WEBVTT - Houston Texans Roster Analysis: John McClain Breaks Down 53-Man Squad & DPOY Predictions 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.440 Hello Texans, Welcome to the show. It's a big one tonight. 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.320 Mark Vandermare and John Harris with you. We have plenty 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.159 to talk about. It's been roster overhaul week, well not 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:11.120 really overhaul, but get it down to fifty three, get 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:14.040 the practice squad set up, that kind of week in 0:00:14.080 --> 0:00:17.480 advance of the Texans and Rams September seventh, huge weekend 0:00:17.520 --> 0:00:19.960 in college football coming up. We'll get to all of it, 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:22.360 and we'll start off the show with the General, the 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:25.160 Pro Football Hall of Famer John McClain. All right, General, 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:28.160 we haven't had a chance to talk since the roster 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:31.840 was constructed. Your thoughts on the initial fifty three, the 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:33.680 practice squad, some of the developments. 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:34.560 What are you thinking? 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:37.680 Well, of course, we know that's an ongoing process. As 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:42.440 Nick Cassario pointed out at his news conference on Wednesday, 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:48.120 and I thought Graham Mertz as a third quarterback was unusual. 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.960 He played really well in that last game. Obviously they 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:55.680 were worried somebody might claim him keeping two tight ends. 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:59.920 And remember, and the listeners got to remember today can 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.840 elevate practice squad guys like Harrison Brian, he can maybe 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:09.400 added to the roster. Miles Briant. He's gonna be added 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:13.759 to the roster because they only have what two slot. 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:17.600 They don't even have a backup Miles Bryant backup slot 0:01:17.640 --> 0:01:20.720 corner right now. So things will change on game day, 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:24.279 and boy, game day can't get here quick enough because 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.240 we're all so fired up about the season. 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.280 We are definitely fired up about the season. I think 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:34.160 quarterback one was a little surprising in fact today, earlier today, 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.480 it was noted Keaton Slovas is going to sign with 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.199 the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:40.840 So good for him. 0:01:40.840 --> 0:01:44.120 He returns back home where he was a high school 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:47.280 star there in the state of Arizona. But general, it's 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:48.720 talking about those two tight ends for a little bit, 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:51.640 Dalton Schultz cased over and that's it. Now they brought 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:54.680 Harrison Bryant back on the practice squad. Would imagine he 0:01:54.720 --> 0:01:58.800 would be one of the elevations. But your level surprise 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.080 in the sense that the only kept two tight ends 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:06.120 at this point, Kate Stover adult Schultz. 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:09.320 Well, considering they traded for Brian he's on the practice squad, 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:12.960 it'll be a moot point on game day. But they 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:15.480 need Dalton shows to play the way did two years ago, 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:19.000 and Cat Stover loves to knock people on their butt, 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:23.480 and and since most players make their biggest improvement between 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:26.200 the first and second season, I expect a lot of 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:30.399 improvement from him as a receiver. He's learning Nick Cayley's 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:34.280 offense just like everybody else for the first time. And 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:39.080 I think that I love watching Stover block and that 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:41.639 he may never have a better block. And what was 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:47.400 it in the practice in the joint practice against Carolina 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:48.520 which patters blind? 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:51.799 Yeah, ants it was Derek Brown. 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:56.120 Dereck Brown knocked him on his tail. I'll guarantee you 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:58.880 Brown got a lot of grief from his teammates when 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:02.200 they watch Tapa that. But I think tidy ends not 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.919 a worrisome position. The biggest worry, of course, is running back. 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:09.119 I like the fact they kept British Brooks. I love 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:12.359 to see what he can do in short yardage situations. 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:19.079 Can't wait to see. I love the fact that Nick 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:23.120 Chubb is healthy. How that translates on the field, we 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:27.160 don't know. But he averaged five yards of Carrie Damian Peers. 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.960 If he stays healthy last year of his contract, this 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:34.119 is a great opportunity for him, and I can't wait 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.960 to see what he marks, see what Woody Marx can 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:38.920 do as a rookie, not just as a runner, but 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:41.600 as a receiver and arguing. But while he's one of 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:45.000 their most versatile players and a good special teams player. 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.920 So they got a lot of options at running back, 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:54.000 but it's still going to be a questionable, questionable position 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:58.480 until they prove they can produce at a level close 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:00.920 to the way Joe Mixon produced season. 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:03.600 General, I'm going to ask John Harris this question in 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:06.760 the next segment. So Johnny, no spilling the candy and 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:11.040 the lobby right here, but John, you tell me, John McLean, 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:14.280 who the third leading receiver on this team is going 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:16.440 to be. It's gonna be n Neico Collins, Christian Kirk 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:18.920 one two. But what do you think about the third 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:20.920 leading receiver who you got. 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:26.080 Considering Jalen Knowle's coming off the bench. You'd say Jay 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:30.000 Niggins would be because he's the starter. But no, Man, 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:34.120 when I looked at what the draft experts, I expect 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:38.120 the pick that they were most impressed with was not 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:40.800 Jay Niggins in the second round, that Jalen Nole in 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.919 the third round. And they thought that was a steal 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:48.200 by the Texans. So I'm gonna say of the whiteouts, 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:51.000 because I think there's a good chance Dalton Schulz could 0:04:51.000 --> 0:04:55.880 be number three. But I'm gonna say that that no 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:58.080 at the end of the year will end up being 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:02.960 the third. Third in ca Christen Kirk can stay healthy 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:06.320 and be right there behind Nico. You hope Jay Naked 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:10.600 steps up and against the ball a lot, but I 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:14.720 think we all are really eager to see Noel Noel 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:17.960 when he gets the ball, because he's so elusive and quick, 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:19.880 and he was great in college. 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:20.760 General. 0:05:20.800 --> 0:05:24.280 Along those lines are the receivers. There are seven of 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:28.320 them on the fifty three man roster. Were you surprised 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:30.880 they kept seven? A few days ago, I said, man, 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:33.240 after John Metchu was traded, I thought I could see five, 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:38.039 make jaln Noel, U punt returner, mag Justin Watson expendable. 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:39.760 There you got five, and then you can. 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:42.520 Pick up at other positions, namely maybe an extra tight end, 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:43.000 et cetera. 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.240 But they went with seven. They did it last year too. 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.440 Now, Stephen Simms only lasted a certain amount of time 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.599 with the team, but they went with seven for the 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:53.479 first six or seven weeks. Your thoughts about keeping seven 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:54.520 wide receivers. 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.120 I was surprised. I thought it would be six. But 0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:00.200 last season is a great example of why he needs seven. 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:04.600 Nico missed five games, what digs miss eight? How many 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.400 Tank Dell end up missing five? So your top three 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:12.159 receivers missed significant time, you better have guys ready to 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:16.000 go another system. They've got Jared Wayne. Do they have 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:18.359 another receiver on the practice squad? 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:21.960 But when you sign they signed Josh Kelly out of 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:23.400 Texas Tech today? 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:27.120 Okay, Well, Jared Wayne knows the system, so he can 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:30.680 be elevated if somebody gets hurt. But you've got to 0:06:30.800 --> 0:06:34.159 have multiple receivers. It'd be a great problem to have 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:37.240 if nobody ever got hurt and they didn't need any 0:06:37.279 --> 0:06:40.719 of those backups. If Nico Collins stays healthy and plays 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.440 a full season for the first time, I'll bet he 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.440 has one hundred catches for over fifteen hundred yards and 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:47.839 fifteen touchdowns. 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.880 General, I want you to think about this one. Is 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.159 this the most loaded the Texans have been going into 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:57.760 a season ever? Or is it second place to twenty 0:06:57.839 --> 0:06:59.799 twelve team. Now, I'm not talking about how they ultimately 0:06:59.880 --> 0:07:02.560 end up that particular campaign or any particular campaign. 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:03.520 I'm talking about. 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:07.120 How you felt about the team's talent heading into the campaign. 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:10.040 At this very moment, what do you think? Where does 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:11.800 this rank for you? 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:15.400 This team has more depth on defense, and I wasn't 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:19.200 surprised they kept so many defensive alignment. Those guys earned it, 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:22.480 and I'm glad they didn't let somebody get away or 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:26.400 trade him. I thought Nick Cassio with trade alignment, maybe 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:30.720 a tackle for a sixth round pick, and they get hurt, 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.680 and then you know the Nico Audrey has been seems 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:36.680 like suspended most of the time he's been here, or 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:40.000 on a list like he is now when he comes back, 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:44.360 he's still a dangerous player at his age. It's a 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:49.280 good problem to have now. Offensively, twenty twelve, they didn't 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:52.440 have they had a better offensive line, you know, they don't. 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:56.680 As much as we think about Nico Collins, he wasn't 0:07:56.720 --> 0:08:01.160 Andre Johnson, and so I think defensively this team has 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:05.080 more offensive league that team had more because they had 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:08.120 a great running back, one of the best in the league. 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:14.560 And so I would say is offense twelve defense twenty five. 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:19.400 General, what's your general sense of the running back room 0:08:19.480 --> 0:08:22.040 right now? We don't know about Joe Mixon. Obviously that's 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.560 been He's going to be out four weeks, and it's 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:26.840 been a little bit of a point of contention in 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:30.360 the media lately. But your thoughts about what they have 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:34.240 with Nick Chubb, with Daria Goomblewala, with what he marks 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:37.360 with Damian Pearson and keeping British Brooks. What's your level 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:39.160 of confidence in that running back group? How do you 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:40.520 feel about that running back group? 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:43.040 Well, before Chubb had his knee injury and then broke 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:45.600 his foot last year and he's one hundred percent. You know, 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.080 he's one of the best backs in the NFL. But 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:51.320 he and people say he's got a lot of mileage. No, 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.600 he doesn't. He's been rehabbing a lot. Joe Maxon has 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:59.240 a lot of mileage, is second and carries in the 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:02.959 NFL over I can't remember having the last five years 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:06.920 to Derrick Henry, And you know, there's no guarantee Joe 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:09.760 Mixon's going to be ready after four games and we 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:12.880 don't even know what neck Sario's asked if he played 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.560 this season, he said, we'll see, We'll take it one 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:17.480 day at a time. So right now you have to 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:21.520 really forget about Joe Mixon, and I think if Chubb 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:24.320 this is really going to be a running back by committee. 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:28.319 Can't see Nick Chubb coming out and filling the role 0:09:28.920 --> 0:09:34.079 that Mixing held last year when Cassario stolen from the Bengals. 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:40.440 And Joe's an underrated receiver besides being a really good runner, 0:09:40.720 --> 0:09:44.240 he's been a double digit touchdown guy. Cincinnati got rid 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:47.120 of him when he scored double digit touchdowns, so it's 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:49.800 going to be hard to replace him. And it would 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:54.360 really help if Damian Peers could stay healthy and capitalize 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:58.280 on this system and come in and back up do 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:00.440 a good job as a backup to Chubb. And they 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:04.960 have maybe Woody Marx, if not Dorri Goombawally as the 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:06.200 third down receiver. 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:08.600 All right, General, I don't want to open up a 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.680 can of injury here, but let's do a little bit 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:14.840 of that, because you've been covering this game for a 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:15.520 little while. 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:17.880 So what are your thoughts. 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:22.720 On teams and how they handle injuries overall? Because this league, 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:24.400 once you get into the regular season, you do have 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.040 an injury report every week and you've got guys put 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:29.600 on IR and very often you see what the injury is. 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:31.400 I think you always see what the injury is when 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:33.160 they go on IR. I believe I might be wrong 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:36.839 about that. But what are your thoughts on offseason, preseason, 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:40.360 that kind of thing And what went down this week 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:42.480 with the Miko Ryans and Nick Assario with the media. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:45.240 Well, first of all, the media's job is to ask 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:47.200 about players who are not there, and when it's one 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:50.240 of your best players who you're being counted on so much, 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:52.839 you have to ask. You know, they don't have to answer, 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:55.640 but you have to ask, and your bosses tell you 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:58.679 to ask. You know, Nick Assario and Nmiko Ryans are 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:01.160 told to do something about kel mcni, they're going to 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:03.800 do it. You know, you're asking for the fans that 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:07.040 pay the freight, You're asking for the listeners. People want 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:10.040 to know. People are constantly talking, well, what's up with 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:13.760 Joe Mixing? And in almost every case that I know of, 0:11:13.920 --> 0:11:17.600 teams are reactive instead of proactive. You could come out 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.120 and say, well, Joe was working out in Florida and 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:24.000 he re injured his foot and he's undergoing rehab and 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:27.720 we'll talk to it next time right before he's eligible 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:30.960 to come off not football injury less, and then the 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:34.760 story that's it but most teams are reactive. And I 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:39.160 remember one time O'Brien told me I'm looking for any 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:44.800 little morsel we can find about our opponent because every 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.240 little morsel can help us win. And I said, well, 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:52.760 you need more morsels, and Bill I thought about that 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:54.720 at the time. I asked him, one time, have you 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:56.800 ever seen a media person win or lose a game? 0:11:57.200 --> 0:11:59.520 Have you ever seen a media person affect the game? 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.559 Including those of us who watched practice, talk to assistant 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:06.719 coaches and wrote what the team has said about an 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:09.520 honest injury, not a nagging one where a guy could 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.160 be there next week or the next week, but if 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:15.040 it was a legitimate one keeping him around a long time. 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.199 I said, you ever hear about a coach, I mean 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:20.160 a media person affecting a game? Well, of course, he 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.559 said no one time. I'll tell you all this. Brown's 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:26.280 made the playoffs for the only time under Bill Belichick, 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:30.080 and he decided the media couldn't watch practice. Well, now, nobody, 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:32.840 I don't think it's to watch practice sep In training 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.679 camp you get to go out stretching. And so that 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:38.920 was a big deal in the NFL that this bell Belichick, 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.320 who was not popular, telling the media all of a sudden, 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:45.720 you can't watch practice. Jack Pardee was the head coach 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:47.800 of the Oilers and they were in the playoffs, and 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:50.119 I said, if you thought about doing what that Belichick 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:53.480 guy is doing in Cleveland, Jack said, I played fifteen 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:57.000 years and I've coached the Redskins, and I've coached the Bears, 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:59.320 and I've coached the Oilers, and I've never seen one 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:02.120 time a person in the media have any kind of 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:05.720 effect on any game. And if I ever do, I'll 0:13:05.760 --> 0:13:06.760 close practice too. 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:11.880 General is floating around the interwebs and social media, and 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.800 I went to the NFL Game Day account and they 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:19.960 NFL dot Com made some award predictions. If this were 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:23.520 to come true, tell me what you think that says 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:27.520 about both the player and the defense and the team 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:30.920 of the Texans. If this comes true, their prediction for 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:34.800 Defensive Player of the Year is one Will Anderson Junior. 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.480 If he is Defensive Player of the Year, what do 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:39.720 you think it says about what this team could do 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:40.720 in twenty twenty five. 0:13:41.120 --> 0:13:43.760 It means the Texans had a great defense. And remember 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:47.400 these awards were only being done for regular season. But 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:49.800 you know who's going on in the playoffs. It means 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.920 he would add fifteen to twenty sacks, and it means 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.080 the Texans would have won the division and be a 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:59.640 team to be reckoned with, especially the defense led by 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:04.439 Will Anderson Junior, a serious candidate for NFL Defensive Player 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:04.840 of the Year. 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:06.040 General. 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:08.559 I'm in the oppressed minority of people who miss the 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:13.280 fourth preseason game. But I suppose I like the seventeenth game. 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:16.280 I like more games that count, but I still miss 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:18.800 this one Thursday night before Labor Day. I kind of 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:23.160 enjoyed it with the reserves playing the rookies, that kind 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.600 of thing. Are you ready to give it up now 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:28.040 that when they go to eighteen games and it's pretty 0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:30.920 much when and not if that they will play on 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:33.360 Labor Day weekend eventually, and they used to play on 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:36.480 Labor Day weekend. I know that you think they're dead 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:39.000 set against it, But if they go to eighteen. When 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:42.480 they go to eighteen, they'll probably have two buys. They're 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.400 just going to run out of calendar at some point. 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:46.080 Don't you think they'll play on Labor Day? 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:50.320 Uh? No, there's no need to play on Labor Day 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.600 because you can move the super Bowl whenever you want. 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:56.240 Every city gets super Bowl as to keep all the 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.480 rooms and everything available for February so you can move 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.880 it back eighteen games to two games off. When they 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:05.520 got out of Labor Day is because TV ratings always 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.600 started poorly. Now maybe the NFL so big right now 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:12.440 it wouldn't matter. But I think they like the build up, 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:16.120 the hype for the extra week. Players like having off. 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:19.200 We'll have two games, starters will play a little bit 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:21.720 in one game and the others will not. They may 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:24.480 have another joint practice, a couple of teams at three 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:28.480 joint practices. So I don't see them playing on Labor 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:32.280 Day because if they did and the TV ratings were 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:35.840 down from last year, that's all they care about, and 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.160 there's no need that you couldn't move the super Bowl 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:39.080 back another week. 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:41.600 I'd like to see them starting Labor Day, but that's okay. 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.680 I like the fact that Labor Day will be saved 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.160 for college I know there's a decent number of games 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:50.280 that are taking place tonight. Nebraska Cincinnati at Arrowhead is 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.480 definitely one of them, but it's a longer Thursday Friday 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:54.880 slate then you. 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:56.440 Would normally expect. 0:15:57.400 --> 0:15:59.600 You know, you don't have a ton of great games, 0:15:59.640 --> 0:16:02.040 but you know you've got decent ones in that Nebraska 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:03.840 Cincinnati game is going to be a decent one. 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.480 So I mean, I'm okay with that. General. 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:10.400 Mike Tannabaum was on first take, sitting across from Oh, 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:11.200 you know where I'm. 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:14.560 Going with this smoking okay taking. 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:19.240 If you haven't heard Mike Tannenbaum when asked who was 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:22.680 going to win the AFC South, he said with conviction 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:24.440 and then tried to argue it. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:26.960 The Tennessee Titans. 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:30.640 Now you may not want or may see the Texans 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.640 winning the division, that's fine, but his logic was so 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:39.800 fast awkwards it was unbelievable. Your thoughts about Tannenbaum saying 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.600 something dumb again and it being the Titans winning the division. 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:46.560 It's the first time I've agreed with Steven A. Smith 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:50.280 on anything, because the way he looked at Tannebaum and 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:53.240 just tore him apart. And there's no way you can 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.640 justify something like that. Now, if it happens, he'll look 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.640 like one of the all time geniuses, and if it doesn't, 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:02.520 he'll look like a former GM can get a job 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:07.440 in football again. I thought that was of all people 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:12.560 are always looking for something different, but that one was 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:15.360 so out of left field. It wasn't in the ballpark, 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:19.040 and I thought Mike looked like such a dumb ass. 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:20.920 How are they feeling about that defense? 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:23.359 Because total yards they looked pretty good last year, but 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:26.160 they were getting the ball of the drive. Starts were 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:29.560 ridiculously good for the opponents. And we're not talking about 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:33.080 a scoring defense. We're talking about yardage surrendered. That offense 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:37.320 was top two in giveaways, so your defense is at 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:39.400 the thirty and even if they scored, you only gave 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:40.280 up thirty yards. 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:40.960 But they scored. 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:45.720 I thought those stats were really massed the total yardage defense. 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:48.000 What do they think coming into twenty twenty five? How 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:53.000 are they feeling in general general in Nashville about this team. 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:56.720 They will never say this publicly, but they would love 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.240 to double their win total and go from three to six. 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:03.680 Wards show a lot of promise as a quarterback who 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:07.119 can get better. Gods are he's not gonna play seventeen games. 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:09.680 He'll get hurt, or he'll go through a bad stretch 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:11.960 and get managed because he doesn't have a lot of 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.560 talent around him. Their backup running back Tuyse Spears is 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:19.080 out for at least four games and they got Pollard. 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.960 Their wide receivers are not very good. We expected their 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.040 offensive line to be good the last two years and 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:29.880 it hasn't been. And yes, their defense is good, but man, 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:32.240 they're gonna be involved in a lot of low scoring games. 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:35.160 Yeah, they're gonna be It's gonna be tough for them 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:36.000 to do much. 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:38.879 I think offensively, I think, if you're right, General, if 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:40.320 they can't get the five or six wins, I think 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:41.960 they're gonna be feel good about it. What I thought 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:45.040 I find interesting with them is what happens to Brian Callahan. 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:47.480 If they win five or six, they're showing enough that 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:51.760 they keep him around, et cetera. Because they've changed GMS. General, 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:56.800 the New England Patriots have one player from a nine 0:18:56.840 --> 0:19:01.640 player draft in twenty twenty four, or whoever picked those 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:05.280 players is still the guy picking those players, but it's 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.520 a new head coach. What do you think this means 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:11.359 with Elliott Wolf and Mike Vrabel there in New England? 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.439 Is this simple as Frabel is just gonna work his 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:17.520 magic until he has that personal department the way he wants, 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.320 or do you think Vrabel and Wolf will eventually kind 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.719 of work together the way they want to and have 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:25.040 a relationship, kind of like Nick and Dimiko Avin Houston. 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:28.000 I think that Mike Grabel wouldn't have taken the job 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:30.800 if he didn't have final sale on personnel and might 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:34.000 not say it in his contract. But Elliott will's gonna 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:38.679 draft who he wants. And the previous regime, you know, 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:42.119 they they were bad all around, and so some of 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:44.879 those guys might have stayed if they'd kept the same coach. 0:19:45.320 --> 0:19:49.240 But Brabel's basically starting over, except for Drake May could 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:52.480 be a great young quarterback. But that roster you talk 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:56.560 about being churned, that is embarrassing. Well, you know, they 0:19:56.600 --> 0:20:02.000 started going down draft wise when Casario came here. That 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:04.879 was in twenty twenty one. If you go back and 0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:08.400 look at their draft, they were not good. I always 0:20:08.520 --> 0:20:12.480 was told there. Nick would tell Belichick, Okay, I think 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:16.080 we should do this this, and Belichick would do whatever 0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:19.600 he wanted. Sometimes he agreed with Nick, sometimes he didn't. 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.960 But that was a significant loss for that franchise when 0:20:24.000 --> 0:20:27.280 the Texans stole Nick Cassario from them. 0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:31.840 General, let's continue talking about things going on around the 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:35.800 league and go to the Horseshoe, because Daniel Jones is 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:38.959 the starting quarterback, Chris Ballard said, and do we believe 0:20:39.000 --> 0:20:41.960 him about this? He reminds me of Alex Smith in 0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:42.919 Kansas City. 0:20:43.520 --> 0:20:47.360 Thoughts, No, you said the Horseshoe. I thought you were 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:51.600 talking about Columbus in the second biggest game of the weekend. 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:53.680 Yeah, we'll talk about that Baylor. Sure. 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:58.120 I think Chris Ballard has to say that. He could 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:02.160 be out of a job, you know, and Jim Mersey's 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:05.760 oldest daughter is heavily involved and has been heavily involved. 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:08.160 You know, the odds are they could be starting over 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:12.040 after this season. They need Daniel Jones to bail the mouth, 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:15.879 or they need Anthony Richardson when he gets a chance 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.879