NFL Week 3 Preview: Cowboys in Crisis??

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All right, on to the show.

The Heed the Call podcast

believes in a thing called love.

Just listen to the rhythm of your heart.

Yes, Heed the Call with Dan Hansis and Mark Sessler.

It is the week three preview.

And

Marky, check this out.

Great stat from Steve Palazzollo of Check the Mike, formerly of PFF.

And by the way, check out Steve and Sam Monson's new venture over there.

Willie.

Great show.

Passing touchdowns through two weeks of the season.

I'm going to go from 19 to 24.

105, 110, 110, 105,

86 last year, 69 so far, nice, through two weeks.

That's a 20% drop from last year, nearly 35% decrease from 2022.

That is pretty wild.

Hashtag small sample size.

Hashtag Marvin Harrison Jr.

route speed.

Hashtag, sorry, Marvin Harrison Sr.

for mentioning your son's route speed.

But still, one more stinker, Mark, from the QBs, and I predict, and for the offenses, I don't want to just put it on the signal collars, I predict the think pieces will be flowing like a waterfall.

Yeah, I think there's a lot of, you could probably, and we could dig into it later in the show, but there's a lot of reasons you could point to for why this is happening.

And you kind of mentioned that, like, there's a reverb and sort of an ebb and flow to how offenses perform over the course of four, five, six years.

I love it, kind of.

To me, feels really old school, but I don't think it's what Roger Goodell would want at the moment.

Like, I think they want these games to be high-scoring, crazy affairs.

But we're getting a lot more running.

We're getting running quarterbacks.

You got lighter defensive guys.

So you got guys like Jim Harbaugh pounding away at the line of scrimmage.

And, you know, it's going to do

whatever it takes to get your advantage.

I do like these things.

I like it.

Yes, Justin.

Welcome to the show.

Running back Renaissance.

He's branding again, Mark.

Let's bring in our regular Thursday contributors, Jordan Rodrigue and Michael Sean Dugar of the Athletic.

And Jordan, here's the thing.

The NFL is a big target.

And so I'm guessing this decrease in touchdowns and splash plays will be used to support some type of half-baked notion that the league is now bad and everything's doomed.

But you know, JR, as someone who studies strategy and the deployment of personnel at a really deep level, that defensive minds here have zigged.

And the fun part, and I think, Mark, what you're saying too, is like, now now we get to see how the Shanahans and the McVays and the McDaniels of the world zag, right?

Jordan?

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, defenses have more answers than ever before for how hybrid offenses and how multiple offenses have gotten.

And defenses feature smarter play calling, smarter scheme, and also more hybrid multiple players themselves.

You're seeing that positionless players all over, particularly in the defensive backfield and inside linebacker.

Pass rushers are more explosive.

They're being used in different ways as well.

And you're seeing a lot of coverage rotations.

Everyone this morning on all the morning shows was screaming about too high shells, too high shells.

But their defenses are rotating in and out of those types of umbrella coverages rapidly.

We'll talk about some of these teams that actually are showing us the way forward on this show today.

And I can't f ⁇ ing wait.

It's going to be awesome.

Let's go.

Also, I love you guys' outfits today.

That's very nice.

We did match.

That's cute.

We planned that.

We planned that stuff.

You know, we will do a phone call the night before and sort of say, like, do you got, you know, have you done your laundry?

Let's make sure we get the same matching kind of

dark blue black shirts.

Let's do it.

We're looking very basic as always.

Money, Mike Dugar.

Do you think, because you know Pete, do you think Carol is bumming, a defensive mind that he is, that he's not here for this big defensive Renaissance season going on right now?

Probably a little bit.

I do know he would always tell me that, you know, or tell the media that the nfl is cyclical you know so you know pete's been around i think he got his first coaching job in 1971 or something so he's been around for pretty much everything you know when they're throwing it all over the yard in the 80s for a little bit to you know three yards in a cloud of dust for a good part of the early 2000s when running backs were the thing you built your offense around.

So he's kind of seen it all.

He knew that eventually the cover three thing he was doing would get, you know, outdated.

And now, you know, Fangio took over.

you know so he he saw all this coming he sees all this coming he's he's got a lot of foresight you know which helps when you've been around for a little bit

I don't have like a super hot take on like the the numbers and stuff being down you know because I hate like isolating one variable without like proof that that's the one that needs to be isolated and you're trying to figure out something uh but one I am curious about that I haven't seen anyone float is the average age slash experience of quarterbacks you know how that has changed over time it feels like we're throwing them out there younger and younger and less experienced, and that probably has something to do with it a little bit.

Like, I think Anthony Richardson's like barely old enough to drink, you know,

and he's already in year two.

I think CJ Stroud's only 23.

You know, just kind of go through the level of experience some of these guys have, you know, with these young OCs, but it doesn't feel like the DCs are getting younger.

It feels like those guys are still just like old savants, whereas the young whippersnappers, you know, it's cool when you hire them, but then they go against, you know, an old guy who's who knows his stuff and they can eat him alive.

That's one of the things that Richardson looked like he was drinking last Sunday, so I don't know if that was like a fake ID type scenario.

All right, it is the preview show.

Here's the format:

each of us will share the game we cannot wait to watch.

Justin will handle the rest, with the exception of the prime time games, which is where we always start.

And before we do, let me just want to say something.

Well, you're the host, so that's you're allowed to

allow to.

I just want to say something.

We don't work for the NFL anymore.

The NFL works for us,

the people.

And Justin, give me something inspirational, please.

Thank you.

Don't tell me there are two primetime games on Monday night, okay?

When the cultured football observer knows better.

Justin, who's calling Washington at Cincinnati on Monday night?

That's Buck and Aikman.

Okay, and what time does that game kick off?

I think 8.15 p.m.

Eastern.

How about Jacksonville at Buffalo?

Who's calling that one?

That is Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Lewis Riddick.

And when does that kick off?

That one's early, 7.30 p.m.

Eastern.

Hmm.

You know what else kicks off at 7.30 p.m.

Eastern?

Wheel of Fortune.

That ain't prime time, baby.

This double Monday night game is the type of thing that Roger and Joe Bristol cook up over mint juleps in Nantucket.

I say nan f it.

With all due respect to the Bills and Jaguars, be gone to the gravy boat.

Oh, oh oh,

oh,

what a terrible place to be.

That guy's a creep.

So we're just going to talk about.

You've excommunicated that game to the back end of the show.

I mean, the one place you do not want to be is just lathered in a brown liquid of unknown origin and that guy.

That's all.

And it's not their fault.

I thought the point of the gravy boat is at the end, it's like, oh, wow, this actually feels good.

It's

unexpected pleasure.

You cream.

Yeah, okay.

I have a physical reaction every time that drop comes in.

I actually can't help it.

It's like Pavlovian at this point.

Can I also just say I've played it for Jessica, and she hates that it exists.

She's like, why?

No, never play that.

Why does it exist?

She's like, that's just for me.

All right, let's get into it.

Let's get into it.

Stop making it real, Dan.

Let's start with Sunday night football.

Now, that's a game I can get behind.

The Kansas City Chiefs at the Atlanta Falcons.

The Chiefs are laying three and a half points a wood here.

And here we go.

I'll start with you on this one, Mark.

The Chiefs are 2-0.

They

have not necessarily dominated, but they're doing what good teams do.

They find a way.

The offense looked pretty frisky in week one.

Not so much in week two.

And then the Falcons obviously coming off a thrilling close to Monday night football that salvaged their night and allowed them to duck out of a whole bunch of narratives that they didn't want anything to do with.

So now we get to see, do the Falcons build on that amazing final drive that nipped the Eagles in stunning fashion, or they get a wake-up call against the defending champs.

I thought it was promising that the Chiefs defense, you know, dealing with three turnovers by the offense and a down day for Mahomes and that crew, really, they only allowed the Bengals for one touchdown in the second half.

It's like that continues to be their strength because they're back in a place where now you don't have Isaiah Pacheco.

And while I think Carson Steele was like a preseason darling, I love him and I think he's an interesting player.

It's like you're going to have to find another way to move the ball.

For me, like besides that final drive for the Falcons, which I think was a psychological bit, like a wake-up for them and an awakening, and Kirk Cousins said as much, and we talked about it that evening, that you're able to run the ball behind a really good run-blocking line.

And Bijan Robinson at 6.1 yards per carry looked like the real deal and what you're wanting.

I think that's your anchor, along with what you get from Kirk Cousins, because Kirk Cousins is still someone that outside of that final drive, I found his play to be somewhat discouraging.

Like he's stuck in the pocket.

He can't really move.

I thought the theme of the night was like, you got Jalen Hurts, you can run all over the place.

Kirk Cousins is stuck in this one situation.

And I think that's a season-long concern, despite the theatrics at the end.

But you can run the ball.

And I think if you can run the ball on Kansas City and keep drives alive and keep Mahomes off the field, you've got a chance, Mike.

Yeah, you know, the Atlanta Falcons offense, it kind of this is a weird analogy, but it makes me think of like a really fancy car that like looks cool from the outside.

Like, you walk by it in a parking lot, you're like, wow, look at those rims, look at the paint, spoiler, like, this is dope.

And then you pop the hood, and it's got like a go-kart engine in it.

You know, it's just like, it just, it doesn't do what the outside

would project that it can do.

It was like an exhibit on Pimp My Ride where they just like made the car look amazing, and then MTV leaves, and the thing won't even go around the block.

Yeah, it's like, why is there a fish tank in here?

You know, it's like

a bowling ball, you know, thing that brings the ball to the front.

You know, just it looks cool, but this is not, it's not functioning the way that ultimately the primary thing of an offense is, or a car, car supposed to go, offense supposed to score points.

You know, it's just kind of underwhelming to have Bijan and Kyle Pitts and Drake London, you know, and even Mooney, you know, who is a perfect compliment to what some of those other guys do, and them to only be able to score when the game's on the line, you know, which is great, but as we know, that's, that's not like super sustainable.

So that was disappointing.

You know, as someone who like, I love watching the Chiefs offense.

I'm just like, yo, do Travis and Patrick have beef?

You know, why is he not getting the ball?

I know he had a couple big plays turned back, you know, in the, against the Bengals, but I don't know.

Like, I'm a little concerned about that from the Chiefs' standpoint.

It's just like they look a little bit more vulnerable

than I would have thought coming into the year.

And I talked about on this show how I hate Jimmy Lake, you you know, Falcons' defensive coordinator.

But

to his credit, man, he's got some ballers on that defensive side of the ball.

You know, I love their safety group.

I love AJ Terrell.

I'm a little higher on their front now that it's got Judon.

I don't know if I'm full-on ready to like pick up set.

You know, maybe that doesn't live up to my new nickname.

But, you know, Jordan, I think we're kind of in for a good one, you know, on Sunday night.

Yeah, Jesse Bates is playing, as usual, playing amazing.

And I think he was referred to as their terminator by our guy Art Smith a couple weeks ago or last week.

And, you know,

it's one of those things where you might actually not see, because Jesse Bates probably his role will be to nullify the middle of the field in the Travis Kelsey zone, too.

So you might see Pat Mahomes again lean on some of those other guys.

Maybe they lean on their run game a little bit to take the teeth out of some of the defensive players that Atlanta does have.

That defense is still such a work in progress.

You know what I would do, though, on the

on the offensive side for Atlanta?

mark you mentioned it you alluded to it um you know kurt kirk looked like he was just overthinking this is what i alluded to or yelled about actually i'm less grumpy about the falcons this week by the way guys i saw some play action that was nice um the pistol stuff was making everybody uncomfortable jordan so i'm glad we have something else to talk about

Big pistol fan, formation fan over here, yes, as we know.

So, but I love seeing the play action, but still, Kirk was not moving well, and he didn't look confident stepping into his throws.

He just looked kind of creaky, right?

But when the last like 40 seconds of the game, when they're going two-minute and no huddle, and they're going fast, like he was not thinking about his leg at all.

He was not, you could just tell he totally was not thinking about his leg.

And on all, almost all of his other throws, and even the handoffs, and even some of the play action stuff that they were doing, you could just almost see the gears turning in his brain thinking about his leg.

So what I would actually do, because we know that this Kansas City Chiefs defense is going to be aggressive.

They're going to try to hassle Kirk.

They're going to try to make him move in ways ways he's not comfortable.

What I would do is, again, I would run the ball, but I would also go tempo, especially when Chris Jones is subbing out, not on the field.

I would try to make sure that, you know, the defensive coordinator, who is one of these like,

you know, dastardly old guys that Mike referred to earlier, who still got the juice defensively, you know, that he's not able to sub in some of his pressure packages, that he's not able to get his own counters in the way that he wants.

And you go tempo a little bit because Kirk feels like he's playing free and actually fast and not overthinking things when he does.

That's what I would do if I were the Falcons in this game.

One note on the Kansas City defense.

And yeah, the Kelsey thing is a little on my radar now.

And I'd like to see him bounce back, not just because I'm a Travis Kelsey fantasy owner, but because it feels like they need him.

It feels like it's a missing piece of their attack right now.

And

by the way, Romo, man, Mark, I know you like this.

This is your corner.

But

Tony, it's okay to criticize the Chiefs.

Like, if they kick a 19-yard field goal, you don't have to say it's the right call.

And if

there's a lawn dart to an open Travis Kelsey, and you're telling us that he did it on purpose, Mahomes, when clearly it was just a ball that he threw wrong,

we don't need to carry the water for the...

back-to-back defending champions.

He has two jobs.

One is to announce football, and the second is to simply do that for the Chiefs.

So you're correct.

Kelsey, sub 45 yards in five straight regular season games going back to last season.

And it's like, now's the time.

You lost your pounding running back.

You don't have Hollywood Brown.

It's time for Travis Kelsey.

His statistical decline last season was basically wiped away because he was so good in the playoffs.

But yes, when you tie together regular season, he's been underwhelming for a while now.

And Taylor's up there, and she's not here to watch one for four in a game.

So let's see what happens.

I want to shout out Trent McDuffie against the Bengals and Jamar Chase.

41 coverage snaps as per PFF, four targets, one catch allowed, four yards allowed, one forced incompletion.

Not too bad.

All right, let's move to the other primetime game, the true Monday night game.

The Washington Commanders traveled to Cincinnati to get the Bengals.

And

Bengals obviously came so close, so very close, Mike, to knocking off the Chiefs and Arrowhead, but fate and the officiating, which, by the way, was fair.

It was a pass interference.

We got got some pushback, Mark, from our game coverage last week that we were moaning about that call.

It was more that that happened in the first place.

Not that it was a bad DPI call, I thought.

I thought it was just that the Chiefs have an opponent that pushed the guy in the back on fourth and 16.

And that was fortuitous.

Not necessarily that it was a bad call.

Anyway, Cincinnati loses as a result after Bucker hits the kick.

And now the commanders have to find a way to beat a Bengals team, Mike, that

needs the win.

They're at home in prime time.

This feels like a place where Burrow is going to go absolutely mad.

Do you agree?

Yeah, before I talk about Burrow a little bit, though, man, shout out to Cam Taylor Britt.

I think he was the one who said Xavier Worthy was just a one-trick pony, like as you know, a fast one-trick pony at that.

And then had what might be the best interception of the season on a deep ball to him.

Like, I love when guys

talk shit and back it up.

Shout out to Debo Samuel last year, giving us the best example of that in that Eagles game?

Like, that was probably the all-time standing on business moment.

And then, right now,

the leader in the clubhouse of the annual Stand On Business Award in the NFL is Cam Tiller.

Britt.

I know, I just made it up, but it sounds great, though.

I don't like the acronym.

The acronym is Saab, but oh,

that's good because you make it.

Kind of working on Saab with how resolute you are and following his host.

What a host that guy is, Dan Hansen.

It's a Dan Hansen.

Stand-on business award.

But yeah, I wanted to shout him out first.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not really a big fan of what the Commanders are doing other than like signing Bobby Wagner, you know, selfishly, because that's the only, but like, I just don't think they're much of a serious team.

I think they beat the Giants last week, but other than that, I feel like this is going to be a get-right game for the Bengals where all the coverage after is great.

And then Joe Burrow's back to being, you know, he throws for, he might get my prediction right this week of throwing for a bazillion yards.

All the coverage is great.

All the nicknames are back.

Joey Cool, whatever.

They just torch the commanders.

At least that's what I'm thinking.

Like, I just don't think, I think the Panthers and Commanders are like, if we were to ever do relegation in the NFL, like they're right there on the, well, the Panthers are already there, but the commanders, I think, are probably borderline getting relegated based on the type of product they're putting out there.

Jordan, what are we seeing from Jalen Daniels from your perspective so far?

Jaden Daniels.

Jaden Daniels is an absolute blast to watch.

I think that because I think this is going to be a big Trey Hendrickson game, because look at the offensive line of the Washington Commanders

and also the things that they're trying to do to help protect that line.

You know, I think it's going to be a big Trey Hendrickson game like it was last week.

By the way, sneaky moment there.

You know, Trey Hendrickson's production against the Chiefs left, young left tackle Kingsley Sua Matthiah, forgive me if I mispronounced that, got him benched in the fourth quarter when they were trying in a close game like that.

So that's something to keep an eye on.

But Trey Hendrickson is a handful.

And that means that I think we're going to see another big Jaden Daniels running game, running offense game.

I think that he is so fun to watch when he creates like that.

He's still, you know, feeling out all of his weapons around him.

And they're really just.

still settling in, I think, overall, not just as an offense, but as an organization, as a collective, and Dan Quinn establishing his culture and building some blocks over there.

But it's so fun.

Like the beat writers over there, they were talking about this week.

When he makes a mistake, he even he laughs.

He's just like delighted.

He's like, oh, I didn't know this lever.

When you pull this lever, it does this.

Like he's just delighted and joyful.

playing football.

I think he is on his way.

I know Justin has mentioned this a couple of times, but I think he's on his way to a rookie of the year campaign, even though it'll be bumpy along the way in that regard.

But he, Jaden Daniels, I think it's going to be a big game for, I don't think that the Washington Commanders win this game, but I do think that it's a big game for Jaden Daniels.

And by the way, 0-2, Cincinnati, it's really hard to come back from that.

It's two teams in the last five years have made the playoffs afternoon and two-star.

One is the Bengals, by the way.

Three of their next four, though, are like,

I believe it's the Giants, the Panthers, and then this game, the Commanders.

So they actually do have a path to potentially flipping this thing around.

The Bengals do.

But yeah, I think it's going to be a big Jaden Daniels game, regardless.

That's the way back in.

That schedule is the way back in, and we talked about that this week as well.

And

there's a lot to take away from the Bengals in that performance against the Chiefs that's hopeful.

And I think that what can nullify a big coming-out party for Jaden Daniels is Lou Inarumu, who just seems to find a way to take away what you do well week after week.

He is their special secret sauce.

I am with you on Trey Hendrickson.

I think he's been one of the best free agent signings of the past three plus years.

It is just so consistent with him.

I wrote down Trey Hendrickson four sacks.

But that said, the reason I kind of doubt that is that Jaden Daniels is getting the ball out so quickly, quicker than any quarterback in the league.

And he's been accurate too.

He was 23 for 29 last week or something like that.

79 completion percentage.

He started 11 for 13.

So that kind of tells me that unlike a lot of these young rookies, that it's Cliff Kingsbury playing to his strengths and getting guys open.

But that's tough to go sack a guy four times in a game when he's doing what he's doing.

And I think they run the ball pretty well with Brian Robinson at this point in a career game.

So I don't see this being a wipeout wipeout scenario for Washington.

I'm a little higher on them because of the quarterback than you are, Mike.

But the Bengals, to me, it's like I saw Joe Burrow play in a way where I believe in them.

There's a lot of weirdness going on in the AFC North, but the Bengals are the team that I think turns it around.

It begins with this game right here, and you mentioned the schedule.

They start to roll from that point.

I think the Bengals absolutely smoke Washington in primetime.

If this spread, if they were laying 13 and a half, I would take the two touchdowns and the PATs.

That's how confident I feel, which means obviously Washington will win the game.

And one quick note, Dan, like this is smart.

My fearless prediction was that there would be a tie.

I'm agitated with

Washington because that came down to the very, very final seconds.

Mike said that would be the game that probably would end up in a tie.

And it came seconds away.

He got his thick six with the Chiefs, and I did not get my tie.

So, you know, I'm 0-2 on the fearless predictions.

Man, I'm sorry about that.

But, you know, again, the predictions, it's not horseshoes.

It's not hand grenades.

You got to nail it.

And if you don't nail it, you didn't get it.

And it's not like, oh, I almost got it.

It's just, you just didn't get it.

Well, I'm not claiming I almost did.

I'm claiming I'm, you know, I feel annoyed by the whole situation.

I understand that.

That's absolutely understandable.

All right, hang in.

I'm annoyed now.

Let's take a break.

And when we return, the games we cannot wait to watch.

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All right, we are back.

Let's now get into the games that we cannot wait to watch week three edition.

Jordan, kick us off.

I cannot wait in an actually kind of emotional way to watch Houston at Minnesota.

This is 1 p.m.

Eastern, CBS, I and Eagle, Charles Davis.

Okay, I don't know.

I know that He the Call listeners don't know a lot about me other than the fact that I'm a huge fan of you guys.

I cover the Rams and the NFL at large for the athletic.

I ramble.

I write.

I love my dog.

I love football.

Okay, that's like a lot to know.

Are you angling for your own segment like Mike got?

I mean, I never got one, but it's fine.

I never got one, but it's not.

Here's my promise to you, Jordan.

And because

I don't want you to take that a certain way that was not personal.

We will address that when the time is right.

But the Thursday night preview, the Thursday preview, just not there, but we're going to get to it.

And I apologize.

I think, I mean, it's okay.

I just kind of just handled it myself.

Like, it's fine.

You kind of covered everything, though, right?

You like us, you like your dog, you like football.

We're pretty good.

That's it.

I'm a simple woman.

I am a simple, simple woman.

But the thing I want people to know about me is I feel a lot of feelings, like all the time.

And even thinking about this game, this clash, this Houston team blended between like new scheme and old school fundamental physicality and pure professionalism, and this Minnesota team that's living on a purple rain guitar lick.

Second ass

brilliance of both offensive and defensive coaching.

It's like the purest form of anticipation that I can possibly feel.

It actually makes me legitimately like emotional thinking about how cool this is that we're in this moment of all of these combined elements

that exist in the same building on these rosters and ultimately egoless decisions by these head coaches to hire what they are not really and to and to build what they are not on the other side of the ball.

Okay, so down to the nitty-gritty on this because I know we're rolling.

Justin Jefferson, I think he's going to play.

He's trending like he is.

He's in the walkthroughs and looks like he's going to play.

That's a quad injury.

Joe Mixon is a maybe, yes, maybe no.

He's not practicing so far this week.

And then, so it'll be Brian Flores versus CJ Stroud and Bobby Sloick.

Flores probably will try to blitz, but I would actually not be surprised if he dropped more into coverage.

He's actually not blitzing as much as it looks like this year.

The 48% average in 2023 is actually down this year.

He's dropping more defenders in coverage.

I think because CJ Stroud has been so productive against the Blitz in his career and right now has the ninth highest success rate against it, I think that they're going to drop more players into coverage and try to cloudy up all of Bobby Sloak's route concepts, particularly with these three really strong receivers that they have.

The Vikings are the number two defense in DVOA right now.

Like that, it's really great what Sam Darnold is accomplishing.

And I actually do think that Sam Darnold can keep this up and Kevin O'Connell can keep this up because they are stronger in ways that they weren't particularly inclusive to the run game and more and more diverse weapons on the field this time around.

But

against this Texans defense,

the Texans have missed three tackles all season.

Three.

Three tackles.

That's it.

All season.

They don't miss tackles.

This is a fundamentally sound defense.

It's going to really, really hassle Sam Darnold in ways that the previous two, it's just different.

It's going to be different than what he's seen before.

And I think it's going to be cool.

I think that Sam can keep up.

I really do think that Sam can keep this up, but this is going to be an absolute schematic excellence contest.

And just like last week when he went against, you know, Kyle Shanahan's team in that defense, this is going to be so fun to watch for all the same reasons, except you're looking at two of the most modern teams and modern

ideating teams in football right now for all kinds of different reasons that have all blended together in this really beautiful way.

I'm stoked for this game.

Mark.

I think

it's interesting to see, I mean, because it really does remind me of a week ago when we talked about Shanahan versus Flores as one of the week's top chess matches.

It played out that way.

That was an undermanned Niners team to some degree, but give Brian Flores credit for what they did.

I thought he made Brock Purdy look really uncomfortable.

And so if you're CJ Stroud, like you have, you have a head coach who knows this.

who should be able to help you direct you through this.

But I want to see how Flores, two weeks in a row, against a Shanahan-esque offense, like what changes, what grows, like, can it continue?

Because if you can become the defense that can unspool the Shanahan offense, which is like 70% of the league at this point, suddenly you look at the Minnesota Vikings entirely differently because Kevin O'Connell's able to get this version of Sam Darnold matched with this defense.

It's like, I came in thinking the Vikings were kind of like an eight, nine win team that's going to, you know, do what they normally do, which is frustrate their fan base.

But I start to think of them completely differently.

And Brian Flores is this really special defensive coach who did a lot with a little a year ago, and the personnel is better now.

And they're on fire.

That said, like, watching Houston and what they did to Caleb Williams, guys like Jalen Petre, like I just look at this defense and they hit so hard and they're so physical that I think it's going to be a wild, grinding, insane physical test.

And I'm with you.

This is what this is kind of game of the week material for me, Mike.

Game of the week is interesting.

I do think it's going to be really good.

I love Brian Flores.

It's just the idea of how many different ways can I just get to like Tampa 2?

You know, how many different ways can I just line up a bazillion guys at the line and ultimately just drop everyone and confuse the hell out of you hell out of you i am a big big big big cj stroud guy like i i just love watching him i think he's the future um like he throws probably one of the best balls i've i've seen like in the league like the dude is just dude is just nails i am very excited for this also a good on good matchup on the outside i'm also a big derrick stingley jr guy I love Sting.

Like, I think my hot take, even after his rookie year wasn't great and Sauces was amazing, that just like Sting was eventually going to be better, you know, because he does all the same coverage stuff, has all the same skills, and then he catches the ball.

I think Sauce is like a couple picks or something like that, but he's more like a bat-down merchant, whereas Sting will go up there and catch that thing.

And I think he'll have a pick in this game.

You guys know I'm not like a super Sam Donald person, though.

I'm getting there.

I am.

One foot inside the door.

Are you in the hive?

Because I saw, again, I saw you peeking in and I tried to wave you.

And I think you pretended you didn't see me.

And then you pop back out, But I'm pretty sure you saw me.

I thought you were going to go into the hive had they had last week went the way that it did.

You promised to go join Dan in the party.

No,

it looked, I looked inside, you know, and it looked, I looked at the menu.

I was like, oh, they have food that I like.

You know, I haven't gone in, sat down, and ordered and ordered quite yet.

I was impressed.

Shout out to, I think it was Joe Person, colleague at the athletic.

He had a note in one of his stories this week where he said, with one throw, Sam Darnold had more passing yards than Bryce did in week two, just with the touchdown to Justin Jefferson, which is absolutely bonkers.

And

credit to Sam, you know, for just being like, hey, Justin Jefferson's down there somewhere.

Because while that sounds simple, it's like a meme on the internet, it's like some of these quarterbacks really just don't have that.

They just don't just

the guy, you know, that's a, you look at like Jaden Daniels and like Terry McLaurin, I've been waiting for him to just screw it.

Terry's down there somewhere, you know.

It's not always a thing with the quarterbacks we don't consider very good to just feed the star.

Sam Darnold has realized,

I'll keep starting as long as I feed number 18.

And that's smart math to me.

Two things.

First of all, Justin, let's isolate Mike saying, I love Sting, and then we'll put a bed of some

real Sting, the solo artist soft rock, like maybe if I ever lose my faith in you, something like that, just really to kind of pump up.

People are like, speaking of zigging and zagging.

Also,

Kevin O'Connell on Sam Darnold after Sunday.

Let's listen to coach get,

and this is this is good.

We mentioned Joe Person, who was on our show on Wednesday, and talked about the Bryce Young situation.

Sam Darnold came back from a lot to get to this moment where he's at now, and you could tell O'Connell is a guy that gets it and is emotional.

Talking about Darnold's journey to where he is now.

I'd like to finish with Sam Darnold against his former team.

You know, just

the amount of work that goes into that position on your quarterback journey when everybody decides that you cannot play.

We always believed in him and

felt awesome to watch him go do that thing.

So I'm really proud of Sam Darnle.

There you go.

Kevin O'Connell's also in the hive and I love it.

Now, another test.

All right, let's move to the game that Mark Sessler cannot wait to watch.

He can't wait.

Like, there are games that you can wait to watch, and then the games that you cannot wait.

Mark, what's yours?

Yeah, well, you know, the one we just talked about is one of them, but this I have Chargers at Pittsburgh.

When we talked about offense and how offense is working, this is right into it.

I spent Sunday evening praising the exploits of Matt LaFleur, who countered the absence of Jordan Love by treating the Colts like an open barn door, right?

A whopping 53 rushing attempts for 261 yards, a white-knuckle strategy that goads you, saying, line up and come get us.

Now, in 2024, we are doused in a world of offensive innovation.

At least it seemed that way.

But then there's Jim Harbaugh and like good old boy Greg Roman just blasting away with heavy sets, J.K.

Dobbins reborn, the second most rushing yards per game, second only to LaFlores Packers.

And I pick this game because the Chargers holistically, they seem to me like they just believe who they are.

under Harbaugh.

And

you have a gigantically shaped, huge-armed quarterback and Justin Herbert.

And he didn't practice Wednesday, concerning, I get that, but in general, they just make him part of their street gang.

Like, we are the Chargers.

We're going to come into your home, flip over the coffee table, and put our muddy footprints all over your cream-colored carpet.

We're going to smoke your weed, crack open that bottle of whiskey, and

your daughters will be in love with us by

the end of the night.

There is no safety for you.

And I love it.

I cannot wait to see what TJ Watt and the Steelers' defense, we know how they've gotten the 2-0.

It's not been pretty, but they've got their strengths too.

And how do the Chargers line up and just try to keep to be who they are?

And to me, this is old school.

This is like an old school football game from the 70s.

It kind of earmarks where we are right now in this season.

Jordan, am I too high on this Chargers operation?

Am I floating away when I should be grounded?

No, I mean,

I think they're really building something sustainable that will take them down the stretch.

I think that they're, you know,

if he's...

Justin Herbert's not throwing the ball a ton, but I think that's fine because you're building something really steady around him right now.

And it's not like they're a super high rushing efficiency, or it's not like this is like the sexiest style of football in the world to play, or anything like that.

But when you start with pieces like this, you build that sort of physicality, that toughness, it becomes ingrained in you.

I know that sounds like a cliche, but that is a very, very real thing for offensive linemen, for tight ends, for running backs, for the quarterback.

It is a very, very real dynamic that starts to take over.

And that is, I don't think he's just building out his offense piece by piece and step by step.

I I think he's building a culture, too, with what he's actually schematically trying to do on the field.

I do have it written down.

I'm glad you mentioned this, Mark, because on my notes, I have it written down.

We're going back to football stone age this weekend.

And it's just going to be a lot of fun in that regard.

I'm pissed at the Steelers right now because they got me halfway to

my first win in the competition and then just shafted me.

So I'm like, not thrilled about that, but this is going to be a fun game to watch with me.

Accepting opinion, dissenting opinion.

This is a straight to game pass game for the old Zuzzer.

Can we come down a little bit?

Don't appreciate pain, Dan.

The only thing that is aesthetically pleasing about this game is that it's 2-0 versus 2-0.

Vegas has this at 35.5 over-under.

That sounds about right.

I'm not saying that this can't be

for the purists that truly understand what football should look like or whatever this angle is.

That's all great, but I'm looking at 274 yards passing for Justin Herbert through two weeks.

Ugh.

You know, Harbaugh is effective, but

not for me, like what I love to watch.

And watching Chargers games, while I'm happy for Chargers fans who've suffered a lot,

not the most exciting football I've watched this season.

The Steelers, forget about it.

I cannot watch the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They are, it's just such, every week it's like watching the same game.

And while, again, I respect Mike, I respect what they do.

And I respect everybody.

I respect Mike Tomlin

then the Harbaughs, and everyone else.

But don't tell me this is a game that I should be excited to watch because I think 10-7 has its limits for me.

I'm not telling you what you should or shouldn't be excited about.

I'm telling you who I should be and what I should like.

I like the eyeball pain once in a while of this game and just really being like, ooh, gross.

Hell yeah.

Mike, am I right or am I wrong with Sessler and Rodrigue here?

There's almost like this, like, because I really understand what football is about, this is

a

great game.

It's like, let's calm down with that just a little bit.

Dan's feeling threatened right now.

Always feeling threatened.

What I can say, credit to both of these coaches because it does look the same each week.

And if you're the coach, that actually is what you want.

You know, that means

you're getting the consistency you want.

The bad thing about this matchup is, though, is like

you're getting a similar style of ball, but I thought there's a really subtle yet significant philosophical distinction in like the steelers are actively playing not to lose each week and it works whereas the chargers have a specific way they want to win you know and i do think that is very very different and you can feel it when they play you know the steelers are just like all right justin go out there don't mess up you know we have tj watt a couple geor a couple deep balls to george and we'll probably be okay we're not we're not going to give up more than 17 points so you know just don't screw it up whereas the chargers you know like mark was talking about it's like we're playing a specific brand.

We're not playing scared, we're just playing tough, you know, we're kicking your door in, you know, just full-on SWAT team shit.

Like, that's, I enjoy that, but I don't have much respect for what the Steelers are doing.

I understand it makes sense because they're essentially playing with a backup quarterback and a lot of teams with their backup play not to lose.

The Packers just did that, you know.

So I understand, but yeah, I'm not, I'm with you, Dan.

I'm like, I like the idea of it, but I won't be watching.

I guess that's the difference.

I love the idea of, you know, playing this hard-nosed, smash-mouth ball, but it's like the Steelers aren't even good at that, you know.

Najee's not that great.

Jalen Warren's not that great.

You know, their run game is not super exciting to watch.

Arthur Smith's kind of just whatever for me.

But, you know, one last thing.

I do think I was just telling my homie this DJ Bienemi covers the Texans for ESPN.

We were just talking ball last night.

And it's like Harbaugh and Greg Roman came back, you know, at the same, at the perfect time to what we were talking about to open the show, too high, scoring down type of thing.

Harbaugh and Greg Roman, oh my God, it's dynamic duo, you know?

It's like like Vince Vaughan, whichever Wilson that is, and Wedding Crashers.

They're just like coming in, wrecking the party, like they're the life of the party, you know, now.

This is the perfect time for those two to be back together again in the NFL.

All right.

The game that I cannot wait to watch,

the Eagles coming off one of those losses.

You know, it's one of those losses, and when it's an island game, it heightens it.

But also, you talk to any Eagles fan

that's a real fan, 30 years from now, they could tell you exactly where they were when Saquon dropped the ball and then the way that played out.

And, you know, and I was happy to see that I wasn't the only one, Mark.

And I know you felt this way to a certain extent as well, that was a little taken aback by the ESPN coverage

of the Eagles and the Kelsey stuff.

But now they got to move past all that.

Like, homecoming weekend didn't work out how they expected it to.

And now they got to go to the Superdome.

And they got to play a Saints team that is playing absolutely out of its mind right now.

So a a huge game here.

I love this matchup.

And one thing that really jumps out to me, Mark, is

the Saints' offense and just this idea, especially, you know, set against the backdrop of what we're talking about, about how defenses

are in control in a lot of ways right now.

The Saints don't care about any of that.

They are literally scoring on every drive.

You have the quarterback in Carr and the running back in Kamara playing at top five levels at their position.

Their offensive line is absolutely dominating play right now.

And I, you know, Clit Kubiak, how he's deploying play action and getting the most out of his quarterback, it's like, it should be a lesson for everyone.

And Clint Kubiak's going to end up as a head coach as a result very soon if this continues.

So the Saints, an unstoppable jugging on an offense so far.

And now the Eagles in a foul mood wanted to wipe away Monday night football.

This is a nice matchup.

Give it to me.

The Saints are right now one of these teams that whoever they go and face, that team is put into complete chaos in the following week.

Like they kicked off Carolina's season from hell with an asterisk and an exclamation point.

Then they do it to the Dallas Cowboys.

I think a lot of people thought like, well, listen, this Derek Carr week one was nice, but he's going to come back down to earth.

We know who he is.

It's like, well, we don't know who he is in this offense.

And with Clint Kubiak doing what he's doing, he's also been really well protected.

I think he's only two quarterbacks have faced less pressure.

And you look at the Vic Fongio defense right now, and I don't think this has been a roaring success.

They have like three sacks, and it's like they're not getting a lot of pressure on quarterbacks.

And I see the earmark of a team that when they collapse the way they did last week, on, you're right, a homecoming night when you've got, you know, Jason Kelsey appearing in 14 commercials.

He's in the booth for half the game, like he's down the field.

He's doing that dance in that green jumpsuit thing.

Blown out that guy's ACL.

Right, he's telling us that everything's changed in Philadelphia, but then the end was the same.

And so I think this is just the Saints to me vibe like one of these teams that no one saw coming.

You're right.

They probably got one year with Kubiak and then he's out the door, but make the most of this season and keep it going.

And I don't think it's, I don't think it's a mirage.

Like Shahid, the way that those deep passes are working, at some point that's going to not work every time, but they're explosive.

Like you've got the Alvin Kamara of old.

They're calling plays in a way that the remnants of the Sean Payton offense were not able to pull off.

And I think you've got a fired up, irritated Derek Carr.

And I never really trusted the Derek Carr experience, but I do over the past two weeks.

I think this is a real situation, Mike.

And I think Philadelphia, like, there's a lot of teams that like could come into this situation.

If they pull this off, I'd be impressed.

But suddenly a one-on-two Eagles team, they're back in controversy land.

Yeah, when I used to have, you know, I do the Seahawks Man-to-Man podcast, and because of the schedule, you know, we would frequently have Jordan on our show, whether because she covered the Panthers or covered the Rams.

And we'd almost every episode ask her if the quarterback that she covered was good.

And it was a great way.

It was like a great weekly or annual tradition.

And that's kind of how like the philosophical question I have when I watch the,

I watch the

Saints.

It's like, is Derek Carr good?

You know,

I'm in the boat of know right now what happened when I watched the film of that Saints game against the Cowboys.

I love myself too much to watch Saints Panthers, but

yeah, I didn't watch the film of that.

But when I watched Saints, Cowboys, I was like, the play calling was like fine.

You know, Shaheed is the new Deshaun Jackson.

Like, this is great.

But ultimately, it was really, they were just getting a hat-on-hat.

You know, some of their play calls weren't even like super imaginative or creative or like exploiting like a schematic error or something.

It was more so.

Hey, Dallas, you don't have any linebackers, you know, which was their problem last year.

And they signed some, but the guys that don't move me, they have one of those Kendricks's, I guess.

And then a guy wearing 18 playing linebacker who wasn't very good.

And then some guy wearing 35 who wasn't very good.

They were just all just getting knocked off the ball.

Tough.

This Fuaga cat that they drafted, the Saints is like one of the best tackles in football the first couple weeks.

It really feels like that's the part that's going to be sustainable

specifically against the Eagles team that also doesn't have

any linebackers and is allowing, I believe, 6.5 yards per carry on running back tries, which is disgustingly bad on top of not getting any pressure despite all his investments in their D-line.

I don't think it'll be as much of a butt-kicking as it was, you know, the Saints did to the Panthers and Cowboys.

But, Jordan, I think this could be another dominant showing by at least the Saints offense because of how well they're just getting a hat-on-hat and moving people off the ball.

Philly is missing a crapload of tackles, third lowest tackling success rate in the NFL right now.

So, that physicality does come into play.

But also, the secondary are some of their biggest culprits in that regard.

So, getting guys in space against the secondary, which

that's concerning.

And Philly's got to step up and show something, show some metal.

Like Dan mentioned, this will really test what they're really made of, this game in particular.

And I know we're giving the Saints offense a lot of love.

I love that

a young version of a Kubiak is doing this.

It's really fun, the NFL being so cyclical as it is.

I had to double check this.

The New Orleans secondary, so

the Saints defense is playing lights out, as they have often, but now the offense is actually complimenting them, which is great.

I had to double-check this.

The secondary is only allowed one passing TD in both games.

And yes, one of those games was Carolina.

The other one, though, was Dallas.

And then they've also had a lead in each game.

So the passing volume is actually like way, way, way, way up.

So they're repping, repping, repping, repping, repping, and still only one touchdown allowed.

And then New Orleans is third currently in defensive DVOA.

They've got a lot of older players that are playing like reverse Benjamin buttoning.

Like it's it's incredible to watch.

It's really fun.

This is finally a team that's complimenting each other.

We'll see if they can sustain it.

Yeah, I'm glad glad you brought up the defense because they deserve love too.

First of all, the offense by being unstoppable is putting the defense in a good position.

But also, that was so set up that second half once they, you know, they dropped the 35 burger in the first half for the Cowboys to do that annoying thing where, you know, they still lose by seven to 10 points, but they end up rolling up 450, 500 yards, most of it in garbage time.

And I was expecting it.

I think I even tweeted like, hey, you know, CeDe Lamb's about to eat in the second half because they were just going to have to throw.

But the Saints were like, nah, we're not even going to give you that.

Like,

they just had Dallas's number and just seemed to be leaps and bounds ahead of them.

And I think Dallas is playing some catch-up right now in the Quinn to Zimmer transition that might take more time than we suspected after week one against Cleveland.

But yeah, the Saints are humming.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

And I think they're going to win again.

All right.

Up next,

we've heard from Jordan.

We've heard from Mark.

We've heard from Tugboat.

Now, Michael Sean Dugar.

Oh, by the way, Money Mike, one more thing on the Saints.

My goodness, I'm watching that game, and we have a lot.

Oh, my God.

We have a lot invested in Mike Dugar because we want to have a shark here that's going to get our listeners rich.

We want people to go to, take what Mike says, and then head over to Underdog and sink it up and get rich.

However, Mike, Chris Olave, despite being a big-time player, he gets taken down at the half-yard line, elbow hitting down at the half-yard line.

I think there were two different instances, Mike, where he could have scored a touchdown.

That was your lock of the week.

That's a toughie.

That's a bad beat for you and for the brand.

He had the call.

That is about as close as you could get to any time touchdown.

I wouldn't even call it a half-yard.

He was inches away from scoring.

Oh, my goodness.

That was tough.

I knew the secondary would be a problem, the Cowboys, but man,

that's tough.

That is a bad beat.

You're right.

And Mike, if you were wondering, Mike, like, Tugboat is one of nine nicknames that Dan has given himself.

So, if just so that reference is not lost on you, that is a self-appointed nickname for Dan.

I figured it out by process of elimination.

Okay.

I knew I wasn't Tugboat, and I know Gravediggers already got an elite nickname, so I just kind of checked the boxes there.

You're right, Money Mike.

You're right.

Okay, let's move to your pick for the game you can't wait to watch.

Speaking of the Dallas Cowboys.

Yes, I cannot wait to watch Ravens at Cowboys.

This is, I think, based on time windows, probably America's

game of the week.

It makes sense.

You guys know me, I'm an agent of chaos.

So the first thing I thought about with this game was whichever team loses is probably just going to be in total disarray.

You know, the Ravens, I believe, would fall to 0-3 if they lost.

And then the Cowboys, this would be back-to-back losses at the crib.

And they're not favored this week.

So I was going to say games where they were favored, but still, like, it's the Cowboys.

When they lose, like it's it's an issue uh there'll be back-to-back games that they probably should have won uh so that's like an interesting element of that just big picture from my own you know sick purposes of loving uh to see chaos and also i feel like these two quarterbacks like they're super good and everyone knows they're super good but that they're not quite good enough for every big game quote unquote to not be like their reputation on at stake you know it feels like every time lamar and dak are in like some type of spotlight it's like ah man let's see if they can perform.

It's like, I don't know, man, both of these guys have won playoff games, you know, but I get it.

That's kind of how we keep the come on.

We got Lamar.

Come on now.

I mean, he's had some legitimate playoff struggles.

They both have, but then also, like, they've both played well in playoff games before, you know.

So it it's it's enough for me where I'm just like, they're both very good, but I understand that that's part of it.

We're discussing two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, right?

I just wanted to remind the listeners, like, okay, moving on.

Yeah, no, for sure.

Until the clock turns midnight, yeah.

For me, I just, yeah, Lamar is like good enough to me.

He doesn't have to prove much to me, you know, anymore, particularly in the regular season.

And I feel the same way about Dak.

But this game, I can almost guarantee you we'll lead the A-block of most shows.

You know, going unless something crazy happens in that Chiefs game, we'll lead the A-block of most shows talking about these quarterbacks.

On a more specific level, both defensive coordinators are kind of interesting to me.

They took over for DCs last year that were kicking ass.

And that kind of has not totally carried over with the new guys,

neither in Baltimore nor in Dallas.

You know, it's not a total hot seat game for the head coaches, but I feel like they could be under some scrutiny too, particularly Harbaugh, you know, starting 0-3.

I actually like Dallas in this one, despite the fact that they have some really big drawbacks.

You know, they are like the opposite a little bit of what we were talking about with the Chargers and Steelers, where those teams are like, all right, we're going to hit you in the mouth.

Whereas the Cowboys have no running backs and no linebackers.

It's a very weird combo, very modern pairing, it feels like.

Whereas on the other side, the Ravens have a running back who's built like a linebacker.

But do I trust this Todd Munkin cat to actually feed him when he should?

No,

I do not.

So, Dan, I'll throw this to you one.

Who do you believe in more?

Them Cowboys or the boys in purple?

I think it's, yeah, they're both teams that are a very early crisis point, it feels like right now.

I thought it was interesting to me.

And no,

I'm not burying Lamar or anything.

First,

why is he throwing that lateral in the last seconds, by the way?

He's got to be one guy, he's got to make one move.

You are one of the great athletes of your generation, my man, and you're throwing that.

But he probably wouldn't have scored, but I thought what jumped out to me because I turned on the Raiders-Ravens game, and I'm like, oh, what happened here?

Like, what was the fluky thing that allowed the Ravens to get beat?

It's like, no, first of all, and we'll get to the Raiders.

They deserve a lot of credit for how they closed that game.

But it was like the Raiders stars outperforming the Ravens stars

down the stretch in crunch time.

And Lamar plays a role in that.

But

I think it's a very dangerous spot for Dallas because, like I said, I think

Zimmer, who has a lot of success in this league, but also

I think given where he is at in his career, it's fair to wonder whether this is going to work or not.

They're in a transition point for the defense, clearly, coming off that embarrassment.

And you have a Ravens team that this feels like, Jordan, the type of spot that typically

a John Harbaugh Ravens team delivers a big-time effort.

So, I think it sets up poorly for the Cowboys.

I like the Ravens in this game as a result.

Yeah, I think because the backs are against the wall record-wise, I brought up that 0-2 stat.

Like, I don't think that this is a hot seat situation whatsoever.

I think that Will will be living on Mars, and John Harbaugh will still be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

He is that good.

But I think that this is a situation where, like, I don't really trust Lamar's receivers yet.

I think that there's some hints that maybe the

cohesion isn't quite there other than with the tight end Isaiah likely.

The cohesion isn't quite there yet because of A, how frequently he's been running the ball.

And B, it just doesn't feel like it's totally clicked for me yet, the way that we think when we see this roster on paper, the way that it should be clicking, some of the calls at different times, when to run,

when to pass from Todd Munkin, it just seems like a little bit, the cohesiveness, the firing on all cylinders that we are used to when this Ravens team is at peak functionality.

We just aren't really quite seeing it yet.

We see it in spurts, but not totally.

And the defense is figuring itself out a little bit too.

But yeah, I think this team is just too well coached to be a back against the wall team at the head coach position, to be a back against the wall team with the stakes this high for the rest of their season statistically,

and to not

just scrap and claw and fight their way out.

And this Dallas team is too paper-thin at key positions, is too susceptible, I think, to chaos in itself.

And yeah, one thing I was thinking about, this is a very small pivot, but what do you think Mike Zimmer's reaction was when Michael Parsons told him he was on a podcast?

Because he's like an older, he's like an older generation coach, right?

And he's like notorious for that.

Oh, he's like a what's a podcast guy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I thought about that because I was listening to Michael Parsons' podcast and he does a nice job on it and he's very honest and he's very self-reflective and he thought Mike Zimmer called a great game.

It seems like they're talking.

I saw lots of shots of them talking together on the sideline, those types of things.

So at least that's there.

But I just think this Dallas team is, they just feel too fragile.

They feel too close to the brink of something.

What that something is, I think that this weekend will go a long way in deciding that.

Yeah, like the loser is in boiling hot water.

I mean, because I get that there's, you know, 400 more games to go, but if the Ravens come out of this 0-3,

there isn't a human that thought that would happen at this point in the season.

Same with Dallas.

I think Mike McCarthy literally is on a hot seat.

He's been on a hot seat for years, and this is the kind of game at home you have to win.

I think you've got a chance because when I watch the Ravens...

Harbaugh is Harbaugh, but there is a team that's still sort of developing who they are.

I think the offensive line, the losses in the offseason are showing up.

Last week, the Saints did a nice job on Micah Parsons.

Like, they found a way to put multiple blockers on him and kind of took him out of the game and then the game was suddenly over.

I don't know if I trust the Ravens to do that.

I think they've not really found a way to use Derrick Henry in terms of volume and in terms of punishment the way that you'd think they would have.

And they got some, they're banged up in the secondary too.

Kyle Hamilton didn't practice.

On the flip side though, Dan, there was a big, like, I want to see what CeeDee Lamb is because he's got an ankle injury and also did not practice.

So I think it's at that time of year where health has already started to creep up on both teams.

I cannot think of a a game this entire season that comes anywhere close to the amount of pressure that these two teams face.

The loser is going to be

talked about for week three.

The loser is going to be, as you said, Mike, a glowing

point of analysis all Monday morning, all week long.

And if you come out of this and the Ravens, you're 0-3, and the Bengals start heating up.

I don't like it at all for them.

Baltimore coroners struggled a lot last week.

Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stevens, Nate Wiggins, who missed the game.

It was some car accident, I believe.

He was missed.

They just, they got to be better.

Even the punter blew it at the end of that game.

It's like, there's a reason why they blow these games in the fourth quarter.

It's the execution that's strange, but I just would be stunned if a John Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson team was 0-3 after this week.

Feel very good about the Ravens.

All right, let's take a break.

That's the games we cannot wait to watch.

When we come back, we'll hit the rest of the week three slate.

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Here the call with Dan Hansis and Mark Sessler is on Underdog.

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audience only.

All right, we are back.

It is that time that that excites people, that sickens people.

Let's do it.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

What a creep.

Oh, man.

Is it safe?

I put my headphones back in.

Is it getting better or worse every week?

I can't tell.

It is becoming more disgusting weekly and by the minute.

It's becoming like a study.

It's like a study, like a Rorschach test, almost.

I don't know.

Anyway, here we are.

We're in the gravy boat.

Justin Graver, our fine producer, is going to take us through the rest of the games.

Hit it, but

fine.

I like that.

All right.

We're starting with New York Giants at Cleveland Browns.

Malik Neighbors had a breakout game.

Brian Davol's throwing headsets.

It's a wacky time in Giants country as they search for their first win.

And if they want to achieve that this week, they will have to put pressure on Deshaun Watson, who has been pressured at the fifth highest rate in the league, has taken the fourth most sacks, despite facing a below average blitz rate.

Giants pass rush of Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeau, our buddy, has generated pressure at the 10th highest rate in the league.

Could have an opportunity to wreck this game.

But Jack Conklin, full participant in Wednesday's practice, if he's back, could be a big boost for the Browns offense.

Mark, your thoughts?

It's huge to have Conklin back.

They've gone through this season with zero of their starting tackles.

Jedrick Wills was limited.

We'll see what happens there.

I think this boils down to the fact that Cleveland's defense at home is the kind of unit that can absolutely destroy quarterbacks.

I don't like this for New York.

I thought if you go watch what Cleveland did on the road in bad weather against Trevor Lawrence, like Miles Garrett is banged up too, but that doesn't matter.

He'll still play.

It's like these guys completely unspool offenses.

Outside of Malik Neighbors having like an insane kind of game, which he continues to do, like I don't like this for New York.

I think they're in big trouble, and Cleveland's defense can overcome an offense that was like two for 14 on third downs a week ago.

I will say, too, with Malik, with Malik Neighbors, yeah, he's like pretty much the reason to keep watching this Giants team.

By the way, my great friend Charlotte Carroll covers the Giants for the athletic along with Dan Duggan, and she's having to write stories with headlines that say, it's not all doom.

Here are three reasons to keep watching.

So that's week two at this point.

But Malik Neighbors is a reason to keep watching.

But to your point, Mark, I think this is going to be a trick, kind of a tricky game for him.

I have that feeling because I was looking at next-gen stats.

Right now, his most productive concept, I mean, he's great at everything, but his most productive concept is that inbreaker.

Eight catches, 130 yards, and a touchdown on those middle to long-range inbreaking routes.

But the Browns' defense actually statistically really swallows that area up.

They have not allowed a passing offense even 100 yards yet on inbreaking routes per next-gen stat.

So I think this is going to be tricky for neighbors, too.

What's next, Justin?

All right, next game.

Green Bay Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans.

Jordan Love was a limited practice participant on Wednesday, and Adam Schefter reports that he might be able to go this weekend.

I think it's gamesmanship.

I don't expect him to return against a Titans' defense that is allowing the fewest yards in the league through two weeks.

So, to me, and we'll see if this holds true, but the real story is the Malik Willis revenge game against Tennessee, although he said he's not approaching the game with that mindset.

Can Matt LaFleur pull off another upset win with a 70s-style ground-and-pound approach?

A key matchup to watch here for the Packers defense.

Rashawn Gary has played over 90% of his snaps against right tackle.

Nicolas Petit Frere, the Titans' right tackle, was credited for allowing 13 pressures last weekend, the highest single-game pressure rate allowed of any offensive lineman over the last six years.

Woof.

Let me be clear.

Malik Willis not only is not simply not approaching this as a revenge game, he actually said in response to that, I got paid the entire time I was there.

So that's actually the that's stronger than, like, oh, he's not looking at it like that.

No, no, like truly, he's not looking at it like that.

That's a business, man.

I'm also kind of pissed because the Titans did not listen to me whatsoever, or at least didn't listen to me enough, for my grand battering ram game plan with Will Levis.

Also, kind of disappointed none of you guys said grand on the Wednesday show when Connor Orr brought up the words battering ram.

Lean into your nerd freak, please.

So the Malik Willis Willis game plan, you're seeing like triple option being run.

He threw the ball 14 times.

That was brilliant, brilliant coaching.

You did not see that necessarily on the other.

And then Will Levis just kind of went haywire as well.

So that's part of it, too.

But I do think that that's the type of thing that I'd actually like to see actually running the ball, reining in the erratic Lego man, Will Levis.

And I think you can run the ball on this Packers team.

They've allowed over 100 yards to a single rusher in each of their first two games.

Yeah, Mark, Matt LaFleur, hashtag nailed it, Malik Willis, one read, let it rip or don't let it rip, and then run the f out of the ball.

That is, that, I mean, we're giving LaFleur a lot of credit, Mark, which he deserves, but it's also, we would all have the same strategy.

He just knows how to scheme up all these different running plays, and that's what makes him a genius.

But the strategy itself is pretty straightforward.

Yeah, I think it's not that it was a completely surprising approach, but like the opposition knew it was coming and they couldn't stop it.

I think that's

why it's impressive.

All right next oh no Ackman fashion watch can you throw that up gravedigger?

We are big Laura Ackman fans.

We like that she's just dripping in these games

She's calling this game.

That's why we're mentioning it here

She's wearing like a motorcycle jacket type thing in week two, which I like Jordan your thoughts on it I want her to I hope it's not toned down because there was too much heat around week one.

I think she needs to go the other way, but let's watch this journey unfold.

I I don't want to have it take one way or the other, but we are supportive.

I'm like a big jacket outerwear person.

I have the, first of all, I loved her week one.

Like I said, I loved her week one outfit too, but this, this I really, really like.

It's kind of classic.

I think they're in a dome, right?

So it's almost like, it's almost like, you know, that's that type of outerwear, the moto jacket in the motor city, that kind of a thing.

I get it.

I love it.

Yeah.

Maker Mayfield looks good too, by the way.

Like, am I wrong there?

there's Coming shark.

come on get in the gravy boat if you want to talk like that oh my god all right next

that's gravy boat talk bro stop making it real please next game is chicago bears at indianapolis colts and bears fans are still eagerly awaiting the caleb williams breakout game but with the colts allowing 237 rushing yards per gate per game so far coming off of being demolished on the ground by the green bay packers that we just talked about and now without deforest buckner who was placed on IR earlier this week, I think the Bears might have to wait on the Caleb Williams breakout game.

Let's ease some of the burden on Williams and just establish the run in this one.

But I'll be tuning in to see these two uber-talented quarterbacks, supremely athletic players, but also somewhat mistake-prone players for what could be a roller coaster game of highs and lows.

Mike, I was really disappointed by the Colts.

Well, yeah, they couldn't stop the Green Bay running attack, but what are you going to do?

They couldn't stop the running attack at Houston in week one.

But the fact that they looked like the team with the quarterback that was limited, like it was just

a bad day at the office in Green Bay.

So I'm really hoping that we get the Richardson game that's fun and they really take off offensively because it's been a little bit of a grind.

Yeah, I'm actually really worried about Anthony Richardson for this particular game because that Eberflus dude is no joke when it comes to scheming it up.

He actually thought he did a decent job, all things considered, on C.J.

Stroud in that Sunday night game.

You know, CJ didn't throw for big numbers, didn't go crazy.

Nico had a big game, but it wasn't.

CJ didn't overwhelm them per se.

So I actually think like this could get ugly.

Uh, for AR, that could get really bad.

For what it's worth, uh, Justin, I enjoy the gravy boat sound.

I just wanted to throw that in there.

It's got like Shannon Sharp IG Live vibes to me, which I like I get a

chuckle out of, you know.

So I appreciate, I do appreciate that.

Uh, I'm a big Caleb Williams guy, though, so I am predicting that he bounces back.

You know, I think he has some things to overcome with his O-line, uh, and even his OC, you know, I'm familiar with a little bit, but I do think he can do it.

And credit fruit to CJ Stroud for giving him some words of encouragement because I'm sure he probably needed to hear that after a second straight bad game

to start his career.

A couple things.

First of all, I think these are two quarterbacks our league

needs to

step up their game or get more help around them because

they're both young and exciting and dynamic.

Per PFF, Anthony Richardson, 31% of his passes were uncatchable in week two.

That's the only person with more is Bryce Young.

He's really struggling with the intermediate game.

If you take out, and I know it's not fair to do that, but if you take out the three 50-plus-yard splash plays in week one, his game tape is fairly grisly.

And what Mike's referring to after Sunday night football, they had the Mics captured.

C.J.

Stroud, who's obviously played like, what, maybe 19 or 20 games in the NFL, imparting some veteran wisdom to Caleb Williams, who after taking a savage beating in that game, didn't seem like he was overly into it.

It became a, all caps here, big dumb controversy in our media world to the point where CJ Stroud had to address it on Wednesday.

Let's listen in.

I was trying to little bro him or nothing.

He knows that too.

I have a ton of respect for him.

I told him I respect him.

But I had so many guys coming to me after games last year.

And that

meant the world to me

that those guys even thought about giving me advice.

So I'll just try to get back to what the gamers gave to me.

Yeah, stupid controversy.

CJ Stroud was trying to help.

He saw that his colleague and a guy that they're like the same age, basically, just got the shit kicked out of him in that game.

And he was just trying to, and Caleb not wanting to hear it.

To me, that just shows that he's a competitor.

And it's like, everybody chill.

Sometimes with the media, can we all just relax a little bit?

Well, yeah,

This is ponderous.

This is ponderous.

And like, C.J.

Stroud, indirectly, though, is one of the reasons that the Caleb Williams for the world are under pressure to perform right away because C.J.

Stroud, like to remarkable levels as a rookie,

you think when you go take someone number one or two, they're going to do it.

And like Caleb Williams, we're watching in real time is like...

This takes time.

This takes sometimes years.

And he looked completely uncomfortable.

He has a bad offensive line in front of him.

So, I mean, the idea that he's going to suddenly flip the switch this week, like, I think a little bit of patience with some of these guys would help instead of cooking up false controversies and he said, he said, nonsensical items.

Mariah taught us that love takes time, by the way.

So does offensive continuity.

There you go.

Yeah, that's a great point, Mark.

And I also, yay, and I also think.

I'm sorry, I'm such a loser, guys.

Just don't follow this up with the Lord of the Rings reference and we're going to be good.

No, I think we should extend that same grace to Anthony Richardson as well, because he missed so much.

I mean, most of last season as well.

And I will say, this is kind of a start over, a do-over for him as well.

And a lot of that first year for him was spent recovering and rehabbing.

Now him and Shane Steichen are settling in together and getting into a flow.

Anthony Richardson's also using the same biomechanics experts and throwing coaches that turned Josh Allen from erratic into a very accurate passer.

And that's a shameless plug for one of my stories up at theathletic.com as well.

Nailed it.

And I think that

this is all a bigger conversation that I hope we have at some point

maybe in the offseason about how we talk about quarterbacks who are growing and developing.

We're seeing the entire range of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the discussion around these players over the last couple of years, and particularly with a lot of these young first and second-year quarterbacks.

Good point.

Good point.

Next.

All right.

Next game.

Denver Brown.

Great point, Jordan.

There we go.

All right.

Next game, Denver Bronze.

I think that Mike, you know, Mike doesn't know all the in-jokes of our show and the history of the show.

So it must be incredibly, at times, jarring and nonsensical to you.

So apologies to Money Mike Dugar in a big spot.

It's all right.

I watched enough of Sherlock Holmes movies to be able to deduce what they mean at certain times and pick up on tendencies.

So I'm all right.

You're doing great.

There you go.

Sometimes the show could be like Christopher Nolan trying to understand Memento or something the first time you watch it.

What's the other movie where they're in the upside-down dream world?

Inception, I think.

That's Inception, but the one that doesn't make any sense is Tenet.

That's the one.

Tenet.

I tried to watch Tenet backwards and it was like, I want to put a bullet in my head.

I felt so bad.

Backwards.

Why?

It was during COVID.

I was like in my garage that came out during then.

I was like, I think because this movie in its forward fashion literally is illogical in every possible way.

So I tried to go scene by scene in reverse, and it made even less sense.

So I think he's just toying with us on that level.

I was like self-consciously when I was in the theater watching Inception, I was like, is anyone else confused right now?

Said I just had to do like the smart face.

Like, oh, great twist.

Ooh, spinning top.

Yes, yes, yes.

Inception makes sense.

Tenant does not.

Tenant does not.

Mark, you watched a movie backwards scene by scene and expected it to make more sense than watching it forward scene by scene.

Like movies aren't.

Hey, man, it was COVID, dude.

To Mike's point, like specifically with Tenet, that was not the worst way to

make sense because of how the movie is written and put together.

Yeah, it's almost the movie is in reverse.

So,

you have such respect for the autor that it's like, wait, this movie can't just possibly suck, right?

It's got to be a way to put this puzzle together.

This somehow ties into the quarterback conversation.

I think it does.

Yeah, I think it does.

Sounds like a long form, Jordan.

All right, next.

All right, third time's a charm to get this sentence out.

Next game is Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bo Nicks, along with the entire rookie quarterback class, is still looking for his first touchdown pass.

And now he gets a Buccaneers team that has not yet allowed a touchdown pass.

The only team to do so in the first two weeks.

The Bucs are blitzing at the fifth highest rate.

Bo Nicks has the sixth lowest success rate against the Blitz.

So this matchup does not bode well for Denver on the other side of the field.

Yes, on the other side of the field, Chris Godwin is second in the NFL and receiving yards, first in receiving EPA.

If Baker can keep it rolling on offense, I think Denver could really struggle to keep up.

Mark, your thoughts on, well, first, because you were just swooning about Baker's physical looks, what do you think about his play?

Because he's one of the quarterbacks that doesn't seem to be struggling this year so far.

I just thought he looks like he's got his act together from the looks angle.

And on the field, you know, last week, they really, like, were, if you looked at just the box score, you would have thought they had their doors blown off.

They gave up like 400 and and something yards and had like 150 something at halftime but the connection with chris godwin um was out of control godwin is playing as well as i've ever seen him play baker's first seven completions all went to chris godwin for 117 yards and a touchdown and i think that baker right now is he's added an element to his game we talked about it sunday night but there is a there were back-to-back 11-yard runs one was brought them into the red zone and the other he rumbled into the into the end zone and it's like you got that version of baker that just seems like he's not going to be denied and like he's really added that to his game he always could move a little bit but he's not he kind of go watch those runs he evaded he smashed through people right he like he had great vision and this version of the offense can overcome a really battered roster like they really are missing a ton of guys on defense um it doesn't concern me against the broncos but in general they're going to need to get vita vay and some of these guys back at some point they're a little a little shorthanded i'm i think they're lucky to have gotten out of detroit with the way they did last week Yeah, they're going to rely on the offense to lift all boats basically until they can get some of these guys back.

Just personnel-wise, they're depleted.

I was impressed by how feisty they were on defense, despite missing all of those in a really, really hostile environment.

Man, we talk about this, I think, every time on the show, but playing in Detroit is not a joke at all.

And the way that Baker and the offense handled it, handled this, by the way, the silent count of it all and the cohesion, that's really tough with a first-year offensive coordinator.

I've been screeching about how this Bucks team is for real

for a long time at this point.

And I definitely got some heat for it early on.

But I think that if you go and watch these two games, despite the lopsided box score, you really see what it is about this team that is working.

I'm really happy for Chris Godwin, who is a great human, as well as just really coming into his own in that sort of hybrid.

receiving role where he's playing multiple receiving positions, although aligning out of a lot of the same spots.

It's just, it's fun to watch.

And Denver, I have no faith in right now.

Yeah, Denver,

let's stick a pin in Denver, but everyone's in a wait-and-see mood to see how bad this might get.

Shout out to that Tampa Bay coaching staff, Todd Bowles, always like Todd.

Liam Cohens off to a nice start as the OC.

And usually

I'm not about the double coordinators.

And especially if, so they have two DCs, Casey Rogers and Larry Foote.

And then Todd Bowles is a defensive guy.

Also, that feels like too many cooks.

And yet, here's a a good stat from PFF: Tampa Bay's defense against the Detroit Lions, who are a top offense in the league.

Passes of more than 10 yards in week two.

Two interceptions, five incomplete passes.

They dropped another interception.

They had locked down Jared Goff and made him look like old Jared Goff.

All right, next.

Too many cooks, but you got a Baker in there, too.

Hey, got him.

All right, next game.

Carolina Panthers at Las Vegas Raiders.

Just imagine him dropping that zinger while covered in hot gravy.

Oh, my God.

That's real life.

Dripping.

Dripping off his chin.

Carolina Panthers at Las Vegas Raiders.

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers leads all tight ends in the NFL in targets with 17, receptions with 15, and receiving yards, 156, through the first two weeks of the season, in part because Minshew Mania is taking over Las Vegas.

Carolina has struggled to stop as much as a nosebleed on defense.

But enough about the Raiders.

This matchup is all about Andy Dalton.

Dalton started for an injured Bryce Young in week three of last season

in week three of last season when he threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns on 34 of 58 passing.

He'll have to deal with Max Crosby.

Crosby will be matched up a lot against Taylor Moton, who is actually playing like one of the best right tackles in the league, 10th fewest pressure rate allowed among right tackles.

So this is a strength on strength matchup.

I think the game depends whether or not the man who is most famous for being the prime meridian of quarterback play in the NFL can turn things around for the Panthers.

Yeah, and what that means to the Panthers if Dalton plays at a solid or just a base level of professional quarterback, like at what point does he just become their quarterback full-time?

Mark, you are, you've always been a Gardner Minshew guy.

I've always enjoyed him as a personality, but as a player, I thought, you know, there's limitations to what you can get out of him.

I knew he's such a great fit with the Raiders and this Raiders team that nobody really thinks is a Super Bowl contender, but this could end up being like a fun season.

Here's what Max Crosby, another really fun guy to watch, said to Gardner before the game-winning drive against the Ravens.

He grabbed me and just said, hey, we got your back, dude.

We need that Washington State Gardner.

We need that.

And I was like, man, well, this is how he talks.

Man, you're right, dude.

Let me just see if I can whip that up real quick.

And hot damn, he did, Sess Dog.

Nice place and time for the Minshew Maniacs out there.

It is the perfect landing spot if you get the good version of Gardner.

And he's got a lot of, you look around the league, he's got a lot of starting experience, like more than you'd think.

And I think that the development of Brock Bowers is,

they've missed on so many draft picks over like the past half decade, like embarrassing first-round flubs.

Bowers caught all nine targets for 98 yards last week.

Minchu called him out and said this guy is a very special player.

I think you can run on Carolina too.

They're allowing 200 yards a week on the ground.

And so Andy Dalton probably normalizes things, but the Raiders suddenly could be a two-on-one team that no one saw coming.

I think it was a week ago on this show that we were absolutely destroying them verbally.

And, you know, they turn around and basically said, no, no, no, no.

Gardner Minshew does not go into Baltimore and lose.

He wins.

Max Crosby completely took over that game in Baltimore.

Next.

Next game.

I just want to get a Goku's in there.

Next game, Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks.

Mike McDaniel says he has real earned confidence in Skylar Thompson as the team's starting quarterback.

I do not share his sentiment.

But if there is one hope for the Dolphins, it's the threat their playmakers pose.

Devon A-chain has forced the second most missed tackles of any ball carrier this season with 15.

But the Dolphins struggled for most of week one and all of week two, even with Tua in the game.

So can they play up to what is their standard after making the longest domestic road trip possible outside of international games, flying from the southeasternmost point of the country all the way to the northwesternmost point.

And Geno Smith is playing great football right now.

Yeah, great, Jordan, great setup here for the Seahawks are 2-0.

And now they get a Miami team traveling across the country.

And yes, this happened on

late Tuesday, I believe, but Tua was officially moved to injured reserve.

So he's out for at least four weeks.

This feels like, man, minus four seems low for this game.

Seahawks feel like in a great spot to be 3-0 in the talk of the league.

Yeah, Geno Smith is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.

He's coming off one of the best games of his career.

I really don't, I want to make sure we don't sell him short at all from that performance, even though the score looked a little bit strange.

The Seahawks are missing a consistent run game.

Our own money, Mike Dugar, has a great piece in the athletic this week about that.

The stat that you used, Mike, that jumped out at me was versus New England.

Do you know Smith had more drop backs, 48, than Zach Charbonnet had rushing yards, 38.

So what's going on with that?

And do you think that's an effect this week?

Oh, yeah, that's a big, big, big problem.

Like the Seahawks, this is why I was kind of confused when Mike Sando, athletic colleague, did his quarterback tiers and the execs that he pulled had Geno, I believe, in tier three.

And the definition of that tier was like guys who need a run game and a defense, you know, to

hero ball right now.

He's totally playing hero ball.

Yeah.

It's like, what Seahawks team did these execs watch the last two years?

They've had no run game and no defense and Geno's got him above 500 each time.

And then week two was a perfect example.

Geno dropped back more times than his running back had rushing yards.

Their defense gave up a bazillion yards on the ground to Ramaje Stevenson, Antonio Gibson.

And Geno was like, jump on my back, boys, on the road.

I'll throw for 327 against a really good Patriots secondary, and we'll go win the game.

You know, like, Gino is one of those guys who can carry a team on his back.

I think he may have to do that again on Sunday against the Dolphins.

Jalen Ramsey and DK is always a great matchup.

Sometimes DK wins.

Sometimes Jalen kicks his ass.

So who knows what it'll be on Sunday.

But yeah, I'd like the Seahawks.

I actually do like the the Dolphins to cover, though.

Teams who have their backup quarterback in, that first start is usually pretty wonky, as Malik Willis just showed us, you know, in week two.

So, yeah, I think Gino might have to put him on his back again.

But also, I think

Mike McDonald and his defense got to be licking their chops this week.

Shout out to Patrick Beverly when they watch the film of Skylar Thompson because that dude holds on to the ball what feels like an eon longer than Tua does.

And when you do that against a team that is second in pressure rate, as the Seahawks are right now, that is going to be a big, big, big problem.

Very good.

Next.

Is that a money mic tip there?

Cover the, take the.

Oh, is it?

Be careful, Mike.

You got to make sure you know.

You got to feel 100% confident.

Because this is a good thing.

I like Skylar Thompson anytime interception and then Dolphins.

I saw it at plus five and a half.

If you can get five and a half, go ahead and take it.

But I also like four and a half as well.

Okay.

So is that endorsed, though?

Yes, yes.

All right, there it is.

I like dolphins to cover whatever line you can get it at.

It might depend on the book, and then Skylar Thompson interception.

Mark, we have a rooting interest.

This is our small business.

So

we need this.

We need that.

We need it, but I have like absolute unshakable confidence in Mike's results based on last week.

So here we go.

I'm going to check the underdog app for the Skylar Thompson interceptions over 0.5, see what that looks like.

All right, moving on to San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams.

It's the injury bowl.

Both the Rams and 49ers are missing a number of star players, but the Rams are in the worst shape, probably of any team in the league injury-wise.

Matthew Stafford, in particular, last season struggled without Cooper Cup.

He had a 101.2 passer rating with Cooper Cup.

That dropped to 77.6 without him.

Also, McVay is only 5-10 coaching against Kyle Shanahan.

He'll have to work some real magic to manufacture a win in this one.

Jordan, take this one.

Yeah,

so Debo out, Christian McCaffrey out.

It still will be a pretty physical attack, I think, from Kyle Shanahan because it always is ominous respect, ominous respect.

Usually this is like a Kyle Shanahan circle the linebacker game.

So in a lot of cases in the past, it's been like Troy Reeder, sometimes Ernest Jones, but he's actually not been healthy for a couple of these games that they've faced against each other.

So a lot of Troy Reeder and Troy Reeder is their middle linebacker right now.

Again, after they traded Ernest Jones, who Aaron Donald was sharing highlights of on his Instagram story after this weekend when the Rams just got gashed on the ground over and over and over again.

This defensive line is really one of the only healthy areas on this Rams football team and they still are not stopping the run.

The pressure rate has been fine.

The tackles, actually, you know, second effort tackles, things like that has not been fine.

And this defensive line is going to be in for a really, really long season if they can't figure out some of the technique and physicality up front, particularly starting with a really, really physical, even with these guys out, 49ers team, also some concerns about the secondary.

I think it's going to be a big George Kittle game.

Obviously, they've got the perimeter receivers as well.

And this Rams team is just absolutely battered and depleted.

It was similar to 2022, but that happened over the course of a season.

This happened over two weeks.

It's crazy.

They're starting a rookie center, another new left guard who only just made the 53-man roster this year in Logan Brus.

Alec Jackson's back from suspension, but he has not played football in multiple weeks.

And, you know, it's just Kevin Dotson's playing through the foot.

I mean, it's just, it's bad, bad shape in LA right now.

Entering week three, and now maybe

Sea Legs getting closer under him.

I'd like to see what Brandon Ayuk does with 10 to 12 targets in this game.

They're going to need him.

All right, next.

Next, Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals.

Man, this one's down in the gravy boat.

I think this is going to be a great game.

This might be my game of the week.

Sometimes the best stuff in the gravy boat kind of sinks to the bottom, and then it's extra.

Jordan, it's extra succulent at the bottom of the gravy boat.

Ah, stop.

I really want to talk about this game.

Don't ruin it for me.

I'm so excited about this game.

Oh, my God.

You were just like, please stop.

I'm dying.

Go ahead.

All right, here we go.

With Kyler Murray playing as well as he has so far this season, I think the Cardinals could be dark horse actual legitimate contenders in the NFC.

And at the very least, they're going to be a frisky team that makes life difficult for the NFC heavyweights, such as the Lions.

I think this is a great litmus test to see just how good the Cardinals can be this year.

Here's one stat to note.

75% of Kyler Murray's deep completions, dating back to the beginning of last season, have come against single-high safeties.

The Lions use single-high safety looks at the fourth highest rate in the league.

However, they have not allowed a single deep completion yet this season.

So if they can take away Kyler's deep ball, that could change the game.

Mark, you're a big Kyler guy.

You like yourself some Gannon.

You're into the Cardinals.

You and Zummalt are aligned.

I am absolutely with Justin on this.

Cardinals, this is a big early statement game.

They do something at home here in a big spot, and the desert people have this at a 51.5 over-under.

So I think points, I agree with that as well.

This could be fun.

Yeah, and you're right, Justin, about the deep passing element to this.

He was five for five Kyler Murray a week ago on 20-plus air yard throws for 156 yards and three touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison, a big part of that.

What I like about this team on both sides of the ball, and I picked them as a wild card team.

That was a little bit of a reach at the time, but I'm starting to feel like I might have eased into something.

Prescient, you got Marvin Harrison playing like rookie of the year.

Kyler Murray is playing some of the best football I've ever seen him.

Buda Baker is a destroyer week after week.

Dennis Gardeck is like this sort of, you know, we know who he is, but I think your casual people are not big Dennis Gardeck people.

He wreaks havoc week after week.

They're well coached.

They can run the ball really well.

And I think they hang around with Detroit.

I think if you get Kyler Murray and the deep ball to work, Mike, you've got something here.

I think the Cardinals, to me, going back to last season, you see effort, win or lose.

There is an effort and they're well coached and they are a punishing team.

Yeah, I don't, if there's like the Kyler Murray equivalent of the Sam Donald Hive, I don't know if it's like a Kyler Murray corner or whatever that we stand on or whatever.

Yeah, there we go.

I'm there.

I am fully there.

Mark, if you're there with me, yeah, bottles on me.

Like, I think Kyler is that dude.

He is one of those, the team can be on my back type of guys.

So, yeah, I think this might be the game.

When I was going over my fearless prediction about passing yards, I was like, oh, yeah.

This is probably going to be the game where someone goes crazy and all those stats and the fear of too high that people were talking about this week just goes out the window because this game might just be an offensive eruption.

And I don't know if my schedule aligns with watching it, but it'll be a game that I watch back on Jordan next week.

Jordan, I I know you have a lot to say, Jordan.

You grossed me out earlier.

You owe me one ramp.

You get, this is what, all the excitement, all the passion you have right now, you need to somehow put into 37 seconds.

I'm starting the clock now.

Okay, I want to talk about what Arizona is doing right now on offense because they're showing us the future in the shrunking passing present of the NFL.

There's a lot of talk right now about these two high shells, rotating coverages.

It's a good thing for defenses to be smarter than ever, more multiple, hybrid, multiple answers, not just reactions to what offenses can do to them in a league that has has bent its rules to help offense.

So, the simplest way I can describe this:

what's happening with defense is open umbrella closing down over the tops of routes and concepts.

If you have great offensive line play, you can block for long enough to develop plays that puncture the umbrella.

The Chiefs and Dolphins are trying to do this with speed, without deep pass sets, because they have so much speed at receiver, they can get to their deeper concept without needing as much time.

Most teams don't have that speed.

Enter the Cardinals.

They decided last year, it's all over their tape, they were going to go the route of ultimate ego death.

Drew Petzing, the offensive coordinator, created heavy personnel, extra tight ends, massive people all across the line, massive running backs, tiny quarterback, rushing attack that deploys multiple concepts and really moves the contact point a ton.

So your gaps aren't always the gaps you think they are if they're a defender.

It's not picking away under the shell in bits and pieces.

It's like Rocky punching a slab of meat, frozen meat.

This takes time and patience.

OCs want to call pass plays.

They want to be explosive.

They want to be on the reels that the other coaches watch first on Monday mornings.

Drew Petzing does not care.

The Cardinals not only can break a shell, they have Kyler Murray playing freer and more explosively than he has in years, but who also can create as defenders crash down and get the ball behind them with a big arm.

The Cardinals can also protect their very questionable defense because playing offense this way literally keeps the ball away from the other offense.

They are the future.

I'm so sorry.

I know that was longer.

Wait, did I beat it?

Six.

No.

Did I beat it?

Two.

37 seconds.

That was 137 seconds.

But it was nice.

You didn't beat it.

It just took me that long to go back into my hard drive, find the folder with the around the AFC, get the timer on, and start.

I feel like that was a cathartic experience.

I mean, it shows your passion and your knowledge is just off the charts.

So it's a big win for you.

Big win for you.

All right.

How many games do we have left?

That's it.

Oh, wait.

You know what?

Oh, we have the fake prime time game, right?

Yeah, I thought that was it, but I'm fishing around deep in this gravy bowl here and

sunk all the way to the bottom, just sopping wet, is the Jacksonville at Buffalo game.

I'm being punished.

I know.

I know I'm being punished.

Let me get to that one.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills.

The Jags have a tough challenge ahead to avoid an 0-3 start.

And this version of the Bills might be the best one yet.

I mean, in my opinion, I love the way that they are balanced on offense.

They're not relying on Josh Allen, hero ball.

Is Doug Peterson already coaching for his job?

I think that's a big question.

Trevor Lawrence has been pressured on nearly 38% of his drop back, seventh highest rate in the league.

Bills pass rush with Gregory Rousseau.

Von Miller looked great against the Dolphins last week.

They have extended rest now.

Can Jacksonville keep up with Josh Allen and James Cook on the other side?

I don't know.

I think it's a big question.

Mark, feels like

a bad setup for the Jaguars.

Well, you're getting a Bills team that has 11 days' rest.

Let's start right there.

And Lawrence, you know, less than a week ago in horrible weather was beaten down by the Cleveland Browns.

And I think you're getting Gregory Rousseau, as Justin mentioned.

Von Miller is back.

Like he's been playing really, really well.

And I think the Jaguars just look to me like they, whatever Doug Peterson made special about Lawrence at the end of two seasons ago

and for part of last season is not happening right now.

He's been under total duress.

I think he had about 16 yards passing in the first half against Cleveland last week.

Buffalo's defense, they're missing a couple people, but they're really well coached.

I think the Jaguars are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL, and them at 0-3 would not surprise me.

And Connor Orr has mentioned over and over on our other show that Doug Peterson, whether he's coaching for his job or not, that's a place people want to go because of the quarterback.

And so 0-3 is about the darkest corner he could be in at this point in the season.

Oh, Clint Kubiak.

All right, Mike Dugar.

One of these guys, Petzing.

Yeah, Trevor Lawrence, he might fall into that bucket where you're asking, is this guy good?

I know, like, he seems good.

Like, he looks the part of good, but he doesn't produce good.

I know that's grammatically incorrect, I believe, but it feels like factually accurate, which is all that matters in this case.

I do think Trevor might be good, but this would be a nice game for him to play well in.

That'll go a long way towards making that a fact.

Also, he was supposed to be great, so we're like reckoning

the changing and perceptions

caused by reality.

All right, now let's take a break, and then we're going to hit our fearless predictions and say goodbye.

Heed the Call with Dan Hansis and Mark Sessler is on Underdog.

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All right, we are back.

Let's close this thing out as we must.

Remember, there's a huge trophy on the line here.

Huge trophy

for who has the best record fearless predictions.

Let's take a look at, before we make our week three fearless predictions, what week two looked like.

Did anybody hit in week two?

Throw it up there, Gravy.

All right, the Zuzzer.

Okay,

I got banged pretty bad too because I had three first-round wide receivers will have at least 100 total yards or score a touchdown.

I got two, and then I got Roma Dunze dropping a gimme in the end zone Sunday night football.

Brian Thomas had 94 yards on only two catches.

It's like, give him the ball, and he hits this for you.

So, anyway, I was on target that all that would melt away, and these guys are too talented, but I got it wrong, so it doesn't matter.

Money Mike, oh, here we go.

A hefty lineman will score a touchdown this weekend.

There was a thick six, it was in Kansas City, and I believe if if i'm not mistaken um

who was it it was wanya was it wanya

morris is that who it was yeah uh and also mike so you were bummed about a lave i watched this uh travis kelsey was all alone in the back of the end zone patrick could have gone in two directions he went with the thick six so congratulations you got one There we go.

I felt good about that too going into the week.

So yeah, nice to get on the board.

What a way.

I like that one too.

That was a good one.

Jordan Rodrigue, Justin Fields rushes for 60 plus yards against the Bronco and his name starting quarterback.

Did either of those happen?

He has been solidified as the starter.

But not announced formally.

Based on some of the tweets I saw from Steelers beat reporters, it seemed like it was, I mean, what, did you want like a team social media?

We need Mike Tomlin to say that, you know, we really like what we've seen from Justin going forward.

He's our guy.

Like, that's what we wanted.

We didn't get the Tomlin.

Can I suggest a way for him to formally do it to make the prediction correct?

Is to go take the C patch off of Russ's jersey and then go put it on Justin's chest.

Will this formally announce that, kind of like they do in Game of Thrones with the guy who has to protect the king or whatever, king's hand or whatever.

Do it like that.

I was like 33 yards away from actually hitting this in a way that I would have argued to be right.

Oh, he didn't have 60 plus yards either.

Okay.

I also already used all my minutes, so I'm just going going to take this L.

All right, so you're 0-2, but you're not alone.

Gravedigger, who interestingly in the standings, the graphic we're looking at, is above Mark, just for purposes of the audience.

One of the least surprising developments of the show's history.

J.K.

Dobbins scores two-plus touchdowns against the Panthers.

I think he got in once, right?

He got

a massive amount of yards and one touchdown.

I should have gone with 100 yards and a touchdown, but I didn't.

I didn't go for bro.

So you're 0-2, Gravy.

Climb out of that boat and the cess dog.

We get a tie in week two.

Mike, this is Mark.

This is just like a little bit unserious, a prediction, a little bit of a look-at-me prediction, but one that just wasn't ever going to happen.

Oh, hold on.

I mean, by the way, like, you know, I'm getting tweeted all left and right because if you're

six seconds of happening in Washington, New York, and it came close and New England and Seattle go deep in overtime.

But it didn't.

So you got what you want.

You got all the social media buzz you wanted.

You know, it's a sense of something that feels possible.

Some of us are trying to win chips, though.

You know, some of us want the trophy, and some of us want to be social media stars.

I guess

this one we were going to give Mark three points for if he got right, but he didn't.

Oh, that's right.

We would have given you three.

All right.

Let's move to our week three predictions.

Jordan, get us going.

See, you can talk.

You absolutely have the floor.

Go ahead.

Oh, thank you for your, thank you for your graciousness there and for thoroughly disgusting me the entire show.

I really snapped right there at the end.

It's not mine.

I I really lost like a little lever in my brain at the very end there.

Yeah, so Mark, I'm sorry, man.

I'm going to leave you on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

I can't do this anymore.

This is too close to the sun for me.

I got to be nice and safe here.

I can't play the Mark Sessler game anymore.

It's too much for me.

It's a beat me Sessler game.

It's too much for the simple human to handle.

I'm a simple creature, as I said.

My fearless prediction is the Colts' first win of the season comes this weekend against the Bears.

Colts beat the the Bears.

Fearless.

Fearless.

That is as fearless as it gets.

That might be a mirror check there, Jordan.

But

because we love you, we're going to roll forward and say that's fine.

That's fine.

Oh, no.

What happened?

What did I mess up?

Well,

will the Colts beat the Chicago Bears?

Okay.

Is that fearless?

Mike, is that fearless?

I feel afraid.

Who's favorite?

If the favorite is being selected here, then no.

Okay.

Yeah, the Colts are favored.

I don't know, Jordan.

I don't know.

I feel like we got to add something to that.

Maybe like a benchmark by a player, the total of the points scored, add something to it.

Pressuring me, guys.

Yeah, we're going to need you to add just a little bit to this prediction.

I feel afraid.

This is a fear prediction right now.

I feel afraid, okay?

Jordan, we're going to come back to you.

How about this?

Just got to add a little bit of cherry on top so we can feel good as a group that it's fearless.

Okay?

Fair?

I feel attacked.

Okay.

Up next, let's go with Money Mike Dugar.

No, let's go with me.

I'll do mine.

So tying back to the theme of the top of the show,

we're seeing a lot more running of the football.

Graver,

Q, the running back renaissance.

For the third consecutive week, I think it will be, we're going to have more 100-yard rushers than 300-yard passers.

Okay.

Money, Mike.

All right.

I'm kind of going the other way.

I actually think, well, before I say my prediction is that we're going to have a 375-yard passer in week three.

Only happened 12 times last year, but I just wanted to note that I am super dedicated to my weekly predictions that I workshopped them this week with my co-host on the Seahawks Man-to-Man podcast, Chris Kidd.

He talked me off the ledge on a couple.

I know we don't like to mention the cutting room, the ones we leave on the cutting room floor there, but we don't.

Yeah,

so I won't.

Yeah, I won't.

Maybe after we're done.

But yeah,

I ended up going with this one.

I think we're going to get a 375-yard passer.

I think there's multiple candidates, but as I mentioned earlier, I got that Lions versus Cardinals game circled as, shoot, both could hit that.

So I'm feeling pretty good this week.

And, Mike, we could thread the needle there because we can get a 375 passer, but there could still be more 100-yard rushers than 300-yard passers.

So that is true.

Let's both nail our predictions.

Sessdog, what do you got?

Jordan, pressure mounting over there.

Yeah, I cross-checked this and workshopped it with nobody.

And And for some reason, I've gone down the same route as Mike, but made it much more difficult to accomplish.

I said that no one has crossed 350 yards passing in the game this season.

We all get it.

But after two weeks of 1971-era ground and pound offenses, one shining signal caller will throw for 450 in majestic week three.

Boom.

Serious.

It's going to happen.

I almost had 400 as mine, so that's funny.

We were in the same place.

I almost had 400, so I don't know why I hiked it up you know, minutes before the show to 450.

It seems ridiculous.

It's like 1969 Joe Namath stepping on the field.

Like, what are we going to get here?

What's happening?

All right, Jordan, here we go.

Just to put it on the record, too, I did get a heart/slash thumbs up acceptance emoji when I sent this in last night.

So I thought it was okay.

Oh, so

you're throwing Gravy back into the boat.

Throwing him under the bus and into the boat.

It's because I've been so thoroughly horrified by the happening.

Wait,

let's cut the sound of Justin after what Jordan just said.

I'm leaving this show.

I can't do this.

I literally have my headphones.

What the f?

Stop.

Just wait till we get the.

I'm having a physical reaction every time I hear that.

Please stop.

Hey, you asked for it.

Anthony, now I've been totally emotionally manipulated into this situation.

You see what you're doing, audience, listeners, you see what's happening here.

Anthony Richardson, two rushing touchdowns, two interceptions.

And the Colts still win.

Yeah.

Love it.

Love that.

Now that's fearless.

Yeah, that is.

Love it.

All right.

Okay, I'm going to go pass out now.

All right.

Thank you to everybody for listening.

Oh, shoot, gravy.

I'm sorry.

You're soaking wet.

Here's a towel.

Go ahead.

All right.

My fearless prediction is that we see at least two 60-plus-yard field goals split the uprights in week three.

Oh, I love it.

That's good.

Wow.

That's fearless number one.

And number two,

yes, plays into a league theme that these kickers are incredible

right now in the season.

All right, good stuff.

Good stuff.

We'll track those all season.

Gravedigger also looking to get off the schneid and get his first win.

Thank you to everybody for listening.

Remember, go over to the Patreon where Friday morning you'll get the draft of the games for Sunday between me, Mark Connor, and Gravedigger of what games we're going to watch.

And be sure to check back in Sunday flagship program.

And of course, check out Mike and Jordan, all the great stuff they do at the Athletic.

Thank you guys for joining us again.

And until next time, do what you must.

Heed the call.