3 & Out - Massive Mailbag, Caleb isn't the problem in Chicago, Tom Brady and the Raiders

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd: “3 & Out” Episode Summary

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff (via The Volume and iHeartPodcasts)
Main Focus:
A massive listener mailbag covering the Chicago Bears quarterback situation (Caleb Williams), the run game struggles, NFL offensive line philosophy, Tom Brady’s relationship with the Raiders, league trends, and burning questions from fans around the NFL.

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Episode Overview

This episode is entirely listener-driven, as John Middlekauff, host of “3 & Out,” dedicates the show to answering a packed mailbag of football questions. He provides deep analysis on Caleb Williams and the Bears' offensive problems, discusses the value of offensive lines in the current NFL, tackles rumors and intrigue around Tom Brady's NFL involvement as both commentator and Raiders minority owner, and weighs in on developing storylines from QB controversies, struggling superstars, and organizational philosophies across the league.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams Isn't the (Biggest) Problem

• Listener Question: Why do people blame Caleb Williams for Chicago’s struggles and not the run game? Is a trade for a running back on the horizon?
  • John’s Take:
    • Caleb Williams is absorbing excessive criticism because of his #1 pick status and the off-field drama surrounding his arrival in Chicago (demands for equity, initial reluctance to play for the Bears).
    • The real culprit is the non-existent run game: “DeAndre Swift can't find the f---ing gap and stutter-steps like a ballerina before making a decision.” (Listener, 03:00)
    • All successful QBs lean on a run game, and the Bears have completely neglected theirs.
    • John criticizes GM Ryan Poles for investing in skill positions (like WR Rome Odunze at #9 overall) instead of the offensive line, and calls into question Poles' competence:
      • “It's fair to assume he has no clue what he's doing, which is crazy. Like, decent amount of GMs feel overwhelmed." (John Middlekauff, 06:00)
    • The situation is likely to get worse if the Bears don't beat the defensively weak Cowboys.

2. Offensive Line Investment: League-Wide Trends & Fan Frustration

• Listener Question: Why don’t more teams prioritize the O-Line like the Packers, Eagles, and Lions do?
  • The offensive line is foundational, but its lack of “sexiness” and highlight potential means fans—and even some GMs—undervalue it come draft day:
    • “Drafting an offensive lineman on Thursday night or even Friday night is just not as sexy...but you can't operate without it.” (John, 09:20)
    • Skill positions can far more frequently be found later in the draft, but a good O-line is often directly tied to sustained franchise success.
    • Teams (and analysts) that ignore the trenches are doomed to repeat their mistakes; the Bears are a prime example this season.

3. Quarterback Hot Seats & Trade Rumors

• Kirk Cousins:
  • The Falcons’ benching of Cousins and speculation on trading him to the Bengals or others is “not happening” because of cost and lack of fit.
    • “The Bengals are cheap so they would have no interest on taking his, you know, $27 million prorated over the next 15 weeks. They believe in Jake Browning.” (John, 13:35)
  • The Midwest ties for Cousins aren’t strong enough to outweigh financial/practical obstacles.
  • On McCarthy’s struggles and possible conspiracy behind his “injury,” John raises an eyebrow, noting it feels suspiciously like giving the young QB a breather, not a real injury sit.

4. Tom Brady, Broadcasting, and Raiders Conflicts

• Listener Concern: Should teams (like the Commanders) be worried about Brady’s information access as a broadcaster and partial owner of the Raiders?
  • John refers to Bruce Arians: “Those meetings [with broadcasters] could be a little overblown...but the optics of Brady sitting in that coaching box, even if nothing actually changed, is something that’s going to be hard for teams to shake.” (John, 22:00)
  • The information flow is inevitable, and human nature dictates people share info with trusted colleagues.
  • Brady is unlikely to let his strict fitness/diet regimen slip: “That chiseled jawline, he’s not eaten cheeseburgers and onion rings…he is as dialed on the diet as ever.” (John, 24:15)
  • Ultimately, every team must be extra careful about what they share with the broadcast crew when Brady is around due to his new dual role.

5. Rule Changes & The 'Tush Push'

• Teams are seeking to counter the Eagles' infamous “tush push,” but John believes the debate is more about execution and personnel than about hand placement rules (28:51).
  • “It does feel like the beginning of the end for this thing…this play gets axed at the end of the year. It’s just a boring play to watch.” (John, 29:40)

6. Chiefs’ Offensive Woes & Andy Reid's Legacy

• Fans express concern about the drop-off in KC’s offense since Matt Nagy returned as OC, with specific worry about a lack of skill position depth and running back production.
  • John acknowledges the front office focus on O-line and their cap constraints:"When you’re paying two guys a ton... a lot of pressure on the draft...not everything’s perfect all the time." (John, 33:10)
  • The Rice incident (Lamborghini crash) is noted as a major setback for WR depth.
  • The “Andy Reid effect”: “Best thing that ever happened to your organization was Andy Reid. Without Andy, there’s no Mahomes.” (John, 37:00)
  • On roster-building: Should they trade for Alvin Kamara if available for a late pick? Yes, but only if it fits the overarching draft plan—they’ll need to start rebuilding other positions soon.

7. Team Quick Hits

• Chargers: Winning ugly but have elite pass rushers like Maxx Crosby who change games.
  • On Geno Smith's limitations: "That’s why he’s Geno Smith. This isn’t Joe Burrow, this isn’t Lamar Jackson.” (John, 39:50)
• Eagles: Aggressively in ‘championship mode,’ likely to trade for a starting corner or pass rusher during the season if needed.
  • “If the guy would start for them, I'd be stunned if the Eagles don’t trade for him." (John, 57:00)
• Giants: If Daniel Jones keeps underperforming, it could cost coach Brian Daboll his job, but it’s more a roster/coaching issue than a single scapegoat (51:17).
• Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams’ extension praised as a sign of organizational maturity—his speed/Talent is "like having a truck and a Ferrari." (John, 63:00)

8. Baker Mayfield’s Career Rebirth

• John is effusive on Mayfield's emergence in Tampa:
  • "I've loved Baker since he was at Oklahoma. He’s one of my favorite college players...most of us are not Andrew Luck at 22. Most of us are slappies. Most of us are idiots. It takes some bumps in the road to mature." (John, 54:30)
• Baker’s athleticism, family situation, and weight loss are highlighted as keys to his late-career surge.
• “He's a gamer. Some guys just got that shit deep in their veins.” (John, 77:30)
• John rejects the idea that Baker would have succeeded in Cleveland long-term; sometimes, “people are meant to break up.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bears' Offensive Struggles:

  • “DeAndre Swift can't find the f---ing gap and stutter steps like a ballerina before making a decision.” (Listener, 03:00)
  • “I think it's fair to assume [Ryan Poles] has no clue what he's doing, which is crazy… they should have taken an offensive lineman.” (John, 06:00)

• On O-Line Value:

  • “Drafting an offensive lineman ... is just not as sexy as some of these other positions. But it is, you can't operate without it.” (John, 09:20)

• Tom Brady’s Dual Roles:

  • “The optics of Brady sitting in that coaching box, even if nothing actually changed, [are] something that’s going to be hard for teams to shake.” (22:00)

• On 'Tush Push':

  • “It does feel like the beginning of the end for this thing … this play gets axed at the end of the year.” (29:40)

• On Andy Reid and the Chiefs:

  • “Best thing that ever happened to your organization was Andy Reid. Without Andy, there’s no Mahomes.” (37:00)

• On Baker Mayfield:

  • "I've loved Baker since he was at Oklahoma ... It takes some bumps in the road to mature ... Some guys just got that shit deep in their veins.” (54:30, 77:30)

• On Sam Darnold & Bust GMs:

  • “When a guy's a bust, it's more on the coaching staff than the GM...not everyone just flourishes from day one. Some guys take some time." (John, 70:00)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:23 – Show kickoff, mailbag intro
• 03:00 – Caleb Williams/Bears run game deep dive
• 06:00 – Ryan Poles & draft philosophy critique
• 09:20 – The value and invisibility of O-Line picks
• 13:35 – Kirk Cousins trade talk/Cincy & QB market
• 22:00 – Tom Brady’s dual roles and info concerns
• 28:51 – The “tush push” play and likely rules changes
• 33:10 – Chiefs offensive concerns and roster building
• 39:50 – Chargers, Raiders, and Geno Smith analysis
• 51:17 – Giants, Daniel Jones, and Brian Daboll’s job
• 54:30 – Baker Mayfield late-career rise
• 57:00 – Eagles' trade and championship mentality
• 63:00 – Jameson Williams extension & Lions maturity
• 77:30 – John on the unquantifiable “gamer” quality in QBs

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a rapid-fire, fan-driven NFL analysis masterclass, with John Middlekauff candidly dissecting front office decisions, coaching philosophies, and league trends. The show’s tone is unfiltered, direct, and a touch irreverent, making for both entertaining and insightful listening—particularly for fans of the Bears, Chiefs, and anyone following the NFL’s evolving storylines around quarterback controversies, run game struggles, and the complicated role of star players-turned-part owners like Tom Brady.

Recommended for: Hardcore and casual NFL fans alike, especially those fascinated by quarterback development, front office strategies, and the intersection of broadcasting and team ownership.

Transcript

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This is Matt Jones and I'm Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NF Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Football is back. That's right, the new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. It's in the name NFL Daily so you'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, in an all star cast of co hosts for previews and recaps of every single game. NFL Daily will keep you up to D everything you need to know so you can sound smarter than all your friends. Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Jones]

The Volume.

[John Middlekauff]

What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? It's Tuesday and I said, you know what? We we've been reacting to the games, giving our thoughts and takes on everything that's going on. I looked at my DMS at John Middlekop is my Instagram and they were packed. We have a lot of questions. I'm like, it'd be a good time to just do a massive, massive mailbag. Probably cut this into two videos, but gonna try to answer a bunch of your questions. It's how we like to interact with the people here because this season, you know, it's not that long ago. I remember being in Lake Tahoe for a little summer vacation and thinking, God, the football season's still pretty. Even in training camp, it kind of drags. Then all of a sudden you blink and I mean, we're 48 hours away from the bills probably being three and oh, and here, just week threes here, college football, some of these teams have already gonna play four games and you just flies by. So we gotta try to enjoy it sometimes I'm just on to the next one. We just got to, we got to embrace, enjoy and, and just BS about football because that's what we do here. So you guys know the drill. Firing those DMs going to be a big mailbag. But first, you know, I got to tell you about my friends, my partners in the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time. Best ticketing app in America. You know, I went to Texas, Oklahoma last year. I probably was a year too early. This would have been the better game to go to. I would love if I had an easier way to make sure I was back in my office bright and early Sunday morning to go to a college game. Specifically in the south, maybe a Georgia game, maybe a Tennessee game. I mean, that Tennessee Georgia game looked fantastic. If you want to go to one of these college games, if you want to go to a NFL game, either home or away concert, get out. Break up the monotony of life. Go out, enjoy yourself. Take your wife, take your girlfriend, take a buddy. Just go out and have a good time. Do it with my friends because they're the best in the business. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use a code. John, that's Johen for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again, create an account. Johan for $20 off down the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. Let's dive into the mailbag and we're going to start with Cooper here. Question slash hot take for the mailbag. Caleb isn't the main problem for the Bears. It's the run game. Yes, he has some accuracy issues, but he's vastly improved from last year with getting the ball out of his hands on time. However, he's always trying to make the big play because he has no run game. DeAndre DeAndre Swift can't find the fucking gap and stutter steps like a ballerina before making a decision. Look at any quarterback that has success. They Have a good run game. Love and Jacobs panics and Bijan, jaden Daniels. Year one, he had Brian Robinson and Eckler. Even McCarthy looked good. Week one by the second half because of the running backs. My question is why does nobody bring it up how bad the run game is for Chicago and instantly blames Caleb for missing passes. Every quarterback will miss passes, but it seems that his get exaggerated. Do you see the Bears trading for a running back this year or are they just opting for the draft? I would agree that the week two loss was way less on him than week one. Right. The week two loss, the defense just clearly ran out of gas. Slash might not be good. I mean they're missing dbs. Jalen Johnson's now it looks like. I see a report yesterday he's out for the year. Obviously he played in that game and then got banged up. You miss him. I mean he's, he's a high level corner when he's healthy. So that's going to be a major blow. Listen, the Bears have a lot of issues and I said this the other day, you know, Caleb is such a lightning rod. Anytime that you're the number one pick, you're in this huge market, you know, you have some controversy that follows in terms of the way you got there. You're like, I don't want to go to Chicago, then I want a piece of equity. There's a lot of things that sometimes the number one picks like that doesn't happen. Right? There's just not much to the story either good or bad. I do think this situation is going to turn more to Ryan polls, like how is the general manager going to survive? You know, they drafted Roma dunes a ninth overall and I think looking back, clearly they should have taken an offensive lineman. But this guy is obsessed with wide receivers, which is kind of ironic because he's a former offensive lineman. I think it's fair to assume he has no clue what he's doing, which is crazy. Like decent amount of GMs feel like overwhelmed. Like they have no clue because a lot of GMs and we've talked a lot about it on this show, like talk the talk. They go, you know, I love the trenches. I care about the line of scrimmage. And it's like pick eight. You're like, give me that slot wide receiver who runs fast. You're like, that's exactly what we didn't talk about. Like we gotta follow the board. It's like, I'm not in the business of taking a wide receiver really high Unless I think the guy is going to be a superstar. Like, he better be. Malik Neighbors. I mean, look at the wide receiver draft. Just in that group. Marvin Harrison, Malik Neighbors and Roma Dunes, like it's. Malik's in a different universe than those two. I mean, it's not even. It's not even. They have nothing in common. Malik, it's clear his physical attributes, his, his skill, his overall like playing demeanor, I mean, that dude's a badass. The other guys are replaceable players. And you take 1 4, you take 1 9th, you just can't do that. Now listen, you're not always going to hit on, on offensive linemen either, but I will never have an issue with someone taking an offensive or defensive lineman high. I won't. So I might not agree with the pick with the player, but I said this about Genty and you know, I'm a John Spy Tech fan, but I was like, I don't know, man. Running back number six overall. Aren't you better off? Like, could we take an offensive or defensive lineman here? Is, is there someone that can impact the line of scrimmage? We took a running back and you know, through two games he has 80 yards and I, People think I hate the player. I do not. I'm an Ashton Genti fan. I just think when you're drafted 6 overall, especially coming from a small school, it's just difficult, man. It is. It's pretty rare that guys like you watch Bijan Robinson, like, he has hall of Fame talent, right? Saquon Barkley has Hall of fame talent. Christian McCaffrey has Hall of Fame talent. If I'm gonna take a running back in the top 10, he better be that. If I'm take a wide receiver, like, it doesn't have to be that. If I take a lineman that high, can the lineman just start for me and be an above average player? Like, I feel okay, ideally I'd want Lane Johnson or Tristan Worst or Penne Sewell, right? But if I just get a good starter for a long time, I feel pretty good about it. We nitpick these skill guys because the difference between a high end guy and an average guy, it's like could have found that guy in the third round. But overall, the Caleb thing, this is a big week for, for, for Green, not Green Bay. I'm looking at a question about Green Bay, about the Bears play the Cowboys, who are pretty bad on defense. I mean, clearly they made Russell Wilson look like the greatest quarterback we've ever seen and he still can throw a deep ball Give him that. But I just think that if the Bears can't win this week, when are they winning and we're going to get Tom? You know, Tom's be interesting Some of Tom's comments about Caleb what's up? John Tyler from West Virginia As a Packer fan, I always notice how much we prioritize the offensive line. Other than the Eagles or the Lions, I haven't heard much about other teams doing the same. Am I wrong in thinking it's not a big deal around the league? Could the Bengals cough or do other teams also try and stack the offensive line and it doesn't make headlines as often? Here's the thing. When you take at pick 10 or pick 6 or pick 20, the offensive tackle or offensive guard, it is not a sexy pick. When you draft, oh my God, they just drafted whatever wide receiver or whatever cornerback or tight end that is a much sexier pick for the fan base because their highlight package is them scoring touchdowns, right? Them making plays with a football in their hand. It's like, hey, we just got Zach Martin in the draft from Notre Dame. Like how many pancake blocks can you can you play draft an offensive lineman draft pick on Thursday night or even Friday night is just not as sexy as some of these other positions. So that is a huge reason, like I go out of business if I broke down offensive line play, right? It's not a sexy, but it is. You can't operate without it. And having good offensive lines is equal success, right? Having good offensive linemen changes your team. I just think skill guys, there's never been more functional skill guys all around the league and all over college like you can find. You can get guys no problem in the twenties, the thirties, the forties, the fifties that become all pros at wide receiver. I mean the 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall at the end of the first round and there's a decent chance that he's going to be better than Brandon Ayuk who just got $75 million. It's like you didn't need to give him that money. What you should have done is use those resources, that money, like buy some offensive linemen. But hell, no one listens to me once you tell us about your friends, your partners. And the official ticketing app is Kirk Cousins, the most sought after quarterback at the moment. Could the Falcons look brilliant by being able to parlay him into a third round pick and maybe offload, if not all the contract on a team like the Vikings or the Commanders? What about Cousins in Cincy I think he would be an upgrade over Browning and he is a Midwest guy. I would think he'd love the opportunity to throw to chase into Higgins. Well, the Bengals are cheap so they would have no interest on taking his, you know, $27 million prorated over the next 15 weeks is not happening. And they believe in Jake Browning so they're not doing that move. You would have to have a devastating injury to Jaden Daniels to get them to contemplate that move. And the other team you mentioned was the Vikings. I'll be honest, something's a little fishy about the J.J. mcCarthy injury. Now we just saw it with Purdy where a guy finishes a game and then after he's out. So it. And it's happened. It's not like it's never happened before either. But clearly Purdy just threw a game winning touchdown like they, they would not want him to not play. McCarthy was a train wreck. I mean a complete disaster for seven out of the eight quarters. So if you told me it's like he's kind of banged up, but it's like we need to give this guy a breather. See, just get Carson Wentz in there because this guy has lost his confidence. So conspiracy middle cop here has just got that situation red flagged. I'm not saying he's not injured. I do wonder if there's more at play, something to keep an eye on. At least Wednesday when Kevin o' Connell talks, I'll just be interested the way he kind of verbalizes his thoughts on the entire situation. But they're not going to trade because part of also trading for Kirk Cousins if you're them, like McCarthy's not playing the rest of the year. Cousins is not really a tradable asset. He's just not. Unless you would need a season ending injury to a team that is just desperate to make the playoffs. See, I'm getting asked the same question. Is there a chance the Bengals tried to go after Cousins or a guy like Dalton or they are going to roll with Jake Browning for the, for the foreseeable future. He would have to be a train wreck for them to pivot. He just won them a game. Said the game winning touchdown. He made a bunch of plays. He's actually five and three in his career as a starting quarterback for them. Like they're not, they're not in the business of these other guys. Look at what they did today. Like they're bottom feeding. They're taking guys off practice squads. They're all in on Jake Browning. They would need A devastating injury to him, which you could say with their offensive line is possible. Now, I, I could be wrong here, I mean, because I'm basing this a little bit when he was younger, but I do feel like Jake's a better athlete than Joe Burrow, so maybe he's got a little more mobility. But I, as long as he's able to play, like, I don't see them going with another quarterback. They're not the Eagles, you know, they don't think in desperation mode. If anything, they're opposite. They're like, slow, steady, try to save some money. I'd be stunned. I really would. But I mean, I was stunned. I think I put this out on the everything app about halftime. Like, I'll be stunned if the Atlanta Falcons win this game and they won the game 22 to 9 or whatever. So it's not like I'm always right. I don't know. But I would not expect the Bengals to trade for Kirk Cousins. It's kind of sad, you know, it shows you. And in fairness, he definitely probably didn't see the Pennix thing coming. But like, once you become mercenary guy doing everything for money and I, I guess it could happen in some of our industries, but clearly pro sports toward the end of your career, because unlike most of us, our careers can go like, it's not like, hey, I only peaked as an architect for two years. Like, you can do things for a long period of time even if your industry changes a little bit. Like, you can kind of pivot, but you should have 50 year plus career if you want. Professionally, these guys got to strike where the iron's hot. But Cousins already did. And him and his agent, which I respect, I mean, I'm a capitalist. They are obsessed with getting every penny. And when you do that, like, sometimes you're just going to get fucked in life. And I have little to no sympathy for seeing him just kind of, he kind of feels like he's just standing there pouting a little bit. I mean, the last year of his career or two years of his career just kind of come on, the bench sucks. But he, this is what he wanted. I mean, he's getting paid. He's the highest paid backup that didn't start the year as a starter that got benched in the history of the league by a wide margin. I mean, who are the highest paid backups currently? Because backups have never made more money than they make now. And like, what's mint? You make $10 million for Kansas City. You know, Daniel Jones got 14 well, he immediately started. You just go around the league like find me, you know, Mac Jones, the backups like two years, $8 million. I mean cousins is making $27 million to be the backup. Now they would tell you, well Panix is only making six or seven, so our total quarterback room is 35. Well imagine if you didn't have Cousins, you'd have other room. But in fairness, they probably would have traded him. He had no trade market. As a commander's fan, how concerned should I be about Tom Brady being involved with the Raiders? Tom Brady called our game week one and now we play the Raiders this week. Do you think this is something Dan Quinn, Adam Peters would think about when they were meeting with Tom in the week one production meetings? Thanks. I clicked on Bruce Arians who was with McAfee and he said that he thought those meetings could be a little overblown. How much information gets shared? He said the thing that would be very, very glaring if he had access to and he doesn't is the Friday practice, Saturday walkthrough and any sort of the last 48, 36, 24 hours, anything on the field with players. I do think as Tom Brady, people are going to want to talk to him. Like one advantage Tom and Peyton, who does the, the Banning cast really have is offensive coordinators. You know, if the GM doesn't want to talk to him, the assistant gm, these guys are going to want to be friends with those two guys so they can gather information. Like I have no. And I remember if you talk to any coach, I remember Coach Reed telling me stories about how he used to, like Al Davis used to call him all the time, like when he first got the Philly job or early on in his career. Like these guys are constantly on the phone with each other. Howie Roseman's on the phone with other teams nonstop talking. Now what information you give back and forth, you know, depends on the relationship. But like think about like John Spytek and Jason Light, right? They work together forever. It was his right hand man. They're like best friends. You don't think they share information. So it's less about quote unquote sharing information and it's more just throwing it in your face. Now Dan Quinn has been around long enough, but we're human beings. If you're just saying stuff, it's one thing. If I'm just talking to Greg Olson, I'm sure Greg Olson has a couple people that he would consider very close in his life in the NFL, whether they're coordinators, whether they're GMs, he came on this podcast and he didn't specifically say names, but clearly he's got some people since doing this job and probably when he was playing as well, guys that were position coaches that have now moved on to be coordinators throughout the league that he texts all the time. And they. What do you think? You talk about just like what the weather is. Of course they're talking different ideas, but when Greg Olson walks into your building, if you're the Eagles, Sirianni and Howie, your guard isn't necessarily up. You're not worried about him giving all your information to the Dallas Cowboys or the Washington Commanders. Even though he's going to talk to those teams, it's inevitable because he's going to call their games. But there was just like, it's like a scout. When a scout walked into Nick Saban's practice, Saban wasn't petrified of him sharing the information, though he could. He could easily walk right into Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, if they're playing him in a week or two and tell him what they saw. Right. But, like, that's kind of. No, that's not really what you do. And not that it. It's. It couldn't happen. I just think the optics of Brady sitting in that coaching box, even if nothing actually changed, we already knew exactly what his role was, is something that's going to be hard for teams to shake. And specifically the Chiefs, the Broncos, and the Almost called in the Clippers, the Chargers. I just, I. That one would be tough for me. And it does feel, and I could be wrong, that there is more crossover than ever of AFC and NFC games on Fox and cbs. So it's like Brady's not just going to have, like, Bears, Cowboys, right? He's going to have some AFC games, and it's just going to be interesting to see how this thing plays out. I do think the story is not going to go away. Once he was in the booth, that was crazy. I mean, he was not just there to have a cocktail and eat some chicken fingers, which he probably wouldn't eat anyway, but like a lettuce wrap or whatever Tom would actually eat. I give Tom credit as someone that's really trying to work on my diet and my caloric intake. He is not. Doesn't feel like he's budged at all from the diet situation from when he played to now. I mean, that chiseled jawline, like, he. He is not eaten cheeseburgers and onion rings. You know, sometimes it's like, hey, you can let your Guard down a little bit. It feels like he's as dialed on the diet as ever. But I, I guess I didn't answer your question. I, I, I, I just wonder if teams, especially after on Monday night, are going to be really, really guarded with because it's not just him. If he's not allowed in the meeting or whatever his restrictions are, whatever you tell his crew. And I'm a huge Kevin Burkhardt fan. How is Kevin not going to relay stuff or Tom asking Kevin to ask them specific stuff? So it's, it's kind of complicated and I understand, like I'm not hating in the fact, if I was Tom Brady, I'd want to own the Raiders too. Mark Davis gave me an opportunity to own a team when I'm not nearly as rich as these guys to get into the country club, right? There are certain country clubs, guess what? I would love to freaking join. And I probably can't afford slash get invited to, but if I did get invited and they'd also kind of cut me a deal, I would join in a heartbeat. Right? And so he got involved in a country club that most rich people would love to get in on, especially at the price point in which he got in, which became controversial. The other thing that every single person, that former player that wants to get into talking about football, whether it's on podcasts, whether it's on TV or calling games, there is not a player alive that would have turned down the $375 million. Even if you're like, I don't want to travel, I don't. $375 million, I'm doing it. So I would have taken, if I was him, both those two opportunities. But it's, it's, it's kind of made everything a little more complicated, you know. We are extremely excited to announce our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. Everyone knows and loves their hotels and casinos. But now you can use the top rated Hard Rock Bet sportsbook to place all your NFL bets this season. Hard Rock Bet is the only legal sportsbook in the state of Florida and is also available in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois and Colorado, with more states to come. You can also play on Hard Rock Bets online casino if you are in New Jersey. As we gear up for the NFL season, sign up for Hard Rock Bet and make a $5 bet and you'll get 150 in bonus bets. If you win, head over to Hard Rock Bet, sign up and make your first deposit today, payable in bonus bets, not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe in Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-88-Admt-IT in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants to help, call 1-809 with it gambling problem. Call 1-800- Gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com foreign.

[Matt Jones]

And this is NFL Cover Zero. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining and twice a week that is exactly what you're going to get. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Looks like something that should not be sold. Oh my. So that was my other big Colts takeaway. They sold that?

[John Middlekauff]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

I might want to go back to the Colt Stadium. Yeah, I might want to go back to the drawing board on that. Yeah. I thought the shape we had with pretzels was working pretty well.

[John Middlekauff]

It's worked for generations.

[Matt Jones]

We're just here trying to enjoy it. We hope you all will join us throughout the year. And let's go. I hope I'm as youthful as Pete.

[John Middlekauff]

Carroll is at his age.

[Matt Jones]

He's a young 73. He is a young 73. He is spry. I wouldn't fight him. I would listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast podcast.

[Prop]

All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with Prop Podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort, of struggle, you understand politics much more than you giving credit for feds taking over American cities government Hop out boys hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that was supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy did we pull up from the logo to see if we could get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamil Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole century. Because in America, what sells in politics are narratives and storylines. It's like we treat politics like we treat sports sports. Which is part of the reason why we're in the situation we're in right now. Listen to the Hood Politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Football is back. That's right, the new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen coming off an MVP season.

[John Middlekauff]

And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon.

[Matt Jones]

Are you kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?

[Greg Rosenthal]

Rookies making a name for themselves.

[John Middlekauff]

Run again.

[Matt Jones]

Bulldozer.

[John Middlekauff]

He is bouncing off defenders and dragons down.

[Greg Rosenthal]

And of course, the Eagles trying to win another Lombardi.

[John Middlekauff]

What a game. What a season, what a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Middlekauff]

Could this be the simple rule that helps teams counter the tush push? This is the new rule. All offensive players and defensive ones too, to make it even, are only allowed to place one hand on the ground instead of two. Would this be enough to remove the leverage advantage the offense has? I think it's less about that and more about used to not be able to push a guy from behind, which you are now, which is a huge advantage for a player as strong as Jalen. And I just think it's impossible whether you put one hand or two on the ground, which I do think would be unfair for defense. Why that's not my problem. If I'm a defensive player, if I want to put two hands on the ground, especially in goal line defense, it's no one can see like we're just taking a, we take some educated guesses in football and we should at sports. Like I, I, I do appreciate every once in a while a little bit of unknown. Did he catch her? Didn't he? I don't know. It's, it's hard to tell, right? But I think on this play you have no clue when he stopped where the Ball is did someone fumble? So I I'm trying not to be a prisoner of the moment because there is a lot of momentum and a lot of people are talking about this. But it does feel like the beginning of the end for this thing. Like truly that was a moment that I think this play gets axed at the end of the year. I also think it helps. It's just a boring play to watch. Even if technically right now it's fair. I mean it's fair game. I'm a big Chiefs fan. Obviously I'm not quote unquote out on the season yet with two close losses against two good teams while playing subpar team football and given the current wide receiver room without Rice and Worthy. That said, do we need to start having a conversation about the offense and by proxy Andy? Ever since Nagy took over as oc, the offense has been largely awful compared to the rest of the league, let alone the first few years of pat. Obviously nobody cares and notices when you're winning Super Bowls 22 and 23. Even though the teams were stellar on defense and did just enough on offense, there is absolutely no juice in the running back room and a few wide receiver absences absolutely, absolutely derail any explosiveness. It's hard to not feel frustrated about Veech seemingly quote giving up on finding a running back ever since the Edwards Hilaire pick busted. Is there anything they can do personnel wise now to fill the holes that seem so obvious? I think they can make a trade. You know could they add like an Alvin Camara or something this offseason who's under contract could be on their team? I also think they have tried. You know when you are winning Super Bowls and going to the super bowl, your picks every round suck. They literally if you win, it can't be any worse. They're 32 every round and if you don't win it but you get there, they're 31 and they have used they drafted Clyde who fits Andy's mold. Like Andy's never going to be Kyle Shanahan and try to run it 30 times a game, but he will get the ball in the hand of the running back. And I thought Clyde like he did would be a good pass catching running back. It obviously didn't work well. They need more explosion and playmaking at wide receiver. So what did they do? They drafted Rice and then they drafted Worthy. Like they have invested picks into those spots. And when you're paying two guys afraid of money, Chris Jones, Emma Holmes, they pay their center a lot of money. They Pay their guard a lot of money. Like, obviously, Travis doesn't make nothing. Like, they have some core guys making a lot of cash. You have a lot of pressure on the draft, and I think, you know, the jury's out. Unworthy. But he's injured. And Rice looked like he was going to be a stud. Fucking ran his Lamborghini into the back of the, you know, a car. I. I do. I saw the picture, almost couldn't believe it. Of, like, some of the players on the Chiefs, especially Travis Kelsey, saying, free four. It's like, guys, didn't he run into a car with little kids and took off? Like, I was born at night, but not last night. Like, we understand why he did that, right? Drunk, high, whatever, in a rented Lamborghini. What are we talking about? Some people over the years have had questionable suspensions. This is not one of those. And if there would have been any sort of law enforcement on the scene, this suspension could have been way longer. So by fleeing the scene, it's safe to say the guy avoided a disaster. But let's. Let's, you know, be lucky no one was. No kid died or something. Like, what are we free for? That one was like, come on, let's use some common sense here, guys. But I would say, by proxy, Andy Reid. The best thing that's ever happened to your organization was Andy Reid. Because without Andy Reid, there's no Patrick Mahomes, and without Veatch, there's probably no Patrick Mahomes. So I just think, listen, not everything's perfect all the time. He gets credit for bringing spacs and having an awesome defense. Guys are going to be okay. Guys have had a pretty good life. You know, Saban didn't win the national championship every year. You could argue. Best case scenario, would you rather be 10 and 7 and just get bounced in the first round or be like 7 and 10 and have the. And restock a little bit in the draft? Chargers look really good through two weeks, and as a Raider fan, I give them all the credit. They look like a legit contender, although I know it's early. My problem is they only scored a field goal on the opening drive of the second half and they were shut out. And also had two turnovers within the last six or seven minutes. If Gino didn't play like a seventh grader and played, I don't know, half as good as he did last week, I can see the Raiders pulling out a win. What was the Chargers problem? Or was it a mix of the Raiders? D is better than we anticipated. Well, their pass rush, I mean Max is a problem. The fumble Max. Cause like Max is one of the best players in the NFL. Max is a complete badass. So anytime you got that guy on your team who is going to play till the game is hit 00 and he's told to go to the locker room, it's over. He can make something happen. Listen, the Chargers don't like they're a good team in their physical nature but they are going to win a lot of games. Ugly. They're going to play like the Chiefs have the last several years and are playing right now, except they're winning them. They're not going to win a lot of games. 40 to 10. I think the concerning part for Gino and I mentioned this last night. He doesn't play great against the better competition but like that's why he's Geno Smith. This isn't Joe Burrow. This isn't Lamar Jackson, you know, I mean this is. This is a guy who's a placeholder and can win you some games and just kind of keep you afloat as you move in the right direction. But the Chargers are way ahead of you guys in terms of they have way more talent on their roster and Jim has a year under his belt coaching the squad. So I think the as of recording this now, I haven't seen any breaking news on Khalil Mack. If Khalil's out for the year, that's a huge blow. That's not replaceable. If he's going to miss some time and come back then they'll be able. They'll be okay. The Saints ruined my boys Jamal Williams career before going to the Saints. Williams broke Barry Sanders record for TDs with the Lions. I might sound biased due to that's my best friend but I don't see a lot of running back to better than him in the league right now. Would like to hear your thoughts. Trying to think of the best number two running backs. It's probably some Najee Harrison, number two running back. Technically he's pretty good. Yeah, Jamal Williams is a good number two running back. He's kind of banged up last year. Yeah. Jamal Williams a good player. Always liked him. Very physical back. I had good years in Detroit. They kind of, you know, replaced with Gibbs and once they got Gibbs and Montgomery they didn't really need him anymore. He's had a long career. He's been a league since 17. He's going to play 10 year NFL career playing running back. Good player. You addressed the first half of this one already, so I'll shorten the question. My personal biggest gripe on the rules is what has become of the tackle position. There are certain tackles that look like they're lined up in the backfield and and false start on every snap. I have heard a BS explanation that this is actually legal, but it seems like a big stretch when they are right next to a receiver who is quote off and move before the ball is snapped. I don't know. This seems very silly. I tend to agree. I wonder if we did like a research project talking to different online coaches. I do wonder if there are faster defensive linemen just throughout the entire league, right? There's always been a Reggie White, a Lawrence Taylor, you know, Terrell Suggs, Dwight Freeney. Like there have been sweet pass rushers throughout the league. Every Jared Allen. It feels like most teams look at last night like all four teams. The Texans have multiple the the Bucks had one. The Raiders have an All Pro. The before Mac got hurt, they got a Pro Bowler potential Hall of Famer. So it's like every team has one. And I think the right tackle, I could be wrong, but it does feel like it's more often the right tackle who's typically not as athletic or as explosive. Though you would say that Juwan Taylor in theory is a good athlete and so is Lane Johnson. So I don't know, maybe they're just trying to time guys that they know are just going to do speed rushes. I don't have a great explanation for it, but I'm with you throughout the history of football and maybe because we pass way more so they're less worried about like, yeah, we're going to pass. Everyone knows that. Who even cares? So I'm just going to get, you know, backpedal as fast as I can as an offensive lineman. But I don't know. Doesn't seem like it's slowing down. Doesn't bother me as much even though I'm with you. It is stupid and there should be penalties for it, but people like it's legal. How long does Daniel Jones have to play like this before he gets Brian Dayball fired? It's a great question. I. I thought a couple weeks ago I think this question was brought up. Maybe it was after week one. I thought like, I don't know if there's much correlation. I know he used to play in the Giants, but he got cut in the middle of the season. He's been on another team since. And then he went to another team. Right. He got picked up by Minnesota. Now he's on the Colts, but if he has a season where it's like, he's not going to be a Pro Bowler because there are other guys like Herbert, Lamar and Josh, like, I'd put my money on those three guys being the AFC Pro Bowlers. But like, if he has a Pro bowl level season and the Giants win five games, it won't help. Like, no one was surprised and or you shouldn't have been. When Saquon, who was healthy, went to the team with the best offensive line and a run first mentality, had an incredible year, right? No one disputed when they let Saquon go. He had been banged up at times, but no one argued. Like his talent, his speed, his vision, his ability to run between the tackles and just bust long runs. Obviously it went better than anyone could have thought, but most people would have been like, daniel Jones isn't going to be any good. This isn't going to work. What if he throws 38 touchdowns and they win 12 games and they win the division? They have a lot of good players. I heard Albert Brewer say this. You got to give him some credit because he's making some of their random guys that, you know, I don't think are viewed as higher end skill guys look really good. We think Pittman's good. But the other wide receivers, every time you look up, they're making plays. Jonathan Taylor looks invigorated. Pretty wild how Baker Mayfield once was playing defensive lineman for the Panthers during practice, a backup for the Rams, and now he's one of the best in the league. What a story. Dude is legit. I think it's a great example and I'm a huge believer as the cream always rises. But all of our paths are not the same. Our roads to where we're trying to get some people, we have these people in our life that have immediate early success, do very well financially at a young age, maybe you personally meet someone, fall in love, have babies. Like God, they just got the world by the balls and other people kind of bounce around and then you look 20 years later, it's like, God, that guy really figured it out. It took him a little while, but it all happened. And let's face it, a lot of stuff in our lives are out of our control, right? We control some of it, but there is stuff that is 100% out of our control. And Baker was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Now, he didn't help his situation there, but think of like Hugh Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, John Dorsey, like, they had a pretty crazy situation. Odell Beckham Jr. Now clearly humility, you know, came with failure, which is a something that's very important. I think when you're young and you're really cocky and arrogant like life will humble you, football will humble you, just business will humble you. And he got humbled hard and I, I do think he was able to reset. No one ever questioned his arm, right? He's always had a big arm. One thing that's clear, he got married, he had a kid and he looks dramatically skinnier, slimmer, he's much more explosive as a mover. Like he's, no one's going to compare him to like Kyler, but his legs are a threat. I mean literally just you could argue the game was one on that 4th and 10 where he juked the guy and ran for 15 plus yards, kept the game alive, continued to write down the field for the game winning touchdown. A defense that's probably one of the faster in the league. So I've loved Baker since he was at Oklahoma. He's one of my favorite college players of last couple decades. I don't know if I would have saw this coming a couple years ago. And listen, Jason Light probably be the first to tell you when we gave him $4 million we were hoping I liked him coming out, but a couple years later I never believed that we'd have like one of the MVP candidates try to give that out 25 to 1. It's cool to watch. It's fun to watch. Guys, we mature late. Most of us are not Andrew Luck at 22 years old. Most of us are slappies. Most of us are idiots. So I just think that he follows the path of a lot of young men, that it takes a couple of years, it takes some bumps in the road to kind of mature. And if you do have the talent, once you figure it out, watch out. And he figured it out in the right place. And it's, it's fun to watch. I enjoy watching Tampa Bay. A lot of questions on do you think the Chiefs offense is sustainable with Mahomes having to be Superman every game? Worthy. And Rice will be rusty when they come back and with time it'll take them to get up to speed. Shouldn't Veatch look to get Mahomes instant help at running back? Kamara might be available for late pick. Well, if you can get him for late pick, it's 100%. I do. The Chiefs have to be pretty careful if this is not going to be their year to value the draft picks because they're going to need to restock the cupboard with some talent. Like, they're going to need a tight end. This Travis is not going to be on the team next year. I doubt he's going to keep playing, but they're going to have to move on. This is honestly kind of a sentimental year for him. Right. And they took care of him. He kind of got the NBA treatment and he deserved it. They had won a bunch of Super Bowls. He's one of the most important people in the history of the franchise. But, like, this thing's coming to an end and they're going to have to transition for Patty that is worthy Rasheed Rice. I mean, those guys are going to have to prove they're dependable. They're going to need a running back. It looks like they found their left tackle. One thing that's kind of glaring right now is McDuffie looks like he's kind of come back to earth a little bit.

[Matt Jones]

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options, free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com hey, this is Matt Jones and I'm Drew Franklin, and this is NFL Cover Zero. We think NFL coverage should be informed, informative, and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're gonna get. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Looks like something that should not be sold. Oh, my. So that was my other big Colts takeaway. They sold that?

[John Middlekauff]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Might want to go back to the Colts stadium. Yeah, I might want to go back to the drawing board on that. Yeah. I thought the shape we had with pretzels was working pretty well.

[John Middlekauff]

It's worked for generations.

[Matt Jones]

We're just here trying to enjoy it. We hope you all will join us throughout the year. And let's go. I hope I'm as youthful as Pete.

[John Middlekauff]

Carroll is at his age.

[Matt Jones]

He's a young 73. He is a young 73. He is spry. I would say. I would fight him. I would listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Prop]

All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with Prop Podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort or struggle. You understand politics much more than you give him credit for. Feds taking over American cities, government hop out boys hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that were supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy did we pull up from the logo to see if we could get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamil Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole century. The American public is used to being entertained. We're a consumption society. So what Trump figured out is entertain them and they'll never question you. Listen to the Hood Politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Football is back. That's right. The new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen coming off an MVP season.

[John Middlekauff]

And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon.

[Matt Jones]

Are you kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?

[Greg Rosenthal]

Rookies making a name for themselves Run again.

[John Middlekauff]

That's a bulldozer. He is bouncing off defenders and drag down.

[Greg Rosenthal]

And of course the Eagles trying to win another Lombardi.

[John Middlekauff]

What a game. What a season. What a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middlekauff]

What's the deal with Genti? 30 carries for 80 yards. Not only that, but he has been awful in pass pro and a total non factor as a receiving back. Last night the Raiders handed it to Zemir White on third and one and got stuffed. Why the hell is Genti not getting that carry? Zemir is simply terrible and still getting a fair amount of run. That feels concerning. I know it's way too early to panic and he has looked explosive on a few carries but hard not to be extremely disappointed with what we have seen so far. What's your take? I don't think their offensive line is great. So they don't. This guy's not Barry Sanders. So he can't just make something out of nothing in part of his game. Early on, it's like he's not Mr. Jukia. He kind of wants to run you over. Well, if you're Adrian Peterson and 6 foot 2 and 218 pounds and run a 4, 3, okay, I'll truck your ass. But is Astin Genti going to make a career in the NFL running guys over? To me, his game has to be like, I don't know, Frank Gore, different body type, like Jonathan Taylor, like shifty, make guys miss, get on guys edges. And it feels like he's trying to go forward as a power back, like he's Cam Scatter Boo, which he did a lot in college, broke a bunch of tackles. But it's a lot different breaking Washington State and Oregon State and New Mexico's tackles than it is Jesse Minter. In the Chargers defense, right in the Denver Bronco defense and the Kansas City Chiefs defense, it's going to be much more difficult. So I'm with you. You can't panic yet. He does have like some natural instincts as a runner, but clearly it's just off to a little bit of a rocky start. And I do think in general in the draft, one reason I think in the NFL you see a lot of guys that are like third, fourth, fifth rounders become Pro Bowlers because they early on in their career get to fly under the radar a little bit. Anything they do positively gets propped up. It's like, holy, look at this third rounder making plays. Did you see that? That pass rush by the dude we drafted in the fourth? But when you're the seventh overall pick, it's like, God, this guy can't get off a block. Why is the guy so slow? Look at Quentin Johnson. He's like three games into his careers. I can't catch a cold. Sucks. What an awful pick. But the dude drafted in like the six rounds, like, God, you see that route he just ran? He just got open on, on Sauce Gardner. It's like, are we sure we don't have the next steal of the draft? That conversation is real because it's not just us on podcast or fans. It's like the media people asking these guys listen and watch and read stuff. So that pressure when you're the 6 overall pick is immense. Like, it is intense. It's like, hey, are you going to be like the other top 10 picks in the last decade? The guys I just listed, Saquon, Bijan McCaffrey, these are the type guys we're talking about like, are you going to be that good? It's like, well, maybe not. Which is, which is a problem because if you're just a solid running back, I can find solid running backs all over the draft. And I think that pressure, this guy's not coming from Alabama, this guy's not coming from Oregon, Oregon or Penn State where it was like national championship bus played at Boise State, where in a lot of games, I'm sure a lot of people listening to this, like you watch some highlights, but you weren't watching Boise State play games. You play at Georgia and you're a multi year starter. Like your team thought you were going to win every game. Now, whether a guy lives up to it once they get to the league, you know, Najee Harris, should he have been a first round pick or not? I think it's fair to say he probably should have gone the second day of the draft. But when Najee Harris got to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the lights came on week one or at training camp, like the dude had just played for Nick Saban for four years, he had walked out as the Alabama starting running back with a bunch of other pros expected to win every game. So the pressure, he was used to it. Not saying there's not pressure at Boise State, but it just ain't the same. My question would be, what do you see the Eagles potentially adding to this roster throughout the season? Zadaria Smith was interesting, but in my opinion they need to find another corner. Would love to hear your thoughts on what Howie might have cooking. I think the reason they signed him is because obviously they had, you know, they had pass rushers. Huff didn't do anything for him, but he's just gone sweat. Who's been a key guy for them is on the Cardinals. They lost edge guys and they just were hoping that some of these guys they've drafted over the last couple years emerge and obviously Jalen and Jordan Davis dominate. But you can find the older, like Zadaria Smith exists every single year. Finding a corner, you could find the equivalent of Zadarius Smith at corner, but most of the time that guy's not good. And every once in a while a team that's in free fall, can you trade for one of their corners? Here's what I know about the Eagles. They are in championship or bus mode. Like their only goal this year is to win the division, have the number one seed and win the NFC and be in the Super Bowl. Like I don't think they have any other. Like there are no other agendas. When it comes to this team. So to me, Howie, who is by far the most aggressive in the league, will do anything humanly possible for anyone available. And if they're number one knee, like offensively, they don't have any needs. I know their passing game hasn't worked through two games, but they have two sweet wide receivers. They have a good tight end, Saquon can't really catch, but they have the weapons in terms of the pass game. Right. Defensively, pass rushers. There's a reason that they, they offered the Cowboys two ones and a third round pick and probably Micah $190 million because they know how important that position is. Right. You know, if they're presents itself a superstar corner, but I don't know if that guy really exists now. Would Howie have no problem trading for a good corner like a fourth round pick? Yeah, I mean I think they are going to be in the mix for any good player that would start for them. And honestly, if the guy would start for them, I'd be stunned if the Eagles don't trade for him. All I've heard recently is how foolish the Browns were for letting Baker Mayfield go. Yet just the other day, after only two games in the second season, the media is really crucifying Caleb Williams. It may be the right play, as you and Colin both claimed, along with many others as well. What's the right approach? How much time should a young quarterback get to prove himself if Ben Johnson can't turn him around? Is there any hope Ryan Poles might be one of the worst GMs in NFL history? Four years in, he's not drafted, a Pro bowl, a dismal 15 and 38 record, and it's tough to find a GM this ineffective who's been given so much time plus an extension. It feels like the Bears efforts are useless at this point. Four years into a rebuild for another rebuild. I think it's very, very difficult if the Bears are going to be bad, right? Best case scenario for Caleb is obviously got to be better on defense, but they just find a way to win some games. Because if you look up in the team's 4 and 4, even if they're 3 and 4, it's like okay, right? It's, it's not as negative, but if you look up and they're two and seven, it is really, really difficult for things to not point at the key figures. You go, okay, fire Ryan Pulse. You're not going to fire Ben Johnson. It's like, what's up with the quarterback? Fire the defensive coordinator. We're not breaking down their wide receiver rotations when you're really bad. So it's impossible to know the what should be done until we see them play a couple more games. Because if they start losing, every single person is going to be available on this team. A lot of guys, like, is DJ More going to be on this team in a couple months? I would not feel confident about that. If they lose this week to the Cowboys, it's just going to be like, if Caleb starts playing well and they keep losing, then that's another conversation. But I have a hard time. Like, if they lose to the Cowboys, like, how would he play well? And they lose. The Cowboys defense is atrocious, so you would think that they played well. They should be able to score 30ish points and win the game. Especially at home, I think it's very difficult. You have to be prepared when you break up with a girl or she breaks up with you, that in a year, in two years and five years, your life or her life, someone's going to win that transaction, Right? If you're dating someone beautiful, you're like, you know what? She's gorgeous. By all accounts, this should be unreal. I just don't really like her. I don't want to date her anymore. You have to be prepared if she's a babe for someone that has more money than you and a cooler life than you, that in like a year or two, she's posted on Instagram, you know, at the Four Seasons in Hawaii, flying there in a private jet, like, living life. And then all of a sudden she's pregnant and it's like, God, I'm single, my life's not. And then all of a sudden you get depressed. You can't live like that. So the Browns, they made their decision. It was not working with Baker. So just because someone else goes on to find a better situation does not mean that it would have worked there with you. And I do think the negative cloud and the dark cloud of the Bears in this Caleb situation, if it were to get a lot worse, if he went on somewhere else and had some success, it doesn't mean that he would have had success in Chicago. So I think, I'm sure, like, you hired the offensive coach who just actually gave him some credit. He's like, I actually thought he played okay. I saw Ted Nguyen, who writes for the Athletic, who's a big film guy, say that he only found like four or five times where Caleb really played off script. The problem was one of those was an interception that led to seven points. And kind of the floodgates opened after that. But Collins had one more game. I disagree with that. Like, he's getting months this month, next month. But it is like, this is a very urgent sport and like these teams and these coaches, like, it's hard for them to think about 2028 when you're living in the moment and it's not going well. The other thing is these are human beings, right? So if I don't get along and I, I don't know, I, I have no knowledge. Never met Ben Johnson. But like, however their relationship is, he knows what a good quarterback, offensive coordinator relationship is, right? Play caller relationship is. He just had one with golf. Now every person's different. So you gotta. You're not gonna interact with me the same as you'd interact with someone else. As your dad, as your brother, as your cousin, as your other buddy. Like, we're all different, different personalities, different wiring. The way we communicate changes. But if you don't see eye to eye with the person schematically, skill set wise, just communication wise, it's hard to work. So it's just, to me, something to keep an eye. I don't have the answer. I wouldn't just say that it's over, but it's definitely something worth monitoring. It's got off to a weird start. The NFL said they were looking for data to remove the tush push, but didn't have any data to back it up. So I think the out will be. They can't officiate the play. There is just one big pile and they have no idea where the ball is. Also side note, Jordan Love is the best quarterback in the nfc. Go Pack, go. I would say that Jordan loves having a really good season. Best quarterback in the NFC through a couple games. I mean, it's definitely not. Could be Russell Wilson after that performance. Dax played pretty well. Not Jalen. Hurts. Purdy's hurt. Kyler. No. Sam Darnold's a little rocky. NFC's a little more wide open. Golf kind of got a swag back at home. Speaking of Lions mailbag, the Jameson Williams experience as a Lions fan has been quite the ride. The night before the season opener for Detroit, he received an extension. To me, he earned it. Not only did he mature as a person, but he's become more of a complete wide receiver who has the ability to score anytime he touches the football. I believe Brad Holmes made the right decision to extend him early rather than wait. His number would be much higher if he matched his numbers from last year. Do you think Brad Holmes made a smart decision in locking him up? Clearly I saw an interview with Dan Campbell this off season and I didn't put that much into it, but where he was speaking about how much Jameson Williams has really grown on him. I think Randall early on in his career was probably the right type coach. And I bet if we went around the league, a lot of former wide receivers are wide receiver coaches that can be a pretty probably electric room of personalities all over the map. But you know, last year he had 58 catches and seven touchdowns. They gave him a, picked up a fifth year option, gave him a three year contract extension. I think that they've done a really good job when they were kind of bad and they were building this thing of just nailing some picks. And the one thing Jameson does is having St. Brown. It's basically like a Jekyll and Hyde. It's like a yin and a yang, right? You have this guy that runs all these quick routes over the middle of the field, quick out routes, breaking tackles, like does the dirty work. And this other guy that's like, it's like having a truck in a Ferrari, right? If you want to drive on the ranch, you're not going to take the Porsche or the Ferrari, right? And if you want to drive downtown or to a nice dinner or you're going to go to the steakhouse, take your wife or your girlfriend, you, you know, you probably take the sports car and you know, if you can afford it, you get both of them, right? So it's, I think that's what it is. They kind of balance each other out for their offense. Goff has a good connection with them. Hit him on the play. And I think anytime that you can get that guy on your roster that's not just a speed guy but like a good player that can keep the defense honest. And then they have, they don't just have St. Brown, I mean they have Laporta too, who's excellent. I mean the Tesla guy. The offensive line is still a question mark. We'll see how they come together as they play better teams. I mean this week they play the Ravens, but skill wise they, they have elite talent. So yeah, I'd give them. It's kind of very Philadelphia Eagles ish.

[Matt Jones]

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply that's oregonhomecarejobs.com hey, this is Matt Jones and I'm Drew Franklin, and this is NFL Cover Zero. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining and twice a week. That is exactly what you're going to get. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Looks like something that should not be sold. Oh, my. So that was my other big Colts takeaway. They sold that?

[John Middlekauff]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Might want to go back to the Colts stadium. Yeah, I might want to go back to the drawing board on that. Yeah. I thought the shape we had with pretzels was working pretty well.

[John Middlekauff]

It's worked for generations.

[Matt Jones]

We're just here trying to enjoy it. We hope you all will join us throughout the year. And let's go. I hope I'm as youthful as Pete Carroll is at his age. He's a young 73. He is a young 73. He is spry, I would say. I wouldn't fight him. I would listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Prop]

All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with Prop Podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort or struggle, you understand politics much more than you giving credit for feds taking over American cities. Government. Hop out, boys, hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that was supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course, course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy, did we pull up from the logo to see if we can get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamil Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole century in America. What sells in politics are narratives and storylines. It's like we treat politics like we treat sports, which is part of the reason why we're in the situation we're in right now. Listen to the Hood Politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Football is back. That's right. The new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts and will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen coming off an MVP season.

[John Middlekauff]

And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon.

[Matt Jones]

Are you kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?

[Greg Rosenthal]

Rookies making a name for themselves.

[John Middlekauff]

Run again.

[Matt Jones]

Bulldozer.

[John Middlekauff]

He is bouncing off defenders and dragged.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Down and of course the Eagles trying to win. Win another Lombardi.

[John Middlekauff]

What a game. What a season. What a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middlekauff]

For the Mailbag not an Eagles fan, so I'm not biased. But as a competitor, a youth coach and purely a fan of the game, I can't get behind banning any play I in competition sport. In a competition sport, I watch countless teams try to do some form in college or the NFL and nobody can execute the same play. Yes, it has to do with the players, but I promise you the Eagles just do it better than everyone else. From the coaching to the execution on the field, the technique. In all the hours spend spent scheming, I notice differences in the way each team runs this play versus how the Eagles run it, which is why they fail. I would bet money the Eagles can run this play better with a backup quarterback than any of the other 31 teams with their starting quarterback. Yes, Jalen Hurts is special, but it's scheming, technique, execution and hours of game planning. I hope they win the super bowl and with this play just to piss everyone off. Lol. I think at this point in time the they don't. You don't practice this play right? There's no way at this point they practice this play at all live against their own team. Where I would tend to agree with you on the backup quarterback is their offensive line, their leverage, how low they get. They feel more consistently like a defensive line in a goal line situation. Now you could argue they're cheating because they're jumping before the ball's even snapped. But then most teams now the backup quarterback thing, I do think the power of Jalen, I mean some of these are getting closer because these teams are selling out. I think. Factor in if you put Tanner McKee there was the play one of the tush pushes felt like they ran it 10 times against the Chiefs. Chris Jones leaped over him and grabbed him, but he's in the air and Jalen is So powerful. Kind of took him for a yard ride, which I forget it was a touchdown or a first down to me. If that's Tanner McKee, Chris might be powerful enough for. He's not taking Chris Jones for a ride. So I, I do believe that the power of Jalen in his legs factor into the just to the execution of the play. But at this point in time, like are they game planning anything? I. They deserve credit for doing that whenever they originally created it. But like all the guys like Landon, Dickerson, Jordan, my lot, Elaine Johnson, these guys, Jurgensen, Goddard, Saquon, like these guys have been running the play long enough. They. There's no. They just know what to do. Okay, a couple more questions. Another great show. I like positive reinforcement. Great segment on Baker today, who I wasn't a fan of originally, but I've come to respect and cheer for. Especially that the episode he went undercover with the fans. It got me thinking this weekend, Baker on and Darnold both on the fourth team are better than any quarterback on the three teams that let them walk. My question for the mailbag is we put down bus quarterback a lot, but what about bus GMs? I mean, Carolina had both of them on their team at one point. Well, everyone in Carolina got fired. The GM fired, the coach fired. So I think Carolina blew out everyone there. I do think for both guys, I think Sam would be the first to tell you that year where he got out of Carolina, went to the 49ers, just got to be the backup, changed the course of his career. For Baker, I think he was a better player than Sam. He is a better player than Sam. He just needed to go to a place that was a little quieter, kind of had a little renegade rebel to it and good talent around him, and he got to flourish. Like, let's face it, Tampa's kind of like Oklahoma. When he was kicking ass in Oklahoma, guess what? He, he had Mark Andrews, he had Hollywood Brown, he had CD Lamb. Pretty sure he had P. Ryan and Joe Mixon. He had Orlando Brown. Like Google some of the guys Baker Mayfield play with at Oklahoma. They were fucking good. They were stacked. They were loaded. That's why they were really good. I mean, they were top 510 team his entire career there. And he goes to Tampa. It's kind of got an Oklahoma vibe, you know. Here's the thing. As a gm, do you get credit for drafting Sam Darnold third overall? Because once you draft him, like you don't coach them. It's. I think sometimes when a guy's A bust. It's more on the coaching staff than the GM though. I think the GM has a lot of control over the type guys that are in that locker room. So it's probably a combination of everyone, but not everyone just flourishes from day one. You know, some guys take some time. Some, some guys are major works in progress. Some guys need some time. Look at Tom Brady was the six round pick. It wasn't until like his like third super bowl where people are like, yeah, he's pretty good quarterback. I got a lot of questions about Baker. We'll end on this. In your opinion, had the Browns stuck with Baker, do you think they'd be super bowl contenders? They seem to have every piece but a quarterback. And how amazing is it that Baker was playing on the scout team defense? That picture I saw, Jason Light on Twitter reposted it of Baker Mayfield lining up what looks like is a nose tackle on the scout team. It's. It's a pretty embarrassing look for Carolina. Now granted, this is not the Canales or Dan Morgan like other people running the show rule, but it's just, it's a rough, it's. It's a rough visual. I'm going to stick with my thought on this. I do not think they would because I just don't think, I don't think he'd be on the team. I mean, I think sometimes people are meant to break up. It just sometimes not everything's meant to work. Things can flourish for a minute and then things end. Like, not every place is just like this inevitable no matter what. Like Peyton Manning and the Colts, like, it was just going to work and Peyton was going to drag that organization to not just relevancy, but a Super Bowl. It was inevitable. Even at times where it's like, I don't know if he can beat the Patriots. Like looking back, Peyton Manning, they were going to win a Super bowl and hell, they probably should have won two. But I think the Baker situation, for him, personally, the organization, I don't think it would have worked. It didn't work. So. And I don't think we get this guy. I. You have to wonder if the belief when, when Sean McVeigh signed him on a Tuesday and he started on a Thursday and he won that game, just breathed a little life into the guy. I don't care who you are, you. You lose confidence, you get in a bad mental spot as a young person, you can put on a facade and there's like tough guy exterior inside. We all question ourselves, are we good enough? Do we Got it. Is this gonna work out? You can be scared. It's much easier. It's much easier for me at 40 to battle through insecurities or battle through a bad day. It's like, I've seen a lot in the last 20 years. It's a lot more difficult at 25, when I was having a shitty day, I had way less experience being a grown up. Just like at 60 years old, I'm going to have way more experience in life with children than I do right now. So the Baker Mayfield that you see now conduct himself and carry himself around Tampa like he's seen a lot of shit. You can be like, well, Johnny had to walk on at Texas Tech. Yeah. Then he went to Oklahoma and became a starter and kicked everyone's ass. And all he did was have success. And then he went, came in a draft with Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson went number one overall. I do think the humble pie changed the course of his life and off the field. And I see it with myself, like, getting married, having a child, like that tends to have a positive impact on people, and it clearly did on him. And then obviously is losing weight as well. He looks slimmer and he just looks good. I mean, he looks like he did in Oklahoma. He's a baller. He's also the type player. You know, Mahomes has this, too. They're just kind of gamers. They just got like this. The analytic guys hate this. But, like, what do you mean by it? It's like, I don't know. I can't really quantify it. But whatever that is, Baker's got some of that shit deep in his veins. And you see it when you watch him play. And it's come back out in Tampa because he had it at Oklahoma, then it disappeared for a couple years in Cleveland. What's back now? Because you see it when you watch it. I mentioned this the other night. Like, he has the farvee in quality. That's Mahomes. You know, Curry, who is compared to Mahomes. Like, there's just something like some it factor that these guys have that they're just. They got like, we're playing at recess to them. Except they're playing the Houston Texans, who have one of the best defenses on the road. And he's one of my favorite players in the league. And I'm glad that he resurrected his career.

[Matt Jones]

The volume. Hey, this is Matt Jones. And I'm Drew Franklin, and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective, a Little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And Twice A week that is is exactly what you're gonna get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Football is back. That's right. The new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. It's in the name NFL Daily, so you'll have fresh content in your feed all season and long. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, in an all star cast of co hosts for previews and recaps of every single game. NFL Daily will keep you up to date with everything you need to know so you can sound smarter than all your friends. Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Prop]

All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with Prop Podcast. You know I get down. You come from the urban areas. You understand politics more than you get given credit for. Between Jerry out here mandering all over the place. Hop out, boys. Snatching up family members and two wars that was supposed to be done in 24 hours. Not to mention Epstein. We had to reach out to the homie Jamil Hill because she gonna keep it a century in America. What sales and politics are narratives and storylines. It's like we treat politics like we treat sports, which is part of the reason why we're in the situation we're in right now. Listen to the Hood Politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Middlekauff]

Hey everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks on Move to six. We take you inside the game, from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies.

[Matt Jones]

To evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends.

[John Middlekauff]

And how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

[Matt Jones]

It's everything you need to understand the.

[John Middlekauff]

Why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Prop]

This is an iHeart podcast.