WEBVTT - 2020 Week 2 Preview 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:07.760 Be Around with the NFL Podcast Can't Stop Eating Big Goods. 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:12.719 Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:15.080 My name is Dan has come to you from a 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:18.000 virtual room filled with some heroes. Greg Rose with thal 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:23.400 Mark Sessler. What is up, Bullies? What is happening? Another 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:26.560 Big Thursday? What's going on? Lots to get to you today. 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:30.680 Gotta love Week two? Gotta love Week two? Uh, there's 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:35.800 nothing better. And I you know, I am someone who 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:39.560 can get caught up in week one just like everybody else. 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:43.559 But it's important to keep some you know, distance and 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:46.040 understand that it's a long season. So anything that went 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:48.479 terribly weak one doesn't mean that the season is over 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:51.919 because everything could change. All the depressing thoughts you've had 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:54.680 about your favorite team over the past five days that 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:57.840 could all just disappear with one good performance over three 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:01.800 hours on Sunday. I would mean to throw this out too, 0:01:01.840 --> 0:01:05.160 that there's another scenario where the depressing thoughts attached to 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:08.760 your team become deeper and more depressing. I mean, you 0:01:08.840 --> 0:01:11.760 fall into that O and two trap, and history tells 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:13.880 you you're in You're in hot water, especially if you're 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:16.680 O in two because you're just functional so you know 0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:18.640 there's both sides of the coin. Here are you talking 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:21.399 about the brands? The week you attack, Dan, this is 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:24.440 where you attack if you're if you're into the whole, uh, 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:27.399 you know, desert situation early in the year, there's a 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:30.760 lot of like preconceptions people went into with the year, 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.720 and then you saw a week one and people overreact, 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:36.440 you know, things are a little like loosey goosey. In 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:41.479 weeks one to three, that's the time to attack. I mean, Greg, 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:43.200 you have a problem. I think it's very clear at 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:45.320 this point. I hope it's not going to take down 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:47.160 your whole family because you've seen it happen in the 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:51.520 past and it's sad. I work for the NFL. They 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:53.920 they take care of the solution. You know, I am 0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.920 a law abiding NFL. I work for the NFL. They 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.080 take care of the solution that is that is make 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:02.840 the rules that I can't get into it. I can 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:06.600 just talk about it, and that actually helps my Sundays 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.120 um be a lot more relaxed. And there are a 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:12.120 series of waivers that we signed to do the jobs 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.240 that we do in regards to the desert. I know 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:16.000 that Dan and I signed the manually I have no 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:19.560 There is no proof that Greg has ever put you 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:22.560 get those emails if you forget all right, As we 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:28.080 do every Thursday, it is our spin through the week 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:31.840 ahead over the weekend. On Thursday nights we release our 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:36.320 Thursday Night football recap of Brown's Bengals. But today we 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:38.960 will spin through every game to be played on Sunday 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.520 and Monday. And as always we do it snake style. 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:47.680 Six Uh. We go one to three, three to one, 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:51.240 one two three. That's how snake works. And Mark, good 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:54.280 news for you, buddy. You have drawn the first pick 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:59.720 in the week to draft. Well, you know it's a 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.080 pre vilege. It's a privilege, you know. In years past, 0:03:02.160 --> 0:03:04.799 I like to do weird things with the first pick, 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:07.639 to throw everyone kind of off their balance. Not this 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:09.639 time around. I'm going with I think is what I 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:12.600 think is the best game on the board. It is 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:16.400 New England at Seattle. Let's not call it something else. 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:18.120 This is I don't see that. I don't get this 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:20.240 Super Bowl rematch thing with so many, you know, so 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.480 many characters in other places. Tom Brady's not there, others 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:27.160 included Marshawn Lynch. But here's the matchup. I love coming 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.919 out of Week one where Cam Newton and the New 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.840 England Patriots attacked a Dolphins team correctly on the ground, 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.440 because that's what the Dolphins were riped. That's how they 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:39.480 were right to be dealt with. Very different situation here 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:42.839 with Seattle. You've got Bobby Wagner Jamal Adams last week, 0:03:42.880 --> 0:03:46.680 who was an absolute terror, throwing Todd Durley around, doing 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.040 all sorts of things, Jamal Adams types of things that 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:51.800 we've seen in the past. I love the matchup of 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.960 Jamal Adams versus Cam Newton and how will the Patriots 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.360 have to counteract that and maybe show us some things 0:03:57.360 --> 0:04:00.720 they didn't show us last week on offense? Right, I 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.160 think you're gonna have to expand the pass the game 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:05.600 if you're the Patriots as the season goes along. But 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:07.720 I think they look at this matchup and they think 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:10.720 we got a mismatch against the Seahawks defensive line. I mean, 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.160 the Patriots know their strengths. It's their offensive line, it's 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.320 the amount of diversity they could put into the running game, 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:19.640 like right off the bat. That's an impressive job of coaching. 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:22.560 It's an impressive job of quarterbacking by Cam Newton. That 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:24.640 he could handle that much. And I think you look 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:27.280 at Seattle and they kind of got handled by Atlanta 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:29.760 up front on both sides of the ball. Really. I mean, 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.760 they have so many strengths, but one of them is 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:34.919 not the defensive line. So I don't know if the 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:37.440 Patriots are really gonna be ready to start airing it out. 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:39.679 I think it's gonna be ground game or bust still 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:43.080 with this team, I'm really interested to see how Cam 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:45.920 Newton is used in this game. I the staff that 0:04:46.040 --> 0:04:48.200 jumped out to me the most of out of every 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:51.080 stat coming out of Week one was that his fifteen 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:54.960 carries we're the most he's ever had in his career 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:56.680 in a game that didn't go to overtime, and that 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.880 includes the saladays in Carolina. So now we're gonna see, 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.440 uh if that is indeed how he is going to 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.000 be used. And on the other side, it's just a 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:07.520 great quarterback matchup because Russell Wilson and the whole narrative 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:10.640 of let Russ Cook. Is this going to continue now? 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:12.400 Is he gonna be allowed to air the ball out? 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:15.120 And it's gonna be difficult against the New England secondary, 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:17.400 which is still very good with one of the best 0:05:17.480 --> 0:05:20.120 corners in the league and stuff on Gilmore. Yeah, right, 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.799 totally different situation than dealing with a pretty identity free 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:26.960 Falcons defense. I think they are I mean, from Brian 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:29.320 Schottenheimer to Pete Harold, it kind of voice that this 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:31.760 is what they want to do. You've got DK Metcalf, 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.800 You've got Tyler Lockett. Why not? I think this is 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:38.520 a new version of the Seahawks, right, But at some 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:42.400 point the Patriots are just gonna be inviting Chris Carson 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:44.479 in the Seahawks to run. They're gonna be putting so 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:46.839 many defensive backs on the field and Seattle, if you 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.080 beg Brian Schottenheimer to run the ball, I think you've 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:50.520 gotta run the ball. I think you want to do 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:53.680 that against the Patriots because the strength is in the secondary. 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:56.560 But but you're right Mark that the Sea change was 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.960 not just like a narrative. I mean they got a 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:01.640 huge pass interfere because they let Rust throw the ball 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.040 on third and twenty three. They wouldn't know. Yeah, how 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.000 many times have you seen Pete Carroll run the ball 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:08.240 for four yards on third and twenty three. They scored 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:11.440 a touchdown on fourth and five. This might even be 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:15.120 a what timing we got here. We also saw them 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:18.400 throw the ball up thirteen points on third down like 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:20.760 late in the game. That all that stuff, I never 0:06:20.760 --> 0:06:22.200 seen it with Pete Carroll. If they did that in 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:24.159 the Super Bowl a little more consistently, they would have 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:26.360 won it. And this is a revenge game because that's 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.920 the most painful loss in Super Bowl history. Dan, you 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:32.200 loved it being there that night. Uh sure, I don't. 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.640 You know. That's the past, just like the Patriots of 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:36.200 the past when you talk about the great teams in 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:40.039 the NFL. And I thought that the Patriots a great 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:42.720 start to the season. Great narrative to spin that Cam 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:44.920 is Cam again and all that. But I'd be curious, Greg, 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:48.320 as someone who follows the Patriots very closely, what you 0:06:48.400 --> 0:06:50.479 thought about the rest of the offense. I wouldn't say 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:52.600 like it. Maybe it got a little overlooked. There wasn't 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:55.280 a dominating effort by any stretch. What did you think 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:58.600 about the rest of the offense outside of Cam, Well, 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.520 there wasn't much. I mean, dentleman needs to be healthy, 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:05.400 he's not to kill. Harry made a couple catches. If 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:07.400 if I could live with myself, I would lock up 0:07:07.440 --> 0:07:10.040 the Seahawks in this game because I think the Patriots 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.520 have a ways to go before they totally developed. Unlike Mark, 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:16.120 I'm never gonna be, you know, picking against my own team, 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:17.880 so I'm not gonna do that. But I think this 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:19.800 game is a little too early in the season for 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:21.560 the Patriots to be ready to go on the road 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:24.200 and win a game. One little nugget in this game. 0:07:24.280 --> 0:07:26.480 Last week with with New England and Miami, they ran 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:29.960 the Patriots ran the slowest offense in the league. I mean, 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:32.040 it's not a surprise because you're using your quarterback on 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:34.240 the ground the whole time. But one way to defuse, 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:37.160 you know this let Russ Cook business is you don't 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:38.960 let him in the kitchen. You gotta you got you 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:41.680 You continue just to run the ball NonStop and keep 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:43.640 you know. Last week was a track was a track 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.200 meet the Falcons in Seattle. I think this could take 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:48.560 on a different form and forced the Seattle Seahawks to 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:51.200 do something a little bit different. M hmm. Sounds like 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:54.520 a lot of fun. Good pick, Mark, nice solid number 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:57.440 one overall draft pick. And now it comes to me 0:07:57.480 --> 0:08:00.720 with the number two pick. Oh, it's a hard I 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:04.200 always struggle with this, but I will pick the Baltimore 0:08:04.280 --> 0:08:07.800 Ravens at Houston Texans with the second overall pick. You know, 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:11.240 I am a little bit scared for the rest of 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:15.080 the NFL because what we saw from Lamar Jackson against 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:18.000 the Browns. The one the only facet you could pick 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.280 apart a little bit with Jackson last year was some 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:25.280 of his downfield throwing accuracy where passes over ten yards 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:28.360 he completed less than fifty percent. That was not a 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:31.480 problem against the Browns. In fact, he was pretty much 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.520 locked in everything that he threw, found a receiver and 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:37.480 he was hitting guys in stride and and uh if 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:41.160 he uh makes that part of his game even better. 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:43.720 I mean that that is a scary thought. So you 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.880 get to see how he looks in Week two against 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:49.720 the Texans defense that is not dominant by any stretch. 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.800 But it's also just a great quarterback matchup because Deshaun Watson, 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.880 I said it on our podcast earlier this week around 0:08:56.880 --> 0:08:59.920 the NFL podcast check it out four times a week, 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.920 that I hate when teams get sent It was like 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.439 it's like a lamb to slaughter that Thursday night football 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.439 game and someone else's building that's the defending champion. Now 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:11.199 let's see where the Texans the Deshaun Watson are are 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.320 are at. It's a great QB matchup and I think 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:16.080 it's gonna be a really good game. I mean, this 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:17.679 is a tough week to see where they're at two 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.400 because they they're playing maybe the scariest team in the league. 0:09:20.400 --> 0:09:21.960 You're right. I mean that was as good a day 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:23.960 throwing as Lamar Jackson had. And I think it's a 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.040 way that the Ravens are now taking what the defense 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.839 gives them and teams are gonna try to stop the run, 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:31.840 and that this Texans defense, I think they're gonna give 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.680 a lot. I mean, they got these two inside linebackers 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.200 that are not good in coverage, that get paid huge money. 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:40.880 And who who did the Ravens pick on more than linebackers. 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:43.120 It's with their running backs, it's with their tight end. 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:46.720 I just can't see a scenario where the Ravens aren't 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:48.400 going up and down the field like they did when 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:51.280 they dropped forty one on this Texans team last year. Right, 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:53.520 that game was forty one to seven, So it wasn't 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:55.840 as if you know, the Texans offense got going either. 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.480 I think the Texans offense. You know, with Deshaun Watson, 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.040 there's always hope. But to your point on Lamar Jackson, 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.680 Cleveland tried to pressure him. They let him sit in 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:06.320 the pocket, they let they went all over the place 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:08.760 with him on play action. The results were the same 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.520 no matter what they did against the Ravens, they just 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:13.880 imposed their will. They used Mark Andrews at tight end 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:15.360 more than they have before. I think that's a bad 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:17.760 scenario for the Texans. And I think this is a 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.680 team the Ravens says, we don't care about your fantasy 0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:23.800 football squad at all. We're gonna use JK. Dobbins near 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:26.040 the end zone. We're gonna use mark Ingram. They have 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:29.040 so many different pieces and they're so confident what they're 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:31.240 doing that you know, you look at that game last 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:34.760 year and maybe it doesn't carry over seven. I don't know. 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:37.640 I mean, what's so different about this Ravens team. They 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:41.800 seem just more agitated and more you know, revenge seeking 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:45.040 than before. To erase the past two Januaries and say 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:47.240 we are the a f c's best team, come at us. 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:49.920 But to my to my point I was talking about 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:54.800 earlier the week one, sometimes we get a little bit 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:56.760 two wrapped up and the and the Browns did not 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:58.920 show up to play, you know, better than anyone mark 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:01.320 in that game. So the Aven's looked like they were 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:04.040 they were the greatest team of all time. I'm not 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.200 saying the Texans are an amazing team either, but I 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:09.480 think they're gonna pose a bigger challenge. Here's a great 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:12.800 staff from NFL Media Research. Lamar Jackson is twenty five 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.400 passing touchdowns and just one pick over his last eight 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.920 regular season games. I mean, that's what I mean. This 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:22.800 guy is out of control. That's why he's the defending 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.880 m v P. I mean, I would lock this game 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:28.640 up again if I could look in the mirror for it. 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:31.000 But your boys in in Texas, uh you know you 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:34.000 love Billy O'Brien. You always got a soft spot for him, Dan, 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:35.760 but I just don't see it. And again, I know 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.199 it's Week one, but man, that offensive line, which made 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.960 a lot of progress, uh in was about the worst 0:11:42.000 --> 0:11:44.840 offensive line in the league in the opener, and that 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.400 that's a problem. The Ravens are gonna test your communication. 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:49.520 They're gonna send a lot of blitz. Is I hope 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:51.559 I'm wrong because I want to watch a fun game 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:53.920 when it's Watson versus Lamark. I like the dunnyamic of 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.520 Gregg telling us that he might lock up every single 0:11:56.559 --> 0:11:59.080 game that we go through. Well, I know there's all 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.280 these you know how ankers who are saying, no, you know, 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:03.120 you can't looked it up? Are you looking in the mirror? 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:04.760 So this thing, you know, I think people would get 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:07.440 on me with this one, letting people know where I stand. 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:13.720 I am gonna draft of Falcons and the Cowboys. I 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:16.840 feel good about this game because, uh, to me, teams 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:18.760 that are oh and one but actually have a chance 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:21.320 to matter. That's what Week two matters more for them 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:25.200 than anyone. And I start this game thinking about draft day. 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:27.560 Go back to April, when any of the pandemic was 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:31.040 just starting, and the Falcons reached for cornerback A. J. 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:34.680 Terrell in the first round, allowing the Cowboys to take 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:38.600 Ceedee Lamb one pick later, and you know, fast forward 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:42.800 to a week one and A. J. Terrell was strug Lane. 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.160 I mean, this secondary was bad overall, but Terrell especially 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:50.000 got picked on by Russell Wilson. And now this Falcons 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:53.920 defense and the secondary especially which just doesn't doesn't look great. 0:12:53.960 --> 0:12:56.080 Has to go up against one of the best, if 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:58.680 not the best wide receiver tandems in the league, and 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:02.000 Ceedee Lamb is out there making plays right off the bat. 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.000 Could be big regret city for Thomas the MIT draft 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:06.839 right off the bat. Yeah, I think, I mean, I 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:08.200 think it is. And it's the kind of thing that 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:11.240 gets on you know, Falcons fans radars right away, and 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:13.920 uh they'll cling to it because you know the defense 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:16.160 in Atlanta. You know, if someone told me last week 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:18.200 that Matt Ryan was gonna throw for four hundred and 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:21.600 fifty yards multiple touchdowns, connect with his his top three 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.280 wideouts for nine cast catches a piece, and they were 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.160 gonna get flamed by the Seahawks, that tells you a 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.760 lot about Atlanta's defense. Uh. The one thing I am 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.680 a little nervous about with Dallas though They rated as 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:34.520 the third worst offensive line in the league last week 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.559 by PFF, and to me, it's you know, they're banged up. Um. 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:39.360 I think we like to think of Dallas is having 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.880 this stalwart front five. It's just not the case right now. 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:45.000 They're gonna have to survive without that. But the weapons 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:47.200 and tell me that Zeke Elliott is not running as 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:49.640 well as you've ever seen. Uh. That guy is on 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:51.679 my fantasy team. I think that makes me look very 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.040 smart on a week to week basis Dan, So I'm 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:57.280 flying with that. Yeah, he looked good. The same thought 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.440 went through my mind as I was watching him on 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.960 Sunday that it wasn't a monster game from him. But 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:04.160 he just seems to be moving fast and he's just 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:06.160 like that guy could be on my team anyday. The 0:14:06.280 --> 0:14:09.720 tattoo on the stomach, the feed me tattoo. I know 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:12.880 that's his bit, but that feels, you know, a little, 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:15.160 a little beyond the pale for me. His mom even 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:17.120 chined in on Twitter that she was upset about it. 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:20.240 But listen, it's his body, it's his right. Um. I 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:24.480 am really high on the Cowboys in this game. Uh. 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:27.480 And because what happened on Sunday night, the way the 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:33.560 offense was really shut down uh by Los Angeles. And 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.200 also because I don't think the Falcons have any identity 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:39.840 on defense. And this is a get right game for 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:41.880 the Cowboys. This is a game where they're gonna score 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:44.320 a lot of points. And this is what the Cowboys do. 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.880 They build up expectations, they fall on their face everybody 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.120 gets out on them, then they do little monster game. 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.880 People get back on the bus, then they fall off again. 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:54.840 I mean it's over and over. But this is the 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.880 week where they put up thirty plus points. The Falcons 0:14:57.920 --> 0:14:59.800 can't keep up on the road. And that's why I'm 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.760 locking it up. I'm locking up the couchu uh Dotty 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:06.240 was coming there. Take this game and and do it 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:08.880 with ease. I think this is a double digit win 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.520 for Dallas. My one. You don't have Laton vander esh 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.760 Shawn Lee is out. I mean, your linebacking corps is 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:17.840 an issue, and I mean the one thing Atlanta can 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:19.520 do is they can go up and down the field 0:15:19.680 --> 0:15:21.920 and score points themselves. So I could see this being 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.800 a juicy shootout. I mean, your lock I think is 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:26.600 a solid one. Damn, but it might take you down 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.600 to the bitter end to find out if you if 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:31.000 you prevail. I get what you're saying that Mark, but 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:34.400 I think that they certain weeks, the Cowboys offense, which 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:37.000 I'm still bullish about, even if the offensive line struggled 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:39.680 in Week one, will be able to just run away 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.160 from their problems just by scoring a ton of points. 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:43.640 And I think this will be one of those weeks. 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.120 M I'm going against you, Dan. I got those picks 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.640 up on NFL dot Com. I like a little road 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.520 upset shootout. Don't feel too strong, but if I'm gonna 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:54.400 pick a close game, you might as well make it fun. 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.640 And I liked what I saw at the Falcon's offense. 0:15:56.680 --> 0:16:00.200 I mean, I know that the matchup was potentially favorable 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:02.520 against that Seahawks defensive line, but they really look like 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.120 a good offensive line. They went over four on fourth 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.640 down or else. The Falcons I think could have put 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:10.040 up about thirty points. And Mark, you said it like 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.680 when the Cowboys lose players they're thin. I mean, you're 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:17.000 suddenly starting Joe Thomas, you know, not the old Browns, Mark, 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:20.720 And you know a linebacker, You're you're suddenly starting Terrence Steel, 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.280 you know, right tackle? Uh, you're starting Dalton Schultz a 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:27.360 tight end. So it's like, I think this Falcons team 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.080 gotta be a little frisky. They're gonna be frisky this year. 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:34.280 All right, let's keep moving, Greg, you know it works. 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:37.200 It's snakes back to you your draft pick and yet 0:16:37.560 --> 0:16:40.000 an yet them somehow not really that prepared for the moment. 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:44.400 Let's take the primetime game. Let's go Saints. Uh Las 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:49.160 Vegas Raiders opening the new statu Uh this this should 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.000 be pretty fun. But I'm starting thinking about the Saints 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.480 after being on national TV a week ago. They're going 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:56.680 to be again, and I think this is a get 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:00.880 right game for them. Regardless of Michael Thomas. This Vegas 0:17:00.960 --> 0:17:03.680 Raiders defense, to me, is the type that Sean Payton 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:06.360 and Drew Brees can just beat from the neck up. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.440 They're just gonna dice you, They're gonna slice you. They're 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:12.520 gonna find seven yard openings and just move the ball 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.280 up and down the field. Because I was hoping maybe 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.879 to see some better um you know, pass rush and 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:21.600 linebacker play from the Raiders, I didn't see it. I mean, 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:24.000 they did not play good defense a week ago. And 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:27.320 it's one game where I think kind of the institutional 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:29.879 knowledge of the Saints team is at least going to 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:32.080 be able to score enough points to win this game 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:36.000 in Vegas. I think one of the best performances that 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:38.760 I saw last week was Josh Jacobs, and you know 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:42.440 I watched it after hearing that John Gruden compared him 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:44.720 to Walter Payton, I thought, hold on, here, come on, 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.400 John Gruden. But then when I went and watched it, Um, 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:49.399 I'm not saying he's Walter Payton, but I get what 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:52.080 Cruden was saying because this is a player that Number 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:54.720 one ran like a man possessed. But he wasn't really 0:17:55.119 --> 0:17:57.119 a threat as a receiver last year. I think he 0:17:57.119 --> 0:18:00.199 had about twenty catches in this game. Last week he 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:02.320 was completely different through the air. I think they've got 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:04.879 a multi weapon back who can do a lot. And 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:06.760 I know on the flip side, you know, the Bucks 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:09.200 last week really kept these Saints at bay with two 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.480 point four yards per rush. That's not going to be 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.119 the case this week. Las Vegas is an inviting i 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:17.840 think front seven to run against. We're going to get 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:20.959 a real instant look at where this Drew Brees storyline 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.879 is in week two, because it's been a big talking 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:27.359 point all through the week about the two seventy total 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:31.199 yards of offense and how Drew Brees maybe is finally 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.360 getting old and all that. Well, let's see, let's see 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:35.200 how he looks in week two. He is on the road. 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:37.320 You know, if you're Saints fan, you'd rather him have 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:40.120 a cushy home matchup. But at the same time, it's 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.959 the Raiders who just gave up thirty plus points uh 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:46.800 to Teddy Bridgewater Breezes old backup and a Panther's offense, 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:48.880 which is good but not you know, game changing by 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:51.280 any stretch. So I think that this will be a 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:53.879 good test, and I I do like saying I like 0:18:54.000 --> 0:18:56.159 the Saints, and I like Drew Brees with a bounce 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:58.280 back week because I think he has it in him. 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:00.640 And I like Alvin Kamara, who didn't get anything going 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:03.760