Rice on the Mics
Welcome to "Rice on the Mics", where sports talk comes with no script, no filter, and just the right amount of chaos. Hosted by Ian Rice, this is the spot for real fans who love the game but aren’t afraid to call out the bad takes, blown calls, and overpaid benchwarmers. Whether it's a legendary performance, a brutal choke job, or your fantasy team crashing and burning, we’re here to break it down like it’s last call at the bar. No corporate PR spin, no forced debates—just unfiltered sports talk with passion, personality, and maybe a little trash talk along the way. If you’re looking for stats read off a teleprompter, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want bold opinions, real conversations, and the kind of debates that might get a drink thrown at you, pull up a mic and let’s go.
Rice on the Mics
Week 1 Whiplash, NYC Baseball Heartburn
The most honest group chat on the internet returns for Episode 30, serving up New York sports talk without the empty calories or performative hot takes.
Justin Fields looked like the version Chicago was promised – decisive, dangerous, and low on self-inflicted nonsense as the Jets beat Pittsburgh. His comfort in Tanner Angstrom's system was evident with the Jets running on 58% of snaps, keeping Fields in manageable situations while the ground game racked up 189 yards. Meanwhile, Sauce Gardner shadowed DK Metcalf on 30 of 34 pass plays, completely shutting down the Steelers' top threat. Most telling was the organization's accountability – Xavier Gibson fumbled a kickoff that led to the game-deciding score and was cut by Wednesday, showing Aaron Glenn's no-nonsense approach.
Across town, the Giants continued last year's offensive struggles with a 21-6 loss to Washington. Russell Wilson looked every bit like a QB in a blender (17-for-37, 168 yards), going 2-for-12 under pressure. Despite this, Brian Daboll immediately reaffirmed Wilson as starter, pushing aside any Jackson Dart talk. More concerning might be Malik Nabers' sideline frustration moment and linebacker Micah McFadden's foot injury requiring surgery.
Baseball brings its own drama with the Yankees suffering bullpen meltdowns while playing Anthony Volpe through a small labrum tear discovered back in May – raising serious questions about player management. The Mets face an uphill playoff battle after getting swept by Philadelphia, though young pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat provide hope for the future.
We close with fantasy football buy-lows (AJ Brown, Kenneth Walker), sell-highs (Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones), and Week 2 betting picks. Follow @RiceOnTheRadio and join our Wednesday Mic Checks on Instagram to participate in the conversation – after all, this is a bar conversation, not a book report.
I guess there's only one way to find out. Let's do it to it right. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. All engines running. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Speaker 1:Episode 30. Kind of wild, we're here already If you've been rocking with me from the jump. Thank you so much. If you're new, welcome to the most honest group chat on the internet, Served hot and ready. Tonight's spread. We're starting local with the Jets and Giants Doing a quick tasting of week one around the league, then plating up New York baseball with a moment that this city never forgets, and for dessert, fantasy, the betting card and a three-bite mailbag.
Speaker 1:No empty calories today, I promise, first course, jetsies. Justin Field looked like the version Chicago was promised and that Pittsburgh never figured out. Decisive, dangerous and, most important, low on self-inflicted nonsense. The Jets cook to their strengths Designed runs, balanced bases, fewer third and long burnt ends. 189 yards on the ground. That's a base that you can build an entire menu on and, yes, the kitchen's accountability is real.
Speaker 1:Xavier Gibson fumbles a kickoff. He's cut by Wednesday. The fans showed up. Hand flags drowned out the terrible towels. The vibe was beautiful, giants. Well, they're still in the oven.
Speaker 1:Brian Dayball says Russell Wilson remains QB1. Jackson Dart stays on the tasting menu for now. Malik Naver's sideline moment Competitive fire with cameras in his face. Then he goes 5 for 71 on 12 targets. Dallas is next and historically that's not comfort food for Big Blue.
Speaker 1:Quick week, one tasting flight. Josh Allen did a fourth quarter CPR on the Ravens and the Bills stole one. Micah Parsons in green changed the temperature in Green Bay instantly. Jj McCarthy's second half rally in Chicago and Brock Purdy looks to We'll be right back. Would have needed it the most.
Speaker 1:Now the rant Yankees two straight bullpen catastrophes and then Detroit hung 11 on them, and the headline is Anthony Volpe. Boone went from day-to-day to a small labrum tear. That's not development, that's overcooking the sauce. As for the Mets, the Phillies turned the burner to high Kepler with five ribbies, bader continues to crush, harper goes yard, christopher Sanchez is in control and the panic meter for the Mets slider hit north of 75% Soto's still smoking, but the schedule is a gauntlet. And for dessert, well, fantasy owners buy lows and sell highs. You can actually pull off the betting card. I'm honest about last week's record and still cooking.
Speaker 1:Three plays and a mailbag. Three smart questions, quick bites, a couple of promises before we plate the rest of this. This is a bar conversation, not a book report. We get into smart coaching calls, usage that actually matters and vibes you can feel from the 300 section Save the performative hot take flambe for somebody else's timeline. Hundred section Save the performative hot take flambe for somebody else's timeline. If you haven't yet follow, subscribe and jump in on the Wednesday mic check on Instagram. Your vote's literally seizing the show. Okay, aprons on fields first day, bowl. Next, grip around week one. Then we hit baseball and we start with a moment the city never forgets.
Speaker 1:This is episode 30 of Rice on the Mics. I am Ian Rice. Let's cook Liftoff and the clock has started. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.
Speaker 1:Alright, let's talk NFL, and I'm starting with the Giants this week, because they have way more rant energy than the Jets. The Giants rolled into Landover and basically re-ran last year's worst episodes 21-6, 231 total yards and two separate goal-to-go possessions that turned into vibes and field goals First and goal at the one. Nothing First and goal at the three late. Four straight incompletions. You could almost hear Brian Dayball's headset cooking on his ears. Russell Wilson looked every bit like a QB in a blender too 17 for 37 on 168 with no touchdowns, and when Washington heated him up it got ugly quick. Goes two for 12 under pressure, two sacks, a couple scrambles that led nowhere, no rhythm whatsoever. And yet Monday comes and Dayball doesn't even blink. Quote no, russ will be the starter. Not hedging, not hinting, just flat out. He's our guy. He spread the blame too.
Speaker 1:Coaching plan execution everybody took a slice Not really what you want out of your head coach. It was me, it was me, it was me right. And look, I get why the Jackson Dart talk is humming. We literally asked you to get the pulse of the people to see how much dart you wanted this upcoming week, and most of you said second half of getting blown out, chunky. You voted. They wanted a few scripted drives but almost nobody wanted the full-on coup, and that's fair. But you know, if Jackson goes in second half and they're getting blown out and all of a sudden he looks all right and throws for a touchdown pass or two, it's only going to fuel the fire more of if he should start or not.
Speaker 1:The Alex Smith to Mahomes blueprint that everyone loves to reference worked because Alex actually mentored the kid. He saw the forest through the trees. Yeah, he was playing hard, but he still knew that his time was going to come and he taught the kid the winning way while he did the damn thing on the field. So is Russ that guy right now, while he's chasing maybe his last chapter in his career, his last run in New York? The jury's out. Maybe he likes the kid, maybe he doesn't. The jury's out. Maybe he likes the kid, maybe he doesn't. But the funny thing that no one really talks about is the vet who vibed the most with dart was jamis, not russ. So file that in the books as drama incoming.
Speaker 1:And speaking of drama, the sideline moment between Neighbors and Dayball played so loud on TV, visibly frustrated, and then Dayball goes for a dap in between a timeout, neighbors doesn't sell it, and then it turns into a meme. I mean, I literally saw this last year with Sala and Rodgers and now the entire organization is new Neighbors downplayed it after the fact said the cameras just found him and said he has to be more conscious of his natural, resting bitch face those are his words, by the way and that he's more annoyed with himself about his targets and his film. I mean he had 12 looks he caught five for 71. I guess he dropped a bunch, said he admitted the tape made him sick to for 71. I guess he dropped a bunch, said he admitted the tape made him sick to his stomach. And look, he's been dealing with a back since the summer but he's fine, he's practicing, he's good to go.
Speaker 1:The bigger issue is what comes next, and that would be how about them? Cowboys? Dallas Going into Jerry World has been a nightmare, been a terrible, recurring nightmare for the last decade. For the Giants there's historical context too 16-4 over the last decade and honestly, most of those wins are because of Eli. The problem Giant fans should be more worried about but is getting swept under the rug by the jackson dar stuff is the injury to micah mcfadden's foot. He's having surgery and is going to be quote out a significant time. So what happens in steps? Darius mayasu yeah, tell me if you heard that name before. What happens during the washington game? They immediately found him right over the middle. Jaden Daniels Zach Ertz to a touchdown when he's supposed to be covering him. That's not a coaching point problem, that's a personnel shift problem, and opponents are going to just keep chasing you on that until you slam the door shut and I'll look. I'll give Washington some credit too.
Speaker 1:This wasn't just the Giants are bad. The commander's run game looked legitimately multiple and mean. Debo Samuel in Burgundy is a problem and rookie Jacory Krosky, aka Bill, looked completely comfortable doing whatever he wanted. Ripped off explosive runs on five different sets and Jaden Daniels bailed him out on second and forevers like it was a walkthrough practice. Add in Dan Quinn stoning. Two red zone trips. That's identity. That's showing up after what Philly did to them last year on the touch push in January.
Speaker 1:If you're Giants, the fix is boring but simple. Get out of the third and long business on offense. Have an actual red zone plan that isn't just hero ball, and figure out how you're going to survive off ball without McFadden before Dallas, who doesn't really have a running game, rings your bell and hope to God that Andrew Thomas can suit up sooner rather than later, because he really is just the full linchpin in this offensive line from the blue to the green. The jets, jets, jets. Yes, unfortunately my streak lives on.
Speaker 1:I am now 0-18 lifetime watching the Jets in person. I should probably be on a watch list at this point, but I will say, this time at least there seems to be a blueprint and honestly, I can't remember the last time I saw the Jets score 30 points. Justin Fields played grown-up football. The box line is clean to 16 of 22, 218 yards. Touchdown, no picks, 12 rushes for 48, ran one in himself. But what mattered was what wasn't there in the box score. No reckless sacks trying to play hero. No, hold the ball for four seconds and try to invent a window which, by the way, honestly he could have if he wanted to, because the offensive line looked stellar. And rookie Armand Membo, who was the highest graded tackle on pass protection for week one. That looks good. But Tanner Angstrom, oc for the Jets, called a great game.
Speaker 1:Jets ran the ball on about 58% of their snaps. That's roughly 21% over what you'd expect given their down and distance, and they kept fields out of the booby traps. His average third down game was four, four point five yards. That's. That's how you defang a pass rush like pittsburgh's and let your qb live in the easy stuff, live in the high life, even without avt. The opening play set at all motion the tight ends at a right hold, tj want zone the other way, let brie sa hall hit the cutback for 18 yards. Not just copy the concept you saw on twitter, but actual misdirection to mess with the baddest dude on the field. Breeze looked like breeze to 19 for 107. Isaiah davis had a burst, braylon allen felt found pay dirt and field still left. A couple reads out. There was a couple times he pulled the ball when he should have given it off. So it's encouraging because the baseline felt controlled Defensively.
Speaker 1:This was Sauce Gardner's first true quote-unquote travel game. So what do I mean by that? He shot out DK Metcalf, the Packers, the Steelers, best receiver on 30 of 34 pass plays and he held him to nothing but like a goofy pinball deflection in the final minutes. And he tackled with real urgency in the run scheme, which is something that Jet fans really criticized him on all last year, and it was warranted too. But it also shows the difference in scheme. Look, if you're going to shadow the number one wide receiver most of the time, they aren't going to run that way, if you get stuck on one side of the field and the offense sees you aren't the best tackler, guess what any good offensive coordinator is going to do? They're going to put their best run blocker on that side and send the running back your way. Aaron Glenn called it outstanding and said we'll see again when the matchup calls for it. Aka, it's probably going to happen every week.
Speaker 1:And you guys were split on the poll too. Half of you wanted sauce island all game and the other half wanted you to mix it in week to week. That's probably where they land. To be honest, build it into the plan and don't just staple it blindly. But the part that showed a true changing of the guard with this Jets franchise was Xavier Gibson's kickoff fumble, first turnover of the game. Steelers recover. Two plays later, rodgers hits Calvin Austin and the Jets cough up the lead in a two-point loss. Right, gibson was the darling on hard knocks and returned the punt to win week one against Buffalo after that Rodgers disaster. But this isn't Salah or Joe Davis. Aaron Glenn talked about accountability all offseason and flat out said you will not be on this team if you are going to cause us to lose games.
Speaker 1:Well, wednesday comes around. Gibson was cut, isaiah Williams was signed Look, it's brutal, but that's the business side of the game. But it also showed the messaging of the head coach holds weight. To quote Herm Edwards you play to win the game. Sorry for the kid, but I'm happy for my franchise. And I also got to give the building a little love too. Yes, that refrigerator, that air conditioning unit, that MetLife piece of trash stadium, I got to give it a little bit of love. They handed out green and white flags to everyone who entered the stadium and you know, steeler fans travel with those yellow towels like passports. So what did they do? They handed out a wall of green and white to drown it out and the fan base was in Waved them all game. Even the lady next to me asked if she could borrow mine so she could wave two at a time. The building was filled with a lot of Steeler fans and the chance of let's go Steelers down the steps on the way out was mind-numbing to say the least. But the fans that did show up, that didn't sell their tickets, they were in-house and they loved rooting for this new look jets.
Speaker 1:Now, if you're wondering how much of aaron rogers stealer debut is sustainable. Well, he did throw for four touchdowns and everybody lost their mind and it's the jets revenge game and he was a real prick in the postgame saying it was real nice to beat the entire Jets organization. But let's zoom in a little bit on that performance. Right, he did say midweek his back was tight and he didn't move well, well, yeah, he walked himself into two sacks and there was a lot of yards after the catch plus a short field after Gibson fumble. There was no throws of 20-plus yards downfield. So really functional, not vintage, right, and that's not a diss, even though I did boo the hell out of him. That's not a diss In that offense. Functional wins that's what Mike Tomlin has been doing for years. That's what he will always continue to do, but it's not a time machine for Rodgers either. That's what Mike Tomlin has been doing for years. That's what he will always continue to do, but it's not a time machine for Rodgers either.
Speaker 1:So the big picture for the Jets, the thing that was real was the run game and the intent behind it. The thing that's not really real, at least not yet, is crowning Rodgers off of a stat line. Keep insulating fields, keep building play, action and movement menu and keep letting sauce erase receiver problems. You can win like that. And look, I'm going to be a little Jets home here. They always play the Bills well and the Bills are coming off an exhausting victory on Sunday night against a bruiser team in the Ravens. I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets pull off the upset at home. But anyway, let's do a quick rip around the league before we pivot. Just to cover some things.
Speaker 1:Monday night JJ McCarthy flipped his debut from yikes to yup in one quarter. Kevin O'Connell told him at halftime you're going to bring us back from this. And he did Two touchdowns and a keeper himself. Late the Vikings slipped past the Bears. Fun fact for JJ he's only lost four games in his football career since he was 14 years old. I mean, the kid won a national championship at Michigan and then set out for a year to learn. It's only one game, but the returns on this young prospect look great early. As for Cale Williams, he had moments, but Chicago had a lot of penalties that didn't help him out. I do still think that him and Ben Johnson can be electric when they figure it out, but you better hope it's sooner rather than later. Bears fans are the Jets of the NFC.
Speaker 1:Now Bills and Ravens was absolutely unhinged 41-40. Josh Allen basically put the franchise on his back for the entire fourth quarter. Three scoring drives in a matter of four minutes, matt Prater walks it off and Baltimore somehow becomes the first team ever to lose, while scoring 40 points and rushing for 235 yards. That's crazy. And Lamar was sharp and Derrick Henry looked good too. Looked like a runaway train that he is. People that they had 169 yards and two touchdowns combined. The late fumble flipped the whole script. Hold on to the damn ball right. The building wanted a storybook send-off and they got theater instead.
Speaker 1:As for this week's Thursday night game Washington at Green Bay well again, the commander's run game is legit and Jaden Daniels doesn't sweat long down the distance, he's not afraid of the moment. But Lambeau at night with the Packers front, that's a different kitchen man. Plus, they're on back-to-back home games and Washington travels all over the country. Our pick-and-pull leaned Packers minus three and a half, and if I was going to bet the game I'd probably be riding there with you. So that's the NFL plate. The Giants need answers and patience. In that order. The Jets finally have a plan. Now they just need closing time. Cleanse the palate.
Speaker 1:After the break we'll head to baseball, and before we yell about both locals, we're going to take a minute to remember why this sport matters here. Piazza swing george w's paint in the black with that first pitch, and then we'll get into the rants about the teams. Stay tight, let's grab a breath and set the table for baseball with something that still hits you in the chest this week always does. Baseball didn't fix anything after 9-11, but it gave New York a heartbeat again. Mike Piazza's swing that night didn't just leave Shea. It lifted an entire city, every player wearing NYPD and FDNY caps, president Bush walking out there in front of 40,000 people and an entire nation watching, delivering a strike right down the middle on the first pitch. I still get goosebumps and still get emotional talking about it. That game brought everyone together, regardless of what team you rooted for that night, and it gave the city the boost that it needed at the time. It's a day that will never be forgotten in history and definitely deserves a moment of gratitude before we dive into the mess of what's happening right now. Thank you to all those out there who threw their own safety away to put safety of others first, and God bless, the families that were and still are affected by the tragedy of 9-11.
Speaker 1:Okay, so not the easiest topic to transition from. But we start with the yankees first here, because we just watched the full roller coaster on the weekend. They quietly did grown-up things against Toronto, while the NFL sucked the oxygen out of the room. They took two or three. Cody Bellinger uncorked a 95-mile-per-hour laser from right to hose Bobachet In a monsoon. Nonetheless, luis Hill gave you six strong and David Bednar got you four out Saturday, then closed again on Sunday. Meanwhile, the captain playing right field again stole a run with that full layout catch on Springer, swiped a bag, scored on Belly's double, clogged up the bases, drawing three walks and a partridge in the pear tree. That's what you're looking for and that's how you close within two games in the division and remind everyone the lights aren't too bright, right, right, well, no, because this team cannot ever let you breathe.
Speaker 1:Detroit came in and put a nine spot on their heads. In the seventh inning they had 14 batters reach plate, with the first nine all reaching base. That was just one inning 12-2 in a blink of an eye. Fernando Cruz couldn't buy a zone and Mark Leiter Jr followed with a wild pitch and a bruise parade. Mark Leiter Jr followed with a wild pitch and a bruise parade. So that clean, tight, nice and easy game turned into a blooper reel in about five minutes. And that wasn't one bad night either.
Speaker 1:Since August 1st, the bullpen era has been over five. You felt it and so did they. But now the vulpy part, which is the kind of thing that turns this rant into a referendum. All year they have given Volpe a rope that none of us could understand. Well, now we come to find out that Volpe has been trying to play through a small tear in his labrum all season. That was discovered in May, may. Aaron Boone says they're going day-to-day at shortstop and he's going to try to play through it. Well, he needed cortisone shots at the break and then again this week after he aggravated it on Sunday. Boone just continues to insist that it isn't a major factor and they want him to play through it and he'll tough it out if he can handle it.
Speaker 1:Well, I got news for you, man. I'm not even a Yankee fan, but my eyes and the box score. They show a 206 batting average and a 268 OPS. I got strikeouts piling up and I got a defensive gold glove shortstop slipping into negative plays. I am not here to question the kids' toughness. This is on the adults in the room. Athletes will always, always, always, always tell you that they are good to go and they want to play. You will have to fight to take them out.
Speaker 1:Part of being a good manager is protecting the player from himself. If he's hurt, sit him. If he needs a rest, give him a real one. No, don't grind him into the dust in front of 40,000 people every night and the boo birds are relentless, to the point where his father, who's in the stands, has to defend his own son. And then you wonder why he looks like he has zero confidence at the plate and he's got yips in the field. Look, I'll give credit. They traded for Jose Caballero and he's handled short cleanly and he definitely brings a different kind of spark. You know stolen bases, speed on the bags, but the bigger picture here is organizational Protect your players.
Speaker 1:This is borderline franchise malpractice for a prospect that was touted to be the next cornerstone of your franchise behind Judge, and I'm sorry, unless a miracle happens, the Yankees probably aren't winning the World Series this year, so then he'll have off-season surgery to which he'll come back to even more pressure of well, now that he's healthy, we expect him to pick up where he left off, and yada, yada, yada. And now, if he doesn't it, it's worse and the organization is under even more pressure because this is yet another year that you've wasted of judge's career again. I don't want to seem like I'm piling on the Yankees here, because there is plenty to get on about the Mets, but this is an absolute mess right now. And speaking of the Mets, let's just dive right into it. Let's flip to Queens. I've got a bone to pick. And the panic meter slider. You all filled out, came back north of 75%, so you guys tend to agree with me. All filled out came back north of 75 percent, so you guys tend to agree with me.
Speaker 1:The Phillies are now 12 up in the division after getting swept in the last four game series they had, and every game was a mess. Do you realize? The Mets had a seven game lead on the Phillies in this division. At one point, schwarber hits number 50. Ranger Suarez punched out 12 in six or five and two thirds, whatever it was. Game three turned into the Max Kepler showcase drives in five ribbies, while Bryce Harper has a souvenir to it in deep, deep right field and look, soto is doing hero stuff right. Three knocks number 39 into the right field seats, but one bat can't stop a flood and the confidence in this team couldn't be any lower, with all the key guys slumping.
Speaker 1:If you want a microcosm of this week, clay Holmes took the loss in that third game, gets charged with four and then the bullpen, the parade, comes in behind him and they didn't stop the bleeding at all. In fact they made it way worse. And this is on the heels of getting nicked in Cincy, who you're fighting off with a stick for the last wild card, where Brandon Sprote, in his debut, gets called up and does a no-no through six innings and he still took the loss because Hunter Green is apparently untouchable to this Mets lineup. That's the season in two sentences. Right there, flashes of what you want to be and no margin for error when the other guy is just better. But I will say this, and I've been consistent, you can go back and listen the kids are real and it is always, always better to be in the party fighting not to be kicked out than outside of the party fighting to get in if they can dig deep and win enough games and stave off the reds and the giants who just you know yeah, we trade, you get drew gilbert. Now you're a fucking playoff team.
Speaker 1:This playoff rotation and roster for that matter, will look much different than it is now. Nolan McLean has shown up with that ridiculous frisbee sweeper and has pushed his way to the front of this rotation. Jonah Tong is doing his best Tim Lincecum impression and also has elite stuff based on his metrics at only 6'1". Sprote, who was the highest touted of the three and he showed it in his debut, just needs the reps. The poll that I ran this week was who do you trust the most? And McLean got the nod. And I get it. The floor looks the highest there right now. Tong's funk plays and and sproat ceiling is loud. But yes, the schedule is mean. It's a bear to be quite honest.
Speaker 1:You start off with texas, with degrom making his city field return. That should be awesome. Kind of wish I had tickets for that. Then you got the padres, who have always seemed to have our number, followed by the Nats, who always turn into the mid-90s Braves against the Mets for God knows what reason, and then, to close the season. You're at the Cubs and at the Marlins, who would love nothing more than to play spoiler to the Mets. You want a direction. You got one. It's not painless, in fact it's going to be really hard, but if you're planning on making any noise in the postseason whatsoever, the road isn't going to be, nor is it supposed to be easy. Let this be the stretch they find themselves and actually man up if and I say if because right now I'm losing confidence they will, but if they make the playoffs, one thing I can guarantee is we would have been hot leading up to it and we will for sure not be the team that anyone wants to play come postseason time.
Speaker 1:We'll cap off this segment with a couple stories from around the league. Two quick ones while we got the stove on. You know, in seattle the mariners just detonated the braves 18 to 2 with 20 hits. God, how the mighty have fallen. Speaking of 90 braves, cal Riley is at 53 home runs, one shy of Mickey Mantle's switch hit record, with AUNEO Suarez having 45 in the same lineup, and they're back in the wild card window with Luis Castillo shoving on the hill. That's a lineup and a rotation you do not want to run into in the playoffs, especially if you're nursing a bullpen Yankees and everybody's favorite mustache, paul Skeens, crossed 200 strikeouts and somehow needed only 64 pitches to get through five scoreless in Baltimore. They are dialing back usage to land the plane now, but a 1.92 ERA over 178 big league innings in your first full season is cartoonish.
Speaker 1:Sub 2 ERA. Ask me what his record is? Go ahead, ask me Ready. He currently sits at 9-10 with a boatload of no decisions. He currently sits at 9-10 with a boatload of no decisions. He is a shoo-in to win the NL Cy Young, but as soon as his deal is up, goddammit, he's going to. I'm going to hate to say this. He's going to look great in pinstripes. He's going to be a Yankee. I can almost guarantee you. He's 23 and he already looks like the adult in the room.
Speaker 1:To recap for the Yankees it's a, it's a triage and honestly, get the bullpen synced. Be smart with Volpe ride, judge. While he's in this everything matters mode, do what you can to win games. Hopefully you win the division. You could honestly flounder from being the number one seed in the al to the third wild card, which is crazy to think about. And for the mets, it is survival mode, with a pulse squeeze every off day. Lean into the youth that has revitalized this franchise and just hope soto keeps breathing fire. Focus on winning the game in front of you and not the guys that are chasing you. Alright, hydrate up After the break.
Speaker 1:Fantasy. Buy lows, sell highs. Couple of waiver noodles that won't give you indigestion. Then we will plate the week 2 betting card and tear into the mailbag this week. Keep it right here. It's our final segment of the show and it's time for your dessert. And we kick it off with fantasy this week.
Speaker 1:Week one is always a funhouse mirror. Everything looks bigger and weirder than it actually really is. So here's how I'm playing it this week. I'm going to be buying talent in roles that stick. Aj Brown is the poster child. One weird quiet outing and suddenly people forget that he's a 1400 yard machine. If the AJ manager in your league is twitchy, make the call and pull the trigger if the deal is right. Remember the answer is always no until you ask. Same idea with Kenneth Walker too. The line wasn't pretty, but he led that backfield and Seattle didn't draft him to just be a decoy. I'll send out offers built around flexy-ish pieces who popped off in week one. Guys like Quentin Johnson, who had a two-touchdown spike but everybody knows he couldn't catch a cold in the winter, or like a hot wide receiver four. I trust Walker's role to grow as he gets fully healthy and I'm also kicking the tires on Calvin Ridley. I was very, very high on him all draft season and I still trust Cam Ward's arm. He has a tough Denver draw week one. That won't be the script all year. Calvin Ridley is going to explode and you're going to wish that you got him on your team.
Speaker 1:I'll throw in a speculative ad on Harold Fannin in Cleveland too. Yeah, I know you never heard that name before. The Browns lived in 12 personnel because mostly Joe Flacco's a statue back there and the double set, the rookie, logged real routes with a legit target share with David Njoku. That's not normal for a first year tight end. So if you lost George Kittle to the IR for the next four, which I'm sure most of you did Fannin might be the stash here Now. On the flip side, I'm not married to box score sugar highs either.
Speaker 1:Baker Mayfield's good week came with a soft setup. I will happily flip him for a higher echelon quarterback if anyone's overreacting. Same thing goes for Daniel Jones too. A big fantasy line against a very leaky defense. Look, maybe he needs to get out of New York and maybe he turns back into Danny Dimes, but I'm willing to bet he levels out. And he levels out to that guy that you offloaded for a solid player and stuck him on somebody else's team, or he becomes the streamer.
Speaker 1:You pick up for a bi-week replacement and then it's no harm, no foul, and I hate to say this as much as I love the player, brees Hall. This Jets offense is going to keep other backs involved, and they showed you that week one. Brees got a lot of yardage, sure. He got a couple pass catches, sure. But Isaiah Davis had some pop and it was Braylon Allen who hit pay dirt. So if someone wants to pay running back one prices off of that opener, I'd be willing to listen, especially if I'm light at wide receiver. This is the whole game after week one. Everybody tries to make trades post-draft, but you don't do that. You wait till week one. You wait till those guys pop. You buy the roles that you can trust and you sell the lightning in a bottle early. A couple of streamy notes for this week too, with Brock Purdy out 3-5.
Speaker 1:Temper expectations for anybody on the Niners really, besides CMC I mean Mack Jones can run Shanahan stuff and actually little known fact, he was infatuated with mac jones but he just didn't have the draft capital to get him the year that he was drafted. But it was. It's still probably going to be very conservative to start. So cmc owners great, but anybody else not great.
Speaker 1:Devin hn looked pretty good in his opening week, but the Dolphins are an absolute mess. They have a coach that couldn't light up a Bic lighter, never mind a team, and so much talent. So if guys start not caring or guys get hurt and don't want to rush back, if you have a guy on your bench that's a dud and Ollie Gordon is available on the wire, I highly recommend stashing him, just in case you know. Justin Fields looked comfortable. I guess you could say he had some designed runs, he shot some plays off the play action and he has a coordinator who gets how to use him. So if you drafted him, like I told you to wait on quarterback, that was the plan all along. Don't get cute. Hold tight on him. The best is yet to come.
Speaker 1:Okay, now let's slide over to the batting corner. Last week we went one for two. San Fran cashed. They did everything in their power to give the game away, but they cashed. Atlanta coughed it up late and Carolina showed that they couldn't stop a nosebleed, to quote Bart Scott. So we're in the red early, but it's a long season.
Speaker 1:Here's what I've got circled this week. First on the list Cowboys minus 4.5 against the Giants. I know, I know Giant fans take a deep breath. I'm sorry to go against you, but Dallas has owned you in this matchup for about a decade and the numbers back it up, especially in Jerry World. So until New York can prove that they can stop CD and avoid third and forever, I'm laying the number Next Chiefs plus one and a half at home. Or just take the money line. If you want even money, that's fine too. Look, they looked flat on national television. They traveled all the way to Brazil. They got clowned all offseason about the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1:Tay-tay will probably be in the building, will definitely be in the building. This is the spot where Andy Reid and Mahomes tend to answer the bell, and it's rare you get Kansas City as a home dog. Yeah, I'll bite on that. I'll even throw in a Kelsey touchdown.
Speaker 1:Last on the list Cardinals minus 6.5. Hosting the Panthers Cardinals can move the ball, sure, but they can't stop the run. Travis Etienne did whatever he wanted last week. So Arizona's combo of James Conner and Kyler Murray on keepers, with Trey McBride running up the seam, is just a flat-out bad matchup and a front that leaks chunk yardage, not to mention Carolina's on the road back-to-back weeks. So look, if you're squeamish, buy it down to 5.5. They win by a touchdown, whatever, but I honestly believe that they run away with this game. So, if you're feeling spicy, that is carolina minus six and a half, that is chiefs plus one and a half and that is cowboys minus four and a half. All in a parlay, that's plus 584. Now, because we all have a few dollars that we don't know what to do within the account, I got the lot. I'll take it for you, boys ready.
Speaker 1:Jets money line plus 250. Bears money line plus 220. Saints money line plus 136. That is roughly plus 2543. Turn 15 bucks into 300 for the chaos, gods right. Look, the Jets always play the Bills hard, especially at home. Buffalo is coming off a hard-fought comeback win Sunday night against a bruising team with a mobile quarterback and a bruising running back. Well, now they face three strong running backs and a new-look mobile quarterback. This has trap game written all over it for Buffalo Bears over the Lions. Look, lions lost both coordinators that look to maybe be solid head coaches and their offense looked lost and their defense looked. Even worse Could happen. Bears can pull up a division upset, no problem. Lastly, saints over the Niners is strictly based on the line. The books are giving us Plus 136 for a team that's projected to finish dead last against a team that was in the Super Bowl two years ago, starting quarterback or not. That line tells me that the books don't want to lose much on the Saints and they are begging you to take the Niners this week.
Speaker 1:Last but not least, I asked you guys to send in some questions or topics to cover on this week's episode, and I got flooded with responses, so much so that this will now be a recurring segment every week. That's how much you guys poured in stuff. So let's shove our hand in this mailbag, swirl it around a little bit and let's see what we can pull out. First up, we have Tooch at the bar. He says simply Kyle Schwarber is the NL MVP. You know what? I get it, and I'm close to agreeing with you. Look, 50 homers and the only guy ever with a four home run game and a 50 home run season in the same year, all while hitting under 250. It's pretty impressive, to be honest with you, and he's been the heartbeat that this team needed. Even more so when Bryce went out for a little bit. The curtain call with the 50 Schwab bombs on the board told you everything you need to know about his value to this clubhouse. Otani is the perpetual favorite, for obvious reasons, in the NL, but if you're weighing most valuable to this contender right now, schwab absolutely has a case and, honestly, he's got my vote Okay.
Speaker 1:Next up, we got Cap in Salt Lake City. Cap asks is it too early to be all in on Ja'Cory Krosky Merritt's fantasy production? Well, it's never too early to bet on a good role in a good design, right? So Washington's run game is real. They run multiple concepts, pistol looks. I mean he ripped off a bunch of big chunk plays on a whole bunch of different designs. But it's important to be honest with yourself about the timeshare math too. Jaden Daniels will steal carries in the green zone, that's, between the 40 and the 30, not the red zone and Austin Eckler will definitely vacuum up past targets when they trail in games. So, all in, I don't know my stance would be flex maybe an RB2 in weeks when Washington is favored against a shitty opponent. But look, if someone wants to pay you like you got to belk out, hear them out, if not, stash and deploy them when necessary, all right.
Speaker 1:Last one here we got Rob in K-10. He closes it out for us. He says which rookies finish number one in fantasy by year end quarterback, running max, wide receiver, tight ends. So I'm not sure if he's asking of the rookie class which position will do better or which rookie in each class will do the best, but more than likely running backs as a class will do better, just because of the sheer volume of good ones that came out this year between Ashton Janty, rj, harvey, travion, henderson, omarion, hampton, hell, even guys like Cam Scadabo and Ollie Gordon if David A Chan gets hurt. I mean the wide receivers that came out have some talent too. You know I've been preaching them all year. I'm really high on Tetratoa McMillan, but just on sheer volume, if we're going to go as a class, the running back should dominate this year. No doubt class, the running back, should dominate this year. No doubt Now, if I had to pick one out of the class, let's go with Omarion Hampton by a nose.
Speaker 1:The Chargers used him not like a rookie, got 80% of snaps with 15 carries, he ran routes and he was in on pass protection. Harbaugh's trust is the currency that you want to use when you're evaluating usage. All right, that's the trio the fantasy sanity to help you win your league, the week two card to help you beat the books, and the mailbag for you to take part in the show. If you want in on the mailbag for you to take part in the show, if you want in on the mailbag next week, or you want your vote to be counted in the polls that I run, hop over on the Instagram. Every week, we do a Wednesday mic check Polls sliders. I throw a quiz in there just to keep you on your toes. Like it's high school Plenty of dishes that we didn't get to plate tonight. That's the kitchen life, unfortunately, but we are open every week, so swing back and sample the rest next week. For now, though, let's box up the leftovers and I will bring you the check. Make sure to tip your waiter. Okay, that's going to do it for episode 30.
Speaker 1:Today we got a little messy in the best way. We started with the Giants Dable doubling down on Russ, the neighbor sideline moment and what that actually meant and the very real possibility you guys are playing with fire in Dallas. Then we swung it over to the Jets Fields looking like the guy that Chicago was promised sauce's new travel plan, the accountability under Aaron Glenn yes, my personal walk of shame to 0-18, lifetime in that building. We took a moment to recognize 9-11 and what baseball meant during that time, from Piazza's swing to President Bush piping one down the middle. And then we got back to the modern reality the Yankees' bullpen melting down twice, the Volpe-Labrum news and the way the whole thing had been handled. Mets getting broomed in Philly while Schwarber parked number 50. But still some hope for the young kids.
Speaker 1:We mix in your Mic. Check Wednesday results. You're mostly in on fields. Uh, met fans live at defcon one based upon the panic slider, and you're semi-cautious on jackson dart but also want to see him get in the game. Lastly, we finished up with some fantasy football talk. Buy lows, sell highs. Streamers, that won't make you hate yourself. Laid down the gambling card for week, two cowboys minus four and a half chiefs at home cards on the ground. And then we finished the show with a quick mailbag schwarber for mvp, how to treat krosky, merit and fantasy, and why this rookie running back class is going to be a weekly headache in a good way.
Speaker 1:If you made it this far, do me a solid. Follow the show on socials. It's going to be at Rice on the Radio and make sure you jump into the Wednesday Mic Checks. It's a great way to participate in the show every week. Rate and review the pod on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen. Hit, subscribe, share it with that one friend who screams at the TV like you do.
Speaker 1:Rate and review the pod on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen. Hit, subscribe, share it with that one friend who screams at the TV Like you do. It literally takes you two clicks, but it helps me exponentially. Last but not least, make sure you tune in and catch me Saturday mornings with my buddy Nikki at wolves of wisdom. We go live on IG and if you're into college football, he's the guy to listen to to make wolves of wisdom. We go live on IG and if you're into college football, he's the guy to listen to to make you some money. We'll set your weekend card and we'll do our best to beat the books, as always. Spread good energy in this world and tell someone you love I'm being rice, this has been rice on the mics and I'll catch you guys next week.