The Killer B's: Joel Blank & Jeremy Branham
09/09 Hour 3- Justin Verlander Doesn't Deserve To Get Postseason Start
This is ESPN 97-5, brought to you by Zada Chulis. KFNC 979 HD 2, my bill new Houston, a gal media station. Don't sweat technique. Now back to the killer bees. On ESPN 97-5 and 92-5. Live from the Peritex Community Bank Studios, here's Joel Blanken, Jeremy Branham. Keep him L.A. and ready for Puka. It's just me, Keith. Now it's a big loss for the Rams. He's being a little quiet today, I've noticed. 1-5-6-7 while on a date, didn't Watson have a girlfriend this whole time, laughing face emoji? One thing that I've learned about DeShawn Watson's girlfriend, she's right or die. She might be the most loyal woman that has walked the face of the earth. You just wonder if she's getting compensated for it too. You're saying that she's being paid to be DeShawn Watson's girlfriend? Quite possibly, or at least during the process that they made sure that she showed that loyalty and they made sure that it's a good look for them that they'll take care of her. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, but she's been riding shotgun for DeShawn Watson during all of this. She's either really, really loyal or they have an open relationship, or she's really naive, or she's compensated. Yeah, I don't know, that to me is kind of weird, though. Paying somebody to be your girlfriend, that's like an escort. OK, and what is different from basically the massage escort type deal that DeShawn was trying to get to this thing? We kind of know that's the thing. Yeah, kind of the kind of his deal. They sued DeShawn. She's not because she's getting what they don't have, the money. Well, they did get money, they settled. So I didn't all of them. No, I think there's two or three holdouts. Two or three holdouts that didn't take the money? I didn't want to get involved in the process. I'd have to double check, but I believe two or three held out. Yeah, I don't know if she'd be paid to be DeShawn's girlfriend. Maybe. I don't know. I'm not-- look, I don't live that life. Like, I couldn't tell you what that life is all about. I do not live that life, so I have no clue. Look, I think if the astro season ended today, the conversation is no-- if it ended today, because there is still time to change this narrative, there is still time to change the thought process with this. But if the astro season ended today, not only should Verle later not get a playoff start, because it should be Fromber, Hunter Brown, Usay Kakuchi, and Spencer Araghetti, even Renelle Blanco. Even Renelle Blanco ahead of Verle later. I'd probably piggyback Araghetti Blanco in a game four. I would probably start the game with Araghetti. If he runs into some trouble, Renelle Blanco, piggyback, try to get it late into the game. Verle later, not getting a playoff start at the season today, but on top of that, he shouldn't be on the playoff roster on top of that. Because he doesn't give you any sort of value. When you look at this from a playoff perspective, and knock on wood, hopefully the astros are in the playoffs, what value does he bring you if he's not making a playoff start? He's not the Verlander of old where he has this nasty stuff. He's not really going to be a long reliever out of the pan. He might not even want to come out of the bullpen. You have six or seven other guys in the bullpen that you rather have pitch one inning over Justin Verlander. So like Verlanders, is he getting a playoff start? The question is, is he even on the playoff roster? Yeah, I thought the same thing. The minute that I saw everything unfold last night, I started to question more and more about how he-- And then when you heard the broadcast start talking about the fact that he doesn't want to come out of the-- I don't know where they got that from, but that he-- Someone said he didn't want you. Someone else said, I don't think they use the word he can't. He can't come out of the bullpen because he's never done it before. Well, regardless, if it becomes an issue at all, then he isn't on the roster. And if he wants to unceremoniously do that to himself with that kind of look and make it public thing, go ahead. Otherwise, I could see the neck issue coming back or them spinning it to the fact that he is a medical issue. He's not going to be available because I don't see, especially if they have to play that wild card series. I don't see a scenario where Justin Verlander is on the roster. Because like you said, whether Eric Getty was good or not, I'd go the reverse. I would start Blanco, and then I would use Eric Getty following him up because Blanco could be capable of going deeper as well. Well, why would you say that? I mean, Eric Getty's gone deeper in the games than Blanco has. And Blanco has experienced pitching out of the bullpen and did it the other day pretty nicely. I just like-- I trust-- I guess it's a trust thing. I trust Blanco right now because of the last start from Eric Getty to give me five innings. That's going to keep me in the ballgame with minimal runs given up. Whereas I just don't know what I still don't know about Eric Getty, and he's never been in the playoffs before. I just-- that's me personally. That's either. That's me personally. I would do that. But either way, the piggyback is fine. But in a short series especially, I don't see where Verlander has a role. I don't think that he's-- and let's just be honest, too. The stuff doesn't look like no matter what role you might think is a scenario that could play out for him, that he's going to get guys out to where you believe when you do go to him, that he's going to be effective. Yeah. They were flipping out that he hit 94 yesterday on a ball that was hit 94. Verlander or a spotter rather said, I would not bet against someone with that pedigree and how good this guy's been for a very long time back to baseball car show. I know that he's going to go back and work and try to figure some stuff out. The guy's been really good for a very long time. We talked about a couple of things there in the dugout. Some things he felt, some things he saw, he was looking at video. We have to go back to the drawing board, get him going. Verlander 0 and 4, 968 ERA since coming off the IL. He said, I felt good physically. Obviously, the results were atrocious. The guy's hit a lot of good pitches though. And then a spotter was talking about the vertical shape of the fastball, which he says isn't there yet. So he's getting the V-Lo, but he's not getting the vertical shape. He says, that's when you know JV's on when you see the inches of vertical on his fastball. He's working through it, man. And I tweeted out yesterday, which you said too, I think that there will be an aisle stint to save Verlander's pride, because right now he's not on the playoff rotation. King of Twitch says, you really think JV is off the playoff roster? If I'm filling it out today, yes, absolutely. I think the Astros would leave him off of it too, if they had the best interest in the Astros. And to say face, I think it's going to be Verlander to the IL, not filling right. That neck is still flaring up on him. He's going to be on the injured list like with two games left in the season. Yeah, no doubt. I could see that scenario playing out. I could see that being the kind of highest of high water you could take to make all parties feel OK going forward. And let's also not forget you go series by series. He's probably going to be out for the wild card. Is there a chance as he's figuring things out that as you get into a longer series as you advance in the playoffs that he might ever roll? Sure. But I'm also not going to live on the back of the baseball card enough to say in a short series with the other guys I have to choose from that I'm going to force feed anything Justin Verlander anywhere in my pitching rotation. T minus says I'm not going to be hard on JV. I'm not happy, but I have not forgot what he has done for H town. Textor says Verlander getting slayed on this program is so nasty. Let's show some respect. Look, you have to say what you see. And Verlander right now is not one of the best 12 pitchers in this Houston Astros organization. We're not slandering Justin Verlander. We're saying in our opinion, Verlander is not going to be on the playoff roster. That's not that slanderous. We're not calling him a filthy animal. We're not calling him bad things for saying he's not very good right now. Why? Because he's not very good right now. Is he the greatest starting pitcher in Houston Astros franchise history? I personally think so. I get pushed back when I say that. Do I think he's one of the best 12 pitchers on the Astros currently? No, I do not. Yeah, see, that's the thing. We're calling it like we see it. My honest opinion is the fact that right now, the way he's pitching, the stats you gave, the massive ERA, the 0 and 4 record, since he came off the aisle with the injury, that's not good enough. That would, if his name wasn't Justin Verlander and you put another player's name on those stats, he would never roll either. And the fact is, is that there's more consideration and he's getting every opportunity because of the back of the baseball card and what this organization thinks of him. But at the end of the day, you've got to do what's right for the rest of that roster that's in that locker room that's going to fight and wants the best pitchers they could possibly get to have the best chance to win. He doesn't give you the best chance to win right now and until he figures out some things and those things are visible and they're effective and you're getting the results that you expect out of a Justin Verlander, that's not slanderous at all. That's not booing him when he walks off and everybody losing their mind about him being booed last night. That's being as honest and real as you can be about a guy that isn't who he used to be and unless he gets some kind of signs that he's going to get closer to it, he can't pitch for this team and expect to win. Now him being booed is kind of wild. It was wild. That is one thing where I'll agree with the texture like, I don't know if I would be booing Justin Verlander who's won two Cy Youngs as a Houston Astro and has anchored the pitching staff of two World Series champions. That's probably a bit too far saying he shouldn't be on the playoff roster. Okay. Yes. I said, we're not booing him to say that we were just calling it like we see it. No, I'm blaming the fans. Yeah. But at the same time, yeah, you do have, regardless of back to the baseball card, just look at your memory book. I mean, the fact that he gave you the memories he's given you, the fact that he's in the conversation, as you mentioned, of being the greatest pitcher in Astro's history, says you owe him a solid in that regard. Yeah. I, yeah. It is sad. 75 says Sucksen, Jamie fall apart. It does. It really does double rods. I mean, is anyone surprised he is 42? I think he's 41, but that's semantics. I wouldn't. I'm surprised. I'm surprised it's this poor. I, I thought he could have been a, the injury kind of throws a wrench into things, but I thought he would be pitching around a four year array this year based on what he did last year based on his age, maybe the neck issues leading to some, you know, you know, the inflated ERA, things like that, but I thought he'd be around a four year array. I'm surprised it's been this poor. Sure. Yeah. I mean, I'm surprised from the standpoint of he didn't show signs. His velocity isn't like significantly less than it was, and especially pre injury coming off the Tommy John. He still has a plus fastball. His curveball can be time by last night as well. The fact that he didn't go to his curveball as much as he probably should have and that curveball still had good movement and good vertical and drop and was placed in better spots. He has the capability. So I'm surprised that the results are this grotesque and absurd for a guy that's been this good for this long, no matter what his age says, two nine, seven, one. He couldn't get anybody out of sugar land, but that's the whole always working on things that people over eight nine, five, zero, one, if this was my colors, people would agree. That is true. And then Verlander not on the playoff roster still gets a World Series ring. I think so too. I don't think leaving Verlander off the playoff roster are not getting the most out of Verlander. I don't think that that limits your potential. In fact, it might heighten it. What do you mean potential in terms of like, I think the, I think the Astros have World Series potential. Oh, yeah. Verlander not pitching to his best, in my opinion, does not increase or decrease the chances of you winning a World Series. I think it's really a wash. If anything, it increases it because it can be a bomb and not get people out and the luxury is you have the benefit of what most teams don't, which is a surplus of even still with all the injuries they've incurred. You have four and five capable starting pitchers that you can actually use and utilize in the same way as Justin would have been in the mix, even with him out. Yes, you lose the experience, the playoff experience of Justin Verlander, but from a stuff perspective, you have guys fully capable of doing what Verlander's been doing for you at least this year and maybe more eight, eight, three, five, I would pitch JV game three on the road. No questions asked from number one, Brown to JV game three, Kuchie game four, Eric getting not getting a playoff star, Blanco is the long arm emergency for all playoff games or spot start. Okay. I just don't trust Verlander. Yeah, I don't either. I don't know how you can say that with confidence and believe that you got a chance to to win that game three, two, seven, five, three, bad word, the memories. This ain't surprising his golfing buddy crane, keeping him in that starting rotation. Now I don't think that they've had a choice about keeping him in the rotation. Like they went to a six man when he came back because they wanted to limit everybody's innings. So it's been beneficial that he's back, not except when he's actually starting, but the fact that they went to a six man, I think is beneficial to the entire rotation. And then I also think like dropping Blanco for a start, one turn to the rotation, I actually think that was good. So I don't think that Verlander is taking away from like the overall, you know, team other than when he pitches. And I actually think that him being part of the five man six man rotation has been beneficial to the other guys where I draw the lines to the postseason. Yeah, that's where I'm at too, because before the injury, the fact is, is there, I think most people had confidence when he got the ball that he was going to be, he was going to be good. And there was a chance he could be even better as he got through the season and got more, you know, got more work and got stretched out and did all those things. We did not expect, I personally did not expect anything close to what I've seen since he's come back and the fact that it's not even close to the confidence I used to have because of it. He was, if this was starting a season and saying, does he fit in your rotation? You're not being forced. But yes, he belongs in the rotation. Now is a different story because of the results we've seen. And the fact that he says he's healthy and feels good physically, that's where it becomes a bigger problem. Yeah. Hopefully he surprises us all and that he's just nails like in the rest of his regular season starts. And then it's like, okay, now, now, now it makes sense. I just think that's a long shot seven one three seven eight zero three seven seven six. Let's go out to the HR and P listener line. You're in the hive of the bees going on, Clarence was going on, boys, so Clarence, all these people who are clamoring and begging for JV to be on the playoff roster after watching what we just seen after the past four games are idiots and they deserve to not watch baseball, even Texas show again. And you know, this reminds me of government would pay man and had his neck injury and he wasn't what she was and he had to lean heavily on the defense in order for him to win. I know it's a different sport, but that's what is reminding me of like JV, whatever neck issue was going on. And you know, the nerves and the neck go down with the spine and all in the arms. I think it's something like that. And it's something that when he say he feels good physically, but I something about that just runs me the wrong way and I will leave them off. Appreciate the job, Clarence. Yeah. Look, I mean, it's a good analogy. I think that we always talk about it because of Brady and what he did to buck the odds and do things differently than we've ever seen before. We don't know what Roger's going to be. We'll see a little bit of that tonight, but from a from a JV perspective, he's already done so much that you just expect him like the kind of superhuman things he does. Like he, you know, as he goes deeper into games and throws more pitches, his velocity used to go up all the time. It still can. You look at those things and that's why you expect the unexpected of a guy his age, but at a certain point when he starts putting on paper and on the diamond and and and recording things like we've seen over the last four games, he got to reevaluate and as tough as it may be and what you gave up to get him to go around and all those things considered, your only consideration and concern is giving your team the best chance to win in the postseason. Right now he doesn't do that. It's also regressed. Like he's made four starts since coming back from injury and the first start two runs five inning six strikeouts. Like, okay. Like, all right. That's all right. His second started Philly four runs five innings. Okay. Like Philly's good offense. You can kind of like, you know, make an excuse there. Next started since he five runs eight hits four and two thirds. That's when he walked the bases loaded last night eight runs eight hits three innings. So like it's gone backwards. He's regressed since he's returned, which is odd. Like he should be improving. Seven one three seven eight zero ESPN HRMP listener line Richardson versus Stroud. Who won the fight at the quarterback position yesterday? It's the bees on ESPN 97 five and ESPN 92 five. I mentioned earlier in the show that I was walking around the neighborhood today. Yeah, I was working out, but and I saw a basketball goal laying flat on its side. It was embarrassing. It probably lowered my property value. 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You found the killer bees live for the Veritex community bank studios. Here's Joel Blank and Jeremy Branham CJ Shroud yesterday gets a victory over Anthony Richardson on the road and just because CJ Shroud's a second year quarterback doesn't mean we're going to start stop dissecting and analyzing his performance. We'll give a grade on Stroud later and then we'll grade Stroud versus Anthony Richardson like it was a browned and boxing. But what did you what did you make a Stroud? How would you grade it? Look, I think just simply from the fact that this is week one of year two, I was extremely happy with CJ Stroud. You're always going to have throws you'd like to have back. You had some things that went his way that we talked about where the pick on the sideline was potentially something that you know was a throw he'd like to have back. But overall, we talked about the poise, his presence, his ability to make plays off script like the one on his knees on the logo, you know, the throw that he made to Tineco to seal the deal inside of two minutes to go in the game on the sideline is a throw that not many make and put exactly where it had to be. I have nothing but but more praise for the fact that you got the right guy as your quarterback and he was impressive again yesterday to me. Yeah, I thought he was I thought he played really well and I asked my Twitter followers, which are a lot of them a lot of them because I am an influencer. Remember that and I asked him just great CJ Stroud's performance and like a lot of them were like B minus B. I thought it was like an A minus. I would grade it in an A minus with Stroud's performance yesterday and there were two careless throws. There were two throws that he was very careless with the football that could have easily been interceptions. Some did get intercepted but a defensive holding, bailed it out, one of them that was caught by a defensive player that was ruled an interception that was overturned because he didn't get both feet in. So there were a couple of throws where he was very careless with the ball. There were a couple under throws. The Nico Collins great catch was an under throw, you know, if he leads on that might be six, there was an under throw to Tengdell that could have been a big chunk play, but the off script plays, the efficiency on third downs were was insane. He also was highly effective, like they had 10 score, they had 10 possessions yesterday. They scored on six of them. One of them, they didn't score was the final possession of the first half where they should have. And then the other one where they didn't score was whenever they bled the clock on the final possession of the game. So I thought he played a really good game on the road. I give CJ Stroud an A minus for his performance. What do you have it at? Yeah. I was going to say because of the fact that you could always say that there was a little bit more room to improve on that, I would go. I would go A minus, but I don't think it was anything too critical to take him off the A list. All right, Brian. Yeah. No, making unanimous. I think we, I mean, it's part of me wants to drop it down to a B plus because of those two picks that we talked about were made as the guy doesn't step out of bounds. If the holding doesn't bail you out, then we're not giving them, you know, in the A letter grade if he's thrown two interceptions, but they didn't count in like Joel pointed out the poise when he went down to the knee when he slipped on the logo. The throw to Niko where Niko made the amazing diving grab. The one where he scrambled out through crosses body to the middle of the field and nailed a pass to Niko in the middle of the field. He just pulled off so many plays and showed a level of poise that few other quarterbacks show in the NFL, especially for year two. And obviously Jeremy, as you pointed out, he led the team basically, what was it? I think he said six out of eight drives where you're not factoring him, either bleeding up the clock or in the first half where they score points on the possession. So yeah, I would give him any minus. How about the opposing quarterback, Anthony Richardson? Boy, I'll tell you what, you know, he had his moments and everybody's going to, you know, completely lose themselves in the deep ball. He just showed to me and solidified the fact that he cannot throw accurately yet. I don't know if he ever will. As impressive as he is physically his ability to run the football, his ability to be a weapon offensively is there, but because he can't make the throws that some of them are very easy throws that he makes difficult, I think that to me, he's, he's B minus because of the fact that they had a chance to win the game, that they were still in the football game, that he did make some big plays. I'm not going to go lower than that, but I don't know in the foreseeable future if I'm going to be going higher than that either because of the fact he can't throw the ball. Yeah, I think that Steichen needs to be creative with his usage. Fourth in one, Anthony Richardson dropping back to throw the football. Not wise, like I don't think you're winning football games. He was nine for 19 yesterday. Now he did have the big plays. Obviously the one long touchdown is a play few people in life can make. I would probably put it in C plus. I don't think he's accurate. I think he puts the ball in terrible places for his receivers and the pushbacks would be, well, he had that long touchdown to Alec Pierce. Didn't you see that? Yeah, I did. Great play. Made that one. Thought it was kind of flooky. Derek Barnett drove the offensive lineman right into his face. He slipped, drifted, still made a great throw into the bucket for the touchdown. Now look at some of the other plays. Fourth in one, Anthony Richardson with time slung at 10 feet over his receiver's head. That was that first possession when they turned it over on downs. Here in the game, Texans sent blitz, 80 Mitchell wide open for an easy six. What happened? Ten yards too far later in the game had 80 Mitchell again in the fourth quarter, threw it over his head. Another one late in the fourth quarter overthrew him. Even his completions don't put his receivers in great catch and run spots. Like he'll he'll force his receiver to jump. So when he comes down, he's immediately tackled as opposed to leading him catch the ball run after the catch. Now he did have that one touchdown. So it's like very, very inconsistent with him. And then I even thought the interception was a, was a bad throw. And you had the broadcasters. I forget which one said it that said that the receiver slipped. I don't think so. I think he was lunging for the football because it was thrown too far in front of them that led to the Bullock interception. So I, I was not, I didn't like what I saw from Richardson. Yes, he's going to make the highlight play every now and then I just think it's very difficult to win with that sort of inconsistency. I give that a C plus grading it like a boxing fight, like a boxing round. Probably got to go 10, nine for strouts. I get strouting a minus Richardson a C plus and then 10, nine, strout wins the fight against Richardson. Okay. I think it was, yeah, I, I'm going to go again, I'm not, Brian's our boxing judgment. I'm going to go, I'm going to go with a little bit more of a differential between the two. I think CJ was heading shoulders above Richardson simply because of the throwing ability and because of the poise. I'm going to say 10, eight. Yeah. 10, eight was where I was at. And I, I'd grade Richardson at a C. It's a little bit lower. I mean, getting, look, the, the play where he hit peers for the bomb touchdown, obviously hit, hit peers for another deep ball as well later in the game. I mean, they're great, but it's kind of like a bragging about a guy that hits 200, but runs into 20 home runs, you know, on the year, like he, it's just, he's a low percentage player. I mean, he had the one pick. He could easily have had three, we, there was the pass for Henry Toa, tipped one up or hit where Bullock would have been right there for it. And there was another one where they hit Aziz al-Shir in the hands and he just dropped it in the middle of the field where, where seemed like Richardson never saw him. So look, he, he, he had one pick, he almost threw three. He missed Adonai Mitchell deep multiple times, including one on the double move for Adonai Mitchell was just completely all alone, another one where I think stingly let him go. Also completely all alone through now the end zone, not to mention basically everything short to intermediate, 10 to 15 yards. He couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. He's a great athlete and he's going to hit the homerun plays, but I can't give him any better than the sea. Three, three, three, eight CJ, one, no question, defense made Richardson look way better than he is. Nine passes for 200 plus yards as a joke, played on the defense that expected them, not to throw much. I think that was part of the game plan. Forrest Richardson to beat you. He beat him a couple of times. It didn't win in the game 50 30 was a toss up between Stroud and Anthony Richardson. I didn't see it the way 0113 CJ wasn't bailed out on that second pick. The only reason it had a chance of being a pick was because more pulled himself towards the ball using Schultz. That is true. That is Shroud. Shroud didn't realize that. No, he didn't. Shroud still was reckless with the ball and you know that he didn't know that because of the way he went after him to try to tackle him 50 30 again. Texans lose that game 50% of the time. If you played it 10 times, I disagree. I think the Texans win 90% of the time. They dominated that game like go look at the total yardage in that contest. The Texans out game the Colts by 114 yards. The Texans were seven for 14 on third down Colts for five and 10. That's still a lot. You look at the turnover battle like the Colts turned it over one time. Texans didn't turn it over at all 40 minutes time in possession for the Texans 20 minutes for the Colts. I think if you play that game 10 times, Texans win nine of it. Don't forget the Texans had a block punt to that quickly led to a cold touchdown. The block punt and the gap at the at the end of the first half tell you that you left points on the board or basically gave them seven points in the case of the block punt to where if you want to tell me you're going to do that again, you're going to play that game over and you're not going to do those things. I clearly thought the Texans were the more dominant team all game and then five, seven night. I'm glad the Texans had such a balanced attack where Stroud didn't have to win it by himself. That is nice. Very nice luxury. Now 30 times a game. I don't know if that's sustainable, but yeah, I mean, Nixon ran it obviously very, very well. seven one three seven eight zero three seven seven six. Let's go out to the HR and be listener line Keith. You're in the hive with the bees. It's up Keith. Hey guys. You know, obviously Stroud's a better quarterback than Richardson, but to be so harsh on Richardson after one game when he has virtually no quality players in the short, the mid-range spot. Oh, come on. Michael Pitt and Studd. Josh down just out. He's a slot receiver. Okay. They have they got no catches from the tight end and but behind Jonathan Taylor, there's no Neheem Hines, there's no quality third down back, so in those three short range positions where he can make those completion, he had nothing going yesterday, he didn't have the players in house. There's no Jack Doyle. There's no high and sounds about 80 Mitchell Pierce, our deep guys, obviously, and Pittman was in double coverage. All game it fell out. Alec Pierce had three catches for 125 yards, like they they had deep throws like they were successful in deep throws part because of the Texans game plan. Texan game plan was let's take away the middle. Let's try to force Richardson to stay in the pocket. Let's force Richardson to be accurate and beat us deep. And he hit a couple and he missed a ton like a very game plan specific and come on like a part of why the tight ends had no catches because Richardson couldn't throw a short and intermediate and they were targeted like more Ali Cox targeted, pal grants and targeted 80 Mitchell overthrown four times, Pittman eight targets caught four passes like Pittman's a stud too. Like Pittman's really stinking good. So let's not say that he doesn't have like these. Oh, Nahim Hines like Nahim Hines changes that game yesterday. No silly. I mean, Pittman had 1100 yards the last couple of years with scrub cubies including Gardner Minshoo. It's not. It's not on Michael Pivin. Nice. He's a good receiver. Richardson did hit him. Keith was just being key. He dropped it. Nahim Hines. Yeah. I think that Jack Doyle was more offensive to me. Jack Doyle. Nahim Hines. All right. Let's get to game balls. Who deserves a game ball from week one in the NFL seven one three seven eight zero three seven seven six. It's the bees on ESPN 97 five and ESPN 92 five. Hey, before we go to the break a word from a good friend Doc Linville and the good people that work for Doc Linville here in the medical center. They are absolutely fantastic. They do a ton of stuff. Doc do's. He does so many things and he does it well. He does plastic surgery and spot treatments and Botox. The thing that I'm personally involved in that I had the I had the procedure of the neograft. I had the PRP treatments and I can tell you they work. They both work and that's the key thing here. You don't want to try things because you're desperate trying to get your hair back or stop your hair from falling out that are just going to mask the problem and we've seen those on TV and all the different ways that people advertise the spray screams and foams. This is stuff that actually works. These are procedures that actually are going to get your own hair back from you. It's not going to be taken from an artificial source. The phenomenal thing is doc. I had a free consultation with Doc and his staff that he explained to me was the fact that you're never going to lose the hair on the sides in the back of your head no matter how bald you go in other areas. Through science and through medical technology they figured out you can take some of that hair and use it like sod and repurpose it to where you need it most. It could be your hairline in front. It could be a bald spot up on top and back but regardless it's your own hair they put it in in such a way so that it grows the same direction and it's the same colors the rest of your hair and it's going to be there for the rest of your life because they're taking it from a spot where it never goes away and that's a game changer. It's right there big but then when you factor in the PRP2 where maybe you don't have to go full neograft, maybe you have hair on your head. It's just not as thick and as strong as it used to be. It's like putting fertilizer on your lawn. You use the PRP treatments and you have heard it in sports with athletes getting PRP on their knees and shoulders and joints. This is for your hair as well and it can get that hair back to a stronger, more thick and lush form for you to get better coverage area and more hair on your head. Both ways. The greatest thing about all this is you're listening to us, you're interested in him, you get a consultation like I had for free. It normally costs 150 bucks. All you got to do is go to 975hair.com, sign up for an appointment. You go in, they explain to you the procedures, you ask questions, they give you answers. You just figure it out and see if it's right for you. No signing on the dotted line, no financial commitments, nothing at all except for a question and answer and explanation of what everything is, what they do and how they do it and then the rest is up to you. You want to do it like I did? I'm telling you right now they're the best in the business and I'd recommend them to anybody. Check them out today, go to 975hair.com. You're listening to ESPN 97.5. Live in the Veritex Community Bank Studios, it's the killer bees. Now back to Joel and Jeremy. Gameballs. Gameballs, blankers, do the honor, who you give in your first game ball? You take this one from me. I felt like this was going to be your first choice and I feel guilty doing this but Josh Allen, Josh Allen had got to get a game ball, four total touchdowns, two on the ground, two passing, he brought them back from coming from behind in coming from behind fashion, showed toughness and grit with an injured hand, got them a big victory. It might be done. Might be done. No, he's playing this week by the way. We'll see how bad that left hand is. Yeah, I had him. I had him one too. I had him sixth on my list but I did have him on my list because of your disdain for my head. No. Oh, okay. That's fair. Yeah. That sounds like a brand. So I actually admire that. Tyree Kil pulled his Scotty Sheffler, he went from detained to pay dirt. You kidding me? He hit the head. Come celebration. He did it. Yeah. Then it was a wild that released him. I think so, yeah. Yeah. How do we not give Tyree Kil the top game ball from detained to pay dirt Tyree Kil game ball? Just be careful of your son's arm and you know that pregnant girlfriend used to have in the past. Which one? Yeah. There's something multiple. The one in the belly in the stomach. There was more than one at the same time, different women. That was it before the NFL. I think there was only the one in. Oh. Alright, my first game ball goes out to, I think I'm going to call him Mr. Overtime right now because David Montgomery, once the game went to overtime, it just became an absolute beast. He was good during the regular portion of the game as well but in overtime, David Montgomery the Lions last night of the eight plays, five were carries to Montgomery, gains 45 yards and just punches the ball down the Rams throw in leading to the Lions when David Montgomery was awesome. He was good and he wasn't much for most of the game but like you said, when they needed him most because their running game was fine without him early but man, when they needed him, he stepped up big. I didn't think the Lions were going to win that game, credit to them for the game. They refused fast. My next one goes to none other than Baker Mayfield. The fact that Baker Mayfield said that I play my best ball when I'm having fun and I was having fun today, 289 and four touches and they were putting up some good numbers from a fucking ears offense that I didn't give a whole lot of stock. Their line got a little weak and everything like that but Baker for week one gets one from me for those kind of numbers. Yeah, I thought he was fantastic. Four touchdowns. My goodness. I mean, that's the one that got away for the Cleveland Browns, right? For sure. Yeah, so much for that Dave Canales, the storyline. Oh, like you stalked down Dave Canales. Oh, off. Baker didn't miss him a bit and Bryce Young looks awful. Sam Darnell, Sam Darnell, it wasn't seeing ghosts yesterday against the Giants. Have you ever seen Giants in Giants or something that he was feasting on? 19 for 24-208. Two touchdowns from Sam Darnell. I told you. Darnell. Yeah, that was one that we should take back. Come back to New York. It's going to be big, baby. That was one we should. Yeah, there was one of my guys screwed a silver too. I mean, it wasn't the Jets, but still, I actually positioned it like that but said, hey, you know what? I do remember that. Yeah. He wasn't with the Giants. But I mean, same stadium. You're on to something, I guess. Yeah. Sam Darnell goes out to not JJ Watt but TJ Watt who was so dominant yesterday that the reps after the game had to apologize to him for calling him off-sides because he was anticipating the snap count so well, they're calling him off-sides and the reps apologize to him after the game. More. He was the complete wrecking crew yesterday. Yeah. More incompetence from the Falcons. They can't even get a snap count, right? Didn't he worry about them? It was a walk-off sack fumble recovery to win the game? Yeah, I think that's right. I know he had a sack and a fumble recovery. I remember I didn't see the end of the game, so I don't know if it was a walk-off. I think it was a walk-off. Yeah. I want a walk. I want a walk in Houston. All right, what's the next one you got, Blake? I got Tua. I mean, you mentioned Tyree Kill, but Tua coming off his contract 338 yards in the air, he led the comeback, they were bad in the first half, really good in the second half. They said he gave the team a big pep talk and was shouting out and calling out veterans that they got to play better. Now that he's got the contract, maybe he's got the confidence, but 338 and a win for Tua. Yeah, good. I didn't think that that was going to go very well. I thought the AFC South was going to be three and one yesterday with the loss coming into vision. Like Jacksonville started hot, Tennessee was up big, and then all of a sudden, they both were up 7-3, nothing or 17-3 I think in the first half. Sounds right. Yeah. I even had it in my notes. AFC South, strong week one. I guess I brand them foot and mouth it. Derek Carr, Derek Carr, David Carr's brother, I mean, who saw this coming? 19-23, the yards weren't really that big because it was garbage time, they threw for three touchdowns. It's like all this talk into the season, like, "Oh, Spencer Rattler is going to take it, and he still might. He's going to take Derek Carr's job." All Derek Carr did was hang up a huge number three touchdowns in week number one, Derek Carr, not dead yet. Didn't see that one coming and having them playing as well as they did, but the other thing is Derek Carr, Mr. kind of close to the vast, Mr. Conservative, if you saw that or not, they had the video of it, but Corn Jr. in the secondary was all over talking mess to him, and he turned right around and he goes, "I got three on you, bro. I got three on you. Touchdown." I was like, "Good for you, Derek Carr." My next one goes out, another one on the defensive side of the ball, and part of this was because it was fun to watch him sack Sean Watson, but Eric Kendrick of the Cowboys, nine tackles, two sacks in interception yesterday, and the Browns just absolutely dominant win over the Cleveland Browns made a watch and look every bit as bad as Bryce Young as some of these other trash QBs we've talked about today, so shout out to Eric Kendrick's. Let's do one more real quick and then we'll get to the textures game. My last one is JK-Dive, JK-Dive, coming off another major injury, not many people believed in him, thought he could do anything for a Chargers team that was looking for a replacement for Echler, and he got 135 in a touch and looked really good doing it. RB1 Gerard Mayo, first game as a head coach replacing a legend in Bill Belichick. All he does is go into sensing and beat limp-risked Joe Burrow in the Cincinnati Bengals. "Trick Woolen, the defensive back from the Seattle Seahawks. Did you guys see the call of Adam Archuleto when he picked off Bo-Nix?" No. "Trick Woolen picked off Bo-Nix to basically end the game. As soon as Bo-Nix let's go, you hear Adam Archuleto and his broadcast go, "Oh no, because Bo-Nix was throwing it right to where Trick Woolen was, but a big play there from Trick Woolen to help them also make a comeback. They were down at halftime, but Seattle gets the win over different." "Quick through the text line here, HRP listener line. Sequon Barkley, absolutely great game, Sequon. As soon as I saw Tariq was detained before the game, I knew he was going to smoke the Jack secondary like a free joint. It's 2-5-6-8. The Bears gave their game ball to Will Levis. That's a good point. That was a terrible play by Will Levis. "8-8-3-5, game ball Bears, defense and special teams. Yeah, Jonathan Biles scored the touchdown." "He did." "Yeah, Space City cab, I'm giving my offensive game ball to Mixon, my defensive game ball to Kalen Bullock. That's fair hit a pick. Key from L.A. My game ball goes to Cooper Cup and Joe Mixon, no surprise Cooper Cup. I don't hand game balls to losers like Cooper Cup." "And if you're going to do anybody on that team, frickin' Stafford carried them the whole night. You see Kalen Biles by the way." "Week 1 and Kalensworth calls it the throw of the year." "Oh yeah, that was funny." "Come on man." "He also forgot the overtime roll." "He did." "He was talking about being positioned through the field goal and taking an E." "I missed that." "Yeah, he did." "And then Tariqo, Tariqo was like, 'Well, you know what, they don't score a touchdown. The game rolls on.' And then Kalensworth, like, meat was like, 'Well, of course they're looking for a touchdown here, trying to walk it back, but it was too late. 2-1-8-0, Jayden Daniels looks like an elite running back. I didn't see much of that game yesterday, I was watching Red Zone Channel. He fumbled four times." "I didn't see it at all." "I saw four fumbles on it on the box score today." "He says, 'Can't throw a worth of dang, but good runner, who's a Texas fan I'll give, also give a game ball to William Mayhew Boy Levis, best player the Bears had.' A lot of... "Yeah, I mean, Caleb Williams threw for 90 yards if they won." "Yeah, I know." "That's great." "The Levis was awful." "The gift was like, there was two big guys that were carrying something really valuable and a third guy that was just kind of walking alongside of it. And they're like, the guy walking alongside of it's Caleb Williams, he gets credit for a W and is a part of the team, but he didn't do much." "Yeah, or Williams with those painted nails orange." "She came into the game with gloves on?" "I didn't." "Because people were wondering if he would his nails and if he had, you know, done anything to his knuckles like he did against Utah, and he came into the game wearing black leather gloves." "That's a weird guy." "All right, let's get to our car wreck of the day. What are you nominating for the car wreck of the day, 7-1-3-7-0-3-7-7-6, it's the bees on ESPN 97-5 and ESPN 92-5." "You all right?" "I'm right, he's broken the bolts, come on, come on, come on." "I'll give you a f***ing volume brick with my f***ing money." "This is the car wreck of the day." "All right, car wreck of the day, 7-1-3-7-8-0-3-7-7-6, what do you nominate, you linkers?" "I think the obvious one is Justin Verlander, he was atrocious, he said it himself, and the fact that he felt good physically made it even worse. So I think that has to lead us off completely, Justin Verlander milked him." "Yeah, that was brutal from Verlander. I'll give the Will Levis pick 6 in the Bryce Young game, my two knobs, what you got, Brian?" "I've got two knobs here, one we mentioned earlier, Shudur Sainters completely phoned his team under the bus. We don't have time for the full quote, but it's out there. He was asked about protections, or basically not playing was like, "Well, Dilla Riella didn't get touched. How did he do?" "He completely threw his offense a line, and later the clip throws his running back to the bus as well. And the other one, if you didn't see it, I'm going to throw under the bus one on my own. Cole McCoy on the call in Nebraska, Colorado made Tom Brady look like the greatest broadcast of all time. Cole McCoy was brutal, I don't want to see him again, and that saddens me to say, as a Longhorn legend." "Yeah, no one saw that coming." "And then I had another one too, Colin Coward, not that we don't all make these kind of mistakes when picking games. Colin Coward was adamant that the Panthers were going to dust the Saints and win outright and cover the spread." "And neither." "Yeah, you'll hear that one Thursday, for sure. That was bad. Alex Karak of the day, Collingsworth, the home, maybe all of it, but the overtime stuff. Chewie says NIU radio announcer, Karak doesn't like happiness and celebration and joy like this area, I guess. A 50-10. Karak of the day was the debacle going into the half of the Texans game. Good call. The 6967 and 4492 say to Sean Watson to call 9229, I nominate myself for Karak of the day, I texted him last week saying Levis and the Titans were highly underrated, so he nominated himself. I admired that. And then another to Sean Watson from Josh from Seabrook, what do you think should win here? "I think it's localized. I think it's Verlander." "Verlander." "Really?" "Yeah." "On a football Monday?" "Yeah." "I got outvoted, so that sounds like you already picked Verlander. That's fine. Later, Karak of the day. Congratulations, you got to win. Doesn't count to the 300, though." Alright, that's it for us, thanks to Brian, he's blank on Brian, and the boss and the gloss season debut coming up right now. "You're listening to ESPN 97-5."