Anxiety Index: What’s Next for Vikings, Commanders, Bears, Bengals and More

22:20Jourdan Rodrigue:that does give me a little anxiety is, Colleen, you mentioned the possibility. I mean, I don't, I don't know that neither of us think that this actually is going to happen right away, but if there is a benching, you're looking at Andy Dalton coming back in. you're looking at the potential of three redheaded quarterbacks starting games in the national football league. That gives me a little anxiety. Whoa. Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton, just a rare year. It just is. It just feels like some sort of rip in the space time continuum happens after that. I didn't even think with Carson Wentz back. Yeah. He's got a chance to really go out there and take command.

22:57Maybe we could have. No. Don't bring it back. The return.

23:05I can never unhear it. Because the expectations were so low to begin with, I'm going to put the Panthers down at like fifth here. Yeah.

23:14Jourdan Rodrigue:What do you guys think? I think that's too high, but yeah. I'm six for them. Six, so that's the bottom here. I am team redhead. I just think so many of them playing at the same time. You're worried about them possibly taking over. Something cosmically happens. Okay. All right, so keep an eye out, everyone. Just keep an eye out, everyone. You don't know. Look alive. It's always hilarious before the show where I'm like, this show might be too quick. We got to hit the minimum for our fast show. Hilarious that you say that every time. I do like to leave a lot of... Greg finds new ways to scold us every week.

23:47Jourdan Rodrigue:That's scolding. I love a honk fest. Let's talk commanders. Jaden Daniels might not play this week. That was surprising. He was one of, I believe, six players to get an MRI on the team after their week two loss. Two of them are going to be out for the season, Austin Eckler and Dietrich Wise, who I think were important players for them. They were starting for a reason, especially Wise, I think, was a guy they brought in to add a little run defense, a veteran in that room. But the surprise was that Daniels, after really getting hit quite a bit against the Packers and was limping at the end of that game, so maybe I shouldn't be as shocked, got the MRI on his knee, and he's day to day.

24:32We will see. We're taping this on Tuesday, but his week three status against the Raiders is in doubt. If you're ever going to sit for a game, Colleen, maybe, uh, maybe this one would be the one. That's Raiders defense erasure.

24:47Jourdan Rodrigue:They look pretty good. Minus a 60 yard Justin Herbert bomb. Okay. I'm just saying, we'll start with you then. You just wrote the piece. This is fresh. The definition of a backup quarterback piece. No one can write about backup quarterbacks for at least like three years on the internet because Jordan did such a good job. It was like an oral history style on what it's like to be a backup quarterback on the athletic. And, you know, one of them was Marcus Mariota, who I do believe, based on how he's looked in Washington in the regular season and the preseason, is one of the best backups in the league.

25:16And he's also thrived with Kingsbury before. Yeah. Right. So I'm just saying if it was on a knife's edge of whether he could play or not, you'd feel good about Mariota.

25:24Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, this is the lowest on my anxiety here, having Marcus Mariota running that offense. He is one of the best backups in the league. He could still start games for a team if it was the right fit for him with coordinator and line and all those things, as it would be for so many. The way that... One reason I really like doing that piece, thank you for mentioning that, was because I really wanted to know how people take information that they're never actually using, you know, in real life. They just absorb this massive amount of information and studies, but they never actually get to use the things that they learned and the things that they're doing in the film room and teaching.

25:59Jourdan Rodrigue:You got to get ready. Yeah. And so now he's going to get if this goes the way that I think it will, he'll get the full week of reps. And he's already doing the same types of early morning walkthroughs that Jaden Daniels is doing with the quarterbacks coach with Cliff Kingsbury. Marcus Mariota is doing that with Tavita Pritchard, the quarterbacks coach. Like they're doing they're trying to keep this as even as possible for the sake of the rest of the offense. And I think that's a really important and mature kind of way to look at it. One thing that is sticking out to me early, I think remember last year and Colleen, I think you're on top of this one.

26:33Jourdan Rodrigue:We were taking, we were keeping stats for like teams after they had played the lions and how beat up they were after they'd played the lions. I think the Packers are the new team this year. I mean, watching them, watching the way that they hit Houston to kind of competing for that a little bit, but especially the way that they went after Jaden Daniels. I mean, you really want to protect him. and the Raiders don't have much of a pass rush. But, you know, it's like you still you want to play a capable quarterback against Max Crosby. One huge advantage for that is just from the schedule makers. You cannot have a bigger schedule advantage rest wise than they do.

27:10They were they had a Thursday night game. The Raiders had a Monday night game and the Raiders have to come all the way to the East Coast. I mean, that that is a pretty big deal, not just coming off rest, but for all the players early in the season. That's tough. having had to play so much watching them. Like, are you, I don't know. Well, so the only thing that would bump up my anxiety meter a little bit higher is just the fact that Jaden Daniels and Terry McLaurin just have the, they're off like their connection. It's not there yet. There's just, they're out of rhythm. And now it's sort of like the same thing with JJ McCarthy, with Jaden Daniels, he's not going to be able to find that rhythm.

27:48And I feel like this whole, the whole contract situation, all the negotiations, it really does make a difference whether or not you get that practice time and you get that rep, those reps during training camp, because we're kind of seeing that now play out.

28:02Jourdan Rodrigue:Turns out if you already know you're going to eventually extend the player, you should do it before training camp. I don't get it. Why? Why do they do this? Cause he wanted like more than they were willing to give. And then they were putting all this, all this out there. It's like, how dare he ask for this? Like he wanted this top shelf stuff. Oh yeah. Just Terry McLaurin. Who's like the Spider-Man meme of Spider-Man standing in front of the train when the organization is in total dysfunction, holding it and straining to keep everything together as like the face of that organization forever. We don't need to relitigate.

28:35Jourdan Rodrigue:With rotating quarterbacks coming through. I have a little anxiety though, that it was the worst game of Jaden Daniels' career. And I think the opponent really matters. After week one, I thought they looked a little too loose. They were a little uneven in week one. They have Josh Connerly, who's their first-round pick starting at right tackle. Right now, he leads the NFL in pressures allowed. Now, that'll happen after going against Micah Parsons and Rashawn Gary. But, you know, he struggled a little bit in week one. He's had tough matchups. Well, he might have, you know, Max Crosby on the same side of him this week.

29:03So that could be difficult. You know, you lose Eckler. That's not a massive one. But I do wonder if it was after one year of Cliff Kingsbury, whether, you know, he has a next move. And I think they will. And I think I'm not worried about Jaden Daniels at all, but I do think that the depth of the weapons on this team is not great behind McLaurin and Debo Samuel. So are we going to put them last of these? Ultimately, they're the only one with Jaden Daniels on their team of all these.

29:33Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, and I'm contextualizing in the fact that we don't necessarily think this is an extended injury yet. We don't know. And also, I think they've got the best backup in the league. Okay, so we want to put them at the bottom. I think so. Don't be anxious. We can also move these around if we need to. Don't be new. I've really taken command of the... I love that. It's also interesting that Mariota played for the Raiders too, even though he just never started for them. You know? All right, let's do one more before a break. The Kansas City Chiefs are 0-2. I don't know if you guys heard. It's hard being on top.

30:07And do you feel guilty as an Eagles fan for sending great individuals like Nick Wright into a shame spiral. Oh my gosh. You know, I'm so sorry for everyone out there that is reeling, but you should have known that this was going to happen. I look at this Chiefs offense and obviously they're going to not look the way that they did before, but even the way that they did before, they weren't an explosive offense. And now you're down your top two best pass catchers. you're going to have some issues, but they're not going to be able to sustain this with Patrick Mahomes just trying to do everything himself.

30:48And this is so unfamiliar, this territory for them starting the year off 0-2 after losing a Super Bowl too. I just, I don't know how the team comes together, but Kansas City is known for figuring these things out mid-season or anytime during the year. I think multiple things can be true here that it is different than it's ever been.

31:11Jourdan Rodrigue:They seem anxious. You see Chris Jones snap to snap, talking back and forth to the linemen opposite him and talking on the sideline. And he seems anxious. They seem like they're tight right now. It's hard being on top and like they will bounce back. They lost two one score games, which was their magic potion a year ago. Just figure out a way to good teams, to very good teams. At the end of the year, we could look up and the Chargers and the Eagles could be two of the, if not the toughest teams that they face all year along with the Ravens. And so they're one score, you know, losers in those games.

31:47That's not something to totally panic about. But to me, it was like they were only watching it within one score because they were the Chiefs. It was like their old one score magic of they are really well coached and they have one of the greatest players of all time. And they have all the organizational, institutional sort of culture that they're not going to get blown. Like that was the only thing that's keeping them close because I look at the players and I do think there's a talent gap here, especially on the defense. So my anxiety is way higher on the defensive side because they're going to get those players back on offense.

32:21They have Patrick Mahomes on offense. They have Andy Reid helping out with the offense. I think the offense can still be top shelf. I don't know if they have the dudes on the defense ultimately.

32:32Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, we talked about Spags and how brilliant he can be in scheming up pressure, but it got to a point against Philadelphia where you're almost stretching yourself too thin with the amount of blitzing that you had to do because you could not rush with four. And that's a Chris Jones comment, you know, and that's something where it is really strange for me. And he's, I believe, started slow in the past before and then really turned it on at the end of seasons and all of that. So I don't necessarily rule someone of that elite talent ability out, but you mentioned the talent gap. It's also an age gap between the two players, Travis Kelsey and Chris Jones, and who they most have to rely on outside of Patrick Mahomes.

33:14Jourdan Rodrigue:And then there's a sort of a middle age group that hasn't quite come up to where it needs to be. And then there's a lot of young players. You guys know, I love Josh Simmons at left tackle. There are still going to be some bumpy moments with a rookie who is starting for you. Xavier Worthy, who's not on the field yet after some accidental contact by Travis Kelsey. And then this defense, there's a lot of, you know, missing. There's a lot of missing pieces in terms of this collective unit that we're so used to seeing not only rushes one, but also attacking coverage as well. And they can't run the ball.

33:50And even when Xavier Worthy returns, he's not going to be 100 % with this harness or whatever he's going to have to wear. You're still waiting for Rishi Rice to come back. You still have, what, four games left now? And they're in a really tough division now with the Chargers looking good. I think my anxiety is pretty high.

34:11Jourdan Rodrigue:Two-game advantage now by the Chargers, which is so rare to have that happen. And the Chargers suddenly have, not suddenly, but over the last two years, have the best defense in the league, not named the Philadelphia Eagles. So they're at the Giants this week. There'll be a heavy favorite there. Then they're back home for the Ravens at the Jaguars and the Lions before Rasheed Rice is back. So you think about this early schedule. It's really front loaded. And so them not being kind of fully ready for the start of the season is going to come back to get them. And I started by saying multiple things can be true.

34:44They can bounce back, but still not be the old Chiefs. And you think about that Patriots And that's that is the comp because no other team in history has made it as far in the playoffs as the Kansas City Chiefs in the entire NFL history consistently, other than that, that those Patriots teams. And yet you you look at that run and there were many years where you pretty much knew that they didn't have it, that they were short a number of pieces. And you tried to convince yourself like the national media or the local fans would. But it's like, you know, the years they just had like no running game or their defense didn't make sense.

35:16And because it's Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, it's like they still were getting to the wildcard round before they get blown out by the Ravens or they get to the divisional round or even maybe to the conference championship before like Peyton Manning takes care of him. But like they would have slow starts. They had shortcoming. And that's what this team feels like to me, because I don't know where the help is coming from. Nick Bolton, like he's one of those middle aged younger players. He looks old like he's taken too many big hits. And then you're trotting out some of these same guys, Charles Amenahu, Derek Nottie on the defensive line.

35:47And it's I just don't see it. So my anxiety level is quite high. And it hurts when you're used to being the best. If you're just like pretty good, like there is a different sort of anxiety. What did you guys think when you were watching that game and it was so close at the end? Because normally, if this was even last year or the year before, you'd be like, oh, God, they have plenty of time. I can't believe the Chiefs are in this game, but they're not going to do it.

36:09Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, and I was thinking calmest team wins, and that's the Eagles. Yeah, it didn't feel scary. Wow, it sounds like we're anxious. I thought they were going to be on the bottom of the list because of the Chiefs. We have the Vikings at two. And yes, the visual accompaniment, the production value is so high right now with my little whiteboard. Where do you want to put them? I'm going to put them at four personally because they still have Patrick Mahomes. Right, that's the thing. And they're getting guys back. They do have champagne problems. Like, ooh, we might be this five seed. Like, you know. I mean, I'm thinking more of like a three.

36:46I feel a little higher. But we can keep them at four. We'll see. See how it pans out. But for me, it's higher. All right. So far, we've gone over four teams. The Vikings, the Chiefs, the Panthers, and the Commanders. Let's take a quick break. Hit a few more teams. And TNF after the break. I'm anxious about this segment. Is it working?

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41:20Like I'm working off of MS-DOS on a massive computer that is very outdated. The software has not been updated in a super long time. Another positive way to look at it would be, you know, I see a lot of kind of faux spiritual stuff on Instagram, whatnot, of like live in the moment. and that's living in the moment. That's what I do now. Just like I'm present. Be where your feet are on the ground. That's right. That's all that matters. Ten toes down. That and the three teams we have left to talk about. Okay, so we hit the Bengals situation pretty hard on Sunday night. I don't want to repeat what Nick Shook and I said on that show.

41:58Joe Burrow is having surgery on the turf toe. He is officially on injured reserve. As of Tuesday, they activated Brett Rippon to the active roster. Another one of your backups in your piece. I don't know if they were cursed or it was good luck because technically he's making a lot more money now. Good luck.

42:17Jourdan Rodrigue:It was good luck. Not for Joe Burrow. This is my fault. Brett Rippon's getting a game check this week and before he was getting the practice squad check. So he's going to be active. They also signed Sean Clifford and Mike White to their practice squad. So they have a couple. Oh my God. The room is full. Yes. Oh my God. What happens with Kirk Cousins? Like, is no one, is this not? I feel like Atlanta just doesn't want to let them out of the building. Really? I feel like they, they're, the reports that you've heard so far is that they're asking for so much. Okay. Right. As the season continues, we'll see if that changes.

42:53Jourdan Rodrigue:But the reports early on this year is that they're asking an egregious amount. Right. And we'll see how that shakes out before the trade deadline. I predicted, we didn't have the tiny table in here, but I predicted that we'd see at least two quarterbacks traded. That's right. Deadline this year. I think he'll be one of them. We got a while. We got a while to go time. Yeah. Cause you think like he would fit this offense. I think Kirk cousins that said Jake Browning has been in that building a long time in 2023 when he played, you know, by far the most football he's ever played at the NFL level and really got to the point where he got a nice contract and he's staying with Cincinnati for the seven games he started, he led the NFL in completion percentage.

43:38He was eighth in ESPN's QBR. That season in games that Joe Burrow started, they were 500. And with Jake Browning, they were, you know, four and three. I'm not saying that that's that meaningful, but the offense...

43:50Jourdan Rodrigue:Because wins are not a quarterback's test. No, that's why I said in games that Joe Burrow started, you know, they didn't have that record, but the team made up for it. And they made up for it in interesting ways. The offense was totally different with Jake Browning. It was a lot more like the Sean McVay tree, Kyle Shanahan tree offense we're used to seeing under center play action and much different than the kind of Joe Burrow. I'm just back in shotgun, almost running the offense myself. And on paper, their schedule overall isn't that tough if you look at the average opponent, but the defenses they play coming up are brutal.

44:27At Minnesota, at Denver, and then they have the Lions at home and at Green Bay. arguably three best defenses in the league plus the lions where you got to try to outscore them

44:38Jourdan Rodrigue:so that's no wonder they have so many quarterbacks yeah they're like it's bodies they're loading bodies at this point they're like yeah they need more actually wow do you think they have enough defensively offensive line coaching weapons no to survive yes weapons i just mean overall to do kind of what they did a couple years ago, but on a longer trajectory. If it's three months minimum, that means he has to play about 12 games, let's say. Can he go five and seven, which gets them to seven and seven, and then Joe Burrow can return? If they lose four straight, these four straight games, that team falls apart.

45:18Put them on ice at that point.

45:20Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah. I don't buy it yet with their defense. I think they've showed, in terms of their run defense, they showed flashes. I don't buy it yet on their defense. I their weapons are the best among the best in the league if not the best one and two that you can possibly have that's great they've got even a great three they've got a good pass catching tight end you know but they chase brown could run the ball you know I don't buy it with their offensive line especially coming up against these groups that these defenses that they're coming up against you know yes he looked good and yes scheme can get you to a certain point but when we talk about these crazy streaks for backups and and all of that we don't often say zach taylor's name we say like kevin o 'connell matt lafleur with what he did with malik willis and and all these different types of things i think zach taylor i'm a little anxious for him in terms of he needs to kind of prove what he adds brings to the table that's always been my thing that he's that he's the polo shirt of NFL coaches.

46:20Like he's totally fine, you know, but like, you're not super excited. And yet he kind of did prove it with Jake Browning before that was, that was in some ways, like the highlight of his NFL coaching career that they developed this kid, Jake Browning, who not a lot of people had high hopes about and their offense was pretty good with him. And Oh, by the way, he led a comeback victory in which he entered, you know, behind on the scoreboard. And he threw a couple of groaners in terms of interceptions, but he also led them on like a 90 plus yard touchdown drive to win the game. Yeah. He completed what?

46:53Nine of his last 10 passes. So he adapted, but I do like the fact that so many of his teammates are talking about how chill and calm he is, even when everything else seems chaotic around him, that he's just like a very, I think Yoshiva said, he's just a chill bro. He's just easy to have a good rapport with. So that's, that's nice. at least. He's not freaking out out there. Yeah, I asked how the Wesleyan brothers were feeling about it, and they had some level of optimism that he can keep the ship afloat. They also pointed out that Jake Browning's girlfriend is conventionally attractive. Just throwing that out there.

47:34That was one of the comments. Where do we put the Bengals on the anxiety index? Now everyone's Googling this, including myself. Are they the team we're the most worried about on this entire list? list.

47:47Jourdan Rodrigue:I'm more worried about Joe Burrow in a vacuum than I am about the Bengals. That's the thing. It's more of an existential like losing the season, you know, another season and he's just turning into an injury prone quarterback. Oh, I hate that label for him. Are they number one on this list? Yeah. Well, they they may be three. Him one for sure. That's where I'm torn. We got to write the Bengals name in general. Where do you feel? Greg? I don't know. I think three. Let's go three. Right now, the number one spot is still up for grabs. This is a very confusing idea. I want to talk a little bit about the Jets.

48:31We were so high on them. Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol. I just wanted to get that in the show. We'll be quick. We've talked a lot about the Jets. I'm curious to hear what you think, Colleen, because yeah, they had like the worst case scenario for week one, which was like everyone was so excited about a moral victory. And then they got the doors blown off them in week two. What is your anxiety about this Jets team? I feel like if it's on an anxiety meter level that is just within, not the one on the whiteboard, but just a different one, it would be like crippling self-doubt like that is the jets to me right imposter syndrome we've just seen we've seen this movie so many times and it just feels like the ending it it's not different ever like they come out with different iterations of it but it's always the same result and it's just i can't

49:23Jourdan Rodrigue:imagine i'm so sorry to jets fans out there i would put them lower if we're gonna put them i'd put them lower actually because there was so much hope after out of that week one but it was like Genuine, there was proof of concept on their tape. And like, they have good young players along this offense. Even, you know, Brees Hall, he'll bounce back and all of these things. They've got Braylon Allen behind him who looks great. Garrett Wilson is obviously locked in for a while. I am such a believer in Armand Membu. Their offensive line looks good. Justin Fields, you're going to get feast or famine games with him.

49:57Jourdan Rodrigue:You just are. Coming into the season, you knew that. But when he's great, he plays like the best quarterback in the NFL. and when he struggles, you get these dips, right? And so then, and then obviously, you know, him, him being out, you're going to have to sort of make hay with that or him being in the, excuse me, the concussion protocol, potentially being out, you might have to make hay with that. But at the same time, we came into this season saying about the Jets, just want to see progress. So that's why my anxiety isn't as high is because you are seeing progress. Well, you can't, you can't have too many of those week two type of games.

50:27That was as bad a game defensively as almost any in the Robert Sala era, really overall. Like it was an embarrassing performance, but yeah, my anxiety is a little less for the Jets. So I'm going to put them at a five because it's about the process, but Darren Mugi, some of the moves that he made the GM in the off season, Jamie and Sherwood was a linebacker. They gave a big contract to it is not working out right now. They did not add enough at the wide receiver position. They're a little thin there. They kept this guy, Michael Clemens, who all Jets fans just hate because he gets a personnel foul penalty.

51:00He's not much of a passer. every single game.

51:03Jourdan Rodrigue:Isn't that the guy who brought the spiked bat or something? He's done a lot. And he got that 15-yarder against Josh Allen. So they're low on the list. Let's wrap up with the Bears. They're 0-2. And they made this segment because Jalen Johnson, their cornerback, sounds like he's possibly out for the season. And it just brings up like they're banged up in the back end of their secondary on top of the inconsistencies they're seeing out of Caleb Williams. So I think Ryan Poles is going to feel the heat a little bit more than Ben Johnson because Ben Johnson to me is more important in that organization.

51:40I know they gave Poles a big contract, but...

51:43Jourdan Rodrigue:Those mean nothing. He gave... Well, they mean a lot to like the future Poles generations. But yes, I hear what you're saying. I'm just saying he got generational money for the next five years. Okay, Greg, because clearly that's what I was talking about. I know you're not. I'm just saying. Yes. Ryan Poles is like Congrats to the Poles family for many generations to come within the context and structure of the organization it does not mean a GD thing if the head coach is in charge of everything and splits the power balance in a way as the season continues to where he is running the show then that extension the years on it specifically do not mean anything I'm just so excited to bring up the Poles family now all the time we should send them a Christmas card we should start a list he had you know, four high picks.

52:30So everyone was all excited about the DJ Moore trade that you get DJ Moore, you get all these extra picks, you end up with Caleb Williams. Everything ended up so perfect, but you do need to hit on those picks. I think Colston Loveland's going to turn out to be a really good pick, but it was hard not to notice in this game, you know, between him and Luther Burden, they didn't have a catch. Those are their first two picks. Then their next two picks were literal healthy scratches. Their left tackle, Ozzy Trapilo, who they thought would maybe start, and then Shamar Turner, a defensive tackle, at a position they're banged up and thin.

53:00And that's where you wonder a little bit about the coach and the GM if everyone's on the same page.

53:05Jourdan Rodrigue:Internally, I know there is optimism about Ozzy Trapilo over the long term. Throwing him out in certain situations probably wouldn't be the healthiest thing to do, especially when, you know, Braxton Jones was awful this last game with something like nine pressures that he allowed. But at the same time, like, you have to walk that line almost like you do with quarterbacks is when do you put the new left tackle out there? and of course playing on the right side before that's, that's different. Um, Ben Johnson, the reason I have so much anxiety about this is Ben Johnson called out several of those players that you just mentioned, uh, when asked about it earlier this week by the, the beat reporters, they're basically saying like, we're looking at the things they do away from the ball and we'll see who wants to play the most.

53:46Jourdan Rodrigue:Oh, like he basically was like, they're going to earn, they're going to earn their looks. They're going to earn their targets. They're going to earn their snaps based on everything they do when they're not being targeted. And, and all of those things that we know are so important to him that he lost his freaking mind over all throughout training camp, the little details when you're not actually the one getting the ball. It goes, the anxiety goes beyond the quarterback who I think I saw progress from Caleb Williams this week, despite the fact that the score was so lopsided. I'm anxious about the defense.

54:14Jourdan Rodrigue:The denisance is off. We should have let you know before the show. The denisance that we saw for three quarters is very much off. We're calling it at this point. It's so tricky judging early in the season. Well, it's only two games. Right. You also don't know schedule-wise. Two games and a lot of gum. Like, okay, looking great against J.J. McCarthy for three quarters. Apparently, like, a lot of defenses probably could have done that in week one. And so you don't really know. It's like last year when the Saints had those great two games. Exactly what I was going to say. Taking the words right out of my mouth.

54:47Yes. Like, they ended up, in the end, having faced two of the worst rush defenses in NFL history. but no one knew that at the time. And everyone was like, Clint Kubiak is amazing. Oh, poor Clint. Okay, Bears, I guess the only spot left is number one, but we can make a change. Do you think the Vikings, the Bengals, or the Chiefs deserve to be at number one over the Bears, or do you think you're most anxious about the Bears? I agree with your point about Caleb Williams. We can talk about him on the preview show. I think he took a step forward, even if some of the bad things were similarly bad.

55:18Jourdan Rodrigue:I think, and let me explain my particular brand of anxiety. It's called high functioning anxiety. Basically what it means is you're anxious pretty much all the time, but you also use it as a sort of an adrenaline drip to fuel you into working as much as you possibly can. And that's what I think the bears have. And that's why I put them at one. And I think they're going to need that. Honestly, that is the particular brand. And the fans are so disappointed right now. To me, the bears and the Vikings are one, two. Because they don't know about their yet. so much different at this point in the year.

55:53Ben Johnson was even like, we're not going to look fully formed even after four games.

55:57Jourdan Rodrigue:Exactly. And it's a great point to bring up, Colleen, because I did not expect them to look great out of the gate. This is going to take some time. I think we all knew that. However, I think you need this palpable, tense anxiety that drives you into really honing in on the details. So when people look at your board on the screen, they're going to get mad at us, obviously. When they hear the explanation, this is why... This is why... Yeah. This is why I think that they are... I think I might be more personally anxious about the Vikings because I think there's nothing worse than an off-season of excitement.

56:30And now they're in this weird period for a couple weeks where there is part of, I think, every Vikings head, you know, fan's head. And it's not fair wondering like, shoot, did we get the right quarterback? And I think Bears fans feel that too. And that's why I think one and two. But at least Caleb's shown a little more We'll leave the Bears. I'm way more anxious about the Chiefs and the Vikings than you guys are. The Chiefs for me are higher. What if we put... I'm going to do some erasure. We're going to talk about Thursday Night Football.

57:01Jourdan Rodrigue:Oh, right. Who is the anti-anxiety team? Who's a vibey team? Yeah, like a Zen garden. I think the Rams are vibey. Like the me of teams. I think we ought to break. I'm a lot of things, but I don't think anxious is one of them. You're not. No, you're not. Anxious is not one of them. No, I often... Oblivious is maybe one. I often describe you as a calming presence in my life. Shut up. All right. I'm going to put the Vikings now, number one. I'm sorry to the Vikings fans. And the Bears are going to be number two. And yes, if you're curious, the final list. Vikings, Bears, Bengals, Chiefs, Jets, Panthers, and Commanders, as written by your local eight-year-old boy.

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1:00:34Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, proud partner of iHeart Podcast Network. This is Tab Ramos from Inside American Soccer. And this summer, Topgolf is turning into the ultimate soccer destination. They're not just throwing games on in the background. Topgolf is going all in on soccer. They've got a new soccer themed game you can play with your group, special in-venue activations, exclusive food and drink items inspired by the global game. And at more than 60 locations, they've even installed full-size soccer goals so you can try to hit golf balls right into the net. And every match all summer long will be on throughout the venue.

1:01:13So it's a great place to watch with friends, hang out, compete a little bit, and enjoy the atmosphere. And if you want to keep the fun going all summer, you can get the Topgolf Summer Fun Pass, which lets you play every single day and bring up to five guests every visit. Get yours now at topgolf.com slash fun pass. Summer hits different at Topgolf. It's beyond anxiety in Miami. They are 12 and a half point underdogs in Buffalo on a short week. Yes, it's the prime video team with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit. Let's listen to Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins coach, talking about why he thought TNF was actually a good thing for the Dolphins.

1:01:56Jourdan Rodrigue:Thursday night games are, you know, after a loss, they can be a blessing because you have no time to think about anything else. And quite literally, you know, I kind of paint a picture that I think the team is, you know, understanding is that every moment that you spend not preparing, that you spend thinking about anything, but the opponent is going to serve you in the worst. He looks older. The thing that happens to NFL coaches has now happened to Mike McDaniel. Yeah, it's aging like presidential years. He's feeling a lot of pressure. In this matchup, he's lost six straight. If you think about these two teams a couple years ago, the Dolphins were that fun, up-and-coming, trendy team.

1:02:49They go to Buffalo in the snow. I remember watching that game. I was there for that game. Oh, you were at the game. Yeah. It was a great game. Yeah, because the Dolphins almost won. They came back. It was a close game. Right? I was at the game. I think it was a Saturday night game. I was at Hanano with Lakeisha, our friend, watching that game. And it was so close. It was great. And it actually was like a moral victory. People were like, you know what? They can play in the snow. It was tough. It was back and forth. But the Bills came out and won. And since then, they've played five more times. The Dolphins have been close a couple times, but they've also been blown out three of them.

1:03:23It's not a good matchup for the Dolphins, even in good times. And you think about this Bills offense, especially their running game. I think they are fifth right now in DVOA. They are first overall in EPA per play. And I think people kind of sleep on how good this running game is, even outside of Josh Allen running the ball. That's the matchup for me that I highlighted first was James Cook obviously coming off a huge game. And then this Dolphins run defense has just been obliterated these first two weeks. They allowed 156 yards to the Colts in week one and then 122 to the Patriots. And now you have James Cook and Josh Allen.

1:04:07They're going to eat. And a little Ray Davis mix in there.

1:04:11Jourdan Rodrigue:Yeah, and that's the cool thing about what the Bills can do on offense is, hey, let's say James Cook had a massive workload and you need to, you know, rep share a little bit going into a certain matchup or you think, OK, this is a safer one to split a little bit and then also present different looks, more unscouted looks that that maybe the Dolphins wouldn't be expecting out of the two backs or out of Ray Davis, who I mentioned this before, seemed like Joe Brady had so much fun scheming up plays for, you know, whenever he has been in the game. Yeah, this is really concerning. I think where I effed up with the Bills, Eric, I know you're listening closely on this one.

1:04:50Jourdan Rodrigue:It was, I dramatically underrated how much this offense could bandaid over the defense because I'm still concerned about the Bills defense, right? I'm concerned about up front, Ed Oliver getting injured before last week's game. Um, he's their best defensive player. Um, I'm concerned about their depth along their line. I'm concerned about their safeties and their corners. Um, I am concerned about their linebackers and the angles that they've been taking against the run. And I, and I think the thing that happens is that Josh Allen and the absolute power and, uh, dynamism and the multiplicity of what this offense can do and the depth that it has run and pass now, um, makes that to where you almost forget to worry about the Bills defense.

1:05:41I still am, but

1:05:43Jourdan Rodrigue:maybe should not have been quite so worried out of the gate. I think they'll probably look a little bit better, so you should rest assured this week against the Miami offensive line. Rest assured me? Yeah. Rest assured. Dolphins are down a few starters on the offensive line. The Bills, you mentioned Ed Oliver, he hasn't been at practice, so it sounds like he's going to miss this game. Teron Johnson, their excellent slot cornerback, was back at practice on Tuesday, so So that's trending towards returning. Matt Milano might return to practice on Wednesday, but did miss Tuesday. So he might be out too.

1:06:15I actually think the Dolphins, you know, offense looked like the Dolphins offense for the most part against New England. If they're going to win, it's going to be by scoring a lot of points. It's going to be by running the ball. Devon Aitchin has looked pretty good. The problem is like the difference in these two teams when the quarterbacks are pressured. Obviously, Josh Allen is incredible when he's pressured. When Tua Tunga-Vailoa is pressured, he just gets sacked. I couldn't believe this. On PFF, he has a pressure to sack ratio of 50%. They're actually, according to like pressure per snap. Now he gets rid of the ball quickly, not as quickly as he used to, but still quite quickly compared to average, like one of the fastest guys in the league.

1:06:49But he is kind of panicking. He is not a guy who can come up with an out of structure play. And he is just going down. And Joey Bosa, one thing I regretted not mentioning on a recap show, had one of the most Joey Bosa games ever in week two. he's played 26 snaps and had seven pressures, two forced fumbles, a sack and a quarterback hit. And they're really using him in the ideal way for Joey Bosa, just like 30 snaps a game. And he looks really fresh. So that's one really positive thing. At the beginning of the season, just how he doesn't have to be the guy there now, which it's different. It's a way different role for him.

1:07:28But mentally, I think that that's probably really helping him because he just knows he can pick his spots and be so super dominant. Yeah.

1:07:34Jourdan Rodrigue:And let's not forget, too, that after two more games, they get Michael Hoyt and Larry Ogunjobi back. And that's going to be really significant when I talk about worrying about their depth all along the line. That's another really good inside and outside pass rusher that you get in Michael Hoyt, who they're so high on over there, despite the suspension for a substance issue, a sub illegal substance. I probably butchered that. PEDs. PEDs. Yeah. I haven't slept, guys. No one would have noticed. You're nailing it. Yeah. I like the hat. I like the chain. It's all working. Thanks, Greg. I feel like that's a new one.

1:08:10This is usually how I come in. Yeah, exactly. It's just Tuesday for Colleen. Last thing I'll say in this game is I think the Dolphins' pass rush has probably been the most disappointing part of their team. It's where a lot of the resources are. Chop Robinson's been very quiet after a great rookie year. Bradley Chubb, Jalen Phillips haven't really been making a huge impact.

1:08:35Jourdan Rodrigue:And again, they're going up against the most continuous offensive line in football, right? Right. Yeah. Year after year, week after week, it's the same guys and it is really a weapon. And so it's a tough matchup for them and they will mix it up in terms of what they show Josh Allen. I think you have to disguise, you have to confuse him because I do think that's, that's something that doesn't show up in the box score, but man, Josh Allen is just on another level mentally. I think it's true with him and Lamar. It's not like they weren't before, but you play six, seven years in the NFL. They are now, to me, at their very fully formed, like...

1:09:14Dialed. Like, you know, athletic peak. And obviously, they're only going to keep getting smarter in terms of experience, but now they're at another level. Like, you better send some disguises at Josh Allen or else he's going to kill you. I don't know. Maybe the Dolphins cover 12 and a half at the very least, but it would be shocking if they won. Yeah. 12 and a half. Okay. That's the prime video game. We will preview every single game on our mega preview show, AFC and NFC. Are you going to be ready for that? Like you will get some sleep. I was ready for this. You know what? You don't have to get ready if you stay ready.

1:09:52That's right. I'm fired up. Let's take a break. And come back in about 24 hours. The NFL preview show. You're amazing. Every single game. That was a pro host pivot. You've done it. Steve Weiss in the studio. Patrick Claibon in the studio. We'll hit every single game. I can't wait. It was great to have you back. Great to be back. Love you guys. We will see you next Tuesday.

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1:11:14Then once your to-do list is done, get ready to kick back, relax and enjoy the game. Shop in store or online now and earn your Sunday with help from Lowe's, official partner of the NFL. This is Tab Ramos from Inside American Soccer. And this summer, Topgolf is turning into the ultimate soccer destination. They've got a new soccer-themed game you can play with your group, exclusive food and drink items. They've even installed full-size soccer goals so you can try to hit golf balls right into the net. And every match all summer long will be on throughout the venue. And if you want to keep the fun going all summer, you can get the Topgolf Summer Fun Pass, which lets you play every single day and bring up to five guests every visit.

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