2019 Week 17 Preview

How is everyone's Chris mine? Uh? It had moments I for personally that we're very enjoyable and fulfilling and hours where I thought, you know, our house, uh, feeling like a nineteen eighties Lebanon scenario needed Uh some quiet. Also give us some example of the Lebanon scene. Well, when everyone is shouting and screaming and like, you know, there's I don't know, it's like, it's wonderful, it's wonderfully chaotic. I'll put it. I'll put a positive spin on it.

Just beautifully cut out to our Lebaneese listeners. Eight leban On him today. I would imagine, Wes, how about you? You have a bun in the ove and so this is your last Christmas without a child, And that's that's interesting. It is Keisha's boss decided to be a good idea to schedule her at five in the morning on Christmas, even Christmas Day, So that's what we've been doing. And the day after Christmas just like that whip. Hey, we know she's gonna have a kid next year, so I

gotta squeeze those Christmas ships while we can. Keisha Westling is the first lady of the NFL media newsroom. How is that happening? We gotta get you know, Eily's been he's kind of been edging to get back on the show. Like he'll do his stop eyes at our cubicles and you know, mentioned the Panthers or some type of league news and then have a little bit of a take and it's clear that he's you know, this is the boss of Laksha and but this is what we really

need to get him on the horn to talk. Well, this is not the topic I would imagine he wants to come onto the show to discuss at length. But you know what that's not. He doesn't chili, You're famous Cincinnati Chili. You're feeling a little you know, that was

an all night holidays. Wow, you know I went to see cats not sober so that was really, uh, really a lot of strange life decisions when you spend pretty much I spend almost all my free time all year long with our fans, with my family except for the holidays. Super humble, right, is a strange h strange interesting? Please tell me you were alone watching Cats? No? No, I went with a couple of friends. Something mind altering caused you to go see Cats. Well, knives out was sold out.

That was the number one factor, and then we thought it might be uh fun and a unique experience. And you know what it was? Was Cats as bad as they say? Oh yeah, word, I mean it was. It was hilarious. You get the updated version. None of it made any sense. It was it felt like we had survived something afterwards. But it also was really hilariously updated c g I version of Cats. And I'm still working through last night my parents. Of course, Keith was on

the show um Our last episode on Monday night. My mom. Uh. And then Emily and I we watched the new Sandler film Uncut Gems last night. Uh. And I gotta say that my Francessa performance, you kind of undersold it. Francessa knocked it out of the park as the bookie. He was great. I just said he wasn't in the movie that no, he wasn't, but I couldn't believe how natural he was. Maybe it's all been an act all along. Uncut Games was was amazing. Definitely put that ahead of

Cats in your Alright, So here we are. We finally reached the end of the yellow brick road, week seventeen in the National Football League. Our league, this league, this league, not your league, not that, not that league, this league, but most importantly our league. You know how we know it's our league because we're here in a studio that looks like an interrogation room because no one else is in the building today. Um, and we just are. We're

doing it. We might have this, that's not true. The entire newsroom is totally packed like a normal Thursday, but the the audio department is different. So we're about four third floor. Are we the most popular podcast to ever not have a producer behind the glass of our own podcast in the middle of a show? In the running? In the running? Clearly a right. I'll be handling the bulk of production duties. Um. So if you find that I seem scattered or not as sharp as usual, it's

because you know, math is involved having a translation. We don't need little snarky tweets about what happened to Mike four. You know, between minute twenty and thirty, we've already laid it out to you. We are in a concerning scenario, alright, So let us get into it now. We do a draft style as we do every year every week, and this is it, man, this is Week seventeen. This is is all the games played in the Sunday early and late window and one primetime game. So we're gonna swing

through six team games. We do have to work out one thing. We decided to kinda so this podcast isn't two hours long to do a speed round of games that don't have any really playoff to real playoff ties. Are we taking them out of the draft? That makes sense, So remove them from the draft, and now we will get to the process. Who picked last last week? That

is a conversation. Do you pick first? So West, you are up, followed by Dan, followed by Mark, followed by Greg with the snake, So West, get us going baby the first pick in Week seventeen, I tried to find a game where both teams we're guaranteed to play their starters. The entire game, and both teams had playoff permutations on the line. They closest I could get was Titans Texans. And it depends on how much you believe Bill O'Brien.

I do not believe him at all that he's gonna be playing his starters the whole game, no matter what I think that what happens in other games and what happens to his own players in the first quarter and how the momentum of that game is going will factor in. Uh. What I like about this matchup? Ryan Tannehill has a chance to make some history here. He's completed seventy of his passes at over nine yards attempt and he could become the first guy to do that since Joe Montana

and eighty nine. Also the first guy to lead the league in passer rating and yards per attempt, which he's currently doined since Matt Ryan in two thousand and sixteen. So the way he's playing and Derrick Henry practicing fully, I like the Titans in this matchup. Well. I love how tanne Hill has been on third downs, Like for all the big plays that they've made when they've had a third and two, a third and six. I really think he's shown pretty significant progress from when he was

in Miami in terms of his decision making. His one big you know flaw as he holds the ball forever and that's just who he is. Uh, that hasn't totally left. But you see him changing the play at the line of scrimmage. Two of their long touchdowns came from that last week, and he just feels mentally a little more comfortable, advanced and great. I just don't it's crazy. You can't really make an argument that that he's outside the top six or eight quarterbacks right now, like in terms of

just how he's playing right now. There are times where you get these compiled statistics like you just mentioned for Tannehillo over the court since Week seven, quarterback X has done this, but they don't really look like it. But I he to me, he looks like this guy in

the field. And the Titans, which have been arranging four fest and snuck into some past postseasons before where you kind of just feel like you kind of just feel like get rid of them because they're one of those teams that you know you need six teams and they're there. They're gonna slide in and maybe even like they did beat the Chiefs that one year and sneak on and move on. But this team would excite me to watch in the playoffs, and I feel like Ryan Tannehill has

galvanized Tennessee's locker room entirely. The one thing I knowed for the Texans is that they do designate J. J. Watt to come off of I R. So it sounds like they will have him for the playoffs. But what is the playoffs set up here? So they do not necessarily the Texans have anything to play for by the time they start the game. If the Chiefs win early, the Chiefs clinch at least the three seed, and the Texans are locked into a home game next week against

the Bills. If the Chiefs were too stub their toe early, and there's some question whether they're going to play their starters uh they play the Chargers, then Houston would have the option to try to move up to the to the three seed. There's a question whether you would even

care about that. Granted, maybe you could get another home game that would take a lot of upsets, but you you possibly could be setting up a rematch with these Titans if if things fell a certain way, if the Raiders, uh and the Steelers both lost too, So that's confusing about the motivation. What about Tennessee though, is it winning it? Sorry?

And then that's because if they lose, and there's a certain combination that I think it's the if the Raiders lose and the Steelers lose and the Colts win, they win the three way the three way tie, so that they they are rooting for a few different things, right there are there are four different scenarios I'm looking at it now in our great research notes. Out of four scenarios that could play out. Um, the Titans obviously winning

gets them in. They lose, but uh, Pittsburgh and Indie lose as well, said Indie losing, they get in as well. But if Tennessee loses at Houston and Pittsburgh wins at Baltimore, the Steelers are in. So there is obviously a lot a lot cooking here. I want to see how Derrick Henry looks they you know, Ian Rappaport had the report. You see this, this is not one and this is a kind of a trope in these type of reports, like player X sat out this week, so he'll be

one next week. In the big game that matters because of course last games, last week's game against the Saints, which, by the way, you have a fourteen nothing lead. We're not even talking about them needing help. If they just finish off of the Saints at home, they did not, they would have needed help. Though it was a weird scenario where they didn't need that game because it was

a nonconference game, all right. They also did not finish off the game because we've been letting their defense slide, and their defense was absolutely Horrendousus these are two pretty bad defense. I'd also said, you know, in some cases it is okay to blame me and and if you needed you need, please please on my point being that just the assumption that Derrick Henry will be is an assumption.

So what, let's see how he looks. Because as good as Tannehill has been, uh, Henry is the guy there, you know, and he and they are special on offense with Henry there. So Brian keeps saying that they're playing to win. When they asked if Watson was starting, I'm going to take the Titans as my lock because I liked their chances of winning this game either way, and like West, I'm not totally sure. I buy that they're

gonna play all four quarters. I don't really know, but either way, I think the Titans just motivation and just talent wise have too much and they'll they'll find a way to win it on the road. And by the way, how could I'm locking up the Titans too? And you know why? You know what happens when they win this game? They go nine and seven. Well, that's a lock. We knew this. We said this from July. It was gonna be nine and seven. That's what would be their fourth

straight year. And they will go nine and seven. So I too, will lock up the Tennessee Titans. To move on, all right, let us now move on with our next U selection. It is my draft pick. Oh my goodness, all right, what do we got? What matters? What? What do we care about? You know what? I want to see the Eagles close things out? Okay, that makes sense. I will I will check out Eagles at Giants. Hey the Giants are you know? They were a fun bad team last week with their offenses humming right now, But

the Eagles have been really one of the Uh. They're not a gifted team by any stretch, but they got great. It's the one thing people can measure is what's going on in the ticker. That's what the Eagles are all about these last three weeks with Wentz leading the way and Doug Peterson, uh, you know, obviously making the most of what he has. Uh, their offense is uh not

gonna blow you away. Jordan Howard, I think he's back in the mix, but uh, because things have been going so well with Sanders, he will continue to be a main guy in the offense as he should be west because he has been kind of the unsung hero for the Eagles. So I am looking at the Eagles a team that who who can you trust? The nfcast nobody, But I want to see how this regular season tail ends. So I'm gonna have my eyes on that game. Yeah. I think Miles Sanders is so much better than Jordan Howard.

That's not even a question to me. He should he should be the focal point of this offense the way he's been playing so good in the passing game. Um, and Jordan Howard is a tel When he's on the field, you're gonna run the ball. It's funny because that was totally not Sanders is profile coming out of the draft. Just shows even no matter how much tape you watch, sometimes it's just how players are you. They're not being

coached well. Because Miles Sanders that was supposedly maybe a liability for him in the path game, He's been fantastic. They have an identity. Greg Ward to me is almost an upgrade on Nelson aghil Are in the slot like he's absolutely made a lot of big play. Zach Ertz may not play in this game, though, so I just don't. I I fear for the Eagles because I do think it's a dangerous spot. The way that the Giants offense

is playing last week. I mean, they are about as healthy all together, looking good at the same time as they have been all season. And maybe a couple of weeks off helped Daniel Jones because that was I would say his best passing performance of the season last week. I am this is a super risky I looked up and down this board in terms of locks. I'm gonna lock up the Eagles. UM, I don't love it. I feel like I'm probably gonna be, you know, very annoyed

at myself. Um, come seven pm Eastern. But what I will do is say that I think that they still haven't. They have a lot to play for. They're not gonna be any sitting starters business, and give me a break. This is the team in the NFC East that I trust more than the Cowboys right now. I cannot believe what's happened with Dallas, and I do think the Eagles will find a way to take care of their own business. You're getting the best version right now of Carson Wentz

that we've gotten all season long. He's the first quarterback ever well they say since forty eight, but nobody completed thirty completions in a game. To have thirty completions in a game for three straight games and no interceptions, and to me, that's that's what their offense is. It's a lot more short passes now, it's a more controlled offense, more easy completions, and it's working pretty well. My question is that team had to be literally wild, because who

else was doing that back then? I don't. I think that's just how far their database goes back. I don't think anybody actually did that in forty eight. And you have Dallas Goddard, by the way, so even if they don't have verts, he had the best game of his career last week, and maybe sometimes these guys are when you have two great tight ends, one is some pressed a little bit. I've been waiting for them to feature him. It's so huge for ones because he's never closed out,

he's never played at the end of the season. He hasn't been in big games in the end in the NFL that often. Um So I think it's really important for him and the way that he's leading this team that he's the identity, he's the one that's carrying them that even if they kind of sneak into the playoffs at nine and seven, it's important what he's done because he hasn't had experiences like this and back to Earth's as as we've said, he's banged up, it's a fractured rib.

He is a true game time decision. He's listed as questionable. It's legit questionable. He didn't practice Wednesday, didn't practice today Thursday. Obviously that's a painful situation. And you imagine, I imagine that he could be if he does play on a snap count. So, yeah, Dallas got it. They're gonna need

him to ball out once more. All right, So we got three locks locked in West still waiting to hear from him, and now picking next is Mark sees it well, I am being tasked with writing up one of these games, so I'm gonna get that done in the early spot, and I'm going to get that done with one last look at I want to see green Bay at Detroit because green Bay to me, coming off that game where they they're the team that stood up against the Vikings and showed to me they deserve to win this division.

They've sealed it up. I'm not sure who's gonna play in this game. It doesn't sound like they're gonna sit a flock of people here because they still have something to play for. This is a playoff game, yeah, I mean they can. They can essentially know they can clinch the number one seed with the San Francisco law, So I I want to see what happens here and if they can follow up what happened last week. Is Darius Smith and that defense is playing as well as they

have all year long, and Aaron's Jones. Aaron Jones had essentially his biggest, one of the biggest workloads of the year, So I feel like they are zeroing in on their their one guy on the ground as well. So for me, it's just Aaron Rodgers. This would be a good defensive showing for Aaron Rodgers to quiet some of the people that have looked at there is an interesting stat with him right now seven straight starts of under two fifteen

passing yards for the first time in his career. And people point people have said, oh, they don't have any weapons, and Greg, I know you were saying the other night, Yes they do, but it doesn't look like it's sometimes with the way that offense loses its flow. Well, we see big plays from their passing game, but we don't see the one through four quarter consistency. And that's what I'd be looking for in this game against the doormat

like the Lions. Lions picking third in the draft, that is not where we thought we'd be at the end of September, and defense is a total mess. So if it is, it is a good call. If the Green Bay Packers have any doubts, it's it's strangely on the offensive side of the ball, Go drop a forty burger and the Lions and get ready for the playoffs, right. I mean, the doubts to me are with Aaron Rodgers, partly I mean, yes, you would rather have someone more

experienced in Alan Lazard as your number two. He's the clear number two now in Coumarro and Alison are kind of splitting the three spot. But Rogers missed the throw is in those games. You know, the interception last week was a play he got tricked on, but there was about four or five throws where he just wasn't accurate in that game. And I don't think he's playing his best football, uh in terms of his instincts. Luckily, their

defense is playing their best down the stretch. They the defense kind of goes as Kenny Clark goes because that areas Smith has been amazing all year. But when Kenny Clark is rolling suddenly, maybe you don't see as many double teams for Smith. I know, the Vikings basically didn't double teams Smith that much, and he ended up having a pressure against all five different offensive lineman Because you can put him anywhere. I mean, he is just he's incredible.

He He's in my top three or so for defensive player of the year. But this is absolutely a playoff game. They win, they advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and they have a home game in the division round. If they lose, they risk uh playing in the wild card round, and like you said, they could climb up all the way to number one. So this is a huge game for the pack I think I was a little harder than after the Monday night game the Packers

sort of suggesting that, uh, they don't. I don't see them as a buy team. I just don't when I think about the top four teams in the NFL. But to just imagine that they're gonna sit in that spot and loose, they could easily suddenly be in the NFC title game. I mean, it's just ridiculous to suggest that a home game is exactly so it's like these you know, it's up to them. What a great job by Matt Lafloor,

who nobody seems to really believe in that much. Nobody in the media seems to have a ton of respect for him, and he keeps cranking out wins every week. That's absolutely yeah, that's fair dog, all right. But by the way, what do the Packers need to get that number one seed to win and forty Niners loss? That's it?

Which is certainly possible there on the road. Of course, the Niners and they've been they get a bye was just simply a Saint loss, but no matter what happens, and they get a bye with a win, so that that that's the key as they control it, and they're they're not going to count on the Saints or or anyone stubbing their toes. Take care of business, Greg, you

are up. Okay, I'm gonna take the Chiefs Chargers in the earlies lot because that first slot so vital and the chance to watch Patrick mahomes Uh is always tempting. I think he's the best quarterback in NFL history, at least I mean I do. I think he's. I think he's like I think I mean, not his record of achievement, but he plays the position to me, at the highest level I've ever seen anyone play it, just in terms

of like everything he has. It's not that right like hot of a take when his twenty three year old m VP who follows that up with, you know what, he's probably the second best quarterback, is the greatest quarterback. Maybe maybe he's like it's poor wording, but to me, he's he has that the position at the highest level basically possible, like that that he has the highest ceiling and that he's in terms of the start of his career. He certainly is right air with anyone two eleven Aaron Rodgers. Yeah,

I'm taking two thousand eleven Aaron Rodgers. I guess I'm grading on a scale of the first his first two years as a starter versus anyone else's first two years as a starter in NFL history, and what I think his ceiling and potential to after two years as a starter. He maybe Marino could be in that conversation as well, but I he would be in that conversation. Yes, now we're talking, and I think, you know, I didn't know.

I didn't gotta you know, pick here that just came out, um and and I love watching him play, and you know what, you know, you never know what Chargers team is gonna show up. Like the thing that I think is Anthony Lynn's biggest problem when he's presenting his resume, if there's any concern about his coaching future, is you never know what team is gonna show up. You never know which part of the team's gonna show up in

which parts not. They could not be less consistent than as a team, and they have totally underachieved that's just a fact. I mean, twelve and four last year. That should buy any coach another year if they have. But if we are get better when they got healthy, remember everyone was like, oh every once they get back, and it's like they all came back, they weren't any better. Not to be reductive, but if Philip Rivers is a quarterback and deep decline, I don't think he is that well,

then that's obviously for debate. But if if he is not the same guy who was last year, which I think it's hard to disagree with, Uh, that makes up the difference a lot between twelve and four and whatever they're going to finish. Now I get it, but they they're in the same division of the Broncos and the Raiders, and you just look at the rosters and you look at who's maximizing the fact that they could finish. That they're going to finish in last place, go on, well,

it's a bad job. Injuries aside, like their roster provides no excuses for what's happened this season when a lot of those charges players have come back. I also not to be the dead horse, but it's an atrocious situation for any team to deal with that's their home stadium, quote unquote, the fact that nobody loves them. It's like, this feels like a deeply unhealthy organizational set up. And I wonder if that now you could say, well, Dan, you can say that last year and their twelve four,

and that's fair. But after another year of this grind being in your building in front of thirty year and they overcame it as the best road team in the league, they still weren't that great out and that maybe that may help the coach and the coaching staff, because who are you going to lure into a even higher octane, strangely more bizarre optical situation next year in a much bigger stadium. And to be clear, the Chiefs will be

playing to win. Certainly to start the game, they could have the option of scoreboard watching, and if the Patriots got out to a big lead, they would think, Okay, the by is not happening, and maybe Mahomes doesn't finish out the game. That's possible. But they clinched the number three seed with a win, and they still have a chance for the number two seeds. Yeah, you know how I know Philip Rivers is in decline. Tyrod Taylor warming up on the sidelines happen in Philip Rivers Prime, ever,

and that's fair. He has thrown way too many floaters into open spaces that close when the defenders sits there waiting for the second most picks in the league, and in a number of them have been uncharacter He's he's thrown interceptions in bunches throughout his career at times, but they are uncharacteristic for him. Greg Enow snakes to you, And since we are our own production team today, I am going to get up and grab a water. Does anyone need it? Oh? I thought you were going to

vocally make your own snakes. Oh I could do that too. Yeah, at least the least provided that was fantastic. But Aquafina doing all right? To thank you, Dan, I am going to take the Titans and Texans at four. How do how are you going to believe that's already been selected? I will be taking these Steelers and Raven. You're that guy the Fantasy draft he took five in the in the sixth rou You know, it's confusing. We don't have the headsets on there's certain games you can't take. I'm

just I'm just blowing it. I think the Ravens backups could beat the Steelers starters. I think r G three is better and Duck Hodges, I think Gus Edwards is, you know, better than Jaylen Samuel's and Benny Snell's. And I think you can only sit so many players, and a lot of this Ravens defense is gonna be playing, and they're gonna be blitzing like crazy like they do every week. Steelers aren't. I mean, the Steelers are gonna be sitting some other guys too. Marques Pency can't play

because of his knee injury. James James Conner looks like he's not practicing this week, So it's not like you're getting a fully loaded Steelers squad. What a dip in public opinion or maybe just Greg opinion. But I don't feel like what you're saying is something that a lot of people will disagree with. That we went from like really respecting the hell out of this gritty Steelers team,

and they're great coaching and they're amazing defense too. Oh yeah, but duck Dog Duck Hodges is terrible and this is not gonna work. But I think to be are there gonna win this, I think the Steer is gonna win. Just because Gregg says this every other day doesn't mean it's gonna happen. They are. The Steelers are favored, uh

to win this game in Baltimore. Part of it is I think the Ravens are one of the great regular season teams we've seen and the bones of that, and I've heard them talking this week about how they want to get fourteen wins set the franchise record, Like there's still a great they're a great team one to fifty three. If you take off this you know, top seven players,

they're much worse, but it's still a very good team. Well, the only thing is in every single time that r G three has come in, they have looked like a Week four preseason team, and they have not been the same on any level of the defense because it just kind of just running out the clock in those scenarios. Though anyway, typically there have been a couple of times

where he's come on the field and just everything. You know what, maybe I'm wrong, maybe RG three throws for four touchdowns and for one, but like they are not small. I just think the way you play defense against r

G three is completely different. Than what Lamar Jackson is testing. Okay, that's exactly And the disrespect of Greg to just just praise the Ravens deep backup defenders as if the Steelers first team defense isn't leading the league in Saxon takeaways all year and gonna they're gonna take care of that. That's what you need to adjust West's levels. You're starting to yell, here's here's the difference. Though. The Ravens played the number thirty two offense in the league and the

Steelers have to play. Yes, they're not gonna They're gonna be a very diminished Ravens team, but even with ours, the Ravens are gonna run out this week is gonna be worse than the offensive Steelers are running out. No, see, I do you think Marshall Yonda is gonna be out there leading the offensive line. They are gonna sit Yonda. They outs and they sit sat Lamar Jackson, gonna probably

sit Ronnie Stanley. But the Steelers are poorly code like they've been trying their hardest all year and they're the worst offense in the league. So they're still gonna be trying their hards I don't know, and they have a very tough man, very intriguing, right, I know. I thought, suddenly the Ravens, the third team Garden Tackle are better in the steel You can only here's the thing, that you can only sit so many players, half of their starters.

I am remembering two thousand four a lot, which is when the Steelers backups went up to Buffalo and beat a hot Mike Malarkey team. In two thousand four the Bills us. The Bills assumed that they were going to the playoffs at nine and playing the Steelers backups. And this was the number one seeded Steelers, and they had the bones of a team that could still go out and win a tough game on the road. And they did it with just equate the Ravens to be hot

Mike Malarkey team. No, the Ravens in this case would be the Steelers. It should be a hot Bill Coward team. Well, there are only a few weeks away from having their hearts Fitzpatrick, Come on, Greg, take me through Greg the computations on this one. Steelers. The Steelers need to win and they need the Titans to lose. It's pretty simple for them. They also can get in with a Tennessee loss and in Indianapolis win and in Oakland loss? Could they lose? And yes they are. They would be the

benefactors of that UM three way tie. It's close to another topic. It's possible, it's possible. All right, Mark, you're up. I will take this one PM game that typically I would call it unattractive. But New Orleans at Carolina UM trying to spread my day out a little bit. So it's a personal goal versus how's Spicy doing with Will Greer that whole you? You know, I would say, I'm typically not in touch with Spicy unless it's a group

text that suddenly blows up. And I looked down. There's eighty eight messages in four or five minutes from Spicy in the three of you. I haven't heard it from Spicy since he told me he was coming back to l A for Thanksgiving and would probably be at my house and then stayed in Cincinnati. And I other than David blow And and Will Greer, I don't hear from him. Spicy, of course, is the Spice rack reach out to us

in Latust night year? Okay? Spice uh? Chris Westling's former his erstwhile desert Consigliaria now and now just undering the Midwest, who knows where. I think he's all right, though he can't be thrilled with what we saw from Will Greer. If what did we see from Will Greer, someone that's essentially walked himself out of being in the conversation for starting quarterback next season, I don't know if it was even I mean, I don't know what you what he

could have showed. It wasn't great, It wasn't the worst, you know, first start you've ever seen. But if you're looking for something like great sparks that are going to get the next coach excited, that that was not there. I think it's interesting on I read this piece on PFF and that they you know, and it's their version of things, so it's going to be different than someone else's.

But tracking every single one of these NFC powers, they view the Saints as the team that's been the class of the NFC the entire season, really from wire to wire without a major dip. And you know, they even looked at that loss to the Niners as a game where there were way more positives than negatives. And this is a team that's quietly scored thirty four plus points in five of their last six games. So the offense is humming, and you know, I think there's reason to believe.

And Drew Brees a little bit more than where we were when he was coming off injury. Kamara looked better last week. So this is a tune up for basically, you know, and I look at them if they don't have home field. I I know it's a tad cliche to doubt them going into an outdoor environment on the road in January, but history has shown us that they have not really been. They've not been with Super just four days ago. Where was that though? That put that?

I just don't know if they don't feel like as not a soft team, but like a lot of dome teams in general, when you put them out of their environment, they're built to be fast. They're built to be in a dome, and you put them into Green Bay and its negative eight degrees. I just they've showed up. They were have been a good road team. They won in Seattle this year, they won in Chicago this year. You know, they've they've done their work that they needed to. They

want in Tennessee. They wanted that game more than the Titans did. They fell behind fourteen to nothing, could have packed it in, and they wanted the game more played, more physical, and uh Camara got a yardage boost on prevent defense at the end of the first half, and I thought any running back in the league could have run through the whole He ran through for a touchdown. So I'm not convinced he's back to any two thousand eighteen version of it. He wasn't making guys missed. They

could be so unlucky though. If the Saints win this game, but then the Packers in the forty niners win as well, they are stuck as as the three seed with a thirteen and three record. You thought you thought the NFC Championship was bad luck last year, I mean that is, but to be a thirteen and three three seed is brutal luck. So they are rooting hard for either the forty Niners to lose or the Packers to lose, and uh they could move up a spot and get a

buy if one of those happens. We know that they're going to be playing this game to win. The Saints because paying thirteen win wild card scenario was only happened like six times in League history Christian McCaffrey, like when the teams were buried behind, like the the Niners dynasty of old or the nfcm NC East scenarios. But it's not a recent thing as much. And mccaffe I mean the Panthers aren't even I mean, I'm sure they're going to try to win, but like their number one priority

by far, you're getting Christian McCaffrey sixty seven yards. What they did last week was like wildly transparent that he had fifteen targets and they spent the entire second half just dumping the ball off to him, not really worried about the reth of the offense. He is inviting his entire family UH to this game because they want to see him get over a thousand, a thousand. The coach UH said it's going to be a priority. So this is like he's going to get that number. He needs

sixty seven yards to do it. That's weird to me that that's the priority instead of getting two sixteen scrimmage yards to pass Chris Johnson for the old time record. Well you could do it both. Well, one of them someone someone's never done before the other one other people have done. Only two others have done it. Who are they marked to go? One thousand, one thousand, C J Wrong West, Roger, Craig Marshall, fall correct, Scott Turner, who

is you know? A nice job by Dad. He got got him the O C role for the time being in Carolina, said that they're gonna get the ball. Quote anyway, Uh we can. To Mr McCaffrey, I'm a little surprised. West. Your point is a fair one about Kamara. That was a you could drive a truck through that hole the old Madden but uh he had alba Quarre said it himself. Well, now you tell me how much stockuputing it. He said he actually felt like he had his burst back, which

he had not acknowledged before. After that win, he said that he's actually starting to feel himself. I put some stock into him saying that and telling the media that and coming off on yard game and a couple of touchdowns. We've talked about how he's to me the missing the final piece of if he does get back to Alvin Kamara, who's beating him now, getting the three seed would suck.

I mean it's a coin toss in the NFC. By the way, don't do not try to use me again as a strong man with your little trivia nonsense and then just flip it to Wes. I was about to say, not Chris Johnson was not the man, but Roger Craig and marsh for falk where Okay, my apologies, at least let me finish, finish the sentence strategy answering question with the wrong answer the right answer by apologies to you, Mark, because it's Christmas time. Christmas is over. You're wrong. Okay,

here we go. This is what what's a fun scenario for me? What is something I would enjoy? You know what I'd enjoy? Cowboys? The Patriots sweating hm hm, No, knowing this franchise and how brilliant they've been, they will drop a hammer on the Dolphins in their building and get that by for the unprecedented tenth year. But is it too? Is it? Is it absolutely bonkers to imagine a scenario where fits Magic goes up there. You know,

he has no fear. He he's enjoying a really nice season, and that Patriots offense, which looked good again or looked competent against the Bills, goes back to the ways of what we've seen for most of this year and all of a sudden they're sweating out a game in the third or fourth quarter. I am gonna take this game, uh, Dolphins at Patriots on the hope that that's what happens here, because that that would be great because it is Greg, You're right. Why did I not take this game? Um?

Because they are overdue to get picked off the other way. As you brought pointed out, Greg, It's happened a couple of times, including last year I believe, where the Patriots were not in line to get a bye and somebody stumbled near the end and the Patriots closed and they got the bye, which they deserved because they closed the other team didn't. Maybe this is a year, this weird topsy turvy Patriots here where it goes the other way and it's the Chiefs who sneaking through the back door

and get to buy. So I'm tracking this game for that reason and that reason alone. It's one of the reasons that the they won their first Super Bowl, that the dynasty started, that they gotta they gotta buy with an eleven and five team, where the Raiders slipped up right at the end of the season, and that's why

they had to travel to Foxborough. I don't think that's gonna happen this year because they're playing the Dolphins, and because I think to beat the Patriots, especially with the offense showing some signs of life, you know, you need a pass rush and that's just where the Dolphins are so lackluster. And I know it was Week two, but this was a forty three to nothing game. The first time around. There was no fits magic. You know, Fitzpatrick's

history against Belichick has not been good. He's used his aggressiveness against him pretty often. And I just I don't think they're gonna slip up here. Defense is too good to slip up here, I think. And I can't bemoan their offensive struggles anymore because they were Chris last week. They were sharp Nikkio Harry to me, this is a huge week for him specifically because they upped his uh snaps and he was effective. And he's the only one in that receiver group other than them in with some juice.

So how can they start integrating him as like a really important piece. And I think he could use the confidence, the timing and everything going to the place. We talk about fitz he being hot and He's been fun to watch all year and like a great story. But that happened last week against the Bengals, and I think that for that equation, Dan, from what you're wishing to see,

you need. You need the Patriots right now to start drinking heavily and not stop drinking until Sunday morning, because they need to be mentally unprepared and physically unready for this game. There there's too much on the line. I know the Patriots aren't the same type of team that they've been in past years. And the Dolphins they put up a fight. I just don't know. You say put in my I mean put in Miami and you and

there's something a little bit different happening. I don't think it's bonkers, but I do think as a Patriots fan, it was a great sign that that was their best game of the season last week. That has happened sometimes late in the season where they they put it together where where they're gonna start building. And Belichick has been saying all week, this is a playoff game, it's huge for their running this This their running game to me,

is like everything. When they have Burkehead and Michelle and White going like they did last week they have a chance. And if you look at the a f C playoff scenarios, I think when you play the Chiefs and the Ravens, their only chance is going to be to run the ball against those two teams who are much better, you know, stopping the past. Like this is a big game. They need to establish that they can be multi demension. A hundred and forty plus yards on the ground in three

of the last four games. So are they heating up the way that we fear? I don't know. I just want to see any dimensional. Well, last week they were pretty sad. They were good. Was not explosive, not explosive at all. Still, but Cris Sony Michelle is one and sixty two yard rushing rushing yards away on Sunday from delivering the worst one thousand yards season in NFL history.

So just like Scott Turner and Charlotte, feed the ball to CMC, get him one thousand, one thousand, let's get Sony that I might try to do a show trade with you here narrowly topping out Carlos Hide. You know we've we've allowed those Jets to get to you all years now. It's war that was me and I would have traded the Jets easily for anything. Let's talk after that. When you took the Jets, I believe Greg and this side of my body he went, yeah, so this is

my revenge? How did I go? Yeah, it sounds right. It's like screen, remember the Dean screen. Let's bring that back frash all right, marks like, get me out of here. No, I'm joining this. Let's let's continue just to spin on. Well, I want to take one of those four o'clock games, but I've already got one, So I'll go for Bears Vikings. I guess it's either that or Jets Bills, And I don't know. Jets Bills is in our five pack of sadness, right, that's it? Yeah, so there you go. That's your pick.

So nobody is tracking those games? Is that what we're suggesting? Team, I'll certainly be tracking that game, but you'll be tracking the Browns. I'm well, we'll work on that off. We'll figure that out. We'll figure that out. But anyway, so you got the Bears, that Vikings a game that does not have um any meaning. The Bears are eliminated. The Vikings are locked in at the number six seed in

the ENDFC. However, West, we decided this is a game we should talk about why because we need to see something out of their offense after laying the biggest egg we've seen in years, more than an egg on national TV, with the division on the line against your long time rival, and you have one of the worst offensive games that anyone has ever witnessed. Kirk Cousins does not know if he's playing this week. I guess he hasn't been told or he's not allowed to tell the media. But damn

brought this up and and I totally agree. After doing what they did last week, I'd like to see this offense on the field. That's as a fan. I don't know if it means anything. I don't know if it means they're more likely to win in the playoffs if they play their offense this week. But I'd like to see them go score a couple of touchdowns. How about you know, a twelve place seventy four yard drive and then everybody celebrates in the end zone. You know, you could be a man, you could be a team again,

because you weren't on Monday night. You don't deserve you know, drives off or haves off or in a game off at this point. Yeah, that like that was a crime scene last week, and I would be a little worried if you do sit your starters this week. First of all, it's at home. I hate treating the home crowd like it's a preseason game, right that they're just wasting their money.

Second of all, you can get you can just very easily imagine a scenario where your last three games then are that Monday night meltdown, a game where you laid down against the Bears, and then you travel the New Orleans and you get the bloors doors blown off. That is a recipe to have a big fat house cleaning,

Like I don't know. I wonder if that's even in their minds at off could be two weeks from now if that scenario plays out as you described they I am so happy though, that this game is gonna happen, because there's no team in the NFL more excited to not watch ever again than the mits Robinsky Bears, and he has to go, and I think this will be it and I don't ever want to see it. I do feel like if your Bears ownership and they're not a plug, they're not an ownership that you almost ever

hear from. They seem to be deep in the distance. But and I know your GM. He obviously picked Rabinsky, traded up for him, and there's terrible. That's a bad look when you've got Patrick Mahomes counting to ten on his hand as he's marching off the field after the greatest quarterback of all time, counting off the greatest. I mean do if if I were the Bear's owner for a week or for I would come in and tell Ryan Pace, I demand you to find another starting quarterback.

You you cannot just simply put a stamp on your own pick and say we're gonna roll into year three and a bunch of offseason narratives. I demand you. I'd like to see mc caskey walk in there and deliver that he can. But he can be Cam Newton's back up next year or Rivers is bad that this is the time of year when you realize how many beat writers in columnists are just held hostage and brainwashed by

coaching staffs in front offices in their local cities. When they all say, no, you've got too much invested in Mitt Robinsky, and he and Pace and Naggie are tied at the hip. No, you did not only did you not see improvement, you saw regression. And for a guy in his third year, you need to see improvement or development, and you did not see that. I can't envision a scenario where this team wins with Mitch Drabinsky in two

thousand twenty. You need to bring in, at the very least a guy like Andy Dalton who has a prayer of point O Ryan Tannehill and can at least come in and inject life because he's moved offenses before for games at a time, whereas Drabinsky, it's week to week.

Whether you do the quote unquote open competition, competition, and camp, maybe lights to spark under Drabinsky and something happens there magical, But I think we know that this is probably not gonna happen with Mitch playing at a high level in the NFL. And then after the camp if if the other guy out plays him, you move on because if you're doubling down on a mistake, then that could be it. But if you get another quarterback, this team has weapons.

Allen Robinson is a good number one Miller I think looks pretty good at the number number two, like you have a good defense. It is not a hopeless situation. Well, and and show us what Matt Nigge can accomplish without being hamped tied at the hip is right as if were a stone sinking in the ocean, dragging NIGGI along with him. Yourself, I will say this, we like, uh, well, most of us like Andy Dalton in this room and think he would benefit from a fresh start and could

have good football in his bones still. But I brought this up to my buddy and Power Rankings producer Matt Tanton are Bears fan, Hey, how about Andy Dalton comes into town and he gave a big thumbs down. Bears fans had a very traumatic, you know, eleven months or so. And if out of this comes Andy Dalton as your quote unquote avier to get the offense back and track and get the Bears back to Super Bowl contenders, that is not going to be a cell that I think

goes over very well with that fan base. Now that doesn't necessarily matter, and if if the goal is winning just to appease your fan base, but just putting that out there, I feel like that would be met with a lot of criticism. I don't think John Draper could sell Andy Dalton success. You have to you have to just say the rest of the team is enough. Nobody could have sold Tannehill either, don't who cares what the fans think? Go do the right thing on that put

Cam on this team, stinging shoot down. Why think NFL team? Who lives in the Westchester district of Los Angeles. Here is his address. No, how about you root for the team and then let the people who are paid to make the decisions make the root for laundry anyway, just laundry. This is how you get pressure on Tom Brady. You get up the middle. All right, here we go West. You are a snake and tried to avoid these four p in games, but I guess there's no avoiding them.

I will take redskins at Cowboys, dead team walking Dallas Cowboys. They have not put forth much of an effort for the past month, which reflects on their head coach and really it reflects on their leadership. They just haven't played well and after reading our research packet this week, they might be the unluckiest team we've ever seen. And we know it's not just bad luck that they're that there.

Close game failures have happened at the end of games, but the way luck works, it also happens in the first fifty minutes of the game as well, and you can have way too many bad breaks. They are probably gonna finish with the best point differential and yard is differential of any sub five team in the Super Bowl era unless they win this game. Is it bad luck

or is it just dreadful inconsistency? That's on new because you said they're a dead team walking this time last week they were coming off a beat down of the Rams, and everybody was feeling a little bullish. But I cannot have plus fourteen hundred yard differential and be and be have normal luck. That's absolutely true. And yet when it mattered you remember, you know we say I'm saying in the game at the end. What what I'm saying is the course of their season. We talk about, Okay, this

season starts around Thanksgiving. Let's start it even a week earlier for them, because they were playing the Patriots in those five games, their offense, which has been what they're built on, has been totally absent except for the Rams game.

That Rams game has been an anomaly and changed Both of those two teams this season, but that the offense didn't show up four out of five weeks, and so you don't deserve to make that In the whole situation with the Marii cooper at the end of the game last week, we're just you know, they're part of luck is preparation and coaching. And you could point to Jason Garrett's legacy with Dallas and say this has been one of the weirdest um seasons by any team this entire century.

But if I had to attach a coach to take a super powerful roster with good statistics and still wind up with Steven wins sitting into Week seventeen, it might be Jason Garrett. I also think they could lose this game. I'm shocked how they are massive favorites. I think almost

two touchdowns. Uh, I don't know. I know Terry mclaurin's hurt, but case Keenum coming in put up twenty one points last week, had one of the drive, the one of the weirdest but epic, most epic drives of the year, nine yards to tie the game with the wild Plaze. I don't know. I could see case Keenum in this Redskins team like beating them and them just just being getting really ugly. Both things can be true that they've been exceptionally unlucky and poorly coached and don't deserve to

make the playoffs. I can always agree. I agree. And there's what other note that Dak Prescott injured his shoulder in that Rams win and now he might have just gagged like her cousins gag last week, and that explains that performance. But it's also possible a guy with a sprained a C joint and his throwing shoulder having a poor game that might be connected. And that's not something that typically heals quickly, so that's gonna not even throwing in practice this week. So you know, they have a

lot of things going going wrong. And yet you know if they're they're watching the Eagles Giants, they they have a realistic chance to make the playoffs. That when a ball game get a loss from the Eagles, they never signed their office the coordinator to jump in and play quarterback in a ben a come down for Kellen mar Kellen Moore was the offense was the one lefty quarterback in the league for a period, just saying in a pinch, you could player coach. We still without a left here

right now, south paw quarterback. I can't think, maybe on a roster somewhere, but Ken was the guy for a year or two there on that tawboy step chart. Mark. Can I just take a quick pause to say you and this peak coat, it's working, and I think we all know it, and we've all been thinking about it throughout the show. And the way you have it pulled across your chest like Jack Carolac going for a journey to find himself, and and and and just wow us with his prose. That's you right now, an old man.

It's twenty seven degrees in here. I believe though, because when West had one of these that I kept calling it a peacoat. Isn't it isn't it not? It is a pico You called it a petticoat. Petticot. That's right. Your hair is like a little curlier. It's definitely like a good eyebrow hair shirt combination. It's a messy time eyebrows. It's a little bit of a mat. I think I'm sitting under this sort of police procedural fluorescent light too. So all right, uh it now swings to you went

twice right? West? You say uh, the old zeuser has to grab a game. I think there's only one left alright. Actually, it's pretty good. The Raiders of Broncos are still there. Yeah, that's that's that's good. See, that's good. See you guys didn't want West to yell you, and that's why you didn't take the game. Why am I gonna yell at Because the Raiders can make the playoffs with some help first they can. I just don't find it. West. West yelling at me actually gives me life. It makes me

feel a little more alive inside. I like it. Uh No, but the Raiders, it's gonna take a lot. But if if my final pick in week sevent team before we go to the grab bag of games is a team that can make the playoffs, and um, I will take

that game. So the Raiders at Broncos. And by the way, in addition to this game having playoff meaning, um however dim it may be, and it's not that dim uh, it's also has a good chance to be a fun game to watch because the Raiders, obviously, with everything in the world to play for, I imagine they'll show up

for this game. And the Broncos are kind of peeking now they're they're playing well, and Drew lock is an interesting guy to kind of get a final look at his UH end of season audition, which he's won three or four starts. He hasn't It's not like he's changing the league with his play, but just having someone that's young and has upside UH and they're winning games. That's a big change in the post Peyton Manning era in Denver.

So that's that's something to watch and see how he closes out the season and if a really strong close to December potentially changes how Denver approaches their off season. That happens in our league all the time. So there's a lot on the line with the Denver Broncos and the Raiders. They need to win and a lot of help. How much help do they need, Greg remind the people, please, So they need to win this game, which I think might be they're tough at the toughest part of the

equation on the road in Denver. But they also need the Titans to lose against the Texans, the Steelers to lose to the Ravens, and the Colts to win in Jacksonville, because that would create a four way tie. I want to clear up something a little earlier. They also need to beat Pittsburgh on strength of victory, which they will if one of four teams win, one of which is the Patriots. To make it a little clearer, Pittsburgh cannot lose and make the playoffs unless a lot more things happen.

And they also have to beat the Raiders on this strength of victory tiebreak that takes the Lions, Chargers, Patriots, and Bears. It's not happening. Basically, the Raiders are in let me, they get these first four parts of the equation, and they're all things that can happen. But aren't you know, heavily favored one way or the other. It's essentially this, Raiders fans, is how you put it. Flip a coin four times and called in the air and get it

right all four times. That's that's the amount of odds you have of making the playoffs. Actually about their odds, that's that's the percent, and that's about what they're getting. The Raiders winning is the is the is the challenge because they've really not played very well. And I would say this too, if you took a time machine ahead one year, this maybe this kind of game. If they

met in weeks seventeen. Next year, I think one of them or both of them would have a chance of the playoffs because there's good young nucleus is on both teams. Like you, if you look at the last couple of drafts, especially last year for Oakland but the last two for Denver, it is among the best in the league in terms of what those player is a producing right now for both of them, So you know they're Oakland is not going to make the playoffs. I'm confidence saying that, let's

see what happens. But Denver went from being the most depressing team at the end of September to one that if you started the season six weeks ago, I think they might make the playoffs themselves, potentially or threatened. I think it'd be fitting if everything breaks in the raiders favor and then they lose to a sixteen team, six win team that's better than them, right, because the Raiders, if they won by less than seven points, will have the worst point differential of any playoff team in the

history of our league. So I think the fact that there twenty point differentials probably a better indicator of where they're really at. I think Gruden has done a good job, has done a good job. I think they're building it up, but they still have a long way to go. And we'll talk about Car in the off season. But you know the reports that you know, Grid wants someone who takes a few more chances, and they've been talking a Car about that. He played like that last week, he

ran a little bit more. He he just doesn't have like the instincts. And I always go back to with Gruden, like he started with far fives who made him his career, and I think he likes quarterbacks like that, and Car is the total opposite of Brett five. He plays it. He plays it very safe. Uh, And I don't know if like instincts. It's funny how quarterbacks change over time. Because he was compared to far the physical skills are similar, and I think that's why Car and Gridden like spoke well.

But I just think in terms of the decision making and things like the way he plays the game, kind of the instincts, the feel for the game, it's very different. Derek Carr right now setting career HIGs and completion percentage and pass are really good, but everybody's setting career HIGs because it's so much easier to pass. Now, let's see what if he if he has a real stinker in

this game. The analytics love cars like the analytic like the completion percentage over average and e p A. And in the QBR and and Football Tiders they all have cars like a top seven or eight quarterback in total Nerds, Mark, I wanna put I wanna I want you to think about something. I'm gonna come back to you at the

end of the podcast you mentioned a time machine. Uh. In about fifteen minutes or so, I'm gonna come back to you and ask you, Uh, if you had access to a time machine and you can only do one thing with it, what would you do. You can go forward in time, you go back in time. You can change something. You could just not change anything at all. You could pick a landing spot as anything you want. All right, I will think about it, alright. Moving on, Mark,

you're up. Well, I believe that we've run through our We're into the seed round. Yeah, we're into the speed round. So I am going to be tracking Cleveland Cincinnati, and my one warning for the Cleveland Browns would be, uh, for a team where David Ajoku, you're first round playmaking tight end has not been playing because he is battling with Freddie Kitchens behind the scenes. Apparently two weeks ago, Yeah,

two weeks ago there Joe Coup. Two weeks al you have Jarvis Landry jawing with Freddie Kitchens on the sideline. I don't really care what he says. That was actually about its bizarre look last week it's Odell Beckham. I cannot in years in a row think of a team, uh that had the head coach feuding with three star players three weeks in a row over the course of a season that's heading into total darkness. Has already reached

that place. So my thing is, if you go into Cincinnati and somehow knock off a team that is the number one overall, picking is gonna make Joe Burrow probably a successful quarterback at some point in our league that

you don't over assess that win. You have to take a hard look at what's happening here, and it is on John Dorsey to finally start answering some questions and not just pick a quarter not pick a coach that he has more power over, but try to lure someone in the control this clown her Well, here is they drafted him thinking that he could play that role, and he's not even on the field because he's not getting along or something's happening behind the scenes. That's a mess.

I don't think he's a star based on what he's produced, so like he's very respected, uh the coach. I think that's that seems to be Probably that's my concern. It seems like they're they he's lost them in there. Lost to Cincinnati would be a recipe to just make this ownership group that might push him over the edge. You know, the parents who always try to be friends with the kids instead of disciplining them. That feels like Freddie Kitchens, like you're not gonna have respect for a guy who

lets you get away with everything you want to know? Alright, Greg picked from the speed Pack. Okay, let's talk a little Colts Jags uh Act two Gardner Minshew. I feel like the second time around hasn't been quite as good. I don't know if it's going to make a difference, um, but I do think like his starts since taking back over for full could maybe be quieting some of the excitement in Jackson. I think you'll have a chance to

compete next year. Um, but I don't think his second pack of games has been as good as the first pack, which I'd argue it's also not an argument four folds, but fair enough. I don't know. I don't know how you evaluate a guy who has to run through a gauntlet just to get It's very it's very tricky, um, but I think he did an amaze a really good job and had those kind of pop games earlier where he would really see his potential and you haven't seen

that in this four game stretch. That's it. Yeah, I mean, I don't know what to say to other than when you have to go through an odyssey and a gauntlet every time you want to release a pass, I don't know how you expect him to lift the team that much. He's had a great rookie year. Let's move on. Next up will be Greg once more Snakes. Sure, let's talk a little Bills Jet, Sorry, Bills. I know you made

the playoffs, but this game doesn't mean anything. We're already hearing that Matt Barkley might be playing a lot of it. So that's a good chance for Adam Gates to go get his uh seventh win. That's pretty good. Good analysis. I like it. Well, we're I thought we're all talking in the speed Round. Now we are we're all talking to the Speed Round. That we're all talking to the Speed Round. Yeah, the Bills now then play for the Jets. I kind of hit on my thoughts that Greg Williams

has been unsung on the defensive side of ball. I do want to see uh Sam Donald close out the season. Well, I think he's been up and down overall. You could some of the same things that we're just saying about Minshew you could say about Donald. And he also had to deal with the illness which really jacked up essentially the first half of the season. But the one thing he's doing better Donald is protecting the ball. In the

second half. He was um turning the ball over at an absurd rate uh midway through the season, and he's kind of pulled that together. What he does need to be a little better with is decision making, especially UH. One area of his game that's jumped out a few times is when he has a chance to run and pick up a first down. UH. He'll sometimes still try to make a big play to throw down field and

that will lead to opportunities loss. But that's all stuff I don't worry about as much because I feel like that's a young quarterback figuring things out and we'll have time to talk about this. But go give this kid a real offensive line next year and let me see what he can do. Because I think a part of Chris Johnson the owners thinking is I don't want to fire at him gaze because and on top of everything else, then Donald will be on his third UH coordinator in

three years. And to your point earlier, Greg, is that a reason not to make a change Sometimes when something doesn't feel like it's working, Uh no, it's not. But I think that is part of the process thinking here is like we're a little on the fence with Gates, but we don't want to reboot the kid again. And I think that's what's a part of the reason why Gates will survive. That is thorny territory because you you also don't want him to go a year deeper with

the wrong guy, and they just don't. You don't want to be you don't want to be hearing those articles next year. And I can just see it where it's like, here we are entering Sam Donald's year four, and like what do we know about him? You know, he had that one year with with Jeremy Bates and now like the two years with Gaze. But maybe that's not his fault because Gaze, you know, you know what I mean,

like you want to avoid that. And by the way, whoever does uh succeed Gaye one day, beware because when things aren't going well, they can get real nasty. The New York Daily News Mini Schmida wrote a calm on Christmas Eve, Uh because I don't remember what the cover was, but here's the lead. It was the back page cover. Adam Gaze is a message for every long suffering Jets fan who has endured a lifetime of anguish. He doesn't

care about you. The Daily News has learned that the embattled head coach is privately told people for months that Gang Green die hards have never mattered to him. I'm Riches has become gases go to line since taking over eleven months ago, according to sources, I mean this this.

I like Veniche too. He's a nice guy. Every time you see him, we talk and he's friendly and I understand the angle he's playing here, but that is an outrageous hit piece in the Daily who's on Adam Gaze, and I I am friendly with someone who's very close to Gates, who said, you could say a lot about Adam Gaze. But one thing he's not is a material material guy. He he drives an old model car. He wears the same clothes every day. He is not a

money guy. So I don't know what this whole thing is about, but it's just that is the pitfalls pitfall sometimes playing in the Big City as they call it, And that was our jets lightning round. He talked about the Browns a little bit too, my friend. All right,

next up we need to hear that too. Good luck. Uh. Next up is Mark Well, I'll talk about Arizona at the Rams, and the Rams to me feel like a team that after a crushing, its soul crushing loss that I you know we mentioned Sean might have been Sean mcveigh's darkest moment, even considering the Super Bowl lost to some degree in terms of the way he reacted or people say, did they feel like a team shutting it down?

That you they they're Camerda Silva, one of the Beat writers, said he'd be surprised if Jared Goff played If Todd

Gurley played. Jalen Ramsey's already essentially been ruled out other guys too, So for me, it's a chance for if Kyler Murray is healthy and if he's in there to cap off what is along with Denver, I think a very hopeful second half of the season where you got Jay Glazer saying that Steve Kim, who was one of the more in battled gms and probably had to be tugged into the world of taking Kyler Murray to begin with, has saved his job and has essentially and secured his

place with the Cardinals based on what I think the head coach did in terms of the head coach having a greater vision at the position than the GM. But the Cardinals fans have something to be hopeful about. That's not the worst sink compared to where they were three or four months ago. Yeah, this could be though. Brett Huntley the Cardinals backup versus Blake Bortles the Rams back up.

What a way to say goodbye to the Los Angeles Memorial Colisseum who's hosted more which has hosted more games, I believe NFL games than any stadium in NFL history except for like four I think it's fourth or fifth in in history. They've played so many times there and this is gonna be a stinker of a conclusion. I think it hurt mcbaish so much last week because his

offense destroyed the forty nine ers. I mean like they had their best, like their offense had everything going against Robert Sala and one of the best defenses, and they still lost the game. With Dan's offensive Rookie of the Year race that he's been closely monitoring, it feels like a guy like a J Brown or DK Metcalff could capture it with a big game that propels his team into a win this week, while Kyler is playing injured

or maybe not playing at all, and Josh Jacobs. I think Jacobs is gonna get it, but you're right, his status is up in the air. To DK Meca I didn't show up last week, he could have made a big run at the end of the seas. J Brown would be the guy I would want on my team if I had a team that other than Murray, of any of the if DK metcalf one and over Kyler Murray, I am puzzled by that. I'm not saying that there better than Terry McLaurin, and I don't think he's j A. J. Brown.

I just I think there has to be You have to factor in the concept of playing quarterback as a rookie in a system where you essentially we're teaching veterans how to play that offense four months ago. I don't know. Our Speed round really wasn't that scary, Terry. It feels like a safe pick. Who would complain give the Redskins fans something they don't even know If he's playing this week he's yeah, I don't think he is, but I

think Jacobs is gonna get it. We do have one more and more in the Speed Round is the Falcons at Bucks and it will be the great Dan hands Dan hands me? Okay talking about it? Um happy accident there? Uh well, all I really have is at thirty. This is it Jameis Winston touchdown interceptions. Uh. He has a chance here to do what no man has ever done in the history of our league, which is thirty thirty. Shout out to Grady Jarrett for making his first Pro

Bowl overdue. Might be an All Pro too. He's played incredible For the fact there won't be many guys who made my All Decade team, which the article came out this week. Check it out. Uh and the All Pro Team, which the article will come out in a few days, and Julio Jones is gonna be one of them. He's gonna get the other All Pro spot for me opposite Michael Thomas with a fantastic December for performance. I think Aaron Donnald will be another one of those guys who

makes both. Where did Darrell Reavers come down in your All Decades? You made the defensive back position because of your argument? Yeah, but you know I was shooting higher, shooting for the stars. One of those Patrick Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman made could be the last tea. By the way, from Patrick Peterson and Larry Fitzgerald, he'll cover your Adams Humphries is out there. Reevas will lock you down well if this team ever takes the field again.

But you know what, the big takeaway from that article was the greatest football game I've ever seen, Patriots over Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Seven guys from that team made the All Decade Team. Seven guys from that game. All Right, finally, uh so there is the speed round. Let's now moved to the final game of the regular season, the San Francisco forty nine Ers twelve and three at the Seattle Seahawks eleven and for the winner is the NFC West champion. The loser is the five seed uh

in the NFC. Is that correct? Yes, they're locked in at the five seed and with a help, the winner could also get a buy the forty Niners, you know, clinch home field advantage with the win the whole the Seahawks could win the game uh and still be the three seed. In fact, that's what I would expect to happen, because if the Seahawks won, they would need either a Packers loss to Detroit or a New Orleans lost to Carolina to move up from number three, So that loss

they had against the Cardinals. Even if they win this week and win the NFC West, it will prove to be pretty costly for the Seahawks. Quite know. There will be a raucous atmosphere in Seattle, especially with Marshawn Lynch coming back. But the forty Niners have been the better team all year. I think they're the better team in Week seventeen, and I'm locking them up. Yeah, this is the other game I was debating whether to lock up the forty niners. I mean, the Seahawks have a lower

point differential plus twelve than the Buccaneers this year. Whereas they have won eight games by two scores, the Seahawks have won one. Pet Carroll did mention that you know, and perhaps this is subterfuge. I don't. I don't know, but I mean, you've got Marshawn Lynch coming in off the street. It's uh n lear what he was doing. Uh even seven days ago that Travis Homer wouldn't he was in the tail He was at the tailgate at the Raiders final home game, drinking men, and we know

he was doing that. I'd say, we don't know what else he was doing. Wellero hadn't had this report that when he went to the facility a couple of weeks ago, he got an idea that they might want to bring him back. So this wasn't totally out of nowhere. And he supposedly with his trainer, they as they said, I forget what they the words that they used, but they put him through a couple of weeks of intense training to get ready, so that this might have been telegraphed.

Actually that he might. He might have come back even if there hadn't been two big injuries, which is crazy. This is his first game with the Seattle Seahawks and one thousand, five hundred and five days last appearance Week ten, two thousand and fifteen against the Cardinals. I think injuries are so big for Seattle. Number one. The Dwayne Brown

injuries the bigger deal even than Chris Carson. I think there they can't pass protect and Dwayne Brown was a rock and was the one great player that they had. So now you're gonna have to try to block Nick Bosa with your backup left tackle. That is a major loss. And then Clowney coming back. Clowney has been a gamer throughout his career um Dan in terms of he's played

through injury. That's why he kind of had this. Always hurt, but through it and the fact that it felt like they were maybe sitting him the last couple of weeks so he could come back with a vengeance for with the games that matter, he's had some all of his best games of his career have been in big spots like this. So he's a guy. Awe Niners just haven't really had. If you look up and down the schedule,

a letdown game, not the Seahawks have. I mean to go and see what happened to them against the Cardinals last week. I just against the Falcons. I mean, I wouldn't call that like texok. I wouldn't call it like they laid down where they just vanished. I mean it came down to some freaky stuff at the end of the game. Have been beaten soundly four times, and then I have not been the overall trajectory of Seattle at this point. I'm still in the corner there with you, Dan,

and yet still be good. That's important. And yet West and this took a little ding on Monday night. Uh, and yet at home and they're building in a playoff game, a game with huge ramifications. I would be shocked if this is a very close game. I think the Seahawks, despite the fact that, uh, they have not been as impressive as the Niners have been for a lot of this season. I don't think it's gonna be thirty eight seventeen and then and the Niners themselves have been a

little up and down of late. They their defense obviously got lit up by the Saints, that got beat by the rains there's no sin there. The Falcons game, uh, the outlast last the Rams. I don't think they're playing necessarily their best ball this season. Ever. I think it is a good game. I agree with you. I can't disagree with any of that. And I think this game in particular is so hard to predict because they met two months ago and so much has changed since then.

Russell Wilson was the m v P favorite the first time these two teams met and were in the discussion with the Patriots for best defense in the league, and since then, both Russell Wilson and the forty Niners defense have been average to below average in the last two months. Statistically, that's tough on Russ. Russ is nineteenth and td interception ratio since these two teams. This is such a good

spot for him, though. This is such a dangerous even with the left tackle out for him to to ball out, get a little help from Lynch to get the crowd even more pumped up. It's a limited offense and now you don't have Carson the past. Protection, to me is the number one thing that I worry about winning in the playoffs. D Ford is not expected to return. I think the Niners this week. They're hoping to get him back for the playoffs. Oh and Baldi called Fred Warner

the best linebacker and football. That was pretty high praise. All right, let's pick this game, mark, Um, I will go Seattle. Yeah, I'm gonna lock it at I locked it up a two point game, all right, I will go Seahawks. Field goal by Jason Myers wins it. Yeah, I'm going forty nine. I'm still almost debating. I wanted to lock this game twenty. I think it's an offensive game. I don't trust use. The Seahawks don't trust you anymore. Both ways here, I mean street of this trust two

street of not being on the corner. They're a good thing for the Seahawks fans if they lose this game or forty fans is you get to play the at the NFC East champion. So if you're going to play on the road in the first round, at least that UM look ahead to win about match. Tell us what happens from that game. No, No, I've suggested NFC East

playing at home. That's something weird could happen there. But a lot of that when I was thinking about that was Dallas is upside, and I just simply don't believe in the Cowboys right now backing off that prediction. Not backing off it. I think it's totally possible because this is on the fence a little bit. This is happened. I just I'm not gonna go drop, you know, massive money on it. I'm not allowed to. So let's start there.

But like just that's happened over and over since we've been here, and and like that has a certain like illogic too, and this game is like that too. This is the best Sunday Night season finale they've ever had. And it's a great matchup of like numbers and who deserves it and all the analytics and who's actually better versus just like Magic and Mojo and Marshawn lynches back and they just somehow find a way. It doesn't matter what the numbers say, like the Seahawks have that. It's

a nice stage is set beautifully. I can't wait. We'll actually mix it up. I think we'll lead with that game on Sunday Night Show because the playoffs so much in the NFC is connected to this game as well, So we're gonna mix things up a little bit as well with the show on Sunday night and before uh we say goodbye. Two things. One again, we have our live show as Super All fifty four in Miami on the Thursday before the Big Game. H So go to the Miami Improv web website and under events you'll find it.

And also at our Instagram page the A T N pod cast you can get the link in the bio to buy tickets. And lastly, Mark Sessler, do you have a time machine? What do you do with it? So I've thought about this a little bit. I kind of forgot that you would ask me that question. But the

thing that comes to mind right away, I don't know why. Um, I would like to be like a backpacker type person that becomes friends with like um, like ruling class Victoria Victorian era, like British French type people, and just kind of mind my way into that world and find out what's happening. Because whenever I here's the thing, whenever I watch those movies, well, whenever I like watch those favorite ceiling is like eight feet high and there's like white

paneled walls with art all over the place. I want to just get into one of those sessoles and see what was going on, because I think there's I don't even have toilet paper. Though I worry about stuff like that. I don't want to go too far back to me. I don't that goes back sure is a no go because it's like, oh, I'll travel to you know, the middle of Nevada forty years now, who knows what you len and just maybe a giant fire pit. So I

want to go back to something that I can dig. Right, goes back to one of my favorite theories that it's better to be an upper upper middle class American than it was to be royalty two hundred years ago versus royalty two hundred years ago. I believe you've also extended that too. It's better to be like lower middle class now than a wealthy person, you know in the in the eighteen way back. While you're you're getting better dental

you're gonna live a lot long here, you miserable. You have better entertainment, you can like do things after five CM at night. That's good. You have lights. But if you go back there, as you know, whether we have all these health benefits, you look like a shining star compared to all the royalty, maybe you take over a castle. Yeah, that's hang out today, Twitter, I mean you don't have that, all right, that's a point in favor. Okay, Um, that's it.

We will be back Sunday night, as we just said, So make sure, uh you tune in because when we come to you next we will have everything figured out. It will all be decided, and the big tournament in our league will be set and we will be excited to talk about it all. So until then, this is Dan Hansas signing off for the Quiet Storm and that gorgeous petticoat no no, no peep, count mail Man, the Old Boss, and literally no one behind the glass until Sunday night. S