What’s Wright - Best Of - Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Famer? MAJOR CONCERNS for Ravens ahead of clash with Chiefs | Nick Wright

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "What’s Wright: Best Of"

Episode Date: September 28, 2025
Host: Nick Wright
Special Guest/Contributor: Damanse

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Episode Overview

This "Best Of" episode brings together Nick Wright’s sharpest takes from the week, focusing on top NFL stories: the sudden end of Russell Wilson’s career and his Hall of Fame case (or lack thereof), major concerns about the Baltimore Ravens ahead of their clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, and in-depth analysis of pivotal AFC teams’ trajectories. The tone is direct, analytical, occasionally witty, and full of Nick’s signature candor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Russell Wilson: Is He a Hall of Famer? (02:23–08:28)

• Giants Move on from Wilson: New York Giants bench Russell for Jackson Dart; Nick gives the Giants "a bigger chance than I should" (02:36).
  • Wright questions the hype around Dart, calling him “a little bit of a frat bro,” but acknowledges the excitement in New York (03:14).
  • Notable off-field anecdote: Dart’s lucky necklace actually belongs to his sister.
• Wilson’s Sudden Decline:
  • "It is stunning how quickly this ended for him. It doesn’t feel stunning because it feels like he’s been bad for years now, which he has been." – Nick Wright (04:23)
  • Nick argues Wilson forced his Seattle exit, was awful in Denver, and quickly flamed out with the Giants.
  • Despite accolades (10 Pro Bowls), Nick says Wilson was rarely even a consensus top-5 QB, let alone top-3.
  • “He had nine good to excellent years, and that’s it. And for a quarterback, you need more.” (06:57)
  • The infamous Malcolm Butler interception changed Wilson’s legacy: “If Malcolm Butler doesn’t pick that ball off...he has the greatest start to a career in the history of the league. But Malcolm Butler did pick that ball off.” (07:33)
• Conclusions on Wilson’s Career:
  • “He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory...but I just don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer.” (07:53)
  • Nick doubts any team (even as a starter) will take a shot on Wilson after three teams gave up on him rapidly.

Memorable Quote

“He was on great teams that he was the caretaker of. And I just don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer. ... It’s a pretty crummy ending.”
— Nick Wright (08:11)

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2. Ravens’ Concerns Heading Into Kansas City Matchup (14:40–32:00+)

• Baltimore's Losses and Defensive Struggles:
  • After another last-minute loss, Damanse asks: “Should I be worried about my Ravens with how everything's going at the moment?” (14:49)
  • Nick compares media panic over slow Chiefs starts to the more lenient treatment of Baltimore, highlighting that the Ravens haven’t “earned” the benefit of the doubt:

    “The benefit of doubt that they have earned is being to zero consecutive Super Bowls, zero in the last decade, one conference championship game appearance.” (16:20)

  • Highlights the Ravens' defense as the chief concern:

    “A Baltimore Ravens defense that ... has been downright awful.” (17:25)
    “The two 95+-yard drives of Detroit just running it down their throat to me was a flashing red light of concern.” (18:27)

• Lamar Jackson’s Performance and Demeanor:
  • Nick critiques Lamar for not throwing the ball away, hesitating to run, and taking 7 sacks: “His refusal to throw the ball away...those sacks were drive killers time and time again.” (21:25)
  • Body language: Nick and Damanse both comment on Lamar seeming “wound tight,” like in playoff games where “he is anxious about this spot.” (24:07–24:16)
  • Lamar’s NFC dominance highlighted, but this performance stood out as flat.
• State of the AFC:
  • Even with both at 1–2 or 1–3, Nick says it’s hard to find seven playoff teams excluding Chiefs and Ravens due to AFC parity.
  • “No matter who is 1–3...it will be hard to find seven AFC playoff teams without including both the Chiefs and the Ravens.” (27:05)
• Comparison to the Chiefs:
  • “One of the reasons I have this confidence about the Chiefs is...every single year they play their best ball in the postseason. ... The Ravens are the opposite.” (28:34)

Memorable Quote

“For a nearly a decade now, every single year [the Chiefs] play their best ball in the postseason...The Ravens are the opposite.”
— Nick Wright (28:34)

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3. Chiefs vs. Ravens: Who Has More on the Line? (36:02–51:00)

• High Stakes for the Ravens:
  • Nick: “It is, to me, unquestionably Baltimore that has more on the line. ... Maybe by winning this game you won’t have to go through Kansas City in the playoffs. ... There is a massive psychological edge the Chiefs have over the Ravens.” (36:13)
  • Details Lamar’s 1–5 record against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs:

    “They have lost in Baltimore. They have lost in Kansas City. ... There is a massive psychological edge...” (37:10)

• Potential Effects of a Loss:
  • Ravens’ next games are winnable, but going 1–3 raises urgency.
  • Nick is less worried for the Chiefs, who historically rebound and “are a terrifying team once the postseason begins.” (40:39)
• Offensive vs Defensive Bias:
  • “Kansas City’s offense ... average, ... and that has caused massive concern. Baltimore’s defense ... they’re awful in everything.” (41:20)
• How the Game Might Unfold:
  • Nick expects a “slug fest in Kansas City where every yard is going to be ... hard to get” (47:48), not a high-flying 31–28 shootout.
  • He’s skeptical KC can exploit Baltimore’s bad run defense, but points to RB Pacheco as the X-factor for the Chiefs.
• X-Factors:
  • Travis Kelce is Nick’s pick for the Chief who needs to step up: “He’s had a rough start to the season. He has owned this matchup. ... This would be a good time for one [great game].” (48:50)
  • Return of Worthy should help Chiefs offense, but Nick is “holding my breath” on his health impact.

Memorable Quotes

“If the Ravens win, the Chiefs are not going to ... go into that [playoff] game thinking we can’t beat this team. But if the Chiefs win, how can Baltimore credibly think that the Chiefs don’t simply have their number?”
— Nick Wright (38:10)

“The side of the ball Kansas City is struggling on ... they’re average. The side Baltimore is struggling on, they’re horrible.”
— Nick Wright (41:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wilson’s Legacy:

  “He was on great teams that he was the caretaker of. And I just don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer. ... It’s a pretty crummy ending.” (08:11)

• On Ravens’ Defensive Issues:

  “A Baltimore Ravens defense that ultimately last year was not good enough, that up to this point this year has been downright awful.” (17:25)

• On Chiefs-Ravens Stakes:

  “There is a massive psychological edge the Chiefs have over the Ravens. ... If the Chiefs win, how can Baltimore credibly think that the Chiefs don’t simply have their number?” (38:10)

• On Offensive vs. Defensive Critique:

  “Kansas City’s offense ... average ... that has caused massive concern. Baltimore’s defense ... they’re awful in everything.” (41:20)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:23 – Russell Wilson’s status in NY & transition to Jackson Dart
• 04:23 – Rapid decline and “crummy ending” to Wilson's career
• 08:23 – Debate: backup/starter jobs for Wilson
• 14:40 – Ravens’ collapse vs. Lions and concerns aired by Damanse
• 16:20 – Nick’s “benefit of the doubt” monologue about Baltimore
• 18:27 – Defensive breakdowns and Detroit’s run-game dominance
• 21:25 – Lamar Jackson’s weaknesses vs. Detroit
• 24:07 – Comments on Jackson’s body language and mindset
• 28:34 – Comparison between Chiefs’ and Ravens’ postseason trends
• 36:13 – Chiefs vs. Ravens: who faces more pressure?
• 41:20 – Nick’s offensive/defensive bias point
• 47:48 – Prediction of Chiefs-Ravens as a “slug fest,” not a shootout
• 48:50 – Travis Kelce highlighted as essential for Chiefs
• 51:00 – Friendly gambling/bet discussion for Chiefs-Ravens game

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

• Nick Wright is critical, thorough, and not afraid to challenge popular narratives, particularly around legacy QBs like Wilson and perennial contenders like Baltimore. He’s more bullish on Chiefs’ postseason prospects due to their proven track record.
• Damanse provides the fan’s reaction, especially for the Ravens, prompting Nick to dive deeper into systemic team issues, psychology, and playoff implications.
• The episode spotlights the razor-thin line between good and great in the NFL, the importance of psychological edges between contenders, and why both Chiefs and Ravens are measured by a different standard — one earned, one assumed.

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Perfect for listeners who want:

• A no-nonsense breakdown of why Russell Wilson isn’t quite Hall of Fame material.
• Nuanced analysis of the Ravens’ troubles on defense and what it means for their Super Bowl hopes.
• Pre-game framing of the pivotal Chiefs-Ravens matchup, with clear stakes for both teams and a look into the psychology of post-season NFL football.

Transcript

[Nick Wright]

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[Nick Wright]

Welcome to the Best of the Week for what's Right with Nick Wright. The best takes and moments from this week on the show. Enjoy.

[Damanse]

So they are not letting Russ Cook anymore in New York. It's Jackson Dart time. They put him in in a kind of a weird time. This could be a blessing or a curse. They are playing the Chargers and they have a top ranked defense. How do you see things going for Jackson Dart in the Giants?

[Nick Wright]

This I think they might get a temporary shot in the arm. I'm not right. Listen, they're in New York. I think that defense is good. I am. I'M giving the Giants a maybe a bigger chance than I should at making this a real game and then seeing what Jackson dart can do. When Daniel Jones took over, you know, not a few years ago, but half decade ago, his first game, I think it was against Tampa, he comes in, plays well, they steal a win. They're feeling good. Now, that team didn't end up being very good, but like in that moment, because I do think they were out on Russ. I, I am not as big on the Jackson dart aura as other people are, but people seem to really like him. I guess we'll, you know, we'll see. Guy strikes me as a little bit of like a frat bro, but whatever with the I, I, I am open. I, I liked him. Evidently that that chain isn't a chain. It's his sister's necklace is beautiful that he like. Yeah. The, yeah. So like he borrowed it from her, wore it. Now he wears it for good luck. I don't have that full story. I think it's been reported out out elsewhere. But they seem very excited about him. To me, the bigger story is about Russ. Is his career over and is he a Hall of Famer? And my answer to those questions are, yes, his career is over and no, he's not a Hall of Famer. And it is stunning how quickly this ended for him. It doesn't feel stunning because it feels like he's been bad for years now, which he has been. But Russell Wilson forced his way out of Seattle. The Broncos gave up a king's ransom for him and then paid him early a huge deal. And he immediately was terrible. And it was, it was not that long ago that people thought the Broncos were going to be a real threat because they got Russell Wilson. It was September of 2022 that they gave up multiple first round picks, gave him a huge deal. And then he and Nat Hackett lost that opening game to Geno and the Seahawks. And it's just been a disaster for him ever since. And I understand he has a good career winning percentage and I understand that he has, you know, nine Pro Bowls, 10, no. 10 Pro Bowls because he oddly made the Pro bowl last year. And listen, he was a really, really good player in Seattle, but in his, during his career, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Big Ben Patrick, Josh, Lamar were all hall of Fame quarterbacks during his career. Philip Rivers was, in my opinion, better than Russell. I don't know that Rivers is getting it. Eli, I don't know that I think Eli was better than Russ, but Eli has the two Super Bowls versus one. And Eli I don't think is getting in, at least not anytime soon. He didn't have as high of a peak as Cam Newton or Matt Ryan, who are not getting in. And the longevity part is not there for him. He. He had nine good to excellent years and that's it. And for a quarterback, you need more. There was. It's hard to find more than one year where he was a consensus top five quarterback. It's impossible to find one year where he was a consensus Top 3 quarterback. And so I just don't think he's a Hall of Famer. He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory and if Malcolm Butler doesn't pick that ball off and it is, he has the greatest start to a career in the history of the league. Year one takes team to divisional round of the playoffs. Year two wins the super bowl over Peyton Manning. Year three wins the super bowl over Tom Brady. But Malcolm Butler did pick that ball off. And the fact of the matter is the best teams he was on good teams that he was the centerpiece of. He was on great teams that he was the caretaker of. And I just don't think he's a Hall of Famer. And I don't know at this point. Daman say I don't know. Like, are the Bengals gonna call and try to get him? I don't think so. Like, I don't know where he goes and he has a starter or is.

[Damanse]

It just a backup? Right. We're talking backup.

[Nick Wright]

No, I'm talking about the Bengals as a starter right now.

[Damanse]

Oh, okay. Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

Like with Burrow out like. But the Broncos traded for him. They were done with him after a year and a half. The Steelers signed him. They were done with him after a half year starting. The Giants signed him. They were done with him after three games starting. I just think it's over and it's a pretty crummy ending and so I don't. But like to me he's not a Hall of Fame player. He's a really good player with a really good career, but not a Hall of Fame player. And it sure seemed like the Giants could not wait to move on from him. As far as the Giants thought process here I Danny's been making this point and I think he's right. If Jackson darts ready now, he was probably ready in week one and if he wasn't ready in week one, he's probably not ready now. But I think that Brian Dabel doesn't want to be deal with empty MetLife seats and booze if he wants to have a chance of keeping that job. And so putting Dart out there is getting at least the New York fans excited about this weekend's game and the rest of this season. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. If you love betting on sports or you just love sports and want to try betting, the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app makes it simple, packed with great insights and non stop promos every day of the week. Sunday Hard Rock Bet Stats Hub will have you cover right there in the app showing me Kansas City has won 10 in a row at home against the AFC. You can get some juicy odds if you want to tail Kansas City like I think I will be against Baltimore in the Hard Rock Bet app. If you haven't tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet, there's still time for you to get $150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place a $5 bet and if it hits you, not only get your winnings, but also an extra $150 in bonus bets tonight. There's games you can get on tonight and you of course can check out all the college action on Saturday and all the great NFL action on Sunday. Boost your same game Parlay all or SGP Max so your bet pays extra winnings promos every day. So whenever you're listening to this, open up the app, check out what they've got running any day of the week. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today, take a look around and make your first deposit payable and bonus bets. Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. To play Terms and conditions apply. Concern about gambling in Florida, call 1-888- admit it in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-809 with it gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. Tyler Redicure from 2311 Racing the Rush of racing. Nothing beats it, but Chumba Casino comes close. Chumba's got fast spins, fun games, daily bonuses and all the action you can handle. Now that's a ride. Ready to hit the throttle? Get in the driver's seat and head to chumbacasino.com let's Chumba Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. 21/ terms and conditions apply.

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[Nick Wright]

All right, Damanze, tough night for your Baltimore Ravens and take us through it before we get to it.

[Damanse]

So last night, my Baltimore Ravens, we coughed up another one. Lamar was running for his life. Derrick Henry with another costly fumble. Detroit came back on the next drive, converted on fourth, got a touchdown. So we did it for your team. We should do it for my team too. Should I be worried about my Ravens with how everything's going at the moment?

[Nick Wright]

So I'm glad you listen. I'm glad you put it in that context. We did it for the Chiefs for being 02 and now 1 and 2. Should we do it for Baltimore? And it is a very interesting test of sports media today and who has and has not earned benefits of the Doubt because I, silly me, Chiefs homer lifelong Kansas City and got a tattoo about the team. Silly me, I would have thought that a team that has been to seven consecutive conference championship games, been to five of the last six Super Bowls, won three of the last six Super Bowls and been to three straight, that if any team would have earned a benefit of the Doubt for sputtering out of the gates, it would be the Chiefs. But I was wrong. It was a lot of talk about how systemically the team may be broken, about Patrick not being as good as he once was, Andy's play design not being as creative as it once was, and about how this team just isn't scary anymore. And you know, and that we'll get to in a minute. Win over the New York Giants didn't exactly quiet that for most people. We'll get to my thoughts on it in a second. And the tackle that turned the tide Trademark. As Kevin Wild would say. I wonder how folks are going to discuss the Baltimore Ravens now that they are one and two with the one victory being an uninspiring one over the Cleveland Browns now that they the Baltimore Ravens who the benefit of doubt that they have earned is being to zero consecutive Super Bowls, zero in the last decade. One conference championship game appearance. If we are going to look at the Baltimore Ravens defense with the same critical eye that we have looked at the Kansas City Chiefs offense. A Baltimore Ravens defense that ultimately last year was not good enough, that up to this point this year has been downright awful. A Baltimore Ravens team that on top of that seems to situationally not be the most buttoned up in football and a Baltimore Ravens team that all of a sudden second best player seems to have an odd fumbling problem. Now I don't know if you agree with me or not on this demons A I do not think that game was lost on the Derrick Henry fumble. I think that the rape that game was lost on the Ravens entire inability to get us to stop Detroit from doing whatever they wanted on the ground.

[Damanse]

Yeah, that's fair.

[Nick Wright]

And the two 95 plus yard drives of Detroit just running it down their throat to me was a Flashing red light of concern. And it is, you know, it's kind of perfect that, you know, the Chiefs and the Ravens now play each other on Sunday because one of these teams is going to be 03 with three losses to the three legitimate teams they faced and the other team's going to be two and two and have steadied the ship. And we'll talk obviously more about that game on Thursday and Friday show.

[Damanse]

Oh, yeah, go ahead, Go ahead. We'll. We'll talk about it more. I was going to say, what do you think with Kansas City winning in Baltimore coming off this loss? That it's a bad scenario for the Chiefs. Could be a potential trap game.

[Nick Wright]

Well, no, again, this is. I blame Wilds for this, not you. No, nobody seems to understand what trap game means anymore. Trap game. You're talking about maybe let down spot or something. Trap game is you what? So let's say the Chiefs had been two and oh, going into the Giants game with the Ravens coming up the following week. Then the Giants are a trap game. Trap game is team flying high facing a bad opponent with a good opponent coming up. Trap game, perfect example. Trap game is what the packers just dealt with. Yeah, the Browns looking great. Have the Cowboys, you know, kind of not revenge, but a big Micah game coming up and then the Browns beat them. That's a trap game. The Chiefs playing the Ravens, like not a trap game. It is a. What you're talking about is the Ravens all of a sudden potentially more desperate coming off the loss. But desperation is, you know, accounts for something. Whether or not this team is quite as good as everyone assigned them as being is something else. And so let's talk about the actual game itself. So the Ravens defense was disastrous start to finish. Now they didn't have Namdi Matabuque, but I don't know when they're getting him back. They didn't have Kyle Van Noy, but I don't know when they're getting him back. And Ron Smith was not good. Historically, he's been excellent. Last year was a little shaky. Last night he was not good. Obviously, folks are going to focus on the Derek Henry fumble. I want to talk about Lamar for a second. And again, I texted this to Greg Rosenthal this morning about alleged, you know, because Greg said he didn't want to be lumped in with the quote, Lamar haters. And I texted Greg, I was like, the Lamar haters group is just Bill Polian from a decade ago in a draft evaluation. And I guess me because everyone else in the media is in Pretty much lockstep that this guy is simply unimpeachably great and one of the greatest players we've ever seen. And while I do think he's one of the greatest players we've ever seen, I think last night he was not quite as good as the numbers suggest. And let me tell you why now, not just because the. I don't really care about the final 80 yards and touchdown when they were down 14 with less than two minutes left. That's not what I'm talking about. Even before that, like, he started the game 9 of 10. His pass rating was crazy. He was making some really good passes. There are two things last night that I feel are not one offs that if I were a Raven fan would be concerning. One is Lamar's refusal to throw the ball away and his hesitation to just take off and run. And those two things combining to him being sacked seven times is just a killer. Like he was great when he threw the ball, but he needed to throw the ball a little more or a little quicker or take off and run. Those sacks were drive killers time and time again. So that's the kind of meat potatoes crazy.

[Damanse]

And it being seven sacks, that's something that'll get corrected pretty fast.

[Nick Wright]

Yes, I would think so. But it was. The concern there is. It wasn't corrected during the game. Yeah, it was five sacks, you know, when they were still in the game and still on that last drive, before the drive when they punted with like six minutes left, you know, he took.

[Damanse]

He still.

[Nick Wright]

He got sacked once there and then another one he ran, but it was essentially a sack.

[Damanse]

Like two yards.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And here's the other one and I'm just curious if other people noticed it. Man, he seemed to be wound tight from the opening snap.

[Damanse]

He was pissed off the whole game. Yeah, he was tilted the entire time I saw it. I don't know what it was. It was like very simple stuff in the beginning.

[Nick Wright]

So weird that the. The first drive of the game that they didn't score. I don't know which drive it was, but the first time they went three and out. His like body language and emotions are really seem like something. He just seemed wound tight. Yeah. And so. And that is we have seen that Lamar a handful of times before it unfortunately for him, more often than not is in the playoffs where like early in the game you're like, oh, he is anxious about this spot. But they were coming off a win like that. I didn't really get it why the last time they played Detroit they annihilated him. He has a hilarious record in his career against NFC teams. I'm going to pull it up real quick because it now obvious. I think it was like 23 and 1. Say it again.

[Damanse]

Okay. I thought at this point he has like four losses total from the nfc. It might be less than that apparently.

[Nick Wright]

I think it's less true. I the so Lamar, no, you were right. You. You nailed it. So he going into last night he was 24 and 4 in against the NFC with 48 touchdowns, nine picks and like a 108 rating. I think maybe he had at some point won like 20 straight or something. Whatever it was, he had had a ridiculous record against the NFC he had beaten. They annihilated the Lions last time they played him. He they had just come off a win and the offense had been great in both games or they scored 40 points in both games. It was just a weird spot for him to be wound tight immediately. And those things concern me, man. So here is, here is the I think fair read given everything I've said about the Chiefs being fine about the where the Ravens are as they now Both sit at 1 and 2. It is hard. Like what either the Chiefs or the Ravens are going to be one in three Sunday night. It will still be so hard to find seven AFC playoff teams without including both of the Chiefs and the Ravens. And here's why. The Bills are three and oh, they're excellent. The Chargers are three and oh, they're excellent. Okay, here are. Here is the entire list of teams other than Bills and Chargers in the AFC that currently have a better record than the Ravens and Chiefs at one and two. We're two teams. The Colts who are three and oh who look excellent. But I think there is still a little bit of waiting for the bottom to fall out. And then there are only three other teams and they all feel totally fraudulent. They the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, the Cincinnati Bengals who don't have their quarterback. The Steelers who are not good. Flatly not good. And I worry aside, you know, preview to Nick's picks, I cannot wait to be on the Vikings this weekend as they play a London or a Ireland game. And that defense going after Aaron Rodgers and then the Jags who I man, I can't I I have not been pleased with how the Jags have played through three weeks. That's it. Right? If the and I know it's the playoffs obviously don't start today. If the playoffs started today, the AFC would have a 1 and 2 playoff team like one of the 1 and 2 teams would make it. So I will not say that the ravens at 1 and 2 or even at 1 and 3 should panic as far as making the playoffs. What I will say is one of the reasons I have this confidence about the Chiefs is for a nearly a decade now, every single year they play their best ball in the postseason, home or road. No, they play their best ball on the postseason, particularly the AFC side of the bracket. Haven't obviously always played their best ball in the super bowl, but in the postseason they had or in the AFC side of the bracket they have. The Ravens are the opposite and I think that the defense last year looked hugely problematic and then turned it around at mid season. I don't know if they're going to be able to do that again. And so they are still very potent like this.

[Damanse]

This is a good offensive, I don't want to call them offensive juggernaut but damn near that's a pretty good team. No, they're going to do some stuff to you but like you're one of the better teams. You got to be able to beat the good teams.

[Nick Wright]

Correct? Right. It's the, the Ravens are trying to win a Super Bowl.

[Damanse]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

They're going to have to go through the Bills, Kansas City, the Chargers just to get to whomever is in the other side of the bracket. And if you were to tell me right now, honestly, if you have an all time legend at quarterback like the Chiefs and the Ravens both do, what would you rather if you're going to have to have one part of your team really be struggling early in the season, what would you rather it be? Me personally I'd rather it be the side of the ball that my all time legend can help correct. So like if you're Kansas City you the offense has not looked good but Patrick is directly involved in that and has months to figure it out. If you're Baltimore, the defense has looked awful. Lamar's on the sidelines for that and so that to me is legitimate reason for concern. All right, let's talk the lion side real quick. Demase.

[Damanse]

So yeah, they struggled in week one versus Green Bay but they've been humming ever since. They are fifth in super bowl odds. Do you think that's too high, too low or just right?

[Nick Wright]

I, I don't mind it. I, I listen, I've been really impressed by how they've responded to that week one performance and last week putting 50 on the Bears and this week, I mean they've scored what 90 points in their last two games after having six points going in late, you know, late in week one. Really impressive and Dan Campbell's game management is excellent. That going for that fourth down was objectively the right call and a call a lot of teams up 7 wouldn't have done and it, you know he is doing a lot to push towards will be fine without Ben Johnson. So yeah, no, the Lions look really, really good by the way, if you're thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone 17 Pro, designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever, but you're also thinking about the traffic on your way to the store or transferring all your data. Good news. When you order a new phone online with Boost Mobile, they'll send an expert to your home. How about that? Or home or work to deliver your brand new iPhone pro and get you set up on Boost Mobile within minutes. No hassle. So how about that? You get the new iPhone, it comes right to you and a tech comes in. Get all your stuff transferred, get you set up on the network. Visit boostmobile.com to get started. Delivery available for select devices purchased@boost mobile.com terms, of course, do apply. Step into the world of power, loyalty and luck. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse with family. Cannolis and spins mean everything. Now you want to get mixed up in the family business. Introducing the [e-mail] test your luck in the shadowy world of the Godfather slots. Someday I will call upon you to do a service for me. Play the Godfather [e-mail] Welcome to the family. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void we're prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

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[Damanse]

Yeah, so your Chiefs and my Ravens face off this weekend. Yeah, they're both looking at one and three starts between the two. Who do you think has more on the line?

[Nick Wright]

I listen, I saw Orlovsky this morning say it's clearly the Chiefs. I know that the Chiefs are the team that people have been far more panicked about than Baltimore. I think people have this flatly wrong. It is to me, unquestionably, Baltimore that has more on the line. And it is for two very distinct reasons that apply to Baltimore in a way they don't apply to Kansas City. The first one is this. If we believe these, even though one of these teams is going to be one in three, that both of these teams still have super bowl aspirations and that Baltimore certainly still has super bowl aspirations. They have to win this game for two reasons that are related to each other. One is maybe by winning this game, you won't have to go through Kansas City in the playoffs. And by winning this game, if you do have to play Kansas City in the playoffs, you have some reason to believe you can beat them. Lamar and the Ravens have lost five of the six games they've played against Patrick and the Chiefs, they have lost four in a row. They have lost in Baltimore. They have lost in Kansas City. Lamar, who has the highest passer rating in the history of the NFL, has an 80 passer rating against the Chiefs. Lamar has not played a singularly great game against Kansas City except for one time, the one time they won, and I think that was 36, 35 after a Clyde Edwards a fumble and then Baltimore went for a fourth down smartly late nights the game. There is a massive psychological edge the Chiefs have over the Ravens. And even if the Ravens win this game, they are not going to have a psychological edge on Kansas City. And so like the. If the Ravens win, the Chiefs are not going to, if they were to play in the playoffs, go into that game thinking we can't beat this team. But if the Chiefs win, how can Baltimore credibly think that the Chiefs don't simply have their number? And so I also think that the Ravens upcoming, if they fall to one in three, a team that, oddly to me, and we talked about it a lot Tuesday, felt tight and anxious in their game against Detroit. Their next two games, home for the Texans with a great defense but a terrible offense, and then home for the Rams that's concerning the Chiefs. Meanwhile, game after this is Jacksonville. Now, you can say Jacksonville's better than Houston. And I know they're 2 and 1, Houston's own 3 and Jacksonville just beat Houston. It still feels to me like Houston has a higher upside potentially than, than Jacksonville. So I. Lions. Yeah, that's what I was about to say. Right, Correct. Then you then no, then they have the Lions. But I also think because after the Lions, the Chiefs get Rasheed Rice back, that there is a level of okay, like let's say they lose to Baltimore and lose to the Lions and they're. And they beat Jacksonville and they're 2 and 4 getting Rasheed rice back. I still feel like the team psychologically will feel like, all right, yeah, now we're finally whole. Yeah, let's just. We're not going to have home field. We're probably not going to win the division. Let's just see if we can get in and be scary. I. And that is, that's one of the reasons that I just. Listen, I'm not going to panic about.

[Damanse]

The first few weeks.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, well, correct. Like I just. Unless you are going to go as far as to say Kansas City, I fear, is going to miss the postseason, I don't think anybody actually believes they're not a terrifying team once the postseason begins. And even if they get there by going 10 and 7 they got there by going 11 and 6 two years ago and won the super bowl. Going to Buffalo, going to Baltimore. And so I just, I also think there is a level of in the commentariat offensive bias that is showing up in the way we talk about Buffalo. I'm sorry Baltimore and Kansas City. Kansas City's offense has been its biggest concern. Kansas City's offense kind of across the board is mid. They're average, they're 13th in this 17th in that, 14th in this 15th and that they're just average. And that has caused massive concern. Baltimore's defense has been its problem and they're awful in everything. And that so the. The side of the ball Kansas City is struggling on, they're struggling to the tune of being average. The side of the ball Baltimore is struggling on, they're struggling to the tune of being horrible.

[Damanse]

So.

[Nick Wright]

And there is go ahead with that.

[Damanse]

Said about Baltimore's defense. If Kansas City still. If the offense still struggles, then what? Yeah, that even with Worthy's coming back too.

[Nick Wright]

So the. So that's a good question. If they win a low scoring game. I do. Then that is great. You know what I like? If they win, if they win the score the way they beat Baltimore in the AFC title game, 17 to 10, then I and the offense doesn't cook. But they win. I don't care. I do not care if they don't, you know, so because I also. But now if they let me, I'm going to say a bunch here. If they lose, if Baltimore scores a ton and the Chiefs just can't keep up and they lose 28, 13, something like that, that'll be concerning about what the Chiefs offense actually is and how much just getting Rasheed Rice back will fix it.

[Damanse]

Right.

[Nick Wright]

I also have and I don't know if statistically this has been proven or even it can be backed up or anything, but it feels to me like very often games take on a personality and like one of the reasons Cowboys Giants was high flying the way it was was the off one team's offense beget another team's offense. Does that make sense? Like it was I that that game led to the. The personality almost of that game was quick drives, deep bombs. You score, I score. You score, I score.

[Damanse]

All right.

[Nick Wright]

The very next week that same Giants offense played a Chiefs team that was stuck in the mud. Long drives, no explosives and they didn't have any. So I. So that's the same Giants offense right now the Chiefs defense is obviously better than the Cowboys defense, but not 35 points better, you wouldn't think. And yet that's, you know, that's what we got in that game. And so my point is this. I think the Ravens offense, I don't think this is going to be a 3128 game. I think this is far more likely to be a. Because we, we, the Eagles can be high flying and high scoring. The Chargers can be high high scoring. Both teams have played the Chiefs and the game has kind of taken on the personality of the current Chiefs which is these long drives fight for yards. And I don't think that's just because of the Chiefs defense. I think that again, I can't prove it. Maybe what I'm saying right now sounds weird, but I just think sometimes games take on, like I said, a personality almost and there is somehow a butterfly effect of one team's offense hitting deep shots leading to another team's offense hitting deep shots. It's just for my ex, because here's the other thing that's really weird about kind of consuming football and how we feel watching it. So you would agree Damanze that that Chiefs Giants game, the Chiefs offense looked hard to watch and stagnant. Yeah, right. That was, it was a bad offensive game and they finished with 20. It would have been 23 but 22 points because they missed the extra point.

[Damanse]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

You would agree. So the Chiefs in that game scored 22. You would agree that Ravens Lions, the Ravens offense was moving the ball seemingly at will and the problem in that game wasn't the offense.

[Damanse]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And you, and you would have felt that way even if they didn't get that garbage time touchdown. You know, when they were down 14, the Ravens going into garbage time of that game had 24 points and it felt like the offense was doing whatever it wanted. The Chiefs fought and clawed an ugly football, scored 22 points and it felt like the offense could do nothing. So, so again, I'm not what I'm kind of almost talking about. Like, I know, I agree. But the Giants defense is supposed to be decent.

[Damanse]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And, and we don't look at the Lions as a great defense. And so the, the point I'm making is sometimes you can score 24 points and it can look, it can feel like your offense was humming and you can score 23 points and it can feel like your offense couldn't do anything. And so I just feel like we are going to get a slug fest in Kansas City where every yard is going to be, you know, hard to get because, and here's the other reason I don't think Baltimore's past defense is as bad as the numbers suggest. I think their run defense is horrible, truly horrible. And I just don't know if the Chiefs have the personnel to take full advantage of a horrible run defense like that. That was the story of Ravens. Lions was the run defense. And so I. If there was ever going to be a time for Pacheco to look like Pacheco from a couple years ago, this would be this game. I just don't know if they have it. I don't know, but I would. You say I do. Go ahead. Who.

[Damanse]

Who do you think on your team needs to step up the most in this game?

[Nick Wright]

I think this is. What have I said about Travis? He's got five or six great games left in him. Yeah, this would be a good time for one of them. Yeah, he's. He's had a rough start to the season. He has owned this matchup. Getting Worthy back should open things up in. In the middle of the field a little bit more. And Tyquan Thornton, all of a sudden, you have to take him seriously, at least as a deep threat. And so I. This would be a nice Travis Kelsey game. I am, I believe. Listen, I think Kansas City Worthy's been out.

[Damanse]

Yeah. It's a crazy question, but you think Worthy.

[Nick Wright]

I think. I'm sure he's felt badly. Positive. Yes, absolutely.

[Damanse]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And now listen, I'm going to be holding my breath on the Worthy stuff because we're only a few weeks removed from that shoulder dislocation and he's going to. The further down the road we get, the stronger that shoulder gets. So I don't think Worthy is going to be like super featured in the game plan, but I think just having him out there should help quite a bit. No surprise here. One of my picks on the gambling show is going to be the Chiefs, plus the points because I think they're going to win. Damanze and I will make. We're going to figure out some type of wager to make on this game. It won't be financial, but some type of wager to make on this game tomorrow during the gambling show. I have some ideas. I think you have some ideas that it feels like it can be financial on my end, but I, I won't. I, I listen, I won't. I won't accept the request or the. Or the transfer. If it's from you, I'm not taking money from you. So it's got to be more. It's gotta be. You are gonna have to do something and I'm gonna have to give something is, I think, the way to make this bet feel manual labor. Something? We'll figure something out.

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