Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. Now, let me check your pulse if you're not far though, What is up? Dolphins? And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. How's it going, everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield, And on today's show, we go across enemy lines. Although I hate when people say that we're talking to a member of the opposition's beat or at their radio row,
I should say the Washington Commanders. JP Finley joins me to break down this matchup and talk about the commanders in general, which is kind of fun because they're a bit of a mess right now, and he gives us a detailed look into that, and we also get to think about the fact that we are not in that situation. So we'll talk to JP Finley, we'll hear from the assistant coaches, we'll pick the week thirteen games from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is.
The Draft Time Podcast. Maggie Jeffy my guest today. JP Finny joining us now is the co host of the b Mitch and Finley Show on one oh six seven the fan in DC JP, Finley JP. Thank you for your time today, sir and dropping by and talking some Dolphins and commanders with us.
Yeah, happy to man, Thanks.
For having me anytime. And I usually start these interviews off by discussing the opposing quarterback because it is the most important position in all of sports. And we'll get there, but I want to start today about expectations following some changes on the commander's defensive staff. I'm curious, you know, it's funny because it technically was Rivera's defense, right, but now he's the one back in full charge calling the defense.
What do you expect to see as they transition from Jack del Rio as the kind of de facto DC there to now back to Ron Rivera.
It's gonna be interesting. I don't know that it's gonna be particularly different. I think on the back end, Ron's going to play a pretty conservative just play cover three or quarters for a lot of the game, which honestly, I think will kind of like fall right into Mike
Daniel in Tyreek Hill's hands. Perhaps you see a little more aggression up front Jack Jack really wasn't big on blitzing or trying to create pressure because he just wanted to rely on his defensive front, and you can kind of understand why when they had Chase Young, Montees Sweat, John Allen, Duran Payne. They've obviously since traded away Young and Sweat.
You know, I think they're not getting much pressure.
They did against Tommy DeVito a couple of weeks ago with the Giants, but I think that was more of a Tommy DeVito factor than anything else. And they also played a ton of man I don't think they're gonna play a ton of man coverage against the offense of the kind of crazy too. So you know, it's funny because people are expecting it to be like a new voice, but Ron's been there. You know, he hasn't been calling it.
But also, defensive play calling isn't like offensive play calling, like you know, seventy of the time, it's maybe it's sixty percent against Miami, like they're gonna be a nickel and occasionally there's a blitz or you're mixing something up, but it's not like there's a play coming in every snap with option routes and all sorts of stuff. And maybe they have to play more dime against like maybe they need more dvs on the field against the Dolphins.
But the way your boys.
Run the ball, Washington linebackers are probably bottom five in the NFL, and I think they're gonna have I think McDaniel's gonna exploit that this week.
Honestly, you kind of went down my I did a preview podcast just taking look at the matchup in the film myself already. You kind of went down the list there in terms of those you know, the zone coverages, the shell, the roof of the defense that you know.
I go back to the Week one game against the Chargers for Miami, and they got all kinds of those fifteen eighteen twenty yard in breaking routes in front of those safeties, in behind those linebackers, and I saw a lot of that on the Washington tape, especially in that Dallas game on Thanksgiving. So it's nice to cross reference and cross check that and get confirmation from you on that, especially when it benefits us down here in terms.
Of what you might see someday for the Dolphins.
But I want to go to the other side of the ball, because you know, instidying this Commander's team. There was a player that I was very impressed by and it's my first time really taking a look at Sam Howe on the All twenty two tape. I was really impressed by his game. I think there is some feast or famine there with him, but I was curious. You know, you're around it every day, you talk about it every day.
How have Commanders fans kind of perceived his performance this season and do you think that they want him to be the guy long term? Do you think he's the guy long term there in Washington? Oh, man, that can't work? Yeah?
Really, Sam is uh. He's an exciting young player. He's got a big arm, good feet, good eyes. His footwork and keeping his eyes down field has really improved over the course of the season. He was taking a ton of sacks early on, but it's kind of settled down. I mean, he's still leading the league in sacks, but it was forty sacks through seven games and now I want to say he's at fifty five through twelve, so he's kind of figured something out.
You know.
I think before the season really started going sideways for Washington, most folks here thought he was the guy, or at least the guy that gets another year. Because he's on a rookie deal, and it's so advantageous from a salary cap perspective that they can't even talk about a new deal with him until the end of the next season,
right until at January twenty five. The only kind of complicating factor now is I mean, if the season ended today, they Washington with draft fifth overall, and when you get into that top ten, top five world, you've got to consider all your options.
And if one of these all war you.
Know, all time major prospects gets to them at five, they Caleb and Drake are probably gone. But what do you think about the kid from LSU right and his game, his game breaking playmaking ability.
I think that has kind of become a complicating factor now.
They could probably if they win a couple of games down the stretch, maybe they end up drafted like eight or nine, and it's not really an issue, but they're remaining schedules so hard and and honestly, the things just feel kind of ire irrevocably broken in Washington right now. You've probably seen this with the Marlins. I grew up an Orioles fan. I've seen this plenty. But when you got a baseball team that's got ninety losses and has two weeks left.
In September, and they're kind of just playing out the string.
That's kind of what it feels like in Washington right now, and so you just you don't know what.
You're gonna get week to week. And like even that Dallas game on Thanksgiving, it.
Was twenty to ten started the fourth quarter, right they were, and then in the blink of an eye it was thirty eight to ten and then forty five to ten. So is Sam the guy for the future.
Is a complicated question. There's a lot to like, but some of the.
Statistical stuff with him is totally kind of padded. They throw the ball more than anybody in the league, more than they should, frankly, so you know, some of his numbers are a little inflated.
He also, I mean, he's got pick sixes in back to back weeks.
His if you look at kind of some of the advanced stuff, his turnover worthy plays are fairly significant. He's coming off a three I in t performance two weeks ago against the Giants. There's a lot to like, but there's when you look at the whole picture, there's some stuff too that you're like, all right, is this a young quarterback that can learn or is this kind of some stuff that he just does.
Yeah, it's interesting. It's one of the situations where he could tech play himself into the role next year by winning games this year, like you mentioned, to push the Commanders out of that you know, prime quarterback range in
the draft. And it kind of leads into my next question here for you JP Finley from one of one of six to seven the fan in DC covering the Washington Commanders, because you know, you talk about the quarterback on a rookie deal and how it allows you to build the rest of your roster, and I think that the best part of his commander's roster in my opinion.
You can correct if I'm wrong. Here is the receiver group and the skill players in general on offense, and so you have how with all these you know, dynamic weapons on the outside, but also Logan Thomas and Brian Robinson look good.
Uh.
I guess my question here is is I'm surprised they haven't scored more because of that? Why do you think they haven't scored more offensive? I mean, you kind of went over the issues there with you know, the taking sacks, and they've improved that. Some pick six is here and there. But I feel like personnel wise, this offense has left a little bit of meat on the bone. Maybe would you agree with that?
Dude?
They had.
I want to say, one hundred and twenty five yards rushing and controlled possession for like thirty five minutes against Dallas and scored ten points. And they've had they've had three or four I think they've had at least three single digit scoring games. And you talk about the receivers, Dude, Terry McLaurin is a stud wide out. He's headed towards he's headed towards career low numbers.
I mean, his numbers are really struggling. John Dotson looked.
Like a real valuable weapon last year coming out of as a rookie. Now he missed some time, but he led this team in receiving touchdowns. He had seven touchdowns in like eleven games. And his numbers, I mean, he's falling off a cliff. I imagine like people in fantasy are just dropping him. So yeah, Eric Pienemy is the new play caller here. Came from Kansas City. A lot of excitement then. And if you just look at the numbers, pool but they are fourteenth in the NFL and yards game,
but only twenty first in scoring. Now, some of that is red zone efficiency, but some of that is also they have a bad habit. And if you want to say you're just competing to the final whistle, terrific.
To me, it looks a little like you're padding stats.
If you go through their game logs, there's a lot of hollow yardage, Like they were down twenty seven to three to the Damn Bears at halftime in week five, I want to say, Thursday Night game, twenty seven to three. So then they kind of come back and kind of pretend to make it a game in the second half and pile up a ton of yardage. But are you actually accomplishing anything there, I'm not so sure.
Yeah, it makes sense. I mean it's I only went back and watched a couple of games. That Seattle game, I was still impressed by the offense and howl and in the Dallas game, like you mentioned, I was just as a neutral observer on Thanksgiving, just trying to you know, bridge the time between the turkey getting done and you know, actually serving dinner, like trying to watch a football game. And it didn't turn out that way. But on the other side of the ball. I am curious because you know,
you mentioned the Giants game and the pressures allowed. I went back and looked at the way they pressured opposing quarterbacks post Young and Sweat trade, and it has fallen off pretty substantially in terms of just QB pressures. How are they replacing those two guys who have been the primary edge guys in place of Chase Young and Montees Sweat.
Oh boy, your euros down there is not gonna have nightmares about these fellas.
Casey two Hill is, you know, is a useful player.
He's definitely like worthy of a defensive line rotation, good speed, not a ton of size on the edge, but good speed, a high motor, smart player. He's been kind of one of the bookends. And then on the other side was he guy James Smith Williams, but.
He's been hurt and I haven't. I don't. I don't know that I saw him yesterday. I don't. I wouldn't expect him to play. I could be wrong.
Those two are kind of your primary guys. After that, they've got a pair of rookies, kind of late round rookies.
kJ Henry is a kid out of Klebs and then another young.
Man, Andre Jones, who's a rookie out of Louisiana, not LSU, but Louisiana. And you know, they're big, strong guys trying to learn and doing an okay job. But the myth, the one myth I want to dispel for your listeners is to understand it's kind of how bad things are in Washington and just how necessary overhaul is here. They were dead last in points allowed when they had chasing montees also, and they were middle of the pack in
sacks of pressures. So it's not like like trading those guys was the right move because you weren't getting anything done with them, so.
You might as well try to build for the future.
Yeah, you're always gonna be looking ahead, and especially with you know, new ownership like you mentioned that was it was cool to see the celebration that you know, kind of came across nationally when when Josh Harris took control of the football team finally, and you mentioned the pass rush there being down early in the year and the defensive production not being there. I'll finish with this before I asked, actually my penultiate question, because I always ask
how can the Commanders win this game? And based on your conversation here, jpidaphone, you're not gonna give me much of an answer on that, but I do want to ask it still. But first before that, just real quick on the interior. Deron Payne and Jonathan Allen are two of the best football players I have watched in the last decade, but right now their pass rush production is nowhere near where it usually is. Again, my question is
why what's going on there? Why are those two guys who are so dang good not being as productive as they should be.
Oh? I mean that's a sorry, man, that's just it's okay, dude.
That's probably about a forty two million dollar question if you look at those two salaries. I think Alan started year dealing with planner fashion in his foot. I think that kind of impacted him.
Pain. Pain is like.
In baseball, you watch a guy that's like a fifteen to eighteen home run guy, but he's a good player.
He's a middle infield or whatever.
He is, right, he gets on base, maybe a couple of steels, whatever, and then all of a sudden he has one year where he hits thirty six home runs.
Like, what do you expect the.
Fifteen to eighteen or the thirty six and Pain basically had the one huge pop year in a contract.
Here.
Pain's a really good player, but he's not gonna get you double digit sacks like he did the one season. The other thing with Pain and you can ask like personnel guys around the league. He and Sweat ran this just devastating stunt, probably better than any duo did in the league, where Sweat would put crack down onto the guard and then Payne could loop it on the outside and get to the quarterback.
I mean, they were devastating with this move and.
They've run it a couple times a game, and I think in the in the aftermath of not having Montes Sweat there, you know that's a factor for Garl.
Just real quick, JP, you want to let you know that you're making a bunch of the baseball references here on the show. You're right in my wheelhouse, my friend, I do that almost daily on the show. So a good company there making the baseball crossover references.
There.
Last question for you here and again I'll I know kind of where you're gonna go with this, but I gotta ask it. The commanders can win this game if and then you fill in the blink.
Sure, I mean it's the NFL, dude, crazy stuff happened there right right, Like that's just you got to start with that as the baseline. Turnovers. You know, Ji has got to throw some picks and fumbles stuff like that.
Washington has to.
Keep it clean on the turnover sheet, like a pick six, a punt return touchdown, something like like, you gotta They're gonna have to generate some points, probably from somewhere besides their offense. But that said, Washington can move the ball, and they can if they can score touchdowns in the red zone, not field goals. They have a bad habit
of red zone turnovers. And I if it was me, and it's not, and Eric vieenemy doesn't really subscribe to my theory on this, but I would really try to limit possession and I'm not snapping anything until there's five seconds or less on the play clock. I would try to run the ball in this thing you got. Washington's defense gives up the most explosive plays in the NFL. Miami scores the most explosive plays in the NFL. Try to limit how many times Tula and Tyreek get to hold the ball.
Yeah, I'm just laughing because I saw you tweeted that stat. I've been I've actually used some of my content here. It's fun to It's always fun when you have to forces like that coming into a game, especially when your team is the one that has the advantage, and that JP great.
There's one force and then there's one like empty plastic bag flopping around.
I definitely misspoke when I said in that term for either side of that equation, but either way, we all get it. It makes a lot of sense. One on six seven the fan in DC be mentioned Finley NBC four Sports. You can find him on social at JP Finley NBCs JP. Appreciate your time today, man, enjoy the game Sunday, and we'll talk to you soon for Commander's Radio. All right, thanks a lot, man, And so there he goes.
You know, I always get a kick out of talking to the opposing beat or radio personalities, whatever you want to call it, when their team's not having a great year, because the honesty that you get sometimes can be pretty fun, and I think JP is pretty fun with all that there. So you go, I want you guys to stay tuned right here because you're going to because you listen to the podcast in the first place. But I'm very excited about these next two segments. Go ahead and stay tuned.
We're gonna come back and talk about Jalen Waddell, the competitor. We're going to talk about Jason Pierre Paul and fit Here. We're gonna hear from Vic Fangio to a Tongue, Bi Looa and Frank Smith, who got emotional and his press conference today. And I'm gonna tell you about some very fun, exciting, thrilling, captivating makes the hair on your arm stand up type of information for how the Dolphins potential playoff path could
potentially could potentially look in one month. That's all Next Draft Time podcast, your host, Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. Before we get to the assistant coach media here, I wanted to run some sound real quick because I love it. As you guys know and seth listening.
I know you're gonna text me about this. I love getting confirmation on something that I've been shouting from the rooftops from a coach or a person in position of power, and in particular, last week, I gave waddle a top five tape because he caught everything, but he played his ass off as a blocker, as a route runner when
he wasn't part of the main progression. And I just mentioned how the physicality he displayed in the run game and in that game in general, you know, catching contestant balls as well, shows me that he's feeling as healthy as he has been all year. In a year where he's battled all kinds of nicks and bruises and let's just call it what they are, injuries. He's been injured a lot. So this question for Tua on Wednesday about what does Wattle do that doesn't show up in the
box score? I've been talking about it. Two was gonna say the exact same thing, but I think it carries a little more weight when the quarterback says this. Here's Tua talking about Jalen Wattle.
Go watch what kind of a player he is in the blocking game.
Go watch what kind of player he is?
Very physical, you know, he he's he's really like and I really say this as a testament to him, you know, obviously being the competitor he is, like, he doesn't really come up to me and like tell me, like, dude, throw me the ball or like he just understands like when my when my opice is here, like I'm gonna make sure I make use of all all of that.
So you know, it's it's not it's not something where we're trying to put Jalen to the side.
Jalen's in the mix.
It's just as we run plays for him, the coverages just don't allow us, you know, the the throw for, you know, the right look for for Jalen. But you know, he's continued to stick it in there, and uh, you know, I think he's done a great job.
So just keep an eye on this. We've not seen statistically the same version of Jalen Waddle as last year, but I think it's bubbling to the surface. And we saw that, you know, as evidence on Friday by the way he performed in that game. And I think he's a critical, critical cog for this offense to hit the stride in December. That would pair with how the defense is playing to make the Dolphins the most dangerous football team in January when you need to be your very best.
Speaking of adding to what you've already got, JPP is here. He's kind of glorious. We haven't talked a lot about him, but I think it's time that we do first my own thoughts. I kind of say, guys, I think he's gonna be a very important piece to this defense down the stretch. First off, losing Jalen, you lost a complete player who offered size that can sometimes be required to
tighten up the edge right. And what I mean by that is he can be an effective rusher while also holding the point because he doesn't have to rely on speed or getting to the upfield shoulder with a counter move to kind of surprise the tackle to beat him.
He can play right through that tackle that has fifty pounds on him in the weight department, and that helped him take him to plays in the running game where run and pass is a viable option, right first downs, second medium, etc. Plays where the offense is as likely to run the football as they are to throw it. Let's go ahead and hear from coach Fangio, and I asked him on Thursday, just how important is size off the edge in this defense? Because Phillips is a big dude.
Bradley was a big dude, Emmanuel Ogba is a big dude, and now JPP weighs like two sixty seven.
You do want size on the edge, for sure. You want to play big on the edge. You know, there's some guys that are only in the mid forties low fifties that played big on the edge, so you know, so obviously if you're bigger, that helps, But there are some guys in the forties to low fifties.
That do play big and strong.
But it's very important.
I just don't think you could have found a better replacement for a guy that you lost at this stage of the calendar. In fact, I think you're lucky in general that he was available in the capacity that he was right on the New Orleans practice squad. But just watching some of his recent tape, like all the same
stuff stands out. The long arms, they stand out, and that's probably the best trait for setting the edge because it keeps you in a position where you can keep the offensive lineman out in your chest plate the key area they want to strike, and you can kind of dictate the terms terms of inside outside At that point. He's a terrific option in the game packages stunts and twists because he can dent and collapse with the power that he has, but also the agility to kind of
knife across those moves. Inside he can rush from that three tech position like JP did so many times, and he's a closer man. He can get you one on one wins in pass rush situations late in games. He's got ninety four and a half sex and he knows what he's doing there a little bit. I think the reason that he was available at this stage of the season is that some of the juice he used to have that really made him JPP it's not there anymore.
He's not a young pupp anymore, which is to be expected, but he's not going to blow you away with that first step quickness. But his ability to be a physical presence I think will be huge. So finally, this was my first time meeting JPP, and I thought that he was just outstanding in his first media availability, very personable, he was very enlightening and kind of told us about his time in the league and what he learned from
that time in the league. And he was asked about his big game experience playing multiple massive games for the Giants, for the Ravens, for the Bucks, and what it takes to win at the highest levels.
Gotta be seen, you know what I mean? I don't been on two good Super Bowl teams, and to remember those things where we all all had in common. Everybody was sink, you know when it really matter. We locked in and we did our jobs, and we trusted each other, trusted the coaches do their job, trusted the players that do their job in and we just played physical and walls out. So you know, everybody got to be sinking and ready to go no matter what the situation is.
You just gotta believe in yourself. They have faith, they won't get a job done.
The first comment was you got to be in sync. I know it's hard to hear there. So I wanted to follow up with him on that and say, you know, how does a new guy who comes in December assimilate into a program full of very tight knit bonds this team has. How do you do that? Here's Jpp once more.
It's different, you know obviously, you know, like I said, I feel like the guys accepted me. You know, everybody will saying what's up to me? And they know who I am, you know, But for me, I just to open up and be myself, you know, And I feel like I'm being myself anywhere I go out be myself. So you know, uh, and I'm and I'm adapting to them, to be honest, and I'm seeking with them. But I think they already got it here, you know what I mean. I can see the guys out there running around having fun.
That's the most important too, having fun and being sek with each other. So as I'm looking and you know, learning the plays and watching everybody, I see that, you know what I mean, they got a good team here.
And then, just to follow up for and totally irrelevant to the point type of answer here, I asked him, what was your first impression of coach McDaniel when you met him? Uh, it's a.
Cool dude, man, you know, he he himself.
Man.
I like that.
You know, guy's telling me that's him. You know, you can't expect nothing of him, but you know he's he's he himself every day and I think that's important for a head coach, you know, to be himself. And you know, I think that's what he's doing. You know, he came in the meeting room earlier. I ain't know who was talking until I look down. You know, he was right, Doren, because I'm sitting in the front row. But obviously I
talked to him. You know, he know my history, and uh, we're gonna get a cracking.
You know.
I told him happy to be here, and they gave Hi an opportunity of good opportunity and to come home and you know and try to win a super Bowl, which I know these guys can, and you know he's gonna get a cracking and put it all the pieces together.
We're going to finish this segment here with some sound from Frank Smith because I just thought was really cool to hear the way he spoke about his name being linked to a head coach job. And if you can't sense it in the audio, I'll just go ahead and tell you Coach got pretty emotional when asked about that.
Not flattering, it's more humbling, so you know, you.
Like, I remember why I got into coaching. So it's like when all this stuff comes up, it's pretty cool. But the minute you worry about your goals and where you want to go, like you forget, like like.
For me, how lucky I am to be here today.
So all this stuff's cool, but like I really enjoy every day here and that's the cool part.
And it's, you know, one of those words, because like, like I'm gonna walk on from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
You know, every day in my life I remember it, So those things are pretty cool, but it's not a good effect today.
Yeah, I can't get enough of genuine vulnerability in a league where that's not always encouraged all the time. So good on you, coach. Let's go ahead and take our last break right there, come back on the other side, pick the week thirteen games. But also I have a fun segment, a fun monologue for you guys. That's next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you
by Auto Nation. So I usually like to open up a little bit of a monologue to begin the third segment on a Friday show or a Thursday show ahead of the game picks, And I think this ties into the game picks because of what I'm going to say for those picks for starters. Do you guys know the last time the Dolphins were favored in a playoff game? Before we do that, do you know the last time we had our starting quarterback in a playoff game? That would be fifteen years ago when we were bludgeoned by
the Baltimore Ravens and Ed Reid Chad Pennington. Wasn't it four picks? If I recall correctly in that day? Yikes? Think about that. We've limped into the playoffs the last two times, in twenty twenty two and twenty sixteen with our third string and a backup quarterback. In those games, and in the backup in twenty sixteen, Matt Moore got the ever living whip wop blasted out of him and it looked like, for a moment, we're gonna see TJ. Yeats.
That's like the Dolphins fan fate, right, TJ Yeats in a playoff game.
Fun.
The last time the Dolphins were favored in a playoff game was two thousand and two, by the way, that's the wild card round of two thousand and one, when we hosted the Baltimore Ravens again, the damn team, right. We were two and a half point favorites and barely scored two and a half points, lost by by seventeen twenty to three, and the Ravens literally urinated on the field after the game. Fun, right, Cool, that's fun for us.
This is all my diatribe and a way of saying that we're going to host a playoff game this year most likely, right unless unless you know Travis d befollows us here. Soon we are going to be favored and said playoff game. And hopefully, hopefully if we are those first two things we should have, this will be we'll have our starting quarterback for the game. And that's my way of saying, I think you're going to get the converse of what happened to us in twenty twenty two
and in twenty sixteen. And by that I mean I think you're gonna get a play a team that has a Matt Moore or a Scalar Thompson playing quarterback for them down here in this building where we eat quarterbacks like the VECNA eats the kids and Stranger Things? Do they eat kids? You watch Strange Things?
Right?
Do they eat kids?
Now?
I guess they don't eat kids. I haven't seen the show besides the first season, but I thought they ate kids.
I don't know.
But to bring this all back around, I have become addicted the NFL Playoff machine on ESPN, and frankly, it gets boring because I wind up with the Dolphins at thirteen and four or fourteen and three every time. The one game I can never pick is the Ravens game. If I have to pick one loss on the schedule, it's that one right road game, tough environment, cold weather, really good team, YadA YadA yah. If we run the table.
I do believe that fourteen and three will be good enough for the one seed, but really I think the aim has to be the two just because the Chiefs probably have only one real shot at losing in to me as Buffalo, but Monday could be tricky against the Packers as well. Baltimore has the Jags, the rape the Niners and us. The Jags have a pretty easy row, but do play Baltimore, who I think whips them pretty
good in that game. But the whole point is there's a scenario where the two seed could be the ultimate prize and here's why. So obviously the week off and automatic advancement to the divisional round is superior. I get that, I admit that, But what if and allow me to if you will, as Richard Brecky does so eloquently, allow me to paint a picture for you. And if I talk, you get money, But I never talk. Do you get the reference? Mostly you probably don't. So case is the
one seed we are the two. That's kind of what I think the goal should be. Buffalo goes on a run and gets in. But there are several teams that I think are in play for that seventh seed in the playoffs. And the way I projected out after doing this a few times is the Buffalo winds up in the six. We're the two, with the Ravens and the three,
and the Jags in the four seed. The way I have it played out is Houston's the five, Buffalo's the six, and then I have this pile up where it changes every time I do it between Cleveland with Dorian Thompson Robinson, Indianapolis with Gardner Minshew, and Pittsburgh with Kenny Pickett, Like, come on, man, and if you look at those teams schedules, somebody is getting in. Someone just is because they have easy roads. Maybe it's Denver. Their road is harder, So
I don't believe in that. But even then we beat those guys by fifty points. So if it plays out that way and the seventh seed is one of these teams and you get the two seed, you are a win over Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Indy away and a Buffalo upset in Baltimore in this instance a six over three game, which would then send the six to the one seed to play the divisional round. You are that scenario away from hosting Jacksonville or Houston in this building in the
divisional round. I mean, if I told you that was the case back in September, you would assigned your life away for that. If I told you that right now, you would do the exact same thing. Steelers Brown one, Jags Brown two. You would take that in a heartbeat. And then and then if Buffalo somehow goes to KC and gets another upset, if they stay hot, we would host Buffalo here for the AFC Championship game. And as we've all learned, the entire city is allergic to the sun.
Or we go back to k C and Tyreek has an ultimate revenge game, But that's different scenario. That's one of countless scenarios. But I think it's worth knowing that we are very likely to a be heavily favored in a playoff game for the first time in a long time, aka a great spot to snap a twenty two year playoff win. Drout or B and B, I should say, but potentially being pretty significant favorites in the divisional round as well. That's my take. That's my segment. Let's do
the picks. Let's put a bow on this edition of the Draft Time podcast by picking the week thirteen games. Coming off another very good Week twelve, we lost four of the sixteen games. Got that big upset on Thanksgiving Day with the Packers over the lines. Can we replicate that on Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs. We'll find out here in just a second. Go ahead and cue the music. One hundred and twenty seven and fifty five
on the year is sixty nine point eight percent. If we can get another eleven twelve win game week here, we should be able to push into the seventies again. Cue the music and start tonight on Thursday Night Football. I'm taking the Cowboys over the Seahawks. I think the Seahawks as the NFC West winners is probably my worst
preseason prediction. They are kind of falling by the wayside there, although getting Abe Lucas back their right tackle formerly of Washington State, Go Koogs is a big get for their offense line. So Cowboys over Seahawks tonight. I'm taking the Dolphins over the Commanders. Duh. I'm taking the Colts over the Titans, who had a back and forth affair with the Panthers last week, which I kind of think tells you more about them than the Panthers at this point.
But the Colts are rolling right now behind another Washington State Cougar, gardner, Minshew go Koog's give me the Colts to stay very much alive in the AFC playoff mix. And that kind of jives with the previous comment we had about the potential matchups you could see in the postseason right possibly the Colts, maybe the Browns, maybe the Steelers. Colts keep winning. That's why I'm rooting for the Colts, the Steelers and the Browns and all those teams. I digress.
Colts over Titans. Give me the Falcons over the Jets. I am taking the Jets to lose every game from here on out because of their quarterback situation. I'll take the Lions over the Saints. Lions I think are shaky right now, but the Saints offense is an absolute mess and Derek Carr saying all the wrong things. Give me the good team over a team I do not believe is good at all. Give me the Texans to bounce back over the Broncos. I think Denver right now is about as big of a farce as anybody in the
Nation Football League. It is funny because they've beaten Buffalo and Casey on the streak, But like throwing the run of the ball for two yards on first and second down and then having Russell scramble and check the ball down for another scramble first down like for the running back, I should say, I just don't think it's sustainable offense. Like wansteaed ball is not gonna get you very far. I'm taking the Texans to put it to the Broncos here pretty good. In this one. I will take the
Chargers over the Patriots. I mean, one of the Patriots done at all to convincetion they can win a football game. The Chargers are also terrible, but in this case the less of two evils Steelers over Cardinals. I really wanted to go Cardinals upset here, but even though Kyler's back and a really good player, I think the Steelers are still or the Cardinals rather are still a very very
bad football team. So give me the Steelers to win against a bad football team, which is what they've done all year long, right, and they're gonna keep doing it, probably all go into the playoffs again. Root for the Browns, Root for the Steelers, Root for the Colts. Maybe we see those guys in the first round of the playoffs. Next Tampa Bay over Carolina. I will not pick the Panthers, especially after watching David Tepper talk the other day. Take
the Niners over the Eagles in the big one. Philly has to lose a game at some point this year, besides the Jets game they lost. I think it's this one. I think the Niners travel well in this instance and go get a big win in Philadelphia to avenge last year's NFC title game. Give me the Rams over the Browns again. Root for the Browns, But with that quarterback situation, is DT are even gonna play?
Is it?
PJ Walkers Joe Flacco? No options are good. Give me Matt Stafford in that one. I'm taking the Packers on Sunday Night Football over the Chiefs. I don't feel great about it, but I think Jordan Love's playing really well right now. I think the Chiefs have gotten lucky a lot of their wins in this eight. One of the eight and three stretch they've been on against the Raiders last week as well, kind of looked really bad in
the first half of that game. I just don't think they're as good as they usually are in this instance. Probably wishful thinking, but give me the Packers over the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, and then the Bengals also fall into that category of teams. I'm not picking the rest of the way because Jake Browning, I saw enough of your dub tape to know you can't play the guitar. So give me the Jags over the Bengals. Those are
your Week thirteen picks. That's the podcast here. You all please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, all that fun stuff that we always talk about every single time we do the show. Go ahead and leave us a rating, leave us a review. Follow me on social at Winfield, NFL. Follow the team at Miami Dolphins. You can find me on pre and postgame show with Goldie and Juice, Pregame postgame with Juice and my man Seth Levitt on one oh six five FM on the iHeart app and nine
to forty local here. I believe, I hope I got all of that right. I also check out The Fish Tank podcast with Seth and Juice. The olybay Verunnon podcast is out and is a great Go ahead and check
that out. Also the team YouTube channel for media availabilities Dolphins Today, we have another breakdown coming your guys away next week Jalen Ramsey courtesy of Yours truly don't miss that, and of course, last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com until next time, fins up on camera and Daddy, He's coming home.