- 17 minutes ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Because we were talking about quarterbacks a couple of segments ago,
00:02and we talked about C.J. Stroud, and someone asked this question.
00:06Can you see a world where C.J. Stroud wants out to the Houston Texans
00:10at the end of the year?
00:11No, 100%.
00:12Yeah, and I could see if he's frustrated or if – you know what?
00:16Somebody floated to me, and he doesn't want me to say who he is.
00:19I'll give him credit if this actually comes to fruition.
00:22But his wild theory was that the Rams and the Texans,
00:26having a little bit of a cozy relationship, at the very least,
00:29because Nick Haley came to Houston via the Rams.
00:32Yep.
00:33What if the Ty Simpson draft pick was a long play,
00:40either made on behalf of the Texans or the contingency plan of,
00:43man, if Matt Stafford wants to keep playing that –
00:47or if Matt Stafford wants to retire, it would make more sense.
00:49If Matt Stafford wants to retire and that they really like C.J. Stroud,
00:54maybe they'd be willing to trade for C.J. Stroud.
00:56So Matt Stafford goes out on top at the end of this year, wins a Super Bowl,
01:00and says, I'm going to John Elway this thing.
01:01I'm going to go spend time with my four daughters.
01:06And meanwhile, C.J. Stroud, whose favorite quarterback growing up,
01:09was Matt Stafford.
01:10He's from that part of the country.
01:11He's from L.A.
01:12And I think he probably has a high estimation of Sean McVay.
01:17Oh, yeah.
01:17Remember they were here for joint practice a couple years ago?
01:20The two of them were all chatty with each other.
01:22Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:23So whether it was by design, maybe they had conversations about it,
01:27or maybe that's what happens.
01:28But this person who – I will credit with it if it ever actually did come to fruition,
01:32because he didn't want his name attached to it just yet.
01:34He thinks that there's a chance, a non-zero chance,
01:37that Ty Simpsons traded for C.J. Stroud.
01:40Oh, man, that would suck.
01:42I'm not a big Ty Simpson guy.
01:45That would not be fun.
01:49And C.J. looks like he's figured some things out this year.
01:51We'll see.
01:51No, no, he totally has.
01:52Now the question would be like, all right, does C.J. – yeah,
01:54does C.J. think that Nick Caley is the guy to get the most out of C.J. Stroud?
01:58Yeah.
02:00And right now, Nick Caley is the object of scorn of at least 54% of the Texans fan base.
02:07Yeah.
02:08Well, I think even –
02:09According to the polls.
02:09You know, when we watched the way that the –
02:11we watched the way that the Bills used three tight ends so effectively,
02:14and it wasn't just putting the bodies out there.
02:16It was everything they were doing pre-snap to try to confuse the defense,
02:21mess them up in coverage, all of that.
02:23And then I turn on, and I'm watching the Chiefs, and I'm watching the Colts,
02:27and I'm seeing just how incredibly well they use misdirection.
02:30Yep.
02:30And I don't need everything to be ornate or fancy or anything like that.
02:33But there is an element to the Texans in the way they're trying to operate right now
02:36where it feels like they just want to prove to their daddy that they're tough.
02:42Yes.
02:42You know, like we're just going to go out there,
02:43and we're going to punch the bully in the mouth
02:46and not put a whole lot more thought into it other than that.
02:49Yeah.
02:49Look, I think Haley did some things to try to scheme those lesser wide receivers open
02:57and to give them opportunities.
02:58I thought CJ did a great job.
03:00Through two games, I think his ball placement has been really good.
03:03I think he's taking care of the football in the passing game,
03:06and all of that looks good.
03:08But you just – it comes back to the basics of, wait a second, what are we doing here?
03:12We're trying to run right into the strength of the defense of the Bengals,
03:16and we're trying to galaxy brain our way into making these backup wide receivers
03:24into more than what they are.
03:26And when D'Amico is saying after the game, hey, guys just got to make plays,
03:30I understand if he's saying that on defense.
03:32Yeah.
03:33Or about Nico Collins.
03:34Look, I don't – yeah, I would love it if Jared Wayne and Xavier Hutchinson made plays,
03:39but those guys, by definition and by resume, they're not playmakers.
03:43And if your game plan is that we're going to let our playmakers make plays,
03:48I'd rather see this roster that has five tight ends.
03:52One of only three teams in the NFL has five tight ends on the roster.
03:55When your top wide receiver goes down, your second string wide receiver is already injured.
04:00Where is this team – you know what the Rams did last year
04:04when their receivers went down?
04:05That's when they started using so many multiple tight ends.
04:07I'll give you a number, and then we'll get to the power ranking of the power rankings.
04:10I've got them all lined up now.
04:12Jared Wayne, 40 snaps in that game on Sunday.
04:16Foster Moreau, Cade Stover, Marlon Klein, combined 40 snaps in the game.
04:22Same – those three tight ends had the same number of snaps combined, exact same as Jared Wayne.
04:28Yeah, and look, Xavier Hutchinson is the most heavily targeted guy out there,
04:32and it's – other than Dalton Schultz.
04:34Yeah.
04:35And it's because he knows the system.
04:37Yeah.
04:37Like, all right, cool.
04:38Yeah.
04:38But, like, there's –
04:39But he's got a guy draped on his back every play.
04:41I just – this is what I worry about, because I got so sick and tired of talking about it
04:45in the Bill O'Brien era.
04:46It's that sometimes some of these coaching staffs are ruined by Tom Brady.
04:50Yeah.
04:50I think they operate, and they see that offense, and they see the way that Tom Brady operated it,
04:54and they think that – oh, like, oh, okay, you don't have to have electrifying wide receivers.
04:58And this isn't shade at CJ at all.
05:02Tom Brady had years in that system and could operate the entire offense in such a way to
05:06get more out of less.
05:08But, man.
05:09Power ranking of the power rankings.
05:10They've got six outlets here that have put their power rankings out this morning.
05:14On the heels of the Rams beating the Giants last night.
05:17Here we go.
05:18Where do they have the Texans?
05:19Number six on the power ranking of the power rankings.
05:21Yahoo.
05:22Yahoo, 19th for the Houston Texans.
05:25Down six big notches from last week for Yahoo.
05:29Run game was dreadful.
05:31It had to carry an off – when it had to carry the offense with Nico Collins out,
05:34they were dreadful.
05:35A putrid 6.7% success rate on runs against the Bengals.
05:40And that sounds high to me.
05:41Yeah.
05:426.7.
05:43It felt more like 0.0.
05:46That third and one helped them out there.
05:47They got four yards.
05:49There were a couple times where the running backs ran for four yards.
05:51Shut up.
05:52You know, you're lying.
05:53But if that happens on first down, that's it.
05:54Yeah.
05:54It was AI.
05:56D'Amico Ryan said, for us just collectively as a team,
05:58the one key to victory was controlling the front.
06:00And from an offensive perspective, we did not control their front.
06:03No.
06:04Accurate.
06:05They point out, as I'm sure others will in this power ranking,
06:07that the Texans bounced back from an 0-3 hole to make the playoffs last season.
06:11But they're in a big hole after losing two home games to begin this season.
06:15That's the point I've been kind of banging everybody over the head with.
06:18Losing two home games is a big deal on this schedule right now.
06:21All right.
06:21So Yahoo is number six in the power ranking of the power rankings.
06:25They have the Texans 19th.
06:26Number five, Seth.
06:29I was about to say Texans.
06:31Number five, USA Today.
06:35They've lost faith in the Texans.
06:37Remember last year, they were always number one in the power ranking of the power rankings.
06:40USA Today.
06:40Yeah.
06:41They have them 18th.
06:42Yeah.
06:43USA Today is down on them.
06:44Down on them.
06:44The AI model that they use.
06:47Yes.
06:47Really just says, nah, they're not impressed.
06:49Robot McRobot face.
06:51Their power ranker.
06:52Down seven spots from 11 to 18.
06:56What the hell, Claude?
06:56Says, what?
06:57We worry?
06:59They've now dropped their first two games in three of CJ Stroud's four seasons and recovered
07:04to reach the postseason the first two times.
07:07All right.
07:07Great AI with the Alfred E. Newman drop.
07:10Yeah, man.
07:11Mad Magazine.
07:14Sterling, What We Worry is a play on What Me Worry, which back in Mad Magazine days was
07:20what, was it Alfred?
07:21Alfred E. Newman.
07:22Alfred E. Newman.
07:23The gap between his teeth and the freckle face.
07:25Do you know what Mad Magazine is, Sterling?
07:27Not at all.
07:28Okay.
07:28Do you know what Cracked Magazine was?
07:31I've heard of that one.
07:32Cracked was like the more risque version of Mad Magazine.
07:35Cracked was like Timu Mad Magazine.
07:37Yeah.
07:37Timu.
07:38Yeah.
07:38It was a humor magazine that was never as funny as the cover would suggest it was.
07:43How about all the little books and everything?
07:44Spy vs. Spy?
07:45Oh, yeah.
07:46The Spy vs. Spy.
07:47They were pretty funny.
07:47Yeah.
07:48Probably not so much anymore, but they were, yeah, back in the day.
07:51Hey, look, man.
07:51There was no internet.
07:52We had to get our entertainment where we could.
07:54And not every one of our friend's dads subscribed to Playboy back in the day.
07:58Okay?
07:59Okay.
08:00Number four, power ranking of the power rankings.
08:02The Athletic and their visibly pleasing font.
08:06And they're annoying human being writers.
08:08Yes.
08:08I prefer the AI guys.
08:10Yeah, I do too.
08:12They're 17th.
08:13Down eight notches.
08:14This loss to the Bengals did some serious damage to the Texans' Q rating out there amongst people.
08:21Oh, yeah.
08:21That was the nature of the loss.
08:23Yeah.
08:24Yeah.
08:24Yeah, it was the nature of the loss.
08:26The incompetence.
08:27The Bills lost, if anything, a lot of people took a lot of positives from that game.
08:30Correct.
08:31Correct.
08:31Yeah, there were a couple of these that they even rose in the rankings after the Bills game.
08:36Their 17th, they fell eight notches.
08:38They were top ten with the Athletic last week.
08:40Rookie spotlight is their category, Seth.
08:42They spotlight Keelan Rutledge.
08:44Texans took Rutledge in the first round in their seemingly constant attempt to fix the O-line.
08:48Went okay in week one, but Rutledge and everybody else along the line struggled against Dexter Lawrence on Sunday.
08:54Overall, things aren't great in Houston, where C.J. Stroud is being pressured on 40.2% of his dropbacks,
09:00which ranks 24th in the league.
09:02I would say this.
09:03I know the pressure rate, depending on which outlet you go to for it, the one I saw was 43
09:07% for the game on Sunday.
09:09I'm going to say this, and I feel like it's a compliment to C.J.
09:12It didn't feel like they were pressured nearly half this dropbacks, because I think he's handled a muddy pocket very,
09:19very calmly this season so far.
09:21And he's been getting rid of the ball really quickly.
09:23I think there were a couple times versus the Blitz where he didn't have his receivers running the right hot
09:27routes or making the right sight adjustments.
09:31But by and large, I think he's handled that part of it well.
09:35I guess if you look at – I looked at PFF's rankings this morning, and two of the three highest
09:42-graded pass protectors on the team, David Montgomery and Woody Marks.
09:47Oh, yeah!
09:48Don't go looking for offensive linemen.
09:50And Blake Fisher with his six snaps of pass protection.
09:53They should line David Montgomery.
09:53The rest of them are further down the list.
09:55They should make Marks and Montgomery their tackles.
09:58Just put them out there on the edge.
10:02Woody Marks.
10:02We're putting our best five out there.
10:04Our best five includes our two running backs.
10:07All right, number three, power ranking of the power rankings.
10:10Yet another one that's bumped the Texans down a sizable chunk.
10:13Down only four in this one.
10:14ESPN.com.
10:15Texans, at least they're in the upper half of the league still in this one.
10:18They're 15th in ESPN's ranking, Seth.
10:21One thing we need to know about QB1 is their category for all 32 teams this week.
10:26And DJ Bien-Aimé says this.
10:28CJ just needs a healthy supporting cast.
10:30He's thrown for 627 yards in the first two games.
10:33Third most in the NFL.
10:35Only thrown for two touchdowns.
10:37Texans didn't find the end zone in week two.
10:40Nico Collins missed the game with a hamstring.
10:42Stroud's play style isn't necessarily one that can consistently create explosive results
10:47when plays break down.
10:48He needs guys around him to be healthy so he can produce in structure.
10:52Yeah.
10:53That's DJ Bien-Aimé.
10:54Yeah.
10:55And Nico, do you expect Nico back this week?
10:57No.
10:57Yeah.
10:57Where would you put the percentage chances?
10:5925%?
11:00Yeah.
11:00Yeah.
11:00Yeah.
11:01That sounds about right.
11:02I do expect him back the week after that for the Cowboys game at home.
11:08Mm-hmm.
11:09I have no information at all.
11:10I'm purely guessing.
11:11It's just hamstring.
11:13And it's Nico.
11:13It's like, wait, you want it to feel good for, you want him to feel 100% for a week
11:17before
11:18he comes back.
11:18Yeah.
11:19I'm guessing he didn't feel 100% on Sunday.
11:21Yes.
11:22Yeah.
11:22And I think it's just Nico with a hamstring.
11:24I think you've got to be overly cautious with it, probably.
11:26He's just a guy who's been hurt a lot.
11:28All right.
11:28Number two, power ranking of the power rankings.
11:30What are the experts saying about the Texans?
11:33Number two is SI.com.
11:35They've got the Texans 13th, down five notches from last week.
11:40They were a top 10 team last week.
11:4213th in SI.
11:43Texans remind me of, this is Connor Orr, remind me a little of the Chargers.
11:47It looks bad right now, but it's not irreparably broken.
11:50Houston is struggling to find the sweet spot in an offense where the tackles are vulnerable
11:55and pass pro and not as effective as they need to be in the run game.
11:58Not once they put Woody Marks and David Montgomery a tackle.
12:01That's right.
12:01Orr, I'll tell you that.
12:02This is going to take a master...
12:04Oh, boy.
12:07I know where this is going.
12:08This is going to take a master class from Nick Caley in dressing up his offense,
12:14while at the same time making it easier to grasp for those running it.
12:19It's like asking Alfred E. Newman to write the great American novel.
12:22So according to Connor Orr, we're going to need a master class from the guy who just played
12:2611 personnel with four tight ends active on game day.
12:31Against a team that has Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen and was stuffing them in the
12:36road.
12:36They went three wide receivers.
12:38And no Nico Collins or Jaden Higgins.
12:40Went three wide receivers for almost the entire game.
12:42We're going to run it up the gut.
12:43Master class.
12:44We're going to show these guys who's tough and what's what.
12:46Master class from Nick Caley is what we need, apparently.
12:50All right.
12:50Number one.
12:52Irony, thy name is Prisco.
12:54Number one in the power ranking of the power rankings is noted Jacksonville honk.
13:00He's got the Jags at number two.
13:03Yeah.
13:03Pete Prisco.
13:04He kept them at two after losing to the Broncos and scoring how many points?
13:0813.
13:09Yeah.
13:09Yeah.
13:09Number two.
13:10Here's what he says about the Jags, just for curiosity's sake.
13:13They dominated the Browns.
13:15Oh, wait.
13:15This is from last week.
13:17Oh, what the hell?
13:18Come on, CBS.
13:19Get your game.
13:20Step your game up.
13:21All right.
13:22Never mind.
13:22Prisco, you're not number one.
13:24You're lazy and don't have your power rankings up yet.
13:27Damn.
13:28All right.
13:29So there you go.
13:30Congrats, SI.com.
13:31So we don't know.
13:33Yeah, they don't have theirs up yet.
13:34How far does Prisco, once I do find these.
13:37Here we go.
13:37I have him, but he has his week three power rankings.
13:39He does?
13:40Yeah.
13:40Okay, good.
13:41Oh, and his are short, so I can.
13:42Yeah, yeah.
13:43Okay, so he's got the Jaguars down to 10.
13:44Okay, okay.
13:45I'm scrolling, scrolling.
13:47He must have just.
13:48Oh, my gosh.
13:50Where's he got him?
13:50Take a guess where you think he has the Texans.
13:52Is it?
13:52Try to ignore that I just said.
13:54Oh, my gosh.
13:55Are they in the 20s?
13:55Very dramatic.
13:56They're in the 20s, yeah.
13:5821.
13:5924.
14:00Are you serious?
14:01Yeah, at 0-2, they are off to a tough start, and both losses are at home.
14:05They face an almost must-win at Indianapolis this week.
14:08That's all accurate.
14:09Yeah.
14:10Do you feel that?
14:10D'Amico was asked yesterday if it was a must-win, which you can guess.
14:14What if he said, he had a really good answer.
14:16He said, yes, if we lose this game, all is lost.
14:18Yeah.
14:19No, when I heard the question, I'm like, I know what it's going to do.
14:21I thought he's, I liked his answer to it.
14:23Yeah.
14:23That he doesn't, you know, we'll play it actually in the next segment, because I do
14:27want to circle back to some of the D'Amico on the decisions about these fourth downs.
14:32We've got the accurate audio now for that, so let's do that in the next segment.
14:35But the, all right, so Prisco is, he's last.
14:39He's got the, yeah.
14:41He's sixth.
14:41Yeah, he's got the Texans 24th and the Colts 25th.
14:4424th.
14:45So the Texans can't even help themselves in the power rankings with a victory this weekend,
14:48according to Prisco.
14:49It's going to be an empty win, according to Prisco.
14:51He's got it all lined up.
14:52As you might expect, like some of the O and T teams that are disappointing, he's got them
14:56lined up.
14:56Chargers, Texans, Colts.
14:57Yep.
14:58There you go.