2019 Week 16 Preview

This has been a long time coming. It feels good that we're here. It's been a long week. Um, I think who was at the holiday party last was so crowded. I didn't see the two guys at the end. Were you at the event? I was not. Now I had intentions to go, but today changed my uh my ability to go, and I you know what, I might be this close to starting remember finding Richard Simmons a podcast,

Finding Mark Sessler and any of you. I already Honestly, the one reason I thought about us showing up and making appearance and then literally just finding Dan and then ubering home was to prevent this narrative that they have been a total pies like to hang out with you had last year we saw you. I remember Emica and I saw you exiting as we were arriving. Well, you know, I think, well the plus one situation where you bring

the significant other. In our case, we had to both get home for babysitters and stuff in old in olden days, I mean meeting like two years ago. I would just stay until the bitter end of the of the you just want to hang out with you, That's that's very possible. I think I think last night would have been the easiest way to accome. We could do that in an hour from now and with no problems. Barely saw West,

but I did see you know. You want to talk about the holiday party and coming Where West was at one point in his life where he is now, Ricky. Do we have an image of West at the holiday parts? Impressive because it is look at this guy now, look at where the YouTube viewers and check out YouTube show. We do it live every Thursday. If you guys remember several years back when West started this company, he made a big event out of or a big to do about. Listen,

I'm not gonna wear no monkey suit. You're not gonna get I'm not going to the holiday party because they're telling me to wear a sweater or they was like party casual California cans yet and West wouldn't going to the holiday party because of that. And now he's wearing a full suit, a tie and a newsboy cap. Look there, I just wore what I was told to wear. I just love it. I first of all, I wanted you at the party. I couldn't get you at the party. Now you're the most dressed up guy the whole thing.

I love it. You love or it was a cancer, it was a love What what changed in your heart in your mind that got you in the newsboy cap? Well, I think you just go. You know, it's better to swim with the tide than to swim against it. So that's what's going on. Well, it was great to see you and like Hesha look beautiful in her twenties Garb as well, So it was a great night. Emily came out. It was fun all right. Speaking of holiday, good job on the set here? Where is the holiday decorations here

in the studio? What where are we on this er? Yea as the producer of the show. How about something some holly sreaths, you know, manure on there if you want, maybe is it in the graphics package? At least you know that they do the little Martlett's got a green blanket there, And is this the this is the studio the time forgot in this on this competent? Well, I

think it's appropriate. The NFL, in many ways, you know, takes you away from your family during the holidays, so why don't think about what you're losing your children's youth. It's a very spartan p o V. But I think he's right right as my as my children are like in a plane, you know, across the sufic ocean. Dad, Dad, You're like, oh, sorry to hear that. I'm sorry you're divorcing. Alright, good, So maybe we don't need anything because of Greg's sadness.

All right, let's get into it. Week sixteen is here, and it's amazing. It's amazing that we've we've gotten all the way to this point and this week has um there's a little difference obviously in the quirk of the schedule. There will be no Thursday night recap tonight because there's no more Thursday night games and and in fact there's only one Monday night game, which is one of the best games of the year, potentially uh in Minneapolis. But we have three Saturday games to get to and they're

all interesting and fun. We'll put them as part of the draft process, and um, why don't we get into it? Greg, Look at you, top of the world. Look at you picking first in the Week sixteen draft you in the Bengals. It is appropriate right before Christmas that I'm picking first.

I'm going sane Titans early Sunday. It's crazy, but I think this is the biggest game of the week, and at least the best game of the week and the most entertaining the game I want to see the most with the most at Steak because the Titans are fighting for their lives. I don't want to see this Titans team go away a little bit of trouble. Now they're They're like a big, play, fun team. I think this is the best Titans team since Jeff Fisher was their coach,

and their point differential would indicate that. Yet they're probably headed for a fourth straight nine and seven one way or another unless they can beat two really good teams because the Saints have even more at Steak. Sometimes the super Bowl path isn't made in the playoffs. It's made in games like this week sixteen. I'm thinking of when the Texans slipped up last week and blew their potential by The Saints still have a pretty good chance to buy if they win two straight games here and they

have to go on the road there. We've shown lately that they're a complete team on defense, on offense, and I think they've kind of got that. I have a tiger that this is just it's such a tough game to pick, uh, and I'm looking forward to Well, we didn't see really the impact of Marcus to have import and Sheldon Rankins absence in the last game against the Colts, but we might see it here against Derrick Henry. That could be a factor here. Well, they Andrew's Pete is out.

You mentioned Larry Warford went down. We don't know what his status is. I mean, that's there on both lines. The Saints are little banged up, and you're right against the you know, let's totally flop it out Colts last time they didn't get anything done. But the Titans to me, and whether they wind up nine and seven or not, and watching them even and even losing to Houston, there is something so different about this team, and it's on both sides of the ball. And you said it, Greg, like,

I don't want them to go away. Previous nine and seven Tennessee outfits that would roll into that final wild card spot, they couldn't be out of my life quicker. This time around, I'm rooting for them to make the playoffs and I it's it's funny that Ryan Tannehill would be the antidote to Marcus Marioda what I'm about to say, But it's like more teams when you are stuck with a dull, stuck in the mud quarterback that leaves your offense lifeless, be willing to make a change, no matter

where that person was drafted or anything. It's just weird that it's Ryan Tannehill was equally dull in Miami, has come in and flipped the switch. But he looks amazing to me. He has turned John hu Smith, Cary Blasting game, Uh, Anthony Firks or Khalif Raymond into big play threats in that offense. Um Derrick Henry talked about it last week. What's gonna be the situation? He's got the hamstring issue

and it's he I thought he looked okay. He had one run where he had a twenty three yard run up the middle, but if you took that out, he was just over three yards a carry in the last twenty carries, a little slip, more sluggish to you, he did to me. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, and it's it was obviously a small sample size. He's still got the bulk of the carries. But this will be another game and a big test. They kind of need a big Derrick Henry game. The Saints offense obviously is humming

um as we saw on Monday night. Has to be Henry. He did not practice at all last week leading up to the game this week. He did practice yesterday Wednesday, and I don't believe you practiced today. And I don't know if that is a sign of something or that just natural maintenance as they get closer to game time. But keep an eye on Henry and whether that hamstring Andrew is going to be something continues to haunt him. Both these teams are so good in short yardage situations.

I do wonder though offensively the Titans are gonna have to score thirty I think again, because Wes you pointed out last week that you know their cornerbacks are a big problem, and watching them, it's like, yeah they are, they're injured there, but they're past. Like their pass rush in theory could make up for it, but they don't

really have a great pass rush either. So even though I I'm saying this is the best Titans team, and I do believe that it's not a special defense, like they're gonna have to win by scoring on most of their possessions, and I think they can. I don't think the Saints defense is gonna be as good without those

two defensive linemen as they looked on Monday night. And you're assuming that the Saints offense, which has been hot indoors, will also be hot in an outdoor game, which Drew Brees I believe has played one outdoor game, finished completed one outdoor game in the last calendar year since Week eleven. Was that was one? That one? So yeah, good stat good nug I'm still buying those Saints thing. I do think they're gonna win. I'm buying that their offense with

Jared Cook, everything is back in fact. And you guys got on me last week and the fair perhaps, but I stayed. I stayed true to the Vegas test. Uh this week, I will ride with the Saints be I think a truly great Super Bowl contender is now cresting and building towards January. They're not gonna slip up nice season by the Titans. They're at home, so it's certainly not going to be one where the Saints should be

viewed as heavy favorites. The Desert doesn't think that either, But I think the Saints rolling all the way to thirteen and three and do that, They're gonna have to kill the Titans. And I'm sorry to you Titans fans out there is nothing personal. I like the Saints team. I love what I'm seeing Monday night was awesome in the momentum is just going to carry on. Lock it up the New Orleans Saints on the road. I'm picking the Titans to win this game, but I'm not locking.

Oh yeah, listen to that mascular lock. That's a man locking a path. Your cowardly luck has worked out perfect for me personally. I loved your lock last week because it showed that the mirror test was always a sham and people will use it for their own personal interests when possible and you took so much garbage for it that now you have to come with a real strong locking.

Why sure, I don't all but you, you you, you sir of the sham, because we've always talked about you and I are in lockstep on the mirror tests, which is it has to be within a touchdown on the vegas test, and it was, so why are you on my because I just knew that the way it didn't really you. I don't know if it really passed the mirror test, I would say, like you are, you are. It's your thing to come at us hard if anyone's mirror or anyone's lock doesn't agree with you your mirror. I'm not

saying I'm above that. I'm happy that you guys came at me hard. And all I can say is I get it. And I said it when I locked him up when I walked up the Seahawks that it was right on the borderline. But it was a weird week, as we all agreed. So that's when I went with, Now do I want to play hero ball and do it WestEd and and lock up a bad Chargers team against the Vikings? Well, what does that get you? A paddle?

The battle Barry Harwood style. You've opened up doorways for us to do as we please from here on out, which I which is what I like about it. But I stayed within the Vegas test. Well, it's it is. It is all completely subjective at this point. There is there is That was the mirror test of Sham. But you're perfectly fine with the Lions being lockable against the Buccaneers. At least it's an outside source, you know that Vegas.

And one more point about this game, unless someone else says something else that Now, after that brilliant game by Michael Thomas on Monday night when he went twelve catches on twelve targets, uh, he is now just eleven receptions behind Marvin Harrison for first all or passing Marvin Harrison. I've had him third in my m v P rankings, which is kind of silly because the only vote for one player and he's way behind the other two. But to me, he would be number three in the most

valuable players in the league. I don't think they survived without Drew Brees. I don't know if they'd survived without Michael talks. Why are you surviving? How about you just stay right there well, or you or you or you snapped the record and you go directly into witness protection for a chunky amount of time. Let's take a look at the locks while we hear the standings. Greg, maybe that's why you're so upset, because you could smell it. You You see your first place? If I win it,

can I kill it? First place? Nine and six? Mark, you dropped to eight and seven. I'm at seven and eight in west at six and nine. Nice but not out of it. But Greg Gregg does the picks calumn. If he doesn't win this, a lot of internal questions will be asked about I mean designated assignments. As you know, that's a mountain of pressure. Yeah, question about your m v P ranks. Why does he have to be way behind Russell Wilson? Is it just because you don't know

how valuable wide receiver can possibly be? Because he could argue he's been just as valuable as Russell Wilson. I don't know. I think Russell Wilson's season not that it's underrated, but Russell Wilson has had a sensational quarterback season. So yeah, I guess I just leaned that way. Maybe he will get offensive Player of the Year. They haven't split the award that often lately, you know, I think four the last five years, it's just been the quarterback sweeps the

same award, which is very boring. You should give Michael Thompson love Chris Westling, you are up next. I will take that uh NFC East clash, the Cowboys at wind Up. I thought we're going Giants at Washington their West with that NFC Cowboys at Eagles, Oh, I like it. West.

We've got a Dak Prescott shoulder injury which seems severe enough that they have to get in our m R. I. Yet Jerry Jones is confident they'll be out there in top four against an Eagles team which looks like they finally found something on offense, something that hang their hat on. Like four players. You've got Miles Sanders, you got Greg Award,

You've got zach Ertz, and you've got Dallas Goddard. So that's a lot more than they have most of the year when they were trying to find anybody but zach Ertz, anybody behind him to possibly contribute to their offense. So I'm I don't think this is the blowout. A lot of people are saying it is that's some total mismatch where the Cowboys are obviously going to take this. Well.

I would say this though, after watching Dallas utterly execute the Rams, and I get that this the NFL at this point is just this week to week guessing game, because whatever happened the week before has essentially apparently no meaning to what's going to happen seven days later. But I am requesting that Dallas goes into Philadelphia and executes the Eagles, because if I have to pick one of these teams, and I've been saying it all along, the

winner of this division will win a playoff game. I can see that happening in Dallas in the wild card round without any reservations. I thought one time you said it wouldn't happen that they were going to get blown out in the place. Yeah, we heard that as well. So what you do is, and I mentioned this, you

you kind of cover all bases. So what I'll have to do is have you know Erica will come apply because she she knows it's good for the show, bring up the correct sound bite and just sort of, you know, put that out on Twitter and just say this guy nailed it back in week fourteen. That is the way to do it. What don't we Yeah, this this is the warning I believe I said a Tuesday's show, don't listen to anyone that has a sure fire take about

how the Cowboys are gonna look on Sunday. But it's the same reason why I don't think you're even crazy out on a limb mark if if the Cowboys did finish this regular season strong that at home they could beat a team, even a Niners team, I mean, because you're in your building and it's the playoffs and anything could happen. They do have that type of ceiling that they can make noise in January. But the thing is they could also show up. They could also not show

up in Philadelphia. Like they could absolutely lose thirty one, well maybe thirty ones a lot of points with Eagles, but they could lose, you know, twenty four to nine or something in this game. And that one had stunned me either. No, that would stun me because the Eagles haven't played a complete game where they've looked good on both sides of the ball all since September. I don't know. I mean, the Eagles are just not a good team, like they are at best a seven and seven team.

If anything, they've almost played worse than a seven and seven team, whereas the Cowboys last week. Their offensive line can have this old school sort of takeover game. The talent on the defense we've seen it is good enough. Both their running games should feel very good coming into this week. I mean, Miles Sanders is the key player on the Eagles offense right now, and Ezekoel Elliott coming off his best game, and I think he's run well for for a month. Really, I just don't know what

you're getting out of Dak Prescott. One thing that kind of slipped under the radar last week cause they didn't need to throw. I mean, Cooper and Gallup combined for thirty five yards a week ago. So this injury where that kept Dak Prescott out of practice a little bit. And he's gonna play through. And he looked fine to me on the field when he did throw the ball. I don't know if he's gonna be ready in cold conditions to throw it forty times. Let's move on. I

will dip into the Saturday games. Like I said, there's three Saturday games to choose from, and I'm gonna go with the big a f C East showdown between the Buffalo Bills ten and four at the New England Patriots eleven and three. You remember the first matchup between these two teams, very uh hard fought defensive struggle, a game uh in which Josh Allen struggled mightily early on but was within striking distance and then got concussed on a hit. And at that point the Bills just didn't have anything

going on on offense and the Patriots won. Uh So, now we have a game where here we are again, this time Josh Allen is playing. This time it's in Gillette and what do you expect here? Right? This is another one stuff to tell because you know the Bills defense is gonna be hyped up for this game. They will show up, and we know, based on what we've seen that the Patriots probably aren't gonna find that gear um and all of a sudden be shredding a team

in December. This is a different type of Patriots situation now, So what does that mean? That means again we're in that same place Mark Josh Allen and that offense just has to find a way to make enough plays against an excellent Patriots defense without shooting themselves in the foot, which Allen is prone to do. It's the one thing I could imagine happening, because this is what Stephan Gilmour Gilmore,

who greg you. You've been touting him as the defensive player of the year, and I think you're you're right about that. Let's say he just do races John Brown from the equation and then you're Buffalo and you've got Cole Beasley and you're gonna get a big dose of Devin Singletary. Frank Gore nailed him for a hundred plus yards the first time they played. But that isn't exactly how the Bills wanted that game to go in the sense that Josh Allen, to your point, has been anti

productive against New England. They've had his number in over two games. And what will be different other than the fact that the Bills on national television are magical. I mean, they just are fun to watch and they find a way just to get it done. And this is the ghost game where it's like New England the same way that you look at the same way that the Pittsburgh and Baltimore has owned a bad team like Cleveland and

the Jets have been owned by the Patriots. Outside of a Rex Ryan interlude, Buffalo's history this decade, this century against New England is utterly abysmal. This is your best shot ever to make something different. Happened because New England's offense has not gotten out of the rut that we said for weeks and weeks it might. It's a different Bill's team than we saw early in the season. Back then it was you know, Gore's getting Devin Singles added.

So Devin Singletary has added so much to this offense. He's so nifty, so explosive. At Oliver's playing a lot better. Uh, Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmonds are playing better as a duo. Um. You know, my my colleague on game debut, Andrew Hawkins has kind of an old guys theory, and he's it's pretty simple. It's like old guys don't don't feel so good in December. You know, It's like right right, it

really affects. Uh, you know, an older team, and the Patriots are very much an older team and the Bills are very very much a younger team. And even as someone who has been touting Gilmore and I have them just ahead of t J. I'm worried about this matchup because in the first game, John Brown is the type of receiver that gives him the most amount of problems, that kind of small, uh speedier receiver. And he did get open against Gilmore a few times, made a couple

of plays. Alan missed him a couple of times. You're really gonna have to have the Patriots front, I think dominate, which they're capable of doing, especially in terms of the game plan and confusing Alan. I'm checking some weather on the weather channel. Supposed to be chilly but dry around freezing. You know it'll get darker as the game. I mean, the team controls the weather up in Foxboro, so don't

expect anything to uh anti Patriots. The Bill's defense is allowed fourteen points per game during the stretch where they've gone five and two, and I think their defense is these are the two best secondaries of the NFL. Their defense has been almost as good as the Patriots over that stretch. And I'm wondering, Greg, which offense do you trust more? Right now? I put him around the same level. I guess think I trust the Bill's offense more right now.

I I do a little bit in uh in in a equal matchup, I and I do trust the Patriots defense more though, so I don't think it's equal. The Patriots offense does one thing well, and that's prevent turnovers. I mean, they're plus twenty four. That's doubled any other team in the league. It's it's just outrageous. It's really their OH one here. They only think they do well is prevent something. Yeah, they just don't make mistakes. It's very similar to OH one. It's like Tom Brady. That

offense was terrible. It's the worst offense very likely that ever won a Super Bowl. The Ravens in two thousand, just a year before might might be right there. But what they didn't do was like they just punted a lot. They didn't have turnovers, and that's that's what they're doing. Like they need special teams and defense. It's it's ugly. Get most a new going. That's this is still kind of surreal to talk about. But you could make the arguments since about mid season, since Week nine, Tom Brady

is the worst quarterback in football. Now, I don't think you could make I'm just statistically you could. Uh. He has the worst completion percentage in the league. He has the worst yards for attempt, which is a stat we are we track around these parts. He has the worst passer rating. He is struggling on his quick routes, which is something that has always been a strength of his. He's holding the ball longer since Week nine than his first eight games, and defenses are not fooled by what

the Patriots are doing. It's you could say, okay, but he's such a great game manager. He's Tom Brady. Yes, their worst quarterbacks, but this is not a blip on the radar anymore. This could be the beginning of the end in a very real, not joking around gradual decline way. And if that's the case, they're done right. They're not. This is not a super Bowl team. We're doing this again. We're doing it but this time. No, no, I get it.

I mean I just said that they need to make the super If they had any route, it's the OH one route, which is all defense specialty. You don't need, you don't need to. It's almost it's very very difficult. You need a lot of luck and a lot of other things to go your way. I if you look at the PF grades, he's closer to below average more like you know, over the last five or six weeks. He started out the season I thought playing very well. Last week I thought was his very worst game of

the season was against the Bengals. He's missing open throws. Edelman is hurt, like very hurt, and I wish they didn't play him in that game because he was out there, you know, just dragging his leg around, and then they tried to build the offense around to new Nikkil Harry's getting more so if you don't have Edelman and the line struggling in in Brady is also struggling. You're right, it's a it's a lot of things. And if I was a Bills fan, I would be I would be

feeling good about this matchup. I'm shocked that the Patriots are as favored as they are. I would also go back to that Ravens game, and it was a terrible start for Buffalo, but in the second half, I give the Bills credit for resiliently fighting back and doing what they could and making that more of a game than it was. And then to turn around and go do what they did to Pittsburgh. They're playing a little bit

better than the Patriots. I would still give New England a slight edge in this game because they're home and everything, and it just wouldn't surprise me if they if they come together and plays a game that's where the Desert is probably coming from desert as as a heavy favorite that Foxborough in December when the Chips are down love the Desert. It barely passes the test of even being able to game, which is very, uh big question and I'm not this is not me twisting the knife. It's

not real questions. Is Tom Brady the quarterback of the Patriots in Week one next year? I think so, Yeah, I think, and already told you he's going to be on the Dolphins, you know what I know. But I have perspective that, yeah, their offense is bad, but to me, there's still kind of a fun team that they're eleven and three and have a chance. But there's nothing fun about this. Yeah, they're different, like you've seen a lot

of different Patriots. Seems yes, like there's not as much at stake when when they've won as much as they have, But it's just it's different and they're still in the mix. They're playing big games. Like you said, well, at least the Bears fans game them that one game that mattered in Week fifteen. As a Patriots fans, like this game matters, I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to whatever the

page like the playoff games are at this point. Yeah, they're they're certainly not going to be uh the favorites, Erica, what's it like senior heroes get old? I mean, you guys are getting older every day. You know who's my hero is? Erica Tampos coming in during this Bill's pats uh game and switching out because it was all messed up the tech. All Right, I'm gonna take a Saturday

game too, and I'm gonna go. You know, I like to organize my my Saturday, which essentially is a day off bike taking the earliest Saturday game, which I'll plug in, I'll take my notes, and then I'll shift into more leisurely mode with the latter two games. So I'm going Texans at Tampa Bay. And you know what, this game

is interesting. I feel like with the Texans, they intrigue me week to week because they flip flop between good Texans, bad Texans and I and I'm wondering this feels a little trap Gamish because I know that for Tampa Bay, you don't have your top two. You don't know Mike Evans,

you don't have Chris Godwin. That's a concern for Jamis Winston. Uh. But they're at home, which also to me because there's just because there's a big pirate ship in the distance, I'm not sure that's what i'd call a massive home field advantage. But the Texans often go on the road. There's actually a battleship protecting the home table, but it's deployed sideways, and it's it's it can't maneuver. Actually exactly, we're at home in five and three on the road.

I'm saying, if you get a boat in water and have the cannons be you know, applicable, and we can talk differently. And I mean Bruce arians has basically said we're gonna have to come out and make our running backs are past catching weapons in this and I'm not sure I really trust that committee backfield to do exactly with the James White Act. Necessarily, we'll see, but it's it's gonna be a limited offense. That was one of the most fun to watch explosive offenses of the past

few weeks. O. J. Howard's heated up. I think they finally figure out how to use him a little bit, but no one else. And that's like and and for the Texans, it's interesting. It's like, I never would have predicted this is something. This is one thing that I would have uh, you know, if I had expensive possessions in my ownership, I would have willingly bet against this that Carlos Hyde would have had a thousand yards season

this year. I just did not see that coming. They found a way to get just enough out of him. And I just looked at what DeAndre Hopkins did last week in that fourth quarter, you know, when he was held down from much of that game, and we talked about our our wide receivers of the decade, and to me, he's just one of those guys because it doesn't matter what the situation is or what the quarterback is, he finds a way to get it done. I do believe

the Texans are going to win this. And if I'm allowed to lock this, I would like to lock this game up all the time. I'm joining you on this. Let's do it. And that's worked out once for us in the past. The other time they're locking up the Texans on the road. I like how the Bucks have played. I don't trust I don't trust Jameis Winston. Without Godwin and Evans, it's a lot um. I think this offense

against jamis in December out. I mean, they've won what fourth straight here they Their offense to me is so good that they will be able to move the ball. Anyways, justin Watson's name to watch. I think if you were into fantasy or dfs uh shout out to Adam Leviton team preseason. He was out there in the preseason justin Watson, and I kind of liked what I saw. And I know win Winston likes them a little bit. And you

have Howard and you still have Brashade Periman. They're gonna need their defense to play well, and it has over the last four weeks. Football Outsiders says them as a number two defense in the league over the last four weeks. And it's a big test for the Texans, who have had great pass protection this year. I mean, that is a narrative that died and no one said anything about. It's like, well, imagine if Deshaun Watson ever had great pass protection, Well, this is it. Their their third in

the league and pass block grades by PFF. But this is a tough matchup for them against a Bucks front that's really been getting after. Where are we at right now with Shack the Shack attack sixteen and a half, sex tied with Warren Stuff for the all time record and you know he's in spedding distance now of the great flawed Michael Strahan record. Give that Sack record back its dignity mark. Pretty good season. I mean, I'm gonna have to say that I'm impressed with what with with

what he's done on a week to week basis. Um. You made the point mark which I initially I agree with you, that that the Texans feel inconsistent, but to put them in like the Cowboys territory, which is not what you did, But they're not. They've actually won five of seven. They got killed by the Ravens uh at a time when everyone was getting killed by the Ravens, and then they legitimately stubbed their toe and had that

awful game against Drew Lock of the Broncos. But they've been winning games, um more or less since the midway point of the season. Might say this, if they lost this, that theory is back on their defense. I think this room doesn't trust. So if if they had Evans and God when man this would be, I would would dangerous game. But Sexan's wide receivers are healthy, and when they've got all three of those guys healthy, I don't know if

there's a secondary in the league that's there. They're a great offense, they're legitimately top six seven offense when when those guys are healthy. Here's what Bill O'Brien said about J. J. Watt speaking of the defense on Monday. He's certainly made progress based on his work ethic, referring to his uh torn peck that put him on injured reserve. UM, who he's working with in the training room, we will see. So he's not committal on it, but it's lingering out

there as a possibility that Watt returns. In one last point, I reached out to the great NFL media research team led by Jeff Greenholtz and Um and I met Mackenzie at the holiday party, who was a wonderful woman and she's been a great help all season. But Jamis Winston, he's sitting at thirty touchdowns twenty four interceptions. If he can just throw six more picks in the last two weeks, beautiful, he would become the first member of the thirty thirty

club thirty interceptions, thirty touchdowns. Well, the key is he's got it's possible with these alone for many more decades to come to. The key is he's got to throw an interception on the first drive. That has been the key too. I think for Bucks victories as if Jamis throws that's like seeing the groundhog come out. As long as he throws an interception nice and early, the Buccaneers usually win. All right, let us move on. It is

time for the snake. Very tempted by the way to just take the late Saturday game now and essentially have you know, I'll just sit there on Sunday with my feet up on the table, go to the huddle a couple of times, maybe go home, visit the children, and roll back for the show. But I'm not gonna do that because I I think I have stuff I have to do. Him all night is gonna be listening to

That's true, I and and I'm a workhorse. If they've questioned that, so I'm gonna take I'm going to indulge in just darkness and take balt More at Cleveland because you know I have been reading this consistently, reading this horror film, horror novel. I guess you would call it chapter by chapter, not skipping words, being there for every

plot development. And why jump on the book now when you know the high point of Cleveland season came in week four when they started to show what they could be, and it was it was a rash of big plays. It was Nick Chop on the ground and utterly destroying the Ravens, I mean putting it on them score wise.

And in that game. I went back and watched a little bit of that game, and what I thought was the turning point, and it was very and very unusual for the Ravens was a mark Ingram fumble that flipped the game entirely and allowed Cleveland to really essentially build a lead that was not going to go away and mark Ingram and the Ravens simply don't do that since and since that time where they shut Lamar Jackson and made life tough on him and try to and they

were successfully able to put Lamar Jackson into a situation where he had to throw the ball and that did not work in that game. That team is completely That Ravens team is completely and drastically different than the team they are right now. And I look back and I knows the Jets, but the Jets do have a good run defense, and the Ravens it's almost like it doesn't matter what the matchup is because they had nine nine yards on the ground twelve minutes into that game against

the Jets. And the Jets not have a Jamal Adams, and I hear you, but they're doing a week after week And at one point Lamar Jackson had sixty nine yards through the air midway through the third period, and then suddenly Arsenals arrived and he just started finding Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews and the rest and the big plays just happened. You cannot contain them for four quarters. And I think Cleveland and we get it. We know about the stuff we talked about on twos with and that.

And Jervis Landry has strongly denied the report by NFL Networks Mike Silver that he's billing that to the Cardinals. Well, that's right. That just leaves you up to what you think about that player and this team in general. Um O p J has denied all that stuff too. Again. He says he's gonna be there next year. He says he's gonna be there. But all that's for the offseason could not come quick enough for this Browns team. I think that they were mentally broken weeks ago, but it

truly appeared on the field last week. Is Kyler Murray and the Cardinals incinerated Cleveland's defense, which has been relatively solid game to game and not just not the case. I don't see I saw a defense that gave up in that game. You can run on them at will, and the Ravens will have an absolute field day. It's in Cleveland, that's gonna be thorny. But I don't see anything. This is not This is not a big stumbling block for the Ravens. They roll Wes. The Ravens first of all,

clinched the number one seed with a win. But my question you what do you need to see if anything from the Ravens between now and the end of the regular season, that anything, anything on your radar weakness of this team, something you'd like to see shoring up if you're if you're John Arball, No, no, I don't see.

I don't see a weakness for them. I would maybe like to see Hayden Hurst, who was drafted ahead of Lamar Jackson, become as good as Mark Andrews and become that like second more two tight end sets and they get they have those two weapons. Maybe Hollywood Brown is playing like he did earlier in the year instead of like going in the tank like he did the last few weeks. But there's nothing about the Ravens that that really were. But they're so it's just stay healthy. They're

so healthy. Their entire team isn't wasn't even on the injury report. I think Brandon Williams was the only guy and he's even practicing. So not only are they the best team in the league, there among the healthiest, they have a ton to play for. You clinch home field, you make up for your one bad loss of the year,

and you finish off Lamar's MVP case. Because Mike Garrett Folo already said on our network he does not expect Lamar Jackson to play in Week seventeen, I don't think that necessarily means the rest of the starters will sit a It's hard to do that be I think they might just you know, roll out r G three with a bunch of other starters. I'm looking more. I'm more curious in this game of Baker Mayfield and the Browns.

And I know we've all given up on them, but the way the Ravens have transformed the most is defensively since week four, and they just blitz you like crazy. And Baker's just hasn't responded well to when he's seeing a lot of different looks and this this really taxes you as a quarterback playing the Ravens. What disappoints me most about the Browns is on a team with Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry, they lack toughness. And if you can't stop Kenyan Drake in short yardage, you have no

prayer against Lament. Yeah, they're very single. The Cardinals are like Ravens light. I mean, they're kind of the second most creative running games. So if you can't slow down the Cardinals, good luck. All right, let's move on. It is my pick and I will stick in the Saturdays on Sundays. Sunday's not looking too hot to be honestly from a matchup perspective, but Rams at Niners the prime

time taking two Saturday games. Look at that, so you are doing what Mark did, so I planned to grind on Sunday as well, but I just want to pick the best games in the draft, to be true to the draft and talk about a good game which is way better than any of the other Sunday games remaining. To be quite honest, there's some trash remaining. Um so let's talk about Rams at Niners and uh, yeah, you know, do I want to kill the Niners for losing that game of the Falcons? Nah? I mean they've lost two

of three. The Ravens loss, you know, that was that was painful, justin Tucker at the gun. Uh. The Falcons loss as bad as it was, and it was how it ended with the Julio Jones touchdown is rough, but it didn't hurt them all that much. It just kind of more took away their room margin for error. If they beat the Rams and then they go to Seattle and that huge Week seventeen showdown, which I would think is going to be in front of Al Chris and Michelle.

Hopefully they're the number one seed uh in the NFC, so it's still all out in front of him, and they get a Rams team that maybe they get they they kind of catch a break a little bit. If the Rams play well last week they beat the Cowboys and they are surging at nine and five, you get this Titanic showdown and the Rams are believing in themselves and they're on fire, and they're saying, we're we're good. You know, we want a ticket into jay Anuary. We

want to defend our conference title. Well, maybe they're a little deflated after getting their butts whooped at jeral World, and the Rams team that shows up is closer to the one that disappointed us for most of the season. I like the Niners a lot in this game, and I'm curious what you boys think. I agree with you, but the Rams do have something to play for. The fact that comes on Saturday is you know, the NFL

really lucked out with this NFL Network triple header. It's really good, and they lucked out that the Rams will be alive still. I mean only four things need to happen for the Rams to make the playoffs. They need to win two games, and they need the Vikings to lose two games. But if you're the Rams, you're playing your division rival and you're still alive for the playoffs, it's a big game. I mean, I I don't think if they lose, and I expect them to and that's

why I'm locking up to forty niners. Uh, it's not gonna because they're not motivated. You know, they couldn't have been any more motivated last week and they just didn't show up. I think George Kittle is having one of

the greatest tight end seasons of all time. He is like future All twenty two analytics film buffs are going to talk about this season in hushed tones, the way he's taken the fight to you on every single play Like two thousand thirteen J. J. Watt, he is just you gotta shoot him with an elephant gun to bring him down. How does he compare to you to two thousand thirteen Rob Gronkowski? He is. I think he plays with a faster game speed than Pete Gronk. He is

faster than Gronk. He is just as physical as Gronk. He is a monster red zone blocker. But no one, no one in history of the NFL is the red zone weapon that Rob Gronkowski was, and his hands and body were so underrated as a red zone threat. Kittle isn't that guy. As a receiver in the red zone. I didn't get down around to watching that game till today, and just Kittle catching huge passes down field in so

many different ways. You can you it's like slants. It's at the sideline where he's knocking someone out with a nailp but before he pulls in the past. I thought in that game that the absence of Richard Sherman was a huge reason they lost, because every time I looked up, this guy Emmanuel Mosley was getting scorched by Julio Jones. And it wasn't all big plays, but it was like the Falcons have been subsistently moving the ball. I think

that's just how damn good Julio Jones. No, it's all, but it's just like I think Richard Sherman could have made a bit more of a difference in there. They get back Sherman. They're getting Sherman back, and they're getting back Kawan Williams, who plays a lot for them, So that's two of their top cornerbacks return in a lot. Had to go wrong in that game for the forty Niners to lose, including Kittle fumbling, was it was a

huge play. Uh, they almost could have won the game if he hadn't switched the ball, you know, switched it in his hands and and fumbled it. And and they're a team like the Saints that should have their eyes like on the prize, and that was a stumble and I think they'll be embarrassed from it. And they have

a good history against Wade Phillips's defense. Kyle Shanahan's put up thirty points in three of the five meetings against Phillips, and that does not include the game earlier this season, which to me was the moment where you realize this Rams team could just be overmatched because they were so physically dominated by the forty Niners in that game that I want to see that again out of the forty Niners. We haven't seen a good forty Niners blowout in a while,

and especially since I locked him up. Just make my Saturday night easy, right, And I mean GoF has his stiffness and his right throwing thumb situation that's not great, and the splits for him because the Niners are banged up, but they still have Bosa. You've got Bucked and you've got Eric Arms said, when you can rush Golf and get in his face, like his statistical splits are ghastly. I mean, he's not the same guy under pressure, and he threw a killer interception last week that flipped that

Cowboys game on its butt. The forty Niners have three sacks in the last three games. They haven't been as good up front either, so I think they want to kind of get that defensive mojo back. This is the right old line to go west To your point about Kittle and how he's it's more than just the passing game. How he affects the Niners. He's the centerpiece of that offense, according to next gens stats because of his ability to make plays and all over the field. Uh, he changes

the way it looks around the line of scrimmage. The box is in his pact when he's able to because they have to follow him. And what you have is yards per rush with Kittle on the field five point oh without Kittle, three point four rushing touchdowns fifteen with Kiddle three without him. They're just a totally different offense when he's back. He's playing on a broken hankle at one point this season, but now he's back and all the way back to himself and everything flows through him.

They were averaging like literally a hundred rushing yards less per game when he was out with that Injine, incredible. All right, Wes, you are up. Oh you took my game. I know I was hoping to get that. I thought for sure nobody wanted to say, we'll get to watch it. It's okay. I just didn't want an extra game. You can even still comment on it the next day, as you see that one's gonna be hard to recover from. Okay, I will take Steelers at Jet. Nice job. Well, I'll

still be watching that game. Was I just going buy my board? That's the number one left on my board. You could always be open for business. You could always make offer me the Saturday Night game for the Jet game like the one. You really wanted, the Jet game. But trade okay, no, fair enough. That was like the g M app in real life. That was exciting. I was surprised to hear that people expected Tomlin to consider benching Duck Hodges after last game. I get that it

was an awful game. I get that the quarterback limitations lost that game for the Steelers, but come on, what what he did in a few games before that compared to what Mason Rudolph was to one. Yeah, I guess it was just the nature of how how almost um defenseless. Well that's not the right word because we're talking about offense, but just how limited they appeared when they needed that big score in the end of the and they just couldn't and Hodges was just not up to the task

in those last two possessions. Daylight came out, I thought and Dot that was the way to beat the Bills because the Bills just put everyone up front trying to dare Duck to be a check and uh yeah, they don't need a big offensive performance. They're gonna get ju Ju back. James Conner looked pretty good in his return. You count on the running game, and you count on their team to force turnovers because you know, if there's a criticism of San Donald in the second year, it's

pretty similar to Baker. It's similar to a lot of young quarterbacks. He's just a little late on on things. And if you're late against the Steelers, that's a t. J. Watt force fumble. Yeah, I thought, you know, and that they Obviously the Ravens game, as most two against Baltimore, totally got away from the Jets. But the Jets, who have been awful on third down and stuff, had a rash at one point in the game where they converted

like seven third downs. I thought Donald made some really good throws in that game and then it just it went south. But I would be more hopeful, and I'm not. This is not me trying to, you know, make a nice a salvo to Dan here, but I'm a little bit more hopeful with streaks of Sam Donald's play than what I've seen from Baker this for chunks of this season. I think they're close because I think some of the issues are are similar for young guys. But you know,

Donald has les surround him. Let's start right there. He's got a terrible offensive line, and you know, levy on Bell has not been what they thought. I wonder is does this count as a revenge game levy on Bell versus Steelers. Not that he's gonna be to uh, you know, impose his will, But I don't know about that. I think my biggest concern for both Sam Donald and Baker

Mayfield is the organizations they're attached to. Yeah, it's fair, and there's nothing through two years of their careers that makes me feel any better about that, Like if you put those if you put those those players in better uh situations with management and the players. Well, Baker at least had a good core around it, but coaching and all that that any young quarterback is gonna get a little fouled up. And I fear that's what's happening with

both these guys, and hopefully it changes how unpredictable. Yeah, I I don't wanna, you know, I know you're not gonna root for them to look bad down the stretch. But the fact that they have to play the Ravens defense, the Steelers defense, and then the Bill's defense in a row and you've still got that six point performance in Cincinnati pretty close. It is still very much on my radar that there's a way Adam Gates could lose his job, which I think might be might not be the worst

thing long term for Sam Donald. Just it's such a hard slate that that's a recipe to have three pretty tough games in a row. Yeah, that's their playoff run, I mean, and I'm not sure. I mean, so if Tom Brady and the Patriots are playing those three teams in a row, they're not scoring either. It's just I wonder if the emotion of how this season might end

for the Jets could could affect things. We know the Jets defense is capable of putting together a pretty strong performance, and I would think this was a recipe for an upset, but that T J. Watton bud to pre the way they're playing and Cameron Heyward going up against this Jets offensive line feels like it almost feels like upset proof, Like that's the matchup that's going to turn in this game in the Steeler's face. And these fans are big Jets fans. This week they need the Jets to help

them out. They'll try it. I just I'm I'm certainly not too confident. Jamal Adams has a quote very high chance of returning against the Steelers, So that is such a big piece. He is the George Kittle of the Jets. Steve previous Mike Tomlin teams. You could count on one game a year where they go on the road and lay an ultra gigantic egg. And I don't think this is that Steelers team. Yeah, all right, let's move on. Picking Next is Greg Rosenthal. Yeah, you really really hurt

me there. I mean, you're sorting through corpses at this point, I really am. It doesn't matter. I'm guys opening up the little refrigerators of the toe tags popping out. I've got to uh, two games, I guess in a row here. I'll take um, I'll take the Cardinal Seahawks because that's the only other playoff team I think that's still available right. Uh, this is a game that could be fun. I know the Seahawks is one victory all season that was easy

came against these Cardinals. So the Seahawks have the same amount of two score wins as the Bengals this year. One and so you expected to be close at the end. And I know they matched up well with Arizona last time. But I would love to see Kyler Murray have a signat your moment. He played really well last week. Um. And that's the type of thing that if you're number one overall draft pick and they've really had a good year offensively, Kenyan Drake's fun to watch. I think the

Seahawks defense is beatable. They haven't been as good at home this year. They're very banged up. Uh this week, I think this could be kind of a fun game, and go, go, go make something. You know, Kyler Murray. You bring up Kyler who's had moments, but certainly it hasn't been a you know, fantastic best games have been in losses for the most he was playing injured. He looked so much more explosive last week with Josh Jacob's

going down with a shoulder injury. Um, the door seems to be open for that Offensive Rookie of the Year awards still and maybe if if Kyler Murray closed is strong, that's something he could he could get, which is a bigger deal to Kylin mur than anyone else. But I've been kind of keeping my eye on that. Um, that race, and it's a bit of a strange race this year. The Offensive Rookie of the Year. Who else even jumps out at you as someone that's in line for the award?

Did Jacobs do enough before he got Brown came Metcalf? They haven't been as it's not a stellar It's not like a all shockingly stellar, but yeah, not like top heavy where look the wage of Brown's been playing. If he closed out strong, I think that's dk Metcalf in this game. I mean they that's where the Cardinals don't match up as well. Pat Peterson finally had a good game, but he has not been himself uh this season. That's why Rivas should be in that second cornerback spot for

Chris Westling's All Decade team. Well, Patrick Peterson has had a bad season, Darrell Rivas hasn't played in five years. You're gonna hold that against him. I thought Tyler Lockett looked better last week. He there was a story that came out that that mid season flew bug that he had, he shed ten pounds And that's not the person that can easily lose ten pounds off their their NFL frame. But I feel like with the Seahawks, they don't you write the only great defense, but you look at like

kJ right last week making huge place. Someone steps up every game for that, and I just trust that to happen. I don't know if it would be this week. I just I just think it might. It might be fun. Clowney's still hurt, Wagner is supposed to play, but he's missing practice, Quandary Digs is out. They just you know, it hasn't all come together. It's all leading to that

Week seventeen game. I do wonder if NBC is gonna flex it now that I think about it, because when I worked there, they had this big policy that it had to be They always went with the play in game over what was just like a better matchup, and this will not be a play in game. But we'll see maybe the what's the potential playoff play in game out there? Titans, Texans, maybe Steelers, maybe like Steelers versus the Ravens backups, Like that's a little messy, we'll see.

Does Cliff Kingsbury get enough credit for like completely when people most people just swept this theory up as an impossibility. When the when the whispers started that they were gonna dump Josh Rosen and go for Kyler Murray, and it was just widely dismissed as gossip and rumor and NFL teams don't operate this way, and what would this team be with Josh Rosen. I mean, Josh Rosen can't even

start for the Dolphins right now. So it's like Cliff Kingsbury and it was not their GM or anyone else convinced the organization to do the right thing, and it has turned out well and they have hope because of that one single knighted belief in this quarter. Watching last week, it was hard not to think which duo would you rather have Kyler and Kyle and King Cliff or Baker and Freddy. Kitchen thought the same thing. You want the Cardinals. You know, who's the player that kind of makes me

believe in cliffore and Anyway, it's Kenyan Drake. It's the running game is so good. You take a guy who didn't do anything in Miami and suddenly he's, you know, a pro bowled quality running back. It's almost like you'd get away from Adam Gaze. I didn't bring that up. If he didn't go down that avenue, you just did? All right? Who Greg, it's snaking it is you know, it's only get a nuggles. These bodis so get you know, the stink on them gets. Well, why not go? Will Greers? First?

Start here against the colt I mean, what you're gonna tell me the you fell on the green that was sitting atop a dead body. Well, there's a four way. There's a four team playoff at the top of the draft that has its own attractiveness. Actually, Giants, Redskins. You can make an argument, but I'll see I like guys when they start their first game, you just the curiosity factor.

I also feel so bad for this Colt's team. It's like they deserve to play a tomato can like the Panthers right now, starting Will Greer in their first game. They're better than than six and eight, and you would think that they're running game would be able to overpower what's just been an abysmal Panthers rush defense. Would you ever if you're the Colts, and I mean the answer is no, because they're not. This is they're not doing this, But um Dan would have an interestedness and so would

I in getting a look at Chad Kelly. I understand that you're not and you can make it clear that prisets not someone that you're tracking report like you know, replace, but I are we by this week. I think someone sent it to me and my mentions that he has not even been considered as an option to play in these finals game. I just personally, I just want to see it. I'm not saying that that's how this organism. You know, Brissette signed through next year at a very

reasonable rate for a starting quarterback. He's gonna be there now, whether they draft someone or bringing someone. Yeah to me. I think they want to get some wins here at the end. Well, I know that swag Kelly has been exciting to watch in the preseason, but I think it speaks volumes when they waive him yeah, and then he gets through waivers, nobody claims him, and he spends time on the practice squad, and then he gets called up only when there's an injury. I just don't think they

see him the same. Zack Key for who reports for the athletic This was his tweet for the Chad Kelly

will lead the Cults to the Promised Land crowd. The Cults have not even discussed elevating him to the backup role for the final, to the back to the backup alright, it that was my You know, the history is not riches calling would say in this situation, he was so good in the preseason I carved up and Will Greer was so bad in the preseason, and as poorly Kyle Allen has played Will Greer, it took until now to get a start. Why won't they let Sway Kelly be great.

He's been dealing with this his whole life. Let swa It's an organizational question that goes to the highest functioning order. Maybe you should have thought about like walking into that stranger's house after the Von Miller Halloween Park's past number one. And also how about we lock our doors and so we avoid this confusion of the future. He's teaching us a lesson about our society. All right, Uh, moving on, Chris Wesley, Well, at this point, I'm just going grass fields.

We'll we'll do Lions at Broncos because at least it's a fun stadium to watch. And aren't you curious? I think Drew locks for the last two weeks are consequential, Like for all these teams that are totally out of it, the Drew lock like five week audition. It that's something to me that's gonna tell you about the Broncos for next year. Yeah, and I don't know how much stock to put in last week's game in the snow. That

was pretty heavy snow. And Patrick mahomes like, you don't ever want to be a team that goes into Kansas City and the snow. We saw what happened to the Colts in the playoffs last year, and the Broncos got whitewashed last week. But Lock, it looked like he didn't have a good grip on the ball. So I'm gonna write that game off and just kind of judge him on what he's done in the games without Snow. I mean, he may encounter Snow again in his career, but I

don't know how to predict that. He's from He's from the Kansas City area, said he had been to I think like over fifty Chiefs games in his life. Well, that tells me goes back and just gets well, you know how it is when you're you're just gotten out of college, you go back to your hometown, you're hanging out with your high school friends. Probably was you know. I'm just saying that could have been a factor not

reporting that. Uh. Two Pro Bowl snubs for the Broncos, Courtland Sutton and Justin Simmons, they might be the two biggest Pro Bowl snubs period. I think they I think so. Well, the good thing is the Ravens have like fourteen or fifteen people that you're gonna get Courtland Sulland's gonna be the Pro Bowl mix it. Simmons wasn't even be touching in Orlando. Wasn't even his interception of my homes last week was an amazing play and he first team All Pro.

He might be he has a chance, I think at first team All Pro, and yet he didn't make the Pro West. When you said that you were going grass fields, I thought it was like some type of metaphor about being free, like just following your heart or something. But you were literally talking about watching game played on a grass field. Well, I think the free part of it. Yeah. I mean, as I've said before, Natural has been been beating Fake for like a hundred thousand year winning streak.

Natural in the red. Yeah, Washington doesn't really count because that's just dirt. At this point, grass I considered that fields terrible. I'm up and uh god, dang, let's u Let's watch Minshew. You know what, let's watch your final scouting assessment on him, Gardner Minshew traveling to Atlanta to face the Falcons right back at you. Um, here we go. The Jaguars. You know, they really got helped out by

the officials in that game. Uh as we As we mentioned, I believe Jon Gruden was given an apology by the league, which is almost worse than not getting an apologies. It's like, I know that that's the NFL taking accountability, But what is it. I mean, it doesn't bring the w backy. It's like, hey, Al Davis, you shouldn't have gone after Pete Rosel so hard. Their deep roots here, so so yes, ruling Derek Carr out of bounds really is what led to the Raiders, uh going down the tubes and the

Jaguars getting that win. But good for Jacksonville. I still had a march down the field and we saw some Minshew magic to make that happen. And now they go to Atlanta to play the Falcons and yeah, we're not You only get a couple of more chances to watch Matt Ryan play football this season. They're five and nine, so uh in uh in their building a little Minshew Falcons. And one thing we we should touch on is that

Tom Coughlin was fired. Tom Cofflin, who's the vice president of Operations I believe was his title in Jacksonville football czar is another way to put it. He was let go and that happened um at the same time, and the report came out that the Jaguars, what was the exact details surrounding this thing about fines that are being overturned all over the place right down and the unions putting it out there that players should seriously consider even

going to Jacksonville to play for them. Really messy stuff. And Coughlin and his culture. Our boy Connor or actually over at Sports Illustrated wrote a nice piece about how Tom Coughlin's hard nosed style, if you're not five minutes earlier late, uh to see they switched the clocks back. They switched the clocks back. JA today switched it back to normal. Was like I showed up and I was like, I'm not early, am I? But then he was like, oh,

I guess they changed. But yeah. Connor used an example within the piece of how strict it was with Coughlin at the top both of the Giants and the Jags, if you weren't wearing uh, you know, the proper necktie on a team flight, they would take some of your game check, just like tiki tech stuff like that. That maybe it worked even as recently as ten years ago in the NFL, and certainly worked twenty and thirty and forty years, but in the modern league it's just a

little bit different now. And a guy like Coughlin was a dinosaur. So the Jaguars wisely move on from Coughlin, and now we find out and we will find out if that's where it ends or if we're or it's gonna be a full purge in Jacksonville. Based on the statement from shot Khan that the GM calledwell, David Caldwell and Doug Moron will report to him directly on an interim basis, and just everything that's happened, it's it feels

like they're just gonna clean total house. I think Caldwell is the one that no one sure, you know, there's some speculation that the last to get the results of the last two games could play a big impact if they win three straight, that that'll really help. Which is how you got Doug Moron in the first place, is that you hired him because he went one and one in Blake Bordles from like the thirty second best quarterback to the twenty second best quarterback for two weeks. Like

that's how you did it. But Coughlin, it's a rough it's a rough way to go out because it's not just that like he had these old school ways. He

was breaking the rules of the collective Bargaining Agreement. Twenty five different players were fine for missing quote unquote mandatory offseason you know, appointments with physicians, which is literally against the c b A. And so the players union had all these complaints, well, you can't require players to get your treatment at the facility in the off season, and

they were requiring them and they were finding them. But also other stuff like Leonard Fournette being on the bench last year that was a dollar fine, right they fired him. That got overturned. Like there's a bunch of fines that they found that the whole rest of the league I think added up to less than half of all the cases than the Jaguars have had over the last two years. So the NFL p A said you should consider that, and I think that's why on uh just decided to

fire Coughlin right now, not even wait two weeks. I'd say, on the flip side, you know that the Falcons obviously last week they're playing hard. They go out and upset the Niners, but they are weirdly two wins away from being seven and nine, and I would say, and maybe saving dan Quinn's job. I mean, I'll say some teams you can feel them floating away and the players are not responding, and it's hard to watch but the Falcons are not that right now. They did this last year too,

they won their last three games. His defense historically is always better in the second half. I don't I don't know. I've heard of You've have been reading that, but I'm surprised.

My thing is like disappointment at seven and nine. Dan Quinn is a little bit of a ron rivera thing to him where a lot of people around the league think that dan Quinn is the guy and a great coach, and you know, situationally, maybe not in the greatest situation for him in Atlanta this season, but who are you You're gonna You're gonna remove him, and again you have to go find out that you're gonna get someone better. I just thought of unlocking this game and it didn't

even pass the old Desert test. That's how much the Desert is a fan of that Falcons right now. Julio Jones, just a word of praise about him. This is why you keep playing your stars when you're eliminated from playoff contention. To see responsible for twenty of his team's twenty three points in that game. A Hall of Famer in the late stages of his prime, proving he's still an All Pro and you better pay attention because put me on

that All Pro list with the way I'm playing. And how about this, people are paying money to go, you know, to these games. Yes, I'm with you, Jo Johns. If they go one and seven and then in the first seven close six and two, I think he keeps his job. I'm just saying that. A lot of it's like, is there this amazing candidate, is Bill Parcels two point o sitting out there? And the Falcons are the team that wants to go chasing? There's no one out there? You know who is out there? What a Bill Parcels is

old lieutenants is out there? And the available Tom caufin well, I don't Yeah, that's low stakes. All right, Mark, you're up, all right? I am in this draft, by the way, has just unfolded and beautiful fashion. I have one game on Saturday. I have one game early on Sunday, and I am now going to pick the final four o'clock Eastern time Standard time zone start with the Oakland Raiders

at the Charge and Gradualations markets. Sixteen weeks. Someone got a perfect draft finally, and well it sits just the way I want to do it and it's the Raiders. Four games in a row, you've lost. Come on here, people, and you know it was that written now, But I just, I mean, it's just the single greatest moment of analysis on the history of this podcast. Want that to be

a drop two very two, very absurd teams. I mean, the Chargers have the worst turnover differential in the league, tied with the Bengals, and they look like at half the time. And I thought that a couple of weeks ago when they flamed Jacksonville, that Rivers had awoken for what would be a potentially a three or four games stretch to close his career in Los Angeles. But then no, last week happens and they totally melt. So these are two totally unpredictable, but more they are predictable in the

center that they're unreliable week to week. Uh. I don't find the Chargers that fun to watch. The Raiders, UH crushed me last week and I locked them. I told Sky Sports at halftime that you could bet houses, you could bet cars, they are not losing this game. And I came at it hard. And it's like the time in a row. I've told Neil Reynolds and Sky Sports something and it's gone south within half an hour to an hour after. So I don't know why they still put you rent and you don't even have a car

right now. Well it's not my possessions, but I mean I was telling other people to go do it. So I have no idea who will win this game. I mean, you know, we're saying there's some people in London right now with broken kneecaps because of you. I think it's possible you and Rainmakers should take your show on the road, the possible off the road. The Raiders are not playing Josh Jacobs in this game. Trent Brown is on ir. It feels like the moves of a team that just

doesn't want any further. Damn, John Gruen said packing up the boxes after the loss. As they were packing up the boxes at the Oakland cal Seum, poor Josh Jacobs couldn't even get his uh shoulder pads off. He wasn't so much after the game. So it makes all the

sense of the world. Well, I guess you know it was the last game, and you know there was some juice to it, but it makes all the sense of the world to shut down what's a really great rookie season overall for Jacobs's You're trying to forget that Raider Nation does get their annual l A game still every year, so they'll I'm sure it will be mostly Raiders fans today, I mean on Sunday rather so that you know the goodbye will continue in the next you know, those games

now every year when they come to l A are gonna be even more like Raiders heavy than ever. I think John Grun's going quarterback shopping this offseason. We're back here now, so I'm not saying he's gonna cut their car, but I think he's gonna he's gonna fall in love with somebody in the draft or chase another quarterback. The way they've played the last month and the way this

offense has been so limited all year. There the beat writer for the Las Vegas Review Journal, Vincent Bonsignori, he tweeted that out this week, which got some attention, that he thought there there would be changes at quarterback. He left it vague, but he was this falls in love

with quarterbacks easily well and all. And also they honored Derek Carr by giving him this season, and that you know there was last off season, through all these whispers that John Gruden wanted all you know quarterback x Y and z had Kyler Murray and their building. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they fall in love with free agent or a free agent or someone else. They'll they'll see what they can get, and it's like, is it that better than car? And there's a chance maybe

they won't get anything better? All right? Mark, great drafts, Bengali, you're up again, Well, and I'm picking. I believe I'm the snake situation for either Nick Shook or Jeremy Bergmann because the other option is based on a trade I made last week that only plays into this amazing thing. Well, I'm just saying I'm not doing four games, so he

still got some good. I am picking for someone. I'm picking for someone the Bengals a Dolphins for you know, can the Cincinnati Bengals do the most Bengals thing ever and somehow not wind up with the first overall pick. I think they're going to um. But what concerns me a little bit. I would put it in one game comment is that Joe Mixon actually has been awesome in

the past couple of weeks. He tore up the Patriots a week ago, and the Dolphins for all their you know, hopeful little moments, the one thing they've consistently absolutely stunk to join up with is allowing running backs to, if they're in a tough place, totally break out week after week against Miami. So I could see Cincinnati controlling this game if if you don't get any big mistakes, and uh,

they should win. And then suddenly you've got a showdown scenario where the Dolphins play the Patriots the week after and the Bengals play the Brown Brown So the Bengals would have to win two straight. I think it's possible. I thought about locking up this game. I'm shocked that the Dolphins are favorites. I just think Cincinnati's much better right now. Belichick called Joe Mixon the best running back

in the league after that game. Pretty wild statement. He's playing, He's playing like George Kittle at running back, Like you really have to do that running had against the Patriots where right was it the Browns game where he looked like he was getting a tan yard loss and he broke about seven tackles, had a few against had one against the Patriots. That was. That was unbelievable looking at my favorite website, tankathon dot com. Just a great name.

As we know, Cincinnati's one loss away from Joe Burrow. The Giants are two right now, the Dolphins at three and the Redskins at four. All are three and eleven. But it's about strength of schedule. Who's got the weakest strength of schedule of the group, and right now it's the Giants. And I don't take a look. They do a nice job here that um Khalil Mack trade Bears Raiders. That's still gonna bear fruit for the Raiders. They right now the where it is now, that's the eighteenth overall

pick going to the Raiders. That's the Bears pick. And the Jalen Ramsey trade the Rams right now that's a top twenty pick, and of course that make a Fitzpatrick Dolphins Steelers trade twenty two Jaguars and the one reason you get new people and is they have four number one picks over the next two years. Oh and the Laramie Tunzl trade is twenty three. So right now the Dolphins are at three. The Obes's gitting pretty especially with

that Tounsil trade. Still time I get it, but for this season, he if there was any risk of him losing his job, he he kept himself employed. All right, I'm up, I will take the first game I see Giants at Redskins. Uh. Daniel Jones practiced fully on Wednesday. That tells me, as it should tell everyone, that he will be back in the lineup, sending Eli Manning back to the bench. Uh. As far as yeah, that all worked out. I was a little suspicious to begin with,

and now I'm even more. They just wanted to see a little that the ownership wanted to see a little Eli Manning. They didn't want Jones playing like through an injury. I'm sure that there was truth to all of it.

I think that's fair, and hey, it worked out. By far, the best moment of the year for the Giants was that win left Eli was the backup, so by necessity, when Jones getsing hurt, initially he's in a tough at Philly, but then it's like, well, you know, DJs banged up here, Let's get a home game, say goodbye to Eli, and then get back to business. Uh, and you get the Redskins And Uh, I will say that if I'm a

Redskins fan. There was a period about I don't know, five weeks ago, maybe even three or four weeks ago, And remember we were dissecting that sideline conversation between Dwayne Haskins and the offensive line, and and it felt like the interim coach, Greg's boy Callaghan was purposely trying to end games as quickly as possible, and Haskins just looked overwhelmed. I feel like the last couple of weeks there's at least something to point at Haskins, But there's a little

bit of growth here. He didn't you guarantee that his career is going to flame out because of Yes, okay, yes, but I'm pointing out the what is fair, which is that he has looked better. No, I did not like him taking selfies after his first NFL win. I will never like that he did that. But yes, he's obviously got the armed talent that he you know, he hangs in the pocket, maybe holds onto the ball too long. But I don't see him as a total disaster right now.

I see him in like a Baker Mayfield, like a Sam Donald, a young quarterback trapped in an unhealthy situation and hopefully gets better for him. I'm gonna be curious to watch this because because of the young quarterbacks at some point, but both quarterbacks are with in systems offensively that they're not going to be in next year, right, So it's just one of those going to be in

three weeks. The situations where you're right even don't know what you're gonna take from their late season performance, just drawn up plays in the dirt in the huddle for every play. I love it. I would watch that game in a second. If you're just telling me they're just gonna play schoolyard football in week sixteen of a meaningless football game, sounds fun to me. Uh West, We've got a little breaking news. Let's just throw it in. Let's throw it right right now. The Patriots have declared Julian

Edelman out or questionable rather for Sunday's game. I would I would not have gone breaking if I had read it. They protested out a whole new crew in go on air with this breaking news. All of those peoples their Christmas man. You got the guy in the background playing the piano breaking I well, you know what. The number five overall PFF cornerback this year, Jonathan Jones is out

how about that. No, And you know what, Ricky, let's not edit out of the show because this could be a learning lesson for Greg the humiliation that will come with this breaking. I mean, people need to know Jonathan Jones, he's been great in the slot. It's a matchup with cold Bleete Beasley hasn't missed. You cannot win this argument at this I read it wrong. West, close out our Sunday slate. I think we've moved on to the you're into the prime. Oh good, good, good, All right, West,

You're done? Good job? Was um okay? And Mark, I think it would be unfair to stick our buddies Shook or Burgo with games that bad. I think we're just gonna handle those games we be. That would be West based on this, we will be very quick on them. My hand, my hands are clean. It is going to West or one of those two people. You can you guys figure it out? All right? Here we go, Uh,

Sunday Night football. The Kansas City Chiefs ten and four. Uh. Looking very good in the snow last week, especially that defense. Travel now to face the Bears that Soldier field, which you know if you're a Bears fan, this was a game you're so excited about. When the season began, it looked like it was a showdown, maybe even a Super Bowl preview. But it's not the case because the Bears aren't going anywhere but home once they finished the regular season.

The Chiefs. Meanwhile, Greg and you called it. I um on Sunday you said, don't look at twenty three points and think that the Chiefs aren't figuring things out on offense. If you watch that game, Uh, that looked like an offense that is taking off in a big way. Now, could they use a better running game if Andy Reid could have done it again when he trade Carlos Hyde for a backup offensive lineman. I don't know, maybe maybe not, But the running games out there, but the passing game

is humming. And I imagine even against the good Bears defense, the Chiefs aren't gonna be denied. It could be a tough spot, though it's it's not that tough a spot. I don't think. And I and if I was a Bears fan, yeah, maybe you were looking forward to it. You shouldn't be, because every time you see Patrick Mahomes lighten you up on Sunday in the snow or the cold, Weather.

You should be thinking about how he was drafted, you know later in the same draft that you took Mentell Robinsky when there's no way out of this Trobinsky thing. Here's the thing with Rabinsky, even when he's playing better, I always get back to the point that he only played one year in college and his his main exciting trade was supposed to be accuracy. And I could see it like, if he was accurate, he could be a slight a richer Man's Alex Smith. But he's not accurate.

He's just not And so all the other things that he doesn't do that well really come to the four and they're I think they're in a really tough spot as an organization, not just a quarterback. But to me, the defense might get slightly worse every year trying to keep it together. It's just, uh, it's as tricky as Dan and his little Ice, which I believe was very audible to second time in the show with a little

guest appearance by the old Ice. I like it, don't tell me watching that game this morning too with with Mahomes, because I thought, well, the score is interesting, but they well, I mean, what would you rather write not? It's like there's not a lot else to be doing during the week, so the I feel like everyone else was playing in

the snow. He's playing in a dome, and he looked like he had total control over the ball and was like making these insane touch passes into tight windows and over the shoulder to Sammy Watkinson Travis Kelsey on fire. I mean it's like this team was not affected by the weather at all. He was not. Here's the thing. If if and I know Lamar Jackson is gonna be the m v P, and he should be, But if I was just taking one player for the rest of the season to be leading my team, it's to me,

it's Patrick Mahomes. He's still He's still the guy that just I think can do everything and can beat anyone. And I don't know any team playing Patrick Mahomes cannot feel comfortable. Well. The Chiefs defense to the last month, they've been so good that they are now right there with the Saints in d v O A for defense they are about the same grade. The Chiefs are eleventh now in total defense efficiency. Chris Chris Jones is unreal.

I mean, he just dominates a game and then you have you're pretty good on the back end, where Spagnolo has been a very good higher that he mixes it up and Slo has been different teams need different things. Um. Finally, over those Super Bowls, it was just one second. He was only uh, he was only there for one No, the first right, First, the great helmet catch Plax Burrows. How does he get so wide open? Ellis Hobbs just dragging at the end of that year? Yeakes, you're putting

the helmet catch on specs. That's right, I know Tay Warren did. Ty Warren just yanks him down. Greg nick Quickkowski, Bears inside linebacker, is gonna rank pretty high in our free agency rankings. Somebody's gonna pay him. If it's not the Bears, somebody else is gonna pay him. He's been better than Trevathan was. Well. Now, after getting that inside info, I'm gonna like rank him artificially low just to balance out West's nice I'm not saying the curtain Well, that's

what happened. I usually have to rank Gino Smith three in order to balance out Greg's Rankin knows it free at and I think this year he's If you will never sign another multi your contract, if you like at the improvement that the Seahawks offense has made since Gino Smith, Like, what's the change for the Seahawks this year? He's a good coin for Yeah, he's done some nice coin toss action. Alright.

Monday Night Football. The Green Bay Packers eleven and three at the minute, Soto Vikings tenant for This is massive because obviously we're talking about the Vikings with a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win if they lose. As we pointed out, the door is open with Rams need to win take care of their business, but the Vikings can lose out and miss the playoffs even a

tenant four right now. So, uh, the game has so much meeting and that's even beyond before you get to the fact that yes, the NFC North and potentially a by is online. So this is one of those games that really affects so much in the NFC, and it's a game that wes you. Um You've pointed out many times in the show about how the Vikings are a great team at home and that's what I would be

the most nervous about if I'm a Packers fan. We've talked about Green Bay, how maybe a team that doesn't have a lot of big wins on the Ledger that isn't blowing you away on a week by week basis, especially on offense. The defense has been up and down. Do they have what it takes to go on the road and this type of setting and win a huge game with the division on the line. I think it's obviously a huge test that's going to teach us so much and we'll finally learn whether the Packers are legit

or not. What do you think? Well, I I would pick the Vikings to win, but I also think maybe we've been a little too hard on the Packers. They are eleven and three. After watching that game, I thought Rodgers was a little bit better than I expected. He made some great throws, but that's not really his problem is making great downfield throws. They have so many just misses all the time. Um, it's the fact that they couldn't move the ball in the fourth quarter with the lead.

But they have shown improvement on defense, I think, and Kenny Clark is playing at a much higher level the last few games than he was at mid season. I think this defense is playing a little bit better now. They're they're a boomer bust offense. They're big player. You know, they have Aaron Jones, the whole thing of like Aaron Rodgers on that weapons. Please, He's got the best tackle combination in the league, the best continuity on that offensive line.

None of them have missed a snap all season. He's got Davante Adams and he's got Aaron Jones too. You're mixing up the idea of what a weapon is and what the offensive line. But I'm okay. And he's got Davante Adams and he's got Aaron Jones, He's got They've got enough to be successful, but their boom er bust in terms of their offense, I don't think plays and they're not like chain moving type of player. Put that on with how they use Aaron Jones. Why aren't they

running him twenty times a game? Yeah? I mean, and you know, no, Dalvin Cook that bothers me about this game a long and rapport has reported he's unlikely no one else is as aggressive. So Ian is out on a limb way to go. Ian No, I'm giving him the credit. Doesn't sound like it's gonna be there, and they didn't. Up until this morning, there was doubt that Alexander Madison would play their backup that he's got an ankle issue, but it sounds like Mike Zimmer said he

has a good chance to suit up. But that if you take away that from the Vikings, I I just don't Both these teams I've doubts about in general, and the fact that green Bay if the way this season plays out, I just trust that the football deity is above will not allow us to have Green Bay as the second seeded team when this thing shakes out there, the least second seed team I could ever imagine on

planet Earth. Stre the Saints are sitting out there. Give me a break with the idea that the green Bay Packers or the team coming out of this amazing NFC with the bye week, I don't know, buy and Saints and one and two. I think it would be. I'd be fine with Seattle and the Saints or San Francisco where this and they could be the one seed. I mean it's possible, it's it's unlikely that the Packers would be. Who do you, guys has had Which quarterback in this

game has had a better year? I'll put that. I mean I trust Aaron Rodgers more instinctively to do anything, But Cousins has had the better seat. Right. I trust Rogers more too, but Cousins has had the better year statistically. Kirk Cousins has had the better year. It's not even cloud statistically. And I'm not that worried about Cook being not there. I mean the running game when Boone comes in last weekend, I was the end of the game, but Madison there there. The offensive lines played better. Do

they've protected Cousins. Cousins had all sorts of time against the Chargers, even against those good pass rushers. I uh, I think is a game the defense. Though, for the Vikings, they should be able to win this. I mean they've been building this defense for six years. They spent more resources on this defense than any team in in the league in terms of contract extensions, including like six first

rounders in the secondary. You've had Zimmer like if you can't win this game at home against La Fleur in his first year and a little bit of an uneven Packers thing, that's like, what have you been doing building up this group? And great continuity? It's so hard to have the continuity that they've had. This defense has choked more times than Kirk Cousins. We always think they're a great defense, and they end up being a pretty good defense, so it's a fair call. The matchups in this game

are pretty great. I mean Eric Kendricks against Aaron Jones, like trying to prevent him from getting to the outside, also might be covering him. Sometimes you got Daniel Hunter and Everson Griffin against Bulagan Baktier like there. I don't know, it's a great game. Feeling out physically right now, he played a full three target last week he played thirty three three catches on three targets. Um, So at this

point it seems like they're easing them back in. But Digs is really stepped up and and become an even better producer with dealing out, which makes sense. Um, are any of us picking the Packers in this game? I almost wanted to lock up the Packers. That's because I don't try. I don't trust the Vikings, but I have to. I go too far with my lack of trust to the Vikings, and then I get caught in that kind

of thing and I'll lose my lock too. So it's like, you know, either way, are we going to watch this together? We're doing this at there we are, you know, doing a post Monday night football show which is out of the ordinary. That will be like our Tuesday show with maybe a little news to talk about the game and some news out of the ordinary holiday maybe too much. But we haven't we haven't watched a full game like that together, like in one of these little spots on

It's It's full circle. I mean every Sunday night too. But I see what you mean as a outside of the building and you know, Wes go make some place kirk Cousins in a big spot here, right. Oh, I agree, I think, But I think you and I have more common ground on this thing. You believe now, I think that when when he plays poorly, it's fair game talk about it on national TV. But when he's not much of a factor in the game, let's talk about the

factors in the game. Are Are you concerned, Mark, just being on the outside of this that we're going to be watching this game together at Dan's and the Western Dan kirk Cousins heat just might be uncomfortable. Yeah, I mean, I didn't realize. I thought I was going to be because of the attention rolling in Justice. The game was ending, as I've done for these post games. But that's that's a lot to Uh. It's the holiday season and you're allowed. I mean, you have a family, You do what you

need to do. I think after we finished recording to maybe we hang out together, spent some time Mark TBD, we look over just like a cloud of smoke at Mark's goner, and that is that narrative is false, and I will prove it false. But yeah, let's let's see if he'll play Cornell. Let's try to get if you do we do something that I actually he's been consistently anti parlor games since So that's your that's your offer. We have to come up with something else. We're gonna

come up with something more enticing. But give us time, give us the weekend to think until Monday night. How about we break after the game, after the podcast Phantom Menace yikes, never like that's where the Kirk Cousins thing like, I've never I'm not never supporting That movie is coming out this evening. You got a ticket, just say yes to pretend you don't. I'm not pretending I don't, but

I don't. But I'm also I am now looking at that there's nine of those movies and I would say that seven of them get lower than a B or eight six of them get lower than to be in my book, the reviews have not been great one. This one is the final one. It's called The Rise of Skywalker and I and the reviews are at best. If he and I don't and that's what I'm going to was, I'm just gonna go watch it and then go home.

You know they have they made a good one since no that well since the end of our childhood ones. That's and I've been saying that consistently, the same way I told you the Browns were gonna drop a big egg and all these things that you think are gonna meet up to your child You didations well not you did you know, predict them to win the Super Bowl in anything? But that was that was in a moment that wasn't like my fault. Well, now he's on Seahawks

corners written on NFL dot com. I believe still there yea more than a moment. I know how to get into the CMS system where you can quickly erase those artis you're one of three analysts to pick the Browns to win the Super Bowl, and men m Blira Browns fan and Joe Thomas obviously with overt links to the Browns. We were just we were upping our people would say, this is where you see like they have different rules for different you know, players in different levels of of stature.

It's like they're not gonna bring Tom Blair and Mark back next year. But Joe Thomas, well, it was because of this prediction that went um all right, Oh, I have a an announcement, as we teased by the way, at the Erica did really good v O work at the beginning of our Tuesday episode. Uh, we will be as you know, we have our listen to music so fitting our live show. Uh in at the Super Bowl we do it. It's a new tradition. We did it last year in Atlanta and we had a great time.

We're gonna do it again, uh this year in Miami at the Miami Improv Around the NFL Podcast live show on the Thursday night before Super Bowl fifty four. It's gonna be a lot of fun, the four of us, Ricky chopping it up and with an audience there and liquor. Oh, the liquor is all available to you as well at a charge. But what's better than watching the heroes and we're all together. And after the show, of course we'll

h you know, chat with the fans. So join, So attend a live podcast taping at super Bowl fifty four. Check the link and the bio on our a t N Instagram page. You'll find the link to go get tickets at the Miami Improv Thursday night before Super Bowl. Nailed it, Dan. It's also on the Miami Improv website. So if you don't have Instagram, well get with the time. I have them, and that's part of my bookmarks on your like that Improvised Theater has been in my bookmarks

for years, so you could google it that. Now we're we're live all over. I just tweeted it. I mean every everybody, it's it's everywhere cool. Get your tickets. Uh, they won't last, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Great, I trust those services all right, implicitly. All right, that's it for today's show. The next time you hear from us will be Sunday night, where we recap all the games we just previewed. Thank you to everyone as always

for listening and continuing to support the show. We love you. Uh. This is Dan hands is signing off four Quiet Storm, the Mailman, the Old Boss, r Hollywood, behind the Glass, the whole gang, Christie Bartlett Rady zachtell Sunday