8:02
Welcome back to Edge. I'm your friend Micah Parsons and I'm here with Q Avery, so let's talk about what's going on around the league. Let's take a look at the current playoff landscape and see what surprises you in the league. We'll start with NFC. We have the Vikings, 49ers, Giants, Panthers, Bears, Lions, and Packers, all of them currently in the playoffs. Outside the standings are last year's Super Bowl champion, Seattle Seahawks, the Falcons, the Rams, Eagles, Cowboys, Bucs, and the Saints. What do you think of this crazy list? What I find crazy is that the Vikings are 6-0. The Vikings' 6-0 record is surprising everyone. It's surprising everyone. Their offense is not up to par right now. It is n't. I think J.J. McCarthy
just scored more points. He threw for more yards than they threw for all season, that's for sure. Yes, sure. The Vikings are probably the most important. I would say that Seattle is another surprise. One would think Seattle could have been a little higher up. Obviously, one would think the Rams would be in the spotlight. And obviously, the Eagles and the Cowboys, even the Commanders, you'd expect those guys to be higher up. The Rams frustrate me because we talked too much about who they were all going to be at the start of this league season. We were talking about all the stars they had on their team. This is what we will be able to do. And they haven't lived up to expectations
in any of the moments that mattered most. And it started in the first week. I think people get frustrated. They arrive in Australia 16 hours before the start of the match and try to go and play a game. As if it weren't that important. Like: "Hey, if we win, we win. If we don't, we don't. It's not going to matter in the long run." It seems that it will matter. I'm going to say this right now. Thinking about what they just did, that was the dumbest thing in the world. I flew to Los Angeles to see LA Trash, I came back. It was like, "Hey, are you feeling okay? Do you want to do your job?" And I said, " Yes, of course. I'm never going to refuse to work."
Mhm. I ran and my back hurt. I said, " Oh my God, it's like I'm saying, 'Uh, did this 6-hour flight do this to me?'" It's like he's saying, 'I'm stretching sideways.' It's like he's saying, 'Hey, I've got cramps, dog.'" And he said, 'Yes, those are those flying legs.' "And that was just a 6-hour flight. I couldn't imagine playing a full game after that. Right? 18 hours? Yeah. That's crazy. But you know what? I'm going to say this. One thing about football is that it's always about who's in the right place at the right time. It doesn't matter who's on your roster. Names don't matter.
Unless those names are producing. Hmm. One thing about football is that you have to show up every week and you have to stay healthy. We can't deny that the Rams have faced a plethora of injuries. We ca n't deny that. They're missing both of their starting tackles, one of them out this year. Myles Garrett. Myles Garrett hasn't returned. Can those three guys dictate a win or a loss? And we're talking about games that were decided by a touchdown or less. Puka Nacua was out a couple of weeks early in the season. Now they lost Tae. So to sit here and say, 'Oh, the Rams have simply faced the reality of the National Football League. It's humiliating. In my opinion, if we had all stayed injury-free last year, what would
the Packers have done? We don't know. So we're saying the same thing about the Rams. It's simply about who can stay healthy. It's the National Football League. We've seen the boys drop like flies. So it's like there's nothing they can do, but I hate to say it, but three or four important players can decide a game that's decided by three points. Very fast. So, you know, I'm surprised they're facing so many injuries at the start of the season. But, you know, that's the reality of the sport we play. So, who in this group is going to get that first round bye?
Oh. Wow, this is going to be difficult. I can't answer that. I think it's difficult. The NFC North is too difficult. We have four teams right now in the north in the playoffs. I think three of those teams will end up in the playoffs. I don't know who . The 49ers will still have to play against the Rams, who are about to restart. They'll be ready. Seattle is going to counterattack. So you have those three teams. I don't see anyone from the NFC West or North getting a first-round bye. No. Nobody from the NFC North is going to achieve it. But, when you look at it, NFC East is very bad. The NFC South is very bad.
It has to be one. And it's not like it's going to be the Giants and the Panthers. I'm. Don't know. Although I'm not going to fall asleep with the Giants. So, which team are people sleeping on? I think people are sleeping with the Bucks. The Bucks now have two and five. I know. To make it clear. I know. So how are they going to wake up? They are still a good team. Their defense is playing very well right now Their defense is solid. I guess they're not out of the running for the playoffs. There are two and five.
Yes. The Panthers only have three wins Bucks are leaving a lot of plays on the court. They've had about three games that were decided by a touchdown or less. They had a rookie quarterback. So it's like I do n't look at those things, like I do n't look at the records and say, "Oh, they're garbage." That's not my thing. I watch how these matches are decided. TRUE? They lost to the Vikings, who have six and.They lost to Green Bay, who have a record streak, but obviously we played against them. Rookie quarterback. That was decided by three points. So, it's. Yes, it's two and five, but these games they're losing, apart
from I think one or two, haven't really been like a thrashing, like non-competitive games. That's how I see it, like many of these teams, and we can get into that, it's like many NFL games are decided in the fourth quarter. They are decided in the last four of the fourth quarter, two minutes of the game, in the half. You never know how those two situations will dictate that match. So, the problem with the league is its ability to finish. If you can't finish, you're going to have a losing record in this league. You have to have the ability to finish, whether it's the last defensive stop or the last offensive stop. You have to finish.
You have to do it. Are there any teams that are in the playoffs? Who do you think will be I think the Bucks are a long shot. And the Cowboys are a long shot. Are those your two? Those are my two. Those are two remote possibilities. I'm having trouble watching the Commanders right now. I need to see a bit more drive from all of them. I still didn't really like their situational football in that 49ers game. I didn't love it, as after the previous week you would think it would be better. Being locked up. I did n't love it. The Eagles are far behind. Speaking of DeVonta Smith, I do n't know. They say he could be out for the rest of the year. Don't know. You know,
but it's the reality. But all I know is that the Bucks have been second in defensive EPA since week three They've been playing. You know, I see what's working. Your eyes don't lie. But let's talk about the number one team in the NFC. The Minnesota Vikings. Have you been watching what Brian Flores has been doing on the defensive side of the field? They're blitzing. They blitzed in the last game, Daniel Jones, 85% of his passes were backwards. The highest rate of any team in the league so far. They press 60% of the time overall. They are pressing relentlessly.
You know what I think is crazy? What's even crazier is that I don't even think people know this story. When they were talking about bringing in coaches before we hired Gannon and all that, they were like, "Hey, what do you think of Flores and all these people?" And they said, "Oh, I think Flores could stay in Minnesota." And I know B. I just called him. And I said to him, " Hey, B, do you think you want to train me? " "Like, he was trying to recruit him for Green Bay. He's like, ' Man, I love you and I love who you are and what you stand for, how you play, but I gave these people my word that I was coming back to Minnesota.' So, seeing this, I was like, 'Oh
my God.' That's heartbreaking, man And to be honest with you, to me, he's like Robert Saleh, man. It's great that he's not a head coach. It's crazy. Is he the most innovative defensive coach in the NFL right now? Yeah. Easily. I have to say this. Black coordinators aren't usually considered geniuses at anything. Because of what he's doing on defense, people should be talking about him the same way they talk about the Kyle Shanahans, the McVays, all those different guys. Oh, 100%. He's changed the way people play defense, and I think when people see his eight-up scheme and he's still able to create pressure, but also drop into zones and make every pass very, very." It's tough, Brian Flores is calling defenses
like nobody else and changing the way people need to play the defensive game. And on top of that, the mentality they play with, the essence of how they play, is what you'd call a great defensive coordinator. Every single player was committed. They took on their role, they attacked, they fell, it doesn't matter. Every single one was committed. That's beautiful. I love watching it. He needs your love. He deserves it. Flores is that man. Let's take it to the AFC. In the AFC, we have the Chiefs, the Bills, the Browns, wow, the Jaguars, the Broncos, the Steelers, and the Bengals in the playoffs right now. Outside, we have the Patriots last year in the Super Bowl, the Ravens, the
Raiders, the Jets, the Colts, the Texans, and the Dolphins. What surprises you the most about this list? The Browns surprised me. And I think everything else seems to be going well. The Browns are definitely surprising. The Ravens will make it once Lamar comes back, depending on. How much time Lamar misses. That could be crucial. But if you're Lamar, it's time for a new contract for Lamar. He's underpaid in terms of a quarterback. Is he Yes. How much is he? He I'll check exactly, but he's underpaid for the current market, because next year someone will be getting 70 million to play that position.
Would you rush it if you were Lamar? And I 'm not questioning it. I wouldn't rush it. Would you try to fight through these injuries if you're not being compensated the way you should be? I'm not going to lie. Right now, for someone like Lamar, it's not even about the money. Okay. And I'll say this, it's not even about rushing back. It's just about when you can feel like yourself so you can perform. Contract aside, it's not like Lamar isn't going to be Lamar next year. He's going to get that money anyway. He are playing Okay. Wins and losses can't be tolerated now. If you fall three games behind, it's over. So I think that has to
be in your mind, like, "Hey, I still have Super Bowl aspirations." "I don't want to waste a year." Mhm. As if you can't waste years in this league. You can't. Is the AFC North a tougher division than the NFC North? No. I'm not going to lie. If you go pound for pound. We go pound for pound. With every great player and team, it's not even close. Great Browns defense, great Steelers defense. A great defense. Amazing Bengals offense, great Ravens defense. So, the defenses. You do n't have Minnesota-level defense, but you have some teams that play defense.
Yeah. The Ravens when they get Lamar back, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The Bengals with Joe Burrow. Aaron Rodgers is still playing at a high level. Deshaun Watson has the number one fourth-quarter EPA of any quarterback in the NFL. When the fourth quarter starts, there isn't a better quarterback in the NFL than Deshaun Watson. Yeah. No, I get it. But I think, pound for pound, if you look at how they play football or how the NFC plays, it's not even close. Okay, I could say they might be better than the NFC North. Yeah. But to say they're not even close is crazy. Well, well, I don't think it is. Because without, you know, other than Lamar, how can you have a great record against the NFC North or just against
NFC opponents? You know what I mean? And then it's like it's not even just that, I get it. The Bengals look really good. Just like, if we were to do a comparison of all the teams, if we picked the Packers and the Vikings, who would you say the Vikings would face? I would say probably the Browns. Hmm. Who would you pick? The Vikings or the Browns? I would say I would pick the Vikings. Sure. The Vikings would probably be favored by 4.5 points.
Yeah, I would pick the Vikings over the Browns. And then, Secondly, if you want to pick quarterback for quarterback, you'd say Bears versus Bengals, I'd probably pick the Bears over the Bengals. Okay. You see what I mean? I think I'd pick Jordan Love. Jordan Love Steelers? Packers Steelers? I'd pick the Packers. And then I have Will Grier over whoever the Ravens have. It depends on who's playing. I'm going to say this. We have a little more overall talent on these teams. Not even just names. You have to think beyond, you know, and we're talking about these security units. Yeah, Baltimore has a great security unit, but
we probably have one of the best security units in the league between Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. So, it's names. It's like if you go by names, I still think the NFC North wins. I have a question. Do the Browns have to repay Deshaun Watson? Will he get a contract extension the way he's playing right now You have to finish the year. If he finishes the Year after year, what's the record? You have to give me a record, like I'm just looking at today's record. I think it's very reasonable that they can finish 11 and 6. 11 and 6 and he gets 3,600 yards or more, he definitely gets a contract.
A contract? He gets a contract. That would be if you make the playoffs and throw for almost 4,000 yards, you get a contract Mhm. It's going to be crazy to watch. Which team are people overlooking? In the AFC? Mhm. Overlooking? I don't think anyone has been underestimated in the AFC. Other than the Texans, who can make a big leap and still be surprised to finish second or first in the division, there's no one else you can think of, unless things change. The Raiders can turn it around; their defense turns it around. But everyone else is playing for draft capital. My only question is the Patriots.
Right? How does Drake May look to finish the season? Because we've seen A really bad Drake May this season. We've seen Drake May play really well this season. Well, Drake May is also dealing with slumps. Slumps, inconsistent play. They've been battling injuries. Well, the Green Bay Packers lead the league in slumps. And their quarterback has performed well every time he steps on the field. So I think it's hard for quarterbacks to talk about slumps. Like everyone has them. Yeah. You still have to play at a high level. You just have to do things right. The outcome is always going to vary. You're going to have slumps. You're going to have things like
that. But you have to play well. And I don't think early in the season he's played well enough. I 'm not sure, but he still has time to improve. 1000%. There's still a lot of football left to really say which team can or can't make it. We've seen the Texans do that before and make the playoffs. We've seen the Colts start with an incredible streak and not win another game. They lost like eight straight. So, for me, no I can base my team on that right now. You have to stay very consistent and focus on getting one win at a time in
this league. People always say you can't look ahead. I never believe what people say. I never buy the stock? The stock. Yeah, I never buy the stock until December. December will tell me everything I need to know. Who's going to get the buy in the AFC? Bengals will come up from seventh, be the first seed, and get a bye. What they just did to the Ravens in the second half. Yeah, I think not only that, I just think they have so many answers. Like, you have to answer so many, like, you ca n't just, you can't just play double chase. Playing like crazy this year. If he stays healthy and plays like that with Jamar, they're going to start getting Tee Higgins, who's been leveling up and going over 100 yards in a couple of games.
He's the number one receiver One of this league Yeah, like you have to start respecting that. And yeah, Jamar's numbers might not be high because Tee has been playing well. They've been rotating Jamar and letting Tee go. And that's great. That's great for the Bengals. But also, what aren't people talking about with this defense? The Bengals' defense is playing really well. They're not the same Bengals. They're not the same. I think they quietly won the division. And they're getting the money because the Chiefs don't scare me You know what? Watching them yesterday, I wasn't scared. I wasn't watching that game, I wasn't scared.
What are they missing that makes you not scared They need someone who can take the top off them. It's crazy that they have Xavier Worthy 4-2, whatever that is. You We have to stop this madness. Just because you buy Tyreek Hill's speed does n't mean you buy Tyreek. With all due respect. We have to stop. This. Yes, your speed might be efficient, but people forget that Tyreek is strong. Exactly. Did you see Iman Marshall guard him yesterday on that slot fade? Yes. He pulled him out of position. He ran step by step. He's physical enough, but right now he's not, where speed matters.
Also, it's not even just his speed. Reek stopped dead in his tracks. Like, he's as tough as people think, just because, my God, it's the same thing as when they drafted John Ross, the Bengals drafted John Ross. Like you're buying speed. I'll give you a clear example. What do you think of JSN? JSN is probably 4-5, a tall 4-4, 4-4. I think he's 4-5-6. And he plays like he's 4-3. That man changes direction as fast as he's going the other way. Like, the best receiver, Jerry Rice, who ran 4-5, 4-6, didn't like it. To me, what really separates receivers isn't how fast they are. You can
run forward, because in addition to a route to the finish line, in addition to route nine, the forward route. How often do you run in a straight line? It doesn't happen as such. It just doesn't have it. Your ability to change direction and get in and out of breaks is going to dictate how good you are. That's what separates you. Yeah, it's like having a fast car with no brakes. Exactly. I ca n't turn. I can't take any corners. I can't go fast. No. It doesn't even matter. So, for me, it's like buying stock in players we haven't even seen perform the way we want them to.
Definitely. It's like, how are you going to get route nine if I'm not afraid of any other route? Yeah. We 're all on that. Yeah, like I'm not afraid of any other route. Looking at the league, what's next for Mendoza? Is it Mendoza's time? The Raiders have lost their last four games. Now they're down three and four. As someone who believes in quarterback development, should the Raiders give Mendoza the reins? I ca n't say. Not at all. And here's why. They haven't really helped Kirk. So how can you help Mendoza? Like, if you're talking about, hey, and we're really watching football, Kirk has 16 touchdowns, five interceptions. He's
playing well. He's playing well enough to win football games. He's thrown more touchdowns than Patrick Mahomes. But at what point does it stop being about winning the game and become like, "Well, we still have this quarterback we drafted first overall." We have to put him on the field. I would say that's from the second half of the season. Kirk is first in touchdown passes, third in passing yards, seventh in completions, 62.6 percent completion rate. And he's only thrown five interceptions. He's doing the job, right? When you watch game tape and see Kirk Cousins play football, you think, " I want my quarterback to play like that." They're not winning games, but it's definitely not because of Kirk.
Cousins. No, it's not about Kirk Cousins. That's why I say wins or losses don't depend on the QB. Can a quarterback throw away a game? 100%. A quarterback can throw away a game. Lots of interceptions, fumbles, bad sacks, 100%. But I don't always think, like in C.J. Stroud's situation, that if your defense doesn't support you, you'll never keep improving. And let's get to it. The Raiders' defense is 29th in total defense. That's not good. 29th, okay? 30th in run defense. They average over 100 yards, with 143 yards allowed. It's one of the worst in the league. Yes, the second, the second, the second worst. So I ask myself
: can Mendoza change that in that defense? There's nothing he can do. I'm not saying you're going to win more games with Mendoza, but at some point, he's going to have to make the Reins. At some point, but I'd say not yet. They're third and fourth in a division that's still very winnable. Chargers? Broncos? Can we say they're playing more consistently? The Broncos are garbage. I'm going to be honest, the Broncos are garbage. Let me just say it right now. The Broncos are not a good football team, and they're not going to win football games with Bo Nix playing the way he 's playing. Okay, I'm glad you added that second part because their defense is fire.
Their defense is out of this world. Their defense is fire. You're not going to be able to limit players to 16 points per game. Bo Nix isn't going to be able to run for 60- yard touchdowns every week. If you have Bo Nix throw the ball, they're going to lose. If they go into a game losing and someone has to get up early, they're going to be out of luck. Yeah. I'm having a hard time understanding everything that's going on with him right now But I'm going to say something Like last year when they were firing him. What's going on? You're the quarterback guru, right? I don't get Bo Nix, do I? You're playing really well. Your team won the division last year.
You make the playoffs and go far in them. You just won a big game against the Bills. And, obviously, you realize you've broken your ankle, which is crazy. But this year you seem completely different. What's going on? Is it the mechanics? Is it the process? What's happening? Bo's mechanics are the same as last year, so he's throwing the same way. I think we saw glimpses of really good things from Bo Nix last year. We didn't see a consistently good quarterback who was able to read defenses and throw things early. Sean Payton did an excellent job of getting plays, like you said, like big daggers, and he was hitting them, but they were left wide open. They had the ability to stretch the middle of the field, create those big Holes and cavities in the
defense. Bo Nix has become timid. So those same plays are available, and he's not throwing them because there's a little bit of a lack of faith in terms of pulling the trigger to make those throws. And when you 're not making those throws, like we said, explosive plays are the most important plays in all of offensive football. And if you 're not making explosive plays when they're in front of you, your team isn't going to be able to sustain drives, you're not going to be able to have 16- play drives and score a touchdown. They don't have a good enough running game for that. So, Bo Nix, until he's able to see things, believe what his eyes are showing him, and pull the trigger quickly, he's not going to be able to do it. who are the top five
quarterbacks who have been processing and playing at an elite level? CJ Stroud. CJ? When I talk about processing, I mean being able to throw the ball on time, to see the pressure. who arrives and is able to carry out each and every one of those things. CJ Stroud, Jordan Love is number two for me. Jared Goff, number three. Who are we going to put at number four? Mahomes is doing a good job, but I wouldn't say he's playing at an elite level above the neck. He does a lot of things that he ends up struggling with, doing those things. Kirk Cousins, number four.
Yes. And my fifth quarterback in terms of information processing, this is going to sound crazy. It's going to sound crazy, but if you watch his tape, you'll think, "He's okay." Jacoby Brissett. Yeah. Jacoby isn't fast, he's not athletic, he does n't move well, but when he sees it, he pulls the trigger. And that's what you have to do. He sees pressures and makes all those decisions. That's how Jared Goff plays. He's got a bunch of stars around him. And those aren't my top five quarterbacks. I'm going to be clear. Your top five? Okay, okay, but people might say, "Oh, he's racist."
Yeah, yeah, no, no, those aren't my top five quarterbacks. Okay, who are your top five? Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, uh, Joe Burrow probably could have been in that processing conversation. So, I apologize, Joe Burrow, you should be in the top five. Joe Burrow always plays at a very high level. Jordan Love, CJ. Those are my top five right now. Lamar has been out, so he. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, those are facts. I could go on about that. That, that, that's five good ones.
Those are five good ones. You could take those five and win anywhere. What about Purdy? Can we bring all this back and put him at number one in processing? Let's bring all this back to processing. I appreciate it. Purdy is number one in processing. He's in my top five in terms of quarterback level. I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Although I could go on about that. Let's talk about the Houston Texans' defense. They gave up 27 points to these guys. What happened to the defense we knew and loved? It's like this is a 2026 defense.
Yeah. With almost every starter coming back from a 2025 defense that was second in EPA per play, third in points per game, points per play, and second in yards per play. Yeah, you know, I'm going to put it that way. The thing about the league is you have to be able to adapt. Once the documentary comes out, the league knows how to answer that call. That's where greatness lies, right? I just saw the Saban documentary, right? It's every day, every year. Can you be consistent? Can you live one play at a time? And I think that's what most people are starting to lack, right? I do n't think it's like. I saw Kyle
Shanahan and he talked about how. Hey, it's not so much about what people are calling, but how well you can execute those plays on every single play, over and over again. And I think that's the hard part, right? Because it's hard to see it that way. And when you talked about people starting to figure out what made them special, what they were doing so well last year that changed them this year? It's the style of play. It's the communication. And it also has to be consistency, right? You can't be a top-five cornerback last year and be in the bottom 15 this year, right? It's consistency across the board. areas. You can't have more than
12 sacks last year, finish the year with six sacks, or have 50 pressures last year and start getting 15. Now, I'm not saying this is Houston. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, but I am saying it's about everyone's consistency in every game. Football is a team sport, and people don't realize that wins and losses aren't decided by one person. It's decided by a group of people saying, " Let's focus on every play and win every down." And I think that process to win is a lot harder than people realize. People like to say, "Hey, we're losing because of the referees." No, we didn't lose just because of the referees. And I can acknowledge that. As a player, I can honestly say, as can my team, that we didn't lose
just because of the referees. Now, did they contribute to the loss? Yes. But it all comes down to the process, and I think what's happening with Houston isn't that Will Anderson He's not one of the best football players. That's not it . And what I'm saying is, missed tackles. Think about that run that happened. Two missed tackles. You can't miss tackles in the NFL. You have to wrap and roll. There are missed tackles in the film. There's probably a little bit of effort, a little bit of miscommunication, right? Look at CD's. They gesture outward. Peatry falls back into the end zone. CD gets an
easy, thin post for the go-ahead touchdown when Dallas gets past him. So it's like that. It 's just things like that are happening more than they did last year. Can they tighten the screws? Yes. I think they can fix it, but there has to be commitment from everyone. And sometimes it's not even just the players, sometimes it can be the coaches as well. Now, I'm not saying the Houston staff is wrong, because they brought everyone back. What I'm saying is, sometimes the players don't want to be on certain plays that the coaches. Maybe they're Playing a little softer coverage. Maybe they should play a little more, man, and be a little more aggressive in their attitude. A half-stingy displacement. I
mean, that's what we pay them for. So it's like, but it's also difficult because of how innovative the offenses have become in this league. For example, you can hide CeeDee Lamb. That's why, you know, Keionne Nixon put it to me this way that really explained it to me, it's like, that's why you have to respect the real baseball players. Think about how many guys line up in the X. For example, Mike Evans is in my top five because he just lines up in one spot. You don't need to hide him and he can still get to 100. He doesn't have to move. He doesn't have to do all that movement. It's like all those guys who gesture, Ja'Marr Chase.
I mean, he'll do a little, but he lines up in the X. It's like, how many guys can actually stand in the X and stand on the island and win their one-on- one every time? Win in double teams. He says, that's what makes me, you know, that's what makes a great receiver to me. And I actually respect that, and I think, hey, that's a very real thing, think about it, if I line up on the left edge every time and I know you're still sending chips, can I win? And you think, okay, now he's a guy , you know what I mean? So, it's just a matter of respect, that you do n't need to hide someone, tuck them inside, do all those things. Yeah, can you get creative and try to help them get a one- on-one? With coaching, yeah, but I think it's more like that. You
know, guys can hide a little bit more in the National Football League. They just have to adapt. Yeah, they're going to have to because, like you said, the defensive line isn't creating pressure in the same way, which affects the back line. The corners don't look as strong or as robust as they used to. Just because they don't have that pressure. They don't have. They don't know that they don't have to cover as much time. Like they ca n't be aggressive in the same way. So, do you think they can still make the playoffs? Apparently, they're second and fifth. CJ Stroud is playing like one of the top five quarterbacks in the league.
CJ Stroud has been playing like crazy. Like they can do it. It's like he never turned the page on a great defense because we've seen it before. It's not like we haven't seen it. We're coming in like, hey, Houston, yeah, you're gonna make it. Mayday, mayday, mayday. It's not like he's one of them, it's like they 're shining. Like there have been series where they're consistent. But then there are series where it's like, damn, where is this? Like that overtime defense that's not the Houston we saw last year. No, not at all. Missed drives. Nobody recovering. Guys getting under blocks. Guys not putting in the effort. We've never seen that side of Houston. So It's more like that than I'd say; it's more like a system. Because honestly, in the
National Football League, we all follow the same system. I can sit at home watching a game and think, "Hey, he's going to run to the right." "He's going to run to the left, right here." You know what I mean? He's going to go through here. Watch it. I can do it from home. I can watch the game and see what. We could go over the movie together. I can do that. But it's like we're all doing the same things, but how well can you do them? That's what I'm saying. Sometimes it's not all about X and O. It's the guys, because what I'm seeing from the Texans' defense is that they play as individuals, not as a team. Like, they're not adequately covering their running gaps. They're trying to make a bunch of plays they don't
necessarily need to make instead of just making their 111s. And I think that's the hard part when you're trying to stand out with so many superstars. Everybody wants to make a play. Everybody wants to make a play, but not only that, everyone wants to make a play. It's like everyone wants to stand out, but sometimes you just have to have guys who want to be there. Like, I just want to be around this guy. You help me. You make me better. Be a star. In your role. In your role, brother. And don't get me wrong. A lot of Houston's losses didn't allow them to finish the game. They dropped interceptions. It's not that everything is bad. It's also that I 'm not taking advantage of what God
has given them an opportunity to do. Like the drops. It's things like that. But I still think the division we 're in is still very capable of finishing second. The Jags still look good. But it's not something that's too difficult for them. They just have to control themselves. Can I ask you a question? As an NFL player, you want to play in any situation, right? You want to be on the field no matter what. Jalen Hurts goes and plays with a blood clot. We don't know all the details. Do you want your team to protect you in that situation and say, " Hey, Mike, we don't want you to play"? " We want you to stay out?"
Like, I think, you know, learning during the ACL process, right? And learning about the body. I think sometimes you need that father figure in the coach. Hey, don't look at me like a player. If I were your son, what would you want me to do? And my coach, Nate, and I talked about this, like, what does this look like? What is the length of my career? What does that look like? And how much do I mean to this organization? I think it's necessary to have conversations like that. I think what I want the fans to know, and I think every player knows what's being said, is that we all have our own expectations. In my opinion, do
you really think I wouldn't have wanted to be back by now? Do you think I really wanted to miss any games? But even more specifically, do you think I wanted to miss a Sunday night game in Green Bay against the Cowboys? Did you think I wanted to miss a Sunday night game at 3:25? The United States against the Detroit Lions or possibly a Thursday night game against the Carolina Panthers, who we lost to last year? Did they think you rehabbed so hard just to keep rehabling? Do they think I want to be away from my team? Don't they think I'm putting my team first, my team's goals, the things I want to accomplish by leading in the playoffs, winning the division, making the playoffs? Do they think I would take that risk if I
really had to, if I didn't have to risk getting hurt again? Then it's like it's me and I don't know any of the information they gave me. Hmm. Or if I didn't know any of this stuff, I'd say, "Well, I feel good." Maybe he can do it." But he needs that great mentor and friend and that balance of: "Hey, this is what you've got." This is where we need to get so you can play healthy. Say, "Hey, we need you to be our man for the next three years." And I've got it. Like, the next three or four years, I've got it. But I think you do need it. You really do need it. You need someone to protect you from yourself because we don't know. As players,
people call players fools. Actually, we're fools because we get lost in our own ego, thinking we're invincible. Football makes you feel that way. On Sundays, I feel invincible. I feel like nobody touches me except God. Like, I'm like, "You're not going to touch me." Like, you can't block me. You can't beat me. Like none of you guys feel invincible. Like, we're fools in that area of our mentality, but that's the dark place we have to come out of. And we're fools in the way we say, "Hey, we could keep putting our bodies through this and keep fighting and pushing ourselves and taking our bodies to the limit, and one day later we'll We'll regret it." But I think overall we need that father figure, that coach, that trainer who says, "Hey, this is a
little more serious than you realize." Like, "Hey, we should probably want someone to bring me back." Yeah. Relax. Back to reality. Hey, hey. To do that. We don't need to do that We're talking about the future of your. This is a one-week decision, but we have to make a professional decision. We need to. Because he actually would have played, and did he play well? He played pretty well. Good game. Yeah, he was good. So, people are like, "Damn, he can still play." How come he's gone indefinitely? "Anyway, I asked my coaches, 'Hey, what's this blood clot thing?'" Why is that? And simply to understand it and acquire knowledge,
because as I said, if you don't know it or don't ask questions, how would you know? Then he probably said, "Ah, it's probably something in my leg. I'm fine." "But, well, we need that, man. Yeah. I love Jaylon to death. That's my brother. Get well soon. Okay, let's talk about the hot topic. You guys play the Panthers this Thursday night. But we're hearing rumors. How are we doing? We're good. We're good, honestly. We're good. We've improved a lot. I can't wait to see you back on the football field. We know it's going to happen soon, and I can't wait to see it Man, me too, bro. Like, bro, I'm just really happy now. Like, there's
not much I can do. I think that's what pisses my family off. They're like, 'You're always in a good mood.' Like, I'm like, 'What do you want me to be?'" "I'm kind of grateful every day now." Like, I'm 100% inspiring to your friends. I'm just What does my dog Future say? Life is good. Hello, brother. Life is a blessing. You just have to appreciate it through your lens. Yeah. Focus on your lens, people. And I would say, if there are teams out there, focus on your lens, on your film, on how people attack you. And let's get back to work.
Amen. We're done for the week. We're in week eight of football. What is this? Nine more weeks? That's it. Nine more weeks to change your life. I always tell my teammates that one year can change your life. I tell anybody: one year can change your life. Essentially, in one year, your life can change. In one year, my life changed forever. And it's almost time to go back. But for now, that's all for The Edge. We appreciate you. Thank you, Q Avery, for tuning in. To the people who support The Edge, we appreciate you all. We love you all, and we'll see you soon."
