2020 Week 15 Preview; Gus the Squirrel

We're really here. Where where are I don't know if we're to the point of the season where like Mark Sessler is like, Okay, we've made it to mid season that he can start planning his off season a little bit. We're towards the end. I think that's accurate. I mean this because you can sneaky think like, hey, there's all these tent pole moments that we've you know, well, you know there's still like nine more weeks of grueling action to get through. And um, you know, I'm not I

don't see midpoint or anything at this point. Just keep rolling, put on the blinders and keep flying. Dan North. Yeah, And I mean in past year is yeah, you can start to peek ahead. Because we're very lucky to have these jobs. We know that it's awesome working for the NFL and talking about football for a living. But by the time you get to the middle of December, there

is a grind element to it. And then you take that little peek let's get through when there's all these bad teams playing, and then the fun little playoff jaunt and then you have a little bit of time to yourself to plan things, as you say, but no, there's no planning. There's a staggering pandemic upon us as well.

So maybe we should justice like, stay in this world, live in this little bare den that we're in, and try to enjoy it is gone, then what do we have We don't We have The Australian Open starts like minutes after the Super Bowl, and so there you go. Oh, there we go. So everyone is all set. Um, Yes, this is week fifteen. This is our preview podcast where we go through every single game to come Thursday in the books. But we have two Saturday games. Always fun,

always like Saturday games. I'm glad it came back. I felt like it was gone for a little while there, right earlier or in the middle of last decade, and now it's back, and it does it does remind me of the holiday season. I enjoy it and I sit down and I might have, you know, a Tito's I might enjoy myself a little bit in a way that I don't when it's Sunday. So that's looking forward to that and then a big slate of games on Sunday

into Monday. Uh. And we do this when we go through the game's draft style and it just so happens. Now the old looser that's the first overall pick and the sitting right there staring him in the face. Potentially the game of the year, Kansas City Chiefs, that New Orleans Saints, whoa potential Super Bowl preview in the super Dome.

And what's not to love about this game? You have the Chiefs absolutely flying high, one loss all season, Patrick Mahomes, even last week against the Dolphins when he threw three interceptions, still showed how mighty he can be. And the rest of the team as well, McCole Hardman with the return

for a touchdown, the defense getting stops when necessary. But you know, the Saints are the team that is more interesting to me right now, and we could start they're greg because, uh, we don't know quite what's going on quarterback situation right now. But the Saints have their first loss in two and a half months. Which version of the Saints shows up against a Super Bowl champion. I think a great version. I think people given up on

the Saints team too quickly. They are number one in d v o A on Football Outsiders for a reason. They have been a top five franchise for the last four years. It is so hard to have that level of consistency. And right now they're kind of the Saints team that Saints fans always wanted, like one that can win with defense and an offensive line and a defensive line. And yeah, you lost in Philly. That was an embarrassing loss,

but proud teams respond. And I'm like hearing all these Saints fans that are just chocking this up as an l oh wow, it's oh Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr and Drew Lock and ta, you know, had Chiefs on the ropes are in a close game in the fourth quarter, but oh my gosh, oh, the Saints couldn't possibly win a game against the Chiefs and this game doesn't even matter to the Chiefs. I think that means something in December, which game does it matter? For more? The Chiefs can

lose this game and still win home field advantage. It's a big game for the Saints. I'm with you, Greg in the sense that I feel like Saints fans are real down on the team right now. And you know, Sean Payton Um acknowledged last week against Philly that their first half that was the flattest half of football they played all year. I thought they bounced back pretty well in the second half. That had a lot to do with Um. You know, the Eagles secondary being shredded by injuries.

But this is the Chief's defense that is I think the very productive and underrated, but they are They're giving up the tenth most yards to UH mobile rushing quarterbacks, So that's that's not terrible for Taysom hill Um. I'm with you. I think that the Saints show up to this and are being a little bit undervalued nationally right now. I think I a lot to do with football is has so much recency bias that sometimes we almost refuse to even peer back beyond the most recent game. And

that wasn't you know. Jalen Hurts brought a lot of electricity to to Philadelphia. No tape on the guy, and that can be a challenge. And I think that that maybe through the Saints off a little bit. Um, I think they'll respond. There's a lot of tape on the Chiefs. The problem is the Chiefs when the even like last week against the Dolphins, when they stumble into their own mistakes, they're so elastic they find a way to bounce back. I wonder if the Saints get into a hole offensively,

can they bounce back. I feel like we're tilting it Windmills a little bit, acting like everyone doesn't believe in the Saints anymore. I I they have one loss, but they came off a nine game winning streak before. The Saints are fun, Saints are awesome. Uh, it's taste. It's taste. It's taste, and I get it. And you know he has the thing about taste them right now is that you don't know. What have we learned about Taysom Hill in these starts so far. I feel like I'm still

kind of in the same place. I guess I have a little bit more confidence in him, in his ability to throw the ball and drive the ball downfield. Um, he's not a totally one dimensional guy. This is not Tim Tebow by any stretch. So that I learned, But did I learned that this guy is a true, uh you know, franchise level quarterback who can be the guy

that replaces Drew Brees. I don't feel any more confident about that, and I don't think Sean Payton probably does either, if you if you asked him privately, like Mark, I know you and Sean Payton have rubbed shoulders literally if the scouting combine in the past. I don't know if you ever asked them that that question, but it does go back to a little bit. The Chiefs are so explosive on offense. If if they get out to a quick lead in this game, I don't think a Taysom

Hill let offense is going to be able to combat that. Well. We we we touched very briefly. That's the last head coach that I had fisical contact with um and uh, you know he's he shared no secrets, but he did tell our friends Steve White and Jim Trotter that you know, he hinted on their on their show that he thought Sean that Drew Brees this was probably the last season he intoned that, and that Jamis Winston would have a chance, a full chance to compete against Taysom Hill. So I

think that tells you up. I think you know it's early in the week, but Breeze was activated from injured reserve. He's throwing the ball of practice. They need to win this game. If Breeze has any chance to play, you're gonna play him this week and try to get that home field advantage so we might see him and it's the rest of the team that needs to step up. The Chiefs, by the way, could be missing their top

three tackles. Eric Fisher now has a back injury. Mitchell Schwartz hasn't been there for a while, and this is not a defensive line in the Saints that you want to be banged up up front. This has not been a perfect Chiefs teams. They're great, they get it done, they win week after week, but I can't call them dominant when the defense has as many holes as they have, and right now their offensive line has some struggles. Yeah, and we're still waiting to see the Chiefs blow the

doors off teams for four quarters. Maybe that's just not who they are. They do tend to lose focus sometimes, but this might be the type of game where they're gonna be so up forward and know the spotlight and it's a Tony Romo Jimmy Nance game that they are going to deliver that four quarter effort. You know what, you don't get a chance when we do our our lockings.

We don't get the chance to lock up the Chiefs too often, okay, because they're such heavy favorites that we have a mirror test and we say, if you can't look in the mirror and lock a game up, uh, in good faith with yourself, don't do it well when it's a game like this, when it's a NFC favorite, Absolutely I can look in that mirror and say the Chiefs will win and I will lock it up in week fifteen, and I'm feeling pretty confident our coming off

my lock off victory or with the Ravens over your brownies, so let's fly. Well. I like that. Um, you're not going to be having a lock off with me this week because I'm gonna be following suit. Um. I have not locked the Chiefs up all season, and I'm about to do it right now. And I don't really care what you think, Dan, It doesn't bother me at all what you think up going down. I picked the Saints to win this game. I'm not locking them up. But you're both going down and pick the Saints to win

this game. I am hoping that Drew Brees is back. Drew Brees isn't playing. I might flip that pick, but I really think if they have Breeze and he's anywhere close to they have a good chance to win this game. They are better overall team and can win different sorts of ways. I don't I don't think it's a questionable lock at all. We don't. We don't need to hear about you picking the Saints. If you're not locking up the Saints, come on in. Keep the record you know

on NFL dot Com. That's enough, that's right, Just go with it. No, I don't succume to peer pressure. You know me enough for that. All right. The draft now moves to Mark Sessler. All right, I'm gonna go take an early game, Patriots at Dolphins. I continue to be intrigued by this Dolphins team. I mentioned last week. I

thought they were up for anything. UM. I didn't guarantee that they would beat the Chiefs, but I thought they played them tough, and a lot of the elements that we've seen from Miami UM showed up in that game. And you know, we were on this beat a while ago, Greg, and um, I'm gonna mention a research packet that our research team put out. We know all the parallels between this Dolphins team and the two thousand and one Patriots,

and I thought it was interesting. This week our research department is now doing it and and believe me, I think actually the parallels exist if you would like to tell you not the Allia Sports Bureau, but they suggested as much. And um, you know, Brian Flores this week was asked, uh, you know, are your your defensive coach? How do you He said, hold on, I'm not a defensive coach. I'm just basically a football coach. I care

about offense, defense, special teams. And that sounds like total coach data speak, except the Dolphins are that team week after week. And I think the Belichick sees that and recognizes that the Dolphins right now, you've got the Pats, the Raiders and the Bills to close your season. That is a rough and tumble, uh slate to try and get into this playoff picture. But I think they can

do it. And it it's very interesting to me to watch the Patriots in a division where at this stage, they are watching other teams in the a f C East rise up while they move and shift into an offseason flushed with intense questions. I love this matchup. I'm with you, I uh, I think the parallels are there, Dan, very similar style of defense, maybe not as deep, but coming on strongly. Eight and five. That's the same record the Patriots had at this point. They didn't lose another

game back in two thousand and one. You got Xavian Howard. Maybe that reminds me of the the two thousand nineteen Patriots with a defensive Player of the Year Canada at cornerback making plays every week. And we talked about the mirror tests. Dan and I get in in a few way. It can go a few different ways, because to me, this is the game I feel most confident about all week, that the Dolphins will take care of business, that they're better, they're barely favored, and I think a season we're a

season's worth of the desert. Underestimating the Dolphins and overestimating the Patriots comes home to roost here because what do the Patriots do better than the Dolphins? Absolutely nothing on on either side of the ball. Um. But I looked in the mirror and like, I can't do it. I can't. I remember marked this once locking up against his own team, but it says like what sort of fun is the world if you're locking up against marrit So that didn't pass my own mirror tests. Even though I think the

Dolphins will win. I mean, if you think of the Patriots are already pretty much dead in the water here obviously with their record UM at six and seven, but this is an elimination game for them. They have to win or it is over this incredible playoff streak. And then you look at rookie QBS or seven and T versus Belichick all time. I'm not saying that to A is going to go down in flames here, but would I be surprised if Belichick, with his back against the wall, uh,

cooks up a stellar game plan against the kid. Wouldn't be totally stunned at all. But the problem is with the Patriots and this this is coming back now. It seems like a weekly thing. After they got spanked by the Rams last Thursday, Bill belichicked his asked is asked, is Cam Newton your quarterback? Starting quarterback next week? He says yes, he is, and it's always it doesn't really matter.

Cam uh is no longer the same guy he used to be, and Jared's did him the quarterback hasn't given us any reason to think he's the answer, and the rest of the roster is simply not good enough. So who starts for the quarter at quarterback for the Panthers or for the Pats doesn't matter. It's more like Mark said, a question of what happens in the off season with the Patriots, that's the most interesting thing about them at this point. Yeah, I mean, I think there's clearly a

lack of interest or faith in Jared's did him. I don't even know why the question keeps getting asked at this point. I mean, they would have put him in at multiple times, and I think there is, you know, some understanding that Cam Newton is what he is right now, but this offense is so limited and you know, like they played well with the Dolphins last time, but this is a Dolphins team that's different than the last time

they met. I mean, to coax the Chiefs into four turnovers, that's the DNA of this defense, and it's someone different every week stepping up. So I just I'm kind of with you, Greg that I would be surprised if the Dolphins don't show up here entirely um create some havoc as they do on a weekly basis against a pretty defunct offense. I mean, the only way the Patriots are gonna put holes into Miami, I think is a is

a tremendous rushing attack. Right, Well, they don't they play against the Miami strengths like, Okay, you're great blitzing, and you're great picking the ball off. We're never gonna throw it. And that's you know, That's what the Patriots I think will do. That's what they did in Week one. It worked. It can at least maybe keep the game close. At their defense play as well. But I really like what I've seen out of to a tongue of by Low.

I don't think it totally shows up in the stats and everything that you see, but the injury apocalypse they had late in that game doesn't look like it's gonna hurt him. Pass this week looks like DeVante park Parker uh is back to, Kim Grant is back, Kyle van noy is back. Those are all key players. You don't get Mike KASICKI, but I think they have enough to get it done and stay in the race. This is almost a must win for them too. I really think they are going to gonna need to get to eleven

wins to make the a f C playoffs. If they only got to win, it might might not be enough. Yeah, and there is the added benefit here. You get a high, you know, vitally important win here. Uh. You also say goodbye to the Patriots and kiss them off. And for every team in the a f C East, Uh, this has been a season of change and finally a release of all this tension that New England has brought to them over the years. That would feel good too, don't

make for you. You're more invested in this Patriots season at this point than I am. I mean, no, no offense, It's just no, no offense taken. But you have to understand, and I think you do that. There is a psychological impact that the Patriots had over the other three teams of the division over twenty years. And now the Dolphins get to be that team potentially to say bye bye, Bill, bye bye. Go get your rebuilding started. I got a lot of work to anybody. If he's watching this, he's

gonna pound you in the face. Hey Bill, what's up? Greg? You're all right for this game coming up? I'm very excited UH this week to watch the Washington football team. How about that? And I'm getting a third draft pick in this UH show going up against the Seahawks. It's not a great slate of games here, but this football team has has been resilient throughout the course of the season. I think it's a great test for Russell Wilson. I know Washington has banged up right now. They might not

have Antonio Gibson. Dwayne Haskins is trending to start at quarterback, but that doesn't change the matchup when Russell Wilson has the ball. He has not looked comfortable against non Jets defenses in a long time, and Washington has exactly the type of defense I think that can make him uncomfortable

with pressure up the middle. Jonathan Allen, to me, has not got enough credit this season as being kind of the key to that defensive line, always winning in the middle, helping out Chase Young, who's coming off his best game. Mantez sweat all those guys against the Seahawks offensive line, I think, and keep this game ugly can keep it closer than the Seahawks are really comfortable with. And I think about that game when they were in Philadelphia and

Seattle had a hard time putting away the Eagles. The Washington defense is good enough to ugly this thing up, and I think it's a perfect test for where Seattle's offense is at, because if they can't beat Washington, even if they win the game, if the offense is not playing well against Washington, good luck against the Rams next week. You're not gonna win the NFC West. How about that the Rams? Yeah, I know you love that. Mark Sesler, Well,

I love it as much as I need to. Um, I would say, you know, Seattle's offensive lines a little banged up, and I'm interested in watching Washington every week based on Chase Young at this point, I love Chris Westling, comparing him to Lawrence Taylor to some degree. He's He's completely that type of game changing defender. I feel like he's sort of a death from above operation that if he gets into your grill, he can end a team real quick. He did it last week and Seattle was

given tremendous trouble by the Giants pass rush. So why not Chase young against an offensive line that's struggling right now. On the flip side, I know we'd like to say Seattle, you know, can't rush the passer. And I think we mentioned it on our UM flagship show that they league the league in sacks since Week nine. They're they're creating that in different ways. Jamal Adams has set an NFL record for sacks by a dB UM, so he's a big part of that. And you know, Washington's offense to me,

is far from electric without Gibson in there. If that's how that goes, Um, they are just not the same operation. And I don't really care who's playing at quarterback. I will say this, these two teams right now would meet each other in the playoffs at the season end of today. It's a spicy matchup. And if Washington never got to January. You have to look at Ron Rivera as a Coach of the Year candidate for what he's done, um, from the minute he took over this job, what he's been

through personally, and where this team is today. Yeah, I don't. I don't put anything past Washington. Now. They've shown us enough against good teams and bad that they can win games. They can hang in games, and Chase Young is like, you know, he's kind of something to learn from because I feel like a month ago we even had this conversation this podcast, where's Chase Young? Second overall pick? He

was supposed to be a dominant force? Well, sometimes you know, guys get there in stages and and the fact that he's here now and he's exactly what Washington UH selected him to be, which is a dominant UH force on the defensive line, and that changes so much about the Washington is one of three teams that have four players with five sacks this year. They have forty sacks on the year. And Russell Wilson like, we're saying, yes, take out the Jets game, because that's basically a glorified exhibition

for these contenders. And he can get frazzled in the face of pass rush and he has a tendency and this is part of what makes him great quarterback to to hold onto the ball to try to extend plays. And I don't know if that's gonna work with this Washington defense. So if they if if the Seahawks do have a comfortable win here, it's gonna because because the Washington offense imploded, right. I don't mind Haskins being back

in there. You know, I really enjoyed Alex Smith, you know, coming in playing quarterback the story, and I thought he played really well his first two appearances. I think he progressively got worse as teams got more tape on him. And it's not just rookies that you can get more tape on and realize their limitations or what the offense doing. It's veterans too, And I think defense has had a good read on what Smith was doing. Maybe Haskins gives

you a little more. Maybe he doesn't make quick enough decisions, and the Seahawks defense, which is playing better, just shut him down. But to me, Gibson's the bigger story there. They were just to me, a two player offense with a little Logan Thomas. It was Gibson and McLaurin and a good coordinator. But now it's kind of just McLaurin and Thomas, and that's a lot to ask. The Seahawks

should not stuff there to here. They should basically all all but clinch a playoffs spot, and then they have the division title is gonna be up for grabs next week, and I think the Seahawks fans are probably saying, um, excuse me, who's gonna be covering DK Metcalf Because if this is a relatively low scoring game, you get a

good game out of him, and this thing could be curtains. So, I mean, there there could be some challenges on Washington's offense to keep up and for all we've mentioned, um, that's why you'd have to tilt Seattle to some degree to But uh, it's kind of crazy where we are a year ago, like a year ago to today with the whole Washington program. I mean, they were as ultra boring as you could imagine a football team to be. And there's life now, there's narrative. Um, there's things to like.

I like the uniforms, I like the coach, I like the whole thing. So this is a very unusual, um scenario. Din No, I'd like to see maybe in this offense this offseason, the offense gets better and becomes a little more exciting, you know, with all due respect to Alex Smire, but on defense, certainly there's something to be excited about. And they're playing fun games. All right, it's snakes to you, Mr Rosenthal. All Right, I'm going with another early game.

Bears Vikings can Mitchell Rabinsky disappoint Bears fans one final time. This might be the biggest game of the week. It really is, because one of these so mean to match it is unbelievable. With a punching bag that poor guy is that that's fair, But it's kind of an oaky dock because you just see the coverage in Chicago this week. They have so many people covering the game, They're so well represented in terms of their fans, and you just see, like,

where has this offense been all season? Where was this? Mitchell Robinsky is naggy back in his two thousand and eighteen bags. Wow, they've got you, and you can kind of see the hope building and I keep thinking, well, I just played the Lions and the Texans. That's where it's been. And uh, this Vikings defense isn't great, but it's a much better coach in Mike Zimmer and so I have some doubts whether Mitch can keep up this

hot streak. I love loser home games. So we've got two six and seven teams here, so that's nice, that's fun. It's basically a race to nine and seven. It looks like for that final things can change, obviously, but in the NFC, get to nine wins and you should be in good shape. So whoever loses this game get ready

for the golf course sizzler. Well, I would just I would point out that our our longtime friend of the show, Bill Laser us since he's taken over play calling duties the auten a friend points a game, well, I would say, you know, he just use the friendships where he has no we use the sound effect. But yeah, we use the sound effect and we talked about it a lot. But he's not a friend. But go ahead. I just want to make that clear. I would as much as

we're making friends with anyone, he's he's a friend. But um, you know, David mcgomer Montgomery has been a completely different back and a completely different rushing operations since Bill Laser has taken over place. I don't know what that means.

It's just that their offense has finally been watchable. And if you're the Vikings and someone told you a week ago on this show, hey, they're gonna have the ball for forty minutes in a Mike Zimmer fever dream against the Bucks, They're gonna they're gonna basically just give the Bucks very little time to operate with and your kicker is gonna cost you ten points and you're not gonna win that game. I mean, you've got to put up

more points here. And I want to believe in the Vikings um as you have in the past in but to me, part of me is just like, oh, yeah, you're an eight and eight team and you're gonna take us on this snaking course all year long and it's gonna and ultimately just result in a record with um some things to focus on in a very long winters nap off season. I mean, the Vikings very easily could

have won that game last week. Like you're saying, Dan Bailey completely gagged and he collapsed, and you know that happens, especially when it's the Vikings. The kickers always tend to find a way to destroy a team's hopes. But it's like, when you watch that game, did you see a Bucks team that was like blowing the Vikings out of the water And that felt like a game that could have

absolutely went the other way without this calamity. So um, but you have to I will say this, yes, for the past three weeks now, the Vikings have not been playing at a very high crisp level. So if that's basically now the tenor of their season, I agree eight and eates where this is gonna be um. But who knows. Maybe they get get right in this game and they do close out. I don't rule out them getting to night and seven and getting that playoff pick, but they

need to. They're in a bit of a funk. It's time to get out of it. Yeah, what do we do with the Bears make the playoffs? I mean, I think that that um would be one of the more unbelievable endings to this season. I mean, it's very possible they got the Jags next week. I think they finished with the Packers, who could be resting their starters in weeks sevens interesting. It's that's why this is interesting. You're right, I mean the Packers if they rest, this is a

huge game. Oh no, the Bears fans, you guys are gonna be so sucked in. I hope they doesn't go the way I think it goes, with Mitch killing you at the end. Oh boy. All right. Time now for a Road to Victory presented by the United States States Marine Corps and UH yes, it is time to talk about the Cleveland Browns and we just you know, we just saw what they did with the Ravens one of the great games. Well, at the end of this decade, this will be on the list of top ten games

of the decade. Unfortunately Cleveland on the wrong side of final but at the same time, a lot of optimism still reigned supreme in Cleveland. Now they go to the Meadowlands to face a Giants team that has all sorts of issues at quarterback Mark Sesslo. This sets up well for the Browns to get that tenth win that gets them almost definitely into the playoffs. Almost definitely, you'd think so I would have felt a lot better about them playing the Giants back in Week four something. Um, this team,

this defense, uh, you know, they were lash. Their offense was lashed by the Cardinals a week ago. But go inside that game. There was a turnover where the Cardinals had the ball deep and Giants territory and that Giants defense, UM put up a pretty valiant goal line stand And that tells me who they are. Guys like Leonard Williams, Chase Coughlin, these guys are playing really well for Joe judge.

So I think this is an interesting matchup, and let's not look past the fact that because Jason Garrett has been put on the COVID list, suddenly, in the one of the weirder scenarios of anything I've ever seen in football,

Freddie Kitchens will be calling plays. The Browns ex head coach who was dismissed after one year against the Browns and it could be Colt McCoy at quarterback, and it could be Jabriel Peppers, it's safety, the player that the Browns traded away, and the Odell beckat Maybe you gotta get Odell be on the brown sideline throwing tomatoes at the Giants, Like did you tell any revenge aspects could be going on here? I mean if you hit there

is a rule. Not everyone knows this, but if you get up to three revenge games for one side, they definitely win. So Big Blue. All of a sudden, it looks like a favorite here. That's amazing. And your son, Cole has to be feeling can like the mark. You know you you famously named him after Colt McCoy, and you have to be like, no, son, we're rooting for the Browns tonight. Your namesake, who's gonna rip my heart

out with Freddie Kitchen. I was thinking about locking up this game for the Browns because I do feel like they are the much better team here and that Kevin's the fancy is gonna prove us something. But all this voodoo, I don't know. I don't want to do it anymore. I don't want to be on the wrong side of that voodoo. You're nervous because you're so close. Now, you're

so close. I I think the Browns look at the one thing I'd say and the way they got up for the Ravens game, and they've done a pretty good job of kind of here's the game, here's the result, package it away, move on. I mean, they haven't lost two in a row all year. Uh, they've found a way to bounce back, and I trust them. I think they're flat out the better team. Uh, They're They're there. They're a great offense in the second half. We saw

that against Baltimore. Other Browns teams, when you're down thirty four to twenty, they fold. Every Browns team I've seen this century folds in that situation. This team is a little bit different. The go denzil Ward back. I think that matters a lot. I mean, you have to look at the Giants offense and say, if they're gonna win this game, who's gonna do it? Who do you lean on from the Giants offense and say they're gonna put

up twenty four points and take care of Cleveland. I I kind of struggle to find that character too in the New York big Blue offense, right and you think about who's gonna dictate. It's such a great coaching match of Patrick Graham, the Giants defensive coordinator, or Kevin Stefanski. You know, Stefanski is like a pretty cool guy. He you know, he doesn't give off a lot, but when you I think about him as aggressive, and I think his offense is always dictating to the defense. He's always

one step ahead. They spread the ball around, whereas Patrick Graham on the Giant side of the ball is almost always dictating defensively. He is not gonna let like an offense come to him. He's gonna make them adjust to what he's trying to do. It's an offense first league. I like the Browns talent a little bit better on offense, but to me, that's a fascinating matchup, and it's one I think Stefanski can win because he's got the horses.

He's got the offensive line, which to me is like the ultimate equalizer, maybe the best offensive line in the NFL. Have we given any thought because the Browns are analytics mad. They love it. They they have all sorts of resources tied into that. Kevin Stefanski not the most animated guy. In fact, maybe the least animated guy I've ever seen. Plus you have a mask over his face. Just don't want to rule it out. Is he a humanoid? Is

it possible he's not a real person. And the Browns have taken the analytics tilt here all the way to the sideline with a robot, I would I would say this If that's the case, Um, I'm fine with that. It would it would raise ethical issues the league, by the laws of the league. I don't know. It's a handsome Robot's robot right there? Good look at robot. It would be well, of course it would. If you're gonna make a robot, you might as well make it handsome.

It would be that that would be the most Browns thing ever. If they go eleven and five and then the NFL you know, uncovers what's going on there, like, no, you're not going to the playoffs. You had a robit on the sideline that would be that would be terrible. But you know what, mark back to serious UH reflection on this game. One thing Cleveland has done all year is take care of business and it would be shocking if they don't do it here they have to and

then they got the Jets next week. You gotta get to eleven wins in this AFC. I think you do. Alright. That was Road to Victory presented by the United States Marine Corps. All right, moving along, let's step back into the Saturday schedule and talk about the Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers. The Packers, of course, moved into the number one slot in the NFC playoff UH structure with a win last week, coupled with the Saints law, so

they have it all out in front of them. If they win out, they have the number one seed and they have to buy the all important buy there's only one this year for each conference, and then of course home field for the two games in the NFC playoffs if they get that far. The Panther us they've lost seven of eight as we know, uh, So it feels like it's going to be more of the same, a hyper uh motivated Packers team mark with Aaron Rodgers with a passer rating damn near one twenty this year and

knocking on the door of forty touchdowns. It's been astounding to watch what he's done this year. And you and you had a sandwich bet way back in the summer that he uh could be the m v P And he has nine All Pro and that's in the best I think he's gone. I think he could he could pull off both of those awards. He has nine games with three or more touchdown passes in zero picks this season. That is the most by any quarterback in NFL history. So I don't know what else you want him to do.

And I would say that the Aaron Rodgers Davante Adams connection is the most dangerous thing that any NFC playoff team can offer right now. It's been completely unstoppable. And you know, I know people are down on Mike Petton, but I still think that Mike Petton in the defense can do just enough. You know, he's got a copy of the Warren Commission in his Bookshelf back at home. I think the guy's an interesting character. We're gonna get

a little Matt Rule on national television. I like this game a lot, and you know what, green Bay winning the bye. That's great. This is one of the true home field advantage setups because you probably are going to get a team from sunny little Tampa Bay coming into Green Bay. You're gonna pull the scenes out of the pretty little dome. They're got to go into horrible weather and this could be the year the Green Bay says, listen, this is the setup for us to get back to

the super Bowl. People said that we should have gotten to five or six other times when Mike McCarthy was the coach. You brought up the Bucks as the example. Tom Brady made his bones winning super Bowls up in New England, so I don't know if he would be like taken aback by the but that's that's He also said he never wanted to move or be a new in the in the in the Northeast ever. Again, he has a nice tan in December. He's a warm weather guy. Now you know he's got all that well, I'm not

I'm not going that far, but his arms fine. I think Drew Brees is the guy that you want throwing the ball in frigid Lambeau in j Annuary, and yeah, you're right there only three wines away. It's hard to imagine the Panthers sticking in this game. Their their offensive line, they're really an offense. First team is really banged up.

They might be missing two or three starters. And you think about Rogers this year compared to last year, and like, the team's not that different, But to me it's it's sort of a great example of that even the all time greats, I think, go up and down with the people around them, whether that's coaching, um, you know, continuity, synchronicity, everyone being on the same page. Like it really is

the ultimate team sport. It's kind of a cliche, but I actually think we almost make the quarterbacks into too big a deal because if someone as good as Aaron Rodgers in the middle of what should be his prime can still have three or four straight pretty down statistical years,

to me, that is kind of proof. Not that he's like part of the Dalton scale where he's rising and falling, but even the great ones need the entire team and his coaching staff to all be playing well together and and this is a perfect way to show it because they didn't add anyone. It was like like if we'd be putting it all on like a free agent edition or a draft pick if they had added anyone, but they didn't. Like it's the same team, but they're all

playing better. And No, I think there's a lot of logic to what you just said, But I don't want to take anything away from Rogers and what it took for him to scale these heights again, these heights of supreme greatness. I mean, he's he's gonna win potentially his third m v P. And I think there it took buy in from Rogers and maybe some changes to his mindset,

maybe some changes physically in the offseason. I don't know so much about that, but to get to where he is now, this has been something that I think even transcends a little bit about those factors. You talk about something that he did that made him this way again, and it's been kind of a marvel to watch really. And you think about the Panthers defense, there's this whole idea of in the NFL, well, make make teams go down the field ten twelve plays. Eventually they'll make a mistake.

That was the Lions plan last week. I mean, the Packers offense like did anything they wanted against the Lions, but it was only a touchdown game at the end because they slowed it down. It's like, good luck, that's not gonna work against Rogers. He's not gonna make any of those mistakes. He's just gonna take your ten plays and he's gonna score a touchdown. He's gonna cast those checks. All I say is Caroline is not a team that gets blown out. Though this season they're They're imperfect, They've

got a ways to go. Teddy Bridgewater is not playing his best football right now, but they hang around in these games. And I we're probably gonna get a seventy eight yard Joey Slive field goal attempt at some point because Matt Rules seems obsessed with that. But I think this will be an interesting game. But green Bay is too powerful. Probably no Christian McCaffrey again, as he now deals with that thigh injury. Um so that obviously is

not great. And watch out. It's gonna be very frustrating a few Panthers fans because the Packers are converting of their third downs this year, which is the best rate in I believe, almost thirty years. And the Panthers are at the bottom of the league just about they give up about a lot of conversions. A lot of conversions

and another huge day for Davante Adams coming. Let's move on, Mark Sessler, back to the draft, back to you, Well, I gotta pick a late game to organize how we cover these contests on Son, I'm gonna go Philadelphia at Arizona.

And you know, I was staying away from the Eagles the best I could for the last couple of months because you know, I'm sitting here trying to cover a game and it would I'd fall into a deep sleep about sixty five minutes into half of their contests because they were one of the most boring attacks I've seen. With Jailing Hurts, I thought he brought life. He brought some urgency last week. Um you know, the first quarterback around to run for a hundred yards in his first

game like as he did. I think he brings an element to Philadelphia's offense where they kind of operate a little bit as a berserker right now, when we like to use the term for teams that can disrupt playoff hopefuls down the stretch in Arizona. Right now, you you have to deal with the Eagles, the forty nine and the Rams. They are on the brink, are on the brink, and I'm not seeing the best version of their offense right now. But you did get a little bit more

from Kyler Murray on the ground last week. I think he's healthy, he's ready to rumble. Um. This is a fascinating quarterback matchup. I want to watch it for that reason. And I think the Cardinals defense, you know, they're pretty frisky. They're not perfect, but they have guys that seen to make plays every week. Eight sacks last week, costs On Riddick had five of those. I mean, they show up. So this is an intriguing matchup against a bad Eagles

offensive line. Reddick had twelve and a half sacks his entire career before Sunday, So that was a long overdue big afternoon for a guy that hasn't always lived up to the hype. Yeah, it will be interesting to see Jaleen Hurts. Everybody wants to see an Eagles team without Um Carson Wentz because that offense had flatlined and now they have a pulse again, So yes, I like that for draft pick purposes. Kyler Murray, I'm not going to go back to the well great because you don't like

to hear it, especially for some reason. But you know, he had the shoulder on the Thursday night. If you look at the numbers and he's studying with how this off, it's his changed in those three weeks. Maybe it's just has nothing to do with it, but they are not doing anything outside the numbers anymore. They're not creating big plays outside the numbers since that Thursday night when he

had the shoulder injury. Maybe it has nothing to do with because he made some really nice throws where he showed off the arm strength, but they they have not been as explosive this month. They weren't in September though either. I mean, he ran well last week and he threw the ball really well a couple of weeks ago in terms of his armching, so I'm not worried about that. I would like the Eagles in this game to make some hey here, coming off their best offensive game of

the year. It's almost like in Philly they're trying not to hurt Carson Wentz his feelings by pointing that out. But the Eagles lost three defensive backs in that game. They lost their right tackle, Jack Driscoll, who was their backup right tackle but actually been playing pretty well. So like right when you have something good happened, they lose another four starters. Uh, they're not even out of it. Forget Berserker. They're only a game and a half back

and they finished with Washington. So if they could win another one of these games and get a little bit of help from Ohton, they're not out of it. And this Eagules team does have a history of doing that. In December, I learned that Mark by reading one of my favorite books. This is called Fearless by Doug Peter. It's just like life lessons and um wise thoughts and kind of just inspiration to me from a guy who reached the mountaintop and it accomplished everything in life and

just beautifully written. One of my favorite Christmas books to give to people. Fearless by Doug Peterson. I know you're a big fan, Mark, and if I could, just if I could piggyback off that Mark, I just want to say, once a champion, always a champion. Sorry, you should keep that in mind too. Before you criticize Doug Peterson, Mr. South, I'm not I'm not going to critique him. I mean, if if he can again, um have Carson Wentz sideline and the backup quarterback comes in and leads them to

another playoff appearance, playoff wins in a Super Bowl. You know, write a sequel to that book, still Fearless, book, Fearless too Fearless. Uh. You know there was talk about, you know, going into last week's game. Oh, you know the Eagles they stink it off and so much as anybody believe that Doug Peterson is going to be able to adopt adapt with this new quarterback, well this seem like they did a little bit last week. So I'm with I'm with you. This is a good value pick. Mark. All right,

let us spin right along. Let's get back to the Saturday slate. The Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos. Nice little game here. You know, the Broncos are so kind of up and down. M They're They're not a They're one of those are the are they the best bad team? Are the worst good team type teams? For me? So, uh, they are a worthy challenger at home against the Bills. But I ask you this. I'm gonna ask a straight question just to get this conversationation going. Mark Sessler, is

Josh Allen a superstar quarterback? You know, I'm starting to think I'm starting to think so. And I mean, I guess the definition of that would be, you know, it would be up to me versus someone else's definition superstar. But watching the last couple of weeks and also I think that, um, if you look at the arc of his development and all the pressing questions about Josh Allen coming into the season and people kind of looking at his game and saying, these are things that can't get fixed,

I think he's fixed a lot of them. And I think that he makes the entire offense uh a hurly burly, dangerous operation, tough to coach against. Um, he's incredibly powerful. I don't see too many things he can't do. And if he can reduce the mistakes which he's done, they can beat any team in the league. So that checks a lot of boxes for me. I mean, maybe there's tiered superstars, but he's in that conversation, UM convincingly for me. Well, you do the superstar club, which I think is uh great.

The way you do it. I think being a superstar takes some longevity and consistency, you know, and so I think Alan's on that path. But if he flames out in a playoff game, you know, if for whatever reason, the end of this season doesn't go like, no, I don't think he's there yet. Like Caron Wentz, we might have put him there, you know, too quickly. Jared Goff had a little stretch like we Derek Carrs had stretches. People have stretches, and Alan is more compelling to me,

um than those guys. I guess Wentz was certainly back in seen just because of his story and because of his physical traits. So as long as he stays on this path, uh, he is. But he's he's got to keep doing it like I'm not. That's crazy to say,

you know what, I'm with you. You definitely want to see a big playoff run, and maybe that happens as soon as this January, UM, and maybe even another year of this before you kind of put him in that like top top tier of superstar quarterbacks, guys that actually change the game just by being there. But he is on pace to finish this season with basically every Bill's record for an individual season highest completion percentage, which is nearly which was a major aspect of his game that

people questioned, most passing yards game, most touchdowns. He's got a shout at forty touchdowns this year a good shot. Had a passer rating that is in the one oh five territory. So, I mean, it's been an amazing ride. And uh, Denver, the Denver defense. I know they've had moments this season and they're not a total pushover, but I don't imagine they're gonna be able to stop stop them. So then it becomes to me, does Drew Lock have the magic that he somehow conjured last week to keep

this game close? I watched that Broncos game hoping for like a great Drew Lock performance, and you know what, I don't think that was the case. I think he had. I think it was more about the scheme and wide open receivers and really wasn't like a crazy He had a couple of nice throws, but guys were opened by fifteen yards. He did make a couple of bone headed plays, Um had a key fumble, could have had a late interception that gave the Panthers the game. So let's see it.

I've seen though that the Broncos fans trot out, and now I think a lot of fans are gonna do this with the quarterbacks that they believe in too much, their homegrown guys that they want to stick byd trot out. Hey, here's Drew Lock's first fifth Sean starts, here's Josh Allen's first. But because but, and I don't think that. I don't think that makes sense. But Josh Allen's first, you know, a year and a half, Like that's gonna it's gonna

work that way because those stats are terrible. Yeah, except that Josh Allen is bringing things to the field that Drew Lock could only dream of doing just based off of you know, natural gifts. I I I think that if if Josh Allen takes the Bills to the a f C title game and they go down to the wire, um, I do put him in a superstar category. But I maybe we just have seen this differently. I mean, we we put to Shawn Watson in that category quickly. Longevity

didn't apply to that quarterback. I I disagree though. To me, he's been a top seven or eight quarterback for three years, like that's how good he's been and so I want to see that. What's it Probably just takes one more season of Allen doing it, But you're right, like the decisions that he was making against Buffalo, the pocket movement, like that's showing maturity, Like that's showing the stuff that

Watson was showing his second and third season two. That to me is like, you're gonna stick as a quarterback if you're like that, right. This is a great Saturday game, late season game. Because usually you're not. They don't give you like a huge, big time match up in these Saturday games at the end of the regular season. But

if if you're lucky, you'll get a frisky one. This is a you get to watch the Bills and ascended team, the Broncos, as I said, they they're frisky to hang around in games, and you get to, you know, pour yourself a little Tito's and and and really sit back and enjoy. And I did, like, I want to give a guy a little bit of love. He's not popular around these parts. I understand. Uh. I like the Pat Shermer.

If you want to talk about that Broncos win over the Panthers, dialing up that deep shot to kJ Hamler to essentially clinch the game. I like when coaches go outside the box a little bit and say we're not gonna run it three times to kill the clock. We want a stick of a dagger through the heart. I don't think that Shermer's m O. Really, that is all about what Drew Lock likes. Drew Lock is a born gun slinger who just wants the opportunity to do that

all the time. So it was good to see that aspect of the fence uh in a big spot and only took a little bit of love. Only took three plus months to you know, dial up a risky they got. They got enough talent there. That's I think Wylock season has been so disappointing is because you cannot put it on the supporting cast or even the offensive line, which has been better before. He quickly fangio is a test for quarterbacks to pass. He really is. He makes things difficult.

He makes even veterans like Teddy Bridge on Our hold the ball not really know what they're seeing. And so I I don't think this is an easy test for Alan at Off. He if he blows the doors off the Broncos that's super impressive. The Broncos, to your point, uh, Greg, have drafted four wide receivers or tight ends in the first two rounds eighteen Jerry Judy, kJ Hamler, Noah Fense, Courtland Sutton. Sutton not there of course this year, but there is a lot of pieces there if you could

ever get consistent play behind center. Lock has This is another audition for him at the end of the season. He's got to nail it. I would think to stay seriously in the plans as a first strink quarterback for them. In all right, let's move forward. The old Zeuser up in the draft and let me go with all right, did hammana Hamana hammana hammana uh Tampa Bay at Atlanta. I want to see the Bucks. I want to see what's going on with these Bucks. Then. I love the

way they looked against the Vikings last week. I thought they would come out of that by and you know, be a little sharper than they were. Um on offense especially, I will say it looked really bad early on. Brady looked out of sorts again, missing open receivers, and then they kind of put it together. Um down the stretch on offense, and made made enough plays uh to get it done. But you have now Ronald Jones. Uh, he is at the time of this taping up in the air.

He had surgery first of all, got a pin put into his pinky, which obviously is not a great thing for a running back. And then he got moved to the COVID list And I don't know. I think we don't know if it's a close designation sich wation, which would mean he could be cleared for Sunday, or if he actually has the coronavirus, which would put him out obviously,

So there's some unknown factors there. Leonard Fournette wasn't even activated out of the by which tells you that that that experiment is not going how Bruce Arians would have wanted it. Tom Brady like sent a note an email to Bruce Arians during the buy or they met up and he was just like, let's let's get out of their show. This is uh. And my other thought before a throw to you guys on this because I'm going to be more bucks leaning in terms of my focus

of this game is Scotty Miller. He has a big fifty yard touchdown, while Antonio Brown just I guess settles into a possession receiver, averaging about seven or eight yards a catch. So that experiment hasn't quite worked out for Tampa Bay as it turns out. Will their offense be better in this game, we'll see. So I I have such a problem with this Bucks team. I don't know what to think, and I think I've come to something here.

And that's that Arians. Even though we think of him as you know, like this bombs away guy, no risk it, no biscuit, he's kind of conservative in the way that he represents like old NFL values. First of all, he never goes for it on fourth down and he kicks a field goal in the last play of the half at the one yard line, give me a break. But in in the other way, he's what I remember people used to talk about about the Peyton Manning Colts, and

Arians was on that staff. And so that's what made me think of it too, is that it was like the teams like the Patriots who game plan each week and change things up in motion and do all this thing to dictate matchups, which at the time not every team was doing. Or there's like the Peyton mann and Colts who are like an execution offense. We're gonna do what we do. You kind of know what we're gonna do,

and you gotta try to stop it. And like and that's like how the Seas defense has been over there, Like defenses are certain ways like that and that that could work with the amount of talent they have, and it's worked for Arians throughout his career, but it doesn't work when like all these players are new together and Brady is relying on timing, and like the timing just isn't there. And so I think that's why you see

such inconsistency. Like when it's working, it looks great for a quarter, but like when defenses kind of know what you're gonna do, it's pretty hard. I mean, you go back to to flip it to the Falcons that when Matt Ryan switched UH coordinators and El Shanahan came in that first year was you know, it's easy to forget he was not the same old Matt Ryan. And then the next year lights out Super Bowl appearance, and you know, it's this has been a process for Tom Brady, it's

been a process for all them. I also think you're getting the you're getting, You're truly getting the latter stages, Tom Brady and and um, you know, there's just no way around that. But I'm watching Matt Ryan right now and he's he's stilling five touchdowns and six picks over the last four weeks. He had to apologize to the team after his last appearance, and you know, you got a coach and Raheem Morris that if he keeps his job and these games were the main matter. They play

the Bucks twice over the next three weeks. They've had one of the weirdest schedules all season. Um, but you know you want to keep it. He's not keeping this job. I mean the owner said he practically had to go out love and I know he's four and four it now. He's done a fine job. I think he has done a good job. I don't know what like he He is not dealing with a full deck of cards in terms of this roster, and they've improved. But you're right, I think they'll do a wide search. But um, good

for him. I mean, I watched Falcons. They can't run the ball. But we're not getting Matt Ryan right now. I'm not sure we see see Julio Jones again this season. So if the Bucks can't answer, you know, the challenge here, Who are the Bucks? I'm I'm kind of with you guys that I thought earlier in the year that this was a team that would be on fire at this point, and instead I find them puzzling and kind of um a one and done playoff team potentially. I mean, it

really is. It is. There's something to take from it because it happens every year, and it's the Bucks this year that sometimes a team not to write them off because there is a lot of talent there, but if they if they continue on this traject three where they're okay and maybe they get into the playoffs, but they're not not necessarily a big time player. Teams peak sometimes in October and we'll take it them for the super Bowl and then it's like, wait a second, this is

a long season. They're looking right now. But things got so I think I think we all did well. They all they looked when they were at their peak in October. Everything was humming. The defense was as good as any defense in football. Tom Brady had cranked back the clock about five or six years. Uh. He was getting on the same page with his playmakers. It just was all there and then for whatever reason they have not been able to keep it at that place. Maybe it's a

schedule plays into that as well. Here's the thing, though, if they're the seventh seed or the sixth seed, and you're the Packers or you know, the Rams or some team the Bucks, I totally have the capability to go win by thirty in the wild card round and then lose the divisional round. But they like they could just beat anyone on anything. Don't that. I mean I could see them winning, I don't. I don't see anything from this team to say they would go into the playoffs

and blowbody out, right, I don't know. Well, I think I would have said that, you know, seven weeks ago, hanging they're hanging out with that defense, creating some turnovers. But you love them, You love them, Greg because they they are favorably d v o A. They seem balanced and favorable and all that stuff, right, But I like to the eye, um, you know, they have these moments in these halves where they do that. But to me, just I want to see more consistency. And they're not

a very special running attack. I mean to the fact that you've got healthy scratches from guys who were you know, starring for you if you want to use the word starring a couple of weeks ago. They don't feel like a very balanced attack on win this game, and they're in the playoffs almost definitely. That gives them at nine and five. Uh, and they play the Lions and then they play the Falcons again. Well, they're lucky there in the end, they're getting in, they're getting all right, let's

move on. I will it's Snakes the Older and I will, uh take a look at another playoff bound team playing against a dead dog team, Houston at Indianapolis, and uh, yeah, this feels like a really set up. It's really set up well for the Colts. Who you know? This this rise of Jonathan Taylor changes kind of so much about the way I look at the Colts, because my whole

thing has been I don't trust Philip Rivers. He's gonna get him killed at some point with a terrible mistake because there's gonna be too much on his plate, and he probably still will kill the Colts. Ultimately, I do believe he's got one of those moments in him, even if it happens in the divisional playoffs or something. Like that or even the NFC title game. You never know.

But I just love what Jonathan Taylor has brought to this offense, the balance, and then you look at it and I don't want to be like, I don't want people to misconstrue this because the Chiefs are the class of the conference. But you can make the case that the Colts have the most balanced team in the a f C when you look at them from each positional group. So I expect them to take care of business against

the Houston team that's just completely shredded. We know on defense they don't have anything, uh, to the point where J. J. Watt was so downtrodden saying, we're not even competitive, and then Deshaun Watson doesn't have a lot to work with on offense because the suspensions and COVID and UH injuries. Uh. It feels like a great spot for the Colts to get to win ten and really crank up the heat on the Titans to keep up. I think it does.

But I also remember that game two weeks ago they just played, and it could not have been more evenly played between these two teams. There were very lucky to get out of that. Well. They also beat the Packers in a in a game where you know you wouldn't have thought that would have happened at halftime. I I'm with you, Dan, and I see them as balanced, but I don't see them as special necessarily. Um. Their offense has been held by Taylor. They've been helped a ton

by t Y Hilton. After essentially playing the role of a ghost early on in the year, last three games, did you do that on purpose? They call him ghost liked, not recesses of your mind? I feel like you didn't know that, say of these nicknames, I don't track like, I don't know why are we calling him over nicknames? I mean, well, what so Tom Brady? So I have to call Tom Brady the Pharaoh? Well, no one actually calls that, but for for whatever is? And am I right?

I'm not? I'm not even sure I'm right here. I don't know what is? What is? The nicknames? Saying that he is able to slip through defens and days of old Basically you can't find him, you don't know where he is, you know, Well, that's how the Colts offense felt for a large chunk of the season. Now he's materialized into someone we can see in the flesh. Doesn't It's not even on Pro Football Reference, which, like Marcus saying,

if it's not there, it's not really Hilton ghosts. And you'll be taken to one three inc. Dot com, the official online store of t Y Hilton the Ghost you can get some ghost material. Maybe I'll get you some for Christmas. I mean you've got that, You've got the Doug Peterson biography. You seem like the likely candidate to the three of us to have, uh, you know, t Y Hilton Ghost um pair of mill as well. It's

a good bit um. How about a little Frank Reich appreciation In the year everyone is getting mentioned for Coach of the Year. He's not going to. But you watch this team and I think it's just a really well run offense. I think if you gave about twenty five coaches this offensive personnel, uh, they wouldn't be doing nearly as well as Frank Reich is doing with it. He presents a lot of problems for defenses. That's why I'm

with you, Dan, they should beat the Texans. I just remember that game from two weeks ago so well, and division games are weird, and it was so evenly played. The Colts were really lucky. You're putting them in that club, Greig. I like your your old theory that there's only a handful of coaches and I don't know if you ever put a number on it. Yeah, that truly matters. And for this year we haven't give him in a lot of pop. But I think he's he's like a step

below Kyle Shanahan or whatever. But in terms of offensive game plans and everything. Yeah, I love Frank Craig. So does Carson Wentz remember him. So do Eagles fans. Um. That's gotta prove it. He's got to prove it a little more. I mean, you would think do it. That speaks to my point, you know, but what made Maddiel for the bearded boy just can't get all right? Give

give Frank Riik, Aaron Rodgers, see what happens? Um, all right, let's move on, and that will now take us to Mark Anthony Sessler not my middle, Yes, Edward is my middle. Edward Anthony was the I think the bassist in van Halen. How about that? I think also a historical figure in ancient times as well. Mark also the original Eddie Spaghetti. Mark Eddie Spaghetti Sessler. That's true. That was my nickname in a parallel universe. I have no idea what you're

talking about. Dan. I'm gonna go, Well, there are a lot of dogs left at this point. There's not a lot to pick from, and I've already given one of my games to Shook. So I'm gonna go Jacksonville at Baltimore. You gave one of your games that Shook. We've already discussed this, you know, he he's got he is very busy on the NFL dot com desk. They're whipping Fessler making trades mid show. Well, it was a request from

Shook and it was the least I could do. Uh, he will be getting New England at Miami, So I still have to pick a few here. I'm going to We're putting the clock on this one. Did you go through the never necessary league back channels to make that trade legitimate? It is legitimate as of right now because I chose to make it legitimate. Um. Listen, one little notable element here with the with the Hollywood Brown and Miles Boy clock in this, Ricky, sorry to cut you

off there. I mean, can I possibly get three seconds into this segment? This is absolutely unbelievable. I have one minute to talk and you guys have interrupted me twelve times combined. I'm down, Relax, We're just we're setting up the mechanisms of the show. We before the program began, we set aside four games to set the speed clock on two minutes, real style, and then you're not gonna get just one minute, mark, here's two minutes. You want

to talk for two minutes, talk for two minutes. This is your world, baby, I do not want to talk for two minutes. I will mention that Hollywood Brown and Miles Boykin days after that Monday Night game have been put on the COVID list. Now to your point with the last game, we don't know if this is they have Corona or they are close contacts. If they were close, they could play their expectation. That's the expectation, so you get them back. That's still a little bizarre to me. Um.

You know this is the Ravens team right now. I think coming out of Monday Night, they've been launched out of a cannon and you're playing a Jacksonville defense that last week was terrorized by Derrick Henry. So the setup, um for a team that wants to come in and run the ball all day long feels inviting for Baltimore.

I don't. I don't have a whole lot to say about this game other than if Baltimore ever slipped up here, it would be one of the bigger um stumbles that we've seen by a a f C North heavy like the Ravens and year. It's not happening. It's not happening. So I'm gonna watch games. I'm gonna sit here. I'll have a It'll be Sunday earlier coke. I don't take this one. Yeah, oh, I love blowouts, but it's also gonna this is gonna be I don't care about Miles

Blinken or Hollywood Brown or anything. Well, but what if they have the disease? I would feel a little. No, I don't care about that in terms of this game, in terms of it's competitive, I really hope those gentlemen are healthy and if they are ill, that it does not become a serious situation. I think Lamar is going to shred this pitiful Jacksonville defense, and I need Gardner Meanshew as the starter to get me a W so the Jets don't need to go winless to get Trevor Lawrence.

But I don't ask Trevor. I don't ask Minshew to win this game. You're not gonna hear me burying Minshew on Sunday Night's podcast. Well, I might because he can't get the win against the Ravens. I need one win against the Bears next week. Not asking Ford here. I think the Ravens defense is a problem. This is probably not the week it shows up. Wouldn't surprise me if Minshew puts up some points in like a forty two to twenty seven game or something. But I think they're

a problem. They got a lot of issues right now. Up front. You can't blitz when you don't have your Interrex. But this ship, they have the nice matchup this week. All right, let's move right along. Greg, you're up next. All right, I'm gonna take the forty Niners and the Cowboys. Set the clock, Ricky, We've got two minutes. This is truly a dead game. Uh, it is our last chance

to watch. Uh. Cowboys fans convinced themselves that they're not totally out of it, and they like they're coming off a blow out victory and they're putting thirty thousand people in the stands to watch this dog team. Hey, how about have some self respect? The Dolphins fans and the Browns fans are making more noise with their seven thousand fans outside than you're making with inside. Good jobs Dolphins

fans too. I noticed last week. It's also the last chance for Mike, Kyle Shanahan and Salah to like win a game and us to say, wow, what a great coaching job they've done this year, because I don't know if they're gonna get another win, but I see one on Sunday. Uh, maybe George Kittle's back, maybe not. Nick Molins is starting. I don't care. I'm locking up the forty Niners alright, Like haven't haven't been home in a month, the forty Niners. That could be a problem, not coming

off a very good game. But I'm I'm having annoying. How annoying is the Deebo Samuel season this year? Never could get his body right and then he pops a hamstring on the first possession. Last week He's done Kyle Jannah and said that you know you'll see him probably next year. So, uh, that's a big part of that offense lost, and with it get another reason for me not to care about the forty Niners at this point. Samuel, to me, is so fun to watch. He's not in

the picture. Cowboys should roll here, and Andy Dalton he cowboys, Cowboys should lock up. Yeah, I know I disagree with you. I think Andy Dalton has installed the floor with this offense and they're gonna take care of business. Well, I'd be surprised that Dallas rolls in this game, but I mean anything could happen. But Zeke Elliott doesn't seem very healthy right now. He's not been very good to begin with. Um, you know the Niners health, the nine US have tried

on defense. I think they put a lot of effort into stuff. But Rahee Monster has also hurt. It's not just Deebo Samuel. I mean, maybe they made a deal with the football gods and said, put every one of our injuries into this season and keep us clean the

next two. Maybe, you know in our locks competition. Um, if you can get a w here because Mark and I both locked up the Chiefs, if somehow the Saints win, which could obviously happen, and you get a Niners victory, you are coasted to the There's a lot on the line for Boys next game. I'm up again, and uh, I guess I'll take that Jets Rams Gamey's coasting, baby, not just you. It doesn't really matter. Um, I'm gonna be focusing more on that Chiefs Saints game. Don't care,

but someone's got to take this Jets Rams game. I am interested to see, uh what the Rams do in terms of you know, them running that two tight end set so much, and it really got me thinking about how the Rams have evolved since they lost the Super Bowl. They're way more able to be multiple. I think they're not as predictable. I think that Super Bowl loss helped

them go that way. And you know, they lose their left tackle and somehow they're the most rugged running team in the league all of a sudden, and that matches up obviously well for this week for the Jets, but even for the playoffs. I think it helps them that you don't know what kind of UH formation and what you're gonna see out of this Rams team. They're also the best team in the league. I think using tempo, that's something Jared Goff should get some credit for it.

I mean, they snapped that ball with about thirty seconds six seconds left on the clock. It's pretty amazing. And they caught the Patriots big time using tempo. And that Thursday night game, there was one mom this is not really Jets Rams specific, but I love watching that NFL miked up, which you know will pick five or six games to dig in on, and they did Patriots Rams.

And there was a moment where Belichick came up to Sean McVeigh after that game and that what you know, it feels like a year ago, but it was Thursday night and he basically said, you had a great play and and you know it's it's it was two coaches congratulating each other, but McVeigh sort of said, appreciate it, man, And like I could see like genuine emotion in Sean McVeigh um, and I think it meant so much to him, and so it made me think a little bit differently

about this Rams team. And the one other thing I'd say about Sean McVeigh is that he I thought made an excellent choice back in the day to hire Wade Phillips as a defensive coordinator and to move on was a bit controversial, but then he went and found Brandon Stalely, and I think that this is one coach that does as good a job as anyone at finding the rest of his staff, because Brandon Stalely has been a star for them and could be a head coach much sooner

than we think. So you know, the Rams are very solid and consistent on that side of the ball. Uh, this is not going to be another ugly day for the Jets and their fans. Stay away, keep your eyes closed and if you want to, if you're looking for some hope, just looking ahead. As as a Jets fan, look at the Rams, look at what they did. Jeff Fisher was a laughing stock at the end of that tenure. We saw it on a hard knocks and an all or nothing and then Sean McVeigh comes in. Everything has changed.

It takes one guy sometimes changed the culture you trust from Jets to find that guy. But sometimes even a blind sc that's the saying, right, I believe it is. I don't know how are we identifying that squirrels are blind? Who's digging down to find out if that's the case. Um, when I big unfeeding a squirrel in my backyard, I wouldn't be I wouldn't get too close to squirrels and doesn't sound like a good trend. You're got suddenly you're

gonna have about you. I've read this story. You know the uh lead singer of that that god punk band who's living in Venice and has a whole house of squirrels living with him right now, Johnny Rotten is the is the name? Remember old Johnny right the sex pistols, sex Pistols? Yeah, the damn punk band. Well, I was blanket. I was the g D was at myself. Are you like a are you like a parent in whales in or something? It was the swearing was at was at myself.

I couldn't think of the name um. But you know, he starts feeding those squirrels. He's just living. They're all living in his house, and like you feed one, they're all gonna start coming. Okay, No, I got this guy. We call him Gus, and he trusts us now And it's not the right thing to do. But I think it's certainly UM driven in some part by the pandemic, this need for uh increased intimacy with anything that's living in outside the house. I think there's some type of

psychological tie in. While I'm feeding this going, I feeding this squirrel feanuts Erica. That is all I'm feeding it. Okay, So we don't need Orson Wells in that spot, Okay, I mean we we couldn't get the lock sound for my game, but it's Orson Wells is just hanging out in the back room. I have multiple questions for Dan on this topic, but I'll take ahead. No hit me. Hit me with one more question, then I'll move on. I mean, it just doesn't sound safe. You're you're is

the squirrel eating the peanuts out of your hand. Really, it feels that it's definitely pulled from sort of um like an emo nineties film starring like Robin Williams or something. But um, I I don't know, Dan. I wish you luck on this front. I'm really psychic prestige picture where like a simple minded man, uh spends his days in the backyard feeding well, we got that part right, you know. It's it's it's it's that's a situation, all right. I don't know where to go from here. We still mean

shut in at this point. You don't let anyone near you, so it don't come after me. I'm just trying to, you know, find some love out there in the world and and spread my seeds beat seen squirrels attack and uh, it's good you have him on your side. But what is this. I don't let anyone near me. I mean, we're in a pandemic. I'm not allowed to go anywhere like that's that's not that's another nice cover story, bro. I don't know where to go. I don't know what

what's happening at this point. All right, mark it, it finishes with you before we I think we have one more primetime game. Uh what do you got? Um? Well, I have one choice. It's Detroit at Tennessee. And you know I can't get enough of the Detroit Lions in mid December, and so I will say Detroit interesting that they announced that they would speak to Lewis riddick Um for their general manager open They added Rick Smith that former Texans GM did that list. Thomas de Mitchroth was

was put on that list this morning. So it's an interesting wide net. I mean, we've talked about the future of Monday night football. Pulling Lewis Riddeck out of the mix. Who else is going to speak with the Texans would be interesting? Um? As for this week, I mean Matthew Stafford is very banged up. Um, he's not practicing, But Darryl Bevil said number one, I don't really care if he doesn't practice all week, we'd still be willing to

play him. And Matthew Staffords has said I want to play in this game, So I think that's a TVD right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. And here's your job. Stop a offense in the Titans, where I think the highest floor outside of the Chiefs in the league, Like they just don't have bad games on offense. And what we saw from Derrick Henry and A. J. Brown and Tannehill a week ago, Um, I think they're

on a tear. They kind of remind me on offense of the Ravens a little bit, where, um, you're gonna have to cause mistakes to slow him down. I think Cleveland didn't get lucky, but they you know, they were fortunate to some degree that they stuff Derrick Henry on a fourth and one in the next next next drive caused a fumble and that's through Tennessee off their game script. As people like to say, Um, that's your that's your move.

Can Detroit do that? Um? I don't foresee that, but they've been friskier under Bevel, They've been more interesting to watch on offense. I love this stat from NFL research. The Titans are the six team since nineteen seventy average thirty points per game. They're right at thirty right now, and a hundred and fifty plus yards per game. And four of those previous five teams featured an m v P, including last year's Ravens, and four of those five teams

one fourteen games. I mean, that is unbelievable. It shows how bad he is. And also one other crazy stat, Derek Derrick Henry has a has a real path to two thousand yards rushing, and Ryan Tannehill is a good chance of setting the team's all time passing touchdown. I mean, the offense is just off the charts statistically. You don't need to teams do come on now, don't pull the

Josh Jacobs here. Where do we come Greg? Try to because I know you're a little cynical about fantasy at this stage of your life, But where do you come down? I just don't play it, okay, So then you're a good quick person asking this, where do you come down? On? Josh Jacobs? Going out of his way last Sunday morning to put on Instagram. Uh, sorry, fantasy heads out there,

I'm not playing and and you absolutely was playing. He was active, He went in people's pockets potentially, and then afterwards he gave him like a digital middle finger, like uh an emoji with emoi. You don't want to see it. But I ask everyone no, for for real, like if you can't do that, but I also ask you to put yourselves in a twenty four, twenty five year old shoes who's getting crap about fantasy all the time. He's had a very disappointing season and has gotten probably hundreds

of d ms over the course of the season. Are you, as a twenty five year old who's at the top of his profession, are you gonna have um the self control not to fight back and do something stupid one time that I just think it has to be put in context with that, because because people are coming after them,

is tough. The other wrinkle to that was that Gruden had to pull him aside and say, look, I have been around the great running backs and I'm gonna bring up names like Walter Payton and others and say they didn't they didn't only play when they were healthy, they played through pain. They played when they were hurt. And I think that impacted maybe even post Instagram post or tweet whatever it was. Um, Josh Jacob's sort of role in thinking in that game. Gruden came down on him hard. Yeah,

but do it. But the behavior is unappealing. It doesn't justify it. But I just think that is the reality, and so I think it's more understandable, you know, if you put it in that context. He's putting his hand in people's pockets. You know. I'm now I've reached a stage in life where my fantasy season doesn't dictate whether I could like pay rent. But I've been in that place before, like where I had no money and no business being uh you know in certain leagues. Uh, and

especially coming during the Fantasy playoffs, that was it. But you're right, Well, they'll make a league rule, honestly, if they haven't already, just because of how that affects you know, some of their part ors, the NFL as partners with this DFS company. So if you suddenly had players like giving misinformation, that's problematic too. Um. All right, let's wrap things up with Monday Night football Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. Really nice set up for Pittsburgh here, obviously because uh, they're

coming up back to back losses. They're they're certainly kind of at a sink and a bit of a funk offensively, if if if you're not talking about the drops, which have been plentyful, you're talking about the general scheme which has been uh pretty static and unimaginative and a running game that doesn't get going. So there's a lot of things not working on that Steeler's offense. The good news is the Cincinnati Bengal steak and they're ready to go home.

Uh So it feels like markould get right game for the Steelers, you would hope. So for them, well, they don't get right. I mean, I think the media news cycle will go absolutely ballistic. Um, they've got to handle this game. They've gotta handle it with ease. I want to see that run game, UM reach turn and get balanced. I don't trust that it will. Their offensive line has not been, you know, in top shape. They've had corona issues,

they've had injury issues. Zach Taylor did mention that Brandon Allen did not practice today on Thursday because of a knee issue that Ryan Finley took first team reps. Um like Brandon Allen better than Ryan Finley. I don't like either of them much at all, So I don't know why that should matter at all. I mean, Pittsburgh, I think, needs to look at this game as a shut the entire football world up. Um, I don't care who it's coming against. Go in and drop a nuclear bomb on

a Bengals team with zero direction right now. This game can't be seven six at halftime. I know Pittsburgh, even when things are going right on offense this year, they would go through little lulls where they would disappear for a quota or two. Don't put us in that situation as viewers. Give us something fun to watch, even if it's a blowout. Yeah, the uh it does make me think, is Ben Roethlisberger a guy you want playing in cold weather? Uh? It's kind of funny to think about that in the playoffs.

But his arm strength is not the same and and I do think that affects quarterbacks. It's that's why I wouldn't be as worried about Brady. Arm strength is not his problem. Um, But Ben, I don't know. It's so weird to think he might not be a cold weather quarterback. Our buddy Tyler Dragon broke the news that Geno Atkins UH and the Bengals are gonna be same goodbye to each other in the off season, and Atkins is officially out for the rest of the season. So good job

Tyler Dragon with the scoop. What a career Gino Atkins had there, but not quite the same? And how about a little shout out that Jesse Bates. The Bengals have one Pro Bowl player on their team. His name is Jesse Bates, a safety having a fantastic season. He should make the Pro Bowl. Has been one of the best. I gotta wonder if a J. Green would um link up with Gino and get out of there as well. I'm sure, I'm sure. Let me who wants a J. Green at this point? What was that guy done the

last couple of years to show that he can play? Though? Well, I'm not he'll get a job. He'll get a job, but you're right, the market's not going to be super aggressive for a J. I don't think Geno will have a market. I would think, even if he's not quite the same guy either, A J. Green um all right? There you go. That is the full Oh Ricky, who

are you locking up this week? We you know, we always have to hold you to a a standard um of giving us heads up on this and you know no mid morning locks on a Sunday from the West coast. When you get a chance to lock up the chiefs, you do it well, all three of you know this is payback. Um, you know this is this is just h jessel Nick and Rosenthal vanity project, um, synchronicity, loyalty.

Here she's she's teaming up and taking you guys down. Um. You know since we worked together elsewhere, use about where you're going with that. I was like, oh, you want to take them down? So yeah, you're helping you're you're helping me out? Are you sure? Have you seen that

forty Niners team? The way they get coached up week after week by the Great Dan is wildly for in these cowboys give I'll tell you what if you want if this is this is unappealing, this three um, no, I would happily lock up the Browns if you would allow me to go ahead. Well, I don't want to hear a bunch of white noise about that's you're not there's no mirror like. I don't have to do that either, but if we want, it's more interest. I don't like

it when anyone complains about anyone's luck. That's why you have to have rules there there within the guidelines. But I have a guy that wants to kill the game, wants to install the rules. It doesn't work. The whole point of wanting to kill the game is the game's got to have rules for you to play it. But j I've got some breaking news about the Browns game.

I don't know if you have the sound effect here, Erica. Oh, James Bradberry, the top cornerback for the Giants, has contracted COVID nineteen and it's just the red carpet is being rolled out. He will not only miss this game, but based on the timing and that he did test positive, he might miss two weeks. Which wow, he's been great of them. Well, I have no problem whatsoever, Mark. I debated all week between or all morning between the Browns and UH in my forty nine pick. I think that's fine. Well,

what let's let's let's just think about one thing. If I ever locked them up two weeks in a row and they lost both of those games after it was one game behind Gregg. It would be a classic crash and burn scenario that, um, you could sing about for the entire off season A few We can't. We can't spend the whole season saying how frisky the Giants are and how we like them and uh and the Browns are a little overrated. To totally switch those narratives in one week, just all right, I'll do it. I'm I'm

with you. I could see the Giants winning. It's not I'll do it. I'm switching. I'm switching, and i'll alert you know. It's possible that it's the locked on Twitter man is not following this at this point, so I'll let him know as well. I want, actually, I want you to go back to the Chiefs. I like that one better. Well, all right, there you go, so Ricky, it's locking up the Chiefs of me. Mark actually bailed on the Chiefs because of Erica. Think about that. It's

pretty fun. She got in my head. I think the Browns would have won in real time if she had not done the last week. She she created a major ripple effect that I don't do not find rewarding. What Erica's mush powers. Do they actually extend to the Kansas City Chiefs? What a test this will be? Well, let's see, maybe everything changes now she's she's been mathematically eliminated. We've only got seven weeks left in the season. She's she's eight back. Maybe she goes on a hot streak now

the pressure is off. She's the Berserker and Mark just switched themself into total misery. No, I think it's more she's the Berserker jumping on other people's locks and then that person loses their lock. That's Berserker. What happens if the Chiefs take care of business? Berserker locks it up, the Zeuster locks it up, and then somehow the Giants beat the Browns. What version of Mark Cesler are we going to have for the show? If all of that happens,

it's a good thing on Sunday night. At least it's a Sunday night game. He'll only be miserable for that last ten minutes, if it, if it counts or anything. I do think the Cowboys are going to beat Oh no, thank you, you're the Berserker now, so I'm in. Everything's turned upside down all right? Now? One little news stuff, one little side note. I don't like to promote things at all, but I'm doing an A M A on the reddit board, the subreddit around the NFL board tomorrow

at ten am California Times. So nice. Um. I'm not specifically telling you too that I don't expect you two to care, but just for anyone that's listening, I'm already logged into the room and waiting for your arrival. All right, ask me anything. Make sure you check that out the subreddit. I believe it's a fifteen thousand strong and Mark will

be there. Good stuff, all right, that's it, stan Anson signing off four Quiet Storm, the Old Boss Ricky Hollywood high in the virtual glass until the Black Ship Show.