Grant and Danny
Benjamin Brown Spins Us Around The NFL
When it comes to making plans, you are the best. What about those round trips, which are perfect on your way there and perfect on your way back? Or those meetings with friends, surprise parties, camps, birthdays. The same way you plan for the important moments, start planning to protect you and your loved ones from a natural disaster. Sign up for local weather and emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit, and make a family communications plan. Get started at ready.gov/plan. Brought to you by FEMA and the Ad Council. Benjamin Brown spins us around the NFL. Ben, I want to start with Monday Night Football last night. The Lions beat the Seahawks. Is Seattle legit good? I actually think they are in a lot of ways legit good. We saw it a little bit last night. Obviously, the big place DK Metcalf are going to be kind of a staple of how they move the ball offensively. But I think any time they can kind of create mismatches with Metcalf, either along the sidelines or deep, they're going to be an offense that at least relies on explosive plays. They can very much generate those. I do think, you know, kind of Walker as well, we turn into the fold. Like they are a team that can move the football. I think defensive leads, you know, things are still kind of coming into their own a little bit. But I think if you expect a bump from Mike McDonald, you know, being the head coach in Seattle, we would expect it from the defensive side of the football. So I think as the season progresses, they're going to get stronger on that side of the ball. If they can kind of generate enough explosive plays to some of those key guys, I think it can at least, you know, be be contenders for the against the 49ers in the NFC West and very much kind of control their own destiny from a, you know, wild card playoff birth. And when they get there, I think they're going to be a dangerous out in the NFC playoff picture when it's all sort of done. So Ben, forget about the tough talk guys or the dudes that do the power rankings who will always say cliche things like until you do throw them the defending champs to number one of my rankings. And it may be Kansas City for the answer to this question. But right now this minute through four weeks, who's the best team in the NFL? Yeah, to me, I know it's cliche. I know it's everything else. But I do think with past my homes, Andy Reed, obviously, there's been a lot of injuries in the building. It does sound like there was she writes injury. Maybe not as, you know, as it's going to be a long term as what was, you know, initially indicated on Sunday. So to me, I think, you know, if they can get Travis Kelsey going once again, the Chiefs are very much probably going to be fine. They can run at the storm from an injury standpoint and they very much still, I think, are the team to beat. So I would have the number one overall, you know, offensive ratings, power ratings, baddiewains and everything else. And I do think it would take a little bit of a dramatic, you know, multi-game slide to really see the move from that top spot in my opinion right now. What's the deal with Travis Kelsey? His numbers were finally better this past week. But anybody who's watched them, he's slower. I don't know if, you know, we had Jay Gruden on yesterday. He suggested maybe he's not quite in game shape yet. I'm not really sure. But he does not look the same. He's in his mid 30s. Are we sure Travis Kelsey is still like a top of the league tight end? Yeah, I think it's a very valid question. You know, to your point, Grant, I think in a lot of ways. Obviously, we can't really measure without NGS stats, but he does seem to be moving a little bit slower in and out of breaks, a little bit slower. Even some things, you know, a couple of weeks ago, he was targeted on a crucial third down situation. The ball kind of got knocked out of his hands. It just seemed like he maybe like wasn't prepared to make and hop into play once catching the football. So there are definitely some concerns there. You obviously want to see, you know, this most recent performance, some kind of a buy on him. It does seem in some ways like they were probably trying to, you know, conserve his snaps. Maybe not have an as involved if they didn't have to until the playoffs really came in and a lot of things kind of had to be sucked out then. But to me, given the injury situation, they're going to need to lean on him and lean on him, at least. And without him kind of returning to form, there will probably be a lot more struggles for the Kansas City Chiefs offense. And I do think, you know, that is probably the most perfect question to the Chiefs being, you know, the top dog in the NFL right now. It's if Kelsey can kind of return to form and be the real crutch that they need offensively for them going forward. But I thought this past weekend was a really important game for the Ravens. They've gotten off to that weird flooky start, giving away a game against the, the, the Raiders very easily could be three and one right now. We wouldn't be viewing them as a disappointment, but they did. So we kind of are. I still think this team is a really high ceiling just because that program is so good. There were in the process of replacing a lot of the names that they lost or become household names here over the next season or two. I still think of them as a legit threat in the AFC, your thoughts. Yeah, I think if you know, obviously them or the bills was kind of that next tier team, along with maybe the Houston Texans, I think very much on Sunday night, you know, not only did they dominate the team that was kind of supposed to be on the same tier as them, but, but it was kind of over before the game even started, right? Like they looked like the bills were literally, you know, scared of tackling their Henry on Sunday night football. And when that happening in September, you know, it's a pretty easy progression to see that potentially playing outcome late January as well, right? And the fact that they do have, you know, maybe the most explosive two people in the back where that we've ever seen. I think in a lot of ways it's going to open up things offensively, you know, they flowers has been quiet, but did have a pretty strong week one. And they do have, you know, at least a couple options at the wide receiver position. So although they missed with Rashad Beitman, I would say it does seem like offensively they can very much arise. Now defensively, you know, the Mike McDonald moving on, you know, where have the pieces kind of been? I think that was maybe the part that was the most, the most promising for where the direction that they can actually had come playoff time was the fact that they completely shut down with the bills wanted to do offensively. And I think continue to kind of see that defense, defense progress is really going to be what probably closes the gap with them and the chief and might be the thing that finally puts them over the edge come playoff time. Cause I do think, you know, for all intents, purposes, the chiefs are very vulnerable and it does seem like the Ravens coming out of last week are kind of that next best team and couldn't be the very much the team to potentially unseat them come play off. Benjamin Brown on the blitz. Real quick here, pick one of these two teams to hang on to their division lead. Washington or Minnesota? I mean, it's got to be Washington. You have me on before the season. We talked, I unfortunately mentioned the Carolina Panthers and the commanders. I thought two teams that could make the playoffs and potentially when their division, I think the NSCE says just set up so well through the first four weeks of the season that I got to ride with that prediction here and continue on because I do very much believe the hype and the Washington manners this season for sure. Benjamin, thank you. It's always been a great rest of your week. Thank you to when it comes to making plans, you are the best. What about those round trips which are perfect on your way there and perfect on your way back or those meetings with friends, surprise parties, camps, birthdays, the same way you plan for the important moments. Start planning to protect you and your loved ones from a natural disaster. Sign up for local weather and emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit and make a family communications plan. Get started at ready.gov/plan. Brought to you by FEMA and the Ad Council.