2019 Championship Weekend Recap

didn't quite work out. The the Patriots are moving on again. Well's say your team, Dan is moving on. I got the lock covers that threw your way behind them. I threw my way behind him and I and I did get the lock. But there's an old Bill Simmons, you know, who's one of the more influential Boston sports writers in

the last twenty five years. He used to say it over and over again, back in the day before Boston started winning titles in every sport every year, when he would lament the existence of the Yankees, he said, rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for the house in blackjack. It's a great quote, and I think that Greg and Erica on the special day. I would never take it away, any of this from you, because you get to enjoy another trip. Nine trips now for Tom Brady, uh the

super Bowl. But if you if you're ever wondering, wait, why is Dan? Why is Mark? Why is so much of America salty? Is that nobody likes to see the house clean out good people on the other side of the table. And that's what happens. It feels like every January. It was remarkably similar. And yes, for our listeners, despite the lock, Dan was living and dying with that game as a Chiefs fan, as a Patriots fan, I don't blame you at all. Weston nailed it. It was satire

on Thursday and a bit of a reverse jank. And if you thought I was actually rooting for the Patriots, you are listening to the wrong podcast or mentally deficient. I mean, read between the lines. I will never root for the Pats. So I was rooting card for the Chiefs. And it got to the point where Gregg disappeared about midway through the fourth quarter, and it took a couple of seconds. Figure, oh, he's probably upstairs with the rick. About three minutes left doing the docy dough up here.

I mean it was about three minutes left. Tim Posty hits me with the slack like he should just come up here, and I was like, oh yeah, like come up here. It's wicked fun up here. Life is short. Do I wanna sit in this uh newsroom? No like

result good or bad? This this might be the last time they're in this spot, in this newsroom where everyone is against them, and you know, it's just like annoying sort of being surrounded as you guys can imagine, I mean for big Jets or Brown's games, or do I want to come up here with a with a charming, energetic Patriots fan here who I could enjoy that. I

totally see why you shifted seats. Mark would have seen first when you got up like and you're like in your little sports coat and you like darted sheepest lee down the aisle with your with your lapt your laptop. I thought, where is Greg going in the middle of this? Like critical? Well that was then it was like okay, and you know what, I don't blame you because you were surrounded now, but you were surrounded by people that did not want your team to succeed. On any level,

just the whole news froom. I think like there was like when the Patriots won, then there was an audible like nothingness in the room, just a few groans and no response. There was one moment where I thought it would be nice to be down there, and that was when Gronk made that catch down the sideline, because I would have liked to hear Chris Wesley's guttural enjoyment because he wasn't he He loves a good Gronk and Brady

moment that play. But I was screaming and yelling at overtime, astonished at Tom Brady being in the zone and just unfurling one after another, impeccable ball placement on all of these throws. All right, great setup. You set the table nicely there, because the way I look at it, since I'm hosting the podcast, let's get this out of the way, all right and talk about the Patriots and Chiefs from

Arrowhead Championships Sunday. Let's dig in. Shouldn't Grady undershutter and give the Burke and runs it left for the wind touchdown? Patriots himmer ball for Super Bowl fifty three. What a call? Soucie We're going back, baby, and already nothing you get to a plotic America's more Snight, Mayor's Back. We're called were super Bowl in five years, Packer backs, starre war busses. We're coming whole Boston. There's a human red bull can Scott Sola along with Bob Sochi of w b Z

with the call. The Patriots recalling memories of their last Super Bowl conquest, one the overtime coin toss and march right down the field to glory, this time Brex burke Head scoring from two yards out the final play, and the Patriots win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the a f C title game. Tom Brady a surgeon during that final march and now begins prep for what will

be his ninth Super Bowl. That is just stupid West Wild game, multiple lead changes, defenses that couldn't get a stop on either the side of the ball, and a legendary q B who came through yet again. Four fourth quarter lead changes, several replay reviews that looked like they could have gone either way. Another in a long line of two minute drill touchdown drives by Tom Brady, a thirty second field goal drive with two great throws by Patrick Mahomes and then Tom tom Brady to start overtime.

Has one of the best exhibitions of ball placement I've ever seen. And this man was in the platonic ideal of the athletic zone. He was there. He said before the playoffs started in the in their bye week that there's nothing in his life, in football or outside of it, that can replace the feeling that you have during the playoffs. And he has played like it the last two weeks,

and the Patriots have played like it. They have played their best two games of the season in the playoffs and what stands out about those drives is they're so shorthanded on the outside. They're trying to throw it to door set. They're trying to count on Cordarrel Patterson to win off the line of scrimmage and catch a pass that they're getting into these third and long situations, and

then who do you go to there? It's Julian Edelman, who was not as best for much of the season, and it's Gronk who had one of his, if not his best game of the season. They needed three touchdowns to win the game. On their last three drives. They got three touchdowns on their last three drives, and Edelman and Gronk had a hundred and six of the hundred

forty seven yards on those three drives. It was those three guys and James White earlier in the game kind of the guys you think of as the Patriots in this now four to five year run where they keep making it back like it was more than that too, because for the second straight week, the Patriots coaching staff that should not be a shock to us, put on long stretches of minutes of dominant play and play calling with frankly a roster on offense that I think other

coaching staffs would not be anywhere close to the a f C championship with some of the guys that Tom Brady's throwing too. And for all, you know, the heat that we give New England and the exhaustion around whatever the experience is covering this team going back to the Super Bowl. I mean, I think down the road, as a human being that loves football, you cannot help but look back on what Brady does in a game like this, where the whole narrative all week is, you know, understandably

he's an older quarterback. It's gonna be twenty degrees, it's gonna feel like it's three degrees. You're going up against young Patrick Mahomes Holmes, who, like you know, it's impervious to cold, and Brady shrugged off all the elements. Mother nature can't take him out. And I think also the defense, which we kind of can gloss over because there's so many known quantities on offense played for the first half and in credible half of football until the Chiefs got

their playing. They Chiefs put up twenty four points in the fourth quarter, and Patrick Mahomes uh looked every bit the m v P in the second half of the first half though. Uh they didn't score um a point until late in the quarter. Right did they get a touchdown late in the quarters? Half fourteen? Nothing happened, thank you. They got on the board almost immediately in the third quarter. Um. I want to point out one more thing on this

the Patriots that I think is overlook. Brady is brilliant and on that last drive, it it just felt, it just felt like it was done. The coin the coin flip which called heads, always called heads. Every ball like West is saying right where it needed to be. And I think what's not getting enough love, and certainly will because what else do you talk about the Patriots for two weeks now, which we have to do almost every year now. But the offensive line deserves a lot of

credit for what they did these last two weeks. We know that Brady is old and slow and doesn't like getting hit. That hasn't changed just because now they're winning the playoffs. He still doesn't like it. But they too often if you're a Chiefs fan or if you're a Chargers fan, you just couldn't get near the guy. And that's just the credit to their line. Absolutely, And I want to touch back on what Mark said about the

Patriots coaching staff. These are two of the most dominant first halfs you will ever see in the postseason, and they have forty feet downs versus thirty nine total plays for the Chiefs and Chargers in the first half of the last two games. They had more first down than the other teams had total plays in both games, and and Belichick talked about it after the game. They could

have scored more points, they struggled in short yardage. Brady's interception on the goal line would have been the play that Patriots fans remembered if they went on to lose this game. But the Chiefs defense, which is was not great all day, by the end of that game, they were worn out. The Patriots ran ninety four plays, not even counting penalties, would have been even more nine four plays to forty seven for the Chiefs. The Patriots had more runs in a game then the Chiefs had plays.

And it then made Patrick Mahomes need to be perfect late and that if they had won this game, the Chiefs, that is, it would have been such a great individual performance by Mahomes who made mistakes in the first half because for the most part, I think they beat good play calls that Mahomes won late in the down where it was just Mahomes magic. Other than the touchdown uh play where which came kind of on another controversial play. A million plays you could look back on. It was

a pick play by the Chiefs. For the most part, their scheme wasn't winning. It was Mahomes winning. I don't want to say this because it's gonna seem like I'm just being salty, as Ricky and the millennials would say. But we're well after that game. If our Brilliums millennials say that people are being salty. That if anyone was out there watching our sky Sports hit right after the game, which was well after midnight in the UK, so it

was it was a salty it was. It was a fun five minutes for me because it's right after the game and as salty as Dan and Mark have ever been. I feel like on air we're like an hour plus removed from that now. So everyone it was salty. Um, but this is what needs to be said. And I don't care Patriots fans, could you know, stick it up their butts. Luck is a big part of what's been

an incredible ride from them as well. And every you could point to ten different plays and almost every year things that just seemed to go their way, and that's part of what drives the Patriots, drives you crazy as a Patriots hater. In this case, it was a play that will stick with the Chiefs and their fans and DeFord for the rest of their lives. And it was and it's funny how it changes everything. Joe Montana, I've

talked about on this podcast before. Um Billups of the Bengals, the defensive back, let's a game ending interception, go through his hands. Um that keeps Joe Montan of the Niners alive in Super Bowl twenty three. So Joe Montan is not remembered for that interception. He's remembered as a guy

could never get beaten in the Super Bowl. Gronk, who were saying, had a great game, and he did, and it was a bounce back effort offensively for Gronk if dfour doesn't line up with his foot in the neutral zone, which is an inexcusable play in the fourth quarter of the af C title game. This game is remembered as the end of Brady and Gronk because Gronk let the ball go right through his hands and into the opponent's hands for game ending interception. That is in the Chief's

run my pain rankings years ago. That is as painful way to lose, and we saw two games that are very painful ways to lose today. But Chiefs fans will never forget d Ford and never forgive him for that play. I agree, But I also feel like seasons could pass where you find a Patriots player doing the same thing. It's the biggest moment and they are drummed into their

heads the details, the little moments like that. I just I think it's it's believable from other teams, it's not believable from the Patriots, and they do create some of their own luck. I mean, I one sequence that there's more plays, but that is right that you could say both sides. That is the game deciding play with the Chiefs nursing a uh four point lead, but it was until it was third and nine on the very first overtime drive and you have throw a low percentage through

then that's the game turning play. If the Chiefs make up the game over, if the if d Ford has his feet on the right side of the line. I'm just saying it is what. It is undeniable that the Patriots have been lucky throughout this dynasty, but they've also that goes both ways, like if not for the helmet catch and Wes Welker's drop, they have two more super Yes.

My answer for that is absolutely, And I think luck is underrated for how much it affects all of sports, especially the NFL, where it does come down to a

few plays, it's a monster factor. But the part that's not lucky is putting yourself in position again and again because the Patriots and the and the Patriots have been on the other side not just of painful Super Bowl losses, but it paid for AFC Championship Game losses, which came down to a play where they could go pick out a luck, so that the magic is just kind of

getting into that moment. The call that that got me agitated was the because it's not it is, let's even remove it from Patriots chief specific I just see too many of these roughing the pastor called the one that was on Chris Jones, where the replay shows in my mind Chris Jones, you know, following through with an attempt to swap the ball or get something on Brady and not really going for the head on any level, and ultimately it looks like his hand kind of just went

on Brady's jersey and said, let me straighten that out for you, sir, before I get flagged for a killer penalty. Yeah, that was that. The only time you heard Chris Jones his name today. I mean, you only heard I don't think I heard justin Houston. And you know what it is, it gets it gets so roughing the passer penalty that kicks started. I believe the drive that put the Patriots a head late, it would have been a third and seven for the Page Treats if they didn't get that call.

But that that's kind of what I mean, is like, if you don't get that call and in Chiefs fans remember that call based on what Brady did on third down the rest of the game and overtime, especially at that point, it's like I would have trusted Brady to

make the next place. That's why I'm sort of saying even remove it from this specific game, because it's just more that those calls don't really have a place in my mind in a huge moment like that, Like it's so redundant to say this every game before the Patriots square off against someone with a great pass rush, Oh well, this will be the team that finally makes life tough

on Tom Brady. And you thought it was Joey Bosa and the Chargers, and then you thought today, oh the oh the team that can You know, they can't do a lot well on defense, but they have been playing well and they lead the league in sacks. You're gonna find a way in Arrowhead and guttingly freezing temperatures to make like a life uncomfortable for a forty one year

old quarterback and they don't even get to them. I mean they almost had a Gholston, which long time listeners of the podcast means no QB hits, no sacks, depending on which stat service you trust, Jesus or ESPN. Derrek Nandi may have had a quarterback hit in this game, but the fact that he dropped back forty six times, he averaged two and a half seconds getting rid of the ball. So that's more Brady than the offensive line.

But it was also the protection scheme, and Romo did a great job pointing out Grant Chipping, you know, the coach the best, Romo was unbelievable. And and Brady didn't leave the pocket one single time. So it's forty six times in the pocket without being touched, Like that's everything

coming together. That's but it's Brady more than anyone. And like the the and that's why I love Romo is that he has a better feel for when the quarterbacks are changing the play at the line of scrimmage, what they're changing you to How many times in this game did he point that out right before Brady made the perfect play call, including on a fourth uh and goal on the goal line where he changed it to a

successful touchdown. It's like that's his magic. Like if you want to know his magic, that's his number one magic. That's Brady's man. It's I go back again to New England's coaching staff because they know that they have a quarterback that's not going to scamper free left and right, you know, rolling around the field and throwing sidearm like Patrick Mahomes if you if you do get to him, he's in hot water. And they find a way with a lot of offensive linemen that sometimes they rotate in

and out. You don't even know who these guys are. He doesn't get touched. It's just like this is coaching. This like this is what the Rams are gonna have to deal with. And I think the keya to have to run at forty eight times. People like the Patriots went against every tendency that analytics say, don't run on first down. They ran on first down for much of the game and I think ultimate but here's and then they transition when it wasn't working. Here's my beef with

how people use analytics. Analytics or to go against tendency. That's how analytics work. When everyone else is going one way, you go the other way because that's where the value is. Take it out of your hat, analytics. I do feel for Andy Read. You're confusing me. I don't know, Andy. I feel so bad for Randy Read. Yeah, that is. That's a bummer, because here's the good news, Randy Reid. Patrick Mahomes is going to be on his team next year too. And you know what they need to do

to get better. They need more impact players. And perhaps I did do a little web surfing. Do millennials still use web information Tampa. That's because I got to connect with the youth to get the podcast numbers. I know, but it sounds like we're kind of taking like a bit of a shot at them every time we kind of you say, I want to know. That is not the way I said it, That is how you seem

to say it to me. I looked up a Chief subreddit just to see where the fans are at emotionally, and as you can imagine needed, as you can imagine, um, bitterly disappointed, still optimistic about the future with Mahomes there. But everybody wants Bob Sutton fired. But I don't even know like Bob Sutton their defensive coordinator. Obviously the Chiefs had no answers down the stretch. Great second half adjustment. Well,

here's the thing. Also, it's like you could kill Bob Sutton for his defense giving up touchdown drives every possession down the stretch. But they're on the field for like a hundred play. It was the same. It was such a carbon copy. I'm sure you haven't grained in your head. Greg, how many plays did the Patriots run in the Falcon Super Bowl. It was the same thing. Atlanta had nothing left in the tank by the end of the game.

And uh, the coin toss. Really you could argue Patrick Mahomes never gets on the field and overtime, which is heartbreaking for the Chiefs, but that coin toss could have decided the game. I agree with that on the coin toss. But it all starts early, and that's when the Patriots coaches won. How good have the Chiefs been in the first quarter? How good has Andy Reid been at scripting plays? And they were bamboozle than the first Corps fifteen play,

eight minute drive touched un so. So the Patriots start perfect on offense and the Chiefs, you know, start I think with two, three and ounce for the first time they had all year. The Patriots had a plan double double Hill, and they had Gilmore on on Travis Kelsey. In the second half, they had a different matchup. In the first half, they switched it up. They threw the ball eight times to those two guys. I mean, those are the two best players. They had four catches for

sixty seven yard. They shut down those two guys. They it worked to perfection in the first half and the second half. They they had to take j. C. Jackson off at Kelsey because he was getting burnt. And that was j C. Jackson was leading all cornerbacks in opposing passer rating entering this game and he got fried three

penalties in the fourth quarter alone. I mean, they I always kind of always, I'm not sure about the whole keep it away from Mahomes that's the way to do it, because ultimately still have to score more when you have the ball. But in the first half they only had the ball three times. I mean, that's kind of amazing. They punted off three. They only had nineteen plays that

that was their first half. The Chiefs, I mean that when their first true drives went for negative two years after that they were the Chiefs, you know, after that they were the Chiefs, and then some I think that the Patriots, I mean, you know, everyone made a big deal as they should have last week when they came out against the Chargers with a seven plus minute drive opening drive touchdown, which was the longest in Bill Belichick's

New England history. So they come out today when you kind of see what they've been doing to everyone and they have a longer drive. That record didn't even stand a full seven days. Um mentioned how the Chiefs did nothing in the first half. Mahomes, who was brilliant, as we said, in the second half, he takes a little blame for what happened in the first half. The one possession that really got away from him is he had the big completion of Tyreek Hill, who was very quiet

in this game. As we said, Um, they were set up uh to get on the board. He misses a wide open was at Watkins, wide open, Sammy Watkins and then takes a bad and Williams on the wheel route and then takes a bad sack and that took him out of field goal range, so that they were they were out of sorts in the first half. But as out of sorts as they were in the first half. They scored a touchdown I think four plays into the third quarter, and at that point it was a totally

different game. And they got the best game they've had all season from Sammy Watkins, who's been you know, banged up, and I think that had a lot to do with Tyreek Hill being essentially at race. I mean, they scored twenty four points in the fourth quarter that they That is outrageous. He got the you know, Mahomes got the

ball back needing a touchdown with three thirty two. He almost did it too fast, and then he got the ball back again with thirty nine seconds left and had two unbelievable plays that not that just about no quarterback is going to make and sets him up for overtime. The only thing I would have gotten on read a little bit was like, if I'm the Patriots, I'm afraid of them going for the end zone one more play

And that's easy to that's easy to second guess. But I don't know, you have the sup you have the Super Bowl sitting there in front of you with eleven

seconds left. I don't know that defensive alignment, though, was not designed to give up a play like that, and I having slashbacks from Miami, where like people just killed Belichick after the game for something going wrong, Read would have been killed if if the young quarterback forced one into cover brambling up to the line to try to, you know, get the to down the ball and end the clock, and the thing runs to zero, Read would

be getting destroyed. What one of the images I will remember from today more than any other is Erica tam Posse dancing with her tam Posse jersey in back of the glass while we were about to do the sky hit, but Dan and Mark refusing to look up at her. I did not see this, gave you like a I'm happy for you. I don't know. Can we the house in black Jack wins? Congratulations? Thank you, I'll take that. Mark,

Why didn't you come with me? Man really thought about it, but I kind of just said, you know what, I'm gonna roll with the home team and thought that I was sitting pretty after the road team won the first

game today. Spoiler alert, last thoughts, Yeah, can we stand in all of Tom Brady and put his greatness into perspective for a minute here, Mike Giardi, are our Patriots reporter on NFL Network said that he entered the facility early in the week and said announced to everyone, I'm the baddest mother trucker on the planet when he walked into the door. And then Julian Edelman says he proceeded the practice all week better than he has at any time all season. He now, this is where he stands

against his competition, and as a quarterback legend. Twenty eight more touchdowns, seventy eight more yards yards, thirteen more victories, and four more Super Bowl appearances than any other quarterback in postseason history is more yeah, wow, more appearances than Montana. They're the same that Montana even made it. And since his thirty fifth birthday, he's his numbers stack up against anyone's for their career just about. I mean, I think you have to consider him like a Michael Jordan's level

player in his spot. I agree with that. And speaking of putting greatness in perspective, every legendary chapter that gets added to this books every year only enhances the greatness of what Eli Manning and Tom coflin off and two separate Super bowls. I mean, it just enhances Eli's Hall of fame candidacy, It just it makes Coughlin look like

even more of a genius. But does yeah to me now, like and I'll say this, if the Patriots lose on Suer Bowl Sunday too, that enhanced like the losses enhanced Brady's reputation too, because I was thinking about that and you're like, you don't want to see your team losing the Super Bowl and they're kind of boring to cover

and and all that stuff. But to have this performance, like they could go lose forty one to nothing in the Super Bowl and to have this sort of performance, which to me is up there with anything that Brady has done. To do it another, to do something you haven't done before, win on the road like this, it's for Gronk to have that moment. And like when everyone was making retirement jokes about it, no matter what happens in the next one, to back the truck up, just

retirement jokes about Gronky nothing. If they lose forty one nothing in the super Bowl, no one is going to care about this game or the least, but I will, like, and I we're talking about the larger reflection of Tom Brady. If they walk in and get blank forty one nothing. No one's gonna remember that they beat the Charger. It's it's an it's an extreme example, but I did is extreme.

I do think that that is the sign of greatness showing up that many different times and you have to show up and you lose something like if you that you're gonna lose some super you show up nine times.

Speaking of black jack, this is what we cannot We're gonna be doing this for two when the Patriots, When the Patriots make the super Bowl, it is very for Patriot haters like Mark myself, when they make this, when they make the super Bowl, it's like doubling down in blackjack, because there's nothing better than a Patriots lost in the

Super Bowl. But there's nothing worse than the Patriots one thing, because there were multiple of that we've been to where I was like rooting for Tom Brady and you've been conflicted over the years. I can tell you really respect Belichick and Brady, but you seem to just be exhausted by this. I it's just like I said on on Sky Sports, it's not the game itself because they played these amazing super bowls. It is and it is. It is fun to go to the super Bowl. No matter what,

we're gonna have a great time. But I just sometimes like news stories and fresh stories. That's all. It's not even really a complaint. It's just an observation of like the run up to the Super Bowl is always slightly absurd for whoever's involved, and it's gonna be you know, this is even like going to take all the Sean McVeigh think pieces that are coming at us, and it's gonna it's gonna dampen all those and put them in the background because it's gonna be another Brady thing. No,

you got it all wrong. It's gonna be the young genius against the old will be. It will be, but it's not gonna be Sean mcveigh's stage alone on any levels. Because of this, it's going to be an annoying like the narrative writers are gonna have either way, because either the Patriots kind of dot the dynasty by you know, coming back around Brady seventeen years later against the Rams, or the Rams like end the dynasty by kind of coming back around the Patriots are back the next year. Stupid,

there's the stupid. Don't put any dot or explanation point on the Patriots. Is it just gonna go on forever? Right? This is no dot beatific Eric there, I feel like, by the way, by the way, weeks of this too, Mark, you want new stories. You've never been to a Super Bowl that the Patriots have won? With me? Why can't you just be happy? Why can't you see how happy? You're the person that I'm would be agitated at. But it's just it's We've done this with Greg five or

six times. About Greg. I'm asking you for good luck, forget about him. He's gonna be in my ear for like in the next forty hours. We got to move on. But I'll remember this when Baker Mayfield's at his ninth Super Bowl, I'll start being all cranky in your year when you're well that four years old. Yeah, we will be in our sixties at that point. Um, all right, let's move on to the other title game today, played earlier at the Supernome. He seven yard try to win

the NFC championship game. Behold, he's down, The kick clears the line and Greg Zerline s super Bowl play for the Lombardy kspns j B long with the call, Greg the leg zer line tilled a fifty seven yard field goal with room to spare, the decider in the Rams three overtime win over the Saints in the NFC Title Game. It was the first and only lead for the Rams on Sunday. You battled back from a third teen nothing first half deficit to secure their first Super Bowl birth

since the two thousand one season. A lot to get into here, including a no call that will haunt the Saints forever, but let's start here. The Rams found a way to win a game in which Todd Gurley had just five touches markets a testament to a team that we heard all season lives and dies by Todd Gurley. Well they lived without him. There's a lot to as you said, touch on in this and we can. Yes, That's why I said that I'll open with just this.

This reminded me of what the Saints did a week ago, where the Saints got into a fourteen nothing hole against the Eagles and showed I thought, great resilience at home to find their sea legs on offense and do just enough to win that game. This Rams team, we we asked all week what would it be like to play in the Superdome? Well, they came in earlier in the

year and put up a bunch of points. So maybe all this stuff about crowd noises totally overblown, but this was one of the more lathered up, uh fiery crowds that I can remember ever really watching in the playoffs, and it visibly threw the Rams off their step. Early on.

There was like they couldn't legitimately there was the communication issues in Golf's helmet that they had to deal with, but they showed them over and over, and I thought, Trakman, you know, because he's been there, he could see what was happening. They couldn't even get the play out in the huddle, and it put Golf into a situation where it wasn't just Sean McVeigh, you know, throwing ce poems

into his ear and let's put up fifty points. It was like having to find your way out of that morass without your best player operating, and look almost mysteriously on the sideline because you find out that Sean McVeigh simply trusted C. J. Anderson more down the stretch in that game. And I'll let you guys unpack some of the other stuff, but I thought that the Rams, who

you know, at times have been on my radar. This is the kind of game where you cannot help but believe in them entirely with the way they handled one of the toughest environments to play in, one of one of the most surprising. We'll get to all the controversy stuff, but the surprising, most surprising thing in this game to me is that both defenses really won. I mean, neither team could run the ball at all. Neither quarterback I would say played a great game or even like a

B plus game for how talented they are. The two defenses one, but the Rams defense won more. I mean the Fowler Sue Donald Brockers made a few more plays to get to the point where it's thirteen nothing. They they stopped them early after the Rams turnover, which put the Saints on a short field that was huge. And then in the final four drives the Saints had three points. I mean the final seven drives they had ten points.

They really weren't the Saints offense, which I was more surprised by that than anything, because I just thought the Rams would have to have a great offensive day to win, and they didn't. They wanted anyways, with one of the great kick in NFL history. That's been overlooked a little bit too much in the post game because of all the controversial calls. Let's talk about the elephant in the

room here, which is the non call. That's how Unfortunately it will not be remembered for Greg the Legs bomb, which it should be because that was an incredible kick, one of the best we've ever seen in the playoffs, but will be remembered for the no call on Rams defensive back Nickel Robie Coleman, who late in the fourth quarter with the Saints UH in good position to run the clock all the way down UH near the Rams goal line and kick the potential game winning field goal.

Robie Coleman sprints towards the sideline to cover Tommy Lee Lewis on a wheel route, collides with him UH seconds before the ball gets very clear penalty. UH. Look too, fans in the stadium, people watching at home, jeans sterritor in the booth, and even the NFL because after the game, Sean Payton UH said this just getting up the phone with the league office. They blew the call. I don't know if there was ever a more obvious past interference

call and the result of this was clock stops. It leaves enough they still kicked the field goal to go ahead, but it leaves enough time for the Saints to go down and tie the game. So this is the the play that will this game will be remembered by Sean Payton devastated after the game because he knows that the flag comes out there. The Saints are probably preparing for the Super Bowl right now. Here's what he had to say.

If we were playing pick up football in the backyard, the team that commuted the file, I mean it was it was his obvious a call, um, And how we can two guys can look at that and come up and arrive with their decision. And it happened, though, so you can't dwell on it. Um, yere we you know, we probably never get over it. You know. The truth is you're you always some of these losses like this, but one one like that, Um, that's it's too bad.

It was a third down from the twelve yard line with one forty eight play scored, tied at twenty uh and the incompletion and lack of a first down allowed the Rims a chance. Robie Coleman West after the game said, yes, I got there. Too early. I was beat and I was trying to save the touchdown. You don't see that admission too often. Should have been called pass interference, could have been called defenseless receiver, could have been called helmet

The helmet could have been called unnecessary roughness. Take your pick. The magnitude of the missed call is such that I guarantee you there will be discussions about changing the rules on what can be challenged and what can't be This is the history of the NFL and rule changes going back to even like the seventies and Mike Renfroze catching the oiler Steelers Championship game that eventually led to instant

replay review. Um, these things happen, and it's just it's a horrible, horrible injustice, And it's really gonna take some of the attention away of Drew Brees coming up short with that pass and John Payton getting too cute with his play calling at the end of the game. Those two guys should be wearing goat horns and instead the referees will be Yeah, that's It brings up something that I really believe in Belichick. Maybe it's because Belichick says it so much that it never comes down like it

does come down to one play. But I refuse to believe that everything that happened before, and that especially everything that happened after it is invalidated by that one call, which was in you like all of these things can be true. It was absolutely a miscalled. Belichick, for what it's worth, has proposed officially at annual meetings that every place should be reviewable, and I think he probably will again, And that's really want that I don't necessary I don't

necessarily want that. But what I mean is, though to your point, the Saints have a first down there where Sean Payton calls a pass instead of running it twice to kind of burn the Rams time outs and then maybe throwing it on third down, and Drew Brees short arms a throw that he hits one Saints fan like hit me up with he that he hit a two nine fifty times. That play came directly after Drew Brees short armed a deep throw to Ted Ginn that Ted Ginn ended up making a play on because LaMarcus Joiner

didn't go after the ball secondly short armed it. I just don't think he has the arm for it, okay, which because I think his armstrack limitations were exposed down the stretch of this season, so Alvin Kamara has a no gain the next play. So all of these these things happen, and in overtime, the Saints get the ball first.

I mean, we could be talking about, oh, they're lucky because they won the coin toss there, but no, Dante Fowler gets pressure on Breeze, causes an interception, and the Rams go win the game with one of the great kicks. So it's like all of that happening doesn't invalidate it, but it's it's might be the worst call. It's certainly the most memorable miss call since the tuck rule, which

it wasn't even a miss call. But I think, just like the most memorable play, I think that Cowboys will I don't think that's quite there, but yes, yeah, I agree with you, Greg. I will say I think that the experience of the average sports fan um and by average, I don't mean unremarkable people, just you're you're you're running the mill people watching, okay, watching games like out at bar,

you're out trying to pay. You're out there with a bunch of Saints fans, and this call happens the response in a big, crowded, packed sports bar or in that stadium is not And I hear where you're coming from. But you know what, here's twenty five other things that could have gone differently. It's like a totally blown call at when the team on the threshold of making what is clearly most likely going to be the last real Super Bowl run that you're gonna get from Breeze and

Sean Payton. So I totally get the outrage. Fans have a right to be outraged and not be totally centered. We watch these games in an office sober for the most part, you know, breaking down all the ifs, hants and butts in the room. I'm just saying, like, like, at least sober minded and that we're not going crazy. So we lose our cool too. But it's like this, the average sportsman cannot be asked to pick apart for thousands other scenarios to nullify the fact that that was

a terrible call. It was ross call. I think one of the most distasteful aspects of our job is every Monday morning having to cover ad nauseum controversial calls and fans are always two worked up about it. In this case, it's an exception. I think they have every right to be upset and think that their team got robbed, and they should have one. Let's talk about other aspects of

the game. Obviously, that is such a huge part of this game, but there are other parts to talk about, like the fact that the Saints came very close to running the Rams out of the building. Uh. And to Los Angeles credit and the riots outside l A is on fire right now, not literally, but I mean the fans are just going nuts here, just kidding. It's very quiet outside, but how do you know I went for

a walk to seven eleven before very quiet? Uh, this is every Culver City is a pretty quiet place, unless like there are people lined up outside the gun store that I like. I said, it's very quiet outside. Thirteen nothing okay, Uh, fourteen three to play in the second quarter, the Rams facing a fourth and five at their own thirty okay. And I got issues with Sean mcveigh's decision to kick a field goal in the fourth quarter. Uh

when he should have went for it. Uh. He took the tie instead of going for the jugular and it would have cost him and but he got bailed out by that bogus call. That's that's him not hanging the onions, which really surprised me. But he absolutely hung onions in

this spot. Johnny Hecker, who never lets him down. Uh passes to shields a big game that got them, lead to them getting on the board, and once they got the game back under control um and got the game to thirteen ten late in the second quarter, they have a touchdown drive everything. They were fine from that point on, but this game was this close. And I even I tweeted him that this game was teetering on the brink of another disappointing playoff game, and it just changed after

that fake punt call. I just I think that you're exactly right, Dan, I. And the one thing about that the rams On offense showing resilience. But I thought by the time they got to overtime that Goff was more comfortable than he had been had been growing to that, and he made a couple of big money throws in this game. The dart the thirty six yard over the

shoulder one to Brandon Cooks was beautiful. He got Gerald Everett going with a like a catch and rumble thirty nine yard or he hit Josh Reynolds for a thirty three yarder. I mean, they made some big games in the big plays in the passing game when they needed it most. At the two throws that Goff made against pressure in overtime were where plays like I don't expect from him because those are plays that really he beat

what was the right play call two times. I mean those were the two plays I remember most from the Rams offense in this game because he has a free rusher coming at him and he does a pretty athletic move with to flip his hips to get out of the way and get the ball going. I don't think he gets I think he is a great quarterback. I'm not saying he's one of the best in the league,

but I think he is four years old too. Especially those he is such great form and great technique, and he just looks like he has He's so well put together as a quarterback. If you give him time. Every time he got a clear path, he was putting it right on the money. It was seeing him play and seeing Brady play. It was a lot of fun and it helps I think it helps his story. When Todd Gurley had the game he had where it was on golf more than you would have wanted it to be

to make those throws down the stretch. What did Gurley said? I had a sorry games something like that drops um. He got away with a hold on Eli Apple on a play that should have been a sack. It was great to find out what's going on with Todd Gurley. And he's gonna have two weeks if you're telling me it was just a coach's decision to take out a

guy that's the best player on the team. I would be surprised that there wasn't something physical going on that he he was on the bike on the sideline, but he was not playing well and and only touched the ball five times. That that maybe that he's not hud. He ended up playing only four snaps, less than than Anderson. He was the lowest graded player on the Rams offense on the entire team by a decent amount of party

profile focus. He he struggled in that game, and they were clearly running better up the middle, which is more of what Anderson does versus their zone scheme where they're usually an outside running team. And they didn't really try it that hard because the Saints defense, which you talked up West and I think played really well overall. I mean they would not. They both teams could not run the ball at all, Like they both had to sort

of give up on the run. When the Saints couldn't do anything except have Alvin Kamara beat whoever was assigned to him. That was their offense. A great team when for the Rams, but spinning back to Greg the legs erline and you know, I'm on the kicking corner. Let's let's call attention to that play because that drive in overtime for the Rams, they got they got the interception from Breeze when they got pressure on Breeze led to the turnover. They get great field position, they don't move

the ball much. I think they got maybe fifteen yards, they got a first down and maybe a little bit more in that range, and that is exactly fifty they were. It was a no brainer to attempt the field goal in the Dome, but it also was highly risky because if Greg the leg doesn't get it done there, the Saints are set up at midfield at all, only nating field goal, so the season is really on the line. And two people to credit Johnny Hecker, it was a

low snap that he handled, and then Greg's urline. This does not the fact that Jared Goff and I know he's the quarterback, and I just said he's a great quarterback. All that the fact that he's the one that they're talking to right after the game, and then at the podium with Terry Bradshaw in the locker room after the game, they have all these gabronies up on the stage. Greg's Airline. Greg's air Line drilled a fifties seven yard field goal to put his team into the super Bowl that had

fifteen yards to spare. Nobody was even really talking about it, but interview. A guy like Cody Parkey misses the field goal and he's the biggest villain in the world and he goes on the Today Show and he gets fired and all that. Why don't the kickers get more love when they do? This is the equivalent of making an incredible like a helmet catch or something drolling a field goal like that at those stakes. I don't understand why Greg the leg isn't a legend. Right now, you're gonna

retire his number. The rams are I should go ahead. I don't want to shake you to your very core here. Davice but Justin Tucker wasn't the best kicker in the NFL last season that it was Greg's rline last year. You're saying the two thousand seventeen season, Greg's airline, he didn't get injured at the end of the year, would have broken the points record because he was phenomenal. I mean,

that's one of the great kicks. And we needed the NBC graphic which says good from whatever, because that would it felt like it felt like it had been good from seventy two and Saints fans who probably aren't really listening to this podcast, I hate to break it. I mean, Garrett Hartley no longer has the greatest kick in Superdome history. That's that's the greatest kick in w Really, Greg, that was savage? Was that good? Art? I didn't know you're gonna turn hell on on the I mean, I'd just

say it was a great kick. What will your buddy Adam think? Now he's definitely Greg's. He'll turn on the Saints and like them since they won the superth You can, like a lot of things, something happens, Okay, yeah, what did happen there? This is like this the legend of me and spice Rack in Vegas. You guys always think there's something more to the story. Well that's with me and with you and the Saints. Well you just basically

acknowledged that there is more to that. Maybe maybe there is, maybe there isn't good work, don't We work with enough television producers at this point to where I like your kicking argument that if if there is someone's in their ear, it's like, hey, listen, we've got Gregg the leg but we also have Jared Goff right here. Which one do you want? They'll take off? Well? Can it be a

simple Is that right? No? But that's what the that's that's what TV produces can be as simple as like the Rams are new, and just like you're sick of the Pages, I'm not sick of Drew Brees. Maybe I'm a little sick of Drew Brees. I'm not sick of the rest of the Saints. Like the Rams are new, like McVeigh, like it's just on the podium next to Terry Bradshaw interview Craig. The legs are line a lot

of television. It's not a bad idea man in a fifty seven yard field goal to send his team into the Super Bowl, put up on television, and Dan's going for that pull quote. I'm way too dangerous. I think you're like, Dan's going for the Emmy. That's his Oscar clip right there. Um pull quote. It's gonna be out there in forty minutes. Anything else boys from this game, Yeah, I just want to say something more about the Rams defense. They have completely shut down the ground attacks of the

Cowboys and Saints the past two weeks. This defense was mediocre all year and since it keep Tilap came back, I really think they've They've up their level of play. You see and Dompkins sue playing like an all Pro again, and Dante Fowler for the last month and a half has been really disruptive behind Thomas had thirty six yards

in this game. My my one last thing would just be at McVeigh for all the hype that he's gotten delivered in such a big moment, not not just the field goal, but field goal change, which is is something like the coaches giving his team to change the game. I mean that's a coaching and bones obviously Jim Fassel, their special teams coordinator, but also the play call on that beautiful throw that golf made where he's creating a mismatch between Josh Reynolds and to Mario Davis, that's a

coaching play, Like, that's a coaching win. And the other one that stands out is in in the fourth quarter, he decides to burn a time out pretty early in the game to take a time out on third and four and what is He set up a thirty nine yard play to Gerald Everett that absolutely beat him. I mean, there were a lot of moments where McVeigh just kind of one and delivered on all the hype. I wanna also shout out to Lakisha. Oh yeah, you know, I feel I really do. I'm bummed for Saints fans because

they got robbed. But Lakisha like got up early this morning. She was so excited. She left really to go to a bar and get the table because she said, this is the biggest game of my life. She hadn't been a big, die hard football fan for the greatest show on turf years like she was. She was on cloud nine entering this game so nervous and excited. And to see her reaction from the Rams one. I'm sure you retweeted West, but if you if you haven't seen it.

I also retweeted Lakisha's reaction immediately after the game that that was really nice to see because she's such a rare fan in the sense that she lived in St. Louis, moves to l A and the team follows her. The people left behind in St. Louis probably a little more conflicted seeing Stan Cronky on that podium instead of Gregg's airline. By the way him being celebrated, I can understand the frustration there, But Lakisha, Uh, this is a special team

for especially so West's credit. We were up here doing the sky hit in the middle of the fourth quarter and I started to pick up for the first time that west was rooting for the Rams, even though he was happy for the Rams, rooting for the Rams, even though he locked up the Saints and the lock competition, the love of his life mattered more to him than that. Well, he's also got to deal with her all week long. If they lose, forget the love you could here's just

to play devil's advocate. If Westwood had didn't just a loyal uh to his woman and just got behind the team, he'd be tied with Mark going into the Super Bowl. So that's that's a fair criticism, and I think you're setting the bar very low for acceptable like fiance behavior. Of course I'm gonna I mean, she's gonna get way more value out of going to the Super Bowl in her team winning, then I'm gonna get for some block competition on a podcast all Erica, We're also happy for you.

Oh yeah, Erica and I locked up the road jogs y a roll for I think now hubba hey stand out at your event for the right reasons. With the Black Tucks dot Com, the Black Tux offers the kind of suits and tuxedo styles that would normally be wildly expensive. Did you write this wildly expensive to buy and you might only where once. With the Black Tuck, simply rent them online so you can blow it out for your big one time event and take your style to the

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be there. Of course. A reminder also when we're in Atlanta for the Super Bowl a couple of days before the big game on Thursday night will be our live show. Uh, from the City Winery in Atlanta. Tickets still available, but they are running low. I'm I'm hearing. I saw Ricky's photos of the City Winery and it seems like a very cool it seems a good venue. So the info is uh pinned to our around the NFL Twitter account and yeah, we're here in the tickets are going with

tickets are very limited. So if you want to be there for our second live show first here in the United States of America, hit up around the NFL on

Twitter and click that link and reserve your tickets. My significant other changed her flight to a day earlier to get there to witness this, So what does the you don't f it up pressure wise, And she's sitting there, she's like, this is the man that that will sink or float our family financially with his ability to be a broadcaster, and like you feel that energy comes She's looking at you, She's like, is he going to be the star? Is he gonna come up big? Or is

he gonna melt under the lights? Are you gonna feel that energy? I mean, when you're married to someone, they see you fail so often and so consistently that whatever I do with that shown no, not at all, but like it's not going to change any impressions at all. It's just like roll in, get it done, check the box, have a nice time, on to the next day, all right. And I think I'll think it's hot. We'll see I think she'll like seeing her man up there on stage,

and I think it's gonna be a great night. And you know what else, wives like, why don't you tell me? They like hotel rooms. So this is like, it's really setting up well for you. Help end this show as soon as possible. Wives hotel rooms. Ask any wife, they just love it. Yeah, And you can read into that however you want. Why you why are you making that face? Erica? I'm just laughing at you. You're so funny. You're so witty and funny and smart and handsome, and you have

the best hair. Oh my god, you're you're you're real piece of work. Erica. All right, that's it. Well, all right, here's the schedule for the week. Uh, Tuesday Twitter show, Thursday our next podcast, So we're we're not doing a Wednesday show this week, so Thursday podcast. Then we're on a plane, so no Sunday podcast. But then a ton of content for you. UH. Next week we're gonna be doing three UH shows NFL dot com video shows from

Radio Row in addition to UH the three podcasts. That includes Yes, the live show from City Winery, and of course our sixth annual post Super Bowl wrap up show from Megatron's. But I'd argue too many, too much contact many shows. That's a nick name for the Falcon Stadium, the roof, the facility, the roof opens up. Not Calvin. That's like the actual initial, the actual Megatron. Yeah, I get it, fake robot that's in a movie. Yeah, I'm not not the football player. I was definitely thinking Calvin

Johnson and I just didn't get it. All right, this is a good time to get out. This is Dan Hands a signing off for Quiet Storm, The Mailman, the Old Boss, Rickey, Hollywood, Behind the Glass, No tears. Two weeks from today, Ricky one way or the other, No tears. Here's here's a joy campos till t se