- 3 months ago
Nick Wright of FS1 — and former In The Loop host — returns to break down Texans vs. Chiefs.
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00:00All right, you're in the loop here on Sports Radio 610, gearing up and continuing to move towards Texans Chiefs.
00:06It's going to be at Arrowhead Field at GHA Stadium.
00:10I think that's how they do it out there in Kansas City.
00:12And as we like to do, we go behind enemy lines, get a feel for what that other team is bringing.
00:16And no voice would be better to talk on this conversation than your former co-host, John Lopez.
00:23He's the host of First Things First on FS1 and the host of the podcast What's Right with Nick Wright.
00:29His name is Nick Wright. Nick, what's happening, man?
00:32What's up, everybody? Thanks for having me back on. How are you guys?
00:36Johnny, great to hear from you as always, my dear friend.
00:39Absolutely, man. Hey, you know, I'm going to start here because I saw you posting about what's, you know,
00:44the YouTube post, the podcast you're going to have here or had already.
00:50What, you said it's on the brink. On the brink of what with the Chiefs right now?
00:55Well, I mean, it's in the playoffs.
00:57I mean, you know, the team that has played in seven consecutive conference finals
01:05and has made five of the last six Super Bowls, including three straight,
01:10if they lose Sunday, even if they win out the rest of the way,
01:17they're not even a coin flip to make the playoffs.
01:20Well, just real quick, what I was thinking is, like, on the brink of maybe making some significant changes,
01:28decisions with the makeup of the squad?
01:31I mean, that would be, I mean, I don't know what you would change.
01:35No, that I don't, I mean, they have the best quarterback ever to live.
01:40They have one of the three or four best coaches ever to live, and they're, you know,
01:45would they, it would make it, would missing the playoffs make them take a hard look at some of the,
01:52you know, the parts of the staff, maybe?
01:56Like, you know, you got to answer some hard questions if you have a team that can win the Super Bowl
02:00and you miss the postseason.
02:01But, no, I don't think that there would be any seismic or systemic changes.
02:06I also think that, listen, there has only been one team in the history of the league
02:13to have a run anything close to that.
02:15It was the Patriots, and theirs was eight years.
02:17This is seven.
02:19And so, it's not, this is not a, for everyone else, you know,
02:25like, it has caught up to the Lions after two years of doing nothing.
02:29It seems to have caught up to the Ravens after five years of, you know, not really doing much.
02:36And I'm not even certain if it's full-on caught up to the Chiefs or, you know,
02:40a little bit of bad luck, bad timing, some misplays, and that's how you end up six and six.
02:46But if they lose Sunday, the season is mostly over.
02:51Yes, they could, you know, theoretically make the playoffs at 10 and seven.
02:57But, first of all, it would be hard to believe they're going to get 10 and seven
03:01if you lose a gotta-have-it game to the Broncos, Cowboys, and Texans,
03:06all within the span of a month.
03:08And 10 and seven, there's a lot of scenarios 10 and seven doesn't get them in
03:13because they wouldn't have the tiebreaker with Houston, for example.
03:17They don't have the tiebreaker with Jacksonville.
03:18They don't have the tiebreaker right now with the Chargers.
03:21Like, those are all really problematic things.
03:23We're talking to Nick right here in the loop on Sports Radio 610.
03:26And you mentioned one of the things I really wanted to get to
03:28because all the underlying or many of the underlying metrics would point to
03:31this Kansas City Chiefs team being largely the same as last year,
03:35just being deeply unlucky.
03:37Like, and you kind of talked about that.
03:39What, to your eye, has factored in in that that's made them, you know,
03:43less likely to finish the job this year than they had last year?
03:47Yeah, listen, the underlying metrics don't say they're as good as last year's team.
03:51They say they are far better than last year's team,
03:55which is why, in large part, I think the allegedly smart football metrics are not that smart.
04:03I think that there is more of a science to knowing how to win football games
04:11and executing in spots than the metrics allow for.
04:17Like, last year's Chiefs team was considered lucky and not quite that good.
04:22They were 17-1 in games Patrick Mahomes started heading into that Super Bowl.
04:27And they were, it was not just good fortune and good bounces.
04:31This year's Chiefs team does have gaudy metrics.
04:34But the fact of the matter is this, that they simply cannot get off the field on third and long.
04:40And that has cost them three games already this year.
04:44There have been three times this season they trailed, entering the fourth quarter,
04:50Patrick let a comeback and took the lead, and they lost the game anyway.
04:55Over the last three years prior to this one,
04:58the Chiefs were first, second, or third when they blitzed at stopping the opponent,
05:06sacking the opponent, or pressuring the opponent.
05:08First, second, or third in the NFL over that three-year stretch.
05:12This year, in those three categories when they blitzed,
05:15they are either second to last or third to last in all three categories.
05:20Over the last three years, they were third in the NFL on getting off the field on third and long.
05:26This year, they're the second worst in the NFL on getting off the field on third and long.
05:29You add that to what was the first six weeks of the season, a very injured or suspended receiving core,
05:39and that's how you get here.
05:41So, like, that's what's happened.
05:42And now we enter this Texans game where the left tackle got his wrist broken by a teammate on a fluke play
05:51during the Cowboys game on Sunday.
05:53The right tackle has a hurt tricep, and the right guard has a hurt ankle.
05:58The left tackle is definitively out.
06:00We'll see on Trey Smith, the guard, and Jawan Taylor the right tackle.
06:05But if there is not a single team in the league, I would less – let me rephrase it.
06:13The Texans would be my last draft pick of teams to play if I'm going to be missing both tackles.
06:19And so that – but that's what – listen, injuries happen in the NFL.
06:24That's why you want a margin of error, but the Chiefs don't have one.
06:28Yeah, I'm glad you said that because you talked about third and long and not getting off the field.
06:33To the Chiefs, the checkmark to the Chiefs is Texans are not really great on third and long.
06:40And so clearly it comes down to the matchup.
06:43You mentioned the matchup with the Texans' defense.
06:45The matchup with the Chiefs' defense versus the Texans' offense has got to be the biggest thing on first and second down.
06:53Well, yeah.
06:54I mean, listen, I think that it will be very disappointing if the Chiefs' defense can't find a way to really impact this game.
07:04I told you all those, you know, jarring and surprising stats.
07:08They have the sixth-fewest sacks in football, the fourth-fewest forced turnovers.
07:14But this Texans' offense has been, I think, mediocre would be kind for the last two years.
07:23And, you know, obviously these two teams played late last season and then in the playoffs,
07:30and the Texans' offense was unable to do anything of substance in those games.
07:36So I am, I know right now I sound maybe fatalistic about the Chiefs.
07:40Everything I said stands.
07:43And what's also true is this.
07:45If they beat the Texans and then next week go beat the Chargers,
07:49I'll probably believe they're going to win the AFC.
07:51Because it is that, the AFC is that wide open.
07:57There is, they're the only team, you know, the Ravens are a mess.
08:01The Bills are the team that you worry about.
08:05But the Bills, you know, in the playoffs have never beaten the Chiefs.
08:08And everyone else has a young or unproven quarterback.
08:11The Texans are scary.
08:13But if the Chiefs beat the Texans,
08:15it becomes very difficult to see how the Texans are making the playoffs
08:19because the Chiefs would have that tiebreaker against them.
08:22So it's, I've never seen a conference like the AFC this year
08:28where it feels to me, John, like you could credibly make the case
08:32for eight teams that could win the conference this late in the season.
08:37I don't remember that.
08:40And so if the Chiefs get in, then I think they, you know,
08:44they will by definition be red hot
08:47because they will have either just won five straight or four out of five.
08:50But getting in is going to be hard.
08:52And the Chiefs injury report this week is what to watch for.
08:55Because if they are starting Juan Yamorris at left tackle,
08:59then Will Anderson could, you know,
09:02have his work cut out for him in the game.
09:05I'll say that.
09:06Yeah, we're talking to Nick right here in the loop on Sports Radio 610.
09:09He'll have his work cut out.
09:10But he's been absolutely phenomenal,
09:12especially even more so than usual when he extends these plays.
09:16Like, I know that our listenership will roll our eyes,
09:19but I kind of wanted to give you an opportunity to just,
09:21how good has Patrick Mahomes been this year?
09:23Because he's, I think we, I don't know whether it's fatigue
09:26that's gotten us to this place or just because, you know,
09:29we're out here looking at Drake May or whatever,
09:31but it feels like he's not been as much a conversation point.
09:33Well, listen, people, yeah.
09:35And I mean, when you're 6-6, that happens.
09:38I get that.
09:38But 57 million people watched him on Thanksgiving,
09:43and we're kind of reminded, oh, yeah, this guy's the greatest to ever do it.
09:49And the fact that we are, listen, he is not having,
09:55I think he's having a good, I think it's fair to even say very good year.
10:00I do not think he, you know, he's not having a better year than Stafford.
10:04He's not having a better year than Drake May.
10:07And one could argue he's not having a better year than Dak Prescott.
10:10That's all fine.
10:12That the individual, you know,
10:13who's having the best season is a different conversation
10:16than who is the best quarterback.
10:19And deep down, everybody knows who the best quarterback in the NFL is.
10:23And I understand that, you know, Josh Allen,
10:27Josh Allen is phenomenal.
10:28And Josh Allen is allowed to have outwardly just really bad games.
10:34The types of which Patrick almost never has.
10:37And we forget about it.
10:38And then he has a six-touchdown game.
10:39And he's the, you know,
10:40he's the most unique quarterback to ever play the position.
10:43I get that.
10:44It feels like people are finally, you know,
10:47breaking their fever of Lamar Jackson.
10:50And I, in part, because of his play the last month.
10:53And, listen, Burrow's amazing.
10:55But Burrow's health has been a concern.
10:57Those have been, along with Patrick,
11:00the four best quarterbacks in football for the last half decade.
11:02You know, Stafford is making a late charge.
11:06And, obviously, Drake May has been great.
11:08But there is the only reason right now anyone is afraid of this Chiefs team
11:15right now is because of Patrick.
11:17Because they don't run the ball well.
11:19The offensive line is injured.
11:21And I told you the problems with the defense.
11:23Now, they have a history of figuring those things out
11:26and playing their best ball in the playoffs.
11:28But playing your best ball in the playoffs doesn't matter if you miss the playoffs.
11:31And that's what they're staring at if they lose to you guys on Sunday.
11:35Yeah.
11:35I mean, we've called it sort of a statement win if the Texans can get it.
11:41You're talking about them in the playoffs.
11:43I wanted to get the perspective on what you're seeing.
11:45You've been here.
11:45You've seen this team.
11:46I think this is the best defense I've ever seen from the Texans.
11:50Oh, yeah.
11:51I mean, I don't – with respect to J.J. Watt, I don't even think it's a question.
11:56I mean, it is – it is watching this team week in, week out,
12:02where it almost feels like it does not matter what the offense does.
12:07The defense is going to consistently put them in position.
12:11You're going to see the cut to D'Amico doing that, like, two-arm down,
12:16flex on the sideline, fired up.
12:18I mean, it's been awesome to watch.
12:21D'Amico is, you know, wildly likable.
12:24Danell Hunter is probably one of the more historically underrated guys.
12:29It's like, wait, this guy is at, what, 112 back?
12:32So he's just been consistently, you know, somewhere better than very good
12:39and not quite excellent for a decade in the NFL.
12:44Will Anderson's been great.
12:45And then, honestly, like, if C.J. – I don't know.
12:49I can't assign why C.J. Stroud has looked nothing like rookie C.J. Stroud
12:56since his rookie year.
12:58But if he can recapture that during the stretch run here,
13:02you guys are super dangerous.
13:05Like, I think the Colts are about to full-on fall apart.
13:09I think it's already started.
13:11The Jags deserve credit for being 8-4,
13:14and they have a few great wins this year, including over the Chargers,
13:19the win over the Chiefs.
13:20But Trevor has been – and he's my guy – but he's been so shaky.
13:24They feel – and they're pretty injured of their skill position, guys,
13:28that they are, you know, untrustworthy as well.
13:31You guys could be as dangerous as anyone if you can just get B,
13:39not even B-plus, just B quarterback play.
13:43And I just right now don't know if I trust this Texans offense
13:48and C.J. Stroud to do that.
13:50Yeah, that's one of the things that we're looking to see in this game
13:52to some degree.
13:53And one of the things that you mentioned a little bit,
13:55but I kind of want to circle back to is the Chiefs defensive line
14:00has not been great about forcing the issue on opposing quarterbacks.
14:03And the place that I'm looking at, I know Karloftis is not carrying the weight
14:06that he probably should, but Chris Jones has been oddly silent,
14:09except for a few flashes.
14:10What have you seen from him, and what do you expect from him in this game?
14:13So, listen, I'm going to – Karloftis needs to be way better.
14:18They gave him the contract this offseason.
14:20And he's done mostly nothing all year.
14:24It's been one of the bigger disappointments on the team is his play this year.
14:29With Chris, it's going to sound like an excuse I don't mean it to be.
14:34I am going to cut Chris Jones some slack in this regard.
14:41He is on the other side of 30, and he has played basically seven straight 20-game seasons.
14:49And I have been of the – while being double-teamed almost every snap of those 20 games,
14:56I have been of the belief that Chris has been – you know, last year and then this year
15:04has been essentially – what's the word?
15:09Kind of, you know, making sure he has gas in the tank for the stretch run,
15:13which I think is smart.
15:14I think if you're an older player that's consistently playing, you know,
15:18these extra games, making sure that you can be playing your best ball
15:22at the end of the year has been a good strategy.
15:25The problem right now is, A, no one else is picking up the slack.
15:31B, the stretch run has already started.
15:35And C, his – you know, the best of Chris Jones is not quite as good in 2025
15:42as it was in 2022, which is reasonable and to be expected.
15:47But an old Bill James quote is, you know, bad teams – I don't think the Chiefs are a bad team –
15:52but bad teams have a terrible habit of blaming their best players for their biggest problems.
15:58If I were to list problems with the Chiefs defense, Chris Jones would not be one of the first 10 I listed.
16:04With that said, he's the highest paid and he needs to make an impact.
16:09And one would hope, against the Texans' interior offensive line, he can make that type of impact.
16:14Well, you know, Nick, you know how I feel about you, and I do want to mention this because I thought it was funny.
16:20You know, I always pick my spots to text you because I know you're obviously incredibly busy
16:24and got a lot of irons in the coals, so to speak.
16:26So it may be birthday, maybe, you know, a grandkid talk or something like that.
16:31But you texted me, and it just warmed my heart, a picture of you on a boat with a pile of fish, including mahi,
16:42and I'm like, mission accomplished.
16:45Mission accomplished with Nick.
16:48Great.
16:48It was unbelievable.
16:49So I won Hank Azaria, who does the voice of a bunch of Simpsons characters, great comedian, great actor.
16:59People, if you don't know the name like you'd know if you saw him, he and I are pals, and he and I play cards together.
17:05And he has a couple different charity poker tournaments a year.
17:10And the one last year, I played in, and I won.
17:15And first prize was, like, five days in a suite at Baja Mar with some stuff included.
17:24And so I went down there, but my wife and daughter, it was for five days there.
17:30I was there for a day and a half because I didn't have the time off from work.
17:33And then my wife and daughter were there for the rest of the time.
17:36So the day I was there by myself, I was like, I'm just going to go deep sea fishing.
17:41I'm going to pay for one of the – but I'm going to pay for, like, the boat as if I'm taking my whole family.
17:47So it's just, like, the crew and me.
17:49But I'm just going to be the only person that shows up.
17:52So I went, and they're like, where's the rest of your people?
17:54I'm like, it's just me, fellas.
17:56Let's go.
17:57And caught all those damn fish.
17:59It was great.
18:00I loved it.
18:00That's even more impressive.
18:02That's what I would do.
18:04You can't see it right now.
18:05Your former co-host is beaming.
18:07Beaming.
18:07Just grinning ear to ear.
18:09Yeah.
18:09I can only imagine.
18:11Absolutely.
18:12It's great to talk to you guys.
18:13Nick, we appreciate your time.
18:15And I'm just learning today that your former co-host, I guess, did not take to when you tried to get him to watch The Wire.
18:21So I'll pick up the duty and try and get him to appreciate it here soon.
18:24Yeah, good luck.
18:26It's great talking to you guys.
18:27Have a good one, Nick.
18:28There he goes.
18:29Nick Wright, host of First Things First on FS1 and what's right with Nick Wright.
18:33It doesn't sound like he believes this will be a scrimmage by any means this time around.
18:36Not this time.
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