Latest / Rice on the Radio / NFL Week 7 Recap: Jets Collapse, Giants Upset & Week 8 Picks | Ep. 90
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_02: I guess there's only one way to find out was to do it to it, right?
- 0:02SPEAKER_02: What's going on, everybody?
- 0:05SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Rice on the Radio.
- 0:07SPEAKER_02: I am Ian Rice.
- 0:09SPEAKER_02: And I hope everybody's having a good week.
- 0:12SPEAKER_02: Wherever you are, whatever you're getting yourself into.
- 0:16SPEAKER_02: We got a lot of football to talk about this week.
- 0:19SPEAKER_02: And I gotta tell you, I spent a good portion of last Sunday being genuinely pissed off.
- 0:28SPEAKER_02: Not frustrated, not disappointed, pissed off.
- 0:36SPEAKER_02: There comes a point where you can only watch the same mistakes happen so many times before you start questioning what the hell we're actually even doing here.
- 0:46SPEAKER_02: And unfortunately, as a Jets fan, I am very, very familiar with reaching this point before Halloween.
- 0:55SPEAKER_02: We're gonna get to that.
- 0:57SPEAKER_02: Because on the other side of New York, the Giants went into Houston as a double-digit underdog and came out with a win that I absolutely did not see coming.
- 1:08SPEAKER_02: Indianapolis has apparently decided to put the entire organization on Craigslist.
- 1:14SPEAKER_02: They're selling everything that isn't nailed down.
- 1:17SPEAKER_02: And honestly, I think they might start pulling up the nails soon, too.
- 1:20SPEAKER_02: Seattle just gave Patrick Mahomes one of the worst afternoons of his career.
- 1:25SPEAKER_02: The Vikings are the last undefeated team in football, and for some reason, people still aren't entirely convinced by them.
- 1:33SPEAKER_02: And we got some really good games coming up this weekend.
- 1:36SPEAKER_02: Minnesota at Detroit, Lamar Jackson, hopefully back against Josh Allen, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Denver.
- 1:44SPEAKER_02: There's some good football ahead of us.
- 1:47SPEAKER_02: And I think there's something we've been seeing more and more as the season goes on.
- 1:53SPEAKER_02: You can have the talent, you can have the names, you can spend all the money in the world, but somebody still has to put those guys in a position to win football games.
- 2:05SPEAKER_02: And we're seeing some coaches do that extremely well.
- 2:09SPEAKER_02: Others not so much.
- 2:14SPEAKER_02: So grab a drink.
- 2:24SPEAKER_00: Extra, extra.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: Keep the lights low.
- 2:27SPEAKER_00: New York talking with the late night go from the garden glow to the stadium stuffy win, every lost, every what does it mean?
- 2:35SPEAKER_00: Right on the radio, coming through your speakers, big things, bar tools, our breaks, believe with medications, that's the giants, next on the ride.
- 2:43SPEAKER_00: Full of the channel, let the whole city decide.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: No free off answers, no sitting on the fence.
- 2:51SPEAKER_00: Running down lights, hit the mic, right on the radio.
- 2:55SPEAKER_00: Let's do it to it tonight.
- 2:57SPEAKER_02: We start today's episode with the only place we can start.
- 3:03SPEAKER_02: And that would be me officially reaching my breaking point.
- 3:08SPEAKER_02: Once again.
- 3:14SPEAKER_02: I mean, I do, obviously.
- 3:16SPEAKER_02: Obviously, I do.
- 3:18SPEAKER_02: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Sunday afternoon, MetLife Stadium, the first sunny Sunday we've had in weeks.
- 3:25SPEAKER_02: The Dolphins come into this game without a single win.
- 3:29SPEAKER_02: 0-5.
- 3:31SPEAKER_02: And what happens?
- 3:33SPEAKER_02: Same old Jets.
- 3:35SPEAKER_02: Jets lose 28 to 25.
- 3:38SPEAKER_02: And I know, I know, somebody's going to look at the final score and go, well, you know, it was a close game.
- 3:44SPEAKER_02: They only lost by three.
- 3:45SPEAKER_02: The offense put up some points.
- 3:47SPEAKER_02: They fought back.
- 3:48SPEAKER_02: Stop.
- 3:49SPEAKER_02: Stop.
- 3:51SPEAKER_02: Because if you actually watch this game, you know exactly why I'm angry.
- 3:56SPEAKER_02: The Jets didn't lose because they were completely overmatched by a better football team.
- 4:02SPEAKER_02: They lost because they continue to make mistakes that competent teams simply cannot afford to make.
- 4:10SPEAKER_02: And I've been saying this for a while now.
- 4:13SPEAKER_02: But what makes this week different is that I finally, finally, finally reached my breaking point with Aaron Glenn.
- 4:23SPEAKER_02: And that's not exactly something that I say lightly.
- 4:27SPEAKER_02: I have been one of the biggest supporters of this guy since the day that he got hired.
- 4:32SPEAKER_02: I like the hire.
- 4:34SPEAKER_02: I liked his attitude.
- 4:35SPEAKER_02: I liked the idea of a former Jet coming back to the organization with some passion, some accountability, some understanding of what this franchise means to the people and who knows how to play in New York.
- 4:48SPEAKER_02: I wanted him to succeed.
- 4:50SPEAKER_02: I still want him to succeed.
- 4:53SPEAKER_02: But wanting something to happen and actually believing it's going to happen are two completely different things.
- 4:59SPEAKER_02: And after watching that Miami game, I don't believe in it anymore.
- 5:06SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about what happened.
- 5:07SPEAKER_02: Let's talk about what happened in the game itself because there's more than enough bleam to go around here.
- 5:13SPEAKER_02: Miami comes out and scores touchdowns on three of its first four possessions.
- 5:20SPEAKER_02: Three touchdowns against a defense being run by a head coach who is supposed to be a defensive specialist, to be a gritty guy.
- 5:31SPEAKER_02: And remember, Glenn in the offseason decided to take over defensive play calling this season because, in his own words, play calling is my superpower.
- 5:43SPEAKER_02: That is a quote that is going to follow this man for a very, very long time.
- 5:50SPEAKER_02: You cannot tell everybody that something is your superpower and then repeatedly get your ass handed to you doing that exact thing.
- 5:59SPEAKER_02: That's not how this works.
- 6:01SPEAKER_02: And Miami wasn't doing anything particularly revolutionary out there either.
- 6:04SPEAKER_02: It's not like they invented the wing T or anything like that.
- 6:07SPEAKER_02: I mean, they were moving the football, taking advantage of matchups, converting when they needed to, and making the Jets look unprepared.
- 6:16SPEAKER_02: And then we get to the end of the first half.
- 6:19SPEAKER_02: Oh boy.
- 6:21SPEAKER_02: Now, if you listened to this show, you know that we talked about this last episode.
- 6:27SPEAKER_02: It was the stat that's floating around.
- 6:30SPEAKER_02: The Jets' performance in the final two minutes of the first half under Aaron Glenn have been absolutely atrocious.
- 6:37SPEAKER_02: Coming into this week, they've been outscored 100 to 6 in those situations since he took over.
- 6:46SPEAKER_02: 100 to 6.
- 6:48SPEAKER_02: And somehow, with all that noise floating around, with that stack getting put out and definitely getting put up on the bulletin board, at least it better have been.
- 6:57SPEAKER_02: Against Miami, they managed to make it worse.
- 7:01SPEAKER_02: Because now that number is 107 to 6.
- 7:05SPEAKER_02: 24 games as a head coach, and they've been outscored by 101 points in the final two minutes of first halves.
- 7:14SPEAKER_02: How is that even possible?
- 7:17SPEAKER_02: And the worst part is, isn't necessarily that Miami scored, it's how it happened.
- 7:22SPEAKER_02: Miami goes on this long drive, they're moving the football, the clock is ticking down.
- 7:27SPEAKER_02: And Glenn has three timeouts.
- 7:29SPEAKER_02: Three of them.
- 7:30SPEAKER_02: Doesn't use one of them.
- 7:31SPEAKER_02: Not one.
- 7:32SPEAKER_02: You don't get to keep them for the for the second half.
- 7:36SPEAKER_02: Miami scores, and then you've got essentially no time left to do anything before halftime.
- 7:41SPEAKER_02: And then afterward at the podium, he he acknowledges, oh, maybe we should have called the timeout.
- 7:48SPEAKER_02: Okay, fine.
- 7:49SPEAKER_02: At least you're recognizing the mistake, right?
- 7:52SPEAKER_02: But then the next day he starts explaining why he didn't use them and what strategy they use, and we wanted to keep that secret, talking about how Miami might have picked up another first down and how the timeouts could have been negated anyway.
- 8:04SPEAKER_02: Aaron, what are we talking about?
- 8:08SPEAKER_02: You have three timeouts for a reason, and you're getting the ball at the second half.
- 8:14SPEAKER_02: You had a legitimate opportunity to manage the clock, potentially even get the football back and give your offense another possession.
- 8:21SPEAKER_02: Instead, you just stood there and watched the clock disappear.
- 8:24SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't understand it, man.
- 8:27SPEAKER_02: I look, here's the thing.
- 8:29SPEAKER_02: If it happened, I don't know, once, maybe twice over the course of the season, okay.
- 8:35SPEAKER_02: Mistakes happen, we'll rip you on the radio, but like you learn from it.
- 8:40SPEAKER_02: But when you repeatedly make the same mistake in the same situation, at what point do we stop calling them mistakes and start calling them just who you are as a coach?
- 8:52SPEAKER_02: Because that's that's that's where I'm at.
- 8:55SPEAKER_02: And then just just when you think you've seen enough, the Jets give you another masterpiece in the fourth quarter here.
- 9:02SPEAKER_02: They're down 21-14.
- 9:04SPEAKER_02: They've worked the football all the way down to Miami's one-yard line.
- 9:08SPEAKER_02: First and goal.
- 9:10SPEAKER_02: One yard.
- 9:12SPEAKER_02: One yard away from tying the football game.
- 9:14SPEAKER_02: What happens?
- 9:16SPEAKER_02: Andrew Beck gets the ball for whatever reason, loses a yard.
- 9:20SPEAKER_02: Second down.
- 9:21SPEAKER_02: Braylon Allen, all 6'2, 285 million pounds of him, gets stuffed, loses another yard.
- 9:29SPEAKER_02: Okay, well now we got a pass.
- 9:31SPEAKER_02: Because of course, run, run, pass, right?
- 9:33SPEAKER_02: Third down, Geno Smith takes a 12 yard sack.
- 9:37SPEAKER_02: And now you're kicking a field goal.
- 9:40SPEAKER_02: You went from first and goal on the one yard line to kicking a 33-yard field goal.
- 9:48SPEAKER_01: How does that happen?
- 9:51SPEAKER_02: And look, look, I know it's easy to sit here and second guess the play calling after the fact and yada yada yada.
- 9:59SPEAKER_02: But we're not talking about some complicated situation where you're backed up on your own 15 trying to get out of it.
- 10:06SPEAKER_02: You're on the one yard line.
- 10:10SPEAKER_02: You have to find a way to get that ball into the end zone.
- 10:14SPEAKER_02: And instead of tying the game, you cut the lead to four.
- 10:18SPEAKER_02: That's an enormous difference in the fourth quarter.
- 10:21SPEAKER_02: Especially when you're a team that has already demonstrated an inability to finish football games.
- 10:27SPEAKER_02: And then the defense, how about Caleb Douglas?
- 10:32SPEAKER_02: Huh?
- 10:32SPEAKER_02: Who had that on their bingo cards?
- 10:34SPEAKER_02: 63 yards, a quick pass from Malik Willis that turns into a touchdown because the Jets can't finish the play.
- 10:41SPEAKER_02: Surprise, surprise.
- 10:42SPEAKER_02: What else is new?
- 10:43SPEAKER_02: And now you're right back down by double digits.
- 10:46SPEAKER_02: The offense manages to answer, I guess.
- 10:48SPEAKER_02: Mason Taylor gets into the end zone.
- 10:50SPEAKER_02: They convert to two-point conversion.
- 10:52SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
- 10:53SPEAKER_02: By the way, why did we even draft Kenyon Sadiq then?
- 10:57SPEAKER_02: I love Sadiq.
- 10:58SPEAKER_02: I think he's going to be a great player.
- 11:00SPEAKER_02: Why are we not using him?
- 11:03SPEAKER_02: But anyway, you're within three, right?
- 11:06SPEAKER_01: All you need is the defense to come up with one stop, one more stop.
- 11:10SPEAKER_02: And guess what?
- 11:11SPEAKER_02: Miami ends up converting on a fourth and one and effectively puts the game away.
- 11:17SPEAKER_02: Game over.
- 11:18SPEAKER_02: Miami gets its first win of the season.
- 11:21SPEAKER_02: Congratulations.
- 11:23SPEAKER_02: Another team gets to feel good about itself at the Jets' expense.
- 11:27SPEAKER_02: And I don't want to make it sound like nobody on the Jets played well.
- 11:31SPEAKER_02: Omar Cooper had 115 receiving yards and another touchdown.
- 11:35SPEAKER_02: Mason Taylor caught two touchdowns.
- 11:36SPEAKER_02: Brawn Allen went over 100 yards.
- 11:38SPEAKER_02: Geno Smith for 303 touchdowns.
- 11:42SPEAKER_02: Those are great individual performances in the football game.
- 11:47SPEAKER_02: But you had enough talent producing to win and you didn't win.
- 11:53SPEAKER_02: We can't keep having this conversation.
- 12:00SPEAKER_02: So where do we go from here, right?
- 12:04SPEAKER_02: I want to be very clear about this.
- 12:05SPEAKER_02: I'm not calling for Aaron Glenn to be fired tomorrow morning.
- 12:10SPEAKER_02: I don't think firing him in the middle of the season accomplishes much of anything.
- 12:14SPEAKER_02: You're not magically turning this team into a Super Bowl contender by promoting somebody else or Frank Reich or whoever.
- 12:21SPEAKER_02: I mean, you're still dealing with the same roster, the same organizational disasters.
- 12:27SPEAKER_02: You let him finish the year, you let him coach the team.
- 12:31SPEAKER_02: But as far as me believing he's the guy going forward, that ship has sailed.
- 12:37SPEAKER_02: Short of him winning the goddamn Super Bowl, I don't know what he could realistically do to make me feel differently right now.
- 12:45SPEAKER_02: And again, that bothers me.
- 12:47SPEAKER_02: Because I wanted to be wrong about people calling for his head last year.
- 12:51SPEAKER_02: I wanted to be the guy sitting here saying, see, this is why you give the coach time.
- 12:56SPEAKER_02: This is why you don't just blow everything up after one bad season.
- 13:00SPEAKER_02: But you know what, man?
- 13:02SPEAKER_02: At some point the results have to matter.
- 13:04SPEAKER_02: And we're not talking about losing games because you're rebuilding.
- 13:09SPEAKER_02: We're talking about basic football situations.
- 13:14SPEAKER_02: Clock management, preparation, defensive adjustments, finishing drives for God's sakes.
- 13:19SPEAKER_02: Get the ball to your best players.
- 13:22SPEAKER_02: Things that have absolutely nothing to do with whether you have three first-round picks next year.
- 13:29SPEAKER_02: And that brings me to Garrett Wilson.
- 13:32SPEAKER_02: Because this is where I think the organization needs to be extremely careful.
- 13:36SPEAKER_02: Careful.
- 13:37SPEAKER_02: Careful about what it does next.
- 13:41SPEAKER_02: Garrett Wilson spoke to the media Wednesday about the trade rumors floating around about him.
- 13:45SPEAKER_02: And here's a guy who is clearly frustrated, as he should be.
- 13:50SPEAKER_02: Against Miami, he had two catches for 26 yards, three targets.
- 13:54SPEAKER_02: Three targets.
- 13:57SPEAKER_02: You're telling me the Jets can't figure out a way to get Garrett Wilson to football more than three times against Miami.
- 14:03SPEAKER_02: They got guys in their secondary who were cut from college teams.
- 14:08SPEAKER_02: And then, you know, and then everybody sees him getting heated on the sideline, and suddenly we've got a whole conversation about whether he's yelling at Gino or whether he's a problem in the locker room.
- 14:17SPEAKER_02: Come on, stop.
- 14:19SPEAKER_02: He's frustrated because he's trying to win.
- 14:22SPEAKER_02: I would hope he's frustrated.
- 14:24SPEAKER_02: I'd be more concerned if he was sitting over there smiling while the team lost another game and had absolutely no business losing.
- 14:31SPEAKER_02: And when he spoke to reporters, he made it clear he has not asked to be traded.
- 14:35SPEAKER_02: He wants to stay here.
- 14:36SPEAKER_02: He wants to win here.
- 14:37SPEAKER_02: He wants to see this thing turn around.
- 14:40SPEAKER_02: But he also made it very clear he loves being a jet, but he doesn't love being a jet more than he loves winning.
- 14:50SPEAKER_02: And that's something Jets fans should be afraid of.
- 14:53SPEAKER_02: And I completely understand it, by the way.
- 14:55SPEAKER_02: This guy has been here for years, man.
- 14:58SPEAKER_02: Played with a revolving door of quarterbacks, dealt with different coaching staffs, and just watched this organization fail to put together a consistent winner.
- 15:07SPEAKER_02: How much more patience is he supposed to have?
- 15:11SPEAKER_02: Now, here's where I want to separate the two things here.
- 15:15SPEAKER_02: Because last year, when the Jets traded Sauce Gardner and Quinna Williams, I understood the situation.
- 15:23SPEAKER_02: I actually supported it.
- 15:25SPEAKER_02: And doesn't hurt that we got an absolute haul back for both of the players.
- 15:30SPEAKER_02: I mean, look at that indie pick right now.
- 15:32SPEAKER_02: The Colts are falling apart, and the Jets are sitting there with their first round pick.
- 15:36SPEAKER_02: That's looking better and better every single week.
- 15:39SPEAKER_02: So I'm not going to sit here and tell you that trading a cornerstone player is always the wrong decision.
- 15:46SPEAKER_02: Sometimes it's the right move.
- 15:47SPEAKER_02: Sometimes the offer is just too good to pass up.
- 15:50SPEAKER_02: Sometimes the organization is going in a different direction and the trade makes sense.
- 15:55SPEAKER_02: Fine.
- 15:58SPEAKER_02: But we just did that.
- 16:00SPEAKER_02: We already moved the major pieces.
- 16:02SPEAKER_02: We already accumulated the assets.
- 16:06SPEAKER_02: We got three first round picks next year.
- 16:08SPEAKER_02: How many more do you need?
- 16:10SPEAKER_02: Seriously, how many how many more picks do you want?
- 16:13SPEAKER_02: You could have every single pick in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, and you're still trying to figure out whether any of those guys can actually play at this level.
- 16:21SPEAKER_02: Draft picks are educated guesses.
- 16:25SPEAKER_02: Very expensive, very well researched educated guesses.
- 16:29SPEAKER_02: But educated guesses.
- 16:30SPEAKER_02: They're lottery tickets.
- 16:32SPEAKER_02: Now, look, some lottery tickets have better odds than others, obviously.
- 16:36SPEAKER_02: But they're still lottery tickets.
- 16:40SPEAKER_02: Garrett Wilson is not a lottery ticket.
- 16:44SPEAKER_02: You already know what he is.
- 16:45SPEAKER_02: You already know that he can play.
- 16:47SPEAKER_02: You already know that he can make a difference.
- 16:48SPEAKER_02: And more importantly, he's telling you he wants to be here.
- 16:54SPEAKER_02: So why would you turn around and trade him for another opportunity to hopefully draft somebody who might become Garrett Wilson?
- 17:02SPEAKER_02: I mean, what are we doing?
- 17:04SPEAKER_02: Yes, Omar Cooper looks good.
- 17:07SPEAKER_02: Kenyon Sadig, like I said, could be very good.
- 17:11SPEAKER_02: That's fantastic.
- 17:12SPEAKER_02: That's what you want.
- 17:14SPEAKER_02: You want those guys developing alongside Garrett Wilson, not becoming an excuse to trade him.
- 17:20SPEAKER_02: Think about what happens if you move Garrett.
- 17:23SPEAKER_02: You draft another receiver, he develops into a really good player, and then what, three or four years go by and this team still isn't winning?
- 17:31SPEAKER_02: Suddenly everybody's talking about trading the guy to get more draft picks, you're right back where you started.
- 17:37SPEAKER_02: At some point, you gotta stop tearing it down.
- 17:41SPEAKER_02: You need to actually start building the damn thing.
- 17:45SPEAKER_02: I'm all for getting the best player.
- 17:49SPEAKER_02: I'm all for rebuilding when you have to.
- 17:55SPEAKER_02: But you know, I just saw this happen with the Mets.
- 18:01SPEAKER_02: Garrett Wilson is saying all the right things just like Pete Alonzo was.
- 18:05SPEAKER_02: And what?
- 18:06SPEAKER_02: You're gonna move him because he doesn't fit your timeline, or you think you can get something back, or whatever.
- 18:13SPEAKER_02: Stop, man.
- 18:15SPEAKER_02: Stop.
- 18:17SPEAKER_02: There should be no phone call that is answered for Garrett Wilson.
- 18:26SPEAKER_02: I don't know, man.
- 18:28SPEAKER_02: That's really where I'm at with this franchise right now.
- 18:30SPEAKER_02: I don't believe in the head coach anymore, but I still believe there are players on this roster worth keeping.
- 18:37SPEAKER_02: And I don't want to see another one of them shipped out because the organization can't figure out how to win with them.
- 18:44SPEAKER_02: You made your trades.
- 18:46SPEAKER_02: You got your picks.
- 18:47SPEAKER_02: Now use them.
- 18:49SPEAKER_02: Stop kicking the can down the road.
- 18:54SPEAKER_02: Now, now the Jets instead of trying to battle back to 500, they are uh a game out, and they got the Raiders coming into town on Sunday.
- 19:08SPEAKER_02: Vegas is three and four.
- 19:09SPEAKER_02: They've lost four straight.
- 19:11SPEAKER_02: And despite everybody and everything going wrong over there, Clint Kubiak is sticking with Kirk Cousins, which kind of makes sense to me, I guess.
- 19:21SPEAKER_02: Cousins has 16 touchdown passes.
- 19:23SPEAKER_02: He's actually been one of the better parts of the football team.
- 19:27SPEAKER_02: The defense has been bad.
- 19:29SPEAKER_02: They have not run the ball particularly well, which I thought they were going to.
- 19:33SPEAKER_02: So, you know, why would you throw Mendoza into a situation just because he's the first overall pick, right?
- 19:39SPEAKER_02: Let the kid learn, let the kid develop, he'll get his chance.
- 19:43SPEAKER_02: As for the Jets, man, I I don't even know what a win does for me at this point.
- 19:47SPEAKER_02: Of course, I want them to win.
- 19:49SPEAKER_02: I'm a Jets fan, I'm always gonna want them to win.
- 19:53SPEAKER_02: But beating a struggling Raiders team doesn't erase what happened against Miami.
- 20:00SPEAKER_02: What I what I want to see is a football team that looks prepared, man.
- 20:04SPEAKER_02: A football team that knows what it's doing in critical situations.
- 20:09SPEAKER_02: A team that doesn't need to spend the entire second half climbing out of a hole dug for itself in the first place.
- 20:15SPEAKER_02: Show me that.
- 20:16SPEAKER_02: Give me something.
- 20:18SPEAKER_02: Because right now, man, I am running out of things to believe in with this goddamn team.
- 20:24SPEAKER_02: It's not even Halloween again, and the season's over.
- 20:29SPEAKER_02: You know, if you won last week and then you beat the Raiders, okay, you're four and four or whatever, you're a 500 team.
- 20:36SPEAKER_02: Maybe you could pretend to make a push and get on the graphic of like in the hunt for a playoff spot.
- 20:45SPEAKER_02: Now it's it's you're cooked.
- 20:51SPEAKER_02: God damn it, it's frustrating.
- 20:54SPEAKER_02: But alright, that's uh that's enough about me hating life as a Jets fan.
- 20:59SPEAKER_02: Let's let's talk about a team in New York that actually gave its fans something to feel good about.
- 21:06SPEAKER_02: The New York Giants.
- 21:09SPEAKER_02: And I I owe them some credit because I was on the record thinking Houston was gonna take belt to ass with them.
- 21:16SPEAKER_02: They were double-digit underdogs going into Houston.
- 21:19SPEAKER_02: They had the nice, shiny red uniforms on.
- 21:23SPEAKER_02: I thought it was pretty reasonable.
- 21:25SPEAKER_02: Ten-point underdogs.
- 21:28SPEAKER_02: Houston had finally started showing signs of life.
- 21:30SPEAKER_02: They won two straight after the 0-4 start.
- 21:33SPEAKER_02: And the Giants had been dealing with injuries, man.
- 21:36SPEAKER_02: Quarterback changes, you know, JJ McCarthy coming in, all kinds of nonsense.
- 21:40SPEAKER_02: I figured Houston would take care of business at home, get itself back into the conversation, headed to the bye, feeling a whole lot better.
- 21:48SPEAKER_02: Well, apparently the Giants didn't get that memo.
- 21:52SPEAKER_02: They go into Houston to win 27 21 in overtime.
- 21:55SPEAKER_02: And good on them.
- 21:55SPEAKER_02: Seriously, man, good on the Giants, because this is what I've been talking about when I say coach.
- 22:00SPEAKER_02: Matters.
- 22:01SPEAKER_02: John Harbaugh has dealt with three different starting quarterbacks in seven games.
- 22:07SPEAKER_02: And somehow the Giants are sitting at 4-2-1 going into their bye in the first place in the NFC East.
- 22:13SPEAKER_02: That's remarkable.
- 22:15SPEAKER_02: They're finding ways to win.
- 22:17SPEAKER_02: JJ McCarthy gets his first start with the Giants and throws for 252 yards.
- 22:22SPEAKER_02: Malik Neighbors catches seven for 111.
- 22:24SPEAKER_02: Scatterbow finishes with 124 yards.
- 22:28SPEAKER_02: And the way this game ends is beautiful.
- 22:30SPEAKER_02: Houston gets the football first in overtime.
- 22:33SPEAKER_02: Giants force a punt.
- 22:34SPEAKER_02: Scatabow breaks off a 42-run yard, and then Devin Singletary takes the next one 30 yards into the end zone.
- 22:40SPEAKER_02: Boom, boom.
- 22:41SPEAKER_02: Game over.
- 22:41SPEAKER_02: Two runs, 72 yards.
- 22:42SPEAKER_02: Good night, Houston.
- 22:44SPEAKER_02: I love you.
- 22:45SPEAKER_02: That's football, man.
- 22:47SPEAKER_02: That's great.
- 22:48SPEAKER_02: And one of the things I find most interesting about this Giants team is that they're not just waiting for the perfect conditions to win games.
- 22:55SPEAKER_02: Because the perfect conditions aren't coming.
- 22:59SPEAKER_02: They're injured.
- 23:00SPEAKER_02: They've had quarterback instability.
- 23:02SPEAKER_02: They're trying to figure out what works.
- 23:05SPEAKER_02: And instead of complaining about it, the coaching staff is making adjustments.
- 23:10SPEAKER_02: Their defense is a great example here.
- 23:12SPEAKER_02: Early in the season, they were blitzing around 22% of the time.
- 23:17SPEAKER_02: Over the next four games, that number jumps to more than 50%.
- 23:22SPEAKER_02: They changed what they were doing.
- 23:24SPEAKER_02: They looked at their personnel, looked at what was what was working and what wasn't, and now they're getting results.
- 23:30SPEAKER_02: Man, it's it's amazing what coaching can do to your team, huh?
- 23:38SPEAKER_02: And no, no, I'm not gonna spend this entire segment comparing Harbaugh to Aaron Glenn.
- 23:43SPEAKER_02: We've already beaten that horse enough.
- 23:46SPEAKER_02: But you can see the difference when an organization has somebody who understands how to get the most of what's available.
- 23:55SPEAKER_02: Now, I also want to look at this from uh Houston's perspective because this loss is brutal.
- 24:01SPEAKER_02: They started 0-4, right?
- 24:04SPEAKER_02: Then they win two straight, and you're thinking, all right, you know, maybe, maybe we're getting on to something here, right?
- 24:10SPEAKER_02: We're we're we're right in the ship.
- 24:11SPEAKER_02: Maybe the season isn't dead just yet.
- 24:14SPEAKER_02: You're coming home against the Giants, you got a double-digit favorite, you got a bye week afterwards.
- 24:20SPEAKER_02: You win this game, you're three and four.
- 24:21SPEAKER_02: Three straight wins.
- 24:23SPEAKER_02: Then you go into the bye, get some guys healthy, review some film, start thinking about you know how we can turn this season around.
- 24:30SPEAKER_02: Instead, you're two and five.
- 24:33SPEAKER_02: You just lost at home to a team starting its third quarterback, and now you got an entire bye week to sit around thinking about it.
- 24:41SPEAKER_02: That's a miserable feeling.
- 24:44SPEAKER_02: But I wouldn't completely bury Houston just yet because look at the three games coming out of the bye.
- 24:52SPEAKER_02: They got the Chargers, the Browns, and the Colts.
- 24:55SPEAKER_02: I uh I think there's a real possibility Houston wins all three of those games.
- 25:01SPEAKER_02: Now, Cleveland, Cleveland's playing good football.
- 25:05SPEAKER_02: I'm not pretending that it's an automatic win.
- 25:09SPEAKER_02: But the Chargers, Chargers haven't won a game yet, and Indy is literally in the process of dismantling its entire organization.
- 25:17SPEAKER_02: You win those three and you're back to five and five.
- 25:20SPEAKER_02: Suddenly the conversation changes again.
- 25:23SPEAKER_02: But God, just imagine, imagine how much better that would look if you had just beaten the Giants.
- 25:29SPEAKER_02: That's why this loss is brutal.
- 25:31SPEAKER_02: For New York, it's a massive confidence boost.
- 25:35SPEAKER_02: For Houston, it's a missed opportunity that could come back and haunt them.
- 25:40SPEAKER_02: And for me, I'm perfectly happy admitting I got the Giants wrong.
- 25:44SPEAKER_02: They earned that one.
- 25:45SPEAKER_02: Good for them.
- 25:49SPEAKER_02: Now, speaking of the Colts, Jesus Christ.
- 25:56SPEAKER_02: What is going on over there?
- 25:58SPEAKER_02: They are currently 2-5.
- 26:01SPEAKER_02: They fired their GM Chris Ballard, who's been there for 10 years, by the way.
- 26:05SPEAKER_02: I think so, at least something like that.
- 26:08SPEAKER_02: They don't have their first round pick next year.
- 26:11SPEAKER_02: And now they're trading away some of the biggest names on their roster.
- 26:17SPEAKER_02: This isn't a little retooling anymore.
- 26:20SPEAKER_02: This is a full-on reboot.
- 26:24SPEAKER_02: Quentin Nelson gets traded to Seattle for a third and a fifth, which is super cheap, by the way.
- 26:30SPEAKER_02: And then in the same division, DeForest Buckner gets sent back to San Fran for a fourth round pick.
- 26:38SPEAKER_02: You bring Buckner over from San Francisco a year ago, give him a big contract extension along the way, and now you're shipping him right back to where he came from.
- 26:47SPEAKER_02: Then, reportedly, Josh Downs wants out too, which is another problem because once everybody knows you want to leave, you've potentially made it harder for the team to negotiate from a position of strength.
- 27:01SPEAKER_02: Not great.
- 27:03SPEAKER_02: Indy is basically standing in the middle of the street with a giant for sale arrow just pointing at uh the stadium.
- 27:13SPEAKER_02: But I understand why.
- 27:14SPEAKER_02: I do.
- 27:15SPEAKER_02: The situation they've put themselves in is brutal.
- 27:22SPEAKER_02: Look, here's the thing, right?
- 27:24SPEAKER_02: Last year, Indy thought it was ready to win.
- 27:28SPEAKER_02: They were 7-1 or 8-1, whatever it was.
- 27:33SPEAKER_02: They went out and made a massive move for Sauce Gardner.
- 27:37SPEAKER_02: Two first round picks.
- 27:39SPEAKER_02: They were pushing their chips into the middle of the table.
- 27:42SPEAKER_02: And I can kind of respect them taking a swing when you believe that you've got the team to do it.
- 27:48SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you got to be aggressive, man.
- 27:50SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you got to make a move that takes you from being a pretty good team to being a serious contender.
- 27:56SPEAKER_02: But you better understand the risk.
- 28:00SPEAKER_02: Because Indianapolis took that gamble, and right now it's looking like they bet it all in black and it came out red.
- 28:07SPEAKER_02: Look, there's no crying in the casino.
- 28:10SPEAKER_02: That's the number one rule.
- 28:12SPEAKER_02: You only risk what you can afford to lose.
- 28:14SPEAKER_02: And I think the Colts may have bet a little more than they could afford.
- 28:19SPEAKER_02: Because now you've got a two and five football team.
- 28:24SPEAKER_02: You've fired your general manager, you're selling established players, and you don't have your own first round pick.
- 28:30SPEAKER_02: Which, as a Jets fan, I greatly appreciate.
- 28:34SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much, Indianapolis.
- 28:37SPEAKER_02: But if I'm a Colts fan, I am not having a good time right now.
- 28:42SPEAKER_02: And here's something, here's something that I think gets overlooked.
- 28:46SPEAKER_02: Who's taking over this organization next year?
- 28:50SPEAKER_02: Who's the general manager who walks into that interview and goes, yeah, this is exactly the situation that I've been dreaming about.
- 29:00SPEAKER_02: You got a quarterback commitment with Daniel Jones for$88 million.
- 29:05SPEAKER_02: You got a roster that clearly needs work.
- 29:09SPEAKER_02: You don't have your first round pick.
- 29:12SPEAKER_02: And now you're trying to decide which of your remaining established players are actually going to be a part of your future.
- 29:19SPEAKER_02: That's a difficult job, man.
- 29:22SPEAKER_02: Like, not impossible.
- 29:24SPEAKER_02: I'm sure someone can figure it out, but difficult.
- 29:27SPEAKER_02: And I actually think Carly Ursay recognizes that this is gonna be a lot worse before it gets better.
- 29:35SPEAKER_02: I can at least appreciate that.
- 29:38SPEAKER_02: The important part is making the decision sooner rather than later, right?
- 29:44SPEAKER_02: Because the worst thing you can do is spend another two years pretending you're one or two players away when everything and everybody can see that you're not.
- 29:55SPEAKER_02: If you're gonna rebuild, rebuild.
- 29:58SPEAKER_02: You gotta do it properly.
- 30:01SPEAKER_02: Which brings me to the crown jewel of the Colts trademarket.
- 30:08SPEAKER_02: That would be Jonathan Taylor.
- 30:11SPEAKER_02: Now, I understand Andy wants to keep him.
- 30:17SPEAKER_02: He has been a tremendous running back for them.
- 30:20SPEAKER_02: He's still productive and he is under contract.
- 30:23SPEAKER_02: I get it.
- 30:25SPEAKER_02: But if I'm running that front office, I'm at least picking up the phone and trying to drive the price a little bit.
- 30:33SPEAKER_02: There are plenty of teams around this league that could use Jonathan Taylor.
- 30:38SPEAKER_02: And not just teams that are completely desperate either.
- 30:41SPEAKER_02: Teams that are actually believing in themselves that they can win something this season.
- 30:44SPEAKER_02: I mean, look at Minnesota.
- 30:46SPEAKER_02: They're undefeated.
- 30:48SPEAKER_02: They've got this incredible defense, and their running game could 100% use an upgrade.
- 30:55SPEAKER_02: Imagine adding Jonathan Taylor to that offense with Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson.
- 31:01SPEAKER_02: Now you're not asking Kyler Murray to do everything.
- 31:04SPEAKER_02: You're not asking the defense to win every football game 12 to 10.
- 31:08SPEAKER_02: You have a legitimate running back who can carry the load and change how defenses approach you.
- 31:13SPEAKER_02: How about local?
- 31:14SPEAKER_02: How about the Giants?
- 31:15SPEAKER_02: I mean, they're sitting in first place in the division that's wide open.
- 31:19SPEAKER_02: Imagine Jonathan Taylor and Cam Scadabow in the same backfield.
- 31:23SPEAKER_02: That's earth, wind, and fire right there.
- 31:25SPEAKER_02: That's nasty one-two punch.
- 31:27SPEAKER_02: Now, whether the Giants should give up significant draft capital is a completely different conversation.
- 31:33SPEAKER_02: But would Taylor make that football team better right now?
- 31:37SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
- 31:38SPEAKER_02: How about Houston?
- 31:39SPEAKER_02: You know, you want to talk about making a push.
- 31:41SPEAKER_02: My God, how long has Houston been trying to find a true number one running back?
- 31:45SPEAKER_02: You got CJ Stroud, you have an offense, you're trying to get back on track.
- 31:49SPEAKER_02: Adding a player like Taylor changes the way the defense has to prepare for you.
- 31:53SPEAKER_02: That'll open things up big time for Nico Collins.
- 31:56SPEAKER_02: How about Green Bay?
- 31:58SPEAKER_02: You know, you just you just got Josh Jacobs back, I guess.
- 32:02SPEAKER_02: Can you work him in?
- 32:04SPEAKER_02: They don't really have a pick to be able to make that trade.
- 32:07SPEAKER_02: What about Washington?
- 32:09SPEAKER_02: Take some load off Jaden Daniels and his dislocated elbow.
- 32:14SPEAKER_02: They just lost Terry McLaurin, but again, the division is wide open.
- 32:19SPEAKER_02: I mean, there are plenty of potential fits.
- 32:21SPEAKER_02: And look what Kansas City did with Kenneth Walker.
- 32:24SPEAKER_02: They went out and acquired the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and for most of this season, he has given the running game a different dimension.
- 32:32SPEAKER_02: Now, Seattle did just shut him down, and we'll talk about that in a minute.
- 32:36SPEAKER_02: But the larger point here is that good football teams are willing to invest in players who can help them win now.
- 32:44SPEAKER_02: Jonathan Taylor is one of those players.
- 32:46SPEAKER_02: So if somebody wants to give Indy meaningful compensation, why wouldn't you consider it?
- 32:52SPEAKER_02: You don't have to give them away.
- 32:54SPEAKER_02: I'm not saying you send them to Minnesota for a fifth-round pick and a bag of footballs.
- 32:58SPEAKER_02: But if somebody offers enough to help you start rebuilding this roster and get you in the right path on the right steps, you gotta at least pick up the phone.
- 33:09SPEAKER_02: You gotta hear that conversation, especially if you're trying to accumulate enough capital, potentially move back into the first round.
- 33:17SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately for now, the time has come to pay the piper.
- 33:23SPEAKER_02: And for Colts fans, I don't think the bill is gonna be cheap.
- 33:28SPEAKER_02: I really don't envy whoever takes that general manner job.
- 33:33SPEAKER_02: Not one bit.
- 33:36SPEAKER_02: Now, this is what they call in the business a great segue.
- 33:44SPEAKER_02: Let's get into some genuinely impressive football that we saw over the weekend.
- 33:52SPEAKER_02: Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs.
- 33:54SPEAKER_02: I don't think anybody expected Kansas City to score three points on Sunday night.
- 34:00SPEAKER_02: Three.
- 34:02SPEAKER_02: Seattle wins 20 to 3, and this might be one of the most dominant defensive performances we've seen all season.
- 34:11SPEAKER_02: But what makes this even better is the storyline coming into the game.
- 34:17SPEAKER_02: Kenneth Walker, reigning Super Bowl MVP, leaves Seattle, goes to Kansas City, and comes back to face his former team as the league's leading rusher.
- 34:31SPEAKER_02: And oh yeah, by the way, Seattle has this incredible streak going.
- 34:36SPEAKER_02: 35 consecutive games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher.
- 34:42SPEAKER_02: Almost two years, including playoffs.
- 34:46SPEAKER_02: And I thought this was the perfect test.
- 34:49SPEAKER_02: You've got the league's leading rusher coming back to face the guys who practiced against him for years.
- 34:56SPEAKER_02: They know how he runs, they know his tendencies, they know what makes him dangerous.
- 35:02SPEAKER_02: So what happens?
- 35:04SPEAKER_02: Well, Seattle holds him to 36 rushing yards, 14 carries, 36 yards, and that extends their streak to 36 games.
- 35:15SPEAKER_02: 36 games, 36 yards.
- 35:17SPEAKER_02: Come on, you couldn't you couldn't script that any better.
- 35:20SPEAKER_02: But it wasn't just Walker.
- 35:22SPEAKER_02: I mean, Kansas City finished with 213 total yards, 11 first downs, and they didn't reach the red zone a single time.
- 35:30SPEAKER_02: Patrick Mahomes never even got into the red zone.
- 35:35SPEAKER_02: The last time the Kansas City Chiefs scored three points with Mahomes starting was back in 2021.
- 35:43SPEAKER_02: And give Seattle's offense credit too, Harry Man.
- 35:45SPEAKER_02: They converted 11 of 16 third downs, controlled possession, and once again, JSN went for 150 receiving yards.
- 35:55SPEAKER_02: Everybody in the world, everybody in the stadium knows that the ball is going to JSN.
- 36:02SPEAKER_02: And yet, somehow, he's open.
- 36:06SPEAKER_02: They find a way to get him the ball, they find a way to get him in space.
- 36:09SPEAKER_02: You're telling me you can't do that with Garrett Wilson?
- 36:15SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
- 36:16SPEAKER_02: Look, I anyway.
- 36:19SPEAKER_02: I love seeing defensive football like this.
- 36:22SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you don't need to score 40 points.
- 36:25SPEAKER_02: Sometimes your defense just goes out there and says, nah, you're not doing a damn thing today.
- 36:30SPEAKER_02: And I'll tell you what, if Seattle keeps playing like this, nobody's going to want to see them in January again.
- 36:37SPEAKER_02: Speaking of defenses that make life miserable, can somebody can somebody please start giving the Minnesota Vikings some respect?
- 36:46SPEAKER_02: 6-0.
- 36:47SPEAKER_02: Last undefeated team in football.
- 36:50SPEAKER_02: Who had that on their bingo card, right?
- 36:52SPEAKER_02: Somehow, every conversation about Minnesota starts with somebody explaining why they're not actually that good.
- 37:01SPEAKER_02: Oh, their schedule hasn't been that hard.
- 37:03SPEAKER_02: Their offense isn't scoring enough.
- 37:05SPEAKER_02: They haven't beaten anybody.
- 37:07SPEAKER_02: Okay, fine, man, but they're still 6-0.
- 37:10SPEAKER_02: And by the way, their defense is absolutely ridiculous.
- 37:14SPEAKER_02: Brian Flores is a madman.
- 37:16SPEAKER_02: Brian Flores is out here blitzing.
- 37:19SPEAKER_02: Like he's playing Madden against his little brother.
- 37:22SPEAKER_02: Minnesota has already blitzed nearly 78% of the time coming into indie, which is insane.
- 37:32SPEAKER_02: But apparently that wasn't enough.
- 37:34SPEAKER_02: I looked up the stats because Daniel Jones had himself a rough game.
- 37:39SPEAKER_02: They blitzed 85% of his dropbacks.
- 37:44SPEAKER_02: 85%.
- 37:47SPEAKER_02: What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
- 37:50SPEAKER_02: It's the highest single-game blitz rate in the next gen stats era.
- 37:54SPEAKER_02: Daniel Jones is standing back there thinking, maybe this time they'll only send four.
- 37:58SPEAKER_02: No, here comes everybody again.
- 38:00SPEAKER_02: Engage eight.
- 38:01SPEAKER_02: Engage eight.
- 38:03SPEAKER_02: They held Indianapolis to 64 net passing yards and recorded four sacks.
- 38:09SPEAKER_02: And it's not just sending guys after the quarterback.
- 38:11SPEAKER_02: It's how Flores disguises everything.
- 38:14SPEAKER_02: You know, you don't know who's coming, you who's dropping back.
- 38:17SPEAKER_02: And by the time you figure it out, somebody's already sitting in your lap.
- 38:21SPEAKER_02: That's a miserable way to spend your Sunday.
- 38:25SPEAKER_02: But I will say here is something interesting because of that.
- 38:29SPEAKER_02: Indianapolis actually rushed for 154 yards against Minnesota.
- 38:33SPEAKER_02: I didn't realize that.
- 38:35SPEAKER_02: So, you know, incredible as this defense is against the pass, there are some opportunities on the ground.
- 38:43SPEAKER_02: Why fly when you can drive, right?
- 38:45SPEAKER_02: That could matter quite a bit with Detroit coming up.
- 38:49SPEAKER_02: Now, offensively, Minnesota still has some things to figure out.
- 38:53SPEAKER_02: Kyler Murray is building chemistry with Justin Jefferson, and I think Kevin O'Connell needs to make life a little bit easier for both of those guys.
- 39:02SPEAKER_02: You know, you got to get Kyler moving outside the pocket.
- 39:04SPEAKER_02: Quick slants, crossing routes, screens.
- 39:08SPEAKER_02: You got to find a way to put the ball in Jefferson's hands and let him make plays because you got one of the best receivers in football.
- 39:16SPEAKER_02: You shouldn't need a perfect 40-yard pass every time you want to get him involved.
- 39:21SPEAKER_02: And listen, it's Murray's first season in this offense.
- 39:24SPEAKER_02: That chemistry takes some time.
- 39:27SPEAKER_02: The beautiful thing for Minnesota is that they're figuring it out while they're winning every single game.
- 39:32SPEAKER_02: Imagine if the offense actually catches up to the defense.
- 39:35SPEAKER_02: That's going to be a scary football team to watch.
- 39:38SPEAKER_02: Now, the next five games are no joke.
- 39:47SPEAKER_02: They got Detroit this Sunday, Buffalo next Monday night, then Green Bay, then San Francisco in Mexico City, and then Atlanta.
- 39:59SPEAKER_02: That's a hell of a five-game stretch.
- 40:01SPEAKER_02: And honestly, every one of those games is winnable, but every single one of them is losable, too.
- 40:08SPEAKER_02: Detroit this week should be a great game.
- 40:16SPEAKER_02: Detroit just beat Green Bay.
- 40:17SPEAKER_02: Now Minnesota comes to town undefeated.
- 40:20SPEAKER_02: Detroit can score.
- 40:29SPEAKER_02: And then you get Josh Allen on Monday night next week.
- 40:32SPEAKER_02: Can't wait for that one, to be honest with you.
- 40:34SPEAKER_02: Honestly, I like Minnesota to win, but Allen can absolutely punish you against blitzing.
- 40:40SPEAKER_02: So it's gonna be it's gonna be the next the next couple games for Minnesota is gonna be fun to watch.
- 40:46SPEAKER_02: And I mentioned that they end that five-game stretch with Atlanta.
- 40:52SPEAKER_02: I think Atlanta deserves a little bit of talking about here, too.
- 40:57SPEAKER_02: They just handed San Francisco its first loss of the season.
- 41:01SPEAKER_02: 29-20.
- 41:03SPEAKER_02: And the interesting part of this game, it really wasn't even Michael Pannox.
- 41:08SPEAKER_02: It was the turnovers, man.
- 41:10SPEAKER_02: San Francisco actually outgained Atlanta 400 yards to 200 yards.
- 41:15SPEAKER_02: And they lost.
- 41:18SPEAKER_02: Why?
- 41:19SPEAKER_02: Four turnovers, man.
- 41:21SPEAKER_02: Atlanta had zero.
- 41:23SPEAKER_02: You can't win football games like that.
- 41:25SPEAKER_02: You keep giving an opponent extra opportunities, eventually they're gonna make you pay.
- 41:30SPEAKER_02: And that's exactly what Atlanta did.
- 41:33SPEAKER_02: Michael Penix does deserve a little bit of credit here.
- 41:36SPEAKER_02: I mean, 25 of 34, 213 yards, three touchdowns, no picks, NFC offensive player of the week, yada, yada, yada, good for him.
- 41:45SPEAKER_02: Atlanta had a mess at quarterback to start the season.
- 41:48SPEAKER_02: Injuries, inconsistency, trying to figure out who was going to run the offense.
- 41:53SPEAKER_02: And Panix is still a young quarterback who's dealt with injuries of his own, right?
- 41:59SPEAKER_02: But he's got talent.
- 42:00SPEAKER_02: And more importantly, like we've been talking about all episode, he's got a coach who's figuring out how to use it.
- 42:09SPEAKER_02: So Stefanski deserves a lot of credit here.
- 42:13SPEAKER_02: I mean, look at Bijan Robinson, man.
- 42:15SPEAKER_02: You can't hand him the ball 25 times against eight-man boxes and expect him to be Superman.
- 42:21SPEAKER_02: At some point, the defense has to respect the passing game.
- 42:24SPEAKER_02: You've got Drake London, you've got Kyle Pitts, you've got weapons everywhere.
- 42:28SPEAKER_02: Use them.
- 42:30SPEAKER_02: And that's what Stefanski is doing.
- 42:32SPEAKER_02: He's putting Penix in a position to succeed.
- 42:35SPEAKER_02: That's good alliteration right there.
- 42:37SPEAKER_02: Putting Penix in position.
- 42:41SPEAKER_02: But it opens everything up for Bichon.
- 42:43SPEAKER_02: And the only way they're going to be good is if Bichon is good, which makes Drake London good, which makes Kyle Pitts good, which makes the defense good, because it gives him more time off the field.
- 42:52SPEAKER_02: You see how this all works in conjunction here?
- 42:59SPEAKER_02: It'd be nice, wouldn't it?
- 43:02SPEAKER_02: Anyway, Falcons at Buccaneers.
- 43:04SPEAKER_02: Atlanta heads into Tampa on Sunday, and this game has fun kind of written all over it.
- 43:10SPEAKER_02: Because Baker Mayfield just came back and Tampa absolutely beat the breaks off Carolina 43 to 13.
- 43:20SPEAKER_02: Here's the part that blew my mind, though.
- 43:22SPEAKER_02: Baker Mayfield threw the ball 11 times.
- 43:25SPEAKER_02: You see a score of 43.
- 43:28SPEAKER_02: You think, okay, Baker Mayfield back at Oklahoma, he's you know ripping the ball down the field.
- 43:34SPEAKER_02: No, 11 times.
- 43:35SPEAKER_02: Seven completions, by the way, 64 yards.
- 43:38SPEAKER_02: Tampa scored 43 points.
- 43:41SPEAKER_02: How the hell does that happen?
- 43:43SPEAKER_02: Well, it happens when you rush for 258 yards.
- 43:48SPEAKER_02: That's a complete team performance.
- 43:52SPEAKER_02: So now you got Atlanta coming in, Panic's playing well, Bichon playing well, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, yada, yada, yada.
- 44:00SPEAKER_02: Tampa's got Baker back.
- 44:01SPEAKER_02: Bucky Irving.
- 44:02SPEAKER_02: Emeka Abuka should be back.
- 44:05SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
- 44:07SPEAKER_02: I love the potential for points here.
- 44:10SPEAKER_02: And honestly, I like the scoring potential on Atlanta's next three games.
- 44:15SPEAKER_02: They got Tampa Bay, then they got Cincinnati, and then they got Kansas City.
- 44:19SPEAKER_02: Not an easy schedule, but not unwinnable either.
- 44:23SPEAKER_02: And once again, if it comes down to coaching, you've got the talent.
- 44:28SPEAKER_02: Now they're finding ways to use it.
- 44:32SPEAKER_02: And speaking of games coming up, we've got Thursday night football today.
- 44:38SPEAKER_02: Carolina heading into Lambeau Field to take on Green Bay.
- 44:44SPEAKER_02: Which means it's time to roll the dice a little bit.
- 44:49SPEAKER_02: Now, I might have a four-leg card that I'm putting together for Thursday night.
- 44:56SPEAKER_02: If you listened last week, I gave out two picks and then I gave out two more on the Instagram.
- 45:02SPEAKER_02: And we hit.
- 45:03SPEAKER_02: We hit for nice, dude.
- 45:04SPEAKER_02: It was like plus 800.
- 45:06SPEAKER_02: I'm only going to give you two of the legs right now because I'm going to really dissect two more here.
- 45:13SPEAKER_02: But the first one I got going on here is Bryce Young to throw an interception.
- 45:17SPEAKER_02: Look, Green Bay has been getting pressure on quarterbacks without having to blitz.
- 45:24SPEAKER_02: And when you get pressure with four guys, you still got everybody else sitting back in coverage waiting for a mistake.
- 45:30SPEAKER_02: Carolina's offensive line is banged up to say the least, and Bryce has had his problems dealing with pressure.
- 45:37SPEAKER_02: So I like Green Bay to force him into at least one mistake.
- 45:42SPEAKER_02: Bryce Young over 0.5 interceptions.
- 45:46SPEAKER_02: I think it's like minus 130 right now, give or take.
- 45:49SPEAKER_02: You can find it on your book.
- 45:51SPEAKER_02: And then leg number two, because I think it's going to be kind of ugly, we're going under 47 and a half points.
- 46:01SPEAKER_02: Look, it's Thursday night football, man.
- 46:03SPEAKER_02: It's a short week.
- 46:04SPEAKER_02: Injuries along both offensive lines.
- 46:06SPEAKER_02: Green Bay hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard, and Carolina just got demolished by Tampa Bay.
- 46:12SPEAKER_02: I could see some stall drives, some field goal situations instead of touchdowns, and one of those games where neither offense can really find a consistent rhythm, you know?
- 46:23SPEAKER_02: So give me the under.
- 46:27SPEAKER_02: I might have, I'm gonna have two more legs.
- 46:30SPEAKER_02: I'm just looking to find which ones I want.
- 46:33SPEAKER_02: So make sure you follow the Instagram.
- 46:35SPEAKER_02: It's at Rice on the Radio.
- 46:37SPEAKER_02: Check the story.
- 46:37SPEAKER_02: DM me if you want.
- 46:40SPEAKER_02: But I'll have some stuff out for you.
- 46:43SPEAKER_02: Let's see if we can uh make a little money.
- 46:46SPEAKER_02: Last but not least, two games that I just want to mention before I wrap things up here.
- 46:53SPEAKER_02: Firstly, Baltimore at Buffalo.
- 46:57SPEAKER_02: A good old AFC divisional round.
- 47:02SPEAKER_02: Yeah, not the wild card round.
- 47:04SPEAKER_02: AFC divisional round playoff game that we've had for the last three, four years now.
- 47:09SPEAKER_02: Hopefully, we're getting Lamar Jackson back.
- 47:11SPEAKER_02: He was a full participant in practice Wednesday, which is a really good sign.
- 47:14SPEAKER_02: And I mean, come on, man.
- 47:16SPEAKER_02: Lamar versus Josh Allen.
- 47:17SPEAKER_02: Who doesn't love that?
- 47:19SPEAKER_02: It's two of the most entertaining quarterbacks in football.
- 47:22SPEAKER_02: Guys who just can take a completely broken play and somehow turn it into a 25-yard game.
- 47:29SPEAKER_02: Baltimore desperately needs Lamar back, especially after Sinzi put up 35 unanswered second half points against them.
- 47:36SPEAKER_02: But I am interested to see how healthy Lamar actually looks.
- 47:40SPEAKER_02: Because so much of what makes him special is his ability to move.
- 47:44SPEAKER_02: And Buffalo's coming off his bye, so they'll be ready.
- 47:47SPEAKER_02: At least you better hope they are.
- 47:49SPEAKER_02: That's going to be a fun one.
- 47:51SPEAKER_02: And then we got Kansas City at Denver, which is really interesting after what Seattle just did to the Chiefs, and Denver just did to Arizona.
- 48:03SPEAKER_02: Denver's 5-2, man.
- 48:04SPEAKER_02: Bo Nicks is looking healthier, and the Broncos defense can get after the quarterback.
- 48:09SPEAKER_02: Now they got Patrick Mahomes coming in after one of his worst performances in his career.
- 48:14SPEAKER_02: Can Denver make him uncomfortable the same way that Seattle did?
- 48:18SPEAKER_02: Did they check the Seattle tape for the blueprint?
- 48:22SPEAKER_02: Maybe.
- 48:23SPEAKER_02: But I'm also not about to sit here and underestimate Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes coming off an embarrassing loss.
- 48:30SPEAKER_02: That's a dangerous combination.
- 48:32SPEAKER_02: So it's another game to keep an eye on.
- 48:34SPEAKER_02: Should be some good football this weekend.
- 48:39SPEAKER_02: You know, to uh to wrap it up here, something I've been talking about all episode.
- 48:47SPEAKER_02: I keep coming back and looking at all these games and just really seeing how much coaching matters, right?
- 48:58SPEAKER_02: You know, in the NBA, your your floor general, you know, your LeBron's, your Jalen Brunson's, your, you know, whatever.
- 49:07SPEAKER_02: Guys can do it on the court.
- 49:09SPEAKER_02: You need to be able to motivate them, but is what it is.
- 49:13SPEAKER_02: MLB, I mean, look, some managers know how to get in their players' faces, other ones, you know, they get the lineup from the GMs.
- 49:21SPEAKER_02: I'm not saying who's who, but you know.
- 49:24SPEAKER_02: But really, NFL is the last sport that coaching truly, truly matters.
- 49:32SPEAKER_02: Man.
- 49:34SPEAKER_02: And look, I know it sounds obvious, but just look around the league.
- 49:39SPEAKER_02: Harbaugh is finding ways to win with the Giants.
- 49:42SPEAKER_02: Stefanski is finally getting Atlanta's weapons working together.
- 49:47SPEAKER_02: Brian Flores is sending the entire state of Minnesota after opposing quarterbacks.
- 49:53SPEAKER_02: And then you got the Jets, who still can't seem to find a way to get out of their own way.
- 50:02SPEAKER_02: And that's the frustrating part, man, because sometimes sometimes you don't need a superstar.
- 50:09SPEAKER_02: You don't need another traffic.
- 50:10SPEAKER_02: You don't need another fresh start.
- 50:13SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you just need to figure out how to use what you already got.
- 50:18SPEAKER_02: And I think that applies to a lot more than football.
- 50:23SPEAKER_02: Anyway, that's enough of me being miserable about the Jets for one week.
- 50:27SPEAKER_02: We've got some great games coming up, and I hope everybody enjoys the football weekend.
- 50:32SPEAKER_02: As always, I appreciate you spending a little bit of your day with me.
- 50:36SPEAKER_02: Wherever you're listening, whatever you're getting into.
- 50:40SPEAKER_02: Take care of yourselves.
- 50:42SPEAKER_02: I am Ian Rice.
- 50:44SPEAKER_02: This has been episode 90.
- 50:46SPEAKER_02: Can you believe we made 90 episodes already of Rice on the Radio?
- 50:52SPEAKER_02: And don't forget.
- 50:53SPEAKER_02: Tell someone you love them and spread good energy in this way.
- 50:57SPEAKER_02: Good things happen to good people.
- 50:59SPEAKER_02: I'll catch you next time.
- 51:01unknown: Peace.