The Next 5 Weeks Could Decide The NFC West

Ryan Fitzpatrick (0:00)

As some of these teams, we can't figure out, there's one I think we do have figured out, and that is the San Francisco 49ers.

Andrew Whitworth (0:07)

Fitz, let's look at their schedule going forward, okay? Not just are they undefeated and playing well, they got the Commanders, the Falcons, the Raiders, the Cowboys and the Vikings. And the bye week in the middle of that. I think we could see the Niners be 10-0. Now, that's before they start a stretch, where they're gonna get a lot more division games, and some games that I think are gonna kind of define the season.

But I could see them being 10-0. I could see them getting a 10-0.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (0:31)

You heard it here first, the 49ers are gonna be 10-0.

Andrew Whitworth (0:35)

I'm not saying they'll be happy about it. I'm just saying I could see them getting a 10-0. Wow.

SPEAKER_3 (0:49)

Welcome back to Fitz & Whit, a Wondry Show presented by Miller Lite.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (0:53)

I'm Fitz, and there he is, Andrew Whitworth. How are we doing today, Whit?

Andrew Whitworth (0:57)

Oh, I'm doing good. Week five was pure chaos, Fitz, and I don't think there's a better testament to that than we spent maybe 30 minutes talking about the NFC East and all the things we were excited about last week, and not a single team in the division decided to win a game, Fitz.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1:12)

A lot of kissing your sister there, commanders and giants.

Andrew Whitworth (1:16)

We both ended in a tie.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1:18)

We have ended in a tie. So have you, Donovan McNabb, and you didn't know you could tie back then either.

SPEAKER_3 (1:24)

It was crazy too because I feel like Drake May's officially back.

Andrew Whitworth (1:28)

He's back, baby.

SPEAKER_3 (1:29)

Two weeks in a row. 45 points on the Raiders for the Patriots.

Andrew Whitworth (1:34)

You didn't want to say it. I know that hurt. And hey, Jared Goff, the Lions. Pung 45 on the Cardinals.

Are the Lions going to get themselves back in the mix if they can play a little defense? Maybe.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1:43)

Yeah, I know a few teams that need to play a little defense.

The Jaguars, they slip by the Eagles by two, and then the Chargers, the Dolphins and the Titans. Still, winless.

Andrew Whitworth (1:58)

Unlike our guy Josh Allen in OT, baby, we broke the streak.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (2:02)

He got it.

Andrew Whitworth (2:03)

We broke it.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (2:03)

Could you believe he was 0-7 in overtime?

Andrew Whitworth (2:05)

I honestly did not know that. I knew the playoff losses and like how they've happened. I didn't quite realize it was 0-7 in overtime.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (2:13)

There was like a little snarky question there at the end where she was like, Oh, you haven't had much much luck in overtime, huh? It was like, OK, we just, you know, he won the game. I don't know if he wants to relive some of those moments, but every week, the NFL finds a new way to humble and surprise us. And you just look at Ben Johnson and the Bears.

I mean, he likes being in that division so he could beat the Packers and Matt LaFleur twice a year, right?

SPEAKER_3 (2:44)

I mean, it doesn't even make sense.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (2:45)

Every week we have another game that makes no sense. But as some of these teams, we can't figure out, there's one I think we do have figured out and that is the San Francisco 49ers.

Andrew Whitworth (2:58)

Yeah, I mean, I think I walked away from that game. You remember when Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, in the Niners-Seahawks days, I used to play, Sherm talks about it all the time, but the physicality that that game represented when they played each other, that's what this one screamed to me. And I don't know if I've ever felt that as much in the Shanahan era and McVeigh and McDonald, like kind of in that time, definitely good defense at times, an unbelievable offense, but man, the physicality on both sides of the football from the Niners to me, I think it's hard to say that they're not the best team in the NFL. I mean, I think they've got to be, I think they've got to be the team that you say right now when you look at it on both sides of the football. Sure, there's some other teams that are undefeated. I think Kansas City, I still want to see what they look like against some better teams.

I think when I look at the Minnesota Vikings, man, unbelievable on defense. I'll take the Niners offense, Oprah, what's happening on offense in Minnesota. You sure? Any day of the week. But I think when I look at that game, I think that's what I enjoy the most. And then Raheem Morris and his impact right now to this point, this Niners defense without Nick Bosa to get five sacks, go into Seattle. We think of that environment and what it's like. We know last year how those games, after the first game of the year, really the next two times that San Francisco played Seattle, they look outmatched. And so I think when you look at that matchup to me, I thought it was really cool. And what I'm interested in this one, you know, the NFL loves a narrative and they love these storylines. You think of Kyle Shanahan's worst moment, right? 28-3, the game with the Falcons and the Patriots. I was there.