Mid Season Grades

Opening

Onan! What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and they get a lamentation of their women. The best place to be is when expectations are high.

Transcript

Machine transcript generated in 2026 by Grok Bot from the episode audio (Whisper small.en + sherpa-onnx speaker diarization). Speakers labeled Opening / Jake / Justin. Timestamps about every three minutes. Diarization note: HOST_LOCK: after Opening, host/welcome voice = Jake; other = Justin; host-welcome cluster=1 @ 31.1s → Jake; other-primary cluster=0 → Justin; intro-self-ID Jake confirms host; Justin name in host line kept on Jake (HOST_LOCK); Jason-ref Jake cluster 1 sim=0.76.

00:13 Justin: Get used to it. It's always going to be that way. Jake: Welcome to your Kingdom Podcast. the longest running your chess podcast ever. I'm Jake and joining me for this mid-season report type of podcast is Justin for only the 202nd time. That's it? That's it. That's all? Yes, indeed. So this great podcast, we are gonna do mid-season grades. Talk about the offense, the defense, special teams, coaches. And I'll even throw in a new category because you doing just on the fly that's what you do. I can do We'll talk about some injuries. We'll talk about some news. We got new news coming out today We'll talk about whether we like it or not And then we'll get to the JK JK in fantasy week the JK and pick them for week 11 Then we'll make our throne picks And then we'll call it a day. OK, so let's start them off with how was the game last week? Did the Jets win? We lost. We lost. Justin: We actually won our bye week. We know we're going to lose our bye week, but I think we want it. You want to know why? Not say that we did win our bye week because everybody else was or everyone lost. Everybody lost. Everybody who is four and four lost. It's like so great. Everyone slipped to 4 and 5 and we're alone at 5 and 4 in that number 6 spot. It's so good. Man. It's- but this is setting up for a classic- Everyone should listen. Everyone should listen to the the preseason podcast where this guy on this side of the table predicted. a playoff berth for this team Jake: It was dead serious about that. You better you better step away from those words until it happens. I'm not stepping away anywhere. Until it happens It's on tape. It's there. I know but it's out there. Right but until it happens you can't say that you should go listen Justin: I'm not saying it's happening or not. I'm saying I made a goddamn prediction ESPN's experts are out there calling us the worst team in the league, and I'm out there saying we're gonna be in the playoffs. And so far, through 10 weeks, one guy looks right, and that conglomerate looks wrong. Oh, that's true. So fuck you ESPN. Oh, a conglomerate's a piece of shit. So, fuck you too, you had us at like 6 and 10. No, I didn't. Yeah, you did. I had us at... Not a winning record. a winning record. No way. Yeah, I did. Not a fucking chance. I'll pull it up. I have it right here. 8 and 8. No way. Yeah. No, not a chance. No way. I remember thinking like, what are you fucking insane? You had to say like 7 and 9 or 6 and 10. Jake: I had 7 and 9. Justin: Losing record. Jake: Yeah. Here's my predictions. Win at Buffalo. I said win at Buccaneers.

03:01 Jake: Lose the Patriots. Win against the Bills. examples. win against titans, loss, loss against the falcons, didn't get that right, win against the steelwars, lose against the patriots, lose against the bangles, lose against the saints, then I have us, loss, loss, win win, loss win loss. Justin: Dude, we're not very confident, my friend. No! Unlike this guy who's much more confident. Yeah, so you're kind of not doing as well as I was in that Jake: That is true in our season prediction I think my Super Bowl of Seattle Denver looks a lot better than mine. Yeah, what was yours? Houston Atlanta? Justin: Yeah, both have like two wins each terrible. You were terrible off this year. Mine was looking pretty good Jake: I had New Yeah, we take it we take a step back and we look at our team holistically right and we grade them on a scale of a Through f right a being good f being bad just for those out there who are foreign Galactically terrible. Yeah and g and we do them by You're doing them, I don't know, I think we usually do them by more position, like running back quarterback. We never get that granular. No, we could. But so let's give it to, we'll start. We're gonna do offense, defense, special teams, coaches, best player on the other side of the ball, that's a curve ball. That was a curve ball I threw at you. And then I threw in GM. Well, I could do the I could do the head office or the office or whatever back off whatever. All right. All right Justin: Yeah, so do you want me to start or do you want you to start? No, you just start you always start So I'll start with the offense. Okay, I'm gonna give the offense I'm gonna be generous And I'm gonna give the offense a C minus. Oh shit. That's exactly what I was gonna say cuz I was gonna go D plus Really? Yeah, I was gonna go D+. They're in the bottom five of the league in points per game, which is really all that matters. Points. Scoring, right? Yeah. Like you can rack up yards all day long, but if you can't score, who gives a shit? It's true. So we're at 18.8 points per game, which is a hair above the Raiders. and below teams like the Bills and the Browns and the Cardinals, you know, we're actually below them in scoring. The only thing that I think is like a good sort of redeeming quality about the Jets offense is the fact that they do have a good in. time of possession statistics. So they have the ball for 32 minutes,

06:05 Justin: which I think is actually a nice, you know, they have the ball for more than half the game. Right through nine games. That's a nice sample size to say, okay, they can control the ball a little bit. And we've had games where we've been just completely awful where those statistics are completely skewed. And we've also played, you know, the Pats twice who traditionally kill you in time of possession, play the Saints, you know, they possess the ball for quite a bit of time. So, you know, I'll go ahead and say I think a C- is appropriate. They're running the ball better than they did last year. They're about 130 yards a game. The passing game still isn't there, but you know, rookie quarterback, that's going to happen. And, you know... I think they're about a C minus, middle of the road, maybe a little worse as far as the league is concerned. Jake: I'm gonna go a little bit more positive. I'm gonna say like a C and here's why. Well, you know why? A little more positive. A little more positive. Well, because I feel like they're overachieving. Oh, okay. See, I feel like I'm looking at them from the team that I thought they were going to be on offense inside the ball, and then I'm looking at like what, I thought they'd put up 13 points a week. And there's been weeks where they've been able to actually score. Justin: 13 points, Jacksonville level. Jake: Yeah. I kind of thought that's where they're going to be. I thought they had not a lot of talent on offense. They were gonna play... You know just really go games. They weren't gonna be able to score a lot. We watch this game Justin: We don't we are fifth worst in the league in scoring points that we still are not scoring points That's true. I don't don't think 18 points at 18.8 So 19 points is a lot and this NFL that is not I thought we were gonna be worse than that Jake: So I'm gonna give them a C for for effort You know, I think your prediction of saying, you know, M&M was going to make our offense look good. Marty. Marty Ball. Justin: Marty, I trust. Jake: I think he's done a pretty good job. I think he's changed it up. I think he's, you know, I think he's actually done a pretty good job and I'm... I know we're gonna talk about coaches, but I'm really gonna head with I guess we could do in coaches All right, so offense see you're saying a C- yeah, let's we're gonna write that down write it down write it down Justin: All right, so on to the defense So I'm gonna give the defense an a-minus I would love to go higher but there been Um, basically the Cincinnati game prevents me from giving them an A. If that game didn't go down the way it went down, because this team is built for the offense to try not to lose the game and for the defense to keep us in the games. All of them. And they failed in that Cincinnati game. The Titans game where we got blown out, not on the defense. There

09:00 Justin: There's nothing they can do there. But you know, the offense, you know, a bunch of turnovers that really put them in a bad spot. But, you know, again, the the front, the front four, the front seven is fantastic. The secondary questionable. Which is again why it goes to an a minus and less than questionable and we'll get to the big news of the day later on with the secondary, yeah, but uh You know the they're getting sacks they're getting pressure. They're not giving up any rushing yards I think they are number one in the league. They are their number one in the league and rushing yards a game by Eight yards like nobody's running out 73 yards a game. That's nothing right? Um You know passing not quite as good not a lot of interceptions You know, but they they don't give up a whole lot of yards and that's what the NFL for some reason Ranks defenses on yards not points. So there what are they seven two four six? eighth in defense I have them seventh in yards yards there Their eighth, so I guess they're a top 10 defense. I think they're top five defense really They can cause some havoc and they're very good at second half adjustments Like it it's not rare to see a team score on the jets early They do tend to shut teams down in the third and third quarter of games So they're very good at coming out in that second half and just immediately putting the clamps down. I like that. So I'm gonna give an A- for the defense. Jake: Yeah, I'm gonna go B+. I mean, for all the reasons you've said, I think you're saying the Cincy game was a big blowout. But even in, you know... in the loss to Pittsburgh. I mean, they scored 19 points in the loss in the win against Atlanta. Atlanta scored 28 points in the land, looking like the worst team ever. So remember, though, Julio Jones played that is true. So I feel like it's, you know, and the loss of Tennessee, I know is a lot of the turnovers and that's mostly I think there is a pick. Justin: Pick six in that game in a fumble for six the two it the two impressive games one was a loss Jake: The neurons games was just impressive. That was your second half And I actually I think the lost to Patriots the second week I think that was the way the win was well the wind is the wind mean 3027 But that we kept them to 13 points like that team Usually doesn't get key. I think what the walking over our season though. It's like These teams are not who we thought we they are we looked at teams like Atlanta and and thought you know we're gonna whoop up or they're gonna whoop us because they're Atlanta and they're home and Our Pittsburgh is gonna be like this downtrodden team this year and or they are or New England

12:03 Jake: Right, but they can still win games or New England's gonna, you know, no one that's gonna be New England But they haven't been New England. No England is not New England. Yes, they are. What's their record? Yeah, it's not record. It's what they're doing on the record I don't know. It was two games. They've lost two games and how many points did they score last week? Yeah Justin: That's more than four games before on a second. They've had one of the blade. We played the Steelers at home Yeah in in MatLife Stadium and how many points do we put up? Six yeah, and how many did did New England put up on the Steelers? Yeah 55. Yeah, okay, just checking Just checking no because you know when they're healthy and stuff and they have Gronk and they have a medulla Jake: And it's just one of all the running back. That's just one of those games. I get crazy one of those games. We'll see Justin: We'll see. I think seven and two record drop a 55 burger on Ben Roethlisberger. Well, they dropped it on the defense. Jake: All right. I give him a plus. Special teams. Special teams. Justin: I'd love to break this out into two separate categories. Special teams like returning and kicking. Or I'd like to just break folk out and give him an A plus and then break the rest of the special teams out. But I can't. You know, special teams last year lost a lot of games for the Jets. Really let them down. They had kicks blocked. They had returns, you know, punt returns, kick returns brought back on them. We have not been explosive in the return game. It's not happening. I don't think anybody is, though. So that's okay. Are punters a little erratic? But folk has won two or three games for us like by himself. So with that, I'm going to go ahead and give the special teams a B plus. And I'm really only doing that because I don't think the punting situation is very good and I don't think the coverage is as good as I've seen it in years past. both kick and punt return Even though like we haven't given up big plays Like usually if I can recall in years past if someone decided to bring the ball out against us We were tackling them at the 15 right? I've seen teams get to the 20 25 And we, you know, with Josh cribs, a little better than we were with with Gates. That was awful. The first half of the season with Gates. I mean, anytime you took it out, he's tackled at like the 12. Right. Like just don't take it out. So I'm going to go B plus there. Folk really carries. Carries that on them. I mean they again they haven't they haven't Had anything blocked right and then that's true. I feel like we blocked a kick

15:00 Justin: Yeah against Atlanta didn't we walk on against Atlanta might have blocked a punt or a kick or something? Yeah So yeah, I give them a B plus I think that's solid to me Jake: it's there an a and they're an a only because One Pearson does rise up all or the ocean rises all boats or tide rises all boats. Folk has just been just out of this world great and so whatever else is going on he's still great enough to give them an A. They are winning that the special teams unit has won games for us. They've won of the five games they've won three. So. You get an A. That's it. Yeah, I'd say the defense won the other two games. So there you go. Folk hero. Folk hero. Coaches. Justin: I think the coaches are doing great. I mean, I know this is this is like the the anti-jets line. Well, no, this is the this is the like, you know, we're five and four and we're kind of treating them like they're seven and two, eight and one here with these grades, but It's all relative to, I guess, everyone's low expectations except my own. I think the coaches are doing a fantastic job. I think Boringwig is doing very well with the rookie quarterback, as well as you really could with a rookie quarterback not named Andrew Luck or RG3. or Russell Wilson. Those guys were special. You have to remember there were also rookie quarterbacks last year named Brandon Weed and Ryan Tannehill who didn't do much of anything. And Colin Kaepernick as a rookie sat there on the bench behind Alex Smith. So I think Morning Wing is doing a really good job and then on the defensive side I mean... I don't know who to really do. I say Dennis Thurman Do I believe in the charade like like Rex does a great job in his press conferences where he gives Dennis Thurman all the credit in The world when the defense plays great and takes none of it for himself I guess that's part of being a good head coach is is doing that But I think Rex has stepped in and taking the reins on that defense and said, if I'm going to go down, I'm going down swinging with my best shot. And and he's doing it because he stepped up and is coaching that defense up with tons of new starters all over the place. Oh, yeah. Rookies everywhere. Jake: Very young, young, very young, young front seven. Justin: Young everywhere, except for like one player. Well, Calvin Pace and Landry. Yes. are not young, but that's about it. 11, Crow's not old. He's not young. He's kind of that he's in his prime. You know, they're they're new defense, though. Richardson and Wilkerson and Copples and Snacks. I mean, those guys are. the future and they're doing really well right now in the present and I think that that has a lot to do with the coaching that's happening so I gotta give the coaches a B+. I mean there's been a couple like silly

18:03 Justin: in-game mistakes timeouts the wrong time Challenges that probably shouldn't have been thrown But for the most part to get This team to five and four, they've done an excellent job. So I'm gonna go B plus. Jake: Yeah, I'm a little bit less. I'm more on the B. I feel like there have been, I think the record and those mistakes get me, keeping me down. We're not, you know, we're not undefeated. We're five and four. We've done well, but we've also had the blowout games. Like we've been destroyed. And I feel like that is a coaching thing. Like... if your team gets destroyed. We're not ready for Cincinnati. And you know, some of that's part of how do you keep your team week to week. This next this, I mean, I want to say incomplete because it's mid season because this next stretch is either shows where great coaches get great and get, you know, go to Hall of Fame. or where coaches get fired. This is the stretch because we already got through Justin: the death stretch. Jake: We got to the death stretch and we got through well. - we now have the stretch that that is the setup. It's the, oh, this looks too, too good to be true. We have a decimated dolphins twice. Right. Who just got beat by the worst team or second worst team in the league. You get the bill. We get the bills. We get, I mean, you know, Oakland and Cleveland. I mean, it's like you're looking at things. These are not the Saints. These are not the Patriots. Justin: No, not the Steelers. Jake: No, they're not the Falcons. They're not the Bengals. I mean, we played the tougher teams and now we've got the less tough teams. Justin: I'm glad we played the Pats already twice. Jake: Oh, so am I, because they're very looking better. They're they look like they're getting better. ... ... I. a Justin: want Denver I go to Denver you just want to go to Denver Pete Peyton man I just again in the playoffs that would be the third time the Jets beaten him that'd be funny so I'm still mad at Peyton Jake: for spurning us. Oh, whatever. So I'm going to be for them. And again, it's more record. And it's and it's and there's just some just stuff that I wish I wasn't seeing. And I know those those they get lost in the you know, the bad play call or the black, you know, first in 20. And they, you know, he throws out the red flag or the time management still not there. There's still some time management issue. And it seems like that stuff just I don't know how it is. Justin: I feel like you could watch about 20 to 25 coaches in the league and they're all there's only about a handful of them that are good good at that stuff which Just kind of odd. Yeah, just can't you just, can't you just, Well, her Edwards. Read a fucking book. Her Edwards. Hired a time management. Hired a guy to stand next to him and like tell him exactly what to do. I'm fine with that too, if you can't handle it. Jake: What exactly am I supposed to do right now? Justin: Well look, Rex is very involved during the game.

21:00 Justin: He is calling me. Jake: He is, but I think one of his downsides is that he is not... It's why Dallas took that away from Garrett. He is not cerebral. He is emotional. Sometimes he rules a little bit too on the emotional side, not enough on the cerebral side. Alright, alright. Justin: Best player on either side of the ball, why don't we pick one side each? Alright, which side do you want? I'll take defense. No, that's the easy one. I don't think it's- Actually, the defense is way easier than the offense. Jake: Oh, defense I can pick off with three. Justin: Yeah, but the defense has a clear best guy on that side of the ball. I'm not sure the offense does. Jake: No. Justin: Moelk is the best player on the defense without a doubt question closes Sheldon relent who has a motor like this would I think I think you could pick either of the middle linebackers you see like you go from Bart Scott Scott Scott Scott I mean, I feel like he probably is. I feel like the offensive line is the strength of the offense. When they play well, they run the ball. Right. You know, I would have said Blau Powell four weeks ago, but they've sort of phased him out and phased Ivory in. Right. So maybe I'll just stick with just saying Blahal Powell because I think he's been the steadiest of all the offensive players and when given opportunities he takes them. So I'll say Blah, pal. I mean he has, you know, he does lead the team in rushing. He has 414 yards through nine games on 109 rushes. That's 3.8. which isn't bad. Ivory's up to 369 on 92 rushes, which is four yards of carry. But that's really lifted by that last game against the Saints, where he ran for like seven yards of carry. Otherwise he was kind of unimpressive. Can't pick Gino because he's been so up and down and just wasn't. He's not the best player around the whole defense.

24:01 Justin: And you know, I mean, Curly's missed games. Holmes is I miss games. Con. Cumberland's miss games. Winslow's miss games. Stephen Hill's miss games. Oh, there's just not me. He's not showing up to games. Well, the offense... Everyone's miss games. Jake: On the offense, it's just too many people. Justin: Too many guys. So I'm going to say Blaupau because he's showed up to every game and he's been... He's been... To me the most steadiest player on the offense other than the entire offensive line especially since making the coaching decision to remove Vlad Dukas from the starting lineup and and Insert Brian Winters and that has been a good decision. I mean it has been it's been three penalties a game That's the difference. Yeah, three penalties a game. And and with the rookie quarterback first and 10 and first and 15 huge difference. Yeah, because run the bomb first and 10 get three yards. Second and seven run the bomb first and 15 or have to make a throw. It's a very different game. So here's a Jets fact for you. Jake: And I don't it's not a fact that I know I'm just asking Oh moammer question mo willk is that Eight sacks. Yeah Justin: When's the last time we had a double-digit sack leader a double-digit sack like at the end of season? Yeah, ten or above have to imagine Sean Ellis has to be or maybe Brian Thomas would have been the last of the guys Who have done it maybe go back to Abraham. Yeah, he definitely didn't Year over year, but I'm sure Shawn Ellis did it after Abraham left and Brian Thomas may have done it in one of those man Genie seasons when they finally moved to like more of a 3-4 and he was playing the outside linebacker and rushing But yeah, I mean that's I mowook is good for a sack of game at this point That's what he's doing. Basically. It's crazy sauce as a 3-4 and inside basically. It's not this Ed pass rusher like. He's in a little like 13-14 sacks. Jake: That's a pro ball all pro season. I think he might get 13 against Miami alone. So remember we played them twice. Justin: Yeah they're just, and they're back up. tackle got into these out for the year you like got injured in practice. Jake: Oh, they're just they're done. They're mentally done. And that's what's best about them because they're physically done. You can always they're mentally done there. They want they want to go play golf. I just watched that game. They had no fight anyway. All right back office GM owner. I'm really rating the owner, don't really care. I'm really interested in though, because I go to a lot of stadiums, I was down in Tampa Bay watching them, right? Really interested in how teams, fans seem to love hate. It's this love, hate with their, the owner constantly. and it was like, I love them, they were booing their owners there down on Tampa Bay. They had to come out for the sap. And our fans boo Woody Johnson every time he gets the feel that they mention him in one thing.

27:00 Jake: And I always wonder like... I don't know why you boo the owner. I know why something. I know why we boo. I know why the Jets fans, because I'm a Jets fan, I'm not just a broadcaster, I'm a Jets fan. I know why the Jets fans boo him. They boo him because of the stadium. And they boo him because of PSLs. And they boo him because he didn't go build his own stadium. And they feel like... They still feel like second-class citizens and it was his job to make that not happen and they're still bitter about it That's why they boo him I don't think they boo him for what's on the field today because they should be happy with what's on the field today They should be happy about Rex Ryan. They should be happy about these things. So yeah GM I mean, what do you think of it? Zik? I mean, I know I know I've made him the fool of the week. He made him the fool of the week. Which makes you just apoplectic. Which is the best. Oh, I just don't get it. So far. Justin: I don't get it. I think he's done a fine job. His first draft is looking pretty decent. We got starters out there immediately, right? On defense. There's two starters on defense from his first draft. And on offense, there's three starters out there right now. Yep. So five starters out of his first draft are playing right now. One's a quarterback, fullback and a guard. And on defense, we have a lineman and a corner. So right there, I don't know how many GMs drafted five starters and are and have a winning record right now. Probably zero maybe one it's ik. I don't know if there's another so from that perspective you guys say okay good job then Remember keeping the winning record in mind So many injuries, and he's just picking up guys off the heap. Yep. He's picking up David Nelson. He's picking up Greg sows He's picking up Josh cribs. He's picking up some dude some dude named read He's just picking guys up who are just plugging in. Just plug them right in. Jake: So, okay, give him a grade. Justin: So far, I gotta give him a B. His dings are some of his early moves that are like flubs. Like, the Mike Goodson move seems like a flub. Forget the fact that he got injured. That's unavoidable. But the whole like thing with him... you Like the background checking and getting arrested and then getting arrested again. You could go to jail for 10 years. Like you got to know this shit about a guy. And then the the screw up with Garard. You know, he's back because you don't really need him now. So he can just stand there with a clipboard. But in training camp, you need a guy who can throw the ball. Right. That was kind of a flub, too. So he got off to a weird start in a good draft, but a bad. I think with the free agency, I think Ivory is here or there. I feel like you could have drafted Ivory in the fourth round. Like, yeah, I don't know. Yeah. I feel like there's rookie Eddie Lacey. Could have drafted Eddie Lacey. And he's Chris Ivory.

30:00 Justin: Like, there's no difference. And Eddie Lacey was one. Fifth, sixth round. ... Yeah, a lot of the running backs fell this year. Yeah, so fine, whatever. With Chris Ivory, I think he's doing a good job and he's setting it up nice for down Jake: And I think that's the point. I see a progression. Like every move that he's made, I've liked the move that he did before a little bit less than I I like the move he's done now. Like I... thing with him was that every decision I saw him make during the offseason all seemed to be about a three-year plan. or a multi-year plan. I mean, we're about to do it, but get an older guy, whatever. Or trade in a lot of stuff. He seems to be much more, it seems, Edd6 more value. He's like, I'll get guys that you won't be named brand guys, but I'm gonna get the value guys and I'm going to put together, you know, So. He started with the Revas. Justin: on our cap right now. Right. So. Jake: I think if you look at the A to A player, it's a loss. Like direct, like Reavis Milliner, it's a loss. But if you look sort of long term, what that's going to mean for us going forward, and some of the articles already coming out, we're going to have a boatload of Cap Room. Like next year, I think we have $44, $45 million in Cap Room. So we're going to have a lot of stuff. Spend it wisely. Lock up Mo Wilk. Mo Wilk is the guy who they're talking about backing up. Anyway, I... I don't know and I think the underlying piece to me is again just as a fan is I don't know where he sits with Rex. I like Rex. Justin: I do. I know where he sits with Rex right now today. He likes him. He does. You want to know why? Cause he's signed Ed Reed. Cause you know what that- But he drafted for Rex. He drafted a Rex draft. Look at the draft. He likes Rex. You know why? Cause they don't sign Ed Reed. If if not, if there are two things that are not true. One, if he doesn't think that they can make the playoffs, he doesn't sign it. He clearly thinks they can. Right. Led there by Rex Ryan.

33:02 Justin: That's true. Rex Ryan goes to him and says, I want Ed Reed. You know- that happened immediately. Immediately. I guess he goes, that's my guy. I love that guy. I want that guy. That's my new talent. I want him and let's get right into that. Jake: Let's skip over the injuries. We'll talk about him in the game. So we signed Ed Reed. Ed Reed was cut by the Texans earlier in the week. So Super Bowl winning Ed Reed won the Super Bowl, had off season surgery on his hip, was signed by the Houston Texas, a big off season signing. He was like going around. He met with a lot of teams, A lot of interest got overpaid. They brought him in, he played six games. Right. He got paid something crazy amount of money for that six games. He gets cut. Cut. And he hits the waivers and the Jets sign. Clears the waivers. Clears the waivers and the Jets sign him. Right. I have a very hard, a very hard, I mean, I like it from a, hey listen, it's a name brand. Justin: Forget the name. Well, there's a couple of reasons why this is a good move. Okay, let's hear them. Why? First off, the Jets have been playing three safety looks this year. Antonio Allen, Landry, and Jaquan Jarrett. Ed Reed gets to go in there and play that third safety role. Right. One. 2. He slides right in. He knows the defense. He played next to Landry in Baltimore for like 4 years, 5 years, 6 years under Rex. And Dennis Thurman who is the DB coach. He slides right in. He doesn't need to learn that thing. He's a playmaker, he's a ball hawker. We have like no interceptions. He doesn't have to play like Ed Reed. He doesn't we didn't sign him to a big contract It's like the Geno Smith being a second rounder right versus being a first rounder He can play 15 snaps a game and if he gets a pick Once every couple games he gets like three picks in these last Was it seven more games we play? Then it's like, wow, OK, we got a guy. He can play special teams. He can return if we needed him. I think Josh Cribs will handle that, but he's a punt returner if we need it. He's very versatile. But do you think he has any asset tank? Yeah, because he hasn't barely played and we're not going to ask him to start. We're not going to ask him to play 60 snaps. We're going to say every give us your best 15 snaps and bring some leadership. to this secondary. Join up with Crow, get in there in the secondary, especially with those safeties. You know the defense better than, I mean, these guys are young. They don't know the defense. Get in there, mentor a little bit with Antonio Allen, who we think could be very good. And in that three safety alignment, you know, be the center fielder. Be the guy

36:01 Justin: where we don't get beat deep. because safety can't get back there. Like be that guy. Jake: So you're betting on Houston Cud-Am basically not because of his talent, but because A, where they are as a team, and B, and because he was starting to speak out against them. I think he was an out content. Right. Well he was. Justin: He just did not, but he's never been that. Like he was beloved in Baltimore. Jake: I understand, but I'm saying. Then they cut a perfectly good player because he's a malcontent. Justin: And because they needed for him to do something that we don't need for him to do. But the player is a player. But they signed him to a big time contract to be there starting safety. And he at this point in his career clearly can't play 65 snaps at the level that Ed Reed can play That you want that guy to be playing right? But for 15 snaps a game or as an injury as an injured like insurance guy Yeah, why not for a minimum to bring in a Rex guy who knows the defense and who's a championship player? Jake: I understand. But there's the Bart Scott principle, which is eventually those Rex guys were championship players hit a wall and that wall is too big to overcome. And this and the faster, younger guy who makes mistakes still can play better than the guy who hit the wall. Justin: But that's the thing. He's not coming in to do, he's not coming in to start. Not coming here to start. He's coming to play in situations. Great, Bart's got never won a thing, by the way. Jake: No, but he was the Rex guy. Sure. That was the big signing. Again, totally different scenario. We went and got him for eight to see whatever met him in his house. Justin: This is like minimum, this is like signing Greg Salas with a bigger name. time. Jake: That's all it is all right, so you like it. I do I think it I think it's great Justin: I think we need to do the whole read chant at at at MetLife when he makes a play We've been in Baltimore. They love that dude. Yeah anytime who's near the ball read All right, that needs to happen that needs that we need things like that. Oh Jake: We only get it right here. Let's move on Um, all right. So now we're gonna get into our we're gonna go hit the jet kingdom fantasy league Justin: Um, just see how we're doing there. Check in rough loss. It was I lost to the best team in the league Yeah, you did and uh, it was a tough imagine. We both scored a lot of points and I lost so i'm six and four now And you're below me. I'm looking to rebound. Still in the playoffs, though. Jake: There is some off match players. I mean, the guy I play, Scott Simpson, Mike. 137 to 56. Whoa. I crushed him. You did crush him.

39:00 Jake: I crushed him like a grape. And then another player, Kromarti Grass, 47 points. I think it's Kromarti Gra. Kromarti Gra. 47 points. How could you score 47 points? That's terrible. I don't know. Some of you people are terrible. But anyway, in the standings it's LA Feast for Crow, and then me, and then you, in the east, in the west, the Upstaters are taking it away. They're three games ahead of Winslow Sweet Cherry and Scott of Sims. So he's, I think he's locked into the playoffs at this point. You and I and other people will be battling in the West. Battling me. Battling. So these upcoming games. Who are you taking on this week? Justin: I don't know. Tell me. Jake: Okay. This week you are taking on Scottish Sims. The guy who I just said put up a measly 47 points or something. Or against me who I just crushed. This should be an easy matchup for you. And I'm taking on Kamardi Gras. Justin: Could be a bi-week situation though, where like maybe there was a bi-week thing going on. Jake: That's planning, dude. Right now I'm 25 point projection and you are a 17 point projection. Justin: As a victor. As a victor, yeah. I like that. Yeah. Speaking of not winning. Actually, that's not what we're talking about, but let's get to our pick them because we're running long time. Let's go Alright, so quick and dirty games against the spreads. We are recording this on Thursday. So we get to pick the Thursday game Yes, it's actually a good one It's a division game you can start with the Jets rooting interest on every game if you want I'm going to so Indy is going to Tennessee to face Ryan Fitzpatrick for the rest of the year because Jake Locker's out. Yep. For the rest of the season. Second time. So, Indy's favored by three on the road. I like Indy. I want Indy to win. Just run away with the division already, Indy. Get Tennessee out of here. Jake: I also like Indy. Tennessee's got a good D. I don't think it's going to be a high scoring, but I think Indy wins. Justin: All right. Chicago and one of the McAllen Brothers is hosting Baltimore and Chicago's favored by three at home. I like Chicago at home I don't like Baltimore on the road and I'll take Baltimore here Jake: It's just others that team is just falling apart I know he's probably better than a hurt Cutler, but they're still falling apart and they can still score Justin: Yeah, their offense is good. Their defense is kind of shitty, but Baltimore's offense is she that won't be a good game. All right Cincinnati's hosting Cleveland. Cincinnati's giving five and a half. And since Cincinnati beat the shit out of us, they've looked like shit. Yes. They could not play with Baltimore last week. They got lucky with that last second Hail Mary. Well, then head of bow former jet tipped up, not down. And then they went for it on fourth down when they probably could have tried to feel goal. And instead of.

42:17 Justin: Running a real play,. East Philadelphia hosting Washington Philadelphia Philadelphia. Yeah, Nick Folds running wild They're going to win this one. They're going to win this one big. So give me Philly. Jake: Yeah. Washington is terrible. Give me Philly. Justin: Washington's defense is just miserable. Detroit goes to Pittsburgh. Detroit looking sitting pretty at the top of that NFC North. Jake: I think Rogers out and pondered done like pond, forget Minnesota, Justin: but color out for Chicago. I mean, think about that. Jake: They're the only, they're the only starting quarterback in the whole. Justin: I think ponders going to play. But he's doesn't out he's heard he's and he's not good so doesn't matter I think this- getting points to a team like Detroit. Jake: Detroit's got a very good offense. I'll take I'll take Detroit. I get it Eventually gonna fall down and cry. Well, I mean, it's not like they are great Justin: You know Pittsburgh's record is I don't know. What are they three and six, right? It's all like you know, I think at home they play they play a little better Atlanta at Tampa Jake: But probably they probably like this game being season you could see this like being like Atlanta Tampa Yeah, it's all backed up with their thing right so I just watched Tampa play. Yeah, you're mad and live They were terrible. They had one good drive to start the game and then they had one good drive at the end of the game Justin: Yeah, I mean they did lose they have now lost their star starting running back and their backup Starting running so they're on like back running backs number three and four and a rookie quarterback drafted like the fourth round They're not looks terrible. But anyway, he looks like 12 Atlanta's Favored by one and a half on the road, but I can't see them losing Tampa can't win twice in a row So give me Atlanta. I agreed Atlanta. I'm gonna keep falling on my sword with Atlanta All right, we're still at one o'clock Although I'll be on the west coast so my times this is 10 o'clock Arizona is going to Jacksonville and Arizona is favored by seven and they don't deserve to be favored by seven anywhere anytime On the road. I don't care if it's Jacksonville or not Jake: Give me Jackson agreed no undefeated team or no totally defeated teams

45:04 Jake: This year. So it all happened last week. Last week was the week of the comebacks. Justin: Thank you, Tampa. Yeah, that was good. And thank you, Jacksonville. Both of those teams beat teams. We you look at that, you're like shit. Miami and Tennessee are going to win and be five and four. Just like us. And then they lose to these crap ass teams. All right. Last early game. Houston's hosting Oakland. Houston favored by seven. I like Oakland to cover that. Jake: Yeah, I don't I'm not I'm not a happy Oakland on the road team Justin: I also think they covered a seven-point spread last week on their core their quarterbacks hurt again Jake: Like you can't run like they're not gonna do well. I'll take Houston. All right now we're moving right along to the Justin: prime time for 25 games New Orleans hosting San Francisco This is a good game I mean San Francisco got beat last week like beat physically which doesn't happen to them. Nope. That was cool to see. Kaepernick looks quite, human. Jake: iPhones. and viewership. He does. And the Carolina Panthers look quite real. They do. Justin: The defense looks real. Yeah, they don't give up touchdowns. that's going to be good game so New Orleans is home given three Jake: Wasn't this Kaepernick's coming out party last year like he went into Norland's a whole different Saints Justin: Everybody went for 500 yards against I think this is gonna be close, but I'll to get I'll give them all Jake: I'm not picking against with three points of Norland's at home. No and like a national Justin: 425 name no way no the Giants Could could anyone be luckier than the Giants we've discussed this move on I mean seriously They're gonna make the playoffs. They were 0 and 6. Their last... At the window division. on the road at one o'clock and now they get tolsey like how lucky is this fucking team is it gonna be tolsey or is it gonna be uh who the fuck cares if it's flinn or tolsey and it's quarterback number three or four true slinn's been cut by the bills sneaky play play the giant st this week giants are hosting green bay giving five with all of what i just said this is the game that the Giants traditionally lose. that home game that they're playing the third stringer and they're supposed to just dominate. Right. They lose this game every year. So I'm picking Great Bay.

48:03 Justin: Me too. All right. Seattle is hosting Minnesota and Seattle's burned me the last couple of weeks. Seattle's favorite at home by 12 and a half and every time they're home and there's more than 10 points I still I always take them. I'm picking against them this week. I'm gonna zag when I Usually Zig. I'm picking Minnesota. because their run defense has looked vulnerable Denver favored by eight and a half. That's too many. I'm picking Kansas City. Banged up Peyton Manning, Kansas City great defense. I think they'll keep it close. Yeah, I think they'll keep it very close, Casey. They play close games. All right, now we're on to the AFC East. Here we go. And our picks. So let me get to that sheet there. And we got, I didn't put the spreads in, so I don't know what they are. But we have San Diego at Miami. I got a chance to watch Miami as did you they're not very good So I like San Diego. They're gonna be able to run the ball with Matthews and wood head Miami's run defense is just awful. They had fourth stringers running on them touch downs white guys Like white guys running all over them. I do that. Yeah, I go there. I'm I'm just looking at you I'm just gonna let you keep talking about white dude run the ball. Why do you keep doing? Just move on. All right, move on. I like San Diego 27 13 your purple. It's hot in here 30 That's what it is Jake: 30 to 13 I Went pretty close with our I went I watched the Miami defense and Miami Dolphins. I'll tell you who isn't bad Tell me. Daniel's not bad. He's not a bad player, but he's behind a silver line. And for some reason... Justin: He had stretches where he looked awful and then he had stretches where he was like, whoa. Jake: That guy looks decent. But their line is just terrible. They can't run. And they're running back head... Nine carries for two yards like he can't run they can't run now. I don't think it's the I don't think it's the players Well, they don't think those running backs are as good as they think they are now, but they can't run they don't run They're not gonna be able to run. They're gonna lose 30-30. They can't block Justin: Then we're gonna go to the Monday night game Which is probably the game of the week if not, New Orleans I guess this is kind of the game of the week You got the the Pats going to Carolina and Carolina just played like the game of this Incarnation of the Panthers life. Yep. They went to San Francisco. They beat San Francisco

51:02 Justin: In a game that like it was very much in the mold of This is how both teams play very similar styles with similar quarterbacks and similar and similar game plans and big defenses, so New England Jake: Yeah, I just don't. I... I know that defense is good. I know they put... I just... You said it two weeks ago, I just watched the Patriots put up a 55 burger. 55. Um, I don't think that the 49ers are a powerhouse offense. I've seen the Panthers play. I don't know, I just, I feel like this is a game where Patriots just go in and be like, yeah, you're not who you think you are. We are who you want to be and we're gonna take it away from you. I feel like this is a jet that would just, crush us. So I feel like they'll stick it in there, but I just don't see them stopping Tom Brady off a, bye, healthy, Riggott players back. Justin: I don't know I love this game. I love watching the Jets. Jake: in a second time in the Jets, watch the Jets play while in, in San Francisco. Justin: I love it. We probably won that time we destroyed them. I want to destroy them again You know they of a lot of guys not playing They're, I think both their starting wide receivers. One of them is definitely not playing. Robert Woods. Oh yeah. And Stevie Johnson is not practicing. I don't think he's going to play either. Their running game is a mess. Jake: Right. And we have a great run, D. Justin: We have a great run, D. I'm not afraid of that. So I'm not afraid of this team whatsoever. Their defense is good. I think that we will not score like we did last time. That was like a big explosion. We scored like 27 points or so. But coming off the bye, I feel really good. I feel like they'll be very prepared. I feel like they're going to try and control the game with the running game. get Ivory going, get Powell going, get some weapons back, Holmes is gonna play, I think. Winslow is back, Cumberland is back, Curly's out, we just still cannot go with a complete compliment, never. But I like us to win 16 to 7. Jake: What's your key to the castle? Justin: The line of scrimmage is always my key to the castle.

54:03 Jake: OK, that's great. That's why you're the pressure. Justin: Last time, I think we had like seven or eight sacks on this guy. Let's do that again. Jake: Yeah, I think, that's that's what's going to Justin: or even Robert would in that first guy like he's got worse weapons than we do in that earth in that first game he was Jake: Hurried and throwing over people's heads within seconds. We're catching them at good points Justin: because we caught them early in the year, right and He missed basically all of training camp because of his knee And now he's still a rookie. Like he's still very much a rookie. Like Geno Smith is like, OK, you're in the second half of the season. You've started nine games. It's like you're moving into like the second half of that rookie season. This dude manual is still very much like he's like still starting out from scratch again because he's just been hurt. So I can't see them moving the ball. I just don't see how they're going to move the ball against us. Unless they just throw deep over and over and over and just hit on some of them. Jake: Now I think the key of the castle for this one is... The same as it's always been. If we go back to our game plan which is... For this one it's all D. We played D, run. But I still want... I don't want the Jett to follow this like we're just gonna throw it 10 times a game. They need to take the shots. I think the shots still work. I saw them do it. They did it down in Tampa Bay, like this stupid fucking quarterback. He still throws like one down and there's a pass interference and here you are all the way down the field. Like, you could either run 50 times and get down the field or throw it once. a home?s back. I know you're not rolling coverage towards homes, but it think it helps. It'll help Hill. I think this will be a good Hill game. I can see Hill with two touchdowns. I'm calling it right now. Two touchdowns. Justin: That's the key of the castle. Jake: Maybe. All right, well we'll see. Justin: I feel like Friday's gonna be like a day that we could just do this. Might be doing it from a different studio. Jake: On a different studio. All right, we'll be back next week, Friday. Jake and Justin, as always, gotta go. Go Jets.