00:00So let's bring in Brian Baldinger, Odyssey NFL insider.
00:03Brian, I actually listened to you do the Alabama FSU game
00:06while I was putting up Jack Skeleton, a 13-foot Jack Skeleton,
00:10in my front yard and do other Halloween decorations.
00:12You were fantastic on Saturday.
00:15Well, did you listen to us to a two-hour rain delay?
00:20I kicked that.
00:21Yeah, well, it was like right as you guys were, because I, who was your,
00:25It was an exciting game.
00:26It was very, very exciting.
00:28Yeah.
00:28They played very well.
00:29It was a lot of fun to be there.
00:31I had a blaring in the driveway in the truck, and then, was it Kevin Coogler,
00:37who was your play-by-play guy?
00:39Chris Carino.
00:40Chris, okay.
00:41Because he goes, don't go anywhere.
00:42We're not doing the usual halftime thing.
00:44We're going to start the third quarter now because of the long time.
00:46That's right.
00:47But you guys were excellent, really, through all that stuff.
00:50We're seeing more thunderstorms and lightning delays,
00:53and I thought you guys were great, and obviously you're fantastic.
00:55We love having you on.
00:57Let me ask you this.
00:58Chris, were you more impressed?
00:59We see your Baldy breakdowns.
01:00You did a couple of videos with the Browns.
01:02Were you more impressed by the game plan on Sunday against Tampa Bay
01:07or the execution of that game plan on Sunday against the Buccaneers?
01:12I think the game plan was really good.
01:14I mean, it really allowed for Deshaun to, you know, a lot of pretty easy completions, a lot of short
01:20passes.
01:21Obviously, you know, a nice pass over the middle to the rookie, Denzel Boston, who, you know,
01:27broke a tackle, spun, and went the distance, you know, for a big play.
01:31But I thought they stayed with it.
01:34They were behind for a lot of the game.
01:36But I thought they stayed with the game plan.
01:37And then just a simple execution.
01:39I mean, I just thought Deshaun saw the field well.
01:41They got him out moving a little bit.
01:44You know, the running game is a little shaky at this point.
01:46And so they had to kind of really rely on the two young receivers, along with Harold Fannin, you know,
01:53in order to make, you know, first downs and possess the ball and play keep away and all that kind
01:58of stuff once they did get the lead.
02:00Well, you said creating the easier opportunities for Watson.
02:05It didn't matter whether they were easy or hard in the opener.
02:08He looked like he couldn't possibly play the position.
02:10He did settle down in the second half against Jacksonville and then had the big deep ball to Denzel Boston.
02:15And maybe they were able to carry over some of that into week two.
02:19How sustainable is the stuff you saw in that win over Tampa Bay?
02:25I think there's, you know, a much better defense.
02:27As I saw Carolina this weekend, they're a much better defense.
02:30They've got playmakers at every level right now.
02:33They'll be better.
02:34But I think, you know, they've got a lot of young players that are all kind of, I mean, he's
02:39the old guy in the group,
02:40but they've got a lot of young players that they're trying to feed and they're talented.
02:44And so I feel like if they can run the ball better, I think it's sustainable here.
02:51Carolina will be a much better challenge, I think, than Tampa.
02:54But I think it's sustainable, especially if they can run, because there's just so much play action that they use.
03:01And, you know, when you run to the ball, it's going to be a little bit more believable
03:05when you put the belly into, you know, Quinchon or, you know, whoever's carrying.
03:10Judging by what you've seen on the tape, Baldy, do you think it's more of a Quinchon-Judkins issue right
03:16now?
03:17Is it a quarterback issue right now or an offensive line issue?
03:20Or maybe scheming why they just can't seem to run the ball?
03:25Yeah, well, I mean, they've got two rookies in there, and I'm not, you know, blaming either of those guys
03:28for no.
03:29And, like, they've got five new starters up there.
03:31They're just going to need time.
03:33You know, I mean, you can walk through this stuff and you can practice against a good defense.
03:37And, you know, but it's nothing like game day.
03:40And so they just, they've got to just learn the communication.
03:43I think they've got to learn what's going on next to the guy, understand the assignment and how it changes
03:49when the defense changes.
03:51Vitavia kind of clogs a lot of things up there for Tampa.
03:54But they've got some big guys in the middle for Carolina, too.
03:57I just think it's, I said, when I saw the rebuilt offensive line and the trades and the draft picks,
04:04I thought it was going to take time.
04:06And so I think Quinchon knows how to run the ball.
04:08I think, you know, you kind of feel one, see two, meaning you kind of feel the hole, and then
04:14you're seeing at the second level where the linebackers and safeties are fitting.
04:18And so I feel like that takes a little bit of time behind the group.
04:23It's like a symphony.
04:24You've got to kind of all learn how to play together.
04:27And so I think it's, I believe that it can get done, but I do think it might not happen
04:33as quickly as anybody wants it to.
04:35Brian Baldinger, join us right now on the hotline.
04:38So, you know, this, I've seen so many think pieces about the Sean Watson experience, whether that was a good
04:46thing or a bad thing for the Browns.
04:48I saw that from yesterday, CBS Sports, if you want to check out that, give them free clicks away.
04:53They thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen for the Browns.
04:55Can you explain, as somebody who's been in a locker room and you talk to players, how that seems insane?
05:02Like, players don't like to be around, you know, impending quarterback changes.
05:07Like, it's nice to have somebody actually perform well.
05:12I mean, look, you're going to ride with your quarterback, whoever it is, you know, and you're going to, whoever's
05:19out there, you're going to support them.
05:20I mean, guys get hurt.
05:21We saw three starters go down last week and backups came in.
05:25In some cases, they played well.
05:27In some cases, they didn't.
05:28But, you know, the other 10 guys in the huddle, the other 52 guys on the team, they all got
05:33assignments.
05:34They all got responsibilities.
05:35They're all, you know, trying to live up to their contract.
05:38They're all trying to make plays out there.
05:40So, you know, who's the quarterback?
05:43And the only time they ever really talk about it is when they get asked that question.
05:47Otherwise, like, it's really, their job is to go out there and block for the quarterback, catch the passes.
05:52I mean, they're not really in there trying to play favorites with anybody.
05:57You know, the fans are allowed to do whatever they want to do and however they seem fit.
06:02But I know this.
06:03I know if Cleveland is taking apart the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, there's going to be a lot of cheers
06:08in their stands.
06:10Brian Baldinger, Odyssey NFL Insider, joining us.
06:13Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company.
06:15They're one of America's largest financial services companies, too.
06:19Nationwide is on your side.
06:20What's the next step?
06:22He had a decent second half.
06:25He had an effective game on Sunday.
06:27What's the next step for Deshaun Watson?
06:29Well, winning football.
06:31I mean, he's completing a high percentage of passes.
06:33He's got a high quarterback rating.
06:34None of that means anything because he wasn't good in the first game period.
06:38You know, they battled through some terrible weather and conditions there in Tampa.
06:44Rain delays, the whole thing.
06:45And they put it together.
06:46They put a good game together.
06:48Yeah, that was – I mean, Warren Sapp was on the sideline.
06:50Garrett Brooks was on the sideline in Tampa on Sunday.
06:53They got their Hall of Famers for their home opener, and they spoiled it.
06:57I mean, that's a good win.
06:58You get on a plane, go home to Cleveland.
07:00You're feeling pretty good about yourself.
07:02You know, so I feel like it's about stacking wins and stacking good performances right now.
07:09That's the next step is, okay, we won a game.
07:13We won a game on the road.
07:14We beat a team that has some pretty good talent.
07:16Got a high draft picks out there for them.
07:18Got a coach that won that division four years in a row on the other side.
07:23You know, maybe some runs in the playoffs.
07:25That's a pretty good team they just beat.
07:27And so, I feel like it's just about stacking wins right now.
07:32I know there's been surgeries, and it had been a long layoff for Deshaun Watson.
07:36Did you see anything that gives us reason to be optimistic about him athletically or his arm?
07:43I thought his movement was a lot better than what we saw in the first game.
07:48He made a throw on a third down, and the clutches of some defender found Harold Fannin,
07:54and he ran for a first down.
07:56I saw some movement, some plays that he extended a little bit, and threw the ball.
08:01I mean, you know, I felt like he hit the open receivers.
08:05And what I saw, which was a lot different than the first week or maybe even in the past years,
08:10was he got the ball out to Isaiah Bond.
08:13He got the ball to Casey Conception on timing, like a rhythm.
08:17There was a rhythm to some of the completions that he made, and that's encouraging.
08:21That takes time.
08:22He got young players out there in a lot of key spots, and I felt like the timing got a
08:29lot better
08:29in some of the throws that he made on Sunday.
08:32Brian Baldinger joining us on to see NFL Insider.
08:35How do you think Spencer Fano's gotten started off to his NFL career?
08:40The same question I guess I would have to ask for Austin Barber as well.
08:45No, I think the good thing about Fano is, you know, he sees Jared Burst every day in practice,
08:50and Burst only knows how to go one way, you know, and it's pretty much full speed.
08:54That's how he practices.
08:55So that's a good one.
08:56I was out there at training camp.
08:58That's what was going on out there.
09:00I saw him play right tackle at Utah.
09:02Maybe he played some left tackle.
09:04I just saw him play right tackle, so that's always a little bit of an adjustment.
09:08But I felt like, you know, he's got the size and he's got the movement that you want at that
09:12position.
09:14There's going to be some leaky plays for sure.
09:16But I thought it was a solid performance for Fano.
09:20For Barber inside, it's just a question of learning how to play next to your right tackle
09:24in your center and getting comfortable in there right now.
09:27Carolina playoff team last year.
09:29They got blown out week one.
09:30They blew out the Falcons this last weekend.
09:33You seem pretty bullish on the Carolina Panthers in this football game coming up,
09:38and not just for this football game for this season.
09:40Let me ask you why.
09:42Have you watched that offense play?
09:44Very little, to be honest with you.
09:46Just again, I threw it away against –
09:48I mean, Bryce Young.
09:48Yeah.
09:49I talked to Bryce Young in the field.
09:50I mean, he looked like he was winning the Heisman Trophy in his first two weeks.
09:54And he's got – like, Darren Waller now, like, he's back in the NFL.
09:59I think he's retired, unretired.
10:00But he caught two touchdown passes and looked as smooth as can be.
10:04You watch – the receivers have been excellent.
10:10And so, I think he's got two really good guards inside that can move the line of scrimmage.
10:18He's got a lot of pieces around him right now.
10:21And I feel like when you watch him, there's nothing that he doesn't feel he can do.
10:27Yeah, they got blown out by Chicago.
10:28But they put up over 30 points in that game.
10:31And I would just say, if you're doing a scouting report on the Carolina Panthers,
10:35that you better, like, pay close attention to a guy that not many people know about.
10:41But number 18 out there is a really good player.
10:44And, you know, he's caught my eyes at the end of the season last year.
10:48And he certainly has so far this year.
10:51Denzel Boston has made the splash plays in a big way so far through the first two games.
10:56What are you seeing out of the young wide receivers for the Bronx?
10:58How good could they be?
11:01Well, when I was in training camp, the ball seemed to go to Boston every single play.
11:09But, you know, he's averaging over 20 yards to catch.
11:12He's got a couple of touchdowns right now.
11:14He's a big kid.
11:15Like, this is what you saw coming out of college.
11:16He's a big kid that runs well.
11:18He catches the ball with his hands.
11:20And so, that's what you see out there right now.
11:23You see a big target that can separate, that runs well, obviously, after the catch,
11:28especially what he did last week, to spin out and break those tackles to, you know, finish the play like
11:34that.
11:35I mean, he's a hard guy to get to the ground.
11:37And he's a big presence out there.
11:40Look, those two young kids out there, they're the start and receivers.
11:43I don't know, Jerry Judy, what his role is right now.
11:46But the ball is going to conception of Boston.
11:49And I think that's kind of how they wanted it to be when they drafted those guys.
11:54I want to ask you about a fan base.
11:57You know, we're 1-1 here.
11:58I think it's calmed things down.
11:59I think it was going to be a firestorm if Deshaun Watson was starting on Sunday against Carolina coming back
12:050-2.
12:06They're not 0-2.
12:06They're 1-1.
12:07They played effective football.
12:08Is there a fan base in the NFL right now that should be panicking over maybe their team's 0-2
12:15start?
12:17Yeah, I mean, I don't know what the fan base is with the Chargers, but they should be panicking.
12:21I mean, they've been really bad, defensively, offensively.
12:24The quarterback hasn't been good.
12:26I mean, they haven't done much.
12:27And they just got blown out at home by the Raiders.
12:31So I would say that fan base, you know, is, I would say, Washington's fan base.
12:36They see the world champions coming into town this weekend.
12:39I would think that that fan base right now doesn't feel too good about what's going on,
12:43especially after the latest injury to the quarterback.
12:46So, yeah, you can go around the league and you can see some teams where they play a home game
12:51like they do in Washington this weekend.
12:53It's not going to probably won't sound too good if that quarterback comes in there and plays like he has.
12:58And that team defensively plays like they have the first two weeks.
13:02All right, these quarterback injuries, is this just a fluke or is it a trend that we need to change
13:06the rules?
13:08What rules can we change?
13:11Flags.
13:11I mean, what are you going to do?
13:13I mean, nobody wants to see these guys go down.
13:15I mean, all three guys.
13:18We need young quarterbacks to be great in this league.
13:21When you get the backup quarterback play like I saw in Atlanta last week, the game stinks.
13:26It's unwatchable.
13:27We need young quarterbacks to be stars and to play like stars.
13:31And so when you lose Caleb, we lose Jaden, you know, we lose Jackson.
13:36I mean, that hurts the whole league.
13:39It hurts their teams.
13:40It hurts their fan bases.
13:41It hurts their chances.
13:42And it hurts the league.
13:43And so we need those guys to stay on the field.
13:47I don't know what else you can do to protect quarterbacks.
13:49Jaden Daniels takes a snap.
13:51He gets stepped on by his linemen.
13:53He goes to the ground.
13:54His elbow collapses.
13:56Jackson Dart, you know, is back there making a throw and hit sandwich like that, like a lot of quarterbacks
14:02do on a regular basis.
14:04I saw a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers get hit just like that and get up from the hit.
14:08Jackson darts, knee, buckles.
14:10I mean, it's just unfortunate.
14:11But I don't know if there's anything else you can do to protect quarterbacks.
14:15Follow him on social media, Baldy NFL.
14:17His Baldy breakdowns are fantastic.
14:20Brian Baldinger, Odyssey NFL insider.
14:22Brian, thank you so much for the time.
14:24All the best.
14:24Yep.
