Podcast: The Silver and Black Emerging, Bills Falling, and More
In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast,, we look at the emerging Silver and Black, faltering Buffalo Bills, and more from the NFL.
Transcript
00:00 Hi everybody this is Hondo Carpenter from Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation Las Vegas
00:06 Raiders Today insider podcast joined by my good buddy the one and only the editor and
00:12 publisher of thespun.com the greatest aggregator of sports and pop culture in the world.
00:20 I love this guy.
00:22 Great friend great buddy great friend of the show the one and only Matt Helatic.
00:25 Hey Matt.
00:26 Hondo how you doing that's an intro befitting the end of week one of the NFL season.
00:32 Well I agree.
00:34 We got so much to talk about.
00:36 Let's get right to the Raiders game.
00:38 I thought the Raiders were very impressive.
00:40 Now let's first talk about Broncos.
00:42 I was I thought Sean Payton did an excellent job.
00:45 That is not the same Bronco team of last year or quite frankly even before Nathaniel Hackett.
00:51 Russell Wilson didn't even did not just look better than last year.
00:54 He looked better than his last year in Seattle.
00:57 I thought he was excellent.
00:58 Their defense was excellent.
01:00 Thought the Raiders were far from perfect.
01:02 But they go into that game Matt and they had a huge game plan because they didn't know
01:07 is he just going to run what he ran against New Orleans because Sean Payton spent so much
01:12 time around other teams in his year off.
01:15 Then they were able to really they made some great halftime adjustments kept them to less
01:19 than 100 yards just a couple points in the second half.
01:22 Raiders got a big road when it was a win.
01:24 They would not have gotten last year.
01:27 And you know this good teams find a way to win games when they're not playing well.
01:32 The Raiders did not play well but they found a way to get a big win and I don't care that
01:36 they had won the previous six.
01:38 This wasn't the same team.
01:40 This was a big deal.
01:41 Inter-divisional rival on the road win.
01:44 I was impressed even though it was far from perfect.
01:47 Your thoughts.
01:48 I would agree.
01:49 I know you touched on it there.
01:51 Excuse me you touched on it on Sunday on Twitter.
01:54 The Raiders didn't play particularly well.
01:56 You know they had the Jimmy G red zone interception.
01:59 They had some costly penalties.
02:01 They got behind.
02:02 But the fact that they were able to come back in the fourth quarter and get a win.
02:07 Offense take the lead defense close it out and the offense kind of run run the game and
02:12 close out the clock.
02:14 That's always impressive.
02:15 It's always a good sign for week one in the NFL because the difference between teams that
02:21 are in the playoffs or in the playoff hunt and the teams that are finishing with five
02:25 or six wins and sitting home in January are games like Sunday where you find a way to
02:32 win.
02:33 You find a way to make the player to that swings the game.
02:37 And that's what the Raiders were able to do.
02:39 It's something I think they can build on moving forward going into week two.
02:43 And I think it's definitely an encouraging sign coming off the preseason that they were
02:47 able to get this win road win divisional win in week one.
02:52 There's not too many other ways to get better ways to get in a win column start season.
02:56 Yeah it was very very impressive.
02:59 Let's turn our attention to the bills.
03:00 We're going to talk about Aaron Rodgers later but just the bill specifically I was not impressed.
03:07 I think there are significantly better team than what they played.
03:10 I think the biggest improvement a team makes is between week one and week two.
03:13 The great Duffy Doherty said that now he was the first to say it and it's been echoed throughout
03:18 the annals of coaching since.
03:22 I very unimpressed with them.
03:25 Your thoughts on the bills.
03:27 Yeah you know I watched them last night and I'm thinking to myself that you know they
03:33 really didn't look and listen and don't want to get the Jets a lot of credit.
03:37 The Jets have a legitimately good defense.
03:39 They have a really tough defensive line.
03:41 They have a tough rotation of guys.
03:43 Pass rushers that draw you sauce Gardner and DJ Reed and Whitehead in the secondary and
03:50 that may plays but the bills were just sloppy.
03:55 Josh Allen was the biggest concern because his biggest issue coming since coming into
04:02 the league has been turnovers.
04:05 He started to scale back on them in 2020 2021 but since the start of 2022 it's been an issue
04:11 against a problem last night for turnovers and I would say if not all for at least three
04:19 of the four were pretty much on forced or mistakes of his own doing you know dropping
04:25 the snap and running into your own guy and fumbling the ball there at the end of regulation
04:29 give the Jets the lead.
04:31 A couple of bad picks including an arm punt basically where he probably could have found
04:36 the receiver over underneath but he just throws it up for grabs.
04:40 You know those are the things that Josh Allen did his rookie year his second year when he
04:44 was breaking into the league and if he's going to do them again the bills are going to be
04:49 in some trouble.
04:50 Now again I expect the bills to play a lot better this week and week two.
04:53 They're going to be coming home.
04:55 They are going to have a game under their belts but it and I do think they'll be a playoff
05:01 team come the end of the year.
05:03 But this this definitely was a concern.
05:06 If you're a bills fan especially because some of the issues that you saw last year appeared
05:11 to carry over into week one.
05:14 I agree with you.
05:15 Very fascinating.
05:16 All right let's turn to Aaron Rodgers.
05:17 I mean whether you like Aaron or not or whether you're a Jet fan or not.
05:21 I hate to see players get injured.
05:23 I mean three or four plays into the season and we're going to find out you know what
05:28 the medical is but I think a lot of people believe it's a torn Achilles and at the time
05:34 of us taping they have not publicly released anything.
05:37 But man I felt bad for him.
05:39 I felt bad for the Jets.
05:41 But isn't this like the most quintessential Jet thing.
05:45 It is.
05:46 And I thought the environment you know watching last night was just incredible.
05:52 Unlike any game I'd seen in the NFL pregame in a while if ever.
05:57 I mean you had the hype of the offseason.
06:01 You had prime time.
06:02 You had the anniversary of September 11th.
06:05 The national anthem.
06:06 Rodgers running out the flag.
06:09 Crowd chanting.
06:10 All these different things.
06:12 And then for him to suffer that injury four snaps into the game.
06:17 Four snaps into the season.
06:19 His Jets career potentially was just had to be so deflating and was like the most stereotypically
06:29 Jets thing to happen.
06:31 Now I have to give them all the credit in the world for battling back.
06:34 That defense is legit.
06:36 They pulled out a win.
06:37 They deserve a lot of credit for the resiliency because you could see right away when they
06:43 cut to Robert Sala on the sideline for the in-game coach interview he looked like he
06:50 saw a ghost.
06:51 He knew that injury was serious and he knew that everything they planned for and worked
06:56 for in the offseason had now gone up in smoke.
07:00 They were still able to kind of regroup and get a W in week one which is great.
07:06 But now the hangover kind of sets in because you realize you look at that team if you're
07:11 a Jets fan and you say our defense is upper echelon in the NFL.
07:16 It's without a doubt a playoff caliber defense.
07:19 Potentially a championship caliber defense.
07:21 We have a great young running back in Brees Hall.
07:24 One of the best receivers in the NFL already in year two in Garrett Wilson.
07:27 We have the pieces to make a deep playoff run.
07:31 We needed a quarterback.
07:32 We had the quarterback and now he's done for the year.
07:35 Will they be in almost every game the rest of the way?
07:37 I think so because of their defense.
07:40 Would they make the playoffs if things break right with Zach Wilson or if they bring in
07:44 a veteran backup veteran guy?
07:46 Yeah, I think they could.
07:48 They potentially could because of their defense.
07:50 But no Rodgers severely limits their ceiling and I think that's what's got to be so just
07:56 gut wrenching for Jets fans.
07:58 A lot of whom I know out in this area on this morning.
08:04 Through a tongue of Iola.
08:07 I'll tell you this guy he's had a lot of fans that can't stand.
08:11 I mean a lot of people that can't stand him.
08:13 A lot of them that love him.
08:16 The guy's a winner.
08:19 He certainly is and I think again listen one week in the NFL doesn't make your season especially
08:25 not week one.
08:27 But I don't know if there's a fan base in the NFL right now that should be feeling more
08:34 excited or feeling better about themselves than the Miami Dolphins.
08:38 And the reason is the Dolphins come up a playoff birth last year.
08:43 They had to be feeling like they had a legitimate roster legitimate team coming into the season.
08:48 They go on the road to it looks fantastic Tyree kill looks as good as we've ever seen
08:52 him.
08:53 They beat the charges or playoff team last year.
08:56 Now Patriots credit them for battling the Eagles but they didn't look great.
09:01 Particularly offensively the Jets they're going to be again they're going to be feisty
09:08 but they're not a bit as he's contended to win a division without our Rogers my opinion
09:13 and the bills did not look good at all.
09:16 So now you've got to be thinking if you're the Dolphins and you're a Dolphins fan this
09:20 division is ours to lose if we take care of business and of course obviously in the NFL
09:25 everything always ultimately comes down to health.
09:28 You have to think that this is the Dolphins division to win without a doubt because they
09:33 have the best overall roster of the four teams I think right now and I would still take Josh
09:44 Allen over to as a quarterback but to it played excellent and if I was a ball from the ball
09:50 up and to stay healthy the Dolphins I think win that division and they can be a threat
09:56 the NFC.
09:57 I'll tell you two teams who can't afford a quarterback loss.
10:01 I mean obviously the Jets but to win the Dolphins Raiders and Jimmy G.
10:08 No without a doubt they need those guys and listen Aaron doesn't have a track record of
10:12 being injured that's why I'm not including him in this but you've got two teams that
10:17 a lot rides on who their quarterback is the Raiders and the Dolphins would you agree.
10:22 Without question they need those guys the Raiders need Jimmy G. to be healthy to be
10:28 in the playoff race and the Dolphins need to be healthy to not just make the playoffs
10:33 but be a threat to do some damage.
10:36 All right last thing for me the Raiders this week are in West Virginia we're in West Virginia
10:45 for practice because they want to be able to be out here on the in the east mitigate
10:51 the time travel and all of that I think it's a great idea they did it last year with IMG
10:56 Academy it's a growing trend in the NFL the National Football League's doing this your
11:01 thoughts what do you think of it.
11:03 I think it makes total sense you know listen there are a West Coast team they played Mountain
11:08 Time in week one they're coming across the country to play in the East Coast and we too
11:15 and I think you know that which is three hours behind the time zone they're used to I think
11:20 getting out there as soon as possible get your body get your team acclimated to it makes
11:25 the most sense.
11:26 I also think that you're coming off a really nice road when we won this also eliminates
11:33 the potential distractions you might have at home and really kind of gets that bunker
11:38 mentality and that business mentality on this trip going to Buffalo.
11:43 So I think it makes sense again you said you're seeing teams do this whether it's you know
11:48 like the Giants are playing out in Arizona Sunday and they're playing four days later
11:52 against San Francisco so they're staying on the West Coast teams may go to London a day
11:56 or two early to get acclimated to such a drastic time difference.
12:00 So it is something you're seeing around the league in general but I think in this instance
12:03 it makes total sense for the Raiders to do is it smart.
12:07 I agree with you I got to tell you I like it because the Raiders were they knew very
12:14 well they didn't play well but they found a way to win and I think it gets them away
12:19 from everybody.
12:20 Oh you got the big win just go out there.
12:25 They were locked in and after the game in the locker room I just think it's a I think
12:30 it's a good thing for them.
12:31 All right prediction Bills Raiders and Buffalo you know this is going to be a lot of wings
12:38 eaten for me and there's going to be a lot of people diving through tables the tailgates.
12:45 I think what do you think brother going into this season.
12:49 I thought you know we both picked the Raiders to win week one.
12:53 I thought this was a loss coming into the season.
12:56 I'm still picking the bills to win.
12:59 I think they will play better.
13:01 I think they're coming home.
13:02 I have my own crowd behind them.
13:05 I don't know if he'll be active for the game.
13:08 DeMar Hamlin he wasn't active last night but him being there for a regular season games
13:12 and give them a little bit extra juice.
13:14 I think the bills win 27 20.
13:17 But I will say this I thought that the Raiders had a slight you know a chance to win beforehand.
13:25 I think their chances are much better or they should feel like they're much better after
13:29 watching the bills on Monday at football.
13:32 I think they want to prove between week one and week two but they look like they had some
13:35 things that can be exploited.
13:37 And if you're you're the Raiders you got to feel like hey you know we're one and all we
13:41 have a chance to make a statement going on the road and we too.
13:45 Yeah I agree with you 100 percent.
13:46 You know when I pick a game I've got 10 things that I analyze and then each of them are worth
13:51 one point.
13:52 Whoever is the most points how I predict my winner.
13:54 I'm not going to make my prediction and do it later in the week but I am going to tell
13:57 you going into the season on my 10 points that scale has moved with what I saw week
14:04 one from both teams.
14:06 Not saying which way it's tilted but it's going to be interesting.
14:08 I look forward to doing my report later in the week.
14:11 Matt it's always a privilege catching up to you.
14:13 I'm sorry you notice I'm a good guy.
14:15 I didn't bring up your Giants.
14:17 What a colossal failure.
14:19 I saw on social media a guy get up throw his jersey down and quit.
14:25 He said he quit the Giants.
14:28 Well I have a feeling that that guy will be back because that's always seems to be what
14:31 fans do at that stuff but I don't blame him for walking out at the way that game was.
14:37 It was the worst.
14:39 The Cowboys might have had the most dominant performance of week one of either them or
14:43 San Francisco.
14:44 And it was the Giants had the worst performance of week one.
14:47 It was you got to burn the tape.
14:50 I mean there's things obviously you got to learn from and you got to correct.
14:54 But it was so bad all around that you almost have to kind of try to flush it and just think
14:59 about starting week two in Arizona.
15:02 It was the ugliest thing I've seen since the last time I showered with the lights on.
15:08 Hey I'll trust you on that one.
15:11 Oh man it was ugly.
15:14 I so badly wanted to text you but I'm too good of a friend.
15:20 I just couldn't rub your nose and I just thought oh I wanted to just say to you I'm
15:24 praying for you.
15:25 I'm thinking about you.
15:26 Well the one thing I will say is as bad as it was and it was terrible the only good thing
15:32 about a game like that is you kind of you have three quarters three and a half quarters
15:38 to settle in and know what's going to happen as opposed to getting your heart ripped out
15:44 at the end.
15:45 But listen again I didn't think the Giants were making the playoffs again this year.
15:50 I thought they'd take a little step back after kind of getting a lot of breaks in year one
15:54 under Brian Dable and winning a playoff game as a surprise.
15:59 But I did think they'd play a lot better than they did and we won.
16:02 No one thinks their team's coming out losing 40 to nothing even though the Cowboys are
16:05 very good.
16:08 So it was it was definitely a shock but at least you know you kind of got it you know
16:13 all right all right this game's over at 16 nothing in the first quarter.
16:17 We go find something else to do with the rest of your night.
16:21 All right buddy have a good one.
16:23 He is Matt Hladik from the Spun dot com editor and publisher the best sports aggregating
16:27 site from sports and pop culture.
16:29 You got to just put it in your favorites.
16:30 I read it every morning.
16:32 I'm again I'm Hondo Carver sports illustrators fan nation Las Vegas Raiders insider podcast
16:37 part of the fans for a sports network.
16:39 Thanks for joining us everybody.
16:40 We'll see you tomorrow.
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