- 11 minutes ago
Willard and Dibs debate , considering current injury designations, if the 49ers currently have the best roster in the NFL.
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00:00I think that it gets hard to get excited about week one because there's a brigade that'll tell you, calm
00:07down.
00:07It's just week one. Sure it is. We can only have the conversation in this moment.
00:13It's kind of like Spaceballs, for those of you who have been around long enough to have seen that.
00:17Where we are in this movie is now. Right now. Can't do back then, can't do tomorrow. It's now.
00:24So we're here now. So have the conversation right now. Which roster in the NFL would you rather have over
00:31the 49ers?
00:32Current designations. Health is what it is on all of these teams.
00:38And I personally would probably pick the 49ers. I think there are other answers you can come up with.
00:45But here's what I will say. And you're saying current injury designation. Absolutely.
00:50Definitely. Designations that are current live. Or else I think most people would still say the Rams.
00:55That's what everyone said a week and a half ago. But now, Miles Garrett is not on the team for
01:00at least a month.
01:01Right.
01:02And so take the information that we have now. What I will say is, though, boy, there ain't no way
01:08in hell you're not putting the Niners in the top five.
01:11There's no way in hell.
01:12I was looking at the Chiefs as an example. And, you know, they've got maybe the best tight end in
01:19the last 20 years.
01:20They've got a quarterback who's won three bowls. And they've got an amazing edge rusher.
01:24So if you take their top three against the Niners top three, I think you probably take the Chiefs.
01:29But then you go to number four, number five. And that's where the Niners, I think, do swing it their
01:34way.
01:34And even with the Rams not having Miles Garrett for the next three games, maybe four games because he's on
01:40the IR, well, you still have a quarterback who's more accomplished.
01:44And you've got a wide receiver who's actually quietly more accomplished than your Hall of Fame wide receiver.
01:50And I would say, like, let's let's loop the coach into this. Let's loop everything into it.
01:55Like when you watch the games, everything that that team brings today, what do you want?
02:01I think the candidates, the Chiefs are certainly a candidate. It's funny that we're saying that because they were six
02:06and eleven last year.
02:07And now they've won one game on a Monday night. So the Niners were five and twelve two years ago.
02:11For sure they were. You know, I think people will still bring up the Seahawks.
02:16I would never do that in this moment. Their quarterbacks hurt. And I don't know when he's coming back.
02:22I know the Internet has decided he's only going to miss one game, but I've seen plenty of reports where
02:26they're like, this one's weird.
02:27And we don't know when he's coming back. A lot of people are going to bring up the Bills.
02:33I think their defense stinks. I think it has for a long time. No, thank you.
02:37No, thank you on Josh Allen and no defense versus Brock Purdy and defense.
02:43I'll take Brock Purdy and defense. Thank you very much.
02:47Some people bringing up the Ravens. That one's fair.
02:51Like to me, those are the candidates. I don't know who else would even be a candidate.
02:55You would look at the Eagles, honestly. And, you know, the quarterback is not either.
03:01You think the quarterback is good or you don't. The running back is phenomenal.
03:05Their offensive line is great. Their wide receiver is terrific.
03:08And their D line is really good. So now are they Hall of Fame level?
03:14Do they have five or six Hall of Famers? Probably not.
03:17But I do think that their roster is really good.
03:19I think with A.J. Brown gone, I'm going to stop short of their wide receiver is terrific.
03:24I think he's a really good player.
03:27But, like, we've seen this before where you think a wide receiver is ready to be a one
03:33and then he's not because he's been running around functioning as a two.
03:38And then when now you get the best corner and you get the defense's focus, it changes.
03:44I'm not saying Devontae Smith is now going to have a bad year
03:46because he had one quiet game against the Washington Commanders.
03:50But this makes me think of the Steelers.
03:53Remember, like, toward the end of Antonio Brown's time with the Steelers,
03:57whoever that other dude was would ball out.
04:01It was Juju Smith-Schuster for a little while.
04:04Like, he would ball out.
04:06And then that guy gets a contract to go somewhere else.
04:09And you're like, fine.
04:11He's a good player.
04:13They're not a one.
04:14You know what I mean?
04:15And we watch this in the NBA all the time where somebody puts up big numbers.
04:18You go, okay, that's going to be a one.
04:20It's like, eh, he's not a one.
04:23So that's – I don't know.
04:24This is going to be a fascinating year for Devontae Smith.
04:27Yeah, and I'm looking at their team right now, their depth chart,
04:30and you look at Lane Johnson, the right tackle.
04:33He's going in the Hall of Fame.
04:34Hurt right now.
04:35Right.
04:35Said that, like, he played – or, no, I'm thinking about Dickerson.
04:38Go ahead.
04:39I mean, Lane Johnson.
04:40He's tremendous.
04:41Phenomenal.
04:41Well, I think Saquon Barkley is on that same track as far as Hall of Famer.
04:46And then you go to Jalen Carter.
04:48It's early in his career, but he's a phenomenal player,
04:51and he's trending in that direction.
04:53And so I think that Philadelphia's roster,
04:56while they don't have as many established veteran,
04:59like, you're probably a gold jacket guy,
05:02they do have a lot of talent on that team.
05:04I'll give you the – go ahead and put them on the list.
05:06I'll put them in the list.
05:06Put them on the list.
05:07I'd rather have the Niners than the Eagles.
05:09I think the Niners have a better quarterback.
05:10I think they've got a better coach.
05:12I think they've got a better receiving core.
05:14I know they've got better linebackers.
05:17There are some spots where the Eagles' offensive line is tremendous.
05:20We were doing roster, though, I thought.
05:22Yeah, absolutely.
05:23I mean, if we throw a coach in there, well, then, like,
05:25that's a big swing for the Niners, I think.
05:27Absolutely.
05:28No, I said a minute ago, like, throw everything that a team offers on the table,
05:32and would you swap it out?
05:35Or now, week one in and the injuries that we've seen, like,
05:39Sam Darnold's hurt and Miles Garrett is hurt.
05:44Like, that's a thing.
05:45That's a thing in the NFC West, y'all.
05:48The Niners didn't just go 1-0 with a division win.
05:50Miles Garrett and Sam Darnold got hurt.
05:53That's a thing.
05:54It is.
05:55I mean, they're short-term, small injuries.
05:58Maybe.
05:58Relative to –
05:59We don't know that.
06:00Right.
06:00We don't know when Miles Garrett's going to be back.
06:02We don't, and he's on the IR, which means he'll miss the next four.
06:06And, you know, Sam Darnold, they say it'll be a week.
06:08It might be longer.
06:09We don't really know.
06:11But, you know, Seattle, even through that,
06:13was able to get a win over New England.
06:15So, you know, Arizona's a team that got a win that many people didn't even expect.
06:19So, yeah, it's one week in.
06:21But looking at what the Niners have and what they were able to get through healthily,
06:26that is a pretty impressive thing.
06:28So, let's go to Ben in L.A.
06:29Ben, appreciate you calling on Willard and Debs.
06:32What's up?
06:34Hey, I just wanted to throw some love out there to the Niners roster.
06:38I think there's – in the preseason, there was a ton of just undervaluing of these players
06:44that have shown over and over again that they're a cut above,
06:50especially in comparison to how people were speaking about the Rams roster.
06:55And I get a lot of it down here in L.A.
06:58But, you know, adding someone like Mike Evans to the roster just elevates it to a level that I think
07:08has been undervalued.
07:10I understand his age, but he's just elite.
07:14And, you know, people were speaking so highly about, you know, Aaron Donald coming back.
07:21You know, if we're talking about rosters as they are right now, you know, you know, he's still, you know,
07:26on his way back.
07:27But I just don't think that that production is going to be anywhere near the level of what the stars
07:33on the Niners roster is going to be.
07:36Ben, thanks.
07:37I mean, so, look, all of the worry about where this is going next, to me, that stays.
07:45You can stay there if you want.
07:47And I get it.
07:48Yeah.
07:48Like, these guys might have a hard time getting through a season healthy.
07:53But I do think that I think that last week served as a reminder.
08:00It did serve as a reminder.
08:01This is not like, yay, they're going to win it all.
08:04This is not that.
08:05I don't think about the Super Bowl in September.
08:07I just don't even think about it.
08:09What I do is I look at that game last week and I go, oh, they reminded everybody what this
08:17Niner group looks like when they are all on the field.
08:20Don't forget what they looked like last year when most of them weren't on the field.
08:25Still good.
08:26Not great, but still good.
08:29Still viable.
08:30But when they are all on the field, it's a huge if.
08:34It'll never not be an if.
08:36And I understand that.
08:37But this served as a reminder that if they do get some breaks to go their way in the health
08:44department, this roster, like, I'm not going to peacock like they're just head and shoulders above everybody else.
08:49They're not.
08:50But they are on a short list.
08:52This is a contender.
08:54It's a good roster.
08:55And I can't help but think about the 2022 Golden State Warriors where you got to, I don't know, it
09:02was probably March.
09:03And, you know, Steph's out for about a month.
09:05And, you know, you're trying to slow play and make sure he's good to go.
09:09But you got into the playoffs and Steph was healthy.
09:12And Draymond and Andrew Wiggins went on an absolute heater and you won the whole thing.
09:16And so I think about that in terms of this Niner team.
09:19And George Kittle played 30 snaps, 46%.
09:23When George Kittle is at his kid list, he's going to play about 85% or 90% of the
09:29snaps because that's the way you want that to go.
09:32And Nick Bosa similarly played 59%, which normally you want him to be about 70% or 75%.
09:39So, yes, they're not all the way back yet.
09:42But this whole season for me is about getting to January with a record that gets you in the playoffs.
09:48Hopefully you would have home field advantage.
09:51Maybe not all the way throughout, but at least a home game, whatever.
09:54And all those guys you laid out, McCaffrey, if it's Kalon Black who's going to spell him a lot of
10:01the year and Trent is healthy and Kittle is back and Bosa's back and Fred was able to make it
10:05all the way through and Greenlaw has re-assimilated and all the rest of it.
10:10If you get to January and that's the reality, then I'll get excited.
10:14Yeah, of course.
10:15Like, I mean, I agree with you.
10:17I don't know that that needs to enter into our thought process now.
10:22That's a standby in sports.
10:24It matters where they are at the end.
10:27And there's never going to be a moment where we're going to sit here and know what's going to happen
10:32at the end.
10:33We've watched teams go through the entire regular season and then arrive in the playoffs and lose their key players.
10:39Trey Greenlaw tore his Achilles running on the field in the second half of the Super Bowl.
10:43Exactly.
10:44I mean, so, and I'm not saying that that was the reason they lost,
10:47but I do believe if he played the second half the way he had played the first half,
10:53I like their chances to win the game more than the way it went.
10:56So, and we talked about this yesterday, you went to Philly last year with Wallow and Kendricks.
11:01No disrespect.
11:02They were your linebackers and you went out and you beat them.
11:05And you played well.
11:06Yeah, you beat them.
11:07Yeah.
11:07I mean, the Denver Broncos not only got to the playoffs,
11:10they got all the way to the end of the playoffs.
11:12And then Jarrett Stidham played a football game in the snow and their season ended.
11:15So, like, that's an omnipresent threat.
11:18And I get that.
11:19And then by no stretch am I going to sit here and be like,
11:22they're healthy, see, all's good, here we go.
11:27Let's do the next four months and everything's going to be fine.
11:29I have no idea if that's the way it's going to go.
11:34But to me, last week served as a reminder basically of two things.
11:40One of them is when these guys are all on the field together, they can make some magic.
11:46They really can make some magic.
11:48And the other thing was, I think when you're dealing with some older players,
11:52every offseason serves as a, uh-oh, are they going to get old overnight?
11:58Because it happens to every player and it happens in a moment.
12:01Uh-oh.
12:02Derek Henry came out last week and let us know, nope, not yet.
12:06Not old yet.
12:07Okay, good to know.
12:09I think Trent Williams came out and reminded us, nope, not old yet.
12:14McCaffrey did.
12:15Kittle did.
12:16Bosa's not old anyway.
12:18Warner's not old anyway.
12:19But we wanted to see those guys like, are you going to get old overnight?
12:25There's actually one player in the NFL who I currently have a question about.
12:31Did you get old overnight?
12:34He's not a niner.
12:35And I'm not saying he did, but I'm waiting to find out.
12:40Want to know what his name is?
12:41That was crazy.
12:43That's exactly who.
12:44Matt Stafford.
12:46I don't know.
12:47But he didn't look good.
12:49And we can credit the Niners all day.
12:52And I hope we're right.
12:54I hope it was just the Niner defense.
12:56But he missed some throws.
12:58He did not look good.
13:00Did Matt Stafford get old overnight?
13:02I'm not sure yet.
13:03I don't know.
13:04He's almost 40 years old.
13:06Won the travel and, you know, the matchup.
13:08And Raheem Morris and the scheme and all the rest of it.
13:11The 49ers had zero sacks.
13:13They did deliver eight hits on Matthew Stafford.
13:16So there were pressures and, you know, Stafford had a hard time and they had to play from behind.
13:21Whatever.
13:21I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for it.
13:24But one weekend, he certainly did not look like the reigning NFL MVP.
13:29Not even close.
13:30That's for sure.
13:30And by the way, there were zero sacks in the football game.
13:34Right.
13:34Brock Purdy didn't get sacked either.
13:36Part of that is both of them are really, really good with handling pressure.
13:41Those offensive coordinators slash head coaches, in this case, they know how to kind of coach them up.
13:47Get rid of the ball and don't take a negative play.
13:51And both of them did very well with that.
13:53But I don't think Matt was accurate.
13:54I don't think his decision making was great.
13:57The Rams grabbed momentum at one point in the game because of a Brock interception.
14:01And Matt gave it right back.
14:03There were a couple of times Puka was open downfield and Matt threw it right over his head.
14:08So, I don't know.
14:09Yeah.
14:10Like, we've got to watch three, four, five games before we know.
14:13But I do think that, you know how you've said a couple of times, there's some teams out there that,
14:20based on the analytics, are kind of ripe for regression.
14:23The New England Patriots are one of them.
14:25Yep.
14:26So is Matt as an individual.
14:28If you go back to what he did last year, the touchdown pass number, which is what sort of elevated
14:34his name so much into the MVP conversation, was wild.
14:39Like, they never ran the ball in.
14:42They threw the ball from the 10, from the 7, from the 5, from the 1, from the 4.
14:47Or, Devontae Adams just had an unrepeatable year in the red zone, and Matt Stafford went up over 40 TD
14:57passes.
14:58It's not going to happen.
14:59It's not going to happen again.
15:01It's not going to even.
15:02I mean, he would do well to get above half that this year, my opinion.
15:07Well, if you look at his previous years with the Rams, it was 41, and then he had 10 in
15:149 games.
15:15He had 24 in 15 games, and he had 20 in 16 games.
15:21See, that's what I'm saying.
15:22And then, kaboom!
15:23Huge outlier.
15:25Yeah.
15:25Huge outlier.
15:26And so, run that through all of our Rams analysis for us deciding in the offseason that that roster is
15:36elite, head and shoulders above the best.
15:39Was it our man, Louis Riddick?
15:42There's a, this is a quote, there's a sizable gap between the Rams and the 49ers.
15:49I would like to counterattack.
15:52No, there isn't.
15:53Wasn't it your guy, Ephraim Salam, your Sunday side piece, who's like, huh, the Rams.
15:58Yeah, well, he went so far as he predicted that they would repeat.
16:02Right.
16:03And many people online wanted to ask, repeat what?
16:06They came in second place, both in the division and in the playoffs.
16:11So, yeah.
16:12And I got him.
16:14I got him last week for it.
16:15Don't worry.
16:16No doubt.
16:16I got him.
16:16Yeah.
16:17No doubt.
16:17They had 46 passing touchdowns last year and 17 on the ground.
16:23So, 46 of their 63 were from Matthew Stafford via his arm, which is probably not repeatable.
16:31And honestly, they, you know, the way they went through the league, they didn't go through everyone.
16:36And they probably should have beaten Seattle in that late game in the season, but they didn't.
16:41And they had a loss.
16:42They had back-to-back losses.
16:43They lose to Seattle in that funky two-point game.
16:46And then they went to Atlanta and lost.
16:48And I don't think that we really remember that part of it where, yeah, the Seattle game cost them a
16:54chance to be the one seed.
16:55Well, then you went to Atlanta and you had extra rest, by the way.
16:59It was 11 days later and you coughed that one up.
17:02Didn't they, did you just list this?
17:03What were the games you just went through?
17:05They lost in Atlanta.
17:06What else did you mention?
17:07They're 11-3.
17:08They beat Detroit at home.
17:10They go to Seattle and lose on the funky two-point conversion.
17:13Then they have extra rest.
17:15They go on a Monday night to Atlanta and lose.
17:18And lose.
17:19And then.
17:19They beat Arizona to wrap up the year 12-5.
17:22Remind everybody what happened there in their playoff opener?
17:26They beat the Panthers by three.
17:28By three.
17:2834-31 at Carolina.
17:31Trailing with a couple minutes to go.
17:33Then they go to Chicago.
17:36And win in overtime.
17:3920-17.
17:40Look, they get credit for all of that.
17:42Good job.
17:43Good teams win in the end.
17:44He's a great player.
17:45He's a Hall of Famer.
17:46But this head and shoulders above the rest of the league thing, I never bought.
17:52I just never did.
17:53You know, oh, but they added Miles Garrett, right?
17:56And they lost Jared Verse.
17:57So you got an A, pass rusher, but you replaced a B.
18:02So what's the difference between the Rams last year and this year?
18:06To me, it's Garrett.
18:07It's McDuffie.
18:08We'll see about Aaron Donald.
18:10I'm like, I'm not.
18:11Aaron Donald's not going to be a full-time player, I don't believe.
18:15So, look.
18:16They could, a month from now, start clowning people.
18:19I'm not dumb.
18:21I get that.
18:22But they have had a very adverse start to the season that I think has changed this conversation
18:31a little bit about how far ahead they are on the league.
18:35I don't think it's that far.
18:36I mean, even if they are, quote, ahead, well, now go out on Monday night and prove it against
18:42the Giants, who the New York Giants are a team that many people, not me, expected to
18:48be better than they were last year.
18:50And so far, so good.
18:51They look to be better.
18:52And they've got Harbaugh as their coach.
18:55And so, all right, Rams, go out there and with a seven-point, you know, point spread,
18:59your favorite, go out there and handle the Giants and get back to 1-1.
19:03Not that you can't bounce back if you do fall to 0-2, but we did this yesterday with their
19:08schedule and the gauntlet that the Rams are going to have to go through when you have that
19:12tough schedule.
19:13And this year, it's going to be tough for all the teams in the West when you take on the
19:16AFC West as well.
19:18So the Rams losing in the fashion they did and traveling the way they did, this Giants game,
19:24it's not a must-win, but it's a lot more important than if they would have beaten the Niners.
19:29Well, and then keep in mind what happens to the Rams.
19:32You detailed this already.
19:33Remember what happens to them after that Monday night game against the Rams.
19:38They get a short week and a trip to Denver.
19:40Might be a desperate football team by then.
19:43And right after that, they go to Philly.
19:45And then they come back home for Buffalo.
19:47That's what the Rams have over the next month.
19:49I mean, it's...
19:51And then first place Arizona.
19:53Correct.
19:53I mean, I just wanted to throw that in there while I could.
19:56You know.
19:57You know.
19:59I think by margin...
20:01Is it margin of victory?
20:02Are the...
20:03Actually, division win...
20:04Yeah.
20:04I don't know what the tiebreakers are right now.
20:06Arizona's in second place right now.
20:07Whatever.
20:08It's fine.
20:08It was more for a fact, but I mean...
20:10That was well played.
20:12I mean, those road games are not easy.
20:15Sharp week at altitude and then a trip to Philly after that, so...
20:18I don't know what their record's going to be after week five.
20:20I have no idea.
20:21I bet you right now that their loss to the Niners is not their only one through the first
20:26five weeks.
20:26Would you put them at two and three through five?
20:29Like...
20:30It's very believable.
20:31Yeah.
20:31I don't know if I'd put them there.
20:32You know me.
20:33I hate predicting games that are multiple weeks ahead.
20:35It's like, who's healthy?
20:37Who's in?
20:38Who's out?
20:39Are they playing Josh Allen?
20:40Or whoever the hell is Josh Allen's backup?
20:42And I'll give you 50 bucks if you know who it is.
20:44Probably Nathan Peterman still?
20:45I don't even know who it is.
20:47Oh, it's got to be the Biscuit, right?
20:48The Biscuit?
20:48Mitch Trubisky?
20:49Oh, is it still?
20:51My guess would be the Biscuit.
20:53Yeah.
20:54It's Kyle Allen.
20:55Ah, damn it.
20:57Former Niner, right?
20:59Oh...
20:59Or do they have the other Allen?
21:00They have Brandon Allen?
21:01Oh, Brandon.
21:02Yeah.
21:02Mel Allen, I can't even keep all these Allens straight.
21:05Twib notes.
21:07Anyway, yeah.
21:09Yeah.
21:10The Rams have got it tough, man.
21:12They've got it tough.
21:13So, anyway, look, all of the perspective changes that we're talking about right now can go right
21:20back the other direction a week from now.
21:22Who knows what's in the...
21:23I don't know who the hell's going to come out of this weekend healthy for any of these teams.
21:28But that's kind of my takeaway from week one is this thing at the top is a lot closer
21:36than we thought.
21:39And I would like to allow myself to dream about a 49er season where they are blessed with some
21:47health luck.
21:47I can ask for all of it.
21:49You know what I mean?
21:50But how about if, like, all of the good players don't get hurt?
21:53Maybe some of them play.
21:54Maybe even the whole season like a crazy person.
21:59Right.
21:59And play 17 games like Trent and Christian did last year.
22:04Just last year.
22:05Yeah.
22:05And you had George play about nine.
22:07And I think Brock played nine.
22:09And Bosa played three.
22:11And Mikel Williams played six.
22:13And you hope that he's coming back.
22:15And, well, Ricky Pearsall will play zero this year.
22:17And I was a little bit troubled by what Matt Barrow said to us yesterday about the Dijon
22:22stripling injury.
22:23And he called it a grade two.
22:25And that hasn't been confirmed.
22:27And it won't be until tomorrow.
22:28But if it is a grade two, I know he's getting a second opinion.
22:31But if he has to undergo surgery, that might be the whole year for him.
22:35For sure it will.
22:36But the word is, is that surgery remains a possibility, but kind of only if the rehab doesn't work.
22:43It's a little bit like a Pearsall thing, to be honest with you.
22:46But to listen to Doc Pandia talk about it, because you know me, I don't like to guess on injuries.
22:52I got no idea what I'm talking about.
22:53But Doc Pandia sort of suggested you would never jump straight to surgery on this.
22:59You would always attempt to rehab this and then see how it reacts.
23:05But if in a month you get back and you're testing it out and things are still feeling unstable,
23:12then you could skip to surgery.
23:13Yeah, it's on the table that he doesn't play this year.
23:16It's possible.
23:17Yeah, which would be a shame.
23:19It would be a shame.
23:20But then you look at Mike Evans in the small sample size, like, my God, just throw it near him.
23:27Yeah, he looks good.
23:27Yeah.
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