Press Release
NFL Veterans Allen Robinson and Prince Amukamara discuss each week's NFL lineup while giving unique insight into the behind the scenes operations of the league.
Press Release
Press Release Podcast Ep 5: Old Rivalries, New Lessons
On this episode, Allen Robinson & Prince Amukamara talk OMarion Hampton, Jaxson Dart, and Ben Johnson.
Allen & Prince cover Sunday Night Football, Injuries at Metlife, Malik Nabers, Nick Bosa, Ben Johnson Liam Coen, Chiefs vs Ravens and much more happening in NFL week this week.
Yo, what's good is wide receiver, Pro Bowl wide receiver Allen Robinson with my co-host, Super Bowl champion, Prince Amukamura. What's good, man? I said let's get it started quick. I heard that you was uh you were saying that Penn State didn't really have a chance. That's what it sounded like to me when you said that y'all was talking about how are you and how y'all were evaluating the game.
SPEAKER_00:Oh no, I didn't know.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. I'm just making sure there's some respect.
SPEAKER_00:I told you, I told you I was rolling with Penn State because remember you rolled with Nebraska. Oh, you ain't gotta roll with us. You ain't gotta roll with us. But even if I wasn't, y'all proved me right, man.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we did. Tough game, tough game, man. You know, um, but it's early, you know, at the end of the day, college football is a little bit new now, and I know we don't talk a lot about college football, but you know, it's not many teams out there that's going undefeated seasons now, just based on the conferences, based on the schedules, you know, who's playing who, and so on and so forth. So it's still early in the season, you know. I think we can kind of build off of that and try to find our identity a little bit. I think we did late in that game, and it was uh kind of a little bit of a two-minute mode, if you will, um, where we kind of got in the rhythm. So I'm looking forward to see our offense and rhythm. I thought our defense played phenomenal, played a great first half. And when you don't capitalize on how well your defense is playing and holding a team to three points and a half, it makes it extremely tough. You know, um a touchdown or a touchdown in the field goal, you know, 13-3 changes the entire dynamics of that game. Um, with them being on the roll, loud, hostile environment, having to make calls, you know, being in a more past predominant type offense. But unfortunately, you know, our offense didn't really put it together.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you said it, man. And I mean, yeah, I I I don't think it's like you said earlier in the season, I don't think it's time to press the panic button. I mean, y'all y'all lost to a top seven, top eight team, and um and I I'm sure you guys are still in like you guys are still ranked, right? I'm sure I mean you guys have to still be ranked. You guys are still top okay. Yeah, however, it does look good for Oregon um when being considered for the playoffs and seatings and stuff like that. Like that, like that, that was a great win. Hostile environment, like you said, what was it, white out or something? Yeah, black shoes. Yeah, did you wear the black shoes? Is that tradition? What is it?
SPEAKER_01:You have to. They don't give out no other cleats.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, so it's really like old school type stuff.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, like you're only getting black cleats. Like they don't, they don't have and they don't have no other cleats. I mean, and if you and if you was to go out and buy your own, come on, fam. Like, come on.
SPEAKER_00:Even now, even now in the NIL era, yeah, man.
SPEAKER_01:Black cleats, bruh. Black cleats.
SPEAKER_00:Wow.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I think I think someone's gonna someone's gonna change that.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, we're going to Adidas, we're going to Adidas next year, but so we'll see. We'll see. But I'm gonna get I'm gonna I'm gonna get into it, man. Um also you said it's not time to hit the panic button, and we have a a couple teams, one in particular later in the show, that I I want to hit the panic button for right now. But uh, let's talk Sunday night football. Um, a big common theme for that game was new team, old face, new team to Green Bay Packers, old face to Dallas Cowboys, uh Micah Parsons. Um, have you ever been able to play against your old team or have you had any experience playing against your old team? And what's that like? And I mean, because I had the same, probably a very similar feeling as far as playing against my old team. So I'll let you kind of describe to the fans like what's that like?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's um my old team was was was the Giants, and so I was on the Bears, and we was the biggest thing. Like my our defense was good, so it's like it's like seeing your old girl, but now you got a you got like a bad like because our our our our defense was popping, and so when we when we go over there, like so you were going into the game. Yes, yes, I know because I'm I'm I got Khalil Mac, like I got I got Eddie Jackson, I got Kyfula, I got Akeem Hicks, I got Trevat, and I got all these guys, and um, and I know we popping right now.
SPEAKER_01:We went we lost that game, didn't we?
SPEAKER_00:We lost that game, yes, and I was sick.
SPEAKER_01:I was sick, but that was my next that was my next question.
SPEAKER_00:But just going into the fan, going to the stands, I mean going going into the stadium, you see the fans, and it's all love because all they know, they don't know Prince who who used to get blah blah blah, like who used to get who used to get who used to get no say they don't know the prince who used to get worked out there, they just they just remember Super Bowl champion print. But for the people that are still there, yes, don't don't treat me like I'm that prince from 2015. I'm on a I'm on a different level now. Like I'm I'm a I'm a new year, new year. Yes, I'm a new dude, and so and and I I did my thing, man. I got I guard guarded Odell, um guard, I think they had Sterling Chef, I mean Eli Eli and stuff like that. And and and that was the first year, and then the second year they came to our house, we won. And I remember yeah, and I remember I had a game winning, I had a game winning PBU, and I said I said something like I said, Eli, Eli, like I was screaming it at their sideline, like, yeah, that's what's up.
SPEAKER_01:Don't come at it don't come out. I love it. I um the first game that I played was actually I was I was on the Bears as well, and we played against Jacksonville. Um I don't think you was there. I think I think that was yeah, um, going to Jacksonville, man, it was um we stayed in a hotel, I believe, that we used to do camp at. So for me, it was my first time being being in J Bill, and I felt like I I I grew up a little bit in Jacksonville. Um, you know, I was drafted when I was 20. Um, so I couldn't even like legally drink, you know, when I first came to Jacksonville. I was like, I was I was like a kid low-key. So um, and just knowing everything, you know, there's there's records and stuff that I have in Jacksonville, so I had a great experience. So for me, going back there, man, um, it was a it was a surreal feeling, and you know, um, because I had played there before, I was a I was a game day captain. So um, I mean, that's what a lot of coaches do from time to time, where if you're either going to a city that you're you know, maybe are from or have played in or something like that, then a coach will name you a captain if you're not a full-time captain. Typically, it's three captains, um, sometimes more than that. But so I was a captain for that game. So, you know, when you're going there, you get to the stadium, you know, you you have so familiar, so much familiarity with the stadium, you know. You see even the same trainers, strength coaches, you know, for me, security guards there. Yeah, yeah. It was a coach, uh, it was a coach named Big Said. Well, well, that's what we called him in Jacksonville. So I saw him before the game, you know. We we talked, we spoke. Some of the trainers, um, obviously, before I had got to Jacksonville, you know, they they helped me rehab, you know, my ACL, you know, which is a very, you know, uh tough situation for myself. So, you know, it was a lot of roots in Jacksonville, man. And sure enough, man, I went that thing where I had about 10 for 120, something like that. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That's a perfect scenario. I do I remember I remember, and then also how players how players act, like like were you dapping up the other players before the game? Because I remember when Jalen was on the Rams, it was a lot of guys.
SPEAKER_01:Nah, it wasn't too many guys that I knew and that I had still played. Um, it was a couple, it was a couple, but it wasn't that many. But uh, but yeah, sure enough, man. Um, I did my thing. I remember talking to said after the game, he said, Hey man, did your coach like purposely, like you know, I'm saying, like, since this was Jacksonville, I said, Hey man, that was just the game plan, you know. I ain't really asking questions. I seen the game plan for us. It was kind of like if we won the last couple games, we would get into the playoffs, you know. So I was in go mode, you know, in the in that last quarter of the season, and sure enough, man, Jacksonville got it. Um, and then I've done that a couple more times. Um, I've had some pretty good success against my former teams. Um, I beat who did I beat?
SPEAKER_00:I beat uh I beat Chicago um when I was in Detroit last year.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, oh yeah, that's Chicago when I was in Detroit last year. Um, when I was in Pittsburgh, we beat the Rams. Um, so you know, so so a lot of the teams that I played for, you know, I've been able to line up and get a dub against them. And and to be honest, I mean it feels good, you know. Just I mean, winning in the league always feels good, but particularly going against your old team, you know, it it feels great.
SPEAKER_00:So um and that's where I was going. Like I'm old teammates. I remember Jalen. I try to dab Jalen up Ramsey, and he was and he was not like nothing. And I'm and then after the game, he was like, I'm like, Dang, what's up? He said, Come on, P. You know I don't dab, you know, I don't say nothing but before the game, like you, you like you my enemy and stuff. I'm like, all right, I I respect that. So I wonder if Michael was like that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, yeah, he was actually. Um, oh, they said it. They said he didn't come out in like pregame warmups, he only he came out when he had his pads on, you know, and he came out a little bit later as well. So I mean he said he was out there for like 13 minutes that he didn't talk to anybody of the Cowboys before the game or or nothing like that. So he kind of he kind of went that route, and to that magnitude with everything that kind of transpired and how it took place, as far as him not getting his contract, him being traded, you know, I could I could definitely understand that, but you know, we'll we'll keep it in that division. Um, injuries at MetLife. Um, I mean, you're a person who played at MetLife and played you know a significant amount of time at MetLife. Um, is it just like is it is it is it what is it, man? Because I mean people continuously get hurt now. You hear players you know come out and say that that field in particular, a lot of guys have been hurt on, you know, um giants players and other players, you know. I mean, just to name a few in the last recent years has been Malik Neighbors, Aaron Rodgers, and Nick Bosa, you know, and that's just and that's just off the top of my head. I was I was I was on Twitter today, I saw uh Victor Cruz. Um, it was a lot of names on there, man. And I mean the question topic of discussion is always grass versus turf. But what do you think? Is it that turf in particular, or is it just bad luck?
SPEAKER_00:Man, this is gonna be an unpopular opinion, but I actually like playing on turf. And so I had I I had I had no no problems, no problems with it. And again, you gotta understand as a DB, like my movements are a little bit different than a receiver's in a sense of you guys run full speed, straight ahead, you know, you know, side to side, yeah, you you know where you're going and stuff like that. And so I mean I I don't know, I I enjoyed playing on turf, but yes, it just so happens that a lot of injuries has been happening at Mad Life. And um I think they're I think they mentioned they're already going to address it and make it grasp, but what's crazy is is that there's a lot of other fields when I was playing that wasn't that wasn't the best. Like we knew um Chicago isn't like this anymore, but we knew Chicago and Washington.
SPEAKER_01:We knew that when we went there, yeah, we're gonna have to wait exactly and and and to the audience, what seven star cleats are, it's a longer form of cleat that you screw in. You know, you like literally take like a little tool and you screw the cleat in. I'm not gonna lie to you, those aren't the most comfortable cleats because it's like a plate that go in that that like goes into it that the cleats screw into, but your regular uh your regular molded cleats are just regular length with like a mold plate on the bottom, but screw ins are pretty long, um, like metal studs.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. And you're you're not forced to one, but the coach said, Hey, coaches would say, Hey, if you slip, like like Dan Campbell told us last year playing it playing against uh Green Bay Packers.
SPEAKER_01:He said, Um, it was gonna be wet. He said, anybody that's in the game, if you do not have on seven studs and you slip, you coming out the game.
SPEAKER_00:See, exactly.
SPEAKER_01:So you know, so coaches kind of coaches kind of you know force guys into that, but you know, you say that you stay pretty healthy on turf. I actually had uh a difference uh of opinion on that based on I was the opposite, you know. I didn't really I didn't, I didn't, I didn't have, I mean, not to say that I was unhealthy on turf, but um, and this could be coincidental, but uh when I tore my ACL, it was in Houston, uh, third player of the game. You know, um, I broke my foot when I was in LA. It was the most turf games I had played on uh in my entire career, you know, dating back to high school and college, I played on grass and I had a stretch fracture. So um for me, I think that when you start talking about man, you get that extra traction on turf. And when you're playing at 20, 21 miles an hour, like when I would go back and watch Malik Neighbor's injury, you know, I'm saying he's 45 yards down the field, he's probably running 21 miles an hour, and now he's trying to stop and desail. Yeah, so when you're gaining that extra traction, um it can be it can higher the the a risk of injury. Same with a Rod, you know, a Rod's dropping back. Granted, we've saw people when they get in these kind of situations. Um, we you know, obviously you're vulnerable at any point in time, but in on turf, it's a little bit different. Same same with Nick Bosa, you know, and these are all for the most part non-contact or lightly contact injuries. And again, I think it's the the friction of turf, and the real topic of discussion here, though, is the fields that are gonna be used for the World Cup, like MetLife, they'll have grass for that. So the conversation of whatever the issue is and whatever it may be, um, as to why they don't for the NFL games, but when the World Cup comes to New York, uh, they're gonna have grass.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think because I mean, obviously, you gotta follow the money. I think there's money involved, it's different, yeah. So, yeah, I mean there's money involved when you lose your player, though.
SPEAKER_01:You lose these players, so but I was also telling somebody, man, what for whatever reason I feel like the NFL likes the parody of the league, like next man up, like like the NFL don't really care about injuries, you know. I'm saying, like, I imagine for the World Cup, you know, some of these soccer players have such a strong draw, you know, um, that they're they really want to prevent guys from from injury because they're paying these dudes a crazy amount of money, you know. Again, as opposed to it's the next man up. Like, if you'll if your team get hurt, it's like whatever you know, they bottom line don't change. Looks like Jay-Z said, you know, you can go 0 for 82, yeah. And when you look at your bottom line, it look crazy when you are uh uh owner. So all right, did you see some of we had you know first time coaches this this week in particular? Man, they brought the juice. We had Ben Johnson, Liam Cohen. Did you see the videos of both of those? Ben Johnson, it was a reporter um at halftime. And I saw a lot of people talking about just kind of how he spoke about it, but I don't think he was all that out of pocket, you know. Um, one, I don't think he could really hear, and like all and like the the a reporter, she was trying to be coy, just saying, like, well, you need to change some stuff, you know, kind of in a in a in a joking sense, you know. And Ben is one of those dudes where, like I said before, I've referred to him on this show. Ben kind of like Dr. Jekylls, you know, he's such in game mo, right? He's not thinking of you know somebody joking or something like that. Yeah, don't you see those?
SPEAKER_00:I didn't see it, but were they down? What are we doing? What what is there to joke about? What we doing? Yeah, and they were actually come out of half unless you unless you have a relationship with like you know, unless you have like a relationship with him.
SPEAKER_01:Well, her joke was to Ben Johnson, um, that they need to do something different in the second half, and you know, Ben didn't take that uh lightheart.
SPEAKER_00:What do you say?
SPEAKER_01:We just oh yeah, oh yeah, like we do, we do. He was like, Nah, we're gonna get it right, we're gonna get it right. And he kind of just stared her down, you know. Um, but he kind of spoke to it, and it's like you know, it's such a competitive business in nature, to whereas you know, everybody is. I don't think, and again, let me to the fans on game day, you're talking about 53 players versus 53 players, coaching staff, and everybody on a field where jobs, livelihoods, and everything is on the line, and 95 to 98 of these dudes are like super alpha competitive, you know. I'm saying don't want to lose at anything, you know. So it's not many jokes being cracked. I know sometimes you might see in a team being up or something in a blowout, you might see dudes joking on the sideline. But man, when you get inside those locker rooms on game day, you either have some music jumping or it's silent, it's silent, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no improvement.
SPEAKER_01:And typically the music going is earlier in that day as guys are filling into the locker room and so on and so forth. But as you get closer to kickoff, dudes have their headphones on, it's silent, you know. It's it's it's all business, and down in oh Sam in San Francisco, uh the the Liam Cohen and Robert Salah, um Robert uh Co Sala made a comment this week to say that uh Liam Cohen and staff has a very good legal legal legal sign stealing system, is what he said. And you being a defensive player, because at the end of the day, on offense, you might see some dudes throw their hands up or some on defense based on a certain look or check, and you know that they may be getting to zone, but on defense, do y'all have people come in and tell y'all like certain signals, or do y'all have somebody that's like, hey, this is these signals, or have you ever seen somebody, you know, I'm saying eye in some signals to that? Obviously, you know, we're talking about in in the uh legal sense, but like how does that go over? Because I know some coaches are super particular about not showing signs and stuff on TV.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, if I'm on the if I'm on the the only time that would happen is if I'm on the Niners and a a receiver just got cut from Jacksonville, we pick the receiver up, whether on waivers or whatever we signed the receiver on. But then the receiver is telling us, hey, this is what a coach Coach Cohen does, and he like this means this means this. Hey, Trevor Lawrence likes this. And then so if he's on the sideline, he said, Prince, Prince, Prince, like that's the only time. But coaches, I think if a coach gets that information and they know if a defensive coach gets that information, um, that they know what the offense is gonna call, they're just gonna call the right play for that and hopefully expect us to play that to execute that play.
SPEAKER_01:So you feel Robert Salah was capped a little bit. Um some people said that he was trying to, you know, he was playing chess, trying to possibly get them to change their signals or something like that, or trying to try to be a step ahead of the game to make to make it seem like you know that he was like on to them or whatever. So Robert Sala said at the end of the game, uh him and Coach Cohen had a brief encounter, and Sala said he was trying to give him credit. Liam Cohen wasn't trying to hear that, and then Salah Sala wasn't trying to hear what Liam Cohen was talking about.
SPEAKER_00:Well, think about it, man. Think about you. You try to you try to give somebody props and they play you off, like, nah, man, like wow, I was actually trying to be the bigger dude.
SPEAKER_01:Listen, listen, I'm a competitive guy, I love it, I love it, I love it. I wish he was I wish you know what I'm saying, like to see a competitive coach, you know, and and as a player who's been around Ben Johnson to see how competitive I tell people all the time watching Ben on the sideline when he's dialing up calls against the opposing deep coordinator. Well, in Detroit, he was looking them in their eyes across the sideline. Like, yeah, yeah. We was I remember against Seattle, we ran a deep cross, and Jamison Williams had like a 70-yard touchdown, and he's literally on the sideline looking over there, popping this like call blitz zero again, call blitz zero again. Oh, I like that was so dumb. I dare you to do it again. That's how Ben is, and as an offensive player, when I see that, I'm like, Oh, yeah, yeah, turn me up. Hey, he always if if he's on that and he's acting for that, because you know, some teams, man, when teams run blitz zero, I ain't gonna lie to you. Some offense that I've been on, it always seemed to me when teams ran blitz zero that we were literally trying to get a blade of grass. Now he's always be like, Man, let's let's block this thing up and go deep. You feel me? And when you have coordinators like Ben Johnson, um, that's what he brings to the table is he wants to try to get you in blitz zero. He knows that nobody has any help. If he can dial it up correctly, he'll be poised for a big play. Sometimes in the NFL, it can be tough to dial up certain beaters and stuff if you're just getting zones, you have to dink and dunk. So you want to kind of make a team get a little aggressive so you could, you know, you could swing for the fences, and that's and that's what Ben does.
SPEAKER_00:I like that though. I never I feel like most of our O Cs and DCs are usually the ones I play for, are usually up in the box. So I'm not seeing that uh that that grit, that attitude. I mean, it's like he's playing Madden, yeah, yeah. And and talking and and and talking on the um what the kids do online or whatever.
SPEAKER_01:Literally, and that's how and that's how Ben is. That's how Ben is. But to the segment, I'm bringing it back this week. People rocked with it last week. The BTA segment. Oh for the BTA segment this week, it's Chiefs, Ravens, and the Ravens. Man, they got BTA, yeah, and mind you, that's a good team, but that's a team that I also we just spoke earlier in the show. You said it's not time to hit the alarm for Penn State, but for the Ravens, I'm hitting it right now. But I'm not hitting it off of the sheer fact of what's going on with them. Lamar Jackson went out with an injury, uh, Roquan Smith went out with an injury. Uh Arlen Humphrey went out with an injury. Um, I believe one other guy went out for an injury as well. So when you kind of factor it all in, based on who the Baltimore Ravens have played this season, I still wouldn't be hitting the alarm if they had lost, just because they played some really, really good teams, man. And it's not too many teams that have played week one Buffalo Bills. And then you play against the uh Detroit Lions, you know, and then you'll then your losses against the kids, like their three losses against Buffalo, the Lions, and the Chiefs. Nobody cares, they're the Ravens. I mean, you're right, you're right. But my thing is that but if if it wasn't for the injuries, I wouldn't hit the alarm button. But that's why I'm hitting the alarm. Oh, because of the injuries, because of the injuries, and now they're kind of they're already digging themselves into a hole. As you know, teams that are one and three uh to start the first quarter of the season, the chances of them going to the playoffs is extremely low. So for you, it's such a big game. Obviously, it's not to say that they can't, but they will be digging themselves out of a hole the rest of the year. Now, with Lamar being injured, possibly having to be sidelined a game or two. Uh, Roquan Smith, same with him. He's gonna possibly have to be sidelined. These are these are all pro players, like these aren't just same Marlon Humphrey, Pro Bowl player. These are guys that you know it's already been an uphill battle with those guys, and now they're out in the division that they're in. It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be tough.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it is, and man, and it's like, do you try to like sign people to kind of salvage? I mean, I just wonder what their salary cap is. I'm looking ahead to next year. I know Derrick Henry, I think he signed something, but yeah, that whole room might change. I mean, I feel like this was the year you were close last year, yeah. This this was the year, it's gonna be different, man.
SPEAKER_01:And that's how it is in the NFL, man. When you get so close sometime, people just think you can tweak something here, tweak something there, and you'll be able to put yourself in the same position. But as we know, in the NFL, typically the more healthier teams win, you know. At the at the parade last year for the Philadelphia Eagles, their training staff was holding a sign that said 21 of 21 of 22 of our day one starters play in the Super Bowl.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_01:So when you have that, uh, typically you're that healthy at the end of the year, you're gonna be the better team, and they were significantly the better team.
SPEAKER_00:100. I mean, and you learned that last year when you were at the Lions, yeah, where you guys weren't healthy, and again, not making excuses, but had you had, I think Aiden was one of those guys, and we had 16 guys on defense alone on IR, sixteen, and still made it as far as as far as y'all did. Yeah, the healthy team um is usually the more successful team, and and that was such a terrible feeling.
SPEAKER_01:That's what everybody last year in Detroit felt like we were on a cliff and slowly losing grip. Every time we would win a big game, we would lose one player, we would lose two players, we would lose another player, you know. So we're winning big games, but a lot of our players yeah, I I heard Jack Campbell kind of speak to earlier in the season. Um, man, I don't think I had ever been a part of a game like this last year, Thanksgiving. Uh, we had we maybe signed four players uh off the street, and they came in and played right away, and we won that game. Yep, we won that game. So um, when you have situations like that, that's extremely rare. And and as you saw last year, it was so hard for us to be able to hang on to that all year. But um, I'm gonna move on to the next segment, which is my probably my favorite uh game balls to give out this week, man. Um, uh we have a few. Um, the first one that I'm giving to is Michael Penix. Uh Falcons beat the commanders. Uh, we spoke last week to they talked about some of the adjustments that they were gonna make with the past game coordinator, bringing the offensive coordinator Zach Robinson out of the box. We did, yeah. And it and it seemed to work for them this week. Um, obviously, you have a commanders team that's a little bit beat up on their offense. They were without uh Jaden Daniels and also Terry McLaurin, but still a good team. Uh Dan Quinn, their head coach, is a defensive guy. You know, obviously he's gonna have that defense uh ready to go most times than not, but the Falcons end up, you know, shaking back. And in that division, in that AFC South division, I think the Falcons, I don't want to say by far, because I mean obviously Tampa, they have a lot of talent too, and they're very close and experienced. But when it comes to sheer talent, man, Bajan Robinson, you know, he's he he's probably running the best out of everybody in the in the NFL. Obviously, uh their coach as well said that he was the best player, not only in the division and on the field, but in the league. You know, so when you have Raheem saying stuff like that as the head coach, then you know the kind of value he brings. And then you have Michael Penix Jr., you have Darnell Mooney, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jesse Bates. You know, they have a lot of talent over there, so I think they're gonna continue to get it pushed in the right direction. Um, I'll go to the next game ball, man. This dude has been doing it for so long. Actually, this one is a tandem. Uh Matthew Stafford and Puka 350, three chubs, the Rams over the Ravens. I think I think Puka finished with maybe 170. Um, I saw he broke a record this week for or he's close to a record for like most catches through the amount of games that he has. Um, those dudes are balling. Uh, did you see the receiver? Uh I don't I I forget how to uh say his first name, but his last name is Mitchell. I want to say Adane Mitchell, I believe. I might be butchering his name.
SPEAKER_00:Adonai. Adonai. There we go. That's God's that's God's name or whatever. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So did you see his 75-yard play? Tried to switch hands, and the ball were at the back of the end zone for a touchback. Granted, that wasn't the play that lost them the game. Yes, that did happen uh in the game because Daniel Jones is also on my radar again for possibly getting a game ball. But man, watching Matthew Stafford and Puka Nakua play, man, they're they're so in tune and in rhythm with each other. Um, Matthew Stafford, when it comes to sheer arm talent, is still second second and none. Yeah, yeah. He man, his arm angles, the type of pockets that he can. I watched him throw an 88-yard touchdown to tutu at well, man.
SPEAKER_00:And they said that that was the longest his longest touchdown of his career.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, I can't believe that he just dropped it right in his hands. And when you see those plays being made, man, you can't help but love it and respect it, man, because Matthew Stafford is still playing at a high level. Um, I got a question pertaining to the Rams a little bit later in the show. So um get your thoughts together because I do want to revisit the LA Rams, man, because they're hot right now and they're and they're and they're rolling.
SPEAKER_00:But to game boy, I'm gonna ask you this real quick. Is is Stanford Hall of Famer right now? Oh, yeah, easily.
SPEAKER_01:Easily. No question.
SPEAKER_00:First ballot. First ballot.
SPEAKER_01:First ballot, easily.
SPEAKER_00:First, first ballot.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I believe so.
SPEAKER_00:Come on, bro. You know how hard it is. Eli. All right, never mind.
SPEAKER_01:Listen, you asked the question. I mean, I want to hear your thoughts. You don't think so?
SPEAKER_00:I I believe it's a hall of famer, but because Eli. I I want to see where I want to see where the how the number stacks because Eli didn't get Eli didn't get first battle hall of fame. So but yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But I also feel like Matthew Stafford at this age is still playing at an extremely high level. You know, um, he's playing some of the best football that he's played in his career, you know, and differently, I think that Stafford kind of took some of his lumps early in his career. He did when he built a lot of yards and different things like that to stick to team statistics and team achievements. I think he's been able to do in LA. You know, I thought they've won the division um a good amount of time, you know, they've been to the Super Bowl, they've won the Super Bowl. So um, I think that he's continuing to build on that, may give him a little bit of an advantage when it comes to that, in my opinion. Because again, the way that Staff, the way that Matthew Stafford is playing, he can play two or three more seasons, you know, as long as they get him up right and he stays healthy. So he's gonna continuously pad to his stats and add to what he's already done. But um this team that's a part of getting the game ball. You you said you had you said you had some heat for me uh today, but Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs gotta give it to um, you know, they they put it together, they played well. Um, he got guys involved. Um, and they you know they were also in our segment earlier of uh of BTA, but Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in particular played played extremely well.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, now so do you take your words back? Yeah, I think he had over 250 yards, and you you're saying they need a receiver's call.
SPEAKER_01:Basically, call me, man.
SPEAKER_00:They haven't had a receiver have 100 yards all year, but it's by committee, everybody's just getting loved. They don't need one, he's throwing 270 yards, 270 yards. So, what so what if he threw what if he threw 50 yards to 10 different people, 500 yards? They still need a call, they still need a call for a receiver.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna say that in that game, they wouldn't have had many explosive plays at all. Okay, what 100 yards brings to the table most of the time, and as you have somebody that means that somebody is out there being able to create chunk plays, right? When you don't have that, you get into the situation right now where you're you know, I mean, obviously, Kansas City Chiefs, they've they've they've won some games, but at the end of the day, when everybody continuously talks about well, their offense just doesn't look the same, it looks stagnant, it looks whatever, they're missing explosive plays.
SPEAKER_00:So when you so when you have I don't know, where are the where were they? I mean, what's your guys' goal as an offense to get because we're I think we we're trying to limit you guys to like five on defense, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I want to say on offense, typically it's about seven. You want to get about five, five passes, two runs, two runs, some, some, some it may be more, but again, for for me, it's when you have that player that's dictating coverage and dictating different things and creating those explosives because that's what you want to do. I mean, whenever you have an explosive play or a 20-yard play, let's let's say let's use 20 yards. I was gonna say 20 plus, a 20-yard play is a fifth of the field that you would gain in one play based on the kick return. Now, teams are getting the ball at the 35-yard line, you know, with one explosive play on that drive, the chances of you scoring on that drive go up significantly, just based on that. So, you want to create explosives, and for them, that's kind of what they've been missing. That's why I always say receiver, it's like, yeah, this here by committee is is nice, but you're also struggling a little bit with explosive plays, and and we know it's not the easiest to win when you're lacking explosives.
SPEAKER_00:Very true. I agree with that.
SPEAKER_01:For my last game ball of today, I'm giving it to CJ Stroud for the Houston Texans.
SPEAKER_00:Finally got a win.
SPEAKER_01:They finally got a win, man. And um, they've been overdue. I don't know if you saw earlier in this week, uh Lederia Sneed called out Nico Collins. Well, he didn't call him out per se, but the media asked Ladarius Sneed about Collins, and he said, Who was that? Yeah, so and mind you though, but but it was more so you know what I'm saying? He was kind of poking the bear a little bit, and yeah, of course. Not because it was that big of a deal, but as a DB, have you ever did that? No, why not?
SPEAKER_00:I was living because I didn't need to, man.
SPEAKER_01:You never called nobody out.
SPEAKER_00:You never you never poked no bears that you were gonna play them every for the most part of where I send them no peptobismol or something like that. The coach was like, We do not need to give any whiteboard material, meaning, don't give them nothing they're gonna post on the whiteboard and talk about and laddie laddie that this game's already hard enough. I'm good on all that. Basically, I mean, you could say I didn't want no smoke, I'm good. I'm gonna create the smoke on the field, I'm gonna create the smoke on the field. Okay, I don't, but that's crazy that he did that, and so and and Nico showed out, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_01:Um, I mean, he had a good game, he had like 70 plus yards, but you know, I mean, Nico is a he's a stand-up guy, man. He said that the most important thing was him was them winning the game, which they did, and it was good to see them bounce back, man. For whatever reason, um CJ Stroud hasn't looked the same this year. Um, and I'm trying to figure out why. I know they changed play calling at some point, I think that's been a factor, but I mean, coming off his rookie year, you know, everybody thought that he was gonna you know take off. Um, but uh it's not always the same for quarterbacks. Obviously, we've seen uh Jaden Daniels struggling a little bit more this year than he did last year because as you as the look gets out on you as a quarterback and defenses have more time to scout for you, uh it what they're gonna give you is a little bit different, you know. Um, right, and and I'll use that to to segue into this next topic because I want to continue to talk about this, but Jackson. All right, let me let me uh I jump the gun there. The next segment is fantasy or reality personally so and I'll ask you this fantasy or reality? Jackson Dark will turn around the giant season, reality, man.
SPEAKER_00:It's it's just crazy. First of all, I want to I want to give you your props.
SPEAKER_01:Before that, I want you to think about this too. Think about what changing the season looks like in your 100%. Because I asked you that and and changing turning around the giant season because yeah, your turnaround may be a little bit different from the fans, but I I I appreciate you, you know, acknowledging what I what I've said now over the past.
SPEAKER_00:And and and you've I think you've had experience with that, and you're on the offensive side. So I'm giving you your props because it's not like you were calling for Russ to be benched. You were you were just saying, like, hey, this doesn't look like it's working. I think it's time to just take a look at at Jackson. And um, Debo, Coach Day Bo heard, and and it did work out from the it's just it's so crazy when you get a new guy because everyone could all the fans can be like, Man, how come they're playing so different? Or it just looks like a hungry team. The defense is eating, and that's the thing. As a defender, when I hear we're getting a new quarterback, or even if we have a backup quarterback, our job is to create turnovers. Let's let's let's give the offense a great field position, let's help them become successful. So you see Dexter Lawrence almost had a big man uh touchdown and stuff like that. And you see, I mean, that's a great three and oh, or now they're three and one, but a great chargers team.
SPEAKER_01:Bang banged up chargers team, banged up chargers team.
SPEAKER_00:I'm saying you still have Justin Herbert, you still have I agree, I agree. You still have Keenan, you still have Ladd. Um, like you still got Quinn Johnson also, man.
SPEAKER_01:I I want to take the time out here, man, to highlight Quinn Johnson because I think he's played really well, man. He has some struggles, he has some struggles early on, but he was a first round receiver, so you know what the expectations are for those guys, man. But he's really picking it up. You can see you can see the confidence building within him and how he's playing, you know. Um, and it's good to see it's good to see a guy be able to you know bounce back and compartmentalize, you know, maybe some early struggles or early drops in their career, but be able to shake back. But back to the Jackson dart. I I say that because you know how it is, man. As soon as you get a full game of film on you now, coaches and things like that, they're gonna be able to game in you, and and I'm not and not saying that you know that he can't continue to do what he did, but I mean, turning around a season in that division, in that conference is not easy by any means. So, I mean, um what do you see as as a turnaround season? Like what would what would be the definition to you of a season that's that has been turnaround?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I from a betting persp from a betting perspective, usually they're they were they were the dogs, and I think they were gonna be the dogs in all the games. Now I think they're gonna I think there's gonna be some games where they might be favored.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, and and so because going in going into last week, they weren't favored. I don't think in their in their next. I think the only game going into the season maybe this weren't favored in was the Saints. I think they were favored in the Saints game going into the season, but last week I don't think they were. That may have now changed, but I know going into last week they were not favored. Uh, this was before the Jackson Dart move with with Russell Wilson, they weren't favored to win their next, I want to say six uh six to seven games, right?
SPEAKER_00:And you're and you're right, like what D coordinators love to do against Ricky rookie quarterbacks is blitz, yeah. So and and now that teams know that okay, this man skedaddles this man, this man can run a little bit.
SPEAKER_01:Russian rules are gonna change.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:No, it'll probably be a little bit more, it'll probably be more TEs, yes, exactly. And again, for the for the people who for the fans who don't know what TEs are, that's tackling and stunts. Um I mean, Prince as the defensive guy, I'll let you kind of describe that a little bit more. Um, does that change coverage on the back end at all?
SPEAKER_00:Or or like no, no, no, we still run when we run, yeah, yeah. We'll still run when we run, but yeah, I mean it's it's gonna be interesting. But I want I know this wasn't exciting, but I wanted to hit on this a little bit. What it's like being on a zero and three, zero and two team. The cloud is falling there, like there's no there's no laughing, there's not really joking. I mean, coaches might do it to to kind of liven things up if he just feels like everybody's head is down, but it's like we're oh every oh and three, it's it's not good. Listen, we we need to get a win.
SPEAKER_01:One thing that I've learned in this league and in this business is losing is depressing. So when you 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, man, it's depressing, man. The season seems to be so long, the days are the days seem to be longer. Yeah, when you wake, and then on top of that, as you get to the winner, you lose and getting smacked, you wake up, it's dark outside, you go home, it's dark outside. You know, it it it all be bad, man, when you're on those losing teams. But yeah, I'ma switch gears here because it's funny. You must have looked at the topic list today, but um, going to the other side of the spectrum is AJ Brown, yeah. Fantasy or reality. This is the last dance for AJ Brown.
SPEAKER_00:Man, I I don't I don't know where I fall on this because I mean a couple of weeks ago he had a he had a great game, he was featured a lot.
SPEAKER_01:Um, he had a crypt cryptic tweet that came out, and I say that because we just spoke to being on the 0 2 0 3 team, he's on a 4-0 team. Yes, he is, and and we just said how look how depressing losing is, and he's been winning, but he doesn't seem to be the happiest. Now, as a receiver, I have a little bit of perspective for the fans, but being on a four-o teams, I think you know, kind of cloudy up those waters a little bit as far as how disgruntled can you be. But he's he spoke to a last year after the Super Bowl. Um, just far as his mentality, I want it being able to impact the game. But I think the number one thing here is that sometimes people may not understand for for specific people, um, that you know, I mean, guys who want to individually be great, first and foremost. Granted, you can you can do that, but if you're a person because knowing how the window of opportunity is in the NFL, knowing how short the window is for guys' primes and stuff like that, um every time that you're not able to go out there and and perform at what you feel is your best, you know the time is ticking. Because at the end of the day, as well, when it comes to the contract negotiations, when AJ Brown is trying to re-up, everybody looks at numbers, nobody's gonna say, Well, you know, AJ, you helped us win a Super Bowl and get to two Super Bowls. They're gonna look at his list of numbers and accolades and achievements and see where he's at. And people don't give you that grace when it comes to getting paid and stuff like that. So that's kind of some of what he's factoring in as far as maybe being disgruntled. It's it's about the wins and losses, but him being able to protect his career, uh financially, statistically, whatever it may be, always is in limbo when you're not killing as a player.
SPEAKER_00:But then it but then it begs the question um, do you care about rings? I mean, it's the Tyree thing, right? Do you care about rings or do you want to get paid?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, I'll ask you. So, what do you feel like? Like you a person who won the Super Bowl. Great, great question. I mean, you're a person who won the Super Bowl, and we and we and we played and we play and do this all the time. I mean, would you have rather take would you give your super bowl back to make I don't know, let's say 10 more M's over your career?
SPEAKER_00:Probably that's hard. That's not that's not I mean, I mean, I mean it's now now if if if it if it's it's a yes or no question. Would I take back the super bowl to no 10 more M's is not gonna change my life, respectfully.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, okay, so hey, respectfully, hey bruh, hey bruh, talk it then, bruh.
SPEAKER_00:Talk it then, respectfully. Now, a hundred yes, fifty, yes, a hundred percent. Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01:So you're saying pretty much a possible another big contract or another or another bite at the apple, if you will, you would have possibly sacrificed that at another bite at the apple, yes, 100.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, I should.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, listen, I I feel you, you know. I mean, I didn't I didn't win the Super Bowl, but I I mean I'll say this, you know, with um contractually, you know what I was able to do. Um, shout out to my agents, uh Roosevelt Barnes and Brandon Parker. But you know, um, I really wish I I I could win one and still could win one, but I'm not gonna lie to you, man. I I feel good about my career and and the decisions make just saying, just saying, I mean, yeah, I'm sure I respect it, and I do wish I could have had that, you know, that that that honor of seeing the confetti fall, but you know, um confetti falls, you know, confetti falls under the waves.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01:Some of the top hot topics I want to get to. Um, and you're a person again, man, who who has played here, and and I'm curious to know why, or if this is coincidental, if this just is a rut, but Jets and Giants record in prime time is 5 and 34. Wow, but and four and eighteen at home. You were you were part of a Super Bowl team, so did you feel like y'all had a a home field uh advantage when you were in there, when you were in in New York, or did you feel it was pretty even? And I say that because New York is an area that's also I would say surrounded by some closer teams, if you will. I guess a lot of Philly fans that live in New Jersey. Um, obviously, uh, depending on who's hot or not, it's more Jets than Giants fans, or vice versa. So, did you feel that that gave y'all a competitive disadvantage? You know, and I say that because being in Pittsburgh for myself and in Detroit, um the the home crowd and really having a home field advantage, like that's a real thing. So, I mean, playing on teams like that, you know, it really is, as opposed to in Jacksonville, when I played there, you know, our home field wasn't really a thing by by any means.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, the right so I I mean sometimes I mean on third downs it would it was loud, but I mean to be honest, I I enjoyed playing on the road. I love when it seemed like yeah, Road Warrior, exactly. I I feel like when people were against us and stuff like that, you wanted to make a play to to to shut them up. Uh but also if you make a play at home, I mean the fans were loud. So I mean I didn't really see any any big difference, but that is a wild, wild stat because yeah, even even with those stats, I mean the Jets have still won. Um I mean, I think it's just a coincidence that the games that that we do us, the Jets and Giants, we do ball ball out in. It wasn't those just wasn't prime time games.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I feel that. Um next hot topic, and we kind of spoke about this. Could X players referee?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, and they need to, and I'm I'm I'm trying to think have some are some current league.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and and and I'm saying that because do you think like specifically current players that they should have current players who then you know once they're done playing, they start training and then they work full time for the league as referees. Yes, you don't think team you don't think like players will be biased at all? I was joking with my homie Adrian Amos. I said if Adrian Amos did uh and he's he's biased. If he refereed a Jets game, the Jets not getting no calls, fam. The Jets not getting no calls, but I don't care what kind of referee camp he didn't went through, and I don't care how he didn't convince people that he not biased or nothing like that. If he refereed a jets game, they not get no calls, bro.
SPEAKER_00:No, right, and I but that's the thing with refs, they're they they get graded, and so they're gonna look at the film boom boom, and then he probably won't ref again after that.
SPEAKER_01:But I mean, Todd Todd, what's his name, Todd or Tom Donahe for the NBA? Yeah, they was you know what I'm saying. He he was betting and kind of doing things in a malicious manner as a referee, yes. And they get graded.
SPEAKER_00:I think he went to jail. I think I think he went to jail though, or but that's my whole point, though.
SPEAKER_01:You know what I'm saying? He was doing things in a bias, he spoke bias that the referees had for Alan Iverson, and they start calling carrying on him and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know if they was graded. I don't know if that rule was was was there back then, or even if it is in the NBA, but I know like dudes get dudes get graded, dudes, dudes get graded, and um and dudes are trying to make it to the super bowl. So if you get good grades, then your crew and so think about it. If I'm trying to make it to the super bowl, if I'm trying to get a good grade, I don't know if there's bonuses, but if I'm trying to get a good grade and we get graded as a crew, and you over there tripping, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna be on you. Like, come on, man, throw the flag, call the call, call the right call.
SPEAKER_01:I feel that I respect that. I respect that. Uh the next hot topic after last night game. This was a big conversation today. Should the NFL change having ties?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, dude. This is this is this is a gladiator sport. They need to do something. I remember I remember though this is this is a long topic, but this is along with the topic. But I remember they someone said the coach the overtime rules, it should be like coaches should should strap up, either do like Oklahoma's or either do one.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, listen, that's pretty extreme, but I did hear one today that I thought may grow some legs and had a little bit that you know when you start thinking and the wheels start turning. Pat McAfee said that they should do like kind of like a face-off with the kickers, so they can get like 35, then 40, like that, then 45 based on how the kickers have been performing. Now they can kind of change the football so you get further distance. He was saying, Imagine last night's game with both of those kick their kickers ending in like a 65-yard uh shootout of kicks for the game. And I said, Man, I like that, man. I mean, that's taking the book out of like hockey's pages and soccer, you know, how they kind of have like the one-on-ones, I guess, if you will, at the ends or the or the shootout, you know, at the at the end of the game. But when I heard that, man, I'm like, you know what? That actually that that may take a little, you know what I'm saying? That may can take a little precedence, man, and and and grow some legs. I feel like the fans would like to watch that. You know, I don't think kickers are highlighted enough. I think more so when they're asked to be, but I think if it ever came down to it, I think that would be a pretty cool way to end the game, and you aren't really putting guys significantly at risk for playing too long.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I like that, and that's good. And plus, guess whose value will go up the kickers for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Definitely, definitely, definitely. Um, last but not least, rooks that cook this week. We have a few, two specifically on the New York Giants, Cam Scatabo. Man, scab he brought some juice, man. He he brought some juice. I thought he played well. Uh, granted, you know, he's not a home run hitting running back, but I think him being able to bring the juice, being hard to tackle, you know. I think he brought a lot of energy to that offense, uh, along with Jackson Dark. Um, yeah, also in that game, another rook that cooked was Omarion Hampton from the University of North Carolina. Man, he had run that he had a long run, and he's been playing well all year, man. Um, people was ranting and raving about him coming out of the draft. So I knew he he had a lot of talent and that he would be able to have some explosive runs and make some big plays, but you know, I think he's definitely coming on uh as of late, and and to have a big run like that, man, against that defense, that was pretty impressive. Um, last but not least on this list, rooks that cooked Jackson Dark. Um, again, I thought I think the juice he brought, and you know, at the end of the day, he didn't have a he didn't have a proliferate passing game, yeah. But what he brought to the table, being able to keep plays alive, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Uh had I have a look have a little fun with his dance. What did he like?
SPEAKER_01:You a dance guy, bro? Why don't you show us? You know, we we in studio next week, so you can you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00:You can show the face, but he did love TikTok dance, but that but that just brings the juice for the team. Anytime you see remember when Cam would yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Like that's Cam Newton, though, bro.
SPEAKER_00:I understand, but what I'm saying. When a quarterback has that moxie, that swag, it it just makes you like it just makes you turn up, man.
SPEAKER_01:Yep, and now last but not least, man, for the fans next week. We are back in the studio. I'm excited for I always I always like being back in the studio. So I mean, it is it confirmed now for our for our next episode. I think next episode, I think that'll be episode six. I think I'm gonna have to double check that, but I think for episode six, we are back in the stoop, and we might have a special guest for that week as well. So, you know, so we'll we'll see. Um, hopefully we are. Um, it's always fun to be in the studio again, um, especially because we'll have a special guest uh the next time we are in studio. But um lastly, we kind of spoke to it at the beginning of the show, but heartbreaking loss in Happy Valley, man. Um, I'm still I'm still devastated. Um, I wish I could have gone to the game. Um, how it ended, I'm kind of happy. Uh I didn't go. Um, I want to talk about the game. I mean, man, that's a heartbreaking loss, man. Going to a whiteout game, losing in overtime, double overtime at that man. That's a heartbreaker, you know. So that's that's a that's a heartbreaker. But I got confidence in my Nittany Lions. Um, and we're gonna be back. Um, again, I think we can. I said this all year, man. We have a we have a lot to improve, and I think that this team is gonna continue to grow. And I think that for this team to really reach their uh potential, they'll be at their best towards the end of the season.
SPEAKER_00:You said you guys, you said you guys are gonna be back. Who's on who's on the schedule? Who you guys got?
SPEAKER_01:I don't think we play Ohio State this year. I'm not 100% sure, but I've looked, I mean, Nebraska is on there as well. Well, I mean, exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you're talking about you know we got smoke from there. We got you know where you play Ohio State this year. You play you play Ohio State this year, okay. That's at Ohio State. You play Indiana, Indiana, who's ranked number eight, and you play you and you play Nebraska, you play Rutgers, you play Michigan State. I don't know, man.
SPEAKER_01:You listen, listen, you'll see, you'll see. Each week we're gonna, you know what I'm saying? We'll we'll dive into it a little bit. Obviously, I'm a Penn State guy, he's a Nebraska guy, so we got some Big Ten connection. We don't always talk college football on here, but we will get into it a little bit because those are our alma mater. But until next time, we appreciate y'all tapping in, watching the shorts and stuff on Instagram, YouTube. We'll keep giving it to you from here. The press release. You're back in the studio next week. Tune in with us.
SPEAKER_00:See y'all.
