2021 Week 16 Recap - Happy Boxing Day!

charts back to ancient England. Not what ancient, but way back when where like rich people or owners of servants would box up gifts um for their underlings who had nothing, no possessions of their own, so that those people could go back to their you know, I'm assuming small huts in a you know, problematic village with gifts for their own family would be given by the um ruling class to the not ruling class. That's as much as I know. Wow, it sounds like sounds special. Mark, How are you, buddy?

What's going on? Because we were, you know, going into Week sixteen, you I felt really good about the Browns beating the Packers, and then you also locked up the Cardinals over the colds. So on Christmas you have a lot tied up into the NFL action and it all went to hell, And of course everyone is wondering the same thing is marking to be okay? How are you right now? I feel like this is now becoming a weekly check in because some things have this kind of

snowballed on the on the quiet storm lately. Where you at, Buddy, Well, I'm the underling that got a box um to go give it to my family from some sort of superior being that hates me um on some level when it comes to football. I'm annoyed, Um. But what's happened um over the last I would say since last Monday until

this moment um? In terms of football results, I'm here for the listener to be as professional and plugged in as possible, But in terms of my own results bringing me any enjoyment at this point, I couldn't be uh more far removed from um wishing for anything at this point, because it seems to be every time I get uh you know, amped up about a B or C, a b or C get totally taken apart in every possible way,

in embarrassing ways on national television. So I am done with a B and C M. I don't know if it's better or worse that you know, these games happened yesterday on Saturday. We're taping, of course Sunday Night, the flagship show that would have been. That would have been a fiery Sessler um. But I don't know if he would look as you know, trim and fit in a nice new Christmas sweater that he got. So I think

we got the better version of Sessler tonight. Do should we just share a few of the Sessler Christmas Night text tweets before we get going. That's fun. It's always fun to check in with dark Sessler. Uh. It starts with dark Xmas descends that was when he believed that the Browns would take out the Packers. A photo of himself from the early nineties or eighties. That's par for the course. Bring this nerded gift, Santa, and then it starts to turn. I believe in no human rules now

check makes a critical Baker Mayfield tweet. Uh Sessler quote retweets your qub is a fat ancient Uh, some type of star Trek reference frees me in carbonite until it's not that we don't get into that. But that is an incorrect assumption on your part. But for John Boring, that's a tweet. Christmas is evil, that's a tweet. Everything is boring slash prosaic. Every day is dull, flavorless. What little joy's existed were dreams. Uh. Desire the Cardinals to win?

Yet done requesting anything from the biggest season ever. Uh, then beyond feelings for any team, some gray, functional and vaguely healthy operation will win the Super Bowl. And then finally in all caps, and there has not been a tweet since Wicked over all things. Okay, so there's Mark. That's where he's at. As we begin today's show, Chmas, Merry Christmas to everybody. Let's get into the action starting. Oh, this is not good for Mark either. Let's head to Foxboro.

You are loving it. I'm loving it. Challon gonna go shotgun. Just snap, keeps to himself. Tosh flings at the Dawson Knox touchdown. Touchdown, Buffalo. They're headed to the exits now here in Foxboro. But Bill scored a touchdown. Josh Allen to Dawson Knox for the touchdown. So John Murphy with the call w g R. Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes.

Isaiah McKenzie had a career high eleven catches, Michael Hyde had two interceptions, and the Bills hung on to beat the Patriots thirty three to twenty one, puts Buffalo back in first place in the A s C. East. Uh. There they have the tiebreaker, Greg. The Bills waited three weeks for their chance at sweet revenge over the Paths, and they got it in a huge moment in their season.

I wonder this week, could Josh Allen just step up in a moment like this and be the guy that that Bills fans say he is a top five guy who can just take over a game. And that was who he was. I mean the first drive of the game, he has a third and eleven. It is a running theme for the day, hits Isaiah mackenzie, where he's calm under pressure. He was making plays from the pocket. He's making plays off structure out of the pocket. But after the game, you know what the Patriots defenders all said

was how controlled he was. They played his own defense, which was a little overconfident that they could cover these guys. I think in zone because the Bills were down a couple of receivers in it backfired because Alan played like a veteran who has been there before. And the Patriots defense, which has gotten a lot of love throughout the season, but I think has has real holes, was totally toothless.

They did not force a punt. That is the first time a Bill Belichick coach team has failed to force a punt in over four hundred games his entire career. They could have played four more quarters, it wouldn't have mattered. The Bills would have scored or come close to it every time they had the ball, and the Bills really could have won this game, I think by three or four scores. It was remarkable that it had a chance for the Patriots had midway through the fourth quarter. Every

time I looked up, they were moving the chains. I mean they were six for twelve Buffalo on third down, three for four on fourth downs. Josh Allen making huge, absolutely massive throws and big plays with his legs, and so you know, we looked at this series between the two as obviously the biggest in the division, but one of the biggest in the a f C over the last month, and you know, it's one one at this point,

and I'd love to see them play again. But Buffalo totally answered, and this is why you go get Josh Allen and you extend them the way you did financially because of games like this. I couldn't be more impressed with what he performed, how he performed. My goodness, the this game and we talked about it on Thursday leading

into this. This meant so much to Buffalo because this was a season where they were heavily favored in the division, where things got off to a good start and then they started to struggle, They had some ups and downs, and then the season kind of bottomed out, uh in that on that terrible windy night in Buffalo where they

lost that narrow game to the Patriots. And after the game, you could tell the anger and frustration was just pouring out of Bills players as they were forced to answer questions about what a genius Bill Belichick was and how the Patriots had had their number once again. So you could you could sense that this was either going to make or break their season. I really believe that going

into this game. So now that they go and they deliver this huge performance, it once again kind of recalibrates what I think about the Bills where I'm like, Okay, this team can come out of the a f C because they showed so much. There's so much metal. And I think that last drive where they sealed the game and it ended on the touchdown, the flip to Dawson Knox that we heard, I mean, that was such an

onions drive by the whole team. This is a team that was missing guys uh to convert on those third downs. That place was going absolutely bonkers. Converted on the fourth down and Alan just made huge play after a huge play after huge play. It says so much about the Bills. It really did. And it ran for sixty four yards too. There were so many ways the Bills won this game.

I think the most disheartening for the Patriots would be that the Bills O line one, and the Bills O line has been a bit of a disaster in their losses this year. They were also short a couple of starters and lost one during the game. And Matthew jude on and this is why you gotta like watch every week, and you know, some stories that are stories early in the season are taken away later. He's been totally invisible the last month for and they are not the same

team when he is invisible. Barmore had a couple of pressures today, but for the most part, the old line for Buffalo was winning. Uh. The d line for the Bills one enough and so they they one up front and there came into this game like looking to take it. You mentioned the fourth downs, Dan, You know they go for fourth down early on fourth and goal, hit it. Uh. They come up short on another fourth and goal later, and then they get three other times. The two teams

in this game combined for eight for ten. I I really don't put this on the Patriots offense much at all. I know the mac jones numbers look bad, but if if you just look at the game, they had the ball seven times before garbage time. They scored touchdowns on three of those seven drives. The way that the Patriots defense was playing, they could have played this ten times. And the Bill's offense was just like the unit. The Patriots are not built to a play in a game

like this where they got to score thirty five. I think that the Sean McDermott decision to go for it on fourth down from the one yard line on the third possession. They really essentially scored every time after that other than you know, seconds left and a half and then the very end of the game. I mean, that's

set the tone. That's set the tone. And this was a demoralizing loss when it happened on Monday night, and I think it took some shine off of the Sean McDermott era in a sense where they've just been kind of going up, up and building and it was like, wait a minute, you might be, but right back where you started against the Patriots team that seems to be ascending faster than you do. So I'm with you that that it resets kind of what you think about Buffalo. Um.

I would love to see them again. I know it's it's it's almost at this point we want to take the Patriots and say, well that was cute, but we don't believe in you. But I still do believe that New England could give them a formidable an interesting test that they played. The Bills have the Falcons and the Jets the next two weeks in Buffalo. It's hard to imagine the Bills eat losing either one of those games. They win the FC East if they win both of

those games. The Patriots probably just need to beat the Jaguars next week to get a wild card, and so uh they could play. But I think one reason why I like the the underlying numbers of the Bills all season has been so good. It's like they have won nine games now by the minimum of twelve points each. I know, I know the competition and their losses, like they've beaten mostly bad teams, but that is just outrageous.

That is more wins by twelve points, or more than the entire Derek Carr era in in Oakland and Las Vegas, for instance. That's a nine year span. Like that is it is rare what they are doing when they are winning, so they have in them to play better and now they well, when they're they're they're point differential is the highest for a Bill's team since that Super Bowl team. So to your point, yes, they've had some clunkers too. I mean, I this helps that they can stay this consistent.

I'm in, but it's not. It doesn't wipe away every sin from the past on any level. So all teams have since there there's ups and downs, and now the Bills are going up again. I don't I don't missed the Patriots. I never did, um, but I think there was a rush to judgment to crown the Patriots, especially after that game, as this division now runs through New England again and it just goes to show you the Bills when the Bills are right. I think they're the

best team in the division. I think the most talented team. But if they did meet again in the playoffs, I think it's a coin flip game because I think they're very close ultimately. Uh, and today was just uh Buffalo's day. By the way, the bravest performance, uh in this game was not Josh Allen going down the field or Aziah Mackenzie being just absolutely a monster in the slot. Beasley lost his job today. You know you gotta you gotta

keep Mackenzie in there. Yeah, if only Colby's it could have done something to perhaps this giving this guy an opportunity. But the real brave performance that came out of Foxboro happened after the game during the postgame press or UH, somebody's I don't know, mom, I don't know who it was, wandered into the press conference and had this question for

Bill Belichick. Hi, um, football a side, Sorry, but I'm doing a story about New Year's resolutions, and I was just wondering if you had any you wanted to share with your fans and our readers. Yeah no, not right now, Okay, thanks every next week. That was actually a little sweet Belichick's comment at the end there maybe next week, right, I mean, how did she get in for that, if she claimed if she alerted them, No, I mean, I don't imagine she's around anymore. I mean, yeah, they don't.

I don't think they asked the questions. You know, you don't have to screen him ahead of time. That that was a whild answer. But Belichick's answers to all the legitimate, legitimate football questions were no different or no longer he he really I think I can't these losses. It's like the like someone has sucked all the air and life out of his body. And I think of that Parcels quote. I have no mental defense for losing anymore as I get older, and I think it's like he's like a

carcass on and he and he knows it. To me, that's why you apolog dies last week about it. And it's almost like there's nothing he can do anymore. When when there's getting Greg Why do you sound so delighted with a smirk on your face when you say that about your head coach. He's not my head coach. I'm not not like it. I just think it's it's fascinating. I've seen it before, but I think he's at this point in his career where it's tough. It makes me, it makes me wonder like he loves he loves it.

But man, he the losing I think is so hard in him. I mean, not as hard as it is on Mark. Right now. Mark's face while Dan was talking before, is like the face you guys get on me for making faces when we're on when we do these uh you know remote shows. Mark's face was next level. It still is. This is the lay like games that I don't want to discuss. It's like, it's like you like a normal I would be I would do if nothing else.

I think it should give Patriots fans some comfort that they got They got molly wopped in all three areas. There wasn't like like, oh we could have won that, or they were a better team, like they were clearly an inferior team in a lot of ways. Doesn't mean they have to be, you know, they make the playoffs. It could change. It's like twelve more games to talk about. By the way, that's the only one that matters. And

my and my one word response. Or maybe it's too Bill Belichick suffering through losses as boo hoo, I mean he might be done right, gould be rich code type for a season or two and see how that feels to Saturday night. He's back to pass, went looking looking, pump steps up in the pocket, moving left, throws back of the end. Soon hat it is caught a sliding catch in the back of the end. Soon for the

touchdown Desmond Patton. That was Ryan Radkey Westwood one. Carson went through two touchdown passes, including that brilliant strike, and it was brilliant to Desmond Pattman. In the fourth quarter, Jonathan Taylor ran for a hundred and eight and the banged up Colts continued their surge with a win over the fading Cardinals uh the Cults of now one three straight, six of seven, there, nine and six. They got the win despite Darius Leonard going to the COVID list earlier

on Saturday. They were missing four offensive starting lineman. Another got hurt during the game and after the game, Greg frank Wright called it, this is one of the said, this is one of the best team wins I've ever been a part of. Considering everything, I'm sure there are some other good ones, but this is up there. I get it. This was This was a special win on Christmas Night. It is incredible. I mean, they're one of

the best teams in the NFL. I mean, there's nothing else you can say when you win nine at ten, whatever their streak is, especially the way they've done it the last two weeks. When when I heard that Quentin Nelson was out in three of their interior offensive linemen and then Darius Leonards added to the mix, it ends up being eight starters. I just didn't think they would have enough. And yet like the offensive line held up really well. Arizona, other than a couple of big plays

in a return like was really struggling. This Cults team, to me, is just so well coached. When you when you start to shut down one part of their offense, Jonathan Taylor for most of the game, the passing game was enough on Saturday, and it's worth remembering like the Cardinals were similarly shorthanded, and I sort of lost track of that that like three of their four best offensive players, Rondale Moore, I mean, Rodney Hudson, James Connor, DeAndre Hopkins

are all gone and then you're throwing more. It's like they're not the same team that they were earlier in the season. But unlike Indianapolis, they seemed to be a little lost right now, like game management, all sorts of issues where they just don't look like a well coached team. It's it's weeks in a row for Arizona where they seemed discombobulated at key moments um and it's it's syncd

up with Kyler Murray's return. But I think the Rodney Hudson lost has led to in each one of these games, and it happened last night a totally botched snap that creates total chaos. I mean, the Cardinals, like they earlier on in the year, they maybe they're just the summertime, warm warm weather team and they're and they're not built for late in the year, because this is you know,

under Cliff Kingsbury, this has been characteristic. But early in the season, I thought they overcame mistakes because they were powerful and they were they were mighty, and they were able to do what they wanted to on both sides

of the ball, and and all metrics showed that. But now they're the team where if you're gonna get Matt Prador melting down UM and Kyler Murray making mistakes, you know he's he's an m v P candidate as of a couple of weeks ago, not now, because he is magical to watch and does incredible things, and there were moments of that last night too, But there are too many plays left on the field, and you know, we're a week away from Carson Wentz creating all sorts of

questions with a five completion game. I I saw Carson Wentz last night and thought they can win the Super Bowl with this guy if he plays this way. That was my like takeaway. Uh, and he's done. It's happened before this season. And I know he's not a steady quarterback and necessarily one you could absolutely trust, but sometimes he'll flash that twenties seventeen Carson Wentz and and if that guy gets hot and that guy sticks around, I agree. There is no ceiling on this team. This is a

super Bowl level team. And on the game ceiling drive, he made three huge plays he had a second and seventeen uh conversion Uh that um move the chains in a big spot. He had a deep, deep shot down field a dime to t Y Hilton and then that throw again you heard it to begin the conversation, But that's one of the best throws of the year, like in with the pass rush coming in on him, moving with the speech, dropping down side arm and then throwing a perfectly placed strike to the back of the end

zone where only his receiver can get it. Like that wasn't a throw he was making in Philadelphia the last couple of years. And when you look at his road stats and and after Tennessee's big win UM earlier this week, they're gonna win that division. So the culture probably going to the playoffs and they're gonna be on the road. Carson Wentz has twelve touchdown, zero interceptions, a passer it over a hundred on the road. He is not a liability,

or at least he wasn't last night now. But even that game he was pretty up and down, Like you didn't come until that last drive in which he was sensational, and you're right, it was one of his best moments in a long time. He was he was struggling, but what he wasn't doing was killing them, and you had to like kind of keep the context of the game

in mind. Like they lost Jack Doyle and Eric Fisher two injuries in that game, two more starters on top of everything I said coming in, so their ability to adjust. It's funny because I remember that that Colts lost the cults media even like great good cults. Media like was really getting hard on Frank Reich and they were starting to talk about next season at two and five. It is.

It is crazy how long these seasons are. It as a reminder like this, this won't happen too often, but at least one or two teams have years like this where you start that poorly and now they are they are the proverbial team no one wants to face. And the laughs if you if you win a division and you gotta play the Cults first week of the playoffs, that's not gonna and the Cults are The Cardinals feel

like the reverse of that. Well, they looked invincible for months on end, and I was wooed by them entirely, and now I'm not certain that they aren't one and done. If if the environment isn't perfect for them in the playoffs. I mean they've clinched a spot, they backed into a playoff spot. Yes, the Cardinals will be in the playoffs, but they are watching the division float away, which seemed

inconceivable a couple of weeks ago. And the cults, yes, like we're saying, started oh and three, and now they're nine and six, and that is pretty damn good. All right, Let's now move to the second. It's gonna be the show. Get better, mark, once we get through these first three games. That's the only thing we could promise you. Let's move to the second game that was played on Christmas. It

was actually played earlier in the day. It was in lambeau Field, Mayfield, shotgun, fates, back throws, middle intercepted, He's downfield. Fourth interception by the Packer defense today, the second for Douglas, and that will submit the day for green Bay. Forty three seconds to go, Packer pull up to John Saydac with a call for Westwood one. On the day that Aaron Rogers pass Brett Farr to become green Bay's all time leader in touchdown passes. It was the Packers defense

that saved the day. In the end Russell Douglass with that interception on a Baker Mayfield pass. It was the fourth interception by Mayfield in the Packers to win over the Browns. Cleveland nearly came back from a twelve points second half deficit before the Douglas I n t an, I NT. That probably should have been a defensive holding call, it should be said, but there was no flag, and that was the game with forty three seconds to play.

Mark The Packers aren't closing well lately, but they keep winning. Yeah. I mean, I think of the Bears game we watched a couple of weeks ago, where you know, Chicago kept making big plays and hanging around until green Bay broke it open. There's the fact that you know, they nipped Baltimore a week ago, and then this Browns game, and I you know, they're just the Packers are a rugged team with star players. They're well coached, they know how to win these games and and the the opponent did not.

And I mean it's for the Browns. I thought it was a killer loss because it's one of those defeats where a your season is on the brink um, we don't believe in you anymore. You can't close games in real time, But it also leaves you with lingering, poisonous thoughts about the future of that team because your quarterback big spot after big spot, week after week, month after month. This season is not showing up and is killing them. And I know that that Russell Douglas final pick um

was controversial. I thought it was a hold, but I don't really even care because the other three interceptions were hideous and and Baker Mayfield is not seeing the field at all. Um. The other thing is, look at you have Nick Chubb playing out of his mind. He has not looked great against stack boxes a couple of weeks in a row. He was on fire yesterday. I think that it raises questions about Kevin Stefanski's play calling in

the clutch too. It just left it left me with so many bad taste in my mouth about this season, this team it's been. You know, I know, it's like, oh, you could go be a Jaguars fan. It's much worse, I guess, But there's just we're in these different worlds where like the team, the team is so has been has been as frustrating an Okay teen that I can recall Brown's wise in my entire life. I mean, they

just they cannot close games. They're gritty enough to hang around and then they break your heart and the Packers do the reverse. I mean, they're just they understand how to manage a regular season. I can't believe they closed the game with five straight Baker throws. Just crazy. It was crazy when you know, I picked the Browns to win two. You know, I thought when they got the ball with two or three left, I was like, they're gonna win this game because you don't even need Baker

to do anything. They're gonna win this game handing the ball off and maybe throwing a screenplay screen pass. And the only nervous in my mind then was like will their kicker maker missed the kick? It's like, I don't know, if you know, how close can they get it for him? I just had no question the way their offensive line

missing again three starters, uh was handling Green Bay. I thought they were handed a beautiful gift with Davante Adams, the best receiver in the league, dropping a wonderful throw by Rogers or else the Browns maybe aren't in that spot. And I'm like, and and that's how the drive started. You know they run it a couple of times. Baker did hit one throw at third and six, but even even one of his throws there was like well behind the receiver. And I just couldn't believe that they ended

the game with three straight throws from Baker Mayfield. The way he was playing and the way they were running. They had plenty of time, they had time outs. Baker was two for nine on throws over ten yards. He was two for nine for twenty one yards and three interceptions, and it's just like he wasn't playing well, like and you didn't need him to play well. It really drove me crazy the waste Fansky handled the end of that. It did make me think, you know, you're talking about

it right now. I'm thinking about the previous Saturday when Carson went through that terrible interception against the Patriots and Frank Reich was like, Okay, I'm taking the ball out of my quarterback's hands. And I think if there's a big difference is like I think Stefanski just fully believes in Baker. I think that coaching staff still sees Mayfield as a difference maker, and I just think there's enough data now where it's like Baker is just a guy.

I don't think Baker's a bad quarterback, but he's certainly not a great quarterback. And on a day like this, when he already had the three first half interceptions and he threw another one right into the bread basket of a Packers defender that was dropped, it was just like if there was ever a day like you guys just saying, just feed it to Chub, who's just running through arm tackles all game. Matt Lafleur said after the game it was their worst tackling game of the year. They were

ready to go down. So that is, yeah, that's that's a frustration. But I mean, ultimately it does make you think that the Browns have two division games here to clean things up and maybe the playoff spot. And even though it seems unlikely, what is the future with Baker Mayfield? Like, are these games changing perhaps the perception of where he's at. We'll have time to talk about that, but it's hard not to think about it. After it's a referendum season.

I think it's totally I think everything is totally changed, and and you can talk about his shoulder, the health, his overall health, but I mean some of this just goes beyond. Kurt Warner made a really good point, you know, just pointing out sort of how he wasn't opening up his shoulder when he was thrown to his left, and that's what a great like analysis can do. They showed it and you could see it, like his his left shoulder was just totally dead and so his feet facing

one way, his arms throwing the other. And that that was like one of his misthrow So that that did get me thinking, like it is a factor for him throwing the left, but a lot of it's just like bad decision. That's right, don't tell me about the shoulder. If you keep I was thinking, they win that game with Nick Mullins that game was there, win that game with Nick Mullins playing the way he did last year last week, it's just like he cost them the game

and if he's not physically there. Jones also like make up play people's Jones. I mean there's it's like I don't like it on Twitter where it's like no, it was that call's fault, or no it's Baker's fault. It's like it can be it could be everyone's fault. That said, all right, here's the scenario, Mark, Uh, they play Monday night football next week. Okay, next week. It's not not complicated,

but it's not it's not not complicated. I'm just saying, Okay, next Sunday, the Bengals can go win the division if they beat the Chiefs. But if the Chiefs win that game, and if the Rams beat the Ravens on Sunday too likely results, then the Browns play the Steelers Monday Night with a chance to force a winning in game. Browns beat the Steelers, then it's winning in Bengals Browns a f C North title game. You would assume they would make that the Sunday night football game in week eighteen.

That is all very realistic. I think the hardest part is the Browns winning two games. What about the Marks Hart, Are we worried about Marx hard if two more prime time games with that much at stake, potentially, I don't know if we need that. We want to keep Mark around for the long haul. Here, I get what's happening with the NFL. It's like your team is is raging junk in late December, but hey, you're still around and you still have a mathematical chance. I don't care. You've

you've earned nothing. Go if you go do it, I'll hang around. But it's like there's nothing that I see visually that tells me they're a playoff team on any level right now. And I'm not going to get all jazzed up about it. All right, the Packers moved to twelve and three. They are in command um of that number one seed in the by that comes with it. And oh yes, they're also undefeated at home. Even if that looked like it was in doubt there, but the

defense stepped up. All right, We're gonna take a break, then get Nick Shook on the line up. Next, Barad of the gun catches the Hopkins snap fires down pretty down the middle of the field of ten. Yeah, who result in the end zone touchdown sixty eight yards. Borrow to boy, Welcome back, Dan Horde, Dave Lapham, go nuts in the Cincinnati Bengals UH play by playbox w c k Y. What's it called? Joe Burrow is a bad man,

the baddest man. The second of your QB set a franchise record with five hundred twenty five yards passing, and the Bengals rolled to win over the COVID and injury decimated Ravens. We now welcome and Nick shook the pipe. Hey pipe, we are all witnesses. Yeah you're telling me. Let this real quick like that. Uh, we are all witnesses. You know. I was making this argument the day. I

don't remember to who it was, but I'm thinking. I'm saying, you know, Joe Burrow, I think is a few more steps away from entering like borderline elite category in this league. But just from what I've seen this year, this was like the culmination of that and not getting in the Pro Bowl and everything else, and the Ravens not having anybody except warm bodies and their secondary left. It all came together and he just lit them up all afternoon. Teamed up with this, you know, two young targets and

Tee Higgins and Jamaar Chase. It was a dominant performance from them, you know. I mean, we know what the Ravens are trotting out offensively, but with Hay, with the vegas of the ball, they were lighting it up. And they look pretty strong right now. Joe Burrow set the all time record for a number of yards against a particular team in a season. I love that stat he had nine and forty one yards against the Ravens this year. They put up a forty burger on him twice. The

Westling Brothers locked it up early in the week. In their defense, they didn't know it. Jeff Johnson starting, uh, I don't know this. This is seismic stuff when you have a when you have a quarterback like Burrow, everything changes. He's absolutely I don't know what elite means or like like where that line is, but a season, I think he's been a top five quarterback. I would have him fifth right now. You know, he's somewhere between four and seven,

depending on how you like it. And that is an incredible realization for a second year quarterback who's who's just so in control of every situation he's in. That's what impresses me the most. I do think that um A d. D pointed something out interesting about this that the way that they destroyed Pittsburgh a couple of weeks back that got on my radar big time, basically using the run to destroy the Steelers. But two times against the Ravens, it's been these massive plays through the air. I mean,

these are division opponents that have dominated Cincinnati forever. I think it's fair that we have to note that the Ravens were down to like one of their top eight cornerbacks, and not that the Cincinnati wouldn't have just flat out one this thing anyways, because I look back at the

the matchup is not good for Baltimore. But this is one of those losses or you know, showdowns in general, where we kind of forget, you know, weeks from now what Baltimore has has been dealing with and was dealing with in this game, I mean, just not functional in a secondary. Let me to just to back up what you're saying, they're settler the the Ravens. The walls fell

in on the Ravens in this game. And this has been something that's been happening for the past month as I think a lot of factors have led to where they're at now, which is they are below average NFL team at this point. You're seeing it with the results. They went into this game shook with thirty three players eiven either on I R or the COVID nineteen restricted lists. Thirty three players. I mean, no team, I don't care

who it is, will survive that. And we were trying to talk ourselves into the Ravens like, well, they've always had history on their side with these a f C. North have nots. And and Tyler Huntley he's been there two point conversion away and all the same people were gone last week from beating the Packers. So that that's why Tyler Huntley was shaping up as a guy could step in and handle things. And then he gets covided out of the scenario. And it's just like sometimes it's

just not your year. And yes, while you have to temper that when you factor in the dominance of the Bengals, that's a part of this story that the Ravens. It's almost unprecedented what's happened to them this year. Yeah, and you have to give them credit for the fight that they've had. I mean, they were fighting throughout this game, and they had it at a ten point game just before half of in the Bengalis scored one more time

to extend their lead. They battled, and they've been battling through all of this all season, and like mars or, like Greg said, you know they nearly beat the Packers.

It's just how many losses can you take? I think I wrote the what we learned for this I think we're below critical mass for them, Like I just think that they've suffered so many losses that this was the one, like this was the week where it was you know, they they have a clear path to the wild Card if they went to and know, but that would include beating the Rams much less you know, the Steelers and week team, and it's just hard for them to imagine

them beating a team like this. But still, like those plays Higgins is making, It's like, you can it doesn't matter. I know, he's taller than whoever they're putting in for Baltimore. It's like te Higgins is a great NFL receiver, and Mixing is a great running back, and Chase is a great receiver, and it's like these player are great. So I just think it's almost like the rest of the coaches and everything else, they just got to not get in the way. Here's here's how you get to five

twenty five yards receiving. By the way, Tee Higgins twelve for one ninety four two touchdowns on thirteen targets. Remember when he was quiet earlier this season six or seven games, who just got picked for the Pro Bowl? Seven for one, five on ten targets, Tyler Boyd three for eighty five and a touch on five targets, Joe Mixon six for

seventy and a touch on six targets. C J. Was Usama five for thirty six, Drew Sample two for nine, some R. J. P Rhyn two for six, who added up thirty seven receptions five twenty five yards, fourteen yards per catch, four touchdowns and it all came from Joe Burrow. Who I'm with you, shook. I think when I have to do my Superstar Club column later this spring, uh, it's time to put Joe in there because he's just

shown it all year long. Yeah. I thought the whole he's not making the Pro Bowl because he leads the league interceptions and his thing was kind of unfair. And I'm gonna take this moment right here to stump for this because this is you know, we have a billion advanced metrics now right, Well, let's introduce earned an unearned interceptions because good amount of Joe Burrow's interceptions have not been earned. Baseball has it with pictures, why can't we

do with quarterbacks. I think if you took that into account, his Pro Bowl case becomes a lot stronger he's going to be there before. Plus it was Lamar who just didn't deserve it over him, and my homes didn't either. If you had but mahomes, at least you can make the case it's absurd. We don't have that metric, that statistic. At this point, it's your You've got the platform, it's a fifteen billion dollar company company. You've got some juice

right now here? Are the next gen stats guy? Just start saying that as if it is an official stat and is and you need like visual judgment. You can't just use tracking data for it. You need to be like, oh, Jamar Chase dropped that pass into an interception, which he did this year once. Well, Chris Collinsworth has made a billion dollars of PFF and that's just watching the stats

and putting numbers. Do it. Hey, before we move on, one of the things that we like about Joe Burrow is that he's got a little like pissing vinegar to him. He's got a little moxy to him, and uh, he didn't take too calmly to wink Martindale, the defense coordinator of the Ravens. Uh kind of you know, having a little fun at his expense, saying let's not put a gold jacket on Joe Burrow just yet. Leading into this game, well after five, he was asked about that. I didn't

think it was a necessary comment. I wouldn't say I was offended by it. I mean, I'm in year two. Who knows what's going to happen down the road. I didn't think it was a necessary comment on your Maybe he's wearing a Santa hat while saying all this, and they were throwing in the fourth quarter as he was howling up those yards. A very very fun team to watch. Good for the Westling brothers. I wish Chris Westling was here, obviously for so many reasons, but to just hear his

thoughts on these bangles and where they're at right now. Maybe, just maybe we could have gotten him back to the Bengals with this team. In this quarterback Fate said otherwise, all right, we got one more game with Shookie. Uh, let's head to Philly back again, Ghost Glenn and the passes unaccepted running down this timeline, Alex Singleton and he is and for a second NFL coach found Meryl Reese with a called w I p Jalen Hurts do a five yard touchout de Lane Johnson and linebacker Alex Singleton

returned an interception for a touchdown. The Eagles continue their pushed for the playoffs with a thirty four ten win over the moribund New York Giants Shookie. Like last Tuesday, the Eagles got out of the gate slow, but turned

it on against an inferior division opponent. Yeah, probably could have had a lot more points in this game if they would have stopped shooting themselves in the foot in the first half, which if they hope to sneak into the playoffs, you know, went out sneaking to the playoffs. They're gonna they're gonna have to clean that up. But say and half, they turned it on and even after losing Miles Sanders, they still found a way to rush

for hundred thirty plus. I mean, this is the league's best rushing team in terms of total yards and and they found a way to do it again. They're fun and there there are fun to watch just because they got these young guys running around. Jalen Hurst is a fun quarterback to watch. I love the report that he's developing with Davante Smith. And he's not the only guy in that receiving corps. Jalen Rayor is kind of a

fun punt returner to watch. I mean, it's it's a it's an enjoyable team to watch him against a Giant well and as a receiver, but you know, uh and and and it's against the Giants team that you know Joe Judge can tell you during the week all he wants the changes. Has it's happened. We've turned the corner and we're gonna show it. Well, they're so far from showing it right now. And I know they had to play Jake From and they From was so bad they went to Mike Glennon in the second half. Um, oh

my god. Really just can't wait to get to the for performance reasons, they went away from the rookie and a game that meant nothing. Don't you just gotta look at it for better word? Please explain to me how Jake From's like twenty dropbacks for twenty five yards looked just with your eyes. One of the next gent stats we pulled it was Jake From. It was one for five and I came over the exact scenario for negative

two yards. That's the kind of offensive six or seventeen for twenty five yards is something you need one two often that doesn't even count. And then you threw a pick to start the third quarter that set the Eagles up for their first touchdown in the day, and from there they were rolling and from was done for the day and Joe Judge had had enough. I mean, it's

just too very uneven. Dan. I know that you like, look at the Dolphins worst the first type scenario, not first place, but they're surging back after a terrible start. The Eagles were two and five, they're now eight and seven. I find it easier to believe in this team than Miami, just because they seemed like if they got into the wild card and they were headed there at this point, you know, barring a collapse, they're just dangerous. They've never

had a rushing attack franchise. Why this is a historical franchise since nineteen They need to clean up the penalties a little bit, seems to linger and a lot of these games for them, but they're just explosive. Their first half they were suppressed and that it totally went wild in the third and fourth quarter. We talked about it on the Friday TV Show, and she should everyone should check out at airs on Saturday on NFL Network around the NFL broadcast that, Yeah, that Philly is great upfront

and they got off. They have a quarterback who can make plays with his legs. I guess it comes down to, like, can he make enough throws? Uh and shook. I'm curious where you're at on his development as a passer so far, because they absolutely agree with you, Mark, if they get into the dance, they profile as a team that could pick off a favorite. He he looks like a second

year quarterback at times. I mean there's you know, a goal to go, third goal to go situation where you know, if he waits a beat longer, he might find a guy open the end zone where he targets a guy because he's right crossing right in front of him, you know, three or four yards short of the sticks. There's those are the situations where you you know, he could make a better reader a better throw. But the talent is

there and when it shines, it it really shines. I mean, and like I said, that rapport with vant A Smith, they've they teamed out. They had a great connection where Davante Smith made a and maybe he caught it maybe he didn't. It was overturned in the review, and then the review was reviewed and they overturned it back to a touchdown. It's kind of it was kind of strange. Yeah, uh a nice toe tap catch, a well placed pass. I mean there's there's glimpses and um, I think with

more time, he's just gonna continue turning forward. Not to mention the fact that you know they can run with him as well, and they've used that to their advantage. They've benefited from a soft schedule. But what are you gonna do? N SHOOKI we we appreciate you stepping in into a spot that no one else wanted to take. Frankly, you were the Giants Eagles beat writer over the last uh four weeks. You handled both of those games, and you handled them beautifully. Unbelievable. Yeah, you know, one was

a low scoring affair, one not so much. I'll tell you what, this blowout made it a lot easier to write today. It was an easier pipe. What's going on with your personal life? You? Uh, I know you're close to perhaps some an engagement ring scenario. Oh yeah, well, you know, let's just say the gears are turning the process has been gun and hopefully we didn't just ruin the surprise. Does she listen? Is she in the room?

You have an ear in her ear piece in right, she's I mean when you buy that engagement ring, I don't know what the percentage number is one, but it's meant to be what like your salary or something. It was like what was the old saying two months salary or something like that. It's not that, but it'll do. You should What you should take is and this will save you a lot of money is because you are

the pipe. You just take a lead pipe and then you get a saw and you just kind of crudely saw at the very top of the pipe, fashioned as a ring, and then just sand it down a little bit. You don't wan any jack of engines. And then to slip that on miss pipe. You know, I could add to this, you know, tie in our our journey together and get it from like some old Cleveland pipe that

was years. She's a gym rat too, So you guys should just get like married in a gym or something like, you know, to have like a whole you know, workout theme. Everybody shows up in. I think Dan is giving you terrible advice, do not follow that. That's not taking you anywhere. So you're telling me that party favors that are packs of Way protein, not not theod No matter what. To Mark's point, uh, stick with the whole lead pipe ring, but have a real ring on backup. If she says no,

it gets offended by the lead pipe ring. You know she wasn't the girl in the first place. If she's like, oh, pipe, I'll go anywhere with you and wear anything, then he say, all right, baby, flick off the lead pipe ring, give her the rock, and we're bait and switch. Okay, alright, alright, well we're taking We got notes here. These aren't notes about that, but we could write these notes down. All right, Chuckie, thank you for your work all season long, and we'll

see you next Sunday. All right, guys, thanks man Chook is good dude. All right, let's move back into the action of Sunday. Let's send to Minneapolis. Here's Pal at the other end of the field coming up to take it out. The forty stumbles through us. Right, he's got mid field in the block. He's about the forty Minnesota down the right sideline. Twenty ten five puts down a brand and Powell goes somersaulting into the end zone with

a punt return for a touchdown. JB. Long, my buddy, it feels like so long ago that we were in the park watching that yacht rock cover band just shred, and one day we will again the next season. Every season I have a hang out with JB. Long and his family. Spring is right around the corner, and I'll leave it at that. Brandon Powell returned to punt sixty one yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, a huge play for the Rams on their way to a

thirty to twenty three win over the Vikings. As we said earlier, the win um gives rent the Ramsey advantage of one game lead in the NFC West over the Cardinals. That also allowed the Cardinals to clinch a playoff spot and uh, interesting game here. Here's the thing. The Vikings, who were a flawed but interesting team for so long that kind of got thrown out here because this in

this game, they were just the inferior team. The Rams are playing at a very high level right now, and even a game where Matthew Stafford did not play well and he had too many throws that were just throwing them up for grabs and and allowed the Vikings to hang around. You kind of felt Los Angeles in control of this entire game, and I think that says a lot about where Los Angeles has come from after their

slumber last month. They are now playing very, very good football at the end of December, and as a result of Vikings look like they are going home after Week eight. Team. I love this so much for the Rams. That you get a bad Stafford game that you know a couple of weeks past, like bad Stafford games mental loss. Uh, they found a way to win with him really subpar play, and I mean I know they lost Darrell Henderson, Ernest Jones went out, they were already hit with COVID, they

didn't have left tackle Andrew Whitworth. I mean, it says a lot about them to overcome all that because the Vikings are still a quality team in this world we live in right now. And I mean justin Jefferson being held to what like forty yards by Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald looking like he should be Defensive Player of the Year. They have stars, and their stars are playing well and and those guys you don't know are stepping up like

like a Powell, I mean like a Sony Michelle. I'm kind of amazed that Sony Michelle is getting twenty seven carries and Darryll Henderson is getting one because Henderson just so much more explosive. But I think it speaks to what Sean McVeigh wants, which is if we block four, get four, and if Michelle, who's running really hard, can get six, great, But Henderson, who's more of the home run hitters on the bench right now, it's really changed

their offense. They've they've run it quite well and no one, no teams had a better month than the Rams. I mean they've they've caught three games on the Cardinals in three weeks. You know, they came into that game it was only twelve days went or was it thirteen fourteen days ago against the Cardinals, down a couple of games in that division. Now they're up a game with two to play that you know, it's just switched so fast.

For them to get to eleven and four and feel like they're hitting the playoffs and totally in stride is awesome, And they still have a chance for the one seed. They wouldn't need a little help but it's possible. Uh, the Vikings didn't get a touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins until to play, and it cut the lead to then they needed their defense to make a stop and it couldn't. They gave up a field goal and the game was over.

That was that, And that touchdown drive at midway through the fourth quarter was the only one of Minnesota's first nine possessions that went for longer than fifteen yards. So this was, like, you know, we talked about it on Thursday, Kirk Cousins. These don't always have to be Kirk Cousins referendum games. And I don't think they lost this game because of Kirk Cousins, because the past protection wasn't great. There was no Dalvin Cook, Adam Theeland was clearly not

one or seven on that ankle um. So it was just the offense just kind of stuck in mudd a little bit here. Uh. Sometimes, like we were saying earlier, it doesn't have to all be on one player or one coach. You could just look at the team and be like, the Minnesota Vikings did not step up in a game they absolutely needed at home, and they're seven and eight and probably heading home as a result. So yes, Justin Jefferson got his one hundred yards, but it wasn't

a real Jefferson uh dominant performance. In fact, I know, Greg, you were singing Jalen Ramsey's praises for his performance the previous week against DK Metcalf and the Seahawks. He was so so good and because the matchup was so great, uh, maybe the best matchup you'll see all season, Jalen Ramsey against Justin Jefferson. There was a lot of ISO replays of the game and I'm sure the all twenty two tape heads are gonna dissect dissected over the next couple

days and have a lot of fune with it. And what you're gonna see is Jalen Ramsey not fighting for anything, steffor step every bit the athlete Justin Jeffery sin is. And it's just a reminder in another game where Aaron Donald was constantly in the backfield causing havoc that when you have these two superstars, these two Hall of famers, in the primes of their career, uh yeah, that makes up for a lot of mistakes your quarterback can make, and they're allowing them to travel a little bit more

the last two weeks. Now, maybe maybe that was because the opponents because of the unique skills of Metcafe and Jefferson, but he had been kind of staying in the slot, not playing as much outside traveling with the best receivers, and so that maybe that's changing with the playoffs coming up that the Vikings do, and they've gotten a little boring the last couple of weeks. It's disappointing. I wanted this team to be fun through the end. They do

have the Packers next week. They do have a chance to set a record though dan Um uh the lowest margin over like a full season that any team ever played. UH. Next Gen Sets sent that out. I think it's like five point five is the average margin right now and in any of their games, and so that that's something to keep an eye there. You go, Yeah, I'm with you, though. There is a kind of magical aspect, even if sometimes

it was black magic or the Viking season. Really since that Thursday night Pittsburgh in the second half, it's just been more like they're not very good on offense, and as a result, the defense isn't able to pick up the slack. It's just kind of the the fairy tale

is over. If if, if there was one in the first place, all right, let us take a break and then we will hit more NFL action, kill me William and they fake it to sling it cut by Pringle off the hid dark backing side touchdown Chess City Byron Pringle with an outstanding catch and run, dusting two Steelers and into the sweiten Actor and the chiefly twenty nine to nothing. M interesting little trend here. The superpowers are starting to get right. We see the rams over in

the NFC what they did today? How about the Kansas City Smitch holt Is with the call there for w d a F. Patrick Mahomes through yards and three touch touchdowns Byron Pringle caught two of those touchdown passes. The Chiefs roll the Steelers, clinching their sixth consecutive a f C West title. Think about that six consecutive a f C West titles mark. The game also allows the Chiefs to stay a game ahead of the Tennessee Titans for first place in the a f C. Eight straight wins

now and they look the part. I mean, whatever concerns we had about Kansas City a month ago, um, just do not look relevant to me at this point. I mean, you don't have Travis Kelsey in this game, Tyreek Hill, you thought, well, look, everything will go his way. He had two catches for like nineteen yards. It was Byron Pringle playing one of the best games he's had in his entire career. Guys like Derek Moore who had a

huge fifty yard catch in this game. Nicole Hardman made plays, Darryl Williams, Blake Bell, I mean, just like everyone else stepped up. Holmes had hit nine different targets in the first half. I think the other side of the story though, is that their offense is heating up and their run game is as well. They did lose Clyde Edwards Hilaire to a collarbone injury that looks pretty serious. Um, they lost the Honey Badger as well. I don't know what

will happen with him. Was a quad injury. But you are playing a Steeler's offense that we understood that issues and just was completely and totally broken down in this game. I mean, they had like a hundred yards at half, ten minutes of possession and the second half was just garbage time. And it's just like Kansas City you know, with they had did another kicker either, and they brought this guy and he keeps sitting kicks too, So it's

like Kansas City just looks to me, legit, they're heating up. Um. They found a way to win today in a different type of game. That kind of just shows you that Andy Reid. You know, they talked about Andy Reid during the week, talking to the announcing crew, to Romo and Nan saying, I don't really care who's in there, like we're going to find a way and that that's nice to say, a lot of teams will say that same thing. But they did today and it showed they flex their muscles,

that showed their power. And the Steelers, who we've kind of, you know, viewed as sort of this walking zombie, I think the head has been chopped off at this point. I'm not saying that they couldn't go win, and I think they're gonna go eight eight and one, but they are a fraud when it comes to being a playoff team. Big Ben had no answers today and it just they were, you know, they're imbalanced, they've got line issues, and what we've not believed in all year reared its head in

the worst possible time for Pittsburgh. I'm just gonna say it. They're the worst seven, seven and one team in NFL history. How did this team? How did this team win seven games? It's well because of what you and I have said before, though, like they find ways to suddenly get against you for a quarter and on a half in there in it. You know, right, on one hand, I want to give

Tomlin credit because like they've won seven games. On the other hand, you know it is his defense, and I know they've had a ton of injuries, but they're they're rund. They're a soft team whatever. You remember everyone was calling the Bills soft because like they gave up a couple of big runs against the Patriots in a game they allowed less than fifty yards. I mean, the Steelers defense is soft. They are the definition of soft. Like at point in this game, the Chiefs ran like nine straight plays.

The Chiefs rookie offensive linemen and the way they constructed that offensive line in general, to me is one of the bigger, like long term stories in the a f C this year. They hit home runs with Tray Smith and Creed Humphrey and that's who they're running behind on all these short yardage places and those are rookies. Those guys are gonna be there. Tuny is gonna be there for a while. They should probably resign Orlando Brown. They really did fix that in one fell swoop. They're they're

hesitant to run. I know this game wasn't about the run, but it's just to me, it's like, who who are the Steelers If you can't stop the run, especially when you're playing the Chiefs. Yeah, I would. I think you're probably more right, like I think maybe the head was finally taken off the zombie. But it is the a f C. North and we'll have to see they got that tie in the mix. And Cincinnati has shown us before that they could look like world beaters one week

and and stumble the next. But probably and and beyond that, we all know where this Pittsburgh team is, which is they just they just exist. They're not They're nothing to get excited about. And the Chiefs, I think of the big story here because if Patrick Mahomes is able to keep rolling with Kelsey out of the lineup, um, what's

going to happen now as the season goes on? So yeah, oh, by the way, you skip around to the playoffs at this point, you know, if they can, if they can hold serve here at the next two It's great that she's had never won back to back division titles before Andy Reid, and now they won sixth straight. That that says a lot about Andy Reid. What little note about the Steelers real quick, sorry, but they have trailed by seventeen plus points in the fourth before the fourth quarter

nine times in their last nineteen games. That happened to Big Ben nine times in his first and forty three starts. I mean, they are just a broken down snaro. I'm not declaring that they're not gonna win another game to going. They do play the Browns next week, So I'm saying nothing. I'm not. It's just not something I'm not doing this again. I'm just saying they're an eight eight and one team.

We're going to get that. You know, I've been wondering why Mark has been hitting this eight eight and one thing so hard, and then, like as it always does, it kind of connects to something else that I didn't realize that that was one of the sandwich props. Nick four Tier of Go Get My Lunch gave us an updated rundown of all the sandwich props, so that that adds a little bit of I honestly had no I had no memory that I had made a sandwich prop off of that. I don't believe you. I believe me.

I I it's totally slit my mind. I've been consistently fascinated with the idea of it happening. Got it all right, let's move and check it. I don't know what do you want me to say? I don't believe you. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking to get back on track after last Sunday Night's embarrassing loss. Good thing the Panthers were on the slate. Buccaneers neither touchdown to finish this deal. Don't we we lead? Two six snap to Brady inside hand off road. You'll running lamp tough stop Tampa Bay.

Nobody laid a hand on him, been duck her off the call. W F you As Tom Brady through for two thirty two and a touchdown. Antonio Brown made a successful return to the lineup as the Bucks routed the Panthers thirty two six. This surprised me. The Bucks their first NFC South title since two thousand seven. They won the Super Bowl last year as a wild card team and had not one a division title before that and h since two thousand seven. Anyway, Mark nice to take

care of business. Win for the Bucks who follow up that loss against the Saints with a T shirt and cap win. Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the game we just talked about, because we know that, you know, the Bucks are without Mike Evans, without Chris Godwin, without Lenny for Nett, with you, without even Brashad Pereman, who offered a deep threat for them, and it led to Antonio Brown arriving at just the right time for them.

Whether you like his personality or not, Tom Brady likes what he's doing on the field, that likes the Antonio Brown like. Who's in the big fan club at this I don't know every single person who listens to this, so I'm just putting that out there is a probable scenario that most do not. But targeted fifteen times, caught ten of them a hundred and one yards. They were a little discombibulated early, but you could feel Brady and the you know, the cast of characters that came in

there getting a little more comfortable. Cyril Grayson had a sixty two yard catch. At one point, he Shaan Vaughan, who has been in the doghouse um had a fifty five yard run for a for a touchdown. I mean, little guys that just have not been a big part of the story stepped up. But why it reminds me also of the game we just talked about Kansas City Pittsburgh. Was that you had the Panthers who are driving me nuts with this situation. This. I lost my patients watching this.

It was this dueling piano player scenario where Cam Newton came in and let a field goal drive. Then he throws a pick on the next drive. So incomes Sam Donald who made one big play, but in general was just back and forth between these two guys. Um, it totally bizarre plan that did not look like anything an NFL team should be doing. I understand what Matt Rule said about it after that, it's just like, you know,

he wasn't thrilled with it either. But um, they let's hear from that rule, uh, Cessler, Because I know we've been told the reports that Matt Matt Rule's job is safe. I am not buying it, and I don't imagine a quote like this, getting run helps, but I believe it's one thousand percent working. I just know no one can see it. And I apologize. I tell our team all the time. It took jay Z, like seven years. It

took him seven years. He had to start his own agency to to become famous, to become an overnight sensation, Like it takes time. And he says it, and see, and we've we've spoken with him. Seems like a really nice guy, good dude. But I don't know, man, this this that thing I saw when I saw rap sheets report this morning that Sam Donald was gonna play and come in after a couple of series, and it's like

everything he does with this quarterback position is weird. Just start Sam Donald, Like, what are we even doing in the first place here? Having Camp start the game and then lifting him after the second possession ends at an interception. It's like, all right, what are we doing here? I just don't understand the game plan at Charlotte. Maybe it was like give Cam one last start in Carolina. I

don't know. Yeah, it's because I think Donald will probably start the next couple of weeks, which makes some sense. By by the way, not that not that it really matters, like the Panthers fans booing him. He's talking all about the process. The jay Z thing felt like, uh, you know, how how you know that, Steve BISHEMI mean, like, how are you doing their kids? Like what? First of all, like reasonable doubt, like jay Z's first record is like one of the great first records ever. So that part

didn't even makes sense to me. I I don't know him talking about the process. It sounded like he was making a case for his job. I think entirely. I think entirely because I mean, you know, there was a lot of hope around Matt Rule and then the wheels have come off in a in a fierce way and chanted fire Rule during the game. That it kind of made me think of, like, I know that I've been tough on Teddy Bridgewater, largely because like Greg pumps him up as like someone that came down from the Evans.

But when you think about Teddy Bridgewater mentioning that this offense was disorganized a year ago, well a year later, um, it is extremely disorganized and they fired the offensive coordinator that Teddy was critiquing. So it's like you go back through the roots of what's happening here, and it's not been a great plan and it's not working. It doesn't visually look pleasing. Uh and uh, let's just uh one thing, Greg clearing up the meme that you were referencing that

Steve Bushmi saying how do you do fellow kids? I mean, I sounded like Steve bushemy. There After the game, Antonio Brown also got very snippy with a reporter who dared to ask him, um about all the nonsense that surrounds him as a person, not a player, as a person. Uh and uh shut down a reporter who was their first chance to have a conversation with Brown about his suspension tied to the fake vaccine card. Uh. And he

was kind of a jerk about it. So, I mean, this is Antonio Brown is a jerk, but he's productive and he was again today and he's an important part of their offense, whether we like it or not. Because with um, Mike Evans ailing, with Chris Godwin out of the picture, with Lenny Furnett out, Tom Brady needs and Antonio Brown and he was there for him. So that's that's a big development for them on the Super Bowl.

Teams have tons of jerks on them. I mean, this is just that no one's if they win the Super Bowl, no one's gonna care that Antonio Brown was on this team at all. No one will all right, let's now move to Houston. Upset alert or is it? I mean? With COVID, it's hard to really make sense of any of this. But a team that was expected to win did not. This game was played in Texas. Bills quick pass up a Bud add song the Dagger touchdown Poston. My goodness, they're gonna do it. I love it. Oh yeah, Ricky,

good job. Give the Texans the bongos they deserve it from. Come Come, Come, Come Come, Mark vandermere K, I lt with it called. Davis Mills and Nico Collins connected on the clinching touchdown rex Burke. Rex Burke had ran for a career hight hundred forty nine yards and two touchdowns in The Texans took advantage of three turnovers to beat the Charges nine. This game featured two teams are missing more than a dozen players each because of COVID nineteen protocols.

Greggy David Culley has these Texans fighting hard to the end and playing aggressive on offense. I said it a week ago with how they closed out that Jaguars game. I was even more struck in this game that with a small lead of one score lead in the red zone with under four minutes to go, instead of trying to bleed clock on first down, they got Davis Mills throwing slants. Because he's shown he's pretty good at throwing slants.

Davis Mills is playing good controlled football. This was one of his best games because as it didn't have the kind of mental mistake rookie mistake that he's usually has even in his good games. He had to baller throws in the first half, and it really felt like in another world, like this was like a quarterback shootout between him and Herbert. There were very few stops in this game. You at Herbert's line and you think, like Herbert struggled. They only got stopped. You know, they didn't punt the

whole game. The Chargers, you know, they fumbled it once and Herbert got picked off once where he got a little too aggressive. It was just they couldn't keep up with Davis Mills in the Texans. I don't know, I mean, I look back on I mean, do we not like this some of these COVID situations, It's like, okay, cool, Like I'm glad for Davis Mills, but no Austin Ekeler, no Mike Williams, Corey Lindsley's out. I mean, these things matter, and I mean it's bo so Is out. Jones was out.

They were missing fourteen players or thirteen places. But guess what the Texans were missing eighteen so including like Brandon Cook. So it's just like it's crazy easy. They were missing over thirty total players in this game. You're right, it's hard to know what to know. It was the first press conference where, you know, reporters coming out of it said that Brandon Staley, who has been one of the best young coaches in front of the mic around UH,

had a bit of a thousand yards stair. That it just I think it took a lot out of them, And I understand that it's frustrating if you're a Chargers fan, because yes, you could point to the COVID issues, but yes, both teams had to deal with it. At the end of the day, with two games remaining in the regular season, the Chargers are kind of right back where they always seem to be. There at eight and seven, and the season go one way or another. And they've let a

lot of winnable games get away. And I wouldn't say they're they're chargering in the same way we know them to charger in the past. But uh, to not be able to close out the Chiefs at home on Thursday night, which could be turned out to be a turning point in their season, and then to fole that up with a road game against Houston where you just get out played, you just get beat use, your defense gets beat up on by Davis Mills. And here we are now they're

nine and eight. We'll see if they what they have and if we talked Brandon Staley very good on Mike, we'll see we'll learn a lot about him as a coach. We're gonna learn a lot about Justin Herbert. How does this season end for the Chargers? We got that they got the Broncos and Raiders next, so division opponents winnable games, you probably have to win them both. Uh. It was interesting seek that old story, the old friend the Chargers run defense get lit up for a hundred and eighty

nine yards by Rex Burkhead and Royce Freeman. Royce Freeman is not even like like the best random freeman picked up off the street. That's running the ball like that's DeVante like like. It was crazy to see them going up and down the field running the ball with those two guys. Hard to believe. All right, let's take a break and then check in on the a f C. West Car's gonna throw it. Snaps it off White open first down the row, deep in the territory. He's at

the Broncos thirty five yards yard. Wantta go? They crossed everybody up. Raiders are headed for their eight win. Brent Musburger, of course, with the call for k r l V on third and two from their own thirty six yard line, nursing a four point lead late in the fourth quarter, Derek Carr didn't do what was expected, which would have been handing the ball off to Josh Jacobs, who had

done damage all game. Instead, he dropped back to pass, dropped a tear drop into the hands of Foster Moreau, who's twenty eight yard pickup allowed the Raiders to run out the clock on that win. And after the play, as he was jogging down field, he animate and inanimate way pointed at the Raiders sideline. During the celebration, potentially not to Greg Olsen. I don't know. Maybe Greg Olson's upstairs,

the offensive coordinator, I don't know, but he was. He was happy that they gave the ball to him and said win the game, and he did so. Here the Raiders again, I was dismissing of them after the Browns win. Everyone was, it seemed like, but the Eights now find a way to beat a Broncos team that's not very good. But it's still a good win, uh, for a team that are not collapsing in December like in past years.

In fact that these two wins, they are right in the mix, still in the a f C. What was going on with Denver's ground game, which has been spicy? Um at moments. I love Javonte Williams, but they had what fifteen yards on the ground. I mean, this is not a two backs at eight yards total on fourteen carry. Here's the thing I want to Derek Carr had a miserable interception right before the half on a screen pass pass where Bradley Chubb jumped up, grabbed it, took it

to the goal line. They went in a play later. Um, and that was such a big play in this game. Because it wasn't high scoring and it just kept things close. But the Raiders dominated, Uh this game. The Broncos could not get anything going on the ground through the air. Uh. And that's what you're seeing in that game. The Vegas defense, which has not always been a big time unit's stepped up here. Of course it's Drew lock that's prominently involved.

And always have to factor these things in. Who's the quarterback playing? Teddy Bridgewater stuffered that scary head injury. He was held out as a precaution, locked in and too much. But yeah, when the running game wasn't there to pick up the load. Uh, that was it. Uh for a team that didn't really even have the ball that much. If you look at the breakdown of the game. Uh, they only had eight first downs the whole game. They only ran forty total plays a hundred and fifty eight yards.

So the offensive the Raiders still not very good. Darren Waller out of the lineup, but the defense took care of an inferior unit. I guess you could say, Greg, because I know you'd like to get your little Teddy Bridgewater celebrations in where you can This might be a different outcome with a more proficient guy at the controls of the offense. I mean, they w probably have had more than Yeah, they probably would have had more than eight first downs, although three drives I gotta say ended

on plays. Receivers could have made drops for Drew Lock. You know, I did watch this one trying to knock it out early, and they were just bad all Judy had a really bad drop. I think that had one. And it's tough to give Alberto a drop on that last drive where where the Broncos still had a chance to go win the game, but he had a chance to make a play that would have put them deep into field goal range and they didn't make the play.

It's pretty You've got to be pretty bad too win the turnover battle three to nothing and lose the game to the Raiders. I mean two of the Broncos your ten of the Broncos points, as you mentioned, came on drives totally in five yards, so it's like they basically didn't move the ball the whole game. That's pretty rough. And you write the Raiders are eight and seven, so they're tied with the Chargers and the Ravens as we speak now for that last spot, technically the Ravens have

the tiebreaker. Now it doesn't really matter, but those three are all at eight and seven, and the Dolphins can join them on Monday. I do wonder if we find out that Derek Carr is more banged up. I know he finished the game, but he looked like he had separated shoulder at one point. He's he's a tough dude, man. He went to the blue tent. He went to the blue tent to the point where the uh ANOUTCI team confidently said a new quarterback was coming into the game.

And then you came back from break and there's Derek Carr on the huddle. So unless you break his leg or yeah, break his leg, basically he's playing uh football for your team, which also should be considered when you talk about Derek Carr, the quarterback who's not a great quarterback, but he's not as bad as the people who want to tell you. Also he's good. He's a good quarterback. Is that good enough for you? It should be. If you have a good quarterback, you're surrounded with a really

good team, you can go places in our league. I don't think he'll be there a year from now, but I agree with you really, no, I do. He's very cheap under I don't think. I don't think it's because um they wouldn't want him. I think that we're going to get him. We're gonna get another scenario where he's gonna want out because he's not into rebuilding with that clubs interesting that John Gurdon Fever dream game. He loves, he loves games like this. I wonder if he's watching

some I imagine he is, But who knows. All Right, So from one h a f C contender or a wild card contender that we don't really believe in necessarily to another in the NFC, Let's go to Atlanta. Preg Reynolds out of the backfield. Here's boil throwing it accepted.

Lokan is gonna win at court. Atlanta shortened to the Sweet West Durham w z g C with the Gulf could call Matt Ryan through a tiebreaking twelve yard touchdown past the Hayden Hurst early in the fourth quarter, and the Falcons got that late interception from Foyer Aluicon to beat the Lions, preserving their playoffs hopes. Slim as they may be, Atlanta improved the seven and two in one possession games, including four wins by no more than four points.

Mark to quote Adam F. Dirret's the Falcons are hanging around this town on the corner. They are they are, and the Lions mean conversely or one six and one and one score games. It feels like they're okay, Uh, go ahead. I don't know where to go from after that, Dan like I we can go into accounting crowls discussion if you'd like instead. I mean, this game felt What are you holding over your shoulder? You look like John Snow right now? What you've been wrapping, even wrapping that

sweater around your neck. At various points in the show, it's there is a window, and I understand that I'm in Los Angeles, so there's no complaints, but it's freezing into you want to pull over in your head and just really snug up here. For the balance of the show, we could stop down to say it. I mean, I want to be taken like in a van to like the middle of the country and just dropped into the night. At this point, I want I were doing the best

we can hear. But if you'd like to hear about the game, I'm happy to tell you you've been tracking this thing on his shoulder the whole show, and it's been sweaters. Yeah, well it's a sub part. When he was getting annoyed at me talking about Belichick talk earlier, he was actually like wrapping it around his neck in a way that it looked like it might cut off circuit lation because I was like, I hate when people do this thing where they eighties bad guy the like,

I hate that stuff. So I was just putting it over one shoulder to warm that region. You were like wrapping it around the neck many times, and I saw a vain popping now or something. It's almost like he was pantomiming what he wanted to do to you. At that exact moment, I was feeling better about it. You must have enjoyed this game. It was over. I must not have en it was over. I looked up. It was pm here on the West Coast, in the game had ended. That has to be the quickest NFL game

in this entire season. I think one of the reasons that happened was that the Lions, and this is so true to their nature, kept going forward on fourth down over and over and they and they kept succeeding and keeping drives alive. It moved at a quick pace on They didn't get the dominant ground game that they've gotten in other weeks, but there is something and I know it was Tim Boyle, and there's not much that this team has gone at this point, but Tim Boyle played well.

And I'm on Ross st Browns in a touchdown again, like that's my takeaways that you've got a wide receiver to build around here. He's been really good. And if you're the if this is your fantasy team related Dan, but Kyle Pitts made two or three plays in this game that we already know he's amazing. But he had a breakout game that helped set up points for them over and over and did a couple of things that

just visually were magnetic. It was still looked like a lot of other Falcons games where it's like the defense gets tricked here and there. It wasn't a terrible performance, but Matt Ryan has zero protection. He's getting hammered left and right, but does just enough Matt Ryan things to

keep it alive. And it came down to the end and I did enjoy to some degree because of the pace, but it wouldn't be the football game I'd sign up to like um watch you know seven thousand times on a VCR tape in the early eighties, go ahead to ahead. I was just saying, I know you were pumping that fist um when the Lions kicked that field goal under four minutes to go to make it only a four point game and get it raining inside that Georgia though, we got another fix for the Rainmaker. The Browns came

through on Saturday night. The Lions come through on Sunday two and oh up to five and oh, I think I've ended the Rainmaker after going five and oh right, this is the this is the tremendous disconnect. You screaming into a microphone that the Browns came through the Rainmaker. About the result, I saw some people tweeting at us, saying they made some Christmas things, which this is what I'm telling you. And this is why you have to have an altruistic viewpoint on this. Great can't be just

about you. I want to retire five and oh no, you have paid for Christmas. You're paying for braces, you're paying for car payments, you're paying for prep school, you're paying for plumbing issues. You're playing for the new roof. This is your chance to give back to the community of fans that have given so much to you. Greg. Well, they gotta need a new roof with all this rain coming down. Nice, I love it, Greg. That's awesome, good, good, come back. And I'm on fire with you right now.

And now I'll have to do something I didn't want to do because I didn't even want to give them the respect of checking the NFC playoff picture. But you know what, Falcons, You've won enough close games where I don't recognize you as a true player in this thing. But you are in the mix. So where are you. You're seven and eight, your third in the NFC South. You're in tenth place with a schedule favorable because you have the Lions up next. Okay, there you go. That's

my check in on the Falcons. Well then all the Lions up next, but they games against the lines. Oh sorry, that's that's on NFL dot com. Who should be updating there next? And Bills in the Super Bowl. So NFL dot com, how could we be uh putting up a playoff picture on our website that's not updated by Sunday night? What are we doing? I'll say no more I'll say

no more. You just hung out the old zeus are to dry In the middle of the Round the NFL podcast, the award winning Around the NFL Podcast, I went to our website and you hug me out to dry well. I think you appropriately took your employer and threw them under a moving bus. So you knows you it was deserved and you did it. You know what I did

that get dot com. I peeled my body off the pavement after they got me backed over with the bus and I chased them down like the Steelers zombie, and I grabbed whoever is running NFL dot com and I threw that son of the under the bus and then he got rolled over by the same bus. Could be a she, but that's fair. But are you are you recap the Lions Falcons? I mean you could have could have adjusted there? Are you annoyed Dan that I pointed out the air verbally? Should I have just let it slide?

Because you know, I think it's important. I think it's important. They're only one back. I mean, that's a fact. There's two weeks left in the season and the Falcons are one game back. That's those are just the facts. They're hanging around this town on the corner. Let's move to the metal ends here they come. Wilson alludes the rush. He's gonna take off. He's got plenty of running room, and he's gonna stamper for a big game. Thirty still in bounds at the twenty, makes a miss of the ten.

He could go. Wilson dives touchdown, touchdown, New York Jets. Zack Wilson on a fifty five yards stamper, breaking tackles, staying in bounds and just like that, the j E t s are on the board. It's six more New York m the boy, the boy made a play all hell the boy Bob was shusing with the call for w E p N. Zack Wilson did something no other Jet quarterback had ever done. He ran a touchdown fifty five yards on the ground, going around, going around Jacksonville defenders.

One defender thought he was going out of bounds, and he said, whoops, see you later, and as a state inbounds, towed to the sideline, did down the south line and into the end zone. It did remind me and many other Jets fans that are feeling a lot of trepidation about this latest um Jets quarterback who is supposed to be the future. There is a lot of athleticism and a lot to like about him as a physical prospect. He throws the hell out of the ball. He really

moves well in the pocket. If there's been a lot of negatives, but we've seen week after week how well he evades pressure, is able to reset. Uh. He's not making plays once he resets his feet, but he's putting himself in a position to do that and maybe one day he will. So that's optimism. I'll give you a

little optimism there as a Jets fan. Uh. And they got a defensive goal line stand at the end after Trevor Lawrence used his legs to set up the Jaguars um at the goal line, but the Jags, in their Jaguar ways did not get up to the line with with everyone known what to do, the whole play was out of whack, leading to an incomplete pass uh, ceiling a win for the Jets. UM. I saw Brian Costello. I like Brian Costello. He's he's been a long time

beat writer of the New York Post. But he had one of those sardonic, kind of pessimistic tweets like enjoy the wind now lamented, come the draft or whatever, and I'm just like, I don't want to hear it anymore. I want I know that this hurts the Jets in their draft positioning. Uh. And I would have been okay if they would have lost this game, but I don't. We don't need beat reporters, cynical beat reporters telling the fans that they shouldn't be rooting for it. In fact,

I want to play something for you guys. My brother Kevin Danger Hans is his home for the holidays. Uh. Watched the game with Keith Hansas, and my dad's a big proponent of I watched the Jets hoping to see a win. My dad is not about tanking. He want he his joy comes from the Jets winning. It doesn't matter what the situation is in the season. My brother there was nice in us to get us some real

content here and got hidden recording of Keith. On the play before the big stop at the goal line, a pass was thrown by Trevor Lawrence right into the hands of C. J. Mosley, went through his hands and for a complete pass for Jacksonville at the one yard line. And this was Keith's reaction to a near interception by Moseley that turned into a completion for the Jaguars. I don't went right through his hands. It went through front the seventh hands stream. I can't believe that it didn't

catch it. Oh my god. Oh man, that's a fan. My dad's a real one. And you know what, he was rewarded with a stop and a win. Draft positioning be damned. But also like, like, if you can get some sparks out of Zach Wilson, you're going into next year with this with him as your quarterback. Barring like stuff that becomes more common in these days, like the Kyler Murray move. But I would just say that probably they are like I don't need them to have the

number one pick and like get some momentum. And I know your head coach wasn't even coaching this game. And you know Ron Middleton, you know, former NFL tight end is one of like eighteen guys to win games without the head coach and there but I am with your dad a little bit of optimism to close what to close what's been a ghastly campaign. Otherwise, yes, and they were the Jets are missing their head coach, it's a

nice win. I don't care who's a game, right, I I agree, but it was a really disappointing final sequence. I mean, admittedly this is the only sequence I watched this play this game, but make a play, Trevor Lawrence. I mean, you get you get into that position, first of all, And I know Jaguars fans have been talking about this, there's some disagreement. It's like he had one cornerback to to beat to maybe go score a touchdown.

I know he was thinking about stopping the clock and staying in bounds, but it's like, you are a great runner, go make a guy miss and if you get tackled. He still had time that was not that big a concern. And then to back that up with and I think they had an incompletion on first down. You should you should have thrown up what would have been a game.

Then interception to Mosley. Then they spike it. I don't know if that's his decision or the coach, but they were so discombbuland they spike it with plenty of time left on third down. That was crazy. And then they can't get set up for fourth that it's not all on Lawrence, but he did make some bad plays there,

and they he definitely was not comm under press. It was one of those plays where, even if you're not someone that understands the nuances of pre snap alignments and what's allowed to happen and what's not, I count myself as one of those people you knew, oh, this is gonna be a penalty because there's guys moving all over the place in front of Lawrence, and and the play by play guys didn't make the call, which in retrospect, I mean hindsight, but Trevor Lawrence probably was better off

taking a delay of game. It was so out of whack. It was the last play a game. The clock was stopped, and then you could have your fourth and goal from the six yard line, maybe even a little bit more space to work with and try to win the game. So yeah, and a season filled with disappointment for first round pick quarterbacks. I agree with you. I thought that Lawrence did a lot of good things in this game. I thought he probably outplayed Zack Wilson in a lot

of ways. But Zack Wilson made I had two touchdowns, not no turnovers, and Lawrence wasn't able to make the big play, and it hasn't happened enough this year, like Lawrence making the big play. One little mini wasn't ready for that moment. And that's fine, he's a rookie. But some rookies are already a little more under control of what to do, and that's been put in a terrible situation.

But I mean looking to the future of Trevor Lawrence, like the it was rap sheet that reported that it's Byron Leftwich, Jim called Well and Doug Peterson who were on the early radar as head coaching candidates for the Jacksonville Jaguarso, man, they have to get this higher right and somebody with experience that you know is going to be able to run a ship in a professional way that makes sense. Um, and all those names kind of

check those boxes. So we shall see what happens with the Jags, but we won't learn about that for a couple more weeks. Uh, Let's take a break and then finish off the week. Sixteen Sunday Bears are going for the win. Here Foles gone, lifts his right leg, moves to his right, checking it, throw it back of the end zone. Catch made, and he couldn't hang on, they're gonna say it's good for the two pointer Tamere Bird back of the end zone. It is good and the

Bears have the lead here in Seattle. Thank you Bears. By the way, as a Jets fan, uh Jeff Joniac with a called w BBM, Bears don't care. Nick Foles through a late touchdown passing with the chance to tie the game, Matt Nagy said, effant, let's go for the two point good version converted successfully thanks to a beautiful, beautiful catch by wide receiver Demire Bird. Chicago followed with a stop on defense and the Bears steal over the

Seahawks in snowy Seattle. Greg, that was unbelievable, that sequence, the Jimmy Graham touchdown and then what a play by Bird though that it was such a great ending for this game. I mean, of course, the game wasn't too exciting. It was a snow game, but Nick Foles had one of the more exciting game winning touchdown drives of the entire season. He gets the ball back after the Seahawks

totally blow the game should have been over. They had a second down with three minutes left at the bears twenty eight yard line, Russell Wilson takes a terrible sack that Carol gets on him about after the game they missed the field goal, and then Folds goes right down the field like a thirty yard play on the first

um snap where he gets hit. And then you mentioned it that Graham catch was like, I don't know, I know, Jimmy Graham's not very good anymore, but it got me thinking, like, could Jimmy Graham just catch those jump balls till he was like forty seven, Like that's the only thing he can do? It so great at it. It It was a it didn't long too. Yeah, it's like a Knicks fan like.

It reminds me of late period Patrick Ewing where he lost a lot of his athleticism, but sometime against like an inferior opponent, you could just pour it to him in the paint and he could do an old move to get a get a bucket, like he's that's what Jimmy Graham is like thirty four year old Patrick Ewing. I mean yeah, and fall falls turned back the clock. I thought had a solid game overall, and then the

catch that Demere Bird made. I don't blame the play by play guy for thinking he was gonna go out of bounds because there was no way he should have. He somehow reached it out, reached out, caught it with one hand in total traffic. Looked like he was gonna get pushed out, got his shifted down and demere Bird is a hero. It made one of the places was a sick catch to not only to survive the initial throw in coverage, to come down, stay in bounds and then hold onto it with one hand. One of the

catches of the year. Yeah, in inclement weather, and it kind of it completely masked what I thought was an incredible performance Seahawks wise from Carlos Dunlap, who was all over the place for shot Penny. And you know after the game, listening to Pete Carroll, he just seemed um a little more listless and willing to accept total responsibility

and couldn't believe they lost. I couldn't believe they lost this game either, but that they they play to keep games close with their style and and uh yeah, when you face face b d n Old Nick Foles, he still got that b D n energy. Sometimes he can get it done. I want to make a prediction that this is the week we've been kind of we've been waiting for it. This is the week where we get the Capital T Capital S story, the story from someone a leak out of Seattle, either about Pete Carroll or

about Russell Wilson. It's gonna heat up coming off an ugly loss like this. All right, let's the time is ripe for us to move on to Sunday Night Football. MP backfield foreman rush and that is intercepted. It's the Marcus Lawrence down the sideline. He goes and look at that into the end zone. Boy, I tell you, if it's not Diggs, it's not Parson's, it's not Gregory. Don't forget about that guy, well said by the legend himself, Al Michael's friend BC, the Cowboys author to masterpiece on

Sunday Night Football. Yes, the opponent wasn't great, but it was a display of might that should make them a figure of intimidation. In the NFC final score fifties six to fourteen, Cowboys over Washington. And you heard al they're piping up the defense and all the playmakers and Clark,

including Demrcus Lawrence, which is absolutely true. But then you have to look at the other side and an offense that piled up for Dak Prescott touchdown passes in the first half alone in building a forty two seven halftime lead, and Mark, that is just like what you're talking about with the Cowboys, Like when they are in full flight, they look as impressive as any team in football. Yeah, you know, they are becoming a light in the NFC.

And I I just was thinking towards the second half of this game when, like you know, the actual minute by minute details started to fade away into the larger picture that if you track like Super Bowl appearing in Super Bowl winning teams, they typically have a couple of wins like this. Um, I know it's just a post Thanksgiving its only time, but it's like late in the

season where they assure you that they are dominant. And we have been dogging Dallas with a series of questions about their offense, sputtering to some degree, not quite reaching its potential, not as many questions about the defense, and quite the opposite. Tonight, you saw everything come together, and I think for me, it starts with the totally pristine performance of Dak Prescott. He looked healthy, he looked perfect, He used all his weapons. Amari Cooper has nothing to

complain about this week, two reporters. It's has kind of showed you like there are a couple of teams hanging out there going sideways and in the wrong direction. We've talked about a bunch of them. Tonight, Dallas suddenly looks completely different to me. Maybe with the way one is none of this will linger and carry on. But I kind of see that differently because they have they're one of the rare teams with the defense that can stomp you out. And when the offense plays this way, they

are what they were tonight, totally unstoppable. I don't care if it was Washington or anyone else. Right, Dabban dak was unconscious at one point. He was two thirty. And those throws weren't all easy. I mean that the touchdowns were like the guys are wide open. But he had one throw full sprint to the left on the money, the type of athletic throw that he hasn't made a

ton this year since the injury. Another couple on the run to the right, so good, and then when they line up on third downs, it seems like they're kind of going with Gregory and then on the outside Parsons on the other side, and then Tank Lawrence and Gallimore inside like good luck, one of those dudes is just going to have some matchup where he recks shop and they did, and Digs is covering McLaurin. It's fun to see. And they've had this kind of cape cupcake schedule here

for a while. That ends like they got the Cardinals next week. They got the Eagles in Week eight, team which probably will matter because they might be going for that one seed and then they'll have a playoff game and they they're fascinating, these five teams that have all made the NFC playoffs, you know, just to kind of recap the day, you know, we knew the Packers were in, but the Cardinals, Rams, the Cowboys, and the Bucks are all in now. All five of those teams are are

pretty fascinating teams. And the Cowboys have the star power to match any of them. Even their special teams got in the mix of the second half of the punt block um for a touchdown, so um Bones Fossil he gets into the mix as well, And Yeah, I think I agree. The defense they've been doing, they've been on a massive heater. Uh had that streak of the last

three weeks before Sunday Night where they had the four turnovers. This, of course another affair filled with interceptions and big plays, but I think that Dak Prescott performance is the one that really does stand out because if if he does get back to the guy in the first four or five weeks, and he combined it with this uber talented, playmaking minded defense, and it's a really well coached team.

I mean, I know Mike McCarthy has gotten some slings and arrows on the show and and it's been deserved it in a lot of ways, but I mean he leads a really sound coaching staff. They have an offensive philosophy. Obviously, the defense has really come to life under Dan Quinn, and McCarthy is a good guy to kind of be overlooking if they just seem really uh set up well for a playoff front. Now we've said that about the Cowboys before, and there's a reason why they've gone a

quarter century without a Super Bowl birth. But this version of the Cowboys can beat anybody in the league. It's not just that Washington is totally cooked and Washington is cook. Taylor Heineke did not want to be on that field. Neither would I have if I'm telling reporters that I couldn't even take the laundry basket, uh down the steps, and then I'm in an NFL game against all these superstar defensive players. Uh no, wonder he had that look

in his eye by the third quarter. And I'm glad that we're not making a big deal out of it. But the Durron Payne Jonathan Allen thing, um, I just found interesting. But I don't think it's that uncommon, and like I guess, just seeing football players, I think it's I think it's pretty uncommon too for a guy to to try to punch Colin's Earth was saying he's literally never seen that in a football game. Well, there's people tweeting, people tweeting that it's they've seen it too many times.

I mean, it's not happening every week, but it's anything like arguing and yelling. But like if he knows more than any of us. And Ron Rivera at halftime seemed to not make too much of it. I mean, it's a passionate game and a guy's obviously getting embarrassed. I mean, Washington, we don't need to dwell on them too long, but to go from where their season was a few weeks ago to just being completely taken out by COVID to

this primetime performance. Um, they will have plenty of time to talk about their future, but you would think it near the top of the list is quarterback. Not that this was a Heinek loss, but they're just not competitive against the big time contender and they need to start trying to get there. I think they're broken down. I mean these teams at this point like they went through a they went through the COVID ringer. Yeah, Heineke I think has shown a lot of this season, but not

enough to be a starter. And you know, Ron Rivera like, you've got a team where you just you met the Cowboys at the peak of their powers at the wrong time. And I like, honestly, uh, you know, Arizona's fade may not be over. I don't like their chances at all against this Cowboys team. If they show up looking like they did tonight, I don't think anyone in the NFC

can bet them. It's a good call about you know, how Washington's broken down, because I think that's gonna be a major So we kind of spin forward, like above the treetops here COVID his broken down rosters. Obviously he's taking a ton of guys out of the mix, but it's putting other players in a situation where that you know, there's a lot of snaps being played, a god of guys that have to play through injury because rosters are short.

And how these teams navigate this completely unprecedented situation is a huge subplot and I don't know what it is. And I know I remember Mark, we talked about it. You did some data digging on it. The numbers are similar, but this feels a lot different than last year. Well, there are bad's backloaded. You know, the numbers of players that got COVID in the last week where it was

extraordinary and was even higher than the week before. Like it's it's all coming now and it's not slowing down, and it doesn't stop the injuries either, Like Washington lost three defensive starters to injury last week, so that showed up I think again. So it's like it's tough. This happens at the end of every season, but now we

got an extra week. There there are a handful of teams that are just trying to trying to get and that sweet that sweet couldn't have been more ancient twenty four hours after I put it out because of the explosion. But I think there's something to be looked at that when players come back from COVID, there seems to be um a week or two dragon their play. And so when you have these teams that had nineteen guys out like, they don't come back at maximum force. So it's just

it's a it's a long season. Some of these teams are drifting away into the mist. It's the biggest season ever. Know, that's their terminology for it, markt quote right before we started, I feel close to the edge, so we're gonna get out of it. Has been a bit of a rugged um it is. Did you guys have a nice Christmas? We didn't even you know, hit that at the top, you guess, No, I did not. I think I made that before that. I count the Christmas before that. I

will tell you this, I love Christmas. I love Christmas before I had kids. Now it's even more special. Uh now that that I do have kids, and my wife and I are very lucky. But uh, it is a lot um in the middle of this NFL season, especially when it's the day after Christmas. This is one of those days where you just we're champions, were grinders and we're getting through this is this is a tough day

on the calendar. I think we did it, though we did it, and before we go, I also want to just send a very belated congratulations to our old producer law said we we haven't given her a shout out on the podcast, and she she got married and before she married her Disney prince, so you know, all the listeners that made it this deep, you know, just like

firebomb her mentions with congratulations. Totally confused because she got married like a month ago at this point, but she took amazing pictures and it'sid and she deserves it all. And by the way, she's a she's a delightful presence and she married um like a bona fide hunk. So I I from just from an overall objective standpoint, I feel that Dan, I'm correct and say that to say that, yeah, I would say he's he's a hottie. And she looks exactly.

I think she always aspired to be a Disney princess and she looks like one and she seems like one. And what a producer as well else, So like one of those like triple threats. Don't you agree, Ricky? I do actually, And I was the one that texted Sydney in our group saying congratulations before any of you, and I told you about her wedding and sent her the pictures. So don't make it out. Don't make it out like

I'm sitting here like Matt. I was the one that sent the screenshots and was like, you looked amazing, so Sydney. So the fact that in your left hand right now you have a Sydney voodoo doll and you're sticking pins in it. That's not like in a wedding dress. Yeah no, no, no, that that just has to look alike separate. Sayah right right, Sydney, We love you. Congratulations and the best of luck to everything to come because yes, now married and hopefully kids

on the way. That that really does make the holidays special. I loved it was your Christmas good, Greg, Oh yeah it was great. Yeah you're right, kid, kids, kids make it um the big gifts. The boy got a skateboard trained set. I mean it was all it was fun. It was a lot of fun. It really is like, you know, their best day of the year or it's up there. You know, you hope it like reaches like their expectations than it does, and you feel like you want the children have to work hard screw it up

to so right, that's true. It's like the worst day of the year, kid's best day of the year. No, no, no, Like like you asked me, I didn't think. We think overall it was I would call it a mixed bag of a day. But the better part um with the children was was fantastic. It was tough. You know, we're watching those games on Saturday and it was like, shoot, this is what we were worried about with that, with

how that Saturday is gonna play out. But you you've came through it all right again, Mark, you've been such a pro during this take slump, I have to say, I gotta figure out something to put it down the resume. It's like, well, we'll make wrong takes, will continue to show up and punch the clock and do the things. So alright, good stuff. We'll be back on Tuesday, the return of Connie Fox. She'll be sitting on the show on Tuesday, so make sure you check that out. Thank

you for everybody for to listen for listening. Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve coming up right around the corner. Still the holiday season, get loose everybody, all right until then Tuesday, that is, Keep the car m three