Stuff we bought on Amazon this week:
John Cashman: All right. What’s happening in Niners Nation? John, and Tim and my brother from another mother Brian. Let’s talk some Niners. If, you got a chance, leave a review. Give us, a like, subscribe. But hey, how are we feeling today? How are we feeling?
Tim Cashman: I think we are officially what you and I have discussed. We are in the sports wasteland.
We have nothing in August we’re all gonna be about preseason football.
John Cashman: And then realize preseason football is actualy really all that good, but it holds us over just enough
Brian, how are you doing today?
Brian Caynan: Good so Tim baseball doesn’t cover your interest?
Tim Cashman: At this point it’s on in the background, but what is there to get excited about? There’s the All-Star game. Okay, I’ll watch that. But we’re not in any key pendant races right now. Yeah, it’s just
Brian Caynan: I get it.
Tim Cashman: after the NBA finals as, as we’ve discussed in the past. I start counting down the days to training camp and get very excited when somebody like Fred Warner shows up.
And unpacks the stuff and goes into his room.
John Cashman: And, how many days is it to training Camp Tim?
Tim Cashman: oh, I think we’re just over 30, 40 maybe.
John Cashman: All right.
Tim Cashman: don’t have the exact number. You’ve stumped me, John.
John Cashman: I apologize. Anyway from Tim, let’s start talking Niners. The subject of this podcast, is season 23, schedule and the season outlook. So Tim, let’s just start with some big picture from one to 10. How you feeling 2023?
Tim Cashman: I think like last year, take it one game at a time. I think the only comment I’ll make is. don’t know if the 49ers, want their fans to be in the best of spirits come the holidays or maybe the NFL doesn’t want the 49ers fans to be in the best Spirit come the holiday. Cause because the 49ers are playing both Thanksgiving night Christmas Day.
So there’s gonna be a lot of families in the Bay Area and throughout Niners Nation. They’re just gonna have to reorient their Thanksgiving dinners, their Christmas dinners, and maybe a lot of holiday cheer.
Brian Caynan: And they’re also playing on New Year’s Eve too, so we got that going on.
John Cashman: It’s the triple crown of alcohol consumption. Brian, how are you feeling from one to 10? About 2023.
Brian Caynan: You know, it can only get better from last season. So, I’m feeling positive. You know,I’m thinking it’s an eight, maybe nine, you know, make the playoffs.
Could we be a Super Bowl contender? Yeah, most definitely. But are we gonna win it? I don’t know. Could we’ll see, but I’m feeling good, positive.
John Cashman: I’m feeling eight-ish. Yeah, I’m feeling eightish. I feel really positive. There’s just a lot of returning guys. There’s some rookies. I really wanna see. There’s some guys, you who are gonna step up. I think in their second year. We’ll see how Brock Purdy does, but I, I’m feeling, I’m feeling pretty good.
So, and we’ll see. Well, let’s start talking 2023 season. We’ll go through the games as, as we do, our first game up, which is always for me, one of my more nerve-wracking games. Just cuz we really never know how these teams are gonna be. it’s against the Pittsburgh Steelers and last year we had the debacle in Chicago. The year before that we almost gave away a 28 point lead in Detroit. With Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin’s always got a good team going. We’re gonna have a solid D. It’s away/ You know, this is gonna be tough one. We’ll see what happens with the Niners, but I hate the, I hate the opening week.
It’s just, it’s just really tough, you know, like everybody seems a little outta sync. It’s just not, not, ready yet.
It’s like, 2.0.
Tim Cashman: I think the opening game for me, Is a little more exciting. I don’t think I’m as despondent as, as you are, John, I do share your memories of the monsoon in Chicago,
Tim Cashman: The almost debacle in Detroit, and like you said, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re a well-run organization. They’re always gonna be. I know that last year was an off year for them with Rothlesberger being out for the first time or retiring rather.
So yeah. But at the same time, it’s something to get excited about the only thing that always worries me and worries me every year about the 49ers is injuries Which is why I think every Niners fan holds their breath in training camp. Every Niners fan holds their breath during preseason.
It’s like wrap the team in bubble tape. don’t need any more injuries. Injury filled drama. We’ve had our share these past several seasons.
Brian Caynan: Yeah. Who’s their, who’s their starting quarterback? Is it Pickett or is it this new guy?
John Cashman: It’s Kenny Pickett.
Brian Caynan: yeah. Okay.
John Cashman: He’s a second-year player who wanna be pretty decent. I mean, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a, a ginormous offense, but you know, they’re gonna be OK. Mike Tomlin just doesn’t coach a bad football team.
Tim Cashman: No he doesn’t.
John Cashman: So this schedule’s a little strange, we go to the Rams, we go, we go from Pittsburgh to LA
Tim Cashman: But let’s be honest, John, that is Levi Stadium South. So let’s throw that up as a home game.
John Cashman: Brian, SoFi, Levi’s South, Is it Levi’s 2.0 or Levi’s South?
Brian Caynan: Well, it was for the NFC Championship game 20, was that 21, 22. So yes, it was, it’s, you know, they attract a lot of, I think it’s gonna be just like, it’s just like Vegas. They attract a lot of people from outta town who go there.
You know, they didn’t have a football team for a number of years, so they have a lot of people from LA who either became Raiders fans or Niners fans or remained as Rams. But yeah, I mean, when I went into, into an NFC championship, I’d say 60% of the crowd, 70% of the crowd was Niners. ,
Tim Cashman: My favorite part of the NFC championship just prior to the NFC Champ, of course, you know, the Rams, you know, beat the 49ers was the Rams quarterback’s wife pleading with Rams fans, please do not sell your tickets to 49ers fans. So I think when you have to do that, you have a little bit of a team that is really struggling to get a following in Los Angeles.
John Cashman: Yeah. And you know, so you’ll see Matt Stafford come back, but you know, the Rams, you know, they lost Jalen Ramsey. I don’t know how much Aaron Donnell can keep going. I just, the Rams look a little bit to be more on the rebuilding side of things this year. and, Kyle’s kind of had Sean McVays number for a while, so is not a game I’m Feeling too worried about, just cause of the past history.
Brian Caynan: Their offense is normally just Cooper Kupp. As long as you can contain Cooper Kupp and then watch the running game, you know, they’ll be, they’ll be pretty good.
Tim Cashman: Or at least slow him down.
Brian Caynan: Yeah. Yeah.
Tim Cashman: Yeah.
John Cashman: So then we go home for our home opener against the New York Giants. It’s the first, I think it’s the first Sunday night game that we have and
Tim Cashman: Thursday night
John Cashman: Oh my apologies. Thursday night game. it’s quick turnaround, but you know, the Giants have to come much farther you know, the Niners do coming up from LA
Brian Caynan: Yeah.
John Cashman: You know, the Giants had a decent year, last year. Definitely Overperformed. There are in a decent division. It’s their quarterback Daniel Jones. You just kinda wonder how high up that guy can get
And of course they have the Saquon Barkley issue. But I think a quick turnaround here, it’s just really rough on the, on the giants really for them to get going.
So, I think this is a pretty good start here for the Niners, know, facing the Giants, Tim.
Tim Cashman: Yeah, I think if you look at the schedule, and I’m gonna skip ahead. I think the first real test for the 49ers, if they’re going to be, a contender this year will be against the Cowboys. It’s a Sunday night game national tv. It’s gonna be a rematch of the divisional playoff from last year.
Cowboys fans will, I’m sure will be out in force. And there’ll be a lot of, you know, speculation in the media, just how good the Cowboys are, as you know, cuz you know, John Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl.
John Cashman: Always.
Tim Cashman: So we’ll pay attention to what Stephen A. Smith from ESPN says, prior to the game.
But that’ll be the first, I think, true test cuz you’re coming at that point, you’re in early October, teams start to emerge. players start to emerge. So we’ll get, have a, I think at that point you will get a good feeling as to whether the Niners are really, going to make a run for the Super Bowl.
Brian Caynan: Yeah, just one thing. On the Giants though, they’re coming, they’re week two game is against, they’re gonna be in Phoenix playing the Arizona Cardinals, so they’re gonna probably gonna stick around in the area and then hopefully, and they know, I’m assuming they’re gonna come over there, they’re playing the Dallas Cowboys on, on opening day.
That’s their opening, opening day match. So they’re gonna be all fired up for that. And then NFC playoff matchup. But I think, you know, they should be, and the Niners should win their home opener against the Giants, you know? No doubt.
John Cashman: Any thoughts on the Cowboys game?
Brian Caynan: I mean, I. It’ll be just, I think it’ll be just like the playoffs, you know? We’ll, we’ll have their number. So, no, I don’t see ourselves be concerned in any way.
You know, Dak Prescott’s always decent. He’s always pretty. He’s, he’ll always pretty good. So, you know, he’ll probably put up something.
I think, we’ll, you know, our defense will find a way, and our offense should pick it up too.
John Cashman: Yeah, the only thing I see with the Cowboys is, is the revenge kind of game. You know, we, we took them outta the playoffs, twice.
Tim Cashman: So they, I mean, yes, there’s the revenge factor, but they also had a chance to do that last year. So
John Cashman: No, I know, but I mean, maybe third times a charm.
Tim Cashman: Third time could be the charm. Yeah, I understand. I understand.
John Cashman: You know, there’s nothing like a sad Cowboys fan by the way.
Tim Cashman: Who’s sorry
John Cashman: Cool. And then, then we head off to Cleveland.
Brian Caynan: Oh wait, you skipped week four against the Cardinals. Do you have any issues? Any concerns with that one? They’re playing at home against Arizona?
Tim Cashman: They have a brand new coach. We’ll see what Kyle Murray. If, if Kyler Murray emerges as a player, I thought he was gonna be, you know, and mobile quarterbacks are always a, a problem for the 49ers to contain. I mean, Russell Wilson, of course, drove us crazy. Kyle Murray, Patrick Mahomes, you know, anytime you have a mobile quarterback, they can just extend plays and.
That’s, that’s a problem for any team, but it, it has always been a problem for the 49ers, it seems.
Brian Caynan: You know, he tore his ACL, so you know who knows when into how he’s gonna look. You know, the year after.
John Cashman: The Cardinals aren’t gonna be very good this year. Just because like you said, torn ACL, lost Dhop, new coach, Kyle Murray coming off that ACL. I just, don’t think they’re gonna be good.
But you never know. I mean, they weren’t supposed to be very good with the Colt McCoy and they just boat raced the Niners.
Tim Cashman: And just for the record, John, you really can’t blame John for skipping ahead. I was the one who skipped ahead. I’d excited, I got excited about talking about the Cowboys game, so, you know, blame blame me.
Brian Caynan: Uou guys gonna prognosticate wins, wins and losses here on this? What do you
Tim Cashman: No, no.
We do not do predictions. That’s one thing to all of our listeners. We don’t do predictions.
They’re just bad. Yeah. They’re bad luck. They’re just, we’re gonna leave it with that.
John Cashman: So back on subjects. So yeah, then we head off to Cleveland , and the Browns are enigma wrapped in a riddle because Watson looked positively awful last year. But Deshaun Watson before that was amazing. So, you know, the Browns, I just don’t think the Brown’s gonna be very good. I don’t, I don’t see Watson getting back his form. I think this is gonna be one of those things that Niners just kinda roll in, take care of business,
and then the next week I think, the Vikings might actually be yet another test.
Tim Cashman: We have to, we have to have, throw in another obvious thing about Cleveland. It’s Cleveland. It’s one of the most cursed sports cities on the planet, if not the most cursed city on the planet. The drive, the fumble, red Rite 88 Cleveland Moving
John Cashman: Yeah.
Tim Cashman: Michael Jordan, hitting the game winner.
That jump shot against the Cavs in what the 88 N B A playoffs. The list goes on and on.
John Cashman: Yeah, exactly.
Tim Cashman: Do you ever, do you ever think the people who built the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ever scratch their heads and go, maybe we got this one wrong.
John Cashman: No, because they keep charging people to visit
Tim Cashman: Oh, I shouldn’t say too much about Cleveland. We do have family there, so, but I don’t think you can argue with the fact that you’re cursed. I’m on record saying that
Brian Caynan: Well, you can see from Steph Curry’s, my Steph Curry’s stuff back here. I got the 2016 NBA finals on my mind. So they got that one, they slipped that one in.
But. yeah, you’re right Tim. They did blow the 2016 World Series. The Cleveland Indians did. So that
Tim Cashman: The 2016 NBA finals, I think you mean.
Brian Caynan: No, the Cleveland Indians blew the, well, yeah, I was talking about the finals first, and then
Tim Cashman: Oh, excuse me. Okay.
Brian Caynan: The Indians blew they had a three one lead also against
Tim Cashman: Also true. Also true. I stand corrected. Yep.
John Cashman: let’s just agree that it, it’s hard to be a Cleveland fan. I mean there are like 50 year old men who haven’t seen an AFC champion or anything other than
Tim Cashman: Well, the Cavs. They got the Cavs. You know, every now and then God says, here, have one.
Brian Caynan: When was the last time the Browns won a football game? Was it back in the eighties?
Tim Cashman: won a football game.
Brian Caynan: No, and I’m sorry. An
Tim Cashman: No, they’re okay. Yeah. Yeah. We said their curse. We didn’t say that. Yeah, play. Oh, I don’t know the last time they won a playoff game.
John Cashman: I think Jim Brown was on it.
Tim Cashman: A playoff game. No, it’s more recent than that playoff game.
John Cashman: Baker Mayfield won
Tim Cashman: That’s right. They did. And they lost in the divisional round. That was the 2020 year they lost in the divisional round at the Chiefs where I think, frankly, I know we’re getting a little, getting off topic here, but I remember watching that game and they were tied, or at least they were, the Browns were in the game and Baker had a chance to drive them down the field at Arrowhead and established himself.
And when he didn’t do that, I thought his time was gonna be up in Cleveland.
John Cashman: Well, now he is in Tampa Bay.
Tim Cashman: Yes.
John Cashman: So there you go.
Tim Cashman: Yeah. Some big shoes to fill there for a certain quarterback,
John Cashman: Yeah. But then they, you know, they travel, they travel north and they’re, they’re playing the Vikings which is actually a stadium I’ve always wanted to go to cuz it just looks really cool. But, you know, we’ll have Kirk Cousins who obviously Kyle Shanahan really coveted for a long time.
Tim Cashman: And certain media also thought was eventually going to be on the 49ers, but we won’t say the name.
John Cashman: Fuck you Kawakami..
But Brian, what are you what are you thinking about the Vikings? I mean, they won the NFC North last year. That’s gonna be an interesting division because you’ve got Detroit, which is ascending The Bears. You never know. Green, Bay, obviously Jordan Love, but the Vikings have been pretty steady,
Brian Caynan: You know, when I think of the Vikings, I think of that game they had against Indianapolis, probably the second to last game of the season. Where I think that was one where the Niners, you know, where they were scoreboard watching that game.
So that just comes to my mind. I think they’ve always got a chance. I dunno what’s gonna happen with Dalvin Cook. I think there’s what thought that he may leave, but he’s always a great player.
John Cashman: Well they’ve already released him.
Brian Caynan: Oh, he got released. I didn’t know that. Okay.
John Cashman: But yeah, I think they’ll be tough.
Brian Caynan: I do think if, I mean, if you were to ask, I was to guess, I wouldn’t think Vikings would be the number one in the NFC North at that time. I think probably Detroit, everyone’s picking Detroit as kind of the team that’s ascending, so I’m kind of leaning towards them being they maybe number two in that division at that time.
John Cashman: And then we we head home and we face.
Tim Cashman: The Bengals.
John Cashman: Actually I think is the Bengals, and I’ll be honest, out of all the quarterbacks that I’ve seen, there’s Patrick Mahomes on his own level, but Joe Burrow is amazing quarterback and he is one of those guys. That can just find a way.
And this is another test for the Niners here. They’ll be at home, you know, and they’ve beaten Burrow before. Obviously, you know, Brandon Aiuk had an amazing game where the Niners almost blew it,
Brian Caynan: Yeah.
John Cashman: Well some of us turned it off.
Tim Cashman: Who, who might, who might you be referring to?
John Cashman: That would be you, Tim
Tim Cashman: Of course it was me. I was in a parking lot watching the game on my phone.
Robbie Gold misses the field gold I would want. I just like, that’s it. Never watching this team again.
I didn’t go full on Gamecast though. I will say that.
I did just eventually after five minutes, calm down. Well, I’ll just see what they’re doing.
So I’ll just check in and I see Nick Bosa make the sack and Bengals kick the field goal. And then we all know what happens. The Niners, drive down the field. Ayuk makes a spectacular play that had to be reviewed,
But it was a touchdown. And the Niners get the, get the win.
Brian Caynan: Yeah.
John Cashman: But this game could be like the KC game last year. We’re the midpoint of the season. It’s right before the bye. It’s at home. The Bengals are a good football team. They’re not but this could be one of those, those tests for the Niners of like, how good is this team? And, this is a team that scares me, they’ve given the chiefs all they can handle. They’re the only ones who have been able to beat them and go to the Super Bowl. So I think this is gonna be a tough one for the Niners to beat the Bengals. So yeah. Then we get into what I call Christmas in whatever month we’re in because I can just sit back and actually just watch football with no stress. Yeah, that’s the old bye week. It’s like, Hey, we can actually just enjoy football. But then we go play the Jags. Again, you know, a team that’s up and coming,when we played them before, Trevor Lawrence was not very good. They had a very good college coach, a very bad pro coach. But you know, they’re gonna be playing at the Jags. This is one that I don’t really know about because. They could be pretty good because they did well last year, 9-8. Number four, seed won the AFC South, but they could also regress. And you know, Doug Peterson has done it before, but it’s the Jags, you know,
Tim Cashman: And, and they also have a certain general manager that Niners fans and not for good reasons.
And that of course is Trent Balke. anytime you have Trent bulky as a GM,
You don’t have a lot of faith in your team.
I still remember the pain Trent. But I will say they did make the playoffs.
They did score what I’ve considered an upset over the Chargers.
Then, you know, went into Kansas City where I thought they’re gonna get blown out. They lost 27 to 20 when Patrick Mahomes went down. So yeah, I just, I still think with Trent Balke, he will find a way to screw it up.
John Cashman: One can only hope cause he is on their side now. All right, then we come home, we face the Buccaneers, which could be led by
Brian Caynan: Baker Mayfield.
Tim Cashman: Mm-hmm.
John Cashman: It could be led by somebody else. What are you thinking about the Buccaneers?
Brian Caynan: They did have an 8-9 record,
I could see them not being there. I’m trying to think who else is NFC south So that would be like the Saints the Falcons Carolina,
John Cashman: and the Panthers.
Brian Caynan: yeah. So, yeah, I don’t, I don’t see the Buc being the number, number one team. I think that should be a team we should be able to, to beat, you know?
So I’m kind of leaning towards a win there.
Tim Cashman: Is Baker Mayfield still doing insurance commercials? I haven’t seen a good Baker Mayfield commercial
I guess that’s what happens when Cleveland drops you
John Cashman: Exactly. Oh boy the schedule was released and we looked at it,
And I was talking to my family at dinner time and I looked, I saw certain team up north playing on Thanksgiving Day. The collective groans around the dinner table were paltable
Tim Cashman: Not, just Thanksgiving day, Thanksgiving night.
John Cashman: I can’t think of a worse time for them to play the Seahawks than on Thanksgiving night.
Tim Cashman:
No and I have friends who live on the West Coast and they’re Seahawks fans, and they’re good Seahawks fans, meaning they can talk football, and they were also lamenting about the same thing. Says, well, hey, at 5:15 we sit down to eat dinner.
Tim Cashman: You guys have it. Lucky you’re on the east coast in Virginia.
I mean, how are we going to sort of, how are we gonna, I mean, I’ll be watching the game on my phone in my lap,
If my wife asked me, I’ll just be bowing my head in prayer the entire time.
Wincing, grunting, cheering, whatever.
John Cashman: So Brian, are you gonna be doing this cuz you’re on the West Coast? Will you be iPhone in lap?
Brian Caynan: Yeah, it’ll be something like, it’ll be something. No, it’ll be on in tv, you know, in the, in the background.
Think we’re actually gonna go away for Thanksgiving at my mom’s house. So she, knowing my mom, she, will have the, the game on in the background.
So, I don’t think that we will have a separate dining room that’s not where the, where the TV is.
So it’ll be on, but probably the volume will be down.
John Cashman: Well, this, I can tell you the volume’s gonna be up. The potential for a complete game, wrecker of a Thanksgiving is very high on the list.
Tim Cashman: No, Seattle, that’s, that’s the team that scares me., Gino Smith last year, if you had told me that with Russell Wilson leaving, I. That Gino Smith would come in and perform, not just well, but be Comeback Player of the Year. I would’ve said, you’re nuts.
I thought the heart and soul of the team was Russell Wilson and they were gonna have a big dropoff, but give credit where credit is due.
Pete Carroll is a great coach.
Not only, obviously, not only for the Seahawks, but at SC
and Gino Smith give him credit. You know he had a great year.
Tim Cashman: Maybe he has a sophomore slump, but I’m not counting on it. And they’ve got a slew of draft picks that I think are gonna fit well in.
They, they’re gonna need some time to season.
But Seahawks are definitely a team on the rise, in my opinion.
John Cashman: Yeah, Pete Carroll always coaches them up.
Tim Cashman: Yeah.
Brian Caynan: Did I hear somewhere about like Smith, potentially not being the number one guy in Seattle. I dunno if you heard that
Tim Cashman: I have not heard that.
Brian Caynan: Yeah, I maybe something on
were just kind of chit-chatting about. But yeah, something that did come up.
Tim Cashman: I mean, I think the Seahawks have to look for the future,
In terms of quarterbacks, but I don’t see anyone starting for the Seahawks besides Gino unless of course there’s an injury.
Brian Caynan: Yeah.
John Cashman: Grant Cohn is probably floating rumors around. So then the Niners head east to my neck of the woods out in Philly and they play the Eagles and rematch, the NFC Championship game. And honestly, I know the Philly fans around here are expecting another Super Bowl, but I am going to warn them that getting back to the mountain top is really hard. You did something the Niners did when they last went to the Super Bowl. You got rid of a really good defensive tackle brought in a rookie and that didn’t work so great for the Niners losing DeFo
Tim Cashman: And getting Kinlaw
John Cashman: and I don’t know if it’s gonna work for the Eagles now.
The Eagles are loaded. They’ve got a great quarterback. I love Jalen Hurts. I’ve been a fan of his since he was at Alabama. AJ Brown. I watched him when he was at the Titans against the Niners. He’s electric, but man, getting back to the mountaintop is tough. So I do not think the Eagles are gonna be as good as they were last year. I think you’ll see a little bit of a slide there. I think the Niners are gonna come in pretty fired up. And as you’ve seen now we’re starting to get into the last quarter of the season and Kyle Shanahan the last three or four years has done a really good job getting these guys to start to peak towards the end of the season. And this is when I think you’ll see the Niners start to roll. And they might be, they’re gonna have a long week coming off of Seattle and that’s gonna be a tough game, but think the Niners are gonna have a little revenge game here against the Eagles.
Tim Cashman: No, I was gonna say, no doubt they’ll be fired up for it. I think it’s gonna be another key game. But here, here’s the thing with the Eagles, you know this will be a tough one for the 49ers to win. It is in Philly. It’s a tough place to play,
Hurts. Again, mobile quarterback. He can just make things happen.
The 49ers if you look at the defensive stats in the NFC championship game, really did hold Philly. About as well as I thought they could have despite having no offense, no quarterback, but you know, I see the eagles probably pulling this one out, but I don’t think it’s a deal breaker for the Niners by any stretch of the means.
I think the Niners, if they’re making a run, can’t afford to potentially lose this game. Still by the end of the season and put themselves in position for at least a one or a two seed.
John Cashman: Yeah, this might actually be the, I mean, could be, I, I’m predicting that the Eagles aren’t gonna be that good, but you know, logically you could say it might be a battle for who’s gonna get to one seed?
Tim Cashman: Yeah, and we cut off Brian, so we gotta go to him.
Brian Caynan: Yeah, I do think it is probably a game. Most of the Niners are probably circling, like, you know, they want this one back. They wanna run it back. And, considering the way things ended last year, I do think that they’re gonna be really focused on this game. all players, CMC, Deebo Purdy, they’re all gonna be fired up for this one.
And I do also think John, as you were saying, about a slide, I do think that’s gonna happen for the Eagles. To what degree? I’m not sure,
But you’re right, it is hard to, to maintain and sustain. You know, the only one I think has been able to do that over these last couple years is KC.
John Cashman: Yeah, so then we get to what is kind of the end of this juggernaut of the games, which is another game back at home. But it’s the Seahawks, you know, which again, it’s gonna be a tough one. Seahawks always play the Niners tough. And, I think depending on what happens on Thanksgiving Day, could be a revenge game for either team,
Tim Cashman: Well, it’s a divisional game. At this point, you’re probably fighting for the division crown. So the three of the last five games are divisional opponents. So it’ll be a typical Seahawks 49ers. They know each other very well.
That’s what you get when you play in the same division.
You’ve played each other for so many years. So yeah, I expect a battle.
Brian Caynan: Yeah same here.
John Cashman: Yeah, you know, let’s skip over the Cardinals. We don’t really feel like giving the Cardinals very much love today. And let’s talk Ravens now.
Tim Cashman: Christmas night, another meal that we have to work around.
John Cashman: It really is a triple crown of holiday football
Tim Cashman: Yeah,
John Cashman: So Christmas Day, Jackson, now officially a Raven for a good long time now they got Odell. Dobbins is coming back. The Ravens have always been, I always thought mostly over-hyped
And all of the time that Lamar has been there, he’s won one playoff game. He is like watching Tech Mobile 2.0 or Madden 3.0 when he plays football. He’s amazing. What’s really gonna be interesting this year with the Ravens is their new offensive coordinator how he’s gonna utilize Lamar, maybe similar to how the Eagles use Jalen Hurts because if Lamar starts to be able to pick you apart and open up the middle use his legs, that’s gonna be a dangerous football team. Thoughts?
Tim Cashman: No, I agree.
Again, national TV audience, Christmas night. Niners have trouble with mobile quarterbacks. And Lamar, you know,
Presents that challenge
Brian Caynan: Oh, I was just thinking, I’m just thinking back to that game. I think it might have been the 2019 season we were playing the Ravens
Tim Cashman: Yeah.
Brian Caynan: And Lamar just picked us apart at the end
Tim Cashman: I remember the 49ers had a chance. The 49ers went forward on the the last possession, the 49ers a chance to potentially win the game.
It was a fourth down.
The 49ers miss and then Lamar Jackson does his thing. They go all the way. They run down the clock. They ran all the way down.
It took the winning field goal with just a couple seconds remaining and the Ravens won. But I came off the, I mean, that game feeling good, even though it was a loss,
At that point, it felt like the Ravens were one of the top teams in the league, and the 49ers had been down for a while and what I remember taking away from that game was that the 49ers were legit contenders because I think the next week they played, New Orleans
That was the one where it was an offensive fireworks spectacular. and that was the one I think the 49ers got confidence out of that game and that set the stage for their run in December that eventually landed them in the Super Bowl.
John Cashman: So Tim, as our resident commanders participant, how are you feeling about facing them?
Tim Cashman: Well the only thing I can tell you about the commanders right now is everybody’s asking when is the sale going to happen?
I don’t hear anything about draft, I don’t hear anything about opponents. Is when is the sale going to happen?
Dan Snyder, obviously not beloved in the Washington area
Ran the franchise into the ground. So, the only shame of it is that the 49ers will have to spend their New Year’s Eve at FedEx Field, which is the worst stadium in the NFL
So, yeah, that’s that, yeah, we can probably skip over commanders. That’s at least for me because that’s only thing I can tell you about them.
Brian Caynan: You know, it’s funny, Tim, I always ask you about going to, whenever the Niners are playing the commanders
Tim Cashman: Mm-hmm.
Brian Caynan: and you refuse to flatly go.
And you know, obviously you’ve told me why, but I didn’t know how crappy the stadium was.
Tim Cashman: Yeah, it literally, it’s a horrible place to get to. It’s right on the beltway. There’s only a couple ways to get in and out of the stadium. The traffic is terrible.
The stadium literally is falling apart, and it’s just, then you have this owner who is just, is driven the franchise into the ground.
So there’s, there’s nothing enjoyable about going to FedEx Field and I mean, nothing.
On that, I’ve had my commanders rant. Go ahead, John
John Cashman: Then we end the season. Last game of the season is at home facing the Rams. Who knows at this point where the Niners will be. We’ve kind of talked about the Rams already, just kind of be rebuilding. So I think it’s just one of these that could be Niners are locked up and everybody’s kind of like just not getting hurt. it could be the Niners gotta win this one to get the number one seed or playoffs. I mean, you never know. But, it’s a good way to finish. I mean, when they had that epic come back, to make the playoffs two years ago, you know, let’s just hope we don’t have to go through that again.
Brian Caynan: Yeah.
John Cashman: All right. So that’s, you know, that’s a pretty good look at a 2023 schedule. So here’s some good stuff on your schedule for me, honestly. Football on Christmas awesome. I’m no longer nine years old. some presents and then I wonder what I’m gonna do with the rest of the day. So football on Christmas is awesome.
Tim Cashman: It also, it also allows you to have a distraction from other family obligations that you’re supposed to go to. Or at least you can go to a family obligation and turn on a television and just say, Hey, I’m, I’m watching, you know, football, and you’re, you can be off and do that. So every year I always look at the holiday games like, all right, how are we going to get through the holidays this year?
Christmas on a Sunday or a Monday, or it’s in the weekend.
So that’s always a plus.
When Christmas is on a Wednesday, things, things tend to go wrong.
John Cashman: So this is for Brian.
Brian Caynan: Yeah,
John Cashman: It might be a good thing for Tim and I. It’s kind of quasi good. So there are a lot of primetime games. Now that’s good because I know that I can watch them. That’s bad because if the Niners lose a primetime game, I find it hard to go to sleep.
Tim Cashman: Or if it goes down to the wire and you’re so jacked up, you
cannot go to sleep.
Brian Caynan: Like you guys. If we lose, I will think about it all night
John Cashman: So, I looked at the, the, the strength of schedule and I was a little surprised. We have the 15th rank strength of schedule.
Tim Cashman: Mm-hmm.
John Cashman: In all fairness, it’s kinda always looking in the past because you know, there’s gonna be teams that are gonna be better they were the year before.
And there’s gonna be teams that aren’t gonna be as good. The Seahawks could be really, really good this year. The Eagles could be not so good this year. Pittsburgh could be really good this year, so you never really know. I thought, you know, the fact that we were, the number two team that we actually got the 15th rank strength, the schedule was, was pretty good.
Tim Cashman: We’ll see. I mean, what has tripped up, as I said before, what has tripped the Niners in the past has been injuries. I mean, last year we literally ran outta quarterbacks the end of the year.
And before that, I mean, Jimmy G had gotten hurt, but continued to play. But yeah, can they stay healthy?
Think that will be the biggest question.
John Cashman: So then we gotta talk bad shit. honestly, I honestly think Thanksgiving is completely ruined.
Tim Cashman: Unless they win
John Cashman: Well yeah, but the lead up to the game, it’s at eight 30
Tim Cashman: Yeah.
John Cashman: Get to spend all Thanksgiving going. How you think the Niners gonna do it? Tim will be with me because he always comes for a Thanksgiving and it’ll just be a stress fest. You’re having another glass of wine, another glass of wine, another glass of wine, a glass of wine, and it’s just gonna fester for the whole day.
Tim Cashman: Well, you also be, you’ll also be full of food.
Brian Caynan: I’m just thinking to myself for Thanksgiving, that’s gonna be at my mom’s house, so she’s a huge Niners fan.
Christmas, isgonna be at my in-laws house, so I gotta figure that out. So I guess I’ll be watching it on my phone.
Kind of like what you guys do, Maybe I’ll put on Gamecast. I don’t know.
I don’t know.
John Cashman: So if they win and it’s on Gamecast, you’re gonna have to watch it on Gamecast.
Tim Cashman: It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.
John Cashman: Yeah.
I thought it was interesting, and this could be an NFL thing that you guys might know that I don’t, the division games are really late in the schedule.
Tim Cashman: Well, the NFL did institute a scheduling, requirement a few years ago that the last game of any season will be against the division opponent.
That’s been in, in, in the works for some time.
Tim Cashman: So, so it doesn’t surprise me.
So last year we finished up with the Cardinals. This year we’re fishing up with the Rams.
John Cashman: Makes sense.
Tim Cashman: Yeah.
John Cashman: So this was the only really, I thought the only, besides Thanksgiving being ruined, I thought the real bummer they’re playing at the Jags. The Jags are like, quasi London team and the Niners are a marquee franchise, they own the leeds soccer team, like why aren’t they going to London? That would’ve been such a cool trip.
Tim Cashman: That, that was a surprise. I really, for the reasons you just said, of why they decided not to go with the 49ers to London.
Tim Cashman: But instead we’re playing at the Jags but they made it up to us by playing on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
John Cashman: Yeah, the triple crown of holidays being ruined.
Tim Cashman: Yes.
John Cashman: Cool. Well that kind of wraps up the schedule. So we have to finish like we always do with shit we bought on Amazon this weekend. I bought this new webcam here, which has way better quality than my Mac Web Cam. Thing over here. So that was my big purchase. what’d you get?
Brian Caynan: I got a slew of items this week.
I bought a ethernet cable. That’s long enough to connect to my router.
So that seems to have fixed my streaming issues.
I bought some air filters for the house. I bought some life straws just in case.
Dunno if you know what life straw.
John Cashman: Life straw?
Brian Caynan: So, you know, if you happen to be camping and then you need to drink some water. A life straw is a device that purifies like even a stream, like you can drink out of a stream.
And you can. know, drink that water. So, I kind of figured something for the emergency kit. I dunno if you guys have them at home. Yeah, I’d recommend it.
John Cashman: If we see you like face down in a ditch with a straw,
We might be a little worried about you. Really Brian the Gatorade is just down the, down the trail bit.
Brian Caynan: oh man.
Yeah. wait, what else did I buy? And I bought some headphones for my daughter for her iPad.
Yeah. And that appears to be it. I did spend a lot this week with Amazon.
John Cashman: Yeah. That’s a big, that’s a big Amazon
Brian Caynan:Iit was a big week.
John Cashman: All right, Tim. Last week you had really the most interesting order, which was floss and oatmeal. What did we get this week?
Tim Cashman: Well, I didn’t wanna stop with the floss trend, John, so I did buy some Oral B precision, clean replacement, rechargeable toothbrush heads for my electric toothbrush. So we’re keeping the teeth theme going.
Brian Caynan: Good job.
Tim Cashman: Outstanding. And I also, let’s see what the other thing I was on list Soft Scrub
John Cashman: Don’t use those on your teeth, just
Tim Cashman: No. No, but they do come. It is soft scrub with bleach,
So you know there you go. Exactly.
.Brian Caynan: The stove top cleaner.?
Tim Cashman: A cleaning product, guys. Cleaning product.,
Brian Caynan: Is that the one for your stove? Am I thinking, am I thinking that one?
Tim Cashman: It’s for your shower
Brian Caynan: Okay,
John Cashman: All right guys, well that that wraps up the 2023 season outlook and schedule review. You know, I think the Niners have a decent schedule. I know Tim and I are thinking about going to the Pittsburgh game which is about four hours away for both of us, and we’re definitely going to the game. Brian, do you have any games that you’re looking at?
Brian Caynan: Going to probably New York Giants game. But maybe the
actually the Arizona Cardinals game, the first one the second game at home.
And then maybe, I’m trying to look at the schedule. Cincinnati game would be pretty epic to go to, so I think I might save my tickets and go to that one.
The other ones I’ll probably sell since we’re also going to that game in Phoenix in late December. So, Yeah,
John Cashman: So Tim, now that Daniel Snyder’s not the owner, will you go to the Commander’s game on New Year’s Eve?
Tim Cashman: No.
Brian Caynan: It is a 1:00 PM game for you
Tim Cashman: No. yeah, I, I will be, I will be at home with my nice big screen television surrounded by Niners gear.
Maybe having, you know, a glass of wine or maybe a cocktail, some good food
and some NFL in front of me.
John Cashman: Well, on that note, it’s time to sign off. Next week we’re gonna be looking at the 2023 offense and looking players that we wanna watch out for. And on that note, Tim
Tim Cashman:: Niners
John Cashman: Brian
Brian Caynan: Niners. There you go.
John Cashman: All right. We’re out Niners nation.
Stuff we bought on Amazon this week:
