PETER SCHRAGER: Justin Fields showed up early for work this morning looks like No. 11 overall pick -- he looks good -- is excited about making his first NFL start. But he's not nearly as excited as those Chicago Bears fans are.
And Arizona is off to a good start -- look at Kyler. Thanks to Kyler Murray who has nine combined touchdowns through two weeks. Sunday, week three is here. Let's get it started with "Fox NFL Kickoff".
DEION COLE: We did it, everybody, week three.
Can you believe the season is already halfway, or like one-sixth over. I was told there was going to be no math. Anyhoo, we've seen new stars emerge, familiar faces living up to expectations, the occasional heartbreak injury, just about every crazy thing you can think of.
>> Oh what a catch!
DEION COLE: Whoo, just makes you want to hunker down as a fan and appreciate all the ongoing goodness. I'm new to this job but I do know what us fanatics want. Possible NFC Championship preview as the G.O.A.T. battles the Rams. Bears Browns because why not? And two young gunslingers, proving that the battle between Cardinals and Jaguars can get ratings. I like being the so-called king of fans? With this much action you're damn right I do.
>> Play for this stadium! Play for everybody!
>> Everybody waiting to see us. Set the tone today.
>> I'm happy to pass today's proceedings on to my knights-of-the-roundtable discussion. This is "Fox NFL Kickoff"..
>> Welcome to "Fox NFL Kickoff", presented by IBM.
PETER SCHRAGER: Great early slate on Fox today including Josh Allen taking on Chase Young and company, Matt Ryan searching for Atlanta's first win in New York and Jameis Winston trying to get New Orleans back on track against the Patriots.
And later, this is the one, 4:25 Eastern it's America's Game of the Week, Brady and the Bucs visiting Matthew Stafford and the new-look Rams. This could be the preview of the NFC Championship.
Welcome to "Fox NFL Kickoff." I'm Peter Schrager in for Charissa Thompson today. And I'm joined as always by Michael Vick, Charles Woodson and the Coach, Dave Wannstedt.
Is that the Raider -- Tampa Bay-LA, this is the game everyone is talking about, we've been hyping it all week. Week three, such a significant game. Michael Vick, we're going to get into this deeper in the show, but what are your initial thoughts on this matchup.
MICHAEL VICK: Week three, fellows, when have Matthew Stafford headlined the big game, the game of the week? This is why he left Detroit. This is what he always wanted. This is why the Rams brought him in. And getting a chance to headline versus Tom Brady, the G.O.A.T., the greatest ever.
I mean, 44 years old playing like you're 24. But Matt Stafford playing some of his best football, 2-0. This is must-see TV. I won't miss it for the world. I'm telling you, if my TV is not working on the plane today, I'm going to lose my mind. I've got to catch this game. Matthew Stafford, let's go.
PETER SCHRAGER: Shout-out to the airline industry.
CHARLES WOODSON: Get it right, airlines, whatever you're flying on.
PETER SCHRAGER: It's not the only big NFC matchup. Tonight, we've got another beauty with the 49ers and Packers. The running quarterbacks are making a statement in the league and yet San Francisco has not unveiling their shiny new weapon. What do you think they do with Trey Lance?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: They haven't yet, and I don't want to curb your enthusiasm for your Packers' Lambeau Leap. This is tough. Going into to play the Niners, a physical 49er team as we know, and all these offensive coaches talk about, oh, I want to run the ball. I want to run -- very few of them believe it guys.
Kyle Shanahan believes in the run first. The running backs banged up. This is the perfect week. Kyle, play Trey Lance, give him a major part of this offense. With his running ability and play-action pass, one they'll hold onto the football; two, they'll keep Aaron Rodgers on the sideline. That could be the difference in the game.
CHARLES WOODSON: Speaking of the Packers, let's take it off the field for a minute. If you watched that Packers-Lions game on Monday night, you know Aaron Jones lost something near and dear to his heart. He lost his father's ashes in a chain he was wearing. But at 2:00 in the morning there was a trainer, Bryan "Flea" Engel who was out there searching for the ashes of the father of Aaron Jones. And he found it and gave it back to him.
I know we sit here and talk Xs and Os, but the game at the core is about relationships. But Bryan "Flea" Engel continuing to be a great human being. I love you, man. And guess what? This guy presented me in the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.
PETER SCHRAGER: Real story there, Aaron Jones had four touchdowns in that game as well. Let's go to another game and a look at today's early matchups. Let's get you up to speed, brought to you by State Farm. Shannon Spake is in New England's where the Patriots host the Saints, coming off a bad week two performance by Jameis Winston. What's the latest in Foxboro?
SHANNON SPAKE: I think it's safe to say that the last time these two teams met back in 2017, things looked a little different. Two Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers under center of course. Now you have rookie Mac Jones and Jameis Winston. We got to sit with Mac Jones on Friday and I gotta tell you he's got a calm, cool demeanor. Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, really complimentary of Mac Jones. Says he doesn't act like a college kid playing in the NFL. He doesn't need the same direction. And his work ethic has 100 percent won over his teammates.
They do give a lot of credit to his Alabama upbringing and the procedures that he went through while he was playing at Alabama. Now as far as Jameis Winston, really two different games to start the season.
Zero picks, five touchdowns game one and of course last week he threw those two picks. Dug a little deeper with Sean Payton on that asked him about his quarterback and throwing those interceptions. He said, listen, that's going to be the knock on Jameis Winston. Because of his past every single time he throws an interception people are going to talk about it. They're going to label it. But it's not just on Jameis, it's on all of us to put him in the right position to succeed.
PETER SCHRAGER: When we return, Colin Cowherd finds his happy place. Yes, he has a happy place. Another look at what we have this hour.
>> Exciting. There's another wild week of NFL action ahead. The Kickoff crew helps us figure out who is up, who is down and just who these one and one teams are. And Tom Brady looks to success for the Rams takes the field for first ever professional game in the city of angels.
>> Never played in LA. I have a lot of family and friends coming to this game. It's pretty cool.
>> Fellow legends Howie Long and Charles Woodson break down Derek Carr's start in Las Vegas. All that and more to come on "Fox NFL Kickoff."
[COMMERCIAL].
PETER SCHRAGER: Josh Allen's Bills are one of the many squads enter week three with one and one record they take on Washington as they try to get to 2-1. Our friend Colin Cowherd has some thoughts on what it all means.
COLIN COWHERD: I sense a tension in the air, an unease, and that is why we're all here this morning, right? To release the stress of a new season. Find that balance between yin and yang, joy and disappointment. Now take a deep breath and let's voice our mantra.
It's only week three. Good. Good. This exercise teaches us to manage expectations. Nobody expected the Raiders to start 2-0. With a posture dependent on stretching the field. I see a team that can't run the football. First stage in finding clarity is always accepting reality. Sure, Green Bay bounced back from a disappointing week one performance.
They've got one sack through two games. Real progress is impossible without the proper amount of pressure. Inhale. Exhale. Let go. The Bolts lack of points is distressing, I know, but the ref robbed them against Dallas. And Seattle leads the league in yards per play, despite the second half collapse at home. Try to visualize these offenses over time. In total, 18 teams split their first two games. Tied for second most ever. Revealing the deepest of truths. We cannot know what the future holds -- unless you're the Jets then, please, Namaste in your lane.
PETER SCHRAGER: Wow, Colin, so Zen. When I think Colin Cowherd, I think Zen, Namaste. He mentioned a number of those 1-1 teams.
Charles, let's go through a few of them, and start with Pittsburgh. They have this new-look offense, new offensive coordinator, new players. But the offense looks an awful like it did down the stretch in 2020. Are you concerned about this offense?
CHARLES WOODSON: Yeah, and everybody wants to point the finger to the offensive line. But they don't have an offensive line problem. They have an Antonio Brown problem, a playmaker problem. Think about 2018, his last year in Pittsburgh, he has five 100-yard receiving games. JuJu had eight.
He's only had one 100-yard receiving since, and he was voted MVP that year. They're missing a guy, a security blanket for Ben. When Ben's scrambling around he can always look for Antonio Brown to make those big plays for him. They don't have is it right now. They don't have a guy to look to him out of jams like they did with AB.
PETER SCHRAGER: Diontae Johnson, their star wide receiver, not going to play today. Something to note.
Coach, Seattle blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. Very uncharacteristic, at home in their building. Third down play calling has been questioned up in Seattle. Do you think it's a problem? Here we are third week, third down play calling.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I do. And they have to get that solved. They had 10 penalties, that will get solved. That's Pete Carroll's expertise. He'll tighten that thing up. Third down, you talked about, Schraggs, they had six manageable third downs, and what happens? They throw the ball down field a lot.
Remember last year a lot of talk about Russell Wilson being unhappy. They get rid of the offensive coordinator. They bring in a new offensive coordinator. Pete Carroll, I think there needs to be a little sit-down between the coordinator, Russ and himself and decide what they want to do because that's going to determine long term.
MICHAEL VICK: Let Russ cook, coach.
PETER SCHRAGER: Let Russ Cook, no, let Pete run. Michael Vick, we'll go here with you. The Chiefs, we're used to them blowing teams out and then having to finish it out at the end. Didn't happen that way Sunday night. They have the league's worst red zone defense through two weeks. Is this going to be the Achilles' heel this year?
MICHAEL VICK: The defense has to carry the weight. It's not fair to ask Patrick Mahomes and the offense to score 30 points a game. It's not possible. The guys on the other side, they get paid too.
For the defense they've got to step it up at the right moment. Steve Spagnoli's defenses get better as the year go on, as time goes on. But this is something they have to get corrected. It's just not fair to the offense to ask them to score as many points as they're asked to score.
PETER SCHRAGER: Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, they're coming this week. And the Chiefs without Frank Clark. They'll have Chris Jones.
Good stuff, coming up, how Tom Brady continues to rewrite the closing chapters of legendary career. I don't know who said closing chapters -- I have no idea of that. Plus, the rebirth of Matt Stafford in Los Angeles. Is that going to have a Hollywood ending? Kickoff returns.
[COMMERCIAL].
>> Tom Brady, a once-in-a-generation player.
>> Five touchdowns for Brady.
>> Brady throws, Moss, touchdown.
>> Incredible.
>> Best ever?
>> The best ever in my book.
>> Tom Brady is about to have more touchdowns in his 40s than his 20s. What?
>> He's not done.
>> It is remarkable the level of excellence that he's been able to maintain.
>> Brady might have his best season ever.
PETER SCHRAGER: He's no mere fine wine. This guy has aged like a bottle of Charles Woodson's whiskey.
CHARLES WOODSON: Woohoo.
PETER SCHRAGER: Brady has been the model of consistency since the beginning of the league. The Rams quarterback situation over that time? Not so much. That's why we'll have a little game show. Let's do it. A little morning game show. Here are the rules.
I'm going to name a Tom Brady championship season but I'm also going to give you a pop culture reference to give you a feel for the era. You have five seconds to name who you believe is the week one starter from that season -- for the Rams. All right. Let's do this.
Question one, Charles Woodson, you're up here. Here's the clue. 2003, Tom Brady wins his second ring. Meanwhile, Americans are eating freedom fries, they're enjoying "Bad Boys II" but who entered the year as the number one Rams quarterback that season? Five seconds on the clock, let's go.
CHARLES WOODSON: It was Bulger last name, no?
PETER SCHRAGER: Good guess.
MICHAEL VICK: Marc --
PETER SCHRAGER: The answer is Kurt Warner. Shout out to Marc Bulger. Good guess.
Coach, 2004, okay, Tom Brady wins his only back-to-back title. That year the Red Sox finally broke the curse, and Snoop Dogg asked you to drop it like it's hot. Who was under center, Coach, for the St. Louis Rams week one.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'll say Marc Bulger -- West Virginia.
PETER SCHRAGER: What? Coach is right. Let's go.
MICHAEL VICK: I didn't want to give it away.
PETER SCHRAGER: Not many at home thought we'd be doing a Marc Bulger segment this morning, but here we are.
MICHAEL VICK: We beat them at home.
PETER SCHRAGER: Big Marc Bulger day.
Mike, 2014, Tom Brady gets his fourth ring. "How I Met Your Mother" ends after nine season. And Jay Z and Solange were in the elevator, the whole deal. Who led the Rams week one in that season.
MICHAEL VICK: 2014?
PETER SCHRAGER: Maryland quarterback.
MICHAEL VICK: Sam Bradford.
PETER SCHRAGER: Sam Bradford is very wrong. Shaun hill. Shaun Hill.
Last one for the group. The Marc Bulger Game Show -- everyone at home is on their seat. 2016, Brady gets one for the thumb. The Cubs, they were in the World Series. Their fans can actually watch it on the television -- there was colored TV at this time. And everyone was sipping Beyoncé's lemonade. Who started as Jeff Fisher's number one quarterback in 2016.
CHARLES WOODSON: Sam Bradford.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Jared Goff?
MICHAEL VICK: Nick -- Sean Foley?
PETER SCHRAGER: Sean Foley is not a person.
CHARLES WOODSON: Is not a person!
PETER SCHRAGER: The answer -- if your name is Sean Foley, you just got a shout-out on national TV. The answer was Case Keenum. Shout-out to Sean Foley.
CHARLES WOODSON: We are horrible.
PETER SCHRAGER: You guys did great.
CHARLES WOODSON: Marc Bulger.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I got one right.
PETER SCHRAGER: The Rams have fielded nearly two dozen quarterbacks since Brady become a starter in 2001 -- 2000. But they think they finally have their guy with Stafford. Terry Bradshaw sat down with him to determine if after a historic stay in Detroit, there's real potential here in Los Angeles.
>> Touchdown LA! Welcome to LA, Matthew Stafford.
TERRY BRADSHAW: You look great, Matt. I'm glad you're here, because I've said it for so many years. My guy's you. I said all these young kids need to get around a good coach and good players. Nothing against Detroit, but here you've got a chance to showcase your talents which is that amazing arm that you have.
MATTHEW STAFFORD: I appreciate that. And I do feel lucky to be here.
COLIN COWHERD: Stafford fits perfectly.
MATTHEW STAFFORD: I love coming to work every single day. I've got a bunch of great teammates that make me better. I practice against the best defense in the freakin' league every day. I'm throwing passes against Jalen Ramsey, move the rush with Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd and the boys. It's a great challenge every single day and I enjoy it.
PETER SCHRAGER: Terry Bradshaw joins us, Pro Football Hall of Famer, four-time Super Bowl champion. Great to have you.
TERRY BRADSHAW: Thank you. The all boys club here.
PETER SCHRAGER: This is what it is. You had a chance to sit down with Matthew Stafford. How did he sound? How did it feel? Is he ready for this one?
TERRY BRADSHAW: It was good. The vibes were good. Watched practice. Everyone seemed -- you get a feeling all of us have been in this league for so long. We get a feeling these guys really play. And they were not overconfident, confident. McVay, confident. You could talk to the quarterback.
And you could tell that this is huge for him. He's trying to downplay it and everything, but Matthew Stafford knows if he can win this game -- they did beat him up in New England a few years ago. And the Rams did beat him in Tampa Bay last year but not with Stafford at quarterback.
PETER SCHRAGER: More of that interview coming up in the next hour. We were talking before the show, Charles, you're high on this game.
CHARLES WOODSON: Absolutely. You just said they went to Tampa beat them 27-24 last year. 376 yards through the air. The two got -- two receivers, both 130 yards receiving.
Second in the league only to Arizona after the catch. And Tampa Bay has a problem tackling. A lot of missed tackles on this defense. These Rams, they're for real. It's going to be a good game.
PETER SCHRAGER: Rams have these bigger names on offense bigger names on defense with Donald and Ramsey. But you think they might be susceptible to something. Tom Brady might have a day.
MICHAEL VICK: Yeah, defense ranked 26th right now. One three-and-one in the last two weeks, Very uncharacteristic about the defense, especially with Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald on the side. But that tells me the rest of the guys have to step up. It's not just about Ramsey and Donald; other guys have to step up right now.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I'm looking at this thing -- Terry, you've been here -- a little bit differently. All week long -- I know Tom is the G.O.A.T., but he's also human. All week long his dad's had comments about the split. His trainer has -- and next week he got New England up there, Sunday night, national TV.
CHARLES WOODSON: Think he's looking ahead?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I think Tom might be looking ahead a little bit. I know, Mr. Focus. I like the Rams because I think they're a little bit out of sync today.
TERRY BRADSHAW: I find it hard to believe.
MICHAEL VICK: He can't be looking ahead. You have to look at Aaron Donald.
TERRY BRADSHAW: One thing about Brady, and I'm a former quarterback as you are, we recognize the greatness is not so much just in his athletic ability but in that mind. He's got a way of focusing and channelling his energy into what's happening right now. I don't think Tom is -- I know he's human -- I don't think he's one of those guys that's going to look past this and having to go up and play New England.
PETER SCHRAGER: Tom Brady's first NFL game ever played in this fine city of Los Angeles today at 4:25 Eastern. Terry Bradshaw, thank you. That was awesome.
TERRY BRADSHAW: You're welcome. (Laughter).
PETER SCHRAGER: Kyler Murray tries to stay perfect. It's a look at Josh Allen versus the Washington D.
And while Peyton and Eli Manning's new show is all the rage, we've got a Manning brother action of our own. Some serious competition is on the horizon.
CHARLES WOODSON: This is my man here. Let him go. (Laughter).
TERRY BRADSHAW: This is my hero. This is the guy I wanted to be like.
[COMMERCIAL].
PETER SCHRAGER: What a man is right. He' s also a busy man, too. Yesterday it was Notre Dame-Wisconsin. Today Gus Johnson is with Aqib Talib in Jacksonville. America loves what you guys are doing, I know you saw it. How did it feel doing the NFL game again, Gus?
GUS JOHNSON: I'll tell you, it's awesome. I can't tell you how happy I was to be part of the National Football League once again. It's such an honor and a privilege. I felt lucky sitting here with my nephew, you know what I'm saying? With him and just watching the best football players in the world compete. It beats working for a living, I can tell you that.
CHARLES WOODSON: Aqib, I'm about to throw you a layup here. Talk to me about this offense. They've got a great collection of talent at wide receiver -- Kirk, A.J. DeAndre. Rondale. I know you'll tell me -- I know you'll pick yourself, but give me three other guys past or present that you're going to take into this game to stop these offensive weapons.
AQIB TALIB: Come on, Charles, it's me and you on the outside. As a matter of fact, me and Prime on the outside. Let's throw Chuck in the slot, you know what I'm saying? And give us Ed in the back. Give us Ed. And we need a thumper at the strong safety.
CHARLES WOODSON: Who? We can go Kam Chancellor?
PETER SCHRAGER: Brian Dawkins.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Darren Woodson.
CHARLES WOODSON: We can take our pick.
AQIB TALIB: Let's go Darren Woodson. He'll go and hit some. Let's take Woodson with us. I grew up a Cowboys fans.
CHARLES WOODSON: We know we've got guys that can get the ball.
AQIB TALIB: We'll take care of business.
CHARLES WOODSON: There we go.
PETER SCHRAGER: Twitter loved it. We loved it. I think American will love it. Jacksonville-Arizona, also known as the Gus and Talib game. Guys, have fun. Enjoy it.
Kyler seems to be evolving into this offense. It's year of him and Kliff Kingsbury. Getting Hopkins the ball, other guys the ball. Mike, how is it suddenly clicking now for this team that they have all these different options?
MICHAEL VICK: Year three for Kyler on offense. He's got four high caliber receivers with Rondale Moore leading the charge, and not D-Hop and not A.J. Green. And Kyler is playing the position like a point guard. And everybody is feeding off of it like a Allen Iverson or Chris Paul. Ball distribution at an all-time, finding his receivers and just looking comfortable within the offense. He's growing.
PETER SCHRAGER: Coach, Jacksonville, Urban Meyer last week, this was caught on a live mic, said that every week is like playing Alabama in the NFL. I don't like hearing that. You've been through the transition from the college to pros. What did you make of that statement?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: We heard it too. I lived it. My first year at the Cowboys, we were getting ready to play the Eagles and Buddy Ryan came out and said, Jimmy Johnson and those guys in Dallas are going to find out there's no East Carolinas in the league. And you know our response? He's wrong. We were the East Carolina.
MICHAEL VICK: In '89.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Here was the difference. Jimmy figured out real quick to win a championship, not just be good, to win a championship, you need players. That's when he made the Herschel Walker trade. Urban Meyer needs players.
PETER SCHRAGER: Might not happen midseason. We'll see how the year goes.
Two of last year's division winners are going head to head in Buffalo today. While Josh Allen grabs the headlines in Bills country, true Mafia members know Leslie Frazier's defense is does something special too, including a mentality that close is nowhere near good enough.
>> Oh, you were expecting Josh or Diggs? I'm sorry. This is Bills defense. We're talking defense today. Let's go to work.
>> Our defense, they have a lot of pride. They want to lead. But more importantly they want to win. With Tremaine, he's one of our key leaders, kind of stirs the drink for our defense.
>> All the talk means nothing if you don't go out and perform, so we let our performance speak for itself.
>> With Jordan, the intensity that he plays with really influences the rest of his teammates.
>> Look how far we came, all of us.
>> We've been together for five years, four years, three years now. It's amazing to see how far we've come.
>> The Chiefs are going back to the Super Bowl as they knock off the Bills.
>> Guys were pissed off. Guys were emotional. You could tell it left a really bad taste in a lot of guys' mouth.
>> We just came off a big defensive effort the week before against the Ravens. Did not play as well against the Chiefs. It was hard. I mean, it was a sober moment like it should be.
>> Bringing things up where we want to be. We keep fighting, right? We keep fighting.
>> It really doesn't matter how far you get if you don't win it all. I'm not a fan of, oh, you made it this far. Our goal is to win a championship. And we didn't do that.
>> Has lit a fire under our guys.
>> This is what we live for.
>> Let's go!
>> Since day one, we've had that dog mentality. Dominating, making plays. Playing firm, playing free. And letting your presence be felt.
>> You're a dog, too.
>> You're a dog, too.
>> We may not be the biggest guy out there. May not be the strongest or fastest, but we'll go out there play hard and we'll hit you.
>> Defense, Tremaine. That's the Bills I recognize.
>> Before each play, man, I take a look at my teammates and I attack it with a stream of confidence.
>> Let's go, boys!
>> We've gotten to the point where we're all confident and trust each other to where it's like, hey, let's go. Like it's grind time. Let's go.
>> We know we've got a great group of guys man I'll go to war with any day.
>> We're happy that our offense scores points. Our fans love it. We love it as well.
>> There's no question our defense wants to let everyone know we can hold our own.
>> I'm not going to lie. I'm ready to run through a wall with DMX blasting in the background talking about defense.
Coach, this Bill's defense shut out the Dolphins last week, 35-0. And now Taylor Heinicke comes to town. His first career start on the road. How do you think it will work out for the young man?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I think it's going to be a tough one. Bills stars on defense are playing like stars. Coming from Scott Turner --
PETER SCHRAGER: Offensive coordinator at Washington.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Coordinator. The thing I see Taylor bringing to the table, he's competitive, high energy, completing 74 percent of his passes. He's high percentage. But I think there's a cap.
For this team to get where they want to be down the road, talking about playing for a championship, the defense, to me, has to step up and play to the level where everybody's -- where they were last year. Second in the league last year. It's not happening now.
CHARLES WOODSON: I'll go over to the other side of the ball in Terry McLaurin. Guy coming off a career high, 11 catches last week. He does everything well. Routes. Off the press. His concentration. We saw the acrobatic catch that he caught a couple weeks ago. But the thing about him most impressive is his understanding of defenses knowing where to fit within zones and making himself big and quarterback friendly for his quarterback. He's a guy under the radar. You don't hear much about him. But think about it, this guy has had seven different QBs in three seasons. The guy to watch today. He can play all over the field, inside, outside. Outside. So watch this guy today.
PETER SCHRAGER: Bills first-round pick Gregory Russo. Five tackles, two sacks last week. We'll see if he has Heinicke on his radar.
Coming up, Pat Mahomes, Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Justin Herbert, the AFC West is alive and it appears it will be a season-long battle to come amongst the gunslingers. We'll break it down when "Fox NFL Kickoff" continues.
[COMMERCIAL].
>> (Indiscernible) best defensive lineman in football. The most dominant force of defensive football.
>> I think he's one of the greatest players ever seen in this league.
>> Charles Woodson. There he is! Hall of Famer.
>> One of the most valuable defensive players on defense.
>> One of the greatest defensive backs in the history of the game.
PETER SCHRAGER: I got goosebumps. I know Raiders fans at home have goose bumps. Two Pro Football Hall of Famers, proud Raiders. And this is a good time to be a Raiders fan. They're 2-0, they look good. Howie Long -- this right now feels different -- what's the biggest difference in Derek Carr that you've seen through two weeks of the NFL season?
HOWIE LONG: Well, I think Derek is settled in. And I think Jon -- Jon's a guy who I've always kind of felt he was always looking for the next quarterback. Wherever he's been. It's always been the next quarterback.
And I think Derek has kind of, I think, won him over. And I think the things we saw last week, the Henry Ruggs play, to me the two things that really cause defenses problems, if you can run the football effectively, if Jacobs is healthy, the offensive line is healthy -- which they're not right now -- and you have a guy that breaks the huddle and can take the top off the defense.
CHARLES WOODSON: For sure.
HOWIE LONG: The one thing they're doing in Las Vegas that they haven't done in years is pressure.
PETER SCHRAGER: Talk about it.
CHARLES WOODSON: Defense is playing lights out. They bring over Gus Bradley. The thing I like about this defense, it allows you to play fast. It's not overly complicated where you're out there thinking too much. You see these guys playing downhill and playing fast. I watch Abram, he's coming down, making hits on guys.
But this defense is why I'm mostly excited. They got nine QB hits per game. Tied for second in the league. And Gus Bradley brings over Denzel Perryman, Casey Hayward.
PETER SCHRAGER: Old charges he had.
CHARLES WOODSON: They know his defense. When you think about communication, and them bringing over their knowledge of the defense, they don't miss a bet.
HOWIE LONG: Dave Wannstedt will tell you: Simple is sometimes better.
CHARLES WOODSON: Absolutely.
PETER SCHRAGER: They're 2-0 and there are a lot of skeptics. We've been down this road before with the Raiders. Are you buying this team? Are you buying playoffs?
HOWIE LONG: I think when you win a game in the season opener, first time you have fans in the stadiums, you're down, it's against a team that many feel is a Super Bowl contender with an MVP quarterback, and you come back in that fashion and you make that kind of big play at the end of the game, that's the kind of game that can change the mentality of a football team.
CHARLES WOODSON: I'm confident in this team. In the defensive meeting room, 33 percent on third down is always the number, right? The Raiders, 33 percent on third down. They're getting off the field. That's very important for this team going forward. They'll make the playoffs.
PETER SCHRAGER: They'll make the playoffs. They're in.
HOWIE LONG: If they stay healthy on the offensive line, if Josh Jacobs is upright.
CHARLES WOODSON: No ifs, Howie.
PETER SCHRAGER: A deeper dive on what appears to be a stacked AFC West. And we'll go over to Michael Vick and Coach Wannstedt. This has long been the Kansas City Chiefs invitational. It's been basically, we'll walk our way to the playoffs. Now we've got a couple 2-0 teams, we know the Chargers can play.
What do you think about the AFC West and is there a team that you think can challenge the Chiefs?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: I think the whole division is going to be challenging this year. I do like the Chiefs at this point to hold the crown. But I like Denver to be a wild card. And, hey, I know who they played. Everybody's talking about the schedule they played so far. But I also know what it takes to win games in the National Football League. You can't turn the football over. They're one of the best in the league. You've got to get good quarterback play. Mike, you know this.
MICHAEL VICK: Teddy Bridgewater.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: He's completing 77 percent of his pass, zero interceptions. They're running the ball. And they've got a defense that -- Vic's going to play great defense. This defense is going to be a top-10 defense. They'll keep them in every game.
PETER SCHRAGER: Von Miller is back, and he looked good last week. Michael, what about the fourth team in this division, the Chargers. They've always been that team of we're waiting for it. Is this the year?
MICHAEL VICK: I won't say they're ready to dethrone the Chiefs right now, but Justin Herbert has been a conduit for their success. He picked up Joe Lombardi's offense quick, pushing the ball down the field consistently. Always in games. Always got a chance to win.
What I'm most excited about is for the next 10 years we get to see Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert in the AFC West for years to come. So that's worth watching.
PETER SCHRAGER: Today Justin Herbert's first start in Arrowhead. Big test for the Chargers. They had 10 offensive penalties last week. Can't win it that way.
Let's go to the Celle Zone brought to you by Bud Light.
Cleveland Browns are celebrating this guy Odell Beckham Jr making his 2021 debut. Good day against the Bears with Jarvis Landry now on IR. The timing could not be better. Alvin Kamara has Saints fans cheering. He's now the only running back in NFL history with 80 or more catches in each of his first four seasons.
After the break, though, Cooper Manning is going to go next level, what we call a mega cast trend. Wait to see what we've got coming up next.
[COMMERCIAL]
PETER SCHRAGER: I know a lot of old friends will be in the building. Big few weeks for the Manning family. Particularly Eli, as his Monday night simulcast with brother Peyton has quickly turned into a sensation. What most people don't know, their eldest brother, well Cooper, has his own show that's very closely related.
>> Now when football fans need it the least just one football guy talking nonsense, this is "The Manning Hour."
COOPER MANNING: Everyone knows Peyton and Eli don't have much. A couple of rings each. Big whoop. I'm the TV star. They think they're such big stars with all their special guests. They couldn't even get their own dad to come on the show.
Well, neither could I. But that's beside the point. But you know who I did get as a guest. Stallone himself. That's right. Everyone's favorite Stallone. Frank.
Frank, how is your relationship with your brother?
FRANK STALLONE: It's like brothers, we fight sometimes. Always goes like this, hey, I really like that ring. Maybe I shouldn't have given it to you.
COOPER MANNING: My relationship with my brothers is a little rocky, too.
FRANK STALLONE: It is? There you go.
COOPER MANNING: I'm glad it's getting started but it's far from over.
FRANK STALLONE: It's far from over.
[MUSIC]
Man, that video was done in like four minutes. You know what I mean?
COOPER MANNING: That four minutes is two minutes longer than our hour long show.
FRANK STALLONE: It is.
COOPER MANNING: The little bros think they're so cool because they have Gronk on their show. But you know who they didn't have, former Colt, Bronco and Cowboy, Chris Gronkowski.
CHRIS GRONKOWSKI: Picture behind me, it comes from this guy, this guy had the first NFL touchdown.
COOPER MANNING: You know how they say it gets better, I'll let you know it doesn't get better.
CHRIS GRONKOWSKI: What doesn't get better?
COOPER MANNING: Seeing your [Bleep] brothers' face on every [bleep] commercial [Bleep] 30 seconds.
CHRIS GRONKOWSKI: It is getting ridiculous.
COOPER MANNING: My producer is telling me to wrap it up. Appreciate you being on.
CHRIS GRONKOWSKI: You have a producer?
COOPER MANNING: No, I'm just done talking to you.
I'm honored to introduce my next guest, the man behind the magic Power 13, Clint Howard.
CLINT HOWARD: Great to be with you.
COOPER MANNING: This game is officially a blow-out, want to watch Star Trek instead?
CLINT HOWARD: Oh, yeah. You going to fire up one of my episodes?
COOPER MANNING: Clint, where does this rank on your all-time one through 251 of characters you've played?
CLINT HOWARD: 254. (Laughter).
COOPER MANNING: What's number one?
CLINT HOWARD: I think Apollo 13.
COOPER MANNING: I disagree with you. It's got to be Paco from "The Water Boy."
CLINT HOWARD: I'm not what you would call a handsome man.
The good Lord chose not to bless me with charm, athletic development or a fully functional brain. That was a damn fine acting performance, I must say.
COOPER MANNING: I must say it made me the man I am today, my friend. That's all the time we have today for "The Manning Hour." Join us next week when we have guests Kevin Dillon, Donnie Wahlberg and J.J. Watt. Yeah, you heard me.
PETER SCHRAGER: Clint Howard rocking a Panther shirt. And J.J. Watt, third brother of the Watt family. Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. At least that line has to make Derek and T.J., his brothers, happy.
Let's now go to Insights Built with IBM Watson. Justin Fields makes his first start for the Bears today. Unfortunately, it is not exactly new territory for Chicago Bears fans, who have now welcomed 10 different starting quarterbacks since 2015.
The second most in the entire league. Coach, last week we were out here and you were questioning if Matt Nagy would change his game plan once they did get Justin Fields on the field. Today we'll find out in Cleveland, loud crowd, what do you think the game plan should be?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: It would be pretty easy to me, if I was the head coach. I would go back to 2019 when they played the Cowboys on Thursday night football.
And that game plan included, okay, 31 passes with Mitch Trubisky, play-action, screens and movement passes. It was really simple. And he threw three touchdowns.
There was 35 runs. 20 of them were David Montgomery, who is still their running back, and ten of them were quarterback runs with Trubisky. Kept the defense rested. They played great. To me that's the game plan. You can't, Mike, get those third and longs danger zone.
MICHAEL VICK: Justin Fields, his comfort level should be he's starting on the road as opposed to home, different type of pressure. He should be able to go out play relaxed. His football life started down the road at Ohio State. He might have some fans in Cleveland today.
PETER SCHRAGER: Do you think it might be a benefit to be on the road as opposed to home?
MICHAEL VICK: Absolutely. I remember my experience, playing on the road. It was a better feel. I was comfortable. I didn't have to worry about pleasing the crowd or getting booed.
It's just a different type of pressure when you're playing at home. I'm glad he's getting his first start on the road in Cleveland.
PETER SCHRAGER: Spoke with sources in Chicago all week. He got better from Wednesday to Thursday to Friday. Two of the key reasons were because Nick Foles and Andy Dalton were both in every single meeting coaching him up.
MICHAEL VICK: Pass the torch.
PETER SCHRAGER: Coaching staff from Chicago says no competition there. They want this guy to the succeed. The one thing they said, he's not a particularly loud person in the huddle. With that Dog Pound going nuts, he's got to be cognizant of it.
MICHAEL VICK: Block it out.
PETER SCHRAGER: Saints and Patriots meeting at Gillette. Tale of two Winstons. Great in week one, not week two. Which Jameis do we get week three?
CHARLES WOODSON: I think we see bad Jameis today. They only pressured 15 percent of the time on pass plays. And Carolina, they opened up our eyes, they pressured 50 percent. They got Jameis Winston to throw two interceptions. The first week we fell in love with Jameis Winston all over again. Five touchdowns. Zero picks.
MICHAEL VICK: Emotional roller coaster.
CHARLES WOODSON: This week, Bill Belichick will put pressure on him up front. We'll see 3-IT Jameis today.
PETER SCHRAGER: Mike, there's a rookie quarterback for New England, another shot in front of his home crowd, lost week one. Mac Jones two weeks in, what do you see?
MICHAEL VICK: I'm on a Mac Jones train bandwagon, whatever you want to call it. He cares about the game of football. Plays with his heart. Makes a mistake, wants to correct it. You can see it in his demeanor. Reminds me of what Tom Brady used to look like. They're passing that torch down to Mac Jones, but right now the only rookie with a win. Playing good football. I want to see him continue to do that.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: You mentioned mistakes, not making many of them. We all agree. 79 percent completions with zero turnovers. I lived this with Tom Brady. I was at the Dolphins when Tom took over. And this is exactly the blueprint that Bill put together for him to be successful. You're going to run the ball. Play defense. High percentage throws. And then every week add a layer. Add another layer as he matures and as he progresses. That's the plan with this game.
CHARLES WOODSON: I think for the young QBs, I think we're getting caught up with young QBs, thinking you've got to throw a lot of pressure at them. You don't have to do that. Look at the other young QBs around the league, four guys. Let seven guys back there in coverage, you know what I'm saying? Mix him up, mess his eyes a little bit. That's what they should try to do to Mac Jones. Don't worry about trying to blitz him, clears up the reads for him.
PETER SCHRAGER: I do wonder, though, New England and Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator, averaging five yards in offensive play. At some point they'll have to rely on this guy to take them 80, 70 yards on a drive. Very protective. Like he's in a bubble, the way the offensive game plan has been.
Mike, do you think he has that next level week three or just do whatever we can to let the defense win this game?
MICHAEL VICK: The offense will continue to evolve as the weeks go on. But right now it's just team ball. We know they've got good players on defense that can carry the team. They did it last year. All Mac Jones has to do -- and I hate to use this phrase -- game management. Game manage the game. Don't screw it up. That's what he's shown he's been able to do for the last couple of weeks.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: You're absolutely right. Belichick, he puts more stock, more emphasis on not turning the ball over than he does how many big plays he's making. That's never been his forte.
MICHAEL VICK: Don't change the field.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Don't change the field. Run the same plays, play better and more consistent than the opponent.
MICHAEL VICK: Sure.
PETER SCHRAGER: Right on. Next hour more, from Terry Bradshaw's one-on-one with Matthew Stafford. Plus Jimmy Johnson, good one. Does the impossible against Bill Belichick cracking up and smiling answering a ton of questions. Show going to be great. Super-6 picks are next. Stay here.
At home he's got Delvecchio back, what's the name?
MICHAEL VICK: Keep that play-action play popping. Odell.
PETER SCHRAGER: Odell, welcome back. Good to see the superstars of the league. We also have Josh Allen playing today against Washington. Charles Woodson, Josh Allen has not looked like he did last year through two weeks, can he turn it around?
CHARLES WOODSON: Yes, he can. Just because you make $200 million doesn't mean you have to earn it all in one game. Just play within the system, you'll be fine.
PETER SCHRAGER: Coach, Giants are retiring Eli Manning's jersey but Matt Ryan might want to spoil that. They're 0-2. Can they get out of this rut?
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Not today. I don't think so, Matt Ryan, I know he's got people hurt. But he's got to do his job, not turn it over, give the defensive running game a chance.
PETER SCHRAGER: Most importantly, in Jacksonville, we've got this guy, Landon O'Toole.
CHARLES WOODSON: Only in Florida. Don't get no better than that. Is that two different people?
PETER SCHRAGER: Is that Minshew back in Jacksonville? I scored the word double dip last week, taking an early lead in the contest. I won't get too cocky around you folks. This is a long season.
The Fox Bet Super-6 pick. Enter now and correctly pick the outcome of six NFL games for one shot winning $1 million of Terry Bradshaw's money. Scan the QR code, download the app and play for free.
For our weekly game, I'm going down to Jacksonville, taking the Cardinals, not only to win by a little but a lot. Cardinals by 11. Michael, what's your pick today?
MICHAEL VICK: $200 million man bounce-back today, I've got Buffalo over the Football Team by six.
CHARLES WOODSON: Bill Belichick always takes away the opposing team's best weapon. Sorry, Alvin Kamara, I got the Pats by six.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Talked about Matt Ryan earlier. I'm betting Giants by three over Atlanta. Reason being Saquon Barkley. We've been waiting for him. He's at home. He's in New York. Big day for Saquon.
PETER SCHRAGER: Chris is not here today. She will be back. She's going with the Browns by eight over the Bears. And America likes the Rams by three. Bring it home.
CHARLES WOODSON: I like the Rams.
PETER SCHRAGER: Like the Rams.
MICHAEL VICK: I like the Rams -- no, I like the Bucs.
CHARLES WOODSON: You can't switch like that.
PETER SCHRAGER: Play at home.
DAVE WANNSTEDT: Sean Foley.
PETER SCHRAGER: That's going to do it for us. Sean Foley, we see you.
MICHAEL VICK: You don't want to get Tom Brady mad at you.
PETER SCHRAGER: Fox NFL Sunday starts now.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports