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RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Sports Podcast
Talking all things Las Vegas sports-from UNLV to the pros, and everything in between.
RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Sports Podcast
🏈 UNLV Football at a Crossroads: Can They Save the Season? | John McNamara & Ryan Pulliam
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Welcome And What We Cover
SPEAKER_00Hey guys, John Mac and our host to Runin Vegas. We're talking local sports, business, real estate. If you guys like to see it, subscribe and follow us on Runin Vegas podcast. Today got my clothes, Mr. Ryan Pulling in the host. And today, we got a special episode.
UNLV’s 1 And 2 Reality
SPEAKER_00UNLV football.
SPEAKER_01Special maybe a different way now. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Special move night game background, though. Hope you guys like it at home. But UNLV football, what are what are your thoughts? You know, I mean one and two.
SPEAKER_01Frustrating. The Memphis game we talked about, that was gonna be a test. Memphis was one of the top group of six teams coming in. We had both kind of gone back and forth. Well, are we gonna win? Are we gonna lose? I think we both thought that they were probably gonna lose that game. Did you pick a loss on the game? I picked a win. Oh, you picked a win. Okay.
SPEAKER_00You got it right. I I and I just got okay. So you got the Memphis. I got the I got the Memphis win. I got the two losses for Unol V. Well, there you go. So put it together, we're we're perfect on the scene. Yeah, so we're both right. But so I get it.
SPEAKER_01You know, I mean, I I think that it was it was it was so massive in regards to the the playoff implication because that was such a big G6 game. Um, but it was kind of one of those deals where, okay, you give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe some miscues, new quarterback, things were happening. First game, okay. Hawaii came out and looked decent. I mean, not great by any means, but decent. And then the the North Texas one is just it's it's a head scratcher for me. I just I don't understand how you got beat that badly um by that team.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um Metfest, I I felt like they were the better team. They let it go. It was I wasn't the best coaching, I think. Hawaii looked good, and that was a game I was concerned about at Hawaii early in the season. Good to see good to see, though, um against Mountain West. They played well, they were physical. Um the North or excuse me, uh North Texas was, I mean, they didn't they didn't show up. It's like they were still on the plane. So I'm not sure what happened there because that that's a big game, you know, and it's an American conference football, you know, it's a legit program. So it was it was interesting. And those things happen. I mean, I think they had one of those games last year, too. But um, yeah, rough start one and two. Uh we got at Akron, um, not this weekend, but the following, then Cal at home in North Dakota State. So this is gonna be a really interesting first half of the year.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And I think a bye week, it's funny, you you you hopefully don't have a bye week this early in the season, but it may be coming at the perfect time because even Coach uh Dan Mullen's conversations at halftime and after the game, he's not pleased with the effort of
NIL Era Accountability And Must Wins
SPEAKER_01the team. And you know, you kind of can go back and forth on blaming kids, but it we're in a different era now where these kids are getting paid to play. The NIL era is they're getting paid to get out there and perform. So if they're not performing at a certain level, I think they uh they they should be criticized. But Akron is obviously a very winnable game. Uh they they they got uh thumped by Wake Forest week one, but then put up 45 against Robert Morris. Cal will obviously be that measuring stick game. Um they lost by 21 to UCLA, and then they just eked out a three-point win at Syracuse. So those are still two must-win games just for us to kind of keep that momentum going in the season. But now that the college football playoff is out of reach by all, you know, by all means. Most likely. Most likely, yeah. We have to just concentrate on Mountain West play, and that does start. Well, you obviously the the win at Hawaii helps, but North Dakota State has put up 38 points two straight weeks, and one of those was against Air Force. So if our offense isn't humming by that game, that might be a sad day at the Owl.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. At Akron, uh, that is an absolute must-win. I I think we both feel confident of that. With that said, it's at Akron. So they're gonna I don't I don't think that the time is announced. So hopefully it's a later game. My concern if that's a new kickoff and that's a you know, for Vegas time, that's nine or ten o'clock in the morning. We saw it with the Rams, and also that's not the same thing, but it does affect teams. So I'm hoping that game's later. That's absolute must-win. Cal, uh, that is not looking good. Cal looks legit top 25 team this year. Um, they look really good. I don't think uh I think there's a very low chance we actually win that game now. It's at home, so you never know. You never know. But I agree, and I agree with you, the North Dakota State is the most important, Kane.
SPEAKER_01That's the game that's circled on the schedule, right?
SPEAKER_00Because there's clearly three teams, well, two. I wouldn't call I wouldn't say Unal V is one of the top teams right now in the Mountain West. There's two clear teams right now, and North Dakota State and New Mexico, those teams. So if you lose that game, you are now setting up a must-win at Albuquerque down the road. Yep. So um it's a very interesting first half of the year. There's a lot going on. It here's the question, though. One or two, is the season over?
SPEAKER_01No, not not yet. Not yet. Not yet. But I mean, obviously, with with the college football, and that's that's the that's the unfortunate thing, is that we were getting so much preseason pub for you know ending up on that 12th team in. Uh, Memphis got so much love on college game day the week after they beat us, that actually would have been week one since we played them week zero. It would have just been so great to to get a W there and then us kind of get the accolades. Uh if if the North Texas game ended up the way it was anyway, that it would have been all for naught. But at least
Is The Season Already Over
SPEAKER_01get a couple extra weeks of uh positive publicity for the program. Uh, alliteration aside, I think it's always important for uh for that to happen for a program that hasn't been on anybody's radar in generations.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I'm not as concerned with the college football playoffs. I didn't think, you know, I talked about sorry, I didn't actually think we're going to college football playoffs this year. I felt we were like a year away. I th I think, and I still believe this. The most important thing Unity football can do right now is win a Mountain West championship in football. They've never done it before. So we're kind of like skipping, you know, like we're gonna go to college football players, let's win a conference championship. And the irony of this is North Dakota State is coming in and maybe they may be the Mountain West champion this year, which would be not good for Unal V. It'll be good for the conference to see North Dakota State doing well. But we just had Boise leave, and now North Dakota State coming in. Uh they're virtually the same very similar storyline. And props to Boise State. I mean, they've been crushing almost beat Oregon. Uh they defeated Memphis that we lost against. So Boise State still looks great in the West. Um, but there's there's we're getting a little the conference is gonna be a little fun to watch this year.
SPEAKER_01So for what we thought at the beginning of the season was there's just kind of that upper tier, there may be a little bit more parody in the league than we thought.
SPEAKER_00I think so. Yeah, I agree with you. Okay.
Standouts So Far On Both Sides
SPEAKER_00So so far, like who have you been impressed with on Unlov football?
SPEAKER_01Uh, even though he's he's he he's not been the the comparisons to Calandria last year are gonna be are gonna be tough. But I really like watching Jackson Arnold play. When the O-line actually can give him some time. The first game I think he was overthinking a little bit things, but then man, when he takes off, he's got some wheels. I mean, he's actually the leading rusher on the team right now when it comes to yards. But you know, the arm strength's there. I think that he can make some good decisions and when he takes off and runs, or he can find an open receiver if the receivers can actually catch the ball. So I've been impressed with him. Jaden Thomas is just is is fantastic. Even with the issues on the offensive line, he's still been able to break off some some big yards. I don't think he's getting the carries that he should, and I don't we can probably talk about that later. And then uh on the wideout end, we talked that was our kind of our concern, our wideout core uh before the season started. But Taz Reddick and Caden McGee have been some bright spots, I think, on offense. Nobody's been like a breakout star. Tayshawn Lyons, who was picked first team All Mountain West, hasn't really lived up to that billing quite yet. But again, three games in, still plenty of season left. But those are those are the those are the guys, at least on offense, where I've seen um I've been kind of impressed with their play.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Yeah, I like Taz Reddick too. Um I've not been impressed with offense, so that's gonna be my disappointment. But what I'm impressed with is we can we the whole offseason was the offense is gonna be good. It's gonna be a homin. The defense, oh, I don't know. Right. I'm a little worried. The defense has looked better than I thought. All the way up until the second half of that North Texas game. Yeah, but I'm kind of writing that off because everybody looked bad.
SPEAKER_01There wasn't like and you know, and with the with the three fumbles and the one interception, it the offense didn't help the defense out because you kept them on the field for two seconds.
SPEAKER_00No, I agree with you on that, but I just feel like nobody showed. I'm just I'm chalking that up as just that's just a bad game. But I'm impressed with Jake Pope, uh, Trey Fulton, Edge, Tug of Fowl. He had two sacks in the Hawaii game. Fulton's got a sack, punch of tackles. They've been flying around. So I think the defense is a little bit better than I thought it was gonna be. And I think the offense, um, that's where I'm disappointed, actually. And I do overall, I do think Jackson Arnold is a good quarterback, to be very clear. He's not AC. He's just kind of good at everything, though. I'm not seeing any great traits from Jackson Arnold right now. Um, he hasn't taken over games, and maybe this is something that's gonna come later into the season. It's early. We're three
What’s Broken On Offense
SPEAKER_00games in the season. Jackson Arnold can go off from here on out. But I and I I haven't liked honestly, Dan Mullen is an absolute offensive genius. But I am not I have not been liking the gameplay. I mean, the strength of this team is massive offensive linemen, great running backs. And my thoughts, like the Memphis game, we gave it away. We all we had to do was run on them. And and it was just five wide receiver sets, Jackson Arnold, you know, make him win the game. It gives away a lot, but I just I I have I I don't know. I've been disappointed. Of I feel the strengths of this team have not been utilized, and I think it's just like we're running through Jackson Arnold, good or bad, and he's just not there yet. You know, he's playing solid, but he's not playing, obviously, we're one and two, right?
SPEAKER_01So and we th all three of the games could have been could have been wins. I mean, uh North North Texas. At least on paper, it could have been wins. But uh I I agree with you about um, you know, I think last year people were ready to burn Paul Gunter out in effigy, uh, and it it has. It's look it look it's looked remarkably better. My disappointment is your your favorite is the is the O-line. We've beefed up, we've beefed up at every single position. Losing Austin Boyd midway through that Memphis game, obviously is gonna is gonna be a hit. But when you're bigger at every position and it seems like we're getting manhandled, that's that's not a good thing. The turnovers and um uh and and you know the interception and the fumbles were just were suspect at the North Texas game. They didn't really do anything. Um uh Keelan Burnett, who's my big pick, one to watch, the big tight end from Arizona, dropped the easy touchdown pass, and then at the very end of the first half of that North Texas game, didn't run his route deep enough, ended up getting tackled on the one-yard line, and then we ended up coming away with no points. So I think special teams has not been great because we missed that 32-yard field goal at the end of the Memphis first half. To your point, play calling at the to end the first half has just been really, really tough. Um, so I I just think that the special teams in O-line have kind of been the Achilles heel. And again, when they do give Jackson Arnold time, we did see that in the Hawaii game, he's able to really produce at a decent level. And I just there's other things I just don't see as having a big playmaker at Whiteout yet.
SPEAKER_00Not yet. No, I just and you're absolutely right with the offensive line. Obviously, Austin Boyd is a big part of that as well. When you, I mean, he was all first team all Mountain West, and he's been out. I don't think he's out for the year, though. No. So that's the good news. We're gonna get him back at some point. I'm not sure where that is. But again, back to the offensive line is you have these big offensive linemen, their strength is gonna be pushing the line, running the we've been in a lot of I don't know what the ratio to pass to run is, but we've been passing more. Well, we've been in sets where it's clearly like shotgun or five wide receiver set. It just doesn't really play to their strength, in my opinion. Um, I just thought we were just gonna you know try to push people around and and kind of help do some play action, kind of help out the offensive line and the quarterback. And when they did a little bit of that, it did work. So, yeah. So, anyways, um, so what uh what are you hoping to see moving forward?
How UNLV Gets Its Identity Back
SPEAKER_01I think you know, to your point, better play calling on offense, aka gas up the jet. I mean, give give the kid the ball, because even with even when there doesn't, he's such a patient runner, and he just he lets the play develop. So I think that if they give him um, you know, if they give him more touches, he still doesn't seem to have a ton of touches. And then, you know, the the unfortunate thing is uh UNLV had scored 20 or more points in 36 straight regular season games. It was actually the the um the longest streak in the nation, and they had scored uh a rushing touchdown in 29 straight games. Both of those streaks were broken at North Texas. So I think we need to get back to who we are as a football team. Like you said, run the ball, let that offensive line open up some holes. Jets gonna find them, and then let Jackson Arnold kill him with their legs if the pass isn't there. I mean, really do that run pass option. If it's not there, then he can take off. But we need to kind of be a little bit more versatile because if it's not Jackson Arnold rushing up the middle or Jet doing, you know, kind of sweeping out the side, we really don't have any identity on offense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I agree with you. We gotta step up the toughness. What I saw in the Hawaii game, it was tough physical football, and that's what I want to see them get back to. And another guy that's not really talked about, but has looked good is Glover. Yeah, you got two really good physical running backs, and I feel like we should be running more than we're passing. And to until Owners Arnold's ready, he hasn't he hasn't been ready yet.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, again, the whiteouts haven't really stepped up, no big plays, drop passes. They're not giving him any help either.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's not uh yeah, it's not uh it's not there yet. But I I have faith though it's gonna come together
UNLV Basketball Eligibility Confusion
SPEAKER_00at some point. Okay, Univ basketball. We're off Univ football. So we had a whole pod about AJ Store signing with Unile basketball. We gotta get past her on this pod here. What the heck happened a week later? Ineligible. What are your thoughts? Do you have any insight and fond?
SPEAKER_01I have zero. Oh, I have I have zero, and it's it's so confusing. I mean, the big the big stories at the beginning of this season were dudes getting cut from NFL 53-man rosters and then enrolling back at universities, that's totally cool. This kid just wants one extra year of eligibility, and you know, um amongst others, it's not just him. But he they're just looking for one year of eligibility because of the the the the five and five and then the covet kids and this this kind of this this this uh this class that graduated high school is kind of left in no man's land. It's like with all this stuff that's going on, is it really that big of a deal to let these kids play?
SPEAKER_00Um it's it's frustrating, it's confusing because you don't know who's what or or who's doing what's I'm curious what's gonna happen because I just like I feel like you wouldn't have promoted that much and made such a big deal about signing if you don't have something in your back pocket, unless it really came out of left field that he was gonna be ineligible, but it seems off. So I don't know if they're gonna sue the NCA, what's gonna go on. I I like the five five-year rule. What are your thoughts? Keep it simple, price is complicated, guys probably shouldn't be playing for seven, eight years, and then some guys can only play for four years. There's not a lot of rhyme to reason to it.
SPEAKER_01So I think that's that's the whole, you know, it's kind of a that's their whole their their whole um uh what they're upset about is that like hey, there's there's no there's no consistency on who can play for what and how long and when. And uh, you know, it's just it's I so yeah, absolutely right. Five and five going forward. It needs to be cleaned up, especially with the transfer portal the way it is. Yeah, you can't have kids playing for eight schools and being 33 years old and uh and still being in college. Oh, and yeah, I agree.
SPEAKER_00I'm not as attached to this with the transfer portal as maybe hey, you get one and then if you do another, you sit out a year. But it's it's kind of crazy how many guys just move around all the time. So it's it kind of um depletes this the the sports because we're not seeing the quality of play that we've seen in the past because they're not developing through systems. Also, if hey hard hard times happen, you instead of pushing through it, you're you're leaving to the next one, you know. So uh I'm not as attached to that, but I there there's gotta get they gotta get something figured out here. Because even like, man, I like I'm talking about the defense, Trey Fulton, edge, toquefow. Wow, they're gonna be great for the defense in the future. They might be gone next year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, and I mean I think that's that's kind of going to the Trans Report and getting a million dollars. You and they should get it if they do. Well, if they yeah, if they could do it, I'm all for it. But I mean, I was watching, I was watching football, um, I was watching the all the games on Saturday, and every single play, I was like, oh, the TCU transfer, oh, the Alabama transfer. So everybody's a transfer of that's how they were announcing the dudes that were making the tackles or are you know catching catching the football. So it's you you just don't know, you have no there's no like you don't get any buy-in because you're right, you could be gone the very next year, and it's it's tougher, it's tough for us as fans because you know you get a kid, you like him, you want to root for him, and then all of a sudden he's gone.
SPEAKER_00But you know what like bugs me? I don't know why this, but it's never the UNLV transfer. You ever notice that? That never nobody talks about that, but you got like Kyle Williams and the NFL, you got Noel Williams, who's a starting cornerback for the Chiefs right now. They never say the the G5 schools. Well, I don't I never say Cal or you know Alabama, TCU.
SPEAKER_01It's never mentioned. Well, even with watching USC, Jordan Mayave, it's never like the UNLV transfer. Right. It's just never no, it's like no no no. That's a dead people. Yeah, let's let's let's not talk about how you went to UNLV. I don't know, man.
SPEAKER_00But what do you mean? Okay,
Raiders Week 1 Takeaways
SPEAKER_00all right. We're hey, first time on the pod, you and I. Yeah, we get to talk Raiders. It's exciting, it's exciting stuff. All right, Raiders week one.
SPEAKER_01What'd you think? Oh, what I'm I'm excited, way better than I had expected. And again, I'm not a lifelong Raider fan by any means whatsoever. But the the 27-13 over Miami, it was it was good and totally different than UNLB. The offensive line looked absolutely dominant. I know you're probably gonna love on that, but you know, Kirk Kirk Cousin wasn't sacked once, he was only hit twice on 30 pass attempts. And um, I think you know, the new new energy, new coaching, Clint Kubiac era got off to a great start in Las Vegas. So it's kind of you know, might be a little bit exciting of what's to come.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's fun to watch. Kubia, I mean, you can see a difference in that offense with Kubiac at the helms. Yes, they don't have and Bowers is out. Yeah. So to put up that many points without your number one receiver uh was fun to watch. With that said, Miami Dolphins is the weakest uh NFL roster. Not to downplay the great. It was just, I mean, to see the defense, it was flying around. Um, there's a lot of positives, and I feel this year, I don't think they're winning the division or making the playoffs by any means, but they're gonna get some sneaky wins. That's how I feel we're, you know, go into some games and Raiders might have a couple of those games this year. So um, it's exciting. Uh we got something to root for. I think they're a year away.
SPEAKER_01So I think I think that's a great, I think that's a great point. And I mean, you have to crawl before you can walk, right? Yeah. This team, this organization has been losing for so long. You gotta get a couple wins and then just build on that momentum and go from there. So it was a great first uh a great first step in that direction. Yeah. So what were the players you were impressed with the most? Uh as a UNLV alum, um, I uh it's pains me to say it, but boy, Ash and Genty, you look, he looked, I mean, he was he looked like somebody's controlling him with a like a video game. Yeah, man. I mean, he look he looked amazing 23 times for 102 yards, uh, caught all six targets for 45 and two touchdowns. So he's definitely a star. I'm glad that he's able to kind of break out, and I'm hoping that in this offense he's uh focused a little bit more. Um and then his yards after contact were were huge as well. So um definitely elite running back production from him. And uh, you know, we're maybe we may mention him later on, but that with Michael Mary, you mentioned Brock Bowers being out with the injury, it was just kind of next man up mentality, and he looked great as well, taking a lot of pressure uh off um cousins in that tight end position.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the most interesting uh part of Genty going off was actually how much they used him as a receiver. Yes, and we didn't really see that at Boise at all. They're just as a running back, but he can he can play receiver. Uh props to Mike Washington Jr. too, the backup running uh back, it looks good as well. Uh Pay with two sacks, he was the free agent from the Colts. Uh Nacoby Dean was just flying around. Uh the uh rookie, uh Traydon Stukes from Arizona, second round pick. Um, he made an interception, he was flying around too. So really important.
Michael Mayer Deal And Tight Ends
SPEAKER_00Press Mayer, obviously, you know, it's so interesting the timing of that as well. With buyers like all of a sudden Bowers out for the next two to four weeks with this meniscus. And I'm a huge Mayer fan. Tons of shares in dynasty football. Notre Dame. Through and through. Right? Signed the fourth highest tight end contract days before the weekend. What were your thoughts on that? Because I I am probably like a truther. Michael Mayor truther. And I I I thought that was incredible. What is Bowers going to get paid now? What do they have to go re-sign him?
SPEAKER_01I mean, well, and that's the thing. It's like, it's it's do you re-sign him down the road? I mean, do they kind of think that the future is running through mayor and maybe try to trade Bowers off? I don't know, because yeah, three-year 45 million extension with 30 million guaranteed, he's the fourth highest paid tight end in the NFL right now. So that shows something that's again, behind the scenes wise, we must we must do something. But the timing was it was it what the timing of it was very interesting right before Bowers went out. But I just I love it. He says, you know, this is this is the team that drafts me, this is my home. And um, as a Vegas guy, as a Las Vegas guy, I love when people embrace the city.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think it shows, I mean, you don't pay that guy not to play. So I can see a lot of 12 personnel. Uh I'm assuming Bowers is gonna be like in a power slot role a lot. So it'll be interesting. Um, it'll help the running game, but I don't uh you can't pay that guy that much money and take him off the field. So no, absolutely not. Um, so it's gonna be interesting. I I like to be clear, I like the signing. I just I didn't realize he had that much of a market, to be completely honest. I don't think anybody did. Yeah, well, especially I think that's more of what throws me is like, you know, hey, good for re-signing him, but did you have to pay him that much money? I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. But here's the thing we don't see behind the scenes, and that guy might just be uh culture guy too, and those are uh that helps, you know, that those are the guys you need. So especially when the culture you the culture is changed.
SPEAKER_01Again, we talk about winning culture a lot on the pot. Right you need guys that are positive and can and can reinforce that winning culture, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I just got you know, Peter Way, right? Tom Brady, they always had good tight ends, Hunter Henry right now for the Patriots. So, not untypical to get a great Y tight end for that offense that can block well and catch the ball. So he's still out on Aaron Hernandez, but yes, that is
Kirk Cousins Or Mendoza Debate
SPEAKER_00true. All right, so Kirk Cousins had a pretty solid start. What are your thoughts? Do we stick to Kirk Cousins at the straw or are we moving on? Is it Mendoza time?
SPEAKER_01You know, I mean, I I I you gotta keep with what's going on, right? Right? I mean, it's I I know the city really wants Mendoza to play. I mean, you see billboards or Fernando when you're driving on the 215. But I mean, if if Cousins can keep the job for now and let Fernando develop on the sidelines, and I love that, you know, the the telecast kept breaking away to him. Fernando has his helmet on with the chin strap on, looking at his wrist with all the plays and listening to it coming in, talking to the well, I don't know if it was the offensive coordinator, the QB coach or what, but kind of working away. So he's mentally playing these games. So I mean he's prepping and he's ready to go. But we kind of talked about it a couple weeks back. It's like, do you want a brand new first-year head coach and a brand new uh rookie quarterback leading the team? And I think you try to push cousins as as as much as you can for now and let Fernando develop. So when he does get the reins, and there's no doubt that he's gonna get the reins, he's gonna be ready to take over that job day one. And as a Packer fan, I can I can tell you that that works. Trust the process, you know.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna ask you about the power or um the Packers. Um, that was a rough game, but there were some pauses. But before we get into that, yeah, Kirk Cousins looks odd, great game manager. Um, I think it's good to keep Cousins in there for probably six, eight games. And hey, if they keep winning, I don't necessarily see that happening, but I I would like to see him in doze at some point this year. Uh, and I don't think it hurts him to sit, but I would like to get some get hit, get this kid some reps because you you saw flashes in the preseason, but it wasn't he he needs a little time, he does, you know. So I think it's a win-win, and I would, yeah, let's keep with Kirk Cousins for a little bit longer. Let's
Packers Problems And Running Back Talk
SPEAKER_00say a little Packers. Interesting game. Jordan Love, um, impressed with, even though there was a loss here. Um, I kind of think Jordan Love's gonna have a big year because that is a lot of yards to put on a very underrated Minnesota Vikings defense. So that was maybe the game management that wasn't great for the Packers, but um it was I I saw a lot of positives. The reality is like Packers don't have a running game. Like, Lloyd, I uh he's not the answer.
SPEAKER_01And I and and who knows when Josh Jacobs is gonna get cleared to play off the commissioner's exempl list. I don't know. Um, I know the court date got moved up, you pleaded no contest, all the records were sealed. I know the NFL is trying to look into that to a little bit further on, but uh you at least want some clarity. Like, hey, just hand down the suspension so we you can kind of move ahead and plan on it. But yeah, the game, I wouldn't put that loss on Jordan Love at all. I mean, taking points off the board and then blowing it, the three really suspect calls on third, uh third and long against the Packers when um Vikings were on offense, and just that that game just got away from you're absolutely right. They don't have depth at the running back position, and with Josh A Josh Jacobs sideline for probably at least four to six games, um, it's gonna be a tough slog. So it is gonna fall on Jordan Love and those receivers.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So who would you play? Brooks or Lloyd right now? Because Lloyd's getting all the love, and I don't totally understand it because I've seen like nothing from him. Um, but Brooks is kind of not that he's like the answer, but he looks a little bit better to me. He kind of gives a he's got a little bit more burst, he can re pass block, he can catch at the backfield. I don't know. They uh I don't let's see how much Lloyd uh they keep going with him, but I just I haven't seen anything from Lloyd. I I really haven't, you're you're absolutely right.
SPEAKER_01I don't know what that looks like, and I don't know if they see something in Lloyd in practice, that they're just waiting for it to break out during the game. I mean, one game often happens, it does, yeah. Um so I I think I think this this next week will be a really good test to see, okay, are are are either of these guys decent enough to go, or um is it just gonna be one? I'm not sure. I mean, Lloyd seems to be the guy, and you'd stick with them, but yeah, I think the jury's still out for me on that one.
Raiders Vs Chargers Picks And Wrap
SPEAKER_01Okay, uh, so Raiders have Chargers this weekend. Who do you got? Uh, I think the Raiders, I mean, I I picked the Chargers to beat the Cardinals in the last man standing, so I'm already got the one loss, so that was swell. But yeah, I think uh I think I think Raiders did that. I think a lot I think we had 61 losses. Um yeah, I think I think the Raiders started out two and all. I mean the Chargers, the Bulls did not look good at all. Cardinals looked better than maybe some people thought, but the Chargers did not look good at all. So I'm gonna go Raiders with a week two win.
SPEAKER_00I don't know if I'm that confident as you, but yeah, with McConkey out, that offense looked terrible. It seems like McConkie's probably out this week. So let's say that he is out. I I still go Chargers. I think they're gonna get back to running the ball, maybe get some catches out of the backfield. Uh and I I think this, I think the Raiders have a really good chance to go 2-0. So it should be exciting. But how'd your fantasy team sue?
SPEAKER_01Ah, man, it's tough. The the Tycour Title League, the FNF League, I did get a win there, so that was good. But my homeboy league, I got smoked. You got smoked. Yeah, what about you and your pretty good, pretty good.
SPEAKER_00Check it out on Instagram. Are you going to any Unleaved football games coming up, Cal? Yeah, I'll be at Cal. I'll be at North Dakota State, I'll be at Allm. I love it. All right, guys, we're gonna wrap this up. Ryan Puller, thanks for being on today. Buy my beer, guys. John Mac from Runner Vegas, take care of yourselves today.