Double bag alert, double bag alert, double bag
alert, double bag alert, folks. That's right.
We got a loaded episode. Now, this is a rare,
a rarity during the season because most of the
times we don't get no bag alerts. Most of the
times it's trades or somebody gets cut or something
crazy happens. But to get a double bag alert
during the middle of the season is actually pretty
cool. We're going to talk about it, all right?
So Aiden Hutchinson and Marcus Jones get paid.
Chris Greer parks with the Dolphins. Vikings
and Chargers recap. Packers and Steelers recap.
Trades, LSU fires Brian Kelly and Commanders
and Chiefs recap. Okay, all of this and more.
On the 96th episode of the Football Junkies Podcast,
okay, I am your host with the most, all right?
I am your chief bag roll dollars. That's right,
chief, head of the table. Anything and everything
related to the bag, rumors to the bag, and more.
I am your hopium, hopium, hopium, hopium, hopium
dealer. All the hopium that you need. I am the
person that you go to, all right? But I am your
GM who currently is not on a team right now.
But don't you worry about it, all right? Don't
you worry about it because guess what? I am all
these things and more. But most importantly,
the most important thing that you must remember
is I am your host, Kale. Buckle up. It's going
to get crazy. So guess what? On three. One, two,
three. Let's lock in. All right, folks, let's
get into the meat and potatoes of everything
that is going on in the league right now. So,
we got a double bag alert during the regular
season. I know I said it multiple times, but
you guys don't understand how rare this is, all
right? So, let's just get into it. So, Aiden
Hutchinson, pass rusher for the Lions. It's a
four -year, $180 million deal, $141 million guaranteed.
He'll be making $45 million a year. Now, when
we look at his stats from this season so far,
16 tackles and six sacks. Now, when we look at
the 2024 season, he had 19 tackles and seven
and a half sacks. A really good deal for a really
productive player. Let's be honest here, folks.
Aiden Hutchinson was going to get paid. It's
just a matter of... when he was going to get
paid, and how much he was going to get paid.
Was it going to be top five? Was it going to
be top 10? Was it going to reset the market?
Those were just the questions that we were just
asking with this situation, because we all know
that the Lions were not going to let Aiden Hutcherson
just walk. Now, with that being said, we have
to have a broader conversation with him getting
paid now, because now this is going to have a
trickle effect on both Will Anderson and Trayvon
Walker. And mind you, Trayvon Walker was in the
same draft class as Aiden Hutchinson. So according
to Spoltrak, Trayvon Walker's market value is
four years, $72 .3 million, which is $18 .1 million
a year. Will Anderson's market value is three
years, $103 .2 million, which is $34 .4 million
a year. Now I will say this, if you're the Jaguars,
you do have some leverage. And I think you have
to be honest with Trevon Walker. And you just
have to say, hey, listen, you are not on that
level. You are not in that same conversation
as a TJ Watt or a Miles Garrett or a Max Crosby.
And that's perfectly fine. Because let's be real
here. Josh Allen Hines is the real productive
pass rusher out of the two. So in some ways,
you could just say, hey, listen, we're not going
over this limit. And you just have to be honest.
And I understand that, listen, you're trying
to maximize the amount of money that you're trying
to get. But at the same time, you have to be
honest with yourself. Aiden Hutchinson has been
one of the better pass rushers since coming into
the league. And mind you, he is doing this without
a number two. The only notable number two that
Aiden Hutchinson had was a Darius Smith. But
when we talk about the Texans situation, it's
a little bit more complicated because... pretty
soon you're also going to have to pay CJ Stroud.
So the question is, who's going to get the big
money first? Is it going to be Stroud or is it
going to be Anderson? Me personally, I'm giving
all money to Will Anderson. I understand that
CJ Stroud is the quarterback. I understand that
you cannot win in this league without the quarterback.
But you also can't win without Daniil Hunter
and Will Anderson. And we just saw that against
the Seahawks last week. That offense was very
stagnant. It wasn't consistent, and they wasn't
able to at least put points on the board. They
had to get help from the defense. So at some
point, if you're the Texans, you may have to
talk to C .J. Stroud and say, hey, listen, dog,
you're going to have to take less because we're
paying Will Anderson while at the same time surrounding
you with great talent. Because let's be real
here, folks, and we're probably going to talk
about it. During gut check time, that'll probably
be the next episode because if I'm not mistaken,
the trade deadline is Tuesday. So yeah, gut check
time. Just stay tuned for that. But back to this
conversation. If we're being real here, the Texans
offensively is in shambles. The offensive line
is not good. The running game is non -existent.
Outside of Tank Dell, who else can you say is
reliable? You have all of these receivers, but
if we're being real here, none of them have really
shown anything. Sure, Jalen Noel has had his
flashes and this person and that person, but
let's be real here. You guys aren't putting points
on the board. It's the defense that's keeping
you in games and actually winning you games.
So you have to pay Will Anderson. I'm sorry.
You cannot allow somebody that great of a talent
to just walk. You have to find a way to pay him.
But with that being said, let's talk about the
other bag alert. And that is Marcus Jones, cornerback
for the Patriots, inks a three -year $36 million
deal. He'll be making $12 million a year. Now,
when we look at his stats from this season so
far, 36 tackles, one sack, two picks. And then
from the previous season, 58 tackles, one pick.
A good team -friendly deal for a really productive
player who not only plays corner, but is also
really good in the kick return game. That's all
you got to do sometimes. Get a good contract
that is team -friendly, that's not going to break
the bank for a really productive player. You
don't always have to give them cuckoo for Cocoa
Puffs type of money. $12 million a year, that's
actually really good for someone like Marcus
Jones. I'm just going to be honest here. But
let's talk about one of the stories that everybody
has been talking about, and that is Chris Greer
is out from Miami. That's right, folks. Former
NFL GM Chris Greer has decided to, quote -unquote,
part ways from the Dolphins. So this is what
Steven Ross had to say, and I quote, This morning,
I made the decision, along with General Manager
Chris Greer, to mutually part ways. I have incredible
respect for Chris and his family, and I want
to thank him for his many contributions to the
Miami Dolphins over the past 26 years. As I assessed
the state of the team and in my discussions with
Chris, it became clear to the both of us that
change could not wait. We must improve in 2025,
2026, and beyond, and it needs to start right
now. Champ Kelly will serve as our intern general
manager effective immediately, and we will begin
our search process for a new general manager.
I want to thank Champ for stepping up in his
commitment to the Dolphins' success this season.
There is a lot of football left to play, and
we all need to fight even harder. I've always
been and remain committed to building a winning
team that consistently competes for championships.
I am incredibly proud of our leadership as an
NFL organization and our continued commitment
to the community. but our performance on the
field and our team -building process have not
been good enough. There are no excuses. I want
to thank the fans for their continued support
and passion for this team. You deserve a championship
-caliber team you can be proud of. There is much
work ahead to return the Dolphins to sustained
success, and that work begins now. Finishing
the season strong, evaluating all areas of our
football operation, and moving forward with a
clear vision for the future." Now, with that
being said, Adam Schefter came out and said that
Mike McDaniel will stay the head coach for the
remainder of the season, and I quote, at least,
end quote. Now, here's a few notable moves that
Chris Greer has made within the last few years.
So he's signed Teron Armstead and Raheem Mostert.
He drafted Tua, Jalen Waddell, Xavier Howard,
Jalen Phillips, Krista Wilkins, Devon Achan.
He traded for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and
Jalen Ramsey. So let's be real here, folks. This
was bound to happen at some point. We knew that
at some point, somebody was going to get fired.
It was just a matter of, was it going to be Mike
McDaniel or Chris Greer? And honestly, yes, Chris
Greer got fired, but it doesn't solve the bigger
issue. And that is this team is still in shambles.
The roster as a whole is incomplete. Not to mention
the secondary outside of Megan Fitzpatrick is
deplorable. So let's call it for what it is.
Chris Greer cannot build an NFL roster. He has
tried to take the easy pass route and trying
to sign a whole bunch of notable veterans thinking
that that's going to get the job done, when in
actuality, it doesn't work like that. You can't
just make a trade for Bradley Chubb and Jalen
Ramsey and Tyreek Hill and sign Teron Armstead
and free agency and think, oh, okay, this is
a really good team. No, it doesn't work like
that. And then the nail in the coffin was you
gave Tua this crazy deal that, let's be honest
here, he didn't deserve that deal. You gave him
a four -year $212 .4 million deal. He'll be making
$53 .1 million a year, a $42 million signing
bonus, $93 .1 million guaranteed at signing,
and $167 .1 million in total guarantees. That
was a bad contract. And I said it the minute
that they gave him that contract. It was going
to backfire. And now by having this contract,
guess what? You really can't get rid of him without
taking on significant dead cap hits. So now either
A, the next GM and head coach has to deal with
Tua or you're going to have to take on a boatload
of dead cap just so you can get under that contract.
Because right now your books are bad. You don't
have a lot of draft capital. You don't even really
have a lot of players on your team that you can
say, hey, there's potential with this person,
this person, this person. Instead, it's a lot
of question marks. So now, most likely, this
rebuild is going to be a hard rebuild, and it's
probably going to last for maybe about three
years. See, here's the thing, okay? And this
is just my interpretation of the position. I
could be completely wrong, okay? As a GM, you
are the architect for the organization, okay?
You have a blueprint on how you want to build
your roster. And a lot of times, You have to
go through trial and error, and sometimes it
takes a little bit longer than others, okay?
Every GM is different, okay? Some of them, they
have an eye for player personnel. Some of them
are really good with contracts. Some of them
are good with drafting. It just all depends,
okay? You're wearing multiple hats. I get that.
But at the same time, if you don't invest the
right resources into your structure, It's going
to fall. And that's exactly what happened with
the Dolphins. They invested cheap. And I mean
exactly what I say. Cheap resources into this
team. And now you're still not seeing the fruits
of your labor. Because now you're in a situation
where most likely, guess what? Jalen Phillips
is going to be gone. Matthew Judon is going to
be gone. Jalen Waddle might be gone. So at some
point, you have to point the finger at yourself.
I understand that everybody wants to blame Mike
McDaniel. I get that. But at the same time, we
cannot absolve Chris Greer of criticism because
you are making these moves. You are drafting
these players. You are making these trades. And
let's be real here. You have not done a really
good job within the last five years. Now, I understand,
you know, depending on who you talk to and whatnot,
there's some Dolphins fans that'll say, oh, we
should have drafted Justin Herbert or, oh, we
should have drafted this person or that person.
Listen, what's done is done at this point. The
fact of the matter is there's going to be a difficult
cleanup that is going to have to happen. But
with that difficult cleanup, there is opportunities.
Right now, the trade deadline is on Tuesday.
You know that you have multiple players on your
team that could garner second, third, and fourth
round picks. You trade away Jalen Waddell. You
trade away Devon Achan. You trade away Jalen
Phillips. You trade away any and everybody that
people are interested in because why? You need
to make this team cheap. You need to clean your
books. And you need to at least build out one
side of the ball. If you can at least accomplish
that part, oh, everything else will fall into
place. But what you can't do is just say, you
know what? We're just going to keep our players.
We're not going to make any moves. No. You need
to fully assess what you have on this roster.
For all we know, you could have some hidden gems
on both offense and defense, and you won't even
know it. You've got to trade away Jalen Waddle,
Jalen Phillips, maybe even Chop Robinson at this
point, Devon Achan, stock up on those second,
third, and fourth round picks. And I mean, at
this point, you may have to take a quarterback
next year. I'm just going to be completely honest
here because listen. You know that this contract
is bad. And you know most likely you can't move
off this contract for possibly two years. Actually,
you know what? According to SpotRap, his dead
cap this year is $137 .8 million. Next year,
it's $99 .2 million. The year after that, it's
$31 .8 million. So he has an out in 27. So the
question is, do you restructure his deal now
so that you can create some cap space just for
26 so that you could possibly at least have a
little bit of leeway maybe in free agency? I
don't know. Because right now you're stuck with
Tua and you might be stuck with Mike McDaniels.
So you got to make it work at least. Carson wins
27 attempts for 15 completions, 144 passing yards,
1 touchdown, 1 pick, 5 .3 yards per attempt,
and a 55 .6 completion percentage. Max Brosberg,
4 attempts for 3 completions, 13 passing yards,
3 .3 yards per attempt, and a 75 % completion
percentage. Xavier Scott, 2 attempts for 16 rushing
yards, 8 rushing yards per carry, and 1 rush
of 10 plus yards or more. Justin Jefferson, 11
targets for 7 receptions, 74 receiving yards,
and 10 .6 receiving yards per reception. Justin
Herbert, 25 attempts for 18 completions, 227
passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 pick, 9 .1 yards
per attempt, and a 72 % completion percentage.
Kamani Vidal, 23 attempts for 117 rushing yards,
5 .1 rushing yards per carry, 1 touchdown, and
3 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. Ladd McConkie.
10 targets for 6 receptions, 88 receiving yards,
1 touchdown, and 14 .7 receiving yards per reception.
So here's a few junkie nuggets. So against the
Vikings Blitz, Justin Herbert finished 13 -15
for 162 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 pick. That's
the 4th most passing yards against the Blitz
in a game in his career. So a couple takeaways
from this game, alright? For starters, protect
Justin Herbert. Justin Herbert is getting hit
way too much for me, and it's starting to give
Andrew Luck vibes. I'm just being honest here.
I understand that they lost Rashawn Slater early
in the season. I understand that they're trying
to make do with what they have, but you have
to scheme up something that's going to protect
Justin Herbert. Sure, he's big and strong, but
guess what? Those hits add up as his career ages,
all right? Are we starting to see a resurgence
in the fullback position? Because I'm seeing
a lot of teams starting to use fullbacks. I know
the Cowboys use them. We all know the Ravens
and the 49ers use them. But I'm starting to see
other teams start to incorporate fullback. And
I'm actually starting to like that, you know?
Next thing you know, you're going to have the
fullbacks with the big neck rolls and whatnot.
That probably just showed you how old I am. But
don't worry about that, all right? Jonathan Grenard
was productive on both sides. I mean... You're
talking about somebody that was making plays
on the left and the right. It didn't matter if
he was facing Joel Ault. It didn't matter if
he was facing a tight end. He was making plays,
and that's actually really good and very promising
if you're the Vikings because pairing him with
Dallas Turner, I think that's a good combination.
Now, is that going to replace Daniil Hunter?
No, but I think that's probably the second. Well,
I wouldn't say second. I would say that's the
closest thing to a replacement, all right? Brian
Flores was disguising a lot of his blitzes, which,
I mean, that's his MO. He's always been somebody
that disguises blitzes. He actually does a pretty
good job at it. It's just when you go up against
a team like the Chargers, who primarily run the
ball and do it at a really effective rate, there's
nothing that you can really do, honestly. And
the Chargers were controlling the line of scrimmage
and the time of possession game, which we're
going to be talking about in just a moment. The
Vikings offense didn't have an answer for the
Chargers blitzing. and the Vikings' defense didn't
have an answer to the Chargers' run game, which
is true. Let's be real here, folks. As long as
the Chargers were winning the line of scrimmage
and time of possession game, the Vikings didn't
have a chance. According to team rankings, the
Chargers are second in the league when it comes
to time of possession at 33 minutes. Now, if
you break that down within the last three games,
their time of possession was 35 minutes and 56
seconds. Now, if you break this down by home
and away, their time of possession at home is
36 minutes compared to away at 29 minutes and
58 seconds. What is the one thing that Jim Harbaugh
always emphasizes with his offense? Running the
ball effectively. And that's exactly what they
did the entire time. And it got to a point where
the Vikings didn't have an answer for it. They
were trying to bliss. They were trying to load
up the box. They were trying to do different
things that are actually working. It never worked
because why? Vidal was cooking. Justin Herbert
was extending the plays just to get that first
down. And they were controlling the time of possession.
Let's be real here, folks. If you are a team,
case in point, the Steelers, right, who don't
have a lot of talent on their team, you want
to play the time of possession game because why?
For starters, It keeps the defense off the field,
which keeps them fresh, while at the same time,
you're controlling the clock and you're disrupting
whatever rhythm that the opposing offense has.
But if you just continue to just, you know, go
forth and out, then guess what's going to happen?
Your defense is going to be gassed and the opposing
offense is going to pick up right where they
left off. When we look at the top 10 teams for
time of possession, Buffalo is number one at
33 minutes and 14 seconds. Of course, the Chargers,
we just talked about them. Kansas City at 32
minutes and 30 seconds. Houston, 32 minutes,
25 seconds. Detroit, 31 minutes, 48 seconds.
Carolina, 31 minutes, 47 seconds. Arizona, 31
minutes, 40 seconds. New England, 31 minutes
and 34 seconds. Jacksonville, 31 minutes and
5 seconds. And Chicago, 31 minutes. Now, what
is the one similarity out of all of those teams?
They all have a pretty good run game. And with
that run game, they use it to soften up the defense
to the point where then they can start attacking
them in the pass game. It's sort of like a jab,
right? Boxers use the jab to soften up their
opponent. And over time, as they soften up their
opponent, now all they gotta do is get one good
punch in and they win. And that's exactly what
you can do with football. If you control the
line of scrimmage, if you control the time of
possession, you are able to dictate how you want
this game to end. But if you just keep on scoring
super quickly, guess what's going to happen?
Your defense is going to get gassed and that's
going to allow the opposing offense to beat on
them for the next. 20 or 30 plus minutes and
they won't have an answer to it. And the next
thing you know, you're trying to figure out,
hey, how the hell did we lose the game? Well,
because you didn't control the time of possession
game nor the line of scrimmage game. But when
we talk about the Vikings, however, there's only
so much that you can do, right? Carson Wentz
is playing with a messed up arm. The Chargers
have been controlling a majority of the game.
And on top of that, their defense has been beating
you in every single chance they get. They were
collapsing the pocket. They were creating pressure
on Carson Wentz. They were doing all the things
that they planned on doing to Carson Wentz. And
the Vikings didn't have an answer for it because
there is no answer for it. The Chargers were
capitalizing off of turnovers. They were capitalizing
on trying to limit the run game. And most importantly,
they were trying to make Justin Jefferson a non
-factor in this game. And it worked. So there's
only so much that you can do. Now, when we look
at the Vikings' defense, however, at some point,
you probably got to wonder like, hey, maybe we
should stop blitzing. Maybe we should start doing
something different because this just isn't working.
Kamani Vidal had a career game against this Vikings
defense. The Viking defense, however, that everyone
was saying should be a top five or top ten defense.
I mean, they just added Jonathan Allen and Javon
Hargrave during free agency. You kept Byron Murphy.
So everyone is thinking, oh, this is going to
be the same defense that we saw last year. No.
The Chargers exposed them. And there's only so
much that you can do. And on top of that, I knew
I was forgetting something. The Chargers were
using their fullback in such a beautiful way
to the point where, guess what? Kamani Vidal
had open lanes every chance that he got the ball.
There's only so much that you can do. That's
why the Ravens and the 49ers keep their fullback
because not only can you use them as a receiving
option, but you can also use them in a blocking
option as well. But let's keep this train moving,
all right? So let's talk about the Packers and
Steelers game. So Jordan Love, 37 attempts for
29 completions, 360 passing yards, three touchdowns,
9 .7 yards per attempt, and a 78 .4 completion
percentage. Emmanuel Wilson, 11 attempts for
61 rushing yards, 5 .5 rushing yards per carry,
and two rushes of 10 plus yards or more. Tucker
Kraft, nine targets for seven receptions, 143
receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 20 .4 receiving
yards per reception. Aaron Rodgers, 36 attempts
for 24 completions, 219 passing yards, two touchdowns,
6 .1 yards per attempt, and a 66 .7 completion
percentage. Jalen Warren, 13 attempts for 62
rushing yards, 4 .8 rushing yards per carry,
and one rush of 10 plus yards or more. Roman
Wilson. Five targets for four receptions, 74
receiving yards, one touchdown, and 18 .5 receiving
yards per reception. So here's a few junkie nuggets.
Jordan Love completed 20 straight completions
with a .1 chance of completing all 20 passes
based on individual completion probabilities.
Now against the Blitz, Jordan Love completed
12 of 17 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns,
the third most yards against the Blitz by a quarterback
this season. When lined up as a wide corner,
Jalen Ramsey has allowed two yards per coverage,
which is the fourth most in the NFL. When lined
up as a slot corner, Jalen Ramsey has allowed
1 .1 yards per coverage. The Steelers' defense
has used single high safety on 66 % of their
dropbacks, the second highest rate in the NFL.
When using single high coverage, the Steelers
have allowed a league high 1 ,093 yards. When
facing single high coverage, Jordan Love has
averaged the fifth most yards per attempt, 8
.3 yards, while completing 64 % of his passes,
which if you want to break that down, that's
actually above the league average, which is 63
.3%. So a couple takeaways from this game. For
starters, the Steelers can't cover tight ends.
I have never seen a Steelers defense that is
this bad against tight ends. Now, usually if
it's just one specific tight end, I can understand.
but there is a track record that shows that they
are not good when they face tight ends. Here
are some stats, okay? Because I compiled all
the stats from all their matchups from week one
up till now. So week one, when they face the
Jets, Mason Taylor, one target for one reception,
20 receiving yards, 20 receiving yards per reception.
Okay, cool. Week two, the Seahawks, Elijah Royo.
Three targets for two receptions, 31 receiving
yards, 15 .5 receiving yards per reception. A
.J. Barner. Three targets for two receptions,
26 receiving yards, one touchdown, and 13 receiving
yards per reception. Week three, the Patriots.
Hunter Henry. 11 targets for eight receptions,
90 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 11 .3
receiving yards per reception. Austin Hooper.
three targets for two receptions, 28 receiving
yards, and 14 receiving yards per reception.
Week four, the Vikings, TJ Hawkinson, five targets
for four receptions, 39 receiving yards, and
9 .8 receiving yards per reception. Week six,
the Browns, Harold Fanning Jr., 10 targets for
seven receptions, 81 receiving yards, 11 .6 receiving
yards per reception. David Njoku, 6 targets for
3 receptions, 28 receiving yards, and 9 .3 receiving
yards per reception. Week 7, the Bengals. Noah
Fant, 4 targets for 4 receptions, 44 receiving
yards, 1 touchdown, and 11 receiving yards per
reception. Week 8, the Packers. Tucker Kraft,
9 targets for 7 receptions, 143 receiving yards,
2 touchdowns, and 20 .4 receiving yards per reception.
Here is a stat that I found this morning. Despite
only playing five of six games, Nick Herbert
leads the Steelers in pressures at 26, sacks,
four and a half sacks, and quick pressures at
12. I'm going to read that stat to you one more
time. Despite only playing five of six games,
Nick Herbert leads the Steelers in pressures,
sacks, and quick pressures. At some point, you
have to start giving people a chance. That is
the only way that you're going to be able to
be successful while at the same time allow your
other players to eat. Look at the Giants. There
are stats that literally prove that when Abdul
Carter... Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeau are
all on the field at the same time. They are more
successful of getting after the quarterback than
without all three of them. Or at least two of
the three. So why in the world would you want
to put Nick Herbig in this game? You have to
start giving him more snaps. Because T .J. Watt
doesn't need to continue to have 70 and 80 snaps
a season. It's just going to burn him out. But...
We're going to save that for a moment. Stop blitzing
Jordan Love. I don't understand why they were
blitzing him so much, but you saw that every
time that you guys blitzed him, he was killing
you for it. Every single time you send a four
-man rush or five -man rush, guess what's going
to happen? Zoink, touchdown. Zoink, 20 -plus
yards. Zoink, 30 -plus yards. And you had no
answer for it, even though you could have made
that adjustment. Zach Tom played well against
T .J. Watt. Let's be real here, folks. Zach Tom
had T .J. Watt's number the entire game. There's
nothing that you can do about it. Zach Tom is
a good right tackle. There's a reason why the
Packers paid him what they paid him. It's not
because he just had one good season, but no,
he's a really good tackle. The Packers' run game
was non -existent, which, I mean, the Steelers
did a good job with that. Okay, cool. But at
what cost? And most importantly, there was poor
tackling and execution from Pittsburgh. So let's
just get Pittsburgh out of the way so then we
can talk about the Packers, okay? In all my years
of watching the Steelers and rooting for the
Steelers, I have seen some pretty bad secondaries.
But you want to know something about those secondaries?
They gave effort. They fought as hard as they
possibly can to do the routine things. And if
you can't do the routine things, then you need
to go somewhere else. And this isn't directly
towards Darius Slade, but it's towards everybody
else that didn't do their job. You have to do
the routine things. If you don't do the routine
things, you will not be successful. Darius Slade,
if you didn't want to play for the Steelers,
you never should have put pen to paper on that
contract. I don't understand why you're making
a business decision and just bailing out instead
of trying to make a tackle. If you didn't want
to play, you never should have played. Simple
as that. And the fact that we have people. who
really haven't said anything about this. But
when George Pickens, when he was showing little
to no effort against the Colts that one time,
oh, everybody was saying, oh, well, George Pickens
has to go. That is an embarrassment as a player.
That's an embarrassment as a teammate. You should
never want to see that on tape. Are you scared
of Slay? Is that what it is? Because I'll be
the person to say it because I really don't care.
But what you cannot do is just step to the side
because you don't want no contact. If you don't
want no contact, then you need to be on a beach
somewhere with your phone in your hand. But you
need to put out effort. I don't see effort in
this defense. I don't see a defense of players
who actually want to commit to actually making
plays. You know what I see? I see a bunch of
guys that put on the same uniform and say, you
know what? You do your thing. I'm going to do
my thing. That's it. That's all. And it also
doesn't help that you have a whole bunch of media
people and podcasters like the Steel Hero podcast
who want to talk about, fuck Mike Tomlin, man.
Mike Tomlin got to go. Mike Tomlin is trash.
Mike Tomlin is ass. But they don't give legitimate
reasons on why they believe that. I don't understand
why people just... continue to go through this
cycle of, yay, Mike Tomlin, the Steelers, we're
going to go to the Super Bowl. And then, oh my
God, the Steelers aren't going to go anywhere.
All hope is lost. What are we going to do now?
Mike Tomlin must go. He must atone for his sins.
No! The fact of the matter is, there's only so
much that you can do when you don't have the
right personnel. You cannot get an old Darius
Slay and an old Jalen Ramsey and have them to
play a style of ball that they have not played
in over five years. Darius Slay cannot play press
man coverage anymore. Sure, he can maybe do it
in bouts, but to do that the entire game? No,
he cannot do that. The last time he was able
to do that was probably when he was in Detroit.
And the same thing with Jalen Ramsey. Jalen Ramsey
cannot do that no more. The last time that he
could do it successfully was when he was in Jacksonville.
So why do you continue to play this stupid single
high bullcrap when you know that teams are beating
you over the head with it? I literally just read
the stat that literally just said, when using
single high coverage, the Steelers have allowed
a league high of 1 ,093 yards. You mean to tell
me? The highest paid defense, a defense that
accumulated over $163 million, can't even make
no plays, can't even be consistent. A defense
that only works when they're making splash. That's
unacceptable. And the fact that we continue to
hear the same problems year after year after
year is also bothering me a lot. Because all
I keep on hearing is lack of communication, execution.
Lack of communication, execution. At some point,
either you got to nip this thing in the bud or
somebody got to go. And I normally don't call
for people's jobs, but somebody got to go because
something is not working. Y 'all blame Cam Sutton.
Y 'all blame Minka Fitzpatrick. So who in the
world is the problem? Is it the coach? Is it
the players? Who is it? Because in actuality,
you can't just put this all on the players. No,
you got to put this on the coaches as well. Because
the coaches create the game plan when going up
against these type of teams. And you know when
you're going up against a Jordan Love, a Patrick
Mahomes, a Jared Goff, when you go up against
those top -tier quarterbacks, they're going to
play mistake -free football for the majority
of the game. So don't just play a defense to
where, okay, maybe if we luck up, maybe if we
get a deflected pass or something, maybe we can
get an interception. No, just play defense. Just
do your damn job. That's all you have to do.
It's not hard. But we continue to see the same
rhetoric year after year after year, and it's
not working. And at some point, somebody has
to address the elephant in the room. Maybe it
is time for Mike Tomlin to go. And I only say
that because at some point, situations run their
course. We saw that with the Eagles and Andy
Reid. I understand that I keep on going to that,
but that's the only example that I can think
of that is the most successful. Andy Reid and
the Eagles, they were like peanut butter and
jelly. Super successful, always competitive,
always in the NFC Championship. But they reached
their ceiling, and that's fine. And so they went
their separate ways. And guess what happened?
Andy Reid was a part of a dynasty and the Eagles
got two Super Bowls. Who's complaining? Nobody.
So at some point, we have to start having an
honest conversation about the direction of the
Steelers because we're not going anywhere. We're
just continuing to go in the same circle year
after year after year. And Mike Tomlin continues
to go after these old ass players. Because he
values their pedigree and their accomplishments.
And a lot of these players whooped his team's
ass. No, that's not what you do. Because guess
what? Those players were used in a different
way to what they're being used now. So if you're
thinking you're going to get the same production
or even more than what their previous teams got
out of them, you're sadly mistaken. I'm sorry.
This isn't working. You have to do something
different. You have to be more innovative in
your execution and your play calling and your
scheme. You have to do something different. But
nobody is willing to make changes. Nobody is
open enough to say, you know what? I'll make
a sacrifice. I'll do something that I'm not comfortable
doing if it means that we have a better chance
of winning. All you have is just people who are
just complacent. I remember TJ Watts saying,
hey, I'm willing to play on different sides.
I still haven't seen that. I still see him lined
up the same way. And guess what? You get the
same result. But this is what separates the Steelers
now from the Steelers back then. I'm not even
talking about the 80s and 70s and 60s. I'm talking
about the early 2000s. Those teams are close
to this day. They play hard for one another.
They encourage one another. They held one another
to a certain standard. There was an aura for
the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 2000s. When
you had the Steelers on your schedule, just know
you're going to face a team that's going to be
physical, that's going to run the ball down your
throat, and most importantly, they are going
to whoop your ass. But instead, all we see now
is all talk, no bite. All you see is a bunch
of social media clips and... A whole bunch of
renegading, having made it down and they found
you. A whole bunch of people waving their terrible
towels. A bunch of players that don't have no
order, that don't have no structure. A bunch
of players who just play for themselves. And
that's not what the Pittsburgh Steelers are known
for. That's not the standard. But year after
year, they continue to not meet that standard.
And the owner is okay with it. And the front
office is okay with it. And Mike Tomlin is okay
with it. Honestly speaking, I feel like the Steelers
offensively just need to take a page out of the
Bengals book. Load up the offense with a whole
bunch of weapons and just shoot for the stars
and aim for the moon. Because right now you can't
rely on this defense. So you're going to have
to at least put up 20, maybe 25, maybe even 30
points a game just so you can stay in the game.
And most importantly, you have to start winning
the time of possession game. According to Team
Ranked, the Steelers are 31st in time of possession
at 27 minutes and 31 seconds. I'm sorry, that's
not good, especially for Arthur Smith's system
where they emphasize running the ball. You have
to start running the ball more efficiently. You
have to start converting on third and fourth
downs. You can't just punt it all the time. Now,
if it's fourth and two, you can convert that.
But if it's fourth and 15, okay, fine, punt it.
But you have to start converting on those critical
downs. Otherwise, you're never going to be able
to win the game. And we see that game after game
after game. Aaron Rodgers can only do so much.
So you have to help him out. But they tried their
hardest. But it got to a point where when the
Steelers were behind, Aaron Rodgers said, you
know what? To hell with running the ball. We
need to put this ball up in the air. We need
to get down to the field as quickly as possible.
And at least try to at least ease up the deficit
a little bit. But that's not what happened. Because
once the Packers started to get hot, there's
nothing that you can do about it. And we saw
that Micah Parsons was doing his thing. I mean,
they had two or three people trying to stop Micah
Parsons. And eventually, guess what happened?
He got through. He got the sack. So I can't really
be mad at the offense because they tried, but
at some point as the trade deadline is approaching,
I wonder should the team prioritize going after
a wide receiver or should they start going after
defensive weapons to at least give them some
hope? Because right now that secondary is unreliable.
Juan Thornhill, inconsistent. Chuck Clark shouldn't
even be on the field. And I don't even know why
you had Chuck Clark going after Tucker Kraft.
That was a dumb move. But when we talk about
the Packers, however, great job by Jordan Love.
I mean, for him to put on a masterclass of how
to beat a team that is just blitzing you all
the time and showing you the same thing every
single time, man, you capitalize off of this.
And mind you, Jordan Love is doing this without
a true dominant wide receiver. He doesn't have
a Justin Jefferson. or Jamar Chase, or A .J.
Brown type of receiver. He has Matthew Golden,
who is a rookie, Romeo Dobbs, Christian Watson,
who's coming off of injury, Savion Williams and
company, Tucker Craft. I mean, come on. He's
making do with what he do, and it's working.
And this is the type of stuff that you want to
see from a Super Bowl team. Let's be real here,
folks. If the Packers can continue to do what
they're doing offensively, There is nobody that
can stop them. And I mean nobody. The fact that
Jordan Love threw 20 straight passes and they
were all completed passes? Come on now. And another
thing that we need to talk about, the Packers
are really good when it comes to drafting quarterbacks.
Like when you look at their history, they have
been on point when it comes to drafting their
next replacement. From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers,
to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, and I think
Bart Starr? I forgot who was the replacement
for Bart Starr, but don't hold me to it, okay?
Just don't. But when we talk about Tucker Kraft,
however, this further enhances my stance on why
teams should start prioritizing going after tight
ends. Because a quarterback's best friend is
a tight end. And we've seen it in history that
a lot of the great quarterbacks had a really
good tight end. Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark,
Tom Brady and Gronk, Patrick Mahomes and Travis
Kelsey, Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller.
I can continue to go down the list. Cam Newton
and Greg Olson. You got to have that really good
tight end. So I think personally, there's only
so much the Steelers could do against Tucker
Kraft. But at the same time, we all knew that
Tucker Kraft was a dog. But changing gears to
the Packers defense, what is there to expect?
Because we all knew that by acquiring Micah Parsons,
this defense was going to go to another level.
And it showed. The Steelers offensive line was
sending two and three extra people to stop Micah
Parsons just because they know that once he gets
a sack, everybody's going to start eating. And
by doing that, As the game continued to go on
and as he continued to chip away, eventually
he got the sack while at the same time opening
up other opportunities for other defensive players
to create pressure on Aaron Rodgers. So, I mean,
there's only so much that you can say about this
Packers defense because I still hold them to
a very high standard. I still believe that they
are a Super Bowl caliber defense, but I wonder
should they make at least one trade for a defensive
player? I'm not saying they should go after,
you know, Trey Hendrickson or, you know, Quentin
Williams or, you know, anybody like that. But
I wonder, should they make at least one small
move for the defense? Well, let's talk about
the Commanders and Chiefs game. But before we
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Now back to the good stuff. And we're back, folks.
So Marcus Mariota, 30 attempts for 21 completions,
213 passing yards, one touchdown, two picks,
7 .1 yards per attempt, and a 70 % completion
percentage. Marcus Mariota. 8 attempts for 28
rushing yards, 3 .5 rushing yards per carry.
Jeremy McNichols. 6 targets for 5 receptions,
64 receiving yards, and 12 .8 receiving yards
per reception. Patrick Mahomes. 34 attempts for
25 completions, 299 passing yards, 3 touchdowns,
2 picks, 8 .8 yards per attempt, and a 73 .5
completion percentage. Isaiah Pacheco. 12 attempts
for 58 rushing yards, 4 .8 rushing yards per
carry, and two rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
Travis Kelsey, eight targets for six receptions,
99 receiving yards, one touchdown, and 16 .5
receiving yards per reception. So here's a few
junkie nuggets. Against zone coverage, Travis
Kelsey was targeted eight times for six receptions,
99 yards, and one touchdown. the most receiving
yards against zone coverage since week three
of the 2023 season against the Chargers, where
he had 103 yards against zone coverage. On throws
over four seconds, Patrick Mahomes completed
eight of nine passes for 149 yards and three
touchdowns. So a couple takeaways from this game.
For starters, Jacob Martin's stock continues
to rise. For the past two or three games, he's
actually been playing really well. creating a
lot of pressure and getting sacks, which is very
promising because outside of him, there's nobody
else in the pass rushing room that I truly say
is doing their job, okay? Von Miller, his age
is showing. Frankie Luvu, a little bit inconsistent,
but not really surprised. And Javon Kinlaw, the
person that they signed a free agency, he's been
a ghost, but we'll save that for another topic.
But Patrick Mahomes needs to slide. I get so
tired of him doing that stupid, okay, I'm just
going to run out at the last minute, which then
causes a penalty. Stop doing that. And the refs,
they need to stop calling that because he's purposely
doing it because he knows when he do it, they're
going to give him that call. Stop it. We all
know that all it takes is just one person to
crack him one good time, one good time, and he'll
never run again. And I'm not wishing anything
on Patrick Mahomes. But you are setting yourself
up for failure because it's going to take that
one defense. It's going to say, you know what?
He's about to run. I'm going to meet you halfway.
Smack. The commander's defense needs a youth
movement. Sure, you have a few players that,
you know, still in their prime and whatnot. But
for the majority, this defense is old. And I
understand they were productive last season.
But that's last season. This is now. I should
not be seeing Bobby Wagner trying to chase down
somebody like how he used to play with the Seahawks.
Somebody needs to put some fresh blood on this
defense. Now, Jeremy Reeves, he was doing his
thing. He was everywhere on the field. Making
tackles, pass breakups, you name it. He was doing
his thing. And that's actually great. But he
can only do so much. Jacob Martin can only do
so much. You pay X amount of dollars to Von Miller
and he hasn't really shown anything. People got
to step up. That's the only way that you can
beat someone like Apache Mahomes. That pass rush
needs to be on 10 from the first quarter to the
last quarter. And the Chiefs are back, folks.
I know it took them a while. I know things looked
a little bit shaky, but they're back. Now the
question is, what are they going to do at the
trade deadline? Are they going to make an addition
for the offense or the defense? Because me personally,
I feel like they should go after a running back.
I think getting someone like a Brees Hall would
be great. Give him that second or third round
pick. Let's go. Because right now you have to
start stacking up wins. The Broncos are going
to be a problem. The Chargers are going to be
a problem. The Colts are going to be a problem.
If you want one of those high seeds, you're going
to have to fight for it. And you need the weapons
to be able to do it. So... Whoever the GM is,
get on the phone and get Brees Hall right now.
And I'm not saying this because I'm rooting for
the Chiefs. I do not like the Chiefs at all,
but they got to do something, all right? I know
that Diana Rossini said this morning that the
commanders are looking for pass rushers, but
the problem is there's not a lot of pass rushers
available right now. And any of the pass rushers
that are available, the asking price is too high.
So why would I give up a second or possibly first
round pick? For a pass rusher, that's most likely
going to be a free agent next year. It's pointless.
This is what I will say. I feel like the commanders
have been solved. And let me explain. I feel
like their strategy last year caught a lot of
people off guard and it was really productive.
But I feel like now that everybody has seen their
cadences and the things they like to do, I feel
like they've been solved on both sides of the
ball. So at some point, Cliff Kingsbury. Is there
another level to your bag? Dan Quinn, is there
another level to your bag? Because you guys have
to present something different. Because this
could have been a close game. You had two takeaways
from Patrick Mahomes. You should have tried to
at least convert those takeaways into points.
That's the type of game that you're going to
have to play when you're facing someone like
a Patrick Mahomes. But when we talk about the
Chiefs, however, they needed this. They needed
to continue to stack up those small wins just
so they can get back into the swing of things.
Because prior to this point, there were a lot
of people that were saying, is the Chiefs over
with? Has the dynasty collapsed? What are they
going to do now? But clearly they're back on
straight street and they're ready to go to another
Super Bowl because we all know that's probably
going to happen. Unless the Broncos... Or the
Texans, or the Chargers, or the Ravens, or the
Colts, because we'll probably get the number
one seed. You know what? Forget about it. We're
not going to talk about that, all right? We're
going to talk about trades. So former Titans
quarterback Roger McCreary head to the Rams.
So the Rams receive a 2026 conditional sixth
round pick in Roger McCreary, while the Titans
receive a 2026 conditional fifth round pick.
Honestly, I think this is a good move. Low risk.
High reward, not to mention he's going to be
a free agent after this season, so it's only
a seasonal rental without having to give up a
lot to get him. Cornerback was a problem for
the Rams, and they've been trying to address
it. But when we look at his stats from this season
so far, 33 tackles, one sack, he was targeted
25 times and allowed 22 receptions for 209 yards,
two touchdowns, and has one pick so far. He's
a productive corner, it's just the Titans are
having a fire sale. That's it. So Kyle Duggar
heads to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh receives a
2026 conditional seventh round pick and Kyle
Duggar, of course, while the Patriots receive
a 2026 sixth round pick. Again, low risk, high
reward. The Steelers needed the safety with Deshaun
Elliott going down and possibly being out for
the season. So why go after somebody that's going
to be super expensive when you get someone like
Kyle Duggar? The Patriots agreed to pay out the
majority of his contract. And they've been trying
to get rid of him for almost two years now. So
it's a win -win situation. Well, only time will
tell because he's most likely going to play on
Sunday. But we're not going to talk about that,
all right? Keyon White, former pass rusher for
the Patriots, heads to the 49ers. So New England
receives a 2026 sixth -round pick, while San
Francisco receives a 2026 seventh -round pick
in Keyon White. Now, we all know that the 49ers
needed a pass rusher. By getting someone like
a Keyon White, I feel like he may work in their
system a little bit better than what Mike Vrabel
is doing. The Patriots are trying to get rid
of all of Bill Belichick's draft picks. They
want all of them gone. They don't want no blemishes
of Bill Belichick to ever emerge in that building,
okay? But again, low risk, high reward. There's
a lot of upside with Keon White's game, but I
think he hasn't had the opportunity to really
show it with the Patriots. But I think going
to the 49ers, he may be able to do it. Michael
Carter, the second cornerback, he heads to Philly.
And so Philly receives, of course, Michael Carter
and a 2027 seventh round pick, while the Jets
receive John Mechie and a 2027 sixth round pick.
Low risk, high reward. The Eagles needed a corner.
and Michael Carter is one of the better slot
corners in the league, while at the same time
giving an opportunity for someone like John Mechie
to hit the field. Because, I mean, outside of
Garrett Wilson, who else can you say is a reliable
receiving option for the Jets? Just being honest
here. Now, do I think there's going to be bigger
trades like how they have been within the past
few years? No. And the reason why I say that
is because there's more buyers than sellers this
season. Meaning that any player that is available
right now, the asking price is high. If I'm not
mistaken, somebody said that the Dolphins want
a second round pick for Jalen Phillips. The Jets
want a third round pick for Brees Hall. The Jets
aren't really taking any legitimate offers for
Quentin Williams. Like these are the type of
things that are being put out that if you're
a GM, you're just like, yo. I don't want to make
that trade. Even if it is a need, I don't want
to make that trade because I'm not willing to
give up all this compensation for a half a season
rental. Now, if it's something like the trades
like I just said, like Kyle Duggar going to Pittsburgh
or Michael Carter going to the Eagles where you're
giving up day three or day four picks, okay,
fine, whatever. But I'm not giving up a second
round pick for somebody that's going to be a
free agent next year. I'm not doing that. Even
when you look at receivers, there's not a lot
of receiver options right now. And the main one
that everybody's going after is either Chris
Alave, Rasheed Shaheed, Brandon Cooks, or Jacoby
Myers. But the problem is, Jacoby Myers is looking
for money. And the Raiders want a second -round
pick. So I'm going to have to give up a second
-round pick, and I'm going to have to pay you
$20 -plus million a year. I don't know about
that. I'll take my chances in free agency. But
let's end this episode with some college football.
So for those who don't know, former Notre Dame
and LSU head coach Brian Kelly has been fired.
So he spent four seasons with them. And within
those four seasons, he was 34 and 14 and won
an SEC West division title in his first year,
according to Pete Thamel and Max Olson of ESPN.
Now he signed a 10 year deal that included 95
million in salary and is 90 % guaranteed. but
is owed $54 million in buyout money, according
to Pete Thamel and Max Olsen of ESPN. Now, this
is what former LSU AD Scott Woodward had to say
about this, and I quote, We had high hopes that
he would lead us to multiple SEC and national
championships during his time in Baton Rouge.
Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU
demands simply did not materialize, and I made
the decision to make a change after last night's
game. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations
in support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and
Interim President Matt Lee in this decision.
We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best
in their future endeavors. We will continue to
negotiate his separation and will work toward
a path that is better for both parties. As a
proud alum and as the current caretaker of our
athletics program, I will not compromise in our
pursuit of excellence and we will not lower our
standards. I continue to believe that LSU is
the best football program in America and that
our head coach position is among the best considering
our investment, our ability to attract and retain
talent, our unbelievable fans, and our institutional
and statewide commitment to and love for LSU
football." Am I surprised that Brian Kelly got
fired the way that he got fired? No. Because
let's be honest, LSU has a standard. And their
standard is winning. And when you're not winning,
oh, you're gone. When you look at their predecessors,
Nick Saban from 2000 to 2004, Les Miles from
2005 to 2010, from Ed Ogeron from 2016 to 2021,
what is the one thing that they all have in common?
They've won a national championship. Brian Kelly
hasn't. And when you can't meet that standard,
you got to go. I don't care what you did at this
school and that school. I don't care who you
recruited. It don't mean a ding darn thing if
you don't win a national championship. But another
part to this situation that's not being talked
about is the NIL is putting more pressure on
head coaches to start winning championships sooner.
So instead of a head coach winning a national
championship, I don't know, five or 10 or 15
years into their head coaching tenure with a
particular university. You got to win within
the first three to five years. And if you're
not, well, then you're gone. There was a point
in time where if Ryan Day didn't win the national
championship, oh, he was going to get fired.
So there is a higher degree of expectations for
any and all college football head coaches because
you're making almost $100 million and you have
nothing to show for it. That's like flushing
$100 million down the drain every season. So
I think when you have a mixture of that and how
he handled himself with his personnel and players,
I think not a lot of people like Brian Kelly.
Like his first night with LSU, he wanted to talk
in a country accent. He wanted to talk like he's
from the dirty South. Brother, you are from the
North. talk like you're normal, okay? Why are
you talking like you got some gum stuck in the
back of your mouth? Stop it. But with Brian Kelly
getting fired, this now adds to a growing list
of very notable college football head coaches
that got fired this season. So far, you have
Billy Napier, Mike Gundy, James Franklin, Deshaun
Foster, Sam Pittman, Brent Prye, Jay Norville,
Troy Taylor, and now Brian Kelly. Again, if you're
not producing, You're gone. And I think another
thing we have to talk about, and this just isn't
for Brian Kelly, but this is college football
as a whole. College athletics relies on the success
of the football team. Let me break it down. When
we look at Alabama, correct? We all know that
if Alabama wasn't winning, then all the other
athletic teams wouldn't be surviving because
they rely on who? Alabama to be the cash cow.
That's going to be the thing that everyone's
going to put their money towards. It's the same
thing with LSU. Now, granted, their women's basketball
team is ferocious, but what does everybody go
to LSU for? The football team. So when the football
team is successful, guess what? There's going
to be a trickle -down effect to all the other
athletic teams, both men and women. And so when
the team isn't winning, when the team isn't winning
national championships specifically, guess what?
That's going to have a direct impact on all the
other teams. NIL can only go so far. The college
has to pick up the rest of the tag. You got to
pay for hotel rooms, transportation, you know,
guests and all these different things like that
stuff costs. But guess what? It's an easier cost
to deal with. if the football team is super successful
but with this move former lsu ad scott woodward
also got fired as well now this is what executive
deputy athletic director verge osbury said about
the firing of scott woodward and i quote we thank
scott for the last six years of service as athletic
director he's had a lot of success at lsu and
we wish him nothing but the best in the future
Our focus now is moving the athletic department
forward and best positioning LSU to achieve its
full potential, end quote. Now, this is what
Sky Woodward had to say, and I quote, Others
can recap or opine on my tenure and on my decisions
over the last six years as director of athletics,
but I will not. Rather, I will focus on the absolute
joy that LSU athletics brings to our state's
residents and to the Baton Rouge community. I
will cherish the incredible relationships I have
built within the university community and beyond
our campus borders. And I will finally remember
the national and SEC championships for the joy
that they brought to our student athletes, coaches,
staff, campus community, and other incredible
fans. Our university will always hold a special
place in my heart, and I will never be too far
from LSU, end quote. So Scott Woodward was the
LSU director since 2019. Now, during that time,
he hired Kim Mulkey and won national championships
in both basketball and football. But we all know
since the firing of Brian Kelly, there's been
a lot of back and forth between him and the Louisiana
governor on who's going to have the power to
make the decision on the next hire for LSU. Now,
I know the governor did say that Scott Woodward
was going to make that decision, but what went
from that to, oh, now he's fired? It'll be one
thing if he wasn't doing his job. Then it's like,
okay, you got to go. But he's been successful.
The women's basketball team just won a championship
two years ago. Does that not hold any weight?
Clearly it doesn't. But if I had my tinfoil hat
on, my guess is because Scott Woodward hired
Brian Kelly, they were just like, you know what?
You messed up on this hire. You're not going
to do this no more. And Scott Woodward probably
said, you know what? Look at my track record.
I've actually been really successful since I've
been the AD of LSU. And so they probably had
a back and forth. And then the Louisiana governor
was like, you know what? You're gone. And that's
that. But I'm going to end this episode here.
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as always, I hope I gave you guys the fix that
you guys need. I love you guys. I appreciate
you guys so much. Stay tuned. Gut check time
will be coming out next week. It will be coming
out next week after the trade deadline, okay?
As always, I love you guys. I appreciate you
guys so much. Thank you guys so much for listening
to the Football Junkies podcast. I love each
and every one of you. I appreciate each and every
one of you. And this is your GM, Kale, signing
out. Peace and love. Later. Breaking news, breaking
news, breaking news, breaking news. The Ravens
are trading Jair Alexander to the Eagles. So
the Ravens are sending Jair in a 2027 seventh
round pick to the Eagles in exchange for a 2026
sixth round pick. This is a really good move
for the Eagles. Low risk, high reward. We know
that the Ravens were stashing Jair since the
summer because they believe that by getting Jair,
he will provide a different oomph to that secondary
that's very much needed. He was a healthy scratch
for the last two games. And my guess is he probably
went to the Ravens and said, trade me. You guys
aren't going to play me? Then just trade me.
Now with the Eagles, however, this is a great
move because you get a proven corner for little
to nothing. I mean, who wouldn't want that? So
now your cornerback woes have essentially been
completed. I mean, you have Michael Carter, you
have Quinion Mitchell, and you have Jair. I think
that's good. Not to mention. You also have Cooper
Dejean, who sometimes will play in the nickel
as well. Man, man, oh man. How are we doing this
thing, folks? We're going to talk more about
this in the next episode with Gut Check Time,
all right? So as always, I love you guys. I appreciate
you guys so much. Peace and love. Later.