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00:05Welcome to your Week 2 Blue Rush Preview Show for the New York Post Sports.
00:10I'm Brandon London, joined by our New York Post NFL reporter, Ryan Dunleavy.
00:15We've got a lot of fun and action for you guys in this episode.
00:19We're going to break down all the important storylines of this game.
00:23And I'm going to take you guys into the film room.
00:25I'm going to show you how Giants defense coordinator, Denard Wilson, could use the 49ers defense's blueprint to slow down
00:32the Rams' passing attack.
00:34Ryan Dunleavy, appreciate you hopping on with us for a little Blue Rush action, man.
00:39Primetime football, Monday night football.
00:42They didn't look like the same old Giants of the past on Sunday night football.
00:49Just quickly, how are you feeling about this game going into a very important Week 2?
00:55And then we'll break down these storylines.
00:57I thought, Brandon, that the Giants had to come out of the first two weeks at 1-1.
01:02Like 0-2 would have been like same old Giants, 0-2, lost season, all the hardball preseason buzz killed.
01:10Now you're facing like, oh, got to win against the Cardinals and Titans.
01:14They did the job.
01:15They got the one win.
01:16They've got the easier of the two wins.
01:18Not that any game in the NFL is house money, especially when you look at how tough the Giants' second
01:23half of the season is.
01:25But, yeah, I mean, I don't expect the Giants to win.
01:29I would expect them to play well.
01:32But the Rams are a desperate team with a lot of superstars.
01:36They're a Super Bowl favorite for a reason.
01:38And the Giants are a playoff contender for a reason.
01:41When you talk about the superstars in, what is it, Tinseltown and Hollywood that Sean McVay has,
01:49let's start with the offensive side of the football for the Rams.
01:52So we'll talk Giants' defense first.
01:54Superstars.
01:55Puka Nakua, Devontae Adams, Matthew Stafford, 2025 League MVP.
02:02The Giants are banged up in the secondary with Paulson Adebo and Taye Banks not practicing on Thursday.
02:10Before we get into this matchup, is there anything you can tell us or report from the Paulson Adebo and
02:16Banks' injuries or what kept them from practice?
02:19And then let's break down if this Giants' secondary can hold up against this Rams pass game.
02:26So Adebo has a knee injury, didn't practice the first day of the week.
02:32Banks and Newsom were both limited.
02:35And as we saw, they both came out of the Cowboys game at one point.
02:39At one point, the Giants had their number three and number four corners.
02:42And, like, in the past, Brandon, as you know, that would have been a disaster for the Giants.
02:46They're three and four.
02:47Now their number three and four corners are the highest paid dude on the team, Adebo, and a rookie second
02:52-round pick, who they think very highly of, in Colton Hood.
02:55So there's a little bit more depth at cornerback.
02:58Not that you want your top two cornerbacks to be banged up, but they both ended up finishing the game,
03:04Newsom and Banks.
03:05I think Newsom had a concussion check he cleared.
03:08Banks was cramping.
03:11I would expect the two starters would be able to go.
03:14I don't know about Adebo.
03:16I would expect Colton Hood to maybe see a bigger role in this game.
03:20No, a game like this, and it's unfortunate that the Giants get hit with the injuries in one room so
03:26early.
03:27You know, usually if you're talking about—
03:28It always happens that way.
03:29Always.
03:30And it's like, when you're talking about injuries, it's like, all right, let me get, like, a tight end on
03:34one side of the ball and then maybe, like, a nose tackle on the other side.
03:38But, no, they're getting hit with two guys, two pretty much starters in one position group.
03:44And you're going up—you just went from CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and you were able to kind of bottle
03:51those guys up.
03:52I think Pickens had a couple drops that normally he'd come down with.
03:56Yeah.
03:57But now you go up against sure-handed Puka Nakua and Devontae Adams.
04:02Luckily, though, for the Giants, as you talk about the depth being better this year, the coaching being better this
04:10year, you got a defensive coordinator who has a secondary mindset.
04:14So now, versus a Shane Bowen who had more of a, you know, linebacker's coach type mindset, I think Denard
04:22Wilson gives the Giants defense a better chance, especially the secondary of matching up against these wide receivers, a more
04:30favorable matchup because Denard Wilson has that secondary background to him.
04:37Is that me looking into it too much, or would you kind of agree with that?
04:42No, I kind of agree with that.
04:45I think that Denard Wilson does some stuff with disguises that help when you're shorthanded, and I think he does
04:52some stuff with the pass rush that helps.
04:56Like, yeah, if any corner has to cover for three seconds, it's not going to look pretty, especially if they're
05:01backup corners.
05:01So it's really on the front seven.
05:04That's where the investment is to kind of pick up the secondary in a game like this when they're banged
05:08up.
05:09The other thing, Brandon, I'll say is the Rams spend a lot of time in 22 and 13 personnel, two
05:18and three tight ends on the field.
05:20So a lot of 13 personnel, which is one running back, three tight ends.
05:24So that kind of plays into the Giants.
05:28Like, Tremaine Edmonds and Arvel Reese both played every single defensive snap in a league where teams are always playing
05:36nickel and dime and trying to get more defensive backs on the field.
05:40The Giants played both their two middle linebackers every play because they trust them against the pass, against running backs
05:46and tight ends.
05:47Well, if the Rams are going to stick three tight ends on the field, then the Giants can comfortably ask
05:52Reese and Edmonds to cover those guys, and they don't need as many corners.
05:56And then maybe our Darius Washington can slide in for a play.
05:59Or Drew Phillips, you know, he's the nickelback.
06:02He's not going to have a huge role on 13 personnel.
06:05So maybe they can get by in that way because it's the Rams like to play big and the Giants
06:12like to play big.
06:13And maybe Micah McFadden gets a little bit more reps on the defensive side of the football.
06:18Can you slide him in there?
06:20Yeah, I'm with you.
06:21If they're in that 13 personnel, you've got three tight ends on the field.
06:27I'm taking – I would even take a corner out and just add another safety in there and have that
06:33safety kind of be – kind of play that corner position on the other side and have, you know, our
06:38Darius Washington in there.
06:39So I didn't think about that.
06:40Yeah, this is a favorable matchup for them.
06:43And now we really get to see if the Giants' run defense has fixed itself if Sean McVay doesn't come
06:51out throwing with these corners being down.
06:53But heavy with that 13 packaging, the Giants' run defense was able to hold the Cowboys to, what, 69 yards
07:01rushing.
07:01Everyone was saying it was, oh, well, they were playing with the lead.
07:04They were playing with the lead.
07:05Hello?
07:06They lost, what, eight double-digit leads last year?
07:09They were playing with the lead last year and teams are running the football on them.
07:13So, you know, it just – I don't get why people are still saying that, but we get to see
07:20that.
07:20Well, it's kind of a chicken and the egg thing, Brandon, right?
07:22Like, the best teams in run defense usually face the fewest carries because they're having – because they have big
07:29leads and the opponents are throwing against them.
07:31Just like teams that give up a lot of throwing yards are usually the best teams because their opponent is
07:36playing catch-up and they're playing pre-vent.
07:38So, statistics can be a little misleading.
07:41Like, bottom line is use the eye test and the Giants defended the run pretty well.
07:45Now, the Cowboys' offensive line is not what you think the Cowboys' offensive line is going to be.
07:49There's no more Tyron Smith and Zach Martin and Travis Fredrickson.
07:55It's just not as good.
07:56The Giants' offensive line is better than the Cowboys' offensive line.
07:59The Giants' defensive line is better than the Cowboys' offensive line.
08:01So, it's just not – it's just not as good as it used to be, and the Giants took advantage
08:05of it.
08:06Last thing on the defense, is there one player you feel as though needs to step up and have a
08:14big game?
08:14Someone that we don't talk about a lot.
08:17Well, I don't know if it's someone we don't talk about a lot, but Abdul Carter, I think, has a
08:22chance to wreck this game.
08:23Like, again, week one, just like his rookie season, it was pressures, pressures, pressures.
08:28He got a lot of them.
08:29So, the sacks, we all say, they're coming, they're coming, they're coming.
08:34Like, when are they coming?
08:35Like, he gets the pressures, and he disrupts the game, and he definitely had an impact on the Cowboys.
08:41I think the pass rush, if the Giants are going to have a chance in this game, they're going to
08:45need to turn pressures into sacks.
08:46Not just him.
08:47Kayvon had that awesome pressure where he forced the bad throw that Javon Holland intercepted.
08:52That, to me, is even better than a sack.
08:54It's a takeaway.
08:55Brian Burns is disruptive.
08:56The NASCAR package that the Giants have, Chauncey Golston had a monster game against the Cowboys.
09:01He's a guy who I would thought was a free agent bust last year.
09:04Now he's a starter, and he had a huge week one.
09:06That could be a total.
09:07You talk about a guy who's a good scheme fit.
09:09He might be able to, you know, rewrite his whole chapter here with the Giants.
09:14So, I think they had a lot of speed on the field on defense, and that could be something that
09:19gives the Rams trouble, especially if they're in big personnel.
09:22To our audience, viewers, listeners who are listening who may not understand what NASCAR package is, can you break that
09:28down to them?
09:29Yeah, NASCAR package is when the Giants put all their speed rushers on the field.
09:35So, like, it's how they get Burns, Thibodeau, Carter, and Golston on the field together, and they slide either Thibodeau
09:44and Golston usually, but Burns or Carter could do it.
09:47But usually it's Thibodeau or Golston on the inside, like the old days when Justin Tuck used to slide inside
09:53to make room for JPP and OC on the outside.
09:56All right, my player that I would like to see have probably his best game as a Giant would be
10:03Tyler Newbin.
10:04If we're talking about these 13 packages, this 13 package is going to be heavy on the run, and he's
10:09going to have to cover one of those tight ends.
10:11I think the Rams got the best tight end room in the NFL when it comes to being able to
10:16be a balanced room in terms of blocking and being able to go out and run routes as well.
10:23I think Tyler Newbin, being a box safety, he's going to have to show up in the run game, especially
10:29when it comes to running the alley and open field tackles.
10:33But showing up in the passing game as well, if he does have to play a little man-to-man
10:37or play, you know, zone and latch on to a tight end or one of those guys to be able
10:41to break the football up and force an incomplete or two if they do passing out of that 13 personnel.
10:48We'd love to see T. Noob have himself a big game.
10:53Final thoughts on the defense before I throw to this film room package that we have, Ryan.
11:00Yeah, I don't know how well they played week one.
11:03Like, they gave up touchdowns on both their second-half drives.
11:06Like, I actually think the offense kind of bailed out the defense.
11:10And with the clock-killing offense, the time of possession, they never had to give the ball back in the
11:16last five minutes.
11:18I'm very curious.
11:19I think it's a – I don't think they played bad.
11:21I mean, they had the signature moment was Holland's interception.
11:25And they had the game starting three and out that kind of set the tone for everything.
11:29But they didn't have a ton of possessions.
11:31I think it's a good chance for the defense to – if the Post has written 15 giant stories this
11:38week, 14 of them have been about the offense.
11:40I think it's a good chance for the defense to show up and carry their load because they have a
11:45lot of stars on that defense.
11:47And if you're going to beat the Rams, you need your stars to play like stars.
11:51All right.
11:52And let's go into the film room.
11:54I'm going to take you guys into the film room right now so you can see exactly what we're talking
11:58about
11:59and what the Giants' defense is facing in terms of three future Hall of Famers
12:04and a Hall of Fame coach in Sean McVay on that Rams offense.
12:09But did the 49ers leak the blueprint week one when they shut down that Rams offense?
12:17All right.
12:17We'll start by looking at Puka Nakua and how the Giants' defense can try and neutralize him.
12:25Let's watch this corner route or this Q route or this bench route that he ran, caught, and was able
12:31to get a nice little chunk of the yak.
12:34Like how he gets vertical, resets the stem, catches the football.
12:38And if you don't tackle that guy right away, if you don't get a body and wrap up, he is
12:43going to burn you.
12:44And you see this guy plays off of a lot of emotion when he gets hot.
12:48That Rams offense and that Rams passing game gets hot.
12:52So let's break this down a little bit on what we're going to see here on what the Giants don't
12:58want to do.
12:59So you can see down in distance, second and about four, second and about five if you want to round
13:05up.
13:06You're seeing the 49ers play a two-high shell.
13:10You see a cover two look up top and you'll see kind of like a cover four or a soft
13:16two type look here.
13:17Now definitely know it's cover two down here because this corner, this flat corner, gets some sort of collision.
13:25You want to reroute Puka Nakua, this wide receiver, and push him in.
13:30Especially when they're down here in this tighter split.
13:35Now with the ball closer to the hash, if it was on the hash, he'd be at like a plus
13:40two type split.
13:42But now because it's about two, it's two from the hash, then he bumps his split in.
13:47Not even on the top of the numbers here.
13:49A lot of the things that they do, they will mirror these formations.
13:53A lot of, they'll mirror the stems.
13:55They can run digs off of this, but they decide they're going to run the corner route with Puka Nakua.
14:02But again, second and four, this safety is playing way too high.
14:07But here's where the Giants' corners need to be disciplined.
14:11It does a great job with the reroute.
14:12You push them inside, you got a little bit of help here.
14:15Second and five, I get it.
14:17You see what we call flat control.
14:20You see this late leaker.
14:22This guy chipped on, I believe, Nick or Joey Bosa, whichever one of those Bosa guys that is.
14:27And now he's about to run a little sit route, a little, he's the check down.
14:33Corner's eyes get nosy.
14:35Again, safety's one, way too deep.
14:38Two, corner gets nosy, looks to jump this flat route.
14:42And that leaves nothing but open space for Puka Nakua to run this route.
14:48Now, as receivers, we're taught when we get to our break point,
14:51if this safety is low and inside, we take a high angle, take a high pylon type angle.
14:59If this safety is high and head up to outside, then we're going to flatten this route off.
15:05And this is exactly what they do.
15:08Great job on being on the same page between the quarterback and the Matthew Stafford and the Puka Nakua.
15:15Look at all this space he has for him to throw this football and just drop it in the bucket.
15:20Look at all this space that this safety now has to make up.
15:24And the throw, which is an on-time, on-the-dot type throw, now allows him to get some sort
15:31of yak
15:32because his safety is in no man's land here.
15:34Do I light him up and make the tackle or do I go for a pick?
15:38He goes for a pick, misses out on it because Puka Nakua has great catch balance.
15:44He is a very great athlete, especially, you know, a very great athlete.
15:49It's a guy that, after he catches the football, now becomes a running back.
15:53This is a linebacker going in that he's shrugging off.
15:57I think Dre Greenlaw shrugging off a linebacker and getting yak.
16:01It turns this into a 40-plus-yard catch and run, 43-yard catch and run,
16:06because the safety was way too high over the top,
16:09and then the corner jumped the sit route or jumped the flat control route
16:13instead of gaining ground and making a harder throw on Stafford.
16:20Now, flip it.
16:23Looks like the same formation, pretty much the same formation, right,
16:27as last time.
16:28You've got the stack to the field,
16:30and then you've got to reduce split by this X here to the boundary.
16:35This time the X is Devontae Adams.
16:37Puka is down here.
16:39But this is later on in the game.
16:42In the corner, learned his lesson.
16:44Plus, the difference in down and distance.
16:47This time it's third and 10, third and long.
16:49Gets the reroute, falls off, gets in phase, goes, and he picks it off.
16:56That's a great job by him understanding the down and distance,
16:59what they want to do, being solid in his technique
17:04and keeping his leverage and helping that safety out.
17:07So now we've got the two-man.
17:09This inside receiver, he's going to clear this thing out.
17:12He's running a go.
17:13This is a go.
17:15Sometimes you can run scissors off of this.
17:17You can run some sort of pose, skinny pose.
17:19And if, you know, you're still alert on that pose, on the scissors,
17:23and you just slip this guy in, this receiver, you trail this stem,
17:27and then you run this corner route.
17:29Again, this time, do the same thing.
17:32They chip Nick or Joey Bosa, and then they run him to the flats.
17:36But now, on third and long, as you can see,
17:42he's not worried too much about Matthew Stafford checking down to this tight end.
17:48In fact, you want Matthew Stafford to check down to this tight end
17:52because now you've got your backers, you've got your nickel wheel right here
17:56that's going to rally and make that tackle.
17:59Yeah, they may be in field goal range, but they're not getting the first down here.
18:02I trust Fred Warner and this nickel wheel to make that tackle.
18:06Now, he becomes nosy, and he plays a game of cat and mouse,
18:12and he wants to bait Matthew Stafford into making this throw.
18:16He turns his back to the quarterback where the quarterback doesn't think he can see this football,
18:21but then flips his hips and understand what's about to happen here.
18:27Where do I have to help my safety?
18:31Keeps his eyes on that football.
18:33You get a little bit of leakage here, which you're going to,
18:35Giants pass rush is going to need.
18:37Guy breakthrough.
18:39Matthew Stafford has to throw that football.
18:41He doesn't get everything that he wants on that football pit.
18:44All right, turn that football over.
18:46Big play by the 49ers defense here because you had a chance to give up three points.
18:51Instead, you give up nothing and get the ball back to your offense.
18:57All right, now we're going to Devontae Adams.
18:59He is the single wide receiver and a lot of 13 personnel, heavy personnel,
19:04one running back, three tight ends right here.
19:07Devontae is the lone wide receiver down here at the bottom of the screen.
19:12Again, 49ers played a lot of two high shell this game.
19:15A lot of cover two, soft cover two, play a lot of cover four.
19:19Keep everything in front of them.
19:21The Giants are going to expect the Rams to come out and try and run the football on them,
19:26neutralize their pass rush, run at them, earn the right to rush.
19:29Now, let's watch this play and I'm going to break down why the Giants' corners need to be great
19:37even on the single receiver RPOs.
19:41Let's check it out.
19:44Get the motion.
19:45There we go.
19:46Boom.
19:48That's a catch and run.
19:49Devontae Adams still has enough juice in the tank for him to catch and run.
19:53Now, let's take a look at it.
19:55Now, you see the cover two at the bottom, safety getting high and over the top.
19:59Giants' wide receivers, I mean not Giants' wide receivers, Giants' corners.
20:03Denard Wilson wants his corners to get hands-on like this.
20:07You love it.
20:07Again, we're talking reroute.
20:09Looks like it's going to be some sort of run.
20:11You see Matthew Stafford here with the run.
20:16Everything looks run.
20:17Everything looks like some sort of run action.
20:19Elephants on parade.
20:21Offensive line firing off the football here.
20:23But we call this a now route right here or a now slant.
20:29You're just taking one step and you're slanting.
20:32And Matthew Stafford wants to throw that football right here in this first window
20:37while this linebacker is taking the steps down to play the run.
20:42One thing I feel like the Giants' corners need to do better than this corner here
20:48in order to be effective on this is realize two things.
20:53One, you want to get as much hands-on as possible, especially because there's no work over here.
20:59There's nothing threatening you to have to come off this receiver so prematurely.
21:05There's no one going to the flats.
21:07He doesn't look like he's going to run any sort of corner route.
21:10You want to latch on and stay on this for as much as possible, especially, again, with the back not
21:16leaking out to the flats.
21:17There's no tight end.
21:19There's no other receivers to this side.
21:21He can stay on and be a little bit more aggressive with Devontae Adams here.
21:26But instead, he decides to fall off.
21:29Now, that linebacker, we talk about that window that opens up because Greenlaw takes the hard steps to the run.
21:36You see Werner see it late turn and get his eyes towards work.
21:40Who could be coming in here?
21:41Plus, that ball is out.
21:43So this corner needs to latch on a little bit, be a little bit more physical at the line of
21:47scrimmage,
21:48and ride Adams in here a little bit more to make that a harder throw for Matthew Stafford
21:56because 10 out of 10 times, if you give Devontae Adams and Stafford this amount of field or open space
22:04to work with,
22:05they're going to connect, and they're going to make you pay for it.
22:10All right, here we go.
22:11We've got kind of a married formation here.
22:14I think this is 13 personnel.
22:17This tight end is off the ball, and he's split out.
22:20I think it's a wide receiver here.
22:22He's kind of marrying this, kind of looking like the same thing.
22:25You could go opposite and run the same concepts to each side if you decide you want to flip it
22:33because you've got a favorable coverage somewhere or whatnot.
22:36But we're not really paying attention too much to that.
22:39We're looking at how the 49ers were able to give pressure on Matthew Stafford
22:43and force an incompletion and almost an interception here.
22:46So we watch Adams.
22:48Good route.
22:49Runs that speed out.
22:52That deep speed out.
22:55Let's watch again.
22:572, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
22:58Good step.
22:59Gets out his break.
23:00Maybe not as tight as he would want it.
23:03You know, I'm splitting hairs on that one because of who he is.
23:07But, again, good enough route.
23:09Pressure here is what helps and what causes Matthew Stafford to, one, be late
23:15and be inaccurate with this football and allow this corner to get back in phase.
23:20So, instead of playing a two-high shell this time, now they play some sort of cover three
23:25with the blitz on it.
23:27You've got D. Lyman dropping out.
23:30You've got Fred Warner forcing his way into a gap.
23:35They knew what type of protection the Rams would be in, and they knew they'd get this nickel wheel,
23:41this blitzing wheel.
23:43They'd be one-on-one with the back.
23:45Now, the Giants didn't show too much of that against the Cowboys, but new game,
23:50new offensive scheme you've got to get ready for, and a new offensive scheme you've got to be ready to
23:55attack.
23:56So, what this allows his corner to do, as you see, Matthew Stafford sitting there staring down
24:07the barrel of a gun right here.
24:09He's going to have to make this throw, and if you want to throw it,
24:12you're going to want to throw this right now while he's making this break.
24:15But he's a little bit unsure because of how this corner, this corner's playing this very well.
24:21Now, Devontae Adams is taking a little bit of time to roll out of this out route,
24:26and this corner's already driving on that football.
24:29Plus, Matthew Stafford, you see him leaning back.
24:32He cannot step into this throw.
24:34His hips are locked.
24:35He can't get any sort of velocity on that throw.
24:39Plus, he's late with the throw.
24:42So, this is what I'm trying to get at you.
24:44You want to get pressure, or you want to force incompletions or interceptions.
24:48You've got to get some sort of pressure on a Matthew Stafford like they did Dak Prescott
24:53throughout the course of week one.
24:55Now, great way to undercut this ball.
24:58Way to see it.
24:59You've got to go get money.
25:01Go get paid here.
25:02Go take the football away.
25:04That should have been an INT right there.
25:07But great job dialing up the pressure to get the football out of Matt Stafford's hands
25:12and have that football come out.
25:14The pressure caused that throw to be off target, and it was a chance for a turnover right there.
25:24All right, let's Riverside that because I feel like the 49ers don't have a better pass rush
25:31than the Giants' defense, and they were able to get some pressure on Matthew Stafford,
25:36and he's not as mobile as a Dak Prescott.
25:39So when you were talking about Abdul Carter and Brian Burns landing sacks instead of pressures,
25:45if they get within the vicinity of a Matthew Stafford, I'm not worried about him scrambling
25:52or getting out of a pocket like a Dak Prescott.
25:55But let's look.
25:56Let's Riverside it, and let's talk about the offense because we saw the welcoming party,
26:05welcome to New York party of Isaiah Likely.
26:08But we also had a – I mean, you're a 70s guy.
26:12Welcome back, Carter.
26:13You remember that show?
26:14Welcome back, Carter.
26:16Did you watch it?
26:16Carter, right?
26:17What was it?
26:18What was it?
26:18No, I didn't watch it.
26:20Oh, okay.
26:21I even got the title wrong.
26:23I think it was Carter.
26:25Carter, okay.
26:26Welcome back, Carter.
26:26All right, well, that plays in the welcome back Malik neighbors.
26:30You know, I'm trying to make that transition, smooth transition there.
26:32Yeah, I got you.
26:33Like Mike – like, yeah, Greenberg or somebody like that.
26:37But you say Malik neighbors thinks he left two touchdowns on the table?
26:42Yeah.
26:42He looked good in that first game back.
26:44That's what I said.
26:45He's a harsh critic of himself, which I kind of like, right?
26:48Yeah.
26:48I kind of like that.
26:49He felt like he left two touchdowns.
26:51I know one that he's thinking of.
26:53He had the 16-yard catch or something down to the 25, and he tried to cut around Caleb
26:59Downs, and Caleb Downs kind of stuck his arm out and tripped him.
27:02I know Malik thought he was going to the house on that one.
27:05And then maybe later in that drive, he got tackled at the four-yard line.
27:09I don't know.
27:09Maybe that's the second one.
27:10I thought he looked good.
27:12What do you have?
27:12Six catches, nine targets, something like 36 snaps.
27:16I thought he looked good.
27:17Is there another level for Malik neighbors?
27:19Yeah, we saw it as a rookie.
27:20I mean, of course.
27:22But for his first game back, I thought he looked pretty good.
27:25And you mentioned Likely.
27:28I really like what they could do for each other.
27:31It's great to have two great receivers, like Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins.
27:36I'm not turning that down.
27:36Puka and Devontae Adams.
27:38I'm not turning that down.
27:39But I do like the idea of a tight end and a receiver as your one-two punch.
27:45I do like that because of the way that, you know, likely works the middle of the field
27:49and the way they can play some routes off each other, whether they're lined up on the
27:53same side of the field or whether they're crossing.
27:55I do like that.
27:56I do think they're going to really help each other out.
27:59Like, to me, I said this during the game, Brandon.
28:01I turned to Paul Schwartz and I said, it's third and three or it's third and six.
28:05I was like, everybody in the building knew the last two years the ball was going to Malik
28:10neighbors.
28:10Everybody knew it.
28:11Um, and last night or Monday night, I was like, I don't know, is this going to neighbors
28:17or is this going to likely it just, it just added a little bit of an element of which guy
28:23are you going to double team?
28:24Cause the other guys probably getting the ball.
28:26I want to throw one more in there.
28:28And I think that we see the coming out party or the soft opening of soft launch of the coming
28:35out party of Malachi fields.
28:37I've been high on this kid and it's not because we're six, five receivers from Charlottesville,
28:42Virginia.
28:43You saw the crossing route.
28:45He caught got upfield immediately.
28:47You saw the, the hinge route, the stop route that he caught hands catch.
28:52Now he almost came down with that one ball that Jackson dart threw him on the, on the goal
28:57route.
28:58And then they just couldn't connect on some of these goal routes.
29:00Cause I feel like wait till they open up the one, the route tree, and then they make easier
29:06down the field throws than just straight goal balls.
29:10Just, y'all just line up and run a nine route.
29:12Wait till they get, they kind of start pack.
29:15They start calling plays to where it's play action.
29:17You run Malik on a crosser, the safety jumps, or you run likely and Malik on a crosser safety
29:24jumps.
29:24Now you have them one-on-one on the post and a better, it's just an easier throw, a better
29:29throw to get to him down the field.
29:31I think he's going to add.
29:32So you say you like in the likely neighbors combination, but he's going to be that extra
29:38piece to that.
29:39I feel like a lot of people.
29:42He's on the field a lot.
29:43He's on the field a lot, Brandon.
29:44Cause he blocks.
29:45Yeah.
29:45Cause he blocks.
29:46Yeah.
29:46Yeah.
29:46He blocks.
29:47And I, and you know, you had receivers coaches, I'm sure who told you that you're not going
29:51on the field unless you block.
29:53Receiver coaches, Plaxico Burris used to get at guys if he didn't show effort in the run
29:58game, Amani Toomer, same thing.
30:00That 2007 Giants receiving room, if you didn't show effort in the run game, 17 was going to
30:07call you out.
30:09So that's always, and you saw, you even saw, everyone's talking about OBJ.
30:12Oh, he was just a cheerleader.
30:14Oh, he was just running around.
30:15OBJ was trying to get active in the run game, showing, one, I think that keeps a receiver
30:21in the game that keeps you in it mentally.
30:23Two, he knows you're being evaluated on tape.
30:27Your demeanor is going to be evaluated on tape.
30:29I think I looked on Twitter and someone posted every single rep OBJ had and they showed how
30:35him, you know, trying to crack the block and get in the box and hit safeties and linebackers
30:40and stuff.
30:40So where do you think from watching that game, where does OBJ fit into all of it?
30:48Yeah, people aren't going to like this.
30:50He's a fourth receiver.
30:51So that's what he is.
30:54What's a fourth receiver get?
30:5510 snaps a game or whatever?
30:57That's, you know, that's basically what he is.
30:59And somebody gets hurt, then I'll move up the depth chart.
31:02But as long as everybody's healthy, he's the fourth receiver.
31:06He's probably the worst of the four as a blocker.
31:09I still think he has some juice left, but when he's on the field, people are going to
31:17be like, oh, he's getting the ball because, like you said, he gave effort in blocking,
31:22but that's not what he's on the field for.
31:23So when he's on the field, when 13 comes on the field, the defense is going to pay attention.
31:28They're going to expect him to get the ball.
31:30So they're going to have to get creative with him.
31:32He can't just run clear outs or he'll get frustrated at some point.
31:34If I was to say, in this week two game, Odell Beckham Jr.
31:39Throw him a wide receiver screen.
31:40Oh, yeah.
31:42Give him something because the yak is still there.
31:44That's the thing.
31:45Like, you don't have to force throwing the football down the field to him to get him a target.
31:51He can run anything.
31:53He ran across and around.
31:54The quick slant.
31:55Quick something.
31:56His patent.
31:57His patent, right?
31:58How many times have we seen the Odell quick slant?
32:01Throw him that.
32:01And that's why I'm surprised that you saw the welcome he got when he ran out of the tunnel.
32:09Just think if he would have had his first catch.
32:11Like, first catch, open, and drive.
32:13Now, I would have been worried more about Odell because that dude's blood pressure, man.
32:18Like, his, as excited as he gets.
32:21Like, I thought I used to get excited playing football.
32:23Like, he almost made me cry three times.
32:26With him crying pregame and being so excited, I was just like, oh, man.
32:31Like, this guy, like, calm down, bro.
32:34Like, bring it down just a little bit.
32:35But imagine if he can get a catch.
32:39So, if I was to say Odell Beckham Jr.
32:42over, under, two and a half catches, over, under, 38 yards, what are you taking on both
32:51the catches and yards?
32:53I'd take a, in this game, I'd take the over because I think the Giants are going to be
32:56playing from behind.
32:57Okay.
32:58Okay.
32:59All right.
32:59Oh, really?
33:00You think so?
33:01Yeah.
33:02I mean, I think the Rams are really good, right?
33:04I wrote a story for the California Post about them being a super team.
33:07And so, yeah, I mean, I know they lost week one, but I think this is a 14-3 kind
33:14of team
33:14the Giants are playing.
33:16Interesting.
33:17I mean, lastly, while we're still on the offense, obviously, Jackson Dart, year two, he looked,
33:22I mean, he looked great that first game.
33:26We're kind of seeing, or this could be, not so much the changing of the guard, but old school
33:33versus new school, Matt Stafford versus the young Jackson Dart.
33:38Do you feel it?
33:39Like, who would you put more pressure on to have a better game, Matt Stafford or Jackson
33:45Dart?
33:46I think there's a ton of pressure on the Rams as a whole.
33:48Like, Matthew Stafford is the former, the reigning MVP.
33:52His good friend, Dan Orlovsky, former teammate, basically said he looked like a statue week one.
33:58There's a ton of pressure on the Rams.
33:59I think there's a ton of pressure on Matthew Stafford.
34:01You can't be a super team and start 0-2 and lose your home opener to the Giants, you know,
34:07this upstart team with, you know, nothing to lose.
34:09No, I mean, there's way more pressure on the Rams in this game and on Stafford in particular.
34:14He just, he looked like he aged 10 years and six months.
34:18Two Hall of Fame coaches, who's got the coaching advantage?
34:22It's a great question.
34:24I don't think there's anybody better in the league than McVay, but, I mean, Harbaugh knows
34:31how to get, knows how to motivate and he knows how to put guys in positions to get the most
34:34out of them.
34:35I mean, I don't know.
34:38Total coin flip.
34:39I'll chicken out.
34:40Total coin flip.
34:42Final thoughts going into Monday Night Football.
34:45Another primetime game for the Giants.
34:48Here's what I would say.
34:49I think the underrated MVP of week one is the guy that Giants fans were probably the most
34:56worried about all preseason, and that's Matt Nagy.
34:59I thought Matt Nagy schemed guys running wide open through the secondary.
35:06Now, maybe part of that is the Cowboys defense stinks.
35:08It stunk last year, and, you know, they brought in a lot of new pieces, including a new play
35:12caller.
35:13Maybe they're still learning to come together, but Dart had easy, Dart was like a point guard,
35:19just like easy throw, easy throw, easy throw, easy throw, and then that, Matt Nagy gets a
35:23huge amount of credit for that.
35:26So, Giants fans were worried about him, partially because we kept writing about how the offense
35:30looked out of sync most of the training camp, didn't look out of sync week one.
35:35They're probably going to have to contain Aaron Donald in his, you know, return.
35:39They don't have Miles Garrett.
35:42The Rams secondary was a huge problem last year, just like the Cowboys.
35:47They did the same thing as the Cowboys.
35:48They brought in McDuffie.
35:50They brought in Watson.
35:51They brought in a bunch of new guys in the secondary.
35:54Let's see if Matt Nagy can confuse them with some route concepts the way he confused the
36:00Cowboys.
36:01All right.
36:01Ryan Dunleavy, appreciate you hopping on with us today.
36:04This was your Blue Rush preview show.
36:07Off to L.A., ladies and gentlemen, for some primetime Monday Night Football.
36:15We'll see you next time.
36:16We'll see you next time.
36:17We'll see you next time.
36:17We'll see you next time.
36:18We'll see you next time.
36:18We'll see you next time.
36:18We'll see you next time.
36:18We'll see you next time.
36:19We'll see you next time.
36:20We'll see you next time.
36:21We'll see you next time.
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