Speaker 1: NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
Speaker 1: partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello, Hello, and welcome to
Speaker 1: the NFL Power Rankings podcast, presented by Energizer. I'm Dan
Speaker 1: Hansis and I am flying solo. On today's show, Colleen Wolf,
Speaker 1: my usual co host, back from Germany but recuperating, which
Speaker 1: makes sense because literally every photo or video I saw
Speaker 1: of NFL network talent in Germany featured a beer in
Speaker 1: their hand. So that's cool that it works out for
Speaker 1: them that way. Colleen will be back hangover. Uh, if
Speaker 1: they hangover, permits her too, And luckily we can sail
Speaker 1: along here a little fireside chat um about the Power
Speaker 1: Rankings as we had their week eleven. And you know
Speaker 1: where we stand right now is a place for me,
Speaker 1: as the Power Ranks guy, of a little bit of uneasiness,
Speaker 1: because as chaotic as the season has been, uh, I
Speaker 1: have taken some peace and tranquility from the mantra, the slogan,
Speaker 1: the saying it's the Big three, and a whole lot
Speaker 1: of let's see in that big three, of course, and
Speaker 1: this rolled right through September and October. You had the Bills,
Speaker 1: who you knew were the cream of the crop. You
Speaker 1: have the Eagles that were winning every week, and you're like,
Speaker 1: even if they're not number one, they're locked and loaded.
Speaker 1: Number two, you had the Chiefs as the team that
Speaker 1: we're also clearly a Super Bowl contender and above the
Speaker 1: twenty eight other teams, twenty nine other teams, and um,
Speaker 1: now it doesn't feel that way as much because while
Speaker 1: I look at the top three of the power rankings,
Speaker 1: are about to take a look at the top ten.
Speaker 1: You're gonna see, yes, the Eagles still in the top three,
Speaker 1: in fact, still a top the Chiefs still in the
Speaker 1: top three. So you have to teams in the top
Speaker 1: three still, But you got the Bills down at five,
Speaker 1: and you have all these other teams in the top
Speaker 1: ten that feel like they've closed the gap. So let's
Speaker 1: take a look at it right now. Eagles, even with
Speaker 1: that loss, we're gonna get into that. I kept at one.
Speaker 1: The Chiefs up one spot off the win over Jacksonville
Speaker 1: to tow the Vikings, Yes, a huge win in Buffalo,
Speaker 1: beating the Bills and the referees to move up to
Speaker 1: the number three spot. Up four, the Dolphins make a
Speaker 1: charge into the top five with another dominant showing by
Speaker 1: their offense and a good showing by their d So
Speaker 1: they're up eight spots to four, the Bills down three
Speaker 1: to five and a little bit of a funk obviously,
Speaker 1: and then you had the Ravens six, nine, Ers seven,
Speaker 1: Cowboys down four spots to eight after failing to get
Speaker 1: it done against the Packers, the Titans and Jets rounding
Speaker 1: out the top ten, and you know, the Eagles will
Speaker 1: will start here because I think they were overdue for
Speaker 1: a bad game. Obviously. This is a team that has
Speaker 1: just cruised through the early early portion of the season,
Speaker 1: and you could make the you could make the comment,
Speaker 1: and certainly I have on the show to Colleen's dismay
Speaker 1: that obviously undefeated into something special if you're if you're
Speaker 1: taking that into November, But when are they going to
Speaker 1: really get tested? How are they going to react when
Speaker 1: they get punched in the mouth? And I think we
Speaker 1: kind of expected maybe later in the season that would happen,
Speaker 1: maybe a Titans team who's on the schedule, Maybe the
Speaker 1: Cowboys when they see see them again with Dak Prescott,
Speaker 1: maybe the Giants who have found a way to win
Speaker 1: week after week this year. But it end up being
Speaker 1: of all teams. The Washington Commanders, who take advantage of
Speaker 1: Eagles mistakes make big place to stay on the field
Speaker 1: and keep the powerful Philly offense off it, and they
Speaker 1: you know, get a little help themselves from game officials
Speaker 1: on some controversial calls and they steal a win away
Speaker 1: from the Eagles. So, you know, again sighting Colleen who's
Speaker 1: nursing a hangover and we hope she's gonna make it through. Um,
Speaker 1: she kind of said, you know it would it be
Speaker 1: the worst thing to take a loss if you're if
Speaker 1: you're the Eagles, because you don't want to get caught
Speaker 1: flat footed later in the season when the game's uh
Speaker 1: matter more, perhaps even into the playoffs. Well, you don't
Speaker 1: have to worry about that anymore, Eagles fans, because the
Speaker 1: idea of a perfect season is over. Kick Mercury Morris's
Speaker 1: bunk bed and tell him to wake up. Why would
Speaker 1: Mercury Morris have a bunk bed. He's like seventy five
Speaker 1: years old. I don't know his personal set up in life, actually,
Speaker 1: but wherever Mercury is maybe it's a water bed. That
Speaker 1: kind of makes more sense. I like that, Uh, he's
Speaker 1: his nineteen seventy two Dolphins. They're safe for another year.
Speaker 1: And it was a strange thing. This is why I
Speaker 1: keep the Eagles at number one, because I caught a
Speaker 1: little blowback on Good Morning Football this morning. Why are
Speaker 1: they still here? Well, you, first of all, you don't
Speaker 1: have to drop a team just because they lost the
Speaker 1: way they lose matters. And I didn't think the Eagles,
Speaker 1: uh were exposed in this game. Put it this way,
Speaker 1: I mean, a primetime game can always be funky, uh
Speaker 1: and another team start us to believe. And really you
Speaker 1: could feel that shift in that building, that Washington who's
Speaker 1: an inferior team, but their ability to yes, take advantage
Speaker 1: of the turnovers, but run thirty four more plays than
Speaker 1: the Eagles, it was astounding. They had the ball for
Speaker 1: room was forty one minutes, and I think, what, what's
Speaker 1: the craziest thing? And I'm not gonna say fluky, because
Speaker 1: that's not fair to the commanders, who really did play
Speaker 1: their butts off in this game. But to possess the
Speaker 1: ball for over forty minutes, two thirds of game time
Speaker 1: an average four point one yards per play, that's gotta
Speaker 1: be a record. So it wasn't like the Eagles are
Speaker 1: getting chewed up by a Washington offense that wasn't quite
Speaker 1: the case. I thought they played fine. It wasn't like
Speaker 1: the Eagles offense was bad. In fact, they only had
Speaker 1: the ball twice in the first half. They scored touchdowns
Speaker 1: both times. They could have been a little sharper in
Speaker 1: the second half. The Quez Watkins drop on the fifty
Speaker 1: yard deep pass that we saw in the fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: I think that actually, more than anything else, including the
Speaker 1: the fugaz Brandon Graham personal foul that essentially salted away
Speaker 1: the wind for Washington. Quiz Watkins catching a fifty ardor
Speaker 1: and setting up the Eagles uh for the win there,
Speaker 1: only to fumble when he got back up and lose
Speaker 1: the ball. It did feel like Philly was ready to
Speaker 1: take control of that game, and they didn't. So it
Speaker 1: was the commanders who take command. And yet it felt
Speaker 1: like the Eagles are gonna be fine. They lived for
Speaker 1: another day. And also, I don't see another team here
Speaker 1: that really jumps out to me as a true number one.
Speaker 1: Who's number one in the NFL? Right now, let's talk
Speaker 1: about the Vikings. Okay, So the Chiefs. I like where
Speaker 1: the Chiefs are. The Chiefs are knocking on the door there,
Speaker 1: they're right there after that went over the Jacks. But
Speaker 1: it's the Vikings that I think some people are gonna
Speaker 1: naturally say, well, dummy, you have a team that wins
Speaker 1: every week. Just about now the Vikings with the same
Speaker 1: record as the Eagles. Now the Vikings who just beat
Speaker 1: the Bills in Orchard Park. Pick the Vikings. No, that's
Speaker 1: that's what I This is my job. I get to choose.
Speaker 1: I think the making a job. Jump up four spots.
Speaker 1: The number three feels right for this team. And I
Speaker 1: have a lot again, like with the Commanders, so much
Speaker 1: respect for what this team did. They overcame um a
Speaker 1: seventeen point deficit late in the third quarter and made
Speaker 1: big play after big play after big play. And that's
Speaker 1: the case for this team as a team. That will
Speaker 1: matter in January because they're playing in the postseason. They're
Speaker 1: gonna win this division. Um the way their records set up,
Speaker 1: the way the division is, or the Packers having a
Speaker 1: terrible start to the year, we will see Minnesota in
Speaker 1: the playoffs. Now it becomes a chance now that they're
Speaker 1: tied at least in record, Eagles have the tie breaker
Speaker 1: because of the head to head matchup in week two,
Speaker 1: You're in a position here where, um, you could maybe
Speaker 1: get the first seed in this conference, and then you
Speaker 1: could knock out the wild card round. You could sit
Speaker 1: sit that out and then have two home games with
Speaker 1: a chance to get back to the super Bowl. That's
Speaker 1: down the road for now. I think there's something really
Speaker 1: exciting brewing here. Kris kirk Cousins, who has been the
Speaker 1: very picture of mediocrity in terms of UH team success
Speaker 1: throughout his career. Uh, he's always a five quarterback to
Speaker 1: win eight of nine starts and make big throws. He
Speaker 1: was pretty he was actually looking kind of like the
Speaker 1: old Kirk Cousins in the first half of this game,
Speaker 1: but he got on the same page and started just
Speaker 1: shredding uh the Buffalo defense. Justin Jefferson obviously makes the
Speaker 1: catch of the year. You had a game changing run
Speaker 1: that eighty one yard or by Dalvin Cook. Sometimes you
Speaker 1: forget about how special he is, and that was a
Speaker 1: reminder that really got this game back into a competitive nature.
Speaker 1: And then you had Patrick Peterson, you know, a guy
Speaker 1: that maybe isn't the same duty was in Arizona, but
Speaker 1: a ball hawk, uh for sure. So we're gonna talk
Speaker 1: more about the Vikings in a bit with our guest
Speaker 1: Stacy Dal's who has the NFC North on lock um.
Speaker 1: But let's then spin toward a little conversation about the Dolphins.
Speaker 1: This is Power Moves presented by Energizer the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 1: I was a little bit slow to come around on
Speaker 1: the Dolphins. I inc in retrospect. I don't have an
Speaker 1: issue if you look at the arc, if you follow
Speaker 1: the power rankings, um how they made their move up,
Speaker 1: then down, then back up the board, because you can't
Speaker 1: minimize what this team looked like without to a tongue
Speaker 1: of volo running the offense. They lost every game, but
Speaker 1: they've won every game that too has started and finished.
Speaker 1: And if you're a fan of an a f C team,
Speaker 1: you are afraid of this Dolphins offense. Because what they
Speaker 1: did to the Browns this week. You can say, oh
Speaker 1: the Browns, who cares, it's there not a big time team.
Speaker 1: Go look what the Browns did on Halloween night and
Speaker 1: Monday Night football against Cincinnati. The Bengals were getting shut
Speaker 1: out midway through the fourth quarter before a couple of
Speaker 1: garbage time tds from Joe Burrow, but they completely shut
Speaker 1: down a Bengals offense that is explosive and came into
Speaker 1: that game completely on fire. I know they were without
Speaker 1: Jamr Chase, but that was a team that got humbled
Speaker 1: by the Cleveland defense. So see Miami go on the
Speaker 1: field scoring six of their seven first drive never punt once.
Speaker 1: And to a listen, people want to get caught up
Speaker 1: with the too A thing and who's better to h
Speaker 1: or Herbert or tah or this or two or that
Speaker 1: tour right now is playing like Steve Young. I'm not
Speaker 1: saying he is that guy, but you look at his numbers.
Speaker 1: There was a m v P chant um in hard
Speaker 1: Rock Stadium during this game that broke out a couple
Speaker 1: of times, and you're like, oh, that's that's cute Dolphins fans,
Speaker 1: But any like lent a second. They are I believe
Speaker 1: a half a game out of being the top seed
Speaker 1: in the a f C. To his stats and eight starts,
Speaker 1: has seven wins. He has eighteen touchdown passes, just three picks.
Speaker 1: He's completing sevent of his throws at a staggering nine
Speaker 1: point one yards per attempt average, which is league best.
Speaker 1: This is m v P production. And if if he
Speaker 1: were on the field for that month that he missed
Speaker 1: after that unfortunate head injury he suffered, he would be
Speaker 1: along with Dolphins on a record setting pace. So I
Speaker 1: don't think it's outside the realm to have to in
Speaker 1: this conversation for m v p uh. And yet it's
Speaker 1: not just the passing game that's been humming. Jeff Wilson
Speaker 1: brilliant trade by Miami. He had a hundred and nineteen
Speaker 1: of the Dolphins rushing yards in this game. And oh,
Speaker 1: by the way, the defense. The one thing I was
Speaker 1: on this show Steve Weich last week pointing to as
Speaker 1: keep an eye on that. Uh, that might be the
Speaker 1: thing that holds them back. They really shut down the Browns.
Speaker 1: Nick Chubb really couldn't get anything going until very late
Speaker 1: in the game when everything was decided. And it just
Speaker 1: feels like if Miami's defense just gets to an average level,
Speaker 1: that offense is going to take them to a lot
Speaker 1: of wins and into January. There's just one question at
Speaker 1: this point for me, which is, mhmm, can this team
Speaker 1: operate at this efficiency on offense when he gets cold?
Speaker 1: When you have to get out of Miami. But maybe
Speaker 1: the goal here is not to leave Miami. You get
Speaker 1: you get this Windstreet cooking for another three or four weeks,
Speaker 1: then you could start putting your eyes on the top
Speaker 1: of the A f C. And then again, just like
Speaker 1: I was talking about with the Vikings, you know, you
Speaker 1: skip the wild card round, you get buy into the
Speaker 1: divisional playoffs, and you never leave Miami. You know, by
Speaker 1: the way, the Super Bowl it's in Arizona. So Miami
Speaker 1: controls their destiny to not even have to worry about
Speaker 1: a cold weather conversation about how their offense would operate.
Speaker 1: So the Dolphins, I'm afraid of the Dolphins. As a
Speaker 1: Jets fan. Everyone should have a a level of trepidation
Speaker 1: the way they're humming right now. And let's finish our
Speaker 1: discussion about the top ten with the Dallas Cowboys. Not
Speaker 1: to go negative, but listen, you gotta you gotta mix
Speaker 1: it up. That's what we do in the power rankings.
Speaker 1: The good and the bad must be discussed. And the
Speaker 1: Cowboys drop four spots to eight at lambeau Field fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: a chance to step on the throat of the Packers
Speaker 1: in their building, and unbelievable opportunity lost. I think for
Speaker 1: the Cowboys, Mike McCarthy and his big homecoming. He had
Speaker 1: a very uh had a beautiful tan uh knee length
Speaker 1: pea coat and a matching scarf rolling into the building
Speaker 1: and it's just like, this was McCarthy's day, this was
Speaker 1: Zaddie's day, and uh, Aaron Rodgers says, no, I respect you,
Speaker 1: Mike McCarthy, but I'm gonna destroy you. And I I
Speaker 1: got um uh heat on around the NFL podcast for
Speaker 1: saying look out for Aaron Rodgers here stuff he was
Speaker 1: saying on the on Pat mcavie's show last week. Don't
Speaker 1: forget that I'm the two time m v P reigning
Speaker 1: MVP four times. Overall, the Cowboys were in more danger
Speaker 1: uh than I think a lot of people realized in
Speaker 1: this game, just because how desperate Green Day was and
Speaker 1: you saw that the way they played that fourth quarter.
Speaker 1: So you know, the defense not being able to get
Speaker 1: the big stops both in the fourth quarter and then
Speaker 1: on the Packers uh driving overtime that ended with the
Speaker 1: game ending field goal. It's disappointing, mostly because the defense
Speaker 1: has spoiled us a little bit. You expect them to
Speaker 1: close that game out. So it says I think a
Speaker 1: lot about the Packers, but it also tells you that
Speaker 1: the Cowboys, as good as they've been this season on defense,
Speaker 1: still have work to do um and need that balance.
Speaker 1: So disappointing effort on both sides of all. The offense
Speaker 1: did not make plays when they needed them. Maybe you
Speaker 1: could quibble and say, again I don't like bring it
Speaker 1: up the game officials, but it was a little bit
Speaker 1: of a rough week eleven on that front. Uh the
Speaker 1: could have been a past interference call on third down
Speaker 1: in overtime when Dallas was inside Green Bay territory. It
Speaker 1: was not called, and then uh Zaddy decides to go
Speaker 1: forward on fourth and three instead of the long field
Speaker 1: goal doesn't work out, and the game's history. So it's
Speaker 1: a frustrating loss. But it doesn't make me think that
Speaker 1: the Cowboys are no good or they're ready for a
Speaker 1: big tumble. But it is a maybe a wake up
Speaker 1: call that again the league, as we get deeper into
Speaker 1: this season, teams like the Packers, like the buf that
Speaker 1: we expected to be good they might be ready to
Speaker 1: make a push now. And all these teams that have
Speaker 1: resided resided in the top ten that felt like they
Speaker 1: were cut above that all these other teams, it's getting tighter.
Speaker 1: It makes it harder, you think, I after working for
Speaker 1: fourteen hours on Monday, and I sit down and at
Speaker 1: my couch and I just want to watch nice calm.
Speaker 1: Let's say thirty one fourteen Eagles win over the commandit.
Speaker 1: You know how easier that would have made my job.
Speaker 1: But that's just the way it is with the power rankings.
Speaker 1: They the NFL wants to make things difficult. They want
Speaker 1: to keep as many teams involved, and that means the
Speaker 1: power ranks will always be moving. But I didn't move
Speaker 1: the Eagles. I thought about it though. All Right, we're
Speaker 1: just getting started here. Coming up next, Stacy Dale's a
Speaker 1: long time favorite. We'll join us to talk about what's
Speaker 1: going on in the NFC North. We'll talk those Packers,
Speaker 1: the Airs, Lions, maybe even the Vikings up next. All right,
Speaker 1: welcome back to Power Kings percented by Energizer. Here's eleven
Speaker 1: through twenty. The Bengals off to buy stay at eleven.
Speaker 1: The Bucks up four after a nice win in Munich,
Speaker 1: up to twelve. Giants got some Giants fans that are
Speaker 1: annoyed with me. I don't know, but Mike Garret Folo
Speaker 1: is he is he a Giants fan? I know he's
Speaker 1: a Tri State area guy, but he gave me some heat.
Speaker 1: On Good Morning Football. We got the Seahawks down four
Speaker 1: to fourteen, Pats at fifteen, Packers up six to sixteen, uh,
Speaker 1: Commanders up eight spots. After that, a great performance on
Speaker 1: Monday Night, knocking off the undefeated Eagles to seventeen. Chargers
Speaker 1: down three. They're so beat up to eighteen, the Cardinals
Speaker 1: up four and not buying in. But you know you
Speaker 1: took care of business against the Rams to nineteen, and
Speaker 1: the Chicago Bears. I don't care if you lose. You
Speaker 1: get the green arrow up to the top twenty. They're
Speaker 1: making a charge. And speaking of the Bears and the
Speaker 1: Vikings and the Packers and the Lines, we must now
Speaker 1: welcome in one of our favorites, Stacy Dale's NFL Network
Speaker 1: reporter and an all around great woman. And Stacy, can
Speaker 1: I just start here? Um, you're wearing a blue denim jacket.
Speaker 1: Are you wearing the fabled Canadian tuxedo? Denim up top,
Speaker 1: denim down low? There? It is there, it is. I
Speaker 1: love Canada. Although these are black jeans, so it's okay.
Speaker 1: There's a little contrast there. And by the way, I've
Speaker 1: been holding out, Kansas. I've been holding out. You know
Speaker 1: how many people want me to run through power rankings?
Speaker 1: You know, I I know there are some competitors out there,
Speaker 1: but I've been holding out to be with you. And
Speaker 1: here we are, Uh, finally, may you love yourself? Some
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers like the Packers win
Speaker 1: one game and you thrust them up. You know what.
Speaker 1: I think, Maybe that's a little high, But I think
Speaker 1: what you're saying, I like the first part of what
Speaker 1: you're saying better that there are many imitators in the
Speaker 1: power rankings game, but there there's only one old zoos
Speaker 1: er power Rankings. I think, why don't we start. Let's
Speaker 1: get let's start with the Packers, all right? When I
Speaker 1: watched that game, and I and I know Aaron Rodgers
Speaker 1: talks and talks and talks, so maybe we get to
Speaker 1: a point where you don't have to you can tune
Speaker 1: them out. But when he went on the McAfee show
Speaker 1: and made the comment, you know, people forget that I'm
Speaker 1: the reigning back to back m v p UM and
Speaker 1: then I was like, man, this feels like a spot
Speaker 1: where the Packers are going to put up a big fight.
Speaker 1: And maybe turn their season around. And they do it
Speaker 1: against the Cowboys. I guess I'm buying in a little bit,
Speaker 1: but that we might see a push for this team
Speaker 1: now and they are in consideration for the playoffs, which
Speaker 1: is why they cracked the top sixteen. You want to
Speaker 1: push back on that. I don't want to push back
Speaker 1: on it because it's Rogers, right. I mean, you believe
Speaker 1: everything you hear on Pat McAfee. Uh, kudos to you. UM,
Speaker 1: love that show. But listen, I think with when you
Speaker 1: have a one seven passer rating after five straight losses
Speaker 1: and you faced the Dallas Cowboys and you throw with
Speaker 1: pinpoint accuracy like the m v P, the back to
Speaker 1: back m v P. Yeah, I'm gonna jump with you
Speaker 1: six spots because it's Aaron Rodgers and all of a sudden,
Speaker 1: the rookie came alive. Christian Watson. We see right here
Speaker 1: with those three touchdowns is first game with a passing
Speaker 1: receiving touchdown, UM, which is pretty cool. And then the
Speaker 1: run game. I mean they've gone two of their last
Speaker 1: three games over two on the ground, Dan and Uh,
Speaker 1: I think that shows signs that the offense has finally
Speaker 1: coming together. The past pros a little bit better. I'm
Speaker 1: disappointed with the injuries defensively, obviously, Stokes and Rashawn Gary
Speaker 1: are ma some losses defensively, But yeah, I'm okay with
Speaker 1: this jump because it's Aaron Rodgers, and I think maybe
Speaker 1: this premonition he had that they were going to win
Speaker 1: this game during the week means some more games down
Speaker 1: the road. And by the way, the last time they
Speaker 1: were four and six, it was two sixteen. I believe
Speaker 1: they were in the table. They finished ten and six
Speaker 1: and they made it to the NFC Championship Game. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm just saying. I'm just saying the power rankings on
Speaker 1: some level, Stacy is like the here and now. But
Speaker 1: I think history, as my great friend Chris Wesling was
Speaker 1: known to say, history is instructive, and I just believe
Speaker 1: that they have a run in them. And and before
Speaker 1: we get to the vikings, I just want to say
Speaker 1: the Christian Watson development is huge. You know the fact
Speaker 1: that he literally dropped a seventy yard touchdown pass in
Speaker 1: his first game on the first play from scrimmage. I
Speaker 1: don't want to make too much of it and make
Speaker 1: it a narrative based conversation here, but it really felt
Speaker 1: like it's set the tone for a very frustrating first
Speaker 1: two months, and they've been searching, they've been so change
Speaker 1: searching for someone to step up and fill that Davante
Speaker 1: Adams void on some level. If he can build off
Speaker 1: that game, it really does change so much. Well, the
Speaker 1: confidence there is, like I'll continue to use the word massive.
Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, they haven't had production like that since
Speaker 1: Davante had a three plus touchdown receiving touchdown performance. And uh,
Speaker 1: you know this is one where you don't want to
Speaker 1: repeat history. If you're Christian Watson, we remember that drop
Speaker 1: he had. But the only way to get better in
Speaker 1: life is to make mistakes. So hey, he made a
Speaker 1: couple early. He actually had a couple of drops early
Speaker 1: in that game against Dallas Dan and uh, they came
Speaker 1: to him on the sideline, Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers. Uh,
Speaker 1: they corralled him and said, we're coming back to you,
Speaker 1: so you better get ready. And he's going to change
Speaker 1: the way defenses play. The Packers, I think a little
Speaker 1: bit because of how good their run game has been
Speaker 1: with jones E and aj Dillon. So hey, we'll see
Speaker 1: Thursday Night football. They may even have Randall cobback soon.
Speaker 1: I mean, they're they're not putting that out of the
Speaker 1: realm of possibility. Uh to kick off. There's a night
Speaker 1: foo ball this coming week. One thing I struggle with
Speaker 1: that you said the only thing, Stacy is that people
Speaker 1: make mistakes and they learned from them. And then I
Speaker 1: look behind you, Stacy, and I see one of the
Speaker 1: great collegiate players of all time and Nay Smith's great
Speaker 1: game of basketball, amongst all the other success that you've
Speaker 1: had in your life and career, and it's like, well,
Speaker 1: I don't think you've made mistakes. Are you an outlier? No?
Speaker 1: I'm perfect. I'm perfect. Yeah, yeah, I I you know,
Speaker 1: I forget that I played basketball. The only reminder is
Speaker 1: all the injuries that I have now in my later years.
Speaker 1: So you're a warrior. So well, that wasn't the goal
Speaker 1: that we're going to try to move forward. The Vikings
Speaker 1: um super impressive, Stacy, and I just I'm curious, Like Listen,
Speaker 1: I was one of the kind of doubters going into Buffalo.
Speaker 1: I wasn't alone, but I had no choice but to
Speaker 1: move them into the top three. Does that game warts
Speaker 1: and all? Does that game remove any doubt to you
Speaker 1: that they're a true Super Bowl contender or is there
Speaker 1: still something in the back of your mind like they're
Speaker 1: still is in mind maybe you know, you know the Midwest,
Speaker 1: like that team has so much emotional baggage through the
Speaker 1: years that you you're almost waiting for the other shoe
Speaker 1: to drop, and yet here they are eight and one. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so Cousins needs to win in the playoffs. And that's
Speaker 1: you know, kind of always why there's a little doubt,
Speaker 1: right the big games and the big moments, and Kirk
Speaker 1: Cousins can get the job done. He's getting the job
Speaker 1: done this season. It's the ko factor, man, It's the
Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell factor. He has an incredible relationship with his
Speaker 1: new head coach who coached him previously. If you know
Speaker 1: Dan in Washington and now he's you know, at the
Speaker 1: Helm here in Minnesota. I fully became a believer after
Speaker 1: this game in Buffalo because I don't know, you've been
Speaker 1: to him Mark Stadium. This thing is an I don't
Speaker 1: know if I've seen a tailgate like it. Uh. And
Speaker 1: and when you see you know, because I was there
Speaker 1: for the Packers game this year and uh, Sunday Night
Speaker 1: football that tailgate is something else these fans or something else.
Speaker 1: The Chiefs of the Bills mafia is a real thing.
Speaker 1: And for them to go in and do what they
Speaker 1: did and then find ways to win. Right, the end
Speaker 1: of that game was unreal. That's an instant classic. But
Speaker 1: you know, looking at the numbers, five games they've won
Speaker 1: this season trailing in the fourth quarter, right, Kirk is
Speaker 1: responsible for five game winning drives this season. There's seven
Speaker 1: and oh and one score games eight and one for
Speaker 1: the first time since two thousand nine. Right, So they've
Speaker 1: all bought in. And again it's the Kevin O'Connell factor.
Speaker 1: I was in London and I had the Vikings against
Speaker 1: I believe they play the Saints and uh and I
Speaker 1: talked to Delvin Cook during the week and after the game,
Speaker 1: and he said, all I want to do at the
Speaker 1: stage in my careers win. And Kevin O'Connell has a
Speaker 1: special way of teaching, UH, why why we're doing things,
Speaker 1: why the offense is what it is, why this play
Speaker 1: specifically is ran this way, And so I just really
Speaker 1: think there's a buy in. The defense is a hell
Speaker 1: of a lot better than it was over the past
Speaker 1: couple of seasons. Uh, Darius Smith is back to his
Speaker 1: form and with the Neil Hunter up front, this thing
Speaker 1: is really good in Minnesota. And I'm all buying in
Speaker 1: on them. Yeah, and there was again and you know
Speaker 1: it's the past and the past is the past. But
Speaker 1: you know when they get when they get stuffed at
Speaker 1: the goal line? Uh. In that game, it just felt
Speaker 1: like one of those classic, you know, gut punch moments
Speaker 1: for Minnesota. When Davin Cut drops the pass at the
Speaker 1: goal line on a free play, It's like, oh no,
Speaker 1: is this just gonna That's how we're gonna remember this
Speaker 1: great effort by Minnesota. And yet the fact that they
Speaker 1: found a way maybe things are changing. For the vice question, Yes,
Speaker 1: are you going to be the next media member to
Speaker 1: don the Kirk Cousins chains without shirt on? Are you
Speaker 1: going to be a Dan? Because if that's the case,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna fly to wherever that is to see it. Two.
Speaker 1: Ware's it. Here's the problem. Here's the sneaky important part
Speaker 1: of the chain game. He's got to have like a
Speaker 1: banging bod and Kirk Cousins Is bod is like surprisingly saucy,
Speaker 1: it's a it's a good body. And then Patrick Peterson
Speaker 1: looked like he was cut out of marble. And it's
Speaker 1: just like, I'm not there yet, you know. Just give
Speaker 1: me about six to eight years with a personal trainer
Speaker 1: and a dietitian and I will wear the chains. Let's
Speaker 1: check back in the mi Okay, okay, put a put
Speaker 1: a place of wager on that one pin in that
Speaker 1: one Let me let me ask you about the Bears,
Speaker 1: who are also getting better stacy, and a lot of
Speaker 1: that is connected to the quarterback. This feels like, even
Speaker 1: in a narrow loss in Cairo, Santos, make a kick,
Speaker 1: but make a kick, um you You feel like this
Speaker 1: is an important developmental year, transition year for this franchise.
Speaker 1: And maybe you and I are doing this show God
Speaker 1: Willing a year from now and we're talking about the
Speaker 1: Bears in the top ten because now it feels like
Speaker 1: they got the quarterback who's hitting a stride. Now you
Speaker 1: just gotta have a smart offseason of building in the
Speaker 1: here and now they're competitive and fun on a weekly basis. Now.
Speaker 1: I don't know, Dan, if I've ever seen a fan base,
Speaker 1: because you know, I live in Chicago. It when the
Speaker 1: loss happens, like they don't leave. Everybody stays put and
Speaker 1: there there. They've got their phones out right during the game.
Speaker 1: When Justin Fields has the ball, they're just they're just
Speaker 1: videoing him, like what's he gonna do on this next play?
Speaker 1: Since week five, he's averaging over a hundred yards rushing
Speaker 1: the football. It's insane what he's doing. I'm a little
Speaker 1: surprised you jumped them up one spot because they're losing
Speaker 1: and they've lost six of their last seven games. But
Speaker 1: there's promise and there's hope unlike I've ever seen in
Speaker 1: Chicago for this football team. Like he leads all quarterbacks
Speaker 1: with seven and forty nine rush yards right, he's throwing
Speaker 1: ten passes though in six games since week five, This
Speaker 1: this product he's putting in. Performances he's putting together consecutively
Speaker 1: is really really impressive. I love how they've integrated Cole
Speaker 1: comm At at at the tight end. He's finally scoring this year,
Speaker 1: which he didn't do last year. And Darnell Mooney is
Speaker 1: back to form. The run game is the best in
Speaker 1: the NFL. But you gotta win football games. And so
Speaker 1: when you mentioned the Cairo Santo, you know Santo's kick
Speaker 1: that feel missed extra point. I'm thinking, hey, don't throw
Speaker 1: a pick six too, But I'm also looking at it.
Speaker 1: I'm also looking at though, Dan, like you figured out
Speaker 1: the run game, okay in Chicago, Luke GETSI is just
Speaker 1: you know, I talked to a couple of weeks ago
Speaker 1: about it, and I asked him when did you decide
Speaker 1: to put these runs in and he said, well, we
Speaker 1: implemented the offense in the off season and the runs
Speaker 1: have always been there. But I'm like, this thing is
Speaker 1: substantially different, Like teams are looking at justin fields like
Speaker 1: they would look at Lamar Jackson as I've talked to
Speaker 1: opposing defensive players, because he is just so dynamic you
Speaker 1: don't know what is coming big play wise, and now
Speaker 1: in the last three games, they've averaged thirty past yards
Speaker 1: per games. So my thing in this Detroit game, let
Speaker 1: him throw it around. I'm okay with the pick six,
Speaker 1: to be honest with you, because until he makes that mistake,
Speaker 1: he's not going to change that decision in the next
Speaker 1: game in the fourth quarter and win. So I think
Speaker 1: they're this close in Chicago. So I see why you
Speaker 1: brought him up one spot. No, And that's why, because
Speaker 1: you know it is the power rankings, not the power standings,
Speaker 1: which I always have to remind people of that. And
Speaker 1: you know, a lot of the way I frame things
Speaker 1: as a fan and sometimes as an analyst is through
Speaker 1: my own Jets fandom. And I was thinking, you know,
Speaker 1: we we passed on Patrick Mahomes because we had Christian Hackenburg,
Speaker 1: we passed on Josh Allen because we had Sam Donald,
Speaker 1: And now you know, did we pass on Justin Fields
Speaker 1: because we we like Zack Wilson. I'm starting to get
Speaker 1: those pangs of fan regret because it does feel like
Speaker 1: Fields might be right there. He's not there yet, as
Speaker 1: you saw from the interception, is passing game. There's still
Speaker 1: some ways to go there. But he seems like he
Speaker 1: might be special. And that that's all anybody was talking about,
Speaker 1: including on the A T N podcast when the Bears
Speaker 1: moved up to get Fields. This is an organization that
Speaker 1: needed a shot in the arm, and here it is. Wow,
Speaker 1: it is an absolute shot in the arm. I mean,
Speaker 1: what he's doing, he's doing record breaking things right now.
Speaker 1: I mean he's got to spend these last again, these
Speaker 1: last five games, five hundred yards on the ground running
Speaker 1: the foot like this is insane. What he's doing. He's surpassed.
Speaker 1: He's number one most in the Super Bowl era in
Speaker 1: a five game span, surpassing Lamar Jackson. Like it is
Speaker 1: just and you could talk about the speed like it
Speaker 1: you don't even realize how fast he's going because he's
Speaker 1: so swift and he's so big. I mean, you're talking
Speaker 1: about Cam Newton size. But I think you know, could
Speaker 1: end up being a certainly when you think about justin
Speaker 1: fields and his arm strength, just a hell of an acquisition.
Speaker 1: If he can continue this growth and evolution as the
Speaker 1: starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears. I mean, he's totally
Speaker 1: changed the landscape in Chicago at least as of right now. Absolutely,
Speaker 1: and finally, like real quick, because it wouldn't be right
Speaker 1: to the Lions fans who put up with a lot
Speaker 1: of garbage for the past I don't know, a hundred
Speaker 1: years or so. Um, let's talk about the Lions real quick.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm relieved, um that they have this little two
Speaker 1: game winning streak. They get the monkey off their back
Speaker 1: of winning a road game. All I want because on
Speaker 1: the Round the NFL podcast that the team of around
Speaker 1: the NFL, we we like the lines. We want to
Speaker 1: see them to succeed I really enjoyed that hard Knocks season,
Speaker 1: and what we don't want is the second week of
Speaker 1: January for people like will Ian Rappaport very solemn on
Speaker 1: Good Morning Football. There has not been a decision made
Speaker 1: yet on Dan Campbell. We want a nice close to
Speaker 1: the season that that sends the lines towards a off
Speaker 1: season of hope and optimism. Do you sense that they've
Speaker 1: turned the corner a little bit here? Um? I think so.
Speaker 1: I it's I'm going to have them on Thanksgiving, and
Speaker 1: so I'm really anxious to go and be around their
Speaker 1: team a little bit because I always take something away
Speaker 1: the energy of a team. So when you ask me
Speaker 1: that question, Dan, let's talk in two weeks. Maybe you'll
Speaker 1: have me back for power rankings. How fortunate would I be? Um?
Speaker 1: But I think the first road victory. I was shocked
Speaker 1: that that is Dan Campbell's first win on the road
Speaker 1: as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. I know
Speaker 1: there was a tie in there at one point. I
Speaker 1: think one eleven and one or something as the record
Speaker 1: on the road. I could be mistaken, but I think
Speaker 1: that's those were the numbers. I like the talent on
Speaker 1: this team. I really like the receivers. Obviously, DeAndre Swift
Speaker 1: when he's healthy is really good football player. Um, the defense,
Speaker 1: you did a good job against the Chicago Bears, and
Speaker 1: all you can do is stack wins in this league.
Speaker 1: And uh, you know it's a tough division. As you know,
Speaker 1: it's a division that runs the football, um and has
Speaker 1: I think all four teams have given others fits in
Speaker 1: the NFL this year in terms of how they've ran
Speaker 1: the ball. So yeah, you as Allions fan, I love
Speaker 1: Dan Campbell, I love you know everything he represents as
Speaker 1: far as how he approaches his players. But wins are wins. Yeah,
Speaker 1: eight spots. They move up in the power rankings from
Speaker 1: one and hopefully, hopefully, uh they keep on moving up. Stacy. Yes,
Speaker 1: the first step the progress is winning in your division. Right,
Speaker 1: They've defeated the Packers, They've defeated there. We'll see as
Speaker 1: the season goes on how they fare against the rest
Speaker 1: of the division this season. Stacy, you've said it all.
Speaker 1: You're in a Canadian tuxedo. I will begin the quest
Speaker 1: to go Kirk oh chains uh starting after the show,
Speaker 1: A dedication that you'll be as a great athlete yourself
Speaker 1: with aching knees or whatever the issues are. UM, I
Speaker 1: will feel that after the transformation, I undergo for you, Stacy,
Speaker 1: thank you for having me. There she goes the great
Speaker 1: Stacy Dale's thank you to uh Stacy. We will be
Speaker 1: right back after this to dig into the bottom twelve
Speaker 1: of the Power ran its. It's gonna get sad, but
Speaker 1: let's go along for the ride. All right, welcome back
Speaker 1: to you Power Rankings presented by Energizer. Here is the
Speaker 1: bottom of the rankings. Yes, we just talked about the Lions. Yeah,
Speaker 1: they're in the twenties, but they're up eight spots to
Speaker 1: twenty one. The Falcons down five. Marcus Mariota's cratering right now,
Speaker 1: and you wonder how much longer Arthur Smith can deal
Speaker 1: with that. They're at twenty two. The Saints are just
Speaker 1: having a bad year. They're at twenty three, down three spots.
Speaker 1: The Browns defense does not show up against Miami. But
Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know if anybody stop in
Speaker 1: Miami right now. They're down five to twenty four. Steelers
Speaker 1: get T. J. Watt back and get a win, up
Speaker 1: three spots to the Rams down eight to six and seven.
Speaker 1: The Colts up three Uh, coming off that kind of
Speaker 1: shocking win over the Raiders. Uh, twenty eight Jaguars twenty nine,
Speaker 1: Raiders down five. My goodness, we'll get to them. Broncos
Speaker 1: down four and thirty. Their quarterback can't play right now,
Speaker 1: that's an issue. Panthers out of the seller with that
Speaker 1: win over Atlanta at thirty one, and this the Texans
Speaker 1: back and they're familiar digs the thirty two spot. They have,
Speaker 1: you know what they have. They have Damian Pierce, who
Speaker 1: is really good, who's on pace for fifty yards this
Speaker 1: year rushing UM but not a lot else. So we'll
Speaker 1: see what happens there. But let's let's start by talking
Speaker 1: the Saints. Um. Who a team that throughout the summer
Speaker 1: a lot of buzz around the Saints that they were
Speaker 1: going to make a push and be a team that
Speaker 1: could be potentially a Super Bowl contender in the NFC.
Speaker 1: And I remember saying I'm wrong all the time, but
Speaker 1: this one I was right about. I remember a lot
Speaker 1: of giving a lot of pushback because it's like everyone's
Speaker 1: forgetting one thing number one. And we're talking Jamis Winston
Speaker 1: at the time, who's barely played after getting hurt early
Speaker 1: in the season, Jamis Winston is prominently involved with Andy
Speaker 1: Dalton behind him. There's a ceiling there, and to Sean
Speaker 1: Payton's out there anymore. It's Dennis Allen. And I think
Speaker 1: that's made a huge difference. This is just not the
Speaker 1: same team. They lose to the Steelers. Who are you know,
Speaker 1: a team that's rebuilding, uh twenty to ten? And you
Speaker 1: know the drumbeat is only gonna grow louder now to
Speaker 1: get Dalton out of there and put in Winston. But
Speaker 1: I don't know what. I don't think that's gonna make
Speaker 1: a big difference. I think the offensive line is an issue.
Speaker 1: They struggled a block for Alvin Kamar. They struggled to protect.
Speaker 1: If you do not protect Jamis Winston, he will throw
Speaker 1: many interceptions. This is I know you're not hearing that
Speaker 1: on alysis anywhere else. He will throw many more and
Speaker 1: you're gonna hear a lot of people saying, oh, what
Speaker 1: about Andy Dalton again? It's enough, It's enough. Here's what
Speaker 1: Dennis Allen said, by the way, after Sunday's Lust there's
Speaker 1: just a lot of different areas that we've got to
Speaker 1: improve on. Yeah, you know who else you can say
Speaker 1: that about the Rams who are bad. The Rams are bad.
Speaker 1: It is hard to repeat as a Super Bowl champion.
Speaker 1: But you don't usually see a team crater like Los
Speaker 1: Angeles has I have him down eight spots, They had
Speaker 1: him an eighteen, had him hanging around kind of like
Speaker 1: what he was doing with the Bucks and the Packers,
Speaker 1: because like, well, maybe they figure things out. This team
Speaker 1: is not going to figure it out. And I know
Speaker 1: we Matthew Stafford out. Um. It was an uphill climb,
Speaker 1: even against the backup quarterback and the Cardinals. But you
Speaker 1: gotta find a way to win that game, and you
Speaker 1: get you gotta get beat up in almost blown out
Speaker 1: basically by the Cardinals with Colt McCoy in your building,
Speaker 1: and I kept waiting to for you know, whether it
Speaker 1: be Jalen Ramsey or especially Aaron Donald, who I know
Speaker 1: is still grading out beautifully on PFF and the like.
Speaker 1: But make a play, guys, you know, pick up your defense.
Speaker 1: I know they're extremely frustrated on that defense, that the
Speaker 1: offense isn't doing anything. But where the game changing plays,
Speaker 1: where the pick six is the force fumbles that the
Speaker 1: defense to give an offense a short field, it's not
Speaker 1: their fault, but I thought maybe they needed somebody to
Speaker 1: step up a big, big play. That cash is huge paychecks.
Speaker 1: They did not do it in that game. And now
Speaker 1: you have Cooper Cup moved to injured reserve on Tuesday
Speaker 1: after sustaining what was a high ankle sprain h on
Speaker 1: a diving attempt of a bad John Walford pass. And uh,
Speaker 1: I don't know, he's out at least four weeks. And
Speaker 1: the way Sean McVeigh was talking, uh, in a logical sense,
Speaker 1: if the Rams are out of playoff contention, are you
Speaker 1: gonna rush back you know, arguably your best player. Uh.
Speaker 1: We might have seen the last of Cooper Cup this season. Uh,
Speaker 1: stay tuned on that. The Colts. I want to speak
Speaker 1: positively about a team. Now, I don't agree with the
Speaker 1: process of Colts owner Jim Ursay. And you know the
Speaker 1: way uh he handled the firing of Frank Reich. The
Speaker 1: Jeff Saturday hiring was kind of insane, but also some
Speaker 1: of the uh, the handwringing that you heard from the
Speaker 1: likes of Bill Kauer and thousands of others calling it
Speaker 1: a disgrace to the game. Whatever or says the owner,
Speaker 1: he has a pre existing relationship with Saturday and Uh,
Speaker 1: he gets to do what he wants. But what I
Speaker 1: thought was really unfair after watching the offense hum in
Speaker 1: an upset of the Raiders in Vegas, was that you
Speaker 1: would fire Frank Reich and then say, all right, now,
Speaker 1: Matt Ryan, a borderline Hall of Fame quarterback, he gets
Speaker 1: to come back and play. And then on top of it,
Speaker 1: you get to go against a creating Raiders team. And oh,
Speaker 1: by the way, Jonathan Taylor, the best running back on
Speaker 1: the planet last year, who has been banged up playing
Speaker 1: behind a wretched offensive line, all of a sudden looks
Speaker 1: like Jonathan Taylor. Uh. The first time that Frank Reig Scott,
Speaker 1: I would throw my remote if I were Frank Reich
Speaker 1: and you know Reike's watching that game, I would throw
Speaker 1: my remote remote so hard at my flat screen on
Speaker 1: my wall. It would go through the flat screen, through
Speaker 1: the wall and be found lodged in the chimney across
Speaker 1: the street at Nate's house. That's what would happen for me.
Speaker 1: And I don't usually lose my temper, but I would
Speaker 1: if I was Frank Reich. So good on the Colts
Speaker 1: for you know, being so professional in that game. The
Speaker 1: players I'm talking about in the coaching staff for finding
Speaker 1: way to really go out there and look efficient. And
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that the Cults are gonna be a
Speaker 1: team to keep an eye on here, but the fact
Speaker 1: that they were able to come out of just a
Speaker 1: chaos drenched environment in Indianapolis, inside the your own walls
Speaker 1: and outside and and look so well put together in
Speaker 1: that game. It's a kind of a testament to the
Speaker 1: players and that remaining coaching staff. And finally, yeah, the Raiders, Man, geez,
Speaker 1: what are we doing? What are we doing? That? You
Speaker 1: got Josh McDaniels in the midst of another disastrous head
Speaker 1: coaching um gig. And you had Mark Davis owner come
Speaker 1: out and say Rome wasn't built in a day and
Speaker 1: we're gonna be you know, patient with Josh McDaniels, which
Speaker 1: I get it, I get it. And you have um
Speaker 1: Mike Garretfolo saying this morning that he doesn't even think
Speaker 1: that Mark Davis is liquid enough to be able to
Speaker 1: fire a coach with this many years left on his
Speaker 1: contract and then make another big higher So maybe his
Speaker 1: hands are tied a little bit financially, but you can't
Speaker 1: say that you can't do the Rome wasn't built in
Speaker 1: a dayline. When you're built, you just traded away future
Speaker 1: draft picks for a superstar wide receiver. You had this
Speaker 1: high paid roster with a nucleus, and you you flatline
Speaker 1: this season. This is not exactly the same situation as
Speaker 1: the Lions or the Texans or any other number of
Speaker 1: teams that are truly in a rebuild. This is a
Speaker 1: team that has flopped. Uh So, ownership being showing patients
Speaker 1: in the head coach is maybe going to calm things
Speaker 1: down in the locker room, which they probably It's been
Speaker 1: a very deeply frustrating, as you saw with Derek Carr's
Speaker 1: comments on Sunday Night season. Maybe they get to relax
Speaker 1: and breathe and don't worry about people getting fired right
Speaker 1: here and now. But jeez, the Raiders are tempting me
Speaker 1: to put them at last than the power rankings in
Speaker 1: a year that there were very people respected people, not me,
Speaker 1: respected people picking them to beat the Chiefs in the
Speaker 1: a f C. West. It goes to show your football
Speaker 1: it's hard to predict unless you're tug boat. Unless you
Speaker 1: write the NFL Power rankings every week. Landing Tuesday morning,
Speaker 1: you catch this podcast, check me out on around the NFL.
Speaker 1: We'll welcome back Colleen next week and we'll dig into
Speaker 1: another week of madness, chaos drenched madness, and we like
Speaker 1: it that way until next week. Heed the Call. NFL
Speaker 1: Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in partnership
Speaker 1: with I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
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