Kickoff with Boomer Esiason and Mike Valenti for Week 4 in the NFL

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

It's time for Kickoff with Boomer Esiason and Mike Valenti.

Mike Valenti (0:08)

What's happening this week for Kickoff with Boomer & Valenti, and I gotta tell you that the assignment has been at the dress code, is this is two gentlemen in matching quarter zips. This is, Boomer, this is regal. This is great.

Boomer Esiason (0:20)

I know, you look great. I love the hat too, by the way.

Mike Valenti (0:23)

Thank you. We got a lot to get to, pal, including, I always love stuff like this. I love people getting fired and I love trades. I just, it's an energy for me. Can we talk to Joey Porter Jr. before we get to run them? Sure, 100%.

And I think it's fascinating because A, is it going to do what Dallas thinks it's going to do? And then the other side, not just because I emanate from Detroit, what the hell are the Lions doing? But let's start with the Cowboys. Do you believe this materially makes them better that can not fix, but improve their issues in the secondary?

Boomer Esiason (0:57)

Yes, I do. And the question is, what kind of contract are they going to give him? I'm assuming that they probably have already had contract conversations with his agent, and they're probably in the ballpark. And now that means Jerry Jones has added Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and now Joey Porter to this defense. And Williams and Kenny Clark are playing fine. They're playing well. Their problems have been the secondary in the injuries that they have. So this comes from a place of need. And as Jerry Jones has said over the last couple of years, he ain't getting any younger.

So he is trying to reinforce this defense.

Mike Valenti (1:31)

I like it. And look, he's a fan. He wants to win. I can't kill an owner for that. Now on the Lions side, here's the problem. This has been a theme. They don't do anything aggressive. They just don't.

You know, we have some audio drops that we play here. And it's like, we like our guys in the room and they always default to it. And for I don't want people to get tripped up. A second round pick, yes, that's high compensation, but it's in 2028 And if you don't sign Joey Porter, you're going to get a three in compensatory level down the line. So it just, what do you make of it? I mean, the Lions rank dead last or second to last in every relevant past defense category. They had to survive. Boomer, I said this to lead the show this week. I went, guys, if you can say to following words, Geno Smith and the Jets were driving to tie the game at 31 You lost the game.

You know I like AG., but the Jets are not built for that. If Geno's going 31 for 37, you could go out and complete 55 percent on the day. So it just, tell me what are the Lions doing? Yeah, well, that's a good question.

Boomer Esiason (2:36)

Well, they're going to try to win games on offense, which is what they have done here, the first part of the season. Jared Cough's been on fire.

And when you look at all their athletes on offense, I mean, every game is going to be a track meet. So, yeah, they should have been in, who knows? They might have been in this Joey Porter trade. We don't know that for a fact.

Mike Valenti (2:53)

They called on him. I'll tell you that, they called on him.

Boomer Esiason (2:55)

Yeah, but then again, you have to worry about a contract. Can you fit it under your salary cap constraints? There's all sorts of other aspects to this story that we probably don't know that went on behind the scenes. But I will say this, Geno Smith has gotten better each and every week for the Jets. Week one, great. Week two, really good. And week three, just absolutely blazing. And he hasn't turned the ball over until the fumble at the end of the game yesterday. So.

Mike Valenti (3:21)

No, and they were down three of their top four receivers. They were down there starting tight end. Like then Breeze Hall died during the game. No, I look, I respect what he did. I'm making a point. Jets are trying to get to 20 You can't have them in the thirties. All right, let's enough chit chat. Let's get to the rundown.

SPEAKER_1 (3:35)

The NFL rundown.

Mike Valenti (3:37)

You know, I'm a Ben Johnson truder. What did you make of what just went down? I mean, what does it say more about Bears or Eagles? But for Ben Johnson to get Case Keenum prepped up and not protect him, he just went, we're throwing the ball. I mean, that was as impressive as anything you'll see from a scheming standpoint all year, right?