The Richard Sherman Podcast - NFL Week 8 REACTION: Lions beat Vikings, Chiefs fall to Broncos, Bills roll & Seahawks-Bears preview

0:05 Welcome back to the Richard Sherman podcast. It's time for the week eight reaction. If you're new to the podcast, hit that like and subscribe button so we can continue to give you great content. Mitchell, you called it. This Lions Vikings game was a slugfest. I thought the Vikings would give them more trouble than they did, but Jameer Gibbs put the team on his back. I know you were nervous throughout that game. The team got banged up throughout this game, lost five starters on the defensive side of the football. How are you feeling now?

0:35 Richard, I'm enthusiastic to say the least. This was a massive win, a divisional win. The Lions improved to 5-2, give the Vikings their first loss of the season, and it kind of unfolded how we expected it would. It was a battle, and the Vikings proved they have one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the league, led by the mastermind, Brian Flores. Richard, I want to start with your thoughts because I could go on for days.

1:03 How do you feel about this Lions team after they beat and knocked off the undefeated Minnesota Vikings?

1:11 Well, I'm going to tell you something, Mitchell. I was concerned coming into this game that their defense, the Lions defense and Kelvin Shepard would Have a hard time with this offense. Even though the Minnesota Vikings offense and Kyler Murray, they haven't been world beaters necessarily. Kyler had 210 passing yards, two touchdowns, but did have that interception in the game.

1:36 But give Jameer Gibbs a ton of credit. One of the best ways to play great defense is to run the football effectively and chew up the clock so your defense doesn't have to be out there as long. And they did a good job running right into the teeth of this defense over and over and over again. You said it before we got on the show. Sione Vaki only had 11 carries for 65 yards. But every one of those yards were valuable in a game like this.

2:03 He gave Jameer Gibbs a break when he needed it. Obviously, Jameer Gibbs, 23 carries, 153 yards. He was outstanding on the day. The Vikings defense did get to Jared Goff four times. They created chaos. They wrecked havoc in that past game. But the run game of this Detroit Lions offense was the difference, and it made Kelvin Shepard and this defense's life a lot easier. Prayers up to the guys that they lost today. Jack Campbell, you know, went off on the stretcher. You know, fingers crossed that he's okay.

2:41 It didn't look great. You really couldn't see the injury or what it potentially was, but The way the players reacted and how many guys came on that field, and you could almost see tears in guys' eyes. It makes me very concerned that they at least think it's something serious. But Brian Branch went out. I mean, the defense was playing really hard, and I think there was a third and five at the end of this game for all the marbles. And Kyler Murray went deep to Addison, and it was incomplete, but that felt to me Like, it was for Kelvin Shepard's job. Hey, you make this stop, great. Like, I think you're going to coach the rest of the season.

3:22 If they would have completed that pass, they would have got a first down and iced that game or went on to score, I think we'd be having a different conversation. But that was great. That was great growth from this Detroit Lions defense, even with all the injuries, even with the chaos. You lose a leader like a captain, a leader like Jack Campbell in the middle of a game, sometimes that can send your team spiraling. Instead, they were motivated, they were inspired, and they played inspired football throughout the end of that game and came out with a huge divisional win.

3:54 I love to see it as well, Richard. And like you said, prayers up for Jack Campbell. Obviously, all Detroit's behind Jack. He's a huge piece of this defense. He wears a green dot. They drafted him high out of Iowa. Obviously, the coaching staff has a lot of great things to say about him, but Back to this Lions running game. Richard, this was the story of the second half. Over 150 rushing yards in this second half to take over this game.

4:20 The Lions don't go a half a football without scoring a touchdown very often. They did that in the first half this game. And it seems like they went to the locker room and said, hey, if we're going to win this game, we got to rely on our bell cow, Jameer Gibbs. The unsung hero, as you mentioned, Sione Vaki, a former fourth-round pick out of Utah. He played safety.

4:41 He played running back at Utah. The guy's been injured for the most of his career. Dan Campbell has always spoken highly of him. He's been more of a special teams ace. He's finally got his opportunity, and today, 11 rushes for 65 yards. That was the icing on the cake that gave the Lions this victory, in my opinion.

5:01 Then you look at Jamison Williams, four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. I love what I see from the Lions right now. This is a statement win. This is a foundational win for their season. They're going to be going to Miami next week, and then they're going to be going to Germany to face the Pats. The Lions have some winnable games ahead of them. I think they can climb and retake control of this divisional race, and it started with this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

5:26 Now let's flip to the Vikings and let's talk about them a little bit here because obviously, Richard, their defense is nasty. They've proven it week after week after week, and here it was, their biggest test of the season against one of the top offenses in the league, and they held their ground. But this offense, Richard, against the league's worst defense in the league in the Detroit Lions, granted they've been playing better the last couple weeks, but this is still statistically the worst defense in the league And the Vikings just could not get anything going. They seemed to be just an easy out offensively. With that being said, I know Minnesota's got a championship defense. After what you saw today, do you take Minnesota serious as

6:09 a contender in this NFL?

6:12 Well, it's a reason they're in a Jonathan Taylor hunt. They're in a Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes because they can't seem to run the football effectively. I feel like Kevin O'Connell... thinks his offensive line is solid enough and opening up big enough holes for these guys to run through. But Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones just aren't getting it done right now for this team. And I think Jonathan Taylor will be a huge upgrade over both of those players.

6:36 But they're one of the half-baked teams in the National Football League. I've said it before. I'll keep saying it. There are very few complete teams in the National Football League. I think the San Francisco 49ers and now the Seattle Seahawks with the addition of Quentin Nelson. and everything that he brings and how he will improve that running game.

6:57 They're also in the John VanTaylor sweepstakes and also getting Jadarian Price and Charbonnet back. We'll see how long it takes them to get Charles Cross, their star left tackle, back. But outside of them, the Kansas City Chiefs, they're a bunch of teams with either a great offense– in a subpar defense or a great defense in a subpar offense.

7:22 That's throughout the league. And you can look at the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills, the Minnesota Vikings. The list goes on and on and on of teams that you could say one side of the ball is premier and the other side, if they show up and play competent football, that team is tough to beat. So I think the Lions, if they play like they did today defensively, They are one of the top teams in the National Football League and definitely going to climb in these power rankings. And then this makes Jared Goff even more of a legit MVP candidate. He's been putting up MVP numbers throughout the season, but the Lions have had their fair share of struggles, and now they're starting to find a rhythm. Now they're 5-2.

8:07 They're starting to separate themselves in this very tough division and this very tough NFC, and we'll see if they can continue that. And Richard, let's go to Denver.

8:16 We saw an absolute wild one as the Denver Broncos prevailed over the Kansas City Chiefs. This team was down 24-13 entering the fourth, looked lifeless. And thanks to Jonah Coleman, this team got some life and scratched back in it and ultimately won by four over Kansas City. Richard, what do you make of this Denver Broncos win?

8:40 Yeah, I remember you mentioning Jonah Coleman, uh, In the week eight preview, if you guys haven't checked it out, Mitchell called this one. And he had a huge impact in this game. The comeback kids strike again. I'm sure after this game, Sean Payton will have something to say about Bo Nix and his offense. Always waiting until the fourth quarter to kind of get going. But again, 28 points in the game. The Kansas City Chiefs had a chance, had a chance. Right there, the last drive of the game, they were at or near the one-yard line to get a false start. Penalty called on them, pushing back five yards, and they get after Patrick Mahomes as they should, sack him on the final play of the game. It was

9:20 a dogfight of a divisional game. You could see there was an obvious emphasis that Vance Joseph put on stopping Kenneth Walker. He had 21 carries for only 69 yards in this game, four catches for 15 yards. But Emmitt Johnson, five catches on five targets for 128 yards and a touchdown. He really sparked their offense in a huge way in this game. kept him alive in a lot of situations.

9:41 Travis Kelsey, five for 67, always consistent. Rashi Rice, seven catch, 53 yards. But I thought that the secondary of the Denver Broncos did a great job of containing this receiving core. Patrick Sertan, Riley Moss. Riley Moss almost had him an interception in the end zone if it wasn't for such great defense by Xavier Worthy. But give Bo Nix and his offense a lot of credit. They made plays when they needed to. They executed down the stretch, and his defense stood up in a big way in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter.

10:13 And they were able to convert in the red zone. They had struggling to get it in at the one-yard line, and ultimately fourth down ended up in the hands of Jalen Waddell. Impressive by Bonex. And then let's go back to Jonah Coleman, because I think one of the main issues with this team was the lack of the run game.

10:29 You know, it's tough when you do not have a reliable guy. Insert Jonah Coleman gets it done. 41 yards rushing, 63 yards receiving, big go-ahead touchdown. But Let's talk more about the Kansas City Chiefs. This is two losses in a row. They look human. Patrick Mahomes doesn't lose these type of games. What happens with Kansas City going forward?

10:50 Because ultimately they lost the stranglehold of this divisional lead. They are now in second place of this division. Where do the Chiefs go from here?

11:00 Well, I don't think, if you're Andy Reid, Andrew Reid's a great coach in the National Football League, and he has been for a while. I don't think he's going to waver. I don't think Patrick Mahomes, this is a team that's won Super Bowls. If you look at their upcoming schedule, just like the Detroit Lions, they have some favorable matchups. They got the Jets next. Then they got the Falcons who struggled mightily against the Bucs today. And then they got the Arizona Cardinals before they play Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. So I think this team is going to be fine. These are those games. This is a game of the Denver Broncos. I think it does more for the Denver Broncos than it does to hurt the Kansas City Chiefs. I think it gives the

11:35 Denver Broncos confidence. I think, you know, there were some conversation and conjecture about, you know, the play calling and Sean Payton taking over from Davis Webb and, you know, who Bo Nix is. And I think this does a little bit to calm that down. Obviously it's not going to, going to stop it in totality, but they, they, they again, find a way in the fourth quarter to execute down a stretch. And you gotta, you gotta appreciate and respect that.

12:04 They got some, some games coming up within the division and, But again, these are games, these are winnable games. They got the Carolina Panthers first in a winnable game. Carolina Panthers struggled against the Green Bay Packers last week on Thursday night. Then they got the Las Vegas Raiders who can score with the best of them. But I think the Denver Broncos are the better team there. Then a real matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers who are in control of that AFC North. So it's going to be interesting down the stretch. The NFL has done a great job with the scheduling this year. And I look forward to seeing how Bo Nix continues to thrive. And also this running back situation, as you mentioned. Jonah Coleman getting 11 carries. J.K.

12:42 Dobbins had some conversations and some quotes in the media about how he feels about being kind of rotated and phased out. And this game is going to only exacerbate those issues.

12:54 Let's take it to Buffalo. I mean, this game was supposed to be a slugfest as well. And then the game started. Lamar Jackson, story of this one, goes out on the first play after banging his thumb Word has just come out that he's going to be on injured reserve. He's going to require surgery on that right hand. Before we get into this game, let's talk about the Ravens as a whole. What does this do for the landscape of their season? Because they've looked competitive with Huntley under center, but he went out too. So the Ravens are 4-4.

13:24 They're in a very tough division. Do you think they're at risk of missing the playoffs at this point?

13:32 Yes. Yes, they're very much at risk. Lamar Jackson is the heart and soul of this team and really the heart and soul of this city of Baltimore and everything it stands for he's a representation of and the way he plays the game and how dynamic he is and it's unfortunate we aren't going to get to see him likely for a while this season but like you said Tyler Huntley usually comes in and plays competent does his best Lamar Jackson impression, but with him out as well, we end up with Joe Fagano. And, you know, I really not a ton to say. You don't expect the third string emergency quarterback to come in and kind of light the world on fire, especially as inexperienced a player as he is. And he didn't. He had an interception,

14:24 took three sacks in this game, was 10 for 21 for 91 yards. And at that point, Buffalo just stacked the box and blitzed him. They brought pressure. They treated him like a guy that they didn't have a ton of respect for, and that's what you expect. Leonard and his defensive staff knew what they had to do in this game, and they did a good job. Josh Allen was Josh Allen. He was 21-34, 289, two touchdowns, had the interception, had the one-yard score. I think the Baltimore defense stood up for as long as they could. They battled as much as you can, but when the offense isn't giving you any life, When they're not giving you much, it's really tough to continue to play at that level.

15:04 Buffalo held the ball for 37 minutes of this 60-minute ball game. So when you only get 22 minutes to rest as a defense, it's tough. It's tough. They were out there on that field all day. But give the Buffalo Bills a lot of credit. They played well enough. They did what they were supposed to do, came out with the victory. They're on top of this ASC East, continuing to look like a great contender in the National Football League. They're number one in your power rankings, number two in my power rankings, and I would guess they stand there amongst the entire league's power rankings. Their defense played well enough, and they got the win. I think this changes the landscape of the AFC North considerably. Obviously,

15:45 the Browns and Pittsburgh play today. Pittsburgh Steelers pulling off that impressive win with Aaron Rodgers in that run game. They did a great job, and It's way more competitive of a division than you would think. Now with the Browns 5-2 or 5-3. They're 5-3. They're 5-3. Pittsburgh 6-2. Jalen Warren is playing like one of the best backs in the National Football League. Rico Dowdle is a competent backup.

16:14 He scored a touchdown today. And, I mean, you look at Darnell Washington. Darnell Washington. We're going to get to that Pittsburgh game, but Darnell Washington. Three catches for almost 100 yards, 94 yards today on five targets. Hilarious. A guy who's probably 304 pounds going for almost 100 yards in the National Football League as a tight end is insane. But, yeah, you know, it's unfortunate for this Ravens team. We have them on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Another tough matchup for them, especially with Lamar Jackson on IR. And you don't know what Tyler Huntley is going to be on a short week. I wouldn't expect him to play in this game. I'm sure they'll be in the quarterback

16:52 market to pick up a veteran free agent somewhere. But this Jacksonville team is one of the best run defenses in the National Football League. So you're not going to just be able to turn around and hand it off to Derrick Henry and think you're going to ride his back all the way with no threat of a passing game.

17:07 So I don't know. I feel like Jacksonville is going to win that game. It's tough sledding from here on out for Baltimore. Yeah.

17:16 Listen, Buffalo, as a team, they're number one in my power ranks for a reason. It's unfortunate Lamar went out. But for the Baltimore Ravens defense to hold them to 29 points and to give up that amount of time of possession, I would consider it a win for them. So we shall see how things progress forward for Baltimore.

17:35 But for Buffalo, I still got them number one, man. This team's going to be tough, and they're going against Minnesota next week.

17:42 That's the other.

17:43 Storyline with this Buffalo Bills and Minnesota's team, both 6-1. It's going to be the matchup of the week next week. Minnesota, we've called it a few times in our tenure here on the Richard Sherman Podcast. I can foresee a little bit of a losing streak ahead of the Minnesota Vikings.

18:02 We shall see, though.

18:04 Who's going to prove it and be that number one team? I like Buffalo next week, but let's take it to the Steelers. You already talked about The wonderful Darnell Washington.

18:13 One of a kind, man.

18:14 Three receptions for 94 yards. This was a prove-it game for these Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams entered 5-2. Pittsburgh took control of this game early and never relinquished it. The story for me is Jalen Warren. This guy is having a heck of a year. On his 28th birthday, he showed up with 143 rushing yards and a touchdown. He's done it on numerous weeks this year. He's one of the best running backs statistically in football this year. This Pittsburgh Steelers team, we've often questioned them. They're not the most flashy team offensively. They just figure out a way to win. Today, they had a little bit of flash in their game. Richard, are you impressed at this point with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

18:54 Yeah, I got to say I am, especially Jalen Warren. Like you said, he's run the ball incredibly well all season long. He's also been a weapon in the past game, and he continued that today. He had 143 yards rushing. He also had, you know, he only had one catch for no yards in the past game. But he's been a weapon all season long. But this defense, this defense was the difference. I thought today they put a lot of pressure on Deshaun Watson. They sacked him eight times in this ball game. Everybody got a piece of him. T.J.

19:27 Watt had two of them. And when their defense plays like that, I know Deshaun Watson threw for 300 yards, but a lot of that was garbage time yards. They were up playing preseason. Prevent defense and the Pittsburgh Steelers were allowing them to play pitch and catch a little bit to just walk away with this win. But Cam Hayward, a guy came into the league when I came into the league and had one and a half sacks today.

19:49 He continues to play. at a high level. They had other guys step up today. Nick Herbig, who got the big contract this offseason, had a sack today. Patrick Queen had a sack and a half today. A lot of guys contributed in a big way, and you love that if you're this Pittsburgh defense. You love this if you're a Pittsburgh fan. They're playing at a really high level.

20:12 And Aaron Rodgers, you know, it's not the best. This isn't the best by any stretch of the imagination that Aaron Rodgers has played. But when you have a competent run game behind you, he can find a way. He's going to not lose the game for you. He was 13-25 for 172 yards and interception. Nothing world-beating, but they ran the football effectively. He managed the game effectively, and they found a way to win a very tough divisional game and take control of this AFC North. And that's what you want. If you're a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, um, is this sustainable? Will I, would I expect him to beat Buffalo or, or Kansas city? Maybe not, but, um, you know, this is going to be a very interesting AFC race down the stretch.

20:56 It, I agree with you because they're going into the bye 6-2. Their next game is against Cincinnati, and Cincinnati held serve today. They came back in a win against the Tennessee Titans in overtime. They're improving to 5-2, so this is going to be another test for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they just keep seeming to answer the call week after week. Again, it's not the most flashy, polished brand of offensive football, but with this defense holding it down against the Cleveland Browns, The other thing, 11 rushes for 25 yards for Quinshawn Judkins. This is a guy that's had some success over the last couple weeks. Pittsburgh did it on all levels defensively today. And if Jalen Warren can keep rolling, look out for Pittsburgh.

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22:50 It's time to enter the fourth quarter of the Richard Sherman podcast. Richard, let's talk about that rainy, rainy game down in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the game without completing a pass. It's the first time a team's won a game without completing a pass since 1974. I had to look it up five times just to make sure this was right. Baker Mayfield 0-3, but this running game took control of this game. Gainwell for 140, Bucky Irving for 170. The Buccaneers with Baker Mayfield back under center. Granted, he hasn't done a whole lot over the last couple weeks statistically, but he's resulted in two wins. This Buccaneers team in this NFC South, do you like them, Rich?

23:37 Because everyone else in this division seems to be losing, and the Buccaneers have been on a winning streak of late.

23:45 Well, it's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of division. And that's NFC South. And who does it at the end of the season is going to be the tale of the tale. I had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning this division. Not this way. I didn't think they would struggle as much as they have. And I didn't think Baker Mayfield was struggling the way he has. I didn't think Bucky Irvin would have the season he's having. But he is. Bucky Irvin, 27 for 170.

24:12 I think he's been a leading rusher in the National Football League over the last four weeks. He's been fantastic for this team. Kenneth Gainwell spelled him. It's rare that you have two backs both with over 25 carries in a football game on the same team, and they both average over 5.6 a carry. Fantastic game for them. Over 324 yards rushing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brilliant game for them, and their defense really got after Michael Penix in a big way. Four turnovers, four interceptions thrown by Michael Penix. He also had a fumble, but he was able to recover it. Your guy, you know, former Detroit Lion, Alex Anzalone gets him one. Zion McCollum gets him one.

24:57 Or actually, Alex Anzalone gets him two. My bad, Mitchell. I don't want to be disrespectful here to a former Lion. And Jacob Parrish gets him one. This defense, they're getting back to their roots, and Todd Bowles is getting back to his roots. And it started with that Dallas Cowboys game a few weeks ago where they put incredible pressure on Dak Prescott, play in and play out. And it seems like their confidence as a defense is growing week in and week out in a muggy, muddy, wet game like this where you're not going to be able to throw the ball as well. You're not going to be able to do as much damage down the field. A team that stops to run as well as anybody in the National Football League and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this

25:39 plays right into their hands, and that's what they did. They held Bajon Robinson 19 carries for 76 yards, and that may not seem like a great defensive game to anybody else, but when you flip on the other side, both backs have over 25 carries and over 140 yards, you start to see the impact that this Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense had on this game, and you got to give them credit. You got to give Todd Bowles credit.

26:05 he has these guys prepared. They could have just folded the season up and said, we're done. You know, this isn't our year. They continue to fight and they got a good chance to continue to make a run at this NFC South division crown.

26:19 Well, they're certainly going to be tested over the next few weeks. They're at Chicago and then at Detroit, these next two games for them. So We shall see if they can keep the momentum rolling. Let's take it to Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars absolutely demolished Indianapolis Colts 42-7. This game was over at halftime, 28-0 at half. Trevor Lawrence had his way, only completed 10 passes on 14 attempts, but 210 yards and 3 touchdowns with those 10 passes. Michelle Tootin with a nice run as well, over 104 rushing yards and a touchdown. We've talked a lot about this Jacksonville Jaguars team. I know you've always had your hesitations about giving them credit. But to me, Richard, Jacksonville looks

27:01 like a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

27:03 Do you agree? No question about it. And, you know, our confidence in them has continued to grow throughout this season. They're 5-2. And, again, they've got one of the best receiving cores in the National Football League. Trevor Lawrence only had to throw the ball 14 times today. because of how in control they were of this game. But he threw for three touchdowns, ten completions, and three touchdowns. Mitchell, quite the percentage. And, I mean, they continued to be a defensive force. And I love watching this defense play.

27:36 They force turnovers. They put pressure on quarterbacks. They get after it. They do a great job against the run. They did a great job against the run today holding up. Jacksonville out of the end zone on the ground and, and Jacksonville held Jonathan Taylor out of this game because they're, they're going to trade him. And there are rumors that people think he's going to Seattle because of what Mike McDonald said in a press conference about a transaction happening on Monday. I don't know what that means, but if Jonathan Taylor goes to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, then maybe Mike McDonald was way ahead of the curve. And maybe, maybe somebody's probably not too happy about that, but it is what it is. Um, The Colts seem to be

28:20 giving up on the season. Ed Dodds has traded away multiple pro bowlers and Quentin Nelson and DeForest Buckner and, you know, about to trade away Jonathan Taylor. He didn't play in this game. Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars in this ferocious defense continue to play well, continue to impose their will on teams. They go on a short week to Baltimore to play the Baltimore Ravens in a game I think is a very, very, very winnable game for them. a game that they should dominate with this receiving court, this running game, this defense and the pressure they put on teams. I think this team is going to, going to make a lot of noise. And again, you wonder why the Baltimore Ravens, I don't have a lot

29:03 of confidence in them making the playoffs because there are so many strong teams in this AFC that are making a run. And Jacksonville is right near the top of that list.

29:13 What a, Brutal calendar year it's been for the Indianapolis Colts. This team was one of the hottest teams in football at this point last year, and then they made the Sauce Gardner trade, and then Daniel Jones got hurt. And ever since then, this team has just not regained their footing. Now they're in a fire sale. I hate to say it because I know you've hyped up Jonathan Taylor to the Seattle Seahawks, but Adam Schefter just came out and said that the final four teams in the sweepstakes for Jonathan Taylor are the Broncos, the Giants, Packers, and Vikings.

29:43 Which one of those four teams do you think would benefit most from the services of Jonathan Taylor?

29:50 Well, I think you've got to say it's the Vikings. They've got the best record amongst those teams. And obviously they have a need at the position to get more explosive. And, you know, I think he could help them, but I'm sure all those teams, they would feel like he could help. The Green Bay Packers are a team, you know, with uncertainty at running back and just have shown no juice, even though they've been winning games. They've shown no juice in the backfield, no real consistent running game. Even once Josh Jacobs returned, he looked kind of sluggish, a little bit overweight, and you know, he could help that team.

30:25 But we'll see. We'll see how it all shakes out. He'll help somebody. I want to talk about Kirk Cousins and his Raiders team. You know, this Raiders team, they're 4-4. And they had the number one pick in the draft last year. They're playing a Jets team that's been struggling. They're 2-6 now. They beat this Jets team. But Kirk Cousins is having an incredible season. He has five interceptions, but he's leading the league. And touchdown passes with 19 now.

30:54 He had three more in this game. He was 19 to 26, 247 yards. And you see the change they made. You know, you heard Rex Ryan talk about Ashton Genting. You heard me talk about Ashton Genting and the disappointment that he's been. And maybe it's time to give Mike Washington more carries. And guess what? There it is. They gave Mike Washington more carries. 25 carries for 83 yards.

31:17 The rushing run game came alive more. Brock Bowers has another good game, 92 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Matt Crosby has a sack. It was a fun game for this team. On the flip side, not an awful game offensively for the Jets. They just couldn't get any stops, and I think that's the issue for this team. Geno Smith, 20-32, 290 passing yards, two touchdowns to one interception. Braylon Allen, 21 carries, 147 yards rushing. Adonai Mitchell, seven catches for 142 yards. They're finding different ways and getting different guys involved and pushing the ball down the field. No defense being played in this game. The Raiders win this one 38-33, but I just wanted to mention the season that Kirk Cousins is having because you talk about Mendoza coming in,

32:07 as the number one pick, and everybody's talking about, oh, man, Kirk's the Band-Aid, and he's just going to play for a couple games until Mendoza gets comfortable, but he's turning that opportunity into a heck of a season.

32:18 Yeah, everyone thought the book on Kirk Cousins was coming to a close after his days with Atlanta, and obviously he came back from the Achilles injury that he suffered in Minnesota, and then they drafted Michael Penix, but here he is, man, leading the charge, and every time I talk about Kirk Cousins, I got to bring up He's a Michigan State Spartan, a fellow Michigan State Spartan, Richard.

32:38 That's the reason he's having a lot of success. Let's talk a little bit about the Jets, though, because we see the Indianapolis Colts going in a fire sale mode. The Jets are now 2-6, and we've seen with Braylon Allen. I mean, they got a competent rusher behind Brees Hall who's been injured. At what point did the Jets start to say, hey, let's put ourselves in this buyer's market out there and start selling off some of these assets we have as well? Because it seems like Brees Hall could be somebody that will be worth trading off at this point. Keep in mind, however, the Jets also have three first-round picks that are looking very good right now.

33:17 I think they're going to be in that mode, and we'll see how much they're in that mode. You'll see if they want to bring back Aaron Glenn. I think sometimes teams want to associate a total rebuild with everything, tear it all down and come back up, especially when you have that many first-round picks in draft capital. Maybe you will go out there and you see your franchise quarterback out there. I mean, Geno Smith is playing solid football, so I don't even think you can really put all this on Geno Smith. I think there are a number of areas, especially on the defensive side of the football, that you've got to get shored up. You trade away Quentin Williams. You trade away Sauce Gardner. There are some

33:56 holes out there on defense that you've got to get an injection of talent to. So I don't know. I think it all starts with what they believe. If they believe Aaron Glenn is in the future of the Jets, and if they do, then that I think kind of dictates whether you go full fire sale or not. But if they don't think he's in the plan, then I think you go fire sale and you bring another guy in there who you think is going to be ready for this rebuild.

34:23 Well, it's certainly going to be a desirable job for anyone that wants to take it because one of the team's draft picks that they hold is the Dallas Cowboys, who just lost in overtime against the Arizona Cardinals. Richard, this East, we talked about it, maybe the Dallas Cowboys can take control of it now that the Philadelphia Eagles are treading water and just clinging on for a deal of life. And then you've got the New York Giants running away with it at this point. The Dallas Cowboys had a 14-3 lead at half, looked like they had complete control of this game, then gave up 20 points in the fourth quarter to the Arizona Cardinals, led by Gardner Minshew, who just did not care at all, threw for three touchdowns, 188 yards. What do you make of

35:06 the Dallas Cowboys midway through the season?

35:10 Well, I'm not impressed. They've lost three of their last four games. And them beating the Philadelphia Eagles, I mean, I'm sure Dallas Cowboys fans, there's rivalry, there's all this conjecture, but that wasn't a very good Philadelphia Eagles team. You look at what, again, it started with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

35:26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers blitzed them until the Cowboys came home and beat them in that game with the backup undrafted free agent rookie quarterback. And then you look up and then Green Bay has their way with them and beats them 23-13. And then they beat the Eagles and then they lose this game. Against the Cardinals team, this was their signature win for Mike LaFleur. So I just, I don't know. They got the Colts next, a team that's in fire sale mode, so maybe they win that one.

35:58 I don't think the winner of the NFC East is going to really factor into the playoff race and who's going to win the Super Bowl. Maybe they can upset somebody at times. Dallas has played really well offensively, defensively. You're starting to see some of these guys they thought they would get some huge impact from maybe not being the guys they thought they were. And Caleb Downs is a guy that I look at that they were saying was a tone setter, a culture maker, a guy who is going to change the trajectory of this defense. And he just hasn't been that in any of these games.

36:30 There's no real ball production. Sure, there's some tackles made, great hustle. things that you expect from an NFL player, but you're just not seeing what you would need to see for a guy drafted as high as he was drafted. Uh, DeMarvion Overshawn made some plays last week to help them, uh, win that game against the Eagles. But again, this game, you're just not seeing the impact and all the names that you have on this defense, the guys who have played at a high level, other places are even here like Deron Bland just aren't having the seasons that they probably wish they could have. And, and that's all coming in for coming, uh, to roost here to let Gardner Minshew come in and really go off 17 to 23

37:11 for three touchdowns. A guy who was very dangerous off the bench, a guy who you really don't want to see if you're a defense as a backup quarterback, because he doesn't have a governor. He doesn't have a, nah, I'm worried about my efficiency numbers. He's like, Hey, I'm a sling it a true gunslinger. And he had, he played a great game against these guys. And Michael Wilson was, I'm sure excited to see him come into ball game and because he thrived once he got in there. He ended up with 11 catches for 147 yards. Sorry, he had eight catches for 111 yards. But Tyler Algier, Jeremiah Love goes out of this game, and he was only averaged 2.6 a carry. And then Tyler Algier, 11 carries for 147 yards. I think these young draft picks and

37:54 these pundits get so caught up on how impactful these guys are going to be, and it's rarely the case. It's rarely the case that you see a guy come in Outside of Bajon Robinson, your guy Jameer Gibbs, there's a couple guys that have come in and made impact, but lately these guys have not. And it starts with Ashton Jutti and now Jeremiah Love, and you have such high expectations. They're like, why would they get Tyler Algier?

38:18 This is why you get Tyler Algier for moments like this. He's shown that he's a capable running back in the National Football League. This isn't collegiate success. When he was in Atlanta, he showed he could be an every-down back. He could be a lead back, and he showed it again in this game. He sure did.

38:34 And credit to Arizona, knocked off Dallas and also took care of the Rams as well. So they've got a couple big wins on their resume. Let's take it to Cincinnati. They took care of the Tennessee Titans. This matchup, everyone expected Cincy to win, but not in this fashion. This was an old-fashioned shootout.

38:52 Joe Burrow.

38:53 I mean, this stat line is wild. 38 of 48, 462 yards, five touchdowns, including one on the ground as well. What a ball game for him. Tee Higgins, 10 receptions, 155 yards and two touchdowns. But I think the conversation here needs to go to Cincinnati being five and two. And this defense that we said, hey, you know, they go out and get Dexter Lawrence. They're more competent against the run. They're looking better defensively. Go out and get your boy Boe Mafe out of Seattle. But yet you give up 36 points to the Cam Ward-led Tennessee Titans.

39:28 Who is the Cincinnati Bengals team? Because the reality is they are right in the thick of things for this AFC North.

39:36 Well, I guess we're trying to figure that out as they're trying to figure it out, Mitchell, and I'm going to pull up all these stats for this game because Joe Burrow Joe Burrow struggled early in this game. You know, the turnovers kept happening. This Tennessee Titans defense was playing with a lot of confidence, and it looked like he wasn't going to find his rhythm today. And then he did.

39:55 And once he got hot, he did not stop to the tune of 43 points. And I know this Bengals defense, again, Bengals fans, I told you, like you guys tried to convince me, oh, this is top 10 defense because the first, it always falls back to the mean. It always, it may waver up and down, but it always falls back to the mean. And they did make a play in this game, forcing a safety. Dexter Lawrence gets in the backfield.

40:20 They blitz at the perfect time, and they force a safety in this game. And those points were important at the time. But this was Cam Ward's best game as a professional against his defense. And I think this is one of those weird situations, and I know people may kill me for this, where this was a win-win for both teams. I think the Tennessee Titans showed they can play well offensively. They can play better than they have.

40:46 Tony Pollard has a great game on the ground. Their defense makes some plays, shows they have some big-time playmakers. The guy, Amadi Hooker, made multiple interceptions. Again, you start to figure out who's going to be part of the future going forward, but you also don't win the game. You don't win the game. And do you really, like when you get to April, would be beating the Bengals in this situation at a time you likely aren't going to make the playoffs? You aren't going to win anything at the end of this season. You're going to want those draft picks to be as high as they possibly can.

41:19 Is it going to make a difference in this game? And I don't think it is. So I think this is a win-win for both teams. Cincinnati offensively gets going. Tee Higgins is having a fantastic season, and that continues. Ten catches, 155 yards, and two touchdowns. He's making it look really easy. Obviously, we all know what Jamar Chase is to this team and what he continues to be.

41:40 He played a good game. 11 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown. Mike Jacecki, four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. This offense, with all these weapons, can be as explosive as anybody in the National Football League, but they have to get timely stops on defense. And they found a way to get some here and there, and again, that safety was pivotal.

42:02 Let's take it to L.A., where the Rams took on the Chargers, and the Chargers 0-6 coming into this week, fresh off the bye. Some thought, hey, maybe they can get hot off the bye. No, that is not the case at all.

42:17 0-7.

42:18 This team looks lifeless after getting beat up by the Rams 24-9. And Justin Herbert threw two picks in this game. The Rams, however, much needed victory here. Richard, where do you even want to start with this game? The Chargers, it just keeps going from bad to worse to worse. I don't even know if they warrant our time at this point. The Rams improved to 4-4. How competitive do you really think they can be in this NFC West?

42:49 Well, they're a really talented team. And as they continue to get healthy, the Rams will continue to be a threat in this NFC West. They're a team that nobody's going to want to play come January. Nobody wants them to be the seventh seed. And then you've earned, you know, fought hard all season long to earn yourself a two seed only to see a healthy LA Rams team with Myles Garrett. And by that point, I think Aaron Donald will be in rare form in Matthew Stafford, and they'll likely have Devontae Adams and everybody in that team at full strength. McDuffie, Puna Ford, all those guys coming back into the fold. Colby Turner, I think they're going to be a tough team to deal with. This Chargers team is in free fall, though. Nine points in this game. Again,

43:32 Justin Herbert, two interceptions, only sacked twice. He was moving around. Again, the offensive line isn't doing a great job, but these Justin Herbert truthers would tell me everybody's playing well, but Justin Herbert, no, everybody's just playing bad, including Justin Herbert. He's just the highest paid guy on the team and playing quarterback for this team. So he's going to bear a lot of the blame. Jim Harbaugh is going to bear some of it, but everybody's pointing that Mike McDaniel as if he's the issue and he wasn't the issue before when in his other stops, I guess maybe in Miami, but at times in Miami, the offense was thriving in San Francisco. The offense was thriving. This offense hasn't shown

44:10 any signs that it's going to get rolling at any point in time. This running back situation has seemed dire. Omarion Hampton has taken multiple steps back. Kamani Vidal. I mean, none of these running backs look like they're the guy within this scheme. And maybe it's the scheme. Maybe it's the offensive line. Maybe it's not the greatest fit. And you may need to go back to a gap scheme or something. Switch it up. but they've got to figure something out. They've got to figure out the future. They're the only winless team in the National Football League left there in prime draft position at one right now, and if they don't change something, this is what it's going to be.

44:49 The Rams, on the other hand, are making do with what they have on the field. They've got a two-headed monster developing in Blake Corum and Kyron Williams. Corum totaled the rock 11 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. Kyron added 16 carries and 56 yards and a touchdown. And then you got the always trustworthy Puka Nakua, 11 for 80 in a touchdown. Don't let the Rams get hot.

45:09 That is my caution to the league. Because like you said, Richard, if this team can squeeze into the playoffs and be a 6-7 seed, no one is going to want to face them.

45:17 Let's take it to... But one thing I do want to say, I am concerned a little bit about Matthew Stafford and his lack of real big game production. This defense from the Chargers is pretty solid, but they're not world breeders. And obviously... They haven't won a game this season. He was only 17-25 for 157 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. That's un-Matthew Stafford-like, and obviously they're missing some pieces, and he's got to protect himself, but that's something to keep an eye on.

45:48 Let's take it to Miami. The New England Patriots went on the road and ultimately squeezed out a 24-19 win.

45:56 New England looked like they weren't.

45:57 Ready to play at the beginning of this game. Dolphins raced out to a multi-score lead. and ultimately lost grasp of it in the second half. Drake May, 199 yards, two touchdown passes, added another one on the ground. This New England Patriots team is interesting because they were once in my power ranks as my fifth seed. They lose to the Bears, and then they struggle on the road against the Dolphins.

46:21 What do you make of New England? Are they a true contender in the AFC? Well, I don't know if I'm ready to put them a true contender. status they did beat the buffalo bills within their own division that's buffalo's only loss this season so you have to take that into consideration but games like this make you you know kind of take a pause before you really put them in contender consideration this dolphins team is probably the least talented team in the national football league because of how they've purged everything but you know they're in uh salary cap hell right now they're in dead cap hell and Jeff Halfley's just trying to survive the season, figure out who's the winner, figure out who's going to make

46:57 it to next season, who his team's going to be when they draft their quarterback of the future and start to rebuild this team back up and maybe pick up some free agents, obviously. So for them to struggle with them the way they did was kind of concerning. But, you know, we'll see. They're a kind of wait-and-see team.

47:17 They struggle defensively, which was surprising because I think of them as a defensive team these days. But Drake May continues to push the ball down the field. Demario Douglas had a big catch in this game. Kyle Williams had a big catch in this game. And Ramondre Stevens kind of steadies the ship with the run game. Drake May didn't turn the ball over. So that's, you know, he didn't throw an interception. That's always a positive sign for this team. But I don't take a ton out of this.

47:42 You know, I think, again, this is one of those results where both teams kind of show that, hey, they can battle. The Dolphins show, hey, they're showing signs of life. They're not just turning over and giving up. but they also want to draft high in the draft next year to rebuild the team.

47:57 Well, Richard, the answer for the New England Patriots, whether they're contenders or not, is going to get answered here pretty soon. They've got a gauntlet of a schedule coming up, hosting the Packers next week, then playing against the Detroit Lions in Germany, lay up against the LA Chargers, then the Bills, Vikings, and Chiefs. Five of those six games, toss-ups.

48:17 We shall see how New England responds. It's time for Fresh from the Oven Takes brought to you by DiGiorno. Just like pizza fresh out of the oven, these takes are hot, fresh, and ready for Monday night. Let's break down the matchup between Seattle and the Bears. Richard, what's your hottest take coming into this Monday night matchup between Seattle and Chicago?

48:41 I think my hottest take is that this Seahawks defense is going to hold this Chicago Bears offense under 17. I know people are going to look at me crazy. Oh, this is Caleb Williams. This is Run game is outstanding. These receivers have done Luther Bird and Roma Dunce. And then let's not forget about Loveland and these tight ends.

48:58 But the Seattle Seahawks defense has been playing fantastic all season long. They're, you know, rolling into form. And I think they have their best game of the season in this Monday night football matchup. I think they play best in prime time. Their offense will run the ball better than they have in the past. I think Quentin Nelson, I know this is his first game. He'll have a great immediate impact in this game. I'm sure they'll run behind him. And I think they win this game comfortably.

49:28 Seattle's defense certainly has a way of humbling elite offense, as we saw last week against Kansas City Chiefs. Which player do you think will be the deciding factor in this one?

49:42 What player? I can't think of a player in particular. I think it's going to be the trenches, though. I think it's going to happen in the trenches. The Chicago Bears offensive line, which is one of the best in the National Football League, against Seattle's defensive line, which is one of the best in the National Football League. I think that's going to be power on power, big on big, and I think that that's going to be the determining factor in this game, and I got Seattle.

50:06 Well, Chicago certainly has taken that to heart, adding Jeffrey Simmons to those trenches. What is the final score? Obviously, you've got Seattle. You've got Chicago going under 17 points. How big of a win are we talking about here for Seattle?

50:20 I got Seattle winning this one 24-16.

50:24 And obviously, when you're sitting down on Monday night, Richard, I'm assuming you're enjoying a pizza. I've tried to talk you in the last three weeks to adding pineapple to your pizza. Have I convinced you yet? What topping are you putting on your DiGiorno pizza come Monday night?

50:39 It's definitely not going to be a fruit. That's for sure, Mitchell. It's going to be pepperoni. I'm sorry, people. You guys, I'm a creature of habit. I'm going to be eating pepperoni pizza, maybe a little Parmesan cheese, maybe sprinkle a little garlic powder on there just to spice it up a little bit for myself.

50:55 Well, those are 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. Before we get out of here, This next segment is called NFL Rule Breakers brought to you by Sling. Richard, who's a game-changing DB in the NFL history? Whose game you like?

51:18 It has to be the great Rod Woodson. Second in NFL history in interceptions with 71. Played both safety and corner and played them both at a high level. Brings the kind of flexibility and versatility that you expect out of one of the all-time greats. And of course, the flexibility of Sling TV is something That brings you tremendous value. Mitchell, no question about that.

51:39 I like how you tied that in. NFL Rule Breakers is brought to you by Sling. Watch football on your terms starting at just $ 19. 99 a month at sling.com. Well, Richard, it's always a pleasure sitting down with you every week. This concludes week eight, but we got one other big one tomorrow night. The Seattle Seahawks taking on the Chicago Bears.

52:02 I'm sure all eyes are going to be on that game. Richard, I will let you sign us off, my friend.

52:08 No question. Big one for both teams, but the Seattle Seahawks are rolling right now, Mitchell, and they're making moves at the deadline. They feel good about their team, and I feel great about this team. Thank you guys for joining me. As always, we will see you next time. Hit that like and sub button if you're new. Please.

52:25 Appreciate you.