2021 Week 16 Preview

you know. Hopefully, because you you're smart, Greg, and you've been double vaxed and boosted, you will have either mild symptoms or you'll be asymptomatic. But you'll still think to yourself while you're feeling a little under the weather, if I just would have stripped my body nude, greased myself up, and got into that glass cube, would be right now? Baby? Well am I double backs though, because I had the J and J and the streets are talking we should get it backs for free. We should get an extra

one just for fun. They should let us let us have one, get one every week. Aren't a little lifeless? Shortcuts are are you paying for yours. I don't feel like a lot of money has exchanged hands in the vaccination, right, But do they allow I guess no, it's not about the money. I just mean that are you. I don't know if you're allowed to just like keep getting them. I mean, if they let me, I think I'd get

one every day. I just feel like a little more alive when it happens, get a little shot of a general and you know, is there something to take out of it? Though? Greg, for you and the rest of the J and J community. By the way, that company is connected to the New York Jets quite directly, So maybe that was a headsop number one number two. Uh, you know, shortcuts in life, the idea I'll get one

shot and I'll be all set instead of getting the two. Well, considering that, you know, Johnson and Johnson on average ended up serving like um underserved in horror communities and people of color. Um, you know, I think it's unfortunate what's happened, Ja and Jay. You know Greg is checking today. I mean, it's the it's it's it's it's a pleasure to see Greg. You can you checked every possible box. Can you imagine being so sharp to come up with that answer on

the fly like that. I was really good, Greg Um. By the way, Yes, Dalvin Cook this morning taping on a Thursday, moved to the COVID nineteen list. I believe the reports aren't there is that he's unvaccinated. So that means, in addition to a far greater health risk that he faces and puts other people around him in danger, UM, he is out a minimum of ten days. Also, Taysom Hill uh is also headed to the COVID list for the New Orleans Saints, which means Ian book will start

on Monday night. Uh and uh, I don't know about hills vaccination status, but he is not playing mondaycated he is vaccinated, but you know, not to make light of the COVID situation, but I don't know how much of a downgrade that is based on how Taysom Hill has been playing and speaking of COVID before we get into the games, and I and all kidding aside, I I

feel like, you know, this is a trust tree. We like to talk and have honest conversations, and this is kind of a very strange moment in UM world history, Like where are you guys? At right now, how do you feel as this omicron thing is going nuts? Are you feeling a sense of unease or what like where? Yeah, I'll start with you Mark. Um. Yeah, I think it's ominous. Um. The whole the whole feeling around it kind of brings

back the way that I felt a year ago. Um. Yeah, I think that there's a lot of like spoken and unspoken anxiety and stuff. But at the same time, I mean, you know, we've gotten vaccinated, so it's like I'm just gonna roll with that and see how it happened, how how it goes. But um, I think from a sports angle, from a football angle, uh, I mean we I think the fair assumption was that this year would be smoother

and over the last you know, Fortnite. Um, it's just turned into total chaos and we're back in that place where every five minutes you're checking Twitter to see what key player is not able to suit up um in some of the most important games of the year. I find that unpleasant and on rewarding. Right, It's it's very

annoying from a work perspective. It's easy to keep it in perspective too, that it's ultimately not like the biggest deal in the world that we're having to adjust like our picks because this guy is out on Friday and I gotta send updates the first place in the picks. So that is actually kind of a big deal. But go ahead, wait what year in what picks our picks for me to like, it's putting me in a really tough situation personally, Um, try to have something Greg's perspective, please,

didn't right? That sounds really put it in perspective. That's all relative. I guess. I you know, I'm I am concerned for other people and everything, but I don't know, it doesn't change anything to me because we're vax and boosted, you know. And I wasn't acting in any way that I'm not gonna be acting in any different way. I wasn't like getting wild and like unmasked. We've been masked

indoors in l A the whole time. So to me, absolutely nothing has changed in my mind, and like in the way that like me and my family have acted because we were already being safe. You put masks on indoors and otherwise just live your life. And there's one x factor. Though we have gotten back to normal in some ways, if they were to close schools again, just drop a bomb on my household. Oh do you think

about the shining and what happens with Jack Torrence? Um as that that winter set in, that that's what we're talking about. That it was giving me. It was giving me flashbacks today, just as NFL now was. I did a hit from home started and I'm just like, can you quiet down out there? You know, it's been a

while since I've done that. So I have some family, My in laws are here, and it's like, I'm trying not to be a grumpy guy, but it's hard when everyone's in the holiday spirit and this NFL is just relentless, and then you have the COVID thing on top of it, making everything so much more complicated. Yeah, I don't know who knows. And you worry about the people that are not vaccinated, and even though you disagree potentially with their stance and how they've handled this, like you don't want

them to um get seriously ill. You worry about the hospitals and all the people working in the medical field who have been so overtaxed for a year and a half now, And then I mean, I guess my the only thing that I tried. I tend to be an optimistic person, and I hope maybe maybe who knows, if we all end up catching this thing, um, maybe that leads somehow to the end of it. We're not scientists, but apparently that's something that's potentially in the cards as well.

So I don't know. I hope the listeners are okay and and are staying safe and we'll get through this. We will, all right now, No, Neil Reynolds, get better, Neil Reynolds. Neil also Colle She was moved to the COVID nineteen restricted list, but she I should report I was texting with Colleen this morning and she is feeling much better. So she was a little you know, not feeling great for a couple of days there, but she is on the men and was doing Christmas presents and

rapping and all that stuff. So hopefully, uh, you know, everyone else is in a similar situation if they do indeed catch this veryant all right, let's get to all the games. And by the way, it is with Christmas Eve tomorrow, I have a great gift for both you boys. Grave Digger behind the Virtual Glass subbing for Ricky Hollywood today. Uh and all the listeners, So just stay tuned for that. It's gonna it's you're gonna love it. That's all gift.

We'll see each other in person tomorrow. Back in the studio, NFL Network checks out the only three people in the entire building probably the producers camermen will all be remote except for us, with just like little like bugs flying all over the air. Like you can actually get game debuts on Friday nights. Check that out too. You know you can just go wild crazy, Greg, You're in grave danger tomorrow. All right, let's uh, let's get to it.

Week sixteen is here, and tonight, Grave Digger with the Quiet Store and Mark Sessler will be all over the TNF game between the San Francisco forty Niners and Tennessee Titans. I don't want to put too much Hey, Grave Digger, jump in here. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but I feel like I feel like your season could go in a dark place if you don't summon up the necessary courage slash playing ability to win this home game in primetime. I don't know why.

I just had this weird feeling about this Titans team, that this thing could really Snowball if they don't stop the bleeding here good news obviously. A J. Brown looks like he'll be back, yes, And the silver lining is it's an NFC game, so while you don't want to lose, you it doesn't really affective playoffs seating timebreakers. And then the next two games are Dolphins Texans, which Dolphins are surging a little bit, but you know those should be

winnable games for Tennessee. So I don't know, all right, So you don't share the same level of urgency as I do, but I mean, you know the team better than me. So Grave Digger seems pretty chilled out over the whole prospect of this evening. It's cho going to be an interesting episode. Well, he's you know, he's got

he's got eement. You know, Christmas is here, and you know, depending on what your situation is, and of course we respect everything about Grave Digger and his personal life, but imagine just being in that position trying to figure out Christmas presents, Like how do you play that? But we don't talk about that, all right, Let's get to the games. Let's uh. I was gonna say we start with the primetime games typically, but yeah, they're not so hot. So

let's start with the Christmas games. Start with the Cleveland Browns. Mark, let's start with the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland at Green Bay. Of the Browns obviously a gut punch of a loss on Monday, as we know to the Raiders, lost on a last second field goal. You heard Mark on the Tuesday podcast. We're all very concerned. We all showed about his house immediately after the game to console him. We put up, we put a blanket over him, We rubbed his back, and he said he was fine. So

we trust him at that. Uh, now here's a chance to shock the world against the Packers. Mark. Where are we at with the Browns and the COVID nineteen bug And who will be playing potentially on Saturday that did not play on Monday, Well, I think it's tv DU

You know. Stefanski talked on Thursday and said that they're even going to have like a second plane available for players Um that you know test out negative by Saturday to fly to Green Bay, you know, and that what could include Baker Mayfield, UM J C. Treader, who has not missed a game for them since being signed in eighteen. Um tested out and got COVID, so they're they're already down along the line. Um, it's it will wait and

see At this point. The bigger issue I think is that Myles Garrett, he had that groin injury UM against the against the Raiders, has a fifty fifties shot to play. But I think even if he does, you're gonna get a reduced version of That's a tricky call because if you if you play him and he's not himself and then he aggravates the injury further than you risk losing him in any capacity for the rest of the seas and that's a tough spot on a short week. I think it is. I think he's a huge X factor.

I mean, you look at Green Bay's line, like they've gone without David back tieri Um and survived. They've gone without Elton Jenkins and survived. And you've got yosh niman Um playing left tackle. He would be the guy that would have to deal with Miles Garrett. So right, and you know, Stefanski said Landry is coming back, dredging Wills

is back. It's interesting that they pointed out like Landry's back because he's been through the protocols for ten days at this point that it indicates it's not that easy to you know, test back negative with these things. Like Baker, they were hoping would play on Tuesday, and here we are on on Thursday. He still is anticipated to play. I kind of like this matchup for the Browns. I told you Mark, you know, starting to feel them. They're rallying a little fighting spirit here. Um, it's not just

because of j Okay, right this this Rickie linebacker. What a guy with his alkaline vegan diet. I mean he's leading Mark spiritually, mentally, physically, everything. This guy's like that. He's now moved into a joke category for Dan because he doesn't eat like animal parts. Well that is that is his initials. I don't judge people that live a vegan lifestyle. It's fun. He really is a difference maker. But the reason I think they make they're a good matchup. Well,

you mentioned Garrett. Hopefully Garrett plays. That is a huge factor. But the two edge guys, I don't think opponents have taken advantage enough of the edge problems. I think that Green Bay's offensive line has had, but it has showed up a little more in the last two weeks and then more than anything, the run defense has been terrible the last two weeks, given up huge holes. I mean, it really shows up when you watch these games that guys have like these prairie lands to use a mark

is um um of of lanes to run in. They gave up a lot to Baltimore a lot two weeks ago too, and I think that bodes well for the pack for the Browns being able to shorten this game. I'm not in love with this Brown's offense, but I feel like the Packers defense is taking on like a little bit of water. Maybe they overachieved and maybe the Browns get into this game would in one score game

late with Baker with a chance to do something. I mean, there's another reality where Green Bay drops like a forty one to tend Um nuclear arsenal on a team that's just been through a little bit too much, but with all their guys back. I will say this about the Raiders game. You know this is this is maybe a little just bit more emotional than it is um logical. But I came out of that game extremely proud of

the Browns. I mean it was a heartbreaking loss. But to your point, Greg, I thought that they showed as much fight and feistiness as you could have expect from a team in the situation they were in. So they you know, they're they're They're still alive in this bizarre a f C North in the bizarre a f C play off race, and I expect you're gonna get that same effort from them. I mean, to be a lot healthier will matter. I don't know if there are anywhere close to the level of green Bay in terms of

playing ten times. I give the game eight and a half, but they're a little more they're a little more desperate, all right. So with all that optimism me, I think the Packers are gonna roll here. I think Rogers is playing so well that with Cleveland being shorthanded, they're just not gonna be able to keep up on defense. They're gonna struggle to contain the green Bay attack. On offense, they're not gonna be able to score enough points even

if the Browns are fully healthy. Let's be completely honest here that it's not has not been a good offense this year, and I just that's where I kind of see this game coming down to, like a you know, thirty two seventeen type thing. Um, that's why it's not even in the lock zone for our game here. Rogers is thirteen touchdown passes, no, no interceptions in his last

four games. And listen to this stat Remember, remember that was my let me fix this, my favorite or my most proud um sandwich conquest was predicting Rodgers m v P last year. But remember before that season took off, where he was just good but not great statistically at the very least. Since the start of Rogers says, seventy eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions. That's what he's done since last September. Uh. And yeah, oh, by the way,

he's not He's not a spring chicken. So you know, just like nobody's at Tom Brady's level, because you know, obviously he's already forty four and is continuing to play like an m v P. But Rogers really has taken his game to a higher level, or at least kind of gotten back to that peak two thousand eleven version of himself. And that is still kind of a lot of fun to watch. And that's why I don't agree with Aaron Rodgers off the field, just like a lot of other people do. But I still look forward to

watching him play football every Sunday. I don't know if you saw the weather import though, dan Oh I did not, because there's a chance of snow but one chance of ray and the Browns are covering this seven and a half point. I love Cleveland in this game. I'm assuming

Baker starts as long as he does. The rainmakers come in little precipitation early three and oh last week, by the way, so even if I get an l here, that's three and one, and you know you're still stuck in those and we didn't hear from any We didn't hear from any shadowy leak fingers figures. So I'm gonna continue to let the listeners know until I do you want to pay for braces, you want to pay for car papers, you want to pay for Christmas. Greg's results

speak for themselves. They did, they did last week. I kind of want to retire off three and oh, but I really do think that you have to have a chance to win this game out right, and I don't like what I see out of this package. I'm gonna one score game. I'm not locking it up, but I'm covering that seven a half making is more important, alright, So Santa maybe delivers a present to you if you get behind the rainmaker people. The other Christmas game is

a beauty Christmas Night Indians Cults at Arizona Cardinals. Mark, I wanna tu up to start on this one, because the Cults are playing, um, obviously a very very high brand of football right now. Jonathan Taylor is the best running back in the league. UM, the defense, the offensive line, these are all things that are getting it done. Carson Wentz depends what day get him, what part of the game he get him, But he's still um. He's led

this offense. And here they are making a charge for the playoffs and maybe even the a f C South. And here are the Cardinals in their building where they haven't played very well this season. They've lost three straight at State Farm State Farm Stadium, missing deandral DeAndre Hopkins for the year obviously, or at least until deep in the playoffs should they get that far. And also perhaps mark a little bit of a crisis in confidence based on back to back poor outings by the team, including

a loss to the Detroit Lions. Do you think the Cardinals as a team are a really good team about to bounce back against another fellow contender, or the slide gets deeper and it's a panic button time in the desert. You know. I came out of the Rams loss UM still very confident in the Cardinals. I feel a little differently after what happened to the line with the Lions, because I think the DeAndre Hopkins loss is tangible. UM. It has affected their offense. They seem completely out of

sorts in that Detroit game. And I don't like the fact that they got ran over UM by Craig Reynolds. I mean the run defense in their defense in general has been spotty or of late. UM. So it's it is another you know scenario where it's Jonathan Taylor versus the world, and you know, you're I think at one point we're gonna get one of these Carson Wentz games that cost this team in a big spot, UM. But they worked around it last week to the best they could.

And I will say this for Arizona UM, everything that we think about them will be defined by this game. I think the Cults UM seemed to answer a lot of questions about teams in general. The way they thumped the Bills changed the way I thought about Buffalo. I mean what they did in New England that changed everything I thought about New England to some degree lesser degree than this. But if they go in and take care of Arizona, um, I think the Cardinals at that point

are in crisis mode. But I feel confident enough that Arizona, one of my last survivors and teams, will take this game on Christmas night. And it doesn't matter what mood I'm in about the Browns game, the Cardinals will lift me out of what might be a dark spot. They're gonna win this game. I'm locking up Arizona. Baby. Oh god, I'll tell you something. If I'm gonna win this lock thing, I'm gonna do it with nobility by picking well. I don't like the insinuation that the other person competing would

not at all, but I'm not trying to. You know what, when you're down a spot, this will be a week where you go picking easy, get back in the race thing. This is risky. We'll see what happened. I love it. I think you've been bold the last few weeks. It hasn't worked out, but that doesn't mean that it's not commendable. I'll say this, it is Christmas. It is the family

day of the year. And if you have a Browns game that goes sideway and it rolls into a massive lock week for Mark Sessler and that goes sideways, like what's left for the Homestead at that point other than rage? Nothing? Yeah, I don't like that that set up at all, because like, let's let's say the Browns win and everything's great, and then like the Cardinals could lose it. I mean, it's it's putting your chips in the middle of the Christmas table. It is putting a lot on the line on Christmas.

But I don't love the matchup that much. Just I don't love the matchup for the for anyone playing the Colts, just because they're a really good team. And I almost think about locks is like you're picking against teams in the Cardinals run defense. You mentioned there twenty seven in the league and yards per carry aloud, And it's weird because if you look at kind of the analytics and the numbers and when you watch them, you don't feel that. And it's because they've given up a lot of big plays.

They've actually been pretty good against the run, like consistency, but people pop some big, big plays off them. Well, that that might be a problem with Jonathan Taylor and the Colts. And I thought they were going to get um positive news, you know, for errors own because Quentin Nelson was out of practice. Initially that thought he might have COVID because it was an illness, but he is back. Um Ryan Kelly, who tragically lost a child this week,

might be out for them again. They're there Pro Bowl Center, so that that would be a negative for for the Colts. But in general, I think their strengths Indianapolis match up pretty well. You need you need Van Joseph, I think to have a game where where he cooks up Wentz and that that's kind of their recipe. This is no I was just gonna say, this is because you did pick against the Colts. You locked up against the Colts last week also, um, and the Patriots went down in

that game. And I just when you look at the Colts where they're at there, eight and six, they've won eight of eleven games after starting the season oh and three. Um, they just seem to have If you believe in momentum as a thing, it seems they have it all. And if they ever did get past the Cardinals here and I think I'll pick the Cults. I won't lock up the Colts, but I picked him to win this game. They have Vegas, which I don't care what anybody says

about Vegas. That team will not be playing in the postseason. And they're an easy victory at home in my opinion, and then at Jacksonville to close the season. So like, I find it more likely that this team is going to go from oh and three to eleven and six than the Cardinals get things right. I just feel like the this there's a lot of things look working in the favor of the road team here. And also noticed that rondal Moore it sounds a game time decision as well.

And at that point you're starting, so is Rodney Hudson, whom to me feels sometimes the key He's on the COVID list. They're not sure if I'll test out. And that was what struck me in that game was their their protection was not set at all. They did not know where free rushers were coming from. Kyler Murray was confused. Hudson makes all the protection calls. The Cults are not a heavy blitz defense at all, but still that's that's

like one of their most valuable players. I don't like this big for you, always us talking all week about what we all feel. I fin'd with you. I don't like that you're kind of fading the public, which is a smart which is generally smart. Everyone's on the cult this And here's another thing working in your favor, Mark Carson.

Wentz is still potentially a liability there. If you watch that game on Saturday night, you saw the way Frank Reich he clut he clenched his butt after that interception and never gave his quarterback another chance to make a play. Here's a stat from the research and notes Carson Wentz to six and eighteen against opponents with a winning record

since two thousand and eighteen. So if the Cardinals come to play and they're playing in a passionate manner in the defense, can summon up some level of playmaking ability which has been noticeably absent uh in recent weeks. I could see Wentz playing poorly on the road here, So I think it's you know, it's a coin flip game. It will be fun to watch them, all right, Mark, Wow? All right? You want to hit the Sunday night and

Monday night games before the draft, or after that's doing now? Alright, the Washington football team at Dallas Cowboys, I don't know that. You know, how's Washington playing on primetime this time of year? Um, they're a team that hype technically still in the mix here because their record. But at the same time, UM, well, you know what, that's maybe not fair because who could take anything out of that Monday night game against the Eagles. You give credit to Gilbert Godfried in the offense for

hanging around. They took advantage some early turnovers, but they were so so missing so many guys that it's like, all right, you lost, but I can't really ding you too much for it. That Dallas Cowboys, you think they win this game? Greg, right? Because of their defense more than anything, they should be able to have their way with Washington's limited attack. They should because even if Tyler Heinik is back and he is expected to test out and I think he's been activated, so he's gonna play

in this game. Um. Antonio Gibson is now fighting a turfto injury. He had been playing much better, I thought, over the last month, finally looking like himself, looking explosive. Then he gets hurt again and the way Rivera was talking about, I, I'd be a little surprised if he plays in this game. Curtis Samuel's banged up as usual, and you know it's like like we we just gotta go back all the like in our minds to kind of figure out what could happen here. Oh wait, this

team played two weeks ago. We just locked up this game, Dan me and you remember that it was seventeen nothing Cowboys within two minutes. And it was because the the Washington offensive line had just no chance against this Dallas group. And to dominate Washington again that much, uh, will be difficult, but it should happen again. Like, I don't know if I don't feel that comfortable with Dallas, like covering ten and a half necessarily just the way there offense is played.

And I think this is Washington season. They are, they're officially done zo and they've been you know, at least a little feisty. Maybe they keep it close, but there's no there's just like no reason the talent disparity is so great here. Well, it would be it would be a terrible narrative for Dallas to fall here because the way the defense has been playing should end this game right away. They've had four takeaways in three straight games.

One of those came against Shington. To your note, to your point, and I mean, I I do believe that you know the Dallas offense at some point um which has not been as disastrous as advertised, but I mean last game they had two drives for longer than forty five yards, did no big plays. I mean, is it gonna come back at some point? Would this be a good spot for it? Because you know, Washington, even though they've been they've been a little bit better on defense,

they're still missing guys all over the place. And they lost William Jackson and Landon Collins in that game on Tuesday. So if they like those are two of their very best players. I know they got Jonathan now and who made the Pro Bowl back, but it's it's rough. The Cowboys, by the way, have a pretty really like legitimate chance to get the one seat here. I mean, they're they're at two, which I think has slipped under the radar,

and they just they need a little help. They might have, and if you look at their schedule, they they're they're gonna be heavily favored in each of these games. Them is a one seat is fraudulent to me. I'll accept them anywhere else away you might not have probably why happen? Yeah, I don't think their offense has been bad, but it's just not special and um, well it remains to be seen. It was bad bad last week. I mean that was one of the worst games they've had in a long

long time. They were given short fields like four times and they scored twenty one points on the Giants. Is pathetic. Yeah, and I am I buying that as good as the defense has been, and really a lot of that um is connected as well to turnovers, which are very fickle about how that stuff goes. Turnovers is luck as much as his ability in a lot of ways. Uh, they're gonna need to wake up and they have not yet, and it's time to do it. But they probably can

coast another week on their defense against Washington. Uh. Finally, Monday Night football before we get to the draft. The Miami Dolphins, on a six game winning streak, head to the Super Dome to face the Saints. As we said at the top of the show, Taysom Hill is in the COVID on the COVID nineteen restricted list and he will not be playing, so we'll be ian. Okay, I believe fourth round pick. Uh. Is he a rookie or

second yar player? He is a rookie kie. I think reporters were kind of careful, like that's the plan now. But he was in the same room as like Taysom Hill and Trevor Simeons. Like Aaron Brooks could be the quarterback. We could we could have a situation. Yeah, it's like the Celtics brought out Joe Johnson. The NBA is having some wild stuff where they're just like bringing back old timers to play, because it would be your favorite, like two thousand's guy to like show up out of nowhere

in the m in a similar situation. I'd love to see Vinny test Of already come in and operate for the scenes. Aaron Brooks would be fun. I think that would be fun. Uh. It's a couple of days after Christmas, everyone gets loose, goes watch there in Brooks. You know, the door could be open, Greggy did he have his fight yet? Frank Gore could be waiting by that phone. Did he have his his bout? How you didn't see the He became a meme Unfortunately, we're not talking about that.

He didn't get knocked out but beaten. We kind of predicted that we're not big m m A heads around here. But there's a lot of boxing boxing. It was boxing. There's a lot of I don't put a context clues that that wasn't gonna go old Frank's way. There's one just google at an hour after or maybe even Justin can bring up the photo, but it's a it's a pretty classic picture of of him looking terrified as as

he's about to get punched in the face. By the way, last year with Notre Dame, over twelve games through fifteen touchdowns, I mean, he's an unimpressive arm. But I'll say something keep study. I mean I did a little bit of looking into him. I mean he's a bit of a mystery, all right. I mean, but this is a Sean Payton game where I just trust Sean Payton to do something that makes this a little spicier than people expect. I see all sorts of people just giving this game to Miami.

Um that said nine nothing a week ago. They scored nine points on that thought. One second, Mark Uhgger just pulled up the Frank order that's that's not the meme though, it's not the meme, but it's it's pretty painful. It looks like, yeah, I keep looking for that. Mean you go ahead, Mark, I'm good. It will really translate well on audio. I um, I picked the Saints, you know, on my game picks NFL dot Com slash game Picks

until the book news. I really thought their defense could put the clamps down on this r p O Dolphins offense, which is stationed to station, and they'd find just enough offense. We we also don't know if they're on armstead of ram Check. I talked about this every week, but they're at tackle. I mean, it's so massive and yet like we never know on Thursday whether they're gonna play or not. And it's been unpredictable because they've been a little in and out. Ram Check's been out a while now. But

that's massive. If it's Ian Book with two backup tackles and the worst group of receiving receivers in the NFL, that feels that feels impossible, unless too and the Dolphins like just make enough mistakes. I don't know if like Flores and and Josh Boyer and the four different offensive coordinators told to it to be more aggressive after the bye week. But that was a different to uh against

the Jets, and it was not a good different. It was good different that he was way more aggressive running the ball, and like, I've been waiting for that, and that was great. And he had that angry run he won that decepter from Kyle Brandt. He's flexing on the Jets and he definitely took off, like I like to see that more. But he was way more aggressive throwing the ball, and it was the worst, one of his worst games of his career. It was not a good

idea for him to be more aggressive. I was like, okay, go back to the five yard throws. He well, he was terrible. In the first quarter. He threw an interception they could have picked up, been picked off a couple more times. He fumbled, fell on their ball, and then got things calmed down and looked like two again. And then he threw a pick six to let the Jets tie the game late. But otherwise, uh, yeah, it was

a down game for him. But you know this, this dolphin's winning shriek has been on my radar, So I reached out to the l A researchers here the NFL Media Recent Search group to do such a good job, And I said, how you know fortuitous has this winning streak been for the Dolphins in terms of what their

competition has been uh during the streak. And according to our buddy from that team, Adrian hassen Meyer UH, currently the Dolphins three ten strength of schedule over their six game winning streak is the NFL's fifth lowest strength of schedule over six game win streak in the last twenty seasons, so going back to two thousand two, and so just I I couldn't help a chuckle when I saw that Ian Book would be starting against the Dolphins this week on a very short reps and in the middle of

a pandemic scenario. So yes, I will be locking up the Miami Dolphins to continue to take care of business here. And really, if you can give the Dolphins anything, give them that they take care of business. So I know Dolphins fans are a little annoyed that I'm not giving them enough love during this winning streak, but there is something to be said for a team that wins every week. There's post to win and they'll do it again. I mean, listen,

to the quarterbacks. They played Tyrod, then Lamar Okay uh, then Joe Flacco, Cam Newton's first start back, Mike Glennon, Zach Wilson, and now Ian Book. I mean, that's cuts. It is kind of ridiculous. Here's the meme. Oh no, Greg, here's the meme. Greg. He didn't need to do this. That's what hurts. He didn't need to do it. I mean, he got paid. He made it to the end of the fight, when he played a hundred years in the NFL.

He didn't need the paycheck. One judge actually scored it for him, which seems like it was very strange, um but ultimately lost. All right, let's pause right here and take a break. We'll be right back. All right, let's get to the draft. Greg, you have the first pick this week, do I? Yes, you do. As we discussed over time, I know I was asking DNA he was taking my pick. You know, I was giving him a chance here, I thought, you know, I want to wait until it's time to rip out your heart and hold it.

I'll take I'll take Bills Patriots. I want to watch that game live. I don't know at all what to think about this game. I guess I'm still stuck on like things I thought coming into the season about this Bills team, Like it still does feel weird that the Patriots are favored to sweep the Bills. I saw a stat which blew my mind that the last fifteen Bills wins have been by double digits, which is just freaking outrageous.

But that's a sign of like a good team. It's also signed either of an unlucky team that they can't win a close game they're owing five this year in one score games, or or poor game management, poor late game situational football, which is what Bill Belichick does best. I do think Belichick often gets touted as like he's going to take away your strength, but I think the Patriots more is like they're good at attacking weaknesses. That

that's what they do. And to me, the weaknesses this Bill's offensive line in their losses, that's who's come up short. Didn't look good last week against Caroline. I thought their offense um did not show a lot, especially in terms of their past protection. And I do think that's where the Patriots can win is winning up front their defensive line judah On bar Moore and stopping the run and stopping Josh Allen, who I think will end up running

a lot more with design runs in this game. I think that's that's a huge key, is that New England does a good job against you know, mobile running quarterbacks. I think they'll do that again here. Um. You know, As for the Bills, their last three wins are against the Jets, the Saints, and the Panthers. Their losses were against the Cults, Patriots, and Bucks. I know that people are having a tough time, um, adjusting to to the

Bills not being the a f c's top superpower. I guess I just don't see them that way because the way they matched up so poorly against um, Indianapolis, and I know we you know we can. I value that Monday night game to some degree. UM. More than that, I think that Greg does or others wanted to throw that result out. UM. I thought the Patriots just showed their might and their will and if anything, you can say, look at Buffalo, that is notre devious white Um is

not the same against the past. They you know, they have a ton of tape on New England, but there hasn't really been a case where this year's Patriots have shown the Bills in person what they can do through the air. I think that's a nice element of surprise to some degree, But I just don't like the way that the Bills match up against New England in general. If we get, you know, some similar looks to what we did in that last game, I want to see a couple of things. I want to see who's running

the ball for the Patriots. Um Stevenson, who who flopped uh in a start last week against the Cults. He's had an illness um, so I don't know if he was back on the practice field on Thursday. Damian Harris has been there though, so Damian Harrison. He's been limited in practice and and he hurt that Hampshire against the Bills,

had a bye week and then missed another week. So you know, we'll see if they have one or both of those guys in the lineup, because I think obviously what we saw Monday night in that win was the Patriots imposing their will through the running game, and they're

gonna need their guys to to make that happen. My other thought about the game is, yeah, I think that the Bills need to prove something, not just to Um skeptics at this point, but to themselves that they are the best team in this division, that they're better than the Patriots, because I think that it's pretty much neck and neck about you could you could go one side or the other. What's a better team? They're obviously very close, um, just like so many of these a f C teams

at the top here are really close to each other. UM. But I wonder if there's a mental component that the Bills have to get over here, because you could you could tell how frustrating, uh that loss was against New England in those terrible conditions for them, and the postgame interviews, those guys felt like they um were being dismissed and had been you know, anquished by a genius coach and a team that they'll never be better than. So that

can go one of two ways. They can take all that frustration and unleash it on the Patriots, or they could be like so many other Patriots opponents over the years, that they kind of lose the head game before the actual game even starts. So I don't have a lot of confidence necessarily that the Bills can win, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they did either, because they

have the ability to do it. And the Patriots, as good as story they are this year, I don't think there's some their head and shoulders above anybody talent level wise, so it can't be a surprise when they lose like they did last Saturday. No, they were extremely sloppy last week and their line play for the most part was poor, So it shows they can get pushed around. Buffalo is probably not the team that's gonna win that way. But I do think it's worth something that these these Bills

have won a lot of big games. They've been in situations like this, including you know, beating the Patriots last year. I know it wasn't the same Patriots team, but they've They've won important games, they won a playoff game, all that stuff. This Patriots team is doing everything for the first time, and they're doing it without their two best wide receivers. I mean, to me, that's like a huge story. No Kendrick Born and no now Nelson Agila to me, can can make them a lot more well one dimensional

than they would expect. And we don't know officially that they're both out, but agil are. Uh. Then the concussion Protocol Born. I mean Born is in the concussion protocol. Aglar got hurt and hasn't been practicing. Cole Beasley is out for the Bills, but I don't think that evens it out because the Bills to me, are a passing team.

They're gonna pass. They have passing weapons. When you take those two guys out, it's basically Henry Jacoby Myers, who's coming off one of the worst games of his career, was a big reason why they lost that game a week ago. He should bounce back, but they just don't have a lot of weapons, and it just again, it just makes it closer. I'm with you, Dan, nothing would surprise me in this game. I took the Patriots, but

I think it's a coin flip. I would argue the Bills have not won a big game since they beat the Chiefs on October tenth, and we can talk about the Patriots being sloppy last week. That a lot to do with the cults who have the what are the Patriots? You know? Big wins? I guess like under Patriots have been transformed, you know, as the season's gone along. They came into the year with a rookie quarterback, not an m VP candidate. I'm just saying, like, who, who have they?

They're similar to me in that when they've played the best teams, you know they haven't always played their best. They know they beat the type a very diminished Titans team at the time. Um, but if it's not like the Patriots have stood up. What the Patriots have done well this year is when they play really good teams, they have close losses, which I totally disagree. I mean,

beating the Bills was a big, big win. They whipped They destroyed the Cleveland Browns and basically changed everything that we thought about the Cleveland Browns. They beat the Chargers, a team we're all obsessed with. I mean, they mowe these teams down and aren't allowing a lot of points. That sloppy affair from a week ago stands out as a rarity for them. They haven't been sloppy, They've been meticulous. So who do you I'm putting to the Patriots. I'm

with this. I'm exhausted with this Bill's thing where it's like every time they lose, it's like, well, next week we'll find out if we really believe in them. And every time the Patriots when it's like, well, what they do next week, then we'll Fight's like, go stomp Buffalo and end this conversation. Now, well, they will they win the division if they win and and get a Dolphins loss on Monday night. But essentially they win the division

here with the victory. But if if the Bills win, Bills have a real good chance to go win this division. The tiebreakers could end up going their way if they end up winning out. So this is alkins And yeah, didn't decide that much. The Bills could go do this thing. And Mark I did say last week that I would open Sunday show with an apology to if they beat the Colts on Saturday night. So I know, but that now we're using that is a way to discredit everything

that they've done. And I simply who I might have fashioned a bit of a straw man right there, but I think I think, to me, I think these two teams are like both top ten teams in the NFL. It just it shouldn't. It wouldn't surprise me too much if they end up splitting that. That's all all right, Let's move on to the uh second pick. I will take the Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings. Turns out that the only way the Vikings could play a boring ass game is if the Bears are involved, and that really,

in retrospect makes sense. Uh. That is the optimistic way to look at it. The pessimistic way to look at this is that the Vikings have peaked and now the Vikings do not have Dalvin Cook uh in a huge game in their season against the Rams. The Vikings have a quarterback and Kirk Cousins who has not played well at all for several weeks, and especially the last two weeks where he's been outright bad. I mean the fact that he threw for eighties something yards against that Chicago

defense and that and it's uh compromise. State really spoke to me. And then he pops up on the injury report. And Kirk Cousins never misses games. Uh, so I don't expect him to be out of this game. And again I've already stated he was the only person who's not going to get Amicron. But he is a major question mark and he is the guy that really uh scares me if I'm if if I'm rooting for the Vikings to get to the playoffs. So now you have that situation with Minnesota and a Rams team that, yeah, they

should be feeling good about themselves now. They took care of business under weird, weird circumstances on Monday. They ended a rival season, which is always fun. They took it to the Cardinals the week before, so they have a real chance to make their own play for the NFC West and the top seed. Big game here. Doesn't this feel the perfect way for the Zimmer Kirk era to be reaching Like it's season four conclusion, Like it's basically a repeat of of every season that its just as

we're getting to the playoffs. It's no longer an offensive team. It feels like a defensive team. I mean, I think their defense presents a lot of problems. I think it's a great test actually for the Rams offensive line, which we saw get worked. We didn't talk about that really with Gonzo or in that recap. Their offensive line struggled in that game, and Zimmer puts a lot of things in front of you coverage wise that will test the quarterback like Stafford. So I think it's a nice test

for the Rams offense. But the fact that Kirk is now struggling as we're hitting the home stretch and the defense is playing better. I just feel like this is how every Viking season feels like it ends. You know, of course, remember that game when that we watched with with your dad, uh Dan in the garage and They're struggling against the Packers and I'm looking for the fireworks. But I it wouldn't surprise me if Kirk put up thirty in this game either. I would expect the Rams

to keep rolling. I think that we are post Vikings at this point to a degree. M It's not well, I just I I still think. I mean, there's all these teams are sort of the same at this point, but the Vikings, like the juice fields gone to some degree where the Rams, I think we're rounding into shape. Um, this is a game that you know they just simply

go take. I think if you can get Justin Jefferson, if I know that Jalen Ramsey probably wouldn't naturally be on Jefferson a ton because he plays more in the slot. But if you can find a way to just remove Justin Jefferson to some degree here. Um, No, Dalvin Cook. I like alexand Or Madison a lot, but I mean he's himself is coming off of a COVID situation. It's a depleted offense at that point. I mean that you think theland might be back. It sounds like which would

be very helpful. But did anybody see Adam Feeling during his pregame workout, the very brief pregame workout before Monday night? He couldn't. He could barely walk without a limp let alone cut. So I'm not saying, you know, the miracles of modern medicine and a guy that's an elite athlete won't change things in six days or whatever, but I wouldn't be totally stunted if if he's missing again, we'll

see m hm. The Vikings could probably survive a loss at seven and seven and nine and eighteen, could sneak in, but then then they're county on tiebreaks, their county on every thing going crazy. And the way the Eagles are playing now, there is a chance the Eagles finished strong here and and you actually do need to get to ten wins. So each one of these games is so big, and we didn't mention with the Cardinals, the NFC West

is up for grabs now. It is a it is tied and if the Rams go into Sunday, you know, knowing the Cardinals results, they might know that they could have first place to they're lonesome with two weeks to play. All right, let's keep moving on, Mark, it heads to you the draft. It is notable that I'm looking at our options of games here that the good games are they're going away quick. There's no if this were a real draft, like there's a talent drop off. But I'm

gonna go, UM, Pittsburgh a Kansas city in the late spot. Um. There's a lot going on with this one, obviously because we've got Travis Kelsey and Tyreek Hill on the COVID list. UM, and I at this point, with the way these things go, I just assume that they're not playing. And those aren't the only guys. I mean, that's the headliners, but they've got a bunch of guys OVID list. Harrison Butler, who is not vaccinated, is out. I mean that matters in

a game like this. UM. Is this where Pittsburgh, though in a normal scenario, would be totally unmasked as a fraud. UM in the way this thing working is working with COVID though, this feels like a sneaky like situation where Pittsburgh season continues to remain alive or undead as we've called it in the past at this point. Um, here's the thing. I wonder if Kansas City says we're gonna try to do what other teams have done, um T J.

Watt all the rest of it. The Steelers are given up four hundred and forty three yards on the ground in the last two weeks, and they stunk stopping the run the previous bunch of weeks as well, So I think there's a real weakness there. If Kansas City can take advantage of it, I'm not sure that's gonna happen. It feels like Patrick Mahomes if all these guys are out, it's a one man band scenario where you're hoping this defense basically neutralizes. Um, a bad Steelers offense. That's what

I mean. You just win a low scoring game. We don't need a Steeler's Chiefs matchup where Kelsey and Hill aren't playing, can you? I mean, can you spare us football? Can we please? I mean, the Steelers are a very annoying team because they are hanging around but offer very

little in terms of entertainment value. I think even Steelers fans would tell you that for the most part, outside the casion occasional Deante Johnson and uh T J Watt big time play uh And I want to see the Chiefs be able to build on this momentum that they've

been building on offense. If you take those two guys out of it, you could be looking at a Tom Brady on Sunday Night football type vibe for Patrick Mahomes as great as he is, right, I was surprised, like the line didn't move that much, went from like nine and a half to seven and a half for this game, Chiefs being favored and this Chief's offense, I guess I'm still not sold that it's all the way back because they had a great final three drives against the Chargers.

Even for that game, they did what they've done every game, which is a great opening drive touchdown and then get stuck in mud for about two and a half quarters and it's like players batter. Travis Kelsey and Tyree kellerre just not replaceable. Mark said it like, this is a game if every Andy Reid's like, let's just try out

that running game. We kept honking about all off season where it looks like these offensive linemen with Tuny and Creed Humphrey could be an All Pro as a rookie and Orlando Brown who is so great run blocking, Like they have the tools, they have the running back to to be a great zone run blocking scheme, and this would be the game to go really heavy at it. And you, like you said it, Mark, that Steelers stink in terms of stopping the run. So will Andy Reid

finally do it? Like I feel like if ever there was a game for him to actually do that, this is it. Go get a nice like ten twelve, not too flashy victory. But if if they're asking Mahomes to go like win throwing routes to de Marcus Robinson and Pringle and stuff, I don't know, you could just this Steeler's team. There's something to about this Steelers Tomlin group. I don't know. Eight eight and one, it's still in play. Mark, all right, Tod it snakes to me, I'm gonna go

Tampa Bay, Carolina. I want to see how the Bucks um respond to what happened against the Saints. But also a Buck's offense that you know, I feel like the whole year for them. I know they were banged up on defensive bunch um, but they've relatively on offense, had their guys the whole way. And now you know Mike Evans is a question mark. We know that Chris god when he is out. Leonard Fournett, Um, who's been better than his name all year long for them, is out.

I thought Ronald Jones ran pretty well last week when he came in, and they've talked about him just being the lead dog at this point. That's what Byron left which said, so how do you how do you operate? They do get Antonio brown Back Um and Antonia Breshad

Pereman may play as well. I think that matters a lot because if you look at the rest of their cast of whiteouts, um, it's depressing and I it just seems like it could be coming at the worst possible time for the Bucks to be missing, especially Oddwin, who Tom Brady just like I can tell, you can tell when Tom Brady doesn't like wide receivers, and you can tell when he loves them, and he really loves quick Chris Godwin. So I wonder if Carolina flip side. I mean,

this is how weird things have gotten. Cam Newton is going to start and play the majority of the game. But Matt Rule, who come back to me. Matt Rule is saying that Sam Donald is going to be dipped into the game to be used as well. I mean, what this is the NFL? What are we doing here? We have We're gonna hit that panther side of things in the second. But we have some developing news here to report. This just came across the NFL email that

the Buccaneers have placed two players an injured reserve. One is Leonard four Nette, and he's already obviously injured with the hamstring, so he's not playing. But also linebacker Lavante David has had to add it to the COVID nineteen list. Uh so that potentially removes another very important player at to Tampa Bay. Yeah. I don't. I don't think it's

gonna be so easy for the Bucks. Maybe this week will be easy enough, but just in general, operating thirty points per game offense, they're gonna need their defense to be better and help carry this team more. It's hard. It's easier to game plan for with Scottie Miller and all these guys with a week to do it it's very tough when when you lose you know, Evans and Godwin and for Net in the middle of the freaking game. But it's still not easy. Like players matter, Like Godwin's

an all Pro type guy, so so is Evans. He's not playing this week. There's a big drop off at running back. It's a division game that they should dominate defensively that but I don't know, Like I I do think the the assumption that they're just gonna like keep rolling as the Bucks with these guys not on the field is is like, have the evidence. We already saw it on Sunday Night. What could happen there? Their worst case scenario is that you put a defense that can

play against him, and maybe that's not Carolina. But they also, you know, they have some pieces they've had stretches this year, and the Bucks can really struggle just like any other team. Like I brought it up on the Power Rank and Show with Monday Money this week, like Tom Brady on Sunday Night didn't look so different than what Ryan Tannehill Tannehills look like for weeks. And that's not saying that

Ryan Tannehill is even close to Tom Brady's category. But it's like, it's just the way it is in football. If you start peeling back layers of supporting casts, it's not just that those guys are gone. You're putting guys that are not experienced and being the in these different roles right into the lineup in big spots, Like we were watching it, um Greg who is there? Uh? Former third round running Backshan Vaughan. I mean we were watching him fairly closely after he went in for for Net

and that guy couldn't play. And it's just like, maybe Ronald Jones comes in and and fulfills his potential, Maybe Gronk shakes off a bad game, maybe Antonio Brown comes off the shelf after ten weeks and is immediately a playmaker again. But there's also a chance this is gonna put them in a situation where, yeah, they still make the playoffs, but they kind of go into the postseason limping and maybe not in the postseason position that they

thought they could be in at the beginning of the month. Yeah, as long as they get Evans and for Net back, you know, by the playoffs there hopefully for them for Week eighteen, then I'm not I'm not nearly as concerned because I do think there is potential for the defense to keep playing better and better, and it really has lately, especially this week, it will going up against this rotation. I mean that sounded like a threat when it didn't

sound like a promise. It sounded like a threat. When he's like, well, we're starting Cam, but we're bringing in Donald, It's like, what are you trying to make them prepare for more? It's like, good luck with that. I think I don't know if you guys have picked up on this,

because he kind of was. Rule was talking about the the two Minutes ural a lot with Cam, and that's why you were seeing the dude um p J. Walker who was going to play last week and he never did right, And it's it seems like Rule is probably at a place where he knows Cam is not a guy that can run his offense and he's just looking for anybody else that can step in and do it.

And maybe it's Donald, because maybe Matt Rule thinks, oh, I remember those first three weeks of the season where he's proficient, Maybe comes back million dollars next year to into very unlikely to be on that team. I don't know for sure if Matt Rule is going to be coaching that team, but it's at least possible that Sam

Donald is there with him next year. The Panthers, by the way, have a couple of their offensive linemen on the COVID list too, and that was already one of the worst offensive lines I've ever seen, so in Dominican su and all those guys should just that's why Tampa wins this game. Like maybe it's like eighteen to six or something, but the Carolina offense is um an absolute broken down mess. All right, Hey, everybody holding on hope that Chuba Hubbard is going to be the answer at

running back for your fantasy team. Cut bait, go get Rod Joe if you could find him. Let's move on after this break, al right, The draft now heads over to AZUSA, and I will take a big a f C North Bay Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals value here. Thank you very much. I am very curious to see. Well, first of all, we don't know as it is taping what Lamar Jackson situation is. He is still not practicing. I don't know did he practice Thursday. He didn't practice Thursday,

And Tyler Huntley did the media responsibilities. Lamar did not, so at this point, it's trending Huntley. Yeah. And you know what's interesting is like, if you've been watching the Ravens the last six weeks or so, I know Lamar Jackson is a superior overall player to Huntley. But Huntley, in addition to be able to do some things with his legs, he's taking care of the business when it comes to checkdowns and just making the throws that he needs to make. So while it's yes, obviously it is

a it is a downgrade. Huntley has not made the Ravens a bad offense. In fact, as you saw at the very end of that game against Green Bay, they could be quite dangerous, uh, in the right circumstance. So I think Cincinnati, even if they don't have to face Lamar, is really going to be up against it here potentially,

just because they are such an inconsistent team. And if they think that they could take anybody for granted, and I'm not saying they are, uh, they will, they have another thing coming because they've had several losses this year where it's like, Okay, this setting up well for Cincinnati and then bang, you get the James Brown update and a seventeen to three at the end of the second quarter. So let's see where the Bengals are as a team.

Let's see if they have some onions to hang here and say we are where the team that wants to win this division, Because if I had to guess, one of these two teams will win the North, and this game really might determine it. I mean, I look at the seventeen destruction and butt whipping they laid on Baltimore back in what was it Week seven or something, and I do wonder why why can't that unfold again? I mean, they were able to work over Baltimore's offensive line. They

had a season high twenty three pressures on Lamar. So whether it's Lamar or Huntley, I kind of just like the way Baltimore matt or that the Cincinnati matches up with the raven I do. And I think that, you know, we saw Baltimore week ago. Um they put like two or three guys on Davante Adams over and over and they asked Wink martindale um if he would treat Jamar Chase this way. And I thought his quote was pretty hilarious. He said, Uh, Adams is one of the top two

receivers in the league. And he's not. He's not number two. Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame QB. And I don't think we're ready to buy a gold jacket for Joe Burrow just yet. That said, Joe Burrow is the difference maker in this and I think if you get the best version of Joe Burrow, and they've got more weapons than Baltimore could ever imagine on their side of the ball. Right now, I like the Cincinnati Bengals in this game, well, yeah, you better win this game if

you're the Bengals. Now, it's the first time they've been in these sorts of spots, Joe Burrow, Zach Taylor, this group late December Division game, a very hobbled, you know, decrepit Ravens roster right now. They they just added more COVID players to the list, and most of them were

depth players. But it was like the depth upon depth, like the eyes, like Geno Stone, who was like a safety that couldn't ever play for them, is suddenly out there one of those two guys guarding Davante Adams at cornerback, like playing out of position. He didn't even used to play. Now he's playing, and he's playing out of position. These guys are now getting COVID and so they're going to like whoever they can find after that, there's no reason

for the Bengals to lose this game. And yet I don't know, Like it's twenty you asked, like, why would the Bengals lose now when they won forty one to seventeen. Because it and because these are the Ravens, that there is something special here. Hardbas come up short with these decisions that haven't worked out for him. But man, I think he's coaching the hell out of this team and and I could I could see them winning this game. I picked them to win this game, even with Huntley.

And it's just like a belief in the mystical, you know, a belief in like something bigger than that. And that's all that's going on. I'm with Mark and that, like the Bengals should take care of business. But is unad political? Is this is you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say, but these are the Ravens and those are the Bengals, and it is the end of December and the division is in play, Like whose chances are

better to come come up big in the spot. I just think I just think it's Baltimore well, and I mean to your point, they have lost. You know, they're in a three game skid, three games by four points total. That's never happened, um in the in the history of the NFL. This Ravens team is the first two. I guess accomplished that. I'm not sure accomplishes the word, but

they are hanging around in games. And you are right about one thing, because I think the Browns fan of me sees this too, that yes, on paper, the Bengals logically should take care of business. They do match up well with them, But the Bengals as a franchise and the energy around the Cincinnati Bengals, I don't know if I trust them to do this because none of the players on this roster have been in this situation. The

coach is not. I mean, so it is a good matchup for them, and anyone should be beating Baltimore right now, and Ittimore just as too resilient. They'll be there at the end. Jo does change it. That's the one thing is like I really have been impressed last week. He one with his legs. It was a tough situation where I think the defensive coordinator Fonio got the best of them for a couple of quarters and then he adjusted

and he moved. While he's eighth in the NFL in rushing value according to E p A, so that that a c l is like a distant memory, he should be the difference. I understand why Cincinnati believes in the boy there, boy, let's um before we throw to this Westling lock. This feels like I don't know, have any

knowledge of it other than this is the game. This feels like a nick Nick Westling situation where he wants to grab the reins if Cincinnati is involved, and I could I predict fire and Brimstone against Cincinnati locking up the Ravens. Where do you think they come down? I think it depends on the Westling brother. I think the Bengals fans um that exist in most of them. I know there's some There're a little cynical about the Bengals too, that they see this as the moment that Cincinnati they

finally does something nice with the city of Cincinnati. Yeah, if they pick cut of Ravens here, they're no longer allowed to even get a segment every week. I'm just ending that there we should be a little dark. Kind of depends on it does really depend on which Westling brother is on this message. So let's uh Gray Digger hit it. Hello heroes Phil again this week. Happy holidays to every one of the and all the listeners out there.

At first, I was thinking Patriots over bills, but then Joe Burrow comes out and says that Cincinnati has no nightlife, so they will be healthy and well rested. They took care of business in Baltimore, and Nick thinks they're gonna win big again this week, given the city of Cincinnati a huge Christmas gift and the inside track on a playoff Berth Lock it Up, Baby, I love it, you know that? And that surprised Mat thought maybe Nick wouldn't be as bullish because since that he didn't look so

hot Denver. But you know what, let's do it. I think we're all kind of Bengals fans a little bit well. I guess certain certain factions of the podcast can't really be as much, but with the Westlings attached to it, so I would like to see it. So let's give Cincinnati the Christmas gift they deserve. Markets that take to work out. You know, he's still for that take now, that take from you know, half a month ago at

this point has been shredded. But I would just say to the Westling brothers because I fall for this all the time, perhaps even in this in this show, I have um. When you start to operate locks from the heart, um, you you get, you get banged a bunch there. It doesn't always work out that maybe spun the whole thing in Baltimore's way for me. Um. And you should know that the Westlings, they believe, are eight and seven in the law competition and they know they probably have to

win out here, uh to take the title. So this is a big, big week for the Westlings. Let's move on. Greg heads to you, buddy, Wow, you've really left me Like no one wants these late games period. They're just sitting there, they're just saying, well, you gotta I'm not doing too late games, so you I don't have I don't I don't have to do anything for now. I'm just gonna take the old Chargers Texans early. Uh. Just watch Justin Herbert play football. There's a COVID situation going

on with the Chargers. Both boasts out. Eckler's out, Guidans out like a lot of times with these with the COVID, it's like, alright, quality matters and quantity matters. Like when you lose just fifteen your trouble no matter what, when you lose two of your best players, uh in Ekeler and Bosa on top of Derwin, James still isn't practicing.

That's a little bit concerning. You should be thankful. I guess that this is the week they're all out because you should still be able to win in Houston and bank of victory that that they need, Like they can't just count on winning this wild card spot now. Uh, they need to win two of their next three games and they should get in, and they better do this one. They are lucky that the Texans will be out without Brandon Cooks and Kami Fairbairn and a host of other

players too. Cooks and fair Baron are the two best Texans. Fair Baron is on a heater that not enough of America is talking about. Right, Yeah, Greg and I were, you know, co watching fairbarn Torch The Enemy a week ago. I mean he was, Oh, you want to hit sixty in the rain Okay, let's do it. How about fifty five, Like, let's just go fair Baron has been getting it done. I respect that. I respect the hell out of a guy named Kayaming Fairbarn doing such masculine work in the

National Football League. Put him in the Kerko Club, give him a booth bottle service. And the ladies over Mark that were Jake Lazer sent our way at that Super Bowl party of yesteryear, right, just to be clear, they were bartenders. That that's that's where it started it in and you kind of left that that's important. I'm glad that you clarified. Uh that, Yeah, this is another I don't know drafted this game. That was a panic. That was a panic decision. I just literally didn't want either

of the Lake games. But well, you so that's fine. And uh, I thought that was a tough loss for the Chargers obviously on Thursday night against Kansas City, because really, you you watch that game and you watch how it unfolded. They really had no business losing it. And imagine how different their season looks if they had found a way to win that game and then get the Texans. So all they could do now is stack wins, take advantage

of your your luck here. Do not let Austin Davis get hot on you as he's done against a few teams this year. Uh, and get to nine and six and really set yourself up well um to win that wild card spot. I don't think what else is there to say about this game? Like, if anybody has anything, well, purely throw it in. Now let's forge on. Greg Snakes to you, all right, I guess I will take a late game. I'll take Bear as Seahawks. I just I'm

I'm sick of watching the Broncos live. I know that game matters more, but I'm just I've watched so many Broncos games live and I'm always wrong about them. And the Raiders are are not exactly enjoyable. So I know that game actually matters for the Outskirts, but I don't believe in either of those teams. I will be more entertained by watching Justin Fields versus Russell Wilson. I think there's some similarities here. Fields holds the ball forever. Uh.

He's a physical guy. He's obviously a better runner than Wilson. But I think they are both really good throwing the ball down the field. They both you know, Wilson never turned into a guy who's like a good short um area, like quick timing thrower. And I think that's a question

about fields. But the thing about Fields it's different to me than than Lawrence and Wilson this year is I do think you see the plays every single game, the really high quality throws that is mixed in with a lot like plenty of bad that too excited for what he's gonna look like with a different coaching staff. And so this is kind of a dead game. It's weird to have the Seahawks having a dead game here, but it feels like maybe it's a spot there six and

a half point underdogs. I like the Bears to cover that I wouldn't. I think it's a spot that Bears maybe go have a nice rookie moment for Justin Fields. He has a nice big game against the dead Seahawks team that has nothing to play for. I'm with you, I could see Chicago winning this and I you know, I know it's sort of an unpopular opinion because we're done with Nick, Mattnege and the whole thing, But I thought to date played really hard for him and in

general for themselves against the Vikings. I mean they I think for that offense, you know, they had meltdowns. I think it was three straight drives that ended in downs inside the twenty one yard line of the Vikings, one at the nine, and one of the four team too. I mean that that was sort of the difference in that game a little bit, along with some big mistakes

by the Bears. But I'm with you that when this house is cleared justin fields, um, the moments that we've seen from make this an attractive landing spot to some degree for whoever comes back. And um, I should add because I it was the first thing I texted to you guys after we did them that bizarre Tuesday night recap, uh that the Seattle Seahawks, you know, very tough loss

against the Rams ended their season. They had a second half lead, there was a pass interference uh play that passed down field that led to a turnover that should have been called. I understand that and understand the frustration. I understand if you're a little annoyed that we didn't bring it up. But at the same time, let's let's be honest that this has been a bad year for Seattle. This was a team that did not have the real

bona fides of a true playoff contender anyway. So they are just playing out the strings and I go to tankathon here first time. I mean this, this is uncharted. Ye to be completely out of the mix before Christmas has never happened with Russell Wilson. But they're five and nine here right now. It's as I tracked this for New York Jets purposes, a overall pick. Why not just go in the tank fully Seattle? And and I don't need, I don't need. You don't need to win, like who cares?

So just go in the tank, go five and twelve and uh, and then do the business you need to do in the offseason, because if there's gonna be house cleaning in Chicago, there could be house cleaning in Seattle as well. Both franchises a lot cooking behind the scenes. Bad vibes in Seattle. They're a bad vibe team. But we always talk about how you know it's going to come down to Wilson or Pete Carroll, one of them is going. But have we heard any real nuggets at

all that Carols? No one knows anything, maybe or maybe not. Though I mean the Luggets are coming soon. Well, there you're saying that when Russell Wilson played the Giants, there was a SIRA is very interested in New York stuff. Again, that part is real, you know. The I don't know if it was the Giants reporters or Russell Wilson's people were definitely trying to to stoke that a little bit. Let's move to the back end of this draft. I will grab man what a draft for tugboat look at this?

So we got rams Vikings too overall. Then we go and get Baltimore Cincinnati at five, I mean great playoff games essentially, and then you get Okay, it's no, it's not an incredible game, but it has huge steaks for both teams. Denver at Vegas with the penultimate pick of the draft. Oh yeah, what what what huge steaks? Who's going to have the seventeenth draft pick and who's gonna have the I don't rattle the narrative, Dan, I think

you've done incredible work here. You know they like to great drafts, like back in US today when I'd read that like they grated the day after your draft gets an a if you if you have six minute drives, a field goal attempts Raiders Broncos. Um, look at you turning your back on the Broncos. That's tragic, but yeah, but you are a mercenary. Greg. Yes, I don't like the Broncos as a team. That's exciting, and I think the Raiders are cooked, as I've said multiple times over

the past two weeks. But it is essentially a playoff game for these two teams, and that the loser is absolutely I don't know if they're eliminated mathematically, but you could say goodbye Teddy. Bridgewater I believe has already been ruled out. Uh. He suffered that scary head injury, and they are rightly you know. I don't know how Bridgewater is physically right now, but whenever you suffer a brain injury that makes you go in a hospital, that leads to you staying uh in a hospital room the night,

you should not be playing football the next week. And I think we've advanced enough, uh to understand these things.

So Bridgewaters out drew Lock, who stinks is in and we'll see if the Raiders um how they thank the football gods for one of the all time gifts of a victory against the Browns where they needed every ounce of fortuity to go their way between COVID and the you know, the timing of the game and having the a kicker that has ice water in his veins, Daniel Carson another underrated kicker, so Raiders at home should win. But I think both these teams ultimately are also rinds. Well.

The Drew Lock thing, I think it's so it's so such a stroke of good luck for for the Raiders. I mean, who you know, weeks some of these teams are just surviving above water because of these scattered matchups that they get. And this is another example of that. It's not COVID related, but Drew Lock has looked like he's regressed. He looked terrible, and the Raiders um look at they. I mean, they barely got out of their own way in that Browns game. Some killer penalties, They're undisciplined.

They look like a bad football team to me. And we're still dealing with them for a couple more weeks, right, Raiders Raiders fans, they want to hear about getting good luck either, because it's like their whole secondary is gone at this point. Even their replacements like face On went on the COVID list. They're they're going to hear because that was incredible. They were especially this week like getting locked, Like no, Darren Waller has just crushed this offense. I

picked the Broncos to win this game. I was very surprised even with Lock, just because I think the only good thing in this game is the Broncos defense, which the defense we were promised coming into the season in terms of their their coverage and playing cohesively, and they do have a little bit of a pass rushan now I think has shown up in the last month or so. It just feels like the only side of football and either on either of these teams that's any good right now,

so I could see them winning. Then again, Drew Lock is one of fifty four players to qualify for PFF like with at least thirty or forty dropbacks, and he has ranked fifty four UM and it's not close, like he's way behind fifty three because he's played like fifty snaps and he has like six turnover worthy plays, so he's basically been a total mess. It's a good answer to a trivia question, at least by that metric, who

is the worst quarterback in the entire NFL. By that measure, it's Drew lock So that's the guy starting for uh Denver. I guess the favorite Denver Broncos on the road. Yeah, I was gonna say. My last thought on it is that Broncos have told us who they are this season multiple times. They have a head coach and Vic Fangio, and a defensive scheme that can cook up the opponent, and certainly the Raiders at this stage of the season. Without Darren Waller, UH can be cooked up. So I

expect that. But their offense is so bad that it keeps them earthbound. So this this has got written all over it. I am totally happy with Field versus Rest in the late window. I don't care that it doesn't matter. I just you know what, after watching the Bears on Monday night, you couldn't well you literally have to pay me to watch it. The NFL will be paying me to watch that on Monday to write the power rankings.

And that's the only way it's happening. It's not for the love of the game in this case, bar close it out, all right, Um, I mean talk about games that I need to be you know, funded generously to observe. I'm gonna go Lions at Falcons. Uh, we don't even know. We may not be getting Jared Golf for Detroit Um because of COVID. I mean, this is just enough with this business. So that could be Tim Boyle. I don't know what their issue is with David Blow, my guy.

They seem to deactivate him every weekend. They were very upset about this. Well, the newsletter. I gotta be honest, that newsletter. We've lost some valuable readers because they don't believe. And so you know, the Lions don't seem to believe. That's a big problem when you're writing a newsletter about a player. Is that officially though they kind of they kind of let it make, you know, made it made the opponent, you know, prepare for both Boil and Blow.

I don't think they were saying here's the problem with the blow Hard newsletter. Unfortunately, and Mark, no one needs to tell you this because you're the editor in chief. Is that like two good drives on not even the most recent Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving before that? Like, how far

does that really take you? He does need You gotta give him the platform to be able to make enough plays to justify the existence of the newsletter counterpoint, like every major religion is based on someone from the deep past who did a lot of flashy things and we still remember and think about today. So I think David Blow fits more into sort of a Messianic um, someone who provides hope on who's gonna say that. I thought you might be with Christmas right around the corner and

making a christ parallel to David Blow. And there it is with the messianic comment. Yes, okay, I feel like maybe if you if you check out, perhaps I don't know the New Testament Jesus had a little bit more of a track record than David Blow did in that quarter against the Bears, But you can make the case. I'm just saying that there is there is a a faint parallel um, and that's why I think so many

people have subscribed to this newsletter. If he if he were to play against this Falcons defense um, if that ever were to happen, I mean, it is essentially like coming back to Earth from the heavens some degree. I just want to watch the lions though, because they still make me. They're enjoyable to me, and that's kind of what you need. In these weeks sixteen, seventeen, eighteen business. It's like they're the they're the worst record around, and

I enjoy watching them. You've performed, You've you've performed. The valuable is this year mark because every week you pick the lines in every week you say the same thing about the Lions, uh, and we thank you for it. I mean, I do think it sounds like they may be getting DeAndre Swift back. They do make players better. That's like a good sign of a good coaching staff. Charles Harris was the first round pick of the Dolphins. And it's stuck in a couple of spots. Suddenly good

there and Craig Reynolds comes off the mat. I'm hesitant. I'm not. You know, it can't rain in the uh in whatever they're calling the Mercedes Ben's Dome down there in Atlanta. But the Falcons are favored by six, six and a half in this game. If I'm not, I'm not going there because I don't like getting stuck in these The lines are gonna move and the quarterbacks may change. But if that sticks, and especially if golf comes back, I like the Lions in this game. I mean, I

definitely like them to cover. So what the heck, graver, let's go. Let's go Lions. Whatever the line ends up, you'll worry about Tim boyle in in my life, though, I would like to know who's playing quarterback. But and you know, this is uh, this is this is off brand. This isn't part of the Greg Empire Rainmaker empowered. But the zoos up there in the mountain. He's gonna throw down a lightning bolt. See fantasy heads and say, guess what that Kyle Pitts second touchdown of the year. It's

coming this week. Hit it. No, I don't have anything, but Kyle Pitts scores the second touchdown of the year, and uh, fantasy heads like me that have kept the faith will be rewarded in their semi fe's half a yard short. I don't know if you saw that last week. Yea, I saw it. We've all we all saw it, all the all the pits stains out there, we all we all saw the name of the group. That's great, that's good.

All right, let's take a terrible that's a terrible, such a hey us, you know all the pits stains out there, we uh, we have kept the faith, and we'll see what happens in week sixteen. Let's take a break and then hit the leftovers. All right, welcome back, Let's hit the You know, you could argue that the two worst teams in the in the league, although the Jaguars probably earned the title that the New York football team. So

let's get those games out of the way. They happened to one of them is playing the Jaguars, so buckle up. I can't I can't imagine there's gonna be more than forty seven people at MetLife Stadium for Jaguars at Jets the day after Christmas, in the middle of a surging global pandemic. I have a feeling a lot of New Yorkers and Northern New Jersey residents are gonna say, nah, we're good. We're gonna we're good on this one. Guys. So you have Jets hell, you know what, No, that's disrespectful. Eagles.

I was gonna, I was gonna put them together in the two games. But that's not right. But any thoughts on Jaguars at Jets, it can't be too many. Well, the Jets have I think seventeen players put on the COVID list this week. They are the team that's in their head coach. This was a tough and their head coach, this was a tough one. Yeah, because you gotta. I

gotta pick each one of these games. Tough one because I at this point I have had a policy this year which has served me well, which has never picked the Jaguars in any scenario. You know, you go thirteen and two doing that, the Texans swept them. Their offense is so bad that I I do think the Jets coaching staff and just somehow will find a way to win this game. But then you see that fifteen to seventeen Jets are on the COVID list, and it's it's tough.

Do you take away fifteen players from the Jets. It's not a great NFL team Anyway, the Jets can catch the Jaguars for the number one pick, because yeah, I'm not absolutely rude for Jacksonville. They could, They could do it. This week. I was looking at it with the strength of scheduled let's go. If the Lions go win another ball game, very doable. Um, it could happen. It could absolutely happen. You need to get a little help. But the strength the schedule is gonna improve because you're about

to play the Jaguars. All right, there you go. That's something to look out for, and that's to pick them by the way in the desert. The Giants at the Giants at the Eagles. Uh, Philly took care of business against the COVID decimated Washington football team and now their reward is what should be mark a total layoup against Giants team has already gone home for the winter. That has um a quarterback situation. Daniel Jones done for the year.

I R Mike Lennon absolutely miserable. I mean good for the guys, set for life financially if he's made the right decisions, but he cannot play and doesn't need to be in the league as a backup too much longer. And then you have Jake from State Farm. Uh, this feels like a twenty four to three game. It should be. Uh. The Eagles are without Nick Sirianni, who tested positive for COVID, I mean, another coach not able to be on the field. They have a passing game coordinate named Kevin Petulio who

will be taking over. I guess we don't we don't know how that seems to impact these teams because I'd have to check the record, but it's I think teams are like five and one or something when the head coach just not hot. Take coaches don't matter, running back don't matter. But it's just it's just it's not it's not a great look for them in general. They probably the crew of them would probably much rather they be, you know, winless in that situation. Um, I'm whither. The

Giants are just depressing. It's it's a hot mess and it feels like the end of another end of the regime there. I don't know what the argument is for for Joe Judge at this point, because look at across the way. By week three or four, the Eagles were a radioactive, um a M talk radio disaster. People couldn't stand what was going on. And I think Sirianni has

done a really good job. What's your argument if you're Joe Judge, I know there's been injuries, but you're two years in and there's no identity to this team on any level now, there's no argument. And uh Gonza made a good point with the Eagles that it's true that the schedule has broken their way with the but that's what the NFC East is about you're gonna have some good schedules, and they've they really have taken advantage, and they do have a good offense. Like I know, it's

not just about the opponents. They are fourth and expected points added since Week eight their offense and it's mostly the running game. But like Miles Sanders being back and looking makes a difference. He had been not great and then gone for a while. He looks good. We've talked about Davante Smith a lot, and got Her is playing great. They jake from starting a football game here in week sixteen.

That's uh, that's probably what we're getting. The only thing I'd say though, is that this game was a weird one obviously for Philly, but it's the one game where they did not surge on offense. They lost that game. They lost thirteen to seven. They turned it over four four times. That's not going to happen again with the turnovers. I mean, I would just assume it wouldn't feel a little fuky. Yeah, the Eagles, is Gonzo mentioned, have issues

with the Giants at times, but this just feels different. Um, So, Eagles feel like they're in a great spot to go into the last two weeks. With a real shot at the playoffs. Um, all right, there you go. That is the totality of Week sixteen. By the way, again, Thursday night football Miners against the Titans with Grave Digger on the mike with Mark Sessler and Greg, I believe you had some you had vested interest in that game. That's right. I'm locking up this forty Niners team before we get

out of here. That was very close to my lock as well, Greg, and that would have been three weeks in a row we had the same lock. But I thought about the Rams Grammers looking at me sideways this there. Yeah, I know they're a j Brown's back and Julio is out there, but they have not protected all year. These are these are two bully type teams. Graver and I think it's a bully getting bullied down in Nashville. Uh no,

Taylor Law, No Saffold, right, that's correct. In the backup left tackle Kendall Lamb also announced on Instagram this morning that he has COVID so he will not be playing. Maybe we'll see second round pick Dylan Raden's for the first time this year. It is a TNF road game across the country. It's like that's why in the Titans are feisty. The Titans are feisty. They dominated Pittsburgh last week. I was surprised they lost that game. But I just

think the four Niners are good? Are good? Titans not good? You know. I I locked the Titans the Niners and lost a couple of weeks ago on the same logic against Seattle. And now you have a similar situation here where they're facing a team in a little bit of a desperate situation. Uh, Thursday night games are super weird, a really tough lock in general. That about the thought about the Rams, but I trust that would be interesting.

But make sure to check out that recap. And and on that note, I did promise a a surprise, uh to you boys and all the listeners. Uh, this is big, as you know, we've been played all season. We've been um celebrating the greatness of the artist Priyanka who um back in the year two thousand thirteen delivered a anthem

for the ages in my city. Unfortunately, uh, pock marks all over the production in the form of will I Am, who slathered his black eyed peas ka ka ka kama, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah all over the song to the point where the beauty of the song was lost and and Mark to me that felt like something that needed to be addressed. Yeah, you've been on the case. Um the will i Am thing. I don't know if it's gotten back to will I Am, but it is you.

I think that, you know, anyone with a logical approach to music or an aesthetic approach would have to agree with your take. And we need a different version of this song. I think at some point a pure one get closer to purity. M hm. It really has been an itch that needs to you know, for a lot of people, that needs to be scratched. So many people walking around daily thinking when will they fix the Prianka song. Finally it's population. I think it's probably has it on

their minds. And into the room walked Preston Smith, the daughter of Matt Money Smith. And no, no, you cut you sun, No, no you could you wait? Oh you gult you life on the shake. Come on to the map place, So come on and make some new friends. Show me wants to drink again. I know there's no place like home, but I know you're gonna like it in my city. Everybody's welcome here. Everybody welcome to my city. We ain't gonna worry an god like in my city. And no, your good friend and me, you ain't gonna

wannaly so come on just come wow. Inc puts some hard into it. That is yes. Preston Smith, not the dynamic pass rusher of the Packers, the daughter of Matt Money Smith, a talented young singer songwriter. You could follow her on Instagram at p r E s t y N S m I t H Music. Preston Smith. I mean that there, it is there. That's the stripped down version of one of the great songs ever written, delivered in a way that will I am can never touch. She's done it. She's was beautiful. It had a lot

of like heart to it. It almost reminds me of like Hallelujah, that that Leonard Cohen song. Like at this point, people don't really think of it as Leonard Cohen song. Is just something that gets sung in in important situations weddings, funerals, whatever, and a million great artists have redone the song because the song is so sturdy. I think Preston Smith might kick start a sim Miller this is the city. To extend that a little further. This is the Jeff Buckley

version City Well in a song that's been suppressed. I think that most people in America would agree that this is close to being an American anthem um in so many ways. And now it's been. You know, it was beautiful. We filled up the gas tank. We're back. It was beautiful, good stuff. Thank you to Preston for the hard work. Thanks for Money for helping to make it happen. Money he's the producer on that track. And guess what, he didn't slather any production all over it. He just let

the talent shine through. We thank the entire Money family. All right. Now, tomorrow's Christmas Eve. We have a television show. I mean, this is the time slot we've always wanted uh NFL Network Christmas Morning, four am. Santa's Coming down

the Chimney seven on the East Coast. Seven. The kids might want to be opening their presence, or they might want to go straight to the couch, get settled in with a little hot chocolate and a blanket, and watch two hours of the Around the NFL broadcast, then open their gifts. That's in play. Potentially for some it's the one thing that probably is more enticing to children everywhere then actually opening gifts, and I know that we're not,

in general not supposed to see Santa. You know, let him do his thing and you know, be in your room. But that's on how it works this time where there's gonna be a lot of Santa encounters early morning, West Coast. Have we thought about this? Have we thought about a scenario Santa's on a tight deadline. We've all been there's writers, there's a deadline to hit. He's delivering presents. Someone leaves their television on at four am on the East coast.

Hot damn, it's around the NFL broadcast, and Santa, totally transfixed by our program, pops down at the couch with those cookies, falls behind on his deliveries, and calamity ensues. So we gotta be careful don't leave the televisions on in case Santa is a big NFL fan. I think you're saying, like our job is to not too interesting on the show itself. It's the other way to go and that, yeah, it's our biggest show, because that was that was always a morning you know, you can't sleep,

you're excited about getting the gifts. I would get up at like four or five, see what's in the stocking? And then you you go to the couch. What's on? Like infomercials at four thirty am? Usually anymore? Not anymore. We covered that base alright, So check out the Around the NFL broadcast on Saturday Christmas, and yes, Merry Christmas

to everyone listening who celebrates, and happy Holidays to everyone. Uh, enjoy your time with your family, or your time off from work or just you know, enjoy listening to the show and watching our programs, and hopefully stay healthy and stay well. We will be back Sunday night with the recap of all the games we just previewed and grave Digger. I think the only way to say goodbye uh today is to give Preston Smith the floor one more time with her cover her version of holliy Lujah. Heard Jeff

Buckley moment Preston Smith within my city. Uh he had to call everybody and no, no you could June Town, No no you caut June wait, oh you gultchne life on the shake. Come on down the mother place, So come on and make some new friends. Show me wants to drink again. I know there's no place like come, but I know you're gonna like you in my city. Everybody's welcome here. Everybody welcome to my city. We are gonna worry she annoying like you in my city, the

royal good friend. Indeed, you ain't gonna wonderly. So come on, just come on. You ain't there. I had a party to him, Come to a party in a city.