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NFL Week 7 Recap & Mount Rushmore of Hopeless Franchises
72 Plays7 months ago
The Goal Post is back with after a fantastic weekend of NFL Football
We start off by breaking down the two Monday Night Football games: The Ravens continue to roll against the Bucs and the Cardinals continue their Jekyll & Hyde behaviour against the Chargers.
Damien and Patrick then go through each game from Week 7 - The Lions and Vikings previewed a possible NFC Championship game, the Steelers stomped the Jets, and the Bengals and Eagles both beat up on bad teams.
After wading through every game, the episode wraps up our picks for the Week 7 slate. Damien’s 1-2 week keeps him in the lead (12-9), and Patrick is still recovering after an 0-3 week (9-12).
To finish, the boys do a Mount Rushmore of ‘Hopeless Franchises’ in the NFL + NHL that is full of insult stats.
Enjoy!
Monday Night Football Recap
Ravens vs Bucs 0:00 - 10:42
Cardinals vs Chargers: 10:43 - 16:13
Week 7 Recap
Steelers vs Jets: 16:14 - 24:57
Chiefs vs 49ers: 24:58 - 33:50
Lions vs Vikings: 33:51 - 40:40
Packers vs Texans: 40:42 - 46:57
Seahawks vs Falcons: 46:58 - 53:37
Jaguars vs Patriots: 53:38 - 57:48
Bengals vs Browns: 57:49 - 1:05:03
Bills vs Titans: 1:05:04 - 1:10:06
Colts vs Dolphins: 1:10:08 - 1:13:50
Eagles vs Giants: 1:13:51 - 1:16:07
Commanders vs Panthers: 1:16:10 - 1:18:08
Rams vs Raiders: 1:18:10 - 1:20:47
Week 8 Picks
1:20:52 - 1:25:46
Mount Rushmore of Hopeless Franchises
1:25:48 - 1:51:13
Recommended
Transcript
Are Prime Time Games Losing Appeal?
00:00:20
Speaker
Alright, welcome back to another episode of The Goalpost. We're coming at you after another Double Monday Nighter. But Patrick, I think prime time games are slowly, slowly losing their grip in this season. We started out with amazing prime time games. Last night was a bit of a dud. What did you think of the Monday night games? It's a classic case of, you know, if you got two, you you don't have one. and You can kind of interchange what word or adjective you want to throw in there, quarterbacks, getting prime time games, whatever.
00:00:53
Speaker
It's tough with two especially when one is at least it was a tight battle in the Chargers Cardinals game But there was really nothing interesting about it nothing compelling and then in the other game It was a great start and then the second half the game just got away so you found yourself in a bit of like an in-between spot of just I don't know which game to watch because neither one is really jumping off the screen to me at this point ah But yeah, I think the NFL especially with how they did the entire schedule. We had three, four o'clock games this week. One had a lot of hype and it did not live up to it. And then the other two were absolute stinkers. And then you have two Monday night games and they were average at best. So yeah, I think the NFL has got to kind of dial in the the scheduling here. I believe flexes are starting to come into play in the second half of the season. So
Ravens' Winning Streak and Team Dynamics
00:01:42
Speaker
hopefully they start flexing the the proper
00:01:45
Speaker
games into the primetime slots but yeah last night was it was okay that's that's what i would give it it wasn't great it wasn't awful but there was nothing really worth a lot of substance especially in the cardinals chargers game yeah kind of weird because the 1 p.m slate was fantastic like it it was loaded with good games i felt like i was like struggling to keep up with my tv's to make sure i caught everything and then we kind of had that slow kind of drag on but we'll start here With the Ravens 41, the Bucks 31, Lamar Jackson throws for five touchdowns to extend the Ravens winning streak to five games. They also steal first place in the AFC North from the Steelers. Who knows how long that'll be for. ah But first and foremost, the Ravens are buzzing. ah Lamar Jackson improved to 23-1 against NFC teams. That ridiculous streak keeps on going.
00:02:39
Speaker
ah That's the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history right now. He went 17 of 22 without an interception. Derek Henry continues to be a monster. Rashad Bateman has a career game. um More and more Patrick, I am like dialing in the Ravens for an AFC championship game.
00:02:59
Speaker
Yeah, it's I'm with you on that. It's going to be hard for me not to say that the Baltimore Ravens, like they look to be the best team in the NFL right now. I want to keep the Chiefs at number one in the power rankings ah for obvious reasons. there It's a lot of you know respect out of that ranking. But if we're just looking at the product of play that we've seen this year, and especially over the last five games after Baltimore dropped to 0-2,
00:03:24
Speaker
They're a well oiled machine in all facets of the game. like I think there's some concerns even about like Justin Tucker early in the season. Those are all gone. He's just nailing everything and the defense and I broke one Smith had like 17 tackles out there. Just go inside line to sideline covering everything.
00:03:41
Speaker
And ah even Mark Andrews, we we kind of forgot about him a little bit. Isaiah likely had that huge first game of the year against the Chiefs. And he had to touch or Mark Andrews had to touchdown catches in this game. And they just are so
Bucks' Struggles and Coaching Decisions
00:03:55
Speaker
good, man. And they went down early. They went down 10 nothing. And the box kind of came out flying. And it felt like one of those games where it's like, OK, Baker had you could sense the confidence in the pregame and all the interviews that he was doing came out firing.
00:04:10
Speaker
And you know, they're at home and it felt like a bit of a galvanized team, especially with the hurricanes and their in their return to Tampa. And then Baltimore just the second quarter onward basically played perfect football and just like the score looked a lot closer than it actually was. But the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in my books in the NFL right now. Yeah, I'm dying for like a Ravens Lions matchup. Like I want to see those two teams play so badly. We'll get to the Lions later, but they're that other team in the NFL right now that just looks almost completely infallible.
00:04:45
Speaker
On the buck side of the ball here. This was just like a flurry of like whether you want to call it mistakes whether you want to call it Not kind of living up to the moment the lights were too bright like it it it was a bit puzzling here because obviously that pair of interceptions like pretty much geared the Ravens back into this game like if there was one thing we've kind of harped on Baltimore for it's been their past defense and And the Bucks couldn't really figure that out. Like this was a classic kind of chicken shit, Todd Bowles game for me. Like they, they seem to just not be able to figure it out the whole game here. Late in that game, you see the Bucks kick a field goal in the fourth quarter on fourth. And I want to say it was five at the Ravens 42. They miss the field goal. And then from there on out, like it, they got a bunch of garbage time points, but this was just kind of conservative play calling at its worst.
00:05:39
Speaker
And bad quarterback back player bad quarterback mistakes at its worst here. um I want to talk about the Chris Godwin injury because obviously Mike Evans goes out early in this game ah kind of flares up that hamstring injury that he had coming into the week. But then you got Chris Godwin on the field.
00:05:56
Speaker
with 40 seconds left and they're down 10 points and he snaps his ankle. um Todd Bowles goes, he's a player. We're trying to win a ball game with Mike Evans going down. We didn't have that many receivers left as it was. So we play with what we got. I mean, yeah, you play with what you got, but now you're possibly down two of your best players on this team for the foreseeable future. I think this was a terrible game from Todd Bowles.
00:06:23
Speaker
yeah in his statement just contradicts everything that he did right and especially with Mike Evans going down early you have two elite receivers and your first one goes down early and i get if you wanted to lean on Godwin for the entire game and they really didn't which is kind of another point of like why are you starting to feed him when the game's already over like you said there's less than a minute left you're down 10 points It the game was out of reach for a while basically the entire fourth quarter and you you do see a lot of teams, especially with veterans and stars. They just rest in games like this. It's a long season. It's the NFL. It's the most physical regular season of any professional sport.
00:07:04
Speaker
And you're just leaving your guys out there to, you know, get injured. And it's pretty irresponsible ah from Todd Bowles and like just basically everyone on the box because someone could have Godwin probably could have overruled him and just said, hey, you know, this game's over with Mike's hurt. Like, let's go on. We got a divisional game next week for the the lead in the NFC South. And now you're going. Chris Godwin's got a dislocated ankle and it looks like his season's over.
00:07:33
Speaker
that is just irresponsible from them in a game where you you like ah learn to accept defeat and Todd Bowles wasn't able to and it's kind of that reputation he's gotten uh from the from his past especially with the Jets and just he just kind of seems like he loses uh where he is at times in the game especially and this one like this is one you're going to look back on in like a month from now and just be like, yeah, Mike Evans can't do everything. And now they don't have ah an elite second option on their offense.
00:08:04
Speaker
And this was probably a game that they kind of dialed up as a loss anyways. Like um I know you want to win every game, but like this, if you're looking at your schedule here, they go Falcons next week, as you mentioned, then they go Chiefs and 49ers. So you, you kind of have to play the long game here. You can't, you can't put your veterans and in a position like that. Like Mike Evans is already kind of playing through something.
00:08:28
Speaker
which is now aggravated again, so there's one check, and then you lose Chris Godwin. just this is a Things couldn't go worse for the Bucks in this game, and i this whole kind of game changed my perspective on them. like I've been high on the Bucks kind of the whole year. I think that they could go and win this division. but After this, I'm just left kind of scratching my head. um And I don't really know where they go. I think they could go 0 and 3 in those those three games and then suddenly be out of the mix and kind of be crawling back to being a wild card team.
00:09:01
Speaker
Yeah, they're they're they're chaotic. that That's what I have the box as. You got Baker Mayfield as a quarterback who you know you don't know what you're going to get on ah on a week-to-week basis. he was He threw the ball 45 times, and then you got basically three running backs now in that room. i Rashad White, I think he had a he was a lone bright spot in this game he finally got it going in the receiving game still you know not great on the ground but at least you're producing offense and now it's just like you said you need to win that game against Atlanta or at least I don't know battle keep it close send a message to them in some sort of manner because
00:09:40
Speaker
You're just falling behind the eight ball. And then now questions are going to start to mount, especially with the way,
Cardinals' Victory and Chargers' Offensive Woes
00:09:45
Speaker
like we mentioned, that Tom Bowles kind of managed his players late in that game. The defense has kind of been getting shredded as well. And Todd Bowles is known as more of a defensive head coach. He likes the blitz. We just really haven't seen this defense play to the elite level. Not they're not an elite defense, but I've always thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are absolutely top half of the NFL in defense.
00:10:07
Speaker
And they're just giving up points. They gave up 27 last week, but I mean they put up 51, gave up 41 this week, 36 the week before. ah it's You can't sustain those those offensive numbers and expect or sorry defensive numbers because then you on offense you're going to have to put up a million points every week and you can't do that. So yeah, I think the defense has to step up and Tampa's got to find a way to just play stable football and just you know take chaos out of it as best you can.
00:10:36
Speaker
Yeah, Baker's thrown in Zins on the sidelines. It's a mess over there. I have nothing more to say about the Bucks. We'll move to Cardinal 17, Chargers 15. The Jekyll and Hyde Cardinal Street continues as Arizona wins again after a bad loss last week.
00:10:53
Speaker
ah We see the Kyler Murray 44-yard touchdown at the end of that game. Just nobody spying car like Kyler Murray on that play is just bonkers to me. Kyler Murray is really, really good. That was his 20th career game with both a touchdown pass and a run. He is like a true game breaker to me. Even when he has bad games, you can tell that he's still like a danger to kind of do something. um But I want to start with the Chargers here.
00:11:20
Speaker
Because Patrick, what is this Chargers offense? Like we talked last week that the Chargers have been pounding the rock. That was kind of their identity so far this season. Justin Herbert's kind of taking a backseat. Harbaugh is kind of pushing things that way. They ran for 59 yards in this game. Dobbins had 40 yards on 14 carries. Cameron Dicker is kicking five field goals. Like I have no idea what to make of this Chargers offense.
00:11:47
Speaker
I don't know if they do either, really, because we saw Herbert throw the ball 39 times in this game, which is, you know, it it when you imagine this game, Chargers versus Cardinals, I look at the Cardinals as kind of a finesse, cute, ah offensive game plan. And then the Chargers as hard-nosed man football, which is a matchup that should benefit them, especially in ah in a game where you have a little bit longer to prepare Monday night.
00:12:11
Speaker
I was expecting a heavy dose of JK Dobbins and we really didn't get it because we've seen it in past games the in this season it takes some time for Dobbins to break that first one but they've been able to just stick with the run game and he's getting over 20 touches on the ground and then eventually you wear a defense down and you start breaking them and then you know it's successful but it felt like they kind of gave up on it in this game and then like you said five field goals that is unacceptable you didn't finish any drives and you know you we had the the big momentum swing with who's back of the week Jalen Rager uh
00:12:48
Speaker
like he, he basically had a touchdown or he's going to be out at like, you know, inside the five yard line fumbles through the end zone there. You don't even get a field goal. If you got that six field goal, maybe you could win this game, but the turnover battle was lost ah by this LA chargers. And then that was basically the difference in this game, the the chargers.
00:13:07
Speaker
Yeah, it was just like this should have been a win. You're a slight favorite and you just weren't able to stick to your game plan and you couldn't finish drives and the Cardinals were able to just do enough to find a way to get a victory. Yeah, Chargers have gone
Jets' Broader Issues Beyond QB
00:13:20
Speaker
16 consecutive drives without a touchdown. They go zero touchdowns in this one.
00:13:25
Speaker
harbert ah Herbert throws for 349 yards, like by far his best ah output of the season, but no touchdown passes. like i Justin Herbert is ah it becoming an enigma to me. like He was crowned so early in his career as this like offensive guru. Now he doesn't quite have the weapons he used to have, and we're kind of seeing that regression back to the mean. um They play Saints, Browns, Titans in the next three games. so They currently sit in the playoffs at the eighth seed. They can go two and one in that stretch. I'm sure they'll be fine. Like six of the bottom 10 teams in the NFL are in the AFC. This is a true, true down year. So part of me thinks they could still limp into the playoffs. But if we're looking at teams that are kind of in the same spot, I really like the Bengals a lot more than I like the Chargers.
00:14:16
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's a team that's you know going in the right direction. The Chargers, it just feels they kind of feel like the Cardinals. You win one this week, you lose the next, you just can't put two games in a row together. And that just is going to lead to a 7-10, 8-9 year, which don't it shouldn't be enough. It shouldn't get you in the playoffs. I think you're going to need probably 10 wins, you might get away with nine in a down year in the AFC, but there's been nothing really encouraging that I've seen from this Chargers team and nothing that's been sustainable. Yes, they've had a million injuries and that hasn't helped them you know be consistent on a week-to-week basis, but every team is dealing with injuries to some manner and you got to be able to overcome that and that's where
00:15:02
Speaker
you know They thought they upgraded in head coach. I do think they did because Brandon Staley was really, he didn't have a feel for the NFL and Harbaugh does. But Harbaugh's got to find a way to like motivate this team more and just get them ready to come out firing every single week. Because that was, when you think of Harbaugh, you think of like a motivator. X's and O's and he's got a game plan and motivates his team and they come out hard and they play for him.
00:15:27
Speaker
it doesn't feel like they're playing inspired football whatsoever. And, you know, it's definitely better, I guess, in Brandon Saley, but this is kind of where I have the Chargers team at. I didn't have them as a playoff team just yet. I think it's going to take some time for Harbaugh to instill this culture and kind of put the pieces together here because they really have no great receiving options. Lydon Mcconkey's okay and he's a rookie and he can continue to get better. But if Jalen Rager is out there catching passes for you, you're in a bad spot. Yeah, very bad spot. The Cardinals,
00:15:56
Speaker
avoid going two and five and now sit second in the NFC West because of that huge win over the 49ers. They go Dolphins, Bears, Jets. Similarly, if they can go two and one in that stretch, they'll be in a very fine position, I think, moving forward. But you talked about motivation, and I think that's a perfect launching off point here to Sunday night football.
00:16:18
Speaker
Steelers 37 Jets 15 and I want to start with the Aaron Rodgers press conference because after the game he said you know I didn't feel energy in the room going into this game or at halftime I got to do better at bringing that or getting this team up the Jets are are an enigma Patrick how do you not get up For a Sunday night football game in Pittsburgh like that in a must-win game They dropped their fourth consecutive game in a row here before we get to your Steelers. Let's talk about the Jets Yeah, let's
Chiefs' Versatility in Winning
00:16:54
Speaker
do it. You you make a big big splash by the biggest move of the NFL season so far bringing into Vontae Adams Aaron Rodgers his best friend You're on the road in Pittsburgh. Like you said night game
00:17:06
Speaker
must win. Like you're you have two wins on the year. ah you're You're a slight favorite on the road as well. You still, you know, you still have that interim head coach shine. Like it shouldn't have rubbed off through two games. There should still be some motivation to play for a new head coach and be inspired to play football. And you know what? They kind of came out of the, of the locker room. Okay. Like they, they went down, they had the lead at halftime, but you're right. Right before half there, there was a little bit of a momentum switch, but It's like, okay, we're in the locker room. We have a lead. Let's continue to just go out in the second half and play football. And, you know, breeze hall was going there. And I feel like they kind of just went away from the run game a little bit. And it just felt like Aaron Rogers had to get it into Devontae Adams hands. He had nine targets, only three catches. And they just didn't put up any points in the second half. And it just, it's the same old story week after week with these jets teams. And I just can't believe people continue to
00:18:07
Speaker
Watch what they're putting out on a weekly basis and saying that this is an this is a team that can do something because it it clearly isn't and their defense which what everyone thought was the strength and they were a quarterback away from competing for a Super Bowl.
00:18:23
Speaker
They've got more issues than just the quarterback right now. It is the defense as well. And the the Jets are, I'm done. You're two and five. Like you you just, it's not gonna work if, as is. But hey, they hit the Hassan Redick button. I think they're gonna, you know, probably trade Mike Williams the week after. So that'll be their their next desperation move. But ah yeah, like it's just every week, the Jets are trying to like do something to change it, but nothing is changing.
00:18:51
Speaker
Nothing's changing like I texted you this every single Jets game is the exact same viewing experience Like it's slow to begin with kind of the refs get very involved the offense shows flashes of being good The defense usually has to do too much and ends up faltering Rogers throws an untimely interception or two like it it is the most consistent same viewing experience every time now they're two and five and And they go Patriots Texans Cardinals here. They have the sixth easiest remaining schedule and I still have no no faith in that. I would put money on them finishing either eight and nine. Maybe if things go absolutely fantastic, they go nine and eight if they find something here. This is not a playoff team. um What looks to be like a playoff team right now is the Pittsburgh Steelers, Patrick.
00:19:46
Speaker
in the debut of russ Russell Wilson which hilarious tweets on the timeline because like the tweets from the first half and the second half including from yourself so much different um but he throws for two TDs runs for another one as the Steelers rip off the final 31 points of the game how are we feeling about your Steelers Patrick ah feel good but I like I'm not gonna change my stance that I think the Jets are a bad football team and and I'm not gonna put like a ton of stock in this win it's a great win at home prime time Russell Wilson
00:20:19
Speaker
um drove down the field on that opening drive field goal. I was like, okay, we got a good, we got something here. It was productive start, especially with, you know, Steelers are a notorious slow starting team, especially the season. And then you go three straight three and outs. And that's where, that's where the world started to fall for me. That's, that's where a lot of the tweets were flying there. It was just, it was just very,
00:20:44
Speaker
upsetting to watch that and the throws were nowhere close he was under throwing everything he couldn't move he was getting hit it was basically exactly what i thought i was going to be in for and then something switched and maybe he got a little bit more protection they were able to start running the ball a little bit more and then he was just making the throws downfield and george pickens was you know every fifty fifty ball it was going a hundred percent his way pretty much. And it was just successful like thirty seven points from the steelers and after a week after putting up thirty one.
00:21:15
Speaker
I don't know what to say. that's that's I've never seen that since Big Ben. like that Those are crazy numbers to watch and it's it's inspiring, but like I said, I just can't go out here and say that you know that's it's a huge win. It's just it's the Jets. like That's a game you should win at home in prime time. um It was nice to come from behind because when they were ah down 15-6, and that's why I was pretty upset after that,
00:21:40
Speaker
you know brutal call on Minka on the blocked extra point where it led to them getting a two
Lions' Offensive Showcase
00:21:46
Speaker
point conversion and going up two scores. I thought the game was out of reach. I really did with Russ. It was so bad in those three straight three and outs and it was just field goals. And then the Beanie Bishop interception basically turned that game on its head.
00:21:59
Speaker
And it's just like, that's what the Steelers are. They, they are great in all. Well, Monday night, they were, or sorry, Sunday night, they were great in all three facets. It's usually they're great in defense and special teams and the offense is, you know, just got to do enough, but the offense was great as well on Sunday and it was, it was just nice. It was probably their best performance of the season so far.
00:22:17
Speaker
Yeah, they score over 30 points in consecutive weeks for the first time since early in the 2020 season. It's been a minute. Um, the broadcast was doing you guys so dirty in the first half. Like it was either every other shot of the Steelers was either Mike Tomlin making like a really puzzled face or just a zillion shots of Justin Fields on the sideline, which like, come on, man. Like we don't need that. Like that's a bit much.
00:22:41
Speaker
Yeah, Justin's handled himself very well in this situation, and he like he's not bringing attention to himself. he was He just had the helmet on. He was ready to go. Yeah, it was it was fine. and then And then the cameras flipped, and it was all Danny Smith like the whole second half. like I thought Danny Smith was going to execute a ref on national television. like Just what an amazing little like ball of energy. One of the best things in sports is like seeing a team really love a coach like that, like a a kind of more minor coach but those are the guys who kind of make a great team in any sport like somebody who they are clearly getting up for the special teams was fantastic that was a bizarre leverage call on Minka he didn't touch anybody I don't know what the ref saw there that and and the bizarre
00:23:27
Speaker
challenge flag fiasco where you know Albrecht goes to throw the flag after Rogers tells him to another another example of Rogers basically running this team and then he he throws it too late so they don't take it and then the Jets score on the next play like that that was bizarre it was a tough night for the refs but luckily the Steelers made that a non-factor eventually Yeah, that was nice. And yeah, that that flag situation was so weird because I think they said it's because it wasn't in the field of play because when he dropped it, it was on the whites, the white paint of the sideline. But it was down well before that snap was had. Then he had to go pick it up. And then by the time he threw it in the field of play, I didnt actually didn't know that rule. To be honest, I thought you just had to just had to hit the ground, come out of the pocket. And then that's a challenge. But learn something new every week.
00:24:16
Speaker
And yeah, the refs, I wasn't going to complain about the refs. It was just frustrating from what I was seeing from Russell at that point in the game. And I just thought that that was going to be a huge call. Didn't end up being that big of a call. And, you know, hopefully they'll be better for it. and Minka's always looking to jump the line or someone's gonna be like this the special teams. It's beautiful on the Steelers um But yeah, no, it's good when five and two feel good Little sketched out about this Monday night are coming up if that like those are the games dealers lose So if they can go out and win and beat the Giants I'll be much more encouraged from that win then a win over the Jets. It's weird, but that is hilarious I was watching two great defenses going at it, or two like subpar teams trading blows, ah but nevertheless Kansas City wins its fifth straight over San Francisco, which includes two Super Bowls. Purdy and Mahomes combined 21 for 42, 230 yards, no TDs, four interceptions and three sacks. This was like a puzzling game to watch as a fan.
00:25:40
Speaker
bizarre bizarre like it's a Super Bowl rematch it was on paper the only good four o'clock game and I think everyone had eyes on it and it was just it was bad from the start
Packers' Victory and Texans' Injuries
00:25:52
Speaker
um there was just interception one way interception the next no one wanted to get into the end zone early it It was a messy game, Damian, but this is, of course, the Chiefs win a messy game. Of course, that's how they've been winning games all year. That's why they're so successful. It's why they're back to back Super Bowl champions. And it's just like Kyle Shanahan once again couldn't adjust and Andy Reid just out coach him. It was not the game plan either culture is expecting, I'm sure. But it was, it's the same story week after week where it's like,
00:26:23
Speaker
How did the Chiefs win this one? Mahomes has more interceptions than touchdowns. How are they winning? It's because they're just a well-oiled machine. They don't win in one way. They can reach in all three ways. And it was just, yeah, it was a bad game.
00:26:36
Speaker
Bad bad game, but the Chiefs shouldn't apologize for anything. They went out there played the opponent and they beat him and Like a 10-point game, but it was kind of over at half in a weird way I was like I had no faith especially after the I uke injury and debo left early I was just that there was no sign of hope that the 49ers are gonna be able to put up enough points in this game Yeah it I'm losing more and more belief in the 49ers every single week like they are starting to to me to be a team that I'm not penciling in for an NFC championship like I am penciling in maybe maybe
00:27:14
Speaker
a scrappy first round playoff when they fall to three and four. Brandon, I, you gets carted off, most likely tears is ACL. Like I think they ruled him confirmed yel and I'm selling so for the year and, and if anything that shows you why guys hold out and try and get their money because he got his money and then that undoubtedly would have changed how much money he gets in the future. Um, Brock Purdy, man.
00:27:42
Speaker
He throws an off-target pass like right to Ronnie Bell and and it gets intercepted. The Chiefs then turn that into a touchdown um and he he throws like that backbreaking third interception in the end zone. The ball got kind of tipped. ah But Brock Purdyman, we're starting to see maybe like what kind of goes on. The best quarterbacks in the league are able to kind of make do without you know, a stacked, stacked lineup, i.e. Mahomes. And we're kind of seeing that that Brock Purdy isn't really doing that. He was without Deebo Samuel, who weirdly like went into this game and then was huffing oxygen on the sideline. He now came out that he has pneumonia.
Seahawks' Domination and Falcons' Weaknesses
00:28:23
Speaker
ah Not good. um But if if you were to compare the two quarterbacks, like
00:28:27
Speaker
Casey's offense is now missing its wide receiver one, two, and three with with Hollywood Brown, Rishi Rice, and Juju Smith Schuster now. They're missing their running back one with Isaiah Pacheco and Jalen Watson went out in this one that's like their cornerback too and yet they're still six and 0. This is Patrick Mahomes first six and 0 start in his entire career. Brock Purdy's not really doing that with this team.
00:28:52
Speaker
No, it was definitely Brock's worst start of the season. um I know I remember he had one horrible game last year, so it's not as of his career, but it's just. It's been a weird year for Brock. It's been up and down and just similar to a lot of NFL teams and quarterbacks. We've seen just little consistency throughout this season, and it's just I don't know. No touchdown passes in this game. Three interceptions like we mentioned, and it's just.
00:29:19
Speaker
It's not sustainable and you you are penciling that for now I don't even know if I'm willing to pass them in the playoffs yet I I've dared That division is up for grabs right now, and they're not in the worst spot in the world. They can still win their division, but nothing coming out of there is encouraging, except for maybe George Kittles having another good year. Jordan Mason's been a nice story to keep them afloat in the rushing game, but there's still no real sign of Christian McCaffrey coming back anytime soon. Luis Ayuk for the year. Who knows how long Deebo Samuel is going to be out?
00:29:50
Speaker
like I don't know. There's just not a lot of confidence for me and they go and play. The Cowboys off a bye this week, then they get their bye week and then it's box Seahawks Packers. like It's just the schedule is not getting easier for this 49ers team and there's just there's no inspired play and I just don't.
00:30:08
Speaker
I don't feel good about them, Damien. And I just wonder, like, it's got to be as close as you can be hitting the panic button, like where we are from where their expectations were at going into the year. You're three and four and just losing guys. And I don't know, man, I just don't think, like you said, Brock Purdy is going to be able to elevate his game and be the reason this team can win. And he needs the guys around him to help him win. And now they're all going and they're gone. So. yeah I don't know like that's not good the the Chiefs though like another terrifying stat about the Chiefs in this game is that they had a season high 184 yards and got four TDs on the ground and that's without Isaiah Pacheco like Kareem Hunt has seemingly picked up exactly where he left off this team can like clearly change how it wants to win games and they can run the ball at will like that should be a
00:30:57
Speaker
just terrifying for other teams. I just can't really pencil in a lot of losses for them right now. um Like something about the Chiefs. We got to talk about Mahomes like fake going out of bounds. Like where do you stand on that? Because this has been like a take that is seemingly split down the middle. Like some people are saying Lamar Jackson does that 10 times a game. Other people
Jaguars' Win in London with Lingering Issues
00:31:18
Speaker
are saying, how is this any different from like a Kenny Pickett fake slide? I think that it's gotten to the point where if Even if you do hit Mahomes inbound, they're they're likely to give you an unnecessary roughness penalty. We've seen that before. I think teams are so like deranged and manipulated into not touching Mahomes that he's going to continue to do this. And it's kind of bullshit. like That's where I stand on it.
00:31:44
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I think it's very different from a Kenny Pickett fake slide. I don't really, I think that was a football play. He never actually showed signs that he was going out of bounds, but you're right. He, he tiptoes the sidelines a lot. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a 15 yard penalty and putting your shoulder into his ribs. I don't know if I should be saying that, but there's I, there's no, man, especially if you're down in a game, like who gives a shit fucking send a message.
00:32:09
Speaker
And I really, do I think, I don't think that would have been a flag. And I think that falls more on San Fran and the way they're coached. And I don't know, like why isn't Fred Warner flying across and just wiping him out? That's a guy who was never really apologized for the way he's played. He's always played physical sideline to sideline.
00:32:26
Speaker
So why is that changing now? Because it's my homes. If anything, that should encourage you more to go make a play yeah stop and stop him because my homes, his legs are a huge part of his game and he doesn't care. He ran the guy over in the end zone. He dropped the shoulder on his touchdown run. My homes is people don't like him and that's fine because he's a winner. He's sneaky physical too. Like he will take a hit. He's got no problem with that. He plays injured. We've seen it. He's won a super bowl on who knows how many painkillers at halftime.
00:32:55
Speaker
it's he's a He's the best quarterback in the NFL for a reason and is is a part of that reason because he can kind of manipulate the rules slightly in his favor? Maybe. And there are the rules very and far too soft on quarterbacks? Yes, both things can be true here. But at the end of the day, I
Patriots' Rookie QB Shows Promise
00:33:13
Speaker
think that's an inexcusable play by the 49ers and he just he exposed them I think more than like the rules. I think that's just the 49ers were I don't know. I guess they thought he was going out of bounds, but even just push him. Yeah, right there. It was like you have to lay a finger on him to get him out of bounds and they didn't do that.
00:33:30
Speaker
Yeah, it Kyle Shanahan needs a haircut. I think that that it starts and ends with there like he not to get full um buzz kind just shave it all off. I do something to change the vibes over there. He vibes exactly. Yeah, I don't want to go full coward here, but he is looking way too much like a backwards hat like San Francisco kind of guy. Anyways, we digress. We move to what was the best game on Sunday. Lions 31 Vikings 29 Lions reclaim first place in the NFC North.
00:34:00
Speaker
And this game was fucking awesome. Like you could not tell where it was going at any time. Like for the first while, I would say it was like a Ben Johnson versus Brian Flores, like 10, nine round or 10, seven round for Ben Johnson. Like he the Lions burned the Vikings on blitzes all day golf into the fourth quarter was nine of nine versus the blitz. And they clearly knew how to kind of take apart this Vikings defense. You're going on the road against an undefeated team and you find a way to win. Like they their game plan continues to get better and better each week. I thought it was going to take a step back with that ridiculous fake pun on fourth and seven.
00:34:43
Speaker
I thought oh no this is like Dan Campbell of old but the Lions offense and the Lions game plan just continues to hum. I took more away from that from this game from the Lions obviously because they won. I didn't take too much away from the Vikings other than like maybe some small things but the Vikings can or the Lions continue to look like if they're not one in the NFL they're two.
00:35:05
Speaker
Yeah, this this felt like an NFC championship game to me. Like you said, it was like a four round. It was like first quarter went to the Vikings. Second quarter, the Lions respond. They come out of the half. They probably had a slightly better third quarter. Then the Vikings come soaring back in the fourth. Ten points down. Ten points. Grab a quick lead. And then ultimately we know how this game ended with the Lions on a on a walk off field goal pretty much.
00:35:32
Speaker
what a game though it was just had it all and it lived up to the hype which you know rarely these games have been this season and we you know the one we just talked about really let us down but at least we have this team in the Lions like you said it's the Ravens in the Lions right now they're just kind of sore and they're rolling it's just everything they do like even the Dan Campbell you know he slips back into that mode sometimes he just goes back there and he just can't help himself Figure that out for the playoffs. You found a way to win the game. It's all good, but it's just it's these NFC North like these games mean so much. And for the end of like the Lions to win this game. That could be the difference for for the one seed right now, because like you said, I'm not taking anything away from the Vikings. Darnold had another solid game as well. Jefferson is still clearly I think the best receiver in the NFL. He's always making plays. Seems like he's always in the end zone.
00:36:25
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just i was it was a very great viewing experience in this one. And then Jared Goff. Man, I think he's the most efficient quarterback in the
Browns' Internal Dynamics and Watson's Injury
00:36:34
Speaker
NFL because he's not throwing it as much as we've seen before. And it's just, you know, he had the 18 for 18 game. Now he's 22 for 25 in this one. No interceptions, two touchdowns, 280 yards. It's just perfect football on offense from the from the Lions right now. And it's it's just fun to watch. And um I don't know. I think this game is going to have playoff seating implications in the future? Yeah, I don't think they play until late in the season again. So that that next game is going to be an absolute banger too with a ton on the line. ah The Lions stats in perspective here, like they came into this game having only four turnovers and hadn't lost a fumble in the first five games. They lost one fumble in this. That was that Ivan Pace ah return into the end zone that kind of brought the Vikings back into this. but
00:37:21
Speaker
Five turnovers through six games is absolutely ridiculous for the Lions. They are the only team in a four-game span since the
Bills' Criticism and Titans' Inconsistencies
00:37:31
Speaker
merger to have more offensive TDs, which is 18, than incompletion 16. Goff is setting records 76 of 91, 1,086 yards, nine passing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown, and over 140 pass rating and four straight games. You're right.
00:37:49
Speaker
I want him to like because I had that preseason take of like golf winning the touchdown title and the yards title like he's it's not quite there like he's just playing smart football and it's and it's almost better that way because he doesn't have to do all those things. um This was the Jamir Gibbs game like had 150 total yards two touchdowns. They're finally like really figuring out exactly how to use him.
00:38:12
Speaker
ah he He was great in this one like you just can't poke holes a week after losing Aiden Hutchinson Arguably the best player on your roster certainly your best defensive player and to get a win like that a week after losing a player like that just shows me that this team is kind of cut from a different cloth and You have a USFL kicker, Badgley, or Badgley got hurt at the beginning of training camp. Bates comes in from the USFL. He's 10 for 10 on field goals, hits the fucking final winning field goal, and then does the bring the boom dance. like this This team has all the vibes from me. like I am so, so high on the Lions right now.
00:38:51
Speaker
Yeah, and there is, you know, Hutchinson's gone. They still sacked it Sam Darnold four times. Like they're productive. Brian Branch stepped up huge in the safety position, had the touchdown called back. Like he, the guy was just making plays all game. Montgomery had the off game if we if we want to poke a hole, but I mean, there's no reason to, it was just that fumble.
00:39:11
Speaker
Give them give the Vikings life when it felt like the Lions could have you know just kind of stepped on their throat won this
Colts' Win Over Struggling Dolphins
00:39:17
Speaker
game but comfortably maybe by a touchdown two scores. but It's all good you like you got the win this game's gonna age well on the road to see your hosting the next match up between these two.
00:39:28
Speaker
This NFC North is just going to be it's such a fun storyline as the season goes. Like the Bears had to buy this week, you know, we'll get to the Packers in a bit, but I'm, I'm impressed with just everything that the, the Lions are doing. They have like it, some teams, you know, they went in different ways and the Lions, it just feels convincing every time and then get the Dan Campbell clips from the locker room.
00:39:54
Speaker
Everyone's pumped up. You got like the city of Detroit. I'm sure they're gonna rally around Aiden Hutchinson There's something about this team that's feels a little different last year I felt like they're coming out party into you know getting away from what they once were and now it feels like There's a new era of the Detroit Lions and it's just it's really fun to watch and they're one of the more likable teams in the NFL for sure Yeah, one last thing from this game um I love bringing the house on a final play like that. like Instead of dropping everybody back, I think they rushed five and just absolutely knocked Arnold into the dirt. like if Especially if you're playing against a QB that's not very mobile, like that that is always the play to me. It's gutsy, but I think it it works out more often than not. um Impressive win for the Lions will move to a much more confusing game
00:40:45
Speaker
but an entertaining game nonetheless Packers 24 Texans 22 this was a roller coaster with seven lead
Eagles vs Giants: Key Takeaways
00:40:51
Speaker
changes Green Bay overcomes three turnovers to win its third straight snaps Houston's three-game winning streak um Patrick Jordan love is Brett Favre reborn like yes three of 31 to 14 three TDs three interceptions he leads the NFL both in TD passes and interceptions despite missing two games. Like insane move chucking that 40 yard pass as they were draining clocked to kick a game winning field goal, but they have a true gunslinger there like you gotta to love it.
00:41:23
Speaker
Yeah. Ever since he put that Jersey on, it was his first game back. He's been a different, a different person. And for better or for worse, I still don't know yet. Like we'll see as the season goes on. I don't think this is sustainable throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions every game. I think you're right. Like this game was so confusing to me.
00:41:43
Speaker
because it felt like Green Bay dominated and it felt like they possessed the ball almost the entire game. And then it was ah Jordan Love throws the interception, there was it again, Joe Mixon rips off a huge rush and somehow the Texans are are winning this game and CJ Shroud has 10 completions for 86 yards. I'm just, Green Bay should have won this game by two or three scores, especially at home. Everything was going right for you. And then Jordan Love is making these bad decisions they like They're bad decisions. bad decisions. The defense of Green Bay though, we've been harping on it all year. The Jeff Halfley led defense has been so impressive. No one has made CJ Stroud look the way he did no in against that in that game. like ah what's the What was the stat line? It was 10 of 20 for 86 yards sacked four times.
00:42:34
Speaker
that that is he they made CJ Stroud look like he was a high school quarterback. And that's the reason they won this game was because of their defense, not so much Jordan Love. Yeah, it it is very clear that the injuries are starting to really take hold here. I think that the Texans were missing five defensive starters Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Steven Simms, also out on offense. like Dalton Shulls was the leading receiver with one catch for 28 yards. Diggs, I really thought he was going to break out at points in this game. He had five catches for only 26 yards, only 197 total yards on offense, and most of that was Joe Mixon. like Joe Mixon is a a
00:43:15
Speaker
central central point to this Texans team. um But you can't really do it all on the ground, especially against the secondary that Green Bay has. I'm interested to see in kind of ah the trajectory of this Texans team now without like all those starters out with dealing with injuries, because it's kind of going to be an uphill climb like they they are a great team when they're fully healthy. I don't know about that with without kind of having all those ah Injuries like that the defense was very very porous in this one like Green Bay got the ball back on its own 30 with only one timeout remaining down one and Yet again, they were just kind of able to put her down the field down the field big connection.
00:43:59
Speaker
And I just don't know what to make of the Texans right now. like To me, they are a ah one of the more confusing teams ah to judge in the NFL right now. I'm with you on that. like Let's look at this game. You mentioned it. They had a bunch of injuries on defense, missing their number one receiver, Niko Collins, probably a top five receiver in the league right now. CJ Stroud had his worst game of the season, maybe his career.
00:44:25
Speaker
And you barely lost to what everyone is looking at as as a for sure playoff team, maybe a possible division winning team in what is the best division in football right now. But you're right, they played so bad that I almost want to take stuff ah something away from them. But it's just like they were in this game. They were ah they were a 45 yarder miss away from winning this game from Brandon McManus, who hit the Lambeau leap. That was kind of cool. I'm not going to lie that the walk off kicker leap. i I kind of forgot about his history also. yeah yeah I did the deep dive on that as well. Not good. Yeah. I, I, that was, that one was swept under the rug or maybe it's just kickers. They don't get the attention, but yeah, that one called me off guard. And yeah, like he misses that field goal. And like, what what would you think of the Texas if they won this game 22 21 with their performance? Would it be a different like tone?
00:45:18
Speaker
Absolutely. like You'd be like, wow, what a scrappy team. They were man they able to get like a big win over a good Green Bay team. This is like a classic NFL loss that is like so dramatic in one way or the other. Yeah. I think this, for the Texans, you burn it. You have to burn it. It's on the road. This is a game you can lose. You know what I mean? It's not like you lost to the Titans or something. You lost to a Packers. You lost to a good team. You had a bad game.
00:45:43
Speaker
We need, they need Nico Collins though, because you're right. Joe Mixon is clearly the number one offensive threat without Nico Collins. But if teams commit to stopping the run, they can kind of get around it, especially if Stefan Diggs and tank Dell aren't going to step up. Tank Dell was zeros.
00:46:00
Speaker
zeros in this game, zero, zero. Yeah, like you just can't do that. And then on the other side feels like it feels like if Jaden Reed's having an off game, another receiver stepping up and Romeo Dobbs since he's had that lead that week off the suspension, he's been great. He had two touchdown passes the ah week before. In this game, he had um he had eight reception for 94 yards leading receiver. It's just like that's a team that's going to find ways to win and like the Texans they need to find a way to emulate that part of the Packers game. It's crazy because the Packers like within a few years have become an extremely likable team. Like I i find i I enjoy watching Packers games like they're all young guys like they've changed like their perception so hard for me whether that's you know Devontae Adams and Aaron Rodgers getting out of there but hey Devontae like wouldn't it be great to be the veteran on this Green Bay Packers team right now like maybe you should have stuck around another year like it
00:46:56
Speaker
that part to me is a bit confusing but we will move still in the NFC here with Seahawks 34 Falcons 14 man this was a measuring stick team or a measuring stick game for both teams and Seattle pass with flying colors and the Falcons did not this was kind of a game of two halves like first half it was neck and neck Who misses the long field goal and then the Walker TD is the drive after and then the tides really turn when Seattle goes 68 yards in the final minute in two Seconds to finish the half with a touchdown to go up 17 to 7 This Atlanta defense the whole game got worse and worse and worse as the game went on and then the second half and
00:47:42
Speaker
Despite opening up with like a 14 play 80 yard drive, Seattle immediately comes back with a touchdown and then the turning point was right in the fourth quarter. Cousin strip sack for a touchdown. Tip ball interception on the following drive. Kirk overthrows his receiver by a mile on the next drive. Three consecutive possessions that ended in turnovers and this game was over after that. I am super disappointed in this Falcons team after this game.
00:48:09
Speaker
This felt a lot like their week one loss to the Falcons. It was, you know, they tried to come in and they had success running ball with Bijon. It was one of Bijon's better games this year. And, you know, he had 21 touches on the ground over a hundred yards and he was their best threat.
00:48:25
Speaker
But then it was like Seattle just kept scoring points so that Atlanta had to go away from what their game plan was and running the ball and Kirk was far, far from good in this game. And it was just, it was the two interceptions. It was the strip sack. Like you said, it just felt like Seattle was making all the plays in this game and Atlanta was just, was doing nothing to help their case.
00:48:48
Speaker
it was it was definitely like the DK Metcalf game just being the biggest menace you've ever seen and somehow not getting called for anything doing whatever he wants out there um and and like you said like the the Atlanta defense People will tell you they have the best safety duo in the NFL with Jesse Bates and Justin Simmons. the The DK catch was right in the middle of the field in the end zone in between four defenders. Like they're no one's scared to go at these, these safeties. I think Jesse Bates is a lot better than Justin Simmons. And I don't know, like these two teams come into this game, like I said, measuring stick game to me, I had them as basically carbon copies of each other.
00:49:30
Speaker
a lot of guys on ah offense, a lot of players, dynamic um playmakers with kind of, you know, stand in the pocket quarterbacks. They're almost the exact same on offense. And then I kind of figured this game was going to come down to defense and it was the Seattle defense that finally stepped up and stopped their three game slide. Yeah. Atlanta's defense, you're so right about not being scared. And it starts for me at the line, like they have,
00:49:55
Speaker
The a league were six sacks right now like teams have more than six sacks in a game right now The Eagles sacked Daniel Jones eight times and their pass rush win rate is 34% That's the sixth worst in the NFL ah Hey, hey Atlanta, maybe you should have taken a pass rush or maybe the armchair GM's were right in this draft instead of Michael Pennacks maybe you should have taken a pass rusher because They just can't generate pressure. like Seattle is one of the worst teams in defending the QB in the entire league. Geno Smith, I think, is second in sacks taken in the entire NFL. If you can't get pressure on him, it's not going to get better throughout the season. like I saw Miles Garrett's name is officially starting to be floated around in like trade talks. If there's any team in the NFL that needs to make a splash to kind of
00:50:47
Speaker
really retool and go forward in this season. It's Atlanta getting Miles Garrett. like i I cannot believe their defense in this game. And on the opposite side, Seattle's defense, it shows the impact that Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams have. like they They came back in this game, and they had a huge, huge impact right away. um ATL looking forward has the Bucks, the Cowboys, and the Saints. They got to go 2-1 in that. um Tampa Bay lost last night really helped them ah in this division. but I came out of this game a lot more confident about the Seahawks, so I was pretty low on last week, and now I've kind of i've switched opinions almost ah like on these two teams. like To me, Seattle came out of this as a team I'm confident in, and the Falcons came out of this team game as a team I'm way, way less confident in.
00:51:35
Speaker
Yes, somehow both these teams are leading their divisions right now, which I think is shocking. But like, don't apologize for where you are in the Seahawks. I feel better about, like you said, going forward than the Falcons. The Falcons seem to have identity issues. I know what the Seahawks are. Gino is going to go out there and try and throw the ball 30, 40 times a game.
00:51:53
Speaker
Hopefully Kenneth Walker breaks a couple of runs and and you win a game 34-31. I know what the Seahawks are. The Falcons, it feels like they changed their game plan every week and they don't know if it's going to work or not. And they don't know if they can switch out of it. And in this game, they were kind of forced to just because of how quickly Seattle just kept scoring. It was so easy. And then the turnovers and Yeah. When you, when we know Kirk's going to throw the ball, it's easy to defend because he's not a running threat and it's, he takes, he's a little slower and he's, he's Geno Smith. They're the exact same quarterbacks. They're easy to sack in mobile, but somehow Geno's just got a little more pop and his receivers, I think are a little deeper, right? Like Jackson Smith and Jigba is your third lock it and DK, especially when DK performs like he did in this game. And Lockett stepped right up like he had a huge, huge end of that game. Yeah, it was throwing the ball for 30 yards. like it It was just like Seattle could kind of do whatever they wanted yeah when they had the ball in Atlanta. It looked like they were working so hard for everything and not getting anything. And that play was so embarrassing, that flee like, dude, there was three Falcons like basically jumping through the air. All you have to do is man up DK Metcalf there, which
00:53:07
Speaker
Granted, easier said than done, but man, that was like, that to me was this game in a nutshell, that p play, that trick play. Yeah. You can, you know, allow them allowing to make that catch, but they were all just staring at the ball and not making a play on it. Just even get a pass interference, like just make an effort on the ball and they just let it go. And then, you know, that's a huge momentum shift. Whenever a wide receiver makes a deep ball completion, it's, I don't know, it was a game of momentum shifts and they all just went in Seattle's favor in this one.
00:53:36
Speaker
Yeah, that that was the story of this one. um We'll move over to London with the Jaguars staying alive or or more aptly. Doug Peterson lives on to fight another day. Jaguar is 32 Patriots 16. I'm staying woke on this one. Peterson finally ditched the visor. He wore one of the rope hats. Coincidence, I think not. ah The Jaguars, I hate to admit it, did look like a team that was acclimatized to being overseas.
00:54:05
Speaker
Um, oppositely the Pats looked great early and then fizzled out hard. Um, this was the tank Bigsby game. Like it's hard to take too much from this game because I don't think the Patriots are very good at all. But then again, neither are the Jaguars. Like this was a team that seemed to figure out a lot of what was going wrong in the first few weeks and getting a lot more ball luck in this one.
00:54:25
Speaker
yeah there's not much stock i think to be put in into this game as a whole i like i'm taking more out of drake may's performance than i think anything else i think drake may showed hope and potential and he's got an arm which is good man yeah and he moves around well and he's he's making like he made a lot better decisions in this game than in the first one when i think Everyone knew he was throwing because, you know, like Ramon J. Stevenson, 18 yards, ah Antonio Gibson, four yards to Michael Hastie, minus two yards. yeah Obviously, they're throwing the ball in a game like this, and he was in no interceptions, two passing touchdowns, only sacked twice. He's so good at avoiding pressure. And that was what Jacobi Brissett sucked at.
00:55:10
Speaker
Yeah, because the offensive line is horrible. Like we know that, ah especially with, I don't know, it's just every time that there's pressure, it feels like Drake May is rolling out to the right side and then making the right decision when he does roll out, throwing it away when he has to. It's just like, it's a game by game with Drake May right now. First game was like, you know, okay, you you weren't horrible. The two interceptions or three interceptions, it it wasn't great. But then this game, he was better.
00:55:36
Speaker
And I know they lost and like, was there a time change thing? The London Jaguars, you know what I mean? Like you're there for two weeks. you You should win this game. I don't know. I still think the Jaguars are a bad team. Like the Parker Washington punt return was basically when this game was over. I i don't know. The Jags, like you said, Dougie P lives to see another day, but is that just going to be over next week?
00:56:00
Speaker
Yeah, he's not surviving their next stretch here. they The look ahead is Packers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions, Texans. I don't know if there's a team in the league that has to go through a worse gauntlet than that. If I had to put money on it, it is after back to back losses to Packers, Eagles, he gets fired before the Vikings game. It's just happening one of these days, like it he cannot continue to tread water.
00:56:24
Speaker
no he cannot and when they went down 10 nothing it felt like you know so excited dude i i didn't think he was gonna be on the plane home i thought the team was just gonna give up on him i thought i thought the patrons were gonna win this game 31 10 and it felt that way early and then obviously you know I guess somehow Dougie P got the boys going and then Trevor was, you know, he felt like he was a Super Bowl quarterback out there and then tank Bigsby will continue to like he's he's stealing Etienne's job, but Peterson's refusing to admit that and saying that the injuries. what Yeah. What is it? The injury shouldn't be a reason to lose your job.
00:57:02
Speaker
Yeah, this isn't college, man. Yeah, if you're getting outperformed and you're actually like, Etienne hasn't had games, it's the second Bigsby game of the year. If it was the first, I'd understand, you know, you pumping the brakes a bit, but second time going over a hundred yards in three weeks for tank on a team that's got two wins and just looking for any sort of motivation or hope, play tank Bigsby as the starter. Absolutely. Not much more to say from this one.
00:57:27
Speaker
ah The Pats I think the Pats go Jets Titans Bears Rams Dolphins Those are games like I would say three out of five or maybe even four out of five of those defenses are pretty terrible ah Dolphins included so I think Drake may could kind of go on a bit of a run here And I think more and more we're seeing that putting him in was the right decision in that Texans game to kind of kickstart this um But we will move to the AFC or within the AFC to Bengals 21 Browns 14 the story of this game is Deshaun Watson,
00:57:58
Speaker
his calf it snap or his ACL snaps like a banjo string, his entire calf ripples, and almost the entirety of the stadium was cheering. I have never seen anything like this in my life, Patrick, and I don't know if I will again.
00:58:12
Speaker
Um, take quakes all over the timeline, like ah one way or the other, like takes galore from this. We have the miles Garrett quote that the Sean does pretty much everything right. He's been a model citizen through college and most of the pros most doing a lot of legwork there. Yeah. Uh, Jamis Winston had a very long quote about being fucking pissed off, which was so crazy to me. Like.
00:58:36
Speaker
Obviously, Brown's teammates are not going to go along with cheering for Deshaun Watson's injury. like That is not ever going to happen. But a lot of words could have been chosen differently. What an end to this. like and And I'm going to say end to this Deshaun Watson era. Yeah, where where where do we want to go with this? Because what is our take on this? Let's just get Cincy out of the way. I'm going to get Cincy out of the way quickly.
00:59:01
Speaker
must win game. yeah It was basically over from the opening kickoff. I thought the game was going to end seven nothing. Honestly, after they took the a hundred yard kick back, you know, it's nice to see Jamar Chase and T Higgins both get in the end zone. That's when it feels like the Bengals are at their best when the both of the receivers are getting the touches that they were. Yeah.
00:59:20
Speaker
um Yeah, I don't know. Like they ended a six game losing streak on the road in Cleveland. Huge win three and four massive, massive game next week against the Eagles. Huge. Do you have anything else for the Bengals? Yeah, that was really it. ah Ultimate measuring stick team game for both teams next week against the Eagles. Who's the real tire fire?
00:59:41
Speaker
um You got to stack wins where you can and that's exactly what since he has done They've won three of four after a three game slide to start the season I would love to see them rush the ball better They're 28 and rushing yards per game 28 and rushing first downs per game ah only 59 yards rushing in this one ah Browns have a good front have good linebackers So like it makes kind of sense but against the Eagles you're gonna have to run the ball well ah And yeah, that's kind of all I had from the Bengals. Where do we stand on this to Sean Watson take? I I had this game on mute and I saw it happen and I knew it was in Cleveland and I go, I wonder if the crowd, I wonder how the crowd's reacting to this. And I quickly got my answer and it was probably what I would have guessed, especially in Cleveland, a team that has been suffering for quite some time now, ah the guaranteed money, this to hold the Sean Watson experiment saga, whatever you want to call it has been horrible from the start.
01:00:39
Speaker
And yeah, would I have cheered if I was a Cleveland Browns fan in that stadium? Maybe, maybe. And I don't think it's a i don't think it's a bad thing. like When these guys like Miles Garrett and Jamis Winston, which is quite rich, getting up on your soapbox, Jamis, have another million five chances because you were you know You're not the spokesperson for this, Jamis. I know you you're you're a well-spoken man and you know you care about Deshaun and he's your teammate. Gotcha. That was a bit much for me. Jamis is banned from Uber for life. If you want to look up Jamis Winston Uber. ah Yeah. I have such a tough time feeling bad for Deshaun Watson as anybody really should. Yeah. um
01:01:25
Speaker
The takequakes, man, like people defending Deshaun Watson, a lot of those guys came out of the woodwork this season. Like we had to I saw a lot of people kind of learning what settling out of court means, like and and seemingly thinking that that means that you're proven innocent. I don't want to get too in the mud with that, but like Deshaun Watson has a boatload of money, has has everything kind of at his disposal here. I'd like to remind people he is still fighting active cases. ah Like people seem to forget that.
01:01:52
Speaker
ah I don't blame the the Cleveland Browns for cheering for this because as we will get to later in our Mount Rushmore of hopeless franchises, this is ah a fan base that is brutally loyal to a point like you this team. This fan base is brutally loyal. they They still come to games even when the team is bad. If you want to cheer for this, I'm not going to I'm not going to fucking land base you as a fan base for doing that like it it. If there's anybody in pro sports who deserves that, it's the Sean Watson.
01:02:20
Speaker
I think i think it's it's kind of crazy to expect that the the Browns fans to really throw them under, or the Browns players to throw them under the bus, but that's kind of where my take lies. Yeah. I think Deshaun Watson is the middleman in a much larger war between the fans of the Cleveland Browns and the management and ownership of the Cleveland Browns. And then Deshaun Watson is just the piece that they're all fighting over. And having Jamis Winston as your emergency quarterback in this game, that's another,
01:02:50
Speaker
That's another move that directly came from upstairs with someone's telling Stefansky like you have yeah we can't have fans chanting for Jamis We we just need to Sean to play the game and then of course, you know the the Achilles pops and he has to play and ah it's it's Yeah, I don't feel bad for Deshaun Watson. He has all his money guaranteed. It's not you know the worst injury in the world you can have. He's going to be fine ah eventually. And it's just it sums up the Browns, I guess, in a way. like You're 1-6 now. I guess you finally get Jamis, which might give you us a little bit of hope. They definitely played better when Jamis came, or DTR originally, who was also just a bit of a whirlwind. like That was when I don't know, man.
01:03:36
Speaker
My thoughts on this game. I just, listen, I didn't think the Browns are gonna be a playoff team this year, but I didn't see any of this coming and they are clearly a bottom three team in the NFL. And I think there's a a little bit of an argument to be made that they're the worst. I guess their defense is good enough to be, keep them ahead of like the Carolinas, the Raiders, and like the Patriots of the world. But the fact that they are down there with how much they're paying to Sean and like your miles Garrett's and you went out and you traded for Jerry Judy and now you're selling these guys like Mari Cooper.
01:04:10
Speaker
I don't know. I guess Nick Chubb is the only little sign of hope that they can take from this game. It's like he looked okay. He got a touchdown in his return. I'd love to see him leave. Well, him, like, honestly, and I'm not a Miles Garrett guy, but he's there. All these guys are stuck in purgatory over there and it's you're not going to have team success. You may have some individual success, but it seems like if you're if you don the Browns helmet in that uniform, you're just doomed. It just has that feel to it. And yeah, this is.
01:04:40
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. Deshaun is just the most compelling player story ah out there, man. a forre better for what it's just It's crazy how this keeps going. And there's just so many layers to this. And Stefanski still might name him quarterback next week. like who Who knows? Who knows? I don't know what's going to happen.
01:05:00
Speaker
So insane. we'll We'll move on because yeah I have no more words for it, but we'll go into our quick hits now. These are kind of the stinkers of the week. I'm going to include the bills 34 over the Titans 10 here.
01:05:12
Speaker
Patrick, the bills to me are on fraud watch and I'm going to say it because nobody else is saying it here. Their wins are at the Cardinals, Dolphins, Jags, Jets and Titans. OK, so no teams with more than three wins, right? No teams with more than three wins. No teams that are above 500 right now. Their losses are at the Ravens and the Texans.
01:05:34
Speaker
OK, this feels like it is impossible to judge them against teams that aren't good. And if this was the Miami Dolphins a year ago, everybody was screaming from the hills, fraud watch. People are still putting the bills in in Super Bowl contention or or an AFC championship, you know, up at that upper echelon. They are completely on fraud watch to me here. Their look ahead is the Seahawks, the Dolphins, the Colts, and then they go Chiefs, 49ers back to back.
01:05:58
Speaker
They could be eight and two at the end of that, and then lose and go eight and four to the Chiefs and 49ers. And those still aren't the teams that I really want to see them beat. Like, I don't even know if they beat the Seahawks. Like, I guess that's a good win, I would say. That'll be the the measuring stick game next week ah of whether this team is actually completely frauds or not. But to me, going down 10-0 to the Titans and then coming back and and winning, it just doesn't move the the needle to me at all.
01:06:25
Speaker
Yeah, it was slow. It was a slow, sluggish start. ah Mason Rudolph was like moving the ball easily in the first quarter and just kept waiting and waiting. And then the first quarter went by and you're down 10 nothing and or sorry, it was like three nothing. And then they scored pretty early in the second quarter and it's 10 nothing. And you're just saying like, what what is going on with the bills? When are they going to get going here? Mari Cooper had the early drop and for a first down on the first drive.
01:06:52
Speaker
Yeah, it it feels like the bills are still trying to figure themselves out in a way. And I guess they shouldn't apologize. Like they've already won the division, which I guess is a nice thing to have. But this is one of those teams and you you kind of see it in baseball where it's like when you go on cruise control and you don't really have to play these big games all year. You get comfortable and then you're just not in the mode that you need to be when it gets to playoff time. And when the games matter a little bit more.
01:07:18
Speaker
feels like you've just been sleepwalking through it. And Josh Allen has been, i like he's not turned the ball over, which is ah the best compliment I can give Josh Allen. it That's in a very impressive part of his game that he's improved immensely. And I think it was his biggest problem as an NFL quarterback.
01:07:36
Speaker
I guess coming with that is he does, he doesn't run anymore. He he just says, I'm not going to use my legs. And I guess he didn't have to in this game. Like they ended up putting 34 unanswered and you know, the, the scoreboard like all all is good. If you just look at the box score, I don't know. There's something going on though. You're right. Like I don't feel like the bills are a top five team in the NFL.
01:07:57
Speaker
No, and and and I think it starts and ends with their defense as well. Like the offense has had trouble figuring it out. We saw Mari Cooper kind of opening things up because Keon Coleman had his best game of the season. Like he opens up space for other receivers. That's going to be something that continues to get better and better each week. This defense is terrible at defending the run. They were giving up five yards of carry going into this game, which is the worst in the NFL. They are now.
01:08:25
Speaker
30th at 5.1 yards per carry they are averaging 132 rushing yards against per game We've mentioned their linebackers like they have a great secondary great safeties who hit hard the line backing core and the D line is weak and against a team like the Chiefs that just had 186 yards and four touchdowns on the ground that is the things that you know, those are the things that are going to kind of crush you in the playoffs they can't stop the run they they they get run on kind of at will like it i don't know i don't know about the bells man like they They cannot stop the run, and that is going to kill them. like I'm not going to go out and call them frauds just yet, but I'm just, jury's still out. Jury's still out on on these bills. you like I just don't know, because I guess you're still winning games, and I know it was a slow start, but they did they covered the spread, and it like all all looks good. ah To me, like I don't know. This game didn't take a ton away from the bills, but the Titans, get run on kinda at will like it
01:09:25
Speaker
They're so bad. Mason Rudolph definitely gives you a better chance because he's just not going to make as many dumb mistakes. ah But they it to me, it feels like they have a million wide receiver trade candidates. And I don't know how... Deontre Hoggins had one catch for minus one yards in this one. It's crazy. Calvin Ridley's complaining. I always forget Tyler Boyd. just He's a Tennessee Titan. Those to me are three trade candidates that I don't know. they're They're not really garnering any attention right now, but I think I think that's got to change, right? Like the tendency to start selling. Yeah, I don't know. Up hard. They fall to one and five. Worst start to the season since so um opening 2015 at one and six. Don't see a lot of wins on their record. um Let's move forward here to cold 16 fins 10.
01:10:12
Speaker
This was a disgusting viewing experience, Patrick. Like the Dolphins are taking years off of my life with this chicken shit football. Tyler Huntley gets injured. ah He was replaced by Tim Boyle. We're now on our fourth string quarterback, who somehow looked better than Tyler Huntley. The Dolphins just refused to dial up plays to get the ball the ball in their best player's hands. Like Tyree kill zero targets in the first half.
01:10:40
Speaker
him and Jalen waddle finish with one catch a piece Hill for eight yards waddle for 11 yards they lost two fumbles in which Indy converted on both they are the NFL's lowest scoring team Mike McDaniel continues to not be able to figure it out with a sub par quarterback which I guess, yeah I guess, you know, you get the benefit of the doubt when you're on your fourth string. ah The Colts defense look great, but how good could that really be against a team like the Dolphins? To put it in perspective, they scored 70 against Denver last year and they have put up 70 points this year. It it is such a tire fire. The only bright spot is that Tua is a fucking gladiator and he is dominating press conferences and making people get in their feelings. yeah That's all I have.
01:11:29
Speaker
Yeah, the dolphins are one of the worst watches right now in the NFL. um But this felt like a game that. They could have won, dude. They're up 10-0. And you know obviously, we don't the season, it feels kind of lost. But if they won that game, you like you're at three and two, it comes back. And it's like, OK, we're 500. The AFC is having a down year. Maybe we can just put enough wins together where we just sneak into that last wild card spot. And like you said, it was just it was just their own play calling, really. it it was
01:12:02
Speaker
Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, they need to have stats. There was no stats for them in this game, and that's shocked to me. and what they ran They ran the ball like 40 times. Ran the ball 40 times, but j jalen ah right Jalen Wright had had six touches, dude, and like he's ripping off runs when when he gets the ball, and like for some reason isn't touching the field. like It is bizarre to me right now what this team is. like ah and And the only reason this game was close was because Anthony Richardson was at quarterback. If Joe Flacco plays in this game, the Dolphins lose like 32-3 or something. That's a good transition to the Colts because the Colts are in a playoff spot right now. um
01:12:49
Speaker
They look good when Joe Flacco's at quarterback. like they They win games on offense. Their defense, like you said, is is not great, but it's good enough. Their linebackers tackle. And I don't know. I guess they're committing to Anthony Richardson. But yeah, if you play 25 other teams, you lose this game. and Absolutely.
01:13:08
Speaker
Anthony Richardson, is there like in the most dirt fumble, the Ingalls fumble, like Miami was making all the mistakes in this game and they like the Colts barely found a way to win. And yeah, I don't know. The Colts just got a it feels like if they continue to commit to Anthony Richardson, they're not going to make the playoffs. No, I don't think so, especially because they go Texans, Vikings, Bills, Jets, Lions like they they could go one in four in that stretch ah and be sitting at at five and seven.
01:13:36
Speaker
So it's like the Colts to me are in such a weird spot because Joe Flacco would have been so much better in this game They had 284 total yards and one touchdown and that just shows how easy it is to beat the Dolphins right now So weird spot for the Colts ah eagles twenty eight giants three take juan barclay rushes for a hundred and seventy six yards and a td in his return to new york he said he saw people burning his jersey on the way to the game um I'm let Giants fans have that like I'm not gonna take away booing sake one Barkley to them ah They earned it
01:14:10
Speaker
The Eagles offense still has not scored a first quarter point through six games. That is an insane stat, but at the same time, incredibly believable. Don't um really know what to take from this game. Nick Sirianni needed this win badly and avoids a lot more attention by just winning this game.
Anticipation for Cincinnati vs Eagles
01:14:29
Speaker
Again, I feel like the Cincy preview and the Eagles preview is like the same for this. We're just waiting for next week.
01:14:35
Speaker
Yeah, that game is going to be great, especially when Cincy and Philly just played the same two teams in the past two weeks. Yeah. AJ Brown makes this Eagles offense more dangerous because you know he's going to catch a deep ball probably for a touchdown at some point in this game. um But for the Giants, it's ah it's got to be over with DJ. He was sacked seven times through for 99 yards. It's just it's sad stat after sad stat right now with the Giants.
01:15:02
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's it's tough for them, man, because they're going to have to blow it up and they kind of committed to them. It's there in no man's land. But yeah, I don't really take anything. It's just like the Eagles got to show me they can beat the Bengals. And then I'll be I'll be in on the Eagles if they win that win that game.
01:15:18
Speaker
Yeah, so will I. I'm really looking forward to that game. ah Dexter Lawrence, only bright spot in this Giants team. He had two sacks in this one. Somehow he has nine as a nose tackle. Like they got to blow it up. Like if there's another team that really has to blow it up and just commit to a rebuild.
01:15:34
Speaker
ah It's probably the Giants like sounds crazy to say but I still think a team would probably trade for Daniel Jones like a Like Raiders. Yeah, like there's worse teams out there that could use like a ah quarterback like Daniel Jones so tough tough spot to be a Giants fan winless in four games at home and have scored one touchdown only that was Tyron Tracy so they still haven't thrown for a touchdown and I don't know the stats like 600 days or something and Yeah, I saw like 2022 and MetLife. Yeah, I don't know. It's bad. They're bad. They're all insult stats for the Giants. All insult stats. We'll go to the final two games
Commanders' Big Win, Panthers' Defensive Woes
01:16:10
Speaker
here. Commander's 40, Panther 7. True kick shit kicking from the first drive. ah One of the worst pick sixes I've ever seen from Andy Dalton on that first thing. Like he threw it directly to Dante Fowler, like maybe three yards away. He returns it 67 yards for a touchdown.
01:16:27
Speaker
um The Panthers, man, they have allowed the most points through any team in the Super Bowl era through the first six games of the season. I feel like this was finally the tipping point um when their identity becomes being a historically bad defense. ah Yeah, nothing nothing to take from the Panthers in this game. ah And Jane Daniels got injured. That was the only thing.
01:16:50
Speaker
Yeah, hopefully Jane Daniels is all right. Um, but yeah, whenever you make the commander's defense look like a top 10 defense, you have serious problems. And yeah, you know, Andy Dalton is, they got the quick pop from him. They got a win, but it's just, yeah, it's the same stuff with Bryce young. So maybe, maybe Bryce young is.
01:17:10
Speaker
Maybe it is just the Panthers and maybe it's not Bryce Young. we We'll see, but like I feel like you got to put him back in at some point in the season because you're a one win. I don't think Bryce Young is going to ruin your tank. you know and It's not like he's going to rip off four wins and you get to five and then you're drafting eighth overall instead of first. ah But yeah, you just need to change it up, man. Just throw Bryce Young in there, try and get him some confidence. It feels like they're trying to protect him, but I don't know what they're protecting him from.
01:17:38
Speaker
Yeah, he had a very funny line in this game says Bryce young entered with 455 left completed two passes for negative yardage like It's like I don't I don't think he's gonna ruin your tank at all. It's a great way to put it um but yeah His Jane Daniels mom at lovely miss Jackson ah tweeted he's fine. So I'm
Rams' Win Amid Raiders' Turmoil
01:17:58
Speaker
gonna go with her on this I think he'll play in that Bears game, which awesome awesome match up next next week Bears commanders commanders getting plus two and a half in that game um We'll move to Rams 20 Raiders 15 man Rams got out an ugly win against the Raiders who are a complete completely rudderless ship. Like that is the only way to describe this. Gardner Minshu turns the ball over four times. Aiden O'Connell injures his thumb after a long pass, which then gets called for intentional grounding. That might sum up the Raiders season in a single sentence. um The only bright spot of this team is Brock Bowers. He's on pace to break Pukanakua's single season reception record. He's on pace for 114 receptions.
01:18:46
Speaker
That's it. Yeah, that's it. Max Crosby's like there. He decided to play in this game, which I didn't know if he would. ah Antonio Pierce must have been betting on this one. Holy shit, dude. I was like, i you know, i I obviously had the Rams in our in our pick thing and I'm like, OK, I'll take a push. i I hadn't had any wins, but I was like, I'll take a push.
01:19:05
Speaker
And then he just kicks. I was shocked. I looked away from the screen. So I'm like, OK, just let me know when it's fourth down. I'll watch the fourth down play. And I come back and they're kicking a field goal. And I was I was shocked. He's got nothing that the couple of teams that can just go away this year. And the Raiders are probably at the top of the list because at least some of these other teams, they're rebuilding. There's things to look for. There's storylines with certain bad teams.
01:19:30
Speaker
There's no storylines except for people requesting trades in the Raiders pretty much and he defended that decision He said that after DJ glaze Amazing name ah got a false so start penalty which moved them to I don't know like it was still been third and goal ah They kicked the field goal with 246 remaining at the nine-yard line. So Antonio Pierce defends that he says well we got the ball back It's like, yeah, you got the ball back on your own 10 with a quarterback who had turned the ball over three times up to that point. So it's getting the ball back on the 10 versus the nine yard line is a, is a world of difference. Like you should know that you shouldn't have to ask Gardner Minshew to do that.
01:20:14
Speaker
Yeah. And like that's when you get there,
Week 7 Recap and Brady's Influence
01:20:16
Speaker
that's your chance. You you you don't know you're going to get another chance like that. And, you know, hey, you don't get it. They get the ball at whatever the nine, the 10 yard line. You stop them again. You'll still get better field position than what you would have having kicked the field goal. It's bad decisions. He he's an intern. He's I don't even know what he is. He's not. a He's not a head coach. Yeah, he's.
01:20:39
Speaker
Yeah, not not it's the Raiders are bad. And, you know, maybe Tom Brady will instill some winning culture in that organization. Fucking ridiculous, Tom Brady, man. ah but That finishes our week seven recap. Patrick,
Week 8 Picks: Strategies and Concerns
01:20:53
Speaker
let's move into our week eight picks. Bit of a stinker from the two of us. I go one and two to move to twelve and nine. Patrick throws the first over of the season. He goes on three to move to nine and twelve. I hold serve tough weekend for us.
01:21:08
Speaker
Yeah, I was due for an 0 and 3. I didn't see it coming this week. I'll be honest with you, um but you know, it's, it's one of those weeks where you see like the public wins again and I go, maybe I'm a sharp, maybe I'm just, maybe, maybe I'm just sharp and I don't know it yet, but ah yeah, I would love to get a winning week here and just kind of write the ship a little bit. Yeah. This is a tough week to pick though. I would say that like, this is another really kind of weird one. um I will lead off here.
01:21:35
Speaker
I'm going to double down. I lost losing against the Jags. I'm going to take Packers four and a half here. Did I take it from you? yeahp Yeah, I was like, I need to get through one pick. I felt good about one pick on this board. Maybe that's the loser, though. if we It totally could be like I took the Pats five and a half, which was I fell right into the trap of that the sportsbook set. and And I felt like such a sucker for it.
01:21:58
Speaker
I feel like it could be a sucker again, but the Green Bay does not lose this game or win this game by field goal. Like it has to be a touchdown. Yeah, no, that's, I, I like this a lot. It's, do you know what? It's also another time change game for the Jaguars. No one's really talking about it, but like they got to go back.
01:22:14
Speaker
and get re-stayed. They were accustomed to the London time. um I'll go... i'm i'm Don't overthink it. Lions, minus 10.5. At home, they they yeah kill the Titans. That's just what I'm going with. i'm I've been overthinking a lot of these picks. Just got to go with my gut sometimes, and the Lions jumped out at me. I was like, that's a 20-point win. I had that as well. I'm going to stick in the same vein and take Ravens 10.5 against the Browns. I think that that could be a college football game. Move to nine and a half on FanDuel if you want the... So that's gotten back and forth this morning because it it was originally nine and a half last night. Moved to ten and a half this morning, back to nine and a half. I like it at nine and a half even more. um Yeah, Ravens nine and a half. I have no idea how they don't kick the absolute shit out of the Browns in that game.
01:23:00
Speaker
Uh, I don't feel good about this pick, but I want, I want in this game cause I think this can be one of the more fun games next week. But and so I want to have some feel on it. Uh, the injuries concern me, but I think in divisional games we can get away with it. I'm going bucks plus two and a half at home against the Falcons. That's an old pick, man. It's just off vibes, man. It's nothing. It's both teams off a loss divisional game. Give me the home team.
01:23:26
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I don't I don't hate it. But the Bucks scare me, man. They're close to being on my parlay ban list.
Impact of Travel and Unpredictable Matchups
01:23:31
Speaker
ah My third one here, I'm going to go with a total. I'm going to go Colts Texans under forty six and a half ah with the Colts offense. that There's not much to say there um with the Texans ah offense. There's clearly like slowing down a bit ah divisional game. I think this will be a tight one.
01:23:53
Speaker
Don't don't mind it at all. um I'm going to go. and That's another game. I'm on'm between two. It's either I fade the Steelers because I just feel like that's the spot they're in and they tend to lose those games like five and a half points is a lot. But I'm not going to do it. I'm going to go over in the Eagles Bengals game. Forty seven and a half. I just neither defense is really great. I think the offenses are both above average. If only it was that simple, though.
01:24:20
Speaker
I like that game. I kind of went back and forth like a part of me wanted to take the Eagles to cover two and a half. I would have loved it at three and a half. Same. Same with me. But yeah, there was a couple others. I was floating around like the the one that that kind of weirds me out the most is the Vikings minus three on Thursday night. We usually don't take Thursday night games, but like that one, I really can't get a read on.
01:24:39
Speaker
I think it's all travel based. Like you got to go to l LA after like a heartbreaking loss could be a little bit of a letdown spot. The the Rams are hungry after not kind of doing what they probably should have against the the Raiders. And I believe Cooper cops can be back in the lineup. All right. All right. yeah He was like, question we use 50 50 in this rate Raiders game. So you got to think an extra four days. yeah He might be suiting up on Thursday night.
01:25:02
Speaker
also cardinals dolphins is still sitting like it went to three and a half now it's plus three for the cardinals cardinals aren't going to win two in a row i almost took the dolphins i did too but i can't i gotta to separate church and state if the dolphins lose that game with tua back and i lose a pick on it i will just be So in the dumps, thank God the Argos won this weekend. I've
CFL Praise: Argos' Performance
01:25:23
Speaker
just shifted on to Argos talk. We're very close to the playoffs. We will do a a CFL playoff preview. They look good. They do look good. Chad Kelly's looking good. um But we will come back after this with another Mount Rushmore. We had fun in our first one. So we're going to do another one here. It will be the Mount Rushmore of hopeless franchises. We're going to do NHL and NFL two picks apiece. ah So come back after this.
01:25:48
Speaker
All right. Welcome back to another Mount Rushmore. ah We talked about it last week, but I won the Mount Rushmore 50 things, which means I'm going to go first overall here. No coin flip. And I think this is a unanimous first overall or as close to a unanimous first overall pick as you can get um Mount Rushmore of hopeless franchises in the NFL and the NHL.
01:26:12
Speaker
The first overall pick is the Cleveland Browns. This is a pick that starts like a yeah a long history you have to get in. Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in 1995, similar to like ah call or the Coyotes and Utah. They were able to keep all the same records and and stuff and they moved back in 1999.
01:26:37
Speaker
And it has been a disaster in Cleveland ever since. They did not post one winning season throughout the 2010s. They only have four winning seasons since 1999. That's 2002, 2007, 2020, 2023. They have three playoff appearances in that span. One playoff win ah that was over the Steelers, I might add. um But that playoff win was from Baker Mayfield, if you remember, ah who they proceeded to run out of town ah and in you know, classic Browns fashion make the worst organizational move possible. They give to Sean Watson the worst contract in NFL history, 231 million guaranteed. The missing draft picks are part of what make this such a hopeless situation. They sent three first round picks
01:27:24
Speaker
a third round pick in two fourth rounders to the Texans, making a rebuild that much harder. ah This is a team that currently fields the seventh oldest roster in the league. ah Sunday was the culmination of three years of disastrous management, ah leading one of the most loyal fan bases in the NFL to cheer when their QB was injured for the rest of the season. They did a study on fan loyalty in 2008 that noted that Browns fans filled 99.8% of the seats at Huntington Bank Field during seven seasons, despite a combined record of 36 and 76. I feel for Browns fans because, man, like if you were in Cleveland, like i'm I'm a big supporter of of cheering for the team that you're from, for cheering the the team of the city that you live in or or were born in. And that just must be so hard. 38 different QB starters since 99.
01:28:18
Speaker
From 2003 to 2019, they had a 17-season playoff drought, one of only four teams to have never appeal appeared in a Super Bowl. It's all insult stats for the Browns. I was going to say, this just might be the the Mount Rushmore of insult stats as a whole. Oh, yeah. um Yeah. I mean, that was 1-1. That yeah makes yeah makes perfect sense.
01:28:41
Speaker
I'm taking an interesting route here because we talked about a little bit I think the NHL is way less of a pool in the NFL is way deeper and there's a lot of competition interesting I think the Browns are for sure the one but then I think there's I think NHL it's a little different and this team that stands out to me is the Buffalo Sabres. That was my first, yeah. Yeah, I think they are awful. They have, they haven't won a playoff series since 2007, haven't won a championship in their entire 48 seasons as a franchise. And you know, the way they handled that whole Jack Eichel saga when as they thought they were turning a corner.
01:29:18
Speaker
quickly to you know go back to yet another rebuild with Rasmus Daliin and Owen Power and you know the the number one overall picks that you know we still haven't seen them turn it around yet, even in the current day. And it feels like they remodeled their jerseys every five years because they need to rebrand because nothing's working. And if you you know you're in Buffalo, not the greatest city in the world. And I just i think the Sabres over the course of our lives have been the worst NHL franchise. ah like i just I don't think it's that close to me and that's why I'm going out on a bit of a limb. I want the top NHL bad franchise and I'm going with the Buffalo Sabres as my one. I don't hate this pick. They have won 43% of their games over the past decade. ah In 2005, John Regas, who was their past owner, was convicted on multiple charges of fraud and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
01:30:12
Speaker
They own the longest active playoff drought in 13 seasons. I think they're tied with the Jets, actually. um and And if we want to talk this year, their bottom in the and NHL right now, pretty much their fifth last in the Eastern Conference, don't know what this team's identity is moving forward. They're averaging four goals against per game so far before back to back losses this past week. Daliin fights Peyton Krebs in practice, like if you want a snapshot of the Sabres room,
01:30:42
Speaker
They chase every good player out of town, out of town see Jack Eichel, see Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhardt, Brandon Montour, Tyler Meyers. Linus Almark. Linus Almark, even if you want to include Rasmus Bristolainen in there. ah They have allowed the most goals over the past 10 seasons with 2,673. That is not including this season, but I'm sure that's only adding on to the pile.
01:31:06
Speaker
They're going nowhere fast with Terry Pugula as the owner. like He just doesn't give a shit about this team. No, he's he's more worried about the bills. The bill's again in the new stadium. The bills are his baby and he just you know happens to own the Sabres pretty much. This is an interesting turn for me because I could kind of steal i could steal a pick here.
01:31:25
Speaker
i'm going to i'm going to I'm going to take the Las Vegas Raiders ah as my second hopeless franchise here. To me, this is a a team that is hopeless for a different reason than the Browns. yeah This is the future and the past and a massive gap between the two. this is a team that has twelve division titles, four AFC championships, three Super Bowls, but that was the past. That was dynasties led by one of the most enigmatic owners in sports history, Al Davis, who passes his legacy on to a buffoon, Mark Davis. And the last few years have been disastrous, whether it's the Gruden scandal, the Antonio Brown saga,
01:32:05
Speaker
Henry Ruggs, travesty, um and now they have one of the worst outlooks for any team in the NFL. They had their franchise stolen from Oakville or from Oakville, from Oakland to Las Vegas um in the past 20 years. There are 120 and 204. As we mentioned last week, you've had maybe two to three years of good quarterbacking during that time, which was Derek Carr's like peak of his career, essentially.
01:32:32
Speaker
They have, this was a crazy stat dude. This was like clearly a Raiders fan who's so fed up. If you look at draft picks in the 2000s era, in 02 they take somebody named Knapp Harris. Ed Reed goes the very next pick. In 04 they take Gallery. Larry Fitzgerald goes in the next pick.
01:32:55
Speaker
0-5 Fabian Washington Aaron Rodgers goes in the next pick in 0-7 they take Jamarcus Russell Megatron and Joe Thomas go in the next two picks. Those are five Hall of Famers in the picks immediately after In competency from top to bottom. It's the Las Vegas Raiders Yep, they were definitely on my list. I think there's so many NFL teams that have had just some horrible years, but the Raiders definitely stand out. I think they thought you know going to Vegas would go away with their past, but it's still sticking with them. And I think as long as Mark Davis is their owner, it will continue to stay with them. ah With my second pick, this is tough, man. There's so many teams that are just all kind of like the same in the NFL, and they've just been bad the entire time.
01:33:46
Speaker
The one that stands out to me is the Jacksonville Jaguars and they got zero championships. They have zero Super Bowl appearances. The one time they had an AFC championship appearance, it was with Blake Bortles who, you know, they had a bit of on an upset win over the Steelers on the road in a bit of a chaotic game. And then, you know, it all came crashing down when they had to go play Tom Brady. Um, it's,
01:34:12
Speaker
they've they've had eight playoff appearances their all-time record is 189 and 261 each the you know they have that insane comeback playoff win over the Chargers what was it two years ago three years ago that i think led them to pull the trigger on what ah is looking to be an awful contract with Trevor Lawrence, $55 million dollars a year, and he really hasn't done anything to prove it. they have had some I don't like their jersey changes either. they've they've so They're stuck in purgatory kind of with you know Doug Peterson. therere just It feels like they're waiting to fire him and the the rest they sorry their owner
01:34:54
Speaker
feels you know he's he's very into wrestling and the whole entertainment business and it feels like he's trying to entertain people and it just doesn't feel like a legitimate NFL team that's got the focus of winning championships and winning games and I don't know they're yet again at the bottom of the AFC South where they've been for my entire life except for two years where they found a way to you know win a couple playoff games yeah to me the hot tub in the stadium is like the perfect image of the jaguars like not caring about winning only caring about like i don't know selling tickets yeah like their mascot is almost more famous than like their team like there's so many more like clips of their mascot and then it's like oh yeah jaylen ramsay used to play there i guess
01:35:41
Speaker
You know, Maurice Jones drew back in the day like Bortles had two good years. I don't know. It's there. Aside from the two that you've mentioned, Jacksonville rounds out my bottom three. Yeah, they're next. I think I know where you'll go next, but it did. Yeah, that is a.
01:35:56
Speaker
terrible franchise i'm going to dip into my nhl picks now i'm gonna take the columbus blue jackets because this is a team that has zero cups zero conference championships zero division championships zero presidents trophies they couldn't win 30 games in any of their first five seasons they didn't make the playoffs for their first nine They only have six playoff appearances, truly and completely one of the worst franchises in North American sports, ah let alone the NHL. There was like there has been two happy times in Blue Jackets history. They went on that 16 game winning streak in 2016 and then they swept the lightning um for their first playoff series victory in 2019. That's about it. um If you add in
01:36:43
Speaker
the absolute tragedy of johnny goudreau uh it it just shows that this team has nothing to look forward to nothing to be happy about have some great bad drafts too they took gilbert brulee first round sixth overall onde copatar went 11th overall in that draft nikita filatov first overall or sixth overall again in 2008 eric carlson went 15th overall
01:37:24
Speaker
Alex Gologoski and David Crayche. So this is a team that has some some significantly bad management. um They can't win games. like I don't know anybody who's really a Blue Jackets fan. To me, they still feel like like an expansion team almost.
01:37:40
Speaker
Yeah, they they just exist in Columbus and you just kind of, yeah get they're there sometimes and they fire the cannon and that's like, they they have some cool alternate jerseys from past, but I still think that's a team that is dying for a rebrand and they just really haven't done it for some reason. Basically since like the Rick Nash days, they've only had like one rebrand in what, over just over 20 years as a franchise. I think it's something it's time Columbus, like you're you're starting to bring in some new talent.
01:38:08
Speaker
It'd be such a layup too. like Just for the fans, man. They have nice colors. New Jersey. Yeah, they got new colors. that they They can work with what they have right now. ah Got a question. what where How are we doing this Arizona Phoenix thing, Utah? and It's tough because that is clearly the worst NHL franchise, but i don't i in my mind, I didn't write them down because they're not a franchise anymore. Yeah, yeah i but are they connected?
01:38:33
Speaker
It's the same with that brown thing. Like they, their history still exists because the and NHL is still planning to move back there. But like the, they can't, I don't know if they can be on this graphic because they're not a hopeless franchise anymore. If anything, Utah kind of has some hope right now. Yeah, I'm not, uh, I'm not against, I just want to make sure I was, you know, I had, I had to clarify. Um, all right. So I'll go to back to the NFL just cause I, well, I was set on taking them and.
01:38:59
Speaker
and I'm between two teams. One's a team that I have genuine distaste for, and the other one is just a team that doesn't really do anything. And you know what? I'll i'll take my bias out of it. I'm going to go with the Arizona Cardinals.
01:39:14
Speaker
as so Yeah, yeah, I just want to go. They haven't. They've had the one Super Bowl appearance against the Steelers and, you know, they lost in fun fashion and made for one of the best Super Bowls we've had for our life. But the outside from that Damien, they haven't done a thing except for draft Larry Fitzgerald.
01:39:35
Speaker
They have zero Super Bowls, like I mentioned. Their all-time winning percentage is 31st in the NFL at 0.410. Wow. ah they average ah Their head coaches average 2.3 seasons a 10-year. And there they have the 23rd worst ah playoff winning percentage as well. And yeah, they' they've never had an MVP. they you know They go and they draft Kyler Murray first overall. They had the Cliff Kingsbury saga.
01:40:04
Speaker
I don't know, their jerseys always kind of stink to me too and that Cardinal and like they they were playing at the University of Phoenix. To me, it's not like they're i they they don't jump off the page to me, but when you just think of non-existent franchises and franchises that don't do anything for they don't move the needle they do nothing and they they've shown signs of doing nothing to change that really and i just don't like i don't know i i don't see them going in like this huge direction they just seem to be there's seven eight or nine win team every single year and it's just like take your pick which one it's going to be
01:40:41
Speaker
Yeah, I thought you were going to go either Carolina or the Giants in that one, but Carolina kind of had like a, you know, a moment there in the 2010s. The Giants have two Super Bowls in the past, what, 15, 16 years? Like, I don't know. It could be worse. Yeah. Have you you've taken your two NFL? We can talk honorable mentions. yeah I was okay. Yeah, but I did have the Panthers. I just didn't have them. They haven't been around long enough. Like the Cardinals have been around for a lot longer than the Panthers, almost twice the amount of time. And you still haven't done anything. And it's like, they've both just appeared in a Superbowl and lost at least the Panthers have had an MVP with Ken Newton. Yeah. David Tepper is a bit of an idiot, but I mean, like that's, it's okay. I don't know. I'm i'm okay with taking the Cardinals there.
01:41:24
Speaker
I actually I like that pay that's a little outside of the box here and you're right when you really like get into the nitty-gritty forget about them you forget about them they are hopeless ah All right, final pick here, my second NHL one. I'm going to take the Anaheim Ducks here because similar to the Raiders, this is about a gap between past and present. We had the Ducks obviously won as a Stanley Cup in, what was it, 2006? Yep. Yeah, okay. And that 2013 to 2018 was kind of, the Ducks had a winning culture. They were going to the playoffs, despite not winning anything really.
01:42:01
Speaker
um But they had hope. Now, not so much. Between October 22nd, 2018, which is the date today, and October 22nd, 2024, past six years, the Ducks have the worst record by a team in the NHL. 159, 233, and 59, they have the lowest goal differential by a team in that span with a differential of minus 410 goals. They have been out of the playoffs for six straight seasons.
01:42:29
Speaker
and have yet to move up even one spot via the draft lottery this is like a crazy kind of saga here let me let me explain this here in 2019 the ducks finished 24th overall eighth worth worst record and they end up moving back one spot in the draft going from eighth to ninth in 2020 they finish fifth last fifth best odds and they move back from ninth to tenth 2021 they finished second last which means only buffalo had better odds at getting the first overall pick and once again they dropped back in the draft to third 2022 they come into the draft with the best odds to get the first overall pick and they didn't drop and it didn't move up they stayed at 10th
01:43:12
Speaker
2023, they finished 32nd overall, dead last. This is the Connor Bedard draft. They have the best odds of drafting first overall. And yet again, they dropped one spot in the draft and they take Leo Carlson second overall. And then last year, they ranked 30th out of 32 teams, giving them the third best odds. And they got the third overall pick. So it's not only do they have bad draft autotery lottery luck,
01:43:36
Speaker
Trevor's Egress is too busy making TikToks and doing, you know, fancy stuff. they They have no identity as a team to me. This team does not move the needle. I don't care how many uniform changes. They're like the opposite of the blue jackets in that sense.
01:43:52
Speaker
ah hate Yeah, sorry. That's a team that's like clinging on to that cup win. You know what I mean? If they didn't have that cup win, they, yeah, they it would have been like, you could have put them number one if they didn't, but like, so yeah okay, they won a cup. So I'll give them some benefit. All class not taking the senators, by the way.
01:44:11
Speaker
oh yeah I'm not going to. I'm going to stay in the end. I'm going to say in Canada, though. Oh, yeah. No, I'm not going there. I'm not. I'm not because I respect some history. But here's a team with virtually no history. The Winnipeg Jets.
01:44:28
Speaker
I thought about it. Yeah, I'm going. I'm doing it because, you know, everyone knows what how they originally lost their franchise to ah a team in Georgia. Atlanta stole a team from Canada. So I think that's where you can like start off as like, how does this happen? You know, then they eventually they get the Manitoba Moose, the AHL team. They're starting to gain traction as, you know, the best atmosphere in the AHL.
01:44:53
Speaker
They eventually get their team back from the Atlanta Thrashers and move into an AHL building. ah They have the lowest attendance in the NHL. not you know Their building is just an AHL rank. They can't fill it up. And it's just if they didn't have Connor Hellabuck, this team would have virtually no success because that is the only ah trophy that they've able been able to put into their ah trophy case, along with the Teamoo Solani.
01:45:18
Speaker
Um, called their trophy, but they have no ah Stanley cups, obviously. And whenever they do make the playoffs, Damien, they have the second to last playoff percentage when winning percentage of all time. So it's just, they talk a lot about that white out energy. And it's just. The jets are, it feels like they're kind of bordering on losing their team again. You know, we had the saga last year already talking about ticket sales. And it's insane to me that they can't fill that building.
01:45:47
Speaker
16 000 they can't fill it it might be less it might be less and they can't fill it up and I mean who really wants to play in downtown winnipeg if you're not a boy from like the prairie uh area or maybe like anywhere i can't i guess Canadians might have um They like playing in Winnipeg, but it feels like Winnipeg always has trouble keeping their American stars. And I don't know how they've been able to keep Hellebok there for as long as he have, but it's, he is their lone bright spot. Maybe Kyle Connor too, but and they have no culture. Like if you want to talk, like keeping American talents, the blue bombers are able to like,
01:46:25
Speaker
You know, they keep Zach Kalaro so they're forever like Kenny Lawler. Guys love going to play in Winnipeg. They sell 34,000 tickets a game to the Blue Bombers games. They have a winning culture. People love going to the Blue Bombers games. Anytime anybody shits on the CFL, I point to Winnipeg because I look like you can't fill an NHL building and and the CFL is selling out year after year in Winnipeg.
01:46:48
Speaker
Yeah, like there are passionate fans in Winnipeg. Absolutely. ah For some reason, the Jets can't bring them out. And you'd think it'd be the opposite. You'd think it'd be the Blue Bombers that are struggling to you know fill the stadium. But the stadium's double, almost triple the size of their hockey rink. And it does a lot better. And like I said, yeah, their their culture is the white out in the playoffs. And they don't even make the playoffs enough for that to be a real like culture thing. And they don't win in the playoffs. so I don't even know why it's a big deal.
01:47:14
Speaker
I don't know, the Winnipeg Jets jumped out at me, but yeah, I wanted the... No, they're not tied to the Coyotes. that was That was a brain for it there. That was um the Atlanta Thrashers, the Georgia. It's just shocking that a team went from Winnipeg to Atlanta, Georgia. that's And they're talking about it again. Yeah, yeah that'll be interesting. But ah I don't think they're going back to Atlanta this time. That does it for Mount Rushmore. Um, I thought it was another good one here, even though if you're a fan of these teams, you probably hated listening to this. I, I, I came nowhere close to putting the senators on here because as you remind me very often, you've seen a lot more success in your lifetime as a sense fan than I have as a Leafs fan. Like you guys have a conference championship. Like you, you had good playoff runs in the 2010s. Like you've seen a lot more success than a lot of teams in the NHL can say.
01:47:59
Speaker
Yeah, Melnik was just like that. the yeah It got bad at the end of the Melnik era, which I think draws a lot of attention, and it was a slow start for them. But NHL, I chill kind of had the flames. I thought about doing the flames just with their, you add the arena saga into everything. um They just kind of, the Huberto deal is aging horribly. You gave away Matthew Kachuck, who's winning cups in Florida. like It just feels like they haven't made the best decisions there as of late. But like NHL, man, it feels like,
01:48:27
Speaker
some well-won organizations in the NHL. It's actually pretty impressive when you when you look at it from a grand scale of things. Maybe we're putting too much into the history of the NHL and the league and what teams have done 70 years ago, but I think that's got to be in consideration when you're talking about a ah franchise. Yeah. and I think the the Leafs are like a different type. It's not hopeless. It's more like apathy towards the Leafs because A lot of the stats they have, like I think it's over the last 10 years, they have the second most goals scored. like They've made the playoffs in a lot of of the Auston Matthews era. like it's They're getting there. like Heartbreaking losses to me are different than like hope true hopelessness as ah as a sports fan.
01:49:10
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't actually, if I put the Leafs in there, that would have been full bit. Like I would have never actually felt good about that because like the Leafs, you know. There's so many worse spots. but Over the past 10 years, I think they've, they've created a new, you know, dynamic and it's just like, yeah, they make the playoffs every year, but it's like, yeah, they can't get past the first round, but it's like, okay, at least you're making the playoffs basically every single year with this new era. The other NFL one, you mentioned the Giants, the Panthers,
01:49:37
Speaker
This is another one where it's like we'll see what happens but the commanders and just like the the Dan Snyder like that stink is still on that team for me I know there's promise there so the the hopeless like I guess there is hope as of right now this season has changed everything they would have been are arguably first on this list for me like last season So I mean like the stadium still falling apart, even though you change the name, it doesn't fix anything. But ah right now I'm, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt where it's just like the Cardinals to me feels like they have no direction really. And it's like, yeah, Kyler Murray is good. He's not amazing. And like Marvin Harrison Jr is fine, but like they seem to have kind of beef at times. Like Cardinals are just one of those teams where you just forget there exists. I saw the Texans come up on a lot of lists. What'd you think about that? I was i thought they'd been fine. They haven't been around long enough for me.
01:50:24
Speaker
No. And again, if hope is the word here, you got hope like they they won a playoff game last year. So I don't think they they could be on this list. But again, a team that like a couple of years ago would have probably been at the top for sure. ah But yeah, like I think I think that was an even even one. I just I think I had to get Buffalo with you getting Cleveland. I think I needed the top NHL one. And that was my top NHL one. um But yeah, like that that was fun. And, you know, we'll keep stay tuned. We'll have a couple more for for the fans.
01:50:53
Speaker
Yeah, we'll have a couple more. I think that does it for this week. ah Another great week in the NFL. As again, we will keep that CFL playoff preview kind of on the horizon here. We'll probably split an episode coming up maybe after week eight in the NFL. But that will be coming. Until next week, thanks again for listening, and I'll see you then, Patrick. See you, Damian.