Are the Los Angeles Rams & Matthew Stafford the best team in the league?

Summary

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Scoop City: Inside The NFL

Episode: Are the Los Angeles Rams & Matthew Stafford the best team in the league?

Date: November 24, 2025
Hosts: James Palmer (The Athletic), Chase Daniel (ex-quarterback)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Week 12’s most dramatic NFL moments, with a core focus on the Los Angeles Rams’ dominance and Matthew Stafford’s MVP campaign. Palmer and Daniel dissect the state of the league’s best teams—the Rams, Chiefs, Cowboys, and more—and provide behind-the-scenes details and expert analysis on quarterback evolutions, offensive strategies, coaching impacts, and standout player performances. Key questions surface, such as: Are the Rams now the outright best team in football? Is Stafford playing the best football of his career? Can the Chiefs reinvent themselves in time? The hosts also break down rookie QB debuts and coaching carousel news with their signature candid, analytical banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Season-Saving Win & Mahomes Reset

• Game Recap:
  The Chiefs staged a critical comeback against the Colts, greatly improving their playoff odds (from 36% to 67% with the win).
• Red Zone Woes vs. General Domination:
  Chiefs outgained the Colts in almost every statistical category but were only 1-for-6 in the red zone. (04:05)
  • Chase Daniel: "If they lose this... it just gets a lot more difficult. I do think this is a point... this is absolutely a season-saving win for the Chiefs." (05:24)
• Mahomes’ Self-Reflection and Adjustment:
  Mahomes admitted postgame he slowed down in the pocket and played more methodically, a shift from recent "skittish" habits.
  • James Palmer: “He said... I have to be that guy in order for us to win. And I thought I did a better job of it in this game.” (06:00)
  • Chase Daniel: “He’s not trusting the offensive line at all... he’s hitting his back foot and already at number three in progression because he’s so smart.” (07:05)
• Key Plays & Tactical Breakdown:
  Daniel zooms in on a season-defining 3rd and 7 in OT (Worthy’s route) and a crucial Rashee Rice completion that set up the game-winner. (08:43)
  • Daniel: “You could make a case... this is a season-defining play for them.”

2. New Look for Chiefs: Committing to the Run

• Statistical Shift:
  For the first time this season, Chiefs had a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game. (05:24)
• Andy Reid’s Philosophy Flip:
  Instead of passing to set up the run, the Chiefs prioritized running early.
  • Chase Daniel: "Andy Reid has always been a pass to set up the run. This game, it was run to set up the pass. It was a good game plan." (11:06)
• Offensive Line Impact:
  Running early allowed the O-line to settle and contributed to later pass-game success, despite red zone inefficiency.
  • Daniel: "Those big hogs up front... love running the football. It also helps them get settled in early in the game.” (12:51)

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3. Dallas Cowboys: Epic Comeback & Coaching Culture

• Comeback vs. Eagles:
  Down 21-0, Dallas scored 24 unanswered. The win was seen as season-saving, thanks to heightened locker-room unity.
  • James Palmer: “This could carry them... with what Brian Schottenheimer has been able to do.” (13:57)
  • Chase Daniel: “He hasn’t lost the locker room, man. And that’s super important.” (14:06)
• Dak Prescott’s MVP-Level Play:
  Faced with adversity, Prescott remained poised. The Cowboys kept the run/pass balance, sticking to their prep even when down big.
  • Palmer: “He goes for 354, completing 64%... He found some soft spots in our zone...” (15:32)
  • Daniel: “When you’re down 21 nothing early, it feels like insurmountable. You can’t get all 21 points back in one play.” (16:44)
• George Pickens Transformation:
  The Cowboys are unlocking Pickens’ full route tree, making him one of the most dangerous WRs in football.
  • Chase Daniel: “They’re really putting on display his full arsenal... If they don’t tag him, like, George Pickens is worth $40 million a year.” (19:34)

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4. Los Angeles Rams: Are They NFL’s Best?

• Win Streak & NFC Supremacy:
  Rams’ 6-game streak is Stafford’s longest; five of those wins by >14 points, never trailing in them. (20:58)
• Stafford’s Career Peak:
  At age 37, Stafford’s synergy with McVay and weapons like Devante Adams, Puka Devonte, and Kyren Williams fuels an MVP-caliber run.
  • Chase Daniel: “They are the most well-rounded team offensively, in my opinion... He’s playing like the unquestioned MVP.” (21:14)
  • Palmer: “[He’s] seeing it so quick... he’s the best QB in the NFL against the blitz... in play action... and in the red zone. The only thing missing is game-winning drives—because he hasn’t needed them!” (22:25)
  • Daniel: “What Devante [Adams] is able to do at his age... is still in my opinion one of the best receivers at tight window releases.” (23:38)
• Elite Red Zone Play (Both Sides):
  Rams are top-5 in red zone offense (83% success last 3 weeks) and #2 in red zone defense.
  • Palmer: “Where they are from the 20s and in separates them from the rest of the league.” (24:49)

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5. Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson’s Organizational Turnaround

• Culture Shift:
  New head coach Ben Johnson’s message and offensive creativity are energizing the Bears.
  • Chase Daniel: “The power of buy-in is huge... the messaging behind the messenger is Ben Johnson.” (26:01)
  • Daniel: “[They’re] top five in the league in a lot of categories... with a [QB] that’s middling. It looks like an NFL offense now.” (26:01)
• Caleb Williams’ Growth:
  Emphasis on minimizing negative plays and learning from Detroit’s offense is unlocking gradual improvements.
  • Daniel: “No negative plays, no sacks, no turnovers. A punt is not a bad deal.” (28:40)
  • Daniel: “He’s gotten a lot better within the pocket, under center. That’s the biggest thing I’ve seen.” (29:53)

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6. QB Debuts & Struggles: Shador Sanders, J.J. McCarthy, and Coaching Moves

Shador Sanders (Browns)

• Debut Analysis:
  Browns limited Sanders’ responsibilities, but he made flashes (notably against cover zero pressure).
  • Daniel: “The grade is incomplete. Solid’s fine... for the most part, the Cleveland Browns didn’t allow him to play quarterback.” (35:38)
  • Palmer: “Inside the building they thought it was a solid day... we set him up to succeed the best we could.” (35:38)
  • Daniel: “He deserves another start. The Browns are in evaluation phase...” (39:32)

Coaching Changes

• Vegas & Around the League:
  Pete Carroll fired OC Chip Kelly after a disastrous week; Mike Kafka (interim) is shaking up the Raiders’ lineup on both sides of the ball.

J.J. McCarthy (Vikings)

• Continuing to Struggle:
  McCarthy is among the worst graded QBs by advanced metrics (EPA per dropback 870th out of 813 since 2005).
  • Daniel: “Everything’s not working. Next question.” (41:11)
  • Palmer: “Are these mechanics fixable?”
    Daniel: “They are, but it’s how fast can they be fixed. And you can only really evaluate that when the game’s live.” (45:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Rams dominance:
  James Palmer: “We might have, for the first time this season, the unquestioned best team in the NFL, I believe, and that’s the Los Angeles Rams.” (24:49)

• On Andy Reid’s adjusted approach:
  Chase Daniel: “Andy Reid has always been a pass to set up the run. This game, it was run to set up the pass.” (11:06)

• On coaching “buy-in” and transformation in Chicago:
  Daniel: “The power of buy-in is huge. Not every single head coach in America can get these old men... grown men to buy into a message.” (26:01)

• On Jameis Winston’s rollercoaster:
  Daniel: “Red-hot Jameis... He’s like top 10, top 8. Just bottle that up.” (50:17)

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 03:36 | Chiefs season on the line; breakdown of playoff odds | | 04:50 | Chiefs second half adjustments, Mahomes’ mindset | | 08:43 | Key OT play analysis: Mahomes to Worthy | | 10:41 | Chiefs’ run game & Andy Reid’s philosophy | | 13:57 | Cowboys’ comeback vs. Eagles; locker room impact | | 15:32 | Dak Prescott’s MVP-caliber performance | | 19:34 | George Pickens’ expanded role and “$40M” valuation | | 20:57 | Rams: streak, Stafford’s elite play, red zone stats | | 26:01 | Bears’ culture shift and Ben Johnson’s leadership | | 28:27 | Caleb Williams’ development inside the pocket | | 35:38 | Shador Sanders’ debut for the Browns | | 41:11 | JJ McCarthy’s struggles, ugly stat: EPA per dropback | | 48:18 | Week 12 shout-outs: Jameis Winston, Jahmyr Gibbs |

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Week 12 Shout-Outs

• Chase Daniel:
  Jameis Winston, for electrifying ball play, dynamic improvisation, and energy on a struggling team (48:37)

• James Palmer:
  Jahmyr Gibbs, for unparalleled speed and explosiveness—now with the highest yards per carry (>500 attempts) since 1950, surpassing Bo Jackson (50:33)

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Takeaways for NFL Fans

• Rams’ dominance is real, built on Stafford’s MVP play and a perfectly-synced offense/defense.
• Chiefs may have turned a corner, embracing a more balanced attack and giving Mahomes room to recalibrate.
• Dak is still elite, and Dallas’ coaching shift deserves real credit for stabilizing the team.
• Chicago is rising on the back of coaching buy-in and gradual QB play improvement.
• QB evaluation season is here for struggling franchises: rookie QBs, like Shador Sanders and J.J. McCarthy, are under the microscope—with coaching and supporting cast playing pivotal roles in their trajectories.
• Every week still brings jaw-dropping individual plays, like those from Jameis Winston and Jahmyr Gibbs.

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This episode is an essential listen—or read—for NFL fans tracking the late-season power shifts, the evolution of big-name quarterbacks, and the subtle factors that build (or break) elite teams. The hosts’ blend of humor, player insights, and inside intel delivers both entertainment and education for die-hard fans and casual observers alike.

Transcript

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[James Palmer]

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[Chase Daniel]

I don't have my. My computer's not in here because.

[James Palmer]

Is it overheating still? This one's still functioning.

[Chase Daniel]

This one's actually. It's a little chilly in the shade, not gonna lie.

[James Palmer]

Oh yeah, that's what happens in like Palm Springs. You're like, you're hot in one spot. You go across the street, you're freezing. No doubt like what's going on this summer? We're there playing pickleball at like 4:35 in the morning because before it, we died. And 100% Y. Oh, welcome into a scoop city Monday. James Palmer here with you. Don't forget to like and subscribe because we had an avalanche of competitive football. I don't know if that's a term, but I'm coining it. I bring in Chase Daniel with me right now as we're going to break down everything that went on in week 12. Are the Chiefs now a real threat in the postseason? We'll see. Are the Rams clearly. Do we have for the first time this NFL season, the best team in the NFL? And Shador Sanders. Not sure if anybody told you about this or not. He made his first NFL start. And Chase, here we are. People always compare the Mountains or the beach? Which do you prefer? Do you like to go to the mountains? Do you like to go to the sunshine?

[Chase Daniel]

Look at.

[James Palmer]

We got both right now. I'm up in the mountains. You got the beautiful palm trees. What's your take? If you're. If you're picking one, by the way, Because I know you like both.

[Chase Daniel]

I do like both. And honestly, I got both right now because it's greenery and palm trees. But if you see back there, that's real. That's a mountain, too.

[James Palmer]

That's Palm Springs.

[Chase Daniel]

Like we're in the desert in Palm Springs. It's great. It's going well. But if I had to pick, it's probably the beach. Probably the beach.

[James Palmer]

Sustainable. You spend.

[Chase Daniel]

But I love the mountains. I love the mountains in the summer. That's what I love the mountains in.

[James Palmer]

Sneaky thing. I live here in Colorado. You know what the saying always was? People move here because of the ski season. They stay because of the summers. And that might be exactly right. And now listen, let's get right into it. Chase, we're going to talk about a team that you're very familiar with and you have never given up on Kansas City Chiefs, but this was probably the biggest game of the weekend. Yes, we had some great ones and we'll get to all of them. But in terms of what was on the line for the Kansas City Chiefs, the teams that knows nothing other than at least the AFC Championship game with Patrick Mahomes really on the brink, we had the percentages on the athletic. Was it like the junk o mater or the playoff mater, Whatever you want to call it.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah.

[James Palmer]

56% chance of making the playoffs before this game. If they lost, that would go down to 36% to make the postseason. They win, it jumps up to 67%. They have a big comeback. What jumped out at you? Because I know you watched all this. We were texting during the game. What jumped out at you about Patrick Mahomes in this group specifically? I guess in the second half.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, I mean, second half. First half was not good. I mean, it didn't look good. Mahomes first, second series, got picked off and deep in his own end zone. And if you watch this game from start to finish, like it is the tale of two halves for the Chiefs, but also like the Chiefs completely dominated this game in every type of way other than score. They were 1 for 6 in the red zone. That's the biggest thing I noticed. But 33 first downs for the Chiefs to only 10 for the Colts and the Colts couldn't do anything in the second half. So I don't know if that's more so Colts being like, you know, struggling or if you got to give credit to Spags defense. Like Spags defense, they, they really clamped it up and they got a lot. The, the offense for the Chiefs had a lot of possessions in the second half and they were able to just grind it out. And it's not hyperbole to say this is absolutely a season saving win for the Chiefs. Like there's, there's no doubt about it. Like if they lose this and, and with their schedule coming up, it just, it gets a lot more difficult. I do think this is a point and I'm not saying the Chiefs are fixed. I'm not saying the Chiefs are back and they're going to win the super, all that stuff because there are issues. But when you somehow find a way to win a game at home against what was probably the best team in the afc, it was definitely the best offense in the afc and they been winning a lot of games. They've only punted like I think 20 times in the first 11 games. And they're a part time employee in the NFL.

[James Palmer]

Yeah.

[Chase Daniel]

And I just think that Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey and Rasheed Rice and Spagno and all the, all the main characters for the Chiefs, they had to show up at the right time and they all showed up. I mean, James, this is the first time this year that the Chiefs, crazy or not, first time they've had 100 yard receiver and 100 yard rusher in the same game. Like they started off the season really good offensively and they sort of hit a lull. But if Pastor Mahomes can settle in, if he can continue doing what he's doing, man, you have to always, you can never count the Chiefs out. Ever.

[James Palmer]

Perfect. I'm going to get to the run game in a second. You mentioned Patrick Williams. I thought it was extremely telling Chase postgame where Patrick kind of illuminated a little bit on how he's been playing. He said, you know, in late in the fourth quarter and overtime, I felt like I did a really good job of going through my reads, making sure I stayed in the pocket and took my time and distributed the ball effectively. I thought there was one quote that really stood out where he said, I have to be that guy in order for us to win. And I thought I did a better job of it in this game. He's scrambling more than any other quarterback in football this year. What did you see that could maybe Illuminate a little bit into what's going on with this offense that we can take from the back end of this game that they can already use on Thursday for maybe a little bit difference that Patrick saw in the way he played.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, look, I agree. And look for Romo calling like 18 Chiefs games this year. The one thing I thought he did really well was he actually hit on that early. He's like, hey, Mahomes in the pocket. Skittish is not the right word because Patrick, Mahomes and Skittish, they just don't go together. He just looked uncomfortable for whatever reason. Maybe it's just a little thing he's going through, but he was really sped up in his drops. He was really sped up in how he went through progressions. And that's how Romo said it's like, hey, this offense, right, I played in a long time. It is like a pure progression offense. Which means, hey, you go to your number one read. If he's not open, you go to number two, you go to number three. I saw in really the first half and really the last two and a half games, I would say he's getting back there. He's not trusting the offensive line at all. Trey Smith obviously out with a high ankle or whatever that is that he's dealing with, but he's, he, he's like, he's hitting his back foot in his drop and he's already at number three in progression because he's so smart. He's so used to being able to do that rather than like there's, there's certain types of plays in that offense and people think, oh, hey, there's, there's a five step drop, right? And there's multiple different. But let's just take a five step drop. There are at least five different five step drops and you're like, wait, what?

[James Palmer]

What?

[Chase Daniel]

No, like yeah, yeah, yeah. And there really is. So like there could quickest five step drop you ever did to throw an out rod to the field. There could be the slowest five step drop that you ever did to let a deeper developing third and 15, third and 17 play develop. There's all sorts of stuff. I just felt like for at least these two and a half quarter, two and a half games, he wasn't marrying his feet with the concepts. And then finally in the second half he sort of calmed down, settled down and was able to go through progressions and he was able to exploit man coverage which the Colts did play a lot against.

[James Palmer]

Can we, can we see this? Can we can we see break this down a little bit.

[Chase Daniel]

We got two plays. I think the play that really stands out to me the most is the first play in overtime that we're going to show and you're going to see Xavier worthy up there at the top of your screen. They're in a four by one formation and Xavier is just going to go and take a left turn and is able to run away from man. I think that a lot of people are like, hey, what are you doing playing man to man versus Patrick Mahomes? Well, I'm okay with it as long as you don't blitz six. James, they're blitzing six right here.

[James Palmer]

They needed to find ways to get pressure without Buckton.

[Chase Daniel]

Do that against Mahomes though. I'm telling you, they have a three man front. I mean this is, you could, you could make a case like this is a season defining play for them because it's 3rd and 7 and OT, the Colts are going to have good field position. He's able to step up in the pocket and throw. And then this one. Rashee Rice 21, 21, 21 yard completion. It's second and 10. Rasheed's in the slot down here in a three by one formation and they're not playing, they're trying to play this match zone. And the Chiefs do such a great job of perfectly calling this play where you're just going to run the number three receiver straight through and you're going to bring Rasheed Rice on a little in route right behind him. You see 20 carried out by him and then Mahomes is just able to, to fire it into him and this is able to give Harrison Bucker the chance to, to win the game. And I just think if you watch Mahomes on this and you watch his feet, there's so much more settled. One, two, three. He hitches up. He's a little bit off kilter a little bit, but he's able to throw it accurately. I saw him some inaccurate footballs throughout that entire game, but when this team needed on the most in the most important drive of the season in overtime, he was able to deliver.

[James Palmer]

I love it. Real quick one I have for you before we move on to the other monster game, which is the Eagles and the Cowboys, they were able, you mentioned it, run the football. 100 yard rusher in this game. Before this game, Patrick Mahomes was the leading rusher for a game for the Kansas City Chiefs with 66 rushing yards against the Eagles. Kareem Hunt goes for 104 but the important number to me is 30 carries.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah.

[James Palmer]

You've been around Andy Reid a lot, so I wanted to ask you this question because we all know there's this perception around the country of Andy hates to run the ball. What have your conversations with Andy Reid been like? Take us inside those about running the football, in his belief in it. Because in this one, Patrick even said it after the game, 100%. It played an impact on how I was able to make some of those throws late in the game. Yeah.

[Chase Daniel]

Even though they haven't had a extremely efficient run game for the most part, when they've had to run the football, they've actually got a lot more carries in games than I've seen Andy redo. Andy Reid's always been a, hey, let's pass it first to set up the run. Completely different. Flipped it on its head. This game. First and second down, Mahomes under center. It's usually playoffs. They ran the football under center, and it was. It was okay with 4 to 5 yards of carry for Kareem, and it was just. It was. It was one of those things where they wanted to control the football. They wanted to control a game other than the. The. Really. The. The interception. I felt like, for the most part, they. They did that. And now when they got in the red zone, they got to figure that out. They, like, you have to score touchdowns in the red. If they score on just two of those trips, this game's a blowout. And so if you really just look at the game, that's the one point is the red zone. But them. Them running the football and. And understanding controlling the line of scrimmage, not only does it help, obviously, run to set up the pass, but it does help that offensive line, who has struggled this year at times, and. All right, guys, I'm back. Sorry, we're in a different location. My iPad. I've never seen this. My iPad completely overheated. It's Palm Springs, and it's only 63 degrees out here yet. My iPad overheats. Elevation. We were talking about the Chiefs run game. And so for the Chiefs run game, what I was saying is the offensive line actually loves running the football if those big hogs up front. And so it also helps them get settled in early in the game. That's what Andy was able to do. They were able to get these offensive lines settled in, and then it worked later on in the game to let them hang in and pass protection, all that stuff. So like I was saying multiple times, it's. Andy Reid has Always been a pass to set up the run. This game, it was run to set up the pass. It was a. It was a good game plan.

[James Palmer]

It really was. And hey, everybody talks about the tush push all the time. Chase, you know what's even better than a tush push? It's Kareem Hunt on third and one.

[Chase Daniel]

Or fourth and one.

[James Palmer]

He's unbelievable, making sure he can get that extra yard. It's been outstanding. Every time I feel like I talk to people in that building too, they were like, man, I think this might be it for Kareem. He's playing on one leg, and all of a sudden he just finds a way to get y and help this offense. Okay, they're going to play in just a handful of days on Thanksgiving against our next team that came from behind. That's the Dallas Cowboys. Mahomes and company are going to go down to Arlington, face off against Dak Prescott and company. Chase, this was a monster comeback, one for the ages. And this also saved a team season. They scored 24 unanswered, down 21 nothing. And I had a text exchange with somebody in that building before this game. Late in the week last week, they said, you know what? I feel like if we win this game against Philly, I'm really curious what this is going to do for our locker room with everything we've been through and the momentum it gives us as the first win in the next 12 days. We have three games. You. You wanted to mention what Brian Schottenheimer's role in that is, because we saw what that locker room was postgame and this could carry them maybe in a quick turnaround against the Kansas City Chiefs with what Brian Schottenheimer has been able to do.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, look, I just think before the hiring process took place, we had talked about on this show and other shows like, hey, the. The process on which the Dallas Cowboys hire coaches, right? They didn't interview Ben Johnson. They didn't interview Mike Brable. They decided to. To opt in house. And there were some people out there, including me, I was like, hey, I just don't know how it's going to work. Like, they use. Offensive coordinator was calling plays. Now he's going to continue calling. There's a lot of that stuff. But just talking to multiple people, it's just like, I want to give credit to Brian Schottheimer because shotty, for all intents and purposes, like, it could have gone really bad. He could have locker room to turn on you. You know, the run game defense was so bad. You know, you had Dak, who was playing at an MVP type level. We talked about it multiple times on this show. But it's one of the worst defenses. In the end, they're able to win a game at home that everyone other than Dallas Cowboy fans thought they would lose. Like just pure matchup wise. There's no way they should have won that game. But they. He hasn't lost the locker room, man. And that's super important. And look, their schedule's not easy moving forward whatsoever. But it's one of those things where you can string a coup couple of these together, depending on how NFC falls. I think they're the 10th seed right now. You never know because Dak is playing at an extremely high level. That run defense has gotten a lot better. And so just want to give props to Brian Schottheimer for really, in a tough part of the season when a lot of teams go the opposite way, the Dallas Cowboys are doing the complete opposite of that.

[James Palmer]

Yeah. And they're handling something in terms of an off the field situation and Marshawn Nealon's passing, that is just something teams do not predict or plan that they're going to have to go through. And I think Brian Chalmer, if you talk to anybody in that building, him and Dak Prescott and Solomon Thomas, all these guys have held this group together brilliantly through what they've gone through. And you mentioned Dak Prescott. I wanted to revisit that because we had a great conversation a few weeks ago on the show Chase about how he was playing at an MVP level, playing arguably the best football of anybody at the quarterback position at that part of the season. Now we are here in week 12 and he has a brilliant performance against the defense that we thought was ascending and was already really good. He goes for 354, completing 64% of his passes, two touchdowns, intercepting only. I think that's a big part of it. Talking to people in Philadelphia was he stood in there, he was able to deliver the football on time. He found some soft spots in our zone. He was able to manipulate some things in terms of some layered throws he had. But the big part that stands out is the play action game. Even when they were down, they still consistently ran the football, which really allowed Dak to be really effective in the play action game. I want your thoughts from a quarterback's perspective of what you saw from Dak and what's it like when you're trying to run your offense down 21. Nothing that early against the defense you know, is really good. Good.

[Chase Daniel]

Well, I think that's the biggest thing too is when you're down 21 nothing early, it feels like insurmountable. Like, especially when you're going against that defense and they just kept knocking away, knocking away. And people can say, and. And I've been in these locker rooms, I've been on these sidelines where you're down 21 nothing and it's just pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. And I'm like, yeah, dude. There's so much time left in the game. You can't get all 21 points back in one play. And so I just think that's sort of what Brian Schottheimer did, is like he score how. And that's very difficult to do. Let's just run our plan, because think about it, James. When you're down 21 nothing, and then the first quarter, second or however much time is left in the game, there's a lot of time left. You spend seven full days game planning for a Philadelphia Eagles defense, and you have some plays that you know are going to work, but they're not all pass plays and they're not all run plays. There's some play action shot plays. There's some stuff where Dak is on the pocket. So you really want to be able to trust that game plan that you spent so much time as coaches doing. And unfortunately, more often than not, teams usually shy away from that because they're like, all right, we put it on. And that is so difficult for a quarterback to do, is to throw it every single snap. You still have to run it on first down, you still got to run it and play action on second down and in third down, you got to be good to make it come back. And there's some, some things, special teams wise in that game that, that went in Dallas's way. But I was, I was impressed with the game plan for sure.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, it was outstanding. And I love what they did with George Pickens. We have to get to him real quick before we move on because he's playing like arguably the best receiver in football. He's behind Jackson, Smith and Jigba in terms of receiving in the NFL. And that's the end of the list. He's playing like the number one on this team right now. They have Ceedee Lamb, which is unbelievable. And the, the in breaking stuff. And Brady was talking about this during the game. And then I went back and looked at some of the next gen stats. He catches seven of his nine routes. Everything's breaking on the end. And.

[Chase Daniel]

And.

[James Palmer]

And I wanted to get your take from a quarterback's perspective on what. Why Pickens is so good at these type of routes as a receiver. Receiver.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah. I mean, look, that's a great point, and I'm glad you picked up the next gen zest, because it did seem like that to me, because when I'm watching George Pickens this year compared to years prior, he's a completely different receiver this year because they're actually asking him to do a lot more this year than Pittsburgh has ever done. Pittsburgh, if you really looked at it and broke it down, and I don't know the percentage, But I say 60 to 70% of his total routes of his time in Pittsburgh was a go route, a hitch route, and a small slant route. That's it. And maybe some broken plays, stuff like that. And so what the Cowboys are doing is they're really putting on display his full arsenal of weapons as a receiver. And those are these intermediate in breaking routes where Dak's able to play action. Throw it. Really a tight window throw, but he's.

[James Palmer]

Able to go up.

[Chase Daniel]

And George has always been this way. He's not going to really just, like, separate. He's. And he's not like the. The. He's not Tyreek Hill fast. But what he does have is he has really good body awareness and really good ball skills for these tight window throws where he's just able to put his big mitts around the football and come down with tight window catches and contested catches. And the fact is Dax able to trust him on those this early in their tenure together? I mean, in my opinion, if they don't tag him, like, George pickens is worth $40 million a year. I mean, it is a. It is a huge, huge contract that is coming.

[James Palmer]

He's.

[Chase Daniel]

He's playing the best he's ever played.

[James Palmer]

He really is. And now Jerry's back in the same situation he was before. I can't pay three players that percentage of my salary cap. And it's like, but how do you let George Pickens out of the building? Maybe he gets tagged. We'll see what ends up happening with Pick. He has the same agent as Micah Parsons. Okay, the Eagles drop this one, and now we move on to the Rams. With the Eagles losing and the Rams winning in convincing fashion, Chase are now the number one team in the NFC. They have a 57% chance to win and get that number one seed out of the NFC. And a couple of things I wanted to throw at you before we got into a specific question about Matthew Stafford. The six game win streak is the longest of Stafford's career. They have won five of those six by more than 14 points. And in all of those games they haven't trailed at any point.

[Chase Daniel]

Wow.

[James Palmer]

And so it's, it's, it's unbelievable how they're getting out of the gate quickly and moving and they have just such a dynamic offense that's versatile we can get to. But with, with what Stafford's doing at 37, why are we seeing the best version than we've ever seen of Matthew Stafford?

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, I mean that's a great, that's a great question. I think the reason why you're doing it is one, look at the receiving corps and the weapons he's with and two, everyone's healthy. You look at the Rams the last two or three years, they've really started slow and at the end of the year they sort of peaked. I don't even think they've peaked yet. And that's a little bit scary because not only are they, I think they are the most well rounded team like offensively in my opinion, like Puka Devonte and Kyron Williams and Matthew Stafford. And to all these guys, their offensive line is healthy. Matthew's not getting hit and he's playing like the unquestioned mvp. Like I know Drake May's in that conversation, but if you just really look in MVP voters like numbers, the numbers are great. Forget about the numbers for a second. Like 30 touchdowns, two picks. It's like a, it's like the MVP Aaron Rodgers season we saw two or three years ago or whenever it was. But I just think that he's got complete control of the offense and him and Sean McVeigh, they're, they're geniuses. Like I've been in a room with Matthew Stafford and he is like they put so much on his plate to get in and out of the right play and then the connection with Devonte Adams specifically in the red zone has been next level.

[James Palmer]

It's unbelievable. I was asking around about Stafford just as some other offensive minds around the league. It was essentially this, like he's seeing it so quick and so much quicker than the defense can adjust post snap that he's a step ahead always. And that's why I'm told he's the best quarterback in the NFL against the blitz this year. He's the best quarterback in play action against teams this year. Way he's been manipulating linebackers like he's been the best red zone quarterback in the NFL. By a margin. And this is what stands out to me. They're also one of the best red zone defenses in football. So where they are from the 20s and in I think separates them from the rest of the league. I wanted to get your take on what you're seeing down there. The only thing I was, I was told by somebody is the only thing you're not seeing for Matthew Stafford this year Chase is those game winning drives. And then they joked and said because he hasn't had to have game winning, that's the only thing that's lacking. But where he's at in the red zone, specifically that short red zone with Devonte Adams, when I asked around in the same conversation she said was they both have such a high football iq, they both understand the details down there so well. And Devonte wins with his release like that. And Stafford sees it so quickly. What are you seeing from the best red zone combination really in all of football right now?

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, I mean I think, I think it starts with Devonte Adams. Like I know Stafford's putting these footballs up in the right area but what Devonte is able to do at his age, he's still in my opinion one of the best receivers at tight window releases which means you're in press position and you just can't get your hands on him. And the thing that to your point with the football iq right. A lot of times it's like a little signal to from Matthew Stafford to devonte. Hey, run a slant. Hey, running out. Hey, run a go or fade. Excuse me. And they're just on the right page like and sometimes I'm seeing like Devonte like give like Matthew a look like he's inside just enough because it is hard for a quarterback down there and in, in the view to see hey, where is the leverage at? And it's all based on leverage. You outside leverage. I'm going to run a slant. Are you head up? I'm running a fade. Are you out? Are you inside leverage? I'm running an out. So they've got all three of these things do. But I do think it starts with Devonte Adams in his releases and then that's something that you have to practice a lot. Like these goal line fades, they have to be pinpoint accurate. These small slant routes, whatever in like we call them key routes. These one step slant routes, you have to practice that. So the practice is really pivotal. Paying off. Yeah.

[James Palmer]

It's been unbelievable the last three weeks. 83 success rate into the red zone. They're fifth in the NFL. By the way, I mentioned the defense. Second in the NFL in terms of red zone defense, only behind that Denver Broncos group. They've just been outstanding. The cornerback play, the D line. They don't have to bring extra guys. It's just been outstanding to watch the Rams play. And I think we might have for the first time this season, the unquestioned best team in the NFL, I believe, and that's the Los Angeles Rams, a team that has snuck up on a lot of people. The Rams didn't sneak up on anybody, but it's the Chicago Bears. We are eight, three guys. We, we are playing.

[Chase Daniel]

We are.

[James Palmer]

We are in first place in the NFC North. And I think this is something we didn't see coming because I think there were a couple of questions Chase, about who is Ben Johnson? What other aspects does he bring to the head coaching role outside of just being a very good offensive mind, which we've seen in Detroit for a number of years. What has stood out to you about what Ben Johnson. I know you've broken down a lot of the film and we'll get to it, but Ben Johnson, specifically, in the way he's transformed this entire organization, it seems like very, very quickly, even though some of these wins were going, I can't believe they got it. They still did win the game.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, you got to find ways to win tight games. And I think once you win a couple, you start as an organization and as players, you start really trusting the messaging behind the messenger. And the messenger is Ben Johnson. So whatever Ben Johnson's saying in that locker room, that we're sticking together and see these weekly Chicago Bears locker room celebrations, and it's just the intensity and just the insight for what Ben Johnson has been saying. You can sort of get a feel for how he's talking to the guys. These guys are buying in. And the power of buy in is huge. Not every single head coach in America can get these old men right. They're not. They're not like young guys. They're grown men to buy into a message. And when you start winning, it's a lot easier. And specifically, specifically, just how he is and how he has changed the Chicago Bears attack offensively because in the history of the Chicago Bears, you're not really supposed to be known for offense. Like, I think they're top five in the league in a lot of different categories, and that's with them in a respectful way. With a quarterback that's middling. Middle pack right now, like, not playing super great. He's making a lot of plays when he needs to. He missed a lot of throws last game, but he's aged through the run game and you're starting to see, and we saw this last, it's a full on Detroit Lions run game and you see how good they are and just how he's getting to different play action passes from different like formations and most like I'm seeing some stuff. I'm watching this Caleb Williams him, I'm like, man, I've never seen that. That's really cool. Where they have two tight ends almost at the same time in motion and they're just bending real like it's just, it's really cool to see the offensive innovation on that side of the ball. But also honestly, like when you get that many turnovers and takeaways that the defense is, it makes the job on offense a lot easier.

[James Palmer]

It certainly does. What's the week like when, when you're, you're watching this film so you know what Ben Johnson's looking at and you know what these quarterback meeting rooms are like. When you have a guy as talented as Caleb and he makes five to seven. Wow. Plays a game and then you're seeing this and it seems like when I ask around a steady process in terms of how he plays in the pocket, it's nowhere near where probably Ben Johnson wants it to be or Caleb Williams wants it to be. But if you look at this last game, 17 of 30 for 232 and three touchdowns inside the pocket, that's progress from what he was at. But what, what, what is this conversation like? What does Ben show him and how does this probably go back in your mind as you've been in these meetings?

[Chase Daniel]

Well, I think early in the year I think you're watching a lot of Detroit Lions. So. And I think, I think you're watching a lot of Jared Goff under center film on how he won. Protecting Caleb has done that exceptional this year. He just doesn't throw a lot of interceptions. He's Houdini at getting sacked.

[Sherelle Dorsey]

So.

[Chase Daniel]

But I think offensively what Ben Johnson is saying, hey, no negative plays, no sacks, no turnovers. If that's the case, a punt is not a bad deal. And for the most part, Caleb Williams has really bought into that because he hasn't turned the football over. He hasn't gotten a lot sacks a lot of the last really six or seven games. And when you're that and you're not playing behind, behind the sticks offensively, then you can really just do what you want to do and you can Continue with the game plan. When you get into second and 20 and third and long, that's when you start changing the game plan and you don't have to stay on track. And I just think for the most part you got to give credit to Caleb Williams for that. And that is from Ben Johnson, just drilling it into his head, you don't have to be Superman, you don't have to do this, you don't have to do that. Don't make a bad play worse. All these things that you can say. And so I do think, think it's from from where he was at the beginning of the year to now, it just, it looks like an NFL offense and it looks like an NFL quarterback. Now there are like, there are some plays where you're like, man, this guy's like one of the first. They ran a dagger concept, second or third play of the game and the ball was like five feet behind DJ Moore. Like there's these that make you go. But it's just one of those things where it is a progress. They're a run first football team and everything comes off of the run. And Caleb I think has gotten a lot better with under the pocket and within the pocket under center. And I think that's the biggest thing I've seen.

[James Palmer]

That's awesome. I love when you take me inside that room because so few of us get a chance to ever be in there. We'll never be in there. So appreciate it. The room's changing a little bit in Vegas. Before we go to break, two little news nuggets to give you. That offensive meeting room is going to change in Las Vegas because Pete Carroll has fired his offensive coordinator Chip kelly after Week 12's performance with 10 sacks that they gave up to Geno Smith going down to that dominant, let's just say it, Miles Garrett and company up front for the Browns. Kelly was the highest paid offensive coordinator in football, luring him away from my Ohio State Buckeyes after a national championship 6 million. He is out. And it's not the only change. Mike Kafka makes his second move. Actually Chase as he's become their interim head coach. First he went with Jameis Winston as opposed to Russell Wilson being the starter with Jackson Dart being out. And then he also makes a move at his defensive side of the football as he's fired Shane Bowen, their defensive coordinator. And it's going to be Charlie Bolen, their outside linebacker coach who's going to fill his place. Has spent time under Vance Joseph, spent time under Matt Burke. Actually Matt Burke, who's run the show down there for Tamiko Ryan's with the Houston Texans, so we'll see if a change in these two places sparks a little something. Coming up next, we're going to talk about two quarterbacks, maybe in their early performances. Chase is going to give an evaluation of what we could see moving forward the rest of the year. Depends on how much we're going to see them play. That's next on Scoop City on a.

[Chase Daniel]

Monday.

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[James Palmer]

Welcome back to Scoop City on a Monday. James Palmer Chase Daniel with you. We are at our holiday locations up in the mountains or in Palm Springs. We're really enjoying life here, but we're still delivering insight football analysis, breaking down the film and Chase is going to do that next with Shador Sanders getting his first NFL start. I'm not sure if anybody heard this but this is Shador Sanders first NFL start this week. And I'm not sure if Anybody heard this. Chase 017 since 1999 with quarterbacks making their NFL debut for the Cleveland Browns, it is now 1 in 17 after Shador Sanders, I think, played a minor role in that. Okay, real quick, before we get to. Let's each say a guess for what Myles Garrett's going to finish with. Yeah, he's at 18 and we just finished week 12.

[Chase Daniel]

25 and a half.

[James Palmer]

25 and a half.

[Chase Daniel]

That's a lot. I know it's a lot, but it's completely reasonable. That's the thing.

[James Palmer]

It's crazy, crazy what he's doing.

[Chase Daniel]

I think one of the best seasons of all time happening. And it's a.

[James Palmer]

It's the.

[Chase Daniel]

It's like it's hard because no one watches the Browns really on defense. They're like, oh, now Shadow is playing. No one really watch. But what he's doing is unbelievable.

[James Palmer]

Unbelievable. And this is not a team that is winning in the second half consistently and teams are throwing the ball like crazy. He is just going out there and winning consistently. Double teams, triple teams, doesn't matter. How about this? I don't know, but it's going to be consistent. We don't know if he's going to even get the starting job next week. It hasn't been announced by Kevin Stefanski just yet, but Shador Sanders goes 11 of 20 for 209 yards, a touchdown interception and a sack. I'll give you what I was told from inside the building last night. Chase, before you get into your analysis, I was told essentially a solid day. They were predicting him to play decent. They didn't think he would play terrible. They've seen him grow since he first got into the building, which is what they've wanted to see. It was reiterated to me over and over again. We've liked the development. We've seen him development. The way he played in this game was far different than we saw him perform on the field during training camp, which is exactly what we're looking for. I know that's not exactly what fans and certain media people are looking for. I know everybody has a different perspective because of who shedor Sanders is. Not sure if that's fair to the coaching staff. Not sure if that's fair to Shador, honestly, in the way that this is scrutinized. But I do think inside the building they thought it was a solid day for his NFL debut. But they also, and it was pointed out to me, we set him up to succeed the best we could. And, and I think that plays a part into what you saw when you watched the film.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, look, I, I watched every, every snap twice because I just wanted to get through. And sometimes you watch it the first time you have a different thing than the second time. But my first watch was the same as my second watch and the grade is incomplete. I would say solid, Solid's fine to me and I think that's probably pretty fair, the grades incomplete because I just don't think that for the most part, the Cleveland Browns allowed him to play quarterback. You said him, you said for yourself, set him up to succeed.

[James Palmer]

Polite way of putting it.

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah. Yeah. And when I, when I watched the game, he probably could have played better. You look at the three long completions he had. I mean that's probably good for almost three quarters of his passing yards. He threw a bubble. He threw a really good play, which we'll show you in a second. And then there was another deep play where he scrambles out to his right and throws it. My thing is like it is so hard to play the position of quarterback when the game plan is run on first down, run on second down, third and eight plus and so many different times. That's what happened. And you really have to take James, you really have to take the second half out of the evaluation because he. They didn't throw the football like their defenses performing and that's fine. That's totally fine. Like you're winning and you're up 20, 17 to 3 and you're winning 20.

[James Palmer]

You're up to.

[Chase Daniel]

You're going to run the ball. You're going to run the ball. You're going to run the ball. I get that the first half, right, like the interception was, was like, oh man, like you got to see that they're in the five man front, they drop a, a flat defender and he tries to fit a little spot right in before and probably should have worked over the ball to David and Joku. That's fixable. Like that's corre. Any rookie cannot see a guy dropping on a short, quick game stuff, right?

[James Palmer]

All that stuff.

[Chase Daniel]

I just think when you, when you really look at his overall performance, it was, it was ho hum. It was solid, but it was incomplete. Like I want to see them allow Shador to play quarterback and we're going to show this play. Third down for Isaiah Bond and Isaiah Bonds at the top. But most importantly, there's, it's cover zero. There's eight guys rushing. They're blitzing on the quarterback. And he's able to see step up and run out to the side of the pocket and throw this dime, which I wish you would have scored. Keep your freaking feet, rookie. But here's a couple things on this play that really stood out. One, there's no plan offensively for pressure because this play on third and nine was the same thing they did on second and nine, and they did the exact same pressure and the exact same. Two defensive guys to the right, number nine and Max Crosby, they're. They're almost unblocked. You can't let a D T. Yeah. And you're an empty. And what. Maybe Shador. I don't know if he has a chance to. If. If I see this, I'm checking my tight end and my running back end to block. And so the protection plan overall just wasn't great. But there's two or three plays like this James on the tape, that's like, all right, when stuff breaks down. He's actually really good at extending the play and keeping his eyes down the field. What I want to see more of. And he missed some deeper developing dagger routes. I think he missed two throws in the middle of the field just because his feet are a little off. And when you have Max Crosby on that and it's your first start, like, first of all, just keep that in context. America, it's his first start. I remember my first start. And I'm like, dude, just relax. And I think that's probably why the game plan is. I absolutely think my last thought on this, that he deserves a chance for another start. Because the Cleveland Browns, they're in evaluation phase. They have two first round picks, and next year they're going to be in the quarterback market. Can Shador or Dylan be the guy moving forward? It's impossible to tell right now, but I do think he deserves another start.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, I think you had a handful of starts from Dylan Gabriel that you had a chance to collect data from. That's what they're doing in this process. This is just one part, one data point, if you will, of them putting this equation, this puzzle all together and trying to figure out if they have a quarterback. You have two of them right now. You're trying to find out if one of them can possibly be your quarterback. I think you're right, and I think you know that that might be. Be the direction they head in is giving him another opportunity, and maybe they can expand on that a little bit. We'll. We'll obviously get Chase's take if they start to make some changes in terms of how they're having him play the quarterback position. Also putting Quint judgments back there in the, in the wildcat and a lot of those run formations. Change the run formations the gold to go stuff and, and, and go out there and, and find some ways to succeed offensively. What hasn't been successful offensively is the Minnesota Vikings. Chase. It is not the. Well with JJ McCarthy of late it has been a rough watch for a team that has. What do you think? One of the top three wide receiver duos in all of football. I can think of. You know, Rams, Dallas, Philly, the top five for sure. Cincinnati top five for sure in Jordan Addison and, and Justin Jefferson. But we see JJ McCarthy go out there and I'd love to see. I know you've watched the film your take on the way that he has played eight it goes 12 of 19 for 87 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, five sacks, a 34 quarterback rating. They had four yards in the second half.

[Chase Daniel]

Oh, I did not know that.

[James Palmer]

That's difficult to do. That's hard. That's hard to do. What is not working when you look at it from just a film standpoint with J.J. mcCarthy.

[Chase Daniel]

Everything okay. I mean. Next question.

[James Palmer]

Chase.

[Chase Daniel]

James. What's that give that crazy stat. Do you have that crazy that I don't even know what this means but it just is. Is really the EPA. I think it was EPA per drop 77.

[James Palmer]

I got it right here.

[Chase Daniel]

So yeah, Here we go.

[James Palmer]

EPA per drop back. He ranks 870th out of 813 quarterbacks with 150 passes since 2005. So that's EPA per drop.

[Chase Daniel]

And I don't even know what that. I don't know how they do that but it's just not good. Like are you adding points per. I don't, you know all that. That's. That's just sort of the stat wise of it and just let you put into context just how. How difficult it's been for J.J. to get going. And I think, I think what we're looking at James is, is a quarterback for whatever reason that is just not playing up to maybe his ability. I think it's a confidence thing. I think it's a mechanics thing. I think think it's a little bit of everything and it's so hard to put your finger on one thing. But what I do know is that this was pretty much the same roster offensively other than they added 60, 70 million dollars in help on their offensive line and D line. Yeah, the trenches they built trenches, they built them up. And I don't know what the record is, but it's not good. And they were able to play like they were with Sam Darnold last year. And they didn't offer Sam Darnold, they offered Daniel Jones. And look what Daniel Jones is offer Aaron Rodgers. J.J. mcCarthy was their guy and their pick. And the question is, for me, how much longer is this going to go on? How much longer is the leash? Because Kevin OConnell, love him, friend of the show. How much time is he going to spend trying to get this guy ready? Or do they cut the. It's probably a little too early to cut the string, right? Because you, you drafted them, you put a lot of stuff in him. He's going to be the starter probably the rest of the year. Year. But the rest of the year, like they're probably out of the playoffs. You're playing for another chance. And I think there's just. The game is moving too fast for him right now.

[James Palmer]

Okay. You know, I, we knew and you mentioned friend of the show and Diana spent time with him during training camp and we talked to people around the league. They knew it was going to be an up and down 20, 25 with JJ McCarthy. He lost his recovery rookie season. Not just that he didn't play because Sam Darnold was there. He didn't take any snaps, he didn't go on the field. He was in the meeting rooms, that's fine. But they knew he needed reps. And then he has the ankle injury this year and then that takes him off the field and he loses these reps. What I'm most interested in is we have seen time and time again from koc, the ability to limit those maybe monster moments, those throws where you gotta make a throw, kind of limit that and maybe have those opportunities where you say to your quarterback, okay, here is where I need you to make a play and try to set them up to succeed. He's one of the best in football at it. If he's doing that for J.J. mcCarthy, does that make this even more difficult of an evaluation because you have somebody who's running it that has a track record for setting their quarterbacks up to succeed. Does that make your evaluation when you just said, like, when do you start thinking about 20, 26 and possibly a different, different quarterback because of the track record of the head coach?

[Chase Daniel]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it is. And Kevin Kelsey wants us to work. No. No matter what. Because he's the one who picked them and they're all this Stuff.

[James Palmer]

Right.

[Chase Daniel]

There's all that other stuff outside of the film, but when you turn on the film, James, there's stuff open. There's stuff open. And he just has been inaccurate. And I don't know the completion percentage yesterday, but I think almost every single game he hasn't completed more than like 56% of his passes other than one. And so. So the accuracy thing, you can coach that and you can teach that, but at the end of the day, it just looks like the mechanics are so far. Maybe they have this intervention with them.

[James Palmer]

Are these mechanics fixable?

[Chase Daniel]

They are fixable, but it's very simple stuff. And he didn't do this at Michigan and I think he's just feeling the pressure and he's just. The back foot's up a lot, all this different stuff. The mechanics for sure are fixable in just how fast can they be fixed? And you can only really evaluate that when the bullets are flying and the game's live and it just hasn't gone well right now.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, I'm curious too, if these are fixable in season. Are these big projects that need to be fixed in terms of mechanics in your off season?

[Chase Daniel]

Right. Yeah.

[James Palmer]

It's the offseason and so that makes it even more complicated. Okay, we're going to take one more break before we go. We're going to. We're going to give a shout out. Each of us going to give a shout out for week 12, a performance that we absolutely loved. And it needs to be talked about. And I have a underlying reason why I made my pick. Coming up next on Scoop City.

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[Chase Daniel]

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[Sherelle Dorsey]

Hi, this is Sherrelle Dorsey from TedTech and this episode is brought to you by Salt. The World Runs on data, and data relies on storage. But most businesses rarely think about how crucial that storage really is. The truth is it's no longer just a commodity with new demands and constraints, especially from AI. The old ways of managing data are holding innovation back. Solid state storage from solidigm is changing that. It helps reduce energy use, shrink physical footprints and accelerate data at the edge, unlocking more from your AI infrastructure infrastructure. Learn more at whatsthestateofyourstorage.com.

[James Palmer]

Welcome back to Scoop City on a Monday. James Palmer, Chase Daniel with you. We close things out with a week 12 shout out. We covered a lot, a lot of matchups, a lot of monster games, but how about some individual performances? Chase, that really stood out to us. Who would be your pick from week 12 that you just want to give a shout out to? Maybe you loved watching play that player.

[Chase Daniel]

Is, is Jameis Winston eating a dub? Oh, it's not a W. They're not eating a W. But I mean like for Jamis to do what he's done really the past two weeks and take two of the best NFC north teams in Green Bay and Detroit, you know, Detroit still, whatever. But to take them and play really well like that, I mean Jameis was throwing the football around the building and dude, it's first of all like not only the, the on the field play, right? And including the crazy like high step, step, end zone catch that he had. I'm like there's no way Jamis is able to like step out of this. And then he scores and he does that. But just everything that goes with him, right? Like, like the pregame talk and the, he's just like some people might not like, I love it like Jamis, I know him personally. Like, he's just such a good dude and so for him to have the success, I mean, because he's, he's, he's been successful playing this year for Being, you know, the third quarterback. And just how bad does it look for the Giants to start Russell ahead of even Jameis before Jackson dart? And he's just made the most of his chances. And I do think next year he needs to get a chance at a team to play because he showed he can play. He showed he can play. But it's got to be Jameis.

[James Palmer]

It's gotta be James. Okay, like before I have mine. I just thought of this. Give me Red hot Jameis. Where would he be in the hierarchy of quarterbacks when Jameis is on? Where do you put them in with these quarterbacks?

[Chase Daniel]

30 touchdown, not 30 interception jamis. I mean, like, remember last year he.

[James Palmer]

Went to Denver and threw for like 500 yards against that great defense.

[Chase Daniel]

Yes.

[James Palmer]

Remember that?

[Chase Daniel]

I mean, red hot Jameis. If you could just take Red hot Jameis. He's like top 10, top 8. Yeah, just bottle that up. It was like. It was like. It was like Ryan Fitzpatrick when he was playing the Honey Badger, like when he was rolling in some of these tight window throws and stuff. It's like that.

[James Palmer]

It's like.

[Chase Daniel]

It's important. Impressive.

[James Palmer]

It's unbelievable.

[Chase Daniel]

There was a lot of interceptions.

[James Palmer]

Those come. Those happen. Well, he blamed it on. He didn't have Lasik. He couldn't see. He thought Bruce Arians is black. Apparently he told him, which was just. James just never stops. He's the best. I'm going to go with Jameer Gibbs. I think this is a player that is playing Chase at a speed that no other player is playing at in the NFL. I mean, it looks like it's on fast forward. Like I asked a DC that went against him this year, I was like, what think do you. You do is you try to be as aggressive as possible because his acceleration is like that, and then he's gone. So you got to try to find a way you can corner him. But he finds the smallest crease and he'll make something of it. He goes for 264 total yards from scrimmage in this game. Just running away from people like you see a high school running back do at the NFL level. And this was the part that jumped out at me the most. He now, for his career after this performance, is averaging 5.6 yards a carry for his career. That's the most yards per carry of any running back with 500 carries or more since 1950. You know who he passed? Bo Jackson.

[Chase Daniel]

Whoa. Are you ser. Yeah.

[James Palmer]

Oh, my gosh. So he's at 5.6 a carry for his career. He has been unbelievable. And the reason I brought it up is I'm fascinated to see what happens this offseason. He is up for a new contract. It's kind of like the second coming of Christian McCaffrey, when we first saw him as the receiver in the back and the. Just the offensive weapon. How does this contract negotiation go down with Jameer Gibbs?

[Chase Daniel]

Because he is awesome.

[James Palmer]

That's a good pick. Believable. Yeah. He is unbelievable. Great. We had a great week. Jace, week 12 has been outstanding. Are you. What are you going to do here in Palm Springs now?

[Chase Daniel]

You know, I think I'm going to. There's a living desert zoo that's amazing. We might go on the tram. We might go to the water park. We might play some golf. I got a pickleball lesson with my kids in 30 minutes over here, so. Yeah, it's just. It's. It's going to be a good week to just relax.

[James Palmer]

I love it. Well, relax, because we got plenty of football on the back end of this of this week, and we're going to break it all down next week. James Palmer, Chase, Daniel, Scoop City. Enjoy all your Thanksgiving festivities. I'll be back with Scoop City tomorrow.

[Chase Daniel]

But.

[James Palmer]

Oh, Chase, you'll be back with me tomorrow, won't you?

[Chase Daniel]

Let's go.

[James Palmer]

We're doing it again tomorrow. Let's run it back.

[Chase Daniel]

Let's run it back.

[James Palmer]

Everybody get out of here. We're running it back tomorrow.

[Chase Daniel]

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[Sherelle Dorsey]

Everything.

[James Palmer]

Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27, and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back. Yes, chef.

[Chase Daniel]

This is so nice.

[James Palmer]

Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert.

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[James Palmer]

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[Chase Daniel]

Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.

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[Sherelle Dorsey]

Hi, this is Sherrell Dorsey from Ted Tech, and this episode is brought to you by solidigm. The world runs on data, and data relies on storage, but most businesses rarely think about how crucial that storage really is. The truth is, it's no longer just a commodity with new demands and constraints, especially from AI. The old ways of managing data are holding innovation back. Solid state storage from solidigm is changing that. It helps reduce energy use, shrink physical footprints, and accelerate data at the edge, unlocking more from your AI infrastructure. Learn more at whatsthestateofyourstorage.com.