Matt Verderame on Drake Maye's Debut and Bills' Defensive Shift

0:00Here is May. Quick look was closed. We're running up in the air too. Did he get the feet down? Job! Yes! A big, terrible decision. Drake May, three interceptions. All second half. They blow a lead. The Patriots are all in one. The Seahawks start their title offense. One and O waiting for further updates on Sam Darnold who left the game with apparently a hip injury. And head coach Mike McDonald said they got good news on that. So good for them. That Darnold might not be injured long term. AJ Brown, ankle injury. We will see about that. Jeremy and Joe, Nate is in for Joe. Owen Parker, Joe Cali here as well. Hang with you on a Thursday.

1:01There's a game tonight from Melbourne, Australia. We're going to talk a little football here with Matt Verteram, who joins us on the western hotline. He of SI now and also covers the Chiefs. Matt, good morning. It's Jeremy and Nate. How did you like last night's game? Is it an overreaction game for you or what did you get out of it? I mean, it was a slog for a lot of it, right? I mean, I think every week one game is a reaction game. It's just by nature. It's the first time in the only time we've seen these things all year. But with that being said, I don't think it's an overreaction to have some serious concerns about knowing what in this regard. There are offensive lines still got boat race, which is the exact same problem to have last year. Hey, I was at that game. I covered the Super Bowl. They lost that game. I couldn't block anybody. Well, in this game, they gave up a lot of penetration, especially in the middle of the line. There's a big problem. Do you look at last year, Drake May had the shoulder injury at the end of the season, velocity, disc, couldn't drive the ball the way he wanted to? Now, maybe it was just a matter of being a little rusty. He played a real meaningful game in eight, nine months, whatever it is.

2:05He consistently understood the ball. And last year, his big thing was how great he was throwing the people. Well, it wasn't there last night. He got lucky on one with a defensive pass. Our parents may end up on Brown, but even that ball, if the safety turns around, he probably picks it off. I think New England is still a team that's going to be a good team. They're going to be involved to play off on a lot of stuff. But there were things in that getting the other edge rush. There's really no pressure on the table. They play the broad a lot of extra guys. Like those are things that I don't think are of reactions. We saw that last year, and it manifested itself again. When you got drew off in there from full game, you can't lose. I don't care how you win it. You cannot lose that game. It's a bad loss, even if it is. Matt, I was sort of confused that we were talking about this one I got in this morning. I couldn't really believe some of the play calling. A lot of what we're going to talk about and what everyone's going to talk about for the next couple of days is Drake May's performance.

3:05So he just he didn't look right. But I also for the better part of that game thought he did not get a ton of help from his play collar. The thing that really confused me, Matt, is week one on the NFL slate. This is the beginning of the season, the first game of the year. You would have thought not even just for vanity purposes, but just because you spent the capital to go get AJ Brown. It took until the third drive to really get a drive starting scheme to play to AJ Brown. I just thought that was weird. I like you spent the money on him. He's your, you know, kind of your new toy. And it took you 10 minutes of game time to say, oh yeah, he's here. Yeah. Yeah, Nate, I agree. I didn't even tweet out some point late in the first half because McDonald's ever going to let him throw the football. Now look, it's a game more on maybe maybe we saw a little bit of why. I mean, maybe they were terrified of throwing the ball down the field against his defense. But it was it was very bizarre. It was it felt like every time they were in second and long, third and medium to long.

4:07It was just quick game, quick game, quick game, every single time. I was just these quick little tunnel screens that get the ball out. Hope a guy can make somebody miss instead of really trusting your guy. Look, I'm I'm fan of rig. I think he's just I think it's a terrific young quarterback. I thought last year I know they played an easy schedule. He played very, very well. That being said, if you're going to be part of that elite conversation at the top of the heap with all the quarterbacks that we know that are there, you have to be trusted to go out and make the throws and make the plays and look, you know, everybody's going to make mistakes by human, but that that's part of it. And McDaniel's in that game for whatever the reason was extremely conservative in the way they call that game. And to your point about Brown, but he is one of the more bigger body receivers in the league. This guy is 6'4", 2'25". I don't understand to do them why you're not saying, look, we're just going to give Brown some isolated backside throws, some slants, some digs, some stuff coming across the table.

5:08He gets a shield the guy off and make a play. And that never really happened. It was a very odd way to call again. Dobs didn't get involved to latin and dobs had a disaster for quarter, but it was it was odd, but entire way knowing a play that game is very bizarre. Talk with Matt Verner. I'm on the west or hotline here on WGR. You know, Seattle does it again defensively. Again, we're talking about like what New England looked like on offense. Seattle does this to everybody. And I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I did think with a little bit of turnover to that defense and some pieces missing that maybe they'd let up a little bit. Well, that didn't happen. And I feel like they kind of made a statement with Mike McDonald to set coach. Yeah, and I think that's what it is. I think a lot of it not sitting away from the players were awesome, but it's a big deal. And the other day, they are unique in the sense. Their pressure largely comes from the interior. Right, like most things that have a great past rush. It comes from the edges. It comes from guys rippering out the will Anderson's and Danielle Hauser's and Nick Bidino's on and on and on.

6:10They're not really that like they don't have that great edge rusher. Boy, Moth, they went to Cincinnati. You know, they're called in the most. They're the good players, but it's really Leonard Williams and it's fire Murphy. And so they crashed the pocket and then they bring these well-timed blitzes. They have good blitz and you know, corners and safes. It creates confusion. McDonald's very good about making a lot of things look the same at the snap. And then it all changes. I think that was what happened on the second pick. I think May thought they were in one defense and it's changing or another. And instead of having the middle of field open, it's closed and it throws the pick to love. But it's really it shows how much a coach can matter. And McDonald in this game, but they're without him and worry. Wollins gone, Brian's gone, Muffet's gone and they they play. I mean, they won a game that really if you knew five plays and they were going to have Darrell ball night. It would have said, oh, they're not going to win that game.

7:10And yet they won it because their defense is spectacular. Yeah, man. And I'm I think a little bit of where my excitement after watching that game was yesterday is you look at that roster right now. And it's like DeMarcus Lawrence. He's 34. He's coming off a six sacks season last year. He's kind of their premier edge now, you know, Leonard Williams is a fantastic player. Don't get me wrong and Devon Weatherspoon might be one of my favorite players in football. But they are a scheme dominant defense where you look at Houston. Houston's more of the line it up and we just have guys that are going to beat your guys one on one. And we're going to bet on that, you know, 60 times a game. We're going to we think we're going to win that a majority of the time or at least half the time. And I think if you are and we've talked about this little this morning, the shift in Buffalo's philosophy defensively looks. I think we'll look more like what the Seattle Seahawks are doing defensively where they is very scheme driven. Their pressures are scheme driven rather than hey, we're going to win some one on ones. And I think really the Sean McDermott era can probably be encapsulated more by a team trying to win more like Houston without the players on the Houston defensive side of the ball.

8:19Well, that's going to be part of what the injury gives with the bills is whole season. I mean, I saw him in training camp just part of my tour and you can see that now of course it's took a training camp and it was early when I went and saw them. But you see them trying to roll the dice a little bit, change things up with the letter. I think they're going to be more aggressive. Like I expect the bills on both sides of the ball this year to be a little bit more high variance where it's going to be a look they're going to make some big plays. They might give off some big plays especially early because like the out of who you are if you're switching an entire scheme and you're trying to figure out who fits best where that takes some time. I mean, it just does that's natural. But I do think you know with Leonard coming in there, this is going to be a team that brings more pressure probably try some ways to really ratchet it up and can you can you force a pick can you can you make a big plan a third down off the field. And it's interesting with the bill of me look you watch the out last night to your point you have Murphy inside the boys inside the weather's going on the back end. And then worry wasn't there last night when he's areas of these a probable apple player like they do have some awesome pieces with the bills.

9:24Does this scheme elevate certain guys this at Oliver go from being the good player that he's been for a long time to a really good player. Yeah, I mean he's a guy I've got my eye on who is also my as a rookie like what is he doing she earned in a different role. This Greg Russo he's a guy going from that fourth to now with three fourth different spot even though he's still off the edge. What does it look like Christian Benford like those are guys it can they take another step in this scheme because if they can then this is a much looking different looking defense. If they don't then it's a defense that you're still you're looking for those guys who in the big moment can just make the big play and that that typically defines a defense and how far they can take. Matt looking around the rest of the AFC who do you think ultimately comes out of this conference. Is it was a lot for like three months and then make that call as good say is it is it tougher than years past I mean you talk chiefs it fell.

10:25Like for a good three years it was Buffalo Kansas City Buffalo Kansas City and maybe a Baltimore Cincinnati. Yeah those those big three and now are there seven how many would you put that you wouldn't be shocked. Something like that yeah I mean like I so for SI they they forced us to be professionals and make our picks and I. I took Houston for no other reason than I sat down I thought about what do I know but what do I know. And what I would a pretty sure I know is I think Houston's defense is the best singular unit. Yeah it's now I will tell you this I am horrified by their offense like that might just be like we might sit down on Sunday and watch throughout go 12 of 31 with two picks and you go okay yeah I can't I can't do this but I think defensively they're so good they're going to win just in that division. You know 11 games is just based off the fact it's not going to point. The other thing I know is the bills are my my one a you know it you know one one a to put them in the Super Bowl because Alan is the safest bet me a fc right now he is my homes is coming off the

11:34cheese on Monday night have a U. D. F. A. rookie tryout left tackle starting like I don't know the teacher even good I would say they could get to the Super Bowl because they are they are and I think they're rookie class looks like it's going to be quite good and if that happens then I think they are good but that's those are questions I don't know about the rookie class I don't know what my homes is going to look like you know post to tour near the comments so I think in the A. C. I could make a case for them I can make a case for that. I can make a case for Denver Houston Buffalo Baltimore Cincinnati. You know I throw a new England or you I'm not a chargeers guy I just I can't make that case but yeah I mean all those teams any of those things I just mentioned they could they could all win 12 games and go to the Super Bowl they could all be fighting to make the playoffs on a week 18 and that that's what makes it so fascinating and he is just a lot of questions I don't think there's any team that you look at and say oh that seems doesn't have a lot of questions I think they literally all have a lot of questions. Matt Verteram on the West or Highline Matt thanks for the time we'll we'll chat soon.

12:36Thanks a lot take care I'm looking at EPA for last night's game between the Patriots and Seahawks and maybe for me they one of the reasons I'm if you want to determine defending Drake May it's because this game is the game the kind of game that really just it gets to me the quarterback through 300ceptions that's bad. What was worse than that by EPA if you like dig deep into numbers what was worse than their passing game their run game. Yes New England's commitment to a terrible run game did more damage than Drake made it and that's where you know we'll watch a bills game in years past and Alan might have a couple turnovers and I'll be sitting here saying like what you you ran too much. Well what about the turnovers he should have thrown it more their EPA their pass EPA by like percentile was in the 56th percentile. Despite three interceptions late in that game their run EPA was in the fifth percentile. New England killed themselves by playing prevent offense with the lead running into a wall and then again why am I defending Drake May because I feel like I'm defending Josh Allen when I do it I see such similarities and like things they want to do when Josh throws three interceptions how often is it in a game where we say well he didn't really get many chances he maybe got antsy got impatient wanted to do something that was Josh four years ago.

13:53It's almost like it's it's in spite of his play calls it's like I need to do something now because let me tell you this is not feel pressure I'm so I feel like I got to do more so I don't know may is going to recover and become the great quarterback that many think he might be but I just feel like it looks like a standard growing pain game where you didn't really set him up to do well and he didn't do well to to boot so. Rough one for him all around 80305 50R number pick of the week when we get back. Parley Kings right again hell a book update I'm going to give you my I'm not going to quite like design the trade but I think I have the sabers or the better yet they got the jets answer of what will happen Elliott Friedman yesterday saying it's going to happen he will be traded he has to be there is no resolution otherwise so we'll get some of that as well coming up here on WGR .