What Do We Know After 4 Weeks? | 'Stinkin' Truth Podcast'

Mark Schlereth (0:00)

We had to wear pads in December and that's not fair. Can you be any softer?

SPEAKER_2 (0:09)

From coast to coast, when it comes to football, Mark Schlereth and Mike Evans are talking nothing but the Stinkin Truth.

Mike Evans (0:17)

This is a leadership issue, this is an optics issue, this is your quarterback.

Mark Schlereth (0:22)

There's certain things that always tell the truth. Physicality in the run game always tells the truth.

SPEAKER_2 (0:27)

Yoga pants always tells the truth. Now, here's your hosts, Mark and Mike.

Mark Schlereth (0:36)

Hey, welcome in to the Stinkin Truth Podcast alongside Mike Evans. I'm Mark Schlereth. Thank you so much for making us a part of your day. Whether you download us and listen to us on Apple or Spotify, you'll watch us on YouTube at Stinkin Truth, or you listen to us as part of the great Odyssey Radio Network. We thank you so much for making us a part of your day. Mike, how are you, buddy?

Mike Evans (0:56)

I'm great. And we now, you guys always tell me, you football guys always tell me, you got to have about four weeks. Yeah. Four weeks of film, four weeks to kind of get a sense of who and what a team is and tendencies and all that. So we're starting to see some power rankings come out through the first four weeks. And most of the ones I've seen has San Francisco as the best team in football right now. They're playing the defending champion Seahawks this week. Always love those NFC West matchups. But what about it? Do you think San Francisco right now is the best team in football?

Mark Schlereth (1:29)

Yeah, I'm not ready to go there.

I'm not.

I think they're a really good team.

But again, I come off this watching them Sunday and then going back and watching the coaches tape and breaking down the tape of the Broncos San Francisco game. And I saw, I mean, five or six explosive plays, a couple of touchdowns that the Broncos and their quarterback, Bo Nicks, missed. And so I look at that and say, hey man, you left 21, 24 points somewhere in there in the first half on the table. It was a 3-3 ball game at half time. It should have been a 21-3 or a 24-3 ball game at half time. And you left them there because you got such pathetic quarterback play from Bo Nicks. So like what would have happened if you got, average quarterback play would have scored 17 to 24 points. Average, it was so below average that it makes me wonder about the Niners and they've had some injuries. No Nick Bosa, that's a big loss right there. I will say this, the Niners are a really good team. Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level. There is no question. They have got a scheme and a system under Kyle Shanahan that they just operate exceptionally well and he does such a great job of game planning, scheming up big plays in the passing game and all that stuff. But I still question a little bit this defense, this secondary, their cornerbacks and their ability to rush the passer right now. So there are some question marks there for me that I wouldn't put San Francisco is number one. I might put Kansas City is number one, which like surprises me, but they've answered every question except who's our number one wide receiver. They haven't been able to figure that out. And Thornton, who looked like he might emerge, now dislocated the ankle. Rice has the hamstring pull. But what they've done with Kenneth Walker, what they have done as a franchise in general, what they've done replacing a secondary is been nothing short of unbelievably impressive. So I just wouldn't put, I don't think I'd put San Francisco as number one, but I understand why people do it.

Mike Evans (3:42)

Wait, with Purdy, let me give you a little pushback, because watching that game against the Broncos, Purdy was solid. But I thought, you know, kind of the runaway Brock Purdy, gaining steam, MVP talk kind of took a little bit of a hit. I mean, until they hit that big pass to George Kittle late in the game.

Mark Schlereth (4:02)

Yeah, the 56-yard touchdown.

Mike Evans (4:03)

I mean, that offense wasn't really humming along.

Mark Schlereth (4:06)

No, and they've had injuries. You know, stribbling has been out with an ankle or a calf or whatever he's been out with for a while. Mike Evans, every time he caught a pass, he had to go to the sideline because he's got the rib cartilage issue. So they've had some issues with their offense in general, the receiving corps, which they've had over the last couple of years. But here's what I would tell you, man.