FIRST TAKE | Stephen A.: “Trade Cam Ward for Shedeur Sanders After 26-0 Texans Disaster!”

FIRST TAKE | Stephen A.: “Trade Cam Ward for Shedeur Sanders After 26-0 Texans Disaster!”

NFL,NBA,GMFB,Browns,chiefs,Stephen A Smith,Stephen A.,FIRST TAKE,FIRST TAKE ESPN,FIRST TAKE NFL,NBA Today,NFL Highlights,Sunday NFL Countdown,Monday Night Football,Super Bowl LX,GET UP ESPN,Rex Ryan,Randy Moss,Shannon Sharpe,Cam Newton,Football America,NFL LIVE on ESPN,Sportscenter ESPN,NFL Playoffs,Dallas Cowboys,Philadelphia Eagles,Green Bay Packers,Buffalo Bills,Pittsburgh Steelers,Baltimore Ravens,Kansas City Chiefs,Shedeur Sanders Browns

So we 0 and four. We have this point we got nothing to lose. We dropped a quarter of our games and we’ve yet to do anything. So we have to lock in. I just want to win. When was the last time Tennessee won? I don’t know. I I’m trying to win. We everybody in this locker room, we want to win. And we have to win. That That’s really what it comes down to. No matter how we got to do it at some point, like we have to turn the tide and we have to start with the games. All right. That’s rookie quarterback Cam Ward to the Titans. They just lost 26- nothing to go to 0 and4. And we are all adults here, but it’s not all adults watching. So, we have to bleep that pretty heavily. He described his own team as something that rhymes with the word grass. Okay. You can take it from there. You don’t see quarterbacks talk like that. You don’t see rookie quarterbacks talk like that. Uh Isaiah, what do you think of Cam Ward talking like that? I like it. I like it a lot. And the reason why is because it’s accountability. It is accountability. You do not want to see sit up there and hear your QB. I don’t care how long he’s been at a league, rookie or a 20-year vet. You don’t want to see him sit up there and be politically correct. That is not what this is. You just said it. We’re all We’re grown men sitting up here at the table. You are talking to grown men. You’re representing grown men. These guys have kids. They have wives. They have families. You have to be able to call it what it is. And that’s going to gain the respect of his teammates. He can now walk in there, look at these guys in their eyes, and hold his head up high and say, “This is something that we have to do. Look ourselves in the mirror. Let’s address this and let’s fix this. It’s not college. I can’t transfer to two different colleges anymore. I have to sit in here in this program and we have to work our way out of this hole. But it starts with with the first with step first step is looking yourself in the mirror and taking accountability. And that’s what he just did for himself and his team. Well, I I’ll say this guys, I I hope that he has that same enthusiasm when he’s not behind a mic, you know, because it’s the words that you share to your teammates in the huddle or in the locker room that really matter. So, if he has the same type of volume and same type of passion that he’s sharing with his teammates, then I applaud uh Cam Ward for that. I will say um that the Titans defense has been giving you a chance. Like that’s one thing Jeffrey Simmons has been lights out. There was a play yesterday he made on CJ Stout where he sacked CJ Strad so fast like CJ Stout couldn’t even turn around and he was in the back field. Like this is a defense that continue has has continued to give the Tennessee Titans a chance to win games. They only gave up two field go field field goals. Their f their first um touchdown they gave up was in the beginning of the fourth quarter. That’s when Marc just went crazy. But this this Tennessee Titans defense has given you a chance. So I do like it if and only if Cam Ward is having those same type of conversations and giving options as to how they can be successful to his own teammates. The stuff behind be behind the the microphone that’s good and all, but it it doesn’t mean anything if if you’re not doing that with your teammates. It’s just to see. I hear what you’re saying, man. I hear what you’re saying completely. Um, I remember vividly being a little kid and watching Troy Aman in his rookie year go 0 and 11 as a starter and the Cowboys were 1 and5 and Aman looked back on that years later and reflected. He’s like, I just remember thinking, what does it take to win a game in this league? Am I ever going to win a game? And I understand that. And that’s relatable. I’m surfer Cam Ward. It’s tricky because um I like the fact that he’s just not BSing. He’s like, I’m not going to come up here and say we need to execute better or it’s we need to make better play. He’s just like, I am going to just be completely honest in myself. And I I think there’s a respect in that. I think there’s a respect from the media in the locker room. It’s a little tricky because especially the words that he chose. It’s such a memorable quote and it’s something that will get you really skewered and that can follow you and that can follow you and your team and your coach because the internet and the comedians there, the people who draw the conversation, they love slogans and they love catchphrases and the three words or I guess it’s two words are very catchy and if you go 0 and5 and 0 and six, those words will just follow you around until you do something about it. But I’ve always respected from Cam Ward there’s an irony in that really no one ever talked about him from the second that he was drafted to before he was drafted after he was drafted. And he’s one of the most candid rookie quarterbacks we’ve ever seen. This came up in training camp. This came up after the draft. He’s put himself in a position where he now has to play really well and the team has to play really well or you deserve a punchline. We know what’s going on guys. The head coach is I will I will just say besieged. He’s having his own awkward press conferences and the team looks really really bad. So, I like it. It’s a bold strategy to come out there and say that about yourself, but um it puts the it puts the target on him because if you continue to be what you say you are, all you’ll ever hear is just that, Isaiah. Yeah, Kyle, I I agree the fact that he has to take responsibility of himself and he has to ball out. But the reality is everything that he said is true and you knew that going into it. That’s the reason why you’re in Tennessee. That’s the reason why you were the number one overall pick because your team was trash. So, now that you recognize that you’re in it and you understand the trash and how bad it stinks, now you got to work your way out of it. I hear you. And he’s right. The uh the Titans, he said, “I don’t know when the last time the Titans won.” It was a handful of years ago in the Mike Vel era when they were really good and in the playoffs. Take that. I like ties and I don’t apologize for it. If you like ties, let your voice be heard. Tweet at GMFB. Mahomes is 5-1 against Lamar in his career. He’s down seven to three early. Lamar downfield and intercepted. Leo Chanel. You know that the Ravens are the only team in NFL history to score 100 plus points in the first three games and still have a losing record. It’s true. This is the Hunger Games game. Someone’s going one and three. It’s not going to be the Chiefs. Remember, we’ve been talking much about this guy, Xavier Worthy. Super super fast. We’re like Worthy and Rice need to get back. Well, Worthy was back and all of a sudden he had a massive game. PCO. Enzone PCO. Love that man. Missed that man. I feel like he was back. 20 to7. Lamar, what’s going on? Not again. You’re not going to let him go one and three like this, are you? Steps up. Loses the ball. Recovered by Drew Tranquil. Lamar, it’s going to hit his own center, Tyler Linderbomb. Lamar had zero turnovers the first three games. Two in the first half today. But it could be worse. Watch. There’s more for Lamar coming. Third quarter. Momes 20-10. Ravens offense just not there. And you know what? Ravens defense not there either. Taekquin Thornton, he’s there. He’s there every week. That is his third straight game with a touchdown. He’s found something with Mahomes. Next Ravens drive. Third and three from the Chiefs. 12. Knocking on the door. Down 17 points. Lamar’s going to be scrambled and sacked as he usually is this year. That’s George Carlos with the sack. But watch what happens after the Ravens settle for a field goal. That’s why you’re talking. Lamar gets up. This is when we use that word gingerly. He gets to the sideline. He tosses his helmet off. And guess what? He’s done for the day. No one understood what was going on in the middle of the breakfast. Why is Lamar out? He’s not in the tent. Hamstring injury. We’re going to talk to Ian about it shortly. Hollywood Brown 15yd touchdown. Lamar sitting there as Cooper Dam Rush is playing in the Ravens Chiefs game. Yes, the old Cowboys backup took over. Uh, it did not work. 37 to whatever. The Ravens gave up 37 points on defense. They lost their quarterback. 1 and3 maybe the most unexpected record of the entire NFL. That is the that is the final score. Ian, please get in here. I just said this was the Hunger Games game. The Ravens lost. Can you please tell me what’s going on? Cuz I know there was a lot of confusion on the broadcast and on Red Zone about why is Lamar out of the game and just sitting there on the bench. What do you know? goes out. You want the information instantly, right away to tell you what is happening with Lamar Jackson, which is why I’m here. Although, to be fair, it’s a day later. Anyway, Lamar Jackson was knocked out of that game with a hamstring injury. He’s going to have tests today just to determine the severity of this injury. But that is why Cooper Rush was in the game. That is why Lamar Jackson spent the balance of the game on the sideline. John Har saying this injury and all the other injuries, which there are more, I’ll get to that in a second. Uh none of them are season ending. Does not seem like any are significant, but certainly you have a player who has a hamstring injury, could potentially miss time. Rocoan Smith, their star linebacker, another player, knocked out with a hamstring injury. He also is going to have test today. As important as Lamar is to the offense, Rocoan is to the defense. Marlon Humphrey, their star corner, he was knocked out, eventually ruled out with a calf injury. That’s another one to watch. Another MRI coming. And then Ronnie Stanley, their star tackle. He left with an ankle injury. So like talk about Hunger Games. This there was there was a lot, Kyle. There was a lot. Yes, we need more Katnisses to survive the entire thing. That is a literary reference. Thank you, Ian. I know it’s not fun on these mornings. You’re a fun guy, but you have a job to do on Monday mornings. Meanwhile, the Chiefs did their job. They put up 37 points to get back to 500. Did exactly what they needed to do. Guys, the Baltimore Ravens in the year of our Lord 2025 are one and three. And it’s not even one and three, guys. It’s kind of a bad looking one and three. Manti Chiefs, Ravens, take it wherever you want. Yeah, it’s a badl looking one and three for for the Ravens. I think after I’m extremely concerned about the Ravens after week one, they they they give up a late fourth quarter lead and you have that question like, “Hey, I think we’re still okay. I think we’re good.” And then they play the Cleveland Browns and they blow out the Browns like, “Yeah, see, we’re good. We’re fine.” But then last week comes around and the Detroit Lions just bully him and they were like, “Wait, are we okay?” And then after this game, KB, I’m just like, “Yeah, we’re not good.” Because for the first time when I watched his Baltimore Ravens defense play, when I watched his team play, it looked like there there points of the game where that white flag came out and they were they’re they’re waving it. I’ve never seen a Baltimore Ravens team that played as if they were about to give up. And I saw that yesterday. So that’s what concerns me. There’s a lot of one in three teams that you look like, hey, they’re we’re they’re going to be fine. They’re they’re fighting. They’re doing all of those things. The Baltimore Ravens aren’t one of those teams that you put into that category of, man, are we are is this is this team okay? Now, obviously, they have a lot of injuries, but there’s a lot of teams that have a lot of injuries. It’s the fight or the lack of that really concerns me when I’m watching this Baltimore Ravens team. Isaiah, you know what? I’m not on that train all the way. And the reason why is because I don’t think it’s as bad as it feels right now. We are so accustomed to the Baltimore Ravens always being in the win column. We’re accustomed to Lamar Jackson being in the MVP conversation. We’re spoiled. Call it what it is. As fans, we are spoiled. But the reality is, whoever set up their schedule set up a juggernaut of one of the first four games. Okay, of those first four games, the Browns were the only team that you’re like, uh, okay, yeah, you should be able to win that ball game. The Beals they lost by one one possession