[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Cardinals favored by six and a half, over under 47 and a half. Mike, can they win by more than that against this Washington defense?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, I'm, I'm gonna go Cardinals as well. I, I do think this will be a close football game. I do. Again, the Cardinals, uh, they got a pretty good fr-, like pass rush, pass rush. Chandler Jones leads that charge there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, but Washington's offensive line is pretty damn good. They are. And they showed enough last week to not let Philadelphia's defensive line ruin the game by any stretch of the imagination. Opened up a few holes in the run game. I want to see more of this Antonio Gibson for Washington, the football team.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I like him. He should be the one getting the majority of the carries over a Peyton Barber. That's just my two cents. Now I don't know if Washington has enough offensive weapons to really


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, be consistent on offense all the time. There's only one guy in the pass game and that's Terry McLaurin. Dwayne Haskins was...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Solid last week, showed some good, showed some bad, but I think ultimately I go with everything you said.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, one, they have a quick passing game. That's going to hurt that Washington front four. Two, Mighty Mouse is hard to tackle. And I think he's smart and mature and smart as hell as in Kyler Murray and throwing the ball away and, you know, not putting his team in bad positions, which Washington wants to feed off of. That's what helped them win the game last week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that's what helped the Cardinals overcome the 49ers is Murray never put his team in those positions, strip sack fumbles, things like that, that can change the game around, which we saw Carson Wentz do and make those mistakes again, Washington. So Cardinals 20 to 17.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I do think Washington will keep it close, cause I think that defense is talented.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I, I'm with you. Kyler Murray is fun to watch and it does stink though. There's nobody there to watch it. All right. The Ravens.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Looked awesome. Six and a half point favorites. Houston, extra time to repair coming off their loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Offense was not great in game one with all these new weapons. And DeAndre Hopkins goes to Arizona and looks like he's the man. That don't look good for Billy O'Brien and his trade and his wide receiver thoughts right there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] 51.5 is the over under, Mike. Baltimore blew them out last year. What do you think happens this year?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeaah, seriously. There's no way I can not take the Ravens in this matchup. There's no way. Not with that Texans defense. I got major questions about it. Major. And then you got the Ravens coming to town.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The Texans' secondary is questionable. The Texans' front seven is questionable. They couldn't stop the Chiefs from running the ball. What makes you think they're gonna stop the Ravens from running the football?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then that, you know, handicaps the defense to where you gotta now start to take some chances to go, we gotta stop the run. We might have to leave some people one on one in the pass game. And what we saw last week was Polish from Lamar Jackson. That's scary. Now I think the Texans offense, it needs to play better. We know that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think some plays will prevent, uh, present themselves to the Texans just because the Ravens are so aggressive and will put their guys on islands and sometimes just be like, hey, it's four on four. We're not even gonna put a safety behind you this time. You just gotta cover that guy.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I just think that the Texans are a little too good to do that against all the time, to where they'll make a few plays, but ultimately,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm going a little bit more high scoring here, and I'm going Ravens 34-23. They win this game convincingly, and continue to, you know, beat the drum of we're the best team in football, or at least us and the Chiefs are in that conversation. You good there? And they meet Week 3. I know.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Holy crap. Alright, now let's go to the Kansas City Chiefs and the best player in football, Patrick Mahomes. Eight and a half point favorites against that Charger team.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, uh, I'm not gonna be too far off from you there, too. I'm going Chiefs 2717. I mean, the things that...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, I used to worry about with the chiefs. I don't worry about it anymore.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't. Oh, the Chargers, you want to run the ball and just play that style of football? I don't, I think those days are over where you can just bleed the Chiefs out in the run game. The front sevens become too physical. They're, they got difference makers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, with Clark, if Clark and Jones there, I mean damn, they're beasts. They have an understanding of Steve Spagnola's defense now too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And they got a lot of creativity involved with talent. And that's, so that was one area I always used to worry about them. They proved to me in week one and last year into the playoffs that they can stop teams from running the ball when they want to, AKA the Titans and 49ers who were the best, like two of the best in football last year.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Also on the other side of the ball, I always used to worry about the Chiefs against this Seattle type scheme with the Chargers. They drop seven, they play these deep zones, but


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] As we saw at the end of last year, and we're seeing again here in week one this past week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The Chiefs, they've answered those questions. They have ways to throw the ball underneath now. They have Clyde Edwards later to run the ball. If you want to do that, oh, you want to play coverage. So, I'm going Chiefs 27-17, 10 point margin, just like you. I wouldn't be shocked, you're right, if it's less than that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't think I'm gonna make this my best bet, that's for sure. Uh, even though I have the Chiefs covering the spread, cause I'm just scared that that Chargers defense is talented and maybe they slow them down and make it an ugly, time-consuming type game. But ultimately, I don't think that'll happen.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, anything else you want to say about that before we go to Sunday Night Football?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Devon Gilmore. We got so many cool matchups in this one. The attitude of the Patriots versus the attitude of the Seahawks. Their opposites when it comes to the way they approach life and everything like that. Pete Carroll's jumping around chewing gum. Bill Belichick hasn't smiled in 12 years. So it's, it's, it's fun to see the opposites go at each other. Patriots going to Seattle. Seahawks favored by three and a half.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] 44 and a half over under, Mike. What says you?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I mean, there's so many things. I feel like we could spend a whole show just on this game. Like, break it down. I really do. Uhm, there's so many interesting angles. The Seahawks traditionally are that, like, we're not gonna let you run. We're gonna stop the run game first.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, the, the Patriots are gonna be stubborn that way, and they're very creative, and of course the Cam Newton aspect of things really changes things around.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] New England has great history against the Seattle scheme. They do.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They've experienced it a lot. They played Seattle in the Super Bowl. They played them twice in the regular season we've talked about. They played Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Who runs the Seattle scheme? They played the Jaguars in the AFC Championship. Who run the Seattle scheme? They beat the Chargers in the divisional playoff game two years ago. Who runs the Seattle scheme? So they know that scheme better than anybody in football.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then when I look on the other side, this is like interesting because, you know, you, you kind of hit it. The Seahawks are together. They're kind of rolling. There's some new things with that Patriots defense, but not in that secondary. And that's one of the things I'll look for. I mean, the Seahawks are going to get one-on-one opportunities in this game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Russell's gonna have chances to throw deep balls, DK Metcalf on Gilmore, or Tyler Lockett with J.C. Jackson, whatever it may be. They're gonna present themselves. Seahawks didn't run the ball all that well last week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And with that secondary, and I don't think an overly creative scheme by the, the Seahawks, I think I favor the, the, the Patriots defense in a lot of way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm going Patriots to pull off the upset. Wow. I know. I think if there was a crowd there, I would definitely pick Seattle. First game on the road, Cam Newton trying to run that offense, do all those things. But since there's not,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I think this, this Cam Newton fits this formula for how the Patriots want to play. And I also think with their secondary, it's really going to help them contain Russell.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because now they can do all sorts of creative things when it comes to spying him. They're never a team that relieves their pass rush lanes and does things like that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And yes, I just think the Patriots really match up well with the Seattle Seahawks. I wouldn't be shocked if we did see this in the Super Bowl. And it could go either way. But I'm going pats 24-21 on the road here.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, here we go. New Orleans at the Las Vegas Raiders. Saints get the win last week. They're favored by five and a half. That, that Raiders defense did not look good last week. Over under 49 and a half. Sean Payton, John Gruden going at it. What do you think Mike?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I know, I am, and I'll tell you why, but the Raiders defense, I don't trust that. Now the Raiders offense, I do think they get a fighting chance here because their offensive line is so good. I think they'll be able to run it just a little and be able to pass protect. But again,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Rugs. Where's he at health-wise? You know, as soon as he went out of the game, what happened? Their pass game became dink and dunk bullcrap again. I'm so sick of that damn bullcrap offense that way. And that's why I can't pick them.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If I felt like they had more of an aggressive nature, maybe they could, but yeah, I'm going to go Saints 27-23. My only concern with the Saints right now is the quarterback. That's all there is to it. I don't know. I don't, I'm sorry. I know he's a living legend, but.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He is the weakness of the team for me after week one. His ability to not scare you or do anything other than be able to throw at five yards, I don't know. I'm gonna be watching that closely and I think that does play in the advantage of the Raiders being able to hang around maybe a little longer than they'd like.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Here we go. Best bets. It's time to go baby. Let's go. Give me your first best bet. You wanna lead it off or would you like me to lead it off?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Boom. Boom. Florio coming with a hammer. Uh, coming with my man Aaron Rodgers. Okay, the first one I'm going to is the Baltimore Ravens. I'm gonna take them to cover the spread against the Houston Texans and I'm trying to get to see exactly. There is six and a half.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think this is a double digit win from Baltimore. I think it's a bad matchup for the Houston Texans. I'm going Ravens all the way here.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, I got you there. I'm gonna go, my next one, I'm going to New England Patriots. You know, you just talked about those .5 points.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I, I, that's huge to me too. I think if the Patriots lose, they only lose by a field goal. I don't think it's gonna be by seven points or anything more than that. I, so, I am expecting the Patriots to win. Yeaah, I'm going out on a limb here. I am a little bit, but I feel really good about the matchup there. And, uh,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, we'll see where that goes, but I think they match up well with the Seahawks. Alright, what's your last one?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, wow. Whoa, whoa, you're going heavy on the Rams. Man, Eagles 0-2. Eat that, Philadelphia.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm with you, I was very much in the thought process of, should I go Steelers? I'd like to see the offense one more week, I guess is what I'm saying there. The 49ers the same thing, I had the same thought as you. But across country,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And beat up football team a little bit right now. I just don't know if I can buy it. I'm actually going with the Indianapolis Colts. Yeah, I am.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The way they look, the way the Vikings look, it's only two and a half points.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I just look at it to where I think like my, my logic is I think they're clearly the better football team. I think Philip Rivers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We'll straighten it out. And if they, the very worst, I think they win by three. So I'm feeling good about that one. I know you picked the Viking. So we'll see. We got some good stuff to talk about next week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yo yo, what's up? Come on man, subscribe on YouTube to Chris Sims on Button Podcast. I need you, please hit the subscribe button, please!


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hi I'm Mike Tirico and thanks for watching. Make sure to hit subscribe for the latest news and highlights from NBC Sports.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That line was not from the podcast last time. It was from Chris and I'm in Look at Pictures. Yes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] With Tom Brady and Drew Brees and Cam Newton. But today on Wednesdays, you take even a closer look at some of these games and really look at the game film.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And try to dissect why something happened. We call it, what the F happened. Yes, yes, what the F.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then at the end, we teased it. Right. On Monday's pod. Oh baby. My top pick power rankings. Alright. I like it. Who's gonna get the number one pick? And you think it's a slam dunk who the number one pick will be. Don't give that away now! Okay.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so, uh, what the F happened. Yup. Uh, with Cardinals and 49ers, so the Cardinals got the win there. And I said after, uh, we talked about the games Monday, there was probably one team that was happier than any other team. That was probably the Cardinals. Going to San Francisco, beating a team that was 13-1 or 13-3 last year, all the way to the Super Bowl. Uh, but problems for the 49ers.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, you can maybe chalk this one up as your first week. It's no, no team's going to have it all together in the first week. That's right. They're banged up. Let's not forget about that. A lot of injuries. Yep. But Jimmy G didn't look great. Right. And we got this question from gobbledygook49.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Who said how much of Jimmy G's performance was due to the poor wide receiver play, and how much was his poor passing?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They do, you don't need a world beater to do that. So here's who they played. So you got Kendrick Bourne, I looked up the snap counts. Kendrick Bourne played 92% of the snaps.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Then they had Dante Pettis, only 73% of the snaps. And then Trent Taylor, only 34%. And he's not even 100% Trent Taylor. They went two tight ends 25% of the time. I imagine that's probably up from what they did last year, although I'm not totally sure. But those are the three top receivers, Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He did get classified and I always check over at football reference service that classifies, you know, bad throws, good throws. He did get credited with 11 bad throws. That was 33% of his passes. That was tied for the most in the NFL with Trubisky.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that'll give you your best chance. So what does Kyle Shanahan do here? Cause they signed Mohamed Sanu. Yeah. Uh, for a receiver. Another weapon there for Jimmy Garoppolo. They got Giants, they got Jets, they're gonna stay out here in New York, probably gonna party with you. Yep. At some point. No, I doubt that. I doubt that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Did you buy this for the 49ers? They, more than most teams, and we hear this from teams from time to time, they need to use the run to set up the pass, they need to be...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And the 49ers, I mean, it's almost like running the ball is what they do best. Yes, right. And so if they can't do that effectively, Mostert had 56 yards in the game, he was the leading rusher. If they can't do that effectively, is it almost impossible for the 49ers to get it going?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Crushing it. 230 passing yards for Kyler. 151 of those to DeAndre Hopkins. That was a special matchup.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, Hopkins and Murray, because they force fed him, right? 16 targets for him. The next was Larry Fitzgerald with five.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You've, and we'll talk about later on, the Browns and with Odell Beckham. Right. Get his new big time receiver. You got a young quarterback. It's like, oh, we got to make him happy. We got to figure out a way to get him the ball. Cleveland hasn't been able to do that. First game in Arizona was.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We were wondering if Sean McVay should evolve the Rams offense, which I'll give you a lot of credit because last year, I mean, fresh off the Super Bowl as the year was going on, you're like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now I know we're all talking about Sean McVeigh being an offensive genius. There are some things that are broken in this offense right now and predictable with this offense. And I don't think a whole lot of other people were saying that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So they come out against the Cowboys, they get a win, they keep it simple, but it was effective. What was different about the Sean McVay offense in this game?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, a lot of the numbers were similar because no, no quarterback was helped out more by yards after catch than Jared Goff in week number 9.8 yards. And I'm not trying to be


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Pete notes here. Yeah. Ram's 12 personnel usage. Yeah, what was it? One running back, two tight ends. Uhm, I don't know what it was this game, but last, uh, first eight weeks last season, it was 29th in the NFL, just 11% of the time. Yeah. So more than that. Definitely more than that, without a doubt.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So here was the trend, so even last year, so it was 11% of that 12 personnel usage in the first 8 weeks last season. Last 8 games, it went to 32%, and then that's right around the range they were in week 1 here. So the trend maybe we saw at the end of last season. Yea, they're gonna try to capitalize off that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yards and they did put up points. They did. Last year. Uhm, but we got a question here from Sean G. O'Reilly.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That says Great and Mighty Chris Sims. Wow. So it's an automatic read at that point. No doubt. As he's calling Great and Mighty.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But what if Jerry Jones is in your ears like I want it to be Smash Mouth? Give Zeke the ball. Cause he did look better in week one. There's no doubt he looked better.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, so that was the Rams getting the victory over the Cowboys by three. You know when we do a deep dive and Aaron Rodgers has a good game? It's like, we're like, no, we don't need, I don't think we need to do the Packers. Chris was like, we gotta do the, we gotta do Aaron Rodgers. I didn't say that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, uh, but we wanted you to look at Aaron Rodgers a little deeper here because we wanted to know what it was here because obviously he looked good. He looked like vintage Aaron Rodgers. What were you saying? What year for Aaron Rodgers? Yea, like 2013.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This Minnesota Vikings defense, you talk about a defense trying to, or a team trying to find their identity. Right. What's their identity going to be on the defensive side of the ball? Uh huh. No DeNeil Hunter. Yep. Uhm, so that hurt. Yes. So was it more Aaron Rodgers or was it more while the Vikings made a lot of things pretty easy?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So maybe there'll be more multiple this year, as people like to say. Right. You can do more than one thing. Uh, Yannick Ngakwe was the guy that the Vikings brought in. They thought he was gonna be able to...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To ratchet up the pressure. Yeah. One game in. Not so good. No. One quarterback pressure. That was a quarterback hit on 27 pass, uhm, pass rushes. Didn't even notice the defense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So this whole time we were thinking like, they need someone besides Devontae Adams. They gotta draft someone besides Devontae Adams. You think they may have had it all along.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so then on the other side of the ball, it sounds like if the Vikings are going to have some trouble on the defensive line getting pressure without Hunter, when targeting the cornerbacks, Rodgers was 20 of 24, three touchdowns, 250 yards. Another one where you want to clog the middle of the


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, it's a dying art in the NFL. So there are a lot of ways to beat this Minnesota defense right now. At least if you have Aaron Rodgers and you're the Green Bay Packers. We'll see if every other team has that advantage.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Does this Gary Kubiak offense have enough? Has it added anything from last year when Kevin Stefanski was running the show or maybe it was Gary Kubiak all the time? No, we don't know, right. So what did you see when you looked at the Vikings offense?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, you know, uhm, they weren't a playoff team for Chris Sims entering the season, and after week one, you've seen nothing to change your mind.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, last year that could have been Stefan Diggs running a sharp route, you know, and I mean, I'm going to have trouble replacing him. And there's the thought that maybe Justin Jefferson could step in. He had a great year at LSU and could.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Help, you know, not replace them, but be an asset.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, so the Packers got the big win, Vikings got some things to think about and to work on. Yeah. Week one. I don't see it for the Vikes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What about the Browns? Do you see it for the Browns? Uh, because they lost handily to the Ravens 38-6. Ravens, very good team, obviously, might have the most talented roster in the NFL. Yep, they do. Uh, so they were favored to win, and they did, but they won by a lot.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, uh, maybe this is more of the Ravens than it was against, uh, Baker Mayfield, but they blitzed him 22 times. That was the most blitzes of a quarterback in the NFL in week one. So they wanted to put the pressure on, on Baker Mayfield when he would go back to pass. They did.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When you want to settle in week one, that's unsettling. No. Number one, taking on a Ravens defense is pretty good. Yes. And number two, you're getting blitzed the most of any quarterback in the NFL.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The million dollar question, sorry, and maybe this will get you back on track any time to think. The million dollar question does come from Londre Snider on Twitter that just flat out says, why is the Browns offense so bad despite the talent? Because we do keep talking about Jarvis Landry, Baker Mayfield, former number one pick, Odell Beckham. Right. First off,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, uh, and for Odell too, Baker and Odell, right? To get on track, you know, year one, that's going to be tough.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Here too, here you got Kevin Stefanski, you gotta figure that out. Yea. And I don't know, I mean it seems like the leash will be probably pretty long for Baker Mayfield here. Yes. But wait, I mean there is Case Keenum there with familiarity with Kevin Stefanski. Yea, yea. I mean it's not out of the question if this happens against a non-Ravens defense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's odd, man. I don't know what to say. They should do one of those trades where they trade a stud wide receiver in Odell. Yea. For a stud defensive player. Cause they got a ton of injuries on defense. Yes they do. They got a ton of injuries on defense. Uhm, do that. Do like a, we never see it in the NFL. No. One for one. Stud for stud.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] If some team has a surplus on defense, I don't know. Maybe I'll go back and try to brew up some Odell trades.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You think it's more likely that there'll be one in four and just be like, alright, we'll play for 2021 now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Tweet it. Oh. From your Twitter account. Huh. That often I get tweets from it all the time. Yes. And I don't know if they're from you or not. A lot of them are from me. Okay, so good. Asshole. Tweet it from your voice and your fingers and if they're not from you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I would sneak up on some people. Got it. Okay, so Bears and Lions, last one. This was all Lions. Why do you make me relive this one? I'm sorry. Of all games that we could have picked. Blame me. Bears came back in the fourth quarter, Mitchell Trabisky, three touchdown passes, and I saw this. Next-gen tight window passes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, Mitchell Trubisky is the first quarterback since they've been recording this stuff, that's five years now, that has completed three fourth quarter touchdowns all in the tight window.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm cool with that. I think that was good. Pro Football Focus liked what they saw because they gave Anthony Miller the number two grade for a wide receiver in week one of the NFL. David Montgomery, they gave the top grade. So they liked what they saw from a couple of skill games.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] David Montgomery. Yeah, okay, okay. Yeah, I mean, he had some good runs, certainly. I mean, caveat versus the Lions. You always gotta throw that in there. Well, it doesn't matter. I don't care. I don't think they're supposed to be okay.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Okay, so I should have asked you this in the beginning of the year once we found out that Mitchell Trubisky was going to be the starting quarterback. I should have said over-under on when Nick Foles comes in to replace him. After seeing this week one game, what do you put the over-under at? If you're Las Vegas, what week are you putting the over-under at?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm gonna say six. So you still think, you didn't see enough from this game in the first three quarters to give you comfort that he's gonna be able to hold down the job for the full


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He goes, maybe Mitchell Trubisky is not the quarterback I wanted, but it's the hand I've been dealt, and I gotta make it work. Somehow. Yeaah. Right? And he got creative. That's right. Uh, so they'll hopefully, for them, keep things going. I know they'll...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's a coin flip. It's a coin flip, right? Yeah. Right? And you hope whatever way you flip the coin that it works out. Yeah.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That is your deep dive into all five of those games. Yup. Before we go...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We teased it last podcast and said we have to pay it off. That's what you call, you call paying it off is when you've teased something. It is time for the first ever, we've never done this before.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Um, so what this is, is this is the, uh, top five teams who are, who I think are in a really good position to get that number one pick. And this is something you wanna be, you wanna be considered for. This is a positive. Especially if you need a quarterback. If you need a quarterback. So that was what I was gonna ask you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You think, at least right now, it is a slam dunk who that number one pick will be. As long as that team needs a quarterback.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so maybe we'll call him the Trevor Lawrence Power Rank. I think that's what it should be. Okay, Trevor Lawrence Power Rankings, uh, Trey Lance. Pete, helping us out. Trey Lance in North Dakota State.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Alright, so, uh, the Trevor Lawrence Power Rankings here, number five.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Disappointing drop for this team. The Jaguars have dropped down to number 5.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Troubling signs in Jacksonville. So they dropped to five. How dare they? Bengals dropped as well. They dropped to four. They don't need Trevor Lawrence. They don't need Trevor Lawrence, but they'd have the right to trade to a team. Right. And help the rest of their team. But troubling. You know, the fact that they stayed in the game with a team with as talented of a roster as the Chargers. Yeah.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] What are they going? Geez, get your priorities straight. So there are four now, so both those teams have dropped down. They need to show me something weak too if they want to move up. Right. They need to shift the bed more.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They really, uh, number three is Lions. They're putting the Lions there. That was good. That was vintage Lions, but the fact that they were able to blow that significant of a lead to Mitch Trubisky.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's talented. Not, not just any team can do that, so I had to put them at number three. Good for you. Uh, number two? Yeaah. The Browns. Yeaah. I mean, that's showing again. It was the Ravens, but...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The fact that it was that lopsided and Baker didn't look good, that was strong. Yea, that was strong. That was scary. And knowing Cleveland, and the kind of firm office they have, and ownership they have, they'll like that number one pick. They'll take it. Oh, definitely. It's either playoff,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Or number one pick. You know, it's like, no, let's not do this middle, you know, yeaah, let's not get caught picking tenth. Right. We want the number one pick or we want to be a playoff team. So they'll like that. They're number two. But the number one team in the first Trevor Lawrence Power Rankings?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The New York Jets. Whoa. New York Jets, uh, even though that game was, you know, looked close to the Bills, 27-17. It was not. It was not that close. And that defense is not good.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And offensively now, no Le'Veon Bell, who knows, and Sam Darnold didn't look great, and they can't protect him, they can't give him any time, and so it's making it impossible for him. Uhm, so that, that was strong. Yeaah. That was the strongest performance of any team in my top pick power ranking, so they're number one. Yeaah, okay, I got no problem.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, congratulations to the Jets. Strong, strong performance. Way to go.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That was a good segue. Dad knew we were talking cam next. If you wanna talk cam next, you wanna talk Lamar next.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Oh yeaah, what's up? Chris Simms is here. Paulie Burmeister and his old bladder are here. We gotta get this show on the road. It's 1.30 on Wednesday. I mean, by 2.45 on Wednesday. He's probably gonna need to step down and take a break.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] First thing I have to say, because it's official now, and it just feels good. Welcome to the Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast, presented by Verizon. Look at you. Presented by Verizon. And it just worked out. I've been a Verizon guy for a long, long time. I swear I have. I swear. Never been anything but it. At least...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You don't ask for free stuff. Our other host that does every now and then. Want some free stuff? Oh, I mean. Like what? He's like, where is it? Can I get a free phone? Can I get, you know, free minutes? Can I get a free hotspot?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think it would be Star Trek or something like that. Yeah, it'd be very small.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It went from summer to like fall and then it went back to summer where we had like this stretch of like 70 degree weather here which was awesome but also weird, you know, and then now it's winter. Yes. I mean it is winter, it's 30 degrees out and I froze my ass off this morning.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I, uh, always, I mean, it's, it's, ever since Pete dim a little, little, little light put this on my radar last week, uhm,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I constantly think about it. You know, first off, I wanna be right. Second off, I wanna be fair. Third, you know, hey listen, I like people to like me. I mean, not that it's gonna make or break my life.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't want everybody on social media to shit on me, okay? Just like 70%. Maybe just half. Yeah, right. Half, whatever. So, yes, and I tinkered with it a lot.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And even today, tinkered a little bit more. Like, had a list written down as I walked into the office today.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But had some arrows on it and was like, ooh, I might switch this and do that. I don't know where I'm gonna go.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right. And I got down. I had like three unspots where I just wasn't sure about what order I wanted to do it. I think I got it all right. So here we go. I wish we could do something like that every week. I know. Well, we could. I need to probably revisit a few. Like I always said, my receiver rankings were underwhelming for my, uh, expectations. And yeah, there's probably a few we could probably hit up here at some point.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] One that's really jumped out to me that's really hit my mind lately, and this is a good one to, again, social media, anybody listen to the podcast, where one that's just caught my, is like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Winter furrin', everybody, relax. I don't know, he's an old man, it's winter time.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that's what they're gonna make their basis on me all about. And I want to be like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Your thought is you're taking one sentence and I've explained it so much deeper than that. Right. And it's just stupid everything you've said after that. So I don't even, and that's where I want to get into it and be like, I want to send a video. I want to get it to the board and be like, listen, you're so stupid. That's the problem because in the moment,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It is what it is. I know I'm not right about everything. And I work hard at this. And I'm obsessed with it. I think you know that. And, uh, I do what I do. And here we go. Let's do it right now. And hopefully I'm answering questions and giving some people some football knowledge. And there we go. More bullets the crap on me too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's funny, you know, I never thought about that those two guys are leading the league in turnovers. Well, they are, they're both in a similar position where they're asked to be the team a lot, you know. And again, I know Russell Wilson's doing a better job, but also has more talent around him and things like that too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think that's what it comes down to, more than not, just the base thought of Russell Wilson and what goes on with Seattle.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, hey listen, the offense has been very successful. They haven't really had to change the formula much.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The only time they've been challenged as far as what the offense didn't do was what we talked about a few weeks ago. Patrick Peterson played one on one on DK and they didn't answer the bell or attack him, right? So they really had to make no adjustments through the year offensively. Everything they wanted to do or do has worked and it's worked great with points and everything like that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But, within that too, yeaah, that's a lot on Russell Wilson every week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, and, and, and again, it's a good offense that has a lot of answers. Do I sit there and go, oh my gosh, the offense is amazing. I'm blown away by schemes. No, I just go, I really like it. It's good. It's sound. They have answers. I'm not blown away by it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Nor, you know, what I also would say about Russell Wilson in this situation specifically.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, again, the defense stinks. He knows he's got to keep the pedal to the metal and force the issue on the offensive side of the ball. Uhm, but also too, yeaah, he's made some dumb decisions.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, okay. And you know, let me button up what I just said there too. Because I want to say this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, because this game exposed something else, so now where they need to go, okay, here's our next adjustment for the year. We did the, we can't let people play DK Metcalf one on one thing, we adjusted to that. Now I'll get into some of the specifics here again, because we saw one on one in this game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] One thing I wrote down in my notes through this game, can they give Russell Wilson an easy throw?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Is he allowed to throw screens? Is he allowed to throw a wide receiver screen? Are they allowed to throw a speed sweep or one of those shovel passes that, you know, Patrick Mahomes gets six touchdowns a year on? They don't do any of that for him. I think people need to notice that. There's no, like, let me take this playoff mentally and just get an easy completion throw.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] For Russell Wilson and every other really top offense in football, there's many of them. I mean, Drew Brees, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cam Newton. They all do it. They all.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, the quarterback he played on Sunday, Jared Goff. I mean, he goes through quarters of a game where I go, damn, does he ever have to make a decision or a throw? Or is the coach just gonna babysit him on every play?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, that is going to lead to mistakes too. Now, that first interception was bad. Bad for two reasons. One, at 17-10, they were, you know, not winning the game at that point. Obviously, down 17-10.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yes, Seattle had 10 points to that point, but it was not easy, 10 points. It was work to get it. And here we go, we got a game plan play against a perfect coverage. Alright, they got a receiver to the left, the tight end to the left, it's quarters coverage. They basically tell that outside receiver, I want you to kind of run at the inside shoulder of the corner.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So he has to take you and what they call this is a post-verse cover of war. We're going to make them run a post to get doubled because they know if you kind of run it between the safety in the corner, it's in no man's land and they both have to kind of take you. Now they have the tight end on inside who now is running the flat route.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And they're gonna have him run the up because they know, ooh, that corner is probably gonna get antsy and go with that little skinny post to where we should have a huge window. Guy's wide open. Wide open. Yeah. Wilson decides to move in the pocket. He didn't really have to move.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The protection was fine. If he sat there and just throw it, it's gonna be one of his easiest touchdown passes of the year.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But I under, I can't fault him all the way. I understand why he moves. The Red Sea parted in front of him. Wide open. Right? So I think he saw that. Then he got into, wait, let me look over to that guy that we had this game plan play for that was probably open and practiced all week. And he looked over and he went, damn, he's wide open.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And he could have ran for at least 10 yards. It might have been a touchdown. It's gonna be him. That's what made it look all the worse. That's what made it look worse. And then he throws it, but now it's a little late because he's moved in the pocket.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The DB who, the corner who ran with the post. Darius Williams, great job. Great game. He's got nowhere to go now, cause he's getting to the back of the end zone.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So now he's kind of looking back. Where's the quarterback? Where's the throw? He sees Russell getting ready to start throw that way. He comes off. And because Russell's late and and because he's on the run, he can't throw a rifle rifle like a laser beam. And that scenario that led to the interception. That was a big, big part of the football or a big point in the football game for sure.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, you know, for a guy like him, I don't think, I think he is so, I don't know if it affects him. I think it affects him in a way where he's like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I gotta, I gotta, you know, focus in more and laser, you know, laser like focus and I think he just gets more obsessive. I don't think he's like, oh gosh, I'm scared to pull the trigger now and I don't know what I'm seeing and I'm seeing ghosts out there. I don't think he's that kind of guy. I just, I've never seen him really flinch at any point in his career, ever.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's made mistakes, yes. It's not perfect, no.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, we know they haven't had a running game as of late because Chris Carson isn't in there. So that's more on him. We know the defense stinks. And...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He played a team last week who was coming off a bye week and is damn good. I mean damn good and they match.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well with Seattle. Clearly. Five of the last six times they've beat them. Yeaah. And now, what do they match up well? Well we, I talked a little on Monday, hey their front four is real.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean, they're good enough to contain Russell Wilson and not let him make crazy plays that we see that are video game type things like you've mentioned. So they can do it. And then...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There was the great coaching by the defense of the Rams. I really love the Rams defense. It's one of my favorite watches in football.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Definitely. And I have talked about this in weeks past where the Rams were dabbling in this early in the year and going into the bye week, but not going all in on it, where it would be like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Jalen Ramsey, this is like Reevis Island stuff with Rex Ryan and the Jets. You cover that guy, and we're gonna play a totally different coverage with everybody else. Because you're, we're paying you 20 million. And that's what they did. And for a big part of the football game, they did that. But they didn't do it so much to where you could just go, they're doing it every play.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They did a good job of, okay, it's two plays in a row. Now this play we're going to play zone and he won't even be on the side of DK Metcalf. So the offensive play caller Schottenheimer was probably going, damn, I can't get a feel for what down a distance they're going to run this defense. Few times they made it look like it was going to be


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Like, he's matching a man-to-man. And then they played Tampa 2 or Cover 2, so now they're thinking, oh, we're gonna get that man play where he's gonna decant. Oh wait, it's zone, what are we gonna do? But then they would play Tampa 2, and he would be man. Everybody's playing Tampa 2, but he's man.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] On DK Metcalf. Or they're playing cover 3, and he's man on DK Metcalf.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So they did things like that. They really keep you off balance. It's really well coached. It's creative and exotic, but not exotic to where I go. Oh, that's not sound. Somebody's going to burn them at some point. I really look at it and just go, no, this is a really well coached defense, talented, and they have a guy that can match up with DK Metcalf.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yo, I think it can, I think when you couple it together, first off, Jalen Ramsey is a freak show.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, I just, just off the top of my head, I'm not trying to make a list here or anything, alright? Jalen Ramsey, Stefan Gilmour, and Marlon Humphrey to me stand apart from the rest of football.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Patrick Peterson. I know. Now Patrick Peterson, he did a good job, but remember, I blame Russell Wilson for that. I said there was a number of plays, DK Metcalf's wide open, and you have to play him. This wasn't the case this week. Now,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He is physically a great matchup for DK Metcalf because of his length, his size, and then he can also match him with top end speed.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So he doesn't have to be like, you know, one of these guys that always has to play for the go route. I need to get on top of him because I'm scared he's going to run around, run around me. And then Decaf, Metcalf runs a curl route and you go, God, the guy's 10 yards off, you know.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uh, Dale and Ramsey can challenge you and then go, no, I can run with you. And then I don't have to worry so much that you're going to outrun me in a go route that I can kind of stay in your hip pocket when you start to break down and run a curl route and challenge that route.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's special that way, but I think this is the other thing, the other part of this. This is where you have to do more with DKMetcalf.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know? Do more pre-snap, or? Everything! Can we send him a, can he move? Does he have to just go, hey, never! I mean, I don't know if there's a play in the game where he motions. It's just break the huddle, he lines up there, and then everything else. Can you motion him? Can you stack him? Can you put him in a bunch?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Does he line up in the slot at all? I mean, rarely. And then it's a limited route tree to go along with it. I mean, really, if you break down DK Metcalf and I don't like, but I would bet you the majority of his routes are slants, goes, and probably like a 20 yard incut.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's very easy to figure out, I think, for a lot of these D coordinators. So to me, that's where it's gotta change.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's gotta change that way a little bit. Can they run some wide receiver screens for him? Can they run the speed sweeps, the little quick shuffle passes?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, that's what I'm saying. It doesn't, you know, again, Brady and Gronk in all those years, right? Okay, I'm just taking one where I go, this team knew how to use this guy, right? Or even Michael Thomas with the Saints.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Move him around, stack him. You gotta do different things with that type of player. The attention is going to be on him at all times. So at times you gotta give them little ways to where, yeaah, you give them an advantage off the line of scrimmage. Or when you move in motion and you're playing some of these complex defenses,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's gonna mess them up. Like if they were playing Tampa 2, and then all of a sudden DK, it's Tampa 2, but it's lock on DK Metcalf with Jalen Ramsey. And all of a sudden they motioned him or did something crazy.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That might mess up their Tampa too, where all of a sudden they go, wait, wait, we can't run this coverage now with him over here and do this. You know, they never really challenge that aspect of the Rams either, I guess is what I'm saying. But I would just like to see that's the next step.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because this was a game now where you might have to play this team in the playoffs. You're gonna have to play them again in the regular season. And they're, yea, sorry, but they're one of the few teams in football that has a guy.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, it made me think a little bit. It did. It did. But I still don't know if I am going to come off of that quite yet. Just with one game and a perfect, you know, a perfect matchup.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, no, it, it, it crosses my mind always. Because, you know, yeaah, I know I've said it for about three weeks now. I think he's the best receiver in football. He'd be the guy I'd take. So, I, I get what you're saying. Uhm, you know, he's not perfect. Certainly not.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, and they could do that with DK. That's one thing. They run a lot of double moves with DK and I want to go, yeah, but you didn't ever run the first part of that play all day long. So why would Jalen Ramsey jump the double move when he's never had to cover that route originally to begin with?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just gotta be a little bit. I think it'll make them more effective and you know, listen, I root for Russell Wilson in Seattle and really when I watch film and games, I try to put myself in that team's shoes. Ooh, what would I do? How would you fix this situation? I'm not like a rooting interest, you know, and that's just something that jumps out to me there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yes, it's too much on him. So that's where, again, I would be shocked this week between the comments I heard of Pete Carroll and Chris Carson coming back.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Where I think you're going to see a little bit more of a running attack. Because I think Pete Carroll is going to go, okay, I mean, hey listen, I want to let Russ cook and all that. But now we're cooking some bad food and I don't like that. It's overcooked, alright. And he's going to want to get back to that and probably to help his own defense a little bit too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It worked out better because it was a different defense they had to play.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Seattle is an aggressive defense, but they don't have, you know, the talent on the front line Miami does. They don't have the corners that Miami does. And quite honestly,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Brian Flores' defense is just more, uh, you know, diverse and better coach than Seattle. There's no other way I can say that. As much respect as I have for Ken Norton Jr. and Pete Carroll, hey, Flores is special that way. He spent a lot of time with Bill Belichick. They do some special things.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Seattle right now is just aggressive. That's the only thing I can tell you that's similar to Miami. I just go, yeah, they're aggressive like Miami. But the comparisons kind of end there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When they're aggressive, and then they also know that they're compromised to certain possessions, they just have to overplay their hand too much. I mean, some of these drives...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It was a handful of throws, but like you're saying, and listen, it's not his fault that the other team can't play defense against simple plays. Right? I mean, you're right.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because they've had to overcompensate with aggressiveness because they can't even play the normal...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Like, just, hey, we're gonna play conservative. Ben, they're just not talented enough. They're not. They're not talented enough and they're not even well-coached enough to where when I would, I could show you a number of plays every week where I go,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] How does this guy get this wide open? So it's the old play action pass from the Rams. Nobody's got more play action boots and screens than Sean McVay. He's up there in the league leaders. They're gonna run basically the old


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You see where we're at here. The top receiver running the deep cross, the receiver down here at the bottom at the 29 yard line is going across the other hash.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The safety closest to him, okay, so let's go back to picture one one more time just so I can make sure we get everybody right here, alright, just to just, just to do this so I can explain this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Jared Goff is the quarterback. To his left is number 21 Flowers. The safety to his left is 33 Adams. The safety to his right is 37 Diggs. And then the corner up top


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Now, the receiver on the bottom, 11, Reynolds, he's running a 12 yard crossing route. The safety to that side, Jamal Adams, in this quarter's coverage, is taught to cut the crosser.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Right, he cuts the crosser. You know, you could see him right now in this picture. You say cut the crosser, that means he's gonna jump it? He's gonna jump it. He's gonna try to cut it off. And you can see in this picture right now, Jamal Adams is at the 30 yard line right by the hash there. He is looking at a number 11. His eyes are on him. All the way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, both safeties are kind of looking at that guy. So, he crosses, now we can go to the next picture. You'll see Jamal Adams is gonna jump Reynolds. Okay, so now he jumps Reynolds. Now, when you do that in these quarters coverages- Is he supposed to jump that much? He is. This is the rule in this one. It is. Mar- Flowers, Trey Flowers in the bottom here, he has no threat to his quarter.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He has to fill in now for Jamal Adams. He has to get back there. But as you see in this picture, for some reason he's still looking at the running back in the flat after the play action fake. No, there's no reason to be there. KJ writes there he's the flat defender in cover four.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, as the play goes, and let's go to the next picture, you can see Flowers is, can't get back there in time. He's way out of position. And it leads to Cooper Cup.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Really being wide open and it should have been a touchdown. Wide open. But golf threw a safe ball just to make sure he got to completion. And it goes down to the five yard line. But it's little things like that every week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And that's not little. I mean, it's little because that's a coverage. It's a 40 yard gain. It's a 40 yard gain against a coverage you put in on the second day of training camp.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And you just go, how do we not know every rule about this by now?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then think about all the easy completions and how life is so much easier for Jared Goff. How many times did Jared Goff get to, you know, fake the ball in the running back and just look at the first guy and go, he's wide open. Let me throw it to him. Maybe he's 10 yards over the middle. Maybe he's one yard over the middle. Maybe he's behind the line of scrimmage in the flat. Either way, he's wide open and I didn't have to think.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] McVeigh, this is where I always give them, they're not known for their running, but they're gonna run because they want to throw it effectively. And they're great at staying patient with it. And as long as McVeigh is not just like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean, and I wrote, they have to be the league leader in screens, especially the wide receivers. And I don't know if you can look that up, Pete, but I would think that's certainly the thing. And here's the last thing I'll say just to button this whole thing up. You know, we've talked enough about the Seahawks, their issues.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I always try to sit there and go, man, what do I do if I'm the Seahawks? How do you fix this? There's only one thing I can look at to where I'd go, ooh, I like this aspect over the last few weeks. Talked a little bit about in the Buffalo game last week.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Happened to get in this game and I think there was some good success.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I like when, I don't think they can change their aggressive nature to a degree. It has to be there a little bit. They're just not good enough to not play that way. But the one thing I like they do off of it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Is when they get like, ooh, there's eight and nine guys in the line of scrimmage, and it looks like they're gonna, and they all drop out. And then it might be a three-man rush.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To me, that would be one thing I'd go, man, if you threw your study during the week, if you can just


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, Erron, ooh, we figured out in this personnel or this down the distance, it's more throw than run or whatever. Your scouting can figure that out.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To maybe take a few more chances that way. And not always be like, we're gonna blitz six, and six, seven, and do all that, and all you have to do is throw it four yards over the middle, and we won't have anybody covering them, so no problem. No.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think they've given Josh Allen, and I think they gave Jared Goff a few issues the other day when they did that stuff. They were like, whoa, there's nowhere to throw, I haven't seen them do this a lot, and I just think that would be one thing if I could just throw my two cents into what I'd like


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think they're the most complete to me. You know, where the Rams, I just go, hey, listen, their drop back pass came and they have to rely on Jared Goff. That's not their strong point. But to me, that's really about the only, like, weakness I see in their football team. Right. That's it. Where the Cardinals are getting better, and I'd go,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's, I'm liking more and more of what I see there, but I guess I'm just not sold all the way yet. And then Seattle, I just go, I mean, I won't be shocked if they win the West because number three is awesome and he can do it. But I just, man, that's a lot on one guy. I just not sure he can pull it off. And they got, you know, they got some pretty tough games coming up here too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Do I still have questions that I'd like to see answered? Yes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Oh, the biggest one is, we've yet to really see him in an extended period of time in a football game, where it's like, hey, you know,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] No run game, no boots, like you gotta make some stuff happen here finally. You're gonna have to drop back.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Play after play and make throws. Our defense and special teams haven't spotted the lead. You know, and not to say you can't do it, I'm just telling you the fact is we haven't seen them do it yet. Which just speaks to how well the defense and special teams have been playing. They're amazing. They're amazing. They really are.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I know we saw it a little in the one drive against the Cardinals at the end. So that was cool. I got it. I hear you. I saw a little.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just, all I'm saying is I gotta see more. You know, I've seen, I've seen everything else, but there's stuff to...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The way the ball travels through the air, I'm not gonna say I'm sitting here going wow about that aspect yet.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But the other thing too, for the second week in a row, you know, he's got tremendous touch. So when he finds a little one-on-one matchup, whether it's an out route, which we saw a few in this game, or just the go route, he throws the appropriate ball.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He does. Now the out route, what I want to see is like, oh, if it's really tight, are you going to be able to get it in there? Right? That's one other thing I want to see.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's got timing and accuracy, and he's got a very quick release. He really does. And he's got really great feet, as I said last week. But yeah, I think we're still, I know everybody wants this like, final verdict. Is two of the franchise and the guy or not? He's played three games. He's played three games, right. They are in a really good spot as a football team, and I think they're playing a style in which he wants to play.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I think it's all going in the right direction.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, the thing that I like more than anything, not to say I didn't think he could do any of it, but again, we saw a few plays of play action down the middle. Okay, I like the way that looks. You know, he's almost doing Interception one time doing it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] His presence, his charisma, his calmness, I think all rubs off on the football team. I like that. You know, again, you know, my big question coming out in the draft was just about pocket type throws.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Big moments, pass rush is good this week, whatever. Is he gonna be able to overcome those type of things? I don't know yet, but he hasn't had to.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, no, but it's, it's looked good. There's no doubt. And I really love him in the short passing game. Like, hey, listen, his first touchdown pass, uh, the, the one, the three yard pass.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I know that's not special and people won't look at that, but that again takes a, it's not easy scoring touchdowns that close to the end zone. There's a lot of people in a small condensed area.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, and it goes back to like, his timing anticipation. He knew the play, he knew the coverage, he knew the window was gonna be like, it's gonna be there, but it's gonna be, it's gonna close in a hurry.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, you know, his ability to kinda get his feet in position and get the bottom of his hand just at the right moment and squeeze it in there, you know, those are the things I think I like more than anything about him right now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't know if it bothers me, just, you know, right now...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's managing the game and they're managing him. Right. And that's it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But there's nothing, you know, again, when I say that, and I've said it on the radio a few places here, I think people are like, think that's offensive at one point. Which part of it? Just that he's managing the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But nobody wants to hear it. Because in Alabama, he was God, and like, he still should be God. So that's where it's just like, it's okay that they're doing this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Even though I say they're managing him, which they are, and he's managing the game the right way, they're doing that too because that's the style of football I believe Brian Flores wants to play too. Right. He's a defensive coach.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He wants to run the ball a little bit. He doesn't want his offense to screw the game up. You know, I think his worst nightmare was Ryan Fitzpatrick, five receivers. We're going to throw it every play. One week he'll throw 400 yards and four touchdowns. Next week he'll throw 400 yards and seven interceptions. I think that was a nightmare for him.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So he's doing what he wants to do, and he grew up in the New England era of


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The first three Super Bowls where it was defense, run the ball, Brady will make a few throws and he'll be clutch at the end. And I think that's where he looks at his team and goes, that's what I want. I'm building that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They're so frustrating, the Chargers, everything. They annoy me as a football team right now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean, again, here's another game where they did a disservice to Justin Herbert. I mean, disservice. You talking line, run game? Yeah, all of it. Just too much run game, too much run heavy.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, and then in this game, I felt like they were almost intimidated by the Dolphins blitz package that has given people issues, till they were like


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We're not gonna do that. We're not even gonna get in the shotgun. We're just gonna beat our head in the wall and run at every play.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] We don't have the right plays to figure this out, so let's just run the ball and they'll stay simple that way. That's annoying too because it's not, again, the strength of their team.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The strength of their team right now is Justin Herbert, Kenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry. That's what they do. And they don't force any pressure on you with those guys.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, I think it's also about how the passes are called. And I think we got a little back into the old, like... It was pretty conservative. Very. Yeaah. And then it's, you know, you think you're doing the quarterback a favor, and then we go, no, he hasn't thrown the ball in four plays, and now you want him to make a really high level throw, and that's just not cool.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, and against a really talented defense. You know, so they never got him in a rhythm in the football game throughout, and I think that's


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I know, I don't think he came off guys too downfield too early. You know, I think Miami was cognizant of that, but I also think they lacked plays to attack that all the way to, to really take advantage of that. Again, I think they were a little into like,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Oh, we can't handle the pressure, this, all that. We'll get the ball out of our hands quick this week and do that. At no point did they put the pressure on the Miami defense. Never. Even when they made the game 17-14, you went, okay. But man, that was a lot of work. 11 plays, 37 yards. I know.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Instead of being aggressive. Yeaah. You know, Anthony Lin's an ex-running back. That's what he wants to do. And I just, again, that's fine, but the team isn't built that way. And, uh, that's what I know.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, Miami's got some really borderline elite things about their football team as we go here. I love the look of Miami. You know, you know me, I'm into the, how do they look off the bus? What do they look like in their uniform? How do their legs and ass look and all that? Man, they got studs at every position.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean they've done an amazing job, but yeaah, the chargers, the chargers are frustrating and I did not


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There's a real belief, I think. They got a mojo right now where they feel the momentum. I think they realize, whoa, we're talented and it's all kind of coming together. And I would say watch out for them because Miami is one of those teams too, where I just go, you know, not that they're perfect,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But I don't know if there's any team out there that's a true mismatch for them. They're really well built to where they can be big on defense, they can be fast on defense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And then on offense, they can kind of do a little bit of everything too. I know too is not where we need him to be quite yet to maybe win a shootout type of game, but he hasn't thrown a pick yet. No, he's being smart. Again, this is he's been in Alabama. He's had Nick Saban. Now he's got Brian Flores. He understands the big picture of the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He understands he's got to defense his special teams and he's not going to try to mess that up. And he's a lefty. And he's a lefty, so you know he's really smart.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, well, when it takes some hill, it's easy. It really just got into...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He had one real pass where it's like the pass they almost run every time he's in. Run a pose, somebody runs a pose, somebody runs a deep crosser.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because they're expecting, oh, they're going to play some defense to stop him running the football, so we'll get a big gash out of the pass play here and do that. After that, it was all Lamar Jackson


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Type runs, double pulling guards, I'm keeping it doing that. Hey, and if people want to know, see, this is another reason why Lamar Jackson in the running game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] In Baltimore and dominating this year because any team that has a quarterback that's mobile right now has stolen those plays. So now their defense gets to practice against it and practice every day and you get to see it all the time. So now where some of these Lamar Jackson plays are not going to trick people or like be like, Oh, we've never seen this before. But back to the point, they ran the ball with Taysom Hill.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] When Jameis Winston came in the football game, they ran basic New Orleans offense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Is it as complicated as Drew Brees offense and all that? No. But, you know, they ran their basic principle plays that you go, oh, I see this play, you know, once or twice every game. This is something Sean's going to call at some point to get a five, eight yard completion, whatever that way. I thought James Limiston looked very good. Did a nice job, didn't he? Right? He started out five for five or six and a seven.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He ran a little play action pass. They have that pop pass over the middle. He tried to throw it. There was coverage there. Could have been intercepted. That was the only decision I went.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Even remotely that I went, ooh, that was shaky. Everything else, I mean, first off,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'd be lying if his mechanics didn't jump out to me right off the bat.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, everything was really tight, and there was a really wide bass.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Like, I've never seen his base like that. That tells me Drew Brees, Sean Payton, all of them, they talk about it, they're wearing him out with that type of stuff. The other thing is, quick, decisive decisions. Somebody was telling him where to go with that ball in a hurry. He knew what he wanted, he looked at it, and he let it go, and he threw really accurate footballs for the most part.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I will be shocked if James Winston is not the starter for this football game. How can you trust Taysom Hill to be the quarterback of your team all game long? The team is still built around the pass game in a lot of ways. I know they have a great offensive line and run it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But Sean Payton still wants to be able to run as Michael Thomas, Alvin Camaro type plays. I don't know how you could trust Taysom Hill with the limited amount of snaps he's played at True Quarterback to this point.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I think they were being outplayed in the game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I bet you Sean Payton was a little scared of like, wait, we're winning this game and we're being outplayed and I don't want to give them one freebie here. Yeah. So I think he played it very conservative once he kind of got, okay, we're up 17 to 10 and all those types of things.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I just, again, he's done a lot of really good things throughout his career. He's played the position a ton. Five years as a starter. I mean, and did some awesome stuff. I know he was Johnny Interception too, but I can also tell you,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I can't tell you how many damn coaches were intrigued by Jameis Winston this offseason. Cause they see the good and they just go, it's off the charts good. It's not just like average, it's, his good is great.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Uhm, and I think because of that experience and everything like that, I would think this is your, we see Jameis, but unlike last year,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Where, when Teddy came in, Teddy, it was Teddy, Teddy, Teddy, and Taysom Hill had to be worried about being the backup, I think you'll see Jameis this year, and you're still gonna see some Taysom Hill sprinkled in. I've been saying that for the last few days, I really think that'll be the case.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Exactly right, and they got talent on defense, you know, and physicality there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So where, yeaah, that's what's cool about the Saints. That's when I talk about teams that are complete.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They can play a lot of different ways. There's no matchup where they're ever like, oh, we're really in a tough spot today. We gotta do, like, there's nothing. They're built, a well-built football team is what I'm trying to say there. And yeah, listen, even in the games where they scored like, they scored 33 against Seattle with Teddy Bridgewater last year.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean, it was special teams, defensive turnover, it was that. You know, they, the Bears game, they scored 36 points last year. It was ugly as hell, and they just slowly wore them down. You know, they'll find the right way to play this week, and in a lot of ways, I'll say this too. Atlanta,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Who they play this week, Raheem Morris, I guarantee he has a great understanding of the Sean Payton offense, because he was in Tampa with me and John Gruden, there's a lot of similarities. I would bet you in some ways,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'm not saying like all the way, but I bet you in some ways they're going, man, I wish it was Drew Brees. Cause I think he'd be able to, he'd be able to pin it into a little bit of more, I know what they're going to do with him. Little more predictable. Little more predictable. Not that it's like easy to stop.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But he knows the formula. Oh, okay, Kamara here, Michael Thomas here, okay, it's Jared Cook down the middle here.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They will, I just, the only thing I would say now is where, if Drew was in and where Atlanta beat them last year and gave them a tough time in the second game.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They knew how to take away the Kamara Michael Thomas stuff. Yeaah.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And you know Drew can't throw the ball real deep down the field and do that to scare you so you can like gamble on that a little bit more. Jameis can throw the ball down the field.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And I'm not, again, I'm not saying he's better than Drew Brees, I'm just saying he adds an element that we haven't got to see it on film, we haven't studied it, and now Sean Payton might call a few different plays with this guy because he can push the ball down the field. That's all I'm saying.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Definitely. So that, that's, I'm just saying that. I'm not trying to say he's better than anything or anything like that. I'm not trying to cause a controversy. But I just think for a guy who might have a feel like, I got a feel for this offense, damn, I wish it wasn't this guy. Cause now I don't know what kind of offense to feel here. And that's where I just bringing that up.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It was cool, it really was. First off, you know, Michelle is smart as hell, has a great way in interviews, everything like that. I would imagine she was as prepared as you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Well, she's always prepared. I mean, she's out of this world prepared. And yeah, we had some good combos, stories in the mind of John Gruden. You know, I don't know if John likes me or not anymore. He acts like he does when we see each other. But nobody, no quarterback spent more time with John Gruden than I. I still think I have the record for most years with John Gruden. Really?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Three? No, I don't know. No, probably. Three months? No, really, my injury just puts stress on the relationship. That's all there was to it. That's it. And that happens in football. Uhm, but man, Gruden deserves to be, first off,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That'll be a great interview. I know Michelle's got some great angles. Of course, I think my part's cool too. You might laugh at a few stories I tell.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Gruden deserves to be, at this point right now too, in the Coach of the Year conversation. I think so. Six and three? Six and three. Yeaah. You know, has anybody else beat the Chiefs and the Saints this year? Nobody else beat the Chiefs. No. So, I mean, they've beaten two of the top teams in football.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I mean there's really nothing much to say, I mean it's just...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I've never, he's going in the direction of one of the greatest we've ever seen, period. I mean, there's no other way to say it. You can throw it any which way possible.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Clutch as hell, makes plays off schedule, you know, I mean, makes plays where if anybody else in football, I'd go, it's luck, that's luck, can't believe you got away with that, it's luck.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, but I, like I said with Joe Burrow a few weeks ago, like I remember this was my home's, you know, in his rookie year, I just kept going, okay, it's week six. I've said luck 74 times. It's not luck anymore.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Everything about the Chiefs is predicated on Patrick Mahomes. Everything. So I give guys, and you're gonna see in this list, and we'll get into it, I give guys who know the situations, you know,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] A little bit of an edge. I do. You know there's a difference between, let's say,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] My homes right now, I think it's 25 and 1, or 26 and 1. And I think like, a guy like Big Ben, alright?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Who, let me just pull up the stats as I sit here. I've got him. He's like...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Totally different way of one getting to 25 or 26 touchdowns as compared to Big Ben getting to his 22. You know, one is


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hey, the whole game's on you, even our defense and how we play. It's on you, Mahomes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Go, do it, do it, but we are, we're, we need you to give us our greatest advantage and apply the pressure to the other team. And then that helps our defense play a style because our defense isn't like the most talented, but now we can play this style because you've set up those. So everything is about him and what they do. You know, Big Ben.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He was like that for a long time in his career, but right now it's, hey, we got a great defense. I don't need to force the issue.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I'll kind of just feel it out early, and then once I get a feel in the third quarter how they're playing, uh, so I'll start to like, you know, take some chances here and there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] To me, there's a huge difference between those two things. Even though the stats touched on the interception might look very same, there's one that has way more pressure on him to deliver from the get-go of the game as compared to the other, and I, I put value in that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's not gonna get in there. I'm sorry. He's not gonna get in there. You know, we'll let that out. I thought about him, he was one of those next group of guys, but no, not gonna put him in there.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Yeah, I mean, Aaron Rodgers, you know, again, when we talk about first off, I would say he's next up in the MVP conversation for me right now. After Patrick Mahomes, it would be Mahomes 1, Rodgers 2. Why wouldn't it be? Same type of story. You know, same for Russell, I get that too, but same for Rodgers when it comes to like what we just talked about. The game is all about him.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, I mean, it's all about him. Now it might not be the same way my homes and company do it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And it's fun to watch with Hill and Kelsey and everybody flying around that way, but it's still all about him.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] The defense is nothing special. The run game is nothing special. Everything that they have success wise is usually predicated off of him.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Putting you in that spot. Oh, they're up 14-nothing. The best first quarter team in football. Now you got to get off your game plan a little and oh, now we have to throw. Good thing you got to throw because we can't stop the run here in Green Bay, but Rodgers gave us the 14 point lead and we got good pass rushers. So good thing he did that for us. I mean, to me, that's again. So yes.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He got the edge over Russell Wilson at number three, alright. Uh, Wilson's three. Wilson's three. Yep. Just because, listen, I, uh, yeaah.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Three of the last four weeks, the Seahawks have lost and one of the biggest reasons is Russell Wilson. Yeaah. I can't, I can't hide that. Right. You know, the two games Green Bay lost.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Rogers wasn't the issue. Tampa, you could certainly say he was. I'll go, we'll say it. Through the pick six early, through another interception, the Devontae Adams. Okay, well I'll be fair, I'll say that. He should've, that was...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] All Dalvin Cook. He couldn't get the ball. They were having, they made mistakes on offense. It wasn't a Rogers issue. Right. You know, the last, even though we talked about it, it's a lot of pressure on Russell Wilson. Okay, but I can definitively say he was a big reason they lost to the Rams.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There's some guys here that were, they're close, but I don't think I'm willing to go above them yet. Because again, I will say, same thing with like Mahomes and Rogers that we just talked about. Russell, it is all about him, maybe even more. I mean, come on, we're historically bad defense out of Seattle. Historically.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Can't run the football, really. Especially not with Chris Carson. So, you know, again, you gotta take into account that, yes, some of these turnovers happen, but...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, you know, yes, he hasn't come through in some tough matchups and things like that, but he's still awesome, and he's still, no doubt, one of the three best quarterbacks in the game for me.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I got a newcomer in the top 10 here. Somebody that was just out of my top 10 that I chickened out a little bit.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Be able to quite run his style at quarterback. I know Lamar Jackson can run, I get it. It's not the Kyler Murray style. It's not this quickness and the acceleration quite that way. And then of course, he's a pretty damn polished passer too.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So, I just look at that, and again, we can go into that conversation. Arizona is Kyler Murray. It's all about him and the pressure he applies to you.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Maybe in the least creative pass offense of the other three quarterbacks we've talked about ahead of him.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I know. I know. That's not what people expect, but you know, Cliff is still growing, and it's getting better. Like, it really is. He's still growing, I think, in the NFL world. Listen, in college he didn't have to change, he kept going, I throw for 600 yards every game, it's always open, what do I have to change? Now he's going, okay, I gotta change this and that, and he's tinkering with it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Because of that, still, yeaah, they get away with certain stuff and certain things, cause you have to play defenses you don't want to play, cause it's Kyler Murray, and you gotta go, I gotta put somebody in there in case he runs. Oh wait, I gotta put another guy in there in case they run a quarterback design run.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And now you're compromised out here. And of course all the things he can do off schedule. So, it's hard.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] There, there's the, the, the stats don't tell.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This really basic pass com- concept is gonna be hard to cover. I mean, it's basic. Our defense has seen it a hundred times.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And, but I can't play the coverage I want because I gotta worry about this damn Mighty Mouse back there running around all over us. Or, you know, making some crazy plays. So, yeaah, between that, clutchness, willpower, the aura and presence he's brought to the Cardinals, all of that. I, I, there's no doubt he's one of the five best quarterbacks in football right now.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He's coming up soon. He ain't at five right now though. That's where I'm gonna go with my boy Blue at number five. Josh Allen's gonna be the number five quarterback. At five? He is. And again, you're seeing a theme here with my top five. It's, and I don't even really mean to do this.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And he was one of those guys, and Pete, you can correct me if I'm wrong, I clarified at 19, I said, he's got super star ability. He could be in the top five when the next year is over. He has that type.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And just like the other guys, it's the same type of story. Once again, it's all about him. No defense, no run game. And hey, we're gonna apply pressure and win the game because our quarterback is special and we're gonna let it go that way.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And he has made tremendous improvements. Accuracy, you know, running the offense.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, one, a few more weapons. Two, another year in an offense with Brian Dayball so they can expand that.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Dayball smart, I think he probably realized some of the mechanical flaws he had. Wait, let's fix this and that. And he's done that. And then with also, he makes him the better short game thrower. And now that makes those down the field throws more effective.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's all about him and let alone his ability again to make plays off schedule.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] It's as good as anybody we've had on the list there. And it might not be the same way as Murray or Mahomes do it. It's more Mahomes-ish though with how he floats around and makes plays that way to where, yeaah, I just...


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I don't, I don't even, I mean, I know this sounds like arrogant, but I just feel like in my heart of hearts, like, I don't even think the top five is debatable. Really? I really don't, and I know I'm gonna take flack for that statement.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Hey, four for sure? You think four? Because, I mean, he's the number two MVP candidate right now, or you think so, or three, number three MVP.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I can see the Josh Allen thing. I understand that. There's gonna be people because they just still are watching, like, highlights from him while filming and they're like, oh, it's not accurate.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] That's fine. That's cool. I bet you I'm gonna get more flak for number 5 than I will for number 4.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, just because it's Kyler Murray right now. Everyone's warm and cozy with Kyle. He won a Heisman. I saw him in the final four games in college. I mean, everybody's been telling me he's good forever, so he's good. I know that. He's good. Look, and Arizona's good, so he's good. Josh Allen, it'll probably take three more years than everybody to finally be a killer.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] People not wanting to get off their original thought. That's the biggest thing to me.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, as soon as he makes a bad throw, they go, see, see, this has been the issue with Ja- and I wanna go, really? You're gonna bring something up from, wait, three years ago?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] He just threw 70 strikes in the game. He threw one off and you go, see, here's the problem. And I just, I hear it every week. They've been working on accuracy. The accuracy conversation's over. It's at 70%. It's one of the most aggressive passing games in football. Get over it. It's done.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] You know, what bothers me is, people go back to that, like, oh, that's what I saw in college. But then, you know, they don't do that when they watch Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold, when they gave them these astounding grades, and they don't go, you know, in college he did this way better, but now in the NFL he stinks at it.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] This team around him was as shitty as I've seen with a top 10 quarterback in football the last, I don't know how many drafts. In some of the games, we've talked about this too, the weather is phenomenal. I don't care, you can bring Elway, Drew Brees up there, they were gonna throw around 50%. He's throwing in like, snow blizzards.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And had no talent around him too. So that, that's, you know, this is where people mess up on evaluating quarterbacks.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They've won two games. I know. You know, and it's a team sport. But it ain't, they're not losing because of Deshaun Watson. In fact, they would be 0-4 if it isn't Deshaun Watson.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And in a lot of these games, they wouldn't be competitive if it isn't for Deshaun Watson. I mean, there's been a few games this year where I go and, you know, you watch on TV, the Texans aren't like my, you know,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] And all of those type of things, you know, I'll take it back to, uh, the Tennessee Titans game. They lost an overtime a few weeks ago. I mean,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] They did nothing to help him. It was all Deshaun Watson just making unbelievable play after unbelievable play. They lost, and all of that, and people are going to blame Deshaun Watson, but it's really not his fault. He stole, to me, just a special quarterback.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] So I'm gonna move to the next one here because this was a tough conversation for me in this part of it. Because I got to Sean 6 and I made Lamar 7. Lamar Jackson at 7. What was the hardest part about that?


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Lamar is the NFL MVP. He was a top 5 quarterback for me. Had him at 5. Had him at 5. He's still doing a lot of good things. He's taking way too much criticism right now, in my opinion. Way too much.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] But I just got down into it and went, okay, yeaah, he's not playing his best football.


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] Watson, okay, yea, you could say he's not playing his best, but he's playing really damn good. And...