2022 Divisional Round Recap: These are the four best teams

is serious. That's the way Gregor, like said, could take the mirth part out, take anything having to not do with football out of the show, cornels into data analytics. Should he have gone for it? Should he have punted? That's what I want to talk about for the next forty four minutes. We we actually need a little like extra mirth because there weren't quite as many crazy game

situations as a normal division around. Speaking as a spoiled little football baby here as we um not a NEPO baby though, as we hyped up heading into the weekend, this is traditionally the best weekend of football, and we saw they were exciting kind of outcomes that came out of this let's say, for instance, we're gonna get to it in just a minute, Joe Burrow looking like a man possessed with one goal in mind that he will not be stopped, the Niners defense flexing on a you know,

after all the offensive flexing in recent weeks, Like we have four big time Super Bowl worthy teams playing next weekend. But to Greg's point, Mark, maybe the games at not at the level we expected suspense wise. I I don't always mean to come against like the you're the two of you's opinion on things, but it's like, I don't need these games to be the I don't need it to the best we can because what I like about

it is the four best teams won absolutely. And there's been a couple a f C NFC title game scenarios that have been a little flaky over the years because someone surged into the place where they didn't totally belong. I think these four teams completely belong. I thought Niners Cowboys was an incredible my kind of game, and I kind of like seeing a team like the Bengals just drop the hammer they did and basically announced who they are. I mean, So there's different ways to evaluate it as

a quality or non quality product. We didn't We didn't know that you really like that last game because you didn't watch it with us. We were in the theater, just me and Greggy. I'm sorry to missing it, Absolutely excited about we kept. I find that the way to keep the show the freshest to come in out of nowhere. Now and speaking. It's true because if when he's in the film room so many Mark takes, it's just spoke.

It's more that I'm hearing everyone else's takes the entire time, so I've not had to I'm coming in completely fresh. All right. Well that's another way to look at it. And now we're going to dig into all the games, and why don't we start with what I think was even though it didn't end as like a barn burner, what felt like the most important game of the week, the one that everyone had circle Bengals bills from Orchard Park. Let's go shotgun staff short dropped by Burrow, the pressure

comes from the left. He throw come on, Chase straight ahead into the end zone. I touchdown on the opening drive for Cincinnati. Twenty eight yard throw. Chase reached up at the eight, caught it, and Ray straight ahead into the end zone. So why would we pick the first real highlight of the game, the first touchdown, because that kind of was the game. The Cincinnati Bengals went to Buffalo and made the Bills look like a middling outfit

to ten win. Joe Burrow connected three touchdown passes and the Cincinnati defense give it up for Captain lou who should be getting head coach in or but he's not. Absolutely made life hell for Josh Allen and company and Greggy at Cincinnati. Back to the a f C title game, marks your point at the top of the show. Last year it was Cincinnati. They were the team that stormed the gates and showed up Championship weekend and then won a game in Championship Weekend. Uh. This time it's a

different field, Sincinni. They feel like a powerhouse, Greggy that is now cresting and becoming a league superpower. As that game we're on and it became obvious the Bills were not going to make that comeback, I just thought, like, what a long way we are from west of this the early morning slot where our friend Chris Wesleyan would route on his old team to lose because he just

knew what was gonna happen in a painful way. To this team, which is now put together five playoff wins in the last two years, that you have ultra confidence that they're not only going to rise to the level of the moment, but that they're coaching staff will too. I mean, put me in a polo show for my analysis on Zach Taylor over the last couple of years, because I think this team won the game in the first quarter to your point, a hundred sixty five yards

to eight. That touchdown to Chase was Burrow stepping up in the pocket. The next touchdown, all the attention goes to Chase in the red zone where they fake it to him. It's an easy past to hers. They're just throwing every formation, it's motion, it's running out of pass sets and the reverse. It's just a clinic and they're clearly uh the class of these two teams. I think they would have beat him a few weeks ago. We never got to find out, and they were set to

prove it today. I thought that too. I thought this was the game we didn't get to see because that started out very simply because the Bengals are one of the best opening drive teams in the entire league. And I think that the coaching staff has grown because a year ago they had their online issues, uh and they couldn't adjust, and it was like Burrow saved them. Situation up to situation, they have them all over again. You've got Jackson Carmen to turn twenty three today, first start

ever left tackle. You've got Max Slurp sharpening in there and a chemodentity and then Ted Harris is playing banged up the entire time. We went into this game thinking all week long, that's the Achilles heel, this might undo the Bengals entirely. Instead, coming out of this game, the Bills were pushed around entirely on both sides of the ball. The Bengals, I thought, finally on the ground. I mean, they've been a fishing on the ground, but they were

powerful on the ground as this thing went along. Their secondary, the Bill secondary, because of all this, I thought, played one of the injuries. But they played one of the worst games in a long time. Because you set up, you set up Burl for the shots down field. Jamaar Chase was brilliant and in the end, like I know, the Bills they're at home they were presumed all year long to truly be the best team in the a f C, if not once or twice maybe taken over

by Kansas City. They didn't show up. This is not a Bill's story, it's a Bengals one. Uh. And Joe Burrow, I think is at the center of everything, including the line holding up so well. He plays a major role there. And and Cincinnati, you know, I think, and we're gonna get to the Bills and and what this loss means

for them and where they are as an organization. But for Cincinnati after coming some close, so close to winning the Super Bowl last year, now to get back now to the a f C title game, and the level of confidence that this team plays with wherever they are, whoever they're against, is a direct reflection of the guy behind center, who is one of one and I think a generational talent and a guy that I just don't picture losing a game this year. After the game, you

want to talk about different motivations, what teams use. They weren't happy after the Damar Hamlin episode about how things worked out with the Ravens and the coin toss hoacum and then not even being in the in the mix and the discussion about where, you know, how things shake out. If there's an a f C title game like they're gonna be in Kansas City, it would have been a neutral site game if it was Casey Buffalo, like everyone presumed,

and I think they've used that as motivation. Here is Joe Burrow after the game talking to CBS about that very topic. For everyone talking about a neutral AFC championship game, not even thinking about you, guys, how much did that motivate you coming into this? You better send those refunds. I mean, he's just I mean, the whole team feeds off that guy. Uh. He's pretty special. The accuracy was so good, and you're right that he makes that line

look better. I think the snow helped. I think the snow not that the Bengals wouldn't have won this game, probably going away either way, but I just think it it's harder to rush the passer. But then you look at the other side, and the Bengals had a better pass rush, uh than Buffalo did. Their offensive line in Buffalo was certainly worse in terms of their run blocking and their pass blocking, and it's Burrows decision making and

figuring it all out. That's different between him and Josh Allen, and people want to go right into like, well, you gotta put Joe Burrow at number two. Now Allen's at number three, Like who cares in this game? Like Burrow was clearly superior. And part of it is when the bills are in that too, safety look employers back there.

He's had a couple of bad games. He was very willing and able to find the open receivers quickly and when he saw one safety back there, or he checked to the run play like all the decisions were just spot on, Like you're you're right there, not that, not that you're the only one to think that Joe Burrow is is this special. That's sort of sort of what I get to when I think about the difference between

now and West of It. It's like they're the opposite of West of this their clutch, Like they're like team that you just expect is going to show up in the big moments. I mean, he opened nine for nine, He didn't really throw an off ball until I think it's a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter. Just to show up in this moment in a hostile environment with weather that can even everything and to be what Joe Burrow was today, It's like he is that guy.

He's already arrived thirty thirty first downs in this game, and they would have had four more points if they had given Jamar Chase that touchdown. Is also that that was because how what are we? How are we actually overturning that? That was late in the first half, so it should have been really with Burrow having three touchdown pass for the first step, they didn't need the points anyway.

And I don't want us to lose the big picture as well, because while the offense deserves credit uh and Burrow deserves credit, the defense held one of the top offenses in the league two season low ten points in their building, and Tony Romo, um uh you know calling this game, Uh he was. He was pointing out that this was really gonna at the conditions, The slick field was really gonna hurt Buffalo's defense and their ability to react and play the defense that they wanted to play,

play a scheme they wanted. But that goes both ways. It wasn't like that disappeared when Buffalo had the ball, so Cincinnati had no problem shutting down Josh Allen and making the stops, and and I thought that was notable too, Like this is the second year in a row. UM. Even last year, if we want to say that now, the coaching staff deserves credit. Even last year they found a way to make the most of what they had and they nearly won the Super Bowl. This is this

is a total team effort coaching staff. And I don't just I don't see how this team going forward against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that they've really outplayed. They're underdogs barely to hear that starts to not matter to me at all, because it's just simply the Kansas City reputation and we're going to get to field. That's one of the three past meetings against Kansas City, including a game last month. This team is on fire and

and now it's certain to the Bills. UM, because I want to share something I saw and reported after the game. You saw Stefan Diggs on the fourth quarter kind of shouting and he's an emotional guy, who've seen this before, UM, shouting at Josh Allen who kind of was just keeping his eyes on his iPad, UM, excuse me, his Microsoft Service tablet. Good joby on the bed and not even make a gin contact. Like I've been here before, I'm just not gonna I'm gonna shut him out right, shot

him out right now. Um. It was reported after the game that Diggs was so upset he was spotted leaving the locker room with much of his uniform on shortly after the game ended, but had to be coaxed back into the locker room by a teammate. And that is

pure frustration. After that, that's that is pure frustration for when you reach where the Bills reached last year, they were perfectly set up as the team that's a team on the rise, a juggernaut on the rise, that suffers a terrible loss where they play their hearts up and just barely get beat and then the next step has to be the super Bowl. And I think that weighed

on this team throughout the season. And then you factor in the weird stuff with two games being affected by weather of course, of course Hamlin and everything that went on there, and there's no other way to look at it. This season is a big disappointment for Buffalo, and you get why the you know Diggs was and I'm sure many other players the way they were after it was over. Yeah, I mean, and Josh Allen basically said, I don't care

how anyone views that. It's a complete failure, because that you when you become one of these teams, like there's nothing to take away. You aren't the Jacksonville Jaguars dancing into the off season with a bunch of ribbons around your neck because of what, no what, no one thought you'd get here. That Bills have done less than we thought. And I find it kind of stunning the way they collapse today because it is uncharacteristic in many of the categories.

I mean, if anyone said the score, I would have thought, well, finally, the Josh Allen turnovers probably caught them, caught up to them, cost them points and help Cincinnati with some short fields. That wasn't the issue at all. He wasn't great. I mean,

they're big playoffense, downfield, completely dried up. It's always easy to focus on Burrow, Jamaar Chase, the offense, even the offensive line showing up when people thought that when it's this Bengals defense week after week they completely turned Buffalo into a nothing, nothing operation, nothing operation like that. Let's hear from Josh our goals to a super Bowl World Championship and we didn't accomplish that. So everything that happened the season is kind of no one void in our minds,

and um, it sucks. It's the old Steinbrenner doctrine. Anything short of a championship is failure, and that's pretty crazy when it's the Bills we're talking about that have never won a Super Bowl. But that's kind of the position they're in. It's kind of a tough airspace to live in. I think that's a hard place to be it and it's why even at the time that moment a year ago, where all they have to do is have a seveteran defense led by Sean McDermott that he's built up for

years get off the field in thirteen seconds. Yeah, and I think they would have won the Super Bowl. Will that will never know because that team was peaking. And to me, this doesn't change anything about how I feel about the Bills long term. I think they have certain decisions to make. I never thought that there were some overwhelming favorite this year. I thought they were one of about five teams that could win and I felt like their time though, because time runs out on this stuff.

That's why but not now. It's not just automatically we ticket you as the best team in football all over again. Sure, but they as long as they have josh On in this coaching staff and in a good solid base, I'm not worried about them being one of the contenders. Losing Von Miller was massive for them, Losing Micah Hyde was massive. Their defense was more disappointing I think today, even than their offense. They could not get off the field. Like

we talked about the offensive line thing. Three quarterback hits for them, whereas the Bengals had eight and um scoring ten with Alan. It is something McDermott complains about even when they win, is that they just don't have a running game. And they definitely did not have a running game, and I just think they were out coach. That's when I say when they have such a great coaching staff,

both offense and defense. For Cincinnati, like changed up what they were doing like every drive, whether it was the disguise looks, whether it's blitzing and then not blitzing. It's just like kept mixing it up and the Bills never felt comfortable. Yeah, the bond Miller absence talked about it on Thursday, how that could really hurt them potentially, and the numbers they dropped a data point during the telecast

that they were I think top five. I've and pass rush when he went out on Thanksgiving against the Lions and they dipped after he had left. In this game, they were dying for someone make a play, someone get to Burrow and and they just couldn't do it. And again that's a credit all sort of that offensive line of Cincinnati, which put together an effort that nobody expected, absolutely and they were dominant, you know, in in blasting

open holes in the run game. But Buffalo, I thought early on looked kind of desperate to get that rush on Burrow and that open, wide open Jamaar Chase touchdown to go up seven. Nothing was against the blitz and Burrows deadly against the blitz. And it's like, I keep going back to what the Bills could have been in that opening game that we went to against the Rams, and maybe it's because we were there in person, but

all of that happened without blitzing. It was natural, organic pass rush and in this case, when you have to go do that against Burrow, he made them pay right away. I thought he set the tone, and you've got a Bill's team that has played in these elements. I don't want to hear about this defense not knowing how to react and snow. It's like you practice in this, you live in this, you walked down, you have done your driveway in this every day. I'm so do the Bengals

though too. They live in this weather too, And there's it's not like a team who before that came up and did it. But to me, it was almost the run game defense that was that was even worse. And I do think that's where McDermott will have to I don't know, he's not gonna change who he is. But their defense has been a problem in the playoffs three straight years. I mean, that is the reason that they got the doors blown off them in the a f C Championship game two years ago. It's what totally collapsed

last year. And if they paid von Miller address and and they've been great in regular seasons, and if Allen had played a great game today and their offense had showed up, I think it would have been a good game. I still wouldn't have much faith that they would have won. Like even if Alan, I think the thing is like last year we came out in the defense, they were culpable for what happened, and yet it was like, oh, we've got to change the overtime. Everyone's freaking out understanding

about the overtime ruling. We didn't get to see Josh Allen go do it again this time. It's like I can point to eight things that are just simply on the Bills not showing up in this game. Yep. And uh, behind the glass, our friend Parker is a big Bills fan. And you know Mark how Greg always knows the right thing to say to people. Um. Undoubtedly he made the comment that you know you you never know, you might not be back for ten years in the playoffs and

although Greg, as usual, Greg could have used a softer touch. Um, the truth is the thirteen seconds last year. Um. Is it a perfect example because then you see what happened this year. There are no promises how long your windows stays open. And you hope, if you're a Bills fan, that this will continue, but man, it doesn't. There's only a few years you get here. Look at history, look at football history. I can't think again, like you you like whether or not you think you can separate it.

Your experience is the Patriots experience. Now, I get it. I'm the one who always says this, and I agree with you. I did just say it that you might not be back. But I do look at Josh Allen in a similar way to Burrow and uh Mahomes. I don't think he's at that level consistency wise, but maybe a little closer to a John Elway in that the window is open while Josh Allen is there. And I believe in the way they've built this team up and the coaching staff and everything. So they might have their

ups and downs. But if you tell me, like they finally get there in six years, like that's all a winner. It's evergreen because of Alan. But then what were we saying ten years ago about Aaron Rodgers doesn't mean it doesn't mean you get there. They need to pick better, They have think the things that well, their innocence is lost. Now they went from plucky Buffalo team to powerful Buffalo team and we're still thinking, Wow, this is young and new and they can maybe win two or three of these.

Now it's like that's what Cincinnati is now. Suddenly you got usurped by Cincinnati, not young man anymore marks even older than us. Well, I don't feel older than you. You you blink and he'll be thirty five years old. I'm just saying, you know, the career, you think it's forever. But if if this, if this phase of Bills doesn't work, they have to retool that starts to build the pressure. It just you. You hope they get there because the fan base deserves it. But this series, this season is

a disappointment, no doubt about it. Joe Burrow said of the game, domination from start to finish. That's what we expected. Jobs not finished. But let's give who locked this up? West Bros. Ah, that's a nice lock and it's a locker from the heart. Um by Nick making the executive decision because he sent us the text doing it all. Yeah, the Cincinnati Zoo and yeah, they were all over the place. Amazingly. Even one of the Wesleyan brothers picked the Bills as

a lock zo. Yeah, this is surprising. It's an animal asylum. Um. Let's give the last word to Zach Taylor, the head coach who might be going to back to back Super Bowls. Uh. He turned up the snark here and apologized for being a logistical pain in the ass to the NFL for the neutral Yeah. We we just we had our mind set to go point Kansas City and and uh, it is. It is tough because they're they're have to formulate the plans for corny tosses and they got to formulate the

plans for neutral site games. And we just keep screwing it up for everybody. And I hate that people that have to endure all those logistical issues and then we just keep screwing it up. So I'm sorry. Oh, Wisenheimer. Eisenheimer, Let's take a break and we'll we'll talk about the team that they'll be playing in the a f C title game. Welcome back. I do not like high ankle sprains. Never had one myself, but I find them to be deeply annoying from a football fan experience. And and it did.

It popped up in two games this weekend with two key players. Greggy maybe the most important figure in the NFL, the presumptive m v P, had to play through a high ankle sprain. But he would not be denied or a little bit of a Chris Berman set up there to the highlight homes again, that right ankle is the one that's bothering him, that's in front of the laft

feat stagger. Mahomes now steps up in the pocket, throws lightning wide open back of the end zone, touchdown Terence City Mark Quez he scantling on a six yard touchdown, but Mahomes paid the price. State in the pocket and a jump throw on that bad right ankle. Patrick Mahomes on one good leg got it done. Mitch Holtis with the call w d A F Mahomes after suffering that high ankle, spraying through for a hundred ninety five yards and two touchdowns. He finished with the second, capping of

seventy five yard drive late in the fourth quarter. It allowed the Chiefs to get past the Jaguars an twenty win. My goodness, the Chiefs during the ABC title game for the fifth straight year and Mark Sessler obviously Mahomes his health is a major question mark going forward. We expect him to play, but what level Patrick Mahomes will we get next week? That remains to be seen. I mean, if you want to take him at his word, he basically vowed that he'd play, and I mean, I thought.

One thing that I do love about Mahomes is that his passion is not false. I think we feel that way with some athletes where it's like you're doing a lot for the camera and stuff. With Mahomes like literally jawing with Andy Reid on the sideline like I want to go back in that thing, and Andy Reid's like, you gotta go back and get If it's negative, you're back in. And so that was where that Chad Henny

period came in. And Chad Henny, this is what he does every couple of years, rolls into the divisional round, does enough good stuff to keep it, keep employed. And he does to Browns, he did it to the Jaguars, and Mahomes came back in. I just think it's like one of these things where, uh, you know, there aren't that many guys like Mahomes on any level. We keep trying to find new ways to describe him. Here's a new one. He did it completely differently in this game.

And I just look at this Chief's offense, which is so different in many ways than the past versions we've seen. And you guys got guys like Isaiah Pacheco and Darius Tony making a bigger impact. They haven't even peaked yet, Like their their offense and who they are is still like on a weekly basis adding new people to the mix like they it was Travis Kelsey and I think was you could be a little concerned that, like you don't have a wide receiver really step up for big

yardage in this but they just got it done. It's like I think this these two teams were fairly slotted for where they wound up nice effered by the Jaguars. But the Chiefs just they've been doing this all year. They're not gonna blow your doors off psychologically if you're a viewer, They're gonna get it done right. I mean, the Chiefs are the number one offense in the league for the season by a decent amount based on basically any metric for a reason, and they started that game

this way. They went to halftime and yet Chad hen he played an entire uh series there touchdown, field, go touchdown. And you have a quarterback in Mahomes who I think in this game showed how much he's matured since when, by the way, he was the best quarterback in the league then too, because I don't know if he wins this game the same sort of way, because that first drive and a half. He made more plays just completely on his own then I think any quarterback in the

league could. I was listening to it initially on the radio. It was a little late coming home from the Zoo. Zoo always takes a little longer than you think. The Cincinnati's not the Cincinnati Zoo, the l A Zoo. Very underrated. Nice, nice family morning on the on the day of the divisional playoffs. I know you can catch up on on game Pass, and so I was listening on the first quarter, listening to Trent Green, and it's like, you know, ming didn't really make it sound like it was that crazy.

And when I went back to watch the first quarter, I'm like, every one of these Mahomes plays is insane. It was only because it was Patrick Mahomes. They scored those ten points. And then after that, it's the decision making and it's the maturity and getting rid of the

ball out quickly. The fact to me that he could win the game in both kind of ways to speaks to his greatness and why I definitely am not counting them out this weekend, Like like it sounds like you're doing is a strong thing to do with any team in the idle game and if Mahomes is involved, even at or whatever, I still give him a chance. Um do I like Sincinnati, Yes, I do like them to get to the super Bowl, But yeah, I thought, you know,

the Mahomes side of it, Um I did. We mentioned Henny he was the quarterback against the Browns a couple of years ago. He shows up every divisional round, every couple and so it's great to have a guy that you can count on, especially this time of year, if if you need it. But yeah, I thought that for me, this game was like a reminder that they're not just

Patrick Mahomes. You know that this defense, which you know, was facing a Jaguars team that was playing with house money, that went in there knowing nobody was going to pick him to win, and they had scored on five straight possessions in their previous game, uh to have over a historic comeback, and they just shut They shut down Trevor Lawrence and that offense for the most part. And I think there's a lot of credit that needs to be handed out to Chris Jones and that whole team as

well on that side of the ball. I mean, if I the Jaguars side of it, like if you there was a moment when Henny was there and he threw that near interception to fo A lout Khan. Had he had that been picked off, that would have changed this game. But that interception has dropped later in the game, jamalag Knew, who was sensational as a kick returner and has been for a while, and put them in position to make

a difference. Had that killer fumble that at the at the d at the Chiefs five or whatever, which basically changes that possession, made three with about eight minutes to gret and then you get the Lawrence the next possession, you get the Trevor Lawrence interception, which just shows you like, this is sometimes the Chiefs this year, because it's like, had those things gone differently, just a couple inches here and there, Jacksonville is in this thing at the very end,

and then there're a freaky operation. This was a winnable game. I think if Jaguars are getting that um bump from losing a playoff game like this, they went further than you could ever expect. They were three and seven. I get it. But this is game in particular is frustrating because it was winnable. That chat Hanny drive. It showed great confidence in Andy Reid to throw the ball out in first down out of his own end zone. You know that the past was for a touchdown. He ultimately

through for three yards per attempt. The key person in that drive was Checo picking up eight yard gains on first down. He had the thirty nine yard run. And these are like power runs too. So to your point, Dan, the pass rush was better than the Jaguars pass rush where they've spent a lot of money. The Chiefs was the running game. Both teams ran the ball well, but certainly the Chief's ability to run the ball kept them alive in that game. In that drive, like it was

an entire team. And I think that that says to me that this this can be a championship team. And it's gotta just be bitter sweet right now for the Chiefs, that that at best, homes is gonna my homes is gonna be like next week. Because I thought it was impressive that you have my homes who can't move and

he's just gotta get the ball out quick. For a big chunk of that game, that that if you're even if you're Jacksonville good defense, they've evolved over the course of the year, but you're catching up to that in real time. And what Kansas City is gonna do. I like Cincinnati's chances if you're gonna get amobile eyes Mahomes, I just assume he's going to magically be like better,

because that seems to be what happens with Mahomes. I thought, again, Romo, when they're just at this point, kill him time at the end of the Bengals game talking about what's going on with Mahomes, and you know, he said that he had suffered high ankle sprains before and it's something that you could play through the day it happens. But then he was like the next day, like today, Mahomes probably can't even walk. He's probably on crutches, and you know,

I missed my next game after high ankle sprain. Mahomes obviously is a different person. We then heard like later reporting that like Mahomes feels better, and the chief set he feels better than they expect. What happened with you in your high ankle sprain? This will be notable. I think to the who, what, like, what happened with your body when you had a high ankle spring? I would like to set at the top of this seg I

never suffered one. I did thought you said you thought you had suffering, had not, and that you skipped a week or something. No, I said Tony Romo, CBS announcer, Well, I I was starting to think you were talking about yourself. All right, let's um. But Romo basically said that, yeah, this is going to be a major issue, that he's gonna be immobile if he plays, he will play, But I think that's obviously such a major subplot now moving forward. He let's hear from Mahomes what he had to say. Um,

after the game about his physical status. It feels better, and I mean it was and better than I thought it was gonna be. Now. Um, obviously a lot of adrenaline on right now, so we'll see how it fills. But I'll hop right in the treatment tonight tonight and try to do whatever I can to be Uh, it's close by next week. But luckily for us, we played the early game on Saturday, so we get an extra almost half a day that I can let that ankle rest.

He's he's just like an excited kid. Yeah, he's funny, like Trevor Lawrence on the other side, UM basically looks at a central casting like either like a villain in an eighties movie or like what you imagine like a quarterback a star quarterback, or should look like homes looks different. Speaking of UM, that sounds different. Speaking of Trevor Lawrence, here's what he had to say after the first playoff

loss of his NFL career. They worked so hard to get here, and nobody thought we were going to be here, and you know, we had our shot, and that's what hurts, you know, So we'll be back. I'm confident in that. And this isn't this is this is more the beginning than it is the end of something. Um, this is just getting started for us. So we got a taste of it. And I mean the guys already hungry to get this opportunity again if they did a Varsity Blues reboot. He's mocks like he is, but I think this is

so like dying. I mean, first of all, like the Jaguars are one of the better stories of the year. I've got eight we have like eight or nine Coach of the Year candidates, but Peterson's got a suddenly became I mean, is here's the thing. Are they piste off at this last Like, I think it's such a polar

spectrum opposite and it's rightfully so. Can I say we mentioned a couple of years ago at the Browns and that feeling like a missed opportunity because you had any in the game and my homes out and they couldn't find a way that that day, and I had the Jags are thinking the same thing, like, we had this guy out of the game for the second quarter basically, and then he was half of his usual self for the rest of the game and we couldn't steal these

again again the Jags another team like, uh, it feels

like just the beginning for them. Said, but at the same time, you never know when your opportunity to make that deep run to be the Bengals of last year is and they didn't get it done in this spot now and the but the Brown's head Baker Mayfield, and the Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence, and even Trevor Lawrence has to be more excited about the Jaguars because they have Trevor Lawrence right they they couldn't get any shot plays throughout the game, you know, until late in the game.

Lawrence was averaging like under four yards per tempt. I thought they got away from the run like way too quickly, which is not something you would have expected out of Peterson the average seven point six yards per carrying that game, Like both teams from most of this game, we're averaging more yards on the ground per play than they were

throwing the ball. Even the Chiefs were through like three quarters of this game and Lawrence was like making two quick decisions and that the pass rush was winning for the Chiefs. And it did feel not like a teacher pupil thing, but it felt like the Chiefs were very zeroed in on where the Jaguars were bad, which was

on the second level of their defense. Like they drafted Devin Lloyd and they benched them halfway through the season for for Chad Muma and those two guys heads were spinning and they just were getting destroyed by Travis Kelsey fourteen catches yards to touchdowns, I mean, just the outrageous caught every single pass to him that was like within

ten yards of the line of scrimmage thirteen thirty. It's one of the weird things that actually, like meet out from the Thursday Show where the Jaguars are the worst team in the league ins tight ends, and then Trevis Skelsey goes completely nuclear on them. Um, what about that Travis Kelsey versus Grant conversation? Stacking up these games in the playoffs too? I find it. I find it very annoying. So I brought it up. Yeah, I think I don't think it is. I don't think it is, just because

they were in the league. They were at the same time, and it's like one was, you know, clearly the best tight end in the league while the other one was pretty much at the peak of his powers. That you used the same argument to say that Brady is the best quarterback ever. I actually that's where I wouldn't. It depends how you define it. He's accomplished the most. But to me, my Homes is already the best quarterback ever. Well that's your opinion just in terms of like playing

the position at the at the highest. Guess then I'm probably picking the Bengals. I don't know. I mean, just because we're all over the map here, thought like this game, no, but uh yeah, I think I think this went. Oh yeah, Bucker, your boy game wasn't even the top ten of the right had a rough year, but I think he was one of the key reasons they won this game. Didn't miss a kick to field, goes to uh tackles, I

mean to extra points. But then the tackle on Agnew was a massive got it the tackle and then ag Knew accidentally as He'll kicked under his face mask and he got tripped by a face mask at all. He doesn't it help at all? It all counts in the box. Scar if you're if you're Harrison Butker and you've been having some struggles to have another kicker come into the world and have incredible struggles will get to him later than like Bucker's, Like no one even remembers that I

was having issues. You know what I liked if if we're still in this game is the is the Lawrence moment in the in the alley on the way into the locker room where he gets he like camps there and his high five and everyone as they come by, and it's just like that's a dude. You want that they're gonna be okay. That it wasn't for the cameras, Like he didn't know anyone was watching them there, and like everyone you could see what it meant to them as they were going by, like take two, let's get

that well from another angle place. Take two, bigger smile, bigger smile. Make sure this gig get this kid over here, all right. I don't even know what you guys are talking about. Done exactly. You guys don't know what because that's how I know it was in stage. It was one local reporter because he didn't see it, caught it on her phone and that was the only thing it was. He kind of camped out. Um, I'm thinking, I can't together word as they're coming off the field to greet

every single player. Next stage, I was at the zoo. There is Bengals cheeps at Arrowhead. It's great. That's one side on the NFC side of things. We're gonna start with the number one seeded Eagles, who, obviously, by virtue of the dominant regular season record, had the top seed. However, there were a lot of questions about what Eagles team would show up out of the by against the upstart Giants. Oh, this one got ugly fast perch of the gone perch.

Scrange it out on the far side to Davonte Smith, a frost the five to the Smith such a great job job blocking by A. J. Brown, This dynamic duo, they're as good as it gets. It was so easy for the Eagles on Saturday night. That was Meryl Reese and like quick w I p Jalen Hurts through two touchdown passes, ran for another, looking very healthy in the shoulder region as he did it, and the Eagles just

stroll past the Giants seven at the length. They built up a twenty eight nothing halftime lead in the game. There only been four more lopsided first half playoff shoutouts in NFL history. So that's where we're at on this game, Mark Sessler. The Eagles answered a lot of questions here.

They absolutely did. Like it was a total purifying experience where it's like, let's just reset the board and remember that the Philadelphia Eagles have been doing this two teams all year long in so many different ways and the

dominant fashion that they did it in. To me, I can point to the offense that right away, the forty yard bomb from Hurts to DeVonta Smith showed you the arms fine he was to making those throws even when he had the shoulder it injury to begin with, but he also ran with power he ran into people when

he needed to. Their ground game, it's the post yardage they piled up in a playoff games since the nineteen NFL Championship game featured the Eagles, and it looked that way, and I thought the difference was also this Eagles defense. I mean, they're just like, again, where is the weakness here? If everyone's healthy, they I think the Giants were the kind of team that needed to show up early or they could be broken in this and they really were

broken by halftime. It was kind of one of those playoff games that, like, by about two minutes into the second quarter, I'm tracking it maybe with less strident note taking and just so let's see where we are later in this game. But the Giants on their first drive turnover on downs. When everything that's gone right for the Giants, the Brian Dable risk taking, which is kind of part of the DNA of who they've been. It goes back

to that Week one win over the Titans. It's happened week after week Uh is a complete disastrous Daniel Jones is taken down on back to back at totally outclass, then the interception on the next drive. Suddenly it's twenty one nothing, and it's like, no, there's no way for this Giants team to climb back in, say Kwan, Barkley has gone invisible, Daniel Jones has regressed to like free Brian Dable levels and there's no one here to rescue them.

Well no, in one game, I don't mean and he looked like the old Daniel Jones for big chunks the last night, which is that's what annoyed me, because I liked what Daniel Jones has done this season. Yeah, that sequence, there was so little tension in this game that that

sequence was memorable. When they're on defense and the Giants first drive and it was second and five and Barkley gets to the outside and a Son Reddick who's like an edge player, gets him down to make it third and three, and then a sack by Sweat and Reddick and then another sack by Reddick, Like their defensive line is outrageous. Reddick had just an incredible season, one of the best free agent pickups in a long time, especially for the money, Like he didn't even get paid that much.

It's kind of crazy. He uh was out there and on offense, the Eagles do something against the Giants every time that I love, which which which Greg Olsen talks about two you throw to win early and then run to end the game. That the throwing sets up the running. And they've done that every time they've played against the Giants,

and none of them have been competitive. And there are concerns obviously entering this game about Jalen Hurts, would he be able to throw, would he be able to play aggressively? And he answered a lot of those questions. Here was Nick Sirianni. We're gonna get to Sirianni in a second, because what a Saturday night sirian Absolutely like I've I've bumped into dudes like Sirianni at DJs and Belmar at the clubs down in the early two thousands, like he

was a pumped up boy. But let's start with Sirianni on his quarterback. I know this is high parade, but to have him out there is like having h'm I shouldn't even go there, but like he's having like Michael Jordan not there, Like he's your leader. He's your leader, he's your guy, he's your Hopefully that's the biggest respect I can pay to him comparing comparing to his ability to being on the field, uh to a to a Michael Jordan type like this guy leads. He brings this

calmness to the to the entire team. He plays great football. He's tough as as as as they come. Um yeah, I mean to me, ain't nobody has played a better football than him this year. I did the channel uh West first. Completely different than basketball, apparently not according to Nick sirianni Um the moratorium on the m J comparisons. Um, because unless you're talking about like the m J who was a fierce competitor from like eighty four to ninety

but wasn't getting over the hump. What made Jordan Jordan was on with six titles and six tries Beckham to Michael Jordan's. So he's he did it too. I think I probably wanted you to remind the people of that. But you know that's where's it's a stand in for just saying that this is the guy that everybody pounds a table for. But I don't. I also don't think like he is like a standout amongst the rest of this team. I think this is the most loaded roster

in the game. Greggy, I hear you, But I think what he was telling you, and and the teammates of Jalen Hurts tell you too. And they said this after this game that Hurts had some quote to all of them just how he was starving for it. That he's just starving for this title. And I think he is,

amongst other things, an incredible leader. And that was what the people uh analyzing him coming out in the draft struggled with that, just like this guy is like sort of talked about like he's this Tim Tebow like leader, except he actually has these athletic gifts and if he can learn how to do a drop back passing game and throw deep and we've we've seen it, like he could just be next level. But you're right that he's

set up by a great offensive life. I mean, this this was I almost feel like this game was too easy for Philadelphia. But it's why you go. That's why

the regular season matters. You get the one seed, You play a team that you're just so much better than than than you know, and that you know all their tendencies, and like they set up in these heavy run formations and then they pass it, and then they set up in these spread passing formations and then they run it and it's like they're mixing up what they do on

on defense really well. There was that play on offense, remember when they all lined up like they were gonna do the double cheek push and the Giants were all ready for it, and then they just flip it to the outside. It's just like they've got these great players, and you're right, Hurts is put in position where like he he just has to do his thing. Well, I think it is like that, we're gonna get a new coach who's gonna completely flub his first press conference, and

we're gonna it's gonna be, you know, February March. We're gonna rip on this guy and have our time with him. But Nick Sirianni was a disaster pr wise out of the gate. But I think there's such a well coached team. They completely neutralized New York's pass rush, which was their selling point going into this thing. Too. With that, there's any chance to stop the Eagles. Seventeen pass run snaps generated zero QB pressure in the first half led to

that dominance. Hurts and his three quickest times to throw games in his entire career have come against this year's Giants in three games and the thing is that what they did to New York in Week fourteen before the Eagles were sitting people late in the Giants were It's like the they blew their doors off in similar fashion. This It looked very similar. They did a lot of the same stuff. New York knew that, and Brian Table is a good coach and Wink Martin Dial has been

a good coach, and they couldn't counter it. It reminded me of like Patriots Texans Divisional round, like in some of the Texans lower years, where it was like a light warm up for the real game. And I think that's what's the most disappointing thing for Giants fans, because the idea was that, coming off that dramatic win in Minnesota and how well they were playing, that they were going to ride that wave, and then the wave just crashed on them within five minutes of the game starting.

Here's a Brian Dable told uh said that he told his team after the blowout loss to him keep their heads up. They competed hard. Um, it's a crash landing in the playoffs. Anytime you lose, it hurts because of the amount of effort and energy you put into it each week, and when you lose this time of year, um, it hurts even more. There's a lot of talk after the game. I saw it on Twitter, I saw it

on my New York buddies with text and everything. You know, they were confident going into this, very confident but ugly loss, somewhat embarrassing loss. But you know, the future is really bright for the Giants. Maybe I'll say this absolutely a great first year for Dable, um, but you know, they got in the playoffs. They beat the Vikings, who were frauds we know, and the Colts to clinch the playoffs spot.

And this kind of was a reminder how far away they still are and these are things that they all need to think about spinning forward. With Daniel Jones, who certainly did not look like a impact player in this particular setting. Sae Kwon Barkley, a running back getting closer to age thirty, what kind of contract do you give him? How else do you build up this team? This isn't like go get von Miller and we're ready to roll. The Giants still have a lot of work to do.

Even if you could see this season as a success, I mean, if if anything, they went into this year with I think they're their front office with Joe Shane is like they're not like rose colored glasses, Like they didn't even they didn't even give the fifth year option to Jones. Sa Kwan Barkley was a wait and see.

And I do think games like this can change your off season planning, and I don't think it changes what they think about Daniel Jones, but any contract going his way can't get in the way of continuing to look for like the Eagles did that next quarterback they did like they had Carson Wentz and they looked at Hurts and then suddenly, look where we are. You're not still struggling trying to put the wrong guy in there. So Jones, I think great career season. You bring them back at

the right price that that works. But like there's no pressure that they should or might draft a quarterback high because I feel like that would be weird to give

him a new deal. I'm not saying, I just like it's the problem with these quarterback deals as they all kind of look too much alike, where like even the middle tiers a ton of money, but like if you do where there's no guaranteed money, very soon actually great pull because like if you if you listen to w I P on that day, like people hated that pick, like why would we take a quarterback when we have

a quarterback? I think Jones and I would throw Gino into this category are the type of like middle quarterbacks, and I think Gino's above that on some level. But you're still gonna be looking for younger guys. And and Daniel Jones was very circumspect, didn't really say anything, you know when they talked about his future. Se Quon was very big on like I can't imagine playing anywhere else. But it reminds me a lot of the Tyrode Bill season. So I don't know if Daniel Jones will be like

they'll change quarterbacks like it. But I thought, like McDermott and um, you know, their front office showed who they were like leading up to that Tyrode season, like we're a different Bills team, and they actually took a step back like the next year after that, but it like showed who they were and they were a little ahead of schedule. And I think to your point, that's what Joe, Shane and Davil did. It's it's a long term thing. But they have twelve starters out of their twenty uh

two starters are set to hit fre Agent. Maybe a little bit of cold water on the the Daniel Jones, um uprising the last few weeks works out well for them in decisions they're making money, they end up spending We shall see. Um, we had some blocks involved in this game, correct, I locked it up. This is of those locks you enjoy. You don't have to ease do a rocking chair game, just this. You don't have to

sweat it out. Oh and to let her letter really locked it up to Yeah, that's right, and Dan did not, which most of our listeners probably don't know now because I've got The only annoying part about you switching your tweets is like Drew our our producer, thought, uh, I won the lock Championship. He didn't know you switched. People don't follow these things, well how would they unless they're following every tweet I send in the middle of like,

I saw some people responding to what you've done. Certainly your your Twitter follows, but that's a relatively Yeah, I'm joking. I'm sorry, Drew got nine feet tall of you. I should have mentioned that I had switched my Lock, but I got a lot of tweets that were like, congratside your LOCK championship. Um, well I reverse, yeah, like I stuck with my Giants pick um, which I had no

I thought it was kind of fun. And uh, you know, as as the season goes along, you say goodbye to teams, you say goodbye to news developments, you say goodbye to things that seemed they'll never go away. And I'm saying goodbye to Lock. Standing scenario here we said goodbye to the West best officially too on that I'm gonna gonna talk to you something you talking about something? Go ahead, a long time friend. You know that I would never

betray you, your family, or our alliance. It brings me a great sorrow to know that you may feel that I deserted you and it's time to meet. Well, you must understand my intentions were driven purely by survivor. I couldn't remain in our New York family alliance. Had to come into the realization that our enemy had set a trap in Philadelphia with the intention to laure's both to an early demise. I will forge on in your honor factor. That's a huge victory for me. I guess, um, I

appreciate the sentiments. Um. I did see what love Smith said to his team when he played for a time. I think there was a lot of chatter on on Twitter about it, um my mentions just because of I think you tagged us on some of this or like. But there was one of the like. There was an image of like Mario brothers, Mario like jumping safely to a cliff and he was holding onto one like another character and just like let it go, and he just disappears into a shop. The other character's eyes well up

before he dropped into a deathly hades. And that's what happened to me over the weekend. I definitely there. I had regrets about that, but I also I was thinking about it, like, first of all, you gave me warning, though I couldn't warning, it would have felt on an original the trophy still in my house to two back. I don't need to be in a total place of desperation when Greggy's trying to trick us and to pick

in the g men and ending the whole thing. What you thought to myself, you're giving me way too, said, Okay, he took the eagles, that's the right play two games up, but I don't. I'm not gonna pick a team I don't believe and I didn't believe in the Giants, so I went elsewhere and as a result, I am still alive with two weeks to play. Yeah, I don't hate on that at all. I mean, I think it's good to try to get your locks right and not take bad teams. So that makes total sense. It's just bad.

It's bad showmanship to confuse the listeners. But I think it's the right the right pick. Well, even if it's good to keep them off about it's uh playing for the tie. You never want to do that, but it's better than losing a lot of listeners don't understand that Lock of the Week is like the game you're most confident in. There, like, how is it a lock if you change it? It's not like that season I could I don't think anyone could care less about that day.

We could revisit that down the line if it's something we want to say that they have to be binding on the day of the show. But um, I knew in my heart that I had to move, and yes, I can only tie right now. But again, the trophies in my house and I didn't want to go out on the giants. I don't want to fall on that sword. I don't blame you, can I give you one quick media uptake because you know it was my Like we talked about the fact that I went on the little

NFL dot com picks. I'm and I stress little and uh, I would say, because you picked the giant, I picked the giants. And you know, if that goes right suddenly to the Tri state area is just like you know, carrying you around town. Now I'm getting like a billion of those when this happens as source the old takes exposed, It's like do I need this? It's just like I just simply log off Twitter will come back in like mid April. Here's the thing that these social accounts have

no accountability either. They actually sent out an article from bills dot com showing all the expert predictions and by the way, most of them were picking the bills. But they took one of my quotes saying where the bills are poor and sent that out on their main feed and then click the link and by the way, like twelve out of sixteen people in that link picked the bills.

I was not one of them. Are they gonna come back uh and apologize and point, Hey, you're right, actually our shortcomings on the offensive line, and actually I think they reiver. You expect that. I can think you can expect them to do that. I see you bills before we before we go on to the last game. Can we talk about Sirianni in that game? He was extra and I'm not I'm not going to kill him for it. Maybe when he looked in to the Cameron slow motion

and shook his head like, yeah, I'm the mother of him. Man, that one was a little extra. Um. But the whole game he was super amped up and excited. I think it's because he saw his game plan being you know, unfurled and and just perfection. But let's play that that when they were I think that was when they were up by five touchdowns or something, four touchdowns and they line up for two and uh, is that the way we have here? Yeah? They line up for two? Uh, and then he calls time out and this is what

we saw and heard. I know I'm allowed to be down here. And then he had he also had this to say, name checking an old friend of ours. Sometimes I have to hear like some things about Jonathan gannon like and I don't know if it's you guys, it might be more people. UM. I won't say names. Angelo all right, Uh, but this guy is an unbelievable Cordina. The fact that he doesn't get respect from our r R station blows my It blows my mind. And I know you work at the radio station too, so I'm

not gonna say anything about you. But this guy is an incredible coordinator. People love to play for this guy, like and listen, you want me to keep going? He's looking over to the PR guy. That's Angelo Cataldi, by the way, who has been their morning guy there forever. I think he's retiring at the end of this year. I mean, is Angelo the most powerful sports talk radio

guy in the country. Really is an old school sports town where sports talk radio is still king and what those guys say really does matter and years cares about what Zolak saying. I don't think I mean a different situations. Um. One last one, last note on the MJ thing. Yeah, what's calm down? The MJ was a great teammate. He was brutal on a lot of his teammates. He commanding,

he was sometimes demeaning. He could be cruel. He expected everyone to be as good as him, even though that was impossible, and I guess that made some guys better. But like Jalen Hurts, as far as I understand, that is not the type of h is much more like a consistent, super motivated guy that liked but he But if you put it, but what, we've lost a lot of the nuance of Michael Jordan's like over the years. I get where he's coming from. I get that you

don't like it, but this doesn't old. I want to keep like the actual like what mj was, which is one of the great not only the greatest player ever but the greatest like sometimes nastiest competitors, but not a cancer like he was too good. He fired that team up. I mean they showed up in big moments over and over, so he found some balance there. To your point, um, you know, that's like the fourth different quarterback that's been compared to Jordan on this show this year, a loon,

and so they would probably completely different than basketball. Mark said it, let's move, let's move two a break, Let's take a break. We'll be right back, all right. So the Eagles move on. They will host the NFC Title game next weekend. Their opponent it had to be the Niners. You knew it was gonna be the Niners. It is the Niners. Steps it back to Dak Prescott. He goes over the middle of the church cree when the Boo

partners is laughing. Forty Niners Shore going to the NFC Title game for a third time in the last four years. This stuff is not easy. The Chief's going five years in a row. God nobody wants say. Oh. Dan always brings it back to the Jets. The Jets have been to the a f C title game four times in my entire life. I was born in to go five years in a row, to go three out of four years.

These are major organizational achievements. Shout out to the Niners who get past the Dallas Cowboys nineteen to twelve, largely because of their defense. Again, like the Philadelphia Eagles, loaded on both sides of the ball, and when one side doesn't have a big day, you could still move forward

because the other side could step up. We saw that there on that final play of the game, and and Greggy um and we're gonna get to the Dallas side of it because it's always filled with juice and it's just so it's almost like a Greek tragedy when you get to the Cowboys in January now. But the Niners they've showed through uh scoring in the last month that they could just destroy a team. This show they could

win this type of game too. That's valuable. I think you set it up perfectly like the Eagles and the forty Niners. For all the talk that it's like the these a f C superpowers, here they got the best teams that I've been saying that because of their quarterbacks. The Forts and the Eagles are the two teams that can win any type of game that you don't know what unit's gonna show up, whether it's the defensive line or the secondary, or their passing game, or it's the

running game. And forty Niners offense really didn't show up for much of this game. Credit to the Cowboys defense for their game plan and their talent, but this game was there for the taking if Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense could get anything done, and they just couldn't. And part of that is is Damiko Ryan's is coaching. Part of it is this linebacker group, which is just so good Fred Warner making plays down the field and

coverage alsha here was everywhere. He's so good that they have to keep three linebackers on the field, which not many teams do. We know, Dre greenlaws a beast like he made great plays. They just confused the hell out of Dac when he was backing up to pass and they were all over their receivers. They let Ceedee Lamb get some catches and that's about it. And I just

think if you kept playing this game. As much as I want to pick on Mike McCarthy for not being aggressive, I don't think Dak in the Dallas offense would have delivered if he was aggressive. So I think they would have lost this game either way. Because of this, forty ers don't come out of it with a with a ton of blame for Mike McCarthy or even the approach, because Dak Prescott did not look comfortable from the very word go uh. You know, the two interceptions, they only

lead to two field goals. That's not fatal, But in a game like this where it was nine nine deep into the game, that's the difference. I mean, little moments like that because the big question was what we got pristine Doc and we could go we got pristine Dallas Cowboys. Is that who they are? They've grown into that? No, they haven't. And the the Niners find a way to make those versions, the better versions of their opponent disappear

in a hurry. It's the defense. And then what I think happens with this Niners offense because it's a different game than a week ago when they were trailing Seattle at halftime, but just over the course of the game, they find a way for enough to happen on offense. And a game like this where it's so tight. Brock Purty, who is just absolutely like ice cold, like never seems to be razzled, frazzled on any level, like found George k with that incredible catch. I thought that was the

turning point drive of the game. And then you got started to see Christian McCaffrey get through, Elijah Mitchell get through, and I just noticed the Dallas defense starting to tire because this wasn't a game like the Eagles against the Giants, where the Niners on the ground produced a lot early but they kept mentioning it and you know that like Shanahan clearly stated it to the broadcast team. We want to be physical, we want to run the ball. We're not looking to take a ton of shots down field.

We want to be able to do this against Dallas. It took a really long time, but in the last couple of drives, I'm not saying they were prolific, but you saw it and had Elijah Mitchell not run out of bounds like they would have iced it even minutes before, we wouldn't even got into that last absurd play with Zeke Elliott snapping the ball and then the whole thing ends and Dalton Schultz made some terrible bone headed plays back to back on that last drive. It wasn't a

great look um for the Cowboys. But yeah, I think Dallas just like last year. You you came out of that game against again the fort but it was in Arlington that game, Um, they didn't execute the way they could, They didn't take advantage of opportunities, and it happened again here. And it must be so frustrating for a Cowboys fan because that big Kittle circus catch, you know, that sets up um San Francisco on the Cowboys side of the field.

But that becomes a touchdown drive because Trayvon Digs has a ball just skip right into his bread basket, uh, for what would have been a massive, potentially game shifting interception. He can't hold onto the ball. Um, there's a penalty in there as well that kept the drive alive, right, was it gonna be third or fourth and nineteen or something? And and the San Francisco then, to their credit, takes advantage and gets in and it's just like it's just

the same things happen over and over again. I think McCarthy probably survives here. Um. But at the same time, would it shocked you with Sean Payton out there, uh running from mayor if it ends very differently. Here is Jared Jones, who you know, Jerry Jones, God bless him. You know. My feelings and Jerr are clear that we will miss him when he's gone as a character in terms of what he uh, the entertainment value he brings.

He went onto the field before the game to consult with Brett Maher after he missed a couple of field goals in warmups. That's the GM slash owner of the Cowboys, and of course he has thoughts on the Mike McCarthy decision to punt late in the game. I think what greg about three minutes left or so, fourth and ten deep in their own end. Um, they do get the ball back, but the game for all intents and purposes is over by that point. A lot of criticism on

McCarthy and the Cowboys. Here's what Jared had to say about that decision. They had a lot to say about it. But um, but they uh it appears today we go more scheme pretty good out there by their defensive coaches. We scheme them pretty good. So uh, that was a that was a big difference. Uh, we had it tar force probably right up until the last three or four minutes. We had it tar force to get a step farther to the championship. But still, I'm I'm sick. Uh don't

have Uh it's really anything materials important. Listen to him say so was he saying that like the coaches essentially told him, well, the defense had it all over us at that point. I mean, that is what he's saying, and that's to me, we were schemed pretty good out there by their defensive coaches. I think what he's saying is we had no confidence we could pick up a fourth down, which is self evident because there were three

decisions late in that game. It was actually two minutes and five seconds left by the time they got that punt off, so it was before the two minute warning. Was fourth and ten from from your own a team, right. But when when they punted that, you know, we were we were in the in the film room and I said, like, there's a really good chance they don't get the ball back here, and they wouldn't have if Elijah Mitchell stayed in bounds And by the time they did get the

ball back it was a prayer. But earlier in the half, Dan fourth and five at the forty the forty niners forty, they decided to take a delay of game uh and punt it and then the drive even before that. Granted there on the forty niners um and it's only a forty three yard field goal for Maher and it's a fourth and eight, But I did think considering Maher, considering they needed a touchdown, Uh, they could have gone for it there if you were seeing anything out of the

Cowboys offense. But I think based on that Jones quote, they had no confidence and I don't think it would have mattered because they shouldn't have had any content and this is and Greg, you are the president of the Dak fan Club, so I want to hear this. He played terribly. I mean this was he was brilliant on Monday night against the Bucks, and you give him all the credit in the world for that, but that was

the Bucks, an eight and nine team. If Dak wants to be seen as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, you need to deliver better than he did. He had two interceptions. He had a Drake greenlock it at US pick six late this game that would have sealed it and that would have been on his tombstone Doc. So he even got away with another killer throw. And just after that New Year pick six, he had a receiver deep that he misfired on, got the guy turned around.

That could have been a big play and he just didn't show up. And I think that informed some of the decision making by Mike McCarthy, who said, my Devents is playing well and I can't move the ball at my quarterback today, so I'm gonna hope that that wins that way. It was just it's disappointing, to say the least. The game we got from the quarterback. I totally agree it was a disaster. I actually thought the second half

after the first two interceptions was worse. I don't know if they were in his head, but I thought it got worse. Even though he didn't throw a pick in the second half. He could have that ball to Ceedee Lamb down the seam that Fred Warner made the great play on. I mean, if he puts that out there a little more. M J D in the film room with us spotted it right away. Put some air under that, let's seed, keep the afterburners on. That's that's a touchdown.

The plays down the sideline, and then I actually I'm almost haunted by the there's a third and five, I think on their first drive of the second half, and and Olsen was all over this one too. Was he went through his read so fast, had no pressure on him, and threw a weird outlet pass to Zeke that was not on target, that had no chance for a first down, And that was a panicked, poorly executed decision and throw. I mean, I think, I think that's what San Francisco

does to you. I look at a Cowboys team that had a chance, a major chance when Rayby McLeod fumbled the punt. You're at San Francisco twenty one. You get out of there with a field goal. You can't do that against this Niners team. And like Dak, Prescott completely disappointed. And I think there's similar images to the terrible loss they suffered against the Niners a year ago. And I don't care about that final play, for instance, And we were saying during our break, like, all right, you're gonna

have to dial up something. It's gonna probably be wacky. It's gonna be wacky. But that said, I would rather just say, let's just go for the hail. Mary then had the seat that last year was Dak's scrambling, not getting the first, trying to down the ball, the time runs out, like the whole things of fiasco. It's your

final image of that Cowboys team. This was a good Cowboys team that a year later, it's Zeke Elliott who's ruled ineligible, snapping the ball to Dac who whips it to turpin and he's nailed to the ground and the thing is over. It's like that's a circus. Sean Payton's loving that the way that game plays out and the reason Zeke is all over the game plan is because Tony Pollard, who was such a special player for him

this year. Um, he goes out in the first half with a what's initially called a high ankle sprain, and then it's reported after the game that he suffered a fractured left fibula that will require surgery. Um normally, according to Todd Archer, Uh, those require a three month recovery. Greg, as you said during the break, he's a free agent to be just bad bad, uh misfortune for Pollard. Yeah, that that's depressing. He's still, to me, would be a great free agent pick up for anyone. But yeah, there's

just these they're not great in the details. And I saw this interview acted with Aaron Andrews before the game, and he was talking about how he didn't leave the house for two weeks after the last one and that he actually rewatched the press conference from the post game lost to the forty isers this week because like he didn't want to feel that again. And it just feels

like you don't want to get inside his head. But he put him a lot on himself for this game, like that it's gonna be different, and then for it to happen again as Devins Ceedee Lamb defending his quarterback. I mean he was gonna get criticized regardless no matter how he played, unless he didn't throw or zero interceptions if you did. If you did throw zero interceptions, everybody would have been on the school. Just because he threw pace. Everybody's gonna be on him. That everybody that was great.

But he plays for Dallas Cowboys. He's number four, he's off starting quarterbet So that's what coming with it with my boy and know that. So it is what it is. We're gonna work. We're gonna work. Ceedee lamb Um, just like he defended Brett or put through his support behind Brett Maher on the bench last week, supporting dad because he knows how good dad can be. I think that's part of what made this so frustrating for Lamb and and guys like Greg Rosenthal that he didn't show up

in this game. I mean, it will be a tough offseason. It kind of it mirrors to me, like, wait, what happened to Daniel Jones and the Giants? Oh, you've faced the Eagles defense that basically has dismantled people left and right. The Niners have been doing this. It's again, it's the focus on Brock Party, this rookie Cord. Well, the defense has been destroying people week after week and turning good quarterbacks into lesser. I'm glad you brought up Party because

we're gonna have a whole week to talk about it. Um, But a little bit sobering for Purdy, who gets large. Although he did get better in the second half as there he was improved some throws, didn't have a big game by any means, and now he has to go against the Philly defense that I think is even better than the Dallas defense. So we'll see how that go. But ultimately San Francisco moves on there. They have not

lost in a very long time. And uh, I don't think who shoot, I don't know, I haven't thought it. This is a tough one to pick, by the way, that's a tough one. N title game is gonna be a bonkers affair. Well, as of this taping, I think both lines next week are two points are under, which is crazy. I saw some analytics site which like put the percentage of which teams will win the Super Bowl and like everyone's between twenty three and It's pretty rare

to have four teams. They have their strengths and weaknesses, and the Mahomes injury looms certainly, but that like, I feel like they're about all equal to win the Super that we've got the four best teams. Is there anyone? Is there any debate? I think I'm confident we do. There is one other big injury that looms coming out of this game. Christian McCaffrey had a rap on his calf in the second half of this game when they

were trying to ice the game. On their last possession, he gets the ball once on a weird wide receiver like screen type thing, but otherwise it was Elijah Mitchell. Uh. He only had ten carries in this game. McCaffrey, So what is his physical health going into the biggest game of his I don't want Christian McCaffrey suffering another injury until they've won the Super Bowl and he like stubs his toe mowing the lawn and deal with that for two weeks. I don't think he's ever going to mow

his lawn well again if he ever has. You know what, he's kind of a bay. He drops a bag, drops a bag of drops a bag of fives and tens and coins on his life. Well, I mean it works too because his dad was an NFL player, That's what I mean. But that's like a d n that's a better NFL player than McCaffrey every ever mowed the lawn. Just answer no. But I would say, like, the reason he's an NFL players not because his dad's wealthiest. Because he's like his DNA and his genetics are superior to

the vast majority of the population. And and one thing I've noticed here, you know, working at NFL Network where a lot of these guys have their sons who are becoming great players. He has excellent instruction and like playing football all the time since you were four because your dad, you know, it's like, that's an amazing advantage. And Dalton Schultz's dad didn't play football. Is that what you're trying

to say? Now, He shouldn't know. He didn't know the rules about not going back and then to not get that foot done. We could have seen the hail mary. If West was here. I knew he would, he would mention this. It would have been like the Cowboys in the Divisional round throwing a hail mary. That is where the Hail Mary was Born Cowboys Vikings game. But this Cowboys team does not afford us that they didn't even

get to don't. So the Cowboys go home again. It's been thirty years since they've been to the MNASY title game. I think even more now, is it? That's a bad streak? Um? All right, So what do we learn? Football is still great? Um? The football? Uh? We could have, we could have had. We didn't get a classic, but we got a classic week of matchups coming up Conference championship weekend. Let's look at it real quick. Here San Francisco at Philadelphia noon five at the link. As I said, so that will

be Greg Olsen, who had an excellent game. By the way, that Olsen so good. I do not want. I don't think there's no way Tom Brady is retiring. But if Tom Brady retires and starts his three fifty million dollar Fox contract and takes Greg Olsen's number one spot, it's a travesty. You can't do that. But they also here's the thing that we can. You can't make it a three man booth and throw Brady into that either put him on the Booger mobile. I can't do that either.

I want to put a sandwich on Brady never ends up taking that job completely. I wouldn't even take you on that because I don't see that happening, because like, well, he'll either pass on that or it'll just be like the Murdocks get to bring him to corporate events and he shows up five times a year. You've had that theory, but I don't think that's why. That's what's the direction. There was like people Tom has made a lot of money.

He's you know, but uh, one of the reasons, yeah, one of the reasons why he is rich as he's made good decisions finance actually, so turning down thrender fifty million dollars because he's bored of the idea. Now, I don't I don't see it. I just think, like, when it comes down to it, does he want to be at the nacho bar with Ross Tucker and the Tucker spreads? Uh, you know before the game? You really think he's gonna be showing up to there are different levels Kansas City

and doing all this everywhere. I just don't think he's gonna I think he's gonna be like I have. I know that's a lot of money, but I've got a lot of money in the end. I don't want to remember here when it's been years now and now Dion is a major head coach of a D one program UM in college. Um, but Dion was different than all the other guys. Dion, amongst the analysts, had his own green room that no one else could access. Didn't get

that Brady money though. The money's He's not going to be hanging out of there like I don't think that. I'm just saying he has to be up there. Uh, she's not gonna be game. Doesn't see those guys have no concern Tom Brady, the Nacho line and all this stuff that the normal plebeians are participating in the other games. He's gonna have to get in that elevator. You can't get out. Like he's gonna be in the elevator. You're gonna be next to Zach Berman and bow Wolf, like

Michael Jackson and Land Ranch. I mean, he's just flashing blood. He's a man. I just think he'll be too bored by it all too. He's just not even gonna want to bother. He thinks that's boring. Wait till he retires and see what else around there? He did retire. How long did that take? Three weeks? This keeps you in the public eye, you know, involved with something that you love. Everybody's saying you're the greatest. Who's talking about Troy Aikman.

Had he decided he was too bored to do this, like thirty years from now, Tom Brady will be like a historical very large historical memory. Or he can be on television the rest of his life an elevator on the nacho line, don't project. I'm not I am turning down your three million contract that already signed because I

don't want nachos. I don't think he uh, it just wouldn't be in a just not in You know, we wonder why we always have a ninety minutes show that we do a solid line the Bengals at the Chiefs three thirty pm Eastern Arrowhead three Pacific, And I like that you noon earlier because I think Pacific should start to be the standard time. Three pm Eastern Game one,

six pm Eastern Game two. And then right after that you tune into The Round the NFL podcast streaming live, and then you check out the audio show because you gotta get it twice. Good stuff, Um, thank you, everybody for listening. You have any other thoughts, Mark, I mean the music is playing. I think it's time to reassess it, where we're at in life and start over. We'll be back on Tuesday with our first look at Championship weekend. Until then, you know what you gotta do, The call