- 6 weeks ago
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00:00Our number one in full effect right here on the Early Line Sports Grid Network.
00:04Joe Ranieri, Donnie Wright's out here.
00:06And by the way, we're leaving off that last segment.
00:07We'll bring up the hot topics here, Joe.
00:09I know you're watching a baseball game, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Toronto Blue Jays.
00:14Hey, man, sometimes you leave it out there on the field.
00:16Sometimes you leave a little bit too much out there on the field.
00:18Vladimir Guerrero Jr., does he feel okay today?
00:21Any prognosis from you, the doctor?
00:24Yeah, I got to tell you, Donnie, I'm watching that game last night,
00:28and he makes the stretch of all stretches at first base to get out of an inning.
00:36And I was hurting, sitting on the couch watching that.
00:40I think even my voice went up an octave, and I couldn't.
00:43I was like, there is, my goodness, is this big man in great shape to do a split like that?
00:49Come to find out the next inning.
00:51Yeah, no, he was back in the trainer's room.
00:52That was the end of that.
00:53He might have a hamstring injury moving forward here, Donnie.
00:57Ah, first place, Toronto Blue Jays.
01:00Can't have that.
01:01Skins comes to town here, deals you there.
01:03Now you might lose Vladdy Jr.
01:04Not a good sign here.
01:05The New York Yankees might be playing better baseball.
01:07They're playing in Tampa today.
01:08We'll see if they can close the gap.
01:09But before we get there in Major League Baseball, we did have a big deal on Monday Night Football.
01:13I was like, you know, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, the primetime games.
01:17Forget about Thursday Night Football.
01:18That's just ridiculous.
01:19And it's in.
01:19But I do enjoy Monday night.
01:21Was watching it here.
01:22You know, you want to get a little Joe Buck in the action.
01:23You want to get some Troy Aikman.
01:25See how the boys are turning out on the field.
01:26And the one anticipating thing that we loved is you knew you were going to get a pretty good offensive performance out of these two teams.
01:31Starters playing on those first two, three drives here.
01:33And you saw 28 points in the first half from the Cincinnati Bengals.
01:37And by the way, like Jake Browning looked really good in that game.
01:40When you take a look at the wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley out there, five catches, 73 yards, and two really, really nice touchdown catches.
01:46But I liked what I see out of the Bengals.
01:48Let me ask you this, too.
01:50Was there any sharps that this goes?
01:51Ah, that 39 and a half up to 43 and a half.
01:55That's ridiculous.
01:55You got to take the under.
01:56I don't think anybody from a public side has been watching preseason football and looked at that game on Monday night.
02:02It's like, this is the perfect under.
02:04It just felt destined to go over.
02:06And it was a rocket ship in that first half.
02:09We talked about it yesterday, Donnie, when we had said there's only one way to look.
02:13I mean, 43 and a half for a preseason game has been laughable, right?
02:19You would look at that and go, I don't think so.
02:22But in this particular case, with everything that's coming out of the Cincinnati Bengals camp with Coach Zach Taylor and company, we knew Burrow and company were going out there and treating this thing like it was a regular season game.
02:35We knew we were going to get some starters from Washington and in all likelihood not with no Trey Hendrickson still.
02:43We probably weren't going to get a whole lot of anything out of both of these defenses.
02:48A lot of up-tempo, a lot of big plays.
02:50It's exactly why it got steamed up for four and a half points to the totals because, well, that total was almost good in the first half, Donnie, much less the full game.
03:01Yeah, scorched it there.
03:02And also, I did like that first little taste because I knew the Bengals would come out hot.
03:05You were just trying to extrapolate off of that first Philadelphia Eagles game.
03:08Like, yeah, they look good.
03:10Vanilla scheme on defense.
03:11You should be able to pick them apart.
03:12They did.
03:12They did score a touchdown on their opening drive, but it was a handoff to Chase Brown on a fourth and one.
03:17I was hoping for the touchdown pass.
03:18I wasn't able to get that, but looking from a commander's side last night as well, Josh Johnson, Sam Hartman, they were taking the bulk of the snaps there.
03:25They didn't want to put Jaden Daniels in harm's way.
03:27They're still trying to work out their backfield.
03:29Terry McLaurin still not showing up to camp.
03:31We look at the Bengals and say they're doing things the right way outside of Trey Hendrickson, who should be there because they need his help on defense.
03:38But Washington, after that NFC championship run last year, comes back into town.
03:43Backfield uncertain, as I said.
03:45Terry McLaurin not there.
03:46We still expect big things from Washington, but when are they going to get on the same page, Joe?
03:51Yeah, well, the Bengals better figure it out defensively, Trey Hendrickson, because they were once again for the second straight game.
04:01They were carved up like nothing.
04:04I mean, they were absolutely getting blown off the ball.
04:08We had, what, Debo Samuel, big runs.
04:12I mean, we've seen they just got gassed for the second week in a row, and those were the starters, the first-team defense.
04:19Al Golden, you know my thoughts on Al Golden.
04:21I thought Lou Anaruma got set up.
04:23I thought he was the fall guy for this organization.
04:26And Zach Taylor last year, he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL.
04:31If he couldn't get this defense to show up and show up, Al Golden is absolutely not going to do it, especially without Hendrickson on the field for him.
04:42It's hard to tell, like, what sort of defense we're going to get until you see them game planning and scheming, like you will see in week number one where the Cincinnati Bengals are going to take on the Cleveland Browns.
04:50But you're right about getting gashed, 30 carries, 185 yards on the ground, 6.2 yards per carry, and two touchdowns for the Washington offense.
04:59Now, also, on top of that, it's like, okay, what are they doing, grinding down the field and, you know, going down?
05:04Look at the long runs, Joe.
05:05Rodriguez Jr., 40.
05:07Krosky Merritt, 27.
05:09Hartman, 15.
05:10Debo, 19.
05:11Jaden Daniels, 14.
05:13Like, these guys were ripping off chunk after chunk after chunk.
05:1617.7 yards per carry against the starters.
05:22That is what the commanders averaged on the ground against that.
05:26That is unacceptable.
05:27And listen, granted, you're not going to be blitzing.
05:30You're not showing anything exotic.
05:31But getting blown off the ball is getting blown off the ball, right?
05:34Getting manhandled, Donnie, your starters against the commanders is unacceptable.
05:40In any way, you can't give up 17, 18 yards a carry and expect us to be like, nah, it's just preseason.
05:47You're going to be fine.
05:48Don't worry about it.
05:48It's all going to work out.
05:50And by the way, Joe Burrow running for his life a couple times in the first step was kind of fine.
05:54Like, oh, no, don't get injured.
05:55So I'll ask you this, too.
05:56Like, you saw, you know, Joe Burrow, game number one versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
06:00Offense looked pretty smooth.
06:02Game number two, Cincinnati Bengals playing Washington.
06:05Offense looked pretty smooth with Joe Burrow on the field.
06:07Game number three of the preseason.
06:10Zach Taylor told you that they're going to play more in the preseason.
06:12They played a good amount in games one and games two.
06:15Do we see Joe Burrow in game number three of the preseason just to make sure we stay hot for the regular season?
06:22Listen, I hope not.
06:23Because watching him run around in that backfield like his hair was on fire and he was running for his life was not.
06:30There had to be a lot of Bengal fans going, what are we doing?
06:33Like, why is he out on the field?
06:35Where is he going?
06:36Stop, fall down.
06:38But let's hope that, listen, you did what you wanted to do the first two games.
06:42You got the starters ready to go, more ready than they've been in any other season here under Zach Taylor.
06:48Let's just figure out the backups now for week three.
06:52Yeah, they got the Brownies up in week number one.
06:54If you're looking for the Washington Commanders and maybe Jaden Daniels gets some burn in week number three, probably not going to happen.
06:59They're going to face the New York Giants at home Sunday, September the 7th at 1 p.m.
07:05So everybody getting closer to that regular season.
07:07You're going to see a lot of cuts coming up this week, too, because you're going to have veterans that are going to hit their teams can certainly replace.
07:12But also, as we talked about the Washington backfield, there might be some cuts there as well.
07:16How about a cut maybe to a back and a surgery?
07:19Matthew Stafford, let's get him next.
07:21Right back at you.
07:23I love the Los Angeles Rams in this offseason, Joe Ranieri.
07:26I love what they did.
07:27I love their head coach.
07:28I love their quarterback.
07:29I love their wide receivers.
07:31I love their running back.
07:32I love their front seven.
07:34What's the song up there?
07:35I love L.A.
07:36You could catch me as an L.A. fan, but there are starting to see some cracks in the foundation and maybe cracks in the back of Matthew Stafford.
07:44Here's our head coach, Sean McVay, giving us a little bit of piece of information, huh?
07:48I know you guys will be wondering.
07:50You know, it was good to be able to have Matthew out there.
07:52You know, he did a good job today.
07:54I thought he looked good, but, you know, I don't really have any updates.
07:58You know, I think there was a lot of intended information, but there's no updates.
08:02We're going to keep it a day and really a week at a time.
08:04But it's great to be able to see him out there today, and, you know, we'll see how this afternoon goes and tomorrow.
08:11We don't – there's really no – you know, I'm not going to pigeonhole myself into any plans, you know.
08:15And so we're just really, you know, seeing how he feels.
08:18We're truly taking it a day at a time and a week at a time right now.
08:21You know, I think we're just taking it a day at a time.
08:24You know, and I mean that too because, you know, what I'm not going to do is sit here and go back and forth every single day.
08:30I don't think that's fair to anybody involved.
08:32It's not, you know, it's not accurate with what's going on with the situation either.
08:35And so we're trying to, you know, get our hands on it.
08:38We're trying to do right by, you know, the player number one in our team.
08:42And so, you know, it was good to be able to have him out there today.
08:47Good to be able to have him out there, quote, unquote, today, Joe.
08:51That doesn't mean tomorrow.
08:52That doesn't mean I threw 50 passes that don't feel good.
08:54That doesn't mean a 320-pound defensive tackle will land on top of him as soon as the regular season begins.
09:01Then we'll see if that bat can hold up.
09:03There's a lot of issues here with the Rams, and it's a shame because if you get a healthy Matthew Stafford this year, they will do damage.
09:10If you don't get a healthy Matthew Stafford this year, I don't know where the Rams go, Joe.
09:14They're going to go to the Super Bowl, man.
09:18Stetson Bennett is here to the rescue.
09:20He's won a few.
09:22He's got a few rings on that finger.
09:23But if I'm not mistaken, Donnie, I think McVay and the Rams are going to take it week by week.
09:30I think that is safe to say, since he only said it 19 times during that interview, that they're going to take things week by week.
09:39And the fact that he was out there not just hanging around, but that he was able to do more than, you know, standing on the sideline and throwing, you know, doing his own individual work.
09:51He was taking part in the—he took all the reps with the teams 11-on-11 with all the starters.
09:57So he was doing more than just being bubble-wrapped and shelved on the sideline by himself away from the other players.
10:04I think that is a good sign.
10:06But take this out of the equation.
10:08Even if there was no back issue right now, he's still a 37-year-old quarterback that has a history of dealing with back issues.
10:16So you're always going to hold your breath when he gets hit one way or the other this year, just like, Donnie, we have been doing for what?
10:23The last five years with him?
10:26You know, when you look at the situation itself, because, you know, professional athletes are not the common individual.
10:32Hey, I hurt my back.
10:33Oh, we can fit you into rehab in three weeks.
10:35Can you make it till three weeks?
10:36They get world-class health care 24-7 on whatever injury they have.
10:42So you might say, like, Donnie, that's really good.
10:43Then he should be—at the same time, like, wait a second.
10:46He hasn't been able to get back on the practice field for weeks at a time when he has 24-7 care trying to get that back in there.
10:52And the one thing—like, it's not a golf where it's like, okay, I just put torque on my back because nobody's coming out of the gallery
10:58and knocking you over after your golf swing, bang, just got knocked onto the ground.
11:03Matthew Stafford is going to drop back 35-plus times in a game.
11:07Half of those times, he's going to get hit.
11:09Five or six of those times, a chance for a sack, which means that player lands on top of you.
11:14And then if you're throwing the ball 35 times a game, correct me if I'm wrong,
11:18that dude has a howitzer, which means he is putting a lot of torque on his body every single throw he makes.
11:25That's my worry.
11:26Like, if I'm trying to bet season-long statistics on the Rams, I can't do it.
11:31Your point was very valid, Joe.
11:32Week to week right now.
11:34You can't win a championship when you're going week to week in week number one.
11:39Like, that's the worry.
11:40Joe, he could come out week number one and look fantastic against the Titans.
11:43Or, excuse me, get to see Texans.
11:44And I'd say, okay, that's great.
11:45But then we worry about, ooh, how does he do Monday?
11:47Like, remember the guys with a knee injury?
11:49Hey, we'll work him out Monday.
11:50Give him off Tuesday to see if it flares up.
11:52Boy, oh, boy, this is going to be a long soap opera for the Rams, it feels like.
11:56It's been like that for a while now.
11:59I mean, there is no—the beating that he took in his career in Detroit was no joke.
12:06And he's had issues already with the Rams.
12:08This is a guy that is—that's it.
12:11When a 37-year-old quarterback, you're holding your breath every time he gets under center
12:16in a real game, Donnie, hoping that he doesn't get hit and that he gets up after he does.
12:22That is just the reality of a 37-year-old quarterback.
12:26Yeah, it's pretty amazing.
12:27Like, you hope he stands up.
12:28Like, if you bet the Rams, you need him every single game.
12:30If you bet Puka Nakua, if you bet, you know, Devontae Adams' prop nets, you need him there
12:34every game.
12:35We just don't know that at this point.
12:36But we know who's going to be their game number one, Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
12:41Uh-huh.
12:42I don't know what to do here, Joe Raniere, because sometimes I think the right decisions
12:46are being made, but for the wrong time frame.
12:49And we'll get into that right now with the Cleveland Browns.
12:52Donnie writes that.
12:52It's Joe Raniere.
12:53It's the early line, the hottest topics.
12:54We get you through those and give you opinions that do matter.
12:57Ian Rappaport tweeted yesterday, the Browns are naming quarterback Joe Flacco their starter.
13:02The end of a training camp competition that never really was.
13:05Flacco quickly emerged as QB1, while the others battled injuries.
13:09The player who led them to the playoffs in 2023 is back.
13:12I want to start here with this, because we'll go over the prognosis for the season and what
13:17that means for the Cleveland Browns itself.
13:19But I've sort of taken on a different, you know, train of thought, let's just say, over
13:23the past five to six years on how I think teams should operate throughout professional
13:26sports.
13:27Either, Joe, you are building for a championship, or you are going backwards, so you can then hit
13:34rock bottom, then start building for a championship.
13:38So Joe Flacco doesn't surprise me.
13:40He's being named starter in game number one.
13:42It doesn't.
13:43So let's go with that.
13:44Joe Flacco, named by the Browns, starter week one.
13:47Your initial thoughts.
13:48The least surprising news of the day, Donnie.
13:55What did we think was going to happen?
13:58We all knew.
13:59First of all, Flacco's the only guy that has been taking reps with the starters from the
14:03beginning of training camp.
14:04Like, he's it.
14:05So we've always known that Flacco is the guy that they are going to start the season with.
14:11The problem is, it gets real murky after that.
14:15We haven't seen Kenny pick it.
14:17But all indications are that if this hamstring is good to go, that the organization and the
14:23coaches are already comfortable with him being the number two pick, being the backup here,
14:28because they have seen enough.
14:30They don't need to see him in the preseason to know he's more than capable of being the
14:34backup.
14:35Well, then that leaves two rookies.
14:36And you're not going to develop both of them.
14:39I didn't see, and this is where it gets real unfortunate for Shador Sanders, because it
14:46would have been great for him to be able to follow up that second preseason, right?
14:50That first opportunity with the second one.
14:52But unfortunately, the oblique kind of threw a wrench into that.
14:56So now we've seen Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders.
14:59Can you tell me, is there a difference between what we've seen in one game with these guys?
15:04No.
15:05It's all about the organization figuring out when the season goes south, and it is going
15:10to go south.
15:12If you're building for the future at that point, well, then who are you taking under your wing
15:17and cultivating as the next face of your organization?
15:20Is it Dylan Gabriel, or is it Shador Sanders?
15:23That's the big question.
15:24But I don't think we're going to know that until week one.
15:27We're going to get to that quarterback depth chart, because you're bringing up some pretty
15:30good points that I certainly don't want to forget, and we're going to touch on those.
15:33But if we just bring it back to Joe Flacco, right?
15:35He didn't do anything wrong.
15:36He was brought in to compete.
15:37That's his job.
15:38And he is the starter, because there were injuries and injuries, and on top of injuries.
15:42He's the only guy that didn't get injured, which is funny, because he's the oldest guy
15:44by a mile in that room.
15:46But also understand how an organization works.
15:49The owner is always going to make money, regardless of if the team wins or loses.
15:52But also wants to understand, he wants a pathway to eventually being a champion.
15:56Now, Jimmy Haslam, say what you want about him.
15:58Great owner, bad owner.
15:59I mean, the results speak for themselves.
16:01Cleveland stinks under his ownership.
16:03So that's probably where we should start.
16:04But if we are looking towards the season, you know a general manager keeps his job?
16:08You know a head coach keeps his job?
16:10Getting wins on the football field.
16:12And sometimes they go in the self-preservation mode.
16:14And you can't fault them.
16:15It's a very honest head coach that goes, you know what?
16:18I'm going to take one for the team.
16:19I'm going to do the right thing for the organization.
16:21And they're going to fire me out the door at the end of the season
16:23when I win three football games.
16:25But trust me, this organization will be better.
16:27Because nobody wants to lose their job.
16:29Self-preservation mode is key.
16:30But I understand this.
16:32Flacco is healthy.
16:33He's going to start week number one.
16:34But my question is, after we get through weeks five, six, and seven,
16:38there's no point to Cleveland season whatsoever.
16:40And also, Joe, we're not coming in the Cleveland.
16:42Hey, you know what?
16:43That's an eight and a half win total team if, let's just say,
16:47Shadour Sanders is going to play with high expectations.
16:49Boy, if we can just get Flacco to hold that fourth down.
16:52Like, we're a playoff team right now.
16:53We're expected to make the playoffs, which they're not.
16:55I'm just playing devil's advocate.
16:56They're not.
16:57They're supposed to be, Joe, one of the worst teams in the NFL
17:00starting a fossil at quarterback.
17:03That doesn't make any sense.
17:04So for me, the over-under on Flacco.
17:06Like, I put a tweet yesterday.
17:08I would fire the general manager and Kevin Stefanski
17:11if I get five starts from Joe Flacco this year.
17:13I'll fire him, Joe.
17:14I mean, the problem with this organization, Donnie,
17:19is this is the same organization that traded with Houston
17:24for Deshaun Watson and then forced Stefanski to have to play him
17:29because they invested $200 million into him,
17:32even though any football sound mind knows, I mean,
17:38the best days are long behind him.
17:39But you kept rolling him out,
17:41not because Stefanski wanted to roll him out.
17:43He took one for ownership who actually went out
17:46and gave him and gave him the money and traded for him.
17:50So this is the kind of situation where I think ownership
17:53and the coaching staff says we can't start the season
17:56sending the message to the fan base and everyone else.
17:59All right, it's a lost season, guys.
18:01We're just going to start rookies
18:02who have never taken a snap in the NFL, and here we go.
18:05Flacco is the safest bet for the Browns to start this season.
18:10How many games does he get?
18:12Two, three, maybe.
18:14Maybe he gets hurt.
18:15We haven't seen him.
18:17But I can tell you this.
18:18As of right now in that room,
18:20you have to believe that everything they've seen in camp,
18:23Flacco gives them the best shot at looking like any sort of offense
18:29that might be able to win a game or two here this season.
18:33That's the only reason he's the starter,
18:35because the other three guys, let's face it,
18:37we don't think they can win a game.
18:39Flacco can probably win you a couple of games.
18:41I'm not sure anybody else there can right now.
18:44That's the tough part with me, though.
18:46Like, Brian Flores got fired for the Miami Dolphins.
18:48He was incompetent as the head coach,
18:49but certainly the ownership group was telling him,
18:51don't you win games.
18:52Like, you want to get a good quarterback and good players,
18:54you'll be here next year.
18:55Don't win.
18:56And he let that story leak out, and now they're in a lawsuit.
18:58So if you are Jimmy Haslam, you have to walk a tightrope,
19:01but you have to understand how to communicate to your general manager
19:03and your coach.
19:04Guys, you are going to be back no matter what next year.
19:07You know what?
19:08I don't know if Joe Flacco starts week number one.
19:10Like, if you get a commitment from the ownership group
19:12that let's do this the right way, I don't think Joe Flacco is a star.
19:15Maybe he's just, hey, look, he has to start week one.
19:17These kids are injured right now.
19:18They don't have enough under their belt.
19:19Give them two to three weeks.
19:20I understand that.
19:21But if Flacco's one and five after six games,
19:24and he's still out there, that's incompetence from an organization.
19:27Now, let's have some fun with this.
19:28The Cleveland Browns quarterback room.
19:31NFL general managers are sneaky, Joe.
19:33And this is the time of the year where they use their most devious answers
19:37and their most devious questions out here to go,
19:40ooh, you got a shoulder injury, don't you?
19:43Wink, wink.
19:44We're going to keep you on the IL for this year,
19:46and we'll bring you back next year, bigger, stronger, and faster,
19:48but we don't have to lose you here or cut you.
19:50They're not carrying four active quarterbacks on this roster.
19:53It will not be Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dylan Gabriel,
19:56and Shador Sanders all active.
19:58So here we go.
19:59Is there a quarterback one through four right there,
20:02which, you know, it's not going to be Flacco starting week one.
20:04Is there a quarterback that gets the wink, wink, your oblique hurts?
20:08Oh, you can't play this year, but we're not going to lose your rights?
20:12It could very well be.
20:14Nothing would shock me with this organization.
20:17Again, they are still committed to Deshaun Watson for more money
20:21than they know what to do it,
20:22which is why they are in this problem to begin with.
20:25But I think it's going to come down to who's the second quarterback.
20:29Is it, in fact, Pickett, who hasn't apparently taken a snap with the hamstring?
20:35Are we going into the season just going on experience?
20:39And if that's the case, if it is Flacco and Pickett,
20:42then you're not holding two rookie quarterbacks to mold them
20:47and to bring them along.
20:48So one of them is going to have to go.
20:50The question to me is, which one?
20:52Which one are you going to keep and develop as the future quarterback of your organization?
20:58You're going to have to keep one of them, right, Donnie?
21:01So which one is it going to be?
21:04That's true.
21:04It's so true.
21:05It is a tough decision to make.
21:06But again, leadership makes this a lot easier on how those game plans are going to filter out.
21:12As we said, Joe Flacco just might be the starter by default
21:14because he's taken the snaps.
21:15He's in the quarterback room.
21:16He's played for a long time.
21:17And he's not injured at this point.
21:19You're not putting a young, injured quarterback week number one out there
21:22to try to go win a football game.
21:23I understand why he's starting the season, but he can't continue.
21:26Like Joe Flacco should not start a game outside of September.
21:30Otherwise, it's malpractice.
21:31Once again, their win total for the season is not nine and a half.
21:34Joe, go out there and make the playoffs.
21:35It's four and a half, which means you are going to be a bottom of the barrel team.
21:40Find out what you have in the young kids of quarterback.
21:42See if they can play because if they can't, you're going to stink.
21:45You'll get a quarterback next year in the draft.
21:46If those kids show promise, you might still be a bad team
21:49and get a dominant wide receiver or tight end or offensive lineman
21:53or defensive tackle or defense.
21:54See where we're going at this point here?
21:56Make the right decisions, Cleveland Browns.
21:58Maybe it is the right decision to have Joe Flacco out there.
22:01More Hot Topics next, right here on the Early Line.
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