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00:00Interesting one.
00:01The Houston Texans also banged up.
00:04Niners banged up.
00:05Both teams have some holes they're trying to figure out.
00:09And there's the connection of Niners' former defensive coordinator,
00:13D'Amico Ryans, head coach of the other team.
00:15So there's all kinds of interesting stuff going on here.
00:18And it was early in the week, in fact, early in the year,
00:21when I saw this one on the calendar, I'm like,
00:23make sure when we're about to get ready for that game,
00:27we get my guy, John McClain, on the air.
00:30He has been covering the NFL.
00:32This is year number 49.
00:35He did it for years, the Houston Chronicle.
00:38He's done it nationally, locally, everything.
00:40He's fun.
00:41He's tapped in like no other.
00:43How have you been, River Island's guest line?
00:45How have you been, my friend?
00:46How are you?
00:48I'm doing great.
00:49Mark, how are you?
00:50Absolutely fantastic.
00:52I want to know, the 49ers have lost all their good pass rushers,
00:56but the Texans don't block anyone.
00:58So who wins that matchup?
01:00Well, you could put Fred Warner
01:03and you could put Nick Bosa out there on one leg
01:07and they could beat these Texans pass protectors
01:11because they are awful.
01:13They are there.
01:14They changed every position as a new starter this year.
01:19The only one who is back from last year in the starting lineup
01:23is Titus Howard, the senior member who moved from left guard
01:27to right tackle, even though he's a better guard.
01:30And they lured us.
01:33I'm embarrassed that I fell for this,
01:35but they beat the Titans and the Ravens back-to-back
01:39and outscored them 70-10.
01:41And I thought in that Ravens game, I knew their defense was terrible
01:45and they lost a lot of players,
01:47but it was in Baltimore where they'd never played.
01:50And C.J. Stroud looked like he did when he was a rookie.
01:54He got protected.
01:55They ran the ball well.
01:57And then I think back, my God,
01:59the Ravens defense was even worse than I thought
02:02because in that game against Seattle on Monday night,
02:06their offense was terrible.
02:08They can't throw.
02:10Stroud has regressed because in that game,
02:14he was pressured 17 times.
02:16He was sacked three times,
02:17including taking an 18-yard sack on the one-inch line,
02:22which was inexcusable.
02:24So I don't care who Kyle Shanahan and Robert Zala
02:29put out there on defense,
02:30they will get after Stroud
02:32because it's almost like it's a Swiss cheese.
02:37It's just people,
02:38they're getting more criticism here,
02:40not more than when Bill O'Brien and Jack Easterby
02:44were running the show.
02:45That was bad.
02:47But people had higher expectations.
02:51And that coming off a bye week,
02:53playing at Seattle with three games in a row at home
02:57against the Niners, Broncos, and Jaguars,
02:59and then going to Tennessee, they beat 26-0.
03:03This would have been a time to make the move.
03:05But as it is,
03:06they looked like they had not been coached.
03:09D'Amico has never received any criticism
03:11going back to when he was a great player here
03:14and with the Eagles.
03:15Of course, the 49ers were good when he was there.
03:19And he'd done a great job here for two years.
03:21And right now,
03:23he hired Nick Cayley as his new coordinator
03:25from the Rams.
03:26And we all thought Cayley was going to do a great job
03:30and maybe he'll turn into the greatest in history.
03:33But right now,
03:34he is doing a terrible job.
03:36How much pressure is on the GM, John?
03:38Nick Casario.
03:39And I'm looking at some of the draft picks.
03:41A lot of offensive line draft picks
03:43and not a lot of them can even crack the lineup.
03:46It just blows me away, Dad,
03:49because Nick has done a tremendous job here
03:52rebuilding this team from scratch.
03:55And it was awful when he got here
03:57and the McNair family told him
03:59they gave him final say on personnel,
04:01told him to tear it down.
04:02And he did a great job getting three number one picks
04:06for Deshaun Watson from the Browns.
04:08Probably second worst trade in NFL history.
04:11Took good players.
04:12But all his best players he's drafted
04:14have been on defense,
04:16except for Nico Collins.
04:17And he's out injured, their best receiver.
04:21And he's got, counting this year,
04:24he's got four years left on his contract.
04:26He's not going to get fired.
04:28There's two things they need to tell.
04:29The McNair family needs to tell
04:31Nick Casario to do.
04:34And they don't interfere.
04:35They want to know what's going on,
04:36but he makes the decisions
04:38and they give him money
04:39to make the moves he wants.
04:41Number one, they should tell him
04:43you are fired if you ever hire anybody
04:47who worked for the Patriots
04:49as a player, a scout, an executive,
04:51anybody that changed planes
04:53at Logan Airport.
04:54They should not be able to come here
04:56or you're fired.
04:57The second one,
04:59if you think about bringing in somebody
05:02that coached at your college,
05:04John Carroll University in Cleveland,
05:07you're fired.
05:08They got four members on their staff,
05:10including Nick Cayley,
05:11the offensive coordinator,
05:13who went to his school, John Carroll.
05:16I'd never even heard of John Carroll
05:17until he got here.
05:19And both of those things, to me,
05:21would be fireable offenses.
05:23D'Amico Ryan's with Alabama.
05:24They should be having Alabama coaches
05:27on their staff,
05:28not John Carroll University.
05:30So those are fireable offenses.
05:32And the other thing is,
05:34when it comes to drafting
05:35an offensive lineman,
05:37he should be locked in a closet.
05:39And I don't care who else does it,
05:41they couldn't do any worse.
05:43He drafted in the first round
05:45a tackle three years ago
05:47from A&M, Kenyon Green.
05:48He's on Baltimore's practice squad,
05:50biggest bust in franchise history.
05:52A second-round guard,
05:54Jus Scruggs,
05:55he rotated Monday night
05:58at left guard,
05:59which was preposterous
06:00to rotate left guards.
06:02But neither one of them can play,
06:04so it didn't matter.
06:05And then he, last year,
06:06drafted Notre Dame tackle Blake Fisher.
06:09You hear his name called
06:10when they want to go to a heavy lineup,
06:12but they still can't block anybody.
06:15And now his rookie left tackle,
06:16Ariante Ursary,
06:17has got some talent.
06:19And he has shown
06:22he can do a good job
06:23unless he's going against
06:24a great defensive end
06:26and he gets embarrassed
06:27and so do they
06:27because they don't give him help.
06:29That cost them a game
06:30against Jacksonville
06:31when they could have won.
06:32They put him on an island
06:33against Heinz Allen
06:35and he tipped the ball,
06:37intercepted, game over.
06:38So they've done a poor job
06:40drafting linemen
06:41and they've done a poor job
06:42coaching linemen.
06:44John McClain is with us
06:46from Houston
06:47where the Niners are heading.
06:49He's been covering the NFL
06:50for almost five decades.
06:52So, John,
06:53we take in everything
06:54that you've said
06:55and I ask you this.
06:57Why are the Texans
06:58favored this weekend?
07:01I've asked that same question.
07:03I've told my wife,
07:04we never bet.
07:05We don't bet.
07:06Well, I take that back.
07:07We go to Vegas
07:08for the first two rounds
07:09of the NCAA tournament
07:10every year.
07:11and she throws $20 bills
07:16around like they're,
07:17you know, pennies.
07:18And so that's the only time
07:20we ever bet.
07:21But I told her,
07:22if we were betting,
07:23I would say,
07:23go write a check,
07:2410 grand, whatever.
07:26I cannot imagine
07:27that the Niners
07:29at 5-2
07:30and Kyle Shanahan
07:31doing a great coaching job
07:33would come in here
07:34and lose to this team
07:36with this offense.
07:37Now, the Texans
07:37have got a good defense.
07:39You know,
07:39if they shut down Mack Jones,
07:41it won't surprise me at all.
07:43If they shut down
07:43Christian McCaffrey,
07:45it won't shock me.
07:46They scored a touchdown
07:48Monday night.
07:48Same number of touchdowns
07:50as the offense.
07:51The only way
07:51they're going to win this game
07:52is if they score
07:53a couple of touchdowns
07:54on defense
07:54and special teams.
07:56But they lead the league
07:57in fewest points allowed.
07:58First team in history
07:59to have a losing record
08:01and allow the fewest points.
08:03I think since 1950, maybe.
08:06But their defense is good
08:08and it's going to be
08:08a lot of fun watching them.
08:09We can't wait
08:10until they get on the field.
08:11Let me tell you what.
08:12It doesn't take long
08:13for them to get on the field.
08:15Usually three plays
08:16in a punt, am I right?
08:18Or maybe one play
08:19in a pick.
08:20Hey, John,
08:21who should we be worried
08:21about watching
08:23on that defensive front
08:24because Mack's not exactly
08:26the most mobile guy
08:27and Brock won't play.
08:28So we're really trying
08:30to keep Mack upright.
08:32Their defensive line
08:33is playing very well.
08:34Will Anderson Jr.
08:35to Neil Hunter,
08:37their ends are a load
08:38for anybody,
08:39especially Anderson.
08:40But they got a lot
08:41of tackles that are
08:42playing well, too.
08:43Sheldon Rankin,
08:44Tim Settle.
08:46D'Amico does a great job
08:47on defense.
08:49Now, he turned over
08:49the play calling
08:50this year.
08:52And it's the first time
08:53he'd done it.
08:54And the corners are good.
08:58The safeties are pretty good.
09:00They couldn't...
09:01They had some
09:02of the dumbest strategy
09:03I've ever seen
09:04for Jackson Smith
09:05and the jig.
09:06But Derek Stingley Jr.
09:08should have got up on him
09:09and pressed him
09:10and covered him
09:11all over the field
09:11like he usually does.
09:13And Stingley told us
09:14they pulled him off
09:15that strategy
09:16the day before.
09:17And he covered him
09:18about, I think,
09:20I can't remember
09:20how many plays it was.
09:22And when he did,
09:23the rating was 46.
09:25But for some reason,
09:26they didn't have him
09:27on him full-time.
09:28So, we haven't figured
09:30that one out
09:31because we've been
09:32so busy butchering
09:33the offense,
09:33we haven't really
09:34paid that much
09:35close attention
09:36to the defense
09:37because the defense
09:37has played well.
09:39John McClain is with us,
09:40covers the NFL
09:41for years and years,
09:4249th year in the business.
09:44John, because I know
09:45you cover way more
09:47than just the Texans,
09:48I'd love your perspective
09:49on what's happening
09:50at quarterback right now
09:52for the 49ers.
09:53And what do you think
09:54this means the rest
09:55of the league
09:56thinks about Mac Jones?
09:59And yes,
09:59he's under contract
10:00one more year after this,
10:02but how do you think
10:03that he and the Niners
10:04will handle this
10:05after the year
10:05based on what's
10:06taking place?
10:07Well, you'll never hear
10:08Kyle Shanahan
10:09or Kubiak say,
10:13and here's the word
10:13controversy,
10:14coaches never do,
10:16but when one guy
10:16is winning
10:17and the other guy
10:18was struggling
10:18when he was healthy
10:19and now he's hurt,
10:21you've got a quarterback
10:21controversy.
10:22And I remember
10:25when Mac Jones
10:27came out of Alabama
10:28and I watched
10:29Kyle Shanahan's
10:31big, close friend,
10:33Chris Sims
10:34from the University
10:35of Texas
10:35kept saying
10:36he was going
10:37to take back Jones.
10:38So I put him
10:39as my mock draft
10:40first round pick
10:41and then, of course,
10:42they trade up
10:43and get Trey Lance.
10:44And I'm like,
10:45oh my God,
10:46how could Chris Sims
10:47have been wrong
10:48all those times?
10:49And now he's got him.
10:50You know why
10:50he wanted him.
10:51Who knows why
10:52he traded those picks
10:53to move up
10:54to get Trey Lance.
10:55Probably the worst
10:56draft decision
10:57he's ever made.
10:58But boy,
10:59Brock Purdy bailed him out
11:00and now Mac Jones
11:02is bailing him out.
11:03Getting him
11:04a two-year contract
11:05was brilliant.
11:06And they can't sign him
11:08to a new contract.
11:10They've got Armstrong
11:11on that.
11:12Somebody's going to,
11:13but tell you what,
11:14buyer beware.
11:15Now there's just a few
11:17really good quarterback coaches.
11:19Kyle Shanahan,
11:20Sean McVay,
11:21Kevin O'Connell,
11:22although he's really
11:23being tested right now.
11:25Andy Reid.
11:26And I often wondered
11:27like Anthony Richardson,
11:29if he came there
11:30and sat on the bench
11:30a couple of years
11:31or goes to the Rams,
11:34how good could he be
11:35if he really got
11:36some good coaching?
11:37But it's a good problem
11:38to have.
11:39I know what's
11:40Max lost one game
11:42so far.
11:43Yep.
11:43Well, he's going to,
11:44I know with injuries
11:45and everything on defense,
11:47they're going to have
11:47to score some points
11:49and it's going to be
11:49difficult,
11:50but it should be
11:52a fun game.
11:53And people ask me
11:54who I pick
11:55and I pick the Niners
11:5623 to 20.
11:58Okay.
11:5823 to 20.
11:59That's a road dog there.
12:01And John,
12:02I'll go ahead
12:03and write that down
12:03as I make my picks
12:04a little bit later
12:05in the program.
12:06If the Niners
12:07were thinking
12:08in the offseason
12:09about maybe trading
12:11Mac Jones,
12:11what sort of package
12:13do you think
12:13that he would command
12:14knowing that he only
12:15has one more year
12:16and, you know,
12:17he's really thrived
12:18with Shanahan
12:19and would he thrive
12:19elsewhere?
12:21Yeah, I can't imagine.
12:22He's had a chance
12:23to thrive elsewhere.
12:25And I,
12:26considering
12:26the injuries
12:28that Purdy's had
12:29this year,
12:30I think, you know,
12:31they want to bounce back,
12:33be a Super Bowl contender
12:34again after the bad year.
12:36They're probably going to
12:37hang on to him
12:39because you might
12:40need him again.
12:41I don't see them
12:42getting a lot
12:43for him
12:43because it's not like
12:44maybe he'd end up
12:47being like Baker Mayfield.
12:48There's not many of them
12:49that are like that,
12:50but, boy,
12:51if he goes to some team
12:53that's got bad coaching
12:54or a bad head coach
12:56or an owner
12:56that's impatient,
12:58then, boy,
12:58he could be in a bad
12:59situation again.
13:00He's already been
13:01in two of those.
13:02John,
13:02it's so fun
13:03to hear your voice.
13:04Before you go,
13:05one of our producers
13:06is asking
13:08the very
13:09self-centered
13:11fantasy question
13:12of if Nico Collins
13:14and Christian Kirk
13:15aren't out there,
13:17who's catching passes
13:18this weekend
13:19for the Houston Texans?
13:21No,
13:21they don't miss
13:22Christian Kirk.
13:22He's been Christian hurt
13:24since he got here
13:25and he's been hurt
13:25throughout his career
13:27and he hadn't
13:27contributed to squat.
13:29So they had two rookies,
13:31second-round pick
13:32Jaden Higgins
13:33from Iowa State
13:34and a third-round pick
13:36Jalen Knoll
13:37from Iowa State.
13:39So far,
13:39they have not used
13:40them correctly
13:41and they're not
13:42going to have a choice
13:43now because they
13:44have to play those guys.
13:45Jalen Knoll
13:46who plays in the slot
13:47is really good.
13:48A dangerous punt returner
13:50and all of a sudden
13:50Braxton Berrios
13:51gets healthy
13:52and they put him
13:53as punt returner.
13:54First time he lets
13:55the ball go over his head
13:56and it's down deep
13:57and we're like,
13:58what the hell
13:58are they thinking?
14:00So they'll have
14:00those guys
14:01and a third Iowa State
14:02receiver,
14:03Xavier Hutchinson,
14:04who had two touchdowns
14:06against the Ravens,
14:07didn't do squat
14:08against Seattle.
14:09And so those
14:10three Iowa State guys
14:12are ones we'll be
14:13keeping a close eye on
14:15and we all,
14:16I'm talking about
14:16fans,
14:17media,
14:18we want to see
14:19Nolan Higgins
14:20get more opportunities.
14:22You know,
14:23Braxton Berrios,
14:24my daughter tells me,
14:25is married to quite
14:26a TikTok star.
14:27So maybe that
14:28had something to do
14:29with it,
14:29John.
14:30Yeah,
14:30she is quite
14:32the sensation.
14:33You should check her out.
14:34Not that I have,
14:35I've heard about it.
14:36I've heard about it.
14:37It's a veteran right there.
14:38Yeah,
14:39good move.
14:40John,
14:40John,
14:41thanks so much,
14:42man.
14:42It really is fun
14:43to catch up with you.
14:44Thanks for doing it.
14:45Hey,
14:45Mark and Dan,
14:46thank you guys
14:47very much for having me.
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