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Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
What they're saying in New Orleans about BILLS vs SAINTS with JEFF NOWAK
00:42:02
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- [00:00]
Jeff Nowak
As long as he's got this team playing like we saw in weeks one and two, people are excited about it. When it gets to the level that we saw last week, it's like you don't last very long as a coach if you repeatedly put out that type of effort.
- [00:23]
Dan
Hey, everybody, welcome back to the Buffalo plus YouTube channel. Happy you are with us. Please make sure to, like, comment and. And subscribe. We're coming to you again from the Connors and Ferris podcast studio. And it's time for this week's edition of what they're saying in. And in this case it is New Orleans as the Bills take on the Saints. And we'd like to welcome from the inside Black and Gold podcast, Jeff Nowak from WWL in New Orleans. Jeff, thanks for being with us.
- [00:53]
Jeff Nowak
For sure. Thanks for having me.
- [00:56]
Dan
We got a lot to talk about because when the Bills play a team like the Saints, they don't see them very often. Last time you saw him was on a Thanksgiving Day down at the Superdome. Teams change. A lot of stuff changes. So we're trying to get an idea of what we have. And so I watched some of the game, the Saints last game, and then I listened to you guys on the air and I know you do the sideline reporting, too. Kind of a rough game three for the Saints. Is that fair to say?
- [01:23]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, a little. Little. Yeah. No, it's funny, I vividly remember that, that Thanksgiving game because it's the last time there was a point in time where the Saints had become kind of the unofficial Thanksgiving team. Like there, there's the Cowboys and then Washington and whatever. And then like three years in a row, the Saints got on Thanksgiving. And that game, it was like the NFL was like, yeah, let's not do this anymore, because it was that bad of a beat down. A lot has changed since that point, but that's kind of the same game I expect to see on Sunday, if I'm being completely honest. The Saints, you know, they were a competitive team through the first two weeks, and there wasn't a lot of positivity around the team in terms of predictions and, and projections, but they took the Cardinals down to the wire. They took the 49ers down to the wire, and they, at the very least, were playing hard. They were fighting, they were competing. They just didn't look ready to play out in Seattle. And, and players, it's a new head coach, and that was just not a, a good example of what this team is capable of even, even as a. A team that's probably down toward the bottom of the NFL in terms of talent level and, and success. Like that was hopefully the low point, you know, and, and I think this game, if, if this game wasn't in week four, you would feel differently about it. But like, it's tough to do that two weeks in a row. And if that had happened in Buffalo, I think the reaction might have been different. But not a lot of confidence around this team right now.
- [02:47]
Dan
Yeah, you, they got to be in a, basically a full rebuild, but you got a new head coach. They're, they're trying at the moment, I would say with the quarterback, but Mickey Loomis has been there a long time. And when I look, I see a team that, you know, is struggling to find out where they are and understanding they made, you know, their coaching change. They're past the Peyton Drew Brees days, like trying to find that next iteration of the team. But I also look at the cap and I'm like, you know, we joke all the time, salary cap's not real. Only because, you know, the teams that have success and can keep re upping, guys that are contributing like the Bills have done, can sort of circumvent it. Saints have had a tough time doing that through Mickey Loomis. So I look at it, their cap space seems kind of limited. So it almost feels like they got to really reboot here and get cranked up again before they can build this team back up.
- [03:44]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, I don't think the cap is a huge issue at this point. I know the numbers are what they are. It's the reason it looks the way it does is because you're eating the Derek Carr cap hit over this year and next year. But the thing is, and you know, y' all were in this situation for a while and now you're not in that. When you're not paying a quarterback, you can do a lot right. Like the cap numbers look a lot different when there isn't that $60 million line item. And the Saints are in a position right now where for better or worse, over the next four, six years, you're going to be on a rookie scale quarterback contract. So that makes everything a lot easier. That said, yes, they are. They are rebuilding. They're not tearing things down to the studs the way some teams might. They do value the veteran players, the Cam Jordans, the Demario Davis's. So they're not just going to ship those guys out and, and say, okay, the rookies can handle it. Like they're going to try to do it the right way. And, and I do think there's value in that. Like, if you had a rookie laid in locker room with, with young leaders that haven't done this before and you had a game like last week, I'd be a lot more concerned if you didn't have the veteran guys in that room to kind of, all right, you know, let's. Let's figure this out, you know, maybe with a few more curse words thrown in. But no, I mean, they're rebuilding. There's no question around whether they're rebuilding. And I think any NFL rebuild is going to last as long as it takes to find the right quarterback. That's just life in the NFL. If you don't have a quarterback, you do not have much of a chance to win. And so that's what this season is about. You're seeing what Spencer Rattler has now. He's struck me as a backup ceiling type player, but I think he has actually peaks. And so you're kind of riding this out. I think week five and beyond is where you would look at and say, Tyler Schuck could make his debut any of those weeks. I. When the schedule came out and you're looking at, okay, you have a rookie quarterback that you might throw in, it was like, okay, let's get past week four. Let's get past the Bills. I don't want to send a rookie quarterback up to Buffalo and have him face that buzzsaw. Anything beyond that is fair game. But no, they're rebuilding. They're trying to find their way. And yeah, I mean, Mickey Loomis has been around forever. I think he's the longest tenured GM outside of Jerry Jones at this point. And, you know, that's. That there's a. There is a little, you know, it's bubbling. You know, it's like, if we're going to reset everything else, why aren't we resetting the GM kind of situation? But we'll see how the rest of the season goes. I, I don't think that week three is a good representation of this team. I don't think they're going to win a lot of games, but I do think they're going to be competitive. So I'm hopeful that they can go up, up to y' all and I'll be there, too, but we can go up to y' all and have a more competitive environment than what happened in Seattle.
- [06:28]
Dan
Yeah, that, that's interesting in the way they're handling the quarterbacks now. But the Bills are going to see Spencer Rattler now, you know, a little box score scouting here. 67%, 200 plus yards a game, four touchdowns, one interception. How would you judge him of what you've seen? And I know this last game was rough team wise, but what do you see out of him and what are Bills fans going to see out of when he comes up to Orchard Park Sunday?
- [06:55]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, the game in week three, a lot of that was, you know, special teams was the biggest issue for the Saints in week three. It was not the offense, per se. The offense wasn't great, but it wasn't really the reason you lost. The interception came on a fourth down in the second half where he was just trying to make something happen. It was really a bad play by the defense. They sacrificed 15 yards to get an interception on the board. But either way, you know, I think you're going to see out of Spencer Rattlers a guy who's going to get the ball out of his hands quickly. He's not going to take a lot of risks with the ball. And you know, you're, you're putting a cap on the offense with the way that you're asking him to play, but you're also putting the floor on the offense and, and creating a situation where the offense is going to try to do enough that with complimentary football and, and an effective defense and special teams that isn't allowing a 95 yard punt return, a blocked punt, 60 yard kickoff return, you give yourself a chance. So, no, I mean, I think that that's kind of what it is. He's not going to allow a ton of, a ton of pressure. You know, he's, he's operating kind of like end of career Tom Brady in that way. Like, like, I'm not gonna let you hit me. I'm gonna throw the ball before you get here, you know. And Trevor Lawrence is probably a better example. That's how Trevor Lawrence had been operating with the Jaguars over the last few years. And it can be a little frustrating to watch for, from, from a fan's perspective because it's like, you know, Chris Olave had 10 catches last week for 57 yards. Yeah, that's, those are running back numbers. Yeah. So that's, that's kind of what it is. They're gonna dink and dunk, they're gonna try to possess the ball, move it down the field. You know, it does seem like they're incapable of scoring on any drive that is not 10 plus plays. And those drives often don't end up in the end zone. So that's Kind of where you are. It's like, if this deep. I think the goal of the offense at this point is if we can get anywhere near 20, we've done our job.
- [08:36]
Dan
Yeah, I was gonna say it's kind of wild. You mentioned Chris Olave is a guy that comes up a lot with Bill's fans, because the one thing this Bill's team has lacked is a real speed receiver. And his name comes up because fans will look out or even reporters and go, well, this is a team that's maybe in a rebuild, and could you at some point make a play for a guy? When I think of him, I think of that speed. I also think of the concussions that he's had in his career. How has he been? And I know that game maybe is just. Maybe just a bad object because of the way they've had to play, but Kent catches for 57 yards. Doesn't seem to be what he's capable of. How. How is he physically and what can we expect to see? Maybe if the quarterback play opens up a little bit.
- [09:26]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, I mean, if you're in a PPR fantasy league, you love them. If you're not. If you're in any other context, you're not. Not a huge fan at this point. But yeah, I mean, he's healthy. It's the. The health isn't the issue. You know, obviously, anytime you have the concussion history, you're just one hit away from that all becoming a thing again. But he has taken some big hits. He took a big hit in week one, and everyone, like, kind of held their. Held their breath and he joked, like, anytime he takes a hit, they. They take him off the field and immediately, like, throw him into the tent. But it's like, I'm good. Like, I can go back in so that you appreciate that. Like, there was some concern going in. That's like, okay, is he ever going to be the same player? I don't think the numbers this year are. Are representative of a guy playing scared, if that's. Even though it might seem that way. Like, he's not afraid to go over the middle of the field. He's not afraid to attack deep. The Saints just haven't been attacking deep, you know, And. And it's also a situation where he's not even the best deep threat on the team because Rashid Shahid is, like, an elite deep threat. So when you are going to attack deep, it's often not going to be Chris and I. And it makes me wonder if the combination works. Like, I don't Know if both of those guys as a tandem really make sense together, I think you need one of those guys. With two of them, it just can be tough to figure out what they're doing and neither is able to really go over the middle of the field and be that big body possession receiver. We've seen them try to do it. It just, it just doesn't work. He's not. Doesn't have the frame to box out and make those contested catches the way that, you know, some, like, I mean even a Stefan Diggs was, was better at that of being that kind of box out guy. And Chris just doesn't. I don't know if he has that in his, in his skill set but I mean a lot of it is just based on the Saints offense and what Kelvin Moore is asking the quarterback to do the, the offense to do. They're running a lot of RPOs quick game and just not a lot of catch and run. Right. But I don't think the issue is Chris. I think Chris is doing a good job and the receivers are getting frustrated. Like you can see it like you talk to him post game and they're just like, we're gonna keep doing it, we're gonna keep running these short hitches and, and whatnot. But yeah, I mean he's, he's still a good player and he's under contract for next year. They picked up his options so they are committed to him as far as that goes. Next year you're gonna have to decide whether to pay him on one of these big wide receiver contracts that everyone seems to get. And that's going to be the bigger question.
- [11:43]
Dan
Yeah. And with Shahid, what Do you have 11 touchdowns last year? Now I know a different offense and, and different. But he's, he has been a, the deep threat guy. Shahid has been and I see like 20 targets so far. Is it just. Again, we're going back to this. But just the way they have to play with Rattler, that is kept him somewhat under wraps and I know it's three games in, but kept him under wraps so far.
- [12:11]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, I mean he'd only played in six games last year. He got hurt and he was coming off a knee injury, so. But no, he's been kind of the elite deep threat from a, from a yards per catch situation, from a, you know, just intended air yards kind of situation. And they just haven't been running those play. They just haven't been attacking those deep balls and you know, you faced a lot of shell. The Cardinals played a Lot of shell in this last game. You know, when a team gets up 28 points in the first half, they're not exactly going to surrender a lot over the top. They're going to say the safeties are going to play deep and you're going to have to go underneath and it becomes difficult to operate that way. I think they need to start attacking over the top with, with guys like Shahid and Olave because I don't see there's not an issue with either of them in terms of what they were able to do. Juan Johnson has really been kind of the target hog and when you're trying to do everything underneath that, it makes sense that you'd be going to the bigger bodied tight end. But I really like Shahid Nilave and what's frustrating me about watching this team play is the kind of nature of the offense is prevent, which is just max protecting and getting them downfield against the safety and throwing the ball up and letting him go get it. And that was, you know, a lot of, a lot of people don't like Derek Carr. One of the things he does better, did better than anyone in the NFL was throw that deep ball and take shots over top. And we just have not seen that with, with the quarterbacks they have right now.
- [13:33]
Dan
All right, so Alvin Kamara in the backfield. I've been thinking back to last year and the first two games of the year. It looked like. I don't think I'd seen an NFL offense do that to start a season. Would they put up 90 points in the first two games? Ran all over everybody for two games and then, and then, then everything seemed to change. What is he like now? What is he in this offense? What is he like for this team?
- [14:01]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, well, it's funny that the offense that they ran last year was the one they just lost to in Seattle. So maybe it wasn't the offense but, but no, Alvin is still Alvin. He's 30 years old. So I do think you, you take some of the, the load off of him. They haven't figured out a way to get him used, used in the passing game the way I'd like to. And that's been the case for, honestly ever since Breeze left, they have not used him in the passing game in terms of the screen game, in terms of wheel routes out of the backfield. Just haven't been able to get it right. But he's still, he's still a really effective runner. He's his, his elite trade is balance, right? Like when he can kind of get that. Just get in the hole and, and have be scored up on a linebacker like he's going to make you miss. Right. He's always on balance. He's got that speed that you take for granted because he's not always using it. He's throttling up, throttling down. Never seems to take a big hit. Still a good player. Saints just, I don't know, this offense is. It's like bowling with bumpers. There's just not a lot that's happening outside of the framework to get excited about. And Alvin is the type of player that when you can get him kind of isolated and with the ball in space, you get excited, but they just haven't been able to do enough of that. But I don't think the issue, again, I don't think the issue is the team, the offense in general. I think you're just running this really subdued attack, trying to protect the quarterback. And that's worked to the extent that, that it can work. Like, like you look at the numbers for Spencer and you know, I think you're happy with what he's done, but you know, I'd accept a few more turnovers if it meant some more exciting offense. Yeah, but that's just not what they're doing right now.
- [15:39]
Dan
Were fans excited for Kellen Moore when he got the job? Like, was it like, okay, this guy just was the offensive coordinator. They won the Super Bowl. He's been around. Was. Did he bring that? I mean, I'm thinking of like Ben Johnson in Chicago because everybody had seen what was going on with, with the Lions. And then you've got Kellen Moore. I mean, he's a guy who's sort of been around. He was like on the edge of maybe getting his shot and it didn't happen. He comes to Philly the one year, you know, they, they win, they win the Super Bowl. What, what was the thought when he came in? And again, I know it's three games, but fans want to at least be looking in that way. What's it been for him three games in?
- [16:20]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, you know, it's, it's tough because, yeah, Ben Johnson goes and takes over the Bears and you have the number one pick and Caleb Williams of weapons and there's some built in excitement there. Kellen Moore's situation that he walked into was very different. Like the fan base had long been disenchanted with Dennis Allen. They would have been happy to see him go after Euro one. So anyone else would have driven some kind of excitement. The problem Is like, I think anyone looking at this team could see that this year was going to be a take your medicine season. Right. At best, maybe you punch above your weight and you win a few extra games and you might have anticipated and you're looking at eight, nine wins and, and on the fringes of the playoffs, like that's the ceiling. So your, your, your excitement level is going to be tempered no matter who you bring in. I think people are excited about killing more and, and, and the, the disenchantment is going to come with more games like you saw in week three. Right. Because weeks one and two, I think you looked at and you say, hey, he's got this team playing well. They're playing hard. You know, they don't necessarily have the horses right now, but they're finding a way to at least take it down to the wire. Like they had a chance to tie the game on the final play against the Cardinals. They couldn't get it done. The Buddha Baker made a great play, knocked the ball out of Joanne Johnson's hands. Week two, you had the ball at midfield with about a minute and a half left. Your touchdown would have won it. They a fumble, whatever. Can't remember who came over the Bryce Huff came off the edge, unblocked and knocked the ball out. And that's the game. But you can live with losses when they come in that form. You can't live with 38 to, or 44 to 13 or 21 nothing in six minutes into the game. You can't live with that. And as long as he's got this team playing like we saw in weeks one and two, people are excited about it. When it gets to the, the level that we saw last week, it's like you don't last very long as a coach if you repeatedly put out that type of effort or your players do at the very least. So there's definitely a lot more questions going on right now than there than there probably were over the first three, four weeks of the season.
- [18:23]
Dan
Yeah, I made the comparison when the Bills played the jets that it reminded me the Jet situation a little bit of 2017 with the bill. So Sean McDermott comes in, defensive head coach like Aaron Glenn, with a veteran quarterback at Tyrod Taylor. And the jets have Tyrod well now playing. And they had some veteran players on defense, much like the Saints do, maybe where their leaders are defensively. And that team was surprisingly competitive. But during that year they had some horrendous games, right? Like including one where the Saints just ran all over them and Crushed them in a game in Orchard Park. And then eventually they went out and got their. Got their quarterback and Josh Allen and then built from there. But I was thinking about those first year coaches and those teams. Now this is an offensive coach, but I almost can see with a lot of young players and some, you know, some talent where you could have those days, right? And then like I said, that Bills team actually made the playoffs, broke their drought, which is crazy because they had some bad days, but they ended up finding a way to win nine games and get in the playoffs. Is there a thought that that game being that bad was an aberration? Like, like you said, the first two were pretty good. Then they got lit up in Seattle and, And they want to see, obviously people want to see them play more competitively against a really good Bills team coming up on Sunday. But expectations got to still be. We want to see progress, but in terms of actually what is progress to a team like this with a new head coach, a lot of young players not sure about the quarterback and all those things, if that makes sense as to where they are with the expectations even coming into Sunday.
- [20:13]
Jeff Nowak
No, I think you're. You're exactly right. Like, that's, and that's kind of what I talked about yesterday on our podcast was like, yes, you can be really upset about this game right now and be like, you can't play this way. But like my, the thing I say a lot is like, no team is as bad as they look on their worst day or as good as they look on their best day. The reality is always somewhere in the middle. What has to be the case for Kellen Moore is that that's your worst day. You can't have worse days than that, because if you do and it happens repeatedly, your coaching tenure is just not going to last very long. Like, you have to be able, like, yes, those types of games will happen. And the first game on the road, you're going out to Seattle. It's a really difficult environment. You got a young quarterback, you got a rookie left tackle, you got a backup right tackle, you got a backup right guard or left guard, rather a UDFA in that position. Like, you got a lot of false starts, you got a lot of procedural things. Like everything kind of went off the rails. And you have to, as a head coach, as a successful head coach, you have to be able to take that game and build from it and not let that happen again. Like if, if, if that game turns into two, three games in a row where you're just not competitive yeah, that's the problem if it's one game and you bounce back and I don't even think you'd need to go out there and win on Sunday to bounce back. Technically, when you're a 16 and a half point underdog on the betting line, all you have to do is what the Dolphins did, right. And make it a game in the fourth quarter and suddenly you're back on the right track. So I think that's the key for Kellen in this week is, is make sure you go out there and be and you're ready. Like, that was the biggest issue with that game in Seattle. I didn't see a team that looked ready to play. And here's the thing, they went out to Seattle on Thursday. They, they went out there early with the express mission of like, we're going to make sure we're acclimated, we're going to be on the right time zone, like, we're gonna have it all figured out. And then they went out and it's like, you would think they showed up that morning. You would think they took a red eye flight on Saturday night and played that game. And, and that's not. You just can't look that way. Like, that's on the coaching. So that's, that's what you need to see out up in Buffalo is a team that looks prepared, that looks competitive, and, and isn't making the same kind of boneheaded errors. They should be in a decent position from a health perspective, which is one of the only positive things I can say about this team right now. So I, I think they will, I think they'll figure it out. I don't, I'm not going to predict the win, but I do think you're going to see a more competitive. If you watch the Seahawks game and you're like, well, this, this game is going to be a 60 point blowout. Right. Like, I don't think that's the team you're going to get again.
- [22:44]
Dan
Okay. Defensively, I mean, you mentioned Demario Davis. You know, they got Cam Jordan, they've got the veterans. What, what will we see for the Bills? You know, what will they be up against defensively with the Saints coming up on Sunday?
- [22:58]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah. So we don't know if Chase Young is going to be out there. That's been kind of the running issue for this team is you paid Chase Young, he was healthy for the first time in his career all 17 games last year. You're like, all right, we're good. And then the Wednesday before The, the opener he comes up with a calf injury in practice and we haven't seen from, seen or heard from. Well, I have seen him but we haven't seen him on the field since that point. He didn't make the trip in week three. So you know, that's usually a sign that someone's closer. But we'll find out tomorrow if he gets back out in the practice field and, and kind of works toward that has. Right, because you're talking about Cam Jordan, 35 year old Cam Jordan out there taking, you know, you want him to be your situational edge rusher in this new scheme. He's not exactly what you would draw up as your outside linebacker, like prototype, typical sideline. So that's what he's playing. And in, in spurts he can be effective, but you're asking way too much from him. And so that's the question. And I don't think they're going to be able to pressure the quarterback much unless they can get Cam or Chase out there. And that's been, that's been one of the bigger issues is they haven't put enough pressure on quarterbacks. And when they have, they haven't gotten them to the ground or at least the last two weeks they haven't gotten them to the ground. You know, you have a young secondary, you have a rookie safety who's starting. Julian Blackman went down with an injury in week one and, and they're susceptible. You know, you're asking like that's just a terrible combination is not getting to the quarterback and then asking a second year corner in Koolaid McKinstry to cover way too long, a rookie safety to cover way too long. And so I, I just. They've traditionally struggled against mobile quarterbacks. They did do pretty well in week one against Kyler. Obviously he and Josh are very different in the, you know, you can lump all mobile quarterbacks into the same bucket, but Josh and Kyler about as different as it can get from a multiple quarterbacks perspective. So no, I, it's a defense that's still kind of finding its way. It's a new scheme. They transition from a 43 to a 3 4. I don't know if everyone's getting that. The linebackers seem to be a little confused at times. Like Pete Warner seems to just get lost in space a little bit too frequently. I think DeMario has played well and DeMario is always going to be that kind of linchpin of the defense, but there's a lot of space to run into. Is it's. What I've been seeing is they're playing a lot of soft zone coverage, and there's just these gaping holes where, if you're. If you have receivers that understand where to find the gaps in the zones, they could. They could eat it. Eat it up. So, yeah, that's been an issue.
- [25:28]
Dan
I was thinking, because last week, if you watch the Bills and the Dolphins, the distance on the passes from scrimmage was absurdly low. I mean, Tua always plays like that. Josh Allen's average target was like. Like 1.8 yards. Like everything was near the line of scrimmage. They didn't really. They don't really challenge that much. Deep, deep, like, throw the ball, try to get it over somebody's head. It's more of him there. And I. And I'm thinking that this may be the week they can try to get that going in the passing game, whether it's, you know, deep middle or actually down the field, because it. It has not been. It really has not been. And we say this all the time. This is the world we live in. You know, I've covered this team for 38 years. I saw great, great football, then 20 years of garbage, and now they're back, and we're sitting here being critical of the Bills offense when they average 30 points a game and they scored 30 again this past week. But sometimes you do look and go, you know, the. The bar is so high for them in terms of what they're supposed to do. I mean, they're fighting for the one seed, and they. The only thing they can't do is beat the Chiefs, but they do, I feel like, need to get that going in the passing game. And that's why I'm wondering if maybe this is a week they at least have some success that way going down the field.
- [26:52]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, it's tough because so many teams now just say, hey, we're going to put a shell on it. We're going to. You, you, you. You can go underneath if you want to keep going underneath. Play 14, play drive. You can do it. And I do think it's, you know, it's a product of teams not being dedicated to the run game. Right? Like, that's how you stop teams from doing that is you. Is you pound them with the run game, and then they have to bring a safety down on the box. You can't play a shell defense if you have to bring an extra safety in to play the run. And just the teams just don't seem to be willing to play that Way to go under center and just play some smash mouth football. And the teams that. That do seem to be having a lot of success running the ball. But I, I don't think off a lot of offenses are built the way they need to be built to take advantage of that. You know, you have all these tiny little safeties. Everyone's in nickel. Well, why aren't you running the ball? Like, why do the Ravens seem to have success running the ball? It's because they have a big old running back and they're not afraid to use them. And so, yeah, I don't know. I don't know how the Saints are going to adjust yet. Yeah, last week, it's kind of hard to look at that tape and take anything out of it because. Because your plan went completely out the window the second, you know, you're down 21 nothing in six minutes into the game. But no, the Saints are susceptible over the top. I mean, they don't have very rangy safeties. Justin Reed. I really like Justin Reed. Y'. All. Y' all have seen Justin.
- [28:10]
Dan
We know him from the. Yeah, yeah.
- [28:12]
Jeff Nowak
But he's a. He's more of a thumper. He's not a. He's not really a rangy safety. Jonas Sinker, who's the rookie they're playing not. He's more of a thumper, too. Like, these aren't guys that I want to see running downfield. Ike Adam on the outside is not. Is not a particularly daunting matchup for anybody. Kool Aid has been good, but he's been getting burned. So. No, I. There's just not a lot to like with this Saints team. Like, there's a lot of holes in the Saints team that you could take advantage of, and it's really just a question of which one you're going to go after. The one thing they have done is stop the run. And, and so if they can continue to do that, give them a chance.
- [28:45]
Dan
Jerry Jones would love that, wouldn't he? That's his goal. Number one, right? Stop the run. That's his. That's his goal. If you're thinking about the way the Cowboys want to play, and when you mentioned that, I just wanted to ask you this. With Kellen Moore, is he the kind of guy that, I don't know if he's already said it or would talk, but say we burn the tape, we move on, or they got to learn from it. Like. Like to your point, there's things you learn from tape and they all say this. You either win or you learn or you do both. But sometimes a game like that with a, with a team, you, you got to just flush it, right? And just better effort, better preparation and all the things that, that go with coming up to Buffalo to try to play this week.
- [29:24]
Jeff Nowak
I always get a kick out of when people say like you either winning, you learn. Like it's the first time anyone's ever said that. Yes, the player said that in the locker room the other day and I'm like, wow. But no, I'm just, I'm joking.
- [29:36]
Dan
Well, no, it's funny because I, you know, you watch a lot of games and I mean, I just watched the Bills Sunday and they won and they need to learn like they, they were, they, you know, Miami was right there against them. Hell, they had to make a tremendous comeback to, to beat Baltimore when they played atrociously for three plus quarters in that game or three, three quarters in that game. So. And then they beat the jets. And by the way, you'll look at the numbers of third down defense for the Bills and it was hilarious coming into the game because there was comments saying, well, man, the Bills are struggling on third down. They were number one in the league.
- [30:16]
Jeff Nowak
Well.
- [30:18]
Dan
Baltimore was, I think six of 11. They barely made it to third down. They just kept scoring touchdowns and then the jets went over 11. So, you know, it's a great new throw in an O for 11. The numbers are skewed a little bit. And then Miami was 10 of 15. Mean third downs for the Bills. Defense has been brutal. I think a team like the Saints, if I'm, I'm running the ball and I'm trying to convert on third down and keep frustrating the Bills and frustrating the Bills because while they're winning, there has been some issues with this team that they need to correct.
- [30:50]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah, no, you know, there's another cliche is the numbers don't lie. I disagree. Numbers lie all the time. It's, that's context. The Saints, one time of possession in the game against the Seahawks by five minutes. Yeah, that was not close. But no, I, I don't think when you're a good team and you have kind of a, just stunningly bad day, like everything goes wrong, you can say, hey, we're going to go outside, we're going to bury the tape in the backyard. Like we know what happened, we know what we need to fix. We don't need to stare at it all day. When you're a bad team, you don't get the luxury of being able to do that. You have Young players who you need to take the task if they're not playing the right way. You know, you need to figure out, especially on special teams, what went wrong. Like, it's, it's, it's funny how easily you can, like, just take for granted special teams and just say, hey, can we just cover a punt? Like, apparently not. You know, like that's when, when you, when you're a small margin team and you don't have the luxury of a Josh Allen or an MVP candidate type quarterback who can make up the gap when you screw up somewhere else. Like, special teams becomes your lifeblood. Like, you cannot surrender points there if you want to have a chance. And to me, that's the biggest issue for the Saints that they need to spend this week looking at. It's like. And that's because that's a big unit. Like, there's a lot of players who have a hand in that. And, you know, it's, it's the type of play that you go to the bathroom and don't even watch and you come back and you're like, wait, what do you mean they scored a touchdown. You. And it's like you kicked a 61 yard punt. So is it on the punter? You know, out kicked. Your coverage is another cliche, and I think it exists for a reason because that's what happened. So, yeah, it's like there's 10 different things that need to go one way and you got to figure out who didn't do it the right way and when. And I think that's demoralizing as a team. Right. You're a defense, you know, you get off the field and, and you screw up on the punt, right? Or vice versa. Like, you're an offense and you drive to midfield and it's like, okay, we can at least pin them deep. And instead they scored a touchdown and you're coming right back on the field. Like, that's just that. That takes you out entirely. So now this team needs to learn they. They. That and that. To be fair, that wasn't the messaging from Kellen after the game. He was like, we're. We're gonna, we're gonna sit in this one for a while. Yeah, that's what you have to do.
- [33:04]
Dan
Yeah. It's funny you mentioned the special teams, because I was watching the game. Not this week, the week before when this Bucks were playing and they had a punt blocked and it gave up a long return, but Baker saved him, drove him down the field, and won the game. It's to your point. Where, you know, a team that doesn't have a guy, he may not be MVP level, pretty good and great at the end of games can make that play. The Bills just played the Dolphins. The Dolphins had this great return for a touchdown against New England and then proceed to let New England return the next kickoff all the way to the touchdown. And, and to your point about special teams, look at what we just saw this all over the league with blocked field goals and mistakes on, on all kinds of special teams. So I think it has been pretty volatile around the league and has impacted games. The Bills have survived it. They won their first game on a field goal in the last play. And if you look at the replay of that, Kyle Hamilton walks in and has one hand up. He's within a, an inch of ending that game and winning it for Baltimore. So it can happen to anybody. But you're right, if you got the guy that can make up for it at some point, I guess it isn't as impactful in the final results as it is for a team like the Saints.
- [34:17]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah. And, you know, it's, it's funny. Like, I, I, I watched that the Bills Ravens game, and I'm like, how did the Bills win this game? Like, there was, like, three points where I was like, it's over. Like, wait, it's not. And then the Ravens did it again yesterday. Like, the Ravens are really good at not winning games. It feels like they should win. But, hey, you know, it is. It is what it is. Like, there's, I always say, it's like winning is a learned skill. Like, winning doesn't happen by accident. Like, there's teams that are really good at losing, and there are teams that are really good at winning, and those are the moments. Like, you have a Baker Mayfield, like, the Bucks have, have won three games in a row where it came down to the final minute. And, like, what, what was Tom Brady elite at? Like, there's a lot of things Tom Brady was really good at. What he was elite at is going and winning a football game. Pat Mahomes same way. Josh Allen, unless he's playing Pat Mahomes same way. Right. So, you know, it, it is what it is. The Saints are not in a position where they can win with anything but complimentary football. And that's a recipe for not winning a lot of games.
- [35:13]
Dan
So the last thing I always ask, you know, it depends on who the Bills are playing, but give me the game plan. You know, you, you or Jeff, he goes to you and he says, give me the game plan. We need to beat the Bills or I, I will even give you, make it competitive. Keep it in there. What's the game plan for the Saints that would say they're in this game into the second half, into the fourth quarter and have a shot?
- [35:35]
Jeff Nowak
I think it's the same that it's been and they just haven't. It's not like they're going to change their plan. They just have to execute their plan, which is you need to get out to a fast start, right. Like this team. I don't know what they're even going to look like playing with the lead. I don't think they've had one. And I'm thinking back, like, I think they may have been leading the cardinals like 7 to 6 at one point in that game, and then immediately it went away. Like, you just need to have a, have a good start to a game, like build some confidence and have scoreboard pressure on the other team. That's when mistakes happen, is when the other team is, is pressing a little bit. They're trying to make something happen and then you can make a play. The Saints have played three consecutive games backpedaling the entire way. And so, you know, I'd like to see them run the ball. I don't. I haven't gotten a chance to look at the Bills taped that closely yet. But they need to be able to run the ball. They need to be able to create third and manageable situations and then execute and get on the board. Like, finish off whether it's their opening drive or their second drive for a touchdown and, and win that way. Like they, they're not going to win in games that they're trailing by two scores, especially on the road. You know, you need to take the crowd out of the game. You need to. You need to put yourself in an advantageous situation and then take advantage of it.
- [36:49]
Dan
That's really what the Dolphins, that's what the Dolphins did coming in Torch park. And I know they have Tua and Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, like they have that level of player around, but that's really the way they played. They gotten themselves in and even when they weren't third and manageable, they still converted. So kept frustrating the Bills, kept Josh Allen off the field and they finished with touchdowns and they tied them up, you know, and had a chance to do it again, then made their big mistake stake, but that was the way to stay in the game. So we'll see if New Orleans can do that.
- [37:21]
Jeff Nowak
I don't have a ton of faith that they can, but that's gotta be with it. Like, you have to be efficient and you have to. You have to put points on the board. Yeah.
- [37:28]
Dan
Yeah. It is tough when you're in that spot. All right, Jeff, let everybody know where they can find you. Listen, get some more information or lead up to when the Bills play the Saints.
- [37:37]
Jeff Nowak
Yeah. My totally upbeat predictions for this team. Yeah. You can find me on Twitter at Jeff Underscore Noak. Inside Black and Gold is the podcast if, if you want to hear us react to what will certainly be a Bill's friendly game, I imagine. And then over@wwl.com it's where we have the latest news, notes and analysis. Also, I'll be on the sidelines, so if anyone wants to say hi and heckle me, that's where I will be. But, yeah, no, it's. It's good. I'm excited. I haven't been up to Buffalo. I'm from Connecticut originally, so I know the, the, the area pretty well, but I've never been up to. Is it Orchard Park?
- [38:11]
Dan
Orchard Park. So you'll get the last time you'll be in this stadium and you will see the brand new stadium, the house that Josh builders right across the street there. So they're still open, though, next year. Still open air, but very, very, very different than what you. And it's funny, when you stand there in the parking lot and you see them both, one just opens up like this to let every ounce of wind hit you, and the other one is. Is more, you know, tighter at the top, protect a lot of the seats. They didn't want the dome, but they tried to make it a little bit better. But you'll be, You're. Hey, you're catching it in September. I mean, you're.
- [38:48]
Jeff Nowak
Trust me, I know. I saw this. I saw the, the opponents and it's like we had the Bears and the Bills on the schedule and I was like, please, not December, please.
- [38:56]
Dan
And this is the only one o' clock game for the Bills in the first four in terms of home games. So they had a. They had a Sunday night and a Thursday night. They got another Sunday night with New England coming up. So. So it'll be something. And I will tell you this on your. On the saint side of the field. The sun's out. You're gonna be warm out on the sidelines in or.
- [39:16]
Jeff Nowak
I can't wait.
- [39:17]
Dan
Yeah, it'll be something. So anyhow, Jeff, thanks so much for being with us. Jeff Nowak, from the inside, the black and gold podcast wwl. We appreciate him being with us and for his honest appraisal of what the Saints are. And hey, that's what they say. It's why they play the games. That's the way the Browns went into it with the packers and they came away with a win. So Bills fans better be ready. You never know what happens in the NFL. That's going to do it for us this week. Thanks for being with us. Please make sure to like, comment and subscribe. Thanks for being with us again in the Connors and Ferris podcast studio and we will be live in Canandaigua on Thursday night doing our podcast. So make sure you come down to Lincoln Hill Farms where we'll be there, Jenna, Dan and myself for the latest Buffalo plus podcast. Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on Buffalo Plus.