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Is Michael Penix Jr. the answer, or are the Atlanta Falcons already eyeing next year's quarterback class? Dukes & Bell dive deep into the team's lingering offensive struggles, Cooper Rush's stat line, and why fans are losing patience.
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00:01Hey, man, it's Dukes and Bell.
00:03Our reaction to what was just the craziest Falcons game that I can remember.
00:06They're all crazy these days, but this one takes the cake.
00:08It is our behind-the-curtain segment here on 92.9 The Game.
00:11We'll be all about it, guys, and your phone calls today, 2 o'clock to 6.
00:14Coaches show tonight, Day-Day, is that correct, after we're off the air?
00:17Yes, sir.
00:18You'll hear what our first chance here, Kevin Stefanski, has to say about it with Archer.
00:21But we've got strong opinions on it, Carl.
00:23The quarterback debacle, some horrible play, and yet the game was still winnable.
00:28Well, that's even more frustrating.
00:30It's one thing to go up there and get smoked by three or four touchdowns,
00:32but that game was still a winnable game for the Falcons, and they blew it.
00:35Yeah, I mean, there's so many elements to what we watched yesterday.
00:39And, look, I don't think it's going to get any better anytime soon.
00:42That's the crazy thing.
00:44But, you know, I guess if you want to take some positives, and I'll do that here,
00:48because, trust me, as we get on the show today, I have plenty more shit to get into.
00:53Defense was better than expected.
00:55You got more pressure than I thought you would.
00:59A.J. Terrell, guys, he's not improving.
01:03Nope.
01:03And at the end of the day, you know, for a guy that we made our top-paid corner,
01:07he ended last season, I thought, on a low note.
01:10I didn't think he played that well last year.
01:11He started this season the same way.
01:13Now, again, D.J. Metcalf is a beast.
01:15But at the end of the day, they were both pushing and both got penalties.
01:18But those penalties ended up hurting us a couple of times when we could have got off the field.
01:22So, and then the kicking game, Mike, you know, here we go again.
01:26Here we go again.
01:27And I said to you and Dede, I don't think his range is like 58 yards.
01:32I said this to our audience.
01:33Like, I don't know if that's his real range.
01:35But to miss those two was, they were inexcusable.
01:38So, for the most accurate guy and all this bullshit we talked about going into the season,
01:43it's just a cluster, man.
01:45And, you know, we can't get the right guys.
01:48We don't have this, that, or the other that makes this team viable for, you know, what it should look
01:54like.
01:54I'm watching other teams around the league yesterday, first-year coaches, change situations.
01:59I mean, it just feels like we just never get this shit right.
02:02And it's so frustrating, Mike, on so many levels, as I said.
02:05So, yeah, I'm just going to stick with a couple of the positives because there's so many negatives.
02:09Well, the thing is, Dede, you know, it all starts with the quarterback.
02:12You know, I mean, it couldn't have been worse.
02:14You know, Carl lobbied for Jack Strand all week.
02:16You made a conscious decision to put him on the roster.
02:19You know, when 53 is hard to, as we saw this year, try to juggle and get maximum, you know,
02:24strength on your roster.
02:26You put this guy on your roster for a reason.
02:28He could do no worse.
02:29He could freaking do no worse than Cooper Rush.
02:32Cooper Rush couldn't get the ball over the line of scrimmage.
02:34He could barely get Drake London involved.
02:36Kyle Pitts was the one chance Kyle Pitts has to make a play.
02:39He can't get the ball to him, underthrows him.
02:41You know, I mean, thank God for Bijan.
02:42I mean, Bijan was a damn one-man army.
02:44But, I mean, I just don't know what we're doing.
02:46And you got Michael Penix and Tua Tagliaro.
02:48Now, I don't know, Carl, if they spent some of the game on the sideline engaged.
02:52All I saw was the photos of them basically just, you know, they might as well be reading a book,
02:57you know, like A.J. Brown on the freaking sideline.
02:59But, anyway, Day Day, what do you think of this, man?
03:01I mean, would Michael Penix Jr. have made any difference in this game?
03:05Or would you have gone to Strand if you were the coach?
03:07You know, the Strand thing is such a – it's so hard to call because I hear both sides of
03:13the argument on that and the fact that, like, you know, he's D2.
03:17Are you really going to throw a D2 guy in the fray of NFL football?
03:22But then I kind of think about, well, how many rookies have been kind of just thrown into the fire
03:27because the team felt like they didn't have any options or it was no other option?
03:32So, I kind of hear both sides of the argument, but all in all, like, I think what was most
03:38disappointing, you touched on it, Mike, when you started, this game was winnable literally the entire game.
03:44Like, the Falcons were never out of this game and it was mistakes.
03:48And, you know, we've talked about, you know, Cooper Rush.
03:51I'll be honest with you, the expectation – I didn't know.
03:53I didn't expect him to throw two interceptions, but my expectations weren't necessarily high with him.
03:59I was disappointed in the offensive line.
04:01Guys, four of your five offensive linemen, Bergeron two, had penalties on them, on drives.
04:09And it's just like – and then you add in, like you said, like I put it in our group
04:13chat when Folk missed the first field goal.
04:16I was like, oh, boy.
04:17And it was just like everything that could go wrong outside of what you expect.
04:21Like, we all – let's be honest.
04:22We all had a certain expectation of Cooper Rush.
04:25But all that other stuff, Kyle Pitts, just one target.
04:31Right.
04:31Drake London, just four targets.
04:34Like, it was just so much other stuff that it was just like this game was so winnable even if
04:41Cooper Rush does play the way he plays.
04:44Like, and so, look, they got a tough task ahead because, granted, the rest of the division lost yesterday.
04:50Like, Panthers, they didn't look horrible.
04:54It's just that the Bears looked way much better.
04:58It was two plays.
04:59It was two plays in that game that broke it open.
05:01Right.
05:02This game, they're driving down to tie it at like 36 apiece.
05:06So, no, the Panthers are – and this is my concern.
05:09Like, I think they're going to be really good considering our division.
05:13I mean, our division is not great, but they're going to be good for our division.
05:15And I think that they are more suited to win this thing than even maybe Tampa Bay.
05:22Tampa Bay looked like hot garbage yesterday on the road.
05:24Three turnovers early.
05:25Yeah.
05:25They looked – yeah.
05:25I just, you know, with all of that said, to your point about winnable games, how many more opportunities are
05:32we going to be in this situation, Mike, against the teams that are on our schedule coming up?
05:36Right.
05:36We talked about this.
05:37You know, we said Pittsburgh is nothing special on offense, and they aren't.
05:40I mean, you just can't throw the ball to T.J. Watt.
05:41You know what I mean?
05:42And that play was – that was just the epitome of just how awful Cooper Rush is.
05:47I just – as a Falcon fan, you say to yourself, how much more shit can we take?
05:51You know, and how – I mean, just how shabby – I'll use that word.
05:56I was thinking of a word today, Carl, to describe it.
05:59You look around the league.
06:00Week one, some teams come out flat.
06:02Some teams, like the Rams, aren't going to be that bad all season long.
06:04The Niners are a good team.
06:05But how shabby – look how good the Giants look under Harbaugh.
06:08Look how good the Giants looked last night.
06:10And the Falcons look just so freaking shabby.
06:13You know, there's just nothing there.
06:15You know, and Zedarius – how about – I mean, our ageless wonder comes in.
06:18We generate some pressure.
06:19Defense certainly did a decent enough job.
06:21We already touched on A.J. Terrell's shortcomings in this game.
06:23But they did enough to keep you in it.
06:25Nick Folk owned it, said, you know, it just – you know, it's – yeah,
06:29he didn't say it's difficult to kick in Pittsburgh.
06:30People say that because of the wind, and their kicker missed one too.
06:33But he said, you know, he took total ownership.
06:35But that's just – you can't imagine the most reliable kicker the last five years
06:39of the NFL comes to Atlanta, and then he misses two kicks.
06:42It would have kept us in the game.
06:43Anyway, we'll continue the conversation.
06:45We'll get your phone calls, guys, today.
06:47And I know a lot of passionate people fired up about a team, which, again,
06:51this first game doesn't define us.
06:52But it's just such a kick in the nuts to start the season like this.
06:55You have such high expectations.
06:57As Day Day says, maybe they were tempered by the fact Cooper Rush was under center.
07:00But you still – you still had a chance to win the game.
07:03All right, guys.
07:04Let me ask you real quick.
07:05Sure.
07:05As my dogs are going WrestleMania 14 in here.
07:11What does define us?
07:13What does define us?
07:15Seriously.
07:16If one game doesn't define you, then what does define you?
07:21What defines this organization right now?
07:23Loserville.
07:24Right.
07:25What defines us?
07:26So if one game doesn't, then all I can do is base it on the past, I don't know,
07:31four, five, six years.
07:32How far do you want to go back?
07:33You want to go back to 2016?
07:35All right.
07:35Scratch that.
07:36What defines us?
07:38What are we?
07:39What is this organization?
07:40So when you say that, Mike, I hear you, but it does define us.
07:44This is who we are.
07:45We're shabby.
07:46They went and got Tua.
07:48For whatever reason, they didn't want Kyler Murray.
07:50They wanted – both guys were inexpensive, basically the same cost.
07:53They went with Tua.
07:54And Tua looks like he could give a shit on the sideline.
07:57I mean, Tua – again, he has no connection to the Falcons.
07:59I mean, hey, I thought Florio was kind of –
08:00Did Michael Pinnock look like he gave a shit?
08:02No, and that's another thing.
08:03Guys, I said this about panics, and you guys were –
08:05you know, all this –
08:06By the way, I don't care anymore.
08:08F your feelings about panics.
08:09I'm so over this.
08:11You know, play your – do your fucking job, okay?
08:15I mean, this is your job.
08:16Do you want to be a quarterback in the NFL?
08:18I mean, this is it.
08:20Are you going to play this week against the Panthers?
08:22Because if not, I don't want to know about you.
08:23Matt Ryan is out in Steelwater, Oklahoma,
08:25and I don't know which quarterback he's more impressed with.
08:27Maybe the Cowboys quarterback over the Ducks quarterback.
08:30But they had the brain trust already looking for a quarterback next year.
08:32If this doesn't penetrate Michael Pinnock's head, go ahead.
08:35Take career advice from Cam Newton.
08:37Good luck with that.
08:38I mean, you need to get your ass out there and do what you –
08:41and see what you can be one way or the other.
08:43And maybe your future doesn't lie here with the Falcons,
08:45but you've got to show the rest of the NFL.
08:47Because if other GMs see you not starting when you get healthy –
08:49you get clear from the doctors, and you're sitting there basically just –
08:52I don't know, man.
08:53Like you're sitting at a park bench.
08:55Okay, well, there's an NFL game going on in front of you.
08:58J-Day?
08:59I'm sorry.
09:00I just made that reaction because –
09:04so Ian Rappaport just reported that Deshaun Hand
09:08is believed to have suffered a torn quad.
09:12Defensive depth.
09:13D-line depth, which we're thin at to begin with.
09:16And I don't think we got to the fact that also Lindstrom
09:21is in concussion protocol.
09:22So, like, it just –
09:23He is in concussion protocol.
09:25Okay.
09:25Yeah, in concussion protocol.
09:27So, I'm sorry.
09:28That's why I reacted.
09:29Like, that literally just came through, and I'm just like, what's next?
09:32No.
09:33And our high-paid – look, you said it, Carl.
09:34Our high-paid pieces, you gave –
09:36we know Lindstrom's a Pro Bowl caliber guard.
09:40Bergeron gets a contract extension, and the offensive line was crap.
09:43Offensive line was crap.
09:44Yeah.
09:45You know?
09:46There's so many – go ahead, Carl.
09:47So many things to be – again, we'll save some of this aggravation
09:50from on the air until the clock.
09:52Yeah.
09:53Yeah.
09:54Can't say the F word on the radio.
09:55Sorry about that.
09:56Frustrating.
09:57All right, man.
09:58The college story lies from the weekend.
10:00Georgia looks like a steamroller.
10:02I mean, I know that Western Kentucky is a much better opponent than Tennessee State,
10:05but you get to see, I think, everything I would imagine that Georgia fans are looking
10:09for from Gunnar Stockton, from your skilled position, guys.
10:11Now, will that happen?
10:12Maybe not against Arkansas.
10:13Oklahoma looked like crap.
10:15Matera looked like – Matera looked like Cooper Rush.
10:18You know, he couldn't do anything in Michigan.
10:19And by the way, let's never, ever – next time we all pick the same team,
10:23somebody's got to jump off that pick.
10:25New rule.
10:27Okay.
10:28Carl and I went 0 for freaking 6 this week.
10:30That was my only one loss, so, you know.
10:33I know.
10:34Well, you should have jumped off an hammer.
10:35And Georgia Tech looked like shit, if we're honest.
10:38Yeah.
10:38I mean, Carl, I don't know what – Brent Key preaches physicality
10:42and all the blue-collar stuff.
10:45And maybe now we know why they didn't let Mendoza throw it last week
10:48against Colorado because he just can't – he's a turnover machine.
10:51Yeah, look, I hate to say it, but it feels like they hired the wrong guys.
10:55It feels like Brent might have hired the wrong guys.
10:58Defensive coordinator, this is no better.
11:01Both weeks you get humiliated in the run game.
11:04Offensive coordinator, I'm sorry.
11:08And so, like, I'm looking at this and I'm going,
11:12this feels like they've actually taken a step backwards from where they were
11:16last year with who they had running this staff
11:20and the offense and the defense.
11:21And the defense is just – that's their Achilles heel, Mike.
11:24They can't get stops.
11:24They can't stop anybody.
11:25And they invested – that's the thing.
11:27They invested in these big outside linebackers, edge rushers.
11:30They're supposed to have beefed up that D-line,
11:32and it's just – it's not working.
11:34I mean, they're so soft against the run day-day.
11:36299 yards, guys.
11:38Basically 300 yards allowed on the ground in that game.
11:43Here's what was disappointing for me, guys.
11:45The steam that they lost, the hype that they lost behind this team
11:51because of that loss to Colorado, almost the entire stadium,
11:55I would guess, was probably about 55% Tennessee fans.
12:02Yeah, it looked like that on TV.
12:03That's not much orange, and that was not a good look.
12:06I'm sorry, Georgia Tech fans, you wonder why.
12:09You would never see a team, no matter how bad Georgia gets,
12:13you'll never see a team take over Georgia's stadium
12:17the way Georgia Tech fans allow opposing teams to come in
12:22and take over at times.
12:23That is ridiculous.
12:24So regardless if you win or not, stop that crap.
12:27Stop selling your tickets to opposing fans.
12:30That's embarrassing.
12:31You were on national TV last.
12:33That was a – or at least the ACC Network primetime game,
12:37and it's more orange than there was gold.
12:40Like, cut that out.
12:41But anyway, the other thing that's disappointing now is, guys,
12:44they have to run the table in the ACC.
12:47They have to – if they want any hopes of sniffing the CFP,
12:55they're literally going to have to run the table in the ACC.
12:57Worst-case scenario, get to the ACC championship, maybe lose there,
13:02and then hopefully can still get in.
13:03But right now, your best hope for this season at this point now is a bowl game.
13:09Let's hope we get six wins.
13:11Now it's cheesing bowl.
13:12And you've got Virginia Tech on your schedule.
13:14You've got Louisville on your schedule.
13:17Like, I don't know if there's two – you know, another four wins in there
13:22outside of Mercer this week, which is a noon game.
13:25Good luck on that one.
13:26Now that one's going to be empty.
13:28Right.
13:29Now I just thought – and by the way, now I got the dogs chasing the cat.
13:31It's all going downhill here.
13:33Yeah, man, I'm with you, brother.
13:35It's like – I thought one and two.
13:37You can't lose the Colorado game.
13:38I never thought you were going to beat Tennessee,
13:39but you can't lose the Colorado game.
13:40I mean, you can't lose the Tennessee that bad.
13:42All right, Carl.
13:44Also, you've got to be happy as a clam, man.
13:46I thought that was a huge win, both for Sarkeesian and Arch Manning's confidence.
13:50Not that Sarke would ever cop to that,
13:52but the fact that you were able to come back in that – you know,
13:54in battle and that adversity against a really good Ohio State team
13:57that was on rails.
13:59What an amazing comeback.
14:00And that just – it quiets the doubters,
14:03and it sets Texas up now for the run.
14:05Looked great.
14:06No, it was great.
14:07It was an intense game.
14:09I mean, early on it felt like it was going to be a doom night
14:12because of the early turnovers.
14:15But resilient, man.
14:17And, you know, it's funny now.
14:18Everybody's talking about, well, you know,
14:20I wouldn't mind seeing Arch Manning.
14:21Really?
14:22Here?
14:22Oh, okay.
14:24Interesting.
14:24He went from being the guy that was overhyped
14:27to all of a sudden now he looks like a real quarterback.
14:29Guys, time.
14:31It takes time.
14:32Sometimes it takes time for guys to really get a feel.
14:36And the second half was unbelievable for him.
14:38Like, Mike, two things happened.
14:40One, I told you guys, Will Muschamp,
14:42and it happened in the second half specifically in the fourth quarter.
14:45No points for Ohio State.
14:47But in the fourth quarter, he played like a dude.
14:51And I'm talking about Arch.
14:52He just was throwing – he was throwing into tight windows,
14:55giving his receivers – throwing his receivers open.
14:57So, yeah, it just flipped.
14:59But it was a great win, and we'll see how the season turns out now.
15:02They've got to go to Tennessee.
15:04I mean, they've still got some tough games, man, on the schedule.
15:06So, yeah, those fourth downs were just money, and that was just amazing.
15:10There's five quarterbacks I'll take right now over Michael Penix, Jr.
15:13Five in the draft.
15:15Okay.
15:15And, yeah, the Falcon, that's not a fifth.
15:17They're out there looking at quarterbacks.
15:18There's no shit, Sherlock.
15:19I'm trying to tell these Penix fans, you know what?
15:22What are you enamored with Penix for?
15:25What has this freaking guy done?
15:27He hasn't done jack.
15:29Okay.
15:29You've got to get on the field now and prove you're something.
15:32Because your career with the Falcons is probably nominal.
15:34Sorry.
15:34We're talking college.
15:35Anyway, more on all of this stuff.
15:37I know you guys are hot.
15:38We'll get that going on.
15:39And the Braves, by the way, take two out of three from the Phillies, Carl.
15:43Grant Holmes really wasn't – Dylan Lee kind of just imploded again.
15:46Yeah.
15:46After looking like he had kind of fixed some of the things, tipping his pitches.
15:49But they do take two out of three, so they're still in a good spot.
15:51And now a big test with the Cubbies up on the north side.
15:55Hi.
15:55So, we'll see.
15:56And is Grant on the show today, Dede?
15:58Yeah, we'll have Grant today.
16:00Okay, man.
16:00Grant G-Money on the Braves about 520.
16:02The rest, Carl, Falcon football.
16:05Absolutely, man.
16:05Looking forward to it today.
16:06Be there.
16:07See you.
16:07See you at 2.
16:0892.9 again.
16:09See you at 3.9 again.
16:10See you at 3.9 again.
16:11See you at 3.9 again.
16:12See you at 3.9 again.
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