2021 Week 14 Recap

kick with one seventeen left. Tucker bounces to the right side, hits off a Browns player in the Ravens recover at the fourty yard line. Wow. If the Ravens recovered that on sidekick and then turned it into the game winning field goal to beat the Browns. Mark's gone and the show as we know it is over. Thankfully the Browns got to stop and we'll get to the game later.

But it was so close. Yeah. I think, you know, Greg and I we are in the office during these early games, and I think that I was probably annoying you with my you know, I was dropping some Sailors language in the direction of the Ravens and the Browns. It would have been over. It would have been tough. We would have had to step into Mark at a lot of responsibilities today would have been but it was.

It was. It was typical. This was that like the theme of the week, kind of if we're looking over arching. It started with that crazy Vikings game. Given up the big lead. The Browns gave up the big lead. Uh, they won. The Cowboys gave up the big lead, they won. The Bucks gave up the big lead, they won. The forty Niners gave up the big lead, they won. And like I mentioned, it all started back on Thursday night when I watched that Vikings team drive that strawberry truck

all over the field. Don't you think I forgot right? If you listen to the recap. You know, Greg listened to the Thursday Night Show when he's not on it, and you got to give him respect for it. And Mark. I literally my my stomach jumped when the onside kick cap because I knew the ramifications could have been huge. But we're all together, Well, what do you think I would have done? I don't know. Like I mean, our windows on the second or third floor are there hermetically sealed.

I guess. I guess I could imagine driving in and just seeing like a hole where the office used to be, so everyone's going out, thankfully didn't come to it. We're gonna get to the Browns, who almost impossibly um are in position to win that a f C North because that division is so wide open. We're gonna get into

what's going on there. But yes, let's start with the on paper, what was the game of the day, and then it didn't look like it was gonna be that way, but oh hell yeah, it turned out to be a great ball game down there in Tampa between the Bills

and the Bucks. Pressure coming from the outside, pot ball, first out of the fifty outside the number forty till the thirty yard live Permanshot Parman touchdown tample by Fox running overtime Paramon Paramon, Parleman, Janecker, w f Us Josh Allen played like a star in the second half, but Tom Brady reminded us in overtime that he is to go to the quarterback hooked up with Jets legend Brashad

Perriman for a fifty eight yard touchdown. It was the game winning score in a wild thirty three seven win. Over the Bills. Tampa Bay moves to nine in three tenant three and remained very much in the mix for the number one seed in the NFC. Thank you Mark.

The Bills meanwhile, all of a sudden seven and six and in danger of falling out of playoff position in the a f C Entirely what a game, Greg so good to three felt over and yet the Bill's defense went on a run before that overtime drive by the Bucks where five of the six Bucks offensive drives went for ten yards or less, not counting the Neil downs in that defense that we've heard about all year. Got them back into the game. Josh Allen got them back

into the game. But ultimately the team with the win here and the thirty three points are led by what I think is the most unstoppable force in all of the NFL right now, which is the combination of Tom Brady and this offensive line. Those two things together are so hard to beat for sixty minutes or or sixty five like in this game. He had a lot of throws, including that game winner where it wasn't out of his

hand that quickly. And yes, they struggled in the second half against a good past defense, but in the first half bowling the way for Leonard four Nette protecting Brady. When you've got that good of a line, even against a good defense, and that good of a quarterback playing at such a high level, man, it's gonna take a really special offensive performance to beat them. And the Bills got that. But they only got about a half of that.

They didn't get a full game of that. Well, it's funny because you mentioned, you know, the script writers, the football gods um made seven or eight games this weekend feels like had the same narrative hugely lost. It didn't lose it. Here's the same thing I I if I'm a Bills fan, it was twenty seven to ten at one point, and had that turned into thirty seven to

thirteen or something. Western New York is on fire after what happened last week and this week, and you're looking at a Bills team that is going to be heavily critique NonStop. I thought they fought their way back into this thing in a valiant effort that yes, I know you lost, but you've got Carolina next. Then that Patriots game, the victory game. I don't know, I mean it happened. I just think that like that it was so negative

a week ago. There's a lot to take away from this, and you lost to what is arguably the best team in football, that is the most consistent team in football in a season when there's like two or three consistent

teams in the entire league. I mean, when it's twenty four to three at halftime coming off what happened on Monday night against New England, and then they go three and out to start the So it's just like at that time, it just felt like the walls had caved in for the Bills and this was gonna be a season that was remembered ultimately as one of titanic disappointment for Bill's franchise that had Super Bowl aspirations. And yeah,

they still lost. So there at seven and six, Um, they're gonna have and they have, of course, like we said, the Patriots coming up in two weeks um, and that could be good or bad for them obviously, and it's

just like, yes, they have worked to do. But it's a reminder why you do not count out the Bills because they do have um Josh Allen, and I think Allen is one of those special players that he can really carry it to He put that entire team on his big boy back and nearly took it home that he came near the end before they kicked the tying field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, he very nearly or the game winning touchdown. It was a

game of inches, and so they fell short. But I think people that root for the Bills and supports Bills, and I think Sean McDermott are thinking about themselves, Okay, this is a bummer, and we didn't finish off this comeback, but I think we got another. We got more fight left in us. We're not going to stay on the mat.

We'll be up. I was ready to count them out after the Patriots thing, and that's me jumping the gun on some of these things over and over, but I was especially ready to do it about the time Dan hit the office and things looked awful. And it's the rare game where I think the three of us got to sit down and watch it, you know, tick by tick as it went to its final conclusion. It was totally thrilling. And I think there's a connection. By the way, since I do, I think that you are you're saying

you were rooting it on. You were into that game as I've seen all years for a spiritual for these Bills on some left. Josh Allen's game was so good. He goes twelve nine on the ground and a touchdown, and that was an early emphasis him on design runs and him putting his foot in the ground when he sees man coverage and he sees a lane and scrambling for yards too. I think that could be one solution

to their running games struggles. They literally didn't call a carry for their running backs in the first half, which was almost hilarious, and Bills fans are losing their mind, you know. They finally cast them in the second half, and they pop a couple. Alan hurt his what looked like either his foot or his ankle. He's got a little bit of a toe injury. They wrapped his ankle and he still played great. And yet I know, I

hear everything you're saying, and that's true. And I don't think this team would doubt itself and I've I have never gotten off the point where I think they're an a f C contender. I still do at seven and six.

With all that said, this would have been a nice win, like they don't have a lot of those nice wins against good teams, they have a lot of heartbreaking losses against the teams no. And and they could have called a holding or a pass interference on the Bucks late in that game that that non call I didn't have as big a problem with as the Evans got a pass interference call uh in in overtime. And so a couple of things also went against them in this game,

and they did not make their own luck either. I'll get to that in a second. As I've said, on like numerous occasions, a lot of my numerous anger, yes many times, it's another way to say, my anger and my frustration around Tom Brady mostly dissipated when he left New England, but sometimes it will resurface when things like

that happened. The Bills don't get the p I call at the end of the fourth quarter, and then the Bucks do get a suspect d p I UH call in overtime that sets up them by Evans James, it was a terrible call. He went. He knew he was trying to get a penalty there. I know, and I saw the same thing happen for the Browns in the favor of the Browns today again, Yeah, an under thrown ball, receiver comes back to it, and everybody's like given Mike Evans a ton of credits, Like, actually, he's just playing

the ball. He's got to slow down and come back because it's an under thrown ball and they're just throwing the flag every time. It's got to be a point of the system they look at in the off season. This game had so much to it. It was one of the more fascinating games of the year, like Godwin, Evans, Gronk and then Paraman and four net In the end, they made such good plays for Brady, not always on the best throws to like that's underrated too, that he has guys that can make place. But I think it

showed the strength and the weakness of McDermott. The strengths are. Romo made a good point of him adjusting on the sidelines and really changing what they did defensively. About midway through that second quarter, Romo kind of first guests that there and McDermott didn't like wait for halftime to make adjustments. They changed what they were doing defensively and they shut it down. That's where McDermott is maybe as good or

better than any coaching the league. But with some of the game management stuff, uh, kicking a field goal inside the five early in the game, they go for a fake punt on fourth and two instead of just having your offense out there to go for the fourth and two. It didn't work. So that's easy to guess. But the biggest problem I had was was the punt uh in the fourth quarter. And you can say, well, look they

came back like that was him trusting defense. Well, it was right before the Bucks went on a six minute drive. And the way the Bills were playing offense at that point, I think actually supports the point when they go touchdown, touchdown, field goal. After that's like they're playing good offense. Trust

them to go get a couple of yards. You've got like one thing coming out of last week when they were getting killed in the red zone against New England, they had a touchdown that were the drive got it ended at the Tampa Bay eighteen, a touchdown from the Tampa Bay fifteen, a touchdown from the Tampa Bay four in,

a field goal from the seven. They capitalized on that this summer around, and you know what I want to see the Patriots and Bills play in normal, right, but when he did not adjust in that Patriots game, you gotta go do it in that game too. I mean, I just I think they were exposed. And then wait, they are confirmed as a good team again. All right, So the Bills finished with three or four teams under

five hundred and the Pats. And one last note on Brady, that's seven hundred career touchdown passes when you factor in the postseason. And he also, for whatever this means to you, probably doesn't mean much. He became the NFL's all time

completions leader, so he owns every record. I mean, when you played forty four, some of these numbers where Drew Brees, I was thinking, like Dre Brees keeps having to talk like I saw him on Sky Sports earlier, just talk about how great Brady is as he like breaks his records. That's like the ultimate revenge. And Manning's on the Manning Cast talking about great football on his biggest rivals. I

don't know, I'm not that concerned about. But yeah, let's let's now move to the other overtime late game two. Barn Burns kind of saved this Sunday Jimmy Garoppodolf first and chnch weelve yard lying in a roll. There was left Rolls caught by Brandon. You trot the chat. That's clearly I think that is a touchdown. Here's Craig Rolls stad What do you got, Craig after a touchdown? Touchdown? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, sad are whoa? You don't need no water to let

him score? Whoa? And that doesn't get bongoes, Ricky, She's a tough grader. You gotta put that in for the calls of the year, Call of the Year, Beat It World, Greg Papa and Tim Ryan Kay and be R. You know people now are paying attention, Ricky. That's a responsibility you have. Where do the bongos belong from week to week? Are you ready for that response? Found a better landing staff? Let's wait and see. I'm not judging you. I'm saying you're aware though, that people see that as a reward.

Like your power rankings, there's other things that come into maybe a bad game named sub juice. It's too early in the show and you don't want to lose one of you gotta figure out no judgment zone. Thank you just coming up. We just you don't know what could Jimmy G connected with Brandon Aiyuk, who dove over that pylon for the game winning scoring. Great editing work by Tam Posey. They're shopping it all uplifting the forty niners

to overtime win over the Bengals. The San Francisco football team blew a twenty to six lead in the fourth quarter, fell behind a fell behind by a field goal in overtime, but they found a way mark thanks to big time efforts from Jimmy G, a you and another I'm better

than everyone performance from George Kittle. You said it. I was trying to think of what what this game made me feel, because I went in with so much excitement thinking that, you know, these two pet teams of mine would create a barn burner from wire to wire and

it was not the case. And it kind of reminds me like, um, you know, you'd go back at the back of the day, you'd go to like a huge house party and stay at someone's house and you'd sleep over and there'd be this one guy in the floor that you didn't really know at all, but he was like snoring or snoozing, totally out and like you'd be there for two hours waiting from the wake up and get farting, and you'd be thinking, like, this guy is

the most like annoying individual ever, and then when he awakens, suddenly he's dropping bombs. He's funny, he's hilarious, and he's like he's the life of the party. You're thinking, that's what this game was when it started a round into form because you were you're not trusting Jimmy g in this game. Early on, Joe Burrow, the passing attack for Cincinnati was off kilter, and then both quarterbacks caught total fire and they just ditched the running games, which is,

you know, atypical for both of these teams. It was one big play after the next. George Kittle thirteen catches, a hundred and fifty one yards and a touchdown. It was on our Friday show that Greg asked, why aren't the Niners just throwing it to George Kittle over and over? Well, they listened. It was definitely Greg and it and they did it today and you know it was you and you called yourself a potential offensive coordinator, so maybe you've

got something going on there. George Kittle is good. This became a total firework show down the stretch, and I thought that Burrow and Jimmy g especially, I have Jimmy G not, you know, have one of his terrible he almost had one terrible turnover, none of that. Like, it was one big play after the next, and it gave me faith in the Niners because I really thought mentally they were broken. After Robbie Gould missed that field goal, I thought they were gonna go into overtime and just

get waxed. They did not. They came back with the winning drive after the Bengals field goal, and they are They are seven and six like every other team in the league right now, so they've got life. So like with this game, uh, just like the first game we talked about, I came away with it more impressed with the losing quarterback, Joe Burrow, who was just so fun. I I tweeted, uh, well he's a better quarterback. But

Jimmy g didn't collapse, right, They just finished. Like I tweeted during the game, I want to be a Bengals fan, and everybody I was kind of winking obviously because nobody would want to be a Cincinnati fan. But it's there is something to be said when you're watching games now and there's this twenty three year old quarterback with a ton of charisma that is really making the Bengals fun to watch. And you could see it in that stadium.

How fun the uh even though the three and four at home this year and they've had some clunkers, it's just a really fun atmosphere. And when he got that team rolling, it just felt like it was over. It felt like once Cincinnati got back into the game, once they tied it up, once they took the lead in overtime, that Guaroppolo was either gonna fumble or throwing an interception. And we'll be talking about the same old stuff with

San Francisco. And yet I think Jimmy g does deserves credit here Greg because this was a big time performance from him. It's not just whoever is the quarterback for George Kittles a great player, Brandon Ayuk. He did deliver in a big spot where he could have melted. He did. But then that dive, that play by Auk was crazy. Some of those catches by Kittle, It's a team effort and more than anything, he got a chance to do

it because of Nick Bosa. Like that, that overtime drive that Cincinnati had ends on one of Nick Bosa's two sacks, and both of those sacks came in massive spots that San Francisco forty Niners are so shorthanded at cornerback because of injuries, also because of Dante Johnson, a starter who unfortunately lost his mom over the weekend, was not available for this game. And they're playing just kind of Hammond Eggers. And that's why Tee Higgins can go five for one fourteen.

That's his third straight over a hundred. But it's like the you love to see your best players show up, and that's kittle Au because is now becoming one of those, obviously Jimmy g but also Bosa. That was just like a massive game in seven and six in the NFC, like the forty Niners are, is not the same as seven and six in the a f C. The forty Niners are a solid game up on the seven seed even with that win. So each one of these wins in the NFC for San Francisco really gets them closer.

It probably is only gonna take them going too and two the rest of the way to make the playoffs. The way this NFC is shaping. You're right, I think that the Niners did a pretty good job of masking their issues on the outside at cornerback for much of this game, and then it was too much, and you know, had had the Bengals been waxed, had this just taken on the form of the early part of the game, I would look back at Zach Taylor kicking a field goal from the San Francisco ten at fourth and two.

Later on, earlier on, I should say they kicked a field goal from the San Francisco nineteen at fourth and one. This does not get you invited to the analytics Christmas party. Um, that's sort of nineteen tactics right there. But you know, when you've got Burrow playing the way he did on the stretch at Mass, some of those sins that do you you reminded me of a pretty classic text rant from the Spice rack. Are we do you guys want to? It's filled with expletives? Do you think that our audience

wants to hear it? I don't know. Maybe you could clean it up so Ricky doesn't have to don if you just let it rip. I don't know, Okay, I don't know where to start because it went on for so long. But here here we go. Here that dip fire Zach Dave Seula greater than Zach Taylor, Bruce Coslic greater than Zach Taylor, Dick Lebo greater than Zach Taylor, shious head and history picked a great time to establish

the run. What a face Apple, no follow up? The funny thing is Coslate over Taylor is actually the most vicious thing he said in there. Davids. Try to try to enjoy this. I understand the try to enjoy this. It's a fun, exciting team. They might not win every game, but think where you were two years ago. I've been pretty heartbreaking if you're a Bengals. Yeah, that's said there. Now the ninth seed, they've been bumped out of you.

Fair enough, Okay, we gotta keep moving here. Up next, let's head to Kansas City, where the Chiefs are looking to get their offense and gear and running. Luck pulls out of Jacob Fubbles picked up my Kansas City turn Touchdow Kanso City, Mike Shoes what the scoop and score on the very first play from scrimmage, niche oldis w d If that was the game right there, it was over after one play from scrimmage. The Raiders are ready to go home, and they played like it for the

next three and a half hours. Patrick Mahomes through his first two touchdown passes in nearly nearly a month. Clyde Edwards a Laire added two more scores on the ground. The Chiefs defense continued its surge, forcing five turnovers, rolling to a forty night to nine victory over the moribund Raiders that keeps Kansas City comfortably ahead in the a f C West. You know, first of all, forty eight

points nearly drop a fifty burger. So again, the temptation here is to say Chiefs are good now on offense, I'm not quite there. I think I think they had three yards of total offense. I think this was a game where, yes, you start with the defensive score, you do a nice job moving the ball, nothing like otherworldly like old school Chiefs, but definitely some strides in that department, and then a Raiders team that just weren't there to compete.

And this is the same Raiders. Remember there was that controversy where they took the bus and did like a celebration lap. When was that last season? And they stood on midfield and they did all this stuff. And you know that stuff always comes back to haunt teams when they do dumb stuff like that, because that was obviously a point, a point for the Chiefs after the game that they just wanted to destroy this team after they tried to embarrass them uh at Arrowheads. So yes, good

job by the Chiefs getting right. And by the way, now that five game winning streak is a six game winning streak. And if this is a sign that the offense is waking up a little bit, we'll look out because if you do do combine, maybe not record setting offense like the good old days, but a good offense with this very good defense right now, you're going to continue to win a lot of games. There nine and four now and the Raiders six and seven and getting ready for dirty. It is the worst loss in the

sixty one year history of the Raiders. That surprises me. Forty eight nine is brutal, but the whole history team. I got something else that will surprise you this game, and we'll annoy you. Was a score of gummy. I will say nothing else but eat it. Wow, I can't Definitely the most interesting part of this game to me, I can't, I can't believe this. The Raiders season. Look, the Chiefs of their entire slump offensively has been interrupted

now twice by forty Burgers against the Raiders. They've slumped still against everyone else. Those are there, two good games. But yet this Raiders collapse happening in the exact same way that it's happened the last couple of years. I don't know why. I'm I'm surprised they have a winner go home game on Saturday afternoon. Good luck with that, Mark, Um. You know, it's like the last Saturday before Christmas. Um, you know you gotta handle your family, and there's a

Biders by Saturday. I'm just saying that's that's kind of a winner go home game in the you know the Raiders technical for maybe for both, but certainly for the Raiders. I'm telling you that it's over. It's over. But you think that's crazy to me? Remember that there was that uh Dolphins. It's almost like it happens at the same time every year too, when they're officially gone. There was that Dolphins Raiders game a year ago. It's just like it's so depressing and I think, I know, I need

to watch. Get eyes on. This game for Patrick Mahomes is good no matter how you cut it in point eight yards either because given their struggles and they've been fairly immense Kansas City, uh for most of the season. Just any time you could you know, run for a hundred and thirty yards. Um, you know he threw for two fifty eight Mahomes. You're still not getting you know,

Tyreek popped off one for thirty eight yards. Just still not getting like those huge, huge games Travis Kelsey again quiet um, but this was you know, great win and it was over quick five turn up five. You know you win the turnover e merge five to nothing. There's no Darren Waller out there that is liked. I I know it's the real I know it's the Raiders and they don't they clearly number one. If you don't match up well against the best team in your division, good luck.

But uh, the defense for Kansas City is there's no questioning how powerful they've become and that can lead you. I mean it doesn't have to look like it looked in the past for the Chiefs. I mean this is also a game where Josh Gordon, who turned thirty eight four weeks ago. Um had a touchdown. So what are you talking about? I'm just saying, I feel like we've been talking about Josh Gordon for seventeen years, so I'm assuming he's thirty eight. He I think he's been twenty

nine twelve. But yeah, it was like a one yard touchdown, whereas one of those homes runs. That's really a past. But good for Josh Gordon. He's overcome a lot. At Brown's home, Brown goes at Colts First Chargers technically Brown's, Uh, the Raiders are still alive, but uh, there it is. That's when the soul of a team goes up until sis they're gone. The Raiders are gone. I don't know. It's not the same as forked because that's a full vote.

I can only tell you when I hear it, and that happened, I know, but they dan they are a totally broken boat, leaking barrels of water. But what happens when they off Cleveland next week? They're in the and they're in the heavens. It's not happening. You did you hear that or was that just in my head? Now? I heard it. It was the soul going on that's gone I'm not sure. All right, let's pause right here and take a break. We'll be right back. Fourth down

at six from the forty five in Baltimore. He's got the stat back to pass FROs called baper gun it have approach, stop back, head bys, award's awards, head them right off my button, forty five. Get the ball back, game said match, Okay, all right, give up, give it to him, give it to mark It in the ones shook Jim Donovan with the call w k r K. Did the Browns deserve bongoes? Yes, you are not going to be in charge of every day when you beat

Tyler Huntley barely that. You gotta get the bongos, all right, both of you and exhale. The Browns nearly allowed Tyler Huntley in the Ravens to pull off a miracle victory, but the defense got the big stop on fourth down near midfield. They secured a vitally important twenty two win at the Dog Pound. Yes, Huntley replaced Lamar Jackson, who was ineffective before exiting the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Shookie, welcome back, buddy, how are you?

I'm great? A Steelers winter cap there for a second, but Cleveland, this is Cleveland Cavalier's baby, all right, you go shooky curious. What was the level of internal terror when Baltimore recovered that on side kick in the final minute? Is there with this scale on? Is this one to ten? One to ten is like Peter pants seventy four wet pants, change them pants? Yeah, a rough little ending there, but I guess you take some strength from out of the

team's ability to stop the stop that final drive. Uh yeah, I mean you're playing against Tyler Huntley, who, by the way, let a game when you drive against the Bears recently, so it's not like he's the worst quarterback in the league. But it's still Tyler Huntley, and you let him run all over you a little bit, and you let him fill the ball up and down the field and mount a comeback. But you do take a little bit of

excitement and enjoyment out of that. Jadeveon Clowney coming up with a big sack on second down, Denzel Word with a nice stick on fourth down to stop them well short of the sticks on a play call that I'm sure the Ravens will want back. Um, So you're you're happy about the defense. You're still concerned about the fact that the offense couldn't do anything in the second half, could not put their foot on the throat and put

this game away when they had multiple opportunities too. And if you're the Browns are happy to still be alive in a division that is very wide open after the Bengals loss, you beat the Ravens. I mean, it's all right there in front of you. I feel like, because yet it was concerning. And when it was twenty four to six, I told Greg that I was nervous, and you know, I understandingly logically, were said, just shut up with that. You're there fake, you said, now, you said

the Ravens are going to win. And at that point it was twenty four to nine and the Ravens had the ball with ninety yards to go, and it was like in the fourth quarter, I'm like, what, I haven't watched this game, but that's crazy, you know what you were kind of right? Well, I mean I just think that we're conditioned to what what the low points these teams were possible. But if anything from a more like esoteric angle, it no one's gonna remember the details of

this game A week or two from now. They needed to They needed to off a division opponent like the

Ravens to shut a lot of negativity up. I mean, you could feel the frustration from Baker Mayfield that one juncture where I don't know if it was the league or the team pulled him off the field after that terrible hit he took and he was in the face of the medical guy saying, don't make me go in that blue tent, And even like after he had been there in a minute, he peeked his head out to see what the next play was, and then he was

back on the field at some point. I also this seemed um sort of emblematic of the game to me. That kept shooting um or showing images of Lake Erie and it looked like an angry Baltic sea. I mean, it looked insane out there. You were on the scene, or at least in the city. What's going on there.

It's been extremely windy here for the last forty eight hours, to the point where I was carrying a cardboard box outside yesterday with my girlfriend trying to take her to North fron Rack to return some stuff, and I basically almost got blown over by the wind. The box went flying large box, so that that very choppy waters out there. But I thought you were actually gonna point out the color of the watermark, which was a nice tinge of depressed depressed brown and not the not the brown of

the Browns were, but just like a gross lakewater brown. Uh. But you know, I mean, I know you like enjoy every win against the Ravens, but the Browns to me are a unique team this year in that there's they've had a lot of winds you kind of can't totally enjoy. Like the Lions win, didn't totally enjoy that one. There was that Vikings win early in the season. I'm not so sure about that. They were like even that Texans

game early. Didn't really enjoy that. The fact that this is a team that their trade mark was a bit the ability to run in the fourth quarter and like grind teams out, lose Kareem Hunt to what could be a big injury, and Chubb struggles and that Baltimore who's so shorthanded and lost Clea Scampbell during the game. Rallies back that it feels like it's about as bad a win over the Ravens at least as as possible. That's it.

When does it win? Though? And I think that's all they want, right especially the way they lost to them two weeks ago and another game that they easily could have won if they could do anything offensively. The fact that they were able to pull this one out by building that lead and hanging on for dear life. They all count the same, and at this point in the year, that's all that matters. Lamar. We need to find out the severity of this ankle injury. You know, he goes

out in the second quarter. Um, he limps off, can't really put a ton of weight on it, and that gets carded and doesn't return, So you know they're they're cooked. Tyler Huntley does make some plays and he has good mobility, but also he's like strikes me as like fairly unique in that I don't know too many quarterbacks and he's young. I think he's in the second season where he almost

is not aware that other players are chasing him. The blindside shots he takes and the way he holds the ball, so it's almost like he has so much to learn in terms of awareness. It costs him on a couple of different plays, including a turnover in the red zone.

So if if Lamar is missing any extended amount of time, I think the Ravens are have a very real chance because even with Jackson in the line of the offense is so bad right now, Um, and then at the Bengals and then the Rams, there's a chance, there's a chance. And on the brown side of thing, I do still feel the same way. They did not score a point in the second half. It's such a conservative offense now

less than three hundred yards here. I know Baker after the getting games said he was he's feeling better than he's felt, but there's just no juice to this team buying the feeling better thing. I mean, it's it's I just think that this is a quarterback struggling in every possible way. They don't have Does he have to be in the line of if he's playing. I hear what you're saying. Hear what you're saying, Like they just they

don't have a clear cut number one wide out. Um, they were without two tight ends that I think are important to Baker today they could they haven't been. It's it's two straight games against the Ravens. They haven't been able to run the ball in the first game, you picked off Lamar four times and lost. In this game, Lamar barely played and you nearly lost. I think that should be a heat check, whether you came out of

here with a victory or not. I have one question at one point in that game, at one point in the game, the Ravens had more points than they had first downs and it still ended up into two point finish. That it should be concerning. Yeah, very wild ending to the game. One question mark we when we drafted this week. I took the Browns game because you said you needed a break and didn't want to watch a brown do You very clearly watched the game close. So here's what happened.

We were um I took. I was under the impression that Bengals Niners was a one pm game and it got moved to four pm, so I got that ugly two four pm things. So I had, you know, the ability, and the band was to watch it. Had I can't confirm this. He came in talking about it. He's like he was suddenly surprised. It's like, did move that game?

So he was looking at a thing less. I always start with more games, and then you know, I killed today the point of it was, though, that you needed a break from them entirely, not really, Like if I really wanted a break, i'd be like in a park somewhere like he was. You watched the Browns game more closely than your quote primary game Tennessee Jackson. Now we see what you're doing. You better bet your ass. All right,

let's move on. Here's Newton. He's gonna throw quick shot, intercepted Michael Walker, and he's got road in front of it. Walker will SCOREF ten five pick six off Cam Newton, and Atlanta leads West Durn with a call w z g C linebacker Michael Walker returned to an interception of Cam Newton sixty six yards for a touchdown. The Falcons improved to six and two on the road this year. They beat up on the Panthers. Uh shookie, they're good at all, but they are undeniable, undeniably in the NFC

playoff picture with four games to play. Yeah. I had that moment today when I looked at their record on the on the score graphic and thought to myself, Oh no, this team has a legit shot to make the playoffs, and I don't know what I'm betting. Yes, Yeah, it's terrible because that this is the one situation in which the third wild card might actually produce like a bad team. Like last year, Washington kind of got hot going to

the playoffs made for Chicago. You know, we had to watch Trabinsky when the Nickelodeon Valuable Player a War and that was pretty rough. Yeah, I mean, this is the This game was between two similar teams. That was kind of a snoozer in the fourth quarter, which is more emblematic of where the Panthers are headed right now. I think you have to be proud of the Falcons because

of what they're doing. I think with the talent that they have, because you got Kyle Pitts, who's who's flashed at times, but having Calvin Ridley for a long time, Um, you know, it's just you can tell when they when they're out there in the Quadriolison's getting carries and and you're throwing to Russell Gage. This is not a team that's loaded with talent, and yet they are scrappy and in a game like this, they're playing a team that's similar,

they're both kind of just out there existing right now. Uh, you know, they took advantage. I mean marks this game the first time around, though, and Carolina wiped the floor with them physically, like ran at forty nine times and just like boss them around. And so to me, it's telling. It's these two young coaches that Atlanta comes back around. They were like negative a hundred million points point differential

this year. They were thirty second in d V A way coming into this week, and yet they're six and seven. And I think looking at these two teams, you can say one team is better coach and I and Carolina. Who you bring in Cam Newton, that's a mess, I know that. But you score twenty one points with him and p J. Walker and your defense comes back on the field when your offense cuts it to one score late and all you gotta do is get one stop and you can give your offense a chance and their

defense could not get off the field. And you know what Kyle Pitts, I know he only went five for sixty one, but he always makes big like game winning type third and thirteen conversion So that doesn't show up in your fantasy box score, Dan, but I think he's I think he's won them a couple of games. I really say, my frustrat and he has. You're right, he's made some big plays. My frustration has nothing to do

with Kyle Pitts, the player or the prospect. I think he's really talented and has a chance to have a great career. But at one point, I tweeted in the first quarter Kyle Pitts fantasy owners looking at the box score and realizing yet another four thirty eight zero outings upon us with Jack Nicholson from the Shining knocking down all the dishes. With four minutes left in this game, he had four catches for thirty eight yards and zero touchdowns.

Then he got the big catch. That was huge. But anyway, the Falcon's offense is a little sleepy and dreary, but they're in the mix. I shook. This came across my emails, something that you wrote to flip it to Carolina, and they're coaching issues. Matt rules, spaghetti at the wall approach is growing tiresome. I have been a big supporter of Rule, but the last fortnight has been about as ugly as it could at for Matt Rule and the whole idea

of what he was bringing to Carolina. Yeah, I'm glad you said this because this is my bone to pick with them. I am out on Matt rule, like completely out. He cans his offensive coordinator and you know, makes him to scapegoat, hands the job off to his lifelong buddy and they put up twenty one points while rotating quarterbacks at times. What is the point of rotating court? What are you trying to figure out what you have in

p J. Walker? We know what you have in p J Walker on XFL Star, who is a backup quarterback in the NFL. Why are you wasting your time doing this to the head coach? Yeah, yeah, okay, all right? In the backgrounds, I mean, is p J Walker much worse than two thousand one? Kim? And I love the

process of of going back and forth between them. That that and that's my point is what is the point that we're going back into maybe a little context, just that I saw some of the Beat reporters saying that thing you've heard about Cam because he signed in the middle of the season, he doesn't have a good level of knowledge in the two minute drill in in the playbook, so they put in Walker at the end of the half. That's why he went in, and that's why Cam came

back in the third quarter. But even then it's just like what are we doing here? Like what you know, what are we doing? Matt? You know that too minute drill and they put him in for you know how it ended p J Walker throwing one of the worst picks I've seen this year, and that that's the last time.

I'm done with them, I think. And we're gonna get to Urban Meyer because I think he's roadkill basically, But I think rule when you're gonna get to that six to eight number at the end of the year on black on Black Monday, I think rule despite that contract that he signed, very much in danger right now, that's there's four games, Like, there's four games left, Mark, So let's say they lose them all, you know what I mean? Then that that plays a big factor, Like if they

lose it all, that keeps getting worse. And it's five and twelve, but I think they know the owner is an impatient individual. Alright. One more game was shooky and we're lucky to have him hand off to Gordon Gordon a big hold five Gordon into the end zone, touchdown. Denver y'all words on the touchdowns scampers. He walks into the end zone the Broncos honored the memory of Damarius Thomas with emotional tributes and a thirty eight ten win

over the Lions. Running back to Javante Williams and Melvin Gordon each scored a pair of touchdowns, and Draymont Jones had a big game two sacks of Jared Goff. So obviously a very emotional day in denver Um. Damarius Thomas died at As Georgia home on Thursday, age thirty three, and you know they're still working through the details of what exactly happened, but a tragic loss, obviously for one of the greatest players in franchise history at the wide

receiver position. UH. Several Broncos arrived at the stadium wearing number eighty eight jerseys, UH, kicker Brandon McManus where custom cleats featuring Thomas's smile. There's a pregame moment of silence, a video tribute featuring Thomas's a d R touchdown catch from Tim Tebow, and the famous playoff game. And then it all culminated with the Broncos taking the field with just ten men UH to start the game. The first snap in honor of Thomas, it was a five yeard penalty.

Of course, the Lions declined the delay of games, so you know, shook a really sad time and and broncos um for that organization. Uh, they were able to process that and play a really strong game and kind of keep themselves in the mix in the a f C as well. A really strong game and a good bounce back performance for them after that frustrating loss to the Chiefs in prime time last week. You know, this is

another team that's right there in the hunt. This is a game that you know, you couldn't afford to to be kind of a trap game, especially Lions coming off of that victory, and they took care of business and what was a somber day that they also handled with

extreme class. I think, Um, you know that you could say a lot about the franchise and the way they've operated since the passing of Pat Bowlan and and this is one of their you know, brighter moments both on the field and just in terms of their own history and honoring you know, one of the legends of that team and for them from their season outlook, you know, you you get right back on the horse and you keep going forward, and uh, it's a positive day for them.

I mean, you get a strong day out of your running attack, you kind of dominate the game and you take care of business. So good on them. They called eighteen runs to five passes in the first two drives. You see that too often, and it was fourteen nothing. It's like a lot of people have been getting on Melvin Gordon this year because I just want to Javonti Williams show and Javanti Williams like made a great spin move on his touchdown. Melvin Gordon's good ball player. You

want to have two good running backs. It's a great combo. It's a Vic Fangio dream. And this team, who's just the exact picture of mediocrity, gets to that Cincinnati game next week, still in that mix, still in that seven and six mix where one of those two team whoever wins that game, uh, is gonna have a nice little juice. What if what if you were Vick Fongio and you told ownership back in August, we'll have the same record

as the Buffalo Bills coming out of Week four. Team, I mean, even if you had just said we'll be seven and six, I think they'd be like, okay with the Bill's ankle. I think that would probably be shinier. Let's see where the Broncos are. I'm looking at the updated playoffs standings going into Sunday Night football. They're up two spots, they're ten, but they're tied. I mean they're tied the six spot. It's crazy that that that there's one game between like the four and the thirteen, or

the or the ten. Rather, it's crazy there's five AFC teams that are seven and six. Hello parody, all right, Chucky, thank you for joining us, pal and um, we'll catch up with you next week. And make sure and check out Nick's great work on NFL dot com. And he's all over the network now, Shook making a little play. You know, we wanted to be successful. It's like when Sam Donald was traded to the Panthers. We want it. We want him to find success in his new home

because he's a good guy. But just don't become too successful, because you mean, well, I don't want him to take over power rankings. I don't want him to take my chair here on around the NFL. I want him to have his own lane where he's successful, but he doesn't impact me in a negative way. Seems fair like, not a crazy request. I mean, Shook will be at the bottom of that Lake Erie scenario if he gets too close to Dan, trust me or Greg especially please, I

mean an I don't want that. I don't want to pipe. What's up with you? Mark? What was that comment? Especially sneaking speaking truth? Please? You just said you don't want him near anything that you are doing. I was joking and then you came in with some Mike because I was just saying I saw Greg's I saw Greg's mind working,

so I just translating Greg's mind. Ricky, did you notice like I'm joking around over here and then Mark's throw But it totally gets what I'm saying, right Erica, Well, I way don't come after Erica either wasn't so throwing it at me makes it better. I feel like we should take a minute and just like recomne, everybody, everybody take a deep breath. We got a lot of show left.

We'll be back after tired to the whole room. Fact is allan pressure that's a ball, throws the ball out as he's being sacked by Gregory, and maybe HiT's a fumble. It's picked up by Dallas. They are calling it Gregory forcing a fumble and Dallas has recovered Brad Sham the

Sham God k r l d with the call. The Cowboys led Washington zip before Kyle Allen replaced an injured Taylor Heineke let a seventy three yard touchdown drive and then Cole Holkom intercepted Doc ran it back for a pick six, But Washington's comeback bid came to an end when Alan fumbled with play final score. Cowboys Washington a preordained outcome after Big Bad Zaddy Mike McCarthy foretold it and shared his vision with the masses. The Big the Big Bad Zaddy made it all about him. We're gonna

win this scang. I'm confident, that confident, that confident that we're gonna win this scang. Confident, confident, confident. Yeah, I like it. It's like it's like I want everyone to talk about me. Lock it up, baby, get on the side of the big what's going on here? Get on the side of the Big Bad Zaddy. Well, congratulations Greggy too. Oh yeah, that's it's so in the Westlings, they locked up. The Bucks got away with that one. Ricky locked up the bye week. You didn't make a pick. Yeah she did.

She locked up the Yeah, I picked the Bills because I really was like the Bills. You know that's the lock for you. You wanted the other team to win, right, Yeah I won? Yeah, lock it up again. We're flying. The Titans won grave things back there. Hit him up. I mean they Cowboys were outscored twenty three in a game where for the most part their defense was absolutely dominant, where they hit Tyler Taylor Heineke so many times that he was injured. It was like that, like this was

the blown lead, that felt the flukey ist. At no point did I think Washington was going to complete this. And yet the Cowboys getting the ball seven times in the second half, just like that Saints game. Oh, the Saints game they won by a lot seven times in the second half and they got three points. And you know how they scored those three points. Their offense set them up in field goal range and then they had a ten, you know, fifteen yard drive. They did nothing.

It's weird that Cowboys fans are freaking out right now because Dak had a game where he could have thrown about four interceptions. He did not play well in the first half when they got out to about nothing in lead, I was thinking, this is exactly like Thursday night where Kirk Cousins is somehow having one of his worst games of the year and they're winning twenty nine to nothing.

It was very similar to that, and you add that up and it is it is concerning, and yet you do have to remember the other side counts too, and the Cowboys defense is freaking amazing. I'm looking at this. This is one of the weirder and more incredible drive charts I've seen all year. Eleven of fourteen marches for the for Washington went for eleven yards or less. The first half was as dominant a defensive performance as any

half of football all year. The Washington football team had six drives, and those six drives they turned the ball over twice. They had a total of twenty nine yards on those six drives, and if the Cowboys could have held on to some interceptions, they actually touched the ball far more in the first half. I counted up six or so I think it was six passes defense. About four of those were dropped interceptions. Heiniki was a mess,

uh and he only had two or three completions. So at that point in the game like the Cowboys doesn't running all over this team, and yet the offense like should have put up sixty points in this game. Is crazy, very weird. I mean just the box score here, Dak averages five and a half yards of attempt the Gabbard zone, Zeke with another you know, forgettable game less than four yards to carry. They ran for most of the second half as Clement played because you know, we had no

Pollard in this game. He was out as well, so you know, even with Pollard not in the mix, they still didn't think Zeke was a guy who could make it through the game. And I guess you couldn't. So it's like, man, I think, and we talked about this going into this game, both on the podcast and on the TV show, that is Dak going to kind of come come, you know, back to being the dock that was an m v P level guy. And and it's starting to mount. The weeks are starting to mount mark

where it's just not happening here. And yet, I mean, just with the way the league is and with the way it's been for quarterbacks this season, like I'm willing more than ever to forgive slumps and um, you know, we could be weeks away from Prescott getting in a hot streaking at the right time they put them. They basically won the NFC East today and that was it was up for grabs if they had lost this game, So that's important. Like, you're right, they have four games left,

a pretty favorable schedule their nine and four. Can they turn around? They have the personnel to do it. Uh, And just the way that this like Parsons added another couple of massive plays for his defensive player that you're Kindessee Gregory returns to this game, Randy Gregory jumps over a cut block, tips it up in the air and intercepts the past and and force like players matter, and they're getting these players back, and like they still have all the players that should get it done. But the

Dack thing's weird. He's very indecisive and he's like almost afraid to run. There were multiple times today where he could have picked up a first down with his legs and he didn't, and they punted the ball because he just sort of held it and hesitant. And Jane's point made me think. It makes me think more of his health though, because there's nothing about the personality we know of dak from hard knocks and beyond it says anything out fear or yeah, Jane had said that maybe the

injuries he suffered as leading to something. But even if it's not, like in his mind directly that he's not running and performing as an athlete in his natural way and being a little bit more gunshy. So we'll see. And on the Washington side, yeah, this was their chance they're taking to get back into the division race. The defense balls out and they still don't find a way. That's a frustrating loss. Let us move on. Willing do his right as Herbard sets his feet takes a shoutdown field,

has Gudan good club stops. There is one quarterback in the NFL that can make that play, and he is on the field here this afternoon, and it makes no sense put that in the best of that money Smith, our boy, the voice of God for the Around the NFL podcast, also gets a paycheck from k y s R Chargers Radio. Great call. Justin Herbert is a savage in the pocket. The second year stud through three touchdown passes, including that impossible missile to Jalen Guiton. He's done two.

He's done that two weeks in a row, just crazy passes in the end zone to guitone. Chargers beat Giants. Mark. We challenge the Chargers to take care of business, business and act the part of an actual a f C contender, and they did it today. They absolutely did, setting up a monstrous game on Thursday night with the Chiefs. Go back and listen to that call again from Money because there's an obviously distinct pause after he threw the ball

and when it was caught. I mean, this was one of the biggest ropes I've ever seen from any NFL quarterback of all time, to the point where Daniel Jeremiah said that he's never seen a throw like that, and I mean, yes, it came against the Giants, which to me, I mean, the Giants at this point are not unlike um when someone unleash is like a killer fart in a car in the middle of enter, like you're in a tough place. Well that's what they seem like that

that unbelievable ability. No, it's separate, and I like this was this was the Chargers taking care of business. And you know, Mike Williams a second week in a row with total chemistry with Herbert. They just thumped the Giants who are in a terrible place. And you know, we had a conversation about like Sae Kwon Barkley just doesn't look right to me in this offense. But forget the Giants. I think this was about and that, you know, the

the Chargers. This is a classic scenario where you could have imagined them getting clipped like four and taking all the wind out of the sales. It adds faith in Brandon Staley, it adds incredible faith in justin Herbert, who when he gets on a roll, the height, with the height of their powers, the Chargers can beat any team in the league. This was another awesome boast of performance by the way, I mean, they had some inspired performances all over the field. Leads the league in forced fumbles,

Joey Bosa. They we're up thirty seven to seven with five minutes to go in a game they lost. That's and over battle two to nothing. I think Herbert's just like the evolution of the NFL is like the players always get better. That's what I think. Like it's just in terms of physical ability and to meet Herbert and

Mahomes just do things I've I haven't seen before. I think the throws that Herbert makes our throws I haven't necessarily seen before, and that he's just when it's right, it's so fun to watch and it's seen guy in and then Josh Palmer also went five sixties, six and one in this game. Those two guys coming on and being factors really I think can help round out their offense.

Austin Ekeler remains an important part of this offense. He went out with injury anything on that so Brandon Staley said afterwards and you know, he just want to wait till the next day, but that he looked he thought he was fine. And he also said that Keenan Allen should be back on Thursday night as well. So I mean that right that that's you know, this offense. I I love that this game is happening against Kansas City when it is because this is the most uh steamy

verse know the Chargers we've seen all year. And we'll preview that game, you know, in full on Tuesday because that is I think such an important game in the arc of this organization. I'm not gonna like, I don't want to oversell it, but you know, if they really show up and beat the defending conference champions. They are all of a sudden, a lot of people can see them differently, but in the here and now, they took

care of business and that's important. Anything else to add on this one, just housekeeping, is that they said Daniel Jones is going to see a different next specialist on Monday, and just the way they framed it, and it's a neck injury four games left of the season, it just wouldn't be surprised if if he's put down for the year and they're kind of thinking about that draft pick maybe right neck injury plus four and nine plus middle of December with a thousand yards stayer that does not

Lenny Williams also got hurt in this game. Joe Judge taken three time outs with four minutes left down like thirty points, trying to get the best back to our cover of the season at Giants backers were loving that. That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Have taken the timeouts. Hey man, that's right out of the Tom Coughlin book. All right, Joe Judge, uh could be in trouble. You could say the same for Urban Meyer.

He had a chance to put another week of ugly controversy behind him against the division rival Titans, it didn't really go to plan, however, Gonna laugh turns runs road. Yes, Mike Keith with it called w g f X. The finger roll is the most underrated touchdown celebration in the NFL. It's the Ryan Tannehill kind of does the Air Jordan thing and then does the spin of the ball away. I just like it. Tannehill didn't throw a touchdown on Sunday, but he ran for one and that was all the

Titans would need. In a twenty to zip win over the completely depressing Jacksonville's Jaguars. Tennessee snaps a three game losing streak, fortified their standing is the top to AFC South with four weeks to go. Also the first home shutout more than two decades, surprising nug there Mark. Tennessee desperately needed a performance and more to the point, and an opponent like this came at the perfect time. We don't need the the Tennessee Titans to be like a

flock of hotties at this point. They're living life on the razor's edge. They got a lot from their defense today. You know, the last two games, it was nine turnover giveaways for the Titans, which unspooled them. They did it today to Jacksonville. I mean, Jacksonville had a big part of this. Their offense is um, it just doesn't exist. And Trevor Lawrence had his worst game of the year. He's been put in a terrible environment. But a lot of it has to do with the pressure that Tennessee

put on him. Um their ball hawking secondary, and it just that this team, to me, it's like a classic team win, where you know, Tannehill does not Julio Jones three four catches for thirty three yards. He's not coming in and saving the day. But Tannehill spread the ball all around. He had a like a really rough and tumble seventeen yard run or that was followed by an unnecessary rough and roughness that's set up an important score. He had a touchdown run later on. He did just enough.

And I talked to Graver Digger during this game. I think we thought, you know, this was a complete team win for a team that's very incomplete right now. Personal wi, I totally agree. Yeah, I forget about the game, Graver or anything. First of all, was the wife listening and not your wife not our wives thankfully listening to the podcast on Thursday. Yeah, any other blowback from your appearance? Now you're operating the interesting use of words there. What

did I say? Blowback? Did? Did let me ask you this before we get to the game? Um, because a lot of people were left wondering, Um, are you looking to enter into a romantic relationship with this woman? I would say yes, but not in any way that is unethical or immoral. No judgment zone here, man, I'm starting to piece together, Um, in my mind, what's happening here?

What it would? What's your theory? I'm just gonna posit a theory that that she is in like an open marriage of some sorts where she's allowed to do what she's doing. Because you say there's no ethical issues, maybe your ethics are not challenged by it. I'm just saying, no, nobody's ethics. It's not an open marriage situation. Well okay, okay, Well maybe she doesn't need that to be told. Stuff.

All right, We're going to continue to get updates on Graver hit his music, and now I want to get his thoughts on the Titans once we hear that, and that's another episode of I don't know what we're calling this digging something other than a grave, digging the grave of that marriage. Oh god? Alright, your thoughts on the Titans?

Did you feel better about the team? Now? There was also report inevitable report you kind of expecting it at some point that Derrick Henry is on track to return for the playoffs and maybe even week eighteen that the Titans need a regular season win to get in. Uh. You combine it with the twenty nothing and lead how you feel in? Justin, I feel pretty good about the Titans right now. That Henry reports super encouraging you. You're looking ahead and a j. Brown should be back, not

this next game for but the one following that. There's a night football against the Niners. So I think the defense, I mean, the shutout is a pretty impressive thing, especially because the Jaguars drove the ball deep into Tennessee territory a couple of times where it felt like the shutout was going to be threatened, but then they came up with whether it was an interception or Jacksonville committed penalty and pushed themselves backwards. Like It's tough to really judge

too much because Jacksonville is so inept. All right, so

let's talk about that. So Tom Pallaceero uh NFL Network reported actually on Good Morning Football, Um, he really dropped these bombs with the Great Connie Fox hosting all sorts of heat involving things going on behind the scenes, uh with the Jaguars, with urban Meyer not seeing eye to eye with players, with him calling out his coaches and having his coaches his assistant coaches explain their credentials and talk about himself as a winner and what have you won?

Just like the ugliest, most scrim stuff ever. And of course, now that's all anyone wants to talk about after the game, especially after shutout loss. Here was urban just a quick snippet of what urban Meyer had to say after the latest Jaguars loss. What's the answer start leaking information or some nonsense. No, no, that's nonsense, that's garbage, that's you know, that's once again, I've been very blessed. I'm not really dealt with that. But I'm not dealt with well did

you hear what he said? That will occupy very little my time. And if if there is a source, that source is unemployed, I mean, with in seconds, it just to me, it just screams like, Hi, I'm as pompous as it gets. I'm above everyone, and I think that these reports um are damaging. I think they're true. I mean, he also spends half the time on the sideline looking

like he ate a squirrel's head. He looks uncomfortable, he looks out of place, and I think he can tell that the urban Meyer um aura or persona that some people are calling legendary because of what he did in college has come to the NFL and been completely undone. I mean, he's an offensive coach. This offense is unwatchable. Every week, Trevor Lawrence has one touchdown. Since the bye week, he had four interceptions today. Every week it's the same thing.

It's a battle to score one touchdown. Two never happens. You look at actions, you know what I mean. Like Marvin Jones is really well respected as like a leader type of guy. He was mentioned that in that report as someone who left practice to be convinced whether he would come back. James Robinson like known for being like a great story, great guy. He he's involved in all this.

Then you look at Mike Rabel and urban Meyer's handshake at the end of the game, Rabel worked for urban Meyer for two years, and it was like the biggest fly by disrespectful move. I don't know which way was born his nature. He wouldn't even look at him in the eye. Rabel also didn't even slow down. It is

just a disaster. And that's why watching this offensive performance each and every week and then seeing somehow that the early line of next week game is Jaguars by three and a half, that the rainmakers actually coming out on a Sunday night drink cap show, take that three and a half before it goes down to three because everyone's going Texans next week. Texans are gonna cover that one.

All right, there you go, Greggy, That's what I'm talking about. Well, I'm eleven and one against the spread today, so I'm just eland myself. Just now. It doesn't do me anything, all right, Let's take a break and then hit the rest of the games. Handoffed out Camara again. Balty took the right side moves inside the ten five. He is into the end zone right side. Alvin Camara sixteen yards touched down New Orleans. Mike cost w w L with

the call. Alvin Kamara ran for a hundred twenty yards and a touchdown in his return from a four game absence. The Saints snap their longest losing streak under Sean Payton in a thirty to nine win over the Jets at the meadow Lands. That would that had been a five game losing streak for New Orleans, but the Jets are the elixir for most teams that need to get right. That was certainly the case here. Uh, Taysom Hill, you know,

he's got that finger thing, and it's an issue. I don't He's already kind of a limited passer, and there are several throws where it just didn't look like it came out of his hand right. Maybe those throws don't come out of his hand right, even when the fingers not busted up the way it is. But either way, I have concerns about Taysom Hill against you know, a big opponent in a big spot, because I think the Saints are gonna hang around and be in this NFC

playoff picture. Um, he had a touchdown run when the game still mattered. He added a garbage time run to really juice the stats a little bit, but I would give him a C plus for the game. The defense was much better, really shut down. The Jets were missing a lot of guys. Zack Wilson again not playing very well. Uh, you give him a little bit of a pass because of the lack of supporting cast in this game. No Corey Davis, No Elijah Moore, who went on I R.

We cannot catch a break. No Michael Carter, he's on I R. No Tevin Coleman. The Jets were three of fourteen on third down and only had two fifty six yards of offense. So the Saints take care of business. They stay in the mix in the NFC. They're six and seven. They're one of six NFC teams that's six and seven. They are actually, you know, as tiebreakers go

their last among that group. But their defense, I think has shown and they're getting a little bit healthier overall in general, has shown that they can keep bad offenses down. Now they go to Tampa next week. They're not gonna win that game, but they do have the Dolphins, Panthers, Falcons to finish up. All those games feel winnable. At least it's pretend it's possible. And I think this coaching staff, Saints fans sort of wanted to just throw this season

away because it's been painful and they're done. But it's like, no, I think, actually you're gonna be there in Atlanta Week eighteen, and that game is going to be meaningful. And I like that schedule a lot. And I mean Alphen Kamara, who had ninety four of a hundred and twenty nine first half yards for the team, I mean completely changes what they can accomplish. You know, Tayson Himmel's Tayson Hills like the finger thing or not, it's not. I don't

think he's gonna lead them there. I think they have to come to that conclusion if you're Sean Payton. But with Kamara, I mean, well but you get the eleven for seventy three and two touchdowns on the ground, and maybe you're helping long term. We are we are, we over this experiment after the season, but go as far as you can this year. And I mean they were

just a dead offense without Marrow. I mean, I will never question Sean Payton's ability to call a football game on offense, but I was surprised for most of this game. And maybe it was had something to do with the finger as well. I don't know, but they were not using Taysom Hill the way they did against Dallas for stretches where they just said we're gonna call some design runs and just pick up seven yards, nine yards, fourteen yards. That was not happening for about three quarters of this game.

He was just a pocket passer with a bad finger, and it was just like, this is not gonna work against the better team. So I think you would want to see more of that, working the run game into it, but it just Kamar is the guy that he's the difference maker as long as he's healthy and doing things. His touchdown he made a Jets defender look silly, and he's one of the few guys in the league that can do that that could just make defenders look like

JV players in high school. So touches, it's like, these guys come off I are and anyway, good job by the same stay in the mix. They got a chance here and the Jets, well, the Jets are what the Jets are. And I am a little worried about Zack Wilson notes, yere one, we'll get to it more. I'm not I'm past anger and now maybe acceptance. I don't know. But let's move on to Houston second down and seven run by Penny left side bridge, one tackle, first out.

He has gone five touchdowns. Steve are able to call kay i r oh, this is like that, like Joe Montana waves at John Candy and then goes, wins, goes and wins a super Bowl music. Maybe not a perfect fit for this version of the Seahawks, who improved too about four and eight or whatever. Five and eight h Russell Wilson through for two d and sixty yards and two touchdowns for Shot Penny ran for a career high one thirty seven and two scores and the thirty three

ten win over the decaying Texans. Greg the Seahawks are not very good, and yet two straight wins puts them on the fringes of the NFC wild card race. You're buying, You're buying, No, no, because they're playing the Rams next week. But if they could ever get that game, then I'm buying because the Ramps have owned them in recent years and and they're a good team this year, and the Seahawks, you know, they haven't been. I'm buying a little bit because if you get past that, I ask you again,

just give me yesterday. I'll buy it. The Texans next week who you just said he to Kane, Oh no, uh. This was kind of an old school like run run RUSS game, which is like the old Seahawks offense, like run twice to set up third and eight, and then Russell Wilson makes a nice play, passes for two and sixty yards lock it goes for one forty two as

you mentioned. And uh Rashad Penny, who has been about as criticized as any first round pick in recent memory, just because he's a running back and he plays for the like the savvy Seahawks Twitter fans uh at a career game. So that's nice, nice day for the Penny brothers. His brother Eliza eli uh with the two point conversion and running in for the Giant today. So what a day for Mr and Mrs Penny out there? Got it?

I don't know what else to say in this game, Greg just assumes that there's a Mr. And Mrs Penny. I'm sure the homework has not been done there. We don't know why you're saying. It crossed my mind. I hope everyone's there, But no, Russell Wilsn't really has looked better than the last few weeks. Bobby Wagner has been all over the field the last couple of weeks. Uh and Davis Mills at one point in this game was fourteen for fourteen for a hundred and fifty yards in

a touchdown. How about that That is the most by a rookie of like straight completions since the most in Texans history. So it banner day for the Houston finishes with three thirty one forty nine throws. It got way less efficient after that. They didn't do much of anything for a while. But there are moments when Davis Mills is like, well, he's he's a backup. At least he's an NFL backup. I think at least I've seen worse rookies. I mean, there's been worse rookies this year and at most.

I will say this as well, that I really had a very strong feeling that the Texans were going to find a way to memory hole this season and not have any record of it in their media guide going forward. But Caiimi Fairbarn, fair Baron Caimi Fairbarn set a franchise record with a sixty one yard field goals time expired in the first elfisode that has to go on the media. First back their games were ugly this morning. And at halftime,

I remember you asked like, is everyone's game terrible? And I was like, this is the best possible Seahawks next in this game. The first half of this game had a ton of big time exciting place and then it just turned in as America and Unison should watch this together, not on the condensed version, but the full day. And it was that exciting natalaurean. Then it got a little less exciting. All right, there you go. That is UH

the early and late games now Sunday night football. In the role the full back comes back to the yet end zone again, back to back. That's a place yards. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, announcaying, hey, I'm in this m v P Race two. I want to go

back down back baby, no interceptions. Another brilliant performance from Rogers in a win over the Chicago Bears, a game that featured fort points combined from two teams in the second quarter alone, but once the second half rolled around, it was domination four Green Bay, which outscored the Bears three in the final two periods, coasting to the win. Mark Sessler. The Bears UH fall to four and nine, they're out of the picture. They don't even get to

be on the fringe. If you can't even be in the fringes of a playoff race this year, you stink your four nine. And the Packers, on the other hand, moved to ten and three and put themselves in position, uh to be very much alive in that race for the number one seed. What did you see for them today that you liked? Did it like anything you got, buddy? I mean, we we do not know the ceiling of the Green Bay Packers, and you know they consistently or either in your top spot in the power rankings or

hovering very close as they should be. I will say this though, Um, it's another example for me that we spent all last week. I mean I personally did talking about this game. It will be not competitive, it shouldn't be on television. And you know, for all the Matt nicky talk, the Bears came to play. I mean, this was the highest scoring second quarter in the history of

the Bears Packers rivalry. And I guys like Jachem Grant I thought, like, we're remarkable for the Bears in the first half, but you cannot contain Green Bay's offense for the entire game, and the Bears fizzled up towards the end. YEA one Bears in the second quarter. That's like, that's a games games worth, uh, But it was a Packers offense.

You say that you can contain and that makes sense, but you have you were able to contain them for about nine weeks this season, and now that Packers offense, like I hope defense has had their fun against them, because that Packers offense is gone. Even though Elton Jenkins isn't there now and Bok trs not back, they are fully loaded and Rogers is three best games of the season are the last three now in a row. Though sometimes this is a game where if you watch the highlights,

actually that will tell the story for you. Because that throw to Adams to end the first half, to me, that was the biggest drive of the game, and they were down fourteen the Packers. They get the ball back with one thirty two after the Jacheme Grant punt return and they go right down the field, and that throw to Adams was outrageous. Then the touch throw the lollipop to Aaron Jones uh in the third quarter was outrageous. Davantae Adams route that he's set up Jalen Johnson in

the fourth quarter. That's outrage. I hope the highlights at least show the third and eighteen to Lazard in the first quarter too, because that was a crazy and Rogers throw. He is out of his mind right now. Yeah, he is. The last three games from Rogers with a buy mixed in. UM, the three games since we started hearing about this bad toe, which is he talks about the bad toe about like

Big Ben talks about his injuries. We hear about it constantly, but we don't see any actual ramifications on the field. You said, Mark, we don't know what the Packer ceiling is. I think it depends how you want to look at like what the phrase means. If to me, if you're a true top of the line Super Bowl contender, and I think there's three of them, Green Bay, Arizona, Tampa Bay, and that's what I see right now. Um, there is

no ceiling they are. They are a team that very has a very good chance of winning this whole thing. And I think they play so well on both sides of the ball. That's why they've been number one of the Power ranks for me, just because I think they're so balanced on both sides. So I also think the football gods have a sense of humor. I gotta say that. We we had a lot of fun on this podcast late last week talking about how dare they keep the Bears in Sunday night football? And this is where the

sense of humor comes. And we're recording the podcast. The most of the podcast, it goes into, uh, the Sunday night football game. Then we all sit down together in the second half and watch the rest of the game and then come back to the studio and finish the pot and then Ricky gets it dressed up to send it live. We missed the fun part of the game. We got the bad part of the game, which was

a nice little kiss off from the football gods actually respected. Yeah, annoyed like the gods um annoyed at the three of us for our us. Yeah. Yeah. We flew too close to the sun. And it's actually because there is so much you know, we try to go back and watch what happened as we're like watching, you know, while it's half time or while it's the second episode. It gave us more work to to go, you know. When you're watching in gay pass and at the bottom they have

a little football where where there's a place. I mean, there was just it was just like all empty. And then there was like seventeen footballs, which I was like, what is what is happening in this game? I mean Jachim Grant, I mean Ryan Pace, you gotta think about him for Executive of the Year for that Jachem Grant the Miami Dolphins trade. What a what a performance I will say, by the way, I mean the things that

we missed. That what that nine seven yard punt return was the longest in Bears history dating back to and that the five touchdowns that we missed in that single quarter were the first time that was the first time in NFL history that there were five touchdowns at thirty

five plus yards in the single quarter. What one last quick It was really interesting the A J. Dillon at fifteen carries here and Jones who looked good only at five and then Matt Matt Lafleur should get credit, you know, and they they start and put up those stats and everything. He's great at getting Adams open, like some of those play calls in the first half. That's like what his job is is even though everyone knows Adams is the only thing on in terms of their receivers, they find

ways to get him open. It's not all just Adams, it's they They get him into great matchups and they do a great job. But he's having such an amazing career and you know, part of it is timing and just kind of fortuity where you where do you end up with Adams. But I'm not taking anything away from he's also a tremendously talented receiver. But when you put together a great offensive scheme, legendary quarterback and a guy with elite skills, you get the production you get from Adams.

Who is you know, if he keeps his pace up, he is an absolute Hall of Fame straight Sunday night football games with a touchdown. But that is that is some matters like he's a money he's a money player. He's a guy you want on the field of big spots,

including the playoffs where the Packers are heading. Now, Mark, before we say goodbye, um, not to like take a serious start here, but um, you had mentioned the Jachem Grant uh Hunt return and how it was historic for the Bears, and we take that as gospel from you because we trust in you to give us the right information. But apparently there's something you wanted to share. Maybe a a misstep, so we'll just throw it to you and

I'll leave it at that. Yes, um, you know this came to my attention while we were watching the second half of that game. UM, so it's a message to my colleagues, to my friends, my enemies, you, uh, and to all listeners wherever you might be. Earlier in tonight's episode of the Around the NFL podcast, I committed a verbal misstep. Um. In the blinding fury of postgame information coming my way, I noted that the Raiders forty nine

loss was the worst in the organization's storied history. As play by play dudes sometimes say, check that, in fact, it was the Raiders worst loss in their sixty one year rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs. For this grave error, I will submit myself to Human Resources for dense questioning. Following tonight's broadcast, I say this humbly. Seacrest out, Well, you're a big man obviously for coming clean there. But I ultimately becomes a Brian Williams situation where it's nothing

short of that. Once you are flying on the helicopter there in Iraq. It's your turn. You took enemy fire. We accepted a struth because you tell us it once the cats out of the bag, as it were, once we find out something you told us wasn't true. How do you kind of go forward, Greg and say, Okay, what he's saying is not nonsense, it's actually factual. I I don't know what to think anymore. Right, there's kind

of nothing you can say. There's you know, a bond that we have with Mark, just as a journal or did have. Sure, it's in the past, and how do you how do you replace that because now it's just words coming out of your mouth? You know? Can I say you're gonna humbly, you know, put yourself in front of HR. It's Sunday night at I don't think they're here. Yeah, I don't even think they're here. I think their home. Do you want to if you want to deal in facts?

By the way, I did not say when that would have annoyed with Greg, I said I would submit myself to Human Resources for dense questioning following tonight's broadcast. Tomorrow would also be following tonight's broadcast, We've been on fire by the way, locking up things. I'm gonna lock up Mark and Gregg by the end of the season. You're gonna lock it up if I'm still here. I mean, this was I have to admit, I'm not trying to, you know, be brash here. This was a hideous turning point,

um for myself and for the show. And I apologized, Well, you're a class act. I'll leave it at that. That's up for debate. Um. All right, here we go Week fourteen, the flagship in the books. Coming up next for us Tuesday. Check us out. We'll recap the Monday night football game. And it's a gorgeous matchup and there's a lot of speaking of Mark. Nobody is more like into the lock game. Nobody needs it more than Mark. Uh. And he has his Cardinals locked up over the Rams. So we'll talk

about that the game. The fallout of the confidence is that high for the confidence was pretty high about that fact. Talk about the Raiders too, just saying okay, noted, watch it, check it out. We'll back Tuesday. Uh. You know, of course check out the NFL Network show. It's on every Saturday. I think we're doing good work with that show. So this is everybody. If you haven't done it yet, this is the week to follow the podcast and watch the show on NFL Network or on game Pass anyway. That's it.

Good stuff. Grave Digger Man still think about the Grave Digger revelation a lot. I think about it roughly fifty nine out of every sixty minutes. I believe it all right until Tuesday he had the call.