning,
- 41:59Speaker 1: you catch this podcast, check me out on around the NFL.
- 42:03Speaker 1: We'll welcome back Colleen next week and we'll dig into
- 42:05Speaker 1: another week of madness, chaos drenched madness, and we like
- 42:11Speaker 1: it that way until next week. Heed the Call. NFL
- 42:22Speaker 1: Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in partnership
- 42:25Speaker 1: with I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
- 42:28Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
- 42:31Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.