CHARISSA THOMPSON: As the Bills try to bounce back from a disappointing loss, Josh Allen, who was 6-0 against the AFC East last season, heads to Miami to face a familiar foe. His opponent, Tua Tagovailoa, is riding high after a big win over the Patriots. His Dolphins look to start the season 2-0 since the first time since when, Mike Vick? 2018. Week two is here. Let's get started, this is "Fox NFL Kickoff".
>> Thanks for coming. The events last week were frankly hard for some of us to witness.
>> Jackpot baby.
>> Come on.
>> Let's fix it. Let's fix it.
>> Oh, that was filthy.
>> What a catch. Spectacular.
>> Everybody needs to calm down.
>> It's only natural to overreact, all right. But one week does not make a whole season. My message to you all is just enjoy it while it lasts. Because, and you Packer fans might want to write this one down.
>> You can tell that one hurt.
>> All greatness is fleeting. Like one foot out the door. (Laughter).
>> A lot of football, boys.
>> If you're 0-1, 1-0, let's stop overreacting. Okay?
>> Yeah!
>> We do it, baby.
>> Welcome to "Fox NFL Kickoff," presented by IBM.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: All right, ahead this hour after soaring in week one, will Kyler Murray come back down to earth. Plus a look at how Jalen Hurts can strike gold against the Niners. And when will Justin Fields take the reigns in Chicago?
Welcome, everybody, to "Fox NFL Kickoff." I'm Charissa Thompson along with Mike Vick, Charles Woodson and Coach Dave Wannstedt. Charles, have you recovered from that crazy Monday hangover?
CHARLES WOODSON: I still have a little hangover, Monday night hangover. A little wine, a little whiskey. Doubled up. Just having a little fun with the owner. Just kicking back. Just normal people.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I was in my living room. You're in the box. That's who you are.
CHARLES WOODSON: Maybe next time you get the call.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I'll always take an invite. It was a great finish. It was the icing on top of a very delicious, insane week one. Elder statesmen leading the comebacks. Underdogs making a statement. And rookie upon rookie announcing their arrival.
>> Week one kickoff with the best, an explosive 90 touchdowns over 16 games, the most ever.
>> Trey Lance's first touchdown.
>> The West divisions dominated in both conferences, going a perfect 8-0.
>> Stafford wants to launch.
>> He's got it.
>> Put in the W column, baby.
>> While the NFC North struggled, failing to post a single win across the division. One thing we do know is that we don't know what comes next. One down, 17 to go.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: All right. One thing we saw last week was K.C. and Tampa doing what they do, winning football games. But some other top-tier teams, Mike, didn't live up to expectations. Who stood out to you?
MICHAEL VICK: Obviously Green Bay, but the Tennessee Titans looked like they came into the game hoping to win not expecting to win. They played flat. They had no energy. And even Taylor Lewan tweeted out they got their you-know-whats kicked.
CHARLES WOODSON: Bad day.
MICHAEL VICK: He was a man about it. That's the only way to go about it, face up to the wrongdoings. They gotta play better. They had no energy, like I said. They're going to Seattle on the road. Potential 0-2 start won't be ideal for the Tennessee Titans. We didn't expect that.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Tannehill, Julio Jones looked like they were completely out of sync didn't have enough time to find that.
MICHAEL VICK: No juice.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: You mentioned Green Bay. We've all had losses in the NFL, but then there are bad losses. And the Packers loss was obviously horrible. We all know that. But as I'm looking at that game close, it really highlights that this football team is not built to play from behind.
When you think of the Packers and their success, it's Aaron Rodgers, big play, score, get out front. And then Aaron Jones, hand the ball to him and he closes the game out.
And defensively, it's pass rushers and a young talented secondary. And it really is the same thing that happened what happened in the Tampa NFC Championship game -- they fall behind Tampa and they can't catch up.
I expect them to bounce back this week but they've got to get the DNA changed moving forward.
CHARLES WOODSON: Charissa, you brought up Julio Jones. They traded the wrong guy in Atlanta I believe. Think about this, in Julio Jones' time in Atlanta he only had double-digit TDs in one season. Davante Adams, seven seasons, he's had four double-digit touchdown seasons. And Calvin Johnson, nine seasons, four double-digit touchdown seasons.
DeAndre Hopkins had four, we don't know who his quarterback was half the time. So this falls to me on the quarterback. Julio Jones should still have on the red and white with the Falcons.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: You think it's all Matt Ryan? Julio Jones is banged up and hurt.
CHARLES WOODSON: Yeah, I think so. I don't care, over the course of their career together, only 54 percent of their passes where they completed to Julio Jones in the red zone. Julio Jones, 6'4", 4.4 speed.
MICHAEL VICK: I guess that's why they got Kyle Pitts.
CHARLES WOODSON: How will they use him in the red zone? You know how many times they scored in the red zone last week? Settle.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Matt Ryan needs protection, too, he was on his back a lot.
CHARLES WOODSON: Now you're making excuses.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: No, I'm not making excuses. It makes it difficult for the quarterback when he can't stay upright. I'll always defend a quarterback, by the way. It's time to get In The Know with Peter Schrager. San Francisco got the win last week but lost some key pieces along the way. How are they looking to regroup?
PETER SCHRAGER: 49ers spent the week at Greenbrier, West Virginia. They are just hope it's not a repeat last week with all injuries. They will be without Jason Verrett, number one corner and Raheem Mostert number one running back and Dre Greenlaw, one of their linebackers. You look at what they bring today to Philadelphia. Expect Trey Sermon to be active. Rookie who did not get in last week. Expect Brandon Aiyuk, who had zero targets to be a part of the game plan. And I'm told Josh Norman, our old friend here on "Fox NFL Kickoff", might be starting at corner for the 49ers.
As for the Raiders, they had a great win. We loved seeing you, Charles, out there. But now on six days' rest, they're going to Pittsburgh to play that defense, and they're without Josh Jacobs who is battling a toe and ankle injury. I'm told it's not crazy concerns right there, that he will be back eventually. They're just giving him the rest today. Look for Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber to pick up the action with Josh out of the game.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: And turning our attention to the Colts, if Carson Wentz wants a chance against Aaron Donald and the Rams, his O line better be healthy. What's the latest?
PETER SCHRAGER: Two behemoths, Aaron Donald and Quenton Nelson barely practiced this week. He was questionable for the game. I'm told he's going to go. He will be up against Aaron Donald. He'll be Carson Wentz's best friend today.
One more note on this, I think is interesting, we know Matthew Stafford is -- the Rams had a great week one -- before he was traded to the Rams, the Indianapolis Colts were early in considered the leaders of the sweepstakes. But when the Detroit Lions kept asking for more and more and the stakes kept rising and rising, the Colts backed off. The Rams jumped in and they're awfully happy with what they got.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Yes, any indication, that Sunday night game there. Week two and we've got so many moving pieces already. We'll see how they all fit together. Here's what's ahead.
>> Lock in as we enter the week two matrix, Charissa connects with QB Joe Burrow to discuss his swagger and how it transitions late to the gridiron.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Your name is synonymous with swag. Where does that come from?
JOE BURROW: I know what kind of work I put in. I feel confident going in Sunday.
>> Plus, Tom Brady and the Bucs look unstoppable. Colin breaks down why they're the right fit to repeat as NFL champs.
Hey football heads, Sam Darnold and Robby Anderson might be the coolest kids in Carolina. Chris Meyers has the perfect spin for them to prove they're ready to level up.
>> That's perfect.
>> So let the games begin. It's all ahead on "Fox NFL Kickoff."
[COMMERCIAL].
>> Sponsored by IBM, the world is going hybrid with IBM.
[MUSIC]
CHARISSA THOMPSON: How about them Cardinals? 400 plus yards of offense. Kyler Murray, five combined touchdowns. That was just one of many unexpected performances last week. Charles, who would you like to see continue what they started last week?
CHARLES WOODSON: Man, that's easy, Chandler Jones. This guy was a man on fire last week. He set the tone from the beginning of the game with a tackle for loss. But that wasn't the story. Five sacks, the guy's on pace to get 85 sacks, y'all. I know he won't get to 85. But listen, we've got a guy in the studio somewhere, Michael Strahan, with 22 and a half. If he gets half of 85 he'll break that record. I want to see that continue.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Know what's crazy about that? He set that record 20 years ago.
MICHAEL VICK: Really that long ago.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Yeah, it's held that long.
CHARLES WOODSON: Good time for it to be broken.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Kyler Murray wasn't the only quarterback that had success. I know you were impressed by Jameis Winston.
MICHAEL VICK: I was very impressed with Jameis. He played at a MVP level. What Jameis has got to continue to do, stack good performances. He was accurate. Threw the ball down field, stretched the field. That's something that Sean Payton hasn't had in a long time. I expect them to continue to thrive but also really continue to play at a high-level. Gotta do it week in, week out and Jameis knows that.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: The other side of Jameis is turnovers. He led the NFL last year with 35 turnovers. Are we worried about that, or with Sean Payton's offense do you think he's more under control?
MICHAEL VICK: He's more under control with Sean Payton's offense. But it remains to be seen. He's got to continue to be put in those high pressure situations, we'll see where Jameis Winston is all about.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'm gonna jump on the defensive side. The Steel Curtain, Pittsburgh Steelers defense, I'm excited about them moving forward, truly am. Coaching and playing, this was not blitzburg. They went into this game against Buffalo and only pressured twice. They rushed three. They rushed four.
And if you're going to do that, the big guys up front gotta play big. And Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Melvin Ingram, these guys showed up, sacks, pressures, caused turnovers. This continues, which I believe it will, they're going to make some noise in the end for that division title.
PETER SCHRAGER: A good segue. I'm looking at the guy behind me. This is Derek Carr and we're all celebrating Derek Carr. Charles, we've been here before. We've been here before where it's early in the season -- Raiders! And then they start off 6-3 two years ago, missed the playoffs, 6-4 last year. Can we get some consistency?
They play Pittsburgh this week, not an easy matchup. Yet how great would it feel for Raiders fans if they came into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers. How about two weeks in a row of great Derek Carr. I want to see -- awesome Monday night, one more week.
MICHAEL VICK: More like this -- Raaaaiiiders. More like this. Big tease.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: No, I'm going to need you to talk to your fan base there in Vegas and teach them the rules that when they're on offense they need to be quiet.
MICHAEL VICK: They were drinking a little intercept wine.
CHARLES WOODSON: They got a little rowdy.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Can I get a discount code?
MICHAEL VICK: A little shameless plug.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Never shame us.
With a look at some of today's early matchups, let's get you up to speed, brought to you by State Farm. Laura Okmin is in Chicago where Justin Fields and Andy Dalton situation has everyone talking. What's the latest there?
LAURA OKMIN: I thought we were going to be talking wine first. I got excited. But, okay, let's talk quarterbacks.
Matt Nagy told me, I get it; we're a society of "I want it now." But he said, I lived this with Patrick Mahomes and Alex Smith. I watched that trust and relationship develop. And that's what's happening here right now. He said, I hear what people say. You're going to get fired if you don't do this right but I don't care. If Justin is better than Andy we'll go there. If Andy is better than Justin we'll go there.
But until then they'll compete their tails off and they'll grow as quarterbacks and teammates. The future is Justin, but we're going to do it the right way.
Always doing it the right way, let's head to Indy and, hi, Lindsay Czarniak.
LINDSAY CZARNIAK: Laura, what you can't see behind me is probably the Rams receivers dancing in the end zone. This is what I can tell you. The Colts have been working all week preparing for the air show that everybody saw Sunday night, Matt Stafford and the Rams.
The deal for the Colts is they'll be without cornerback Xavier Rhodes, dealing with a hurt calf. The other issue is the offensive line, it's going to look really different today for the Colts. Part of that reasoning is because Braden Smith, right tackle, is out, suffering a right injury last week.
The bright spot here is the Colts are super excited about getting Eric Fisher back, that left tackle, that two-time Pro Bowler who suffered the Achilles injury with the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. This guy only practiced a couple of weeks with his team. Carson Wentz told me, though, I've been in the training room with him. I'm shocked how fast he's come back. This guy will make a big impact for us. Charissa, sending it back to you.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Thanks, Lindsay. You can dance if you want to. Leave your friends behind.
Coming up, as they look to go 2-0, Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners look to put the hurt on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. And Mike's take on Dak and Cowboys' offensive success marks the return of America's team or short-lived dream when Kickoff returns.
[COMMERCIAL].
CHARISSA THOMPSON: After dismantling the Falcons last Sunday the Eagles look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2016 with a game plan that looks a bit updated from the 2020 version which brings us to Insights built by IBM Watson.
Compared to last season, Jalen Hurts dialed back the big throws in week one, leading to much greater success in completion percentage and turnover ratio. Mike, how did coach Nick Sirianni set up Hurts for success?
MICHAEL VICK: They made it look like Jalen Hurts was at Oklahoma last week. They made him comfortable, in the pocket, he made himself comfortable. Outside the pocket. What I really liked they sprinkled in a little bit of Miles Sanders in the run game, just to create the balanced attack. And Jalen, a lot of short passes, but he only threw eight incomplete passes. So, he was very efficient. He looked like he had fun playing ball. I hope to see more of that out of Jalen Hurts, especially against the 49ers.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Perfect example to me was not trying to do too much. Therefore he didn't force the ball. No turnovers for him. Just --
MICHAEL VICK: Kept it simple.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: That's good coaching. Doing, putting in a plan to do what your players can do best. And that's what happened here with Jalen Hurts. Hats off to him and that staff.
I think they're going to get a little reality check here today. With San Francisco coming in, you've got Arik Armstead, obviously. You've got Nick Bosa. This is a fast, physical defense. So I think it's going to be reality check for Philadelphia, to be quite honest with you. And I think they'll have a tough time getting a win.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: You don't think they'll get the win?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I don't. I like San Francisco.
CHARLES WOODSON: Going against my Birds. I think the reality check comes for San Francisco and Jimmy Garoppolo. I think this is his final audition before they take it back to Santa Clara.
MICHAEL VICK: Already?
CHARLES WOODSON: Yes, because you drafted a guy with your first pick. He's the shiny new toy sitting on the sideline. I've got to tell you, he's going against a formidable defense against the Eagles. If he goes into this game and he has just a couple of bad series, all of the 49er faithful watching the television game from afar, they'll be saying, hey, why don't you put in Trey Lance. And I promise you, when he goes back to San Francisco, they'll be calling for Trey Lance to get into the game.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: He was in the game last week. And we saw with both quarterbacks.
CHARLES WOODSON: Yeah, but they're putting him in these spot situations. They put him in, he has this package. He runs down in the red zone.
MICHAEL VICK: He's the shiny new toy, like you said.
CHARLES WOODSON: He throws a 5-yard touchdown. Everybody is excited about that.
Now imagine this week Jimmy struggles. When he gets back to San Francisco, they're going to say, put Trey Lance in. That's why we drafted him.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: But once you put him in full time you're not going back.
CHARLES WOODSON: No going back.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Why not try both if it's working?
CHARLES WOODSON: But 49ers country is saying we're fine with that. We've had enough of Jimmy Garoppolo. Now they want Trey Lance.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: You're not a fan of the two quarterback system?
MICHAEL VICK: Not a fan of the two-quarterback situation. They've got to make a decision. I don't know if it happens today, but it's coming. It's inevitable. It's going to happen.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: For more on this matchup let's get In the Know with Peter Schrager. The new Eagles head coach is pulling out all the stops to keep his team focused.
PETER SCHRAGER: Nick Sirianni, the new head coach. Could be running for mayor. Might win in Philadelphia right now. He's the most popular guy in town and a lot of it is his personality. He's embodying Philadelphia.
Today wearing an Allen Iverson T-shirt in pregame warmups. That's Nick Sirianni.
And this week, the theme was home. When I say that Friday they didn't practice at the facility. No, they went to the stadium, practiced at the stadium. Something that the Eagles haven't done in years. And talked about home, how important home is.
And then last night, in these Saturday night meetings, Nick Sirianni broke out all the stops. Talked about being home and then put on a movie clip from the famous "A Bronx Tale" scene where Chazz Palminteri walks in to his home bar with a biker gang, locks the door and says, "now yous can't leave." And then there's fisticuffs. Sirianni had the Eagles ready to run through a wall. "Now yous can't leave," that's his message to the Eagles, how they want to talk to the 49ers.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Yous and fisticuffs.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'm all in.
PETER SCHRAGER: I'm ready to run through a wall for this guy.
MICHAEL VICK: Whatever it takes.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Staying in the NFC East, we get to see Dak and the Cowboys back in action. Feels like they played a month ago. Do you expect to see the same offense we saw in their week one performance?
MICHAEL VICK: I do, I expect Dak to ball. But running backs get into a rhythm, and Zeke touch the ball more. Coach, seemed like we said it a lot last year, Zeke not getting enough touches. But he's got to get in a rhythm. And Mike McCarthy has never used the running backs to a premium. He has one of the best in the league. Gotta get Zeke involved and have that balanced attack, and make Zeke's job easy, not force him to throw 50 times.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Only 11 carries.
CHARLES WOODSON: That's what the game dictated. First, let me clear something up from last week. Last week I said the Cowboys would win the NFC. What I really meant to say --
[MULTIPLE SPEAKERS]
No, no, really what I missed.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I gave you a chance.
CHARLES WOODSON: They'll win the NFC East. Let me break it down. First of all, they're missing Demarcus Lawrence. I understand their defensive leader, have some injuries. I wasn't picking them because of the defense. It was because of the offense.
And you talked about Ezekiel Elliott getting more touches. But the Bucs weren't having the run. So the Cowboys say, we'll go into this game and we'll play exactly the way we need to play. And that's why the game went back and forth the way it did because they relied on Dak Prescott.
And what I really liked is the fact that CeeDee Lamb, last year 90 percent of his snaps were in the slot. This year 65 percent out wide. I saw creativity in the Cowboys offense that you just didn't see. That's not what I'm used to seeing out of Mike McCarthy's offense.
That's why I liked the Dallas Cowboys. I do think they beat Philly. They will beat the New York Giants for sure.
MICHAEL VICK: Bet on that.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: And they'll win that division.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'm with the Cowboys because of the offense.
CHARLES WOODSON: Got Coach on my side, man.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: The defense, you mentioned Lawrence being hurt, being out. Dan Quinn, new defensive coordinator, think about the teams he had at Atlanta. It was always known as bend, don't break. He's seen this before. He's seen a good offense, limited on defense. I think they'll have a good plan. They win the division.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Not the conference.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Yep.
CHARLES WOODSON: Promo, don't do me like that.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I'm kidding.
After the break, the second coming of Joe Burrow has Cincinnati believing. My sit down with him is next. Plus, when should Justin Fields take over full-time for Chicago, when "Kickoff" returns.
[COMMERCIAL].
CHARISSA THOMPSON: There was no sophomore slump to be found last week. All four 2020 rookie starting quarterbacks walked away victorious. But only one of them returned from major injury. I sat down with Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, who seems to have taken quiet command in the Queen City that is starved for a new King.
>> Joe Burrow is down. He's grabbing his left knee. He's in pain.
>> Biggest nightmare for Bengals fans. Injury to rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
[MUSIC]
>> Joe Burrow back for the first time since that injury of November.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: All right. You waited until after the win on Sunday to take to Instagram and write "I'm back." How good did it feel to write that?
JOE BURROW: Felt very very good. It was very tough to lay in bed and watch the last however many, six games, of the season last year knowing I couldn't do anything about it. Tried to be involved the best I could. But obviously it's not the same. I'm excited to be back out there. I think the fans are excited to have me back out there.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: How great is it to have this place filled like it was? You didn't have that that first year.
JOE BURROW: It was great. I wasn't really sure what it was going to be like. We never had a full stadium. It was exciting that we had that kind of energy in the stadium. It was fun to give them something to cheer about.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: And a very familiar target. How happy were you when you knew your squad was going to be taking your former teammate?
JOE BURROW: Very excited, great person who works hard on and off the field. He's a great friend of mine as well.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Were you surprised when they took Ja'Marr first over an offensive lineman?
JOE BURROW: I wasn't surprised. The organization did a great job making me feel I was in the loop. Brought in a lot of free agents, and they all fit in perfectly with what we're trying to build in the locker room. I think that's the first step in becoming the team we want to.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: It's huge. Listened to an Aaron Rodgers interview offseason, he said he wished he had more of a say or be invited to the to have that conversation. What does it say about how this organization feels about the future of their franchise and you?
JOE BURROW: Nobody expects to be the final say on anything. But even if I don't get an opinion, it's nice they made me feel included in the thought process. They really handled it the right way.
>> Bengals fans excited to have Burrow back.
>> Burrow, throw, touchdown to Higgins. Bengals win the opener in overtime.
>> This is going to be a fun team to watch.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: What can fans be excited to watch this year?
JOE BURROW: I think we'll have a good team. We played well on Sunday. But there's a lot of room to improve where it's going to keep going like this and this and this and hopefully by the end of the season we're right in it.
[MUSIC]
CHARISSA THOMPSON: And, yeah, very confident.
MICHAEL VICK: A lot of Tom Brady.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: When we're watching what stood out?
CHARLES WOODSON: I think his mannerisms, the way he answers the questions. It's very --
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Methodical.
CHARLES WOODSON: Corporate kind of, you know what I'm saying, I'm with the organization type of deal. That's relief. He's doing the right thing, I would say.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: And, of course, that's every franchise's worst nightmare seeing their number one overall pick go down the way he did last year. Mike, you've recovered from a bad injury. Were you surprised about how quickly he looked like he returned to form?
MICHAEL VICK: It takes a real man to suffer a significant injury and then come back and still play with the type of confidence that Joe Burrow has played with. And here's a guy that's playing with house money. The team in general, nobody expects them to win the AFC North. Kind of learning on the job, but taking advantage of the opportunities being given. He plays with a lot of swag and confidence. Next year we'll be singing a different tune in terms of expectations but right now good training on the job.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Does this take the pressure off him.
MICHAEL VICK: Takes the pressure off.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: No one expects them to come out of there on top.
MICHAEL VICK: It's about gaining experience week in, week out.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: For the Bears offense, Coach, we saw what they did with Fields and Dalton last week. You talked about this team all week, what should Nagy do?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Bear fans need to come to the truth of the matter is that they're going to play two quarterbacks for right now. If it's going to be a two-quarterback system, Mike, I know you're not a fan of it. I'm not either.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Charles is shaking his head too.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Charles. But here's the deal. A young quarterback, any player, you guys know this, you need reps and you need reps and it's a controlled situation as possible.
I would make him the red zone quarterback. The best teams in the red zone are the teams that can run the ball and move the quarterback where all of a sudden if you move the quarterback, the defense has to adjust their coverage on the move. That's what he does best. We just talked about Jalen Hurts getting a chance to be successful. That's what Matt Nagy needs to make up his mind with him.
And now he's getting first, second, third down. He's getting all the reps in practice. He anticipates the defenses he's going to see. And I think the kid would really be a star but --
CHARLES WOODSON: My question, Coach, if you trust him in the red zone, why not trust him with the rest of the field?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I would. But I truly think there's something in here of Matt Nagy, the head coach not wanting to totally commit his offense to what Justin Fields does best.
MICHAEL VICK: You've got Joe Burrow on the other side, playing the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow on the other side gaining experience, you've got the number one pick on the sideline watching the other number one -- doesn't make sense. The decision has to be made before it's too late for Matt Nagy.
CHARLES WOODSON: I think we're talking about running a system that Justin Fields can run, but Justin Fields is not a running quarterback.
MICHAEL VICK: Yes, he is.
CHARLES WOODSON: He's not a running quarterback.
MICHAEL VICK: He ran a 4.4.
CHARLES WOODSON: He can run, but he's not a running quarterback.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: When does that decision need to be made? You say you make it this early right now?
MICHAEL VICK: Do it before it's too late. Last thing you want to do is lose seven, eight games and then go to Justin and then they win eight games and --
CHARLES WOODSON: Give him the time to get experience. I know all offseason, vetting this young man, I drafted him because I need him. I'm not drafting him because I like the way he walks and talks. I draft him because of the way he plays the game. Put him in the game.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Guys, from a coach's standpoint, there's got to be something missing that -- why they're doing this. That's the only conclusion. I'm there talking all week long.
CHARLES WOODSON: Because those coaches that have bought in to the status quo -- bring a young guy, bring him slow. There's no Brett Favre in Chicago that he has to sit behind.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Nine starting quarterbacks since 2015 for Chicago, they're ready to have that main guy.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I had six of them.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Coach, we've all got problems. Time for the Celly Zone brought to you by Bud Light. Josh Allen celebrated a big contract extension this offseason. He hopes to get his Bills back in the win column in Miami.
Coming up, Colin Cowherd's take, if the Buccaneers will sail away with another Vince Lombardi, when "Kickoff" returns.
[COMMERCIAL].
>> And I won it and I retired it and I want it again it was easy to do. Sit at home watching football, come back and you're a champ.
>> Next one.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Gronk and Brady, it's all sunshine and laughs off the field for those two, but when it's time to work whole different story. Our buddy, Colin Cowherd, is the same way -- fun guy but when he's ready to lock it in he's a champion in his own right.
COLIN COWHERD: What a season for the Buccaneers. Better yet, what an offseason. Tampa Bay gave themselves a chance to reach rarified air, to repeat, run it back.
These Bucs are the first championship team to return all 22 starters since the salary cap was a thing. In this era when you win now everybody thinks they're better than they are -- endorsements, player mobility. What Tampa accomplished this season for all intents and purposes is impossible unless you heed the gospel of Brady. But more on that later.
Once upon a time consecutive champs were a common occurrence -- Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh. Eight of the first 15 Super Bowl came in back-to-back fashion -- Followed later by the dynastic decades of the 49ers and Cowboys. It was a stockpile strategy, built for extended success through talent retainment. The cap would of course change all that.
Over the last 20 years, the only repeat champions were Brady's Patriots, mostly because he's an ageless cyborg. But more importantly system and sacrifice.
In New England and now Tampa, Tom's cap pick this year only ranks 15th among active quarterbacks, leaving room for marquee starters to resign. That willingness to take less money breaks the mold of salary restriction, like a doctrine dedicated to winning. An unselfish leader has led to an unselfish locker room, giving the G.O.A.T. his sixth opportunity for a rerun.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: That's what Coach does. That's why he's home. He was, like, I'm going to take the Elvis. We can stay home and save the money on the plane ticket. Coach, nice to see you, even remotely.
We just heard Colin mentioned that Tampa Bay brought back all 22 of their starters. Back in 1993 you returned 21 of your 22 starters. What was the biggest challenge that season?
JIMMY JOHNSON: Well, the biggest thing for me, not only did Tampa have all their starters return, they kept all their coaches. I lost two of my best coaches. Of course Dave took the Chicago job and he took my offensive line coach with him. I had to replace coaches. And then I had to replace a couple of players.
And then one of my best players, Emmitt Smith, he held out a couple of ball games, which we lost. So it's a little different.
The other thing, Charissa, we had the youngest team in the league when we won that first Super Bowl. So I had to crack the whip. A little bit different than Tampa. They've got experienced players. If they stay healthy, they could repeat.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Why do you have to leave? See what you did to coach. How rude.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I know.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: He's having to crack the whip --
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'll tell you what happened, and he preached it. I think this is why Tampa has a favorite chance to repeat. When you do win, everybody wants to be associated with the winner. And Jimmy would preach this, when you win, right, opportunities come for everybody. We all benefit when we win. And Tampa being a veteran team, as Jimmy -- for the most part, you get to that point, the ring is a big reason these guys are playing.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I was going to say because we always talk about how difficult it is to repeat. The Bucs looking to be the first team to do that in 18 years.
Coach, we love you, we appreciate you. We'll talk to you later. Meantime we'll send it to Schraggs to look at the young guys who pose a threat to the Bucs' dynasty.
PETER SCHRAGER: We've got a new segment. Get the fireworks going -- 24/7. I'm with two legends -- Charles Woodson and Michael Vick.
Last week, three rookie wide receivers in the first round all made debuts and all were great -- Waddle, Chase and DeVonta Smith. They all have their college quarterbacks throwing passes in the pros. It's so unique. Mike, what do you think that matters and what's the significance of that as they start off their NFL careers?
MICHAEL VICK: It's the comfort and communication. That's the transition. And when you look at these guys, it's just the direct carryover from college, but I gotta give credit to the coaches who coached these guys, not changing things, not trying to reinvent the wheel.
The communication and comfort level is I know where you're going to be. I know if you can win on a go route. I know if you're breaking in, breaking out. Just makes the game easier for both sides.
PETER SCHRAGER: Charles, of these three wide receivers, which one of them would have kept you up the night before the game?
CHARLES WOODSON: I wish Little John was playing right now, because I ain't never scared. You know what I'm saying?
But I like these guys because each of them, they possess a particular set of skills, if you will.
If you look at DVvonta Smith here coming off the line he's a very unassuming guy, but very quick off the line of scrimmage. Don't get it twisted. You watch this play here, Jalen doesn't go to him, but he's open. He has a step.
Look at Jaylen Waddle here, he has top-end speed. Once he's on top of you he's gone. If this ball is out in front of him, it's an easy touchdown.
Ja'marr Chase, I call him Rockabye Baby. Why? Because he puts you to sleep. Look, he's standing there, the DB is looking at him. What's he going to do? All of a sudden he's got three, four yards of separation.
These guys are special young talents in the NFL. Can't wait to see when they do going forward in their careers.
PETER SCHRAGER: I'm still getting used to some of these defensive players and single digits. Matthew (indiscernible) off the edge wearing (indiscernible). Isaiah Simmons, a linebacker, wearing No. 9.
MICHAEL VICK: Yes, I hate it.
PETER SCHRAGER: Tom Brady was very vocal. He doesn't like it either. As former quarterback, what's your thoughts on defensive players wearing single digits?
MICHAEL VICK: I'm with the G.O.A.T. on this. I identify defenders by numbers and it's always been that way. Why change it now.
CHARLES WOODSON: Oh, so you're a quarterback; you want it easy.
MICHAEL VICK: I'm not hating --
CHARLES WOODSON: Usually when somebody say they ain't hating, they're hating.
MICHAEL VICK: Okay, a defensive end wearing No. 11.
CHARLES WOODSON: So you just want everything to be catered to you as the quarterback.
MICHAEL VICK: Yes.
CHARLES WOODSON: Listen man, Tom Brady has seven Super Bowls, I don't know how many MVPs. So now you want to be able to dictate what numbers the defense wears too? Come on, man, get out of here.
PETER SCHRAGER: Would you have worn No. 2?
CHARLES WOODSON: I tried. I wish I could have worn No. 2. Hands down I would have worn the deuce.
MICHAEL VICK: Got move.
CHARLES WOODSON: You got any move, slender and you're number seven. I would have had that deuce coming on down here.
PETER SCHRAGER: Charissa, what number would you wear?
CHARISSA THOMPSON: 21 all day, Deion.
CHARLES WOODSON: For Deion? What about me?
CHARISSA THOMPSON: You can't have it both ways. You don't play both ways, so you get to be 24, Deion is 21.
We're coming up with remarriage of Sam Darnold and Robby Anderson. It was a cat's meow. Chris Myers -- "I'm Chris Myers" -- shows us if they have what it takes to go the distance when "Kickoff" returns. Man, why do you want both 21 and 24?
[COMMERCIAL].
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Panther fans are ready to roar as division rivals New Orleans comes to town. Thanks to will.i.am for that inspiration and don't miss the two-night premiere of "Alter Ego", his new avatar singing competition this Wednesday and Thursday after "The Masked Singer" on Fox.
Fans in Charlotte witnessed the rekindling of Sam Darnold and Robby Anderson's relationship, and as the former Jets took to the air for a win over New York, Chris Myers sat down with the pair this week, Myers, they make quite the couple.
CHRIS MYERS: Yes. And Carolina Panther fans are hoping for a hot Carolina combo. They're a great deep combination. When Sam came here, trying to settle in, he was happy to see a familiar face. Even though they were a year apart, more than a quarter of Sam Darnold's touchdown passes in his career have gone to Robby Anderson. So right away he was happy to see as they were united in Carolina.
[MUSIC]
So you guys are reunited. Do you remember that song? "Reunited" with Peaches & Herb, you do.
ROBBY ANDERSON: Reunited and it feels --
CHRIS MYERS: Late 70s. Are you surprised he didn't know that.
ROBBY ANDERSON: No, he's a young buck.
CHRIS MYERS: But there also is a sample version done by Wu-Tang Clan, (music), I'm a fan of Baby Keem myself. Teammates with the Jets a year apart, reunited in Carolina, first game back, touchdown connection; Panthers win. Still feel pretty good?
SAM DARNOLD: Absolutely. Yes, obviously we can connect, score a touchdown and get the win. Nice cherry on top.
CHRIS MYERS: When you saw the Jets first on the schedule, what was the first reaction?
ROBBY ANDERSON: I was excited. I knew it probably had to do with the storyline, things like that. I was definitely excited.
SAM DARNOLD: I was excited. Knew it was a game my friends and family would be looking at. I knew I was going to have a good time out there.
ROBBY ANDERSON: It's all love. That's where my career started. No hard feelings. I understand the business side of things. Definitely I was telling D.J. I was doing it legit would be dope.
>> Play-action to Darnold, Robby Anderson, touchdown! The former Jets teammates combine on the score.
CHRIS MYERS: We tried the music thing. This is How Well Do You Know Your Teammate. What number was Sam picked in the 2018 draft. Robby, what have you got. 3 is correct. Where was Robby drafted in the 2016 draft. Undrafted. That's cool. Says how hard you do work.
>> Robby Anderson gets loose and makes the catch.
CHRIS MYERS: What other sport did Sam play in high school? That's correct. You know each other well. What animal did Robby famously confuse for the mascot Sir Purr last season, in his first game when he was first a Panther. You thought it was a bear.
ROBBY ANDERSON: You call him that? That's his name.
>> What's up, Sir Purr.
CHRIS MYERS: Before we wrap, best part of Robby's game is?
SAM DARNOLD: A lot of people see him as a speedster. Not only his ability to track the football but to get in and out of routes I think that's one of his best attributes for sure.
ROBBY ANDERSON: Appreciate that, bro.
CHRIS MYERS: How about you both answer this? We will connect for how many touchdowns this year?
ROBBY ANDERSON: Hopefully a lot.
SAM DARNOLD: A lot.
CHRIS MYERS: Double digits?
SAM DARNOLD: I'll say 11 for Robby's number.
ROBBY ANDERSON: Sky's the limit.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Robby talking about the mascot makes me laugh every single time, Sir Purr, what's that bear doing.
MICHAEL VICK: Looked like a bear.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: It did. Sam Darnold looks good so far. Only been one week. Do you see him as the long-term solution in this organization?
MICHAEL VICK: I want to give him some time. So far so good. Good week one. I do like Matt Rhule. I do like Joe Brady, offensive coordinator. But for Sam Darnold, we'll find out at the end of the season if he's the guy. Got 2,000 yard receivers and Christian McCaffrey, leaves no excuses.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: All right. On the flipside, New Orleans coming off that big win. Charles, we know Jameis Winston looked impressive. What about the Saints defense? Gotta give them some credit.
CHARLES WOODSON: Give credit for them. They went through a lot of turmoil this season as well. Hurricane. Can't go home until after week three. They didn't let that affect them in this game. 99 Madden Club member on the offense and the reigning MVP. Didn't matter, they stuffed the Packers offense and held them to career lows for Aaron Rodgers. Saints defense looking good.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Similar with Jameis Winston. As you just talked about with Sam Darnold. This game could be a semi-defining game for him moving forward. Everybody last week at the Saints told me, oh, he's bought in; he understands the importance of consistency of protecting the football. And he did that.
But he's thrown five touchdowns before at Tampa Bay and then couldn't follow it up the next week. I think today is going to mean a lot to this team moving forward.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I was talking to Shraggs about this. He thinks Carolina will win this game. I still take the Saints. It's worth noting, four defensive starters are out for New Orleans, including Marshon Lattimore.
CHARLES WOODSON: That could be tough, but Jameis Winston is going to find ways to score points. They'll be able to put points on the board. Defense. No excuses. They know how to work through these types of things.
MICHAEL VICK: Good game to watch.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Good game to watch was on Sunday night. Matt Stafford put on a show. We know how well he did in that game. Posted the best passer rating in his career, says a lot. Did you picture it going that well for him, Charles?
CHARLES WOODSON: Pictured it going well. I just didn't picture Matthew Stafford being under center as much. I played Matthew Stafford for a number of years. He spent a lot of time in the shotgun.
You think about last year, 23 percent of the time he was in shotgun under center. And this year already he's basically already doubled that at 41 percent. So that brings in that play-action passing game into the fold where you could do that and nobody, almost nobody, can throw the ball downfield better than Matthew Stafford.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Watching that Bears-Rams game last week, this should be a pretty simple game plan, in my mind at least, for the Colts. You better make Jonathan Taylor, your running back, the center of this game plan, because the Bears, they fell behind. But David Montgomery, I think they find a weakness in that Rams defense. He averaged seven yards a carry. They couldn't run it at the end because they were behind. So I would go, if I'm Colts, I'm going with Jonathan Taylor big today.
MICHAEL VICK: Let us play, coaches coach and we'll see what happens with Matthew Stafford. Right now seems like a good mesh. I can't way to chronicle this situation throughout the season all the way to the top in the NFC.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Seahawks able to shut down Jonathan Taylor last week and looking for a bounceback this week.
Next hour, Howie Long sits down with the one-man wrecking crew that is Arizona's Chandler Jones. Plus, an interview with Joe Burrow. And Super-6 picks are next.
[COMMERCIAL].
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Both the Eagles and Niners thrilled their fans in week one. As they meet today, San Francisco is a three-point favorite. George Kittle hoping to say something about that.
Meanwhile, lines are tough. Underdogs were 12-4 against the spread last week. Schraggs, does it feel good to be a winner?
PETER SCHRAGER: I feel good in your company.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: It does. Guys?
MICHAEL VICK: We'll run you down.
CHARLES WOODSON: I'm taking my pick serious.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: I get it, this is only week one. This is Fox Bet Super-6. It's so easy download the app pick the outcome of six games for today's chance at $1 million. Terry Bradshaw's money as for our weekly contest I'm going to take the Saints by six. Mike who do you got.
MICHAEL VICK: I can't believe I'm doing this, or saying this, but I'm taking the Dolphins over the Bills by one.
CHARLES WOODSON: Well, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham in the end zone last week I think they do a great job against the Niners today, taking the Eagles close one but by three.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Call me a homer if you want. But I think the Bears defense comes up huge.
CHARLES WOODSON: The Bears.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Minnesota sacked Joe Burrow five times last week. The Bears keep an eye. I've got the Bears by 10 over -- by 10, Coach.
PETER SCHRAGER: The Rams traveled to Indianapolis. They have a usual hotel they like staying at. It's all sold out, because there's a convention in the Indianapolis called the Gen Con. You know what it is? The National Board Game Convention. Every hotel room sold out. The Rams will still take care of business. No hotel can stop them. Rams by 4. Gen Con, I see you.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory with the wrench. Why am I yelling?
MICHAEL VICK: Tongue twister.
CHARISSA THOMPSON: How now brown cow. America likes the Chiefs by 12. Get those picks in. And fans, you'll have -- fans have already won nearly $5 million. We're not making this stuff up, you guys. Thanks for watching. Guys next door are ready to take you up to game time.
Charles, we'll see you over there. Ford "Fox NFL Sunday" starts right now.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports