PodcastFrom Bootleg Football
It's Week 3 and the season still doesn't make sense.
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
59 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 24, 2026
Published
Thu, September 24, 2026
18
Player insights
14
Players mentioned
Topics
Kenneth Walker IIIIsiah PachecoMarvin Harrison Jr.Alec PierceAmari CooperAnthony RichardsonBryce LanceClyde Edwards-HelaireDavid NjokuDeshaun WatsonJa'Marr ChaseJaxon Smith-NjigbaTee HigginsZay Flowers
Player analysis
Player insights
Alec Pierce
NegativeInjury41:03
Colts lose their number one receiver and most impactful deep threat/explosive playmaker through the air to a heel injury that was aggravated again; expected to miss a couple of months. This compounds an already struggling Colts offense with a quarterback still recovering from an Achilles injury.
Insight pageAmari Cooper
NegativeUsage0:12
Amari Cooper and Hampton have put up a bunch of yards against the Raiders run defense, but the source characterizes this as more of a volume thing than an efficiency thing; the Raiders' run defense remains elite in efficiency metrics despite yardage totals.
Insight pageAnthony Richardson
NegativeInjury41:19
Colts quarterback still isn't quite what he was because he's coming off an Achilles injury, compounding offensive struggles alongside the loss of Alec Pierce.
Insight pageBryce Lance
NegativeRole5:02
Lance 'hasn't become what we think Bryce Lance can become yet,' but the source notes the Saints offense has not missed a beat without their first-round pick at receiver, suggesting Lance's role or impact has been limited so far.
Insight pageClyde Edwards-Helaire
NegativeUsage23:27
Edwards-Helaire is part of the Chiefs' run game, which the source describes as drastically underperforming compared to prior years; the source notes the Chiefs' average yards before contact per attempt is 0.9 (same as the Saints), and while the Chiefs lead the league in missed tackles forced per attempt at 0.46, this elite efficiency cannot overcome the poor run-blocking scheme, suggesting Edwards-Helaire's volume and efficiency are both compromised.
Insight pageDavid Njoku
NegativeUsage48:00
Njoku had 100 yards after the catch in a previous game against Ravens, exemplifying the Browns' dump-off-dependent offensive scheme under Watson rather than true downfield passing.
Insight pageDeshaun Watson
NegativeProjection47:00
Despite recent win over Tampa Bay, Watson's so-called resurgence is overstated; he averaged only 3.7 air yards per attempt, with Browns gaining 160+ yards after the catch and 44 rushing yards. The offense won via dump-offs and run plays with extra steps rather than downfield passing; similar to a previous game against Ravens where David Njoku had 100 yards after catch by himself. This is not indicative of a long-term bounce back.
Insight pageIsiah Pacheco
NegativeUsage23:27
Pacheco is part of the Chiefs' run game, which the source describes as drastically underperforming compared to prior years; the source notes the Chiefs' average yards before contact per attempt is 0.9 (same as the Saints), and while the Chiefs lead the league in missed tackles forced per attempt at 0.46, this elite efficiency cannot overcome the poor run-blocking scheme, suggesting Pacheco's volume and efficiency are both compromised.
Insight pagePositiveRole26:00
Pacheco (referred to as Emmitt Johnson in the source, likely a transcription error for the Chiefs' backup RB) is producing at a starter's level as an RB2 as a rookie, which is significant because it means the Chiefs can manage Kenneth Walker's workload and health concerns without a massive drop-off in offensive production or explosiveness.
Insight pageJa'Marr Chase
PositiveRole20:34
Chase is part of a Bengals offense the source describes as elite; the source highlights Chase's exceptional body control, noting he made 'one of the best body control catches of the last five years in the corner of the end zone' in week two, calling it 'catch of the year' and emphasizing the offense remains capable of high-volume production despite improved defense.
Insight pageJaxon Smith-Njigba
PositiveProjection5:15
JSN is posting 5.54 yards per route run, which the source calls 'absurd' and 'stupid' and 'like a fake number' because it is so ridiculous. The source notes the NFL record is around 3.8 all-time, making JSN's 5.54 an extraordinary outlier that makes even Chris Alava's elite 2.91 look normal by comparison.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
PositiveBreakout23:41
Walker has completely transformed the Chiefs' offense from the worst running back room in the league to a top-tier unit; he's easily top 10 in the NFL and has been sensational through two games, generating 277 rushing yards after contact (number one in the league), with the Chiefs' run game producing explosive plays at an elite rate despite a receiving core that isn't even great.
Insight pagePositiveUsage25:43
Walker is the specific key to unlocking the Chiefs' offensive scheme; the team was hunting explosive plays through the run game and needed a back who could deliver them, and Walker has provided exactly that—the offense is getting five explosive runs out of 15 carries split between backs, which is what every coordinator in the league is craving.
Insight pageNegativeInjury26:00
Walker has had health issues in the past, and the Chiefs are being proactive about managing his workload and 'tread wear' to keep him healthy, which is why they're comfortable splitting carries between him and their rookie backup.
Insight pageMarvin Harrison Jr.
NegativeRole49:51
Harrison Jr. doesn't look playable not because he lacks talent—his Ohio State tape proves he's very talented—but because he appears checked out on film; jogging through routes, one-handing guys on blocking assignments, and showing no effort or care whether blocking or running routes. He's essentially a hole in the water for the Cardinals offense, playing with 10 men. The source believes he cannot keep playing at this point and sees a trade coming; either he's done with Arizona or done with football altogether.
Insight pageNegativeBust50:00
Despite being a top-five pick with elite talent, Harrison Jr. is underperforming dramatically on tape; he's jogging through routes, one-handing blocking assignments, and showing no engagement. The source contrasts this with Pop Douglas's effort and suggests the Cardinals cannot afford to keep a starting receiver who contributes nothing to the offense in such a competitive league. This represents a significant bust on the Cardinals' investment.
Insight pageTee Higgins
PositiveRole20:34
Higgins is part of the Bengals' elite offensive trio alongside Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow; the source emphasizes the Bengals offense remains 'still capable' of high-volume production and doesn't need to 'get in a boat race every week' now that the defense has improved.
Insight pageZay Flowers
PositiveProjection57:00
Flowers was identified at the Shrine Bowl as clearly a starting-caliber or star NFL player based on drill performance; his tape quality stood out significantly compared to other prospects like Pop Douglas, though Douglas was close enough to suggest he could work in the league. Flowers' elite-level performance in simple drills was very noticeable and predictive of his NFL success.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00There are currently 8 teams that are 2-0 across the NFL.
0:03Half of them, maybe even more than half of them, are probably not the teams you expect.
0:09So we're going to highlight a few of those today.
0:12Who are the teams that have started out really strong?
0:15How have they started out very strong? And can they keep it going?
0:19EJ, my friend, how are you? I'm well. I'm excited about this show.
0:23We've got a sort of triple header for you.
0:26It's going to start off with what you talked about in terms of teams that are surprisingly strong.
0:31And we see teams do this every year. We hear about worst-to-first stories.
0:35We certainly hear the drumbeat all summer about this team's going to be good.
0:40This team's going to win its division. This team's going to be terrible.
0:44This team's in tank mode. Doesn't always play out that way.
0:47So after the first couple of weeks, we're going to take a look at four teams that we think have had surprisingly
0:54strong starts based on all of that summer swirl.
0:57Then we're going to talk about a couple of teams in each conference that might be next because of schedule.
1:03Last year, the Patriots were all the talk with a soft schedule.
1:07Who's got that schedule over the next month that might help vault them up the standings or just keep them afloat?
1:13We've got one from each conference. And then we're going to talk about who hurt Marvin Harrison Jr.
1:19Because things are not going well in the desert.
1:22Obviously, I think by the time this comes out, people will have heard about this, seen this.
1:27And we're just going to give our thoughts on what might be next for him because it is not looking good for his Cardinals tenure.
1:35Yeah, emphasis on what's next because I don't have confidence it's going to happen in Arizona.
1:40But we'll get to that later in the show.
1:42For now, let's talk about fun, happy, positive things.
1:45We're going to begin making you happy, Saints fans that watch this show.
1:49I'm sure there are dozens of you out there that we haven't pissed off yet.
1:54You guys have been begging for us to talk about the Saints.
1:58And that's exactly what we're going to do today.
2:00Because not only are the Saints 2-0, they're 2-0 in like the fun kind of way where you have the young, exciting quarterback.
2:08and a vertical passing game and a defense that's like mostly good with like some issues, but not the issues that completely sink a football team.
2:16Yeah, there's some injuries, but you know, that's future use problem.
2:19It's a fun, fun team. They've come back twice in a row, really, to beat teams that nobody thought they could beat.
2:26And they're doing it in a very entertaining and more importantly, explosive way.
2:30What a ball club, man. Tyler Shuck has really picked up where he left off.
2:35And that's always the sort of question mark after, again, a surprising rookie season where he showed more than a lot of folks thought he might.
2:43Is he going to be able to continue that?
2:45Is there going to be a sophomore slump? And the Saints went all in in the offseason to make sure he was surrounded with even more weapons.
2:54And they believe like they believe very strongly in him as their leader.
2:58And after two weeks with good reason, he is that plucky quarterback that basically sort of punches above his weight.
3:04He reminds me of like an early career Baker Mayfield with, you know, less pedigree, but the same sort of like I can beat you on any week.
3:13Oh, you think I can't? No, I'm not letting up.
3:16I'm going to keep on coming. And again, Chris Alavin's been healthy, which has been tremendous.
3:21Obviously, we know he's great, but guys like Devon Vele have continued to like, I would say, overproduce.
3:26He looks really good in this offense. He looks like a necessary piece.
3:30We'll talk about the running game not being quite what we hoped it would be during summer series.
3:36But again, the defense is playing complimentary football with the offense.
3:39The offense is sort of never say die. And I think that's one of the things that makes the Saints the most
3:46enjoyable watch every week is, oh, yeah, they're down.
3:49Now, you better not turn it off because you know what they're capable of.
3:53Yes, that lack of efficient run game that that to me makes what Shucks done with Alave and Vele even more impressive.
4:00Right. This is a team that's 10th in rushing EPA per play.
4:04But if you're looking at how they've done it, almost no explosiveness whatsoever.
4:08Right. The Saints running backs are 24th in terms of missed tackles force per carry at just 0.13.
4:14When we talk about the Chiefs later in the show, you'll realize how small that really is.
4:19They're also tied for 18th in yards before contact per attempt to just 0.9.
4:23It might be even tougher with Banks out for a while with that ankle injury.
4:28So, you know, they are 10th in rushing EPA per play because they've been able to convert on short yardage situations and
4:35down in the red zone, everything like that. But between the 20s, as far as where they're getting their chunk plays from,
4:41it's really just Tyler Shuck at the passing game.
4:44It's a big reason why they're 16th in EPA per play through the air, which really, to me, is just weighed down by that first half against Detroit.
4:53Since then, they're even better than that. And Chris Alava is just on an absolute tear.
4:58He is second in the NFL in targets, catches, and yards.
5:01He's first, at least tied for first, in first downs.
5:04And a 2.91 yards per route run, which is an almost elite number, like just one tier, one shelf below elite.
5:11But that's pretty damn good. Sixth among all wide receivers so far this year.
5:15Side note, JSN's at 5.54. Yeah, I know. Which is stupid, dude.
5:19It's so absurd. It's like a fake number to me because it's so ridiculous.
5:23I think the NFL record was like 3.8 something, like all time.
5:27He's at 5.54, which is absurd. It makes even Chris Alava's 2.91 look normal.
5:31But believe me, 2.91 is not normal. So Shuck has been exceptional pushing the ball down the field.
5:37Alava's been great. And I would also say Shuck against zone coverage has been better since that first half against Detroit as well.
5:44That 21-yard strike to Alava to give them life against Baltimore, that was against quarters.
5:49Right? That was against the exact kind of coverage that Detroit was punishing him on the week before.
5:54So he's gotten better week over week. The offense hasn't really missed a beat, you know, without having their first round pick at receiver.
6:02I would even say Bryce Lance hasn't become what we think Bryce Lance can become yet.
6:07But just him and Alava and Vele and like one and a half offensive tackles, that's been enough to make this a winning football team.
6:15All power to him. It's a tremendous combination. And when you have a quarterback and a wide receiver on the same page
6:21as much as Shuck and Alava are on the same page right now.
6:25Talked about that yards per out run. Like 2 is pretty good.
6:292.2, very good. Anywhere up near 3 is exceptional.
6:32You're talking about the top 15 maybe wide receivers in the league.
6:36And anywhere above 3 is rare error. We've talked about that multiple times on this podcast with JSN and Puka in the high 3s last year.
6:44To have two guys in the high 3 is very rare because, again, you said the NFL record is in the high 3s.
6:515? 5 is like some planted out in the solar system we don't know about.
6:56But every time I watch a Saints game, I'm looking at that running game and I'm going, come on, come on.
7:02And it hasn't been there. It's been very, for lack of a better term, pedestrian so far.
7:07Again, with Banks out, that might be even a lower expectation.
7:11But if they just settle, they're already playing well.
7:14If you add some pieces to that by midseason.
7:16You can see this team getting even better. And that's pretty darn cool.
7:20Now, one of the reasons why they've had the margin for error they did to come back in these second halves and
7:27they haven't just got completely put away is because their defense has also played pretty damn good as well.
7:33They're 11th in scoring drive efficiency on offense. They're 13th in scoring drive percentage allowed on defense.
7:38So your top 13 in both of those categories, that's pretty damn good.
7:42Right? Not looking at volume stats, just looking at efficiency.
7:46A big reason for that is Chase Young has continued to be an absolute gem of a find.
7:51And he's been that way for a couple of years in New Orleans.
7:55But he's really kind of remade himself and had a nice career down there.
8:00Had seven pressures in week two. He had five in week one.
8:03So he's got 12 pressures total. So that's fifth most among all edges.
8:07He has a 24% pressure rate from next gen stats.
8:10That's also fifth highest in the NFL of all guys with minimum 40 pass rushing snaps.
8:15Like he's he's just been excellent for them. And while we talked over summer about this defense kind of being like greater
8:22than the sum of its parts and how we just wish they had like a star on there to build around.
8:29Chase Young might just be that star. And he's been under our nose this entire time.
8:34He'd better be looking at the rest of this defensive lineup.
8:37You're talking about Nathan Shepard, Vernon Broughton, Devon Godshaw and the remains of Cameron Jordan.
8:42Like still playing year 16, which is amazing. But again, if you're expecting tons of production out of Cam Jordan at this point, you're you're probably reaching.
8:50Chase Young's really it. He is the guy that everybody in terms of opposing offenses should be focusing on and are again,
8:57because as you said, this is not new. He was playing like this last year as well, and he's still getting it done.
9:04And that is to me fascinating. Caden Ellis on the blitz has been a lot of fun, but that is a sort
9:11of a tough combination to keep going. As offensive coordinators get more film on this defense, they're going to see very clearly
9:18we need to shut down Chase Young. And if we do, we have a decent chance against this defense.
9:24If we don't, if we can't find a way to do that.
9:27And sometimes with pass rushers, especially at the top of their game, you just can't do that.
9:33Lots of offensive coordinators have come into game plans going, you know, if we could just shut down Miles Garrett, if we
9:39could just make sure that Max doesn't wreck our game plan.
9:43Like, if only there's a reason that those guys still continue to produce and Chase Young.
9:48That was the promise at the beginning of his career, went through a piece mid career where that was not the case.
9:55And then he's found this resurgence in New Orleans over the last couple of years.
9:59It's a lot of fun to watch, but I think it's kind of even more amazing like shuck in the passing game without a running game.
10:07Like Chase Young doesn't have a lot of guys to lean back on here or maybe take the occasional double team.
10:14It's it's him or nothing. They play the Raiders this week.
10:17Another undefeated team. So we'll see who actually comes out three and oh to start the season, which is probably a great segue to talking about the Raiders.
10:26Speaking of fan bases that have been yelling at us to talk about them.
10:30This defense is scrappy as hell. Over summer, we highlighted that the one good thing they had going for them last year
10:37in what was otherwise a terrible season finished with the number one overall pick.
10:42But they had a really good run defense, at least from an efficiency perspective.
10:46Right. They led the league in terms of average yards before contact allowed at just 0.9, which is really good.
10:52Anytime you're under a yard, that that means you're you're getting it done on the defensive line.
10:57Their defensive tackles are really good against the run.
11:00Problem is couldn't really rush the passer whatsoever last year.
11:03And there was just such a high volume of runs against them because teams had the lead that their overall rushing yards
11:10allowed looked way worse than it actually was. If you just looked at it from a down to down perspective, really good run defense.
11:18This year, they might be even better. Right. Max is healthy.
11:21We think. I mean, he looks healthy. I'll say that.
11:24I don't know what his knee looks like on the training table in between games, but on the field, Max looks healthy.
11:31He's been great. Had 11 pressures so far this season.
11:34So one behind Chase Young tied for eighth most.
11:37He is five quick pressures of under two and a half seconds.
11:40Also tied for eighth most. If you're looking at how this run defense has progressed this year, they are just as good,
11:47if not better than they were last year. Still at 0.9 yards per contact per attempt.
11:52Wait, 0.9 yards before contact. There we go. Sound it out, Brett.
11:56They're good. How about that? They're good. They're really good.
11:5934% success rate allowed so far this season on the ground.
12:03Sixth best. Negative 19 and a half EPA allowed.
12:05And a negative 0.39 EPA per carry allowed this season.
12:08Both best in the NFL. So still ultra efficient against everybody's ground game.
12:12Amari and Hampton put up a bunch of yards, but just like last year, really more of a volume thing than an efficiency thing.
12:20And Max is out here wreaking havoc, you know, drawing game changing penalties against Joe Walt of all people.
12:26This defensive line is vicious, quite frankly. And at the same time, they drafted four DBs this year.
12:31Two of them already have picks. They're second in the NFL in interceptions, only behind Seattle so far this year.
12:38Hezekiah Mass has got two. Trayden Stukes got one the week before.
12:41This is a very, very underrated defense that Tyler Shuck and company have to face this week.
12:47I don't know who's going to come out on top, but I do know this game, at least for me, is going to be appointment television.
12:55For sure, because they've invested in on that defense at all three levels, both in free agency and the draft.
13:01Completely remade the linebacking core with big money. Quay Walker and N'Kobe Dean.
13:05They've both been great. And like you said, they drafted a whole crap load of defensive backs and they have some hits already.
13:12We mentioned that Trayden Stukes was probably going to ascend to the starting role sooner rather than later.
13:18Week two, starting role is safety. And Zeke Mass is playing out of his mind, continuing the recent legacy of Cal defensive
13:24backs, tearing it up upon their entry into the NFL.
13:28Now, this is a defense that is completely retooled and is gelling very quickly.
13:32Again, it usually takes four, five, six weeks for a defense like that that has that many new parts to really come
13:39together and start playing at this level. They were largely playing at that level in week one, which is a huge credit
13:46to their defensive coaching staff for getting all these new parts on the field, fitting together and understanding how they're going to work together.
13:53But there's just a whole lot more talent there and it's showing up early.
13:57The one downside, which could be fixed this week because they're playing against the Saints.
14:02The one downside is when they're not able to run the ball with Ashton Janty, the offense is very underwhelming to me.
14:09They had 13 possessions last week. I think we mentioned this in the last show, but if you didn't listen to that one, they had 13 possessions.
14:17They only got to the red zone three times and two of those red zone trips were because of turnovers that just set them up there.
14:25So horribly inefficient offense when the run game couldn't get going.
14:29They really struggled to run the ball against the Chargers who have a good run defense in their own right.
14:35And while, yes, throwing bombs to Trey Tucker is nice.
14:38You can't necessarily build the whole plane out of that.
14:41So they need Brock Bowers back in the worst way.
14:44They really need to have an efficient run game.
14:47Good news for them. The Saints defense, for all we, you know, just praise them for 29th that rushing EPA per play allowed so far this year.
14:55They've only faced a run percentage against them of just 39 percent.
14:59So not a ton of carries against them. But when teams do run the ball on them, it's five yards a pop, basically.
15:06So this might be the week that Ashton Gentry gets going, in which case we're going to see the Raiders offense just
15:13grind it out and play good defense. Not necessarily an ideal matchup for the Saints to try to go 3-0.
15:19But if anybody could, it's Shuck and Olave and Vele just going bombs away down the field.
15:25And if they can stabilize this team with a very solid defense, which it looks like they already have, and a decent
15:31running game to take pressure off the quarterback, if and when they decide to move on to Fernando Mendoza, that is an
15:38ideal situation for a rookie quarterback to step into.
15:41You have a solid run game. The offensive line is playing better than it did last year, which, again, is a very low bar to step over.
15:49Very low bar to step over. But they have managed to do that.
15:53And if you know that if you throw that pick that you're probably going to throw as a rookie, that your defense
16:00is more than likely to hand it back to you and say, hey, no problem, we didn't give up any points, that's very good.
16:08And it makes the decision for the Raiders a little bit easier if Kirk gets dinged up.
16:13Or just the efficiency grinds down to even less than it is now.
16:17The scoring rate drops and they're like, look, we do need to score some points.
16:22They might be looking for that injection of offensive explosion.
16:25And that would likely come from Mendoza. That would be probably the best stage for him to step onto.
16:31If he was coming on trying to make up for a deficient defense or running for his life behind an offensive line
16:38that looked like it did last year, that's the least good position for a rookie quarterback to step into.
16:43So it looks like the Raiders are building it the right way.
16:47And we haven't even seen all the good pieces playing together yet on the field.
16:52That's great news for Las Vegas fans. One quick break, then we'll get right back to it, I promise.
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18:08And with that, let's get back to it. I want to hit the Bengals.
18:12And not just because they beat the hell out of my team this past weekend, so I feel like I need to cope a little bit.
18:20That's a good football team. Right? That was not a bad loss by the tech.
18:25I mean, it was a bad loss, but not in the sense of like, oh, they should have won and they blew it.
18:32Nope. They just got the hell beat out of them, especially by that Bengals defensive line.
18:37We talked about it a week ago, you know, after the game against the Bucs.
18:42We're like, oh my God, I think Cincy might have a real defensive line.
18:46Now I know they have a real defensive line.
18:49Like this group is just awesome. Right? And getting Dexter Lawrence helps, obviously.
18:53But Boya Moffey's been great. Cassius Howell's been great.
18:56And when you have two real edge presences on this team around a singular talent like Dexter Lawrence, who is kind of
19:02back to his old ways, if you're looking at just snaps from a zero or one technique, so a typical nose tackle
19:09alignment, his pass rush win percentage is 18.5%, which would be elite for like a three technique or even an edge.
19:16And he's doing that from a nose tackle alignment.
19:19So Dexter's back. Boya's been good. Cassius has been good.
19:22Also winning with power, which for a guy his size, you don't expect, but he's been doing it.
19:27And now you have a defensive line rotation. I would even throw Murphy in there too.
19:32He's had some flashes as well. You have a defensive line that is eighth in pressure rate, second in pressures per game at just over 20 per game.
19:41Houston's at 11.5. And you know how much we love that Texans pass rush.
19:45They're damn near doubling up Houston right now. They are tied for 10th in time to pressure as well at just 2.61 seconds.
19:52So not only are they getting a lot of pressures, they're getting them quickly.
19:57They're tied for the league lead in sacks at the moment with eight.
20:01And even as a run defense, their third best in rushing success rate allowed and rushing EPA per play allowed.
20:07Average yards before contact. That's a stat of the day, EJ.
20:100.2. We just sung the praises of the Raiders defense for being at 0.9.
20:15Since he's at 0.2, basically every time you hand off the ball, you are getting hit at the line of scrimmage.
20:21And as a Texans fan watching that game, that's exactly what it felt like.
20:26You couldn't even get past line of scrimmage without getting hit in that game.
20:30Like this defensive line is amazing. Throw in, yeah, I got Joe Burrow.
20:34I got Jamar Chase. I got Tee Higgins. I got what could be an all-world right tackle to Marius Mims.
20:40He's played excellent so far this year. Man, this team is good.
20:44And not just good, actually. They're ridiculous. Ridiculous. Like this might be one of the five best teams in the AFC so far this year.
20:52It's funny that for years and years it was all about the offense and we're largely going to ignore the defense.
20:58We're going to have Trey Hendrickson and that's pretty much it.
21:02Just Trey Hendrickson. And again, they focus on the interior of the defensive line.
21:06You get Dexter Lawrence. You get Jonathan Allen. We talked about how solid that core could be.
21:11How it could set the floor for guys like Boye coming in.
21:15And maybe even we hope to dream that Miles Murphy could ascend.
21:19Because we liked him as a player coming out but hadn't seen a lot of tier four for him.
21:25He'd been relatively quiet in the NFL. He's shown some flashes.
21:28So again, building from the inside out. Getting two rock-solid defensive tackles on the inside.
21:33To just build that line that you're talking about being a wall to opposing running games.
21:38No longer can you just get free yards against the Bengals by, oh, I don't know.
21:43Let's just run between the tackles because that's always been the thing.
21:46Everything else looks better too. Demetrius Knight, who's had flashes, has been playing really well.
21:51We like DJ Turner as a corner. But like Brian Cook has looked really good as a safety addition for them.
21:57And again, everybody's playing together. Everybody's playing aggressively on the defensive side of the ball.
22:02I want to remind people we're talking about the Bengals here.
22:06Aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. And Bengals haven't gone in the same sentence for three or four seasons.
22:12And now that they do, everybody can go, oh yeah, now that offense doesn't have to get in a boat race every week.
22:19They're still capable of doing it. Burrows on the field.
22:22Chase, honestly, one of the best body control catches of the last five years in the corner of the end zone.
22:29Catch of the year happened in week two, man.
22:32It's done at this point. Doesn't look possible. The rookies are hitting.
22:35Cassius Howell's doing things he didn't do in college.
22:38Talked about him winning with power. It's almost him winning with leverage.
22:42He gets enough bend. Not the tallest guy, but he is getting underneath guys' pads and using that as a kind of dip push to get by guys.
22:51Didn't see a ton of that in college. It was more pure speed around the edge.
22:56He already has that. Hasn't lost that. That's still working as well.
22:59It just seems like everything's kind of working, but I think if the Bengals keep playing at their level and, again, stay
23:06away from major injury on the offense and the defense, it's a tall order in the NFL these days.
23:12But if they do, it's very difficult to pencil them out of the playoffs right now.
23:17All right. Let's do our duty as an NFL-based podcast.
23:20Talk about Kansas City a little bit here. The difference between the run game of years past and the Chiefs' run game
23:27this year, it's not just night and day, right?
23:30It's like being on the dark side of the moon and the surface of the sun.
23:35That is how stark the contrast is. To put it in perspective, their average yards before contact per attempt, it's like the
23:41fourth time I've said that stat today. It's the same as the Saints at 0.9.
23:46Not great. But while the Saints' missed tackles force per attempt was fairly low, they were 24th in that at 0.13, the
23:53Chiefs as a team, like all running backs, so Walker, Emmett, all of them, as a team, they are by far number one.
24:000.46 over triple, slightly over triple what the Saints are as a team.
24:04They're yards after contact per attempt, so everything they get after being touched is 4.9.
24:09Through two games, they have 277 rushing yards after contact, easily number one.
24:13They even passed the Bears, who rushed for 291 as a team in week one.
24:17They beat Chicago by like 60 yards in that stat.
24:21Kenneth Walker has just completely transformed this team. They're not even really hitting their stride yet, but he's just been so sensational.
24:27It hasn't mattered. They had, what, like 15 explosive plays against Indy last week, and I know Indy's defense is bad, but still.
24:35Like, their receiving core isn't even great, and you can't tell because they're putting up 30 points.
24:40It's largely because they have a real run game, an explosive run game, a run game that even when you have him
24:47hemmed up in the backfield can still rip off 15 yards like it's nothing.
24:51It's just incredible, man. I, you know, we had said, okay, how transformative can a running back really be?
24:57Hmm. There's your answer. Like, there is your answer to go from the worst running back room in the league inarguably, like
25:04by metrics, by just using our eyeballs. Like, they were the worst running back room in the league.
25:09Now you get somebody who very easily is top 10 in the NFL in Kenneth Walker.
25:14You can argue how high up on that list you want him to be, but that is the chasm that has been
25:21cleared, and it is making all the difference in the world.
25:25Like, they're a real football team now. Not only are they a division contender, they're a conference contender.
25:30The roster isn't that different compared to last year.
25:33They just got a real run game. That's all it took.
25:36Yeah, and by real run game, it is in the area of focus that we pointed out in the summer series.
25:43The area they needed the most, that they had the least of last year with that terrible running back room, was explosive plays through the run game.
25:51And everybody, every offensive coordinator, head coach, whatever, throughout the league is hunting explosives through the run game.
25:57It isn't about volume. It isn't about giving your best back 25 carries and breaking them down in the fourth quarter anymore.
26:04It's about getting 15 carries split between two backs and having five of them be explosives in the run game.
26:10That's what every coordinator is craving right now. It's what the Chiefs had the least of, and it's what Walker provided the most of.
26:17So they went out and got the specific key for their lock, and it has unlocked their offense completely.
26:23Walker has been transcended behind that offensive line. And, you know, Emmitt Johnson is producing at a starter's level as an RB2
26:30as a rookie, which is big for the Chiefs because it means that as much as they love Kenneth Walker's achievements, which
26:37they certainly do, when they have to bring in the rookie, to make sure that Kenneth Walker stays healthy, which has been, you know, an issue for him.
26:46Again, we want to limit the tread wear off his tires.
26:49There's not a massive drop off. The offense can still function, can still run the same plays, can still get explosives at the same rate, which is ridiculous.
26:58So going, again, this is the shotgun approach. We talked about it with the Raiders linebackers, right?
27:03We're going to completely remake the room, and they're going to be wholly better.
27:07That is the Chiefs running back room. We're going to go out and get the top free agent on the market.
27:14We're going to draft a guy we really believe in, and they're going to come in and make us a pairing that we can work with.
27:22Again, the rest of the roster in terms of the receiving threats, the quarterback, tight ends, all largely the same.
27:28The offense looks, back to the eyeball test, completely different.
27:31Looks like a unit that can dictate, that can sustain drives, that can threaten a defense on multiple levels, but right now
27:38they don't have to go much farther than the run game, which, again, is an offensive play caller's dream.
27:44And since you love your stats so much, and we have the magic of editing, 277 rushing yards after contact for the Chiefs.
27:51How many other teams rushing totals does that eclipse?
27:54I will look that up. Give me one second.
27:57Oh, baby. Okay. So you said 277 after contact?
27:59Correct. So that's the equivalent of being 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, the seventh best rushing team in the NFL by volume.
28:07Total. Just after contact. It's the equivalent of all of Atlanta's rushing production.
28:11All of it. It's crazy, dude. That's, they've, they've run more after contact than the Niners have run, period.
28:16And that's the Niners. Like, the Niners have put up 30 a game so far.
28:21They've beat out the Seahawks run game just after contact.
28:24The Lions, the Eagles, well, Eagles aren't necessarily surprising if you watch them play at all this year.
28:30I mean, they're, they're nipping at the heels of the Rams and the Bills in entirety just after contact.
28:36Yeah. It's crazy, dude. Absolutely crazy. Yeah. If we talk about cherries on top, that's not a cherry on top.
28:42That's a whole nother cake on top of your cake.
28:45On the other side of the ball, encouraging as well.
28:48The Chiefs DBs are playing awesome. There was concern, okay, lose two corners in the offseason, have some other young guys we
28:55believe in, bring him back LeJarius Sneed. Is he going to be what he was before?
29:00The answer is yes. You know, you bring in, bring in a manslaughter lane, you draft high.
29:05I mean, he only played a few snaps in the first week, but, you know, luckily avoided like a season ending type thing.
29:12But, you know, Noel Williams and LeJarius have held it down so far and they've been exceptional, right?
29:18The Chiefs as a defense, 42.4% man rate per next gen stats.
29:22That's the second highest rate in the NFL with a 35.7% success rate allowed in man, which is sixth best.
29:28So not only are they using a lot of man coverage, so it's a big sample size, but they're also really, really
29:35good at it in terms of stopping the offense from being successful on a play-to-play basis.
29:40The only thing they really have to get cleaned up defensively, not that they have an issue getting pressure.
29:46They just have an issue getting pressure quickly. A lot of their pressures tend to be late in the down.
29:52It's very, I wouldn't even say it's like pocket compression.
29:55It's more so first move doesn't work. Let me go to my second move and my third move and I'm spinning off a guy late.
30:03And the only reason why they're able to get those pressures is because the secondary is holding up.
30:08But their average time to pressure is damn near three seconds.
30:12You really want that closer to two and a half.
30:15The best pass rushes tend to be slightly under two and a half.
30:19You know, the Brian Flores approach of we're just going to get free runners.
30:23So that number is two somewhere in that ballpark.
30:26But you really want that number to be lower if you can.
30:30And right now they've kind of gotten by just because their secondary is playing so well.
30:35But other than that, it's kind of my only real complaint with the defense.
30:39You know, some some issues in high leverage situations, I should say, against the Colts.
30:44They gave up two fourth downs. They give up three first downs to penalties in that game.
30:49So it was a little bit messy in that regard.
30:52But overall, it's still a really good defense. As soon as they get quicker wins as a pass rush, you know, maybe
30:59our Mason Thomas heats up a little bit. Chris Jones heats up a little bit.
31:03But this is going to be a really tough team to get 20 plus points on.
31:08Yeah, there seems to be a few players every year that we say during the summer to the rest of the NFL.
31:15You let that guy get that guy. And this summer it was you to Spaggs.
31:20You let LeJarious Sneed go back to Spaggs. What were you thinking?
31:24This is very much you can go home again.
31:26LeJarious Sneed is anchoring that secondary. And that is anchoring the Chiefs success on defense.
31:31So those are four teams that started out 2-0 that we didn't necessarily expect.
31:35Not that we thought they were going to be bad, but they're even exceeding whatever expectations we had at the start of the season.
31:43There's a few more teams with varying outlooks right now, largely due to injury, that are facing a softer schedule, allegedly softer schedule, at the exact right time.
31:52Yeah. That word's doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
31:55Now, for a couple of these teams, it's going to be, okay, they're getting a soft schedule at the right time so
32:01they can really try to jump out ahead and try to take a lead in the conference or take a lead in the division.
32:09And other teams, they're lucky they're getting a softer schedule so they could just stay afloat.
32:14Right? So they can survive what's going on right now.
32:17We'll start with the NFC. As far as the power player here, who's getting the softer schedule at the exact stretch they
32:24need to try to get out in front of the conference?
32:27It's going to be the Lions. Their next four games, again, allegedly soft.
32:31We're not entirely sure yet, but we think so.
32:34They got the Jets, the Panthers, which to me is the hardest game of this pack, the Cardinals, and the Packers.
32:41The Packers, on paper before the season, should have been the hardest game in this little stretch here.
32:46But, you know, you're losing your best offensive lineman to another torn patellar tendon.
32:50This time it's a full tear as opposed to a partial tear.
32:54We don't know when Micah Parsons is coming back.
32:57The offensive line was having issues as it is.
33:00I mean, they played a really tough game against the Jets, which tells you where they are right now as a team
33:07because we're not super high on the Jets either.
33:09And that team, they had to pull out all the stops to win that game.
33:14So I really do think the best team of these four is Carolina.
33:18And I don't even know what Carolina is right now.
33:21I know they can score. I don't know if they can really stop people yet.
33:26But the Lions have a very real chance of going 3-1.
33:29And if they beat Carolina, maybe 4-0 in this stretch and really taking command of the NFC North.
33:35We talk a lot about the schedule and teams that have softer schedules and teams that have wicked schedules.
33:41There's been a ton of talk this week about the Chargers, right?
33:44The Chargers had a couple of games against lesser teams that they probably should have won.
33:49They didn't. And now their schedule for literally the next six or seven weeks is a complete meat grinder.
33:55We talked about that in the last episode. But this is, if you're looking at the NFC, the Lions might not be the Lions of old.
34:03But if you're looking at all the teams in the NFC, this is probably the best next slate for the next month.
34:10Again, this doesn't go farther than that because teams change.
34:13We talk about it all the time. By Halloween, by the break, by Christmas, what's a team going to be?
34:20So we're really just looking at the next four games for these slates.
34:24And of the teams in the NFC, the Lions can take advantage of this.
34:28It is not the weakest altogether. We'll certainly come up with some scheduled slates that are easier than this on paper.
34:34The Cardinals are playing better than expected. Panthers, Plucky, Packers again should be good.
34:39But who's actually going to be playing offensive line for them?
34:42Might be you or me by that point four weeks from now.
34:46So the Lions are set up pretty well to sort of get on a bit of a roll here, take the next
34:53month and be looking at the second half of the season from a somewhat commanding perspective, which would be nice for them.
35:00In terms of the team in the NFC that is just lucky to be there and can take advantage of a soft
35:06schedule just to stay afloat, it's the Giants. Just came out today that Jackson Dart is going to miss the season when knee surgery.
35:14Jameis Winston did not look like the answer. They don't really have another young signal caller on the roster that's giving them a ton of hope.
35:22However, their schedule is giving them a little bit of hope.
35:25Next four games for the Giants, Titans, Cardinals, Commanders, and Saints.
35:29Now, Saints, toughest game on that slate by my estimation.
35:32Again, Cardinals are in this slate of four. They've been playing tough.
35:36Commanders have not looked great. Not sure if Jaden Daniels is going to be back by then.
35:41Titans are a work in progress. And so the Giants, while they're not at their strongest, they do have a decent roster.
35:48And they might just be able to stay afloat, maybe split this slate of four and not go 0-4 without their starter.
35:55That might be enough to sort of keep them in contention.
35:58And for a month after that, it's not going to get a lot better because, again, we found out that Dart isn't coming back this season today.
36:06So it's just a team that might be able to sort of forge something and, you know, I don't know, get some assessment.
36:13It's not great for Giants fans today. I reached out to our favorite Giants fans and said, hey, really sorry.
36:20It's never great when you lose your young, promising starting quarterback for the season.
36:24I got various memes in response, none of which I will publish here.
36:28So it's not like them getting through the next month is really going to help when I was writing this agenda.
36:35It's like, oh, maybe if Dart can heal up and come back, then they'll still be.
36:40Well, that's the question I have for Giants fans.
36:42Do you even want to? Yeah. At this point, I think a lot of them don't.
36:47Okay, if Dart was coming back in six weeks, which is what the initial hope was.
36:52Yeah. Okay, yeah, stay afloat. Try to make a playoff push.
36:56He's gone for the year. The whole point of this season was develop Dart and see what we have, right, in year one of the Harbaugh experience.
37:04What is the new goal for the year? It's not making the playoff.
37:08Like, who cares? No. Who cares at this point?
37:11They're not going to win the Super Bowl with Jameis Winston.
37:14We know that. It was really evaluate your young quarterback and hopefully play some snaps together with Malik and Cam.
37:21They've only had, I saw a crazy stat, since the start of last year, 3% of the Giants' total offensive snaps since
37:27the start of 2025 had Cam Scadabo, Malik Nabors, and Jackson Dart in the field together.
37:32Correct. Like, we just haven't got to see it, and we won't for the rest of the year.
37:38So what is the point of this season? It's just evaluation.
37:41That's all it is. Like, who's going to be a part of the solution in the long term and who's not?
37:48I don't think Giants fans really care about wins and losses at this point.
37:52Like, Jameis Winston's going to be out there. He's going to play.
37:56They don't... I don't think they necessarily care. I think it's, okay, can we avoid major injuries for our other young, what
38:03we think are going to be core pieces? Can we see what Abdul is?
38:07Can we see what Arvel is? Can we see what Malinoa is?
38:11You know, I... If they were competitive in these games, but lost all of them so their draft pick was better, I
38:18don't think Giants fans would be upset as long as they're young players that we think are going to be around for a while.
38:25As long as they looked good and they developed, I really don't think Giants fans care if they win or lose.
38:32Yeah, they are a team that is kind of stuck betwixt in between.
38:36And to go back to a previous theme that we visited in the podcast, the goal for them is going to be
38:42fascinating when I say betwixt in between. They're a very talented team.
38:46Abdul Carter is great. He had a rep on Sunday where he got double teamed and held and still got sacked.
38:53Just totally split it. That guy's going to be great.
38:56Arvel Reese looks like he is tracking very, very well in the early going.
39:00He's playing with the kind of power and aggression they need from a linebacker in that system.
39:05Like, they know what they have, but now they're just kind of in this holding pattern.
39:10Do you go try and trade for a backup to make something out of this?
39:15For what? I don't think so. And what would you trade?
39:18You can't really trade 2027 assets because, again, that draft is loaded.
39:22So you're just kind of in this holding pattern.
39:25And are you going to sell off some assets at the trade deadline if this season is lost and you have players
39:32like Kayvon Thibodeau who aren't really part of your program moving forward?
39:36Because, again, you've got Abdul, you've got Reese, you've got more pieces on your defensive line.
39:40Are you going to try and get some assets and, again, build your stocks so that when Dart comes back healthy, hopefully
39:47the other guys survive and neighbors and Scadaboo and Dart are your core on offense.
39:52You've got some good pieces on the offensive line.
39:55You've got some great pieces on the defensive line.
39:58Now you're really like, hey, let's do it. The other teams we just talked about at the top of the podcast have
40:04done, drop in a couple pieces in free agency that we think fit, can fill our holes, go after it in the
40:11draft and see if we can really make a push next year.
40:15But the question is, how aggressive in either direction is Joe Shane going to be in that front office?
40:21Because, yeah, what do you do with your hands for the rest of the season?
40:25Flipping over the AFC side, the other quote-unquote just lucky team that's trying to stay afloat with a soft schedule.
40:32It's the Colts. Their next slate of four, really the first one is the hardest game, it's the Texans.
40:38But if you're a Texans fan, which I am, it's not like I'm super confident in that one either.
40:43So we'll see. We'll see what happens. So they have the Texans, the Commanders, the Steelers, and the Titans.
40:49Just all these teams that play the Commanders, basically, for the next month.
40:53Yeah. The Steelers might be the worst offense in, well, them or Atlanta.
40:57I don't know. Choose your fighter. Well, now that Penix is back, actually, maybe it really is the Steelers.
41:03We'll see. We're recording this before TNF. If Penix looks good, easily the Steelers are the worst offense in football.
41:10If Penix looks anything like Cooper Rush, well, Atlanta has bigger problems.
41:13And then the last game, again, against the Titans.
41:16So that's the slate of four. The Colts are not completely sounding the alarm, but this is a very bad defense.
41:23It's a team that can't rush the passer. They can't cover.
41:26And you lose your, what is essentially your number one receiver and your most impactful deep threat, most impactful, impactful, explosive playmaker
41:33through the air and Alec Pierce for, it could be a couple months, we think, with that heel injury.
41:39They got aggravated again. And your quarterback still isn't quite what he was because he's coming off that Achilles.
41:45There's a lot wrong here. And so I pose the question again to Colts fans.
41:49Okay. Schedule the next month. Winnable. You could go three and one against that stretch.
41:54Do you want to? Yeah. Like truly, do you want to?
41:57Knowing that if you guys make the playoffs, there probably won't be changes.
42:01So do you want to? Yeah. And is your coach going to let you?
42:06We haven't really touched on it, but we probably should because we're bringing up the Colts again.
42:11Fans, if you ask for us to talk about your team, we're going to talk about the good stuff and the not good stuff.
42:18Steichen at the end of the game. I fire him into the sun.
42:22You're on the road. You cannot be that cowardly as an NFL coach.
42:27And I'm not saying that Shane Steichen as a person or as a man is cowardly, but as a coach, that decision
42:33after basically being gifted from the gods, a long completion down to the low red zone.
42:38And that's what you come up with. That as an offensively minded head coach is what you come up with.
42:45That series, that sequence, that turtling, that basically just kneeling down and playing dead.
42:49I cannot get behind it. And they had just, and this always happens.
42:53This is like a commentator saying, oh, this kicker hasn't missed in 35 straight attempts.
42:58You know what's happening, right? They're like, oh, the owner said very clearly that they're both on notice, the head coach and the GM.
43:05We've told Shane and Chris that, you know, basically not towing the line is not acceptable and that they're under as much
43:12pressure as they could be in their career. And you pull that then?
43:16Like, when are you going to get aggressive if that, if not now, when?
43:20And they didn't. And they didn't to an extent that was like, just watching the first one, you're like, oh.
43:26Then does it again. And you're like, oh, boy, like the wind going out of the balloon.
43:32They were just trying to get out of there with a tie, man.
43:36It's terrible. Terrible. You're on the road. You can absolutely lose that game no matter what.
43:41Right? You can either kick a field goal and lose or you can go for it and lose.
43:46There's two ways you can lose. There is one way you can win.
43:50And that's go for it on fourth down. Right?
43:53It's not like you kick it with five seconds left and you're absolutely guaranteeing a tie.
43:58I can, I can squint and see the value in that.
44:01But you're giving the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with three and a half minutes to go.
44:07And you can't stop anybody. So you're just choosing which one of those ways you want to lose the ball game.
44:13You're going to lose either way. There was only one way to win.
44:17And it's to not give the ball back. I just, I was beside myself, man.
44:22And I, there were some Colts fans were like, yeah, but if you think about it, you know, that tie could come
44:29in handy if they're trying to, you know, make the playoffs later.
44:33It's like, what tie? They lost. The sign. They made the decision that lost the game.
44:38The sign of a truly scarred fan base. That tie could come in handy.
44:42Yeah. Yeah. There was no tie. You lost the game.
44:45You're not getting a tie. You chose to lose.
44:48It's not handy. And really for me, it was the play calling after the big completion to get down into the low red zone.
44:55The aggression or complete lack thereof on those two play calls.
44:59You're supposedly an offensive minded head coach. I'm avoiding the boy wonder genius label here because clearly not.
45:04Like that's what you had in the playbook. Was it just that you didn't expect to be there and you couldn't flip
45:11to the red zone page fast enough? Like that's what you had were those two ultra conservative runs on the next two downs.
45:18I, I can't, that's it for me right there.
45:21And then the whole like performative theater of we're going to line up and we're not going to go for it.
45:27We're going to get like on then fourth and whatever it was eight or nine.
45:32I was just like, buddy, you had, Oh, if we get the look, if we get the look, you this is and you, that's what you brought out.
45:41That's what I need to see. The rest of this is just theatrics.
45:45I don't need it. Like that's what you came up with on a gift, deep completion on the road in a high leverage situation.
45:52It just boiled my blood on the other side in the AFC, the power players, the team that could really set themselves up for a role.
46:00They've been playing well. And now the schedule pretty much lays out in a way that favors them is the Ravens.
46:07The offense has been tremendous. They've got the Cowboys, the Titans, the Falcons and the Browns.
46:12So Cowboys, again, a bit of a push game.
46:15I, I clearly think the Ravens can still win that game.
46:18The Cowboys have not been juggernauts, but the best of the four by far offensively.
46:23Yes. Defensively. No defensively. No, you can just not allow a scoring drive percentage of 70%.
46:28But yeah, you can win that game. Yeah. To one of the better offenses in football right now.
46:33Sure. But then we get to the trifecta of the Titans, the Falcons and the Browns and say what you want about
46:40Watson's quote unquote resurgence as a quarterback. That's that is one of the easier slates.
46:45I think probably the easiest slate of all the four teams we've talked about and the Ravens are playing well.
46:51They could, they could kind of do the opposite of the last two years, Baltimore Ravens.
46:56They could set themselves up on a bit of a role here, maybe win all four of those games and be looking
47:03at moving into the second half of the season, essentially with a very good record on a role playing well.
47:09And that is not where they've been for the past couple of years.
47:13And that's what eventually sunk them. I do want to put the Todd Bowles asterisk on, on that Browns game a little bit.
47:20Yeah. The one that they just won. Deshaun Watson's average air yards per attempt was 3.7.
47:25The Browns got over 160 yards after the catch in that game.
47:29Their rushing yards was 44. The ball was out instantly.
47:32So it's the second game in a row. The Bucks pass rush couldn't really do anything because the ball was out instantly.
47:39And for whatever reason, Todd Bowles really likes just giving receivers space to catch and run second time in a row.
47:45He's done that. And when you have tackling issues and then there's another turnover on offense and for whatever reason, after a
47:52two hour rain delay where Tampa had two hours to come up with a two minute drill and like, that's what they came up with.
48:00I, I, I will give the Browns credit for winning the game.
48:04It was not the type of win that makes me think, yeah, everything's good.
48:08Everything's fine. They're back. Like that's, that is not the type of win that makes me think that there is, that there is a long-term bounce back coming.
48:17It's more so they got a shit ton of yards after the catch.
48:21They won in a very similar way to the last time Deshaun Watson had a big gain, a big gain.
48:27It was ironically against the Ravens a couple of years ago where David Njoku had like a hundred yards after the catch by himself.
48:34It's like, well, yeah, if you're just dumping it off and getting like just run plays with extra steps.
48:40Sure. Yeah. We'll, we'll call that a Deshaun Watson resurgence.
48:43It really wasn't. So I, I still, I still have my reservations about the Browns as a whole, but especially the Browns offense.
48:50I still think they would be a more effective offense.
48:54We should do our out there because at least they would push the ball down the field.
48:59But for that week against a Bucks defense that is begging to get beat that way, they got beat that way.
49:05The Falcons. I don't know what to make of them until we see what Penix looks like this week, which is going to be tomorrow night.
49:13We're recording this on Wednesday. Maybe he's great. In which case we change our opinion.
49:18Fine. We hope he is because the Falcons are not fun to watch right now and the Titans.
49:24I can't figure them out at all, man. So the only team I really have a good beat on here is the Cowboys.
49:31And that's also the team that worries me the most.
49:34If Baltimore can get past, can get past Dallas, excuse me, they're looking at like a five and one start.
49:40And from there, anything is possible. So we'll see what happens, but they're in, they're in a good spot right now.
49:47Before we talk about Marvin Harrison Jr. And what a disappointment he's been so far.
49:51If you've made it this far in the show and you've enjoyed it, hit like and subscribe.
49:57Really does help out the channel. It takes like five seconds, but it absolutely boosts our metrics and tries to get us
50:03to where we want to be, which is 100K so that we can get EJ a matching plaque for me.
50:10That is our goal for this season. So we'll get there soon enough.
50:14Thank you to everybody who already has liked and subscribed.
50:17We really do appreciate it. What we don't appreciate is Cardinals offensive film.
50:21I mean, there are some players that are genuinely fun to watch.
50:24Marvin Harrison Jr. Doesn't look playable. No. And not playable in the sense that he's not talented, not playable in the sense
50:31that he doesn't look like he gives a shit, whether it's blocking, whether it's running routes, like he does not look like he cares at all.
50:39At which point I am asking the question, why is he out there?
50:43And more importantly, why is he there at all?
50:46Like I can see this trade coming a mile away.
50:49If I'm a new head coach in that building, I don't want that to be an example for the rest of the team.
50:56I would rather ship that out and just eat the cost of whatever Monty paid, you know, in this case, a top five pick.
51:04I would rather eat that and just move on and set a positive example for the rest of the team than have
51:11to continuously trot that out week after week and just watch a football player that doesn't look like he wants to play football.
51:18And maybe Monty's hesitant because, well, he's the one who drafted him, not LaFleur.
51:22And so it makes Monty look really bad. But like I we can't keep going like this.
51:27He doesn't care. At least that's what it looks like on tape.
51:31And I. I can't see how you can go through an entire season just watching a starting receiver not do anything like at all.
51:39You can't. And there might be a dynamic here that we're not aware of.
51:43This could be an ownership desire. It certainly could be Monty saying, well, I can't possibly ship him out of town.
51:50I'm with you. You can't possibly play him at this point.
51:53You have an NFL wide receiver who is very talented.
51:56I want to say that off the top, like the tape that he put up at Ohio State is not something a lesser player is able to do.
52:05He is a very talented football player. That doesn't matter right now because that is not what's on tape.
52:11What's on tape is him jogging through routes, one handing guys on blocking assignments.
52:15He's he's basically a hole in the water for your offense.
52:18You're you're you're playing with 10 and that is not something you can afford to do in a league as competitive as the NFL.
52:26And for the example, for the new coach, for effort, for all his teammates like they deserve more.
52:31They have all been working really, really hard to try and get this thing going.
52:36And even with him doing this, they have gotten it going.
52:39They have played at a greater level than most people expected them to.
52:44They look like a team. And this is the kind of thing that can derail a team.
52:49And do they have a better option behind him?
52:52Well, better is a funny word here because more talented, probably not a better option for the offense.
52:57Almost anybody would be you could pick a lot of practice squad receivers right now who would give more effort and contribute
53:04more to the game plan than what we're seeing from Marvin Harrison Jr.
53:08Why is this happening? I don't know. Maybe this is the first time he's faced true adversity.
53:13Maybe there's other things going on. We don't know what's going on in his head.
53:18We don't know what the relationship has been or hasn't been.
53:21But the results on the field again, film don't lie.
53:24Ball don't lie. And you're not seeing it right now.
53:28What you are seeing is very clearly a player who is checked out and does not want to contribute.
53:33You cannot keep that player on the field for whatever reason.
53:37Now, we've seen players who've looked lost for any number of reasons.
53:41Bryce Young was lost a couple of years ago.
53:43Ended up on the bench, right? Sometimes players can come back from that.
53:47Not saying it can't happen, but I'm saying right now it certainly doesn't look like it's going to happen for Marvin Harrison Jr.
53:55in Arizona. And I'm with you. This feels very much like a telegraph trade opportunity.
53:59And the one that I saw from our friend Matt Harmon over at Yahoo this morning.
54:04Certain emotional GM that was the employer of his dad.
54:07Just lost Alec Pierce for two months. Yeah. I was thinking about that too.
54:12Would Ballard go and grab Marvin Harrison Jr.? I think yes, Ballard would.
54:16It's more so would the owner be willing to let Ballard trade picks again?
54:20I understand that it is fraught. And I'm not saying it's the thing that is going to happen or even the thing that should happen.
54:28But what's clear again, based on what we can see and have seen for a while now, Marvin Harrison Jr.
54:34doesn't want to be in Arizona, whether it's the coaching staff, whether he is.
54:38And I think Sam Monson brought this up. The real question now is, is he done with the Cardinals or is he done with football?
54:46Because we've also seen guys that just fell out of love with the game.
54:50Not saying that's what happened again. I have never spoken to Marvin Harrison Jr.
54:55Or people close to him. I don't know. But the answer is something happened.
54:59And it's very obvious that he does not want to be playing football in Arizona right now.
55:04The larger question is, does he want to be playing football at all?
55:08If the answer is yes, he could still be an asset.
55:12Those skills are still there. If he gets plugged back in and rejuvenated, and we've seen that so many times for so many players over in NFL history.
55:21We talk about Sam Darnold and him going to San Francisco.
55:24We talk about Baker and him showing up under Sean McVay for six months.
55:28Not really him admitting Baker. I wasn't really in love with football anymore and going, no, wait, I can still play.
55:35I can still do this and going out and playing good football after that.
55:39So it does happen. It is possible. But the answer in Arizona right now is that it's got to happen, right?
55:46It is something's got to give and you can't keep Marvin Jr.
55:49Out there at this point. Like it's just not workable.
55:53Contrast his run blocking film. And I use the term run blocking loosely with this week's bootleg shot of the week winner.
55:59Massive size difference, by the way, Pop Douglas, not nearly as big of a receiver as Marvin Jr.
56:05But with 36% of the vote, little 185 pound Pop Douglas getting a two for one against the Pittsburgh Steelers taking out
56:12both safeties on a massive Travion Henderson rushing touchdown.
56:15That's the kind of effort that gets you recognized.
56:17So the bootleggers voted over a third of the vote.
56:20Pop Douglas, for the first time ever, you are bootlegs shot of the week winner.
56:25Cheers to you. Cheers to the effort. And hopefully the Cardinals offense watches that because they're not getting that out of their former top five pick.
56:33No, tremendous example. And here's to a player that we both talked to.
56:37We interviewed him at Triambool. We really liked his effort on the field there.
56:42His tape was good. And we thought maybe this guy can contribute in the NFL as a starter.
56:47He's done well more than that. And those are the stories we love.
56:51So here's to you, Pop. Yeah, for people that don't remember.
56:55So Zay Flowers at the Shrine Bowl that year and Pop Douglas at the Shrine Bowl that year.
57:00Yep. And they did drills back to back. They were on the same team.
57:05I believe that was the year that Bill O'Brien landed in a helicopter that morning.
57:09And he wasn't. Yeah. It wasn't public that he was coming back to the Patriots yet.
57:14And it literally broke as he walked onto the practice field because everybody was going to see him out there and be like, why is Bill O'Brien here?
57:23But he was coaching receivers that week. And they wanted to see Zay, obviously.
57:27So Zay goes out, does drills. I think Zay only practiced like one day because he only had two.
57:33But he did it. And then Pop did it.
57:36We're like, damn. Those two are pretty close. Right?
57:39Like really, really close. It's like, I wondered what everybody else looks like.
57:43Not close. Not like that. Not close to those two.
57:46But it was such a great way to see like the, what's the line between like clearly a starting caliber or in Zay's case, a star NFL player.
57:55What does that look like running through a very simple drill?
57:58And then what does it look like when somebody who's going to be on a practice squad does it?
58:04It's noticeable. It's very, very noticeable. And what really sold me on Pop was that he looked close to Zay.
58:10Cause we knew Zay was great. Yeah. Pop came out of Liberty off the top of my head.
58:16So he wasn't really like a known prospect, but the fact that he looked similar to Zay was what made me think
58:22he was going to work in the league. And then of course the Patriots drafted him.
58:27All right. We're going to get out of here.
58:30Remember, we have one more show coming on the Patreon this week.
58:34That'll be posted. I believe Friday, potentially as, as late as Saturday morning, but ideally Friday, especially cause I'm going to be on the road on Friday.
58:42So I want to get it out before then, but either way, that'll be out on the Patreon this week.
58:49One more show. And then our next public show is going to be early next week, recapping week three and what we've
58:55noticed from the games upcoming in this weekend slate.
58:58Thank you once again to all of our patrons who have made this possible.
59:02Thank you to those of you who are about to join the Patreon.
59:07We appreciate you as well. And thank you to our EPs over on Patreon, Fitzy, Connor, Kells, Mike, Owen, Eiken, Stuart, and Major.
59:14Once again, thank you all for your support. We will see you very soon.
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