Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL Podcast is still waiting for an
Speaker 1: update on the Portman River Hall. Welcome back to another
Speaker 1: edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is
Speaker 1: Dan Hands and I'm joining the room filled with some heroes.
Speaker 1: Chris Wesley to my left, Greg Roosevelt to my right.
Speaker 1: What is up? Boys? Mark Sessler back to boomerang. I
Speaker 1: r with a throat issue. We're hearing he is not
Speaker 1: able to make it today, but he will be chiming
Speaker 1: in to our Twitter show via Twitter. So if people
Speaker 1: when they listen to this podcast just want another hour
Speaker 1: of content from us, find that online on our Twitter accounts.
Speaker 1: Busy day, UH, Merry Christmas in the in the rear view.
Speaker 1: That was a Merry Christmas, West. Did you get what
Speaker 1: you wanted for Christmas? I sure did, had great time.
Speaker 1: What did you want you? I wanted people to come
Speaker 1: to my house for Christmas Day and they did. It
Speaker 1: was pretty It was pretty great. I went over there
Speaker 1: late afternoon on Christmas because my family's in Japan right now.
Speaker 1: First we did fake We did our own family Christmas
Speaker 1: a week before, and it was it was a different experience,
Speaker 1: but it was quite delightful just being around UH friends
Speaker 1: and getting a little loose on Christmas. Did you do
Speaker 1: any Christmas related activity? Was there any mistletoe or egg
Speaker 1: nog or anything like that? Well, it's Christmas related to
Speaker 1: like smoke meats and drink alcohol. Right, watch the little
Speaker 1: NBA action a bunch of hoops. Yeah, yeah, I think
Speaker 1: there was. There was Christmas related. It was like a
Speaker 1: podcast crossover because I brought Anthony Jess Yeah, Jessel Nick
Speaker 1: and Rosenthal vany project and it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1: A celebrity. Well, we would open our doors to anybody
Speaker 1: without a family. So right, you're almost like an orphanage
Speaker 1: of l a Great West. Um. So much to get
Speaker 1: to today because Week seventeen is upon us and because
Speaker 1: of that, no Thursday games, no Saturday games, no Money
Speaker 1: Day game. It is sixteen football contest uh, mostly in
Speaker 1: the one o'clock at four o'clock hour, and of course
Speaker 1: the one Sunday night game, which will be a play
Speaker 1: in game of course uh in the a f C
Speaker 1: South to decide that division. And we're gonna get to
Speaker 1: that at the bottom of the show. But we have
Speaker 1: so much uh to talk about, so many games, Greg,
Speaker 1: and I know you're excited. I like Week seventeen. It's
Speaker 1: a weird It's always a strange week. It's impossible to predict.
Speaker 1: There's like motivational problems, but usually there's a few surprises.
Speaker 1: Like we went into a Week seventeen last year. No
Speaker 1: one thought the Titans were making the playoffs. No one
Speaker 1: thought they were gonna beat Jacksonville or get the like
Speaker 1: three things that needed to happen for them to make it,
Speaker 1: but they didn't. That always seems to happen in weeks.
Speaker 1: Did you say motivational problems? Have you ever heard a
Speaker 1: Chris Spielman monologue? Every game counts to these men, They
Speaker 1: are leaving it all on the field one through seven.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm even getting Spielman says, So I'm even
Speaker 1: getting into like the point spreads of it all, Like
Speaker 1: do you get some wacky ones this week? Because like
Speaker 1: one knows if the Cowboys are gonna try. The Bear
Speaker 1: say they're gonna try, but no one totally believes them,
Speaker 1: and you know, so that's stuff like that. You don't
Speaker 1: know what to do. There's a reason Week seventeen only
Speaker 1: counts in your fantasy league if you're an idiot, because
Speaker 1: these things come into play. New Orleans comes to mind
Speaker 1: in other cities around the NFL. Let's get into the
Speaker 1: first game, a game that doesn't have any playoff ramifications.
Speaker 1: We're just gonna go through the one o'clocks, then the
Speaker 1: four o'clocks. First up, the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo
Speaker 1: Bills to a f C East also rans squaring off
Speaker 1: an ending UH disappointing seasons. UH. West will start with
Speaker 1: you on this one. The Dolphins forever a five hundred team,
Speaker 1: it feels like now they can get to five with
Speaker 1: a win. UH. And it's starting to look like if
Speaker 1: you if you read reports out there that this could
Speaker 1: be Ryan Tannehill's farewell in Miami. The Miami Herald is
Speaker 1: reporting it as if it's a done deal that Tannehill
Speaker 1: will not even be back. I believe his cat number
Speaker 1: is twenty six point six million next year and they
Speaker 1: don't want to pay that. And I don't blame them
Speaker 1: well the reason that much though, because they gave him
Speaker 1: a contract before this year. So that's what terror That's
Speaker 1: what bad franchises do. They pushed money into the future
Speaker 1: to save some cap room because they're like, well, Tannehill
Speaker 1: is our guy for at least a few more years
Speaker 1: and now he's not. In that article if I'm a
Speaker 1: Dolphins fan, was very concerning because you did not have
Speaker 1: to read too far between the lines to realize it
Speaker 1: was ownership that wants Tannehill out, ownership that says he's out,
Speaker 1: and like, oh, the coach in the front office, Like
Speaker 1: we're not even sure who that's gonna be, but basically
Speaker 1: the owner that was how I read it. Used to
Speaker 1: be a huge Tannehill fan, jo, I believe it's above No, yeah,
Speaker 1: you don't really hear rock a little, the hard rock.
Speaker 1: That's sort of the Williams sisters. The reed that because
Speaker 1: they realized how bad it seemed that the owners were
Speaker 1: a bunch of celebrities and like someone wrote an article
Speaker 1: that was like, yeah, they popped in like twenty bucks each,
Speaker 1: Like it was like they were so not the rockets
Speaker 1: have that decided they basically got like a free and
Speaker 1: called him an owner. Strange move. I will ask you
Speaker 1: this because Tannehill will be elsewhere. I think there's a
Speaker 1: chance he will be Vante Parker too. This is probably
Speaker 1: his last game. But Tannehill is interesting to me. Let's
Speaker 1: just say there's a scenario where Drew Brees retires after
Speaker 1: winning the Super Bowl this year. Uh. If you took
Speaker 1: Ryan Tannehill out of the den of mediocrity that is Miami.
Speaker 1: Uh And I understand you can make the case that
Speaker 1: Tannehill is indeed a den of mediocrity in the quarterback world.
Speaker 1: But if you took him out of Miami and put
Speaker 1: him on a real team with a great coach, do
Speaker 1: you think the Saints would have a really good offense
Speaker 1: with Ryan Tannehill. I think if you think he might
Speaker 1: be better in a better situation based on the stab
Speaker 1: established principles of mediocrity, I think the Saints would then
Speaker 1: become mediocres. I think they would be better they he
Speaker 1: would be better, though, I I see what you're saying,
Speaker 1: Like I I wrote an article this week for QB
Speaker 1: and Necks trying to like figure out who you would
Speaker 1: want this offseason, Like, so, who would you want? Bridge,
Speaker 1: Bridgewater falls, then there's Tannehill, maybe Jamis Winston. You know
Speaker 1: tanne I don't know Tannehill's I don't think he is
Speaker 1: feeling so far behind the other guys as group. In
Speaker 1: that group, Blaco, one of the same questions, you would
Speaker 1: have a Teddy Bridgewater can he stay healthy. Tannehill has
Speaker 1: not been healthy for a long time, and he takes
Speaker 1: too many hits because I think he has the same
Speaker 1: spatial awareness thing that Mariota has. Tannehill takes entirely. He
Speaker 1: hasn't gotten any better. So I had to answer my
Speaker 1: own question. I'd rather have Teddy and falls because I
Speaker 1: do think that Tannehill is the same guy he was
Speaker 1: as a rookie, which was pretty good as a rookie,
Speaker 1: but now it's like six years later, I don't think
Speaker 1: he's changing. Also think this might be Lashawn McCoy's last game. Yes,
Speaker 1: he's had a falling out with head coach Sean McDermott.
Speaker 1: The Bills I would think would win with that defense
Speaker 1: at home, but that would mean Dolphins finished seven and nine,
Speaker 1: not eight and eight. So that's why I feel like
Speaker 1: the Dolphins that game last week ended like three different
Speaker 1: quarterbacks careers in Jacksonville, Miami. Cody Kessler, Blake boardles An Tannehill,
Speaker 1: We're all gone costly. Moving on the Detroit Lions, they
Speaker 1: too are finishing off a disappointing season after back to
Speaker 1: back nine in seven years UM under Jim Caldwell. There
Speaker 1: five and ten entering weeks seventeen, and they have a
Speaker 1: tough assignment going to lambeau Field to face the Packers.
Speaker 1: Greg Aaron Rodgers, who has not been quite Aaron Rodgers
Speaker 1: all season, looked like Aaron Rodgers against the Jets and
Speaker 1: they're fat defense. Um, do you think he finishes this
Speaker 1: season out strong? Here? Yeah? I mean he's throwing it
Speaker 1: as well as he has all year. He says, healthy
Speaker 1: and moving as well as he has all year, and
Speaker 1: he's playing a team that's just the wheels have come
Speaker 1: off with the Lions. There's now you know these stories
Speaker 1: this week about how Matt Patricia's late to things often.
Speaker 1: He has not been on time to a press conference
Speaker 1: briefing all season, to the point where the beat writers
Speaker 1: call it Patricia standard time, right, And then he was
Speaker 1: eighty five minutes late to the to the call with
Speaker 1: the Packers one, so they wrote about it was supposed
Speaker 1: to be right. So that's the whole and they asked
Speaker 1: him about it and just everything. It's just I don't know,
Speaker 1: I know, I got I got shouted down a few
Speaker 1: months ago when I brought this up. But if there's
Speaker 1: n shocking dismissal on black Monday, Patricia, I mean to
Speaker 1: go from a playoff team to a competitive nine and
Speaker 1: seven team to a five and eleven team where no
Speaker 1: one seems to really like the coach and there seems
Speaker 1: to be going in a bad direction. He like he
Speaker 1: to me, stands out as a guy if you have
Speaker 1: to throw somebody that hasn't been connected at all, and
Speaker 1: he spoke to them. He spoke on that this week,
Speaker 1: saying ownership, he's he has weekly meetings and they seem
Speaker 1: to be like they seem to support him and like him,
Speaker 1: so he's probably safe. But it has not been a
Speaker 1: good for as year. From that, Patricia, it hasn't and
Speaker 1: a lot of that is injuries, but it's also he's
Speaker 1: trying to institute a culture change, which is gonna take
Speaker 1: more than one year. And if part of the culture
Speaker 1: changes him not showing up for things on time, I
Speaker 1: don't know how that works. The reason I don't think
Speaker 1: he's at any risk is just because of the combination
Speaker 1: of ownership and the GM that I just don't sense
Speaker 1: the Ford family is gonna want to start a total
Speaker 1: other rebuild, which I think the only way that Patricia
Speaker 1: gets fired is if the GM, Bob Quinn, who's also
Speaker 1: from the Patriots, gets fired too, and just just doesn't
Speaker 1: seem like Jimbob Couder will probably be the sac of
Speaker 1: Michel Lamb here the offensive coordinator, which I can I
Speaker 1: can never figure this stuff out because everyone's doing backflips
Speaker 1: over Jim Bob. Did that mean the league just caught
Speaker 1: up to Jim Bob or Patricia somehow rubbed off negatively
Speaker 1: on Jim Bob because Jim Bob went from hot shot
Speaker 1: with the best name in the league two guys gonna
Speaker 1: be a kick to the curb in a week. Sometimes
Speaker 1: I lose traffic. It's tough to be a Lions fan.
Speaker 1: I remember you saying in this studio that you would
Speaker 1: be like when you draft when they drafted Donald, like
Speaker 1: even a Stafford level guy, that would be amazing. But
Speaker 1: here we are, like eight nine years into the Stafford era,
Speaker 1: and so I think the Lions fans are pretty pretty frustrated.
Speaker 1: Get all there is. I think a Lions fan, a
Speaker 1: serious fan, could break this down much better. But my
Speaker 1: read on this is that Jim Bob Cooter a couple
Speaker 1: of years ago turned Stafford's career around with this quick
Speaker 1: passing game, and then Patricia came in and wanted to
Speaker 1: establish a ground attack, which the Lions have been missing.
Speaker 1: So they were gonna be a ground attack and throw
Speaker 1: the ball down the field type of team, switching everything
Speaker 1: up from what Cooter had had installed. And then the
Speaker 1: injuries at wadn stever have made them a quick passing
Speaker 1: team again, so they don't really have an identity because
Speaker 1: they wanted to be running and throw and now they're
Speaker 1: trying to go back to what he's been hurt playing hurt.
Speaker 1: All right, let's move on, and we have plenty of
Speaker 1: time to talk about Rogers and the Packers future, and
Speaker 1: we will have I believe a Black Monday special podcast
Speaker 1: coming up next week. Um, so we're gonna get into
Speaker 1: what's going on around the Packers. They they're gonna be
Speaker 1: big game hunting Greg as they say for a head coach.
Speaker 1: Is that what they do? They're going for big names.
Speaker 1: I mean they did interview Chuck Pagano and Jim Caldwell already.
Speaker 1: Oh well, there you go. That backs up what I said,
Speaker 1: doesn't it. I don't know that's former head Coach of
Speaker 1: the Year Chuck Pagana to you. I was like, did
Speaker 1: called called one might have won one of those. It's
Speaker 1: hard to keep tracking, is uh? Moving on? The Jacksonville Jaguars,
Speaker 1: another team wrapping up a deeply disappointing season. They are
Speaker 1: also five and ten. I think they were knocking out
Speaker 1: these uh sleazy teams. All sleazies not right word. It's
Speaker 1: not like they have some type of we're giving them
Speaker 1: respected past. You don't hear on anyone else breaking down
Speaker 1: Lions Packers in week seventeen, and now here are the
Speaker 1: Jaguars like well, because that's not a good idea for
Speaker 1: a podcast. Shut up. Every team gets its due. The
Speaker 1: Jags traveled to Houston to face the Texans. The Texans
Speaker 1: clinched the a f C South with a win. The Colts,
Speaker 1: of course we have won eight of nine, are right
Speaker 1: behind them. But if the Texans win number eleven West,
Speaker 1: nobody can catch them, and that would be a home
Speaker 1: game in the playoffs and maybe even if things broke
Speaker 1: the right way. By your thoughts, I've got so much
Speaker 1: to say about this matchup. The Texans to me, are
Speaker 1: a much worse team presently than they were a month
Speaker 1: ago when we were really interested with their back to
Speaker 1: back wins over the Titans and Browns um they lose
Speaker 1: to Marius Thomas, they had already left Will Fuller. Outside
Speaker 1: of DeAndre Hopkins, they don't have an active receiver, tight end,
Speaker 1: or running back with over three yards receiving this season.
Speaker 1: They're all Dejandre Carter, who was cut by who he
Speaker 1: was waived by the Eagles by the Eagles is their
Speaker 1: number two receivers, and they don't have a running game
Speaker 1: at the moment. Their offensive line, which had shown some
Speaker 1: signs of progress throughout the year, has taken another step
Speaker 1: back over the past month. Uh and their defense, the
Speaker 1: cornerbacks are just getting injured. They're not They don't have
Speaker 1: the firepower in their secondary or on their offense right now.
Speaker 1: I don't think to stack up against the a f
Speaker 1: c's best teams, but how much can like Deshaun Watson
Speaker 1: and new Hopkins carry one team? Because that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: That was one of the best kind of I can
Speaker 1: survive the crucible young quarterback moments we've seen in the
Speaker 1: last few years. That was an incredible performance by by
Speaker 1: Watson and Nuke to me, is the most valuable receiver
Speaker 1: in the league. I've said it a few times. They
Speaker 1: were unbelievable, and just because their defense uh couldn't couldn't
Speaker 1: stop Nick Foles late, they didn't get the credit. So
Speaker 1: I I sort of don't doubt because I just believe
Speaker 1: in just Ton Watson's supernatural abilities that he'll get through this.
Speaker 1: Yet they had no reason to be hanging around in
Speaker 1: that game and almost winning the damn thing. If their
Speaker 1: defense makes a stop, you you think that the side
Speaker 1: of the team that's healthier, and they have Honey Badger
Speaker 1: and J. J. Watt and Jadavian Clowney, they can't get
Speaker 1: it done. But maybe the best game of his career
Speaker 1: in that game. What was talking about the last possession?
Speaker 1: But yeah, I just thought, I just mean, yeah, they
Speaker 1: need to get a little They haven't been able to
Speaker 1: combine like a Watton Clowney. I think they can do
Speaker 1: even more, and this should be a game they can
Speaker 1: because Blake Bortles is back and the offensive line for
Speaker 1: the Jaguars has been gone all year, and uh, I
Speaker 1: give the Jaguars a better chance with Boordles than with Kessler,
Speaker 1: but their line is so bad that I just think
Speaker 1: they'll get overwhelmed. Their line is bad. But the biggest
Speaker 1: disappointment in a very disappointing Jaguar season. Is Leonard from
Speaker 1: Nette who is so slow right now, cannot make anyone
Speaker 1: miss and he looks like molasses running up hill in January.
Speaker 1: He is so damn slow. If you if he were
Speaker 1: to enter the draft right now, what round would you
Speaker 1: take Leonard Fournette? And I think he'd go undrafted? Wow,
Speaker 1: if just based on just based on the tape he's
Speaker 1: put out. Put that on your tweet social, let me
Speaker 1: let me clarify to if you watch last week's game,
Speaker 1: Leonard Fournett would go undrafted based on that performance? Was
Speaker 1: that slow? What's interesting too, is that when he came back,
Speaker 1: he missed weeks and weeks and weeks with what was
Speaker 1: that hamstring injury? Um, he missed weeks and weeks. He
Speaker 1: comes back and he was putting up pretty solid production numbers.
Speaker 1: Is he hurt again or is this just he's just
Speaker 1: not something. So when he came back, he was getting
Speaker 1: thirty carries and every in doing about two point seven
Speaker 1: yards per clip with them, So he was putting up
Speaker 1: volume numbers. But he's he's admitted he's not in good shape.
Speaker 1: He has said all of us guys who came into
Speaker 1: camp without putting in the work. That's not gonna happen
Speaker 1: next year. I mean, he's basically said, I I came
Speaker 1: into camp out of shape, and look at the way
Speaker 1: he's running now. He looks up out ten pounds overweight
Speaker 1: and he can't make anyone miss. I'm surprised that it
Speaker 1: sounds like Doug Maron is gonna keep his job where
Speaker 1: you know, you don't know for sure. But Tom Coughlin upstairs,
Speaker 1: the military man himself, Sergeant Tom, you would think he
Speaker 1: would not be uh loving hearing quotes like that. What
Speaker 1: kind of culture is going? There's a few of those
Speaker 1: expected to stay. Reports about coaches, there's probably three or
Speaker 1: four of about their gaze at Louis and like one
Speaker 1: of those is gonna be wrong. That's just that usually
Speaker 1: is my prediction, because that's why you say expected to
Speaker 1: because things can change. Also, Calais Campbell, playing every bit
Speaker 1: as well as last year, almost single handedly wrecked the
Speaker 1: Dolphins last week. Oh damn. Moving on in the a
Speaker 1: f C East, the last place in New York, Jets
Speaker 1: four and eleven uh travel to Gillette Stadium to face
Speaker 1: the Patriots. A tenant five. It's a weekend Patriots team
Speaker 1: greg compared to recent years, but they hold their own
Speaker 1: destiny here in terms of getting an unprecedented straight first
Speaker 1: round by in the playoffs. If they beat if they
Speaker 1: beat the wretched Jets who can not close out a game,
Speaker 1: who compete but can't close out games, you will finish
Speaker 1: eleven of five and skip wild card weekend once more,
Speaker 1: which they did in two thousand one, which was one
Speaker 1: reason they were able to win that Super Bowl that year.
Speaker 1: Was eleven and five got them a bye in a
Speaker 1: in a home game, which helped. It helps him measurably.
Speaker 1: I mean, Brady said it. It It sounds like a cliche
Speaker 1: this week that this is a playoff game for them,
Speaker 1: and it seems like, Okay, that's just something you say.
Speaker 1: But I guess how confident he feels about the team.
Speaker 1: But he said that, I think in similar circumstances, like
Speaker 1: we can advance one round of the playoffs by winning
Speaker 1: that game, and so the chances of winning an eight
Speaker 1: team tournament as a home team in the quarterfinals versus
Speaker 1: a row, you know, versus having to play in a
Speaker 1: twelve team tournament where you're on the road in the quarterfinals. Theoretically,
Speaker 1: it's so much harder. I mean, especially for a deeply
Speaker 1: flat team. I'm afraid of the Jets. I mean, I
Speaker 1: can't remember the last time I was as afraid of
Speaker 1: the Jets in a because of Sam Donald. Donald so
Speaker 1: well the last two weeks especially, he played really um
Speaker 1: against Buffalo in the last in the second half and
Speaker 1: then Houston Green Bay. He's everything that you wanted Donald
Speaker 1: to be. As a Jet fan, You're you're really pinching
Speaker 1: yourself about he's not having the year or even close
Speaker 1: to it that Baker Mayfield is. But if you just
Speaker 1: look at since he came back from that ankle injury,
Speaker 1: he's as advertised for Jets fans, and that gives me
Speaker 1: a lot of excitement as well as everyone else that
Speaker 1: supports the team. UM different quarterbacks since he came back
Speaker 1: totally differently mentally, his ability to keep plays alive, his
Speaker 1: ability to um avoid the type of mistakes that he
Speaker 1: was making regularly before he got injured, seeing it and
Speaker 1: just throwing it right. And he shows good arm strength.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's to me right now, he looks like
Speaker 1: the total package. And I'm really excited now why New
Speaker 1: English should be worried The Jets typically do hang with
Speaker 1: the Patriots and they their offense, the Jet offense is
Speaker 1: playing with confidence right now. Uh, And I think they
Speaker 1: would love in terms of motivation Jamal Adams and they're
Speaker 1: these guys are playing hard for bowls if nothing else.
Speaker 1: Down the wretch. They love the idea, what if we
Speaker 1: can go out with the win and bang the Patriots.
Speaker 1: So I don't think it's gonna be a walkover, Erica.
Speaker 1: I just don't think it is. Ricky, I don't think
Speaker 1: it's going to be at all. I'm nervous. If I
Speaker 1: was the other team, I would want the Patriots to
Speaker 1: keep giving a lot of snaps to Rex Burkhead, who
Speaker 1: I don't know why he's taking snaps from James White,
Speaker 1: who was their offensive m v P for the first
Speaker 1: half of the season, or Sony Michelle. Rex Burkehead is
Speaker 1: not playing well and he's committing mistakes. I I do
Speaker 1: wonder are the Patriots gonna stay buttoned up this week
Speaker 1: in terms of their approach last week, and they've I
Speaker 1: think they've probably been at their best this season when
Speaker 1: they go heavy on tight ends Duyne Allen playing every snap.
Speaker 1: I mean, they had Duyne Allen and James Devlon on
Speaker 1: the field and five offensive lineman for most of last
Speaker 1: week's game. And I think that's kind of who they are,
Speaker 1: it's kind of who they have to be. But I
Speaker 1: don't know, do you do you keep doing that or
Speaker 1: do you want to get Tom Brady some some looks
Speaker 1: here and some improvement in the past and game before
Speaker 1: the playoffs and the Jets, you know, if they do that,
Speaker 1: if they if they start putting three or four wide out,
Speaker 1: they're just gonna blitz blitz Brady because that's what the
Speaker 1: Jets do, and that's what's worked on Brady the books.
Speaker 1: I don't know if the books out, but it's working
Speaker 1: and it didn't used to work. Gronk, by the way,
Speaker 1: he's averaging less than four catches a game this year,
Speaker 1: has three touchdowns all year. I know it's been covered
Speaker 1: that he's slowed down, but it is. It's sad because
Speaker 1: he's a he's a fun player. Even as a Patriot,
Speaker 1: he was fun to watch as a dominant player. He's
Speaker 1: just he's not that guy anymore. He's just not the
Speaker 1: guy he's like, and he's not even close to the
Speaker 1: all the more reason they need a week off. I
Speaker 1: think Brady is not a hundred percent Edelman is not Gronks,
Speaker 1: certainly it does. It is a week off even it
Speaker 1: doesn't help Gronk at the stage, and I think it could.
Speaker 1: Isn't he only like a week or two removed from
Speaker 1: a hundred yard game? Yeah, but I I get it.
Speaker 1: But the last two games are maybe the worst two
Speaker 1: games of his career. He's been a huge liability and
Speaker 1: run blocking something Greg Bard's written about on Boston Sports Journal,
Speaker 1: and that's that's different to that to me, says something
Speaker 1: that if he's not helping you in terms of his
Speaker 1: blocking anymore, just not the same guy. By the way,
Speaker 1: after listening to all of us say how worried we
Speaker 1: all are about the Patriots and who knows they might
Speaker 1: not even win this game, that's usually the situation where like,
Speaker 1: you know, it doesn't work out that way and the
Speaker 1: Patriots they'll kill the I don't believe that, but four
Speaker 1: of us were on the same page that like, watch
Speaker 1: out here. But the old the old rules don't apply
Speaker 1: to a quarterback who's afraid to take a hit in
Speaker 1: the tight end, who's a shot. But they're they're more
Speaker 1: than that, They're more than in the old days. That's
Speaker 1: who was running the team, Belichick, McDaniels, Brady and Gronk,
Speaker 1: and now who are there. Let's move on a game
Speaker 1: with no implications other than hope, the hope that one
Speaker 1: of the teams stays healthy. That New Orleans Saints thirteen
Speaker 1: and two. They have everything that they can lock up
Speaker 1: locked up in the NFC. They are the NFC South champions.
Speaker 1: They have clinched the number one seed, which is home
Speaker 1: field throughout the NFC playoffs. Uh and they host the
Speaker 1: Carolina Panthers, who are playing for nothing. Cam Newton is
Speaker 1: done for the year with that shoulder injury. Uh So
Speaker 1: the only question here, really, West is how long will
Speaker 1: Sean Payton play his star players, if at all. I
Speaker 1: expect to see Teddy Bridgewater for the majority, if not all,
Speaker 1: of this game. I believe the year they won the
Speaker 1: Super Bowl there was a similar scenario and Breeze sat
Speaker 1: the bench in Week seven was in active. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: I think you'll see Teddy Bridgewater, which is good for
Speaker 1: Teddy Bridgewater because he's going to be a free agent
Speaker 1: and maybe he shows enough or maybe the marriage is
Speaker 1: good enough that they convinced him to stay for another year.
Speaker 1: As Breeze is backup. Who knows, he's only twenty six.
Speaker 1: This is a big game for his value. I think
Speaker 1: one game can matter a lot, especially after he put
Speaker 1: up He put up enough good film in the preseason
Speaker 1: to the point where the Saints gave up a third
Speaker 1: round pick. You know, they got a six back to
Speaker 1: go get him. So this is huge I think for
Speaker 1: his free agency value because if he did light it
Speaker 1: up and moved well and look great, I mean that's
Speaker 1: just team teams are stupid, like we're stupid like that.
Speaker 1: One game will make such a huge difference in his value.
Speaker 1: And it's a weird situation where for once there's more
Speaker 1: supply ivan demand, there's not that many teams gonna be
Speaker 1: looking for quarterbacks. So it's gonna be competitive between him
Speaker 1: and Tannehill and Flacco and who knows, maybe Eli or
Speaker 1: case Keenum and that that would open up some spots,
Speaker 1: but yeah, there's there's not that many available. If he
Speaker 1: if he looks healthy on Sunday, because I agree with
Speaker 1: West and everyone else that he's gonna play a ton
Speaker 1: on Sunday if he moves well, makes a couple of plays. Um,
Speaker 1: why why after missing essentially the last three years now
Speaker 1: he hasn't been active and on the field as a competitor.
Speaker 1: Why didn't you think that he's gonna want to go
Speaker 1: to go find a job unless Drew Brees retires. Because
Speaker 1: even if Drew Brees like, hey, I'm gonna stay one
Speaker 1: more year and then you can take over, So he's
Speaker 1: gonna want to be in Mothballs for four straight years. Essentially,
Speaker 1: I think there's no chance he would stay as a
Speaker 1: backup unless he just doesn't have uh starting offer. I
Speaker 1: think that's the only way. Is that that if he
Speaker 1: doesn't inspire, that would surprise me. If he didn't have
Speaker 1: it all, if enough, if he just didn't get enough interest.
Speaker 1: Because I'm with you, he's missed three Street seasons now
Speaker 1: and Drew Brees a Hall of Famer playing at an
Speaker 1: m v P level. It's just tough. The Saints just
Speaker 1: can't offer. It's more it's partly a money thing, like
Speaker 1: how much can you even offer a backup quarterback? By
Speaker 1: the way, Kyle Allen haven't mentioned the rookie I think
Speaker 1: he's undrafted from American is starting this game for Carolina.
Speaker 1: Played a few snaps last week in place of Taylor Heinek,
Speaker 1: who's now out. He looked, okay, little Kyle Allen action
Speaker 1: played like I know, but he came in and he
Speaker 1: made a few throws. I was like American little Kyle Allen. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's where Mark went to school. Mark went to so
Speaker 1: many squads. That's one of the one of the ones
Speaker 1: Mark went to was American World be Free from American University.
Speaker 1: That's that's what the generation once again, the generation gap
Speaker 1: at Sween West and Danna and I. It's tough for
Speaker 1: West Sun days like this when he doesn't have his
Speaker 1: other golden girl next to him. We're talking about one
Speaker 1: of the most well known basketball players in the seventies
Speaker 1: and eighties world be I thought it was run our tests.
Speaker 1: What did he changes that the world? Okay, see it's
Speaker 1: confusing for some people. Any any thought before we moved
Speaker 1: on real quick. Drew Brees in a battle with Patrick
Speaker 1: Mahomes for m v P that he might because you know,
Speaker 1: Drew behind the scenes is a little different than the
Speaker 1: Drew that we all see is saying to Chanpagne, I'm
Speaker 1: playing two quarters. I want to throw two to four touchdowns.
Speaker 1: I thought about that, and maybe he wants to keep
Speaker 1: his start trek going. But he actually was quoted this
Speaker 1: week saying Teddy is gonna play and deserves to play,
Speaker 1: you know, a significant amount. So if he's saying that,
Speaker 1: but that's what he says, that's true. And then he
Speaker 1: tells Peyton privately, you be the bad guy, you be
Speaker 1: the grim Reaper, and say that, No, I'm gonna I'm
Speaker 1: gonna start Drew. But that's what I want. I would
Speaker 1: hope that leave it down to how he does against
Speaker 1: the Panthers or how Mahomes does against the Readers. It's
Speaker 1: stupid and it's also stupid everyone saying this week, and
Speaker 1: I've seen this a lot, Oh, it's Mahomes and it's
Speaker 1: not even close because to make a hot take like
Speaker 1: you gotta make it like okay, saying Mahomes the MVP
Speaker 1: is and and they're just like, it's not even to
Speaker 1: compare us in between Mahomes. It was like, what are
Speaker 1: you even talking about? It's not a comparison. Drew Brees
Speaker 1: is playing unbelievable this year for the best team in
Speaker 1: the league. The stats aren't that different, you know, it's
Speaker 1: like it's it's comparable. It's comparable, not in terms of efficiency.
Speaker 1: And there's the yards pretempt adjusted yards pretempt. I'm just
Speaker 1: saying it's not that close, and if you watch the games,
Speaker 1: I mean, it's not that far apart if you watch
Speaker 1: the games, I I take my homes too. It's just
Speaker 1: like my homes staying they're not close as stupid. Drew
Speaker 1: Brees has thirty two touchdowns. Ma Homes has thirty on
Speaker 1: the road alone. Touchdowns is overrated though, Okay, then then
Speaker 1: Marcus Mariotta is the worst quarterback in the league. I'm
Speaker 1: not saying judge only on touch bands, but they're important,
Speaker 1: but fifty thousand for the first place team in the conference,
Speaker 1: that should be. It's more volume. So I give him
Speaker 1: the edge just because he's had more volume. But to me,
Speaker 1: in terms of plays, Drew Brees has play made a
Speaker 1: lot of plays on his own and he hasn't made
Speaker 1: as many misses or mistakes as Mahomes and that counts too,
Speaker 1: So that give him my homes. Not yet laid an
Speaker 1: egg in a game, Brees has laid several. Let us
Speaker 1: move on an NFC East game with nothing riding on it,
Speaker 1: similar to what's happening at the super Dome that the
Speaker 1: Cowboys are the visitors, They're going to the Meadowlands to
Speaker 1: play the Giants. The Cowboys can finish ten at six
Speaker 1: or nine and seven, and it won't matter. They are
Speaker 1: locked in as the NFC East champion and the number
Speaker 1: four seed in the playoffs. The Giants playing for pride,
Speaker 1: as they say. And Greg Um of note Odell Beckham Jr.
Speaker 1: Is it looks like he's not playing in Week seventeen.
Speaker 1: So after missing a quarter of his rookie season and
Speaker 1: then most of his third season, He's now going to
Speaker 1: miss a quarter of his fourth season. He has had
Speaker 1: injury issues in his career and it's uh, it popped
Speaker 1: up again this year. Yeah, it's a disappointment for them,
Speaker 1: although they've had some good offensive performances without him, including
Speaker 1: you know last week in Indianapolis. I gotta we gotta
Speaker 1: give it up right now, Eli Manning, you proved us
Speaker 1: all wrong. You know. On our Twitter show, Mark and
Speaker 1: Dan separately predicted he would have been capsized and benched
Speaker 1: well before Week seventeen, and then for the Sandwich Props
Speaker 1: before the season even started, I said he would not
Speaker 1: be starting Week seventeen. So I'm gonna lose Sandwiches on that,
Speaker 1: and uh, you always get you. We were wrong, Eli
Speaker 1: did it. Congratulations, you are the Marvin Lewis of quarterbacks.
Speaker 1: You find a way to keep your job and ruined
Speaker 1: draft picks, and you play your best when it really
Speaker 1: doesn't matter, like when you're at home and week seventeen
Speaker 1: and so as a present, I'm gonna give you a
Speaker 1: little rainmaker on the old giants taking care of these cowboys.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, didn't think i'd give it up for Eli.
Speaker 1: Eli's gonna be dropping dollar bills all over this backup
Speaker 1: cowboys nonsense. I totally agree. And by the way, that
Speaker 1: the whole Marvin Lewis comparison is cute, but it falls
Speaker 1: apart because Marvin Lewis never won a playoff game. Eli's
Speaker 1: got two rings. But that's it's fun. You're enjoying yourself.
Speaker 1: Can I lock up the Giants? Would you? Would you
Speaker 1: judge me if I locked up the Giants? I'll lock
Speaker 1: up the giants. This is a perfect like Eli. Make
Speaker 1: sure the gentleman and that everyone back in the front
Speaker 1: office is like, oh yeah, we're locking in Eli for
Speaker 1: another year. Maybe throw him a little uh Christmas bonus here,
Speaker 1: your end bonus, because I think um he is gonna
Speaker 1: come out, close out strong. I think Sae Kwon Barkley,
Speaker 1: who's in a race now for offensive Rookie of the Year,
Speaker 1: will close out with a monster game as well. Well.
Speaker 1: Their favored significantly because no one quite believes Jason Garrett
Speaker 1: that he's gonna play as starters. And that's you know
Speaker 1: why I'm making Rain even as a as a heavy favorite,
Speaker 1: because what is Jason Garrett's always gonna take sort of
Speaker 1: the the less the less bold way out, and so
Speaker 1: you just know that they're we're gonna be seeing there.
Speaker 1: You know, Dak Prescott, that's a big drop off to
Speaker 1: Mike White at quarterback, and you know, and then inevitably
Speaker 1: when they lose to the Seahawks in the wild card round,
Speaker 1: he will be fielding questions about why his team looks.
Speaker 1: So that's that's the Cowboys. The rest their guys and
Speaker 1: then not show up for the they see they didn't
Speaker 1: seem as sharp as usual. Do you think of anything
Speaker 1: to do? Well? I did what I did, and I
Speaker 1: had to do it. It It was like, all right, didn't
Speaker 1: they did the exact same thing, like swear up and
Speaker 1: down that they weren't gonna see anyone like two years ago.
Speaker 1: And then Zeke didn't play a single snap, right, that
Speaker 1: was it. And I've seen Zack Martin's injured. Probably not
Speaker 1: gonna play some offen. That's smart, I'm not saying. But
Speaker 1: it's just a tricky spot. The NFL is you need
Speaker 1: to be so like hyped up for every game, and
Speaker 1: so once you're once, you know you're coming. Here's another
Speaker 1: sneaky hot take. I don't think the Giants at home.
Speaker 1: I would take him to win. Maybe if the Cowboys
Speaker 1: were playing to win, like I think these are pretty
Speaker 1: even teams. That's my hot take winning. I know you
Speaker 1: think I'm down to the Cowboys. Here's here's what I want.
Speaker 1: Win one game by more than two scores. Hasn't happened?
Speaker 1: Do it good? That's what good teams do. They can
Speaker 1: win a game that it doesn't come to anyone. I
Speaker 1: thought good teams win close games. Yeah, you know what else?
Speaker 1: They did win six out of seven and get no
Speaker 1: respect from Greg Rosenthal. That's right. They beat the Saints.
Speaker 1: They keep winning games and they get no respect from
Speaker 1: Greg Rosenthal, even though they have two linebackers who are
Speaker 1: basically critic Lee and Thomas Davis from five years love
Speaker 1: their defense. Jalen Smith Jalen Smith and Layton vander ash
Speaker 1: keep everything in front of the sticks. They're like border colligues,
Speaker 1: just penning everyone in their defense. Is awesome. I mean,
Speaker 1: one of my favorites and one of the best, but
Speaker 1: I don't think you can win the way they're playing on.
Speaker 1: That was weird. You know, they keep winning the way
Speaker 1: they're playing off. I did think it was weird when
Speaker 1: they they flew to New York for the game. They
Speaker 1: at one point, once they got to cruising altitude, they
Speaker 1: put a parachute on Shaun Lean threw him out of
Speaker 1: the plane. That just seemed like, say, after all he'd done,
Speaker 1: he's the new Romo. He got wally pipped by a
Speaker 1: better player who's the heart and soul of the team.
Speaker 1: Well he can he can enjoy getting seventy five snaps
Speaker 1: in this game as they rest vander Smith. By the way,
Speaker 1: greg Um, the Rainmaker's back, but a little running bit
Speaker 1: one oh one lesson you got to weaponize it one
Speaker 1: Mark's here because he's the one that gets mad about it.
Speaker 1: It just feels like a missed opportunity. It just felt
Speaker 1: like this game I was feeling, I was just feeling, uh,
Speaker 1: some rain clouds over the meadowland Sunday, couldn't Ricky. I
Speaker 1: know he Gregg told you privately to eliminate the drop
Speaker 1: that features and singing, but you can't listen to him.
Speaker 1: That's also now become part of the fun of it all.
Speaker 1: How did you go back? I know, my Greg. I
Speaker 1: didn't say eliminated. I said let's go back. Let's keep
Speaker 1: that on the down loudly, and don't use the other
Speaker 1: one anymore. I didn't say that. I said let's go
Speaker 1: back to this one. Absolutely. I can't listen to that anymore.
Speaker 1: The Falcons six and nine another disappointing teams, So many
Speaker 1: disappointing teams. Being a sports fan is hard, ultimately because
Speaker 1: it really is about disappointment. More often than not, only
Speaker 1: one team is truly happy at the end, and for
Speaker 1: most fan bases, all your hopes are just flushed away
Speaker 1: by December. Isn't that sad? Though? It's true that only
Speaker 1: one teams are going to go home right. I was
Speaker 1: thinking about that this week, and we'll get to the Browns,
Speaker 1: but like, if the Browns could win this week, it's
Speaker 1: like that. It's very rare to to end the season
Speaker 1: on a hyper high note, and they have a chance
Speaker 1: to do that. Like when you when you finish the
Speaker 1: season like the forty Niners did last year on like
Speaker 1: a winning streak, Like that's almost better than losing in
Speaker 1: some painful way in the first round of the playoffs.
Speaker 1: That's fair, that's fair. Look how well it worked out
Speaker 1: for the two thousand, right. I mean, I'm not saying
Speaker 1: it means anything, but you feel great all offseason. I
Speaker 1: don't even remember what. Oh that was the Jimmy g
Speaker 1: streak to end the season. Oh, we had to talk
Speaker 1: about that so much. Just felt so good. You end
Speaker 1: the season on up. Now you're feeling it makes your
Speaker 1: off season so much nice. Basically, it was all discussion
Speaker 1: about the Niners going thirteen and three, and then he
Speaker 1: went on a date with the porn star and then
Speaker 1: it was all really downhill after that. That was that
Speaker 1: was the problem. The Falcons are six and nine playing
Speaker 1: out the string. By the way, set according to our research,
Speaker 1: notes six and nine a second in the NFC South.
Speaker 1: So nice job, guys. Uh down there, uh there against
Speaker 1: the five and ten Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are in
Speaker 1: last place in the NFC South. Anything less, I've got
Speaker 1: some things First of all, you might see some of
Speaker 1: Ryan Griffin at quarterback in this game. The Bucks are
Speaker 1: talking him up. This coaching staff has liked him for
Speaker 1: a long time and they want to give him a
Speaker 1: chance if the opportunity presents itself, which hey, just bench
Speaker 1: Jamis Winston. There's the opportunity presenting itself. This another product
Speaker 1: of QBU two Lane University. This quote was said by
Speaker 1: Troy Aikman in last week's game. This is my first
Speaker 1: time watching Jamis Winston live. There's a lot of things
Speaker 1: he's got to clean up if he's ever going to
Speaker 1: be the quarterback they thought they were getting. That's four
Speaker 1: years into his career. Yeah, he his I think Aikman
Speaker 1: is probably talking about his mechanics, which just talking about
Speaker 1: I'm no expert, but it's they're pretty they look pretty wacky.
Speaker 1: This comes after he was unaware of the play clock
Speaker 1: winding down on fourth and one. From a lot of
Speaker 1: that from him. Yeah, twenty four years old, though, you know,
Speaker 1: still first round pick. Vita vea defensive tackle who I
Speaker 1: criticized earlier in the year spending that high of a
Speaker 1: draft pick on a defensive tackle, is playing better by
Speaker 1: the week and has been dominating offensive lines. That's good.
Speaker 1: That's good. Let's go the Falcons go just one, oh,
Speaker 1: go ahead. I don't think there's anything on this offense
Speaker 1: that has to be fixed except getting a healthy offensive
Speaker 1: line and a healthy Davonte from a more talented offensive line.
Speaker 1: It wasn't good when it was healthy. This offense only
Speaker 1: needs an offensive line and a running back and they're fine.
Speaker 1: Let's move on. The Cleveland Brown seven seven and one,
Speaker 1: eliminated from contention, but a winning season the first uh
Speaker 1: since I think they went tenants six randomly in two
Speaker 1: thousand seven, I believe, and they didn't make the playoffs,
Speaker 1: but it would be their first winning season since then.
Speaker 1: I could be wrong on that, and I know what
Speaker 1: Mark to litt Well, Mark's not gonna listen to this,
Speaker 1: but I'm gonna do some research while you guys talk
Speaker 1: to make sure or that is correct. But anyway, they
Speaker 1: travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens, and here it
Speaker 1: is Greg a win and in proposition for Baltimore who
Speaker 1: clinched the a f C North uh and knocked the
Speaker 1: Steelers out of the playoffs with a win. That would
Speaker 1: be delicious, but you know, would also be delicious the
Speaker 1: Ravens and their former owner Art Model, who ripped Cleveland's
Speaker 1: heart out and left Cleveland to go to Baltimore. What
Speaker 1: if the new Browns wipe out the Ravens that break
Speaker 1: their hearts in Week seventeen, just like the Bengals did
Speaker 1: one year ago. It is and it's the game, And
Speaker 1: I think I've been most excited for all year, maybe
Speaker 1: because it's just been leading to this. And there are
Speaker 1: two teams that are among the most fun in the
Speaker 1: league to watch. Their two rookie quarterbacks who couldn't be
Speaker 1: more different. And at this point, Baker Mayfield's playing about
Speaker 1: as well as any quarterback in the league. He's so
Speaker 1: confident it's almost outrageous. How the types of throws that
Speaker 1: he just tries. I mean, he's like a star pitcher
Speaker 1: that has every pitch and he knows when to put
Speaker 1: in the heater and the touch pass, and he's not
Speaker 1: afraid of the coverage. And how about that versus the
Speaker 1: toughest defense in the league. To prepare for the best
Speaker 1: secondary in the league. This is the ultimate test of
Speaker 1: kind of where Baker Mayfield's at. I can't wait. I mean,
Speaker 1: what more could we want from him? He handles pressure well,
Speaker 1: he pulls the trigger on big plays, throws off different
Speaker 1: platforms with accuracy and zip. He shows already a knack
Speaker 1: for back shoulder throws. Um. I think he's legitimately a
Speaker 1: top ten quarterback in the NFL right now. And I
Speaker 1: think he's a better quarterback than Tom Brady right now.
Speaker 1: I mean, the last few weeks, no doubt you left
Speaker 1: that one thing was moxie for days right and got
Speaker 1: that attitude that the whole city of Cleveland's built building around.
Speaker 1: And he is going to be not not not a
Speaker 1: star if he If he makes the Browns competitive in
Speaker 1: a playoff team annually, and I think he will, this
Speaker 1: guy is going to be I think one of the
Speaker 1: next great superstars across the professional sports spectrum in the
Speaker 1: United States because I think he'll have everything working the position, uh,
Speaker 1: the league, attitude people. Since when is boxy not an
Speaker 1: attractive quality and a football player. I don't get this.
Speaker 1: Well there, Well, some people get rubbed the wrong way.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that's the right way the wrong way,
Speaker 1: but I'm saying he has all those qualities that is
Speaker 1: going to attract advertisers and TV coverage and primetime games
Speaker 1: this is the real deal. The Browns have hit on
Speaker 1: something that is going to make their franchise relevant for
Speaker 1: ten to fifteen years. Well, here here's Browns it is.
Speaker 1: It's gonna be good for a long time. I think,
Speaker 1: I really think they will, and I hope they get
Speaker 1: the head coach high right here. Here's what he can
Speaker 1: do West He said, what has he done is play
Speaker 1: well on the road. You know, his last three games
Speaker 1: on the road Pittsburgh, he struggled. That was a while ago.
Speaker 1: Now Bengals forgot about that one. He had the Texans
Speaker 1: where he had a couple of interceptions. Early certainly did
Speaker 1: not play his best at Denver. And I would say
Speaker 1: that the Browns in general are a young team who
Speaker 1: have been much better in front of one of the
Speaker 1: best home crowds in the league. And now you're going
Speaker 1: to Baltimore to face, you know, such a great defense
Speaker 1: and an offense that Greg Williams is gonna throw a
Speaker 1: lot at Lamar Jackson. It just seems like a boom
Speaker 1: He's a boomer Bus type of coach. Like, so, I
Speaker 1: don't know he You could tell me they're gonna totally
Speaker 1: shut down Lamar Jackson, or you could tell me the
Speaker 1: Gusts Bus and Kenneth Dixon and Lamar is gonna run
Speaker 1: for nothing would surprise me. Gus Edwards is good like this.
Speaker 1: They always figure it out. They started the year with
Speaker 1: Alex Collins as a starter. By the end of the year,
Speaker 1: now they're good. They took was like that one game
Speaker 1: where they featured Gus to realize he was much better
Speaker 1: for this offense than Alex Collins, but Alc Collins could
Speaker 1: do Gaelic dancing and then their touchdowns. I almost forgot
Speaker 1: the Ravens. Uh, probably by sponsors. Baker's looked great, but
Speaker 1: without facing a lot of defenses throwing a lot at him.
Speaker 1: It's kind of been vanilla guy teams not getting pressure.
Speaker 1: That's not gonna happen this Sunday. And as as much
Speaker 1: as I love Baker and these Browns, I think this
Speaker 1: Ravens team is a special and I'm going to lock
Speaker 1: up the Ravens. I love that Greg. That's a guy.
Speaker 1: It's like Ferris Bueller said, I'm just a regular guy
Speaker 1: with nothing to lose. I feel pretty, I feel strong
Speaker 1: about it. I don't think it's um I mean, of
Speaker 1: course you could be wrong, but I just think they're better.
Speaker 1: I think they are one of the best teams in
Speaker 1: the NFL right now. Two things, I almost picked the
Speaker 1: same lock. I ultimately decided to go in a different direction.
Speaker 1: But this was in the this was a finalist, and
Speaker 1: I just realized, that's actually Kevin Space, an American beauty.
Speaker 1: I'm just a regular guy with nothing to lose, So
Speaker 1: I'm equating you to Space. Ironic though, if you look
Speaker 1: at you know a little bit to lose a recent output.
Speaker 1: It Christmas Day freak show. And I did tell me that, yes,
Speaker 1: it was the Starving Um and I did get that right.
Speaker 1: The Browns when ten and six and two thousand and
Speaker 1: seven didn't qualify for the playoffs. Uh but um yeah,
Speaker 1: they went nine and seven and two thousand two. That
Speaker 1: was their last playoff appearance. And one more note, if
Speaker 1: they beat the Ravens money in Baltimore. How do you
Speaker 1: how do you let Greg Williams go? I think he
Speaker 1: kind of messages that. I think he probably stays. That's
Speaker 1: why it's a tough decision because you probably don't think
Speaker 1: Greg will question yeah, go ahead. I think you look
Speaker 1: at the entirety of his career and say, I don't
Speaker 1: trust this person to put the best message for for
Speaker 1: the Cleveland Browns going forward. All Right, that's what I
Speaker 1: would be. The first guy that got the win in
Speaker 1: twenty years, I understand. I think you looked towards the future.
Speaker 1: I don't think it's why while Brown's fans want to
Speaker 1: knock out the Ravens, if the if Baker played great,
Speaker 1: but they lost like a close game that everyone could
Speaker 1: feel good about and that you know, then they get
Speaker 1: rid of Greg we maybe that's the best results. Well,
Speaker 1: Freddy Kitchens will probably go to then, but maybe not.
Speaker 1: All right, moving on, um Freddy Kitchens, the offensive coordinator
Speaker 1: Jim Bob Cooter stayed he did without that one. Uh.
Speaker 1: The Los Angeles Superchargers eleven and four, second place in
Speaker 1: the a f C West, coming off a disappointing loss
Speaker 1: to those Ravens, which the offense and Philip Rivers were
Speaker 1: brought down to earth with a thud. But now they
Speaker 1: get to go on the road to face a Broncos
Speaker 1: team that is stumbling to the finish line under Vance
Speaker 1: Joseph who will probably be fired less than twenty four
Speaker 1: hours after this game concludes. So you wouldn't you would
Speaker 1: imagine a bit of a funeral atmosphere in Denver, and
Speaker 1: what is that the what is that? Steak West Chargers?
Speaker 1: If they win and the Chiefs lose, they win the
Speaker 1: a f C West and get the number one seeds,
Speaker 1: So they are playing for something. Indeed, these teams will
Speaker 1: all be playing for something in the a f C
Speaker 1: West by the time the game start. I wonder what
Speaker 1: they'll be playing for by the time the game's end.
Speaker 1: I just can't. I can't. I can't believe Kansas City's
Speaker 1: gonna lose at home to Oakland. So highly unlikely. So
Speaker 1: if if the Chargers are watching that result and paying
Speaker 1: attention to it, maybe by the quarter they rest people.
Speaker 1: But then how much is too much a three score lead?
Speaker 1: I guess that, you know. But if it's not like baseball,
Speaker 1: you could leave the game and come back in, right,
Speaker 1: But if it's twenty to ten in Chiefs or thirty
Speaker 1: to twenty entering the fourth or you're gonna risk it,
Speaker 1: I don't think you should, because because any chance you
Speaker 1: have to advance another round and be a one seed,
Speaker 1: you gotta take it. And the Bolts have their own
Speaker 1: problems to clean up. And I know it's just one loss,
Speaker 1: but their offensive line I think has been pretty sloppy
Speaker 1: and pretty poor for the last two or three weeks,
Speaker 1: and they could be looking at a rematch against the Ravens,
Speaker 1: except it's in Baltimore, and that's kind of a worst
Speaker 1: case scenario I think for the Chargers after this year.
Speaker 1: It's sad that would be a real whimper to the
Speaker 1: season if they ended by losing to the Ravens, and
Speaker 1: sad fashion two of them they haven't you know they
Speaker 1: I love the Chargers, but they haven't put together that
Speaker 1: many complete games. It's these comebacks. It's okay, Bosa and
Speaker 1: Ingram have a good game, but then the offense is
Speaker 1: a little around, like let's let's put it all together
Speaker 1: and let's get case Keenum out of them, and the
Speaker 1: might be his last game there gave Rivers fits obviously
Speaker 1: last week he was scrambling and or doing of Philip
Speaker 1: Rivers impersonation of Scramble firing the ball into the turf.
Speaker 1: Now you have Chubb and von Miller coming at the
Speaker 1: edges at you this so it will be a real test.
Speaker 1: I wouldn't on the road, and they're crazy, the fans
Speaker 1: in Denver, so that's still gonna be sold out and
Speaker 1: probably allowed place. I don't think this is like a
Speaker 1: gimme for the Charges, especially uh, and I don't even
Speaker 1: want to. I don't want to put that stink on
Speaker 1: them because they've shown this season that this isn't the
Speaker 1: old Chargers. But that would there would be a lot
Speaker 1: of that wiped away if they couldn't find a way
Speaker 1: to close out the season strong. I think they are
Speaker 1: the old Chargers. I think they're the same team with
Speaker 1: better luck and close games. They've won some big, big
Speaker 1: beaten some good teams, so I'm not going to kill
Speaker 1: him for one loss. But they're a little sloppy. I'm
Speaker 1: not killing them at all. I think they were this
Speaker 1: good last year. I get you eleven and four. I
Speaker 1: don't know, maybe some crazy they have a better kicker.
Speaker 1: Now that's a big difference. Oakland's playing better. Let's get
Speaker 1: to that game, right, do you want to get to
Speaker 1: that game? Let's talk about it. The Oakland Raiders um
Speaker 1: who another team that uh playing for nothing? But they
Speaker 1: really did show some hot as they say in Greg's
Speaker 1: hometown on Monday night, Christmas Eve, beating the Broncosen. They
Speaker 1: travel to Arrowhead Now to face the Chiefs. Uh, Greg,
Speaker 1: your thoughts. The Chiefs haven't had as many easy plays
Speaker 1: or easy drives or layups for Patrick Mahomes the last
Speaker 1: three or four weeks, So I don't know if it's
Speaker 1: it's a little bit of everything. It's it's not just
Speaker 1: missing Kareem Hunt. You know, Damian Williams has played pretty
Speaker 1: well in place of them, But certainly I don't think
Speaker 1: I'm passing downs as good. It's not just Sammy Watkins.
Speaker 1: It's not just the offensive line, which has had some injuries.
Speaker 1: But it's the combination of that. The coaching is no
Speaker 1: longer winning that much for the Chiefs because Mahomes had
Speaker 1: some layups earlier in the year and now he still
Speaker 1: is doing the highlight real plays, but there's not as
Speaker 1: many easy plays. You would think he'd get plenty against
Speaker 1: the Raiders who put up forty, but you're right they were.
Speaker 1: They're playing the gruten Raiders are playing hard in December. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think you touched on it that it's not just
Speaker 1: one thing. I think they do miss Sammy Watkins. I
Speaker 1: think Eric Fisher is not playing well left tackle um
Speaker 1: and I think Tyreek Hill playing through an injury is
Speaker 1: not not quite as electric as a healthy Tyreek Hill didn't.
Speaker 1: Did you guys watch that game, by the way, that
Speaker 1: Christmas Eve at all? It's lost to the world where
Speaker 1: the or the It was the lowest rated Moneay and
Speaker 1: football game of all time, so you were many. But
Speaker 1: it was kind of a a beautiful scene there in
Speaker 1: the black hole. I love those fans and they were
Speaker 1: going wild. It was kind of a special night for them.
Speaker 1: And Gruden knew it, and I respect the Raiders players.
Speaker 1: It was almost like they knew it and they were
Speaker 1: going all out from the first minute. And I recommend
Speaker 1: any of our listeners watched the miked up which is
Speaker 1: on Raiders dot com and probably on sound effects and
Speaker 1: all that with Gruden. It is awesome. It's so much fun.
Speaker 1: And it ends with Gruden like running around in the
Speaker 1: black hole going Merry Christmas. Mary. It's like it's just
Speaker 1: like it was this this kind of amazing. It was.
Speaker 1: Marshaan Lynch was like trying to yeah, trying to picture
Speaker 1: caught him trying to light his joint on the the
Speaker 1: Al Davis Memorial fire that I think, oh yeah, I
Speaker 1: think he would, yeah, probably, but I mean he's not
Speaker 1: going to speak on it. So unless he haunts Marshall Lynch.
Speaker 1: I mean, and I know this is all way off topic,
Speaker 1: but hey, possible, Yeah, this is you know, our podcast,
Speaker 1: and what else am I going to say? This? For
Speaker 1: all the criticism that Monday Night Football got the broadcast
Speaker 1: crew over the year, the most trenchant one came in
Speaker 1: that game. They were not ready for that moment. That
Speaker 1: was a cool it was a special time of that
Speaker 1: this could be it for Oakland and the history and everything.
Speaker 1: Those that crew wasn't ready to talk about that context.
Speaker 1: They just and that goes beyond the guys they that
Speaker 1: is the entire if you're saying, because he spent the
Speaker 1: whole podcast talking about the shortcomings of John Gruden and
Speaker 1: how it's been a disaster and missing missing what was
Speaker 1: happening in front of them, which was, if nothing else,
Speaker 1: a night all those Raiders fans are gonna remember interesting.
Speaker 1: All right, Let's move on to the other team in
Speaker 1: the area of San Francisco, forty Niners closing out YEP,
Speaker 1: a disappointing season after a lot of hype, breathless hype
Speaker 1: about Jimmy g and there're five straight wins and the
Speaker 1: season last year, well Jimmy g blows out his knee. Uh.
Speaker 1: Nick Mullins is coming and done a very nice job.
Speaker 1: But still they're four and eleven, and and that is
Speaker 1: their record. Is what they are. What their record says
Speaker 1: they are is. Bill Parcels once said, they traveled to
Speaker 1: Los Angeles to face the Rams. The Rams win this game,
Speaker 1: and they clinch a number two by and that should
Speaker 1: be all the motivation they need. Chris, Yeah, I heard
Speaker 1: that the Rams had got their offense back on track,
Speaker 1: but until watching and I wasn't convinced. But they had
Speaker 1: four long touchdown drives and another long field goal drive
Speaker 1: in this game. Um C J. Anderson got really low,
Speaker 1: churning his legs. Tiny strike zone for tackler tackler, there
Speaker 1: was just no nowhere really to hit him. He started
Speaker 1: running people over. I was impressed by what I saw
Speaker 1: from him. And you could tell Sean McVeigh was really
Speaker 1: concentrating on a balanced offense with a heavy running game.
Speaker 1: I think that's their new m oh. He made a
Speaker 1: drastic personnel decision before that game and gave Gerald Ever
Speaker 1: his highest snap count of the year and basically played
Speaker 1: two tight ends most of that game. Uh. From the
Speaker 1: first snap. It wasn't just when they got the lead,
Speaker 1: and they took Josh Reynolds off the field quite a
Speaker 1: bit more. And I think that's that's playing to their
Speaker 1: strengths with Girly, and I think the line is better
Speaker 1: at run blocking. I mean, the right side of their
Speaker 1: offensive line has really struggled lately to protect Golf and
Speaker 1: so that's that's McVeigh kind of adjusting and we'll see
Speaker 1: how it works. I don't think this is a gimme
Speaker 1: game forty niners. Forty niners to me are a little
Speaker 1: dangerous if you look. First of all, Todd Gurley didn't
Speaker 1: practice on Wednesday. I don't know about his status today
Speaker 1: Thursday as of taping, but UH, you would think they'll
Speaker 1: they will be tempted again to maybe risk it and
Speaker 1: try to give him another week Goff. But we'll see
Speaker 1: ahead of the playoffs. The other point I have on
Speaker 1: this is, yes, Jared Goff a lot of pub about
Speaker 1: how poorly he played in UH in recent weeks, but statistically,
Speaker 1: UM his passer rating is pedestrian like around nineties since
Speaker 1: Week four, So he kind of peaked that game. We
Speaker 1: were at that Thursday night game. UM, in terms of
Speaker 1: the one through four weeks, he was dominant, and I
Speaker 1: know he had that great game obviously against the Saints,
Speaker 1: but his numbers have not been nearly as consistent in
Speaker 1: terms of being an upper upper echelon guy since those
Speaker 1: first four weeks. I think he kept it going until
Speaker 1: the bye week. I hear what you're saying. You're right,
Speaker 1: he didn't. He did peek early because he was just
Speaker 1: off the chain, but he was still playing at a
Speaker 1: top seven or eight level, I would say, until they
Speaker 1: got to that by and then he came back struggling.
Speaker 1: Definitely played well last week. Uh, and so that's gonna
Speaker 1: make them feel a little bit better. I don't know,
Speaker 1: I'm a little I think Rams fans should be worried
Speaker 1: about this. Do you think so? I don't know. The
Speaker 1: forty niners the last three weeks they've played, they got
Speaker 1: to take care of business. They they probably will. But
Speaker 1: they beat the Broncos, they beat the Seahawks, they played
Speaker 1: the Bears very even to the last whistle. I don't know.
Speaker 1: They do have a lot of injuries. They stink. They
Speaker 1: haven't stunked in December. They just haven't. They just haven't. Wait,
Speaker 1: didn't the forty three to sixteen lost to the Seahawks.
Speaker 1: Happen in December. Yeah, basically since that game. That was
Speaker 1: a weird game. They outgame the Seahawks even You're right
Speaker 1: that was that was a bad moment for them in Seattle.
Speaker 1: But in all their good performances have been at home,
Speaker 1: so maybe they'll stink. Let's move on the Chicago Bears
Speaker 1: eleven and four. There's a lot on the line in
Speaker 1: this game. So the Vikings UH their opponent UH this
Speaker 1: week at eight six and one, the Vikings clinch a
Speaker 1: wild card birth with a win the Bears if they
Speaker 1: win in the Rams do somehow stub their toe, they
Speaker 1: get the second seed and the and the buy. So
Speaker 1: a lot on the line here, Greg Rosendal, who do
Speaker 1: you trust? Mm hm trust here? I'm rooting for the
Speaker 1: old games. I'm glad we're not picking. Are we picking
Speaker 1: this game? This game because you don't have a pickwick
Speaker 1: it because you open the window. And now the window
Speaker 1: has been flung open. So I'll start with Matt Naggy
Speaker 1: talking about the playing as starters this week, and he
Speaker 1: seems resolute on that that they're definitely trying to win
Speaker 1: this game. And he's glad, he said, now, I don't
Speaker 1: have to think about it much because so much is
Speaker 1: on the line, but he did allow that they could
Speaker 1: be looking at the scoreboard and if the Rams are
Speaker 1: up big, then maybe he would call off the Dogs. Ultimately,
Speaker 1: you asked me, who do I trust. I trust the Bears,
Speaker 1: who are the same team every week, and uh, we
Speaker 1: know what we're gonna get out of them if if
Speaker 1: they're just playing to win, I trust the Bears. I
Speaker 1: trust the Vikings in this particular game, playing at home
Speaker 1: with a lot more to play for, with a defense
Speaker 1: that has been among the league's most stingy over the
Speaker 1: past two months, with an offense that is definitely shown
Speaker 1: improved it with uh Kevin Stefanski, who has to be
Speaker 1: ranked high and your handsome coach rankings by the way, Dan,
Speaker 1: I've been I've been tracking this. Yeah, not bad at all,
Speaker 1: not bad, solid seven and a half. And when I
Speaker 1: hear a teams say they're gonna be watching the other scoreboard,
Speaker 1: I know that's coming into the game with the right mindset,
Speaker 1: that that is a concern and that in putting up
Speaker 1: points on this Vikings defense right now would be challenging
Speaker 1: for the Bears. Regardless. Here here's what the Bears have
Speaker 1: done since the Trabinsky injury. The last three weeks since
Speaker 1: he came back, they've averaged three yards per game. It's
Speaker 1: pretty bad. They've averaged eighteen points per game. That's definitely bad.
Speaker 1: And they've had six turnovers. So they need to be
Speaker 1: more complimentary where they're not making mistakes that puts the
Speaker 1: defense in trouble and making it harder. And there's a
Speaker 1: lot of reasons for that. They haven't really They had
Speaker 1: one good running performance and then two pretty quiet ones.
Speaker 1: This Vikings defense kind of owes Mike Simmer. That's my theory.
Speaker 1: Let's heart that that they let him down last year.
Speaker 1: They're supposed if if any defense in the league supposed
Speaker 1: to be a two thousand, fourteen Seahawks, is that the
Speaker 1: right year, Like one of those defenses that carries carries
Speaker 1: your team. This is it. It's a veteran group. They've
Speaker 1: been together. It's basically Zimmer's entire run in Minnesota has
Speaker 1: been leading up to him having a defense like this
Speaker 1: the last two years. And they weren't good last year.
Speaker 1: At the end of the year, they weren't good in
Speaker 1: the playoffs. They pretty much didn't show up, and so
Speaker 1: this year, when his offense isn't quite as good, they
Speaker 1: need to show up and just start winning games for them,
Speaker 1: and they have lately. Well, they've got two problems, Everson
Speaker 1: Griffin and Xavier Rhodes, who have not played nearly to
Speaker 1: the level they played last year. They've been average players.
Speaker 1: If that, here's my thought on that. I've I've never
Speaker 1: been in love with his Viking teams to see the season,
Speaker 1: and if they win this game, it would be a
Speaker 1: huge win for them because first, obviously they make the playoffs,
Speaker 1: but also they finally beat a team worth a damn
Speaker 1: on their schedule and that goes that will feed directly
Speaker 1: into wildcard weekend and then we feel really good about themselves. Hey,
Speaker 1: we just beat the Bears and eleven win team and
Speaker 1: maybe we have some of this magic that that we
Speaker 1: haven't been able to find from last year. But they
Speaker 1: play him again. This is gonna be two weeks in
Speaker 1: a row. If the Vikings win this game, that too
Speaker 1: that that's like we already have the blueprint, blah blah blah,
Speaker 1: all good stuff. But I don't think that this is
Speaker 1: that Vikings team. I think there's been something off with
Speaker 1: this team all year, and that's why I think the
Speaker 1: Bears are actually gonna knock the Vikes at of contention.
Speaker 1: That is, I'm I almost want to lock it up,
Speaker 1: but I've already done it. I've already locked it. This
Speaker 1: one is way more exciting. Um, it's definitely more more
Speaker 1: onions going on if you want, all right, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: unlock the Giants. And this is for Wes, because I
Speaker 1: know Wes was upset about last week. I gonna lock
Speaker 1: up the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings, sending the
Speaker 1: Vikings into a dark, dark January and a lot of
Speaker 1: soul searching, and the Bears the team of a t
Speaker 1: N finishes the twelve and four, still finishes on the
Speaker 1: outside of the Boys, but they will be flying at
Speaker 1: twelve and four going into January. Upset feels like a
Speaker 1: little bit of a misrepresentation. I believe it was more
Speaker 1: of just a law reveal magnifico. You and Greg when
Speaker 1: I'm not in the studio, your feet to the fire.
Speaker 1: I did the same thing every week. If it's that
Speaker 1: was that was spread, that was actually less than You
Speaker 1: don't do the same thing every week, you are full
Speaker 1: of it. You do not choose a San Francisco team
Speaker 1: that has a chance to get the number one pick
Speaker 1: against the team that has a chance to get a
Speaker 1: buy And you're like, oh, it seems pretty even in
Speaker 1: my mind. By the way, West, I did this to
Speaker 1: me that I just happen to dig up ghosts. You know,
Speaker 1: I got the Vikings there, and I do follow the
Speaker 1: Vegas rule. Last week, whoever I locked up rules you
Speaker 1: following mirror in Vegas. Everybody. Every man's got a coat
Speaker 1: that's mine. But the Vikings will go home. And actually
Speaker 1: it'll be good because Wes, you've been carrying a torch
Speaker 1: for the Vikes, so I think you wouldn't say a torch.
Speaker 1: I just think that everybody writes this team off, and
Speaker 1: I'm not writing them off. I don't know what you're
Speaker 1: gonna see on Sunday, but I'd be a little worried
Speaker 1: if I was a team that had to be if
Speaker 1: they make the playoffs. It feels here to me that
Speaker 1: the entire football watching public now believes that the Eagles
Speaker 1: are a better team than the Vikings. That just feels
Speaker 1: very well, they can make the playoffs and still not
Speaker 1: be the better team. Just the way things shuck. I
Speaker 1: think it's quite evident the Vikings are a better team
Speaker 1: than I agree with West on that one. And I
Speaker 1: think Dalvin Cook right now is playing at it's like
Speaker 1: a special I can carry my team for a few
Speaker 1: weeks level. I'm five running back left. He is looking amazing. Alright. Uh.
Speaker 1: The Cincinnati Bungles six and nine uh travel to Pittsburgh
Speaker 1: to face the Steelers. Uh. Steelers Uh by virtue of
Speaker 1: their inability to close out the Saints last week. Now
Speaker 1: need help. They gotta win this game against the Bengals,
Speaker 1: which West I assume that they will. But you know
Speaker 1: who knows what this this Mike Tomlin team, and then
Speaker 1: they need help in the form of brain cramp. What
Speaker 1: do they need? What do they need? The Ravens need
Speaker 1: to lose to the Browns. Thank you, guys, West your
Speaker 1: thoughts on this game. Well, it's not just their inability
Speaker 1: to close out the Saints. If their inability to close
Speaker 1: out the Raiders, the Chargers, the Broncos all in the
Speaker 1: past five weeks. They can't close teams out. And you
Speaker 1: want to dismiss the Bengals because they look shorthanded, They're
Speaker 1: imminently dismissible. They've packed it in for the season just
Speaker 1: about um. And then you remember last year what they
Speaker 1: did to the Ravens. But they had their starting quarterback
Speaker 1: in that game, and drisk All is just not very good.
Speaker 1: I mean, they're not a watchable offense right now outside
Speaker 1: of Joe Mixon. So it seems awfully hard to believe
Speaker 1: that the Bengals could give them a real run in
Speaker 1: this In a week of of lopsided matchups, the Steelers
Speaker 1: are actually the heaviest favorites in the NFL. And I
Speaker 1: agree because this this Bengals team is dead and the
Speaker 1: Steelers it just would be very Steelers. This would be
Speaker 1: a hillacious ass weapon of the week that if I
Speaker 1: had to make things rain, I would rain fire upon
Speaker 1: the Bengals, and that that this could be a twenty
Speaker 1: to thirty point difference in score. Yeah, it feels like
Speaker 1: a new chapter in this rivalry. When Vante is perfect,
Speaker 1: reports are coming out that his careers in jeopardy. He's
Speaker 1: had seven concussions. Um, he's played just horrendously this year.
Speaker 1: When he's been healthy, he's been overweight, he's missed tackles,
Speaker 1: and normally he's at the forefront of this matchup. It
Speaker 1: would be very Steelers to put up forty one point
Speaker 1: and Brown and Smith Schuster both go over one fifty
Speaker 1: and you know they win forty seven and they don't
Speaker 1: make the playoffs. It just feels and I mean, they've
Speaker 1: played really well the last two weeks. That's the thing
Speaker 1: that that p I call Costoms seven points. They went
Speaker 1: to New Orleans and they looked like the better team
Speaker 1: in the Dome. That's just a fact, and they blew
Speaker 1: it and they should be punished for that. But they're
Speaker 1: playing at a pretty high level. They can beat any
Speaker 1: team in the NFL in any any game. If they
Speaker 1: don't make the playoffs, and there's a better than probably
Speaker 1: they don't. Uh. They to me are one of the
Speaker 1: best teams in recent memory, maybe this whole century, to
Speaker 1: miss the playoffs entirely when you think they could probably
Speaker 1: be anybody right if I put him in the a
Speaker 1: f C tournament as a three or four seed with
Speaker 1: a home game, like, I might have taken them to
Speaker 1: win the zero, but i'd you know, I would be wrong.
Speaker 1: All due respects to the Ravens, who have done a
Speaker 1: nice job not only resurrecting their own season but showing
Speaker 1: that you could win football games in two thousand and
Speaker 1: eight team without scoring thirty five points a game. I
Speaker 1: feel like the playoffs are more fun place if the
Speaker 1: Steelers are in that spot at that six seeds, So
Speaker 1: that's where my rooting interests will be. They get because
Speaker 1: the Steelers, if nothing else, are always kind of a
Speaker 1: fun soap opera uh in the playoffs, and it usually
Speaker 1: works against them, but they play competitive fund games. The
Speaker 1: Ravens are gonna make whatever team they play play their style,
Speaker 1: which there's some beauty to that as well, but I'm
Speaker 1: just saying I want Steelers to make it. So you're
Speaker 1: a Browns fan this week, I am. I like the
Speaker 1: Browns in general, but yes, I will rooting be rooting
Speaker 1: hard for the Browns this week. That's understandable. Let's move
Speaker 1: on the Cardinals three and twelve playing out the string
Speaker 1: against the Seahawks nine and six. The Seahawks are they
Speaker 1: locked into everything as well? Now they could fall to
Speaker 1: the sixth seed if if the Vikings won and they lost,
Speaker 1: that's right, because Vikings then would be nine six and
Speaker 1: one and the Seahawks will be nine and seven. Greg, Uh,
Speaker 1: you don't see that happening though, right, that would be
Speaker 1: insane now, it would be insane. And the way the
Speaker 1: way that Russell Wilson finishes seasons is actually a thing.
Speaker 1: Like he legitimately has these December runs better than Geno Smith.
Speaker 1: I mean, He's just done it so many times now.
Speaker 1: And I I went back. I didn't watch rewatch that
Speaker 1: game until this morning. That with Wilson performance and it
Speaker 1: was my second highest graded game quarterback all season. He
Speaker 1: was so amazing in that game. And then you think
Speaker 1: of what else is around him right now. kJ right
Speaker 1: being back is a huge deal. Doug Baldwin being at
Speaker 1: full strength is a huge deal. Bradley McDougald was back
Speaker 1: last week. That's a pretty big deal. D J flukers
Speaker 1: one like their son. Everything is coming together for this
Speaker 1: team at the right time. I am locking up next
Speaker 1: week the Seahawks beating the Cowboys, and big deal. I
Speaker 1: getting ahead of this. I'm letting you guys know because
Speaker 1: I love I for the same reasons like Greg. I've
Speaker 1: come around on the Seahawks. I like many others out
Speaker 1: of them, but not only do I believe in them,
Speaker 1: I believe in them in January. I believe in Pete
Speaker 1: Carroll and Russell Wilson making things happen, and I think
Speaker 1: the Cowboys they know how to lose in January, locking
Speaker 1: that up. I feel like Mark's been locking that one
Speaker 1: up for three weeks. Now he can join me. It
Speaker 1: could be a lock up. I also, yeah, I think
Speaker 1: I heard it on one broadcast, not locking it up,
Speaker 1: but just I I am wary that is. No one's
Speaker 1: going to give the Cowboys a chance in that game.
Speaker 1: Home team the Yeah, there's two teams that play the differences.
Speaker 1: Seahawks aren't quite the same on the road, certainly that
Speaker 1: they are. They are tough next week? Is that a thing?
Speaker 1: I mean, they have come back. How about Pete Carroll
Speaker 1: coming back from Owen two and uh coming back from
Speaker 1: you know, the owner passes away and he winds up
Speaker 1: getting a contract extension. Anyways, that happened in the last
Speaker 1: few days, uh from the acting owner and uh it's
Speaker 1: kind of like the old rainmaker came back today. I'm
Speaker 1: gonna bake a rain in Seattle too. I mean, that's
Speaker 1: why it's always raining. I need to get some Here's
Speaker 1: the second one. The second one, it's raining in Seattle
Speaker 1: against a desert team. M hmm. I like that By
Speaker 1: the way, Mamba Jamba is a pill word to replace
Speaker 1: him down. You know, wasn't there a song She's a
Speaker 1: bad Mama jammy. Uh? The Eagles eight and seven, they
Speaker 1: have a lot on the line here. With their surge
Speaker 1: down the stretch, winners of four of five, they can
Speaker 1: make the playoffs. But they need to win and they
Speaker 1: need the Vikings to lose to the Bears, which they
Speaker 1: will because the Old Zuster has already locked up the Bears.
Speaker 1: So that has been foretold. Uh, West, don't even play
Speaker 1: the game, don't need to. Uh. They get the Redskins here. Uh,
Speaker 1: so you would think on the road the Eagles will
Speaker 1: take care of business. There will be fourteen Redskins fans
Speaker 1: in attendance of this game and about thirty thousand Eagles fans. Yeah,
Speaker 1: all of that is true, and everyone's going to have
Speaker 1: the Eagles in this game, especially with the way Nick
Speaker 1: Foles is playing. But oh, and you agree just saying
Speaker 1: that Nick Foles is one of the least predictable quarterbacks
Speaker 1: out there. So you're you're saying, because they are heavy favorites,
Speaker 1: you would you would consider, you know, at least keeping
Speaker 1: the that the Redskins keep this game close. I think
Speaker 1: that's totally possible. Every time we've counted out the Redskins. Well,
Speaker 1: that's you putting words in my mouth. That's not what
Speaker 1: what are you saying? What are you I'm saying, don't
Speaker 1: be surprised if the Redskins win this game. You are
Speaker 1: still not going to give Nick Foles a lollipop pop.
Speaker 1: The way he's playing, I understand he has him by microphone. Sorry,
Speaker 1: I know that nobody's surprised when he plays poorly, but
Speaker 1: he plays poorly almost as often as he plays well,
Speaker 1: So they're still holding out surprised. I mean, it's actually
Speaker 1: what happened. Why did you forget the first two weeks
Speaker 1: of the regular because it's ancient history, but it's part
Speaker 1: of his january Nick Foles. Oh, he turns into a
Speaker 1: different guy. He does. That's the thing. It's okay if
Speaker 1: you believe that. I just don't. Personally, he has a
Speaker 1: high ceiling and when he gets rolling, he's shown he
Speaker 1: can keep it rolling, whether it was under Chip Kelly
Speaker 1: or in the playoffs this year. And this is not
Speaker 1: a tough matchup for him. This has been you know,
Speaker 1: the Redskins defense under Jagruin has gotten a pass because
Speaker 1: the offense is so hurt, but it is sub mediocre
Speaker 1: and basically every category you can come up with, and
Speaker 1: their defense has been healthy. And they cut DJ Sweringer
Speaker 1: because he mouthed off about how he doesn't like the coaches,
Speaker 1: which after like four or five times, a lot of
Speaker 1: people are criticizing the Redskins for cutting him. It's like that,
Speaker 1: It's like he did it like three or four different times,
Speaker 1: and so it's like the fifth time. I also got
Speaker 1: run out of Houston, right, I think, like you can
Speaker 1: criticize the Redskins for a million things, and this one,
Speaker 1: this one, I think that's the reason they got it.
Speaker 1: It's now kind of cool to just kill the Redskins
Speaker 1: whenever they do something. But sometimes it's just common sense.
Speaker 1: You can't mouth off to your employer. We can't do
Speaker 1: it over yeah and over and over again too. And
Speaker 1: now he's on the Cardinals and go to the Pro
Speaker 1: Bowl as a Cardinal if he goes. The Eagles are
Speaker 1: different though not just because of falls but because of sprawls,
Speaker 1: add some juice, and Mike Wallace is at practice this week.
Speaker 1: I don't know if he's gonna make a big difference.
Speaker 1: Mike Wallace is off ir and uh about that guy,
Speaker 1: he's gonna be back. Yeah, I do think their offense
Speaker 1: is different beyond fools. I agree with it. Uh, let's
Speaker 1: go to Sunday Night football. Yes, every year they flex
Speaker 1: in the game that has the most on the line.
Speaker 1: And uh, and here it is the a f C
Speaker 1: South hanging in the balance. The nine and six Indianapolis Colts,
Speaker 1: winners of eight of nine, against these nine and six
Speaker 1: Tennessee Titoons, who have won six of eight and four
Speaker 1: in a row. Greg ros Atal, you're on fire, aren't
Speaker 1: you play in action? I mean, I wish the Ravens
Speaker 1: Browns were at this window or Vikings Bears. So I
Speaker 1: don't love love love it involves the Titans. And the
Speaker 1: Titans when you just said that they've won four in
Speaker 1: a row and they won what was it, six, eight,
Speaker 1: it's like it doesn't feel like it. I think Raybels.
Speaker 1: You know, I think Rabel's done a good coaching job.
Speaker 1: Maybe I'm just biased because ultimately he's gonna end up
Speaker 1: with the same record as Malarkey. But you look at
Speaker 1: this team. They don't really do that many things well,
Speaker 1: and yet they're nine and six they don't have a
Speaker 1: pass rush, and that's that's one reason I don't trust
Speaker 1: them against the Colts at all. Iraq Bosman her Harold
Speaker 1: Landry is kind of fizzled out, and Uh, Derek Morgan's
Speaker 1: had a really bad year. They cannot rust the passer. Uh.
Speaker 1: Marcus Mariotta was on the practice field on Thursday. Uh.
Speaker 1: He missed the end of Week sixteen with that stinger, Uh,
Speaker 1: putting his status in doubt for this playing game. And Uh,
Speaker 1: I'm not never gonna question the guys toughness or how
Speaker 1: much he wants it and all this stuff. I'm just
Speaker 1: a blogger and a podcaster. But Marcus mary Mariotta, get
Speaker 1: on the field. In Week seventeen, he did a turn
Speaker 1: on third Did you just say that? I just did
Speaker 1: say that. Get on the field. And he's back on
Speaker 1: the practice field, which seems to point toward that happening. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's another nerve issue which has been an ongoing problem
Speaker 1: with him. And I think the problem is you're gonna
Speaker 1: look at that and say, there's no blame, Gabbert. You're
Speaker 1: gonna have Marcus Mariotta out there. That's huge for the Titans.
Speaker 1: But he's not been the same quarterback while trying to
Speaker 1: play through these nerve issues. He doesn't have the same
Speaker 1: touch on his passes. He can't grip the ball as well.
Speaker 1: And to me, if he tries to play, that's not
Speaker 1: necessarily a great thing for the Titans. Wow, you would,
Speaker 1: but still an upgrade. Obviously, nobody has any idea. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I guess what his hand can do with a football
Speaker 1: right now. He played through injuries last year. This was
Speaker 1: a very similar spot where the Titans were not expected
Speaker 1: to make the playoffs and they beat a good Jaguars defense.
Speaker 1: He did not have a great game, but he did
Speaker 1: make big time plays at the end of that game
Speaker 1: to get into the playoffs, and then you know, did
Speaker 1: the same thing in the playoffs. Obviously you want him
Speaker 1: out there. But yeah, I mean this season he has
Speaker 1: eleven touchdowns and eight interceptions. That's he They haven't been
Speaker 1: a high scoring at all. That's two weeks of touchdown
Speaker 1: production from Patrick Mahomes. That's true. But the Colts have
Speaker 1: to come through. The Colts. I don't think they're an
Speaker 1: up and down team. They've won eight and nine. There
Speaker 1: uber dangerous, but they're not so talented or something that
Speaker 1: you just like chalk up a win in any game,
Speaker 1: including you know, against the Giants last week. No, I
Speaker 1: agree with that totally. I'm just saying the specific injury
Speaker 1: for a quarterback that involves your nerve and your throwing
Speaker 1: arm that I mean, Carson Palmer has had that before
Speaker 1: and he said, you just can't pass. I mean, you
Speaker 1: can't grip the football right. It hurt his his his
Speaker 1: ability to throw it down the field at the which
Speaker 1: is already compromised to begin with. And then on on
Speaker 1: the other side. I was gonna start with this and
Speaker 1: I forgot, But now I'm coming back a little and
Speaker 1: I think Andrew Luck's arm is better right now than
Speaker 1: it was early in the season. And I want to
Speaker 1: point to one play that changed the playoff picture last
Speaker 1: week third and eight. Giants are up fourteen at the
Speaker 1: end of the third quarter. It's third and eight. Andrew
Speaker 1: Luck throws a back shoulder throw to Dontrelle Inman up
Speaker 1: the seam. The level of difficulty on that throw and
Speaker 1: the amazing catch by Inman too to be able to
Speaker 1: adjust because you just don't see back shoulder throws like
Speaker 1: that in the middle of the field. But that was
Speaker 1: the only place that you could have possibly done it.
Speaker 1: That was just a p in the mid by Andrew Luck,
Speaker 1: and he had a couple of nice, uh very flattened
Speaker 1: out passes down the field that I don't know if
Speaker 1: he was making those early. If they don't make if
Speaker 1: they don't complete that pass, and Inman did an incredible job.
Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't think they're winning that game.
Speaker 1: Their defense was not getting stopped. I think that's ball
Speaker 1: game for the Giants. But those are the types of
Speaker 1: players you need to go on a playoff run. I
Speaker 1: talked about that very throw in my m v P column,
Speaker 1: Flash Westling Top ten m v P candidates, So you'll
Speaker 1: see where I have my homes and Breeze and Luck.
Speaker 1: He's on like the two three you put them three,
Speaker 1: I put lock. I think like six or seventh. Okay,
Speaker 1: that's very I had Aaron Donald in the top four,
Speaker 1: and I had Cleil mac and DeAndre Hopkins in there
Speaker 1: in the mix. We actually Mark is out with some
Speaker 1: type of throat issue um potentially laryngitis, but I did
Speaker 1: ask him. I said, the most important thing is that
Speaker 1: we know what your lock is. Mark Sessler, with the
Speaker 1: help of a little friend Danny's locking up to Court.
Speaker 1: That's Culton, Cessler locking up the Cults Andrew Luck. If
Speaker 1: he wins this game, will become the only player since
Speaker 1: the nineteen seventy merger with an eleven and oh record
Speaker 1: against an opponent eleven wins without a loss. If he wins,
Speaker 1: they have never beaten Andrew Luck. And I'm with Mark,
Speaker 1: I'm locking this up for the court, Okay, locking up
Speaker 1: the Colts. Casey out. You can't. You can't put any
Speaker 1: shade on that. I would go the other way, Dan,
Speaker 1: if you're interested in winning this thing, I think you
Speaker 1: gotta like that the two guys in front of you
Speaker 1: are on the same side, and they're on a road
Speaker 1: in a game that they could lose. I could certainly
Speaker 1: I would take the Colts as well, but for picking
Speaker 1: feel more strongly about the Ravens. But I've been picking
Speaker 1: the Coolts. Is my team all year, and they they
Speaker 1: need me here, they need you. You got their back,
Speaker 1: and I understand that America is rooting for you guys,
Speaker 1: including because I would much rather have you guys get
Speaker 1: your locks right, that's for sure, than have to watch
Speaker 1: the Titans in the playoffs. That's the one team I
Speaker 1: did not want to see make it through. And I'm
Speaker 1: sorry I said it on Sunday. I'll say it again.
Speaker 1: Tytoons fans, you want me to drop that Moniker that
Speaker 1: you hate so much, win a huge ball game, not
Speaker 1: only make the playoffs, stick it to West, stick it
Speaker 1: to Mark, and then stick it to the old Zeuser.
Speaker 1: You will forever more be known as the Tennessee Titan.
Speaker 1: A lot on the line in our little world of ours.
Speaker 1: It makes me so happy to watch the people who
Speaker 1: get angry with you, because it's so angry. They get
Speaker 1: so angry. Well, it looks like a five year build
Speaker 1: though to this moment. They've had other opportunities before and
Speaker 1: they've blown it. But I feel like if they come
Speaker 1: up short, it's kind of like the team that will
Speaker 1: be back there next year. You don't know when you're
Speaker 1: gonna get another chance to raise the Titoons Moniker. It
Speaker 1: could be years and yeah, and it wuld be like
Speaker 1: if they do win and then lay an egg next week,
Speaker 1: I will I promise there will be no double cross.
Speaker 1: It will be over if you win Sunday Night football.
Speaker 1: So uh, there you go, there's your chance. And as
Speaker 1: much as I feud with the Tytoons fans. Could one
Speaker 1: guy on a pot says this thing, and it really
Speaker 1: just that's why I do. I have respect for Titoons fans,
Speaker 1: because you Tytoons supporters out there love your Titoons, and
Speaker 1: for that you have my respect. You are Titoons fans
Speaker 1: to the very end. Go Titoons on Sunday because it
Speaker 1: helps me in the lock battle potentially. All right, here
Speaker 1: we go. We'll be back on Sunday with our week
Speaker 1: seventeen recap, so we will have all this stuff settled
Speaker 1: in and locked in the next time you hear from
Speaker 1: us on the show. And also, as I hinted at
Speaker 1: earlier or said earlier, we will have a show Monday
Speaker 1: as well, our Black Monday Show. First time we'll ever
Speaker 1: do that, where we recap everything that's going on with
Speaker 1: the coaches, comings and goings and stayings and firings and
Speaker 1: all that. Uh, that's it. This is Dan hands Is
Speaker 1: signing up for the mail Man, the Old Boss getting
Speaker 1: well suit, Mark Sessler need that throat to me clicking
Speaker 1: come post season a time, and Ricky Hollywood behind the
Speaker 1: glass till Sunday. Mab