Speaker 1: Via Around the NFL podcast. He's really popular in the Hague.
Speaker 1: Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast.
Speaker 1: My name is Dan Hansas, and I am joined by
Speaker 1: a room filled with heroes, or well some heroes, Mark
Speaker 1: Zessler and Chris Westling. What's up boys? Hey Dan Ah No,
Speaker 1: Greg Rosenthal attending to some personal business today. Uh, he
Speaker 1: will be back hopefully this weekend. We hope we must
Speaker 1: soldier on and uh. This show, by the way, is
Speaker 1: for the first time on Periscope, our first Thursday preview show.
Speaker 1: So uh, if you want to um, well you're either
Speaker 1: listening or watching or not right now. But we're gonna
Speaker 1: hope to hope to do this throughout the postseason. Get
Speaker 1: the periscope um ship rolling along and away we go.
Speaker 1: Perfect timing, right in time for Week seventeen. Here comes
Speaker 1: the Thursday show on Periscope and that you paired ship
Speaker 1: with periscope like down periscope or absolutely on purpose? Chris Westling,
Speaker 1: this is the first Thursday Night show this season that
Speaker 1: didn't start with a recap of Thursday Night football because
Speaker 1: we have all sixteen teams playing on Sunday and Week
Speaker 1: seventeen as uh, per tradition of the league. What are
Speaker 1: you gonna do with your Thursday night? Off? West? A
Speaker 1: little Casablanca on VHS, A little boxed wine. I don't
Speaker 1: do boxed wine, it's too good for me. But Casablanca
Speaker 1: always sounds like a great Thursday night. Yeah, I might
Speaker 1: do that. Hubba hubba, Thank you, Gilda. I haven't watched
Speaker 1: that in a while. That's a good old classic. How
Speaker 1: old are yous? Forty two? But I appreciate well done things.
Speaker 1: You know what, You're a good man, West. Greg is
Speaker 1: not with us. But one thing I will say, I'm
Speaker 1: just gonna be honest. You know, sometimes it's important to
Speaker 1: be honest as opposed to just oh, let me say
Speaker 1: what people want me to say and then maybe they'll
Speaker 1: like me. I'm just gonna be honest. Not having Greg here,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna miss him in the show. He has great insight.
Speaker 1: He's a friend. But my cup of water, um, I'll
Speaker 1: call him cleadas Uh has its own little spot. So
Speaker 1: if I'm thirsty, reach over, don't have to worry about
Speaker 1: Greg's elbows. Take a sip, put clead us right back down,
Speaker 1: kind of like let us there. Yeah, I mean, i'd say,
Speaker 1: you know, the cutting. Perhaps the commentary suffers without Greg
Speaker 1: on the show, but the cup and the cup holder
Speaker 1: in the space to put the cup, maybe the usefulness
Speaker 1: factor a little bit higher than Greg. Greg has some competition.
Speaker 1: Greg getting banged in a big spot here. So, yes,
Speaker 1: we have a bunch of games to get to, very
Speaker 1: exciting and not all of the games have ties to relevance,
Speaker 1: we'll put it that way at this at this stage,
Speaker 1: but we will talk about one huge hulge question facing
Speaker 1: each or one of those teams involved in that, you know,
Speaker 1: essentially meaningless game. So even the games that don't matter, folks,
Speaker 1: you're gonna get a nice little preview. Sounds good, right,
Speaker 1: That's how we do it. We spin forward because we're
Speaker 1: asked to. Al Right, and let's start. Let's start with
Speaker 1: a meaningful game, in fact, the one that everyone's excited for,
Speaker 1: so excited that the league's suits made the decision that
Speaker 1: this was going to be the game that gets flexed
Speaker 1: to Sunday night in front of Al Chris, Michelle Tafoya
Speaker 1: and the world. Yes, I'm talking about the Green Bay
Speaker 1: Packers nine and six traveling to Ford Field to face
Speaker 1: the nine and six Detroit Lions. Oh my goodness, what
Speaker 1: a game? What else has to be said here? Mark Sessler.
Speaker 1: The Packers on a five game winning streak that after
Speaker 1: being left for dead at four and six, the lines
Speaker 1: were nine and four. Now they're nine and six. Uh,
Speaker 1: your thoughts and North on the line. It is on
Speaker 1: the line. And you know, if you've been listening to
Speaker 1: both our preview shows and our review shows over the
Speaker 1: last month plus, I think we saw this game on
Speaker 1: the horizon as the game that would decide this division,
Speaker 1: and almost uniformly, I would imagine have picked the Packers
Speaker 1: much to this, I mean, Lions fans have a right
Speaker 1: to be irritated slash agitated with with us as a
Speaker 1: group because we have not believed in them much this season.
Speaker 1: But I don't believe in them in this game. I
Speaker 1: think Green Bay is the team not only that Detroit
Speaker 1: doesn't want to deal with this weekend, but really any
Speaker 1: team in the NFC would not want to deal with
Speaker 1: in January. They are white hot at the moment. I
Speaker 1: don't understand how they can be slowed, whether it's in
Speaker 1: lambeau Field or in this case, in Detroit. I appreciate
Speaker 1: the nature of fandom, it's fanatical, but if you take
Speaker 1: a closer look at this Lions team, they've been a
Speaker 1: house of cards all year. They have built their record
Speaker 1: on close wins against mediocre opponents, and they've been losing
Speaker 1: in everyone but one of those games that they want.
Speaker 1: And they also are facing now a Packers team that's
Speaker 1: just flat out better than them and playing at a
Speaker 1: much higher level. And Matthew Stafford in the last nine
Speaker 1: games has won three yard performance and has one or
Speaker 1: zero of touchdowns and seven of them. This is not
Speaker 1: a dynamic, explosive offense that we were led to believe. Now,
Speaker 1: you know, you know, I love that Couder. I love
Speaker 1: Jim Bob Couder. He's had a nice run since taking over.
Speaker 1: But sometimes a narrative swallows up the reality a little bit.
Speaker 1: And the Lions have been a little touch and go
Speaker 1: on offense for a lot of the season. As you
Speaker 1: just said, us and their defense, we actually did show
Speaker 1: them quite a bit of respect that they were holding
Speaker 1: opponents under twenty and then they go out and allow
Speaker 1: the most points to Dallas Cowboys all year in a
Speaker 1: game the Cowboys didn't even need and they have a
Speaker 1: gimpy Darius Slay going into hosting green Bay, but against
Speaker 1: two of the hottest receivers in the league and Jordie Nelson,
Speaker 1: Vante Adams and definitely the hottest quarterback in the league.
Speaker 1: I mean Rogers fourteen touchdowns, zero picks over his last
Speaker 1: six games. We've seen this from Aaron Rodgers before, and
Speaker 1: it hasn't always translated to playoff success. They've been bounced,
Speaker 1: you know, ridiculously from January year after. You get a
Speaker 1: lot of that on dom capers. To be honest, it's
Speaker 1: it's not on Aaron Rodgers, but I mean when it
Speaker 1: in the regular season, when he hits this kind of
Speaker 1: fever pitch, he's utterly deadly. And I Green Bay is
Speaker 1: the kind of team that if they were to go
Speaker 1: in and put up thirty something points in this game,
Speaker 1: how does Detroit keep up? Well, here's the thing. You
Speaker 1: can point to some of the Packers struggles in January
Speaker 1: in the recent years. Also, you could point to the
Speaker 1: year they won the Super Bowl when they got hot
Speaker 1: in December and just carried straight through. Is this that
Speaker 1: type of year? And I want to be fair to
Speaker 1: the lines because you still have the advantage and it's
Speaker 1: a big advantage to me of being in your building
Speaker 1: in prime time. I really think that on some level
Speaker 1: levels of playing field, I think this. I think this
Speaker 1: is the one score game. I feel confident about the
Speaker 1: Packer whoa, I feel really comfortable. It's the biggest spot possible.
Speaker 1: I feel so kind about the Packers. I'm gonna lock
Speaker 1: it up, lock it up, lock it up, because, uh,
Speaker 1: they're just the better team. So I think it's a
Speaker 1: close game in terms of, you know, seven to ten points.
Speaker 1: But I think the Packers have taken this one. You
Speaker 1: know what, one good luck deserves another. I'm locking it up.
Speaker 1: I mean, has that ever happened? I don't think so.
Speaker 1: Was it allowed? Send it to the lockboard? Boord says
Speaker 1: accounts this feels dangerously unoriginal. But I'm also locking it up.
Speaker 1: We've got a triple bancker. We got a triple lock
Speaker 1: the entire city of Detroit quakes with anger. Well, we
Speaker 1: will never be allowed, probably even in the state of Michigan,
Speaker 1: which is fine. This is gonna, this is gonna get
Speaker 1: back to the Lions locker room. You're getting a little
Speaker 1: too high on myself here as the group. Uh yeah,
Speaker 1: I don't think that. I'm not sure this is the
Speaker 1: motivation they need and they'll never hear about this summer
Speaker 1: trips to Macano Island and Arbor. It's like, hey, guys,
Speaker 1: did you hear about those three average whites that picked
Speaker 1: against us? Like, let's screw those guys, all right? So
Speaker 1: we all got the Packers in this game, but it
Speaker 1: will be a fun game to watch. And I really,
Speaker 1: are you guys in agreement with me that this could
Speaker 1: be a close game or do you think the Packers
Speaker 1: are gonna roll? My sense is the Packers are gonna roll.
Speaker 1: I think they can keep it close if Matthew Stafford
Speaker 1: gets really hot and they have some weapons to do it.
Speaker 1: Golden Tate has been playing great the second half of
Speaker 1: the season. I want to see where Marvin Jones is
Speaker 1: because he averaged a hundred and thirty yards in the
Speaker 1: first month and he's only top seven yards once. Since
Speaker 1: it's not right physically for weeks now, I think it
Speaker 1: matters to this organization that they have a chance to
Speaker 1: even if if they lose that the Redskins relation can
Speaker 1: still back into the wild card with the loss, but
Speaker 1: they have not won the division in over twenty years.
Speaker 1: This matters to the Lions, so I agree that it's
Speaker 1: going to be a tight, fun game. That's been the
Speaker 1: DNA for the Lions all year, no matter who they
Speaker 1: as any. As a fan of a tortured franchise the Jets,
Speaker 1: I root for teams that are also tortured, the Lions
Speaker 1: being one of them. But I will say, and we're
Speaker 1: gonna talk about the Redskins in a second. I kind
Speaker 1: of like the winner go home angle of Sunday Night Football. Uh,
Speaker 1: the winner go home win Oregon. Oh, I'm gonna say,
Speaker 1: if you win, you're out, You're done. Uh So we'll
Speaker 1: see how plays out. But rings us to our second game.
Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about here, the New York Giants ten
Speaker 1: and five. Now, Um, they speaking of backing into the playoffs.
Speaker 1: They lost last week, but then clinched the spot when
Speaker 1: some things broke their way on Christmas Eve. Uh and
Speaker 1: they will now face the Washington Redskins in uh landover
Speaker 1: the Redskins eight and six? And uh, I wish we
Speaker 1: had the tabulator to my right. Um, it's uh, let's
Speaker 1: let's throw it over to cletus. Cletus the cup. Does
Speaker 1: he have let's tabulation machine? No? Okay, he's not saying anything,
Speaker 1: but can someone tell me what what The Redskins need
Speaker 1: to go to the playoffs. They need to beat the Giants,
Speaker 1: and they need the Packers in lines game to not
Speaker 1: end in a tie. There, you go so very possible.
Speaker 1: It's it's right in front of if, if all of
Speaker 1: if we just triple locked the Packers uh to win
Speaker 1: the Giant. The Redskins seem to be mark in a
Speaker 1: pretty good spot here because the Giants don't have a
Speaker 1: ton to play for there. I don't know if they're
Speaker 1: locked into a spot, but they are not fighting for
Speaker 1: a playoffs. About themselves, yeah, we haven't heard definitive whispers
Speaker 1: about who would sit or not sit for the and
Speaker 1: I and I think that they probably will because if
Speaker 1: you're the New York Giants locked into the five seed,
Speaker 1: they're locked in. But I think you want to see
Speaker 1: you got to work on aspects of your team, especially
Speaker 1: on offense if you're New York, so you don't want
Speaker 1: to just give people an extra week off necessarily. I
Speaker 1: think for me, it depends what Redskins team do we
Speaker 1: get and what kind of Jordan Reed do we get.
Speaker 1: He has been practicing this week, but their offense has
Speaker 1: not been the same without him. A healthy Jordan Rey
Speaker 1: would mean a lot for Kirk Cousins. That's the question
Speaker 1: to me, that's been the lynch pin for them. Redskins
Speaker 1: have to jump on the Giants early and make them quit,
Speaker 1: make them realize that they have nothing to play for
Speaker 1: in a game Dan that is not meaningless, but really
Speaker 1: doesn't matter for the Giants playoff hopes. So I think
Speaker 1: the Redskins jump out early and the Giants are the
Speaker 1: Redskins is really that afraid of their offense anyway? No
Speaker 1: should be. I mean, Eli, over the last five weeks
Speaker 1: on throws fifteen yards or more has a twenty two
Speaker 1: completion rate and seventeen point one passer rating. It's almost
Speaker 1: incredible how bad that is. I love that you in
Speaker 1: your m VP top ten ranking for who might win
Speaker 1: m v P that you included Odell Beckon's name in there,
Speaker 1: because he's been incredibly valuable. The amount of you know,
Speaker 1: targets that are going in his direction are incredible over
Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks. I have to I have
Speaker 1: not read that yet, but I imagine there's a couple
Speaker 1: of Eli manning digs within that blurb. Yes or no, us, Well,
Speaker 1: there's pointing out the same thing I've been pointing out
Speaker 1: for two months that he can't throw beyond fifteen. If
Speaker 1: you found a way to to bang Eli in the
Speaker 1: top ten m VP debate, I'm proud of you. Well,
Speaker 1: I'm considering that doting the only human being in the
Speaker 1: national media who's willing to say a bad word about
Speaker 1: a bad player that Eli Manning has been throwing the
Speaker 1: ball at the feet of his wide receivers on passes
Speaker 1: over fifteen yards for two and a half months, and
Speaker 1: nobody will talk about. You will kiss his feed on
Speaker 1: the first week of February when he's hoisting his third Lombardi. Baby,
Speaker 1: is he gonna learn to throw left handed? Maybe? By
Speaker 1: the way Dez Bryant through a little you know, take
Speaker 1: a trip over the end around? Does Brian threw that
Speaker 1: little touchdown pass? The only lefty touchdown past you're gonna
Speaker 1: see all season, because there's no lefty quarterbacks in the
Speaker 1: league right now on any depth chart. The only the
Speaker 1: only act, the only chance we have is killing the
Speaker 1: Kellen Moore and Dallas I R everyone else. He's the
Speaker 1: only one left. Huh. Whomer A Sciasen sheds a tear
Speaker 1: for the state of left handed Michael Vick swept out
Speaker 1: of jar Lorenzen banged in a big spot. Uh. One thing,
Speaker 1: if I'm a giant before we move on, if I'm
Speaker 1: Ben McAdoo, which makes me a bit of a goober,
Speaker 1: I'm not even playing Odell Beckham because I don't want
Speaker 1: him to uh drop like a macho man elbow drop
Speaker 1: on Josh Norman in a fit of frustration to get
Speaker 1: suspended next week. And if that does keep him out
Speaker 1: of the if he's not in the lineup, I think
Speaker 1: we know which way this game goes. Okay, let's move on.
Speaker 1: Uh talk about the Houston Texans, who locked up the
Speaker 1: a f C South with a win over the Bengals
Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve, uh night, and now they travel to
Speaker 1: Tennessee to face the Titans. This almost had the makings
Speaker 1: of an excellent Week seventeen showdown, but then, uh, the
Speaker 1: Tennessee laid an egg last week and then Marcus Mariana
Speaker 1: broke his leg on top of it, so that ended
Speaker 1: basically their season. So why don't we Chris Westling ask
Speaker 1: one huge question about one of these teams. Here's the
Speaker 1: huge question. I have Marcus Mariota, now two years in
Speaker 1: a row, ends the season on I R with a
Speaker 1: leg injury. Do we consider him brittle? Is he a
Speaker 1: durability concern? Do the Titans have to make it a
Speaker 1: major priority to go out and get a veteran backup
Speaker 1: who can actually move the offense better than Matt Castle
Speaker 1: next season? That's a huge question. Okay, I like that
Speaker 1: touch well. I think it's a little bit of both.
Speaker 1: Uh And I know you may not like that answer
Speaker 1: or it's not definitive enough, but I don't think that
Speaker 1: we can call him brittle yet because we just talked
Speaker 1: about a guy like Matthew Stafford, And when we first
Speaker 1: started working here, Dan, it seemed like every year we
Speaker 1: were writing about Matthew Stafford breaking this bone or that
Speaker 1: bone or missing twelve games. He was like Ken, Matthew
Speaker 1: Stafford gets through a season and you you look down
Speaker 1: the road, and it wasn't really a legitimate concern. Do
Speaker 1: they need to get a decent backup? Yes, because of
Speaker 1: this exact situation that they find themselves in now. And
Speaker 1: we killed the Cowboys a year ago for not having
Speaker 1: quarterback depth, and when they addressed that position, look what
Speaker 1: happened to the Dallas Cowboys. So I absolutely think it
Speaker 1: has to be along with some weapons from Marcus Mariotta.
Speaker 1: A primary need for the Titans to get another quarterback.
Speaker 1: I think that first all you brought up Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 1: I almost feel like Stafford's the exception to the rule,
Speaker 1: the guy that was banged up constantly his first two
Speaker 1: years and then became an iron man. Usually, if you're
Speaker 1: a banged up guy, that's just part of your football DNA.
Speaker 1: But I would say there's enough evidence where it should
Speaker 1: be you should be one of those teams that has
Speaker 1: a trustworthy backup where your season is not over if
Speaker 1: this guy is gonna miss three weeks or six weeks
Speaker 1: or eight weeks. Did somebody slap the China doll label
Speaker 1: on Matthew Stafford you can remember that. I mean he
Speaker 1: could not stay. I felt like he was dislocating his
Speaker 1: shoulder every four weeks. Yeah, for a while. There uh
Speaker 1: their current depth chart at quarterback Matt Castle. As me
Speaker 1: know Alex Tanny sot Also, by the way I watched
Speaker 1: last week's game, he is right now the Oakland Raiders
Speaker 1: version of Matt Shop. He has to put his entire
Speaker 1: body into every throw, even at tan yard out. Well,
Speaker 1: not to the labor the point. But don't you think
Speaker 1: that when you're a young quarterback coming in from college
Speaker 1: that somebody Mark Smyrnder is not a monstrous physical specimen
Speaker 1: that you need a couple of years to get your
Speaker 1: body into NFL conditioning level at quarterback. And these guys
Speaker 1: come in a lot of different kind of height, height,
Speaker 1: weight frame scenarios. Um, all right, let's move on and
Speaker 1: talk about the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Another
Speaker 1: game where there is not anything riding on the game.
Speaker 1: Couple of news notes. First of all, Steve Smith uh
Speaker 1: strongly um uh considering this making this his final game.
Speaker 1: I think he almost said those exact words, he said,
Speaker 1: this is it right chance he's going to retire? Did
Speaker 1: he say that? Really? Yes? Uh so, I don't know, Mark,
Speaker 1: You don't exactly buy in, do you that he's definitely
Speaker 1: heading out the door? Well from this, I think he's
Speaker 1: still an incredibly valuable player. And you know, a lot
Speaker 1: of times you hear these players at the end of
Speaker 1: the year when there's physical toil, there's exhaustion where maybe
Speaker 1: you're not ready to think about another season. He's toy
Speaker 1: with this now. Last year he may have retired had
Speaker 1: he not been injured, and that's what we discussed downstairs.
Speaker 1: So I just feel like we've He's someone that could
Speaker 1: be maybe pulled out of a potential retirement. If someone says, listen,
Speaker 1: you're so valuable, we're gonna use You're gonna have another
Speaker 1: successful year, I think I go back to baseball parallel
Speaker 1: Marianna Rivera, who had even a better career than Steve Smith,
Speaker 1: but both kind of Hall of Fame type guys. His
Speaker 1: last season, he was shagging flyballs in center field during
Speaker 1: batting practice, as was uh the tradition he had, and
Speaker 1: he blew out his a c L crashing into a wall,
Speaker 1: and then made the same decision, I'm not going out
Speaker 1: on an injury. I'm gonna come back. He had another
Speaker 1: All Star year and then went away. And I don't
Speaker 1: think that Steve Smith has been a Pro Bowl guy
Speaker 1: this year, but he's been useful and he's making plays,
Speaker 1: made plays last week, and this feels like a good
Speaker 1: time to step away. Don't don't have the bad, depressing year.
Speaker 1: You had the good year that kind of hinted towards
Speaker 1: the pressing times to get out. Now this is it,
Speaker 1: This is it. He's gonna go out at the perfect time.
Speaker 1: He's gonna leave people wanting more because he was just
Speaker 1: good enough and he conquered he He did not allow
Speaker 1: the injury to take him out of the league. He
Speaker 1: went out on his own terms. I think this is
Speaker 1: the perfect way to stay. All I would say is
Speaker 1: if if it is such a short thing, why are
Speaker 1: you toying around with percentages like eight nine percent? Why
Speaker 1: not just say it's what he does, it's his persona.
Speaker 1: A couple of years ago, I don't know if you
Speaker 1: remember this, he was injured and said he had a
Speaker 1: chance to play. It's just Steve that this a little bit.
Speaker 1: It's a bit, it's a not all the bits land
Speaker 1: like he came out, how's our cup bit doing? H
Speaker 1: it's languishing? Yeah, as cletus um. He had a bit
Speaker 1: where he came out to a couple of press conferences
Speaker 1: this year in an elf costume, and then some people
Speaker 1: on the desk like, oh, Dan, you're gonna write about this.
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh no, it's not his best bit. I can't, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I can't. I'm not just gonna write about it because
Speaker 1: the guy came out in enough costume Anyway, one other
Speaker 1: bit of news, uh, involving these teams. Doug Martin, there
Speaker 1: seemed to be something up when he was a healthy
Speaker 1: scratch in week sixteen. We now know what was up,
Speaker 1: Doug war and I just point out one thing. Yes,
Speaker 1: Steve Smith plays for the Ravens Now not the Panthers.
Speaker 1: We can bring this back around though, because Ron Rivera.
Speaker 1: Ron Rivera did hint at the idea that he wouldn't
Speaker 1: have a problem with Steve Smith coming back and retiring
Speaker 1: as a Panther. Do you want to ask your original
Speaker 1: Dave Gettlman question. Yes, that is why, by the way,
Speaker 1: I brought it up because I knew that nugget, but um,
Speaker 1: a long time star of the Panthers are Smith identified?
Speaker 1: You know? But eternally as a thank you for reminding
Speaker 1: me West, Doug Martin has been suspended four games. He's
Speaker 1: on the Bucks, right, that is correct? Good for now
Speaker 1: suspended four games for violating the NFL's drug policy. Uh.
Speaker 1: The Bucks running back announced the suspension and a statement.
Speaker 1: Jason Licked the team GM all Liked also released a
Speaker 1: statement supporting Martin. And it just just caps and we
Speaker 1: hope the guy is able to get right um, physically,
Speaker 1: mentally all that. Uh. But it capts such a disappointing
Speaker 1: season for a guy that's having west a very strange career. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he is very up and down. Uh. And you wonder
Speaker 1: what this means for his future in Tampa Bay. His
Speaker 1: contract is not guaranteed for this suspension actually removed the
Speaker 1: guarantees from his contract. And this is a team that
Speaker 1: really went with Doug Martin this year. When he played,
Speaker 1: they were a winning team. When he set, they were overwhelmed.
Speaker 1: So I it's a very important question they have to
Speaker 1: face about the future. A year ago, at this time,
Speaker 1: we were calling him half of the NFC's best backfield combination,
Speaker 1: and he was. He was the best running back last year.
Speaker 1: And you are right West. You've said this over and
Speaker 1: over that running back is a year year proposition and
Speaker 1: Doug Martin would be the face of that that theory.
Speaker 1: All right, let's move on and talk about the Baltimore
Speaker 1: Ravens and seeing what I did, I put Steve Smith's
Speaker 1: name just a little higher. Um, you are rotation, You're
Speaker 1: a surgeon, broadcast energy. Do you know what you need?
Speaker 1: Mistake happened? What an assistant? That's what I need? You know,
Speaker 1: personal assist. That makes sense that, I mean, we all
Speaker 1: could use one, right He needed Danette needed Danette. So yeah,
Speaker 1: the Ravens now traveled to Cincinnati, finished their season against
Speaker 1: the Bengals, and in Baltimore they they lost in crushing
Speaker 1: fashion in Week sixteen. Came so close to pushing this thing,
Speaker 1: uh to weeks seventeen, but alas, it doesn't matter what
Speaker 1: happens in week seventeen for either team. So Mark, why
Speaker 1: don't you ask a ulig question? Well, I don't know
Speaker 1: if this would qualify as huge, but I look at
Speaker 1: the Baltimore Ravens as a team that has so much
Speaker 1: to be hopeful about going into next season that the
Speaker 1: way they look at they lost the Steelers question, it
Speaker 1: is a question. I I just wonder. They've got a
Speaker 1: lot of talent all over the place, but we're heading
Speaker 1: into draft season. If you're Ozzie Knewsome, what is the
Speaker 1: number one position that you need to address to get
Speaker 1: the Ravens over the hump in the a f C
Speaker 1: North and back to the super Bowl? That question is huge.
Speaker 1: It might be I'm not gonna you know, I'm not
Speaker 1: gonna promise this. It's you know, sizeable. Well, Steve Smith's retiring,
Speaker 1: you drafted Breshad Perriman if you have faith that he's
Speaker 1: going to be Steve Smith's successor fill those shoes. Then
Speaker 1: you go to the other side of the ball and
Speaker 1: you get in. You get a talented edge rusher because
Speaker 1: Terrell Suggs and almost Doomer Real both in their mid thirties,
Speaker 1: long in the tooth, and you want to be prepared
Speaker 1: for when they do walk away. I would say you
Speaker 1: need an edge rusher. It's good answer. Um, I think
Speaker 1: they can use another play as Steve Smith, he's on
Speaker 1: the Ravens correct that he that is correct for one
Speaker 1: more game. Yes, he he's had a nice season, but
Speaker 1: it's a little bit of a telling thing that he
Speaker 1: is such an important part of the offense. And Dennis Pitta,
Speaker 1: who's had a nice year. But you're asking a lot
Speaker 1: for a guy that has, you know, plastic hips and
Speaker 1: you've got nice things that Mike Wallace this year. But
Speaker 1: how about and I know Bernard Perriman is supposed to
Speaker 1: be this guy supposed to having a tough one. Uh,
Speaker 1: there's gotta be somebody else. I think we're missing a piece.
Speaker 1: I feel like whether it's in the backfield or on
Speaker 1: the outside. He's had a bad year. Okay, that's the
Speaker 1: piece that's missing. So you don't think you don't have
Speaker 1: any problems with their playmakers. You think it's a problem
Speaker 1: with the quarterbacks. Shod Perriman has shown a lot. I
Speaker 1: think the question with him is is he at the
Speaker 1: right spot on the field where Joe Flacco can trust him?
Speaker 1: And I think that's why Wallace and Smith were still
Speaker 1: one and two and Paraman was behind camar Ak and
Speaker 1: a special team. I mean, the one argument for dance point, though,
Speaker 1: would be that you look at Pittsburgh and they continue
Speaker 1: to add play making wide receivers and they've needed them. Actually,
Speaker 1: they're multiple arguments for my not just one because it
Speaker 1: was one. Yes, you know, I mean, are we going
Speaker 1: crazy about what's going on in their backfield? I'm not
Speaker 1: gonna go crazy. Could they use a changing running back? Potentially,
Speaker 1: Cowboys got better when they got a big time running back.
Speaker 1: They're all fair points. They could also use a play call.
Speaker 1: Who's willing to use the backfield? Do you touch? Do
Speaker 1: you think that this offense is broken? No? I don't.
Speaker 1: We're making that kind of the quarterbacks. The problem, and
Speaker 1: the the play callers a problems. I don't think just
Speaker 1: because Joe Flacco had a bag year coming off at
Speaker 1: a c L surgery, he's gonna have a bag year
Speaker 1: again in two thousand seventeen. He's not a top ten quarterback.
Speaker 1: He's he is a franchise quarterback. So I don't know.
Speaker 1: To me, he's a lot like Eli Manning. You don't
Speaker 1: know from year to year what you're gonna get. Um, okay,
Speaker 1: let's move on to New England Patriots. Uh, they are
Speaker 1: rolling usually pencilman for twelve winds. They might get fourteen
Speaker 1: this year. They're thirteen and two right now, and they
Speaker 1: now travel to Miami to as the Dolphins. And this
Speaker 1: is a nice little matchup. You have the Pats who
Speaker 1: are they do not want to make the mistake they
Speaker 1: made last year might have cost him a trip to
Speaker 1: the super Bowl by not finishing strong. And I know
Speaker 1: that's been a major point of emphasis in in on
Speaker 1: Patriot way. Uh all week has finished strong. Get that
Speaker 1: number one seed because they're gonna be very hard to
Speaker 1: beat in the playoffs with every home game, both those
Speaker 1: a f C home games at Gillette Stadium. Uh, if
Speaker 1: they make their way through the playoffs. And on the
Speaker 1: other side, you have the Dolphins who continue to win
Speaker 1: mark and they continue to surprise people. But maybe they
Speaker 1: didn't they won last week, but maybe there were some
Speaker 1: signs danger signs for a team that's going to the playoffs.
Speaker 1: The danger signed for me. Would you know? It was
Speaker 1: easy to come away from that game and talk about
Speaker 1: what Jagi did to Buffalo's defense, but rewatching that tape,
Speaker 1: Miami's defense was also just a wide open prairie land
Speaker 1: to run and pass through. And and you're not gonna
Speaker 1: get through the playoffs that way, and you're not going
Speaker 1: to take down Tom Brady, who right now is three
Speaker 1: touchdowns away, and if he doesn't throw a pick of
Speaker 1: having the best touchdown to pick interception touchdown interception ratio
Speaker 1: of any quarterback of our lifetime. Hashtag slow regression, non regression,
Speaker 1: Where are we with that hashtag slight regression? I mean,
Speaker 1: I think it's time to take that hashtag and throw
Speaker 1: it in the sea. First of all, science is powerful thing.
Speaker 1: Second of all, let's see how he does in the playoffs. Okay,
Speaker 1: I watched I entered in this game when I watched
Speaker 1: the thinking I'm gonna respect the Dolphins. They came in
Speaker 1: and they won a big game when they had to,
Speaker 1: and I walked away quite the opposite. Three other touchdowns
Speaker 1: came from some of the most horrendous tackling attempts I've
Speaker 1: ever seen by the Bills, and frankly, it should have
Speaker 1: got Rex fired on DeVante Parker's touchdown. Damian Williams forty
Speaker 1: four yard play that's set up a touchdown, and then
Speaker 1: what was the other The other touchdown was just Kanyan
Speaker 1: Drake going through their defense, just terrible. Matt Moore too,
Speaker 1: going into halftime cost them two separate field goals by
Speaker 1: under throwing his receivers on four different throws. This was
Speaker 1: a problem. And I think the Patriots, in the other hand,
Speaker 1: maybe the most balance they've gone to the postseason and
Speaker 1: a half a decade. They that defense. We keep hearing
Speaker 1: how the front seven has been revamped throughout the season,
Speaker 1: all these names. Malcolm Butler's playing as well as he
Speaker 1: ever has, defend, Devin mccordy's playing as well as he
Speaker 1: ever has. This defense is balanced. Yeah, forgetting this. Every
Speaker 1: week we get this new number one defense, which is
Speaker 1: based off I think a staff that ultimately is going
Speaker 1: to change here where we based it off of yardage,
Speaker 1: it will never change, actually, but well, I would argue
Speaker 1: that it should because New England's the number one scoring defense,
Speaker 1: and that's that's not a mirage. You're not able to
Speaker 1: put up points on the Patriots. So I don't think
Speaker 1: New England is you know you want to be. They've
Speaker 1: had troubles in Miamis. If any team has given Bill
Speaker 1: Belichick issues historically, it's been the Dolphins, and I don't
Speaker 1: see that happening this time. I agree with us that
Speaker 1: they were fortunate to win that game, but I did
Speaker 1: again find it to be a nice spirited performance from
Speaker 1: the Dolphins that could they could have laid down at
Speaker 1: several points the game could have been over. Absolutely, I
Speaker 1: agree with down, and they fought through it, and I
Speaker 1: think that shows again Adam Gates having a really nice debut.
Speaker 1: C This is a different Miami team the past year.
Speaker 1: I mean, the Dolphins have been sneaky, one of the
Speaker 1: most depressing franchises for a while. So and we have
Speaker 1: a couple of Dolphins fans scattered throughout our office, and
Speaker 1: they are rightfully very enthused about what they're seeing. It's
Speaker 1: a start. They're not there entirely yet. But there's a
Speaker 1: lot of reasons to look at Adam Gates and say,
Speaker 1: coach of the Year candidate, is he that coach of
Speaker 1: the year. I don't think somebody's very He's up at
Speaker 1: the top top five. I'm not questioning their coach, I'm
Speaker 1: not questioning their metal, I'm not questioning their for testicular fortitude,
Speaker 1: questioning whether they have the talent to beat the Patriots
Speaker 1: because Matt Moore frankly doesn't have the arm. Yeah, let's
Speaker 1: move on now. Talk about the Oakland Raiders twelve and
Speaker 1: three traveling to Denver to face the Broncos. You would
Speaker 1: have about, you know, a month ago, six weeks ago,
Speaker 1: circled this one on the calendar. Is an amazing Week
Speaker 1: seventeen game. But then Denver, uh, you know, they crapped
Speaker 1: the bed. Let's be honest and not to gloat, but
Speaker 1: we kind of picked Denver as an eight and eight
Speaker 1: team this year. Got absolutely destroyed by hundreds upon hundreds
Speaker 1: of Denver fans when they got out to that four
Speaker 1: no start. But ultimately this team is exactly what if
Speaker 1: you didn't if you had doubts about the Broncos entering
Speaker 1: the season. It's it's the same things that came back
Speaker 1: to get them. Maybe the defense is a little surprising,
Speaker 1: but it's not that surprising that they would come down
Speaker 1: to earth after such an amazing season. So this game
Speaker 1: doesn't mean anything for Denver Um other than you get
Speaker 1: a look at Paxton Lynch. But on the Oakland side,
Speaker 1: Matt mcglen's the quarterback now and what West? What does
Speaker 1: that mean? Does that mean the Raiders are done? Or
Speaker 1: is there a way to look at this team and
Speaker 1: still say this team has a path to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1: With Matt mcgleoyne behind center, I think it caps their ceiling.
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't expect him to be able to
Speaker 1: beat a Steelers Chiefs. I mean that they weren't beating
Speaker 1: the Chiefs with Derek Carr already or the Patriots with
Speaker 1: Matt mcgloyne. They can win in the first round. They
Speaker 1: can win if they end up facing a Texans or
Speaker 1: a Dolphins or something like that. But you know, Matt
Speaker 1: McLoyd is a guy that they compared to a poor
Speaker 1: man's Jeff Garcia when he was a rookie, undrafted and
Speaker 1: was thrust into the lineup. When when Terrell prior was
Speaker 1: not what they hoped he would be. So I think
Speaker 1: there is some talent there and I think that we've
Speaker 1: seen him preseason. He can make plays. Yeah, I mean they,
Speaker 1: you know, the coaching staff has confidence and then they've
Speaker 1: talked about you know, he's been around. He knows the
Speaker 1: system when you don't. You don't have to contract the
Speaker 1: playbook for him at all. But Derek Carr is an
Speaker 1: m VP candidate for good reason because he has an
Speaker 1: incredible I think. I mean, he can make any type
Speaker 1: of throw and that's a defense that has let up points.
Speaker 1: He's had to outscore you know, teams and shootouts and
Speaker 1: he's done it week after week. I think it's I
Speaker 1: wonder where the team is emotionally. I really do, because
Speaker 1: I think there was such a crushing type of loss
Speaker 1: to go a car. But I don't think Matt McLoyd.
Speaker 1: You're not putting Matt Castle in there, for instance, Well,
Speaker 1: so we'll find out they can if they can run
Speaker 1: the ball, they could be It could be just as
Speaker 1: bad as Matt Castle. Well we've seen yeah, I mean
Speaker 1: he has to could throw the ball to the other
Speaker 1: the other team, he could be a nightmare as well,
Speaker 1: we don't know we're gonna get from this. We don't
Speaker 1: have a huge sample size, but I think Matt mcgloyan
Speaker 1: is not it's not a it's not as desperate as
Speaker 1: as as it could be with some of the backups
Speaker 1: around the league. And this is a team that's still
Speaker 1: they can run the football. I think they're gonna be
Speaker 1: able to do that against Denver. That there. Denver's run
Speaker 1: defense of late has not been that not that been
Speaker 1: the defense, don't you're used to. I don't think people
Speaker 1: understand how bad the Broncos runding their ranked twenty nine
Speaker 1: in the NFL and runne Yeah. Uh. Here's if you're
Speaker 1: a Raiders fan and you're bummed out and you and
Speaker 1: you deserve to be after what happened on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1: What a crappy gift that was from Santa But in
Speaker 1: fact we have the poor Derek Carr, who, if you
Speaker 1: check out um NFL Films, had him wired for sound
Speaker 1: in that game and we have it up on our site.
Speaker 1: I did. I wrote an end around post about it.
Speaker 1: I mean, you have you get such a good picture
Speaker 1: of why this guy is a successful quarterback in terms
Speaker 1: of leadership, why he likes his team is and his
Speaker 1: his teammates like him, the type of competitive was and
Speaker 1: then just just a crushing moment when he gets that
Speaker 1: angle like caught him under him and he suffers the
Speaker 1: the broken fibula and that we have the sound from
Speaker 1: the exact moment it happened, which is just a wild scene.
Speaker 1: It's broke, it's broke, it's broke, it's broke, it's broke,
Speaker 1: it's broke. I mean, he's yells at six times in
Speaker 1: a row. It's so it's a sad, sad scene. And
Speaker 1: I was if you're a Raiders fan and you want
Speaker 1: to talk yourself into this team making a playoff run,
Speaker 1: it is this kind of that nobody believes this angle.
Speaker 1: And if Matt McLean can play a little bit and
Speaker 1: you have a solid team in Khalil Mack and and
Speaker 1: company can raise their game to another level. Maybe this
Speaker 1: becomes some type of rallying cry, but it really it
Speaker 1: does to me. Also put a cap on, put a
Speaker 1: ceiling on what is a really frisky team. It's one
Speaker 1: team that if you were able to retain the by
Speaker 1: that when you have a backup quarterback having to prepare
Speaker 1: that extra week of practice that an extra week of
Speaker 1: preparation could mean a lot. Uh. Let us move on
Speaker 1: the Kansas City Chiefs, um, I have a lot to
Speaker 1: play for. Uh. They travel to San Diego to face
Speaker 1: the Chargers. Mark Sessler and the Chiefs are the team
Speaker 1: that they seem to be Slowly, It's been a two
Speaker 1: year process earning the respect of a lot of people,
Speaker 1: including at least me. I can only speak for myself,
Speaker 1: but they are in a good position here uh to
Speaker 1: to set themselves up well here. Yeah, you can speak
Speaker 1: for me too. I agree. I think I've had a
Speaker 1: I've I've been reluctant to sign up for the Chiefs
Speaker 1: mainly because of their offense. I mean, it's never their defense,
Speaker 1: it's not their coaching, and they're very well coached team,
Speaker 1: but it's their ceiling that always concern me with how
Speaker 1: far do you expect this Chief's team to go with
Speaker 1: the offense they have? But now, and I think that
Speaker 1: that Christmas Night game was such a thunderous effort where
Speaker 1: you see Travis Kelsey operating as one of the best
Speaker 1: tight ends in the league and Tyreek Hill doing things
Speaker 1: in so many different ways. It's the player have not
Speaker 1: had and you look at Alex Smith and since two
Speaker 1: thousand eleven, only Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have more
Speaker 1: wins than Alex Smith. And I think we all know
Speaker 1: what Alex Smith is. But in this formula and this
Speaker 1: current Chiefs world that they're in, I would not be
Speaker 1: surprised a that they win a playoff game and they
Speaker 1: can make it tight with anyone in the a f
Speaker 1: C Championship. I think it's fair to question their ceiling.
Speaker 1: We have over the past month or two, as you said,
Speaker 1: gradually given them more and more respect. Pointed out Tyreek
Speaker 1: Hill and Travis Kelsey. Do give them the playmakers we've
Speaker 1: been asking for on offense, that their defense has chalked
Speaker 1: full of playmakers, but their ceiling. They got wiped out
Speaker 1: by the Steelers earlier this year, they lost to the
Speaker 1: Patriots in the playoffs last year. Those are the two
Speaker 1: teams that you want to see them beat. Yeah, there,
Speaker 1: they should have no problem with a Chargers team that
Speaker 1: just lost to Cleveland. I mean they lost that. That
Speaker 1: New England loss was too about a touchdown. I think
Speaker 1: last last playoffs there's two different teams. That's a long
Speaker 1: time ago. But I I if you ever gave Kansas
Speaker 1: City home field of image, which they're not going to
Speaker 1: get obviously. I think it's an incredibly tough place to play.
Speaker 1: So I think they win a playoff game and then
Speaker 1: you see from there, strange stuff can happen between now
Speaker 1: and then. Yeah, I agree, I think they they're ceiling
Speaker 1: their ceiling. I think they have a higher ceiling. I
Speaker 1: think they could. I'm starting to talk to myself and
Speaker 1: that they could beat the Patriots, are you They have
Speaker 1: that type of the skill on both sides of the ball,
Speaker 1: and the fact that the offense, like we said, has
Speaker 1: these talented playmakers of it kind of throws It's a
Speaker 1: wild guard when you're talking about the Chiefs. Like my
Speaker 1: question for you though, because you were all in on
Speaker 1: the Raiders, is it almost Chiefs by proxy because you're
Speaker 1: trying to fill another team in there in place of
Speaker 1: the Raiders a little But then that would be once
Speaker 1: again falling into the trap of not respecting the Chiefs,
Speaker 1: and I'm trying to give them the respects fact they believe.
Speaker 1: I believe in the Steelers a little bit. I think
Speaker 1: maybe Dave c playoffs you'd be a little more exciting
Speaker 1: a little This is you're just auditioning teams to beat
Speaker 1: the Patriots base. And I'm not alone. There's tens of
Speaker 1: your the football fans that feel the same way. I
Speaker 1: just happened to be in the minority in this room.
Speaker 1: I'm waiting for you, like right before the a f
Speaker 1: C Championship game, when you decide that Alex Smith is
Speaker 1: the quarterback you want in a shootout with Tom Brady,
Speaker 1: I'll talk to myself into Uh. One more note about
Speaker 1: this game. Melvin Gordon, who has a hip and a
Speaker 1: hip Sprain and an East Brandon, has no business playing
Speaker 1: in a game that means nothing. Uh and yet and
Speaker 1: as if he's plugged into the the drama behind the
Speaker 1: scenes and of the Around the NFL podcast, he really
Speaker 1: wants to get those last three yards to get to
Speaker 1: one thousand. For whatever reason, averaging exactly sixty yards a
Speaker 1: game means a lot to Melvin Gordon over a sixteen game, uh. Spread.
Speaker 1: So he's practiced the last two days, and we know
Speaker 1: Chris Westling if he reaches one thousand yards. We made
Speaker 1: a promise. I don't know if we said we definitely would,
Speaker 1: but to at least open up the discussion that spice
Speaker 1: rack your desert Consigliari, who gave an unhinge performance and
Speaker 1: his previous all of his spots on the show. But
Speaker 1: we said, if Melvin Gordon rushed for a thousand yards
Speaker 1: or scores twenty touchdowns, he could come back on the show.
Speaker 1: And it's coming right down to the gun. I think
Speaker 1: he could be a game time decision. Well, spice Rack
Speaker 1: is connected. Oh my god, I didn't think of it.
Speaker 1: He has tentacles, he has the long arm of spice Rack.
Speaker 1: You know, he's he can be a convincing guy. He's
Speaker 1: kind of plugged in. Who knows if he's had connections
Speaker 1: to Melvin Gordon. Just get him, like, all right, Melvin,
Speaker 1: you gotta play, you gotta reach a thousand yards. It's
Speaker 1: very possible desert connections. I wouldn't go that far. I'm
Speaker 1: just saying spice Rack does know some people around the league.
Speaker 1: I mean, Dan, if we've already uh, this podcast has
Speaker 1: already served as motivation for the Detroit Lions organization. Undoubtedly
Speaker 1: they're listening to this that's in and you know we're
Speaker 1: prodding them negatively. Would this be I mean, do you
Speaker 1: doubt that Melvin Gordon is completely plugged in on the
Speaker 1: fact that him rushing for three yards would get spice Rack. Uh,
Speaker 1: as you mentioned a totally unhinged broadcast type back on
Speaker 1: the show. Wouldn't this be on our first show? Be?
Speaker 1: The ultimate honor would be to find out that he
Speaker 1: wasn't pushing to get back on the field for one
Speaker 1: thousand yards it was because he really liked spice Rack
Speaker 1: on our podcast would be and it would be a
Speaker 1: bizarre honor, but I would yeah, it would We would accept. Then, Hey, Mark,
Speaker 1: you like money? Yes, I do you want some more? Please?
Speaker 1: Well sign up for Mr Flames economics class and the
Speaker 1: Hague the Netherlands for all your economics needs throughout the globe,
Speaker 1: and that includes the Hague the Netherlands, where his class
Speaker 1: is based. It it just dawned on me that I
Speaker 1: should have signed up for Mr Flames class. I could
Speaker 1: use a lot of help in this area. So if
Speaker 1: you need help, you go to Mr f and it'll
Speaker 1: give you help. Well, I mean, we are we are
Speaker 1: ignoring the fact that it would cost thousands of dollars
Speaker 1: to fly from here to the Hague to sign up
Speaker 1: for a high school class. The Hague the Netherlands. Yes,
Speaker 1: the Hague the Netherlands thousands of dollars to get there,
Speaker 1: and then we would have been allowed to sign up
Speaker 1: for a high school class. Well, I mean, do you
Speaker 1: even have a visa? Do you have any sort of passport?
Speaker 1: I mean, there's It's not as simple as we make it.
Speaker 1: Any flying restrictions was not that I believe. Okay, www
Speaker 1: Dot flame class dot com. Alright, Chris Westling the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 1: What a season it's been in Big d Uh. And
Speaker 1: they have everything locked up, but as we just saw
Speaker 1: on Monday night, they don't care if everything is locked up.
Speaker 1: They're gonna whip your ass anyway if they don't like you.
Speaker 1: And now they get the Philadelphia Eagles, an old rival.
Speaker 1: I don't know who to believe when it comes to
Speaker 1: how the Dallas Cowboys are approaching this game. Jerry Jones
Speaker 1: is talking about Ezekiel is going to play and play
Speaker 1: a lot, and if he's approaching Eric Dickerson's rookie rookie
Speaker 1: rushing record, we might just let him get it. And meanwhile,
Speaker 1: Jason Garrett has Mark Sanchez and Darry McFadden taking most
Speaker 1: of the first team reps and practice leading up to
Speaker 1: this game. I think we're gonna see about one quarter
Speaker 1: of the Cowboys starters and then we're gonna turn it
Speaker 1: over to the backups, and Mark Sanchez, not Tony Romo,
Speaker 1: will be the court. I I don't have a problem
Speaker 1: with that decision. The problem what does it mean that?
Speaker 1: Does that just mean they don't want any controversy? Whatso?
Speaker 1: I exactly what it means? You are you have a
Speaker 1: chance to be the first It's getting a little ridiculous
Speaker 1: at Fels. That's a little ridiculous. I I kind of
Speaker 1: disagree because it's the first time in franchise history that
Speaker 1: you can cap fourteen win regular season and some great
Speaker 1: Cowboys teams. Why mess with anything as long as I
Speaker 1: think behind the scenes, if this isn't causing major issues
Speaker 1: with Tony Romo, that you put them in and all
Speaker 1: you're doing is asking finally, these pregame shows, finally some
Speaker 1: of these you know, loudmouths have quieted down about should
Speaker 1: Tony be in or not be in? And why do
Speaker 1: we want to reopen that we don't have to be
Speaker 1: so plugged into what Skip Bayliss is saying. And if
Speaker 1: you really want to go fourteen in two, you don't
Speaker 1: put in the worst back, which is Mark Sanchez, Tony Romo,
Speaker 1: if you really, if if we weren't playing this so
Speaker 1: absurdly safe, you would be saying to yourself, well, Dak
Speaker 1: Prescott obviously the starter, He's had an all pro season,
Speaker 1: Pro Bowl season, but Tony Romo has not taken a
Speaker 1: single snap all season. In case that gets it's getting ready,
Speaker 1: Let's get Tony in there, get knockoffs, some rust in
Speaker 1: this game. That doesn't mean it. If this wasn't just
Speaker 1: a such a force, Tony would be playing. Let me
Speaker 1: come out, let me come at you from another angle
Speaker 1: that maybe it looks a little bit disrespectful to have
Speaker 1: Tony Romo mopping up in a meaningless week seventeen games.
Speaker 1: I can buy that. Maybe keep him out of the fray.
Speaker 1: Now you have him come in a playoff game, that's
Speaker 1: a whole different thing. He can save the day. I
Speaker 1: it's a little bit strange to have this quarterback in
Speaker 1: there mopping up in Week seventeen. This and your Matthew
Speaker 1: Stafford example, for Marcus Mariotta, you were on fire. I
Speaker 1: agree with you, and I think that is that use myself.
Speaker 1: So you guys, can you know, keep yourself sloppy kisses
Speaker 1: you've got a friend over there and he's made out
Speaker 1: of paper. Now, I mean you you're playing both sides
Speaker 1: of the fence. You were not. I hadn't. I hadn't
Speaker 1: thought of that angle. I think Market makes an interesting point.
Speaker 1: I will except will fire. I will accept the compliment
Speaker 1: from both of you. Are it just felt a little
Speaker 1: over the top. I compliments some Mark there. I don't
Speaker 1: give up thoughts often. Maybe I should give him out
Speaker 1: more often, so you wouldn't celebrate that when I do. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I just you know, I thought of the point, but
Speaker 1: once again, not not the right point. Well, I perfectly
Speaker 1: around the horn. You're not handing out points for points.
Speaker 1: It's a perfectly tasteful comment by Wes. So I'll take it.
Speaker 1: You get the backup in there. You're not going for us.
Speaker 1: But whatever Mark Sanchez is gonna play good for Mark
Speaker 1: Markets to get a ring potentially for doing basically no work.
Speaker 1: So that's what's going on, Philadel talking about that Mark
Speaker 1: or this Mark whoever. All right, you're on fire, buddy,
Speaker 1: all right? You know what? This this turned into something
Speaker 1: very awkward. Now, how many more games are left on
Speaker 1: this late? We got a bunch more Cleveland Pittsburgh Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 1: They got the win that they needed and and with
Speaker 1: the help of a forty Niners victory, still hold that
Speaker 1: uh Number one spot. So now there is no discussion
Speaker 1: about it. And you know, every game matters if you're
Speaker 1: in the league and all that stuff. The Browns do
Speaker 1: not want to win this game. And the good news,
Speaker 1: Mark is that the Pittsburgh Steelers won't allow that to happen.
Speaker 1: Right Well, I believe this was one of the games
Speaker 1: where I was going to ask a huge question, ask
Speaker 1: a huge question. I will because I think we've got
Speaker 1: a lot of time to unpack the Steelers down the road.
Speaker 1: You agree, you agree that the Steelers will win the
Speaker 1: game while we're here, You know, honestly, I think it's
Speaker 1: a little bit of a The only time Cleveland's had
Speaker 1: luck against Pittsburgh is in these late season games when
Speaker 1: Big Ben has not played for whatever reason. It's happened
Speaker 1: a couple of times. I still think that if most
Speaker 1: of them, if Pittsburgh's defense is in there, they're gonna
Speaker 1: win this game. It's in Pittsburgh to um So, I
Speaker 1: mean I picked Pittsburgh officially for our NFL Network show
Speaker 1: NFL Pick him West on Saturday three airings? Aren't there? Usually?
Speaker 1: What is an eight thirty in the morning, twelve thirty pm,
Speaker 1: and then one thirty in the a m little saucy,
Speaker 1: get a little crunked up, and then you turn on
Speaker 1: our show. It's a good day too. It's you know, typically,
Speaker 1: oh it's Saturday, let's spend time with family. But I
Speaker 1: I think that the move is to completely ignore family
Speaker 1: and to just lock onto NFL Network all day long
Speaker 1: and catch all three episodes live. Is that that's what
Speaker 1: a real football fan would do? Is it the final
Speaker 1: airing on New Year's Eve at one thirty am? You're
Speaker 1: flying that night? Yeah? You are? Wow, that's a that's
Speaker 1: what if you if you, Oh, should I go to
Speaker 1: a bar? Should I pay for overpriced drinks? Should I
Speaker 1: pay a hundred and fifty dollar cover to go to
Speaker 1: an open bar? No? No, no no, no, no no no
Speaker 1: no no no. Drink some whiskey and you know, I
Speaker 1: have some beers and you know, eat some eat some
Speaker 1: pizza rolls and then you watch you show at one
Speaker 1: thirty and some pizza rolls. Or should I be an
Speaker 1: NFL writer and have a full slate of games facing me?
Speaker 1: The following morning on New Year's Day, paying a cover
Speaker 1: charges a cry for help. Wherever you are is where
Speaker 1: the fun is, not pay money because someone else has
Speaker 1: the fun. Absolutely, Chris wasn't. How about a huge question
Speaker 1: for a huge question, And it's gonna be Brown's oriented
Speaker 1: because they're about to take a big dirt nap into
Speaker 1: the off season. But could these Browns be dim enough
Speaker 1: no matter what happens on Sunday to all right? Well,
Speaker 1: there is a second part to that to even consider
Speaker 1: the option of r G three as their starting quarterback
Speaker 1: where that's how they maneuver with that position. Could they
Speaker 1: possibly be dim enough? You know who said they are? Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's pretty huge. It is a question, you know. You
Speaker 1: know who said that. It's possibility. Joe freaking Thomas. Joe
Speaker 1: Thomas said that if things fall a certain way, he
Speaker 1: could kind of see r G three is the placeholder.
Speaker 1: But I don't know if anyone is. We haven't seen
Speaker 1: anything from r G three. If you're gonna be the
Speaker 1: number one US, if you got the number one pick,
Speaker 1: maybe that's another question. Can I ask a question off
Speaker 1: that at RG three? Okay, you take a quarterback no
Speaker 1: matter what with the first pick if they go into
Speaker 1: next season with r G three and don't draft a quarterback,
Speaker 1: the kid gloves her off, I'm gonna kill them all
Speaker 1: year next year, I'm just gonna absolutely murder this. R
Speaker 1: G three cannot stay healthy for one game in a row.
Speaker 1: I think they have to know that. But I but
Speaker 1: I I'm not sure because certain people in organization feel
Speaker 1: at this point still feel highly about RG three. So
Speaker 1: on the off chance that he does play more than
Speaker 1: three quarters in a game, he doesn't read defenses like
Speaker 1: as Mark said, he just drifts towards the sidelines, waiting
Speaker 1: for a play to happen. The guy has been in
Speaker 1: the league for five years and still can't slide. He's
Speaker 1: a slogan here masquerading as a quarterback. Go make bumper stickers.
Speaker 1: I I think I think there's a better chance he's
Speaker 1: out of the league than starter of the Browns next year. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I agree, I think little. I think that they had to.
Speaker 1: They were intrigued with a chance. But you're gonna have
Speaker 1: You have so many draft picks that you draft a
Speaker 1: number of quarterbacks, and you know one other than Cody
Speaker 1: Kessler in that quarterback whom we will be back next season.
Speaker 1: All right, let's move on the Buffalo Bills and New
Speaker 1: York Jets. You know, I said on our Sunday Night
Speaker 1: podcast or Saturday podcast, it was setting up the hot
Speaker 1: butt Bowl. We didn't even get that because Rex didn't
Speaker 1: make it that far. He was fired. And uh, we're
Speaker 1: seeing increasing reports out of New York that Todd Bowls's
Speaker 1: job is most likely safe, which I'm happy to hear,
Speaker 1: but it does ask two. It does lead to a
Speaker 1: huge question tied into both these a f C East rivals,
Speaker 1: which is this which organization is in deeper crap right now?
Speaker 1: A huge question? Who is I mean, who's in it
Speaker 1: deeper right now? The Bills are the Jets. When you
Speaker 1: spin forward and beyond, I would today I would have
Speaker 1: to go with the Jets because I think the Jets,
Speaker 1: what they learned this season is that despite their efforts
Speaker 1: to I think put a couple of band aids over
Speaker 1: the roster and think that you can get out of
Speaker 1: it with a productive team, that you found out that
Speaker 1: the rebuilding effort is going to be uh deep there.
Speaker 1: It's going to be gutting. And the Bills have some issues,
Speaker 1: but they also have the chance to hire a coach
Speaker 1: they believe in still make that change, and I think
Speaker 1: there's more talent on Buffalo's roster. I agree. I hate
Speaker 1: to say it because the way the Bills have run
Speaker 1: in the last week or two is a little embarrassing.
Speaker 1: That's part of the real I think that. I I
Speaker 1: agree with that the Bills have a better roster, but
Speaker 1: like you're saying, there's a lot of ugly stuff going
Speaker 1: on in Buffalo right now. Yeah, I don't know how
Speaker 1: what the staying power is with that. But when I
Speaker 1: watched Lashawn McCoy run, looks still looks like a top
Speaker 1: four or five running back to me, when Sammy Watkins
Speaker 1: is healthy, you can see the potential there. They have
Speaker 1: an offensive line that is paving the way for the
Speaker 1: best running back or the statistically the best running game
Speaker 1: in football, and there are some pieces on defense, whereas
Speaker 1: with the Jets, I don't know what they have a quarterback,
Speaker 1: I don't know what they have a running back. I
Speaker 1: don't know what they have a wide receiver on defense.
Speaker 1: Sheldon Richardson is supposed to be a nucleus player and
Speaker 1: he's going to be out the door. It seems like
Speaker 1: Wilkerson's coming off the worst season of his career, Rivis
Speaker 1: has done. I don't know what you look forward to. Sorry, No,
Speaker 1: I get it, you think, well, I think Mike mccagnan
Speaker 1: he did something that probably in retrospect doesn't work, but
Speaker 1: it almost did. Instead of he was faced with when
Speaker 1: he took over the franchise, do I completely got the
Speaker 1: thing or do I patch it up and and try
Speaker 1: to rebuild on the fly, And also developed talent and
Speaker 1: through the draft. And he almost got to the playoffs
Speaker 1: last year. And I always think that they could have
Speaker 1: been a little sneaky in the dangerous in the playoffs
Speaker 1: last year. It didn't happen, and now they kind of
Speaker 1: then they miss judge the situation, said all right, let's
Speaker 1: try to get a second year out of some of
Speaker 1: these veterans in places. Don't blame him, and it all yeah,
Speaker 1: and it all kind of went to hell and so
Speaker 1: now and that's why I think his job should be
Speaker 1: safe as well. It's like, all right, now, we know
Speaker 1: what we gotta do. We need to build this thing
Speaker 1: from the bottom. We gotta get rid of some bad apples.
Speaker 1: You gotta say goodbye to people like Derrell Rivas, and
Speaker 1: maybe some tough cuts like Nick Mangold and other people
Speaker 1: that clear cap room and really build this team from
Speaker 1: the from the ground up. And that's gonna be a
Speaker 1: lot of work. That's not that's not a fun thing
Speaker 1: for the Jets vander here, but at least you're doing
Speaker 1: it in the more traditional way rather than the band
Speaker 1: aid way which ultimately didn't work, or blowing it up again,
Speaker 1: you know, multiple tie. I like the idea that they're
Speaker 1: least gonna say, let's try to stick with this and
Speaker 1: see where we are. Yeah, and the and the as
Speaker 1: far as the bill is better, better skill player, I mean,
Speaker 1: Sammy Watkins ever going to really be a player in
Speaker 1: this league. I hate what they've done with the quarterback
Speaker 1: position because it felt like they had a potential solution
Speaker 1: and they're gonna let him go out the door. Although
Speaker 1: there is some intrigue on Tyrod Taylor report that he
Speaker 1: now has a quote unquote serious groin injury which could
Speaker 1: lead to that contract not being avoidable. It's gonna get tricky.
Speaker 1: It's an ugly situation up there right now. Are we
Speaker 1: just parroting what the agent says when he calls it
Speaker 1: a serious groin injury after we saw him actually play
Speaker 1: games for the past, and I could not agree with
Speaker 1: you more and lead all quarterbacks and rushing. I don't
Speaker 1: know if he played his best game that I've ever
Speaker 1: seen last week, but let's let's move on to the
Speaker 1: future and someone else I don't know, I didn't. I
Speaker 1: feel bad for fans of both franchises and put it
Speaker 1: that way, Well, it's more good news for the New
Speaker 1: England Patriots exactly. Moving on. The Seattle Seahawks are a
Speaker 1: team that you're trying to make sense of. They just
Speaker 1: got beat by the Arizona Cardinals in their building, and
Speaker 1: and now they faced the San Francisco forty Niners, which
Speaker 1: should be getting the win. They need Chris westling Um
Speaker 1: to help fortify and get a playoff by and all that.
Speaker 1: But still a little worried about the Seattle Seahawks, aren't
Speaker 1: you a little bit? A little bit? But not in
Speaker 1: this game. You know you were at this game. They
Speaker 1: still have that number two seed to play for, and
Speaker 1: they're gonna be playing at the same time slot as
Speaker 1: the Falcons. And if you look how they approached last
Speaker 1: year's regular season finale, blew the absolute doors off. The
Speaker 1: Arizona Cardinals came in and the Cardinals arrogance store up
Speaker 1: and down all week. They were playing to win. They
Speaker 1: were playing to win. He ended up pulling his starters
Speaker 1: because they were getting their asses kicked so badly by
Speaker 1: the Seahawks in that game. I think Pete Carroll will
Speaker 1: have these guys ready to play. The concern is the
Speaker 1: offensive line that sometimes just matches up so poorly against
Speaker 1: an opponent's front seven that it just upsets the entire
Speaker 1: flow of the Seahawks offense. Halftime of last week's game,
Speaker 1: Bruce Arians and two typical Arians fashion tells Pam Oliver,
Speaker 1: we've been kicking their offensive lines. Asked for three years
Speaker 1: at halftime of a game, he says, it Arians is back.
Speaker 1: I mean I I couldn't agree more that whatever their
Speaker 1: issues are won't affect them in Week seventeen. But this
Speaker 1: is a team that is tied with the Texans for
Speaker 1: the lowest amount of touchdowns on the road. If they
Speaker 1: don't get the number two seed for some reason and
Speaker 1: they're forced to kind of mind their way through the
Speaker 1: NFC as road warriors, I don't like their chances. I
Speaker 1: could see them ending the same way that the Cardinals
Speaker 1: did in Carolina last year, getting romped in the NFC Championship.
Speaker 1: They the offensive line is not something that you're gonna
Speaker 1: fix between now in the Super Bowl, So they're gonna
Speaker 1: have to live with that weakness, and that could be
Speaker 1: a fatal flaw. I think Russell Wilson also, we've been
Speaker 1: waiting for his health to get back to where it was.
Speaker 1: Twice last week they had him running a lot of
Speaker 1: design runs. First of all, with you would make you
Speaker 1: think he's getting healthier. Twice he could not beat linebacker
Speaker 1: c O. Moore to the edge in open space any
Speaker 1: other year of his career he makes that play. He's
Speaker 1: not what he was. And they're running game besides Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson is an issue this season. They're tied for twenty
Speaker 1: second in rushing the hundred yards of game. They were
Speaker 1: in the top four every year since Russell Wilson came
Speaker 1: aboard in two thousand twelve. So it's just, I mean,
Speaker 1: between the running game that being there, we don't know
Speaker 1: about Russell Wilson's health or al Thomas being out of
Speaker 1: the picture. They're they're they're up against it a little bit,
Speaker 1: and and and the other teams in the NFC, which
Speaker 1: is we're talking Dallas obviously, but Atlanta and Green Bay
Speaker 1: in the In the Seahawks, you're you don't quite have
Speaker 1: the defense to say, we're just gonna smother these offenses,
Speaker 1: and we don't have the offense to to keep up
Speaker 1: with them. So I just I don't love the dynamic
Speaker 1: heading into the playoffs for Seattle. Well, I know we
Speaker 1: we respect their mental toughness, yes, but how much of
Speaker 1: their mental toughness came from Earl Thomas Marshawn Lynch, who's
Speaker 1: no longer there. They still have guys that are great players.
Speaker 1: And I'm not saying that Lynch and Thomas were everything,
Speaker 1: but you're taking away two players that were part of
Speaker 1: their championship runts and a good portion of the football
Speaker 1: COGNISCENTI was booking Patriots Seahawks Super Bowl rematch. Don't forget
Speaker 1: it was a long time ago now it feels like,
Speaker 1: but the Seahawks went into New England and won a
Speaker 1: game in prime time. This game is a proud team
Speaker 1: with a lot of big time players. Can't count them
Speaker 1: out entirely, but we'll see what happens. Let's move on
Speaker 1: the New Orleans Saints seven and eight. Capping another I
Speaker 1: mean I feel like they've gotten seven and eight, seven
Speaker 1: and nine, eight and eight, nine and seven for about
Speaker 1: twenties straight years now. But now they travel to the
Speaker 1: Falcons and and the Falcons listen, there we go tenant five.
Speaker 1: It's in their hands here. Uh uh? And and West,
Speaker 1: I know you wrote about it in your top ten
Speaker 1: m VP candidates. You see, Matt and we talked about
Speaker 1: it on the show on Tuesday, Matt Ryan, how about
Speaker 1: put the finishing touches on that m v P resume
Speaker 1: and roped the Saints and get that get that first
Speaker 1: round by yeah. I think Matt Ryan needs it because
Speaker 1: this m v P race is much closer than it
Speaker 1: should be, and it's really a much needed litmus test
Speaker 1: for the Falcons defense where they have kept three opponents
Speaker 1: in a row under twenty points. But those three opponents
Speaker 1: were Jared Goff's Rams, Colin Kappernicks, and Cam Newton's Panthers.
Speaker 1: And Cam Newton last six games is the third worst
Speaker 1: completion rate by a quarterback since he's not the Cam
Speaker 1: Newton of last year. So I don't think you're getting
Speaker 1: a real test until these Saints come into your building.
Speaker 1: This is gonna be a big game. For that defense.
Speaker 1: I don't love the matchup for the stakes here having
Speaker 1: to deal with with with the Saints and Drew Brees
Speaker 1: for all the I think the Saints ended up in
Speaker 1: many ways being exactly what we projected, which is a
Speaker 1: middle of the road team with an electric offense and
Speaker 1: not enough parts on defense to to to to seal
Speaker 1: the deal and so but still they're the kind of
Speaker 1: team that could beat anyone any week and I wouldn't
Speaker 1: be shocked. I I think that the Falcons if I
Speaker 1: want the best playoff scenario that we can get in
Speaker 1: the NFC, you want to see them get that by
Speaker 1: and have a chance to go deal with Dallas in
Speaker 1: the playoffs in the NFC Championship and they all they
Speaker 1: have to do is win here. They win this game.
Speaker 1: If you lose by the way, it's it's not a
Speaker 1: great look. I mean, I don't expect them too though.
Speaker 1: I think, like you said, the Saints are frisky, especially
Speaker 1: at home. But Atlanta is playing real well right now
Speaker 1: and west have you said they they have been consistent
Speaker 1: all the way through on offense and they kind of
Speaker 1: make up for the blemishes on defense. Uh they should
Speaker 1: if they don't take care of business. You're right, it's
Speaker 1: a very bad sign. But we all think they will. Right.
Speaker 1: I do what we do. We do two about wehred
Speaker 1: to use our locks. You want to do a triple
Speaker 1: lock from you? No, I'm just kidding with a chance
Speaker 1: to go oh in six. If we get them both wrong, well,
Speaker 1: if you're repeal a lot, never mind, it doesn't count.
Speaker 1: Let's move on. Let's ask another huge question Chris Westling,
Speaker 1: the Jaguars and Cults. Uh, nothing to play for here.
Speaker 1: The Texans locked up the a f C South last week.
Speaker 1: Tom Coughlin interviewed with the Jaguars. That's a little news note. Uh.
Speaker 1: And it just feels like that's where that this could
Speaker 1: be heading that job. But you never know. How about
Speaker 1: a huge questions? You know? I was all set to
Speaker 1: ask about the Courts. I even had it written down
Speaker 1: on this page. But I since you're done with the Colts,
Speaker 1: probably because you said last week I'm done with the Yeah,
Speaker 1: so let's not you took them literally. I mean, I
Speaker 1: don't like that. We've talked about the Colts and awful
Speaker 1: lot on this podcast for four years. I'm done with
Speaker 1: him for a little while. Too cool, cool, go go
Speaker 1: your seven and eight, go, you're seven and nine, disappoint
Speaker 1: us again? Whatever, don't build your offensive line, don't build
Speaker 1: your defense. All right, I'm done with you through While Jaguars, look,
Speaker 1: Jalen Ramsey has been arguably the best cornerback in the
Speaker 1: NFL and December Telvin Smith is a Pro bowler. Their
Speaker 1: front seven absolutely demolished a Titans offensive line that's supposed
Speaker 1: to be one of the best in the league. Do
Speaker 1: they at least have the defense in place last next
Speaker 1: year for the new coaching staff to come in and contend.
Speaker 1: I mean, if you can fix the quote, is that
Speaker 1: defense there enormous question? Alert? I think absolutely. And we
Speaker 1: have to look at going into this season how little
Speaker 1: these guys had played together that the idea that they
Speaker 1: were going to gel by the end of September was
Speaker 1: it was a tall order to begin with. And yeah,
Speaker 1: I think if you're someone these guys that interview for
Speaker 1: these jobs, they're so rare that you'd almost take any
Speaker 1: job that you get. But if you have your pick,
Speaker 1: if Jacksonville is attractive for one reason, it's there's so
Speaker 1: many young players on defense and you're starting to already
Speaker 1: see it's blossomed. This season at the end of the year.
Speaker 1: Not no help to Gus Bradley. You've got issues on offense.
Speaker 1: But I do think that the defense is extremely attractive
Speaker 1: for any qualified candidate. I think the defense is just
Speaker 1: about there. They're showing it. They've gotten better as the
Speaker 1: season has gone on. If they end up having one
Speaker 1: of the top three cornerbacks in football that as as
Speaker 1: a jetsman or every when Rivas was the man that
Speaker 1: that is such a huge gift to have to build
Speaker 1: a defense. When you have that guy can lock down
Speaker 1: half a field. So yeah, I mean, I will say
Speaker 1: this was because I had written a question too. We
Speaker 1: worked it out before the show. Mine was also Jaguars
Speaker 1: they're done? How about this? If the Jaguars do go
Speaker 1: ahead and and are you okay with me asking a
Speaker 1: Jags fall? I welcome it. Yeah, this is a great
Speaker 1: podcast showing by you today. You know you're on fire yourself.
Speaker 1: West Um. Uh. If the Jacks go ahead and hire
Speaker 1: an offensive minded coach, which I think would be a
Speaker 1: huge upset. If they hire a defensive coach after what
Speaker 1: happened to Us Bradley, Uh, does that guy um go
Speaker 1: find a new quarterback? Or do you take the new
Speaker 1: offensive coach and trying to fix Blake Bortles and still
Speaker 1: stay on the Blake Bortles train. Mark Oh, I don't
Speaker 1: know what to make of last week with Blake Bortles, because,
Speaker 1: you know, complicated a little bit. That said, I think
Speaker 1: what Blake Bortles seems to need, um, if you kind
Speaker 1: of read what people are saying about Bordles in general,
Speaker 1: is someone to light a fire under him and make
Speaker 1: it very clear to Blake Bortles that nothing conna be
Speaker 1: handed to him. That feels right, Yeah, I mean Coughlin,
Speaker 1: you have to ask call is Coughing gonna be a
Speaker 1: coach that you're gonna have in there with a very
Speaker 1: young team for the next seven or eight years. Certainly
Speaker 1: not so it's almost like a bridge to someone else.
Speaker 1: But they it's the staff you build around the head coach.
Speaker 1: There have to be whether it's offensive coordinator, quarterback, coach,
Speaker 1: whatever you have in there that can communicate with Blake
Speaker 1: Bortles and wake him up that last week's game was
Speaker 1: was bizarre and fascinating. Doug Marone emptied out his trick
Speaker 1: playbook and had misdirection and play action going all day,
Speaker 1: and Blake Bortles feasted on that. Blake Bortles played well.
Speaker 1: Talking about lightning a fire. Somebody lit a fire under
Speaker 1: Allen Robinson who hasn't played with that much zeal all year,
Speaker 1: and he played a phenomenal game. I don't. I think
Speaker 1: the answer to your question, Dan is you're invested so
Speaker 1: much in Blake Bortles that you are going, if you're
Speaker 1: an offensive coach, you are going to try to fix him.
Speaker 1: You're also gonna bring in a better backup just in
Speaker 1: case it doesn't work out, because you cannot have one
Speaker 1: player sinking your entire season like Blake Bortles did this year. Uh,
Speaker 1: good job, guys, Let's move on more. A huge question time, uh,
Speaker 1: Mark Cecil, the Chicago Bears, Oh, the team of a
Speaker 1: t L. The Minnesota Vikings are part of a huge
Speaker 1: question segment. Uh in seventeen? Very sad? How about a
Speaker 1: huge question? Mark? Will this be the last game John
Speaker 1: Fox coaches as a head coach in our lifetime? Or
Speaker 1: be any hu jerk? I mean there are larger questions
Speaker 1: in you know, the scope of life. So yes to answer,
Speaker 1: Alex Fragola, it was actually a Chandler being right there.
Speaker 1: Yes to answer, Chandler tramped all over the friends. Can
Speaker 1: we hear one more time? Could that question be any
Speaker 1: you jerk? I said, Frank's give me your best Chandler
Speaker 1: in a big spot, and what you do? She did
Speaker 1: a good job anyway you John Fox, he'll be back.
Speaker 1: Didn't they make you know? They seem to be a
Speaker 1: little frisky. I like him. They need a better quarterback.
Speaker 1: This quarterback thing, it's all over the league. Everybody needs
Speaker 1: a quarterback. But that Barkley. I kind of think the
Speaker 1: best thing could have happened to the Bears in Week
Speaker 1: sixteen was Barkley's four interception implosion in the second half.
Speaker 1: Lest anyone think he's the answer on any level, you're
Speaker 1: gonna have what what are they? Four and eleven? I
Speaker 1: don't think anybody beyond the fan level thought that Matt
Speaker 1: Barkley was okay answer. So that I mean, if anyone
Speaker 1: was on the fence in that building, now they're not,
Speaker 1: I would think. But so now you go out and
Speaker 1: you and you get a quarterback, and I think John Fox,
Speaker 1: there's another that's of minded coach. But I think they're
Speaker 1: playing hard for him. I think they've there. I think
Speaker 1: he's a pretty good coach. I know he's not that
Speaker 1: popular in this room. Uh in general. We had some
Speaker 1: fun with the way he was overmatching the Super Bowl
Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. But I think Fox deserves
Speaker 1: to do back. What do you think he never had
Speaker 1: a chance this year between being stuck with Jake Cutler
Speaker 1: as your quarterback, which come on that he's not a
Speaker 1: real answer, and then the injuries on offense. Just you
Speaker 1: lose Kevin White, you lose part of your offensive line,
Speaker 1: you lose all Sean Jeffrey to suspension, you lose your
Speaker 1: running that, you lose your tight end. He never had
Speaker 1: a chance this year. I think you give him another shot. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'd agree. I mean, I think the problem is this year,
Speaker 1: if you're gonna go fire someone who is that you're
Speaker 1: going to bring in that that's out there, that that
Speaker 1: really excites you and you can market your franchise around
Speaker 1: I mean maybe McDaniels. Yeah, but there's only one Josh McDaniels.
Speaker 1: And I don't think he's gonna go to Chicago Bears.
Speaker 1: That's I mean, if he's got his pick, is that
Speaker 1: the Bears you go to where you've got all these questions,
Speaker 1: especially at the quarterback positions is everyone if you trade
Speaker 1: for Eastern Illinois Jimmy Garoppolo, right, if this is a
Speaker 1: it's almost like an any given Sunday final scene where
Speaker 1: al Pacino takes Jamie Fox with him somewhere. I mean
Speaker 1: that that's that's one kind of option, kind of like
Speaker 1: Scott took pop is that even pop culture? It's from
Speaker 1: literally it's from roughly seventeen years ago. So Scott Bailly
Speaker 1: took Matt Castle with him to Kansas City. I mean
Speaker 1: there's some press, uh is there are people this is
Speaker 1: a little off topic with the whole Josh McDaniels thing.
Speaker 1: Are a little too much assumption that he's going to
Speaker 1: be hit his second time around. I mean he was
Speaker 1: kind of a disaster. I think there's an assumption, there's
Speaker 1: two maybe two much of an assumption that he would
Speaker 1: leave New England. I would just say this that new
Speaker 1: the role he has in New England is absolutely uh
Speaker 1: ideal for him. And he's got a big family and
Speaker 1: that sometimes factors in. So he's got to be the
Speaker 1: right the right thing in terms of his success. I mean,
Speaker 1: I don't think you go into a team that doesn't
Speaker 1: have a functioning quarterback to start. I don't assume that
Speaker 1: any play caller slash coordinator will automatically be a great
Speaker 1: head coach. Totally different job, go at that skill. But
Speaker 1: I do think that Josh McDaniels is a different human
Speaker 1: being now than he was when he landed in Denver.
Speaker 1: He's learned so much and he's changed in a lot
Speaker 1: of ways. He talked about that before the Patriots Super
Speaker 1: Bowl two years ago, that he did want to be
Speaker 1: a head coach, but that he grew and he learned
Speaker 1: a lot from that Denver job. These guys have to
Speaker 1: stop acting like Belichick and be their own man when
Speaker 1: they go out into the coaching If I were in
Speaker 1: the position of being under a hugely successful coach and
Speaker 1: I became a very hot name like Josh McDaniels is
Speaker 1: right now, the number one thing I would do. I
Speaker 1: would never go to a team that had quarterback unrest.
Speaker 1: That's how I would play. I would find the spot
Speaker 1: where there's an established star quarterback that's not too old,
Speaker 1: and that's where I'm going because and even the best
Speaker 1: most qualified young coach, if you go to Chicago and
Speaker 1: you're in quarterback hell, you're gonna get fired. In two
Speaker 1: or three years. The problem is that these vacancies are
Speaker 1: attached to quarterback. Hell, yeah, you know, it's a tough situation.
Speaker 1: So truthy balance, you know what? Mark? Yes? Greg, Yes, yes,
Speaker 1: Well it's a tricky balance. Do you think that Mark
Speaker 1: just made a great point there? This this dude on fine?
Speaker 1: I mean, there is a tremendous amount, a disturbing amount
Speaker 1: of naval gazing going on in this in this episode,
Speaker 1: the dudes on fire? All right. Finally, the Arizona Cardinals
Speaker 1: travel to the Colosseum to face the Rams, two disappointing
Speaker 1: teams in the NFC West this season, So there's only
Speaker 1: one thing to do. Chris Westley ask a huge question,
Speaker 1: either done with the Colts as of last week? I've
Speaker 1: been done with the Rams for four years. So this
Speaker 1: is gonna be about the Cardinals. Wore you go on?
Speaker 1: Is there is there anything more depressing that the Vikings
Speaker 1: didn't even get the huge question? What a sad end
Speaker 1: to the season. It's an appropriate end, it is, it is,
Speaker 1: okay Westcott, I was gonna let Mark answer that question
Speaker 1: since the Vikings are his team. You know, well they are.
Speaker 1: I am. I am about four days away from detaching
Speaker 1: from that dynamic you woge question on the Cardinals, Carson
Speaker 1: Palmer has actually played the best ball of his season
Speaker 1: over the last month behind a turnstile offensive line with
Speaker 1: Michael Floyd out of the picture and not much out
Speaker 1: of John Brown. Have we seen enough from Palmer? And
Speaker 1: if we can get Larry Fitzgerald to come back because
Speaker 1: he's seen enough at a Palmer he fixed that offensive line,
Speaker 1: the Cardinals can be right back in the playoffs next year.
Speaker 1: It's almost too big. It's a huge question. It's very
Speaker 1: big question. Hm. I mean, all you have to do
Speaker 1: is answer it. I have we seen enough? Have you
Speaker 1: seen enough? West? And your your tape study in the
Speaker 1: last couple of weeks from Carson Palmer to wipe out
Speaker 1: the other twelve weeks where he looked like an old
Speaker 1: poodle peeing on his leg. I never thought that Carson
Speaker 1: Palmer was washed up. I wonder why that sentiment was
Speaker 1: out there. His arm is as strong as it ever was.
Speaker 1: He doesn't move as well as he did last year,
Speaker 1: but he doesn't move like two thousand and fifteen Peyton
Speaker 1: Manning either. Never did I think that Carson Palmer was
Speaker 1: the biggest problem on the Cardinals. I mean, we've just
Speaker 1: gone through a litany of teams that have issues at
Speaker 1: that position. So my my move would be to automatically say,
Speaker 1: with the coach that believes so much in Carson Palmer
Speaker 1: and Larry Fitzgerald, who doesn't want to have some sort
Speaker 1: of X factor at quarterback, if you want to get
Speaker 1: him back, it's got to be tied to a guy trust.
Speaker 1: So yes, you give it one more shot. I think
Speaker 1: you do. I think it was such a disappointing season
Speaker 1: from them, and we we see people like Tom Brady
Speaker 1: and assume that all late thirties quarterbacks will sustain themselves.
Speaker 1: I could also see Carson Palmer completely falling apart. It
Speaker 1: could be a breat far of two thousand ten types
Speaker 1: scenario could be that situation too, But I think he's
Speaker 1: when his ceiling and we've seen enough of positive things
Speaker 1: this year. You do bring them back, and maybe it
Speaker 1: ends up being a mistake, but you feel good about Hey,
Speaker 1: we wanted to give it one less, one more chance,
Speaker 1: rather than maybe cutting it too soon. I think it
Speaker 1: is time for them too, and I know that they've
Speaker 1: tried to draft a few quarterbacks here and there to
Speaker 1: have a contingency plan because as Dan said, I mean
Speaker 1: the contingency plan maybe coming into action a week eight
Speaker 1: next year. It may not be two thousand eighteen. It's
Speaker 1: interesting because the last two combines we've been sitting there
Speaker 1: at the podium listening to Climb and Arians, and they've
Speaker 1: both mentioned in the last two combines, we need to
Speaker 1: draft our quarterback of the future. And they went out
Speaker 1: and got Logan Thomas, who's a tight end in a
Speaker 1: quarterback's body, and cut him. And then they didn't draft
Speaker 1: anybody last year, but they definitely have to this year.
Speaker 1: Lar Fitzgerald is the heart and soul that organization. He
Speaker 1: ain't coming back up. Drew Stanton's quarterback next year. Right,
Speaker 1: I agree, and I think to the extent that anyone
Speaker 1: but Tom Brady, he is the heart and soul. All Right,
Speaker 1: there you go. Weeks seventeen preview. We had our fun.
Speaker 1: We showed Cletus Cletus. If you're in periscope, one last
Speaker 1: look at Cletus be where he goes to the big
Speaker 1: trash can in the sky or the trash can that's
Speaker 1: right over there on the floor, located on the floor.
Speaker 1: The next time you hear from us, it will be
Speaker 1: Sunday night our final recap in the regular season, which
Speaker 1: makes sense because it is the final week of the
Speaker 1: regular season. Uh and then it is playoff time. Wow,
Speaker 1: here we go. So thank you to everybody for listening,
Speaker 1: thank you for following along on periscope. Thank you to
Speaker 1: cleid Us uh and Greg come back to us because
Speaker 1: Cletus is getting comfortable in your spot until Sunday. This
Speaker 1: is Dan Hansas signing up for a quiet storm the
Speaker 1: mail man, good old Cleadas, a new Monday behind the
Speaker 1: glass to Sunday eight