Speaker 1: The Around the NFL Podcast. It is not the official
Speaker 1: voice of the Los Angeles Chargers. Why the hell am
Speaker 1: I doing this? Welcome back to another edition of the
Speaker 1: Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hanses and
Speaker 1: I am joined by a room filled with heroes, Mark Sessler,
Speaker 1: Chris Westling, and Greg Rosenthal. What is up? Men? Hey?
Speaker 1: Dan Ah, Wes is here. West is here. It's so
Speaker 1: great one West is here. West. You did some updates
Speaker 1: um on your status as we all know if you're
Speaker 1: paying attention, Chris Westling skin Warrior during his fight with
Speaker 1: the Big Sea. Uh. And I know on on social
Speaker 1: media you gave an update on your situation. Do you
Speaker 1: care to send a message to the listener an update
Speaker 1: to the listeners that maybe did not see that. Well.
Speaker 1: I I'm coming up on my last chemo treatment in
Speaker 1: two weeks, so I asked my doctor what what I
Speaker 1: should expect, and he put me in touch with a
Speaker 1: really nice guy who's about five years older than me
Speaker 1: and went through the same surgery g I joint, which
Speaker 1: is where your esophagus meets your stomach, and had a
Speaker 1: lot of the same post surgery complications in trouble with
Speaker 1: chemo that I had, so I got a lot of
Speaker 1: frank um talk about what I have to look forward to,
Speaker 1: and it was a little sobering for me. Um. I've
Speaker 1: been hoping that change was coming right around the corner,
Speaker 1: change for the better, and it sounds like I have
Speaker 1: another year or so before I'll even be able to
Speaker 1: eat semi normally. Um. I may never drink like I
Speaker 1: did in the past. I probably will never drink alcohol
Speaker 1: like I did in the past. So, uh, lifestyle changes
Speaker 1: are coming and probably needed to be coming. But I'm
Speaker 1: a person who you know, Ernest Hemingway used to say,
Speaker 1: I drink to make people more interesting. I drink because
Speaker 1: bars are fun and that's where interesting people hang out.
Speaker 1: I love characters. I think life isn't tolerably dull without
Speaker 1: interesting people. And I'm a little concerned that that chapter
Speaker 1: of my life might be coming to a close. How
Speaker 1: about acid work that into the mix. I've never tried Mark,
Speaker 1: not recently, Marks and acid. Right now, I will say
Speaker 1: I had some great experiences on acid. Uh alright, okay, Uh,
Speaker 1: I mean West is You know, from the first week
Speaker 1: that I hung out with West in person, immediately shot
Speaker 1: into the higher highest echelons of bar friends I've ever had,
Speaker 1: and so it's h it's been a quiet period on
Speaker 1: that front, and I continue to miss West. Absolutely. I
Speaker 1: feel the same way. And on the flip side Hemingway's
Speaker 1: comment drinking to make other people more interesting, there is
Speaker 1: the person that is not interesting unless they're drunk or
Speaker 1: stoned or whatever. West, you do not fall in that
Speaker 1: category a little. Yeah, we're not a little nervous that
Speaker 1: I could be. No, Ye're not been so long since
Speaker 1: I've been anything but that though. You're a dynamic character,
Speaker 1: sober or bombed, and um, you know that's why we
Speaker 1: love you. But West, Yeah, NFL loving this episode. It's
Speaker 1: it's amazing though s because in the um in my
Speaker 1: lifetime anyway, I've never had someone close to me that
Speaker 1: was close to my age, uh, that went through something
Speaker 1: like this, And it has been kind of a um
Speaker 1: sobering to see what a long battle it is. It's
Speaker 1: not just like, oh, I have cancer, I'm gonna get chemo,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna have surgery, and then there are a couple
Speaker 1: of checkouts and I'm done. That's what I thought it
Speaker 1: was gonna be. And I think when we were talking
Speaker 1: through this process, maybe you thought the same way, and
Speaker 1: it's it's not that obviously. Yeah, I think we've reached
Speaker 1: the point where it's still a physical hurdle, but it's
Speaker 1: as much mental as physical now. And the length of
Speaker 1: the battle is is that it's that I had hoped that,
Speaker 1: you know, chem the end of chemo becomes a launching
Speaker 1: point to restart a normal lifestyle, and that's just not
Speaker 1: what's going to happen, but it might it. It will
Speaker 1: be a great end that chemo is coming soon for
Speaker 1: the listeners. It's in a few weeks at the start
Speaker 1: out of the new year, and who knows, Like I
Speaker 1: think you're learning that that you don't know what's gonna
Speaker 1: be in front of you, and it is a recovery.
Speaker 1: But I think you're gonna maybe you're not having a
Speaker 1: lot of drinks when you're at the bar, but maybe
Speaker 1: you can be sipping a drink or two and maybe
Speaker 1: you'll appreciate that time with with the people around you
Speaker 1: there like more than ever. So that's a that's one
Speaker 1: way I hope that happens. It could be very possible,
Speaker 1: and it might be a while before I break out
Speaker 1: the big green egg again. And that's I mean, that's something.
Speaker 1: It's not just that. I like the eating, in the
Speaker 1: in the drinking that goes with it. I like the
Speaker 1: whole process. It's a hobby, you know. And I missed
Speaker 1: that the big Green egg is West is famous barbecue tool.
Speaker 1: And before we get into the week seventeen games, I
Speaker 1: will keep the uh floor open any questions about Little
Speaker 1: C and what I've been dealing with. Dan. I know
Speaker 1: that you've been through a lot. Do you have a
Speaker 1: cold now or yeah? Another one came back? Another you
Speaker 1: are again dealing with this three year old and a
Speaker 1: one year old at home. It's just it's relentless. Is
Speaker 1: it anything like the big snea when you get when
Speaker 1: you get the sniffles, you have to wait for it
Speaker 1: to come back. I mean, it might haunt you again.
Speaker 1: And it's a long protracted process. You know what. We
Speaker 1: buried the lead here. Let's save it for the Big Sea,
Speaker 1: Little Sea podcast, and all the questions could be answered
Speaker 1: because yes it is people have them. Yeah, but little
Speaker 1: see they've got a lot. There's a lot of inquiries
Speaker 1: specifically the person that has Little C and what's going
Speaker 1: on in their mind? Um, but yes, week ss so
Speaker 1: West is with us and he's on the path recovery,
Speaker 1: and we're so happy about that. But we have to
Speaker 1: get to some games now, and we have to talk
Speaker 1: about Week seventeen, which will give us up thirty two teams.
Speaker 1: Nobody's I'm by So you divide the thirty two by two,
Speaker 1: and then you got sixteen games to talk about. I
Speaker 1: actually did get lost there for a second. Well, you're
Speaker 1: dealing with, you know, health issues, because I was going
Speaker 1: to divide thirty two by sixteen, and that would have
Speaker 1: ended me at two, and then I would have been
Speaker 1: a little lost. But I made it. I'm alive thirty
Speaker 1: nine on a state mandated thatth test. But that's the past.
Speaker 1: Now we talked about the future. Week seventeen. Let's start, gentlemen,
Speaker 1: with the Green Bay Packers, who are out of the playoffs.
Speaker 1: They travel to Detroit, Detroit to face the lines who
Speaker 1: are out of the playoffs. Uh so, Mark, why don't
Speaker 1: we talk about what's going on with the coaching stabbs
Speaker 1: of the respective teams? Starting with Jim Caldwell. Where are
Speaker 1: we at there? What are you hearing? Markey? Well? Uh?
Speaker 1: Albert brierre former colleague who now works for mm QB.
Speaker 1: Is the latest report that there are well, there have
Speaker 1: been rumblings for a few weeks. I don't think this
Speaker 1: is a surprise to anyone that Jim Caldwell could likely
Speaker 1: be out at the end of the season. And you
Speaker 1: know we've mentioned on this show that if you're Bob
Speaker 1: Quinn and your your general manager who has not had
Speaker 1: a chance to you inherited Caldwell, and you come from
Speaker 1: the Patriots organization, that there are obvious links if you're
Speaker 1: Alliance fan to someone like Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia
Speaker 1: as maybe someone that Quinn could reach out to and
Speaker 1: replace Calda with. My question would be, if you are
Speaker 1: one of those two prize Patriots assistance, is this a
Speaker 1: better potential job opening then the Giants, the Cults, the Cardinals,
Speaker 1: the Broncos, maybe even the Raiders, or or staying with
Speaker 1: the Patriots, or staying where they've stayed a year after
Speaker 1: year in the face of temptation to go become a
Speaker 1: head coach. Yeah. The interesting part of that that Brier
Speaker 1: note and Ian Rapp report on NFL Network has really
Speaker 1: been reporting or at least hinting at this for weeks,
Speaker 1: and I don't think these reports are hints come out
Speaker 1: of nowhere. I think they have information where if the
Speaker 1: Lions don't end up making the playoffs or whatever, that
Speaker 1: that Bob Quinn's gonna want to get his guy. Breer's
Speaker 1: report mentioned that Jim Bob Cooter, who has overseen the
Speaker 1: best two and a half years of Matthew Stafford's career,
Speaker 1: like the one thing the Lions have for sure now
Speaker 1: is a top ten quarterback. I think he's had a
Speaker 1: really good year. He played really well last year, and
Speaker 1: the thought is maybe that Patricia would come in and
Speaker 1: they would keep Jim Bob Cooter to run the offense.
Speaker 1: I kind of like that little combination. Well why not
Speaker 1: so Jim Bob Cooter wouldn't be seen as a head
Speaker 1: coaching candidate after what he's done because other teams may
Speaker 1: see him that way. Is the bloom off the Cooter
Speaker 1: rose a little bit? I know it was he was
Speaker 1: a hot name, getting a lot of hot talk. The
Speaker 1: Cooter was getting that. But is he's still getting the
Speaker 1: hot talk? Is the Cooter still getting it was coming
Speaker 1: from you yourself, so you you know the people were
Speaker 1: hot about the Cooter. But it's at this point it
Speaker 1: seems like maybe is he still a hot name. I
Speaker 1: don't know if it's just Matthew Stafford growing up at
Speaker 1: Jim Pturing, but he's played his best football of his
Speaker 1: career with Jim Bob Cooter. I think that's a fact. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he's not a problem at all now. I mean he
Speaker 1: is a big time asset. Changed the way his quarterback.
Speaker 1: He used to rely heavily on Calvin Johnson and now
Speaker 1: he actually has to play quarterback. And you know, maybe
Speaker 1: they'll finally find a power back because that's something missing
Speaker 1: from their offense for years. They they have a third
Speaker 1: and one problem, the worst in the NFL, and that's
Speaker 1: been a problem for years. That to me, in addition
Speaker 1: to the coaching, you have to change the way you
Speaker 1: do things on offense. They have to be more exciting too.
Speaker 1: Like there's just a general malaise with the Lions. Doesn't
Speaker 1: it feel that way? I mean, which begs the question
Speaker 1: is Jim Caldwell getting a raw deal because with the
Speaker 1: talent on that roster, I think he's done fairly well.
Speaker 1: I think eight with two playoff appearance is plenty of
Speaker 1: teams would take that. He's he has more you know,
Speaker 1: years at five hundred or better than the Lions had
Speaker 1: in like something like the previous twenty five years. I
Speaker 1: think he is getting a bit of a raw deal.
Speaker 1: But this is kind of what happens when new gms
Speaker 1: come in. You have to be go above and beyond
Speaker 1: to keep your job because if you're Bob Quinn, you're
Speaker 1: only going to get one higher most likely, and you
Speaker 1: kind of want to get that get that thing going,
Speaker 1: yes or no, mark before we move on to the
Speaker 1: next game. Dom Caper's coaching his last game as defensive
Speaker 1: coordinator in Green Bay. I mean definitely not based on history.
Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, okay, yes, because I wanted. I think
Speaker 1: finally it's time to make a change in green Bay.
Speaker 1: There the intriguing name to watch there is Vic Fongio
Speaker 1: might be available with John Fox's regime on the way
Speaker 1: out in Chicago. Be High and Tom Peloicero and rap
Speaker 1: Sheet have both linked. I think Pongio to Green Bay
Speaker 1: and they're not gonna They're not gonna get rid of
Speaker 1: Mike McCarthy. But if ever there was a year to
Speaker 1: do it, I would propose I'd like to see Aaron
Speaker 1: Rodgers play in a different offensive system at some point
Speaker 1: in his career. I know the Packers Brass probably disagrees,
Speaker 1: but is this it? We just get McCarthy for Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1: It's funny because some people would say the other way.
Speaker 1: One of the great blessings of his career is that
Speaker 1: he's been able to stay. I think Aaron Rodgers could
Speaker 1: have could have lifted up a lot of coaches, and
Speaker 1: I would have. I would like to see him in
Speaker 1: a different It's just a twelve twelve teams potentially getting
Speaker 1: a coach. You gotta find someone better than Mike McCarthy
Speaker 1: speaking of a bunch of coaches um ending their tenures
Speaker 1: with their team. Here we go Greg over Under. As
Speaker 1: we talked about the Texans and Cults, and don't get
Speaker 1: mad at us if we don't dig deep on some
Speaker 1: of these games, because the ones that don't matter, that
Speaker 1: an't matter. So we're talking, we're spending forward on some
Speaker 1: of them. Here we go the Texans at Colts, a
Speaker 1: four win team against a three one win team over
Speaker 1: under Greg uh coaches that will be fired the next
Speaker 1: day involved with this game. I'll set it at one
Speaker 1: and a half. Does that include assistance or head coach? Thunder?
Speaker 1: For sure? I do, because I think if Bill O'Brien
Speaker 1: leaves or or gets fired. I don't think it'll be
Speaker 1: within a day. This feels like something that could string out,
Speaker 1: and you hear a lot of reports that O'Brien and
Speaker 1: Rick Smith are not on the same page, and there
Speaker 1: might be a situation where the owner, Bob McNair, has
Speaker 1: to be forced to choose between the two of them.
Speaker 1: That smells like something that's not gonna happen overnight. There's
Speaker 1: gonna be meetings. It could be one that goes deep
Speaker 1: into the next week, and maybe it is Rick Smith
Speaker 1: that goes If I was making a choice to keep
Speaker 1: Bill O'Brien went to what does that accomplish though? If
Speaker 1: they let's say that's how it did play out and
Speaker 1: they made a decision a week later, when all these
Speaker 1: other teams is like twelve teams looking bred coach two
Speaker 1: or three days later, I think you have to have
Speaker 1: I think you're gonna have to go through a process.
Speaker 1: He might be someone that could be traded. People have
Speaker 1: talked about he doesn't necessarily want to sign a contract extension.
Speaker 1: He only has one more year. So those conversations, how
Speaker 1: do you get rid of of Bill O'Brien when you
Speaker 1: look back during the portion of the season when he
Speaker 1: had a functional quarterback and what that offense was doing,
Speaker 1: what you hired, it would be more like behind the
Speaker 1: scenes stuff. And that's it's been. We're in a year
Speaker 1: three of that. Of that guys going on for years
Speaker 1: in the NFL, right, you know, Brian, it seems to
Speaker 1: go on every year no matter what job he's at,
Speaker 1: whether it's Penn State or New England or Houston. And
Speaker 1: so we'll see. I think he's scheming a little bit
Speaker 1: behind the scenes. And this is the game no one
Speaker 1: really cares about. But you know what, I'm gonna care
Speaker 1: about it because I'm gonna lock up the Colts well
Speaker 1: Hopkins for the Texans. So oh really too late? Quick
Speaker 1: a quick stop for UMU to reassess where we are
Speaker 1: in the lock battle, because I know I have fallen
Speaker 1: into a tie with Market nine and seven. I believe
Speaker 1: is that what? It is? A tie except that the
Speaker 1: tie breaker goes to the lockoffs and you are oh
Speaker 1: and two facing Mark Sessler, and I like the We're
Speaker 1: just where did that come from? That seems logical to me?
Speaker 1: I'm sure it does. Where did you get your lock
Speaker 1: last week? Greg? No? I had the Jaguar alright, market,
Speaker 1: I are tied like the two thousand thirteen a f
Speaker 1: C South right now, I mean, yeah, you know there's
Speaker 1: still a chance at a trophy. But we did decide
Speaker 1: we're gonna take this through the season. So going into
Speaker 1: the last month of the year, h one game lead
Speaker 1: for Mark and I with Sessler's surgeon. But the tiebreaker thing,
Speaker 1: that's not a real thing. Actually, according to lock it Up,
Speaker 1: I have never in the history of Lock it Up
Speaker 1: lost a game between weeks thirteen and seventeen. I believe
Speaker 1: it was sauage one thing Hopkins game time decision, it
Speaker 1: sounds like, but unlikely to play. Then you locked up
Speaker 1: hill mirror. You're good with the mirror. The mirror, look
Speaker 1: at the mirror. Can you look at yourself in the mirror?
Speaker 1: If Hopkins doesn't plus seven, So no, I'm just it's
Speaker 1: a yes or no. It's I can say, it's a crazy,
Speaker 1: it's a it's an interesting lock and it's before we
Speaker 1: move on. Pour one out for Chuck. Pagano said, this
Speaker 1: is our last rodeo together. A guy who was all
Speaker 1: but fired two years ago walked into a meeting with
Speaker 1: Jim or say saved his job. He's beat cancer out
Speaker 1: of all the head coaches in the league. Seems like
Speaker 1: one of the best human beings, like a great dude.
Speaker 1: Seems his players love playing for him. They have been
Speaker 1: competitive this year with an absolutely atrocious roster. They haven't
Speaker 1: been competitive in one lost record, but they've been in
Speaker 1: most games. And he's been one of my favorite guys
Speaker 1: to cover over the last few years. It's interesting that
Speaker 1: job too, because he's definitely going. Is it a good job?
Speaker 1: It's usually the young quarterback, franchise quarterback. Oh, that's one
Speaker 1: of the places you want to go, but you don't
Speaker 1: know what's going on with Andrew lous It's a high upside,
Speaker 1: high failure rate type of job because of lux injury
Speaker 1: and because of ownership. Yes, I think all the owners
Speaker 1: are doing a great job, but I said little, let's
Speaker 1: move on. The Chicago Bears Chicago Airs. I think they're
Speaker 1: gonna finish in last place. I believe in the third
Speaker 1: straight season under John Fox. Another guy who will be
Speaker 1: out of work in all likelihood come Monday. But we
Speaker 1: shall see traveling to Minnesota Greg to face the Vikings.
Speaker 1: The Vikings win and they have a first round by
Speaker 1: can they do anything else? They cannot move up to
Speaker 1: the number one seed. And there are so many different scenarios,
Speaker 1: uh in in terms of them getting that by including
Speaker 1: a Rams win, uh including Carolina lost, fired up loss.
Speaker 1: Of course, that there's only a one in thirty two chance. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's what I'm talking about. Calculator just dropped the one
Speaker 1: the one in thirty two chance. They don't get this
Speaker 1: by according to I believe it was five thirty eight
Speaker 1: dot com. So it's your modem. I think it's pretty safe.
Speaker 1: I think it's pretty safe by the way that they
Speaker 1: that they beat the Bears too well. And you I
Speaker 1: just look at this Vikings team every week on game pass,
Speaker 1: and can you find a legit weakness? Now, I'm not
Speaker 1: when the when the offensive line isn't healthy, I don't
Speaker 1: know if I really trust the running game, I don't
Speaker 1: know if it's a weakness, it's not really a strength.
Speaker 1: Sam Bradford could be returning to practice next week, which
Speaker 1: is strange him has not been as dominant since he's
Speaker 1: been playing through an injury over the last month. That
Speaker 1: would be one. But they're still really good on defense.
Speaker 1: They have they have that luxury of having three quarterbacks
Speaker 1: to choose from. But if something ever happened to Case Keenum,
Speaker 1: you would go either Sam Bradford coming back from his
Speaker 1: eight hundred knee injury or Teddy Bridgewater, who's thrown like
Speaker 1: four passes in the last three years. So that would
Speaker 1: be a very dangerous scenario. But I respect Case too
Speaker 1: much to call him a potential liability. Has been too
Speaker 1: good that there's no one like the Vikings in the
Speaker 1: NFL in terms of defensive defense. Like I almost wonder
Speaker 1: if the bye hurts them. They don't really need a
Speaker 1: week off. Maybe the offensive line needs to get with you.
Speaker 1: But they have eight guys on their team that have
Speaker 1: seven hundred snaps or more. They basically the same guys
Speaker 1: stay on the field, and then there's four more guys
Speaker 1: on the team that have five hundred snaps or more.
Speaker 1: That's just not how the NFL works in two thousands seventeen,
Speaker 1: because of injuries and because of rotation, it's basically twelve
Speaker 1: guys playing almost all the snaps. And they're all really
Speaker 1: good players, and they've all been in that system like
Speaker 1: this is this is their time. I don't even think
Speaker 1: they want a week off. I think that's a Key.
Speaker 1: They've all been playing under Mike Zimmer for three or
Speaker 1: four years, and I think they're gonna play a home
Speaker 1: Super Bowl game too. It's about time. It would be
Speaker 1: cool like the Rams a lot too. I mean they're
Speaker 1: just I mean, have you like Terrence Newman is thirty
Speaker 1: nine years old and it's playing really well as their
Speaker 1: slot cornerback. That is an insane feat. Speaking of cornerbacks
Speaker 1: in this game, I thought kyr Fohler for the Bears
Speaker 1: had one of the best cornerback games all year six
Speaker 1: passes defense against the Browns last week. He had ten
Speaker 1: targets into his coverage and allowed a zero passer rating.
Speaker 1: That's good. You're right about Fanjio. He's gonna be highly
Speaker 1: sat up saw after coordinat uh Let's move on the
Speaker 1: a f C. East oh up for grabs. Winner wins
Speaker 1: the East Jets Verst Patriots. It was just a dream
Speaker 1: scenario within my mind. U. Yeah. The Jets are five
Speaker 1: and ten losers of I believe eight of nine something
Speaker 1: that was eight of ten something like that. That's bad.
Speaker 1: Travel to New England Foxborough in fact, the mall to
Speaker 1: face the Pats, who they win and they are in
Speaker 1: with the number one seed in the a f C.
Speaker 1: The people in the desert, they don't like the Jets
Speaker 1: chances here, and I'll tell you what, neither do Why Mark,
Speaker 1: because you gotta lock up the Patriots. The Rice Penny
Speaker 1: is gonna get another start despite being atrocious, and there
Speaker 1: are whispers that the Hack could be involved. Don't see
Speaker 1: that leading Danny Glory. No, it's uh. It's an ugly
Speaker 1: end to the year for the Jets, who I think
Speaker 1: have been despite a record, I mean really struggled down
Speaker 1: the stretch. But for what people thought they would be
Speaker 1: and what they've been, I think Todd Bowles deserves to
Speaker 1: stick around. That's just my opinion. I think even some
Speaker 1: Jets fans don't agree. But ever, in your life, imagine
Speaker 1: a magical NFL scenario in a in a season absence
Speaker 1: of enough magic, where this little Jets team somehow sticks
Speaker 1: around against the Patriots and maybe just some last minute
Speaker 1: field goal that goes right through the uprights and gives
Speaker 1: New York a miracle win while the Steelers handle Cleveland
Speaker 1: to topsy Turvy flip flop. The a f C BI
Speaker 1: scenario me neither Bryce Petty has stuck around against the
Speaker 1: Saints and Chargers. It hasn't been because that's terrible. The
Speaker 1: Jets have stuck around every decade or so in the
Speaker 1: NFL brings you a Ryan Linley level quarterback like Rice Patties,
Speaker 1: who is averaging less than three adjusted net yards per
Speaker 1: pass attempt, which is a try. Oh shit, this guy's terrible.
Speaker 1: And you asked last week, Dan, how bad can Hackenburg be? Well,
Speaker 1: he's got to be worse than the worst, because Bryce
Speaker 1: Petty is the worst. Like you see missing an arm,
Speaker 1: Like what is going on with question? Why? What's happening
Speaker 1: with him? In the truth of the matter, I want it.
Speaker 1: Here's one thing we've seen him in the preseason. If
Speaker 1: you haven't been good, yeah, not good. But Bryce Petty
Speaker 1: was awesome in the preseason. So what does the preseason
Speaker 1: to tell you? You know, maybe it's a neck up
Speaker 1: scenario with Hackenburg and they won't even allow him to
Speaker 1: the field. This is this is the one thing that
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get juiced up about. Mark Let's let's hear
Speaker 1: do you ever hear this? It's a bit of a
Speaker 1: cliche in football. Wheather is the great equal eyes Judy Pattista,
Speaker 1: our own Judy Batista uh tweeted today the Patriots just
Speaker 1: sent out an advisory for fans going to Sunday's game.
Speaker 1: Temperatures in single digits. Blankets allowed, have them folded and
Speaker 1: draped loosely over arms for security. Mark you're you're kind
Speaker 1: of a run again. I feel like you put it
Speaker 1: tightly over your arm, that loosely. It's how nice of
Speaker 1: you to allow your fan base, who's probably dropping, you know,
Speaker 1: in excess of two hundred dollars a ticket to come
Speaker 1: watch this stink bomb of the game, to bring a blanket.
Speaker 1: How kind of you? And more bad news this for you, Lindsay,
Speaker 1: because I know you're real. Drone head drones not allowed
Speaker 1: in stadium or parking lots, so as a weird thing,
Speaker 1: you can usually bring the drones. How many drones do
Speaker 1: you have? Lines you're up to now? Right? Yeah? Me
Speaker 1: and Trevor Bauer, the Indians pitcher, we work on them
Speaker 1: all the time. Your drones have the like those the
Speaker 1: candles that you collect on top of them so they
Speaker 1: can fly through the night too. I wish that would be.
Speaker 1: This game does matter for the Patriots. I think they
Speaker 1: want to get some cohesion going into the playoffs. I
Speaker 1: think they're gonna play. They also need to win well,
Speaker 1: that true too, but their linebackers are so terrible and
Speaker 1: James Harrison. I have no idea, There's no no way
Speaker 1: to know what James Harrison has left. But people that
Speaker 1: think that they signed him just because you know, get
Speaker 1: intel or whatever have you got, No, they haven't been
Speaker 1: watching what the Patriots are putting out there outside linebacker
Speaker 1: with Trevor Riley and just picking up guys David Harris.
Speaker 1: You know, in the biggest game of the season, you
Speaker 1: had David Harris covering Levy on Bell one on one
Speaker 1: and Trey Flowers covering Levy on Bell won one. It's
Speaker 1: one of the worst position groups, I would say in
Speaker 1: the entire NFL. You've also had a lack of cohesion
Speaker 1: at receiver where Hogan and Amandola been in and out.
Speaker 1: Hogan might be back this week, Malcolm Mitchell might be
Speaker 1: back this week, which would be a huge addition. You're
Speaker 1: throwing to Kenny Britt, Philip door Set, and Jacob Hollister
Speaker 1: in some of the biggest games as well. As the
Speaker 1: Patriots have done, they sort of need to get whatever
Speaker 1: their playoff group is gonna be on the field and
Speaker 1: I think Harrison's gonna end up being a big part
Speaker 1: of that. We'll get to more on Harris later when
Speaker 1: we get to the Steelers, but it's good news for
Speaker 1: the Patriots that he was released for being a jerk
Speaker 1: instead of that he's just completely washed up. Might be
Speaker 1: a combination, but we'll find out. Um. Moving on, the
Speaker 1: Washington reds Gins are finishing off a lackluster season there
Speaker 1: seven and eight. In their reward in week seventeen is
Speaker 1: to uh face the New York Giants. Uh in the
Speaker 1: metal lends Giants two and thirteen. They were a loss
Speaker 1: away from locking up the second pick in the draft
Speaker 1: this April. And here we go again, West. I'm gonna
Speaker 1: do another over under over under that the starting quarterbacks
Speaker 1: involved in this game will both be with different teams
Speaker 1: or will be with different teams in two thousand eighteen.
Speaker 1: I'll set it at one push pushka. I think I
Speaker 1: think Eli will be with a different team. But I
Speaker 1: don't see the Redskins letting a franchise quarterback like Kirk
Speaker 1: Cousins out of the building. Out of all the established
Speaker 1: quarterbacks in the NFL this year, my opinion on Kirk
Speaker 1: Cousins has changed the most. He has shown unbelievable grit,
Speaker 1: growth and key areas, taking a beating behind a patchwork
Speaker 1: offensive line. Lost his two best running backs lost to
Speaker 1: one thousand yard receivers. Never got anything out of Terrell
Speaker 1: prior his Pro Bowl tight end goes down. He's rich
Speaker 1: played behind twelve offensive lineman and only Brady and Breese
Speaker 1: have more completions of twenty yards. This guy is averaging
Speaker 1: eight adjusted yards per attempt. He's on pace for his
Speaker 1: career best TV the interception ratio. He has carried a
Speaker 1: decimated roster to seven wins. They ought to bring back
Speaker 1: him and Jake Gruden because this team will be a
Speaker 1: contender next year. Are you locking Kirk Cousins up? No,
Speaker 1: I'm just saying this guy. He is one of the
Speaker 1: most understood players in the NFL. He did not come
Speaker 1: up big in the past couple of years. He has.
Speaker 1: He is not some Andy Dalton guy who can't raise
Speaker 1: the level of his teammates. He has raised the level
Speaker 1: of his team. Also, if you're Jay Gruden, or if
Speaker 1: you're the Redskins and you let Jay Gruden out the door,
Speaker 1: on any level, you're not gonna find a better coach
Speaker 1: than him this year. He just don't think So here's
Speaker 1: my only counter. And while I would guess Cousins is back,
Speaker 1: Bruce Allen has done made some crazy moves in the past.
Speaker 1: Who is apparently running the Redskins and the Redskins under
Speaker 1: Dan Snyder have made some crazy moves in the past,
Speaker 1: including their coaches, including their quarterbacks. Bruce Allen, if you
Speaker 1: go back to what he did uh in Tampa, I
Speaker 1: just don't put anything past them making a crazy, wrong decision.
Speaker 1: That's fair. And if you look at his offseason comments,
Speaker 1: that's what I may. He've used Kirk Cousins as this
Speaker 1: year in an option year. He that's his exact quote.
Speaker 1: We have an option year on him. He's counting the
Speaker 1: thirty four million as an option. Now you look, if
Speaker 1: you ever let that guy get to free agency, you'll
Speaker 1: see the kind of contract he commands and you'll realize
Speaker 1: the rest of the league and quarterback needy teams. Think
Speaker 1: about the teams that are looking for an answer for years.
Speaker 1: I think Jaguar him million guaranteed paid player in NFL history.
Speaker 1: Look what von Miller said about him after last week's game.
Speaker 1: Teams would literally kill to get Kirk Cousins on on
Speaker 1: their team. I mean, I hope they wouldn't literally kill,
Speaker 1: but that's what Miller said. I don't think umlies back personally.
Speaker 1: I think they're going to move him, and I think
Speaker 1: they're gonna take a quarterback at number two and have
Speaker 1: a clean break. Now that could I think it could.
Speaker 1: It might be fifty fifty or maybe the other way.
Speaker 1: I don't know, but I just get the feeling they're
Speaker 1: gonna cut ties with it. I don't think he's a
Speaker 1: starter going into next season with a new coaching staff.
Speaker 1: When they have the number two pick, they're gonna get
Speaker 1: Josh Rose and they're gonna get one of these guys
Speaker 1: that you've waited for. The timings perfect for the Giants.
Speaker 1: He's not gonna be the only Eli done in New York. Yeah,
Speaker 1: Eli Apple. Thing is pretty bad. When when Landon Collins,
Speaker 1: who is a respected young star, goes on ESPN Radio
Speaker 1: and calls you a cancer. That is some hardcore stuff
Speaker 1: and everything we're hearing that's going down day before Eli
Speaker 1: Apple gets suspended for not listening to the coaches and
Speaker 1: not suiting up in the scout And that's before that,
Speaker 1: Like we were just talking about Christian Hackenburg one of
Speaker 1: the worst second round picks ever, certainly in recent memory.
Speaker 1: I mean, Eli Apple was a first round pick of
Speaker 1: the Giants last year two thousand sixteen, and there's almost
Speaker 1: certain there's a certainty that he won't be back. That
Speaker 1: is a monster bad It's a Johnny Manziel level meltdown
Speaker 1: for a player that a year ago had some promise.
Speaker 1: It's crazy to think because they really wanted Jack Conklin,
Speaker 1: who got taken. They a team moved up, Tennessee moved
Speaker 1: up to take him at eight, and then they really
Speaker 1: wanted Leonard Floyd reportedly didn't get either one of those.
Speaker 1: Reese takes Apple. Now Reese has gone, Apple is probably
Speaker 1: gonna be cut, like it was just a disastrous sequence. Yeah,
Speaker 1: we never know what to do with these scattering reports
Speaker 1: because they're so diverse, and some of them on some prospects.
Speaker 1: It can be like agree difference between scouts. But one
Speaker 1: scout said this to Bob McGann before the draft. I
Speaker 1: worry about him because of the off the field issues.
Speaker 1: The kid has no life skills at all, just a baby.
Speaker 1: He scares me to death. Well, he'll probably get a
Speaker 1: job somewhere from Giants general manager of the past. Let's
Speaker 1: move on and check in with the other two teams
Speaker 1: in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 1: Cowboys season ended in uh flop style last week against
Speaker 1: the Seahawks. They're playing for nothing. The Eagles are thirteen
Speaker 1: and two and they are they locked in a number one.
Speaker 1: They are I get confused about this. So they are
Speaker 1: locked in win or lose some starters? This game is
Speaker 1: we can miss this one. There's nothing to take out
Speaker 1: of this game, right. They're gonna play Nick Foles I
Speaker 1: think throughout the game because he needs the reps. According
Speaker 1: to Peterson, what if we want to watch He's been
Speaker 1: non Peterson has been noncommittal this week. I think that's
Speaker 1: a mistake. Also, someone someone did a study of teams
Speaker 1: that rest their starters that have a buy and you know,
Speaker 1: it's a small sample size, but the teams that don't
Speaker 1: rest their starters are way over five D in the
Speaker 1: divisual round, and the teams that do rest their starters
Speaker 1: are way under Oh, I don't know. You don't want
Speaker 1: two weeks off and the rest of your starters is
Speaker 1: completely blowing up the habits that you keep as a
Speaker 1: team all season long. Take that Bill Bullion, and one
Speaker 1: last note from the Cowboys. Dez Bryant has coming off
Speaker 1: a down season. It's his third straight year where he
Speaker 1: has not reached a thousand yards and he's played sixteen
Speaker 1: He's gonna play sixteen games. He was asked if he
Speaker 1: would take a pay cut. He's a schedule to make
Speaker 1: two halve point five million next season. I haven't heard
Speaker 1: no talk about that, but if it comes, I don't know,
Speaker 1: Probably not, Brian said Wednesday. Hell no, man, I believe
Speaker 1: in me. I think not if he has a sixteen
Speaker 1: and a half million dollar cap hit and they would
Speaker 1: save a lot by getting rid of him, I think
Speaker 1: most teams would. I think his nightmare game last week
Speaker 1: where he's calling for the ball then he fumbles right afterwards,
Speaker 1: where he drops in open past like it should do
Speaker 1: him in there passing it like Deck Scott looks like
Speaker 1: a nut of you replacement. I don't know. You don't
Speaker 1: pay sixteen and a half million dollars. You don't give
Speaker 1: him that contract to begin with, But you don't pay
Speaker 1: sixty and a half million dollars to okay number two receivers.
Speaker 1: I told David EAE our editor, that you know you
Speaker 1: start to form your offseason power rankings of tedious storylines
Speaker 1: that you're gonna have to write seven billion articles about
Speaker 1: this Dez Bryant thing is at the top of my
Speaker 1: list right. It combines a lot of elements, a lot
Speaker 1: of elements combined there. Yes, I think they could change
Speaker 1: both coordinators in Dallas. I think the way that Prescott's looked,
Speaker 1: I think Scott Lanahan might be that someone's gonna have
Speaker 1: to be the fall guy for how limited and tentative
Speaker 1: the passing game. That's been their biggest problem has been
Speaker 1: their pass I just had a vision by the way
Speaker 1: that they do cut ties with Dez. That's a financial
Speaker 1: decision primarily combined with the lack of production comparatively, but
Speaker 1: in a true Cowboys move, even though they really need
Speaker 1: to add more pieces on defense, they take a wide
Speaker 1: receiver with like they move up and take a wide
Speaker 1: receiver ever six. I see them like signing Terrail prior
Speaker 1: moving on the Cleveland Browns. Here we are here, we
Speaker 1: are mark the Cleveland Browns our own fifteen. If they
Speaker 1: do not find a way against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they
Speaker 1: will become the second Oh and sixteen team in NFL history.
Speaker 1: Uh And this is a bad spot because the Steelers
Speaker 1: need the game. They're playing at the same time as
Speaker 1: the Patriots, so they're not going to be resting anybody. Uh.
Speaker 1: So here we are Browns Steelers. They're going on sixteen.
Speaker 1: You've had too many other options to prevent that, and
Speaker 1: this coaching staff has shown zero ability or urgency to
Speaker 1: correct what's been wrong with this team all season long.
Speaker 1: It is an impossible team to watch. And I will
Speaker 1: say this one thing from the angle of this fan
Speaker 1: base that's been through hell, that when they came back
Speaker 1: outside of one or two seasons, they've been awful for
Speaker 1: almost twenty years, and up until a couple of years ago,
Speaker 1: packed that stadium full every Sunday. People kept renewing season tickets.
Speaker 1: Those people are getting old, their children no longer want
Speaker 1: to attach themselves to a generational loser. And you have
Speaker 1: you have at this point, I think, gone beyond the
Speaker 1: breaking point of asking people in Cleveland to continue to
Speaker 1: spend money on this product. This is an predibly important offseason,
Speaker 1: but we say that about every Brown's off season. I
Speaker 1: think this is the lowest point of hope that you
Speaker 1: could every possibly find as a Browns fan, no matter
Speaker 1: what the draft picks are, you have to find some
Speaker 1: sort of belief. You have college quarterbacks saying I don't
Speaker 1: I'm going to not enter the draft or find a
Speaker 1: way to not get picked by this organization. It is
Speaker 1: embarrassing and it is the They are the mirror, they
Speaker 1: are the counter opposite of the team they are playing
Speaker 1: this week and the Steelers. A year ago, Hugh Jackson
Speaker 1: said he would jump into Lake Erie if the Browns
Speaker 1: went one and fifteen. Again, well they're going in six.
Speaker 1: He might have out there, but he did start his
Speaker 1: press conference by being proactive about the situation, bringing it
Speaker 1: up himself. Here's what you had to say, really going
Speaker 1: to jump in back? Yeah? I got to, uh, well,
Speaker 1: how you just jump in when it's going to be
Speaker 1: my convenience and hopefully I can get a lot of
Speaker 1: people to come out and be something that we can
Speaker 1: expect to do it in junie. I don't like it,
Speaker 1: don't like to do it for the reason why I'm
Speaker 1: having to do it, but I have to make doing
Speaker 1: my ward, and I just think that's what you do,
Speaker 1: you know, And so I do get that I made
Speaker 1: a statement I got back it up. So, uh, that's
Speaker 1: the type of version I am. So that's what we
Speaker 1: have to do. Counterpoint, don't do it here because it's
Speaker 1: not a good look. It's not I get it's fun
Speaker 1: and you're a good sport, but you're almost celebrating. Well.
Speaker 1: I also think he's not gonna do it. He's gonna
Speaker 1: lose because I think he's gonna lose his job when
Speaker 1: he loses this game, and then there's no more like
Speaker 1: cutesy jumping in lakes, which is too bad for him.
Speaker 1: But they are last in the league in points. They
Speaker 1: were second to last in points last year. He's an
Speaker 1: offensive coach. In his two years, they even thirty at
Speaker 1: their worst in points and points allowed on both sides
Speaker 1: of the ball. It's like, it's unbelievable, how how bad
Speaker 1: that they have been. And I don't think there's any
Speaker 1: way he's back. Do you want to hear more rumblings
Speaker 1: at this point that a change will be made. I
Speaker 1: just we've not heard anything. There's synergy here with him
Speaker 1: jumping in the lake. Considering you put the Bengals in
Speaker 1: a sack in the river and he could be winding
Speaker 1: up back in Cincinnati. He could he could take that sack.
Speaker 1: Is there a river connecting them? He can take the
Speaker 1: sack down to Cincinnati. This is this is not not
Speaker 1: a river per se, so uh save it for the
Speaker 1: Body of Water podcast. On the other side, So the
Speaker 1: Browns are in a heap of trouble right now. On
Speaker 1: the other side, the Steelers. Yes, a win at least
Speaker 1: gives you a shot to still get that one seed
Speaker 1: and potentially play at home if you see the Patriots again.
Speaker 1: But there's this drama now around the Steelers. Um a
Speaker 1: good week for a distraction because you're playing an on
Speaker 1: and fifteen team, But in general, you don't like to
Speaker 1: have these things. James Harrison, released by the team, goes
Speaker 1: and signs of the Patriots and now uh. Steelers players
Speaker 1: have really been piling on Harrison. Uh. Marquise Pouncy, for instance,
Speaker 1: said that Harrison quote erased his own legacy. Let's hear
Speaker 1: more from Marquis. I want to be here to come
Speaker 1: out and say I'll make a look like a team
Speaker 1: like as a team falling the organization. Come on, trush men.
Speaker 1: If I wanted out, I wouldn't let the team take
Speaker 1: the playing for I tell you I I don't want to be.
Speaker 1: I want to be I want to go somewhere to
Speaker 1: play differently, I want to go start somewhere else. That's
Speaker 1: me as a man like that. That's what I was
Speaker 1: gonna say. The team playing you, I want to get
Speaker 1: cut Like No, that's not what what it was. Let's
Speaker 1: also here from Bud Dupree. He's fired up. We really
Speaker 1: thought that he would be just a role model to us.
Speaker 1: You know, we we we really wanted it to happen.
Speaker 1: You know, we like him as a person, but just
Speaker 1: as a player, we just feel like he's he's just
Speaker 1: all about himself. You know, we we all were just
Speaker 1: on the same page. And then just you just heard
Speaker 1: us for real. You know, we looked at him as
Speaker 1: a real role model, as a real leader. This is
Speaker 1: from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Players witnessed Harrison sleeping and
Speaker 1: a recliner during position meetings and snoring loudly while outside
Speaker 1: linebackers coach Joey Porter tried to teach. According to a source,
Speaker 1: sometimes Harrison would skip meetings altogether, and when he missed
Speaker 1: practices for various injuries, players suspicions would rise. When Harrison
Speaker 1: conducted his famous power lifting sessions the same week or
Speaker 1: day he left the bill. We at random times would
Speaker 1: leave stadiums before or during games on days he was
Speaker 1: inactive until teammates he was trying to get traded, released
Speaker 1: or placed on injured reserve. Some bad blood for a guy.
Speaker 1: That's the Steelers legend. Not a good way from the way.
Speaker 1: Joey Porter, not just his coach, but a former teammate
Speaker 1: who he said, he's close enough that he texted Porter
Speaker 1: after before the Patriot signing, said Hey, should I do
Speaker 1: this or not. Harrison did come out now after the fact,
Speaker 1: after these quotes from Pounty and say he did ask
Speaker 1: to be released. Uh, multiple times he thought he was
Speaker 1: gonna get playing time this year. He felt like he
Speaker 1: was signed, you know, sold the bill of goods by
Speaker 1: the Steelers. But he is the exact you know, you
Speaker 1: always hear like, what a great guy, this veteran, always
Speaker 1: showing like the young guys around like, you know, very selfless.
Speaker 1: But Josh McCown James Harrison is basically the opposite that
Speaker 1: he wanted to torpedo the younger guys career and had
Speaker 1: no interest in helping them once he wasn't playing, have
Speaker 1: no idea what's left in the tank because he's played
Speaker 1: about fifty snaps this year. But it's worth noting that
Speaker 1: he was Pro Football Focus his highest graded defensive player
Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh last season, and he dominated in the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Makes you wonder why they weren't getting let him on
Speaker 1: the field this year. One last note from Marquise Pouncy Palency.
Speaker 1: They were asked if he became Harrison became a locker
Speaker 1: room distraction. Towards the end, his message, I don't care
Speaker 1: by have fun and love it. Let's move on the
Speaker 1: Panthers at the Atlanta Falcons. Oh yeah, Wes, I know
Speaker 1: um that this is a game that has some real
Speaker 1: juice on both sides. Your thoughts on let's start with
Speaker 1: the Falcons. Your thoughts on the Falcons right now was well,
Speaker 1: I listened to your Tuesday show and I I really
Speaker 1: saw the Falcons Week sixteen games differently than the entire
Speaker 1: podcast studio did. They did show up, they had rhythm,
Speaker 1: and then the officiating took them right out of that
Speaker 1: rhythm early in the game. And as far as luck
Speaker 1: randomness in a football game, this was one of the
Speaker 1: most drastic examples you ever see. You had a butt interception,
Speaker 1: a butt fumble Vick Beasley, but but pick but pick
Speaker 1: butt fumble. Vick Beasley bats a ball straight up into
Speaker 1: the air. It could have been easily a touchdown, and
Speaker 1: and he didn't even see the ball. There were several
Speaker 1: plays like that. Julio Jones got manhandled by Lattimore on
Speaker 1: one occasion there was no call on that play. This
Speaker 1: game could have easily gone the other way last week.
Speaker 1: And now they're playing a Panther's defense allowing twenty five
Speaker 1: points per game and three five yards per game of
Speaker 1: their last five um and I think when this game
Speaker 1: hits about late third quarter and the Saints have a
Speaker 1: big lead on the Bucks, the Panthers are going to
Speaker 1: ease off the gas pedal and the Falcons are gonna
Speaker 1: sail right past him. Ron Rivera has said, you know,
Speaker 1: they're playing all out to win, which makes sense there.
Speaker 1: You know, have a chance at a bye still with
Speaker 1: if a lot happened, and they don't need much to
Speaker 1: happen to win the division. You win this game and
Speaker 1: the Saints lose, and suddenly the Panthers are playing a
Speaker 1: home game, so they have a lot to play for it.
Speaker 1: It it'd be hard for me to imagine them taking
Speaker 1: the foot off the gas. And I don't think Rivera
Speaker 1: thinks they're good enough to do that. I mean, they
Speaker 1: don't have any receivers. They lose the mere Bird for
Speaker 1: the season now, So why not save them If it's
Speaker 1: clear the Saints are gonna win that game, bunches, if
Speaker 1: you're entering the fourth quarter, why not save your good players?
Speaker 1: I just I guess, like, what if the Saints are
Speaker 1: up by twenty, Like, what's the cut off? If the
Speaker 1: Saints are up by ten, that to me, that's not enough.
Speaker 1: We see this every year when when teams watch what
Speaker 1: other teams are doing, it's it's a little different I
Speaker 1: think with the with this situation, I think the Panthers
Speaker 1: also just want to play well. I mean I think
Speaker 1: I think Rivera's kind of of the Belichick mind of like,
Speaker 1: we're not good enough, we need to play well, we
Speaker 1: need to do our best to win this game, And
Speaker 1: if they're down by thirteen points going into the fourth, like,
Speaker 1: that's an opportunity to make a comeback and put that
Speaker 1: in the bank that you could have going into the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Julio Jones looked good less on these two teams. Played
Speaker 1: and this he's good. That's not the problem with them though.
Speaker 1: They just Goulio Jones can't find the end zone this year.
Speaker 1: They don't. They they're not. Is a great matchup and
Speaker 1: last last time, you know, there was extracurricular stuff that
Speaker 1: that went along, But that way, I'm I'm mixing it up.
Speaker 1: You're thinking of Mike Evans. I'm thinking of Mike Evans.
Speaker 1: I think the Falcons they can lose, right Greg and
Speaker 1: still make the playoffs. They can lose, and they'd make
Speaker 1: it in if the Seahawks also. But the path to
Speaker 1: the Falcons missing the playoffs is a loss, and I
Speaker 1: want to get it started. I'm done with the Falcons
Speaker 1: this year. I'm locking up the Panthers. Take it home, Carolina.
Speaker 1: We gotta lock off off. I'm going with the Falcons. Yeah,
Speaker 1: they have been the unluckiest team in the league lately,
Speaker 1: and I think that lucky evens out here. Here's where
Speaker 1: I think their luck starts, though, is I'm not sure
Speaker 1: this is a good coaching staff like they have Falcons.
Speaker 1: They have blown so many situational games, including that Carolina
Speaker 1: game where they're up ten points, and there's so many
Speaker 1: like small things that happened within a game, and it
Speaker 1: keeps happening over and over, and maybe they're just snake bit,
Speaker 1: but at some point I think it comes back to coach. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think they have a good head coach. I think
Speaker 1: their offensive coordinator is a problem. Their head coach is
Speaker 1: not done well with. I think a young, talented defensive roster.
Speaker 1: It is not a good deal. Defense was pushed around
Speaker 1: by Carolina last time in a game that they their
Speaker 1: defense is playing better than Carolina's defense. They are playing faster,
Speaker 1: they're flying to the ball in Carolina. We give Steve
Speaker 1: Wilkes all this credit for his blitzing, and it's leaving
Speaker 1: their secondary exposed. They got burned by big plays all
Speaker 1: throughout last week's game. And like I said, averaging twenty
Speaker 1: five points per game allowed over the last five weeks. Saucy.
Speaker 1: All right, So we got a lock off. Moving on
Speaker 1: Cincinnati bagal six and nine. UM surprisingly beat the Lions
Speaker 1: last weekending Detroit season. But now they travel to Baltimore
Speaker 1: to face arrival in the Ravens that have a path
Speaker 1: to the playoffs. Gotta win a game here, and uh,
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna happen right right, Greg at least
Speaker 1: win this game. I expect it to happen. If you
Speaker 1: win this game, you're the five seed. Do you also,
Speaker 1: I think probably get into the playoffs even if you
Speaker 1: lose the game, because all you need is a Bill's
Speaker 1: loss or a Titans loss. So the Ravens are very
Speaker 1: likely in the playoffs. But I would be extremely disappointed
Speaker 1: if they didn't win this game. There's no reason that
Speaker 1: their defense and their special teams and Joe Flacco playing
Speaker 1: better shouldn't be enough to take care of the Bengals.
Speaker 1: Eric Weddow has a million dollars riding on this game,
Speaker 1: a million. If he gets voted into the Pro Bowl
Speaker 1: and the Ravens make the playoffs, he has a one
Speaker 1: million dollar incentive. He's already been voted into the Pro Bowl. Wow,
Speaker 1: he's about he's about to get it. Yeah, he's deserved
Speaker 1: to too. What a great season? He said. Did you
Speaker 1: know that if Mark appears on each of the Super
Speaker 1: Bowl week shows, it's it triggers a one million dollar
Speaker 1: escalator at his contract. That wasn't actually was trying to
Speaker 1: do what we couldn't have done. Left West missed out
Speaker 1: on the million. Now it's your term market and we
Speaker 1: all get a chance once once a year one of
Speaker 1: us gets that escalator. Are you gonna try to pull
Speaker 1: Tanya Harding on me and get me? It's kind of
Speaker 1: like a skins thing actually in golf, where it actually doubles.
Speaker 1: So since Westminster at last year, it's now two million,
Speaker 1: you're gonna try to get me into some sort of
Speaker 1: position where I don't make a show so that it
Speaker 1: goes to you gonna throw you in one of those lakes.
Speaker 1: I don't like that at all. Minnesota, that could be.
Speaker 1: I'm a little concerned. I'm watching the weather reports out
Speaker 1: of Minnesota. This is like a record breaking low of
Speaker 1: minus thirty seven right now. This is where they're sending
Speaker 1: us for a week to trounce around and write stories.
Speaker 1: Shout out to listeners in Minnesota. Good people, great Nace
Speaker 1: football team, you got there. But pretty wild that they
Speaker 1: send us in February. In January, so they lived there
Speaker 1: if people live there all year round. Shouts to Minneapolis.
Speaker 1: I'm just saying, you like the people, we like the team.
Speaker 1: What's wrong with uh? I don't know, Miami. This doesn't
Speaker 1: sound healthy to me. Wow? What for you? I mean?
Speaker 1: I gotta or any Heney I gotta run around in
Speaker 1: the shower just to get wet these days, I think
Speaker 1: this is an important game for the raven to get
Speaker 1: Alex Collins going thirty carries for seventy yards over the
Speaker 1: last two weeks, and they're not nearly as dangerous if
Speaker 1: if he's not playing well, and if they do win
Speaker 1: this game, it's gonna be Ravens at Chiefs, which probably
Speaker 1: doesn't get people too excited. But I think those teams
Speaker 1: are the two teams I like that matchup, and I
Speaker 1: think those are the two teams that have the best
Speaker 1: chance in the a f C of making the Super Bowl,
Speaker 1: other than the top two. Speaking of flights, we're flying
Speaker 1: to Minneapolis, UH in about a month. Greg, your wife
Speaker 1: and your two children were involved, and and this is
Speaker 1: actually I was actually thinking about this because it was
Speaker 1: pretty surreal. Greg. The one thing you never want to
Speaker 1: have happen is your loved ones go on a flight
Speaker 1: and then you hear about that flight on the news,
Speaker 1: not at all, Son Away, You're fortunate because the flight
Speaker 1: from l A X to Japan was a major news story,
Speaker 1: at least in l A. I don't know if it
Speaker 1: was national. It was national, I wouldn't check CNN dot
Speaker 1: com the next morning. You want to explain to listeners
Speaker 1: who are not aware of what happened on the flight
Speaker 1: that Emmica and your two children were on. Well, they
Speaker 1: got on a flight to Los Angeles. About four hours
Speaker 1: into the flight, I mean to Tokyo rather from Los Angeles.
Speaker 1: I dropped them off at nine in the morning, then
Speaker 1: came here to to tape our Tuesday podcast, and about
Speaker 1: four hours into the flight, they made an announcement that
Speaker 1: they were turning around, that they were flying back to
Speaker 1: Los Angeles because, in their words, someone that was not
Speaker 1: supposed to be on the plane was on the plane,
Speaker 1: and that was all the information that they got. Basically, thankfully,
Speaker 1: I didn't know about any of this until they landed
Speaker 1: and Emma and my wife Emca texted me, Meanwhile, Chrissy
Speaker 1: Teagan and her husband John Legend are on the flight,
Speaker 1: live tweeting this to your wife. No, they they're in
Speaker 1: first class. Unfortunately the Rosenthals are are in the back.
Speaker 1: Uh but they you know, she live tweeted the whole thing.
Speaker 1: Kind of turned it into an international incident, I would say,
Speaker 1: and credit to Amica, who is maybe the biggest badass
Speaker 1: I've ever met. It really took it all very much
Speaker 1: in stride. Like she says she can't feel her arms
Speaker 1: today because she had to carry my son Walker all
Speaker 1: the way from the gate to a bus which took
Speaker 1: them to a hotel. And Walker is seventeen. So that's
Speaker 1: that's for a couple hours. You know, that took it
Speaker 1: for a couple of hours. They didn't land in Tokyo
Speaker 1: until thirty hours after the initial flight left. Oh my god,
Speaker 1: that is v I think that's a definitive air horror story.
Speaker 1: That doesn't involved well for all these sports reporters that
Speaker 1: like to make a cottage industry out of you know,
Speaker 1: complaining about that, but it's like plights an hour late.
Speaker 1: Your wife sent out an Instagram post at like one
Speaker 1: am saying that you had a two m flight. I
Speaker 1: was up and I saw this thing. I thought this
Speaker 1: is a nightmare. Then the next flight that they took
Speaker 1: ended up being delayed an extra hour and left at
Speaker 1: three three am. It was, and she barely complained about
Speaker 1: it all there. It did have a happy ending though,
Speaker 1: and in the most Japanese way possible when they got off. No,
Speaker 1: this is straight from straight from my wife's words. Is
Speaker 1: very Japanese of the company A and A, which I've
Speaker 1: always had a great time on. When they left it,
Speaker 1: I'm just saying, but they got off the plane, they
Speaker 1: were each handed an envelope with three the equivalent of
Speaker 1: three hundred dollars each. Both of your children too, the
Speaker 1: children as well. So that's that's for the family. That's amazing.
Speaker 1: Ending do we ever figure out what was going on
Speaker 1: with the impostor the l A. There was a report
Speaker 1: in the Los Angeles Times that there were two people
Speaker 1: on the flight that were not supposed to be there.
Speaker 1: They say it was a sort of accident, but their
Speaker 1: conspiracy theories both faced. Well one side question. You're you
Speaker 1: have a full month off at your house with no family.
Speaker 1: What happens at the Rosenthall household when Gregg has thirty
Speaker 1: days alone to operate freely? It was not thirty, it's twelve.
Speaker 1: But okay, Um, well, I I must say I don't
Speaker 1: think I spoke to anyone out loud yesterday. In less
Speaker 1: they were giving me food. Uh and it was glorious. Again,
Speaker 1: that sounds so great, that sounds amazing. Um, yeah, I went,
Speaker 1: I ran some errands. Yes, my kids are both home.
Speaker 1: My wife is on vacation home. I ran some errands
Speaker 1: and came back in like half an hour, and then
Speaker 1: I just sat in my car. I need a little
Speaker 1: more time, needed a little more. I have the same situation.
Speaker 1: Throw five cats into that equation in your house when
Speaker 1: you're allergic to them. Alright, moving on the kids, Daddy
Speaker 1: ever coming back, not anytime soon. The Kansas City Chiefs
Speaker 1: nine and six um already. UM have locked up the
Speaker 1: a f C West, playing locked into their four seed
Speaker 1: in the a f C UM playoff picture, so they
Speaker 1: are playing for exactly nothing. Traveling to Denver the face
Speaker 1: the Broncos. Um. Do we have any updates on is
Speaker 1: everyone getting rested? In casey I suspect there's a chance
Speaker 1: it all happens. Well, I mean to start with Patrick
Speaker 1: Maho Holmes is going to start. Sounds like Kareem Hunt,
Speaker 1: who's had one of the busiest three game stretches of
Speaker 1: any back in the league, will rest. Maybe Tyreek Hill.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think if you look at the Mahomes,
Speaker 1: and I know I was someone that thought, oh, you know,
Speaker 1: with the way that the Chiefs operate, that maybe we'd
Speaker 1: get a chance to seem at some point you could
Speaker 1: not have dreamt up a better scenario for when you
Speaker 1: actually did see him, then it's they've locked up a
Speaker 1: playoff Berth Alex Smith has had a Pro Bowl, if
Speaker 1: not an m v P type season, according to Son,
Speaker 1: and he's coming in simply in a game against a lost,
Speaker 1: rudderless Broncos team where if anything, he gets a little
Speaker 1: bit of experience that they ever needed him in a
Speaker 1: in a pinch in the playoffs. And it's a perfect
Speaker 1: situation for the Chiefs. Get some some reps. That's that's
Speaker 1: It's a terrible situation for Vance Joseph because I think
Speaker 1: the chances that he loses to the Chiefs backups are
Speaker 1: fairly high, and there could not be a more embarrassing
Speaker 1: way to end your season and perhaps encourage a coaching
Speaker 1: change than to lose to your big rivals backup order back,
Speaker 1: especially with Paxson Lynch in the mix. Bad news. Let's
Speaker 1: move on to San Francisco. Forty Niners have won four
Speaker 1: straight since Jimmy g uh took over, and now they
Speaker 1: can close out the season with a five game winning stree.
Speaker 1: They could beat the Rams, and good news the Rams,
Speaker 1: they are eleven and four. They are locked in to
Speaker 1: the two seed. Correct, No, they're not locked in? Are
Speaker 1: they the three or four seeds? So this is why
Speaker 1: I have Greg here and need Greg's guide us. They're
Speaker 1: locked into a home playoff. They're locked into a home
Speaker 1: playoff game. They could be three or four, but they've
Speaker 1: made that decision internally that being three or four isn't
Speaker 1: worth playing some of your top players and maybe getting
Speaker 1: somebody hurt with playoff football right around the corner. So
Speaker 1: no Jared Goff, No Todd Gurley, no Aaron Donald, uh
Speaker 1: no Andrew Whitworth. I think I might be missing one
Speaker 1: other stud but you get the picture. US are set
Speaker 1: up well potentially to end the season with that winning streak.
Speaker 1: I think Sean mcvain Wade Phillips did a little nick
Speaker 1: fools watching, and they're not afraid of the Eagles, and
Speaker 1: that's one of the reasons why they're arresting their players.
Speaker 1: I don't think so. I do I really think that
Speaker 1: that that chance to go into Philadelphy again nick fools fact,
Speaker 1: but not playing your starters barely increases that your chances.
Speaker 1: There's so many things out of your control. A the
Speaker 1: six seed can win the first game and they go
Speaker 1: to Philly. So it's not like you're just set up
Speaker 1: and you're going to Philly. There's a good chance the
Speaker 1: Ramps keep their three seed anyways, whether they win or lose,
Speaker 1: because the Saints could lose this game. Uh you know,
Speaker 1: I was I was speaking more of their not afraid
Speaker 1: of the Eagles, right I I agree. I I'm saying
Speaker 1: I think they're thinking about what can win us a
Speaker 1: super Bowl, and they're not thinking about the Eagles. They're thinking,
Speaker 1: let's get to take a week off with all our
Speaker 1: important players. The three or four doesn't really matter. I
Speaker 1: don't think they can think about Philadelphia because there's so
Speaker 1: many factors to that, and you have no control that
Speaker 1: you know that you might have a tougher matchup falling
Speaker 1: to the four let's say Carolina or New Orleans coming
Speaker 1: into l A than if you have the three seed.
Speaker 1: So like there's there's just like a million different factors.
Speaker 1: I don't think that would be um bummed that they aren't,
Speaker 1: And so is Kyle Shanahan, who said that he he
Speaker 1: really wished that the Rams would have put their full
Speaker 1: team out there to challenge this forty Niners team. They
Speaker 1: absolutely scattered the Jaguars It's amazing what they what the
Speaker 1: forty Niners and Jimmy g did to the Jaguars psychologically
Speaker 1: last week. That team was battling themselves on the sideline,
Speaker 1: Jaguars defensive players fighting with each other, Keena mccardinal getting
Speaker 1: into it with this wide receiver, and they were getting
Speaker 1: killed on the field. I would love to see this
Speaker 1: forty Niners team, I think is an plug and play
Speaker 1: playoff team next year, to go up against Sean mcveigh's
Speaker 1: Rams and do something in Week seventeen. Other than all
Speaker 1: these teams sitting there starters. They're starting to look the
Speaker 1: forty Niners offenses starting to look like the two thousand
Speaker 1: and sixteen Falcons, where you've got open receivers wide and
Speaker 1: with defined decisive throw. That was a coaching game last week.
Speaker 1: It was coach crushing. I'd love to be a fly
Speaker 1: on the wall for that. Uh. John Lynch Bill Belichick
Speaker 1: trade discussion A little bit more came out and Albert
Speaker 1: Brier's call him this week. Belichick, you know we've heard
Speaker 1: the story that Lynch asked for Brady and Belichick was like,
Speaker 1: are you really asking me if you can trade for
Speaker 1: Tom Brady? Well, Belichick told Lynch, you're gonna love Garoppolo,
Speaker 1: not just a special player, special person, and you're gonna
Speaker 1: love how the team reacts to him. And we've seen
Speaker 1: that in San Francisco. The team really has reacted well
Speaker 1: to him. Let's move on and check out the Oakland Raiders.
Speaker 1: Six and nine, terrible season for the Raiders. Travel to
Speaker 1: the stub Hub Center, the Stub the stub Toe, sorry
Speaker 1: to face the Chargers, who um got back on track
Speaker 1: against the Jets last week and now have a chance
Speaker 1: to make the playoffs. So the win and a little
Speaker 1: bit of help. Greg Rosenthal and I know you're pumped
Speaker 1: about it. You want those bolts in the postseason. It's
Speaker 1: been a long build up to this moment. I mean,
Speaker 1: we have been hyping up this Charger Steamer I have
Speaker 1: and you certainly have to mark since the middle of
Speaker 1: the summer. They were kind of like the team they
Speaker 1: start owing four and they blow that game in Kansas City.
Speaker 1: But it all kind of leads to this moment where
Speaker 1: they still have a very good chance I think of
Speaker 1: cashing in. And I know they haven't looked great the
Speaker 1: last couple of weeks on offense, but their defense is
Speaker 1: third in the league in points allowed. If their defense
Speaker 1: can do anything, it can certainly control Derek Carr. I
Speaker 1: think you can get a get healthy game forget about
Speaker 1: those last two weeks. Play well offensively this week, and
Speaker 1: I think this is it would make such a great
Speaker 1: statement karma wise, if the Chargers get a little bit
Speaker 1: of luck on Sunday with the Titans losing, and you
Speaker 1: get into the playoffs and and it's like, these are
Speaker 1: the new Chargers. The San Diego Chargers were the ones
Speaker 1: that were all Charger and we're getting some good luck
Speaker 1: this time. I you know, listen, I gotta do it too.
Speaker 1: Of course they are going to do it. I picked
Speaker 1: one Super Bowl team, the Giants, who are a flaming
Speaker 1: trash bag and one of the worst teams to buy adulthood.
Speaker 1: But I also picked the Chargers, and I believe so
Speaker 1: much that they're gonna do it. Now. I'm gonna lock
Speaker 1: it up, all right, and you're on a roll. So
Speaker 1: that's good news for the Chargers. It is good news
Speaker 1: for them. I don't think they'll even find out about it,
Speaker 1: but if they were. Gordon's ankle is something to keep
Speaker 1: an eye on Andy as he's gonna play, But is
Speaker 1: he gonna play effectively? We'll see. It's a good question,
Speaker 1: and run defense and rushing offense are not nearly as
Speaker 1: important to winning football games now as they were fifteen
Speaker 1: years ago. But I would like to see the Chargers
Speaker 1: play better against the run. Blapau have way too many
Speaker 1: big plays against them last week, and for them to
Speaker 1: run the ball to keep defenses honest. Because the Jets
Speaker 1: defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and put a
Speaker 1: lot of heat on Philip Rivers last year. The Chargers
Speaker 1: running game is being inconsistent all years, and both most
Speaker 1: in Ingram have been very quiet the last two weeks,
Speaker 1: and this team just is not the same unless those
Speaker 1: two guys are special. I don't know if it's just
Speaker 1: been the matchups or it's the end of a long season,
Speaker 1: but they need to be excellent. You know. The great
Speaker 1: thing here is though they get Corey Legit back, it
Speaker 1: looks like they're getting Denzel Paraman back this week, and
Speaker 1: they're playing one of the most conservative, poorly coached, dead
Speaker 1: in the water offenses I've ever seen. I mean, they
Speaker 1: are They are huge favorites in this game, which they're
Speaker 1: double digit favorites, which makes me a little worried when
Speaker 1: you're the Chargers, But I really do think that they're
Speaker 1: gonna roll. I want to see at that stadium because
Speaker 1: this is the game you're worried about. From a stub
Speaker 1: Hub Center angle that l A. Whenever you go to
Speaker 1: a sports bar in l A still it is flocked
Speaker 1: filled with Raiders fans. They are all over this city
Speaker 1: and they're gonna be That's gonna be a home game
Speaker 1: for the Races. For the Raiders, it would have been potentially, well,
Speaker 1: we'll see, come on, charges that matter, get out, get
Speaker 1: a ticket. Matters for Jack del Rio, I feel like,
Speaker 1: and it could matter for Jack del Rio, and it
Speaker 1: certainly matters for their offensive coordinator Al Downing, who essentially
Speaker 1: got damn Todd Downing rat and the picture for the
Speaker 1: Dodgers who gave up a very big home run. It
Speaker 1: really felt like Downing got that job because he's there.
Speaker 1: You go change crag, blew you up there. Al Downing,
Speaker 1: I don't know where moved one to the hammer A c. Cowling. No,
Speaker 1: that's that's someone. That's someone else. I think Derek carr
Speaker 1: And and Downing are very close. And that was one
Speaker 1: of the reasons Downing reportedly got the job, and they
Speaker 1: decided to make the change of getting rid of Bill
Speaker 1: Musgrave and upgrade in and you know, getting down in
Speaker 1: this job, and it is backfired horribly. All right, let's
Speaker 1: move on the a f C East. We're back in
Speaker 1: and it is the Bills at eight and seven with
Speaker 1: a chance to get into the playoffs against the Miami
Speaker 1: Dolphins six and nine, not playing for anything. The Dolphins
Speaker 1: news of note is that Jay Cutler has let it
Speaker 1: be known that uh, he is not looking to stay
Speaker 1: in the league as a backup, which means it's a
Speaker 1: very good chance that Jay Cutler has played his final
Speaker 1: game uh in the NFL. Come Sunday night out immediately.
Speaker 1: This has been the most unwatchable team in the league
Speaker 1: in a season which the Browns are about to go
Speaker 1: oh and sixteen, and Jay Cutler is a big reason,
Speaker 1: living in his hotel room like Howard Hughes, coming out
Speaker 1: on Sundays just to throw short of the sticks for
Speaker 1: sixty minutes. I can't take Jake Cutler throwing short of
Speaker 1: the sticks with sloppy footwork anymore. Get him out of
Speaker 1: the league, well, I asked on NFL Network A couple
Speaker 1: of weeks ago. It was a I think it was
Speaker 1: we were handing out Christmas gifts and Cutler my gift
Speaker 1: for Colors that he'd be kidnapped and been taken back
Speaker 1: to southern California and it did not happen. But West,
Speaker 1: I think he would have agreed with that gift. I've
Speaker 1: always wanted to live in a hotel for a little while.
Speaker 1: That got a little Royal Tenenbombs Colerics quote was hilarious
Speaker 1: that that, like it's been okay that they don't change
Speaker 1: the pay per view movies. They don't rotate them enough
Speaker 1: in the hotel like hes guy's plugged and burns through
Speaker 1: him too quickly. That was, what are you doing watching
Speaker 1: those films? How about my in film play? I think though,
Speaker 1: I have a feeling that the Dolphins win this game though,
Speaker 1: because winning in week seventeen to go seven and nine
Speaker 1: at home, Like, that's Dolphins football. Do you want to
Speaker 1: know what Dolphins football is? It's winning a meaningless game
Speaker 1: to get you to seven and nine and maybe not.
Speaker 1: Jobs are averaging almost thirteen, they're scoring thirteen more points
Speaker 1: a game at home. They are an unwatchable team watchable.
Speaker 1: He's kind of like a young Shady McCoy and Shady
Speaker 1: McCoy in this game. I just want to mention how
Speaker 1: great Shade McCoy has been all season. He kind of
Speaker 1: slips under the radar. He reached ten thousand yards in
Speaker 1: his career on fewer in the fifth fastest amount of
Speaker 1: carries in NFL history. The only running backs in history
Speaker 1: that did it in fewer carries were O. J. Simpson,
Speaker 1: Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, and Adrian Peterson. That's the company
Speaker 1: McCoy's keeping and used to hear about him, like, oh,
Speaker 1: can he hold up over time? This guy's missed eleven
Speaker 1: games in nine seasons. He is always on the field,
Speaker 1: he's toughest. Hell, he's running better than ever. If they
Speaker 1: somehow make the playoffs, he's their m v P. But
Speaker 1: you don't see that happening for Buffalo. You've just predicted
Speaker 1: a Dolphins victory. Just karma, what now? I don't see
Speaker 1: it happening. But Shady has been a great player, terrible
Speaker 1: tipper than an even worse party organizers defending then, But
Speaker 1: on the field he is an incredible player. Um, real quick, Greg,
Speaker 1: can you fire up the modem generator and tell me
Speaker 1: what the Bills need the Bills. The Bills need to win.
Speaker 1: Of course, the Bills have the worst chance of any
Speaker 1: of these teams because what they need is either a
Speaker 1: Raven's loss to the Bengals or they need the Titans
Speaker 1: and the Chargers to lose. That second option is probably
Speaker 1: better than the first. It's a little better, But either
Speaker 1: one of them, you can easily see a see a
Speaker 1: scenario where they do win and they still don't get
Speaker 1: in minus sixty two point differential for the Bills this year.
Speaker 1: They're not a good team. And one last I'd like
Speaker 1: to make a motion started by Jarvis Landry here, to
Speaker 1: get rid of the reception as a stat it's totally meaningless.
Speaker 1: Go with first downs as a receivers that feels, that
Speaker 1: feels its Look what what value is a two yard
Speaker 1: bubble screen to your offense? Get rid of receptions and
Speaker 1: go with first downs as a receip three catches for
Speaker 1: nine yards not not doing it for me? Are we
Speaker 1: sure that Adam Gates is a good coach? I mean,
Speaker 1: what is this guy at this point? Um? Well, you're
Speaker 1: settled with Jake Cutler, but he wanted Jack. They're not
Speaker 1: good at it. For all the grief that Cutler takes.
Speaker 1: They are at the bottom of the league, and in
Speaker 1: rushing there in the bottom of the league. In pass
Speaker 1: rush there the him in the league. And pass defense
Speaker 1: there in the bottom of league. And rush defense they're
Speaker 1: in the bottom of legue and special teams. So j
Speaker 1: Cutler is not great, but this entire organization is bad.
Speaker 1: There you go, and back to the Bills one second.
Speaker 1: They need a win, They need a little bit of help.
Speaker 1: So I just want to maybe a little pep talk
Speaker 1: for the Bills because I'm rooting for him this weekend, Lindsay,
Speaker 1: do it for Bills Mafia. Do it for the seventeen
Speaker 1: year old boy from Orchard Park at Park who wants
Speaker 1: to see his favorite team in a playoff game before
Speaker 1: he can legally purchase cigarettes. Do it for that one
Speaker 1: guy who suffered a compound leg fracture when he attempted
Speaker 1: to do a backflip off his cousin's RV on to
Speaker 1: a folding town. Do it for all the illegitimate children
Speaker 1: who have been conceived outside New Hour of Field for
Speaker 1: the Do it for Scott Norwood, Do it for Jim
Speaker 1: Kelly dal Tally, remember that guy. Do it for Steve Tasker,
Speaker 1: who CBS insists sticking on the sideline. Whichever NFL city
Speaker 1: has the most miserable weather on a given week. Do
Speaker 1: it for Bruce Smith finish with exactly two under sex
Speaker 1: right on the money, baby. Do it for Tim Russer.
Speaker 1: Do it for Niagara Falls its abut. Do it for
Speaker 1: Wade Phillips's face on that day in Nashville. Do it
Speaker 1: for the Buffalo Sabers who got robbed in the ninety
Speaker 1: nine Cup finals. Do it for O. J. Scratch. Do
Speaker 1: it for Jon bon Jovi, who was clocked in his
Speaker 1: efforts to buy the Bills, thanks in part to the
Speaker 1: grassroots smear campaign by none other than Donald Trump. And lastly,
Speaker 1: do it for every loyal Bills fan that has packed
Speaker 1: your stadium during a playoff drought. Not even the Cleveland
Speaker 1: freaking Browns can match. These people have stuck with their team.
Speaker 1: Football gods, reward them with a little magic on sud.
Speaker 1: Do it for two times Shield champion Patrick Crawling it
Speaker 1: for Crawley. I like this all male chorus. All right,
Speaker 1: let's move by Arizona Cardinals at the Seattle Seahawks. Here
Speaker 1: we go, Seahawks, You're still in the mix. Everybody said
Speaker 1: it was all over after you got embarrassed by the Rams,
Speaker 1: but you can do some damage still. Chris Wesling with
Speaker 1: a W against the Cardinals and a little help your
Speaker 1: thoughts on this one. Seattle's offense is broken and there's
Speaker 1: no way Russell Wilson should be in the m v
Speaker 1: P discussion because he's part of the problem. Every their
Speaker 1: offensive line is scapegoating every week while Wilson has a
Speaker 1: random attack in which they don't go with reads. He
Speaker 1: just runs around back there and invites pressure. And he's
Speaker 1: part of the problem. And as well as he's played
Speaker 1: this year, as much as he's carried the load this
Speaker 1: the first half of the last three games that the
Speaker 1: Seahawks have played have been broken beyond repair offenses. And
Speaker 1: this is not an easy matchup. I know the Cardinals
Speaker 1: have played an easy schedule, but they have the number
Speaker 1: one defense in terms of yards allowed since Week ten.
Speaker 1: Their defense is playing well, and this is a great rivalry.
Speaker 1: Bruce Arians was caught on tape, you know, saying that
Speaker 1: that's that's our home field up in Seattle. It's a
Speaker 1: really interesting game that might not end up mattering just
Speaker 1: because of the rivalry. But it could be arians final game,
Speaker 1: and it really could be the last kind of rodeo
Speaker 1: for this Seahawks defense, and and the fact that it's
Speaker 1: against each other and rivalry, you know, you know, I'm
Speaker 1: not I'm not giving any advice for people out there
Speaker 1: in the desert, but the Seahawks are heavy favorites in
Speaker 1: this game. And how is this game not coming down
Speaker 1: to the very end in one of these kickers or
Speaker 1: some crazy play. It's just destined for that. Dan. There
Speaker 1: are rumblings, according to Brian Costello from the New York Post,
Speaker 1: big rumblings that if Arians goes as we expect, that
Speaker 1: the Cardinals would like to have Todd Bowles become their
Speaker 1: head coach. Well, I don't think Arians sure, Arians wants
Speaker 1: to go to the Jet Uh. If they really want
Speaker 1: Todd Bowls, I think I would be okay with that,
Speaker 1: especially if a Jake Ruden or someone like that came available.
Speaker 1: I I think a lot of Jeff fans would be
Speaker 1: okay if Todd Bowles wasn't back m despite the relative
Speaker 1: quote unquote success of the season which people need to
Speaker 1: seven over three years and hasn't made the playoffs, so
Speaker 1: it's I they've been competitive in thirteen and fifteen games
Speaker 1: this year. But as Todd bowls like a Super Bowl
Speaker 1: winning coach, potentially, does he have that type of juice.
Speaker 1: I don't know about Todd. And in Seattle, you know
Speaker 1: they're gonna be playing this game at the same time
Speaker 1: in the Falcons. It's exciting. I mean, I wonder if
Speaker 1: it's the last Earl Thomas game there after what's happened
Speaker 1: over the last week. They asked Pete Carroll about it
Speaker 1: during the week. Never a good sign. He just he
Speaker 1: just said, well, when they asked about Earl Thomas going
Speaker 1: into the Cowboys locker room, he said, well, that's unusual.
Speaker 1: That's just Earl being Earl Earl. That's that's true. You
Speaker 1: know one thing about Earl Thomas, he would give you
Speaker 1: the shirt off his back of it was the last
Speaker 1: one he had. Hey, little breaking news. New York Giants
Speaker 1: officially have a new general manager. It is our boy, Dave,
Speaker 1: formerly of the Carolina Panthers. Get An, of course, had
Speaker 1: a lot of history with the Giants before going to
Speaker 1: the Panthers, and now he comes home. I like, that's
Speaker 1: a good hire, I think, and I think the Giants
Speaker 1: will um do well Ernie. Of course, he played a
Speaker 1: big role in this. He was a consultant for them.
Speaker 1: Gettleman obviously as Giants ties, and I wonder if, of course,
Speaker 1: he would continue to play a consulting role for them.
Speaker 1: And they're gonna get their quarterbacks. So much for blowing
Speaker 1: it up. They basically are continuing the same run of
Speaker 1: people in the same tree of executives that they've had
Speaker 1: going back to George Young in the sense the successful organization,
Speaker 1: which is not bad, right, I mean, I know you
Speaker 1: were calling for that, but this has been a successful
Speaker 1: organization a long time. Though the downturn and that roster
Speaker 1: coincided with ghet them in leaving for get. I think
Speaker 1: I'm building a Super Bowl team and a contender this year.
Speaker 1: I do what I do. Wonder what it means for Eli.
Speaker 1: You would think maybe it helps his chances of sticking around.
Speaker 1: More hog mollies are coming. The Jersey blue Goose, Pale
Speaker 1: blue Gooser's alright, moving on. The New Orleans Saints are
Speaker 1: eleven and four. Uh, they can win the NFC South
Speaker 1: with a w that's correct, Just win it in that's
Speaker 1: absolutely correct. Nice and Laura Falcons win for them. There
Speaker 1: you go. And the Bucks are their opponents standing in
Speaker 1: the way. Greggy, I don't think this is a layup
Speaker 1: for the Saints. First of all, the Bucks have played
Speaker 1: the other two NFC South teams the last two weeks
Speaker 1: and it's come down to the final possession, so you
Speaker 1: don't have to look back too far to really test
Speaker 1: that out. I also think the defense on in Tampa
Speaker 1: is healthier than it's been all year, Kwon, Alexander Levant,
Speaker 1: David Gerald, McCoy, Brent Grimes. They're all actually on the
Speaker 1: field at the same time, which is nice. And James
Speaker 1: Winston is easily playing his best football the year over
Speaker 1: the last few weeks, as as bad as Jamis has
Speaker 1: looked at times this year, and his numbers are better
Speaker 1: than he's really played. Only two quarterbacks in the league
Speaker 1: have a higher yards per attempt than Jamis Winston, Tom
Speaker 1: Brady and Drew Brees. Now that's misleading. I don't think
Speaker 1: he's at that level. But it hasn't been a disastrous season.
Speaker 1: This team can throw their at home. I just I
Speaker 1: don't think this is some layup for the Saints to
Speaker 1: just go in there and get an easy win. As
Speaker 1: always with Jamis Winston, you have to add the caveat
Speaker 1: that apparently turnovers don't apply. Well, he only has eight
Speaker 1: interceptions this year. Eighteen touchdown was last week alone him,
Speaker 1: but you have nine turn him and Jake Cutler, they
Speaker 1: are really struggling with the center exchange, snap and and
Speaker 1: stuff like sort of a basic element to playing quarterback.
Speaker 1: But okay, I like what man Tito threw back in
Speaker 1: your face last week when you said he wasn't a
Speaker 1: J Klein. He was. He was played a better game
Speaker 1: than a J. Klein's ever played in New Orleans. Man
Speaker 1: Titeo is stepping up is like a sign And I
Speaker 1: think we talked about this on The pick Um Show
Speaker 1: that everyone should watch on Saturday. Start watching it. When
Speaker 1: when you have players come off the bench and start
Speaker 1: playing really well for you, like, that's a sign of
Speaker 1: your having kind of a magical a good season, a
Speaker 1: good organization. The Saints have done that all year. And
Speaker 1: if you have not seen the pick Um Show yet
Speaker 1: and you were wondering, hey, what happened to all the
Speaker 1: Manti Teo fake girlfriend jokes? Brought that back? Bring it
Speaker 1: back jokes. Honestly, if the Saints lost this game, what
Speaker 1: a disappointment. I don't think they'll lose. I just I
Speaker 1: just in a division game where there's a lot of
Speaker 1: heat here. You know, Lattimore and Mike Evans last night.
Speaker 1: I just expect this game. They've had in a half
Speaker 1: a decade, and I think, like a trust them as
Speaker 1: much as I trust Pittsburgh to take care of their business.
Speaker 1: I think they can attack you in so many different ways.
Speaker 1: And this Buck's coaching staff, basically, it's already feels like
Speaker 1: they must know they're gonna get objector seated for John Gruden.
Speaker 1: You've got a wide receiver under a police investigation right now,
Speaker 1: and you got Mike Evans who blew up against Marshaw.
Speaker 1: Latimore lost time. They they outplayed the Panthers last week,
Speaker 1: they did in the week in the week before it
Speaker 1: was I think the Saints are a much better team
Speaker 1: than the Panthers. I think they're going to win the
Speaker 1: NFC South four days from now. Lock it up already, ridiculous.
Speaker 1: You mentioned the wide receiver with some legal issues right now.
Speaker 1: I wasn't gonna ask if anybody in this room was
Speaker 1: perhaps driving a Chevy truck on Christmas Eve down in Florida.
Speaker 1: Negative negative, Well, we were here Christmas Eve. Well, at least,
Speaker 1: well we we have an alias. Well, unless you zip
Speaker 1: down there on a quick flight or something. I did
Speaker 1: have a dodd Ram for about ten years, but it's
Speaker 1: been a while. West is a figure of suspicion. Well,
Speaker 1: Greg certainly he was trying to deflect. Greg is a
Speaker 1: figure of suspicions. Was having I have I filed some
Speaker 1: copy that night, I spent some time with the children.
Speaker 1: Did you really you can look at the email. I mean,
Speaker 1: your wife's in Tokyo. We have no idea what's going
Speaker 1: on in your life right now? On the board, no
Speaker 1: one's above suspicion. And finally, the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee
Speaker 1: titoons Uh. Jaguars can't get into the um by territory
Speaker 1: after their loss um and they've already won the the division.
Speaker 1: So they're in the three four lock zone. Is that correct?
Speaker 1: They're just locked into the three. They're locked out, right,
Speaker 1: and they're into the three and they'll play one of
Speaker 1: those wild card teams and the Titans. Of course, they
Speaker 1: can still get in the playoffs if some things go
Speaker 1: their way. Chris Wesley. If I'm a Titans fan, I
Speaker 1: want them to lose this game. I know that sounds harsh,
Speaker 1: but to me, the long term benefits of putting Marcus
Speaker 1: Mariota with a good coaching staff outweigh winning this game
Speaker 1: and being a lamb to the slaughter to whichever first
Speaker 1: round team you are going to play, which could be
Speaker 1: the although it could be the Jaguars again, a team
Speaker 1: that they did and it was a long time ago,
Speaker 1: but they did drop a hammer on him back in
Speaker 1: week to thirty seven to sixteen. Really the high water
Speaker 1: mark of the Titan season was that was early when
Speaker 1: their offense was clicking against the Jaguars and the Seahawks.
Speaker 1: It had a lot in common with the Jaguars game
Speaker 1: against the forty niners where they didn't get out to
Speaker 1: a lead and the other team ran the ball down
Speaker 1: their throat. Titans also have a general manager with Patriots ties.
Speaker 1: I almost would view this job as more attractive than
Speaker 1: the Lions one, potentially, and Josh mcd maybe would be
Speaker 1: a Josh McDaniels type of spot. I think that would
Speaker 1: make a lot of It's a fascinating game if you
Speaker 1: think about it. Last year at this time, it was
Speaker 1: the game that knocked the Titans out of the playoffs
Speaker 1: and ultimately got Doug Morone this job. Their entire franchise
Speaker 1: history was changed by Morone kind of owning them late
Speaker 1: last year. He could now kind of change the Titans
Speaker 1: franchise by going out playing to win this game. And
Speaker 1: they say the starters are going to play. I think
Speaker 1: they want to bounce back after last week. There there's
Speaker 1: such a better team than the Titans. They really would
Speaker 1: win this game. If it's a fascinating game, it will
Speaker 1: be the first fascinating Titans game I've watched all season.
Speaker 1: Are we are putting Are we putting all of Marcus
Speaker 1: mariota struggles the season on his coaching staff? Yes, I
Speaker 1: don't know if he's not seeing things. He's certainly making
Speaker 1: decisions where he's reading a defense in a certain way
Speaker 1: and it's not coming out this way. He thinks doesn't
Speaker 1: have a lot of around him either. Yeah, his footwork
Speaker 1: has been off to and how the middle of the season,
Speaker 1: how they had four rookies they were trying to get
Speaker 1: involved in offense and they don't do much anymore. Where
Speaker 1: are those rookies. Well, it's like they have the smash
Speaker 1: mouth approach and then they've got the spread hurry up,
Speaker 1: which he's clearly better at, and they're trying to meld that.
Speaker 1: How about you just have the part that he's actually
Speaker 1: good at. How about you build the offense around him
Speaker 1: instead of trying to go with your nine nineties smash
Speaker 1: mouth nonsense. We will see a lot of Derrick Henry
Speaker 1: in this game, though, because Marco Murray is hurt and
Speaker 1: this was a game Derrick Henry really ran well against
Speaker 1: Jacksonville the first time around. Two concerns I have with
Speaker 1: the Jaguars. Leonard Fournette looks slow and hesitant coming off
Speaker 1: a series of injuries, and Blake Bordles mechanics really regressed
Speaker 1: in the crucible of a close game. In the fourth
Speaker 1: quarter several different drives, he looked like two thousand, sixteen
Speaker 1: blake boards taken apart by Jimmy G. This is they're
Speaker 1: not playing Jimmy G this week. And that was a
Speaker 1: coaching thing, and I just don't you know, coaches getting
Speaker 1: specific matchups and you just don't That's the thing. I
Speaker 1: don't trust Malarkey to be able to do something like that.
Speaker 1: They're no Marke's Lee still for the Jaguars, which is
Speaker 1: a big loss for them. The next time you hear
Speaker 1: from us will be Sunday night, New Year's Eve. In fact,
Speaker 1: no rest for the weary mark because guess what New
Speaker 1: Year's Eve We're doing like a an hour and twenty
Speaker 1: minute mega wrap up and then the next morning get
Speaker 1: on up because it's Black Monday. I love how the
Speaker 1: calendar worked out this year. It's really beautiful, perfect for us,
Speaker 1: very healthy. But we're not complaining. We we have good
Speaker 1: jobs anyway. It's until Sunday night. Thank sure you check
Speaker 1: it out. It's the flagship program and check out NFL.
Speaker 1: Pick them which airs? I think it airs two times.
Speaker 1: Check your local listings um and yes there is a
Speaker 1: hot mant Teo call back. Do people still have local listings?
Speaker 1: I don't know, just their guide. I guess on the
Speaker 1: TVR dead signing off for a quiet storm, the mailman,
Speaker 1: the old boss, you don't mess with the Fulton behind
Speaker 1: the glass tell Sunday Night. Weeks seven day