2019 Week 16 Recap

coming up, the playoffs, the Super Bowl. Also, as we announced at the end of our show, on Thursday, the Around Around the NFL Live podcast from Miami. Oh my goodness, the Thursday of Super Bowl Week from the Miami Improv. If you want to get tickets, hit Miami Improv dot com Slam Events and just uh roll down the calendar. You'll see it also on our Instagram page. Uh The A t N Pod, The A t N Podcast. Yes, you could get the link in the bio as well

of our profile. Get tickets, Bring your friends, let's party, Bring many friends please, We'll tweet it, We'll pin it on the Twitter account Around the NFL two, we'll try to get some special guests, maybe Gloria Estefan wow An owner, one of the Williams sisters. Basically, yes, the entire ownership group of the Dolphins we're gonna gun for. And if we can't, Mark Sessler personally will spend time with each

and every one of you after the show. Yees so well and I whenever we do these traveling shows, and it's been a couple of Super Bowls, it's it's a treasure, uh, emotionally to find out, you know, we're very big in Miami and it's just that we're that's being confirmed through uh a lot of factors, factual things. So exciting, you know, it was quite a point um all right, So yes, be there. That's gonna be fun. We're looking forward to it.

We have a lot to get to. Oh my goodness, Greg, this is one of your biggest weeks of the season in terms of UH playoff computations. This is when we really lean on you and you understand that you know that I've been you know, preparing, I got extra sleep, did push ups. That's calculator buttons, you know, don't don't press themselves. The plus you your families out of town. They've left you for Japan, and you now have all this time to yourself. I don't know what you're doing

with all this time. I've heard some um strange reports. I just hope all that free time doesn't lead to faulty computations. I hope, so, I mean, I hope you're right. All right. So we're gonna get to all the games. There were three games, of course on Saturday, and we'll get to them in fairly short order. But let's start with a couple of Sunday games that really jumped out to us, yes, including one that could very well end up deciding the NFC East. So let's start in the

City of Brotherly Love. Prescott Hi. Prescott steps up. He is firing deep at it as complete and complete by Sydney Jones, whobody go player the play against the Giants two weeks ago. Well, Sydney Jones just made the play of the day because he is stride for stride down the sideline and able to get the football out intended for Michael Gallup down that left side. So this game

is not over yet. Oh but it was Brad Brad Sham, the sham god in Babe Laughingberg with the call for kr L d yes, Sidney Jones broke up Dak Prescott's sport down past the Michael Gallup in the end zone, and then the Eagles were able to uh run for a couple of complete a first down, past run for another first down and end the game. They win seventeen to nine over the Eagles, and the Cowboys had a chance west to win the division, didn't come close in

this one. And the Eagles are the team there, played like a true team when it matters most and the Cowboys that just into the busting a part of the seams. Well, I think it's the second time in three weeks where you look at the Cowboys operation and the blame just gets spread across the board, starting with the coaching staff. Um,

they were just running into stacked boxes. Seemed like the entire first half on early downs when the Eagles cornerbacks were injured, they were lining up to take numbers at

the medical tent. For a while for the Eagles, there were so many injuries and the matchups you could you could tell was the Cowboys wide receivers on the Eagles cornerbacks, and they kept running on early downs and then you spread the blame to the players because you know Amari Cooper drops, Jason went and dropped, Randall Cobb, a couple of drops, Michael Gallup drop Dak Prescott, who's got a bum shoulder, a couple of misfires, especially at Tavon Austin

Um got wide open on the final drive with the chance for a long touchdown. There was a third down throw that Dak ms to Mariy Cooper. Uh. The defense could not stop the Eagles screenplays and Miles Sanders. It was just a poor effort across the board. And I this is to play like that with the season on

the line twice in three weeks. Just terrible. I look at the passing game, and I know Dak Prescott's injured, but it's two thousand and nineteen and you're dropping back to past forty four times and the Eagles didn't really have much pressure on him. They ended up with four QB hits on the day, didn't have a ton of hurries. If you look at the PFF pass blocking grades, it's

all great. So you get great pass protection, you got Doc, you gotta mar you got Cobb, you got all these players, and you can't throw the ball against a team that in the Eagles, that's given up some pretty big point totals to some pretty bad offenses lately, and it's I feel like whoever lost this game was gonna face essentially a home city firing squad, because you know, Troy Aikman noted called this the Eagles win, the best team win he's ever seen, which that shocks me because it feels

a tad feelings. Yeah, I just feel is a tad hyperbolic because it wouldn't be surprised if next week the Cowboys went out and wiped out Team X and the Eagles lost and they're both eight and Nate I just the Eagles. To me, it's it's Dallas Goddard guys stepping up. With Zach Ertz is out. That's huge and that's a big win. But it's still a very inconsistent team, both of them. I think Troy's referencing the fact that even if the Eagles were healthy, the Cowboys have a much

better roster at this point, and they weren't healthy. They were decimated by injuries in the Cowboys still have an incredibly more talented roster than the Eagles at this point in the season and the undermanned Eagles just took it to the Cowboy. And if you want to make the case that Jason Garrett has overstayed his welcome and it's

finally time to say goodbye, I understand it. And I think anybody that says that's not something that should be done really had better have a good reason why, because Garrett has not made the most of this team. But then it's like the other thing, and I bring this up occasionally this podcast. The other thing that gets on my radar a little bit when people get mad at coaching a coaching staff, our head coach is man, where

is the accountability on the players in this game? To your point, West, how many big plays and game changing plays that Tavon Austin, overthrow by Dak, the drops by Gallop, These plays are absolutely on the on a play a team that is not stepping up when it matters most when it counts, And maybe it's a personnel issue as much as it is a coaching issue. And that's just the story of this Cowboys season that everybody kind of faltered. Uh,

it wasn't just a head coach's fault. I agree with that that the players have to take some of the brunt of the blame, but it's on the coaches to stress the urgency here and and for the past month, the urgency here for a team that is way more talented than any other NFC East team and that hasn't

been done. And a guy like Joe Banner, who you know, I know, some people like him, don't like him, used to be the president of the Browns president of the Eagles, spent the entire game pointing out the specific areas and twitch Jason Yes on Twitter, the specific areas in which Jason Garrett was being out coached, in which the Cowboys

defensive staff was getting out coached. And then you see things like Jason Garrett punting on fourth and one in the fourth quarter, and then the next very next drive going forward on fourth and eight, and the drive after that going forward on fourth and nine, and it's like, where what's the logic here? And on the key snap of the game, Amari Cooper's not in there. Amari Cooper told reporters he was pulled out by coaches. That wasn't

a case of him pulling himself out. There was also a key third and one where Zeke apparently you know, hit his helmet to that he wanted to be taken out, which is going to get attention, you know, one of the big I know, I'm sure he was tired and and all of that, but that that's a play that you expect Ezekiel Elliott to want the ball and to be on the fields. They have three more wins the Cowboys, dude, then the New York Giants. It is completely unacceptable from

where we were at the beginning of the season. You looked at this roster up and down that the blame is spread everywhere, but the coaching staff has found a way year after year to not maximize the roster they can't.

I really do think there is something you unique about Dallas that because of Jerry Jones and the way he treats his players, because the way the city treats are players that they struggle with success and just because it keeps happening every single time they have a good season and they expect the next season is gonna be everyone. It never happens. Because football there's such a small margin

between these teams. When you lose a little bit of that edge, it's huge, and I think the biggest mistake Jones made in the Garrett era was two thousand thirteen, after their third straight eight and eight, when we were when Garrett had blown so many game management situations over and over and over again, and to me, that felt like the time where he had shown that he wasn't your coach. And here you are another six years later, headed to an eight and A and maybe the playoffs.

You said it, I can totally see them them winning next week and the Eagles losing that game to the Giants. That Cowboys have the redskins. I mean, I don't think this. We've mentioned this before. I do. This season has been so up and down. I think the Eagles will win and by the way, But it's just possible that you'd

like to think that. But were weird are things have happened in our universe than two weeks from now we're talking about the Cowboys in the wild Card round having shocked a team at home, or the Seahawks or the Eagles. And I just want to give the Eagles the credit they deserve here because Carson wentz uh leading the way for the past three weeks. How could you not be

ultra and pressed with him? In the last two years he's been basically sidelined by injuries this time of year, and what you've been able to see and even today another example we already have. He he has almost nothing to work with at the wide receiver position. This game he loses zach Ertz, who is his security, play blanket, his all everything. Some quarterbacks would go into a shell at that point and he would have a perfectly good excuse. In this case, Dallas got it and to got its um,

you know, to on on him. Good for him. He was able to step up in a big spot here nine and a touchdown and they just made the plays. And he's played mistake freeball and his sloppy as Wentz was when they were struggling. Uh, these last three weeks, he has been exactly who they've needed. Greg Ward outplayed Amari Cooper today And we touched on this in the preview of this game, that the Eagles have something on offense now that they didn't have a month ago. Greg Ward,

Dallas Goddard, zach Ertz, Miles Sanders. This is way more than they had working for them a month ago. And and Carson Wentz And when's the difference today? I thought was in these third and short situations. In these third down situations, Wentz found a way to move the chains, whether it was by rushing, whether it was avoiding pressure and hitting receivers. Dad did not find a way to make those plays. And as good as Wentz has has been playing late in the season, Miles Sanders has over

three d yards in the last two weeks. That is monster. You're getting Christian mccapp Granted it's two weeks, but he had some games before that. But you're getting Christian McCaffrey production out of Miles Sanders last two years. He's now one of five rookies in history to have five hundred yards rushing and receiving in the same rookie seasons. UH. The Eagles are a win at the Meadow Ends against the Giants away in week seventeen from the NFC East title.

Let's move on. The Saints are team that will be playing UH postseason football, and they had a chance to strengthen their chances at a buy in Nashville. What happened breeze under center here, I formation Joshul Molson's left, the right breeze is gonna look for throws go into his right close and it's caught and guess who Michael Thomas from two yards out. Mike Thomas gets the touchdown back and he now extends his lead a hundred and forty

five receptions in the one football season. With a game to go, look out now, Zack Street, Saints Radio Network with the call yes. In week fifteen, it was Drew Brees making NFL history. In Week sixteen, it was Michael Thomas's turn. Thomas set the single season catch record and caught the game icing touchdown pass you just heard in a win over the Titans in Nashville. At twelve and three.

The Saints remain in the hunt for the number one seed in the NFC Greg This was another impressive win for a Saints team that looks ready to do some damage in January, regardless of where they fall in the playoff bracket. They look like a super Bowl team to me, and I think super Bowl teams have these check marks games that they have to go through. And they lost that tough one against the forty nine is a couple

of weeks ago. But down fourteen three on the road, you have two of your starting offensive lineman out of the game, your offense and Drew Brees was just furious. Through the first five drive drives of this game, they had one field goal in four punts, and you're playing a good team on a short week, and they score five touchdowns in their next six possessions, and they put up thirty eight points in Tennessee. And Tennessee is a little banged up in the in the secondary. They were

without Derrick Henry Uh in this game as well. UH and Jeffrey Simmons was out. They might have been looking a little bit t too week seventeen, just in terms of those decisions, but they were playing as hard as they can and for an offense to just take over, that's the Saints to me, and and I really love their chances of getting a bye. We'll have to see what happens in the next couple of days or next week or so, but they are putting themselves in position

to be in the Superos. A lot of bubbling up on Twitter of when they were struggling against the Titans at one point in this game that, oh, it's just just like every other Saints team you play outside, They're not gonna be able to do anything that's gonna happen. But now I think that there's a reason for that belief because it has been true of Dome teams, and it's been true of Drew's Drew Brees, but it hasn't

been jure of this New Orleans Saints team. There's six and one on the road this year versus six and two at home. They have the best record in the NFL on the road over the last three years. So if they got some bad luck and did have to play some games on the road and don't get that by like like they're hoping for, I do think that this is a team that can be anyone anywhere in the NFC. How did Alvin Camaro look? He looked like a different Alvin Camara, especially on his touchdown run. Just

the speed was there. He still didn't make guys miss in the open field, but I felt like a relief for him to get that forty yard touchdown run. He had added another touchdown later in the game, had add ten total scrimmage yards. So I think they feel uh much better when he's running like that, especially because they will get their linemen back they believe. I don't. I don't. The one thing that happened in this game that I to me was just a ghastly moment officiating wise, and

it deserved a longer look. Was the Calif Raymond fumbled for the Titans, where you know what, stopped by one defender, but the second one coming in. I saw a helmet to Helmett contact and you mentioned that the broadcast didn't really kind of let it float by. That's the kind of thing that was a key moment in that contest. Intend it kind of killed Tennessee's chance. I mean, it goes both ways. It's such it's become impossible to kind of accurately get that right because the game is moving

so fast. And how many times have we seen fifteen yard penalties assessed on a team that did not land a head to head But in that case it was it was stopped because they were checking. It was on a turnover to set that you call that on challenge. You could have Mike Rabel did um you know, no, no, after the game, Look, they looked at that play, and when they look at that play, they can look at everything there. You know, that's one of the things that they can look at. So that happened on a turnover.

Calif Raymond fumbled the ball like right when he got hit apparently it appeared to be contacted in the head. The Saints pick it up and then they go for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up ten. So it was a huge spot. The Titans fought really well all game. Uh, and I guess the the officiating, you know, back in New York decided it wasn't enough

to to overturn it. And the Derrick Henry sitting out. Sure, there are a lot of fantasy owners that were devastated by that, but that could end up being a brilliant move by them because they still they're in the playoffs. They gotta beat the Texans and then they need the Steelers to lose to the Ravens. Uh if I'm correct, Greg. Yeah, they just they just need to win. That's all they need. Win it in. They didn't know that when they started today, but they knew that next week was going to be

the key game, and Pittsburgh loss helped them out. They could also get in with the Pittsburgh and Indianapolis loss. If those two teams lose next week, Tennessee wouldn't even have to win. But it's a weird day for Tennessee because they came out of it despite the loss in better shape, uh than they were going into it because of the Pittsburgh game, and feeling even better about Ryan Tannehill. It took a couple more sacks, but got It's amazing

how well he's throwing the football. He's throwing the football like the ball as well as I would say any like a top five quarterback. He threw it great. Again. It was the only reason they were in this game. There were a ton of big plays in both directions. He made some great I saw a couple of players where the Saints were right in his face and his

grill and he got the ball. It just looks like a completely different player than he Wasn't a concerned would be their their offensive line, which was definitely a problem. He held the ball too long a few times, but Taylor Lauen had had a rough day and in general, he had to make some tough throws. And the Texans are likely locked in to their seed or they can't make a move into the by so you would imagine the Titans might be facing a Texans team that's not playing.

Everybody were playing big snaps next week, so this that's it's gonna be one of the stories, not to you know, spoil you know, like what teams do want to play next week, because the Texans will in theory have seeding to play for no matter what. It's the three and the four seed. Though, so how much how much do you care about that? And you're gonna need to get help uh to to move up and get that three seed. It might not be well, that's for Sexans are shaler.

They need to keep their players healthy. All right, let us now check in on the Saturday games. Let's roll through them, and we'll start with a Saturday night game. Up at the bag ball bottom roppoo in the gun kittled. It was left Ny Moster to his right, existed the front roppolo, gonna throw a deep shot to all the field. A little sad Gus has got it. They never touched him. He could still run right think touched them down? And any about the forty guys unfair of all range. He

is Robbie gold time. What a shot there. On third and sixteen, they pick up forty six on the pulk trop to a Manuel Sander, Greg Papa with the call for the forty nine is Radio Network the under seed to be involved in late game Dramatics every week. This week they were on the right side of the ledger Emmanuel Sanders forty six yard catch set up a chip shot Robbie gouldfield goal this time ran out win thirty

four to thirty one over the Rams. The loss eliminates Los Angeles from postseason contention nearly eleven months after they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. And um, you know, this is a game that is still coming down to Niners Rams next week. But you wanted, uh Niners team coming off that really bad Atlanta game. You didn't want to lose another one here and put yourselves in a situation where you feel like you're trending downward

in the wrong direction. So credit to them. Also, you know, that's a that's a tough game against the Rams team that was desperate for a win. The Rams needed to win twice and get Minnesota to lose twice to get back to the playoffs, and instead they get the job done. And if if on the Rams side of the ball, I mean it's it was such a frustrating season, uh for the Rams. After the three and oh start, they just could never really get things going. And you wonder

what lies a head for this team. But I thought it was just fitting the way that this game. You know, the play that you just heard went down where Jalen Ramsey and the and the safety had a miscommunication. I don't think it was Ramsey's fault, but the Ramsey called out safety Taylor rap Is saying after the game that

he blew the assignment. I don't know if you want players saying that about each other, but that's I mean, Charles Davis said it on the broadcast, Taylor raps Garden Air, Ramsey got beat on the PLA and whatever the whatever, who was responsible for what it let It was a coverage bus that absolutely could not happen in that spot and kind of a crushing way for your season, essentially be ruined to to break down mentally in that spot.

So the Rams go home and the Niners are feeling good against a compromise Seahawks team coming up in Week seventeen. Feels like there's been so many crucible moments for Jimmy Garoppolo over the second half of the season. He's won some, he's lost some, But I don't get the doubt at this point. We know that at this point he's not a guy where the moment ever seems too big for him. I mean, despite his lack of experience, uh coming into this year, who's more battle tested for January Jimmy G.

As we had had toward the playoffs. They went from a team that won a lot of games by a lot of points to about seven straight weeks, many of which against really good teams, have all been you know, knuckle what do they call him? Knuckle knuckling down? I don't know, white knuckle? Why does that even mean? The white knuckles just so tight that I think like working men of the past knew what that meant. I'm not

sure we do. It's like your hands are on the steering wheel and all you can see is white knuckles. And he didn't even play that well in this game. I mean, that's the weird thing about this game. You watch, It wasn't a great Jimmy G game overall until the end, and Jared Goff played incredible. It's one of the weird things about this Ramp season is you couldn't like get everything going right at the same time. Jared Goff made four or five throws in this game that we're as

good or better than anything. Yeah, And one one mistake, but you put up thirty one on the forty Niners, even giving up a pick six, you expect to win that game, and it could have repercussions. Mike Silver hinted at that in his column that Wade Phillips could be a goner after this year, and maybe Todd Gurley too. And from the forty Niners at this point, you wonder what their identity is, And to me, it just seems

like it's George Kittle hop on his back. Let one of the five best players in the NFL take you there, and he will too. Third to third and sixteen conversions setting upeus field goal. The second being that coverage bust that we mentioned. I think the one thing that jumped out to me a little bit that I'd be concerned with if I was a forty Niners fan was the offensive line. Garoppolo didn't have a lot of time in

this game. Here. There were a lot of times the pocket was pretty jacked up, and we know they lost uh Weston Richberg the center to an injury. Some bad snaps in this game also, Uh in general, Uh, you imagine not every team has an Aaron Donald and Dante Fowler, but in January. They're gonna send you know, they're gonna becoming after Garoppolo, and you can't protect him. He's gonna make mistakes. He's not He's not a mistake. He's not a flawless quarterback, and if you put the pressure on him,

he could throw a game away. I think you would anyone have a problem with Kyle Shanahan winning coach of the Year. I guess it's no outside of the Ravens situation that to me he stands out. I think it's John horrible. I wouldn't have a problem though. Those would be my two. And it seems basic because they've you know, they've got the best records. But I also think you know, in Harbaugh's case, they have the most creative offense, the most creative defense, and he's the one that put it up,

you know, put it in charge. But in Channion's case, what team has overcome more adversity in terms of injuries and been competing every week? Even their three losses were all you know, at the last second, he's done a good. They don't have that outlier game or two where they just didn't show up in every single week. Their team, it's kind of the opposite of the m their team seems to pick each other up. I'd be a little concerned.

The defense isn't nearly as dominant as it was early in the year, but they still have the personnel there where you think that with the right matchup and in the playoffs that they're certainly like last night, when I see him healthy, When I'm watching this fort defense, I'm always thinking their defense is going to make a play,

and they did, and they did make a couple. I feel like the arrow has been pouring up on Girly in the second half, and I know, due to his contract, would be very hard to get out from under it. Would they be that desperate, uh to lose him. I know he didn't have a big yardage day in this game, but I don't know. He has been moving better in the second half. I guess maybe they're looking for a

fresh start. Maybe we're in that A lot of changes could be coming to the I mean in Mike Silver noted it, but you know this is they put themselves in a kind of win now mode where they're not winning now and they have no draft picks coming up. You know, you there are some questionable transactions and moves attached to that front office Silver's column, which was very good. Made it seem like McVeigh was more pressing for more changes after this loss than the Super Bowl loss that

he took this one harder. All right, let's check in on the early game on Saturday. Empty backfield now for Janis Winston. Here's the snap Winston quick throwing. That's our sept that at the forty yard line to Leila die with the pick. The Texans have the ball at thet with one seven left and the Buffs with all the one time out. Mark Vandermere with the call for the Texas. Here we go. Oh all that Texas copland fallow that Texas fall that Texans? Did you miss this last week? Mark? Totally? Yeah?

Bring me the girl, sacrifice her to the great piece, Miss Mark those smooth? Why am I the last person remaining in that graphic? That's how we'd be in real life? Huh. The Texans force five turnovers Robbie returns return. The Texans were the recipient of five turnovers, four from the quarterback

Jamis Winston, including a pick six. The six pick six by Winston, tying an NFL record, And yes, that interception you heard basically put the Bucks in a body bag Texans win clinching the a f C South for the fourth time in five years. Mark, we had an idea that the Houston Dbs could have some opportunity with Winston missing his top two receivers, and that's exactly how it

played out. What a roller coaster. I mean, the day started with Ian Rapp report of NFL and they were reporting that the Bucks intend to bring Winston back based on this hot month, that he's had leaked that out until after week seventeen, that's the last that's well, yeah, the timing, you know, and then hours later that this stat absolutely is fascinating to me that we when we went to to London and we saw Jamis Winston against

the Panthers throw five interceptions. That announcing booth included Rich eisen and he did the game yesterday long Joe Thomas in his first day as an announcer, Joe Thomas all insane opening fifteen or twenty minutes. But Rich Eysen lead booths have now witnessed nine Jamis Winston interceptions in the course of two games. I mean, and I will say this about the Bucks though, and watching this at home.

It made me just love Saturday football just I never this would have been one I would have caught on game pass and condensed late. But the way that it unfolded and it was finally you get that Tampa Bay field under clouds and it looks glorious. Forget that hideous Tampa Bay son. But I mean, the Bucks to me struck me as very resilient because a number of calls, you could point to a number of calls that went

against them that were seemed totally ridiculously unfair. And Bruce Arians, I thought was gonna maybe get booted from this game at one point because he was red hot, furious with the officials, and there was a moment where an officially came over to circle back in and kind of explain the latest debacle, and you could sort of see Arians saying, get the f out of here. I mean, his face matches, his red hat and his red polo head does stack it at the stage in his life. I worry about

the man's health. I heat, but he had a reason to be hot. And you know the Texans, the Bucks run defense has been lights out for a long time, and they they absolutely smothered what Houston tried to do on the ground two point six yards per carry Deshaun Watson. You know, they lost will Fuller, and I think that seems to happen every week to them, and then they're passing game. Never really I thought God unhooked. For the

most part, they put it to Houston. I thought this game was gonna go Tampa Bay's way for a while because it's one of those things where it was started so ugly for Winston and the rest, and then they still were only down like ten three and hanging around in the in the the Texans and they're and up and down team were refusing to put them away. But you know, Winston did what he does at the end.

Did feel that way like this was a game that Houston to let get away and they would it would destroy them, and but it didn't because to the Texans credit, they do find a way usually and they have they have their hiccups every every so often, but they are they they do a good job closing games out. But the same time, one of my big takeaways from the game was, uh, that they're in trouble again because and I thought with the will Fuller injury, it's another soft

tissue injury. This time it's a groin and uh, it doesn't look good. And Bill O'Brien after the game, he was fairly blunt in his assessment, but he's saying what everybody else was thinking. You can understand why frustration has set in. Here's the quote. He's a great guy and I love coaching him, but it is hard for him to stay healthy. That's the bottom line. And we you there's put tons of next gen stats and anywhere you look that will point out how much better this offense

has been with Fuller on the field. But it's almost gotten to the point where you just have to assume he's not on the field, and that's something that they're gonna have to look to address in the office. That's why that Kenny Stills edition by B O B makes him again that those early season trades made some sense for the Texans. I mean, Jamis was when Jamis Winston was missing his two top two receivers and he moved

the ball. And that's perhaps a little bit unfair because he can throw calls into the wind when no consequence is better. Lately, it's better than well, I don't know about better. It's physically impossible It's physically impossible for Winston's decision making process to ever factor in risk. I mean, he could have thrown another couple in this game. And we talked about he's going to this game. He was six picks away from the hollowed Actually, no one's ever

established it yet. Thirty thirty club, thirty touchdowns, thirty picks. He is now up to twenty eight. It seems like a mortal lock that he's gonna set happen. He mentioned after the game that his goal for the final game would be to protect the ball and avoid turnovers, and it's like you'd have to change you're wired. The first half, to me, was the culmination of his entire career. It

was everything. It was them falling down seventeen three, him having all of those turnovers right off the bat, then getting it all the way four turnovers I believe in the first half, yeah, and and three by him, but getting it back, but to seventeen all at halftime, including a terrific play right before the half to tie it, and that they were leading in yard artage two eighty one to eighty three. But it was a tie game, and like that, that is that is the Bucks experience.

I mean, in this game, they held the Texans to two yards. And that's not just because you know they're giving short fields with all these turnovers and they get extra possessions. It's because the Texans couldn't really move the ball, throwing or passing. If there's one thing I think Bucks fans should feel I think there's a few things Bucks fans should feel good about. One, this offense is working. I mean, whether Winston should be the quarterback or not.

I think that's a that's a totally fair question. Maybe he shouldn't be, and finding another one's not easy, but I don't know. You put someone else here with Bruce arians and and Godwin and Evans, and I bet it's gonna be pretty good too. And then the defense is the main thing that surprised me. Their young secondary has stepped up. I mean Murphy Bunton, Bunting, who you've talked a lot about, West, who has played great, Um Carlton Davis shut down DeAndre Hopkins pretty well. It's about five

weeks where their defense has played well. So I think I'd feel pretty good about that. If you're a Bucks fan and Deshaun Watson was grabbing at his ankle at multiple points in this game. We mentioned it earlier that they can't really move too much in the playoffs. You're

gonna be the three seed or the four seed. There's a lot, you know, you can make a case for keeping one Watson on the on the bench and getting him ready for a wild card matchup right, and they would need a Chief's loss, uh even to have a chance to move up. Uh. Anyhow in week seventeen, which is is unlikely the way that the Chiefs are playing in general. Uh So that it is a fair question. I don't wonder, and they're they're very possibly going to

be hosting Buffalo Saturday afternoon. Uh in that first wild cards, Buffalo is locked into the five seeds spoiler earlier, and the Texans would most likely be the team hosting. What's changed for me with the Texans is I don't believe in their ceiling the same way I did six weeks ago. Then, the idea of ceiling being if you play the way they were capable of when they blew up the Patriots, that they're gonna do that three games in a row in the play FC is a little deeper to or

it's better at the top. You know a lot of times it's the Patriots maybe one other team. Now you've got at least two or three teams that are going to be tough to get through. Are there more Texans games than Bengal games? On West of US? Now? West? Has it reached that point Saturday early wild Card round game that the Bengal was dominated throughout the early part of this decade? Well by Domino, you mean lose. They were dominated in the games, but dominated the time slot, right.

I think they started out with three years in a row. But the Texans have caught up to them. And how do you put the Bills at the as the early game? They are prime time fifth fifth, the winning season out of six for Bill O'Brien, another another division championship. It's not nothing, you know what I mean. It's like coach, it's not good job for coming around on this. David calledwell the Jaguars GM is supposedly coming back. The Jaguars have one season with more and five wins in his

seven years in charge, and he's keeping his job. And yeah, Bill O'Brien, you know, I mean they went in the division alright, Um, the Texans were not the only team that clinched the division. On Saturday. Fourth and Gold stop team the putsches coming, Alan running for his life, walts it towards the back of the end zone, A man

there and it's knocked down in complete. J C. Jackson breaks it up in the quarter of the end zone, knocking it away from Cole Beasley and that should be enough to give the New England Patriots Everie levinth straight a f C East title. Westwood one with the call. I don't know why, but that's what we have. The Patriots rule the a f C East for another year.

Josh Allen marched the Bills inside the Patriots ten in the final minutes, but the New England defense held se clinches the division and keeps the Pats in line for their unprecedented n consecutive playoff. By my own, um, listen, here's the thing, this is my takeaway from this game. If you're Patriots fan, you you finally have something to feel good about now as you get closer to January. Because I thought this was a really good day for their offense. Moving the ball on the ground. Sony Michelle

really moved well. Uh had nearly a hundred yards, had a hundred and forty three in total, and that ability uh to keep the defense honest, really, I thought healthed Brady, who was crisp and efficient and was accurate with this throw. So the first time in sometimes and sometime and this

is not gonna be a world beating offense. But if you take this version of New England's offense and combine it with their defense, they absolutely and you give them a short playoff field with a buy and home games, yes, this is a team that can get back to the super Bowl if they play like this. Now, can they continue to string these games together? My concern is that they can, and they've it on a recipe that they're gonna ride hard here because it's not particularly interesting fun

football to watch either. But that was my big takeaway on the New England side, that they had something here and will they be able to replicate it as we go down into the playoffs. Guys made played for place for Brady. I know there was a lot more that went into it, and they certainly protected him pretty well against you so so passed rush of the bills, but guys made plays for him. Burke had made a contest

a couple of nice plays. Edelman made contested catch. You know, he leads the NFL and drops he made some tough catches.

Jacoby Myers made a contested catch, Mohammed Sanu made a contested catch to keep a drive alive, and nikkil Harry did It really felt to me like that was the number one thing watching this game was these guys are never that open, and in this game, Brady was more accurate, but more importantly, the receivers made catches with guys on them and it just kind of kept them on the field, which is just gonna make everything look a lot better.

And it was to me, easily their best game of the year on bost You know, overall, I'm with you. I have to wonder if quietly Bill Belichick has enjoyed this coaching experience and what he's got out of all three phases. I mean, because it's special teams every week and the defense is playing at magical levels of times,

and I just I've never really I can't think. I'm trying to think of another team that has had been so hamstrung on offense and found a way opponent to opponent to squeeze the life out of whoever they're playing

and win in very weird, strange ways. In some cases I got way hooked into this emotionally because I felt myself just rooting, rooting hard for the Bills because I just I know what, They're so imperfect, but I love them and I and I just wanted this city to experience a win over New England because the Patriots, you know, but I know that's another thing, is the Patriots. I've often totally expected, but at one point in every season,

I hate it. I hit that wall with the Patriots where I'm done with it, and then they they'll they'll pull me back. Mark Sessler. The Patriots advanced beyond quote dumbly annoying close quote to open quote death ray ponderous close quote levels. They're soft bellied fanatics, fanned and fed grapes as if they'd accomplished literally a particle of tangible progress in their own lives, floating in soft ecstasy. Foxborough thicks vicarious goons, and this, uh, this led to some pushback.

I would say that that's fair. Who came out? Do you get some bar stool goons? And I stopped looking because it was it still local radio guys, the full entree of New England and I and it's fair. I mean, I put myself out there to be around Lee abused by these people and that's what's that's what's unfolding at the moment as we speak. I enjoyed it quite a bit. My my thoughts on the Bills is the same one that's kind of been holding for a while now. The

Bills are good. It's their gift and it's their cur curse there. And when you're good, you could beat terrible teams, and you can beat bad teams, you can beat mediocre teams, and probably more often than not, this Bills team could beat other good teams. But once that, once you hit that next level. And I don't think the Patriots are a great team, but Greg, this is my scientific analysis, they're a very good team. Uh, they just don't get

it done, and we've seen that multiple times this season. Now, the positive of this is one you're going to the playoffs anyway, and that's gonna be fun too. With two narrow losses to the Patriots this year, you know that this gap is not wide any longer, and it's something that you're trending in the right direction. It's something to build on next year because everyone in the a f

C East. The number one goal now entering this season is knocking the Patriots out of their division chair uh and the Bills are closer than anybody else in that division right now. They're just not there yet, and I think that's what's gonna haunt them when you get to January, when you play better than good teams. But there's nothing to be ashamed of anything they've done this season. Good

for them for hanging tighten this game. We've been through almost two years, two seasons of Josh Allen, and I understand that he's often the problem there, but I don't get like this skepticism that he can't possibly develop into a good quarterback. He's been confused by the Patriots twice now, and I know that's no small thing. But in the fourth quarter, when you throwout the game plan and asked the quarterback to win the game for you, and he

didn't come through, but that drive was really impressive. When I watched his plane style athletic ability, he's the closest I've seen to a young raw John Elway. He just has so much similarity to him as far as athletic ability, arm ability to make plays when it breaks down ability to drag the team down the field, and I mean nothing close in terms of accuracy. That's well, Greg, you didn't watch John Elway when he was young, and he was incredibly inaccurate, and he was just as raw as

John is. Josh Allen, you had some hideous box scores back and then he was not a NFC type quarter great throws. Look he did. They think the Patriots defense played their normal game, a really good game. They didn't force a single turnover, so that's abnormal. But the Bills were in this game because Josh Allen had two just

gorgeous throws. The touchdown at the end of the first half the Dowston Docks, which seemed like it would be a killer considering how well the Patriots had played that half to go and tiede uh and then the touchdown to John Brown where you know Brown eight up Stefan Gilmour and and Devin mccordy. Those were unbelievable, and the

fourth quarter drive was awesome too. The problem is he also had layups that he missed throughout the first He had some layups in the first half that just ended drives and then and you just don't the thing I it's so it seems obvious. But the thing it took me a weird long time to realize is like every NFL quarterback is gonna make completions if he's protected, every single one. It's there, that's how good they are. But

Josh Allen does not all the time. And so that like the fact that he doesn't fit into that bucket where I think, you know, even the Mark Sanchez or whoever they're going to complete passes when they're protected like that. It just worries me. But he obviously has a lot of other good qualities that makes up for it and and puts them in this position and he's entertaining to watch. Yes, yes, yes, I uh, I don't know this. Uh. The way that game ended with Kyle van Noy getting two straight pressures

was to me kind of an under undersung. Part of it is he beat their left tackle Dion Dawkins two straight times. He is their best pass russure. He is their best player in the front seven. It was too bad he didn't make the Pro Bowl in my mind, but that was kind of a classic wave. Their pass rush stealed that game. They got him for the sack. Allen and then they it was basically a jailbreak, it looked like in the last play of the game leading to the incompletion. So they have to beat the Dolphins

next week. That is essentially a you know, a playoff like game for them, whereas if they beat the Dolphins, then they advanced to the divisional round. I love they don't see Brian Floors being involved in some ping pony stuff that allows New England to fly right through Miami like a break through a piece of paper. You got convinced. I mean Ryan Fitzpatrick right exactly. I mean first laid down for anyone, um. But they did play once earlier

in the year in the Patriots Dolphins. Plenty of time laying down to the Bengals towards the end of that. I was gonna say that save Dolpin's b lead earlier they won it. Let's move back to Sunday, empty backfield. Jackson out of the shotgun. What's the old Blootz pressure coming? Jackson hit Lobs to the ends all touchdown, Mark and Andrews ad lived to perfection from Jackson to Andrews and the Ravens converts in the final minute of the half. The Hey will soon be in the barn. Jerry Sandusky

w B A L. Yes. Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes, two to Mark Andrews late in the second quarter, and he ran for another hundred yards. Lamar Jackson, this is if there was any doubt, this kind of removed it. He is the m v P. You'll find out for sure in about a month, but uh yes. The Ravens clinched the top seed in the a f C Playoffs for the first time in their history with their eleventh

straight win over the Browns. Mark Baltimore's offense took some time to get going, but there's an inevitability and inevitability about this team. They just always get you in the end. They do, and they're the reason I asked you to

play that highlight was that it capped um or. It was right sandwiched in between a sequence that went from the end of the first half early into the third that highlighted for me everything that's wrong with the Browns and everything that's right with the Ravens, where basically all right, there there's a the Browns are up six nothing and had done a really nice job on defense of making this a tough world for Lamar Jackson and the rest of the offense, and they had another marketing and fumble,

which happened the first time they beat Baltimore. Things were going their way and they their offense, you know, is has issues Cleveland, but they basically so the Ravens go on what is a very quick to place sixty three yard touchdown march, all right, takes about a minute. The brown march. Yes, I don't know if that's a march. You're just like basically just threw a rope for a touchdown. The Browns get the ball back and they're down seven six.

You've got to find a way to get out of that half before just stop the bleeding, get out of that half, because you're you're kicking off to Baltimore. So what do they do. They fire off a string of passes there, there's three and out in the in their drive, takes twenty three seconds. You give the ball right back to Baltimore on a short field and that just happened the highlights. So suddenly it's fourteen six, you come out

of half, you kick the ball back to Baltimore. They ripped down the field on thirteen play sixty nine yards, taking up eight minutes nearly of the set of the third right, that's a march and they're up twenty one six, and you know the game is over, and the game is over because they are well coached, They understand situational awareness. They understand how to deal with the final two or three minutes of a half and maximize it and use it in a way that destroys their opponent. In Cleveland

is absolutely the opposite end of the spectrum. They looked lost, completely lost. You have by the end of this game,

Odell Beckham screaming at Freddy Kitchens on the sideline. Now they said later because this was the Browns climb back in and went for an early two point conversion when they would have needed another touchdown to tie, and you know you got, you got Baker Mayfield throwing to Ricky Seals Jones where Odell Beckham is basically that Tony Romol thought he was annoyed at Freddie Kitchens for saying, why

isn't the ball obviously going to me? Why why is not the whole play on our season is on the line with a very you know, very little oxygen left, and we're throwing to Ricky Seals Jones and you know that after the game, Freddy Kitchen said, no, it was Odell upset about the Ravens and the way the Ravens were,

you know, playing physical with him. I I just don't know what I buy at this point, because every game to me is a reflection of a coaching staff and an overall an organization that had spent the whole year cannot get out of their own way. And today was against your mortal enemy, the Baltimore Ravens, the team ripped from you and the team that's going on to have the success that you should have if you were a functional organization. The Brown cannot make it happen. And it

was one of the more depressing losses. And you have to there it is well, it is inexcusable. For fifteen weeks, Mark and what has been since I known him, the most disappointing Brown season. Given how exciting everything was heading into it, Mark for fifteen weeks was in pretty good shape in the newsroom, did not really get upset, did not get very annoyed. Uh kind of un it as

in its own level of inevitability. But for some reason this game is the one that got you the maybe not the storm was so quiet as if to be non existent for fifteen weeks, but today the quiet storm raged. Well they've squeezed and I you know, Brown's fans, I'm sure at this point are just they find new ways to to author terrible seasons. And this this just is any team where you don't add up to the talent of your roster. We talked about it with the Cowboys.

It's just inexcusable. And you know, by all accounts we met with Freddy Kitchens. I like the guy, seems like a good guy. It's not a personal thing. But I don't know how you argue that you bring the staff back for next season. There's just no way. And it's another one and done scenario. It's embarrassing, but you have to hope you can get someone in here that can work with this locker room. Mark Ingram left this game with a injury of some kind. Is it anything to

worry about? I you know, he at one point he was hurt. Lamar Jackson was hobbling around, Mark Andrews was hoppling around, and I just they need they need rest. I don't know what the deal with and Adam Scheff to report it. It's a strain, right, and there's no structural issues or anything like that. So it's it sounds like I just you went, you might not see him next week when they play the Steelers, right, and then

that's three weeks off for them, which is tricky. But they're wrapping up, you know, one of the great regular seasons, uh, the last twenty thirty years. That's how good this Ravens team is that I'm not surprised that the Ravens defense kind of choked out this Brown's offense eventually, because that's what's changed the most most since they met in Week four.

I'm just like amazed looking at Lamar Jackson going over a hundred yards again rushing and it's not even a big deal anymore that he ran for a hundred and seventy six times this year for over twelve hundred yards, averaging you know, almost seven yards per carry, assuming he

threw for thirty six touchdowns too. By the way that I know, we're just like used to it at this point, because but to think of if anyone had thought that this was possible in August, even his biggest fans like that, that Lamar Jackson, of all these guys, who was drafted right, is the m V m v P and m v P playing football And it's just, I don't know, it's

it's it's amazing. In the time we've done this podcast, we've had some really incredible individual season in individual seasons Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Mahomes last year, but this one just feels unique. It's like we've never

seen anything like that. And it's the way the whole organization bought into this, where you know, when the entire rest of the NFL doubted that it be done and it was, oh, it's a nice it's five or six games stretch last year and then they were figured out in the playoffs and it's not gonna work. And it's like, no, everyone's rusty. That playoff loss where he looked, you know, so exposed for three and a half quarters, that was

the last time we saw him before this happened. Uh, it's just remarkable what he's turned into in such a fast, expedient man. And it's a team. He's the key and they built it all around him. But it is like his success and the m v P is a is a is a team thing because he wouldn't be able to only throw the ball twenty five times or less in every game since weeks six unless their defense was playing that well, unless every you know the offensive line.

I mean, he's the key that makes them all look better, and that's why he's the m v P. But it's pretty remarkable that they've been able to keep with that formula every single week. I think Baltimore is an underrated place to have to go play, and they have home field advantage. I I just don't know who's gonna take him out at this point. We will see Greg what you care to guess whether John Horrible was going to play r G three for at least court recorders next.

I think he's gonna play them, maybe the whole game, because Garafolo did indicate earlier this week that they would probably sit Lamar Jackson. So I wouldn't be surprised if RG three starts, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens backups or at least, you know, you can't sit everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens backup beat the Steelers. These we saw it in two thousand four. I remember when the Steelers back up it's the Steelers backups mostly too.

But yeah, right, that's what that's partly what I mean, Like, I think the Ravens backups with r G three can can have a good chance to beat Duck Hodges and whoever the Steelers are lining up. I wouldn't say that that's uh just a game that you chalk up. I just remember so distinctly that two thousand and four Steelers team, which was great, who had the one seed, sat everyone they played, Willie Parker and their backups in in week seventeen, Bills fans got knocked out of the playoffs with a

home game thinking that they're gonna beat their backups. I don't know this Ravens organizations specially. Thing i'd say is whenever RG three has been in there, I mean they be as like it falls that offense falls into unwatched. What does it matter? Doesn't It don't matter for the Steelers. But yeah, um, alright, we're gonna get to the Steelers

in a second. But there was another upset, uh to dig into this in the NFC three receivers in the game shotguns that Honey's gonna throw looking to his left, and trouble gets Hip breaks out of there, rolling right to the twenty, to the fifteen, cuts back to the left of its end. He's at the five and he's got the first down as he dives to the three yard line. Oh my goodness. I mean you literally had a Seahawk with his arms around his waist in the pocket.

Somehow he got out of that and then an incredible run by seven. Um Man, I want Ron Wolfie at Thanksgiving dinner next year, thanks Christmas dinner. Simply invite him. I'm sure, I'm sure he would do that for Ron Wilfy and Dave Pass on the play by play for the Cardinals radio network. Guess Brad Hunley remember him. He replaced an injured Kyler Murray, and he gave the Seahawks fits on defense, making big plays to close out a rather surprising upset win over the Seahawks in the Clank Greg.

The Seahawks can still win the NFC West with a win next week against the Niners. But you know, this loss and some crushing injury news kind of puts the whole their whole season in a different category. Now, no team had a worst day. They lost Dwayne Brown. Uh, you know, before the game even started. And it turns out he's gonna need a knee surgery. That's their left tackle, Mikey Yapotty, their guard went in and out of this game,

missed most of the first half. Chris Carson is expected to miss the rest of the season after supper hip injury. C J. Prosise, who came in as Carson's backup, also got hurt and will be out UH four week seven is already out, broke his arm. And who's the defensive player that I'm now forgetting got hurt. We'll get back to Jenavion Clowney didn't play in this game and maybe he'll return in that will help. And they could have used him because even before all these injuries kept cascading,

the Seahawks defense had nor You always some relative. He's him and Jadaveon Clowney although you met each other once and you interviewed him with this guy for all the talking points. Is never on the field, Well, factually that couldn't. That's totally wrong. Until this year. He played a higher percentage of snaps over the last three years and literally

almost any this year. He he's always playing through and getting the way of our muck raking journalists this year, He's definitely been off and on and that has hurt them big time. Uh. It's remarkable and yet not totally shocking to see their defense I go against the Cardinals. The bigger surprise was that Russell Wilson could not come up with anything offensively throughout the entire day, even before these injuries were happening. They had a first drive touchdown,

and then after that they couldn't get anything gone. I mean, I mean, you looked at this, DK Metcalf targeted once a drop and that was it. And then Tyler Lockett, a guy we were just singing the praises of heading into this game, um because he was healthy and making plays again, he shows up in this game and he finishes with one catch up for twelve yards on eight targets. This is not what we expected ever from the Seahawks offense.

And I know this doesn't as I laid out at the top of this, this does not end their season this loss, but it's just something seemed very wrong with how many people out there lost their fantasy championships today and probably maybe even't get there because of what's happened to Chris Carson. And then how many one because they had Kenyan Drake, who has six touchdowns in two weeks and went off for a hundred and sixty six yards, stayed,

turning David Johnson once again into a raging afterthought. Two carries for three yards for David Johnson, who was once viewed as like the future of the position, and the Kenyan Drake's a free agent, so they have to decide whether to pay him and cut David Johnson, or pay both or what's going well, they're gonna cut. They're definitely cut David Johnson. And they did say they want to sign Drake. His price tag went up, but he fits

that offense. I give Cliff Kings very so much credit and it was almost fitting that his best moment as a coach, a rookie coach was with Brent Hunley on the field running plays. The fact that they were able to still have a decent running game, and some of it was just improvised Hunley scrambling, but some of it was Kenyan Drake's runs that were very creative that even with Hunley at quarterback, they were able to move the ball. The Seahawks did come back, you know, they were down

twenty seven. They cut it to it's ten minutes left. The clink is going crazy, and you think, Okay, they're gonna come back and win this game. That's what they do. And then the Hunley led Cardinals go on a nine play, seventy eight yard, five and a half a minute touchdown drive to in the game. That was the most surprising

thing I saw a day. Chandler Jones four sacks, two forced fumbles now Joinsbert Mathis as the only players in history with nineteen sacks and eight four forced fumbles in a season that includes guys like Deacon Jones before the sack was invented. Per Pro Football Journal, which has researched all the back from the ProFootball Journal from that, he's got to be in the year too, Okay, And I get that he's been one of the most underrated guys.

He should probably be an All Pro. But take a game like today going against the backup left tackle Jamarco Jones, and like, I want to see you do it against the best left tackles the league. Here's one thing I love about Chandler Jones. One of those forced fumbles was him running seventeen yards down the field and knock the ball out of David Moore, and that was one of the things I loved watching him when he was on

the Patriots. He is just a man on fire every play in terms of his hustle, and that's sometimes why he gets these like clean up coverage sacks. So credit to him. But I did want to quickly mentioned how poor Pete Carroll handled this game. In my mind, it was just it was just it was a Pete Carroll game. Fans know what I'm now, there's how I've done it.

Sahawks corner. Now it's his turn to get all right third, third and one, Russell Wilson throws the ball d p's at around the forty I think he past the forty yard line early in the game. He ends up throwing it deep taking a shot on the third and one. He said after the game it's because he assumed they were going to go for it on fourth and one, but nope. He's got Pete Carroll as as a coach,

he should know better. Not only did they not go for it, they punted the ball instead of kicking a fifty one attempting a fifty one yard field goal later in the game. Jason Meyer's the same kicker hit a fifty two yard or with room to spare to that same end in the in the in the fourth quarter, Uh, they had a fourth and three, I believe in the red zone where they decided to kick a field goal to make it twenty to ten. So they're trying to catch up with field goals instead of going for it

on four down. And then there's also a third and three before one of these field goes where you hand it off to Travis Holmes. That's the one that got me fourth string running back. You're on your fourth string running back and you're still trying to establish the run. And look that their offensive line can't protect Russell Wilson. So it's kind of your damned if you do, damned if you don't. But give russ a chance. All right,

that's fair. Do you feel better? Uh? And Chandler Jones nineteen sacks the record quote unquote twenty two and a half. Michael Strahan, give that record. It's dignity back. It was stolen when Brett Farbs slid at Michael Strahan's feet on the final game in the two thousand one season. A disgrace well, taking it away from Jet's great mark Eston. Now give it. It's dignity back. And what does he

need nineteen somebody to do the math? Another game like today, Another game like today that's against Jared Goff and the Rams, whose offensive line is not exactly a shining star. Get that record. It's dignity back, the further get away from the Brett five. It's really funny he did that. If you think about it, like at that he would liked straight hand that much, and then he was just like collegial enough. That is a much revisioned his history. Here,

isn't it a bootleg? He turns around his straight hands in his face, so he decides to take a plan. It was. It was late in the game and the Packers, I believe, had it sewed away, and it was pretty clear that they set it up. Himself said he basically said, I'm gonna roll this way and set it up. Because there he's admitted that. Yeah, I mean, it's it's a disgrace what happened, all right, Kyler Murray. I didn't even meant,

you know, in a hamstring injury. They probably he made a couple of good plays before he left, but you would think, well, we'll see he heard his hamstring and who starting it running back for the Seahawks in the biggest game of the season. Travis Homer. Yeah, d run his deep and we're not in Mark Yastino's record. Who was the chest bothers me a little bit. My franchise has nothing. Kristen Michael and speed Uh or well they richardson Mark Well they also just they worked out Robert

Turban last week's all right? The other big upset on Sunday four and seven. Hodges in the shotgun pre Receiprens Jets putting in all out plits. He funds the snuff. Carls went up the liddle the field. It's inlet. They missed to Smith season. Greg Williams brought the house. Then the Jets get the stop on downs and it will be victory formation for New York. Yeah, Bob Wish shoes and with the call the Jets radio network. Uh, the Steelers,

they're not taking care of their own business. Pittsburgh's path to the playoff playoffs got a lot murkier after sixteen ten loss to the Jets at the Meadowlands. This was a game that featured a Duck Hodges benching a Mason's and Rudolph injury, a Duck Hodges return, but no Steelers magic on offense. It's a trend West and he's all important December games. What has changed for this Pittsburgh offense from where they were three weeks ago when everybody was

feeling good, to where they are now. I think luck like Duck Hodges was always a little over his head that he wasn't good enough to be playing. I mean, he was your boy, though anyone who wasn't Mason Rudolph was my boy. I think this is being way misery representative. Every time, every time I talked about Duck Hodges, I said, he has obvious limitations, doesn't have an NFL arm, and

it's an undrafted free agent rookie. Well you said he was clearly you know, the best quarterback is sitting on the bench and unfre Unfortunately, this was a the last

two weeks have been a Mason Rudolph. You know, like performances, I mean seventeen throws for eighty four yards and two picks of this game, Well, there was an eight possession sequence from the end of last game through the beginning of this game where he threw five interceptions and had three three and ounce and there went the Steelers season. They have they they have gone seven and three in their last ten games and then three losses. They've averaged

nine points. And I would say Hodges's credit, he he threw two early picks which led to the benching. He comes in on that last drive. He throws a pretty nice ball to James Washington in the end zone on third down, and Marcus May, who had a nice game for the Jets, did a really nice job and one on one coverage with Greig Williams, he was aggressive. He went after him twice in a row, and then on fourth down a snap that he drops. It wasn't a great snap, but Hodges probably should have caught it on

a fly. But he even recovered enough to give give Juju Juju Smith Schuster a chance. And this just has not been Jujus year. He didn't even really come close to it. But uh so, Hodges didn't totally flame out in the last possession like he did the previous week. But at the same time, West and you talked about this, uh downstairs earlier. It's just another reminded of the Steelers are paying for their sins of never finding a real capable person to put behind Big Ben. Well, every team

whips on some guys. But whereas the Patriots find at Jimmy Garoppolo and the Jacoby percent, the Steelers have had Landry Jones, Josh Dobbs who they traded away, Mason Rudolph who flamed out and they had to turn I mean, how many times have you ever seen a playoff contender

play an undrafted rookie at quarterback? No, but they they loved Mason Rudolph in the what you couldn't see him in real games, but the reports on him, whether the coaching staff was smitten with his you know, traits and abilities, and then you get them in real life games and you realize and like we were, we are a week away very possibly having an eight and eight team in

the a f C make the playoffs. And there are put the Steelers in that flock of clubs that have to look back on a game like today, in a series of games that just like, could any of these teams get hot and get it get and make it happen? I mean, this is there's any scenario happening at the end, right. I think if you're the Chiefs, who at least right

now are holding the three seed. You look at the differences in danger compared between Tennessee and anyone else that could get the sixth seed, which at this point is just Pittsburgh and Oakland. Who who will get to and to me, the Titans are a very dangerous team, uh if they get in as the sixth seed, and right now they are in position to do that, whereas Pittsburgh

and certainly Oakland would be a list. Well, and Dan, you talked about how Duck didn't he didn't do so badly on that final drive, but after they put him back in and even before they put him back and he played scared too too much in this game, Dan, he got rid of the ball too quickly. He was

afraid of pressure. He played scared. I saw your tweet and it reminds me just basically everything happen in Cleveland where uh there was the report that the locker room is down on Gaze for what his tough guy acting that they've been responding more to Greg Williams and I feel like, you know, there are predictions that the two of them could but heads not that they are, But does it change the way I mean, are were probably

gonna say. My point I was gonna make two before he moved on, was that Adam Gates is a profoundly unpopular figure among Jets fans and perhaps inside his own building.

But to his credit, after that one and seven start, uh, they have a chance to go seven and nine if they win on Sunday, And that is nothing to celebrate, but that tells you that this team never quit on Gaze despite all the you know, setbacks and disappointment and injuries and and some of the offensive play calling which has not been good, and it wasn't good in this

game either after an early touchdown. And I just want to throw one thing out there, Greg Williams, when you talk about assistant Coach of the Year discussions, he's not gonna get it. Nobody's ever gonna give Greg Williams any trophy. However, what he's been able to do, He's turned that Jets defense into a top ten unit. Uh, And the number of injuries that group has had and the lack of talent, what he's been able to scheme his way to really deserves some credit. Whether you like the guy or not,

the Jets defense has been good this year. And no, I want to go that far I want to go, but we don't get on a New York City for it. But I don't know if he's gonna be back either, because you know, he's a guy that burns out quickly behind the scenes as well. But he gets credit for that um t J Watt big force fumble in this game. Maybe he helps his defensive Player of the Year case.

And then Mike Tomlin, who I never bought that he should have been in the coach of the ear race, but that's definitely over after the if you're not compared to John Harbaugh to me, I mean in the race, it could be right, but it's like that in what in what the Ravens head coach is getting head coach? Well, you know I'm on board with that at this point. If not for that t J watch strip sack, that Steelers probably finished the game with three points instead of ten.

That's fair. That's fair, dog, all right. Speaking of the Raiders, can take this opening drive in their second half into the back hits and zone touchdown Raiders opening from third quarter. Staying alive, that's the theme today, and staying alive so far all four other things that had to happen today happened. Did now the Raiders win this and they'll go to Denver with a chance to be the sixth seed in the a f C. He wasn't true. You can't say

that's not accurate, Friend, Musburger k CBS West. Before the show is on fire that people are plugged in on this Raider's chances of making the play offs. Man, what does Saturday teach us? You want good teams because you'll get good football. You guys keep rooting for bad teams. Greg and I were discussing by the Raiders. Whoever does get that playoff spot is they're not long for this world regardless. But anyway, Oakland Raiders, they keep their playoff

hopes alive. Seventeen over the Chargers in front of a sea of silver and black at Dignity Health Sports Park. What a mess the whole situation. Um Charges were going with a silent count on offense because the road fans were so loud. Mark uh This stat from the great Neil Reynolds of Sky Sports over in London entering Sunday. The Raiders had a one and two chants of making the playoffs. They'll wake up Monday with a one and

eight shot in week seventeen. Well, you know, I understand West's point that UH rooting for a team like this, just pointing out that statistically they made a huge jump in terms of playing. I like things like this in sports. Um, how do you not win the Jaguars game? Well, that's that. It makes it makes last week's inexcusable loss even tougher to fall them right, they would be tied right now at eight and seven with the Steelers and the Titans.

It's it's unbelievable. And because this was as much of a home game as that was, and and and the broadcast crew pointed out they were there because you can't tell on TV. It seems like there's a lot of Raiders fans. They put it at like noise level and support level for the Raiders, which is, you know, we

can get to that in a second. But the reason I picked that uh cap drive capping touchdown right there was that this game felt to me, And I mentioned to you guys call times utterly formless, and I was like struggling to find anything from it that was even vaguely relevant. But then the Raiders open, They're up fourteen seven and looking very Raiders ish and the Chargers have

already gone to sleep. I don't know what that what what is happening with them, but they are up fourteen seven and put together an effective nine minute drive that did two things. I thought it tired out the Los Angeles defen and they never really were the same after that. And basically just challenge Philip Rivers, who spent the entire game with his right thumb taped up, and you know he was not in a good place. He had a glove on his other hand just to even be able

to protect the ball well. And you know that Raider that Chargers game from a couple of weeks ago where Rivers went up, was on fire and joining at people, and it was the Jaguars. It makes that seem even the more ridiculous because two weeks in a row they've they've not gotten the job done. I don't know what to say about Oakland. I mean, they just have no weapons at all, and they don't have Josh Jacobs right now.

And it's a little bit of Hunter Renfro, it's a little bit of Darren Wallers, a lot of Hunter Renfro who today, to Greg's chagrin, he is the Janga piece of that offense, he's the guy that keeps everything together in that passing attack, he goes over a hundred yards. He he is the evolutionary Wayne Crabet and everybody knows it. Well, okay, I mean, I'll side with you on that one. I just coming out like I do. I'll take the Renfro has come along. Well, it's been one of the best

four hundred and ninety yards in a while. Well that's all they have. But they I just cannot imagine what is going to happen to this Chargers team. And you know, it's not something that the that the NFL wants people to to talk about and complain about. When you put them, well you put them into an eighties seventy stadium, what is going to be the weekly the optics silent Snap Catalyst counted home it was. It was Yeah, it's well, it's a huge disadvantage to the organization, but it's one.

It's one that they created, that the Chargers created. I did want to mention this article that crack me up from our old friend Gilbert Manzana, remember, and it was he was asking some of the Chargers players if they knew the name of the of the stadium they played in. Uh, and they didn't. You know, are a few of many of them did not. Austin Nekeler guests it was Divinity Health Field, which is not. Some of them call it the dig which I didn't know about. But this is it.

The was the stubhab it turned into dignity to the colisseum, and this was it. And so it was a three years of Sure they don't, they don't have fund memories that the key was. Yet the players all said, I we are ready to get out of here. These corporate name stadiums changed their name every year. I can't blame players for not keeping up with it. Uh, let's move up. Thirty gold three Jones in the shotgun, Barkley to his right, he calls out, signals, takes the snaff, He's back to

throw far as when right, touchdown Giants Tayton Smith. Then they went in overtime, second touchdown cat for Smith, Jones Smith touchdown pass of the ball game, and the Giants win it in overtime on thirty five Bob popa w f A and Yes, Daniel Jones through for three fifty two yards and a career high five touchdown passes, including that game winner in o t lifting those Giants whom five over the skins Jones, he wasn't the only young Giant star on shining display. S Quon Barkley steady franchise

wreck gird Gentleman. I mean, this is a decorated franchise who seventy nine yards from scrimmage too long touchdowns. It was a Davy Gentleman fever dream, um. And that's the thing that my takeaway from the Giants at the stage that they have so much work to do and it's been a terrible season, and it's been a run of bad football for this team, um for the most part, outside of one largely forgettable. Who's the head coach with the really bad hair, Ray Hanley? No, no, no, they

went eleven and five or ten and six. I mean he's the best. Why did I dial that he had like a comb? I mean he's the best Giants coach of the decade, including Tom Alright, you lost twice, you got beat twice, Yeah that was and forty six is never going away anyway. They have so much work to do, the Giants, and Dave Gentleman doesn't deserve a raid because a lot of his moves haven't worked out. But there are worst places to be in than to have a

high draft pick. And I don't know the salary cap situation, but uh, to have Daniel Daniel Jones. And this is not his first game the season where he's piled up these monster stats. I I meant to go back and check it out. According to Gil Brandt on Twitter, Jones is the only rookie since at least nineteen fifty with three fifty plus passing yards, five plus passing TVs and

zero interceptions in a game. And Barkley this is the performance you expected more of these type of games, but it's just a reminder of how incredibly talented he is. He is the type of guy that you could get on his back and take you to the super Bowl if you have the right team around him. So as far as John's goes, they have so much work to do,

but they have two potential big pieces. Barkley, we know he's already a superstar, but Jones is shown certainly enough in his rookie year to make you think they have a guy that they can really build around. I found an interes staying this report that when Dwayne Haskins went out with an ankle injury that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder told him not to come back in the game. What

or is that not? Skins clarified after the game that the doctor told him not to and then has and then the owner basically said listen to listen to the doctor. You know. Well that feels less controversial. Yeah, well that's the way it was fun After the game. The initial report was curious. So that's what Haskins told the media. And then a Redskins spokesman came out immediately like no, no, no, no, no, that's not how it played out. Him came in and

and almost led them to victory. But because the Redskins defense was so bad and lost it in overtime, you got the Redskins with the number two pick in the draft, which in this draft, especially with Chase Young sitting out there, Uh, it's very advantageous. They just need to lose once more. Yeah,

that in fact possible. I was kind of blown away that after uh case Keenum led the Redskins on a ninety nine yard touchdown drive to pull them within one point, and with gets to play, they opted to kick the extra point and play for overtimes, like, what are we doing here? Yeah, the movies to go for two there either win or lose. And by the way, wink wink, throw it over the crossbar and let's let's get to town with Chase Young. But anyway, he'd kicked the extra

point and Daniel Jones did the rest. I like, I set up all that gentleman stuff, and it was just silence in the room because nobody likes to talk about Dave Getleman was waiting for someone else. Every time one side says look at the scoreboard, the other side looks done for a month. I would like to have a parade for him. That would be fun. Just means it hasn't gone well, and they now they're set up for

the number four picket. Looks like they'll stay ahead of Miami next week as well in terms of strength of schedule, so if they don't win that, they're at him. But I'm not crazy. Jones has had he's stacked together. I know he's had bad games too. He's had monster game. He's had some monster like bang on a banged up NFC games. Uh, it's been up and down, but there's definitely been those big time moments. I mean this game

had twenty eight points before there was an incompletion. Has you know the running games and Haskins and him, We're going back. If Baker or Donald throw five touchdowns and zero picks last game, we would be running around the building with no clothes on it. And the thing with the whole thing, it would be treated differently, would it

be great? And the whole thing with the with going back into the game and the owner that you could lay that out and put team X and everyone would say, oh, we know who what team was responsible for the Shenanigans or this controversy and that's a problem there. All right, Let's move on straight eye formation slot right. They handed off Philip Lindsay straight ahead and lives his nest. Lindsay and sideventeen high steps inside the five touchdown. Denver Fello

up Lindsey his seventh rushing touchdown of the year. That's a scamper of twenty seven yards and it extends the Broncos lead to seven. Team was six nine left Dave Logan with a call that was the final score of the game. Philip Lindsay seals it with that touch down and Drew Lock delivered another promising performance. Sobroncos over the Browns. Lions. Excuse me, who have now dropped eighth straight West? You picked this game for the grass field the men would

play on. Did you get anything else out of it? So Lindsay looks good, uh Drew Lock. You can't really take a whole lot out of this one. It was mostly the Philip Lindsay show. He did lead an impressive drive where he threw the ball to day Shawn Hamilton. He might have had the best game of his career. I was just wondering a week or two ago if this guy just isn't very good and will never be a starting caliber receiver for the Broncos. But he had

a pretty good game today. Uh Lock was good and the Lions had their first lead of December for a while. I mean that's saying something. They they had a Jamal agnew return punt return for a touchdown, and Kenny Galladay played well as he always does, and uh Blow shrunk against pass pressure as he usually does. Now, wait minute, well let's all right, but if I'll have to go check out this game extensively myself, I mean, by the very nature of your club, you have to stick with

the quarterback. Well, thank you, I was gonna. I did notice that the blowhards who support David blow um along with the bohemians who are both Scarborough fans. Those two players combined and one of them is a quarterback for a hundred and fifty one total yards. So we're gone. We're gonna go through some tough stretches supporting these guys. But if you think that we're gonna jump ship at some point, uh well, David blow will do something in his life. We will report on him no matter what

he's doing, whether it's on the field or not. A lion's up to the number three pick. Gotta snuck in there. Gotta snuck in there. If the Redskins mess around and and bet the Redskins next week is like a nine game losing streak to end your season, that could really do one. Undoubtedly Bob Quinn will do the right thing with that. That draft slob. Let's move on, move Onield Jackson. While four quick, bro, that's Freeman the catch touchdown. Atlanta caught it at the two and then just kind of

backed his way into the end zone. He took to Rod Wilson and Trey Herndon wooded so DeVante Freeman on the board, on the ground and through the air and it's thirteen nothing Atlanta West Durham and the Falcons radio network. DeVante DeVante Freeman scored two touchdowns before the Jacksonville Jaguars even took a snap, and uh that was enough and the Falcons beat the Jaguars. And a matchup between two two teams thinking about whether they want to fire their

head coaches yep, the Hot Butt Bowl. Uh So this would be another positive Sunday on the save Dan Quinn front because they have a chance after one and seven, start to finish the second half of the season six and two. And that's the type of stuff that makes ownership think twice, unless, of course, Arthur Blank already decided at one and seven that he wanted to hit the reset button. We'll find out soon enough. Um. And a couple of things. We get the report for me and

Rapp report this weekend. Same thing. Why let's hold off on this stuff that Doug Moron after the Tom Coughlin firing might actually be safe and he might continue on in is the head coach along with David Caldwell. With David called all the GM although Tony con who we've met, very nice man. He can end up having a greater role potentially, uh in the decision making of the team. Um. And then you go out in the Jaguars, you know, lay another egg in a game that is kind It

was not even it wasn't even that entertaining. Uh, your boy Minshew did nothing until the very end of the game, nineteen yards passing, like with minutes to go in the second quarter. I know, but he's your guy, so I don't know. Um. And I want to focus on Julio Jones before we move on, because Wes, he made a good point when we were in our conversation about the All Decade team. Uh that uh almost you know, he flies under the radar a little bit. How great this

man has been. On Sunday, Julio Jones had his fifty fifth career one yard receiving day. UM. That is the most among active players, the fourth most all time. And if he manages eighty four yards next week, he'll tie Jerry Rice. Yes, Jerry Rice, for the most fourteen hundred yards seasons at receiver. And so Julio is gonna do it six years in a row. If he does six years in a row. And keep in mind Jones is still just thirty years old. It's been remarkable what him,

oh what he and Matt Ryan have done together. Yes, they blew the Super Bowl, but it's not all about that. What this these two guys have done as a tandem. By the way, Julio Jones didn't blow this. Yea, he made the catch that should have locked up the Super Bowl against the Patriots, but that's a different conversation. This is a tremendous player. We get to watch greatness every Sunday, even if the Falcons aren't very good. Left footed kicker gets this one away a high spiraling kick. He turned

it over, backing up nine lines inside his twenty. Now near side numbers thirty five, forty forty five down. The dear sunline has the putter theatre, so he's at the thirty's at the twenty. He's gonna go ninevehnes up punt return for a touchdown. HIGs takes it all the way back the cla nothing. Matt Taylor, Colts Radio Network of the Call, and Nwhaim Hines became the first NFL player in seven years to score two punt returns in the same game. And he set up another touchdown with a

long return early in the game. I mean, it's like one of the Greig six win for the Cults over the Panthers is one of the best special teams performances the NFL history based on what I'm seeing here. Yeah, I mean, you don't know what you're gonna see when you sign up for Colts, Panthers and Eats sixteen, but you got one of the great punt return performances. It

was only three returns. One was for forty yards, which set up there for touchdown, and then their next The next two was an eighty four yard touchdown, which we heard and that the seventy one yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter was even more electric. It wasn't just the blocking, it was him making guys miss. It just made me wonder, like, why was Naim behind not the pun return until this week? You gotta get gotta get bones fossil and Carolina is their next head coach. Let's

put this in perspective. There's only six guys who have more punt return yards all season than Naim Hines had on Sunday. Right, we're in NFL where they love thisn't happening anymore. And it was essentially Eric metcalfeean you know, which is it too late to make the Cults the team of around the NFL a little bit? Yeah, so he he set it up. There wasn't there wasn't too

much else. I know. Our friend Spice Rack had a lot of hopes, hopefully just hopes pinned on Bill Greer today and based on the text that felt like a lot was on the line. Well, he was over seven with three interceptions on deep passes today and we were told to watch for deep pass they did. He his first throw was like fifty yards down the field. It was pretty well covered. It was Alrea incomplete. Uh. Two of those interceptions were uh in the last three minutes

of the game. So sometimes garbage time goes goes wrong, you know, But he didn't. He didn't really make any plays that made you excited. Interesting when garbage time goes wrong. Ian reported that the Cults will take a long look at the quarterback position and would be open to drafting someone, and that they're you know, of course, I mean well not of course debating that on Thursday, but I think you have too with this. I think the thing is will they go after like a veteran because you could

get out of his contract easily enough. Jacoby Brissette, that is, who did not play well today. I mean he didn't look any better than Will Greer. Anybody's stock on lower in the last eight weeks in Jacoby Brissette to where he is playing in theory through an injury. Um, but he's just so inaccurate. All his balls, his passes are are sailing. They somehow scored thirty eight points with him

completing fourteen nineteen yards. But you have him Hines and a rugged running game racked up over a couple of hundred yards. You know you're gonna do it. Anthes just wait for that offseason vacation at the Colts have a playoff chance, right Greg, No, they're done. They are done. But they am glad you said this just so that I can But they all wait. They are they are a factor in a playoffs scenario because here's what they

can do. We forgot to mention with the Raiders. We should at least spell it out what needs to happen. The Colts are involved in the Colts if they win at Jacksonville West next Sunday, they could be part of a four way eight and eight tie that would send the Raiders to the playoffs because they would win that fight. For for that to happen, not only do the Colts have to win, the Steelers have to have to lose at the Ravens not impossible, The Titans have to lose

at the Texans, not impossible. And the Raiders have to win in Denver and that would send them to the playoffs. And they just need some help from the hem Hims and a few other teams and Spice Rack. Nobody has any idea where you are anymore, but wherever you are, Merry Chris, We're bounced back. This was just you know, as a as a fleshmound, do any of these precious little calculations take into the fact that the Texans are

probably gonna arrest all their players and it won't matter anyway. No, the tech well that uh yeah, that would that would be a problem. Yeah, all your little twelve percent goes down to like point one point point. Allow people to dream to Miami we Go, I mean from the dirt knap guy. That's funny. It's the only one that's your Raiders where it is off the hole. Sanders trying to hold the down. Kick is up and the tick is good and the Biby Dolphins at the feet of the

Cincinnati bengalst thirty five and overtime. Livy goes to four and low level of the season. The Bengals called the one at fourteen and one of the most usual games in the history of the stadium. I mean, let's hear it that you don't get many with Jimmy Seplo, Dolphins Radio Network. The Dolphins gave up sixteen points in the final twenty nine seconds of regulation, but somehow regrouped, getting at Jason Sanders thirty seven yard or five dub for

the Dolphins. Miami had a thirty six lead, excuse lead with less than seven minutes to play, but watched Andy Dalton go ginger nuclear force overtime. The big picture mark the Bengals are one in fourteen and now own the number one overall pick in the draft, and you can't take it away from him. Hello Joe Barrow, Yeah, I thought, I mean for a minute that we were witnessing insane, glowing red Gingerman revenge on the organization he'll likely not

be with next year. By orchestrating this ferocious comeback. And you know, had they won and it didn't, and had something stuff happened next week, uh, you know, they would not have the number one overall picking Joe Burrow would be going somewhere else. Potentially would have been a delicious

Andy Dalton narrative to close the year. I mean, if I were the if I were the Bengals owner, I would have called down when they were trying to essentially tie the game to go into overtime with a with a two point conversion, and they I would have said, you listen, if Andy Dalton doesn't fire this ball into the stands, everyone down there is gone. And instead they let they they they're toying with fate going in overtime.

But the Dolphins, who had an incredible game today from Yan Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is just playing as well as anyone around at this point. Uh, they squeaked it out West. You watch this too. I don't do have anything else you wanted. It was this game started out total yards one fifty nine to one Dolphins over Bengals. And I had written in my notes when I turned the game off with about forty seconds left, I really stay with

it for a long time. This game not nearly as close as the final score will be, and that was thirty five to nine games. It was with thirty seconds left, and then the Bengals uh scored a touchdown and fourth down, had a two point version, had a successful onside kick, had a twenty nine yard touchdown with the clock hitting hero then had an untimed two point version, all in the final thirty seconds of the game. I don't think

we've ever seen that before. No, that was that was remarkable that they did that, and it worked out perfectly because, yes, West, as you pointed out, what would be more Cincinnati Bengals than this being you know, they'd lose that on borrow because of this insane one in a trillion scenario, and then whoever it goes with the first quarterback, well it ends up being you know, the next Tom Brady. That

nothing would be more Bangles than that. So let's just be thankful that the Bengals fans had a fun little moment there. Andy Dalton had maybe his last great moment in a Cincinnati uniform, and they still got what they needed to get. Well, fast forward to late April. No one knows who Mike Brown's gonna take until they're on the clock, and there will be some speculation. You know, it's already started that he'll take Chase Young because he loves Ohio state guy and he's a once in a

generation place and it's just Mike Brown. So we won't know until they actually called the pick. But well, you know, we've got four months to talk about business. The joke and scouting circles is the Bengals will draft the best Big Ten player available for a year, so of course it would be Chase Young. But there's another factor here. The Bengals are very This goes for all Cincinnati sports teams.

They love Ohio people and Joe Burrow is from Athens, Ohio perfect, so they'll probably take him because they do love the local Bengal Is it this should be covered? Is it just assumed that the right coach for Joe Burrow? And filled the blank? Is you know I'm saying, is are we sure that they're bringing him back? I think we know enough about Bengals, what Zach Taylor has had with him this year, and do we know anything about

Joe Burrow? I don't know it. This Dophen's team, we were quiet, we were questioning their very integrity early in the year people, you know, not the players and coaches, right, but the organization. And they now they're now they're in the fifth pick. You know, they won four games, they played too well. That could say that we were wrong for questioning the front office for trying to tank a season. Sure, but just more of that the NFL there was talking

and we had it on this podcast. At the talent level really wasn't that different ultimately because it's the NFL and all these players are at least good enough. Bryan Fitzpatrick now has as many four or more four touchdown games in his career than Matt Ryan or Tony Romo. Put him in put him in Canton, al right. Now on to Sunday Night. They're done in five for the Chiefs. Wiswall of the Bears. No score, big rush to the outside, Homes will scramble. He's at the town. He's the five

touchdown city. Patrick Mahomes runs it in from twelve yards from The Chiefs get a touchdown on their first drive of the game. Mitch Holt does Chiefs Radio Network. Yes, Sunday Night Football. It looked like a mismatch on paper, and that's exactly how it turned out. Patrick Mahomes got the Chiefs going with that rushing touchdown, the knee looking pretty good, I might add, uh, and the Bears never

really threatened to three. The final score, Kansas City moves to eleven and four, keeping themselves in the conversation for a first round by As we head toward week seventeen, the Bears playing out the string, and Bears fans who were loyal enough or you know, they're already in the hole for the tickets to go to this game at Soldier Field got some booing in on Trabinsky and the Bears offense, which was inefficient as ever Greg rosn Tall,

but that's story for another time. The Chiefs keep rolling. It's part of the story here because this Chief's defense is good enough, especially stopping the past to hold a really bad offense to twenty six yards of passing a

half time, which is what the Chiefs did today. They are able to just strangle these poor to teames, and we saw it last week against uh the Broncos, to the point where you feel like Patrick Mahomes in these couple of weeks, it's like, you know, it's like Michael Jordan's going out on like a back to back against the Suns that we only need like twenty seven and you know five out of you tonight. Let's save the real fireworks for the bigger challengers up the road. Chris

Jones and Frank Clark are healthy upfront. They had Terrell Suggs one one Thornhill and Honeting Badger. I feel like they're playing as one of the best safety duos in the league over the past month and this past defense gets better every week to the point where I think they're as good as teams like the Saints. Yeah, I mean what defenses. Look, the Patriots, Patriots and Bills have

better secondaries. Probably they do. But even even the best defenses that are making the playoffs, and I include the Patriots and the fort in this, I just don't feel that they're gonna come in like shut teams down every game. And in the Chiefs have holes, but their defense is good enough they're gonna be competitive with anyone. I don't think they're gonna be the reason that that they don't

go a long way the winning games. I mean the last year, it was, you know, every game, you know, you you knew the defense was gonna give up twenty seven points, and you had to have monster performances from the homes and the rest, and yeah, you're playing a bad opponent's day. But they made the Bears look as bad as ever. I mean, drives of fourteen four thirty two yards in the first half, a total disaster. I mean,

the Bears offense is offensive to the eyes. And I it's we are a week away from saying farewell to twenty teams and they are the one. And I think their fans would agree that I cannot wait to say goodbye to They need a long winters nap and I don't want to hear from them until August. After six prime time games this year, I'm guessing it was six.

That's the map they they'll they'll be down to let's say two to three, Yes, and maybe if they truly deserve a punishment for inflicting six primetime games upon us, including the kickoff game, just give them a Thursday night game next year to re establish their value. Robert May's made a good point, Robert May's of the ringer who

does good work over there. He made Uh, you know, this game was the connection obviously between Patrick mahomes Um, who has picked after Mitch Trobinski famously infamously Chicago traded up to go get Rabinsky um while there were superstar quarterbacks to be still on the board. May's Road. Patrick Mahomes was an incredibly difficult evaluation who landed in a perfect situation. Deshaun Watson was one of the greatest college

kubis ever. Passing on him is the franchise altering mistake. Uh, that's just this game is a reminder and one fans in Chicago are booing uh loudly. It's because this is gonna stick in their craw for a generation that they picked the wrong guy. And now that that decision, uh will be big. What what are the Bears do next to that possession, whether it's bringing in competition or finding a way out of the relationship entirely. But I want to make one more point about the Chiefs defense. We

as we've established, is playing really well right now. This is their fifth consecutive game now where they've allowed seventeen points or less um. And in these five games they've allowed all wins seventeen nine, sixteen, three and three points. It's just different. It's when we talk about the Patriots

are different this year the offense is just different. The thing with the Chiefs is maybe they're not scoring the way there and Mahomes isn't his like your eyes aren't popping out of your head watching what he's doing on

a weekly basis. But this is a more more rounded team and they continue to kind of lay in the weeds in the a f C is a team not to look past and a team that can absolutely going around, especially if they close out and they take care of business at home against the Chargers and then get get some get to get a break. And what is the break they need to get up? They need the Patriots

to lose to the Dolphins. That's the It's the type of thing that hasn't happened in this Patriots run where they end up giving the break to another team that would make their life. That the Chiefs. That is a lot easier. But they are seven and one on the road, and if any team could beat New England and Baltimore in a row on the road, I think it's this

Chief's team. There one road loss was that crazy game in Tennessee, which they should have won a few different ways, and and even if the score wasn't that high, it's like Kelsey is healthy, and Tyree Hills healthy, and Patrick Mahomes as he saw with the speed on that rushing touchdown, is healthy. They barely touched you know, Cleo Mac had the only quarterback hit on Patrick Mahomes the entire night.

They're not touching him like everything is just if you're a Chief fan, you just want to get past next week healthy and get on because I think they got a chance here. All this is true. We all love

how they're playing. It should be acknowledged that during this stretch where they're allowing nine point eight points per game on defense, they've played the Chargers, Raiders, Patriots, Broncos embarrass There's not a good offense in the bunch, right, That's why they'll give up points in yards against a good team. But I think they can. They can score with anyone. And I know Ravens fans don't think it matters much, but they've had that. They had the Ravens numbers last

two years. They beat him pretty soundly. Is Mitch Drabinsky the week win starter in Chicago? Now next year? I just don't know how you can do this again. But I've been tough on them, maybe overly so at times. But you know, unless than their GM one Executive of the year, well well in amid making all these decisions and their hands so that yeah, the award is the award is not indicative of product, but ran past and great gray hair, and uh, he'll get a chance to

rebuild this team. I don't know if Rabiscy will get a chance. No, it's not gonna hair. I got a text Ryan pays text while we were recording the podcast today from an unnamed um highly um esteemed member of talent here at NFL Network saying Ryan pays great hair, good looking. Dig dig in on that. But as in question if the if a little bit of a surprise that did we kind of miss the boat on this and I certainly will be doing it. Feels like a David Ealely text, Uh, I said talent um. Alright, let's now,

let's get out of here. It's a long day. A reminder again the Miami Improv the Thursday before the Super Bowl January thirty pm, we will be doing our live podcasting now annual Super Bowl show. Tickets available at what I believe is not not an offensive cost. And and you get to have a good a good football show that gets you ready for the big game exactly West is that's just pumped up about it, and we will be back. Are we going up Monday night with the

show or Tuesday? We'll figure that out, but we will be giving you all the content you need on on Christmas week. Do not worry. We'll have the wrap up of week sixteen with that big Vikings Packers tilt and then you know, the Christmas holiday and then right on the other side of that, yes, the preview of week seventeen. We don't stop. Other people stop, no break, We do not stop, all right, Stan handsOn signing out for a quiet storm, the mailman, the old Boss, Ricky, Holly, Hollywood,

and everybody behind the glass. Thank you till Tuesday.