What's Audacy NFL Insider Ross Tucker Seen from Mills-led Texans?

KILT-AM / SportsRadio 610

Seth and Sean talk with Audacy NFL Insider Ross Tucker about what he's seen from the Davis Mills-led Texans the past 2 games and what we may see vs the Bills on Thursday.

Transcript

00:00So let's get right to it, Ross.

00:01What are your thoughts on Davis Mills saving the Texan season these last two weeks?

00:09It's really something else, isn't it?

00:12I mean, that fourth quarter, certainly against the Jaguars, was epic and very much needed.

00:22And I would say especially impressive when you consider how the Jaguars just absolutely beat down

00:29the Chargers on Sunday.

00:30I couldn't believe that.

00:32I mean, that was stunning to me.

00:34So that makes what Davis Mills did the week before even more impressive.

00:40And obviously, it wasn't great on Sunday in Nashville.

00:45But you know what?

00:47He made the clutch throws that he needed to make, the one on the sideline, the Collins.

00:52I mean, he made the plays he needed to make for them to win, to stay afloat.

00:56So now, I mean, if he can get it done Thursday night against Josh Allen, I'm not expecting

01:04that, but that would really be something.

01:07I'll tell you, Ross, it's interesting when you watch the way the offensive line has progressed

01:10throughout this season.

01:11I would say over the last five weeks or so, they've played like a mediocre offensive line,

01:17which is a huge improvement in a lot of regards.

01:19Uh, I went back, I was coming back to find highlights from the previous Texans game and

01:24that Jeffrey Simmons sack in which he was unblocked.

01:27You, you had a just brilliant commentary mid play on that when you were just taking a back

01:33and you just said, Oh my goodness, because it was shockingly bad, how bad the offensive

01:39line and some of the things on offense were.

01:42I do feel like they've, they've steadied the ship, but it's still not something that

01:46you feel awesome about.

01:47And really the, the biggest variable that remains on is usually, okay, if the defensive

01:54lineman on the other side of this offensive line are big, tough, physical, scary dudes,

01:59the offensive line can't get a whole lot done in the run game, but they are like, they've,

02:04they've sewn up a lot of the really glaring issues in pass protection.

02:07If they are, let's say they're a mediocre offensive line, but the skill position players

02:12play really well around them.

02:14Just how far can an offense like that go?

02:18Honestly, like that, if you have really good skill, it's good enough.

02:23If they're just not a liability, you know, if they're not the reason why you're losing

02:29games, if they don't allow the rest of the offense to operate.

02:33Uh, I think, I think in general in life, we need to get more excited about average.

02:43Things I see out there that are very, like, you see the Raiders last night.

02:46I mean, there's a lot of things that are very below average.

02:50If you have average, uh, especially with the Texans defense average on offense is going

02:58to allow you guys to win some games, especially average offensive line, because I do think they

03:03have some weapons to be able to take advantage of that.

03:06So I don't know that that, you know, I don't know that they're going to the Superbowl with

03:11that, but if those guys can continue to progress and be an average offensive line, I think the

03:17Texans would take that given where they started.

03:21I mean, bottom five, if they're in the middle of the pack, that's, that's a huge improvement.

03:25That's really hard to do.

03:27Actually, I don't think people realize to go from being a bottom five unit to let's

03:32say the 17th best unit.

03:35That's a big difference.

03:36Ross Tucker's our odyssey NFL insider joining us.

03:39Uh, insider calls brought to you by nationwide for your insurance and financial needs.

03:43Nationwide is on your side.

03:45So Ross, this AFC playoff race is really interesting.

03:49Given the fact that the Texans chiefs and Ravens all favored to win their division before

03:54the year are all outside of the playoff hunt right now, uh, outside looking in and all at

03:59five and five of those three teams, which one is most likely to make the post season and

04:05of the teams above the line.

04:06And I apologize.

04:07I don't know if you have the standings committed to memory or in front of you right now, but

04:10who are the teams that are in, in the AFC right now that you feel are most vulnerable?

04:13Well, um, I would be shocked if the Kansas City chiefs didn't make to be shocked.

04:25I think they'll start to go on a run here.

04:28Although they don't have an easy game this week, you know, I mean, this week they have

04:33to play the Indianapolis Colts.

04:36I think they'll win that game, but you never know.

04:39Um, so I, I would suspect that the most likely five and five team to get in would be the

04:48chiefs.

04:49Well, let me take that back.

04:50I think the Ravens will win the division.

04:53Yeah.

04:53So, uh, I think the Ravens with the division, I think the chiefs find a way to get a wild card.

04:59I think the Texans are in a bad spot would be my guess.

05:03Uh, because, uh, you know, whether it's the bills, the chargers, I mean, it feels to me

05:10like bills, chargers, chiefs have a great chance to make the playoffs as the wild cards

05:16right now.

05:17Um, assuming, you know, the bills don't catch the Patriots and win the division.

05:22Uh, but I do think the chiefs get it.

05:24I think the Ravens end up winning the AFC North.

05:27So then that last wild card spot is going to be wild.

05:32I mean, you're going to be talking about Steelers, chargers, Jaguars, Texans, chiefs.

05:38It's going to be fun.

05:39Yeah.

05:39Really fun.

05:40Yep.

05:41Um, as for most vulnerable, you're talking about of the team's only two losses.

05:48I'm talking about the teams, the teams one through seven there right now that, uh, and

05:53I know the Steelers are minus the Steelers who, especially if Aaron Rogers is going to

05:57miss some time, I I'm with you.

05:58The Ravens are going to catch them.

05:59I'm thinking of teams like the.

06:02Gags and the one through seven right now is Broncos, Patriots, Colts, Steelers, bills,

06:08chargers, Jaguars.

06:09There you go.

06:10So those teams other than the Steelers.

06:13Can I, can you guys do something for me before I forget?

06:15You really need to take a snapshot of the Texans being ranked higher than the chiefs.

06:22Oh yeah.

06:22No, we've that, that, the Davis mills led Texans are ahead of the Patrick Mahomes led

06:30chiefs and Lamar Jackson led Ravens in the standing.

06:35There's a pregame ceremony on Thursday night, Ross.

06:38We're going to hang a banner for it.

06:39Week 11 bubble team championship.

06:43Yeah.

06:43Right next to JJ Watt in the ring of honor.

06:45We're good.

06:45That's where we're hanging it.

06:48I mean, that is, that is really something.

06:51Well, just look at that.

06:53I mean, I don't know what, I don't know why the Texans have the tiebreaker over the chiefs

06:57and the Ravens right now, but better conference record.

07:00And they beat the Ravens in week five, Ross.

07:02Fuck ass bitches.

07:03They beat them like a, like a drum.

07:06Oh yeah.

07:07In Baltimore.

07:08No Lamar Jackson.

07:09I didn't hear what you just said.

07:11I didn't hear what you just said right there.

07:12A 44 to 10.

07:13The final score.

07:15No Lamar Jackson.

07:15And they, they were missing 13 starters on defense.

07:18Yeah.

07:18Um, Ross, look, I know that if you, if you were going to be inducted into the hall of fame,

07:24and if this was a thing in the NFL, you would choose the bills as one of your former teams

07:28to go in.

07:29And, um, so I feel like you have a good pulse, a feel for the pulse of the bills and their

07:34fans.

07:35What?

07:35Tell me why the bills.

07:38And I understand, I mean, I, I get it, but like, how are the bills yet?

07:43People have serious reservations about the play of the quarterback and the offensive coordinator.

07:50Well, because a lot of those points were earlier in the year, you know, the first month or so

07:57against bad teams.

07:59And then they just scored a ton of points against the bucks on Sunday.

08:05And people are definitely feeling better about them after they just put 42 on Tampa.

08:10But it was like the month in between there where they were not playing very well.

08:17I mean, they were getting shut out by the Miami Dolphins until the fourth quarter the week before

08:24shut out by the Dolphins until the fourth quarter.

08:29So, you know, for whatever reason, the passing game has not been good, not firing on all cylinders.

08:37The first month when they were moving the ball and scoring, they were really like a running

08:42team.

08:43I mean, Josh Allen would still make his plays and score touchdowns or whatever in the red

08:47zone, whether he's running or throwing it, but they weren't really putting up big numbers

08:51in the passing game.

08:53It was mainly James Cook.

08:55And then, uh, then they had a low where they really couldn't do either run or pass.

09:00And then they had this huge breakout game against the bucks, not exactly ideal timing for them

09:07playing the Texans on Thursday night.

09:10Although the Texans defense is just so legit and clearly a lot better than the bucks defense

09:18right now, which makes, which makes it really fun, which makes it really interesting.

09:23Thursday night crowd should be hot.

09:24So that'll be good.

09:25Ross, where are you this weekend?

09:27Well, I have a very interesting game.

09:31I am in Las Vegas for the Browns at the Raiders for CBS.

09:36Neither team is very good, but it appears, I guess I would say likely at this point that

09:43it'll be the starting debut of one Shador Sanders.

09:47Yeah.

09:48So that being the case, I would imagine that there will be a lot of people watching that

09:54game and I'm sure a lot of people rationally responding to any comment I make, no matter

10:02what, regarding Shador Sanders.

10:03The Shador people are going to be going after Ross.

10:05He has yet to throw an incompletion.

10:07That's his fault.

10:08I will say this.

10:11I, I don't think I've experienced anything else like this in broadcasting because I did

10:18the Colorado, Colorado state game last year when he was in college and I don't know if

10:26they're actual people or if they're bots, but if you say anything remotely positive about

10:36Shador Sanders, there's like an army of people that will immediately hit you up on every social

10:44platform that's ever existed to say, why are you all over this guy?

10:49Stop blazing him.

10:51He's state, blah, blah, blah.

10:52And then if you say, if he, if he threw a pass 10 feet over a guy's head and you're like, yeah, a little bit

10:59high on that one, there's an army or something that will be like, that pass was perfect.

11:07That guy needs to grow.

11:08Why is that guy not 11 feet tall?

11:10Like it's, I've never experienced, I think, I can't remember if I did Tebow games or not.

11:15And if I did, it was just radio, but like rational thought has totally gone out the window

11:22on both sides when, when it comes to Shador Sanders.

11:25Oh, I can't wait till why we get to watch football on Sunday.

11:28Cause the Texans play Thursday.

11:29I might have to watch that one.

11:30I can't wait to look at your mentions on social media.

11:32That's our Odyssey NFL insider, Ross Tucker.

11:34Insider calls are brought to you by Nationwide for your insurance and financial needs.

11:37Nationwide is on your side.

11:40Ross will tell Nick Casario you said hello.

11:43Sounds great.

11:44Thank you guys.

11:44Great to talk with you.

11:45You too.

11:45We'll talk to you next week.

11:46Good stuff, Ross.

11:47We appreciate you.

11:48That's the great Ross Tucker right there.

11:50Ross Tucker football podcast, Even Money podcast.

11:53And of course you can catch him all the time on TV as well.

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