The two teams will play a big game in the NFC in Week 13 at Lincoln Financial Field
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00:00 >> Grant Cone, thanks for the time.
00:02 Let me just fire these questions right back at you.
00:07 Biggest strengths for the San Francisco 49ers.
00:10 >> Okay, on defense, it's their defensive line.
00:13 They've poured a ton of money into it.
00:15 Nick Bosa is the highest paid non quarterback in the league.
00:18 Eric Armstead's getting paid about 18 million a year.
00:20 And so was Jayvon Hargrave, and they traded for Chase Young.
00:23 Like anytime they have a problem with their defense,
00:26 they're like get another defensive lineman.
00:28 And it tends to work ever since they've traded for Chase Young, they haven't lost.
00:31 So what they try to do is generate so much pressure that the balls come out quickly.
00:36 And then their cornerbacks who are mediocre or up and
00:40 down can at least jump the routes and not be in coverage for too long.
00:44 So the strength of the team is the defense.
00:48 You think of it as an offensive team because Kyle Shanahan's the head coach,
00:52 but they build through their defense.
00:54 And they build specifically through their defensive line.
00:55 On offense, I mean, they have a lot of stars, but it's all about Christian McCaffrey.
01:01 This is a Kyle Shanahan production,
01:03 which is sort of like a Mike Shanahan production.
01:04 It's not that different.
01:06 And the Shanahans have always been a running back centric offense.
01:11 From Terrell, I mean, when Mike won a Super Bowl when I was a child,
01:15 God loved John Elway, but that was about Terrell Davis.
01:18 And this, God loved Brock Purdy, but this is about Christian McCaffrey.
01:22 I mean, he is a legitimate MVP candidate.
01:24 He's got 11 rushing touchdowns, 16 total.
01:27 He is the engine of this offense.
01:28 And so stopping him requires a full team effort.
01:33 But then if you do that, when they pass, they at all times have five people in
01:38 the pattern who are really good.
01:40 And they have a quarterback who isn't the most physically gifted, but
01:44 he finds the open man very quickly and he's pretty accurate, very accurate.
01:48 So, and the thing about it is when they go to pass, you're worried about Debo,
01:52 Kittle, McCaffrey, cuz they're the stars, but this year is all about Brandon Ayyub.
01:56 He has taken his game to another level.
01:58 And it's kind of the Niner's secret, he will kill you.
02:01 He'll catch the ball about 15 yards down the field and
02:03 then go for another five.
02:04 He's really, really dangerous.
02:06 And I think the Eagles, I mean, they have to put Darius Slay on him.
02:09 He will destroy James Bradbury.
02:11 I'm not calling him trash, no offense James, but Slay to me, Slay's a lot better.
02:17 And if they try to put Bradbury on, they're in trouble.
02:19 So they have weapons, they have a defense, and
02:22 they have a coach who's very, very clever.
02:24 And he's got three extra days to prepare this week.
02:27 They should have an A1 game plan if he doesn't overthink this,
02:30 which he has been known to do in the past.
02:33 >> Yeah, yeah, I gotcha.
02:34 How about weaknesses?
02:35 I mean, yeah, I agree that defense is ferocious.
02:37 What, they're giving up 15 and a half points a game.
02:40 It's funny how the Eagles and 49ers are kind of similarly built in terms of their
02:44 line, at least on the defensive line.
02:46 I mean, you can make a case that the 49ers defensive line is the best in
02:51 the NFL, and you can make a case that the Eagles defensive line is the best in
02:55 the NFL.
02:56 It's interesting to see how they built that similarly.
03:00 How about the- >> They definitely share that philosophy
03:03 for sure on defense, but on offense, it's totally different.
03:07 I don't understand why the Niners differ here.
03:09 I love the Eagles philosophy of building through your offensive line.
03:12 It's what the Chiefs do as well.
03:14 Those two teams are in the Super Bowl last year, it seems to really matter.
03:17 But the Niners like to save money here.
03:18 They have a great left tackle, the best left tackle.
03:20 They spend a lot for him.
03:21 Everyone else makes about a million dollars tops.
03:24 And it's just not something that they invest in.
03:26 You mentioned that the Eagles don't invest really in linebackers.
03:28 Maybe every team has a spot.
03:30 >> Right. >> Position like,
03:31 we gotta save money somewhere.
03:33 Man, this is a crazy, I'm not saying crazy.
03:35 This is a peculiar one to try to stay, it's very important,
03:38 protects the quarterback.
03:40 And to me, last year, the Niners lost this game because of their offensive line.
03:45 It wasn't just because of a fluke play.
03:47 It was because they gave up pressure, I think, on 60% of the quarterback
03:51 dropbacks, and not one quarterback, but two quarterbacks got hurt.
03:54 >> Right, right.
03:55 >> And I think the offensive line is arguably worse this year.
03:58 They lost Mike McGlinchey, who wasn't great, and replaced him with his backup.
04:00 Who isn't better?
04:01 Colton McKibbitts.
04:03 >> Yeah. >> So that's a big weakness.
04:05 And then on defense, it's the cornerbacks.
04:07 They've played well the last few weeks because the pass rush has been so
04:09 overwhelming, and they've been going against teams with bad offensive lines.
04:13 But this week, with this offensive line and this quarterback,
04:16 Jalen Hurts, who likes to hold the ball and extend the play, you have Travarious Ward
04:20 and Ambry Thomas covering AJ Brown and Devontae Smith for three seconds,
04:25 four seconds, five seconds.
04:26 That's a big advantage for the Philadelphia Eagles.
04:29 >> Yeah, no question.
04:30 Yeah, the Eagles are gonna be without tight end Dallas Goddard,
04:33 who is a big part of that offense.
04:34 He's missing his third game after breaking his form, and
04:37 the tight ends have been non-existent.
04:39 So really, it's been Brown and Smith and a little bit of DeAndre Swift mixed in
04:44 there, and then Hurts just finding a way.
04:46 All right, so yeah, how about Shanahan?
04:50 What does he bring?
04:51 I mean, really great offensive mind, right?
04:54 What does he bring to that team?
04:57 >> Yeah, first of all, he brings a great defense.
04:59 He builds through his defense.
05:01 He always has an excellent defensive coordinator and
05:04 great talent on that side.
05:05 He's a little counterintuitive that way.
05:06 I think he thinks, if I just put my talent on defense,
05:09 I can scheme up the rest on offense.
05:11 And he's very good, you gotta give him credit.
05:13 His scheme is, I mean, 31 teams are envious of it, maybe not 31, but
05:17 a lot of teams are envious of it, would love to have his scheme.
05:21 He may not be quite as creative as Mike McDaniel,
05:24 who worked with him for a long time, but he's very creative.
05:29 And he's a very good play caller.
05:31 He has great scripts.
05:32 He almost always starts the game up seven, nothing, up ten, nothing.
05:36 I mean, he's good in a lot of ways, but what is he famous for?
05:41 Losing two Super Bowls.
05:43 He was up 28 to three and one.
05:45 He had a ten point lead in the fourth quarter in the other one.
05:47 That's what he's famous for.
05:49 And so not to just rub it in his face like, you're a choker.
05:52 No, specifically, he didn't have the adjustment to sort of close the door when
05:56 he had a lead in two Super Bowls.
05:58 And I feel like Sirianni, he doesn't call the plays and
06:02 he doesn't have the scheme that Kyle Shanahan can dazzle you with, but
06:06 he makes the adjustment.
06:07 He's in tune with the game and
06:08 he can make the adjustment on the fly that helps them win.
06:11 And I don't know that Kyle Shanahan can do that.
06:14 So often this year, they blow out mediocre teams.
06:17 It's shock and awe.
06:17 It's very impressive.
06:19 But Eagles aren't mediocre.
06:20 I don't think it's gonna be a blowout.
06:22 I think it's gonna come down to an adjustment that he has to make and
06:25 Sirianni has to make.
06:27 And frankly, I don't have a ton of confidence in Kyle to do that,
06:30 because in the biggest games of his career, he couldn't.
06:33 >> Yeah, interesting. >> Every opportunity to do so, yeah.
06:35 >> Yeah, so what about Purdy?
06:39 Obviously, not a real big body of work, right?
06:43 But what he has shown, I mean, what, five straight games,
06:46 completing 70% of his throws, 19 touchdowns, six interceptions,
06:51 pretty good numbers there.
06:53 Although I'll say, Redick said today that a lot of times Purdy will throw
06:57 the ball at other people, but the DBs have been dropping them, so.
07:02 >> That is true.
07:02 >> A little bit of disrespect there, but okay, that's true.
07:05 So, but what about Purdy?
07:06 What does he bring us in?
07:07 Why has Shanahan put all his eggs in the Purdy basket, so to speak?
07:12 >> He's cheap.
07:13 I'm sorry, I don't wanna be like that, cuz he's really good.
07:16 But he's like, they're not paying him.
07:17 He has a roommate.
07:18 >> Yeah.
07:19 >> He has a roommate.
07:21 He makes the veteran minimum.
07:22 So to get this level of play for nothing is a huge,
07:25 I mean, the Seahawks spend $25 million a year on Gino Smith.
07:30 And Brock Purdy is way better than that, and he makes essentially no money.
07:33 So that's huge right there.
07:35 But his skill set is elite processing.
07:38 I mean, he can read a defense better than a lot of veterans.
07:42 Cuz is that an acquired skill or is that a God given ability?
07:46 I don't know.
07:46 He's got it.
07:48 And he's very accurate.
07:49 And he throws with elite anticipation, because he has to,
07:52 cuz he doesn't have a very strong arm.
07:54 And he's a very good scrambler.
07:55 I mean, he's not Jalen Hurts, but he's actually elusive and a good scrambler.
07:59 The issue with him is like, so he's an anticipatory thrower.
08:03 And when he's up 7-0, 14-0, it looks great,
08:06 cuz the defense is all reacting to the play fake.
08:09 And they're all worried about Christian McCaffrey, and people are wide open.
08:13 When he's losing, and he has to throw with anticipation, and he has to make plays,
08:17 and he has to drop back, and there's no play fakes.
08:21 And all of a sudden, he's pretty loose with the football.
08:24 He'll throw picks.
08:26 He is a turnover weight in the hat.
08:28 He's way better when he's winning than when he's losing.
08:30 That's what we've learned from him.
08:31 He hasn't shown what Jalen Hurts has shown in the last few weeks.
08:34 Down 10, fourth quarter, really good team.
08:36 My God, he's been bad the whole game, and now he's playing great.
08:38 That hasn't been Purdy.
08:40 Purdy's the kind of guy where he starts fast, and by the fourth quarter,
08:43 it's like, he's fading.
08:45 But usually, the guys have the game wrapped up by then.
08:48 So that's one thing with him.
08:49 And then the other thing is his worst game of the year this year was in a little bit
08:51 of rain in Cleveland.
08:53 He just couldn't throw the play, completed 44% of his throws in that game.
08:57 So if it rains in this game, he might have to put on a glove or something.
09:02 I don't know. He might have to go can he pick it.
09:03 >> Yeah, interesting.
09:04 Yeah, maybe that comes with experience too, that learning how to play from behind and
09:10 learning patience and we can still come back.
09:14 We don't have to do it all in one series, just to be patient.
09:18 Maybe that's experience.
09:19 >> That's what I wanted to say.
09:20 He is very good, and he might end up being the kind of guy who can bring teams
09:25 from behind.
09:26 He's not battle tested like Jalen Hurts.
09:28 >> Right. >> He's only started 18,
09:30 19 games, which is not a lot.
09:32 And he hasn't been in these situations because, frankly,
09:35 he's been kicking teams' butts.
09:36 Give him credit.
09:37 He's up a lot.
09:38 So I'm nitpicking a little bit.
09:40 He hasn't brought him from behind very much.
09:41 Well, he's not losing hardly ever.
09:43 His one game winning drive in his career was against the Raiders last year.
09:46 It was an overtime.
09:47 The drive was a kneel down after interception.
09:49 So one day he'll be there.
09:51 One day he'll get the opportunity.
09:52 >> Yeah, you would think.
09:53 Yeah, well, that's yeah, I mean, Hurts is only 25.
09:55 And he talks about that all the time.
09:57 It's just when it comes to reading defenses, the more you play,
10:00 the more you see, the more you learn.
10:02 And that kind of thing with Purdy will come with time, I'm sure.
10:06 >> And that's the thing with Purdy, people don't realize, or
10:08 maybe they do across the country, but he started four years in college.
10:11 That's an asset that I don't think NFL teams have been putting enough
10:15 weight into when they scout these quarterbacks.
10:18 >> Yeah, that's a really good point.
10:20 Yeah, four year starter at Iowa State, right?
10:23 >> Yeah, as opposed to Trey Lance who played like 18 games.
10:27 >> Yeah. >> That didn't count for the Niners.
10:28 >> Yeah, now with the Cowboys.
10:31 >> Yeah.
10:32 >> Okay, so Grant, who's gonna win this game, your opinion?
10:40 >> I think the Niners are gonna lose for the same reason they lost last year.
10:44 Their offensive line, they're in denial about why they lost that game.
10:48 Or maybe I'm wrong, maybe they'll win and prove me wrong.
10:50 But it seems like all they said to themselves was, Flukie hit on Purdy.
10:56 That's the kind of thing that could just, it's football.
10:59 And we're not gonna overreact, we were better than them.
11:03 And we're gonna go out and prove it and
11:04 really change nothing about our team other than adding Javon Hargrave.
11:07 Which is great, you made a strength stronger.
11:10 But you didn't address the weakness that ruined the game for you, at all.
11:16 And I don't know, maybe Kyle have a different game plan.
11:19 Maybe he's like with the same offensive line, I can just sort of put Purdy in
11:23 the shotgun, don't do play action, get the ball out quick and we'll win.
11:25 Maybe, but that's not really how you, that's not your identity.
11:29 Your identity is to get under center and do play action and
11:32 have these long developing plays.
11:33 And it's not gonna work against the Eagles, it didn't work last year,
11:35 it's not gonna work this year.
11:36 You still can't block us on Reddit, you still can't block us on Reddit.
11:39 Your right tackle is where, I gotta give it to the Eagles 24/20.
11:44 >> Interesting.
11:45 >> 24/20.
11:45 I think it's gonna be a little bit low scoring if it rains, if it doesn't rain,
11:48 maybe 27/24 Eagles.
11:51 >> Yeah, it could be lower scoring than I'm thinking, 28/24.
11:54 But I think both these offenses will find a way to move the football,
11:58 even though it'll be raining.
11:59 But we'll see, I mean, I'm so psyched for this game, I'm looking forward to it.
12:04 I'm sure you are as well and everybody out in the Bay Area.
12:07 >> Not the Niners, we asked them about it today, they're like, what?
12:10 Since week 13, what's the big deal?
12:12 >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:13 >> After all you guys said, okay, sure.
12:15 >> Yeah, right, the Eagles, same way, man, they're just down playing state.
12:19 >> It's just the next game on the schedule.
12:21 >> Right, yeah, yeah, exactly, gotta execute.
12:25 >> [LAUGH]