2025 NFL Week 5 NFC Preview

18:56Patrick Claybon:he was a genius. He was a genius. And Grisard is lucky that chip has paved the road to show us that, that a Mecca Buka can be very successful playing football. There you go. Thank him. I'm so glad he invented football in the mid two thousands. Great opportunity.

19:14Jourdan Rodrigue:Make sure you catch the other show.

19:17Steve Wyche:Yes. I, I do love me some Sam Darnold the way he's playing right now. I mean, this is the best he's played in his career. That's a drop, Eric. I think he's playing. Now, they're protecting him a little bit in terms of, like, there's not a lot of attempts per game, but he's not a play action merchant at all. If anything, their play action game has been bad. Like, he's been better when they're not running play action. And the offensive line is just average, which is an upgrade from what Gino got, to be fair. But, like, it's just average. Darnold's kind of making plays on his own. The Gino comforting by Greg is so special.

19:50I know.

19:50Steve Wyche:Well, it's true. All you ever wanted was an average offensive line. They're average. They're just like, fine. That's like, okay, that's good.

19:57Patrick Claybon:Let's get to the next game. The New York Giants led by Jackson Dart will have his first opportunity to start on the road. He's going to have to do it in the 504 against the defeated, generally, New Orleans Saints. But they've been in every single game. And they're a favorite at home by two and a half points. The over-under is 40 and a half. Andrew Catalan, Charles Davis, JC McCourty and AJ Ross on the call. Is this the one Jordan to the Saints win their first game in 2025?

20:26Jourdan Rodrigue:I think they could. I really think they could. And but you know what? Here's the thing. This is the game featuring quarterbacks with maybe an irrational level of dip on their chip. Honestly, like they make a couple of plays that just have no regard for their own lives or anyone else around them. And they will continue to do so through the game. The both quarterbacks on the move is going to be a factor here. I really would like, I don't know, Spencer Rattler, if you listen to this show, but if you do, please start sliding more. You are going head first after almost every, every, you know, option play.

21:00Jourdan Rodrigue:I just, I, you know, I winced every time I saw it last week. This will be a factor here. And it's interesting because this is going to be a tough defense and a tough matchup overall because both of these teams play really hard. And I think people who have not watched the Saints this year will be surprised by how hard this Saints team is playing, despite the fact that their win-loss record does not show it. Hey, man, all I know is Charlie Brown tried like hell to kick that football, too.

21:25Steve Wyche:He tried real hard to kick that football. That's why they got to get Spence a win this week. It is sad for me that in the 11 games, I think it is, that he started, that they have not won yet. And he's running out of time. this is this is a game for both of these franchises that like the fan bases are like oh finally we get a win like saints fans are like oh this is finally the week we get to win because we're not playing some great team that's a heavy favorite and of course the giants coming off that week against the chargers are thinking the same way and i i do fear for the rat man that uh like if they don't win this it might be the end of the road even though he's played really well and it would just I would just be my heart would break a little bit for him that he would have to sit back down without getting to feel what it's like to win a freaking football game.

22:19Steve Wyche:Yeah, shouldn't be that. Ole Miss nation's coming across that state line to support Jackson Dart as they put another L on another Louisiana team at back to back weeks. Oh, not just. Oh, not back to back, back to back to back. That's true. Embarrassed my two lanes green wave and shot them out of the also receiving votes. I just think the Giants defense are front. Oh, it's sick. I just think this is one. Spencer Rattler, Alvin Kamara, do your thing. But I think the Giants defense is going to be too good in this one. You know, we could talk about these quarterbacks and this and that. This is one, to me, is plain and simple.

22:55The Giants defense is going to make plays.

22:56Steve Wyche:Well, and the Saints defense won't be good because like the Brandon Staley sance I was trying to throw out there when we went to camp down there. It's not happening like that. I don't know. I think they've underperformed. Their defense provides very little resistance on average. They've had a tough schedule, but they just don't have a pass rush, and he doesn't seem to have answers. And look, you've got dudes who've been there for a long time, and Brandon comes in and he overloads. And those dudes are like, yo, man, we had great defenses here for years before you came in here with a whole lot of the stuff you're trying to change.

23:28Let us do what we do. And that's why it hasn't translated. But the Giants, D, they are – the front gets after.

23:36Patrick Claybon:The front absolutely does. The front gets after it. And we can celebrate the best performance of the Giants 2025 season. Amar and Hampton averaged 10.7 yards a carry. That's true. Like whenever he got the ball in space, he was able to make plays. Like when Herbert was able to get the ball in the air to Quinton Johnston, he caught a ball between two defenders and scored a touchdown. This Giants team continues to allow players to hit home runs against them. and that's the Saints bread and butter. Like you get Rashid Shahid on a couple where it's like how confident are we really considering what we've seen the Saints team be up against this far in the season like that Jackson Dart is going to go in there to New Orleans and be dancing in the end zone like running these RPOs and having all the success they had against the Chargers.

24:23Patrick Claybon:I think they just got the Chargers in a bad spot.

24:25Jourdan Rodrigue:And I have to tell you this guy, you know, the Saints, if you go and you watch them from snap to snap too, There are players everywhere on that team that are emerging and they're, they're making plays like Kendrick Miller, 12 forced missed tackles over the first few games. I'm willing to bet. Most of them came last week against the bills defense. Nobody could bring him down. Nobody could touch him and getting him used in a lot of different ways, putting him in space, getting him on these yards after catch, like quick outlet throws, having him run the ball like this, he, he, he might have something.

24:58Jourdan Rodrigue:And so I think that that becomes a layer here, especially if you're trying to protect Spencer Rattler from Abdul Carter. He's playing everywhere. Outside linebacker. He's playing a little inside linebacker. He's blitzing as a creeping defender. Eight pressures, five hits, and that was just last week. I mean, it's insane to be doing that much, to have that many roles as a rookie. Now, I know everyone's – not us because we know ball, but everyone is going to sit there and be like, oh, he doesn't have a lot of sacks. But look at the other guys who do. But look at the pressures. like look at the he's 19 pressures already and Thibodeau and these guys are actually showing up on the box score and that's because they have somebody else distracting you know the attention

25:37Steve Wyche:yeah and Dexter Lawrence I thought played his best game even taking away the interception like he's starting to create pressure it's a good defense it's I don't think there's going to be a lot of points I think if you're a Jackson Dart fan you just got to be worried like this pace is a little unsustainable he took five sacks I think all five were on him just like holding the ball too long. They were carried the ball 12. He carried the ball 12 times. If you include the penalty plays and you know, he's got the play where he's like, you know, pushing down the defender, like in the face, but it gets you fired up, but he took some big hits in that game.

26:12Steve Wyche:Like if he gets hit 17 times a game, uh, he will not be long for the starting lineup. We are not long for our week five preview. We've only got a few more games and we're going to hit them after this final break.

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27:31Steve Wyche:Back on NFL Daily. And yes, I arrived in London Monday evening and had an experience going through the Dublin airport and never had before. I was in the middle of the entire Minnesota Vikings organization going through security just jalen nailer right in front of me having to get his bags checked like a normal person i guess you can't like escape uh security overseas like and just fly private and just skip all that because their their entire group were doing the same thing as me buying overpriced uh you know stuffed leprechauns in the gift store like right right as we got through wow man you're uh you're you're like nailing some stereotypes there gray I mean, I'm just telling you exactly what was happening.

28:16Steve Wyche:I literally was in the gift store buying a stuffed leprechaun, and the Minnesota Vikings players were doing the same thing. My son wanted one. Yeah. Sorry. They're going to sell it. I'm going to buy it.

28:27Patrick Claybon:And that's what we do. We consume, and we go through customs, and we go with the Vikings. Yeah, and some of us are accustomed to picking teams that lose every single week, as I did for the Carolina Panthers last week. But this week might be different. They are at home taking on the Miami Dolphins, who are one and a half point favorite. I love the single. I love the one there at all times. Eric Collins, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale on the call. The Dolphins, of course, lose Tyreek Hill for the remainder of the season. There's questions about 2026. Greg, which Panthers team makes an appearance here in this game on Sunday?

29:04Steve Wyche:I think the 2025 Carolina Panthers, which are they're bad. There was that one team that showed up for the Falcons game. And even in that game, they didn't crack 300 yards. They had the same yard. It was a little bit of a fluky game, and they won it, and they deserve it. One of these teams, though, Steve, will be 2-3. And even if I wanted to go ahead and power rank the teams and put them each in the bottom five, the reality is one of these teams after this week will be 2-3. And I think that's an exciting opportunity. If you're the fans of one of these teams or the quarterbacks or the coach, you're going to feel pretty decent.

29:44Steve Wyche:There's some decent teams out there that'll be two and three. Way to sell it, Greg. Well done. I mean, I just mean it. It's a schedule opportunity. This whole AFC East, NFC South combination this year, some stinky teams are going to be winning some games. I'm real interested because Miami's defense was still porous. We saw the Jets just go up and down the field. I mean, Carolina has got offensively the potential to move the ball. I don't know if they can get into the end zone. But getting Darren Waller back really intrigues me for the Dolphins. No Tyreek Hill. Jalen Waddell's got the speed close to Tyreek Hill, but he's not a deep threat the way that they're used.

30:21So the Dolphins don't have the guy who can necessarily take the top off the defense, but they can paper cut you all over the place. And I think Darren Waller, from what he showed in the few plays he played the other day, could end up being an option for what Tua does well. I like Miami to outscore Carolina. There's no defenses in this game. I mean, still Carolina.

30:43Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, because Carolina is running the ball OK. Yeah. And they look, you know, relatively physical while they're doing it. And while Miami's defense can rush the passer, I still I still see no signs of being able to stop the run. And so that's where I think Carolina has to try to capitalize and attack this week on the other side of it. I mean, I'm really excited to see if Miami keeps looking like Miami offensively, whatever that sad thing was that was out there earlier this season, like Tua looked more confident than I've seen him maybe in years. And, and, and I loved the game plan. Darren Waller's be like Renaissance, I guess if, if it sustains two touchdowns and then was on the hands team for the onside kick recovery when the Jets were trying to mount a comeback.

31:27Jourdan Rodrigue:But I really liked the scheme. I like that they ran the ball and they kept running the ball and he had over a hundred scrimmage yards, got to 99 rushing yards and wasn't even close to that number in rushing yards. Any other point in this season? And Tua was, was looking like all of the little things he does that makes him a really good quarterback where he can execute, he can move the launch point. He can do some of those ball fakes, including one sick one behind his back. That was so cool where he can, he can change wherever the defense's eyes are going to be just with these little movements and these little cadences.

32:03Jourdan Rodrigue:And then what Mike McDaniel got back to doing, which is what he was doing when he first started coaching this team and scheming guys up on this team was getting guys free releases off the line of scrimmage, making defenders play with dirty eyes as, as coaches like to say, where you're flowing one way and then everything else is going the other way, or the receiver is already blown by you because you're playing a little too tight and he's, he is coming off the line of scrimmage and changing space and gaps on you via these motions. And I think I, I would actually trust a little bit more the Panthers run game, which I know has been bad.

32:38Jourdan Rodrigue:The Panthers run defense, which I know has been bad against a Miami run attack that has been start stop this entire year and only just barely is starting again, I would trust their secondary less. Even without Tyreek Hill, I would trust their secondary way less to be able to handle and adjust to all of the things that Mike McDaniel is going to try to do and Tua is going to try to do to fool their eyes.

33:01Patrick Claybon:Yeah. After rushing for 78 and 61 yards in the first two games of the season, and granted, up against the Bills and the Jets, whose run defenses have allowed other teams to go, they went for 130 and 123. I think that was the difference in the Dolphins offense, especially on Monday night, where the misdirections, the fakes, being able to have to have time to throw behind the back pass and celebrate. The vibes are up because they're moving the ball. They're being successful. I feel like that's where the confidence comes from. And what better opportunity to get confidence in the run game than playing against the Carolina Panthers if they can actually commit to it?

33:38Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah.

33:39Patrick Claybon:if you don't get distracted by the opportunity to take shots down the field and just have sustained commitment to the run game, where everybody that's played against the Panthers that's done that has been able to win going away when it doesn't happen.

33:53Steve Wyche:Oh, man, they're eating when they throw the ball, too. They might have the worst middle of the field ever. And that's what I'm saying. It's as bad all around.

34:01Jourdan Rodrigue:That's what I'm saying, Greg, is I trust no phase of the Stephens, but I trust I actually against this particular type of passing attack. I actually trust the Panthers passing defense less than I trust their running defense. And I already don't trust their running defense. How the hell did they shut the Falcons out? It's just 30 to nothing.

34:23Steve Wyche:Their linebackers in Carolina are so bad. The Dolphins offense. I think everyone just remembers that week one. They've been fine this year and they haven't been good, but they've been fine. Like they, they went up and down on the Patriots. They did okay against the Bills. Like, they've been okay. They've had a very easy schedule. They're kind of getting away with it on the offensive line because of the matchups. Like, they're starting Cole Strange still, the former Patriots pick. Larry Borum is their right tackle. Their rookie second-round pick, who they took high, has really been struggling. So I'm not really feeling either of these teams long-term, but I'm feeling the Dolphins on Sunday.

34:55Jourdan Rodrigue:Well, Borum, I hardly know him.

34:58Patrick Claybon:Okay. That was a good one. No, I do not apologize for that. That was spectacular, Jordan. we'll get to coach Callahan's Tennessee Titans. Also a one and a half point favorite. No, excuse me. That's a, that's just a holdover because I was shocked. The Colors were seven and a half point favorites. I see. It's the, it's the, the other 1.5 carried from the fence, but either way, uh, seven and a half point favorites of the Arizona Cardinals at home against the Tennessee Titans, Spiro Ditas, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkwala on the call. And, um, Coach Callahan, before we get to the discussion of it, had an opportunity to answer some questions because the seat may be getting hot.

35:41Patrick Claybon:I want everybody to get a chance to listen to this. Do you think this is a resilient and relentless football team? I know what you're doing there, Paul. I know what you're doing. And I'm not going to answer that shit right now. Well, I mean, those are the things that you've tried to catch on this football team. You're 20-some games in. You're stuck. I'm just composed myself here before I say something I regret. But yes, I think this team is resilient. I think it is relentless. We haven't played good enough football. And I think those are two very distinct different things. We have to execute at a better level.

36:13Steve Wyche:We have to coach better. That's really all I can say.

36:16Patrick Claybon:Greg, it is October 1st. Your thoughts?

36:21Steve Wyche:Okay, I have a couple of thoughts. First of all, I should have mentioned, Dave Canales was also asked this week whether they would be changing their staff, whether they would be looking at organizational changes it is not a good sign when that's happening but i especially wanted to point that clip out because it's something that happens in the tenure of every titans coach and that's the moment where you let everyone know how much you hate paul kuhach there it is there it is mike rabel many of those moments uh mike malarkey man he had those moments ken wisenhut you might not even remember was the titans coach and had a record I think might have been worse than Brian Callahan, who's 3-18, and he did not last long.

37:05Steve Wyche:I feel bad because I always liked Ken Wisnett. Mike Munchak definitely had a couple of those moments. Jeff Fisher had those moments. So it is a rite of passage, and I hope that Brian Callahan can get past it because it's always Paul Kaharski on the other line, and they always say Paul. They always call him by his first name. That's my take. look it's i'm not i mean i'm not i'll put it to you this way i'm not defending paul koharski or the coach i think it's all good it's all good all around a thousand percent he's noting the passage of time i i wrote i wrote paul koharski down here and showed it to george because it is it is a rite of passage you know because paul is is a tough reporter he's seen a lot of bad football so he's got every right uh to to go and ask these types of questions, report the way he reports.

37:59Look, I don't know what the Titans necessarily, the goal clearly is to win. They've got a quarterback in Cam Ward who they think can do it, but what else have they put together? Like, I just kind of want to know what they're trying to roster wise, everything, what they're trying to do, because it's, it's just not great. Now, is this a game that they can possibly go when you don't? Yeah, they could. I mean, I think Arizona is a better football team, but they still haven't figured out. like we talked about Tampa Bay, that when they show up on the field, that they should win. They're a hot and cold team.

38:31So maybe Tennessee pulls something off and they get Paul Harsky off the coach's back for a bit. I just don't know roster-wise. I just don't know what it is. You talk about looking for an identity. I think they're like a year away from being a year away from looking for an identity.

38:49Jourdan Rodrigue:I think it'll actually be kind of hard for Arizona to move the ball on this Titans defense, which isn't like, you know, I wouldn't put that. I put them kind of in the middle, lower third of the NFL, but they have put together some quality snaps. And then Arizona can't really run the ball anymore because they're already missing James Conner. And then Trey Benson is out too. And he might come back later on in the season, but that's their heart and soul, both guys. I mean, James Conner certainly. And then Trey Benson is a pretty quality backup to him as well. and there are still errors and issues between Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr.

39:22Jourdan Rodrigue:I know he had the redemption touchdown and a couple of really nice plays, but there's also been a lot of really bad plays between the two and this Cardinals offense feels like a team that thinks it's supposed to be this one thing because everybody on the outside is telling them they have to be the wide receiver one and then everybody else team, but really what it is is get the ball to Trey McBride and then burn people down the field with whoever else from time to time so that the defense respects the middle of the field. That's what they are, and they should just go to do that. So I think that that's where Arizona is having issues.

39:56Jourdan Rodrigue:My major takeaway, though, from all of this, and listening to some of the quotes out of the press conferences from Tennessee over the last several days is what I really wish someone would have done is ask Brian Callahan, do you agree that we ask?

40:13Patrick Claybon:I think he would agree. I mean, that would be a more, yes, that would be a more constructive question because like to, to make, to do the callback thing. Like, yeah, I do understand what Brian Callen is saying there. I see what you're trying to do, but it's like, what are we learning from this other than we're having this itchy interaction right now between you and me?

40:34Jourdan Rodrigue:Itchy is a good word for it.

40:35Patrick Claybon:What's the value when, you know, a lot of people work very hard to get in that room and you've been there for a while, but that doesn't justify wasting everybody's time. Although we did spend time on it today on our show. So perhaps that's a lesson for me. But Cam Ward's been pressured on 44 % of his dropbacks. That's nuts. But now he's going up against a team with the 10th lowest sack rate in the league in the Arizona Cardinals. And the way that the second half started on Thursday with Sweat coming off the edge and getting pressure on Sam Darnold. And it's like, yeah, that's it. But they haven't been able to consistently do that.

41:13Patrick Claybon:While Cam has been consistently under siege in his first season, his first few games in his first season. And like we get the, you know, the honesty from him at the podium. And hopefully things get better. There's a reason why teams have the first overall pick. It's usually because they're terrible. Yeah.

41:31Jourdan Rodrigue:I just want them to like, I feel like they could,

41:34Steve Wyche:they could get sparks for, for like one game. could they just win one game like this is one of those games because if the Cardinals win this game they might not play that well and they would be like a very underwhelming three and two I think this could be one game that they could do it because you mentioned like missing the running backs and the Cardinals are 31st in success rate with those running backs I think for all the Harrison stuff like everything that's wrong with this team starts there like they just don't make sense if they're that bad uh of a running team and Kyler's not really really throwing it short Yeah, they miss Clayton Adams.

42:08Steve Wyche:I just would like to see these guys, the Titans, get one win. Get everyone off the schneid. Get Spencer Rattler a win. Get you guys home from the studio in Los Angeles. That was it for our week five preview. We've already made it to week five. We will be back in this feed in not too long with the Thursday night recap. It's guys night on Thursday night football. Well, it's Patrick Claiborne.

42:37Jourdan Rodrigue:Wow, that's never happened before.

42:39Steve Wyche:It's, yeah, it's a good point. I just, I just meant like dudes, dudes with muscles. That doesn't usually happen.

42:47Patrick Claybon:Most of them shucks.

42:48Steve Wyche:Cardinals. That doesn't happen either. It's Rams and Niners. We'll see you then.

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43:33Jourdan Rodrigue:Guaranteed human.