The Richard Sherman Podcast - NFL Week 6 REACTION: Seahawks-Broncos, Bills-Raiders, Chiefs unbeaten, Bears win & 49ers MNF preview

0:05 Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast, and this has been a crazy week six. Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button if you're new. This week started off with an upset. The Broncos upset the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Mitchell, there were crazy results all over the place. The Jacksonville Jaguars, their team, We expect it to be contenders and continue to be contenders. We both had them in our top five in the power rankings.

0:32 Lose to the Houston Texans who win their second straight game playing really good football. Playing really good football. Got to give them credit there. And what are the Rams doing? What are the Rams doing? There are so many things that we got to digest in this football weekend that I don't even know if you have a real great explanation for.

0:51 You don't. And then, I mean, you didn't even mention the free fall of the Philadelphia Eagles. I mean, there's so many storylines that week six is taking us down, but let's start on Thursday night, Richard in Denver, you were there, your Seattle Seahawks, you know, trying to turn this momentum on the season and get a win in prime time. Uh, their defense showed up, but Sam Darnold struggled, especially down the stretch, throwing two huge interceptions, uh, Let's talk about Sam Darnold's play in that game, Richard. What were your thoughts on his decision-making down the stretch of that game?

1:26 Well, he struggled. He struggled. Now, you got to give the Denver Broncos defense credit. They're a good defense, but they were missing arguably three of their four best players, Talanoa Hufanga, without that game. Obviously, they're missing Jonathan Cooper and then the great Patrick Sertan on the corner. So if there was ever a time for Sam Darnold to have a day, this would have been it. And for him to still struggle with all of those things going on and all the issues with the Denver Broncos defense, that's where the concern is. They weren't able to run the ball. Emmanuel Wilson, 14 carries for 52 yards. George Helani had five for 20, but in a touchdown, but it was hard. It was tough sledding all over the place.

2:10 And that's something that they have to get fixed without a run game. This past game isn't going to be effective in any way. Now, There were some silver linings. They were able to get Rashid Shaheed a deep pass for a change. I've been looking for that all season. They were able to find one down the field. I'm wondering why they can't keep doing that, why you can't keep taking those kind of shots, keep taking those opportunities and push the ball down the field. What's the worst that could happen? I think they need to leave more people in for protection. That point has been made again and again. I talked to Mike McDonald after the game, and I made that point once again. I was like, ah, I think you guys need to leave more in to protect.

2:46 That 5-0 protection, I don't think it's hard. It's really hard on the running back and the offensive line. Early on, they had some miscues where it looked like Abe Lucas might have thought he was responsible for somebody, but the running back picked him up, and it was two guys on one guy and a guy running free hitting Sam Darn on the backfield. They gave up five sacks in a game, five sacks to five different people. It was one of those games that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And the defense showed up in an incredible way. The defense played the game they needed to play.

3:20 They held Bo Nix to 107 passing yards without a touchdown. They only gave up 38 yards in the second half. They did give up two touchdowns. You know, you got to expect that sometimes. I've been part of a great defense. Sometimes it's not your best outing early, but you need the offense to at least step up and score some points.

3:38 If At worst, don't turn the ball over and give the game back to the other team, and that's what happened in this game. Three turnovers, three turnovers in this game, including a fumble and two interceptions thrown. You can't have it. Jackson Smith and Jigba continues, even with the banged-up ankle from the last game when they played the San Francisco 49ers.

3:57 He came through 12 receptions, 134 yards, and he just keeps showing up. Every time they needed him, every time they needed a big play, Jackson Smith and Jigba is there. The defense is there. The defense is playing solid football. They're tackling well. They're getting off the field. They're doing what they got to do to give their offense a chance to win these games. The red zone issues on both sides of the football continue. You got to get those fixed. You got to defensively, they have to find a way to get stops in the red zone or else this isn't going to go well. There's a lot of concern about that run game. That's one thing I don't have really great answers to. I don't know if Charbonnet comes in and he's going to be the spark

4:38 They struggled last season all the way up until around week 10, and then things started to look really good for the last, you know, I guess 10 weeks of the season, eight to 10 weeks of the season. You know, K-9, and I know everybody's looking at the Kansas City Chiefs and how K-9's playing. They're like, oh, my God, we wish we could have had him back. He would not be having that kind of season in Seattle. There are not the kind of holes. It's not being blocked in a way. where anybody could be as successful as he is.

5:06 It's being blocked better right now in Kansas City. So I know people want to just quickly turn around and say, oh my God, if we had him, it would all be fixed. That's the simple hypothetical, oh my God, everybody could dream. But that's not the reality, I don't think. I think he's in a spot where he's thriving because he's in a great scheme. The quarterback is part of it.

5:30 Andy Reid's one of the best play callers in the history of the National Football League. He's finding ways to maximize his potential, and Kenneth Walker is benefiting from that. I've seen some other stuff on the internet. I mean, I saw Fitz's video to Tlaib after Tlaib tried to get on Fitz about what Fitz said about Bo Nix's performance.

5:52 I mean, I don't know what you want in that situation. I really don't, Mitchell. Bo Nix didn't play well, and he hasn't played very well in this season. He's thrown for under 200 yards four times in this season alone. This game, he threw for 107 yards on 27 attempts. That's not a good football game. And there were a number of plays where he could have took off and run.

6:17 He could have made a play. Even a play that Lee was defending. Like the running back had a blocker out in front. that's not a play you throw that late in the clock. That's a quick game play. You get the ball out there, let him run. The blocker hits right in time. Like there's so many things, parts of that play that had to happen on time, quick timing that didn't happen. And then if he wasn't going to take that, the lane was right there for him to run and get the first down. And instead he threw it. That is non-competitive football. That's just what it was.

6:45 I don't even know how you're defending this because it'd be different if you were defending a performance where a guy just had an off day. And he's not having an offseason. He's having an offseason right now. A very offseason. And if it wasn't for the terrific play of the Denver Broncos defense, this season could look a whole lot worse for the Denver Broncos. But they're 4-2, so you give them credit. You give Sean Payton credit. You give Vance Joseph and that defense a ton of credit for being able to win a huge game with three of their superstars out. And you leave it at that. I thought what Fitz did was hilarious. I thought What Lee did was unnecessary. You can talk about Fitz's career and ups and downs and whether he won games or not,

7:29 et cetera, et cetera, but he's had some stretches where he's played some outstanding football, thrown for 400 multiple times. I mean, I want to say he threw for 1,200 yards in three weeks at one point, and I don't know if you will ever find a stretch of Bo Nix playing that kind of football, that level of football. Now, maybe you won't find a stretch of him turning the ball over like Fitz because he's not a gunslinger like that.

7:53 He's conservative. We're in a time where these quarterbacks are trying to protect their stats and play efficiency numbers and depend on their defenses. That's where he is. But I'm sure Sean Payton would like a little bit more gunslinger and let the ball go, especially this season where they're drawing up plays where guys are running wide open and Bo Nix is standing in a clean pocket and not letting the football go. It's fair to criticize that. It's fair to say he's not playing as well as he could.

8:18 It's fair to say he's not playing as well as the plays that are being drawn up for him and the receivers and the talent around him. Evan Ingram, they just got Waddle, Cortland Sutton. There's enough talent around him that he should be playing better. He should have more yardage, and he doesn't. And if you can't criticize that, then there's no point in having the job.

8:41 Well, Bo Nix is currently averaging 4.9 air yards per pass attempt, Richard. I mean, if I lay down on the ground, that's about as long as I am, man. I mean, this is, you've got a quarterback with big weapons. I mean, Cortland Sutton, he's a downfield vertical threat. Same with Jalen Waddell. I mean, that's why they brought him to be a speedster. Take the top off the defense.

9:04 Bo Nix appears to be the problem in Denver. I know they snuck out with a win in this one, but 107 passing yards on 27 attempts. is not anything to write home about. Listen, he's the next guy on the board to get paid. I mean, what are you doing if you're Denver's management? Because, you know, they're looking at $ 55 million. I mean, we saw what Baker Mayfield just made. How in the world can you justify paying Bo Nix something like that? It seems like something that would kill a franchise.

9:30 I don't think you can justify it. But I think both, if you're the Seattle Seahawks, you're looking at Sam Darnold and you're saying, hey, We got to find a way to justify paying him, but he just won a Super Bowl. Regardless of how he's playing and the ups and downs, I know people want to say, oh man, Sam Darnold can't get paid and they should replace him with Drew Locke.

9:51 He just won a Super Bowl. Whether you like him or not, he just led a team to a Super Bowl, whether it was the defense or the offense. You don't just get rid of a guy like that and sit him down. They're not sitting down Justin Herbert, and he hasn't won a Super Bowl or come close, and this team is 0-6. And fans are arguing that they should fire everybody but the quarterback. And he's leading the league in interceptions right now, but it's everybody else's fault. But we're going to get to that. I just think that in this league, the way it's– it's currently designed and the way it's currently constructed, something's going to have to change because these quarterbacks aren't the main reason these teams

10:27 are having success anymore. And that's fair and that's fine. In some cities, they are. You look at Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes has earned his money. I think Joe Burrow has earned his money. You look at Buffalo, you're dang sure Josh Allen has earned his money. And you get Lamar Jackson in Baltimore has earned his money. And Philadelphia fans, you can argue with whoever you want. A lot of wins have happened in Philadelphia, and Jalen Hurts isn't getting top of the market money. He's won you a Super Bowl, took you to another Super Bowl. You guys have consistently been in the mix. I think you can argue he's earned his money. But guys like this are where I think something's going to have to change in the league

11:12 and the way they're constructed. And it should have changed a long time ago. Where And we'll give Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy is just doing San Francisco. He's earning his money. You know, last season with all the injuries and everything that happened to that team. But Bo Nix is not. And they don't need Bo Nix to be excellent. Just like the Seattle Seahawks did well with Drew Locke for a little while. A couple games. He didn't turn the ball over. They can win games. They can find a way.

11:41 When you can play football like that and your team is built like that, we were built like that. You didn't need a crazy game out of the quarterback to win this game. You had Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, a great running game, a great defense. Don't turn the ball over and we'll probably get out of there with a win. And when your team's designed like that, I think you can get away with paying your quarterbacks reasonable numbers. Now, will these quarterbacks accept that? That'll be the question. Like, will Bo Nix say, no, I'm not accepting that? And then what do you do when he doesn't accept it?

12:09 Do you just say franchise day? Because that's still a big number. So that's a conversation that I'm interested in seeing how it goes. Now, they'll probably fold up and pay him what he's asking for, pay him $ 60 million or whatever it is, the top of the market. But I don't think they'll win anymore after that. I think once teams start to go there and your quarterback isn't the 4,500– 34 touchdowns, 32 touchdown producing quarterback, and you're paying him like he is because he's just the next one in line, I think you start to destroy your team and you start to have to get rid of people and players that are at the top of their game, that are amongst the top of the league at their positions, and you start to have a worse team. And now

12:51 all the things that made you a great team, you start to not have anymore. But that's just what I got to say about that. The Broncos... great win for them the Seahawks got to find a way they got Kansas City in a couple weeks or I guess next week at this point they got the Kansas City Chiefs and they are rolling right now they continue to look really well really good um they they are undefeated just beat the LA Chargers Kenneth Walker revenge game that's gonna be one to watch Mitchell.

13:19 No question about it the the This is a must-win for Seattle, if you ask me. I mean, the wheels are kind of slowly turning, and I think the fan base might be losing a little bit of hope. They've got to come out strong in this one against the Chiefs, Richard, and get back a one in the winning column. Let's talk about another wild one in L.A., the L.A. Rams.

13:39 This was a team that came in with lofty expectations. Everyone's crowning them as the Super Bowl champ before the first week one kickoff. Here they are six weeks into the season, two and four, losing at home to the Arizona Cardinals, a team that gave up 45 points last week at home, goes into SoFi and knocks off the Rams.

14:01 How surprised are you with this.

14:02 Outcome, Richard? I'm incredibly surprised, but I'm incredibly surprised at a lot of the outcomes of these games for the LA Rams, I think. They are a couple plays away from being a 1-5 team. If you talk about that win they had against the Philadelphia Eagles late, they had a last-second drive, they had a fourth-quarter comeback. They just aren't playing up to the level that you would expect.

14:28 And you could say, oh, man, we're waiting for Miles Garrett. You could say, oh, Aaron Donald just needs to knock the rust off. But you could say Aleric Jackson was missing this game, got suspended for punching Bradley Chubb after the last game. But is that enough? Arizona Cardinals have lost four straight, and they've lost four straight to a lot of different kinds of teams, contenders, non-contenders. They haven't played the best football. The Rams are starting to... First off, this is a great reason why you don't crown preseason or offseason champions. All that on-paper stuff does not matter in the National Football League. This is a grown-man game.

15:13 It may matter in other sports, But this is a grown man game. And sometimes bringing great pieces together, you know, you can put great ingredients together, Mitchell. I could put bacon with milk chocolate with strawberries and blend it up, Mitchell, and it may not taste good. Not that bacon isn't great and strawberries aren't great and milk chocolate with almonds. Oh, chef's kiss, Mitchell. But combining them all and then trying to mix them all in the same pot, Mitchell, it doesn't always turn out great. And when you're talking about a team like the Rams, I'm sure when Miles Garrett comes back, they'll be better defensively. But will they be elite?

15:55 Will they do everything they can to get free Miles Garrett up? And Miles Garrett can win one-on-ones and do all that. But will, in Cleveland, they would go out of their way to free Miles Garrett up to eat and to have sacks. I don't think they're going to do that in LA. And if they don't go out of their way to do it, can Miles Garrett still reach those 19, 20, 15 sack seasons that he's had?

16:21 Or can he just play good team football? That is to be seen because he hasn't had to play the kind of football that is, hey, you don't always have to go for 10 sacks, four sacks a game. Sometimes you just have to play well in a run game. Like, do your part. Be the pick part of the pick stunt. Like, be a great teammate, be in the gap you're supposed to be in. And so that's to be seen. But this defense, they played solid. I think they played pretty solid in this game. They gave up a ton of yards, but they were great in the red zone. That was the big reason they had a chance in this game.

16:52 They held in the first half, they held the Cardinals to 0-4, 0-4 in the red zone. And I think they held them for 0-2 in the second half. And All Arizona's points came off of field goals. But Matthew Stafford, I can't understand what's going on with him. I can't understand what's going wrong with the reigning MVP of the National Football League. He's just not having the success that we're used to having. And it's not because he's– I mean, he was a little rusty probably earlier. But in this game, he got hot in the fourth quarter. He looked like the Matthew Stafford in the last few drives of the fourth quarter. when they had to have it. But I'm starting to wonder, why aren't you seeing that earlier in

17:36 the game? Why aren't we seeing that Matthew Stafford come out of the games, like, striking out? Maybe it's taking a second for the body to warm up and get where it needs to get, but Devontae Adams went out in this game with what appeared to be a calf injury, and it's starting to become a repetitive theme, injuries with their receiving core. Like, Puka gets back. Devontae's out. Devontae...

18:02 Puka's out, Devontae's in. Like, very few times have we had both of these guys together at the same time healthy. I don't know what's wrong with this Rams team. I really don't. I just don't know how this is going to get fixed because they aren't playing well. They were a better team than this Arizona Cardinals team. But give props to Matt LaFleur. I mean, Mike LaFleur, sorry. Give props to Mike LaFleur. He's undefeated in L.A. in SoFi Stadium.

18:33 He beat the Chargers and the Rams. Those are the only two games they've won this season. He got it done, Mitchell. Give him credit.

18:39 That's impressive. He's got more wins in SoFi than Justin Herbert and the Chargers franchise do this season. That's huge. But you're talking about Matthew Stafford and his struggles. What doesn't make sense to me is this is a team that has been together for a handful of years now. It's not like they're introducing a new high-profile wideout or introducing a new running back or fine-tuning this offensive line.

19:04 These are the same pieces we saw last year, and this is the same high-flying offense that we saw last year, at least the components of it, and yet the team is just not playing on that level. Something is going on. 286 yards of total offense against the Cardinals. When your backs were against the wall in that second half, it's not going to get it done.

19:25 And we can talk about the kicker situation. Because last week, you should have had the game won against the Buffalo Bills, who everybody in the world thinks are big-time contenders this year. And then you turn around and lose your kicker early in the game. So it leaves your situation very bleak. bleak great word and so now you're forced to go for two on the first touchdown you don't know what you're going to get then you find a way in the second one I just I really I know Sean McVay is really frustrated he was really frustrated last week and I didn't I thought they would come around this week and have a great game and just blow Arizona out of the water. It's starting to look like, I mean, when Miles Garrett does come back, whenever that is, they'll

20:22 be fighting for a wild card spot, if anything.

20:27 That's just it. This team is not in the NFC South. They're not in the NFC East. They're in the NFC West. And all of these games matter in that division. We shall see. Let's talk about the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Buffalo Bills. The Bills squeeze out a three-point win here. We saw Josh Allen have a solid game, 255, two touchdowns.

20:51 He was not very active running the football. But this team goes in to Las Vegas and pulls off a win at Allegiant Stadium. How impressed with this Bills team are you at this point in the season?

21:04 Four and one.

21:05 Road win against the Hot Raiders. What are your thoughts on this Buffalo Bills team thus far?

21:12 I'm impressed with them offensively, but I'm not impressed at all defensively. They're one of the half teams that we have in the National Football League. The half contenders. Half tenders.

21:26 The half bait squad.

21:27 I'm going with half tenders. Half baits that we have in the National Football League. I'd say them... the Minnesota Vikings, the Denver Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks right now, the half-baked, you know, one side of the football is elite and playing elite football championship level contender football. And the other side isn't keeping up. And I think for the Buffalo bills, it's their defense. They gave up 30 points again today to Kirk cousins and a Raiders. And they found a way to win again. They find a way to win, but, Josh Allen having to play, do a lot to find a way to win. I don't, I don't get, I just, I know it, it, it looks good offensively, but I, it's just not a sustainable way to play football. And I,

22:18 I feel like going into the playoffs, going in late in the season, you're going to run into a team that, that can get some stops against this offense that, that forces a turnover or two like the LA chargers did. Then what are you going to do? Then what are you going to do? Like, If you can't keep up and this defense can't get stops, then what are you going to do? Josh Allen is playing great football. You give him a ton of credit. Keon Coleman is finding a way to stay involved. Khalil Shakir, they're doing their thing.

22:48 Dalton Kincaid, they're a good offense with a lot of weapons. James Cook was a huge impact player in this game. 22 carries, 95 yards and a touchdown, three receptions for 56 yards. including a 26-yard catch to set up the go-ahead three-yard run in the fourth quarter. But I just don't know if this is sustainable. I mean, and you're talking about, I'm seeing the reaction to C.J. Gardner-Johnson's ejection for, I think they said he might have spit on a Raiders player and had that unfortunate penalty there. You can't have things like that when you're playing on a defense that's already having a hard time getting stops. He's been that kind of player for most of his career. It works in his benefit sometimes when he's going and he

23:38 gets player route up and he gets in guys' heads, but it can work against him in situations like this where he gets ejected. The Bills are fine. They're fine. They'll probably beat three in the power rankings, but I can't justify putting them any higher until that defense shows more.

23:56 Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, this is like a Jekyll and Hyde team. I was sitting on the couch watching this game with my wife, Richard, and she's a novice football fan and knows enough but not enough. And she's watching Josh Allen and she says, how does anyone ever beat this guy? And I told her, it comes down to playoff time and he just randomly doesn't show up. And that's the question with the Bills. I mean, again, I know they won this game and kudos to Josh Allen and co., But I just cannot justify him not having more success on the ground. If they want to take this team and make it unbeatable, like you said the last couple weeks, it's interjection of his rushing to this team and this offense. James Cook, stud. 22 carries,

24:40 95 yards, touchdown. Played a vital role in this team's success down the stretch. Buffalo's got to unlock that next element of their offense. And their defense is going to have to come along as well. But kudos to the Raiders. They keep hanging with these teams. Richard, that, you know, otherwise last year they would have gotten blown out by.

24:58 They got a nice new identity. They look hungry. Clint Kubiak is clearly doing some good stuff in Vegas. I still like them. They got a tough stretch of games here, Richard. We'll see how it all works out for them. Raiders looked all right in this loss. Let's talk. Yeah, yeah.

25:14 Kirk Cousins is showing people why he's starting over Fernando Mendoza. He's a great guy to learn from. He works well in this offense, had 313 yards, two touchdowns, only one interception, wasn't sacked in this game. But Ashton Genting, a guy we're not talking about enough. I mean, I'm not even sure he should be getting the amount of carries that he's getting. I would say, if I was a Raiders fan, give him to Mike Washington because Mike Washington's averaging 4.8 a carry, had a long of 18, and Ashton Genting, had 22 yards in the game on 10 carries. He had some yards through the air and he had the one yard rushing touchdown because he was in the game and Mike Washington wasn't, but it's starting to become a conversation. Like,

25:54 and I don't know if it's because Ashton Gentry isn't the guy that we thought he was coming out of Boise state. Maybe the level of competition has increased too much, but I'm just not seeing what you need to see for him to justify the amount of carries. Like, I think they have to start looking at maybe giving Mike Washington a few more carries and seeing if that, doesn't spark this offense even more.

26:13 And to your point, Mike Washington's got a second gear. I mean, he ran an incredibly low 40 at the combine coming out of Arkansas.

26:20 I'm with you.

26:21 A lot of question marks around Ashton Genting, and that's why there's a lot of criticism with drafting a running back that high in the draft is because not only are you expending that amount of draft capital, but now there's a motive to start him and play him more. When you got somebody in Mike Washington that really could take this offense to another level.

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27:49 Let's talk about this L.A. Chargers team. 0-6 on the season. Fall to the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, 22-6. And yet another game where the defense keeps them in this game and Justin Herbert and the offense keeps them nowhere close to it. At this point, I don't even know where to start with Justin Herbert, but I'll start with this question for you. Who loses their job first in LA? Is it the quarterback or is it the head coach? Because at 0-6, there's a lot of finger pointing that's going to be happening. Who does it truly land on?

28:28 Well, if I'm listening to the Chargers fans, everybody but Herbert. That's what I keep hearing. It's everybody's fault but Herbert. So, I'm guessing that's what the ownership thinks. It's everybody's fault but Herbert. Even though we haven't seen anything that it gives us any confidence that under the perfect circumstances, Herbert would be a guy that could win. But what does it take? Does it take a great defense? He's had that.

28:55 Didn't go well. He's had one of the best offensive lines. Didn't win anything. And now everything's kind of falling apart and young offensive line, banged up he's dealing with a lot of pressure he's turning the ball over at a high tilt leading the national football league in it um not throwing a ton of touchdowns not doing enough with his legs i'm sure again sure he's making a wild throw a game maybe two maybe even three but that's not enough like you have to play quarterback you have to play quarterback at a high level in this league you have to manage and i know people throw this term around like it's a negative but you have to manage the game, Mitchell. Game manager. He's not a good game manager. He's a really highly talented NFL quarterback. He's

29:44 got all the measurables, all the things you would want in your quarterback, but can you manage the game? Can you just get the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there? Can you know when to take a shot, when to not take a shot, when to throw the football away, when to, when they keep it out of harm's way. Like, you have to be a better game manager, and I just don't see it right now. I don't know. I know the quarterback makes a lot more than a head coach, and it's hard to get rid of quarterbacks in the National Football League and come back. Maybe they don't get rid of anybody, and then they just tell the Chargers fans this was a down year, and we'll get them next year with the same roster, plus or minus a few pieces. I

30:26 don't know. I don't have a lot of great answers because his team isn't doing a lot of things great, and it's not a lot you can build on. I know they want to get rid of Quentin Jostin. He had that one big catch in this game, but it's too many drops, too inconsistent each and every year. Ladd McConkie had one target in this game but went out with an injury. Omarion Hampton, seven carries for 18 yards.

30:54 The run game was nonexistent in this game. And I know that Mike McDaniel was brought in to revamp this run game, to show you guys what the Kyle Shanahan outside zone, McVay, the offense that everybody wants would look like with Justin Herbert at quarterback. Well, it doesn't look great with Justin Herbert at the helm. It just doesn't.

31:18 And so maybe this just doesn't work for Justin Herbert. And so maybe it starts with McDaniel and they get rid of McDaniel and bring somebody else in. But it's been too often that it's Greg Roman. Now it's McDaniel. Now it's every coordinator that comes in's fault. Eventually, you have to stop. Eventually, you have to say, hey, maybe there's a common denominator we're just not mentioning and people will refuse to say it. And it's Justin Herbert. He's the common denominator, Mitchell. He's the guy in the middle of it all. When they get in the playoffs and they have a big lead, Can they lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars? I'm a denominator. And I know, well, what about the defense? They gave up a lot of points.

32:06 Sure.

32:07 They're not getting paid over $ 50 million a year. Not one person on that defense is getting paid over $ 50 million a year. It falls on the quarterback. Just like if they would have won, it would have fell on the quarterback.

32:18 This organization is going to have a lot of questions in the off season. They're going to probably be picking top three. I mean, we, we, Called it, you know, three weeks into the season. I mean, and here we are. We said there's a very good chance they start 0-7 on this season.

32:33 Here they are.

32:34 Is there any world where you draft a quarterback in the top three? I mean, this draft is pretty loaded at quarterback. You got Mestemaker. You got Mensah. You got Chambliss. You got Manning. Like, there's some big names at the top of this draft. Is this the time for the L.A. Chargers to invest that draft pick at the quarterback position?

32:57 I don't trust any of these guys coming out of college anymore, especially at the quarterback spot. That's the reason Fernando Mendoza was the best they had to offer, and the Raiders and Kubiak thought it was best to sit him for a year behind Kirk Cousins, which I think was a great decision. But it just shows you the levels to this. I don't think anybody in the world is picking Kirk Cousins number one in any draft. But veteran play is valued in the National Football League, and putting high-drafted Quarterbacks on teams that haven't won a lot, I don't know. Yes, there's a world if you get rid of Justin Herbert where you have to draft a quarterback, sure.

33:35 If you don't get rid of Justin Herbert, no, there's no world where you draft it. You have too many needs elsewhere.

33:40 Let's talk more about the Kansas City Chiefs. This team looks like their old selves. Is it safe to say this is the best Chiefs team we've seen in the last three years? Yeah.

33:52 Yeah, I think it's safe to say. Now, I think they had some teams where the defense might have been a little better than they're playing right now, a little tighter, a little bit more talented, a little more veteran in the back end, but never had a run game like this. I think Kenneth Walker has the most yards at this point in the season in Chiefs history. And you got to respect that. And I think this makes them an incredibly dangerous team, an incredibly hard team to game plan for and to beat. if he's playing to this level and Patrick Mahomes, 23 of 30 for 272, he did have the interception, no touchdowns in the game, but when he's playing at this level and he doesn't have the pressure, the world of expectations on his shoulder, and he could

34:39 just turn around and hand the ball off 20 times, 25 times a game and watch Kenneth Walker work. I think I don't see anybody in the AFC, you know, bearing some catastrophic situation. I don't see anybody beating this team and giving them a lot of trouble. I think they beat Buffalo, so yeah. Yeah, I think they come out of the AFC. And unless something crazy happens, I find it hard to believe that won't happen. They got the Kansas City Chiefs. I mean, they got the Seattle Seahawks next week. I think that'll be a good barometer for that offense. Kenneth Walker, revenge game. Ken, the Seattle Seahawks, you know Spaggs is going to send a lot of blitzes at Sam Darnold because he hasn't dealt with the

35:33 pressure well. And, you know, Denver did it, and people are going to continue to pressure him and put people in his face until he shows that he can do better with it and he has the answers. and that Brian Fleury can design some answers into this offense and protect him better.

35:50 This Kansas City Chiefs team, it's like they have a cheat code offensively with Kenneth Walker behind Patrick Mahomes. Is it time we put K-9 in the MVP conversation? I know running backs aren't typically included in that discussion, but if there was ever a guy, it would be Kenneth Walker. He's got 759 scrimmage yards. Four games with 100-plus rushing yards and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry on top of eight touchdowns through five games, mind you, Richard. These are impressive statistics. Is he a running back you would include and give a legitimate opportunity to win the MVP?

36:28 It's not happening. They're not giving it to anybody but a quarterback. They've already established that. He'll win offense player of the year, and that'll be that. They're not giving... MVP to anybody, but the quarterback until they take, take the quarterbacks out of that conversation forward and give the quarterback separate world ward MVP as a quarterback award. And they're not really giving anybody else consideration.

36:49 Let's go across the pond. The Jacksonville Jaguars played the Houston Texans, big, big divisional game here in the AFC South. The Houston Texans came in the day before this game and the Jags have been there for a couple of weeks, uh, But it was advantage Houston. Early and often, we saw a C.J. Stroud we saw a couple years ago. I mean, it looked like his old self throwing for over 300 yards, three touchdowns, one interception. They had this game in hand, and the Jags fought back. Thanks in large part to Travis Hunter. Here's a guy, again, continues to dominate on the defensive side of the ball. And then we saw him sneak in and get in the end zone, becoming the first player to do that since 2002, Brian Dawkins. Uh,

37:32 impressive one for Houston desperate need of a win started. Oh, and four and now are two and four. How much of an impact will this game have on the rest of their season? Do you think Houston is off the mat? Do you think they can sneak into the playoffs at this point?

37:48 Maybe. I mean, it just shows how up upside down the league can be at times. CJ Stroud has played really good football this season. He threw his first interception of the season in this game. Um, They got Marvin Harrison Jr. involved. That was cool to see. He looked smooth. He looked comfortable out there. Obviously, he hasn't had a ton of work, ton of time to learn their playbook, so it seemed like they kind of built in a few plays with him and C. Dre, a few RPO-style actions to get him comfortable, but that was good to see.

38:24 Kaimi Fairbairn had a really good game, obviously, the walk-off. Their defense... did not play as well as they have in the past. They did not sack Trevor Lawrence at all in this game. Gave up 306 yards and four touchdown passes to Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence played a really good game against a good defense. They still have things they need to clean up, especially in that back end.

38:49 The expectations were so high for Houston in that defense coming into the season, and they have not lived up to it in any way. I don't really know how you explain it. I really don't. The players are there. The talent is there. Kalen Bullock had an interception in the game. But to keep giving up this many points each and every week is a concern, and that's the reason D'Amico Ryan took back the play-calling duties. But Trevor Lawrence played really well. Jacoby Myers, Bashawl Tootin had his moments in this game, two touchdown passes. Parker Washington continues to play well. But Travis Hunter, this is the way he should have been used. This is the way, this is all you need to do. Few plays on offense.

39:39 I don't know if he played more than 10 snaps on offense. Had great impact, four catches, 59 yards and a touchdown. played majority on defense, had a great impact in interception, three tackles. That's the way you need to play him. You don't have to play him. The formula's been proven. It's been done before. They were playing him 60, 70 snaps on offense to throw him the ball five times and then playing him 30 snaps on defense, and then he can get avoided. I like how they're using him.

40:13 I think this is the perfect, way to, to maximize his strengths, to maximize his talent, to get him some touches on offense, simple ways, uh, on the move slant routes. He caught it, got up the field, some yak. I think he can thrive in this role, a handful of plays on offense, target them on half of them. And then max full on defense, following the best receiver. He was following Nico Collins around probably half the game. Um, And, you know, I think he held his own for the most part. I loved his interception. Incredible pick. I think he's living up to all the hype and everything associated with him. I think the Jacksonville Jaguars have finally figured out the perfect medium for him, the perfect amount of

40:58 plays on both sides of the football where he can maximize his talent and his impact. I love to see it.

41:05 I'm sure the fan base in London loved to see it as well. The last two weeks, incredible games. We saw the epic comeback over the Eagles last week with the Jags and now this shootout as well. So shout out to the London fans. You guys had to see some huge, exciting matchups over the last couple of weeks.

41:23 Let's take it to the fourth quarter here and get some quick takes on the remainder of these games. The New England Patriots improved a 4-2 on the season, knocking off division foe the New York Jets, who fall to 2-4 on the season. Drake May, we've talked about it the last couple weeks. He seemed to have shook off the early season rust and looks like the quarterback he was at the tail end of last season. He got A.J.

41:48 Brown back in this game, who didn't do a whole lot. I mean, his other receiving weapon that they required over the offseason, Romeo Dobbs had a big catch but went out with a shoulder injury. he relied and leaned on to Mario Douglas. And we saw a lot of the Mario Douglas today, seven receptions, 86 yards and a touchdown.

42:04 I know they only won by seven Richard, but is it safe to say the new England Patriots are back or are the same competitive team we saw last year?

42:17 I think they're starting to get there. And Drake may has seven touchdown passes to no interceptions in the last two weeks. He's finding his rhythm. Uh, He's finding his confidence. I think they're finding a nice medium for him to push the ball down the field, but also kind of take care of the football. Reminder, Stevenson, they're kind of leaning on the run game. It's not super effective. They're not having a lot of success, but they're continuing to pound it on the ground. Again, he's using his safety blankets. Guys, he's had a lot of reps with. Demario Douglas is one of them. Hunter Henry is another. AJ Brown got a knockoff to Russ. He had three drops in this game.

42:55 One of them was over the top, looked like a dime of a pass, and it almost appeared to go right through his hands. A couple passes kind of banged off his hands, and you expect a guy of his caliber to make those catches, and he will in the future, I'm sure, but that's a little bit of a concern for this team. But overall, their defense continues to play really, really good football. They're a very underrated unit that is amongst the league leaders in points and yardage and all the things you want, and you would expect that from a Mike Vrabel coached team. This team is on the rise.

43:32 I look for a really good game next week against the Chicago Bears. It's going to be on Thursday night. You can catch us on TNF Tonight. 4 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Eastern. It's going to be a great game. Caleb Williams is going to be. Caleb Williams versus Drake May, great quarterback matchup. But I think I'm interested to see Caleb Williams versus this New England Patriots defense. It's going to be a fun game. The Jets, again, didn't have high expectations for the Jets. I think they've battled in every game that they've been in. I think Geno has played solid football. Braylon Allen had his best game of the season. The season, Omar Cooper Jr., who's been banged up throughout this season, had his best game of his

44:16 young career, six receptions, 103 yards and a touchdown. One of them was a bomb from Geno Smith. You know, they're playing competitive football, and you've got to give them credit for that. They're not finding ways to win these games. But, again, this is a team we expected to draft early again in the draft. They're competitive each and every week.

44:35 We'll see if they– you know, what they do in off season. This is a team that could be on the rise in the near future. We were talking about it before we got on the pod. For those that don't know, the Jets hold three first round picks. They got their own. They got the Colts via the Sauce Gardner trade. And then they got the Dallas Cowboys via the Quinton Williams trade. These, all these picks right now are on the top 15. So look out for the Jets, a team that obviously needs a quarterback going into next season.

45:01 Gino Smith holding it down and making this team competitive and at least fun to watch. I got to believe the Jets are going to be on the rise here in years to come. Let's talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers. They go into Tampa Bay and steal a win from Jalen Daniels and this scrappy Buccaneers team. Jalen Daniels, man, he has come in and really has provided a spark to this Tampa offense, has made this team very competitive.

45:26 Unfortunately for them, Aaron Rodgers looked like vintage Aaron Rodgers, got his receivers involved. DK Metcalf, 11 catches this game Haven't seen that for a couple years. And then the rookie, Jeremy Bernard out of Alabama by way of Michigan State. I got to put that in there. 11 receptions, 87 yards, and a touchdown. But I want to talk about the coaching down the stretch of this game. The Pittsburgh Steelers took over the ball at possession at the four-yard line of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with just under two minutes left in this game. Tampa had two timeouts, and they The Steelers end up settling for a field goal after throwing the ball twice and rushing the ball once, giving the Bucs back the ball with about a minute 30 left.

46:14 Mike McCarthy, I mean, walk me through, how do you justify those coaching decisions down the stretch? Simple thing, it tells me, run the football three times, let the Buccaneers burn their timeouts, get in the end zone, turn the ball back over to an undrafted free agent rookie in Jalen Daniels and see what he can do with it. Instead, they let these guys off the hook. Jalen Daniels forces OT.

46:37 What was Mike McCarthy thinking?

46:41 I don't know if he was thinking. And I also don't know how much of it was Mike McCarthy and not Aaron Rodgers. And I think that's where that dynamic gets a little murky because there is some autonomy that Aaron Rodgers has given in the game. And it's hard to know if this is Aaron, if this is Mike, but Mike's the head coach, so he has to take responsibility.

47:06 I'm sure he talked about it after the game. Definitely a mistake. Should have ran the ball, especially in the way Jalen Warren has been running the football. And Rico Dowdle, for that matter. I mean, either one of those guys I think could have probably got it in from there. But this game was really cool for Jalen Daniel. He was in control. He was in command throughout three quarters of this game. And then in the fourth quarter, it all kind of just fell apart for him. And I know this was bittersweet for Jamil Dean, the guy who's been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers his entire career, and he had to pick to bring it all the way.

47:42 And Jalen Daniel saved the day. You know, he makes the tackle right there to stop Jamil Dean from having probably a prophetic moment for him if he would have scored that to beat his former team in a big game, to send them to 1-5. I mean, Pittsburgh ends up winning the game, so it all ends up working out the same, but That would have been crazy. I really don't know what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do from here.

48:06 Jalen Daniels played solid football. I mean, as well as you could expect an undrafted rookie to play in a game like this. But there aren't a lot of positives in this game. I mean, David Walker had two sacks. Reuben Bain gets his first sack of his career. Had a tip pass that got intercepted by A'shaun Robinson. But...

48:35 I don't know. I don't know what they're going to do. They're 1-5, and I think this team had high expectations, especially when you pay Baker Mayfield. I know there's frustration all around. I think Todd Bowles and his defense have played well this season. Their stats support that. He's a defensive coach. They've played really well. They sacked Aaron Rodgers five times in this game. I know you said he was looking like vintage Aaron Rodgers. maybe in the fourth quarter.

49:00 I can believe that, but they were beating him up in this game. You got to respect him for continuing to get up every time he got knocked down. He started to find DK Metcalf in that fourth quarter, who ended up with 11 receptions for 93 yards. I think they started to feed him early and often. They they smelled blood in the water and they start going after it this team is starting to find themselves I think they got a tough game with with Tyler Shuck and the Saints next week but they the way they're playing defensively Jalen Ramsey 10 combined tackles two sacks in the game especially including the game winner the game ceiling sack uh in overtime I They're a veteran defense, and they show up in big moments. I just, you just, it's

49:47 hard to trust any team right now in the National Football League, week to week. It's a week to week league.

49:54 It is hard. The good ones and the bad ones. I mean, this next game, Tennessee Titans. Everyone thought the Indianapolis Colts were going to be 3-3, back to 500, have a snowball's chance to win this division, at least keep it competitive. They lose at home to this Titans team, who scored 23 unanswered points in the second half. You got any comments here? I mean, the Colts, I don't know what they're thinking. You know, they make this huge investment in Sauce Gardner, and this team is just sputtering.

50:25 Your thoughts on this game?

50:27 Well, I thought that was a bad move when they made it. I thought they were already a solid defense. I didn't think that move helped them. Again, I'm a fan of corners that just take the football away at a high tilt. If you don't take the football away at a high tilt, I don't think it's worth trading for you because what big difference are you going to make on this team? But this was a bad loss, and Daniel Jones struggled mightily in this game. Jonathan Taylor continues to be what Jonathan Taylor has been, a great running back, 21 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown, averaged 4.5 a carry at two receptions. For 57 yards.

51:04 Did lose that fumble in the game. And you can't have that. Cam Ward. Again. Very uninspiring statistics. Very uninspired game. 11 for 22. 102 yards. A touchdown and an interception. Tony Pollard. 19 carries for 76 yards. Again. The Titans win.

51:25 Cool.

51:26 They race the 13-0 halftime deficit. The block punt. and the block punt that got returned for a touchdown, the 58-yard punt return by Shamir Dike that set up Tate's touchdown. Great. The defense had six sacks. I know Robert Salo felt great about that. Three takeaways. A lot of things to celebrate on that side of the football. But I think you look at this game, even when you win, and you say, is Cam worth a guy at quarterback? Is he going to be the guy? Is he our future?

52:04 And when you got to keep asking that question, he's not. And I know everybody was like, oh, man, he was just that way in Miami. That's just kind of the way he plays. It does not work. That standing still, like nonchalant play style does not work in the National Football League. And until he shows results, it's going to get criticized. And I'm going to criticize and everybody else should.

52:28 Because it's not producing wins. It's not producing results. He's not throwing for a major yardage. And they have to start looking at the future like maybe there's a chance they get a quarterback in the next draft.

52:42 It's hard to disagree with you. On the other side of this, going back to Indianapolis, this locker room, there's some question marks. One of your former teammates, DeForest Buckner, sounded off after the game saying, I'm sick and tired of the same old song and dance every year I know you've got a ton amount of respect for DeForest Buckner.

53:01 How tough is it? And I know you haven't been on a ton of teams like this, but how difficult is it as a veteran to be suffering with a season like this and knowing that ultimately it's not going to end up in success?

53:16 Well, I would guess it's incredibly frustrating. But if I'm DeForest Buckner, I'd be looking longingly at the team that's number one in both of our power rankings. And I would be saying, I remember a song and dance I used to do with somebody that used to know my favorite song and my favorite dance. And they drafted me to do the dance. And he got to do the dance and the big dance with this team. And this team is on the track to potentially go to that big dance again. Will DeForest Buckner ask for maybe a path out Do the San Francisco 49ers have interest in that?

54:00 I don't know. I know there's a number of contenders that would potentially be interested in a guy of his caliber, no question about that. But I know San Francisco, this has been a year of bringing their favorite sons back home, whether it's Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw. Does DeForest Buckner add to that list? Maybe. This is all speculatory, people. I don't know nothing. I haven't heard anything. I just think if the Colts are buyers or sellers right now, John Lynch just said he works the phones all day right before the trade deadline, hearing offers, figuring out, filling it out.

54:41 If he's available, maybe the 49ers have enough cap space. Maybe there's ways you can maneuver things to make room for him. And yes, I do think there's a spot in the middle of that defensive line for DeForest Buckner. that he could fit very well, even with the development of Grayson Holden, even with Adigie Zua and everybody you got.

55:01 It's never too much, never too much, never too much when you got pass rushes, Mitchell.

55:07 Richard, this is how rumors start. I'd like to caution you with that. The trade deadline is a few weeks away, week 10. And I got a sneaky suspicion we're going to see some stuff on 49ers blog sites, rumors. DeForest Buckner, a 49er again, per Richard Sherman. We shall see. That's how it starts. Let's talk about the New York.

55:31 It's a great.

55:31 It is a good fit. I'm not even going to debate that. I think it would be a heck of a pickup for them would make a ton of sense. I applaud you for that. And clearly it's been working with Debo and Greenlaw. So Adam, one more to the mix might make it all that better. Let's talk about the New York football Giants taking on the New Orleans Saints.

55:49 This game, it started off 10-0 Giants. It looks like they were in control. Tyler Schuch took over, led them to 34 unanswered points. This led to the benching of Jameis Winston. Insert J.J. McCarthy, who throws for over 240 yards in the fourth quarter alone. Do we have a QB competition?

56:11 I guess. I guess. Yeah.

56:13 I mean, we got to talk about this. This AFC East is kind of a dumping ground. I'm sorry. This NFC East is a dumping ground right now. These New York Giants, I don't know what the Vegas odds are right now, but I got to believe the Giants are firmly in that mix to win this division. Can JJ McCarthy be that guy to take him to the promised land?

56:37 It's worth a shot. It's worth a shot. Again, Neither one, Jameis, you never know what you're going to get. Box of chocolates. J.J. McCarthy, you never know what you're going to get. Box of chocolates. So play whoever you want, Mitchell. I think Malik Nabors, throw the ball to Malik Nabors early and often. They throw it to him I think 11 times in this game, or he had 11 receptions in this game. He's a guy you got to get involved. Give the Saints a ton of credit. Alvin Kamara, did you see that reception he had where he just was like, oh, oh. Smooth.

57:11 Knock me off. Step over you. Touchdown. He's one of the most smooth runners in the history of the National Football League. Tyler Shaw had a bit of a rough outing, but threw three touchdown passes, you know, 16 to 30 for 144 yards, but three touchdown passes. That Giants defense is better than they, they're better than people give them credit for. And I know, again, the numbers aren't showing in this game. I mean, they held him in the past game, but I think this Giants defense is better than people think. I wish they would have had this game.

57:47 I think the Houston Texans going to the Giants, that Houston Texans-Giants game, good luck with that one because Houston's starting to roll offensively, and you got question marks defensively. You got question marks on the offensive line. I think Houston wins that game, but what do I know? Because I couldn't know that. I was 8-8 this week.

58:09 You're 50-50. I mean, flip a quarter, you might be right, Richard. Alvin Kamara, you talked about him. He has over 5,000 receiving yards on his career. I believe he's the eighth running back in NFL history to have over 5,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in a career. I'm sorry, sixth player ever. Alvin Kamara, hat tip to him. Incredible career.

58:32 He's still getting it done, and he might have to continue. We'll see how long Travis Etienne is out for as this Saints team tries to make this division race a tight one. Let's talk about another team in the NFC South, and that's Carolina Panthers. This team might be sneaky good. I don't know what to think about them. They go on the road. Obviously, the Eagles have a ton of question marks right now. Tanner McKee, under center, former Stanford tree.

58:59 Go Cardinal. Eagles make it somewhat competitive late in this game. But the Panthers end up pulling away. Before we get into the game, let's talk a little bit about Jalen Hurts. Prior to him going on AIR with this blood clot in his calf, we had talked about whether the Eagles were punting on the season. Now it certainly looks like they might have to. What does the outlook look for the Philadelphia Eagles the rest of the season. Do you think the division race is even in question for them at this point?

59:33 I think it's in question because of how inconsistent the Giants are and the Cowboys and the Commanders, I mean, for that matter. So even with all the chaos that's going on in Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts going to IR and them losing this game, I think the Carolina Panthers are a better team than people give them credit, especially offensively.

59:52 Bryce Young has found himself, and David Canales has unlocked him in a big-time way. He's having a great season, 281 passing yards, two touchdowns to Tommy Trimble. Never thought we'd be talking about that from this perspective. But Chubba Herbert, 120 yards rushing, one touchdown. Their offense is great. Their offense has, I mean, this is a low scoring game for this offense. And I think that's where the frustration is for the Philadelphia Eagles defense. Because there's still a lot of really talented guys on that defense. You got Jalen Carter. You got Zach Bond. You got Quinion Mitchell back there. You got a lot of guys, multiple all pros that are still playing and they're playing hard. And so,

1:00:47 I'm sure there is frustration, but there's also hope because the way this season's going for everybody else. The Giants aren't just running away with this. They don't even know who their quarterback's going to be next week. So I think if you're the Philadelphia Eagles, you feel like, hey, Tanner McKee played solid, you know, not perfect. Devontae Smith is getting back in. Damian Pierce is starting to find himself.

1:01:11 I think you feel good that hey, we're in a division that's kind of like the NFC South of years past where maybe a team with less than a 500 record goes to the playoffs.

1:01:25 It's certainly looking that way. Let's talk more about the Chicago Bears. They go on the road to Atlanta. They get out to a 31-7 lead. And this game almost falls apart late. The Atlanta Falcons storm back. But what was your thoughts about Caleb Williams' first game back? after his devastating hamstring injury. Emphasis on the devastating.

1:01:47 Mitchell. And Mitchell, emphasis on the devastating. After seeing Caleb Williams on that cart, Mitchell, it's great to see him go 30 of 36 for 305 in a touchdown, open the game perfect 12 of 12 for 142 yards. Mitchell, when he was on that cart with that towel over his head, you would have never thought three weeks later he'd start the game off perfect. Guy was moving really well, outside of the pocket, found– Colston Loveland for a 14-yard touchdown.

1:02:16 A guy who I like, Kyler Gordon, former UW Husky, had three sacks, two forced fumbles. That defense played really well in this game, made big plays, and that's the part of this game that I was really appreciative of. But again, they kind of fell apart in the second half, kind of took their foot off the gas, let the Falcons come back a little bit. But Michael Penix, You know, 19-33, 225, three touchdowns. Again, some of it was kind of garbage time-ish.

1:02:49 I thought the Atlanta Falcons would put up a better fight in this game. I thought they would do more in this game and give themselves a chance on the other side of the football, but give Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, and all those guys a ton of credit. When they're all together and they're healthy, They're a very formidable team.

1:03:09 Caleb Williams played one of the best games of his season today. And I look forward to seeing them against the Patriots next week on Thursday.

1:03:18 Well, as the Bears improve to 4-2, you know what time it is, Richard. It's time for the Chicago fan base to start asking you, where are they in your top five of your power ranks? I mean, these teams look competent. You know that conversation is coming in the chats. So why don't you answer it now? Is Chicago... Are they that dangerous of a team? Should they be viewed in that upper echelon of competitors in this NFL?

1:03:47 Let me go back to last week.

1:03:51 You know the conversation's coming. That's why I'm bringing this conversation up right now.

1:03:56 No, no, no. We're going to bring up last week because I get tired of these people, and I really do get tired of these people. They got beat 31-7 in Green Bay last week. 31 to seven. They had a good game against Atlanta about 31 to seven. Now, uh, mind you, Tyson Bajan played, did not play defense 31 to seven. I'll let you know what, if they in my power rankings, when I fully assess everybody, but let's, let's not get crazy. It is a week to week league.

1:04:28 That's what I don't get. They played well this week. What they're going to do next week, what they're going to do on Thursday. We will see. Um, If they show another great defensive performance, Caleb Williams continues to play like he's played, lights out, then, yeah, we'll throw them in there. We'll throw them in there at five. Okay.

1:04:49 But we're going to see. But let's settle down all these fans, some of these teams, because that's just what happened with Jacksonville. You know, you keep crying for us to put them in there. We put them in there. Then y'all go to London and Houston has their way. Okay. Okay. Well, it's time.

1:05:08 It's time for Fresh from the Oven takes brought to you by DiGiorno. Just like a pizza fresh out of the oven, these takes are hot, fresh, and ready for Monday night. Let's break down the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Commanders. Richard, what is your hottest take about this Monday night matchup between the Niners and Commanders?

1:05:33 Hottest take. Romello Height has two sacks. I think that's a hot take. I want that for the kid.

1:05:40 Romello Height, a rookie. Okay, we shall see. A lot of big names playing in this game. Obviously, Jaden Daniels back with his injury. Going to be wearing some sort of an arm guard there. But the San Francisco 49ers team is loaded. Which player do you think is going to have the biggest factor in this game?

1:06:01 Brock Purdy. It's going to be Brock Purdy. Whether... who wins and loses this game will be on Brock Purdy. If he doesn't play well and he turns the football over, that'll dictate this game. But I think he'll play well. He'll be a big part of the reason the San Francisco 49ers win. But Brock Purdy will be the guy I think has the biggest impact.

1:06:23 Is there any shot this Commander's team travels cross-country and gets the win on Monday night?

1:06:30 There's always a shot. The way the league's been going this year, They beat the Seattle Seahawks and put up 33 points against a really good defense. It would not surprise me. It would surprise me. But the way this year has gone, we will see. People have to play up to the standard that they can play and not down to their competition. If the San Francisco 49ers don't play down to their competition, I think they win this.

1:06:55 When you sit down on your couch and get ready to watch this game, what type of DiGiorno pizza are you popping in the oven?

1:07:04 It's always pepperoni, Mitchell. And I'm going to put a little extra Parmesan cheese on it. You know, a little Parmesan cheese. Maybe a sprinkle. Maybe a sprinkle of garlic. That's just me. You know, I need a little garlic on mine.

1:07:16 Give me the Hawaiian, Richard. That's my go-to, the Hawaiian. I need you to try that one of these times. Those were fresh from the oven takes brought to you by DiGiorno. Make Monday night pizza night with fresh from the oven taste. It's not delivery. It's DiGiorno.

1:07:33 And stick with us after the game, because we're obviously going to do a recap after this game, no matter what happens. Please join us afterwards to talk about what happened.

1:07:46 Richard, it's always a pleasure sitting down with you every week, every Sunday night. This concludes our week six reaction podcast. I'll let you close us out, my friend.

1:07:58 As always, we appreciate you guys joining us. You could be anywhere in the world, but you're here with us. This show continues to grow and it's thanks to all of you. Please keep giving us love. Please keep giving us support. It is felt and appreciated. We will see you next time.