00:00Hello, John. How are you doing this week?
00:02Hello, guys. Great to be with you. Such a fun time.
00:05And you're talking to you from San Diego.
00:08Oh, what are you doing in San Diego? Some baseball?
00:11I am the dugout reporter tonight for game one of Cubs and Padres,
00:1610 p.m. Eastern time on NBCSN and Peacock.
00:19Okay, love it. Going to watch tonight. That's fantastic.
00:22That's a big assignment for you, John. I love that for you.
00:24Only problem, I hate the 10 o'clock start time tonight.
00:27And I stay up until midnight, midnight 30, around there.
00:30I'm going to do that. I hate the 10 o'clock start time.
00:34I get it. Look, I get it.
00:36We deal with this in the springtime for NBA playoffs.
00:39And obviously, people in Cleveland fall asleep
00:42if they don't have much interest in the Western Conference.
00:45I think it's just part of the reality of these four-game days.
00:51They like to space it out and whatnot.
00:53And it's seven local time in San Diego.
00:55So, yes, I understand that you're upset, JP.
01:01But it does also make me chuckle because it feels like an annual tradition
01:06of someone just being upset about a game time that's existed for,
01:10I'm 31, and 10 o'clock playoff games have existed for as long as I've been around.
01:14Oh, it's going to be an endless gripe, John.
01:15It's going to be an endless gripe.
01:17JP and I can battle because I love the 10 o'clock start time.
01:19This could be our biggest disagreement of the day.
01:21When I was your age, I did too.
01:22When I was your age, I used to love it.
01:23And I'd be like, I want as many sports until as late as possible.
01:26But now that I have two kids under four, I'm kind of like,
01:29yeah, I got a 1230 stop time here.
01:31And we have to make sure this is done by then.
01:34I've got to tell you guys, as I'm talking to you from San Diego,
01:41I don't think out of the appearances that we've been talking on this show,
01:47which I think is like the last two years,
01:48I think we've talked pretty much almost every week.
01:51Yeah.
01:51I think this is the most surprised I've been collectively on a call between what the Guardians
01:57just did over the last three weeks, but more so the Browns.
02:00I mean, I can't believe I am talking to you, and I don't know if you two feel the same
02:05way,
02:05but I cannot believe that I'm talking to you about a two-and-one football team.
02:10I really cannot, and all the credit in the world goes to the coach,
02:15and the credit belongs to the quarterback, who I've been critical of.
02:18He stepped up and made the plays he needed to, so good for the Browns.
02:22Yeah, I mean, it's a true shock.
02:24There's no other way to really kind of slowly cut it up.
02:27How much of this do you feel like is real, though?
02:28You're two-and-one.
02:29You beat a couple good teams, John.
02:32How much is this is actually real, or is it just very early in the season
02:36and we're getting all a little too excited?
02:39Well, you know, back in 2004, I know it's a long time ago now,
02:45but 22 years ago, if you look back, that was a bad Browns team,
02:48and through four games, they were two-and-two.
02:51Through six games, they were three-and-three.
02:54You know, we've seen this before.
02:55There was the Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel thing, which ended up being a disaster.
03:01You know, it's a reminder that it is a long season,
03:04but they've got something to play for here,
03:06and I think that that's what Browns fans and everybody involved can be excited about
03:10is, you know, what's sustainable, Jonathan, is this.
03:14They've got a young core of players, and they're not to be taken lightly.
03:18The Browns have talent.
03:20And if anything, that talent's not even getting maximized fully.
03:24And when I say that, I don't mean to be a hater of the quarterback.
03:27I'm just saying it still looks like to me like I don't even know how good Casey
03:32Concepcion is, but I think he could be really good.
03:34But he's fast.
03:36He's got this jitterbug style to him.
03:38I think he can get in space.
03:40I don't even think they fully – and I think Todd Munkin would say the same thing.
03:43Like, the move that Denzel Boston put on that corner to get into the end zone
03:48for the two-point conversion, like, I don't think we're talking about that enough.
03:52That's a big boy NFL play for a guy that's playing in his third game.
03:56Is it sustainable this season for them to win 10 games?
03:59I'm not going to sit here and say that.
04:00I still think that they are probably a five-win, maybe a six-win football team.
04:06But their schedule's favorable, and their talent is fun.
04:10Squarson Schlesinger's fun.
04:11Watch him before the plays.
04:13He's flying all over the place.
04:14He's a leader.
04:15Mason Graham is a leader.
04:17He's forming an identity.
04:19This organization has a core that they can believe in,
04:23and that is what's fun for Browns fans.
04:26And honestly, guys, I think the core's ahead of schedule.
04:29I thought maybe by week 12 we'd be talking about this,
04:31not right now heading into a Thursday night game, a monster game,
04:35on the shores of Lake Erie.
04:38Well, you gave your credit to Deshaun Watson for the first three games.
04:41We are in a little bit of reevaluation time with the Browns,
04:44a little bit on what we thought.
04:45But if you had to predict his leash out right now,
04:48how long do you think Deshaun Watson continues to be the starting quarterback?
04:52I think he's earned himself a couple more games here.
04:56I think if he had a rough night against Pittsburgh,
05:00I think it'd be far-fetched and wrong to then with the 10 days
05:04and with where the team attitude is to make a change there.
05:08I would say he's got the month of October pretty well in hand.
05:12I don't think you're going to make a quarterback change ahead of a game
05:15with the Ravens and, you know, the Titan game.
05:19I would point to that here.
05:21Like, my leash is October now for Watson.
05:25It's not the full season because he only had 67 yards of passing
05:28through the first three quarters.
05:29Like, if you're going to call me a hater, okay,
05:33and I was being called one on Sunday, and I'll tell you when I'm wrong,
05:35I was wrong.
05:36I didn't expect him to do what he did in the fourth quarter.
05:38But if you're going to – if I'm going to admit that, then –
05:43and this is where people don't like to argue – can we not acknowledge the fact
05:47that for about two and a half quarters, the offense was horrible?
05:50I mean, the operation was bad.
05:52The penalties were bad.
05:53And that's just it.
05:55Like, my standards are be an average offense.
05:59They've been a great fourth quarter offense.
06:01That's a really – and that's a sign of coaching and a sign of growth
06:04and a sign of what's happening.
06:06But it comes down to more than that.
06:08It's a four-quarter game.
06:09Look at the Bears last night.
06:10The Bears, with Case Keenum, their operation was fantastic.
06:15And that shows a lot about where they are as a franchise.
06:18I want to see that – I want to see the Browns do that for four quarters.
06:22I'll give them October.
06:23I mean, he's won two games.
06:24It's really, really hard to win in the National Football League.
06:28He'd have to be atrocious, you know, these next two games
06:31for them to contemplate a change.
06:35So I'm – and I've been very harsh, but I'll say this.
06:39You start two and one in my book.
06:40And this is why when he made the arguments in the preseason
06:43about things being personal guys, that's why it was –
06:46that's why I was just so taken aback by it.
06:48Like, nobody wants you to have success to Sean more than Browns fans.
06:52They just want a winning quarterback.
06:54They want a winning football team, you know, besides your family.
06:56Like, and look at people chanting his name on Sunday.
07:00Like, people are just so starved to do any winning.
07:02So I'll give the guy October.
07:03I will.
07:04I think one of the best surprises out of this year is Mason Graham
07:07getting to the quarterback and sacking him as much as he has.
07:09The pressure on Young on Sunday was incredible.
07:14I mean, he kept throwing the ball away more than any quarterback I've ever seen
07:17because it was all he could do.
07:18But you get 63% of your pass rushes ending in pressure,
07:22the most out of any team in the first three weeks of the NFL season.
07:25But, John, like, in the preseason and in training camp,
07:29when we were going to these things, I kept telling anybody that would listen,
07:31he just physically looked different.
07:33I said he looked like a frat boy last year, and it was true.
07:36His body wasn't right.
07:37Like, it just kind of looked like he was supposed to be chugging beers
07:39with Volnick over there and talking about all the Bush White Apple
07:42they're drinking and the good times.
07:43And this year when you saw him, you're like, oh, that looks different.
07:48That looks like a professional defensive lineman.
07:50And that's a lot of upper body chest that he has
07:54that he just didn't have previously.
07:56And so, like, give me your takeaways to Mason Graham.
07:59And how he's turned into this wrecking ball
08:00and this guy that looks like a little bit more like he did at Michigan
08:04and just a lot better.
08:07A lot better.
08:08And, you know, it just feels like that unit as a whole is performing together.
08:13They're a collective group, you know, that what Jared Verse,
08:18what Huntington are doing, that that's helping a Mason Graham too.
08:21But, guys, he looks like a totally different player.
08:24I mean, and then that's to be expected when you're going from year one
08:27to year two and you've got it in you to work hard.
08:29But I just, I am amazed.
08:32I mean, I look at the Browns and I think about this team coming into this year.
08:37And, JP, I mean, I'll give you the pat on the back.
08:40You saw it firsthand in training camp.
08:42But, like, when you have a presence like that,
08:46and don't we know it with Miles Garrett,
08:48but when you have a presence like that that you can consistently rely upon
08:52week in and week out, do you know what can happen?
08:55You give yourself a chance to win.
08:57Because a guy like that makes explosive plays.
09:01And if he stays healthy, and I knock on wood when I say that
09:04because they cannot afford for him to go down.
09:06Please stay healthy, Mason Graham.
09:07You can make things happen.
09:10A strip sack.
09:12Provide pressure and force a takeaway.
09:14You know, and that's just it.
09:15We haven't even gotten there yet.
09:16But with his abilities, quarterbacks are not hanging around in the pocket for a long time.
09:21I mean, the Browns, like Carolina, they have explosive players.
09:26You know, they really do.
09:28I mean, Coker has had a tremendous start to the year.
09:32But the fact is...
09:34We're all co-cats, John.
09:36Yeah.
09:37They didn't let those...
09:38They did not let those explosive plays happen.
09:40And since week one, they haven't.
09:42So Mike Rudenberg deserves a lot of credit.
09:44Because in the NFL, it's an explosive plays world.
09:47You know?
09:47And for the Browns right now, I think you both would agree,
09:50the Browns can't give up explosive plays.
09:52If they give up explosive plays, they're screwed.
09:55Honestly, it's what's intriguing about Thursday.
09:57Because I would say the longer Aaron Rodgers is on the field,
10:00the more of a chance he has of making a mistake in his age.
10:03I know he was great against the Bengals.
10:05The Bengals made special teams mistakes.
10:07Joe Burrow tossed a bad pick.
10:09And the Bengals do give up explosive plays.
10:12That's how the Pittsburgh Steelers win games.
10:14Fumbles.
10:15Crazy interceptions.
10:17Random Rodgers broken play where he finds Metcalf.
10:20Like, it's the Browns' job to say,
10:21we're not going to let that happen.
10:22And when Mason Graham's the rock of that,
10:25that's how you start.
10:26Because he can apply pressure.
10:28So, he has been,
10:29he might be the Browns' MVP through three games.
10:32You could argue that he has been the Browns' most valuable player
10:35through the first three games of the season.
10:37Which is amazing to say.
10:39John, I know you're a professional,
10:41so you're going to be doing your job out there.
10:42I also know you're a Guardians fan,
10:43so you're going to be side-eyeing White Sox Astros
10:46starting at 5 p.m. Eastern.
10:48Is there a way you're leaning in this game,
10:51a team you'd rather see in the ALDS and face for Cleveland?
10:56Yeah, I would probably say that I'd rather see the Astros.
11:06Houston, they've got Brown to lead their rotation, Hunter Brown.
11:10Their rotation is in a rough place.
11:15And I think the,
11:17Chicago's isn't in any better of a place.
11:19But the familiarity factor
11:21is something that just changes a lot, guys.
11:24It just does.
11:25As the Braves have just taken
11:27a lead on the Phillies
11:29with a three-run home run
11:30in the eighth inning,
11:32bottom of the eighth.
11:33Crazy.
11:34Riley just hit a home run as I'm talking to you guys.
11:36That's a great game on NBC right now, John.
11:38That is.
11:39But there you go.
11:40I'm literally just talking about division foes.
11:43Philadelphia and Atlanta,
11:44they know each other.
11:45They know each other
11:46like the back of each other's hands.
11:48And when you get to matchups and stuff,
11:51those White Sox,
11:52the White Sox are top five
11:53in Major League Baseball on home runs.
11:55The Astros have Jordan Alvarez,
11:57but an offense that is not very deep around him.
11:59I'd rather face Houston.
12:01I know the travel.
12:02I know Houston's had a lot of success.
12:04They've got a pedigree.
12:05There's no doubt about that.
12:06They're playing for a manager.
12:07There's a lot of scuffle around Houston
12:09that they could make a managerial change.
12:11They already fired Dana Brown, their GM.
12:15But I wouldn't want to see the White Sox again.
12:17The White Sox, they want revenge now.
12:19Look what happened last year.
12:21We saw the Tigers,
12:23and guess what happened?
12:24They got revenge.
12:25I would want to see the Houston Astros
12:28make them go through their pitching,
12:30make them make the long flight to Cleveland.
12:32I just think the Guardians,
12:33I think the Guardians are a better team
12:35than both of them,
12:36but when you face a division team,
12:38the gap closes because of familiarity.
12:40So I'd rather see the Astros.
12:42All right, John.
12:43Good luck tonight.
12:44You have me until 1215 or 1230,
12:46somewhere in that range.
12:46So hopefully we have one of these
12:47fast playoff games.
12:49Thank you, John.
12:49I'll be there the whole time.
12:50Thanks, guys.
12:51All right.
12:51See you.
12:52Appreciate you.
12:53John Fanta right there.
12:54NBC Sports Fanta in 60.
12:55On the Wise Heart,
12:56we make it right.
12:57Call Kyle Wright Hotline.
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