Takes We Want Back (feat. Mike Ryan Ruiz) + Panic in LA

0:00This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up require compatibility and availability varies 18 plus. There is so much NFL on ESPN right now. Monday night football, plus pregame and postgame. NFL live, NFL prime time. Everything you need to stay on top of every game, every week. Unbelievable. And now NFL Network is on the ESPN app. More football, more coverage, more ways to watch. Football's on. All season long on ESPN and streaming on the ESPN app. You're couch doesn't have 10 for $10 wings. Your David Busters does. Every Sunday, Monday and Thursday,

1:01plus 40-foot screens to catch all the action and more than 100 games for between the plays. Grab your crew and experience football at its best. Only at David Busters. Now this is football. Other restrictions may apply as a DavidBusters.com for full-terms of conditions. Oh, my fellow football American. I'm going to be a little bit more focused Oh, my fellow football American. So much to discuss in our NFL week one review. Mike Ryan, Brad Williams, 10-day Tony all on the way. What I'm talking about right now though, is presented by Yeager Meister. Serve it cold or don't serve it at all. Yeager Meister. Damn, that's cold. For more visit yeagermeister.com, drink responsibly. Now, every time I'm in Miami, I get pizza, advice versus in the Elser. My pal, Kristen told me recently, I had to try their clam pizza. So I did. I was skeptical. And man, it was delicious. Now, I don't know that I need clams on my pizza going forward because pizza's already so good. It does though prove I'm open to new ideas,

2:02which allows me to say this. I've sampled Wednesday football and games down under and you can put me down as a solid meh. Football is already the ultimate reality TV show because it's a live reality TV show so it can't be manipulated. Well, let's big 10 referees are involved. Here's the thing about that Rams Niners game that already feels like it was played six weeks ago. It counts in the standings. Legitimately, Rod, you're starting to remind me of Icarus. Games half across the planet, Wednesday nights on Christmas, on Thanksgiving Eve. It feels like you're now trying to replace everything including the sun in the sky with an oblong ball. Spiritsally, of course, I like where your heads at. Only thing I might like better than footballs, my old pal TV. But for us to all really work, we have to come together as three. It's sort of similar to what Shayline and Aaron and that other guy who is an Aaron, do or don't do. What I'm saying is you're gilding the lily. Actually, you're doing worse, Roger.

3:03You're messing with something that's already great. It's the football equivalent of like, I don't know, like, let's say a reflecting pool. People already like in turning it the color of Cleveland. Now listen, I know money's what matters most to you. Matters most to you, right? You're picking up what I'm laying down, but we may have reached our saturation level, at least in terms of the quality of the games. And in a related matter, our diminishing interest in said games. Big picture of the NFL doesn't need to try to be popular like this. We've already got the WNBA. I don't know about you, but the last couple of weeks I've gotten a lot of football season kind of snuck up on me this year. On one hand, I agree it did. On the other hand, it's football season. Hard to argue though, the actual games we've gotten in the calendar year 2026 are caused for something other than enthusiasm. Consider the Super Bowl sucked as did the uninspired rematch to start this season as did that game down under. Compare that with the return of our comfy familiar space, a Saturday and Sunday football games.

4:03At least some of those were actually good, all on their own. The proofs in the pudding Roger don't you see? So please, just stop putting claims in our pudding. Let's start the show. Oh, yes, hi. Hello, my fellow football Americans. Welcome to football America presented as ever by our pals over at Draft King Sports. Now in all 50 states and we are live. So go tell your mom or whoever else you want to subscribe, comment, feel week ones almost in the books. As you can see, if you're watching, I gave myself a haircut, Mike Ryan, my caballot Tony collado, is in with us both are with us. I think Brad Williams is going to join a somewhere from the road between Hershey, PA and New York City to talk about Monday night football.

5:04Let's jump right in, shall we, fellas? Mike worst loss of the weekend. You can go with Chargers Cowboys Rams. You can dip into Saturday and go Oregon ducks. How are you? Welcome to the show. Thanks for making time and welcome to football season. It's the Oregon ducks, Dave Damacek. The Oregon ducks was the team that I think was most picked across all of the experts to win the CFP this year. And they lost to a team. They beat by over 60 points last year, a team that got thoroughly handled by Tulsa last week. And it appears that Dan Laning is a more real crystal ball merchant. That is the worst loss. Caballot Tony, how say you? I'm probably going to have to go with the Los Angeles Chargers and my MVP pick of Justin Herbert who look completely not MVP level. But Dave, I'm trying to think the defense against the Cardinals not great Jesse Mintor, Jesse Mintor, sir. We need some more of that juice wherever you've got it

6:06because the Chargers desperately need it. Well, Tony, I'm going to allow much like you do on the first tee of your golf round. I'm going to allow for Mulligan's in just a second in the meantime. It's episode 82. Hello to Buddy. Hello to Geno. Let's dip into it. Who in NFL history were the number 82 best? You know what's funny, Dave, is when I think number 82, the guy that comes to mind is Tori Smith for some whatever reason. That's the first name that comes to mind when I think number 82. But then probably Jason Witten might be the next guy when you actually talk about the best players to wear the number. All time he catches. Yeah. He deserves to be up there. How about Hall of Fame or John Stolworth? By the way, 82 also reminds me of 1982. That's the year of the Super Bowl tournament. They only played nine regular season games because of a strike. So they expanded the playoffs to 16 teams. Some weirdo results specifically the AFC title game, Dictaten, the Jets pay a visit to the Orange Bowl. They lose 14 to nothing.

7:06AJ Dewey has three career regular season interceptions. Has three interceptions in that game, including a pick six. And I think that's all the dolphins we need to talk today. Let's jump into it and Mike back to you now. Let's do, as I mentioned, Mulligan. You can take back anything you want. I don't know. A fantasy draft pick, a pick you made in week one, a projection you had for the whole season, good or bad. I defer to you now. I want to take back thinking that the Baltimore Ravens were going to be bad. However, things happen in that performance that repeats the same formula from previous years. They already lost their entire wide receiving core in one game. And those guys absolutely brought it in the first week. But, well, Morse looked really good. Derek Henry hasn't lost a step yet. So maybe I was wrong about suspecting the Baltimore Ravens are at the end of their rope. They look like they got a little run here. I think we can just stop expecting, sorry, Derek Henry,

8:07to get to drop off. It's never going to happen. This guy is unbelievable. Every year he looks just as quick as he did the year before. He's 32 now. And he's still just running through secondaries every week on our television. So it's unbelievable this guy. Well, he is going to drop off at some point. I can almost guarantee it. But Tony, I think that brings up a great question. He is real deep as a big back. Those guys almost always wear out the only historical comp is Jerome Betis. So Tony, I'll say you get to pick one guy, Derek Henry, definitely on his way to the Hall of Fame. Jerome Betis or Derek Henry. Derek Henry. I think that's the correct answer. Is Derek Henry now solidly a top 10 Super Bowl error running back in your opinion? Top 10. Yeah, I think he's close to the top five. I think he's close to the top five. No, I'm agreeing with Tony there. But the longevity that he's been able to sustain. Unbelievable. Without really an injury. And David, I did this math coming on football America because I want to bring you guys stuff that you're not getting anywhere else.

9:08So I did the math between high school, between college, and between professional carries. Derek Henry is almost at 5,000 career carries between all of those years. The tax that he puts on his body that he continues to go out and run over secondaries at basically all times a year. Doesn't matter if it's in the summer, if it's in the winter, he's better in the winter. Just running people over at that size and speed. It's like, yeah, I think he's probably top five of Super Bowl error running backs. Yeah, and when you also consider the error in which he thrived and which that position was, it's a deluded. Yeah. So for me, Derek Henry is better than Emmett Smith. Oh my god. I was holding a fight. I don't hate that take. He is. I don't hate that take. Buddy Badaski is too close to it. He's a gator. Derek Henry is better at it. Listen, I hear what you're saying. I understand the logic. It's just nobody's ever thrown that take out before. So it caught me off edge. But you're probably not far off from being correct. He's a little bit fumbly for my taste over the course of his career. And he's not much of a pass catcher.

10:11So if you talk about error specific stuff that he's deficient in that area when most of his peers can catch a ball and are relevant in the pass game. But I do think, like I say, maybe five is too rich for me, but I do think he's right there around 8, 9, 10 among all the great Superbuyer running backs. Tony, do you have an answer for the Mulligan that you would like to take here? Yeah, I want to take, and I'm going to keep the charges one off because I think we're still, there's a lot of runaway for Justin Herbert to win MVP. I think for me, the Mulligan I want to take back is the Los Angeles Rams, thinking that they were going to be one of the best teams in football. And I still think they can be the issue is Miles Garrett now on the IR with a knee injury. Him getting scoped is kind of a big deal. Aaron Donald's still not really there. The secondary look shaky to a bunch of guys that Sean Stribling got hurt. They had Mike Evans running around. DeMarcus Robinson got loose for a long touchdown. The ghost of Debo Sam, you're still running around. And you're telling me that secondary couldn't do anything

11:11to stop Brock Purdy down under. That gave me pause. Also, Dave, I want to get your thoughts on this. I feel to me, like the offense is a bit too siloed to Pukin'Ikuwa. They need to be able to spread the ball out. I mean, as I keep saying, he is the Django piece. I know JSN and Seattle is a massive factor in that offense, too. But the Seahawks present as defense first in my book. Yes, everything runs through Pukin' who's had a trouble to eight months. They're entirely dependent on him. If you remove him, the Django piece, the whole thing is potentially going to implode. Yeah, I think that I don't know how durable a loss that is in the sense that I don't know that it carries over as far as even next week, which losses are disconcerting about what it says about the next three months for a team. That's kind of why I maybe lean where Mike Ryan's going there with the ducks. Maybe I went into the weekend thinking, boy, the SEC is in some peril here.

12:13Now Ohio State and Oregon are both down. So I'm not sure what exactly that says about the big 10. But my Mulligan number one above all else is, I am cursing myself. Why did you fall into the charge or strap again? Let's wait and see on that. I wish I had taken the Jags more seriously. And not because the Texans lost to the bills. But man, I think we don't care about the Jags, because as I say, I don't get the sense that anybody in Florida cares about the Jags. So if they don't care, why do I need to pay attention to them? Right. But is that fair that the Jags have a chance to be mighty this year? Yeah, that offense. I mean, I know is the Browns and everything. But that offense looked phenomenal. Trevor, the throw to Josh Coleman, I think his name was. I'm blanking here in the back of the end zone. Like the tape of that from the All 22 is ridiculous. I don't know how he fitted into windows. He was great at the end of last year. And it looks like it's going to carry over into this year. If he plays at the level, we kind of all expected when he was the number one overall pick.

13:14Like they are going to be a dangerous team in the AFC South for sure. I have one breakfast ball. I apologize to Travis Etienne for saying his name and correctly this whole time. Yeah. HN, that's what it is now. We've been saying it wrong all this time. I don't know why he doesn't step up though and clarify that. Now I feel like he did that's what happened. He in the offseason, we had all been calling him Etienne. And then he was like, yeah, I just kind of let it fly. But my name is actually HN when he went over to the Saints. So that was new. No, it's not. No, it's not. Mike, before we lose you, because you have real life stuff to tend to, I want to get in a quick driptrial first of the season here, where we tend to the matters of fashion and aesthetics here. Best uniform matchup you saw this first weekend of the NFL. I know it was delayed by bad weather, but the weather and still water was spectacular. And it really allowed the contrast of the Oklahoma State cowboys to pop with the green bottoms and green shells of the Oregon ducks. I thought that game looked like a million bucks. Very nice. I go with the pack and the vikes look grand obviously

14:15to traditional teams, but they had the good sense to where their traditional get ups against one another. I'm not usually a fan of the Packers on the road, but it looks real nice against the ancient rival Vikings. And then for a new fangled look, how about the jets and titans? The green pants, as you say, they look very much like the Oregon ducks did and still water in Nashville and the Titans. They looked at rocious in terms of football. They look divine to my eye. I what what what a what a new age matchup that was Mike, what's the worst uniform matchup of the weekend? Bears Panthers. The contrast was awful. You had the Navy pants against the the the black pants and the black shells, which usually you need some contrast there. You can always count on the silver helmets for the Carolina Panthers, but they went black helmets. Now independent, I like both of these looks. I think that's a pretty solid look for in terms of variants for Carolina. I dig it, but they historically always wear white at home

15:15to start the season. Luki, he went into all fame with the white jersey because well, with the black jersey because that signifies playoff colors where they always wear white at home to start. It was I was like, this seems like the team from playmakers. Who is this? And you have it contrasted against Navy. It just was hard on the eyes for such a wonderful game with all those points being scored. It looked terrible. It felt like, yeah, it feels like you're saying something to the world when in week one, you wear an alternate uniform. It seems like you have self-esteem issue. You know, like what you don't like, you don't like what you're with every day, you have to step out. Again, I hate to use the comparison, but it really does feel a little bit like Shay Lee, but she's not getting everything she needs out of the primary. So she has to go to an alternative. Worst uniforms for me, cards at chargers. And I think you'll pick up what I'm laying down here, Mike. The cards all whites are heavenly. I really think those are underrated. I think they make the very short list of most underrated

16:18get-ups in pro football. And obviously those chargers ones, those might be the best in their closet there, the powder blue with the white hat and the white pants. But together, it's too much white. You know what I mean? You're more than white hats. What are you going to do about that? But if you're going to wear the powder blue and you don't come into there, well, we wear all white when we're on the road say the cardinal. So then the charge was have to meet them halfway and wear their gold pants. Because otherwise, it's too much white. Same thing. Comies, Eagles, classic ish uniforms, I guess. But the comies, you have gold pants and you have maroon pants. Oh, but I love their Eagles. They're wearing their white pants. This almost was a good matchup, but it let me down. And so it makes my list for worst matchup. How's it you, Mike? Yeah, that's a look. I think that that's nowhere near as bad about the potential that they had in SoFi was so great with the gold pants. Hell, even the powder blue pants, but there was way too much white, especially when he get the hard hats in there. It was way too much white. And I was like, well, I should be liking this more,

17:18especially it's so fun. Something was off about it. Something was off. It's like the TV color, right? And so I'm with you there. Yeah, while there's weird, the one that filters the light and makes the colors look different more than any other is the big, the, the, the, the java mover thing, you know, at the start of Star Wars. That's what the liking stadium looks exactly. It does kind of look like that. Now that you point that out, Dave, that's a good reference. Yeah, that's a good reference. Honorable mention to, to Jags Browns, the Quincy Morgan Memorial. That game looked great. In the sun, those two uniforms look great, juxtaposed in one another. Yes. Final thoughts before you go, Mike. I'm worried about cam ward. My hot take is that cam ward will not be a Tennessee Titan next year. Not because we can write off cam ward. I think Caleb Williams has shown us that we can't write him off. I think we all believe that he has a talent. That's a tough situation, but he's got to do better. And I think that the, the temptation, because they're going to be picking a top to draft it, or it's meaning in a state of Tennessee is going to be too good to pass up. And I think that cam ward's going to be traded somewhere.

18:20I think it's a Tennessee Josh Rosen situation here. Oh, only hopefully he can turn around. And I have full faith that he can where I didn't with Josh Rosen. Yeah. I think cam ward has a talent, but he very clearly needs a deep program himself from the habits that he formulated at Miami. He's trying to do too much out there too. But I hated the tape pick. I hated the head coaching hire. I hated the Tony Pollard contract that they signed years ago. Every move that this franchise has made around cam ward has been bad. And now it's led a lot of believe that the decision to draft cam ward was bad. Jackson, Darden, and help it matters. Yeah. Sure. It is. I mean, I have faith. Although cam, I may be wrong about what I think cam ward is as a pro QB. And if that assumption is wrong, then maybe just straight up bus. But man, it really does remind you of how much situation matters. I say, I'll say it for the million, million in first time. Do you think that Brock Purti does what Brock Purti doesn't San Francisco? If you put him on pretty much any other team, I guess with the Rams, I could buy Brock

19:20Purti being dynamite. But otherwise. And then you know, you watch Malik Willis running around there. That was fun to look at. I think cam ward's kind of lost its C on that level at this point. He's in a bad system and I don't think I don't know the way to think about it. Mike is, is it cam ward's fault? Is he a bust or is there another quarterback in the last couple of years that were you to replace ward with him? Let's say Jackson Dart or Tyler Schuck. Do you think the vibes would be better in Tennessee right now? I don't think there's a worse place for cam ward to be on the planet than the Tennessee Titans right now. It is they can run the ball. They can't protect him. The receivers are mid as hell. They're coaching staff you have questions about because they're repeated failures. It's a bad, bad situation. I'm a homer. So I know that that's going to be out there. And I don't want to fully drop the hammer on cam ward. There's plenty of people doing that. I think cam ward can be good. I just don't think it can be good there. It's a take to be a mentor with big brothers, big sisters.

20:20It takes 30 minutes in a cup of coffee. A video game. Best 2 out of 3. It takes sharing thumbs up emojis, clapping emojis, and loaded nachos at halftime. That's how you make an impact on a young kid's life. So go on. Share a few hours a month because mentorship may sound huge. But the truth is, it takes little to be big. To learn more, volunteer or donate, go to bebignow.org. Oh, I was excited for football. But now I'm really, really excited because Yeager Meister is on board. Yeager Meister knows being a football fan comes with some unwritten rules. Never admit your lactose intolerant and green Bay. Never mentioned 28th of 3 in Atlanta. Never leave a folding table unattended in Buffalo. And the most important rule of all, always serve Yeager Meister. Nice cold on game day. Zero degrees Fahrenheit. Drinkin cold or don't drink it at all. Yeager Meister. Damn, that's cold. Drink responsibly.

21:21Yeager Meister liquor 35% alcohol by volume imported by Mast. Yeager Meister US white planes New York. All right. Let's let's avail ourselves of Titan stock here. Except I just want to say one more time. Three words for those uniforms. U, la, oh and la. Yeah, so those those look terrific. But let's talk about relevant teams, even if they disappointed us on Sunday. Thanks for showing up Mike. Buddy, we didn't get your worst loss yet of the weekend. All right, my worst loss, Dave. We already mentioned the chargers. Do we mention the Packers? Because how was that game? Sorry, I'm moving around here getting adjusted in everything. How, first of all, the Packers are incredible at dominating a football game. And then you look up in the fourth quarter and they're only up a score and the other team is driving. That happened to me yesterday where I look up, I'm like, man, Jordan Love has been fantastic. The Vikings are out there with Carson Wens.

22:22They haven't played very well. The Packers have played very well. And all of a sudden it's a five point game and the Vikings have the ball. And here they come. And then all of a sudden next I look up and they're down 17. And I'm like, what the hell happened there? That loss was crazy. But also I thought the Texans. Well, wait, before you move on, yeah, yeah, sorry. That's a juicy one. But he's leaving a juicy one there. We got a lot to talk about. A lot to say about leaving. Leaving a little meat on the bone there. But let's talk about the Texans in a second. But yeah, that Packers game, just the way that game played out. It's a traditional loss. He played out is the same as it played out. If you blur your eyes with like the shame is the same thing as if you're the Patriots. You lost to the backup man in a pinch fine. But Carson Wens did that to you. Yikes, right? I mean, those are those are some some gut punch losses there that everything, including me, everybody was excited about the Minnesota Vikings in large part because of the infusion of of Kyler Murray into that offense. And then he goes out in the first like 20 seconds of the game and the Vikings end up

23:24still whipping the Packers. How say you Tony? Dave, there's a lot of things from that game that I just kind of look back and I'm like, that's why I picked the Packers to miss the playoffs earlier on in football America. Like there's no there's nothing that the Packers do that is a tier right. Everything is B tier and I saw B tier coaching from the floor, taking points off the board to try to go try to go forward on four down. I saw C tier discipline D tier discipline on three straight, third downs where there was a penalty on the play that extended the drive for the for the for the Vikings. How many tiers are there? You're down the D already. I know what it's up F tier. It's it's a to F tier. I saw D tier discipline. I just Christian Watson's a revelation for them like that's a huge development for them is that they finally have a guy that can be that's not a 79 overall receiver like a go to guy, you know, but but he had cotton candy stats. What do you do? Six for 148 and two scores or whatever and what happened? They got beat by yep 17 points.

24:26Yep. Against Carson. Against Carson. Dave, I was talking to to buddy earlier like when when Kyler got hurt. I was like, okay, let's see how this goes. We know Jay Jim McCarthy is banished to the don't matter horn. Right. Can I say that? Is that accurate? Yeah, absolutely. Okay. I wanted to give credit to where credit was due. Don't matter horn. Jay Jim McCarthy. He needs to be right there next to whoever else is on there. So I'm like, all right, when's is going to come in Ky we're not seeing Kyler for this tonight. Let's see how when's plays because he's been very skittish, especially behind some offensive lines that have been leaky. And I was telling buddy like when he made that first passage, Justin Jefferson, that was like an 18 yard out route. I was like, okay, he's got his feet about him like, let's see because his biggest issue being such a big quarterback at six five is he stands and I don't know if I can stand, but I'm going to stand here and show you guys. He stands with a very wide base, right? Like there was a play with a buzz and even with your tear, your terrible throwing motion, maybe you can approximate his way. Exactly right. So he's in a muddy pocket, right? And again, you want to stand at six five here.

25:27You want to be here, balls of your feet getting ready to throw. He's, he's here. You can't see my feet, but their wideest can be and he sits there with this wide base. And when he throws, he's going to be short because he doesn't have any torque to get his hips around. So when I saw the play to Jordan, Madison, we had a comeback open for about 10 yards and he maybe could have made a wiggle, a wiggle move and gotten it first down or even a touchdown. And he missed them short and late. I was like, oh boy, but things got back on the rails and I don't know how. I would probably add Kevin O'Connor to that Brock Pertie conversation too, by the way. That's a place that Brock Pertie would land and he would be a superstar also. Interesting. That's right. I agree with you about KOC. As I say, everybody has their miss. You know, Shani has Tray Lance KOC has JJ McCarthy, but his body of work tells you that he gets the best out of almost every quarterback. He works with some other bad loss candidates. I mean, let's talk about America's alleged team. Oh, that was rough. That was rough.

26:27I mean, it comes down to, is this about right that George Pickens drop up the right sideline, costs them the win? I feel like they win the game. If he houses that, he catches that, takes it to the house just before the half, the vibes in the locker room make it so that the Cowboys survive maybe, maybe Dave, but I want to say something about the Giants. I want to give them a lot of credit. There was a lot of talk. Wait, I think the other side, I think Dave, I think Dave, I think Dave, I think Dave, I think Dac throws the game away. I think that in her steps, you know, yes, you put it on the Cowboys defense. And I think the Cowboys defense, despite the evidence that we've been given now over these 60 minutes. Now I'm skeptical of my, my faith in it, but I do think it will round in the shape, but knowing that we don't necessarily trust that unit, that cannot throw that ball. I think it just got loose with it and was trying to get it out of bounds and failed to do it. But no matter what, the, the excuse is it added up to them losing the game that should have

27:31gone to the half with them tied up there. And it completely altered the way the Giants approached the second half. They had the ability to bang away with Skataboo. And so they did. Yeah, Dave, I do just think like I want to give some credit to the Giants here, which is you say, okay, they scored that touchdown before the half and the game is completely different. There was a lot of talk about the vibes in New York and how John Harboh is going to change the culture there, change the vibes, change the energy. You could feel that that energy was different in that stadium amongst Giants fans. And then on the field yesterday, like I thought the Giants were awesome. Jackson Dart was great. The defense did enough. But you want to talk about the Cowboys, so I'm not necessarily sure that like one touchdown goes the Cowboys way is what I was trying to say. And that game could change it completely because I think the Giants showed a lot of resolve in that game in the way they handled it, the way they managed it and the way they wanted it in the second half with two really long drives. Well, you want to talk about the couple of season. I mean, I'm sorry, as a Steelers fan, but what I advocated for last spring was that they take Jackson Dart.

28:31And I knew that they were out on Tyler Schuck in their process. So I knew that wasn't a possibility. But you know, again, when you don't have the QB, they should have been taking those swings and people were a little down on both Dart and Schuck. Now they're both looking pretty good there. I lament that the Steelers needed a Mulligan to go back a year and a half ago. Things would be very different. I wonder if Mike Tomlin is the head coach of the Steelers if they take, if they had taken Jackson Dart last spring. Either way, go ahead. Yeah, I was just going to say on the Cowboys defense, like in terms of rounding into form later in the year. Maybe, but also here's this stat, which is that the Cowboys had the worst defensive performance by any team in week one based on EPA per drive. It was also worse than all but one of their defensive games last year. And since the start of last season, it was 571 out of 574. So their defense as bad as it was last year, which was historically bad, their first performance

29:33that they put trying to with a new defensive coordinator Caleb Downs added to the mix and some other pieces as well was even worse than anything they put on the field last year. And that's a huge concern. And that's buddy and Dave, this is what I want to, you guys bring me on here to give spicy takes to bring out what think what people aren't really thinking. I, as much praise for big blue, they did a great job in taking care of a great offense defensively and then exposing a bad defense offensively, right? I think that the New York football giants are full school. I can't agree with that. I'm not a huge believer in Matt Nagy. That's my biggest thing. I'm looking at Matt Nagy and you're looking at Greg Roman who have run predictable offenses for too long in this league, right? Matt Nagy got blown out in Chicago for doing a completely just a hack job with that offense. Ben Johnson comes in and has them scoring 60 points, right? A couple years later, when I look at this offense, there are too many things that can fail, right? I look at Jackson Dart, electric as he may be has a lot of the time the lights are out.

30:35Yep, right? I look across Malik neighbors coming off of multi-ligamentaire and surgery. Do I love that? Electric player, yes, but I have questions. Cam's got to do the same thing. Oh, man, by the way, is there anybody I always talk about like when a guy changes teams, it often happens when they go from college to the pros, they just cut a very different figure like that's that guy. Yeah. From Colorado last year, that's the same guy doesn't look at all alike to what he did six months later. Isaiah likely. You could show me that guy be like, this is a person who you've watched play pro football for the last many years. That's a good point. This is a good one. I have no idea who that person is. I would never know who number nine is. Is he twice as big now? Yes. The deception of the single digit on a big guy really warps your brain, but I think it's more than that. I think he added like 70 pounds or something. He's huge. Either way, if you get Malik Willis and Isaiah likely and then Mooney serves as your three,

31:36that's pretty good in terms of your passing game. I'm with you on the coaching staff, but the early returns are pretty good. I guess Tony what I'm getting at is as best you can. And by the way, there is often a mirage effect to the week one results. As a reminder, if you don't believe me, the Raiders beat the Patriots in Foxboro in week one a year ago. So it's not as though you should make a hard pivot to everything you thought was going to happen before week one, just because of these results. So which are the things that you saw that are sustainable, good or bad? Like for instance, the Sean Watson and the Browns, imagine, yeah, you ate all off season, you ate all and this is what you get. What a bummer. Same goes by the way, quick shout out to the aforementioned Caroline of Panthers. You know, they're the division, division champ. And I know we make fun of the NFC South, which by the way is collectively now, oh and four.

32:36The Panthers are coming out home opener. Oh, they almost beat the Rams in the playoffs. And Bryce Young has turned a corner. And boy, those pass catchers that they have are for real. And they have some nice defensive pieces. If you pay attention to it, they gave up 59 points. Yeah, but they scored 37, but they scored 37. They have like Bryce Young look to Bryce Young look. Guys, pretty good. We have a visitor from a red robin somewhere in America, a red robin. Red Williams. Wow. I'd be drinking an orange crush though. I hope. Oh, this is very exciting. See, this is the sort of stuff you get with a live show. He is the man you know, obviously if you listen to the Levitard show, you know, this fella. He's one of our favorites to yap with about the Broncos and really about more importantly, the game of life, heightened Babel is his podcast. He's our pal Brad Williams coming to us somewhere between Hershey P.A. New York City. How are you, fella? Happy football season. Happy football season to you, Dave Damacechek. It is great to be here live with my bottomless steak fries here at a red robin.

33:40They are not paying me to say that coming to you from Pennsylvania. I don't know what town we're in, but we're between Hershey and New York, but I will take time out of my day, A, for a red robin seasoning on that bottomless steak fries, but also to talk Broncos with you, my friend. You're a mens through and through first question steak fry. Where does it rank on types of French fry? Oh, definitely in my top five. I don't know if it's. I take real. I take real. I take all potato preparation. You're talking about we're not just talking fries. You're talking any type of potato prep and you're going steak fry top five. I thought you were just doing. Yeah, I thought we were doing fries. I thought I thought you were just doing fries. Are there more than five kinds of French fries? They're Dave. Dave, hold on. Come on. That's why it would be in my top five. Let's talk through this. No, you've got skinny. You've got crinkle cut. You've got waffle. You've got smiley. You've got potato wedges, curly fries.

34:42Thank you, Danny B. You've got steak fries. There's a million. You can't even talk to the other. Tater totses in the fries. Tater tots, I'm in there. Yep. There's plenty of ways to prepare fries. Dad, you're a man who is out and about quite a bit around football America. How do you explain that the curly fry and only the curly fry gets that spice and you can never get that curly fry without the spice? Great point. Great point. Great chance. I think that's a fantastic observation and I don't understand it. You think you'd put a curly fry to the curly fry spice, maybe to fry the edges of a case of the that might be fun. There's so many more things that you could do with that, but no, just the curly fry. Personally, for me, if you're going top five fries, waffle fries, absolutely number one, with the bullet, love waffle fries. Good shot. Specifically, the Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Go to Shoutout to them. Shoutout PDQ as well. PDQ, we had today. Great waffle fries. Thousand percent. Fantastic.

35:43And then shoutout to Red Robin for the whiskey, river, barbecue chicken, wrapped that I'm about to enjoy once this conversation is over. All right. I don't want to hold you up any longer. I'm picking up what you're laying down there. Two things quickly. First of all, did you get a chance to take a look at the team that a lot of people were picking to win the AFC West this year, the LH Chargers yesterday against the AZ Cardinals? I did. And let me recount my reaction to watching that game last, watching that game yesterday was a. Wow, that was so much fun. I loved the camera shot. Justin Herbert throws a touchdown pass. They cut to Madison Beer. She's jumping. Everything's. Everything's moving in the right places. That's all I've got. Justin Herbert's got good fans, Brad. Good fans. He's got great fans. Great fans. Great fans. And I get it Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey are already married.

36:45So there's nothing else to build up. So now Justin Herbert and Madison Beer become the sort of it couple of the NFL. And I would I would be okay if we kept a camera on her just for those reactions, both both good and bad. Preferably more bad than good this year. I was laughing so hard. Mike McDaniel was walking around the sidelines, which is designer sunglasses, which look like he's related to a chic of some kind. And it was absolutely fantastic that the Cardinals were everyone's talking about how they're not even trying this year. How they got that how they got McBride, they got their rookie running back. And that's about all the bright spots they have roasted them. Roasted wasn't even the charges really at some point. It felt like are they even in this game? I mean, this is that this is this is a lame week one effort at home. I mean, really bad. Worst I think really as bad an effort in front of the home crowd as we saw in week one.

37:46That was a percent. I mean, I'm trying to think of another home loss that would have been that bad. But the fact that they came out, all the announcers were touting the new offensive line. Oh, this is the line. This is the offensive line that keeps that pretty little punum of Justin Herbert from being driven into the turf. And that was not the case. The defense was bad. The offense looks stale. Justin's out there like he does do every year where you can always identify that he himself is great. But everything around him was just kind of falling apart. And it just makes me laugh. It just makes me happy. Chargers still get a charger. It's one. I think I think he deserves more of the blame. People let him off the hook very easy. But that's a pretty lame week one effort. That he took on fourth and goal Dave was bad. Like that's just a bad sack. You cannot take that spot. Take that and that's fun. He's on the QB two first name all star list. But otherwise, he's a disappointment. Justin Herbert in complete.

38:47We're all right. Let's talk about your Broncos now. Exactly why I'm not trying to bug you. But I'm going to say why Denver fans and their players were raw about having to open on the road. OK, you won the division. Good for you. What is that get you? That's not me. I think football season is football season. You're going to play a bunch of home games. You're going to play a bunch of road games. And you've got Monday night. You've got Monday night football on the road. KC really a sort of a statement game. The Broncos first part of the schedule. Really tough. If they come out of there three and three, I'd be thrilled. But then after that, the schedule gets a lot easier. There's a lot of dolphins. There's a lot of jets. There's a lot of other teams where obviously the Raiders twice. So the second half of the schedule looks really great. So I'm not going to be sky falling if the Broncos lose today. But it would obviously be amazing to get a win to start up the season.

39:50Patrick Mahomes coming up the ACL surgery. How does he look? Travis Kelsey coming off of, well, the summer of a lifetime for him. Is he back in football mode? Can he do it? How did they incorporate the Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker into the offense? And then how did the Broncos look at JK Dobbins? He's back. But we drafted a running back who looks to take the mantle. Jaylin Wattel, how you got the speedster in the offense. I really suspect for that. That's the big one, Brad. I think people let somehow when he got signed, it slipped through a slip under the radar, whatever. I think he is the maybe. Here's a bold statement. The X factor, the AFC. If he's as good as I think he has a chance to be in that offense, I think the Broncos have a great shot of getting to the Super Bowl. I love that because Cortland Sutton, he was the number one receiver last year. And he's a good number one, but getting a little up in age, he has really had the number one that we all wanted him to be. But now he's got Jaylin Wattel on the other side.

40:52So it's not like the entire offense has to float through the bottle. You also will have Sutton getting a lot more one-on-one looks with the attention being on Wattel. How does the defense look after the offseason lost in pieces, gained some pieces, but fans Joseph is back. And if the defense is a quarter of what it was last year, we are going to be sitting pretty. So I'm excited for the season. I'm like many football fans. We're week one. You are brimming with hope. And that is what I am for my Denver Broncos. Also hopeful that in week three, we now no longer have to face Miles Garrett. All right. Well, yeah, you're all set with that one. Yeah, that changes everything. Yeah, changes everything. Um, last thing before you eat your chicken wrap in bottomless steak fries, I think people have, if I remember correctly, Levitard asked you this before, but the Broncos might have the best offensive line. Yeah. If you're out there for one series, you're spelling J.K. Dobbins. How many yards could you make?

41:54We're going to hand the ball off to you three straight here. See how many you can get if they do the Mike Leach strategy. I have a chance. Now for those of you unfamiliar, the Mike Leach, the RIP Mike Leach, but the fame, college football coach, he had a strategy of actually implementing a little person as a running back and then having someone on the offensive line, being no other way to say this, the tosser. Okay. So little person runs, we do a little alley you. And then I think if we're doing that strategy, I'm getting like, it's the sky is the limit. How far, how far can the guy throw me that it? I mean, and unless, unless the deep, unless the defense also hires a little person and then they try to toss as an interceptor missile. That's like hitting, that's like hitting a bullet with a bullet. I think that's too hard to do.

42:55And so if you implement the Mike Leach strategy, I think I'm getting a first out. It's like when people wondered if the, if the Eagles could do the push push the entire length of the field for a drive. Like could we just go, just do it every play? Yes. Just go down the field. I mean, I would have my reference is that we do the toss over the line and then you have a wide receiver or a tight end, run the in route so they can actually catch me. So I don't actually hit the turf. Let's find out when the Broncos by week is and see if we can set this thing up in that and see if the proof is in the pudding here in the meantime, not putting on him, let's stake fries and all the rest of it. Brad Williams, you're the topspile for making the time for us. Side of the road, somewhere on your way. But listen, you're on a road trip. Your Broncos are on a road trip. I think it also comes together for us. I wish it to Denver and and may we see our two teams play each other in the playoffs this season. I would love that and but it's not going to happen not because my team's not going to

43:56do it. But if you look up at the great team that's on the banks of the three rivers, I don't believe that they are making the playoffs this year. Ravens looked awesome last night. You know, cut him off. I said goodbye to him already. You heard me. Oh, I was excited for football. But now I'm really, really excited because Yeager Meister is on board. Yeager Meister knows being a football fan comes with some unwritten rules. Never admit your lactose intolerant and green Bay. Never mentioned 28 to three in Atlanta. Never leave a folding table unattended in Buffalo. And the most important rule of all always serve Yeager Meister ice cold on game day zero degrees Fahrenheit, drinking cold or don't drink it at all. Yeager Meister damn that's cold. Drink responsibly. Yeager Meister liquor 35% alcohol by volume imported by a mass. Yeager Meister US white planes New York. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome that's new.

44:58It can help you with practically anything on the web like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online. Make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up require compatibility and availability. Very 18 plus. Dave, can I get this Texans take off? I would like you to, but you know what? Thanks to Brad, but buddy before you go, I want to get this in to by the way, I mentioned Dan before and a lot of attention being paid by Dan and beyond to running back Hollywood smothers a great name and not just because he scored a couple of big touchdowns against Ohio State, but his name is Hollywood smothers. Sweet Jesus, that's from heaven. But on the other side of things on Ohio State, are you aware of this guy? I mean, he's been on the team for a little while now. There's a guy on Ohio State name Lamar Jackson. I mean, you know, that's his name.

45:58So be it, but that's a pretty good comp to have as a football player. But his nickname is bow. I call it. I say you should see I thought his name was just bow Jackson. I didn't realize his first name is also Lamar. So he's name is Lamar. I talked about guilty Millily at the top of the show. This is what I'm talking about. You're already Lamar Jackson. Now you're bow Jackson to fan double fat. That's what brings me to this roast and toast. This is brought to you by LeBat brewed from the best rivalries and the sacred art of trash talk LeBat brewed for the roast. First of all, this is a special one for me. I really do love LeBat blue. First of all, I'm going to roast my all hockey love and pals and me Brett Ben Josh Irving Rich when we were growing up NHL games were exotic. They were pumped in from the great white north. And so the commercials were Canadian beer commercials for LeBat.

46:58And we saw so many LeBat blue ads. And we came to associate it with hockey greatness that we saw if and when the Pittsburgh penguins ever went to Stanley Cup, the first beer we drink is a LeBat blue and to prove that that is I still have the beer bottle. So here it is right there. That's the beer bottle I had when the old label in a green bottle Dave. Wow. Check that out. Oh, I drank it down. Similar, similar to a better beer than that one. A while we're on the subject of toasting gold Pittsburghers a shout out to another Pittsburgher and a former bartender much like me and the aforementioned bread are Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy, the prodigal son of Pittsburgh. He was out and about doing this and that around football America. And now he's landed back where it all started wasn't pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and his first game are victorious one in a for coach Mike McCarthy. And you know what? I said this a couple of weeks ago and now I mean it times a million.

48:03I feel that every team should be required to be coached by a local guy. We can't do the thing like unfortunately we can't have the players all be from from the area or else it would just be a tournament between South Florida and Texas and probably some parts of California and the rest of us would be lost at sea. But at least can we get the head coach? I think that we can get behind that spiritually, right? Cuban guy coach in the Dolphins. That would be amazing. Yeah, Tony Tony's in on that. I might actually be the coach. I mean, we have crystal ball coach in the canes right now. Exactly. All right, I want to leave you time. So there you go. Thanks, LeBat. We're really excited to be joining with you and enjoy that LeBat Blue is Pittsburghers traditionally do after a big victory. But buddy, before you try to sneak that one in and I also want to sneak in our Monday Night football picks there. How did we do in our debut of our draft King sports picks picks picks for anybody who

49:04missed it? Each of the three of us, me, you and Geno and we got to get Tony doing this as well. A favorite and over under and an underdog that we liked. How did each of us do? Yeah, so I'll just go name by name here Dave. You went one and you went one and two. So you missed on the Eagles minus five and a half against the spread. You missed on Bucks, Bengals under 50 and a half. But you did nail the Jets money line as your dog. So you went one for one and two there. Geno also wanted to. Wasn't a money line. I like them. They were, you know, you like, yeah, you like down in Nashville. All right, well either way you cash it. So I'll have you down to Jets plus one and a half. Either way, that one that pick was correct. Geno against the spread. He picked the Texans plus one and a half, which we'll get to here in a second. That did not work out. The giants and Cowboys state under 48 and a half. Thank you to Fonte Williams. We didn't even coordinate that. That was awesome. Geno that that taunt of penalty led to Brandon Aubrey missing the extra point and then which

50:07kept it under at exactly 48 points. And then he had the dolphins on the money line, which was a little bit aggressive, but whatever will let it fly. And then your boy yours truly three and oh, what a start to the season for your boy, Dave. Bears minus three. Lions, Saints over 50 and a half. That one by the skimmed them by teeth, man. I was worried about that one in the middle of that game. And then I had the Jets as well over the Titans. So the season standings Ethan has three points. Dave and Geno tied with one. I could give you what I actually would have picked with you guys because I have it in my head on another picks situation. I would have taken as my as my favorite. I would have taken Texans minus one and a half. I'm writing this out. I would have lost. I would have taken Lions, Saints over me too, which cashed and I have Broncos tonight. Lost. I buy this down. I'm riding it down. Self-alossed in one that we haven't seen yet. So clearly he's not John. So you have the Broncos tonight. Yep. Broncos tonight is my dog. You also is what's the spread? Are you going money line?

51:07Diggs and, and, wait, who's one of my friends? Who else the taunting anyway? Javante Williams. They will. These two jackasses. And by the way, getting those penalties, it's a penalty. And you know it's a penalty. So why would you possibly do this? And this is, I'm not up on Mount Pius about this. I'm old enough to remember you guys would never know this name. Jarvis Redwine from Nebraska. One of my earliest football memories was a highlight of him running down the sideline from the corn huskers and turning away, turning back to a DB who had no chance of catching him and looking at him and like summoning him like, come on, come get me. Any new. He had no chance of catching him. And I thought it was, I thought it was the most baddest thing young Dave had ever seen before, but it's against the rules. And you know it. It should also be pointed out. Both guys were trailing when they got those, when they got the kids. The things when Dave was was just indescribable. You've been here. I said I'm a levitator. Oh yeah, you've been around for a million years.

52:07You've caught 8,000 touchdowns. You're 267 years old. You know any time you touch the goalpost, either dunking it, either grabbing it like you did, taking a cell phone out of the bottom of it, you know it's going to be a penalty. Have some situational awareness. He doesn't have a ton of situational awareness in his regular life. So let's be very clear. And then the last thing Daniel says, like, what are you going to do? Because he knows he can't piss off Stefan digs. Exactly right. He's got cars like cart blunch. I should have tried to get in his way and not let him do embarrassing embarrassing. You're the veterans to find digs. Hey, quickly, I'm sorry, buddy. I don't think in the last 28 seconds here, we have time for your bills. Take Kansas City, Denver Broncos, the Chiefs win a 21 20 same score that they lost to the Lions by in their season opener, two seasons ago. I think this is an important game from a home's and company. They feel like as they try to get back on track here, 21 20 ton Tony go. Eight, 24 20 Broncos. I don't have a score. I'm taking the chiefs. I think my home's comes out hot tonight.

53:0817 14 Broncos. Thanks so much. My fellow football Americans talk to you soon. It's been a thin slice of heaven. Oh, I was excited for football, but now I'm really, really excited because Yeager Meister is on board. Yeager Meister knows being a football fan comes with some unwritten rules. For admit your lactose intolerant and green Bay, never mentioned 28 to three in Atlanta, never leave a folding table unattended in Buffalo. And the most important rule of all always serve Yeager Meister ice cold on game day zero degrees Fahrenheit, drinking cold or don't drink it at all. Yeager Meister damn, that's cold drink responsibly. Yeager Meister liquor 35% alcohol by volume imported by a massed Yeager Meister US white plane's New York.