Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL Podcast is in gradual declase. Welcome
Speaker 1: to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. I'm
Speaker 1: Dan jnsas alright, come from a virtual room builled with
Speaker 1: some heroes. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. Do you guys? Have
Speaker 1: you guys given any thought here as we come up
Speaker 1: on New Year's Eve? Um, we're back in our bunkers. Um.
Speaker 1: Do you ever get the vibe that perhaps we have
Speaker 1: like the gods are in the midst of like work
Speaker 1: shopping some type of extinction level event and you know,
Speaker 1: you know, a little drought here, a little fire there,
Speaker 1: a little mud slide here, a little pandemic here. Let's
Speaker 1: mix in some variants and now we have biblical rainstorms
Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, which a city cannot deal with. Um. Mark,
Speaker 1: I know you're you're well read in the in the
Speaker 1: realm of scripture. Uh. Is this something? I feel like
Speaker 1: we're all about to break into Amy Man singing in
Speaker 1: our car as frogs fall from the sky. Yeah. I
Speaker 1: think there's something to it. Um. We've we've misused the
Speaker 1: earth for our materialistic pursuits for thousands of years. Um,
Speaker 1: and the Earth is angry. Yeah. I can't, I can't
Speaker 1: really top that as an answer. Yeah, it might not
Speaker 1: be a gradual decline. Um, it might be like a
Speaker 1: swift decline that's going on. At least that's like the
Speaker 1: you mentioned the mud site, that the mountain, that the
Speaker 1: roads near us, near me at least there are like
Speaker 1: closed right now because because the mountains are falling into
Speaker 1: the earth and into the ocean. And I could feel
Speaker 1: the rain pounding on the roof here. Um, I hear
Speaker 1: sirens in the background. And I have not mentioned yet
Speaker 1: that this is everybody a very special addition of the
Speaker 1: Around the NFL podcast. It's the COVID nineteen edition with
Speaker 1: Mark Seessler. Mark, this is where you talk to Mark. Yes,
Speaker 1: I have I found out this morning. Um, I've been
Speaker 1: dealing with like a cough for the last like thirty
Speaker 1: I don't know. It feels like a dream. But um,
Speaker 1: I got tested at work and I got it. I
Speaker 1: got the that I got the Corona in my body.
Speaker 1: There's a Kickers club and there's a Corona Club, and
Speaker 1: now you're in it. Well I think I picked the
Speaker 1: wrong club. But yes, it's you and you and Connie. Um,
Speaker 1: it's too bad, it's too bad. You know you're not
Speaker 1: feeling well, So it sounds like, you know, I don't
Speaker 1: think you're gonna do the whole show here. Appreciate you know,
Speaker 1: just like seeing your face before we we wish you
Speaker 1: happy New Year, saying saying goodbye for the rest of
Speaker 1: the show. I'm now feeling like even having you on
Speaker 1: for a few minutes seems unnecessary because you just don't
Speaker 1: look well. I I just um, like I initially it
Speaker 1: was just like this cough, It's no, It's gonna be fine. Like,
Speaker 1: but um, I I feel like I'm in a dream,
Speaker 1: but someone else's dream, Like I don't like it's think
Speaker 1: like the last hour, things started to get a little strange,
Speaker 1: and I like, I just hope it's a quick thing.
Speaker 1: It seems like it should be fine. You know. Yeah,
Speaker 1: we're not trying to really make light of it. But
Speaker 1: at the same time, man, sometimes you gotta try to
Speaker 1: smile and uh and try to get through life anyway
Speaker 1: you can. But it is obviously in a situation and
Speaker 1: went ahead and they postponed the around the NFL broadcast tomorrow.
Speaker 1: So you know, I think it comes down to keeping
Speaker 1: it real with the audience. And I know, Mark it
Speaker 1: was important to you because you didn't want to just
Speaker 1: disappear to let everybody know that you're not feeling great.
Speaker 1: But we hope to have you back on Sunday. And
Speaker 1: I think Greg I speak for both of us and Ricky,
Speaker 1: thank you, buddy for getting it out here and saying, well,
Speaker 1: I don't know if I've gutted it out to appear
Speaker 1: for like seconds on the show. But um, I thank
Speaker 1: you guys, because like it annoys me more than anything,
Speaker 1: because you know, it's early in the year that I
Speaker 1: was hospitalized for various you know, nonsense, and now this occurs.
Speaker 1: So I just, um, I need this year to end
Speaker 1: and I need the next year to begin. If that's
Speaker 1: the plan. Now, we don't you to what you're describing.
Speaker 1: It's occurring on our earth. There's no guarantee, um, that
Speaker 1: that's the next thing in the next chapter in our lives.
Speaker 1: I don't know what's next. It's been a tough year.
Speaker 1: To put it mildly, we appreciate, we appreciate, you know,
Speaker 1: I guess off the topic, like I appreciate all the
Speaker 1: listeners that have stuck with us. Thank you listening to
Speaker 1: this episode especially it's like they could be on Christmas
Speaker 1: break it's like the end of the season. Teams are
Speaker 1: out of it if they've made it to this portion,
Speaker 1: Dan smiling here that those are the real people. But
Speaker 1: I don't blame the people that stop listening when when
Speaker 1: Chris died to keep it real like or that it
Speaker 1: was too hard for them too, it was hard to
Speaker 1: keep going doing the show, um, or they dipped out
Speaker 1: for a while and like came back whatever whatever you've
Speaker 1: done to come back here, or even if you haven't
Speaker 1: like we we appreciate you because you're you're keeping us going.
Speaker 1: Thank you for that. No, there you go, Mark, I
Speaker 1: did not say that in real time. I I also
Speaker 1: appreciate the listeners. It's been a it's been a rough
Speaker 1: and rugged journey, um, but we're gonna keep going, absolutely
Speaker 1: so we will soldier on here with the week seventeen preview, Mark,
Speaker 1: please go get some rest and if you're up for it,
Speaker 1: we'll see you Sunday. If not, guess what, the NFL
Speaker 1: is nice enough to add another sea another week to
Speaker 1: the regular season so you can do next week's preview
Speaker 1: if if if you can't do this week's right, I
Speaker 1: vow that I will be there Sunday. I vow it well,
Speaker 1: thank you, thank you for handling this what will probably
Speaker 1: be about a two and twelve minute presentation to come next.
Speaker 1: I um, I salute you both, thank you, thank you
Speaker 1: for saying that. There he goes, Mark says, so get
Speaker 1: well soon, buddy. Uh. And then there were two greggy uh,
Speaker 1: and we did. We scrambled the fighter jets looking for
Speaker 1: a third. But it's kind of hard to find somebody
Speaker 1: on short notice to do a pod that's not there's
Speaker 1: for over sixty minutes and maybe two hours. So it's
Speaker 1: a two hander with Ricky behind the virtual glass and
Speaker 1: we're gonna get through with Greg. Well, plus we got
Speaker 1: marks um sound effects, you know, sound drops. I think
Speaker 1: we'll be fine. Basically every other podcast is like just
Speaker 1: two guys or two girls or one guy and one
Speaker 1: girl talking. So like, we we can handle this, right,
Speaker 1: miss Mark. We will, But I don't. I don't even
Speaker 1: like the insinuation that the show will be fine, you
Speaker 1: know without Mark. I mean, that's that's kind of what
Speaker 1: you were saying there. That's not the insinuation. I'm just saying,
Speaker 1: like us as a two person entity, like we're professionals,
Speaker 1: we can handle this in a professional manner and um
Speaker 1: and really get people excited about the week seventeen slate. Yes,
Speaker 1: let's get into it. And if if I start floating away,
Speaker 1: just know that I do give you the green light
Speaker 1: to finish the show, Um solo and just keep rocking
Speaker 1: it all right. If if you finished the show, I'm
Speaker 1: definitely not doing like the weird sponsored segments that you know.
Speaker 1: After all right, let's get into it. It's obviously a
Speaker 1: huge week in the NFL here with a lot of
Speaker 1: a lot on the line here at the playoffs. You've
Speaker 1: got set against the backdrop of as Mark situation has eliminated.
Speaker 1: Here once again, set against the backdrop of a global
Speaker 1: pandemic UH and a strain of the COVID nineteen virus
Speaker 1: that is taking out teams and leaving teams seriously shorthanded
Speaker 1: just trying to survive. So we're gonna talk about the
Speaker 1: teams that are affected by that. Uh. We're gonna do
Speaker 1: with draft style, I think a good way to do it.
Speaker 1: When we get to the draft. Greggy is um hoping
Speaker 1: Mark's back and maybe if he's not back on Sunday,
Speaker 1: Nick Shook and step in we could draft four Mark.
Speaker 1: So we'll we'll have to will take turns, put ourselves
Speaker 1: in Mark shoes, which probably just means drafted games that
Speaker 1: will be in our best estimation, hideous blowouts that end quickly,
Speaker 1: or we just give him the worst games possible and
Speaker 1: and see what happens there, because that could be good.
Speaker 1: Like Mark reaction on Sunday when you finds I like it,
Speaker 1: I like it all right. Let's start with the prime
Speaker 1: time games though, uh, and we'll kick it off with
Speaker 1: Sunday Night football the Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers.
Speaker 1: This is a must win situation for the Vikings, who
Speaker 1: I have to say, Greg I as someone who's followed
Speaker 1: the Vikings closely, who's UM really enjoyed their season, being
Speaker 1: able to kind of live vicariously through Vikings fandom where
Speaker 1: the losses don't stick to my ribs, but the wins
Speaker 1: are pretty exhilarating and even the games they don't win. Uh,
Speaker 1: there's a lot of entertainment value that has kind of
Speaker 1: gone gone by the board now and what's left is
Speaker 1: a team that doesn't UM look particularly good on offense.
Speaker 1: And I know Dalvin Cook is off the COVID nineteen list,
Speaker 1: so that will help UM a defense that was unable
Speaker 1: to get a big stop when it mattered against the
Speaker 1: Rams last week. So now they go to Green Bay
Speaker 1: and their seasons on the line. And if you're the Packers,
Speaker 1: you're twelve and three, you're you got the a f
Speaker 1: C North locked up. Now you're looking to lock up
Speaker 1: that number one seed. If they take care of business here,
Speaker 1: they're right there at the precipice, they should do it.
Speaker 1: And yet I just don't think it'll be easy because
Speaker 1: it's the Vikings and Mike Szimmer has been so good
Speaker 1: against Aaron Rodgers over the years, including a month ago.
Speaker 1: I know Rodgers played well in that game, but the
Speaker 1: defense made a couple of plays um to help be
Speaker 1: the difference and be surprising if the Vikings can put
Speaker 1: up that many yards and points again, remember they one
Speaker 1: what was at one? But this Packers team like they're
Speaker 1: not that dominant. There are there are one seed, but
Speaker 1: they've barely outscored opponents this year. They're still really shorthanded
Speaker 1: on the offensive line. Their center Josh myers Um is
Speaker 1: still out like Billy Turner. Their tackle still we keep
Speaker 1: hurt hearing that bat was going to come back some
Speaker 1: day at some point it's like maybe he's not coming back.
Speaker 1: He's not back right um. Same thing with Zadarius Smith.
Speaker 1: Alexander is supposedly fifty fifty to play in this game
Speaker 1: and is practicing, so he was activated. He has not
Speaker 1: played for most of this season, and that's awesome news
Speaker 1: for the Packers. But I just think between their covid situation,
Speaker 1: the Packers have a bunch of covid um issues this week.
Speaker 1: It's more depth, it's in their secondary. But like I
Speaker 1: just sort of expect this to come down to the
Speaker 1: last final few plays and in general, the Packers have
Speaker 1: won games like that, and that would be the way
Speaker 1: I think for this Vikings team Dan that we've watched
Speaker 1: all year and kind of enjoyed to really put a
Speaker 1: capper on it, They're not gonna just lose some boring
Speaker 1: game as touchdown underdogs. They're gonna make it hurt for
Speaker 1: their fans and they're gonna like lose right at the
Speaker 1: end and they'll be another one of those like Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1: I'm just enjoying the moment, like postgame press convert and
Speaker 1: I can see that, and yet I can't shake the
Speaker 1: feeling that they've peaked as an entertainment brand and the
Speaker 1: inconsistencies under Mike zimmer Um. I wrote about this in
Speaker 1: the Power Rankings that it's become tedious to the fan base,
Speaker 1: and it's fair to wonder now if it's going to
Speaker 1: be considered untenable by ownership, because I thought, you know,
Speaker 1: they came out pretty flat. Their season was essentially on
Speaker 1: the line at home against the Rams and they just
Speaker 1: got beat And I know the Rams are a very
Speaker 1: good team, but Matthew Stafford uh played poorly in that game.
Speaker 1: Give Minnesota credit for making those plays on defense, the turnovers,
Speaker 1: but a lot of those balls were just He's throwing
Speaker 1: them up for grabs and and they took advantage of
Speaker 1: those opportunities. And I just thought, as I watched the
Speaker 1: offense and Adam Feeland, and this is something that I've
Speaker 1: come back to a couple of times now since he
Speaker 1: went out with that ankle, you could closely tie the
Speaker 1: Vikings downfall on offense. And now theland is out for
Speaker 1: the year. Um, barring a the playoff run from Minnesota,
Speaker 1: he's having ankle surgery. So tried to come back last
Speaker 1: week after missing a couple of weeks, reaggravated it went
Speaker 1: back in the game. Uh finished that game and then
Speaker 1: was diagnosed with an injury that needed surgery. So Theland's
Speaker 1: out of the picture. Um, I don't know where you
Speaker 1: come down and on Osborne as the guy could fill
Speaker 1: in and be that capable number two guy. But I
Speaker 1: think this is gonna be different than uh, the other
Speaker 1: Vikings games. I think this is a game the Packers win,
Speaker 1: let's say, and they just kind of take care of
Speaker 1: business and Aaron Rodgers will be interviewed after the game.
Speaker 1: And did you see the Aaron Rodgers postgame interview on
Speaker 1: Christmas because I found it notable when Rogers was talking
Speaker 1: about ross Will Douglas and the big impact he has had.
Speaker 1: Here was the Rogers conversation with Aaron Andrews when there
Speaker 1: was socially distance and then they were in a deep
Speaker 1: embrace immediately after the interview. Kid it Ricky, you know,
Speaker 1: we got a little conservative in the in the fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: but you know we got a first down when it
Speaker 1: count in. And obviously, Russell and the defense has been
Speaker 1: so incredible. I mean, talk about an all time pick
Speaker 1: up mid season. Russell Douglas is changed our defense, changed
Speaker 1: our team, and I'm proud of our guys. It's not pretty,
Speaker 1: but it's a win. I want to assume that the
Speaker 1: general manager Brian Goodkins had a big role in signing
Speaker 1: Russell Douglas off the Cardinals practice squad in October. Does
Speaker 1: that count as a compliment towards Goody and is it's
Speaker 1: starting to feel like Aaron Rodgers is back. This was
Speaker 1: an unsolved mysteries that I almost threw out there about
Speaker 1: what how this all plays out. But I thought that
Speaker 1: was notable Greg that he was giving the front office
Speaker 1: some love there in a very public spot. I think
Speaker 1: he'll be back. First of all, he doesn't hold all
Speaker 1: the cards here. He's under contract for another year and
Speaker 1: they said we will talk about it. Contracts no matter.
Speaker 1: But I think they're just gonna get I think he's
Speaker 1: gonna want more money. I think they're gonna give it
Speaker 1: to him, because how could they not. And I think
Speaker 1: it was notable this week. He also said, I'm not
Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna have an answer pretty soon after the season.
Speaker 1: I won't make them weighed around. And already that's showing
Speaker 1: a consideration for the team that he certainly wasn't showing
Speaker 1: a year ago. I think he knows what he's gonna do,
Speaker 1: and I think he wants to get get paid and
Speaker 1: maybe get Jordan's love out of that building. This goes
Speaker 1: across all Jordan's love taking a sniper shot at the
Speaker 1: end there. I just mean likely he will just be like,
Speaker 1: can you just get rid of love to you know
Speaker 1: by the way this cuts across, Or maybe he doesn't
Speaker 1: see Jordan's love as a threat so he doesn't mind
Speaker 1: if Jordan Let's still in the building at this point.
Speaker 1: But it doesn't matter what sport it is. Winning cures
Speaker 1: everything and puts everybody in a better mindset. However, if
Speaker 1: things turned south and there was a sour ending to
Speaker 1: the season, things could change as well. So a lot
Speaker 1: of robbed of our film room experience. Though I was
Speaker 1: looking this would be a fun one. We would have
Speaker 1: been in there watching this game Sunday night. It's kind
Speaker 1: of been building to these late games, like we were
Speaker 1: gonna be there. You know, we got Chris Rose there,
Speaker 1: we got MGD, we got the producers. Like, um, I
Speaker 1: feel robbed that maybe we'll get Week eighteen, like will
Speaker 1: be Brown's Bengals to win the af C North. Maybe, Well,
Speaker 1: we've been in the NFL network theater. The building is
Speaker 1: mostly shuttered at this point on in some level, so
Speaker 1: we won't be uh at the office on Sunday. I
Speaker 1: do like asking m j D about his uh random
Speaker 1: apartment complex that he owns in Kansas City that he
Speaker 1: you know, somebody talked him into it as an investment,
Speaker 1: and he's like just telling me, like how he's got
Speaker 1: that thing, you know, in better condition and and cleaned
Speaker 1: up the tenants situation. I'm just like, tell me all
Speaker 1: about it, m j D. Tell me about your random
Speaker 1: apartment condo complex in Kansas City. I mean, that's that's
Speaker 1: more interesting in the game to me talking about his
Speaker 1: real estate endeavors. He's got a lot of inside stuff.
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna reveal his sources and stuff, but he
Speaker 1: has been ahead of the game on some big breaking
Speaker 1: news story, so ms he has all right, let's move
Speaker 1: to the other primetime game. I kind of get why Mark,
Speaker 1: on top of not feeling well, wasn't really looking to
Speaker 1: hang around and talk Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers because
Speaker 1: I think Mark count him as one of the Browns fans.
Speaker 1: That just feels like the anvil is hanging over the
Speaker 1: heads of everyone in the franchise. At this point, the
Speaker 1: season has been refrustrating um, but it kind of comes
Speaker 1: down to this now they uh, they need this game
Speaker 1: where we at your with your greg your playoff calculations,
Speaker 1: Cleveland Pittsburgh. Is it Losers done? Are we at that level?
Speaker 1: I know Pittsburgh's tie makes things a little more interesting.
Speaker 1: They depend on what happens in the Sunday games. But
Speaker 1: if the Bengals and Ravens both lose and they're both
Speaker 1: underdogs Bengals have the Chiefs, Ravens have the Rams, uh,
Speaker 1: then the Browns can be winning in Then this is
Speaker 1: like a game here where the Browns can force their
Speaker 1: way uh into winning the division. And the same is
Speaker 1: true for for the Steelers. If they won this game,
Speaker 1: they they wouldn't control their fate because they would still
Speaker 1: be um just trying to stay alive and hoping for
Speaker 1: a Bengals loss in Week eighteen. But that's the thing. Like,
Speaker 1: of all the weird scenarios this week, I feel like
Speaker 1: this is the most realistic. Okay, we'll get to those
Speaker 1: other two games, but I think they're underdogs for a reason.
Speaker 1: I think the Browns will go into this game knowing
Speaker 1: that They're still alive in the a f C North,
Speaker 1: and I think they've got a great offense to go
Speaker 1: up against this lousy Pittsburgh run defense. They were thirtieth
Speaker 1: in the league in run defense d v O w A.
Speaker 1: For all the grief that Ben Roethlisberger has understandably taken
Speaker 1: this year, because their offense is unwatchable. They haven't scored
Speaker 1: up touchdown in six straight games going. That's the first
Speaker 1: time the Steelers have done that, going back to in
Speaker 1: the first half. That touchdown in the first half for
Speaker 1: six straight games. Their defense stinks too, and a bad
Speaker 1: run defense. I know they played well the last time
Speaker 1: against the Browns, who were kind of banged up at
Speaker 1: the time, but a terrible run defense has given up
Speaker 1: rushing yards to every team against Cleveland. This is winnable,
Speaker 1: and even with Mark not here, I'm hopefully he's gonna
Speaker 1: listen to this because I'm locking it up for the Browns. Oh,
Speaker 1: you know, they they served me well last week. I
Speaker 1: the rainmaker, rainmaker, Mark, you know, wants of money. They
Speaker 1: didn't win the game, but they Mark, thank you for
Speaker 1: just trying to clear the runway for that drop. I
Speaker 1: couldn't get Greg to pipe down. Alright, so you have
Speaker 1: been overvaluing the Browns all season. Um, I don't know
Speaker 1: why you still have this feeling that the Browns are
Speaker 1: a good team. You said, I think you said they
Speaker 1: have a good offense. They don't have a good offense.
Speaker 1: I said they have a good offense to go against
Speaker 1: this Pittsburgh team I don't carry against. They're just ran
Speaker 1: for two hundred yards on the Packers. Uh. And they're
Speaker 1: gonna get healthier in terms of their COVID list on
Speaker 1: their offensive line. They get two of their best players back.
Speaker 1: I feel good about this. And by the way that
Speaker 1: you know the rainmaker, Uh, they want us. They won
Speaker 1: some money last week, fictional money, all right, Well, since
Speaker 1: that their season high point, which was that seen win
Speaker 1: over the Bengals, uh, way back in Week nine. Here's
Speaker 1: their point totals and games. And I don't want to
Speaker 1: oversimplify things, Greg, but points matter. It ultimately comes down
Speaker 1: to points seven, ten, fourteen. This is not a high
Speaker 1: scoring team, and I know Pittsburgh is not a high
Speaker 1: scoring team. So I get you could say the Browns
Speaker 1: could you know, win a game. I wouldn't rule it
Speaker 1: out because I don't think Pittsburgh is very good at all. Um,
Speaker 1: but I just don't think and I'm not saying you're
Speaker 1: saying this, but I feel like you're kind of still
Speaker 1: hinting at it that there's gonna be some special Cleveland
Speaker 1: energy and there's gonna be a big performance here and
Speaker 1: they're gonna once again remind us why, Uh, some people
Speaker 1: were picking them as a super Bowl team. I think
Speaker 1: that ship is sailed. Teams are worth so much worse
Speaker 1: than when they played each other in the playoffs, both teams.
Speaker 1: But you locked up the Browns just now, and I'm
Speaker 1: just curious what you saw in the last two weeks
Speaker 1: and now Pittsburgh. I know it is a middling team
Speaker 1: themselves that are struggling, but like you feel that confident
Speaker 1: that they're a better team that are gonna beat the Steelers.
Speaker 1: That surprises me. You gotta pick one one of these
Speaker 1: and uh, I'm well out of the lock race anyways.
Speaker 1: I don't believe in this Steelers team whatsoever. They're so
Speaker 1: bad on both sides of the ball. Yes, yes, they
Speaker 1: could win. Um, it's Ben Roethlisberger's last home start. Ever,
Speaker 1: you know they're trying to sell tickets. I saw this
Speaker 1: like you know, for extra money, like come to see
Speaker 1: Ben's last performance, you know, and it's going for a
Speaker 1: lot on the secondary market, so they'll be juiced up.
Speaker 1: But man, this team is broken, Like every passing play
Speaker 1: is a difficult four yard completion. The defense isn't good.
Speaker 1: I just think the Browns are are a better team.
Speaker 1: All right, we will see how it plays out. I
Speaker 1: think it's a field goal game. Um, certainly wouldn't be
Speaker 1: surprised of the Browns win, but I wouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 1: And you know, I think we're gonna see something here
Speaker 1: with the Steelers before we moved to the draft in
Speaker 1: the off season, because he has Ben basically has come
Speaker 1: out and said it now, this is it for him. Um.
Speaker 1: I think because they have t J. Watt, because they
Speaker 1: believe they have makea Fitzpatrick. They have pieces on each
Speaker 1: side of the ball. Um, Jante Harris, Juju Smith, Schuster,
Speaker 1: Naj Harris like you, uh, Jante Johnson. You I think
Speaker 1: they're gonna make a big splash for a quarterback in
Speaker 1: the off season, Like and it's not a great draft
Speaker 1: class for qbs, and I don't know if they're looking
Speaker 1: to develop one right now. I know it's not a
Speaker 1: Steeler's move, but that's like an early prediction. Maybe I
Speaker 1: should have saved it for a sandwich prop. It's not
Speaker 1: too late that the Steelers come out of the off
Speaker 1: season with a veteran quarterback of note, you can see that.
Speaker 1: All right, let's pause right here. We got a break.
Speaker 1: We'll be right back. All right, welcome back. Let us
Speaker 1: now move to Sunday. There is no Thursday night game,
Speaker 1: so we got a butt ton of games here. Greggy, Yeah,
Speaker 1: we gotta pick up the pace. No by weeks. So
Speaker 1: let's get into the draft. I have the first pick,
Speaker 1: followed by Mark, followed by Greggy. All Right, here we go.
Speaker 1: I didn't even get a chance to kind of take
Speaker 1: a look at this. Things have been a little weird.
Speaker 1: It's important. There's a big week. I will start though,
Speaker 1: with Kansas City at Cincinnati. That feels like a good one.
Speaker 1: That's probably been That's the consensus one. Trevor Lawrence doesn't
Speaker 1: always work out well, but that's the consensus. Don't count
Speaker 1: out Trevor yet. We'll get to that. Uh, Kansas City
Speaker 1: at Cincinnati, Here we go. Because the Bengals are the
Speaker 1: best team in the NFC North I think we've seen enough.
Speaker 1: But at the same time, we've also been sucked into
Speaker 1: the Cincinnati experience already this year. Uh Mark Sessler did
Speaker 1: notably UM when they won those back to back games
Speaker 1: and they got blown out by the Chargers and then
Speaker 1: lose a home game in overtime to forty Niners and
Speaker 1: came down to Earth let the division catch back up
Speaker 1: again before these last two wins. But I don't know,
Speaker 1: am I crazy? Greg? That it feels different this time.
Speaker 1: The fact that it's later in the season, the fact
Speaker 1: that Borough delivered a historic passing performance UM on Sunday.
Speaker 1: I know the Ravens are absolutely destroyed by injuries and COVID,
Speaker 1: but it still was meaningful to see them bully a
Speaker 1: team that has bullied them for decades. And I think
Speaker 1: there's some momentum here that would lead to something special
Speaker 1: happening against the Chiefs, something that because imagine what happens.
Speaker 1: Imagine a scenario, Greg, and I'm not locking up the Bengals,
Speaker 1: but imagine a scenario where Cincinnati beats the Chiefs ends
Speaker 1: Kansas City's a game winning streak. Think how we'll be
Speaker 1: thinking about the Bengals at that moment. They will of
Speaker 1: a sudden, it seemed like an a f C legit,
Speaker 1: real deal contender, and in this strange year, I don't
Speaker 1: think that's a crazy thought. I kind of like Cincinnati's
Speaker 1: chance to chances to keep their momentum going here. Well,
Speaker 1: the difference is that Joe Burrow is like a top
Speaker 1: five quarterback right now. I think something clicked him for
Speaker 1: him in that Pittsburgh game. Now it's weird because I
Speaker 1: know they lost the following two weeks, but that's that's
Speaker 1: why I like doing QB index. In those two following
Speaker 1: weeks where they lost, he played sensational and it almost
Speaker 1: felt like they weren't letting Burrow cook. And last week
Speaker 1: they let Burrow cook. And I hope that's there plan
Speaker 1: moving forward because they can't count on this defense to
Speaker 1: hold Kansas City down. They have such a unique um
Speaker 1: skill set in having two outside receivers and Higgins and
Speaker 1: in Chase. I know Boyd's great in the middle and everything,
Speaker 1: but no one else has two outside receivers quite like that.
Speaker 1: In Burrow um mentally, like going through his progression so fast,
Speaker 1: like his pocket movement. I know today that Spagnola compared
Speaker 1: him to a young Brady just which is a lot,
Speaker 1: but I think maybe it's the pocket movement that really
Speaker 1: gets him talking like that. And just like the quickness.
Speaker 1: There was a touchdown to Mixing last week where like
Speaker 1: he saw his first two you know reads were done
Speaker 1: zo so quick that he gets the ball to Mixing
Speaker 1: in time for Mixing to make a play after the
Speaker 1: catch and go score a touchdown. And that's the type
Speaker 1: of Brady type stuff that the Burrow does. Um yeah,
Speaker 1: I I totally can see Burrow keeping it up. It
Speaker 1: just feels like I'm with you that he is now
Speaker 1: jumped up a level. He's leveled up here, and um
Speaker 1: the what I love. I love his attitude. He reminds
Speaker 1: me in some ways of Baker in terms of a personality.
Speaker 1: That he's feisty, that he plays with a little bit
Speaker 1: of a chip on his shoulder, but he has more.
Speaker 1: He has elite skills as a passer and he you know,
Speaker 1: as you talked about, I think on the broadcast last week,
Speaker 1: he's moving really well. Um, so he's just I think
Speaker 1: playing in the game with so much confidence. Kansas City's
Speaker 1: defense obviously has been good all season. They carried them
Speaker 1: um during some really rough times. For the offense. Uh.
Speaker 1: You know, during most of the season, it isn't It
Speaker 1: is notable that they've been a much better team, UM,
Speaker 1: defensively at home this year. They've allowed seventeen points per
Speaker 1: game at home, almost twenty five per game on the road.
Speaker 1: The last time they were on the road, Uh, it
Speaker 1: was a game I was at here at SOFI Stadium
Speaker 1: and the Chargers and Justin Herbert and other young Sensation
Speaker 1: quarterback uh really had his way with the Chiefs defense
Speaker 1: in multiple spots. I know they made some big fourth
Speaker 1: down stops there, but they were moving the ball up
Speaker 1: and down the field on them. So, you know, it's
Speaker 1: one of those things where I respect what Kansas City
Speaker 1: has done on defense, but I I don't feel like
Speaker 1: this is Bears. This is not the two thousand Ravens.
Speaker 1: And I could see Burrow moving. I like a shootout here, Greg,
Speaker 1: and I like I like the Bengals, and like that
Speaker 1: changes the temperature in the a f C. Wow, let's
Speaker 1: do it. I'm not with you at all. In fact,
Speaker 1: I'm going the whole opposite way. You convinced me that
Speaker 1: the Browns maybe weren't the best lock in the world.
Speaker 1: I'm locking up the Chiefs here, I'm changing my mind
Speaker 1: because it's like the old times. You don't get that
Speaker 1: any chance to lock up the Chiefs when when Byron
Speaker 1: Pringle is running all over you. To me, that felt
Speaker 1: like this like Canary in the coal Mine edition. It's like, oh,
Speaker 1: the Chiefs are back. When Byron Pringle and Derek Gore
Speaker 1: dropping thirty on you in the first half, I'm like, Okay,
Speaker 1: they're getting their secondary guys. Mahomes look so comfortable last week.
Speaker 1: I think Burrow could keep up in a shootout, but
Speaker 1: I don't think it's a fair fight because I do
Speaker 1: think the Chiefs defense is a lot better than the
Speaker 1: Bengals defense. So I'm locking them up. You convinced me.
Speaker 1: I still like that Brown's pick, but uh, I like
Speaker 1: the Chiefs more. Okay, that's fair. Right, Let's now move
Speaker 1: to the Mark pick. I will I'll pick from Mark first. Here,
Speaker 1: greg Um, what do we want to do? Do we
Speaker 1: want to give him bad games for fun? Now? I
Speaker 1: mean he's under the weather. We should be nice. What
Speaker 1: would Mark want to cover? I think that's a well.
Speaker 1: I I have self interest here, and I can't even
Speaker 1: pretend you know that I don't care because I do
Speaker 1: care about what I'm watching this Sunday. It's Week seventeen, sneaky, sneaky,
Speaker 1: good week. You know, these last two weeks like things
Speaker 1: are finalized, you know, all right, so you usually I
Speaker 1: don't care, but this week I care. So I'm picking four. Mark.
Speaker 1: You have its snakes with you, so you get the
Speaker 1: next two picks. So you just gotta hope that I
Speaker 1: don't pick that game that you really want right now, right,
Speaker 1: that's what we're getting at here, right, don't Yes, that's true.
Speaker 1: I should have kept my mouth shut. Arizona Dallas. That's it. No,
Speaker 1: I won't take it. I just was guessing, and I
Speaker 1: guess correctly. Let's give Let's give Mark. Okay, let's give
Speaker 1: him by any Dolphins at Tennessee Titans. That's a good
Speaker 1: that would have been my next one. UM. Alright, so
Speaker 1: the Dolphins, we know the story now, first team ever
Speaker 1: to lose seven or row wins seven arrows same season.
Speaker 1: Uh two has been pretty good. I still I'm not
Speaker 1: blown away by to it, but I know he's obviously
Speaker 1: played a role in this UM comeback season for the Ages.
Speaker 1: Here Jalen Waddle, Um, I really liked the George godzy
Speaker 1: game plan. They seem to understand that this is the
Speaker 1: guy they need to unlock week after week, the way
Speaker 1: Kyle Shanahan uses Deebo Samuel for instance, like get the
Speaker 1: ball in this guy's hands. He's a playmaker. But here's
Speaker 1: a test. Now, this is a test. I've been waiting
Speaker 1: for this so long, Greg, for the Dolphins. Maybe this
Speaker 1: is the a f C East guy in me. It's
Speaker 1: like not that there's been a parade. Hank going back
Speaker 1: and forth on Twitter. You don't like that the Dolphins
Speaker 1: fans are chirping right now. I don't like it because
Speaker 1: I feel like they should also get it a little bit,
Speaker 1: and I think they do. They just don't want to
Speaker 1: say it. Um that they need to have a real
Speaker 1: impact win or a high profile win. Maybe I'll give
Speaker 1: you the Thursday Night against the Ravens a month ago,
Speaker 1: but we know the raven season was heading um, But
Speaker 1: that doesn't matter. I will say this about the Dolphins.
Speaker 1: I thought the game against the Saints, even though it
Speaker 1: was a totally stacked deck against New Orleans, obviously with
Speaker 1: Ian Book playing, I think Miami in prime time, having
Speaker 1: the time of their lives flying around the field. I
Speaker 1: think it might carry more weight than some might think.
Speaker 1: I think they're starting to really believe now like they
Speaker 1: I think they I got the vibe of a team
Speaker 1: that's gonna go into this week knowing a there's a
Speaker 1: lot of knuckleheads like me that are doubting them and
Speaker 1: be feeling like they can beat everybody now. So I
Speaker 1: think it's a dangerous game. I'll start there. You take
Speaker 1: it away, yeah, I mean they gotta feel like really
Speaker 1: confident after winning seven games. These two teams are so
Speaker 1: similar though. They're like really good defensive fronts. They're really
Speaker 1: good defensive game plan teams where they change who they
Speaker 1: are depending on the week. Very flexible secondaries like Tennessee's defense,
Speaker 1: to Mike Vdiable's credit, is a lot better this year
Speaker 1: than it's ever been before. U too really bad offensive lines,
Speaker 1: two quarterbacks that kind of have to overcome it. Each
Speaker 1: team have their like one wide receiver um that stands
Speaker 1: out in in a J Brown and Waddle. But that's
Speaker 1: that's why I like the Titans just by a little
Speaker 1: in this game because to me, Tannehill on nights like
Speaker 1: that San Francisco game, he's pretty close to special. I
Speaker 1: know he's not like elite, but he hit eight third
Speaker 1: and longs in that game, eight like half of them
Speaker 1: is while he's getting blasted. Um, and I just love
Speaker 1: that watching that dude. I just think he's kind of
Speaker 1: turned into this underrated quarterback and they've been in these games,
Speaker 1: and I guess I'm not quite ready to give TWA
Speaker 1: and Waddle the edge when I see so many similarities. Otherwise, Yeah,
Speaker 1: Miami's defense is probably a little bit better, but it's
Speaker 1: not that different. I think Tennessee and and this team
Speaker 1: that has killed me. By the way I was talking
Speaker 1: with Graver, I think I'm like, I think I like
Speaker 1: locked up against the Titans probably three or four times
Speaker 1: this year and was wrong every single time. So that's
Speaker 1: that's the story of my Locks season. But it's kind
Speaker 1: of the story of like anyone doubting this Titans team. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and I think Tannehill. You may have heard that he
Speaker 1: was a wide receiver of Texas A and M before
Speaker 1: he became a quarterback. Maybe it makes sense, like when
Speaker 1: you connect the dots that he's a tough ass dude,
Speaker 1: because you cannot play wide receiver at any level. Uh,
Speaker 1: if you're afraid to get hit or can't take a
Speaker 1: hit and he just gets walloped and always seems to
Speaker 1: pop back up, hangs in the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield.
Speaker 1: I like Tannehill, and I think sometimes Greggy with the
Speaker 1: locks game, and I am ahead in the locks. Um.
Speaker 1: I have a two game lead on Mark with UH
Speaker 1: two weeks ago in the regular season. We count the
Speaker 1: playoffs as well, so I'm in a good position, um,
Speaker 1: And I don't like to something I think Mark has
Speaker 1: gotten into trouble with where you kind of want to
Speaker 1: your pick locks to kind of get behind a team
Speaker 1: that you believe in, because that's that's picking locks with
Speaker 1: your heart, not your head. But sometimes you gotta kind
Speaker 1: of you gotta put your money where your mouth is.
Speaker 1: So if I'm saying I don't really believe in Miami,
Speaker 1: and I'm saying I thought that Tennessee win against San
Speaker 1: Francisco kind of it was almost like they had disappeared
Speaker 1: from the picture. They were gone for a month and
Speaker 1: a half and they were back with a J. Brown.
Speaker 1: So I like Tennessee here. I like them so much
Speaker 1: that I'm gonna lock them up on Sunday to take
Speaker 1: out the Dolphins and break Henry Hotchins heart. Uh. You're
Speaker 1: not playing the our Lady of the Worthless Miracle anymore.
Speaker 1: Dolphins fans, Now you've got a real opponent. That's good.
Speaker 1: You gotta stand behind your take. I feel like you've
Speaker 1: been dogging this Dolphins team. Plus this is what you
Speaker 1: can do with the two game lead. Yeah, I've got
Speaker 1: this lock trophy here right next to me. Dan, I'm
Speaker 1: the back to back defending champions. I'm not going to
Speaker 1: be winning this year. Champion, no ties, no nothing. And
Speaker 1: by the way, it was like it was like Cruise City.
Speaker 1: I didn't even have to sweat out the final conference
Speaker 1: champage of the Super Bowl. You might be headed that way.
Speaker 1: I gotta bring this in because it's no longer mine.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm well out of it. Jan. I don't
Speaker 1: know if this matters, but as of maybe four minutes ago, A. J.
Speaker 1: Brown still not practicing on Thursday, what's his malady? That
Speaker 1: was not aware? P bole are saying, like in the
Speaker 1: comments it was a rural world tweet. People were saying
Speaker 1: covid like follow the tea leaves or let him rest
Speaker 1: because it's a not going to be a you know, well,
Speaker 1: I will not be locking up the Titans if a J.
Speaker 1: Brown is not playing, because we've certainly seen enough of
Speaker 1: the Titans without J. A J. Brown this year than
Speaker 1: Rigulio in a In a number of other people, including
Speaker 1: Westbrook A. Kina went on the COVID list on Monday.
Speaker 1: It should be noted, but based on the new rules,
Speaker 1: those guys could come off by Sunday. As we taped this,
Speaker 1: this stuff is all it's fluid. It is fluid, all
Speaker 1: right now, Greg, it moves to you. I'm taking that
Speaker 1: Cardinals Cowboys game. It's it's by far. You see the act.
Speaker 1: You see that act of kindness. That was nice. I
Speaker 1: admit I don't normally really care what s bottom picking.
Speaker 1: I'm happy with whatever game. I'm gonna watch them all anyways.
Speaker 1: But it's like week seventeen, we've got clinching scenarios. We've
Speaker 1: got like how is this story gonna end? Scenarios like
Speaker 1: I want to see this game and the other two
Speaker 1: late games are kind of dogs. They moved them out
Speaker 1: of the way, so this one get a big rating,
Speaker 1: and uh, I want to see like the Cowboys in
Speaker 1: a real spot. They've kind of had an easy schedule
Speaker 1: to here, Dan as they've been beating up these NFC
Speaker 1: East teams with their defense and when their offense was struggling.
Speaker 1: There hasn't been a lot of like, okay, statement Cowboys games,
Speaker 1: and when you had one, it was against the Chiefs
Speaker 1: and it didn't go very well. So you got the Cardinals.
Speaker 1: And one reason I'm excited about this game, as I
Speaker 1: saw on Thursday, Rodney Hudson back at practice, Rondelle Moore
Speaker 1: back at practice, James Conner back at practice. Uh but
Speaker 1: you know Hopkins isn't coming back right now, but especially
Speaker 1: Hudson and Connor, Like people kind of overlook that in
Speaker 1: that Colts game because it's like both sides have these
Speaker 1: COVID issues and you don't know like which one matters
Speaker 1: more of It's like that offense just can't handle move
Speaker 1: losing that many good players. James Connor has been amazing,
Speaker 1: Hudson is an all pro type center, and so they're back,
Speaker 1: and so I I like, I like the Cardinals plus five.
Speaker 1: At the very least, I'm not giving away that many
Speaker 1: points to Kyler mri one. I haven't. I don't care
Speaker 1: how he's looked lately. But I'm just excited to see
Speaker 1: see what happens in this game. Because if the Cowboys
Speaker 1: offense really is hitting their stride as we get into
Speaker 1: the playoffs, like they could get that one seed with
Speaker 1: a little help here from Minnesota. They have the tie
Speaker 1: breaks on the one seed Dan, So if they win
Speaker 1: these two out and the Packers lose, like they're gonna
Speaker 1: get the one seed, which would be totally crazy. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean thirteen and four would be well learned. I
Speaker 1: think I was getting some heat. I was taking some
Speaker 1: fire with the power rankings because I didn't move the
Speaker 1: Cowboys into the top five off the Washington win. But
Speaker 1: I think what you need to do with some of
Speaker 1: the where we are in our league right now is like,
Speaker 1: all right, so they put up they had a forty
Speaker 1: two seven half time lead, Like that was a Washington
Speaker 1: team that wasn't a very good team to start with,
Speaker 1: that was missing, missing a ton of guys to injury
Speaker 1: in covid in a quarterback who couldn't even lift a
Speaker 1: laundry basket a couple of days before the game. So
Speaker 1: while I credit everyone involved for the win, because that's
Speaker 1: always a good thing to do in the NFL, uh,
Speaker 1: let's calm down with acting like now the Cowboys are
Speaker 1: locked and loaded run to the Super Bowl. However, they
Speaker 1: go and they lay it on Arizona here. Um, I'm
Speaker 1: all in on on Dallas. So I think it's like
Speaker 1: kind of like, all right, Dak looked a lot better
Speaker 1: in his two and a half quarters. Um. Now if
Speaker 1: he does it against a team that has um, you
Speaker 1: know they're playing with urgency here. They still have a
Speaker 1: chance at the NFC West. The Cardinals here, Um, I
Speaker 1: know it's not looking so hot after the three straight losses.
Speaker 1: I agree with you, James Conner, especially um and always
Speaker 1: offensive line play and health is vital, but honor has
Speaker 1: been such a huge part of what they do. You
Speaker 1: can't take Connor and Hopkins out and expect Kyler Murray
Speaker 1: to continue to do his job. Um. So that's a
Speaker 1: big addition. I just wonder if the Cardinals and you
Speaker 1: talked about it on Tuesday, I think a little bit,
Speaker 1: or maybe it was Sunday, Like, I wonder if they're
Speaker 1: just they've taken on some water here mentally. That and
Speaker 1: I wonder with the coaching staff if they're up to
Speaker 1: the challenge here of digging out of this hole. I'm
Speaker 1: not sure if they're there. I think it's a coaching mismatch.
Speaker 1: I like the Cowboys coordinators better in general. Uh. And
Speaker 1: the Cardinals can still win the NFC West. They're only
Speaker 1: one back of the Rams. The Rams play the forty
Speaker 1: Niners next week, who have been kind of a nightmare
Speaker 1: matchup for them. So like this is this is a
Speaker 1: big game. If the Cardinals lose, they'll they'll be locked
Speaker 1: into that into that sea. It's a great game though,
Speaker 1: and I think it's uh, I assume this is gonna
Speaker 1: be a bucking Achman game, right. It feels like they're born.
Speaker 1: Romo is at since and at a Kansas City early
Speaker 1: for you, Oh look at that. I actually, you know,
Speaker 1: when you were giving me a little gup for crowing
Speaker 1: about the Denver Raiders game last week, I kind of
Speaker 1: stumbled into a Romo game, right, Oh no, no, it
Speaker 1: was Pittsburgh. I was Pittsburgh. I had that game as well. Uh.
Speaker 1: And and Romo suffered through that game like the rest
Speaker 1: of us. Um, all right, it snakes to you, all right,
Speaker 1: I'll take the Rams Ravens early. I um don't know
Speaker 1: as we tape this if Lamar Jackson's gonna start, but
Speaker 1: I'm guessing that he won't. They had some footage at practice.
Speaker 1: Did you see that on Wednesday? He was walking with
Speaker 1: a limp, not running with a limp, not running at
Speaker 1: half speed, walking with a limp. It looked like that
Speaker 1: Marshall the clip of Byron left which at Marshall where
Speaker 1: like his offensive lineman end up carrying him down the
Speaker 1: field like Lamar could barely get from the twenty to
Speaker 1: the forty. What are we doing here? And then he
Speaker 1: didn't practice on Thursday. To be clear, by the way,
Speaker 1: all those Cardinals guys they said they were back at practice.
Speaker 1: We don't know for sure if they play, but usually
Speaker 1: that's a great sign. The fact Lamar is out of
Speaker 1: practice after giving it a go is a pretty strong
Speaker 1: indication to me, um that this miracle is not coming
Speaker 1: for this team. Tyler Huntley was taken off the COVID list.
Speaker 1: The Ravens who had it felt like their whole team
Speaker 1: on the COVID list at some point has basically everyone off.
Speaker 1: So even though they're still very injured, uh, they don't
Speaker 1: have the COVID problems right now. But it shouldn't matter
Speaker 1: because the Rams are going up against the thirty ranked
Speaker 1: past defense according to d v o A in Baltimore,
Speaker 1: and I know Stafford struggled last week, but you just
Speaker 1: think that the Rams have the players to take advantage.
Speaker 1: It's really not all about quarterback and the offense. For Baltimore,
Speaker 1: I think they've done a good enough job if they
Speaker 1: somehow had an old school Ravens defense, but they just
Speaker 1: haven't had that all year, and injuries I think have
Speaker 1: hurt the defense more than anything. Yeah, I especially and
Speaker 1: and Tyler Huntley looked good obviously before he disappeared on
Speaker 1: the COVID list. But I don't like the way this
Speaker 1: shapes up at all for the Ravens, a team that's
Speaker 1: that's taken on too many hits at this point. Now
Speaker 1: do we put anything into the Rams traveling cross country
Speaker 1: a game they should win, maybe having a flat performance.
Speaker 1: I do not rule this team out for for something
Speaker 1: like that. Although I really have liked what I've seen
Speaker 1: from the Rams the last couple of weeks. I love
Speaker 1: the way they played against the Vikings. They just were
Speaker 1: the better team for four quarters in a game where
Speaker 1: the Vikings should have had all the urgency to put
Speaker 1: up a one last stand at home. So I really
Speaker 1: like where the Rams are at it as a team.
Speaker 1: Their offense made big plays with Cooper Cup, the defense
Speaker 1: made big plays. Uh, special teams made a huge play
Speaker 1: on a punt return. Um. So I the Rams are
Speaker 1: would be my pick in this game if I were
Speaker 1: in the Rosenthal game pick situation. But I guess there
Speaker 1: is something to be said for the Ravens and they're
Speaker 1: they're coaching, and their I the Tiger in a big
Speaker 1: spot year. I think maybe it's a close game, but
Speaker 1: I like the Rams, right. I mean, if you think
Speaker 1: about before last week, the Ravens were in one score
Speaker 1: games going back five six weeks again against some good teams,
Speaker 1: including the Packers. So they've been feisty and they have
Speaker 1: the best special teams in the league, and the Rams
Speaker 1: have just about the worst. So if you're looking for
Speaker 1: something to hang your hat on Ravens, it would be
Speaker 1: it would be special teams. I could see them stepping up.
Speaker 1: I still feel like they're dangerous somehow, Like if they
Speaker 1: could somehow win one of these last two games and
Speaker 1: get a ton of breaks, like I would not want
Speaker 1: to see John Harbor Lamar in a one game situation.
Speaker 1: Odell Beck him. By the way, I have some numbers
Speaker 1: for you before we move on. I just wanted to
Speaker 1: throw this out here. He's played the exact same games
Speaker 1: amount of games for the Browns and the Rams. For
Speaker 1: the Browns he had seventeen catches two and thirty two yards.
Speaker 1: For the Rams, he has twenty catches two hundred and
Speaker 1: forty eight yards uh for both. He seems to have
Speaker 1: about three miss communications with his quarterback every week. I
Speaker 1: I have not been on the it's so those fault
Speaker 1: sort of bandwagon, but something's go went on here and
Speaker 1: they need a secondary to receiver to step up. Last week,
Speaker 1: if they had lost that game, it was partly because
Speaker 1: they couldn't find a completion to anyone not named Cooper, Cup, Jefferson,
Speaker 1: O d B. The tight ends just we're not getting
Speaker 1: it done, and O dB was a big part of it. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I I obviously been tracking the same thing as well.
Speaker 1: And it's like, I thought it was unfair that that
Speaker 1: Baker was hung out to dry the way he was
Speaker 1: in that that whole situation, And I didn't think it
Speaker 1: was particularly noble the way Beckham handled himself there. And
Speaker 1: it doesn't surprise me because it's been it's been a
Speaker 1: while since Beckham was a real, you know, impact player.
Speaker 1: Now he does have I believe three touchdowns. That's a
Speaker 1: big difference. He didn't score it off for the Brown
Speaker 1: and look like he's helping them. They it's better that
Speaker 1: they have them than they don't, and I think they
Speaker 1: could use a little more if they want to go
Speaker 1: win a super Bowl, is what I'm saying. Right, He's
Speaker 1: he's weird because it's not a situation where it's like, well,
Speaker 1: that's because Beckham's not physically talented anymore. Like the route
Speaker 1: he ran on the touchdown against the Vikings was a
Speaker 1: great little route in the red zone. Was like, oh,
Speaker 1: look how quick he is, and look how guys trying
Speaker 1: to cover him get lost. And he's had certainly moments
Speaker 1: with both teams where he's been opened and his quarterback
Speaker 1: has missed him. But I just don't know if he's
Speaker 1: a guy. Yeah, like you're saying necessarily that you could
Speaker 1: trust as you're locked and loaded number two. Um, this
Speaker 1: is gonna be an important last few games of the
Speaker 1: season for him, all right, now, let us move now
Speaker 1: to the next Mark pick, and you're on it. Oh,
Speaker 1: I'm on the Mark pick. All right. Well, I'll take
Speaker 1: a late game for him. Then he just doesn't have anything.
Speaker 1: Before we move on, there's someone else that has a comment.
Speaker 1: Hello heroes, fill again this week. I hope everybody had
Speaker 1: a great Christmas. This week we are picking the Rams
Speaker 1: over the Ravens. The Ravens secondary got torched against the
Speaker 1: Bengals last week and now they go up against Stafford
Speaker 1: Cup and O b J. We expect the same results
Speaker 1: this week. Aaron Donald had six sex in December. It
Speaker 1: was named defensive Player of the month. You're sure to
Speaker 1: cost trouble for whoever is playing QB for the Ravens.
Speaker 1: Rams over Ravens. Lock it up. You know, I like
Speaker 1: Phil Phil. They all bring a different little sizzle and
Speaker 1: style to it. But feels more no frills, feels like
Speaker 1: this is why I'm making the pick. This is what
Speaker 1: I'm thinking. There's not more frills. Give me more frills, Phil,
Speaker 1: more more? Um, you know, don't I don't need the
Speaker 1: offense defensive player of the month. Give me, give me
Speaker 1: some personality, or bring Macki back. Hang on a second, Well,
Speaker 1: we'd love to have Macki back in the mix, but
Speaker 1: let's let Phil be Phil. Okay, we don't need him
Speaker 1: to be playing a different role. You don't want Phil
Speaker 1: trying to act like Nick, and we don't want Nick
Speaker 1: trying to act like Phil. That's true. Phil is um
Speaker 1: is a beautiful guy. You don't feel straight shooter. He's
Speaker 1: the same same Phil every day, which feels a good
Speaker 1: dude and feels like that warm sweater. You pull that
Speaker 1: warm sweater over your head and you know you're in
Speaker 1: good company. You're safe. All right, let's move on. Phil's
Speaker 1: wife's like, what, let's take a break, be right back.
Speaker 1: All right, what's the market? I'm gonna this really would
Speaker 1: be Mark spec It's Houston San Francisco in the late window. Uh,
Speaker 1: it's not. It's not. It's just like not only a
Speaker 1: potential blowout, but it includes his forty niners. Uh, it's perfect.
Speaker 1: I'm almost disappointed that we don't have our network show. Well,
Speaker 1: I am disappointed, but like for the main reason is,
Speaker 1: like I wanted to do a bit where we give
Speaker 1: the Texans two minutes because Davis Mills has earned it,
Speaker 1: you go stomp the Chargers out in what Football Outsiders
Speaker 1: had as one of the five best offensive performances uh
Speaker 1: according to efficiency of any team in any game all
Speaker 1: season by the Houston Texans office. Last week, they scored
Speaker 1: a touchdown like every freaking drive, and so Mills playing
Speaker 1: a little well and Trey Lance starting this game most
Speaker 1: likely for San Francisco. As we tape this, Jimmy G
Speaker 1: as in practice. Yet it is pretty. It is interesting.
Speaker 1: This is this is a pretty It's a lot more
Speaker 1: interesting than I would have expected this game to be
Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago. I think this is wild.
Speaker 1: I think it's uh. I think this tray Lance situation.
Speaker 1: Now as we record this, Jimmy G didn't rule out
Speaker 1: playing on Tuesday, I believe or Wednesday, but he didn't
Speaker 1: practice on Wednesday. I don't know if he has a
Speaker 1: has a thumb injury, and and we we didn't talk
Speaker 1: about that on Tuesday. Ligament his thumb, the U c
Speaker 1: L and then a chipped bone in that thumb, so
Speaker 1: the thumbs jacked up. Um. And it makes all the
Speaker 1: sense in the world that you get to look at
Speaker 1: Trey Lance here in a very favorable matchup. I think
Speaker 1: it's what makes it fascinating is if Trey Lance, let's say, okay,
Speaker 1: let's say Tray Lance starts against the Texans and runs
Speaker 1: for ninety three yards and two touchdowns and completes his
Speaker 1: passes for another touchdown, doesn't turn it over like after
Speaker 1: what we've seen, and he electrifies the offense. Do you
Speaker 1: do you then go back to Jimmy G to close
Speaker 1: the season or will Kyle Shanahan will plant the seed
Speaker 1: that keeps, that keeps Tray Lance maybe in the lineup.
Speaker 1: Is that potentially in play? You think? I know has
Speaker 1: ad moments this year, but it's a huge opportunity. I
Speaker 1: think Shanahan it's not like he'd be rooting for this,
Speaker 1: clearly he Jimmy G was the guy who was going
Speaker 1: for But I think he might be excited about this
Speaker 1: opportunity because Tray Lance taking over in week sixteen is
Speaker 1: not the same as Trai Lance taking over in week five.
Speaker 1: Number one. They're healthier offensively, They're better offensively than they
Speaker 1: were back then. Debo Auk is rolling Debo's healthy kittles healthy.
Speaker 1: There were issues when Lance came in. He's also had
Speaker 1: a chance to practice and be around and they said
Speaker 1: he's looked great at practice, YadA YadA. But more than anything,
Speaker 1: it's like they're springing something new on defensive coordinators here.
Speaker 1: I think he would like that that if if they
Speaker 1: can win this game tame clinch a playoff spot. They're
Speaker 1: gonna play the Rams next week. That'll be a tough test.
Speaker 1: Like whoever they play in the first round suddenly has
Speaker 1: to prepare for Trey Lance. And if you get the
Speaker 1: ball rolling downhill, they're they're not. I think they know
Speaker 1: they're not winning a super Bowl with Jimmy g I
Speaker 1: sort of expect at this point Trey Lance to be
Speaker 1: their starting quarterback the rest of the year unless he's bad.
Speaker 1: Unless he's bad, I have no idea how will play.
Speaker 1: But if he plays well, I would assume they're just
Speaker 1: gonna go with it. Well, that's why it makes it
Speaker 1: such a fascinating situation now and now factor this in Greg,
Speaker 1: because this is really a huge storyline here. Um, I'm
Speaker 1: in my fantasy championship okay back in August. Uh and
Speaker 1: it's your fault. But you know what, I shouldn't have
Speaker 1: been so um My ears should have been more closed.
Speaker 1: I should have made my own decisions. You were so
Speaker 1: high on Lance, Well, I hope you listened to my
Speaker 1: decision to play Damien Harris over Michael Carter in the semifinals.
Speaker 1: That decisn't worked out pretty well. How about job thank
Speaker 1: you on that, although Michael Carter did have about hundred
Speaker 1: and forty yards and there's someone else involved to a J. Dillon. Yeah. Yeah,
Speaker 1: So I took Trey Lance in the fifth round of
Speaker 1: Fantasy Draft in August. Okay, I also took Christian McCaffrey
Speaker 1: and new Copkins, and yet here I am in the finals.
Speaker 1: What a story this has been. But I I held
Speaker 1: on to him for two months, waiting for the moment
Speaker 1: where Kyle would say, let's do this thing, let's roll,
Speaker 1: and it just never happened. I think it was one
Speaker 1: of the more surprising aspects of the season to me
Speaker 1: that Jimmy g hung on to the job. So what
Speaker 1: did I do? I picked him up off waivers and
Speaker 1: I got I'm a little heat check Reggy sliding Tray
Speaker 1: Lance into him as my second quarterback. Uh well, I
Speaker 1: don't really have a second quarterback this season, but Taysom
Speaker 1: Hill or Tyler Huntley, those are options. Huntley is a
Speaker 1: pretty good option. Yeah, I mean he's been like when
Speaker 1: he started, he's been like a top ten but sometimes
Speaker 1: but yes, I like I like the way the cosmos
Speaker 1: have lined up here this season. For me, I feel
Speaker 1: like the football g the fantasy gods are saying, all right,
Speaker 1: we know you you wanted this. Here he is in
Speaker 1: Championship week against the Texans. Is it gonna happen? I
Speaker 1: don't know, but we'll see. I think it's just exciting
Speaker 1: forget about mostly focused on my fantasy matchup everybody, but
Speaker 1: also on what it could mean to the in the
Speaker 1: NFC if Trey Lance balls out, if even plays. Yes,
Speaker 1: I don't know if I like them better than Huntley,
Speaker 1: though I'm on the record there Huntly okay, But I
Speaker 1: think the Texans defense has been sneaky solid. I would
Speaker 1: say for about half the season. The last half, they've
Speaker 1: been solid. They're a mid level defense in general. I
Speaker 1: think I don't because I did. I did kind of
Speaker 1: positive early in the UH during the summer that David
Speaker 1: Culley was being asked to rearrange the deck chairs on
Speaker 1: the Titanic and would be swept out. I would be
Speaker 1: very surprised if Culley didn't come back next year. I
Speaker 1: think they've liked Dan Campbell has made the most of
Speaker 1: a little they've They've won the same amount of games
Speaker 1: this year with Mills and Tyrode as they did last
Speaker 1: year with Deshaun Watson. How about that. Yeah, that's pretty
Speaker 1: that's pretty crazy. All right, let's move on. Now heads
Speaker 1: to me. I want to grab a Lake game, but
Speaker 1: they're both very bad, so I'm gonna I'm gonna slide
Speaker 1: my eyes away from that and back into the early window.
Speaker 1: And why don't we go and get um Las Vegas
Speaker 1: at cults. The cults are all right. Congratulations Raiders. No
Speaker 1: matter what happens in these last two weeks, people won't
Speaker 1: be able to say you completely collapsed at the end
Speaker 1: of the season, even if you lose these last two games.
Speaker 1: I feel like they're in a little bit fitting considering
Speaker 1: the city they play, and it's a little bit of
Speaker 1: a house money situation for the Raiders. Now they've staved
Speaker 1: off a really ugly and to their season. They won
Speaker 1: these back to back December games by narrow margins to
Speaker 1: keep themselves in the playoff race. They beat playoff contenders
Speaker 1: to get back to eight and seven. Now they go
Speaker 1: to Indie and again, welcome to the two thousand one
Speaker 1: NFL season. As we tape this, Carson Wentz is in
Speaker 1: the COVID nineteen protocol, but they did change those rules,
Speaker 1: so if he is not positive and I don't unless
Speaker 1: I miss something. I haven't heard anything that he was
Speaker 1: actually he had COVID nineteen. You know, they did confirm
Speaker 1: he had it, but he does have to show no symptoms,
Speaker 1: so he'll get activated on Saturday. Don't get excited because
Speaker 1: they have to officially activate him regardless. So they will
Speaker 1: do that almost certainly unless he's definitely out. But then
Speaker 1: a doctor has to check him on Sunday morning and
Speaker 1: like say, okay, you don't have symptoms and clear him.
Speaker 1: So that's the process according to UH Stephen Holder of
Speaker 1: the Athletic And of course he's he's not vaccinated Carson Wentz.
Speaker 1: So the chances that he does have lingering symptoms are
Speaker 1: greater than if he would have gotten the j ab.
Speaker 1: So I think there's a wide assumption here. Now I've been,
Speaker 1: you know, reading in different places that he will be
Speaker 1: playing Sunday. But we'll see because he might be dealing
Speaker 1: with symptoms that are more serious or lingering than someone
Speaker 1: who went and UH went with the side of science.
Speaker 1: So here we are now with the situation where it
Speaker 1: could be Matt Ellinger. It's not going to be card,
Speaker 1: it's not going to be your boy Philip Rivers Greg.
Speaker 1: But this changes something. This changes a lot for the
Speaker 1: Raiders potentially, who might have looked into a golden opportunity here.
Speaker 1: But we will find out right and everyone just kind
Speaker 1: of assumes the culture in the playoffs just because they're
Speaker 1: so good. But if they lost this game with sam
Speaker 1: Ellinger's it's it's suddenly back up for grabs here, which
Speaker 1: is which is crazy for them going into Week eighteen.
Speaker 1: I actually think they could win a game the Colts
Speaker 1: with Sam Ellinger, even though I have a lot of
Speaker 1: concerns about sam Ellinger. I I would guess the Colts
Speaker 1: would go from being about a six point favorite, which
Speaker 1: is what they are now six and a half off too,
Speaker 1: like a two point favorite. They still two or three.
Speaker 1: They still will be favored in the desert. To me,
Speaker 1: it would be more of a coin flip. But I
Speaker 1: think the reason why it would they'd have a real chance,
Speaker 1: not just because the running game is so good, um,
Speaker 1: but because their defense is is solid and I think
Speaker 1: all it takes right now is a solid defense to
Speaker 1: keep the Raiders under about seventeen points. There's no Darren Waller.
Speaker 1: He started practice, he was gonna practice, and then he
Speaker 1: got COVID nineteen. So he's back from the injury, and
Speaker 1: then he got COVID nineteen and it happened so late
Speaker 1: in the week. I'm pretty sure he is out out
Speaker 1: and so it's gonna be tough for me. I to
Speaker 1: imagine that the Raiders like run away with this game.
Speaker 1: If it's Ellinger's starting, probably went though, right, I mean,
Speaker 1: it's probably went, probably, But again, because he's not vaccident,
Speaker 1: you don't know like where her symptoms are at and
Speaker 1: their probably or even you know what, we know vaccinated
Speaker 1: people who are feeling symptoms five days deep into this,
Speaker 1: and we've heard from NFL players that have I think
Speaker 1: it's the exception, but um, what my point is that
Speaker 1: you we don't know anything that you could definitely be
Speaker 1: having symptoms five or there's another component to this because
Speaker 1: and this is not speaking you know, for the NFL
Speaker 1: on any level, but THEFL is just trying to survive
Speaker 1: now and get through the season, and they they've relaxed
Speaker 1: these rules to get guys back on the field. I
Speaker 1: don't know, like is there you don't have to pass
Speaker 1: a test right to get back on You just have
Speaker 1: to clear some type of medical protocol. It just feels like, well,
Speaker 1: I think that's a fair fair point. It basically, you're
Speaker 1: supposed to be asymptomatic and the doctor is gonna check
Speaker 1: on you, but you don't have to doctor. No. No.
Speaker 1: In fact, there's a lot of I think um players.
Speaker 1: You know, we saw all these players come off the
Speaker 1: COVID list in mass this week and they it's not
Speaker 1: like they were necessarily testing positive or negative. They were
Speaker 1: just where they had done their five days. So we're
Speaker 1: all grown ups here. If if he's not ill, um
Speaker 1: and the cults, doctor Uh has to decide whether he's
Speaker 1: playing or not. And the Colts really need to win
Speaker 1: because they they're in the playoffs with a win. Yeah,
Speaker 1: unless he's really under the weather, we'll see, we shall see.
Speaker 1: What a world? What a world? The Colts uh three
Speaker 1: game winning streak, they won six of seven. They clinch
Speaker 1: a playoff spot with a win, and they're one game
Speaker 1: behind Tennessee. Tennessee obviously owns tiebreaker because they head to head,
Speaker 1: So Tennessee wins one game or the Colts lose one game,
Speaker 1: Tennessee wins the division. But there is even a possibility
Speaker 1: that Colts win out Tennessee loses out. The Colts win
Speaker 1: the division, but the Jaguars around the Tennessee schedule. Don't
Speaker 1: forget all right now, Snakes to me, Yeah, shoot, oh no,
Speaker 1: I gotta I'm gonna have to grab one of these
Speaker 1: late games. You might as well pick the one you want.
Speaker 1: There's two lesser games. I know your style though, You're
Speaker 1: just gonna be watching Cardinals Cowboys anyways, along along with
Speaker 1: your game. You know, you get to be professional. That's fine,
Speaker 1: you're the host. That makes sense. I gotta have my
Speaker 1: eyes on these big games, all right. Let me grab, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'll grab. I'll watch Sam Donald against the Saints. What
Speaker 1: the hell has playoff implications? Saints? Saints are a lot more.
Speaker 1: They're kind of the one team. I think people don't
Speaker 1: realize they're very much alive. They are alive. They're very
Speaker 1: much alive. Yeah, so you have Sam Donald is now
Speaker 1: the starter once again for the Panthers. Cam Newton sounded
Speaker 1: like a guy who might even be ready for retirement
Speaker 1: and his postgame comments comments this week, so we'll see
Speaker 1: where Cam's future is. But it's not on the field
Speaker 1: unless Donald gets hurt. Here, Um, we know where Caroline is.
Speaker 1: They're playing out the string with a lot of questions
Speaker 1: once the season ends. The Saints, on the other hand, UM,
Speaker 1: Greg has time to do our our weekly check in
Speaker 1: what's going on with their offensive tackles. I don't think
Speaker 1: they're back. I don't think they're back ram checking Armstead.
Speaker 1: I should have I should have had that ready. All right, Well,
Speaker 1: maybe while I pump up this game, maybe an injury
Speaker 1: poor Let's see where they're at, because obviously that matters.
Speaker 1: I thought it was really difficult to watch. First, I'll
Speaker 1: Taysom Hill activated off COVID, so I think Trevor Simeon
Speaker 1: as well. So thankfully Ian Book back to third string,
Speaker 1: and um, if anybody deserves to make good from the football,
Speaker 1: gots Ian Book down the line. Okay, a couple of
Speaker 1: years and now maybe something really he gets in a
Speaker 1: Monday night game or something, and and there's something dramatic
Speaker 1: happens and he gets to get interviewed after the game.
Speaker 1: Good luck to you, Ian Book, Notre Dame. So you're
Speaker 1: probably gonna have Taysom Hill back, who's not very good,
Speaker 1: but he's better than Ian Book at this stage of
Speaker 1: his career. Alvin Camaro I thought was very it was
Speaker 1: very hard watching that game. Um, an overmatched Saints offense
Speaker 1: with a rookie quarterback and Camaro just hung out to
Speaker 1: dry with a bad offensive line, no quarterback play, no
Speaker 1: wide receiver help really on the outside. UM. And it
Speaker 1: was just kind of depressing because you know how good
Speaker 1: he is to be stuck in an offense like this. Uh.
Speaker 1: So I think they could take advantage of a Carolina
Speaker 1: team that's just kind of regressed across the board as
Speaker 1: the season has gone on. UM. But do I think
Speaker 1: this is a lock it up, easy win for the Saints.
Speaker 1: I don't think that exists with the Saints team. I agree,
Speaker 1: and yet it's almost out of the lock zone. It
Speaker 1: might be they were a touchdown favorite in this game.
Speaker 1: That is how little faith anyone has in this Panther's
Speaker 1: team right now. Because they have COVID issues that they
Speaker 1: had a lot of players put on Monday, another thing
Speaker 1: where some could come off. They're also short their left
Speaker 1: tackle cam Irving Stephon Gilmour got hurt uh last week
Speaker 1: and isn't gonna play. I'd be surprised if he played
Speaker 1: again uh this season. But one thing that is in
Speaker 1: my mind, at least when it comes to this matchup,
Speaker 1: because you know it's the same, it's the same personnel,
Speaker 1: except it's worse in New Orleans. Is that the Panthers
Speaker 1: destroyed the Saints in Week two. It was definitely that
Speaker 1: I would say the high play. Are we even talking
Speaker 1: about this? I'm just saying they killed them. It was
Speaker 1: like I couldn't believe it. It was a blood bath,
Speaker 1: especially defensively. So a lot of those defensive guys for
Speaker 1: Carolina is still there, and I would think they'd have
Speaker 1: a chance to keep it close. But it's hard to
Speaker 1: imagine Sam Donald scoring a lot of points here. Sam
Speaker 1: Donald did not look any different or better last week
Speaker 1: in that game. He took some bad sacks. It was
Speaker 1: It's a tough scene though, like they never they haven't
Speaker 1: fixed their offensive line problems where they just like can't
Speaker 1: handle stunts. It's like the same problem every week. Opposing
Speaker 1: teams just do games up front and the guards and
Speaker 1: Carolina have no idea what to do in free rushers
Speaker 1: come in and it's like, I don't think that's really
Speaker 1: on the quarterback. That's on coaching, Like it's been a
Speaker 1: bad season for Matt Rule, but not fixing your problems,
Speaker 1: that's like that's like a sign of bad coaching. Being
Speaker 1: a touchdown underdog to this Saints team also a sign
Speaker 1: of bad coaching, right, obviously everyone's down in the Panthers. Yeah,
Speaker 1: when Donald came in and I thought that was madness
Speaker 1: watching the game on Monday, the way they just kept
Speaker 1: on rule, kept on swapping him and Sam Donald was like,
Speaker 1: what are we doing here? And Cam can't get anything going.
Speaker 1: And then Donald he's got people in his face immediately
Speaker 1: and he's thrown short of the sticks at the turf
Speaker 1: and it's just like, oh my god, this is impossible,
Speaker 1: uh to watch. But New Orleans will have a pulse
Speaker 1: if they can take care of business. All right, it's
Speaker 1: a Mark Sessler pick now, Um, let's give him because
Speaker 1: I know you're sorry to cut you off. And it
Speaker 1: just makes me laugh that every time I see how
Speaker 1: bad Cam Newton's playing, I picture a text coming in
Speaker 1: from West before I even sent it that says, we
Speaker 1: know you think Cam Newton sucks. He will send that.
Speaker 1: He would send that all the time, so I always smile.
Speaker 1: You never let Cam off the hook for his misogynistic
Speaker 1: comment about what was it a female reporter watching was
Speaker 1: so blown away? Yeah, that was I understand you are
Speaker 1: you're of the female species. But I could look past
Speaker 1: it if he was better, but he sucks. You could
Speaker 1: have that if Cam Newton was two thousand fifteen Cam Newton,
Speaker 1: you would have been agreeing with his take something. I'd
Speaker 1: be like, get that female out of the room, get
Speaker 1: that member of the species away out. Um. But he
Speaker 1: wasn't very good on the Patriots, and he wasn't very
Speaker 1: good on the panel and five. In fact, I didn't
Speaker 1: think it would go that he's been. He's been. I
Speaker 1: think he can be a good backup. He has run
Speaker 1: a lot. It hasn't been great, but I I've seen
Speaker 1: worse backups for sure out there. It's a matter of
Speaker 1: whether he wants to do it. But the Sandwich wager,
Speaker 1: because this has come up a couple of times now,
Speaker 1: I don't think Kim is interested in playing the backup
Speaker 1: game for a couple of years. That's what I thought about.
Speaker 1: Like Flacco too, who similar similar Obviously, I just thought
Speaker 1: that they would be done. They've both made a lot
Speaker 1: of money. They've been at the top of the game
Speaker 1: in terms of contracts and whining in, you know, making
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl winning UM, and I just didn't think
Speaker 1: they would have the desire to Cam is ready to
Speaker 1: start a line or something. I think, Kim, I'm not
Speaker 1: getting a sandwich on it, but I think if he
Speaker 1: wanted to play, he could he could keep playing. As
Speaker 1: my point, Yeah, not a lot of rate tape here,
Speaker 1: but he can still move obviously and was a red
Speaker 1: zone threat. You're right, alright, Pauls right there, Let's take
Speaker 1: a break. We'll be right back. Mark. Perfect game from Mark.
Speaker 1: I feel like we know Mark so well because sometimes
Speaker 1: he's a little predictable in certain ways when it comes
Speaker 1: to his football analysis. That he wants he needs one
Speaker 1: of Jacksonville Patriots game. He wants that because he loves
Speaker 1: Belichick more than anyone on the podcast. I firmly believe
Speaker 1: that I love and and uh so he wants after
Speaker 1: Belichick got humbled by the Bills last week, just that
Speaker 1: he wants to watch one of those classic like to
Speaker 1: three Patriots games where the opposing young quarterback is seeing
Speaker 1: ghosts and they're getting to do anything they want. Josh
Speaker 1: McDaniels calls a wide receiver option pass for fifty yards score,
Speaker 1: like one of those games where New England is just
Speaker 1: having the times of the time of their life. It's
Speaker 1: at Foxboro and the guys are shooting the stupid Muskets
Speaker 1: and everyone is having a grand old time in New
Speaker 1: England like that's that's coming, and I think it it
Speaker 1: will be good for them. This is a perfect time
Speaker 1: for the Patriots who are licking their wounds a little
Speaker 1: bit after back to back very tough losses to a
Speaker 1: f C contenders that I think, uh, And sure, call
Speaker 1: me Patriots hater, I don't care. I think what those
Speaker 1: two losses did for me. It kind of slotted them
Speaker 1: in where I think they've always have been, which is
Speaker 1: they're a good team. They're a wonderfully coached team. They
Speaker 1: have some real pieces on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 1: The rookie quarterback can do some things even if he's
Speaker 1: come down to earth a little bit here. But they're
Speaker 1: step below the true a f C contenders. Uh. With
Speaker 1: that said, because there's such a good team with a
Speaker 1: great coaching step, they will eat the Jaguars alive in
Speaker 1: this game. There couldn't be a spread high enough. Uh.
Speaker 1: In my opinion for this game. I think that's all right.
Speaker 1: I agree with where you slot flotted the flopped them
Speaker 1: in the greater picture, it's kind of where I've thought
Speaker 1: they would be. You guys gotten on me for not
Speaker 1: going crazy about them, But I think that's good. I mean,
Speaker 1: if they win these last two games and they go
Speaker 1: eleven and six and they're like the sixth seed, I
Speaker 1: mean it going into the season, that would have been
Speaker 1: on the high end of I think what like you
Speaker 1: could have expected out of the Patriots that if they
Speaker 1: win and either Miami or Las Vegas loses, then they
Speaker 1: are in the playoffs because there is a doomsday scenario
Speaker 1: here where this game is a little closer than you
Speaker 1: think and the crowds getting grumbly and it's sloppy. I've
Speaker 1: just been disappointed, I guess would be the word. And
Speaker 1: how sloppy it's been. Penalties, miscommunications. We know they're a
Speaker 1: little slow on defense at times, lack of a pass rush,
Speaker 1: but a lot of mental errors. Their special teams, which
Speaker 1: is usually so good, has has had a lot of
Speaker 1: bad plays and so that's un characteristic of the Patriots,
Speaker 1: is kind of how they started the season. Two and um,
Speaker 1: they just have such a small margin for error in
Speaker 1: most weeks that they can't play like that and just
Speaker 1: reading between the lines and some of these press conferences.
Speaker 1: Matthew Slater was one. The annoy was another. I just
Speaker 1: what what is what is happening behind the scenes, because
Speaker 1: it just seems like there's some frustration with that. I
Speaker 1: don't know that some members aren't, you know, pulling in
Speaker 1: the same direction, and we're getting a lot of like
Speaker 1: unpatriot like sloppiness. Uh. This is more of like a
Speaker 1: local patriots be issue, um, but it's definitely something that
Speaker 1: I'm keeping an eye in. Wait, there are you think
Speaker 1: there's some discord in the lock I don't know. I
Speaker 1: don't know, or like that people were like celebrating too
Speaker 1: early with the after the Bills game. Not maybe not discord,
Speaker 1: but just like Slater said something about like getting everyone
Speaker 1: on the same page and that, and he's he's like
Speaker 1: the captain of this team, you know, he's the one
Speaker 1: that's been around the most, and that I think he
Speaker 1: said something. I think he said it with a purpose
Speaker 1: that Uh, I don't know what it means or what
Speaker 1: it is, but that the that what's going on here
Speaker 1: is not good, not great vibes, not great vibes. All right, Well,
Speaker 1: that's again a good reason to have the Jaguars come
Speaker 1: to town because winning will get everybody back to a
Speaker 1: good spot and they need a little confidence shot in
Speaker 1: the arm. Here. Um, I do see them as a
Speaker 1: playoff team. Um. Yeah. The doomsday scenario is lose to
Speaker 1: Jacksonville somehow and then get beat by the Dolphins and
Speaker 1: the Dolphins take your spot right right, or even beat
Speaker 1: Jacksonville and things work out. You know, the Raiders and
Speaker 1: the Dolphins win this week and then you lose next week,
Speaker 1: and there is absolutely a scenario you get knocked out
Speaker 1: then even at ten and seven. Uh, if the I'm
Speaker 1: trying to think which they have almost every tiebreaker, so
Speaker 1: it's it's complex which I forget which scenario, but they
Speaker 1: wouldn't be a winning in next I mean I'll lose
Speaker 1: an in all right, last game of the draft, the
Speaker 1: pick goes to you, all right, I'll take Uh, let's
Speaker 1: gonna take the Jets here, Um, do you want your Jets?
Speaker 1: I can leave that for you. It doesn't know, I'll
Speaker 1: leave it for you. I'll leave it for you. I'll
Speaker 1: take Um, I'll take Falcons Buffalo. Keep an eye on
Speaker 1: that Bill's game. Don't expect it to be too close.
Speaker 1: As my backup morning game, I was so impressed with
Speaker 1: what Josh Allen did last week. I thought I'd have
Speaker 1: to go through all the games, but I think it's
Speaker 1: on the short list of the best games any quarterbacks
Speaker 1: played all season. Uh. He just he was absolutely electric
Speaker 1: and almost perfect. I would say I can't imagine anyone Yes, um,
Speaker 1: and I hesitate to bring it up because I agree
Speaker 1: with you, and I thought he was electrifying in that game.
Speaker 1: But it is funny how the how the NFL works,
Speaker 1: how sports work. Man. He threw an interception on like
Speaker 1: the second play of that game, deciding drive. I think J. C.
Speaker 1: Jackson just holds onto the ball and threw it right
Speaker 1: into his hands, and it was like when back to
Speaker 1: Alan was like, throw it into my chest. He's like,
Speaker 1: what are you doing? You blew the game. But then
Speaker 1: to Alan's credit, he made the most of that second life.
Speaker 1: It makes you think of ELI and Super Bowl forty two.
Speaker 1: But I guess I've heard Patriots. You know that play
Speaker 1: has been brought up in New England this week, and
Speaker 1: that's fine. It's like if the Patriots scored there, It's
Speaker 1: like I would have expected the Bills to go score
Speaker 1: right back because they had the ball eight times. They
Speaker 1: scored every time. But don't get on. John isn't special,
Speaker 1: but the Bills aren't special. It's just pointing out that
Speaker 1: that these things that get overlook sometimes, right. He he
Speaker 1: had about thirty great plays and he just it was awesome.
Speaker 1: They should destroy the Falcons. I can't imagine it's been
Speaker 1: too often in NFL history that a team with seven
Speaker 1: wins is a two touchdown underdog here in Week seventeen,
Speaker 1: but that's that's the Falcons. They're two touchdown underdog. I mean,
Speaker 1: the Patriots were a two touch on underdog and the
Speaker 1: freaking Super Bowl, So I guess it happens. The Bills
Speaker 1: got beat by Urban Myers Jaguars, so as as well
Speaker 1: as they're playing right now, I suppose you could say
Speaker 1: there could be that somehow they come out flat in
Speaker 1: uh a game where they kind of look past the Falcons.
Speaker 1: And the Falcons, to their credit, they've hung around in
Speaker 1: a lot of games. Uh, they have a great record
Speaker 1: in close games. But at the same time, I'm with you.
Speaker 1: I think the more likely scenario is this game is
Speaker 1: one three in the second quarter. Yes, I I agree,
Speaker 1: and they're they're back. If you look at the preseason
Speaker 1: odds to win the a f C and the current
Speaker 1: odds Kansas City one and two in the preseason Kansas
Speaker 1: City and Buffalo one and two right now, Buffalo a
Speaker 1: little longer. But to me, they're like a veteran ish
Speaker 1: team that they know, like what's happened before sort of
Speaker 1: didn't matter. They just got to go beat these cupcakes
Speaker 1: here on the schedule, win the division, get a tour,
Speaker 1: a three seed, and they're right back where they wanted
Speaker 1: and they should do that. Um, all right, so there
Speaker 1: you go. Um, I didn't. I didn't break up my
Speaker 1: my Matt Iron. Take ahead, give us a take. Well,
Speaker 1: I just think he is the Dalton scale right now.
Speaker 1: He's the he's the median in which if you're above him,
Speaker 1: ah you've got a quarterback of year below him, you don't.
Speaker 1: He's the median right now. That's right now. I think
Speaker 1: that's fair. I think that's fair. I watched him every
Speaker 1: single week. He's the exact same every week. It's like
Speaker 1: it totally depends on who the opponent is. He'll have
Speaker 1: a He actually played very well against the Lions, but
Speaker 1: he will not play well again. He was the m
Speaker 1: v P four years ago or five years ago. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: I guess he's following more of a natural career arc
Speaker 1: of guys, but in his prior generation, where he seems
Speaker 1: to be slipping in his mid thirties, we're honking too much.
Speaker 1: I shouldn't be throwing an extra points here, No, I was.
Speaker 1: I mean, I like the point. I think it's a
Speaker 1: fair point to make, and we'll be coming out with
Speaker 1: that episode a little bit later in the off season,
Speaker 1: the the updated Dalton Scale. All Right, draft over, close
Speaker 1: up the books. I think we did a good job
Speaker 1: with Mark there. I think he'll be happy. Miami and Tennessee,
Speaker 1: Houston and San Francisco, Jacksonville in New England. We know
Speaker 1: our boy, we know our guy. Mark his draft, it
Speaker 1: really was his draft. Yeah, well you got a buddy,
Speaker 1: you got it. All right, let's finish the rest of this.
Speaker 1: Let's start with UM. We'll start with the Jets and Tampa.
Speaker 1: I want to um say this and this should be
Speaker 1: a slaughter. Uh, Tampa Bay should have no problem um
Speaker 1: putting up points against the Jets. UM. Even then, there
Speaker 1: are still kind of downtrodden state physically. But I do
Speaker 1: want to say I kinda because the Zack Wilson touchdown
Speaker 1: run and then he had, he's now he hasn't thrown
Speaker 1: an interception in a hundred past attempts. Um I want
Speaker 1: to just say that, I'm I can't help it, but
Speaker 1: I get in my feelings with Jets quarterbacks. And I'm
Speaker 1: not saying I'm in on josh On on Zach Wilson again,
Speaker 1: but I just need to just chill out a little bit.
Speaker 1: I got a little I was like writing him off
Speaker 1: two weeks ago, and I have to keep in mind
Speaker 1: he's a first year quarterback. He's on a bad team
Speaker 1: with a bad offensive line and banged up skill players.
Speaker 1: I just need to take a breath here, take a
Speaker 1: beat before we talk about replacing Zack Wilson. I apologize
Speaker 1: to Zach the boy. The boy doesn't deserve to be
Speaker 1: doubted because he has not been put into a great
Speaker 1: set up personnel wise. He deserves more time, and that's
Speaker 1: what I'm going to give him. I'm not saying one
Speaker 1: way or the other. I'm not saying I think he's
Speaker 1: gonna do it. I don't. I'm not saying he's a bust.
Speaker 1: I'm taking a step back. Well, that's it's important to
Speaker 1: get that out there before he plays the Bucks because
Speaker 1: we'll see what We'll see what you say Sunday night
Speaker 1: when the bowls of sons comes crashing down on him.
Speaker 1: I'm worried about him in this game. The Bucks are
Speaker 1: healthier in their back end than they've been on it
Speaker 1: of the year. Actually, I don't know if Windfield is playing,
Speaker 1: but they finally have all their cornerbacks back, and White
Speaker 1: had their safety who was out He was one of
Speaker 1: those fake VACS guys right now. That was Edwards. He's
Speaker 1: back to like I noticed last week, and I know
Speaker 1: they had an easy opponent, but they were just getting
Speaker 1: very creative up front, and that that worries me. It's
Speaker 1: a tough match up here this week for Zach, so
Speaker 1: I wouldn't surprise me if he has a disastrous scheme,
Speaker 1: that's all I hope not. I feel like he's had
Speaker 1: some baby steps the last couple of weeks, So we'll see.
Speaker 1: Um and um. You know I mentioned McKay Beckton earlier.
Speaker 1: Uh he is. I think Robert Sali said it's gonna
Speaker 1: take I don't know if it was a miracle. I
Speaker 1: don't know the word he was used exactly, but he's
Speaker 1: not coming back. So it was a knee injury suffered
Speaker 1: in Week one that was supposed to be afford a
Speaker 1: six week absence, and uh, sixteen weeks later, he's not
Speaker 1: back and he's not coming back, and you start to
Speaker 1: hear some things. You start to hear some you know,
Speaker 1: whispers about McKay Beckton, and then you when you hear whispers,
Speaker 1: and then Robert Sala comes on at Press Commerce and
Speaker 1: and says the dreaded this is going to be a
Speaker 1: big offseason from a guy Beckton. I have some concerns
Speaker 1: that he's a hugely talented left tackle with amazing upside,
Speaker 1: but does he have what it takes to be a
Speaker 1: successful pro. I think that's a question, to the point
Speaker 1: where you might even hear some talk about the Jets
Speaker 1: looking at their offensive line at the top of the draft.
Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's in playing something to
Speaker 1: keep an eye on here. It's funny because George Phant
Speaker 1: ended up playing pretty quite well for him, which is
Speaker 1: a surprise. Was a nice pickup by by Douglas that well,
Speaker 1: it's just a question. I think if Beckham has an
Speaker 1: NFL body, you know, it's such a unique body type.
Speaker 1: It's tough to keep the weight off. It also has
Speaker 1: you know, you just would think your three six three eight,
Speaker 1: can you stay in good shape and and stay healthy.
Speaker 1: It's that combination, you know, especially when you're rehabbing and all.
Speaker 1: That's it's the drive. Yeah, that's that's what you're hearing.
Speaker 1: Does he have the drive to kind of take because yes,
Speaker 1: the body is unusually large, but he's was given a
Speaker 1: gift um that he could be an all time tight talent,
Speaker 1: but he has to kind of be all in there.
Speaker 1: I mean that would be Uh. That's why the draft
Speaker 1: is such a crapshoot because there were those four big
Speaker 1: tackles in that draft class and the Giants picks first
Speaker 1: and Andrew Thomas didn't work out. He looked okay, he
Speaker 1: looked pretty good this year that Thomas. He had a
Speaker 1: nice bounce back. Second okay, Credrick Wills has been good
Speaker 1: for Cleveland. Um, who am I missing? Back in opposite
Speaker 1: turned into an All Pro Bowl. There you go. So
Speaker 1: it's like fourth one and he was a consensus fourth too.
Speaker 1: It's funny. So it's just it's just the way it works.
Speaker 1: And um, obviously, if you can lock down a big
Speaker 1: time left tackle, it could set you up for a
Speaker 1: decade and a half. The Jets now are and cross
Speaker 1: their fingers mode that this is gonna work out, which
Speaker 1: is frustrating, but that's just the way it is, all right,
Speaker 1: So very very quickly on the Bucks, I've noticed how
Speaker 1: they went heavy personnel throughout last week. I don't know
Speaker 1: if that was just a matchup thing, but they don't
Speaker 1: have their wide receivers healthy. They were playing like two
Speaker 1: or three tight ends. Remember O J. Howard, he's still
Speaker 1: on this Bucks team. I had almost forgotten. Um. I
Speaker 1: just almost think, like Brady gets off on this stuff
Speaker 1: of like, oh, how are we gonna mcgever this thing
Speaker 1: by playing like a six tackle and two tight ends
Speaker 1: and we're gonna like change who we are a little bit.
Speaker 1: They've been really hurt by injuries and I we'll see
Speaker 1: if they do that sort of approach again, but it
Speaker 1: might be a different looking Bucks team. And obviously they
Speaker 1: can still be effective, but it's just like they don't
Speaker 1: have wide receivers. Good. Yeah, A little bit of an
Speaker 1: apology to Cashawn Vaughan, who uh took some fire on
Speaker 1: this show um for me in particular, and then ripped
Speaker 1: off a fifty five yard touchdown run early in that
Speaker 1: game last week. Ronald Jones I thought was good as
Speaker 1: well in that game. And um, Mike Evans, I know,
Speaker 1: what's his status? Is he out another weeks? Week two?
Speaker 1: He's week to week and not expected to play this week.
Speaker 1: But I think they don't play Jets give him that
Speaker 1: extra week. And Antonio Brown was targeted fifteen times by
Speaker 1: the way Um in his first game back the Giants
Speaker 1: at the Bears. Uh is this? Uh? Is this a
Speaker 1: justin fields game? Do we get justin fields back? We
Speaker 1: don't know. He returned to practice, so you would think,
Speaker 1: but we don't know. That's the only reason to watch
Speaker 1: this game. Uh, what's his name? Joe Judge said that
Speaker 1: they're gonna what's name? I mean, I just couldn't think
Speaker 1: of it for a second. He said he's gonna play
Speaker 1: Glennan in From. He said they're both going to play,
Speaker 1: so get that sounds like a threat. You know what?
Speaker 1: The best thing that ever happened to the From was
Speaker 1: that that game wasn't in prime time. I mean he
Speaker 1: made Ian Book look like Mahomes. That was it was.
Speaker 1: It was a tough scene. And um, and I like
Speaker 1: the Bears to win this football game. I think the
Speaker 1: science might be the worst team in the NFL right now,
Speaker 1: I think they're probably the worst it Actually, yeah, I
Speaker 1: even thought about locking up the Bears, but who wants
Speaker 1: to even track that game? They might be out of
Speaker 1: the lock zone. That's how it's been around six and
Speaker 1: a half seven all week six. Yeah, you know I'm
Speaker 1: not going to touch that, but uh yeah, I think
Speaker 1: the Bears are in great position there. Yeah, I think that.
Speaker 1: I really did weigh on the power rankings. Should the
Speaker 1: Giants be number thirty two because the Jaguars at least
Speaker 1: add a little bit of competitiveness. Um almost won a
Speaker 1: game last week. They if they deliver another total bomb,
Speaker 1: the Giants do fall to thatt That's how the season's gone. Uh.
Speaker 1: In New York, all right, let's move to Philadelphia at
Speaker 1: Washington two more NFC East teams. UM. I was not
Speaker 1: very impressed by the Eagles. Uh. I know, when you're
Speaker 1: playing the Giants, Uh, it's tough to get up for
Speaker 1: that type of game. And for whatever reason, the Giants
Speaker 1: seemed to give the Eagles trouble. But the first half
Speaker 1: against Washington two weeks ago, the Eagles are flat and
Speaker 1: that Tuesday game, they were horrendous until the third quarter
Speaker 1: against the Giants. Jalen Hurts has not been running the
Speaker 1: ball a lot, and I think you take that component
Speaker 1: out of the offense. Uh, They're not very special uh
Speaker 1: to me. But Washington seems cooked to me, So it
Speaker 1: seems like a good spot for the Eagles. Right The
Speaker 1: Eagles are were three and oh in December. They could
Speaker 1: not have faced any less adversity to get into this
Speaker 1: playoff position. It's like they beat the Jets at a
Speaker 1: low point, they beat a totally diminished Washington team, and
Speaker 1: they beat the Giants with with the framenader. I mean,
Speaker 1: it's just set up. It's set up perfectly for them.
Speaker 1: And yet it's like, I think this is a legitimately
Speaker 1: good team on both sides of the ball. Uh, and
Speaker 1: they're playing a team that's so banged up, and yet
Speaker 1: they're only uh three point favorites in this game, which
Speaker 1: has me wondering. It's almost Vegas asking for you to
Speaker 1: take the Eagles, But I don't care. I'm taking it, uh,
Speaker 1: and I'm making it rain in Washington. Forget the football
Speaker 1: team right now, we're on a five and oh heater,
Speaker 1: Let's go Eagles Races. Car payments putting that new pool
Speaker 1: in the backyard, get that driveway done, raining a lot.
Speaker 1: You got some leaks, get the roof done. The rainmaker
Speaker 1: takes care of your leaks. Hurts is a better passer,
Speaker 1: by the way than people than I expect did. Because
Speaker 1: you asked that, I think the Gonzo or you mentioned
Speaker 1: it the other week. He doesn't make great decisions all
Speaker 1: the time. Now that's pretty you know, typical of a
Speaker 1: second year quarterback, and I think that's an issue for
Speaker 1: them if they play a good defense. But actually, just
Speaker 1: like his pure having a variety of throws, arm talent,
Speaker 1: I think he looks a lot better than he did.
Speaker 1: Awareness is a little bit of a thing. I agree
Speaker 1: with that, But I think just like people thought, he
Speaker 1: was a little limited a little bit as a passer,
Speaker 1: and I think he's a lot better than than people
Speaker 1: get him credit. I guess yeah, My official stance is
Speaker 1: kind of guess now, similar to where Gonzo was on
Speaker 1: our show. I'm just not feeling the Eagles that much,
Speaker 1: but more me like confirming my priors that this Washington
Speaker 1: team is a three and twelve team masking as a
Speaker 1: six and nine team that got scrappy for a couple
Speaker 1: of weeks. There's just a mess, and it's a it's
Speaker 1: a pick against Washington. Heinik that. Look, he's earned a
Speaker 1: nice long career in the NFL, and he's under contract
Speaker 1: in Washington for very cheap. Next year he'll be there
Speaker 1: pack up quarterback or he'll compete with someone. But you know,
Speaker 1: the idea that he could be a starter week one
Speaker 1: is not a good idea. He played his I think
Speaker 1: he's played his way out of that conversation the last
Speaker 1: few weeks. But a good backup, good back. Alright, we'll
Speaker 1: pick another game right after this break. Denver at Chargers. UM.
Speaker 1: This is a game obviously that both teams need. The
Speaker 1: Chargers just came across the wire seconds ago. Mike Williams
Speaker 1: was activated off the COVID list. Mike Williams not vaccinated.
Speaker 1: Joey Bosa not vaccinated. Austin Ekeler Um, he also landed
Speaker 1: on the COVID list. He was vaccinated. Uh, got to
Speaker 1: get these guys back. But my thought on this, Greg
Speaker 1: and it was what I was going to bring it
Speaker 1: up on our television show. That is now not happening
Speaker 1: um this week, but we will be back next Saturday.
Speaker 1: So make sure you check out the broadcast. Um, come on,
Speaker 1: Justin Herbert, not putting the this inconsistent play on you directly,
Speaker 1: but we love listen. I love Justin Herbert, Greg, you
Speaker 1: love Justin Herbert. Chris Westling love Justin Herbert. There's a
Speaker 1: whole large pocket of the footballs and that loves Justin Herbert.
Speaker 1: So make us look good, make us look smart, and
Speaker 1: deliver another one of those like epic young name of
Speaker 1: performances and get this team to the postseason. It's fair
Speaker 1: and a just hatch up in a tough matchup because
Speaker 1: this Broncos team has kind of owned the Chargers in
Speaker 1: recent years. I know Staley wasn't there, but he was
Speaker 1: there a month ago when Denver put it on him.
Speaker 1: Kind of a weird game where Denver their their strategy
Speaker 1: just hold the ball forever and then give up long
Speaker 1: drives actually work because they forced some field goals and
Speaker 1: suddenly the game was like over. But Herbert was a
Speaker 1: little mixed up in that game, kind of like Joe
Speaker 1: Burrow was when they played the Broncos. The Broncos defense,
Speaker 1: I think it's played its best ball the last five
Speaker 1: or six weeks. Drew lock Uh is expected to start
Speaker 1: in this game. Um, but I'd be a little worried
Speaker 1: if I was a Chargers fan because that run defense,
Speaker 1: which has been a problem. Can you get off the
Speaker 1: field when Javonte Williams that was the problem last week
Speaker 1: last time. These two teams played in Melvin Gordon are
Speaker 1: are running on you and and Denver does have a
Speaker 1: lot of COVID issues though that are up in the
Speaker 1: air as as we talk, so we don't really know
Speaker 1: what where they're going to be at roster wise. Yeah,
Speaker 1: speaking of that, we didn't bring it up, but because
Speaker 1: the Panthers are have so many other issues, but they
Speaker 1: were hit with a major um breakthrough event in their building.
Speaker 1: So that Saints game even more reason to think that
Speaker 1: Saints are gonna take care of business. But yeah, all right, um,
Speaker 1: and they're in the Charges don't have many cornerbacks. I
Speaker 1: thought Drew lock didn't do anything too poor last week.
Speaker 1: Actually it wasn't on him. It's a weird game, and uh,
Speaker 1: it's a big game for him. I know this sounds silly,
Speaker 1: but like if he could have a great game in
Speaker 1: this spot, it would help his career, which is not
Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm a little nervous about this as
Speaker 1: a quasi Chargers fan, even though they're like touchdown favorites.
Speaker 1: They finished home Broncos at Raiders, both winnable games, but
Speaker 1: Chargers history tells us they're not going to take care
Speaker 1: of business. They won't finish ten and seven, and yet
Speaker 1: they should. So they should, but they need a little
Speaker 1: help to They'll need the Dolphins to lose one there,
Speaker 1: I believe, I mean it all, there's a million X factors,
Speaker 1: but they are. They're out of the playoffs. You know
Speaker 1: they're gonna need help. But I'm saying even if even
Speaker 1: if they somehow missed the playoffs at ten and seven,
Speaker 1: the season would be successful to me, uh and it
Speaker 1: would be a big step forward. But if you if
Speaker 1: you charge you this thing up and either split or
Speaker 1: god forbid, lose both games go eight nine, It's like,
Speaker 1: what how we keep on getting back to the same
Speaker 1: place with this organization. It always doesn't matter who's playing
Speaker 1: quarterback or who's involved in that building, but take care business.
Speaker 1: Broncles are not very good. Drew Locks the other quarterback.
Speaker 1: All right, all right, we have one more game Detroit
Speaker 1: at Seattle. Hey, Ricky, do you have sound from Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson's media availability on Thursday. Of course, I do you know,
Speaker 1: I know, I know for me personally, you know, you know,
Speaker 1: I hope it's not my last game, but you know
Speaker 1: at the same time, no, it won't be my last
Speaker 1: game in the NFL. So Russell Wilson asked, uh, you
Speaker 1: know what his future looks like? Does he think it
Speaker 1: could be his last game? No? It was unprovoked. I
Speaker 1: think Dan someone tweeted that without even asking him. He
Speaker 1: just started saying that, Hey, I mean, I don't know
Speaker 1: if it's my ya. He came. He came to the
Speaker 1: party with that line and no one asked him a question.
Speaker 1: He wanted the store. He said that this is the week,
Speaker 1: this is would be the week. I thought there was
Speaker 1: gonna be a leak to one of the reporters that
Speaker 1: he's in good with and would do carry some water
Speaker 1: for him, but he decided either that didn't work out
Speaker 1: or he just was impatient. Was like, I'll just say
Speaker 1: something myself to get the ball rolling here. I love
Speaker 1: this guy. And how about Greg? How about you on
Speaker 1: social media taking some heat. I don't know if you're
Speaker 1: paying attention, But Ricky did a nice job him Ricky
Speaker 1: did a really nice job amplifying our Unsolved Mysteries segment,
Speaker 1: and you with the take that you rather have Mac
Speaker 1: Jones over Russell Wilson. I believe you said easily. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it went viral like it went like seahawks Twitter went crazy. Really,
Speaker 1: I also I didn't see it. I did mute the
Speaker 1: conversation immediately, so I didn't I didn't know all that. Wow,
Speaker 1: that's interesting. Wow, So that kind of I mute and
Speaker 1: block everyone and everything I want. I mean, what do
Speaker 1: you mean? Right? But I'm not going to jump in.
Speaker 1: I don't need a million people going back and forth
Speaker 1: like reading that stuff. I don't know. They weren't back
Speaker 1: and forth. It was like unanimously like quote tweets with
Speaker 1: gifts of like people being like drunk or stupid or
Speaker 1: like which deserves to be maybe maybe aggressive. And I
Speaker 1: was thinking about it as I was talking. It's more
Speaker 1: like people claiming to never read like any work you
Speaker 1: right again because of your takes, like it was, but this,
Speaker 1: you know, this happens like all the time, like this
Speaker 1: one stood out though you Actually, I I can't remember
Speaker 1: too many times where someone said something on the podcast
Speaker 1: and you kind of took the took the air out
Speaker 1: of the room, like Mark, and I had to process
Speaker 1: it because you had said it. I don't know, because
Speaker 1: it's funny because what you said and people didn't listen
Speaker 1: to the show, was that we were talking about Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson and what it would take if he was on
Speaker 1: the market, what you would have to pay, And I
Speaker 1: threw out a scenario like with with the Patriots. You
Speaker 1: dismissed it out of hand, and I understood your logic,
Speaker 1: but I was guessed. It was just so surprised, um
Speaker 1: how confident you were that Russell Wilson was no longer
Speaker 1: a special quarterback, and I thought maybe you dismissed that
Speaker 1: he's injured this year potentially Still I'm not totally confident.
Speaker 1: I admit it. I of course Russell Wilson could end
Speaker 1: up being UM great again. But right now, would I
Speaker 1: want him or like a first round draft pick contract
Speaker 1: of a guy that looks promising. I think I think
Speaker 1: that's a totally fair question. It's not as clear because
Speaker 1: it's more about whether I don't know, you know, it's
Speaker 1: more about Mac Jones that I'm worried about. But I
Speaker 1: and maybe I'm over radiant because I do this silly
Speaker 1: column every week and I watch his games closely, and
Speaker 1: it's been a year and a half, and I'm thinking
Speaker 1: of some of the doubters of Russell Wilson, of the
Speaker 1: limitations of his game over the years, and maybe I'm thinking,
Speaker 1: like now it's finally coming true that like when he's
Speaker 1: not a special athlete in terms of making plays on
Speaker 1: his own or whatever. He's definitely not good like in
Speaker 1: the short game stuff like I don't know if it's
Speaker 1: the height or whatever, like he he does not fit.
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is he's he's not good at like
Speaker 1: short passes, like at a short passing, like the quick
Speaker 1: game stuff. That that's not him. He's never that's never
Speaker 1: been his thing. It's he's a chunk play and make
Speaker 1: plays on his own. Uh and mid level you know,
Speaker 1: mid intermediate throws, which is all great, But he hasn't
Speaker 1: been great, like for a season and a half and
Speaker 1: that does that does concern me, Like he's been mediocre
Speaker 1: this season. He's just has been And people put it
Speaker 1: all on the finger, like he said his finger was
Speaker 1: all great, like the last two weeks or maybe his
Speaker 1: worst two weeks of the year after it looked pretty
Speaker 1: good for a couple of weeks, and then I also,
Speaker 1: I'm thinking about like the second half of last season,
Speaker 1: and I don't know. I could be wrong. I could.
Speaker 1: I definitely am. I'm not back down now. I'm not
Speaker 1: backing down. I I would. I would stick with it.
Speaker 1: But it depends on his situation. But if he's in
Speaker 1: an average situation, can he can he raise that situation?
Speaker 1: Like am I excited about him on the Jets? If
Speaker 1: I was, you sure? Compared to where you are. But
Speaker 1: I wouldn't be that confident that he's gonna be a
Speaker 1: top like seven or eight quarterback again. And so if
Speaker 1: he's not, then yeah, I keep a first round pick
Speaker 1: in Mac Jones. Then then taking like a thirty million
Speaker 1: dollar a year a guy much less what he would cost.
Speaker 1: So now that we've kind of delved in a little more,
Speaker 1: Mac in the first for Russ and a sixth wait Mac,
Speaker 1: and the first wait you get? Wait you now in
Speaker 1: my mind is back Jones in the first round pick
Speaker 1: to Seattle for Russell Wilson in a sixth round pick. No, okay,
Speaker 1: you stand by the take? Well, yeah, the pick, the
Speaker 1: pick is huge in there, I feel like the pick
Speaker 1: the contract. Um, maybe it's my problem, Like I'm looking,
Speaker 1: they've been both like mid level quarterbacks this year. One's
Speaker 1: a rookie and one's a guy who's not as physically
Speaker 1: given track record to Greg. Russell Wilson is not thirty
Speaker 1: nine years old. Russell Wilson just turned thirty three, and
Speaker 1: he is somebody that lives and breathes it and and
Speaker 1: there's a gym rat. I know you mentioned Big Ben
Speaker 1: is like Big Gun and Russell Wilson are very different
Speaker 1: personalities in terms of some preparation habits, and I've on
Speaker 1: some level and Big and Ben was still good into
Speaker 1: his mid thirties. It's not that if he lands, like
Speaker 1: if Russell Wilson lands on the scenes like he's gonna shred.
Speaker 1: If he lands in a great situation, he'll be great.
Speaker 1: But I would say that too, of like I would
Speaker 1: believe that of mac Jones moved forward to all right
Speaker 1: to that point, like see, if he landed with the Patriots,
Speaker 1: I would be furious because I could I could just
Speaker 1: picture what would happen next Patriots in the Super Bowl,
Speaker 1: and him and Bill are on the same wavelength. If
Speaker 1: he lands with the Giants, maybe maybe I'm not as confident,
Speaker 1: but anyway, I'm not even confident that they win this game. Here,
Speaker 1: the Lions have been frisky. Their defense has been playing fantastic.
Speaker 1: Uh really, over the last two months, they've been quite good.
Speaker 1: I'm so impressed by this coaching staff. Goff is back
Speaker 1: this week, so is DeAndre Swift him on ros st
Speaker 1: Brown has been getting it done and uh, given seven
Speaker 1: points to the Lions. Uh, it's just too much. And
Speaker 1: that's why the Rainmakers come now one last time at
Speaker 1: the end of this show, Lions covering a touchdown in Seattle.
Speaker 1: Let's go bring that rain. Ricky oh Man, you are
Speaker 1: coming for Russell Wilson's throat. I got tot holes you
Speaker 1: can't see if you got the prep school. You want
Speaker 1: that new iPhone? Follow the Rainmaker, Follow the rain all right.
Speaker 1: By the way, Lions ten and five against the spread
Speaker 1: this year, and I went and look, I feel like
Speaker 1: I've had a good feel of the Lions. I think
Speaker 1: I'm I've gotten like eleven or twelve right of the
Speaker 1: Lions this year. I got that vibe here, I got
Speaker 1: the vibe. You got him locked in. I would not
Speaker 1: be surprised they've been doing it all season. All right,
Speaker 1: before we say goodbye, we should absolutely acknowledge that Hall
Speaker 1: of Fame coach, broadcasting icon, video game icon John Madden
Speaker 1: passed away at the age of five, passed away suddenly.
Speaker 1: He had been ill but is said to be in
Speaker 1: in in good shape. And then all of a sudden
Speaker 1: you get the news and it's really sad uh to
Speaker 1: lose John Madden. And I don't know, Greg, if you
Speaker 1: have any John Madden memory for me, and I've said
Speaker 1: it if you listen to this podcast, you know, um,
Speaker 1: one of the reasons I fell in love with football
Speaker 1: as I grew up as a boy, loving the NFL,
Speaker 1: and I remember all those Sundays coming home from St.
Speaker 1: Margaret's and going to my grandmother's house on Sunday afternoons
Speaker 1: and there's Poppy, my grandfather, on the on the big
Speaker 1: brown chair watching the Giants, and those are the great
Speaker 1: Giants teams of UH the eighties with LT and Phil
Speaker 1: Sims and John Madden's voice with Pat Summer. All that
Speaker 1: was like to me, that was football and and Madden
Speaker 1: was kind of the soundtrack of football in my formative years.
Speaker 1: So that's always what I think about. So um, that's
Speaker 1: how I remember Madden as the guy. That's like when
Speaker 1: I became someone who fell in love with football, it
Speaker 1: was Madden's voice that that soundtrack that Yeah, he's incredible,
Speaker 1: and I am. I feel like we're doing a disservice
Speaker 1: almost talking about him here so late, But I've also
Speaker 1: seen and read and enjoyed so many remembrances m f
Speaker 1: him over the last few days. You know, I think
Speaker 1: everyone hopefully is covered there because like the the All
Speaker 1: Madden Show. I started watching it last night. It's it's
Speaker 1: so good. Um and n NFL Network has been airing
Speaker 1: a lot of stuff and it was just like when
Speaker 1: Madden stopped announcing, like games just became a little less fun.
Speaker 1: It just was a fact like there to me, like
Speaker 1: a peak Madden game, it was just it just is better.
Speaker 1: It's as an experience. It's such a TV sport than
Speaker 1: a peak any other game. Like, you know, I don't
Speaker 1: think it's just because we were kids. Like Boumonti Jones
Speaker 1: wrote something about just like I think that's why people
Speaker 1: are so critical of color analysts, is like everyone had
Speaker 1: so much fun and love Madden so much that it
Speaker 1: was such a It's almost like a downgrade to everyone else.
Speaker 1: He spoiled us, and he said he was such a
Speaker 1: good teacher. You know, he made like the xs and
Speaker 1: os and like that's where I learned what a four
Speaker 1: three defense is. Like he made all that like fun.
Speaker 1: You know. His love for the game combined with his
Speaker 1: ability to teacher was incredible. Yeah, And I thought in
Speaker 1: that uh All Madden documentary when they're talking about you
Speaker 1: know he's burnt out by coaching. He was fantastically successful
Speaker 1: um as a head coach for the Raiders. Um had
Speaker 1: a winning percentage that no one's ever uh sniffed. He
Speaker 1: he won super Bowls and like he he initially went
Speaker 1: back into teaching and was teaching a course on football
Speaker 1: and then he didn't want to go into play by
Speaker 1: play or color commentary because he just didn't really respect
Speaker 1: the profession. And when he kind of got talked into
Speaker 1: and it eventually gave it a try, he went in
Speaker 1: there to change the way it was done, to make
Speaker 1: it something that made people smarter. I mean, he saw
Speaker 1: a guy like and no disrespect to Howard Cosell because
Speaker 1: he's a legend of his own right, but he saw
Speaker 1: the way Howard Cosell broke down the game and he's like,
Speaker 1: that's not that's not smart, that's not the way, that's
Speaker 1: not how you could teach people more about the sport
Speaker 1: that he loves. So I think he took that that
Speaker 1: was the baseline for how he got into the game
Speaker 1: as a broadcaster to change it, and he absolutely did that.
Speaker 1: So the guys that you love today, whether it's Romo
Speaker 1: or Collinsworth, whoever, it may be absolutely indebted to the
Speaker 1: way Madden did it. And then there's a whole other
Speaker 1: generation of kids that know it from the video game franchise.
Speaker 1: And that's very interesting that back story. It's not just
Speaker 1: like they took his name and slapped him on the box.
Speaker 1: He was a major figure in making that video game
Speaker 1: series as popular as it's become, to the point where
Speaker 1: when initially when there were um, you know, technology was
Speaker 1: not where it is now, and when he was told, oh,
Speaker 1: we can't really do eleven on eleven, Matt, it was like,
Speaker 1: that's a nonstarter. That's not football if it's not eleven
Speaker 1: on eleven, figure it out. Like he was hands on,
Speaker 1: so like a fascinating guy, seemed like a really good person,
Speaker 1: and he will absolutely be missed. Uh Football won't be
Speaker 1: the same without John Madden. E. But he really wasn't around,
Speaker 1: uh you know, upfront anymore, just that you knew he
Speaker 1: was around, and he would pop up every once in
Speaker 1: a while. Uh. It's it's a sad it's a sad
Speaker 1: week because of this. Yeah. People, Um, I haven't heard
Speaker 1: mentioned his books too much. And I really they helped
Speaker 1: get me into football when I was younger. Here. I
Speaker 1: remember his first two books. I mean, it's such a
Speaker 1: Madden title. It's called Hey Wait. It's called Hey Wait
Speaker 1: a minute. I wrote a book in print, um, and
Speaker 1: it's what Dave Anderson, who was like this great New
Speaker 1: York Times football writer too. And his second book I
Speaker 1: think was one The Equals two Feet And I remember
Speaker 1: getting those out of the library and stuff and like
Speaker 1: the same the same way he taught about football on TV,
Speaker 1: where it was like funny and personable, like it is
Speaker 1: a great starter pack um, like for kids or adults
Speaker 1: of like getting into So that's like another thing. And
Speaker 1: those were like number one New York Times best sells
Speaker 1: and all that, so it's like another another genre he dominated.
Speaker 1: Those books still hold up. I remember reading them a
Speaker 1: little while back. Good stuff and find that doc uh
Speaker 1: all Matt and that actually came out on Christmas Day,
Speaker 1: so sad the timing of it. But also he's prominently
Speaker 1: involved and interviewed uh later in his life here, so
Speaker 1: you get that kind of last perspective before he left us.
Speaker 1: And it's airing on Fox Sports a lot, so check
Speaker 1: it out, including tonight if you happen to catch us
Speaker 1: before a p m. Eastern and Pacific. All right, that's it.
Speaker 1: We will be back on Sunday. No broadcast this week. Um,
Speaker 1: hopefully we'll all be together on Sunday virtually. Mark Sessler,
Speaker 1: get well soon, my man. Uh And um, Greg you
Speaker 1: you stay out of the uh the clubs. Uh. It's
Speaker 1: New Year's Eve tomorrow night, Ricky. I say that as
Speaker 1: a joke to Greg, but I say it seriously to you.
Speaker 1: Let's let's not get too crazy in the party scene.
Speaker 1: We don't want to lose you you uh yeah, that
Speaker 1: amount of time. What are you gonna do? What's Ricky
Speaker 1: Hollywood do when there's a pandemic raging out of control?
Speaker 1: In New Year's Eve is here? What is Ricky going
Speaker 1: to do? What decisions does Ricky make in this spot? Well?
Speaker 1: I traveled on Monday. So I'm still waiting to see
Speaker 1: knock on. What if I get sick? Been drinking a
Speaker 1: lot of immunity boosting and stuff like that, so just
Speaker 1: try Russell Wilson's concussion water. Yeah, so all that, all
Speaker 1: that good stuff. Um, but no, I think just Emma
Speaker 1: and Brett are going to come over and we're going
Speaker 1: to order some Chinese food. And Brett's definitely got that's
Speaker 1: a human super spreader. He's asymptomatic like he's like, but
Speaker 1: he just spreads it. One man super spreader, that Brett. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: he's all over town. No, we were all just we're
Speaker 1: gonna order some Chinese food and make a charcouterie board.
Speaker 1: Pretty wild. That's that's good. This is your last New
Speaker 1: Year's in your twenties, that's going out and it sucks.
Speaker 1: It's a smart way to do it though, overrating that sense,
Speaker 1: all right, Yeah, sure, goods up all the listeners, Happy
Speaker 1: New Year. I have a safe, healthy New Year. We'll
Speaker 1: see on Sunday. Until then, beat the fall. M