Inside Access with Jason LaCanfora and Ken Weinman

Do Or Die Time For Lamar Jackson? AFC North Preview | 'Stinkin' Truth'

From 'Stinkin' Truth Podcast' (Subscribe Here): Mark Schlereth and Mike Evans give you their AFC North preview and put Lamar Jackson and company on the hot seat. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:: 20m
Broadcast on:: 28 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Download Instacart for free delivery on your first three orders. Offer valid for unlimited time, minimum $10 per order, excludes restaurants, additional terms and fees apply. Nice. Today's episode is sponsored by Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast. Ready to expand your financial game? Nerd Wallet can coach you on smart strategies like choosing investments, finding your next credit card, and setting a budget that works for you. Score major points towards your summer vacation by learning expert tips for choosing a high-yield savings account and how to build wealth by investing in index funds. Slide into summer with smarter decisions in 2024. Follow Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Future you will thank you. This is the stinking truth. AFC North, we'll work on that. AFC North, we don't need to work on that. They need to work on that. They impress you rather than you impress together over there. All right. AFC North, I think with Baltimore, can Lamar Jackson overcome his playoff demons? It's as simple as that now, right? He has nothing left to prove in the regular season, but he has everything left to prove in the postseason. Lost in the AFC Championship game last year against Kansas City put up what, 10 points? Kansas City scored 17 points and they lost with the league MVP playing quarterback. You can only produce, now they had the fumble on the goal line, but you can only produce 10 points. Hey, man, think about this. John Harbaugh has been there now 16 years. He's the second longest 10 year coach in football behind Mike Tomlin. They've been on the playoffs 11 of those 16 years. They've got one Super Bowl win, which was like in early in his career with Baltimore. But yeah, I mean, it is, this is Super Bowl or bus for Lamar Jackson and he definitely improved. He's improved every year as a thrower and Todd Monk in their offense coordinator. I think they did a great job working together. But you know, you look at Baltimore, man, they got to run the ball. They got to keep Lamar Jackson viable in the run game. They went out and got Derek Henry, which is a beast, but in that AFC Championship game, their running backs had six carries, Mike. How's your running backs get six? And I know they had a bunch of injuries and everything else, but how are you giving them six carries and just basically saying Lamar beat everybody from the pocket, which Lamar has never, that's not been, it's just not been the way they've been wired the way they've been created. So, you know, you get in the, in a tight playoff game and basically you abandon everything you do and say, go win it Lamar. That was, that's, that was questionable coaching wise. But yeah, I mean, that's, that's where we are with Baltimore. Some defensive changes they've lost, you know, they've lost, but their defense coordinator, Anthony Weaver was on their staff. He went to be a coordinator. They had another guy leave their staff to go be a coordinator. So a bunch of changes on the defensive side of the ball for the Baltimore Ravens. That's, you know, that's going to be a big question mark. My former teammate tight end Terrior, his son is now the defense coordinator. I think he got elevated from a linebacker coach to the defense coordinator. So this would be his first time calling plays. It'll be interesting to see exactly kind of what they look like on the defense side of the ball. Is it a stretch for me to say that the two players with the most pressure on them this season are Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson? Is that a stretch? Well, I mean, Lamar's got two MVPs. So I don't, okay, but how is greatness ultimately defined? How many championships? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, by what you do in the playoffs. Yeah. And so until he proves it in the playoffs, right? Especially because of what he's done in the regular season. Who's got more pressure on him? Yeah, he's, he's got, well, when it comes to playoff time, it's it, he's, there's nobody. When the playoffs start, there's not going to be anybody that has more playoff pressure than Lamar. A hundred percent. Cincinnati, is it as simple as keep burrow in a bubble? Yeah, protect that man at all costs. Put him in bubble wrap. It's like, it was a little giants that, you know, they had the one kid, the, they put him in bubble wrap as mom did because they didn't want to get hurt. Like, that's, that's what you want to do. And that's, yeah, that dude had wrist surgery in like November. They did find out about their, their browning, their backup quarterback, right? He did play pretty well and earned himself kind of a thought. But yeah, but I mean that, that, that whole organization under Zach Taylor is about Joe burrow and spread offense and shotgun. And now they lost their running back. He left and, and that dude mixing was really good. So they've replaced, they've replaced him with a Moss, Zach Moss. But yeah, it's, it's all about their three wide receivers and, you know, and Higgins and, and Chase and, you know, that's, it's, it's about, that's what it's about for them. And again, built in a fashion to me that, you know, for my small P brain doesn't make a lot of sense, right? Like, hey, it's all about our quarterback. So let's make sure we just get them all kinds of weapons. This may be the last year of having all those weapons together. But, you know, protection, now what the hell who cares? You know, we're gonna, we're gonna move on from protection. So that that's a, that's a thing that, that scares me a little bit about how they're just how they're built. Um, yeah, I don't, I'm not, I'm not a big fan. They go, uh, they got Boyd and they went out and got Mike Gasecki as well, who is, he might as well be a wide receiver, right? He's not gonna block anybody. So that it's just like, here's my, here's my thought process on spread teams. From a protection standpoint, the more spread we play, the more exotic blitz they play, because they got four, three guys on the field and you got fat offensive lineman on the field. So my, my principle here is when it comes to protection, let's get fat, let's get as big and fat as possible to get more big and fat defensive players on the football field because now this is science. I've studied this. Skinny people run faster than fat people. No way. Really? Yes. Skinny people run faster. Fat people run into you. Skinny people run around you. I want fat people on the field as much as possible. And they don't, they're not constructed that way. That scares me a little bit about Cincinnati Cleveland. I, I guess it's as simple as this. It's now or never for DeShawn Watson. Are you going to get back to being the guy you were? Yeah. You know, I, I think back with DeShawn Watson, because when it became apparent that Houston was going to trade him, I remember the conversations that were going on around all NFL cities because we were having him here in Denver and people were casually, casually throwing out. Oh, I'd give up five first round picks for DeShawn Watson. That's how highly he was thought of and now to see where he's at now. Do you see him being able to get back to that level when everybody covered in him? Yeah. Last year he had this, like a fractured shoulder, had surgery on his fractured shoulder. He only played six games. I think he played six games in 2022, six games last year. The suspension, just all the, all the legal trouble and legal issues. And let's face it, they were better when he was gone. I mean, they had, they played five different quarterbacks. They got Flacco in November and took them on a four game win streak in December. There's no time. There's no question about the talent on their roster. No question about the talent on the defensive side of the ball. I mean, they're, they're like, Miles Garrett is a, I would never ever, I would not do this podcast with a shirt on if I look like Miles Garrett. No, right. Just walk around without a shirtless at all times. All times. Yeah. Why not? Come get a taste. Yeah. Right. I mean, come get a look. And then I think Zideria Smith on the other side is outstanding. Like they are, they are loaded. I love, I love some of the, you know, some of the moves they have made. But again, it comes down. You're 100% right. It all comes down to the Sean Watson. What does he become? And then can he become that with the question mark at the running back position? Because I can't imagine Chubb being ready to play. I mean, Ford is a nice, like, Ford's a nice player. Dr. Foreman's a nice player. They've got some nice players, but it'll be, it'll be really interesting. Then, you know, I mean, Stafinsky brings in, I think Ken Dorsey is the office coordinator who was fired last year. Remember, he was fired last year in what Buffalo and then Joe Brady took over as a coordinator in Buffalo. So Alex, Alex van Pelt leaves. He goes to New England. Dorsey comes in in hopes that, you know, Dorsey's going to work with, with the Sean Watson, like he worked with Cam Newton and Josh Allen. And, you know, I mean, so all those Stafinsky's been the play caller there for other, by the way, Stafinsky, this is the start of his fifth year's a coach of Cleveland, the longest tenured coach since guess who in Cleveland, five, fifth year, I must say, Bill Belichick, 100%. Yeah, Bill Belgium, 91 through 95. He's the long, can you imagine the longest tenured head coach since Bill Belichick? Dude, that is, well, but that you've been a factory of suck for a long time, right? That's going to be reflected in your coaches and I love that fact they went out and got Jordan Hicks as a, you know, as a starting middle linebacker, a loose to Karl Mora. I think that's how you say his name. He can play. But do he just call him J. Okay. I like that. Makes us all about the Sean Watson. It is so people throw to no, they're in your buddy, Jerry Judy. I'm not allowed to talk about Jerry Judy. So got in trouble. Jerry's going to be great. Let's just say Mark was a little bit too honest, too honest and too truthful, too raw, right? About Jerry J. Cooper. I just saw an article Cooper wants a new contract. Of course he does. You know, he's the first receiver in Cleveland Brown's history to back to back 1,000 year receiving season. He's been really good for them. He really, I can understand why he's looking at like, wait a minute, you've had Jerry Judy, you didn't even have Jerry Judy for like five minutes and you gave him a new bag. Yeah. Yeah. What about a new deal? Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. We saved the best for last. Who knows where this one's going to go. But Pittsburgh does Russell Wilson, Mark get the last laugh and what will that last laugh sound like? I don't know. I mean, I love, I love first of all, I love Arthur Smith being there. Like if anybody is going to get the best out of either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, I feel like it's Arthur Smith. If he can, if he can allow himself to go back to run on the ball and run on the RPO game and run on the quarterback zone read stuff and making the quarterback involved in that because I think I think the play action stuff that comes off of that the run pass option stuff that comes off of that. I think Russ or Justin Fields could be very, they could be efficient in running that. Now, like if you want to truly run it, I think Justin Fields better option because he's more apt to run it 10 times a game, right? And add that element to it where Russ probably isn't going to do that. But it'll be interesting to see exactly kind of how this plays out. Yeah. We all feel like Russ is going to get the first crack, first opportunity, but there is a party that just feels like, will he be able to maintain that? So it'll be that'll be interesting to see George Pickens is outstanding. As you well know, I think framework is a big time tight end. I got that they've got, oh gosh, they've got the two running backs and Najee Harris is really good. What's the other kid's name? Martin Jalen Warren Jalen Warren. Yeah, Jalen Warren can really play. So I think they're I think they're built. I think they're built the right way. Obviously defensively Cam Hayward had a groin injury like week one last year and that that slowed him down quite a bit. But TJ Watt had 19 sacks last year. I like Alex Heisman on the other side. Went out and got Patrick Queen paid him a bunch of money and played middle linebacker for them. So like they've got talent. This Patrick needs to come back and have a, you know, kind of a rebound season didn't get any interception or force a fumble last year for pretty much the first time in his career. So he needs to kind of bounce back. But like I like, I like their football team in general, just a lot of questions about their quarterback position and what that offense is going to tend to look like. All right. So Pittsburgh fans, you've probably already now gotten a sense of Russell Wilson and his relentless optimism. You've at times called it toxic positivity, right? What would be your message? I guess maybe your warning to steal their fans when it comes to what you think Russ's limitations are. I think that, that I think honestly that Russ has been sold to bill of goods by the people he surrounds himself with that the teams that he's on have limited him. And I think you need to come to grips. All players need to come to grips with what they're good at and what they're not good at. Probably more importantly, what you're not good at. And you know, Russ, historically, you look at just the amount of sacks he takes, probably on average, he's taken 45 sacks a year. Now you think about how that limits you as an offense. Okay. This is a big issue for Russ and the Steelers. You take 45 sacks a year, say roughly three sacks a game. You got essentially 12 possessions on offense per game. And if you take a sack in a possession, it eliminates almost, I mean, it gives you about a 12 to 18% chance of actually scoring any points on that drive. It essentially eliminates the drive. You've got essentially no chance if you take a sack. So you effectively say, okay, in 12 drives, let's say the average score in the NFL is about 20, what points? 23 24 maybe. Okay. So you're saying of 12 drives, you've scored three touchdowns in a field goal essentially. Yes. Okay. Yes. So you've scored on four drives. So you've scored on what a third of your drives, right? Now all of a sudden, we say, all right, each sack takes away a drive. So now we've taken it from 12 potential drives down to nine potential drives. Right. And now if we're only scoring on a third of those, instead of four, you're, you know, you're down to, well, I've got two touchdowns in a field goal. Right. I had down to 17 or 21 points. Yeah. And so it just the amount of that that sacks just crush you as an offense. And this is a guy that will constantly either because of height and the short passing game has really become prominent in the national football league. Well, you think about the short passing game, you're sitting in gun, right? Or you're sitting in, you're taking a three step drop. The D, the D line is pushing the O line to you. You lose vision when you're shorter. And his propensity to not throw it to the open guy, because he either doesn't see him or he doesn't like it and pull the ball and take sacks. It is, you know, when I talk to the guys in Seattle, they'd say, Hey, man, 35 40% of all the sacks we give up are on Russ. And if you talk to Sean Payton, he would tell you the same thing, maybe more are on Russ. So it's, it's an issue. We'll see exactly. But it was an issue for Justin Fields as well. Oh, it was their old line. Not great last year in Chicago. We've, we've clearly documented that on this podcast, because I don't know anybody on their office. Right. Clearly we've documented that. All right. So in the NFC North, you had a Detroit Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota. Yeah. How about your AFC North pecking order? I'm going to go, I'm going to go Baltimore since he Pittsburgh Cleveland. And who makes the playoffs? Baltimore since he. Okay. Good job. All right, buddy. Nice. Today's episode is sponsored by Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast, ready to expand your financial game. Nerd Wallet can coach you on smart strategies like choosing investments, finding your next credit card and setting a budget that works for you. Score major points towards your summer vacation by learning expert tips for choosing a high yield savings account and how to build wealth by investing in index funds. Slide into summer with smarter decisions in 2024. Follow Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Future you will thank you. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner yet again. With North Sides and Bullion as you're not so secret ingredient, you can skip the drive-through and do dinner at home. North Taste combos provide a menu of delicious, affordable and well-balanced meals that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. Visit nore.com to get quick and easy recipe ideas for your home cooked weeknight dinners. It's not fast food, but it's so good. Hey, Fantasy Football fans. This is Zach from Upper Hand Fantasy. 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