Lamar Jackson (Fri 8/7 - Seg 8) - Middays With Matt

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Transcript4 lines

[00:01]
A
When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
[00:32]
B
Family man Josh Odson, Family man Matt mc. You're kidding me, right? They want me to read this. Okay. Family man Josh Hodson, Family man Matt mc. I'm sorry, there's just no way I'm gonna get through this. You're listening to MIDDAYS with Matt on 1620 the Zone.
[00:54]
C
Hey, we've been taking text all day from the Prairie Flower Casino Z line/text line 429-516-2020. We also also love taking your emails from the Equitable bank zone inbox. Equitable bank, they take banking personally. Shout out to old man Doug and Equitable bank man. Fifteen years in Omaha. Congratulations to them. Celebrating it this Saturday. Doug has been such a an incredible sponsor for this radio station, such an incredible support system for this radio station. We love having him on when he calls in. We love taking his calls. For me personally, Doug has been awesome in terms of welcoming me to Omaha. I've had so many great individuals say, hey, welcome to the city. If you need anything, let me know. And Doug has been one of those top people for me. So we want to shout out Doug, shout out Equitable bank in terms of the great accomplishments. So once again, congratulations to those guys. Fifteen years here in Omaha. Doug, you're the best also too. We've been going on the Liquid Trucking zone Twitter feed, Pesky Blue Shout Out Liquid Trucking. Appreciate their support of us and as well. All right. Let's talk real quickly. Austin Jacobson, he's at the Pinnacle Bank Championship. So we'll talk to Austin live from Indian Greek Golf Course in just about 10 minutes. Before we get there, there's been a quarterback topic in the NFL that I wanted to get to over the last couple of days. The Athletic released their quarterback tiers. It's been going on for about 12, 13 years now where you know, they have 50 different executives slash coaches come in, vote on the polls, head coaches, DCs, OCs, GMs, assistant GMS, you name the likes who then go and rank quarterbacks. And there was a couple that were very interesting to me in Terms of where they ranked on the tiers. Tier 2 was absolutely loaded, but it was headlined by somebody who were used to being in tier one. Lamar Jackson, according to executives and head coaches and assistant coaches, drops from tier one to tier two. The main quote is really just the concern about his, his rushing production slipping. Here's a quote from an anonymous supposing head coach quote. I'm not sure how much he wants to run and take hits anymore. He can't be special without the threat of a run. I think he needs to be more active when he does run. It used to be he would go and outrun you. Now he kind of goes, but he's not always moving with a purpose. LaMar Jackson has 1081 rushing attempts in his career. Last season his rushing rate dropped nearly half. He only ran 7.1%. It's always been above 10% in his career. Along with his designed rushes. I mean there were just times where the Baltimore Ravens would run a design rush and say, ah, no, we're not going to do that anymore. Lamar doesn't want to. I don't disagree necessarily with the statement that Lamar can't be special without running. He's still a really good pocket passer and I think that his rushing ability has always made him an underrated pocket passer. You go and look at his stats, but I just gotta start wondering with him. Three of the last five years he's missed four more games. Is the tread running out of the tires? You know, this is a guy that plays a very punishing position and does not help, never has never helped himself in terms of avoiding injury, avoid taking hits. Granted he's a two time mvp, has been one of the best quarterbacks of this decade. That's how he plays, right? So I'm not knocking him for playing the way that he plays, but I don't think it's unfair at all to ask the question, are we starting the downturn of Lamar Jackson's you know, career just because there's a lot, a lot of miles right on him in terms of, I mean he's already in his career, the number one leading rusher in quarterbacks in NFL history. Something to watch for the Baltimore Ravens. Think they're an interesting team. Pretty, pretty manageable schedule for the Ravens this season. Two quarterback, same division. I want to quickly talk about Jordan Love and Caleb Williams. Jordan Love is an awesome quarterback for from an analytical and even vanilla stat perspective. Number two in EPA behind Drake May last season. Top five in QBR amongst quarterbacks last season. You, you know he's been turned into this like, oh, he, he turns the ball over a lot. You look at his like rates, I mean they're pretty low in terms of his interception rate and turnover rates. It's just the guy, when he turns the ball over makes the most silliest back breaking decisions you'll ever see. It's almost like he has a glitch sometimes when he turns the ball over. But I just think for him like you know, first off, being a quarterback wearing the Packer jersey after the two guys who came before you is really tough because we have such a high expectation of what Green Bay quarterback play looks like. He's just not a guy. And, and they kind of, they say it here, you know, they, they doubt his killer instinct in this article by the Athletic and for me it's like when A or Aaron Rodgers held the ball, when Peyton Manning held the ball, when Tom Brady held the ball, when Pat Mahomes held the ball against a team I was rooting for, I was scared, I was really scared about what they were going to do and how they were going to affect the team. I wanted to win. I don't feel that way with Jordan Love yet. But I, I definitely don't think you can deny that he is just an incredibly effective and high level quarterback in the NFL. Just when he messes up, he messes up big time real quick. Last quarterback before we take a break, talk to A.J. i've heard at Sports Caleb Williams. I, I, I'm buying more stock in him and I know people like Mike Schaefer and they make the jokes and whatever. 58 completion percentage. This guy was a super effective quarterback and a winning quarterback while being inefficient. Okay? He held the ball for 3.09 seconds per snap per passing play. Last year was number one in the NFL in a new system that makes him do things that he's never done before in his career. I think one more year under Ben Johnson and this year under Ben Johnson, him being more efficient, him being quicker, him making better decisions, his stock is only going to rise. He's killing it. He's killing it right now in training camp with the Bears. I'm not shocked by it. I think Caleb's gonna have a big year. Take a break. Talk to Austin Jacobson about Haynes King here on my days with Matt Granger
[06:40]
D
knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead you need to see through walls and around corners, lights about to fail, filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: Middays With Matt – Lamar Jackson (Fri 8/7 – Seg 8)

Host: Matt McMaster
Date: August 7, 2026
Station: 1620 The Zone
Episode Theme:
This segment of "Middays With Matt" centers on the shifting perceptions of NFL quarterbacks, focusing on Lamar Jackson's ranking in The Athletic's annual QB tiers. Matt also touches on Jordan Love’s trajectory with the Packers and Caleb Williams’s promising start in the NFL. The episode navigates concerns about career longevity, analytics, and team implications for these notable QBs.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Athletic’s NFL QB Tiers & Lamar Jackson’s Ranking

(Timestamp: 01:24 – 04:19)

Context: The Athletic polls 50 NFL coaches and executives, ranking quarterbacks annually.
Key Insight: Lamar Jackson has dropped from Tier 1 to Tier 2.
- Quote from anonymous coach (read by Matt):
  
  “I'm not sure how much he wants to run and take hits anymore. He can't be special without the threat of a run. I think he needs to be more active when he does run. It used to be he would go and outrun you. Now he kind of goes, but he's not always moving with a purpose.” — [02:25]
- Stat Breakdown:
  - Jackson's career has featured 1,081 rushing attempts.
  - Rushing rate dropped to 7.1% last season (from a career average above 10%).
  - Cited times the Ravens abandoned designed QB rushes last season.
Host’s Analysis:
- Matt expresses that while some concerns may be valid, Jackson remains an effective pocket passer, arguably underrated due to his rushing reputation.
  - Matt:
    
    "I don't disagree necessarily with the statement that Lamar can't be special without running. He's still a really good pocket passer and I think that his rushing ability has always made him an underrated pocket passer." — [03:24]
- Injury and durability are concerns:
  - Missed 4+ games in 3 of the last 5 years.
  - Questioned whether the “tread is running out on the tires.”
- Acknowledges Jackson remains an elite talent, but wonders if he’s entering the downturn of his career due to the cumulative workload.
  - Matt:
    
    “I don't think it's unfair at all to ask the question, are we starting the downturn of Lamar Jackson's career just because there's a lot, a lot of miles right on him...” — [03:46]
Ravens’ Outlook:
- Baltimore considered a team to watch, with a "pretty manageable schedule."

2. Jordan Love and the Packers: Evaluating Progression & Perception

(Timestamp: 04:19 – 05:11)

Performance Notes:
- Top 5 in QBR and #2 in EPA (“Expected Points Added”) behind Drake May last year.
- Noted for relatively low interception and turnover rates.
- Critique: When mistakes occur, they’re “the most silliest back breaking decisions you'll ever see...almost like a glitch.”
  - Matt:
    
    “When he turns the ball over, makes the most silliest back breaking decisions you'll ever see. It's almost like he has a glitch sometimes when he turns the ball over.” — [04:41]
Contextual Pressure:
- Succeeding legendary Packers QBs sets sky-high expectations.
- Athletic’s write-up questions Jordan’s "killer instinct."
- Matt’s Fan Perspective:
  - Historically, seeing names like Rodgers, Manning, Brady, or Mahomes “holding the ball” would cause genuine fear as an opposing fan; Love doesn’t inspire that yet, but is respected for his effectiveness.
  - Matt:
    
    “When A or Aaron Rodgers held the ball, when Peyton Manning held the ball, when Tom Brady held the ball, when Pat Mahomes held the ball against a team I was rooting for, I was scared...I don't feel that way with Jordan Love yet. But I, I definitely don't think you can deny that he is just an incredibly effective and high level quarterback in the NFL.” — [04:50]

3. Caleb Williams: Upside, Critiques, and Future Outlook

(Timestamp: 05:11 – 06:11)

Summary: Matt’s bullish on Caleb Williams despite skepticism.
- Critics point to his 58% completion rate, “make the jokes.”
- Value in “winning while inefficient”—able to secure wins despite non-flashy stats.
- Notable stat: Led the NFL in “time to throw” at 3.09 seconds/pass in a new system.
- Believes under Chicago Bears OC Ben Johnson, Williams will become more efficient and his “stock is only going to rise.”
  - Matt:
    
    “I think one more year under Ben Johnson and this year under Ben Johnson, him being more efficient, him being quicker, him making better decisions, his stock is only going to rise. He's killing it right now in training camp with the Bears.” — [06:02]
- Predicts a “big year” for Williams and isn’t surprised by strong training camp performance.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Lamar Jackson’s career outlook:

“Are we starting the downturn of Lamar Jackson's career just because there's a lot, a lot of miles right on him?” — Matt, [03:46]
On Jordan Love’s growing pains:

“When he messes up, he messes up big time.” — Matt, [04:56]
On Caleb Williams’ promise:

“He's killing it right now in training camp with the Bears. I'm not shocked by it. I think Caleb's gonna have a big year.” — Matt, [06:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

01:24: Opening discussion on The Athletic’s QB Tiers and Jackson’s drop
02:25: Quote from anonymous coach about Jackson’s rushing
03:46: Host questions longevity of Jackson’s style
04:19: Jordan Love analysis
04:50: “Killer instinct” and QB fear factor
05:11: Assessment of Caleb Williams
06:05: Williams’s training camp and year outlook

Tone and Experience

Matt’s tone is conversational, analytical, and candid, blending statistical analysis with personal insights and fan perspective. He isn’t shy about questioning established narratives while also respecting each quarterback’s unique context and performance history.

Summary

In this episode, Matt McMaster delivers a nuanced view of current quarterback narratives in the NFL. He unpacks Lamar Jackson’s dip in peer rankings, balancing the valid concerns with the reminder of Jackson’s elite skillset and the “miles” he’s logged. Jordan Love is recognized for impressive stats but still has much to prove in legacy-building, while Caleb Williams is pegged for a breakout year under the right development system. Throughout, Matt provides both insight for the die-hard NFL follower and relatable context for casual fans.

Loading summary

Transcript4 lines

[00:01]
A
When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
[00:32]
B
Family man Josh Odson, Family man Matt mc. You're kidding me, right? They want me to read this. Okay. Family man Josh Hodson, Family man Matt mc. I'm sorry, there's just no way I'm gonna get through this. You're listening to MIDDAYS with Matt on 1620 the Zone.
[00:54]
C
Hey, we've been taking text all day from the Prairie Flower Casino Z line/text line 429-516-2020. We also also love taking your emails from the Equitable bank zone inbox. Equitable bank, they take banking personally. Shout out to old man Doug and Equitable bank man. Fifteen years in Omaha. Congratulations to them. Celebrating it this Saturday. Doug has been such a an incredible sponsor for this radio station, such an incredible support system for this radio station. We love having him on when he calls in. We love taking his calls. For me personally, Doug has been awesome in terms of welcoming me to Omaha. I've had so many great individuals say, hey, welcome to the city. If you need anything, let me know. And Doug has been one of those top people for me. So we want to shout out Doug, shout out Equitable bank in terms of the great accomplishments. So once again, congratulations to those guys. Fifteen years here in Omaha. Doug, you're the best also too. We've been going on the Liquid Trucking zone Twitter feed, Pesky Blue Shout Out Liquid Trucking. Appreciate their support of us and as well. All right. Let's talk real quickly. Austin Jacobson, he's at the Pinnacle Bank Championship. So we'll talk to Austin live from Indian Greek Golf Course in just about 10 minutes. Before we get there, there's been a quarterback topic in the NFL that I wanted to get to over the last couple of days. The Athletic released their quarterback tiers. It's been going on for about 12, 13 years now where you know, they have 50 different executives slash coaches come in, vote on the polls, head coaches, DCs, OCs, GMs, assistant GMS, you name the likes who then go and rank quarterbacks. And there was a couple that were very interesting to me in Terms of where they ranked on the tiers. Tier 2 was absolutely loaded, but it was headlined by somebody who were used to being in tier one. Lamar Jackson, according to executives and head coaches and assistant coaches, drops from tier one to tier two. The main quote is really just the concern about his, his rushing production slipping. Here's a quote from an anonymous supposing head coach quote. I'm not sure how much he wants to run and take hits anymore. He can't be special without the threat of a run. I think he needs to be more active when he does run. It used to be he would go and outrun you. Now he kind of goes, but he's not always moving with a purpose. LaMar Jackson has 1081 rushing attempts in his career. Last season his rushing rate dropped nearly half. He only ran 7.1%. It's always been above 10% in his career. Along with his designed rushes. I mean there were just times where the Baltimore Ravens would run a design rush and say, ah, no, we're not going to do that anymore. Lamar doesn't want to. I don't disagree necessarily with the statement that Lamar can't be special without running. He's still a really good pocket passer and I think that his rushing ability has always made him an underrated pocket passer. You go and look at his stats, but I just gotta start wondering with him. Three of the last five years he's missed four more games. Is the tread running out of the tires? You know, this is a guy that plays a very punishing position and does not help, never has never helped himself in terms of avoiding injury, avoid taking hits. Granted he's a two time mvp, has been one of the best quarterbacks of this decade. That's how he plays, right? So I'm not knocking him for playing the way that he plays, but I don't think it's unfair at all to ask the question, are we starting the downturn of Lamar Jackson's you know, career just because there's a lot, a lot of miles right on him in terms of, I mean he's already in his career, the number one leading rusher in quarterbacks in NFL history. Something to watch for the Baltimore Ravens. Think they're an interesting team. Pretty, pretty manageable schedule for the Ravens this season. Two quarterback, same division. I want to quickly talk about Jordan Love and Caleb Williams. Jordan Love is an awesome quarterback for from an analytical and even vanilla stat perspective. Number two in EPA behind Drake May last season. Top five in QBR amongst quarterbacks last season. You, you know he's been turned into this like, oh, he, he turns the ball over a lot. You look at his like rates, I mean they're pretty low in terms of his interception rate and turnover rates. It's just the guy, when he turns the ball over makes the most silliest back breaking decisions you'll ever see. It's almost like he has a glitch sometimes when he turns the ball over. But I just think for him like you know, first off, being a quarterback wearing the Packer jersey after the two guys who came before you is really tough because we have such a high expectation of what Green Bay quarterback play looks like. He's just not a guy. And, and they kind of, they say it here, you know, they, they doubt his killer instinct in this article by the Athletic and for me it's like when A or Aaron Rodgers held the ball, when Peyton Manning held the ball, when Tom Brady held the ball, when Pat Mahomes held the ball against a team I was rooting for, I was scared, I was really scared about what they were going to do and how they were going to affect the team. I wanted to win. I don't feel that way with Jordan Love yet. But I, I definitely don't think you can deny that he is just an incredibly effective and high level quarterback in the NFL. Just when he messes up, he messes up big time real quick. Last quarterback before we take a break, talk to A.J. i've heard at Sports Caleb Williams. I, I, I'm buying more stock in him and I know people like Mike Schaefer and they make the jokes and whatever. 58 completion percentage. This guy was a super effective quarterback and a winning quarterback while being inefficient. Okay? He held the ball for 3.09 seconds per snap per passing play. Last year was number one in the NFL in a new system that makes him do things that he's never done before in his career. I think one more year under Ben Johnson and this year under Ben Johnson, him being more efficient, him being quicker, him making better decisions, his stock is only going to rise. He's killing it. He's killing it right now in training camp with the Bears. I'm not shocked by it. I think Caleb's gonna have a big year. Take a break. Talk to Austin Jacobson about Haynes King here on my days with Matt Granger
[06:40]
D
knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead you need to see through walls and around corners, lights about to fail, filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.