Analyzing whether Grant Cohn's question about San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason was out of line.
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00:00 Look, you know you wanted someone to ask about Jordan Mason.
00:04 Raise your hand if you wanted someone to ask about Jordan Mason.
00:07 I don't understand why no one ever asks about him.
00:09 He's averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
00:10 He hasn't had a carry in three games.
00:14 So I asked.
00:19 I went up to Kyle and I said, this was in the press conference today, I couldn't help
00:28 myself.
00:29 Hold on, let me get it.
00:30 Let me get it.
00:31 Let me get it.
00:32 I said, Jordan Mason hasn't had any carries in three weeks.
00:34 He's averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
00:35 What does he need to do to get back in the mix and earn your trust?
00:38 And he goes, why would that be an issue?
00:40 You know, Kyle's trying to buy time and upset when he answers a question with a question.
00:45 I don't know.
00:46 I say, I don't know.
00:47 I guess it's confusing for a running back who's been so efficient to fall out of the
00:49 mix.
00:50 I was wondering what he could, what he would need to do to get back in.
00:52 Kyle says two guys in front of him would have to get hurt to get more there.
00:56 There's three of them.
00:57 They're implying that I don't trust him or something.
00:59 That's what I heard in the question.
01:00 So I'm trying to figure out exactly what your question is.
01:02 So I said, why would you give Elijah Mitchell the carries over Mason when Mitchell's averaging
01:06 2.4 yards per carry?
01:08 Kyle said, we look at more than stats.
01:11 Mitchell's our number two back.
01:12 He's done some pretty good things here.
01:14 And JP's our three.
01:15 He's been our two at times, but it's how most cases are in the NFL.
01:19 So all right.
01:21 He said they look at more than stats.
01:22 I got an answer out of him.
01:24 Why is Elijah Mitchell playing over Jordan Mason?
01:28 Oh, because stats don't matter.
01:31 Yards per carry.
01:33 That's overrated.
01:34 So Mitchell at 5.6 yards per carry and Mason, excuse me, Mason at 5.6 yards per carry and
01:40 Mitchell at 2.4.
01:42 Doesn't matter.
01:43 Mitchell's better.
01:44 Even though Mason doubles his output every time he carries the ball.
01:49 Stats matter because there are other things that matter for a running back other than
01:55 yards per carry.
01:57 And when pressed, Kyle said, Mitchell's done some pretty good things.
02:02 What did he say in the past?
02:03 What did he say?
02:06 He's done some pretty good things here.
02:07 He has done some pretty good.
02:09 That's true.
02:11 So Mitchell is the number two back because he has done some pretty good things for the
02:15 49ers.
02:16 That's true.
02:17 He's done some pretty good things from this year while Mason has, but a Mitchell used
02:22 to be really good.
02:23 And so that's why he's above Mason in the, in the pecking order, even though Mason is
02:27 really good.
02:28 The fact that Mitchell used to be really good trumps the fact that Mason currently is really
02:33 good.
02:34 And that's why essentially Kyle tried to answer my question and say, Mason isn't getting carries
02:41 because Mitchell's the number two back.
02:42 The question is why?
02:44 Oh, because Mitchell used to be good.
02:46 So nostalgia, nostalgia.
02:51 It's like, why did you buy the new Nas record?
02:53 Cause he used to be good.
02:55 Okay.
02:56 How long ago?
02:59 What did you think this song, this record was going to sound like?
03:02 You didn't think it was going to sound like 50 year old Nas, but it, cause it is.
03:05 I'm just saying like Elijah Mitchell is like 50 year old Nas at this point, you know, voice
03:11 kind of creaky.
03:12 This is not the same.
03:16 So Kyle, I know that you still listening to the same little Wayne mixtape from 2007, but
03:20 you got to like get with the times and notice that Jordan Mason is your number two running
03:24 back.
03:25 There's no reason to have Elijah Mitchell as your number two running back.
03:28 Also you don't even really use your number two running back anyway.
03:33 Last year, what you would do is you'd get an early lead with Christian McCaffrey and
03:36 then hammer the lead home with Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell.
03:41 One of the two as a closer, you don't do that anymore.
03:44 Why did, does Christian McCaffrey?
03:46 Not allow you to, is it not?
03:47 Did he say that he put the kibosh on that?
03:49 Say, Hey Kyle, I want the carries.
03:52 I don't know.
03:55 That's my question.
03:56 Anyway, I thought Kyle, at least he gave an answer.
03:59 The answer is Mitchell has done some good things for the Niners.
04:02 So he got grandfathered into the number two running back spot this year because he was
04:06 good in the past.
04:07 Hey man, why don't we bring back Richard Sherman?
04:09 He's done some good things for the Niners.
04:10 So is, you know, Ronnie Lott.
04:12 Ronnie Lott did some great things for the Niners.
04:14 Why don't we bring him back?
04:16 All the players who have done some good things for the Niners should start for him regardless
04:19 of what they've done in 2023.
04:23 I think he got snarky with me because he knew I had it.
04:26 There's no good reason to play Elijah Mitchell over Jordan Mason.
04:29 There's no way I could have phrased that question.
04:32 Obviously it's a question to trust you play Elijah Mitchell over Jordan Masons because
04:36 you trust Elijah Mitchell straight up.
04:39 You trust Elijah Mitchell to not fumble the ball while he's getting those two and a half
04:43 yards on the ground.
04:44 Fair.
04:45 Just say it.
04:47 You don't trust Jordan Mason because he fumbled a few times in training camp and in the preseason
04:51 and Elijah Mitchell has literally never fumbled in college or the pros.
04:55 Just say it.
04:57 It's a reason.
05:00 And I do think it's about trust.
05:02 Otherwise.
05:03 Okay, so maybe Jordan Mason doesn't know the offense as well as Elijah Mitchell or maybe
05:08 when he doesn't have the ball, he's not as good as what does Elijah Mitchell do when
05:11 he doesn't have the ball?
05:12 Does he ever catch a pass?
05:13 Seems to me if you have a running back averaging 5.6 yards per carry 5.9 for his career, man.
05:22 Even though everyone knows he's getting the ball, he's still averaging like almost six
05:25 yards carry.
05:26 So good things happen when you hand him the ball.
05:28 Maybe you give it to him five, 10 times a game.
05:30 Good things happen.
05:31 What's the problem?
05:32 How are we overthinking this one here?
05:35 Good things don't happen when you give Elijah Mitchell the ball.
05:39 All you can say is, oh, wow, he didn't fumble again.
05:41 Great.
05:42 Anyway, I thought it was a good question.
05:46 And when Kyle gets a little flabbergasted like that, I would call that flabbergast.
05:51 That's what flabbergast looks like, sounds like.
05:54 That's probably because he didn't see the question coming, which to me is probably a
05:56 failure of on us, the beat writers.
05:59 Three weeks in a row, Jordan Mason doesn't get a touch and no one asks.
06:04 And then Kyle asked like it was an inappropriate question.
06:07 I thought it was an appropriate question.
06:10 It's probably inappropriate.
06:12 Rodriguez, he knows what I'm talking about.
06:13 New member.
06:14 Mad Gamer says, Grant, thank you for asking that question.
06:17 The fan base deserves to know why JP hasn't been used.
06:20 Keep asking the tough questions.
06:21 I will.
06:23 And I think Kyle feels like, you know, if I give him that kind of awkward response,
06:27 Grant won't ask questions like that.
06:29 But I think it's a good response.
06:31 I mean, it's like dramatic and it gives you a peek into Kyle Shanahan's emotional emotions
06:38 and psyche more than a professional dry answer would that you get from.
06:44 John Lynch, Ivan Tina says you asked a fair question.
06:47 He acted like a petulant child.
06:48 He said Mason has done good things here.
06:50 OK, but he ain't doing him now.
06:51 You've been Mitchell.
06:52 I agree.
06:53 I'm saying like, OK, so nostalgia is the reason.
06:57 Druid guy says great question.
06:59 Loved it.
07:00 Were you more scared of Kyle Starr or when Kinlaw knocked your head off?
07:02 Man, I get that stare from Kyle every day.
07:05 So Kinlaw Austin says Mason is going to be so good on a different team.
07:11 I feel like a lot of teams could use him, would use him, would love to have him.
07:17 (upbeat music)