It’s time for some crucial week 16 action over a holiday weekend. Robert Mays and Nate Tice bring you the best games to watch, analyze both sides of the ball, and make some picks to boot.
#nflfootball #baltimoreravens #49ers
0:00 Intro
2:07 Ravens vs. 49ers
29:23 Cowboys vs. Dolphins
45:56 Under the Hood: Buccaneers offense
58:21 Lions vs. Vikings
1:02:41 Eagles intervention
1:07:22 Tice’s Touts / Picks Against the Spread
For more Athletic Football Show content:
– Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3LgLlMY
– Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3xLCbmv
– Follow Robert Mays on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robertmays
– Follow Nate Tice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice
– Subscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/footballshow
Welcome to the athletic football show I’m Robert May joining me today it’s my good friend Nate tyon Nate how you doing buddy I’m doing very well and now that our our our pre-show discussion makes me want to play FIFA I just really really want to play the video game FIFA as
We’re talking about American football but no we we’re talking about old video games we used to play generally all sports games and then we realize that we’re washed uh as we get older I know I am in sports games that everyone’s like why don’t you play Madden online no are
You kidding I don’t know the meta uh so but no I I’m am doing very well I’m mostly a single player guy now I’m old I I do Zelda I do do like you know a little bit of OverWatch but that’s all I do in my old age but yeah that’s that’s
My video game experience these days I haven’t played a video game in I don’t even know how many years I I used to like reading about video games when we were atland they we had Tom Bissell wrote about video games for us and I would read those stories because I would
Put them into our CMS so I was reading about video games as recently as like 10 years ago even though I haven’t consistently played video games for okay since I was in college and even in college I didn’t really play video games in college it was only when I would come
Home and play with my high school friends so video games in general have just been sort of a blind spot for me for most of my life but I understand the love other people have for them mine mine was I got away from it a little bit
In college again more sports games and then after college when I was living on my own for five years it was a lot of lot of on own time for Nate so there’s a lot of video game time to fill that space all right we got a big week ahead
Of us here couple games that we’re going to to obviously it’s the holiday weekend just a heads up for everybody we haven’t said this anywhere yet we are not going to have our week 16 recap available to you guys on Monday morning because Monday is Christmas the show is going to
Be up on Tuesday morning we’re recording it first thing Tuesday morning so hopefully it’s up around midday eastern time on Tuesday the 26th so just a heads up for when you’re looking for the show and when it’s going to be available that is our plan right now the game of the
Weekend one of the the games of the year a game that everyone will be able to watch in prime time on Christmas after you’re done with all the time you’re spending with your family we have ners and Ravens this week very simply the game of the year a game between two of I
Think the best 15 teams ever measured by dvoa is what Aaron shot said earlier this week two teams that have been dominant for stretches on each side of the ball a ners team that feels Unstoppable right now and right now I think undeniably the two best teams in
Football and very like very possibly a Super Bowl preview between these two teams yeah this is this is fun not not that Giants Patriots uh 2007 week 17 Super Bowl preview that we didn’t know would be a superl preview that was more like oh the Patriots are going for it
And the Giants are frisky uh and need it this is more like no these are two seemingly juggernauts going at it and including two elite units on each side of the ball going against each other which is a lot of fun and then it’s not like their tag team partner on the other
Side of the ball of each team is like some Slappy it’s actually but very very good units on those sides so it is players coaches scheme stuff this got it all I mean this is what you want and it’s prime time and hopefully we get decent weather that’s that’s just that’s
The only thing that we just got to hold on to it’s everything that you could ask for and what I what stands out to me about both of these teams is that they really answered the questions we had about them coming into the year there were lingering questions significant
Questions about both of these teams coordinator changes coaching staff changes we hadn’t seen Brock py outside of a half a season stretch after what he did last year and each of these teams I think have answered the Bell when it comes to all of those questions the
Niners offense has been even better than we could have hoped after a little bit of a downturn in the middle of the season and some discussion about that Steve wils has stepped in and stabilized the Niners defense that unit is playing very well again and on the other side
Todd monan has really unlocked this version of the Ravens offense we’ve seen Lamar grow and expand and really kind of step into this new version of himself and remind everyone what kind of player he is at his best and after one season as their defensive coordinator Mike
McDonald who I thought we were very excited about coming into the year he did a really good job last year it’s been the same thing for the Ravens defense we’ve seen Kyle Hamilton and roquan Smith really develop into these star players as all of The Supporting Cast pieces whether it be Gino Smith
Devi and Clowney Justin matab all of those guys have become the best versions of themselves so these two teams where the ecosystems have really led to that sort of growth and success watching that face off against each other in these sorts of moments there’s nothing better than that yeah and going against like
When they they beat up bad opponents they’re doing well against tough opponents and they’re finding different answers it’s a lot of fun both of these really both of these teams when we did our our top 10 top top 10 offense top 10 defensive shows they were ones we were
High on with both of their units like it was like four for four they were getting love from some way from one of us uh because and that’s and they played that way which I think again to what you’re speaking to okay how’s pretty play throughout the whole year well yeah okay
We see how that’s going how does the offensive line historically good offensive production yeah how does offensive line hold up one of the best Shanahan offensive lines he’s had definitely with the 49ers most complete even if it’s you know of course Trent Williams as the star but the others are
Just doing a nice solid job where they don’t stand out and that that’s a good thing stand out where you’re like yes we’ll talk about one spot maybe a little later but uh but on also on the defense like he said that there were some blemishes and there’s still are some things that
Maybe pick at with Steve wilks’s defenses but they have become a very have been a very good unit again with very good players and when they’ve had injuries like to haunga the backups have stood out and and played well and when they’ve had some maybe some Personnel questions they found answers whether
It’s the chase Young trade or stuff like putting Isaiah Oliver in the slot and bumping him or I’m sorry bumping isaah Oliver out of the slot and putting Lenor into the slot which I think was just a huge move for this team after the bye
That led to a lot so yeah just loving what both all these units are doing even if they aren’t exactly perfect lot to dig into but to me the most intriguing matchup in this game and probably the most intriguing matchup of the year is this Niners offense against the Ravens
Defense the only reason the Ravens defense doesn’t rank number one in virtually every single category is because the Browns are doing some ridiculous right now the Ravens defense in virtually any other season would be the best defense in the league we know the Niners offense is the best
Unit in the league and is one of the best offenses we’ve seen over the last decade or so and what’s fascinating to me in this game is that the ners do such a great job of always dictating to the defenses that they play against their ability to make you play the way that
They want to and really Hammer you when they kind of put you in a box in those specific situations how does that play out against a Ravens team that their superpower is that they can play anything all the time and it can unfold in any way all the time it it’s fun it’s
The motion is what we all love on offense and then the defensive version of motion is pre- snap disguise and post Snap movement it’s these guys are going against each other it’s the Kaleidoscope scheme is what I’m calling the Ravens defense versus of course Shanahan what
What he can do and how he can wield all these weapons uh it’s just awesome on both sides this is how kind of framed it it’s it’s a top two% defense versus a top 1% offense like that the ra I know that’s so funny with the
Browns it’s like oh the Ravens have all these stats the the Browns are higher it’s like it’s like they’re like 23rd since 2000 a dvo or an EPA per play oh the Browns are 11th it’s just like a dang like right there but it’s an awesome unit but this 49ers team I mean
It’s one of the most explosive teams we’ve seen in recent memory they’re up there with the greatest show on Turf Rams which is saying something they are it’s funny parallel considering Brock P’s MVP case actually looks a lot like Kurt Warner’s back then oh yeah it does
Yeah yeah yeah they don’t play alike but the case does I see that but just where they where they came from how surprising it is The Supporting Cast the schematic advantages a lot of the boxes that prie is ticking as to why he be the MVP exactly it’s very similar to that
Conversation about cner 25 years ago yeah there there’s been or Rich Ganon but that was a little older and stuff like that Randle Cunningham’s case 98 but that was like he was older again too but just the guys around him but these I I just it’s awesome I I think first and
Second down is going to be the hugee key to this game uh forers want it that way they want to win on first and second down but also the Ravens might have an advantage on those third Longs especially when the forar have to drop back because the Ravens invest a lot of
Time in all that disguise and doing all that stuff so that is just what I’m gonna be focusing on when I watch this match up between two juggernauts let’s start with first and second down in those early downs we we talked a lot I ranted a lot about what KY Shanahan has
Done on the Sunday Night Show and I wanted to actually dig into some of the specific of the ways that he has made the game simpler for his offense this year just a couple numbers that align with that the ners ranked 3 second in pass attempts this season that’s
Partially because they’re blowing teams out it’s partially because they like to run the ball they are first in pass attempts with eight or more guys in the box so think about that they are dead last in pass attempts overall they’re first in pass attempts with eight or
More defenders in the box that’s how good they’ve been at figuring out how what kind of looks they want to attack and how they’re going to throw on those looks they are sixth in the amount of dropbacks that they have faced against base defense even though they are dead
Last in pass attempts in the NFL pre’s EPA per dropback against base defense this year is five times higher than the league average so what the niners want on early Downs is they want to get you in base and they want to throw the
Out of the ball when you do it so how do the Ravens respond because guess what if you play nickel which is seemingly the correct answer to that if you want the ball thrown on us this ners team as constructed with that more physical offensive line that we’re talking about
And with kishan mcaffrey is going to run the ball down your throat until you tap out so there really is no good answer here and I think the answer the Ravens lean on and the answer the Ravens find that to me is the most fascinating question about this game it is it’s how
Teams and play callers package offensive plays no matter what the level high school college Pros um the most basic one the most basic kill alert changing from one play to another can just using all the terms I’m trying to I’ll Think of more as it goes along but whatever
One think about a team lining up at the line of scrimmage when the quarterback puts both hands to the side of his head like that that’s that’s what you’re saying especially watch especially you watch a preseason game when it’s all these backups get try and make a pro
Point they always emphasize and everyone overcommunication pass the ball or run a run that is good that can has answers against single High coverage outside Zone pin pull stuff towards the tight end Duo can be if you do it right um we are not going to run
Inside Zone we’re not going to run counter that stuff is away from the tight end you do not have the numbers to do that typically you can funky it up and I kill the play you can’t what’s cool about with Shanahan what I really like I I think as I’m watching this is
That he will kill the play not just off single high to high because that makes you predictable he will but not just that he will kill the play based off what coverage it is what the front is where a particular player is like I have spoken before I’ve been in offenses
Where it’s like hey Von Miller’s over there okay we can’t do that we’re going to run this play over here or we’re gonna pass in this particular pass play so what I’ve noticed though and when I was kind of breaking down this game is
That the 49ers do not face a lot of man coverage and one and I you’re the bottom of the league I think it’s a bottom three rate yep one of the lowest rates especially on first and second down why that is is because the 49ers throw the
Ball over two-thirds of the time when they do know that they have man coverage and all that motion and gyration and shifting and everything they do we usually think of all those motions to go oh it’s a pass play okay that is now man coverage we are going to run that we’re
G to run that man beating route or we’re going to Target that man beating route what the 49ers do they go no we’re gonna run this man beating concept where the whole play is designed to beat man and maybe have an answer if if we got caught
In its zone so why that is they have auk they have Debo Samuel they have KD they CMC no defense in the NFL even the best ones have the horses to keep up with that for 60 snaps for 40 snaps so what they do what shaneah has done is
Basically Blitz teams offensively out of man coverage because they do all the Motions to get to that and usually when they get to Zone also in their dropb back percentage drops to 45% or 46% I’m sorry no other teams below 50 and that is because they say all right we’re GNA
Get this basic look okay we can run the ball like they did against the Cardinals or we can pass the ball typically to Debo or uh when his own coverage is a little bit more spread out so some of those Yak opportunities if you’re going to play zone and let us complete balls
Underneath we have the guys who can Hammer you this way they have the perfect answer to every question that is why they’re so scary right now I was talking to a defensive coordinator this morning who played against the Niners this year and I was asking him why don’t
Teams play Man against the ners just very simply and the two things that he came back to were it’s a matchup thing we a lot of teams just don’t feel like they have the guys to match up with those guys over and over and over again because if you’re playing man you’re
Probably going to have to have a linebacker on mcaffry at some point and that’s just not that you can live and even with some of the other guys it doesn’t make a lot of sense because you’re going to have a match disadvantage somewhere and then the
Other side of it was all the motion because some teams even teams that motion a lot right now there it’s one motion here it’s one motion there it’s a jet motion it’s one of those little out motions the ners will do three shifts every play the tight end bumps from one
Side to the other uh the fullback now goes from the slot down into the back field uh Debo’s in the back field but then now he’s going to motion into the slot mcaffry is going to go home back to the Back Field what they’re doing is they’re gathering information but
They’re also undressing you so essentially every defense you have to show what your hand is because they’re doing so many things before the snap and one of the questions well why doesn’t every team do this every team can’t do this it’s so complex and there’s so many different moving parts that eventually
You’re going to start hamstringing yourself and they never do the Ravens do a good job of being hard to predict they play a little bit of everything and the defenses that have succeeded against the ners relatively this year are the ones that have gone against that simple menu
The Niners get like 48% cover three on early Downs in part because of the Run looks teams that have succeeded against them have said we’re not doing that we’re going to play a little two we’re going to play a little quarters we’re going to play a little bit of man so the
Ravens structurally are the type of defense that should give the Niners trouble but with some of those motions can you undress what the Ravens are trying to do and maybe get a a little bit more of an answer and have a little bit more predictability before the ball
Is even snapped it’s the no the couple examples from the Cardinal game I used my article this week I previewed this game for Yahoo was this the double motion or double shifting is what it is the Cardinals what they try to do and they do this with Buddha Baker is they
Do the three safety looks where and what kind of a interesting thing I actually appreciated what the Cardinals were trying to do against you see what they were doing they wouldn’t drop Baker until they until the 49ers they Dro eight like 15 times they don’t have the
Horses but I appreciate the problem Sol that is that is the 2023 Cardinals I appreciate what you’re doing let’s see what happens when you get some players because this is interesting but we’ll we’ll talk about more of than about more of them this spring uh but they two
Plays from that that just stood out to me was one they started in a bunch formation usually a bunch formation is the tight end is at the point at the top of the bunch it’s three guys or he’s inside towards the offensive line simple twist here the for iers put KD a tight
End on the outside and what that does is it gives a nice simple manner zel if there was a safety out there on KD on number 85 if I saw Buddha Baker out there I see number three out there okay well I know it’s man but there isn’t
There’s a corner out there well right there right there it’s zone so then K goes a motion so now it becomes a balance formation two by two the Cardinals drop Baker down they go okay I know now what you guys are in I’m going to drop
Down the foreign a is get into a run because they know you’re in zone They know exactly what they they they see exactly what they want they shifted the entire defense from one side to the other they then motion use check right at the snap of the ball he kicks out
With KD and now it becomes an overload to the left when they showed an overload to the right all this happens in three seconds and it just requires so much communication against a defense that was wired to to stop it so that’s what they do is that they’re just going to make
You be so simple or at least show what you’re going to do or intend what your intent is going to be and they exploit it and it’s just it’s it’s a pain in the ass it’s really is for defenses and that’s why it’s interesting because the
Ravens try to do that their own version on defense and try to hide looks and hold things right how are they gonna play against all this motion all this shifting theoretically the Ravens should have the Personnel to match up with this Niners team as well as pretty much
Anybody they played against all year the three teams I think relatively that have given the Niners some trouble at points even though their success rate against the Bengals was very good I would say the Bengals the Browns and the Vikings in some portion of the game made it a
Little bit tough on them what those three teams did and the similarity with those three teams is they can play with three safeties at the same time the Vikings that’s their base defense with Josh matelis in the slot the Browns are more than comfortable doing that they
Played in their big nickel with Rody McLoud in the game pretty often against the Niners and then the Bengals were willing to do that with Dax Hill Jordan battle and Nick Scott that’s the Ravens base defense with Kyle Hamilton in the slot they’re already in their big nickel
So the types of guys you would Trot out Personnel wise actually make a lot of sense the problem is if the Ravens are going to try to play nickel against this Niners team on early Downs because they’re not going to let them throw it on them the Ravens defense has not been
Very good at defending the run out of nickel when they play nickel defense they play with the lightest boxes in the league six or fewer guys on 74% of their of their snaps they’re 17th in run defense success rate out of nickel this year they’re top five when
They’re in base defense So eventually the Ravens are going to have to make a choice do we want to play base defense and let you throw on us or do we want to play nickel and run the risk of letting you run the ball consistently and if I’m
Choosing one of those options against this Niners team right now I want to Die slow it may not be the best answer but that’s where I’m landing I want to Die slow I’m GNA make you run the ball for five and a half yards a pop because I
Will not let you beat me with explosive place the you brought him up the Bengals team the Bengals defense was my best translation for what I think the Ravens are going to do they they run everything so that was like okay even if it’s and they run out of a quarter shell
Generally and the Ravens like you said probably they have a lot better horses right now than the Bengals do especially on the second level and I I could see though switching up between man switching up between quarters a little bit of blitzing a little the Ravens hide
It even better than the Bengals do but I I just thought because what happened in that game py end up making just a couple mistakes I mean they they torched them but that they torch everybody and that’s again you need you need to get to drop
Back which is usually you have to go into third and long which means you have to win first and second down so that’s saying a lot okay how do we do that well the right tag you have to beat up on the right tackle okay that’s one weakness
There but the other way is P’s gonna try some tight window throws he’s gonna try stuff over the middle you got to get one or two you have to that that’s just the formula and yes it’s asking a lot but that’s what these type of games come
Down to it’s just those big two one or two swings I think you need to play some man I know it’s dangerous I know they’ve carved it up I think you need to make him make a couple throws in this game the Ravens when I was breaking this
Breaking down for the article is like okay they were like eighth in cover three they were like seventh in cover four 10th in cover six like 16th in man they run everything so that’s I’m saying not go 30 second man no run a little bit
Run four snaps of it three snaps of it you have to and I just think hiding it and just hope you’re gonna get gashed all that post Snap movement defenses want to do the weakness of that is somebody might miss a gap and when that happens is a gash in the Run happens
Look what the Rams did to this Ravens defense you’re going to do all that funky stuff we can G you that’s why spags defenses can get gash sometimes in the Run game Jim Schwarz too um with the Browns that is just a traditional counter to Funky looks so that’s gonna
Happen but I think you still have to do it because that’s the one way you can’t just live basic and you’re you just get shredded by this team yeah I totally agree I I think that you just have to get out of those boxes that the ners
Want to put you in and ultimately leaving yourself a little bit more susceptible to the run is probably the best answer matchup I agreed and the matchup that I’m so fascinated by is just ran Smith against what they’re going to try to do with mcaffry and I
Assume that they’re going to try to get him on queen as often as possible but the teams that they’ve really shredded are bad at linebacker think about what they did to the Eagles and that’s one area where this Ravens defense is just a little bit different at one of those
Linebacker spots is that that guy is a demon in coverage you can get him in the Run game because he’s a little bit unders sized if you want to run the ball at him so that becomes the push of the pull and the cat and mouse game on that
Side of the ball it’s going to be fascinating the other side of the ball was pretty damn fun too it’s great this is a great match up between two very good units the thing I keep coming back to here on the big picture level this is
A huge moment for Lamar in my opinion you’re going against one of the League’s Premier teams one against against one of the League’s Premier defenses you are in prime time the entire country is watching everyone’s just on a sugarhigh from all the cookies that they just ate
Over the last six hours just buzzing for this game and I think this is a real chance for him to show off what he is now within this offense that they’re currently running I think the Niners have a lot of ways to defang that but I
Think this is a big moment for Lamar and this Ravens offense to kind of assert themselves into this Championship conversation he he could have his Heisman moment he could definitely have a Doug fluty against Miami on Thanksgiving kind of moment Christmas like you said everyone’s tired watch it
If Lamar has his hero moments and uh I I’ve come with a Lamar is a merger of Archie Manning and Matthew Stafford I think that’s what I’m going around with watching him run around the last couple of weeks it’s just but compare that to 2019 when he was running around it was
Running around and then scrambling now it’s running around to throw stuff away or it’s more like Mahomes or it’s to throw stuff across his body he has always done that but that’s what he’s leaning into more he’s truly the trick shot artist right now uh but I can’t
Can’t wait to watch this match up especially what is asked what 49ers ask offenses to do to a quarterback to be a hero to make hero throws down down the field and Tight Windows or to extend plays and make them go off script that’s into Lamar’s game so I I think it could
Be some real big highlights even if it’s going to be very tough because that’s what the forign ners defense ass up quarterbacks to do we had that moment in the middle of the Season where people were really worried about the Niners defense Steve wils moves from the booth
Down to the field you have those kind of all right how are we going to settle this because there’s a lot of apprehension about the way that this unit is playing what has changed in your opinion since that three-game losing streak and since that buy the they had
In week nine uh they traded for Chase young that’s one thing and that helps uh and they they I I hinted at this earlier in the show they kicked off Isaiah Oliver who they signed the offseason from he was their slot starter to start the year and they had dador dador Lenor
God that’s such a fun name dador Lenor on the outside I have really like Lenor I think he’s a very good player I I really young ascending player pretty good on the outside he held his own he did his job on the outside they bumped
Him back into to the slot and that has been a revelation for this defense and that’s really tied the room together nicely for this defense so that has made them more sound in coverage man coverage if they want to run it because this for’s defense likes to run man coverage
On third down that is the big difference with Wilks um and some of those Blitz stuff but that’s every every defense coordinator has their little blitzes that are there so that that’s the other thing too so putting Lenor there getting Chase young to expand their pass rushing repertoire it it’s really that’s been
The expansive things for this defense you look at the sack numbers they were getting pressure in the first half of the Season just not getting home as often as you want them to so between one weeks 1 through nine they only had 18 sacks which ranked 18th in the NFL since
Week 10 after they’re buy 25 sacks which is the most in the league so they’re finally starting to get home and when you pair that soundness and coverage and those tweaks that they made with what they’re doing up front this is the final answer so if you’re this Ravens team
Where do you think you can get after a Niners defense that’s kind of found itself here over the last month and a half the first thing I’ll be looking at is the injury report and seeing how the defensive tackles look for the 49ers uh Eric Armstead and Javon hardgrave missed
Against the Cardinals last week and the Cardinals had a lot of fun with that they they are also not practicing okay I knew they were day I saw day to day was what I saw yesterday so uh the if you watch that Cardinals game who are
Coached very well but again don’t have a ton of tent uh they were tons of double teams tons of stuff where it was uh getting up into Fred Warner’s lap and Fred Warner wasn’t able to play like Fred Warner where he erases things because the defense creates edginess up
Front um so if they’re not playing it’s not I mean they could really look at that again at that Cardinal game because James Conor is a lot like the Ravens running back Gus Edwards who will be the primary running back I’m guessing after Keat Mitchell got hurt so that’s also
Something the forigners linebackers are more run and hit they’re two 30 that’s what they’re designed to do they’re fast they’re amazing in coverage but bigger running backs can bounce off of them the forers have been missing tackles lately so that is just the one area the one way
I think that you can get after this team because I think no matter you can do in base or nickel but I think no matter I would prefer base though because or Burks is injured as well their third linebacker um is the one thing is that passing is tough because they’re the
Andaconda defense but you can find ways to run the ball to take advantage of their aggressiveness and their size 27th in run defens accessor this sneers team is I mean it has been a consistent problem all year with teams that can run the ball effectively and the Ravens have
One of the best rushing attacks in the NFL so what that looks like and how they can try to get after them on the ground I think is one of the biggest questions I’m fascinated by the Lamar Fred Warner matchup because think about all of those layered throws that Lamar does so well
Over the middle of the field even with Mark Andrews out and think about what Fred Warner takes away so how they play off of each other and what that looks like over the course of the game I think that’s going to be something to keep an on and the last thing that Ravens
Defense or Ravens offense last week with Ronnie Stanley out the pass protection is a concern so can Nick Bosa just blow this game up can Nick Bosa and Chase young just blow this game up because that is the one area even in when Stanley’s been healthy this year he
Hasn’t really been healthy it’s been so iffy all season that that becomes something to Monitor and something to potentially be concerned about if you’re Todd monin if you’re Lamar Jackson and if you’re this Ravens offense and the other thing too like Armstead and hardgrave out is that they provide so
Many fun looks for this 49ers defense on passing downs and so if you’re just taking even if one of them’s out that’s just kind of okay that you know they’re still awesome but it neuter neues it neuter neuter neuters neuters it a little bit I’m sorry uh but the other
Thing too is the for aers don’t Blitz a ton but they will Blitz is Lamar can be up and down against the blitz it’s just how he plays he is a big play Merchant he it’s up and down turnovers happened with that sacks happened but he also can
Get after you but this year he’s 20th in success rate against the blitz that’s between M Jones and Zack Wilson he’s n 19th in EPA per dropback between Russ and Gino which actually feels kind of fitting uh but it’s that but again so do the foreigners lean into that because
They will so do they sprinkle that into to maybe just heat up Lamar those third down looks man coverage wise this is one of the first teams with the Ravens where you feel comfortable about their ability to win some of those matchups against man coverage on third down and so that
That’s is another one where that Niner secondary is playing well it’s really set in in terms of who the Personnel is this Ravens receiving core is just a different sort of Beast than they’ve been in years past and we’ll see how healthy they are with ob obj kind of
Nurse and everything that he has over the last year a flowers limited with a foot Etc and trar Ward is playing like an all pro holy crap he is playing awesome right now my prediction for this game not who’s or prediction for this side of the ball not like who’s going to
Win who’s going to score more points this one particular play I’m I’m going to call my shot every week here on out until I get one right until I get one right and then we can clip it it’s great social uh my prediction Lamar hits I had
Obj Lamar hits a receiver on a corner route in the red zone for a touchdown on a high low I think you can get him that’s a very very specific prediction that’s why I’m I’m nailing it here this he’s gonna hit a corner route on a high
Low and it’s gonna be a touchdown in the Red Zone there it’s there it’s there I’m telling you it’s there so that’s what I’m going with all right let’s get to our next game here one of the other games of the week and that is the
Cowboys and the Dolphins this is a late game on Christmas Eve it’s going to be happening at the same time as the Bears Cardinal game so I the only reason I know that is because I’ve had to figure out how I’m going to watch the games
Because I’m going to my mom’s house so this this became a whole thing I’m going to my mom’s house on Christmas Eve I’m okay Christmas Eve is a Full Slate of games so I can’t drive out at 300 pm. because there’s games going on so if I
Drive out there before the noon games are there going to be enough screens for me to watch all the games games I want at my mom’s house while I’m brazing short ribs for like 6 hours the answer is yes we have settled on this we’re going to have two televisions so one is
Going to be on Bears Cardinals and one is going to be on Dolphins Cowboys I’ve never asked this I know your dad and I know your brothers and stuff like that but is your mom into sports like I actually have never asked like my mom likes Sports yeah my mom likes Sports
And my mom will sit and watch the Bears game with us okay I would Tri she’s or into no my mom my mom enjoys Sports I would my mom probably wouldn’t watch a football game alone if it was on but she’ll she watches it with her husband
She watches it with us all that so yeah she’s into it enough I was curious because obviously my family yeah my family is just insane with it uh but it’s the my my in-laws and stuff like sports has just always been in the background like even if we’re just
Nothing’s on just put put whatever games on whatever sport oh golf sure why not Sunday yeah why not Saturday whatever uh what’s on oh college basketball sure and that is a foreign concept to my in-laws and like they’ve come around now together for a long time but that is
Something that they’re like oh I remember they came in one time I was watching rugby sevens is in the it’s in the spring guys it’s in may like come on it’s like it’s a dead period for sports for me and I’ve just watched it and they
Just go rugby huh okay and they just kind of walked out and I was like that I knew they were like oh man we really worked into something with this guy I’m not watching random rugby matches but there’s definitely a lot of sports on all the time truly though before we get
To this game this this is funny the person in my life the woman in my life who watches the most football and talks to me the most about it is my grandmother who is 91 years old and she just watches every Bears game and reads the paper every single day including the
Sports section my dad’s mom okay and so we will she will ask me questions about the Bears consistently so she watches games alone she watches every single week so that is those are the conversations with the family member I have the most discussions about the bears with either my youngest brother or
Or my grandmother so that’s that’s how that settles out family member I have the most discussions about this show with is my cousin Jack shout out Jack he’s probably listening right now just a Jets fan who keeps kept asking me about Zach Wilson but I want to give him a
Shout out but he’s the one that he’s the one that Peppers me the most questions and the most thoughts about the show so I want to give him a shout out so as we’re settling into family time on Christmas Eve as the short ribs are almost done on Sunday this Dolphins
Cowboys game is going to be kicking off this Cowboys defense coming off a very troubling game against the bills and my biggest question about this matchup and about what we could find out on Sunday are we starting to see the cracks in this Cowboys defense was last week a
Blip or is this something that’s indicative of what’s to come and are the Dolphins as constructed equipped to take advantage of this Cowboys defense in the way that we saw Buffalo do last week that I I want to say it’s like Jonathan henkins is such a huge part of this
Cowboys defense and man you just got to wait for him to come back healthy but he has a high ankle spray so even if he does come back healthy which at any time next couple weeks still not gonna be 100% And so what’s been disappointing to
Me at least maybe that Bill’s game is living in my head is maybe some of the Seahawks game too is just that the lack of adjustments sometimes I think about the Seattle game Seattle moved the officially on the entire game so it’s goes back a couple weeks now oh because
I waved that one away oh they were just cck me too well they also they had some pretty high in that game yes yeah yeah but again and and I will say the Cowboys pass defense played better on film uh rewatching it they held Josh Allen under
100 yards but watching on film they actually held up better than I thought but that run defense it’s what’s the answer what are you gonna figure out because the Dolphins even with their offensive line injuries and whatever’s gonna whatever’s going on with their personnel they’re GNA try and find
Something like they’re G to attack it are you going to let them get into eye formation and pound it down your throat because then oh my God think of who you have to play in the NFC playoffs everyone’s going to do that to you so
They have to put it on film they can’t hold anything here because man it’s becoming a thing that teams can attack this downhill run game the The Tackle pull stuff is just power but it’s tackle with pulling away from the tit end as opposed to guard pulling towards the tit
End what do you think the advantage of that is we’re now we’re getting like too deep into the weeds but why do you think a team would want to pull the tackle on that play like the bills have been because it’s been that’s into the mainstream discussion about the bills
Now it’s tackle pole plays it’s been over the Internet 100 times this week I I even did it for wind the clock uh they uh it’s it’s a gap scheme which is better for more power offensive line even if all like Spencer Brown is more finesse which is good for polling but
Then you look at osir Torrance you look at Deon Dawkins like those guys are MERS so that helps them that lets them block down usually the the most common run out spread looks is Zone but what happened in the NFL the last few years is defenses went okay all you guys are
Running is zone right they want you to do that if you get in those if you get in 11 personnel teams want you to run zone right now out of the shotgun because they have every answer to it yes they have everything every twist everything in college too this has
Happened in college but Gap scheme provides polar provides different angles so teams are now saying that change up is now their main pitch what the Rams did was Duo what the 49ers have done what the Ravens have done what these guys are doing what the Dolphins do what
The bills are doing they pull guys and because of that it’s because that is better for the angles that’s better for how The Leverage of the defensive line you’re blocking down as opposed to blocking forward and horizontal if that makes sense uh trying to like do this
Over the podcast but it’s just the angle of the blocks is the best thing for it and on top of it it has answers if guys move and wi the clock what the bills did um what I thought was really well done especially by Deon Dawkins was adjusting
To the different looks from the Cowboys um Bell was screaming down on one look and He adjusted to that it just has answers it gets a hat on a hat and sorry last thing here does not involve the tight end there are so many receiving first tight ends now and this
Is making me more like them as far as prospects because teams have answers to not have them blocking they are not involved in the play so you can go a super spread look you can block away from the tight end that is huge for this type of play what is interesting to me
About the Dolphins run offense against this Cowboys team and where they’ve been struggling is that the Dolphins want to hurt you on the perimeter but if the dolphin as constructed with all these offensive line injuries I don’t know if you saw it earlier this week but they asked
McDaniel about the offensive line and he just Shrugged on Monday when I when they asked him about the injury report because that’s what’s going on it’s pretty much every single member of their starting offensive line so with those injuries and the style they want to play if they can get into their heavier
Personnel looks and run the ball downhill on this Cowboys team now the alarm Bells just start going off because they in a lot of ways are not set up to do that and if they can I think it’s time to start smashing that panic button in the weirdest way this Cowboys defense
Is better equipped to stop the one Dolphins thing that’s been gashing people on the ground all the outside pin pole all that because they’re fast as hell like they’re so fast and they can even if they go the wrong way they can recover and they’re the one defense that
Can kind of sort of match this Dolphins offense Jets a little bit too holy the Jets defense oh my God it’s like feel bad the Dolphins put up 30 and I think people thought that it was just a dog walking that is is not the case one
Jayen wad play they got the ball inside the five another time the Jets defense gave them a lot of trouble Jets the Jets defense though I think is set up to play against this Dolphins offense in a way the Cowboys are not so and that’s what’s interesting is well and also it’s what
The cow what the Cowboys leaned into against the bills was a ton of man what they leaned into against the Eagles was some man but then a lot of quarters a lot of uh uh cover two so which one of those they lean to I think is huge as
Well do not do man I don’t think that’s smart but on the the flip side watching that Jets game okay what did McDaniel do when the offenses line offensive lines banked up banged up a feisty defensive line he threw 10 screens in week 15 against the Jets that’s the third most
Bued team this entire season they they’ve been averaging four of those a game they threw 10 so I think there’s gonna be a lot of screens no matter what because that’s just gonna be one of the answers to just get the ball out and not
Let you know two have to hold on to the ball too long the man the man coverage stuff is to me one of the bigger questions about the entire game the Dolphins do not get man cover played against them okay they’re dead last in the NFL it’s like 7% of their total drop
Backs they face man coverage no team has played more than 16% cover one in a game against the Dolphins this year the Cowboys haven’t played less than 21% man coverage in a single game this year they’ve been under 30% one time so this is a team that plays predominantly man coverage against
An offense that sees almost no man coverage and I think that’s for two reasons one teams are terrified of just getting hammered by those guys beating you over the top and two similar conversation we had about the ners all of the motion is going to dissuade teams
From wanting to play Man against you so where do the Cowboys land what is the answer if you’re not going to be able to play the style of defense that you typically like to play geez I I think I think it’s quarters and two and quarters and two
And quarters and two and quarters and two and just live that way and see if you win up front and that’s what teams have done and had a little bit success against the Dolphins this year that has been the best blueprint even though it’s not a great answer but then we’re
Talking about Dan Quinn and his the hubris of his faith in his defense and wanting to say hey go rip him and go man coverage which again I think you could sprinkle in I think that’s totally fine it’s just what you major in so I I’m
Curious I I think the what you have to do is live that you’re G to give up some stuff underneath just to limit the gashes and to trust your offense again this is a team ball type game and obviously a huge question and what could play into their decision about how
Much man coverage are going to play is whether Tyreek Hill even plays in this game so there’s a chance that he’s out again and that is another reason why you just don’t see much man coverage played against the Dolphins so this is a big test on both sides I think they Dolphins
You want to see them keep rolling against what is still a very good defense and for the Cowboys they need to stop the bleeding and I know this is not a good team to have to find that against but they need to stop the bleeding on
The other side of the ball It’s Kind of Perfect though like the one thing that like the Dolphins could do you already hinted at it it’s like if the Dolphins are in eye formation and they run it down the Cowboys throats then it’s alarm Bell City for the cowboyss like that is
Just terrifying but if they just find some answers that is more indicative than anything so that’s just kind I’m telling you I’m just like just like a piece of Kleenex up the nose like I just want to stop the bleeding for like a tiny little bit right now I don’t have
To fix everything round five stop the bleeding a tiny little bit that’s perfect that’s perfect on the other side of the ball this is a monstrous test for the Dolphins defense I know the Cowboys offense didn’t play well last week but this is a unit that’s played very well
And a quarterback that’s played very well for most of this season Dolphins defense has been great recently but they have played against the worst slate of offenses in the NFL by dvoa I mean you look at the list of quarterbacks this team has played this year it’s not their
Fault you play who’s on your schedule but there have not been a lot of tests for this Dolphins defense so far this year this is the biggest one they have gotten all year I’m very excited to see how they measure up when they’re pushed a little bit it’s a it’s a very good
Checkpoint for both teams especially it’s like this is what or really need to make sure that you’re legit the Dolphins defense you can rely in no matter what’s going on with the offense they can find their explosive plays that’s a great recipe to be something in the AFC in the
NFC it’s like we thought we could just no matter what this offense is game bust this offense is Elite now it doesn’t matter who you’re going against wow they’re going to go against this Bills team and get after him it’s like Zack Martin gets hurt the whole thing came
Unraveled and wow that was still not practicing I know and that is more than anything the Zack Martin injury is gonna decide a lot on this side of the ball at least you have a week to prepare I will say that but I think at least it’s it’s
Crazy I I totally get what you mean that you watch like I was watching that Dolphins front go against the Jets offensive line it was just pressure after pressure after pressure after pressure was one of the biggest match mismatches of the Season truly one of the biggest mismatches of the season the
Dolphin the Jets offense could not function against that front last week that is how good that group has been even without Jay and Phillips I know the Jets aren’t good but that has been a truly dominant unit for stretches so far this season again this is I always say
When when people you know highlight truth and reply and they go oh they’re going against so and so it’s like yeah you want a dominant unit to feel dominant when they go against an inferior opponent like that’s the whole point of looking dominant they look more back and forth when they go against
Another dominant opponent that’s how it works um so you want to see that but like Bradley chub is playing fantastic ftic as long as with all the other guys but he is playing well against the Run playing well against the pass um they don’t Blitz too much they are a classic
Like fangio defense it’s often imitated never duplicated like they they I could tell you exactly what they’re GNA do on every single play more or less like 90% of the time I go okay that’s three that’s man that’s quarters that’s three week yada yada but you got to beat it
Still and it’s really can D can Dak be the guy who can beat it that becomes the question because the bills are not like that the bills are a little B harder to decipher and you have some injuries on the back end of the Dolphins defense Javon Holland’s still not practicing so
It did it does feel like this is a potential game for the Cowboys offense to get right and I think they need to for people to build back some of that faith in this current Cowboys recipe it is I I think it’s GNA be a lot CD in the
Slot I I’m very very curious if uh Jaylen Ramsey follows him which is also another easy man’s Zone tell uh Ramsey has only had three snaps in a slot the entire year which is hilarious if you watch him with the Rams the last couple years three snaps in the slot they all
Came last week against the Jets all three were in man coverage all three when Ramsey was on Garrett Wilson so do they do that with Sidi who likes to line up the slot again or do they lean into Zone looks as well so that’s something
I’m G be looking at the other thing is both teams or a lot of teams like to against fangio defenses get into empty talked about this several times the bills torched it early in the season Dak loves to throw the ball out of empty he’s third best EPA per dropback out of
Empty 10th highest empty rate so how does that match up go because the Dolphins are fifth best in success rate against empty look so that’s another kind of schematic Trend I’m going be looking at in this game the last player I wanted to shout out and we talked
About the front Christian Wilkin Zack seeler done a great job Andrew van GLE has very very much impressed me this season go Badger so Andrew van GLE was an edge rusher for most of his career you know that’s that’s how they used him in Miami and he has played off the ball
For the Dolphins for long stretches of this season depending on what sort of personel they’re in and he’s actually done some decent work in coverage I was very impressed about what he was do with what he was doing against the Jets last week and just some of those moments he’s
Had over the course of the season so just one guy I wanted to shout out who’s had to be a slightly different version of himself this year and I think has equit himself very well when give him that opportunity him and Van noi were
Together for a bit it was just it was it was fitting the V the the Dutch Army knives it was it was perfect together yeah uh are we you want to shout out a player to or whatever uh so I am looking to is uh especially on the cowboy side
The empty stuff attacking over the middle is just going to be so huge in this game that’s how you have to get after a fangio defense so Jake Ferguson I I think is going to be a huge player in this game I I think he’s a key player
Anyways for this Cowboys team but the Dolphins are 26 in defending uh 26 in D oh my God three two one dolphins are 26 in dvoa defending tight ends this year um that’s a lot of underneath stuff but you can get a gash after him get David
Long on a double move something of that sort so Jake Ferguson I think is g to be a key component of this cowboys attack those are the two big matchups of the week another pretty big game for playoff implications is the Bucks and the Jags has lost some of the juice just because
Trevor Lawrence might not play in this game but one thing we definitely wanted to take a longer look at is the Bucks offense so we’re going to do a little bit of an under the hood here about why the Bucks offense has just been exceeding expectations this year they’re
16th in passing D away it’s not great but it’s much better than we expected and baker has been top 10 in EPA per dropback this year and I think he really has been playing some of the better ball we’ve seen him play over the last several seasons as this team really
Tries to take let me that again 5 four three as this team really tries to wrestle away control of the NFC South and kind of sneak into the playoffs in a way that people didn’t necessarily expect so just on a broader level right now what is this Buck offense and this
Buck passing game specifically doing that’s allowing them to get away with this I I’m gonna describe the Bucks players I think you can um discern what they’re good at they have two excellent veteran wide receivers one is very good in vertically and jump ball one’s good from the slot
They have a running back who’s a good pass catcher but as an iffy Vision as a rusher a little iffy even is terrible they’re in rushing success R maybe wave that away with him as a prospect I do think he’s useful they have an offensive line with two quality tackles and shaky
Interior if you brought that run game stat that’s all tied together uh and they have a quarterback that’s boom bust so what do you think they’re good at launching the out of the ball that is what they’re good at but they are they’re good throwing they’re not very
Good running they’re bit boom busty they’re eighth in explosive Passat rate that’s better than the Lions Seahawks Rams bills but the Bucks offense is 31st in explosive Rush rate they have 12 explosive runs on first and second down this entire year The League average is 24 double that’s average it’s double man
Oh their R their first and second down rushing Su success rate is only better than the Jets and we just kind of just blasted the Jets their offens line the last segment but what happens is B Baker is willing Baker Mayfield is willing to stand back there and rip some throws to
His very talented pass catchers and they have some talented pass catchers they have two like I said they have Mike Evans Chris Godwin Kate utton is pretty solid as a pass catcher Rashad Wallace is a Rashad white Rashad Wallace Rasheed Wallace rash Rashad white is a very good
Pass catching back used to be a wide receiver before he converted to running back at Arizona State that all makes sense um Trey Palmer is a Twitchy random explosive like just a wild card that you throw in there every once in a while when he was playing so it’s it’s just
What they do a little bit of everything they use their players well they do the best they can with their front with their offensive line Tristan wors are left tackle is playing like an all pro and it’s it’s working for them it’s it’s boom bust and it kind of works with
Their defense that’s kind of Boom bust as well that’s the Bucks is the is the Canon at Raymond James Stadium that is the buck they just boom every once in a while and then you clap it’s funny that you say that that that’s a it’s a good analogy and a good
Metaphor because I always like Baker the most when he’s just pointed in One Direction and you just let him fire away there’s no no wiggle room either way like a cannon just very solid pointed in One Direction and what feels different about Baker this year compared to Baker
In previous years in my opinion is the way that he has dealt with pressure and the way way that he has navigated the pocket so it was one of the biggest issues and one of the biggest questions concerns I had about the Bucks coming into the year is that their offensive
Line felt shaky you got Tristan wors moving to left tackle Luca Dei who’s their right tackle second-year player didn’t play well last year Ryan Jensen’s still not healthy you got a rookie Right Guard and Cody Mack it’s like all right I don’t I don’t know about this I don’t
Know how I feel about this last season Baker was number one in the league and pressure to sack R about 30% of his pressures turned into sacks it was the worst rate in the league and he’s been pretty high up there in other Seasons as well yeah for the first half of this
Year he was second to last in the league in pressure to sacr only momes was turning a lower percentage of his pressures into sacks than Baker was over the first half of the Season it was 15% so he cut it in half from what it was last year and that has really allowed
This offense to function because when you are protecting him a little bit and when he’s able to navigate and survive me messy Pockets he can play like the guy is a solid quarterback when you sort of bumpers around him yes and what’s interesting to me two quarterbacks I’ll compare this situation
To Dave caneles who’s their offensive coordinator who we can talk about here in a second he was the quarterback’s coach for the Seahawks last year one of Gino’s biggest problems when we saw him for a short stretch in 2021 taking over for Russ when he was hurt is he was
Taking an obnoxious amount of sacks he was up there near the top of the league in that pressure to sack rate that we’re talking about year one of Dave canelos as his quarterback coach last year that was not nearly as much of an issue I don’t know if there’s a way he’s
Teaching the position I don’t know if there are certain things he’s giving his quarterback that alleviates some of that but I don’t know and that may be totally a coincidence but I think it’s notable that two guys who used to have really bad sack issues when they started
Working with him that has gone down the other situation I would compare it to the Bucks passing offense the way that it’s constructed both in the drop back game and when they use play action there’s often something coming into Baker’s Vision late after he goes through the front side or the first
Couple reason of progression it’s giving him Outlets so maybe he feels a little bit less jittery when he’s been holding on to the ball for a little while what that reminds me of is what the Lions passing game looks like especially off play action for Jared Goff he always has
An outlet so a guy who’s not a Scrambler can give you something a little bit later in the down and that reminds me of what it’s like to watch this bucks passing game right now is that one of the reason that Baker hasn’t short circuited in the pocket is that he
Always or very often has an outl late in the down that prevents bad and negative play you remember Baker’s rookie year when I I think it was the Raiders game it probably was because I was hate watching the Raiders then that was 2018 yeah uh right yeah that was 2018 uh he
Was firing some seam balls like just ripping him over the middle right like that was kind of his thing I was like oh man okay all right he’ll F like who was that remind you of little bit of Gino right like throwing us and go or gol and
Golf and yeah that’s that archetype again Baker again thinks he’s a little more athletic than he is but I think the one thing that I’m seeing with with Baker and where I want to compliment Canalis because they run an offense that is like Seattle and a little bit like
Green Bays where it’s a little bit of everything I couldn’t say like I couldn’t say what their roots are even if I do know what the roots are but if I were just watching it uh from an all 22 cents but what I watch him is he uses
Baker in the right way which is don’t what’s the line I’ve always said about Baker and Russ Baker is Russell Wilson without the athleticism yes watch how plays this year watch how Baker plays this year but Baker only has 83 quick game dropbacks this entire year that’s only higher than two other quarterbacks
Or so like he is down there they do not do quick game anymore again that’s conducive to Baker skill set he is best when he gets the drop back and launch it I always thought what stefansky tried to do with him at the Browns I understood
Was let’s what do play action let’s make it safe and let’s push the ball down the field I actually think Baker in the weirdest ways best as almost a true dropback quarterback that has the five and seven steps stop which is like golf a little bit and so there is some
Comparisons and sure enough uh this is Baker’s highest true dropback pass ATT percentage meaning no play action no screens so they’re doing six and seven seven step dropbacks more than he ever has in his career it’s not hard to do less play action and screen than the 2020 through
2021 Cleveland Browns right when you have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin it helps when you could just drop back yeah so some better receivers has helped Baker out a lot uh but it it works it works because he’s willing to push it everyone goes why is Mike Evan playing
Better well he has a quarterback or why is stats back over there is this a Renaissance here well he has a quarterback willing to give him the ball all right same vice versa they kind of work together so it’s kind of just worked it’s not perfect but it’s worked
And they they’re finding ways to score points and it’s fun what do you think happens with Baker after this season obviously he’s a free agent he’s making 4 million bucks this year do you think that he deserves to be a starter moving forward do you think he’s going to be
The starter of the Bucks how would you project what Baker Mayfield’s next 12 months look like man I I would I it’s hard for me because I think what’s happened was because he was the number one pick he got a lot of hype especially after his rookie year and
Then everyone dragged him down I’ve made fun of him on the show but the thing was it wasn’t like he was stunk and he was a bottom five quarterback it was more that he was like oh he’s average and it’s like well you’re the number one pick
That just seems bad and so I think though that he deserves to be a starter somewhere in this league especially when I see what’s starting right now and I think if the Bucs can’t find a better answer if they make the playoffs there’s not a lot of avenues where they can find
Someone better than Baker so I think it’s one of those where it’s like I think it’s best for both of them that they have each other in the back pocket but I do think how baker has played I see a path for him to be a viable
Starter yes you have to have some Talent around him but you can win with him and I think that’s very important to prove in the NFL yeah and we’ll see what he’s asking for but if you can give them a two-year $15 million deal where you can
Spread it out over a couple years you keep the cap hit low you give yourself some Financial flexibility I think that he deserves at least a longer look for that role based on the way that he’s played and based on the way the offense looks the other question I would have
Let’s say they stumble over the last three games they don’t end up winning the division Todd BS gets fired you think that Dave caneles has proven so far in the 15 weeks that you’ve seen him that he deserves continued opportunities as an offensive coordinator I do uh the run at first
When as an outsider I would always see the stats and then as I started studying them it was funny the first time I studied the Bucks was when they played the Vikings I think that was week one right was not a great time time uh Team to study in offense is against that
Vikings defense and so I’ve checked in on them throughout the year we’ve learned that overtime yes we have uh we did not know what we were dealing with then but uh as we I’ve watched this offense unfold I’m like oh the Run game woes I don’t that’s a Personnel thing
Not a scheme thing all the Run answers are hat on a hat like they’re not running into bad boxes which I usually is my big alarm Bell that this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing Cardinals from previous regime uh but it’s like when I watch this team it’s like all the
Even the stuff that doesn’t work I understand why they did it which to me means this guy knows what he’s doing that’s just all I can see as an outsider so to me I think he deserves to call plays because I I think he’s doing a
Pretty bang up job job right now I I really like it it’s nothing crazy it’s just stuff that makes sense and is good that Four Strong allgo running back seam touchdown to Rashad white last week I was like okay cool yeah like I I like I
Like that like the ways oh everyone does it it’s like exactly it works it’s sometimes that’s what you have to do it’s like all right that’s a nice little wrinkle we talked again about stuff coming back into Baker’s Vision Laton downs and giving him some Outlets I think that’s just really good coaching
And some of the ways that they you they’ve used Evans and Godwin either one of them in the slot both those guys on the same side with some of those you know uh hip slot tight end formations that we talk about one side hip slot there you go got the two receivers on
Other side they just the way that they’ve deployed those guys and the way they’ve deployed their best players I think is a testament to the job that he’s done so I’m at least intrigued by what Dave canelo’s career looks like moving forward from here after the job
He’s done I agreed one one last comment about Mike Evans though is that I think he’s slowed down enough athletically like 10% that it’s helped his route running it’s a theory of mine it’s that because he eats up so much ground he’s so tall I don’t think people really
Realize how big Mike Evans is he’s like 65 235 like he’s big um he eats up so much ground as a route Runner that now that he’s more like a 458 46 guy because he ran like a 44 something is that it’s helped his route running because it’s
Like slowed him down where it Paces better with the dropbacks that’s it’s one of my theories of mine right now with Mike Evans but he is also playing fantastic ball right now one more game we wanted to get get to here just a couple things to watch for Lions Vikings
Very cool matchup one of the best defenses in football so far this year an elite Lions offense what is one thing that you are watching in this Ben Johnson versus B Brian Flores match up that we get this weekend it it’s a Vikings defense that dares quarterbacks
And offenses to push the ball and do it promptly against an offense that knows how to push the ball and loves to push the ball so it that is right there what I cannot wait to see I think what how Jake Browning played with the Bengals
Last week was pretty cool to see him Step Up and do the the tough stuff um I know that game was tight but I mean he was throwing doubles he was trying to throw Haymakers that’s what this off this defense dares you to do I think the
Protection from the Lions can hold up against any Blitz looks and the designs because they are a vertical based offense they don’t run a lot of quick game they want to attack downfield so I I’m excited to watch there’s gonna be some fireworks because I love a classic
Gash or B gash type offense defense matchup we talked about this a little bit on Sunday or just the recap show Frank rag now being there for the Lions huge in this game specifically because they had been struggling against pressure looks without him in there to
Help sort it out so him being there against that Brian fles team I think is hugely important one specific note you’re talking about some of those gash or beg gash aggressive downfield drop back Concepts two plays there are two examples of one specific play that has hurt the Vikings defense this year the
Bearers to get into field goal range for their game-winning field goal with DJ Moore and then the Bengals on a couple chunk plays late in that game all is the dagger concept where you have one guy running off and then you have the number one receiver running a big dig kind of
From the outside behind it that has hit the Vikings a couple different times this season when teams have put air into those Zone coverages and held up long enough to throw that ball the lions are probably the best dagger team in the entire NFL it’s exactly how they like to
Play where you have those big in Breakers coming in behind and golf just letting those things rip so that plays specifically where your number two receiver is just running off and your number one receiver is running that big in Breer behind it we’ll see how many
Times that comes up because it has been one specific thing the Vikings have in moments struggled to defend this year against a team that does it better than anybody they’re gonna hit one that I don’t need much of a prediction to tell you they’re gonna hit one the Vikings
Why they get hit with them dagger is a classic classic staple cover two beater the Vikings play a lot of cover two they rotate to a lot of cover two it’s very hard to rotate to cover two and then also defend a dig as you’re running back
There from the line scrimmage and oh now you got to defend someone at 20 yards coming across your face so and the lions like you said run it as much as anybody so but the again it’s gash or beg gash because pie tried to throw one of those
And got picked on it and that’s that’s it they’re gonna try and beat you and throw a pick because you recognize it late or see the Zone late or something of that but they’ll hit one Speaking of gashes what Jamir Gibbs has given this team from an explosive run perspective
This season and over the last few games specifically has been very cool to watch when I was talking to staff in at Detroit before the season one of the names that came up and one of the ways that they thought they might use him as as a Zone Runner and they thought that
Was an underrated potential application of his skill set coming out of college and the name that was brought up to me was Jamal Charles John dorsy who is in Detroit right now was in Kansas City with Jamal Charles so that was the name he was thinking about apparently that’s
What I was told when they ended up drafting jir Gibbs and if you look at the the pop that Gibbs has given them in some of those Zone run looks it really is an explosive element to an offense that most teams don’t have on the ground right now yeah he he he’s fast
Especially on Turf guys are faster on Turf that was shoot Randy Moss on AstroTurf or Dion or Barry or all those guys on astro turf when it was just concrete like that’s speed we’ll never see again because now guys have to wear no matter what uh but Gibbs on
Turf is one of the fastest players in the league it’s unbelievable but I I’m fascinated too because Gibbs has gotten better but the big thing with him is protection David Montgomery’s better their protection back who do they lean to are they going to try and get five
Out with Gibbs or are they gonna lean into more protection uh the lions like with Montgomery so that’s another kind of like a little design tweak I’m curious to watch I’m gonna admit something here I did not solicit Fort screen emails this week I forgot to do it so we’re going to
Be doing something a little bit different this week I’m gonna have my own sort of fourth screen email okay the holidays are a time for family reflection occasionally though for some tough conversations and I am only saying this to the Eagles because I care about
Them but you guys need to take a breath okay they’ve lost three games in a row and it feels like their season is unraveling but it also to an extent feels like they’re unraveling yeah last Monday Nick serani said he felt good about the people they had in the
Building when asked if there was any changes in responsibility on the horizon for the staff a week later news trickles out that Matt Patricia is going to be taking over for Shawn Desai and calling in the Eagles defensive Place technically serani wasn’t lying because Patricia was in the building at this
Point that might be Matt Patricia’s biggest appeal though is that he was in the building in the season before he was hired as the Lions head coach in 2018 the Patriots finished 27th in EPA per play on defense in his six season with New England six seasons with New England
They finished in the top 10 once over three years with the Lions the Lions finished a combine 31st in EPA per play on defense while M was there so bad guys yeah I I’m that was year one year two of the show it was so bad guys there was so
Many miscommunications it was awful and yet here he is again yeah pencil behind the ear coming to salvage the eagle season only to lose a pivotal game to Drew lock on National Television that’s the defensive side as for serani he is carrying the same forboding Italian Christmas energy that jam Lee
Curtis was bringing to the Seven Fishes episode of the bear God right now he’s just ripping sigs over a steaming pot of gravy with his eye makeup running down his face asking repeatedly if we have a problem that is his entire Vibe right now and yelling at other coaches for
Calling timeouts he’s losing it even even Jaylen Herz shattered this kind of unbreakable veneer that he brings to every single postgame conversation when he floated that there was a lack of commitment from the podium on Monday night at this time last year Philly felt like a team that could do absolutely no
Wrong and now it feels like they can’t get anything right even when they were rolling earlier in the year something just smelled off and that stench has only gotten worse and this is the time to get right against this Giants team and get your New Year’s house get your
House in order before New Year’s if they don’t if this continues and this lingers even into this week and into this final three games where they’re not playing against anybody good then it’s really start then it’s time to really start worrying but that’s it that is that is
My Christmas message and Christmas card letter however you want to put it to the Philadelphia Eagles because in the throws of my own Christmas plans I forgot to solicit for screen emails I still liked it I liked it was in the same reference it was perfect yeah no it
Was in the same vein of that so Bravo great job filling in that that was good just rip that off this afternoon you’re right I I I could have done a better job but oh you’re right I saw Drew lock throwing game-winning touchdowns on you that that’ll hurt you that’ll hurt you
Just a little bit how do you feel about that Eagles team right now do do you feel like this is a temporary lapse do you feel like we’re like actually seeing some real issues that are going to persist and just not even in terms of like the football stuff but just how
Everything feels right now well the the offensive stuff has been frustrating because again I feel like there’s always just a one page behind what the defenses are doing I still think they can be explosive but the down to down stuff has just been frustrating I feel like they
Kind of loses some game script you know or loses thems in the game script doesn’t know like when to run the ball when to repeat a call and right now it’s serani and Brian Johnson so I’m not sure like that I don’t know who they could
Turn to the rest of the year um of course in the offseason could be a whole totally different story I’m not saying anyone should lose their job or anything I’m just saying they could figure it out I would say defensively I think it’s just a Personnel thing they have no
Linebackers they’re safety has been banged up all year they lost Devonte Maddox the corners are 30 something years old and a year older I think we all knew this regression would happen but I thought they’d be more average-ish but then they got hurt and and I think
That’s what just this is what it looks like I think you do whatever schematic stuff you want they just do not have the horses it’s just like we talked about the Cardinals oh doing some cool stuff still 31st in EPA you know like that’s
Kind of how I feel with the Eagles but I think they’re still like they still have a front that can get after people and I also think that it’s more against the good teams the playoff teams as opposed to maybe this Giants team against Tommy DeVito it’s time for Tyson TOS your
Three picks of the week before we get out of here what do you got for me I didn’t even write down what I did last week so I don’t even know how I did I think I went one and two uh but I went one and two according to that’s what I
Felt like uh so picks this week the touts I got Browns minus three at the Texans that’s just CJ stad base for me I know what this Browns defense is going to do Browns Texans as the matchup of the week exced doesn’t feel like it’s worth doing without CJ Stout in this
Game unfortunately yeah sorry Case Keenum uh but then next one going Packers minus four and a half at the Panthers uh that oh my God that Panthers Falcons game was so ugly but I I just think the Packers team needs a win more than anyone and I think the offense
Could get for this defense and I don’t think the defense is as threatened against this offense um so I think they can maybe find find their way here the last one is Raiders at Chiefs minus 10 I’m taking the Chiefs minus 10 it’s at KC um it’s the Chiefs it’s the Raiders
One team fire the coach and starting a rookie quarterback one team has spags and has Patrick Mahomes that’s my angle and it’s in Kansas City so that’s all I got Brave man points to a team that put up 60 last week oh man oh that’s that’s going to be
A game we remember forever what’s with with Chargers Raiders games man just have those you know remember the week 17 game hervert throwing all those fourth Downs or I would argue that that was even though they didn’t make the playoffs after that game I would still
Argue that was probably the peak of the Brandon Staley era was that game because thebert could do exactly because that moment that’s the mo that is the most prominent moment that Herbert had and I think a lot of people it’s like yes he’s one of those guys like we can’t wait to
See what this is like moving forward then they go in the next off season and we roll and then the lowest moment of the brand St era also was a game against the Raiders on national TV in Vegas oh goodness gracious all right guys football show the athletic football
Show it’s a podcast uh please enjoy your holiday weekend uh please enjoy the time with your families it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year I H abashedly love Christmas it was such a huge thing for me growing up cannot wait to spend it with my brothers and my mom
And my wife and very much looking forward to that so I hope you guys really enjoy the time you get with your loved ones this weekend as a reminder Tuesday morning sometime late morning is probably around noon Eastern is when our week 16 recap will be available to you
So do not look for it earlier than that because we won’t have it we’re recording it the day after Christmas so be on the lookout for that cannot wait to talk about this Ravens Niners game cannot wait to talk about Cowboys dolphins and all the other stuff that is coming our
Way this weekend for now sincerely appreciate you guys listening we’ll talk to you Soon
8 Comments
Roberts intro for the Ravens 49ers game gave me chills
Now I really want to play Overwatch with Nate…
4:29 I think Robert meant Geno Stone not Geno Smith 🤣
Did no one notice how the Dolphins destroyed the Jets last week? They knew that the Jets were expecting them to run with Hill injured. So Tua came out firing. The Jets never recovered.
This is how they're gonna destroy the Cowboys too. As much as McCarthy has stunned the league making Dak look like an MVP candidate, The Reason they can only beat worse teams is they go head to head at them with Their Strengths, No Adjustments.
McDaniel will tear through them by planning ahead.
Good observations about the Eagles. Cripes, they needed TOs go their way to beat the Patriots by one score. Everything went their way early in the season, facing them, seeing the Vikings turn the ball over. The Bucs they legitimately beat. Possibly Baker's worst game all season. He was definitely intimidated by Jalen Carter on defense all game. But the Rams played their worst game all year when they played 'em.
Sean McDermott did his consistent "I'm nervous so I'm gonna call the plays & throw the game away" against them too. They've had at least four wins where it was the other team losing not them winning. Hurts has been Way Off all season, not connecting to Brown for reasons I haven't heard yet.
No one seems to be sure what's wrong.
Detroit Lions 🦁 FTW 🙌 over the Minnesota Vikings 👿 to clinch the NFC North Division title on the road. Let’s do this!
15:50 love Nate's explanation of how/why the Niners use motion.
Nate who are your Overwatch mains?
Nate is definitely going to be the dad who hogs the gaming console from his son. 😂