PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
The Closest Sunday in 20 Years?! | Week 3 NFL Reactions | NFL Pro
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
51 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 28, 2026
Published
Mon, September 28, 2026
20
Player insights
19
Players mentioned
Topics
Justin HerbertAaron RodgersBrock BowersC.J. StroudDaniel JonesDerrick HenryFernando MendozaJa'Marr ChaseJames CookJaxon Smith-NjigbaJaylen WarrenJosh AllenKenneth Walker IIIKirk Cousins
Player analysis
Player insights
Aaron Rodgers
PositiveProjection16:39
Aaron Rodgers had his most aggressive passing game as a Steeler in Week 3, with a 3.19-second time to throw and 15 attempts of 10+ yards. He was highly efficient against single-high coverage, throwing three touchdowns, and appeared comfortable behind an improved offensive line.
Insight pageBrock Bowers
PositiveUsage80:21
Brock Bowers is a superstar weapon for the Raiders, immediately transforming the offense upon his return. He commanded 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, proving to be an unguardable mismatch against both linebackers and cornerbacks.
Insight pageC.J. Stroud
NegativeProjection62:02
C.J. Stroud is noted for his high-yardage production (353 yards in a previous game), but the source highlights that the Texans have a recurring issue of losing games despite strong individual performances from their quarterback.
Insight pageDaniel Jones
PositiveProjection70:45
Daniel Jones showed significant efficiency over the middle of the field and between the numbers, completing 12 of 15 passes for 150 yards, one touchdown, and a 130.6 passer rating with an average of 10 yards per attempt.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveProjection5:00
Derrick Henry is aging gracefully and remains a dominant force, displaying surprising power and speed at this stage of his career. He requires an edge on the defense to be contained, otherwise he will outrun opponents.
Insight pageFernando Mendoza
NegativeDepth Chart77:14
Fernando Mendoza remains on the bench to prioritize his long-term development, as the team prefers the veteran orchestration provided by Kirk Cousins to sustain drives and win games.
Insight pageJa'Marr Chase
NegativeBust60:30
The source briefly mentions Ja'Marr Chase in the context of overcoming negative narratives, noting that claims about him having a 'drop problem' are similar to the premature criticism directed at Sonny Styles.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveUsage42:10
James Cook is performing at a high level, recording 154 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against the Chargers. He leads the league in rushing yards on man-blocking concepts (198 yards) and has recorded five explosive runs in two separate games this season.
Insight pageJaxon Smith-Njigba
NegativeUsage47:01
Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains a focal point of the Seahawks' passing attack, but the source notes that relying solely on him and Sam Darnold makes the offense one-dimensional. While he is highly productive, the team's inability to run the ball effectively puts too much pressure on him.
Insight pageJaylen Warren
PositiveProjection22:08
Jalen Warren looked great in the Steelers' Week 3 offensive performance, contributing to a balanced and effective attack.
Insight pageJosh Allen
PositiveUsage38:43
The source highlights Josh Allen's high-intensity play style, noting that he approaches every snap as if it is the most important of his life, which the source contrasts with the lack of urgency seen from Justin Herbert.
Insight pageJustin Herbert
NegativeProjection32:12
Justin Herbert is struggling significantly, posting a career-low completion percentage over expected (-3.8%) and making uncharacteristic, poor decisions. The source expresses genuine worry, noting this is a new low for his career.
Insight pageNegativeProjection34:05
The source is worried about Justin Herbert's performance, citing career-worst metrics through three games: a -3.8% completion percentage over expected, a 59.1% completion rate, and a negative EPA per dropback. The source notes a lack of urgency and nonchalant play style, particularly on deep throws, contrasting his current effort unfavorably with Josh Allen's intensity.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
PositiveRole45:52
The source emphasizes the importance of Kenneth Walker to the Seahawks' offense, noting that his ability to create explosive plays out of nothing provides necessary balance. His absence or lack of usage is cited as a primary reason for the Seahawks' offensive struggles in their recent loss.
Insight pageKirk Cousins
PositiveRole76:57
Kirk Cousins is effectively orchestrating the Raiders' offense, particularly in the fourth quarter where he went 4-for-4 for 45 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to scan the field and dissect zone coverage in a tight-end heavy scheme makes him the ideal fit for the team's current offensive identity.
Insight pageLamar Jackson
PositiveProjection2:32
Lamar Jackson showed significant poise and improvement in Week 3, effectively utilizing design runs for over half his rushing yards and demonstrating patience in the pocket. He is scanning the field and holding the ball longer to deliver plays downfield, marking a successful bounce-back performance.
Insight pageLaquon Treadwell
PositiveUsage64:06
Laquon Treadwell is noted for contributing a 20-yard gain in the recent game against the Texans, showing he is still active 11 years into his career.
Insight pageSam Darnold
NegativeProjection47:38
Sam Darnold is currently carrying a heavy load for the Seahawks' offense. While he is capable of moving the ball, the source suggests that the team's reliance on him and Jaxon Smith-Njigba without a balanced run game is a problematic strategy that led to their recent loss.
Insight pageTee Higgins
PositiveUsage27:02
Tee Higgins recorded a touchdown in Week 3, continuing a trend of competitive playmaking alongside Ja'Marr Chase.
Insight pageZay Flowers
PositiveUsage2:14
Zay Flowers is a critical component of the Ravens' offense; his absence in Week 2 noticeably hindered the team's offensive production, while his presence in Week 3 helped the unit look 'really, really good.'
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
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0:26Are you not entertained? Spectacular! It's been 20 years since 11 games have finished within one score.
0:31Talladega Knights was in theaters, Trev. That is how close of a Sunday we have had.
0:36My God, that was good. I think we gotta start with Ravens and the Cowboys because, one, this was tied for the third highest scoring international game ever.
0:45This is the best international game ever? Ooh, hard to argue against it, man.
0:49The folks at NGS got us all the numbers of, you know, the scores and everything from the previous game.
0:56The game in which 67 points were scored because it was 65 with the Ravens and the Cowboys, the game in which
1:0267, which was the second highest scoring game ever, international game ever, was 2012.
1:07It was Bill Seahawks. The score was 50-17. So, what's that?
1:10Oh my God, dude. At all! But it was the second highest international scoring game.
1:15Anyways, we're glad that this one was a little bit closer, and I do want to give the Ravens their credit right
1:22off the bat because they obviously come in, they win this game, and, man, when the Stars are out there for the
1:29Ravens, this is a good football team. I think that week one, they looked really good.
1:34Why? Because Lamar's out there, because Zay Flowers is out there, and because Derrick Henry's out there.
1:39When you have the big three on offense, I think this offensive group looks really, really good, and there's so many different things that they could do.
1:47Week two, Zay Flowers wasn't out there, and it totally changed things on offense.
1:52But I just felt as though Lamar looked so much more poised in this game.
1:56Not to say it was perfect. You know, he had the overthrow to Andrews at the beginning of the game, but as
2:03things went on, I felt like Lamar really settled in.
2:06They used him on design runs, and he got more than half of his rushing yards on design runs.
2:12I believe it was a QB draw on one of them and an RPO look on another, and they were very, very
2:19effective because of how confident he was doing that.
2:22The time to throw was higher in this game, but he was also efficient with it.
2:27So to me, that shows, again, poise from Lamar, where when you have that time, he's not panicking.
2:33He's not bailing. He's staying. He's scanning. He's holding onto the ball a little bit longer, and he's delivering it for guys
2:40to be able to make plays down the field.
2:42So I just felt as though this is a really nice bounce-back game from Lamar.
2:47Perfect should never be the bar for a quarterback.
2:50Improvement always should be. I felt like week one, they came out of the gate hot.
2:55Week two, they stumbled a little bit, and week three, they got back on track.
3:00That's without mentioning how great Derrick Henry is in this game.
3:03Dude, how graceful is Derrick Henry aging? I mean, I watched him at Alabama, and the early years with him with the
3:10Titans and everything as well, and I went, man, this dude's racking up the yards.
3:15But when we get to the later parts of his career, it might be ugly with him.
3:20We're at the later parts of his career. He's better now.
3:23It's insane. I can't believe that a running back with that much power can move with that much grace at this age.
3:30He's the man. No edge, no chance. You have to have an edge on the defense, otherwise Derrick Henry is going to outrun you.
3:38And talk about putting pelts on the wall. For Jason Barham in his third career game to get a goal-line TFL on Derrick Henry?
3:45Mm-hmm. I mean, there's very few higher honors a linebacker can have, let alone a rookie linebacker who just got the green
3:52dot due to injury, came back on the next drive, got another TFL on Henry, going through a lead blocker on third and one.
4:00Jason Barham is the main reason the Cowboys were even able to come back into this game, because he was unbelievable.
4:06And I just felt bad for not just Cowboys defense, but just Cowboys fans in general, because they kept getting banged up
4:13over the course of these last three weeks in the secondary to the point where that last catch that set up the
4:20field goal, it's like corner five and safety five on the field.
4:24They were just running out of DBs. You have a post-safety just covering nothing.
4:28He's just covering green grass down there. You can literally see on the tape, he just turns and runs.
4:34Because in his mind, he's like, well, don't give up a touchdown.
4:38They didn't need a touchdown. They needed a field goal.
4:41And so typically when you have the DB carrying that route from outside leverage, he's expecting inside help from a safety nailing
4:48down on it while there was no safety there.
4:50He was 40 yards deep. And so it's just it's mental mistakes by young backup DBs that typically would not have been on the field in that situation.
4:59Not to mention, you know, situational awareness with seven seconds left.
5:03You really just want to keep it to one play.
5:06So even if you give up a catch, don't tackle him down immediately.
5:10Hold him up. Make sure the clock is running out so they can't get a timeout off.
5:15Instead of making an immediate hit, if they held him up until the clock hit zero, we're moving on.
5:21So it's just it's just young DBs making mental mistakes, man.
5:25And I feel bad that I feel bad for Cowboys fans of the game ended that way.
5:30But I'm also thrilled for Ravens fans that for once they were on the good side of one of those because it's happened to Baltimore so many times.
5:39And this time it was Lamar making the clutch throw.
5:42He was making the exact play that his team needed to win a game that statistically they weren't supposed to win with seven seconds left.
5:49But I've just seen Baltimore be on the other end of that so many times.
5:54I'm happy for them that they finally got one.
5:57Now, I wanted to make sure that I praised the Ravens at the top.
6:01They did win the game. I'm not trying to take anything away from them.
6:06I actually felt like the Cowboys played better in this game.
6:09And the Cowboys absolutely played well enough to win this game.
6:13Got over 400 yards of offense. Javante Williams was awesome in this game.
6:17Over five yards per carry. Dak, the completion percentage was a little bit lower for Dak.
6:22But you look at the stars, man. CeeDee Lamb over 100 yards.
6:25George Pickens 82 yards. I mean, it just felt like when they needed a big play, these stars were there.
6:32I felt as though the Cowboys actually made more big plays on the offensive side in this game.
6:37And I thought they made... You mentioned Jay Sean Barnum making that one of the goal line.
6:43He had one... What was that? That was later in the game.
6:46A little bit later. It was on the next series.
6:49It was like the next drive. That third and short where he absolutely blows up the fullback as the lead blocker.
6:56And basically, it's just a one-man wrecking crew in the backfield.
6:59Barham! Game is Barham! This kid is not the same.
7:03These guys made a ton of plays on both sides of the ball.
7:07And even though the Ravens came away with the victory...
7:10Again, I'm not trying to take anything away from them because I don't want to do that.
7:15There's a reason why the Cowboys were in a position to...
7:19Hey, touchdown and we win. Essentially. They end up not scoring on the goal line.
7:23They end up kicking the field goal. And then the breakdown and coverage that you mentioned on the Ravens drive to get into field goal range.
7:31But again, you go back to that opportunity. When you've got these two teams that are very evenly matched and they're going
7:38back and forth and they're scoring a lot of points.
7:41You want to be that team who at the end, you dictate your fate.
7:46You have the ability to score the touchdown. And if you do, you are winning that game.
7:51And I think that's a good sign of a team that's done a job well done all game long.
7:57Or at least to get themselves in a position to have that honor.
8:01And the Cowboys did. And look, I know the Cowboys are now sitting here at 1-2.
8:06I actually feel pretty good about the Cowboys moving forward.
8:09And maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot there.
8:12I know this is a team that you and I liked a lot going into the season.
8:17So maybe there's some preconceived notions that are there.
8:20But I feel pretty good about this Cowboys team coming off of this game.
8:24Albeit from a loss. I really do feel like they've gotten better with each passing week.
8:29There was the game against the Giants where they made, again, severe mental mistakes on defense.
8:34And they got got by a team that on paper we all thought they were going to beat.
8:40And then week two, they had eight drives to put up 37 points.
8:44It's hard to be more efficient than that. And in this game, very easily could have.
8:49Some would argue should have won it. But Baltimore just made really key plays in high leverage moments.
8:55At least more than Dallas did to win. Like I, not that like losses are good.
9:00But if you're looking at how they've lost these two games, it's not something that I have massive concerns about.
9:06Compare that to the Texans where I have actual real concerns that make me audibly shout, what the f*** are you guys doing?
9:13I never have those moments with the Cowboys. I understand what they're trying to be, and they're very close to being that.
9:20And I know Shadi's trying to fall on his sword and say, oh, I give myself an F for play calling.
9:27You put up 400 yards, dude. Like, you're a good team.
9:30To Ferguson for the touchdown! He had two last week.
9:33Now he's got one in Rio. Let's move on and talk about the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
9:39Neither of us took the Steelers in this game.
9:42I don't think there were a lot of people out there that were taking the Steelers in this game.
9:48And yet, divisional win, man. The AFC North, it's a funny place.
9:52Things happen that you don't expect, especially with this Steelers team.
9:55So, Aaron Rodgers, shout out to Ben Solak for putting me onto this.
9:59So, his 3.19 second time to throw today was the second longest that he's had as a Steeler.
10:05If you're looking on dropbacks longer than two and a half seconds, he was 11 of 21 for 213 yards.
10:11That's 10.1 yards per attempt, folks. Three touchdowns and a pick.
10:14He had 15 attempts of at least 10 yards down the field, most as a Steeler.
10:19They're actually pushing the ball down the field, which is what we've been begging them to do since, I don't know, 12 months ago at this point.
10:28And shocker, they put up a bunch of points and win the game.
10:32Yeah. I'd like to see them do this more.
10:35Well, very clearly, Aaron Rodgers is comfortable doing it against the Bengals because you mentioned that this was the second highest time
10:42to throw average that Aaron Rodgers has had during his time with the Steelers.
10:46The longer time to throw that he had was against the Bengals last year.
10:50So, yes, a very, very comfortable passing against this team.
10:53We've spent a lot of the better part of the last, I'll say, month and a half talking very highly of the Bengals.
11:01And I still think they're a very good football team.
11:04I don't think that today changes that. But where I do believe they've gotten a lot better on the offensive and defensive
11:11trenches, their secondary and giving up big plays has sort of been an issue to start this season.
11:16They gave up 10 explosive plays against the Steelers this week, a 16.9% explosive play rate.
11:21They've given up 28 explosive plays this season, which is one of the higher marks in the NFL.
11:27Now, an interesting part of this is the coverage that they decided to play here against Aaron Rodgers.
11:32They played single high coverage, so cover three or cover one, on two-thirds of their plays today.
11:38And Aaron Rodgers was very clearly comfortable attacking that because all three of Aaron Rodgers' touchdowns came against those single high defenses.
11:45He was very comfortable assessing the defense. We saw some vintage Aaron Rodgers throws in this game, and we've been waiting for
11:51these types of plays and these types of attempts, and it just hasn't felt as though Aaron Rodgers has wanted to attempt them.
11:59One of the touchdowns was maybe my favorite touchdown that I saw this week, and it was the Ben Skoranek touchdown.
12:05Touchdown for the score! So, you can just see how that play went, how just confident everybody was in what they were
12:12doing, but it also goes into how well the Steelers' offensive line played in this game.
12:17I know that Aaron Rodgers, in his older years, doesn't want to take hits.
12:21Who does, right? From NFL defenders. But Rodgers, specifically, during his time with the Jets and his time with the Steelers, that
12:28time-to-throw number has been so low because he just wants to get the ball out of his hands because I feel like
12:35he's been playing behind an offensive line that he doesn't trust.
12:39The offensive line was pretty dang good in this game.
12:42Not just in pass blocking, but also in run blocking as well.
12:46They were, I don't want to say imposing their will because I don't know if it was quite like that, but they
12:52were having a pretty dang good day. One of those players that was having a good day was rookie Max Ionacher, who
12:59started at right tackle in this game. This was his first start.
13:03He had 36 pass blocking reps, three pressures allowed, but just an 8.3% pressure percentage, which was the lowest on the team, I will add.
13:11And he was also one-on-one, Brett, 75% of the game.
13:14So he was on an island as an offensive tackle, three-fourths of this game and three-fourths of his pass blocking reps.
13:20I just thought it was a great day all around for the Steelers.
13:25Mike McCarthy was in his bag. Aaron Rodgers playing confident.
13:28Jalen Warren looked great. The offensive line was playing fearless.
13:31And because of that, you got a version of the Steelers offense that I think a lot of people have been saying,
13:38where has this been for the longest time since Aaron Rodgers has been on the team?
13:43Not to get too deep into draft talk, but watching Ionacher work out close up with my own eyes.
13:49I was like 15 feet away from him doing drills.
13:52It looked exactly like Membu the year before. Both of them freak athletes.
13:56But just the build, the explosion. He was still relatively new to football, even as a first-round prospect.
14:01He's not even really fully developed yet, but he is just so physically gifted.
14:06Watching him work out took my breath away, man.
14:09I think the whole fiasco with Mekhi Lemon, to me, and I even said it at the time, I think they kind
14:15of lucked into a better pick for what the Steelers needed, which was a true right tackle because of the Broderick Jones thing.
14:23Like, his future was still uncertain at the time.
14:25You got Fahatan, who was the other tackle. I was like, I feel like Ionacher was a harder thing to find than
14:32a wide receiver two, wide receiver three, which is what Mekhi would have been on this team this year.
14:38Ionacher is just the more rare commodity. And the fact that they got him, I don't want to say on accident, but
14:45just due to fate, I feel like that was the better thing for them.
14:50And that played out in this game. I think Ionacher being rock solid on that right side was one of the big
14:56reasons why they won against a very good Bengals defensive line.
15:00I don't know what Mekhi Lemon could have done for them that they didn't already have in this game.
15:06So, the Steelers nailed it. Yeah, for sure. For sure.
15:09But beyond that, beyond just the Steelers offense popping off, you know, Derek Harmon, first-round pick from last year, you know, making that game ceiling sack fumble.
15:17Beyond that, I want to shout out Callie on the NGS team, by the way.
15:22She always keeps us honest when it comes to special team stats.
15:26Cincinnati lost this game, arguably, or maybe inarguably, if you ask a Bengals fan, on special teams.
15:31They have now lost 6.4 EPA on special teams this season, second most in the entire league.
15:36They had two absolutely horrific special teams errors. They had a muff, as well as a roughing the kicker penalty on the
15:43Steelers that then brought the Steelers offense back on the field.
15:47They scored on that. You could argue Cincinnati's special teams cost them 10 points in this game, or rather gave the Steelers
15:54an opportunity to get 10 extra points in this game.
15:57So, the third phase matters, and when the Steelers offense is playing better, and the Steelers defense has that, you know, really,
16:04really voracious pass rush when they're at their best, plus a good special teams outing, it's a hard team to beat.
16:10And the Bengals, who we think are going to be there, you know, towards the end of the year in the AFC,
16:17they found that lesson out the hard way. By the way, just to wrap this up, do you see T.
16:23Higgins' touchdown this week? Yeah, dude. Because it just feels as though he just saw Jamar's touchdown the week before, and he
16:30was just like, no, no, no, okay, now I've got to have my own.
16:34So, I'm looking forward to next week, because now Jamar's going to have to be like, oh, okay, well, now I've got
16:41to do something, you know, even better. I've got to do something absolutely crazy, you know?
16:46I've got to catch it behind my back or something like that.
16:50They'll cook up something. But I am enjoying that competition of who can make crazier catches.
16:55And somehow ends up in the hands of T.
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18:32All right, Chargers and Buffalo Bills. I mean, speaking of crazy, man, how in the world did the Buffalo Bills win this game?
18:39Because they were playing against the Chargers, and the Chargers always lose games like this?
18:44I mean, what's the stat? Do you have the stat in front of you?
18:48How often teams who had five turnovers end up winning games?
18:52Because the number is so, so, so, so few in league history.
18:56Since 2013, teams with five-plus turnovers and a negative four turnover margin were 2, 81, and 1.
19:01And the Bills got the win today. They made it three.
19:04So, going from last week's Charger game where they fumbled six times to this week's Charger game where they forced five turnovers
19:11and still lost, it's very much, well, I don't want to say the norm because it's not the norm.
19:17But for Chargers fans, it just feels like another chapter in a long history of losing games in the most improbably Charger-ish kind of way.
19:25I'm just, I'm beside myself, right? Watching the tape, you and I were kind of going back and forth on this.
19:32Like, Justin Herbert just doesn't look like Justin Herbert.
19:34And even the people that are Herbert detractors, I would say, you know, posting the if-man memes and everything like that.
19:41I would say, looking at that pick that he threw today, even those of us that have defended Herbert can't defend that.
19:48And even the ones that have gone after Herbert in the past, even you guys got to admit, this is a new low.
19:55Like, these first three weeks of the season is a new low for Justin Herbert.
20:00I have never seen him play like this in a three-game stretch ever.
20:04Like, truly ever. And he's been in the league, I don't know, six years at this point?
20:09Seven years at this point? I don't know what's going on.
20:12Because on paper, okay, you're bringing in Mike McDaniel.
20:15It's not like Mike McDaniel has historically called bad offenses.
20:18You got Amari Hampton. You got two tackles who we think are really talented.
20:23I don't know what the problem is, but there is clearly a problem.
20:27He is not seeing the field well. He's just making YOLO decisions down the field and throwing picks that, like, a rookie wouldn't even throw.
20:35I just, I can't explain. Like, that's not Justin Herbert.
20:38I mean, it is, but it's not. And they're losing games because of him.
20:42The vibes are pretty low right now for the Chargers.
20:45And I think a big reason why is sort of what you're talking about with Herbert.
20:50Because they win the time of possession in this game.
20:53They obviously win the turnover battle by a lot.
20:56They had less penalties in this game. And they lose.
20:59And it's just, it's finding ways to lose in new fashion, it feels like, every week and every year with this team.
21:06I am worried about Justin Herbert here. Because when you look at his stats three games into the season.
21:12Now, three games is a smaller sample size compared to yearly statistics, right, where you have a 17 or going back far enough 16 game sample size.
21:21But, when you look at Herbert this year, lowest completion percentage over expected of his career, negative 3.8%.
21:26I don't think he's ever had a negative. And if he has, it's very few.
21:31Lowest completion percentage overall of his career, 59.1%, which would be his first season below 65.
21:36So we're not even close. We're 6% lower than what his lowest year was prior to this.
21:41It's his lowest success rate of his career overall, 39.4%.
21:44It's the first season where he's averaging a negative EPA per drop back, negative 26.9% completion percentage over expected, and negative 1.16%
21:51EPA per drop back on throws of 20 or more yards this season is not even close.
21:56The lowest numbers of his career. And Brett, that's what worries me the most.
22:01Because if you want to sit here and talk about all the talent that Justin Herbert has, and I do.
22:07I've had Justin Herbert as a top 10 quarterback in the league despite some of the results and despite winning the big
22:14games and the playoffs and things like that. I think he's a top 10 quarterback because he's talented enough to be a top 10 quarterback.
22:22But when you have the arm talent that Justin Herbert does, and you've put out some of the interceptions that we've seen
22:29through the first three weeks, Buddy, I don't know how much more defending of you I can do here.
22:35Because when you look at some of these interceptions and some of these poor throws of 20 or more yards down the
22:41field, Brett, it's like there's zero urgency. He's awful.
22:44He's so nonchalant. I think it was in this game.
22:47I'm pretty sure it was this interception from this game specifically where he's looking at the receiver.
22:53He sees it. And he almost like hops like an extra time just for fun.
22:57Like he's just walking in the park on a Sunday afternoon not playing an NFL game.
23:02And then he goes, all right, I'm going to throw this now.
23:06Now it's too late. And in fact, on top of that, he's not putting the heat on it like I know he can.
23:13So all of these numbers just sort of encapsulate that it looks very off with him.
23:18There's just not a lot of urgency in which he is passing the football.
23:23And when you contrast it with Josh Allen, who just plays the game like every snap is his last.
23:29Yes. Like every individual play is the most important of his life.
23:32It just looks different, man. It just looks different.
23:35And I don't know what's going on. You know, there's been some sound coming out of Charger Land from other players that
23:42make it sound like the vibes are just kind of off inside the building.
23:46You know, even the coaching staff at the very top.
23:50And I love Jim Harbaugh. I really do. I have to criticize Jim Harbaugh as well.
23:55His macro game management is just bad. And I feel like the players kind of sense that.
24:00Like it almost feels like the players are playing as if they feel like the coaches are not putting them in the best chance to win the game.
24:09Next Gen Stats, they actually do track whether or not coaches are making the optimal decision in whether, you know, punt kick
24:15situations or, you know, kick versus go for it situations.
24:19Last season, even the Chargers elected to go for it on fourth down on just 50% of recommended situations tied for the second lowest rate in the league.
24:27And in 2026, they have not gone for it when recommended on any fourth down opportunity.
24:32And that happened in this game. Fourth and three from Buffalo's 27.
24:36Had an opportunity to go for it. Were recommended to go for it.
24:40Didn't go for it. Tried a field goal. Missed the field goal.
24:44And I feel like that just saps these players' energy, so to speak.
24:48Right? Where, like, they feel like they just want to be put into a position where they can make plays that win
24:55the game and they're not being allowed to do so.
24:58And it just looks like they don't care. Like, this team is playing like they don't care.
25:03And I'm not used to that for a Jim Harbaugh coach team that always just plays with fire and passion.
25:09I think back to those, you know, early 2010s Niners teams.
25:13I think back to that Michigan Natty team. The energy is just not there.
25:17Right. It's sad. It is. And now I want to talk a little bit about Buffalo because they did have the win in this game.
25:25Oh, yeah. The team that won. Yeah, yeah. So we got these numbers from NGS.
25:30James Cook ran for 154 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, recording five explosive runs for the second time in a game already this season.
25:38Four of his five explosive runs came on man-rushing concepts behind a power offensive line.
25:43Tied for the second most in the game since 2018.
25:46Had 108 rushing yards on man-blocking concepts in this game.
25:49He now has more yards on man-blocking concepts, 198, this season than any other player in the league.
25:54Josh Allen obviously had some forgettable plays to start this one and why you get the turnovers.
26:00I thought it was very interesting that two of his interceptions came against cover four.
26:04It was a little less blitzing. It was more of, hey, we're just going to drop a lot of these players and
26:11we're going to kind of force Allen to scan the field a little bit here and make him attempt those Superman throws
26:18when he sees it with more guys in coverage.
26:21And it did seem to work for them. And I think that for most days where he throws those interceptions and you
26:28get those turnovers, it works out for you. But that's not what happened in this game.
26:33And to put a button on all of this, Brett, remember the stat that you read that was since 2013, teams with
26:40five plus turnovers and a minus four turnover margin were just 281-1.
26:43The other two times that the team has lost were both the Chargers.
26:48In 2015 against the Denver Broncos and in 2022 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
26:52Like I said, Chargers fans are used to this.
26:54They're used to this. That is – that – I almost didn't want to read that on the show.
27:00No, that – when the NGS people got us that, I almost was like, we can't do this to these people.
27:07We can't let them know this. As somebody who's done a lot of work with the Chargers, they will be more mad if you didn't mention it.
27:15They want their trauma validated. And on NFL Pro, we will validate your trauma.
27:20Which is a good transition into the next game that we're talking about here because I think the turnovers also were the
27:27main factor of the result of the Seattle Seahawks getting their first loss of the year against the Washington Commanders.
27:33In a game that I would explain like this, Brett.
27:36The Seattle team lost this game for the same reasons that your boomer uncle explains why every football team loses every game.
27:43And that is, ah, the turnover and run to the football.
27:46If you lose a turnover battle and you can't run the football, you're not going to win football games.
27:52I think this was the big, oh, we don't have Kenneth Walker anymore type of game.
27:57And I think that's how we got to the result here.
28:01If you're looking at like from a down-to-down basis, Seattle wasn't like the best rushing team last year.
28:06I mean, they got better as the season went on.
28:09But the explosives that Walker could just create out of nothing, it really did provide balance to the Seahawks offense last year
28:16because it wasn't just, okay, we're getting all of our chunk plays with Darnold and JSN.
28:21And especially as the season went on and teams started clamping more down on JSN, you know, his yards per catch was
28:28really, really high in the first half of the season.
28:31I mean, still high in the second half of the season, but not like astronomical, right?
28:36But they were still able to get explosives out of K-Walk in the second half of last year.
28:42And in this game, maybe it's because Price fumbled early on and then didn't see as much usage.
28:47But you saw the toll that that lack of explosiveness in the run game took where it felt like if they were
28:54going to get a big play, it had to come from Darnold.
28:58It had to go to JSN. And if you make a team one-dimensional, even one as dominant as Seattle, you can get got.
29:05Now, could you criticize the Seahawks coaching staff for going away from Price after the fumble and not letting him just kind
29:12of work through it and still get his touches?
29:15Because we know what Price can do with the ball in his hands, as evidenced in the first couple weeks where he was good.
29:22But yeah, I could criticize the staff for that and maybe being a little gun-shy about giving him more opportunities after that.
29:29But at the same time, it did kind of lay bare that when this team is just the Darnold and JSN show,
29:36it can be a little bit problematic. And they do have to make a concerted effort to be more balanced.
29:42And I think that is something to monitor as the season goes on.
29:47Like, hey, even if you do have an early turnover in the run game, you've got to stick with it.
29:53Like, you really do because those compounding body blows is what led to Kenneth eventually being able to break off an explosive.
30:00And if you don't have early success with the run game, let's say you have a few carries and it doesn't work
30:07and then you stop doing it, well, then you just have a bad run game.
30:11But if you have a few carries that don't work early on but you stick with it, you give your running back
30:18an opportunity to get into the flow of the game and to create, you know, even if you're getting three yards, three yards, two yards, three yards.
30:26If you're getting a 20 yarder out of that, you know, your yards per carry looks good, but it's really that one
30:33explosive that can turn a nothing drive into a scoring drive.
30:37And that makes all the difference. So I really do think that we're seeing the opposite ends of the coin here in
30:44terms of the Chiefs really hammering with Kenneth Walker and allowing him to be himself and how good their offense is versus
30:51Seattle kind of going away from the run game in this one, not allowing their their young back to kind of work through that fumble.
30:58Really putting everything on Darnold and JSN's plate. You end up with a pick six late in the game and oh, you're
31:05down by nine with only a few minutes left and now we can't dig out of that hole.
31:11So I think it's a lesson learned for the Seahawks staff.
31:14Yeah, I was gonna I was gonna ask like do we think the Seahawks have a JSN or nothing problem?
31:21And I don't think that they do. I mean, let's let's also be real about sort of what this game was.
31:27It's not like the commanders were really taking control here.
31:30I think Marcus Mariota did a great job coming in because he's one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league.
31:37We've seen that over the last couple of years.
31:40So you knew he was going to give him a chance to to potentially win this game.
31:45If what happens happens if they win the turnover battle and if the Seahawks sort of abandon the run game and get one dimensional and look what happened.
31:54They won 33 to 31. Seattle had three turnovers in this game.
31:57The commander scored a touchdown off of all three turnovers.
32:01So I mean, that's sort of the difference right there.
32:04It's not like they were blowing anybody out of the way.
32:07It's not like the commanders were really running the ball super well.
32:11I mean, Kroski Merritt had a 1.9 yards per carry average.
32:14Now Rashad White had a 4.4. So obviously that's a lot better.
32:18But still, I mean, you're looking at 71 total rushing yards with this team between those two backs there.
32:24So it's not like they were committed to it.
32:27No, for sure. They committed. It's a difference of if you're looking at run percentage, 49.2% to 28.1%.
32:32Even if it doesn't work, you just kind of got to do it anyway.
32:37Which to go back to everybody's boomer uncle, even if they don't know why it's correct, they know it's correct.
32:43I agree with it. You just got to do it.
32:46But I mean, I think it was interesting that I'm looking at the NGS numbers right now.
32:51Now, even when they were still down three on the scoreboard with four minutes and 30 seconds left in the game.
32:58There was a point when Darnold hit JSN for a 26-yard gain.
33:02And it went to the other side of the field.
33:05It flipped to the other side of the 50.
33:08Seattle had a 55% chance to win this game.
33:10So I mean, like all of what we talked about there.
33:14You know, do they have a JSN problem? Like it's just, it's JSN or nothing.
33:19The turnover issues, not being able to run the ball.
33:22They still had a more than 50% chance to win this game with four minutes and 30 seconds left down on the scoreboard.
33:29I think that speaks to just the type of team that this is and how I wouldn't totally just take this loss
33:36and run with it and say, boy, the Seahawks got exposed in this game.
33:40It's JSN or bust. They don't have anything else.
33:43It can't work. They still scored a lot of points.
33:46They still moved the ball decently well. I think it just comes down to sometimes you can't overcome the turnovers.
33:52And they lost by two in this game. And I think that that's just, that's the story of what it was.
33:59It's not just the turnovers. It's when the turnovers happen, right?
34:02You get a backbreaking pick six late in the fourth quarter.
34:06Yeah. You know, they did come back and again, it was JSN, JSN, JSN.
34:10They scored, but you're up against the clock at that point.
34:14If it's a 70 minute game, yes, Seattle could probably win it.
34:17It's not. It's a 60 minute game. So if that pick six happens late and you're in a close fight, that's how it goes against you.
34:25So I think it's just a learning opportunity all around for Seattle.
34:29It's a very similar lesson that I think they learned last year, which was a big reason why they did the Shahid trade in the first place.
34:38They kind of sense, okay, we need to get another guy here.
34:41And I would rather learn that lesson now in week three than learn it in the playoffs.
34:47So it's a great coaching staff. It's a great team.
34:50They'll make adjustments. I'm not worried about Seattle whatsoever.
34:53I do want to give Washington their flowers, especially Marcus Mariota.
34:56First time that Mariota and Jameis Winston have won a game on the same day in seven years, by the way.
35:03So shout out to the 2015 draft class. I think it's 2015 off the top of my head.
35:08It wasn't the 2015 draft class. Oh, that's right.
35:11Yeah, because Tampa picked first overall. Yeah, I'm very familiar.
35:14Very familiar. Still doing it. Very familiar. Still going.
35:17Still going. But great win for Washington. They needed this one.
35:20Does it count as a draft win? Both guys are still in the league 11 years later.
35:26Oh, yeah. If you're a quarterback that plays in the NFL for over 10 years and you're still starting.
35:32Now, we won't talk about how you're getting to that starting position, but you're still starting games over a decade in.
35:38That's good. So great win overall by Washington. I do not want to discount that whatsoever.
35:43Like they desperately needed this one and they got it.
35:46They played well against one of the inarguably four best teams in the NFL.
35:51This is the kind of game that can really set the tone for the rest of the year.
35:56And it keeps them in the fight to the point where, okay, if we can get Jaden back in insert X number
36:03of weeks, as long as Mariota can keep them in the fight, they're okay.
36:08Like they're still in the hunt for the NFC.
36:10So good win for them. Excellent Sonny Styles game as well.
36:14I just want to point that out. Excellent Sonny Styles game.
36:17Thought he was a bust after the preseason. I thought he was never going to be good after the preseason.
36:23Everybody told me, he's just, no, he's horrible. He'll never get better.
36:27Yeah. And Jamar Chase has a drop problem. Yeah.
36:30Yeah. We've been here before. I do have to transition to Houston versus Indianapolis.
36:34Brother. I'm. Okay. I have rarely been this enraged watching football.
36:38And the unfortunate part is most of the time it's while I'm watching the Houston Texans because this team.
36:44Perhaps only equaled by the Los Angeles Chargers has a talent for losing games.
36:48They should win. They won the turnover battle three to nothing in this game.
36:53Still lost. In fact, there is a curated list.
36:55This comes from a Texans commenter. D'Amico Ryans might have the craziest list of bad losses by any NFL coach in just over three seasons.
37:03That includes this one. It also includes, remember when Jared Goff threw five interceptions?
37:08They lost that game. Boy, do I ever. Yes, I do.
37:11The Titans once allowed eight sacks in a game and beat the Texans.
37:15The Packers were minus three in turnovers, beat the Texans.
37:18These are all recent, by the way, like within the last three years.
37:22CJ Stroud once threw for 353 yards. The defense got five sacks, still lost by 14.
37:27And oh, by the way, the playoff game in January of 2025.
37:31The Texans were the first team to outgain their opponent by 100 yards, not turn the ball over, and lose a postseason game.
37:38Previous teams were 49-0 in the playoffs at that point.
37:41So this is in the last three seasons, the resume the Texans have put together in terms of losing games that statistically are almost impossible to lose.
37:50They have an unbelievable talent for doing so. And a lot of it comes down to not just micro, but really macro, right?
37:57Clock management, go versus punt decisions, go versus kick decisions.
38:00And the clock management in particular, like I have to compose myself.
38:04So let me weave a tale for you. It's inside the two-minute warning.
38:08The Texans have a lead. This is in the game that just happened.
38:12They have a lead. They opt to kick a touchback after scoring, right?
38:16So they're giving Indianapolis the ball on their own 35 rather than the average kick return goes out to the 30.
38:22They're giving them five extra yards. By the way, they only need a field goal to win, guys.
38:28Maybe let's not give them five extra yards in the era of kickers having a week to prep balls before games.
38:35So ranges are higher than ever. And earlier in this game, the Colts kicked a field goal that I believe was 57 yards.
38:42So the range is pretty big, right? So you're starting them at the 35.
38:46They get a 20-yard gain to Laquan Treadwell, who's just back now doing that every week, 11 years into his career.
38:53And so they get a 20-yard gain to Treadwell.
38:56Remember, they just need a field goal to win.
38:58The Texans have three timeouts, and they don't use them.
39:02So the Colts just get up to the line and milk it.
39:05Gets to like 111 on the clock. Get another five yards down to the Texans 40.
39:10You're in field goal range at that point. Again, no timeout, no timeout.
39:14You're just sitting there with three of them in your pocket.
39:18Let it go all the way down to like 26 seconds.
39:21The Colts were bewildered. They're like, what are you guys doing?
39:25You're just letting us win this game. And of course, you know, they kick the field goal.
39:30By the time the Texans get the ball back, they have no timeouts left because they didn't start using them until it was inside of 30 seconds.
39:38There are a lot of coaches that just, they think that just because they have a lead that like the clock is
39:45their friend and like the other team's like, not going to know.
39:49We pulled the fast one on him. Like, ha ha, I reached zero and you totally forgot.
39:54Like, that's just, it's not a viable strategy, I don't think.
39:58But because he did that, when the Texans got the ball back, they didn't have any timeouts left.
40:03And they had 16 seconds on the clock. Right.
40:06So they did it to themselves. It was pretty much the worst way that you could possibly use the timeouts.
40:12You're a multi-billion dollar organization. You can pay an elite Madden player to just sit there on the sideline and tell you when to take timeouts.
40:21And he just won't do it. As a Texans fan, the reason I'm so mad is because this is like the seventh time I've seen this happen.
40:29And they're not getting better at it. And they just sit there after the game and they say, well, we're going to
40:36look at it and we're going to see if we can execute this better.
40:40Yeah, look, I mean, when I look at it, right, if I can make a better decision, I'll look at that and
40:47try to see where I can make a better decision.
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42:24I am losing my mind. Like, I love D'Amico as a coach.
42:28He's great. Except, like, the one thing that a head coach has to be really good at, which is game management.
42:35And they can't get it together. It's bulls**t. I'm tired of it.
42:38Like, I'm just so tired of this. I do want to shout out the Colts, who obviously won this game.
42:45Daniel Jones specifically, there was an area of his game that I thought he was very, very good at.
42:50And that was stuff over the middle of the field and in between the numbers.
42:55In breaking route stuff, he was 12 for 15, 150 yards, one touchdown, and a 130.6 quarterback rating.
43:01With an average of 10 yards per attempt. Not bad, Mr.
43:04Jones. Other than, like, the one, like, shrimp po' boy he threw up into the Enzo.
43:09But, you know, other than that. Other than that.
43:12I just, one time, I want to see the Texans, like, not start 0-3.
43:16Just one time. It would be great. Yeah, better to look next year.
43:20The last week, I can say that because my team currently, if you look at the draft order, they have the number one overall pick.
43:28So, I can say that. I'm allowed to say that.
43:31A team that has no idea. You know, we ironically said we were racing to Jeremiah Smith.
43:37Now, I think we actually are racing to Jeremiah Smith.
43:40I actually, I actually, I just, I just realized this.
43:43The Bucs are picking number one. If the draft were to be this weekend, the Bucs are picking one.
43:49The Texans are picking two. Look at us. That's why you watch NFL Pro, folks.
43:54Because not only are we going to give you the NFL analysis during the season, you know we're paying attention to the draft.
44:01You know we are. Because we have to. We're going to be the first show that does our first mock draft.
44:07After like week five. I'll do it tomorrow. A team that has no idea what we're talking about is the Las Vegas Raiders.
44:14Who, yes, the Las Vegas Raiders, folks. Do not adjust your dial.
44:18You heard me crystal clear. 3-0 on the season.
44:2135-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints. I hate to sound like a broken record, but truly, turnovers told the story here.
44:28And mainly the fact that the New Orleans Saints had four turnovers in the fourth quarter.
44:33That's pretty crazy. I didn't think that was possible, dude.
44:36Now, a big factor in two of those turnovers, Brad, is that two of them came while the Saints were within scoring distance.
44:43So field goal distance at least, but you know, you're kind of marching.
44:47And I think that part of it makes a big deal.
44:51We talk about, hey, where's the turnover and where's the field position and everything.
44:55Now, a lot of times we talk about it for the team that just, you know, either picked up the fumble or intercepted the football.
45:03They got the football. Okay, where are they starting?
45:06But also, I tend to think about it for the team that just turned the ball over as well.
45:12Where were you in the drive? Like, were you really expected to add some points there or not?
45:17Because that all of a sudden vanishes when you do that.
45:21The Saints had an 85% chance to win the game when the fourth quarter started.
45:25Are you serious? 85% chance to win the game.
45:28Oh my God. And then they had the four turnovers.
45:31I think something that the Saints did in this game is the blitz rate was 15.9% from the Las Vegas Raiders in this game.
45:39And I think that they watched NFL Pro and heard us talk about the fact that Tyler Shuck has the most passing
45:46yards under pressure going into week three of any quarterback.
45:49And they said, all right, fine. We're just going to sit back.
45:53We're going to rush three or we're going to rush four.
45:56No more. We're going to sit back in coverage and we're going to wait for you to potentially make a mistake.
46:03And Shuck didn't make all the mistakes. It's not like all four turnovers were interceptions for him.
46:08But it became more difficult for them to move the ball.
46:11So I think that that's a hat tip to what the Raiders did in their coaching staff.
46:17But I also want to hat tip Clint Kubiak and the offensive side of the ball.
46:22Because, look, is Kirk Cousins the most spry, young, talented, hot shot, big arm quarterback in the NFL right now?
46:28No, he is not. But he is exactly what I think the Raiders want for their football team right now.
46:34And there's a reason why Fernando Mendoza is on the bench.
46:38Not only for his own development, but also because Kirk can orchestrate this offense the way they want it to.
46:44When it comes to the fourth quarter, he was four for four for 45 yards and two touchdowns and a perfect quarterback rating.
46:51The offensive line, they gave up three sacks before their five offensive linemen had a pressure percentage below 10.
46:57The outside zone rush game, which is a staple for Clint Kubiak, was cooking in the fourth quarter of this game.
47:03They were able to combine that with quick passes, play-action passes, getting the ball out of Kirk's hand.
47:09And also letting him scan the field with a tight end heavy offense that I think really lends itself to Kirk being
47:16able to attack over the middle of the field and dissect zone coverages.
47:20Something that he was just masterful of in this game.
47:23So, are the Raiders the most explosive offense in the NFL?
47:27No, I don't think that that's the case. But when this young, confident defense can get you a couple of turnovers, Kirk
47:33Cousins in this offense is able to orchestrate and sustain drives to put up points to legitimately win football games.
47:40And we're seeing that with them being 3-0. And I think that it is an awesome identification of where this team is,
47:47what they do well, what they might not do well, and getting much more out of the former rather than the latter.
47:53It can just sometimes be night and day when you get the right coach in there.
47:58Even right away. You know, earlier this season, which is like a week ago at this point, you know, we were talking
48:05about how the Raiders offense was like really inefficient, right?
48:0813 possessions, only three got to the red zone last week.
48:12Two of those were because of turnovers. We're like, man, this offense just isn't really efficient.
48:17The defense is playing really well, but they need some balance offensively.
48:21Well, you get Brock Bowers back, somehow you get offensive balance just like that when you get a superstar, not even tight end, just superstar weapon.
48:29Kirk had 22 completions in this game. Ten of them went to Bowers.
48:33He was an immediate difference maker for this team.
48:36Once again, Ashton Gentty under three yards per carry again this week.
48:39But it didn't matter as much because he still got 19 attempts.
48:43So they were keeping defenses honest. Like you, even if he's not succeeding with those attempts, the fact that they're still keeping
48:50the run rate high means the defense has to play those run pass percentages, which means the play action game is going to be better.
48:58And it means you're more likely to get, you know, advantageous matchups with Brock Bowers.
49:02And he was abusing everybody. Even corners couldn't handle Bowers today.
49:06Ten catches for a buck 16 and a touchdown.
49:09Didn't matter who was guarding him. He was incredible.
49:12And this is the first time this Clint Kubiak offense has looked like the Kubiak offense in Seattle, where it's we're committing to the run.
49:19Even if we're not necessarily efficient from carry to carry, we'll get a couple explosives here and there.
49:25And as long as we have our one superstar weapon, JSN in Seattle, Bowers in Vegas, as long as we have that
49:32one guy we can build the plane out of, we're going to be effective.
49:36And they put up 35 points and won the game.
49:39They're 3-0. So this Raiders team is scrappy. Are they perfect?
49:43No, they're not even close. But they're good enough to keep Mendoza on the bench, which I think is excellent for the
49:502027 and 2028 Raiders, in addition to being great for the 2026 Raiders.
49:54I feel like Week 3 is always an indicator of maybe how the rest of the season is going to go, right?
50:01We know that Week 1, like we talked about, can be a liar sometimes.
50:05So many different things sort of show up in Week 2.
50:08You get some stinkers. You get some teams that kind of come out of nowhere.
50:13But then in Week 3, are the teams that are really good that they just start blowing everybody out and we kind
50:20of know what the season's going to be? We had so many close games in Week 3 that I think that tells
50:27you the parody is going to be wild the entire season.
50:30We didn't even get to all of them in this show.
50:34But man, if Week 3 is any indicator, like I think that it is, we are in for a hell of a 2026 season.
50:41Shout out to everybody at NGS. Working super hard to get us all of these numbers for us to do this show right away.
50:49Shout out to the producers making it happen. For Brett Coleman, I'm Trevor Sikama saying thank you guys so much for watching
50:56this reaction show episode of Week 3. We'll see you later on.
50:59See you guys. Thanks for listening to our Week 3 reaction podcast.
51:03Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
