Transcript of Can the Saints make the Super Bowl?

All right, we are back on NFL Daily. The last segment of the week is going to be my absolute favorite one. Having these guys on for the first time, Adam and Ryan from the Saints Block Party podcast. They said it couldn't happen to you on NFL Media. Let's go.

Let's go, baby.

Here we are. Here we are. Thank you for having us on, Greg. This is by far the most bougeyest podcast we've been on. A guy at my door just knocked and just offered me rosé. His name was Theodore. There's a concierge service in our ear right now. We don't know where we are.

Okay. Let's be real. The Saints Black Party podcast, been getting it done for years. It used to be the Saints Twitter podcast. I've talked about it a lot on our show, around the NFL, and on NFL Daily over the years. You guys crack me up. You have the best analysis from a fan perspective out there, so people should check it out. But we had you on this week because it's a little different week in Saints Fandam. It's a little different week. Let's just take you back to three weeks ago. Okay. Three weeks ago listening to your podcast, I don't know if you were still throwing out the #firedennisallen that you had going last year, but we weren't too far from that. You guys are predicting seven, eight wins for the season. You were definitely pretty down on Derek Carr #theagenda, talking about maybe Spencer Radler ends up playing this year, and you're excited to see them. Then I'm listening to your recap show, as I do, from the last win over the Cowboys, and I'm hearing the number one offensive line in the league. I'm hearing, Can we start talking about Super Bowl? I'll break out my Adam impression here.

It's like, Can we start talking about the Super Bowl here, Ryan? That's my Adam impression. I'm like, I got to get these dudes on the podcast because Because I've never seen a fan base flip so fast into just believe in everything. I'll start with you, Ryan. What happened here? Is it almost like an apology time here for Dennis Allen and Derek Carr?

Hey, it might be. Listen, all we asked from the very beginning was to show me, show me. We heard all the talk. They said all the right things, but we had to see evidence. All we could do is work off the data that we are presented with. And look, first two weeks, they showed us. And Saints fans are just dying for some good football, good fun football that they could sit there on a Sunday. Greg, you've been in New Orleans. You know how lit the city is when the Saints are winning and having a good time. That's all we wanted, and we're getting it right now.

Yeah. What has surprised you the most? You were the one, Adam, that threw out the number one offensive line in the league. That was where I was like, Okay, these guys are going a little crazy. You were at Chili's drinking margaritas or something after the game taping from there. That's dedication to the podcast. So maybe that's a little... That's getting over our skis a little bit, the number one offensive line in the league after two weeks. But what has you believe in?

So I think Ryan has said it perfectly that this offense is... The Mike McDaniel's first season in Miami took every defense by surprise. I don't want to say gimmicky, but the thing that gives us Confidence that this could be sustaining for the Sinks team is that the offensive line is dominating and winning at the point of attack. If you just take away all the ghost motion, all the things that Clint Kubiak is doing, this team is bullying teams. And Clint Kubiak, he knows the weakness of this offensive line. You can't ask Trevor Penning, who was maligned for seasons, to just hold up in pass protection time and time again in snap after snap. Fuaga, who's played great at left tackle, he's still a rookie, so he has made it where they don't have to hold up very long in pass protection. He is insinuating their strengths of the offensive line. This is a very, very athletic offensive line, and they're in space, they're moving. And maybe with a little bit of hyperbole, but if you just go and just watch the film, the offensive line, and Lucas Patrick, a revelation from the bears who seems like they could probably use him right now, had just come in at left guard and is just bullying people on the interior.

So they're just playing bully ball, which when you're a defense and you're getting pushed back, that's hard for any defense to stop. That's one thing that's a huge strength for the team that we did not see coming into this season.

Yeah, but they're going to have to drop back and pass and pass, protect. At some point, they can't just do this the whole time. But I'm with you. You look at the strength of the team, Fuwaga, people didn't think he was going to be a left tackle. I know we're talking line right off the bat, but that, to me, has been the story. Then you got McCoy and Cesar Ruiz. You guys have had your ups and downs. That's why I like listening to your show. It's like, I'm getting the inside scoop on the Cesar Ruiz career arc. You've been pretty down on Cesar Ruiz at some point, but he ends up getting paid, Ryan. Then these dudes are just out there mashing people. This week, you got the Eagles who haven't been able to stop anyone on the ground. Maybe they won't have to drop back and pass this week against the Eagles when you got McCoy and Ruiz just blowing holes open.

Yeah, we'll see what the Eagles are allowing What about 6.4 yards per carry? I mean, I would be looking much opposite if I'm Clint Kubiak, if I'm the offensive line. But like you see, this is the NFL, man. We only look at the games, the last two games, but things change so quickly. But what gives me confidence with this team has been the execution. It's just hat on a hat, blocking and trying to dominate the guy in front of you. Even Chris Olavie, Jouan Johnson, those guys out there blocking their butts off. So that's what gives me confidence. But like you said, they will reach a point at some point, maybe the defense gives up some points early or something like that, where they're going to have to drop back and pass. They're going to have to see how Derrick Hart does, how the offensive line does, how Trevor Pritting does when you have to take a seven-step drop and hit your target downfield. And it's going to be interesting. I just can't wait to see because we're learning new things week to week.

But you guys think when Derek Carr hit that Michael Jackson move in the end zone, was that the moment you thought, Okay, maybe we can go to the Super Bowl?

I was at the game. I think for me, it was It may be the Shahid player or the AK screen that sprung for a countdown. Because I was in AT&T Stadium. I'm like, What is even going on right now? It felt like a fever dream. But I want to add this point And I want to give credit to Ryan because he was the one who had been advocating for this as soon as Clint Kubiak got hired is the utilization of Tateam Hill in the Cal Ush check role in this offense. And I think what you're seeing is, shout out to Matt Patricia, who doesn't even look like Matt Patricia anymore. I don't even know who that guy was that talked on that coaches podcast with Bill Belichick and Lombardi. But he made this astute point.

No, he looks like not an extra on the Sopranos, but like the sixth dude at the table who just gets two good lines, but you recognize his face.

I don't know who that is. Don't tell me that's Matt Patricia. That's not him. But he made this great point of teams don't really know defensive teams because they don't practice it in training camp. They don't really know how to defend 21 personnel anymore. And something that What Kupiak is doing is when Taysom Hill is on the field, I don't know if defenses know what to identify him as, and they don't know what the personnel is. Is it 21? Is it a tight in? Or sorry, is it 12? Is it 21? So it's baking the offense multiple, and it's making the defense not know how to identify what may be coming at them.

Where are you at, Ryan, with Derek Carr now? Look, I've been there. We had to have him around the NFL back in the day for him to unblock me. I've had Derek Carr upset at me, too. And there is something about this Kubiak system where he's not making as many decisions. I heard this story. It's like some people, like a Tom braided, might think, Oh, That's not real quarterbacking. But maybe not everyone can be Tom braided. Not everyone can do the real quarterbacking. And you must be loving life seeing this Kubiak offense, not asking Carr to do too much, but when he's asked to make big-time throws, he is making those big-time throws right now.

Right. Because when he was brought in, it was sold as, Hey, he's going to come in. He's going to be calling all the protections and diagnosing the defense at the line of scrimmage, blah, blah, blah, blah, that last year. They obviously made the choice to real things back for him. Most of the work is done by Clint Kubiak and the coaching staff before the snap, where all he has to do is go out there, execute the progressions, and hit the throw. And he's playing more confident. And that way, even on the deeper throws, which we know there's a lot of talk about his aggressiveness, but when he's able to just go and execute, he's able to go out and do it confidently without getting happy feet, patting the ball like we've seen in the past. I like this, Derrick. I'm with it. I'm rolling week to week, man. Look, I'm rolling week to week, and we'll see where it goes.

Go ahead. You're making so many faces, Adam. Oh, that's Can I got to hear what? No.

My thing is even a Derrick car point. I think mine is just like, I think the fundamental point in this offense, and we were talking about this even before Clint Kubiak came, but especially when he came, is that you can't tell me potentially that the same impact that Kyle Shana had on Christian McCafree's career when he got traded from the Panthers to the 49ers, you can't tell us that something similar couldn't happen for AK in a similar system. And lo and behold, two weeks into the season, that same type of career renaissance that Christian McCafree had with the Niners, AK is having with the Saints, but he just happens to be on the same team. Something that we're both excited about, and hopefully, potentially it could happen if he exists and he can get healthy, is the addition underrated of what Kendre Miller could actually be in this offense, too?

Okay, you all overrate the potential impact of Kendre Miller because on your show, you were like, Hey, Ryan, you were saying this, Adam. Are we thinking about possibly making the Super Bowl here now? Do we got a chance? Ryan's answer was like, If we get Kendre Miller back healthy, I'm like, This dude, if you're just hoping he's such a backup running back and average backup. You guys are crazy. What is he? He's not that big of a deal.

You say that now, but you're going to see because just the addition of another physical running back that you could have seen. And juice.

You got Jamal Williams getting five yards per carry.

Listen, exactly. Jamal Williams is getting five yards of carry. What is going on in this world? And look, I know you got to feel good because I remember you getting dunked on I think you guys did a top 10 running backs in the lead. You threw Albert Kamari in there, and they're just dunking on you. I'm like, I feel bad for my guy. I was like, Greg is right, man. Albert Kamari is still good because it still passed the eye test. All he just needed was an offensive line to actually block for him in a scheme and a play caller to actually put him in position.

They're doing it right now. It's crazy because, yeah, you're right. I think you're talking about that running back draft that took him last year. Then this year, I've been saying it, too. You have your agenda, which has been put on hold, which is about Spencer Rattler getting some playing time at some point. My agenda for years has been, yeah, AK is better than the numbers show that they're letting him down. He's my favorite type of runner. I think he's... We'll see. He needs to have a couple of big years, but he's going to have a Hall of Fame case someday because these running back numbers, they're just not the same as they used to be. But when I look at the last seven, eight years, and I put who's been among the top three to five at his position, it's AK. And those guys make the Hall of Fame. I was waiting because he's like Frank Gore to me, where he's just so good on the mental side of things. He's so good turning three into eight, and he's so good in the passing game, and he can do everything that you want. But when you're turning negative If you give one into three or you're turning one into four, then the numbers don't look good.

And yeah, he's not going to break the huge plays, although he did on Sunday when you were there in the stadium, Adam, on the reception. But he's going to hit more like 15-yard gains, 10, 15, 20-yard gains rather than being a true burner. But it's been a great year for my agenda. And you guys talk about his future. He's a free agent. That'll be interesting to watch. But man, if they can keep Kubiak, he could have this career renaissance. The problem is, if I'm AK, I maybe wait till 2025. I'm probably seeing Gary Kubiak. I mean, not Gary Kubiak, Clint Kubiak on some other sideland. I would just follow him wherever he went.

For real? But we're not even thinking about it. We're just thinking about 2024 to see where this takes us because-I was going to say, because this seems so weird.

Is that Adam? Well, it's too early to even get into that. We're in mid-September. To even think about this. This could be a one-year bottle in time where it's this older team. Demario Davis is older, Tyron Matthew is older, obviously. Maybe your coordinator is not going to be there next year. Carr is having this magical year. It's a very much like, live in the moment. Live in the now type of year.

Right. Think about what Shanehan went to the Falcons. He had those two years with the Falcons, went to the Super Bowl the second year. Not saying that's what we're going to do, but I'm just saying it was that one year where everything was working, the offense was great, and then he went on to greater passions. Might be something like that. We'll see.

I think this team right now has really reemphasized a point that you made way back in the day on the Round of NFL podcast. I think a lot of fans need to the heat is that every season, you said every season, there's only one team that wins the Super Bowl. And sometimes just a exciting season for a team, even if they don't make it all the way, can be so incredibly rewarding and entertaining and how to just enjoy that. So I have no idea what the end goal or end game of this team is going to be, but it's just so surprising out of nowhere that as a fan, just really enjoying and relishing in it. That's it.

Plus, it's good for business. You're going to have more people listening in on your live streams and stuff.

Yeah, we started a podcast right when the device of Drew Breeze and Sean Payton retiring. It was just some tough time. We're enjoying this right now.

Wait, Adam, how are you guys feeling about Sean Payton struggling so much in Denver? What is your honest opinion?

I'm worried about me, bro. Honestly, I hate... I mean, listen, I don't really have an opinion on it because I'm just so focused in on my team.

What are you, a politician? I mean, give me a real feeling. You got Pete Carmichael over there. You're probably liking that they look like chumps.

The starting quarterback for the Saint is Derrick Carr. I've picked up on how to answer some things, Greg, very diplomatically. But that's my... Ryan, do you have an opinion? Do you really care?

I think it'll work out. I don't know how well it'll work out, but it's going to take some time, man. But it is interesting. I don't hate Sean Payton, like a lot of Saints fans do right now.

Why should you? Look what he gave you.

But when they come to the dome in a couple of weeks, I'm hoping Koubi had put that thing on them.

That is a fun matchup. You're always just looking for value ads. When you lose a quarterback, like Tua is not going to be in the lineup for a long time. He's on injured reserve. We'll see if he comes back. It's like, that's a bummer because you just lose fun out of my Sundays when I'm watching that Seattle-Miami game Sunday. It's just like, man. The best thing that can happen is when you add these surprise teams out of nowhere and it's like, whoa, Saints eagles is now my game I want to watch more than any game on Sunday. It's not just because I like watching the Saints. You were saying I know what it's like for New Orleans to be lit for the Saints. I mean, I was there going to every game when it was Aaron Brooks and stuff, and they were 8-8, and they were into it. But I did go to the opener the year after they won the Super Bowl, and that was absolutely crazy in New Orleans for a couple of days. That was like a Super Bowl, and that was week one. It was against the packers, and that was for days.

It was like the Super Bowl. It was like Mardi Gras. And yeah, no team, I think, is as tight with their fans as that. Now that we've I don't want to get into expectations because I appreciate what you said, Adam, about just enjoying it. And that's what fandom should be, just enjoy the ride. It really sticks with me that so many of my Celtics fans that I see around there, and that's probably the team I care about most in the world now. They didn't even enjoy last season as it was happening. I was like, This team's going to win. I think they're going to win. And if they didn't even enjoy it, they're just complained about little things. It's like, Man, just enjoy it. Then at the end, when they win, they enjoy it. Enjoy the ride. It's miserable. I know you don't want to get ahead of yourself, but just what's success now for this team? At this point, they've shown enough to me that, Man, if they somehow didn't make the playoffs, that would be disappointing. We'll see what Tampa Bay's record is going to be. Maybe it might take 11, 12 wins to win this division.

We don't really know. But what do you want? What's a successful season now?

I think, realistically, a playoff win. Okay. In the playoff. I think going back to the Bucks, that Bucks season last year where they went to NFC South, they beat the Eagles, who was faltering and stood pretty toe to toe with the Lions for most of that game. I think that would be viewed as a successful season. But before we wrap up, I feel like we're a little being a little dismissive. We talked about the offense. I get some love to the Saints, to the Saints defense. We have not talked about them at all.

Get into it. Give it to me.

So you put a hit on in regards to the Saints Super Bowl contenders and just this discussion. And you made the analogy that we made on Tuesday regarding the Miami defenses. And my counterpoint to that is that those Miami defenses did not have a defense as good as this Saint Stephens is. That's the big counterpoint. If there's an argument that this team could maybe be They're playing the Lions or the Niners in the NFC Championship game. The defense is obviously going to be also a big part of that. And there's a lot of things clicking for this defense. And so they have a huge test against the Eagles. That's a big test. This is the biggest test that they have in terms of their run defense. We'll see if it's truly improved. That's probably the best offensive line run-wise that they've played up to this point. And that's a big question because last year, the run defense was not So going to get Saquan and things like that, it's going to be a huge test for them on Sunday.

I think it could get pushed around. I think this Egos offensive line is legit. I think it could be a higher scoring game than people realize. Hertz is a little off in terms of in-rhythm throws, But they can match. And I do worry a little bit, Ryan, that Granderson, probably your best DL. He's playing well, but is that a great defensive line? If Granderson is your best DL, Demario Davis is He's still just playing awesome. Honey Badger looks like he's going to have one of those years. Every three or four years, he just pops out with a first-team all-pro year. And he might make the Hall of Fame because of it. He made an all-decade team. Most of those guys make the Hall of Fame. But tell the listeners what you think about this defense. Maybe who's popping up that's a little bit of a surprise, what they might not know, because you're absolutely right, Adam, to point that out. But I want to hear Ryan like, this is a Dennis Allen defense. He's been running this thing for seven years now? How long has he been running the same defense? It's crazy.

Since 2016, and it's been pretty consistently good since 2017. I mean, look, the defensive line had questions going into the season, and I still have questions. Chase Young looks really good. He's getting a lot of pressures. He's physical. He looks different, but you're not getting the sac numbers you want to see from the defensive line as a whole. Cam Jordan, he's playing inside a little more, not playing as many snaps as he used to as he gets towards the end of his career. So I would like to see more, especially with the leads that they've had the past two weeks. You would think you would see the defensive line just get a little more ferocious, but you also see Dennis Allen blitzing a little more. Alante Taylor has been fantastic in the nickel corner spot. Just blitzing Financing, covering, tackling, everything. He came in with a completely different mindset this year. Koulae McKinstre looks good. Pulse Nadebo. They have the stack secondary, and the linebackers that play well, too. So it's going to be interesting, man. But I really want to see this defensive line step up before I could say, Hey, this is a Super Bowl team for real, because they're really going to have to bring it going forward.

This is one of those years, though. The NFC Every year is like this to some degree, but the AFC is just a little different with all those quarterbacks, and they're going to get in there. It's just tough to go through two or three of those guys. The NFC, it's going to be a tournament. If you can get a home game, at least for your first game, maybe for two, you can maybe get through that tournament. It's one-game season. It's possible looking at the NFC. You know what's crazy about it, and we'll wrap with this. It justifies if this season ends up being just that one season That's just a lot of fun. We'll see if it continues. It justifies this whole plan that Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen have had.

This is your theory.

Well, because my theory is like, I think it's absolutely true in NFL Billions. It's just like, let's just get to one more year. Give us one more year of employment, and you never know what's going to happen in that one year. Let's sell everything out to get to that one more year because you never know if we'll finally get out of this. Maybe everything will fall into place. We don't know. We finally hit on the OC this year. We don't know. The things are happening. If you can just justify that one more year is going to get you three or four more years, might get a new contract, might be a lot of fun. All that begging and and trading the pics and aiming for the middle with Derek Carr. Man, I'm not going to say they're going to shut you all up a little bit, but they're going to make it all worth it, and they'll be happy about it. Their paycheck's in Mickey Mickey will be there for longer than anybody in the NFL. He's outlast Bill Belichick. Mickey's outlasted Bill Belichick.

That's crazy. You brought the stuff of the AFC. As fans, we're not I'm not looking for it, but that and the city game, Monday Night Football in a couple of weeks.

It looks so much better now, doesn't it?

God. If by whatever chance you have two 4-0 teams on Monday Night Football, that'll be fun. That'll be fun to see. But truly, thank you for having us on, man. It's an honor, it's a privilege. It's crazy how football can people together. I've known you for years. We've been to each other's daughter's birthday parties. We've been to events together where football has formed actual friendships. That has nothing to do with football. It's beautiful how football can do that. It's crazy that we're even on with you, but it's an honor, it's a privilege, and we truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

No, don't be silly. You guys have been killing it. It's overdue. I think Alice has still got that build a bear in her room somewhere. She's turning 13 this weekend. How about that? Speaking of birthday parties. What? A teenager, Greg. We hung out at the beach, and she was six years old back then.

I just want to know, Greg, can we get you down in New Orleans for the Cash Money Hot Boys reunion?

Is that officially happening? When is that? It's happening. November second.

The tickets are purchased. Come Come on, man.

I'll try. I got to get the... We don't go to a lot of games. I wish... Maybe I'll try to convince the NFL there's a big Saints game that weekend and sneak my way over to that. That was funny because-Thanks, Falcons. Because I was there. I was there in New Orleans at the absolute peak when Ha came out, when it was all... When people thought Mistakal was the second best, was bigger than Lil Wayne. I was there. It was like being in Liverpool when the Beatles came out. So it was something. It was something else. I appreciate you both, Adam and Ryan. Like I said, check them out. If you're watching on YouTube, check out the the Hot Saints Block Party merch. I like that. They do the best job covering the Saints a couple of times a week. They are awesome. It's been a fun week on NFL Daily. We will be back Friday afternoon. You might have seen with Cynthia Freeland, I'm doing the Picks Against the Spread every week. That's just a little mini show. We're dropping in the feed Friday afternoon, and then And then we'll be back for our next big show, recapping all the games in week 3, including Saints and Eagles on Sunday night.

That'll be with nick Shook and Patrick Claibon. Until then, for Adam, for Ryan, for Dave Damoschek. Yeah, it was a thin slice of heaven today. Football is absolutely back. See you next time.