Reaction to: Rams-49ers, Giants-Bears, Patriots-Bucs, Ravens-Vikings, Seahawks | Colin Cowherd NFL

Reaction to: Rams-49ers, Giants-Bears, Patriots-Bucs, Ravens-Vikings, Seahawks | Colin Cowherd NFL

Welcome to the official YouTube channel for the Colin Coward podcast. Go on, hit that subscribe button if you’re new so you don’t miss any of our great football content this season. This episode is presented by Uber Eats. When football makes you hungry, order Uber Eats. I do every weekend. All right, time to look at this weekend’s tastiest matchup in this week’s Sunday Night Food, brought to you by Uber Eats, a company I use all the time. All right, we’re ready for an hour plus. John Middleoff, former NFL scout, has his own podcast. Three and out. It is Sunday. There’s a lot to talk about. Listen, let’s let’s start with a non-competitive game. Rams 42, Niners 20. Um, it’s just amazing. The Rams are the least penalized team in the league. No penalties. It’s And this this is one of those things when I used to cover the Patriots, right? I was when I was on the East Coast, they went years and I was always like, “Nobody fumbles for New England.” And I and I used to tell friends, I’m like, “Is it a stickum thing?” People would feel it on the ball. No, they’re well coached. The Rams for the second year of the lease penalized team. You go into a heated rivalry game, no penalties, no turnovers. My my take is obviously the Niners are all banged up, but it it’s it is so efficient. You can see the coaching with the Rams. That’s what I feel like. Yeah. I mean, the 49ers, their defense is a match unit, but when you play a match unit and you’re a good team, you score in every drive. And that’s essentially what the Rams did. And Stafford uh is a dominant player right now. I mean, he’s a legitimate I he’s probably had some years I’d have to really dive in, but this feels like his highest level of play consistently week in week out, especially when you factor in his age. remember McVey all off seasonason said listen we value like because of our money situation we are underpaying Matt Stafford and we know it they approached this offseason with him much different than they did years ago with the golf situation they were just transparent about it they’re like we know we technically have to underpay him we know he’s better than what we’re pay he’s making $40 million a year I mean Trevor Lawrence makes more than him right Tua makes more than him makes more than him so he is Puka is an incredible talent and Devonte and him have that he has like a Rogers level rapport with him immediately. Immediately. He had no training camp. I mean, give me a break. Yeah. Well, yeah. I forgot about that because the back didn’t work. So, they are It feels like we’re on a collision course right now. We’re recording this obviously before the Monday night game. So, we’ll see the Eagles and the Packers. But, I I would say the Rams and Seattle look like they’re playing at a really high level. The 49ers offense actually is playing at a really high level. It’s just defense. They’re rolling out me and you and they got no chance to stop a good team. I was going to say if you looked at the box score and didn’t look at the score and watch the game, Niners move the ball. I’ll say this about M. Jones. You know, M. Jones is a big sturdy kid. I think he throws a really nice ball. He’s not super athletic, but like I get when I watch him, like I get why he was a great high school, college, and a Pro Bowler. Like Mack throws a real ball. He makes good decisions. tight spiral. You know, he moved out and and and threw a touchdown pass, you know, scrambling to a tight end. It’s like I would have no problem as a bridge quarterback for a couple years going with M. Jones if I was an NFL GM or a coach. He He’s one of the better bridge guys in a long to me in a in a while. Yeah. I’d even argue he’s probably better than that. You know, like clearly you watch Sam Darnold, his physical traits are that of a guy that was drafted really high in any draft. Quarterback inflation or back in the 90s. Mack doesn’t have those physical attributes, but he’s an NFL starting quarterback, but he’s on a two-year contract. Colin, did you see the clip with uh Brady when they asked him on the pregame show about, you know, M. Jones, and he said, “Well, once upon a time, you know, you can’t not go to M. Jones the way he’s playing.” And I found myself in a situation a long time ago, and I look at me now. I’m probably not here if if I wasn’t. And I just went I actually don’t think it’s that controversial to say Pertie’s toe doesn’t work. He can’t even dress for games. So M. Jones is the quarterback for the entire season. Like I I don’t expect Perty to play and if he does, he’ll immediately just reinjure his toe. That’s what happened. That’s the injury he has. He’s got a unique injury. It’s not one of those things that just heals. He’s never going to be 100%. So if he’s compromised, M. Jones is keep playing. To me, M. Jones plays the rest of the season. And you know the crazy thing is Colin, we’re not that far away from the Bears and the 49ers play in about four or five weeks and that could potentially be for the seven seed. Now the ners, they play the Cards, the Titans, the Browns. Remember we talked about at the beginning of the season, the Patriots and the Niners, there’s the Bears schedule gets a little more difficult. Packers a couple times, the Steelers, even the Vikings, I think next week in Minnesota. So the Niners, but they all they play each other. So, if the Bears can just kind of hold serve, we could have a pseudo, you know, December playoff game for that seven seed Niners Bears, which would be pretty fun. And B, I I’m also the the M. Jones thing. Let’s say you could trade him this off season. I I think he’s too valuable to the 49. He makes no money. He’s on a two-year 7 million contract. And Perty is, let’s face it, he he ripped up his arm. Granted, that was the last game of the season, but he if that happens in October, he misses the season. This year, I mean, what’s he going to end up playing? Two or three games? I M. Jones value to the 49ers, I’d argue, is more valuable unless you’re getting like a first round pick, which are probably not. I I’m not giving him away. I’m just holding him for the next next year until proves that he can stay on the field. Oh, and and the ners will get calls on Matt Jones. And they’ll say and Kyle Kyle Kyle’s been open about it. He wanted to take him and then I think as the process went on, he kind of went to the guy with in quotes more upside, but there’s no way Kyle doesn’t like him now. you know, right today he’s just sl He didn’t have incompletions. I mean, hitting guys on the hand and beside KD and McAffrey, there’s a lot of Demarcus Robinsons and Kendrick Bournes, he’s not throwing to Jerry Rice and John Taylor out there, Colin. No, no. I mean, I’m impressed with M. Jones. And the other thing we saw in the late window, when rosters get depleted, which they do November on, um, elite quarterbacks, Goff, Stafford, and look at the weight late window. Darnold blowout wins when you have a B quarterback. And Mac, I’m telling you, Mac’s, if Mac’s a backup, he’s the best backup in the league. To me, he’s a he’s a bridge or a franchise guy. And and he struggled to compete today. So, what you saw in the late Window, this is something I’ve been on now for years, John. The bottom of the NFL by November looks like the bottom of the NBA. It’s unwatchable because the the league is so quarterback dependent when if you don’t have a star quarterback because everybody’s be I mean the Rams are lucky. They don’t get penalties. They don’t get hurt. I mean, nobody’s hurt by and large. Everybody’s banged up right now. Everybody’s dinged up. The Packers are dinged up. The Niners are dinged up. Um you know, it’s just the way the league is. It really helps to have a horse quarterback and you saw it today. So, you know, Rams in a blowout win uh 4226 as we went on the air and that game wasn’t quite done. That was this week’s Sunday Night Football brought to you by Uber Eats. When football makes you hungry, get game day deals on Uber Eats. I do every week. The official ondemand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now. I just did. I I want to I want to I want to talk about the Bears for a second. So Chicago beats New York 24-20. And so it was Caleb Williams and Jackson Dart and Jackson Dart outplayed him for the first three quarters. But there is something I’ I’ve said this about Caleb Williams multiple times, John. He doesn’t get hurt and he doesn’t throw interceptions. Jackson Dart gets hurt a lot and he’ll throw picks. Now Jackson, I thought he plays with a ton of confidence. He throws a nice ball. Jackson played really, really well. He had a couple of touchdown runs. one was a 24yard run was a big time run. Both those quarterbacks can really way above average movement. Way above average. Now again, Caleb had a great fourth quarter. But when I watch the game, and you have to watch the whole game, there’s becoming an issue with Jackson Dart. He’s blue tent. He’s getting banged up a lot. This is my Brock Pury thing. If you’re a little smaller or you play with a lot of confidence, Baker Mayfield used to do that first couple years. He played with more confidence than he should have. somebody would pick him off, he’d square him up. It’s like, bro, you’re a quarterback. You’re you’re not a free safety. Would it worry you the Jackson dart concussion today, the constant blue tent visits, and the injuries? I think it worries me with all these young quarterbacks. They all have a style, you know. I would say Caleb Williams style is the same thing. He’s just built more like a like a tank that they all scramble around and run around. I mean, Jaden Daniels is nowhere to be found. Where’d he get hurt running? You know, I mean, this this is the new age. We watch football every Saturday for four plus months and it’s fantastic, but they’re all moving around. So, back in the day, Pton Manning, Tom Brady, one, all those guys are huge. The quarterbacks now are smaller. I mean, they’re they’re definitely smaller, but they move around. To me, the Jackson Dart, they the play that he got injured on, the one that he fumbled, it was like a quarterback power, which had worked earlier in the game. So when you’re calling those plays and the guy’s name’s not Cam Newton, you know, this is the NFL, you know, he got rocked by like three guys. And I mean, there were a lot of plays. The strength of Caleb was on full display today. How many sacks did he break out of? I I actually think there’s an element that I It’s like I’m not I’m going to sound critical, but he almost throws too hard. There were so many balls that were dropped by those guys throughout the game. It’s probably, you know, you’re there, right? How cold is it in Chicago? probably can’t feel your hands. Balls are pro I bet some of those guys are going to wake up in the morning with sore hands and but on the balls where Jackson Dart was completing them, it was more roll out lobs. It’s hard to complete the Brett Favre. Favre’s players used to talk about this in Green Bay like it is hard at all. Yeah. So did Elways in December and November and I just thought like it’s not that Rome is a bad player but you catch that. I would say Caleb Williams has right now as strong of an arm as anyone in the NFL. He let a couple rip today where you’re just like that’s Josh Allen if not stronger. It was Jesus. How about he he rolled right. I was impressed. I I I’ve been hard on him. I I thought I was impressed today with how he played in that in the weather too. He rolled right. He threw a ball to DJ Moore in the end zone who he caught it but he was out of bounds. John, it was 40 yards. I swear to God it was a line drive to left field. It was about as high as the shortstop. It was a freaking rope in a windy cold environment. And DJ Mort was quite caught it, but it was out of bounds. His I the word I always use with Caleb and I’d never used it with any quarterback before is just horsepower. He is a V8. I mean, it is he is and here’s the other thing. The knock on him Caleb is, you know, he holds the ball too long. But I was thinking about this today. He doesn’t throw picks. So in his mind is, yeah, I’m going to hold it longer than other guys because my escapability outside Lamar Jackson is probably second best in the league. So, first of all, I’m stronger than Lamar Jackson. So, if I do get hit, I mean, he rolls. You can’t if you’re coming constantly. Yeah. Or or Big Ben where a defensive player gets on his shoulder and he just brushes him off. So, I think a lot of him holding the ball is I just trust that I’m going to escape. And, you know, I watched it a couple of times today when he had that big run down the sideline. I’m like, if he was a running back, you wouldn’t want to size him up if you were a safety. I mean, he’s a big dude. I remember we did this maybe like week two and the one thing that jumped out to me, you know, cuz last year their games were just so I mean, they had what, like a 10-ame losing streak. I mean, they didn’t matter. Bad. You watch him this year, he is way more athletic than I think people thought coming out. Also, you know, when you’re judging him against Arizona and Arizona State and Colorado, right, in college, you see him against these NFL guys, he’s running faster than them. Now, you know, I’m not saying he’s Lamar Jackson in the open field, but he is way faster than I expected. Uh he I I thought he kind of won them the game down the stretch today. He he huge play after huge play and obviously it flipped when Dart gets hurt and Russell Wilson. It was just man, it’s hard to come in in a game where it’s freezing cold, but god, he looks terrible. So, Caleb’s fourth game-winning drive in six weeks. And my whole life, I have watched the Bears lose games like they’re winning. And and this, by the way, it’s different. Denver’s winning, but the quarterback play is awful. The quarterback play with Chicago is wildly dynamic. And And what’s interesting, Caleb’s gotten better late in games. He may not be as good on the script than he was in the first four weeks. like now he’s doing stuff on his own. And I mean right now this season in the fourth day he had 77 yards passing, a passing touchdown, 109 passer rating, 52 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown. Okay. And again, that’s not the script. That’s the opposite of the script. Those were crucial drives to win the game with a ton of pressure. Yeah, I think we I I I think he’s a hit. I I I listen winning games is like today I watched the Colts. Oh gosh, drove me crazy. They won the game. This is That’s why with analytics sometimes I’m like I’m going to get points sometimes, not the touchdown. I need to win the game so we all keep our mortgage, right? Well, well to me the Bears game, if that had been a probably it’s probably a rarity in Chicago, but let’s say it’s a 75 degree November early November game, you know, perfect weather. Let’s even say like 60. I’d be like, “Well, the Giants are terrible.” When it’s freezing cold, that that makes the game very difficult. I don’t care who you’re playing. I I’m sure you saw some of that Wisconsin, you know, Washington game, Iowa, Oregon game. It is hard to play in those environments. No one can feel their hands. Hard to breathe. I I have way more respect. Like I I I don’t judge scores. You know, you’re not going to hit many explosive plays in the passing game. What is all what you know if you go back and I saw it firsthand because they played the NerS when Lafleur got there and they resurrected Rogers career they were playing these home games in Green Bay it’s freezing cold so your your vaunted pass attack does not work as well and you know University of Washington has one of the best wide receivers in the league one of the best quarterbacks in the country they couldn’t operate they have a great offense it doesn’t function or you know Oregon has NFL players everywhere they they couldn’t function so it’s like I I just go, hey, if you got to win a game 13-10, I actually think for and it’s an awesome Listen, if you’re a Bears fan, you apologize to nobody about winning games after the last the Giants. Uh this thing I I defended probably three or four weeks ago. I’m like, listen, he went all in on this quarterback. He was right. Right. I mean, there is if you just pulled GMs right now, I think 32 of them would take Jackson Dart over uh Cam Ward today. Now, his their careers aren’t written, but today Brian Day was right about the quarterback he liked. Yeah. The problem is his team. I mean, that’s I think I I read today a stat that that’s his fourth game in which he had a second half lead of 10 plus points. And obviously, he’s had now multiple double digit leads in the fourth quarter in which they employed. I mean, today he kicked a field goal. They had 12 men on the field, but Russell’s in the game, not Dart. he declines the penalty and takes the points instead of just getting the first out because and listen I thought like hey you don’t want to risk fumbling you’re up 20 to 10 how are the Bears gonna score but then it it bit him in the ass and there were reports you know local radio they people have connections to ownership that said the ownership was close after the Denver Broncos game and this feels you know you’re up 20 to 10 you’re cruising maybe they give them a little break cuz darts in the tent but man that’s it’s hard to It’s hard to kind of fend off the arrows, Colin, when you keep having these devastating losses. Today’s show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. This is that golden time of the year when it’s not just Pro Football. NBA, college football, college hoops, hockey, all share the stage. There’s always something to bet on. If you haven’t tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet yet, there’s still time to get 150 bucks in bonus bets. If you win, all you have to do is place $5 bet. That’s it. five bucks. If it hits, you not only get your winnings, but 150 bucks in extra bonus bets. And if you’re looking for an edge before you lock in, check out the Hard Rock Bet Stats hub trends. It’s loaded with streaks, stats to help guide your pick. So numbers don’t lie, neither does the data in there. The Hard Rock Bet app sports book. It’s the only legal sports book for whenever you’re in Florida. It’s also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado. coming soon to more states. Plus, Hard Rock Bet offers new promos every single day. So, whenever you’re listening, just open the app, check out what you’ve got any day of the week. Download the Hard Rock Bet app, and make your first deposit. Yeah, it’s um nothing’s these New York football teams. It’s just it’s it’s just it’s a it’s a football swamp. Like, think people just go to drown in these places. I think they Field didn’t have a 100 yards today total and they won. in total running and passing. That’s so bad. Okay, I want to talk. I may be too harsh here. Baltimore 27, uh, Minnesota 19. This was one of my favorite picks of the weekend. Um, Ravens third straight win. So, I don’t like to bang on young quarterbacks. JJ McCarthy, eight false starts at home. You’re the home team, not a college team. You’re a pro team. 13 total penalties. So, I went and looked this up again on the opening drive. He’s very good on opening drives. I’m I’m not the first drive with, you know, Kevin O’Connell three of four, 117 passer ratings. Vikings score a touchdown. I watched it. I’m like, that’s slick. But I said as he did it, okay, I’ve seen this before. After the first drive, JJ McCarthy 17 of 38. Okay, he’s under 50% and a 45 passer rating. So, I’ it’s it’s almost like a comedian. You either make me laugh or you don’t. When I watch a franchise quarterback, like you either pick up first downs, you have long drives, you make big touchdown throws, or you don’t. You can’t try to convince me something is true. If I go to watch a comedy show, you’re either funny or you’re not for 45 minutes. Bill Burr makes me laugh almost every joke. Like, you can’t convince me of stuff. And I watched JJ McCarthy and I didn’t like him out of college, so I don’t want to do confirmation bias. But after those scripted drives, I don’t get it. I don’t see it. He’s not accurate. Everything’s a fast ball and they have good receivers and a better than average offensive line and a solid running back and a great offensive coach. I mean, overall today, he’s 20 of 42. I mean, you can’t you can’t win in this league like that. You know, their biggest problem, too, is their star player, Justin Jefferson, who they paying a ton of money, who is, I would say, widely considered throughout the league a high level, high character guy, quit on them today. There was an interception in which he threw, he just stopped. He didn’t even chase. And to me, like wide receivers aren’t your leaders, right? They’re your follow. Now, luckily, he’s the best follower, but he he knows. And and then ironically the Seattle game start I didn’t even I wasn’t even on it yet because it started at two o’clock. I look up Darnold’s first pass is like a 50 yard bomb hits JSN in the hands. And if I if I’m Justin Jefferson, this is the Larry Fitzgerald thing. You are so dependent on whoever that guy is. And he’s already had he had a good Kirk Cousins last year. He had a guy throwing 35 touchdowns. He’s going to throw 40 again. And now he gets this. This kid’s over his head. You know, this is a situation that listen, it’s not his career is not written. You know, his second year in the in his career, but 20, 30 years ago, this guy’s sitting for two or three years. This guy’s never touching the field. And he’s on the field on a team with a lot of good players, a great coaching staff. I mean, their defense was playing their ass off as long as they could, but your quarterback, he threw two picks that even I think Moose Johnson was calling the game. He’s like, I I on one, he’s like, I I don’t even know what he’s looking at there. Like, you cannot throw that ball. that that the two DBs Willie Mays catch just right in their hands. They both led they both went to field goals. Now they ended up losing by eight and I think they had another like a a kickoff return they fumbled that they they scored immediately. So turnovers killed them. But two of them directly on JJ McCarthy that are just basically acting as punts. And I I just think when you start losing high character guys on your team, I don’t really blame Jefferson here. Like I I I can’t battle for this guy, you know? I I don’t think he’s good enough. And we saw it I I keep bringing this up because I I s I was around this team a lot is when you have a team that views themselves as like a bunch of Pro Bowlers that can compete. Yeah. And the 49ers like they their star players never bought in. It’s not that they’re not nice. They don’t like the guy personally, but if you’re not good enough, like this is a productionbased business. It’s pretty black and white. You can either play or you can’t. The Bears are a good example of like their standard’s not that high. Like if they get to eight or nine wins this year, that’s a success. The Vikings just won 14 and we’re 60 minutes away from being the number one seed. So Justin Jefferson goes, I got this kid that we have to hold his hand who cannot I mean playing a real opponent at home. That was the other thing. We’re playing a real opponent at home and a big underdog with this guy. And John, operationally, eight false starts at home. That’s like a college quarterback playing at Georgia where you’re overwhelmed. who can’t hear. The whole thing is a mess. And you know, it it’s it’s one of those things where players talk. To your point earlier, they know what Darnold’s doing. Darnold’s been the number one ranked PFF quarterback for like a month. I mean, I watched him today. He has the weirdest turnovers, by the way. The ball ricocheted off his tight end’s helmet for an interception. Darnold has the weirdest turnovers in the league. Um, but it it there’s you can’t you can’t and you know the thing about Baltimore is they was field goal field goal field goal. But one of the things about Baltimore is they just keep coming at you that that team is just kind of at a relentless attack. I mean God remember a couple weeks ago when they played the Bears with Tyler Huntley the backup and you’re like Jesus this is an incredible effort. Baltimore’s got a culture that’s been built for years and they even in that first half when Brian Flores has given them trouble they just can’t quite move the chains. They just keep getting points and points and then all of a sudden you look up, they blow, you know, a couple of big plays and it’s over. Yeah, I I respect the Colts. They just moved off Anthony Richardson. I respect Kyle Shanahan. He just moved off Trey Lance. I think at the end of the year, you let him play the rest of the season between the injuries and what I’m watching off the first scripted drive, it just doesn’t work. You can’t fool me. Like you said with the comedian analogy, like it’s not even you just got to watch him and as the game goes, he can make a good play and then he makes two horrendous plays and the interceptions of just throwing yolo balls. The Ravens are healthy now relative, you know, beside the guys on injury reserve. That’s right. So who are his two interceptions to? Starks firstrounder from Georgia and Marlon Humphrey’s one of the more versatile DBs in the league. So it’s like you’re playing those type guys. This is real. This is no longer, you’re not getting Ruters here on a on a Saturday at 1:00. This is Marlon Humphrey, Mai Starks, John Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson. They’re fighting for their lives, right? This is a team over the last couple years who has been they would say we have we just haven’t figured out in the playoffs, but we have been the Chief’s equal, you know, 1 through 17 throughout the season, right? But we just we are better than you and there’s no way this essentially a rookie quarterback cuz and as the game went on, that’s the one thing with football, right? Anyone that gamles knows this. You can’t get too excited after a quarter. Let the game play out. The cream usually rises. The, you know, the more pressure comes on a quarterback. They keep bringing them different looks. And uh I I think the Vikings listen, we all make decisions, some of them don’t work. That’s a pretty that’s a decision that’s going to be hard to live with for a while. The Sam Darnold situation because it’s one thing if like, hey, Seattle gave him $200 million, it would have ruined our whole they gave him $55 million guaranteed. And like you said, he he’s been one of, if not the best. Like he’s playing at a level that’s no different than good Mahomes, good Allen. Like he’s an elite player. That’s And now you got this guy because you drafted him really high who’s you’re not going to make the playoffs this year. I mean, they got a game I think this upcoming week or maybe they’re on a I’m pretty sure they play this upcoming week against the Bears. I mean, that’s you know, now the Bears are going to have a lot to play for because ear that week one kind of embarrassed them. They got some momentum coming in. JJ’s kind of at a point, you’ve been talking about this, you kind of get till Thanksgiving, your second year. Now, I think they would say he didn’t get his first year, but like you you think they’re just going to roll it out again year three. That’s that’s just not the way the league works. It’s a pet peeve of mine when people say like, uh, no one has any patience anymore. Well, yeah, the league in like 1987, the teams were worth like $100 million. They’re now worth $7 billion. They’re paying people $150 million. Yes, patience is shorter. Welcome to 2025. Well, the other thing, John, is you shouldn’t have as much patience because these quarterbacks come in with 10,000 throws. They have private coaches. The seven on seven camps. This is not the Eli Manning era. This is the Arch Manning era where you’re making $6 million in college. Private coaching. Sometimes you fly private jet, you can get places faster. So, I I I’ve always said Thanksgiving, second year, I’m going with my GM in the room and telling him it used to be I want three full seasons. I’ll give you three full seasons unless you’re just absolutely out of your mind uh overmatched. So I I don’t have a problem with and you also say, “Well, he hasn’t been healthy.” That’s kind of a you problem. Like nothing against Brock Pury, but you know who was always healthy mostly was Brady and Big Ben and Brett Favre. And those guys are healthy because they’re durable. You know, Caleb Williams doesn’t get hurt. He’s big and strong. That that’s that’s one of the reasons, John, that traits matter, size matters, thickness matters. I remember when Matt Ryan came out, I’m like I like everything about him. He looks like a four iron. Like he just Now Matt was one of those golf, by the way. Never gets hurt. Has a thin frame, dude. At Cal was ragdalled three years, never gets hurt. I’m sorry. JJ McCarthy struggled with injuries. Okay. New England 28, Tampa 23. Tampa on a buy. took a seven nothing lead and that was about the only time you thought they were the better team. So, I mean it’s it’s really interesting. I’ve been waiting for uh for New England. Trayvon Henderson to play more. I loved him at Ohio State. Well, today couple of big runs. They have running back injuries and Mike Vrabel wants I think Vrabel’s a little bit like Bellich in which is just because you’re a great rookie or a top pick, you have to earn your way. You have to earn time and if you don’t block, if you don’t pass block particularly well, a lot of these NFL coaches, John, they don’t care where you’re drafted as a running back. Like, they won’t play you until you can block. Blake Corum last year, they won’t play you. So, Trayvon Henderson, who I thought was a pretty good blocker out of Ohio State, he got some carries today. Holy boy. He is he is he pops. The other thing um that I watched with New England, the Williams, the young receiver, the complete burner. Remember remember him? Uh, Washington State. Yep. Uh, he he he was a blur on TV, but you know what I noticed in this game? This just may be me, but it was almost like Drake May was in Baker’s head. Like Baker has a lot of confidence and Drake May is just making plays and he’s making big throws and they take a lead and it’s in Tampa and it’s Baker’s house and Baker was like running more than he should run. He was he was Baker was doing a little too much to me. Running around in the pocket looking for the big play downfield. Now Tampa’s a big play offense. But you I mean watching that game, watching Drake May, I I kept asking myself, is New England the best team in the AFC? Seriously, are they? Well, I mean, well, they’re in first place in their division, you know, with the Bills who last week we thought could win the Super Bowl and it turns out they just play up for Kansas City and then down to whoever else they’re playing. I mean, they got curb stomped today. Today was a big swing in that in that division. And like you said, I think the knock that people had on New England was they’re just not going to have enough speed and skill guys on offense. I did. I did. I I I same thing. And I just looked up when you were talking Kyle Williams ran a 440 at the combine. You know, Henderson ran a 443. It feels like when he’s in the open field, he plays faster. So, you got two young players who what I think Henderson had a 55 yard run today and a 70 yard run and Kyle Williams and he and he is a he is a big fast athlete. Joe Mixon like I I do think Tampa has been a little house of cards, right? They have a bunch of injuries right now. They’re just not quite the same uh same team. Mike Evans is there’s an element to him of like the the heartbeat of their offense when he’s in there. He just gives him a safety net. He’s almost like what George KD is of the 49ers. Now he’s gone. Uh I mean they’re depending on young wide receivers. I I just think Baker feels like I have to carry us. It almost feels like a throwback to a couple years ago. He’s kind of had to do that all season, right? I mean they started when they started four and0 is all the comeback uh touchdown drives. I I thought the bigger if they can get Henderson going with Kyle Williams, what a stud Mike Vel is. I mean, this guy’s got a Harbaugh touch. Comes in there immediately. I understand their schedule’s been easy, but when you watch him play, it’s not like they’re just easing into these victories like that was a we’re in control. We have some young explosive players and we have turned this quarterback immediately into an MVP candidate. You know, every once in a while something new comes along that uh just sort of makes sense. McDonald’s has rolled out the new Buffalo Ranch sauce. Yeah, it’s good. Perfect mix of uh controlled chaos. Tangy zang of Buffalo. Little kick edge, that fire, smooth, creamy, cool ranch. Mild, wild same time. Like that balance. Perfect. That’s Patrick Mahomes in a sauce. Confident, a little flashy, but never out of control. I am a crispy guy. That’s my go-to. Uh some people like the snack wrap. Some go with the crispy strips. That’s fine. And we’re all different players on the same team here, right? So when you dunk one of those in the Buffalo Ranch, game changer. Are you mild or wild? Because this sauce let you be both. There’s a new sauce in town, folks. Tangy, Creamy Buffalo Ranch. Available for a limited time at participating McDonald’s while supplies last. Order now. Yeah, it felt like the Buffalo game. You’re like, “Oh, New England’s better than Buffalo.” Like New England after Baker hit Mecha Ibuka. You’re like, “Oh, seven nothing Tampa.” From that point on, New England was the better football team. Control the game. I I I’ve known Sean for a long time and I I like him and I know a lot of people, I think yourself included, just over the time like, is this guy good enough for Josh Allen? Today was a moment where you’re like, is this guy better than Mike Vrabel moving forward? And is this in this type situation where is Shawn McDermott if they are a oneanddone team in the and all of a sudden Mike Vrabel’s in the second round or somehow is in the third round playing the Chiefs or something is this going to end the Bills coach’s tenure because of Mike Vrabel he might be that powerful? Well I think about it like Kyle Williams they haven’t played him. I mean that’s been one of the things everybody myself included. Kyle Williams is your fastest most dynamic receiver. He got a ball down the sideline today. It it it looked like a track meet. It looked like that combine run. You’re like, “Holy sh” and then gone. So the thing is, you’re a Patriot fan is Williams and Trevon Henderson, they’re just now playing regularly. So it’s like, you know, and and and Vable, you know, Kyle Williams may not want to block. He’s kind of a thin guy. He may not be a blocker. One of the re you hear this all the time like tight ends have to block, receivers don’t, especially the fast ones. and running backs, the gifted ones. So, you know, I I I bet you that some of this with Vrabel is listen, we’re you’re we’re not putting you back there by Drake May if you aren’t picking, you know, you’re not stopping people in the A gap. Like, we’re just not putting you on the field cuz his talent’s so remarkable. He just pops when you give him the ball. And I just watched them today. I’m like, “Oh, wait a minute. We haven’t seen the best of New England cuz these two players change the offense.” I I I think defensive coaches tend to be like uh you know parents from the 50s or 60s you know kind of driving a hard line you know most offensive coaches if this guy if those two guys had been around Kevin Oonnell Shawn McVey Kyle Shanahan more than likely some of their deficiencies might have still got them some packages. defensive guys do not care that they have a and it’s it’s always the tug and pull between offensive and defensive guys when they’re on the same staff. You know, when when one guy’s a head coach, I think offensive coaches, and you’ve known some over the years, I’m sure, that have complained about their defensive head coach. Vice versa, I think the defensive head coach sometimes wants them to be a little more conservative. There’s always kind of a little tug-of-war there. But I think when you have guys, you know, what Mike Frael does, you know, he does feel a little like he’s got the old school hard ass and Belliche into him, but he also feels kind of like new and relevant. The way the guys like him, the way he’s hugging up guys. He’s kind of got this perfect blend. He just feels pretty damn good. And and this team was so bad. Not just last year with Gerrod Male, for the last couple years of Bellich. I mean, this team wasn’t like a one-year train wreck. It felt like they had about what like 36 months of being like the butt of the league like from a joke standpoint. So what he has done from a culture standpoint let alone on the field. I mean Drake May went from like yeah he’s got some talent to holy this guy a pro bowler. Hey by the way and today Drake wasn’t 75% completion. Todd BS is one of the smartest defensive guys in the league. He and Brian Flores dial up some of the nastiest blitzes and Tampa was on a buy. That was a hard spot for Drake May. That was a that’s I I took Tampa today. It’s the one game I lost. Um I I thought on off a buy secondyear quarterback Todd BS vidiva, you won’t be able to run. I’m like, “Oh, this is going to be a problem. This is a rough spot.” And and Drake didn’t play his best game. Um I think he had a pick at one point and wrote it wrote it down and not a great pick. But it’s like, listen, Harbos, Shawn Payeyton, Mike Frabel, just pay 18 million bucks and get the right coach. Don’t don’t don’t Brian Shottenheimer me. Just just go, you know, when these everybody wants to go with coordinators. And don’t get me wrong, Ben Johnson or Shane Stiken were so respected throughout the league and had done so well as coordinator. I mean, we we used to on a regular basis, every week talk about Ben Johnson when he was with the Lions. We’re like, who is this guy? This offense is crazy. Shane Stiken first year had Herbert out of college. I mean Tom Tlesco is like maybe the smartest offensive coach I’ve ever been around. So there are some coordinators that come in. I mean we know what Stikken did with Philadelphia. He took over the play calling and Philadelphia went from meh to Super Bowl. But by and large you know there’s only a few guarantees in the league and one of them is you go get these successful coaches. I’ve said this with Mike McCarthy and I don’t think he’s nearly as good as Pton Harbaugh or Vrabel. Mike McCarthy would clean the Jets up. They wouldn’t be great, but he’d clean them up. They look like a I’d say Giants, too. If they’re gonna fire Dable. Yeah. I mean, McCarthy’s a pro. He He may be a number two starter. You know, he’s not Yoshi, but he’s going to, you know, he’s going to give you seven innings. You It’s going to be a professional operation. All right. Miami 30, Buffalo 13. It was 16 nothing Dolphins at half. An interesting number is Josh Allen had 3.53 seconds to throw. That’s his highest since 2018. Nobody’s open. So, they didn’t make a big move at the trade deadline. Uh, and I think everybody thought they should probably add a piece cuz Kansas City’s defense, but they had 90 yards at half. They didn’t have a they did didn’t pick up a first down on third in the first half. Um, and and this is a Miami team we thought quit three weeks ago. We always talk about quarterbacks. you get until the second year, Thanksgiving second year. I think we’ve just got to be brutally honest with Shawn McDermott here. It’s It’s not just Kansas City. There’s just too many games where you’re just like I mean Buffalo should never look like that ever. They should never look like that. I I understand in college when you have a two top 10 teams play each other and then the following week you’re playing a two- win team and you’re tied at halftime like these are 19-year-old guys. This is a team that’s now for the last five years been one of the top what two or three teams in the entire league and they’ve got older players here. I mean they’ve got a lot of 27 28 29 year olds. The coach has been there I think since 2017. Josh has now been the starter for a long time. It’s it’s not just on Shawn. It’s also, you know, the the quarterback, you know, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, they take a lot of that responsibility as well to So, today was embarrassing. I mean, it truly was. It was It should have been 14 nothing. I think the kicker missed an extra point. It was 14 nothing or 13 nothing before you even blinked. Tu had a couple. He threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Jaylen Wadd. Yes. And it was like, okay, 14 nothing or 13 nothing. Bills start slow. I’ve seen them happen. And then ended up winning 35 to 20 or something. and they never got out of the malaise and it started raining. It was probably humid and they they just looked lifeless. Josh threw one of the worst interceptions I’ve ever seen him throw. I don’t know if he’s on the wrong page with the wide rece. He just threw it right to the to the wide rece or to the cornerback. They had an awful fumble early in the game when they were driving. Uh they they just looked lost. And that’s the type game when your main rival now who’s back is winning and now has a lead kind of a commanding lead because they already beat you and their schedule’s so easy so they’re not going away. And you just look big picture. This is going to be the worst team of the Vable era for the next couple years when you factor in how young it is, right? You just listed a couple guys that just started playing. Their left tackle it’s his rookie year. Their quarterback is his second year. This is the first year the coaching staff’s together. So like their arrows pointing up and I I think it kind of reflects that the Bills can really get up for the Chiefs and for whatever reason I remember hearing like uh Houston Rockets maybe it was Kenny Smith say you know the sad part is right when we got good Jordan retired they could never stop a Keem and we always played the Bulls well and if we ever saw them we would have stopped that streak because they would have had no shot because they had no center. we were a team that we played them really well and some in basketball it happens a lot right your matchup football kind of happens sometimes but if you’re good enough whatever for whatever reason the Bills match up because their pass rush is good they treat that game in the regular season like the Super Bowl they they just look like the best team in the league when they play the Chiefs y before and after then they they look much more pedestrian today though was I I don’t know I mean I I felt like it was one of the more embarrassing performances of the Allen Shawn McDermott Oh, I think it may be the most. I thought it maybe they lost a few years ago at home on the opener to the Steelers and they were a favorite and I was like, what in the hell is that? I thought that game against the Saints this year, it was competitive. I was like, uh, what would bother me today is that Miami in the first half averaged six and a half yards a play. So, and my take is it would be one thing if the offense sputtered. You’re a defensive coach, John. I’ve been on this forever. What do you do with your side of the ball? That that wasn’t just Josh Allen. Like that defense had no energy. That defense I mean they just they generated this incredible pass rush against Kansas City and really I mean two is one of the easiest guys to rush in the league and he had time to throw. They ran the ball. Um it’s Do you think New England Are you taking New England as we sit here today? Are do you think New England New England’s got the better coach? I think New England um and now with Williams and Trayvon Henderson it’s like oh I I feel like New England now is on the up like they’re an ascending team. I don’t think Buffalo is I mean we forget before that Kansas City game. I mean we’d seen them Buffalo go to Atlanta and get worked. I mean they’ve had that Saints game they won at home was troubling. Like they’ve had a lot of somebody told me this in the league at the beginning of the year. They said Buffalo doesn’t have nearly the roster people give it credit for. They’re like James Cook, Josh Allen, Oliver, the defensive lineman. They’re like, who’s hurt? They’re like, you know, Dawkins, the left tackle. But I I was talking to an exec in the league, and he’s like, you know, he goes, the better rosters are the Rams and the Eagles and the Lions and the Packers and Kansas City. He’s like Ravens. He’s like, Buffalo’s roster is not that good, Josh. left tackle, quarterback, running back, interior D lineman. That’s why they went and got Bosa. I mean, they’ve drafted a lot a lot of draft capital on their defense. That’s why they went and got Bosa, who played well against, you know, Kansas City. But, okay, Seattle 44, Arizona 22. It was 35 nothing. So, you know, it’s just impossible to keep that up. And and and Darnold had a couple of just like funny like bizarre turnovers that ball bounces off a tight end’s helmet. You know, I’m going to throw this to you. I got Pete Carol and John Snder, you know, this battled. They battled. And there was a little tugof-war on Pete’s kid and and John Snyder. And I’m not going to go into too many details, but Pete and John almost left for Detroit. Remember that? Years ago, because he wanted his final say. Well, since Pete’s been out of the building, John Snyder’s two drafts have been A+ A+. He is he is now do and I think John Jason Light, Howie Roseman, How’s a dealmaker. I’m not sure there’s many guys better than John Snyder at just personnel, college personnel drafting it. There’s not a lot of guys better. Again, I think Jason Light and Tampa are really good. Um, that Seattle roster, I wrote this down. Young, fast, physical. You can turn the sound down, John. Against Washington and against Arizona, it looks like a college mismatch. They are so fast. They are so physical. Darnold’s in total control of the offense. Um, play action, run game, deep game. I don’t see the hole. I I really don’t see the hole with this team. They drafted that safety. That kid’s a banger. The South Carolina safety. Yeah. I I I don’t see the weakness with the team. This week’s crunchtime performer brought to you by McDonald’s New Buffalo Ranch sauce is Jonathan Taylor. Wow, was he great. Went to Berlin, carried the Colts on his back, 244 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and the Colts wild come from behind overtime win over the Falcons. Taylor’s performance was satisfying just like the first bite of the bacon creamy Buffalo Mcrispy. I I I think the point of difference they have, they obviously play the Rams this upcoming week, which is an incredible game, is their DBs are good and the Rams aren’t. I I think that’s the that’s the difference because the offenses are both elite. Pass rushes are awesome. Coaching staff’s high-end. If you and me were the NFL, like in college, how they have the college football committee and you rank them one through 12, I I would rank Seattle after this week number one. they would be my number one team. And you just if you just watch them without the sound on, obviously today, but o over the last couple weeks, the the the team speed in which they had, I think the the lob team with Pete was probably the most physical team I’ve ever seen live. I do think the fastest team I’ve ever seen live is the Pton Manning, Denver Broncos. Their defense, every single guy could run fast. defensive line. It was Demarcus Wear, Von Miller, Wolf, Malik Jackson, Travathan. Uh they had a Hakee Tip. They their speed and physicality was just I’ve never seen anything and I’ve saw them live a bunch of times. This team has some similarities to those two teams. Younger kind of taking the league by storm. Every guy I mean like you said, Emman Wary, he’s like six. He he is their potential Kyle Hamilton, but they already had some good DBs, right? They drafted the kid Witherspoon from Illinois. They already had Woolen. Obviously, their their linebacker play is fast. Once they got Ernest Jones, their their head coach, I mean, we talk so much and rightfully so about these offensive coaches. He he’s got a chance to be pretty special. His demeanor, he he he has a very modern demeanor, you know, like when you watch Verbel, Vrabel is not the throwback of like what I grew up on guys screaming. He he doesn’t he’s not as Maybe he’s a players coach. Yeah. when the doors are shut. I think he’s on him in the meetings, but on the sideline he’s very calm and collected. I would say Mike McDonald almost feels like is he on a couple zanies or something like it show but he he there’s no he cuz he knows like he is he is very and his team reflects that and I would say this their personnel move of trading Gino and signing Sam is got a chance to be an all-timer. I mean, that’s got a chance to be because they didn’t give Sam I mean, he’s going to end up probably I mean, he’s not going anywhere for a while. They gave him $100 million over three years. I mean, it’s relative to the other contracts we’ve seen, Colin around Well, it’s 55 million guaranteed. So, the the salary, the cap hit is just nothing. JSN looks like Jerry Rice. I I I knew the guy was good, but this year he is it’s like way right when but now this guy was we knew more about JSN than Puka because Ohio State and first round pick but you knew after a couple weeks Puka was a rookie like is this real and then it just never stopped you know JSN like is he really this good and every single week it’s like he’s unstoppable well and JSN was like a fivestar recruit uh first round I think he was a first round receiver pick 20 I think yeah the only question was is he a one everybody knew he was really good. Now you’re like, “Yeah, he’s just” and contested catches, speed. Then they go get Rasheed Shahed from New Orleans and you know he now has the offensive coordinator that he had in New Orleans and now he’s in Seattle. Yeah. Again, this is a big play offense. They What I like about Seattle, they can grind you down if they have a lead. They can run the football if they have a lead. They’re a big play offense. They can play from behind. Um, you know, I’m just I’m writing this down throughout the course of the game. JSN first receiver to a thousand. It It’s not that weird with Seattle where they average 6 and 12 to seven yards a play. Like it happens regularly. And there there is something to be said of trusting your eyes. I think this is now even more than Mike McDonald. I think it’s John Snider’s organization and uh I’ve texted Snyder a couple times. He travels. I mean, he’s at every weekend. He He is a You got to go to these games. Like they always say to to sell a company, you have to take a thousand meetings. John Snider’s on a plane every weekend. He He doesn’t scout off the TV. He or film. He wants to go to the games. And I mean they’re just in an when I watch them play I’m like when you’re a big play offense and your quarterback has mobility so you can go down the field the quarterback you can move the pocket and know you can grind people with a lead you know it’s like Detroit if Goff had mobility and that’s the whole like Goff doesn’t but Detroit’s a big play offense and can grind you down. Just think of Detroit’s offense and then just if if Jared Goff could move you’d be like what do you do? But we’ve seen Detroit do that for three years. I think Seattle, like if you don’t pay attention like we do, obviously people that do this for a living, man, they’re they’re embarrassing teams. These How often do you get a 35 nothing lead in the first half of a pro football game? And Arizona had been playing well. Even their record’s not that great. They have been in every single game they played this year. They controlled Dallas a week ago. They they they easily could be, you know, coming into this game, they could have been six and three. I I would say the thing with John Schneider when you think about we talk about offensive coaches you’re like if JJ can’t play for Kevin Okonnell that’s a JJ issue not a Kevin issue right if you can’t play for Kyle Shanahan that’s a you issue and and that skill is why those guys are going to be paid at the top of the market for until they retire from the NFL John Schneider start he was the guy that pounded the table for Pete for against Pete Carol for Russell Wilson and ultimately got him to relent and draft him obviously that changed the course of their franchise when they pivoted off Russell And remember, John wanted to do it earlier, try to trade him to the Cleveland Browns so he could draft Josh Allen. That’s right. He was going to take then he trades for Gino or he gets Gino as the backup and they were cool with like I think we can handle this for a little bit and he was right. Gino was actually and they got Drew Lock. Remember they won a Monday night football game against the Eagles with Drew Lock who is the worst of this whole group and then he pivots to Sam Darnold. Like I would say as a quarterback evaluator, John Schneider’s as good as it gets from a GM perspective. And if that’s going to be the guy that you’re going to invest most of your money into as a franchise, his skill, let alone his ability to build the team. It’s I mean, this is now like how many different iterations of the team. The LOB team, remember, then they transitioned in the late 2010s, they were still good. You they weren’t they weren’t going to Super Bowls, but they were never they didn’t have four win seasons. They were winning nine to 11 games. And now, I mean, what do they look like to you? A 14- win team? I mean, they’re just I I I if if Devonte Adams, who kind of hurt his back at the end of the game, we’ll have to monitor that throughout the week. I I I like I I think that’s going to be a tougher way tougher Seattle. I I do too. I would take it. I think the advantage of Darnold’s mobility, I really think in these close games, your ability to roll the pocket and make plays, I think it matters because both those defensive fronts, especially the Rams, get a pass rush. I’ll take the mobile quarterback. One more thing, you know, in the NFL, not all these teams have huge home field advantages. One of the advantages not having to get on a plane so it’s easier on guys body. Seattle Arrowhead Buffalo there’s a short list. So if they can get the number one seed or home field it’s a big advantage in Philly. That place is hard to play in. if Seattle can get home playoff games maybe cuz remember everyone beat up Sam and he didn’t play well those last two games but they were both on the road in Detroit which is obviously a hard place to play and it was the biggest game that was the biggest Lions game at home in probably 20 years I would say I’m 40 years old in my lifetime it didn’t get any bigger and he he played bad and then remember the playoff game because they lose they’re they’re supposed to come to the Rams have to play in Arizona because of the fires If they get home playoff games, I’m gonna like Sam Darnold’s chances more because I think people are like, “What’s he going to do in the playoffs?” Like, I don’t know. I think I think he’ll be okay this time if they’re going to look like this. Well, it’s a long flight. It’s right on the Puet Sound and that that I grew up there. It’s a wet, cold rain. It’s windy. It’s on the sound. It’s tough. And Darnold, by the way, has got a big arm and they run the ball. Darnold’s ball is going to split through the cold weather. Like if you come up there, you better be ready to throw it cuz that ball, it’s windy and wet in the Pacific Northwest. I want to talk about this game. Uh it was the first game today in overtime. Colts come back 31-24 over the Falcons. Two things jumped out to me. One we’ll get to later. Pennocks offtarget throws. There must have been eight to 10 like really off offtarget. I will say this though, uh the Colts line was not good. Uh God, Atlanta had seven sacks. So Daniel Jones, but he looked like the old Daniel Jones. Like the fumble issues reverted and he just even when he got bumped out of bounds once, he has a major fumble issue. But between, you got to give Chris Ballard credit because they were missing some people today. Jonathan Taylor right now is probably the best back in the league. Warren is a pro bowler at tight end. He made a huge, huge catch late in the fourth quarter. Um, I almost thought they won despite Daniel Jones today. I really felt that. I totally agree. I thought I’m watching the game at the gym the second half because early I I it was easier to get up because it starts at 7:30 when the clocks moved back for me. And Indie came out and just rolling and I was like, “Ah, they’re going to they’re going to blow him out.” And then they started blitzing Daniel Jones. He started I mean he had some bad he had an awful fumble where he just gets he had a couple horrible he had three sacks in this game where he looked like a rookie. It’s like Daniel get rid of the ball. It felt like they played like 1996 football. Our running back and our tight end’s going to carry us. We’re not going to throw these bombs to Alec Pierce. We don’t have any time to to protect. And Jonathan Taylor I thought today officially like threw his hat in the ring like he’s an MVP candidate. if if this team’s going to win 13 or 14 games like he you’re going to run for 20 he single-handedly carried him and Warren I mean those those two combination of those two guys I I thought might have ended if you tell me we wake up in the morning he Morris has been fired it was because of those two guys today in Germany so I’m with you it’s that the Warren pick god he is his ball skills for a guy that big I mean Daniel Jones blows it up in his vicinity who who can cover him there’s DBs and linebackers aren’t 6’5 five. You can’t get up that there. The one you’re talking about, he is so high with his arms. Yeah. He He’s probably I mean, how how high do you think that ball is? 7 feet in the air. When you talk about his arms extended and the Jonathan Taylor runs, what are you supposed to do? I mean, he’s he’s a dominant force. But that that’s a that was a big win because it felt like they were falling apart. And then Atlanta, you know, takes and then you’re like, God, they just traded a first round pick and S’s getting cooked. He dropped a pick. You’re like, this is not going well. They’re I thought they’re going to lose this game and the headline’s going to be you just traded two first round picks for a guy that everyone says can’t catch had a ball just go right through his body and then basically a two-point conversion he’s falling on the ground. You know, it’s like this guy if he can’t cover Well, Daniel Jones does deserve credit. He had that last drive. He had a he he was pretty good late in the fourth quarter. That throw to Warren was a big time throwing a big time catch. So Daniel and maybe at a hand size thing, Daniel had a fumble problem in New York and it reared its head again today. So he’s had a in fact, let me look this up. He his turnovers the last two weeks have been absolutely atrocious. Hold on. I think he’s going to be he’s going to be a guy in the first round, you know, let’s say they’re the two seed. They’re going to depending on who they’re playing in some of these playoff matches, I think a lot of people are going to bet against. And this the the the headline is going to be I do not trust Daniel Jones in this playoff game. Seven giveaways in his last two games. So it’s it’s it’s it’s a natural regression though. I don’t want to overreact because he he was virtually perfect and now all of a sudden the Colts O line probably I didn’t check their O line health but probably missing a starter. Got worked a little today. Atlanta created great pressure. I mean, the Colts O line struggled. Um, Atlanta’s defense in defense of them is actually not bad and their pressure this year has been pretty good. They drafted a couple guys in the first round. They they have been feisty up front. Honestly, the offense, you had mentioned Penn, he has not looked good. You know, Bo Nicks has taken a lot of and I’d say Penn looks as every bit as bad as him. His team’s not as good, but he is skipping balls. And I’m a Penn guy or was. So am I. I I I I probably have to be out. that it’s just not going to work because a lot of people I know in the league, Colin, were not Penn people. Well, no. I But it’s funny because I listen, third game this season for Penn under 180 passing yards. Third game in a row, under 60% completion. Remember, he’s 25 years old, so he should be He’s had a lot of snaps between Indiana and Washington. He’s had a lot of snaps. I mean, it feels like to me he also had, you know, he had 45 starts in college. I thought he was more naturally accurate. Like I I just thought he was one of those guys like CJ Strad. He Justin Herbert, he just throws strikes, you know? He’s just a pitcher that throws strikes and he misses a lot. And I mean, John Wild left. He must have skipped four balls today. So, it’s not because he doesn’t have the weapons. I mean, he’s got two really good receivers. He got a star back. I think their offensive line’s okay. He gets decent protection. Again, it’s eye test. I don’t love what I see. Now, again, he did not play last year, so I do feel like some is he hurrying stuff? And I do think he’s he he feels like he’s hurrying stuff, but you you know, it’s there’s some wild pitches here pretty regularly. Well, remember he didn’t get what he what was he sacked like six times his senior year at Washington the year that they went to the national championship. Remember he didn’t get touched. His offensive line won the whatever the more award is and you get hit a lot more in the NFL and I feel like once he gets hit it kind of throws him off but 12 of 28 in an NFL game against a defense. He wasn’t playing the Denver Broncos today. One one thing about Indianapolis I I wouldn’t exactly call them the 85 Bears on defense. Well, they were and they they had Sauce Gardner, but there’s a reason they went and got him. Like their defensive secondary, John, was all beat up. They were missing two starters. So, I I I think the Penn thing ultimately what is going to get Raheem Morris and everyone in Atlanta fired and it would get most people fired. When you lose in the NFL, because you’ve whiffed on the quarterback, they paid Kirk Cousins $90 million for two years. Yep. you know that he has an under 500 record and I think his touchdown to interception ratio is essentially one to one and got benched year one and they’re paying him almost $30 million to be the backup. M Jones is making I think $3 million this year. Kirk Cousins is making 27.5. Cousins started one game and they got destroyed. That’s a problem. And then the reason you you paid him and then a month later you draft this guy you’re like we love this guy. And you’re watching these other court even JJ McCarthy who I don’t really like. I I see more like his physical attributes. I’m watching Penn. I’m like, where is this arm? He had Ryan Grub. Listen, Ryan Grub in Seattle in the pros. He’d never coached in the pros. It did not go well. I watch Ryan Grub in college. I mean, he had Ty Simpson LA yesterday slinging that thing against LSU. I go, Ryan Grub’s a big time coach. And I watch him with Zack Robinson coaching. Sometimes in the NFL, you’re going to get some Not every guy is Bill Walsh. And you Pennix feels like they got no clue what’s going on. He’s playing bad. It feels like he’s lost his confidence. And like you said, he’s not an upside guy. He was, this was my issue with them signing Cousins. If you love Penn at the combine or whatever, he is a ready-made plug-and-play player. He’s not, let’s let’s uh Aaron Rogers had to fix the ball placement. Penn was just he look he plays like he’s played probably since junior high. He just The problem is it’s not translate. I I knew so many scouts that because I I just again I’m a West Coast guy. Root for them. It was they were a fun team to watch. This guy’s really grown. I think he’s going to be a good NFL player. Most people that went through there, obviously the injuries, but they said when you watch him live, when you go to practice, his physical attributes, you know, he threw a beautiful deep ball in college and they threw a lot of bombs because they had obviously great wide receiver talent. Pulk. Yeah. Yeah. You know, Rome and McMillan that plays for I mean, they had three NFL wide receivers and one Rome when it’s not freezing cold, it’s pretty damn good. and you watch him in the pros like you said Mooney Pittz is actually pretty good now obviously Drake London is a high-end one bean can catch the ball 12 completions against the Colts it’s just that’s I that’s bad today I thought was like this is this thing is needs to be nuked again yeah but I want to talk a college topic speaking of panics I want to pivot to this Kaylin Dbor so I had said when he took over for Nick saving cuz I think Ohio State’s the best team in the country. I think Bama’s second. Indiana’s third. I don’t buy&M’s beaten a lot of teams that have fired their coaches like Arkansas, Florida, Auburn, like they’re they’re they’re kind of they’re kind of facing a lot of these wobbly teams. So, I think Ohio State’s the best team. Bama second. So, Kaylin Debor goes 67 and three at Sou Falls. Okay. 25-3 at Washington. um Fresno State briefly, then he goes 17 and5 at Bama so far. And one of his losses was to Ohio State in the playoff. Nobody was beating them. Go ask Tennessee. And he lost the game at Oklahoma. Night game. They played like Got into a big hole. Whatever. Um but Bama does not have a lot of NIL money. And even though he replaced Sabin, he did have to change the culture. And you know this, John, you can replace a good coach. It doesn’t matter. you’re you’re still bringing in what you you may run a different completely different offense. The head coach probably took his defensive coordinator or offensive coordinator. You have to build a staff. Doesn’t matter if you’re replacing Sabin. It’s hard. You know, guys are leaving. You’re bringing in new people. You don’t know you don’t you don’t know half your roster. You haven’t watched film when you get that job on your roster. You don’t know what you have. Um I like Ty Simpson. 6’2, 210, not a big physical presence, not super mobile, good arm, not not special. He may get drafted number one, two, or three. And I think Ty Simpson’s okay. I don’t see the wow trait, but he’s he was a good high school player. I mean, he didn’t do it. First three years at Alabama, he was 29 of 55, no touchdowns. He didn’t blow people away. I think and you look at Bama’s schedule, I think maybe the Penn’s thing is his coach is a freaking rockstar. I think a lot of it is not just Grub. I think it’s Kaylin D’Bor cuz I watch Ty Simpson and everybody’s in love with him and I’m like, I don’t get what’s I don’t get the great thing. I think they’re a powerful duo because last year something was off with with Bama. In fairness, they had a quarterback that I would say Jaylen Milro doesn’t exactly scream Kaylin D’bor, you know, right? And you know, so he gets a re much more of a pocket passer. Even last night that DC for LSU is actually pretty good. Blake Baker, he’s been awesome for them. As they start hitting Ty Simpson, you look like he’s not handling this very well. He’s getting crushed. Ry Ryan Grub and is when him and Kaylin Dbor are together, they they are borderline unstoppable. I mean, who’s I would say the only guy that’s beat him in recent memory is like, you know, the Florida State thing. Give him a little bit of a pass, start, but I mean, they went to Georgia and beat Kirby in Athens for sure. And if they play host him, if they played Florida State today, they’d beat him by 50. So, it’s like that was one of those that that’s probably the most, you know, that game looking back in five years, how the hell did that happen, right? But I I I do think that Kalin when he’s had Ryan Ryan Grub with him, that offense is an unstoppable cuz last year I think their their quarterback coach who kind of went back down who’s also been with the crew u you know it’s just sometimes it’s difficult this guy has been calling plays but Kalin last night what he’s done with Ty Simpson. I mean Ryan Williams was supposed to be like their Justin Jefferson. He he’s not even their best wide receiver. They they got multiple other guys. I I think one concerning part I I like Texas A&M more than you. I think if Texas&M played Indiana on a mutual on like a you know like the equivalent what’s going to happen in the playoffs I I would like their chances in that. But we’re going to learn a lot more about them. They play Texas coming up. They’re going to be in the SEC championship game against Bama against Georgia. We we’ll really learn how good they are. I I think they’re pretty good. But I I think Alabama’s offensive passing game with those two guys. I mean LSU that that was their last Hail Mary respectable game. That’s a rivalry game. I Mroy said on the broadcast, he said, “This is by far the most physical game. You play at Alabama. This game means so much. Auburn’s the rival, but LSU’s are equal in terms of we recruit the same guys.” Now, in the transfer portal, I’m sure they’re looking at the same guys to recruit, but I I I think Kaylin Dubour, I I questioned moving around, right? The personnel or the personality, West Coast, Dakota guy in that was my question. Midwest guy going to the south. I know Jim Mane. You go to the south, it’s just different. It’s relentless. It’s kind of it’s not realistic. And you’re repl it’s like replacing Howard Stern in FM radio. You’re replacing Sabin. And people just don’t understand that you’ve got to redo the staff. And and and Bama can’t now afford Bama is struggling to keep up with NIL. When you watch Bama today, I think&M’s got as good athletes or better. I think Texas has as many good athletes. When Sabin was there pre-NIL, you’d watch Bama and Georgia was the only school that matched up that even looked the part. There’s six or seven teams in college that looked like Bama now have the same level of Ohio State’s got better players than Alabama. Do you know what they respect though in the SEC? Do you win? I mean, do do you win? And now he’s winning and no one cares. So if you win, whether you’re from the Dakotas, whether you’re from Fresno, or whether you’re from Egypt, they don’t give a Now I I also think they were the the Sabbin personality is kind of what’s he was winning and he had just this he was a tornado of alpha. I mean for a guy that’s 5 foot 11. It’s not like Sabin is built like Mike Vrabel but everyone quivers when he walks in the room. That’s not really Dor’s thing. I I knew people that played for him at Fresno State. They’re like you know he’s much more like intellectually quiet. They’re like Jeff Tedford is much more of a hard ass screaming at you. That’s not really Dbor’s demeanor. So it’s clearly and maybe that demeanor of Sabbin it doesn’t work as much unless you know he was unique because he had a resume. Him and Urban Meyer like those days are kind of over. Dan Lanning players coach Lane Keifin kind of players coach you know signetti is kind of a throwback but I I would imagine players love playing for him. So yeah it’s what he’s done at Alabama I that’s that’s pretty been it’s been fun to watch because I thought Ty Simpson like this little guy I remember watching Florida State thinking this is not going to work. you watched him last night just sling touchdowns like, “Wow, what a job.” Yeah. By the way, that uh Fernando Mendoza throw to beat Penn State in the back of the end zone. That final drive may have been the throw of the year, the toe of the year. I came out of that game, I think Indiana’s really well coached. I think Mendoza is a really good college quarterback. Uh and they’ve got playmakers. I I don’t know what the ranking was on these recruits, but they just have a lot of football players. They have like when you watch Indiana’s defense, I don’t know if they have a bunch of NFL guys. It’s just a bunch of highly productive, tough-nosed football players. They tackle really well. They’re in the right spot. I don’t know if they’re four and five star guys. They don’t look necessarily the part, but they don’t miss a lot of tackles. They got worked in the second half. Penn State moved the ball up and down the field on Indiana. Like that, you could tell Penn State had more four and five star guys. that offense with a backup quarterback just ran past chunk plays up and down. But I’ll give I’ll give Fernando Mendoza credit that that final drive he made a couple of great throws and you get why I mean like that’s when you watch a college quarterback like that that throw the back of the end zone was high so only one guy in the stadium could catch it. You know in the NFL throw to the end zone you throw low front of the end zone high back of the end zone. And I watched that and I’m like, that’s an NFL throw. That’s a that’s a big time throw. A little more graceful probably Omar Kelly Jr., but it had a little Montana Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone. You just put it up in the back of the end zone off the back foot. I I do think, you know, you look at Mendoza, you look at Dante Moore on his game-winning drive. Yes. I had a theory yesterday. It was kind of blown up once Washington lost to Wisconsin, but do you think Oregon and Washington are more equipped to play some of these late October, November games? Yes. They they practice in the spring and now at home in colder weather than let’s say USC and UCLA. So they’re going to some of these games. It’s not going to be at it’s going to be colder, but they’re they’re used to practicing if they want to practice outside and wet and cold. No. USC in that Iowa weather. I wouldn’t I wouldn’t Oh, they lose that game 10 out of 10 times. They they could not win that game. I mean, I said when Oregon and Washington came in, I’m from there. That that is Big 10 weather. It’s It’s wetter than cold, but I mean, Seattle and Eugene, November, it’s it’s raining sideways. So, I think Oregon’s personnel, they’re more than equipped to handle it. I I I thought that was a gut check win. Oregon was missing, I think, their top three receivers. I could be wrong, but they and an offensive lineman, I think, too. They were a mess. I mean, they basically in the second half until that final drive, they were just like, “We’re just going to run the football. We just want to get out of here. We got a lead. would just want to get out of the stadium healthy. So, they were falling apart at wide receiver. And I think that’s a much harder win than people think. You go to Iowa, Iowa, you know, it’s it’s Iowa’s got a good old line. Iowa can run the ball that Iowa’s got six pros. They always have six pros on their team. So, and it’s pissing raining sideways. I thought it was a really impressive Oregon win. I think winning on the road in college in the Big 10 in the SEC like winning at Auburn is very impressive. Winning at Iowa in November 8th is a great win. Not a good win, a great that that feels like one of the better Oregon regular season wins in a long long time. Like that that was if you come away anything, oh it’s Iowa, they’re going to win nine games, but who do they beat? Well, they probably got four guys on defense. They’re going to start in the NFL. They have one of the more respected programs from GMs and coaches in the NFL and they win eight or nine games for a reason in that conference. Like they are a well and how cold it is. This is what I say about the Caleb Williams thing today. I don’t think people realize you’re in Chicago. What was the weather today? I mean, is it snowing? I mean, I woke up with snow on my lawn. It’s it’s Do you know how hard it is to play football in that? Like I just how cold your feet are, your hands are as skill guys. Uh that that was the the throw. Mendoza made some huge throws on that final drive. I would say Dante Moors that throw he made down the right sideline those couple throws for Mendoza and Moore’s throw there. That’s as good as you get. That’s as good as it gets. No, I mean I to me Dante Moore and Mendoza have separated. Those are the two best college quarterbacks. If they come out, they’re one and two in in some order. I I like Dante Moore’s wiggle. He he moves really well. Really impressive. Sports fans love a comeback. So, the underdog that kind of defies the odds. So, uh that’s the story of Green River Whiskey. Uh in 1918, their distillery burned to the ground. 40,000 barrels of bourbon gone. Uh most would have quit and uh they rebuilt from the ground up on the original site in Owensboro, Kentucky. And today, they’re producing some of the great bourbons and rye whisies in the game. Uh Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a weeded foolproof rye. Uh it’s it’s a lineup built on resilience. So, if you love a good comeback in sports or in your glass, Green River’s got you covered. Head on over to green riverwhis.com to learn more. Try some arm for yourself and always uh please drink responsibly. All right, John. Hard Rock Bet. I have not been good on Monday Night Football. I’ve had a great year blazing five. I keep taking all these favorites in Monday Night Football. So, Green Bay Lambo at home minus now one and a half. I like Philadelphia in the points. I liked it when it was two and a half better than one and a half, but it’s off a buy. I felt last time they played Philadelphia really found themselves. I like their roster. I think my concern with Green Bay is what are they? They’ve got some key injuries now. Tucker Craft gone for the year. I think he’s a Pro Bowl tight end. Um Reed’s been banged up. I think Philadelphia has found their identity and I’m not sure Green Bay offensively knows what there is. I like Philadelphia to win outright. I I’ve been going against you on Monday night, but I’m going to ride with you. I I think there’s a chance if the Eagles are up 14-3 or 14 to7 going I I think you get some booze. I I think there is growing pressure on the floor losing these games that they should win as big favorites. Now, like you said, the Eagles don’t only How often do the Eagles fly under the radar coming into a big game? But they’ve added Jaylen Phillips. They added a couple corners. Jao Alexander. U I’m with you. I like the Eagles in this spot because I think the the pressure is all on Green Bay. Yep. All right, buddy. Great job. See you, Colin. John Middleoff.

Colin Cowherd is joined by ‘3 & Out’ host John Middlekauff to react to Week 10 in the NFL. They start off with Los Angeles Rams beating San Francisco 49ers and discuss Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, Brock Purdy vs Mac Jones. Caleb Williams leads the Bears to another 4th quarter comeback, this week vs New York Giants. Lamar Jackson & Baltimore Ravens win their 3rd straight game but Colin & John give their takes on why they aren’t impressed by JJ McCarthy. Drake Maye & Patriots continue to win, this week they beat Baker Mayfield & Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Dolphins upset Josh Allen & Buffalo Bills but does Sean McDermott deserve the most blame? They hit Sam Darnold & Seattle Seahawks destroying Arizona Cardinals and Jonathan Taylor leading Indianapolis Colts over Atlanta Falcons. They react to Alabama & Kalen DeBoer beating LSU, Indiana’s last second win oven Penn State and Oregon beating Iowa. Lastly they give their predictions for Monday Night Football between Philadelphia Eagles & Green Bay Packers.

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TIMELINE
0:00:00 INTRO
0:00:25 Rams-49ers
0:07:37 Giants-Bears
0:17:52 Ravens-Vikings
0:27:22 Patriots-Buccaneers
0:36:47 Bills-Dolphins
0:42:32 Cardinals-Seahawks
0:52:38 Falcons-Colts
1:01:40 Kalen DeBoer & Alabama
1:07:59 Penn State-Indiana, Oregon-Iowa
1:13:07 Eagles-Packers

All lines provided by @hardrockbet

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