2020-2021 Super Wild Card Weekend Preview

I mean, that couldn't be more wrong. I have said multiple times on this podcast, and I know how the interaction always goes that the money tags is my favorite part of the show, and then you sour on it, and Dan says like, oh why why you you know, and the rest of the show, and then I say, no, it's just like it's a fun little surprise. It's a great entry into the show. Circa two thousand fifteen. This

was a convo. I love it. I'm not trying to kill it, alright, Well, I wouldn't mind just isolating the end of that particular money tack where it's f you Greg, that has legs very vu in fact Erica during the show, can you work on that and then um float it

back up at the appropriate time. I think so. I mean it's funny too, because I asked, like I send money the list of stuff to record, and that little improv at the end was not written down, so that was just money recording it like that, And I was like, this is so talented radio man, like he can you know, he can fly into worlds of new creativity. There. All right, welcome to the Thursday Show. We've had a action packed

week here. You know, everything has been action packed in our country, not all of it good, a lot of it very bad. But we are talking about the action in the football world, which is coming fast and hard this weekend because it's Super wild Card weekend. Uh for the first time ever, for the first time ever, six games played in the first weekend of the playoffs, and um, I for one, very excited about it. I'm not when I studying the games, Mark, I'm not a hot on

the NFC slate. I'm really looking. I'm spinning forward in my mind already, uh my mind to the divisional playoffs on that end of things. But which, by the way, he is gonna of course then mean the best games are gonna come out of the NFC. But for now I'm kind of zoned in on the a f C, which has intrigued all over the place. I know for you as well, Yeah, I think that that's fair when you look at the slate of games in the a f C s have um immediate sex appeal and there's

a couple of dogs in the NFC. But I'm with you, I think that can you'd like to think that would lead to um premier matchups in the next round. Doesn't always happen. But um, you know, we've got the Packers hanging out there, a team, a Packer's team that I'm excited about, um more than ever before. And we can get to that next week. How about we deal with what is on on tap for this week right now? Absolutely, Patrick Clayband, how you doing, buddy? Uh, great to have

you back. We haven't had you on the show since the Christmas special and it's always a nice time when Clay is in the house. Yeah, it's Um, we got all the decorations down, so so that was step one. I mean the lights that that's going to require h ladder and stuff. So I'm giving myself an excuse there, but yeah, Lauren got all the decorations down. Um, you know, we've got a few needles up and it's it's almost like it never happened and we just uh turned the

page to another year where bad things happen. So yeah, we doing doing about as good as everybody else. We were all happy and healthy here, alright, very good. Alright. So we're gonna go through the games Saturday, which has an a f C game at two NFC games Sunday, two a f C games, one NFC game. So let us begin, less anybody else has something else to say, we're gonna start. We're gonna dig in now to super Sue Sue Suo suo Super wild Card Weekend. And again

no one approached us. We're creative entities. We've built this podcast from scratch into something that's a global brand. And yet when it was coming time to rest up wild Card Weekend, uh, instead of consulting with the creatives, they just slapped in the super uh fixed super on once again claibon and it just feels I'm gonna say it. I know this could get me in trouble because they are my employer, but shortsighted, I think they take they

take a long view down. Um. You know, coming from my my background with CBS, UM, there are years where you can say super on broadcast television because you have the game. And then there are years where you have just a litany, just a giant list of emails. It's like, don't say super Bowl, like Big Game, the Big Game,

the championship clash. But if you say super Bowl, then some lawyers somewhere is gonna, you know, come and threaten you with whatever, making your noncompete worse, and then you know, firing replacing somebody, somebody straight out of j school. But anyway, Um, the NFL flexing again on their power, their grip of the words super this time of year, like what what what do we own? Oh yeah, super yeah super Well Card Weekend. Well, I want to hear you throughout some

you know alternatives Dan throughout the show. But I also would never question the NFL in terms of their branding and their naming. I mean, just think of the foresight it took to name us and have us change our name from around the League to around the NFL so we could link up and have the same name as a TV show that has now not been on the air for five years, and it never featured US, never featured us. There were some I had suggested bloated wild Card Weekend, which fell on deaf years. Um on the

third floor unfortunate. And of course, um, this all ends with the Super Bowl on the um first or maybe second week in February this year. That was coined by original Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, who was inspired by his son's toy called the super Ball. So I mean even that which is now an iconic brand, the super Bowl. Uh that very modest beginnings there, not exactly a trillion dollar think tank put that them together, and yet we all, uh you know, we look to it as Americans apple pie.

I don't know, let's get to it a f c. It starts with an absolute banger. I don't again SEEZ. I don't want to keep getting on the link. I don't agree with this being an early game. I would have flipped it with Tampa Washington at night, but instead you have the Cults, the seventh seed traveling to Orchard Park to face the number two seeded Buffalo Bills one o five pm Eastern on CBS and Mark. I just

saw some footage floating around on Twitter. Um, a lot of bad footage on Twitter right now, but some really lighthearted, joyful footage of the Bills practicing and super light on their feet, bouncing around, dancing, just filled like a team that looks as loose as a team can be, and there's no one playing better than the Bills right now. That video tells me that the moment's not crushing them. How do the Bills not romp this weekend after everything

we've seen leading into it. I love that you mentioned that because that clip of them dancing to you Can't Touch This, which I was surprised that was the song. Yeah, a little bit of hammer, but there's if you if you watch that clip UM at one point, Josh Allen Uh kind of sneaks into frame and does like his version of what he's trying to dance with the rest

of the crowd. It reminded me of being like like a sixth grade dance when you were back in middle school, just trying to do anything you could to not look like a total fool. But they looked loose. UM into your question, Dan, that vibe that they're bringing, I mean, that's that's new for the Buffalo Bills, and I think this is a UM an ideal first test for them. It feels like a wild card test. This isn't the mightiest UH opponent you could pick in the a f C.

I guess if you're the Cults. What do you do? You want to try to go punch for punch on offense? Um and like have Jonathan Taylor do what he's done over the last couple of weeks. He's been phenomenal. This Buffalo defense is um different than what we talked about seven or eight weeks ago. They've they've shored it up. They've been a much at or defense, their secondary. I think we'll give the Cults fits through the air. And I my my answer would be, I don't see anyone

stopping the Bills, not in this game. I think that the Cults are a well rounded team. They've got some they've got some stars on defense. I don't think it's gonna be enough. I just don't. Yeah, there's not much reason to think the Colts win this game. They would have to outcoach the Bills. They would have to win the turnover battle. You know, they are i think second

in the league and turnover margin. They've got some playmakers on defense that you know, if they get a chance or two, they got to take advantage, whether it's Kenny Moore or Julian Blackman or DeForrest Buckner Um And they don't turn the ball over either despite Philip Rivers there, I think third or fourth in the league and the fewest turnovers, and so can you can you go plus two?

Can you shorten the game? Which is my least favorite strategy ever because it's just like usually it's shortening the time that you know you have a chance to win. But when you're an inferior team, and I think the Colts are an inferior team, it's maybe not that crazy of a strategy. These two defenses are kind of similar to me. They're both trying to prevent big plays, make you earn it going down the field, hoping for mistakes.

They've both been pretty good at doing that. It's just the mismatch compared, you know, when you compare the two offenses is massive. I mean, you have the quarterback playing the best in the league and you have Philip Rivers, who I love, But I don't think Um played his best down the stretch. I would say he's He's probably about league average in terms of a starting quarterback right now. And maybe even a little word hate Philip. I mean I've been Um, I guess there was money. Really, I've

been saying you're a Hall of Famer for years. It's nothing personal. I do think it's a it's a problem that everybody you know, kind of highlights Jonathan Taylor as the means with which, uh, this this Colts team can

compete with with Josh Allen and company. Um, it's kind of a sign of I think the way we feel about Philip Rivers at this point, and really the Colts passing attack um and and Greg, you brought up the their second internover distrivert ferential, and I guess it's kind of a cop out when it's like, well, how can the Colts win well by making turnovers? Well, that's that's how everybody wins. But honestly, the way people feel about this defense where you're you're looking at it's like, uh,

is this Colts defense really that good? Well, the way that they've been staying above water is by making these turnovers. And the Forest Buckner that that that move worked out, um, one of one of the best interior guys in the entire league. Um. And when they get pressure with four guys, um, they haven't allowed to touchdown all season? Are friends at

n GS sentence that this week? And so the problem is you're playing Josh Allen and how many times, are you willing to just send four guys at Josh Allen and give him all day to throw the ball eighty yards or whatever he wants to do, whether he wants to run it or not. It just it's hard to It's hard to envision a circumstance where the Colts can just you know, play a regular football game. I think

they're gonna have to take chances. They're gonna have to get outside of their comfort zone, get out of the cover two, and might try to mess something up. Because if they don't, then I really think this is just a breezy seventeen win or something like that. This this is yeah to me. The way the only way this happens is if Josh Allen falters and you you're not

hearing about it. It's funny because you heard about it back to back years, although strangely not as much this year with Lamar Jackson with his struggles uh in the past two januaries and is he gonna bounce back from it? I remember the podcast after the wild Card round lost by the Bills to the Texans last year, and you, I mean, I was very hard on Josh Allen. I remember Greg who was a late converter as well. To Alan.

I think we all were because he played so poorly in the second half, and not just that he struggled from the physical standpoint of doing the job, but it seemed like he mentally struggled. Now, that's one of the great subplots of the season. That guy. Not only does he seem far away, he seems like dead. That version of Josh Allen. There's no way he could exist, right, And I think that's the only way the Colts win this games. And I do respect the Cults, they're a

good team. Is that if Josh Allen starts putting the ball on the ground and throwing the ball off for grabs and starts pressing. If let's say, Jonathan Taylor rips off an eight yard run and all of a sudden it's fourteen to seven late in the second quarter, and then Allen's trying to press, and like, that's the only way I see it, But I don't because it's that's not giving Josh enough credit for what he's done this season. Well, that would be one of the biggest surprises of the

entire campaign. If suddenly Josh Allen went into the game and looked like the Josh Allen from last January that to your point, I think that's that's ancient mythology. At this point, I'd be a little bit concerned. You don't have cold Beasley probably, Um, John Brown's gonna have to have a big game in this one. Like Stefan Digs is not practicing right now, and I sure Anton and that video though, I'm not worried game, but I think

he's fine. I think the loss of Cole cold Beasley would matter more probably a week or two from now, depending on who the opponent is. I mean, they can get by here, um, but unless you get like Darius Leonard having the game of his life and you know, blowing up Josh Allen on a sack that at this point, like you know, creates a turnover in points that you wouldn't have expect for the Cults. I'm with you, guys, I just I don't see this as a stopping point

for a Bills team that is on fire. Well, I I think the Colts, you know, have the defense to slow them down for a quarter or something that the Bills remind me a lot of achieve of the Chiefs. Do you want to die faster? Do you do, you want to die slow, And I think the cults are gonna say, we want to die slow. You look at the last time Josh Allen looked mortal, it was against the Chargers. He struggled in that game. They kind of are a similar play it safe, make you earn it

type of defense. And that's what the Colts are like. If you watch the Dolphins game last week, they intercepted Josh Allen right off the bat. They stopped them for three straight drives, but the score after that was three to nothing. Like it's just like the Chiefs, Like, if you happen to get an early Allen pick or you get three stops, you better put some points up fast because it's not gonna last all game. Like they're going to adjust. Alan has such a good pocket feel daybole

adjust like to what the defenses are. You're only going to stop them for so long, so you better be able to like put up a lot of points in the meantime if you do get those stops. And I don't really see that because the Bills defense is probably playing better than the Colts defenses right now, so even if you do get those stops, like it's kind of like Mahomes. Yeah, you could spot the Bills ten points

and I wouldn't be that worried about giving this. It's no small thing that this is a playoff game in Buffalo for the first time in twenty four years. Um, with fans in the stands in good morning football is pointing this out and I love it. Fans that have never seen Stepan Digs play, They've never seen this version of the Bills, and so you know, look at I just think this is gonna be a celebration as much as anything. And we can keep spinning, you know, narratives

on how the cults can make an impact here. Surprise us, but surprises because I get I do think if you're Indianapolis, everyone's just sort of saying you're done and don't make it earn it though, like we we don't like the NFC slate in some way. I think, because you could argue the three worst teams in the playoffs are the Washington the Bears, in the Rams, and um, you know, the Colts aren't in that group like they I think they'll make you earn it. At least they're not like

a total push. Yeah, I don't want to distress. Yeah, We're not disrespecting the cults because they just got they pulled a bad matchup in Week one, arguably the last team you want to see in this weekend of football, even if you even if you bring in the buy teams. Uh, the Bills have been playing at that level. And Stepan digs, Yes, it's an oblique injury. He's uh downgraded out and practice

on Wednesday. Remember last time he was on the injury report, it was a foot and he didn't practice ahead of the Patriots game Week six sixteen, and he had a hundred and seventy five yards and three touchdowns by the beginning of the fourth quarter in that game. So I think they're managing a guy that has had a hundred catches this year. Claybonny, have any final thoughts on this

game before we move on? Um? Yeah, if um, if if folks are cult fans are or agitated with us, like we would just we would just need them to play a little bit better against Mike Glennon. Uh, you know six days ago for us to feel super excited about the Colts. Love you guys, but uh, come on, and no, Anthony Costanzo, you know this what this could be a Philip Rivers last game. It would be quite a Philip Rivers moment to get into a big time shootout. I'm hoping to see it, but I'm just not gonna do.

What What is Greg gonna do when Philip Rivers finally walks away from the NFL. I've never I don't think I've ever known a person and that includes I know Chargers fans who are bigger Philip River, uh you know disciples than Greg. He is the next level on this from He's the ninth child. He's a hall he's a he's a Hall of Fame. Yeah, quarterback. I saw, you know, our buddy Will Brenton trying to make some case where like Matthew Stafford's a Hall of Famer and he like

puts Stafford and Rivers and in the same crew. And I'm like, Philip Rivers has been a top five or six quarterback almost his entire career, and it's like beatty Stafford is in. That's the thing. I just And he's fun to watch and you've always shown the ability to look the other way in January when he stumbled, so the winner lose. Greg's not gonna be really taking a hit here for the Colts. Well, I'm picking the bread

Bills to win this by a few scores. So doesn't it feel like Philip Rivers isn't gonna leave the game because he loves it so much until he's terrible, and he's not. If the Colts give him the job next year, I think he's back. It's really gonna be up to Frank Reik in the Colt So I hope they do it. You want to go anywhere else? So the way Rivers plays the game, like, is he ever going to be like that terrible where you have to pull him off a football? Like he he could do this for a

long time. That's fair alright, So we all have the Bills. Uh, moving forward, just like the rest of the world. Let's move to the middle game. It is over in the NFC. The number six seeded Los Angeles Rams head to Seattle. I still call it the Clink, but it is now Loomen Field. I don't know why they did that. The people Loomen really pinching themselves having the naming rights to one of the great facilities in the league. Uh, the

number three seed Seattle Seahawks. This is a four ford PM Eastern kickoff on Fox Um, I guess we start with the quarterback position. Greg, where are we at at recording right now? It is Thursday, nearly three o'clock in the east. On Jared Goff, Well, we don't. We don't know, which is annoying because we might know by the time people hear this, they'll have to do the injury report. The fact that Golf was practicing, you know, makes me

think he's gonna play that. You know. Ian Rappaport put it out there early in the week that it would be a challenge, which seemed to go against what we saw with our eyes with him throwing the ball pretty well. And um, unless McVeigh is, you know, gonna pull a fast one and start Walford over Goff when he's available to play. If you're out there practicing, usually you're starting quarterback is playing. And if you're a Rams fan and

you know, I feel bad there. I put them in the you know, one of the worst three teams in the in the playoffs, that's by record. I'm actually picking them to win this game, um, because I think it's I think it's a defensive game either way, and I think they have the better defense in both matchups. They averaged more than half a yard per play, more than

the Seahawks even the last time around. So I've seen the Seahawks in eight quarters against this Rams defense and it's not great, and I think I think the better defense can still win this game on the road. Going back to that last game, Uh, it's it. I I lean Seahawks here specifically because, Uh, in that tight what was a defensive matchup you saw in short yarded situations, a RAMS team that needed Jared Goff to do something with his legs and it was just consistent that he

wouldn't do it. And so now he's down an imposable thumb, which is tough because it's kind of the foundation of our successes a species. Uh So it I can't if I'm if I'm evaluating these teams. I love Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. Um I think you know, in a in an era where teams are scoring more than ever, this defense kind of stands out. But if it's John Walford or nine fingered Jared Goff, it's just really hard for me to go with the Rams in this matchup.

Don't don't discount clay on the miracles of modern science, though, he's you know, you never know the surgery was done. I think they put a pin in there. Who knows he might actually be feeling pretty good. I wanted to see Wford. Well everyone does you know? I I drive around and listen to a lot of like l A talk radio. I don't know why I do this, but people are ready to throw Jared Goff into the sea. I mean it's like I get that he and listen.

I've been a like super critic of Jared Goff, but um, the immediacy with people with with which which people are done with him is quite stunning. I look at the Ram I think the Rams defense is the best group in the game, and I and these two teams know each other really well. Seattle last week against the Niners had a hundred and nine yards of offense heading into the fourth quarter. They have issues and they don't match up real well against the Rams. I mean, their biggest

weapon is DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey. We all get it. He's gonna erase his production to some degree. Metcalf last four games against the Seahawks fifty nine yards, twenty eight yards, seventy eight yards, forty four and when he's against Ramsey. He's had one catch for eleven yards on four targets on his past fifty three routes against Ramsey. So that is a problem for the Rams to for the Seattle

to figure out. And I think Brandon Staley is you know, he's getting head coaching interviews because they're finding out that this is one of the more innovative um defensive coordinators in the league. And I just trust the Rams, you know, whether it's golf or magical John Wolford to to take care of business here in fact, just what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna lock up the Rams for the first time

probably four years. Look at you, Sessler even you said you know what I'm gonna do, and we all knew we were going and then you could I could see it. It was the gears are turned. Am I really going to do this? Am I really gonna do this? And then he said I'm gonna do it? Well, why am I doing this? I don't know, quarterback that's starting a second game potentially, I'm going to think about this. That is a soft lock and I, oh no, here's the problem.

I wanted to lock up the Bills, but totally forgot, am I not allowed to lock up the Bills, not in good conscience? All right, Now it's the playoffs. You can lock any team. I don't buy that we've done We've done that forever, We've done it. Forever, you lock whoever you want. How about this, I will lock one of these two teams, but I have currently it's currently the Rams that might become the Seahawks. So all right, So if it's Wolford, Um, that's very interesting because he

did play pretty well in that game. After watching it. Um, the Seattle offense, like you said, I just don't know forever going to see it be exciting again this season, and maybe they flipped a switch. I think that's the only way the Seahawks are a Super Bowl condender is if they go back to the way they were as an offense earlier in the season. But maybe that's just not possible for whatever reason. Um. And that's why I think picking the Rams as tough as it is when

the quarterback situation is so unsettled. I think both these teams are entering the postseason and on shaky ground, and I think either team, um, it would make sense to me if they ended up losing you know, to nine and it was like, oh, I can't believe this happened. Jamal Adams is a big piece of it too. Um, the strong safety said Wednesday that he is playing quote no question in my mind, but this is a shoulder injury. This is a guy that makes his game on living

near the line of scrimmage, hitting people. Will he be the same guy? Will he make it through the game. That's a major subplot because he's that important to their defense. Yeah, he is, and they he he's good at rushing the pastor and and run support and and the Rams need to run the like they That's where they've lost these last two games is with you know, they could have

lost against Arizona because they couldn't. They got three points out of two first and goals from the two and the same thing happen against the Seahawks where they couldn't run it in Um. But I think to get back to golf, Like I think people are out on him, probably because mcveigh's out on him. He's coaching around him a little like like I really believe at halftime and this is where the halftime reporters, I think it was

Aaron Andrews can really give you some information sometimes. McVeigh told Andrews coming out a halftime rams Seahawks the first time that Goff needs to see the field better. That was what was in his mind running off the field after watching that first half. The first half were actually they moved the ball pretty well, but there were guys open and you know Walford was thrown it into those type when and he was saying, Goff needs to see

the field. It's not about his arm, even in that even in at his worst golf, like through some beauty in that game, like he always has a couple, but man, he's like he's not processing, he's not thinking, he's not knowing, and he's not doing anything outside the pockets. Like the Seahawks were like begging him to just hey here, just go run over there please, and he would take it. And it's frustrating. It's two quarterbacks that are a little scrambled.

It's it's crazy that Russell. I mean, I wouldn't put Russell Wilson in that category because he still can pull off the comeback, but they're both a little scrambled right now. It's it's funny going into the this offseason where you have these teams that were good, they were legitimately good

football teams. And because they're playing this division game against the team that knows them uh and plays him a billion times, there's gonna be this story going into the off season where there's like gonna be real problems on whatever offense doesn't doesn't win this game, when that might not be true. But it's just just for Los Angeles though. I mean like that they're not that far off from

the from the scenario the Eagles find themselves in. If Sean McVeigh is out on Jared Golf, you know, that's for another day, but that's not the way you want to hit the off season. And Jalen Ramsey is special. He's on that short list of the true great shutdown corners. I really do think because dk metcalf is brilliant as he's been UM this season quieted down some and against Ramsey.

I think Jalen had a success against him the first time around UM in the season in the first two games, So I'm thinking that that will be a situation you can trust Ramsey, Tyler Lockett, he's a big figure in this game as well. Let's pick it. Yeah, I'm taking I'm taking the Rams. Seahawk fans are gonna hate us. We get it, you know, Jaren Reid and Jordan Brooks and some of you you know DJ Read like like they there. You know their defense is better. You have

a defense too, but doesn't matter. You're gonna lose. Yeah, I've got some concern about reads availability for the game. No, he was on the report earlier this week. But um, I'm I'm not taking um, you know again nine fingered Jared Golf or John Wolford over a Russell Wilson is going to all of fame. Uh yeah, so Hawks, I'm taking the Hawks as well. You wonder, and it's not. It's not gonna be tested this week, but if they

did advance, it will be if this defensive rise. When you look at some of the quarterbacks they faced in the last seven or eight weeks, Um, what would happen if this defense got tested against the truly, um true elite offense. But that's not a problem here because obviously the issues that they have with Golf and the injuries and all that. So I like the Seahawks in a low scoring game, and I like the opponent of whoever

wins this game. Next week. Alright, alright, in one in one quick thing, I am going to do a total about face here and lock up Seattle. Um, here is what I see happening. All right. The Rams are gonna be up by like ten to fourteen points in the third quarter, and then you're gonna get what every seat. And it's what happened last week against the Niners. They looked, they looked horrible, and then they scored on three straight drives. They're gonna they're gonna pull this thing out like they

always do in the final minutes. No way am I picking the Rams and losing that lock Um? It never made sense. Get behind that. I don't know what I was doing. I mean, looking, it doesn't really make that much sense either considered, doesn't Marcus? Why we love you? All right, let's move on to the final game of Saturday, the number five seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the number four seed Washington Football Team, eight fifteen pm NBC. All Right, by the way, fill me in. It's Al Chris and

Michelle late Sunday for Brown Steelers? Is it also Al Chris and Michelle? Here? Is this a Tariko right in? Dungee Tariko and Donna. I don't think they would fly them to to two locations that would be that makes sense, all right, So let's dig into this game. Um, the Bucks have at a topsy turvy season, up and down, up and down, but they were up, up, up as the season came to a close and enter at a very uh place of high confidence, you would think. And

they now get Washington. Of course this is gonna be in Landover because despite Tampa Bay being eleven win team, Washington won their division at seven and nine, so they get the home team. Maybe that's something to litigate down the road, but in the here and now, that's the way it's set up, Claivan, this is this is almost now a basic tape uh m as we head to

the actual game. But I really do see this as a trouble spot for Tampa and the matchup not being great and the fact that I've seen it this year already, Patrick that the Bucks can go from highs up here too. Oh there's there's They're like a Ferrari their offense. When things are going well, it's wonderful and that thing is zooming at ninety nine and it's making sharp turns. But then if you put some unleaded fuel in it, where there's something going on in the carburetor. I don't know.

I work with cars a lot. That's what's what I chose. All of a sudden, things breakdown very quickly, and I could see this Front seven with sweat and Young doing that type of damage. You're going back to that Bears game, right, uh, Dan, where Khalil Mack successfully made Tom Brady the maddest person on Earth, and it had it seemed to have an effect like Tom wasn't playing well, not because he was rattled. Legitimately, he was so angry he couldn't gonna kill somebody. He

wasn't thinking about football anymore. He's thinking of murder. Um. The the the the problem is, um, you know, it's as as much as we can melan Nick Foles. Um, he takes shots. Uh, Nick Foles can can make plays that at this point and injured And what a great story Alex Smith is. But if you are Todd Bowles and you have this blitz heavy defense that can do a lot, um, how much are you really gonna invest in sending guys

at this Washington offense? Uh? This this just kind of seems like, all right, well, We'll give you guys these three yards and uh see if Ron wants to make a decision on fourth and one, uh and get Tom and them to run out there and score twenty four points. It's maybe like a boring super Chalky view of the game. But I don't see any other thing happening. I mean, we we are are doing this on Thursday, which is the last full practice, you know, for Washington and Taylor.

Heineke was taking most of the first team reps. Now that you know Smith is quite stenable. He took a lot of reps too. It's a little unclear they might go back and forth. I think it's an open question which would be a better option because of what Claibron said. We don't know much about Heineck. It's not made a couple of throws when he came in the game. Here here's what Heinek did, and granted they were down by

two touchdowns, but he ripped it. And you know, he went for those deep shots that that he had a chance to take against Caroline, and I think you hit it on the head, Claybon. You have to do that against Tampa. That is their big weakness right now, and they don't have Devin White for this game the Bucks because of COVID and and he's one of their best defensive players. I know it's not like a pass coverage thing, um, but their big weakness I think is gonna come against

you know, big time passing attacks. So what a perfect matchup. You're playing the worst, like literally the worst offense in the league according to d v o A. And people say, well, that includes doing Haskins stuff. It was actually worse with Alex Smith by the numbers, um than at any point in the season slightly. Basically there was all the same. So it's a defensive team and maybe they can keep

it close. But man, if I'm a Bucks fan, I love this matchup and I love the fact that it might be hind Niki er Smith And that's why I'm locking up the old Bucks. Okay, wait, this is lockable or yeah, I've got a mirror over there's no mirror. These two guys on our sky Sports thing what's called the Super Bowl Challenge, they both they both picked watching then win the game. They both picked him to win, which I was not totally crazy. I know you can

lock that if you want. I mean, I think I think Um, two things are gonna happen in this game. Logan Thomas is going to do something that becomes like one of the biggest players of the entire weekend. I think that they have been. Logan Thomas is one of

the more interesting players around in my book. And I think the second thing, and it sticks in my head what Chris Weslan said about Chase Young about a month ago, calling him, uh, Lawrence Taylor esque, because I think he is, and one of my favorite subplots um is him basically not doing one of this. I don't want to put anything on a bulletin board. No, won't even uses bulletin boards at this point anymore. Please, he basically said, I

want Tom Brady. I'm gonna go after this guy. Tom Brady has been an eight teen playoff games and never sunk so low as to be in a wild card game. Please, Chase Young is going to score a touchdown in this scheme. I don't think any of that is gonna be enough, because this is one of the worst offenses that have been in the playoffs um since we've been doing this podcast. But I think this is gonna be close at halftime. I really do. I don't think it's gonna be a

stinker that some are suggesting. I think Chase Young has one of the has the traits where like you have to keep your eyes on him the whole game, and he's gonna just cause disruption, but it won't be enough. M What do you think, Patrick Um? I I like Chase Young, I like Josh Schlitt. I I do think that they provide some sort of issue Tom Brady, excuse me, but they're going up against a great offensive line. I mean,

the Bucks offensive line is awesome. They are Um. There's just the circumstance that the offense is gonna put them in this game. Him, I don't. I don't think it bodes well for the defense in terms of looking at the the end, the end result, the box score, at the end of the game, it's gonna be like, Wow, the the football team defense didn't show up like it did all year. Well, they were just putting a horrible situation.

I feel like from their offense. If you if you're a Washington fan, you should look at the history of Ron Rivera beating Bruce Arians teams and feel good and it it sort of makes sense because if Ron Rivera's defense do one thing, well, it's takeaway deep passes, and they've done that this year. So the last four weeks we've seen Brady and this happened so many times. Have multiple guys wide open on a given play like that's it's just not like multiple guys deep short wherever he

wants to throw it, you can. It's not gonna happen against Washington. They'll make them earn it a little bit. That that's the argument for them. So did they say that Alex Smith suffered a setback in week seventeen? Now don't? Okay? So why why should I think that he's now not gonna play? I just thought he was not healthy. He was so he hangs up and ineffective because he's banged up in in Heineke in theory, maybe gives him a

better chance. Would think I'm going I think I'm going crazy with everybody like getting behind these backups with no experience or like it bona fides like we're now going to say that Tyler Heineke is gonna win Aula. No I'm not. I'm locking up the bucks. No, okay, but I'm saying, like the the idea that, oh maybe they should play Tyler Heineke because Alex Smith isn't quite right now. I think this has been building to something with the

with Washington and Alex Smith. I would love this is more you know, storybook, um driven, But I would love to see Alex Smith now in a playoff game. He's gonna stay on the field, and I understand where they're managing him because one false step with that calf and practice and he's done. Um. I think he's playing and what he's shown he's never gonna pilot an explosive offense. He really never has, even at his peak. Um, but what he has been able to do this year is

surprised you. Every once in a while, you know, they're very quiet, and then they put together a couple of scoring drives and Liz Mark said, maybe Chase Young does something very special to shorten the field. Um or Montez like gets his hands up and too exa pass and cause the interception, and all of a sudden you're like, wait a second, the Bucks are a better team here, but it's a seventeen fourteen in the fourth quarter. I think that happens, and I picked I'm picking Washington. I'm

staying with that pick because A, it's fun. There's always one, there's always one upset. In wild Card weekend last year, it was Minnesota going to the superdomea beating the Saints, who on this very show a year ago I said was the greatest three seed in NFL history. Apparently not at thirteen and three. I think this is the pick. Greg. I have no problem with your lock. It's a it's a solid lock. You're probably gonna be right. But don't

be surprised if this is a field goal game. It does make me, for whatever reason, more nervous than like, let's let's say Bill's cults or whatever. But it felt it. I do believe in this box team. Ultimately, I do think they're one of the seven teams or so that can win the Super Bowl. I I really. I know it was against some bad opponents, but they are a relatively new team. I think Antonio Brown stepping up in the last few weeks um is not to be underestimated.

They're an offensive point team. I'm all about offenses, and to me, their offense can can roll with anyone. Antonio Brown feels ready to explode at some point. Mike Evans, Yeah, I hope it's just on the field. Mike Evans with that knee injury, he's up in the air, and if he's out there, who knows if he's going to be

more decoy than anything else. But Antonio Brown looked like two thousand seventeen Antonio Brown in week seventeen, like the way he was moving, and he now could feel if Evans can't be Evans, you trust Brown and Brady in terms of the deep threat that he could bring to them. But he was running routes all over the field. That was scary to see him look that way. Um, all right, good stuff. Before we get to the Sunday slate, Let's let's take a this is halftime, let's check in on

go get my lunch. The regular season? How about that? As we back in August, we said, uh, let's keep everything to the regular season. Let's not have it drawn out. Uh So let's go through this. Uh, Chris Westling, the Great Chris Westling right now stands seven and nine. Terry McLaurin or DJ Shark will finish top five, and wide

receiver Fantasy points did not happen. Um, And if you're curious, If you're curious, the top five receivers were Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, dk metcalf Okay was on the wrong team, McLaren yep and all of us, Dan Greg and Mark All took up sandwiches there, uh next near. Neither Drew Brees nor Tom Brady finished the season as the starter. Dan Greg and Mark all made sandwiches there. Drew Brees got injured, but he got back

and played the final three games the regular season. Tom Brady through forty touch forty three years old through forty touchdowns, gotta get it up. Josh Allen finishes higher than Cam Newton and Tom Brady in the final m v P index Bingo. Technically, you know, he did make sure that I was gonna have to write that, which I've been doing the last years it's been sponsored. I don't think we got that sponsorship this year, so I never wrote it.

But hypothetically, hypothetically he would have been in my top five for sure, and so he wins that one. Well, this well, we won't. We won't get West on the technicality. And guess what good job by West who saw something none of us did. Because Dan Greg and Mark All took him on that. That just shows you how much change with Josh Allen. Well, they're hold on, hold on,

hold on, hold on. I mean we're also like if if you don't take everyone up on every sandwich, you're you're like, you know that was more active, Brady would be better than all. And if you took that night you thought you thought Brady would be better than all. And if I wasn't in Gregg's camp of like Josh Allen is like, shouldn't even be in north But you got to take the L because we went the other way. I'll take it, but I don't. There's degrees of L. But I was, I was horribly wrong. That's why I

made I lost sandwiches. I dismissing Josh Allen. There's a at a spoil. All right, let's move to Mark Sessler also seven and nine right now? Please, what will this be? Matthew Stafford is not on the lines week one roster? What was I think? Oh? When was this done? Like I was, I it doesn't matter, It doesn't matter. Dan, greg and Westall made sandwiches. Um so no games will be canceled, Slash postponed due to COVID and this was. This was a touchy one because we were all dealing

with the throes of a global pandemic. None of us felt comfortable with it, so we all just said no on general principle, we're out. West did take you up on it, so you lost, but just one sandwich. Yeah, we didn't want to root for COVID. You put us in a bad spot. Well, now that was I remember that exact moment, and there was a lot of you know, mount pious activity going on, and so it's like when you pick guys to get hurt and we're supposed to like then it was you. I simply won't be involved

in a in a wager about COVID. I can't handle that. That is a man of ethics, you understand, right. Well, the atmosphere at the time there was this line weird takesman thing where it's like, if you showed any sort of concern about the virus, people will be like, oh, you're rooting for the virus, and it's like, oh, God, go away, getting a whole al right. Up next, Bill Belichick will be asked about interactions with UFOs or life beyond Earth. Uh, take the listener behind your thought logic.

There Mark, Dan Gregg and Westall made sanguages well, well that thought was through the Super Bowl. Um, although he doesn't that probably is over because he's not doing a lot of done with him, he's done with the media. Sure, Um well no, I mean, if you if you track um actual news about UFOs, there's been a ton of activity and rep from reputable news sources saying it's it feels like the government is creeping towards trying to tell

us something they have been for years. And there's been a hike and uptick in that over the last three or four months. So that's sort of where I was coming from. But um, I was, you know, told very sternly, and I would have followed this rule not to suggest to like Mike gr or someone else that they asked the question as a plant and no one on their own volition decided to go there. And Belichick, I was gonna say, reporters are afraid to ask Bill Belichick of

cam Newton's starting week seventeen. Like the idea that someone would have the nards to do that, I mean, I would have respected it, but it never felt it's somehow not even the dumbest um wager that I came up with now Stafford thing please, well, you've got another one coming that you're gonna lose. Three. Daniel Jeremiah becomes an NFL general manager prior to Super Bowl fifty five and quote largely ghosts the A T N podcast crew. That one's still up in the air. But there are seven.

There are seven, almost the quarter of the league looking for gms. But there are no indications that DJ is in the mix on that. So that looks like you're gonna fall to seven and twelve. I could get the ghosting us part of it, right though. All right, well you need to hit on both right, right, Well, that would be nice. Greg. Eight and eate the Rams and Chargers make the play offs? Got you those three missing wins in the mix in the Los Angeles every year?

Uh cost you? They're three sandwiches. Uh. The forty Niners don't make the playoffs. You nailed that one, but Mark Mark, good for you. You You didn't take them up on it. You believed as well that they weren't making the players. Dan and West both took took the hook on that one. You were very down in the Niners. But you know, in retrospect, Greg, the only reason they didn't make the playoffs.

Was all felt like all these the avalanche of injuries that happened after your prediction, you were picking for different reasons pretty much, although the injuries kind of started even by the time I made it, um so that that played into it. But you're right, Uh, the injuries pretty much did it for me. Otherwise they would have made it all right. And this one you got popped on Teddy Bridgewater has more yards and challenge just doubling down

on the Allen eight. Alan, I looked us up, finished with forty hundred yards four thousand five Teddy, who was not very good this year, three thousand, seven hundred and thirty three yards. Yeah, that's not a bad. If you had told me Teddy was going to get thirty seven hundred. I think he missed the game and a half too. It's like, well, I think you have my top, Alan, not so much. A Yeah, Teddy wasn't so bad. He had fifteen touchdowns. He was about what you would expect

for for where he's been in his salary. He was like Bettler here him reigning this back, moving the goalpost. You you were ready, I mean, if you want to. He played very well. The first half of the season. So if you want to judge us on our salaries, I'm doing weight. I'm I'm being far too productive. I should be doing you know, much less. All right, here's the old juicer right now, ten and seven looking good. Gronk plays in three sandwiches there, Levian and this one.

I might have an issue with that. Yeah, an off season one. Yeah, levy on Bell isn't on the Jets. In when ended, Levian Bell not on the Jets. How come it's in red? According to Go Get My Lunch, Nick fourth tier. I think it was a week because he was on the Jets. Yeah, it was. At the time, it was he was he wasn't ever gonna make it to the Jets. Greg and Greg and Mark made sandwiches. That one's disputed, but i'll let it go. Jets enter week seventeen with a mathematical path to the playoffs. Okay,

three sangwiches. They're obviously terrible. The Jets are oh and thirteen at one point. But I must say I was very upfront that I was only picking something I wanted to happen. I never believed in my Jets this year, but I'll take the loss there Aaron Aaron Rodgers earns All Pro honors in Not only is he gonna get All Pro honors, Uh, he's gonna get the m v P. And I got sandwiches off all you guys nobody. Yeah. I probably will never have a better one than that. Uh.

This one was one of my favorite wagers ever. It didn't work out, but almost did. Clay Bonne, it was almost set up to work. Kai four Bath hits a game winning field goal within the final minute of regulation or overtime. He wasn't on a team at a time, but I figured he'd get in on a kicker carousel on a team, and then I just needed a little luck.

He ends up signing with the Rams midway through the season, doesn't perform too well in the first couple of games, and then suffers an injury to I R. So it was there, and then it was kind of pulled away from me. Yeah. But the thing about picking a kicker to have a kick in that circumstances when whenever, like they signed somebody off the street, invariably that person will always end up in a game winning kick situation always, And he just didn't happen with guy. And finally for me,

Mike McCarthy is one and done in Dallas. Damn. That was tracking pretty the only one that took you up on that. Like West and Mark were like, now he's probably gonna be what the one and done? Well? I knew, yes, I Mark has never been a fan of McCarthy or that higher, so that makes sense. West. That surprises me a little bit, But that was tracking pretty decent entering December. But McCarthy appears to be safe. Okay. Finally, Ricky Hollywood.

Good for Ricky. The producer historically has been terrible at this game, like insanely bad. But Ricky went with Adrian Peterson have over five hundred rushing yards, Dan, Greg, Mark and West All took her up on brang it and I believe he had about six hundred. It slowed down by the end of the season, but he was not not the bell cow guys six o four. He finished with a three point yards per tote and sevent t

d s Uh. You had some injury helped there, DeAndre Swift, But credit to you, Ricky, and you know what, it wasn't just a shot in the dark because all day Purple Jesus always seems to find some type of role in any offenses in and you were right to follow that path. Thanks. Yeah, I'll take a postmate, skift card or whatever you guys want to do your breath. I'm good. All right, there you go. And by the way, he won m v P. Of course, Adrian Peterson in two

thousand twelve when he ran for two thousand yards. Is Derrick Henry you're gonna get an m v P boom in. No. I don't think he won't because of the way this whole thing is set up, but he should. I would like them to change the voting thing. Ricky also had a Julian Edelman will catch eight touchdowns which which did not come through for her. How many did he get? No?

Was that this year? I don't think that was this year? No, I one year said that when he tore his a c L that he was this that was this year. Cam Newton only threw eight touchdowns the whole season, so that was not gonna happen for you. Alright, But Ricky, you know what it stands. Good job by you. You're hey, you Greg the unedited version. I love it all right, back to the playoffs. Okay, that was nice. That was nice. I gotta get Claybon involved in the same way next year.

Let's get the next time we do wages we do for Super Bowl. Patrick, please join us um and have a prop ready to go. I'll have several. All right, here we go, Here we go. Moving on Sunday, the number five seed. This is it. This is my favorite wild card game in year's number five seed Baltimore Ravens at the number four seed Tennessee Titans one pm on a s ABC slash e ESPN. Who Doggie Patrick, Lamar Jackson obviously five straight wins. They go from out of

the playoff picture to the number five seed. Uh. And now they get a Titans team that, yes, Derrick Henry two thousand yard rusher, Ryan Tannehill forty touchdowns this year, Corey Davis uh and A. J. Brown, both of them either at or right at one thousand yards receiving an awesome offense. Uh. But do you think the defense is gonna get enough stops on Lamar Jackson to go to the next round? I don't. I mean, I'm obviously a

Lamar stand and a Ravens fan. At this point. I think anybody that that you know it's heard me talk about anything and knows that. But going back to the game last year, which obviously has no bearing on anything, there were two fourth downs where the Titans defense got a stop and then followed up by two huge bombs from Ryan Tannehill. Um. Just the way that this Titans team, in this defense is played down the stretch. Do we see them making that type of defensive stand at any point.

It's tough to It's tough to imagine them doing that. And you mentioned Lamar coming back, so you know he asked covid he comes back. They scored thirty four, thirty eight points. Uh, consecutively. The twenty seven point game was against the Giants where they kind of shut it down. Uh, could have could have scored more, Uh if they needed to. Um, it's they were a great offense last year. They're doing it differently this time around. They had to make some adjustments. Uh.

Not as much straight up power. Uh they're getting They're getting Orlando Brown on the move running just QB counters and Hollywood. As much as I've been frustrated with Hollywood, he started to make some plays as he received that now or is he yeah? He Well, there wasn't There was a part where like he was Cerritos Brown, but he has moved his way, you know, closer to the West Side at this point. Now, yeah, he might be where I live, and you know, he kind of fits

down here. But it's, um, there's I don't believe it's just blind hope for me. The way I feel about this game, I do uh see the Ravens getting some stops where it's not just you know, late in the game like it was last time or in the overtime lost to the Titans, where it's just, um, they go man up and Derrick Henry beats you uh, and they there's no Roger Staffold and it's you know, as much as I love Henry, I I just I don't see them running all over this defense. Again, Like I get that,

and I picked the Ravens to win. This is what I call a thread the needle game because they're like I think they're three and a half point favorites and I have them only winning by two. So it's like somewhere in between, Ravens win. But you know, maybe not as much as you think. But the worst, the worst take I keep seeing all week is like, oh, this

is a great matchup for the Ravens. It's like, what, this is the worst matchup for the Ravens, Like, we we have proof that they do not match up well with the Titans for very specific reasons that do carry over from the last two times they played. Number One, Tannehill can handle a Blitz. He threw an interception against

him last in Week eleven against the Blitz. But man, if there's a guy who's not that worried about you about to crush him as he goes one on one deep down the field against your your great cornerbacks, but he's gonna take a shot like that's Ryan Tannehill. Uh. Number two, they're the reason they're so bad is because they're the worst, one of the worst pass rushes and past defenses in the league and the way Lamar is playing. I think they can take advantage of that. But the

Ravens are not a passing team. They're they're thirty second in the league and yards because they're a run first team, and so do the Do the Ravens take full advantage of what should knock the Titans out of the playoffs with their passing tam I ultimately think they can and they will, but it's not like the Ravens are like this past first team. The Titans are literally the only team to come back from double digits down against the

Ravens in the last two years. So in terms of like matchups, it gets me a little worried when I see the graphic that that that the NFL networks sending out and every single person except for Colleen Wolfe is picking the Ravens. It's like we've dismissed this Titans team quite a bit. They are a top three or four often you're one of them. I don't, but it's partly

because that's what I want to see happen. Much like in something close to a coin flip game, I'm taking the team I want to see when, and that's the Ravens.

But this game worries me very much. I think it's I mean, I think it's gonna be close, and um, for me, I would think differently about um Tennessee's ceiling in this game if it weren't this version of the Ravens and I and I get that, you know, this isn't the past first Baltimore team, but um, they remind me of like a dude walking down like you know, it's some sort of part of town with like a sock filled with pennies, just knocking people out left and right there tough. I mean, um, this is not the

same you know. Have you ever dealt that? Have you ever dealt with that? Like I had when I was in a room where I didn't get pelted with it, but there was this rather drunken fellow swinging a sock fold with like pennies and dimes, and you don't want to be on the other end of that. And the Ravens. We No, I was not, thankfully, although I'm sure some of that activity like nor it was not a family

member either, Um, thankfully. But I think they've been destroying people in the first half of games week after weeks, So yeah, this is not like a team that scared you through the air. But you're gonna have to slow their run offense, which has been you know, their first drive last week they gave the ball to four different guys. I mean, there, it's not it's so opposite of Tennessee because it's not the one. It's not that it's Derrick

Henry or or Bust on the ground. It's all these different characters and I think that they're just um supermotivated Lamar Jackson pointed to that Titans game. He's pointed to it over and over. I think this matters to him about his legacy to win this thing. I think you're gonna get a supermotivated Ravens team. I mean to think about what would happen if if Jackson played poorly in

this game. I mean, it would just be three years in a row they were one and done, and it would just it would be something that he would continue to carry. But I also think it's the type of thing that just wanting it more isn't probably going to make him play well either. It's just it's gonna happen. Everything's gonna sync up, and he's gonna have to play free and easy like he did down the stretch when he just looked excellent, basically looked like the m v

P of last year. And I love the Titans, I mean I love it's that in terms of like where we've come with this organization on this podcast, even during the Mariota years where they're very difficult to watch the acquisition of Ryan Tannehill and the rise of Derrick Henry to one of the great running back of his generation. Um has made them an exciting watch, but also if you watched every game, it's like, how do you trust the defense to get you out of the out of

this game? I just don't. I mean, I don't want to be labor the point, but you look at it. Half their games this season they gave up thirty points half eight out of the sixteen and then he said, Okay, maybe they're starting to maybe they'll figure it out down the stretch. Heading to the playoffs, Week six team their last big spotlight game, they lost forty to fourteen in Green Bay. Even last week against Houston, which we knew was gonna be trouble because Shaun Watson was gonna ball out.

You knew he would, and he did thirty eight. They could not get a stop down the stretch. I just see more of the same. And I think it's not a game that I would think about locking up because it could go either way, and I think it's a field goal or a touchdown game. I think this has got forty thirty seven overtime classic written all over it, and I'm sort of offended that they that that it is. It's not in prime time, and I whether that would

have been replacing Pittsburgh Cleveland. But what Washington UM Tampa Bay. This isn't This isn't the matchup that everyone's waited to see all year. I don't know what it's doing in the in the early morning spot if you listen live in Los Angeles, you're still getting a couple of coffee during there. To do a huge rating, it will be, it will be massive. But you're right, one o'clock Eastern is pretty early to this. How about that justin Tucker

versus Gustkowski matchup like that? Honestly, that was I I struggled to pick this game. And the Ravens have one of the best special teams in the league. I think their second or third you know that includes coverage according to a football said Titans are and their kicker stinks, Like I'm not sure the Ravens defense is good. That's sort of the X factor. Like we we think they're

good because they're wearing the Ravens uniform. But the the only like sentient team they've played over the last five weeks is the Browns on offense, and who put up forty five against them, and they're pretty banged up, Like they they're not the same Ravens defense that worries me in future rounds, But I think they'll have enough here. It's brown tea with ub they can run the ball,

and Henry obviously they can run the ball. I do think if the Ravens are able to successfully kind of get that image of you know, Derrick Henry running into the end zone by himself and overtime or turning um, you know, Earl Thomas around, like if if they can get past that, uh and and just kind of move away from this Titans team like watch out, um, you

know Scott's limit. Um. Greg, We didn't touch on it, but I feel like it would be a mistake not to at least mentioned that both you and I are very worried about in terms of special teams, Johnny Hecker being a liability in a playoff game, potential ability potentially it's I don't like that this is the world we're living now, but there's something going out Johnny Hecker up there in l A. Well, it's weird. You just he's

the you know. West West has long said Hecker is the greatest punter he's ever seen, maybe the greatest in NFL history. Bill Belichick has said the same and he's only thirty, but he's not Hecker right now. He's struggling. It's very weird because I guess he just sort of like got fensive lineman. You like think left tackles don't struggle. Well, they're human too, they can struggle, and he is. He

is slumping hard. Johnny Hecker, I mean, at the pivot point of the rams is is their punter they've got, They're probably gonna have some issues to begin with. It's weird. It's like, what can we have believen if Johnny Hecker is not booming? I mean we kind of see it like if if you are a finally tuned billion dollar air superiority fighter and something's going wrong just a little bit. It doesn't take it doesn't take much. Uh didn't take much to mess you up, which makes you respect Justin

Tecker Tucker all the more. He is the exception, just a machine, all right, middle game? All right? Well, I mean real quick, I got so I got the Ravens and a nail biter to anybody got the Titans here. I really want to switch my lock to Baltimore. I hate that it's it's all on the Ravens because if if they lose, I'm not gonna want to watch football for the rest of the day. And I didn't realize that you were surprises me. Yeah, alright, good, I'm a

very into that, by the way. So okay, here we go middle game and it is could be the clunker, but again you never know. Number seven seed Bears go to the super Dome and face the number two Seeds Saints for for d p M. Eastern CBS also a nickelodeon about that. I think Nate Burlson is going to be involved with that telecast. Uh. There'll be green slime, virtual green slime in the m zone for touchdowns. Okay, you gotta get the kids locked in. Um Clay Bent

will start here the Bears. Nobody given the Bears a chance and and that's that's fair because the Bears fattened up on some really bad defenses to get back into the playoff picture and then went back to sleep when they faced the Packers team. Uh in week seventeen, why should we think that this is gonna be anything other than uh, well, I guess we'll go with the theme right that we've done this a few times today on the way. Hypothetically, it could go wrong for the tea.

We think it's gonna win. It's it's kind of like like I saw a headline today about uh potential discussion in league circles that Deshaun Watson could maybe ask for a trade hypothetically. Like so I'm just gonna hedge like that because that's you know, that's that's the way things are done. Now. Um, we saw how Jalen Hurts beat the Saints. Um, maybe we get new Mitchell gets out there and runs a little bit and uh put some stress on the defense and and um, you know the

Saints kind of bogged down on offense. I don't necessarily think that's gonna happen. Michael Thomas is back with Breeze for the first time, which feels like all season where it's been Michael Thomas and Brees hopefully Alvin. Uh did they play one game together yet? I think mere quarters Like it's a week one and then maybe some in December, maybe a game, I don't know, Yeah, but it's it's been very small and so um, you know, hopefully uh

Camara was know asymptomatic and comes back healthy. But but if not, um, the you know, and the swing passes aren't there and new Mitchell has the game of his life. Uh, khalil, that causes some problems. Maybe they squeak by with a overtime when on a fumble recovery touchdown like that. Other than that, this is this is my I'm less concerned about the outcome being weird in this one than than Washington and Tampa Bay like honestly. Adam Schefter reported today

that Alcamara is participating in live practices remotely. Uh. This week. The source said that Kamara has a live video dacoder at his home to watch practice and can hear coach Sean Payton, who has a microphone to guide Kamara through plays. Uh. This is allowing him to watch the Saints as they implement the game plan for Sunday's game against the Bears and mentally go through the assignments. Oh my god, so their video is encrypted as top secret? How did we

get here? How do we get home? Go ahead, guys? Alright, Saints by forty now that I heard that news. The style, the style, the Saint style. The style they play sometimes invites close games because they're kind of a slow moving offense with not a ton of possessions. You know they did go to overtime against the same Bears team um in Week eight. I believe a game that the Saints were missing most of their receivers. I know of it. The one I think reason to be concerned if you

were Saints and I'm not. This week, I think their offensive line will dominate. I think Mitchell Drabinsky has not been good. I don't think people are watching these games that are saying he's good. He's twenty seven out of twenty eight since returning. It's just people are dropping interceptions.

I swear like people are watching. People are just watching him on the red zone and like, yeah, they've been scoring touch on and they have called plays well with your boy Bill Laser and so that that's great and they and they have some good players around him now, like Robinson commits playing a little better, Darnell Mooney is banged up. The only thing that could ever go wrong, I feel like is the Bears play a solid defensive game.

Breeze throws an early pass that gets picked off and he gets a little tight because I'm telling you, Breezes, I don't think Breeze is playing that well. I thought last week the Panthers had a number of chances and it didn't look great. It was against it was some with some backup receivers, but I don't know. You know, Breeze hasn't played well in the playoffs lately, and they know this could be it for this entire run. And it's like, what if you get an unlucky break or

two early and you fall down. How is Drew Brees gonna play against like a competent defense? How is he going to My one note, my biggest concern for the Saints, and it's sort of ethereal, but it agree. I agree with you Greg that them coming out and playing tight um because they've been really like resilient um coming off of terrible playoff losses three years in a row. But there's a lot on the there's just a lot happening here.

With Drew Brees likely in his last year. I'd I'd be shocked if became back at this point and you're you're heading into cap hell. A lot of their key players are becoming free agents. I mean, this team is on the cusp of looking very different, and how do you deal with that? Mentally? I mean, do they get tight? I trust that they trust they'll be fine, because I think Sean Payton, he can you know, this is not the DNA of that type of a team. That's like

your disaster scenario. But the Bears thing, look at I think they've been a much better overall offense, but you look at what happened. They lost to the Lions. They beat in the Texans, the Vikings and the Jaguars, I mean dead defenses, and they played really well and their offensive line has been better. But that's all sandwich between two losses to Green Bay where they gave up seventy six points. I just I think this is what it is.

They're an eight and eight team. Credit for them, Credit to them for you know, getting through some of their own issues to have a much more exciting offense. But but Greg, I'm with you that it's not that Mitch Drabinsky is suddenly this guy that you think about in future terms. They've gotten here, you know, and I give them credit, but they are what they are. It would be it would be very disappointing for the Saints. That's the stumble here. It would be shocking. Oh, it would

be more disappointed, more than disappointed, be absolutely crushing. And they've had their fare of postseason struggles in recent years, and a lot of that has been misfortune. That of course is the Minneapolis miracle with Stefon Diggs, and then everyone knows what happened um with the p I call or the non call that got the Rams of the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Even last year against the Vikings, I believe there was a non call that that had

New Orleans fans up in arms. So you know, I see those as less of collapses and and more just like man, they're due for to get on a nice run here in the playoffs and have some things to go their favor. I can't lock the game up in good conscious because the desert has it double digits. But I'm not There's no team I'm more confident in than the Saints to moving into this round. I I would have locked it too, but I knew you guys would would push back for for everything I just said about Breeze.

I do not think that's a factor this week with Sean Payton calling plays and our guy Baldi has been talking up to Ron Armstead, their left tackle, as the best offensive lineman in football right now. And who am I to argue with Baldi? So that he's going to be shutting down potentially Cleo Mack their best player, or Robert Quinn, you know when they flip sides. But Ram checks great on the other side. I mean, it's a great line, It's a great defensive, light team, the great

the team is one in the trenches. It's so weird to me that Breeze is one of the biggest concerns of this team. But not playing the Bears, I mean, this is a great team, like a full team. They should blow him out. Alright. We all have the Saints obviously, which takes us to the final game of wild Card Weekend, and one Mark Sessler has literally been waiting two decades for the Cleveland Browns getting the shot to knock off the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. This game will be played in

Hines Field. These teams just saw each other in Week seventeen, but of course, Mark, it was not uh the same game because Ben Ralph's Burger and several their key Steelers were not playing. The Browns got the w to get in just barely. And then of course the developments of this week around Cleveland not great. Josh McDaniels um will not be on the side excuse me not Josh McDaniels. Um, Kevin Stefanski will not be on the sideline COVID. Joel Bottonio,

the standout guard, he will not be playing covid. UM. Mike Preefer pre for the special Teams coach of ill Renown. He will be the acting head coach in this game. Mark, it's it's us against the world. Feeling for the Browns right now, and as a fan because I've seen been tracking your Twitter and it seems like you're drawing some

power from all this doubt around your favorite team. Well, it's it's kind of the opposite of a week ago when I think Cleveland was in a you know, sort of a no win situation because if you beat the Steelers as you beat the Steelers B team, um, and if they lost, it's an utter embarrassing way to to finish the year losing to the Jets and Steelers. So they had to just take care of business. Um. You

never would have expected. I mean, I guess this year you could expect something like this, but you don't think that if you wait eighteen years for the Browns to get into the playoffs that one of the reasons they've gotten this far. Is Kevin Stefanski that he's going to be home and you know by n IF a lot of people are asking can he be involved UM during the game at all. No, we cannot, Like the minute

they leave the locker room. You know, he has zero ability to interact with the team and NFL given the circumstances. I don't know I get that, but but I think the NFL has sort of said, UM, flexibility is not on those fronts. It's not We're not It's not a competitive issue. That why he's not in there. So I don't know that is what it is. I think losing Batonio UM, especially when you look at Batonio, is importance

on perimeter runs for that team. UM, that's huge. This is an offensive line that's played obviously really really well, but not against Pittsburgh and they've been all right, but they gave up four sacks the first time, and they gave up four sacks last week with Pittsburgh's you know, T J. Watton, Cam Heyward not in the game and and some of those are on Baker Mayfield. I think this game boils down to Baker Mayfield and we've seen

it UM in the first half against Tennessee. We saw it in the first half against Baltimore, playing a perfect version of his game. Uh, that's a lot to ask, and I think that you know, you guys can win. I'm concerned on the flip side that you don't have Olivier vernon the Browns just that get to a point where if you take away enough, I'm not sure how you hang with the team that I think will be ultra focused. Um, this Steelers team has been through a lot.

Their offense looked fine to me last week and Cleveland's defense is a mess. Then the awards a big factor that that to me would be a killer because I think the mismatches in terms of the receivers against Cleveland secondary's pretty significant. I mean I watched that game and I was kind of surprised. No one, no one was, you know, told me like, hey, Mason Rudolph kind of balled out. Like Mason Rudolph looked pretty good. Like Robert

Jackson did not ball out. Know, Like, we never want to admit when bad players have good games, but it happens like their professionals. Maybe he got better, I don't know. He he made a number of throws where I was like, would better made that throw? I don't. I don't know. I don't think so as much hot as much as going against Cleveland. You know, ultimately it's Batonio and Vernon. That's like those are big losses, but you're still kind

of best on best here. The Browns have four of their offensive linemen that have been awesome, Like when they run behind Conklin and Teller, they dominate. Those guys are there, you know, it's against this Steelers defense. As as the week has gone on, I've kind of come around to like thinking that the Browns will keep this game close, versus like that it's such a big deal that that

Steelers rested four guys last week. The Steelers haven't shown enough to believe that they're gonna run away and hide against um a good offense, and that's what the Browns are. Like, I totally expect this to come come down to the end. I just want to see, you know, Austin Hooper make a play. Austin Hooper, make a play David, and like, let's get these tight ends against these Steelers linebackers and

make up play Austin Hooper. I'm sick of it, and I think any anything that we're concerned about going on Baker's shoulders is really just gonna end up being put on chub shoulders. Uh. He gets he gets another look at the same front that really hasn't been the same since Bud Dupree has has been out. And so they

can I think they can shorten this game. Not not that we are super concerned with been and the Steelers running off and scoring thirty uh, the way that they've looked down the stretch, but I think there's a realistic hope that the Browns could feel a competent offense even without Patonio and with Kevin Stefanski stuck like all of us kind of helplessly watching every game. They really do

and it helps out their defense. They are the team that shortened games more more than anyone with these long dives. And when with you that the the Chub is the heart of this the engine of that offense. But there's a game script concerned that if the defense of Cleveland struggles are leon Pittsburgh gets out to a quick lead, that you can start to mess with that, and then you do put it on Baker and it becomes a

big test for Baker Mayfield. I think that's one of the things as a fan, Um, that I'm looking forward to see Baker in a big spot, especially if things go sideways. The last time that was the case, it was a great Baker performance. And Monday night when they nearly beat Baltimore and they fell behind multiple scores and you could have just ground it out with Nick Chobb and you needed Baker to make a bunch of big throws. He did, so that there's a lot of hope there

for me. Um. I I like the Steelers here. I'm gonna lock them up. Mark. It has nothing to do with our relationship. In fact, if I lose the lock, I win because Mark's happy. Um. But I just what I saw from the Steelers the last two weeks, not just uh the Mason Rudolph game, but the Week sixteen game in the second half was them finally say all right,

we need to open this offense up. The deep throws both by Ben against the Titans and then throughout the game UH against the the Browns in Week seventeen tells me that they now understand that they have to spread this out. And if they could do that, then the big bread, big Ben bread and butter underneath throws will

work as well. And I just don't trust the Cleveland defense with No Vernon and Myles Garrett being up and down in the second half of the season, and the secondary the way that it is, I just feel like they're going to move the ball through the air on the Browns and put up points. Uh So, I think this is a you know, thirty to thirty four type stealers win. Whenever they've beaten Big Ben and the Steelers, and it's it's happened UM very few times. When I

look back at those games. There's been a couple of them, and it's not this year's team, but they have made life very difficult on Big Ben and it's usually come with one or two plays where a not great Browns defense UM generated points. And there have been a couple of games this year where a not great Browns defense had to generate points UM to win. And so they

have that in their DNA to some degree. But I'm with you, UM, if Denzel Award was unable to be in this in this performance, UM, I put Cleveland's win percentage down in the twenties. I really would, because part of what happened last week was Robert Jackson, who's never played in an NFL game, is getting torched by Chase Claypool and he's gonna be back in there again. And what will change over six days? The Stefanski thing, we have no idea how big a deal it is because

this is kind of like unprecedented territory. But I mean, he is the head coach of the football team, and it's a special teams coach that is gonna be on the sideline as the leader of the men, and it's just like, oh man, what does that mean. I I really do feel for you market all, honestly, like, this is not how you want to go into your first playoff game. It just feels like the deck is stacked against them. I do say, and you're you did a great work mark on the Power Ranking Show this week.

Thank you for coming up. Great work. But no, but you were great. We talked about this. The one thing I'll say, and this is why the lock you know, doesn't sit too well with me. In terms of confidences. I could see Baker feeding off all this and getting hot and confident and getting that swagger going. That's how the Browns win. I think the whole team, the whole team and I think, like Alex Van Pelt calling plays, um, he's worked with Stefanski in games all year long to

decide how drives and stuff would go. I think Stefanski is a really good play caller, So I don't I think there's a drop off there. But that factor concerns me a little bit less than the player is not available. Yeah, I would agree, especially because Stefanski is coaching the team remotely. They said, he's basically you know, everything's remote anyways this week for them, the fact they haven't practiced, like that's

an next factor. But but we know, yeah, we know, like coaches always say, play calling is a little overrated. We know that his first twenty players are going to be the Stefanski plays. After that, it's on Van Pelt to adjust that. That is the great unknown. But like they need, they need Garrett like and you know, it did worry me last week that you know, he was

really not looking himself. He did have a pretty good Week sixteen game, but that those his matchups on the defensive line are basically the same this week as they were a week ago, except you're without Vernon and the only pressure they got was really from Sheldon Richardson against the Steelers backup center. For the most part, the Steelers quietly have a rookie right tackle I think Dots and, uh,

who's been awesome, Like that's why the Steelers are the Steelers. Man, they draft Chase Claypool and some rookie right tackle you never heard of that's been awesome all year Dots and and Alex Highsmith, who got a sack on Baker. I think those sacks were more on Baker last week, Like who's playing Well, it's like they just a year after year they they Kevin Colbert gets it done and and I don't know, they're a little deeper. I hope not.

I hope this is wrong. We need to get the Browns over the hump because if they don't win, it kind of won't feel like they got totally over the hump unfortunately. Yeah, and you mentioned Myles Garrett and which is just the really unfortunate kind of pandemic part that brings it all in, right, is just the variance of the ways that people react to the virus. And Miles has you know, been honest like this, he's struggling with this and so if he can, uh, maybe he turns

a corner. Uh, and he can make some plays. Uh. As you know, Dan mentioned that that's the secondary. Um. Granted it was Mason Rudolph and so some of those were like lollipop balls, but like they were in position to make a play. You just get most and so like you turn that around. Uh, you know, the stranger things have happened. This feels like a big Chase Claypool game too. I could picture Chris Collins where it's singing Osanna's about Chase Claypool after another, you know, volume down.

This is the game the public is on. You know, I attracked these things, and this is the game the public is on most unanimously all for the Steelers. Everyone going to all Steelers, wait more than the Saints over the Bears. Well in terms of like you know, the thing that Trent these things, in terms of things moving where it's just like everyone thinks the Bears the Steelers are gonna romp. So to me, that's a good full musburger.

It's a good sign for the Browns. I feel like that's a good sign alright, like think, please there you go. How about that the Browns in the playoffs. We're gonna watch that. No bummer. It's on Sunday night. It's in the middle of our podcast. We're gonna work it out. We're gonna make it work. Mark, Well, it's not the middle of our podcast. We're gonna do it after What do you mean it's the middle of our podcast. We're gonna start at eight. You got, and we're gonna do

I mean, you know it. You're gonna get my my true emotional response to the game, like minutes after it ends. That's can you give the people what they want? Cause I know the way it is because it happens with the Jets too, But people are gonna want your reaction throughout the game. Can you just give the people the cam? The webcam just four hours that a webcaming. People love you, Mark, they want they want to live, they want to live vicariously through you on Sunday Night. Give the people what

they want. I get tweets like when they're losing, Like I'm really sorry they're losing, but I can't wait to see how you feel about this on the show. It's like, Okay, we're not um, that's not helping our somebody to check on ader Mark Sessler, all right, Patrick, thank you said it all you did it again. Thank you guys, thrilling. Clayburn has been incredible all season, helping to fill in on the West chair, and we thank Patrick for that. Thank all of you listeners for following us all season long.

As we now dive into the postseason, we'll be back Sunday night recapping all six of these games and of course any other developments in the NFL um as we get further away from New Horizons Monday. Oh yes, it never stops. Mark, here we go. Dan Answ signing off for Patrick Claybourne, the old Boss with Quiet Storm and Ricky Hollywood behind the glass virtually until Sunday Night. SA