บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ What's Wright - NFL Week 10 Storylines: Vikings CONTENDERS with Cousins? Chiefs TRADE for Downs, Burrow vs. Rodgers

you know, one of those quarterback whisperers. Here is his quarterback whisperer. decision tree with the Minnesota Vikings they have Kirk Cousins in 2023 he tears his Achilles in the midst of what was a brilliant individual season for him a 104 rating 18 touchdowns five picks that you know his stats were unreal he had thrown if I remember correctly some Those five picks were disproportionately late in games, kind of like crippling at the moment, but he was having a great year. He then wanted to stay in Minnesota. Minnesota let him know that they would be drafting a quarterback high, and because of that, and money, I'm sure, he went to Atlanta. The quarterback the Vikings drafted high was J.J. McCarthy. They then brought in Sam Darnold to, you know, compete with JJ, be the veteran, be a backup. JJ got hurt in preseason and Darnold played and played brilliantly. And they won 14 games. And then at the end of that year, 2024, they said, Sam Darnold, we appreciate you. But J.J. McCarthy is our guy. We need to give ourselves the chance to have the most upside possible. So we will be moving on from you, letting you, you know, go. He obviously signs with Seattle, wins the Super Bowl. And J.J. McCarthy takes over. And they are... so quickly out of love with J.J. McCarthy, and injuries obviously play a piece of it, that the next offseason, they go out and say, Kyler Murray, who hasn't been good in a half decade, he is going to be the guy that changes our future at the position. And less than, and by the way, J.J. McCarthy, we just have to get you, you're not even valuable as a backup quarterback. We have to get you out of the building. Fifth round pick, just take him, get him out of here, because we feel comfortable with Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz as our quarterbacks. They then get how many starts out of Kyler Murray? Six starts. Six starts out of Kyler Murray and determine, oh, he's not our guy at all. That's not going to work. Carson Wentz gets to start. It's one of the worst games anyone's ever seen played. And now they're like, hey, Kirk Cousins, come back. It wasn't right three years ago. And Darnold wasn't a ceiling raiser enough. And we cast our lot with J.J. McCarthy, who, by the way, we could really use right now. We could have used last week when Carson Wentz was out there. So when we benched him, we didn't have to go to Max Brosmer. But Kyler... This ain't going to work either. And again, I want to focus on the Kyler thing just for a second because you don't trade a third round pick because Kyler Murray might miss another week with a hamstring injury. You trade a third round pick because after one offseason, the decision tree is so weird. In the offseason, they liked Kyler enough to know he was the guy over J.J., Or they disliked JJ enough to know he couldn't be the guy. But they saw enough in Kyler that they're like, yep, Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. That's a fine quarterback room. And five games in, you're like, nope. He can't be a starter for us anymore. The process there is disastrous. Now, maybe you get away with it. And maybe it all works out. But... I am just not as over the moon about the production and record of Kevin O'Connell as I think some of my colleagues are. Especially because it feels to me like he has gotten credit for things that now, in the light of day, we're like, well, wait a minute. Like, Kevin O'Connell's gotten a lot of credit for what he got out of Kirk Cousins. But then we saw Kirk Cousins with Clint Kubiak in Vegas, and he was excellent. We saw Kirk Cousins with Mike Zimmer, a defensive-minded head coach, and he had a 105 rating in his final year with... In fact, his final two years with Mike Zimmer, he had a 105 rating and a 103 rating. He had 68 touchdowns and 20 picks. And it's like, yeah, but look at what he did with Sam Darnold. Well, I don't know. I saw Sam Darnold in his first year with his year after be just as good. Couldn't figure it out with JJ. Couldn't figure it out with Kyler. was intimately involved in all these quarterback decisions. So again, this is a move that gives the Vikings a chance, a real chance, to salvage the season. But I. 00:13:37 Speaker 1: It's not that I can't endorse the process that got us here to Monza. It's... that I think the process that got us here is one of the absolute... It is not that dissimilar to what the Niners did in Jimmy, you're good, but not good enough. We've got to trade three first-round picks for Trey Lance because he's going to get us over the top, except the Niners then... lucked into, if we're being honest, a guy they passed on seven times in the draft in Brock Purdy who saved them from that being just crippling. And so we'll see how it works. I also want to say one last piece. In fact, you know what? Ask me this because this leads into that. 00:14:31 Speaker 2: So the Vikings have the Packers this week, divisional. Who do you got there? Yeah. 00:14:35 Speaker 1: So I have the Packers and that is... in part because i think people are overstating how seamless the instant transition for cousins is going to be i yes he knows the system yes he knows the coach i get all of that but he was a raider two days ago it's still it's it justin jefferson obviously he's played with guys on the pardon me, offense he's played with, but it's still a different team. It is a different language than the one he was speaking the last few years. Like it is, I think it is totally reasonable to think that Kirk's worst game with Minnesota will be this game. And the Packers defense has been excellent, which is the, and we'll talk about this more throughout the show and in the pick show. That entire NFC North, at least one team is going to be left without a playoff chair if you think Seattle's or the Rams are going to make the playoffs. If you think both of them are going to make the playoffs, then two teams are going to be left without a playoff chair in the NFC North. I don't think that's likely. And for the next few

weeks in the NFC North, the Monza, we're going to have situations where teams are, if they win, they're going to be in first place. And if they lose, they're going to be in last place. You're going to see graphics of if they win, they're projected to be the two seed in the NFC. And if they lose, they're out of the playoffs if they started today. And Vikings-Packers is one of those spots. 00:16:17 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they'll be resurged. I mean, the defense has been the most consistent thing on the team. 00:16:23 Speaker 1: So you think this will just be like a. 00:16:26 Speaker 1: Inspirational for lack of a better term that the, that the team is going to find that. So like we. 00:16:31 Speaker 2: A hundred percent. 00:16:32 Speaker 3: And the defense will give them time to probably warm up because I mean, they look pretty good. 00:16:38 Speaker 2: Yes. As soon as obviously their offense and Jordan love. 00:16:42 Speaker 1: I will say, remember week one against this defense, Jordan love through for 380 yards. Now the Vikings won 39 to 22 and they forced all those turnovers late and they, you know, just killed them in the fourth quarter. I think like 22, nothing in the fourth quarter, but green Bay was able to move the ball on Minnesota. This is, if not the game of the week, one of the absolute best games of the week. We will discuss that more in our pig show tomorrow. Also, now that cousins is gone, it means Fernando Mendoza is starting. We'll do that in a second, but first basketball seasons here. And the best way to trade on it is the new prediction market, Polly market in the past. If you wanted action on the game, you, put some money in. And if your team was doing well and you wanted to cash out, really couldn't. Trade could be locked. It wouldn't be an option. Polymarket's different because it's prediction market. It's similar to a stock exchange, but for sports where you buy in and sell out on your own terms. I've tried all the prediction markets and Polymarket is the simplest, the most intuitive, the easiest, and the best prediction market there is. And they're so confident you'll feel the same and you never go back to the other guys. They're giving you a free $ 25 on your first trade when you deposit just $ 10. Every bucket, every block, every matchup in basketball trades on Polymarket. So download the Polymarket app today and use code Nick Wright when you sign up. That's code Nick Wright to get $ 25 free after you deposit just $ 10. All right, Demondsey, let's quickly do Fernando Mendoza. 00:18:43 Speaker 3: So now that Cousins is gone, it's obviously Mendoza time, who is already the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But the rough slate for him, he's got Seattle and Denver straight out of the gate. What are your expectations for Mendoza early? 00:18:59 Speaker 1: Not good. And tricky spot for the Raiders to Monse. Because you can't turn down a third-round pick for an aging quarterback when you're You've lost five of six. You're not going to be a contender this year. You drafted Mendoza number one overall. You're getting a top 100 pick. You've got to make that move. I totally endorse that. But before the year, I had to imagine the Raiders thought, All right, Fernando is either starting like week three at New Orleans. If we start 0-2 and Kirk looks terrible, like Fernando is starting early. Or if we're actually playing well, or if Kirk is playing well, or, you know, I don't know the answer to this. or if Fernando looks like he needs a little more time and practice some seasoning, whatever it is, they had a week 13 bye, and then we'll give Fernando the final five games of the year, which after the bye, it is three straight home games against the Chargers, Broncos, and Titans, then Cardinals, then Chiefs. Those were the two pockets I think they imagined they might put him in. I do not think they ever once thought, you know what, we're going to have our number one overall pick have his welcome to the NFL moment be. A midweek trade for the starter who's been getting all the starter reps, all the practice reps who we were not, you know, it was our plan to have this guy right before the a three-game stretch of home for Seattle at Denver and then at Cleveland. At Cleveland, and that defense is not an easy matchup at all. And so it will be a trial-by-fire element here. And maybe that's good for him. 00:21:23 Speaker 3: I was about to say, if he comes out of it strong, that's a great look. That's a great look. 00:21:28 Speaker 1: Yes. If he comes out of it strong, it is a great look. It is not... I don't know if I think it's the best welcome to the NFL for him. 00:21:38 Speaker 2: Go ahead. 00:21:39 Speaker 3: What would you say would be solid numbers for him out of these two games? Like if he came up, how many picks, touchdowns, yards? 00:21:48 Speaker 1: If game one against Seattle, he goes 14 for 27 for a buck 70. No touchdowns, one pick. I'm like totally fine with that. I'm totally fine with that. I mean, again, Seattle, man, Seattle against the Chiefs did not stack the box to stop Kenneth Walker. They played it straight and just had two safeties back and believed we can stop We can kind of be in a past defense look and still be able to stop Kenneth Walker. They were correct, and they forced Mahomes into one of the worst games of his career. The Raiders' run game is the opposite of Kenneth Walker at this point. So they are going to be able... to simply sell out to stop the pass in Mendoza's first start. And then the next game is in Denver against a team that's won 19 of 20 in that building. It's really, really tough. Maybe it's good for him. But for a guy who his final year of college was 16-0, for a guy who, if you remember, after his first ever preseason game, took the podium and said, I feel like I let my teammates down. He has like a very unique disposition and personality for an NFL starting quarterback. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's kind of one of one. I

think it's genuine. 00:23:35 Speaker 2: Yeah, 100%. 00:23:38 Speaker 1: I am a little concerned about how, you know, if there is not long-term, say it again. 00:23:48 Speaker 2: What this can do to him mentally. 00:23:51 Speaker 1: Yeah, not long-term, but just short-term, like if it rattles him a bit. He's big on faith. 00:23:58 Speaker 3: He's a big faith guy, I feel like, so I think that'll work in his favor for a slate like this. 00:24:07 Speaker 1: And the glass half-full version is, if he goes out there and plays really well, Then it's even, it's 5X what it would be if it was, you know, against the Saints or the Cardinals or one of the teams that I thought he might start up against. If he goes out there and plays well in his first NFL start against the Seahawks defense, his confidence will be 100 out of 10. I just think that is going to be such, it's just such a tough ask. All right, I want to talk about the Chiefs trade deadline edition. And I really want to get into this idea of whether or not too many teams are all in. But first, let me remind you guys, NFL season heating up. Great games all over the map in November and December. And that's why I want to give a shout out to the sponsor of today's show, SeatGeek. With over 35 million downloads, SeatGeek is the number one rated ticketing app More than 70,000 events listed on SeatGeek. Concerts, sports, festivals, more. World Series underway. NFL, or the World Series is underway. The World Series ended. What are you talking about, Nick? Is this a Ron Burgundy thing? The World Series, maybe the World Series of poker. The World Series of poker paradise is about to be underway. I could have said that, but you don't buy tickets to that. You just show up. The NFL's back. Basketball's underway. You guys know what I'm saying. And despite that little mistake by me, you guys know how often I use Siki. We talked about this. Oh, you know what? Another real life example. Demondze doesn't know this. And this is, you know, another, you know, daughter privilege. But I guess I did this for Demondze a bit too. My Demondze's middle sister, Diora, hit me up on... when we were all together in LA and she was like, yeah, me and my friends want to go to the Warriors game on Monday. Can you get us tickets? And I was like, by get you, like I don't have a connection with the, by get you tickets, do you mean buy you tickets? Is that what you're asking? And you know what I did? I went right on SeatGeek. They had nice little tickets in section 111, little Warriors Pelicans action. I think they were like 88 bucks. So yeah, I just bought a couple of days ago, my daughter, some tickets on SeatGeek. SeatGeek. SeatGeek has your back. Each ticket's rated on a scale of 1 to 10, so you know you're getting a good deal. Look, big green dots is good. Little red dots are bad. You know, 8s, 9s, and 10s are good. 1s, 2s, and 3s are bad. Plus, every ticket's backed by their buyer guarantee. And I have a code for you guys. You can use

code WRITE10 for 10% off your next set of tickets at SeatGeek. That's 10% off any tickets with promo code WRITE10. Click the link in the description to download the app. and have the code automatically added to your account so you can use it later. Thank you to SeatGeek. All right, Demondze, let's talk some Josh Downs here. 00:27:05 Speaker 2: So you guys went out and got Josh Downs, your Chiefs. 00:27:07 Speaker 3: Downs is super excited, and at his upgrade over quarterback, he said when people are in college, that's the quarterback everyone's like, oh, I want to go play with my home, so it's kind of like it's a blessing. I'll say that it's truly a blessing. Poor Daniel Jones. Producers took a little bit of a dig here. How is the 5-9 call to our receiver three going to solve all the Chiefs' offensive problems? 00:27:28 Speaker 1: Well, listen, it's not, so the, this is not a cure-all, but it is something the team needed. And so here, pardon me, Josh Downs, he's 5'9, and he's not blazing fast. He's not slow, but at the combine, he ran a 4-4-8. So above average speed, but not blazing. And he's 5'9. So why was he a projected second round pick, went in the third round, and has had a productive yet unspectacular career? Because he's an excellent route runner, bit of a technician, can get himself open against man coverage. And the Chiefs desperately need someone who can get themselves open against man coverage. Now it'd be nice if the Chiefs had... a 6'4 receiver for the first time, like, in Patrick's career. But that is not, you know, what was in the cards for this team, at least for right now. And, you know, post-Tyreek, they had McColl with Tyreek, but they've had McColl Hardman, who's little, Sky Moore, who's not that big, Xavier Worthy, who's in, he's, I think, 6'1, but very slight. Rasheed Rice, who is probably the biggest of them all, but again, not a huge guy. They just haven't had And this guy is the smallest of them all. However, this fills a huge need for the team. And this is where I simply not only will trust Mahomes, but some of the Mahomes depth of target stuff that has caught fire on social media lately, I think is so stupid. 00:29:23 Speaker 2: Because, go ahead, Demondson. Have you heard of Yatrick? 00:29:27 Speaker 1: Oh, so, I mean, that's pretty good. But here's why I think it's dumb. Because I actually think it's a huge testament as to why he's one of the greatest players at his position ever. Because he will be a bit of a chameleon too. He will be the type of quarterback that. 00:29:58 Speaker 2: The. 00:29:59 Speaker 1: given team he's on that year, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what it demands. When he had prime Tyree Kill and Sammy Watkins and deep threats, he was one of the most prolific deep ball throwers in the history of the NFL. The year they traded Tyree Kill and when he had still prime Kelsey and excellent receiving running backs and no real deep threats down the field, he won a league MVP by playing a yards

after catch, get it out quick, you know, offense to the tune of the most yards in the history of the league. When he, the following year, had a group of receivers who, could not catch the ball. He just kept. 00:30:58 Speaker 2: He. 00:31:00 Speaker 1: He just kept giving them opportunities, opportunities, opportunities, before finally, in the playoff run, being like, I might just have to run a hell of a lot more. He will always adjust to the team that he has. And the first month of the season, Demanze, when Tyquan Thornton was healthy... He was throwing it deep to the one guy on his team who's a legit deep threat. And then Taekwon got hurt. And now it just has to be dink and dunk yards after catch. Like that is what the team demands. And by the way, Josh Downs is going to be more of that dink and dunk yards after catch. But that's who they have on the roster. And he will make the most of it. But what they didn't have on the roster was a guy who can reliably beat man coverage, who can get separation. And now, what I would think, I don't know if they'll do this or not, but I would think Josh Downs is going to get some of Xavier Worthy's short and intermediate target share And they are going to see if Xavier, the fastest player in league history, can do some of what Taekwon was doing as far as being a deep threat. He should be able to be one. With Rasheed Rice being one of the best zone beat... Like, Rasheed is very good at a specific thing. He is excellent against zone coverage and yard after catch. He's a tough runner once he has the ball in his hands. Like, now you start to have at least. 00:32:51 Speaker 2: Everybody's job is a little bit easier. You have options. 00:32:55 Speaker 1: And so it's not a, it's, you know, he's not a life changer, which is shown by what the compensation was, which we can get into it, but it, it certainly helps. And they had, you know, we had been talking about Josh Downs quite a bit. Let me say one other thing for the compensation, you know, the George Pickens people have brought up, uh, Garrett Wilson, I didn't think he was ever realistic. Brian Thomas Jr., I think, is a better player. But I said repeatedly, I didn't understand why the Jags would trade Brian Thomas Jr. to an AFC contender when they're an AFC contender. That ended up proving out to be true. And then it was a different tier of names of Jerry Judy or Jawan Johnson or Calvin Ridley or Steph Diggs. I'd rather have Josh Downs than any of those guys. So I'm... We discussed his name a lot. It made a lot of sense. I think it's a good pickup. Let's talk compensation on it. 00:33:58 Speaker 2: So you guys sent Indy a fourth, a fifth, and a seventh. 00:34:02 Speaker 1: No, we got a seventh back. 00:34:04 Speaker 3: And four downs and a seventh. 00:34:06 Speaker 2: How do you feel about that? 00:34:08 Speaker 1: So I'm really glad the way this news broke because I was live on the show on TV when The news broke that we traded for Josh Downs, but the compensation

hadn't been reported yet. And so this was a very real test of... Well, yeah, and what did I... And so I live on the air said... Because this happened... I was... Years ago, I was live on the air with Cowherd when it was reported the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill. And I said... I said to him for me to be okay with the trade, what they would have had to receive in return. Like that way, you know. 00:34:58 Speaker 2: You. 00:35:00 Speaker 1: Know, am I, you, if you instantly see the terms of the trade, you can kind of justify in your head, whether you, you know, reverse engineer, if you like it or not. But if you just know the trades happen, you don't see the terms like with the Jordan Davis trade that we talked about, uh earlier in the week the if i had been on the air and they said jordan davis got traded i would have said i bet they gave up a second and so then when you see they gave up a first and second you're like holy moly but i'm not i saw the news of the trade all at once so i i said all that and i said a little awkward that was not the it was a little more convoluted than it needed to be i apologize it might have been a waste of the last two minutes of your life point is this When the news broke, I said, I will be thrilled if we gave up a fourth. If the trade is Josh Downs for a fourth, I will be thrilled. If the trade is Josh Downs for a third, I'll be okay with it. It's a little much, but you needed to do something. And if the news is Josh Downs for a second, that's a bad trade. So I said that live and then the news came out And a fourth plus a five, seven pick swap is right in between a fourth and a third. Like as far as the trade value chart, does that make sense? Like the, and so I said, if they traded him for a fourth, I would be thrilled. If they traded him for a third, I'd be okay with it, but it's a little rich. Turns out they traded him for right in the middle, which means kind of by my own definition, it's the exact fair compensation for both teams. If a three was a little much and four would have been for me, oh, you got a bargain. A fourth plus a fifth and seventh pick swap is exactly right. So I think the Colts did well in the deal. I don't think Veach overpaid for it. And I, you know, I'm good with it. Um, And so I don't think he will demand a, you know, I don't think he'll be a 15 target guy maybe ever with the Chiefs, but I certainly don't think he'll be even a 10 target guy this weekend. But I do think that, you know, he'll be on the field and he's going to be. 00:37:39 Speaker 2: A distraction. 00:37:40 Speaker 3: Something for the defense to focus on, other than the guys who've already been there. 00:37:44 Speaker 1: And I think Patrick will, you know, I would imagine against Atlanta, I'd say four catches for 52 yards is where I would set his stat line. I'm going to sneeze. I apologize. While I sneeze, Demondsey, can you set up the all-in teams? Yes. Story, please. Just go through what people have given up, if you would. 00:38:13 Speaker 3: So the Bears, 2027 and 2026, first to Tennessee for Jeffrey Simmons on October 29th. 00:38:19 Speaker 2: We all know about that one. 00:38:20 Speaker 3: Bengals, 2026, first to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Bills, 2026, second for DJ Moore. And a 2027 second for Amani Hooker at the deadline. Broncos, first to Miami in the Jalen Waddell deal. Cowboys, 20-28 second for Joey Porter Jr. Jags, a 20-27 second for Jesse Bates and a 20-27 first plus a 20-29 second for Jordan Davis. 00:38:47 Speaker 2: Patriots, 20-28 first for A.J. Brown. 00:38:51 Speaker 3: Rams, number 29 for Trent McDuffie and a 20-27 first plus a 20-28 second for Myles Garrett. And Ravens, a 20-28 second for Cam Jurgens and they traded for another center, also Max Crosby mishap. Texans, 20-27 second for Marvin Harrison Jr. And, yeah, those are the all-in teams. 00:39:13 Speaker 1: So, here's why I had Demanze do that. And all of those teams are not all-in. Like, the Ravens giving up a second for Cam Juergens doesn't make them all in. The Texans giving up a second for Marvin Harrison doesn't make them all in. I understand that. But it's, you know, it's, that is borrowing from future you to help this year's team. And the Ravens and Texans right now are bad teams. The Rams are as all in as any team we've ever seen. They might miss the playoffs. The Patriots, they're not all in, but they traded a future first-rounder for an aging receiver with injury questions. The Cowboys weren't good during the year, and they decided to put more chips in the middle of the table and trade for Joey Porter Jr., but at least he's a young player, so maybe you're okay with it. Broncos traded a first for a receiver. The Bills, as Demondsey mentioned, have traded back-to-back second-round picks for aging players. The Bengals, and this guy's been excellent for them, but traded the 10th pick of the draft. For Dexter Lawrence, the Bears pushed a ton of chips in the middle of the table. For Jeff Simmons, who made an instant impact, but again, a 29-year-old player. And the Jags, you know, put all their chips in the middle of the table, went to the cage, borrowed more chips on credit, put those in the middle of the table as well. Here's what's fascinating about that to me. Definitionally, the vast majority of those teams are going to regret these moves. You have, that's almost, that's more than a quarter of the league that was like, you know what? This is our moment. This is our moment. And it doesn't even, by the way, include some of the teams that are right now, most likely to actually win the Super Bowl. It does not include the Kansas City Chiefs. It does not include the Steelers. They're not most likely to win the Super Bowl, but they're a division leader. It does not include the Seattle Seahawks, who just won the Super Bowl. It very notably does not include the San Francisco 49ers, who right now have the best record in football. I am... I thought it was really interesting... That we have

had three different teams trade immense assets because they're like, this defensive tackle is going to get us over the hump. The Bengals got the ball rolling with Dexter Lawrence trading the 10th pick of the draft for him. The Bears followed suit by trading consecutive first-rounders for Jeff Simmons. And then the Jags were like, we don't want to be late for this party and gave up a first and a second for a player who, by the way, is a totally different caliber of player than Lawrence and Jeff Simmons. So you have three teams that are like, you know what? I'm not worried about future me. I'm going for it right now. I'm a D-tackle away. And then this offseason, You had three different contenders be like, you know what? I'm a wide receiver away. DJ Moore for the Bills. Jalen Waddle for the Broncos. AJ Brown for the Patriots. And so I... Maybe this is one of those things that's only interesting to me. 00:42:54 Speaker 4: But. 00:42:55 Speaker 1: I can't remember... The last time we had this many teams trading very valuable draft assets because they believe, you know what? It's wide open. And we're a player away. Again, more than a quarter of the league, the Bears, the Bengals, the Bills, the Broncos, the Cowboys, and I conclude the Cowboys, the Jags, The Patriots, the Rams. That's seven teams with Cowboys, Ravens, Texans, you know, trading smaller stuff. We're like, we're going for it. I think it's really interesting. And it's also... And what are the odds that, even though that's a quarter of the league, that the Super Bowl winner is not in that group? That the Super Bowl winner is. 00:43:59 Speaker 1: The Vikings or the Lions or the Niners or the Seahawks or the Chiefs who are going for it while also keeping their powder dry, if you will, for future transactions or future draft picks. It's really a fascinating circumstance that I can't remember if that's happened in league in league history before where this many teams were like this, this is, and maybe it speaks to the fact that there's not a juggernaut team this year, that there's not like one team that people like, ah, we're not going to be able to beat them. But the team that was supposed to be the juggernaut team is the team that went the most all in. And that was the Rams. And with Puka being out for at least a month, I think the Rams are likely not even be in the post season. So it's just a, it's something worth monitoring when we see like when those teams, at least, you know, all but one is going to come up short, you know, all of them could come up short. It might be likely they all come up short when you look at how many assets they put in to this specific season. All right, before we get to Steelers Bengals, I want to remind you guys, we're going to talk a little hoops here and we'll actually talk a little hoops at the end of the show as well. But, Emirates NBA Cup on Prime every Friday. Prime's bringing you the best matchups of the tournament from group play all the way through the knockout rounds and championship. And each week we've got you covered. Everything you need to know before tip-off. So this week's Friday Cup preview on Prime. Knicks Pacers. You know, a Halliburton against the Knicks. Rematch of a great conference finals from a couple years ago pre-Achilles injury for Tyrese Halliburton and also the Knicks all of a sudden you know after kind of a bad I don't want to say a bad loss but a tough loss last night against the Cavs Knicks A little bit of a championship hangover, I think is fair to say. That should be a great game. And then Warriors-Spurs. We'll keep our fingers crossed that Steph, the abdominal injury he suffered last night, that it's minor. I'm not sure if it is. Either way, you get to see Yaxel, who is really, I mean, he might have a lot to say, but that kid is balling up against Wimby, who has, you know, is having, you know, on one of the hottest tears of his career. So, again, Friday on Prime, Emirates NBA Cup, Knicks Pacers, and then Warriors Spurs. We'll talk more about these games later this week, and we'll be back next week with another as the tournament continues. Don't forget, Knicks Pacers and Warriors Spurs, 6.30 p.m. Eastern, only on Prime. All right, Demondze, let's talk Steelers-Bengals. 00:47:08 Speaker 3: Huge game for Steelers-Bengals here. The Steelers can... They can strengthen their lead, strengthen their position in the division a little bit stronger. 00:47:17 Speaker 2: I'm sorry. 00:47:19 Speaker 3: And the Bengals could take over. You obviously had the under on both these teams' totals at the beginning of the year. 00:47:28 Speaker 2: Which one of these teams has shocked you more? 00:47:30 Speaker 1: Well, I don't know if it's obviously had the under. I had forgotten I had the under on both of these six and two teams. That was news to me. I mean, I guess I would have known it if I would have thought about it, but I didn't realize it. But yeah, you're right. I had both of them missing the playoffs. They're both 6-2. But the far more shocking note is Pittsburgh. Like, it was pretty clear how Cincinnati would be good. The Dexter Lawrence trade and all the defensive investments would pay off. And Burrow would be healthy. And that would be their path. Now, people are currently, yeah, butting the Bengals a bit on this winning streak, which is, the winning streak has been Dolphins, Ravens, Titans, Falcons. And the Ravens game was obviously the game that Lamar broke his, that was the game Lamar broke his thumb? No. 00:48:24 Speaker 2: Right. 00:48:24 Speaker 1: So this was, that was the game Huntley started where the Bengals scored 35 straight points. So this is a really good test for Cincinnati. I'm not as... I'm not as yeah-butting as other people are about the Bengals' schedule because we saw them play the Steelers and the Jags already this year, two really good teams. And yes, they lost those games, but those were really close. Like, they didn't look outclassed by those teams. And

so this is. 00:49:01 Speaker 1: So I am, I'm excited for the game. I'm not, I think the Bengals, I said it on Tuesday, I'll say it again. This is the scariest the Bengals have been in years. They also demand, say, people are questioning their schedule. It doesn't get, much harder. Yes, they have the Steelers this week. Then it's Commanders, Saints, Browns, Chiefs, kind of tough. A little two-game stretch. Panthers, Colts, Ravens, Browns. So, like, the Bengals are really well set up. win or lose this game. But if they win this game, they can start thinking, could, can we track down Buffalo for the one seed, you know, the, not just win the division, but be, you know, be a top two seed, have, you know, the playoffs potentially go through. I don't know what it's called. Pay core field. I'm not sure of the Bengal. I think it's a core field. Um, They famously, allegedly, sold the naming rights to the stadium so they had the money to pay Joe Burrow because they're famously cheap neither here nor there. So there is a lot to gain for Cincinnati. 00:50:14 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh.... 00:50:17 Speaker 1: I never saw coming. Pittsburgh is as surprising a story as there's been in the NFL this year. McCarthy looks like he's doing a great job. Aaron Rodgers has been... Legit good. And Jalen Warren is just one of the most, I guess, underrated players in the league. He's a consistently really good running back this year, week in, week out. And, you know, I think if people were to talk about the 10 best running backs in football, he doesn't get mentioned. But he's got 700 yards. rushing through eight games and another 300 yards receiving. Like he's been, so he's got a thousand yards on the season halfway through the season. The one thing about Pittsburgh that has been disappointing to me, and it's kind of nitpicky, but they need him to do better as the season, you know, goes on. DK Metcalf has been something of a non-factor like Jeremy Bernard has become one of Roger's favorite targets. It feels like the giant tight end Washington, you know, is rumbling down the field more often than DK, but the fact that there are two and six or six and two, that guy's so fun to watch, man. He's so fun to watch. So the fact that they are six and two, despite that, and by the way, you know, already played both their Browns games. I've already played one, you know, against the Bengals once. So after this game, the only divisional games the Steelers have left are the Ravens games. So if the Steelers win this game, they are really well positioned to win the division because they would have swept Cincinnati and be a game up. And so it is one of, You know, the best games of the weekend... You could argue this is the very best game of the weekend. I'm super excited for the Munich game, which we're going to get into in picks. Pats-Lions. But this. 00:52:44 Speaker 2: Is. 00:52:44 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think. If it's not the Munich game... Minnesota-Green Bay is intriguing... But I think

this is the best game of the weekend. And I never would have thought going into the year that, you know, Steelers-Bengals could be good in entering this divisional matchup. You see Burrow. But the Steelers, I am begrudgingly reconsidering how down I was on the Steelers before the year. And I'm not begrudging at all about the Bengals. Like, they've just legitimately been excellent. And I know the competition's been bad, but that offense is absolutely humming. And whoever wins this game becomes, I think, the very big favorite to win the division. I'll give you my pick for this game in our pick show. I am leaning Cincinnati. I will be rooting for Pittsburgh because I am, I'll be honest, a little worried about Cincinnati. I think Cincinnati is a really bad matchup for the Chiefs. And I certainly, if we are going to play them, would like that game to be in Arrowhead. But I think Cincinnati is the better bet in this game. All right, before we get to Sixers-Celtics, let me remind you guys, Boost Mobile proving you don't have to overpay for great wireless. Unlock the savings with a $ 25 a month forever unlimited plan. Permanent price, no contracts, no price hikes. You can keep your phone and your number. Save up to $ 600 a year compared to the major carriers. Stop overpaying. and switch to a fair price at BoostMobile.com. Today, based on average annual single-line payment of AT & T, Verizon, and T-Mobile customers compared to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit BoostMobile.com. All right, Demondze, last but not least, go. 00:54:40 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the Celtics took care of business against their new rival, Jalen Brown. You were in person for this game. And the big story there was Jalen Brown kind of stiffing Jason Tatum on the handshake. 00:54:51 Speaker 2: What did you think of this? 00:54:54 Speaker 1: So what did you make of it? 00:54:57 Speaker 3: I thought that it was kind of, it isn't Jason Tatum who cut Jalen Brown from the team. I thought that it was an interesting way to go about it. I liked that Jason Tatum, you know, walked up to him, tried to acknowledge him. 00:55:09 Speaker 2: But, you know, he didn't. 00:55:10 Speaker 3: I also think that it's kind of interesting to see that Jalen Brown's like the fourth or fifth option on his team. Jason Tatum is the guy on his team, so Jason Tatum can kind of get his get back whenever he wants, and Jalen Brown can probably. 00:55:23 Speaker 2: Get subbed out if he tries to feed too much into anything. It's unfortunate. I think it's an unfortunate situation. 00:55:29 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I don't think Jalen's the fourth or fifth option on the Sixers. I think that they have a clear number one in Maxie, and then any of the other guys can be... a clear number two on any given possession, any given night. I think ideally for them, they, you know, Jalen Brown is the number two. I don't think he's quite played like that this year. Um, but there's no way around it. Tuesday night was a tough look for Jalen. Just was like. 00:56:03 Speaker 4: I, and I don't want to say it was sad that he, and you know, that, he and Tatum didn't have a moment, but he wasn't happy. 00:56:16 Speaker 1: Like, you know, those guys spent 10 years together. They won a championship. They came of age in the league together. And to see it like sideways like that, it's not, people have compared it to, you know, they're like, oh, Shaq and Kobe. Shaq and Kobe had legit longstanding beef for years. And one guy, it was like a him or me type of thing. That was not the case with Tatum and Brown, even if there was some simmering resentment because Jalen Brown felt like Jason Tatum was, you know, the favorite son when he didn't, you know, necessarily deserve to be. But here's the other thing. With everything Jalen Brown said, and it's not beef, but there's lamb chops and gravy and then not acknowledging him. If you're going to do all that, you got to play a little better than he played. Like Tatum was quite good and Jalen Brown was bad. Now it's one game and they'll play each other three more times. You'll have plenty of opportunities. The bigger game is the game in Boston, but it was an underwhelming. It was obviously an underwhelming performance by all the Sixers, but it was also a quite, you know, it was, it was Jalen Brown's worst game of the year. it's a tough spot to have your worst game of the year. And I was happy to Monza for Tatum that he, the first time he's dunked on someone since he tore the Achilles. 00:57:45 Speaker 2: Yeah. That was a nice reset. Yeah. 00:57:48 Speaker 1: It was, it was a little milestone moment and it's, you know, two of his signature dunks of his career. Now we're most important dunks of his career, both on Brown as a rookie in the playoffs, the old man, um, And then one was as a rookie in the playoffs. And then this, this one here, the rookie in the playoffs was like the holy shit. Jason Tatum, you know, is in a, in a Eastern conference finals doing this as a rookie. That was sick. And then this was a, I'm back from injury. 00:58:20 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:58:20 Speaker 1: Like I, the, and so. 00:58:22 Speaker 3: And then also the, we got Paul George for Jalen Brown and Paul George cooked. 00:58:26 Speaker 2: I think that also adds fuel to the fire. Oh, you know what, that's a good point. 00:58:35 Speaker 1: So, you know, that's actually a really good point, and I didn't even think about that piece of it, and I don't know how sustainable it is, but Paul George has been really good. Like, there's just, there's... There's no way around that piece of it. Paul George has been really good. And the Celtics, while I still think they are a transaction cycle away from being a real championship caliber team, they they reminded you in this game, how dangerous they can be when they get hot from three. And, you know, I think they are very live Demonte to be the one seat in the East. Like right now I would, I would pick the Sixers to win the East and the Celtics to be the one seat. but we're going to get to see them play each other a bunch more times this year. All right, we have our pick show that we are going to do that you guys will have tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the pod. If you haven't done that yet, do it on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes. It helps us out. Shout out to all our sponsors, Boost Mobile, Polymarket, SeatGeek, our new friends, Housecall Pro, and the Emirates NBA Cup on Prime. Also, a thank you to the volume, and the blue duck. Our week 10, I can't believe it's week 10. Kind of makes me sad. Pick show coming up in your feeds tomorrow. See you guys then. What's right.