Dak gets paid, Deshaun's demise, Caleb's rocky debut and other Week 1 Takeaways | FNIA | NFL on NBC

Hello and welcome! this is football night in America served by Applebee's welcome inside Studio 3 Maria Taylor alongside Matthew Barry Mike Florio Devon mccordi and Jason Garrett our new digs here and we have a brand new football season to celebrate but some of the same storyline so let's start with the Dallas Cowboys and the Dak Prescott and the Cowboys crushed the Browns. And how soon until the Browns move on from Deshaun Watson? one new thing for sure is that hours right before Jason Garrett Dak Prescott wrapped up that uh contract extension $240 million but you in your mind knew that this was going to happen how did you feel when it went down in his performance on the day you know we drafted Dak Prescott in 2016 in the in the fourth round and he went 13 and three as a rookie and it was an amazing year but more than that just how he handled himself as a leader and how he improved and how he connected with his teammates I literally said to Jerry Jones in a conversation I think I said he's going to be your quarterback for the next 20 years I really believe that Tom Brady was playing into his 40s at the time and I'm like this guy he's that type of player and and I'm so glad they got this thing ironed out he's so deserving of it he's the leader of that franchise he handles everything about playing quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys the right way most especially what he does on the field we saw that today yeah and before we get into the game I agree with you there's so much talk in this league about a quarterback a quarterback you see all these teams it's like do we need to draft a quarterback again they have a guy and everyone wants to bring up wherever he falls short at and ignore all of the great things he does for this cowboy team so I commend him and then I love that he gets the contract and he comes in and leads this team goes down there dominates in Cleveland where everyone's been talking Dallas didn't do enough in the off season Dallas didn't do this I was one of those people I don't know about Dallas right now they go out and they play a team that everyone probably has ranked as a defense and their top three they go out there and they show them hey we're still the Cowboys and I want to flip it around you mentioned Tom Brady but did you know he made his broadcasting debut today that kind of might have gone into the radar I didn't I mean it was easy to miss but he was on yesterday halftime of the Michigan Texas game and he was asked about the quarterbacks and when it came to Deshawn Watson you could see what he wanted to say and what he did say and here's what he wanted to say DeShawn it's time they made a gigantic investment in this guy 46 million a year fully guaranteed for five years three first round draft picks three other picks this is it the time is now and it's not good enough and I don't know who to blame but when you put that kind of pressure on a guy with that kind of money and those kind of draft picks you kind of set him up to fail there's no way to go but down and it's been down so far and it needs to turn around or they're going to have a tough decision to make 92 million they owe him next year in the year after they may just have to eat it and say see you later yeah I mean but I don't think it's fair to put it on the contract he's been bad we have we have not seen Houston contct contract doesn't help contract awful You could argue it's the worst contract in sports history I mean you know the Mets and Bobby monia might have a might exactly and know exactly but I mean like I mean honestly ly not only is Watson uh not been good since Houston we haven't seen that deshun Watson for many many years but I would argue that Watson hasn't even been the best quarterback on the Browns like jobi brassette played better than Watson did his first year in Cleveland Joe Flaco played better than him last year I the I mean so I yes great game by Dak great game by the Cowboys defense but how do you give that much credit to the defense or how much blame do you put on the Browns offense because they looked completely outclassed in this game in their home opener I will say the interesting thing is when you look at Cleveland it's now is it all Deshawn Watson or is there just not a great marriage between Watson and sany offense you talk about jacobe coming in and playing better flacko playing is this offense tailored to what Deshawn Watson like I don't know there was a third and 11 and with a veteran quarterback a quarterback you're paying all that money they took the ball and they threw a pass straight down the line to a receiver and it's like do we let him try to get it down the field or do they not trust him that's the thing that I kind of look at when Cleveland has played best on offense the last few years they've run the football they've been good on the offensive line chub's been their Runner and everything else has come off of that how they throw the ball how the quarterback plays how the defense plays absent that it's going to be hard for Deshaun Watson to play well well it's hard for you to say that is it stefansky is it the game plan when we've seen other quarterbacks have success in the system that is tailored around him so that's one thing that you can point out when you're talking about Joe flaca was on his couch you know two months into the season came on came into the g into that offense let him the playoffs one comeback player of the year I mean you know I mean it's not like it it's deshun Watson and then some other bigname guys it's you know it it was a guy that didn't have a job at the beginning of the year I I just I know I'm I'm with you it's it's not just any one person but uh I'm with you coach it's like they just I don't know they and joku Amari Cooper you know they they trade for Jerry Judy they got I mean it's not like it's threadbear like it's a good great great defense a great great defense that you know it's harder to play defense if you're off is doing anything okay listen I I actually started this on a good note I was talking about Dak and then Here Comes okay we got two I understand whatever was going on but let me drag this on down to Des Watson uh coach you said something during the show I just want to clarify you said some clowns were talking about Dak true or false one of them was Mike Florio I got my nose you talking my nose I don't I say so much I don't know what I say and and again I'm going to double down on Dak there's so much noise around the organization the Cowboys have been America's Team long before Jerry Jones showed up okay it's Roger stabach and Tom Landry and Texas TR they made them America's team way back in the 70s there's a lot of attention on that franchise playing quarterback for the Cowboys like playing shortstop for the Yankees it's the same kind of thing Troy anit handled it beautifully Dak Prescott handles it the same way so there's a lot of noise there's a lot of Racket and he just processes it all and plays at a high level You could argue that he was the best player in the NFL last year he could have won the MVP very easily over Lamar Jackson so is that kind of player have they been short you know at that next level going to the championship game absolutely Dak is a part of that but the whole team and organization is a part of that too I just love how he handles himself he's a great leader for the team and for the league and he's going to play play quarterback for the Cowboys for a long time and good for them getting the deal done but they waited too long they waited too long with cdlm they waited too long with Dak they're gonna wait too long with Michael Parsons that's the thing they need to get Beyond sure all right and by the way it'll help if they go far in the postseason that's the biggest issue no one's having an issue with Dak in the regular season the issue has been at the big moments when Dallas a team that has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations has fallen short year after year and unfortunately because he's the quarterback a lot of that lays At His Feet y yeah but sometimes it feels like all we talk about is the postseason with Dak you know I know well that's that's what I'm saying he's got he got paid like now he has to uh show up in the postseason but I'm I'm he's he's one of the clowns we talking about exactly I'll I'll give you my nose you can have my nose all right guys tell me what I just said was wrong I just Kidd you're right we'll talk about the Patriots and the Bengals now um and we'll start with the Jerod Mayo and the Patriots pulled off a shocker in Cincinnati. good because the Patriots Gerard Mayo uh your buddy he gets to go on the road and walk away with the wind we were wondering which quarterback was going to play like a lot of questions surrounding them but it seemed like they they showed up with an identity um and it surrounded special teams defense and being methodical on offense yeah you got to give jacobe brassette credit today he made some plays that looked like they might have been sacks negative plays and then they handed the ball up to ra Andre Stevenson over a 100 yards rushing and that's what they said I was down there all preseason sitting in production meetings they said hey you might not see much of it in the pre-season it's going to be tough to see in training camp practice but this offense will be built around running the football so credit to the offensive line a lot of talk about how they played especially in Washington in that last preseason game I was someone I was on them heavy this offensive line isn't good they're not doing it David Andrews didn't play in that last preseason game he was back in that lineup for the for week one and it showed they came out and played a Cincinnati team at home they're on the road New England on the road a team supposed to win four games this year they were saying and gets a big win and they were control that game right from the start and what I loved about it is your your old teammate Mayo the new head coach there now he learned a lot from the guy that he played for and the guy that he coached with because you guys when you were playing there what you did better than anybody else is you found a way to win games every week and that's what they did we're going to run the ball play great defense limit C Cincinnati's opportunities play the way we want to play play to our strengths limit our weaknesses they went there with that plan and they executed disappointing for Cincinnati they've started poorly the last few years they got to get it in gear earlier in the season to quit putting so much pressure on themselves I'm going to throw your curveball and stay positive I like that that's hard for you he lined it up for you too but but right but here's what impressed me about the Patriots and here's where it will benefit the Patriots not many teams have that Smashmouth power running so defenses aren't going to be ready for that they're ready to face the great quarterbacks the highflying AFC circus acts that we see here come the Patriots now and they're going to kick your ass and you better be ready for it and it hurts by the fourth quarter when you're getting pounded and pounded and pounded and when defenses are so used to other style of offense that gives them a builing an advantage they're doing something different from everyone else I'll say this in response to that you can't be a great football team in this league if you're not physical you can be a four- wide team you can be all spread out you can play Nick but if you're not a physical football team you will not withstand the riggers of a 17 game schedule in the playoffs so whatever the exterior looks like physicality has to be a part of it Kansas City showed that last year they became a physical football team and showed us that all through the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl Jim Harbaugh coming to town they're going to be a physical team people who understand that and live that and draft your team to be that they're the ones that have a chance gerod Mayo knows that what did I say tough team stop the run and run the football that's what it's about in January it's it's a great win for the Patriots and congratulations to coach mayo and and all the Patriots but you have to sit here and kind of scratch your head at Cincinnati now listen no T Higgins right Jamar Chase limited contract dispute and everything like that but still to your point about them starting slow one and five in in season openers under Zack Taylor the Bengals it just feels like they're never ready and I listen I'm not a defensive coordinator but if I'm looking at the Patriots I'm just like you know what I'm going to stack the line they got rre Stevenson who's one of their best players I'm going to stack the line I'm going to if jacobe Bret beats us then he beats us but you know what like they they've got some rookie wide receivers they don't have a lot of experience in the passing game we haven't seen much from jacobe like it that it boggles my mind that they just basically let the Patriots run all over them and by the way the turnovers don't help two turnovers they they lost two fumbles all of last year they had two fumbles today that was the difference in the game was the turnovers because New England didn't get a lot going offensively but the Bengals fumble down around the 5 yard line get the ball punched out and then you fumble muff a punt but my whole thing with Cincinnati is everyone loves to talk about this team right Joe burrow one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL they beat Patrick Mahomes 2021 season in the playoffs they went to the Super that stuff is over they have not done that I'm so tired of hearing that about everyone saying this is a team this is a team we have to see it you have to play to it and this is a good football team there's no doubt about it maybe when they get all the weapons back but like you said a tough a good football team you're at home playing against a team even without T Higgins Joe Mixon is gone Tyler Boyd's gone even without all that you're supposed to go win this game ab and you don't and that to me it causes concern of is this team really the biggest threat to the Chiefs that everyone wants to talk about and they get the Chiefs they get the CH we'll find out by the way by far the most picked team in all survivor pools was the Bengals to win bunch of people out after week one meanwhile Chris Sims got them going all the way yeah exactly um but they were they were Dragon Slayers for a moment and so you're thinking like this could be the team they never were afraid of the Chiefs and they were the first team to kind of show that so that's what we got it from but we all said this early in the day let's not overreact to week one football to be that's what we do that's what we do one question though we might get clarification as the week goes on but the deal with Jamar Chase and just getting a deal done or figuring out like obviously that that hangs over your head he was really toring Maria on whether to play and it went right to the last minute and the Bengals have given him an offer that on the surface looks good okay but when you start picking around the details it looks really bad that's the problem he can say hey you're making as much as Justin Jefferson yeah but I don't have as much guaranteed at signing it takes me longer to get this I might not get that and that's what they have to work through I got I know when I went down there and talked to him last year I asked him a question about hey the future of your contract he said he wants to be a good teammate and he wants to be there for his guys so I'm sure today going back and forth thinking about it but wanting to show up and play for your guys and credit to him he went out there and play I'll I'll just say this listen you guys can talk about this better than I can cuz you guys have been in locker rooms but I just have to think that when you're sitting there in that locker room and you're like man this guy's balling out and he's not getting paid and T Higgins didn't get the deal he wanted and so if you're a guy in that locker room and you're looking around saying wait if Jamar Chase ain't getting paid if T Higgins ain't getting paid what am I going to do like and I just I feel like that permeates through a locker room and I don't know that that caused them to lose today but let's anytime you start whispering and you're not cohesive I just feel like it ain't great right and now they're 0 and one all right well Nothing special in Caleb Williams' debut, but the Bears pulled out a W we'll see what they have in week two but let's talk about the Tennessee and Chicago game because we were all waiting to see Kaleb Williams and the debut um it left a little bit to be desired on the Williams front but also rookie first game like he's figuring it out like you could literally see him processing as the game went on Jason you know Marie we've talked about this before great debate New England should you play Drake May the third player taken in the draft what's the best way to approach this Patrick Mahomes the best player that ever walked he didn't play his rookie year Aaron Rogers didn't play till year four there's all these stories uh of great players waiting and watching and now we have this expectation CJ strad we had Dak guys who played great as rookies all of a sudden that becomes the standard and I'm hearing all offseason well they got Keenan Allen they got DJ Moore they got all these weapons he's a rookie quarterback coming into the NFL the team has won 10 games in the last two years the expectations have to be lower okay uh I my biggest disappointment in him was that I saw him kind of looking around today instead of going back boom boom boom being decisive he looked like he was looking at the rush not sure where to go with the football he looked a little bit like a rookie and then he wanted to go just make plays with my feet and these guys in the NFL hard to do that NL they chase him down so I think he's going to learn from this experience I think for the for Chicago it's important to understand where he is like all rookie quarterbacks and help him play to that defense play to that special team run the football and slowly integrate him week after week and let him improve as the season goes on yeah and I think about it you brought up Patrick Mahomes going into Baltimore they asked him about the defense he said I know I'll be ready there's no defense I haven't seen yet that's a guy who's been in League every defense Caleb Williams saw today the first time he saw this Norman NFL defense so you have to expect that there's a learning curve to this he will get better but I think what you just said hopefully they walk away from this game and they say hey as bad as we played special teams and defense won us a game let's go for going forward let's play to that that's our strength let's go out there and let that be what speaks for the Chicago Bears team and look that's the biggest difference between preseason and regular season preseason there's no game planning you're not in the game for long you're not trying to figure out what's happening they're not figuring out what you're doing and for all we know the Titans are the best defense they're going to see all year long probably not so they're going to have to do what you're saying coach work him in slowly expect him to do less let the defense win games better to play poorly and win then play well and lose I mean the bottom line is they still won his debut doubt look and by the way give the Titans defense credit like they it it was a defense last year they they improved uh their secondary this this off season as well so I mean they came in and played very well and honestly probably should have probably should have won the game here but I think if you're Caleb Williams you have to feel like to your point Mike like hey you know what I've got a good run game I got good weapons offensively and I got a good defense I don't have to put it all on my shoulders I don't have to be the superhero rookie that a lot of people drafted number one overall have to be he's got a a lot around him and just to your point coach Let The Game come to him yes every time a number one overall pick comes in it just reminds me of like how excellent CJ Stout is and what he was able to do last season if you think about it because you can see like some people look like de in headlights he never did that and then week two obviously Caleb Williams for Sunday Night Football is going to take on the Texans it is hard to play quarterback in the NFL Maria yeah so I've learned not a job I want I'm safe up here okay guys Speed Round: Impressive wins, new head coaches who'd like a mulligan, best individual performances, and biggest head-shakers. it's time for our speed round and you guys are going to fill in the blank this time okay so we're going to start with you Matthew the winning team that impressed me the most today was I'm GNA say the Saints no one no you know I mean like honestly listen the the the P every yeah yeah anyway I just I feel like the I feel like the I feel like the Saints everyone sleeps on the Saints and they just completely dominated from start to finish Miami Dolphins we rarely see them fight through adversity it always goes easy for them at home they were down they fought their way out of it they got the win they need to learn to do that if they ever want to win in the playoffs what are y'all talking about the New England Patriots went to Cincinnati and beat him is the most impressive thing we saw today on the road a win from a team that's supposed to be one of the worst rosters in the NFL team starts one and five season I don't disagree I can't use the same answer the Dallas Cowboys went to Cleveland and dominated in all three phases I think you were going to say that I'm trying to do someone different there we go no one gives love to the Saints okay BL L is the new head coach who wants a week one Mulligan I'll say Brian Callahan three turnovers in the fourth quarter like the Tennessee Titans came out and looked really good for three quarters and then unfortunately it all just sort of fell fell apart so I think you know uh coach Callahan probably wants to clean some of that up I he'd like a week one Mulligan for sure I need to explain my reasoning first because if I were taking a mulligan while playing golf the second result would be no better than the first so it doesn't matter so I'll say Dave Canales cuz it was a disaster and you get M Mulligan is going to be a disaster again it goes this way on the first that way on the other one so forget about it usually I avoid saying the same thing but I agree strictly they gave up 30 we were sitting there we were like it's hard for a team to give up 30 points in the first half they give up 30 points so I think yes they probably wouldn't win but you don't want to play that poorly in your first game agree and I'm wondering as David terer was watching this thing that guy that you played for eight Super Bowls he had an opportunity to hire him and um you know it's going to be hard for them to rebuild it in Carolina uh it certainly wasn't the way they wanted started would Bill even want to be there he he can call Bill but Bill right now is probably on some set doing some Bill is booked and busy in in and I'm enjoying it I love all the smiles I'm seeing from Bill right now come join us anytime you want um the best individual performance in week one was by blank I'm going to say JK Dobbins what a great story right here's a guy came massive injury goes to the Chargers on onee kind of prove it deal and just dominates does exactly what Coach Harbaugh wants runs with power over 100 yards a touchdown and a big win against the Raiders go JK Dobbins what a great story I got to give Sam darnold some love back at MetLife Stadium the place where things just went horribly for him as quarterback of the Jets I have a theory that the Jets ruin every quarterback they get their hands on and this is darnold's chance with a better team a better organization better receivers better everything to win some football games and he looked really good today how about saquan Barkley goes out to Brazil three touchdowns has I mean just a great performance out there in Brazil we got to give sequan some love I love Squan Barkley you know Josh Allen is the Dak Prescott of the AFC and I hear people oh he's overrated watch the game you do not have to be an expert in football to understand that that guy is ridiculous he was again today threw two ran for two he's the best player on the field week in and week out all right blank made me shake my head today Kirk Cousins sign a $100 million deal your defense def holds a team to five field goals and you can't get a win at home like Kur cousins is bad today I'm sorry like that's that's a game that should have been won you're home like we're talking about deshun Watson's contract let's talk about Kurt Cousins contract put Michael penx Jr in I'm just saying that was I'm just saying for $100 million that was a bad l d that was a bad that made me shake my head like Kurt Cousins you got to be better I'm going to go with your commanders an offensive coordinator Cliff Kingsbury what are you doing calling design runs with your rookie quarterback when the game is over we we talked about Lamar Jackson you can't get pounded you can't get hit you're going to get injured they got to take care of him they they have a little of experience with a rookie quarterback that got injured badly as rookie year you got to be careful with Daniels I'm going to go with the Bengals the Bengals played at played at home they were supposed to be the team that everyone was watching all season to come out and start that way I just I don't like it I think this is a team that you want to get out in front of Kansas City you want to play that way so when it comes playoff time you get a chance to play at home yeah you know I I I agree with you I was going to say the bang too cuz again we're talking about this team as one of the elite teams and one of the teams they talked about the Patriots saying should they tank that was a question that Elliot wolf was asked so for them to go down there and get that done if you're a bangal fan you're certainly shaking your head I was shaking my head um every time I saw TJ watt like completely bust up any and everything the Falcons had going I am an Atlanta Falcons fan I too was sad and shout out to the Steelers for coming to Mercedes Benz stadium and turning it into right Steeler Nation um well thank you guys so much for tuning in we will do this every single week break down what we saw and uh week two we've got the Texans we've got the Bears and we will see you for Sunday Night Football but first football night in America we'll start at 700 Eastern I hope you join us on NBC and peacock hi I'm Mike too and thanks for watching make sure to hit subscribe for the latest news and highlights from NBC Sports yes