Speaker 1Hey, I'm Tony DeCoppo, anchor of the CBS Evening News. On my new daily podcast, Great Question with Tony DeCoppo, we go deeper on the one big question you haven't heard answered, or maybe haven't even heard asked. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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Speaker 4Studio 44 at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. This is. I'm Kyle Long with Russell Wilson, future NFL Hall of Famer. J.J. Watt's going to join us, and I think this guy's a future NFL Hall of Famer as well. He'll be on the show live. It's been a crazy week. You and I went back to Denver. That was a lot of fun. A lot of Russell Wilson fans in Denver.
Speaker 5Well, we had a blast, and, man, that game was insane. I think about that game, you know, and we called it. We said that it was going to be a wild game. We thought it was going to go back and forth, come down to the wire. But how about on NFL Today Plus? I'm just saying, people ask, was that one of those things that we planned or anything like that? That was not CGI. That was not. That was not CGI, not AI at all. That was real, baby.
Speaker 4But then the game started, and you and I have plenty to talk about. We did. We've, you know, we obviously spent a lot of time. We spent a lot of time together. But I like this show because on Sunday, you get to hear snippets of what we think because there's so many voices to be heard, and there's so many fantastic people. But this is our day, okay? So we get to talk about what pissed us off, impressed us, what made us go, oh, my goodness. And I'm going to start off with my oh, my goodness thing was the goal line play calling and the situational football for the Kansas City Chiefs with an opportunity to win the football game at Empower Field at Mile High. Look, the Kansas City Chiefs, they don't do the QB. But if there was ever a time to do that QB sneak. Well, you remember why they don't do the QB sneak, though.
Speaker 5Yes, yes. And everybody's like, they got a QB sneak. But, you know, the last time they did a QB sneak. That was one time. I mean, that one time could have been it for them. Yeah. Right? Was it his knee or something like that? Yeah, his knee. He tweaked up his knee. He hurt his knee pretty bad. But that was like 2019, bro. Listen, the one thing that we do know about Patrick Mahomes, he's tough. He's not afraid to go down there. But you also have Kenneth Walker back there, right? So I think that whole series was interesting because they got down there. They did an amazing job. Just like, I mean, you saw Travis Kelsey run the sail route. We knew it was going to happen. He breaks them down, boom, wide open, hits them wide open, gets out of bounds, whatever. I mean, in those moments, Patrick Mahomes does such a great job of driving them down the field. And you can feel the tension in that stadium. We could feel it. We were there. Yeah. And everybody thought, oh, no, here goes Patrick Mahomes. He's going to win another great game. And, you know, they actually won the game in that moment. They hit a touchdown. But what happens? Right tackle flinches. Yep. In that moment. Because the Denver Broncos fans. Which, by the way. By the way. Were so loud. That was a false start. Yeah, he was. No, for sure. He moved. He flinched.
Speaker 4I've heard people say, you know, it wasn't.
Speaker 5No, no. Yeah, he moved. Can't do that. They got to call that. And for the refs to call that in that moment, too, is a big call. Absolutely. And they were right on that, I thought. But, you know, they had a touchdown. They call it back. Back it up. And next thing you know, Vance Joseph's defense makes another huge, huge play. And we talked about it on set. You know, everybody talks, obviously, about Sean Payton and his success and what they were able to do in that game, especially that last, which Bo Nix is so incredible in those moments in the end of the games. What I really was impressed by, those Vance Josephs standing tall in those moments and not flinching and him going with, knowing what he wanted to call. I think that's what makes that team so special is their defense and how they fly around and watching guys like Zach Allen cause havoc. But that stadium, it felt like an AFC championship.
Speaker 4Yep. And there was a number of these games this week. I mean, just last night we watched what looked to be like an NFC championship with the Seattle Seahawks. And the Chicago Bears. And we'll get to that in just a second. But I want to make sure we welcome in all the fans in the chat. Thank you guys for being here each and every week. That's what makes this show special. Russ really loves getting involved with the chat. And so do I. And you guys always have good opinions. And you might look at it differently than us. So, we appreciate that. Look, we were at that Denver game. And one thing that we all agreed on is that it was going to be a one-position football game. And it was going to be a really good football game. And we've looked at it a number of times with Bo Nix in the fourth quarter. Finds an extra gear. That whole football team finds an extra gear. And my theory is everybody else just runs out of oxygen. And the Broncos have been training up there for so long. And I play games up there. And the fourth quarter sucks. It's always the first series sucks. It's hard to get your breath. And the last series really sucks. But the Broncos, it feels like they're all things even for them. I want to talk to you a little bit about we discussed that QB sneak. And we've talked at length about Andy Reid's genius, particularly in the league. Because if you're not going to QB sneak it, you better be damn creative. And they got really creative. One of the actions that we saw from that group was the usual play that we see down there at the goal line is where Patrick Pirouette, you get a gap scheme. So for the offensive lineman, let's call it gravedigger. The play's called gravedigger. We're going to put these guys away. We're going to bury him here with this touchdown. And what you've seen is play side deuce block, which is tackling guard, going to the opposite linebacker. And then Travis comes across, scrapes, strikes a match off the ass of the center and the double team. And it looks like he's going to be the lead blocker. And they usually flip him the football. And he scores untouched, okay? They did a wrinkle with this play, okay? Which was Kenneth Walker. Yeah, they did the wrinkle where they pirouette and Kenneth Walker runs the hoop and he flips it up to him. And everybody in the truck, so we watch the games in the truck, right? We watch the games in the truck together. It's Bill Cowher, James Brown, Nate Burleson, Russell and myself. And there's a lot of opinions. But it's rare that we ever agree totally on something. When that play happened, we were all like, oh my goodness, Andy Reid. And you've got to imagine, how many of those plays does he have ready to go, run this one?
Speaker 5That's the genius. Yeah, I think he puts – he knows how to put his best players in the best positions in those moments. And that play was obviously huge. I think the one thing when you go back to that last drive, those last few plays, it was third down, they got under center. And when they got under center, it was like, okay, it's probably going to be a run. There's only – There's only so many plays you're running in that moment. I think if they had gotten to the gun and then still handed it off in that moment, that could have been a huge play because they were thinking, okay, Patrick Mahomes is going to do one of his magic tricks. What's going to happen? Where's Travis Kelsey? And then hand it off. And then they still had the timeout, which they ended up calling. They got stuffed on that third and one and became fourth down. Obviously, they had the offsides penalty. So I think that when I go back to that game, though, right, the Broncos started off a little bit slow. They were trying to figure it out. But you can see that the trust that – you know, Bo Nix has with Sean Payton in his ear, I think that was evident of that. And I think that was the key part for Bo Nix's confidence going into that fourth quarter, that last drive. They were down. Can they do it again? And sure enough, he got another huge win. And so when I'm thinking about the best teams in the AFC, let's talk about it. I think, you know, you got the Kansas City Chiefs who obviously they just lost two back-to-back games, you know, losing to Seattle and then losing to the Broncos. But those are tough games, right? But the Kansas City Chiefs, as we saw on the field, we still have that confidence that they can – Yep. The Broncos, though, and we talked about this on set, too, with NFL Today, if they get another piece, that other piece, I'm just telling you, and their running backs did a pretty good job in that game, but that team changes completely if they get a guy like Jonathan Taylor to me. And I'm doing everything I can. If I'm Sean Payton, if I'm George Payton, their GM, who's a great GM, if I'm him, I'm going after Jonathan Taylor to change this team. So that way I know I have all the pieces necessary.
Speaker 4Because right now they don't have an offensive identity.
Speaker 5They would if they got Jonathan Taylor. And it's coming. It's growing. I think Bo Nix is finally getting healthy. I think he's gaining that confidence. He's played well the past couple games. And so I think that's the thing. But let's talk about, you know –
Speaker 4Let's spin it forward to what we saw last night, Monday Night Football, bro. You talk about the class of the AFC. Let's talk about the class of the NFC, okay, and who I think is the best team in the NFC right now. And I know the San Francisco 49er fans are going to be pissed to hear that. But look, by the transitive property, which means I look at who you played and who we played, I beat a team that you didn't beat. So we're better, right? That's the transitive property. And I know you're not supposed to do that, right? But I saw some special things, some Super Bowl-type recipe things from this Chicago Bears football team, okay? So what did you see from the Bears, and how can you spin that forward to project how that team's going to finish up?
Speaker 5The Chicago Bears won it, and the Chicago Bears won it now. Getting Simmons, you saw how dominant. Simmons was smiling from ear to ear. He knew that going from the Tennessee Titans, leaving that organization, to the Chicago Bears, his confidence on that field, wearing the orange sleeves.
Speaker 4Yep. So his daughter can see him. Yeah. That's why he wears them.
Speaker 5That's so cool. On TV. Yeah, we got to talk about that, too. That's amazing. Because didn't a lot of the Tennessee Titans guys wear the sleeves, right? That's a great point. For our fans.
Speaker 4So Jeffrey Simmons was a career Tennessee Titan and a dominant player there, and obviously he didn't play in a primetime game since 2023. This is a guy that isn't appreciated by the masses like so many of the other stars. But you can tell a lot about a guy by what they say and what they say. They do when you leave. And when he left, I listened to Solomon Thomas, his defensive linemate in Tennessee. He said, yeah, we're all going to wear red for Jeffrey to show how much he meant to us, and that's how we can honor him.
Speaker 5That's badass, dude. That's so cool. And it's evident that he's a leader. You can tell post-game how everybody went to him, how everybody was excited. You saw Caleb Williams walking down the sideline, motivating him, vice versa. Like, that's what you want on a championship team. But let's go to the quarterback. Yeah. I mean, Caleb Williams. In my opinion, it's him and Joe Burrows, the best quarterbacks in the National Football League right now. Brock Purdy's up there, obviously, what he does. He's got all that talent. But these two guys are dominant on the football field. And to me, when I watch Caleb Williams, I see this dynamic quarterback that has that animal instinct that we talked about on NFL Today Plus on Sunday. It's like it's one of those things that he has this animal instinct, Kyle, that no matter what the circumstances is, how he gets out. There was a play where he ducked, got out of it, pulled through, ripped through, put his foot in the ground, and ripped the inside breaker, you know, 15, 20-yard end breaker, and hit the guy right on the money to Romandouze. And so when you see those kind of plays, you know, that's where you know how great he is. When you see him walking up and down the sideline, he said something like, I don't give a hell who these guys are, this and that. You saw the intensity in his eyes, the passion for the game that he has. And I think that's what I'm noticing about Caleb more than ever. It's really turning up and turning on. And he's in that moment. I think knowing Caleb a little bit, that sense of urgency, that sense of urgency that Ben Johnson has instilled in him. But I'm also seeing somebody that is making all these magic plays. You know what I always say about magic plays? The thing about magic is that it's not magic if you do it all the time. And he's doing it in a consistent way, you know, frequently throughout the game. But what he's doing extremely well is Ben Johnson is allowing him and showing him that having the fundamentals of the game, how fundamentally sound he is, the technique of holding the football, pulling through, rip through, the ball placement that he's decided, how he's getting to his checks. You saw him multiple times getting to alternates, speeding the game up because of the noise in Lumen Field. All those moments, I think, are really spectacular watching, you know, Caleb Williams. And I think there's a confident quarterback that can be a Super Bowl champion in Caleb Williams.
Speaker 4I think when I first got to meet Caleb Williams, it was in this studio right here the day after he won the Heisman. I believe it was 2022. It was his junior year, I think. And he came in here. And the thing that impressed me the most is behind the cameras were five big old hog mollies. He brought his entire offensive line from Los Angeles to the Heisman ceremony. That spoke volumes. To me, about who he was, obviously, the things that the public sees, he's a superstar. He's got unbelievable feet. He's got an unbelievable arm, cocky arm. And he's got the six inches between the ears that champions are made of. And I think that people were so distracted by all the other stuff that is just part of being this generation superstar that they weren't quite ready for it. I mean, I talk to my dad about this all the time. He's like, I under, you know, he's like, he's obsessed with Caleb's talent. By the way. By the way, my dad. And if you know football, you know my dad. And he knows football. But I had to explain to him. I'm like, this is the next generation of superstar. So if people are getting their feathers ruffled by this young man, just wait until next year's draft and the year after that. Because who do you think they're going to emulate when they're in high school and college now? Because when middle schoolers were watching Russell Wilson play, they were bailing out of the pocket left and trying to go downtown. And when kids watch Steph Curry, they're shooting from the logo. We're going to have a lot of Caleb Williams. Disciples in the National Football League. I knew he was going to be a superstar. The Bears have never had a superstar. And they've got a guy who not only can do it, wants to do it, and is ready for the moment. And last night in Seattle was one of those moments, man. He looked unbothered, unfazed, in rhythm, on time. I just love watching it. I'm so happy for the Bears.
Speaker 5What makes Caleb Williams great is he's the ultimate competitor, man. You see it on the field. The mentality that he has. The belief that he has in his team. Just to be able to rip the football in tough moments and certain situations. And how he's getting the ball to this check down. But let's go to the chat because I'm curious. First of all, we're so grateful for you guys once again joining us on Set Hut right here live every Tuesday. But we have some cool questions here.
Speaker 4They said you would have got the dub for Seattle last night.
Speaker 5That's crazy. I like to win over there. But we've got a poll right now. And this one right here. Better chance to make the Super Bowl, Bears or the Seahawks? And everybody's saying 91%. What do y'all think back here? Production crew? Boo? You think 91%? Yes or no?
Speaker 4No. 91%. Okay, yeah. So one thing that we still know about the Seahawks is that they still have a championship defense. Yeah, for sure. And they just ran into a juggernaut last night with the Chicago Bears. A group that wasn't afraid. They wanted to be great and it showed. What's next for the Seattle Seahawks?
Speaker 5Well, what's next for the Seahawks is they've got to get back on a good winning streak and feel confident. Obviously, they beat Kansas. The City Chiefs was a huge win at home. They had two back-to-back games. Could you imagine them winning those two games in those moments would have changed their season in a big way, especially in that division. NFC West, you know, it's not an easy division. Obviously, the 49ers have been playing great all year. So, to me, what I think about this is that we've got to get Sam Darnall feeling comfortable. You know, he's getting beat up out there. He's on the ground, this and that. And I think they just made a big trade, obviously, with Nelson, which is a huge acquisition. Because you saw, you know, what a pick. John Steiner to be able to pick him up because, you know, Quentin Nelson was hammered some guy. He was impactful last night. I mean, he made some huge blocks, the cutback runs and all that. But the offense is only really going through JSN. And JSN is a monster. I mean, just watching him run his routes, how he sets guys up. Everybody talks about the touchdown, the little slant and go. But the DB on third and ten shouldn't be jumping that. But he hits them, wide open touchdown. Okay. But what I loved was the route where he got into the shadow of the DB. Where he snuck behind him, you know, was running a little shake route, got behind him, broke outside. Those little details that he understands how to run these routes. And we had JSN on this show. And his detailed work ethic around the concepts that he's running. But other than that, I just feel like Sam Darnold's not comfortable out there. And he doesn't look all the way healthy. He's banged up. He's kind of getting up. And, you know, kind of every time he's just kind of battling through it. And so I think what we've got to do is, in Seattle in particular, is we've got to get healthy again. We've got to get his mindset, you know, feeling, ripping it and going. And getting some easy completions along the way, you know. And just getting the ball moved down the field. But it all goes to that defense. And that defense last night, the first time, I felt like they were getting beat up and exposed a little bit. And that's not because, you know, the defense wasn't good. It's because the Chicago Bears offense is so great. And so that was my thoughts of watching, you know, Swift, for example, how dominant he was. Watching Caleb Williams, how dominant he was. I mean, talk about the receivers for the Bears, Kyle. You know these guys. I mean, Aduze and just the playmakers that they have.
Speaker 4And last night I was on CBS Sports HQ with B-Mac and Joe Musso, who do a fantastic job. You should check them out. Every primetime, those guys are fantastic. And we do a segment called Who's Got the Edge? And they asked me about the receivers, who's got the edge. And everybody's like, JSN. And I'm like, hold on. You got him. But they got a bunch of dudes over here in Chicago. And the great thing about having a bunch of dudes and never knowing where the pressure is going to come from, there will be a view on. There will be a view on the envelope that you will be able to look down, and there's going to be somebody over there that's friendly to your eyes who can catch the football. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden. I mean, they have Roma Dunze last night showed up. He's had some spots where people have gone, eh. But he made some big plays last night, and I hope that continues. That unit is built to put up 40 points a game. And there's certain benchmarks you have to meet as a football team in order to say, we're a good team, we're a really good team, we're a great team, and now we're a Super Bowl caliber team. You go to Seattle in front of the eyes of the football universe, as our coaches always say, and you do that, you go BTA, and you guys know what BTA means. I'm not going to say it. My bosses will get me in trouble. They went BTA on him last night. Okay, so are the Bears clear Super Bowl contenders?
Speaker 5Absolutely. I mean, when you think about the Bears, Chicago Bears, because of the quarterback play, because of what Caleb Williams did, they had a great head coach in Ben Johnson. He's instilling confidence, and they could be anybody. And even in this own division. I want to go to the chat where he says, who wins the NFC North? I mean, who is the actual king in the North? But I'm in love with Jordan Love. So let's do that. I think that Jordan Love, I think Jordan Love has been playing out of his mind. I think they're about to get Micah Parsons back soon. Can't forget about that. The Packers are so sound. They've got weapons everywhere. They've got players. As long as Christian Watson stays healthy, and what they're doing at that position, the receiver position, Jordan Love is one of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League. So I love that. I love some Jordan Love. But what I saw last night of Caleb Williams, I don't know if there's anybody better in the National Football League at making every single throw. The goalball throw, the deep post route, the only throw he missed last night, which I wish he had back, there was a throw right before the half. I think it was third down and seven, I believe. And he had a guy double move, a little in and out, up. And he had him. A little more air on that thing. A little more moon ball-ish on that thing. It was Rome on the left side. He had him on the left side for a touchdown. Other than that, there was nothing that I felt like Caleb Williams didn't do extremely well. I love the fact that he's checking and deciding and all that. And so in this division, when I think about the, you know, obviously you've got the Minnesota Vikings, you've got the Chicago Bears, you've got the Lions, you've got the Packers. The two best quarterbacks right now, in my opinion, is Jordan Love and obviously Caleb Williams. So when you think about this, I want to show you guys how great, you know, Jordan Love is playing. That's just why I'm saying I'm in love with Jordan Love right now. Because the Cheeseheads love him too. He's got 2,246 yards pass. He's at the first in the National Football League. He's got 17 touchdowns, right? And he started off, you know, relatively, you know, not as hot as he's been. And then he's got 20-yard completions. He's got 33, guys. 33 explosive plays. Christian Watson, I think, is leading the league, I believe, in that number. And he's got past TDs, right? He's got 16. He's fourth in the National Football League. So Jordan Love is playing at an extremely high level. And I think he's got all the confidence in the world. So watch him. these guys, seeing how Micah Parsons affects, you know, this division coming back is going to be the biggest deal.
Speaker 4It all comes down to matchups, right? And if they feel like they've got a matchup that they can expose in the division and look, they already beat the bears, but it wasn't the Caleb Williams bears. It was Tyson Bajent who we were all begging to see after Case Keenum. And obviously it didn't work out very well. But when I think about this Jordan Love offense, I think about a coach who doesn't get enough credit and that's Matt LaFleur. And I think he's a brilliant coach and he finds a way to get his guys not only open wide ass open and Jordan Love can put the football on him. His arm talent is cocky. Okay. And he can just make throws like yourself and all these quarterbacks we talk about every week. And he never seems to be too high. Never seems to be too low. Every time they show Jordan Love, he's like this.
Speaker 5He's neutral. He's sitting here confident, you know, he's poised and that's what you want in a franchise quarterback. You want somebody that's confident and poised can make every single throw. And when I watched Jordan Love, when I watched Caleb Williams, they both had that same passion. But they're always, they're always in control, right? And obviously Caleb Williams, he's making these freak moves and plays and all this, but I believe that they can make every single throw on the football field. I always talk about the quarterback's wrist, his ability to throw the ball and flick his wrist. Like they say flicking boogers. He's flicking boogers out there. Both of these guys, what they're able to do on the football field, there's not many guys on the planet that can do what these guys are doing. You know, so, so to me, so to me, Kyle, when you think about, do you pick the Packers for the, for the NFC North? Are you picking the Bears? And this is a big one here because everybody, you know, you're picking the Packers for the NFC North. Everybody knows Kyle is, you know, you got to be honest here, Kyle.
Speaker 4So in the preseason, I was asked a number of times to do the pecking order, the power ranking, as it were for the NFC North. And I said, look, I bleed Navy and orange, but at the end of the day, you got to get through those cheese heads if you want to be the class of the NFC North. So at the beginning of the year, I said, Packers and holding onto their elbow and ankle, Bears, Lions, Vikings. Okay. And I know the Vikings got an enormous jump out in front, but this last year, I said, Packers, Lions, Vikings. And I know the Vikings got an enormous jump out front, but this last year, I said, Packers, Lions, Vikings. And I know the Vikings got an enormous team just showed them, Hey, we can score points against your defense. Although it wasn't a ton of points. So the Vikings lost their first of the season behind 153 yards on the ground from another King of the North, Jameer Gibbs. Why is he one of the best running backs in football?
Speaker 5Well, I mean, I think Kyle, when you watch this guy play, when I watched Jameer Gibbs, what he can do on the football field, there's only so many people on the planet that can do what he can do. First of all, his acceleration. That's the first thing he has. The second thing is, is that his contact balance. The third thing is his route running. The fourth thing is, is that you know, his ability to accelerate, get in and out of a hole, his ability to obviously route run and make plays his contact balance when he gets it, he's never down. Right. And then ultimately, you know, Jared golf has a guy, he can get him the football. Look at this stat though. I mean, think about, you know, Barry Sanders, Jameer Gibbs, Barry Sanders, maybe the best running back of all time. You got Jameer Gibbs on the rise of what he's done. This is Lions with 10 plus touchdowns. Each of the first 10 seasons. What did he do? What did he do? Extremely well contact balance, make people miss, make people.
Speaker 4And you know what this guy does contact balance and make people miss. He had 12 broken tackles on 25 carries. And I love these heat maps here. Okay. This is next gen stats. Shout out to the NGS family. So Jameer Gibbs forced 12 missed tackles on 25 touches, 25, 12, 99 yards after those missed tackles. Look, you can draw it up as good as you want, but Jameer Gibbs will make you wrong. Okay. And there's a ton of these guys in the NFC North. Okay. I think about that, that tight end in green Bay, Tucker craft, who I always watch. And I'm Christian Watson. Oh, you got cloud coverage. I'm running Louisiana style. That's by you, son. Okay. And then Caleb Williams. I don't care if you got me corralled, I'm getting out of that sucker and I'm firing a laser 25 yards downfield. It's an arms race in the NFC North at the quarterback position. The only team that doesn't have a nuclear option is the team that's in first right now, the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 5Well, I think about, you know, you having a playmaker like Jameer Gibbs, if I'm, you know, you're Jared Goff, you're smiling from ear to ear. I remember having Marshawn Lynch in the backfield with me. Smiling ear to ear, just knowing that, knowing that he's always going to find a way to make a play. And also too, at the same time, his ability to catch the football. When, when I was at pressure or whatever, he'd always find my eyes and I always find him those moments too. And the zone reads that we used to do. And that's what Jameer Gibbs is bringing. The optionality that Jameer Gibbs brings is incredible. There's a guy, Marshall Falk, hall of fame running back. Obviously he's been going through so much. A guy like that. He changed the game of football at that running back position. Barry Sanders changed the game. Jameer Gibbs is changing the game. And it's a revolution of these new, you know, style running backs. You know, you know, you got Bajon Robinson in Atlanta. Bajon Robinson, I mean, yeah, what he can do touching the football. Jameer Gibbs, right? So you have all these special running backs, but when you think about the Minnesota Vikings, right? Six and one, right? They just lose their first game, obviously to the Lions. But to me, there's this missing piece here, the quarterback position. And, and he's the answer in Justin Jefferson, but they got to figure out an answer. I mean, he's only got 28 receptions. They have 28 receptions in two games at the pace that he's going.
Speaker 4Less than seven targets a game
Speaker 5for Justin Jefferson. Yeah, it's a problem. And then they got to figure out it's an immediate problem because if they don't get on a hot streak, they got a tough schedule coming up, right? They got to get on a hot streak and they got to get the quarterback position figured out. I believe that, you know, Kyler, he doesn't seem comfortable all the way, right? He's, he doesn't seem like he's hitting the throws of where he wants to the moments. This, this was a cool throw here. Great catch by him. What did we say in the box? We said him route. It's a him route. Just throw it to him. It doesn't matter more than seven times a game. Yeah. I mean, they should be throwing the ball to him 13, 14 times a game. And so to me, what, what, what he does so well, JSN is very similar, their ability to get open, their ability to feel the pressure of a guy leaning on them and they break away the timing, the rhythm, uh, they're obviously their ability to catch the football. They can catch anything in their vicinity. You throw anywhere in the vicinity, they're making a catch just like this one. And so if they want to win a Superbowl, if they're serious about winning a Superbowl, they got to figure out this answer and they got to make a, they got to make a decision quick.
Speaker 4I got an answer. I got a guy that Kyler Murray can just ride to the promised land. He's, uh, he's just around 30 years old. He's, he goes by the name King. Um, and he plays for the Baltimore Ravens currently. And there, there really ain't nobody else around him. When you look at that, you're saying, you're saying the Vikings to trade for King Henry. Well, you know, he's already wearing purple. Let's just put it on the other. Look, you guys like that on set the run game, Henry going there, the run game for the Minnesota Vikings, I think is the reason why I haven't seen the Kyler Murray experiment come to fruition. Okay. And this week we're probably going to get to see Carson Wentz, right? I mean, Kyler's banged up. Carson Wentz will get another opportunity. And there's people in Minnesota who are probably banging the drum or blowing the galler horn to see another quarterback option. But I say, Hey, look, throw an absolute demon back there in the backfield and watch what that does to your offense. And look at this, these poll results, who will win the NFC North? That is staggering. 88%. Okay. And the crazy thing about this division is we may get all four of these teams in the playoffs.
Speaker 5Can we, can we do something to real fast? Can we pull up the NFC West again? I think it's important because you think about these teams, the Vikings, if they play good football, the rest of the way, they're probably gonna get in the playoffs. Let's assume they do. Let's say the bears take over. Let's say the bears are there. Let's say we follow these results. I'm thinking the NFC North, the bears. Okay. I could agree with this. The bears win this division, but the Packers have a good record. You know, they're, they're on their way too. So, it could be ironic that these four teams, meaning that the Packers, the Vikings, the lions and the bears all could possibly find a way to scratch into the, into the playoffs almost. But then you have the Seahawks four and four. That's not going to cut it, right? The Rams, not going to cut it, but the Rams are starting to heat up and they're about to get miles Garrett back. So that's going to be interesting too, right? Like how that changes things and the Cardinals, right? They, they, they have found a way to win three games. And speaking of Gardner Minshew taking over winning this game, like, and this is insane that they won that game. So to me, we think about the questions into the chat. We got to go to the chat because we've got some fans on set hut right now that always join us, always asking great questions, you know, and I, and I think the first question we should go to, right?
Speaker 4Let's do this one because we touched on it earlier. Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter, when 2482, what do you think's wrong with the Seahawks right now? They seem to be struggling more than usual. Do they have a quarterback problem right now? I'll keep it tight. They've got one really reliable option and he's dominant and defensive coordinators, secondary, these linebackers are doing everything in their power to make sure that they keep him at six for 82, as opposed to 16 for one 82. And that's really the only reason why that offense isn't more dominant. If they had another option, split the field in half, make the defense pick their poison and go win that way. I don't necessarily think it's a Sam Darnold issue. I think we know the ceiling on Sam Darnold and that's okay. You can win a Superbowl with them, but you need more options than that. So that's my answer, Peter.
Speaker 5When? Yeah, I go to a fish. Alicia's got a question. Have we seen the last of Lamar with the Ravens? Oh boy. No, we ain't seen the last of Lamar. I think Lamar, maybe this season, but I don't think we've seen the last of Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson, think about this guy. He's won two MVPs, right? Is it two MVPs? Yeah, two. Two MVPs, right? What he's done for this organization in a big way, he keeps them in the game. Obviously, he's a difference maker. It's just unfortunate. I broke my finger actually on Aaron Donald's helmet. It went the other direction, basically. Had Tyler Lockett double move wide open, boom, I was about to throw it and my finger hit his helmet, you know, in a big game. And so it happens playing the quarterback position, unfortunately. But Lamar Jackson, his injury history, this is important to talk about. 2026, he had an ankle, he had the thumb, can't control the thumb. Ankle happens in football. So those are scratches to me. Leg, tailbone, these things. He's missed four games. He's already missed three games, maybe the rest of the season here. You know, he's got the knee situation. So he's been injured, but he's also a dynamic quarterback. So, you know, would you, would you take those MVPs and everything else? But that's not soft tissue stuff. You're - Those are a
Speaker 4result of how you play the game, right? And I love the way Lamar Jackson plays the game, he's changed the quarterback position. But at the same time, you're not going to be able to go on the run if number eight's not out there.
Speaker 5Yeah, and if you pull up Lamar Jackson's stats, I mean, there's not many people better than him. What he's done in the running game. But I don't know. I think they're cooked for this year.
Speaker 4Can I let Russ cook for a second and tell me if they're cooked? I definitely think they're cooked this year.
Speaker 5Yeah, they're cooked. And to me, the question is, do they trade? You know, do they make a trade? Do they make any trades for a quarterback? Do they do anything like that? What are they going to do with the quarterback position?
Speaker 4Baltimore? Anthony Richardson? Just go tell him, go run that football, man. Go run that football. Let's talk about the Cowboys, though. I know you've got a lot to say about the Cowboys. Your guy, GP, is down there. This is one I think we've got to sit down for. Okay, let's go take a seat. It's going to get serious.
Speaker 5Yeah. He's getting the somber tone right now. Dava, I need you. Dava. Talk to me. We've got Dava in my ear right now. Shout out to Dava, our cracked
Speaker 4researcher in the back.
Speaker 5Ivy League, big brain stuff. I need you to tell me real fast, Dava, because, listen, we've got all the fans listening. Tell me what the situation is with their defense, because their defense, is it a shoddy problem? I don't think it's shoddy. Is it a Dak Prescott problem? I actually don't.
Speaker 4You can't stop the run. You can't have no fun. And for a defensive player, the having fun part is rushing the passer. And you know why you rush the passer? Because you've got to lead. Why do you have a lead? Because you've got two of the best receivers and a quarterback that's more than reliable in Dak Prescott. And the frustration. The frustrations are warranted in Jerry's world right now, because they paid a lot of money to some of those guys on that defense. And it just feels like, for whatever reason, Russ, there's no cohesion in there. And shoddy can't get his guys on the same page.
Speaker 5I will say this about the Dallas Cowboys. The issue in Dallas, the defense has got to make plays. I mean, the reality is that Dak Prescott, yeah, Dak hasn't played great in the games they've lost. I think he's got six touchdowns. He's got six touchdowns. He's got five. He's got five, you know, interceptions, I believe, in those losses.
Speaker 4But his ceiling's through the roof. He's not Sam Darnold.
Speaker 5But when he's hot, he's hot, man. And the reality is that it puts a lot of pressure on Dak Prescott when the defense can't make any plays on defense. And they lose the game. Gardner Minshew comes in the game, and they go, you know, what, 21 points or whatever it was. They get a whole bunch of points in the fourth quarter. And you can see Jerry Jones pulling out any hair he had left. He was pulling it out of his head. You know what I mean? Like, it was unacceptable. He's got more hair than me. But I don't think it's a shoddy problem. I think shoddy is the guy that is the leader. But shoddy may have to make a decision on that defense. He's got to figure it out. And that defense has to be figured out quickly, or there is going to be changes in Dallas. And, you know, the one thing that has hope in Dallas is this. Dak Prescott has always been a glimpse of hope for them. They got George Pickens. Everybody's talking about, should we change George Pickens? Listen, this is one of the best receivers in the National Football League. And what he can do with the football, how he can catch the ball, C.D. Lamb. But I have a problem with everybody thinking that it's just a game. It's just shoddy. It's not shoddy. It's the defense. They got to tackle. They got to tackle. They got to play solid defense. Not have guys wide open, you know, with Gardner Minshew playing quarterback. And there's this guy standing wide open in the back corner of the end zone. Unacceptable. So, that's the issue in Dallas. 28 points per game in the losses. Basically, 30 points a game. It makes it hard for a quarterback to win. And that's just, it's too much.
Speaker 4You're going to track meet against a cheetah every week.
Speaker 5They're giving up 400 yards, bro. Yeah, it's terrible. 400 yards a game. In the losses.
Speaker 4400 yards a game. That reminds me about an offense that really is a pipe dream for me. No pass protection. Downpour. South Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, okay? Baker Mayfield. How many yards have they lost? Baker Mayfield won a football game in which he completed this many passes. I couldn't imagine going to a game. Can I tell you what I would imagine going into a game? If Russell was in that meeting on Saturday night and he said, Hey, boys, this one's on y'all's back. Hey, Bucky, I'm going to hand you that rock a bunch of times. And you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to say, hell yeah, because we're going to be home in time for the 4 o'clock window game because that clock's going to be ticking all day long. The Buccaneers, man. The Buccaneers play a physical brand of football. And I heard Luke Gedeke talk about this, their offensive tackle. He was like, I don't know which one of y'all pundits said that we suck, but that ain't the case. And I love going out there today and blocking for this group. And I'll tell you what, man, it's really telling. So there was a play in which Baker Mayfield, I think it was a toss left. It was like toss crack 39 left, he pirouettes out right. You know, you toss that way, you go this way. The play bet back to Baker Mayfield. And all of a sudden, what does our little bulldog quarterback do? He goes and hunts up some guys on the second level. He actually finished a third-level defender out of the end zone, off the frame. That's the kind of stuff that you love. Well, that's the competitor that you want. That's the competitor you want.
Speaker 5And I think Baker Mayfield has shown that throughout his career, really, how competitive he is. You know that about Baker Mayfield. And in that, you know, in that moment, you think about what he was able to do, even not completing a pass, to find a way to win that team. They rushed for, what, 324 yards or something crazy in a game? Bro, it's like three weeks in a row. And the week before that, they rushed for another, I don't know, 300 yards. But it's just about winning. And winning is everything. And when you find a way to win, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they give themselves a chance in that division.
Speaker 4What's the fewest completions you ever had in a game? Can you remember? I don't know. We're going to have to figure that out.
Speaker 5I don't really want to know. I just like the touchdown. No, Russell was like, oh, Russell was like, oh,
Speaker 4they called a run. Audible, moon ball.
Speaker 5Exactly. Check, check. I do know, though, playing in the rain, that torrential downpour like that, which you never know you're going to get in Florida.
Speaker 4Can we stand up and I can show you why it's better for an offensive lineman when it rains?
Speaker 5Okay, so. Yeah, let's talk about this. Because you get excited when it rains, but it's torrential downpour. Are you one of those guys that's like.
Speaker 4Hell yeah, bro. Because what's my biggest anxiety as an offensive lineman? The guy that I'm playing against is probably a better athlete. Okay. But you know what I have? I have which direction the play's going, when we start, and I got my big mamma jammas right there with me. No, we're not rushing. We're running the ball. Oh, okay, great. I'm the dictator. That's not what I want. I'm one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, I'm going to show you. At Soldier Field, the grass was about that high. That high. Hard to run in. Everybody bitched about it. All the skill players loved complaining about it. But I said, good. It makes you slow? I always felt like you guys were trying to slow me down. But when it's muddy and when it's wet, when I go into my pass set, come rush me. All right. And throw a speed to power on me. So, I go to put my feet in the ground. I got to put my feet in the ground, and my feet slide behind me. Okay? That's no place that I want to be in. Okay? Retreating with a freak athlete coming downhill on me. But when I'm in the run game, when I'm in the run game. Yeah, and I'm thinking his pass. I'm going to get right here, and I'm going to look at you, and I'm going to say, buckle your shit. And then the ball's going to get snapped, and me and my boy are going to take you, and we're going to put you on the bus like Michael Oren. Well, the problem is I'm on my heels. Because you're feeling the same thing that I was feeling as a pass protector. So, when I understand that game plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, down there at Raymond James, in the rain, torrential downpour, that's our game. Yeah. That's our game. It's my serve. Good luck hitting it because that's the game the Bucs want to play. They're built that way. Big guys like Gedicke, Tristan Wirfs, they've got glass eaters, and they don't care what kind of game it is. To your point, they just want to win. And I know Todd Bowles is like, screw it, y'all. Just go down there and win. I love listening to Todd Bowles talk, bro. And that defense is awesome.
Speaker 5The first and takeaways, interceptions, the first. You know, it got everything else. Opponent rush yards, second. But watching Anzalone make plays the other day, you're talking about somebody that was always tough to play against. Anzalone, you were always a nightmare to play against. And watching Pennix go against you, you made it a nightmare for him in particular. Just his ability to make plays, his ability to see things that other guys are doing, his ability to get to the football, his confidence that he brings to this defense. These guys are flying around. And you know what? This defense knows it, too. They have caused havoc for so many quarterbacks all year and teams all year. And having 12 interceptions, think about this. They had 12 interceptions in one year already. And we're at the halfway point, right? So, you think about the greatness of these guys. They've been doing an amazing job. And Todd Bowles needs that credit.
Speaker 4And they've had a bunch of turnovers. I mean, Jalen Daniels. I had to learn that name a couple weeks ago, and I said, not Jaden, not Jaden, not Jaden. It's Jalen, Jalen, Jalen. He's a thermostat, not a thermometer. And I've loved the way that they have just weathered the storm, literally the storm. We heard Bucky Irving talk after the game. He said, I'm one of those guys. I don't care if it's rain or shine or snow or mud. He goes, not lightning, though. I don't do lightning. But that team is a bunch of those mindset guys. And I love that. And it starts with the quarterback, Baker Mayfield. But that was a lot of fun to watch.
Speaker 5And I think about this division.
Speaker 4You've got to be afraid of.
Speaker 5I mean, think about it. Think about this division, too. When we look at these standings right here, Kyle. I mean, the Carolina Panthers, Dave Canales, Bryce Young, they're still first place. It feels like.
Speaker 4They've had tough losses in which they've played well offensively.
Speaker 5I mean, they just fired their defensive coordinator, so they're still trying to figure out. There's a puzzle piece they're trying to figure out there in Carolina. But the answer is through Bryce Young and Dave Canales and Brad Itzik calling plays and what they're doing. That offense and what they can do, which they've shown us this year. So it's a team to continue to watch and believe in. But when I look at this, too, I see this Buccaneers. It's hard. To stop that run. And they're running back. Bucky Brooks, he does an amazing job. Their defense is top notch. I mean, the number one defense arguably in the National Football League. They're playing against the Bears next week. Which is going to be a great game. Yes. Watching Caleb. So that'll be a big. Physical hangover. That'll be a big test. And I think Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson will win that game. But I think they'll get beat up a little bit along the way because this defense flies around. And so this division, to me, this division should really be Tampa Bay's division. Because they have the defense, right? And defense helps win champions. in that way, especially late in the season in December, On the road, whatever you have to do, you've got to find a way to win this game. Turnovers get you beat. And they can get some turnovers. Baker Mayfield can be Baker Mayfield from a few years ago, protect the football, find some guys, make some clutch plays. That competitive nature he has, I don't know what other team can play better. So I think we've got a special guest, guys. Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 4Put your helmet on. He's coming. J.J.
Speaker 5Watt. We've got J.J. Watt. We're surprised he's going to join us here. He's going to join us. Make some noise. Our teammate. Oh, the A team is in the building. What's up, J.J.?
Speaker 6What's going on? How you doing, man? I finally got an invitation. I'm so excited to be here. Thank you, guys.
Speaker 4Listen, thanks for joining us. You know, it was so good to see you on the desk. And while I had you within arm's reach, I said, hey, you're coming on, Set Hut, right? And you were like, okay, you've got to invite. Well, this is your— Peer pressure, peer pressure. You're excited to go.
Speaker 6You guys have been doing a phenomenal job, both with this show, with the pregame shows, everything. You guys are crushing it. Awesome. Well, you're crushing it, J.J.
Speaker 5Obviously, for us to see you watching these games and listening to you, having us in here, you take us so deep into this game and listening to you. Obviously, your career and what you've been able to accomplish and everything else. Three defensive players of the year. Some of these are probably hanging up behind your wall there. Oh, yeah, top left corner over here for us. Don't worry. We got them. There they go. There they go, baby. I just needed some Wisconsin stuff in there, man. I need some more Wisconsin Badgers.
Speaker 6We got it. We got it somewhere over there. It's right over here. Okay. Yeah. Don't worry.
Speaker 5I love it. But, man, what you've been doing. You and Jim are doing an amazing job, so we're glad to call you teammates. We hated playing against you. I know that. But being on the same team with you is amazing, and congrats to your family and everything you do. But let's talk about where we just were. Yep. We were just in Denver. These two teams, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, great game. You calling that game was incredible. Take us into the mindset of these two teams and where they're headed and where you think they are based on watching them as a former player, all-time great. Yeah. What do you think? What do you see and feel watching these two guys, these two teams?
Speaker 6Yeah. I mean, you heard Bo Nix say it after the game. It felt like a playoff atmosphere, and it really, really did. I mean, that stadium was rocking from start to finish. You got the daylight saving time, so it was darker early. We got under the lights. There was a little bit of rain, and it was a battle. And the fourth quarter was crazy. I mean, with the Broncos' offense, you know, they had a couple little things early in the game that they got going, but they didn't really get going. And then the fourth quarter, somehow, Bo Nix. Bo Nix turned some magic on, like he did last year, like he's done so many times, and they find a way to win the game. And then you have the fourth down stand in the goal line, the Chiefs and everything that goes into them, and Kenneth Walker didn't really fully get going in that game. The passing game wasn't quite there. It was just a back-and-forth battle all day. But then at the end of the game, Patrick Mahomes has the ball to drive down the field, gets him all the way down there. False start penalty takes the rush. He writes stuff. It's just, it was crazy chaos. And for a neutral fan, best thing. Best penalty you could ever have in the world.
Speaker 4J.J., I'm going to ask you about that goal line sequence down there. And obviously, the Kansas City Chiefs, they ain't in the business of quarterback sneaking because they got a trillion-dollar business back there at the quarterback position. They should be, right? They should be. So there's the answer there from J.J. Watt. I'm going to ask you, as a contain rusher, a run defender, when they get that condensed formation versus spreading it out, Russ and I were talking about some of the advantages of going like that nickel run setup. Spread it out. Get four in the, you know, four down guys, two off-ball backers. What do your antennae tell you when it's a condensed formation? Does that take a lot of the plays out of your mind that could be coming?
Speaker 6I mean, there's, first of all, it brings all the defenders inside. And obviously, also, yes, you expand a little bit of the field that you can use, but you're also bringing all the defenders in there with you. So there does a little bit of that. I know for a pass rusher, personally, myself, it creates a lot more. It's a lot more traffic out on the edge. It's not as fun to have to sift through everybody. Even if they don't touch you, it's annoying to have to sift through everybody there. But like you said, in the run game, there is, when you hand it off with all those bodies in the box, all you're doing is you're creating closer bodies. And then one final thing, especially when you're going against an aggressive defense, you're bringing those corners closer for blitzes. And it's much, much easier to disguise a blitz when everybody's in tight, as opposed to if they have to try and sneak in from out wide, it's much tougher.
Speaker 4Okay, you're talking about sifting through some trash. Yeah. I'm going to change gears here. There's a guy I was watching last night with the number 99. He's the best 99 I've seen since Zach Allen, maybe. I don't know. I can't. I'm just joking, buddy. Don't beat me up, JJ. Jeffrey Simmons, man. Immediate impact on that Chicago Bears team. Obviously, they were one ingredient away, seemingly, from getting this drink stirred the proper way. What'd you see from Jeffrey Simmons? What stood out to you about that Chicago Bears game last night?
Speaker 6He looked like Jeffrey Simmons. I said it on the pregame show with you guys on the desk. I said, I think he's one of the most underrated players in the game. And that's not because I don't think people inside the league don't know about him. It's because I don't think the nation gets to see him enough to fully appreciate it. And so for his very first game in the Chicago Bears uniform to be on Monday Night Football for the whole country to watch and for him to play like that is exactly what all of us inside the league have known. And yes, there's plenty of football fans out there who knew him. I'm not saying that you didn't, but I do think it was a little bit of a, oh, this guy, this guy is unbelievable. And he's only been here for three days. Like now imagine once he gets deeper into it. Absolute game changer.
Speaker 4Well, obviously it doesn't matter how long he's into it because I got the quote from one of the best defensive linemen in the history of football. D-line's the easiest position to learn. Me and my brother, Chris, have this argument all the time. He's like, there's no way that you actually believe that. Well, I do. Okay, JJ. So tell me why that transition was so easy for Jeffrey Simmons, just like you eloquently tweeted. Which was brilliant, by the way.
Speaker 6Thank you. Well, I mean, it truly is see ball, get ball. Like if you really want to, you can stick a defensive lineman out there and have his line mates line him up. Say, hey, you're the three technique. You're the five technique. Go rush. Or you're the five technique. Stick. Like you don't even have to know anything because all you have to do then is go get the ball. As you get further back and back into that defense, you have to know more what's happening in front of you, how everything is moving within itself. But truly on the defensive line, you get your guy lined up. You tell him. You tell him which gap is his. And that's it. It's not that difficult to do. Now, like I said in the tweet, there are some things that you have to learn from a blitz standpoint, from a stunt standpoint. But I have no problem saying it because I am one. We are simple creatures. Just give us some very simple things. And let's not be. Let's not lie here either, Kyle. Offensive linemen aren't exactly doing arithmetic back there either. Oh, come on.
Speaker 4Hey, you know what? Somebody asked me. There's a little tension here. Somebody asked me what D linemen do in the D line. And I said, I think they just do crunches and push-ups. I'm not quite sure.
Speaker 6Hey, JJ. I mean, let's see. B, B, B, C, C. Like, I could be offensive line right now. I know all the blocks you guys do.
Speaker 4I would have paid a lot of money to line up with you as a tight end. We would have killed people, JJ. I got to ask you. We're at the midseason point right now. And Russell and I argue about these awards all the time. Who is your midseason MVP? Who is your defensive player of the year in the midseason? I'm going to get you before all those other shows get these answers out of you, bud.
Speaker 6That's a great question. You can't put me on the spot with these. The only one that I know, which is I'll be biased anyway, but, I mean, my brother's leading the league in sacks. So that's where I will go with that one. MVP, I haven't even thought deep enough into it to really. I know that Josh Allen is playing unbelievable. I know Brock Purdy out there is playing fantastic. I haven't been able to see him in person yet. Caleb Williams is in the name. I can't imagine those guys are in the conversation. Yes, Caleb's playing phenomenal. There's going to be a massive game coming up on CBS in like a month or so, I believe, with the Bears and the Bills. Yes. We also have Thanksgiving, the Bears and the Lions. Come on. Come on.
Speaker 5Well, JJ, you mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers, you know, TJ Watt, your brother. First of all, I got to play with TJ and his focus level, his plan every week. You're talking about greatness, longevity, these things that you and your brother both have done at the highest level. I can't even imagine being your mom waking up and knowing that I got two sons of all-time sack king leaders, basically. And you think about adding all those numbers up, all the things. All the things that have been accomplished in your family. But let's go to TJ Watt for a second, your brother. When I'm thinking about him, you mentioned him as Defensive Player of the Year, all the things that he's been able to do. To me, what makes him so special to you? And then I want to talk about the Steelers after that. But what makes TJ so special?
Speaker 6Yeah, TJ's all ball all the time. Obviously, we're all kind of wired that way a little bit. But you know it. You've seen it firsthand. He is all ball all the time. He doesn't like to press conferences. He doesn't like to do the media. He doesn't do much social media. Literally wants to play football and be as good as possible at football. And then when you have that mentality and you add it to his frame, his strength, the agility, and then you combine it with football IQ and how much he studies the O-line, how much he studies the snap counts, how he knows what's going on at all times, then it becomes truly deadly. So I personally love watching it. I love talking to him.
Speaker 5It's incredible. Well, one of the things I always notice about TJ and just listening to him, learning from him, being around him, playing against him, playing against you, you guys are always constantly listening. You mentioned that just a second ago. I feel like the best defensive players are constantly listening to the run calls. Hearing the snap count, obviously, knowing what that is. But one of the things that you guys both had is this ability, this clutch gene. You know, everybody talks about the quarterback and having this clutch gene, fourth quarter comebacks, fourth quarter wins, all those things. I want to look at a stat that understands the fourth quarter big impact plays a defensive player makes. Because that, to me, is what makes a guy being the defensive player of the year that you've been three times. of before, your ability to make plays and the most critical moments. TJ has an on-time moment for that. I always felt like when I was playing in Pittsburgh, TJ's going to make a play. And sure enough, boom, TJ gets the ball back. So that feeling of a competitor and knowing that, right? There should be a stat, in my opinion, in the National Football League. And, Deva, we may have to do it right here on Set Hut. But my opinion is the clutch plays, it's like the fourth-quarter comebacks that happen with quarterbacks. I think the fourth-quarter big-time plays that a player like you and your brother have made. Now, talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers, you know, obviously, Steeler Nation and what they're able to do. Do you believe that they can go all the way and win the Super Bowl? What do they have to do to get that done?
Speaker 6I think they're continuing to figure it out week by week. I mean, they have a brand-new head coach, and obviously when you have a change after that long, you're still getting to know each other. And so to be 6-2 and still working through the things of a new organization and still getting comfortable with everything and now having a bye week to self-scout and get even better and even healthy, that's only going to do them wonders. And so you have to believe that they're going to continue to get better and better. I personally, I said it earlier in the year when we had their game, I believe you just have to feed Jalen Warren. Just let him run that entire show on offense. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is incredible, Hall of Famer, everything, and he will benefit from Jalen Warren being the bell cow of that offense. But when he runs that offense, everything else flows so much smoother.
Speaker 4All right, JJ, so I don't know if you know this, but I got to go. I got to call three games last year from the booth, and oh my goodness, that is stressful and a lot, and I don't think people really understand what's at stake, what's in front of you, what you're hearing, what you're looking at. Can you, okay, obviously, everybody, we all love to talk about the broadcasters, right? Like last night I'm watching Joe and Troy, and Joe's making Troy say nice things about Caleb, and you can feel the discomfort at times and the excitement at times. What have been the things that stood out to you this year where you say, "Man, that was a lot of fun"? And how do you see yourself improving in the booth with your legendary Hall of Fame play-by-play, Jim Nance?
Speaker 6Yeah, it's a blast, man. I mean, I always like to say we get 50-yard line seats to the best games every single Sunday, and they pay us to do it. Like, how could you not absolutely love this? There's so many different aspects of it. The adrenaline, like take that fourth quarter this last week, for example, the Chiefs and the Broncos. Bo Nix takes them down the field under two minutes, and they score. And now you're like, "Oh, my gosh, the Broncos are going to do it." But also, Patrick Mahomes, hold on, he takes them all the way down, and now you got first and goal from inside the five-yard line. You're like, "This is unbelievable." And so you're working through all the scenarios, the clock. You're thinking about the analytics. You're thinking about these fourth down calls earlier in the game. Just everything. It's as close as you can get to playing without the physical aspect, obviously, because you have to mentally process in real time. You also have to speak it out to millions and millions of people in the world who are listening and critiquing everything. And then you also know that on Twitter the next day, every single Joe and Sally is going to tell you what you said wrong or why the analytics believe that this is the right way to do it. And then they're going to argue amongst themselves for the next 45 minutes, and nobody's going to come to a conclusion. So it's a blast. I love it. And every single week, I'm just trying to improve and get better. And what better way to do it than with an absolute legend next to me and Tracy on the sideline?
Speaker 4I just hope that people understand the luxury that we have to listen to one of the best defensive players, one of the best representatives of the National Football League, one of the best human beings. Honestly, I'm not just – this ain't a Krispy Kreme commercial here, okay? Like, you are great, dude. So don't let any of those Twitter bozos bother you. And if you get their address, send it to me, JJ. I got you. We'll handle it. Your bodyguard's got you.
Speaker 5You know, JJ, thinking about this season, right, and what could possibly happen, the trade deadline's coming up, right, if you're the GM, if you're the owner of a team, if you're Jerry Jones, for example, if you're one of these guys making decisions, right? Who are you – give me three players that you feel like can leave their location and go somewhere else and make a team better. What teams are those, you think?
Speaker 6I mean, I'm a Badger, and Jonathan Taylor is a Badger, and he's been a great Badger. So I believe he is one who I would love to see him have the opportunity to win. For sure. So I believe that he's – you know, Indianapolis is clearly going through a rebuild, and it's going to be tough. A guy like that, I would love to see the opportunity to go somewhere and win. I really do believe that the Cincinnati Bengals make sense for a guy like him because of what their offense has in terms of the passing game, and they just haven't been able to get going on the ground.
Speaker 5Jonathan Taylor in Cincinnati? You don't need any more firepower,
Speaker 4JJ, knock it off. Could you imagine Joe Burrow having Jonathan Taylor? Yeah, that'd be scary.
Speaker 6I know. I don't know if they have the ability to get it done, but that would be incredible to me. I like that one. I don't – I'm thinking of other ones, like, you know, I always think of Max Crosby down there.
Speaker 5What about Garrett Wilson?
Speaker 6I think Garrett could definitely help a team, and I think you – I mean, you mentioned it this week, I believe, with the Kansas City Chiefs. I do think the Kansas City Chiefs need some sort of big physical presence wide receiver, an X type who can go out there and absolutely stretch the field and open things up for them because right now, as we've seen, everything is short. Absolutely everything is short behind the line of scrimmage, these short little dump offs, and they're relying so heavily on Kenneth Walker, who's been great, but they just need somebody to help open up that offense since Tyquan Thornton went down, and they just – they don't have it.
Speaker 5Yeah, and Garrett Wilson does – he's done so much so well. I mean, he's a world-class receiver in what he's able to do. But he's also got the right demeanor. He's a quick learner. He'd go in that offense and understand it well. You know, the last thing I want to say, JJ, and, you know, listen, you mentioned Wisconsin, what you've meant to the University of Wisconsin. I was able to go there for the best six months of my life, but, you know – Just missed. Just missed. If you would have stayed another year, we would have won the national championship. If I would have known. Oh, man, I wish I would have known. But listen, to me, when I think about you, going against you, what you've been – meant to the game, man of the year, what you did, you know, in the hurricane relief. These things that are monumental. Yes, we'll take all the sacks. Yes, you and your brother's sacks. The greatest arguably player – defensive players of all time. What you're doing now with CBS. But I think the heart of who you are. You know, to me, one, I want to give you a round of applause for that. Can we make a round of applause for JJ? Hey, JJ. JJ. Man of the year. NFL man of the year. But talk to me. My dad used to always say – he's no longer living, but he used to always say, "Son, it's not the day. You're born, and it's not the day you die. It's the hash mark in between that measures a man's significance." And so talk to me about that hash mark in between, right? What's the legacy that you want to leave for these young kids that you have, for the family, for everybody? But everybody who's admired you, what's the legacy you want to leave, you know, in that hash mark in between?
Speaker 6I think you're kind of hitting on it with that hash mark. I believe I'm in one of the most beautiful times of my life right now. I think they call them the golden years where everybody that's important to you is alive and well. I've got my two young kids. I've got a one-year-old and a four-year-old. I've got a beautiful wife. I've got my parents. I've got my two brothers and their beautiful families. And everyone that I love and cherish is alive. And my grandmother's still alive. And, you know, my grandfather's passed. But, like, there are so many people in my life who are with us right now. And I get to make these incredible memories and these incredible moments. So, yes, am I proud of everything I've done on the field? Absolutely. Am I proud of what I'm doing right now in the booth? Absolutely. But it's more about the people in my life. It's more about everybody who matters and the experiences and core memories I get to build. So I'm incredibly grateful for this life. And I'm so fortunate and thankful. And I also get to do fun stuff like this with you guys. And I know there's so many great people there in the studio who I got to know over the years with NFL Today. So, please, while you guys are there, tell all of them thank you. And I miss them and I hope they're well also.
Speaker 5JJ says hi, everybody. We love it. We love it. JJ says hi. Well, JJ, we're so grateful for, man. And you joining Set Hut. Kyle putting his arm around you. You're coming on the show. Yeah. We're grateful for you. But, also, we're grateful for what you've done for the game. We're grateful for what you're doing for CBS right now. You know, every Sunday we get to listen to you. We are in the golden years now. We are living the golden years with JJ Watts.
Speaker 4Thanks, JJ. Yeah, baby. See you Sunday, buddy. You're the man, baby. Hey, we're going to stay right here. We've got an interesting game here coming off the heels of that conversation about the Badgers. This is called the Jonathan Taylor trade game. Okay. Stop. Stop. Oh. What do we think, Chad? What do we think? I mentioned Derek. I mentioned Derek Henry. But this Jonathan Taylor guy is pretty special as well. I mean, does that fix the Minnesota offensive woes, Jonathan Taylor?
Speaker 5It helps. I don't know if it fixes it. You know, we've still got to get the ball. I mean, Jonathan Taylor can't throw the ball to Justin Jefferson. So we've got to figure that out. That's the situation we've got to figure out. And I think Kyler Murray has it in him. I've seen it before. We need to see it now, Kyler, because this team can go all the way. And, yeah, the right guy. But Jonathan Taylor, you know, to me, I don't see him going there, though. I got somewhere else.
Speaker 4And stop. Oh, my. Just next. Next. Next. Next. Next. Next. That would kill Kyler. Press it again. Stop. Oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay. So we'll do Bengals or Broncos. Either team in orange would be unbelievable. You heard J.J. Watt talk about potentially Jonathan Taylor joining that Cincinnati offense, which would do what? Joe Burrow goes from five touchdowns to eight touchdowns a week?
Speaker 5Do they have enough cap space, though? I mean, Dave, do they have enough cap space to get this? I mean, when you think about Joe Burrow having Jonathan Taylor, he's never had a running back like it. You know, what that would be for the run game, clutch moments, third and one situations, play action, one-on-one, put everybody in the box. I mean, it would be a video game, Madden video game, you know, creative player team. That would be that situation.
Speaker 4And just like Madden, we get three randoms here. So we're going to get another random team selection here. And stop. Wow. Take it away, Russ. -
Speaker 5We got a lot of New York Giants fans in here. You guys like this? You guys like him? Listen, I think that would be really interesting. And John Harbaugh said it several times. He said, we don't have a Derrick Henry right now. We don't have that guy. But Jonathan Taylor going to the New York Giants, this is the Giants' opportunity. This is the window. So to have him and Scott in the backfield, Matt, Matt, one-two punch, right? That would change this and help J.J. McCarthy in a big way. And also, the New York football Giants, they know how to run the ball. You know, John Harbaugh wants to run the ball. They're going to make the call. They already are making the call. I'm telling you right now, I can feel it. I know it. And I know what John Harbaugh wants. He wants to run the football because he knows he's a Super Bowl champion. And to win the Super Bowl, you've got to be able to be a physical football team and win late in the season. And this could help him. And obviously, the window for the New York football Giants is right now.
Speaker 4So now we're going to talk about, you know, obviously we've got the trade machine here with Jonathan Taylor. We can get rid of this. I'm about to puke because I saw him in the Packers yellow and green. But now let's play the Chiefs receivers game. Okay? And pause it. Oh, Jawan Jennings. Where are you taking him? Where are you sending him? Well, I mean, look, we're trying to figure out who the hell the Chiefs are going to throw to. Patrick Mahomes. Because as J.J. Watt said, the ball is at or around the line of scrimmage or in Kenneth Walker's hand. They need to get a guy who can get the football down the field. He's experienced. This didn't pique your interest. Press it again. He's experienced. Press it again. I don't think they do it, though.
Speaker 5Stop. Ooh. They like speed. They like speed in Kansas City. Take the top off. Take the top off. See you later kind of speed. I actually kind of like this pick. I don't think they do it, but I like the idea of exploring it. Let's roll through it and stop on the next one. I like Calvin Ridley, though, there. Stop. Oh, wow. George Pickens. Are you praying right now?
Speaker 4I'm praying for the opposition. Yeah, they need it. It's George Pickens. Could you imagine? Just a one-on-one matchup with George Pickens?
Speaker 5Listen, it's not going to happen right now because I think George Pickens, I think he's been thriving, in my opinion, in Dallas. I think Jerry knows that. I think Jerry, what he really wants, he wants to figure out this defense. And so what I see, I don't see George Pickens getting traded. I see Garrett Wilson still possibly going there. That's my gut. That's my feeling. However, I do think that Patrick Mahomes throwing to George Pickens could be deadly. Now, the one thing, though, that I think is interesting, Jerry's world, they need something else. They need defense. I'm calling for Max Crosby if I want to win this division. I'm calling for some other guys to cause some havoc on that defensive side because giving up 28 points a game, almost 30 points a game, is unacceptable.
Speaker 4And you get a guy like Max Crosby to come into your building and it immediately raises the level of expectation, preparation, and all of the things. Just like we saw Jeffrey Simmons go to Chicago and the entire defense seemingly got a little bit better. That would be the case if you brought in Max Crosby. And Jadavion Clowney is another one, too, now. He's been playing forever.
Speaker 5And Jadavion, I played with him in Seattle, actually. He's a workhorse. He knows how to make plays. That could be interesting. I could see him going somewhere. Buda Baker, he's got to get out of Arizona. They've been losing too much, too many years. He's too talented. Hall of Fame player, in my opinion. Khalil Mack, if I'm the Chicago Bears watching that team last night, I'm still making the call. Because if I could add a guy like Khalil Mack with on top of what we just got, to me, that's where we're at. Brees Hall, I think it's time for him to go somewhere else.
Speaker 4Now, Aaron Glenn said we're not in the business of getting rid of bad – or great players, but you've got to think that Aaron Glenn doesn't necessarily have the most job security or say in the future of the New York Jets. So, that could be a guy as well, Brees Hall.
Speaker 5Yeah, I think Brees Hall could go. Who needs a running back? I mean, I think, you know, Brees Hall at the Bengals could be interesting. Yes. Right? Because that could be interesting. Hatching department. I think that's more realistic than a Jonathan Taylor there. So, come down, sit down with us. Do we have any more questions? We've got time for one more question. Yeah, let's get to the chat before we get out of here. To finish with the fans.
Speaker 4All right, Russell to the Vi-Queens. Don't matter what quarterback or running back they get there, the offense sucks. I love the chat, man. You guys are too honest. Look, this is a really fun part of the season. It is. Because we kind of know who these teams are. We know what has to get done in order for them to take the next steps. It's just a matter of who's going to make the move? Who's going to do it? So, we've been having – We've had a lot of fun doing this show with you guys all season long. Don't forget to start your Sunday with us on the NFL Today Plus. We have so much fun. AP, Big Play Slay, you, me, Mackenzie Brooks. We were up there a mile high last week. That was a blast. I think we've got some more business to get to before the break. But here's the slate coming up. You can catch us each and every Sunday, 10 a.m. Eastern, on the NFL Today Plus. Okay, we'll be streaming on Paramount Plus. And then, obviously, the NFL Today. Russ, this has been another fun week, man. I look forward to seeing you guys next week.
Speaker 5We're at the halfway point, and we're just getting started. It's been amazing. The halfway point of the season, I remember playing as a player. These moments, this is what it's all about. Who's going to have that edge? The extra time you spend, you know, who's making moves? You want your GM, you want your ownership to be able to make moves. And this guy's making a move. Larry Kusanka, congrats to the Detroit Lions on the win and a game well played. Cheers to all my 72 undefeated teammates and Miami Dolphins. I don't know if anybody's ever going to go undefeated fully. The Vikings could have gone undefeated this year if the quarterback situation was better. But you know what? We'll find out. We'll find out another time. But listen, the reality is, who's going to go undefeated for the rest of the season? That's what really matters.
Speaker 4You and me. You and me are going to be undefeated. And you guys in the chat, thanks for being here. You guys are the best. We'll see you on Sunday.
Speaker 3Holla! Saturday, November 14th.
Speaker 1It is a big fight field in New York City.
Speaker 3The UFC is on Paramount+. Free with your paid subscription. Zero Gone versus Josh Hockett for the heavyweight championship.
Speaker 5The ultimate title in combat sports.
Speaker 3And Kayla Harrison versus Amanda Nunes in the biggest women's championship fight ever.
Speaker 5Her greatest of all time came to fight.
Speaker 3UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. November 14th, only on Paramount+.
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