2021 Week 18 Preview - With Taglines!

Our little weekly format will slightly change next year, I mean next week. Like that. These are all things to celebrate as our um, the retirement of all these teams out there that we know longer want to talk about. At least they're seasons. Yeah, I think that some of them. You know, we've tried to give every team it's due to some degree, but when you really really rot um, the storyline has become a bit you know, redone overcooked, and we are ready to send some of them back

into the kitchen. Let's work on this dish again and present it in Yeah. Yeah, that's well said Mark. I think it's uh, it is part of the cycle, every team must die, some don't die until Super Bowl Sunday. Um, only one team could be immortal and live forever. So I know this is by the time you get to this part of the season, if you're gonna be a because we're not gonna some of the games. You know, we have all thirty two teams playing on Sunday, and

you know, not all these games are bangers. A lot of these games are gonna feature two teams that gain nothing other than worst draft position by winning. So not every team is gonna get the love that you may want. But at the same time, you're probably burned out on this team if they're already eliminated. Then you get to spin forward to the pods in a couple of weeks a month or so, when it's all reborn. It's all reborn. That's the cycle of life, that's the cycle of the NFL.

It's very organic. Um. And you know, I know for some people that have been following a team that you know died two or three months ago. I UM, I'm adding a little element just to this Week eighteen preview, Dan like it's just a little a little a little bit of spice. UM. Each game will have its own

um unique tagline. And what why I am doing this is because a lot of our listeners love to communicate with us on a Sunday, for instance, about let's say the Jets Bills game, and they go into rich detail trying to get our attention with you know, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson through a real zinger right there, beautiful out pattern and a completion like, don't even worry about that. What you do is because we you know, we diligently look at every every tech tweet that comes our way.

Each game will have a very sustinct um tagline. You just simply say, like guy in green through nice past. Then you insert the tagline that I will give you before the Jets Bills game, for instance, and we'll sort it out on our own, on our own time. If I see the tagline, I'll say, oh, Jet guy in green must be Zack Wilson. You don't need to add the rich detail. I'll I well, well, we will do the work for you. If that makes any sense at all?

Did you follow that? Not total sense? But I like the idea that Mark's got a new bit and that he's got a tagline for each game. I don't really need to get into the twitter of it all personally. That's for the listeners. That part of the bargain we may not hold up, but you will get a tagline for each game. Also, Guy in Green seems a lot harder to write than Zack Wilson's I'm not sure like what you're getting out of that. That's I don't know if that's hell right. That part of it needs maybe

a little bit of um work shopping. But you know with the suddenly it was noon here and we're taping, so and just like in the spirit of unsolicitated advice here, if you're setting up a bit thus, Lee, just say I got taglines for each game. Yeah, I mean I you know how I'd like to add a layer of complexity that maybe I've not thought out completely myself, Um, to muddle the show, slow it down, and leave us in an awkward place. So mission accomplished. Okay, it's okay.

I'm looking forward to it. We're all looking forward to it. Uh And I should correct myself. Not every game is on Sunday. We have two games on Saturday. No Thursday night football, no Monday Night football, but two games Saturday so we're gonna do our draft as we always do for the last time uh this season, and let's start with the Saturday games. I guess we'll we'll hold the Saturday games and the Sunday night football game out of the draft. That makes sense, right, So let's start with

the Chiefs at Denver Broncos. Um. You know, the Chief's coming off a disappointing loss at Cincinnati. But let's not get two lost in the weeds here. They were in an eight game winning streak before that game. They got picked up by a field goal against the team that just was playing out of its mind on offense, and now they get the Broncos. I don't know if Teddy Bridgewater is ever gonna come back this season. And okay, so they just moved Teddy out. Drew Locks got a

bad shoulder. We'll see if he's playing, um, but Greg will start this way. UM, I don't know if this game is gonna be able to tell us anything about the defense. But did what happened against the Bengals? Uh, kind of shake your confidence in Kansas City's ability to get a big spot in a couple of weeks because it was like it was Steve Spagnola believing in his system,

like a little too much and the wrong matchup. I think if they played the Bengals again, they should play it differently, like don't leave, don't leave the guys in in man coverage. But overall they're a good defense. They're not a great defense. I don't think you know any of these a f C defenses are incredible. The bigger takeaway from me for that game was their Their offense looks as good as it looks all the season, and

so does Patrick Mahomes. That even the stops in the second half, if you go through each one, that there were reasons for it. Uh. For the most part, he looks as comfortable as confident as Patrick Mahomes as he's been all year. And the offensive line is so good, and they have depth, like they were down a couple of players last week and they played awesome. I more than any time all year. I actually feel like the

Chiefs are the Chiefs, and it makes sense. It's a team that's, you know, made it to a couple of straight Super Bowls. Here maybe they're cranking it up at the end of the year. They're five and oh against Vic Fangio. By the way, there's no Patrick Sirtan, There's no uh Ronald Darby in this game. They couldnt make this line big enough. It was ten points I saw earlier. I guess I'm gonna have to make it rain here. I wasn't even playing. Oh god, I feel confident in

the Chiefs. Just putt oh wow, five and one this year, right, six and one six six one Hameda hammeda. Good for you, And that was impulsive, But I do feel that very strongly. They would be one of my top two or three for sure. It's interesting, Greg, because um, the Rainmaker is doing so well and yet your your struggles in the lock competition continue to the point where do you locked the Browns and I talked you out of that good thing? So you jump to another team, the Chiefs, and locked

them and they lost too. So as bad as you've been in the locks competition, in the Rainmaker land, you're as hot as ever fire. I mean, I've I've learned by being in various you know different ways of picking things over the years. You can be great in some bad in the other and uh and since almost all luck and by the way, Mark isn't sitting out this conversation he's having some tech difficulties. I'm sure we'll just

keep talking. I just as assuming he's gonna be back. Yeah, once I heard there was a computer restart involved, there's like a kid cover for the guy, you know, a little pullback the curtain. Sometimes that there's a tech deaf in a big spot. We just roll through it and that person pops back in. But it's been too long, had to alert the audience. Have no regrets about it.

This isn't much of a game anyways. Really, um, I want to say we should for all these games in week eighteen, Uh, the stakes here, the Chiefs will be the number one seed in the a f C. And with that, of course comes the first round by in home field throughout the conference playoffs. So the Chiefs will be the number one seed with a win at Denver. And they're gonna win at Denver. And and this is

the hard part, a Tennessee loss at Houston. So they both have the same record, the Titans and the Chiefs. But the Titans beat the Chiefs seven three back in Week seven. That that's the crazy thing, Greg, that like, and I agree with you. I think the last couple of weeks with the offense just looking free and natural and free and easy. That's such a huge development in our league. Um So I don't I don't worry about their attack anymore. But that's how bad it was. Back

in week seven. They were scoring a field goal for an entire game that offense. That was crazy. It is to think back. And also, you know that what you broke down for the number one seed, it's why they're gonna play this thing to win. I've heard there's some talk of like what they because almost everyone else is. You know, there's a lot of teams that might be resting players this week. But I do not see them resting players unless they're up by four scores and they're

you know, they're playing Saturday, obviously. In the Tennessee Houston game is a early game on Sunday, so it's gonna be all in front of them. They get to beat up on the Broncos and then sit on their couch and hope to get fortunate. All right, let's move to the other Saturday game. The Dallas Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles, and uh So, Mark, if we just like did the rest of the podcast, I think you'd like I don't know. He's prepped, he's got

his taglines. We need to certain We'll circle back for his Saturday taglines for sure. UM. Anyway, so we have the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Cowboys. UM. Both teams going to the playoffs. So the Eagles clinched that playoff bid um with their fourth string. When I angered Eagles Nation Greg with a tweet on Monday, when I was watching all the games as part of the power rankings process, when I noted I went through their schedule and I was like, Okay, when's the last time they beat a

good team? And then I was just I kept on going up and going up and going up. It's like, hot, damn, they have a beat a team that has a winning record right now. And then I said, I think these Eagles are the NFC Dolphins. And oh the Eagles fans weren't happy. They didn't want to hear that. They and I get where they're coming from. It's funny actually how

Twitter works. Like at first, all the people were more like Gonzo like, which was while you're right, uh, you know, we're the best of the not very good, and it was very sensical. But then of course it probably showed up on like a some type of blog or something. At some point I got tweeted out and then all all the maniacs came and I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you Philadelphia from New York. I'm not scared, Greg, but I do feel that way. I

think their cannon fodder most likely in a couple of weeks. Well. One of the things I've always thought about you is that you're from New York and you're not scared. I think they're different than the Dolphins just a little bit, but it's clothe. I mean, I I see what you're getting at. But I just by the eye test and what they have personnel wise, and their strengths in terms of their offensive line and for the most part getting pressure as a pass rush, I just think they have

a little more um to worry uh an opponent. It's probably gonna be the Bucks. They are gonna rest in this game. The Eagles like no team has ever rested before. I mean, they got COVID. A ton of their starters got COVID this week. It was implied on our air that they a lot of players took the COVID test on Monday, to get the positive tests out of the way, which it's like it's like COVID analytics um, which is crazy because you only have to test if you self

report symptoms. Uh so there's a ton of good starters, and I think they were gonna sit everyone. Anyways, I've heard some talk that the Cowboys might sit players to Tyranne Smith has COVID, Michael Parsons is out COVID. But I think the Cowboys want to get a good feeling about their offense, and I think they want to win this game because there they could be the two seed. There's a big difference between the two and the five seed. First of all, you don't have to play, you know,

the Cardinals in the first round. That's nice. But if you can have a home game in the divisional round as opposed to go into lambeau Field, to me, that seems absolutely worth playing. Uh three quarters of this game with dark Prescott. Guess what we have developing news? Mark Sessler's back. So we're actually on the Sunday night game. Now, Mark, you're ad two weeks in a row. I've somehow dodged all responsibilities on the Thursday show. I don't know what happened.

A router exploded in my home and like we you know, we started it. We'll see what happens. Hey, quarantine life. You know what I'm saying, Um, if you have no idea where where you are, so I will just I will use context clues. Did you say happy wife, happy life? No, I said quarantine in life. You know what I'm saying, I wish happy life. All right, we did miss your tag though. Let's Bronco. So let's get that because we were in the middle of Eagles. Okay, Ricky, get our

tag little SoundBite please. The tagline is snow Day at Baxter College for women. Like that? I like? I like, Um, you're being a leader right now to Mark. You know, people talk about like what what his leadership isn't making like the big speech before the game or No, it's leading by example. He's showing us right now week eighteen. He's not phoning in, He's coming up with new material. He's gaining energy as we get to the fish. I miss the show, so I don't know what phone in

would qualify as. I would just say what Greg is saying a spot on true leaders It's actions, It's not where, it's necessarily, and I think you've caused us all, uh to lift our game. And just so, just so I'm aware of how this works. There's no explanation. It's just this is the tagline and we keep moving. Or are we supposed to ask what the hell that just meant? No, you can, You're allowed to. But it is not my intention to bog the showdown or at an extra eighteen minutes.

As I suggested at the top, it would be these are quick taglines we can just ignore and move on for further use. We're gonna let that one sit and marinate for the listening public. All right, So back to the Eagles and Cowboys. Mark, you missed that. Eagles fans are mad at me on Twitter, But I ain't afraid because you know, I'm up there in the Bronx slinging pizza dough, listen to Frankie Valley playing stickball on my day off over here. Now, well, I'm very I'm very

glad for you. So you've you've annoyed them, and then but you just you're you don't think about them. But the Cowboys, Greg, it was a good point. I believe, Uh, they need a nice win here to go into the place. They don't need it, but they could use it. And I mean, the offense needs to show up if they're healthy, if they're on the field, and score three touchdowns, four touchdowns and go to the postseason feeling like you have a weapon um that people can't stop on that on

that side of the ball that feels like important. Doesn't it work? Yeah? I mean I I I'm a big proponent like going back and watching teams that go into the playoffs in the right way and what it means. And you're gonna obviously be dealing with an Eagles team that could be sitting all sorts of players. They've got a ton of people. As Greg mentioned on the COVID list,

Dallas does too. But you'd like to say, maybe we take this narrative of these slumping Dallas offense and put it away for a for a bit, because three of the last four weeks for Dallas on offense have been a problem. That Washington game was a total fireworks show. You'd like to see that happen again as a tune up, because it does matter where you wind up seeding wise, like they can improve their situation there. So this game

has a big impact for the Cowboys. They're most likely locked They're not locked in, but they're most likely Dallas the number four seed in the NFC. The Eagles can move up to as high as the sixth or the seventh. Um, we'll see what happens. All right, any other thoughts there before we move it to Sunday. All right, let's move it to Sunday. Let's move into the draft and mark the thing you're back? Oh, where's your tagline for that game? I'm sorry? The tagline? Quick Erica the sound boss. It's

Paula Poundstone online too? Like that? Is that the disgraced comedian with the giant pants? Yes, that's the that that would be her. All right, let's move to Sunday. I'm enjoying them so far too for two um draft style, Mark, you have the first pick in the final proper draft of the year. Well, I'm gonna go. Um, I'm gonna go Patriots at Dolphins. I'm intrigued by this game. I want to see New England come in. Now. New England can still it theoretically grab the number one seed if

some other stuff happens. Um, they can still win the a f CS. If Buffalo ever were to tumble against the Jets. So there's there are multiple you know, factors here for New England to go in and play the best game they can. And I you know, I don't trust Miami's offensive line in this game against New England's defense. UM. I thought the meltdown against Tennessee kind of Uh to your argument for week stand unmasked the Dolphins as a

non playoff contender. Their defense is spicy, but they got run over by Tennessee a week ago, and I know that game took place in ugly conditions which affected to us play. Uh. This will be in Miami, obviously, and I mean the I don't know how much to give faith to these things, but Bill Belichick's record against the Dolphins, uh, since two thousand has been a problem compared to how he's dealt with the Jets and the Bills. These games in Miami, in the road in South Beach have been

an issue. They they knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago, they knocked them out of the by two years ago. And these were not, you know, necessarily starry Dolphins teams. They're not different than this year. So I guess you just want to hope that the dolt that the New England has learned whatever lesson from that um and doesn't have some sort of a hangover. I don't expect them to. I think they'll run the ball really well. It's probably not a huge mac Jones game

for me. I think, if anything, you don't want to put it into his hands. You just want to do what you do, keep it clean, keep it vanilla, and try to punish a defense that's gonna know you pretty well blind. Brian Flores is one of the few like kind of expats coaches that seems to understand how Belichick's

mind works and and affected on game day. Right. I'm not I'm not concerned with like the record of Miami over his career, but the fact that Brian Flores as a winning record is absolutely instructive because this team, this Dolphins team is similar in its strength and weaknesses as as they were in the past couple of years, including Week one where they beat him. You know, took a fumble late in Dolphin's territory, but who knows that was a nip and tuck game where two teams look very even.

It was a long time ago. I think the Patriots can show that they're a better team. They're more complete. I mean, they can run, they can pass, They're pretty solid against the run. They have playmakers in terms of j. C. Accent and bar Moore who's just playing out of his mind right now. They gave Adrian Phillips, who has been a great pick up at safety, a contract this week. I thought was smart. They get agil Are back. They really missed Kendrick Born when he was out of line

of piece back. So they're like a better team overall. But I kind of expect this will be close for a while, just because Miami generally is that team. If the Patriots are really taken off though, like maybe maybe they do wax him it just it would it would really change. I think the to a conversation in the off season, as silly as it is, I think how

to a plays in this game will matter. Like if he plays awesome and they win, I think that'll that'll that'll help point out a lot of the positives that he had this year, because the last three weeks have been really ugly for him. So I don't think it's silly. Well it's silly if you're saying it all comes down

to one game. But I think what's happened now that we've had a full season of too uh and we've seen, you know, the slow start by the team uh and to A and then they got hot and he had some good games in stretch, but he's never really felt like a transcendent first round talent that they wanted him to be. Uh. And then with the season essentially on the line, when they finally face a big time team

in Tennessee, he does nothing. The team does nothing. So part of me is like, man, I wonder if it already was sealed that Tennessee game, Like they're like, we want to when when Deshaun Watson has traded to the Dolphins in a month or two months or whatever it is a couple of months from now. Um, I really think that Tennessee game, maybe it will seem unfair. But I think that might have been the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of two his long term

viability in Miami. But maybe he lights up the Patriots and that helps us, helps him, But I don't know if that's gonna happen, because I don't think we've seen enough from two in the Dolphins offense to think that they could hang with the defense like this. The Patriots defense first and points per game allowed, third in total yards allowed, fourth and opposition third down percentage second in

an opposite opposition passer rating. They're holding quarterbacks this season to a pass rating of seventy two point four and there and they are third in takeaways. All that seems to set up to me in a game that the where the Patriots are playing for the division. Hopefully for them. Uh, I think this is going to get away from Miami, and this feels like to me that that would that would be a a great sign for this Patriots team

going into the playoffs. Because I know it was the Jaguars a week ago, but that doesn't I don't think matters to the players there. They had two games where they were not playing well, and they came out of last week's game feeling like they're absolutely back and they're

back and refocused. And I think to the team, which is, you know, I think the worst Patriots team maybe that won the Super Bowl, that team lost two games in our own December, and then they beat up on some Patsy's the last two weeks of the season and came into the playoffs playing well. I don't think this team is headed to a super Bowl necessarily, but I think they have a shot. Like I think, I think basically almost every team in the ANFC that makes the playoffs

I think has a shot. But I don't think. I don't view the Patriots have had that much worse of a shot today than I did in Week eleven. I I've, at least as a fan, I've been kind of consistent where I I think they got a shot, but they're gonna They're gonna need some breaks, They're gonna need some great game plans they I mean there are thing is they don't trip up against lesser opponents. I mean, you know, the Jacksonville game is instructive that they went and just

absolutely took them apart. I know that's a bad team, but I would be shocked if Miami pulled another trick scenario here. You're not gonna have Ryan Fitzpatrick, you know, having someone jump on his back and carry him off the field like it was a year ago. Do I have to say instructive now? In the next five minutes the rule of threes? Oh? Did Greg also say that, Yes, we've just become one being Do you want the tagline for this game. We always want the taglines Ricky hit it, tagline,

colon tell me I'm bad. It's like another router just exploded. Well, it's a nice window into Mark's subconscious enjoying it. I think he likes to be told these bad ideally by a female trained assassin. Must not trained though. If the assassin is untrained, do not tell him dead. If she's been highly trained, yes, there, absolutely, thank you for saying that. All right, let's take a break and then we move to Greg. Alright, we're back, Greggy, you're on the board.

Psych got your baby because I'm chumping you chumping your baby. I mean, this is uh a classic, a classic move by a guy who forgot to use it in a better spot wakes until week eighteen. You know, it's like the second pick. It's like you just checked in your your free ice cream cone coupon was running out today. You're not even hungry, but you just gotta use it now. Anyway, I'm enjoying one of the it's it's now being remembered by football historians and podcast historians. Is like the herschel

Walker trade. Whatever it was that Greg gave to me, I gave to Greg it always building towards us. I've jumped him three times. I remember what it was. It was a Ravens Bengals game. Um that the Ravens got waxed. And now here we are. Somehow Mark doesn't take the best game off the board. He he stuck around in the a f C East. He loves Belichick worked out for me, So obviously I'm going to grab the game of the week, one of the games of the year, the forty nine at the l A Rams NFC West

on the line huge steaks. That is when I would have taken by the way. I just transparency. I want to show that in future, you know cases when I deny that you got me like this is I'm frightful here? Yeah? Of course. What what's with your whole trying to sell like, oh, you got your little ice cream ticket? No, bro, this was well orchestrated and carried out. Do you think that maybe I'm nice enough where I I left that for one of my two fellow pasters. Okay, but I am

looking forward to your tagline. All right, here we go. Interesting game, fascinating game, Greggy. Where are we at on Jimmy Garoppolo? I know he was practicing this week, and you know Kyle Shannon wants Garoppolo to play. It's it's been laid out there for weeks and weeks that he trusts Jimmy G on some level more than the kid. What are we hearing? You know that he practiced, he was limited, that he's still feeling pain. But there was some video of him throwing the ball and to my

untrained I look look pretty good. Well, maybe we're watching the same video where George Kittle was taking passes from each of this, but it's like, I don't know, he's out there throwing. So he makes the catch and then Kittle, who's a w W E character, it's like, oh yeah, that was a good ball. That's funny. Um, so let's say Jimmy G starts. Um, I think that's where this is heading. But don't discount Trey Lance having a big role, whether it's coming in or some type of tandem thing here. Um,

the Rams, it's all in front of the Rams here. Uh. They win their first NFC West title since two thousand eighteen with a win here, and what I'm looking to see here in San Francisco has got a top five rank defense this year. Um, Which version of Matthew Stafford shows up in this game? Because the turnover late in player, that's a problem. In the playoffs, they're going to the dancing either way the Niners. Where are we at on

the Niners? There nine and seven they will clinch a playoff birth of the win or in New Orleans lost at Atlanta in week eighteen. So those are the stakes in this game. They're very high. Which version of matt Stafford shows up? Mark Well, I think that you know, the Matthew Stafford experience includes both. I mean the pick six um stuff happened. It started in that romp, the San Francisco romp, where basically it put it put the Niner the Rams into a fourteen nothing hole that they

never escaped from. And that was because of the Stafford mistakes and also San Francisco's ability, um M. Shannahan's ability against Sean McVeigh to orchestrate long clock chewing drives that really kept the Rams in that game, specifically in the dirt, and it was the game that kind of left people wondering or the Rams finesse. Now, I do think that Stafford last week, after the initial mistakes, I mean, he went what fourteen for fourteen, he was pretty pristine down

the stretch. So I think it's the other part of Stafford. I'm with you a pcent because if it's Jimmy G, it's also a quarterback whose mistakes could unspool this team. And we've seen that a couple of different times. So I'm wondering if we get a little bit of Jimmy G and maybe a little bit more of tray Lance because I know it. I know that games started a little rough for them against Houston a week ago, but I thought the tray Lands started to really feel more

comfortable as the game went on. See see the field a little better and that touchdown a Deebo Samuel, It's like, do you want that X factor in a game like this when the Rams have very little tape on this guy, I think it's just a t B D. And I mean, you know, Shannahan said that this is gonna be a game time decision at quarterback for competitive balance reasons. So I wonder if we finally get that mix that we've

been looking for. Yeah, I I would be afraid of Trail Lance a little bit if I was the Rams, because that's how the forty Niners have beat him over the years. For the most part is the running game and Trey Lance, Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel together on the same field. That's a lot to deal with. When when tray Lance was starting earlier in the year, players were injured, auk wasn't up to speed, Mitchell wasn't Mitchell,

Kittle wasn't himself. And I think it's tough and I think we will see more of tray Lance even if Jimmy G does start. Now, Jimmy G's undefeated against the Rams, He's five and Oh McVeigh hasn't won a game against this forty Niners team. One of the reasons I think is they haven't been able to hold up defensively, and that's where I've seen the biggest change with this Rams team. I know Von Miller hasn't like lit the sky on fire, but he's great at setting the edge. He's been a

plus starter. And you've seen Leonard Floyd, a Sean Robinson gains and then especially Aaron Donald going from like good Aaron Donald season, which is you know, pro bowler, all pro to otherworldly Aaron Donald again, which is you know where he is and like the Inner Circle Hall of Fame, and that's the kind of runnings on now and so

I think that's a problem for the forty niners. Uh. And a difference between when these two money pushed back UM on power ranks this week, I had the Rams at number two overall, UH, and I actually put I put a lot into UM how that game ended. I thought it was very interesting, UM that they had this game where they struggled, where the quarterback was making bad throws, and then for them to be able to close the way they did, it was a championship close. Uh. The

seventy five yard drive. Uh. And Mark, you kind of hit on this, like the precision that Stafford through the ball with and that every ball was exactly where it needed to be ending with the Beckham touched that. And then von Miller is Greg mentions he's um he's had a positive impact on this team. He's not von Miller two thousand fifteen, but he doesn't necessarily need to be. He makes the biggest play of his Rams career, that crushing sack of Tyler Huntley keeps Justin Tucker off the field.

So while that was an imperfect game, that closes what really good teams do even on days that aren't so hot, And isn't it fair to think that it was going to take time for Stafford to kind of find his way in this offense a little bit? I mean, I just think when you see the Rams in that in that late period of that game, the Rams at their

heights are a super Bowl team. Now, if you get bungled up with a bunch of mistakes, and we've seen it happen a couple other times where they the Stafford issues um which shouldn't come as a surprise to longtime Stafford viewers, they could not overcome those. And so I mean, the Niners I think are a bad opponent. If you get mistakes plus the Niners executing on offense, that's the

Rams team. That's the team the Rams have not been able to figure out and solved, which would be the scary you know, end of the of the bargain here. But I think this you're right that its Game of the Week material if it plays out as expected. I mean, I don't I sometimes look at these games and think, actually, this game could be thirty eight to ten and the third quarter to the who's winning though, Who's winning that game? I'm gonna go with my heart and goes San Francisco three.

That hard has betrayed you this year. Mark. I took the Rams on my game picks on the site four, which is a thread the needle. It's like under the point spread which started at five, and I think it's down to four and a half or four now. But this is such a coin fla. They could play again next week to like if there is a scenario if the Saints lost, especially in the Rams one, that they could play again next week, which would be highly annoying.

And uh, I think that the man knocking out the would be an emphatic way to end this little streak here. And I do think the two seed really does matter. Dan the Cowboys would pass the Rams if the Cowboys one in the Rams lost um and and who knows if the Bucks could pass them to uh potentially, I think they think the Rams have the tiebreaker there. It depends on if it's three, because they beat them but right, but if it's a three wave comes down to conference

record and the and the Cowboys get it. So it's a lot at steak for both teams. I got thirty Rams, but I think this is gonna be a really good game. Um. And if the Rams do get in with a win and all that and the momentum that goes with that, um, look out they really cam Akers could be back. We should mention cam Akers, who I think as good as Sonny Michelle has been, he is not a pass catching back.

Acre is a little more complete. So I think the combination of those two guys would would be great for them. But I would give you a little. I'll give you a little. Gregg is Um the Niners the number two run defense d v O A wise right now, So that's a small factor. Um bummer though about that, Greg, because you actually stepped on tagline there his tagline for this game as cam Acres could be back. No, it's not. You want to know what it is? Well, yes I do.

Ricky hungry for chocolate, Okay, all right, there's there's definitely a an uncomfortable sensuality that's really creeping into the that is diet, Harry item. I mean most children enjoy Chocolate's got some sensuality. Pop, you're adding your own. You're adding your own. Not my thing. I don't do that. You're adding that's not where it is. I didn't come in with that layer necessarily. Greg's wife's a chef. I don't know.

Tell me now you're up, Greig third pick. Yeah, you really, you really have a boxed me in a corner here, because you know the best games are in the afternoon, and yet it doesn't matter. I gotta admit the game I want to watch it's called Jags, and I know

it could be a blowout, but I don't care. It's the game that matters the most in the early window, and it's also the game where if it is close in the third quarter, it's easily, uh, the most important game of the week because if if that happens, then suddenly the Ravens and Steelers are alive. Uh. It changes the steaks for the Chargers. It also would be like an epic uh disappointment for the Colts to even be close,

and and the tension could be high. So even though I kind of think it will be a blow I'm gonna take Colts Jags, and remember that the first time these teams played it was very close. I made a mistake on the podcast previously. I was thinking about a Colts Texans game, the Colts Jaguars game back and I think it was Week ten was maybe the most complete game the Jaguars played all year. They lost it by six points. There was a punt return touchdown by the Colts.

It was one of the better games by the Jaguars offense. The Colts offense did nothing after scoring a touchdown early and then getting this punt block touchdown to go up big. I don't know if that's necessarily telling, but I think it's more telling than the fact that, you know, they haven't won in Jacksonville in six years. I don't care about those old Jaguars teams, but this one did play its best game of the year against the Colts. And you know, could Carson Wentz be squeezing the ball a

little tight coming out a halftime? If if this game is actually close, I'm curious to see at least, I mean, the Carson Wentz thing came back had COVID. We're now familiar in this podcast realm with the effects of COVID and it is crazy. There's This was reported um Stephen Holder from the Athletic Um. One of the things that NFL training staffs are learning this year is that the after effects of COVID are felt most when the body is pushed to its limits. I think we underestimate its

impact on the entire NFL this season. To be perfectly honest, I thought that was a good tweet. That was interesting.

Um it made me think of Tyreek Hill when he came back from COVID a couple of weeks back and had o roll or made no impression in that game for the Chiefs on a day where they, you know, lit up their opponent offensively, And it just makes me think, man, we're all it's I know, I'm like, maybe too much of a defender of Wentz, but at the same time, he's one of those guys where he just people don't like Wentz. They and they, there's a celebration when went struggles.

I think it's a little bit of confirmation bias for all of Twitter when he struggles, and I think maybe not enough was put into him coming back as quickly as he did, uh from having COVID not being vaxed. And I'm just wondering, like, is that a throwout game or is that more reason to be concerned that he's an up and down guy Because before he got sick in Arizona, he led them on a couple of drives that were absolutely money and had me feeling super sky

high about the Colts. I'm willing to maybe before that was one of his worst games of the year, you know, I kind of mask so that he's been consistent this year. I think overall he has not been that roller coaster, but the last three weeks he's in that roller coaster.

I mean, that was against the Pats, though, I will say that, I mean, that's one of the best defenses if you if you knew, like because we spent all offseason projecting Carson Wentz as a potential success because of the environment, frank right, all that stuff, if you looked at his overall season, we would call it a success. I just think that his low moments kind of have the ability. You know, we just talked to Matthew Stafford.

If you get too many low moments of Wentz in a game, that's the end of the Cults when they get into the playoffs. In this game, I think the X factor, I mean, it's it's not don't even nope, it deserves a letter. But the Jacksonville offense has just been getting worse and worse and worse, and the season cannot end soon. Enough for Trevor Lawrence. They are defunct,

they are inoperable. I don't see a game playing out the way it did last time when I called Jacksonville the Berserker team after that close Cults game, because it really made you think were they coming together finally? But they were not. And if I'm Indie, I just like, basically, you ride Jonathan Taylor early, you get an early lead in this game and you never look back. It's inexcusable to lose this. And I don't think they were they they know, Darius Leonard said, we were practicing much better

this week. Last week was lack of days ago. Darius Leonard who who West always loved him some? Darius Leonard. He's forced ever been a part of twelve turnovers this year. Darius Leonard punch from an off ball linebacker position. He could be in the mix of defensive player of the year mixed too. I mean he's not quite there for me with with Donald and Parsons and what, but he's not. He's not far off. He did it again last week. It didn't result in a turnover, but it almost was huge.

Um just punching that ball out. He has that skill like Peanut Tilman that it's just it's such a weapon, and you wonder why more guys don't do it. It's probably hard to do um Trevor Lawrence to your point, Mark, he had that garbage time screen pass touchdown at the end of the Patriots game and that ended a streak of one eight four pass attempts without a touchdown. I don't think any team has a more important offseason in front of it then the Jaguars and the playoff scenario.

The Cults clinch a playoff birth with a win over the Jags, so that's the easy way in, or they lose, which would be, as we're saying, it would cause chaos in the a f C. If they lose, they only make the playoffs if Pittsburgh loses at Baltimore and New England loses at Miami, plus Chargers lose it Vegas. So basically Cults are cooked if they don't win this game, but they should. You got a tagline, Mark, Yes, Ricky Aircraft to cheer Nobil, Aircraft to cheer Nobil. I get

that one. By the way, Ricky privately messaged me saying it's starting to annoy her that you keep calling for the drop she's a professional. She'll hit it once. I t you up, don't let's I'm listen Like this is a new project. I'm open to um in progress critique and I will I will attempt that next time. And she told Dan that she was annoyed. Why not just tell me Betrade your confidence there? But I just want to make sure we're running a very soon, wasn't Yeah,

that wasn't exactly what I said. Um, but I was like, doesn't you don't have to say Ricky every time? Mark Like I get timing of a drop because gorgeous gorgeous girls do their job the right way. All right, Well, I stand heavily corrected. It was not a necessarily a take on your ability to do what you do. But now Ricky, I get your teen reference. Yeah, thanks Bud. Gorgeous gorgeous girls, stay up with the pop culture. Erica trying to convince Dan to do it before the show.

But it's funny because you're an old dad. All right, let's see, it's back to the old zoo, sir. In the big spot. I will take jets of Buffalo. Same kind of vie here obviously with Indy Jacksonville. Is it a great game. No. Could it be a blood by the end of the first quarter, Yes, but what if it's not. What if it's not the Jets coming off, Yes, they got their hearts ripped out there um at the end of the game by Tom Brady. It's happened many

times in franchise history. It's just he's wearing a different uniform. Now. It doesn't hurt the same when it's when he's not wearing a Pittre uniform, I gotta say, but still not pleasant. Did help them in terms of keeping them in the top five of the draft, So I try to keep that in perspective. And most importantly, Zack Wilson and Greg we talked about it last Thursday. That did not set up well for Wilson to play well with Todd Bowles coming in and and the Bucks having all their UH

playmakers on defense. Well, the boy fared very well in that game, and in fact, when it ended the way it did on that controversial fourth and two call where there was a bit of a miscommunication and led to a QB sneak that failed, that's set up the loss. That bumped me out because I really thought, you know, let Zach win this game in the fourth quarter, but they really kind of reined him in, so we didn't get to see that really dramatic ending. But I thought

that was his first clean, good game. Positive. But one reason, you know, they he didn't throw as much, it was in short yards because the running game was so good and they had reason to believe in it. And and they've had a pretty good running game in general this season, especially the last month, and in in that and Wilson's confident, that was not just his best game I thought. I thought it was by far because he was just so confident, comfortable.

Maybe it was the running plays a week before just like gave him this feelings like oh yeah, I'm a badass, I belong here. And he just started, you know, throwing the ball much better. Um. I really love that for him, and I want to see him have another good game. This is another really tough test. But you can look good this week, man, you just have. This is what late season football can be about. For losing teams, to go into the off season with two games like that

or three games like that would be really so. I also think like he lacked some confidence after he was injured. I mean like they verbally acknowledged that looks like a different player last week, and if you look at this game, it's like the Bills romp on bad teams. Talking about run game, I think Buffalo has been able to run the ball better. Their offensive line against New England and last week against Atlanta has come together. I think it's a big good It's a positive sign for the playoffs.

I mean, they ran for two hundred plus a week ago, so I like that element of Buffalo's offense becoming a little more balanced. But they kind of remind me of teams were saying like Dallas, like some of these others going with some momentum, Like I think that they're determined to drop a mega hammer on New York and get out of this thing, winning the division and kind of getting back to where people viewed them a couple of

months ago before some ups and downs. That would be my pick two in the Desert thinks that as well. I think the Jets are close to fifteen point underdogs or the second straight week um. But at the same time, I was deeply unimpressed by the Bills against the Falcons, another team you thought they were going to trounce in their building and Josh Allen through interceptions on three consecutive drive,

Stefon Diggs dropped a touchdown pass. Uh, they the Falcons could just execute a little bit better in a couple of spots. It's a totally different game. I mean, so the fifteen I think it was final score was misleading. Um, we'll see. And just to uh put a bow on the Wilson talk. From my end, not only has he started, he hasn't done an interception in four games, which is interesting. He also has not um he's starting to hit the

layups as Solid calls him. And he had a couple of a couple of throws where it was like, oh, damn, there it is. That's the throw. Those are the throws that we saw and heard about where he threads the needle and throws an absolute laser. So again, as I said, Greg, I Mark, you weren't here for it, but I I

said that I I'm scarred. Obviously as a Jets fan, I maybe jumped the gun on on writing the boy off, just trying to take a more of a macro viewpoint and and sit back and let it develop more because I know how much around him this structure is not great. Around him, But seeing these signs really makes you hopeful, and we'll see what happened against the Bills. Does anybody else agree that the Buffalo The Buffalo performance against the Falcons was a little dicey, and you wonder if that

team could show up in a couple of weeks. Yes, I felt that way about Buffalo for months that said, I'm not I don't I'm gonna personally choose not to overreact to the three picks and four passes because you know, I mean, it's there's a tickdown with Josh Allen on some levels from from his year ago. But I kind of feel like this is sort of who you're gonna get at moments with Josh Allen, and he still is essentially the sun. They revolve around one like picular game,

I'm not that worried about. Yeah, he's like Pete Cam. We're better because he's a little better as a thrower in that like his baseline is still high because they won that game partly because of his running ability. That once they threw those interceptions, they stopped throwing the ball and he had eighty two yards rushing. He's such a

good red zone runner. He's such a good runner in general, and and Mark, I think your point about them getting their run game together is big because on days like that, well maybe when Alan's not feeling it, maybe you can still win a playoff game because of his legs, because of their running you can you can only survive like one of those games. And I was gonna say, I don't know if I buy into their running game based on the Atlanta game, just like if he's taken off

ten times, he's the frightening guy. He's and it happened against New England to some degree the week before too, so I mean it just arrow up after it was a big issue. Al Right, Greg, you're hold on, Oh sorry, make sure Mommy signs your report card. There's a theme here. There's a theme. What that's just that's something that happens when you're when you don't you're a responsible child. You

make sure that. Yeah, but you made it sound um yeah, you a sensuality back and listen to I'm not i don't have a lot of experience at reading taglines, so I'm probably learning how to be. I'm not trying to put my own emphasis on it. You're just naturally essential guy, and it's coming out in these taglines. I haven't done it yet, but I will. I'm going to ask that means, well, it just was something I was thinking about that when you were a child, remember getting UM one one grade

that was quite hideous in you know, not shocker. I don't know. I understand that. I understand that. I mean, I understand the idea of having to take a report card home to your mother that maybe is the dicey grade or whatever. But like, how does that connect to the game in Orchard Park this weekend. Well, that's not up for me to decide. I did not claim that they all have like sort of deep gridiron links to the actual UM just looking for any lenk. That's Zach

Wilson's report card matters. He has proved some of his grades. There you go. I like it, all right. I promised not to ask anymore. You don't have to explain about that one. I was just more curious about Greg. I'm going to take the Seahawks Cardinals, uh, which is an important game for the Cardinals still trying to win UH the NFC West. I don't think there's like a lot

separating these two teams right now. I like the way that Arizona stood up last week, but it also just took a lot of extraordinary plays and I don't know if that's a repeatable thing. The way that Seattle's been moving defenses in terms of their offensive line for Rashad Penny has been pretty impressive. They've been an unlucky team this year. Obviously, Russell Wilson hasn't been at his best, but he's coming off his best game of the year too.

And I'm just curious about this Cardinals team going into the playoffs. They should get Connor back. It sounds like this week he's been limited in practice, but now Chase Edmonds looks like he's out again, so they haven't been able to stay healthy. And I wouldn't be totally shocked if the Rams were able to back into winning this division. Because the Cardinals lose this game, well, I guess you were waiting to see it. With ron Dale Moore, who

was you know, he's practiced on a limited basis. They've they've been without some of these guys, and I still see a Cardinals offense that they can dazzle you, but they are working through some of their own issues at a weird time in the year to be doing that. It wasn't a nice performance last week for the most part, but they still at times UM leave you a little bit guiled, and they feel like a team that could

get picked off. UM in this playoff phrase, they're just they they feel like they peeked, like when's the last time, by the way, just you brought him up, like when's the last time Rondel Moore made a play? Well, he's been out of the mix, but you're right that he wasn't. He seemed to be like the juicy X factor that made their offense overwhelming at times. But you take him out of the mix, there's no DeAndre Hopkins. It seems like they've got injured running backs every week, and you

know they were missing Rodney Hudson as center. I thought that created a ton of chaos. He's back at least, but they're not the healthiest team and they don't seem to be the most UM in sync. That was an important obviously vitally important for their confidence. But I'm I'm with you, Greg, I think Seattle and I'd like them to lose because I wanted that that draft picked to stay in the top ten. But it feels like playing

with nothing to lose. They're gonna be loose. They just had that game where they got the offense going in a big way dropping the fifty burger. Um, we'll see. I've been kind of doubting the Cardinals all year after that seven or no start, and it's been correct for the most part. And I guess I'm doubting them again. So I if I was in the Greg Rosenthal, I have to pick the game mode. I am picking Seattle

here to win. Um, and they are like six point underdogs, so you know, you could, you could really, you could really clean up if you take take that the money line, you know, just as a straight upset. Now, that's you. I don't put a raincoat on. That's you. That's your world, and I stay away from your your your realm, and you know, and I respect it. I mean it's not like totally you know, if you like them to win, you like them. But I love that. I love that.

I love them yet covering that for sure, that's pointing for Arizona if that becomes a reality. Very all right, do you have anything else that? Yeah? Just the tagline? Did you have any Oh? Yeah, just the tagline of course. Actually, before the tagline, Well know, what's the drop happens? Is it? Well, you can we're into the tagline tagline two plus two equals Hey there, sailor. Okay, let's see there's a theme here. They're gonna have to put some type of mature rating

on this podcast for this episode the Beholder. I mean, you know, Tipper Gore may not like it, but someone else might. I can't wait for the Senate hearing where d Snyder of Twisted Sister is he's testifying on our behalf. There's no like of our listeners are are not into the Tipperger reference. Well, it's you're right about your all right, let's take a break and we will continue the draft. All right, we are back. It is Mark Sessler on

the board. Alright, I'm gonna go Titans and Texans. It kind of feels to me like the Brother or Sister game to cults Um Jaguars work and I just can I just jump in real quick. This week is kind of annoying because it's like all these teams with a lot on the line, playing these stiff teams where if just things, I mostly blame the Browns and the Ravens. Honestly, if we just had a couple other teams step up

in the last couple of weeks. This would have been a wild considering the way this year went for ninety five percent of the season, we should have had a Week A team that was the craziest Week A team ever. Instead, we're like, well, maybe the Houston Texans will pull it together and pull off a major upset. It's like, now, probably not. There's not a lot of juice here. There should have been more juice. Alright, there's like two great games.

You're right, there's two like really important games, and the rest of them. You're right, you're quick fix like league. I mean, I think we could have even like known, at you know, eight months ago, Let's have the Texans play the Jaguars. Uh, and let's have the Cults play the Titans in Week A team but I mean, just like I like the division game aspect, but we knew the South. We knew what the South was, so this

is relatively annoying. Um. I would say this is different though than playing the Jaguars because this Texans team, I think we kind of thought we knew what they were for a long period of time. But in that David Culli was maybe a dead man walking. I mean, they're weeks removed from putting it on the Chargers, and they played the Niners tough, like they like they're just they hang around and and like they're not incompetent and they're they're playing real hard. So the Titans, you know, they

you've got a g Brown back. You're gonna get Derrick Henry back at something very soon here, Like we're beginning to look at the Titans team that we once knew. And I would just remind people because I know there's all this hubbub about should they get the number one seat or not, and that if they falter here, someone else steps in and probably grabs that. But this is a team that in four consecutive weeks when they had everyone beat the Bills, the Chiefs, the Cults, and the Rams.

I mean that's a playoff run. That's a super Bowl run right there. So I take them seriously. I think that we've seen them heat up. I mean, they were so physical against Miami last week on defense, the way they ran the ball on Miami, which is a good run defense right there, that I don't think that this is a make pretend necessarily. Number one need we just they're early wins put them in this position they've done

and now the rounding into shape. I don't there's this there's an idea not to keep going back to the Titans fans being upset, but like there's an idea that people don't think they're deserving number one seed. I don't think that. I think a lot of people that are following the the league they don't think that it's kind of worked out in a positive way for them. But once we do get to January football and the playoffs, the playoffs, I think they could beat any of these

teams in the a f C, especially this year. But the difference is like when I look at the number one seed in the NFC, the Packers, like that's a powerhouse and teams having to come into their building to beat them in one of two games. That's gonna be very tough. I don't feel that way about the Titans. But it doesn't mean I don't think they're a real team, or I think they're a paper champion, none of that.

It's just it's there. Is there levels they're like, it doesn't have to be black or white, it could be somewhere in the middle and that's where I am on the Titans. Maybe they're just h have scar tissue, these Titans fans, not just from being overlooked by the national media, but from two thousand and eight one of the weirdest number one seeds of all time Carrie Collins Tennessee Titans thirteen and three. Uh and that was the storyline that year,

was like, is this Titans team really any good? And then they went out meekly in their first playoff game to the Ravens. Uh So, So maybe it's Titans fans remembering all the way back then. I don't think they have to worry too much about this week. But they did lose to the Texans, you know, fairly convincingly the first time around. Now they were they were about at their low in terms of player availability than a G.

Brown wasn't in and out of that game. But that was the week Ravel like wasn't even practicing because they couldn't They couldn't, you know, fill an entire roster of healthy players. It wasn't COVID. It was like injuries and it was a turnover fast. Tannehill ended up throwing a bunch of picks right at the end of that game that the Texans defense has been pretty tough to the point where you could imagine it being somewhat close for a while. But I'm with you, Mark, like there's so

physical on both lines. They should just like push the Texans around and and make this thing, this is a playoff game, for like, make this thing very boring because you win this game, you advance around in the playoffs. That's what these teams like your to your point, You've got a team with something that has to go and accomplish something, verse a team that's sort of, you know, got a bunch of people thinking about the fact they'll be in a rubat, you know, twenty four hours later

after after the final whistle blows. You cannot falter here. You just gotta take care of business. It's a The rest of the football world is completely forgotten about the Brett Farve was on the Jets season, but Jets fans, there are moments of that season that were so much fun. And one of them is when the Jets went um to Tennessee and beat up the Tennant, oh Titans, handing their first loss of the year. I remember that game like it was yesterday. Watching that at Birds in West

Hollywood or in Hollywood. Um, that was a nice memory. The other one was the Thursday night game against the Pats, Greg which I know you remember the Matt Castle Pats Um then at all I was there. I was there. That was the last game I went to as a fan until this Rams game with the family. Is that Matt Castle Jets game catch at the end of regulation to send it to overtime and then um, I think Nick Folk hit the field goal for the Jets to win the game. But that he is, all these years

later Patriots legend. He is a great kicker. N Folk. All right? Any other thoughts about this game, gentleman, No other than Donte Foreman. I think will be a factor in the playoffs, even if the Derrick Henry's back. Henry's practicing a little bit this week. Foreman has been great. This was a high draft pick that was coming on late in his rookie year Torres Achilles a couple of

years ago. He's a pretty talented guy. I don't think he has been a fluke, and so I think with him, when Henry is back, you don't have to give Henry the ball thirty times necessarily. Maybe Foreman is mixed in he's been really I don't think it's just been the old line. He personally, he has been really good. I don't know how many running backs have come back from an achilles scenario look as powerful and fast as he's looking.

And it took him a few years. I think that's what explains why why is was this guy on the streets because he didn't look very good coming off the Achilles. But now he's a few years removed from it. I think it's two and a half years removed from it. The Tennessee offensive line is healthy and all together for the first time now, so these it all seems to be kind of coming together for them. And that's one thing I don't think most people realized, even when they

were kind of scuffling before these last two wins. The run game has pretty much been there all season with or without Henry, So it can only get better with the big Dog, and you never ever fade the big Dog. Mark, Oh, Mark, give us a tagline, breezy shopping spree in Eastern Iran shopping eastern night? Right? Is the Are you relating Houston, Texas too? I ran it feels like a blowouts, so people of uh Texas in the Houston area. That's what

he was saying. I'm gonna to code that for you. Well, I would typically want to counter that, but we can move on. Do you think I had that right, Greg? I think you nailed that. Yeah, well, okay. I like Houston. We went there for a super Bowl, had some amazing seafood. I bet a couple of super Bowls in Houston is a nice, nice super Bowl town, nice super Bowl town. All right, Mark Snakes, do you Lancer line took us out?

Lance knows Houston? Yes to that UFO bar with with West and the crew too, had a wonderful time there. I do not consider it the equivalent of Iran. I'm gonna go Packers at Lions early game bust. Not much at stake here, all right, this schedule is rough if this is getting drafted, but at this point I'm looking at here, um, I mean, look at the line. Still have a chance for the number one pick. If the Jags ever, you know, won that game against the Cults. I don't see that happening, but I you know, I

guess we'll just we'll see how long. For me, it's like how long did the Packers play? I guess you got Aaron Rodgers. You know he's practicing. It sounds like they're gonna essentially be out there to start get a lead. You think it's manageable and just roll because there's no reason to put anyone into harm's way, I mean longer projection. It's like David Baktier's practicing Jaire Alexander has come back,

I mean at some point here. So they're getting healthier, and they've done all this with a bunch of guys not playing. So this is a nice little warm up to what comes ahead. And I thought it was interesting that Aaron Rodgers said, um today or there's at least comments that I read today about Brian Goodencoust that it's been a really nice fall in winter, that he appreciates his approach, how it's been. So there we are. I think this. I think, you know Greg Mention the other night,

that's just the way that Aaron Rodgers is talking. It sure sounds like he's sticking around. And uh, I thought some of these comments might have might have sealed it. He said the grass is greener where you water it. I don't know if he got that out of his one of his books, but did he use it. Well, did you see I hope you give credit to where he said that on the Atom Shine podcast. That's right exclusively. Wait, Shine got Rogers. Yeah, Shine got Rogers, And I read

those quotes and he asked a good question there. You know that you know about GOODA Cuns very specifically in their relationship, and yeah, he said he really appreciated how Goodacuns met him halfway. I don't know exactly what that meant, but that that was promising for Packers fans for sure. Did you see the thing that um Rogers really doing

a lot of media. By the way, Rogers was doing his weekly spot on the Pat McAfee show, and he told McAfee that he put the Atlas Shrug Book in his background and referenced it just to trigger people who who he thought would go after him as they then predictably. Did Did you see that? I did? I mean we I think it would have helped if we had caught that before our Tuesday discussion. But um, you know that was the next level troll move there that seemed to

um get the desired effect by Rogers. Right. That's well, that was news. That's news to me. I didn't hear that um, that seems like just something you would say after the fact, don't you think too like he he he has. He has put himself out there politically as like a libertarian and Joe Rogan fan and stuff in that book is like a bible to libertarians in the

political views. I'm saying, he seems like a person who has lost enough to because he feels small in that moment, then to make up a new thing and and say like I did that to trigger Peter calling him a liar. Well, I mean that is obvious. He he says, lies Roger, he's a liar. So Ricky could pull that quote. We don't. We don't want to make Greg here go now to one and Greg he has this deliberately misled the public about his iron Rand views. Is it iron? Is that

what it is? I think it is? Yeah, I'm not sure, but yeah, all right, that's good. Good talking that game. Let's move on tagline hurts rental vehicle taken out by laser fire. I hate that game. How do you put that game? Where is laser technology? Yet? By the way, didn't you think by now by two thousand twenty two, there'll be a bunch of soldiers just like eviscerating each

other with laser fire. I don't want to see war seem like it never really it never really advanced past, like the guy with the laser pointer in the stands at football games that occasionally, you know, a noise ref by lasers. Santa brought the Boys Nintendo Classic. It's like a mini Nintendo that has comes loaded with thirty of the classic games. And I've probably played it more than them. Um and Contra is one of the games, and and and it's follow up, it's n sequel, Super Contra. I mean,

these are great games. They had lasers in that, and lasers were absolutely you know, you want to take care of some aliens, you shoot your laser gun, which had to be earned. You had to work up to get to the laser. I would just say, like the U. S. Military and all it's might at some point if we could develop laser tech, yeah, maybe we won't have to worry about isis anymore. Maybe we won't have to worry

about you know, certain military skirmish is going sideways. And I think you're also you know, to the Super Contra point. Um you're telling aliens or alien technology like we're on your level, like we we can bring a weapon which we are unable to do. It's quarter to what we know. Instead, they come down in the UFOs and they just look at our military facilities and laugh. Lasers lasers. Humans have no lasers. They go back to the New Year's resolution

for the United States Military more lasers. All right, Greg, I'm up. Let's let's wrap up with Steelers Ravens. Greg sits out the laser discourse. I didn't have much to add. I thought it was fun, you know some some of these. You gotta let the heavy hitters take take the ball here, Steelers Ravens. What a rivalry, what a matchup? I I think this is Uh. I think this is gonna be a game where everyone in the a f C North

gets a moral victory, even the Browns. Maybe this week with with Case and playing against the Bengals backups, we haven't gotten to that game yet. But I think this game matters more to the Ravens. I think they felt like the Steelers, that is that they kind of won their playoff game on Monday night. It's a short week. Uh, there's no Deante Johnson, he's on the COVID list. They're starting center who they were also without Monday night, so that they're used to that. Kendrick Green also onto the

COVID list for Pittsburgh. And I just think the Ravens are a little bit better of a team anyways, and that they have a better quarterback right now. I liked what their defense did last week in terms of playing against type, playing very conservatively, got the running game going, which should work against the Steelers. I mean, why not just lock this game up? Why not let's lock up the Ravens? Are you locking him up? I forgot about the locks? And uh, this seems nice. It's all right.

You are not alone on this one. Let's check in with Westling Lock Company. Hello, heroes, it's Nick and I'm back after a three week hiatus last week, you guys mentioned has done the last three weeks and is getting a little stale. I want to apologize for leaving you with the boring brother. You aren't the only ones asking where the rest of us are? People reached out from all over asking what happened Nick? Where are you? We can't listen to the monotone sounds of your brother anymore.

And by the way, what happened to Tim and Larry well, you loved them, and I thought Chris had six brothers to the other two even exist. People want answers. First, I can't confirm there are six brothers. Second, I reached out to the other four Ed, Tim, Larry, Am Mike. They issued a joint statement which reads as follows, no longer will the four of us allow the oppressive A

t M podcast use our voices without proper compensation. The bound downloads up said podcast have consistently increased since the Westling brothers evelyn their voices without even a hint of monetary recompense. Close quote, What the hell is monetary recompense? What the hell is going on? Who are these people? First? N I l deals in the n c A. Now this I don't even know what's going on, but did get me thinking should I join in this boycott of

the podcast? Ask through it. We're taking the Ravens over the Steelers. Lock it up, all right, guy? That's twenty two is better than one From your lips to God's ears, my friend. Well, they become difficult. They're becoming more difficult. That's good though, they're like they need you know, it's important that they understand their value and their employer or the people that provide the platform respond to that and

take care of them. They've also done a terrible thing because it's like you're gonna get paid a certain amount of money, but you're gonna have to split it between like two people. It's like that you it's I mean, it's too many by six? What is that? Well? Zero by six carry the one. Oh, you're getting nothing, Nick. We do give them an international platform to give people an insight into just this wacky world. That's like, first you get that, then you have lifetime or whatever coming

to you to do. Like how about you know the wall Burgers that the Wallberg family opening up a Hamburger business? What if we do with the Westling's like that, we're providing you the platform to gain a higher level of notoriety. Like does that have value? I think it does. There are a lot like the Wahburgers. If you're just missing like the international movie star and the member of like one of the biggest boy bands ever. But other than that,

there's there's a couple of Donnies in there. I wouldn't say there's a Mark. I don't see a Mark, all right, Mark, I see you with a tagline tagline, here we go, oh you oh, Ricky was laid on the queue and Mark gave an eye roll. That was good. Well we knew it would happened, but it's but she's done in an exemplary job. Tagline chewing on plums from the seventh dimensions. From the seventh dimension, that one feels like class class accessler or nonsense. I don't think there's any way to

tie that to the game. No, unless j J or t J. Watt were to, you know, somehow get the sack record, maybe we'd all be doing that. This is this game does have something at stake. We should just point out the scenario for the Ravens, because the Ravens have not been knocked out. They need to win. They need the Jaguars to beat the Colts. They need the Pats to beat the Dolphins, and they need the Raiders

to beat the Chargers, you know, the the Jags part. Obviously, it is important to to the Steelers to the Steelers stay alive. If the Jags beat the Colts and the Steelers witness games, crazier things have happened than the Steelers, you know, winning this game and making the playoffs. The Ravens are really counting on on a lot, including those Jaguars. But if they got the first one, it put a

little extra juice even into that that Sunday Nike. The most simple or the most likely outcome, of course, is that the Cults are blown out the Jaguars in the second quarter. And this game also one pm Eastern. Everyone knows it, and by the second half, it's just like, alright, see you later, big Ben, you know, like hard bought, and I don't know, I feel like they want something to celebrate here. This is this is kind of their super Bowl, after all these close losses against pretty good teams.

Get this win and at least you feel a little better. I don't need another week of Pittsburgh, but we we are in that reach of that eight eight and one scenario. Just to track that what we need, we need a loss. That's I mean that you talk about things that are very doable. The Steelers losing this game is very doable, and we have all right. Finally, I'm thinking about the show, of course, but I can't imagine bringing myself to watch Chicago at Minister Oda or Washington the Giants. I just

can't do it. Um So I will grab and I'm surprised still here, but I know Nick Shook will have eyes on it. But I want to. I want to watch New Orleans at Atlanta because this is fun. Greg you love the NFC South, You love the Saints and the Falcons. Rivalry is nasty, they do. Those fan bases do not like each other at all. And I think

back two after Marty Gros. New Orleans was a couple of days later and it went viral that they actually had a the Young and the Ringless Marty Grass float in New Orleans and a big pictures you know, was a artistic rendering of Matt Ryan's face and Julio Jones's face. The Saints completely devoid of any Super Bowl heroism, the

self out of the playoffs by that point. No super Bowl ring was the Patriots, of course, who won the Lombardi that year, and yet they had a parade float celebrating the Falcons, lowest moment in the history of their franchise. Fast forward to the present. Now, Atlanta, you're a bad team.

We all know you're a bad team, but you've won a lot of close games and then you have a chance here to just absolutely break the hearts of Saints Nation, get some revenge, Get petty as hell, go for it in your building, knock off the Saints and their season. No Kyle Pitts in practice this week is a big concern. This offense is is limited. We saw it when they were without Cordail Patterson. How just taking one piece away because to me, you know, Patterson, Gauge and Pits are

the entire offense and that hurts and the Falcons. One of those closest wins was against the Saints earlier this season. But I think what's different about this Saints defense now it wasn't the case early in the year. Was their pass rush is just so much better now. Cam Jordan went from just very quiet for half a season to wreck and shop Davenports out of practice. But he's been amazing and that could have a pass rush with this

much to play for. I just think there's a much better chance than people realize that the Saints playing on wild Card weekend, even if no one wants to see it, because I I kind of wish I locked this game up. Maybe I will, let's switch it. I don't even know, it doesn't matter exactly, I keep switching it. Uh, they're gonna I think they're gonna win this game. And uh, and I think the forty Niners are fifty at best. You know, they're they're an underdog in Los Angeles, and

that's all the Saints need to make the playoffs. Yeah, I mean, their path is as clear as anyone's. And and you know, I think Atlanta and Arthur Smith, I give them credit for the close games they've won, that they've hung around, and they've done it kind of week after week with you know, you never had Calvin Ridley at post London game. You've been compromised. I mean, Cordarrell Patterson fried the Saints and kind of beguiled that defense

the first time they met. And I don't think that has a chance of happening a again, just because the Saints defense is rounded into such a nasty being. But also if Kyle Pitts isn't in there, it just I don't know, you just want the bodies and they can't stop the runs. So I mean, I don't like this New Orleans offense on any level. I mean, we get that they're super compromise. They've scored like thirty points in

three weeks. But that said, maybe you can run the ball against a terrible run defense and win a game like, you know, fifteen to nine or something. That's how I see these Saints games. I'm keeping my eye on this one too. I knew shook was so I'm you know, I still am going to I mean, I know, I gotta gotta watch this. Tastem has been better you get you know, you guys used to be on the tastom corner and I was against it. He's getting too much. I'm taste some agnostic. I've never had a real taste.

I just like him in the role he what was before where he added a lot of creativity and juice to the office. It was you and West versus me, I guess back in the day. But West would also look at this and says played himself out of starting quarterback conversation at this point. Outside to the outrageous contracts they keep giving them. Getting a little better though, is what I'm trying. This is a great lock, Greg. It is too little, too late for you, but it's still

I think this is money in the bank. Maybe the rainmakers involved here, I don't know. Because the Saints have allowed less than ten points a game for the last four weeks. The Falcon's offense stinks. Now. Kyle Pitts did return to practice on Thursday in a limited fashion, but that's a hamstring. It's late in the season. We'll see what if he plays, or how much he plays, or

if he's able to stay on the field. I just think, um, this is going to be a game where the Falcons are gonna have a lot of trouble scoring ten points. And as much as I don't love the Taysom Hill led Saints offense, I think the urgency of it all. Yes, this this feels like a twenty four to nine type win. Maybe Matt Ryan's last game as a Falcon. Probably not,

but something to keep an eye on there. I haven't really heard much about that recently, but they seem to be a team that could go in a different direction as Arthur Smith goes into year two. Um, but I do like the Saints a lot here, and then they need help. As you said, we'll see if they get it. All right, I got some few more games to get to and then we'll hit the Sunday night football all right. Need tagline? Yeah, No, I'm just I've been doing it one way for like twenty years, so I'm not used

to the tagline, so don't take it. Doesn't mean I don't want to hear it. I really do, I just forget. I also told you, you know, minutes before the show that this anyways, the tagline is head of cabbage patch doll found in gutter. Doesn't sound good for the Falcons. You can read in the fans. Fill that building. I know you probably don't want to or don't plan to, and it's gonna be a lot of Saints fans there, but fill that building and get some revenge. This is

your chance. They're that building. Yeah, probably not. Probably not. That's why I'm trying to implore them to greg and really make life hard for the Saints who have designs on a playoff Berth. All right, let's take a break and then finished the games. All right, here we go, let's hit the a f C. North Here the Bengals at the Browns. This game means nothing because Cincinnati is not going to play Joe Burrow. They're not playing Joe Mixon.

The Browns aren't playing Baker Mayfield. Case Keen and finally gets in the lineup and the season's over. That that's still that annoys me. But that's the road they decided to go down. Um, so there is a possibility here, Mark, with Baker going under the knife, that he's already played his final game as a Brown I still don't believe it. Greg Fields the other side, Uh, do you want it to be do you want it to be over? No?

I don't you know. I was thinking about like that there were for all the ups and downs with Baker and the and some of the poor play that I just think it's who he is that there have been moments that have been the best quarterback play the Browns have had in twenties something years. I mean, he looked as a rookie, like the next big thing, and I thought that what he did last year it kind of

just to me as a Browns fan. It's like, for instance, today Mary Cake Habit put out a story basically saying that Baker Mayfield must resolve his differences with Kevin Stefanski soon if they want to coexist next season. It was the tweet and then Baker I will read his response. He you know, he quote tweeted her and said clickbait. You and many other Cleveland local media continue to be drama stirring reporters with no source or facts. Don't put words in my mouth, so you can put food on

your table. I'm not your puppet. Now. I like, I like the wording, I like his tweet ability. But it just kind of because at one point Brandon Weed and of all people, quote tweeted Baker Mayfield to say, you know stuff about Mary Kay Cabot that he had got got lost under the American. They've found him, he's emerged, and I mean in this scenario of all things. So it kind of just takes you back to um, the

darkest possible place where Cleveland is dysfunctional. If anything, it's the contrast of who you're playing this week, the team that had been more dysfunctional, you inside of your own state, the only bragging rights you had, and the ben those do have something to play for. They can still get the number one seed if a bunch of other stuff happens. But they look to me like the the next big thing in the a f C, which is what Cleveland was meant to be, and cannot get out of their

own way. The wrong is Joe Burrow maybe playing. No, he's out there. They don't care about the game. Well, they know to the Chiefs will they'll know what's up Saturday night too. Yeah, they'll clinch being ahead of the Bengals in the standings. Now they can and probably will fall from the three to the four. Uh. And then if like the a f C favorites East, favorites one, or if the Bills won. You know that that basically

locks in a Bengals Patriots game. So that's interesting, just that, not that they're going to try to like set up their opponent, but they will fall in the in the standing. The Baker thing, though, I don't love him hitting out at the at Mary Kay that much because ultimately she's reporting something which she also did about a month ago, and she one thing he left out Mark was that she said that you know, he might, uh, he might request the trade if if things don't get cleaned up.

She's reporting what Michael Silver said on our air a year ago in the off season actually, which was kind of like that he liked the idea of Alex Van Pelt as a play caller more than than Kevin Stefanski for whatever reason. Uh, she's not coming it's not coming out of nowhere. She's been doing that job for twentysomething years. She's getting that information from somewhere. It's probably not a secret to Kevin Stefanski. They're probably very annoyed to see

these reports. Now, whether it's from Baker Mayfield's camp or not, who knows. Maybe it's something that's just been passed around, but it's very possibly from you know, Baker Mayfield's camp that the information is even coming or started to go around in the first place. So it reminds me a little bit of the Russell Wilson stuff last year where he starts blaming the media for things that he his agent literally put up. Now that was on the record.

This is not who knows who her sources are, but I ultimately trust that she didn't make get up, you know what I mean. So it seems like split right if anything. I think the Browns are will be ready to move on if they at all can, and Baker he's in his feelings right now, which is totally understandable considering where he's at. Tagline, Mark, nobody knows about my hidden second apartment. That's just like a fact. Yeah, it's just Mark wish casting about a reality that's an impossibility.

But he did have that motel for a little while early in Can you even imagine let's say we got paid, you know, and like the equals like the reach of the show is how we got paid. Imagine Mark's other apartment. I mean, where would it be? Is it in l A. Is it in the outskirts of the city. Is it up in Malibu like a little shack. He obviously has a second residence. Um, that's just for him. But where is it? That's the question. I think it would be Um in the Hollywood regions to some degree, the vibrant

part of the city. You want to be where action is, Yes, but it's not. It couldn't be from reality. It's like I'm meeting like pizza crossed off my children's plate. That's you really want to be the forty six year old guy rat to two kids that gets the apartment in Hollywood to be where the action is. Yeah, I do. But I also would say that it would be It wouldn't be a secret. I wouldn't invite many people around

to it. It would just be a second like operations center, Like I love I love that too, But I just I understand where I am at my life now, and I just I'm not saying you don't I'm just I definitely do not so like I would definitely mine would be the Malibu kind of little hideaway. It's very leafy. It's almost like, whoa, there's some there's a place back there, and that's it's my little place. But my children will never see it. Mine is super chick one like looking

down over all of Los Angeles. You know, I spent all of my life living down there, and now you'd be living high above it in the Hollywood hill. Oh, I'm talking like Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills intersection where you can just hear like a pin drop in the middle of the night. So it's not like room place. It's way better than your actual place. It would be way better. Mark where you at these days. I'm right behind the viper room. Uh, it's really loud and dangerous. But higher up,

higher up in the hills. Baby, all right, let's move on. Bears Vikings. Are both of these teams looking for new coaches in a week? Greg? Yes, wait, Black Monday's coming up. Darn shoot, we haven't even I thought about that. It's gonna be busy. Next week will be busy. Kirk Cousins is back. Justin Fields is not. He's on the COVID list. Andy Dalton's gonna start again. It looks like good timing.

Kirk way to go, Bud. I'd be kidding me, dude, doesn't It feels like the game the Vikings are gonna win like forty to ten and show us how much potential they had. It was this was the worst primetime game of the year about four weeks ago. Remember, I thought about locking this game and I was like, no, no, no, that's just residual echo of when I liked the Vikings and I thought they were capable of doing special things.

But it also is very on brand that the Vikings, like Mark saying, would absolutely savage the Bears, and Kirk would pad the hell out of his stats to get to thirty four thirty five touchdowns and Jefferson would go over two hundred and it wouldn't mean a damn thing, but it would definitely help Kirk Cousins, uh, you know, bargaining when he gets back to the table, whenever that may be. I think Kirk is more likely to be back with the Vikings than Zimmer, but they could easily

both be gone. What about Kirk Cousins on the Browns Mark. You know, I've seen little reports about like that the Fancy that you know, what kind of quarterbacks I like and don't like, And if if, if they take the team that I grew up with and stick Kirk Cousins on it, it's a hard out. I don't want to put you in the tough position because I know this is a knotty question, But Kirk Cousins or Deshaun Watson, who do you want? Well, from a player angle, the

answer is easy. I think that I would rather the brownsation. I mean I don't. I don't well, I mean I would I don't know, Like if if Deshaun Watson was found to have done nothing, which will not happen, I would want to Shaun Watson. I don't really like that for the Browns because it will probably turn ugly anyways, He's not gonna want to go there. And what does it say about in the front office that I thought highly of. I'd rather just stay away from that, to

be honest. Yeah, My thing is that the Fancy is not going anywhere. This front office isn't going anywhere. Neither one of them brought in Baker that that's part of the that's part of the equation. They try to make it work um self realization on al Qaeda Avenue. All right, I think I followed that one Washington football team the

last game as the football team. Maybe maybe they announced now that would be an amazing troll job, Greg if they do this whole like build up to the February second reveal and it's like we're keeping the name, like, I don't think that happens. I mean I would like that, but man, I don't think many people would. That would be the equivalent of you know, your your rails collapsing and you're falling all over your fans. I don't know.

Are both of these teams mark replacing their head coach in a week we're looking to Well, No, Washington, I think is is absolutely dug in with Ron Rivera, and I think that he's, you know, he is this important head coach in terms of what he does. Is anyone in the league, because like there's direction list without them,

So no, the U, the Giants. M hmm. I think the Giants that because because you know what we talked about with Matt Rule, it was like, just keep your head down, get out of this season, and don't do anything else. That becomes like a meme or goes wild like the Joe Judge speech from you know, coming out

of last week is exactly what we're talking about. He looks, he looks nutty to most people and disengaged, and he's making claims about the Giants that don't on any way line up with the product we've been seen for years.

On end, I'm looking at the NFL Research Week eighteen notes, which is a great tool, uh in my position, and UH, they usually have they have, you know, a breakdown of the schedule and where they rank in various team rankings, and then below it the first category storylines, and then they usually have three different storylines that, you know, all things to keep an eye on in the game. For this game, it's just one bullet, uh, and the bullet

reads as follows matchup of eliminated NFC East Phols. Well, it's like it's like I could always be worse game. I mean, I think Washington's gonna wipe the floor with the Giants. I'm not gonna rainmaker this, but I do like the Washington win by a lot. It's like they they're gonna feel good about themselves because they're not the Giants. They are keeping their coach, They are a more functional football team at the moment, they have a much better quarterback.

You're right, that Judge rant the Jojo Drant I think had the exact opposite impact of what he intended. Like Will Brinson and Bill Barnwell on Bill Barnwell's podcast, an entire podcast just breaking down that's what which is like hilarious and a great, great idea, great content, um, but it's just like it's just it's just a disaster. At one point during that raint, I had missed this the

first time around. He said he was on a staff where everyone was gonna the two thousand eighteen staff, which he was on the Patriots, where everyone was getting was getting ready to fire us. We we're all going to be on our way out. But we we stuck together and we rallied and then we won the Super Bowl. Like what you had just made it to two straight Super Bowls and you had a like a pretty good

record the whole time. I mean, it was never like a disastrous So he's literally just like making things well, that's well. Your boy from the Boston Globe, Ben Vellin did chime in on that and said that there were there's a lot of behind the scenes menace that season. Patriots care I'm just saying I'm from somebody that was their boots on the stretching, and just why are you talking about this stuff? I hope we see Will Brinson here in l A for the super Bowl. CBS doesn't

send Will. I hope we see the super Bowl here in l A. And the super Bowl. It's like, I didn't want to talk about that storyline, but you're right, all right? Tagline mark a little little slow, like a beat slow, Ricky. Let's let's clean it up at the text, okay. Tagline man asked wife, do I look fat in these jeans? The man asked the wife, yes, you know, because I didn't go well, you know, you shouldn't say. It's like the man is asking if he if he appears that way.

You've definitely have you asked Simone if you've ever looked fat and jeans? Have you ever asked her that? What about fat? But I've occasionally asked, like does this match with this? And I wouldn't call either one of us like fashionistas. And sometimes there's not a very clear answer, and I might have to think about going elsewhere. For feedback on that front, taking shots. And I think I lacked skills in many areas, and I like we all as humans, we all sometimes do and we have skills

in other areas. Different needs. Carolina at Tampa Bay Final one, right, this is the last one before Sunday at football. The Panthers are one of the very worst teams in football, led by Sam Donald, who is not you seeing the offense. It's a big old mess. Matt Rule another guy who could be in a little bit of trouble here. We'll see how the off season shakes out. The Bucks, of course, coming off that big comeback win over the Jets. And let me just check in here. The Bucks enter Week

eighteen at twelve and four. They're the three seed in the NFC. They can move up to the two seed with a win and a Rams loss to the Niners, so that is in play, and I think that could matter to them the NFC. I think all these teams should want to win too, because the Rams are just such a possible l in in Week eighteen and they play in you know, in the late afternoon window at the same time as this game, and getting a two seed for a team that's undefeated at home and is

a past happy team and like warm Weather. To me, that totally matters rather than possibly getting stuck at the four seed and going to Green Bay. So I think I think Tom Brady will play a lot of this game, maybe play the entire game, and that they'll be careful with guys who are already hurt. I mean, Shack Barrett's going to be out again, Jpps out, Lavante David has been out. They definitely missed those guys. But otherwise, I think the Bucks are gonna try to win this game,

and they should. They've They've beaten the Bucks their panthers and under bat rule by at least twenty points every time they've played them. So that's that's a pretty good little And if you look at Tampa's home in a way, splits like there's something real to it. We have a full season to look at it, and I think they absolutely want every possible home advantage they can have versus going to unfriendly weather. I mean, this should be a

layup for them. Like if you look at you, I know they're banged up and everyone talks about that, but right Robby Anderson was not practicing Thursday Terrace Marshall's on I R. She Smith is on the COVID list. It's like d J. Moore and a bunch of maybe like practice squad guys catching passes from a quarterback who's totally

in f behind a terrible offensive line. So if you can go do what Tom Brady did on that final drive with the guys he was throwing too, I see no problem with them taking care of business here in a game that they It only puts the Carolina Panthers in deeper darkness. Seven losses in a road to close the season would be as ugly as one could imagine. Uh, this will be a slaughter. The Bucks will take care of business. They of course, we're a wild card last year and won three road games to get to the

super Bowl, which was played in their building. Uh in Tampa, So there they can win on the at home or on the road. But you're right, you always want to play in your building when you can. Just to put a button on the Antonio Brown Melo drama. Brown came out and said the reason why I left is because I was essentially fired on the sideline for refusing to go back in the game on a bad ankle and He's been all over with a long statement on Instagram,

all very exhausting. But that was his side of the story. And then Bruce Arians came in for his press comments on Thursday and gave his side of it, which sounded very much like the truth. Let's hear that. Obviously, we let Antonio go today. Um, just to clear you up on some things that happened. At no point in time during that game did he ever asked the trainer or a doctor about his ankle. He never went through. That's the normal protocol. You go through protocols during games. I

was never notified of it. So obviously that was the disturbing thing. When we were looking for him to go back into the game, all right, we always had uh. He was very upset at halftime about who was getting targeted. Got that calm down, players took care of that. It started again on the sideline. We called for the personnel group that he had played in the entire game. He refused to go in the game. That's when I looked

back and saw him basically wave off the coach. Um. I then went back approached him about what was going on. I ain't playing. What's going on? I ain't getting the ball. That's when I said, you're done, get the f out of here. And that's the that's the that's the end of it, and we're working. We're working on Carolina. That's the end of the story and hopefully it ends today. I guess that that's the price he's they're paying the price. Note the bill always comes due an old frances is Um.

The bill came do here for the Bucks and they're having to do this ugly clean up. And now it certainly seems as if Brown is going to enter into some type of litigation to try to get his money from the Bucks. So they're paying the price for getting in bed and being loyal to a guy who's never been loyal to anyone but himself. That's where we're at. Yeah, they cut him officially too. I I don't I don't doubt any of that particular sequence as it happened during

the game. I don't doubt the Brown brought in all this stuff that he was playing through torn ligaments and felt pressure to play, which a lot of NFL players kind of feel in general role and he's gonna have surgery, Like I don't doubt that he was playing injured, but it seems pretty clear that if if players are having to calm him down because he's not getting enough targets during the game, that whatever you're talking about, what the injury message and that you never called the trainer over,

gets totally muddled. Plus, we had feet on the ground in the Meadowlands last week by special Around the NFL correspondent Mike burk Awitz, who said he was about five rows up watching this whole and he said Bruce Arians did not do a throat slash gesture like Antonio Brown said that. He pointed to the locker room, which you can can see in the video too. He points to the locker room, like go to the locker room. You're

you're done here. Well, And one little thing, it's like Antonio Brown is on Instagram calling out Alex Guerrero Brady's TV twelve guys. It's like it's the classic thing where he is hitting out at the people that, if anything, try to support him. And so it's it is, you're right, the bill has come to You could argue, I'm not saying that they want a super Bowl because of him,

but he was a contributor to that. I would think that from a football angle cool, but at this point, like this is not that shocking, and I hope we don't discuss this guy again for a while. I just it's on Brady though, to be fair, I mean it really, you know, he didn't face too much tough question now, and it's like Brown was kind of his responsibility. He pretty clearly strong armed arians who had terrible track record with him into doing it, and yeah, it worked for

a while, and then it didn't work. And now he's he's saying that Alex Guerrero, Brady's trainer, didn't do anything for the hundred thousand dollars that Brown gave him. And it's like, oh, this is this is what you get, taglinemark? Ok is this a was that a bit to make me? Wait? Okay? Uh please give me a domestic chore to accomplish. We're getting back into the realm of the uncomfortably sensual or just the grievances of a frustrated man or just take

out frustrated middle aged family man. Um. Finally, Sunday night football, Oh, Sonna and I I the Chargers. Here we go, Superchargers. It's all in front of you, a star crossed franchise. Uh An organization with a fan base that's understandably fatalistic. And you look at this game and you say, oh man, we're going to Vegas. They've won three in a row. It's a winning in. This is the first true playoff game,

even if it's not officially a playoff game. This is the playing game like they have in the n C Double A, the playing game to get into the bracket. That's what this is. Chargers Raiders, and um, I'll start right here, boys, Chargers of the better team, the Charges of the better quarterback. Why every one of the Raider games this year I wrote them off a month ago. I was wrong. But I also it's important that we have some nuance to this conversation about the Raiders. They

get absolutely stomped by the Chiefs. They're cooked with the Browns. Uh going to Cleveland. The Browns get absolutely savaged by COVID and injury and all that. They somehow steal that game, and then they do it essentially two more times, getting breaks every step of the way. This three game winning streak, as much as it's been commendable, even the Colts win, you're getting Carson Wentz and all the drama around the COVID diagnosis and just making it back into the lineup.

What was the week before that? What was the break they caught? They got Drew Lock, basically. I mean, now, I don't know if they're it's an argument for Teddy Bridgewater, but they got a defunct. They got Drew Lock, who hasn't won a game in his whole life. It feels like I'm probably wrong about that, but I'm sure it

doesn't have a ton of wins. Um So, in my mind, the Raiders are in my mind, the Chargers are gonna have a moment here in my mind with the lock championship within sights, I'm locking up the Chargers to take care of business. Football Gods be damned, you know what I'm gonna do, because I was going to lock a different team, but I at this point I have to throw the hail Mary to even stay alive in this. I'm gonna rob. I don't believe they're gonna win. I'm

just doing this for weirdness. I'm locking the Raiders just to see what happens. Very interesting. I think it's a it's I guess it would be a sensible PA. I'd love to hear what the um what like the analytics community would say about this because you're two games back right now, he's only two back? Is it okay? And if if I, if I win a lock off here, it's pretty much a wrap. It's almost like this is the super Bowl of the lock Championship. Um, and if

that's the case, I do like my chances. Well, I think it's you know, let's continue to add juice where we can to Week eighteen. UM, I know I could take it, you know, for three more three games back mark three backs. So yeah, I'm three So it's like I have to be honest, Like um, our organization behind the scenes is kind of we're looking towards the offseason. On one level, it's felt there's been a calm not

having to worry about the locks. But if this occurs on two back, and I'm going to take a different strategy in the playoffs, right because there's you know, there are five playoff weeks and those are not necessarily easy games to pick either. The Raiders aren't huge underdogs here, so it's not a crazy idea. They're three point underdogs.

It feels like the right line for this game. Uh. When the Chargers of the Road team and the Chargers are the better team overall, but I do think if they could get it, you know, to the latter stages of the fourth quarter, I'm not worried about like the Chargers mojo. You know, I know they had a tough loss and against the Chiefs, but they've had some good late wins too. But I do think the Raiders have a positive late game mojo that that could matter here.

That they feel confident in their quarterback and the way they've closed games out that would really help them if they're in a spot where they get the ball down four, you know, with a couple of minutes to play at that point, I would be I would be worried if I'm back in the Chargers and I am hoping the Chargers win this game. They just got to attack. You look at the Raiders cornerbacks. They're playing Brandon Facon, He's a guy who couldn't make the Chargers. He's like it

was like their sixth cornerback. And they're playing Desmon Truffont, whose career was all but over. Um, you know these are their cornerbacks. And you've got Justin Herbert, you got an aggressive play you know, play caller. I think this is a game where they handed to Herbert and he's going to throw it about forty five times, and they're

gonna see if the Raiders can keep up. Because in this whole Raiders winning streak, everything's been six fourteen games like that, and if the Chargers can put up a lot of points, I don't think the Raiders can keep it with you did you pull every a f C playoff team and ask them which team they want to win this? They don't want the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs because on the right day, I think they

could puncture anyone. The Raiders I'd see them like as the team I'd much rather less see one more week of Although I give Derek Carr, I mean he's kind of tugged them this whole way. You know, this has not been a full job like those other seasons. It's a different narrative. They missed Corey Lindsley last week. The Chargers have a Pro Bowl center in Corey Lindsey. He was not out. And what's been a strength for them or a big improvement in terms of their offensive mine

looked a little leaky. That could be a bit of a problem for them this week. Um. Yeah, the unless the charges offense completely shoots itself in the foot and doesn't show up um or COVID steps up and rears its ugly head. I just don't like the Raiders as good as the defense has been the last three weeks. And again the opponent has to be factored into that. Since the week ate by. Here are their point totals.

This is how much I've scored sixteen fourteen thirteen. Yet the thirties six against Dallas on Thanksgiving and in fifteen nine, sixteen seventeen. They just can't Smiler is practicing, which is huge if they but he's also not just the injury. He's coming off COVID. And again we're seeing these guys coming off COVID. You can't just pencil him in to immediately be impact guys. Yeah, Bosa too said, who is coming off Codavid COVID and his unvaccinated said he was

struggling to get his breath back this week. He admitted it in practice. Um while accepting the Good Guy Award for sportsmanship and dealing with the Los Angeles media. So applaud Joey Bosa for that. And by the way, uh sportsmanship, there is a sound bite if you go back to the first meeting between these two teams where Bosa goes out of his way to titanically buried Derek Carr and he makes a comment along the lines of, we you know, we know he's had a good year, but we know

the way that guy is. If we put a little pressure on him, he goes into a shell, like just savaging car uh and calling him out essentially as a weak professional football player. And I'm saying I like that stuff. I think there's not enough of that in sports anymore, just players mixing it up and having fun and just you know, you're playing football here. Uh. But it it certainly was notable because I remember Car when you know he was asked about it, he was like, WHOA, did

this guy watch the wrong game? Because in the first matchup, the Raiders came on strong at the end of the game, they didn't fade as things went. It was what was the final of that game, lost to the Chargers. So that was that lightning um lightning delay game. I do like that. Bosa didn't back off it too much this week. He was just like, yeah, I just think um kind of goes into a show when he gets hit. Like a lot of quarterbacks, it's like, okay, very interesting, he's

all right. I mean he's probably right, right, Mark, That's that's huge. That's the championship right there. Yeah. No, I and you know, I reserve the right to change my pick, but I don't see myself change. I think that's smart. I think analytics would say that's a good stat It is three. It's a three point spread. You're down three with six to go. You know, it was much more. It was much more controversial if it was two games.

But once you said it was three, yes, that it does feel like it is time to hit the emergency lever, in this case, back the Raiders and their fugasy winning streaks. So I feel good about this. How about a tagline kitty bites? Yeah, you knew he's saving that one for the gross So gross? How does it gross? Maybe? I don't know. Maybe Erica says that I don't find it gross, but when you do, oh well, I don't think in general, i'd be. It's something that I would jump. I think

the learning to read these lines. Everybody clear the runway, Erica, I'm doing a test. It's an A B test. Mark, you go first, say it again, kitty bites. That's not all right now, Ricky Okay, Dan, close your eyes. Oh, kitty bites. Obviously that's preferable. Thank you, gorgeous, gorgeous girls love to say kitty bites. That's a w for Hollywood. All right. That's it. That is Week eighteen. That is the first ever Week eighteen preview. How about that? Well,

it's the longest season ever. It's the longest preview show ever. I don't know what it is about us at home. We're just can't can't stop talking. We're lonely man who need need to get back together. We want to get back in the studio. We're just looting for the go ahead. Just so everybody knows. We haven't been given the clearance yet. But once we do, we'll be back together in person. But that's not happening yet. All right, anything else? Oh,

no TV show this week? Also, COVID related that that we're working on the show is going to be back for sure next Friday, hour long format breaking down each of the playoff rounds. So make sure you check in the DVR next Friday if you don't see it on the DVR or you're hearing like the West coast, for instance, and you get up at three am and you put a pot of coffee on the kettle there, and then you gotta sit down and watch your favorite football show

is not coming on. Don't panic, don't panic, don't throw your coffee on the ground, don't scream and run into the street half nude. Just understand. We'll be back next Friday. Peter Schrager's son is going to be very disappointed by this development. Well you you show him a repeat, because our true fans will go back and watch what we had to say in week eleven perhaps or or prior to that. Alright, good stuff, all right, everybody, we'll see

you on Sunday. Enjoy the football, heed the call. S S S S S S