Botox Cosmetic, Atabotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
So, talk to your specialist to see if Botox Cosmetic is right for you. For full prescribing information, including boxed warning, visit BotoxCosmetic.com or call 877-351-0300. Remember to ask for Botox Cosmetic by name. To see for yourself and learn more, visit BotoxCosmetic.com. That's BotoxCosmetic.com.
College football is off and running, and no one has the sport locked down, quite like the Cover 3 podcast, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. Join me, Chip Patterson, along with Tom Fernelli, Danny Connell, and Bud Elliott five days a week as we get you set for each weekend with breakdowns and best bets. Then recap all the action on Saturday night and tell you what you need to know about the rankings and more. Follow. And listen to the Cover 3 podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome back, everybody. You are listening to the Infinity Sports Network. Shep filling in for the great JR right here. Also, to be heard on SiriusXM Channel 375. Just want to remind everybody this portion of the show is sponsored by the all-new Hyundai Palisad Hybrid.
Learn how it's so much more than just another SUV at hyundaiusa.com. We are privileged to be joined by longtime NFL writer for CBSSports.com, Brian Diardo. Brian, I know you are a busy writer. You're an even busier parent.
So thanks for making a few minutes for us tonight on the Infinity Sports Network, man. How you been? My pleasure. I think Miss Rachel's going to do the trick. I think my daughter's into that right now.
But no, it's always good to be on with you, and I'm excited to talk to some NFL. Likewise, Brian.
Well, pleasure to have you as always, man. Listen, we know the story coming into Thursday night football is going to be Eagles Giants, but a more micro lens to this is the frustration of A.J. Brown. This is not a novel situation with A.J. Brown.
This has been going on for some time now, but this is not the first superstar wideout to have an issue with the amount of balls that he's receiving from his star quarterback. Is this much to do about nothing, or could this potentially be something that impedes the Eagles from going back-to-back as Super Bowl champions? That's a great question. I hate saying this because it's such an elementary response, but I do just think that this is the byproduct of this generation. I'm a mo I'm a I'm a Geriatric millennial, I think, is what I am.
So I'm not of this generation, but. I do think that A.J. Brown, I mean, this is just his and a lot of people in his generation. This is how they. kind of show their frustration.
They post something passive aggressively on social media. We all react to it. Uh and then this kind of creates the the circus. But I will say, I think if there's one team that has shown over the years. uh well at least the last year plus and it's very very good at dealing with this off-field distractions, it's been the Eagles.
You know, it is interesting, though. Two years ago, their season fell apart. I mean, they were having a really strong season fresh off the Super Bowl. They fell apart. Kelsey retired, and I started to think that this team might be trending backwards.
But then they have the Super Bowl run. Instead of fading last year, they seemed to get stronger as the season progressed into the playoffs. But no, I mean, I I I I I will say, I mean, I think It's still early in the season, you know, like with the calendar just turned to October.
So I do think that the Eagles are going to figure this out. I mean, the insane thing is: no, A.J. Brown isn't. producing 19 patches so far, which is very pedestrian. Their offense is really yet to get going, and Saquon Barkley as well.
But here's the insane part. Top offense in the league in the red zone. And a lot of that's because of the tush push. But no, I. I do think they're going to figure it out, but I think it's going to start with getting that running game going.
Once that running game gets going, defenses have to start playing less cover two, then that should open things up downfield. Again, we are joined by Brian Diardo of CBS Sports.com, NFL writer. You can follow him at BrianDiardo on Twitter or X for the most up-to-date details on everything NFL related. Brian, I don't want to overlook Thursday Night Football. But the truth of the matter is, this is a 4-1 team that should be 5-0 in Philadelphia.
They squandered an absolute golden opportunity to be 5-0 when they allowed 18 unanswered points to the Denver Broncos in Philadelphia. The Giants are 1-4. They have a rookie quarterback. The only reason that rookie quarterback is playing is because Russell Wilson is on job number five and can't seem to hold a quarterback position if his life depended on it. I don't see this being competitive despite this being a division rivalry.
What say you? No, I don't think it will be either, but I will say that anytime you play a team with a new quarterback or a new coach in this situation, a new quarterback. That does create a dynamic that's challenging, right? And so for the Eagles defense, This is a great challenge for them because Dart can do a little bit of everything. He's mobile.
He's got that moxie, kind of that old school gunslinger moxie that I do like in any quarterback, let alone a young one. He has to take care of the football. And that's why I think the Eagles are like all of us, I think, are going to win this game. But if the Giants want to make this interesting, they can't turn the ball over. I mean, Darret played really well.
uh for a rookie uh in in his first start, which was a win. But then last week, he kind of regressed against the Saints, had three turnovers that were costly, and their 12-point loss. But honestly, I think for me. What I'm interested in seeing, obviously what you just alluded to with A.J. Brown, are they going to start getting him more involved?
And I think they are going to make a conscious effort to do that tonight. Try to get him some quick passes and then a tempo and a rhythm early. But I'm also curious. about Saquon Barkley. You know, this is his former team.
He had a huge game against them last year, the one time he played them. He was on the injury report earlier this week. He said that people were overreacting. Probably a lot of fantasy owners that have him and said, hey, I'm just sore. But I am curious to see how he plays.
And also Nacoby Dean. They're a really promising linebacker who was having a huge year last year before he got hurt in the wild card round. He was just activated earlier today. He's going to play tonight. Why that's so important is when he is on the field at the same time with Jahad Campbell, who's been replacing him, they, I think, want to have Campbell come off the edge.
And then they obviously have Zach Bond as well.
So that's another thing I'm excited about is to see Dean tonight since he hasn't played and now he meshes with Campbell and Bond and the rest of that defense. But no, I don't think this will be a close game. But if the Giants want to make this thing close, They're going to have to avoid turning the ball over. No, that's listen. That is the key to winning on all levels when it comes to football.
We are joined by Brian Diardo, CVSSports.com, NFL Ryder. We understand there was a rookie quarterback that at one point. we thought was going to get serious consideration and serious burn. And that is Shador Sanders. And I'm not going to disrespect Kevin Stavansky.
We all know this is a former NFL coach of the year. The fact that he made the playoffs with a guy getting off his couch in Joe Flacco at soon to be 39 years old. And they were able to go on that 4-0 run to close out the regular season. He's an unbelievable coach.
So I'm not going to doubt his football knowledge. College football is off and running, and no one has the sport locked down, quite like the Cover 3 podcast, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. Join me, Chip Patterson, along with Tom Frenelli, Danny Connell, and Bud Elliott five days a week as we get you set for each weekend with breakdowns and best bets. Then recap all the action on Saturday night and tell you what you need to know about the rankings and more. Follow.
And listen to the Cover 3 podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Botox Cosmetic, Atobotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
So, talk to your specialist to see if Botox Cosmetic is right for you. For full prescribing information, including boxed warning, visit BotoxCosmetic.com or call 877-351-0300. Remember to ask for Botox Cosmetic by name. To see for yourself and learn more, visit BotoxCosmetic.com. That's BotoxCosmetic.com.
What I doubt is the Cleveland Browns as an organization. Brian, I'm not the first person to say this, and I'm sure you've heard this many times. If you get rid of Joe Flacco, or if you bother, Bump him. and not make him the starter anymore, that is a clear signal you're moving on.
So, in essence, you would just not only move up Dillian Gabriel to the starting quarterback spot, but you would move up Shadore Sanders. The Browns don't do that.
So, they end up trading Flacco to the Bengals. And then you get Bailey Zappi. And Bailey Zappi is going nowhere in the NFL. Doesn't mean he can't be a serviceable backup, but we all know in three years' time we've seen this guy in the field. He's not the answer.
And yet, they're still mum. On Shador Sanders as the backup quarterback. What is going on with the Cleveland Browns and Shador Sanders? Why are they making this so difficult?
Now, I will say, I got a lot of family from Pittsburgh. Right.
So, you know, I I Daily Zappi beat them a few years ago.
So, you know, hey, if Gabriel gets hurt on Sunday and Zappy comes in, you never know. That's all well and good, but you and I both know they didn't have film on him at the time, and we know what this cat has done the last two years. I'm not disputing what you're saying, but once they get film on you, and we're seeing that with Jake Browning. Sure.
Well, I will say one thing. You asked about Shadur. I think. The issue with him, I think obviously there's growth there. I think he was raw.
I mean, he didn't fall, in my opinion, to the fifth round because of anything off the field or who his father is. I think he fell. Because he's raw. I mean, you saw last year, you know, he would kind of crumble a lot of times when the pocket collapse. He he goes far he you know, when the pocket does collapse, he tends to fade further, further back into the backfield, which leads to catastrophic losses.
You know, and I felt bad for him in the preseason game that he struggled in his second uh preseason game. because he was out there with the third stringers, but still he struggled a lot in that game. He did play well in the first one, but in the second one, he showed a lot of the same issues that he dealt with in college. And this isn't necessarily a surprise or a reporter, I should say, but the big knock on him with his meeting with the Giants was Brian Dayball, who he's known to do this, challenged him with, hey, if this defense does this, what do you do? Or hey, diagram this play for me.
Sanders allegedly, you know, kind of flunked that test, right?
So his football IQ isn't necessarily elite. He is a very, he's got a good arm. He can throw an accurate ball. And I really do like his personality. I think that he gets a knock sometimes for that.
I do like him. I think he's a good young kid. But there's just a lot of rawness there. And if he has any chance to succeed in the league, he has to have a team around him that's good. And that's not the Browns.
So I think if they were to play him, they'd be setting him up for failure. And I think that would be bad for him and bad for the team.
So, you know, that's the thing with Zappy. I agree with you. I he is not a franchise quarterback. But if they can get this. Point, he's a better option than Sanders because Sanders is not ready to play in the NFL just yet.
Well, Brian Diardo of CBS Sports.com never sets up the Infinity Sports Network for failure. You can, of course, follow him at Brian Diardo on Twitter. Brian, just a couple more quickly for you. We understand the Cleveland Browns when it comes to the revolving Dora quarterback have had more than 40 at this point since 1999. The one who they could have kept on.
and would have ultimately been a franchise quarterback, is the guy who's leading the Buccaneers to an NFC best four and one record. Is he your MVP at this point of the season? I know it's early. But is Baker right now the leader in the clubhouse for MVP? That that's an amazing question.
And this is this is cliche, but to me it comes down to what's your definition of MVP. And I think and I have the top three I and it's a quarterback league, right?
So you j or it's just it's a quarterback awards. You just look at quarterbacks. I'm a running back guy, so that I hate saying that, but it is what it is. Uh it's got Stafford and Mayfield to me, not necessarily in that order. I would, I think, right now it's more between Goff.
And Mayfield, which is ironic because they're both kind of cast offs from the original teams, right? High number one overall picks. That have had a resurgence somewhere else, but I would go with Mayfield, and I think he's the most exciting quarterback. on most exciting team in the NFL. And look at the fact that they haven't had Godwin.
Edward Mike Evans has been banged up. Their running backs have been banged up. Their offensive line has had a ton of injuries as well. And he is continuously performing. He's top 10 in the league in just about every category.
I think he's got like 10 touchdowns and one interception or something like that. Which the interceptions to me is amazing because that was a huge knock on him in Cleveland. But I think all of this goes back to, and I love Kevin O'Connell's quote from the Vikings. It's a great quote. And I'm paraphrasing, great.
Franchises let young quarterbacks down more than young quarterbacks let franchises down. And that is such an amazing quote. And yeah, to your point, Browns have had 40. But you've lost quarterback and Since nine I will say though, Kim Couch got a raw deal. He was good.
He got hurt in 0-2. They made the playoffs that year. I digress. But no, I think Mayfield is the leader in the clubhouse right now. I'm just interested to see if they can keep this going, though, and if they can keep overcoming all these injuries.
No, I hear you. And Brian Diardo of CBSSports.com, NFL writer, I got one more question for you. We got one more minute, but so many people have been blowing up my social media with this question because of how much he has been thrown under the bus, not just by the media, but by former teammates. Russell Wilson, you putting him in the Hall of Fame when he retires? Wrote a story about that.
Yeah.
So, super quick, usually the Hall of Fame, you have to have two of these three criteria: big numbers, a lot of awards. or a special moment, significant moment. He has like 12 of those, kind of. I would lean no 10 Pro Bowls that know all pro selections. No league MVPs, no offensive player of the years.
I would say no, especially when you look at this generation and the Matt Ryans and the Staffords and all the other guys. Like, yeah, I mean, I think if you now, I think if they win that second Super Bowl, he's in. But because they didn't, I would say he's just out at this point. Yeah, I mean, I mean, you're going to get the Stafford argument. You're going to get the Matt Ryan argument.
Obviously, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, the guys that are quasi Hall of Famers, the guys that are borderline. A case that I think can be made eventually is Jared Goff. Brian, I think that's a name to certainly look at in terms of how he progresses. If Dak Prescott wins the Cowboys a Super Bowl or even gets to a Super Bowl with the numbers that he's put up, he's going to be the franchise leader in everything. And I know his numbers are a little bit compromised because of the passing happy era that we're in.
Brian, I can keep going with you, but we are about to get to a break. Really appreciate the time. Great having you as always, my friend. And thanks for making time for us, and we'll do it again soon. You got it.
Eli should be in, but we'll discuss later. Thank you. I look forward to that conversation. Thank you very much, Brian Diardo of CVSSports.com, NFL Writer. Of course, you can follow him on social media at Brian Diardo for the latest NFL news notes and headlines.
Botox Cosmetic, Autobotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
So, talk to your specialist to see if Botox Cosmetic is right for you. For full prescribing information, including boxed warning, visit BotoxCosmetic.com or call 877-351-0300. Remember to ask for Botox Cosmetic by name. To see for yourself and learn more, visit BotoxCosmetic.com. That's BotoxCosmetic.com.
College football is off and running, and no one has the sport locked down, quite like the Cover 3 podcast, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. Join me, Chip Patterson, along with Tom Fernelli, Danny Connell, and Bud Elliott five days a week as we get you set for each weekend with breakdowns and best bets. Then recap all the action on Saturday night and tell you what you need to know about the rankings and more. Follow. And listen to the Cover 3 podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
