Preseason Week 2 Takeaways from 15 Games!

21:28A little unclear what it was, whether it was a head injury or what. And then Jacob Parrish, who's played really well, could be a starter for them, a rookie cornerback who's challenging Jamel Dean for time. Nick Herbig also left this game, but Mike Tomlin said afterwards he thinks he is okay. And I'm curious, because you watched the Big Ten. Like Caleb Johnson, I saw those numbers, so I did go back and watch his carries and he played behind gain well like very clearly and they just sat jalen warren so to me he might be third in line and i know the numbers were good but he's like a big a big back it was a lot of east west so i have a feeling they'll be trying to like coach him on just he had major holes in this game like to run through and so i'm not giving him too much credit and maybe it's a little concerning he's he's behind gain well i also see him as a prospect who

22:20Nick Shook:is going to take a little bit longer to ramp up because of the transition from Iowa football specifically, which is very much old school between the tackles running ground and pound to the NFL. And he has to adjust to that. And I also think that they draft him with the idea that they don't need to lean on him, but they hope that eventually he becomes the rugged back that Najee Harris was for them for so long. And they know that they can kind of make it work with Jalen Warren and Kenny Gainwell in between. So that's why a little bit surprising that you don't see him get starter reps though because you would want him to get more reps in a preseason game but then again you're getting your starters out of there after a few series yeah Derek Harmon their first round pick defensive lineman who I don't think we've mentioned on this show almost at all in camp the reports have all been really good they say he's a week one starter he had a sack a big run stop in this game so it's really been positives for the Steelers for Derek Harmon you never know if those first round picks look like first round picks and he does right away all right let's go to the Giants and the Jets.

23:21You know, this is, this was the Snoopy bowl back in the day with Rex Ryan way back when like Joe Namath was playing. I, this is how I can't understand what football was like then supposedly like pre C a preseason game following the jet Superbowl, Nick, the guarantee by Joe Namath, like the preseason game, the following year by all accounts was a bigger deal than the Superbowl, the previous year, which is hard for our mind to really wrap around. But like in terms of audience, fans there, like people weren't really into the Super Bowl back then, but the New York people were into the New York teams and the Giants were the main.

23:59It's hard to really imagine that being the case. I would not say it was that big a deal this year, but Drew Locke is coming, bro. Like he might be the number one story of the preseason so far. are Jackson dart playing this well and kind of putting that, that, you know, making that leash just a little tighter on Russell Wilson. I think he, I think he is. I don't know what story is bigger, like a non-injury story. No, I agree.

24:26Nick Shook:Watching this, I thought Russ played pretty well. Yes. Good point. He had, he had a classic, like Russ fade, nice rip down the middle type of thing. Like played like Russ is expected to play, but then there was, and I don't know if it was because of the portion in the game, because he dart comes in like this middle of the second quarter, right? there's like 7.30 left on the clock and suddenly darts in. It's almost as if like somebody took a syringe and just injected them with adrenaline as an offense. They just like ran a more competent offense. He was in complete control. I know again, it's mid second quarter.

24:56Nick Shook:So you're not facing the full strength of what Russell Wilson might've been facing, but they just operated better. They just, they seem like an offense that could really move the football. I call me crazy, but after two preseason games and reading through the tea leaves and the lines of how Brian Dable treated the first game. I would not be surprised if we saw Jackson Dart win that job and pull a classic Russell Wilson over Matt Flynn situation at this point. It's crazy. It's New York, all the spotlights on him. But for all of that, I feel like Dart is actually capable of handling that. And he's played really well through two games.

25:28I agree with you. I am a little pushed off that by Dable immediately at the press conference afterwards saying Russ is our starter you know that was the question but we've seen coaches back off that after you know either watching more games or watching the film or talking to the two guys so it's not that crazy i saw dan duggan of the athletic getting pushed back for basically writing a column not even saying that lot that um i keep wanting to call him drew lock for some reason jackson dart it just

26:02Nick Shook:they just seem so similar drew lock had that game he balled out last year it's so similar in terms and vibes that all he was saying was, man, it might not be long till we see Dart, but that no challenge for week one. It's not it's not crazy at all. And it was almost like when when Dart came in the game, suddenly Dayball is like just felt alive and was just doing everything. The offense was totally different. It was up tempo. It was playing all to Jackson Dart's strengths. It was a totally different offense. And I kind of was thinking like, well, if you're going to totally change the offense for the guy who's your future, it's like, why wait till week three?

26:40Just do it. Yeah. Right?

26:41Nick Shook:Yeah, just do it. Like we don't need, the bridge quarterback is the bridge quarterback because you need to get to the other side of the bridge. If you already know or have the destination, the route to the other side, go there. Just go there. Skip the travel. Just get to the next guy. I might be crazy. I might be, again, hyperbolic here. But I think that if you feel that confident about this guy and he showed what he showed through two preseason games, just do it. Who cares? Who cared? You're coaching for your job. Who cares? Take the guy you like. Right. It just it just won't be long. Like Russell Wilson, one bad game and he he could get benched.

27:14And to your point, he did look totally fine in this game. That that shot that he had was a 60 yard plus throw. I mean, it was sweet. And they scored a touchdown on that drive. The you know, the receiver, Bo Collins, undrafted rookie, who I assume is making this team because he was starting. um we got like one yard short you know but then russell wilson the next couple drives they didn't they didn't score he actually went uh punt punt interception on a miscommunication the next four drives so it wasn't like an amazing performance dart i didn't think was actually as flashy as the first start he didn't make any as many wow throws he just moved the offense and handled the screen plays and evaded pressure and everything was just like very professional on the jet side Justin Fields only went one for five for four yards.

28:03In two weeks, Nick, he has averaged 3.9 air yards per throw, which is just wild. And like the Jets would say, we don't care. The second drive of this game, they ran the ball, Nick, 10 straight times to start the drive before Fields threw a pass, 11 out of 12 in what was, I think, a touchdown drive.

28:24Nick Shook:Yeah, and I'm not one to try to find excuses for Justin Fields at this point in his career, but I do wonder like opponent, you know, like the Giants defense looked like world beaters against his offense with him on the field, no matter whether they ran or through. And it wasn't until Martinez comes in and, you know, obviously you have your backups and they start to move the football and he looked pretty solid, you know, for a backup. So I just wonder like, is it, did he have two challenging defenses that he went against in the preseason as he's trying to figure out this offense? Or is it still, this is just who they're going to be.

28:53Nick Shook:I'm not a hundred percent certain. We'll find out in the regular season, but not encouraging statistically, No, not encouraging. Well, and coming off the joint practices where all the reporters were like, the Jets didn't even try to throw the ball. And it's true. I mean, like their number one receiver is very good, Garrett Wilson. Their number two is either Josh Reynolds or rookie tight end Mason Taylor. I mean, they are going to run the ball a lot. I think it was noteworthy. Brees Hall was rotating, you know, with the starters, with Braylon Allen. I just, you know, for fantasy, I just don't think he's going to be that volume guy this year.

29:22And then we've just been talking, you know, so much about, you know, the rookies in general and Carter for, for the Abdul Carter for the giants and then Membu for the jets, like how amazing they looked a week ago. So it's only fair to note that they had some down moments in this game. Membu definitely gave up a lot of pressure to, to the giants and on the flip side, Carter did not have the crazy standout game. He kind of had a welcome to the NFL moment where he just got knocked on the ground and hit silly. So it'll happen. I'm really excited though, to see those two guys when the regular season starts, Let's take a quick break.

29:58We've hit a couple of the quarterback battles. We've got more to come.

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33:22Nick Shook:It's the fastest 5G home internet. My old provider was so slow. Mine is slow. And only 35 bucks a month. Do I need to try this? Try it for 15 days. Love it or get your money back. I love it already. There are over 250 reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours and check availability at t-mobile.com slash home internet. That's this according to Ooglu Speed Test Intelligence. Date a second half of 2025. 25 all rights reserved. Redeemed money back guarantee within 30 days of cancellation. Back on NFL Daily. We just talked the Battle of New York. There is no greater rivalry in the City of Angels than Chargers-Rams preseason.

34:01It's not remotely true. But sneaky, I don't think these teams like each other. It's not really about the teams. It's more like you're sharing a building. I think it is a thing. But the preseason is not when you really find out much. Unfortunately, the biggest takeaway for me in this game shook was the chargers receivers which had some good with it with the young players but bad when it came to quinton johnston yeah johnson uh takes a hard hit uh

34:24Nick Shook:knocks him out of the game uh you know worried about head injuries you're worried about depth on this team and that's been a concern for us throughout this entire preseason you know we've heard you know jordan said that trey harris has some things some stuff to him i believe paraphrasing of what she said um and yet we still have a group that we kind of have to sort out this This is also a group that saw Mike Williams unexpectedly retire. They bring in Keenan Allen to kind of plug that gap. They're not in crisis, but it has not been easy for them as well. So this is not encouraging, but again, it is.

34:54Nick Shook:It's okay that it's happening in week two of the preseason and not week two of the regular season. There was an opportunity, though, as a result for some of these guys lower on the depth chart to make a difference. Trey Harris being one of them. You want to talk about having some stuff to him. Six catches for 85 yards played really well. Yes. In this game, Keiondre Lambert-Smith, two for 66 as well. and then you get tight end Raheem Sanders getting involved with a couple of catches too. So it's not, you know, the worst, but again, it's preseason. You have to kind of figure out, all right, well, who are they playing against when you're evaluating?

35:23Nick Shook:There are worse scenarios and situations at receiver elsewhere than the Chargers, but for a playoff team that is clearly going to be a run first team that wants to win in the trenches, you would like to have, you know, reliable options. Luckily, you have Justin Herbert, who's still going to make those guys better just because he's so good. Yeah, it's just so Chargers, though. they never play their starters in the preseason. Reportedly, it was Justin Herbert's decision more than anything, like was kind of pushing Harbaugh, like I really want to play. He was like, okay, and you're going to play the starters then with him.

35:52Three plays in, he throws, you know, a beautiful ball down the field, which gets deflected. Then it goes through Johnston's hand, kind of an unnecessary hit by the Rams defender there who takes him out and he's out cold and just like, man, this is so Chargers. Now, he immediately had a feeling he did go to a hospital, but it's a concussion. We're about three weeks till that Brazil game, so hopefully he can get healthy in time. And it was good to see Trey Harris do something. He'd been relatively quiet in camp compared to Goundre Lambert-Smith, who was a fifth round pick. Trey Harris was the second round pick.

36:30Lambert-Smith, I think it's safe to say, had a better camp and definitely a better preseason before tonight. But then Trey Lance comes in and he starts forcing him some balls in difficult situation. And I thought this was Trey Lance's best game. I know Trey Lance has looked really good this preseason, but it's mostly been running in this game. He tried a couple throws into tough spots that were advanced throws for him. And Trey Harris really stepped up and you were like, OK, it was great to see it. And then Lambert Smith, who also took a big hit when Herbert was still in the game and he went out for a minute, came back in and had two big throws.

37:01So I think you feel great that these two rookies have stepped up. Keenan Allen did start, though, over both of them. I thought it was interesting how they used him and McConkie. You know, one was in the slot, McConkie, to start, and Allen's on the outside. And then they kind of flip him during the drive. I think that's kind of how they're going to use it. But for now, it's Keenan Allen's job. All right, let's talk Rams because Stetson Bennett is becoming a thing. Such a thing. I actually think it's time for who delivered presented by Uber Eats. Stetson Bennett delivered. I mean, I mentioned there's two candidates for preseason MVP earlier in the show.

37:40Nick, I think these are the two. I think it's Jarrett Stidham. You can tell me who else would be in there. And I think it's Stetson Bennett because you don't do much more than he did in this game. going over 300 yards, three touchdowns, had a pick, but responded from it with a late touchdown to win the game in the Battle of L.A.

38:02Nick Shook:Presley, who just made that catch to the bottom of your screen. Stetson stands in, drills one, end zone. Two yards from the mailman. Welcome to the NFL, Drew. He's got size. I saw it there. What a finish from Stetson Bennett. My goodness. That was the trio that gets it done each and every week. Our friends J.B. Long, Mina Kimes, and Maurice Jones drew. Stetson Bennett had a fourth and 10, Nick, at the 48-yard line with 19 seconds to go. And they hit a 40-yarder and then an 8-yarder to a man I wasn't familiar with, True Edwards, for the game winner to win by one. I mean, it is very difficult. to go from a fourth and 10 at the 48 with 19 seconds to go down and touch that and win the game.

38:57How about that?

38:57Nick Shook:Well, he also completed, converted a fourth and three with 41 seconds to go for a five yard completion as well. Like, like, like they had to convert multiple fourth downs in this final drive. Look, you can say what you want about his ceiling or whatever. And the fact that they're playing the preseason, but I hate to sound like a classic college coach here, but I'm going to guys, a winner guy was a winner at Georgia. Yeah. He, he took some time away from the team as a pro he's been back. He's back, you know, he's re-centered himself he's delivering in the clutch which obviously falls under this uber eats deliver award and i think the question is what is he delivering via uber eats other than w's and clutch touchdowns because i'm thinking like what do i like to get delivered usually comfort food do i want fried chicken do i want like what is tasty because that was delicious for stetson bennett and the rams i mean never never say that nick shook won't do everything and more i mean And he's giving more value to this sponsor read than than they even asked for.

39:55And you're absolutely right. And I think it could matter. You know, Saturday morning, Matthew Stafford was supposed to work out with the team. They asked officials about it during the game. The Los Angeles Times reported the Rams said Sean McVay will address that Monday. So who knows? We don't need to talk about that anymore. But Bennett could matter for this team. He'd be the backup to Garoppolo. and he has played outstanding. That was who delivered presented by Uber Eats. When football makes you hungry, get game day meals on Uber Eats, the official on-demand delivery partner of the NFL order now.

40:30And yeah, the last thing I'll say on Bennett was the Chargers defense. And Bennett played the whole game. They deserve credit. It was kind of a nightmare start to the Chargers because the Rams backups marched down the field and scored a touchdown on all the Chargers starters. So it was a reverse of what you normally hear. And then they just let Bennett play the whole game. So he played the starters, the second stringers, the third. He played against and with everyone. And he scored a really good drive with Corumette running back and making nice throws against the starters. But in the fourth quarter, the defensive coordinator for the Chargers actually dropped a defensive tackle into coverage.

41:08And Bennett got intercepted. And that defensive tackle just ran over Bennett. It was like one of the best highlights of the preseason. And then Bennett, you know, responds. So fun, fun little preseason game. We had a couple this week. Let's go to the Ravens and the Cowboys. The Cooper Rush revenge game, much less fun, Shook. I didn't have a ton of huge takeaways here. Other than like, if the Cowboys have to just field backups this season, it will be the worst team in football because they have not, they have not looked good these first two weeks.

41:41Nick Shook:honestly look i'm not a hater without like some sort of you know reason to be a hater joe milton's looked really bad in the preseason now he finished nine for 18 but he was awful in the first three for ten and it was terrible it was absolutely two first first eight couldn't couldn't connect through another interception into double coverage in the end zone on a deep ball we just let it rip he's still sailing passes over guys so yeah if he has to play you can leave the rest of the starters out there if dak can't play for some reason they have to go to joe milton it's going to be a bad scenario for the for the Cowboys that that was my main takeaway on the Cowboys side I still hate their running back room and again I sound like a hater but Miles Sanders and Javante Williams I don't get inspired by that Miles Sanders was ineffective in this game as well liked what I saw from Tyler Booker when he was out there but the rest of my takeaways come from the Ravens side which is that they can run the ball at will still even with Ali as the the main running back he went 19 for 62 yeah it's only 3.3 a pop but he had some really nice runs especially some that he was able to bounce outside.

42:41Nick Shook:And my guy, former Kent State Golden Flash, former North Carolina Tar Heel, Devontae Walker, was a key pass catcher in the first half. He finishes with six catches on eight targets for 61 yards. Five of those came in the first half. Could have had a touchdown if Rush would have put it on him. It was kind of a scramble drill play. Yeah, that's about it. Rush, you know, threw a couple of picks. Didn't look great. Didn't look as good as he used to look with the Cowboys. I think there's still an adjustment period for them before they turn to Drew Leary. So a classic preseason game where you look at it after and you go, well, that happened.

43:10Nick Shook:I watched that game. The most notable thing was who didn't play, I think, for the Cowboys, Javante Williams sat. And so I heard some talk after, especially from the local guys, like, okay, that's Javante Williams winning the job. He is their starting running back, I think. And I think Phil Maffa, this rookie who I talked up at training camp, who I popped a big run on the day I was there, a 50-yard touchdown. I think he's going to make this team. He's played well. Jaden Blue is going to make this team. They might not even keep Miles Sanders there. Jonathan Mingo, who I wasn't sure was going to make the team anyways, hurt his knee.

43:48It's reportedly a PCL injury. So just a little bit of a note there. And after the game, John Harbaugh announced, if there was any doubt, Tyler Loop is their kicker. Now, he did miss a 50-yarder in this game, but he is definitely their kicker. No surprise there. Keaton Mitchell, who had missed all week of practice, has a hamstring injury, they do think he's going to be back. And yeah, in terms of the one-sided natures of the backups, I mean, I know it's just backups, but you don't want your backups to get seven first downs and the other team's backups to get 26 first downs. But that's where these two teams were at least over the week.

44:25And let's move on. We don't need to spend too much time on this game. The 49ers and the Raiders, to me, were more fun because we got Geno out there. We got Brock Bowers out there with a really nice catch down the field. And then we got Ashton Gentry truck sticking someone. Run again with Gentry. That's a bulldozer. He is bouncing off defenders and dragged down. And Max Crosby's the first one off the sideline to give him a high five. Great call there by the Raiders crew. That got me fired up. And yes, if you're listening to this in your ears, we do have a YouTube version of the show with the highlights.

45:02When we get to the Sunday regular season, were all about the highlights and the calls, and it's just nice to get that back in the mix. So check that out, like, and subscribe. It was cool to see Ashton Gentry, Shook, just kind of look like Ashton Gentry out there after a quiet first preseason week. I've seen enough out of him.

45:20Nick Shook:Yeah, he can go on ice for the rest of the preseason. I don't need anything to be proven to me. I know who he is, and I know that his game is going to translate to the next level very well. And we saw multiple instances of this in that game, not just that truck stick run, but multiple runs for him. He finished off that drive with a touchdown run as well, kind of barreled through a defender. But you talked about having home calls on preseason games. And I know that that was the home call for the Raiders. But if you listen, you can watch or you can listen, no matter how you're consuming this podcast right now, you can hear the energy in that voice right there, right?

45:49Nick Shook:That was the energy emanating from Allegiant Stadium that day because Gino and Gentty and Brock Bowers and Pete Carroll have injected so much life into this franchise seemingly overnight that it convinced me as I'm watching them go down the field and score. Oh my God, the Raiders might be fun again. I might want to watch this team all season long. It's like a day and night transformation. I know it's the preseason, but it's been so long since the Silver and Black has taken the field and come out with like authority and an attitude. And they certainly embody that in this game. And I know, again, it's the preseason, but Geno was sharp.

46:27Nick Shook:He looks like he's in complete command of that offense. I love the idea of him, you know, capitalizing with Brock Bowers all year. That throw that he had to Brock Bowers, by the way, early in that game, he was not open. Brock Bowers just made a great play on a great ball by Geno. So super excited about their potential. Let's see that play. Gentry, who was right behind Geno Smith. Passing on first down. Taking a shot for Bowers. Oh, what a grip. Over the safety, Jair Brown. And that's a pickup of 30. Best on best. There were a lot of starters on the field for the 49ers, by the way. So it was starters.

47:02I liked how Geno was changing the protections, changing the calls, getting them into the right spot. A couple surprises for the Raiders. Right now, at least, I don't put too much into the preseason, but Bowers is kind of coming in on and off the field. I'm just guessing that's while Mayer just stays there. I'm guessing that's just the preseason. They don't want to put too much on him right now. Jack Besch is definitely not a starter, not playing with the starters. The rookie, Dante Thornton, drafted much later, is a starter. Jackson Powers Johnson, who was drafted high, is definitely not the starter.

47:33They confirmed that at center. It's going to be Jordan Meredith. And JPJ is competing just to start at guard. And then here was someone I had never heard of, I have to admit, before. A man by the name of Q Blue Kelly. Q, first name, blue, middle name, or part of the first name, I'm not sure, but two different words. Kelly was starting at cornerback, and he had all week. Guy who had been on the practice squad previously, been in the league for three years. They're searching there, and they're just trying to find guys that Pete Carroll can believe in. He was actually with the Seahawks a couple years ago, so he knows him, and he might be their starting cornerback.

48:10They are thin there. The 49ers are just trying to get through this preseason, Shook, healthy, and it's not really working. Dominic Pune, their good young guard who played really well last year, is reportedly going to be out a few weeks with a PCL injury, and then they had a couple more running backs go down in this game. Not guys we know that well, Corey Kiner and Patrick Taylor, but Corey Kiner was an undrafted guy who was going to make this team. And I counted it up now. Their top four backups behind Christian McCaffrey are all hurt. I don't think any of them are super long-term, but it's just weird that McCaffrey is like the one guy that's healthy and everyone else is hurt there.

48:50Nick Shook:Yeah, and there was an injury that saw McCaffrey come out there to kind of console his teammate. And it was just like, you could almost see his eyes. Like I'm reminded again of how fragile my career is. Like he's not even dressed, but yeah, it's, it's, it's a little concerning for their offense. By the way, Brock Purdy looked really sharp when he was out there before they went down the depth charts of Mac Jones, who threw a pretty awful interception, but it kind of reminded me of, you know, I talked so glowingly about the Raiders offense. I am concerned about this defense for the reason that you just explained.

49:21Nick Shook:And also they kind of got shredded. And I know Jeremy Chin has always been a playmaker at safety and made a play on that interception, but I think that's going to be a real weakness for them this year. I think they're going to end up in a lot of relatively high-scoring games because that's the only way they're going to be able to win based on what I've seen. And it makes me wonder, why did you go trade Ja 'Cory and Bennett last week if you are so thin in the secondary? A lot to sort out there before we get to week one. Yeah, not a scheme fit, I guess, would be the answer. Yeah, we'll get to the Patriots, but they have one of the best matchups matchups for fantasy or in reality, their offense in week one, going up against this Raiders defense.

49:59One guy we haven't mentioned that was good with when pretty was on the field was Demarcus Robinson, the former Ram, who they actually gave pretty good money to. He is expected to be suspended at the beginning of the season. He will be suspended at the beginning of the season, but when he comes back in, like he will be a key part of the rotation. And Pierce saw the hype for him as like a wide receiver. One continues like he had a nice game. The 49ers are a reminder. Like they really needed a draft to hit. And I think it's going to happen. But man, the draft is so unpredictable. Michael Williams has been hurt, but he's expected to start their first round pick.

50:31But I went and looked through it. And their second round pick, Alfred Collins, taking 43 overall, just does not look ready to contribute, has really struggled. Might be pretty deep on that depth chart. And then their next pick, Nick Martin at linebacker, really struggled last week, was a little better this week, but it's pretty far down the depth chart. So those guys aren't going to contribute yet. the 249th pick Connor Colby might be their starting guard the 160th pick Marcus Sigley has been rising and might be their starting safety and then Upton Stout was a late third round pick the 100th pick in the draft and almost certainly is their starting nickel so it doesn't really matter where you find them but it reminds us remember when we project like oh this guy will fit there this is the draft class it's like you really don't know until you get to this time of the season.

51:19It sounds like they found some late round guys, but their mid round, you know, earlier picks not hitting as much, but you'll take it if you get three or four contributing rookies.

51:27Nick Shook:And I have two takeaways from this. This is number one, why draft grades are the most useless exercise in sports media, like immediate draft grades. None of you have any idea how they're going to fit or how they're going to play in that team or how they're going to acclimate to the pro game. And the other is, this is also why it's important to make sure that you attack position groups of need with veterans in the offseason. And that was my main takeaway from this game for the Niners was that guys like Demarcus Robinson, even Russell Gage, he made a really nice diving catch in this game where I was like, oh, yeah, he's on this team.

51:58Nick Shook:He could make a difference because they're going to need these guys because I still coming back from the knee injury. It's it's I give credit to John Lynch for at least approaching this with from both angles from. All right, look, we may be a little thin there. Let's go pick up some veterans who might be on their last contract or second to last contract give them another shot see if they can perform and at least in this game a lot of them did yeah demarcus robinson i should clarify is quote bracing for a three-game suspension and it's an automatic three-game suspension usually when you plead you know guilty or no contest to a dui which is what happened but the suspension hasn't actually happened yet so just just for clarification purposes let's move on to the Browns and the Eagles and we've got a trade Shooky on Sunday kind of a challenge trade I don't know what what you would call it the Texans traded John Mechie the wide receiver and a fifth round pick I believe to Harrison, to the Eagles for Harrison Bryant, a tight end.

53:05And another pick, it was actually them trading back the picks that they had traded each other, day three picks, in the Chauncey Gardner-Johnson trade, which is just like, what are we even doing here? But I don't know if you have any takeaways. Mechie overcame cancer when he first entered the league, was on the roster bubble, And this is maybe a chance for him to stick with the Eagles when I'm guessing he wasn't like a lock to make this Texans roster.

53:35Nick Shook:Yeah, a couple of takeaways. One, Nick Casario and Howie Roseman just apparently love to talk to each other on the phone because this is the second time that the Texans have traded a former traffic that they no longer like to the Eagles. The other one being Kenyon Green, the guard that they sent to the Eagles in the offseason. So, you know, I liked I think I talked about this on the show last week, which is that Mechie served an important purpose in their first preseason game as just a volume catcher. but I do think that as they sift through this depth chart, they probably just didn't see room for him and felt they needed to get something for him.

54:04Nick Shook:And what they got is a body at tight end and Harrison Bryant has been around the league. He started his career with the Browns. He's an Ivy leaguer and he's a guy that can fill a spot that was left open by Brevin Jordan's injury. So a guy that can compete for a job. They have, you know, Dalton Schultz, Cade Stover and Irv Smith Jr. on that depth chart as well. So there's no guarantee that he ends up even on this roster. But I think at this point, if you're making that deal, you're looking at, look, we have too many receivers. We don't think Mechie is going to make the team. Let's move him now to a team that might give him an opportunity.

54:33Nick Shook:Get a player back that we would like to at least get into the mix before the end of training camp and preseason. Yeah. And to be clear, and this hurts my brain because they're trading the picks back and forth, but the Texans moved back up. In the previous trade, they had moved down from the fifth to the sixth, like swapping the two teams picks. And now they move back up as part of this trade, which is indicating like Mechie is, you know, a little bit more valuable in this case than Bryant. We'll see because, you know, he's got to go make that team. I really like what I've heard out of Jahan Dotson.

55:07He's a solid three for the Eagles this year. So Mechie's kind of battling to be the four. In terms of the game, it was not Eagles-Texans. It was Eagles Browns and we got a whole new round of Browns quarterback takes. Let's not talk about Dylan Gabriel's comment on the sideline at this point. Let's just talk shook about what you saw and have heard and think about where Dylan Gabriel and this Browns quarterback situation is at.

55:37Nick Shook:You mean you're granting me the opportunity to keep it on the field, keeping the excellent notes. My God, I feel so blessed in today's climate. Yeah, Dylan Gabriel started four for four. Heck of a first drive. Completed three passes on third down to keep that drive going. They marched down the field, not quickly, but, you know, methodically and scored a touchdown. And then, you know, Twitter's ablaze. Oh, my God, he looks so good. Now we see why he was a third-round pick. The next drive, he fails to give up on a play that he should have just thrown the ball away. Throws it between two targets, a tight end and Deontay Johnson.

56:09Nick Shook:Tight end kind of gives up on the ball, and it ends up in the hands of rookie Andrew Makuba, who returns it for a touchdown. Deontay gave up on that play, but also can't really blame him. He was behind him. He wasn't going to catch him. So the highs and lows of a first appearance for Dylan Gabriel. I thought that, you know, he's a shorter quarterback. He doesn't have the strongest arm, but he went out there and clearly understood what he was supposed to do on a play-by-play basis. And again, threw with a lot of conviction. I listened to Kevin O 'Connell talk about that with J.J. McCarthy this week.

56:38Nick Shook:He's throwing with conviction. That's what we need. And I saw that from Dylan Gabriel, which was encouraging. uh you know from there he finished 13 of 18 143 yards the stat line doesn't look as good as last week everyone's gonna throw that graphic up on social media and point to that but overall i thought it was a solid appearance for him and i still have no clarity on what's going on beyond joe flacco with this team which really just is kind of the browns in a nutshell so after the game and And then in a press conference later, Stefanski confirmed that he will announce the starter early this week.

57:13So you assume it's Joe Flacco. He's taken all the starting reps in the last few weeks in the joint practices. And you assume Stefanski just wants to talk to everyone. After that, the question to me is just, you know, do you keep Kenny Pickett on the team or not? and what do you even do with him over the next week or two? Because you've almost had a best-case scenario in the preseason. Obviously, you would have liked Gabriel and Shadur to be healthier, but they both played better, I think, in the preseason than you would have expected. And so the whole point of this season, according to Stefanski, is just developing these quarterbacks.

57:51And to me, Gabriel, despite having two turnovers, which is a big despite, I really do blame the tight end on that play for totally giving up. Gabriel also shouldn't have made that throw but I think it was White Hart or whatever like it was a weird play and Gabriel forced it but otherwise like I thought he was everything Kevin Stavansky wanted wants in a quarterback you're right throwing with conviction I mean he almost has to take a crow hop to like get it in there he's poor

58:22Nick Shook:man's Baker Mayfield that's what I've said about him since they drafted him he's poor man's Baker Mayfield here's the thing though like they took him in the third round because someone really wanted him. And I have to just assume Kevin Stefanski, who's the quarterback guy, is that someone. And after hearing that Gabriel had struggled early in camp, the fact that he reportedly played quite well in the joint practice. And then in this game, like he had a really good week. I think Shadur had a really good week the week before. Good problem. And I bet they'll both play this year. I just, I just bet they will.

58:54And Kenny Pickett doesn't really make much sense.

58:56Nick Shook:So trade Kenny Pickett to the Cowboys so that they don't have to lean on Joe Milton in case of emergency. How about that? Everybody wins. It's a pretty good idea, to be honest. And don't take less than like a fifth round pick because you know the Cowboys will overpay. The Browns would absolutely take a pick swap from the sixth to the seventh, just like anything, just because why not? Jack up the price. Yeah, just jack up the price. Andrew Barry likes to do that with Stephen Jones. We've learned that with the Amari Cooper trade. that's a good call um that's our browns and yeah the comment uh by dylan gabriel i believe the young man when he said this is a quote that i've given many times before it's he almost was saying like hey i'm a really boring athlete who just falls into cliches like join the club a lot of quarterbacks are like that and i've said this many times and no one's ever and when he said that i was like, okay, well, that makes sense.

59:52Like move on. Uh, Dylan Sampson looks like he's the starter at running back right now. And, uh, and that's good. Uh, on the Eagle side, they didn't play many starters. They didn't even play Tanner McKee. Like he's too good to even play in the, in the preseason now. So not a ton of takeaways, but they still are searching for that second cornerback. And you mentioned to Corian Bennett earlier, and he had some nice plays and I think he's, I think he's got a chance to win this starting job. Cause Keely, Keely Ringo keeps, keeps struggling for this team. You also mentioned Andrew McCuba with the pick six.

1:00:24He actually had two turnovers. He fell on a fumble, but you're trying to win a starting job as a rookie? That's how you do it. You get two turnovers.

1:00:32Nick Shook:It's basically him or Sidney Brown at that position. Stat line wise, it doesn't look good beyond that, but from the tape itself, the guy's got an instinct for the ball, and that's what you need out of your safety, especially in that defense. I think it's strong. Bennett had a really good pass breakup in cover where I was like, wow, the Raiders traded that guy. Again, I liked the Corian Bennett. I liked him as a rookie, at least. I think he's like a natural. He kind of reminds me a little bit of a Dory Jackson who's also on the Eagles. Johnny Wilson barely plays. He's kind of locked up like the fourth spot.

1:01:03That's why I'm like, where is Mechie going to fit in there? And then AJ Dillon, just for fantasy, heads out there. Definitely behind Will Shipley. Not totally sure he's going to make this team. All right, that is a lot on the Browns and the Eagles, but I had a good time. Let's go to the Patriots and the Vikings. Thank you. And Drake Mays come out in these two games and looked a little skittish off the top, like a little lucky not to have more turnovers than he's had. Not a big deal, but just on my radar, just a little jumpy. And he was out there. I do like that Travion Henderson has just looked awesome in both games, just in limited work.

1:01:42And the cool thing to me, Shook, was that he just started taking normal reps. He's got a fullback in front of him on the goal line. he's doing inside runs it wasn't like hey this is our third down back it was hey this is a real

1:01:56Nick Shook:running back yeah and he broke a couple arm tackles on that touchdown run seeing the physicality that we used to see from him at Ohio State I love their backfield if Ramondre can keep himself from fumbling the football I think they're going to be one of the more physical and potentially explosive you know classic backfields in the NFL which I think bodes well when you're you know entering a season with a second year quarterback on an offensive line that still has to prove itself and figure out how to gel, especially after how bad it was last year. So all of those are positives for me. I also, you know, you talk about Drake being skittish and I agree, but there was that one play where he, he like broke the pocket, right.

1:02:27Nick Shook:And through kind of off platform to a wide open Matt Collins, where I was like, Oh, look at that arm. Like I was just like, yeah, put it on him on the sideline. So I, I, I think that, you know, we're on track for him to have a very solid year too as well. And on the Viking side, there's like not really much to say because they didn't play anybody no there wasn't much like the max is it max brosmer yeah sometimes they i think they found something see a seventh round picker undrafted guy i i think they found a guy that kevin o 'connell is going to be excited to develop as the long-term backup and he might be the short-term backup i'm not sure like sam howell was bad in this game not sure like they'll keep a veteran with him i would assume it'd be howell not ripping but uh brosmer looks pretty good.

1:03:10Jalen Naylor hurt his hand in this game. They're already really thin at wide receiver. Let's get back on the field. Justin Jefferson at a certain point, them saying it's not a big deal like this next week, if he's not back on the field, I start to be a little worried. And then just a couple of final Patriots notes. F Fton Chisholm, who Jordan also says a little something to him. Like he's a big winner in this training camp in this game. I think he goes six for 71, had two big joint practices. He's making this team. So they're just, they're not going to risk putting him through waivers. Him, we talked about this big wide receiver group coming into camp.

1:03:45To me, the two biggest winners have been Efton Chisholm, a rookie undrafted, and Kayshawn Booty, who I just didn't think was going to be a guy who cemented himself as a playmaker who's going to start for this team, but that is where he's at. He is going to start for this team. Also, their seventh round pick at tackle, Marcus Bryant, like is carving out a pretty big role either as their swing tackle or maybe even as a starter. Kyle Williams, my favorite young receiver on this team, who's been pretty good too, has a concussion. So he probably is going to miss this week of practice. Let's take one more quick break and we'll wrap up on the other side.

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1:07:55Nick Shook:That's this according to Ooglu Speed Test Intelligence. Date a second half of 2025. 25 all rights reserved. Redeemed money back guarantee within 30 days of cancellation. We're taping this Sunday night, Shook. I fear that predicting the Colts quarterback battle will potentially get out of date soon. But I have a strong gut feeling it's going to Daniel Jones. And I don't like it. and the following quote from Steichen is part of that feeling. Let's listen. It's everything, right? The operation, the communication in the huddle, the checks, getting guys on the same page, the consistency of all that obviously is going to play a big factor in this.

1:08:42Nick Shook:I've seen obviously three weeks of it, so I'd like to have a decision here shortly. Okay, that was Steichen being asked what's going to go into it. Consistency, operation. it just sounds like Daniel Jones and then I thought about the way he did this game shook that you know remember how they were going to have to flip-flop because Richardson didn't really get his chance well in the end Daniel Jones still got to play two whole series and play the first quarter when Tyler Warren was on the field when Michael Pittman was on the field when Quentin Nelson was on the field you know who's on the field with him Daniel Jones and I just think about the money they gave him.

1:09:27I don't like it, but it just makes me feel like the fix was in for Daniel Jones this whole time. That a tie goes to Daniel Jones. You would think it'd be a tie goes to Richardson. You know the conspiracy theories shook that they were setting up Shadur to fail a little bit in Cleveland? That might be a little more true in Indianapolis. Yeah, I mean, I don't think they had,

1:09:50Nick Shook:I don't think David Ojava was an inside job. like you know knocking Richardson out of the game I'm not saying that either I'm glad you brought that up I think that was the moment I do think that was the moment yeah that was the moment he lost his job and it's it is a bummer because if you look at it just from snap by snap it's very close like neither has been great and I would lean Richardson but I agree with you when you read through the lines between the lines of what he's saying there which is this is their big gripe with him in the past was that he wasn't prepping like a pro he didn't handle the job like a pro he asked out of a play in Houston last year because he was tired.

1:10:25Nick Shook:And if that's what he's emphasizing at this point, yeah, it leans toward Daniel Jones. I hate it because I think their ceiling is low. I think it's pretty low regardless unless Richardson, like, took a big step forward. But at least Richardson has that in him. I don't know if Daniel Jones does. But, again, I feel like Steichen is feeling the pressure. And if anything, he wants somebody that he can count on to at least get everything organized and set up correctly operationally and then let the chips fall where they may. Right. Like Daniel Jones started this game with two ugly passes and it got me thinking, this is what I'm talking about, about not the fix, but about pushing the scale a little bit.

1:10:59Then he came back out for another drive. Like you didn't, they didn't want it to end on that. And to be fair, Daniel Jones had a couple of really nice throws on the second drive. But to me, it's very Daniel Jones that you win the job with a couple of really nice throws on like a long, pretty boring field goal drive. You know, it was like, I don't know. Like Anthony Richardson also played like fairly well in this game after a slow start. But he was up. He was down. Just everything you hear makes it sound like these two guys have kind of been exactly what you would expect. And I just got to thinking like I think they know Anthony Richardson so well.

1:11:43If they believed in him, they would have been backing him a little more. You know what I mean? this kind of been a worst case scenario because both guys are just like the c version of themselves

1:11:54Nick Shook:which is like no one is really winning but what did you expect when you brought this pairing into camp right you thought daniel jones was just suddenly gonna turn over a new leaf because he's wearing a horseshoe on the side of his helmet now he's still the same guy he's been for the last few years that was one of the things i jotted down while watching the game live i'm just like still the same guy oh that was a nice throw that that's that's there it is that's daniel jones same guy and it just sucks because i would like more for for colts they'll both play in the end right i mean what are the odds i guess that's not the scenario you want right i i was really taken by james boyd of the athletic had a great tidbit in a joint practice right up between the giants in the Colts.

1:12:38And it was Xavier McKinney, former giant, former Daniel Jones teammate, yelling at Daniel Jones as Daniel Jones just dinked and dunked down the field and kept throwing short on third and long when they're going against the Packers. And he just yells at him, DJ, throw it deep, like show off that arm. And then he did it. And he like, he throws it short again and he yells at him again. And I'm like, man, you got Xavier McKinney just yelling at you for being a dink and dunk merchant. Meanwhile, they had a ton of injuries in this game. Their offensive line has not played well. If you think I'm down on the Colts, I am.

1:13:18I am. Josh Downs got hurt in this game. Maybe their best receiver. Let's talk about the Packers. Do you have anything to say on the Packers? They sat 29 players in this game. So at least from this game, there probably isn't like a ton.

1:13:31Nick Shook:Yeah, I mean, their leading rusher was Izzy Abanaconda. and the main takeaway for me was, oh my God, this operation is so damn sloppy. This game was an absolute drag. I had two games on at once. They had 23 combined accepted penalties for almost 200 penalty yards. And the Packers, I mean, they robbed themselves of multiple scoring opportunities. Taylor Elgurzma, the Canadian quarterback who won the Canadian Heisman, throws a beautiful pass over the middle to a tight end who catches it on the goal line. tough grab for a touchdown wiped out by a illegal formation. Same player had two illegal formation penalties on the same drive.

1:14:09Nick Shook:I'm just like, I know Matt LaFleur is going to be pulling his hair out right now because it's got to be in operation. He had five penalties in the first quarter. You don't see that too much. Second round pick. He got chewed out by LaFleur. LaFleur did reveal some thing over the weekend though, in a press conference. I think it was Sunday saying the left tackle is a competition now. And Jordan Morgan, who started their first round pick from a year ago, played at left tackle in this game. It sounds to me like they like what they are seeing out of Jordan Morgan, and maybe they're going to elevate him over Rashad Walker, who's been their starter the last couple of years.

1:14:43So a little nugget there. And then Marshawn Lloyd, their running back, who is going to be the backup to Josh Jacobs. So if you're drafting, like you can't trust this guy. Every time he plays, he gets hurt. And he had a hamstring injury in this game. Let's go to the Texans. We mentioned them earlier in terms of their John Mechie trade, but they did play a game and they won. They won easy. 20 to three against the Panthers. Nick Chubb getting the start at running back shook and the offensive line showed some good physicality. And Chubb, it's interesting to me that he was first up, played all the snaps really with the starters and when CJ Stroud was out there.

1:15:22Nick Shook:Yeah, there was a sequence where it was just like Chubb up the middle, Chubb up the middle, Chubb up the middle. so it kind of robs you of the ability to judge whether he is getting some of his juice back i thought he looked better than he did last year he still doesn't look like the same old nick chubb i don't think he ever is going to but he he was a little quicker than he was last year and you know five for 25 i think uh you know so five yards a pop that's solid in a limited outing i also really like what they have in woody marks like we've we've talked about oh what's the running back situation with joe mixing out and nick chubbs like the lead replacement i think woody marks is going to factor into how they operate on the ground this season.

1:15:57Nick Shook:CJ Stroud's out there for a little bit. 6-8 for 44 yards. Leads a nice touchdown drive. And Nico Collins is on the field at that time as well. They're playing the Panthers. The Panthers looked bad offensively against the Texans defense. They were playing their starters, the Panthers. And the Texans defense is going to make most teams look bad. Low ceiling for the Panthers. Low bar. Other than that, just not a lot to really glean from this game overall because before long, Keaton Slovis was in the game. Yeah. I watched as many of these running backs as I could this weekend, like just their snaps.

1:16:32And because I agree with our friend Chris Wesseling, who would always say, you know, in preseason, you can see the rookie runners that pop. You know, it's not that hard to scout runners relatively. And I think you can see their ability against backups or not. Like Caleb Johnson to me, at least right now is running a little like not what I want to see yet. I think the guy I like the best was Woody Marks, like of the like lower guys, like great lateral quickness was doing some good inside runs, not just their done. I mean, he's smaller, but he runs hard. So if you get mixing back healthier, if it's a Chubb or Pierce combo with Marks, that'll work.

1:17:13And in general, I know our friend Seth Payne has just liked the cohesion, the aggression. The offensive line just looks more competent. That's all we're looking for, especially in the running game. Does it look more competent? And they look pretty good here. Jaden Higgins also played a little bit with the first team offense. Not a ton, their second round pick. And man, his feet really move well at that size. On the Panthers side, yeah, you mentioned it. The first team for the Panthers had negative yardage in two series. And then they just took Bryce Young out. They're just like, we don't want to mess with that.

1:17:44Andy Dalton hurt his elbow in this game. And so we don't know his situation. And I can't remember. I think I mentioned this on a previous show. Nick Skorton, the draft pick for the Panthers, had suffered a collapsed lung on Thursday's practice. And it might be a little more serious than they realized. And we'll see what his status is. but the Panthers signed Bryce Perkins, who I think was like the UFL MVP or something, which does not bode well for Andy Dalton, or maybe they just need another arm to show up at camp.

1:18:21Nick Shook:Yeah, I don't know if you have much more here. No, it's just the arm for camp. Unless the Dalton thing's serious, but I don't think it's serious. I think it's just another arm for camp. It's the Tyler Huntley of the Panthers, essentially. They have another preseason game to play. Now that I think about it, the John Mechie trade makes more sense too, because Xavier Hutchinson was playing with the starters actually over Jaden Higgins because Higgins is kind of Nico Collins' backup, but Hutchinson is more of like a slot guy. And so maybe he is making this team if you're into that. Rico Dowdle was their third round, their third down back behind Chuba Hubbard.

1:18:55Let's go to the Dolphins and the Lions, two teams that did not play that many starters, which is good, Shook, because frankly, this show is going a little too long. I don't know. People love this show. This show, people just tell me they love the Sunday night show. I think we can call two things from this game, though. Number one, Kyle Allen is the backup quarterback for the Lions. He's just easily outplayed Henning Oker. And number two, I've seen enough of Isaac Tesla. I might have to put him into the preseason MVP mix just for how he's made me feel. It's more of a feel award.

1:19:29Nick Shook:Yeah, I get real juiced up to watch the Lions in the preseason just because I know Isaac Tesla is out there. And frankly, I'm going to be just as excited to see how he fits in this offense in the regular season because I think he's going to make a difference. I loved his tape at Arkansas. This was one of my favorite guys coming out of the draft that ended up being a mid-brown guy. It really is exciting and a little bit satisfying to see them carry over and instantly produce even in the preseason. He's just a natural fit. I think he's going to be great for them. I had another point. I think Zach Wilson is fine as your backup quarterback.

1:19:58Nick Shook:He looked fine. He looked comfortable in that offense. I think he's fine. A little bit of a Quinn Ewers bounce back too. We mentioned that we went five for 18. So it's only fair to mention he looked much better this week. Jonah Sabaya Neha. It was the only starter out there with the Dolphins and has struggled a little bit in the preseason in terms of their offensive linemen that he was a second round pick. I believe the Patriots would have taken him over Travion Henderson if he had been available, according to just piecing together a few reports that might prove to work out well for the Patriots, just because Henderson looks like a good player.

1:20:32Devon Achan has a soft tissue injury, and they say it could be days or it could be weeks. That's what Mike McDaniel said about both Achan and Zach Seeler, who are both really important players, obviously. Tyreek Hill also has been out with an oblique injury. They didn't play starters, like I mentioned. Cam Smith, by the way, the former second-round pick, barely played. I think he is going to get cut. And Jalen Wright seems pretty locked into that, like Raheem Mostert, RB2 role, maybe RB1, if A-Chan isn't healthy.

1:21:08Nick Shook:Yeah, I like Jalen Wright. I like what Jalen Wright brings to the field, by the way. Keep an eye on him. I think he's an explosive guy that people don't really pay attention to because A-Chan's in that backfield. Keep an eye on him. Tosla's got to be a factor. I had my doubts, and Jeremiah was talking him up, and I think he's going to matter in this season, which is a big surprise. This is what the preseason's for, to learn nuggets like that, because you can't count on that guy. He didn't see a lot of, but he's in the right offense, and, man, he makes some awesome plays. We're going all the way back to Friday night now.

1:21:38Seahawks, Chiefs. I don't know if I've ever seen a first-round pick at guard, Shook, have a flashier debut. I guess this was his second game, but a flashier preseason game than Gray Zabel. Gray Zabel's just out there making crazy blocks in space, and suddenly the Seattle offensive line is fixed, at least in the middle of August.

1:21:58Nick Shook:Was it Nate Tice who posted the reel of all of his great blocking? Yes. Oh, and so I'm watching it, and I'm like, well, that was good. Wow, that was great. Wow, he can really move. He's a load, and he can really move, and he's great on impact. And then it hits me on the third clip. I'm like, this is all zone runs. And then I went, oh, click Kubiak, throw C. It's the classic Kubiak offense right there. Like, of course. And it all made sense to me, and it made sense why they drafted him because he has those physical tools. This was an offensive line that was terrible last year. And you don't make it into a stellar offensive line overnight, but getting a guard that can play that well, even if it's just in the preseason, is a big step forward, especially for how they want to approach this offense and how you want to run out of the zone.

1:22:40Nick Shook:And you want to have the quarterbacks back to the line of scrimmage and run play action, stuff like that. Big win for them. And yeah, a show-off type of performance for him against Kansas City. and, you know, a bit of prime time there, a little West Coast prime time. I'm excited for him. It was preposterous how much they dominated running the ball against the Chiefs. It was something like 119 yards, I think, in the first quarter. They just, they did everything. Like Sam Darnold was in there and was perfect, but all he had to do was do a couple, you know, rollouts and boot actions and just throw these easy passes because they ran so well.

1:23:15They bring Jalen Milrow out for a tush push on third and short at midfield with Darnold on the field. Yeah, like give me some more. It was definitely giving Clint Kubiak early September Saints vibes, but I'll take it. Like the way that this offensive line has been in the past, they were in unison. They were playing aggressive. They're healthier. They have Abe Lucas, I think is a really important player for them. And so to me, you know, it's just the preseason, but reason for optimism. They also got Ken Walker back at practice on Sunday and then Uchenu Nwosu passed his physical. They're a very good pass rusher who's been on the NFI list, I believe, and now will start practicing with the team.

1:23:55So some good injury news there. The Chiefs weren't playing their starters, and yet they had four guys hurt in this game that I think were set to make the team. Really depth mostly in the secondary. Mike Edwards, Naze Johnson, Noel Williams. So we'll see. Not a lot of takeaways for me with the Chiefs other than Taequann Thornton is making this team. He's making plays, and he's playing as either the fourth or the fifth receiver. I don't think Sky Moore is making this team, which it's always a catch-22, Shook. He had a punt return touchdown at the end of the game. Long play. Like, maybe one of his best plays as a pro.

1:24:30But it's like the catch-22. It's like Kyle Duggar had an interception to end the Patriots game. But he was playing in the fourth quarter. Yeah, that's great. But you're playing in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. That's actually more bad than good, ultimately.

1:24:42Nick Shook:Yeah. I actually am surprised that, look, I'm a Mac guy, and Sky Moore was a very productive receiver at Western Michigan. And I was hoping for the best for him. And I'm surprised that the experiment lasted this long. So not at all shocked that he's not going to make this team. He just hasn't, he's never found his, you know, I feel like receivers like that, you know, when you come to the league with like elite level talent, you can find a way to fit in, you know, Xavier worthy, you know, elite level speed type. You can find a way to fit into the chiefs offense. When you don't have quite that, I think it's harder for you to find your role within Kansas city's offense, especially a team with such high expectations.

1:25:18Nick Shook:So I don't think this is the end for him in his NFL career by any means, but I do think that their pairing, you know, soured a while ago. Yeah. And they have a fourth round pick, Jalen Royals, who's making this team. And then, you know, who does have elite speed? Chuck. Former Bill Belichick second round pick, Taequann Thornton. I mean, that's, that's what he's got. And he's making, he's making plays. Let's move on to our final game. Titans, Falcons. Falcons sat everyone. They sat their backups. They keep doing this. It's interesting to me that James Pierce and Jalen Walker keep playing when no one else is.

1:25:54I don't know if they just want to see more. He is playing a lot. Jalen Walker actually was hurt, I believe, not playing. But Pierce got a pressure in this game. Not many takeaways for me. DJ Chark seems like he is not making this team, if you're curious. And Casey Washington is. Cam Ward did play. not amazing shook but he did have one really great throw yep to van jefferson and van jefferson dropped dropped it yeah and and i hate and don't want to be a hater but as i watched it i went ah

1:26:26Nick Shook:there's van jefferson dropping a great ball again right uh he also had a really nice throw and i know he completed like two to seven passes so there's not a lot to work with right but it was i think it might have been ward's first throw of the game pocket collapses to the right and he's like backed up in the shadow of his own goalpost. He slides out of the pocket, feels the pressure, keeps his eyes downfield, and hits one of those like wrist flick throws that you saw him do at Miami a lot to Alec Iomenor for a 35-yard game. And I'm like, oh yeah, there it is. That's it. Let me see more of that.

1:26:55Nick Shook:But my biggest concern that I came away with after watching this game, like I could lose sleep over this, realistically. Are they going to ever have any guys who get separation? Because if this is the situation for them all year, it's going to be rough for him. And it can't, it's not even going to be his fault. And throughout that game, and I know Ridley and Lockett are not, you know, out there making plays and everything, but it just didn't see any separation from these guys. You got to get open to take advantage of your first round pick and your number one overall pick in Cam Ward. I am worried he's going to have a Caleb Williams type of season that everything gets blown up.

1:27:28A.U. Manor. That's what we settled on for pronunciation. A.U. Manor. I heard a different one on the broadcast too. A.U. Manor. Yeah, he does look good. He might be wide receiver too on this team. I actually wouldn't be surprised. The fourth round rookie behind Calvin Ridley, they're putting him in motion. I think they're going to use him quite a bit. They're also going to use the rookie Gunner Helm. Let's wrap the show with at least one more highlight.

1:27:54Nick Shook:First and 10 for the 25 of the Falcons. Allen taking the shot down the field to the end zone. Helm, touchdown. 25 yards from Brandon Allen to Gunner Helm. That's what the preseason is all about. Gunner Helm just mossing people week after week. Weight room, baby. I liked Gunner Helm. Rookie tight end. Let's go. Weight room. Show the guns off. Get up there. Bodied two guys to make a grab on the goal line. That's preseason. That's what it's all about right there. It is. Look, we're rolling here. I mentioned Jeremiah. Maya, like we've got two 40s and free agents talking about the AFC South, NFC South coming up this week.

1:28:36We've got a full slate of NFL daily shows. We actually, Shook, only have one more of these preseason recaps next Sunday. So the preseason, they say it's six weeks. If, you know, from the very beginning of practice to the end, it feels even longer, but we're getting close to the regular season. It used to be six games. Oh my gosh, it's too much. we're going to be back in the studio I'm going to be talking to my friend JP Acosta we're going to talk news we're going to talk the most intriguing offenses in the league I'm not going to put the Titans there but like when Gunner Helm is just mossing people that's football being back

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