2019 Week 14 Preview

Mark played football, played running back at the Pop Warner level. Um went on to high school when at a cornerback, cornerback, and I also actually was a right guard for a year or two. That had to be a bad team. Well, everyone weighed about seventy eight pounds, so it was like a different different times. Were you known for shutting down one side of the football field Cessler Island as it were? To be clear? No, Um, Hi, everybody, Hi, everybody, little sins.

A little update to the programming. Greg will be joining me tonight. Oh that is an update. Yes, in Mark's place, Mark is hard at work on a long form that about to be he's going to change the world. It's uh, it's caused me some stress, but I'm hoping the final product will tweet about some writer's block. Huh. If you've ever dealt with that, like, I just can't. I can't get out of it. I don't know. Do you know your boy Carolac? Yeah, drag himself to death? Uh, okay,

shot himself. Well, I don't know. We did not shoot himself. How old was he he died at I believe around sixty three? Okay, Yeah, that's not what A lot of times you kind of peek artistically and it starts going downhill. I was just putting it out there. Maybe the writer's block doesn't become unblocked. Oh, I've certainly peaked artistically. Nothing better. It's going to be happening at this point. You just started going through the motions trying to, you know, earn

a paycheck everything weeks and roll with it. It's a little different lineup on on Thursday night, we asked West actually, but just with the tension between the two of you from last time, last show, it just didn't seem like it was seems smart. Well, the kirks and stuff, just a lot of multiple issues. I had multiple people stopped me in the office to say they enjoyed the back and forth. Of course, though it was it was fine. Now. There times in the history of this podcast where show

ended and there was a little tension. I sensed none of that after I was good. I will say though, that the champ is here two minutes that was some real tension and also maybe my favorite two minutes of the show all the year. That was I mean, I I feel like I spoke honestly about and go back and check it. I hadn't seen the Sessler eyes the season. They came out in that moment, which I was not expecting. That topic will do it, and it's been doing it

every Sunday all season long. I'm with you on that one. This is a interesting week in football. First of all, uh, we have what I call three A plus games, and then in Ravens at Bills, Niners at Saints, Chiefs of Patriots, and then I I call them B plus games because I just think there's a lot on the line and there's fun games. Titans at Raiders, Seahawks at Rams. I might even give any minus the Seahawks Ram you want to bump it up A minus. Yeah, I think so I was bumping on up. I mean plus you got

out there Alan, Chris, Chris, Michelle. Don't leave Michelle out. You got last year's NFC champion. This is really there, especially polished today. What's happening? Yeah, what's going on here? How am I different? Your beard? Trimmed? Trimmed in the I trimmed the beard? Can we get it on Greg's beard because it's it's really really really uh you know, well you got makeup on coming up? Yeah, I did, NFL. Now that's the one that requires the makeup. Earlier beard.

I did get a haircuts. The only issue the mustache isn't connecting to the beard, but the rest of the beard looks amazing. Actually wow, there's a lot of uncomfortable with a pocket and after connect if you look good, okay in front of a touch Greg as much as you as it please, as you did anyway, So we got uh, we have two three A plus games, one A minus game in a B plus game, and then we got a lot of big wood being laid because there's a lot of just one sided games and according

to the desert, so it's an interesting week. It's topsy Turvy. It's gonna be fun. So let's get into a draft style. Uh old juicers picking first? And I thought, wow, how lucky that I'm picking first. But there's so many great games, as I just alluded to, that you can't really go wrong. In fact, it's it's one of those situations like in a fantasy draft we just stress out because it's like you have so you have multiple options that would work as number one, and then you're just who am I

gonna pick? Christian McCaffrey. Am I gonna pick Alan Kamara? That type of situation, or like David Johnson or sa Kwan Barkley and ruin your whole season exactly Exactly In my Fantasy League of Record, the guy traded for the number one overall pick, giving up his second round pick and his first to get quon he's not in the playoffs. Um, all right, here we go, first pick. It's Dan Mark Reig West West no bye week, so you've got four games on your plate, so dig in. It's terrible. We

might form out a game. It's not like I have to write about him. I'll have to do is watch him and talk about him on the show. Okay, here we go first overall pick will be forty Niners at STS. I'm gonna go to ten and two teams huge ramifications here in the NFC. The Niners listen, they've lost two games on field goals, this time expired, and yet now here they are in the fifth seed in the NFC UM so, you know, perhaps one of the better fifth

seeds in recent memory. And maybe they won't stay there, but hey, if they lose this game, they just might because the Saints uh moved up to the one seed with that Niners loss um in week thirteen, and I'll be very interested to see how New Orleans looks. I haven't been blown away by the Saints in the past month. November was a little bit of a weird month for the Saints. It started with that ugly loss of the Falcons, and then they stacked some wins and they won three straight.

But at and at no point in the Bucks game they were they were pretty good. But I wasn't really blown away by how they're playing. I think they need to raise their game a level, um. And the sign of a good team is that you win when you're not quite uh you know, raving on all engines. So again, This is not me saying I'm worried about the Saints or anything like that, but I wonder if the Niners are getting the Saints at a time before they kind of figure it out, or if this is all in

my head. I mean, are you guys seeing the same thing that maybe the Saints aren't really uh performing at their top level right now. The one thing I'm really impressed with. I don't think their pass rush and they're defensive front gets enough attention, and I you know, and this certainly in this game, you're gonna focus more on the forty Niners defense. But they absolutely battered Matt Ryan and the Falcons in that last game. And you know, Cam Jordan is playing at the absolute peak level. So

I I like the matchup. But I hear you. They're not the typical Saints blow you out on offense. They're they just I think they're a mistake free offense. They've been good because they don't kill mistakes. One weakness I think they do have is like, who's the guy right now at a wide receiver behind Michael Thomas. Jared god Cook is obviously really stepped up, and that if Cook didn't step up, they'd be in a world to hurt right now. I I'm with you, Dan. I also don't

think there is battle tested. I mean, the forty Niners have had these game of the years every other week. They had the Packers, they had the Seahawks, they had the Ravens. The Saints offense especially hasn't had a lot of great tests. And this is the most difficult test there is for a past seen attack. And normally you think strength on strength, you're taking Drew Brees and the Saints passing attack. But to me that the forty Niners past defense is the more special group in this game.

And this is a different Saints team, their first in the league. In terms of preventing turnovers. As Mark mentioned, they don't make mistakes. But their ninth in points per drive, their ninth in yards per play. It's not an elite uh Saints offense. And I think this this is by far their toughest matchup wo I would be shocked if he told me at the beginning of the year that Alvin Kamara and Leonard Fournette have the same receiving numbers.

His his yards per reception is down from ten point two as a rookie to six point nine year, he's not been a huge big play threat for the Saints offense. And he's not had a hundred yard rushing game all year either, Because if you're gonna beat the forty Niners, it seems like you would do it on the ground, Like can they run? Camara hasn't quite been at the level that he has in previous years. The last few weeks.

I think he's looked better just the the eye test, but he was struggling with an injury earlier, and I think that is how you beat the forty Niners. I like Evan Silva calling Taysom Hill the fantasy football version of Satan because he's gonna get in there and sneak a couple of touchdowns away from you, and he's up to five and if he hit seven, those sandwiches are and that counts. This is a healthier forty Niners team too.

Now they've spent the week on the East Coast. It's like a back to back, tough road like that's tricky, but they are healthier. De Ford looks like he's gonna be back. Joe Staley looks like he's gonna be back. Kittle is now you know, another week healthier. This is a team that's battled through so much. I'm really just so impressed with what they've done all year, battling through injuries.

I think they're gonna get Matt Breeda back. But do you even Ben traheem Moster after how good he looked like? There's I think they're outside zone running. Is is a good matchup this week against the Saints team who's so short on linebackers. They had to bring Mente Teo back into the eg. So Kiko alonsos her agent clins a little hurt like they're playing Kik Alons a little too much. Like I like this matchup for the forty nineers. I

was thinking about locking it up. It seems a little crazy to lock that up on the road to but I am picking them. That man tell a story was crazy that I do remember that. I think most of the fake girlfriend that died. I mean, I know we've moved on as a society, but now that we have some time, like that's crazy. We can unpack it now if you really. I mean his ultimately, um a sad story that was about and he's he's you know, and and he's kind of was like a huge superstar and

he's had an okay career lasted a little. Combine was insane? Were you guys with that one? Where Like the the press conference for Mantie Tail was one of the more insane things I've ever witnessed. I remember after he's got he got drafted in the second round right by the Saints, No, by the charge of chargers Um talking to went back. We were in more in our journal days talking to Brian Kelly, the Notre Dame coach on the second level of Radio City Music Hall, and uh, Kelly's spinning all positive.

They're just proud of the kid that he'd gotten everything back on track. I guess Brian Kelly couldn't get mezzanine level like us. L Those those were the days sitting in those Radio City Music Hall that set me back with my chiropractor and my neck for like five years. No, they had to move over before we move on from this game. It really might be the biggest game in terms of seeding in the NFC the rest of the season.

If the Saints win it, they have a pretty clear path to back to back home field advantages, whereas if the forty Niners get it, uh, then then that Seahawks forty Niners game might be what the sides the NFC West and the one seas and they're easy to think the Niners will be on the road potentially as a wild card team after the journey they've been on. If things don't get luck, NFC East champion, that's what happens,

and keep an eye out. I almost like, regardless of how this game turns out, but especially if the Niners win, that week seventeen Niners at Seattle game could just have nothing can in place, and then that game will lock in a lot in the NFC the best week seventeen flex games aad. All right, let's move on uh Mark Europe. Well, you know, in a normal week, I would want to uh lock in one of these late games just so

you're not dealing with too much chaos early. But there's a game that just attracts it's too attractive to me to pass up, and it's Baltimore Buffalo. I think this is one of the more interesting showdowns of the year. And you know, you look at this Ravens team. They're not gonna have Greg Roman two months from now. He's gonna get a head coaching job, and so you are really in the final stages of that. This coaching showdown between John Harbaugh and Sean McDermott, to me is what

I what I'm signing up for on Sunday. I think Sean McDermott, obviously, we all like him. He's done a very good job. And I think Buffalo's defense, because of the way that their linebackers operate and because of their very sticky coverage and trevious white, has been all pro level. I think this is a team that could hold Baltimore down the way that we really haven't seen too many be able to do. I love that it's in Buffalo,

and I this is gonna be a test. I don't see this as some sort of thirty to ten type thing. I look at this more as a twenty two seventeen type game. But the underside, the undersold part of Buffalo Baltimore is their defense, and they've been Their pass rush is amped up, and I just want to see if they can get if they can get into Josh Allen's head and create some issues there. There's like the little dance movie you made at the end of there's a

little treat for our YouTube watching. Oh yeah, we're live on YouTube every Thursday. Strength of the Bill's defense is their secondary and I wonder how that matches up against the Ravens, a team where the advantage they have of where everyone else in the NFL, in addition to Lamar Jackson is once you get near midfield, you have to stop four downs and the best kicker in the history of the game, whereas Steven how she get the Bills kicker it's pretty much limited at forty five yards, it's

been messing. It's a great matchup the Ravens run game versus these Bills linebackers, Matt Milano Traymont Edmonds. I mean, they are the ones that are going to be taxed more than anyone, and if anyone could keep up with them on the outside, I would say Milano at Edmonds

would have a chance. I'm more curious to see Josh Allen building off what's been the best three weeks stretch of his career easily, I think by far, the best game of his career against Dallas, and they've been playing a lot more hurry up and maybe that's a way to do it against Baltimore, where the Patriots did some of the same and that prevents some of the you know, the chicanery, the blitz is the substitutions that Baltimore likes to do. I don't love the Bills through the air

in this game against Baltimore secondary either. I mean they they are playmaker playmakers. Obviously, Marcus Peters has been awesome, and I you know what what weapon John Brown's had a nice season of game that is a revenge game. Robert Foster he coming on a little bit. I mean, I guess that's where but when we're talking about Robert Foster as your downfield weapon, there's some issues there. I I would be more worried a out. You know, if I'm a Bills fan. The their pass rush is just

it's okay, Like their defensive ends are okay. And going up against this Ravens team, Lamar admitted, you know, the weather gave him some issues last week with the slippery ball. He wasn't accurate. Yeah, I did check the forecast. Supposed to be a little windy, chance of precipitation. I think if you're the Bills, you're hoping this game. But Ravens don't care about bad weather, I guess. But Lamar he he said it like it messed him up last week.

I mean he he did not throw the ball well. Uh, they did not throw the ball well as a team, and maybe it was impossible to and that in that situation. I mean, when I hear windy, I think Josh Allen interception at a key moment. I mean it's, you know, a downfield strike that goes totally awry. He might actually helped because he doesn't put any loft on the ball. Power through that went all right? Next up? Great? I forgot. Uh I was going to lock up the Ravens on

the road there. Oh see, you now see the lock sounds better. I like it. I mean I didn't deliver it in the right way. Timing was poor. I can respect that lock. It's a good luck it checks out. And also, you begrudgingly have come around a little bit on the bills, but it just shows that you still don't believe them to be in that top tier. Okay, I'm with you a little bit. But it's more that I think the Ravens are one of the greatest teams we've ever covered, and you're not going to have a

change them up. I mean they are. I mean they are I think one of the best regular season teams that we've we've covered and it certainly in the six or seven years. So if if I'm if the if the Desert's gonna allow me to do it, which they do this week, I'll do it. I haven't really thought about that, like if we did, this would have been a good time to do it. Maybe that's a good Tuesday. Uh seg now that where everybody else gets to do

their end of decade shows. We could do you know around the NFL podcast start best teams, maybe some of those Seahawks teams from old well all right, hey, Ricky as the producer, can you mind me of that about two weeks? Two weeks so not that's coming TUESDA. No, let's got to bury it like right at the end of the year, so we have the full decade to work with. I mean, you know, the websites trying to get it out early because people just hammering that contract

all December. That's true, but I check it in. That's always my radar a little bit. It's like the best of the decade of the past six years of your seven years, right, It's like Pittsfork released Best of the Decade November fourth or something. It's like, come on about the competition. Yeah, we're not doing that right. We want to we want to actually watch all these games and

these teams before we put together on listen. It's not a decade, it's just our decade, which is you know, six plus years, seven seasons that could even include some of the website. You know, the blog was up. I guess it was even eleven, but who knows. Yeah, thirteen the podcast. That's what matters. Pod decade. Okay, I'm glad we figure that out. West. It's like, please move on, right, and we don't have any bye. Weeks were like, let's

be quicker this week. I was just thinking, if you're doing it into the decade, like overview, maybe don't take yourself so seriously. It's kind of a flimsy topic anyway, you know, in some hands on some hand, yes, but I like love that will do in the place that is so trenching, right, I love that content, like I I eat it up, so you know the people like it all. Right, here we go, Greg, you were up

with a third pick. You have locked up. I was I was worried that this is I thought this is how the draft was gonna go and um, I'm taking Chiefs Patriots late. Gotta do it. I'm just gotta bag it's by far the best game left than anything else. Seems silly. You don't have to explain that one, right. I am curious, uh this week to see the Patriots secondary against this Chiefs team who's been a little disjointed on offense. You know, Patrick Mahomes back to back weeks

under two hundred yards. I'm not worried because he finally looks healthy. If I was a Chiefs hand, I'm not worried about Patrick Mahomes, but I would say they feel a little more reliant lately on him just creating magic. That every throw is him just backing up, backing up or him running the ball has been key in the last couple of weeks, and they haven't had the same rhythm on offense with the long drives and Andy Reid

creating plays. And they gotta go up against their toughest matchup, uh that they'll face, which is this Patriots secondary, which in many ways I believe that Bill Belichick built for this game, that this Patriots team in some ways. You know, Andrew Hawkins, who was on the Patriots, said they would always when when he was there, just in the training camp,

they were always talking. I believe at that time it was about the Colts, and it's like they that was the one team they had to beat and they built their off season around it. And I think that's what the Chiefs are to this team. And I think the Patriots are as well set up with their secondary as any team in the league to slow him down. I think if Travis kel Kelsey caught a couple of those near he had one near touchdown that kind of went through his hands, and in a deep ball that just

went right past him. I think we're talking to about kind of a different story. But you're still wondering about the Chiefs running game, which has been kind of hot and cold all year, and they haven't really found a guy, the one guy that they can trust. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like they could take their pick of either Shady or Damian Williams and they'd be fine with either of those guys. And Damian Williams has been out. They don't seem to trust Shady for more

than ten touches a game. Darwin Thompson looked pretty good last week, but he's so tiny, you wonder if what's he gonna do against a pretty big Patriots defense. I mean, you want to talk about out of sync offense that's New England, which just strikes me as slow. There's just

not a lot happening there. And you know, and I understand that Bill Belichick is not only the greatest coach, one of the greatest gms of all time, but part of me wonders if you got a little bit cute forming this offensive roster this season, because it's gonna come back and sting them at some point. And if you if you get what I don't know what cute like to the point of like we can win with almost no weapon, you known mess. The Antonio brown move kind of points out that he was on his radar this

team something else. Well, They tried to various Thomas Josh Gordon an Tonio Browns their first round because he's not good at football right now, and I don't think he's done anything to prove that wrong. Nikkill Harry their first round pick. They've just swung and missed a lot right now. They're not finding guys that actually do what Tom Brady

wants them to do. I mean, you they were waxed by Baltimore fair they I thought Houston won decisively, And if you are the Chiefs, I would do what Houston didn't, which is employe absolute total aggression to make sure that all your weapons are maximized. And then if you're the Patriots and you've lost to those three teams, I just don't see you the same way. Now, Can they flip the switch and do what they always do? Sure? No,

it'd be ah. They'll have played the three division leaders in the a f C all in the second half of their season. If you go oh and three in that stretch, that that says a lot about their team. And West has already told you they're gonna go on to Cincinnati and lose this time around last I'm not locking that up, but it is. I'm standing the thing we talked about last week where Brady is always like pointing at the receivers in the middle of the plays.

Not to go back to uh, you know my co host Andrew Hawkins on game debut, but he said he said he compared. Okay, he compared, and I thought it was such a great He compared being on the Kyle Shanahan offense too. What the Patriots doing. He says, in Kyle Shanahan's offense, every single play there's a right answer for the quarterback, Like that's why he loves Kirk Cousins because Kirk Cousins does exactly what he's supposed to do.

There there is an exact right answer. And in the Patriots offense, the right answer is whatever Tom Brady wants you to do. And you have to just know. You have to figure out and see everything the way Tom Brady wants you to do. And I think Jimmy G was good at that too. He had a good feel and that's why they loved Jimmy G. But these these receivers, and Brady is certainly part of it, it's just they're not like they're not seeing it the same way to

new Yeah, it's sort of rookies. Harry has kind of been a little bit of a not a disaster, but for a first round pick, he's not helping them. It's sort of like if the receiver comes to an open space, Tom Brady wants him to sit right there, right because you're open. That's what I'm seeing. It's all based on the coverage and it's all after the snap. It's all after the snap, seeing what the defense is doing and

adjusting based on that. And when they're not on the same page, then Tom Brady can look forty two and will that all be sorted out three and a half weeks from now when we're rolling into January. Possibly they have gotten up Super Bowls with like you know, pretty bad receiver groups, but their defense, the defense has to be dominant and the formula, and they're also in a strong running game at which they don't have. And your point about the receivers and Brady not being on the

same page. You have tweeted it, and Bill Barnwell wrote like a deep dive on what's going on with the Pats offense this past week. He cited that tweet of yours, Greg, which I'm sure you know and you went like this when you were yes, hell yeah. I also mentioned it on ESPN Daily at times. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, Um, he wrote, you know, he was digging in on the whole thing, and and he did point out something just to tell you how inept that offense was before they

tacked on those touchdowns at the end. Before the three late scoring drives against the Texans, Brady was nine for ninety yards with an interception and at least two other picks that were either dropped or taken away by penalty. This is Tom Brady and the paper taken away by penalty in late November, early December. This is happening. So it does feel a little bit different, which does not mean and also one of the things Barnwell pointed out, he doesn't need to become Tom Brady again. Look at

the Super Bowl fifty champion broncos of Peyton Manning. But you know that was a historic defense. Maybe the Patriots are too, but um, they have work to do. Put it that way. I think we all are in agreement that this is not if it stays the way it is now, such a game. This is the biggest game left I think on the a f C conference slate, because if the Patriots lose, the Dubai is wide open.

There oh and three against the division winners. It almost feels like two obvious of a changing of the guard situation and I and they need to buy They need it. If they win, though they have a great you know, they're in great position for the bye and and everything is fine, they need to run the ball. I think which team can run the ball a little bit better, because that's that's where the weaknesses of these defenses might win. I think you guys all take in the Chiefs. No,

not Boxborow effect. That can't do it. I'm taking the Patriots in a tight one put An eight and five Chiefs team raises some questions. Patriots are in the middle of a very long winning streak. That's like not a big story because they've done. I think they're they have the third longest winning home winning streak ever right now, but the the top four winning streaks at home of all time are all Bill Belichick, Tom Brady. Patriots just unbelievable stack. I'm not gonna lock up refused to root

for them, but this feels like a game. I know this feels different, but a game They're gonna rise, rise up and win. And I will say this the Chiefs, they're they're done in terms of any aspirations of more than one home game. They're gonna win the FC West, but if they fall to eight and five, they'll end up being a tenant six, eleven and five UM team that has to go on the road twice to get to the Super Bowl, which is not going to be are we allowed to lock this game? I'm gonna lock

it up for the Patriots. Okay. I was like, I didn't even know which way you're gonna go. Yeah, they're not even uh vegas in their direction? All right, West, I could see that going very poorly by the way people keep misreading the Patriots. West, you are, Oh, Mark, did that just give you a little chill? Like a month straight of people acting like the Patriots are still

the Patriots and they haven't played like that? So but West put that lock trophy on my desk, which I did not like that move, and I have not won since. So it's a tail spin as sounds like almost want to do a lock off. I mean you already said they were gonna go three, already locked the Cowboys this week. Okay, okay, okay, West go uh we wanted we have to take one of these late games to four o'clock games because there are four, so we each have to take one, I

think in order for that. And you might think Titans Raiders is the best of these left, but I'm going with team I've been tracking all year, the Pittsburgh Steelers duck at the Arizona Cardinals a little Duck versus Kyler Murray action. Get to watch that Steelers defense on a grass field. Oh, this is playing grad field us. My draft board just opened up. Well, I think the whole draft board is open at this point. It was like three games and then everything else was equal after that.

I have a bombshell to drop right after this game. But go on, Well, I think the Steelers this in the old Mike Tomlin days before this year, when he's getting Coach of the Year consideration, this was the trap game they would always fall for on the road against a bad team. They would lose these games constantly. Seemed like every year they would lose these games. And I wonder if they're sort of impervious to that this year

because they've been doubted all year. There's no I don't think they've had a full head all year, and they have different They don't have Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Levy on Bill. They're not supposed to be beating up on these bad teams to the point where they were just expected to. Whereas K would say, it's supposed to game and they're supposed to win this game. Because the Cardinals, we gave them credit for playing teams tough, but they

got whitewashed last week. That was the game last year was the Raiders where they went in and got nipped by Oakland. I like the Pittsburgh obviously ended Cleveland season a week ago, and you know it was coming out of last year to your yes they didn't, it's over, even if they want it's done, it's done. But you know that the narrative around Pittsburgh last year was that Tomlin was overseeing a circus, that there was a lack of discipline and there were too many hotheads and there

was in fighting. Well, I feel like if you are signing up for the Mike Tomlin experience, where he's at right now and where he has this team mentally, their mental toughness, Like that game against Cleveland, they just willed themselves to win with a bunch of guys who wouldn't even be starting another team. That doesn't happen like it's it wasn't that was this embarrassing a game for Cleveland as there is because they were out coached from head to toe after the after the ten minute mark of

the first quarter. It's what I think Steelers fans love this team. I mean, I was I couldn't have personally been more wrong about this team and the Steelers fans because they were so confident this type of run would happen. But they've they've had such dominant teams that often fall short or like they're supposed to be great and fall short. That as a fan experience, and even Mike tom and you can hear it in his voice their love in this because this is like, this is like football, you know.

I think it just reminds them it's a it's a team game. And their defense, which we've been talking about it, I mean it, it's I don't think the Patriots defense is any better than the Steelers. I don't really think the forty I think the forty Niners are a little better than them both because they're just so talented. But the Steelers are in that conversation as the best in the entire league. Yeah, I think this is the ball

Hawk defense ever since MACA. Fitzpatrick got there. And you've got the reigning a FC Defensive Player of the Month, t J. Watt, who should be getting I think he's got to be in the defensive player of the year conversation. They've got a couple of guys, who is the defensive player of the year that I thought about it, I think right now for me it would be what Jordan's Stefan Gilmore and um In Zadarius Smith because I think I'm gonna write about it on Monday. So I started

thinking about, you know, who would I put? Aaron Donald might be in that mix. Go you know, well, we'll talk about Donald. It's crazy, like we talked about the Boast appearance at this point, their children making so much money. You just sit back and you drink rose and think about the Watts. I'd have two sons. They got three. I mean, don't forget about old Bobby Watt and in Los Angeles. Sounds pot but it is like historical to have two brothers win to a part of the Chris

Grundkowski All Stars. He's been in the NFL for three years. He's a fullback on the Chargers. I mean, that's a great accomplishment. I'm just saying he's out there. He's a specialty. Have to remember again another example of good teams stay good, bad teams stay bad. Handwringing about oh yeah, Steelers trade at the top five, it's gonna be like overall pick for a all pro cornerback. It's a good trade, It's amazing.

It's a great matchup for your boy Duck too, because the Cardinals give up passing yards more than anyone, so you know, Duck Duck could be flying out there. Oh yeah, that's that's high on my list. So well done, all right, Ricky. Before we moved to round two in the snake, let's checking with the YouTubers. Yeah, a bunch of people have asked greg where you come down on young thug. Um. I'm not a huge you know, I I like him,

but I'm not a huge fan. A bunch of people asked that I might have been the same guy a couple of times. Yeah, because he likes wrap. Um let's see what else? Oh yeah, a lot. I respect him, but I almost I'm too old for young thug. You know, that's not quite in my middle aged thug. Um. At least I didn't say flies like a duck or whatever like Gregor said that was that was a class right. Um. But Dan, a lot of people are wondering what you're going to do with your conditional you know trade that

you made with Mark Lass. That's right. In fact, you forgot to tell you just that went into overtime almost you came close on him, close to really clean it up there. It's not conditional. The conditional was if it went to overtime, I would get your first round pick, which it did not obviously, but a part of the trade terms is that we were swapping second round picks. So uh we are I am moving ahead of you,

which has huge ramifications potentially as round two. Well yeah, I mean you could you could say eight other things are happening that you just drag me wherever you need to. I don't remember how this trade went down. I know I didn't do whatever you say. Dan also says you should tell Dan he's having just a so so hair day. You know what, I noticed the same thing when I

caught brought a couple of glances in the monitor. And I will tell you that me, Jack and Harry have an appointment with Brett over at jack Barbershop UH in Westchester on Friday tomorrow, so that will be record that. That's how you grow like a great hair tradition, hair family. You three of you all going together to get the haircut. You know, That's that's how you keep the tradition going. No it's I'm instilling it in them that it's important too.

Are they going to have your hair though? Or Emily's parents? Uh, they're both in good shape. I can't I can't speak to that. I hope they did. Let's check back in years. Well, you love them just like a little less if they don't have your hair. I mean, who the sun that has the better hairline is gonna, you know, probably get more of the inheritance. I would think, all right, West, it's snakes to you once again. All right? That was

the copper head a snake cow oh. I thought that was some kind of Star Wars beast from the bar scene. We're not allowed to talk about that film. I mean, we've got two Yodas. Now, why is this. I've been dealing with one Yoda for forty years. You have not been dealing and now I have another Yoda that's all over my timeline. It's a baby Yoda. It's like, I'll give you, I'll give you this. It's being a little

bit overplayed on Twitter. But the idea that the first Yoda was some sort of taxing deal for you, You've never even watched the film. I mean, I think skated by I have not skated. I've been, you know, living with this Star Wars thing all around me, burying me for three decades. Star Wars season. It is Star Wars. It's no longer Holiday season, Star Wars season. And it's nothing personal towards you, Mark Star Wars fans. I'm one of the biggest critics of the many missteps the franchise

has made. But the fact that it bothers you so much, is it? It is? Is? I understand that it's just one of those things. As somebody that likes to be plugged into pop culture. If I'm going on websites and I'm following different people on Twitter and that's all that keeps coming at me. I mean, you have a movie that's coming out right, correct, the final I Don't Walker or whatever, and then you have the Netflix or the Disney Plus show that just seems a lot. I mean,

here's the thing. Studios are looking to make money apparently, and that's what this that's what's happening here. They're looking to make that coin and they are oh, they're making coin. Well, Apple, make a good movie. I'd like to see that happen. First again, I'll be critical. Are you optimistic? About the final Skywalker. The Rise of sky is the Rise Skywalker, The Rise of Skywalker. Not even vaguely is he gonna have his hand in this one? He lost the hand

that one. He is not even alive at this point. He's a it's not him. This is like your relation the Browns. At this point, you're like put so much into it and then these things that begins with childhood and the adult version is often there's disenchantment, disillusionment. All right, we're falling behind pace here, let's go. It's another another draft pick that may invite derision, but it checks a

lot of my boxes. Midwest grass Field, one of my favorite teams, the Washington Redskins at the Green Bay Pack and the Redskins I thought last week it's finally an encouraging game for what's left of their fan base as

far as maybe getting can get an offensive nucleus. Darius Geiss looked fantastic um as a power runner, Terry McLarin making big plays again, and there were three straight tight window lasers in a two minute drill from Dwayne Haskins where they finally you got this sense, hey, if you wanted to say, this guy landed in the wrong place because all he does is sit back in eye formation

and hand the ball to Adrian Peterson. Were Darius Guy, sure, but you put him in that spread attack in a two minute drill up tempo, he looks like a totally different, confident quarterback and I want to see more of that. For the first time all year, I thought maybe the Redskins are playing their best quarterback because the difference in arm strength between Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen in that game was stark. He's got a great arm I think he's had about three plays every week that you know,

sometimes you make too much out of these plays. But when you're a fan of a team, if if you're a Washington fan, you see those three plays, you get excited, But then you also think that he's gonna be in a totally different offense next year, and you don't know what he's gonna look like. I still think this could be a tricky game for Green Bay because they they're bad against the run, and this is the team you do not want to face when you're bad against the run.

We said the same thing about Carolina a week ago, and you know, Callahan, I mean, if if Brian Florence is getting love at three and nine for coach of the Year. How about Callahan, He's three and four. Why don't we just give every coach? I'm joking. I don't really believe that, but he took over No. And five team. I would have not a guess that they would have three wins at this point, and that that I actually believe.

Let's say that they keep this game interesting. I could just see a being close, kind of kind of like Giants Packers was into the fourth quarter. But Haskins fumbling three times and throwing four interceptions in this game. I mean, that's on the tipe. I was stunned this week. Barnwell, uh, you know, to give him another shout out, he wrote that the NFC East out of division record is the second worst in NFL history. So this is one of the worst divisions in NFL history the NFC East right now,

and the Red Skins are carrying the load. They've won a couple of games out of division the last couple of weeks. Uh. Any other thoughts. I like this game from Mike Petton. Haskins for his you know upside has been sacked eighteen times in his first four starts, and if you want a little late seasons as there Za, Darius Smith and Preston Smith, this might be the right setting, the right game for that to happen. I'm not I'm still not sure what this if. This Packers team is good.

They remind me a little bit of the Patriots, where I'm not sure what we have with the Patriots or the Packers yet, Bob mcginns and any out. They're just the healthiest team in the year and they have good turnover margin. But they're not You look at them and you I don't put them with the best teams. They're inconsistent. On offense, they you can't ever bank on either the running game or the passing game guaranteed to work that week. And on defense, they don't stop the run and they're

they have vulnerabilities in their secondary too. So what are the out The wood is out in this game, by the way, That's what I'm saying. I don't, I don't whatever that means. Uh, you know, I'm going I'm going with the fighting Callahans, Wait what dr Rainmaker has spoken? Justnning game and who knows? Okay, not outright, Okay, Packers lose this there's gonna be a total just to keep it close. All right, Greg, You're up, I am up, and I'm gonna take Deshaun Watson facing off against Drew

Lock and the Broncos. I need an early game, and the Texans are the best team left on the board that's playing early. I don't think this is going to be competitive though, which you know, it takes a little shine off it because I don't think Drew Lock, just based on that first game, is ready to be part of a team that wins against a good team on the road. He had a a thirty two yard throw

to end the first half that was pointless. I don't know why they didn't throw a hail mary with his big arm, but he just picked up thirty two yards. And his other twenty seven passes they gained a hundred yards hundred and two yards, three point one yards per attempt.

You know, they just started blitzing him. Gus Bradley did like crazy, and every time they blitzed he just either ran or dumped it off for about three yards and he just it just doesn't seem like he's ready to go play a good Texans I mean, first of the NFL game, and he I get it. I'm partly basing it on. Yeah, he struggled in training camps, coaching staff didn't seem in love with him. He struggled in the preseason. And it's just a lot to ask, you know what

he could use like a beard. I don't know if he can grow one. We're talking about this last this he have. Does he have the look? Was the guy that you could You think I should talk to him, just say how how big it's been for me and in my life. And the oil just said not even take some of your stationary you have with your logo on top and then just uh say good luck kid, and then just have the bottle of the board. Would my logo be just like three three G s. I

can imagine it. That's good. Does anybody herebody on Twitter is now going to make your logo? Does anybody here trust the Texans defense the rest of the season, not just in a game where they're facing a rookie quarterback, but do you trust this when you talk about where the Texans are in relation to the Chiefs and Ravens, do you trust this defense? No? But they've been a pleasant surprise since J. J. Watt has been out there

twenty seven and waited d v o it. They traded for for hard Graves and Conley gave him a little bit of depth and they they've made it work more than I would have expected. They've actually been better without J. J. Watt, which small sample size, but for what you know, just in terms of the total defense, they've had better games without him, which is bizarre. How about this, The Ravens would give them a lot of trouble, but Ravens are

getting everybody a lot of trouble. Right. But if you look at the rest of the a f C playoff picture, Patriots, we saw they could throttle them, um, the Steelers, the Bills, Chiefs, the Chiefs. Can they stop the Chiefs in a big game? The Chiefs, I think they could play up to their potential,

They probably cannot. I think they're kind of a matchup team with in a perfect world with Romeo Cornell that you get J. J. Watt back for the playoffs, which is something we haven't mentioned on this show, but Ian Rappaport said that he's trending that way with the oction of J. J. Are you getting after that injury? We'll

see they beat the Chiefs. I just you know, this week, you're you're counting on skangs old Rich Scangarrello to provide a schematic advantage for his young quarterback and they haven't shown that they're able to do that. All right, Uh, here we go, the trade was made. I move up one spot and that works out for me because Titans at Raiders is my pick. Yeah, I thought you were gonna you were gonna take that right him, Um, I

will grab it. I needed a late game, and that is a B plus game in my mind, and in my mind, I believe that the Raiders outscored was it seventy to twelve the last two weeks? Are an easy team to disregard, and conversely, the Titans are a team that would be impossible to disregard based on how they've been playing over the last several weeks. Um. And yet, why do I have a weird feeling that the Raiders

are gonna do something here? I don't know, but it's just it's nothing, really more than a hunch, because how could you look at anything the Raiders did the last two weeks? Uh and get excited about him? But I will say this, Tennessee, it's traveling across the country. They've they've been playing well this season of the last month. But you know, do I think they're they're now a superpower? I don't know. I don't know if I can google that far. And the Raiders, Yes, they've talked about it

all season. They are. They are a rock um in terms of their home play, their ability to hang with teams, to just play at a different level. And for that reason, I think everyone's gonna be picking the Titans in this game and writing off the Raiders, and I get that, but I don't necessarily see that way. I see this as a close game. West. I imagine you disagree heartily. No, I think the Raiders have been they've been jackling hide

and they've been the good team at home. Like, what are they five and one at home and one in five on the road or something. They've been terrible on the road, But I don't think you can overlook them at home. And the Titans aren't that good where you say they're gonna roll in there and just dominate the Raiders. I think these are two pretty close teams, and the Titans are better on a neutral field, but it wouldn't shock me at the Raiders win this game, certainly not.

I think Tennessee is obviously transformed with Ryan Tannehill. They are averaging just a tick under thirty points per game with tanne Old during his five and one run with the Titans, which is bested by only one team, the Ravens. And I always thought that this was a defensive oriented team and that was their strength. But Derrick Henry makes anything possible, and you know, you can get to Tannehill. He was sacked six times last week, But ken can

the Raiders. Though maybe the Raiders have had some good moments with Clellen Ferrell and and in m A x X, I like him. I think it's a tough magic. I do think you can kind of disregard the Raiders and expect them to lose. I mean, the point differential here like between these two teams is like a hundred and thirty on the year. The Titans are playing well, and I think the way to beat the Titans throw the ball on him. You know, it's been very tough to

beat the Titans running this year. They're one of the best run defenses in the league, and so you would think they'll be able to slow down Josh Jacobs and Josh Jacobs. Kind of all the Raiders have Derek Carr. He's just not finding open receivers because after Hunter Renfrog got hurt. I actually think that that was a big factor. You know, you, I know you don't have anyone. You

have Tyrone Williams, and that's it. You're you trade for Za Jones, one of the biggest wide receiver busts in the last few years, and you're playing him sixty snaps a game with no production. You've got no one to throw to other than waller. Derek Carrier's garbage time touchdown last week was the first for the Raiders in seven plays. That's two games where they had a seven minute field goal drive down thirty four nothing that that was the moment I was like, this team, I don't want to

watch him anymore, all right. I think I said the Titans should be expected to come in and throw all the Raiders, and I don't like that. Josh. You find out that Josh Jacobs has been playing with a fractured shoulder. Yes he's tough, but you're mentioning like the you know, in general, if you're a shoulder injury with a running back, that's about the worst kind of They've had some close games, but Tannehills Titans are five and one. The Titans things

can change in a hurry, though, real quick. They have the toughest schedule in the league on strength of schedule. After this week after the Raiders, they home at Houston home Saints at Houston. So you gotta win this. You gotta win this game. And the Raiders, it goes without saying that there's a dirt knap game for them because even if if they lost this game, even if they want out that the Titans, who are going to go nine and seven, we know that they would have the

tiebreaker at nine and seven. So it's almost it's almost a double dirt that they're not the Mariota Titans anymore. They could I know, I get that they could do a tenancy. They could do it. It's kind of take that and I think the way things are looking, but you know what, I I just feel it. It's in my bones. I'm locking up the Raiders silver and black.

It is not a small thing that it is their second to last home game ever in Oakland, and I'm locking it up for you, Mark because I want you to go to Oakland with a lot on the line. That's what you're you're you said you were having um writer's block for no guarantee. You're writing about the Raiders final season or final games in Oakland. Yes, but there's a two part thing. The first is a multi voiced like X Raiders type look back at the team and

the experience with Oakland. I love part so no, I think I would love that black last game in Oakland to have meaning. That's not too much to ask. It's a special relations I I feel like if you had to, if you were if you had to choose one team to tell the entire story of the NFL, it would be the Oakland Raiders. To me, they are they are kind of The Packers would be the other one that comes to mind. But to me, they've just encompassed so much, and that I I don't know. I love the more

you dig in, it's like it becomes a relationship. It's pretty pretty in depth. I had a bunch of weird dreams last night. Whenever I fall asleep on my couch in my living room, which I try not to do, but it happens sometimes I have weird dreams. One dream, the one that caused me to get up out of

off the couch and going to bed. Um was my friend Bob and I were driving down a Los Angeles freeway and he's like, oh, you're getting onto the one ten and I said yeah, yeah, and then I lost my bearings and then the last thing I heard was underwater and then I shot up out of the couch. Nightmare. I mean, you know, we've been told by NFL people that you're not supposed to talk about me means including that the other one, and this is really weird. Mark Um, Okay,

I was in the newsroom. Now I'm I'm slumbering in my bed next to my wife. Everything's fine. The dream is you turn in and turned in the copy of this long form. I am not making this up. And Ali was like, man, that was really good, dude, that was really good. That was the whole dream. It was whatever it was, it was a snippet of a dreams pleasant than the than the underwater one. Well, yeah, I mean I had this offset to put more pressure on you,

but that that happened is encouraging. It's had a bizarre dream where you woke up and like you cannot of a of a yellow snake, climbing up my arm and licking my arm. But it was a nice snake, but it was still very odd. So this is a much more positive dream. Why am I telling you that that happened to me? Then you woke up and Simone was licking your arm? Not true? Not true, and probably not. How was that in this show? Yes, not the case. Yeah,

I locked up the Raiders. Mark, you're picking in my spot. Well, I'm looking at these late games. I really have only one option here and I do not want to go deal with the Chargers again, and that was what I was hoping to avoid. They tested my patients last week with the way that they coached that entire game. It's hard to watch Philip Rivers slowly dissemble into a non quarterback drive by drive. But the upside here is you

do get Gardner Minshew, which I'm excited about. What I don't like, though, is that you know it's going to be and there's some Gardener Minshew backlash at times in this room. He's in a terrible environment right now to succeed. I just don't like anything that the Jaguars are doing. They can't run the ball, they can't stop the run. Obviously, their defense is a hot mess. Greg. I think you mentioned them as the thirties second best team in football

right now. Best is the word. I think you're right about that with the way they played over the last month. So this is one of those games which terrible four and eight team is gonna work its way out of what has been a terrible past few months. I mean the Chargers that coach both coaching staffs could be gone after this season. Number one. I would say that's an automatic for Doug Maron and maybe even higher up with the GM and Tom Coughlin for the Chargers. What's your argument?

All of their losses, all eight losses have come by one score, so you're not getting blown out, but you're not finding a way to win those games either, And that's very Chargers esque. But they have not solved any of those issues. They've only become more magnetized. To listen, I'm not gonna put on rivers or anything, but I feel like this has been going on forever and ever, and last year was the opposite which slipped under the radar.

They were almost unbeaten in one score games and they went twelve and four, and I thought I had one of the best coach playoff wins against the Ravens two and so that's what you're you know, if you're Anthony Lynn, You're you're pointing to the last year, and you're pointing that they haven't had their whole team together from each of the year. They are healthier than they've been all year. They have both their starting safeties, both their starting tackles.

Said they should win. This game didn't really register with me last week. But I think we'd be talking about a quarterback benching if not for DeVante Bookers roughing the punter penalty that saved Rivers from going three and out. I mean, it saved him. And if you watch that game, and this goes back a few weeks now, it's it's a little troublesome that almost all the Chargers big plays are just Rivers finding wide open receivers. That's the only time they really moved the ball is when the receivers

get wide open. I don't know what that says about his arm strength these days. All right, let us move on. I now pick again, and I will that's a snake, not a traditional snake either, because Mark was in between. But that's all right, let's cool. I mean you you've orchestrated this scenario. It was either that or lick Mark's arms. Uh yeah, grabbed Dolphins Jets. Good job, just me being selfless. And this is this is the sign of two things

to the sign of two things. One that it's another lost season for the Jets and the Dolphins, and two that we're winding down the season when Jeff Greenholtz, who runs the NFL media research, grew up and they do a great job. When every um entry on the pages here it is, by the way, if you're watching on YouTube, this is just great stuff. Week after week. Um, they have a storyline section on the first page, and usually

there's three storylines, uh, the Greenholtz Gang. One storyline, battle of a f C East teams looking to end twenty nineteen on a positive note. Well, it's ultimately like they're they're ultimately making this for people that are on television and they know no one is talking about this game and not a lot of air time. Al right, so I won't give it a lot of airtime either here, um, other than to tell you that since week nine, both

these teams have won three and three of five. But most people aren't looking at these teams the same way because the nature of the Jets lost last week against Cincinnati, which I don't know if I mentioned it on Sunday, but they didn't reach the red zone against an O and eleven team. Adam Gates has found ways even even with them playing better. Too, when it goes bad, it

goes really bad. And yet I think they'll win because for all the progress the Dolphins have made on offense in the passing game, there's been no progress with their defense. They're probably they would still in my choice as the worst defense in the league. So it's a it's a it should be an afternoon for Sammy d to get right. I hope so Jamal Jamal Adams more most likely. Also so um you would think Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has been fun to watch this year as he usually is, will

do some damage. I see this game, it's at the metal ends. The Dolphins already have a win over the Jets. I think the Jets can win this game. But it's I'd say one thing. We talked about a lot of revenge games, and to me, it's like, oh, a team, uh, you know, part of ways with you after you made millions of dollar. I don't view that as necessarily the construct of human revenge in most cases. But DeVante Parker is a little bit different because the Adam Gaze Davante

Parker relationship was about as bad as it gets. He was trade bait. No one wanted him to you know, There's all these things going on, and he's played really well of late, and so this is one that I do buy into as a revenge factor. Fitzpatrick said he thinks he's playing better now than he's ever been. His confidence that is at an all time high, and it's odd that it's when he's surrounded by the worst talent

of his career. It's also I don't want to see anybody copy what the Dolphins front office did, but I do want to see teams that are out of it and have no chance to start to copy how their coaching staff is and how their quarterback is on third and long, throwing at fifty yards downfield, not worrying about interceptions on all four downs, pulling out all the stops and going for it and throwing deep and seeing what happens. What do you have to lose? It's an entertaining brand

of football. I kind of like watching the Dolphins at this point when they have nothing to lose, Well, they couldn't run for five yards against the four of us leaning into it, He's right, I'm sure. I just went to check out nfl dot coms QB index. To me, Fitzpatrick should be in the top fifteen this year. Who I think he's playing outstanding? Is that a nice year? His his his counting numbers aren't great, which I imagine is playing into why he's not high, but he keeps

them in every game. And you know, I know it sounds crazy, but it's like Josh Allen's thirteen and Derek Carr's fourteen. To me, Ryan Fitzpatrick has outplayed those two guys this year. And when he plays like he did um on Sunday, you know, not making mistakes, it it did remind me of that fits Magic season. When he

gets hot. He's just such a fun guy to watch and he's got the moxie and or last year, the first month with the Buccaneers and even with this Dolphins team, there's bound to be recreshing to the mean when you're throwing caution to the wind every time you drop back. Is DeVante Parker before we move on, is he unique in recent NFL history is a first round pick that broke out in his fifth year. Yea is at a breakdown? Yeah,

well he is. But it's also like if you could if you're a wide receiver and you draw up a contract, yere, you want Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jamis Winston throwing you the ball because it doesn't matter if you're covered or not. They're just throwing it deep and allowing you to make a play. So it's sort of outside normal football and it's allowing you to pull the showcase of your skills. Absolutely, he's got great catch skills at the point of the catch. I wonder if his route running is up to pall

He might be a free agent bust as well. The Dolphins smartly signed him to it. He already was a free agent. They signed him to a very cheap two year contract, so he will not be a freedom He'll be on that team at a very low price of like six million dollars for a productive player. For the record, he's projected right now touchdowns. Um, all right, let's move on Mark. All right, Well, I'm gonna take Bengals at Brown's obviously, and uh, this to me, if the Browns

were still allowed. It is a selfless move, much to mirroring yours. Uh, it's this would be trap game material if the Browns actually were involved in something that a trap would trap them at this point because I could tell I number one, I'm I guarantee, I guarantee the Browns and Bengals will split this season. So either they're gonna lose to Cincinnati this time or in week seventeen.

Can you imagine the atmosphere in Cleveland and the heat around Freddie Kitchens that the Browns were to lose this game to Cincinnati. I know what had It helps that they aren't winless after beating the Jets, but I could totally see it. The one the one thing, though, if you're the one the good for all the negativity around the Browns, the same things have been good kind of week after week over the past month, and it's been tumultuous.

But Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry is having an absolutely insane season. He made a toe tapping catch last week that it's up there with the best catches you'll see all season. And for all the you know, for Odell Beckham is totally vanished, Jarvis Landry has not, and I do believe that they can score points and put Cincinnati in a bad place here, But you don't see any continuity with their offense from one quarter to the next. They went completely to sleep against Pittsburgh, and I could see it

happening again. The Bengals defense has not been has not been a problem in the past few weeks. No, the defensive line is playing really well, Dune Lap. I think guy player of the week Gino Atkins is playing fine, and Sam Hubbard's playing really well. The way Dalton played last week, where he feels he's no longer the culprit there like he was early in the season. Nobody's pointing the finger at him. Everybody knows they're playing their best

quarterback now. Uh I. Just the way the Bengals have operated over the past thirty years, it would not surprise me if they go back in on any Dalton next year in draft Chase Young. It just would not surprise me to see Andy Dalton under center for this team next year. I uh, I think it's a tough spot. I the new the new red rifle, red rifle two point oh playing free, playing aggressive, Their defense is playing better. I picked the Bengals to win this game, and I

just don't think it'd be that. I don't think it'd be that shot sucking. If it's shocking to me, I don't think you want to play the Bengals right now. The I think Nick Job could have a huge game here. You know, they the Jets. They did a terrible job last week with I think they had seven carries in the first half and then the game got a head handed. Well, that's why I love you. On Bell was rightfully annoyed.

I think by the way he was used right. But running up the middle of the Bengals are not that bad. But running if you can get around the edge on them, they average teams are averaging over seven yards of carry when they run to the outside, I would imagine. I think I don't trust this Cleveland coaching staff um at all, but that but that's a pretty that seems like a no brainer that they're going to pound the rock, and

especially with Baker Mayfield banged up. I mean, I think the Browns win, but who knows what I mean, Mix is playing pretty great throwing this out there. I don't really trust the Bengals coaching staff either. You're not running into a Sean Payton esque scenario here, but I mean just personnelity. I don't either, but it shocked me what

huge favorites the Bengals. The Browns are in this game like Monster and I just checked, uh, you know with with Erica and Dr Rainmaker might not be on the board, but Dr Rainmaker isn't about you know, the sound effects or anything. I'm just feeling the flow right now. I haven't felt like anything like this all year. I think the Begels are gonna do it drop. You know, I got to Hollywood. It got to Hollywood, and now we're

bringing it back tood original basics. But by the way, it means that the Browns will cover with these based on Xty exactly. Now I'm feeling good about this. Browns came Um all right, let us move on. Picking next is Greg I will take the Panthers Falcons in the early window. Knocked that game out. Two teams not going anywhere. In embarrassment for these two teams that they're not even in the NFC South race in a season that Teddy Bridgewater started five games for the Saints. They should be

ashamed of themselves. And I guess people are losing their jobs. So I shouldn't bury him too hard. They're getting too late. You did it. They're getting punished. Falcons are a little healthier. Austin Hooper and Julio Jones looks like they will both be back for this game, which is pretty significant. Has anyone ever been more of a slam dunk to get fired and immediately rehired than Ron Rivera? I I do not remember a head coach, and there's a credit to

the man. I don't remember a head coach that's ever had this much praise thrown upon him after being fired as Ron Rivera. And it just tells you how well respected he is as a man inside and outside that building. And given his track record, the fact that he's uh, he's two Coach of the Year awards, the fact that the Panthers have been consistently competitive for the most part in his nine years, the fact that he went to Super Ball. He's a slam dunk higher for a team, Uh,

come January. I mean maybe Jimmy Johnson, but you gotta go back. There's these cases are few and far between. I'm totally with you. I think teams are already looking at their and battled coaches thinking what do we need to do to make sure we're in this conversation for Ron Rivera right now versus clinging to our eating away coaching. I I am with that, and I feel like I've always been really pro Ron Rivera, but it at least

should be pointed out. He coached nine seasons and they had a winning record, and three of them, I mean they the Panthers fans I feel like feel a little differently about that is a fact that, as a factual statement, he won Coach of the Year and two of them he won a division with a losing record. Once they had some mainten aids painting it. Painting it is. He had the tenth best record in the league during the time he was in Carol Best Wheat, I think exactly.

I think that's exactly where he is, like the tenth best and and worth that pretty good. A lot of owners would sign up fast experience, absolutely, but they weren't like a consistent winner, like let's you know, let's compare to guys like Andy Reid or Sean Payton who have won less Coach of the Year. It's like, it's it's not at that level. Your theory, he's a defensive coach and that is less reliable from year to year, should be said. He also took over two and fourteen, absolutely

the rookie quarterback. Uh, six and ten, seven or nine, twelve and four, seven, eight and one, fifteen and one, six and ten, eleven and five, seven and nine. But he didn't start winning until he had that epiphany. So you gotta give him a few year out there before he started, you know, becoming riverboat. He also you know, he had four playoff appearances in five years, uh in Carolina, which was I believe they have four in their previous

sixteen years combined. Um, okay, anything else on that correct? Let us Kyle Allen seeing ghost hearing footsteps fleet in the pocket too early. It was the first time all year where I thought maybe they ought to give Will Greer a look. That's maybe he will week seventeen, something like that. All right, West Europe, Uh, We're gonna take colts at Buccaneers. I love these Buccaneers right now. Like that's a great pick up for you West this late in the draft. Oh yeah, I'm loving my draft so far.

Not bad for the midground. Yes, I said a month ago, I'm all in on the Buccaneers and they have been one of the best teams in football over that stretch. They are, I believe three and one in that stretch. The defense is just coming alive. Devin hy just got named NFC Rookie of the Month, and he's a guy who I think he's gonna over pursue at times. He's gonna miss some plays, but he's also playing with an aggressiveness and a confidence and a speed where he's running

through ball carriers. He's getting to the ball. Uh, he's getting to open spaces where the ball is and letting his instincts shine through. He's he looks like an old school middle linebacker to me, where he's just sideline to sideline, running through people. And I love watching him play. JPP playing with his hair on fire. Shack Barrett, Let's let's use a different Okay, that's it's better than his hand on fire. All right, That's all right. That's all I

have to say about the Bucks. That front seven is parocious. Right next sideswiped. That was like a shack Therett, sack right there. That was business, your classic berserker team. When we talk about the definition of a relatively you know, it's annoying that the record is what it is, because if they had been playing this way the entire year, you could flip flop that record potential. Remember the team we saw in London. I mean that's part of the problem.

They're just so inconsistent. And I want to throw one thing here. Yes, it makes a lot of sense that the Bucks are berserker team in the spot and they would put the Colts to sleep. But this is a late season cornered animal game, uh for the Colts, who you know, need to win this game to stay in the mix. Basically, do you trust Jamis Winston against the cornered animal team? I don't know. If I do that,

I don't know. I could see it never totally cornered that corner animals playing with two broken legs and a sore hip. It's beat up. It might get Marlon mac back this week. I can't tell when I watch this Bucks team whether I think Bruce, Arians and Bowls have

done a good job of the year for developing. They clearly have some talent and they're letting that talent come to the four, or if they've not done a good job because they're five and seven, you know they probably should be better with all the all these good places. I totally agree with you and I the Colts. To me, though, just I feel like we're waving there are this ship on the water getting far farther into the distance. Very valiant coaching effort by Frank Reich in the whole situation

they were put in. But this does not feel like a playoff team to me. Right. Bus have been very good coming out of the by their season basically ended when they lost right at the buzzer against the Titans and the Seahawks in a row and games they played pretty well and they've kept playing well. That was it, by the way, No, Adam vine Terry like, we signed Chase McLaughlin. I wonder if we see it again. I mean, things could change Andrews. They claimed McLaughlin and the Bills

and Patriots also put in. They blocked us from they McGlocklin us blocked us out. You know, Kai or Chase. I'm going with Kay. I'm bringing him in the building. But you know that's just me. Wait, we're taping this Thursday. This this bit turned in from you thinking Kai is not that great of a guy to you being his biggest champions, just that he needs it for the it. He needs to keep this going Seahawks corner bit and then we'll get to that in a moment. Uh we Uh.

It's Thursday afternoon. It's it's past four o'clock on the East coast. I mean the sun is going down in Fox Bro it's there. The Patriots still don't have a kicker on their team. I know, Belichick it. It would be very Belichick. Belichick in too, like enter an entire game without a kicker, just be like, no, we're just doing things differently. But it feels like you're going on the website. There's only seven coaches. What are we gonna do? They'll probably sign the kicker. Sea with no kicker. At

some point, I'm gonna rethink that what is happening. Maybe not against the Chiefs, that's strategy. Um well, I see my law. I'm changing my lack and it's coming up soon. Okay, Wow, I know, of course you want me to do because of the kicker. Don't listen to the show has been going on here in the first place. You're the champion. Don't listen to the guy. He's never one. Don't think the kee. I just think that the Chiefs are I

don't like that situation all right, because I'm rethinking it. Okay, West, this game, I liked it because when you know, of course, if I could have bet the house on this, Tom Brennaman and Chris Spielman will be assigned to Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings. Do you want to farm this out to see if we want let's get Burgos. Look, I don't want to watch the Lions right now. I think that David Blow is the biggest fool's gold in the NFL.

He's like a freneticable who has to load up to get rid of the ball, and he's thrown into huge windows last week. I don't know. I mean, no one's painting him out to be people paint yeah, absolutely aboard Just Twitter was going wild like David Blow something, you know what? Who need to speak for the blowhards, the blowhards. Here's what happened. That could have been one of the

worst Thanksgiving matchups ever. He made it fun and you know, Kenny what a hundred and thirty eight yards and a touchdown at half And it was because Blow was just doing little Jason Campbell is, you know, checkdowns the whole time. He took some shots and so I kind of like that he played a good head up game. He he

knew when to take no mistakes. So if you can do that again, I mean, you're right by the way you got the Blowhards and blow Hard newsletter will be in process in in the additions will be rolling out until I don't care what. It doesn't matter what I mean, what a what a uh? You know combination though you got the blowhards being covered by Thom, You're right, it's it's thomb and I mean Thom's a blow hard. If

I ever heard and West, I gotta say it. Kirk Cousins never defeated David blow I gotta say it, Kirk Cousins facts. I gotta say. Vikings I think should be a little worried. I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but their defense does not look good. They struggled, They were lucky to win that game against the Broncos. Then they had their by and then they came out and the defense looked pretty bad on Monday night. I don't know about the Vike. They haven't exit if a

Rhodes issue. It was interesting that at the Athletic noted when he slammed his helmet down in that last game that he had shouted words at Mike Zimmer, So you know, Zimmers actually stood up for him over the course of this year and when a lot of people have called for his benching. Would you sit Dalvin Cook in this game or at least consider it? I would love him healthy. I would look at a guy like James Conner as

an example why you would consider it. Who By the way, it was just the downs out this week as we were taping this podcast. Dalvin Cook, on the other hand, says he is going to play. Connor said about a month ago, oh, I'm playing the week after my shoulder injury. He reinjured it immediately and he hasn't been on the field since. I'd be concerned, especially the Vikings. Barring a free fall, They're probably not gonna get one of the top two seeds, but they could probably get the wild

card if they get the tenor of eleven wins. I'd be a little bit careful with Cook. If you can steal a win without him, this would be it, right. I trust whatever the medical people tell the coaching stands before trust the James Conner's medical staff. Poor guy, Poor

guy Adam feeling. I don't think that wasn't there you're twisting No, I'm not twisting it that I tried to get in my original argument, which was just saying that, like you know that they should sit out the bye week, that was No, it's just one of those things to consider. Even if the medical staff's like, yeah, yeah, he'll be all right, I think maybe say let's wait until it's like I think he'll be all right. They need him. They're a lot more limited. The Lions have been frisky.

I don't think they'll be frisky in this one. But the Lions have kept the games close. They were down to the wire against the Cowboys, down to wire against the Bears. It's not like you with the backup quarterbacks. They've been a total tire. Every game is close. There are shows, I believe, even our NFL network um pregame show on Sundays, which they now do locks by the way, I don't I don't know, um yeah, but they have like Michael Irvin locking up the Bengals. Well that's exactly yes,

this is going to be a hillacious ass whooping. And if we did locks and sometimes Greg you kind of get on us as a group that we stink it locks, but we do it with integrity. They're always gonna be games that are you know, games that should be closed. We're exactly how you would. But my point is most people do quote unquote locks lock up garbage like this because you know the Vikings are gonna win by thirty five points in this game potentially. Yeah, I'll lock this up.

Oh that's brave. I can't disagree with anything you're saying here. No, he's not locking, and I would love to lock it up. But the mirror. The mirror would shatter if I had attempted to test its way over that test too. Yes, all right, let's move to Sunday Night Football. Uh the Seahawks tennant too, coming off that huge win UM on Monday Night Football that move them into the lead in

the NFC West. They beat the Vikings, of course, Uh so they are now tied there, tied to the Niners, but they have the they've played once in Seattle has that win, so they not only UM are tied in the NFC West, they also now have the tie breakers, so they're number two seed in the NFC. Now they go to the Rams, who were coming off that game. We talked about it on Tuesday in our show about teams that changed the way we felt about them, how their offense got hot, and is that the sign of

something a shift in what's happened. Well, we're gonna find out. There is a great test for both teams there. Yeah. I think one of the traps we all fall into is judging a team based on what they did against inferior competition. And maybe I'm falling into that trap because I fell back. I wouldn't say in love with the Rams, but I'm starting to trust them where I I haven't

liked them all year. I haven't felt like their offense was clicking all year, and last week they clicked against the Cardinals who have a All Pro and Chandler Jones but not much else in the secondary behind him. So what what will they do against the Seahawks defensive line that has been playing the best ball of their sea

go ahead. I was just gonna say that they had a history, have a history of scoring points on this Seahawks team, and so that makes me feel more confident that the Rams can keep it going offensively, not just in the first game, which if Greg's airline hits a kick he usually hits. This division race looks different in

the Rams are feeling a lot better. But last year when both of these games were shootouts where they even the Seahawks had a pretty good defense last year, and the Rams put up a ton of points on them both times, and so I expect another shootout in this one. I am locking up the Seahawks in this I it's you know what, I'm really glad the Rams did what they did last week because it makes this game about

ten times more intriguing than it had. They late, you know, one thirteen to ten with all the continuation of the problems with golf, but the offensive line isn't fixed and that's gonna haunt them, I think from now through the end of the year no matter what. I just don't see them as a playoff team. Seattle to me, uh is about as mentally tough as you can get. I don't care if you're in s all, you're on the road. They find a way. We talked about it on on Tuesday.

They any whatever is happening at halftime, they find a way to finish games every single week. They're running the ball really well, and their defensive front I think it's gonna give golf trouble in this I'm predicting Girl's first rushing game of the season. There is something that like analytics can't you know, there is something to the seahawk

seen you just it's like impossible to measure. I think like the early Patriots teams especially had it, Like the Oh three teams, It's like they can be put in any situation and you don't know which part of the their tough team to get a feel for because you don't know which part of the team is going to step up. And it given me last week it was like their run blocking was great and their pass rush

even without Jadevi and Clowney was was really good. Out of ore which have been weaknesses, and every week it's like they some part of the team finds a way. It's a great sign, like they just have something about them. It's very hard to put your finger on. That takes me back like five years ago when Richard Sherman said, I think it was after was it after that negative twelve degree game against the Vikings in the playoffs where he called Russell Wilson, what was it? A mental genius?

Something like he just never gets down he never thinks they're out of a game, and that the whole team feeds on me. I know he gets ripped by sportswriters and fans for you know what, like the Mike him up on Monday Football, and he's very much athletes speak. But the disconnect is that for a lot of people that have just grown up playing football that whole time, like that connects with a lot of his teammates. I'm not saying it's everyone, but let's check that out. They

buy into him though. They buy into him, clear heart, clear mind, clear eyes. Let's go to work at one point of time. Lock dude, let's go do this thing together. Whatever it takes, great language. His job is not to be I mean Mr cynical and you know Mr snarky. His job is to lead the team. I think what my takeaway from that is, and yeah, that's true, and

these are all just pro athletes. I thought it was an interesting Mike dup uh and I tweeted about this us UM and Seahawks corner was like you betrayed us, Like, no, I'm not in the bag for Sea the Seahawks. I I could speak out against uh Russell Wilson being corny because I think he is, and I thought it was weird that that miked up. You could see how he was, the way he was talking to players, and nobody was really like even responding to him. It was almost like

a robot going up and down the sideline. And then you have the ESPN telecast. Uh, this is an exact quote. They came back from one of the clips sort of listening in on a masterclass of encouragement and leadership tonight, aren't we with Russell Wilson. I was like, really, am I I'm not picking that up. I don't know. I thought he's so talented, is so great at quarterback, that that's not what it's about. And he over I think

he overcomes the fact that he's a bit of a bland. Well, if nothing else, he's he's firing himself up and he's the most important person. Yes, I think that's what And he's as tight as like Tyler Lockett is is apparently like his best friend in the world. He's probably the next, you know, most important guy on that team. So as long as you're connecting with yourself and you're that good. And this is a little unusual though, because if you watch it and they you know a lot of people

were pointing this out. There was just zero reaction from end of his any of his teammates to anything he was saying or doing. It was you know who else has planned Jared Golf Like, he's not. I'm not running through walls for Jared Goff based on what's coming out of his mouth either. So these guys are all built, but Seattle's track records suggests that whether they're drawing back

at him, that they believe in Russell Wilson. That's you know there, Jared's Goff's like, hey, you guys know how late in and out is exactly I wanted to mention you. You asked about Aaron Donald Defensive Player of the Year. I don't think he's there this year. Right now, go win this game for them, like, go have a monster game in a game they have to win in a big spot. And then you get thrown into that mix and and he's as good, he's good enough to do

it against this line they the Rams. One last thing is they remind me a little bit or they have a chance at least the Falcons and the Eagles both of the last two years as defending NFC champions looked pretty down and out at the beginning of decem and they went on and run and they started to make you believe and they ended up getting to the quarterfinals and at least making some noise. The Rams have a

chance to be like that. What Aaron Donald did the Kyler Murray List we look like something at Lawrence Taylor's career where they the closing speed to violence ratio was just way like thirty years ahead of its time and the phrase was mental giant that Richard Sherman said about Russell Wills. But don't you think, to Greg's point, that Aaron Donald needs to do that in a primetime game that matters and changes the way we think about the

Rams for for the narrative driven defensive player of the year. Yes, I do. I think he's gonna be in double digit sacks again, which is unreal for a defensive tackle. I mean, he in the RAMS defense is probably the best defense of his career right now, so he should be in the race. Let's move on Monday Night football Giants at Eagles Eagles dirt knap game potentially, but who knows, but probably um at five and seven they are one game behind the Cowboys, um who Obviously Cowboys win and Eagles loss,

and you could essentially put it all to bed. But you have the Giants, and the one thing that gives us game um cash a little juice is that it looks like a guy we've kind of I kind of never expected to see on the field again. Eli Manning is most likely starting because Daniel Jones, the rookie first round pick, has a mid high ankle sprain and it's

expected to cost him at least one game. So on Monday night, Eli back on the field, and there's a lot of at stake, including his career record which stands at one sixteen and one sixteen. This is huge, and Golden Tate looks like he's gonna come back from his concussion. Evan Ingram is talking about playing for the first time in over a month. This might be a pretty full

Giant squad to take on. You hate it, No, they're one of my you know, I'm not gonna drop double rain makers here, but I'm liking the Giants as a is a heavy underdog. It just feels like such an Eli thing. He's going up against the team he's had the most success against in the last few years, including

this Jim Schwartz uh defense. It just feels like it it's gonna be like an annoying night of Eli lovers Uh saying ze because this this Eagles team just feels capable keeping any team in the game, like they just feel capable of of doing anything. At this point, I'm with you, I can't. Can you imagine what happens to the city of Philadelphia at home to lose to Eli manning the Giants this week and essentially in Philly season. That's wild. I think it's just insane, and they're getting

healthy at the right time. This feels like an Eli Speakewon Barkley looked sharp last week. I don't want to hear about his injuries or whatever. He doesn't look like he jumped about fifty feet in the air on one place. I just totally disagree with you. He doesn't look his vision is okay. But I I do have a little bit of a conspiracy theory here. Though. It's like Steve Tisch, the owner speaks on Monday, he's not happy. Daniel Jones finished his out last week's game and made a lot

of great throws in that game. I don't know when the injury happened. But man, he had a lot of great throws in addition to his turnovers. And then and then we hear about this injury no one knew happened, and they're playing on Monday Night football and the Giants boy is back in the line of he definitely got injured. I got it. But like if they were seven and five, would he be playing in this game? If you look at the counter wars feed, I think he agrees with you.

You just find so there's some people close to the Giants to find this to be a little bit. What's the logic to it though, that Eli is getting his job back or just a nice little now just that yeah, they want they want to lie back to get their sick of losing, and they think Eli would give them a better chance. And it's Monday night football. He deep six is the Eagles. Let's say you bring Eli back for one more season, you don't make the next head coach bring him back, and the same logic, he'll go

four now and they'll give him in a contract. The same logic that we use with Andy Dalton should hold here. That's part of what I'm worried about. Kill Man it's already dead. That's true. But in this case, is Eli going to be able to escape the Eagles pressure like Ryan Fitzpatrick did. He doesn't have Fitzpatrick's wheels. I think the Eagles got tired out in Miami last week watching the end of that game. They dominated the first quarter, but they got I think then the heat and stuff.

They just were not the same team down the stretch. I mean, they gave up leads of ten nothing the Dolphins. Not a good look. All right, we will recap all the games we just previewed on Sunday night, our flagship show. A reminder if you're listening to this on the podcast, yes, on YouTube. This show is live every Thursday and you can um find it in our twitter feeds. Will tweet it out if we haven't already if you want to

go back and watch it. But it is fun to follow along because Ricky gets hot in there in the comment section, doesn't it. Oh yeah, it's crazy. We've We've got um a lot of people watching right now, over seven hundred in our small feed that we just started. So that's pretty cool. People the numbers a little bit. But oh wait wait, I forgot Yeah, it's seven thousand, one sixty. My bad, I'm sorry when my glasses on. Um. Yeah, and the comments are good, if any. There's a lot

of heat going on. People are arguing about the Ravens. You know, people are saying the rams are gonna win. A lot of people say, like, you spelled your own name wrong, troll. Well, yeah, we do need, like the podcast listeners to come into the YouTube comment and improve the quality of the guy, the guy that you know, like the twelve year old that just keeps being like Bernie Cosarn. Sorry, like that's what Mark has been typing for the best sensical points over and over Because are

there any haters aimed at us like that? They're displeased? It seems like a little bit, but no, a lot of love. A lot of people are asking what west his kid's going to be named? A lot of people and a girl name picked out, but we are we don't have a boy name. Yeah. On wavering language, wavering language? What does that even mean? Unwavering language? I'm sorry, Mark, what does that mean? I mean? Do I think that

what is unwavering language? I don't know. But if you're saying that in a huddle, like, what is that supposed to mean. I guess like positive reinforcements saying positive things. I mean, do I think that Dwayne Brown has been in the NFL for fourteen years at left tackle is and if you've listened to him as extremely bright guy

is taking a lot out of that. No, it's maybe not for Dwayne, but maybe some of the rookies, some of the young I think it's for If it's for Russell Wilson and you're gonna get what Russell Wilson gives you a quarterback, then you don't care enough. I'd be fine if it were happening on my favorite team. Yeah, but he doesn't help us, Like it's not like he's making our careers better. I don't need him to be miked up every game. I just think that, like they say,

we don't need to make him up again. They also said, like maybe he he obviously knew he was miked up, and there's been a lot of you know, no doubt about that. But I feel like he'd be saying that same stuff. I think that's he's been that dude, so like he at least he's real to who he is. You may not find it attractive. Hear you on that. I don't think you would want your friend. You wouldn't want your friends walking around before podcast talking to you that way. It seems like a nice guy. Listen. I

want to make things clear too. The Seahawks corner because I love it on the corner. Um, he's a good guy. It's just a bit you don't care about the Seahawks. Uh, he's a good guy. He does a lot of charity work. Sarra is a wonderful pop star. Uh. And he's one of my favorite quarterbacks that I've ever watched. I just find him to be according well, yeah, the way I mean we could separate these things in his public persona is kind of a fascinating thing to have tracked over

the years. He really hasn't been the same since the Entourage article and Sports Allocated with people. Should Google find the cover article of him and his Entourage guys, all the bros in the box at the never more unintended consequences of like a feature. I do feel what he's

looking for. He's an obvious target for sportswriter types because of the way he is and because our job is to be the complete opposite or anybody else that's not your all right, but I like, but it's not all about like you're a cynical monsters just but it's but he is. He stands out as too enthusiastic and too kind of positive for a culture that does not embrace that at all. The space. I think he's got four games left to go win an m v P, and

he's right in there. I don't think it's some blowout here. Rust risk can still be rust the season. He's dangerous. Even the handle of the Twitter to dance point out that it's the positivity that people have an issue with.

It's the it's the robotic nature of the responses. Just never forget when I had to, like, I live next door in college to this baseball player who always seemed like a quiet, kind of tough guy, and he needed me to like water his plants when he went on vacation, and I went in there and on all four walls were written on like probably fifty to sixty note cards like self encouragement, all positivity, all the same stuff. And I just have known a few athletes during that time.

I don't obviously, I was just thrown by it. I was totally thrown by because it was a typical to what I thought of the guy. You a big are you know your little back shed on your property mark where you know stuff goes down where you you have your computer. I'm gonna get you a beautiful framed like you know what is that store at the mall, or you get you can store positive affirmations or whatever it is.

It just will say, unwavering language, all right, if you buy that for me, I'll put it on a wall somewhere. I'm not gonna guarantee where. All right, good, all right, that's it. Good stuff. We got through all the games. Dan had to signingbut for a quiet storm, the mail Man, the Old Boss, Rick Halliday, Ryan Bartlett, Christie Tara Zack until Sunday s