REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
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REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
Week 11 Recap. Are the Cowboys for real? Chargers lose bad & CFB Playoff W/ Jon P
We push past a feel-good win to ask if Dallas can handle a brutal stretch, weigh the Eagles’ ugly winning machine versus a surging Rams case, and call for real consequences after on-field spitting. College takes center stage with Texas’ scheme issues, Georgia’s precision, AM’s climb, and why independence limits Notre Dame. We close on the NBA with a clear ask for LeBron to shift roles so the Lakers can breathe.
• Cowboys’ strengths on turf and turnover math
• The hard stretch that will define Dallas
• Eagles’ resilience vs Rams’ “best right now” case
• Chiefs vs Colts as a possession-control test
• Chargers’ O-line attrition and Herbert ceiling
• League discipline and zero tolerance on spitting
• Texas schematic problems and Georgia’s edge
• AM’s completeness and Oklahoma outcoaching Bama
• Big Ten reality check for Ohio State and Indiana
• Notre Dame’s independence and playoff path limits
• Lakers’ role clarity, LeBron off-ball value
• West depth, Jokic inevitability, Wemby’s impact
• Knicks’ rise and the East health question
And welcome everybody to another episode of Real Talk. Doc, you doing all right today?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, sir. I sure am, man. We've got a special guest welcoming back through the intro, brother. Let's do it.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. So John joins us, huge Cowboys fan, uh Lakers fan. I don't know about this new Lakers. We got to we gotta see about the the new Lakers uh in a little bit, but uh John, what's up, man? How are you doing?
SPEAKER_02:Happy to be here, man. Happy to talk about the Cowboys last night. It didn't say.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely, absolutely. Absolutely. And before we jump, because it's gonna be a huge test. So, of course, we we saw the game last night, but it'll be a huge test in week 12 when the Eagles come to town. So that's that's I think everybody's gonna be looking forward to that one to see a lot about the Cowboys and the Eagles. But on to last night's game. Cowboys obviously the offense looked great, defense looked good, but it is the Raiders. Doc, I'm sorry, I know your wife was listening, but it is the Raiders. So real quick, John, just your thoughts on just this Cowboys season and do you see him turning it around and possibly making a run towards the second half of the season?
SPEAKER_02:Um, this this is where I'm conflicted as a Cowboys fan. And being honest, I actually I want them to either go ahead and lose all outright and get a better draft pick or win the Super Bowl. There's no in between. I I just think that there's no point in just making the playoffs for a pure um statement point. It doesn't mean anything. Making the playoffs do anything doesn't really I don't think they can win the East. I think the Eagles are too far of a lead. Uh so I don't really think there's a real point to doing that. So no, I don't I don't think they can make a playoff one. If they do, I'd be highly shocked.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Well, John, if I could step in here real quick, Marlon, there was a lot of things that transpired the past three weeks since we talked to you, man. Them shocking losses, but the devastating death of uh the young man, man, and then it's one of those things where it yeah, it hit Marshawn Neeland and it galvanized the team somewhat, but can you break it down on what happened and why wasn't any help for the young man if they knew at the time, or probably didn't know, but there's all kind of help centers and all that, and this, that, and the other for young people. And uh, you know, it's one of those things where as a fan base, you had to you had to be shocked at what transpired a couple of weeks ago.
SPEAKER_02:For sure. Locally, there was a lot saying that they he sent a gro uh a lot of texts that were really disturbing to the team front office. They called the police on him. Um, he was having some type of relationship issue. Uh, you know, the young man lost his mother in March of uh this year as well. He had been going through a lot, and I think the thing is really important with that is that you realize that how many kids dream of going being selected second round in the NFL and playing for a franchise with the Cowboys. I mean, you would think he had it all, but you don't know what other people are going through. So I I I really go out. My heart goes out to his family, you know, his his daughter is on the way off. It's just it's a lot. And I think there's a lot more to that story that we may we may never know, or we probably will find out more coming later. I think there's a lot more to it than what is what's been given to the media.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's fair, John. I just my rest God bless his soul, rest in peace. Galvanize the team, as I referenced Marlon and John, and it's one of those things where I beg the difference with you, John, if you keep playing like that, especially with the new additions of Quentin Williams, big defensive tackle, the top three in the league from the Jets, I think you could do some damage. In fact, I think you could beat Philly in a few weeks, man. It's in Dallas, and you know, I always this week, but I I I really I think we can beat Philly.
SPEAKER_02:I what I think is the the answer was a playoff run. And I think there are fundamental issues on the defense that still need to be addressed. I think the secondary got better. Getting over uh Overshown back helps out a lot. Malik Hooker looked really good last night. But this is the thing that the Cowboys have done very well is beat up on bad teams. What they need to do is in the next stretch, they're about to have the sixth hardest schedule in the NFL. Following the Eagles, they play Kansas City. Then following the Kansas City, they play the Lions, then they play the Vikings, then they play some called the Chargers, then they play some team called the Chargers. I don't know about that. That might be a cakewalk. Other than that, I think they have a pretty tough schedule. So uh I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a good point, John. That's fair.
SPEAKER_02:So I don't doubt them, but they they they have they have a long road to go before they get there.
SPEAKER_01:Well, the weaponry with Pickens and CeeDee Lamb and the Fistur on the tight end is one of those things where uh and number 33, the running back, Williams. Now, before we move on, yeah, before we move on, I gotta ask you, why isn't number 33, Tony Doyle says number retired? That's kind of tacky right there. One of the most dominant running backs in the history of the sport, especially for one franchise. And and I had to take a look. I haven't really watched the Cowboys, John, to be fair, but have you really in for why his number is not retired? Do they retire numbers? I know number 12 is Starbucks, but they used to retire numbers.
SPEAKER_02:They used to retire numbers. And essentially, I know this sounds arrogant, there's so many Dallas Cowboys now that to retire all their numbers because before Emmett Smith had 22, that was Bob Bullet Hayes' number. So it it's kind of like if if you look at everyone in Cowboys' history, how many guys have had number number 19, 88, 94, 54? These are numbers like really 54 should be retired for Randy White. But it it's not because they can't retire it, that's why they have the Ring of Honor. Number 12 is just simple, number 12 out of respect, can't be worn by the quarterback. Number 12, and so it's kind of like you can't wear number eight as a quarterback. I believe someone can wear 22. I'm not sure about that, but 20 uh 33 has been worn by several players since 24. Even even in the 90s, I believe someone was worn 33.
SPEAKER_01:My favorite cowboy. Good response, brother. Good job. Go ahead, Mike.
SPEAKER_00:Say that one more time. What's that now?
SPEAKER_02:I said you got Calvin Hill, you got Calvin Hill, Bob Lilly, it's number 74. I mean, you got you got really no one should be wearing 41. I mean, there's there's so many great cowboys from like the 70s era, though, the golden era of the NSL. I I think it'd be hard to retire all those numbers.
SPEAKER_01:That's fair, man. That's fair. All right. Go ahead, Marlon. What you got, man? Recap. A lot of big things went on.
SPEAKER_00:Week 11 was was a uh on paper, when you look at it, you know, early on in season, okay, this is just an okay week, but it turned out to be a really, really good week. Um, you know, Thursday night football, the the uh Patriots they keep on winning. Uh the I don't know where the the game was overseas. Uh it was the last uh international game for the year. That one was a uh a snooze fest. Uh Doc, you're Falcons, and overtime you guys blow it. Um Buffalo, and and I did tell you last week, Doc, about Tampa, and we're gonna find out. You know, there's no more uh Baker Mayfield MVP talk of for the first five weeks, and now they're just back down with everybody else. So um who else? We the Chargers, we got massive.
SPEAKER_02:Tucker had an amazing game for Tampa Bay, by the way. That was that was a cover game. I don't think a lot of people saw that coming. That hundred yard day he had two touchdowns. That was incredible.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, Tucker, the running back? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So, yeah, a ton of games. Of course, we have the uh Seattle and Seattle and the Rams. Uh San Francisco took care of business, put up 41 on Arizona. Uh Baltimore looks like they're back uh in Kansas City. Uh there's so many, so many games, Doc. So uh go ahead and break down, Doc, whatever you want to talk about, and we'll just dive in and pick apart all these games.
SPEAKER_01:Well, injuries are devastating in the league. And John, I think you'll agree. You hate to see Aaron Rodgers go down, even though the Steelers won a Hall of Fame. You know, and but for as a Falcon fan, I gotta get it off my chest relative to what transpired at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sunday. You know, a team like Carolina should never sweep us, man. They already shut us out in week three, John, and I was really pissed off that we gave it up at the crib, at the house, on in overtime. And it's one of those things where in a division, you gotta win your division home game. And bear in mind, this is a team that beat us last year at home to knock us out the playoffs. So we have no heart. I'm tired of Raheem Morris. I'm tired of Terry Fontenau. We have no number one pick to look forward to the big future because we gave that up to draft a kid out of Tennessee, you know, as an edge rusher, James Pierce Jr. And he's had a solid year with three sacks, but we're still the number one. And I'm sure Rams fans are laughing at me right now as we speak because the higher we keep losing. They get the high pick to get addressed O-line, maybe another quarterback or corner. So yeah, getting it off my chest right to my Falcons to become a weekly thing, Marlon and John. But this is this is Coupe de Gras. You know, I got the Saints this week, and that's good old-fashioned 7-8. And I'm not even into that game, you know. They're two and eight, and we're three and seven or whatever, because I'm sick and tired. You know, now Penix is out, you know, and he was having a solid year, his 11 career starts. But now I gotta go back to the$100 million man and Kirk Cousins, and I did not want to see that. But yeah, that's six injury. Drake London's injury to me is the biggest issue they have.
SPEAKER_02:Because of the time that it happened. I know this sounds horrible, but when you if you're gonna have a season ending injury, it's better to have it early in the season than as you get past that that mid part of the season because now your recovery is gonna go into next season. And so it's gonna have to have his development, and I keep him out of training camp. It becomes a different season for him next year as well. That's just my opinion. Uh I also one thing about Atlanta, I'll just say this. They have, in my opinion, the best running back talent-wise in the league in B. John Robinson. I mean, uh, don't get me wrong, Taylor's incredible of the Colts, but physical just talent, do everything with the ball. B. John to me is is insanely talented. And the fact that they don't build around him, what I mean is go after an offensive line and dominate teams with him, I I find it shocking sometimes.
SPEAKER_01:It is, it is. And Rollin, to John's, uh, to John's point, we had a chance to draft Jared Verks last year, uh, reigning defensive rookie of the year for the Rams. And he's he's gonna be a Pro Bowl or all pro. But we drafted Pennings. And I at the time I had to question that, but then Kirk Cousins was so bad that I was looking forward to Pennings having a not a solid year, and he was. But now you question the injuries he had in Indiana and the University of Washington, he's coming back to bite the roots, you know. He couldn't even finish 16 games, 17 games, but that's my rant on my Falcons. I'm just tired. Now, as far as the rest of the league, John and Marlon, it's one of those things where, you know, there's a lot of great games. You got to give Denver Broncos props in your division, uh, Marlon, because they just keep beating people. Barely. But Bo Nicks comes up in the fourth quarter, and you got to give him props, you know. And and then it's the Bears. And then and Caleb Williams, who's had a monumental season after meltdowns last year, and his criticism was unwarranted because he was a rookie. But being the first pick in the draft, you got to carry that mantle of uh show something. And he did nothing last year. So credit to Ben Johnson. And then, of course, you know, um, and we mentioned the cowboys. I I think the Eagles, man, I think the Eagles are doing what they do, even though it's ugly, and it might bite them, but they still are winning. So that's what sticks out to me as far as the recap goes. Go ahead, John.
SPEAKER_02:The team that also really I think everyone needs to really give credit to, uh, Daniel Jones really should get comeback player of the year. If you look at some of his team back, he was cut as a franchise quarterback for the New York Giants. They had no interest in him. He was probably not going in, and now he's in the number one team in the AFC right now. Like, give him a little yes, Jonathan Taylor's playing spectacular, the defense is playing great. But this is a guy everybody kind of wrote off. And I'm saying in a league where everyone needs a quarterback, no one wanted him. He went there, actually replaced Anthony Richardson, and now as a team, the number one in the AFC. I mean, that's to me, that's impressive. And that's that's a that's a that's an amazing story for anyone to do that. Even come back and be a starter again.
SPEAKER_01:And on the other side of the spectrum, man, you look at the Cleveland Browns and the way Shadura was brought was thrown in there. I mean, albeit because the concussion to the other kid, but you know, Shadura going against the Baltimore Ravens with no reps in practice. You know, you just hope and pray that he gets a fair shot on what they have, you know, with uh with Shadura Sanders. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I don't think it's unfair for a lot of these, a lot of these young kids, like you have a quarterback, even Michael Venus, as much as he's played in college, the lack of development done with with with backup quarterbacks now, it's not really fair to expect most of the backup quarterbacks are like you saw Jacoby Pursett come in for uh Kyler Murray, and you see these guys kind of do that. You see Cooper Rush come in for Dak Prescott last year. Most of these guys don't get enough in-game reps or real time or against real defense just getting real looks to go out and play a game. So to me, you're kind of setting watching a professional do it, it develops who's a better player.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah, that's that's that's that's a good point. You cut out a little bit, but uh yeah, I agree with you, man. Uh now I'm all in your charges. You're not dead yet. What are you expecting down the stretch? I I ranted. Now's your turn. That was a disgrace. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we we got our bye week this week. And and if I'm one of those players in that locker room, I'm thinking, okay, well, we just went and and took care of the Steelers, a team that took care of the Colts. So we we took care of them. So we're fine. We'll go down to Jacksonville, they're playing very up and down. We'll go ahead and take care of business, go home, enjoy our bye week, and then we'll we'll come back and we got the Raiders uh when we get back in week uh week 13. And we uh obviously our O-line is in camels, everybody knows that. Uh the the we we saw the PFF thing on Sunday night where they were just doing the ranks out of you know 36 out of 36 and you know all that from our our horrible offensive line. They just had a great defensive game plan. Uh we came out flat, we couldn't get anything going. The the running game was non-existent, Harvard was getting hit left and right, defense couldn't stop anybody, they couldn't make any tackles. It was one of the worst. Uh this this game was almost worse. Well, I don't know what's worse, the the combat game or this game with us not being able to do anything on all faces of the ball. So it's it's scary, and this is the point where we need to be playing our best ball going into the playoffs because there's no guarantee that we're gonna make it. Yes, we're the 60 right now at 7 and 4. But also, too, we've we're having our buy now. The Chiefs play the uh the Colts now. We'll see what happens with that, but we can't give them a chance to sneak up, and then now we're here we are, week 18. We we got a win to get in. It doesn't need to be like that. So we are three and oh in the division still.
SPEAKER_02:Herbert has to get that monkey off his back, man. He has to the the belief.
SPEAKER_00:He can't beat him.
SPEAKER_02:That's 4-3 against him. He always starts so hot, and then at the end of the season, he tapers off. I don't know if you remember, but Lamarlin, you live in Dallas, so you get the you get to see. Well, remember when Tony Romo would always be famous for his November streaks. He would just go on this streak in November and just be great, but his December's were horrible. And and Herbert kind of has the the hot the first six weeks of the season, Herbert looks like the MVP. And then he just always totally just tapers off. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's situational. Of course, there are lots of reasons why it happens, but it's just something I've noticed as a fan. And uh, you know, we all play fantasy football, and I kind of look and I'm like, man, this guy was this guy was like look, this guy looks like he should be a starter every every year, like one of the top quarterbacks of the league, and then he just sits right down in the middle, and I don't know what happened to him.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a good point on that with John. Yeah, wishing you love, brother to Herbert, to pick up the pieces and take, has uh the game passed Harbor all back by, you know, he's been out of the league and with the college. Your your take on what's really going on on the management side, Marlene, because I'm pulling for you, and you just look for riffing.
SPEAKER_00:We're we're cursed. I mean, how often do you get your two, you get your two-star tackles, you pay one tackle, eleven days later he gets hurt. Joe Wall, after four, three, four games, he gets hurt, then comes back, and then gets hurt again and he's out for the season. I mean, uh, and we we our interior is already weak, and then still weak, and then we have two, we traded for some guy from the Saints, whoever he is. I I I don't know what it is. Only so much that uh he can do, but I'm not trying to make any excuses when we played horrible. But if you want to be mixing with some of these other quarterbacks that are you know top three, top five, whatever, you have to find a way somehow somehow to win these games, but he can't do it by himself. But management, I don't I don't think it's a management issue. I don't it's uh it's nothing against Harbaugh. He's he turned around, we won five games two years ago, and he turned that around to uh to 11 games, so in in one year. But yeah I I think it's it's just uh it started off bad and it's it's getting worse now. But these teams are getting stronger, uh, and and we we have to find a way to close it out. If our schedule coming up, I believe we have the uh the Raiders uh is the next one, then from there we got the Eagles Monday night football the first week in December, and then we go uh we have the Crows, and then we play the Cowboys September 21st, then the Texans, and then we have the Broncos to close it out. So it's just not an easy stretch, and we have to be playing you know the Jacksonville game. And it could have been you know, we can blame it on the going to the East Coast early game. We can blame it on that if we want, because that's how we lost to the Giants with Jackson Dark. That was the early East Coast game. But uh the Raiders, I'm not really worried too much about the Raiders, but the Eagles, as you said earlier, Doc, they're finding ways to win these ugly games. We're gonna talk about the Eagles and the Cowboys in a little bit, but they're finding ways to win these ugly games. So, and you know if the game is in LA, that whole stadium is gonna be green. So silent counts again for us. And then we got to go to Kansas City and the Cowboys. So, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Kansas City, speaking of Kansas City, that's that's week twelve has a lot of really, in my opinion, kind of average games. But there are three games on week twelve that I think are just gonna be super interesting. The noon game with um the Colts and the the Colts and the Chiefs. I think that playoff implications, I think it's two it's one team coming up, one team trying to show they still have it and they can maintain their run. Then you have the Cowboys and Eagles, of course, but after that at night, you got the Buccaneers and uh Rams going against each other. I think that's gonna be interesting.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. That's right. Very good point. I love your response relative to your charges too, Marlon. But just to finish off the recap, real quick, and I want to talk. I'm into the rookie class, John. Your rookie offensive lineman from Alabama, Booker. How are you doing? One, and then two, you know, are you gonna resign George Pickens? Those think those two things real quick before we move on to week 12.
SPEAKER_02:Real quick, I think Pickens gets franchise tag at 30 million to maintain him until he doesn't enter free agency and they'll work out a deal, they'll work out an extension. That's what I think happens. Booker's playing fantastic. He is young, he has a lot of aggression. Um he's really gonna be tested against Jalen Carter this week. We're gonna see a lot of what he can do. The question is, I will say this, if you want to look at a night and day difference. Last year, the Dallas Cowboys, Javante Williams or not, averaged 2.6 yards a carriage. They're now 4.7. That's a massive difference. And replacing probably a future Hall of Famer in Zach Markman, taking over his job, and then the the rushing totals go up. I think that's I think that's a big that's a big plus for him. But we'll we'll see how he progresses. I think this will be a test. He's on a national stage. Everybody's gonna be watching. He's playing against his kind of college rivals. He's gonna be playing there against another all-pro player. We'll we'll see how he does that. That'll be a good uh good barometer of his uh talent.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, C C, baby. Go ahead, Marlon. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Yep. And then one more thing before we go to that. Um Kansas City. I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping as a and and we talked about this last week, Doc. I didn't know who I wanted to win. I don't know if I wanted Kansas City or Denver to win because I I love the idea of us possibly catching Denver to win the division. So with Kansas City, it's I mean, they're five and five right now. They have a tough schedule uh, you know, the rest of the way. So that's gonna be interesting. Uh, and then Detroit's another one too. They have to uh they're they're most likely I I think the Bears are right now winning the division, which I don't think anybody saw that happening. So Detroit's another team that has to step it up and figure it out.
SPEAKER_02:I think Green Bay is losing on that trade now. And then this is what I mean is that you you traded away your first three-round draft picks to improve your defense, and you're not even winning your division. I think that's a huge loss to me. That's that's just my opinion. But oh yeah, I'm absolutely out there on the Michael Parsons trade.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. That's a good point, John. Yeah, I like that. Yeah, they're losing. Their thing is quarterback though, because Michael Parsons is pressuring the quarterback if he's not getting to the sack total, he's doing his job, but they got other issues on the offense, man. I mean, their running back Jacobs is out, and love is digressed. But uh, yeah, that's a very good point, General.
SPEAKER_02:May have been given may love, may have been love is a to a top five paid quarterback, and I think he's I don't think anyone considers him that to be that good, and that's why I think overall the Packers may lose on that trade because they're not balanced on on both sides of the ball, and now they don't have the draft capital to improve that side of the ball, whether it be the offensive line which is constantly injured, or the wide receivers which are constantly injured, they have a lot of injuries all over that team, and they don't have any they don't have players that change the dynamic. There's not a guy winning in the one-on-one battles with wide receiver. They're they're craft, they're tight end. He's out, he's he's on IR, and he was their leading receiver. And that to me, I don't think that's that's that's not a that's not a power move for a team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl implications. They got Mike Michael Parsons. Now they're holding on to maybe get a wild card. And I I don't think that's a I don't think that's a win for them.
SPEAKER_01:All right. Yeah. Go ahead, Marlon. Uh the Saints are gonna beat my Falcons for the record. We we could spend 10 seconds on that because I have no confidence, you know. I hate the Saints the way you hate Philly and Washington in the old days, John, and the way Marlon hates the Raiders. So hate them both. Yeah. Yeah, I digress. But go ahead, Marlon.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think the key matchups for week 12, uh, obviously Pittsburgh, uh with with most likely without Rogers, uh they're playing at Chicago. That should be a good one. Um Detroit, can they bounce back and take care of New York? They should. You're at home. It's it's it's New York, even though Jameis played okay. Uh Detroit should take care of business with that. Minnesota and Green Bay, uh a huge NFC North battle. Uh Minnesota struggled, but Green Bay will see what Green Bay and what Jordan Love shows up. Uh and then, of course, the big one, the two big ones, really the Colts and the uh, and then of course uh Philly and Dallas. I want to go jump into this Philly and Dallas one real quick. So, John, I know you are confident about your team. I think it really comes down to what's gonna happen with this Philly defense versus your offense. Um it's it's a prolific, high-powered offense, and and their defense is great. Uh, and then on the other, on the other side of the ball, will your defense play like you did against the Raiders? It is the Raiders, but their offense hasn't looked great uh this year at all. But as Doc was saying earlier, they just find a way to win and get it done.
SPEAKER_02:Correct. I also think that one thing that there's a big difference is the Cowboys on turf are a very different team than when they're on grass. If you notice the the the score, the amount of points they can put up at home. If uh a couple seasons ago, Dallas had an 18-game winning streak at home, which was almost an NFL record. Uh they almost like the Patriots Patriots record. But they had 18 straight games at home, and Dallas is very tough to beat on on turf. When you go out there and they're running their offense and Dak has it quiet and he's not on the road and there's not a lot of road noise, that crowd gets quiet for them on offense, and he can make all kinds of audibles and moves. So it's very different to play Dak Prescott at home with George Fickens and CeeDee Lamb. We saw with them put 40 points on the Packers with no CeeDee Lamb. So it'd be it was gonna be interesting to see what they can do now with a developed offense with an with an entirely healthy offensive line because early in the season they didn't have a healthy offensive line. We'll see. It's gonna be a good game to me. But I think the bigger story is if the Cowboys defense shows up and starts causing turnovers the way they were against the they let a couple turnovers flip away against the Raiders. If Jalen Hurts is care careless with the ball against the Cowboys defense, they're fired up and they have inside pressure, so they're gonna take away the run from them. There's there's a lot of things that they can do to kind of game plan to make this an interesting game. And the Quentin Williams trade now just looks brilliant. They're also getting Perry on Winfrey back from the he was a sensation in preseason, he got injured. He's another defensive tackle that's coming back that gets a lot of pressure. So we're gonna see what the Cowboys defensive tackle rotation is pretty stacked right now. We're gonna see. I put him up there with the Eagles.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I put him up with the Eagles. Kenny Clark and Quentin Williams, Marlon. Ain't no joke, man. And I watched Quentin Quentin Williams that he's only 28. You know, I watched him at Alabama. He just had to get out of New York. He's a country boy, so he's gonna get his best football. So give it, it begs the question. Give us a score real quick before we move on to the other game. Give us a score, John. You're on the hot spot. Dallas Philly now.
SPEAKER_02:Dallas thallas 31, Philly 28.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, I'll take that. I thought about the same area.
SPEAKER_00:I need a high I need a high scoring game. I mean, if Philly has this prolific offense that we've been waiting to see, I I need to see just some points. I wanna just as a football fan, you know, because every time they're they're on prime time almost every other week and they're barely breaking 15 points.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's that's what I'm saying. On turf now, on turf now, you have the Cowboys defense. Chauvel came back, Overshow's back.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:We don't know what that defense is gonna look like. So if the offense is still humming along like it hums along, and the defense the defense is just a little bit better, the Cowboys get really tough to beat at home.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Right on, man. Right on.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Go ahead, Marlon.
SPEAKER_00:Uh in the Indy and uh which it was just interesting too. So Indy at the Chiefs. The Chiefs are actually favored in this one by three and a half, which is interesting with with the with the way that the Colts have been playing, but I guess because the Chiefs are at home and Vegas knows that they're gonna find a way to pick it up and and end up uh at least in the playoff push down the stretch. Uh with this one, the Chiefs have not looked great. Mahomes probably played one of the worst games uh against uh uh Denver that he had in a in a very long time since probably the Super Bowl that that he lost. Um but w uh Doc, I'll start with you on this one. What are your thoughts on this one? And can you think Jonathan Taylor and this Colts team can run through Kansas City and get a W.
SPEAKER_01:I think the Chiefs are gonna win this game. And I say that, John and Marlin, because uh I think Mahomes is a future Hall of Fame. He's gonna he's not gonna lose three in a row. They had the crib. And the Falcons exposed Daniel Jones with seven sacks, even though we lost because they ran for 300 on our asses. But I think Daniel Jones, you're asking too much to go on the road for him to play above his head. He requressed the last two games, John. So I I think uh I'm gonna go Chiefs 33 and and the Colts 21 on this one, because I don't think JT, meaning the running back, is gonna run for over 200 on that Chiefs defense, and the Chiefs are at home. I uh I like Kalafis, the edge rush. I like uh Chris Jones, I love that linebacker, and I think that defensive coordinator, he's also Hall of Famer. He's gonna handle business and 33-21 is what I'm going with. And plus it's still Mahomes, man. Let's not get it twisted. He's not losing to Daniel Jones. Go ahead, Chuck.
SPEAKER_02:I am curious. I am curious, though, and because we haven't seen Sauce Gardner just join the Colts defense. I'm curious to see what he can do. If he's he's he's counted as kind of the the best cornerback in football right now. I personally, Sertan is. That's just me. I think Sertan is the best cornerback in football. But we'll see if he can if he can live up to his name, this is where you do it. You're gonna go up against one of the best passing attacks in the league. This is what Kansas City does. This is where you're gonna earn your money. I think it's a good game, and I think the only reason it's a good game is because why I love football is strategy. If you can keep Kansas City off the field and run the ball effectively, Kansas City doesn't touch the ball, and you make it a lot, you make it a different game. If you can't run the ball, then it's Daniel Jones' game, and I think they lose. So that's why I think it's a chess match. And I and I'm I'm looking forward to see it.
SPEAKER_01:That's fair. That's a very good synopsis, man. I just feel like, you know, uh Mahomes at home, the pressure's on him, and he's been under pressure his whole career. But I think uh being at home, you know, I just think 33-21 with Andreed and Kelsey, all they're all pissed off. They have to be pissed off. And Daniel Jones has to prove, he has to prove, John, that this is this is big boy football now. You you're not playing the line, you're not playing some of the other dregs of society. If you're the Colts and you're thinking, you you gotta show your show your wear, because eventually you have to throw the rock. They can stack the line and force Daniel Jones.
SPEAKER_02:The first time we're gonna get a little bit of and the Colts are gonna get a little taste of playoff football because while they're while they're really good at home, again, Colts one of those teams on turf. You don't really want to play them on turf. But we're gonna you're gonna get to you're gonna have to go and get dirty in the playoffs. And this is where the kind of use of that team, where you see the the critical position, Daniel Jones isn't really established. He's a great comeback story, like I said. But we're gonna we we I Want to see what he looks like in a playoff team. I want to see what the Colts look like again if they were on the road in uh uh and played the Patriots. Or you're in a loud stadium. Let's see what you can do if you don't if you're in a tight game. It's loud, signals get different, everything can can you can you win with the on the on the on the road doing that? That's a that's a that's great football.
SPEAKER_01:Well, they got the pieces. They got number 66, Nelson out of Notre Dame in his fifth year, looks like he's all pro, and they got Michael Pittman and of course the running back, JT. So we'll see, Marlon and John, what's going on? Good question, Marlon. Yep. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:And then the last one that I have, Tampa Bay uh at the Rams. If Tampa loses this game, they would have lost three straight. Um as we talked about this last week, too, Doctor, in a division that's so bad to still win the division. Uh, but the Rams are just uh they're just that good. And they've been consistent in finding ways to to win. They're they're they're blowing teams out, they're doing it on every phase of the ball. So uh this game is gonna be a great game. Um no doubt about that. But do you think the Rams, John, I'll start with you. Do you think the Rams are the best team right now in the NFT?
SPEAKER_02:Uh no. I I think that they're really good. I think that right now, whether we whether as much as I hate them, as much as I hate to admit this, the Philadelphia Eagles are still the champs, and until they're be thrown, they're still the best just because of pedigree, just because the way they win grind out games. I don't know if the Rams can win against that team. And I will say this real quick of just a just a little asterisk on the on the on Tampa Bay. The Panthers are surging, and they can run the ball and they can do a lot of stuff that is really different. They're not winning games traditionally, but they might cause a problem for Tampa Bay because of Tampa Bay's injuries. Tampa Bay's listed a lot of their wide receivers. I don't know if Baker Mayfield can do magic all year round for the rest of this. They have a lot of Bucky Irving's injured. They have a ton of injuries right now, and they're about to go into that middle stretch of the season. And this is where the the playoff the playoff pitcher gets really foggy. When you start playing, you start playing those second round, those second division games when your team's a little more banged up and you start losing those. I don't know if Tampa Bay makes it like that. And also, when you get in the habit of losing, losing close games, you get to this kind of here we go again moment in the middle of a game where it's like, oh no, we're about to get beat again. And one thing that the Rams rub really well, they're really well coached, and they really and they know Baker Mayfield. He used to play for 'em. They can go after him in a lot of different ways that they might other teams might not be able to get at him. So that's why I think I think that Tampa Bay is kind of in a trap game, in my opinion. They can win it, it's huge, but I don't think they will.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it does know that, John, that your respect for the Eagles is rightly so, because they are the champs. But out here in LA, man, you remember the Rams should have beat Philly in Philly last year, if not for Calen Core, Carter busting up the middle on a rookie center. But they're going crazy. And for for some reason, Stafford is not getting, I mean, people are talking about it, but to me, he should be the runaway choice for to be the MVP with only two interceptions and 25 touchdowns, you know, and then you got Devontae Adams.
SPEAKER_02:Last 22 last 13 last what is it, last nine games, just 22 touchdowns, no interception. That's right.
SPEAKER_01:It's incredible. That's sick. So yeah, I I kind of beg the difference with you there. I know the Eagles in your division and you respect them, but I think the Rams right now is the best team in the NFC, gentlemen. I say that because they could do it defensively with Fisk and uh Jarrett first, his second year out of Florida State, or they can do the running the ball with Williams, who's uh you always wondered what John if he's gonna go back to his fumbling way, but he's he's totally the rock without. I think he fumbled once in nine games, but Stafford is Stafford, man. And remember, John, being a Georgia fan, uh I followed this kid out of Georgia, out of the Dallas area, you know, and and it's one of those things where he actually played against him in actually played against him in high school. So I know I know Matt Stafford very well. Oh, that's cool, brother. That is so cool. You knew the Orange County Dan, but he's taking a beating. You remember fellas in training camp, they were so worried about this dick in his back. I we didn't think he'll last. And here he is having an all-world war pro year, historic year, as John referenced, Marvin. So I I I I think the Rams, just to be a little different here with John, I think the Rams are the best team in NFC right now, today. Go ahead, Mark.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay. All right, so on to some uh oh, by the way, before I I think it's it's uh we're we're still at the point where you get idiots like uh Jamar K spitting on somebody, knowing that we've got a million cameras that are out there, and and then lying about, oh yeah, I don't think that I opened my mouth to that dude. Come on, man. Give them give them two, three games. And it's it's ridiculous.
SPEAKER_02:The spitting on a player thing has to stop. Jalen Carter did it earlier to Dak in the in the first game of the season.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I don't, I don't, I don't know, I don't know what the NFL has to do, but they need to make an example of players. If you spit on another player, it it's such a bad look for the league globally, everywhere you look. They need to make it such a thing that it's like, hey, you can do a lot of things. You can hit him illegally, you can get whatever. That's a 15-yard penalty, unnecessary rough again. They have a targeting. They need to make it such a penalty, like fine-wise, fine, fine-wise, take his money, take games away from him. Make this into something that this has never done because to me it makes the league look horrible, especially young men who are supposed to be representing for other young men to watch. You can't keep doing this stuff on TV and and and and have it and have your league look like it's a a shining example to the rest of the rest of the country. I think it's a bad look. Uh and plus it's disgusting.
SPEAKER_01:It is disgusting, John.
SPEAKER_02:Highest level of disrespect.
SPEAKER_01:It should never be done. Three games, Marlon. I know you got three games. That would take care of it, you know, because one game, he's missing, he's making 30 million, 500,000. That's that's chump chain, that's ashtray money for a guy like Chase. But he's missing three, that that that that does a put that uh that'll put uh uh a crimp and some guy, especially a team that's in the playoff hunt, or or some team, another player might do it and all get one game. You can't you put three in there, John. Okay, now you you're hurting their team for a playoff hunt. Not saying Cincinnati is.
SPEAKER_02:And Joe Burrow might come back during that while he's out for those three games, he could be really big.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. So three games, but that's my response to that, Bonnet. Good question.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. It's disgusting. So okay. So on to some college football. Um I'm just gonna throw it out there, John. Will will Texas make it or are they done?
SPEAKER_02:I I don't think Texas should make it. If Texas does make it, I think the the system is flawed. I think Texas is really good. I think they're they have a developing player in Arch Manning. I don't like a lot of their play calling. I think they're but I don't think they should make it. I think that just my opinion, I don't I think to keep it pure they shouldn't. Now, this is the only thing. If Texas goes and beats or beats AM uh before that, that changes a lot. If they go and beat a top team like that, that would change a lot. Right now, as it says, no, I don't think they should make it. But I don't think they will.
SPEAKER_01:But what's the problem then? Uh obviously, I'm not the type to talk smack like that uh to you, John, or program in Texas and SOS uh mainstay. I was glad to get the victory, but the dominance, I was shocked. Georgia didn't dominate nobody this year. And for some reason, uh we we did it 35 to 10 to their asses, and Texas has five-star athletes too, John. What are they saying down there relative to the play calling Sarkeesian? And a lot of pressure was Arch preseason because of the name, the Manning name, but what's going on down there in Austin, John? You know?
SPEAKER_02:Just my opinion. This is not this is not the fan talk of me. I just watched this as a football fan. I think Arch Manning's an athletic quarterback, and putting him in the shotgun continually doesn't give him the versatility to do bootlegs, roll out, and keep the defense guessing. Because he's a sitting target back there, you give him pressure up the middle and on the edge, and he he has to he has to move forward or collapse. He gets sacked a lot. Uh they lot they lost a lot of players on an offensive line. They don't have explosive talent at wide receiver anymore. Golden's gone. Uh, what's young guy with to uh Isaiah Bond is gone. They lost a lot of their speed out there. So when you're looking, they don't have a talented running back that demands people sack the box anymore. So to be fair, when we're looking at Arch Manning, we're looking at a guy who's sitting back in the gun who really should be playing under center, coming up and then confusing the defense out of play action. But because they don't establish the run and because they don't do that, he has to play back in the gun. Playing back in the gun means he has to pass and depend on his arm. And that's really not the type of player he is. He's an athletic quarterback that moves around and get and moves in the pocket. Having him sit there makes him a sitting duck. And what Georgia did is they use what they're good at. Georgia is really good at putting pressure on quarterbacks and making them make bad throws. And that's what they do. And taking up taking a taking a red shirt freshman, putting him on the road in Athens and asking him to do that, to me is irresponsible. And I don't know, I'm I'm playing, I'm sitting here on my couch telling Sarkeesian what to do, but I'm looking at the play, and I'm saying last year, every time they used them, it was play action bootleg, and that's where Texas got their big plays on, not out of the gun.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a good response. It was a big time win for Georgia and Kirby Small. Also, Marlon and John, they on side kick after they scored to go at 21-10. That was classic. Kirby Smart really outcoached Sarkey.
SPEAKER_02:Brilliant coaching. Brilliant coaching on both sides of the ball, all three phases. They they shot Texas and they hit him in the mouth. And when Texas got up and was trying to kind of pick themselves up off the floor, Jordan just stomped on him. I mean, I I I I watched that game in a room in a in a in a bar full of Texas fans. And for the probably the last seven minutes of that game, it was complete silent. I I I've never seen that before.
SPEAKER_01:Right, right. Now, college football, Junior Marlin knows this. John, that that's my baby. That's a what the hell went on in Pagiland and Texas and down 30 to 3. Marlon, they was up 27. South Carolina, Lenore Sellers, so I think it'll be a pretty solid pro. And then all of a sudden, John, in your state, in Marlon State, AM just rolling, just is that is that concerning, or is it just a great quarterback and Marcel Reed doing what he How the hell did you go down 30 to 3 to begin with? Go ahead, John. Jesus.
SPEAKER_02:I I I I uh again, this is the great thing about football and why I love the game. Your ranking doesn't matter once you get in those trenches. And if the the good good teams, even when they get shot, can come back. I I mean, I don't know how the if you were getting the same argument, I would never expect the Patriots to go down 29-0 against the Atlanta Falcons. I would never expect that to happen. But what happens with good teams is they held them there and they didn't do anything else. And that's why I kind of look as I said again, this is the hard part of why I said I don't think Texas beats them, is even if they get a lead, I don't know if it's safe against AM. AM is a determined team. They're united, they've all bought into the system. They have plenty of talent, they have speed, they have talented wide receiver, they have talent on defense, they're good on special teams. I don't see a weakness in the team, really. In fact, I think they're one I think they really are one of the top two teams in the country, not just by ranking, but just by their play style.
SPEAKER_01:Well, Marcel Reed should be up for the highs run there after that thing. And then on the other side, Marlon and John, I think you'll agree that Beamer needs to get he needs to get out of there. He needs to get fired because that's a meltdown to the epic degree, man. You know, and and uh the play calling for the kid Lenora sellers, that disappeared. And and it's one of those things where that should never happen, man. And this would have been a huge road win for that program. But that Beamer is the that's Coach Frank Beamer's.
SPEAKER_02:Another player that plays in the state, and a coach puts him in the gun way too much because they're trying to run a passing offense. His skill set again comes out of play action. It's just like Lamar Jackson. You can do the RPO, but when Lamar Jackson goes under center, it's dangerous to teams. They don't know if he's gonna pass. Should I pull my safeties in? Is he gonna run an option? But what is he gonna run? I don't know. At the gun, I sit back and I have time to react and use my speed to get to beat him to a spot. And I I just think you you put it, they put him sellers in a really bad spot. I think Sellers, we we talked about this before the season, I thought Sellers, in my opinion, was gonna be the highest in favor. He he's an amazing talent, and I think he'll definitely be playing on Sunday at some point. I just don't think I don't think he's being I don't think he's being utilized properly at South Carolina. That's just my opinion.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and that's a good point, man. And then on the other end of the spectrum, gentlemen, this is great dialogue on college body. Alabama had a horrific loss to Oklahoma. And it's one of those things where my wife's a Bama fan. Watch the whole game. Now the kid at quarterback for Oklahoma, OU, he wasn't healthy. They rushed him back. But when he's healthy, he did the number on Alabama. And uh they wanted that coach to bore out after one loss. Um, two losses, you know, the Florida State thing early in the year. But they won eight in a row, Marlon and John. And now they run it, they they revisited that thing. He's not a southern boy. They wanted to send it back to the Pacific. You should never lose at the crib to, you know, uh, I know Oklahoma got some dudes too. They got some big dudes up front and all that, but John McKear won that game. And the quarterback for Alabama, who was hot, did not. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. I I mean that's that's the crazy part, is when we're talking about what we're talking about any given Sunday, Texas dominated Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl this year in the right game. Texas dominated them. Yet for some reason, Oklahoma can dominate Alabama. But Texas can't do that to Georgia. It it's that's the SEC, that's the that's the way it works. With Texas and Oklahoma and Missouri joining the SEC and AM, it's it's different now. These teams, a lot of these kids have played against each other in high school at every level, and now they see each other, and now it's like, wow, you know, this kid really is a lot faster than I thought he was. Or I was watching that Oklahoma game, and I was shocked at how prepared Oklahoma was. Oklahoma looked like they outcoached Alabama, and that's something that doesn't really happen in Alabama a lot. They looked like they were they were more determined, they came out with a better game plan. Alabama looked shocked. And when they were shocked, they didn't, again, they just didn't recover very well. The opposite of what AM did against South Carolina. AM, I think Oklahoma, I think Alabama had all the talent of the world to play in that game, but they didn't they were out coached.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it remains to be seen in two weeks, and I I I I like I said I'm a college fanatic. I think Auburn could hit Alabama in the mouth too. In Auburn. Now that game's in Auburn. And that is good old Southern hate, man, and rivalry game. Just throughout the records, you know, and uh some of those things. Yeah. Oh uh Marlon and John, you got to comment on the top two teams in the country out of the Big Ten, uh, Ohio State and Indiana. Are you are you thinking that the Big Ten is overrated and they're building their stats? Or these are really good teams, man. I think the kid for Indiana is up for the highs, man. He might be a high pick. But uh Ohio State, they got the receivers, John Tate and and uh Jeremiah Smith. What are you expecting out of those two teams, gentlemen, and out of the Big Ten? Can they go far or is it just the the thing that the Big Ten is weak? I don't know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Marlon, you're not gonna go first? Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Go ahead, John.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, uh again, I I I'm gonna say the the defending champ is the defending champ. And the thing that Ohio State doesn't get credit for is that defense is so well coached and so disciplined the way that they they attack teams. I don't know who beats them. I I I see them kind of destroy teams. Maybe Georgia or some team like that could give them problems. We could see that with physicality. But the thing I'm looking at is Indiana. I I don't think Indiana's getting enough credit because a lot of people don't watch their games. They don't have the huge rolling that Ohio City. But Indiana is a really good football team. I mean, they're really and I watched them. I was I hadn't watched any, I watched the last four games, and I was kind of like, oh, you know, they're doing well, but I was like, wow, this they're actually a really good team. They they they're the their special team's good, they're solid all the way around the ball. Now, I don't believe, in my opinion, I still think AM is a better team than Indiana.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:But Indiana deserves their ranking right now, I will say that.
SPEAKER_01:Well, Shenata, Sennetti, wherever his name is, they they re-up with him and he they flirted with him and he stayed at IU. And Marley, you gotta agree, man. This is big, this is good for college. It doesn't always have to be the Southeastern Conference. And uh I just threw it. I don't really watch the big end. I watch Ohio State, but uh it goes noted. They are defending champions, John Reference. Now, Notre Dame, fellas, two losses. You know, uh, do they deserve to get in right now? Your call. It's a big brand.
SPEAKER_02:No, I think Texas and Notre Dame could play a great bowl game somewhere, but I don't think either team deserves to be in the tournament. Um, it's not the two losses. Well, my issue is that Notre Dame doesn't play a conference title game. And so they don't have the ability. Well, I understand they want to remain independent, and that's the thing they like to do, but there has to be a punishment for that. If you don't go undefeated, you don't ever play another top-tier team before you go to the tournament. And to me, that's what damages all that's what Alabama and Georgia had this battle back and forth for for years. LSU and Alabama at this point, they would go and then play in the SEC title game, and one of those guys wouldn't go to the national title game. Notre Dame should go through that process too. In my opinion, if you don't go through unscathed and you don't, unless you lost to Texas lost to Ohio State, Texas lost to Georgia, those are good teams. But then they also lost to Florida. Uh so you you see that that's why I don't think they should be there. I don't think Notre Dame should be there either.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's fair, man. Ooh, this is good stuff, man. Now, BYU, your take on BYU Cougars, real quick. Go ahead, Molly.
SPEAKER_00:Go ahead, John. You got it, John.
SPEAKER_02:Uh yeah, I think I think it's another team talented. I think they're good. They're just the some of the teams and so I I I do feel bad for a lot of West Coast teams. A lot of football teams, after watching football all day, turn off the TV at about seven p.m. Eastern and about eight p.m. uh c Central time, and they miss a lot of great football. A lot of kids a lot of guys that play at Arizona or UCLA or USC sometimes just don't get seen unless they're at the na they're at a major national level. And BYU is always a school that's gonna get overlooked. I think they're talented. I think they're good. However, I don't think they're good enough to play with the top tier in the FCC or the Big Ten. And I think when they do do that, it's kind of it it's kind of they don't belong in that conversation. That's just my opinion. Uh Texas Tech is one of those teams that that's the thing. Wow, that's right. Texas Tech, really. Go ahead, John. Go ahead. They look very they look very simple. They look very similar, but again, they're not playing those top tier opponents. So until I see that happen, I can't endorse them into doing that. The reason why the SEC and Big Ten get so much praise is because week in, week out, you're playing the top 25 teams. You're even Vanderbilt who lost now is still a tough team. Missouri, still a tough team. Tennessee, still tough to play against. Those are the teams they play against. So because of that, they get more recognition when they get those wins. And I just don't think BYU has the resume to get past all that.
SPEAKER_01:Totally agree with that, Marlon. You can move on. But this is great dialogue because at the end of the day, it's 12 teams. And I brought up BYU now because they only got one loss. And you mentioned Texas Tech, but I forgot about. Hell of a red, hell of a mascot. Love the colors, red Raiders, the horse. You know, good point, John.
SPEAKER_02:By the way, if you ever get to probably go to the wallet games in Lubbock, great football culture. Uh it's still it's West Texas football. It's it's if you ever remember the movie Friday Night Lights, you know, Death of Permian, that's the same. It's it's that same type of vibe. It's the it's a it's a it's a college town. There, it's a crazy place to be. I'm not saying you go live in Lubbock, but if you want to go to the game, it's a it's a it's an amazing atmosphere. That's Patrick Mahomes' alma mater. That's where you went. Yes, it is. It still has that same feel when you get there.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. That's great stuff, man. I always like that guy.
SPEAKER_02:Don't forget, and don't forget Utah versus BYU. That game has to happen, and that's gonna determine a lot too when that when that game happens, too. Yeah, the youths. That's right.
SPEAKER_01:I think that kind that game is in Provo this year. I think it is.
SPEAKER_02:But uh And it's gonna be uh pro you that's gonna be a big game.
SPEAKER_01:Oh man. So yeah, this is good stuff, man. I know we're running out of time, but Marlon at college football and and John is hit, he hit it right on the nail on that one, man. So yeah, this is good stuff, man. Go ahead, Marlon. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, last thing on on NBA. LeBron is making history 23 years. Uh never seen it before, a player uh on his 23rd season, which is amazing. Um looking at this team and John, you are somewhat of a math fan as well. Um how do you think this team is going to get with this new Lakers team trying to figure out a way to win with Luca, without Luca off the reef is doing his thing, and then you get LeBron coming back. So how do you think it's all gonna fit?
SPEAKER_02:I I think that there are too many guys that play point guard on that team. Um LeBron, in my opinion, it will determine how humble LeBron can be. LeBron is in his 23rd year. He is an absolute legend. He should absolutely be recognized. But at the also, he has to recognize if the team is flowing with him, he can be helped more to his team by not taking the point guard position over or taking the ball out. He's more deadly on the wing at this point in his career. Just my opinion. If he does that, they look at like a b they look like a better team. I think that the the problem they had last year was when Luca and LeBron were on the floor. Sometimes LeBron would take the ball out, and Luca doesn't know what to do. He walks on the he goes down the court and he kind of seems lost. And I think that that now you have Austin Reeves who's kind of running around, he plays his role, but they kind of seem confused on who's taking the lead there. And that if they can establish that and they can kind of gel together, we'll see. I I don't know yet. But that's a LeBron question. And if LeBron wants to win, I think he does that. But if he tries to take the point, I think that Lakers start losing.
SPEAKER_01:Well, LeBron's still into stats and numbers, and I have to tell you his ego's biggest, you know what, living out here, John. And you hit it right on the head. He has to change his game. But is LeBron capable milk mentally after being a man for so many years and so many stops? Can he give Luca Garaco or Austin Reeves or this? He got a new kid. I can't remember his name on his from France. No one knows. Yeah, he's been balling. So I it goes, can LeBron take a step back? And I say no. You got to prove it to me. You know, you got to prove it to all LA fans. And for the record, living out here, gentlemen, Kobe Bryant is still the man over LeBron. Because do you prefer Kobe or LeBron? And they say Kobe without question.
SPEAKER_02:I am a Lakers fan. I am a little Lakers fan all I was a kid. Uh I grew up watching. My dad used to show me the uh uh my dad used to show me the 69 finals with Boston. Yeah, I I've watched so much Lakers basketball growing up. My dad hates the Lakers. I started loving them as a kid. I've always been a Lakers fan. I don't like as Marlon said, I'm kind of a Mavs fan. I grew up here. I I'll support the local team. I I don't like what LeBron did to the Lakers with the trading away everything, the future draft capital not being there, there's no young talent being developed. Those things I don't like. But as the Lakers as a franchise, I think they have a chance to really become something different and maybe attract some free agents after he's gone. But we have to decide what LeBron's gonna do and what role he takes. And if he takes a role, in my opinion, that's kind of more noble, kind of the way, and not to compare him to Michael Jordan, but the way Michael Jordan still let Rip Hamilton and Jerry Stackhouse play when he was in the with the Washington Wizards, he wasn't gonna take every shot. He he he was he knew better than that. He knew those guys were younger, they could have they could take more, they have more minutes, and he played his role. If LeBron can play his role, be a great leader, organize on the court, call out plays on defense, play like he does, and still play with that leadership role, I think they can be great. But if he decides to try and take control of the game, I think they lose.
SPEAKER_01:Well, the West is brutal, as you two gentlemen realize, man. Okay, and I think the Denver Nuggets are despite losing uh uh was that the kid, uh Porter. I think they playing, yeah, they they're playing good basketball. And the Joker is a machine. And I'm a Will Chamberlain Korean guy. Will to me is all-time. And and Joker's putting up sick numbers, and I think they're a better basketball team right now today than they were last year. And of course, you got Houston with uh KD and uh don't forget about Golden State, even though they they won a big game the other night.
SPEAKER_02:Quiman Yama just went down infantry, but I mean if he's helped when he comes back healthy, that a team is a problem in the playoffs. And I and I mean he is a monster on court. He's just the when you see him, he looks like an alien. He's just he's just a he's just a mixed presence on court. He's blocked for block shots, rebounds, everything. He controls the game when he's out there, and it it's a different game playing against him. Your game plan has to change. So yeah, the West is gonna be fun this year.
SPEAKER_01:Well, he clowned Draymond Green.
SPEAKER_02:And if they if they can get PJ Washington and Davis and maybe get Davis to play more than like 12 games in a stretch in a row, maybe they might be able to, they they might look a little scary. So it's gonna be good, it's gonna be good basketball.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but that but that's the thing with Davis. And I'm a big man, I played the five. I'm sick of him, you know. And of course, Kyrie Irving is Kyrie Irving, but you know, uh Golden State in San Antonio the other night. I don't know if you all watching, the big man Wimbayama shows some skill set that I haven't seen. And Ralph Sampson, I mean when he was in college, he was 7-4, but he did not have the skill set that this Wimby Yama he clowned Raymond Green, he shot in threes, and they lost that. That was the game of the year. Golden State hit uh Curry hit a late three in San Antonio. So uh yeah, he goes early, man. The West is brutal. Now the East. I know we're running against the East gentleman.
SPEAKER_02:Seven and four and shoot a three off with dribble. Insane.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. That's right, that's right. Uh Milwaukee's down, Milan. We seem to be better without Trey Young. I'm not I'm not convinced that Joel and B, even though I love Maxi, but is it just the two team, two, two, two-team league in the East with the Knicks and uh and uh uh and oh hell I forget the other one. But go ahead on the East real quick.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, Boston, when they get healthy, we'll see what they look like. Because Boston is still gonna be a problem when they're healthy, but they're not. Um we don't I don't know. I still think Milwaukee right now is gonna be the best team in the East for a little bit. But the NBA season is so long, it's hard the in November, it's really hard to get a grasp of the league, in my opinion, until right after the all-star break. That's when you really get to see what team is healthy enough to make it into the playoffs, what team is limping along when their players come back. Are they gonna come back for enough of the season to matter? If Kyrie Irving comes back in January and makes a run, great. If not, they just call it a season. I mean, you still have the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will be a problem in the playoffs. They're hard to play. They're hard to play sometimes. So there's a lot of teams out there that you that you're gonna see kind of develop, and I'm curious to see how they develop.
SPEAKER_01:Well, Marlon and John, I love the Knicks, man. I love the what they're doing with Coach Brown. I love Thibodeau at the time, but his bench was weak. It's garbage, seven or eight players. But what Brown's doing up there with New York, even though uh Brunson's hurt, you keep an eye on them on the East. Big City, the league is better when the Lakers and the Knicks are winning. You guys know that. But I just had to bring up the East, you know, and take it from there. But go ahead, Marlon. This is good stuff.
SPEAKER_00:100%. 100%. Okay. All right. Well, shoot, that's all I got for you guys. You got anything else uh for us, uh John or Doc before we get out of here?
SPEAKER_02:Um, I think we're gonna see a really good game. The really fun part, if you want to watch this game, uh the big Cowboys Eagles game, we're gonna see if the Dallas Cowboys can finally stop the run. I think it's gonna be really interesting because they're going against Saquon and the Eagles, a team that traditionally has been able to run. Well, Saquon at the Eagles has been a nightmare for them. If they fix the run, this is gonna be a really good game because now it's a battle of wills over what team can dominate on what side of the ball. If the Cowboys can be a mid-level defense, I mean, if they can move up and just control that point total and let Dak do what he does, I think that the Cowboys win. If not, if the defense falters, Eagles come home with the win.
SPEAKER_01:All right. Well, we we talked about it, man. You know, uh, I want to see if Indicos are for real in our head against uh the great one, number 15. And of course, living out here, Marlon and John, the Rams are the number one thing out here. And I want to see what Baker Mayfield could do from the NFC South on the road against Stafford, you know. So we we touched on it a lot. So yeah. I ain't got nothing else.
SPEAKER_02:Both East Coast to West Coast games are hard, just like the East Coast to uh West Coast to East Coast games are hard on them. I don't think Tampa Bay pulls that off.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. That's right. Uh as far as college, there's nothing really going on this week. Next week is the Thanksgiving thing with Texan and Texas, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Auburn. So we're gonna leave that alone for the sake of time. But that's all I got out here, fellas. Thank you. Thank you, John. All right.
SPEAKER_00:Appreciate you for joining, John. We'll catch you guys next week. Peace. Peace.