49ers vs. Rams Preview: NFC West & 2026 Predictions | We Want Winners

0:10 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back to 50 for 50 for 50. [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back to we want winners. [SPEAKER_00]: I was actually doing some artwork for my next episode of 50 for 50, which is on Madonna of all people. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's why my mind was on it. [SPEAKER_00]: This is where I'm winners. [SPEAKER_01]: Where am I? [SPEAKER_01]: Who am I? [SPEAKER_01]: I gave it. [SPEAKER_01]: You got a lot going on. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we opened up a new sub-steck for that podcast too. [SPEAKER_00]: So I've been working a lot in the background on it. [SPEAKER_00]: But this is we won't winters. [SPEAKER_00]: We're talking 49ers. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is the last episode until we get to our post game live shows, which will begin Thursday night after the 49ers and the Rams.

0:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Opening night for both of those teams, though, opening night for the NFL is on Wednesday. [SPEAKER_00]: Super great. [SPEAKER_00]: Rematch. [SPEAKER_00]: the Patriots and the Seahawks, we'll also give our Super Bowl predictions at the near near the end of this show. [SPEAKER_00]: I was actually looking at that and [SPEAKER_00]: There are like nine teams in the AFC that if they were to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, I would not be surprised. [SPEAKER_00]: There's less in the NFC. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what that means as far as which teams are or which conferences are better. [SPEAKER_00]: But as I was doing my research, I was like, this is kind of interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: The AFC feels a little bit more wide open.

1:31 [SPEAKER_00]: and the NFC feels a little bit more top heavy, but we'll talk about that. [SPEAKER_00]: We're also going to talk about the latest in 49er news. [SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about the NFC West, which is going to, again, be an insane division because I look at the predictions and three teams in the NFC West. [SPEAKER_00]: are supposed to be now this is all, you know, conjecture until the route regular she starts to get in but like three of the top six teams in the NFC at least predictions wise are in the NFC West. [SPEAKER_00]: So that is interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: And then we'll also talk about [SPEAKER_00]: the game on thursday or on thursday will preview that a little bit though i think a lot i think both teams are really close to the vest as far as information so far i think they're just trying to get the rosters uh set um and then and then yeah and then if if we get to it at the end rod will have some futures that he likes for this season okay so the latest in the news [SPEAKER_00]: Our guy Samo did not make the trip to Australia.

2:36 [SPEAKER_00]: They placed him on the injured reserve, and they signed Khaled Karim from the Falcons practice squad. [SPEAKER_00]: He's a defensive lineman. [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, if he's from the Falcons, he's our guy Rahim Morris is aware of him. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is probably Boats pretty well for George Kittle. [SPEAKER_00]: is they promoted long since a long snap or john weeks to the 53 man and they waved Brandon willus who was a probably a little protection in case George Kittle wasn't rare and to go so that tells me that they're probably pretty comfortable with Kittle playing a decent amount of snaps.

3:20 [SPEAKER_00]: on Thursday. [SPEAKER_00]: But outside of that, it's basically the same thing. [SPEAKER_00]: As we talked about last time, as far as the news is concerned, the team is in Australia. [SPEAKER_00]: If you're on social media, you're seeing fun videos. [SPEAKER_00]: I know I'm seeing stuff from the beat reporters who maybe didn't get the the best private jet experience in their trip to Australia as the players got, but what are your thoughts on those little pieces of news that came out over the last couple days? [SPEAKER_02]: Samo was disappointing, because he was, he was a bright spot last year, so you, I always like to see the young guys stack, you know, because you can, you've been a lot of guys who [SPEAKER_02]: you know kind of just drift off into oblivion.

4:13 [SPEAKER_02]: So just your striving to do and see is continue with development. [SPEAKER_02]: So that was kind of disappointing. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's just the whole I was I'm fascinated [SPEAKER_02]: the difference between the way we kind of talked about it in the last episode and I have my interest is still very high in the differences between how these teams are handling it with the 49ers already being there in the Rams, just kind of going to show up to play the game, which is [SPEAKER_02]: it's an interesting dichotomy.

5:04 [SPEAKER_02]: I just, that's been the most fascinating to me. [SPEAKER_02]: George in his antics always never disappoint. [SPEAKER_02]: I love to hear any reports about what he's done or said that [SPEAKER_02]: You know, he just kind of brings life to it, but yeah, it's the fact that football is here on Wednesday is just it's really bizarre to me. [SPEAKER_00]: Like we said, yeah, only game, only day of the week that it is not scheduled is a Tuesday this year. [SPEAKER_00]: So you're going to see a lot of it, and I saw that good old Raj Rajadil got another extension, making more money than any player per year as far as I can tell, and just being a good ambassador for the owners, which is his job.

6:02 [SPEAKER_00]: So I say, [SPEAKER_02]: and signing these deals and yeah I mean it's the the business is so good for the NFL it's like almost like why would they rock the boat? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we keep we kept hearing, you know, who's going to be the successor? [SPEAKER_00]: Are they bringing in somebody else? [SPEAKER_00]: You know, are they getting anybody ready and Rogers? [SPEAKER_00]: Like, now I'm good, guys. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just, uh, I'm enjoying myself. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm enjoying being the head of this week. [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know what's interesting is. [SPEAKER_00]: I think fans kind of misunderstand with the NFL commissioner job is, I see this in the WMBA lot, the WMBA, their commissioner recently said this was going to be her last year and she's gotten a lot of [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of bad press because Kathy Engelberg is her name.

7:01 [SPEAKER_00]: She is working for the ownership and because she is a white lady who is a little bit older, who has just been a CEO before, [SPEAKER_00]: and she does not seem to necessarily connect with the players, which is a dominant black and LGBTQ league. [SPEAKER_00]: Like there's some, like there's a couple of things that people are not comfortable with. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's a really hard position for her because she's trying to grow this league while in a moment with the NBA where the players have more leverage than they've ever had.

7:42 [SPEAKER_00]: So it's an interesting thing. [SPEAKER_00]: like it almost seems like the owners in the NFL constantly have the players out leveraged and the players just kind of have to go with what it is because this is the most valuable US pro sports league by far and if you're a football player, [SPEAKER_00]: there's no other place to go so this is kind of the deal you go to the biggest in the brightest or you don't go at all and so you know the owners are definitely out leveraging the players for the most part and for Raj's job is fairly easy. [SPEAKER_00]: He's like hey you know what? [SPEAKER_00]: we got all these international games to sell will create a different ticket will create a different TV package players you will receive a large chunk of this money and let's get it going and players like all right we know that we're already going to be at 10 now we're going to go to 18 or whatever it is and then in two years Raj is going to go hey guys we're going to 18 games because we can sell another week's package of games to these media companies [SPEAKER_00]: the money is too big and that is just the way things go.

8:51 [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, the NFL is just going to keep moving. [SPEAKER_00]: We're going to we're going to we're just having more product than ever. [SPEAKER_00]: The Super Bowl is probably going to start being the weekend of president's day and then we'll just get that Monday off anyways. [SPEAKER_00]: And so yeah, that'll be everybody's dream. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, they are the thousand pound gorilla at this point, and I mean, there, you know, in a lot of ways, they're the model, but I don't know if anybody else can really replicate, there's a lot going on and this is not about NFL business, there's a lot going on there that they have to sell, and there's a lot of people that are making money.

9:33 [SPEAKER_02]: you know, being in business with the NFL. [SPEAKER_02]: So I mean, that as always, you can keep that mix in place that ecosystem in place. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, 30 million, I'm 30 billion a year, 40 billion a year. [SPEAKER_02]: they've got where I just got in his back pocket at least two more teams that they can leverage to create more inventory and revenue. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he's why would he quit? [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he's got a really cool job not to say they're isn't in stress to it, but yeah, he could grow this.

10:15 [SPEAKER_02]: go down in history as one of the greatest commissioners of all time just but if you just basing it on revenue and growth what I took it over it was this and now I'm leaving and it's that because if that it was me that's how I'd frame it and understanding that there's a whole lot of other things going on that have made that growth happen but if I was doing the job [SPEAKER_00]: If somebody calls Roger cell phone, who's name on the caller ID, do you think raises his heart rate, the most out of all of the owners?

10:58 [SPEAKER_00]: Is it still Jerry Jones, you think? [SPEAKER_00]: I think it would have to be. [SPEAKER_02]: I would think it's the ones that have [SPEAKER_00]: the real leverage, like a craft or a Jones or an in-get, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no [SPEAKER_01]: you need to call the league attorney. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not taking this call directly.

11:39 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to give Raj some advice here. [SPEAKER_00]: Change Jed York's name in your phone to waterbed Jed. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, let's talk about the team here. [SPEAKER_00]: And I asked Rod to do this and folks in the chat if you have thoughts as well, you know, we'll [SPEAKER_00]: But I wanted to look at this team from the perspective of kind of confident scale and worry scale because I think there are things and some of it in some cases this might be both but I think with this team and the way that this team is built it is kind of a [SPEAKER_00]: boomer bust on the wrist scale because of the age of the team and because of the types of players that they were bringing in for free agency.

12:27 [SPEAKER_00]: They're trying to keep a high level of vets to continue to win while trying to fill the depth. [SPEAKER_00]: with these draft classes and if you're going to do that, you really have to hit on these draft classes and you know, I think it's probably the right model for the NFL as far as building a team. [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to be consistent, now we talked about this in the last episode with the Rams where it seems like they will [SPEAKER_00]: go for it for like two or three years, and then know that a fallout is coming and then restructure and then go for it again. [SPEAKER_00]: That is another way to do this, but for the 49ers, they feel that they got to still be the hottest ticket in town in the Bay Area, so consistency in winning ball games and being competitive is a major key for them.

13:16 [SPEAKER_00]: So, I have like three of each so we can go back and forth. [SPEAKER_00]: We may have the same things. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not assuming we're gonna have some similar things. [SPEAKER_00]: Did you want to go first or did you want me to go first? [SPEAKER_00]: Go ahead and go first. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, what am I confident about the 49ers this year? [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to start with QB1 because when it comes to consistency, I think Brock Perti is one of their most consistent players and I think in this season, [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a, and we had this conversation, maybe even a couple shows ago about whether he's going to have that like takeoff season like is he going to all of a sudden grow into one of the top five cubies in in the league.

14:05 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that I'm that confident about him in that way. [SPEAKER_00]: What I am more confident in Brock about is him being able to lead this team, him being able to create opportunities for the offense that Kyle Shanahan clearly dictates and they're going to be able to score the football. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they're going to be the gotiest offense in the league. [SPEAKER_00]: I think they have some offensive line concerns. [SPEAKER_00]: But I think Brock is going to be probably the best version of the guy who isn't making as many mistakes as maybe he would have made in the past now some of that to him may mean that he's not going to take these crazy risks.

14:51 [SPEAKER_00]: But I think he understands his value to the 49ers. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, there's a reason why they have Mac Jones. [SPEAKER_00]: Mac Jones is one of the best backups in the league. [SPEAKER_00]: So if Brock does get hurt, you can throw Mac Jones there, and you can be comfortable with that scenario. [SPEAKER_00]: But I do think Brock is going to have a really consistent, a really accurate and a year in which he may [SPEAKER_00]: have to make that business decision a little bit more than he has in the past. [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe we see a little bit less of you, a little Brock, not I don't think he's going to get the yellow Brock out of his system because that's just who he is. [SPEAKER_00]: But I think he understands how the Niners get to that next level. [SPEAKER_00]: And that is with him being on this football field. [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely, um, that to me would be a sign of maturity is that.

15:36 [SPEAKER_02]: You know, do what you do, not would never ask him to be different, but you have to understand how important you are to the football team, not just to the offense, to the football team, and there's sometimes, and I know it's tough for competitors, that risking it all on this play [SPEAKER_02]: Just, the risk does not, the risk is not worth the reward on that play, on that first down when the entire team, if you get hurt on this play, the fortunes of everybody change.

16:22 [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, I'm not saying that that's easy, that in the moment you're making those kind of decisions, but you do have to think like a CEO [SPEAKER_02]: Your presence is that important to the success of this team. [SPEAKER_02]: This is a completely different football team. [SPEAKER_02]: If you're talking about dealing in the the fortunes of this football team, Max, stretch last year, notwithstanding. [SPEAKER_02]: The schedule is way tougher this year than it was last year. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, and that whatever he was, Mac is what he is and he's a fine backup.

17:03 [SPEAKER_02]: But if this team wants to go where they want to go, which I would believe is to play off and to try to make a run towards another Super Bowl, Matt Jones is not gonna get you there. [SPEAKER_02]: So, Brock is going to be there's a, and we're gonna touch on this on mine, there's a lot that has to go right. [SPEAKER_02]: ask on the cusp of that level is part of it. [SPEAKER_02]: He has to play and he has to play well for us to get, you know, for those, any of those other conversations to even happen.

17:49 [SPEAKER_02]: Just good brought is not going, he has to elevate this thing as I believe. [SPEAKER_00]: So what is one of your confident points? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm Captain obvious. [SPEAKER_02]: Health is going to determine whether this team is good or actually dangerous. [SPEAKER_02]: Both, kiddo, Mike Hill Williams, Pearson is already gone and then you've got, you can go down to the list. [SPEAKER_02]: Is what do we get out of Mike Evans? [SPEAKER_02]: Debo.

18:32 [SPEAKER_02]: Green law, I mean, health is going to play a, you know, that's cliche to say. [SPEAKER_02]: But for this team in particular, I know what they did last year as a mass unit and a lot of that had to do with schedule and then, you know, both Kyle and I said all the time, both Kyle and Robert Sala coached lights out last year. [SPEAKER_02]: That, you know, it's good coaches, Kyle has been [SPEAKER_02]: internet fan base doesn't appreciate him nearly as much as they should.

19:13 [SPEAKER_02]: But he is a phenomenal coach and last year was one of the best jobs I've ever seen. [SPEAKER_02]: not, you know, in context, obviously walls and super bowls and all of that is a different deal. [SPEAKER_02]: But when you are basically coming in every week and assessing who's working this week and then we have to figure out how to go out here and try to win a football game and you have to fix the way your coaching is like, you know, like Salah was saying, [SPEAKER_02]: you know, there are certain things we just have to accept is going to happen.

19:55 [SPEAKER_02]: We're not going to shut teams down. [SPEAKER_01]: Teams are probably going to go for a lot of yardage against us. [SPEAKER_02]: What we need to do is focus on not letting them score and win on third down. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, that's it. [SPEAKER_02]: And they were able and they often did similar things. [SPEAKER_02]: They weren't as effective running a ball. [SPEAKER_02]: They really didn't [SPEAKER_02]: number one white receiver, but they figured out ways to make it work. [SPEAKER_02]: And that was incredible. [SPEAKER_02]: So the coaching staff is going to be what it is. [SPEAKER_02]: We need bodies out there. [SPEAKER_02]: We need good players out there.

20:35 [SPEAKER_02]: We need Nick Bosa to be, you know, he needs to be Nick Bosa. [SPEAKER_02]: We need to see Williams come back, [SPEAKER_02]: play well in the time and he played. [SPEAKER_02]: And you know, not it wasn't spectacular. [SPEAKER_02]: And I was the one first one to say it wasn't spectacular. [SPEAKER_02]: What would you could argue what I could not argue is his own in off split. [SPEAKER_02]: The team, the defense was much better when he was on the field than when he was off the field. [SPEAKER_02]: And it bore out in terms of statistically, it fell off [SPEAKER_02]: A cliff, statistically, once he was gone.

21:21 [SPEAKER_02]: So we talked, we talked earlier about Sam O. [SPEAKER_02]: Again, that's something you want to see with my Kail Williams to see at what improvements [SPEAKER_02]: Number one is he healthy, and number two, what has he added to his game in the off season that we can see on the field. [SPEAKER_02]: I just think that that defensive line is going to it's going to [SPEAKER_02]: Tell it's going to tell the tale and I know right here more is known for being able to manufacture pressures, but the front has to play well regardless of that.

22:04 [SPEAKER_02]: So health is going to be a very, very big key, I think. [SPEAKER_00]: So is that is, but that sounds more like a worry. [SPEAKER_00]: The worry is that the health could be up in the air again because of the longevity, the long and the toothiness of their top players. [SPEAKER_02]: That's true. [SPEAKER_02]: And I guess what I was looking at, glass half full of it, if they are healthy, I think this team can be really good. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you know, [SPEAKER_02]: They're a good football team, just as a baseline. [SPEAKER_02]: And we they proved last year that they can, 12 games, regardless of the schedule is impressive.

22:50 [SPEAKER_02]: And so they were able to do that with a match unit. [SPEAKER_02]: I guess when I say, so I guess this is not the right conversation. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm confident the question was, what am I confident? [SPEAKER_01]: I'm confident that the health is going to determine whether or not this team is good. [SPEAKER_01]: Like I say that, that I said coming in, [SPEAKER_01]: Roach me in the comments, but I said coming in that it was I was it was a captain obvious tape right right, but um, but yeah, because you you took my Mine one first off. [SPEAKER_02]: That's why it was because the passing game is you know, I am confident that I'm confident in in Kyle and Brock that they are going to be able to they are going to set the tone [SPEAKER_02]: For this football team in terms of being able to go out there and get it done and whoever's out there with him.

23:46 [SPEAKER_02]: I think Brock is going to be able. [SPEAKER_02]: I trust him to find them and He just he makes such good decisions for somebody who is Who has a lot of yolo in him. [SPEAKER_02]: He somehow in the chaos [SPEAKER_02]: always makes the right decision and that's impressive. [SPEAKER_02]: It's really impressive and I, you know, like, that's, I'm not worried about Brock, not worried about Brock at all. [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I've asked folks in the comments earlier, uh, give me your NFC West ranking, give me your Super Bowl prediction. [SPEAKER_00]: So if you are, if you came in after I mentioned that, go ahead and throw that in the comments and when we get there, we'll, we'll bring up yours as well.

24:31 [SPEAKER_00]: So my, my, what worries me? [SPEAKER_00]: You know, this is all around Nick Bosa and what they did in the off season to bring in surrounding pieces so that they actually do have a pass rush. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm still not confident that they have figured that out. [SPEAKER_00]: I know that they have pieces, you know, Kian White talked about that crazy shooting Super Bowl weekend. [SPEAKER_00]: And going through that and how he's kind of bouncing back from that. [SPEAKER_00]: And he says he doesn't believe there's going to be any trauma from that. [SPEAKER_00]: But that's a name that, you know, you hope to see a little bit more this year being around the quarterback.

25:14 [SPEAKER_00]: But Michael Williams, somebody mentioned Michael Williams in our chat about him being one of the keys obviously is not going to be this dynamic past Russia. [SPEAKER_00]: He's going to do other things for this team, but I'm just not confident that they have. [SPEAKER_00]: figured out how to bring pressure without bringing more people. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's going to be one of the early things that I'm watching with this team. [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, because Nick, I think Nick will probably be limited on Thursday night. [SPEAKER_00]: So we'll see a lot of other guys in the mix and see if they could put any pressure on Stafford. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I think Stafford's whole deal these days is yeah.

25:58 [SPEAKER_00]: getting a ball out ASAP because I am not about getting hit and so some of you know it may not be that big of a deal if we do get a good pass or she that ball might be out of there anyways but you know like see people around him as he's making those throws getting him a little you know you know just having people around his his his body [SPEAKER_00]: and i think that's kind of a key for them this entire season not just against the rams is can they just bring pressure without having to blitz and uh... that's going to be one of the things that i'm watching because it does worry me [SPEAKER_02]: that is funny out you say we have like that's you know we finished that dead last and sex that's number one for me also I'm not gonna go into it because you did such a good job but you know it your concern is valid we were dead last in sex last year so and you saw the resources they put towards trying to generate um [SPEAKER_02]: pressure.

27:00 [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, to create pressure without having to blitz because another question, I'm not going to go with this one, but the secondary is also a concern. [SPEAKER_02]: So those two, if you're not concerned about that, the last thing you want to do is to compromise. [SPEAKER_02]: however you need to when you aren't sure what's going to happen on the back end. [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, that I agree with that. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to go with the running game. [SPEAKER_02]: I am, you know, we have always been thought of in Christian, added to that as a team that could run the ball really well and that was just not the case and he averaged under four yards of carry last year and it's a combination of things, you know, we are just not [SPEAKER_02]: blocking well, and they're, you know, the fact that we don't block well, and then, you know, saying, the thing is, so even when he breaks it or it gets a crease or finds a crease, his numbers were down both before and after contact last year, because it's just, there's just so [SPEAKER_02]: the ability to open up huge creases and let him go.

28:32 [SPEAKER_02]: So that's going to be interesting to see if the office of line play improves enough to kind of open things up. [SPEAKER_02]: And that goes, I know people are really impressed with black. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm just wondering, I don't put my stock in the preseason. [SPEAKER_02]: People wonder, are you even a 49er fan? [SPEAKER_02]: Because I just, I don't get into the hype in the, [SPEAKER_02]: The 49ers backfield with black and James and McCaffrey could be one of the best winning back rooms in the league.

29:14 [SPEAKER_02]: Those two dudes don't have any NFL, any NFL, any NFL experience black, none, and then James, none really to speak of. [SPEAKER_02]: So if you tell me that they're one of the best rooms because they have a Hall of Famer and they're okay, that's something that's, I guess that's valid, but those other [SPEAKER_02]: So for them to have any sort of impact, I believe, the blocking is going to have to be on point because for live seeing a black so far, even in the preseason, is he will get you what is blocked? [SPEAKER_02]: Beyond that, you know, he did really impress me as somebody who was going to, [SPEAKER_02]: exploit a whole and, you know, get a lot out of it, you know, I heard people, you know, there's always a lot of lazy comparison.

30:08 [SPEAKER_02]: It's might even been one of the commentators on the game that they would he reminds them of Frank Gore excuse me sir. [SPEAKER_00]: excuse me sir. [SPEAKER_00]: I thought where I thought you were going was Jordan Mason because I was thinking if he could be a Jordan Mason, that would be a boon for their offense and that's a fake CMC off the field. [SPEAKER_02]: That's a fair comp. [SPEAKER_02]: I think that is well within his reign of exp. [SPEAKER_01]: But when you any rookie, it is no disc to the rookie, but when you start comparing [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I did not see any Frank Gore in Mr. Black.

30:51 [SPEAKER_02]: Just sorry, I mean, talk about a dude who could exploit a small crease, Frank Gore was so patient, so patient. [SPEAKER_02]: And then once the crease happened, when I coach youth football, Frank Gore was the one I showed because he would, he would wait, wait, wait, and then he'd hit the hole right now. [SPEAKER_02]: Talk about somebody who got more out of what was blocked than just about anybody I've ever seen. [SPEAKER_01]: He was just such a great running back and I don't, I'm not big on comparing anybody, like, you know, like, um, [SPEAKER_01]: There's this famous clip where Bill Belichick, somebody compares somebody to the ones Taylor, and he's saying, wait a minute, wait a minute.

31:41 [SPEAKER_01]: That's no disrespect to anybody, but I'm not comparing anybody to the ones Taylor period. [SPEAKER_01]: And that's how I feel about 49er running backs. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: If you want to tell me the CMC is the better running back to Frank Gore, I'm not going to argue with you. [SPEAKER_01]: Nevertheless, Frank Gore is one of the best football players I've ever seen. [SPEAKER_02]: And he's one of those ones that I get just, I got to see his whole career. [SPEAKER_02]: So I have a, I have a very, I have a huge fondness for Frank Gore. [SPEAKER_01]: So in a conversation with Rod, please don't compare anybody to Frank Gore, because we can, we can talk about it.

32:25 [SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, I think the running game is going to be really important. [SPEAKER_02]: It's going to help rock. [SPEAKER_02]: It's going to help us shorten games, which I think we're going to be in the position of at least early striving to do until we get whatever we're going to get figured out on the defense. [SPEAKER_02]: I think the offense is going to have to [SPEAKER_02]: kind of carry us early. [SPEAKER_02]: And I think we can do that. [SPEAKER_02]: We've got the pieces to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: We've got the kosher to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: We've got the quarterback to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: The question is, you know, what specifically yet left guard, what is it that we're gonna be able to get out of that position?

33:09 [SPEAKER_02]: And I have, you know, my objection to Jake Brando still stands, but if we could just get something out of that left guard center combination, I'm pretty confident. [SPEAKER_02]: with what's going on. [SPEAKER_02]: I've come around on my guy, McKibitz. [SPEAKER_02]: He is a solid, too, maybe even, you know, above average, right tackle and the lead. [SPEAKER_02]: And then we didn't really need to see what puny he's flash. [SPEAKER_02]: So we know he can play. [SPEAKER_02]: Now it's just a question, is he healthy enough to play? [SPEAKER_02]: The real big question is that left-guard.

33:49 [SPEAKER_02]: And I think if they get that straightened out, [SPEAKER_02]: Christian looks still looks good. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he was very, he seemed explosive last year. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't, you know, and I have no reason to believe that the clips and things that you see and then the reports you hear from training camp, I mean, it's off to the side because he didn't really do anything on the field this is off season. [SPEAKER_02]: But I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't trust him until I see the fall off. [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, if we can get that running game going, [SPEAKER_02]: it will obviously help us. [SPEAKER_00]: Jordan James, whenever I see him, he looks great.

34:34 [SPEAKER_00]: The problem is we rarely see him because he cannot stay healthy. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's the problem. [SPEAKER_02]: That's a problem. [SPEAKER_00]: So my other confident thing, and this is related to Brock, it's related to what you said about Kyle and Brock being on the same page. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not concerned about their offense. [SPEAKER_00]: I know a lot of people, one of the things about some of the knocks about the team is obviously [SPEAKER_00]: Pierce all is is out. [SPEAKER_00]: Brennan IU hasn't played for this team in two years now. [SPEAKER_00]: So you are so dependent on Mike Evans and Debo and now our guy, strip club here.

35:22 [SPEAKER_00]: And, and then it's it's like, okay, what about guys from the past who have not done it on the field for the 49ers yet, counting Jordan Walkins? [SPEAKER_00]: The Marcus Robinson is, I think he's overlooked because of the longevity, but the 49ers aren't asking him to be, you know, a starting receiver. [SPEAKER_00]: They're asking him to to come in in certain packages and move the chains. [SPEAKER_00]: I am confident that the Niners offense is going to be good and is not going to be the reason that they lose games this year. [SPEAKER_00]: I think they're going to be able to move the football. [SPEAKER_00]: I think they're going to be able to create opportunities where they're going to have to deal with injuries here and there.

36:08 [SPEAKER_00]: It's just going to be the deal. [SPEAKER_00]: Mike Evans, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, these guys have been off injured, you know, [SPEAKER_00]: So they're going to have to use some of that depth to, you know, to fill in the gaps there, but that that takes me back to Kyle's ability to be a forward thinker in these scenarios. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think as long as Brock is there, I think they'll be able to score enough points to win. [SPEAKER_00]: It's the other side of the line that I'm less confident in, which we'll get to in a second.

36:49 [SPEAKER_02]: I am confident that this team will be in the mix in December. [SPEAKER_02]: It's a combination of Kyle, quarterback, the veteran talent, the caveat, they have a strong floor, even in this tough division, I think they have a strong floor. [SPEAKER_02]: And I think the way they've built this roster allows them, as long as they don't have any major injuries.

37:30 [SPEAKER_02]: If they could get 10 to 12 games out of Mike Evans, preferably later in the season, that's all that I would could reasonably hold for. [SPEAKER_02]: He's 34 years old, he's missed more games in the last two years and he's played. [SPEAKER_02]: But in the red zone, he's a cheat code. [SPEAKER_02]: you just what the things that he gives this offense are the things that those are the last things to go. [SPEAKER_02]: He's always going to be a monster, you know, posting people up and playing for a jump ball.

38:14 [SPEAKER_02]: It's just that is just he'll be able to do that. [SPEAKER_02]: at 38 it's that part of the game is not going to and you're not really asking him to be a vertical threat at this point. [SPEAKER_02]: That's, you know, that's just not really his game. [SPEAKER_02]: He's really I believe here to be kind of a possession receiver and then when we get into the red zone, [SPEAKER_02]: and third down have been problems for this team since, you know, just it's always even in the Super Bowl year, that was always, that has just been a bug-a-boo of ours.

39:01 [SPEAKER_02]: converting on those situations. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, he's a guy who is kind of a cheat code for those situations. [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that's what he'll be for us. [SPEAKER_02]: It doesn't. [SPEAKER_02]: We'll talk about that in the future. [SPEAKER_02]: But I think that is going to be important. [SPEAKER_02]: And I think with your point to your point about the death, is that we can, I think we'll be able to absorb. [SPEAKER_02]: a couple games here missed a couple games there missed even with multiple guys like with a kiddo i i saw a lot in time just last year um so you know if he misses [SPEAKER_02]: a couple games.

39:44 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not really what we can't have is the out for the season out for the season type of we can't right we can't we can't stack those in our key positions you know you know there really is no Fred Warner level player anywhere else on our team but you can't lose Fred Warner you can't lose Christian McCaffrey for long for you know for the season [SPEAKER_02]: just can't. [SPEAKER_02]: But if those guys get mixed and they, you know, need to miss a couple games, I think that we can manage around that, um, and still be competitive. [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm predicting that we're, we're going to be in the mix.

40:28 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm confident that we will be in the mix. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't, it's good. [SPEAKER_02]: It's, it's tough, man. [SPEAKER_02]: We play a division like this, you know, [SPEAKER_02]: you are really basically playing for, unless things break right for us wrong for those other teams, I just, I have a hard time seeing us when in the division if it's talent for talent. [SPEAKER_02]: But so you're playing for a wild card, but yet, but I think this team is good enough that, [SPEAKER_02]: that they should be able to get a high-walk art. [SPEAKER_02]: I think so yeah, that's mine. [SPEAKER_02]: We'll be playing late. [SPEAKER_02]: We'll be in the mix late.

41:10 [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, I'll do, I mentioned the, the, the one thing I'm not worried about defensively is the linebacker situation. [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's going to be way better than next than last year, obviously a lot of that has to do with Fred, but they brought back tray, um, they have speed there as well. [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to, you know, it's dugger and, and Martin are going to have to step up clearly, um, you know, for the depth of that of that, uh, of that unit, uh, but they've been [SPEAKER_00]: It's a good player. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: It seemed like he was going to get edged out, roster wise, but he did not. [SPEAKER_00]: They kept on the team. [SPEAKER_00]: But the one thing, if I'll add one more thing that I'm not confident in, and then you can add yours, then we can move on to the next thing.

41:55 [SPEAKER_00]: much like I said about the offense in that I'm confident that shanahan can find opportunities even in the midst of missing players or you know low ankle sprain kind of injuries. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not that confident about the defense in that way. [SPEAKER_00]: You're already seeing it in the secondary with guys dinged up. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we're already seeing it with the defensive line. [SPEAKER_00]: Like they have to stay healthy. [SPEAKER_00]: I think in order for that unit to be what it should be, because if they do have injuries, then I think there's going to be a little bit of leakage there. [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm less confident in the defense's ability, the entire side of the ball to be as good [UNKNOWN]: you [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I agree.

42:43 [SPEAKER_02]: 100% is, you know, and they, unfortunately, for them, is that the signings they made there in the acquisitions that they made there really were more so filling holes than they were adding any kind of depth. [SPEAKER_02]: Because, you know, you can tell me that they, you know, [SPEAKER_02]: You increased the death, but you know, Collins flashed a little bit and it looks like he's going to be, um, [SPEAKER_02]: a major player in there.

43:27 [SPEAKER_02]: But West wasn't really good as a rookie. [SPEAKER_02]: Showed Flash is he's clearly a talented guy, but I had read some stuff that they weren't really happy with his maturity level. [SPEAKER_02]: So we'll see about that. [SPEAKER_02]: But he can be a player, but he needs, he's one of those guys that needs to step up. [SPEAKER_02]: So you can't really count on him to say, [SPEAKER_02]: That's a really good depth piece, you know, we don't we just don't know. [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, it's I agree that the the depth on the defense needs to really take a step up and there needs to be players that do take that step to make that happen.

44:10 [SPEAKER_02]: Um, mine is, again, I don't, you know, you, you come up with you are forwarding all the good ideas and I'm left with my, um, obvious as takes. [SPEAKER_02]: So mine again is the division. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, concern that a really that a good 49er football team can finish third. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it would not be a shame at all. [SPEAKER_02]: and finish a stir because those two teams are really good. [SPEAKER_02]: Obviously Seattle is a champs and then, you know, the rams add miles gear to an already really good defense.

44:55 [SPEAKER_02]: And then they had some good free agent signing as well in the second area. [SPEAKER_02]: So they have improved a defense that was already really good. [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, we just haven't matched that level of talent acquisition. [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, that is, that's concerning to me. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not very confident in us winning this division. [SPEAKER_02]: I think we'll be there. [SPEAKER_02]: But it's one of those things where you, you can, you know, if you are that type of person, you could convince yourself, well, all we had to do was win that last game and we would have, yeah, okay, yeah, I guess we could have, they could have just not showed up and we could have got a forfeit and we would have won a division, but yeah, so I'm not very confident in that, so that's all right.

45:49 [SPEAKER_00]: Speaking of the NFC West, how would you rank these teams? [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously the Cardinals are last. [SPEAKER_00]: Cardinals are going to be one of the worst teams in all of football. [SPEAKER_00]: I think this year. [SPEAKER_00]: But the Seahawks, the defending champs, the Rams are favored by everybody. [SPEAKER_00]: to get to the Super Bowl in possibly. [SPEAKER_00]: I think they're the favorites if you were to if you were to query all of the, all of the folks who are making these predictions. [SPEAKER_00]: And then the Niners who are kind of, they're there, they're a threat, but I don't think people are necessarily thinking that they are a serious Super Bowl contender in this current form.

46:34 [SPEAKER_02]: uh... how would you rank those three teams in the division against each other and i'm drinking the kulei um... i really like the ram um... yep staffer was you know was amazing is MVP and then [SPEAKER_02]: They are one of the teams that attacked the weaknesses that they had, and you add Miles Garrett, you add treatment, Trint McDuffy, you add Jason Watson, and then you put this area on top with Aaron Donald coming back, and you think about Aaron Donald at just with just, you know, if you can get 15 to 20 reps, a game out of Aaron Donald [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it's, it's, you know, that's, that's formidable, you ask any interior lineman, if they're looking forward to those snaps against Aaron Donald on any given.

47:37 [SPEAKER_02]: any given drive I can tell you what they are not because they don't want to be the guy that gets embarrassed and gets on sports center you know because they just got worked and he has that ability even I would imagine at this age you know I think I mentioned it last week you know you watch those workouts where you know Jared versus like 24 years old and at the peak of his [SPEAKER_02]: physical, you know, or he's he is very maybe that it's his peak, you know, he's 24 years old and he's [SPEAKER_02]: You know, he's a guy. [SPEAKER_02]: He's a dude and Aaron Donald old man old man's strength is just out just in there in the weight room wrecking, you know, so that's strength.

48:23 [SPEAKER_02]: It's just it's a different thing and I'm always for older dudes because there's a gun to come a day, we don't nobody want you to show up. [SPEAKER_02]: You might want to show up and come play and they're like, you look at T.L. [SPEAKER_02]: plan and but nobody won't teo on their team. [SPEAKER_02]: So you do it like Brett Farve did it. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, if you still want to play and there are people out there who will in the let you play, do that because you're going to live wellfully. [SPEAKER_02]: the rest of your life without the ability to do it. [SPEAKER_02]: So as long as you have the ability to do it, do it.

49:04 [SPEAKER_02]: So good for him. [SPEAKER_02]: Not this week, of course, but you know, I don't want to have a good game against us, but yeah, I think the Rams are. [SPEAKER_02]: on one of the teams to be as we sit here right now. [SPEAKER_00]: So would you, would you go Rams Seattle Niners? [SPEAKER_02]: Yep, exactly in that order. [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm, I'm going to flip flop Seattle in the Rams because I think if we were, you know, on paper, everything goes 100% the way that everyone wants it to be. [SPEAKER_00]: I think the Rams have the most talent in that. [SPEAKER_00]: But as we know, the NFL things do not always go in the same way, and I just think that Seattle, there's a little bit of like Over like people are overlooking them a bit now not overlooking them enough to forget about them because I still think in the NFC You know, they they have some of the best odds get the Super Bowl [SPEAKER_00]: I just think it's a little bit of a defensive pick for me to think.

50:12 [SPEAKER_00]: If not everything goes right for all of these three teams, I think the Rams may get at the worst just because they have such heavy bets on certain players. [SPEAKER_00]: And, but, you know, McVay and Shanahan are both very forward thinking in the way that they run their teams. [SPEAKER_00]: The Rams may be able to create something like, but what happens if they were to lose Stafford for any amount of time? [SPEAKER_00]: Like, who's their backup? [SPEAKER_00]: Is it the rookie? [SPEAKER_00]: Who's actually going to be their number two quarterback? [SPEAKER_00]: If Stafford were to go down. [SPEAKER_00]: Stetson Bennett, I guess, who would be the guy?

50:54 [SPEAKER_00]: All things considered, everything goes right. [SPEAKER_00]: It's probably Ram, Seahawks Niners. [SPEAKER_00]: Everything goes wrong. [SPEAKER_00]: Or things go wrong. [SPEAKER_00]: I think the Rams could fall even behind the Niners, but I will still put them second ahead of the Niners. [SPEAKER_00]: Ah, Sogos, Seahawks, Rams, and Niners. [SPEAKER_00]: William Roberts has it, Niners, Seahawks, Rams. [SPEAKER_00]: Shelvin has it, Seattle, Rams, Niners. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I like Seattle. [SPEAKER_02]: I like Seattle. [SPEAKER_02]: I like particularly their defense. [SPEAKER_02]: I my only Demer for them and the really, honestly, the only reason I didn't go with the chance because I'm one who believes in the spooky nonsense of that being a champion, it elevates you somehow.

51:46 [SPEAKER_02]: You know, having won it. [SPEAKER_02]: you are, you know, it fortifies you in ways that, you know, somebody like Sam Darnell will probably see a bump now that he is a Super Bowl champion. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, he didn't play great in the Super Bowl. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the confidence of it doesn't matter why it is, but you're the champ. [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, I've seen it in a different context. [SPEAKER_02]: I've seen it in combat sports enough to know that being the champ gives you a bump. [SPEAKER_02]: You just you just feel more confident and the only reason I didn't just go, you know, you got You got to beat the champ to beat the champ and just put Seattle top is our guy Brian Flur.

52:30 [SPEAKER_02]: He's never called NFL plays before So now he's often some coordinator and you know, I would imagine that there's gonna be a fall off from him from [SPEAKER_02]: could be at to him. [SPEAKER_02]: And at least early because again, it's just some he's just new in the job. [SPEAKER_02]: So that's the only thing I can really point to that freak they got back there, Emmanuel, he has surgery. [SPEAKER_02]: So his, you know, he had an angel surgery. [SPEAKER_02]: So [SPEAKER_02]: He is a freaky player, you can play outside, you can play inside, you can play a linebacker. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he's just, he's just a chess piece. [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, how does he come back and how fast does he come back?

53:14 [SPEAKER_02]: But then they added two corners, they added digs and Arnold will, Arnold will play at some point. [SPEAKER_02]: I imagine, I think he's still on the, um, [SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, under those circumstances, but yeah, I, you know, I'm not going to argue with any of you who say the Seattle is the favorite or should be. [SPEAKER_02]: because it attempts, so yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: But I do think, you know, the Niners have to have a lot of things to happen, I think, to win this division. [SPEAKER_02]: Like, you know, you obviously, something, you know, Seattle's offense needs to regress in a lot of ways.

53:59 [SPEAKER_02]: The Rams are in the same position. [SPEAKER_02]: We are, you know, really dependent on older players. [SPEAKER_02]: You got staff, or you got defianta Adams. [SPEAKER_02]: you know regression in any of those guys. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, leaves them open and in a very purried place, you know, every game and he plays as well as we think he can and elevates the guys around him. [SPEAKER_02]: You get full seasons out of Warner and Bosa and the office of line and proves I understand that's a lot to happen. [SPEAKER_02]: But if you get all three of those, I think the 49ers will be in the mix and can be a [SPEAKER_02]: Dare I say you've been 13, went team.

54:52 [SPEAKER_02]: And once you get up there, you've got a shot. [SPEAKER_02]: You're talking about, because I doubt anybody's gonna win more than 14 games in this division. [SPEAKER_02]: So if you're at 12, 13, then you're talking about your head to heads being the difference. [SPEAKER_02]: So in that case, a team like the Rams, if you believe like Las Vegas believes [SPEAKER_02]: with the track record did Kyle has against McVay except for that one time when it counted. [SPEAKER_02]: You, you would favor the four, at least I would favor the 49ers in that matchup for all the marbles if it ever, if he came to that.

55:38 [SPEAKER_02]: So it's not for a fit to, [SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't bet it. [SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't put money on the 40 yards win in this division. [SPEAKER_02]: But I can't rule it out. [SPEAKER_02]: It's possible. [SPEAKER_01]: Not the way I can rule out the card. [SPEAKER_01]: It was winning the division. [SPEAKER_00]: I, um, yeah, you know, I, I, you know, everything goes right. [SPEAKER_00]: The Niners have a chance to do really, really well. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they, what did they win? [SPEAKER_02]: Did they win 10 game last year? [SPEAKER_02]: 11 games. [SPEAKER_02]: They won 13 total. [SPEAKER_02]: They won 12 games and a playoff game. [SPEAKER_00]: Wow.

56:18 [SPEAKER_00]: With the amount of crazy distraction and the amount of injuries that they had to do with, it was a fantastic year for them throughout. [SPEAKER_00]: And which I think, you know, if you, you look at that and you go, well, look what they did last year with all these injuries. [SPEAKER_00]: If they could, if they have a little bit more injury luck, maybe you put it together again. [SPEAKER_02]: That was one of the fun. [SPEAKER_02]: That was one of the fun obviously. [SPEAKER_02]: I've witnessed five championships. [SPEAKER_02]: So you can't really compare those to that. [SPEAKER_02]: But [SPEAKER_02]: with all that they went through, that was one of the funnest seasons because I, you know, I'm the kind of guy that waits for the other shooter drop. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, this has to end, right?

56:59 [SPEAKER_02]: Because math, I mean, look, who's out here, Jared Wallo is playing significant snaps on defense. [SPEAKER_02]: What are we doing here? [SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, and then you look at the secondary, and it's like every week, I'm like, why aren't they attacking this secondary? [SPEAKER_02]: What kind of voodoo magic does Sala have on these guys? [SPEAKER_02]: They aren't clearly attacking these weaknesses, but, you know, [SPEAKER_02]: You know, he's doing and was showing him, you know, it was such a fun season to watch. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm not a guy who is like, well, if he don't win a Super Bowl, nothing else matters.

57:40 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I don't know. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't look at things as binary or as reductive is that. [SPEAKER_02]: I thought it was a great season for what they had to deal with winning a playoff game with that roster. [SPEAKER_02]: That was impressive, I thought, and it was fun. [SPEAKER_02]: It was a really fun season. [SPEAKER_02]: So I think with a little bit of help, it doesn't, I think that they'll be right in the mix with these guys. [SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about Thursday night, what do you expect to happen? [SPEAKER_00]: I find it really hard to kind of try and figure out and predict, obviously, opening game of the season, these guys, these poor coaches are just trying to put the rosters together, you know, four and five days earlier than they normally would.

58:33 [SPEAKER_00]: the trade the trade traveling aspect of it obviously a big deal the ram still have not even gone out there yet nine years have been there for a couple of days i mean i expect a game to be competitive because these guys shand hanimic vay uh... you know that they they love competing against each other last year they split mac one a game in uh... in l.a. which i believe was a amazon prime game if i'm not [SPEAKER_00]: And then I went to a game when they were at home in Santa Clara and the Rams kind of beat the bumps off of them. [SPEAKER_00]: They won by. [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't quite 20 points. [SPEAKER_00]: It was like 16 points or something.

59:15 [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, so they, they went one in one this year with the Australia thing, I sort of favor the Niners if we were to even consider a home field advantage just because of the rabbit fan base, the Niners are out there, shaking hands and petting dogs and all that stuff. [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, there is a certain like business like aspects of the ram, [SPEAKER_00]: We're going to play and we're going to come home and the Niners have turned it into a little bit of like a a PR tour in a sense So I don't know who you would lean toward Obviously the sleep aspect of it the idea of like we won't hit jet lag because we want to allow our bodies to adapt Which is the Rams the Niners are trying to adapt to the time zone, which may actually you know be problematic for the next game Possibly so where do you stand?

1:00:11 [SPEAKER_00]: I expect to give you to be close [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if the foreigners are going to win. [SPEAKER_00]: There's too many variables for me to kind of make a solid prediction, but where do you sit? [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's hard to know because the guys that really move the needle and make a difference almost across the board. [SPEAKER_02]: None of those dudes have really played. [SPEAKER_02]: I Christian hasn't played at all. [SPEAKER_02]: Nick hasn't. [SPEAKER_02]: Nick is barely practiced. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So in even if everybody's fully healthy in this league now, those the stars rarely play early.

1:00:51 [SPEAKER_02]: So what does I don't know how that portends for just the quality of the first game. [SPEAKER_02]: But um, [SPEAKER_02]: Having never seen it, I have to, you know, nope, the consensus is the first NFL game in Australia or in Oceania, we don't know how the rest is going to impact the game. [SPEAKER_02]: So that's a big variable, but from a football standpoint, I think that, you know, the O-add is the defenses are always ahead of all fences, because they are, [SPEAKER_02]: reacting rather than knowing, you know, having to execute.

1:01:34 [SPEAKER_02]: So that would lean towards the Rams. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know, I just, you know, a Kyle has seemed, you know, to have McVay's number for whatever that means. [SPEAKER_02]: So maybe that can't so that out, you know, we're obviously moving on the 49ers, but I wouldn't, I wouldn't bet this game either way. [SPEAKER_02]: on either side, if that tells you anything about me, about where I feel about it, I think it'll end up being a good game though. [SPEAKER_02]: By the end, I think by the end, four quarter, I'm predicting that there will be states that neither one of these teams blows the other team out in the first three quarters, and that will have a game in the fourth quarter, [SPEAKER_02]: aside from the Niners is what I'm always rooting for.

1:02:28 [SPEAKER_02]: I always want there to be stakes you know in the fourth quarter and I think we want that and I think they're going to get that. [SPEAKER_02]: Overall I just want I want Australia to get a good game in their first experience because it's great and I'm sure though you know I wish I could be there but it's going to be fun in the crowd anyway [SPEAKER_02]: I'm looking forward to it. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm looking forward to the energy. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm looking forward to the Niners getting that spotlight, you know, forward ever. [SPEAKER_02]: It is in terms of the things that are negative. [SPEAKER_02]: I just think that being placed in those marquee games says, says good things about your program.

1:03:19 [SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, it's it's gonna be good and I think it's gonna be a good game. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I'm we're both kind of sitting on the fence a little bit about making a prediction I'll say I would probably be more surprised if the Niners pulled this one out than the Rams pulled this one out, but some of that is just about the national conversation about the Rams [SPEAKER_00]: But there's nothing in my heart that would make me feel better than the 49ers in Australia beating the chosen Super Bowl champion LA Rams in the first game of the season because [SPEAKER_00]: that will change a lot of the narrative of what people expect to happen the rams i think the rams went to from a two point five uh favorite to a three point five i think that's what the point spread went uh so there you know they're expecting the rams to win and in the home field advantage is kind of interesting the way that it bodes into a game like this [SPEAKER_00]: I do think the Niners have a really good opportunity to win this game.

1:04:28 [SPEAKER_00]: The only reason why I wouldn't outright pick them is because Kittle, Bosa, are definitely going to be on pitch counts. [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm still interested in how they use CMC. [SPEAKER_00]: We haven't seen it yet. [SPEAKER_00]: This dude is almost impossible to take off the field. [SPEAKER_00]: do they have confidence in James or black in? [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not just talking about in playing. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm talking about in scenarios where you have a long drive and the game is close and CMC is winded. [SPEAKER_00]: Do you have the confidence in either of those backs to pick up a blitz and do those things?

1:05:10 [SPEAKER_00]: So that's where I'm a [SPEAKER_00]: wondering about about my own team. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think they're going to have a great chance to win the game, so I think it'll be a really good one. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, now quickly, we'll just really quickly a thoughts on Super Bowl and obviously we're a foreign enters podcast. [SPEAKER_00]: We want them to get that far, but if you're unbiased opinion, who do you have on representing both the AFC and the NFC?

1:05:53 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm drinking the cool aid. [SPEAKER_02]: I've got the Rams in from the NFC. [SPEAKER_00]: So there's a, there's a, there's a pole on the athletic. [SPEAKER_00]: Um, this is a team executive's pole. [SPEAKER_00]: And the top eight. [SPEAKER_00]: in the NFC, according to this poll, ramsy hawks, eagles, cowboys, bears, Niners, Packers, lions. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I think I would actually be surprised if the bears in the cowboys were able to all of a sudden, [SPEAKER_00]: mean us the cowboys bouncing back from a pretty bad year and the bear is being able to take another leap and then green bay and Detroit I'd actually almost think that those two teams would probably have better chances but you know it's it's not it's not like I have any 100% predictions on that on the other side [SPEAKER_00]: Buffalo, Denver Houston, New England Baltimore, Casey, Sincy, Chargers, Jacksonville.

1:07:05 [SPEAKER_00]: That's your top nine. [SPEAKER_00]: I would not be surprised if any of those nine teams represented the AFC. [SPEAKER_00]: Would I pick some of them? [SPEAKER_00]: No, I'm just talking about, could I see it? [SPEAKER_00]: I think I could see all nine and I can only maybe see five. [SPEAKER_00]: in the NFC. [SPEAKER_00]: So that I don't know what that says exactly, but that that I think maybe that the NFC's a little bit more top heavy. [SPEAKER_00]: AFC may be a little bit more competitive. [SPEAKER_00]: I desperately wanted to take Buffalo. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to see Josh Allen in the zoo. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to see him play in that game. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to see Buffalo finally get over that hump.

1:07:45 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm taken Houston. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: We were high on Houston last year in the playoffs and the offensive line C. Jason Straud couldn't get it done. [SPEAKER_00]: He's got to play better for sure. [SPEAKER_00]: They're offensive line has to play better for sure, but that defense is stout. [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going Houston and in the NFC, I'm going Seattle. [SPEAKER_00]: I think Seattle can get back and you know, that's funny. [SPEAKER_00]: Because the biggest question mark for me, I think is always going to be [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of things happened correctly for Donald to to get there if they need him to win ball games can he do it that I don't know if we've really seen it that way so that would be my curiosity but yeah I'm going to Seattle and Houston yeah I mean you can't go wrong that defense is so sick and if they can figure out the offensive won't mean and [SPEAKER_02]: I love David Montgomery, just as a fantasy player, and as a real football player, he's really good.

1:08:50 [SPEAKER_02]: So really, all you, if you can just run the ball, [SPEAKER_02]: Um, with that team CJ Stroud was kind of up and down last year. [SPEAKER_02]: I know he was injured. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and then Nico Collins is a monster. [SPEAKER_02]: They have a lot of the pieces that you need to win a championship. [SPEAKER_02]: And I, you know, if it's not going to be the Niners, I am always going to be rooting for somebody as Niners Jason. [SPEAKER_02]: And I would love to see the Nico win the championship. [SPEAKER_02]: So, [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's, um, that's a good pick. [SPEAKER_01]: I love Denver too, didn't because Denver has modeled kind of the same way. [SPEAKER_02]: That was my other. [SPEAKER_00]: That was the other one that I was leaning towards. [SPEAKER_02]: Is there defense is just so great?

1:09:32 [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, but it's bone X is the thing that is the wild card in that scenario is. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, what is eat everyone? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so, um, you know, and, and, and back up, Jared Stidham, we saw, we saw that show. [SPEAKER_01]: Matt, you're right. [SPEAKER_01]: Jared Stidham couldn't lead him to three points. [SPEAKER_01]: If we could just get, if he could just got him a feel go, they go to Super Bowl. [SPEAKER_01]: It was just maddening watching that happen. [SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I like that Houston pick. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, you had some futures, and then we'll get out of here. [SPEAKER_02]: All right, well, this we're going to get the, we'll get the bad news out of the way.

1:10:16 [SPEAKER_02]: My heart says that the nine news are going to win all that between 11, 13 games, but my [SPEAKER_02]: Um, 10 and a half, you got your campaign set up. [SPEAKER_02]: It's, it's a one unit bed. [SPEAKER_02]: It's not like I'm betting the farm on it, but I got a, I got a, I got a, I got a, I got a take that had to take that money. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, [SPEAKER_02]: That is just the best volume bet my favorite nine or bet of the season is Mike Evans over five and a half touchdowns that's just stealing money to me at that point he could play 10 games.

1:11:05 [SPEAKER_02]: He could play eight games and I think that he's going to he'll get over five and a half touchdowns. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that bet seems to be more a more about him missing a large chunk of the season. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, because if he again, if he plays eight games, I have no it would not surprise me at all that if he scored a touchdown and I want to average a touchdown again in a short window. [SPEAKER_02]: So because he's going to be [SPEAKER_02]: You know, the red zone offense, you know, at the start, which is great because defense a quote, you know, from a football standpoint, not a betting standpoint, it's going to open up things for Christian and George and everything, because [SPEAKER_02]: You'd be crazy not to focus on figuring out how to stop him.

1:11:55 [SPEAKER_02]: You're not going to just leave your corner over there. [SPEAKER_02]: All by himself, 101. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't care who the corner is. [SPEAKER_02]: That's advantage, my Evans. [SPEAKER_02]: So I love that one. [SPEAKER_02]: And again, I should have done this different. [SPEAKER_02]: Because you do, I should have done the sandwich technique. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to try to do it this out with. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't the Christian McAfrey under rushing yards of what was the number under 900, I just, I don't, I interesting.

1:12:35 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that is a bet against his injury health. [SPEAKER_02]: So I, I'm, I'm taking under that, but then my second favorite bit is Brock. [SPEAKER_02]: Over, over, it's 3850. [SPEAKER_02]: I think he, if he please healthy, he crushes that with, you know, Evans, Debo, scribbling. [SPEAKER_02]: McCaffrey kiddo I just I just think he's gonna throw rock all over the yard. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think I think he's gonna get 4,000 yards I that's that's my prediction. [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm real comfortable at over 38 50 if he's if he plays you know 15 or more games so those are my [SPEAKER_02]: three, four, three.

1:13:29 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it was pretty CMC and nine years under. [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, we will we will do this again in a few days here because we're going to be back Thursday night after the game and we welcome Rans fans because there's a there's a ram's fan in here Rod Rod to 8x and he's he's chiming in and you remember we had a lot of sea hox fans in the chat at the end of the last year Which it makes it fun for me. [SPEAKER_00]: I like to see the opposite sides of things as well [SPEAKER_00]: So we'll be there. [SPEAKER_00]: We'll be back Thursday night. [SPEAKER_00]: After the game, we'll do our post game live recap, our live reaction to what's going on on Thursday night.

1:14:16 [SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, we'll also have to have some thoughts on Seattle and New England as well. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's kind of an interesting interesting two games to open the season that we can talk about. [SPEAKER_00]: And then [SPEAKER_00]: basically the cadence of the show is we try our best to follow every Niners game there are some some games that we won't be able to go immediately live after the game But they will be scheduled so you could just make sure to check our YouTube page and make sure you're subscribed for YouTube page and you'll know when we're planning to go live and then we will uh [SPEAKER_00]: We will just do this throughout the season and if there are any gaps in our shows, we will communicate that out too, but [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to chat about the game Thursday night, I'll be in our discord in the 49ers games channel will create thread for the opening night and we'll be chatting about the game in real time in that chat so you can find the link or the invitation to join the discord in our in our show notes here on YouTube also on the podcast feed now the YouTube channel [SPEAKER_00]: is based off of our pod halapodcast because that is kind of the the it's it's the growth of this channel a lot of it is because a pod halapos we name the discord after pod halapos we had we're talking all kinds of Bay area sports and other sports in there so don't be

1:15:51 [SPEAKER_00]: don't be think don't don't think that you're in the wrong discord just because it's as pod holly it's just our most popular podcast that's what we named it after so but uh uh we we talk we'll talk warriors we'll talk giants we'll talk [SPEAKER_00]: Valkyries will talk 49ers and everything. [SPEAKER_00]: So come through join the invitation and hang out with us to talk 49ers. [SPEAKER_00]: But that is it for me here. [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for folks who are kind of hanging out with us and being live with us in the chat. [SPEAKER_00]: By the way, Shelvin's Super Bowl is Rams. [SPEAKER_00]: And Houston. [SPEAKER_00]: So he had a team of both of ours. [SPEAKER_00]: So we're kind of all in the same page there as far as that would be a great Super Bowl.

1:16:31 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, if the Niners aren't in it, that would be that would be a great Super Bowl and we'd have somebody to root for. [SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's my that's my AFC team. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the Houston I watched them every week. [SPEAKER_02]: I am rooting hard for Demiko. [SPEAKER_02]: He's done do us proud. [SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully he'll get one getting one that would be great to see. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, that is it from here for Rod. [SPEAKER_00]: I am double G. We will see you when we see you piece out.