2019 Week 15 Recap

last Raiders game didn't end how the people wanted. At the end up there were ruined and thrown on the field. The question will be is Mark ruined? Is he still with the teaser? We'll see if he actually makes it to this segment at the end of the show. A little later in the show, we will check in with great Mark Sessler and hopefully his cell phone is activated and everything is good. He was going to encounter ruination.

I think it would have happened a while ago. That's fair, all right, We got a great sunday of NFL football in our league Week fifteen, the playoff. What well, It's like like a lot of things, once you start using something ironically, at a certain point, no one's got to even understand that it's ironic that you don't really like that. Maybe you like the whole. I'm willing to run that risk. Okay, Okay, Now I think I think I speak for all of us. Um, Greg, you know, you like to try to dip your toe

in the uh greater part of NFL media culture. But always kind of viewed myself as a bit of an outsider. West I think you feel the same way. Um. So to say our league, you know, feels good. It's like, oh wow, maybe some progress is being made. You know. I'm maybe they'll accept me, maybe they'll accept us. Doubtful. That's aspirational. Um, all right, No, I don't care. I like to be on the outside up high West. Yeah. Read a book called Colin Wilson The Outsider. Now that'll

get you going about outside. Okay, another book recommendation from the great Chris Westling. We're gonna go through all of the Sunday games, uh, capping it with a little Bills Steelers talk from hines Field, and after that, will you know, give you a full picture of what's going on as we hit the home stretches. When it's really great to have Greg Rosenthall man that his awareness when it comes to the playoff picture. The man is a human calculator.

He'll tell you where everything stands at the end of Sunday's games, So make sure you stick around for that. But we have a lot to us. Was tabulations on tabulations for Macca nations. That's Greg's mind. When the yeah, when do you figure playoffs? Think about Greg, I mean the flexing between the I always know when to call

time out. It doesn't matter, like if I'm sitting at home on a couch or in a newsroom and the other guys on a field with eighty thou screaming fans with like seven hundred different decisions to make, he can't do it. I can do it. Greg can say, Andy, eat on his knee and tell him how to run the end of game situations. So you can do that. You're great and uh the down and distance and time out situations, and and you're great with figuring out playoff calculations.

So that's that when I talk about strengths right there, Greg, that's near the top for you. You You know what else, a game analysis? How about we get to that also, your ability to navigate into like the internal workings the NFL media machine to be like a respected guy like you like to live inside and outside the box. You're a little bit of a bad boy, but you're also right there and there, one ft in, one foot out. If you can pull it off, why not? Well, I

even talk about week fifteen. Let's talk about week fifteen, and we'll start with a game with big playoff ramifications of the Texans and tightens with a lot on the line in the a f C South, Watson of the gun, Watson hands off to Hide, wading to the left. Carlos has the five Carlos to the Pilon. He's in touchdown, Stay ten yard, get run, Guapo lead, Mark Vandermere el Guappo. That's Carlos Hide Handsome. I guess he is. Texans Radio Network.

Carlos Hyde ran for a hundred and four yards, scored a t d with less than eleven minutes to play, Texans score tentstrate points in the fourth quarter, pulled out to beat the Titans one in Nashville, a huge win for the Texans, who put themselves in the driver's seat in the a f C North a C South with two games to play, and that includes, of course a game against the Titans. Now West. This is why Houston is so tough to figure out. On a good day,

they could beat anybody. Today was a good day. They are tough to figure out, and I'm not sure anyone's gonna have them figured out after this game. What we do know is that DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson are

absolute stars. And they took control of the game in the fourth quarter, a game which I think the Titans offense generally looked more impressive than the Texans offense, a game when the Titan had about sixty five more total yards than the Texans, but a game, and I put stars next to this play when it happened, because it's a four team points swing in the game. Anthony Firkser loses the ball at the goal line, it's rolled an interception,

was closer to a fumble. Whitney Merciless brings it all the way back down to the red zone and they score on it Kenny Still's touchdown. So that was a four team points swing in the game, and that the Titans did recover to tie it up and then could not stop DeAndre Hopkins. Because the Titans have two really big weak spots right now. Their cornerbacks which are not healthy. A Dory Jackson and Malcolm Butler are out and have

been out for a couple of weeks. And their kicking game, which really surfaced early when Ryan sucked up, Ryan suck up missed, had a block field goal, and then before halftime Vrabel opted against a long field goal and tried for a fake punt instead that was batted down and that really came back to Hunt and they lost for they lost by three points the margin of that field goal.

That this was such a big loss for the Titans because the Texans all they have to do is win a game next week on NFL Network on the Saturday triple header. That would that would clinch spot for the text, right, I'm going back in, Hey, hey, Peter Schegar on the grab drinks. I'll do that. I do remember Peter Scheger as a young guy coming up one and I wanted to get drinks while I was at Rotor back in New York a little Fox Sports. No, they they could

just clinch a playoffs spot, not necessarily the division next Saturday. Uh, they would need a Titans loss, you know, to to clinch the division in Week sixteen. But the fact is the Titans can get in, uh if the Titans aren't gonna get in even if they win these last two games necessarily and the fact that Tennessee had that spot.

And sometimes the division comes down to this, like you don't like to think of it, but that play where they're on the goal line and Ryan Tannehill throws a good pass that ends up getting you know, dropped and brought back that sometimes it can swing an entire division, and you can swing an entire season one play. And

I think Vrabel he knew that after the game. He was he was bitter, he was really cheesed off heading to hit it, heading to the tunnel, and it was almost like he could he he could read his mind. We're never getting that one back, and we needed Derrick Henry Um. He had been on an incredible role statistically not bad at all for eighties six. Did the hamstring injury or the quad injury, the leg injuries dealing with uh, did that seem to hold him back at all? I

didn't think so. It just seemed more like gameflow and the Texans did a pretty good job of not allowing those big carries. Now there was an impressive goal line stand by the Texans that the Titans ultimately scored on, but they stuffed Henry twice within the final two yards before the goal line, and then they stuffed the fullback blasting game on a really nice play by Zach Cunningham and then Tannell tanne Hill bootlegged. But that's why Henry

didn't get in the end zone. And I think I would credit the Texans defense for not allowing the big plays that you've been seeing from him, where he's just going for seventy yards. The Texans are just a different team when Fuller's on the field. I know he didn't blow up, he's five for sixty one, but the whole

offense just makes a little more sense. Before we leave this game, I do think we have to mention A. J. Brown is just a superstar, and I wish I had made this point before he went eight for one fourteen and one and that's three yard games for him in the last month. He is just like he's the receiver I want from the two thousand nineteen class, no matter what I want, Terry McLaurin by far and then A J.

Brown number. A J. Brown is just such a physical beast that he's just he's I don't know if he's a future number one, he's a number one right now. Like he can dominate games right now, and it makes them more dynamic, and it does make me think at least they have a chance. I know they got to play the Saints and then go to Houston, but I do think they have a chance to win both those games, which is what they'll need. He's awesome after the catch.

He's also being helped out quite a bit by the Titans essentially being the best play action team in football over the last what five six weeks. They're custom made for play action with Derrick Henry playing well in Tannehill. Let's face it, having a big arm West. You could start a team right now with any wide receiver in the league. Is a twenty seven year old DeAndre Hopkins, uh pro. I don't know him or Michael Thomas alright, one of those two. I think Hopkins is probably the

better player in a vacuum. All right. He was a great player on Sunday. Younger though, So you got a factor that Let's move to a game with some big playoff ramifications in the NFC. Prescott in the gun fake Now he's gonna be rushed by Fowler steps back from that for as deep down the filth right upen at the thirty five. It's Tavon Austin. He's gonna dance U. That's the easiest fifty nine yard touchdown Prescott's ever throwed or Austin's ever caught. And he's doing a little hole

down day into the end zone. Fifty nine yards Prescott to Austin for the touchdown. Brad Sham the sham God. Haven't heard from him in a while. K r l D Yep, the good Cowboys are back. I didn't think you see him again, did you, Dak Prescott throw two touchdown passes. Zeke Elliott went over a hundred yards with a couple of scores. Cowboys just pound on the ramps. Twenty one was the final at Gerald World. Greg The Cowboys seemed more likely to roll over and die after

the last few weeks of disappointment. Instead, they looked galvanized, crippling the defending NFC Champs playoff hopes in the process. Yeah, this is one of the most surprising results for me of the season. It shouldn't be. I should think that that what you've seen over the course and of an entire season should weigh more than what you've seen the last couple of weeks. But I just didn't think the Cowboys had it in them, especially their defense. But it

was like old timer's night. It was like everyone had it all a great time. Here's Jason Witten catching a long, great touch down with this you know one hand. It's Sean Lee getting sacks and a game turn an interception. It was just like everyone's happy, especially Dream so what he's always wanted, his old guys that he's been too loyal to, just continuing to do damage. What a schizophrenic team they this team, they have a plus ninety point

differential for the season. Almost all of their losses have been close, and almost all their wins have been blowouts, right until last Thursday night, when to me, they just got you know, steamrolled by the Bears, and really the last two weeks against the Bills. In both those games they had some opportunities. But last week was so dispiriting. I took that, uh too seriously clearly. But the way that they won not so much on offense, where it was all the running game. I mean, Dak had what

a hundred and sixty yards other than that one. Uh you broken play the defense to Marcus Lawrence and Shawn Lee and Carrie Hyder had a big game and the secondary they just dominated Los Angeles up front, Todd Gurley's first six runs went for one yard. He ends up

with twenty yards on the game. Jared Goff gets hurt hitting his thumb on a helmet, but at that point the game was basically over and it affected golf the rest of the way for sure, But that I think it was twenty three by the time he suffered that injury, So that game was a shot too. Like you see that it happens every week. It feels like with a quarterback hitting a face mask. But this that was a whap on the helm. I've seen Andy Dalton season get

wrecked easier. Oh, he wasn't shooting straight the rest of the way, and they kept him in, you know, deep into garbage time and they got some numbers then. But it does make you wonder if he'll be playing because the Rams at eight and six are still mathematically alive, but it's basically over that they need to win out and the Vikings need to lose out. Yep, does either

seem likely? I don't know. I mean there's only no games left, but it's probably the end of the road for the Rams, and and in a disappointing way for it to go out, because West, this was a team that we're talking about it all last week. They seemed to be peeking and figuring it out. So that's what made it so disappointed, because they never felt like they were in this game. It was just the Cowboys punched them in the in the mouth to start the game,

and before you knew it, it was a blowout. By the halftime, the other Rams were surging into this game, and I really talked about how well their defense is playing, and here they allow forty four points. I think Greg let yourself off the hook for not getting the Cowboys analysis correct. This team is resistant to analysis all year, and especially after laying down last week. How could you predict this game? The Rams are the team that's not your fault, Greg, the Rams of the team where you

think they're turning. How can you predict either of these teams? Really? With how the Rams have been playing the last few weeks and how their defense has been playing for half the season, now you can't. But I think they're an example of sometimes their defense looked better against bad competition, and um, you know, the encouraging thing for the Cowboys is that their offense is still capable of a game

like this, because it really was they mine. It wasn't the passing game, it was the line opening up holes for Zeke who had one seventeen and two their first two of their first three touchdown drives is fifteen plays for ninety yards, uh, and then fourteen plays for nine seven. So that's I think it's a tough way to run an offense, but it's the way they always look the best.

Which of these short third and two is that Zeke's picking up Tony Pollard who got a lot of it in garbage time but still goes twelve for one thirty one. I mean that they would love it if Dak Prescott doesn't have to throw that much. I would love Uh. You know, Tavon Austin came into the league I believe as an eighth overall pick and it never happened for him. Great stat line today. You heard the touchdown called the beginning of this conversation. He finishes one for fifty nine

for one touchdown on one target. Well, you know what he made it count and that was a big touch on because that's when it felt like the game was, you know, slipping away at that point. Up from the Rams. There was controversy at the beginning of the game, which we should just hit real quick, that Dak Prescott the was win the toss and the referee Walt Coleman, I believe Walt Anderson, it was a Walt Walter White. I

think it was Walt Uh Walt Disney. Uh. He ruled that that that Doc had made a selection he had chosen to kick rather than shows to defer. But then good job by Fox. They find more audio that clearly shows that Walt uh missed it and uh they conferred and common sense carried the day in New York allowed the Cowboys to you know, get the ball to start the second half, which thank god, because initially Mike Preyer came on the air and said that this was not

something that was reviewable, but apparently it was. Kudos to the NFL, and I don't know why, but I'm always pleasantly surprised when common sense carries the day. And finally, on this game, Kai for Bath makes his Cowboys debut and this sound started almost immediately you know. Well, yeah, immediately right after the coin flip drama where the Cowboys look terrible, Gregg and West are going off on Jason Garrett in the newsroom, which is just like the most

NFL Twitter things. It's just like with this happened on another team. This this not so it's it's never the player's fault, it's always Garrett. But seven and seven that's Garrett's, you know, that's the Garrett cut type of records. This is what happened next for the Cowboys. Ricky opening kick off, four bad takes over his first week. Is a Dallas Cowboy, at least on the active roster, and right out of the game he can't move the ball to the forty that's where the rams will set up. And he could

not have started any worse. It can only get better from hair. Wait, what did he do the rest of the game. I'll tell you what he did the rest of the game three for three field goals, including a fifty yard bomb that would have been good for eighty and he hit all five extra points, so he was perfect after that inauspicious start. Oh yeah, Kai has it figured out? Guys? The guy? Hey what what high boys

are flying? With a monument overcoming adversity. Let us move on slender center, Wentz firing and it is It isn't a touchdown. It is quod on the four quarter of the zone. It is a clutch down on my ar surrounding if the past goes deep into the en zone to Craig Ward. Great pass point once and a great clutch pot Ward, Great Ward, where have you been all online? Merrill Reese squad. That's been great, great call by Reese,

Eagles Radio Network. Carson Wentz led the Eagles on a seventy five yard touchdown drive in the final minutes, capped by his third touchdown pass to Yes Greg Ward Jr. The Eagles keep their NFC East title hopes alive thirty seven win over the Redskins of FedEx Field Gregg. This turned out to be one of the best games of the day, go figure six scoring plays in the fourth quarter, nine lead changes, and one of the all time bad

beats as time expired. Oh that's right. If you were if you were on the Washington team, that would have been bad beat, painful. But you if you weren't, you just enjoyed a classic Carson Wentz performance in the second half. It was one of those games from Wentz where it's like kind of like, whatever your biases are coming into the game with Wentz, you'll see what you want, because he missed a lot of throws that were there, I would say, in the second and third quarters of this game,

especially really the first half. In the second half, he goes eighteen for twenty one for a hundred and forty one yards in three touchdowns, including one of the best touchdown passes I've seen all season. You guys, you guys have probably seen that in the fourth quarter to take one of his leads. I mean they had to bring him back three separate times. In the second half. He had the game winner to Greg Ward, which was a fantastic play, and then he had a couple of other

third and fives. There was one to Ward and one to Boston Scott where Carson Wentz just did his Carson Wentz magic. And I think this is what Eagles fans and what's been mostly a lost season, have wanted to see out of their starting quarterback. Just I don't care if their whole offense is just Ward, Urn Scotter and Miles Sanders in terms of that's who he's gonna throw to like. He made it work, and he did it on a day where his defense stunk. Maybe he's a

little scatter shot, maybe there's inconsistency. But the reason why Wentz is such a fun quarterback to me is like he is one of those guys you could feel it. He's a guy like put up, you know, get on my back. I will take you there. I'll get it done. And he's done it back to back weeks. Is not a good Eagles team, it's you know, the middle of the road team. But the fact that he's kept him relevant here, I think it's it's all on Wentz and

that the throw one of the ones you're referring to. Uh, the Miles Sanders dart in the back corner of the growing it through arms of Redskins defenders a clothes line through. I don't know how many other guys in the league can make that pass. I it was impressed by the running back combo of Miles Sanders in Boston, Scott, this is not a game where you can say Wenz didn't have any help. Dallas Goddard made a great one handed catch on a pass thrown behind him, did his normal thing.

Greg Ward had four for forty in that last drive. But most importantly, Miles Sanders had the best game of his career, a hundred and seventy two yards from scrimmage, including nineteen carries for one two and Boston Scott kind of backed up his performance from the other night. I know that doesn't look too fancy, was fifty five yards from scrimmage, but it was a number of key third down conversions and it was all because the Eagles defense couldn't get a stop, which was the most surprising thing

of the entire game. The Eagles defense had a Gholston, no QB hits, no sacks. Haskins had the best game of his career, and he's been a sack machine, and it was largely because he had time to throw and uh, for the most party made good throws. If if if sim Steven Simms caught, Yeah, slightly underthrown ball, but very catchable in the fourth quarter, the Eagles would have been down to touchdown there when they when they were going for the game winning drive. So let's check in on

the state of the Eagles for the last month. You and everyone else has said everything is so hard for this offense. It's just so hard and even was in the first half of this game. Even in the first half you were saying the same thing. It was the second half impressive enough to where you think of them differently going into next week because it's the Cowboys, like they have something to hang their hat on now a

little bit. Yeah, they really have five guys. It's Ward or Scott, Art Sanders and Scott and that was it. I mean Arthega Whiteside. Uh, he's on the field, but he might as well not be there to targets no catch. This was my point last week. Ward and Boston Scott have been in this team's possession all year. As they played guys who can't catch and can't make big plays.

They just went to waste all year. I I don't feel overly confident because they've done this against two pretty poor defenses, but I think they have to feel like you have something on offense. But it's what we've been talking about with them all year. Once they fix one problem, another one pops up. The defense hasn't been good really,

certainly not today, and they're they're much healthier. Anybody that with great confidence makes a prediction about the Week sixteen game Cowboys actually, I don't believe anything that's coming out of their mouths. They are overconfident. Just use that as an indicator whether they know what they're talking about, because we've seen enough from both of these teams that it's unpredictable what you're gonna get Sunday to say it is. And yet I think it's it's okay to say that

the Cowboys should be the favorite. I don't care that they're on the road that they if they're playing the better team. Here's the thing, I'm not necessarily picking. I probably will pick them and I and it wouldn't surprise me if the Eagles win. I'm not saying that I don't wouldn't feel confident. But their best game is just clearly better. Because the Eagles have no best game. These are their best games. Is winning these dog fights against

dog teams? All right? Let us move on. Dog team fought to the fifties, less sideline forty to the thirties, Stephon Gilmore to the chad and root to a second pick six of the season, touch down Patriots gill locked out one off what on an angle by Gilmore off this Patriots shoplix late Gilmore closes it's a throat of the front. Julie Luck jumps it for sixty four yard touchdown. Was a second half start by him. Here. You know it's nice. We had a nice little run there, made

a second turn it up Zolac. Zola gets the bongo drums. Gillie Lock spet Von Gilmore, Gillie Lock, Yeah, Bargo about Bargo, Yeah, loose baby bom Sochi Scott Zolac with the calf of the page her Patriots Radio Network. Yes, Goldilocks return one of New England's or interception sixty four yards of the house. Patriots clinch a playoffer at Sunday over the Bengals, a game that will be remembered less for its outcome and more for the latest Patriots scandal that prefaced it. But

I forgot about that. At eleven and two, the path's remain in position for the all important first round by and now we welcome formally the great Jeremy Bergman, fellow native New Yorker. Okay, same thing, tortured Jets Van Burgo tell us how the Patriots did it on Sunday? Uh, Well, you know all week West was talking up how the Bengals. You know this was a trap game for the Patriots. Nobody wants to play. Did a three game losing streak by the you know, almost it would have been one

of the great predictions. He looked great for about two quarters while nearly two quarters ten ten with about two minutes left in the in the second quarter and Alex Erickson muffs au punt and from there the Patriots rolled. The Patriots kicked a field goal to go into the half to take a lead, and then coming out of the half. UH. Dalton throws two picks on the first two drives, both to Gilmore who was in coverage on Tyler Boyd second Gilmore. This is a big game for him.

You know, we're talking you know about t J. Watt or Daniel Hunter in some spaces. Stephan Gilmore has been the the deploy for pretty much the entire season, starting with the Boogeyman defense. UH in the start of the season so um and then J. C. Jackson got two picks at the end, Dalton through four picks season high and UH. You know, I think this is a reminder that the Patriots secondary, even against inferior opponents, UH is

possibly the best, probably the best in the league. And UH a reminder that the Patriots can beat up on these teams. But the offense, uh look terrible again. I mean Brady had a season leve and passing yards. Edelman didn't look right. Nick kill Harry had a couple of catches. SNeW was was dropped out right. Pass is all over the place, thirty one drop backs for the Patriots, passing a hundred sixteen yards rough did it didn't look as bad as that sounds. Uh it did. I mean it's

aside from uh the pick six. The Patriots had two scores in two touchdowns in the second half, and both of them came on short fields. So they're not moving the ball and they're averaging They average four point six yards per play. Brady got hit six. They ran the ball a little bit though, which they they have not been able to do, and they get nikkil Harry involved playing him about I think it was thirty six snaps where he hasn't been too involved. He had a couple

of runs, he did get a touchdown, uh catch. They're just looking for incremental improvement with with the line, I would think, especially because they're gonna need a running game and they're gonna need a turnover margin like this. It's it's not an easy method to try to go win a Super Bowl with turnover margin. But there plus twenty four on the year, and a lot of that's been

against the bad teams in the league. But that that's the only way they're gonna win games in the playoffs against good teams is with this secondary picking off passes. So by by that statement, you're saying you have no hope that they're going to turn their offense around. I have hope that they can be situationally a lot better.

Yes that they can, that they can be good enough that but you're gonna there's no way they're winning three playoff games without the defense and special teams bawling out. That's the rest of Greg. This is and this is not news to you. You've been tracking this team very closely, as you track all teams, but especially with your boys, the Patriots. But Tom Brady lives in the sub Gabbard zone. Now like this is not this is happening every week.

You go all the way back last let's see five weeks now, starting with the Eagles win seventeen ten, four point six yards pert tempt and the Gabber zone is anything sub five yards per ten, uh, five point one yards sub six, five point one against the Cowboys, six point nine against the Texans with some garbage time at the end, and then four point seven last week against the Chiefs, and then four point four this week. I

mean this is Burgo. This is nothing new, and we keep on saying, well, he'll turn it on, he'll turn it's worth point. They won. Yeah, that's fair to point out, but you know the score. But you're playing the Bengals, who are a loss away from you know the first uh picking the draft. There were fans more Patriots fans than Bengals fans at this game. But the Bengals fans who were there, uh, they were saying, uh, I have the I have the Tiger. Go Bengals go as in

the Bayou go. But they're rooting for Joe Burrow. They were paying more attention to the Heisman Trophy. Yeah, the magic number is one because they're they're up to the Giants. Uh, foreshadowing win over the Dolphins. Up two games. Sorry, well you know two games ahead of the of the of the Bengals. It is crazy. I mean they throw the ball eight times, this a new thirteen yards five times to Edelman, this is becoming a bigger concern. He looked banged up or I heard that he was in this

game five targets for nine yards. And I don't know what to take from the running game either, because the Bengals, like I mean, against every team except the Jets can't stop the run. And Michelle had a great game Birkehead revenge game with a touchdown h late in the second half. Um, but I'm not sure how much to read into that

because of the opponent. It's it is crazy, though. This is their tenth straight eleven win season, so they did it all decade eleven plus no no other team in NFL history has ever gone above seven straight of though, So the way I kind of look at it like as if this is the the end of the Patriots, like the end the end is like they're winning eleven, Like that's that's like a worthy end to what's been

the greatest dynasty and what's happening here. But it's true though, like if disintegration of the Patriots, which just so happens again is like you're the seven happens against the backdrop of the latest scandal that is gripping this Team Spy Harder, which featured of course Jay Glazer of Fox going on the pregame show and having video evidence of what went down, right down to a Bengal Stafford West is a proud former since the Cincinnati resident that that guy for the

Bengals was very strong and his takedown of that Patriots videographer. We have a spot for him on West Security, the jackets of which you see on the sidelines of most NFL. So the way he handled that and the way the Patriots staffer immediately just do it. I'll do it. Hey, what if I deleted? Nobody has to be the wiser and that's right. Now, give me a break with how then the Bengals got It's like a cop like pulling somebody over. He's like, the Bengals guy, what do he said?

He made a comment like, well, you should have thought about this before you did. It was like one of those like Dad lines that we needed a naked light bulb in there, maybe just one loan chair. It was. It was a great grilling session by Bengal security. So I guess I'm just pointing out, Greg, your quarterback looks done. And he got another scandal hanging over your head. This is is eleven and three is grade? Actually that thought the video thing. I don't care about the scandal. No,

it's helped them though the video. As you guys said in the previous show, you didn't think there's too much of it. The video, which you can watch, thankfully, kind of supports everything that they said that there would be nothing that you can be gaining from this what they were watching the sideline. I actually feel less confident about the Patriots after seeing that video. I don't think that Belichick orchestrated at all, but certainly this should be investigated.

What it is it's happening. I just love that Wes is just you know, Antonio Brownie's the gift that keeps giving. They should sign Antonio brown Maybe I'm coming back around. I mean they needed they need someone who can get open give um burgo. You stick around for another game? Yeah, I got nothing to do. All right, let's roll. You're actually writing up the Senate snap from that looks left Matt throws taught Jones chopped down short of the end zone. Is he ruled in or out? He's ruled? I got

the play. My goodness, Ryan to Jones has given it laud of the lead twenty three, twenty two ten play seventy yards in unbelievable West Durham and Dave Archer with the call for the Falcons Radio network. All Right, we had to do some Frankenstein work on that highlights because

it doesn't deliver the the drama of what happened. Because one play after an incredible Austin Hooper TD catch was overturned on a suspect review, Julio Jones is awarded a touchdown upon review after a suspect spot by game officials. You got that right. Yeah, A lot going on in the final seconds of the Falcons win over the Niners. Uh. Those final six points came via a fubble recovery. Uh,

lateral shenanigans that only al Michaels could love. Wink wink, Another one of those Burgo classic letdown game for the Niners. How do you make sense of this one? I mean this is a classic trap. Can you look at the schedule and between the Saints, the Rams and the Seahawks in the back four of their schedule, they're playing the Falcons, who had put up forward against the Panthers last week. They've been playing pretty well in the back half of the of the season, and so the Niners should have

handled this team pretty easily. They've had a couple they had a couple of injuries today. Richard Sherman, d Ford Western Richburg were all out and that certainly had an effect. But you would have thought maybe you were going to get a shootout between these two sides, given how uh the Niners had been playing against a team like the Saints, and then how the Falcons has been playing on offense all year. And really it was a defensive struggle up

until the fourth quarter when they started trading scores. Uh Garoppolo Uh. Uh scored on a past to Kyle us Check. Uh. The Falcons come back and score, and then uh, you know, the Niners kick a field goal and the nine and the Falcons get back down the field. Uh. The Falcons get back down the field, and you have that wild sequence of events. In eight seconds, there's a past to

Austin Hooper that he's catching in between his legs. He's holding it, who's holding onto the ball with only one hand, but it touches the ground, slips, it slips out of his hand. It slips out of his hand, but the call and I'm just glad because ball don't lie that they got the touchdown the next play, because that's not how they deserve to lose the Falcons. Where was we're talking about replay again here? Where was the evidence that overturns that call? Where did we see an angle that

showed the pigskin touching the field turf? I think you definitely saw in his left hand or whatever it was, you see him hold the ball, it touches some sort some sort of surface, and then he his grip loosens, meaning you know, it looked like his cleat though was up against I don't think so. I think I think it hit the terif I'm not gonna I that one. Did it saw him at least fumble the ball in the end zone. It's too costly, though, it's not too

costly for the forty diers. I know they people get really into like, oh, they filed down to the fifth seed. You know, Okay, that's fine. If they win their next two games, they should They should be the one seed if they beat the Seahawks. Not even if they beat the right well that ends well. The Rams game could affect whether it'd be the one seed or or just winning the division in getting the two seed. But it's

not a killer. I've never seen a game where it's two pass catchers going against each other quite like this. George Kittle seventeen targets, thirteen catches, hundred and thirty four yards. No one else on the team had more than four targets. Julio Jones twenty targets, thirteen for one thirty four. No one else on the team had more than twenty seven yards. So it's just Julio versus Kiddle back and forth, and

I love that sounds great. A game where they're so shorthanded at receiver in Atlanta compared to what they started the year with and you just throw it to Julio twenty times and he goes and wins it. Tough, He's still got it. I think there's there's this idea in fantasy circles that like Julio because he goes long stretches without touchdowns is over the hill. Now he's amazing still in all Pro you probably just said this exactly these numbers, but they had exactly the same. Yes, is odd, very

odd point. It was. It was more um Stark with the Niners, though, because you know they have been, you know, succeeding on offense because they had been throwing to Deebo, Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders getting that receiver game. Uh in the last half of the season, uh beefed up. But here there was Garoppolo was holding the ball too long. He ended up dumping the ball off to most dirt and Kittle a bunch. And it was actually the fact that Kittle had such a big line and no scores.

It was indicative of how kind of broken and slow the Niners offense looked all season or uh in this game, Uh, their first scoring drive, um, and this you know, they had a bunch. They made a bunch of big plays against the Saints, right, they had the big touchdown to Manuel Sanders and all that. Their first scoring drive was twenty one plays for ten minutes and four three seconds,

the longest drive in football this season. And uh, you know, it looked like they were going to control the clock against the Falcons, and they were holding the Falcons um scoreless for most of the game, but it didn't work out at the end. I'm kind of amazed at their defensive line, which I started the season thinking they could be historic and now they're just great, you know, they're they're not a stork. I'm just amazed that that's that they couldn't just dominate the game enough to just win.

But that's what happened. Sometimes when you have an m v P type of quarterback on the other side, you don't know. They're also depleted. They don't have the depth to do the rotation they were doing earlier in the year. Does anyone think dan Quinn can possibly save his job? I don't. I think a win like this is a potential game changer if they have to win out a

thing too. And I know it seems meaningless because what's the difference between five and eleven and seven and nine whether you should keep your coach, But these are the type of wins I think gets ownership's attention that the team hasn't quit, that they have there's a ceiling there. I I think it's more likely Greg that he does go. I think he's the first one like that. They've decided

this by around the bye week. I think they already decided, Hey, where's here's what we're gonna do because to them, seven and nine is a huge disappointment. So I think they're gonna look at the whole season, even if they win the next two and yeah, this it didn't feel good for the Niners. When Matt Ryan goes takes the field with about two minutes to play and three time outs,

it felt like a dangerous spot for the Niners. And sure enough Ryan goes right down the field called it I did I'll take that burgo kind of make one more. All three of San Francisco's losses have come on the very last player, the very last play, and last week they gave up the game winning we're supposed to be game winning drive to the Saints. So going forward, the Niners at the death are they reliable? Late in the

fourth quarter asked for one more point? He made it count and one And where can you find if you can find him on Twitter at at j A Bergmann, great follow. You could also see him in the two thousand five Will Ferrell coming he got the gear right and screaming. You can find him in our news room too, if you can get past security get into our building. He's always in like the first desk in the right corner.

If you knock on the door into the news room, he'll probably be the guy that that answers the dog and and and tell us Jeremy's will for all funny off cameras he is on because he's a real hoot. I'll never tell all right, fare I go, thank you, buddy. And if Eally complains that you were up here too long, send him up here. We'll have a conversation with him. I'll let him know I love that. And it's like a good Fellas some potential airtime. He's like, fine, I'll go,

go go. It's like a good Fellas when you know the young ray Leota has some issues with the with the progress reports from the school, and then they throw the mail man in the pizza oven and say, no more mail gets to their house. That's what you're gonna do with you really comes up here, we'll have to get the pizza. Very lombardion of you to bring it back to Like a good Fellas reference, I have no issues with. Really, he's a fine man. I love Dave alright, that's uh. I will not throw Dave Eally in a

pizza oven. That is my solemn promise. Cut that drop, thank you, Jeremy single back offense, Harry Jones, let on setbacks, Rogers under Center, takes hand off, Jones bouncing luck fix the turn, flicks the tackle. The trend of the five pre pilot hands up. It is a tech stop beat Prince Someone and the Packers one yard touchdown run, fire and Jones fixed in the margin of thirteen three. Wayne Lara Vie with the call for the Packers radio network.

Aaron Jones ran for two scores. Davante Adams had another touchdown catch. The Packers beat the Bears. That moves Green Bay to eleven and three. They locked remain locked into that number two seed, the huge matchup against the Vikings looming in week sixteen. The Bears, well, there're seasons effectively over um they are eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC, And you know not, it's not the same thing as

the Rams, because I didn't. I kind of bought in a little bit on the Rams recent hot streak and then they lay an egg in this game with the Bears. I don't know if I ever really truly bought in that they were gonna make this great miracle run in the end. And but I also thought maybe they could make it a game on Sunday because the Packers aren't playing so hot right now, but it kind of more or less played to script where Green Bay gave you enough offense. It's just kind of what they are right now.

A team that's not gonna be blowing the doors off anybody, but they score the two or three touchdowns necessary, kick a couple of field goals sometimes and they'll get the W. I don't know if that's gonna work when the competition jumps up a notch, but it was enough to be a Bears team Uh that just you know, didn't have it this year. And that's and that's uh, that's all you gotta say about them, really, but we'll say more so were you are you impressed with this Packers offense

or were you today? Because we've been in lockstep that even though they're winning, we're just not impressed with the fact that they lack a chain moving element to this offense. It's all sizzle, no steak, all style, no substance, all flash, no sustainability. You know what they need? They need like, yeah, they need like a two thousand, fourteen Randall Cobb. They need somebody beyond just uh Aaron Jones at Davante uh

uh Davante Adams. There was a moment in this come about two thousand eleven, Aaron Rodgers taking a checkdown every once in a while. Well, I'll say this. I'll say this because I I'm I'm with you that Rogers is been his own worst enemy in some cases. But I just keep on getting reminded of you know this, in this game, in the first quarter, Rogers hangs in the pocket, gets drilled, unfurls a gorgeous deep ball that should have

been a seventy yard touchdown. Marquez Valda's scantling has two steps on the defender and he doesn't even drop it. It just shoots through his open hands, and it's like, what are we doing here? And he was basically removed from the game plan after that. They do that every week, that he does something they don't like, and then they removed.

That's what they did in this case. And then I looked at I looked at the numbers for the Packers on offense, because it does feel one dimensional, especially their passing game. And sure enough, you've got Davante Adams, who missed like a quarter of the season with that toe injury. He is by far their most productive receiver in terms

of catches, yards, touchdowns. Then their next to most productive receivers are running backs and Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams, and then you get to Jimmy Graham in two thousand nineteen, So two thousand nineteen, Jimmy Graham is snaps today, Yeah, before the next wide receiver shows up, which is Jeronimo Allison, who hasn't done much this year. Then you get to MBS and then finally Alan Lozard, who has made some plays. He is though he's their guy the last three weeks,

he's their number two receiver. They've kind of settled in on a rotation which is like Rogers maybe is holding the ball too long, but it's a product of the fact that he has receivers that aren't getting open and he's trying to make it happen, but there's nothing happening. Lazard is an undrafted guy, and if he's going to be the guy that steps up, it shows you that they just haven't done a good job helping Rogers with weapons. But there's been there's been a lot of consternation and

we've we've added to it. You know, what is with this team's identity. You know, our our friend Aaron Nagler said, maybe this team is you know, identity is just winning ugly, which for this team, but the way they came into this season, they are finding ways. The fact that they have eleven wins says something. The defense has come along a little bit lately after a pretty long slump. But close out a game Aaron Rodgers, it was on him a little bit late. He nearly fumbled it, he nearly

had an interception. He had some mental strange decisions in the fourth quarter. And I've noticed their offense, especially late in game struggles. Their last five drives here where all they needed at any point was was about a five minute drive or a field goal drive. And you win the game and you knock your rivals out for the season. One first down punt, then three and out, three and out, three and out, three and out. That's all in the

fourth quarter. So they were begging Mitch to come back in this game, and the Bears almost did, and Mitch couldn't do it. And I'll say this, the Bears rolled up eight d and one yards and fifty five points in the previous two weeks. Uh and Trabiski, after a nothing first quarter, finished with three eight yards on fifty three passes, but you know what his I'll remember this game for a fourth quarter interception that he fired right

into the arms of Dean Lowry. And it's the type of failure that you'll remember this season by just Trabinsky taking the book. They got the ball after a punt after another three and out by the Packers at their own forty down eight with a chance to save their season, and um, Trabinsky just wasn't up for it. And I just wonder, this will be interesting. He is two games left here, what what the Bears do and we'll have

time to talk about that. But this this was a chance in a big spot on the road to make something happen. And again the Bears in their offense just they weren't up for it. They made it as painful as possible for Bears fans. I mean, I know they get, yes, you want to be in a meaningful game in mid December. At least they gave them that. But having it basically end on the Packers after getting their hopes up a little,

that's as tough as it gets. And by the way, you know Khalil Mack and that defense they hit Rogers four times and had one sack. So you know they they needed everybody to step up in this game and keep the season alive. And you know what nobody did. And as a result, in July, baby, let's move up

and pip helmet that capacity. They dropped the ball a cup by a Viking couching around good foibles, the tifty to the forty goes tifty six shirt defensive touchdown by a funny ohable Paul Allen, Vikings Radio Network, a funny oh Dunnabo scooped up a loose ball gallop to Gloria. Game changing play in the game that quickly turned into a vicious blowout thirty nine ten in favor of the Vikings over the host Chargers West. This game was ten

nine in the second quarter. Your locke was looking pretty good. But then the Charges. You know, they had seven turnovers, and you know, bad things happen when you turn it over seven times in a football game. Listen to this string of possessions, which I assure you have not heard anything so offensive today. Interception fumble returned for touchdown, end of half, fumble, punt turnover on downs, fumble, interception, interception end game. That was their last nine possessions of the game.

The phill play the whole game. Phil played the whole game. And here's what's going on with Phil. His arm is shot. Phil, his arm is shot. And you know how we talk about see it throw a quarter quarterbacks who have to see the receiver come open before they actually released the ball. Rivers has always been the opposite of that. He is the most timing based quarterback in the NFL. He throws two spots and he wants the receiver to be there.

That has turned this year into throwing the ball up and praying that when the ball finally descends out of the air, the receiver just happens to be there. And sometimes the defensive back is there instead. And that's what happened today. Melvin Gordon fumbled twice. Watched the final twenty five minutes from the bench, costly fumbles. The This was a bad job locking by me and an even worse

job by the charge. It showed boldness, but it was always a dangerous lock because the Vikings have shown all year, you know, they're a better team. But the Chargers had some juice going into the game. I mean, Phil doesn't make any sense. For Phil, just like call him Phil uh to join Eli walking into the sunset this year? Or do you think this is a guy that's gonna try to, you know, make right after what's been pretty much a down season for him. I wonder where this ends.

I don't think he's opened up so far stadium with the Chargers, but I think he might try to play somewhere else. Does Anthony Lynn open up so far with the Chargers? I think so. I think he has a better chance than Phil. I wouldn't rule out I think Rivers could get a job somewhere. I do. I think he's shown enough this year, although it's getting tough and uh.

One thing the last couple of years have taught us, especially with offensive line play falling so far behind the athleticism of pass rushers, your old quarterback has to either have a great offensive line or be so good at getting rid of the ball quickly that it's not a factor because these old quarterbacks just you put him with a good line. I think he'd be a pretty solid starting quarterback, but they don't have that, and that's you don't want to go into a season with that if

I guess if you're the Chargers. For the Vikings, though, This is an impressive win, you know. I know it's all on turnovers, but they've needed it. I don't think they've played quite their best lately. The big concern for them is they lose Dalvin Cook to a shoulder injury and that you know it's been happening where he doesn't make it through the game and now you have a much bigger game next week. And Madison wasn't playing his backup Alexander Madison with an ankle injury. Mike Boone saw

a lot of playing time. Um Kirk Cousins did hit six out of six on the opening drive on the road, so that's worth noting. And Daniel Hunter, I'm not sure we can say defensive player of the year, and in a year with t J. Watt playing so well with Chandler Jones, de Bosa brothers, I'm not sure he's better than all those guys, but he's making a strong case. He had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a sack. He was all over. This is all when the game

was still close. So they play the Packers next week, right, what they do? They host the Packers and they are bankable in that don't and they take you know, they get into first place, this is their chance to have their first win the season against the winning team and they will do it though, West and this will be fun to track, especially for you and I. You mentioned that's a banged up backfield. Who knows what they have

it is. You're gonna put a lot. It's gonna be a lot on Kirk to move the ball in a big spot again for the NFC North on the line. I can't wait to ignore the other fifty two players on his team after the game when it's on Monday night football on and we're telling we're taping that night, especially timed podcasts guaranteed that it does not matter one bit what anyone else on that roster does except for Kirk. Cousins.

I don't want to hear about. Oh I gotta right power rankings, Lady, Dad, Dan, We should all be watching this game together Christmas Live, Live, live podcast, Well live, Cousins, uh and you know, come to the garage, guys, All right, let's go, Spencer were Sprinton action to the right side in the right flat, Mahomes holding it under pressure, Pump faking moving to his right, trying to keep the play alive. Keeps it alive and finds in the end zone for

two points. Sammy Watkins and the Chiefs to snow Angels in the end zone with a two point play. Didn't look like figure skating at Rockefeller's Center as he was going back and forth and back and forth and then finally spinning and finding in the back of the end zone. Sammy Watkins for two in the Chiefly twenty three to three. Mitch Halters in the Chiefs Radio network, Patrick Mahomes through for three forty two scores, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey.

They were making plays in Kansas City rolls to a three win over the Broncos. The wind keeps Kansas City a step behind New England for the second playoff. By Greg Uh. Maybe we're still waiting for the Chiefs to achieve full lift off on offense, but today that's more encouraging progress for their defense. Three points against the Denver

team that was kind of looking on the up and up. Yeah, continuation of what they've shown us on defense, which with a really good past defense and a good pass rush with Chris Jones, Uh and Frank Clark playing well today. But the story was the offense. I don't care that it says twenty three points. This did look like the Phillis offense that I've been waiting to see for a month. I thought it was one of, if not the best, Patrick Mahomes game of the year. It could have easily

been a forty burger. You know, the weather was tricky, so they settled for some field goals. Mahomes is one, you know, bad decision of the day. He did get picked off late, uh, kind of in garbage timer. They could have had more, but man, in such bad weather, I was amazed how he showed everything. I mean touch on some throws, he had some heaters, he had great accuracy,

he moved well somehow in the snow. I sort of didn't understand it because it looked like the snow was killing the Broncos and his his throws were just fantastic all day. I feel like it's been said before. I remember I believe a fifty to nothing Patriots with sixty something. Yeah that And I remember I believe it was Tom Brady who said that snow is not really a huge detriment to an offense. It's more like rain and muddy fields that could cause drama. But it was it was

like driving snow. And yes, the footing you can get receivers more open, but it was more just the quality of his actual passes. Uh and Travis Kelsey helped him out by making some great catches and Tyreek Hill and it's just I think this was if you're a Chiefs fan, this is exactly what you wanted to see everything kind of about. Yeah, the Casey offense is on track right now. They don't have a much of a running game that's been there all year and that was no better today,

So that's kind of their one weakness. But the passing game to me, Uh looked in full flight. Well, I think we both said around there by time a month of go, we expect him to not lose another game until that Ravens game in the a f C title showed him. To me, these are by far the two best teams in the n f C, the Chiefs and the Ravens, right, and I do think they're ceiling is

right there with the r Ravens. The problem, of course now is they're either gonna have to win the Chiefs that is two road games or at least one road game, you would think to get to the Super Bowl. But like I said, with the defense playing well and Tyrone, Matthew and Wan Thornhill had another great game. I mean,

honey Badger was all over the place. It was a very telling sequence where he picked off a pass that was uh overturned by a very questionable penalty and the next play Thornhill picked out a pass of Drew Lock and I think Matthew had a sack and a couple more passes defense that they look good. They looked like the Chiefs that are producer Ryan Bartlett's hoping to see. Maybe it's PTSD UM. I don't know, but one of those teams that you just mentioned, the Ravens are Chiefs.

There's a good chance one of them's got to go to Gillette Stadium and win in Foxboro to get to that age the title game the Chiefs. Yes, Um, so that's still gotta happen, and that will be a big test when it happens. But yes, what we have seen to this point from these three teams, it does seem like New England's the clear cut number three in the conference, even if they end up with I agree, and the

Chiefs have to feel good. I know is early, but they beat the other two, and so at least I think that they should feel good about that, and they should feel good that they they run this division like no other team other than the Patriots, of course, run

a division. They are twenty six and three against the a f C West since two thousand and fifteen, including nine and one against the Broncos, and they beat them, beat the like the Broncos have been competitive all year except for when they play the Chiefs and then they

get just you know, slapped around. Um. All right, let us move on to another team that got slapped around today seven and a half ago, they lead by eleven second and one of the seven team they run Drake Whiteside ten five four touch shown for ten and Drake and maybe puts this game away thirty four to seven team midway through the fourth quarter. The Bronze could not take even one more flat trouble. First, I might have that one cut just so our gear is it Dave

passion ron Wolfy. That was Wolfy with the call our old friend with like the dabbled in frost and the Breeze quote from Oh Yeah Yeah, with the moon with the moon and the the Jesse the body Ventura voice Cardinals Radio Network with the call yes, Kenyan Drake four touchdowns? Whoa David Johnson is? Like what Kyler Murray through for two nineteen yards in a score Cardinals in a six game losing streak by beating up on the Browns. All right, let's bring in the great muscular both in body frame

and in the mind. Most importantly, Nick Shook, who tracked this game for us from his Cleveland mansion, Shook another disappointing effort by the Browns in a season full of them. I like how my character is added the mansion, like it, like myself out I just assumed, you know, it's much I would imagine cost of living is. It's just a

lot more affordable in Ohio compared to southern California. And that paycheck that only went so far out here is sending you straight to the nice neighborhood on the right side of the tracks, right from from the second floor apartment in the west side of l A to the penthouse, right. Shaker something like, don't don't worry about the facts, Nick, You're just you know, another character and Dan's play the truth. The truth is you know, your create your own story.

Um anyway, Yeah, so the Browns. Of course it shook you. You worked with the Browns earlier this season, and uh, as crazy as it sounds, with some of the way things had been shaking out in the a f C, if they would have won today, maybe there would be a little bit of buzz um, you know, as we're taping this Sunday night football is going on. But like some buzz about the Browns having a Paulson, as it turns out that was all or not, because again, did

they just not show up here pretty much? I mean from the jump the Cardinals, they look like a much different team than it looks like two weeks ago when they got destroyed by the Rams. You kind of saw signs of it last week when they lost to the Steelers in a close one, but they carried their momentum over this weekend and they were definitely the more prepared team I think. I mean, they came out and punched the Browns right in the mouth. The wolf the uh

explanation of the flat shovel to the face. That that was pretty much how they started the game and also how they ended the game, and the Browns were just kind of left too stagger and try to regain their balance, and for a moment there they did, but ultimately the Cardinals were too much, which is hilarious to think about because they were three nine and one entering this game, and just we made a big deal about the brown schedule and how it's supposed to be so easy down

the back half, and honestly, except for that win over the Dolphins, they haven't really looked that convincing against the teams that they're supposed to beat, and they didn't look like anything like it today. So yeah, tough day for the Browns. No doubt Dorsey has such a interesting job ahead of him because I think we all looked at this roster entering the season and it looked like it was filled with top tier talent and it's still kind

of is. But I'm sure there are improvements that can be made, the offensive line a chief among them, perhaps, But at the same time, like, do you make big changes in the off season with this roster or do you make a change on the sideline, like what would be the move for the Browns in the off season, because this has been obviously quite disappointing right Well, I mean, you have some guys who are in their contract years

who you might see leaves. Uh, some guys that you considered stars are very valuable players who have not played up at that level to Marius Randal being one of those guys who fit both of those descriptions. And you also have to look at the team and wonder if a coaching change is going to help them or not,

or you know, you kind of have to. I think you have the almost pulled their players and you kind of figure out what their opinion of their own coaches, which might seem divisive or backhand or whatever it would be. But at the same time, you have to understand dan fully the situation and the perspective of your players, because you do have some guys who are proven, a guy like Jervis Landry has proven. But a guy like Jervis Landry also got into a little bit of a sidelines

bat with Freddy Kitchens today down in the boat. Yeah, right exactly, And so you know it's it's a matter of is does he have this team still or not? And I think that should influence your decision at some of that decision at the end of the season. But they didn't play like he had them today, I mean their defense, Uh, couldn't stop in those bleed. Their offense tried its best, but even in key situations like that

fourth or that third down failure to convert. You know, early in the fourth quarter, they settled for a field goal and then they missed the field goal and everything just kind of unravels from there. As soon as they missed that kick, it was like, man, this is where everything's just gonna snowball, And sure enough it didn't. And you only really wonder, and I think this is gonna be very influential on the status of Kitchen's job moving forward.

Is is it gonna snowball into the final two weeks of the season or are they going to rebound and then you know, maybe when one of those last two or get another upset over the Ravens or something like that, which I don't think he's going to have been, but you know, hypothetically, if that does happen, then that would reinforce his status as the head coach. But if he goes in the opposite direction, then I think it makes

your decision almost inevitable. Right rap Sheet reported Sunday morning that the Browns are standing behind Freddie Kitchens right now, and I think the next two weeks. You you said the phrase, they looked the Cardinals looked like they were more prepared. And this year the team with Kenyan Drake's the one that had the running back with four rushing

touchdowns a hundred thirty seven yards on the ground. Kyler Murray had another fifties twenties eight yard run by you know Kirk it it's I I don't I wouldn't ask the players. I mean that sounds like, you know, asking the homeless guy on the street or whatever. It does not sound Brown's way to do it work for the Browns. So you have that kind of group. I mean, it's Otto Beckham getting thirteen targets for sixty six yards against one of the worst past defenses in the league. It's

a mess. I don't need to see the next two weeks. What are the next two weeks gonna tell me? The Browns are one of, if not the most consistent team in the entire NFL. They look the exact same every week, which is a little sloppy and a little mediocre. There's never a good game. They always every Browns game is kind of the same. There are seven and nine team like they could be worse but that's that's what they've been pretty much every single game. Tell him Greg, Yeah,

they've been. They've been consistently disappointing the entire season. I think that's ultimately what has to influence your decision. I mean I mentioned the players that pulling the players at the end of the season just to like kind of get a feel for how they viewed the coach, because this is the first time coach. You know, it's like, does he connect with them? Maybe it's a conversation with the team captains. I don't know who's a team captain.

I don't know. We got a lot to get to with the Browns of the off season, but uh, and a lot to get to for the rest of the show. But uh, Nick uh as always you kill it. You speak with confidence and knowledge, and that's what we look for in our gunners that we bring in. Well, you look, I'm trying to cover the punt correctly, and I'm trying to fill off this mansion directly to once at by the time, all right, buddy, get to that gym alright

later a minute. Let's move on second down. In sixteen, Russ takes the shot gun snap has time looks fire's got a man opens its touchstoffs Shawks from twenty yards down. Luke Kickley looks to the nearest syline and says, coach, I can't cover everybody and lock it. Jeff ran to the quarter of the end zone and nobody was underneath him. Rest finds him and the Seahawks score their third touchdown in the game. Steve Rabele Seahawks Radio Network with the call.

Russell Wilson went twenty of twenty six or two eight six two touchdowns, including that connection to Tyler Lockett. Game note, looking healthy, looking like he's closer to Tyler Lockett and they need that. And Chris Carson now they defined a number one guy with Shot Penny out of the picture with the a c L injury. He goes for one thirty three two touchdowns. The under man Seahawks got it done over the Panthers and Charlotte and they were manned Seahawks.

And I'll tell you how they're undermanned. You know, I'll give you this because you're a guy with two and f sacks couldn't make the game. Is that what happened? You know? Because I locked up the Seahawks and I got hit with some me or eat and that extended throughout the weekend on Twitter and I almost unlocked them. But that, to me, that's even worse. It's like, stand by it. They passed my test, they passed the Vegas test. I stuck with them, and they played on Sunday without

Jadavian Clowney. That's the two and a half sack guy. Maybe he's got like three or something. I don't know. Ezekiel and Sashakil Griffin, Michael Kendrick. By the time this game was over, they lost Bobby Wagner and Quadre Digs to ankle injuries. Wagner it looks like he escaped serious injury, but it was a scary looking injury. Digs Pete Carroll

said after the game, Uh, looks like he's gonna miss time. So, I mean, this team, especially on defense, is beat up right now, and that that's not great timing wise, when you look at where the schedule is heading and as we inch closer to January. But you know, luckily they still have the indestructible Russell Wilson behind center. He leads to Seahawks on touchdown drives on each of their first three drives, and they kind of coasted to the finish line.

I will say this thirty to ten with you know, six minutes it was thirty to ten, and uh, I'll say this for the Panthers and another huge game for Christian McCaffrey. They scored two quick touchdowns and it's a six point game with less than four minutes to play, and they're facing the Seahawks a third and long with a chance for the Panthers to take the field, and Wilson does what he does, which is step up, get a big completion to seal the game and keep Kyle

Allen off the field. Chris Westling, you don't want Kyle Allen on the field with a game hanging in the bounce. I get up well, Christian Christian McCaffrey. For anybody who's wondering if if this string where the Panthers are just bending over and just letting team other teams do whatever they want to them. He's still playing at an all pro level. Still looks phenomenal. And I heard you exclaim if you times today, Dan, how good Christian McCaffrey looks.

Just a fantastic season he is. Here's here's some numbers. Uh, a hundred seventy five yards on a touchdown. Today, He's now over two thousand yards for scrimmage, and if he can manage a hundred and eighty six receiving yards over the next two weeks, he'll join Roger Craig and Marshall Falk one of the best stats uh in the NFL one thousand, one thousand club. He could be the third guy. So any and I need to talk about shutting him down. Listen,

these are football players. They play a football season. He's as you say, West, there's only sixteen of these and this guy, you can never take away the history from him. Uh, if he's able to go one thousand, one thousand. So yes, while there's common sense, and Greg, I know you're gonna come in with a contrarian angle on this one. I agree with you, but okay, um, but if he has a chance to do that, that's some special stuff. So I hope, I hope he gets that chance, and I

hope he doesn't. No, I agree they should keep you just keep your players on the field. There's people paying money. It's sixteen games. Please, it's a great sign for Lockett. I think more than anything, if you're a Seahawks fan that they guessing went into this game saying, let's get Tyler Lockett going, this is too important, and they throw to him nine times. He has eight for one twenty. That's huge. Josh Gordon finally makes a big play as

a receiver. It's good to see. I mean, he has really not produced much for the Seahawks, not not as productive as a quarterback where he was intercepted on his only throw and Greg as the playoff calculator. The Seahawks now eleven and three, the Niners eleven and three. But the Seahawks have the head to head win. The Seahawks currently the number one thing they are and in the key is they went out and they do get the one scene. So that is that is the upshot of

everything today. For that they do have to win out. They have to the No they're not. I mean, you've got the Packers in the mix now too, you got the Vikings. Technically the Seahawks finish home Cardinals and then home Niners intrusting. All right, let's move on. What a what a what a heroic to the ends all the touched up shot, Primus got the hat trick, is gonna touch down three today Bibra Shard Paramouny and well that catch he goes over a hundred yards for the first

time in his career. How about that for a bram spranking new Buck. Here this year Jane dagger House Box Radio Network, Jameis Winston is doing the damn thing. In December, the quarterback. Listen to this. That West your aerial history. Buff became the first player in NFL history to throw for four hundred fifty yards and consecutive games. Yes, leaving the Tampa Bay Bucks to seventeen win over the Lions. The moribundant Detroit Lions, uh four touchdowns one pick for

Winston West. Are the Bucks really gonna walk away from this marriage? Should they? Where are we at? Where are you at? Well? If you don't walk away, you're gonna get the same results next year with this quarterback. But you know that's what are these results? I can't I can't make sense on any of this. Now. They'll tell you into and out of games and you end up with a five record or thereabouts, and this game is

exactly what you would expect. I missed the first quarter because I had to drive home and get my laptop, which I forgot that that was a bummer. That came back to a report that Jamis Winston threw another interception on the opening drive, which now makes five games this year which he's done that and he is amazingly four and one in those games. Well that, yeah, it gets him in the right mindset of like, all right, let's go. He also had two yards by the end of the

first quarter in this game. I saw Mike Sando of The Athletic tweeted that he could not find another quarterback in the database that had more passing yards through twenty three minutes of a game than Jamis Winston did today. At one at that point in the game, it was mid second quarter, the Bucks had three fifteen yards and the lines had two. Here's my thing. Anyone capable of making the throws that he makes is good at quarterbacking,

And I know then yeah, okay, yeah. Turning the ball over is massive and it's hurting his team when you know, lose again, and maybe that's maybe that's forever, but a lot of it is luck and happen, like maybe you can improve this. He's twenty five years old and he's gonna be maybe leading the leading scoring team in the NFL.

By the time and let me piggyback off that, West, and then you can respond, Is it's so crazy that one of these years, and we always talk about a difference between eight and eight, ten and six, Uh, is it's very slim, razors razor thin that one of these years they end up ten and six and Winston gets hot in January? Is it so crazy to imagine a scenario where Jameis Winston gets his way into the playoffs

and then starts doing crazy things. Well, let me answer these and if if the answer is yes, West, that's why you gotta keep him in the building, if you believe he has that potential, because the whole thing is about winning the Super Bowl. Is that in his bone somewhere tucked than his d n A Are we seeing that peeking out? Or is this all just lipstick on a pig what we've been seeing this month. I'll answer those questions separately because they are too sotally, totally separate things.

It's not crazy at all. We've seen all kinds of quarterbacks get hot, from Joe Flacco to Eli Manning, so of course Jamis Winston could do that. We've seen Jameis Winston get hot for stretches. But for Greg to say this is good quarterbacking, no, it's not. It's it just does a lot of high level quarterbacks that's good passing. It's not good quarterback. He's a good passer who makes bad decisions and has a has a career record of

seven and forty. If he was if it was good quarterbacking, his record is an important part of quarterbacking, though of course it is saying I hear you, it's just tricky

because these throws it. It also shows what I think people liked out of him coming out of school, which a lot of times it shows kind of a next level mental processing, which is why the whole turnover thing is confusing because a lot of things he does he reads defense and he and he kind of thinks through on his good plays really well for a relatively young quarterback. I know he's been in the league five years, but

five years old. It's it's not like he's just kind of a big arm that's getting out there and throwing it like he does things that gets quarterback gurus like arians excited. It's also totally ignoring the fact that he's frenetic most of the time. He's not under control a

lot of the time and that's why he makes mistakes. Also, it should be noted in his defense, No Mike Evans today when he goes back to back four and fifty yards and for the second half, right, No Chris Godwin, who introduces no Way Arians is gonna let him go. That's how I feel, because I think he's gonna look at the stats at the end of the year and the Bucks are going to be second or first in points and yards, and he's gonna be just like I don't want to go to the unknown the siren call,

he won't be able to ignore it. Two more things about this game. Shack Barrett what a year, Ties Warren Sap sack record for the franchise, and Bruce Arians after the game, this impending free agent is going nowhere, so they they will either franchise tag him or sign him. But he's not going anywhere. And David Blow made a couple of throws to the point where they got within a touchdown and they were kind of some at least

the the m and Doula. One was a great catch and then the other one was kind of busting coverage, but he threw the game away. Nicks bag for Mark Sessler, who, of course, no, no, no, this was just an all around big game. Those are those are the only two plays for the Lions all game. David Blow then threw the game away with a pick six and then another interception, and then that play got called back, so he threw another interception after that. Best case scenario, Matt Patricia's someone's

defensive coordinator next year. Is that fair? Well, this was not a fair fight. The Lions are playing with second and third stringers at how many positions? I don't Does he get a third year? I don't know. Why do you bring him back? I mean they were three three

in one. All right, let's move on Barkley with the right of Banning and a shotgun shot Manning on a play fake looks right, throws, right, passes, Oh, he's still the five Blacks into the end for a touchdown fifty one yards Banning The team haven't heard much from Bob Poppa this year. On the podcast w F A N in New York, it looks it looked like the end of the Eli era at the meadow Lands. Let's hope it is, because thirty twenty the win over the Dolphins on Sunday was a nice way to go out to

the old quarterback. Giants. Fans loyal enough to attend to match up between the Giants and Dolphins gave their two time m v P Super Bowl MVP standing ovation as he walked off the field. He went over three yards with two touchdowns and yes, three interceptions and the New York Giants snappy franchise record tying nine game losing streak. And I don't know what else you really need to know about this game. I don't even know if you

need to know that, but I'll tell you that. Uh, yes, Eli did some Eli things and it was really Um, it was nice little moment at the end of the game in the tunnel as he left the field. Um, his family was there and he was taking pictures with his daughter and his chill aldren and um, this certainly felt like a good way for it to end. I don't even know why you would at this point. Maybe Daniel Jones comes back next year, next week. I don't know what his injury situation is, but why even running

lie out there again? Just go out with the win at home? And well, it's the secure that they're gonna play. You know who is their third. Yes, that's why. That's what I'm saying. You you just kind of ended here. You put in Alex hand Daniel Jones, do not win, go get Chase Young and fly. Well, they maybe shouldn't try to win games because it's gonna change with the strength of schedule. And who knows what happened, but the

Dolphins did pass them. Whereas the Dolphins moved up a spot in the draft there they would now be at three. And I believe the Redskins are right too. Uh and yeah, the Dolphins have by the way they do think by the way the kids being in the just the way the last two weeks have played out and the kids in the tunnel, he's retiring, it seems it just feels, Yeah, it just feel he also feels like a guy that doesn't want to go to another place or be anyone's backup.

So in the fact that the kids were there, laugh, you know that you got the wife's there lasting, the kids in the tunnel there as they should. I'm happy. I don't know a little final moment. I don't know if this is accurate. It's tankathon dot com, but it has the Giants at number two with the strength of schedule advantage over the Dolphins and Redskins fellow three and eleven teams. Sounds like a reputable website. Serious they have

a great layout of their web. Uh and one one note on the Dolphins that there's just so much work that needs to be done for this team. And everyone's you know, everyone's talking about the quarterback and going and getting that guy and finding the guy. But they have the worst running game in the league. They have an offensive line that is completely needs a makeover. And when you're leading rusher in two thousand nineteen, is Ryan Fitzpatrick.

That Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Harvard guy, the Beard guy, like seven years old, the guy with all the kids. Oh my god, you have a lot of work to do. And it's not just finding a quarterback. Got to start somewhere. They said. It fascinating to me. NFL record to date, more players have suited up for the Dolphins and any team in NFL history, and we got two weeks left to go. I wonder if they've also made the most waiver claims in NFL history. It's kind of the way

to do it. Just try all that all these guys out in your tanking season. They still got the Bengals. Who knows. Yeah, if you're not gonna try before the season starts, that's the way to do it. All right, let's move on. You got two seconds left to play. Did it right? But you already know what it's gonna be. It's gonna be a hill mirror car steps up, fires the hail Mary high up into the air, right side

of the end zone. Jump ball up in the air. Incomplete, and in the final act, the Raiders have lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Oakland Alameter Colosseum, and the Oakland Raiders are no more know how deflating Rerent Musburger and Lincoln Kennedy what they called k CBS Gardner Minshew through two touchdown passes to Chris Conley in the final five fifteen and the jack spoiled that final scheduled game at Oakland Coliseum a sixteen win. This is not how

NFL football in Oakland was supposed to end. Damn, I wish we had some boots on the ground for this game. Oh wait, joining us now via the telephone line is the great Mark Sessler, who was there to take it all in. First of all, Mark, are you safe. I

am safe at the moment. But I'm gonna be honest with you because you know, we've we've exited Super Bowls before where this is a little bit of a different situation here outside of the Colosseum, I'm on some sort of a concourse where people are flowing towards a tunnel that leads to a bart station, and I've literally been told by two security people get out of here sooner you may suffer the consequence. So point we will TVD on where I will be an hour from now. Wait,

what I mean, what is the vibe there? Obviously we we heard some things about some fighting on the field. It wasn't not a chaotic scene, right like what's happening once the CBS cameras go away at the coliseum. It's fine, I'm I'm just you know, I grew up in the suburb, so there's an element I'm not. It's honestly, it's totally good.

I would say this because I think that you know, and I tweeted out some of the stuff that happened after the game, uh, and it was a five per cent of the fans acting up in a huge chunk of them being fine. I think that. I think the fact that it's evolved into the loss that it did, where at halftime I did a phoner with Sky Sports and I'm owing a hundred and eighty six on predictions

on sky Sports this year. But I told him that if the Sessler family owned a house versus renting, that I would bet, without any questions or any doubt that the Raiders were going to take that game, because they just rode that feverish emotion in the first half, and then you know, I was wandering around, so I didn't. I'm not a month and for TFF on this particular about but I cannot believe the way that it ended.

I think the fans are extremely deflated and disappointed, and it let some of the mess the end, which was minor, I mean, and yeah, it's like bad job by the Raiders, who have had a season that had some nice highs. But you're up sixteen to three, You're against the Jaguars team that has been historically awful over the last five weeks. That's a game that you gotta you just gotta close out. You gotta close it out for your fans, who have been as loyal as any fans in football. Right to

the very end. So it is just it stinks the way it went out. And one big play Mark, I'm not sure what your vantage point was on the field, but a big play in this game. Uh. Derek Carr slides for the first down with the two oh five to play, even signals with a like hand gesture to the crowd in Oakland. He begins celebrating a victory. They ruled that he slid out of bounds. After the game, he says, that was one of the most shocking moments

of my life. Don't want to say much more. I'll keep my money in my pocket because what happens after that? They go three and out, miss a field goal, drop a third down throw which they could have run it there, dropped the third down throw, miss a field goal penalty, they get moved in five yards, misses again, and then they allow Gardner Minshew And this is a cruel twist of irony for you, Mr Sessler, to march the Jags

down the field to win the game. Shouldn't end it this way, no, you know, it was the wrong day

for magics from Mr Minshew. And at that point, because my my goal was to get on the field a sap so I was actually watching that series of plays, which were the absolute key moments in the game, with two very gruff, elderly security men that would not allow me to essentially move beyond from point A to B, and I had to wait until the time to take down and and we kind of were joking by the end of the final two minutes that game because of the way it unfolded. It took like another thirty five

minutes plus. I thought I'd signed it well, and it's like, but it was. It was an absolute picture of collapse ups and I just think that the stadium was completely

caught off guard. There were people today and for good reason that we're they were watching the game, but they were also I just waltzed around the place out celebrating, hugging, drinking beers with each other out of the concourses, and I think they just thought this thing was in the bag and I and for good reason, and the way it ended it is could not have been a more sour note to what other otherwise felt like a huge celebration.

What was the celebration and kind of your pregame experience and and everything like the rest of the day, I well, no because I am a raging professional and I really wanted to, uh, but I also I was like, you know, what what am I doing not eating meat products? Because it was like seeing some of the most insanely grilled food stuff that you'll ever imagine. And just the people that, you know, even if this place gets a rap for if you show up in a Chief Jersey, you will

not leave alive. And Jaguars fans, which were about you know, two percent of the crowd, we're floating around and they were treated fine. And I just think today really was uh an example for me of how great this fan base is. And you know, talking to a bunch of them for this piece I'm working on, most of them are like, yes, of course, we would never abandon them. This isn't the you know, the cults leaving in the middle of the night, or the Browns uh turning into

the Ravens out of nowhere ridiculously, And it's not. It's like they're they're gonna move and and and and travel and go to Vegas and they kind of fit that city. But this crew here, the people that live in Oakland, I think there is no doubt, um an aura of heartbreak to it. And especially at the end of the game watching people here today kind of like give like low kisses to the stadium as they were leaving, and

you know, just not wanting to go. They just didn't want to go there out here drinking canned beers and uh, you know, the cops at this point are have had enough, but it's like they don't want to leave, and I don't blame them. It's so I'm honestly very I feel lucky to have been here and seen it, because it's a huge concept to even imagine the Raiders beat in California. I don't care if flipping between North count Southern California, but to leave entirely is it's kind of shocking on

an NFL level. You touched on the Browns leaving for Baltimore, and you endured that as a fan. I think we've all been kind of struck by the contrast between, well those of us old enough to remember the contrast between that season in Cleveland and what the love fest that's going on in Oakland this year. Do you have any thoughts on that or did you personally encounter any Raiders fans who had vitriol for their team before the game.

Or during the game. I think the vitriol that I that I caught wind of was towards uh, you know, and it's not surprising, I guess towards Mark Davis because I think they felt like the Al Davis living in Well would never have done this, would never have made this move that he you know, he's a guy. I mean, he already moved to l A. Well. I mean, so he moved to l A and back. But when they

when they decided that they could make more money. I was told by a few raiders people that you know Al Davis based Lee was told he could have stayed in l A and made much more profit, and he decided not to. And so obviously that was a bumpy ride. But I think that the victual is pretty low. I think it's disappointment, sadness, and but I think this is a fan base that's gonna it's the right fan base to do this, even though it doesn't feel right like

they're gonna travel. Like I there's no doubt the people that I spent time with today, they feel like they'd fit in a weekend and in Vegas without too much trouble, right. But the way today played out, it just as a reminder you can't script sports and and that fans, the reality is you can give as much as you want to the experience, and that's what you're gonna get out

of it, because you might not get anything back. You might just get you might get misery on a day like this back if you're putting all your hopes on the result, like I thought, like leaving a city is pretty much the worst thing UH sports franchise can do.

But I was wrong. Losing a sixteen to three lead to the Jaguars on the day or leaving the city when John Gooden didn't go for it on fourth and one at the forty nine just gutless play calling decides to punt when they have twelve men on the field on another fourth and one for the Jaguars is terribly poorly coached and they botched the end of the situation like this has been the worst franchise in terms of

wins losses in the last eighteen years. They have one winning season and the fact that these fans are showing up in mass like this after that eighteen season run, can you there aren't many cities that would do that, and all they get is is a kick in the in the you know one on the way out the Raiders at a one oh two and five record at the Oakland Coliseum when leading by ten plus points after

three quarters before losing on Sunday. Mark any final thoughts, Well, I'll say this, Greg, uh, that was well said by Greg, and I did encounter a number of Raiders fans here. They just wanted to say that Greg's situational football awareness is something that they are that they unbrace, they enjoy, and when they make that move to Vegas, that will still be something that they care about. Um, but I would say that says that's the final thing that it's sad.

I'm kind of walking out and I'm about to get into this tunnel. I don't know where it goes. It goes into total darkness. I see a hillside. I don't. I don't. I don't have never really felt this way at a live game where there's just this sort of weird sadness mixed with kind of like losing a family member situation. And I don't know, it's obviously not putting it into words very well, but it's it's it's kind

of that day. I don't think anyone here because of As Greg mentioned, the final result, you can't just kind of kiss goodbye as this beautiful thing. It's kind of tinged with a little bit of darkness, and I think that's what the move feels like too, stepping any ross sage. Not yet, but I mean the night is young. Mark. It's good to hear you are in fine spirits, uh and alive. Please head back down the coast now and rejoin us for the next edition of Around the NFL podcast.

I will see you Tuesday. All right, buddy, Let's now move to Sunday Night Football. Sixteen seconds left. Here's the snap. Hodges looks, looks, runs, Sue left, direct track, fires it into the end zone. It is picked up, it is intercepted. It is picked up by the Bills. That should do it. Levi Wallace comes up with the pick. His teammates surround him down in the end zone. Interception for the Bills. With six seconds left, Wallace comes up with the pick.

The Bills are going to the postseason. John Murphy with the call for the Bills. Radio network, Oh that Buffalo defense. Four interceptions of Devlin Duck, Hodges two for the Great Trade, Avious White and Levi Wallace following a Jordan Jordan Ployer pick in the fourth quarter and successive tries that close it out to ten. The Bills are tenanted for and they're going to the dance for the second time in

twenty years. It'll be the second time in three years, depending on how you want to look any ways to look at it. Sean McDermott, nice job, man, six and one. The Bills are on the road this year and they quiet a Steelers team that really, you know, entered this Action West looking like, uh, one of the hottest teams in football. But there was always that question, was Duck Hodges in a big spot against this type of defense

couldn't go badly? It went very badly. Well, I think when we looked at this game, it's no surprise how it played out. We didn't trust either quarterback against either of these defenses, and we saw the Steelers limitations in the passing game. I know their fans don't want to hear this, but it's already been a successful season for Pittsburgh being in control the number six seed with a four string undrafted rookie at quarterback and a slew of

injuries at the skill positions on offense. They've gone about as far as a quarterback like Duck Hodges can take them. Well, they have two big games coming up, and if they win those two games, uh, and we'll see if the Ravens play their starters in week seventeen, they're going to the playoffs. So I I don't think they'll look at this as some lost cause. But credit needs to go to the Bills for what I think was the best moment since two thousand. I mean since I don't know,

is this their biggest way than twenty years? Because making the playoffs because Andy Dalton beat two beats an opponent for you, and you sneak in and that's fun and you got the monkey off your back. But this is Sunday night football. This is earning your way. This is ten and four, and it's doing it the kind of Sean McDermott way with a real team that I don't think UM has lucked its way into ten and four. The schedules obviously helped, But tonight they had the better

running game and they had the better defense. I mean, their defense made bigger plays. They had nine tackles for loss whereas I think the Steelers had five. They had more quarterback hits, they had the interceptions, they were the big play defense. I think I think I predicted on Thursday Show this game would end seventeen and like we were saying, this is this was how it was gonna be and it was gonna come down to I thought, who was the quarterback that kind of killed their team?

And Uh, while no one is going to be throwing bouquets at the feet of Josh Allen, you will give him credit for making the big throw. Tyler Croft was targeted once in this game, and it came in a huge spot on third down. There was a uh ten to tend game and the Bills their previous possession of scoring chance. They had first and goal and didn't even let Alan throw the ball. They ran the ball once.

They intended a trick play with Frank Gore that didn't work, leading to another loss on a run that ran it on third end goal for nothing, a loss of yards, settled for the field goal, and it made you think, God, they're never gonna let Josh Allen try to win a game in this big stage. But they did let him run that play, and credit to the Bills because it paid off. Alan hits Croft. Uh on the right side of the end zone and that was the winning score. That was an all passing drive, essentially on a day

where they leaned on the run. That touchdown drive was on Alan's arm and he hit a deep play down the field to John Brown. And they've barely hit those plays this year, but they've had a couple over the last two weeks. Josh Allen also had a rushing touchdown in this game, set up by an incredible Devin Singletary run, and to me that that's the story here. They did have more juice. I mean Singletary, although he had fumbles in this game, he had more juice than any Pittsburgh

running back. And Josh Allen, even if it wasn't perfect, certainly had a lot more juice than Duck Hodges to dave Is White is the All Pro cornerback opposite Stefine Gilmore on my list. Smokey Brown already as a career high and receiving yards this year. He's been a great signing. And Jordan Phillips, who the Bills I believe picked up all the waivers from the Dolphins last year after a disciplinary measure. Uh is up the nine and a half sacks on the year for a defensive tackle. We should

give Brian Dable some love. I mean, they he's their offensive coordinator for the Bills, and they throw a lot of looks at you, and they on both their touchdown drives, they did a lot of creative things formationally. They went for a fourth and six early in the game and converted it with set up some points, so they were aggressive in spot. He's done a good job just kind of keeping defenses off balance with with with just what a a weird offense. But it affect enough the Bills.

Don't blink. They haven't always won these games against the upper teams in the n FC. In fact, we're going into this game we talked about it was like, go get that big win, and I count this one is a big win, beating the eight and five Steelers in their building in prime time, in front of Al, Chris and Michelle. But I also I'll say this one other takeaway from the game. It's a lot of Avio mcnifico um and you know, right off, Duck Hodges off this game.

But I feel like this gave us the ceiling of the Steelers that their defense and you know there's certain players, and maybe the game goes a different way t J. Watt with that punch out attempt if he hits Josh Allen's ball instead of like his thigh or whatever. He

ended up. Yea, they fumbled on the ten. They fumbled inside the ten yard line to close the first I mean they maybe in and if the Steelers go on to make the playoffs, they can win some games just because of the defense and and Hodge Hodges and company making a couple of plays. But to me, I feel like this is kind of how their season will eventually end as well, where they'll be in a close game and they'll need their team to make a big playing offense,

and it's just not gonna be there for him. It felt hopeless in those last two possessions because Hodges just quite frankly, seemed a little in overhead. Well. I think that even the Steelers would acknowledge that Duck Hodges ceiling in the future, is probably a backup quarterback. I mean, he just doesn't have the physical talent he saw in

that last store that was intercepted. He can't throw against the grain moving to his left and still have enough arm strength to get the ball in a position whereas receiver can make a play on it and it sets up on Saturday night Saturday afternoon rather Bills Patriots quite a triple header on NFL Network, not just being a company man. I can't they lucked out. They really did. Bucks Texans early is a meaningful game versus a hot,

hot team versus Texans. Then you've got the Bills Patriots in the afternoon, you have the Rams forty, which matters at night, but the Bills, they've really lucked out. Those are three of the best games of the week. And the Pats game is so interesting because this Patriots offense against the Bills. We will get into it during the week.

I just wanted to point out one tiebreaker um oddity though, which takes not not a lot of juice, but it does change it is that calculated time the Patriots are gonna win the a f C East if they beat the Dolphins in week seventeen, no matter what happens next week against the Bills, because why does it always work out this common opponents tiebreak? So the Bills could win that game and still not get it, but it's a still a huge game. Saying the Bills could beat the

Steelers in Pittsburgh. They could go to Foxborough and beat the Bills next week, Patriots the Patriots next week. They can Week seventeen, close out with another win against Go twelve and four and not be the A c S champion. That is possible. And then I told Greg that's so frustrating. I feel like this always works out with the tiebreakers and the Patriots, and then Greg goes not in two thousand and two, it didn't like years ago. Yeah I was in college, Greg, Yeah, forty in April. Greg, I'll

give you a lot. That's your example. I'll give you a lollipop if you can name the head coach in the quarterback the last time the Bills hit a ten win season. Uh Wade Phillips now and uh Frank Greig. Doug Flutty who is now fifty seven years old, was the quarterback the last time the Bills hit a ten win season. So congratulations to our buddy Zack behind the glass Zack Zach Sailey of course, and big say the biggest Bills fan we know, Patrick, member of the Shield

Champions softball squad. Are good buddy, Colations. Congratulations to you guys, you're you're playing in the dance You're you're going dancing, and and Greg any other playoff tabulations before we sign off that people might want to know. As we take a look at the playoff picture, you can check it out, by the way, the NFL dot com slash playoff picture,

which gives a nice snapshot of where we're at. Well, the Steelers can still get in with two more wins, but that loss certainly should give a little bounce to the Tennessee Titans, helps their chances and uh, the Chiefs trying to get that by. Even if if the Bills did beat the Patriots, that would open up to buy which to me is absolutely vital for both of those teams, Chiefs and put at the bottom of the A f C. Now the Steelers are eight and six, They're at Jets

and then at Ravens. You gotta win that game against the Jets, take take any drama out of the proceedings. If they somehow lost next week and fall to eight and seven, that opens the door up, it does, uh for damn. Even the Browns are not eliminated, right if if they somehow crumble, But we're not gonna talk about that. We're getting too crazy with the calculator. The Bills Browns aren't eliminated. I think the Browns were eliminated tonight. Are

they done? I think they were out with the Steelers loss. Yes, okay, well that's good. So you have the So it's the Steelers and the second place team in the a f C South in the wild card, the Bills claiming that it would be either the Bills or the Patriots most likely the Bills on the five seed, and then either Steelers or tighten Slash Texans in the six and then the Browns are out barring a tie. So I knew

there was a confusion, but their sential. And then in the NFC we've got the Seahawks now as the number one seed. The Packers still locked in at number two. But the Vikings are the interesting team here. They are tenant four and they have the Packers up next on the schedule. They need to lose both games and the Rams need to win both their games otherwise the Vikings will make the playoffs, as will be the second place team in the NFC West, either forty or the Seahawks.

I think the NFCS it's almost simple to explain, which is that the Cowboys Eagles for that one spot, and the other five seeds are all up for grabs. You know one through five is open, so yes, you can figure out the different routes to it. But Seahawks, Packers, Vikings forty nine or Saints. I know the Vikings haven't clinched yet, but they're almost definitely in those five seeds. Could you shake them up and do it a lot

of different ways? If I'm a Saints fan, I'm feeling a little better that maybe they can sneak into that by I'm gonna test your calculator right now, Greg, Can the Vikings are can things be true? Can the Vikings miss the playoffs entirely? Can they win the one seed? Well, they certainly can miss this. Can they get the one seed? Still? Can they finish twelve and four and get that one seed? The calculators cramming, it's cranking. I don't have that. I

don't have that right now? Has the tiebreak in the scenarios between them? And like the seat tough questions? One was a tough one. I wanted to see how much of a handle you had? Not all softballs here. Gregg's had just exploded. So now it's now it's a two hander in West. All right, there you go. It's gonna be fun. And we have two Sundays left in the regular season, and you know we'll be here and I'm looking forward to that triple header. I can sniff the playoffs.

We're almost here. Keith and dev are coming into the town on Wednesday, and you know Tito's is coming out to watch them football. And said, oh yeah, you know Tito doesn't get to come out anymore and play. Tito and his friend Soda. Well the squeeze, Mr Lemon Tard being a daddy. Yeah, we're here cranking getting the paycheck. Yeah, not on Saturday. Saturday is gonna be a fun day. That'd be fun with the old man. All right, I'm happy to watch a Patriots game without you. Chuck ahead,

all right, let's go. This is Dan hands Is signing off for Quiet Storm, and I've sent you the mailman, the old Boss, Ricky Hollywood, Ryan Tara Zack on the top of the world until Tuesday. S