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00:00I can't stress enough how much I love the Cowboys.
00:04There are no excuses.
00:05This team should be in the mix, will be in the mix for the Super Bowl.
00:10I don't back off my take at all.
00:12I credit the Giants.
00:14Now, beat the hell out of the Washington Commanders, and it's going to happen.
00:19Don't stop.
00:21Keep it coming, baby.
00:23Don't stop.
00:32Drink it in, you know?
00:34Like, this is, enjoy this.
00:37You know, enjoy this.
00:38This is, this will be one of those places that, you know, it'll be, it's going to be loud.
00:47Their fan base is outstanding.
00:49You know, they're a lot like our fan base, man.
00:52They love it, and they show up, and they're loud, and they're all in.
00:58And now you're in a new stadium.
01:00You know, it's a new environment, and it's, this is the first one in that place, the christening.
01:04It's going to be outstanding energy.
01:06You know, the city of Buffalo is this, it's a night that they deserve, right?
01:10And it's going to be an outstanding environment, and it's where we want to be, and we want to
01:16play under the lights, and we want to do all that.
01:18So let's embrace it, you know, and now it's an opportunity for us to show kind of our conviction
01:22and what we believe in and not feel like we have to put on a show, more concerned with
01:27trying to put on a clinic.
01:28How's that for a start to thirsty Thursday on Shine Time?
01:33Dan Campbell telling his team to drink it in.
01:36Joe Brady is ready for that ambiance.
01:39That's ultimately going to be unbelievable, as we have the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions
01:44in Buffalo to officially christen the new Highmark Stadium.
01:50I can't wait for this game on Thursday Night Football.
01:53In fact, I'm ready to jump through a table, Bills Mafia style.
01:57Joe Brady nailed it.
01:58These fans deserve it.
02:00The Buffalo deserves it.
02:01The fan base is unbelievable.
02:03And when you take a look at the pictures of this new stadium, it is going to be something
02:10extra special.
02:11They built it beautifully.
02:13It is pristine.
02:15State-of-the-art.
02:16Gorgeous.
02:17And look at the way the different layers are structured.
02:21Because what we're talking about is a stadium that when the Bills have the lean, it's going
02:27to rock.
02:28The crowd is mostly covered.
02:30So there's going to be an element of what you hear in terms of the decimal level, like
02:35in Seattle or Minnesota.
02:38Buffalo obviously is known for having an amazing fan base and crowd.
02:42Anyway, now at home with a gorgeous new stadium on Amazon Prime tonight, center stage, this
02:50place is going to rock and roll.
02:51Now, when I had Josh Allen on my Sirius XM radio show before the season started, he made
02:56the point to me, it's going to rock and roll when we have the lead.
03:00And it's incumbent upon us, the Bills players, to ultimately give the fans something to cheer
03:05for.
03:06Look, these are two teams that since 2023 know how to win in the regular season.
03:13These are a couple of teams that understand how to pour on the points.
03:17So the entertainment value tonight is going to be absolutely off the charts.
03:21And I think that Joe Brady's team is absolutely going to be ready to shine.
03:26I think that the offense is going to be dynamite.
03:29I think that the fans in Buffalo are going to give Joe Brady a hero's welcome.
03:34You got to remember, this is Joe Brady's first game as the head coach in Buffalo.
03:39First game for DJ Moore playing wide receiver in Buffalo.
03:43Preseason's nice.
03:44Now, especially for DJ Moore after five catches for 100 yards against Houston last week, he's
03:50going to get a hero's welcome.
03:52And Josh Allen's going to get him the ball.
03:54And Josh Allen is going to get an ovation fit for a king.
03:59He's the best player in the National Football League.
04:01He's Buffalo's favorite son.
04:03And he's going to put on a clinic and a display.
04:06I think Dalton Kincaid is going to have a big game tonight.
04:09And here's the beauty.
04:10And I think the bill is going to be close to 40 points tonight.
04:14I think Allen's going to be vintage, right?
04:16He's going to be amazing.
04:17He's going to march the ball up and down the field on the Detroit Lions, who were dreadful
04:22on defense.
04:23We're going to look at what they did against New Orleans in the second half.
04:25And Allen's coming off of, as you see right here, an incredible ball game against the
04:31Texans in Houston, a previous house of horrors when you look at what Josh Allen's daughter
04:37has not done throughout his career against the Houston Texans.
04:41As gaudy as the stats were for Allen against Houston, I think this is going to be a James
04:48Cook game.
04:48I think James Cook is going to remind people tonight that he was the one who was the league
04:54leader in rushing yards one year ago.
04:57I think James Cook is going to give the Buffalo Bills $1.25 on the ground.
05:02I think Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid, DJ Moore will help Buffalo jump out to a lead.
05:08And then it's going to be James Cook, absolutely dominant, running the football, catching it
05:14out of the backfield for Josh Allen.
05:15And I think the MVP tonight of this particular game, matchup-wise, is going to turn out to
05:21be James Cook.
05:22Now, Buffalo's defense has to show up.
05:25Shamir Gibbs is unbelievable.
05:27And you look at Gibbs and what he did in the last game against New Orleans to start the
05:32season.
05:32We're talking about 29 carries, 34 touches.
05:36We're talking about Gibbs now carrying the mail with David Montgomery in Houston.
05:43And Montgomery last week was phenomenal running against this Buffalo Bills defense.
05:48So I'm sure that Jameer Gibbs is licking his chops.
05:52I also think someone like Jared Goff is kind of built for this, right?
05:56It's all about, you know, a christening.
05:58It's about a new stadium.
05:59It's about fans being off the charts, deafening noise.
06:03Jared Goff is not only a terrific player, he's a pro's pro.
06:07He's got a calm to him.
06:09He's been through it all.
06:10He's seen it all.
06:11And I think he's built for a moment like this.
06:14Having said all of it, I would be stunned if the Buffalo Bills lost.
06:19I think the Bills absolutely will be in position to win this game, will win this game by double
06:25digits.
06:25I think that the Buffalo Bills are going to give their fans something to cheer about.
06:29And the fact that they won against Houston in Houston, how they won in Houston against
06:36Houston, where they got a little bit of luck, which is not a bad thing.
06:40Bills never get luck.
06:41Where Lasser dropped the pick and then bam!
06:43Josh Allen with that missile on third and 11.
06:46And what he was able to do throwing that touchdown on that Nolan Ryan fastball to Joshua Palmer
06:52in the back of the end zone.
06:54So I think this game is going to ultimately be a Bills win.
06:59We're looking for reasons to believe this year's team is different.
07:03This is handling success and prosperity.
07:06Lions have a lot of big time players, but I don't think their line is very good on offense.
07:12I think Bradley Chubb has a monster game tonight.
07:15I think James Cook has a monster game tonight.
07:17And I think that you're going to see the Bills defense play even better than what we saw
07:22in week number one.
07:24So I'm going to take a final score tonight of Buffalo 38th, Detroit 28th.
07:29As far as my shines, lines, parlay pick for this game, we're going to go with the Buffalo
07:35Bills and lay the five and a half.
07:37James Cook, anytime touchdown.
07:40Dalton Kincaid, who was over 100 yards, five catches, 130 in game number one.
07:46Talked to Tony Gonzalez, the Hall of Fame tight end of my SiriusXM radio show today.
07:51He's going to be part of the Prime Video crew, as he always is.
07:54He thinks Dalton Kincaid is elite.
07:56That's all I needed to hear from my guy, Tony Gonzalez.
07:59I don't need, you know, 120 yards plus from Dalton Kincaid.
08:04I just need 50 plus.
08:05And yes, we're going to bang the over.
08:08So the odds on this puppy, you can get it at plus 625.
08:12So we are fired up for Bills football, fired up for our shine lines, same game parlay.
08:19The Bengals are going to try to match what the Bills did in week number one, looking for
08:23a win against the Texans in Houston.
08:25And Cincinnati fans have caused for concern after Joe Burrow popped up on the injury report
08:31with back tightness.
08:33But Joe Kuhl says, fear not.
08:36Every game is so important to me.
08:38I'm going to do what it takes to be out there.
08:39If I'm not getting surgery, I'll be out there.
08:41So I appreciate and applaud what Joe Burrow is saying.
08:45And he's going to be out there.
08:47And you know, that's, that's great.
08:51But here's what I heard.
08:52Joe Burrow back tightness.
08:54And nobody loves Joe Burrow more than me.
08:57Nobody loves the 2026 Bengals more than me.
08:59We picked the Bills and the Bengals to meet each other on Championship Sunday.
09:03And I love what we saw from the Bengals and how they won against Tampa Bay.
09:08And Burrow was good, not great.
09:11Jamar Chase was eh.
09:12Tee Higgins was eh.
09:13They won on defense.
09:15And that was a huge compliment.
09:16Because they spent all that money on defense.
09:19They made the trades.
09:20They brought in veterans.
09:22And that was awesome.
09:24That was inspiring.
09:25Any injury for Joe Burrow is a problem.
09:28It's a concern.
09:29It's under the umbrella, simply put, of not what you want.
09:33Because the injury history for Joe Burrow is real.
09:38And I'm not going to sit here and go nuts.
09:41I'm not a doctor when it comes to Joe Burrow and his back.
09:46But this is a body of work.
09:48And I think Joe Burrow is unbelievable.
09:50Not good, not great.
09:52Phenomenal.
09:53Top four or five quarterback in the NFL.
09:55But when you have a laundry list of injuries,
09:57and you have, in six years in the NFL, three seasons out,
10:01have been derailed by injuries, this is a big deal.
10:05It's a big concern.
10:07And frankly, the matchup scares me.
10:11The matchup scares me because it's the Houston Texans.
10:14The matchup scares me because it's Will Anderson and company.
10:17And they got embarrassed.
10:20And I've never said that before about Will Anderson and Stingley
10:23and Hunter and D'Amico Ryan's defense.
10:25They got humiliated by the Buffalo Bills last week.
10:29So this, to me, was, and it still is, an epic game.
10:34Great matchup.
10:35You know, kind of on the fence in terms of who I was going to pick.
10:40Well, that's it.
10:41If Joe Burrow's back is problematic, you can give me the Houston Texans.
10:46Because Will Anderson, you already knew he was going to be salty.
10:49You already knew he was going to be fired up.
10:51He was my pick for the Defensive Player of the Year.
10:54They sacked Josh Allen in Houston eight times last year.
10:58That Bengals offensive line is not going to be confused with the Redskins
11:02and the Hogs from the 1980s.
11:04So that is a big deal.
11:07So I firmly believe that you're going to see the Texans
11:12make Joe Burrow feel some pain.
11:14I think that they are going to certainly bludgeon that offensive line.
11:19I really think the Texans were probably going to get a victory anyway.
11:25But now, if you're a Bengals fan, this is a nightmare.
11:28You should just be worried about playing Houston in Houston,
11:32not Joe Burrow's back.
11:34There was no sign.
11:35There was no medical report.
11:37There was no sideline report during the Bucs game.
11:39There was no limp.
11:40He wasn't hunched over.
11:42This is not what you want if you're a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals.
11:46So, this is a deal.
11:48There's no other way to frame it.
11:50And I think it gives the edge and shifts everything to Houston.
11:54And I just hope, because I love the Bengals.
11:58I love Joe Burrow.
12:00I'm not even worried about win or loss, right?
12:03This is one of those where you can do the schedule before the beginning of the season.
12:07It's a crazy exercise.
12:08Win-loss, win-loss.
12:09It's a game I expected the Bengals to compete in, but lose when it was all said and done.
12:14You look at the schedule and you say, okay, they beat Tampa Bay,
12:17they go on the road, and they lose against Houston.
12:19So, all I want now is health.
12:24Like, that's officially what I'm rooting for if I'm a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals.
12:28I'm not even worried about, well, can we beat the Houston Texans?
12:32I want to worry about and wonder aloud about, can Joe Burrow survive the Houston Texans?
12:39That's all I care about from a Cincinnati Bengals perspective.
12:43Sticking with the theme of banged-up quarterbacks,
12:45the Seahawks have officially ruled out Sam Darnold for week number two with the glued entry.
12:50They are opting, and this is important here, not to place him on IR.
12:55So, that means we're going to have Drew Locke under center for Seattle
12:59as they travel to take on the Cardinals, and the 1-0 Arizona Cardinals coming up this week.
13:05Now, Arizona is clearly a better team, more buttoned-up team, more well-coached team
13:12than, you know, ultimately at the end of the day.
13:15A lot of people, myself included, thought that they were going to be.
13:18Drew Locke is Drew Locke, right?
13:22I thought Drew Locke also did a nice job in an impossible circumstance
13:25when Sam Darnold got hurt when you look at what transpired,
13:28and ultimately week number one where Darnold got hurt in the first quarter
13:32and Locke had to come in, and the numbers, I thought, were really solid.
13:37He had that, you know, delay game penalty at one point in the second half in the red zone.
13:41Listen, we're talking about a guy who wasn't expecting to play,
13:45first-time play caller for, and a new play caller for the Seattle Seahawks.
13:49I thought Drew Locke was ridiculously solid.
13:53I would also be stunned if the Seahawks lost this game,
13:58and it's all, you know, I know I've been picking against the Cardinals
14:02and believing they're going to be a terrible team, you know, since the schedule came out,
14:06but I think Drew Locke can absolutely beat Arizona.
14:10I think Drew Locke can absolutely, when it's all said and done, beat the Washington Commanders.
14:17We said last week, after Darnold got hurt, that I didn't expect him to play for the month of September.
14:23So you look at the schedule for the Seattle Seahawks, and honestly, I know we're not going to see them,
14:29listening to Mike McDonald, right?
14:30And I know they have a couple of road games.
14:33I don't care.
14:34And listen, we'll see what happens with the Chargers over the next couple weeks,
14:38but can the Seahawks beat the Chargers without Sam Darnold?
14:43Yeah, they can.
14:45Of course they can, because Mike McDonald's an unbelievable coach,
14:49and I think that if you don't think of it that way, you need to, because he is phenomenal.
14:54He gets the Seahawks to gel, and he maximizes them, and the offensive line is strong,
14:59and Jackson Smith and Jigba is special, and they can run the ball with authority,
15:04and I think that the Price is going to be right in terms of the rookie running back.
15:08And, of course, this week we're going to have Price versus Love.
15:10Obviously, they were teammates at Notre Dame together, and that defense is just unbelievable.
15:15So I absolutely think that you are going to see the Seattle Seahawks go to Arizona
15:24and smother the Cardinals.
15:27I think this will be a victory for Seattle, and we're already calling our shot for next week,
15:33and it really hits home just how I don't, at the end of the day,
15:36have any kind of faith or belief or trust in the Washington Commanders.
15:42The Seattle Seahawks are not going to lose a game in September with Drew Locke,
15:46and I still, I live for Sam Darnold.
15:48They need Sam Darnold to ultimately beat San Francisco coming up,
15:51and it goes noted again, not putting him on injured reserve,
15:55because that would be a minimum of four games that he would be out.
15:58So they're leaving that, you know, window open where Darnold could play in that fourth game of this injury trip,
16:05if you will.
16:06So this way, if he's healthy, he could play going up against San Francisco.
16:11So that's what I'm looking for when it comes to the Seattle Seahawks.
16:15It speaks to John Schneider's roster, speaks to the domination of the defense.
16:19Mike McDonald is a phenomenal head coach, and I think the Seahawks will beat the Cardinals.
16:26I think the Seahawks will beat the Washington Commanders, even with Drew Locke under center.
16:31My favorite matchup of week number two in the NFL, it's the Vikings and the Bears in Chicago.
16:38I live for this kind of stuff.
16:40We have one of the elite offensive minds in football with Ben Johnson and his guy Caleb Williams,
16:45facing off with one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, Brian Flores.
16:49And it sounds like they are looking forward to it as well.
16:53This week is not fun during the week, but when you get to game day and you get to get
16:58out there,
16:59all the reps, all the, you know, throughout the week, all the, you know, film and things like that,
17:03to be able to get out there and compete first.
17:04Their defense was they have, you know, they got great players over there,
17:07but also, you know, that scheme is one of a kind.
17:11Ben's certainly a challenge.
17:12I mean, any type of offense that's out there, whether it's ground and pound,
17:19whether it's, you know, run and shoot, whether it's RPO, whether it's, you know, four by one, he's got it.
17:27And so what are we getting week to week?
17:32It's hard to know.
17:33And so a lot of the game is adjustments.
17:36Hey, if they do this, we want to do that.
17:38If they do that, we want to do this.
17:39And we're going to have our own game plan to start.
17:42Is there ever a trap to avoid of just overthinking and trying to guess what he thinks you think he
17:48thinks you think he thinks you're going to do?
17:50Yeah, yeah.
17:51Yes, there is.
17:52How do you avoid going down a path where you're just overthinking?
17:58I'm in that path right now.
18:01I love this.
18:02And if you love sports, this is your favorite matchup this week.
18:05I can't wait for this game on the NFL and Fox because I love a chess match like this.
18:10And you could hear the respect that Brian Flores has for Ben Johnson.
18:13Ben Johnson has for Brian Flores.
18:15And look at their history.
18:17When you look at, in the division, you look at Flores, you look at Ben Johnson.
18:22And Johnson's been doing this for a minute, going up against Brian Flores.
18:26And obviously, you know, a lot of these games are when he was coaching up the Detroit Lions offense.
18:32So this, to me, is noteworthy.
18:36And it is interesting, if you look at last year, where the team split, right?
18:42You saw Brian Flores.
18:44One game, he was blitzing left and right.
18:47Another game, he was not.
18:48And if you go back to the loss that the Chicago Bears had and the one loss that you see
18:54on the board right there,
18:55that was a game where Brian Flores absolutely blitz the hell out of Caleb Williams.
19:01And in a great year for Chicago, you can make the case that that was, without question,
19:06the worst game that Caleb Williams had all season long.
19:10Now, Ben Johnson has said, we want this offense to be elite.
19:15We want it to be special.
19:16We want it to be the best offense in the history of the National Football League.
19:19And, you know, obviously, the nuggets of domination from what the Bears did to the Carolina Panthers,
19:2559 points, unbelievable.
19:27Their ability to throw was incredible.
19:29Their ability to run was sensational.
19:31Everything that the Chicago Bears did was just off the charts remarkable when you take a look at it.
19:39So, I give the Bears offense the edge always.
19:44Caleb Williams is special.
19:47They put up all those numbers.
19:49And at the end of the day, Colston Loveland had zero, nothing, no catches, no yards.
19:55They had too many penalties.
19:56So, in a lot of ways, Chicago, as majestic as the point total was, they can play even better.
20:03But I think Flores and that defense, they're unbelievable.
20:07And you've got to remember, because I think it's important, you know, it's just between week one and week two.
20:11You can't have amnesia on some of your takes before the season.
20:15I picked both these teams to make the playoffs.
20:19I love the Minnesota Vikings.
20:21I love how Kevin O'Connell coaches.
20:23I love how Brian Flores coaches on defense.
20:25I picked the Bears to make the playoffs, winning the division.
20:28I picked Minnesota to make the playoffs via the wild card.
20:32So, I give Chicago the edge because they're home.
20:36But I'm telling you, I'm not going to bat an eye here if Minnesota ultimately wins this game.
20:41I think this is a genuine pick-em.
20:44In fact, you know, everyone, it's sexy.
20:47We're talking about it.
20:48They're talking about it with Johnson versus Flores.
20:51I think this game is going to be decided on the flip side.
20:54We've got to wait and see if it's going to be Carson Wentz or Kyler Murray under center for the
20:59Minnesota Vikings.
21:00You know Justin Jefferson is back, and he's feeling great.
21:03And lost in the sauce from week number one, Bears defense was dreadful against the Carolina Panthers.
21:10So, do I think that you could see, ultimately, Mason and you could see Aaron Jones run the ball effectively
21:18against Chicago?
21:19Absolutely.
21:20Do I think Justin Jefferson is going to make plays?
21:22Absolutely.
21:23Carson Wentz feeds him the football.
21:25Do I think Jefferson will get in the end zone again?
21:27Absolutely.
21:28And that means he would move past his touchdown total from a year ago in week number two.
21:32He had two touchdowns last year, two touchdowns last week.
21:35So, that – and now, playing at home, can the Bears defense get better?
21:41So, obviously, the juice and the pop and the sizzle, it's the offense for Chicago against the defense for Minnesota.
21:48I think, ultimately, how this game can be won, on the flip side.
21:53This is my favorite game.
21:55Don't bother me.
21:56I will be watching.
21:57I can't wait for it.
21:59And I do think location here in the Windy City matters when it comes to the Chicago Bears going up
22:06against the Minnesota Vikings.
22:07I would be floored.
22:10Let me just say this right now because it will cut the point total in half.
22:13I think it's offensive to think that Chicago is going to score over 30 points.
22:19You know, people start wondering, are they going to put up a 50-burger again?
22:22Are they going to get 60 this time?
22:24Ben Johnson, best offense ever.
22:26I have way too much respect for Brian Flores, that defense, the players, the talent, the scheme, the matchups.
22:34I think this is going to be an amazing game.
22:37I think both offenses, both teams are going to end up being in the 20s.
22:41I would be stunned if the Chicago Bears even come close to scoring what they did.
22:4759 points week one was just the theater of the absurd in a wonderful way if you're the Chicago Bears.
22:53Love Caleb.
22:54Love this offense.
22:55This is a different kind of task when you're facing Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings.
23:00Coming up next on Thirsty Thursday, we go to the dive bar.
23:05Dak Prescott's Cowboys look to be headed in the wrong direction week number one.
23:09What other teams are trending downward that need to pick it up?
23:12Find out next on Chinatown.
23:20Ah yes, Thirsty Thursday.
23:23And that right there, that is the greatest animation of all time.
23:26I mean, look at this.
23:27How great do I look?
23:29Welcome to the dive bar, where I call out anyone and anything around sports that appears to be taking a
23:36dive.
23:36Heading in the wrong direction.
23:37A need of a turnaround.
23:39Let's start with the Dallas Cowboys.
23:41Look terrible.
23:41Their season opener on Sunday Night Football against the Giants.
23:45And they host the Commanders this week in another divisional matchup.
23:49And I'm saying it right now.
23:51Dallas absolutely will turn it around.
23:54The Dallas Cowboys will beat the Washington Commanders.
23:58And I know Cowboys fans are foaming at the mouth because the defense against the Giants looked eerily similar to
24:06the defense we saw all last year.
24:09The numbers, the stats, the facts, the figures, the feel.
24:12This is amateur hour.
24:14This was a disaster.
24:17And this was on the heels of people like me saying,
24:20And Dallas is going to be great.
24:21And here's Christian Parker calling the plays.
24:24And full season of Quinn Williams.
24:25And here's Rashawn Gary.
24:27And Caleb Downs is going to be the rookie of the year.
24:30Everything that goes into the mix.
24:32Different team.
24:33Different feel.
24:34And I stand by my take that Sunday night was more about the Giants than the Cowboys.
24:41Well, I'm going to need Dallas to back this up for me.
24:45Because I do not in any way, shape, or form back off my take when it comes to how great,
24:52not good, great the Cowboys are going to be this year.
24:56I guarantee the Cowboys win this game.
25:00I guarantee the Cowboys look terrific.
25:04Look at what they do at home in the NFC East.
25:0925-5 since 2016.
25:138-2 against Washington.
25:15And now, you look at the roster.
25:17You look at the talent.
25:18You look at the defense.
25:20You look at everything about Dak Prescott and C.D. Lamb and Javante Williams and George Pickens needs to play
25:27better than what we saw on Sunday night.
25:30I can't stress enough how much I love the Cowboys.
25:34There are no excuses.
25:35This team should be in the mix, will be in the mix for the Super Bowl.
25:39I don't back off my take at all.
25:42I credit the Giants.
25:45Now, beat the hell out of the Washington Commanders.
25:48And it's going to happen.
25:49I think Dak Prescott is going to throw for 400 yards.
25:52I think C.D. Lamb is going to go for eight catches, 150 yards, couple of touchdowns.
25:59I expect Dallas to smoke and smother Washington, humiliate Washington.
26:09If this was a close game, I would be surprised.
26:1435-13.
26:16That is my prediction.
26:18The defense looks amazing.
26:20Dak absolutely dazzles.
26:22Lamb has an unbelievable game.
26:24Everything that we said about the offseason, which was fabulous for the Cowboys, I stand by.
26:31Everything we said about Brian Schottenheimer's team absolutely will live up.
26:36Look at the schedule here for the Dallas Cowboys.
26:39It gets tougher after this week.
26:41And again, games that they absolutely can and will win.
26:45They go to Brazil.
26:46They have Baltimore.
26:47They have the Texans in Houston.
26:49They should absolutely beat Tampa.
26:51They should absolutely beat Green Bay.
26:53Listen, you have to beat Washington.
26:56And even more, look great.
26:59Winning, if you win by one, I'm not going to sit here on Monday on Shine Time and say,
27:04attaboy Dallas.
27:05I want to watch this game on Fox and say the Dallas Cowboys look like a Super Bowl team.
27:14That's my standard for the Dallas Cowboys for this ballgame on Sunday.
27:19Another team that appeared headed in the wrong direction in week one, the New England Patriots,
27:24low-lighted by Drake May's three fourth-quarter interceptions in Seattle.
27:29Here's Mike Vrabel ahead of their matchup with the Steelers at Foxborough on Sunday.
27:34Anything we did in week one wasn't good enough, starting with me.
27:37And again, that's how it is.
27:39Our focus is on the Steelers, and we've made the corrections that I feel like we need to make,
27:43and hopefully we can continue to improve.
27:45And we've said this for as long as I can remember.
27:48The teams that continue to improve are going to be the ones that have a chance at the end.
27:53And we didn't do enough good things last week to win the football game.
27:58And our focus now has to be, you know, on the Steelers coming back in here.
28:05So, I have no confidence in the New England Patriots this week.
28:10Zero.
28:11I expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to go on the road and take care of business in New England.
28:18I think that Drake May has a real problem.
28:22He can't perform against big-time defenses.
28:26Now, when you look at May, 11 turnovers in the last five games.
28:30And we're going back to the playoffs last year.
28:33So, in order, the Chargers, the Texans, the Broncos, the Seahawks, and then week one against the Seahawks.
28:38Now, I don't put the Steelers' defense in that category of elites with those other defenses.
28:44Those are all elite defenses.
28:46But I do think the Steelers' defense is really good.
28:50You have to remember, and you see it on the board right there, Pittsburgh won at New England.
28:56That was a Super Bowl season for the Patriots.
28:59And they won last year in week three.
29:01They're a thousand times better now.
29:04We could talk about Aaron Rodgers having chemistry with his guys.
29:07We could talk about the defense.
29:08We could talk about Mike McCarthy.
29:10T.J. Watt is coming off of an unbelievable game.
29:13That defense played brilliantly last week, and I don't trust that Patriots' offensive line at all.
29:20A.J. Brown is injured and out for this one of Romeo Dobbs, who can't catch a Colt, is your
29:26number one wide receiver.
29:28That's a problem.
29:29So, I expect Drake May to struggle.
29:32I think T.J. Watt is going to be the best player on the field in the Steelers-Patriot game.
29:39I think he is going to dominate.
29:41I think he's going to have a couple of sacks, a bunch of hurries.
29:45Wouldn't he even be surprised if he tied his brother J.J. for his second pick six?
29:51J.J. had two in his incredible first ballot Hall of Fame-to-be career, and T.J. right now
29:56has one.
29:57J.J., by the way, will be calling this game with the great Jim Nance on CBS coming up this
30:01week.
30:02That is part of the theater and the drama.
30:04And so is Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers.
30:07And if they win this game, that is career win as a tandem 100 together.
30:13That will be only the seventh time in the history of the NFL that you have a quarterback and a
30:18head coach win 100 or more games together as a parent.
30:22I think Mike McCarthy, fabulous.
30:25He is a terrific head coach.
30:27I love what he said to his team in the locker room after the week one win.
30:31September football isn't always pretty, which is why if you could survive and advance these September games, listen, you're going
30:37to be in tip-top shape.
30:38Aaron Rodgers and the offense, I would grade them a C.
30:41I don't think they played well at all against Atlanta.
30:44It was kind of choppy.
30:46But I expect that Rodgers is going to be really good to great.
30:50I think he's going to get the ball to D.K. Metcalf.
30:53I think they're going to run the ball much better.
30:55And I expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to win this game.
30:58I think that when you look at Pittsburgh and you understand what this team brings to the table,
31:03I think you have to anticipate that they are, and remember, you've got to go back to some of the
31:08preseason takes, right?
31:10We did not have New England making the playoffs.
31:13We had Pittsburgh.
31:16We talked about this before the season started.
31:19The Patriots are starting the season 0-4.
31:23And this was my take before the A.J. Brown injury.
31:27So I think that Pittsburgh will absolutely win this game.
31:31The Patriots lost against Seattle.
31:33They will lose against Pittsburgh.
31:35They will lose against Jacksonville.
31:37They will lose against the Buffalo Bills.
31:39This is not overreaction to what happened in Week 1.
31:43I'm slamming home a prediction of mine here on Shine Time before the season started.
31:49Last but not least, more mess coming from the highly anticipated LSU Ole Miss matchup in Oxford this weekend.
31:55Lane Kiffin's team is once again in the news.
31:58This time because his quarterback, Sam Levitt, suddenly popped up on the injury report.
32:02As doubtful, is this legit or gamesmanship?
32:07Our great friend Pete Thamel of ESPN had this to say.
32:12No one on the Ole Miss staff is convinced LSU quarterback Sam Levitt's appearance as doubtful on the injury report
32:19is sincere.
32:21And he'll miss the game on Saturday per sources.
32:24So Pete is the best in the business.
32:26And obviously, he's talked to everyone who matters at Ole Miss.
32:32Think about this for a second.
32:34The starting quarterback for LSU out of nowhere listed as doubtful late night on a Wednesday.
32:45The point spread in Vegas does not change.
32:49Thamel has the report that no one at Ole Miss actually thinks he's going to miss the game.
32:54You have to be the biggest con artist and liar with a reputation in the toilet for Vegas, who sets
33:03the point spreads,
33:05for Ole Miss coaches to, at the end of the day, have no confidence that this guy, Lane Kiffin, is
33:13telling the truth.
33:14It's the same Lane Kiffin who lied earlier in the week when he said all the pressure's on Ole Miss
33:20as he returns to Ole Miss.
33:21After he quit on his kids like a coward right before, ultimately, the playoffs started because he wanted to compete
33:29for the playoffs and he took the LSU job,
33:31even though they were going to the playoffs with Ole Miss.
33:34Oh, they have Shambliss.
33:35They got an unbelievable backfield.
33:37They're phenomenal.
33:38Please, all the pressure here is on LSU.
33:41And I don't know what the hell is going on with Sam Levitt.
33:45Do I think he's going to play?
33:46I do.
33:47Until he's not under center to start the game, I believe he will be under center to start the game
33:55because I think that Lane Kiffin is a fabulous coach, but a slippery fraud.
34:01So, nobody is buying it.
34:05Nobody's taking this seriously.
34:07Nobody thinks all the pressure is on Ole Miss in this one.
34:11And, please, that is an amateur hour topic from an amateur in Lane Kiffin.
34:16Coming up, Aaron Judge left yesterday's Yankees game.
34:20Is this the end of all hope for fans of the pinstripes?
34:23Stay here for the answer.
34:32My poor gets better by the minutes.
34:34Welcome back to Thirsty Thursday on Shine Time.
34:37Yankees fans eat or drink after seeing Aaron Judge leave yesterday's loss against the Twins with an injury now identified
34:44as lower leg tightness.
34:48Here's what Judge had to say afterward.
34:50You know, it's just like, I feel like you deal with this every spring training.
34:53You know, usually at the start of the season, once you kind of start ramping up again, things pop up.
34:57And that's where we've been, thankfully, this whole time coming back.
35:00Nothing's really, nothing's really nagged us, so hopefully it's just one little thing and then we're back out there soon.
35:09That's not good.
35:11That's not what you want.
35:14I don't know which word on the topic bar is actually the worst.
35:19Exits?
35:20Lower leg tightness?
35:22Status TBD?
35:23Honestly, this is a disaster.
35:28And if that word sounds strong, is it?
35:32Aaron Judge has talked a lot about ramping up.
35:35And remember, on Shine Time, we made this point that I expected Judge to struggle because in theory, he's coming
35:42back from an injury.
35:43He was out for 99, 100 days.
35:46And, you know, if it wasn't September, if the calendar, let's say, was July or August, he would have gone
35:53down to the minors.
35:55I had an extended distance in Tampa, whatever it was.
35:58He's not ready to be Aaron Judge.
36:00What is Aaron Judge?
36:01The level of arguably the greatest right-handed hero in the history of American League Baseball, three-time MVP.
36:06You look at his stats and what he has done since he's come back.
36:11That is not that guy.
36:14So, now you take these stats, you see lower leg tightness.
36:21You also factor in that the Yankees lost in extra innings.
36:25And, of course, they lost in extra innings.
36:26They always lose in extra innings.
36:27They're the worst extra innings team in baseball because Aaron Boone has no fundamentals.
36:31Team is so sloppy.
36:32They're unsound.
36:33And they are the absolute worst.
36:35They don't know how to advance runners.
36:36Play a little ball.
36:37But I digress.
36:38But not really.
36:39Because judges hurt.
36:41The Yankees lost.
36:42And, you know, any day that ends in a Y, the Rays win.
36:45So, you look at the standings when you start the day today and it's four and a half.
36:50And if the Rays win today, it's going to be five.
36:52And I'm not a doctor.
36:54Occasionally I play one on television.
36:55The Yankees are idle today.
36:57They have Arizona coming up.
36:59And I don't know if Judge is going to play.
37:01And if I'm a betting man, I don't think that he will.
37:04Why would you play him?
37:06So, I would expect, and the Yankees are really good, seriously, when it comes to injuries and
37:10being cautious.
37:11I mean, especially if the Rays win today.
37:15Are we talking about Judge off today?
37:19Because it's an off day.
37:20I mean, I would probably keep him out the entire Arizona series, sit him on Monday, and then
37:27get ready for the double dip against Tampa on Tuesday and then Wednesday, Thursday.
37:32But here's the other thing, which is pretty important here, too.
37:36The Yankees not only need Judge to be Judge on offense for October, they need Judge to
37:43play the outfield because you start looking at the logjam here when it comes to Ben Rice
37:49and you've got Garcia and different Goldschmidt, different configurations.
37:53So, if Judge is the DH, that's going to take a bat out of the lineup playing first base,
38:01perhaps.
38:02So, you need, there's a lot going on here, and none of it's good.
38:06So, I'm disappointed.
38:08And again, I want to make sure we give Tampa credit because the Rays keep winning, which
38:12is part of the problem, I thought that the Yankees would absolutely unequivocally be
38:17in position where if they took three out of four against Tampa, that they would be able
38:21to leapfrog them and be in first place and have the American League go through the South
38:25Bronx.
38:26Like, that, that was the expectation.
38:28It's not going to happen.
38:29It's not even an insult to the Yankees, who have been hot down the stretch.
38:33Tampa just keeps winning.
38:34Also, all these games, the Yankees blew.
38:37Previously, it's tough, though.
38:38Extra inning and loss yesterday.
38:40Mind-numbing.
38:41But if Judge needs to ramp up even more, if he's not healthy, Yankees are not going to
38:48make the World Series.
38:49And I told you yesterday on Shine Time, you always celebrate and validate when you make
38:53the playoffs.
38:53That doesn't minimize, though, or shift the expectations come playoff time.
38:59That's a different topic for conversation.
39:01So, this is concerning.
39:04This is not ideal.
39:06I don't know when we see Judge again.
39:08I don't even think you mess around with the Arizona series.
39:12You've got to make sure he's ready for Tampa.
39:14Even if the Yankees are not in position to leapfrog Tampa, I would like it between the
39:20years where the Yankees will have confidence heading into the playoffs and or when they
39:26survive, if they survive the Boston series, they can beat Tampa eventually in Tampa Bay.
39:32Speaking of needing a drink, Mets fans had to watch Pete Alonzo hit yet another home run
39:38yesterday as the Orioles busted out the brooms and completed the sweep of the Mets at Citi Field.
39:45So, Pete Alonzo got that incredible moment hitting number 300.
39:50He got the curtain call.
39:52He got the fans chanting his name.
39:54And yesterday, it was number 301.
39:57And listen, we stand by everything that we have said all week.
40:00Pete Alonzo should have never left because the Mets should have made him an offer.
40:04Shame on David Stearns for letting this happen.
40:06And the fact that since July 1st, Pete Alonzo has more home runs at Citi Field than whoever's
40:16been playing first base for the Mets, that tells you all you need to know.
40:21Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, this is a big deal.
40:24Dodgers starter Blake Snell exited his start against the Reds in the first inning after
40:28just 19 pitches.
40:30Left groin tightness.
40:31He said after the game, the move is precautionary, expects to make his next start.
40:35So, how concerned should Dodgers fans be?
40:38Answer, very concerned.
40:40Because all I hear as I read that is Blake Snell injured left game.
40:45He could be optimistic.
40:47He could be pumped up.
40:48Blake Snell is a walking medical report.
40:51He can't stay healthy.
40:53When he pitches, just like this year, he's 4-1 on the season.
40:57He's, you know, got an ERA under 2.
40:59He's Cy Young caliber.
41:01He's unbelievable.
41:02But when you said he's had issues with his groin before.
41:06He's been out for the vast majority of this season with other ailments and other injuries.
41:11Dodgers need him to be ready for October to win another World Series.
41:15Listen, I hope he makes his next start.
41:19Pitches well.
41:20Pitches well inspires for playoff baseball.
41:24This is one you're going to have to monitor on the California Post.
41:27Because when I hear injury when it comes to Blake Snell, look out.
41:32Coming up on Friday on Shine Time, we've got our great friends Katie Mox joining us for our weekly Shines
41:39Line segment.
41:40If I hit the head on five NFL games, I'll give you my full slate of week two NFL picks.
41:45Plus, my post-sports parlay.
41:49Don't miss Shine's Lines.
41:51We're going to be joined by our great friend Katie Mox tomorrow.
41:55That right there.
41:56That's the show.
41:56If you missed any portion of the show, just do what I do.
41:59Go and watch it over and over and over again on our new YouTube page at Shine Time.
42:03See you tomorrow on Football Friday on Shine Time.
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