- 2 days ago
Mike Yam of NFL Network joins Willard and Dibs to preview 49ers vs. Chargers in preseason Week 2 and more.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00I respect the hell out of people who hit the red button when the spam call comes through.
00:06You don't answer that and start yelling at someone. You just give them a big no,
00:11which is apparently what Mike did to our producers about five minutes ago. Hey, buddy,
00:15how are you? Hey, first of all, I always appreciate the invite. It's always great
00:20to hear from you, Mark. But look, the number comes up as spam. I know I'm not alone. I am
00:26not alone in this process. You like the amount of like phone calls that we all get, people telling
00:31me about, you know, like this Ponzi scheme that I need to take a part of. There's insurance apparently
00:36that's overdue, a bill that needs to get paid, something. I'm like, I'm not dealing with this.
00:41So I apologize. So I'm ready to rock and roll. We got some ball. The NFL season is almost here.
00:46So I'm looking forward to it. It's on us. There's no way, two ways about that. If it comes up
00:51in spam,
00:52I'd have done the same thing. But yeah, let's, let's talk ball. Um, when you look at, uh, at a
00:59situation like tonight, 49ers and chargers, um, I, I just wonder kind of where your mind goes right
01:06now. We know we're not going to see the starters for very long, but are there some specific position
01:11battles, maybe some specific players that you're looking forward to seeing tonight in this matchup?
01:18Yeah, I think there's a lot of tentacles in a story like this. And you guys know, you've been
01:22around the game long enough where it's so hard to put too much stock in, in what we see in
01:27the
01:27preseason. And I know, look, we're all dying to get to the regular season and we've been starved for,
01:32for football for so long that, you know, sometimes we, we hitch our wagons to a small sample size,
01:38not really knowing situationally what's happening. You know, vanilla defenses where DCs don't want to go
01:43and throw out their best stuff. Offensive coordinators probably thinking the same thing. So it's a
01:47little hard sometimes to assess, I will say big picture. I think there's some good stuff here.
01:52Number one, uh, Amari and Hampton, who I think came on last year a little bit. And I think there
01:57was a leveled up expectation. I think from a charger's perspective though, with Mike McDaniel,
02:01now calling some of these plays, you know, I've, we've had a couple of people at NFL network that
02:05have been at those practices. They keep saying the joint practices this week, Hampton was putting some
02:09dudes on, on their back. And I want to see if there's some pop, how, you know, how does a
02:14guy like
02:14that look once the season starts coming around. And I also say a little more concern from a
02:20charger's offensive line perspective last year, or Sean Slater got banged up. Um, Joe all got
02:26banged up. Um, Biotic is a guy that they, they signed to be their center. He just got hurt. He's
02:32going to be out for an extended period of time. So Harbaugh do an interview and I'm like, man,
02:35like this dude always got this buzz and this energy and this moxie when he's talking about the Biotic
02:40injury, you could see a little bit of melancholy there, which I think to me signals some real
02:45concern and probably frustration around the health of some of those offensive linemen. So
02:49that's a little bit on the charger side. And then you guys know you're in the Bay. I feel like
02:54every
02:54time I pop on with you guys, it's a little bit of rinse and repeat on the health of some
02:58of these
02:58players. And I think that has got to be the most frustrating thing for Niners fans these last few
03:04years, you know, Christian McCaffrey in these seasons where we're talking about, you know, 400 plus
03:09touches, almost 400 plus touches that following year. There's some sort of issue. And I know we've
03:15been talking about tightness now for about a week and a half or so, you know, what, how effective is
03:19CMC going to be, you know, during the course of the season? Definitely something I'm monitoring
03:23George Kittle. What's he going to look like when he's ready to rock and roll? I think there's some
03:27unknowns right now with this Niner squad, but there's still a ton of upside because you guys know
03:32the talent is on this roster. And I know there's focus on Seattle. There's focus on the Rams
03:36as there should be. But I think in some ways, if this team is right and they're healthy, they're as
03:42dangerous as any in the league. And last year, they weren't necessarily right or healthy. Their
03:46starting quarterback missed almost half the entire regular season, yet they went 12 and five. When you
03:51look back, Mike, at the Niners season, are you a little surprised at how much success they had?
03:58No question. I don't know how you can't be. I mean, we were talking about it on NFL Network a
04:01ton.
04:02You know, this might be Kyle Shanahan is one of the best coaches in the NFL, but I think the
04:06job that
04:06he did a year ago, you know, if he needed to put like a reel and a resume tape out
04:11there like
04:11broadcasters do, just watch the season. Look at what he was able to navigate. The injuries that
04:16continue to mount up, give credit to Mac Jones and him coming in to pinch hit for Brock Purdy. But
04:21schematically, what Christian was able to do on the football field, navigating also some of these
04:26injuries and the health of this football team, they earned every single win that they got last year.
04:31And I think the biggest reason you can point to their success, obviously the guys that stepped
04:36up that next man up mentality, but the job that Kyle did was was second to none. I think
04:41Mike, when you look at a matchup like this, and this has been happening in the Bay a lot this
04:45week,
04:46whenever there's a joint practice, we compare the coaches, we compare the quarterbacks, we kind
04:49of get into it a little bit. So I wonder how you compare and contrast Brock Purdy and Justin
04:55Herbert, Herbert, a top 10 pick, how it's their arm, the height. He's got all those
05:00measurables. And then, but he doesn't have a playoff win at you, right? And then there's
05:05Brock Purdy, little guy, seventh round, been to a Superbowl, multiple NFC title games. How
05:10do you blend all of that and come out with some sort of an opinion?
05:15Well, let me ask you this, Mark. How about, and I'm not trying to get away from your question.
05:19If I said to you, which guy, if you're starting your franchise, which guy would you want?
05:24Which way would you lean?
05:25Justin Herbert.
05:26Yeah, I think a lot of people would. And by the way, I'm not saying that's even the
05:29right answer. I'm just saying that I think most people would lean that way because I
05:33think there's been a little bit of disrespect that Brock Purdy has gotten. I know a bunch
05:37of years we're doing these shows and people were talking about him as a system guy. And
05:42I always felt like that was disparaging. Brock Purdy has earned the contract. Brock Purdy
05:45has had success. He's been able to deliver in the system that Kyle Shanahan has put in front
05:51of him. I think the difference, too, is also like organizationally. And I don't know if
05:55this is a topic that you guys have discussed when comparing not only these quarterbacks
05:59with these franchises. It's still the Niners, right? I mean, it's still the San Francisco
06:0549ers. Those dudes take the field in those uniforms. That still looks a certain way.
06:09And there's some moxie. There's some confidence. That's a franchise that is as well known and
06:13as iconic as we have in the entire league. And then you got the Chargers in a city like
06:18Los Angeles that's still in the shadow of the Rams. And quite frankly, both of those
06:22teams don't get a ton of love. I mean, there's that running joke, right? In Los Angeles, when
06:27the Rams have a home game, sometimes it still feels like a road game for those dudes. And
06:31I think there's at times, I think it is meaningful to understand what it takes to win and the culture
06:39that's there. And I do think Harbaugh has brought that because it has shifted since he's been
06:43there. I thought last year, guys, was going to be the year for the Chargers because the
06:48roster was pretty darn talented. But I made reference to that offensive line issues that
06:53they have. It's still playing in the trenches. We all know that. And I don't think that they
06:58were able to overcome it. The problem is quarterback is sometimes a beauty contest. And I think
07:02when you look at Justin Herbert and you throw those traits out like you did, it's hard not
07:07to go, damn, that guy is good because he's so frigging talented. But at the same time, you
07:12got a winner. And Brock might not look like Justin Herbert out there, but still a talented
07:17quarterback, still a guy that's got a great roster. And I think the winds have piled up
07:20because of a leadership be that franchise and understanding what it takes to win. I think
07:26the Chargers are still trying to figure that out. And are they trying to figure out their
07:30identity? Because the Jim Harbaugh offenses have always seemed to be, you know, multiple
07:34tight ends, big running backs. We're going to play physical. But now you've got this great
07:38elite thrower of the football. Are they still trying to find their identity, Mike?
07:42I think it's a great point because I think even if you go back and Bay Area fans will
07:46appreciate this when, you know, Harbaugh's at Stanford, right? Like, how did that program
07:51shift? It's exactly what you just described. In the trenches, big bodies, up front, run the
07:56football, and we're just going to smash you. And I think that that was something that goes
08:00back to maybe that melancholy reference that I had to Harbaugh when Biotic goes down and
08:06you can just sort of see the disappointment there. But I think you're right. I think this team
08:11came in with Harbaugh thinking that that was going to be the path. And I'm not saying
08:15it's not, but it's Mike McDaniel now that's going to be calling these plays. Like, that's
08:20different. I think about what he accomplished in Miami and a lot of the motion, the anticipatory
08:26throws at Tua had, you know, just a plethora of options at wide receiver spot. I think there's
08:32going to be some really cool wrinkles to this offense where we might find another level of
08:37success and, you know, just statistical, you know, performances that are off the charts
08:42from Justin Herbert, because I think of, you know, what the scheme could be. And I would
08:46circle back to Hampton too, because I really do think that he's going to be a pretty big
08:49focal point to what that offense is going to look like.
08:52Our friend Mike Yam, NFL Network, is with us on Willard & Dibs 95.7 The Game, and it is
08:57later tonight on NFL Network that the 49ers will play the Chargers. Okay, Yammer, you, I'm
09:02sure, you know, you've taken a look at this division. It's getting a lot of
09:06discussion. You've got the Super Bowl champ, you've got the Super Bowl favorite, and then
09:10you've got the 49ers. But how do you, how do you pull this apart and handicap those three
09:15this year?
09:16All right, so there's a couple ways that I would do this. Number one, if I was on radio
09:20in Seattle right now, my answer might be different. If I was on a radio station in Los Angeles,
09:24it may be a little different. So it's know your audience, right? But because it does feel
09:28like the Rams right now, guys, and you know this on paper, like, tell me the roster that's
09:33better in the league.
09:34No, there isn't one.
09:35I just, yeah, there isn't one.
09:36Exactly. And it's bonkers because you've got a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Donald
09:39who could be on the football field at week one, too. Like, I mean, he, just because of
09:43Miles Garrett's presence there, he might get double-digit sacks and not even be the same
09:49AD that we've seen in the past. I mean, like, that's, it's just ridiculous. We don't even
09:53talk nearly enough about McDuffie and Watson now about that secondary. I don't even know
09:57what side of the football's better. Is it their offense with some of the weapons that
10:00they got with Stafford and Puka or is it their defense? Like we can, that's a conversation
10:04from another time. I think there's still the team to be, uh, came close. Obviously they
10:09lost in the margins against Seattle. Um, there are some people that will tell you, Hey, they're
10:14the champs. You got to respect that. Like I get it, but I don't know if I would put Seattle
10:19in front of them. They just lost their offensive coordinator, right? Like, you know, Walker's
10:22gone from that team. I think there's some questions right now around that roster. I'm not
10:26saying that they're not one of the premier teams in the NFL, but I'm just saying, Hey, every
10:29year's a new year. Like it doesn't really matter what happened last year. The coaches
10:32will tell you that. And if the coaches are saying it, I don't think we can slot them
10:36in as the favorite. That's just my personal opinion. And I, I will, I will stand on what
10:41I said before. If San Francisco is healthy, I think they are right there with those other
10:46teams. I don't know if they're better than the Rams, but on a, on a random Sunday, and
10:50by the way, you know, the faithful in the Bay seem to travel really well. Uh, it's a short
10:54distance to Los Angeles. I'm at work right now. I'm looking at SoFi stadium. There's a lot
10:58of fans that are there. And, and in those matchups, it might feel like a Niners home
11:02game there. So, you know, some of these like little intangible things could, could San
11:06Francisco in there, right? Beat the Rams. Hell yeah, they can. Like, absolutely. Do
11:09I think the division still goes through Los Angeles? I do. I still think they're the team
11:13to beat.
11:13Is there a certain amount of urgency for the Rams in that they have so many great veteran
11:18players that perhaps their window could be closing if they don't get it done this year?
11:23Yeah. I think there's something to that. Although there's a couple of, you know, whenever I hear
11:28that phrase and we use it sometimes too, like we've been saying this about Buffalo for a
11:32while, like at some point we're going to be right. Right. Like, but they still got, you
11:36know, a superhero and Josh Allen out there. And now they got DJ Moore and it feels like,
11:39all right, maybe they got a chance. And it's new coach with Joe Brady. Like, I don't think
11:42their door has closed. Um, I think people are scared to say Kansas city's doors closed. I am
11:48cause they got 15 and you know, if my homes is right and it looks like he's going to be
11:51ready for week number one, coming off the ACL. I'm not counting those dudes out, but you
11:55know, if they, if they're, if they struggle and they don't make the post season, like
11:59would I be surprised? No. But if they go and win that division, like, am I going to be
12:02surprised? No. Um, I think for the Rams, you're right. There's some vets on this squad. I
12:07don't think Aaron Donald decides, Hey, I'm contemplating a return. If, if the unit doesn't
12:13look the way that it does, like if the Rams were a, a sorry looking roster right now, we're
12:18not having this conversation about AD, AD out of the kindness of his heart. I don't
12:22think Donald would say, Hey, you know what? I'm going to go help out this squad. Like
12:25I just don't, I don't buy that. Um, I, I do think that there's some veterans on this
12:29team that look at the expectation level and know that they were close a season ago and
12:34just go, yo, we just got the defensive player of the year. Like we have a future hall of
12:38famer coming to our roster at the peak of his powers. We got another one that's coming
12:42off the couch, ready to go. And I've seen some of those workouts. We just improved our
12:46secondary. Um, now is the time. I don't even think that this team could be thinking about
12:51a closed window, knowing how talented this roster is. Got to focus just on this season.
12:56Scary stuff in the NFC West. No doubt. Uh, buddy, always good to hear your voice. Thank
13:01you so much for coming on.
13:03I appreciate it. I'm going to save the number, the one eight, eight, eight number. And when
13:07you guys call next time, I know it's not spam. I'll just, when they call, I'll text and
13:12be like, dude, pick up. I appreciate you guys. Enjoy these games. Okay. Have a good
13:19broadcast tonight. Thank you so much. I can. Yep. NFL network.
Comments