Various NFL Players: Hey, this is Russell Wilson. This is Joe Montana. This is Dak Prescott. Hey, this is Jason Kelce, and you’re listening to Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi. Rob Maaddi.
Rob Maaddi, host: Welcome to On Football with me, Rob Maaddi. We’ve got two 4-1 teams facing off in Week 6. I’ll be there for it. 49ers at Tampa Bay. The Lions visit the Chiefs in a game many considered when the schedule came out, a potential Super Bowl preview.
But the Chiefs are off to a 2-3 start. Still could be, the way the AFC is off to a slow start. Our guest this week, Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson. He’s coming up shortly.
MAADDI: The Bengals made a trade for Joe Flacco this week because Joe Burrow is hurt, and they're 0-3 with Jake Browning. They needed a quarterback because they’re still in a playoff race at 2-3. Burrow could return in December. I just don’t understand why they didn’t target Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston from the Giants. The Giants are going with Jackson Dart. Wilson and Winston are available. Listen, Joe Flacco is a very likable guy. Everybody loves him. My daughters were born in the same hospital as he was in south Jersey, but he’s 40 years old. He’s challenged with his mobility. Bengals have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. If they were serious about winning, why not go after Russell Wilson?
MAADDI: Falcons Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson has the potential to be one of the all-time NFL greats. We sat down this week. Bijan, appreciate your time, man. Thank you so much for joining me. You guys are coming off a bye week. How’d you spend it? How’d you spend your time off?
ROBINSON: Yeah, I mean, I just really chilled in Atlanta. I didn’t really go anywhere. I went to the Florida-Texas game in Gainesville, flew there like Friday night, so I wanted to go check that one out. But other than that, man, I just worked out a couple of days and then just hung here, just me and the girlfriend. I was playing video games, just kind of chilling there. So that’s what I’ve been doing for the bye week. It was really good.
MAADDI: When you guys play as inconsistently early in the season, then go into the bye with such an impressive win, right? How much does that help? The confidence, the feeling around, just to be able to step aside, to walk away from the game for a little bit of time, coming off such an impressing win like you had.
ROBINSON: Yeah, man, I mean, it’s great. But I think the biggest thing is, like, you know, obviously getting guys back healthy and getting guys that were injured. And then just watching the past four weeks and kind of just looking at some of the little things that we can clean up, especially on offense, and looking at those opportunities that we could have had, that we might have missed, and that we should see for this next stretch of the season. And I think that’s what the bye week’s for. You know, always, like making sure that you’re cleaning up those little mistakes that you want to continue to be the best that you can be at. And for me, that’s what I did. I know that’s the teammates did, so. I think we’re definitely ready to go, to get back on that field. Early bye weeks definitely suck because I just want to play and just go out there. So, but I mean, it’s all for something and I can’t wait to see how we respond from it.
MAADDI: What are you seeing out of Michael now in his first full season as a starter? You were obviously there with him all of last year. He got a chance towards the end of the season and what are you seeing out him just in his development and his maturation process?
ROBINSON: Yeah, I mean, he’s just so calm and poised, man, like. I think with Mike, that’s just who he is as a person. So when he brings us to the field, it makes everybody else around him just calm, cool, and collected. And we have so many leaders on this offense, and from the O-line to the receivers, the running backs, everybody that’s involved, tight ends, all of us have a part in this role that we’re trying to make each and every one of us better. So with Mike, he has so much support around him. And I think it’s really good for him to see that. When we get on that field, we’re all calm, comfortable, ready to go, and he shows it.
MAADDI: What has Kirk been like to have just as a veteran voice, right? Not just for Mike, but for the rest of the offense. He’s been through so much. He’s experienced a ton in the NFL. What’s it been like to have him?
ROBINSON: Man, it’s huge. It’s huge, like having his expertise and for him being a vet in this league for such a long time and doing it at a high level for a long time, like, you know, even when I have to ask him questions or ask him certain things and, you know, he just has to answer for it. And, you know, you just bring a light to the, to the offense, man, to the whole team, you know, everybody just enjoys Kirk being around and, you know him being, you know, a support to Mike. But, you know, supports all of us, you know, he’s, it’s bigger than just him on the field like him off the field is it’s been amazing and you know his just knowledge for this game is exceeding beyond his knowledge so like you know him sharing that with all of us like it’s being, it’s a very big thing for this team.
MAADDI: Bijan, when you hear people like Saquon Barkley, and I’m sure you’ve been asked this already, compliment you like you’re the next great running back, you’re that guy, and just to have that kind of bestowed upon you, how does that make you feel?
ROBINSON: I mean, it’s a blessing, man. You know, like, God blessed me to play this game at a high level and do it for not just on the field, but off the field. So to have respect from other guys like that is always huge. But for me, like you know, I got a lot of work to do, man, like I got to continue to get better every single day. You know I’m never a finished product. And for me, like, I play that way and I practice that way because, you know, I want to become the best that I can, become not just for myself or for this team. For everybody that watches me play in that field. So, you know, it’s great to have respect from, you know, my peers and, you know, from guys like Saquon, that’s my dude. Like, you know, it’s always great because I’m trying to reach what they’ve, what they’ve accomplished as well. So, you know for me, like it’s very, it's I take it, I take one day at a time to get better on all aspects of my game so I can be the best of this team and just let everything else take care of itself.
MAADDI: Bijan, I got to see your commercial with Colgate, and man, you look like a natural to me, like in front of that camera. How much fun was it? What was that experience like just to be able to do that?
ROBINSON: It was, it was a very cool experience, man. Like it was so much fun to not only just do the commercial, but like be around those people. Like those are amazing people that made it really easy for me during that process. And you know, yes, like this partnership has been amazing and you know just onto that partnership. Like, you know it’s, it’s something that’s really, you know excites me and that that’s really near and dear to my heart just because, you know with the Colgate Total Active Prevention System. You know, it comes with the toothbrush, the toothpaste and the mouthwash if you want it. I feel like you should get it, you know, everybody should have it. Because you know it prevents the oral health problems that you know maybe some of us have, maybe some of us just don’t want, and for me like it just gets you just dentist-ready for whatever you know that time comes but you know, it strengthens your teeth all over the place. You’re everywhere in your gums, mouth, everywhere and it’s been just super helpful to me as I’m trying to continue to keep my smile at its best because I’m smiling all the time. But yeah, that commercial with those people, man, it was so much fun to be a part of it and it was so easy and I just cannot wait to continue to keep on going with it.
MAADDI: It’s time for some Pro Picks. The four pack is 13-6-1 straight up, 13-7 against the spread. My best bets and upset specials are off to an 8-2 start straight up, 7-3 against the number. My best bet this week, New England at New Orleans. Patriots minus three and a half. Drake Maye led an impressive comeback victory on the road against the Buffalo Bills. Sunday Night Football. The Patriots and Mike Vrabel have proven they are going to be a legitimate contender in the AFC East. They’re not going to let the Buffalo Bills cruise to another division title. Now they’ve got to avoid a letdown against the Saints. I think they will. Patriots, 26-17. For my upset special, the Seahawks are just a one-point underdog at Jacksonville. Sam Darnold’s late interception against Tampa Bay set the stage for the Buccaneers to win that game. Despite that pick, the Seahawks are thriving and they had a ton of defensive players missing against the Buccaneers. Now, the Jaguars, they’ve proven under Liam Coen, they’re for real, they’re off to a 4-1 start, an impressive comeback win. Monday night at home — Trevor Lawrence scores the touchdown at the end where he could have been tackled for a sack. Didn’t, avoided all of that. It’s a tough spot for the Jaguars coming off an emotional Monday night win, short week. I’m going to go with the Seahawks 27-23. Mentioned the Lions and Chiefs at the top. 4-1 Lions, 2-3 Chiefs, yet Kansas City is a two and a half point favorite at home. Detroit has a dynamic offense with Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown. I can’t wait to see how Steve Spagnuolo schemes up against them. The Chiefs need this game more. I’m taking Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-27. Last of the four pack — Broncos, seven and a half point favorites against the winless Jets in London. Bo Nix led Denver to an impressive comeback win in Philly. They were down 14 in the fourth quarter against the Super Bowl champions and won that game. They’ve got a tough, stingy defense. As for New York, they got a new coach in Aaron Glenn, but it’s the same old Jets. Broncos, 24-13.
That’s it for this week. Thank you to Bijan Robinson. Thank you for listening and thank you to Haya Panjwani for producing this episode. Please check out APNews.com for the full Pro Picks, On Football analysis and more NFL news.
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