Legacy Game For Brock? | 49ers - Seahawks Game Preview

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreigner and Hutch working on our obliques, keeping them nice and loose. Jake, we just did this. We just did this two weeks ago, and it. [00:00:18] Speaker B: Well, I wasn't here, so you got. [00:00:19] Speaker A: Oh, that's fair. I did it. I did it. Well, most shows make. I mean, legitimately, it feels to me as if most shows are me just talking and Jake every now and again interjecting with, like, a salient and smart point. But, yeah, me talking on my own, like, that's the. The Dieter and Dieter show. That's what I've always wanted, apparently somewhere deep in my subconscious. Nevertheless, we just watched these two teams play. Is it crazy for me to say, though, that because of Siegel and Kendricks and Wallow that this feels like a different 49ers team than we just saw two weeks ago? [00:00:51] Speaker B: It feels different. And it also feels like that's. I mean, that's as bad as it's going to get, right? I mean, I think from their perspective, they're going to go, all right, well, we know exactly what didn't work. Maybe we can solve some of those problems. Granted, I think a lot of them will just be personnel based and who's willing to sacrifice their body more? And Seattle tends to have more. More guys who are just angry and physical up front and are willing to just run through your face. [00:01:20] Speaker A: So. [00:01:20] Speaker B: So that might not be a problem they can solve, but it does feel different. It does feel like I'm liking the Niners defense quite a bit more than the last final weeks of the season. I think they might target Siegel and they should. And they should also target Malik Mustafa, as I talked about. But I do like this Niners defense quite a bit more, and it feels like there's a little bit more juice there. And that Seattle offense, for as much as they did the first half of the year, they have struggled down the stretch. And there is an element that we talked about of. Of the week off where you say, did they come out a little rusty? Did they come out and maybe they don't. Maybe they come out firing and Clint Kubiak's got it all dialed up. But it could also be, you know, one great drive and then it falls off so well. We'll see. [00:02:05] Speaker A: Let's. Let's not forget that in their second half, wallows. Sorry. On offense, it was too easy. In their second half struggles. On offense, it's all been first half. So when they're on their script, it's. Teams kind of know what's coming because there isn't some evolution in their offense. Right. This is Kyle Shanahack, Shanahan, week one install stuff. And they don't go any further than that. Like, I'm sorry, I've complained about this all year. This is the reason Clint Kubiak flamed out in New Orleans. It was, yes, Derek Carr and other things, but it was ultimately they come out, they put 40, 50 on the board and then everyone's like, oh, that's it. And there was no wrinkle, there was no evolution. Now when you have a better quarterback in Sam Darnold, when you have two good to, you know, definitely above average running backs in Charbonnet and Walker, when you have an offensive line that's been reformed and really does pack a punch in the run game, when you have Jackson Smith fucking in Jigba, like you're going to have a better offense than what you had for the New Orleans Saints and you can get away with it. But we've seen in the second half, the book is out on Kubiak and maybe Robert Salas defense in week 18 couldn't do anything about that. For all intents and purposes, maybe this one doesn't either. I do have some serious questions about, you know, as good as Wallow and Kendrick's looked, how much of that is just incompetent offensive coordinator, chicken quarterback. Like, sorry, sorry to be crass, but come on, like Hertz was playing scared that whole game. And you're going up against in week one of the install for a Kyle Shanahan offense which Kubiak is running, that's how do we destroy linebackers lives? Like, how do we make these guys lives Absolutely terrible. And maybe that's all it takes. But I do think that they're better than Bethune and Winters who they ran out there in week 18. At least the state of Bethune and Winters that ran out there in week 18. So that is a big change. But again, the first half struggles that they've had on offense this year cannot be overlooked whatsoever. And my gut feel in this game, not to give too much of the end point away, is that the Niners jump out because one, they're coming in, they, they got a little bit of momentum. [00:04:25] Speaker B: They got nothing to lose too. [00:04:26] Speaker A: They're. [00:04:27] Speaker B: They know, they know the situation. They're down everything, everyone. They got destroyed by this defense in week 18. They know like what they're up against and they're. And, and I think there's an element of Purdy's a perfect fit for that where he's like, I don't care what. [00:04:45] Speaker A: Do you think that I. That I'm going to, like, give in or give, like, this whole. His entire life is chip off the, you know, on the shoulder, like, he. This is great for him because he responds great to losses. And I know they're coming off a win, but this is so fresh. This is a loss for them. Kyle does the same thing, and maybe even on a more, you know, game theory level, Seattle doesn't have to change anything. Anything. I don't even think they need to change on offense, really, because they were moving the ball great and their field goal kicker missed two easy ones that he always like, they don't have to change anything. And I would be shocked if the message during the bye week was like, hey, we got. Yeah, we clean some stuff up. Fundamentally, they're going to be the same team, whereas Kyle Shanahan and Robert Sala are like, we have to do everything different. We have to have a fundamental reinvention of what it is we do. And I'll even take it a step further. I. I don't know how you feel about this. We've both been looking to find anything that can beat the Seattle defense, and we've been digging deep to find. [00:05:46] Speaker B: Went into the archives. We went through some Rams film. Yeah, I was watching. I watched a little Carolina Panthers. I don't know why I thought I was going to find something there. I did not. [00:05:54] Speaker A: Nope. [00:05:55] Speaker B: I meant to watch Tennessee Titans, and I went, oh, no, wrong team. The South. [00:06:01] Speaker A: No, I mean, that Rams game was informative in. In a couple of ways. And that was the Thursday Night Football game. As informative as a Thursday Night Football game can be, let's not forget the 49ers looked great in the first half against the Rams. Ironically, I feel like that has to be the same script for the Niners where they need to control the ball, be outstanding on first and second down. They keep talking about third down. You cannot be third and long. You just can't do it. [00:06:25] Speaker B: Yeah. I'm not sure they even need to be outstanding. They just need to be not terrible. They can't afford. And this has been the case. I think one criticism of Shanahan is. And granted, every team struggles when they get behind the sticks, but there are too many runs, I think, in his career as a play caller that just get blown up and. And. And you sort of take it. Right. Because when it's working and when it's humming, it's such a dynamic run game that sets up the rest of it. Right. But, like, when it's not and you're, you're betting on some of these runs and teams are prepared for it and you're just getting blown up and then you're suddenly in, you know, first and 15. And then the second down run goes nowhere and you're like, all right, well. [00:07:07] Speaker A: Yeah, okay, I, I, you need to be throwing. I, you know, I legitimately, I woke up. This is so bad. This is, this is how sick I am. I Woke up at 3 o' clock this morning and I'm like, do you run it on first down on the first possession of the game or do you pass it? And like, that feels so informative to what this offensive performance will be for the 49ers, because they do. They have to win time of possession. When the Rams won on Thursday Night Football against the Seahawks, they had 40 minutes of time of possession. When the Seahawks beat the niners, they had 40 minutes of time of possession. They have to have time of possession. But I also think you need to throw the ball way more than you did even in week 18. You have to go full Rams and be successful with the run, but passing it on first and second down a lot. [00:07:54] Speaker B: Can I make a prediction? I would Love under center 17 step, drop back rock. With Ricky Pearsall running a clear out route and a throw to Juwan Jennings in traffic that he makes. [00:08:08] Speaker A: Are we talking dagger concept? [00:08:11] Speaker B: The concept will be blown up because two, two receivers, Robinson and Pearsall, will run into each other, someone will run the wrong route and he'll throw it up to Joanne Jennings. [00:08:22] Speaker A: Well, I mentioned the dagger concept only because Puka Nuku, a dagger concept, was basically the entire Rams offensive pass game plan for that game. So. Which I don't, I don't. It kept working. And Seattle runs a lot of COVID too. They want to go too high. They trust that they're versatile, interior, kind of, you know, I guess they're weak side linebackers in a way. I mean, how would you categorize Emanwari? [00:08:47] Speaker B: Big worry is a Sam linebacker. [00:08:49] Speaker A: Yeah, he's a Sam linebacker. [00:08:51] Speaker B: He's a Sam linebacker. [00:08:52] Speaker A: He's modern. Cam Chancellor. [00:08:54] Speaker B: He doesn't have, it's funny, like, he's actually not playing as well as, like, he's sort of given credit for, like, he's. No, no, he's playing really well. But what I mean is like, he's not the Kyle Hamilton Swiss Army Knife in his development yet, but he just has the athletic ability to be in places to do a lot of. [00:09:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:13] Speaker B: Where he can just play linebacker and has the physicality for it. And he's young and he can do that. And he has the mobility to be used in a number of ways, but he isn't, which is a scary part if you're the 49ers, that he is just scratching the surface and has a lot to clean up. But, yeah, he's just the same linebacker for them. That's what McDonald said. Yeah. Is. Is they just play base every down, but their base is nickel because they have this crazy. Right. [00:09:42] Speaker A: Their base is big nickel with a third safety in the box playing Sam. And then, yeah, it's like. It does feel like they have 12 guys on the field, which is why. [00:09:52] Speaker B: And I, I really, really, really think this game is going to come down to. And, and part of this is me just grading out the trenches and all that. And I literally, by the way, for anyone subscribed, I finally went back to week one and. [00:10:05] Speaker A: Oh, buddy. [00:10:06] Speaker B: So we're caught up. [00:10:07] Speaker A: I was, I was amped. [00:10:08] Speaker B: I. No one cares except for me, but I am so excited about it. [00:10:11] Speaker A: I care. I use it religiously. [00:10:13] Speaker B: It's. It, it's. It's a weight off my shoulders. I think this game's going to really, really come down to can they deal with Byron Murphy? Can they deal with Byron Murphy? I think it's like a puny versus Byron Murphy game and a few things. I think the last time they played, it was Pleasants, not Trent Williams. And you saw that on at least three times where Pleasants actually was not bad. In the past game, he wasn't excellent, but he wasn't terrible. [00:10:41] Speaker A: He had one pressure in that game. [00:10:43] Speaker B: Yeah. In the run game, he hung Spencer Burford out to dry again and again and again where his help on a double team and climb, he would throw like a hand and. And Murphy or whoever it was or, or Leonard Williams would sort of take it, bend a shoulder, and then sometimes his help would actually hurt Burford or actually knock Burford off balance and it would do nothing. And Trenton Williams is going to collapse that side incline. So I think that's going to be a big difference. Where even in the. Even if that's three plays a game, those are three plays of, like, staple concepts where they were blown up because you didn't displace the three technique or the nose, like, depending on where he is, like, that stuff is really going to matter. And I also think DeMarcus Lawrence versus Colton McKivitz is going to be huge, too. It's. It's a lot of physical guys up front and you can't count on your tight ends. So you're going to need like some of your offensive linemen to just be consistent. Not necessarily displacing these guys because they are way too stout to do that, but at least creating like half an inch of movement so you're at least sealing them off and hoping McCaffrey can get around him before, you know, Eman worry comes in with a run blitz from the. From the backside. [00:11:59] Speaker A: 2 thoughts on that one. The Seahawks defensive line is incredible. This is no shade whatsoever, but they're bagless. What they do is they just clap. [00:12:09] Speaker B: Run through your face. [00:12:10] Speaker A: They just come right through your face. Thank you. And through it. I said through it. [00:12:19] Speaker B: Move on. [00:12:20] Speaker A: How can I. So can you buy an extra half second in that? That's the question. Can you make that collapsing predictable for Purdy so that he knows where his escape routes are? Can it be steady and a little bit slower? Because it's coming. Sorry. They are going to bear down. They will get there. They will collapse the pocket. It's just a question of how long that takes. And we're in the trash compactor and Star wars situation. So can Purdy find escape routes consistently, predictably, and can they hold up? Can they be strong enough in their anchoring to just buy that extra half second or second to let Purdy either make the throw he wants to make or get out and then do whatever it is Brock Purdy does. Second thought on this, and this is going back to the Burford and Trent Williams thing. One, I don't think you could take Trent Williams for granted in this game given the hamstring situation and how poor he looked in the fourth quarter of this game. And that might lean into my prediction here a little bit. But the difference between no gain, negative 1, negative 2 and 2 yards or 3 yards is massive. Especially if you are establishing, establishing the run on first down to set things up and you're hoping to get through it. But like, like legitimately, if you know. [00:13:43] Speaker B: We'Re getting a juice fullback, dive in this game. Right? It's been weeks. It's been weeks since. Since I feel like I've seen one. [00:13:51] Speaker A: I don't think that that's a good idea, but you probably are right. You know what else I think could happen in this game? This is the. We've been thinking about trick plays. I made the prediction that we're going to get a fake special teams play. I don't know what that will be. Specifically up back shot, Thomas Morstead. Throw, throw. There's a lot of possibilities There they could do the little flip over the head to Eddie Pinero. That couldn't go wrong, could it? But I think we're going to get. Do you remember they've run it twice and this. This only is brought up in my mind because of Juice. Do you remember when they ran speed option with Juice in Chicago and then again in New Orleans? Very long time ago, Very vaguely. I think we get a speed option with 44. I think there's a pitch to. [00:14:36] Speaker B: It's funny because you were predicting that we almost don't see him at all. [00:14:39] Speaker A: I. Well, I think when he's in there, they're going to have to figure out new ways to make him effective. And I think getting out to the edge with him with McCaffrey following on a bump motion. So you bump out. So it would be an offset eye, if I remember this correctly. But hell, you could even. You could even. You could even dash him into that spot. So you bump McCaffrey and. And now you have everything kind of flowing to the right. They all go. They collapse in, and then there's the pitch. Like, I've seen them run it. I know that they have it in the bag. I know that they can execute it. Like those are the kind of trick plays. Is it a trick play? Is it just a play that you don't use all that often? [00:15:16] Speaker B: Well, I think where you're coming from is the point of. In this whole game revolves around sort of a personnel issue. The Seahawks, as we talked about, they don't. They don't alter their personnel because they have a personnel advantage, which I think the Niners going into this off season are going to have to look at. Hey, we need a star position player. We need a player who can do that, who can sort of play in the box and do all of those different things. And maybe it's complicated with Stout, but I think that's something you look at where if somebody with that sort of raw athleticism falls to you, you take the swing on it. [00:15:54] Speaker A: To be clear, when you say star position, you're talking about Jackal, Joker, star, that. That big nickel. [00:16:01] Speaker B: I'm talking about a nickel who play. Who is a linebacker, a safety, a corner who can play every single position for you and gives you an innate numbers advantage on defense. [00:16:11] Speaker A: Right? [00:16:12] Speaker B: Because offenses cannot, despite bringing a fullback or extra personnel. And they cannot force you into going base because you're already set up in baseball with that player. And I think because Shanahan knows he can't force that numbers advantage, that does sort of give him an advantage where he's like, all right, well, like that's out of the question. I'm not even going to try and, and win that way. I think there's an element that, that simplifies some things for him and I'm not going to pretend to know exactly how he tries to counter that because you do need juice on the field because you can't trust your tight ends. Right. I think there will, I think they will take plenty of like a couple of quick passes to Tondras. I think there will be an element of the passing game needs to be quicker. They're still going to take their shot plays, but like a little bit of dink and dunk at times just to say, hey, here's five yards, here's six yards. Let's stay on track. [00:17:02] Speaker A: I actually push back on that a little bit because they did that against Seattle in week 18. Right. It was in cover two. And yet they couldn't challenge the intermediate intermediary part of the field. That's where you need Tonjis. That's where Ton just with that, just that over route again and again and again or that dig whatever than what. [00:17:21] Speaker B: Happened last week with, with Quinion Mitchell on it. [00:17:25] Speaker A: Yes, I, I, I, I'm aware of the risk and I'm pretty much banking on the risk being a real problem here. But if you had to point out one susceptibility of this defense, I would say it's their mic moving backwards. That's, that's it. That's really it. I mean, I guess I like, I. [00:17:47] Speaker B: Like the depth that Ernest Jones get to. Gets to. I feel, I mean, I, I think their will is a little bit more susceptible. [00:17:53] Speaker A: But Drake Thomas is a little crazier, but he's really fast. He's like really fast. [00:17:59] Speaker B: They just have a lot of guys that are really fast, really aggressive. [00:18:02] Speaker A: Also, Kobe Bryant's back for this game. Like, that's a, that's a real issue for the Niners. He's. [00:18:08] Speaker B: They got a lot of issues. They got a lot of. [00:18:10] Speaker A: Him and love are unbelievable. [00:18:13] Speaker B: It's hard to. Again, there's like a personnel issue where logically, I mean, logically, there's no way I can pick against the Seahawks in this game. [00:18:22] Speaker A: Right. [00:18:23] Speaker B: Like, there's no logical angle that says the Niners have an event. They are clearly disadvantaged in every route, I think. Right. One element. Somebody's asking about Morstead running 20 plus. [00:18:33] Speaker A: Miles per hour, which, that's not good. [00:18:35] Speaker B: I remember because Dieter was like, how is that he's like, that's not good. That's not a good sign. Which is one of my points. One of my key points in this game is the last time they played. And we were going through calculating it because for some reason NFL special team stats are a nightmare. [00:18:49] Speaker A: It can't. It can't, it can't. It's so easy. It's a strict number. You normalize it to 100. NFL help us out. [00:18:56] Speaker B: But. But their average starting field position against the Seahawks in week 18 was a 23 and a half yard line. Seattle, which has the best. I mean, has the best kickoff coverage and forces team to start on their own 28. [00:19:09] Speaker A: Chance, baby, right? [00:19:11] Speaker B: Who's not playing. [00:19:12] Speaker A: I know, but he's a good special team. I know, I know. [00:19:15] Speaker B: He's. But like, even for them, that's a. That's a pretty good number. I think it's going to be crucial for the Niners. There were so many times where it felt like they were just backed up. They need to be able to start at least at their own 20. Like, you can't start inside your own 10 because then you're not going to get enough yardage. You're going to give the Seahawks good field position. [00:19:35] Speaker A: Right. [00:19:35] Speaker B: There's an element of this. That field position is really going to matter in this game. And I don't think. I don't think you think as well that like, Seattle can march down the field from within its own territory unless it hits on a shot play to jsn, which hasn't really been there for. [00:19:49] Speaker A: I mean, Jake, as much we. I cannot tell you, dear audience, how hard we have tried to find interesting wrinkles and plays from 10 years ago. And here's what this game is going to come down to. Field position average, starting field position, time of possession, and which quarterback throws more interceptions and has more turnovers. That's it. That's the game. That's it. Nothing else matters. And it's like, how can I be pulling up EPA per drive in the second half of the season? In the second half of the second half, how can I be pulling that number up? And it's like, yeah, he threw more interceptions, so they lost. Which again, could go against the Niners. If you wanted to say the Niners have one clear point of differentiation, I would feel comfortable. I don't think everyone would agree with this, but I would feel very comfortable saying the Niners have a markedly better quarterback. [00:20:43] Speaker B: I agree. [00:20:44] Speaker A: That's it. And a segment like he needs to play like he's a markedly better quarterback. If he comes down to Sam Darnold's level because Sam Darnold's going to give you one or two. He's going to give you one or two. [00:20:57] Speaker B: Brock Purdy. Yeah, but. But they'll. They'll give them one or two. [00:21:03] Speaker A: Sam Donald's going to give you one or 2. You're welcome. WOOD gravy. People were stunned at the Barkley. It broke contain. It's a very good Barclay person on the street tell me I had a good Barkley. And I'm like, I'm sorry. What? Apropos of nothing. Regardless, people on Twitter are like, that's a good Barkley. Yeah, I don't want to push it. I don't want to push it anymore. Um, so it is. It is. Can Brock Purdy look like super elite? Nick Wright has to go and pull a mea culpa on first things first, which is in the afternoon now apparently terrible name for a show. For an afternoon show. Like, does everyone. Does everyone have to reckon. Reckon with Brock Purdy after NFC championship game team of destiny. Because it's not like you can go it the. I hate doing this overarching narrative thing because it has to be done. But if Brock has won two playoff games with whatever this is around him, that's going to explode some brains. The takes will not be able to handle it. So he has to look that good. He has to break a half decade of opinion in one game. I think he can do it against this defense. If Ricky Pierce all is playing with Kyle, I would expect being very different in how they go about their business. And I do want to actually get into the nitty gritty of that. Like, he has to be way better than Sam Darnold. But Sam Darnold can be good. Now against this defense, you can make Sam Darnold look pretty much his little oblique. [00:22:37] Speaker B: That's nothing to look at. [00:22:39] Speaker A: It's nothing to look at. It's not a big deal. I do believe Ben Baldwin, who is a legitimately kind of tough follow on Twitter suggest suggested that this was Cam Chancellor getting injured two days before the Super Bowl. And it's like, wow, that really speaks highly to Cam Chancellor, who. I think that's an app comparison where it's like, oh, yeah, remember, Cam Chancellor was injured and then they just absolutely got gutted in the Super Bowl. Like, yeah, that's. That's that. I. I am of the mindset that this is going to be a Big 12 offensive performance from Bracken. [00:23:13] Speaker B: Oh, really? [00:23:14] Speaker A: Maybe not. [00:23:14] Speaker B: Now, are you saying in terms of Scheme in terms of the way. Okay. [00:23:20] Speaker A: I think they're going to be in a lot of single back empty format and empty formations. I think that we see more 5 wide in this game than we've seen in the last 10 weeks. I think that the only way to beat the Seahawks is. Is to take. Okay, let's just fundamentally take a look at what the 49ers offense wants to be. They want you to be in zone. Right. And what they want is that you're playing zone. You've brought all of your players into the box, and now we're going to beat you with two players that no one can match up with. Even if you have Emanwari and Witherspoon. [00:23:54] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:55] Speaker A: So you don't have one of those guys in Kittle now. You don't have them. So you have one truly versatile player. Maybe you can say Juice is that. But like, I'm going to take Eman worry and Witherspoon over Juice, plus the safeties. So how do you go about. And just thinking back to every note that I took in week 18 as I'm sitting in the press box, and it's like, you need to go wide, you need to spread the field, and if you have Pearsall back, you feel good about DeMarcus Robinson. You have JJ, you have. You can throw a Kendrick Bourne out there if you're feeling saucy, maybe a Sky Moore as a slot receiver. How about this Jake Tonjas, he's not doing anything for you. [00:24:37] Speaker B: Yep. [00:24:38] Speaker A: In line, bump them out. Start him in line. Bump them out. If the Seahawks aren't going to change personnel, you're going to have to stretch them in some way, and you're probably not doing it over the top because they're built for that. But they are a narrow defense that wants to play man on the outside. And what you do is you say, guess what? You have to now play man four across. And we're going to hit you with so many dagger and Yankee concepts that it's going to mix you up a little bit. I think it's the only way. [00:25:08] Speaker B: Yeah. I also think there's an element of that, of simplifying the run game in terms of like, just you're going to lose a lot up front. But, like, you'd rather bet on. [00:25:21] Speaker A: Wide legs. [00:25:22] Speaker B: Yeah. You'd rather bet on your guys up front than you would the tight ends that you're forced to deal with. [00:25:29] Speaker A: Yes. I don't want to see Luke Farrell. I don't want to see Kyle use Check. [00:25:32] Speaker B: But if you bring Juwan Jennings into the picture as that tight end or as that blocker, there's a little bit of that. [00:25:38] Speaker A: Yeah, there's something. [00:25:40] Speaker B: You just use him like Puka Nukua, except Instead of using 13 personnel, you're spreading everybody out. There's an element of like reorganizing space that I think can work. [00:25:50] Speaker A: I think it's the only thing that works because what we saw with the Rams is that they could run it effectively in 13 personnel. You don't have three tight ends. You don't have them. I know. You can like use Jennings and use, use, check. You don't have three tight ends. You have Luke Farrell, whatever the hell he's worth, right? You have Jake Tonjis who like, tries real hard at blocking. Doesn't mean a whole lot to me when you're playing the Seattle Seahawks like that. That shit can work against other teams. You know, against the Seattle Seahawks, that gets caught out pretty quick. [00:26:20] Speaker B: Didn't work last week. [00:26:21] Speaker A: Didn't work last week. And okay, yeah, you can bring in Jennings, but like, they use Jennings as a straight up tight end last year. They just. Oh, it's tight splits. It's like, dude, he's crack blocking the end. That's what a tight end does. He's just not attached to the line. He's just a yard or two away from it. So you want to keep trying that, that's fine. You're running right into the mouth of the monster. The Dragon is right there, by the way. Shout out the Seattle Dragons. Long live the XFL Played in the same stadium. And I'm going to make that joke the second I get on the field. To be in a place of such history and legacy of the Seattle Dragons. [00:26:56] Speaker B: I gotta, I gotta say, I love going up there. [00:26:59] Speaker A: I love going up there too. I'm really excited about it. I do not get to go visit my favorite radio station. Case. Jesus Christ. Can't even remember the fucking name of it now. [00:27:09] Speaker B: Hold on. [00:27:09] Speaker A: It's literally right here. I can't even go visit KEXP because I won't have time. But yeah, K xp. Big shouts. Big, big fan of kdxp. They have it in the bay now. But it does feel like it's still Seattle station because it is. And they broadcast from the Space Needle. Can't even go to a cracking game, which are just awesome cracking. [00:27:29] Speaker B: I know, I've been dying to go. I'm going. I'm going to the Sharks in a couple months. [00:27:32] Speaker A: I'm excited for it. I might End up there, too. [00:27:34] Speaker B: You wait, you also. I love it. Climate Pledge arena is one of my favorite names. [00:27:39] Speaker A: And yeah, don't worry about who's backing that. Don't worry about it. We have a Climate Pledge that. [00:27:44] Speaker B: Don't worry. They've pledged. [00:27:45] Speaker A: Don't ask any more questions. To be fair that. That the arena is sick. [00:27:50] Speaker B: I mean, years ago they. For anyone who doesn't know, they like re. Excavated the whole thing. So it's. [00:27:56] Speaker A: It was. [00:27:56] Speaker B: Key arena used to be this. Right. Key Arena. Yeah. [00:27:59] Speaker A: Where the Seahawks, or sorry, sorry, the. The supersonics used to play. And it's apparently like a historical landmark, so. So they just had to take the roof off, rebuild the arena subterranean, like sofi and then. Which, by the way, is the way to do it also. [00:28:15] Speaker B: Right in the middle. Right in the middle of the city, which is like so rare nowadays with all these owners who are like, yeah, we're moving 60 miles into the suburbs. Seattle, good luck. It's best for the city. It's best for the city and everyone. [00:28:28] Speaker A: Well, to be fair, it was very similar to like Oracle park or we can go back to what was it? Pack Bell, where it was like, oh, you're totally decrepit neighborhood. That's right next to downtown. Like, we'll revitalize it. And they did that with. With Safeco and Century Link. What was the original name of the Seahawks name? Century Link is. I'm not calling it. I have to. Lumen. Lumen. It should be. It should be a really great atmosphere, too. And the weather looks like it's going to cooperate significantly. I'm here, I'll just lay it out for you. And we can pick apart this prediction. I think that the Niners go wide. I think that the 49ers offensive line plays with a ferocity that we haven't seen in a minute. In terms of getting downhill. I think McCaffrey's able to average 4 yards of carry in this game, but I think that the run is merely a counter to a consistent pass game that actually does move the ball. And I think the Niners get out to a two score lead early in the. [00:29:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I was almost going to say, I actually think they start off well and then there's like an injury and they fade down the stretch and Seattle just wears on them. [00:29:41] Speaker A: I think Seattle is just going to lean on them. And I think that Seattle gets. Probably gets the eight, the middle eight there. And it really, like, it's such an interesting concept, actually. I want your opinion on this. I think that it's a fair thing. I've heard this. I can't remember from where to throw or to take the ball first. Kyle would never do it, but I think that there's an argument. Take the ball first, go full Week 5 against the Rams, establish dominance early. The problem is then you end up in a situation where you can lose the middle eight. I don't think the Niners win the toss. Don't know why I have that gut feeling, but I. I just, I don't. By the way, should we get rid of the toss and just allow the home team to decide what they want to do? [00:30:29] Speaker B: I think you should. I think. I think you should flip a baby. [00:30:35] Speaker A: Oh, of course. [00:30:35] Speaker B: Have it, have it land in a net. And then whichever side the baby's wearing, like a onesie that has both teams on each side, whichever side the baby lands on, of course it's still a coin, it's still a toss, but. [00:30:45] Speaker A: Right. [00:30:45] Speaker B: More of a theatrical element. [00:30:48] Speaker A: So this, this season, just to be very clear here on the Dieter and Hutch, so those of us who have been with us, we've gone from a little person tossing to now baby tossing. And who knows, might be fetus tossing at the end of this. [00:30:58] Speaker B: Or, or you can still sticking with the theme, you can have each quarterback throw a child, and whoever throws the child the furthest wins. You can either take your own child, right. And that gives you. That gives you an extra yard. So if you use your own child and you sort of tie in distance, you get the bonus because you're. You're putting your own child's life on. [00:31:23] Speaker A: The line because we're off the rails. I want to maintain. I want to maintain this thread because I want to maintain this. So there is a very interesting thought exercise that folks in hockey have done about the shootout. And the issue with the shootout is that you get an extra point out of thin air in the standings. So if you win in regulation, right. Or in overtime, you get two points. If you lose in overtime, you get a point. But if you win in the shootout, you still get the two points. So it's like, is that it's a free point because you went to overtime. And so now you have some games that are two and some games that are three. So the shootout has this almost disproportionate value in the sport of regular season hockey, which is stupid. So the thought is, and I believe Jeff Merrick came up with this first, that you do the shootout before the game starts. So you know who the point goes to before the Game starts. So you have to play the end of the game differently, knowing the outcome. It's almost like an Elam ending in basketball where you have to get to. What was it like 125 or something and so you can play it accordingly. [00:32:32] Speaker B: So I hate it. But I also like the idea of like a shootout every single game. [00:32:38] Speaker A: And this is where I'm going with this. Jake, not baby. Throwing two quarterbacks, 10 yard line, fewest number of throws to hit post, crossbar post. [00:32:50] Speaker B: Okay. Like Robbie Gould would warm up and he would try and hit the post from the. [00:32:54] Speaker A: Yeah, you get a quarterback shootout challenge skillshot. Yeah, it should be, but it should Pro bowl games. [00:33:01] Speaker B: I kind of think it should be like the third string quarterback. I think it should be the emergency. [00:33:06] Speaker A: Well, this is why Anthony Richardson would stay in the league for 20 years. [00:33:09] Speaker B: Right. [00:33:10] Speaker A: Actually he couldn't hit the posts, but if it was just longest throw or. [00:33:14] Speaker B: Each team gets to volunteer practice squad player to run a best of three Oklahoma drill. [00:33:21] Speaker A: You be in your seat for kickoff. I'll tell you that that's more important than any special teams. [00:33:26] Speaker B: Sebastian Valdez is out there every game and they're like, Sebastian, we don't care if you lose an acl, you are winning this Oklahoma drill. [00:33:34] Speaker A: There's also a school of thought that in the shootout you should be able to pick the guy who kicks or who. Sorry, who kicks. You should be able to kick the guy or pick the guy who does the shots. So it's like, oh, okay, give me your, your stay at home defenseman. You get to do the shootout. I don't think that's good theater. But what if you did as Kyle Jeep do. One of our great commenters says, why not do a field goal shootout? Yes, a field goal shootout. [00:33:59] Speaker B: Lineman only. [00:34:00] Speaker A: That's right. Pick an offensive line. [00:34:03] Speaker B: I want to see what C.J. west has gotten. That leg, you know, you. [00:34:07] Speaker A: Damn it. I can't believe that that never crossed my mind. I need to ask CJ west if he's ever kicked. I believe somewhere in my soul that he's been a kicker at some point in his life or that he's had to do it. I mean Justin, Justin Reed already makes a tremendous amount of money from the Saints, but Justin Reed, emergency kicker, you might remember the safety for the Texans Chiefs. And now I believe the Saints, like that's a secret weapon. Would it be. Who would be. Who would be the emergency kicker? Not Morstead. [00:34:34] Speaker B: Oh no, it's Juice. It is Juice. I know for a fact it is Juice. [00:34:39] Speaker A: So can't have him be the emergency quarterback, though. Heaven forbid. I'm still angry about it. [00:34:45] Speaker B: That's right. [00:34:46] Speaker A: Okay. [00:34:46] Speaker B: I mean, I think. I think we'll get to actual real comments in a second. But listen, I mean, I think the obvious point is, like, the Niners outmatched. Like, let's be clear. The Niners are outmatched. Logically, they should not win this game. Illogically, there's an element of weirdness where Seattle has had time off. Darnold. I. Even beyond the oblique, I'm not even considering that as a factory. You know, it should be like, there's an element of Seattle getting in its own head and the Niners saying, we know exactly what doesn't work. Let's go against type. Let's mix it up. Not just for the sake of mixing it up, but, like, because Kyle Shanahan would never do that. There's no element of him that's like, oh, let's just try this now. [00:35:26] Speaker A: Everything has a purpose. [00:35:28] Speaker B: Everything has a purpose. And I do think going wide, going against what they've. They've built, knowing that Seattle's not going to match personnel, which is actually a huge advantage. To know that. [00:35:39] Speaker A: If you know that. [00:35:40] Speaker B: Manage. Yeah. To know that, like, okay, we're not going to win the personnel, Mitch mismatching game, which we've done all season long in my entire career, because they have a numbers advantage with eman worry. We're not going to try that. But what we can try is to spread things out, change what they've seen from us before. And listen, is our O line probably outmatched against their front. Sure. But our Titus, our tight ends sure as hell aren't beating their defensive end. [00:36:06] Speaker A: Right. And we're mitigating damage here. [00:36:09] Speaker B: Right. So I. I think there's an element of. This can get weird. And the Niners are playing. The Seahawks are playing with all the pressure in the world. [00:36:16] Speaker A: Right. [00:36:17] Speaker B: Seahawks are playing with, like, a crowd that is incredibly loud but will get very tight. Buttholed. [00:36:23] Speaker A: They do they, you know, they do a better job than some places to be. [00:36:26] Speaker B: They rally really well. And they will be. They will be loud, but there's an element of tension and the Sam Darnold factor of like, oh, oh, God. We really do have Sam Darnold as our quarterback. [00:36:38] Speaker A: I don't think they believe in him. I really don't. [00:36:40] Speaker B: No one does. [00:36:41] Speaker A: They shouldn't. They shouldn't. And he's been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in the second half of the season. [00:36:47] Speaker B: He was 1 in Week 18. [00:36:48] Speaker A: He wanted to give you that game, but you weren't good enough to take it. Are you good enough to take it this week? I'll add in this. I mean, this is. If I were to kind of come back to it, because we really do feel like we're down to brass tax. Sort of a situation here where, again, we're talking about fair field position, time of possession, quarterback interceptions and turnovers. I would normally say that I feel like the Niners have a significant advantage coaching wise, but Mike McDonald's a madman. He's so good. And so their advantage, if there was one, would be Robert Sala versus Clint Kubiak. I just don't feel like that's a massive advantage because Robert Saleh doesn't have the dudes to do. And so I think that all, all this to say, like, it could look like Robert Sala just absolutely works over Darnold and Kubiak. That is a fair possibility in this game. I think we all. If you are coming from a Niners perspective, or, hell, even a Seahawks perspective, here we take all kinds. Even though we're pretty overtly evaluating one team here, everyone needs to come to grips with the fact that this could be a 30 to 5 blowout. [00:38:01] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, the Niners could get throttled. And logically, if you're the Seahawks, you should throttle the Niners. [00:38:08] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. If you had. If you had Brock Purdy, this game wouldn't even be played. It would be previously forfeited. And we all just go on our separate ways so we don't lose. [00:38:18] Speaker B: I would also say the Niner secondary has improved tremendously. And there's an element of. [00:38:23] Speaker A: In two weeks. [00:38:26] Speaker B: They look different. They tremendously. Compared to what we saw at the end of the year. I feel very comfortable saying they've improved tremendously. Now, they played the Eagles, so it's hard to evaluate how much of that is the Eagles running. A dog shit joke of a scheme. That said, in man coverage last week, I was really impressed. [00:38:43] Speaker A: Agree. [00:38:44] Speaker B: And I think the Eagles still have some real quality players, and I was impressed with the way they cover them. [00:38:50] Speaker A: Siegel is going to be the big question mark. We are both Seagull believers. [00:38:55] Speaker B: Could be more Mustafa than Siegel, though. [00:38:57] Speaker A: No, no, no. I'm. I'm not. I'm not disagreeing with that. I'm not like safeties are destiny. Seattle has markedly better safeties. Siegel gives the Niners a chance to have competency at the safety position, which it was over. I mean, the last great game that The. That duo at safety had was against Carolina Panthers. That was it. They got burned a couple of times. But Shador couldn't take advantage against the Browns, I thought. [00:39:23] Speaker B: Couldn't challenge them deep. [00:39:24] Speaker A: Correct. [00:39:25] Speaker B: So they just played in the box. [00:39:27] Speaker A: You say what you will about Sam Darnold. Boys got a cannon. Boy's got a cannon. And Jackson, Smith and Jigba can just 20 yard in. Breaking routes. Like, they'll run it. They'll run it all day, every day. You have to stop it. I came back to this. I know we talked about it yesterday on the radio, but, like, you have to find a way to. If Cooper cup beats you or any of the tight ends beat you, if Raheed Shahid beats you, which he could very well beat you. If any of those guys beat you, you tip your hat and say, hey, man, you know, we did what we could. You can't let JSN beat you. And that is the most easy thing to say and the hardest damn thing to do. [00:40:06] Speaker B: Agreed. I think an underrated element is. I was going back and I was watching week one again. Siegel did play in week one, and he was playing. [00:40:14] Speaker A: He was great. He. [00:40:16] Speaker B: He did have some hesitation on a few plays where you're like, he's. He was trying to. He was in between on. [00:40:22] Speaker A: Okay. [00:40:22] Speaker B: In coverage. On, like, you know, whether to just sit high or whether to trigger, and just a little bit of hesitation there. I think that sneaky goes a long way for him in terms of being like, I've actually played this team before. [00:40:34] Speaker A: You've seen him like, yeah. [00:40:36] Speaker B: And that was, I think, a better version of that offense where it was unknown, and now there's so much more that's known. I think that. I think that helps. Again, Siegel could get torched and the whole defense could get, you know, absolutely destroyed just because they're out of dudes. But. [00:40:52] Speaker A: But let's. Let's be clear about this. Marquis Siegel gives them a chance to bracket JSN on, you know, second and long, third and longs that they couldn't do with Malik Mustafa or Jair Brown. Like, it's not even worth trying with those guys. So now Renardo Green or Diamador Lenore, and I'm very interested to see if they. I don't think they will, but I'm. They might. I mean, it worked. It worked last week. If they keep Diamador Lenore on the boundary side as opposed to, you know, just having him be the right corner. I'm curious if that's the thing. [00:41:25] Speaker B: The other element Is like the Niners loving to play cover four. Right. And there's a lot of concepts that try and get the safeties, the they high, low them and they get one to pull down and one has to go. I think there's an element of like pregame communication that, you know, the safeties will have about that where it's like just have Mustafa take anything that cuts underneath and. [00:41:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:47] Speaker B: And sense Seagull on anything that goes deep. Where it. It is cover four, but it essentially functions as cover three. [00:41:54] Speaker A: That. That's a great call. It also helps that Kubiak doesn't have new wrinkles. Maybe he. Maybe he's been laying in the weeds this whole time. I would have thought at any point in the last six, seven weeks you bust out something new because you're starting to get a little stale and, and this offense isn't looking great. And it's totally dependent on defense giving it field position. I mean, think about some of the games that the Seahawks have won this year where it's been like 3, 3 in the third quarter and then it's oh, here's a defensive touchdown and oh, guess what, we'll give you a special teams touchdown. And then the floodgates open up and now the offense can open up because the game is getting out of hand. They're not there. We. I've constantly complained that the Niners are a front running team. I still believe that to be true. Yep, no team is more front running than the Seattle Seahawks. The issue for the Niners is their defense is so good. They're never behind. Ever. They just, they never get that far behind. Their defense will do whatever it takes to make maintain some touch. And yes, they, they came back against the Rams. That was Thursday Night Football. I don't give a lot of credence to a lot of the stuff that happens on Thursday Night Football, especially when you're the road team on defense on a Thursday night game. Like, it's tough in the same way that you shouldn't read too far into the 49ers went over the Rams in Week 5, like what happened there? [00:43:16] Speaker B: And they knew they got away with that. They had no business winning that game. [00:43:19] Speaker A: And I would say the Seahawks have to feel the same way about that, that last one. And so you just kind of add it all up and is the best game the Seahawks have played in recent weeks. If we're excluding Thursday night, the game against the Niners. And it's like, yeah, so that's not a great game. Like, they move the ball they did. They won 13 to 3. It should have been 30 to 3. And I just feel like the Niners, because they are operating solely on voodoo magic, can delude themselves into thinking, hey, we make one or two changes here. The margin isn't that big. [00:43:55] Speaker B: I mean, again, they have no business being here at all. And so there's. There's an element of. There's a freeing element to that that's like, we don't. We don't care. [00:44:07] Speaker A: Right. [00:44:08] Speaker B: That I think regardless of, like, they somehow win this and make it, like, they just. They know they're not supposed to be there. They're not going to get tight. They can't tighten up because there's no pressure on them whatsoever. And I know that shouldn't matter at the NFL level, and. And maybe it won't in this game, and it should just be, you know, Seattle walloping them. And sure, that might happen, but, like, the Niners not having to really have any weight on their shoulders or be like, there's all this pressure on them. I think that does matter mentally, a little bit. And I think it will give Shanahan a little bit of freedom to say, yeah, like, maybe we will spread it out. Maybe we will go away from type, especially losing Kittle. Where you go, all right, I've got one true dude in McCaffrey. Everyone else has their own skill sets, and I just have to be as pragmatic as possible about what can actually function in this game. And I think he does his best work, as he showed with Mac Jones when he is faced with limitations. Yeah. [00:45:04] Speaker A: Okay. You want to do score prediction? Sure. [00:45:06] Speaker B: Do you want me to go first? [00:45:08] Speaker A: I can go first. You usually go first. Would you like me to go first? [00:45:12] Speaker B: I'll go first. I'll go first. I will say I feel like. What did I say on the radio? 2317 was my prediction effect. [00:45:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:23] Speaker B: Yeah. 2317. Seattle. But. But let me just really quickly say. [00:45:28] Speaker A: I would love it. Yeah. [00:45:31] Speaker B: Every logical element. Again, Seattle. There is like, a little. Little. It's a wazi. It's woozy. Like, just a little tickle that's like, yeah, these motherfuckers might win this game. Yep. [00:45:46] Speaker A: Is where I have not been able to shake it in that. I just like the Niners quarterback more. And it's like, dude, there's so much other stuff. It's football. This is. You know, I'd like to think that we've made our bones here on Football Analysis. [00:46:00] Speaker B: They've been there a lot. Like. Like, not every guy has been There. But even like DeMarcus Robinson's been in the playoffs, like, yeah, a lot of these guys have been around it. A lot of this is going to be brand new for a lot of Seattle's guys. And again, part of the reason why we both, I think, think the Niners can maybe jump out, take him off guard. It might get tight in the end, but yeah, I can't shake that feeling that the Niners maybe, just maybe so. [00:46:28] Speaker A: The counter to all that. And the reason that I've been able to push down that feeling is that I think that Seattle might have the best defense of the last 15 years. I think that this is a truly exceptional unit that has found its groove and has fully actualized in the last six, seven weeks, last two months, right when they've needed it most. To be fair, a home game. No Kittle, the Kittle thing, I know that we just sort of gloss over it because it's like, well, he's not playing. So what is a deeper analysis needed? Like you're down one of your two go to versatile players. So you have to do something boldly different and boldly different might not work. You might not have the dudes to do it. [00:47:15] Speaker B: Three tight ends with bad tight ends. Let's do it. Yeah. [00:47:18] Speaker A: Or you're full on, you know, Cliff Kingsbury Cardinals and you're going brash one way or another. Or you can just try to get Kyle use check to manipulate some gaps again and see how that goes for you. My score prediction is 18 to 13 Seahawks. I think the Niners jump out to a 10 nothing lead in this game and I think from about 10 minutes in the second quarter on, Seattle just rushes them slowly and that the attrition of this team having to fight for its life since week two just fully comes to pass and I, I, you know, 18 is, is what, two touchdowns. But they do the two point conversion on one of them and kick a field goal and I think that they win the middle. I think Seattle wins the middle eight. I'm getting way too specific with this prediction so I'm just going to get totally. But I think the Niners jump out to 10 nothing. I think Seattle gets it to 107 at halftime and I think that, I think that Seattle gets another touchdown coming back in from the break and then they, they kick a field goal and the Niners will have a shot late. But, but I don't think Trent Williams holds up. I think that straight pass situations late in the game don't bode well for the Niners. Yeah, I think it's going to be a hell of a football game, but I think that Purdy has as many interceptions in this game as Darnold. I think they both have one. And that's the damning. That's the damning aspect of all of it. But I'm with you. I mean, they're going to feel like they let one get away again, and this one's going to feel a lot closer to. We should have had it. As opposed to. As opposed to who? That could have been a hell of a lot worse. Yeah. You want to do some questions, my friend? [00:48:59] Speaker B: Yeah. From Vincent. To make up for Kittle out. Do we think. Do you think we see a lot of two tight end sets with Tandres and Feral? I think they. There are two tight end sets, but I actually don't know that that stuff is going to work all that well and that you can replicate Kittle by putting both of them out there simultaneously because you kind of know what both of them do. And every. And they're like, well, we're going to use Feral as a wide receiver. And then they do. And it. Oh, shit. It didn't work. [00:49:26] Speaker A: Yeah, okay. Yeah, that Luke Farrell flat screen that. They have tried to run like two out of the last four games and he's dropped it both times. Like, come on now. [00:49:38] Speaker B: Of a signing. [00:49:39] Speaker A: I will also lay out, like, again, it feels like Seattle is playing with 12 men. And I'm not referring to the fans or anything. I'm talking about on defense. They're so versatile. It feels like they have more guys on the field than they should in that they are both heavy in the box and strain playing too high like that. You should have to pick between that, but they don't. They don't have to pick. So doing two guys to do one job. I know they're technically light in the box, but they feel heavy in the box, right, because the defensive line comes, because they have two good linebackers, because of Iman Warri, because they can slide Witherspoon in if you're in tight splits. And again, too high. So technically they're light in the box, but they don't feel that way and they don't play that way and they don't miss open tackles, which is insane. [00:50:25] Speaker B: How good for the Niners, too. [00:50:27] Speaker A: They have to make guys miss. So again, if you're already feeling like you're at a disadvantage because they're more versatile than you, the opposite of what you want to do is take two guys to do one guy's job. [00:50:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:38] Speaker A: Now you're playing at a double disadvantage. [00:50:40] Speaker B: They're already desperate for speed, which they don't have. And having one guy who's like loafing around and ton just can kind of move, but he's not that speedy. I just don't necessarily think that's going to replicate Kittle. All right, next question from handicapped. Yep. DeMarcus Robinson an interview on Shannon Sharp's podcast and said he didn't think they expected too high in week 18. Sharp said tell CMC to run their ass out of it. [00:51:08] Speaker A: Yeah, if only it were that easy. [00:51:11] Speaker B: I don't know why they didn't expect too high, but. [00:51:16] Speaker A: Yeah, that seems a little ridiculous. I don't think they expected to not have Ricky Pearsall. I mean the way that it's been described to me, I know I'm broken record about this is that Seattle's defensive game plan was, hey, if Ricky Pearsall goes for a buck 40, more power to him, we're going to lose. Like that's the only way we can lose. We're going to dare you to win man to man on the outside. We're going to play too high and we're going to be tougher than you on the line of scrimmage. And all of those things were true, except the Niners didn't even come in with a man beater. And the difference. And by the way, the Eagles tried the same thing. They're just not as good. And Kyle goes in and just goes. DeMarcus Robinson versus Quinion Mitchell. I don't care. We're throwing it anyway. And it worked. It worked early, it worked middle, it worked late. It didn't work every time, but it worked a lot. So I would again, I don't think that Seattle's in a position where they have to change a damn thing. They're going too high. They're going to make the Niners dink and dunk. They're going to try in the same way that the Niners are going to try to do it. Except one of this is might be the best defense the last 15 years. [00:52:20] Speaker B: Seattle. Yeah, Seattle's incredibly well coordinated and they could do the Texans thing of just saying our personnel is better. We're not going to do anything. And they'll still scheme the Niners up. [00:52:31] Speaker A: You need to go on. You need to go on 7, 8, 10, 12 play drives. And that means like they did in. [00:52:38] Speaker B: The first game of the season where the first drive was like 12 minutes long, right? [00:52:42] Speaker A: And then Kittle got injured but it's, it is. That's what they're daring you to do with Too high and if you don't, great. Now we have field position and our offense is just good enough to go on a 60 yard field, not good enough to go on an 80 yard field. So there's a lot of special teams is going to be huge in this game and usually that's an advantage for the Niners. But the one team that can argue there is good on special teams is Seattle. They're really good. [00:53:10] Speaker B: It's going to be a problem. Jorge, greetings for 305. Your thoughts on the um, IU game. I'm a class of 92 alum. I don't know if that's IU. [00:53:19] Speaker A: He's from the 305. That's Miami, baby. I got, I got the U. I covered the U for many years. It's going to be very difficult. I am obsessed with Signetti and just everything that he does I'm trying to figure out. [00:53:34] Speaker B: I'm going to pick IU because I just, I just hate Carson Beck. I don't like him. [00:53:43] Speaker A: I'm going to send you the meme as soon as this is done. [00:53:45] Speaker B: I don't, I know. I just, I can't really. I don't, I don't like it and that's not, that's not necessarily a logical take, but I just think they've been cooking and I'm not. [00:53:59] Speaker A: So, so here's the thing with Indiana. [00:54:01] Speaker B: As I Although their offensive line is sick. Mauigoa oh yeah. [00:54:07] Speaker A: Both of these offensive lines are elite. Indiana's offensive line is incredible. Indiana's defensive line is just heavy. They, I mean they got a type. They got a type and it is a hell of a type. So most teams can't handle the full grown dad strength. I mean I imagine most of these kids at iu, this is no commentary on, on having kids too early in life. They're all just like 26 years old with and they're making money so you know, have a kid or two. They all feel it's kind of like a BYU energy where it's like you're all married except they're just from the transfer. [00:54:44] Speaker B: They're on a pension. [00:54:46] Speaker A: Exactly. So most teams can't handle the grown man's strength and size of Indiana's defensive line, which is impeccably coached in terms of technique but maybe not the most explosive thing. Ironically, somewhat similar to how Seattle's defensive line works. Not explosive, not fun. But they're there in your Lap every damn snap whether you want them to be or not. And you're going to have to win with technique and just strength. I think Miami is the only team that can match up with Indiana at the line of scrimmage in both directions. And as good as the playmakers are for Indiana, I like Malachi. Malachi. Tony more not related. He. I like him more. Their second wide receiver, forgive me, number seven is dynamic. They can run the ball with two guys. It's going to be who can run the ball better. And Indiana, I think if they're getting more than four yards a clip in a game, they're like undefeated and they have a margin of victory of like a million to nothing. If they can run the ball, it's over. I think that Miami is in a position with their athletes up front that they can stop the run. Not saying they will. I'll pick. I'll pick. I'll take Miami and the points and my heart will, will root for the U in this game because I do love being down in Coral Gables. Maybe I, I spent a good deal of time in the university athletic department. [00:56:14] Speaker B: You also want to see Kevin Clark go golfing with Michael. [00:56:20] Speaker A: Me. Who's Michael Irvin? [00:56:22] Speaker B: Michael Irvin. [00:56:23] Speaker A: I'm a little sad. It's not me. Me and Kevin have not, not been in the same circle that me and Kevin used to play. Rancho park like twice a week in LA and some good stuff there. And you know, one of us is just killing it in the podcast game and the other one is Kevin Clark, but it's. Yeah, yeah. Not even getting that callback. Regardless, it's. It's a. Okay, we'll see him at the super bowl. And I, I don't know, man. I just, I spent a lot of time in the University of Miami athletic department dating swimmers and divers. So I'm rooting for them. [00:56:58] Speaker B: All right, moving on. We're gonna rip through these last few, which is not true. Dieter will have plenty say. Tony, is there a way to mess with Iman worry? [00:57:09] Speaker A: Yeah, put him in space, make him actually play safety. It's what we didn't like about him. You let him be in the box. You let him be a dynamic player. [00:57:17] Speaker B: Put him in space. Make him think, don't let him play just clear cut downhill football. And that was the next question from Cow Chipto as well, who also said it shouldn't have been a 33. [00:57:30] Speaker A: I disagree. I disagree with that on this premise that fourth down, the throw was there to. To Cooper Cup. It was a great play by Stout, don't get me wrong. But like you got to complete that. Also on the first down of that goal to go situation, he just misses. Darnold just misses Charbonnet in the flat. So there's seven. [00:57:49] Speaker B: That was crazy. He was, he looked right at him, all was open and went now, no, we're good. Yeah. That's why, no matter, like he could look incredible. And I'm like, no, you, there's no world in which you can fully trust him. [00:58:06] Speaker A: There's no reason to believe that he is going to win this game until the game is won. And then you're like, oh, Sam Darnold did it again and then we'll play it again next week. And so yeah, that was seven. Two miss field goals. That's 27 right there. You're telling me if they don't get out to an early lead that there's not another three points in that forum. [00:58:29] Speaker B: Meanwhile the Niners should have had 10 to to be fair. So. [00:58:32] Speaker A: But I, I'm not disagreeing. I'm saying it could have been 30, 30 to 3. It probably should have been something like 30 to 3. That was an absolute ass kicking. They had double the yards, double the time of possession. [00:58:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it looked bad. It looked bad. [00:58:44] Speaker A: 13 to 3 was not a fair reflection. [00:58:46] Speaker B: PDX Niner, what do you think? [00:58:47] Speaker A: Is Zion Young a very clear cut second round pick in the sense of he has first round talent and a day three head. He's a lunatic man. That can be coached out of him as we know but you don't want. [00:59:03] Speaker B: To coach too much out of that. [00:59:04] Speaker A: He, he gets after it now there's not a lot of guys who can bend the edge, who can play with power, who can be a true defensive end. Not this edge like Zion Young, but he's a wild card baby. So I would say day two and he might sneak up into late round one for some team that's desperate. [00:59:23] Speaker B: Sweet. The real Griff. You're telling me there's a chance that is the head of the. Of my next substack post on the Hutch report, which Samsonite it will. I will be getting to that once we wrap up here. Next one Banali. So actually, actually I want to get to this question first and end with Benali because I feel like that's a really good one to end on. Joe, do they trust Pierce all enough to have him in the game plan after what happened in week 18? Yeah, I mean I, I don't think you lose trust about how you use him. I think you lose Trust off the field. If there is, like, if he's told you he was gonna play and then said no, you lose trust in him. But, like, in terms of on the field, once he's active, if he's going to. One, you don't have a choice. Two. [01:00:06] Speaker A: That's right. [01:00:07] Speaker B: You let it rip. [01:00:08] Speaker A: Yeah, that's it. You're implying that there's a choice. [01:00:11] Speaker B: You don't have the luxury to choose. You don't have the luxury to have feelings. [01:00:15] Speaker A: No, no. Can he play? Binary situation. If he can play, you not only have to play him, you have to use him heavily because he's the only one who can repeatedly, consistently, effectively do what needs to be done against this defense. So you don't have a choice. Much. In the same way that I'm sure if the Seahawks true serum, gun to their head, whatever would be like, hey, we don't really trust Sam Darnold. Well, guess what? You don't have a choice. That's your quarterback. Timber. Drew Lock. So have fun. [01:00:47] Speaker B: Last one finale. They said we got to win one so Fred can come back. And reminded me of got to win this. Steph can come back. And that's how I know it's not happening. And. And I'm in 100% to be that awful, annoying train takes guy. 100% agree. 100% agree. [01:01:04] Speaker A: I'm an interrupter. That guy needs to shut the hell up. Even I'm like, pull it back, Kareem. Pull it back. [01:01:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. It's not quite as bad as, like, Jimmy Fallon going like. He's like, no. No way. What? Really? You're like, shut. [01:01:20] Speaker A: Jimmy, I can't believe you're here. [01:01:22] Speaker B: Jimmy, we know you got a problem. [01:01:23] Speaker A: So good. So good. Stranger Things. Oh, my God. So why is every guest he ever. Why is every guest he ever has from Stranger Things? I don't watch that show. I don't. I don't. Haven't watched Jimmy Fallon in roughly 10 years. [01:01:36] Speaker B: But, yeah, I thought. I thought everybody was out on that show. And then people like, oh, my God. [01:01:40] Speaker A: I'm like, Netflix is kind of like a black box of culture. Apparently, it's all anyone watches, but no one ever talks about it. It's like Avatar, the entire. The entirety of everyone was a cultural phenomenon. [01:01:53] Speaker B: They're like, let's wait a decade and a half. [01:01:56] Speaker A: Was Avatar cultural phenomenon? No one can tell me anything about it. [01:02:01] Speaker B: They could have told you 10 years ago, Jake. [01:02:05] Speaker A: Name one character from the movie Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time. [01:02:10] Speaker B: Jake. [01:02:11] Speaker A: Okay, easy win for You? No one in the history of me asking that question. I've asked it probably 40 or 50 times. [01:02:19] Speaker B: There's a guy in a mech suit as well. His name. [01:02:21] Speaker A: We gotta kill these bonies. Yeah, it is. It is. [01:02:26] Speaker B: Anyone ever watch Zoids, by the way? [01:02:28] Speaker A: Zoids? I've never even heard of that. [01:02:30] Speaker B: Exactly. It was like it had like a one or two year run animated show in like 1998. 99. [01:02:36] Speaker A: Wow. [01:02:36] Speaker B: I used to watch it on a square TV in my sister's room for 15 minutes before school. And it takes up a lot of space in here. [01:02:44] Speaker A: Can I give you. Can I give you an extremely hot take? [01:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:02:47] Speaker A: Base baseball would be better if it was on 4. 3 aspect ratio. [01:02:52] Speaker B: That's awesome. [01:02:54] Speaker A: I could expand on that some other time. [01:02:55] Speaker B: Well, if you've ever played like mlb, the show where they give you the old camera angles and you go back in time and you do one of the old ones, it's kind of like that. [01:03:03] Speaker A: There's less negative area. It's like the entire game is watching a pitcher throw the ball to the catcher. I don't need all this green around. I need you to zoom. Ironically, as someone who has been pleading with television networks to zoom the hell out for NFL games, I need you to zoom in more for baseball games. [01:03:20] Speaker B: The Mets, Sny guy. Direct. Direct everything. It's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. [01:03:26] Speaker A: Also, by the way, how you feel about Boba Shet? [01:03:29] Speaker B: I don't know. I don't. I don't feel anything anymore. [01:03:32] Speaker A: Were you feeling something about Tucker and the possibilities there? Cohen even put out? [01:03:35] Speaker B: No. I hate. I hate the Mets spending money. I would rather they be bad and stop spending money. I don't like them attempting to win and then getting rebuffed by the Dodgers and then like coming up second fiddle, you know, it doesn't do anything for me. It doesn't move me. Like, like I'll. [01:03:55] Speaker A: I'll. [01:03:55] Speaker B: I'll clock in when they. When they get to the World Series and then watch them lose and truly devastating. [01:04:01] Speaker A: You're telling me that they would have beaten the Dodgers and you won't check in until after the Dodgers will have. [01:04:06] Speaker B: Beaten themselves is how that would work. [01:04:09] Speaker A: It's all about the bets, baby. [01:04:11] Speaker B: That's right. Also, just a closing thought. In case anyone is watching LeMoyne basketball, there's a college basketball player named Tennessee Rainwater and I just have to put that out there. I found that out the other day and I don't know what to do with the information, but it felt this, this Seahawks preview which has gone appropriately off the rails. It feels like a good place to show that Tennessee rainwater. [01:04:34] Speaker A: Do you think that the Niners are going to lose this game because we are subconsciously emptying the clip of every take that we've had over the past year just so that we can have a clean slate for draft coverage? [01:04:44] Speaker B: I think. I think logically we expect them to lose. [01:04:47] Speaker A: We're just trying to. [01:04:48] Speaker B: They should. [01:04:49] Speaker A: Any other thoughts on the Niners that you just need to get off your chest before we pivot towards draft season? [01:04:54] Speaker B: I mean, I don't know, man. I think. I think they should be cooked, but I'm excited to see what happens. [01:05:03] Speaker A: Me, too. This is going to be a hell of a game. I'll be up in Seattle for it. Jake will probably be in some CIA bunker somewhere. We just don't know. And we will talk after the game. [01:05:16] Speaker B: Probably late. Late after the game. [01:05:18] Speaker A: God help us all. Godspeed. [01:05:20] Speaker B: Maybe 10:30, maybe 11, maybe midnight. Who knows? [01:05:23] Speaker A: It's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. I got to deal with the light rail in Seattle. [01:05:28] Speaker B: On the light rail. [01:05:30] Speaker A: It's probably. We've done worse streams better than my parents lanai in Florida as I'm getting stabbed with used heroin needles. We're having fun. Talk to you on Saturday. Bye.