The Kansas City Chiefs play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, with the Chiefs being 11.5 point favorites. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes ask if the Chiefs will blow out the Raiders, and if Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC contenders if they beat the Cincinnati Bengals tonight. Plus, they discuss how important the Philadelphia Eagles’ matchup with the Minnesota Vikings is to the Eagles’ season.

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Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes team up on First Things First. The trio offers their take on a bevy of sports stories alongside special guests from across the sports world.

Nick says Chiefs will ‘annihilate’ Raiders, Are Aaron Rodgers & Steelers AFC contenders? | FTF
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5. That’s a great Splash Brothers is another great one for groups. Team nicknames. Why don’t we have a nickname Jamma. That’s the best. But why don’t why don’t Gianna, we should get a nickname for us. The three of us, Kris and the guys. Cruise crew, the brew crew, the brew is legit hilarious guy.com. Bro it’s so funny, man. We’re starting with Aaron Rodgers, uh, got his team to 4 wins up against the Bengals defense tonight that is giving up 30 points a game. Pittsburgh favored by almost 6. OK, so get this, if they win tonight. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers will be 5-1. Under Tomlin, starting 5-1 or better. 2008, they were 12-4 won the Super Bowl. 2010, 12-4 lost the Super Bowl. 2020, 12-4, lost the wild card round. I thought this was very instructive. Basically tonight, if they win, they’ve got a 66% chance of going to the Super Bowl. There’s no other way to read it. There’s no other way to read it. They’re going to the Super Bowl tonight’s like the AFC championship game. Do you have a question? Yeah, do you think they’re going to the Super Bowl? No, no, I don’t. And even with the win. I won’t look at them as legit contenders. And the more I dug into the Steelers for this topic, And I hate this. The better I felt about Bruce Raven still being alive. I, I, I’m just, I’m just being, I’m just telling you the truth, bro. Why are you so they are very much alive because I felt the, I mean, I always felt they were alive, but you’re right, but you because when you are here’s the thing, it’s, it’s multifaceted. First of all, I do not care about that graphic at all. I apologize. OK. Here’s so because. What that shows me is, yeah, when they had prime Big Ben and they started out well, they were awesome, and then in 2020 when they started out, I think 10 and 0, maybe 11-0 with Wash Big Ben knew they were still not that great. we didn’t believe. For sure, uh, they end up getting annihilate. That was the year that was Baker’s playoff win if I remember correctly. That was the year the Browns went to Pittsburgh and won the game, yeah, yeah, it had to be because COVID because that was COVID year. um, but the Steelers, it’s a couple of reasons. First one is this we put up the Steelers’ ranks, they’re making their money on defense purely with the splash plays. And I don’t think that is super sustainable. I think that they now TJ Watts is going to get sacks and they’re going to force some turnovers, but being that bad in yards and being that average in points per game despite being where they are in takeaway in sacks is concerning to me. On offense, it’s the opposite. Now that should be a little more sustainable because preventing what they’re doing is taking care care. Of the football and after Rodgers got sacked a bunch the first two weeks, stopped getting sacked so that that might be slightly more sustainable. But the way Rodgers is making his money up to this point this year, re, is getting the ball out immediately and I just think that’s disruptible by good defenses. I think that if you are willing to risk. Getting beat over the top if he has time to hold on to the ball, you can disrupt the timing on this like we saw essentially different players, different versions, teams do to Miami, you know, which is we’re just not going to let that instantaneous passing game beat us, and I don’t, the Steelers don’t have Tyreek Hill. They don’t have Jalen Wall. GK Macca’s a really good player, and I think that. You can this can be exploited and so I just don’t think they are as good as their record says they are and I don’t think it will be sustained over the course of the season. Yeah, I’m with you, um, and I’m sure you may have looked at this. The schedule now if they’re if they’re 10 and 1. Going through their schedule, then you’ll start to believe but look after this one, and yesterday I said this is like they need to win this game because it’s getting rough after this. You’ve got where are they? Green Bay, Indianapolis, and the Chargers, but then look at the last column. Buffalo, you still got Baltimore twice. Buffalo, Detroit, like they could. End up losing a lot of games if they’re really not that good, so they do need to stack these wins, but I look, I think they’re gonna lose a lot of these games and then we won’t be thinking of them as a contender at all. The other thing, and this is a credit to Rodgers so far, they don’t have a run game. They’re averaging like 3 yards a carry, one of the worst run games. I like Jaylen Warren, but they haven’t been able to get their run game going and you guys know. How I feel about Rodgers in the postseason. Like he is a legitimately all-time great quarterback and I’m actually glad he’s getting off to this start where he’s playing well they’re winning games, but I’ve already said since they won that Super Bowl 14 years ago, this is how he’s played in the conference championship games. 9 TD’s 8 interceptions, that’s telling because his claim to fame is he doesn’t throw picks, but why in these huge games. Does he throw a lot of if they if they get to that spot brew, they’ll be. If they get to the conference championship game, it’s an amazing they make, yeah, absolutely. I think if they make the playoffs and maybe win a game, then Rodgers will be able to go out in a blaze of glory if he chooses to retire. But I just think there’s that’s the cap on that for them. But look, Kansas City is better, Buffalo is better. I think Baltimore is better, and they’ll have their chance to prove it, obviously, but I, I don’t think they’re legit contender in AFC, classic two by me, I would say. What was that? That the Achilles is a 2 year injury. Now did I believe in the Steelers? Not necessarily. Did I believe in Aaron Rodgers? No, but I had a small carve out where I can lay claim to a classic too, where like maybe Aaron Rodgers is actually back. He hasn’t looked washed. I think Washed was on the board. That was like this guy doesn’t look like he belongs on an NFL field physically or mentally. He’s just kind of out of it. We thought there was gonna be, uh, real. Uh, with the offense that if it goes one way and Rodgers wants it this way, they want it that way after he got sacked, like, let’s just get rid of the ball. Unfortunately or fortunately, he also, he’s got the lowest average intended air yard. So it’s all just small and he’ll and DK has been great, but this is what it was from last year with the Jets to this year with the Steelers. Like I got to give him credit, completion percentage. Is up the yards are down, but the winds are up, so that’s good. 10 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and the passer rating is up. So he wins tonight, last last year’s total. It is what is interesting to me about that is the touchdown interception ratio is not that different, you know, you know, because you multiply it by 3, 30 to 9 and it was 28 to 11. It’s a little bit better and the yards per game are down. So I don’t, I’m, I’m not certain that I agree with you full throated, full or wholeheartedly that he is playing much better than last year. I do think this is another year where his numbers are maybe a little better than his play actually has been, but I think to, to go circle back something what you were saying, brew, what is now true, I feel. Now missing the playoffs would be a disaster. Going into the year, they were like 50/50, but now because of what’s happening with Baltimore, because Joe Burrow was out for the season, and because they’re off to this huge start, if they were to finish 9-8 and miss the playoffs, that is a. A disaster in a way it would not have been at the beginning of the year if you knew that was coming. And I just, maybe this is my own, I have to just be honest with the audience. Maybe I’m trying to hold on to my priors about this team going into the year, but I just feel like you can. If you want to, you, it’s pretty easy to poke holes at their victories. Yes, and like, uh, beating the Jets 34, 32 is really bad as far as allowing the Jets to score 32. The Patriot game you talked about it, could have won that game. Well, the Patriots turned the ball over 5 times. Some of those forced by Pittsburgh and some of the Patriots could have won the game in final drive, with a 5 turnover and Then their other two wins, one’s in Ireland against a backup quarterback and the other’s against the Browns, and who right now is currently the worst starting quarterback in the league, Dylan Gabriel. I don’t know that he will be, but the rookie 3rd round pick really out of tonight’s like, ah, Flacco, no, but it absolutely is that. And then we’ll find out what they really are because Green Bay, Indy, the Chargers, and then they still got some Buffalo, Detroit, like they got some tough games and I’m not sure they’re winning tonight. I’m just, I, the, I, the Bengals have the Bengals have been awful since Burrow got hurt. I understand that, but it was something to me that Tomlin was annoyed that they were gonna have to go against Flacco. That to me was a rare like honest press conference moment where it actually taught us something, and I just. I do think that Flacco gives them the veritable live arm that with those weapons could cause problems. And so I, I’m not, I’m not certain Pittsburgh is winning tonight. Can’t do, can’t make it part of Macco may have a run in 4 or 5 games like that’s what he did with Cleveland. Run and so he might have that left combined experience tonight 39 seasons, 774 touchdowns. That’s pretty and two Super Bowls, yeah, yeah, and two Super Bowl MVPs. That’s the weird part. Yeah, like one legend in Joe Flacco like actually. Uh, checking on the champs. Eagles favored in Minnesota, they try to stop the bleeding after two losses. Now there’s been some talk about the return of the funk, of course, bro. There you go, bro. You heard that it was just normal chatter in the background, and that means the Eagles are back on track. Do you expect the Eagles to show. this against the Vikings. I’m not a body language expert, but I I like his body language there. I like his demeanor. Like it didn’t seem we’ve seen him before where it’s tense, he’s being critical of the offense, quarterback, whatever it is, so that was good and. If that’s the case, then great. I mean we are, we are reacting to this report from Jeremy Fowler that they feel like they’re on the verge of going into the supernatural funk again so if they’re not then fine. My thing with them is just, and he said later I watched the whole interview, he said later that we’re not gonna let this get us down, you know, we’re gonna like. So as long as they stay in a good place mentally, which has been a challenge for them, but if they do, their talent and ability will have them in the playoffs, should win the division like they’ll be there in the end with a shot to to do something in the NFC. That’s my biggest concern with them, so I do think they will bounce back against Minnesota. um Minnesota, look, they’re, they’re not as good. Good, you know, I mean, Flores has some, some quarterbacks have had their way with him a little bit, I don’t think the Minnesota D lines playing as well as they thought it was and as well as we saw early in the year, right? And, and obviously you, you’ve got, uh, it’s gonna be Carson Wentz again. Philadelphia cannot get Cirani, never coached him, but he was there the year before Ceri got there, and you cannot let Wentz. You, you’re coming off two straight losses if indeed there is turmoil in the locker room, and this is the type of loss, 3rd straight backup quarterback, former teammate player on your team that could lead them into a uh a malaise if you will. So but I think they’ll, I think they’ll get it right. I think they’ll win this game against Minnesota. They are still us, Bob, correct? Yeah, because they’re coming talent definition they’re they’re coming super talented, the defending Super Bowl champs. If they are us, Bob, this is not a fun Tuesday segment must win. This is a literal must win. If the Minnesota Vikings beat the Philadelphia Eagles with their backup quarterback with Philly having extra rest coming off a Thursday. Uber motivated with two straight losses. Then the Eagles are not a Super Bowl team. And there the last 15 years, there have been teams that have lost 3 straight and made the Super Bowl. We can show you who those teams are. They all kind of have their own story for the Niners, that was, uh, Brock Purdy, the, the little, the bad stretch he had. Remember Baltimore, I think Cleveland was one of the games, the, the 21 Rams’ first year with Stafford. And then two surprising, I think it’s fair to call them Super Bowl teams, the 2012 Ravens with Flaccos and the 2011 Giants, and with Eli the second time around. So it’s not that it’s not possible to lose three straight and make the Super Bowl, but I feel like this team is already. Such an emotionally teetering team that losing to a team that you know you’re better than, that is not even their best version of themselves, would put them down a path that is not going to end up with them back in the Super Bowl. I also believe KW. Their way to win this game is through the right arm of Jalen Hurts. I think if something is going to stop the, the emotional bleeding and the on the field bleeding for the Eagles, nothing will stop it quicker or better than a win that Jalen Hurts plays great in, because I don’t think you are getting 2024 Sawan this year. I think that is just off the board. Like, yes, I’m not saying he won’t have the, well, even of course 2000 yards, I’m saying him being the player he was last year for the remainder of this season, just the rest of he doesn’t crack 60 yards now, right? I mean, he’s cracked it once all year and so I, I think it’s gonna because not only Would that give them a vibes lift? I also think that, that being Jalen having a great game would give us a better chance of getting a better version of Saan than that because even though Sawan hasn’t been great, teams are still defending the Eagles. Like he is the thing we have to take away. And Jalen can beat them, and they have the weapons and they have the offensive line. This is. The onus is on him in this spot, and I am not saying they come out throwing last week or their last loss. Well, last week was the last loss of the Giants game. Well, the Giants game was becausean had those two early big runs and then and he had and the touchdown receiving touchdown receiving, yeah, I think Jalen threw for almost 300 last week. He threw for the Broncos. he threw a lot and they lost. I’m saying he a lot at this point they just need to win. Oh, I, I agree with that. My point is I think that’s their path for this week, that he needs to throw the ball, that he needs that, that they need to have a dynamic. They have, they have excellent receivers, a very good offensive line. I think their path in this game, it’s gonna control climate environment. For Jalen to go out and cook, short week, there’s the Flores’s defense 6th in yards, 3rd in passing yards. They’re only averaging 158, giving up 158. Here’s the issue, and they’re off by. Yeah, the Eagles the Eagles are by. Uh, the Eagles are the Vikings are off of, aren’t they? No, the Vikings just played. The, the Eagles played Thursday night. The Vikings have a have a short week. The great quarterbacks in the league, I don’t look at the passing defense of their opponents. I’m never like, Oh, Mahomes is gonna have a tough time. Oh, Josh Allen’s gonna have a tough time. Oh, Drake May is gonna have a tough time. I just think, you know what, the pressure is on the defense, the defense. The pressure is not on the quarterback, so I need to have that same philosophy towards Jalen Hurts. Yes, he needs to win the game. He needs to win the game. He needs to stop the bleeding. He needs to be the leader. That’s the point. I’m gonna drive me. I’m, I’m the Jalen Hurts guy, but if If they win 1715 and he’s got 112 yards and you’re like, you know what, when is the only thing that matters. If 30, yeah, if Robinson, I’ll take it. But that no so that we’re, we’re saying the same thing, which is that it is. It is actually disrespectful to Jalen Hurts to not say, hey, we have the Super Bowl MVP and our receivers are healthy and our team is not in a spiral but spiral adjacent, you know, and we’re playing a backup quarterback. The weather’s gonna be fine because it’s in a dome. I got it I got it. I like that that’s what it should be great. Everybody’s healthy pretty much his weapons are healthy. Uh, all right. Hertz 2-0 against the Vikings in his career, so that’s good. Uh, Raiders in Kansas City Sunday at 1. Fresh video of Ray Rice back at practice as he prepares for his debut. Chiefs are favored by 11.5. Mahomes versus the Raiders, 12 and 2, total yards, 315, 35 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, uh, passer, 6 turnovers, 6 turnovers because now we do to you made that. I do like you made the adjustment total touchdown. So that includes, I think one rushing and one fumble. We do have a correction from the last correction or an apology to me. Are you shout at me. This is why it’s brew. No, they’re off a short week. I’m just saying, I mean, the, the Vikings were on the Vikings were on a buy. The the Eagles played Thursday. Both teams should be super well rested going into this week. They traveled. That’s all travel apology accepted. Do you, do you feel comfortable guaranteeing a double digit Chiefs victory before I answer the question? Yeah, can I revel in the moment it’s the Raiders. Can I, can I revel, you’re asking the answers? No, because you told me know why I’m why does he want to rebel, but tell me why the Raiders because you’re like the Chiefs are back. That’s basically it. I don’t know. You’re kind of right. We are just back to such familiar territory. It warms my heart. The internet is full of conspiracies and the topic bars are. Of course they’ll win, but will it look good? And I just feel it’s such a comfortable, warm place. What you’re playing one of the worst teams in the league, so we’re trying to, well, I don’t know. I mean they beat the Patriots. I have to tell you they beat the Patriots everybody, everybody knows. So and you showed, can we, I mean, Mahomes against the Raiders. It it really is stunning, and I know one of the wins came on Christmas and one of the. Whens Jon Gruden at the team. Can you stop with this? What? This is not. What do you mean? Yes, as the leader of the show, brew, Chris and company, he doesn’t like got to stop with this all games, games before tackle to turn the tide. It has to be fair. I just like you know he did all of this before the tackle that turned the tide. So imagine what he’s gonna look like first game against the Raiders post the tackle that turned the tide. Uh, so listen, I do actually. Expect a blowout. I am not going to be. Including the Chiefs minus 11.5 in Knicks picks because if I know anything about Geno, he’s gonna go down fighting, and 17 can become 10 at the end and that’s a terrible way to lose a bet. But I think Kansas City, Patrick was not lying when he said Rashe Rice is going to get a full workload here and I think that we saw it’s unique because Rasie got hurt last year, so we didn’t see him last year and then he was suspended, but he did play in the preseason and the only reason I’m mentioning that is. I saw enough in the preseason to know he looked like pre-injury Rasie Rice, like the, so I, yes, there will be some rust, but Patrick and Rasie, he’s not really a traditional wide receiver one as far as a deep threat. So much of it is intermediate that the timing, it’s not like it is with Worthy so much where you really have to be on precise timing. So I would be stunned if the Chiefs are not up. At least 10 at halftime and now you know how the how the 4th quarter plays out if the games in hand is something different but I think Kansas City is going to annihilate a better than people think Raiders. Wow. Well, look, I, I, I know the Raiders have the amazing Ashton Jen, but I’m with Nick. Well, Nick told us that Ginty was gonna light the league on fire. we are waiting for sort of his breakout moment. We 3, he was unbelievable, unbelievable. Yeah, I think he had like 160 yards. Yeah, I mean, I, I think he had very good, but, but go ahead, the show. It did make the show when it just KW I’m just saying that I need, I want to be John Robinson. Well, you didn’t, you didn’t have a 240 yard. He has been up to we did the whole thing about he went back to. I do think they’re gonna blow out for all Rasheed, I just think we see the difference Xavier Worthy made, you know, just opening things up for Kelsey and all and Juju all of a sudden was playing great and and Hollywood. And now Rasheed, I think more so than these other guys, he’ll catch it underneath and and take it. And so they’re gonna, there’s a lot to deal with for the defense. Beyond that, the Raiders’ 4 losses have all been by an average of 6 by an average of 16 points a game. Three of them were blowouts, alright? And the Chiefs’ 3 wins, 2 of them against Baltimore and Detroit. We have all been by double digits. So the Chiefs have been, they haven’t been wins, not like everything but what they did last year. So yeah, I, I don’t know if it’ll be like a complete. It might be 3017 or you know something like that, but I, I do expect a doubled 30 to 17 is what they did to Detroit on the board.

26 Comments

  1. Nick is such a hater. When it comes to the chiefs a win is a win. Any other team wins and they’re lucky or facing weak opponents etc. Classic fanboy

  2. Interstate 5 shutdown 70 miles by California Hwy Patrol as Trump has missiles fired over California for five hours today.
    ON THE SAME DAY OF NO KINGS PROTESTS.

    Talk about being afraid. Fear that prompts Trumps illegal lawlessness firing missiles in California.

  3. It’s really disappointing to see the guys talking about Rashee Rice like he’s still just coming back from an injury. HE HURT PEOPLE. This is more than football, and I really thought that Nick and Brou were better than that… Wildes too 😢

  4. “Trap game” he said! Kevin Wildes will never be allowed back into the Kingdom 😂

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