Why Stephen A. deems the Chiefs NEED the win more than the Ravens in Week 4 👀 | First Take

Why Stephen A. deems the Chiefs NEED the win more than the Ravens in Week 4 👀 | First Take

[Applause] about to be a movie, man. Let’s do it. Let’s turn it up. It’s a dangerous thing when the group never gives up. When you’re playing the Super Bowl champs from last year, you always try and elevate your game a little bit. It’s a hell of an opportunity to make a statement about who we are. No matter who the opponent is, no matter where it is, I’m just trying to win. The atmosphere is going to be great. The fan base is going to be pretty rowdy. This is some of the best football you going to get. Come on. Two AFC powerhouses face off this weekend with the Ravens heading to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. Both teams have gotten off to disappointing starts with the Ravens defense struggling to hold leads and the Chiefs offense looking far from elite. They’ll hope to get right Sunday to avoid a 1 and3 hole. Very simple question, gentlemen. Stephen A, we begin with you. Who needs it more, Baltimore or Kansas City? Clearly the Chiefs because they’re in a tougher division. um that it’s it’s a byproduct of what we first of all we expect the Steelers to lose in Dublin Ireland this weekend. We expect that defense in Minnesota to re havoc and we get that part. When you look at the AFC West, it’s about how the Chargers are looking right now. How big time they’re looking, how they’re looking like a viable Super Bowl contender and arguably the second best team in the entire damn conference. Of course, we’re not going to just dismiss the Ravens, and we know what the potential is for the Chiefs to be once Rasheed Rice and Xavier Worthy both come back to join Hollywood. Brown, Travis Kelce. We expect their offense to be more formidable. Free up Travis Kelce a little bit. Who knows if he’ll get going and obviously spell for the defense to some degree, but we still looking at them and we’re saying, “Okay, we expect something from you, but you can’t afford to lose this game because the Chargers ain’t losing. They finding ways to win. They’re undefeated.” And Justin Herbert is looking world the worldly right now. And Jim Harbaugh seems to really have the pulse of him right now and tapping into whatever great potential he may have. Even if you lose this game and you’re the Baltimore Ravens do, although that’s not a good position to be in, we’re not sold on Cleveland because of their offense. We’re not sold on Cincinnati because Burrow is out. And we’re not sold on Pittsburgh because they can’t run and they can’t stop the run. So you take all of that into consideration, the answer to this question is easily the Kansas City Chiefs. Cam Newton. Bro, listen. I feel like you watching my nose, bro. Man, he over here looking up at my paper. Keep your eyes on your own scan trying Stephen. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. No, but for real, like I second everything that he pretty much said because it’s can you have cushion, right? When when you compare the two, it’s the conference that they’re in or the division that they’re in rather. And yes, the Chargers are looking damn good, but more or less the Broncos are too. Like, understand the loss that they had, and they’ve been very competitive in every single game that they’ve played. Totally true. You don’t take, you know, the Browns offense as serious as their defense. Obviously, they have the number one defense now. You don’t really know what you’re going to get with Pittsburgh. So, the Ravens can very well lose. Not to say that they they will or are, but they’re in a better situation for longevity, you know, for success in this in this league. But one thing that I would say about the um Ravens, matter of fact, let’s get personal. Will the real Baltimore Ravens please stand up? And while you’re standing, please understand this. My challenge to you, can you play 60 minutes, not 58? We seen what you did with 48. We seen what you 60 minutes of good football that you we know the paper says that you supposed to play. It’s been a sense of utopia, a fantasy or something that you just uh uh uh uh uh that you just say like, yo, they are supposed to be crushing every single team and when are they going to put it together? It’s a fumble. It’s bad defense, bad communication. It’s this. It’s that, it’s that, it’s this, but figure it out. And that’s all I care. This game is equally important to both of these teams. If the Kansas City Chiefs lose this game, the streak of AFC West championships end at nine. Period. It’s canled. It’s done. Doesn’t mean they can’t make the playoffs as a wild card. Doesn’t mean I want to play them in a playoff game. But they will not win the AFC West, which is a departure from everything that Patrick Mahomes has known his entire career. He does not know what it’s like to be a wild card. He does not know what it’s like on wild card week and have to play in somebody else’s stadium. That is something foreign to him. Something he can handle. Absolutely. It’s Patrick Mahomes, but it’s not what we’re used to. So, if they lose this weekend, it’s a wrap. It ends at nine. We don’t talk about it no more. If the Baltimore Ravens lose this weekend, they will not win the Super Bowl. I would not talk about them as a Super Bowl contender because the one thing we always know about the Baltimore Ravens is you show up in the regular season, I don’t know who you going to be in the playoffs, but in the regular season, you like that. You know who’s playing really, really well? Lamar. Lamar Jackson playing at an MVP level. You know why we ain’t talking about Lamar Jackson as the MVP? cuz everybody else sucks. Do they suck? No, I’m not. Or do they do they make costly mistakes? I’m not going to say that about Dere Derk Henry. I’m not going to say that about Derrick Henry. These have been big fumbles. The big fals obviously Kyle Hamilton playing at an allp pro level. Safe Flowers playing at a Pro Bowl. I’m not saying that the individual players suck. I’m saying the collective as it goes to winning football games does. You are what your record says. You are what your record. That’s what Bill Parcel said. Hello. Hall of Famer. If something’s gonna change, so you tell me that though. The only team you beat was the Browns. I got it. All I want you to do is remember you said this. said it because when I go the route of what does your record say and then you pivot to dissecting who’s doing what on a very positive level and then they know all about the record Stephen A. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it cuz that’s what he going to do to me. Cam, he going to do it. I’m I’m going to say what that record say. Did they win the game or not? No, it’s not that simple. Stephen A. I mean are you watching the game? Let me break it down for you. This what he going to do. You see, it’s the level of inconsistency. And that’s why you laugh cuz I watch I watch him. You can’t you can’t And guess what? And guess what I started? Let me tell you what. Guess what I started doing? I went on my tape. My girl looked at me and she’s like, “What you watching?” I said, “I’m watching fourth and one.” And she was like, “What?” And she was like this. I said, “I got to see if there’s going to be consistency with what he says.” What you want? What you watching, baby? I said, “I’m watching the pivot. I want to see what he says.” You say, “I saw him on NFL Live.” You understand? Say, “But now that’s not good enough.” I saw him on Monday Night Countdown. I said, “That’s not good enough. I’m watching.” So, I just want to make sure that when you pivot and you come over to me, when I sit up there and say, “What the record say? What the record say?” You don’t get to turn around and go like this. Wait a minute, Stephen. They went detail. You missing the details. I want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it. So, so let me tell you this. Go ahead. So, you know how you say you listen. Yes. Right. Yeah. Right. You are brilliant because you know you’re not. That’s right. I listen too. That’s right. So, where was your girl at when you was watching this video? Where were you? Where were you? Cuz your girl at Hey, slow down. Girl. Hey, slow down. Don’t leave. He up for that one. Don’t leave. No. Don’t leave. Hey, we in the last Your girl, sister. No, you ain’t say your daughter assistant. You ain’t say none of that. And too, you was watching on your phone. So that meant wherever you was, you ain’t really have a TV. But hold on. If you really listen though, I didn’t say it was on my phone. I didn’t say it was on. If you really listen though, he slipped in a hold on bae. Why? Do you hear me? Do you hear me? I said, hold on. Cuz I thought he said, you know what I’m saying? when he he confirmed and removed all doubt. Hold on, babe. Hold on, babe. But no. Hey, this is the thing though. I’m watching RC. But back to football real quick. I don’t know if anybody has peeped this know. Every time Derrick Henry has fumbled, it’s been in his left hand. Yep. He’s peep this. The greatest running back this game has seen is who? Barry Sanders in my opinion. Okay. Statistically, Emit Smith and Emit Smith. Emit Smith always ran with the right arm, his strong arm, right? They teach you like keep the outside ball and exactly, you know, so you can arm bar. That’s his greatest strength. Stiff arm. Uh Derek uh Derrick Henry is stiff armed. But when you have a case of fumbling the football, I will tell him and I don’t need to tell him like let’s relax. He’s he’s say less. But putting the ball in your strong hand will automatically give you more comfort than any other hand. Simple. When we was in Carolina and we had to have a got to have it situation, fourth and one, right? Third and inches. I would always tell the coach to run it to the right side because now I’m on the right side, right? When you’re running to the left side, it’s natural for anybody to go to the left, but you the muscles don’t hit the same. You know what I’m saying? Like if I was a bodybuilder, you hit. But the problem is this. Yeah. Real quick, once you fumble, they continue to try to get it right. So now people aren’t trying to tackle Derrick Henry. They’re punching at the football. So he’s going to have to have an answer for this and have to answer for it the rest of the year. As far as they know, they they know it’s it’s a tall task to tackle him. Yep. Sanders is itching to get onto the field for the Browns. The rookie quarterback currently sits third on the depth chart in Cleveland, but that has not dented his confidence at all. He says he’ll be ready when the time comes. Take a listen. I don’t think playing or not playing, you know, is in my hand. I don’t think I think uh based on the situation it’s it’s um if things happen, things turn out where I play, then then I’ll be out there and I’d be ready to play. Said I’m ready to play right now. I know if you if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I know I know I’m capable of doing better than that. Do you think he’s capable of playing better than some of the starting QBs in the league? I do think he’s capable of it. I don’t like what he just said in that last comment. You gotta be careful. You just got to be careful. Every little thing gets held against him. And it’s not most of it is not his fault. He seems to be a great kid. Obviously, he threw for over 4,000 yards last year at Colorado, completed over 72% of his pass. He was balling. Okay, give him credit where credit is due. And I think that even though he struggled in one preseason game and that left him at the QB3 spot behind Dylan Gabriel and of course Joe Flacco, do I think he has the kind the the potential to show up in the National Football League and to make some noise? Sure. But p primarily is because I believe so much in his dad. I believe when you know I think that his pedigree, what his dad says about him, all of those things play a role because I think the man has the ability to evaluate and analyze football. Having said that, we just have to be mindful of what we say and what kind of position it puts ourselves in because when it comes to him, he’s going to be judged a little bit differently. And that last comment, look at how Cats are performing in the league. Hell yeah, I could do I could do better than that. Oh, really? Really? And you never know what’s going to get thrown in your direction because I I I’ve seen situations and this is me covering basketball. I’ve seen situations, fellas, where players have been put in bad spots by coaches, by an organization just to show them up to submerge their egos. I’ve seen it happen. And don’t tell me it can’t happen in football where coaching is far far far more valuable. But it happened to him and it happened to him. Did you know the third preseason game that that we saw Shadura play, it was like, bro, 87 to 94% of the players that you were playing with or trying to compete with did not make the team in no capacity. No, not even practice squad. So, I mean, am I do I have a problem with what they said? What what he said? Being a quarterback in the National Football League comes with a level of responsibility that you have to grow into. It happens to us all. All right. But I see a guy like Shadura and he does have trade value. Mhm. I name a team right now that it’s worth a try. Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah. I mean, bro, just And then you get a you get a a good situation. Okay. You light a fire. You get everybody excited. He can learn behind, you know, obviously when uh uh Joe Burrow comes back. But the petty cam in me want to say, “Hey, Miami, what can he do? Lose a game? What y’all going to go? Oh, and fall, you know.” But you know, that was just me being facicious. But uh the reality is Shadur is in a situation that even even when we had our discussions, it’s like, “Bro, stay ready.” and understanding not just the quarterback position, understanding the professionalism that this game expects you to be. The first one in last one to leave, knowing how to treat your body. When you see certain things like, “Oh man, my shoulder sore.” Like, “Yeah, bro.” Like, “Hey, get your guy. Get your gal.” You know what I’m saying? Get the get the proper treatment. You know what I’m saying? Get your routine. Perfect your routine. And once you understand that and when you have that opportunity, maximize it to the best of your ability. Listen, I know how to be honest and and and self-aware, right? I Dion Sanders is a big brother to me. I love Shadur Sanders. I think he prepares. I think he works hard. I think he’s dedicated to his craft. I look at the NFL, Tennessee, Atlanta, the Giants, New Orleans, Cincinnati, the Jets, Cleveland, Miami, Houston, Carolina, Denver, Minnesota, New England. I think all of those teams have the exact same record. if Shador Sanders is their quarterback. Also, I think this though, I’ve I’ve not heard from Jaylen Milro this year. He’s actually played snaps in in games. I haven’t heard from Quinn Us this year. He’s the third quarterback in Miami. I haven’t heard from Dylan Gabriel, who’s actually the number two in Cleveland. The thing about Shador Sanders is he also has to understand what comes along with being Shador Sanders. What is the microscope of being Shador Sanders? how everything that I say and do is going to be critiqued as to how prepared I am to lead an organization because for whatever it’s worth, I tell this I tell this to any young kid I talk to, you have to know who you are in every room and who everybody else is in that room. It doesn’t mean you got to dim your light. It doesn’t mean you have to have fake modesty or humility, but you got to understand in Cleveland, you’re the third quarterback. In Cleveland, you’re the fifth round pick and you’re going to get that level of opportunity. You’re going to get that level of treatment. You’re going to get that level of respect. So when you speak, you have to speak from that place because whether you believe the quarterback play in whatever place is something that you’re better than, at least in your own building. They don’t think you’re better than Joe Flacco. At least in your own building, they don’t believe you’re better than Dylan Gabriel. And so for Sidur Sanders, it’s about what can I do to help Cleveland be better. When he said the other day, I’m taking every practice rep as my game rep. The scout team is game day every day. That’s perfect because that’s what a fifth round third string quarterback should think. That’s the way he should act. That’s the way he should behave. That’s leadership. That’s professionalism. Like this sets him back and gets you talking about something else when we should be talking about how hard he’s working weekly to be the best he could be. Yeah. It’s It’s real tricky though because you’re 100% right. But what maturity has taught me, two things can be right. Yeah. Two things. No matter how pristine his delivery his delivery is, it still is going to be analyzed, microscoped, and and really observed at a magnitude that Dylan Gabriel is not. Respectfully, he’s third on his team’s depth chart, but number one in jersey sales. He’s third in the depth chart, but he’s the most popular player, relevant player socially, culturally on that team. Okay, so here’s the question. So, here’s the question. Taking all of that into consideration, that’s why we know we’re going to see him because we know that pressure is mounting. the more inept they are offensively, the less of an excuse you’re going to have to submerge him. If you got Dylan Gabriel, you’re gonna throw him out there. And the only thing that could derail us from seeing Shador Sanders based on what we’re seeing from Cleveland’s offense right now is if Dylan Gabriel gets inserted in there first and he balls out. If he balls out and there’s no reason to take him out, then you won’t see Shador Sanders. But nobody’s anticipating that that will happen. They believe that Dylan Gabriel might struggle as well and ultimately we’ll see Shadore. So knowing that and knowing his popularity and knowing what comes along with the name, what about not saying anything? That’s not that’s not you’re obligated to say something. Shador, he’s obligated if they Okay, explain why he’s obl. Got it. Answer. Yes. Okay. So, in the NFL, as a player, you have to render yourself available. We all heard the quote, “I’m just here so I don’t get fired.” You have to render yourself. So, when he’s just minding his own business, you know what I’m saying? Just throwing a tennis ball up, going to get treatment. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Before you go get treatment, before you go watch film, hey, you have to give us our aotted time. So for him not to say anything, that’s that’s really unrealistic. But understand, but nothing’s wrong with what he said in the beginning. Yeah. That if I get an opportunity to play, I’m ready to play. And and I know like the the the the people who love Shadore and are his fans and support him want him to continue to be him, right? because they don’t want they don’t want to feel like the NFL humbled him or that there was some level of collusion so Shador Sanders couldn’t be himself, couldn’t have his bravado, couldn’t have his confidence. But you also got to understand, man, and especially in this world, sometimes you just got to play the game. Yeah. Sometimes you just got to hold it close to your vest until you get a chance to show it on the field. And that’s not selling out. No, you see and I’m just Bro, I’ve been saying it for years. You have to play the game. You have to understand that. And once you understand that, especially with an influential figure, oh, you’re dangerous. But this is the this also is the question that has to be asked. Does coach Stfansky really want Shadur to be his quarterback? Does the management and ownership and I’ve been I’ve been asking that question for weeks. Do they want him a part of the team? Yes. Why? Because he’s good for business. Do they want him to be the quarterback? They appear to be an organization divided. talk to me. Some in the organization want to go one way, some in the organization want to go the other because from start to finish, none of this has felt like the organization top to bottom has been aligned with their decision-m on who they’re going to draft and when they’re going to draft. Well, considering that he’s good for business, that minimizes the excuses for not playing because ultimately it’s going to come down to you not having anything to lose because it’s not like you’re winning games without him. Yep. You’re losing games. So, if you’re going to continue to do that, then and the frustrating thing about this is the defense defense is big time. It’s giving you opportunities. The defense is amazing. Their defense is Super Bowl caliber. And I know I say this once a week, Miles Garrett, period, point blank, the best. Talk about him like you talk about Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Aaron Donald, and JJ Watt. He’s that good. Leave it there. [Music]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton, Ryan Clark and Joe Fortenbaugh debate the Baltimore Ravens or the Kansas City Chiefs need the win more in Week 4 before weighing in on Shedeur Sanders saying he is “ready to play right now.”

0:00 Ravens vs. Chiefs preview
10:24 Shedeur Sanders says he’s ready to play right now
16:30 Pressure on Shedeur
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