Speaker 1Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high-interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an Audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required, and with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an Audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debtplay. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A., member FDIC, terms and conditions apply, NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debtplay.
Speaker 2Jackson Dart is officially ruled out of this game.
Speaker 3The look on the face of John Harbaugh says it all.
Speaker 2What a catch!
Speaker 4Devontae Adams! Sean kept calling my number.
Speaker 5I don't know how you stopped that. Well, you don't. This was kind of a get-right game. They're starting to look like the Rams again.
Speaker 6Ha-ha! What's going on, babes? What's up? It's your boy, Stephen A. I'm sitting in the host chair because Shea Cornette is off. She's traveling. She's off for the day. I'm in the house right now. It's yours truly with my boys, the one and only Chris Canty, C.C. And, of course, Sergeant Friday himself. Jeff Saturday. Okay, before we get into the show, I have rules and regulations. I know y'all are big, but damn it, this is the first thing. I'm bigger than y'all. I'm bigger than y'all right now. Follow the rules and the regulations, okay? Rule number one. Rule number one, speak when spoken to. You understand? You hear that, Jeff Saturday? No cussing, C.C. I know you don't usually do, but we might bring up Joe Burrow. You know you get out of hand when it comes to that. Oh, we're talking about my Giants. I might cuss today. You might cuss today about your New York Giants. Okay, you shall address me as Stephen A. or Mr. Stephen A. Jeff Saturday. You understand? C.C., everything's fluid. Everything's fluid, okay? Everything's fluid, all right? At least when it comes to me. Not y'all. When it comes to me. When it comes to me, right? And last but not least, no rude reactions or facial expressions. You know how you can be. I must confess, though, that's a pretty sharp suit. That's the best you've ever looked on television. Because you're usually wearing some cheap sweater. You understand what I'm saying? But that's what I'm saying. You really look good today.
Speaker 5I got to give you one. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. A compliment and an insult in the same breath. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3That would be Stephen A. But listen, don't let the flattery fool you. I know you're trying to fool me. I know you're trying to be nice to you today. It's not going to happen. It won't happen today, don't worry. And if you're giving me a list, I know it's going to be bad. I'm going to praise you. But we got some rules for you, Mr. Host of Hosts. This is what we have for you. First rule, acknowledge that offensive and defensive linemen are the best athletes in football. That's correct. That's not fluid. I said it's not fluid. See rule two for that comment right there. Nothing can be fluid. Nothing is fluid. It can't be fluid. It can't be fluid. That can be locked in. You got to have some lock-in. And then third and most importantly, Chris and Jeff, always right. If you follow those rules, we'll have the best show. You'll be the best host with the most. Man, let's go, man.
Speaker 6Let's go, man. We got a show to do, man. We got a show to do. Let's dive into what happened last night at SoFi Stadium, the Rams. Steamrolled the Giants 28-7 as Aaron Donald made his return to the NFL. But the main headline is the health of New York Giants quarterback Jackson Dart. Jackson Dart obviously hurt his knee during the Giants' first series. He's believed to have suffered a sprained MCL. Harbaugh did say after the game they avoided a, quote, devastating outcome. But let me start with our former Giant, Mr. Canty here. Do you think they'd keep this season on track without Jackson Dart?
Speaker 7If Jameis Winston has to be the starter, hell no, Stephen A. Hell no. And I get it. The Giants got a soft place to land with their schedule next. Five opponents, they have a combined record of 2-8. But guess what? Those teams are looking at the New York Giants for trick-or-treat. Jameis, as the quarterback, is saying, we can get that one. The Tennessee Titans best believe they're thinking we can get healthy against them people because of who the quarterback is. Jameis Winston, since the start of 2024, has started in nine games. In those nine games, he's 2-7 as a quarterback, a 51 QBR, completing 59% of his passes, 14 touchdowns to 15 picks. So the definition of trick-or-treat when he's under center, we ain't even in October yet. But that's what we got with the New York Giants. And it was so disrespectful what defensive coordinator Chris Shula did as far as the game plan last night. He saw the plays that the New York Giants ran against the Dallas Cowboys in terms of their commitment to running the football. He took that away with eight and sometimes nine-man fronts. Nine-man. And dared Jameis Winston to beat him with his arm, and he couldn't do it. And for a player that's been in the league a decade plus, you've got to be able to perform better, even when you're thrust into action due to injury like we saw last night.
Speaker 6Real quick before I get to you, Saturday. CeCe, I saw Steve Smith on Get Up earlier this morning, and he said Jameis Winston looked surprised that he was, like, who, me? Like, he expected somebody else to be put into the game. That's how lost he appeared.
Speaker 7Is that what you saw? Yeah, it was disappointing. And I know a lot of people will operate under the wisdom that, hey, you know what? He didn't get a lot of reps with the starters in the week and prep ahead of the L.A. Rams game. He should be better going into next week. Yeah. Well, guess what? The defensive coordinators for the Tennessee Titans, they know that he's playing next week too, and they'll be able to put him under the microscope in the Giants scheme and do all of those things. When you're a quarterback that's been in the league as long as Jameis has, you know how it goes when you're a backup quarterback. You've got to be ready. Yeah. And clearly he wasn't last night.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah. I think the best news for the Giants is hopefully this is a few weeks at most, right? When you're talking about a spring, however, it will affect Jackson Dart throughout the season. Like, MCLs just don't go away. I've heard them. I've had to wear braces the rest of the season. He'll have to do those things. It's on that left leg, so hopefully that's beneficial. However, the way that Jameis Winston played last night, he knew it. Like, even on the sideline, I think you saw his mouth words where it's like, I've got to get myself right. Like, he knew he wasn't doing his part to give them an opportunity. And to your point, teams are going to face them exactly like the Rams did. Stack the box where the line can't be physical, but here's a greater problem, in my opinion, Stephen A. Thomas is injured. He got a groin. Neighbor's shoulder popped out, right? You got Burns on the other side who tweaked an ankle or did something like that. So, it's not just your guy, right? Because quarterbacks, for everything that we think about quarterbacks, Jackson Dart gives the Giants hope, right? Not only because of what he can do with his arm, but what he can do with his legs, right? He can extend drives. He can make plays. He can do things with them that keep you in games or can potentially create explosive plays on the back. Yeah. So, again, Jameis is going to have to beat you from the pocket and put the ball down the field, right? And so, if everybody's stacking it and Neighbor's is banged up or how banged up he is with the shoulder, we don't really know because he said it dislocated. He popped it back in. I know he went back in, but they're not. It wasn't the same catch. Yeah. And you and I both know going up for a ball when your shoulder's popped out, you're afraid that things are going to go out again. That's painful, right? So, there's a lot of different things that happened last night that give you pause. I will say this about the Giants. I didn't think the Giants were going to win the NFC East. With everybody healthy. I think they're a year away, but I will say this, the fear for the Giants is it starts to spiral and it gets really ugly really quick. That's what you don't. You don't want the scataboos to be hurt. You don't want this thing to snowball.
Speaker 6I expect it better from the defense. The only thing I'm going to say about it, I expect it better from the defense because L.A. was rolling from the start, okay? You know they were ready to make amends for what transpired in Australia. So, they were rolling from the start. I expect it more from the defense, number one. And number two, here's the thing. Here's the thing. If you're Jameis Winston, you need to be alarmed about. You are absolutely, positively must see TV in that huddle before the game. Everybody wants to see him before the game because he's getting everybody riled up. But when you get out on that damn field and it's trick or treat that Chris Canthie's calling, you know what I'm saying, Mr. Halloween, that's bad. That's bad. We're just going to move on and we're going to get to the winning side. Let's dive into how the Rams got it done, okay? Listen, here's the bottom line. Matthew Stafford passed with 327 yards and four touchdowns last night. Stafford moved past Phillip Rivers for sixth on the NFL all-time list for 427 career touchdown passes. Devontae Adams had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns last night. Adams has 19 career games with 100 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. The fourth most in NFL history. Aaron Donald, let's get to him. He played in his first NFL game in 981 days. He's played 32 snaps, making three tackles. Included one tackle for a loss. The Rams had their highest pass rate, win rate, pass rush win rate in a game since 2022. Sean McVay, the coach, reflected on how his travel plans in week one to Australia may have been a mistake. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. And, you know, sometimes you have a dumbass coach that, you know, makes travel plans that put you in a bad spot. There you go. That's what I'm talking about. Jeff Saturday, let's get to you. Did the Rams put to bed all the concerns everybody had about? They did for me.
Speaker 3I mean, listen, I didn't make this on Cantu, on Sportsman, like a few weeks ago. I think it's disrespectful to act like there's a super team in the NFL. You know, people talk about going undefeated, all these crazy things. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're still a very good football team. They're well coached, and they're going to get better. By the way, their two best players didn't play, right? Myles Garrett didn't play, and Puka Nakua didn't play. Both of those guys are massive additions when they finally come back and get back to this. I will say, they ran. the ball well. Both backs look good. Devontae Adams had an Absolutely insane week, catching the ball, snatching out, getting toe touches, all the different things. So when I look at them defensively, the way they played, again, against the Jameis Winston and stacking the box, doing those things, so it's kind of a tough – they will continue to get better. I think people expect them to just go dog walk everybody. In the NFL, 28-6 is a big win, man. Like, don't minimize – like, they're still pro players on the other side. So could they have done better? Sure. But this is a very good Rams football team, and I think they are ascending. I think week one was an anomaly. Maybe not beating the 49ers, but playing a much better game, more competitive than they played last year. I'll deal with what you just said in a second.
Speaker 5Go ahead, CeCe.
Speaker 7Listen, pro players on the other side, but no Deontay Banks for the New York Giants, no Paulson Adibo for the New York Giants in that secondary. Matter of fact, the best player for the Rams when their offense was on the field was Tyler Newben, the safety for the New York Giants, who just kept giving it up to Devontae Adams. They call you safety for a reason, bro. Don't look behind you. There ain't nobody else behind you to get them on the ground. Stay as deep as the deepest. They teach you that in pot water. For whatever reason, Tyler Newben decided to forget all about that. But here's what I'll say about the Rams. I'm not there yet in terms of them alleviating all the concerns. Matthew Stafford, although the numbers look good, I don't think he played nearly as well. There were some errant throws. He dirtied one to Xavier Smith in the flat in the red zone on a boot that shouldn't have been. There were some that he airmailed. The interception is inexcusable. Throwing in the double coverage in a situation where the team is on their backup quarterback. And the only way your team can lose is if you turn the football over. Unfortunately, the New York Giants offense couldn't take advantage of it with Jameis Winston. So, I do want to see this Rams team when they have a step up in class of competition. You got the Denver Broncos in my eye on Sunday night. Let's see how that goes. After that, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills. I'll know what you are over the next three weeks of football. Even if they don't have Puka? You got to find a way to be able to win. Hell, the Seattle Seahawks don't have their starting quarterback in Sam Donald. And yet, Drew Locke and JSN are lighting it up. So, listen. Every team has to deal with injuries in some form or fashion. All I'm simply saying is this. I'm not ready to concede the Rams being back to the favorites to win the Super Bowls like DraftKings has them in the odds right now. I ain't there.
Speaker 6Well, let me tell you this. Getting back to you. I don't think it's sacrilegious or anything to look at the Rams. And fans. To fantasize about them being a super team. If you're talking about a healthy Myles Garrett. Coming into the season, here's how we were thinking. A healthy Myles Garrett. Arrested 981 days the man hadn't played football in an Aaron Donald. Who looked good last night. You're thinking about that defensive line, right? You're thinking about that. You got McDuffie and Watson from the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason. So, your defense is supposed to be a bit buffered. And the offense was prolific last season. It was number one, number two. Scoring offense, total offense. You looked at Stafford. The reigning league MVP. You look at Williams out of the backfield. You look at Nakua or Devontae Adams. You look at Sean McVay calling plays. You're looking at the Los Angeles Rams. And you're saying to yourself, that game wasn't in Seattle. Who knows what would happen? They probably would have won it to the Super Bowl. Because, obviously, they lost the final regular season game to Seattle. That was a thriller. And then the NFC Championship game was a thriller. I didn't see any problem with anybody having lofty expectations for the Los Angeles Rams. You can't have lofty expectations for a team with the number one offense. Led by the reigning league MVP at the quarterback spot. That just a quarter. Acquired the defensive player of the year. And it's getting back one of the monsters ever in the history of the NFL on the defensive side. And Aaron Donald. I mean, damn. If you can't have lofty expectations under those conditions, when can you have them?
Speaker 7Well, Stephen A., I know you might be a little bit groggy. Because the P.J. got back late from L.A. this morning. So, I mean, I know you might not be all together there. But last time I checked, the L.A. Rams are still in the NFC West. They still have to contend with the reigning defending champs who have beaten them three out of the last year. Out of the last five times they played. I'm aware. And the 49ers who are actually healthier than they were last year. With the law firm of Warner, Bosa, and Greenlaw back in town. Yeah. And that knocked them in the mouth in week one. No doubt. Who already got a win. I'm talking about coming into the season.
Speaker 6I'm saying coming into the season before that game was played. I'm just attacking his premise. I hear you, Stephen A.
Speaker 7But what I'm saying is that's why I can't go there with the L.A. Rams right now. Because even though they looked a lot better last night than they did in week one, they still got to contend with two teams. That looked outstanding through their first two games of the season.
Speaker 6I understand that now. I was just talking about what he was saying coming into the season. Well, y'all were talking about a team going undefeated. I wasn't. Dan Oloski talking about the Rams going to win every game by double digits. And Dan will get on the and deny. And slick back his hands. I didn't say that. I didn't say that.
Speaker 3Ridiculous. The teams you play against matter. And playing in the division they play in. To think that they were going to walk through these opponents. It doesn't matter that you added pieces and parts. There are still weaknesses to every team, right? And there's and there are strengths of teams that teams match up. Well, when I looked at the Rams, I still think they're a good team. I think they're a well coached team. I think the Niners are well coached. I think that the Seahawks are well coached. So as you're looking at these teams. You I would just said I would have said the expectations would it should have been tempered more than they were.
Speaker 6They are still in the conversation. Aaron Donald. You alluded to him. How he looks last night. Get specific about what he did last night. How he looked after 981 days of having not played football.
Speaker 7I think he did a really good job of being disruptive was able to get some pressure. But most importantly, it's what he did at the point of attack in the run game. Being able to get three tackles a tackle for loss. I thought it was big time. Some of the timing stuff was off with him when it comes to setting up his pass rush moves. And that's going to come along with reps and time. He alluded to that in the post game. But for your first time back as a defensive lineman after not playing two. Years. Unbelievable. It is unreal. It is superhuman with Aaron Donald did last night. And I'm just sitting here thinking about the prospects of a defensive front. Once they get back miles Garrett with Kobe Turner with Byron Young who was outstanding last night. Four pressures a sack made Jermaine Illuminor look like a turnstile. Knock Jackson dart out in the first drop. They look they look phenomenal.
Speaker 6Young is the guy that you're relying on now because obviously he led you with sacks last year in 12. And everybody's expecting some big things from him here. Yeah. And he's showing.
Speaker 3But he hasn't faded one bit. You're that the the ability for him to come back after that amount of time and do what he did was absolutely astounding. And I'm just going to say it this way. When you when you as an offensive line, this is not like he not a circus freak like CC right? Like walks in at 6 7, you know, 3:30 and like he is a normal-sized human. Now. He does freak things but he's a normal size. So you would think I'm going to lean on him. We're going to double team him. We're going to jump set him. We're going to give him things that he hasn't seen. In you know, two two plus years his ability to work off of those things and get inside all the things that defensive lineman do keep keep leverage points, right? Keeping his gap when he had to I thought there would be a lot more rust to knock off. He was and he played 32 snaps, which by the way, I was impressed with the begin with I thought I thought he would be like on a 15, you know, pass rush kind of only this dude came in. He he's for real playing like he ain't like I ain't gonna be a you know, kind of a one-trick pony, bro. I'm doing all of this. He played he played and that's a good line. That's a good line. They were didn't look at last night and he look at that. They didn't look at last night guard. He made their guards. Wish he had missed another week. Yeah, you know what I mean? He really did.
Speaker 7He see my dog getting baptized. Yeah, you got NFL ain't as easy as it was. We want to get the Cowboys. That's what I was. Yeah, you go learn today.
Speaker 6That's what I said. I count that they were all talking about how the Giants said. Oh man, we're on it. We're looking forward to it. We can't wait to go out there and go up against Aaron down. And I said that's real easy to say before kickoff. Amen. Call me after you let's see what they say. And now you don't wish for that on anybody.
Speaker 7Yeah, Aaron Donald said he was a little bit sore. I can imagine the Giants offensive lineman or more sore than they were today. Yeah, they were like turnstiles.
Speaker 6I wait last night for that Ram job on your part in this first segment. You were a little bit long-winded but we'll work on that because I like the blazer and the ties pretty fly. Let's move on. Coming up. Jaden Daniels immediate future remains unclear after his injury against the Dallas Cowboys. Where should he and the commanders go from here? And the news was good on Caleb Williams yesterday, but the Bears aren't in the clear just yet. Why the next six games will spell success or failure in Chi town more first take in the
Speaker 8house with your boy and
Speaker 6the boys in a minute.
Speaker 8The greats don't shy away from football. They attack it head-on with confidence preparation and a clear strategy KPMG LLP and their transformation professionals work with organizations across Industries using their advanced AI to help them move faster work smarter and adapt with purpose because in today's business environment winning teams don't react to change they shape it learn more at visit dot KPMG dot US slash velocity. What does it feel like to have a better laptop like the Dell XPS powered by Intel core? With a premium design that's thin and light. It feels smooth very smooth for a better feel in your hands and less weight on your shoulders with a responsive touchscreen. It feels fast and precise for better scrolling zooming and swiping. So everything just flows and with long-lasting battery life. It feels like non-stop energy for a better way to work without being near a charger built for those who want better the Dell XPS built for you.
Speaker 2As you know managing maintenance repair. in operations is never easy, but for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner and protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.
Speaker 6First Take is brought to you by Coca-Cola. Always the real thing. Welcome back to First Take. We head to D.C. as their franchise quarterback Jaden Daniels is searching for answers after dislocating his left elbow in a 37-20 loss to the Cowboys. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Daniels will visit specialists today and Wednesday to determine the best course of action. Let's fill our ass back because this is a recurring injury for Daniels, you guys. Last year, in Week 9 against the Seahawks, Daniels dislocated his left elbow for the first time causing him to miss three games. Then in Week 14 against the Vikings, Daniels re-injured the elbow which ultimately ruled him out for the remainder of the 2025 season. So, Chris Canty, let's go to you. Where do the Commanders go from here, man?
Speaker 7Well, they're probably going to go to the place of trying to find a new head coach because Dan Quinn is working on his way getting fired. He came into this season on a hot seat. The Jaden Daniels of it all doesn't help, especially how he handled the end of the first half. I will say this. When it comes to Jaden's long-term future in Washington, I still think he's the franchise quarterback. But I don't know that they can commit a market-level deal to him this coming offseason when he's first contract extension eligible. He missed 10 games last year, seven of which were due to the elbow dislocation. He had a knee and hamstring thing earlier in the season. This is a player that came into the league in 2024 with some injury concerns because he was so slight of frame. Those people that were on the field, defense, or potentially doubting his ability to be able to hold up, they're now validated with those concerns. So before a team can commit what will be 60, 65, maybe even $70 million a year in terms of where the quarterback market is going, you can't do it with a player that in the last two seasons is going to have extended absences due to injury.
Speaker 3Yeah. This one bothered me, and I'll say this because I was watching the game, and as I was watching it when it happened, this is your franchise quarterback, right? Like, when he's on the field, he is as capable of being as good as anybody, right? The problem is he hadn't been on the field, right? Like you said, 10 games, right? No brace, just play. Go look at that when he's injured as he's walking off. One of the centers, or a center of one of the guards has got a brace. We all wear elbow braces, man. Like, it's part of our game. You get beat up. Your joints get beat up. But if you know that thing cost you seven games, last year, that you didn't protect it or do something to minimize the risk of somewhat, that bothered me. And I know that's just not a Jaden game. That's an organizational decision or whatever, but this is your guy, man. Like, at some point, they make quarterbacks wear braces on their brace leg, on their left knee, right? Like, we saw it. Even some teams made offensive linemen wear braces. It's not your choice. It's not. It is literally mandated, right? They want you to make sure, and it's not your choice. It's not protecting everything, but at least it minimizes some of the risk. When this guy is your franchise and you're not doing it, it's the details of it that bother me so much. And there's one more thing that I, and I don't know why, but when he's hurt and no one goes back around him. Yeah. I didn't like that. Where's the support? Yeah, man. I don't like that. Like, for all of us, man, we risk a lot playing that game. So, if somebody goes down, bro, as your brother, go around them, dude.
Speaker 6As the non-football. As the non-football player on this panel, let me tell you what I see. If I'm a reporter, here's what I'm looking at. I'm walking into that locker room and I'm noticing something like that. If I'm around a team as a beat guy, I'm going to have an idea. Do they believe in you? I'm not talking about his talent. Right. Did you put in the work in the offseason? Have you done what's necessary to make sure you're ready to roll for us? Right. To be that franchise guy. When we were sitting in there, getting in our reps, doing whatever the hell we got to do to make sure we are physically at peak condition to go. Can we say the same for you? Because, through my experience in reporting, when there's a guy lacking, you got to be a superstar to get away with that. Yeah. You got to be a superstar to get away with that. Like, you always on the court. You always available. Come game time. You might do stuff off the court or off the field to play that they may not like, but come the tip-off time, come kick-off time, it's on. And you always there. You can't be somebody that's perpetually injured. No. Even if you're a great player. But you're unavailable. And they don't see you maxing it out to make yourself ready. They're going to hold it against you. Am I lying?
Speaker 7No question about it. And God bless Herm Edwards, who said the best ability is availability. And one of the things that you want to see from all of your players, but especially of your quarterback, because it's a leadership position by nature, is doing everything that you can to develop your craft. And in the case of Jaden Daniels, develop your body. So it can hold up against the rigors of a 17-game regular season because you came off of a year where you missed double-digit games. They want to see that instead of worrying about some damn jersey at LSU.
Speaker 6I got to go to you first on this, but I need both of y'all on this. You talked about Dan Quinn and how he may be in a world of trouble. Can you illustrate for us specifically what you're talking about when you say Dan Quinn is on the hot seat? I'm not talking about just wins and losses. What is he not doing as a head coach?
Speaker 7Well, listen, this is across multiple coordinators now, right? We're talking about Jaden Daniels being hurt. There comes a point in every coach's career, every franchise's career, where you got to protect the quarterback from himself. Yes. And in this instance, when it comes to the game management, specifically at the end of the Cowboys' first half, going for it under those circumstances, as opposed to taking the points and getting in the locker room, opened the door for this play to happen with Jaden Daniels. Now, I know it might be a little unfair, but it's a results-driven business. Right, right. And if you go for it, if you go with the more conventional approach, if you're more conservative, then maybe you still have your franchise quarterback going into week three, rather than Jaden Daniels mulling potential surgical options in order to repair this injury that has plagued him over the last two years.
Speaker 3Yeah, I think some of it is, you know, like he just said, you know, it's, it's, you're playing to win the game and all this fourth down stuff nowadays, like all the, all the different things in people's ear for Dan Quinn, whatever he decided, he decided. A freak accident, for Jaden Daniels, which is disappointing. But I think when you, when you look at the organization as a whole, you're, you're wondering where do they, where would you rank them in the NFC East, right? Like when you're looking at it, you know, you got, you got the, you got the Cowboys, you got the Eagles. They're the last. And, and, and you would probably say, if you look at the Giants and the potential for them to ascend, yeah, you would say they're probably last. And you, you just can't stay there for that long, right? At some point from the commander's perspective, you have to have a vision of, and I, and I agree, with you when you're we started and i'm just talking about the colts as a whole with with bill poley and and whether it was jim mora tony dungy jim caldwell our job when we walked in as an offense this is an offense not just offensive line as an offense day one first meeting keep 18 upright and healthy bar none we ain't talking about nothing we ain't talking about setting scoring records we talk about this we keep 18 up we'll win games the same thing when you talk about franchise quarterbacks they have to be healthy and available for you to win and at the end of the day he's missing way too much time for however that looks
Speaker 6let me switch gears to chicago who's also dealing with injury woes with their franchise a lot of injuries that's right ben johnson said monday afternoon and caleb williams is considered week to week with a right hamstring injury he sustained in the 9-3 loss to the minnesota vikings however johnson said he is not ruling out his quarterback for monday night's game against philly even though he does not expect the quarterback to practice this week in their next six games the bears will take on four playoff teams from last season starting with that monday night matchup against the philadelphia eagles so saturday we'll stay with you depending how long depending how long caleb williams is out can chicago survive without him i do think
Speaker 3so and i'll say this this is this is a ben johnson question right is how much do you believe in their offense and their ability to score i think they can balance they can take pressure off their defense i think and they can run the ball um well i think i think from a from an offensive perspective it will give them and you looked at the schedule i i don't think from a hand from a grade what they're saying is a grade one hamstring i don't see him being out that long right i think he'll miss this week and i think he comes back probably for the jets worst case scenario he comes back for the packers i think they have a great shot against the packers and the falcons so you're looking at being you know either 500 or better in my opinion even with a backup so as as i'm looking at this i definitely think they can stay in this thing the the issue for the bears is going to be their defense and how how can they hold up i think ben johnson finds a way and i'll tell you this is this is a big test for ben johnson and i'm gonna say it this way okay when you think about the 40 the san francisco 49ers yes shanahan finds ways to win without their starting quarterback i went mac jones now last year in la that's right and now you're looking at the seattle seahawks who go - Drew Locke. - Drew Locke. With Drew Locke. You know what, four plays with Darnold or whatever. Good coaches find ways and good teams find ways to win with their backup. This has been Johnson's, like, first test of real adversity, right? What do I do? How do I get my team prepped? So I'm excited to see how he looks in that.
Speaker 7Yeah, I still think everything that the Chicago Bears won out of this season is still on the board. And talking to Adam Schefter about the Caleb Williams injury this morning, he says the Bears aren't ready to rule out Caleb Williams for Monday night football. That's crazy. He said he would be surprised if he played, but the Bears aren't at the point where they're ready to rule Caleb Williams out, which makes me think that this is not going to be an extended absence. But they'll be able to survive without Caleb. They'll be able to be competitive because they can run the football, right? There's only one team that has more rushing first downs than the Chicago Bears. That's the Kansas City Chiefs by one. They lead the league in rush yards per game. They're averaging six yards a clip. They lead the league in yards before first contact. That's exactly right. It's the most diverse run game in all of football. And here's the thing, against the Minnesota Vikings, that game might be completely different if DeAndre Swift doesn't drop the ball going into the end zone on his own two-yard line. So, I mean, I'm not going to jump out of the window because they lost to the Minnesota Vikings. And what's going on in the landscape of the NFC North is what should give Bears fans hope because the Detroit Lions are ravaged with injuries in their secondary and their offensive line. The Packers have not looked like themselves. And the Minnesota Vikings are vacillating between Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray. And we don't know if they got a quarterback. So, I would just say this. It's all still out in front of them for the Bears. They dodged a bullet with Caleb Williams' injury. Let's see what the timeline is. But I still think this is the team to beat in that division.
Speaker 6So do I. But I'm telling you right now, I mean, listen, you did sign Bajan to an extension, a two-year extension. Yeah. So, you got him. He's not Caleb Williams, but he is mobile. He's shown he can play a little bit. You should have a reason based on that with Swift and Menungai. Yeah. And what they're able to do out of the backfield with Adunze and Burton. You should be able to do some things. And not only that, Ben Johnson talked about, about his offense and how prolific he expected them to be. Oh, yeah. He said that. So, again, you're not looking at – you're not expecting Chicago to be what they were with Caleb Williams. But you ain't supposed to fall off the map. No chance. You ain't supposed to. And we'll accept that last week, not just because of the fumble, but because of the inclement weather. Oh. It was raining, slippery, and all of this other stuff. We'll accept that now. But on a week-to-week basis, no, we expect – and I think that he said it, he's keeping the door open, not because Caleb Williams is going to play, but it's a reminder to the rest of the players season ain't over. This dude ain't – he's coming back. He's coming back.
Speaker 3Let me say this to you, dude. B-Flo, like Flores from the – he's got his number, dog. Like he plays Ben Johnson – What's him, 82% of the time? Bro, or he got him 60 this time. He was 82 week one. Yeah. I mean, like he put that – He's sending him out. He put like six dudes across the line. He's sending them. You know, it reminds me a little bit of that Super Bowl with the Rams and the Patriots, right, where they gave them that kind of weird – those kind of weird looks that we played back in Pee-Wee League. Yeah, yeah. Like where you just – But it was – Brian Flores deserves credit. Like that's a tough group, and they're a tough defense. And again, bad weather, bad moments, the fumble, like some of the things that happen. The blocked field goal? Yeah, exactly. Those things can't happen if you're Ben Johnson.
Speaker 7That's right. Which is what you said is absolutely accurate. Yes. This is going to judge him as a head coach. See how he does.
Speaker 6Let me get on him for a second. Uh-oh. I have it right here. Vikings blitz Caleb Williams on 27 of his 33 dropbacks, which was 82%. Oh, dropbacks. Oh, correct. Okay. The host. Okay. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Coming up.
Speaker 5Oh, boy. We're only two weeks into the season,
Speaker 6but the Vikings are 2-0 and the Packers are 1-1. But are they good? We'll debate that next.
Speaker 2Today's episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on your car insurance smart play. Kind of like how you'd check the rankings first before talking smack. Checking first is a win. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. Visit Allstate.com to see how much you can save. You're in good hands with Allstate. Allstate, official sponsor of the college football playoff. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.
Speaker 9Harry Douglas here with two sugar-free donut-flavored five-hour energy shots for you. It's your choice. Maybe you're the jelly donut type with that tangy raspberry jelly. Or maybe you're with me on Team Boston Cream, the perfect combination of rich chocolate and silky vanilla custard, all without the guilty sugary aftermath. New jelly donut and Boston Cream donut five-hour energy shots, available at fivehourenergy.com and on Amazon.
Speaker 10This message is brought to you by Apple Card. With Apple Card, you earn unlimited daily cash back on Amazon. Everyday purchases, like groceries, merch, or tickets to the game. Plus, it can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted. No matter your team, no matter where you shop, Apple Card is here to help you tackle game day. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch. Terms and more at applecard.com.
Speaker 6Want to play a game? Ask Canty and Saturday if these teams are good. That's what I want to do right now. Y'all ready, fellas? Let's start it off in Minnesota. They picked up a 9-3 win in Week 2. And good news, that quarterback Kyler Murray cleared concussion protocol and is expected to start Week 3 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Minnesota is 2-0 for the second time in the last three seasons. The Vikings have won seven straight games since Week 14 of last season, their longest streak since winning nine straight in 2024. Chris Canty, CC. Are the Vikings good?
Speaker 7I think they can be good with that defense. The only question is I don't know what the ceiling is because I don't know what you're going to get from the quarterback play. Too small of a sample size for Kyler Murray and the Wentz wagon. We don't know when the wheels are going to fall off. I will tell you this, it's hard to keep winning games when your offense is averaging less than five yards of play, which we saw against the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'll say weather played a factor on that one, so I'm going to give them a pass. This is a good football team. And I will say mainly because of that defense. Brian Flores. This man, like, he has the first two weeks, he could be an MVP conversation. I mean, this cat is bringing it from every which way, and you've got to respect it because when you don't know who your quarterback is going to be or how effective that quarterback or offense might be, defense, you've got to be special. Guess what? He's been special. They have been special on that side of the ball. They've got talent offensively. They've got receivers who can go make plays. They can be – they have an offensive line that can protect. Be good. And I think they are a good football team, and I think KOC's a good coach as well.
Speaker 6Two things that come to my mind. Number one, I think they're a good team that could have everything ruined by quarterback play because they got receivers and they got an elite defense. Yeah. And the bottom line is the quarterback can mess everything up, which brings me to my second point. Kevin O'Connell, as good as he is, is lucky to still have his damn job and not be born like Mitchell is because when you handed the reins to J.J. McCarthy, who had never thrown an NFL pass, sacrificing a season. Of Justin Jefferson's career, you are lucky you still have your job. That's what I want to say. Let's stick with the NFC North and get to the Packers because they rallied from down 10 points to beat the New York Jets 20-17 in overtime on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. No surprise there. Green Bay was the first team on record since 1941 to win a game with less than 200 total yards, 100 penalty yards, and a negative turnover margin.
Speaker 3Jeff Saturday. Who? On a Green Bay Pack. This is to be decided for me. This is to be decided. And I'm going to say why. Micah Parsons. Like, he is a game changer, bro, and a difference maker. And so when you have a guy who is as capable as he is of making plays and doing things on the defensive side of the ball, it changes not only how your defensive plays but how your offense plays. And so until they get healthy with him in the game, this is kind of like the Miles Garrett for me with the Rams or the Packers. The Puka Nakua with the Rams. Like, I want to see these guys, before I decide on how good they are, I want to see them fully healthy. And we know at some point we'll be back on the field sooner, hopefully, rather than later. But without him, I'm going to say TBD. But with him, I think they could be good.
Speaker 7Listen, I think they can be good. And some of the issues that plagued the Packers in the past in terms of the blown leads late, they figured that out against the New York Jets. Now, they were trailing. They had to come from behind win. But remember, Matt LaFleur took advantage of some coaching gaffes from. Aaron Glenn, specifically at the end of the game in terms of being able to position his team to take a shot to the end zone. He ends up getting sacked, but that's neither here nor there. The one thing that I will say that I'm encouraged by for the Packers, though, coming out of the Jets game, they stopped the Jets from being able to run the football after the Jets had a huge day on the ground against the Tennessee Titans. And Lucas Van Ness showed up. That pass rush showed up. Nine pressures. He had nine pressures. He had a quarterback sack. They were able to get to Geno Smith four times. We didn't know that the Packers could manufacture rush. Without Micah Parsons, and they were able to do it in the fourth quarter in the overtime, and that was a big part of the difference in that game.
Speaker 6Fellas, quick question for y'all. We talk about Micah Parsons. They were 0-6 before they won against the Jets this past Sunday without Micah Parsons, right? Dating back to last season when he got his injury. They haven't had Josh Jacobs this year either. He's on the commission as exempt. Yes. We don't know when we're going to see him. I guess what I'm asking, how much of an effect do y'all believe that's having on Green Bay's offense?
Speaker 3Oh, it's big, man. I mean, listen, you go all the way through a preseason, and understand. understanding of what your guys are going to be, and now it's running back by committee. It's figuring this thing out. Only giving you 3.4 yards to the right. Yeah, I mean, you know, so you have to figure. And they haven't played well up front. They haven't played great, right? They're going to have to figure this thing out for themselves. I would say this. To me, Micah Parsons, that loss is more monumental to me than the Jacobs. The Jacobs is a problem, but it's fixable. Micah Parsons, as players go, is almost irreplaceable.
Speaker 7Yeah, I think the run game is going to be a problem for Green Bay. Their offensive line played better against the Jets in terms of pass protection, but it's hard for that to consistently hold up if you don't have any balance on the offensive side of the ball. You're going to have to run the football, and I don't know that you can wait on Josh Jacobs to come save the day because we don't know when that situation is going to resolve itself. I'm going to say this. Green Bay, they're one of those teams that should be picking up the phone to see if there is a running back out there that can be a difference maker that's there to be had. They're ahead of the trade deadline in November. They're one of those teams that needs to look for help in that area.
Speaker 6Exactly, especially since you're evaluating Coach Matt LaFleur and you're evaluating Jordan Love. Before, you're looking at both of them.
Speaker 7Yeah, Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin. Let's see what happens with the Indianapolis Colts. I'm just saying. Whoa. Hey, listen, listen. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Speaker 5I mean, that's fandom now? We're being emotional? That was uncalled for. Y'all are one
Speaker 7love to the Texans away from selling. Everything off. And starting to interview general managers and head coach candidates. I'm out. I'm out. I'm just saying. I'm just saying.
Speaker 5Go to commercial. Go to commercial. Come on, Jeff. We ain't going to commercial. We going out west.
Speaker 6We're scataboo. We get scataboo. Let's go out west, y'all. All right. Let's take a look at the Las Vegas Raiders. Clint Kubiak and the Raiders beat the Chargers 26-14 for their first 2-0 start since 2021, the last time they made the playoffs. The Raiders are the, the second team in the draft era since 1967 to start 2-0 with their number one overall pick. That season not even playing in either game. So, Chris Canty, CC, are the Raiders good?
Speaker 7Last five seasons, teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs 75% of the time. Rest assured, the Las Vegas Raiders ain't going to be one of them teams.
Speaker 6Oh, I knew you were going to do it, too. I agree with him. I agree with him. I knew you were going to do it.
Speaker 7The Miami Dolphins are bad. They got about as much in deadcats. They got as much cap money on players that aren't playing for them as they got on players that are on the roster. And as far as the L.A. Chargers are concerned, them people are going to be picking in the top ten. They're trash. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, I'll know what the Raiders are definitively with the upcoming schedule. They got the New Orleans Saints on the road, then the Kansas City Chiefs on the road against the Patriots, home against the Bills and the Rams. We're going to find out over the next month and a half what the Raiders are, but I think there is a come back to the ground moment for them
Speaker 3that's waiting for them. Yeah, I agree with that. I'm cautiously optimistic for the Raiders, not necessarily for this season in particular, but for the way they've been able to manage the Mendoza situation because of the starting fast, right? You win two games. No one expected you to win these games. You've won games. You've been able to keep him on the sideline, keep him healthy. Let's watch this thing progress, see how their offense and defense. But their defense looked good. Their defense has played good. So, if you're a Raiders fan, you have to be excited about the way it started. And the potential for the future. You can't necessarily, if they go through a slump, you can't jump off. It's not like Raiders fans do. They don't jump off the bandwagon. But they stay strong with them, understanding this isn't about this year. Clint Kubiak is building for the future. He's getting his pieces and parts right. Because I'm with you. This team, yeah, long-term this season, I don't think they get there. But I am excited about the start. Think about that. You could be a Charger fan.
Speaker 6Right. And you're over. We've got people on the list. We've got people in Los Angeles calling for them to move back to San Diego. The Cardinals and the Raiders, though? Is that bad? Let me say this, though. Defense for the Raiders. Eight sacks tied for the NFL League right now. League high 50% pressure rate, despite blitzing, only 7.4% of the time. Even though it's against Miami and the Chargers. Do you pay attention to that?
Speaker 7Yeah, I do. Because, foundationally, that's how you want to build your football team. You want to go front to back, inside out. And that's exactly what the Raiders did this offseason. They tried to trade Max Cosby. That didn't work out. But they did get a host of a lot of other pieces, including Quiddie Paye along that defensive line, to improve. They got the center from the Baltimore Ravens. And Tyler Lindenbaum gave them a bag of money. And that area of their football team seems like it's becoming a source of strength, which in years past, it was a sore spot.
Speaker 6So, I like the fact that the Raiders are building it the way they are. Jeff, what about this? How are you the Chargers, and we're not talking enough about Mike McDaniels? That is the former head coach for Miami. Who's the head coach for Miami? Who's supposed to be a boy genius on the offensive side of the ball? Who's the new offensive coordinator who Jim Harbaugh raved about being there and was going to infuse such something in this office? And it's going to make Justin Herbert look like a Hall of Famer. Yet, look at how they look scoring 14 points in each game and looking like straight trash collectively.
Speaker 3What the hell's going on with the Chargers? This has been bad. It could not be. When I watch the Chargers and you look back at the Chargers, there's a saying, don't miss the layup. They missed the layups. Like, the splash. The splash plays are there, right? The sexy throws. But just the mundane, keep the chains moving, keep this thing going. They're not doing well. And I will tell you, the run game, because I've gone back and watched their run game cutups. I'm trying to look at this stuff. It's everybody plays a role at some other point, right? So, like, when they're going to run block, they'll do it. Seven of the guys will do it right. One guy does it wrong, and that guy makes a tackle. They can't buy a break when it comes to that. Mike McDaniel has actually put them in some good. Good run sets, and it just has not gone well. I think they will pick that part up. This is my problem with the Chargers, though. Like, Justin Herbert is supposed to be your guy. And supposed to be. That's when, like, a quarterback needs to help elevate you. He has not done that to this point, right? And so, as you're looking at that, that's probably the fear that you have is, if all you're complaining about is the other parts of it, and it's not the Herbert part of it as well, that's when your quarterback has to elevate you. In some way, and it just hasn't shown.
Speaker 7Yeah, I'm with you on that one. There are reasons, and then there are excuses. And I think the only difference is a matter of time. For Justin Herbert, there were reasons why he struggled in the past. We have now graduated to the point where that shouldn't matter. Right. All right? I get that the offensive line is a work in progress, especially the interior trio. Guard-center-guard combination. We know that's the heart. That's the engine of the run game. They really miss Tyler Biotish, who's hurt. Yep. But that can't matter if you're Justin Herbert. Nope. At this point, we're getting to a phase of his career where he's just, good enough to get good coaches fired because he's already on number three.
Speaker 3Right, right. And, you know, it's funny. Like, when you think about, like, quarterbacks, really good quarterbacks, like the ones that we talk about, and I've heard people talk about him this way, and I have not talked about it. People talk about, like, his ability. Like, those quarterbacks elevate receivers. It's not the other way around, right? Like, quarterbacks, because if you've got great – Well, he trusts his McConkie. Yeah. I mean, you don't trust anybody else.
Speaker 6At some point, you've got to get the other guys involved. Yeah. Look, there's a lot of – They know. They know he doesn't trust them. Exactly. You can tell. Yes. You can tell. You know what? I must say, the – Well, you always give me excellent football analysis, but the obedience of you. Oh, my God. Behaving yourself. Listening. I can't say a – No. Way to go. Way to go. Because we're right.
Speaker 7I don't know how to feel about that. Stephen, that comment on me, I don't know that I want to be in that room.
Speaker 6He's coming on. He's coming on.
Speaker 7No, no, no.
Speaker 6After week one done down under, the Rams bounced back last night. How worried should the rest of the NFC be? Hmm. Just out there, answer that really nicely. C-C-E-E. I don't know how he's going to be about to answer that. Here we go. Here we go.
Speaker 5Exactly. Exactly. Just to cut you down. Cut you down.
Speaker 4Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-CONTACTS.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-CONTACTS.
PodcastTranscript AI