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00:00Some might argue it is, at minimum, among our favorite times of the week.
00:07No doubt. It's basically our own personal halftime show.
00:11Because when he comes on, we go from the first half to the second half.
00:15I'm not saying that he's Prince in the Rain or Bruno Mars, but damn close to that.
00:21I don't know, River Island's guest line. How do you feel about that, Greg?
00:24When we talk to you, it means that we're officially able to start getting ready for the game.
00:31That's kind of what it is.
00:32I have to admit, I'm a little offended.
00:35You said among your favorite guests of the week?
00:38I didn't want to put that kind of pressure on you, Greg.
00:41I felt like I didn't want to make you feel like this had to be...
00:46I parse every word you say. I listen to every single word.
00:51Yeah, and for us to really make a fair analysis, we'd have to go to the tape, Greg, as you know, and listen to all of our interviews again.
00:59Actually, we should do that one week, Greg.
01:01How did you feel? Did you look at the tape of last week's performance?
01:05How did you feel about it?
01:08Last week's performance of who?
01:10You! On this show!
01:12Oh, no, no, no, I don't, you know, I don't watch myself, guys, you know, it's a very, you know, it's, you know, you hear, not that I'm an actor by any means, although I'm sure some people think that's what I do, but, you know, it's like some actors say they can't watch themselves.
01:28I don't, I don't go back and listen, you know, I, I'm very hard on myself.
01:32So, I always feel like I know exactly how I feel about what I said, what I did, when I shoot my matchup show, you know, when I walk out of the studio, I have a definite feeling about how I did.
01:43I don't want, I don't want to watch, you know, I don't really want to spend a lot of time watching it.
01:47That's fine. I'll let the audience know.
01:49We're looking at you right now.
01:50And if those of you want to get to YouTube, you too can not only look at Greg Cosell, but you can look at the setting behind your right shoulder, which is a bulletin board of all kinds of pieces of paper and note cards and things.
02:03It makes you look like you are, I think, exactly accurately as you are, like just constantly organizing and, and just grinding through things.
02:14Well, you know, just so you know, and by the way, the YouTube part's really interesting because there's no question I have a face for radio, but the, the interesting thing, which you probably don't know is each week with all the games that I watch, you know, uh, that I look at the coaching tape, I probably have 35 to 40 typewritten pages of detailed notes each and every week.
02:37What did you write down about Jalen Hurts on Monday night?
02:40Well, you know, it's funny you say that because I actually thought that the Eagles passing game was conceptually the best that it's been all year.
02:49They actually ran a lot of concepts that you really like to see that most NFL teams run, which the Eagles haven't done much at all of this year, which has always led me to the question of why that's always been my question because I don't know why they haven't done that because their basic concepts that every team runs,
03:10and I actually thought Jalen Hurts made some very good throws in that game and for people who just look at a sheet and see four interceptions, which obviously you can't have four interceptions.
03:20But as I've told you guys, when we've talked about Brock Purdy numerous times, I tell you that each interception has to be looked at as an isolated play, not as a number on a, on a stat sheet page.
03:32And when you look at that game, it just was a kind of a crazy back and forth of a turnover laden slop fest.
03:39When you look at Philadelphia beyond just that game, what are you seeing on tape, Greg, from, you know, a Super Bowl team to now a team kind of fighting for its life?
03:49Well, one thing I've spoken about a lot and I, you know, a lot of people lose sight of this.
03:52Look, I think there's a sense from many people and maybe I'm in a little different category because I'm sitting studying tape and seeing how teams really play.
04:03But there's a clear sense of three things that go together, that go A, B, to C.
04:08Number one, quarterback's the most important position on the field.
04:11Team wins, quarterback's great.
04:13I think there's a sense that that's the way most people think.
04:17But I've talked to people many times about the fact that even a year ago when they won the Super Bowl and Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl champion and a Super Bowl MVP,
04:26but in nine or ten games a year ago, he didn't even throw for 200 yards.
04:30So they were not a passing team a year ago.
04:33They got an historic season from Saquon Barkley.
04:36Their O-line was maybe the best in the league a year ago.
04:39This year it's in the bottom half of the league, by the way.
04:42So Hurts, obviously what he just did was very out of character, but he rarely turns the ball over.
04:51And they do a lot of things.
04:53I'm going back to last year.
04:54They did a lot of things that were very difficult to defend and made teams have to defend them differently.
05:00But they were not a passing team.
05:02They didn't win because he was going, you know, 27 for 38 for 350 yards.
05:08That's not the way they played offense.
05:09He is the executive producer over at NFL Films, Greg Cosell, and he joins us every Wednesday here on Willard and Dibs.
05:16And it is our favorite 25 minutes or so.
05:19Ah, there you go.
05:20Now we're cooking.
05:21Yeah, I mean, my goodness.
05:23Like, I start to get sad halfway through it, in fact, because I know I'm going to have to wait a whole other week for it to happen again.
05:29Well, you know, it's like that Jerry Seinfeld bit where he always talked about, you know, when you get somewhere, you're already thinking about how you're going to leave when it's over.
05:36I know.
05:37I get it.
05:37I mean, Dibs just said there's like, what, would you say, 77 NFL games left?
05:43Yeah, 64 in the regular and then 13 in the postseason.
05:46Wow.
05:4677 games left, Greg.
05:47That makes me very sad.
05:49Yeah, well, then I jump right into watching college players and evaluating them.
05:53So, really, for me, you know, people think when the season ends, guys, that I just, like, sit, you know, on my desk with my feet up smoking cigars.
05:59Really, the season doesn't end for me until after the draft.
06:02I mean, you know that you can watch film and smoke cigars.
06:07Yeah, but I don't smoke cigars.
06:08Yeah, neither do I.
06:09I'm just letting you know that you can.
06:10You can't talk to see the screen through all that smoke, too.
06:13I get it.
06:13All the smoke.
06:14Right, right, right, right.
06:15So, Greg, here's a weekly tradition in all sports.
06:19A coach comes to a podium and someone asks him about the lead player on the other team.
06:27And then that coach just starts throwing all kinds of praise at that player, no matter how good that player is or not.
06:34It happened today with Kyle Shanahan, who's asked about Cam Ward.
06:38And I'm not telling you that Cam's not good, but he's a rookie and obviously they're not winning football games.
06:43Can you give us the actual review of Cam Ward so far?
06:50Well, I'll give you an overview and then I'll get into the weeds a little bit.
06:54The overview is that he's on a bad football team in terms of overall talent.
06:59The O-line, which actually has a strong pedigree, has played poorly.
07:04It's probably played in terms of pass protection as one of the three or four worst offensive lines in the league.
07:09And prior to last week, when they ran the ball well, maybe for the first time all season, their running game has been incredibly poor.
07:17So, you're dealing with a quarterback that has the fifth most dropbacks of any quarterback in the NFL,
07:23which is the last thing you want from a rookie quarterback behind a poor pass protecting O-line.
07:29So, that's just a little bit of an overview of their offense and their team.
07:35In terms of the player himself, I think Cam Ward, and I thought he was clearly the best quarterback prospect in the draft.
07:44Now, he's a guy with a really good arm.
07:47He can make a lot of throws.
07:49There's a couple of throws every game where you go, wow, that is a really big-time NFL throw.
07:54But I think there's things that clearly need to be worked on from a fundamental mechanic perspective.
08:00And normally, you can't get to do that during the season because you're so focused on game planning.
08:07But he needs a lot of work with his lower body mechanics.
08:10He needs to just speed up everything he does.
08:13He's a little deliberate.
08:15And I'm talking about even the physical stuff, his drop into the pocket.
08:19Get your you-know-what back there and be ready to deliver the football.
08:22In college football, you guys, I'm sure, watch a lot of college football as well.
08:26You see a lot of quarterbacks, they don't really drop back.
08:28They kind of dance back there, you know, because the college game is totally different than the NFL game.
08:34You need to get back there, play in your back foot, be ready to deliver, be on balance.
08:38Too many throws off balance, which lead him to be not as precise with his ball location as is required in the NFL.
08:46These are fixable things, but it's going to take another offseason.
08:50And I think the most important thing that they have to do, and I learned this actually from Dick Vermeule,
08:55who I'm sure you know, he's a Northern California guy.
08:58He used to come in and watch tape with us when I worked with Ron Jaworski for years,
09:02because obviously they're very close, because George was his quarterback in Philly.
09:06Dick Vermeule said something years ago that's always resonated with me.
09:10When you draft a quarterback, number one, the whole point of everything in your building,
09:15from the janitors to the owner to everybody in the building, must be to make that guy an all-pro.
09:21So whoever they hire as a coach, that is going to be a really, really important deal,
09:27because if Cam Ward doesn't become a great player, those same people are getting fired again in two or three years.
09:33I mean, no doubt.
09:34And you look at nine touchdowns in 13 games for the team, and he's been sacked.
09:38They've been sacked 49 times.
09:40And I wonder about the Niners' pass rush, Greg, and what you've seen over the last couple of games especially.
09:46What is Robert Sala doing now that's allowing the Niners to be at least a little bit marginally better getting after the quarterback?
09:53Well, I think, you know, Huff came back, and Huff has played well as a one-on-one pass rusher.
10:00He missed, what was it, three or four games?
10:01I can't remember the exact number, but he missed some games.
10:05And he's played much better, you know, just as a one-on-one pass rusher.
10:10He's not a big blitzer, but I think he's been a little more selective with when he does that.
10:14You know, we've seen, and I know he's hurt.
10:17I don't know if he's back this week because they're coming off a bye.
10:20Is Bethune, what's Bethune's status?
10:21I don't know that we've got anything definitive on him yet.
10:24I'm not expecting that he's going to be back, but we're not totally sure.
10:28But, I mean, he was used a little bit before he got hurt as a blitzer, and he showed some ability to do that.
10:34So, you know, I think when players can start winning some one-on-one matchups, it changes everything about your pass rush.
10:42When guys don't win, it just seems like, you know, I almost feel like it makes your whole defense seem not so good.
10:49You know, sometimes I use a baseball analogy that if you have bad starting pitching and it seems like you're down 6-0 in the fifth inning in every game, it makes your whole team look really bad.
10:58Even if your whole team isn't bad, it might just be your starting pitching.
11:02But if you can't rush the quarterback with four, boy, does it make your defense look not really good.
11:08And don't forget, they're still playing with a second-year, first-year starter at one corner spot in green, a player I like, but he's a first-year full-time starter.
11:16And Lenore is the other outside corner.
11:19And in an ideal world, I would bet if you got truth serum with Robert Sala, he would probably tell you in an ideal world that Lenore is a slot.
11:29But, you know, he can't be a slot on this team.
11:32He has to play outside.
11:33And Stout is their slot.
11:35So, you know, it just makes everything – it has an effect, a domino effect, if you can't rush the quarterback efficiently with four.
11:43No practice today, by the way, for Tatum Bethune.
11:47Okay, so he's not going to play this week.
11:48That doesn't seem like it.
11:50I mean, sure, he could practice tomorrow or Friday.
11:52But after a bye, you would think he'd be ready to go today if they were planning on having him play.
11:58One of my favorites to ask you about always is Ricky Pearsall.
12:03Since he came back from the injury, he's not been all that involved.
12:07Do you see that more as, like, they just kind of got into a flow without him?
12:12Or do you see him as not playing at 100% still?
12:16Well, that I can't tell.
12:18I mean, if a guy's out on the field, I mean, it's not like he's running around limping.
12:21I can't tell.
12:21I can't tell.
12:22You know, how he feels, you know, overall.
12:25But, you know, we've talked about the fact.
12:27But it is a little extreme that he hasn't been targeted very much.
12:30I will agree with you on that 100%.
12:32But I don't think they think in terms of, oh, we better get Ricky Pearsall involved or else.
12:38But you'd like to think now as they've had the bye and they've had a chance.
12:42You know, one thing teams do, and you know, there's no question Kyle Shanahan and his staff did it
12:47because he's, you know, fanatical about all this stuff.
12:49I guarantee they did some major self-scouting.
12:52And it'll be interesting to see.
12:54Nothing will dramatically change.
12:56It's not like they're going to have a whole new offense.
12:58That won't happen.
12:59You know, we know what Kyle believes about his offense.
13:01But it'll be interesting to see if Ricky Pearsall becomes more involved.
13:05Oh, and by the way, remember when you asked me a couple of weeks ago, oh, what's your feeling about Brock Purdy?
13:10And I joked and I said he's the best quarterback, you know, to ever play the game.
13:13People thought I was being serious, and people started tweeting at me like, what are you kidding?
13:19He's not, you know, it was unbelievable.
13:20They thought I was being serious.
13:22Wait a minute.
13:23You were joking?
13:25Ah, there you go.
13:28Some would say you need to work on your material.
13:30I'm heartbroken, Greg.
13:32I thought we had something going on this.
13:36Oh, boy, that's rough.
13:38No.
13:40That's tough.
13:41Greg, I wanted to ask you about the Shanahan offense when Juszczyk's not out there.
13:46And he was limited today with the ribs.
13:47He's got, you know, either broken or fractured ribs.
13:50We don't know if he's going to play.
13:52When Juszczyk's not out there, what does Kyle Shanahan do that you see on tape to try to mitigate the lack of a fullback?
14:01Well, it'll obviously be a Ricky Pearsall game then, won't it?
14:04Yeah.
14:06I mean, since he's paired with the greatest QB ever, yeah.
14:09Right.
14:10Well, I assume you're going to see more 11 personnel.
14:14They could play more 12 personnel with two tight ends, obviously, you know, because they do have those players on the roster.
14:20So, you know, you won't see another fullback out there because they don't really have one.
14:25So, you'll see different personnel packages.
14:28I don't think anybody can do exactly what Juszczyk does in certain areas.
14:33Obviously, in the run games, certain blocking techniques other tight ends can do.
14:39Obviously, that wouldn't happen with 11 personnel on the field.
14:41So, you'll probably see just a little different run game in terms of the concepts if Juszczyk is not out there.
14:51Boy, I hope he plays.
14:52He's a fun player to watch.
14:54But, you know, ribs, I guess it all depends, you know, how serious it is.
14:58You know, you can pad those up.
15:00But if they're broken or displaced or whatever, then you're getting into the pain issue.
15:04Because I've had displaced ribs back in the Stone Age when I played basketball.
15:09And, boy, they hurt.
15:11I don't know if you've ever broken or displaced ribs, but they hurt.
15:14How did you displace your ribs, Greg?
15:17Playing basketball, I was running through the lane, and some guy gave me a really wicked elbow.
15:23And he caught me right in the right spot.
15:26And it hurt, and I kept playing.
15:28And then afterwards, when I was, you know, showering and the whole deal, all of a sudden, the pain hit.
15:34And then I went home.
15:35This was a long time ago.
15:36My oldest daughter, who's 36, she might have been two or three.
15:42And I walked through the door, you know, and she yells, Daddy, Daddy.
15:45And I go to pick her up.
15:47And the pain, I thought I was going to drop her.
15:50And it just, it's, that kind of pain is, you know, you can't sleep.
15:54You have to almost sleep sitting up.
15:56It's excruciating.
15:57So this is after you were a dad.
15:59This is like rec league or something that you were playing.
16:02Oh, yeah, yeah.
16:03Well, I played, well, I played in college.
16:05And then I played basketball in leagues and in pickup until I was 35.
16:09And then I went cold turkey because I just couldn't play the same way.
16:13And I used to come home and be upset.
16:16And my, you know, my wife would say, what's wrong?
16:18And I'd say, you don't understand.
16:19And then I finally realized it was me that didn't understand because I was not, I was not 18 playing in college anymore.
16:24So you hung it up at 35.
16:26And yet this weekend we may see a quarterback coming back at 45, Phillip Rivers.
16:32Yeah.
16:32I mean, what do you think about that?
16:35And Mark was curious earlier.
16:36What did you see on tape last time he played?
16:39I mean, you might have had broken ribs.
16:41It's been so long.
16:42Well, yeah, he played in 2020.
16:44I guess, I guess Joe Montana was unavailable.
16:46Did they reach out to him?
16:47That's right.
16:47I don't know.
16:48Yeah.
16:48Unconfirmed.
16:49That's good material.
16:50Right, right.
16:52You know, I love Phillip Rivers.
16:54I mean, I thought he was basically Peyton Manning.
16:57He just never got to a Super Bowl.
16:58I thought the way he played was the same way, controlling the game, super intelligent.
17:03But his last year playing, you know, he just couldn't throw the ball very well at all.
17:08I mean, that's just the reality.
17:10That's because I remember watching him and just sort of feeling like, Phillip, you were so good.
17:15I think, you know, hey, father time catches up to everyone, you know.
17:18So, I can't imagine his arm is any better, you know.
17:22He hasn't played football.
17:24I know he's coached it.
17:25So, you know, he's been on a football field.
17:26I'm sure he's tossed around a football.
17:29And what could your body be like after not playing football for five years?
17:34I mean, I can't imagine.
17:35I mean, more power to him.
17:37It looks like he might even play.
17:38I don't know if it's going to be this week.
17:39I think he practiced today and went through a full practice, from what I understand.
17:44Who knows?
17:45Maybe he's playing on Sunday.
17:46He might be playing on Sunday.
17:47And if not, if he does, wait a week and then play.
17:51You know who he's playing against, right?
17:54The Niners.
17:54That is correct.
17:56On Monday night football leading into Christmas.
18:00Wow.
18:01I didn't realize that was a Monday night game.
18:03Yep.
18:04You know.
18:04Yeah.
18:05Yeah.
18:05Where is that game?
18:07It's in Indy.
18:08Oh, it's in Indy.
18:09Okay.
18:09I just, I mean, like, to listen to you say that, it blows my mind when you're talking
18:15about how five years ago he wasn't throwing the ball any better.
18:20Like, how is this the best option for the Colts in this situation?
18:25How's that possible?
18:26You know, I wasn't in their meetings.
18:30I can't answer that.
18:31But, you know, it doesn't make sense to me.
18:35But, obviously, I didn't get a call from their GM, as in my opinion.
18:38Yeah.
18:38So, I mean, it doesn't make sense.
18:41You know, he hasn't played in five years.
18:42And he just couldn't throw it, you know, when he played the last year.
18:45So, and I loved, believe me, he was one of my absolute favorite quarterbacks.
18:50So, this is not, well, you guys know nothing I say is personal anyway.
18:54But, I mean, this is no knock on Phillip Rivers.
18:56I loved him.
18:57Hey, Greg, I got two quick things for you before we got a run.
19:02And, one, since we asked you about the Eagles, I want to ask you about the Chiefs as well.
19:07Like, are the Texans the best defense in football?
19:10And what are you seeing from a 6-7 Kansas City Chiefs offense that just can't seem to find its flow?
19:18You know, two things stand out with their offense.
19:20And I'll try to make it quick because, you know, I know we're getting near the end.
19:23Number one, they don't really have a truly viable run game on a week-to-week basis.
19:27A couple of weeks ago, they ran out like 90 plays and hunted, have 30 carries.
19:31But, for the most part, they don't really have a viable run game.
19:35And the more I watch Mahomes, and there's no question he's great.
19:38I almost feel like I have to qualify by saying Mahomes is great.
19:42But the bottom line is, over the last couple of years, increasingly, what's happened with their pass game is it's more and more Mahomes improvisation.
19:52And he's great at it.
19:54You know, he has great spatial awareness, great vision on the move.
19:57But there's less and less pocket technician play.
20:00And I think at some point, if you cross over that sort of middle line into most of what you do being improvisation, it's very hard to be consistent.
20:11Keep in mind, the last two years, they've only averaged about – I'm not counting this year because I don't have the numbers right in front of me.
20:18But the last two years, they've only averaged about 22 points a game.
20:21This has not been the juggernaut offense that we were used to seeing prior to that.
20:26And it's just – there's no continuity and stability when you're playing like that, when you don't really have a viable run game.
20:35And the plays your quarterback makes, even though he may be the best in the league at it, are all improvisational plays.
20:41All right.
20:41And then the other thing, as much as you may want, we're not going to let you get out of here without doing the big pick.
20:48Okay, Greg, it's Niners and Titans.
20:52Who do you like?
20:53I mean, you know, this one doesn't seem like a hard one, guys.
20:59You know.
21:00I mean, we can put the spread in if you want.
21:02The Niners are minus 12.
21:03No, no, I don't deal with that stuff.
21:05I don't even know what that means.
21:07But although I will tell you this, they don't have a lot of really good players on defense.
21:14But Denard Wilson, who's their D coordinator, does a really good job with what he has.
21:18And every once in a while, there's a game where I come away from that game going, wow, they played some really good defense.
21:25Now, they do have the guy who I think has been the best defensive tackle in the league this season in Jeffrey Simmons.
21:30And this guy is a man's man.
21:33I'm telling you, he is unbelievable.
21:35If they had a good record, he'd be in the running for defensive player of the year.
21:38He is a big-time player, and he always has been since he came into the league.
21:43But, you know, the Niners are going to, you know.
21:46How do you not pick the Niners in this one?
21:50The fewest touchdowns in football.
21:52I think you do.
21:53Look, they obviously have the best quarterback who's ever played.
21:55So how do you not pick the Niners?
21:56That's a great point.
21:57And the Titans have scored the fewest touchdowns of any team in the NFL.
22:01So there's that as well.
22:03And I think they're the worst third-down team in the league.
22:05I think they may be the worst in terms of yards per game.
22:08There's just not a lot of offense so far.
22:11Greg Cosell, emphatic that the 49ers will roll this weekend.
22:15Liquidate all assets.
22:18It's Cosell's luck of the week, everybody.
22:23Perfect.
22:24Hey, Greg, we're already looking forward to next Wednesday, our favorite hour of the week.
22:29There you go.
22:30Now we're talking.
22:31All right, guys.
22:32Appreciate it as always.
22:33Have a great one.
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