The NFL Report: Are the Broncos Playing With Fire Against 49ers? + Puka Nacua In, Justin Jefferson Out

It's a brand new edition of NFL Report, and the Vikings, they've been on a roll. A perfect start while navigating injuries. Turns out there's another massive one. Justin Jefferson out for the Miami game. We got those details for you. Five undefeated teams in the NFL, two of them are squaring off. Patrick Mahomes tells us why this Raiders team is more formidable than you think. And the Rams haven't had much success against the Eagles. We'll take you down memory lane.

And yeah, Philly fans will smile with regard to that. But we also have a path for a Los Angeles win. And welcome to a brand new edition of the NFL report. I'm Mike. Yeah, my buddy Nick Shook is going to be joining me in just a moment. We'll take you through a massive slate of games this coming weekend. Not to mention, I think one of the more intriguing quarterback stories.

Who are the Bears going to start? We'll hear from Ben Johnson, but we got the latest headlines for you. And it is a big story that will affect many fantasy teams. And that is Justin Jefferson. Not great news for the Vikings wide receiver has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins because of an ankle injury.

Now he suffered that Sunday against the Bucs. Jefferson did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, which obviously signaled fantasy owners probably need to figure out an alternative. Hard to replace that type of production. Well, while the Jefferson news is obviously. a little bit of a buzzkill. We actually have some good news with regard to Puka Nakua.

He's missed the last two games because of a hip injury, and Puka is going to be able to play. Jalen Watson also out in Terrence Ferguson. They got like 50 different tight ends on that roster. They're going to be okay, but the point is definitely a buzzkill from a Rams perspective, not the only injury that we continue to track here in that matchup. Devontae Smith also ruled out the wide receiver.

Their linebacker, Zach Bond, will not be playing. So there's some questions, obviously, around this Philadelphia Eagles team. They haven't been completely healthy now for a little bit. Smith's been in and out of practices, but he's certainly been a huge target now that wide receiver one. for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nico Collins, good news for a Texans offense, is trying to find some signs of life here. Ian Rappaport letting us know that the wide receiver is good to go. News not as good here from a commander's perspective, although not a huge shock or a dislocated elbow again for Jaden Daniels. Suffered that in week number two. Doesn't have concerns about re-injuring again, saying, well, that's what the brace is for. That said, he will not play in the London game against the Colts. Marcus Mariota, Instead, we'll get that start. Some other news around this commander squad. And even though it's going to be Marcus Mariota, well, Terry McLaurin, some hamstring injuries popped up in practice again today. Questionable

for that matchup against the Colts in London. It was kind of cool yesterday to get Cam Bonham on the show. He's certainly geeked up for another international game. I think all of us are. And of course, we will get you updates Sunday morning. of that matchup on game day preview. Meanwhile, Case Keenum, vintage performance Monday night. Bears, they knocked out the Eagles. What's interesting is, what do you do this week against the Jets? Caleb out with a hamstring injury.

That gives you Tyson Bajan and Case Keenum as the options. Ben Johnson's been coy with the media this week.

Ben, we want answers.

First question, who's starting a quarterback on Sunday?

And follow-up, come on.

We'll find out on Sunday. I mean, there is such a thing as playing the hot hand that that is real. And we're certainly certainly taking that into consideration. And yet there's a body of work that goes into it as well. So there's a lot of factors at play and. We certainly have talked about it as a coaching staff. Honestly, it's split. If you just ask each coach one-on-one what they think, it's split. Once again, I don't know that there's necessarily a right answer or a wrong answer in terms of how we go about this thing. I know both of them are well-prepared to play and win a game for us here. So I'm excited about that.

Some good options there.

Got some teams in the NFL that would love to be able to choose between two backup quarterbacks that we think can play. Meanwhile, Ian putting this out on social media, not great news. Chris Gonzalez not going to be playing. And Christian Barmore also out from a Patriots perspective. They got some questions, massive ones on the offensive side, which we will discuss in just a bit.

It's taking a little TNF.

This is not how you want to start a game if you are Aaron Rodgers or even just a Pittsburgh fan watching this. The communication between Mike McCarthy and Rodgers, it seemed a little tense. We'll hear from McCarthy about that and Rodgers in just a moment. And this is where it led to, an incomplete pass, not necessarily what they were hoping for.

A little bit later in this game, though, check it out. Sean Watson, how about that rifle?

Harold Fennin, who's now got three touchdowns in the last two games. Watson playing some good football. Here we go, fourth quarter. Rodgers trying to mount a comeback. So you're saying there's a chance.

Yes, there is.

He threw for 299, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Friermuth getting in there. Browns, the ensuing drive from 56 in a tied game.

Schmitz got it.

Watson now has led a game winning drive in each of the last three games. That's the longest such streak in his career. There was one more chance here for the Steelers. Rodgers with the heave. He gets picked off. Grant Delpit comes up with it. So don't look now. It's the Cleveland Browns. Exactly what we thought leading the AFC North. Things get a little bit testy, as we mentioned, and we showed you on that opening drive. Here's Mike McCarthy when it was done.

I know the beginning of the game, first drive was hectic. You know, I think it ended up being about 20 plays. I was talking fast. So the normal. So I think once we settled in, after that drive, which resulted in a touchdown, I thought the communication was solid. Communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but everybody's competing on the field. And I think, you know, what's said on the field, the way I grew up in this game, you know, usually stays on the field. That's not the case today. I understand that. But yeah, any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn't use those words.

Aaron, did communication with the sideline, were you getting plays in late?

Did that impact at all what you.

Guys were doing offensively? I mean, it was loud.

It was definitely a good crowd tonight.

It was loud.

So some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure.

Yeah, that's one way to describe it. Browns, by the way, not great news despite the win. Mason Graham, considered week to week, suffered an MCL injury. Four sacks so far this season. That's actually the second best number. in the NFL. Good news, though, it doesn't look like it is a long-term injury, according to Ian Rappaport. All right, let's take you down memory lane. Last year, Jordan Davis gave us one of the more memorable moments of the season. Block field goal attempt by Josh Carty. Final play of the game.

Big fella takes it 61 yards into the end zone. Eagles, it was their second block kick in the fourth quarter. Yeah, Philly came out victorious. Stafford's hoping for a different result, but he knows it's still going to be a challenge.

You look at the collection of players that they have, obviously coached by a defensive coordinator who's done it for forever, it seems like, at a really high level. So a ton of respect for them, both how they're coached schematically, but also the players that they have. I imagine at their place, they'll be ready to rock and roll like they always are when we play them. Like I said earlier, they're always a tough out. you know, play extremely physical up front, penetrating style off a defensive line, especially this year and doing a great job of, you know, hiding and mixing coverages as good as anybody in the league at doing that kind of stuff. So just got to go out there and play within ourselves, execute, play physical and,

you know, find.

A way to win.

All right, looking forward to this match of Rams once again going cross-country against the Eagles. Nick Shook is with me right now. I think about this matchup. McVay hasn't had a ton of success against this Philadelphia team. It's like two steps forward, one step back. You get Puka, you lose Aaron Donald. We knew Miles Garrett wasn't going to be there.

Who are you taking, though?

I'm still feeling the Rams because I'm very concerned about what the Philadelphia Eagles are doing right now, especially offensively. They just can't find a rhythm. Yes, they changed offensive coordinators last year. Kevin Petullo was the scapegoat. He was the problem. Now Sean Mannion's offense just hasn't found its footing with Jalen Hurts, who threw that ugly interception against Chicago last week. And it's just a group that they wasted a good drive from Saquon Barkley.

They just couldn't finish drives. And against this Rams team, which has been up and down through three weeks.

I still think that they're a more capable team than the Chicago Bears. And then you pair them with an offense led by Matthew Stafford that's getting Puka Nakua back. I'm very concerned for the Eagles here, which is why I'm going with the Rams. What about the idea, though? And I'm with you because I actually like this Rams team.

I made reference to it. One in six, though, Sean McVay has been against this Eagles squad. I just am worried about what this team was against Denver last week. Epic comeback from a Broncos perspective. I think where I net out is I'm with you on that. Eagles offense, seven points.

Monday Night Football, it feels like they're not going to be able to keep up pace. At the very least, I do feel confident Rams score.

That and the Rams with Puka Nakua since he's come to the NFL.

29-16 record. Without him, 4-5. So good boost for them.

Puka, just lifting up that entire offense from a Rams perspective.

You know who's been balling lately? How about this dude? Brock Purdy and the Niners.

Right now, the quarterback is leading the NFL, a passer rating better than 133. He's tied for first with nine touchdown passes, but it is a Denver squad that's got a stud defense and a familiar face, an old teammate of Purdy. He knows how dangerous Talanoa Funga can be.

All the training.

Camp reps and all the stuff of us going up against each other. I have a good idea of, you know, of Huff and how he plays and stuff. Obviously, he's in a little bit different of a scheme, but, you know, he's out there making plays for sure. So but I mean, I love the guy. He's awesome. He's a great teammate to me and everything and who he is. So got a lot of respect for him. But, you know, on Sunday, hopefully, you know, be able to be smart knowing where he's at and stuff and just what he does, how he makes plays and how he helps his team. And, you know, he did that for us here. So, yeah, I just got to have my antenna up. I think the whole game of knowing where he's at.

Guy was everywhere on the football field against the Rams to interception for the safety. Who do you like in this game, though?

You know what? I'm still going to go with the Niners.

And it's because I don't trust the Broncos in their second half resurgence. The first half has been so quiet for them. Bo Nix, for example, has jumped over 25 points in his passer rating from first half to second half. You can't afford to do that against this 49ers team because they jump on you early and often and they finish well as well. They're the only NFL team that ranks in the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense.

And in most of those major offensive categories, which they're also in the top six, the Broncos rank in the lower third. So while this defense is powering them, they're trying to carry too much of the load in order.

To win these football games.

And against a team like San Francisco, which looks so complete, I think it'll be too much for them to overcome.

Veterans, guys that understand how to close games, you think about this roster right now and when they're healthy. And the Niners right now, generally speaking, are healthy. They're as dangerous as any in the league. I'm with you.

I'm actually going to roll with the Niners as well.

I just don't think you can spot San Francisco points early and expect these massive comebacks week in and week out. The Broncos, I'll give them a hat tip here and a lot of credit. They've won 12 consecutive one score games dating back to week five of last year. I just think you're playing with fire. And look, I think the defense is still good. I don't know if it's as stout as it was from a season ago. And that's what gives me Just some room for pause here.

So I think the two of us, once again, on the same page. San Francisco is the team that we like against a Denver squad. Meanwhile, some other news that hit the waiver wire. The NFL suspending Niners owner Jed York for six games, fined him $ 500, 000 for violating the personal conduct policy. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges in Ohio. After his arrest on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, he did not attend any of the Niners' first three games, which actually counts as time served towards that suspension. York said he fully accepts the NFL's decision and apologized. for his actions continuing to take you around the NFL and some of the biggest matchups of the weekend. This is certainly going to be one of them in week four

Cowboys and Texans, both Dak Prescott and CJ Stroud. We'll move into second place in their franchises, all time quarterback wins list with the next victory. Dak knows the Texas identity is about what they bring defensively under D'Amico Ryan's.

Yeah.

I mean, they're a good defense. Um, They've been a good defense, right? The best in the league, I believe, last year. Great up front in their pass rush and aggressive, you know, DBs.

To say it's a.

Litmus test, I'm going to take our guys against anybody. That's just the confidence I have in them. It's what we've done together. It's the way that we practice. It's the way that we approach every day with one another. And I think that they would say the same. And so we're going out there to be the best versions of ourselves. Doesn't matter who's on the other side.

I get why Dak is going to say that last season. We're far removed.

We're heading into week four. But last year, number two offense in the NFL. This year, it feels like feast or famine. Are they feasting against Houston?

I don't think they are.

And the reason that I don't think they are is because this Houston defense has been spending the last three weeks trying to carry this team with very little to no offense. This is an ideal matchup for the other side of the equation to come into play.

C.J. Stroud has really missed Nico Collins. We saw earlier in the.

Show that Nico Collins is good to go, which means great things for this Texans offense that hasn't gotten out of the mud so far.

I think this is the matchup to do it against that Dallas defense.

And conversely, I.

Really don't care that much about the Cowboys offense because the Cowboys defense has also still struggled. They've had their moments, but like we saw at the end of the Ravens game last week, they still crumbled in crunch time. And I still think if Jayden Daniels had finished that week two game, that would have been a one score game and a lot closer. So on just on paper, if you upgrade the Texans offense a little bit and open up the passing game, it'll be enough to overcome what the Cowboys offense is going to bring against one of the league's best defenses in Houston.

Okay, I'm with you. I'm picking the Texans as well. A little reluctant, though. This one scared me when I was going through some of the matchups. The Texans, their running game has essentially been non-existent. There are some teams in the league right now that are struggling to run the football. I'm talking about you, Green Bay Packers. But the Texans right now ranking 30th in the league. David Montgomery and Woody Marks. There's been some comments from... And some reports out there that maybe this backfield starts shifting a little bit more towards what he marks, which is surprising to me. 11 carries for David Montgomery in the last game. That doesn't seem like a lot. I remember doing some of our training camp shows and D'Amico Ryan said, hey,

like we got a guy that can change the complexion of our running attack. We're going to feed him the football in Montgomery. And that just hasn't been the case other than week number one. So if they get that run game going, I actually feel pretty good. And the addition of Nico Collins being healthy, ready to go is definitely a reason.

To to pick the Texans.

Once again, on the same page with my guy, Nick. Now, meanwhile, we want to talk about great matchups. Quarterback, sign me up for this. Trevor Lawrence versus Joe Burrow squad. Lawrence, seven passing touchdowns, just two giveaways. Burrow, six passing touchdowns and two giveaways so far this season. It's not the only matchup. In fact, I like talking about ones where the guys are going head to head. Jamar Chase, I see you because you get Travis Hunter.

See, Travis Hunter in year two compared to year one.

That's all I got.

You know, he's usually a little more talkative than that.

So that response probably tells us everything that we need to know about what we could see on the field on Sunday. I think the Jags are once again having a good season and kind of going under the radar. Do you like them against Cincinnati? I do.

I do like the Jags.

I think that this is a matchup of two teams that doesn't really, they're not too different. We just heard the numbers between Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, two offenses that can be explosive.

But I think when it.

Comes to the matchup between these two teams, the Bengals defense that I believed in, It's kind of sliding back into the bad place. They're 24th in yards per game allowed, 28th in passing yards per game allowed, and they're middling in pressure.

To sack rate.

It's about 15th in the league right now. And how do you affect this Jaguars offense? You do it by getting after Trevor Lawrence and getting him off of his spot.

He hasn't been off of his spot. He torched the Patriots last week.

I have tons of belief in this offense, and I think no matter what the Bengals offense can do, at minimum, they could probably engage in a shootout.

But the Jaguars pass rush, sneaky good. So I'm going with the Jags here.

Okay, we're going to disagree on this one.

I'm going to take Cincinnati at home, and this is maybe less of a reflection of how I feel about Jacksonville and maybe just being more confident in a Bengals team right now. Both of these teams, we get it offensively, all the pieces that are there with these two quarterbacks. I'm buying into this Cincinnati defense. Dexter Lawrence, you think about, you know, sort of multiple players right now on this team starting to wreak havoc. He's got two sacks so far on the season. You mentioned it, Trevor off his spot, maybe not as effective. And the problem is many teams haven't been able to do that. Cincinnati, fifth highest pressure rate right now in the NFL without blitzing. When Trevor feels some of that heat, the numbers haven't been exactly awe-inspiring.

So that's the reason.

I'm trusting right now, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm trusting Cincinnati's defense after the first few weeks of the season. We'll figure out how it's going to play out after Sunday as we'll tally up some of our picks.

Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes.

This dude won five, and this team, this Kansas City team, has just been so impressive. They're 3-0 right now. They match up against a Raiders team that's also 3-0, two of the five undefeateds right now in the NFL. Mahomes 13-2 in his career against this Raiders team, but this Vegas squad, it just feels different.

Yeah, I mean, they've brought in a lot of guys that are really good football players, and they've added young, talented guys in there as well. And so obviously it starts with Max and their defensive line and being able to protect and be able to run the ball and do stuff like that. But they have great players everywhere, and they fly to the football. And I think what you said is they turn the football over, which is huge in this league. And so we'll have to match their intensity. We'll have to execute at a high level, but it'll be a great challenge for us, and we're excited for it.

You know, when I'm at home and I'm watching a lot of the games on Sunday, there's like different monitors. And obviously, if you're on the big TV, that's like the game that I want to make sure this one's got.

The potential to be big screen.

Absolutely.

But it's going to be a tough one for me. It was a tough one for me to pick because my heart is with the Raiders. Because how could you not love this story and the way that they've transformed their team under Clint.

Kubiak and yet.

To say, I'm going to go with the Chiefs in this one.

I'm still going to go in the Chiefs with this one.

Because look, there's a couple of things underlying in the stats that I think stand out here. Yes, the Raiders have been opportunistic defensively. They lead the NFL with nine total takeaways this year. The Chiefs have only given it away twice. But the really important metric that I think is going to make a difference in this game, getting off the field on third down. It's been the story of how to beat the Chiefs over the last four or five years.

And that was the Chiefs without Kenneth Walker. Now you add him in.

The Kansas City Chiefs are their ninth in conversion rate on third down.

Raiders 20th.

So unless they're not opportunistic again, if they can get some turnovers, then we can get this tight and it can be another close game like it was in New Orleans.

Otherwise, I think the Chiefs, they end up winning this game.

I'm with you.

And I think our reasoning is relatively similar here. And it has more to do with these teams' defenses. I know offensively everyone will talk about Kirk Cousins and the multiple touchdowns that he's been throwing through these first couple weeks of the season. Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker making guys miss more than Jameer Gibbs. That's remarkable, but you are talking about two of the top defenses in the NFL right now in terms of points allowed. Both of these teams sitting in the top eight. Chiefs number three. the Raiders number eight. This would be the best finish for the Raiders in like 20 some odd years. So this is like historically good for this organization. I just feel good about Kansas City because it is still one five

that's out there who seems to always just make those crucial plays. This becomes a confidence, a game of confidence in my mind. Taking a closer look, you like the Commanders with Mario.

Yes, I believe in Washington, baby. Give them some respect.

All right, we might have a moving week again. There's a couple of these games that we differ. Giants, Cardinals also being one of them. That one still might be with my heart. Yeah, I think you're still picking with your heart. Just a little bit on that side, but you can see in the later games kind of a clean sweep across the board. I didn't have a great week last week. I was sitting 8-8, which was still just a smidge better than what you did.

I mean, we're basically on the same page with almost all of our picks on a weekly basis, so I didn't have a good week either.

Yeah, it was halfway through.

I was like, oh, I don't even want to think about what's going to happen on Friday when we talk about some of the results here. It's definitely unfortunate. If you're a football fan, you just need NFL Plus Premium. You can get NFL Red Zone. You can watch every touchdown every Sunday afternoon during the regular season, catch game replays, and track advanced analytics powered by next-gen stats with NFL Pro.

You can sign up today at plus.nfl.com slash fast. Terms and conditions apply. All right, I know we've touched on some of these injuries, but I get it. It's a Friday before the weekend. You've got to know who's going to be in and out for your fantasy lineup. Some of the more significant ones, Justin Jefferson's going to affect a whole lot of teams that's out there. Caleb Williams, we still don't know who Ben Johnson's going to decide to be his quarterback. Nico Collins, certainly positive news there.

And if you're thinking about the Bills and what they can do offensively, They might get a boost somehow. Christian Gonzalez doesn't look like he's going to be out there. Meanwhile, speaking of Justin Jefferson, the Vikings partnered with him. JJ's Jets Foundation hosts Strikeout Cancer. It's a bowling event at Leicester Strike in Eden Prairie. Earlier this week, the JJ Jets Foundation recognized 25 honorees, including cancer survivors, patients and caregivers.

and celebrated their journeys and the community of support surrounding them.

What an unbelievable cause.

Definitely a positive that Justin Jefferson and the Foundation is going down that path.

Meanwhile, some quick hits for you. Check this out.

If you are a Saints fan, you're going to remember this, man. 20th anniversary Superdome reopening after Hurricane Katrina.

Early first, Gleason.

Yeah, give me the block punt by the Falcon Saints. won an absolutely emotional game that day. Former Saint, by the way, Roman Harper, is going to be joining the show on Monday to talk about that matchup. Certainly looking forward to that conversation. Pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, a procedure to repair a finger injury, played the past two games reportedly with a broken finger that he suffered in the season opener. He's going to be out against the Titans.

Jesse Minter saying, we think it's going to be very quick, very short term. It was a quick way to get that fixed and get him back. I think it's going to be best for us moving forward in the long term. And yeah, I would say that as well, especially if he's not missing significant periods of time. Meanwhile, Mike McDonald, excuse me, said that Darian Price is out for Sunday's game after aggravating that chest injury. No status on Julian Love.

So he's good to go. That's definitely a positive there. Just in case you're wondering, Manuel Wilson, George Helani, the only other running backs on that 53-man roster. The Jets, Ian Rappaport putting this out. A little bit of a buzzkill here. Ruled out Brees Hall, their running back.

A.D.

Mitchell also. Do not expect to see him out on the football field. And, of course, no better place to be than on Sunday morning with us. Game day preview. Trevor Sikama is going to be on set with me. And a guy that's won a championship in Nelson Aguilar. We'll get you set for all the games at 1130 a.m.

Eastern time.

The NFL Report: Are the Broncos Playing With Fire Against 49ers? + Puka Nacua In, Justin Jefferson Out

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