2019 Week 14 Recap

I can't say anything else. Just let the let the audience decide big it is. That's a cliffhanger, folks. At the end of this episode, you'll find out who is not legally allowed to attend a children's birthday party. Now that's how you get into That's how you hold people and bring him back. Why is your chair so high, Craig. One of the great American long forms of all time is a Washington Post article about a clown who does Chris, who does children's shows. It's a really good long form. Interesting.

There's also John Wayne Gacy. Yeah, I wouldn't associate him with that clown. Yeah, different clown, all right, This is an odd start to the really Jackets start. Hey, it's week fourteen, and we talked about it um on Thursday's preview show that we had some A plus games and a minus game. That's a Sunday night game we're gonna talk about. We had a B plus game and then

a bunch of filler. But you know what, when it's July and when you're watching preseason games and taking them too seriously, you're gonna miss even these bad games, Greg. In the regular season, you're gonna miss him if you missed the bigger games more. And this is what we've been building to absolutely and uh yeah, So we have some games. You know, the complexion of both the a f C and the NFC at top Uh, those conferences shifted with those big games, and it's getting interesting down

in the wild card hunt. Greg, this is where you really shine. You're the You're our conscience, You're our guide mathematically when it comes to figure out who's in, who's out, who's on the rise, who's start to see how conscience plays the factory. Okay, so let us get into it, and let's start with Really, I gotta say, in all my years at the NFL one of the best games I ever watched. The newsroom. It occurred down in New Orleans the Superdome. To be exact, Ritchie James, you're you're right,

drop him back? He throws on left talk. George Kindled on the sideline, party lunch by a man, stiff ards a man still push it out, flag three flax to may they make it charge for a personal file on the stiff firm? Marcus, will you grab his face mask? Face? That's gonna be a penalty on New Orleans. George Kindle went crazy on the play, caught it, ran down the sideline,

did stiff firm? On a fourth down they got the Baltic Kittle on the outcut, went down the sideline and that was Marcus Williams who gave up the Minneapolis miracle. You just lost the game for the Saint Papa Tim Ryan forty Niners Radio Network. Yes, Jimmy Garoppola's clutch completion to George Kittle, who rumbles thirty nine yards, gets that

penalty the face mask on top of it. Marcus Williams, Poor Marcus Williams with the call leads to Robbie Gold's game winning kick and an all time classic at the Superdome. The Niners pull out at six win over the Saints, a game that, as of when we're talking in this very moment, moves the Niners into the number one seed in the NFC, it knocks the Saints out. And um, this was just a classic, classic shootout. And sometimes, and

I'm gonna point to um, the Rams Chief shootout last November. Um, sometimes when I watch these type of games where they're going back and forth in the field, it starts to say a little exhaustion sets in. It feels like we're not even watching football anymore. It's like we're watching bon Jovi's arena league team or something, and it kind of doesn't feel good. By the way. Yeah, yeah, thirty years great run, it's over now, Um, alright, And in this case, I didn't feel that way. This just it was a

great shootout and epic shootout. And with the Steaks what they are, these are both teams that will be in the playoffs. Um, But knowing how competitive the NFC is, how much was at Steak Beautiful and great quarterback performances on both sides of the ball. Just an excellent game. And I know you guys, um, I'm sure it kept an eye on this game. Uh. This was the game

obviously that I drafted first overall. Um, if you didn't get a chance to really soaking in, Uh, you have something to look forward to tomorrow to be about seventy two minutes long on game pass, So prepare yourself. But it will be a fun seventy two Uh. In fact, it's you know, the offense. This is a game. This is why football is funny slash stupid, is that everyone was talking about these two great defense. The Niners entered this game the number one defense in the league, um,

statistically and you and what do you expect? You expect some big stops. Instead, each team traded touchdowns throughout the first half. There was one punt in the middle, but it was touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. And um, just an excellent game. And I just want to focus first since the Niners, one on Jimmy Garoppolo because he showed no fear in this game. This is the game where I've always been a fan of Garoppolo, but I always, you know,

wondered if he's that next tier quarterback. He kind of had the he's always had the look. He looks like, you know, We joke around about Drew Lock, but Garoppolo has always looked like a guy that's a superstar quarterback. He played like one. He's done it several times this season, but in this game with the stakes, he was fearless and um right down to that fourth and two when he connected with George Kittle, who's just a tremendous player.

So uh, the Niners with a huge win. Whoa. The Niners are a team that have had throughout their history. You know, when we grew up watching the Montana and Steve Young Niners, so many indelible film clips and highlight real images that you just would remember and are drenched in as a football fan forever. That George Kittle play has suddenly right up there, smack dab at the top. I mean, that was one of the craziest, toughest, wildest

displays of power I've seen from an offensive player. I mean, I think a lot of Saints fans are getting flashbacks the vernon David Davis and the play that the former tight end made against the Saints to break their hearts in the playoffs earlier this decade and in one of the in one of the best games. I'm so impressed that the forty Niners can win this type of game.

I think it's a good sign for the Saints that that they're passing game can be involved in a game like this where they're the ones throwing the ball and scoring touchdowns on their final two drives despite losing Jared Cook, who has been so big for them, had two touchdowns but leaves with an injury. Yeah. I think if you're looking at Alvin Kamara and the running game, that's the part of the Saints offense that you're just trying to figure out, why is this not working right now? Especially

in this matchup you thought I would work? Yeah, Kamara average less than two yards to carry and Wes, you've you've been on this and yeah, killer fumble and you know that does Breeze have the army used to have? Can he put the throws in the tight windows that he used to a couple of years ago? Probably not, But when you watch this game, it just shows you he's still absolutely a star and a guy that can

go punch to punch in a game. I don't think he's close to being a liability or anything like that with this team, and this was just a nice reminder of that, I thought he was excellent as well in this Yeah, at this stage of his career. For these two quarterbacks to combine for a two seventy point one passer rating the highest by a pair of quarterbacks on ten win teams since at least nineteen fifty so they I think that was also the most points ever by UH to ten win teams too, So they made they

made history in this game. And I sensed all year long a lot of doubt about Jimmy Garoppolo through the early part of the season. I get it. They were they were run game heavy. That was what they did. The defense carried it. Since mid season, he's had to move the chains by himself in that offense with a lot of injuries, and I think more often than not

he's come through. I think one thing that flipped the switch for them was trading for Emmanuel Sanders, who is versatile enough when Kyle Shanahan trusts him enough to have him throw a pass and throw a touchdown in this game, and that he has. This is someone who was rehabbing a bad injury all off season and to come back and look at the way he does, I just think that he has when good teams trade for players and

it clicks. And we've seen that with the Baltimore Ravens this year with Marcus Peters, and it's happening right here with emmanual trade of the year, it's the trade of the year. I mean what they I think they swapped the middle to late round picks with Denver Sanders coming back. He's thirty two years old. He had shown he looked really good before probably resigned him too, so like got to jump on that. They he suffered the tour to kill his last season, but was playing well before it happened.

He showed in September with Denver that he could still make plays. So you you wonder, and you know what other gms are thinking right now, Wow, why didn't we be more aggressive with that? Including the Saints and Mickey Loomis. And I'll say this again to creditor Breeze that Jared Cook goes out with a concussion after a second touchdown catch. Uh, And it was kind of more of the same. Ted get Ted Gain made one big play down the sideline, but it was you know, Michael Thomas pouring into Michael

Thomas over and over and over again. You just wonder come playoff time, if someone figures out a way to slow down that Thomas the breeze connection, and then it really puts the pressure on Cook. But they could have used the second. But now, like many centers, is my point. I'm just so impressed by the forty Niners all season long, overcoming more injuries than any team out there. So many teams use injuries as an excuse. This has been one of the most injured teams in the NFL. Full stop

in this game too. They lost their center, Western Richbrook, they lost d Ford, they lost uh Richard Sherman. At one point, they lost Kawan Williams, another starting cornerback, and they find a way. Their two losses are at the very end of the game against the Ravens and Seahawks. They control home field advantage in the NFC. Now we're taping this at an unfortunate time, but that game against the Seahawks is gonna matter either way. Though. Now the forty Niners know if they win out they are the

one seed. And I thought last year when the Saints lost at home, I thought, wow, you know, Drew Brees at forty year, they ever gonna get a chance to have home field in New Orleans again, this might be it for them. They're back in position, but they have lost that control right now where they might be the two seed in the NFC. Let me give the final word to Richard Sherman, who uh who after the game. Uh, he's been kind of pounding the table in his media

a lot this season. After the game is about Jimmy Garoppolo, how much he believes in him. And here's what he had to say after Garoppolo's brilliant performance. Um. Obviously Jimmy Garoppolo being clutched down to stretch. You know, this is a big game and he played. You know, he played like the best quarterback and football today. He beat a legend. Um beat a legend, and the Niners they are battle tested before the playoffs begin. Let's now move to another

potential uh playoff matchup. This one went down in Foxborough. Gretty a long count here, trying to give a hand signal to Edelman, takes the snap. Chief Spring crush left side throw. It is broken up in the end zone. Broke it up in the end zone. Twitter around to Edelman. Knockdown by bra Shot Brean five yards deep in the end zone. The Chiefs hold on down at the five yard line, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnola brought everything but the kitchen sink right there. Brady had to get rid

of it. And just a great coverage play as you mentioned, Bible shot Mitch holt Is and Kendall Gammon of the Chiefs Radio Network with a call Spack strikes again. Greg. The Chiefs needed. That's just a little in joke between Greg and Eye and our Sky Sports listeners which share the Chiefs needed someone to step up and make it, make a play. Brashot Brelan was the man. He knocked Tom Brady's fourth down end Zon pass away from Julian Edelman. The clinching play in Kansas City is huge over the

Pats in Foxborough. It breaks New England's twenty one game winning streak at Gillette whoa Greg gut check victory for the Chiefs and a potentially massive one with the playoffs approaching. Yeah, it's big. You could have this rematch again in the playoffs that right now they'd be the two and the three seeds right now would be in Foxborough. The Bills will have something to say about whether you know the

Chiefs have to go on the road. But it just strikes me how much these teams have changed since they played in the a f C Championship, and the fact that they can win games. The Chiefs that is different types of ways, with a very good past defense and a very aggressive mindset where they blitzed Brady like crazy and they double teamed Edelman and the Patriots couldn't win

enough one on one matchups to get it done. I just think this Chief's team is so much more dangerous, and the focus is gonna be on everything that happened in the second half of this game. But I go back to the first staff, and I think in the end, both defenses and their coordinators. I think one most of the time the Chiefs get two touchdowns on short fields, that Patriots difference did what they wanted. Mahomes beat the Patriots on a second and a third and nineteen with

just sensational individual plays. He evaded the rush so well so many times, especially in that first half. The Patriots don't have that sort of game breaker. I mean, almost no one does that quarterback, But that ultimately was the differences. Mahomes can beat the perfect defense. I don't think Tom

Brady can right now. The Patriots have always seemed like a team because their coach and their quarterback give them a couple of percentage points advantage every week over other teams that they rely on smoke and mirrors, And when you watch this offense, it seems like more smoke, more mirrors. They need a trick play to move the ball they're throwing to Matt Lacosse with the game on the line in the end zone. I just don't think the Patriots

have been impressive in any game since October. Offensively, that's true, there an average to below average. I mean the whole team combined, you take them as as an entity. I have not been impressed with them, and since before Halloween, well, I mean it's meeting out in the sense that you've lost to Baltimore decisively, You've lost to Houston, You now lost to Kansas City. West is putting out the alarm bills that Cincinnati will take out New England potentially next week.

That would be a free fall. It's definitely a different Patriots team, and you know, we've been over it so much. They they do have something about them in terms of the coaching staff and Brady just mentally that look they made adjustments in this game. What they did in terms of taking away the deep past, they totally stuffed Kansas City. In the second half, they get a big special teams play, and more importantly offensively, you know, they started doing these

outside runs. They also put Edelman on the outside. Tony Romo is so good at recognizing the changes that they make, and they still found ways to get the ball inside the ten yard line, you know, at the end of the game and it's down to one play, despite having a kick being blocked, despite having some calls you know, definitely go against you. They do that and that gives you some confidence that maybe they can figure things out later. But when you just watch them against the best teams,

they don't stack up. They're not in that same tier. They're gonna need like an outstanding coaching job in a different offense compete. And I hear you about not harping too much on what happened in the second half of this game, but there were some insane official moments. I mean, and that in Patriots fans and it's not easy to you know, back them as a group all the time, but they have a right to be uh peeked and annoyed by what happened with the with the officials to

kill Harry had a touchdown taken away. They said he stepped out of bounce short of the goal line, but a replay showed clearly he had made it in and because it wasn't ruled a touchdown, it needed to be challenged. But the Patriots are out of challenged challenges, so they got screwed. And then Jacobe Myers is a chance to erase that mistake by officials and he drops the ball in the end zone. Uh so they get a bad break,

the Pats, and then they don't help themselves out. And because the margin of errors seems so small with this offense, those type of um for you know, bad bad break with the officiating and then a failure to take care of your own business with the drop, those things come back to hard because they don't seem to have very many opportunities where this team in the offense is built.

Jacoby Myers drop was huge, and fans that want to get upset about the officials they should, I mean they it was not just you know, the one touchdown being taken away. They also had the whistle blown on Stephon Gilmore happens too much in the end. Crazy. Here's the one thing, the only thing that really bothered me about the officiating, because those things happen. It's like, sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't. Like make the play

they they didn't make a million different places. The problem to me is in the rules in that the Patriots had to challenge to change that Stephon Gilmore play to a turnover because they messed it up in two ways. Not only did they blow the whistle and stopped Gilmore from scoring, but they also also didn't even blue blow it a fumble in the first place. So the Patriots got that challenge right so that they could get the ball, and that was why they were out of challenges, because

they had gotten their first challenge drawing. Belichick is among the coaches that it's been brought up a few times that you should be able to keep your challenges if you could keep your second challenge, if you get you don't have right. And before the owners meetings every year you get that list of potential rule changes suggested by teams, and the Patriots always have a massive laundry list. This year ripe for that that what I think I honestly

think Belichick has suggested it before, different people have. I don't know why they're so afraid of like giving an extra challenge if you get one right. But in terms of like what they didn't do well, a three place suite sequence in the first half really stuck out to me where they needed to score and they're trying to stay it. They're up seven three. Actually at the time, Philip door Set doesn't recognize a blitz, doesn't turn around. The blitz was getting home all day. Brady throws it

to nowhere. The next their down, Brady makes a good throw, Jacoby Myers has drops it. He's kind of been killing them. The Patriots then choose not to take a forty five yard field goal. I know you noticed because they're kicking. Situation has has been so bad and folks had, uh, you know, gotten blocked and it was fourth and seven. And then Brady misses a throw on fourth and seven,

where again the pressure got home. But in previous years he had held him and open on that play, I think he would have maybe stepped into that throw and made a tough throw. So it's like it's never just one thing, but it's a lot of things. By the way, the Chiefs clinched the a f C West with the wind because the Raiders are in a free fall. Uh, they're nine and four, and yes, they obviously now have the head to head tiebreaker on the paths uh and

their one game out. So we'll see the Pats still, you know, control their destiny in terms of staying ahead of Kansas City. But it's not gonna be easy. Because it was. It's just not easy for the Patriots anymore. And I think people make a big making a huge deal that they need the trick plays and all this stuff, But you know what, it's true, and Brady when the

blitz does come, he just seems helpless. Well, we've learned not to make any grand, sweeping conclusions about what will happen in January when the Patriots go through these late season funks. This is not the first time in November and December that we've seen an aging Tom Brady look less than we expected him to and then he turns it on in January. I'm not writing them off. I'm just saying everything I've seen for the past month and

a half, this team just isn't very good. And the a f C East is up for grabs the Bills Patriots game in Week sixteen. If the if the Bills can get there, having one next week, uh, it could be for the division, which which is pretty exciting, and I think the Patriots fans and the Pagriot should welcome that because they need to get a win against the

quality team. Here down the stretch, speaking of the Buffalo Bills, fourth down and eight, Josh Allen out of the shotgun, Devin Singletary with him in the backfield, raven show blitz. Here comes Earl Thomas off the edge, Singletary's pass over the middle. It is incomplete, no flag on the play. Marcus Peters what the play? And with one oh three left in Buffalo, the Hayes in the barn. He's in the barn, Jerry Sandusky says, w B A L yes.

Facing fourth and ade at the Baltimore sixteen, Josh Allen's pass intended for John Brown broken up by Marcus Peters, who's celebrated by jumping into the stands and chucking a beer. The Ravens beat the Bills seventeen. That's nine wins in a row for Baltimore. Mark This game is pretty much the opposite of what we saw at the Superdome today, absolutely, and it's you could look at both of these teams and I do coming out of this game as having

super Bowl worthy defenses. It's yes, the Ravens do what the Ravens do, and they you put them in any stadium, they're gonna grid it out and find a way to win. And they've done that again. I thought Buffalo's ability what they showed against Lamar Jackson in this insane Ravens offense

was admirable today. The problem with Buffalo, and we've pointed this out, you know, all year long, is that if they do give up more than twenty something points too often, you cannot you cannot really convince yourself that they're gonna be have fine ways and have the weapons to hang around.

And this was a game where Josh Allen faced so much intense pressure in heat from Baltimore's front seven that has become absolutely dangerous at this point that you you saw some of the quintessential bad Josh Allen's throws early on, and it's not just because he's inaccurate, it's because he

had people in his face all day long. They had thirteen drives the bills for two hundred and nine yards one point three point one yards per play, and there were multiple multiple marches where it was three and out and it was you just did not You could not find a way that Buffalo was gonna score in this game. And the Ravens lost Mark Andrews, their playmaking tight end, and they never really thought found a way to get

out of that situation. He's so important to them. I think that game, this game magnified how important he is. Hayden Hurst had a one of his rare big play scores today, but you take that away, this game would have been I think a really rough asked for Baltimore because Buffalo fought and fought in the second half. When you watch in that second half, they have nothing on offense, and it's like, you know, Devin Singletary doesn't something really nice for you, but then it's taken back by penalty.

And then Josh Allen, you know, he's not no interceptions, so he's not turning the ball over, but you can't count on him to make those window throws that you need. And that coverage by Marcus Peters at the end. If want, I want to talk about shot like he had one of him on John Brown is one of the great

cornerback efforts today. I have seen um and with on the Bills in and no one's gonna take anything away from the ninety three start, or that they went to Dallas um and one on Thanksgiving, but this did feel like another chance of the Bills to you know, put a big stamp on the season to say, not only are we a team that's going to the playoffs, we're a team you better watch out because we you know, we might win some games and make a run. They

almost beat the Patriots in their building. Now they almost beat the Ravens. So I think, as much as it might annoy fans in Western New York, you do have to figure out how to win a game like this to really get people to believe. Yeah, and who knows what beating the Cowboys means now or what it will

mean in a month. Although I just keeping it close against three, I'm so impressed with the Ravens in general that to you know, getting it to a point where it comes down in the last play, to me is a step forward and signed their playing better than they did earlier in the season. Here are the records of the last seven teams that the Ravens beat nine and four, eleven and two, seven and five, eight and five, one and twelve, ten and three, and then a ten win

Seahawks team. So they're they're winning all these games against like great teams. And I guess the last two weeks have shown you can hold their offense down in some rough weather conditions. I mean, they didn't exactly, you know, rack up yardage in either of those games, and those games came down to the wire. But I don't know, And it's about as good a regular season as you

can have with two losses. I think we all kind of looked at the Bills schedule a few weeks ago and said, even if we we respect him, that lead in the wild card race is gonna dwindle when they play these tougher teams. And now you look up, Titans and Steelers are only one game behind them, and the Bills have to go into Pittsburgh next week the game a team that is ruling in a defense which I believe is better than Buffalo's. Same kind of quarterback issues.

You don't trust the quarterback from week to week on either team in prime time in primetime, right if you want to like try to imagine or picture away that Buffalo wins a playoff game and caps this awesome regular season. It has to happen in Buffalo. And to Alan's credit, although he had a tough game and he was in the Luke Fox zone today, three point seven yuards couldn't get attempt um. He did ball out with millions and millions of people watching on Thanksgiving, So I think he

could step up in primetime. But that's another big test for him, and that entire Bill's teams from him, including you know, a key lost fumble. He'll do that and that's I think why they're afraid of him, you know, running around so much. I think the number was one for eleven on throws over fifteen yards, one for sixteen went under durest. So the Ravens one upfront and Alan clearly didn't four for seventeen on third down and it

looked that way. And yes, the lost fumble was I I just think that he was hurt at one point. He hurt his ankle and he was hoppling around. He wasn't the same guy. You take that punishment over and over, they're gonna get you amazing to fifty seven yards for the Ravens. All right, let us now stay in the a f c UH playoff chase with a game with huge wild card and division ravvications. Tannehill works under center,

two receivers to the left. Crowd gets loud bay fake Tannahill looking throwing deep down the middle, going for Brown. Brown's got it at the fifty, breaks the tackle of the forty, to the thirty, to the twenty, to the ten, to the five to the end zone. Ladies and gentlemen, That is ninety one yards touchsdown. Titans their longest touchdown pass in over five years. That was so great and it happened here. That came straight out of the black hole,

right down to the other end. Mike Keith and Dave McGinnis with a call, Titans, you know what to do, Ricky, bring me the girl? WHOA Now you gotta check out the YouTube show what are we wearing? I'm looking spelled. I like it. The surge its Titans keeps surging. Ryan's Hannehill through yards, three scores, Derrick Henry two more touchdowns. He goes over a hundred yards. He cannot be contained, and he made it look easy even with his leg taped up the Titans four straight wins. Now beat up

the Oakland Raiders. You know, put the Raiders under the ground one at the black hole and um, the Titans. You know, it started out not so hot. Uh. They there was a deflected interception, big man run back for the Raiders. They punch it in touchdown. But from that point on at seven nothing, he just took over the game. And and Oakland, who was undermanned and didn't have Josh Jacobs. Damn it. That's on me for not tracking that closely

enough because I locked up the Raiders. That didn't work out. Um, but they were you know, to their credit, Oakland kept pace and it was at a half uh, and then the Titans just took over. Um. They scored touchdowns on five of their next seven possessions after that open opening Raiders score. And they are six and one with Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback and west uh. Reports started percolating over the weekend that the Titans might be looking to do business with Ryan Tannehill, who's do can be franchise at the quarterback rate of twenty seven million, but they might want to get into business in a long term way. And the way he's playing this doesn't feel unsustainable.

It feels like he has found a home here. Well, that team that nobody wanted to watch with Marcus Mariota, the team that couldn't move the chains, couldn't keep their quarterback upright and off the ground, the Titoons is now a high octane thirty point a week attack that have five hundred yards by the end of the third quarter in today's game, and come back Player of the Year.

I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago. I did not include Tannehill because you're checking some boxes and I'm looking at players coming back from major injury or some kind of life event, and I think that award it's not there's no real definition for it. It's sort of like the threshold for obscenity by Um Potter Stewart. Judge Potter Stewart. I know it when I see it.

You know a comeback story when you see it. Ryan Tannehill was given up for dead by the Dolphins and given away to the Titans, comes off to the bench and because of him, completely turned the team around. That's a comeback players. One of the great comeback stories of the decade. I agree. Tannehill was just the guy. When he was signed as a backup quarterback, I think everybody

was like, oh, that was pretty good signing. That gives him a choice of Mariota struggles again, but nobody, nobody thought he would take over the offense and then turn it into one of the more lethal tacks in the a f C nine him. Look at Arthur Smith vying for coordinator. I mean, we hit the game, the games with Mariota, Yeah, the games with Mariota still counting against the record, but nine point four yards per attempt. The Raiders defense just they hadn't They never had a chance

this year. I don't believe they never they ever really had a chance because I think they were ranked in my mind either thirty one thirty second in talent on defense, and they were always just trying to scheme around that and figure it out. And they did a pretty good job getting a six and seven, and maybe they'll get to eight and eight. But it's like they were never going to be explosive enough to keep up with this defense. Who's better at football the New England Patriots of the

Tennessee Titans as we stand right now. I think if it was a new trush field right now we are right now, I think it was a neutral field. Titans might be favored playing They don't need to score this many points every week either because their defense is legit. So it's like they're a balanced team and they're getting hot at the exact But the crazy thing is Tannehill only every week he only throws it seven this week. That's a lot of throws for Tannehill usually doesn't even

have to. Now they the wind moves them into a first place tie with the Texans. And now it gets interesting because they play twice in the final three weeks, which is wild. I don't love the scheduling to pack them together, like, but you know what, Uh it is what it is, So let's just ride with it and and enjoy the carnage because uh that is going to I mean, we could see both of these teams in the playoffs, or one of these teams could absolutely take out an arch rival in the biggest way in the

final three weeks of the year. It's is nail biting time in Houston, and we're gonna get to the Texans. But I mean, where we stand right now, who's the better team that the Titans of the Texans. After what we saw today, one team is more consistent than the other. The Titans show up every week. The difference is that the Texans are gonna have the tiebreaker if they split and if their other game goes the Texans way, because the Titans have an extra division loss, UH so they

they would win on that tiebreaker. The Texans play at Tampa in week week sixteen, that is their extra game, whereas the Titans uh plays the Saints. So who knows. I mean, anything could happen, but it's still an uphill battle for the Titans. They might need to sweep it to to get the division and hopefully Derrick Henry's okay. He had a leg injury. Um, he left the game briefly, and like I said, he had his leg taped up. I think it was a hamstring. They were two and four, UM,

and he just boring and bad. Henry Henry just made it look easy. He didn't. It didn't even seem like he was trying that hard. Obviously he was. And he just went over a hundred scored two more touchdowns. It's it's he's having a special speci. No one other thing that Marcus Mariota could not have pulled off. Today. Was the insane Ryan Tannehill darting down the field to blow up Maurice Hurst. One of the best tackles I've seen in the entire year coming from a quarterback. He's a

great tackling quarterback. That was like twitter joke of mine back in when he just was throwing pick after pick. By the way, look out, Derrick Henry. I know if this is updated, he is just behind Christian McCaffrey at number three. Um he he has he could win the rushing title, but not And this is not, you know, an attack on you at all, Dan, which is a

bad way to preface anything. But there is a trend right now of like guys who leave Adam Gaze and are playing playing better without him, and especially at the quarterback position. I think that's you know, that's significant. Uh yeah, sure, I will say that that Tannehill did. It's not aboue look about me. Don't proface it by mentioning Bryan Tannehill did look really good with Adam Gaze and then he blew out his knee and thanks got walk had some

had some moments. But whatever I attempted at the same point with Dan on the Thursday show. I wasn't gonna go back down. Yeah, if you guys want to bring it up every week, it's it's not like my uncle. It's not like it hurts me. He's just the coach that will be fired before long, just another Jets coach. I am under the attemption that any Jets talk is personal. He's Christy for the something. I mean, I don't take it personally in this case. I mean, that's that's undeniable

that Dolphins players have done well without Mr Gays. All right, let's now talk about the Houston Texans. My goodness, Denver looks like the RuSHA three. They will watching quick for a winside pass. Caught g t q T again, but he fumbled the football and is picked up by Jeremiah Tosshu who hands it to Kareem Jackson. Jackson's on the loose. Jackson and the foot race and here you got thirty down the Broncos side ten high stepping into the end zone.

Touchdown Denver, no whistle, no flags. If it stands, it would be the Broncos first defensive touchdown of the year. It did stand. Dave Logan, Broncos Radio Network. My goodness, Craim Jackson had an intercession returned to fumble seventy yards touchdown, gains his old team and drew lock the kid grow that beard doesn't matter. More important that you're playing well through four three yards of three touchdowns, all three of those scores in the first half. The Broncos blow the

doors off. The Texans. Don't even pay attention to their final score. This game was thirty one three at the half. Greg After the game, von Miller said this of his rookie quarter rookie quarterback, incredible. That guy's an effing rock star. The Broncos have something here, I hope so it will make them more watchable. I don't take von miller um hype like too seriously because he did call both Paxton Lynch and Trevor Simme in the next Peyton Manning. I

believe what did he call him? Effing rock star? No. I love von Miller. I love hearing about von Miller. He's playing on a bum knee. By the way, today, he had to play on the opposite side of the field because he can only rush in one way. I had to do it against Tunsil and he still got a couple of quarterback kits, they said after the Vikings game, And I know I wasn't playing the start with this,

but I love von Miller. After the Vikings game, that terrible loss that he had, he went up and down on the plane and told invited everyone out to dinner that night. And they went out that night like trying to fire everyone up after the worst last of the year. And this team plays like a team that's still in the mix. Like there. If you want to judge your coaches by how hard your team plays, the Broncos show

up each and every week. They're very unlucky to be only five and eight, and they are the NFL's berserker because you don't want to play him in December. This is exactly exactly how John Elway, uh and Vic Hajio wanted this season to close. Once you realize that you weren't gonna make the playoffs, forget about tanking and hoping you find the next quarterback. Get put something on tape that you feel good about and that you feel like you figured some things out and you're not on the rock.

It's not just all about being on the wrong side of field goal luck. At the end of games. They are a team that's making progress west as the game, as the season goes along, and it is the credit to the players and the coach. Dave unearthed some absolute stars on this team. Justin Simmons at safety is having an All Pro year, Alexander Johnson at linebacker has come out of nowhere to make a pretty big All Pro bid.

They're turning their defense around. Courtland's Sutton been a fine and now Drew Lock is the X factor if he's really this good. Right, we'll see yes the next three weeks for the Broncos and then in the offset it's all about just trying to find out about Lock. Now. He didn't have to do too much last week. This week he made a handful of nice throws against pressure early in the game. Absolutely didn't have to do much

in the second half. That that's fine. I also give their their coaching staff and in my guy Rich Skangarello, who I was like, this guy's not giving them a big advantage like open places and that was the opposite today. Uh, there were a lot of open receivers. No. A fan made two big place for for one thirteen before he got hurt. Uh in a touchdown caught all of his targets, and there were there were open players for uh for Lock to go to. They didn't run the ball well

at all. They had thirty eight points before they had thirty eight rushing yards because it was a pass heavy attack that the Texans didn't know. I hit him. Do not go and place faith in this Texans defense. I just don't get. This is the most disc whoting result from today because we are coming off a week where

the Texans fried the Patriots and it was this. There's the game that re emphasizes everything good you think about the Texans, and they could be wild, they could catch a three game windstreak and wind up in the Super Bowl. But I think they're much more likely to ultimately every week lay an egg like this because this is not

This has happened throughout this entire season. They've been brutally inconsistent, but it's still it doesn't I don't know what I take out of this game other than that they can. But there's the thing. The defense is a game plan defense, or maybe sometimes it works, but man, and when they had no pass rush, they're getting destroyed in terms of

their linebackers. Their linebackers in coverage were awful. They were the same guys who showed up to the game dressed up as uh the Dodgeball movie concluding a wheelchair guy as a prop. Don't put a guy in a wheelchair. And then that guy, I mean, you hate to point it out, did limp off the field with you know now it needs a wheelchair. Well, as my mother says, don't spit in the sky, that's how you get I don't like that West. To your credit, on Thursday, you

did ask the question. He said, what about this Texans defense can they make? Is this a defense to be trusted? And the Broncos, even though they are improving, this is not an offense that you teams live in fear of. What do we expect when they play the big boys? You know what they're missing Kareem Jackson. They ought to They ought to melt his helmet trophy out to give it to the winner of this team every year because

he tips the field every time this game is played. Right, you said that was the best game anyone played all year. Kareem Jackson against the Broncos last year. It was so good that they had to give him a monster contract. He had three passes defense on top of the interception. Eleven tags. I mean he was just flying around, got the touchdown. Good job. I mean you can shut down Tom Brady, but the idea that you're gonna shut down

Drew Luck and his second start is beyond. Will Fuller is the Jenga piece for this team and will Fuller is out. They are not the same. And it was I feel like he's out every their game too, right. This is just it was his replacement QT who had that killer fumble, Rick s Gangarrello Skangs, Papaskango. Remember Papa Shango. He was one of the more ethnically questionable wrestling gimmicks of the early nineties. Some type of voodoo guy. I'd

agree with that. He had a lot of You don't believe that he put a curse on the Alternate Warrior. I remember during one interview where the Warrior was given an interview to me and Jean, and then all of a sudden, like a black goose started running down his face. Why is heart exploded? I don't know Papa Shango had

put a curse upon the Alternate Warrior. This is during kind of a fallow period in the witt It's not a h a lot of blank faces in the control room right now, but there are definitely four hundred wrestling fans listening right now, Like I love Dan Way to bring up Shango in a big spot. All right, let's move on. Bartlett pumped his fish. Here's the stop pass right out the point to make fundball football picked up by the Buck Fox tamp the ball, Tampa Baya's course

to take away. It's Mike Edwards with the football, Harlan rolling on the Tampa Bay lounger ares forts the first take away the game. Jen Decker off Bucks Radio Network. Jameis Winston through her four hundred fifty six yards at four touchdowns, helping the Bucks rally beating the Colts five. See this is like a chase through the streets of old school Los Angeles cops and Roberts seven West. Winston also threw three interceptions, including his fifth pick six. Wow,

is that I have the double check? That's that. But it's another quintessential Jamis game. What do you make of this wild up and down Jamie season. It almost seems like a Jamie season at steroids this year. Yeah, it's

like a refined version of Jamis Winston. It's just like distilled through three hours of simmering into four fifty yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions, which is as Jamis as you can possibly get, and he joins Gus Farrott as the only other winning quarterbacks to reach those statistical markers in a game and still win. He should have had another interception that might have blown the game, but Pierre to see her uh dropped it in a thirty game.

And what happened after that was the Devin White fumble was huge because it had come after Marcus Johnson, who had a pretty big game for the Colts, drew a long pass interference penalty. Naim Hines is in the red sun the Colts. Colts are driving for the score. That's

gonna put the game away. Devin White pokes it out and then Jamis throws an interception right after that, throws behind Paraman, it's tipped and goes to Lee Hooker, but he ends up coming back again with another opportunity, which Jacoby percent I thought, for three quarters played my favorite game I've ever seen him play, just stepping up in the pocket, getting away from pressure, taking chances downfield, and he never throws downfield, so it was nice to see

him doing that attacking downfield. He didn't do much in the fourth quarter and Jamis did. It should be noted Jamis Winston suffered at what Bruce Arians labeled a little bitty fracture in his right thumb. Played the second half with the injury. He had some issues gripping the football. Uh, it's a credit to Winston playing through an injury. There also the most playing through the injury and putting the

most yards on the Colts since that game. I know you guys remember this as soon as I say that game where Big Ben and Andrew Luck combined for like almost a hundred points and maybe the best passing game I've ever seen by a pair of quarterbacks. Winston with Thruce Arians. I guess this was We should have known this was coming because it's like, it's all risk it, it's all bestcuits, it's all Winston. Like that, you're getting

everything that you could possibly get. At least you are getting you know, you're getting the interceptions, but at least you're getting the four fifties and four Like sometimes is that there's so much focus on the interception and you think, like maybe he's unlucky. No, he has the appropriate amount because there's a lot of dropped interceptions, but you are getting the four fifties, six and four like that should be that should be accounted. We got risk its biscuits

and briskets in this game. That's pretty good. That's good football. Are they going to bring him back now because of this late season? So well, that's the question of kind of posing. It's like it sounds like they want to. Yeah, if he annoyed you, if he's annoyed to his whole career, if the Bucks have been quietly or not so quietly doubting whether he's the guy. Has this season reinforced their

feeling or has it gone the other way? Do they see these big plays and the fact that he's gonna throw for probably close to five thousand yards and thirty five touchdowns, whatever he's gonna end up with, will they be swayed by that? You know that trope when people say, you know, there's open in college football, where there's a big window you throw too, but in the NFL, you're only open if you have like a little bit of

a step on the receiver. Jamis Winston's open is like if you have an inch on your on your cornerback.

He's throwing it and I think that's gonna plague him for the rest of his Yeah, I think so too, And I think I think the decision will be up to Jamis Winston on some level, because I think the Bucks will absolutely offer him a competitive enough contract, and I'm not sure anyone else Like to me, he's gonna be worth more to them than anyone else, and I think he's probably gonna want to stay there and it might get worked out before you even get the free agency.

It's kind of a hilarious season he's having. Yes, that was his fifth pips picks six of the season. He's on pace for to throw forty yards, averaging eight yards attempt, nearly twenty nine touchdowns and rested in peace. Yeah, they're done, six and seven, it's over. You lost those two uh two games behind now with three to play. Whereas Matt Gage drilled a field goal right after Pierre Decier dropped

that interception, the Colts missed another kick. Chase McLaughlin missed a kick today and he made a couple too, But the Colts have missed fifteen kicks this year, the most in the NFL, and it's cost them thirty three points. Well, yeah, the eight and eight tenants line is thin. If your kicker keeps missing, you're gonna probably end up on the wrong side of that. Let us move on and puts

it out of there a big rush. Deante Johnson has to chase it back, takes it his own seventeen yard line up to the fifth twenty the twenty five curty. He's off for the racist forty forty five forty thirty five thirty twenty five twenty there goes Deante Johnson. Well then return touchdown. I don't see any markers down to you. Oh, Pilly, I do not. I was saying every time he catches the ball, you'll hold chip breath. And now he finally took it to the house. His longest previous part return

unch was fourteen yards. This one to the house. Bill hill Grove and touch iillkin Grove and Tounch in the morning. That's a good team, Steelers Radio Network. Deante Johnson eighty five yards to the house on a punt return. He also had a touchdown reception. Steelers beat the Cardinals seen in Arizona in Glendale with a billion Steelers fans in attendance. West the days of the Killer Bees and blowing off the doors, blowing the doors off lesser teams like the Cardinals.

That's over in Pittsburgh at least for now. But hey, a dub is a dub, and the Steelers keep stacking. It would have been interesting to see if the Steelers blew the doors off this Cardinals team had Benny Snell not fumbled and given the Cardinals crime field position. When the Steelers were threatened to run away with the game early, they let the Cardinals back into it and then it became a bit of a slug fest. But I would say my opinion on their quarterback situation had a lot

more to do with Mason Rudolph than Duck Hodges. I've been a little bit fearful that Duck wouldn't get it done. I mean, he's not the most talented guy in the world. Every week that goes by, now I'm a little more confident in Duck Hodges. You're starting to see that the receivers. James Washington was coming off two big is back to back, and he drew a couple of penalties today that his

numbers don't look as good as as he played. Deonte Johnson after having an awful game last week, comes back and has his coming out party this year with the punt return. And then he had a great play in the red zone where you think he's getting tackled for a big loss, and his punt return skills come out and he sets up his own touchdown with that play. He had a really nice game. Duck Hodges started out eight for eight on third downs and he only missed

three completions all game. So you're you're talking about a guy who is certainly not hurting his team and in many cases is helping his team. Greg, you mentioned the Chiefs and the Patriots. Is being so vastly different than they were in the a f C Championship. The lineup in the box score for the Steelers week to week is ultra insane. I mean, obviously it starts with Duck at quarterback, but Kirath White is running for eight yards

per carry. It's the Benny Snells. It's like everyone that was there is no longer there, and they are winning these games and they were currently had the tiebreaker over Tennessee Well Defensive Player of the Year candidate t J. Watt had an interception in the end zone on a play where Kyler Murray probably could have kept the ball and run and picked up the first down or touchdown on fourth down, but he passed it instead. And I don't think Kyler is himself while playing through this. I

think it's a hamstring injury. He's not really effective as a scrambler right now and that's a big part of his game. Uh And t J. Watt. It was interesting that Tomlin told the CBS crew if you if you asked me in September, who's the leader of your defense, it's Cameron Hayward. And he said, now it's definitely t J. Watt And it's been fun to watch him. Just take ownership of that situation. Any concern of Kyler's decision making

three interceptions fumble, it takes a lot of sacks. I know it's not a good offensive line, but a lot of that is on him. It seems like it's it's slowing down. Maybe it is this hamstring injury. Well, I think it's a combination of the hamstring injury and an erosion of trust with his offensive line, which I think early in the season, I was surprised he wasn't getting sacked more often, considering how bad they were, and now it feels like it's been building up over time to

the point where he doesn't trust him much. Al Right, Pittsburgh is chasing that wild card spotting there in good position right now. Uh, let's see another let's check out another team. Uh, gunning for a wild card slot. Hayfield shotgunt, He's got the snap back, settles, looks up in the pocket, runs up to the corner. He said the tad, he said the five. He tucks around the pylon. No, sick up, happy dude. Touchdown Baker Mayfield, what a job by his body.

Don't hung around the pilot and get it in as he runs it in from seven yards song curt and goals tie it at thirteen. Jim Donovan Brown's Radio Network with a call. Guess Baker Mayfield didn't throw for a touchdown, but he did run for one as the cream hunt. Nick Chubb went over a hundred, including ninety nine after the halftime break. Cleveland stays alive in the a f C Playoff Pics nineteen win over the Bengals, who come

down to earth after their first win of the year. Mark, Uh, this doesn't sound like a flawless effort for the Browns, but hey, I need the wind got the win. Well, I don't really specialize in flawless efforts, and I my biggest concern with the way this game started was that this is a Cincinnati is the worst run defense in the league, and they played better of late and there it's not that's you know, that's the collective stats there.

But Cleveland had Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt with seventeen combined yards at halftime in a game that I thought this was where you just at home, pound away with your best player, Nick Chubb and used Cream Hunt the way you've used them, and don't put Baker Mayfield into strange situations through the air. They they took them a long time until that touchdown. We just showed to get their flow together and then from there they took care

of business. And you look at these you look at the stats and it's like Andy Dalton no touchdowns and he had to pick six. I thought he Pray played pretty well. Actually, I mean, it's just that there's not much around any Dalton. Joe Mixon had one of his best games of the year. The Browns, to me, are not a playoff team on any level at this point, because they seemed to be I think definitely a year away and a lot of different categories and ways of

really being an effective offense at all. They seemed mentally discombobulated in terms of their game planning. I don't trust their coaching staff to adjust at halftime or to go into the game with the best way to attack. No, they gave up twenty seven first down to the Bengals. They were outgained by a hundred and twenty yards. Mayfield

through two interceptions. One of them I just say one of them was like David the Joku catching the ball and falling on his back and everyone thought it was gonna be a a catch, then be in a joke of fumble, and then it was ruled the Baker Mayfield interceptions. So but but still right, just just that it was a day where their red zone defense ultimately saved them.

I think the Bengals were one for five in the red zone, and that the field, the fact that Baker Mayfield's going under fifty percent completion, I know he had some big plays against the Bengals, and then the fact that after the game, the conversation is about Odell Beckham, where j. Glazer before the game, says this Odell Beckham talk how he's not committing to Cleveland long term, which kind of came from a press conference, uh, you know last last last week pops up and then after the

game Baker Mayfield's kind of throwing his training staff under the bus. We have that sound, let's listen to. I'd say that, you know what, it wouldn't handled right. Um, He's not able to run as well as he should be able to as well as he knows, and that's frustrating for him. Uh it's you can since that's some of his frustration where that comes from. So uh, I wouldn't handle the right way in our training room. So uh well, you know it is what it is, and

so his not is still good enough for us. I feel like Browns fans have experienced every kind of frustration to the sun, and this year has brought a new one. That every time you win a game, you're not talking about the football, you're talking about some other controversy after the fact, that you never get a chance to unwind and enjoy a win. He's a smart guy, right, What does Mayfield things gonna happen when you make that comment?

Stand up he's trying to make because that becomes the story that he's throwing his team under the bus in a way. And even if his intentions are noble, which is to say, I'm on O b J side, all you guys getting on him, that he's having a down here, but this is one thing you don't do. And like West of saying, it's just should be about the Browns saying alive, and it said, it's gonna be about Baker

mouthing off about his team. He did come out and apologize strongly on Twitter for not wanting to make it seem like he's throwing no I get it, but he just did. But part of it is you haven't heard much from Odell Beckham at all, and I think that he is speaking for someone who typically is the person drawing all this media fire. I hear you, though. I mean it's like, I'm not just gonna stick up for Baker Mayfield because I'm a Brown. It just makes the

organization look bad. It first of all that Odell Beckham wants out, and then second that the quarter quarterback is sort of blaming the organization. So you've got to think, as the leader, like you want to make your organization look good. Baker is going to be there long term,

whether oh b J is you know or not? And I get that he's trying to stick up for him, and it helps explain maybe you know, Beckham's poor year, But does it also explain why Beckham made that comment in the first place, that he's maybe upset behind the scenes at how the Browns and I think that, but I think when you see splits, and we've seen it this year with with in Washington too, when there are issues between player and medical staff that can lead there's

still so much upside though with Baker and that offense and Odell, I think it would be a huge mistake of Beckham forced him forced his way out of town. There's no sense digging on that because we don't there's so much to be told in that story. But they need an off season around. I cannot think of a team that needs to just flush this experience one today though, Mark you want, but he's right though every win feels tinged with something darker that you can't really painted. Just

you can't enjoy it. Shout out before we go to Zach Taylor, the Bengals coach, for having Randy Bullock lineup for a forty six yard field goal with twelve seconds Ramaker, I don't want to log version. What is this? I'm going to brought the rain? I want to hear this. Turn it up here, come never again clean? Greg. What concerns me is be voice the lead singer of a of a band at some point? Yeah, why are you so ashamed of the voice that sold four copies of an album? How do you want to cut? At least

what a great title? Wait? Do you think he sold forty seven copies? That means there's at least forty seven copies out there? Is that? How you sang in that for that band? I just want to know what that was like. You're more like, No, it wasn't trying to hit those tough notes. Who was We just did the throwback podcast talking arcade fire, Greg? Who would? Because every singer, whether he admits to or not, is influenced by someone out there that he listened to or looked up to.

Who would be? Who would be the voice that you may be modeled yourself after during your days fronting Delaware, the emo goth band in Western not an emo van, not a goth. I would say the dead milkman. Whoever that the dead milkman. Not a lot of people would answer the dead milkman for that question. All right, um, let us move on, uh to the NFC. Back to the NFC. So it's first and Gold Vikings in a

scoreless game from the Lions nine. Alexander Madison the jailback play action Kirk straight drop to the end zone, touchdown hold off. BC Johnson has caught two touchdowns in his many games against the Detroit Blons, and the Vikings have taken a six year old lead. Oh, Paul Allen's one of the zero truthers. I've had some words with Matt money Smith about this because Money is also a zero truther. There's no six nothing when he's calling the game. It's

six zero. That doesn't sit well. I could couldn't. I agree with you. Hunter technically correct, and that's why a real broadcaster like a Money or a Paul Allen does do it. But I don't love it. I'd like you don't like Moneys take on it. I don't. He's a six zero guy. He's a zero truther and Money, but I shouldn't he be allowed to make his own call game? So what's the problem. I'm just saying, he you're I'm a twenty nothing guy. I understand what money nothing means.

I don't need it to be twenties zero. I'm a traditionalist. I'm a nothing guy. Killing would it killing? The throwing a little bucks? Now? They don't do that. They what is the exact definition for the zero numerica zero? I mean, there are reasons that Matt money Smith has been hired to call games and some of us have not. He's a pros pro b C Johnson had a touchdown catch and Daniel hunt Dirt had three sacks five for the Minnesota Uh. Their defense needed a big game. They got it,

took care of business against the Lions twenty to seven. Uh. Six straight losses for the Lions in Minnesota. UH the win as they continue to charge towards the playoff spot. Now, let us welcome in Nick Shook. Oh my god, who's straight out of the gym. He's lending us a hand on a full Sunday slate. Shook, How are you, buddy? I'm great. I'm still captivated by that audio clip of of of here comes the Rain. Thank you, Nick, Here

comes the rain. And by the way, are you are you a zero truth or also no, I'm cool you can use nothing. I didn't even think about that until you brought that up. I mean, technically it's correct, and if you want to be a stickler for it, then yeah, but now you can use nothing nothing to find That's why I love him anyway, Shook. So yeah, we needed we needed a hand and those big masculine meat pause

of yours are gonna help us out here. Um, talking Detroit, Minnesota, we know where the Lions are at this juncture, which is a very bad place. But what were your what was your big takeaway from the Vikings in this game? Uh, you know they did enough. I think you know, their defense was the story of the day, you know, the five facts that you mentioned really shutting down anything that Detroit could do. It was more of a game where statistically, if you look at you know, the the Lion Kirk

Cousins had, it's it's really good. But oftentimes they couldn't really take advantage of just didn't take advantage of the opportunities that they had. But they took advantage of enough opportunities to win the game. It's not like the task was that great, you know, concerning the Lions team that they were playing, and they got a really big boost

at the end of the half. There was like a minute a half left and the Lions, you know, we're tried to settle for a field goal, missed that field goal, and then the Vikings had a big play to Stefon Diggs ended up capping it with a Dalvin Cook touchdown run and it pretty much felt over from there, and it ultimately was I think that was pretty much the

turning point. It's one of those games where you have a team that's clearly superior, uh and just needs to do just enough to win and get to the next week. And that's what we had here. Dalvin Cook, like look like a guy playing through an injury or did he look like an m VP candidate? Uh? Handoffs wise, you know, carries wise, he looked like somebody was playing through an injury. But I didn't notice that much of an issue with him running the football. He still looked explosive, he still

looked strong through the hole. You know, I was watching the Browns game in this game at the same time, and I was getting, you know, framed by frame comparisons of him and Nick Chubb, and I was thinking to myself, if I had to take a running back to start with, I would pick Dalvin Cook over Nick Chubb. He's just more explosive, uh from the backfield to the line of scrimmers than a guy like Nick Chubb. Not that you know, knock anything and yet him, but uh so he looked fine.

I just think you know, he'll It was a game where he could have sat out and I wouldn't have had an issue with it. I mean, now he's inter Madison still had four teen carries or forty six yards, and he would have done a good enough job. But again, you're kind offending off the rams who are coming up on their tails, and you're also trying to still win

your division. So I understand why he played. I don't think it's a huge, huge issue going forward for those of us that started a fan club based on the exploits of David blow Should the Blowhards be concerned about the overall arc of where we're at with this quarterback? Right? Hard Nation wants to know, Well, you know, every time Bloud takes the field, there's a certain term for that

span of time. It's called blower hour. And yeah, blower hour wasn't so great this week through a couple of interceptions. One of them was really bad and kind of killed their only strong drive at the second second half. But again, I mean he's hand the ball off the bow Scarborough and you know he connected with Kenny Golladay and a garbage time touchdown. That's pretty much the majority of what happened.

You know what they're dealing with here. They're just not a full strength team, and especially not with a full strength quarterback. So everybody loves David Blow and having spent training camp covering him to enjoy David Blow and his his magic tricks. You know he's good with the cards and everything. But were you just dismissive of all of us bohemians out there because we like it? Won the Rookie Show in Barria, I'll tell you that, But I

don't know how far it's gonna take him. The NFL Wow shout out to Daniel Hunter, the youngest player in NFL history to at the fifty sacks. I feel like he gets slept on as one of the great pass rushers this year. He's second in sacks, fifth and hits first, and Hurry's seventy nine pressures here by the neo hunter. He just doesn't week after week, and it feels like an even better in that dome, in their home stadium where they have an advantage against, you know, with the

crowd noise. He just plays so well in that dome, shook you believe in the Vikings before we say goodbye. But I'm looking at their their nine and four right now, they're the They're the Where are they they are? This projected sixth seed they got at Chargers home, Packers home, bears. Tell us where the Vikings end up New Year's Day right now? Let us know, well, they could win, they could go win their division. I mean I think that the Packers in Week sixteen, I believe that they'll beat

the Packers. I don't fully believe in the Packers. Every time they've come against the team that they faced strong test against, they've fallen short. And I think that they might fall short against this team as long as Kirk Cousins can play statistically and on tape, because sometimes there's a difference and and he's only done that really in the big moment once in his career, so he needs to do that. But I think they're equipped enough. You know,

Greg mentioned Daniel Hunter and everything that he's done. This is really two strong seasons for him in a row. That he's a premier pass rusher, and I think they can ride that defense as long as their offense does enough. But as Kirk Cousins was better than just a sterling stat line, they could beat the Packers, they could win the division, and they could make a serious run. So I think they'll beat the Niners or another team like that the playoffs. I don't think so, but I think

they're good enough to compete all right. And I'm just curious before we say goodbye. Now that you're back in the NFL dot com family, which are so excited about. These Sundays are long Sundays. You're covering a lot of the NFL um watching TV all that. Do you get a chance to get a pump on a Sunday? Uh? Actually no, Usually, I mean if I get up early enough. But the last has not. It's been it's been a

designated off day. It's all football, that's uh. That's what's feeling me on are you Are you as committed to your physique as you were when we knew you here? That's the question that had to be asked you bar Oh, yes, of course, absolutely all right. That's got a really weigh on your mind while you're sleeping on Sunday nights that you didn't get a pump in. You know, it does

not at all the past day failures at all. Moved forward, Schuck, We're probably gonna need your help again in the coming weeks, so we'd love if you could uh rejoin us down the line. Does that work for you? Yeah, Lions every week for you. By the way, we'll hook up with a better game before that before we uh say goodbye to the twenty nineteen regular season, Nick Chuck, Thanks buddy,

thank you. Speaking of those Packers and the snap, But kid Jones up a middle cuts it back story to head did the end zone he died in for a touchdown? Can the Packers take us six? Nothing lead? Four yard touchdown run by Aaron Jones to the lambo lead to the south end zone? Stand Aaron Jones. He's been gone for a while, but he's back. A hundred and thirty four yards season high total, not only sixteen carries Aaron Rodgers, he threw it for a buck and a touch Packers

win over the red Skins at lambeau Field West. I didn't see a second of this one. Tell us about it, but I am so tired of hearing every week how many passes Aaron Rodgers has gone without an interception. If you hold the ball instead of throwing it, there's no chance of getting it. Oh no, you know what he's saying, luging. Everybody can read between the lines. I love Aaron Rodgers, but this has been a story, whether it's Mike McCarthy or Matt Lafleur, for it seems like three or four

years now. Why is Aaron Rodgers holding the ball because his receivers aren't getting open? Or is it because the quarterback needs for the perfect play to be there in order to release the ball. Probably a little bit of column A little bit of column B. This was a big part of this game, and maybe we're not talking

about it. If uh Rodgers doesn't throw slightly behind Jay Sternberger on a potential touchdown, If Jimmy Graham was the Saints version of Jimmy Graham and leap up for a catch in the red zone on a pretty decent Aaron Rodgers throw, if is long gone, it's long gone, And I thought Graham should have made the catch, But you know that's the ghost of Jimmy Graham. Aaron Jones on a third down, Rogers just barely missed him on a on a play that would have gone for a lot

of yards. So this is what we talked about with Aaron Rodgers almost after every game. They just missed on a series of plays where the throws were pretty good. But when you hold the ball for so long and you can't convert third downs, you tend to talk about the players you just missed because you're not talking about the players you made. How about haskins little progress report? Uh, he has a major sack issue, like to the point where it's a Jamis Winston interception issue here, like go

to the doctor. Let's put this in perspective. Deshaun Watson's sack rate last year was ten point nine percent when he got sacked the fifth most times by a quarterback in NFL history. Haskins is at fourteen percent. Case in him was a six percent behind the same offensive line. This is a Haskins issue and whoever coaches them next year, who have to spend the offseason working pretty common one for rookie quarterbacks, certainly probably the most common one. Just

holding the ball too long. He played through an injury today, six point three yards for TI. The result doesn't surprise me. The fighting Callahan stay in. This was more about the Packers than the rest. Okay, but it doesn't surprise me on the Packer side either, because I'm with Nick that I don't know what you have right now with this Packers team, great record. This is the ninth time this year Aaron Rodgers has had a passer rating under one

in a game that should not be happening. It just feels like a clear middle tier to a collection of like the Vikings and the Packers. I you know, you asked Nick, if you see them making a run, I can see them winning a playoff game. I simply don't buy that with the Vikings, and I don't see that with Green Bay at all. I'm with you, and yet they're intriguing, just like because some years that's the best

you got. Like some years the teams like this are a one or a two or a two seed, and it it's kind of fun if they If these guys are the end of the NFC playoffs, like that is a fun little turney. All right, Let's rip through three games that have. I was gonna say zero implications, but I'm not gonna do it. Let's say no implications. Nailed it. They gotta be alert for pressure. Here they come up line from the pocket're gonna take the shot. Zakius is

out there, a Lambaday's first professional tach. He breaks away and a Labada is a Kias. It's gonna go to the house. Ninety three yards. Ununbelievable. Dante Jackson got caught in the dust. They came able to sell out Blitz zero coverage and a Labadi Zequius receiver in Virtinia history finally gets clean and finally gets an opportunity to be put up the bat and the rookie delivers big time.

It's almost like Western and David Archer, the Falcon's radio network had a little inside joke side bed who could say his name the most on that call on Roddy White Day in Atlanta, A Lama days as called in Yes a touchdown passer Matt Ryan that was the longest in the Great Quarterbacks career, ninety three yards. The Falcons double up the Panthers forty greg. I feel like this is a meaningless NFC South tilt. You'd be weirdly excited about No, not too excited. I mean it was a

lot of points. It could have been the bloom is off the Falcons roast. Yeah, I guess it can go two ways when you're an interim head coach. You can either kind of have a couple of fun wins and become a new personality big arms from Dan Campbell or

Jovits press conference. Or you can be Perry Fuel who gives up forty points or his defense gives up forty points and then his cornerback Dante Jackson after the game blames that play and a couple others on his awful, horrible calls for not practicing these situations uh throughout the week and that they didn't make any sense. This was a season he gave up that place. He's gonna be running laps this week. Remember when we were in London, we watched the Panthers and that one and they beat

the Falcons and they were riding high. These seasons can turn quickly in our league. Kyle Allen uh pretty Graham that the Falcons have intercepted Kyle Allen more than the rest of all their games combined. So they love they love facing Kyle Allen. They own Kyle Allen. The four and nine Falcons will not never lose to Kyle Allen. Let's move up alright then now in for Gordon not Why the numbers right and the slot as Henry left. You got a linebacker on and here comes the quick blitz.

There's Heckler gets a block. It's a foot race forty fifty into Jack's territory. Thirty twenty Austin Eckler to the end, touched up Chargers, Boston. Eckler is having himself a day jet and Allen cannot stop dancing. Eighty four yards. There's nobody there. I mean, you had blockers and two defenders and once he got by that from the superfluous is what it is. Matt money Smith there he is, and Daniel Jeremiah with the call KP, I am Phil Rivers.

There into fourteen yards, three touchdowns, including in eighty four yard or to Austin Ekeler, the longest completion and the history of Philip Rivers football in The Chargers are the latest team to humiliate the Jaguars mark in a tough year. It was a happy birthday to your boy, Billy Rivers. It was a celebration, did Sky Sports that Mark was very excited about phil Rivers him up. I have thought that one of the more depressing visual sites has been

Philip Rivers over the past couple of weeks. And it was a week ago that you know, whispers are bubbling up that he's gonna be benched. We have Tyrod Taylor warming up on the sideline. But you know what fixes these kinds of problems the defense of the Jaguars, which at this point is beyond a ghost. I don't know what you want to talk about, not coaching well on defense and not figuring out how to handle these assignments.

This was a game where the Chargers basically looked at what's happened to Jacksonville over the past three or four weeks and said, all we need to do is take deep shots down the field over and over. We will unleash Austin Ekeler for two hundred plus yards off of nine touches. I mean, wouldn't you rather have him than Leonard? For I don't even think it's a question, is no doubt.

It's crazy to think he had these insane runs of thirty five yards, twenty seven yards, twenty three yards this was a game that I had to write up for the site, and it played about as beautifully as one could ever hope for a project like that. Because the game was over in like twelve minutes you knew was over,

and they never let up. Philip Rivers instead of having to watch Tyrod Taylor warm up and take his job, was sitting by the beginning of the fourth quarter because it was like, this game is absolute curtains and it's over, and the Jaguars are as disorganized as they come right now. And you know what, Gardner Minshew did not play well. He also simply has nothing, no chance to and neither

did Nick Foles. And I can't help but wonder if you're the Jaguars, and who knows who's gonna be around a month from now, or who's even to care about what's happening next season, I might get another look at Nick Foles for a couple of games, because no, I'll tell you why, because at this point you're you're putting Gardner Minshew in a bad situation. But this year, this year, I'm saying I have no problem with doing that because it's like you have to figure out what whoever they

play is going to get hurt or ruined. I just I don't like any quarterbacks million dollar contract. If it's about like saving a guy from injury. Well, I don't know, man, I'm not employed by an NFL that this never as bad as fall as was last week. It has nothing to do with the quarterback. This is this team is just completely packed it up. I mean, they're the worst team in the NFL. They have not been. It is hard in the NFL to lose by three scores or

more five straight weeks. And some of these games are like five scores. That's how much they're losing. They have. They have lost five straight, all by seventeen point at least seventeen points. The nineteen eighties six Buccaneers the last team to drop five straight by at least that's what did that? Greg? You? You put it on my radar last week that this is gonna be a epic free fall down the old power. I hate to see it for the jagu Rs and how much farther can they

fall from where they were last? But they're going, I mean they're going to the thirty two. I think I think you gotta put them down there. Um, And you know what, This is what it looks like when when a team quits on its coach and it's not pretty us. Well, I think they're gone. I think Greg talked about this a couple of weeks ago. Everybody's gone there. Uh, finally, let's head to the swamps of Jersey. Brian Flores' is

not near the officials, I don't think so. I think they're gonna let him tick it forty four yards away for ficking to try and win it. How to the whole of the fens, please spot kick on the way it is. God then sap the right up right for Sam stick it. Then on the last play of the games the Jets pull it out. They've winning over Miami two. One nice call Bob was shoes in. He ain't playing out the string, Sam facing kick that forty four yard as time expired, given the Jets one comeback win over

the Dolphins. The game that and if you're watching it on YouTube, or you watch this game, you're watching us on YouTube, I should say you see Brian Flores running sprinting toward midfield as the Jets celebrated. Because this game, for me, will be in a game between two two teams are at of contention. Another example of the past interference rule, which was they changed this rule in the middle of the season, which is not the only one. I mean, they say they didn't. They say they didn't.

But for the past three weeks something has changed. Uh. And what it is is they're now calling it closer to the letter of the law rather than it being have to be something absolutely egregious for to change. And of course coaches are mad, not that they're now getting the calls, they're actually changing the calls where a guy actually has interfered with it's that that they don't know what to expect anymore. And that's why Flores is so mad. And let me just give you a little context of

how big the call was. The Jets were facing a third and eighteen from about their forty yard line with less than a minute ago, no time outs, and Sam Donald incomplete. Uh so they're set up now they're near midfield. Actually they're set up fourth and eighteen near midfield, no time outs, uh, eating a field goal to win. In other words, the Dolphins were set up for the win,

and they buzz down and call past interference. Um on Nick need Hum and the Jets, to their credit move another fifteen or so yards down the field and then kicked the field goal. So the Dolphins have every right to be angry. Uh, it was the right call, I should say it was. He was interfered with. But it's just the fact that they've been inconsistent with it. And the one thing that they've kind of not gotten right

here is I think it's clear. It's like you couldn't you couldn't have corrective steering in the middle of the season. You kind of had to pick a way to handle this and stick with it. If you change mid season without making any type of announcement, which of course you would never do, it's just gonna lead to confusion and frustration. And that's what we saw. And met Life Stadium shout out to Jason Sanders who went seven for eight and field goals, well, this game had the most field goals.

Let This game had the most field goals by two teams in NFL history. It was like a John Fox Jeff Fisher fever dream. Did the box fild these teams are as even in the box scores any game lall season. I don't know what that means. If it says anything. Two first downs one each one team's four for thirteen on third down, the others five for thirteen, eight seconds apart. Uh in time of possession, I mean Dolphins Jets. They

will not be in last place. The Jets. They will get that third place schedule now because they won this game. And I just want my last note. And I even checked in with NFL media research because I was like, because the Jets defense wasn't great. Uh, they gave up seven scoring drives, but they're all field goals. Has there ever been a case where a team punted just once,

which the Dolphins did without scoring a touchdown? And it turns out that it happened once last season, but just six times since two thousand, So it's rare but not hardly unprecedented. Bell Sam Donald played a fairly poor game. Uh here, So the Jets are lucky to get to win, and you never, even in the last season. Don't want to get swept by the Dolphins. As bad as this rivalry is right now, it's fallen on hard times. I don't want to ever get swept and handcusted eat that

handsome heck? Uh? Which takes us to Sunday Night football. Jerry Goff under centers looking to build on a twenty one to nine lead. He gives a Gurley. He tries a loft side to the perimeter, up dishes stiff arm, and he goes in on his feet. Touchdown. Todd Gurley touchdown away with eleven. It was seven ago in regulation. It's top seven nine and pour Gurley. It's his twelve touchdown in nine games against the Seahawks. Chris Wesseling neighbor

J B. Long with the call. Todd Gurley goes over a hundred yards from scrimmage in a twenty eight to twelve Rams victory. I'm Greg you know, you know, I mean, I've been on the show this whole time. But Dan at the step away take care of some family matters. So we are wrapping up Sunday Night football in style, and the Rams Chris Wesselyn are making a playoff. Pushed and think they had it in him. They were the team last week that most convinced me. They were just

different than when we saw earlier in the season. They are a different team now. It starts with Todd Gurley being back, and we saw it tonight, Mark several times throughout the game. It seemed like in the second and third quarter you said, Gurly is running really tough tonight And Tyler Higbee, who before last week had played sixty two games and it only top fifty yards twice in those sixty two games, back to back one D performances. It looks like Todd heaping his prime out there. He's

been wasting away as a blocker. They need that and that's a big added element to their offense. They were doing a lot of Jets sweeps tonight with Josh Reynolds and Robert Woods and friends, and you know, just getting finding creative ways to attack Seattle. I thought that when the Rams won me over in this game, was you had the golf pick six next possession, the Rams come back and throw another interception, and you can feel the potential meltdown beginning to happen in Seattle beginning to do

what they do. Whatever the deficit is, they're gonna find their way back in. But the Rams defense has been lights out the past couple of weeks, and they put the clamps on Russell Wilson tonight. I came into this game saying, all right, Aaron Donald, this defensive player of the years kind of up in the up in the air right now, go make a statement, and and he did. I think you saw the four quarterback hits. He saw tackle for loss, he saw a sack and a half,

and you saw what he does. Kind of like Lamar Jackson opens up uh plays for his teammates, Aaron Donald opens up plays for Dante Fowler and Samson Ebcon who both had you know, single blocking opportunities all night. And even on plays where Donald is kind of darting inside. There was one where he had three or four blockers on him and then Fowler gets around the edge. Clay Matthews had a big hit on Russell Wilson on a

key spot. And the Seahawks who scored six points on offense because they got that pick six basically Collinsworth set it. But I agree, like when they just have to pass protect, they're they're a bad pass protecting team. And I know

we're we're picking on the Seahawks. They're they're due to have one bad game team, but ten and three, I would be a little concerned by this result that they're not that they weren't competitive in this spot, concerned enough about a playoff spot, or just concerned that they won't be riding momentum when they go into that, I guess I I've been concerned all year that the offense works on a lot of low percentage plays and Russell had his chance for him tonight where a couple of deep

plays to Lockett that they just didn't hit. But your county on Russell Wilson to make magic. The running game is a little up and down the defense, at least tonight they're big players. Clowney and Bobby Wagner didn't step up. That won't be the case every week, but it's just been a very slim margin for Air. I mean, they have about as many two score wins I think as the Miami Dolphins do this year. Every game is down to the wire, and that would worry me a little bit.

It's a little slimmer margin too because Rachad Penny, who we had seen emerging as that sort of robin to Chris Carson's batman, it just goes down with a bad knee injury and he was on crutches with a large knee brace after the game. That looked like it might be a season end ruled out really quickly, and that's been a one to punch for them. I thought, if

you're a RAMS fan. The reason that there's hope is that outside of the interceptions for Golf, when they're using him outside of the pocket, he looked really good tonight. He made some big plays and they're just their offensive starting to show working concert a little bit. And my biggest issue with them was that they were not only not running well, they were boring to watch. This Rams team tonight had some juice, a completely different situation rhythm there.

Higgbie was killing the linebackers, Golf was hitting throws in rhythm. The first third and four of the game, he hits Robert Woods on a crosser, and it was those plays that you saw all the time a year ago. But then you're also seeing some new elements of the offseat the offense with Higbie following Everett up Gerald. Everett was playing really well before he got hurt, and then Golf being on the move, and then Todd Gurley running with

some heat. I know it didn't he didn't have a monster game, uh stats wise, but you can just tell the juice is back, and the whole narrative it's like, well, Sean mcve you know, he said he was an idiot for not giving him the ball, early Sean mcveigh's is putting that on him because he's a good coach. Anyone that thinks that they made a mistake because of Todd Gurley's usage in the first half of the season, we're watching the game. He's just playing better. Now. He's a

different player. Right now. He wasn't making anyone missed then he was. He was trying to run them over because he couldn't go around them. And at mid season you mentioned Gerald Everett. It looked like Cooper Cup and Gerald Everett might be the two players who raised the level of this offense. Instead it's been Girly Higbee and Woods. They showed that that graphic on on Sunday Night Football, the first trio with back to back one yard games

each since the two thousand vikings. Think about that. What kind of a day it has been for forty Niners fans. You win one of the most electrifying, franchise altering wins of late early on against the Saints, and now this happens tonight, And because Seattle was sitting in the driver's seat with that Week seventeen showdown coming, had they won this thing, and now that game which probably should be

flexed into that. I think it's happening. Seattle's got two winnable games coming up here, and before they play the forty Niners in week seventeen, they're almost guaranteed to be playing for home field advantage. The only way that they wouldn't be as if if the forty Niners blow out the next couple weeks. I don't think that's gonna happen. It was kind of a perfect night. I mean, the the Seahawks offense got bogged down on a couple of drops,

some things that that were preventable. But the Rams have played there their two best games of the year in a row, much like the Falcons two years ago, much like the Eagles a year ago. The NFC champs like shaking off the hangover. You know, hangover last until late November, and the fact that they got a win tonight means they could enjoy what was ultimately um kind of a silly moment. Some might say it's embarrassing. I would say it was delightful. It involved the Rams cheerleaders. Let's take

a listen, all right. That was prefaced by Jared Goff stepping up the line of scrimmage about to snap it and they had to stop playing that and then there was about a ten second delay, and you could not have been more delighted. I love things like this, you know, the Bags almost getting lost for the Chiefs and then having to maybe forfeit of game was one of my favorite narratives in a weird football season. This was right

up there. And I think if you go watch that clip again, if you find it on game Pass, it's the presence of this gigantic absurd Ram's mascot right sandwiched in between all these cheerleaders trying to get you know, just controlled chaos. Like you could watch games for another hundred years and you may never hear this again. The first perfect Alan Chris taking us home in style. Uh, that's it for the show. You know, we we missed stand here at the end, but he will be back

on Tuesday. We'll be back on Thursday to preview all the week fifteen games, and uh, it keeps rolling on and on. It's the home stretch. We're here, We're happy over Tuesday show is gonna have a thirty five minute recap of Giants Eagles. Yeah, right, let's let's go home for Dan hands. Our host Eric at tam Pose, Ryan Bartlett, Mark Sessler, Chris West, Lene and needed the old boss. See you Tuesday,