ESPN analyst and former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky huddles with Post columnist Steve Serby for some Q&A.
Q: What did you observe about Aaron Rodgers this year?
A: Aaron’s played OK. I don’t think Aaron’s played as bad as people believe he has. I don’t think Aaron’s played well. I don’t love their offensive scheme, I’ve talked about that, but Aaron looks like a guy that doesn’t want to get hit right now. He can still throw it. Aaron was always a killer, that killer instinct, that dawg mentality. He always had that, when he walked onto the field he felt he was the baddest dude on the field, like there was nobody better than him. It doesn’t look like that anymore.
Q: What would your advice for Woody Johnson be?
A: If you just take a step back and go, “What organizations have been the best and the most consistent in the last 20 years of the NFL?” You’re looking at the Baltimore Ravens, you’re looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers, you’re looking at the San Francisco 49ers, you’re looking at the Buffalo Bills. And it’s very clear that 1) They hire a general manager that is really good at the job, and I think Joe [Douglas] had moments when he was. That’s as big a hire as any. And then you got to hire the head coach that’s going to build the organization and demand that it’s run in the proper way. And then you got to obviously get a quarterback.
Q: What did you make of the report that Woody suggested benching Aaron Rodgers after Week 4?
A: I had heard that report in Week 4. I didn’t believe it, because I was like, “No way.” My response was, “There’s just no way that this is real.” It just seemed overreactionary. Even when they fired Robert Saleh, I went on national TV and said, “This feels overreactionary.” I think there’s just been a lot of overreaction.
Q: Some GMs will be scared away, some won’t.
A: That’s the concern, what happens if that’s the guy that’s best for the job? There’s only 32 of ’em, so yeah, they’re going to get someone, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right someone or they’re good at the job. I don’t think they’re going to have people just clamoring for either the head coach or general manager role now.
Q: What are your thoughts on your ESPN colleague Rex Ryan returning as Jets head coach?
A: I love Rex. I work with him every Monday, I have for the past three or four years. You could see how much he misses coaching. You could feel how much the game and kind of being in it matters to him still. If Rex feels that he could still do it at that high level and kind of where he is in his life, you’re not going to find a guy that is as loving of the game and loves this game more than Rex.
Q: Could you see Woody turning to him again?
A: I could see it … yeah for sure.
Q: What would your advice to John Mara be?
A: Find a quarterback. Because until you get one, in that division you don’t matter.
Q: Would Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields or Sam Darnold make sense next year for Brian Daboll if he’s there?
A: No, I don’t think so. Justin maybe, but again, you’re rolling the dice on another no-questions-asked must-win season for a guy in Justin who we still don’t know exactly what he is.
Q: Have you scouted the college quarterback prospects?
A: I haven’t studied them in the way that you get ready for the draft. I’d tell you that Shedeur [Sanders, Colorado] for me is very similar to Tua [Tagovailoa] or very similar to Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith. You’re not drafting Shedeur for his elite athleticism or incredible arm strength, you’re drafting him for how smart he is, incredible anticipation, great ball placement, phenomenal movement within the pocket. So he’s a guy that you feel like he’s got a chance to be a good pro. Cam Ward from Miami [Fla.] is scintillating as far as a playmaker, a tremendous ability to throw the ball downfield, crazy physical talent. … Quinn Ewers from Texas, I love his talent, the production for me has never met the talent yet. He’s a really, really pure thrower of the ball and can layer a bunch of throws, but still sometimes the production doesn’t match that, so that gives me a little hesitation. … Jalen Milroe from Alabama is a physical phenom, and he’s definitely improved over the last two years under [Nick] Saban and [Kalen] DeBoer. He’s going to blow people away when you sit down and talk with him. [With a 40 time of] 4.3, might be the fastest guy on the field every week in the SEC, but he’s still raw as a thrower, still raw as the quarterback so to speak. But he’s an unbelievable athlete, highly intelligent, great worth ethic, tremendous character kid.
Q: What is the best landing spot for Bill Belichick?
A: I think Belichick, No. 1, because of his experience at the back end of what happened in New England, I think the two things that you could say were they were devoid of talent, and the quarterback play probably wasn’t up to par for him. And so what place has got talent, that might be looking for a new head coach that feels that there’s high-end quarterback potential? So you sit there and you go, “Well, the Jaguars, there’s some really good talent in Jacksonville,” and if you believe Trevor Lawrence is still potentially Trevor Lawrence … Chicago, I don’t think he’s a huge fan of Caleb [Williams] because of what he kind of said of him in the preseason. … You could see the Giants, obviously there’s connections there, what pick do they have in the draft, does Bill want another rookie quarterback? And people say Dallas. I don’t necessarily see that just because of the relationship with Jerry Jones and how much say he wants to have.
Q: What has happened to Trevor Lawrence?
A: His play tells me that he thinks what he should get on the field is what he’s gotten on tape, and when that’s not the case, there’s a little bit of friction there mentally, and then that forces him to chase big plays, and those aren’t there. Trevor’s really good in structure, and if he gets what he’s anticipating, he’s really good, but once he’s gotta go have some athletic creativity, I think that’s when he bogs down.
Q: What about Coach Prime and Shedeur Sanders in Dallas?
A: I just don’t see it, I don’t think [Deion Sanders] is going to go where Shedeur goes. I don’t think he’s going to go to the NFL. I think he’s going to stay at Colorado. I don’t think he’s going to go to the same place as his son. Deion’s done everything to set Shedeur up for success. I do not believe that he thinks “me going to the same NFL place with him” is a recipe for success. I think Deion is a little bit old-school where it’s like, “You got to go be your own man now.”
Q: What happened to Daniel Jones this year? Why the regression?
A: I don’t know if there’s a ton of regression. This is kind of who Daniel’s been for most of his career.
Q: When he was drafted sixth overall in 2019, what did you think at the time?
A: I was one of the people who was like, “What?!?” I kind of thought that he was an average physical talent. The moment he got drafted, I did a live reaction video and I got destroyed over it because I was like, “He shouldn’t be the sixth pick of the draft.” It felt like the Giants were just trying to replicate Eli [Manning], and Eli’s personality. And then the morning after, I remember doing a breakdown, a [Duke] game against Temple, and I said the biggest issue for Daniel Jones is when he panics with the football when people get around him. It’s kind of been one of the hallmarks of the career. This isn’t a personal attack, it’s just kind of what my belief was of him as a player.
Q: What do you think of Daboll as a play-caller?
A: I love Dabs, I think he’s a good coach. I think he’s a good play-caller. I think it’s hard trying to call plays when you’re a little bit limited with the people you’re doing it with still. … I think it’s hard to find coaches that can get guys to play their butts off on a consistent basis. I’d be cautious with thinking that you’re just going to blow the coach up and all of a sudden we’re going to get better.
Q: Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia: Did the Giants make a mistake?
A: Oh, of course they made a mistake. Saquon’s right in the mix for the MVP. I also think he’s given them this edge a little bit. … I’m a [Joe] Schoen fan, too. Everyone kills Joe Schoen for the Saquon stuff, and I get it. I also understand where he’s coming from. Two years ago everyone was destroying running backs. I understand the economics of his decision-making.
Q: Thoughts on Malik Nabers?
A: I think he’s got the chance to be Ja’Marr Chase-like. Love his game. He’s a rocket with the ball in his hands. I think that’s as big a decision of the Giants’ future as anything is how do we maximize this young man, ’cause he’s a tremendous talent?
Q: Is Eli Manning a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
A: Total lock. Complete lock first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s one of the most clutch postseason quarterbacks ever.
Q: Thoughts on Bo Nix?
A: He’s surging. He’s very much so in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation. You got to give credit to Sean Payton and Davis Webb for the way that they’ve built their offense. I think they’ve taken some old-school principles and really weaved them in really good with some new-school and modern offensive football. You see him playing very clear, he’s got a very clear plan of what he’s going to do with the ball depending on what a certain person does. I also think you see a confidence and a conviction on a weekly basis. He’s never trying to really do too much. He’s playing a very repeatable brand of football.
Q: Drake Maye?
A: Superstar in the making. Every tape, every week he wows. Some of the issues coming out of college or flaws where his feet, his mechanics, he’s attacked them, and they’ve really been clean. He doesn’t miss that much throwing the football. He’s been really good placing the ball where he wants to, his athleticism has covered up for a poor offensive line, and he pops every week, he just pops on tape with the way he’s throwing the ball. Then you hear about the leadership and whatnot. You got to be giddy if you’re New England.
Q: Caleb Williams?
A: The stuff that you get concerned about with Caleb is obviously the turnover in Chicago, new offensive coordinator and unless things turn around you’re going to get a new head coach. The big concern with Caleb coming out of school was so much of a playmaker, hold onto the football, try to swing for the fences constantly, and with the negative plays — which are sacks and fumbles and interceptions all combined in one, he’s got 50 of them this year, that’s the most in the NFL So the flaw that he had in college [USC], which again he had the most in college last year, is still the issue in the NFL. There’s been flashes, there’s been moments of high-end play, but you really want to see him kind of address some of the stuff that were the concerns coming out of school.
Q: You had Jayden Daniels ranked ahead of him before the draft?
A: I just thought the stuff that he did in college [LSU] was most transferable. I thought he had the fastest eyes. I thought he had the best ball placement. I thought the way that he threw the ball downfield with NFL pass routes and concepts was most realistic. That’s kind of the player that he’s been in the NFL. I had Jayden 1, and I was really close with Drake and Caleb at 2.
Q: Thoughts on Patrick Mahomes and how vulnerable the Chiefs might be?
A: I think they’re less vulnerable this year than they were last year. Patrick is not playing to his level, I think partly because there’s a massive concern over the left tackle issue so Patrick’s thought is like, “Hey, just make sure that we’re not hurting ourselves and getting behind the sticks so we could be efficient and get the ball out of my hands, and our defense is great, [so] as long as I don’t take sacks, we’re going to be OK.” It’s led to some mistakes. … It’s still the team that you’ve got to go though when it’s win-or-go-home.
Q: What makes Jim Harbaugh a great coach?
A: Coach Harbaugh is unapologetically himself. You love to be around him. I think the two superpowers are he is endlessly positive, to the point where you start to believe the things that he says about you in a good way. He’s constantly so encouraging, but like demanding at the same time that he demands greatness out of you, and so you start to demand greatness out of yourself, then you start to believe that you have greatness inside of you. And also I think he makes football very clean and clear. It’s not like they’re going to go out and wow you in a way, but they just don’t beat themselves, and there’s this consistency to them that comes from Coach Harbaugh that is pretty remarkable.
Q: Who wins the NFC West?
A: I think the Rams because I trust both lines of scrimmage for them. I think their offensive line is just getting healthy. Don’t forget, four of their five starters were gone for most of the season, but they weathered the storm, and once that group gets back fully healthy and play together, I think they’re going to play a lot better. And then I think the defensive line is the best D-line in football.
Q: Who’s your MVP?
A: No. 1 Josh Allen, No. 2, Lamar Jackson, No. 3 Saquon, 4. [Jared] Goff and 5. Kyler [Murray].
Q: What was it like for you as a member of the 0-16 Lions in 2008?
A: It sucked in so many different ways. Don’t forget, that was the heart of the economic depression. We were in a city that was feeling it probably as much as any of them. And then we were a really bad football team. It certainly made me question myself a lot in every facet. It wasn’t fun going to work, I know that.
Q: What kind of reaction did you get from the city or from the crowd when you stepped out of bounds behind the end zone for that infamous safety?
A: It was a blooper, kind of like a completely boneheaded play. There wasn’t much running I could do from it. Teammates could laugh about it. That probably made it a little bit easier for me in the locker room, which I was thankful for. No one kind of thought it was like fun or cool or whatnot, it was a joke, and so I’ve been able to laugh from it and move on from it.
Lions’ game against the Vikings in 2008. Getty Images
Q: Favorite UConn memory?
A: Standing up there holding the [2004 Motor City Bowl] MVP of that bowl game trophy. That was the culmination of everybody who told me I couldn’t. Everybody told me I was stupid for going there, it’s a basketball school, and you’ll never be good and you’ll never get it done. That was one moment to kind of relish with my teammates that we did it when everybody told us how stupid we were for trying to do it.
Q: Who were your favorite quarterbacks growing up?
A: John Elway was my favorite. I wore No. 7 because of him. I loved Peyton and I loved [Brett] Favre, [Dan] Marino as well.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: My wife, Jesus, Jack Nicklaus.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Men of Honor.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel [Washington].
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Halle Berry.
Q:.Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Morgan Wallen.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Chicken parm with vodka sauce.
Q: What do you hope ESPN viewers say about Dan Orlovsky?
A: No one works harder at his craft.
Q: What is it about TV that you enjoy so much?
A: I love being around the game of football. I’ve always had the personality of a little bit of the center of attention, and I love to argue. I love to talk about things that other people can’t or won’t find to talk about. I think it gives me a challenge in the era that we’re in now to try to stand out, that’s the competitiveness for me. There’s more media outlets than ever and there’s more opportunity for people to talk about football than ever. How do you become different and better than everybody? I want to be better than everybody at it. I also love being a father, I love being a dad, I love being a husband.