2022 Super Wild Card Weekend Preview: McCarthy's Last Stand?

of the NFL. Maybe it's like this the year where they gave it to Philip Rivers for coming back from being like the fourteenth best quarterback to the ninth best which comes up. It's like Philip Rivers coming back from his sixth child. Yes, yes, yes, oh you you can hear it listener and viewer. The bounce in our step because it is wild Card Super wild Card weekend in the NFL and we are going to preview all of

the games. How many games you got here? In eighteen laminated fourteen teams remaining two teams on pay it's twelve by six. That's yeah, six, yea, so we got six games. Talk about the human calculators. That's where we are got there and we're gonna go through every game. We have two on Saturday two, on Sunday one, on Monday night three on Sunday. Hello, that's why we need this preview. Lock this down. Yeah, all right, you want to get into it. Sure, let's get into it. Let's go and order.

I think that's a good way to do it. Let's go to Bowl Bottom four thirty pm Eastern. We used to call it West of vis our late friend Chris Westling his favorite kind of playoff game when the Andy Dalton led Bengals would get knocked out of the postseason every year, and that early time slot on Saturday. It became a big party for West who had a antagonistic relationship with his boyhood team UH in the second half of his life. They don't do that early, early slot anymore.

It's now a four thirty pm Eastern kickoff. It's on Fox, and it's the Seahawks, who greg they found their way to the postseason, and they deserve credit for it because we, you know, we were all it were a little but hurt. I think a lot of people were about the lines not making the playoffs. But Seattle deserves a lot of credit because they like the Lions and many other UH teams like the Giants, will talk about weren't even considered a thought to be playing at this time of year,

and yet here they are to get a chance. Unfortunately, their reward for making the playoffs is facing, in my mind, the best team in football writing a ten game winning speak it hurts, And yes, you, you are so confident that the Seahawks weren't gonna win, you put sandwiches on them being one of the worst teams in the league. I think we're getting to that, yes later. And I don't think everyone in this room even took me on

that because it was deemed to be hanging shallots. It was such a weak wager that turned out to be not so weak, right, So they deserve credit. And in a perfect game where brock Purty gives them a couple of chances, and brock Purtty usually gives the opponent like one chance a game, you gotta catch that interception pretty good for a seventh round pick, He's he's very good. But at the beginning of that Thursday night game where they played him pretty well on defense, the Seahawks defense

played well in the first half. The forty Niners punted actually five of their first six possessions, but they didn't catch an interception chance. Quandre Diggs dropped one, and eventually they just overtook him. In these two matchups, the Seahawks have gotten smoked. It's a terrible matchup for them. It's forty eight to twenty in these two combined games. And as a Gino Smith fan, I've watched these games. They

didn't score on offense in Week two. That that's a long time ago, but they didn't do much on offense just four weeks ago as well. They were lucky to keep it as close as forty eight to twenty over those two weeks. And the thing that I really was taken by rewatching the Week fifteen game was like Gina just said, noe time. It was just like watching the mon Stars going up against a bunch of regular players. Uh, it was like watching TCU Georgia the other night. It

was just such a mismatch. You know, had no time get the second reference in the first but space jams and that's why, Like it hurts, but I'm gonna lock up the forty niners to start the week. Wow. Okay, alright, interesting, interesting, interesting, And as we'll take a look at standing later, perhaps it is a one second justice justin Is it something that needs to be said right the second he's got to lock up the forty night, I'm also going up. I also am locking it up, which is funny to

stand before the show. You've got across the board. Everyone would lock up Buffalo. We'll see what happens there. But this one stands out to me is the obvious home run lock Alright, So I am now going to because I saw a little report yesterday. I'm gonna check out. You know, it's really scary the weather in California for the past two weeks or so, heavy rains is I think they're called the river or what are they river fronts or something, rolling in and pounding the entire coast.

It's it's cost people property. People have lost their lives. And the weather i'm hearing is not going to be good, uh this weekend. And it's that old adage weather is the ultimate equalizer. Right now, is a chance of rain this weekend. That's the only chance I think Seattle has here that you have a situation where the field becomes an issue, you can't throw the ball, and then some mistakes started piling up. Otherwise, I think this is very safe. The people in the desert have this at nine and

a half right now. Uh. If Seattle wins, it's one of the biggest upsets. And along I also think ill weather and it's at an atmospheric river apparently from from Drew our producer. But bad weather is great for the Niners too in my book, because you're gonna have to run the ball if you're Seattle and you want to keep possessions away from the Niners. One running back has created more than a hundred scrimmage yards against the Niners. That was Christian McCaffrey, who is now on the Niners.

Now it's not ken Walker, they kind I mean ken Walker really was bottled up by the number two games, and I think that sort of started ken Walker's downslide a little bit. The Niners. To me, if you look at how Christian McCaffrey has performed against Seattle, he dominated them in that game. George Kittle's done that over the years, Deebo Samuel has done it. There are too many weapons here. I just don't see Geno Smith's way out of this,

because you're right. The thing that I remember from that Week fifteen game was how Geno Smith, after such an incredible regular season was dominated. In that game, their line was dominated, and you go, like the quandary digs dropped interception, Lilli's little moments like that. Seattle cannot create those mistakes. They've got to find a way to get Brock pretty uncomfortable. I do think Pete Carroll has one interesting opportunity that no coaches had. He's seen brock Purty for the second time.

No one's had that chance. I mean, there's been very little tape on him. I think Pete Carroll's a kind of coach that can find a way to make some use of that. But again, I think he keep people keep waiting for brock Purty to suddenly collapse. It's like, this guy is playing He's won five in a row and his metrics are basically matched only by Tom Brady when he had a five game win streak with the Bucks when they won the Super Bowl. He's playing at

a superhuman, strangely superhuman level. Well that's interesting. When I watch him, I see him as a like a deeply professional quarterback, a guy that plays like a five year veteran. I don't I don't watch him in like I scratch my head at how talented he is, and throws he's making, but I there's certainly a lot to be said for his the skill group around him. Of course, the scheme, it's kind of the defense on the other side of the ball, putting the offense in good situations, they're not

playing from behind. I mean, yes, there will be a time, most likely in these playoffs, where you're gonna party's back is gonna be against the wall and he's gonna have to leave the team and we're gonna see what version that is. Just don't see it happening in this game. And I'm glad you brought up Purty because I still kind of think it's being slept on a little bit. How incredible this story is, um, this is from our

research notes. He will become the latest drafted rookie quarterback including undrafted free agents in the common draft era, to start a playoff game. T J. Yates was the last one, if you remember, with the Texas a fifth round pick. Um And not only is he he stepped into that. I think t J. Yates his family is in the top row of NRG state. This is not t J. Yate's leading the Niners. It's it's remarkable that he stepped into the lineup is a third string quarterback and the

team got better. That's crazy, right, And I don't see superhuman. I see like you like, like a quality starter with the athleticism is surprising, where he uses his legs a few times of games, he doesn't have to do too much, he has open receivers, he makes good decisions, and I just don't think Seattle is like a game plan specific type of team that's gonna cook up all these things

that confuse him. Now. Pete Carroll has done a good job and seeing Kyle Shanahan's offense more than any coach in the NFL, And until this year, the Seahawks had actually kind of owned the forty Niners in this matchup, even though they've been around the same level of quality. Maybe the forty Niners have even been better on average, and the Seahawks have won more than their share of matchups, So I don't think it's something that they're gonna like

step out there and be surprised. But then I just look at the matchups and it's not just the forty niners defensive line dominating, it's the forty Niners offensive line dominating. I didn't see Purty with a lot of trouble there. I think of where Seattle is good on defense. Yeah, you got Tarik Woolen, but it's in the middle of the defense that forty Niners attack. And they got Elijah Mitchellbach look good last week, they got look good last week.

Jordan's Brooks is normally the starting middle linebacker for the Seahawks, really struggled in that week fifteen game. Now you've got Tanner Muse in there his backup because he's here, and I think of all the screens and I think of how Kyle Shanahan. He's a mean guy. Sometimes he likes to pick on You wouldn't think he mean. He pick on one guy on the other team and he just says, I'm gonna eat you. You're my food. I'm gonna eat you for this entire day. That's that's that's tan or Muse.

He's just gonna have like a big circle on him and it's gonna be kittle, and it's gonna he's gonna embarrass him in front of his family. Well, that's that's just the way sports are. Don't take a personally young man. If it happens, um and I think the weather hurts Seattle because the one thing Seattle does better could hurt them. Okay, here's what they need. They need an act of God. Here.

The only thing that Seattle is better than in theory is receivers on the outside making big plays down the field. Geno Smith's greatest strength and he gives the other team a chance to pick off a couple of balls a week lately, which is not good. But his biggest strength is he still has three or four beautiful dimes down the field. So I could see Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf picking on Lenore, who every offense kind of picks on for the forty now ners and getting some big

plays down the field. But that's hard to do. Anything. I think about from that week fifteen games, Treverius Ward and how physically was on DK Metcalf, and that that's the Niners defense. And I think, like, I don't care

about the weather. And when I say superhuman like from Purty, it's that this is someone that everyone basically just thought, well, this could end the Niners season, and so in terms of what we thought he would be and what he's been, it is one of the most unexpected things I've ever watched on a football field, So from that end, Gole, it's like they've gotten better with Purdy. He's not a liability. This is an incredible situation for the Niners that they

haven't fallen off a cliff. Um. What if Niners defensive coordinator Damik O Ryan's puts on his little bib thing and takes out his his fork and his sharp knife and then pulls a big plate of Gina Smith out in front of him. Put some salt and pepper on um a little hot because Gino has not been playing

great football, um the last few weeks. Um. And if that pass rush, which has been relentless with Nick Bolsa leading the way, puts him in a situation where he starts throwing the ball off for grabs in wet weather. It listen, Gino deserves all the credit in the world. Great season. I kind of foresee it ending very poorly. Now, maybe I'll be doubting and be wrong about Gino one more time, but I think he has a tough go of it. You guys are gonna lock this up right.

I feel torn because if the Seahawks are competitive, I will enjoy that. But as someone who has enjoyed this season. I was kind of hoping you locked up against the Seahawks, I know, but the other ones which just felt like less so the Sea whatever an edge, But I'm with you. I would take one more brock Purty stat I love this. Since week thirteen, brock Purty is the second highest passer rating of passes of ten plus yards. Um. You know who who would it be the top two? You would

think Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence. No, it's Brock Purdy and Jared Goff. That's the two thousand two season. In the show Strange Years, nothing's changed between the last time they played in my book, other than the fact that the Niners, I gotta say, is someone that's enjoyed the SAX experience, all the s X fans that were rooting for, you know, the Lions and everything.

I was kind of thinking like their season might have ended perfectly with a win over the Rams getting to nine and eight. They didn't need to go here and be food for Damiko Ryan's in a game where I don't think they'll be that competitive. But we have like multiple cannibalism references in the show and we're about eight minutes and let me see, bones and all. Let me see we have game as bones and all, greggy. We have one to three, we have three of the six

games have desert spreads of nine at least. And yet you went out of your way to find the Seahawks to lock against. That's interesting to me. That's all the Dolphins we haven't gotten. There just felt less favorite team. It like felt less sporting the Dolphins, and uh yeahs are the next sporting he said. It was like, at some point, it's just like Skyler toime. It just didn't even feel right. So when I lock against Adoptins, that

will be a poor sportsmanship on that part. Totally fine, but it just was like I didn't feel like, hey, this is January football, all right, should we go to game two? Let's go to game too. I got a little more speaking of cannibalism and chewing meat. It's getting grossest episode. But we have a little bit more time

to talk about these games, which just nice. No, oh my god, the end of the season, with all those games, enough was enough at a certain point eight teams that we've are ready to You're just you're thinking of Week teen too, much. It was Week teen is turned out December, it is I do look forward. I hope we're doing this podcast a long time from now, and my kids are in college, and you know, I have just football. Is I could focus on it more that last month

of the regular season. It's a bear. It feels good to get to the playoffs, be able to focus on least teams. We don't got the Santa vibes around. Just chill, let's let's get back to ball. The elite level comes back at It's my because I'm pro Santa. It leads to me be a anti you know, seventy seven games. It can be stressful. You know, everyone says the holiday is one of the most stressful times of the year.

You throw in, see what happens. Let's we'll play well with Like the Bricklayer OUTNA was listening to a bunch of like talking heads, like see what they're saying, and I agree with them. I feel for them. I bet family man, the Chargers they made the playoffs. How about that? This is this is my favorite game of the weekend. Seven Chargers. They travel to t i a A Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, nine at eight this is the Saturday night game, uh, and it's a good one.

I think it will be a compet of the game. I think it's gonna be a fun game Mark Sessler, because he's got the Chargers led by Justin Herbert, and you know, listen, Brandon Stilly got killed for how he handled week A team, and rightly so I don't think if he could do it again, he probably would do it differently. He would probably done something similar to what Brian Dable did with the Giants. Is like hell or high water. I'm going to figure out a way to

protect my guys. But that also, like to the point with Seattle and everybody getting so you know, pumped up us, especially about the Lions. Oh, they should have made it. The Chargers won four straight games to get to the playoffs. So let's now move on from Brandon Stelli's big gaff as long as Mike Williams is playing and I believe he is, uh, and see what they could do against the Jaguars, a team that has not lost since December four and is led by their own young star quarterback

Justin Herbert versus Trevor Lawrence. Let's go. I think it's a huge game for Joe Lombardi too, because there's been critique of Joe Lombardi and how he's handled Justin Herbert all year long. The offense has looked better lately because they've been healthy, but a lot of that was because you had Mike Williams and Keenan Allen and you'r all your line got better. And it's like, I, I won't you know, harp on this, but the Brandon stilly thing, I think he would do it again. I just think

he he has these ideas. If he knew Mike Williams miss practice, which he didn't, he took the risk. He took the risk, but also Joey Bosely got banged up the game. He also lost by the way they lost with their starters, but he knew that going into last week. So it's like, I don't the situation didn't call for it. But either way, like, if you don't have a Mike Williams at full health here, I don't like that for Los Angeles on any level. I think you're if you're

if you're the Jaguars. What you can do in this game is it doesn't have to be all Trevor Lawrence and Trevor Lawrence. You know, incredible season, especially there's a chunk of five or six games starting a Week nine where he was absolutely dominant in terms of touchdowns to interceptions and changing the way we think about him. Last couple of games not so much. But against the Jets, for instance, ran a ton of terrible weather. They pulled

him in the next game. They didn't need him to do everything against Tennessee, but they didn't look to be firing at all. Cylinders on offense. I think you're having you here because everyone does this. Against Los Angeles, who gives up five point six yards per carry, could be a big game for Travis e TN. This is a team that blew out the Chargers thirty eight to ten in Week three, and if you go back and look at that game, l A got out to just a slow start. That's why I bring up on Bard. It

was two punts than an interception than a fumble. Jacksonville got rolling and and the Charges were never really got into the game. You have to get off to a fast start. I think if you're the Chargers, I'm with you because that's where the mismatches. They should have players they can attack on the Jaguars Alua Khan when he's

in coverage, basically any cornerback not named Tyson Campbell. And that's where the Mike Williams injury loom so large, because I think the Jaguars can be attacked in the secondary. Their defense played better at the end of the season. But if you have two really high quality receivers and a good three in Josh Palmer, and you got your tight in Gerald Ever who can do things, then you

can start attacking those mismatches. But Williams is the one, He's the important one, and suddenly if he's out and then you have Tyson Campbell can be handling Alan in the slow suddenly you don't have as many mismatches. And to your point, Mark, you don't feel like Joe Lombardi is a great like game plan specific I'm gonna come up with the perfect playoff plan, UH to go attack this Jaguars team. Don't have a lot of confidence in

Joe Lombard. I think there's an obvious way to attack them because the jaguars one big weakness on defense is they have given up more running back receptions than any any team in the league, essentially other than one and that's Austin Ekeler, who leads the NFL with a hunter and twenty. That's sort of big, been a big part of their offense. It's not like just put everything up.

They seem to not want to put everything on Herbert and Ekeler has a chance, I think too, and kind of like a tight game like this, just move the ball between the red zones and then we'll see what happens from there. Yeah. I think Austin Ekeler is another guy that's under the radar his consistency and his greatness. I used to think that Alvin Kamara was the guy when it came to finding the end zone when he's near the goal line. I think Ekeler is taking that

crownd now. Even if it's like, you know, guitar solo celebrations. Yeah, little mid as the kids say giffy to you. You know, maybe it's due for an upgrade in But that's Matt harmon our Old Friends podcast co host Austin Nickler. That's pretty good by good jobs, one of the best players in football, taking you inside the game with the perspective that our show does not. We don't have at all. Two of us did not play the sports, did you. I did tell us about it was a popcorner. Well

it was. There was only one division. It was just children in uniforms. But I have some some on field knowledge. I wouldn't say I played UM. I played a high school. It was called the Franklin Avenue Football League UM, which was a site of our elementary school in the coal town. And I'll tell you what. Let me tell you a little bit about playing football in the coal town. Uh. We didn't use pets, we didn't use helmets, but we played tackle football the Frankly Avenue Football League, also known

as FAFUL. There are broken wrists. I sustained a concussion at quarterback in the Big eleventh verse twelveth grade showdown. Rich Parado lead with his head drove me into the turf can. I bounced up, and I got back up and dusted myself off. And that that's football. It's always a joy to be dipped into your mythology of childhood. I'm not sure if it lines up, but I guess if you're a cold town brain injuries not as much a concern. You just go back down there and start digging.

So the life expectancy is about thirty two years old in the first place, so you don't have to worry about long term issues in general. My point being, yes, I played football as well, which leads us to the tennis player over here. I don't even know if you should be in this room. I play ball, Mark played ball. How about you. Well, I am a state champion Massachusetts. So that's like an experience of playing sports at the highest of levels and coming through in the clutch. In

the clutch, it's pretty good answer. Kind of tell us a little bit there, a little bit. I mean it's tennis, but still different sport. But you know, competitive, you're one on one, you have no one else to like, we got to get back to this game. But in the finals. But because you're not like a hulking man, was your opponent like a hyper athletic looking dude, and and he

was like that Rosenthal, No slightly. But we played the same team in the finals back to back years, and the he the first year it was a team title. You alone. You shouldn't. I didn't know as any of those alright. Second thingle tennis with my wife and two small children and utterly destroyed them on the like I annoyed the guy to the point that he like asked the official there to like shut me up because I was like talking too much. Fired up, young Michael Chang.

We're not surprised all right. Back to the game. This was a surprise, this little thing a little detour there. I'm excited to see and Staley in the playoffs. I think he really you are loyal to football, because I think you can get fired if Mike Williams will play this game and they lose. Okay, I I hear that, but I feel like he was kind of loyal to football. I think he was in his bag there. In December. I saw some growth from Brandon Stalley in terms of the game plans he was coming up with on a

week to week basis. I don't think he was doing anything last week against Denver that was like a basic game. Now he's gonna look at Trevor Lawrence. They built this defense and they've had two years to do it now to stop the pass. Yes, they give up a lot of running yards. They don't want to give up as many as they do, but that's the The idea is that we can live with giving up five and a half yards on the ground or five yards because that's better than giving up uh seven eight nine yards through

the air. And I think he'll look at Trevor Lawrence and I think he'll see some ways maybe he can confuse him. If the drag Wars had lost that game, we would be talking about how the Jaguars offense choked to end the season. Their last five drives of that game against Tennessee, they had one first down, they basically stopped. And Lawrence is a is a great young player. But this is a Chargers defense. It has Derwin, James Helsey, has Joey Bosa healthy. To me, they're they're set up.

I think it is kind of a show me game for Brandon Staley. You're a defensive coach, show me something here. I think you'll have something cooked up to confuse. Think about what happened when the other show me game I thought for Brandon Stilley was when you went up and it was Herbert verse Tua and that Dolphins offense, and it was guys like Michael Davis and the way that they shut down Miami's passing game. They I think that is Staley's skill and he's got his guys now and

they're actually playing wealthy. You don't have Cam Robinson at left tackle right now. For the Jaguars, You've got Bosa, You've got Khalil Mack. If it's ever been a time where it's like, let's put a clamp on an offense that's been kind of quiet recently despite it our love of just Trevor Lawrence, like this would be the game. I think this thing is gonna be. This is like down to the last possession type of I see that, and if you look at all like the underlying data,

Mike Williams is their big play offense. He's a janga piece for the Chargers back and dream you'd better play this is the grave digger. Yeah. I feel like there's an elephant in the room with this Jaguars team we need to address and I prepared something special for you guys. A right, wait, what Well, he's still living in his and there's just been nothing about this team to me

that is special. I think they're kind of a mediocre team that's been on the wrong side of variants and they're not that far from being a five and four team. But it doesn't matter that they can't get those winds back, and I don't think they're gonna rally enough with that schedule, I would fork them, Greg. I think you'll do it as well, because what you said, they had their chance. They had their chance to absorb these next two losses most likely, but they kicked away that opportunity and it's

going to be too late. Bridget hold on, hold on in there. Can we also factor in when we forked the Jaguars that we didn't know the Titans were going to become a pop orner team. But just you know, that's that's that's a little factor. But also that's back in November. The reason we do we don't do FOURK in week thirteen when it's obvious who's out. We we went with what we thought and it was not illogical. If someone had gone hard to save the Jaguars, they wouldn't.

That's why the fork we lost. We lost one. I mean I thought we lost a second, just one. No, that was its multiples. I'd say we're out ended up not making it that Lions saved us some embarrassment. But yeah, our listeners in Jacksonville, let us know what your favorite charity is here and uh we we dolls pockets. We're all gonna donate, all right, well, wait, let's pick these two games where we take a break. We got a blow out in the first game. We don't even talk

about that. We locked that this game. Who got Mark? I'm gonna go Jaguars, uh one. In overtime, I'm gonna go with the Chargers. I did like what I saw at the trayvon Walker last week. I'd love to see him show up in a big spot. But I'm taking just at herb. We barely talked that. This is justin Herbert's first playoff game. I think it's a beautiful it's going to be on overdrive. I think it's a beautiful spot for him to show that. To me, he's on

another level of Trevor Lawrence. They're pretty even. Teams take the better quarterback, all right, But I think the Jaguars win. I think the Jaguars have an underrated home field advantage. Building is going to be going off and the Charges. I don't know. I I said to myself at the top of this that, like, let's try to move on from what happened last week with the Bolts. I just I worry. I worry. I're worry, especially if Williams doesn't play. They're not gonna be able to keep pace, So I'm

gonna go Jaguars. Wow, you and I are one point off from the same prediction. By Oh you took the Jackson. Do not even remember that? That That was like a minute a half ago. I thought you took the charge. I see how the show works. Doesn't matter. We'll take a break. We'll be right back, all right, Welcome back, Oh Greg, I got some breaking news. Mercedes Been Stadium in Atlanta has been selected as the site of a potential Buffalo Kansas City a f C af C championship game that

comes from the league. Um, like that turf over there in No, I think the coloration is off. If back in August you told the city of Atlanta you'd be hosting a conference title game, I don't think this is what they would have imagined. But um, I know I could think of I I definitely am into stadiums. How they look on television. I'm with you, Dan, Um Atlanta would not have been beautiful facility. There's no one's questioning that. Something just seems a little strange on TV. Maybe the lighting.

I agree that lighting does look a little strange, but it's one of the nicest ones in person. We've been there, but only a small fraction of humanity will be there in person. That's sort of my issue is likes not a weather game. I'm all for seeing Josh Allen uh and Patrick Mahomes if that's the game, and if it's not the right then this league I'd like to just see them at the peak of their paris. There was there was, yes, there was debate about, oh, should it

be an outdoor game because their outdoor teams. Calm down, Let's just get on an ice field and have a nice, fun thirty one shootout. And with that said, let's talk about the Buffalo Bills, who are the biggest favorite of the week. The desert hasn't meant laying the big time? Would thirteen? As the Miami Dolphins come to town to a has been ruled out. T ain't playing and that's the right move, uh, given all the what we've learned the season about the head injury that he sustained and

then aggravated um a few weeks back. So now you get probably Skyler Thompson, a rookie, a Day three pick rookie. Maybe Teddy Bridgewater is of taping its up in the air. Teddy suffered the dislocated pinky in Week seventeen, did not play in Week eighteen and a must win game, and is not practice right now limited, But it sounds like he can't really make the throws necessary. So it's bad news because you could look at it obviously as all right, go back to December and the Dolphins had a really

good showing on a Saturday night against the Bills. Took him to the very limit and you needed Josh Allen heroics in the fourth quarter to wipe out a deficit, and they and they squeezed by And that was what two of playing to playing at a high level. You don't got that here. And in general, just feels like these teams are in totally different places. Now. Miami has not played well in a very long time. Yeah, I

mean this game. This is sort of the trick when you add these seventh playoff teams, because you're gonna get situations like this. Um with Miami, it's been the story of their season. They've just not been able to go wire to wire with the quarterback they want. And I think there is you know, Teddy Bridgewater, I know, Greg, You're a big Teddy guy. You could make this argument that the drop off between Twa to Teddy would be not that big of a problem. To go to Skyler Thompson,

who was a bit of a pre season star. He just doesn't look ready for this, Like I he can do a couple of things that are a little different, I guess out of structure, but that's not gonna happen in this game. I think, if you're Miami, how do

you not? You can't. You can't go down shootout Avenue with Josh Allen, who Latin Week three piled up four hundred and forty seven yards against the Dolphins, and in that Week fifteen game, I thought that, you know, they had their issues and the Dolphins hung around and we're able to get on Buffalo's defense. But he had those seventy seven rushing yards and ran so well and made such a difference. It's just like you're gonna get that from Josh Allen against Miami no matter what. So what

do you do? I think, if anything, you maybe now he Muster is dealing with a he had thumb surgery this week. But Monster was pretty great against the Bills in that last matchup, and maybe you steal possessions. I don't know what your other movies. Yeah, they're running game, possibly losing. Most there is just just adds insult to injuries. It's not just the Teddy into a quarterback situation, which

is the most important one. But you know how many starting offense of lineman practice for the Dolphins on Wednesday. Granted it's early in the week, but you know how many one We haven't seen Toron Armstead in weeks. He said he shouldn't. He was recommended to have surgery back in week one, but tried to play through. And he's gonna try to play this game. But Skylar Thompson is not playing with the full deck here, we might not have moster. Bradley Chubb played limited snaps that last week,

did not look like himself. Xavian Howard played last week but did not look like himself and isn't practicing. These are all their best players. It's just disappointing. It's just bad luck because I actually thought this was a good matchup for them, relatively compared to having to play like the Chiefs or the Bengals. It was a division opponent that they basically had played to a draw in two games, and I thought, Okay, they're familiar. It could have been competitive,

but with all these injuries, it's hard to imagine. Yeah, I mean the Dolphins season kind of changed at halftime of that Packers game. They took the Bills to the limit, had a lead on the Packers at halftime, or throwing the ball all over the field and then two gets hurt, throws the three pick and they found a way to get by the Jets last week. But we know the problems that Jets were having by the end of the season,

and they did it because they ran the football. And I don't know, I'm not a doctor, but if you have a broken thumb, most has a broken thumb, how do you carry off football as a running back? Ball security is obviously tantamont this time of year, it is a little tannamount. Thank you, uh, and you put it all together. And I don't think. I don't know if Miami scores a touchdown in this game, let alone hangs in it. So this this to me, I'm locking up the Bills here, I gotta make up two games on

Rosenthal here in the lock challenge. And and here's the thing. And you might remember this, you've won before, but it was a long time ago. Now there's only two years ago and three years ago. I have to be three

out of four. I think I had either two or three game lead in the playoffs last year, and uh I got through the wild card round because you should be able to find something very some layups in the wild card weekend, starting next round, Divisional round, playoffs, title games, super Bowl, you can make up three games mark you're out to write or one I'm out too. But last year I came back just got me um, I needed that Super Bowl win by the Rams. We can still

get you. Sure, yeah, we can still get you. You texted us worried that all five of us were gonna take the bills. So I guess you're just stunned speaking that you were talking about your sportsman though, as you know, it just felt like that's I'm confident in both, and you're right this guy I was thinking more early in the week when it was Teddy. I actually even felt more confident in the forty Niners than I did in the Bills. Now that it's Skyler Thompson, you're right, probably

I would take the Bills. But and the last time, just like if my life, I'm saying, if my life depended on it. But for some reason, the Skyler Thompson, it doesn't even feel fun. I feel bad for this team. Of course, we know Miami lost five straight. They got the win to get in the playoffs eleven to six over the Jets. They ran the ball well, I don't

think they'll be able to do that here. And Skyler Thompson, everything I've seen from him playing, he kind of the Jets had an allergic reaction to making big plays on defense in terms of game changing turnovers last this season. But he threw some balls up and they protected Thompson. He's gonna have to attack. This one's gonna get bad, this one, this one, this one could be a fifty burger. This could be like a fifty to six type games.

And we're and maybe you know that, like the world marches on but the Bills And I'm sorry Dolphins fans, by the way, you're gonna be mad at me for even saying that, But that's just the vibe. I think Dolphins fans and if they're sensible, get where they are, get where why would you want your team at this state to go into the playoffs And just kind of

a racist things. But I think We're not that far away if you're in Buffalo, if you're the Bills, from everything that's happened over the past couple of weeks, and this crowd is going to be absolutely on fire. This is the game where Buffalo just I think simply explodes. Except when every single person is saying that, I don't know, it's worth pointing out the Bills have not looked like

the best team in football over the last month. That Patriots game was fascinating, and the kickoff turns were like inspiring, but otherwise they kind of played them even, you know, even yards for play, even back and forth. I think it was a great ordinary circumstances all around that team, but even even a couple of weeks before that, because they've been missing a lot of their players. Now they might get Micah Hide back in future weeks. They're off

their pass rushes kind of down to Greg Russou. They neither other guys to step up. They did not have good weeks a week ago, like the Ed Oliver's um even the Matt Milano's who is coming off of an injury. Not that I'm worried about Matt Milano, but I just I think they can play better. I think they will play better. But there's a chance here for the Dolphins if they look at Kristen Wilkins who dominated that game

a few weeks ago, four weeks ago, Jalen Phillips. If you get Chubb back that the upfront, they could win that battle. Defensive line off to me. But like if you just say and then you got a game where Josh Allen, which has done this in the last you know, sort of all season long, but especially it's crept up a couple of plays where it's like, what are you

looking at, Josh Allen? Some terrible red zone turnovers if you could force the Bills into that mistake played next level though last week he was the best player in the league. He had one play where he got hit, but other than that, he was like, oh my god, he's he is like generating turnovers. But I would also tell Josh Allen, don't change anything you're doing because the reasons some of them happen is because he's got so

much confidence just throwing the ball down field. It's like, Alan still can be the best player with the turnovers, but that's been the case in multiple games. I think when Henry Hods and our dear friend Um who runs the show over in the UK for the NFL longtime Dolphins fan. I'm thinking of Henry is Rocky Balboa trying to convince Apollo Creed not to fight Drago in that exhibition because he he does not well, he didn't listen

to it. And the Dolphins they're going to go up to Western New York and you know they're gonna come home in a box. I mean, what are they are they supposed to not go? I gotta go to have a conversation about it. I mean, weird, weird, weird things can happen. I just I'm just saying there's one little

situation where it fell totally collapsed. And speaking of high school sports, UH, I was on the Pearl River varsity basketball team in we went three and seventeen, and uh, the Sectionals tournament was coming up in New York, all the best teams throughout the state and we drew obviously a very low seed. UM and we were gonna be going against I believe it was Peak Skill, who was led by a phenomen named Elton Brand who went on to be able to believe a top pick of the Bulls.

UH and number one overall draft pick. He might even he went to Duke I believe, and then yeah, I went to uh was he number one overall? I think it might have been seventy sixers, was it? And our coach asked the team, hey, do you guys want to play this guy? And the team literally voted not to play in the game. Your going was three and seventeen.

You know, you know I hate that. It's like everyone if you could have projected you probably would go pro at some point or the chance you could tell everyone that you played against Elton Brand, like your your story is that you voted not I was playing. I was. I was the sharpshooter that was typically on the bench. But I could tell you that, Um, I mean, I was like fine with me. It was more like the seniors. I wasn't a senior. The seniors kind of voted on it,

and it was like, okay, nobody was. Everybody's ready for that season. A lot of sports, a lot of amateur high school sports, talk pretty good. I was a javelin thrower, throw it about the length of a house. Drafted by the balls, you were right number one overall. I'm very um annoyed. I'm annoyed. Now, um, because I said Tana Mott, I was very excited about it. I meant paramount. You know, I think if you were totally different, but had you not um, you would probably get one or two tweets.

But do you not self correct yourself on the show nineties six percent of listeners what would just think that you were smart showing some integrity there. That's integrity from the old zoo. Sir, we could we spin it that way? Oh, you know too, maybe don't correct yourself. Maybe the showman he brought it back to himself there by talking about it some more and then the show. That's showmanship. Let's uh, before we keep going, let's take a break, actually halftime,

let's check in and go get my lunch. Let's see where're at. Oh from the season. Yeah, yeah, I think they're pretty much settled. So I figured this is a good spot to take a look at the good getting lunch. Let's start with Mark Sessler, who enters, Um, Oh, you have one outstanding Mark, Um, you're five and ten. Right now here we go, Jimmy g will start a game for a team other than the Niners in two That

is incorrect. Colleen Dan and I all, do we have any dings or you know, sounds for this sugram would be good. A regular season game will finish it under two hours in twenty nine minutes, Dan and Gregg. Colleen said, I know I'm gonna stay away from that one. Apparently that's always the fun point. Was she an, Yeah, why would you not take that? I don't know, but that never happened. There were some games that were about two forty or so, but you did not get that one.

And what was the two nine? Is that the record is? Uh, that would have been the record, which you know, Greg and I tracked that. I think literally pretty precisely every week games that might be there, and it's just like, don't make that sandwich bet again. Two coaches from the same team get into a fist fight. Oh, an old cest dog classic didn't happen? Kyllee and Dan Gregg all picking up sandwiches there. Well, let's trying to turn go get my lunch. It's a movie. I don't care about

my record. It's a showman's movie. We know that by now. Uh. And finally one outstanding for you, buddy. The NFC South Division winner wins a playoff game. Greg did not take you. I was that was a mid season one. Yeah. I didn't like that. It was like Bucks at Home because it was like week five when things were all falling apart a week. He's good about that. I'm not feeling terrible, feeling pretty. They're barely an underdock. Claibon and Dan took

you on that one. Alright, Greggy, your tenant eight right now? Jalen Hurts makes the initial NFC Pro Bowl team. Bam. Maybe the starter got it picked up three. That was prophetic, by the way. The old zeuser brought it up on the Tuesday show What's Up with Jalen Hurts? Hurting really bad? He came out in the media today. Hurts said he's happy that there's no game this weekend and he can't guarantee he'll be um a week. Why are we telling

people this? I don't know. They're being open about the situation, but he's being asked and he's being honest. So the Browns will end with one of the five worst records in the NFL. There's there was some witch casting there by Greggy, but they did not telling Dan and Mark all they were two games. I'm looking now they would have had to be two games worth seven and ten would not have gotten five and twelve would have gotten

at that. There you go. The Broncos missed the playoffs and have a sourced report of differences between Russell Wilson and Nathaniel hack and I love that one. I mean, why is he not getting that? I should get credit for that. Well, there wasn't report of difference. This is nothos was I got too? Well, that was supposed to be the Onion hanger, and then the report was the the Onion. Unfortunately, they seemed to really get along and

like each other. They were just were terrible. Everything we heard was that Nathanion Hackett was a nice, nice man who just hip hop instructed. He kind of gone up one level too high. Peter Rincipal there though. But yeah, you if Hackett would have survived the season, maybe there would have been some agents dropping some dugs. Never happened for you. Jerry Rossberg came into town instead. I saw I saw a headline yesterday like which which do Broncos

fans want more? Rossberg or Jim Harbaugh was like, what is happening here? There's a there's a big Rossberg contingent. In the Denver meeting. But they got you to look at that headline. He must be got you to they we're now we're talking about it on the show. Got you? So they want the old suser is ten and four? Well how about that? Well, hang on, Rams trade for

a splashy defensive lineman. They tried to. In fact, I think they for two first round picks for there was also I heard some behind the scenes stuff too that they offered like two mid round picks for Marcus Davenport, which is an ultimate lose lose, but it's Saints. How did you not take that trade? So I and that was my thinking was they didn't expect to lose Von Miller and they were gonna need somebody to juice up.

They tried, it didn't happen. Nothing worked for the Rams, and it cost me saying which, but you guys didn't take me on it. Nobody took me on it. It seems I think they were trying not to take you because they tried so hard. So sort of like Antonio Brown is signed to a team in two thousand twenty two, only Greg took me on. And see that's why I have a good record. Part um you know what. Uh, he just got crazier and crazier to the point where he was like, I think just like breaking the law

in public pools and stuff. It was you know. Uh, TWA loses the starting QB role to Teddy Bridgewater for performance reasons. Uh, that was not right. Greg and Mark both picked up saying, which that seemed like a popular concept back then though. Yeah, and to have played excellent football for half the season and was injured and not so good. Uh, and the other half will see what his future is in Miami. The Jags will still be in the playoff race. And Week eighteen they were and

they were got there. I remember us out, not really And then uh, this one's what a what a what a turn of events for Tugboat the Seahawks of a top five pick in the two thousand twenty three draft. Greg took me on it, and let's I thought the Seattle Seahawks would be terrible, Gino, That's why I did it. Then we didn't think about on the side of it, a great Russell Wilson being terrible and getting us into the top five from the back door. My love opens

the door. You didn't bring that up as a possibility. You said the Seahawks are going to stink and we did have Trew we said we did. Brought it up to me. I wasn't. Yes, you are on top of it. Drew brought it up to me. We listened to it. Oh, you listen to it together. This is this is so much better than anything else. Well, what's even better is I want you to take this sandwich the stain on your integrity for taking it. I am totally worth it.

I am totally open to listening to it and getting even Drew to get on Mike for once this year and let us know what he thought. But it has to be. The wording has to be clear. I have to say. It's got to be because of their record. Well you all nebulos. You don't bring up the Broncos at all. But do we have the sound justin Graver that we listen to the sound the team that that said we're gonna trade a Hall of Fame quarterback with five years five years of prime remaining and get Drew

Block Drew Drew lock back in the deal. I can't even talk right now, so popped up about this one. The Seahawks are gonna have a top five pick in draft. This is gonna go really poorly. Yeah, I think we're gonna have to maybe put it to a vote on Twitter, and I'll be and I will on Twitter, I don't know whatever wherever we no. Again, I'm a beacon of integrity here. What if justin Greg and I decide no,

because Greg's directly involved in it. If he's gonna be sensible about it, though, how do you know he's a sensible individual? Sensible if he knows, he knows in his heart what he was trying to do. He said, the sax are gonna think if he wants to take that sandwich, and and here years can decide about the specially rather you take the sandwich? Is I got admit, Philly Special? What was that? You don't need to know, you're not voting what we're gonna do. What you do, will take it,

We'll send it to the listeners. Have years go on, I have to admit I'm starting to waiver on the whole Philly Special thing, starting to just be getting kids up. Whenever you feel like two and people are still talking Philly Special all the time, of like, I would waiver if it didn't make Mark. So I understand. That's kind of why I want you to just take this sandwich, because I'll bring it up often. Interesting that you're almost challenging me to take the sandwich, So I will if

you want me to. If you really want me to, Let's bring it to a vote on Instagram story. They we we should play the Well you heard the audio, everyone, and uh, we know that Dan wasn't thinking about this back door. Don't don't you don't know what I was thinking. You don't know, vote in a way you wouldn't um you would surprise you. And I'm However, anybody votes, I'm fine with I'm I'm totally cool that, but just make sure what you're voting on is based on the exact wording.

In the end, that's what it's about. Colleen. Derek Carr, she's five and four. Derek Carr throws more touchdowns than Tom Brady. What was the final tally there? Great digger Derek Carr through touchdown passes this season, Tom Brady through bad I can't even remember Brady touched in. Oh that's a bad beat. His car got benched two in the last two games, cost her three sandwiches. Brady went down eighteen touchdowns from a year ago. So she she's another

right church. She was in the right house. The Eagles won't win a playoff game, Wow, Connie, Yeah, and was likening them as usual. She didn't quite understand. She has the Bills win the Super Bowl. We all six six sandwiches here. I don't think it's going to keep her up at night. But and uh, Grave Digger will bring you in on this one. Four sandwiches lost, zero gained. Uh, there's always one producer. Bit bet it is or wager Florida prop um and you went, the Colts will finish

in last place in the a f C South. Where did they finish? They finished third, But they finished last, I mean not last bit of a teams in your power rankings. Right. So to the specific language of the sandwich pet, No, it does not. I should have said they will be the worst team in the air. Well, that doesn't came down to that tie that week one time got banged by a half a game, yea. And but they tried their best for you. They lost seven

a row to close that. I mean, I feel like I was one of the only people in the world who saw a poor Colts season coming. Everyone else was picking them to win the AFC. Sound what a hero. Thank you. All right, let's uh take a break and we'll get to the rest of the playoff games. All right, welcome back, Let's get back into it. Another Sunday affair. And this is my favorite game of the weekend, just because I feel like we're gonna get something that's gonna

go down to the wire. It's gonna go back and forth. Um. The New York Giants nine seven and one at Minnesota Vikings thirteen and four. And you'd say, oh, this is one of those games with the nine point would know, No, nine point three point would for the Vikings, who obviously have not been a team uh that have dominated much at all this season. Uh, and yet they had this

tremendous record. And the Giants played the Vikings greg very tightly on Christmas Eve, losing on a sixty one yard Greg Joseph field goal at the gun, but moved the ball well there and really showed that they were very close to Minnesota's level. Um, I see a very similar type of game uh here coming down to a field

goal at the end. How about you? I agree? I took the Giants in this game on on the game picks on NFL dot Com, partly because I think the whole idea that they're not that talented is not totally true anymore. I mean, the defensive line is talented. The defensive line hit the crap out of Kirk Cousins the first time around. Dexter Lawrence this season has been ridiculous. He's gonna be an All Pro. He has forty pressures

lined up as a nose tackle. The next closest guy at that position has thirteen pressures, and he's going up either against a compromised or a third string center. This week against Minnesota, they've they've lost Brian o'nei other right tackle the Vikings have in the meantime, and you've got Zizos lot Azizo Glari on the outside. You've got Cavon Thibodeaux, You've got Leonard Williams. Kirk Cousins is the most hit quarterback in the league. No one was hit more than him,

and he's held up pretty well. He's played well against pressure, but he has not played well against the Blitz. According to PFF, he was thirty third out of forty two qualifying quarterbacks against the Blitz when he played the Giants the first time around. We know the Giants left to blitz. They went from blitzing more than any team in the league to blitzing more than half the snaps that they

even could, which is high even for the Giants. I think they're just gonna come after Kirk Cousins, and I kind of like their coaching staff, Wink Martindale, to come up with the scheme here in the second media in a month. That was the most pressures in a game all year for the Giants, and you're right, that's exactly what it looked like. And you can do that against Cousins. It's a cave on Tiviodel game. It's a Wink Martindale game.

I mean, the Giants in that game gave up a hundred and thirty three yards and a touchdown to Justin Jefferson. T J. Hawkinson fried him for a hundred plus and two touchdowns and it's still went down to the end. But I would say you that can that probably can still possibly happen and the Giants can hang around in this because that was the game where it's like Daniel Jones, if you're gonna have one of these contests where you

go nuts through the air. HiT's this is the time against Minnesota's leaky secondary, their defense, which is a mess through for three and thirty four, which about a hundred and thirty more than the averages per game. I think

he can do it again. There was reporting that over the last couple of weeks of the season that Brian Dable and Mike Kafka were running a more conventional, conventional passing offense, not using as much rollouts, and the Daniel Jones has responded and it's like that changes what their offense was. We we thought for so long. It's like if Sae Kwon Barkley doesn't explode, if Daniel Jones doesn't run for of any five on the ground, the Giants

don't have a chance. I'm not sure that's the case, because guys like Isaiah Hodgens and Richie James are better than their names. It's like people don't talk about these guys, but they've been pretty good. And in that game they combined for almost two hundred yards against the Vikings. So I like that opportunity for New York's offense to be better than it's been in other situations. And I kind of just well, I've already done it. No, I'm not gonna do it, but it's gonna go down to the

last possession. But before that Greg Joseph field goal, Daniel Jones led them on a one minute drill and and and put them in a position to win. It's like, this was a great game by Daniel Jones and what's changed so much about this Vikings defense that couldn't have a chance to duplicate that. I remember watching this game in my backyard with Keith and my dad, who hates the Giants. He has he does a lot of Jets

fans hate this, some and some are the opposite. Playing in Giants Stadium, that's a slap in the face more the media coverage and the Jets being overlooked and also quite frankly not as good for all these years, and you just want to see that don't need the Giants to get the shine. So he was very happy when Joseph hit the kick. Um I was kind of bummed because I I don't have that issue with the Giants, certainly since I moved to California and didn't get the

saturated New York coverage of the Giants. UM I came out of that game, like, man, Daniel Jones, that's cool man, that he's throwing the ball downfield. He's on target, on time. And it told me two things that that was in Jones and we hadn't seen it much, uh from him to that point to be able to light up a secondary. And it also was like, oh, so anybody can throw on Minnesota's secondary, Like, if you have a quarterback that you can keep upright, guys are gonna get open and

they can hit throws. And I think they're gonna do it again. Remember se Quan was not throughout December, and I don't know if he's a percent now, but I know that he's basically on two weeks rest in this game. So you only had fourteen carries in that Minnesota game. I think they'll have a more balanced game plan. But when they need to throw the ball, I think Jones will deliver and make throws. So then it becomes a situation to me, can the Vikings offense have a big

time game? Can they have a huge afternoon where Cousins throws for three fifty and you get Theeland getting a couple of touchdowns and Jefferson being a monster and Hockinson making place. He had thirteen catches Hockinson against the Giants last time these two teams met, and two touchdowns. There is a possibility that the Vikings, in their building to start the playoffs, go nuts on the Giants and have a big game on offense. But I kind of see

it the way you guys do. I think it's it's gonna come down to it, and I think it is, like again, like a type game, you know. I don't see the devil Giants as a team that goes in to Minnesota gets blown out. I just don't think that that's their DNA. I'm a little worried though everyone's gonna be picking the Giants. I think it's I don't want problem with saying that the Vikings could easily win this.

I just think it's a close game they make. The Giants might get Dory Jackson, he we'll see, you might not get, but that would that would be huge. They had Fabian Moreau traveling with Jefferson last time, which is tough. Yeah, And why why did can I ask you question? Because we did. We were in the newsroom when that there was a thing on an NFL network where it was talking about the Giants as a blue collar team, and I get I kind of get um spiritually what people

are talking about when they say that. But that kind of thing bugs me because they're not. They're not. They're not. It's not a running shoot team that's scoring forty eight points. But every NFL team is pulling um players from like Iowa to play on the offensive line. Like there's a lot of meat and potatoes typestuits. What what makes the Giants blue collar? Are? We just used to say to it's not just their color jersey? You mean that they're not really in the medal is filled with guys from

the Union, from northern New Jersey. Get that other teams like that, not from Jermy, that's maybe, And just that they've played above their heads. That Daniel Jones not that he's a blue collar quarterback, but Hodgens and James and this team in general, no one expected. That's so obvious that it's slapped on the Giants would never be like the time the years when the under Jim Harbor and the Niners were destroying people with like heavy pack. That

was a blue collar team. But it's San Francisco, so it doesn't it doesn't really make this the whole team leaving the tunnel to head towards the field and like, hey, guys, where's your helmets? We don't need the helmets And they put on hard hats because Blue Cup they do that. I would it doesn't really check out, Like Cavon Thibodeau is the top five texter, Lauren is at all pro Uh, they have premiere talent sake, say Juan Bart Like part

of it doesn't match up. I know Vikings fans listening to this to be like, you guys are just talking about the Giants. There are are ways for the Vikings to witness games. Certainly, I think they did a better game out of Dalnok. Dalvin Cook has didn't quite have as good as season this season in the running game hasn't been quite as Walder article I I surfaced from ESPN or you talk about the guys that are quietly not having big time years. He has not been as good.

I don't think this year, but he was on that list. But I think you could attack him. You mentioned Hockinson, It'll be a lot of Hockinson on landon Collins. Land and Collins has been a great story coming back, but like that's a miss match Justin Jefferson on anyone that's a mismatch, like they are a good just go, just go do what you've done in these games that you've won by one score, which is eleven of them and not lost any Just like Justin Jefferson and Hawkinson went

off last time. It just has to happen again. It's crazy that. I mean, the Vikings finished the season. I had to check this u v O a like in the endite, so it's like there there, this is both the it's a straight but they finished, and I think, I really it comes down to me. When I was picking, it was like I really like seven. I like O'Connell. I think O'Connell versus Wing Martindale great matchup, got got

a lot of wins on both sides. Then it's Brian Dable versus Ed Donnitel, and Ed Dontel feels like like you're replace like your filling science teacher or something that's so passive. I don't think he's gonna be there next year. Like they've played a little more man coverage and blitzed a little more lately, like they've kind of woken up a little, like let's do something. Vikings defense because they

have some players. But that's where the here's the thing with the Vikings why they're so to fund strange team. There layers of like misinformation and uh like this onion of like figuring out whether or a good team or not like their twenty seven ranking and d v o A. And for those that don't know, Greg, how about a real quick refresh on what d v o A even is. It's basically a snap to snap adjustment of how efficient their offense, defense, and special teams are combined for the season,

adjusted for the teams that they've played. And so one of the reasons that Vikings are so bad there is because every game is close except for the four that they got. Let see, I was teeing you up to do the d v o A thing, and then I was gonna come back with that no, but then you took it from me. Now it's gonna stick. That's gonna know which part what I wanted you to say what was? And then I was gonna say, that's what d v

o A is. Now, look at some of these gamest seventeen forty two three that week to Eagles game, which was way worse than seven that affected and kind of spiked their number downward. Uh, they're probably just like more closer like the middle of the act. But a team that's capable of getting blown out three or four times

is usually not a team you can trust. Well. But everything that their winds have coming away that won't come again in another the next thirty Viking seasons, well, they only need to do it once and then the Giants have won a lot of close games out too. I think they're either eight three and one and one score games or nine three and on something like, let's have a negative point of freential that does not happen with two playoff teams facing each other. And I don't want

to be labor because I said it empowerings too. But like, here's the other thing about the Vikings. You could think that they are a thirteen and four division winner that

deserves respect. You could see them as a total fluke when you look at their season and this is not sustainable on any less, it doesn't matter because now we're in the playoffs and these things get sorted out real quick, either this Sunday or we've said how this is gonna go, They're gonna win one of these in the last second in a way that makes us it's very Viking Vikings dish, and then they're gonna get there, let's get the doors

blown off. Next week you got the Vikings by field goal. Sure, I don't want to force you into it, but I thought you kind of went down that think they're absolutely I felt that all along, that they're gonna win this in Minnesota fashion at home against the Giants team that's not much better or worse than them. And then next week check you later. I'm with you. Absolute heartbreaker for the Giants here. That's my prediction. Let's go what what world are we in that I'm the one picking the

Giants here. I don't think they're playing their best seven type heartbreak. The Giants play really well, and the Vikings do that thing that they do, close a game strong and shock an opponent that thought they had to win. I have twenty to fourteen in overtime, Vikings touchdown and overtime it goes in four fourteen points at the end of regulation. It's just saying it's gonna be a weird game and they're gonna they're gonna still win. Okay, with't

hit me about forty two and forty seven anymore. I'm the real believer in the Giants this year. That's not a believer, but I believe they're playing their best ball right now and the win. All right, we got two more games to get to. By the way, that game we'll have Burkhart and Olson on it for Fox. I noticed here that Sanchez is not getting the game here, and I understand. And we knew that Joe Davis and Darryl Johnson are head of Googler and Sanchez and the

pecking order. And I got respect for Big Joe and uh the moose, but come on, Sanchez has had a big year and the change I had to get that thing through. There's like trying to fit a camel in a matchbox, Kavin, Look at this window, where's the teen one? We need? Clearing out defenders faster than a teenager clears his search history on his web browser. Holy smokes, this is what you get from Mark Sanchez this weekend. We were giving it to That's all you'll get. But he'll

get back in the mix hopefully. How about Michael's back on NBC for that Saturday night charges game. That surprised me. That's wonderful, is it? Are you sure that's confirmed. That's great, good, good good. All right, let's move to the other ELM michaels I hope. So the other NBC game. You have the Baltimore Ravens at the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night football, Tariko and Collinsworth in the booth. Do you know who Awl's doing the game with? Did you say Tony Dungee? Yeah,

that's a little interesting. Why don't we doubled it with Collinsworth? How much money is he making over there? Get them back in there. I'm sure, sir, a certain amount of money could one day apart it, would, you know? So we went to the meeting. We're getting herb Street like working four games in two days, and that's all we ever hear about. And then the college football season ends and now we're not getting herb Street in the booth. What's not on Amazon? It's yeah, it's a it's a

strange situation. Shockingly there was. Those two aren't a package deal necessarily? Alright? Anyway, here we go, Greg, the Ravens at Bengals. Uh, the latest on Lamar Jackson still not good? Has he practiced yet? No? And just as we're recording, Ian Rappaport. Developing News noted that Lamar Jackson was not at practice, but Snoop Huntley. The kids call him Snoop. Tyler's what I call him. I don't know, personally, I feel like Tyler's more appropriate. Why is everyone calling him Snoop?

Did you know that Snoop opened a store across the street from our office? I mean, it's been there the whole time, but they re well expanding it expanding. And as I pulled into the Oppose today, there was a long line of people waiting to get into the Snoop Merch shop. I don't know what's going on in there, but they had Yeah, they had a big sort of opening day, you know, last week, same deal, big line.

I gotta go check it out. There's a delicious Jamaican or rather yeah Jamaican food chicken places at our old workplace. Lebron James opened a pizza place down the street. I don't know if it has something to do with our workplaces. I was gonna say, is a Snoop and Englewood guy? No, but yeah, famously is from Long Beach. Yeah, well he could probably can claim various regions around town. I mean they famously always say, but long beach in woodd al Right,

here we go at it again. Huntley is set to start, which that's good news because he hasn't even been throwing a practice fully on Wednesday. He's been listed as limited, and that makes me more interested in this game. I feel like it's a massive drop off from Lamar Jackson to Tyler Huntley. And I know this room isn't super high and what Huntley is done, but I think Tyler Huntley gives them a chance to compete in this game in a way that Anthony Brown doesn't. I think there's

a big drop from Tyler Huntley to Anthony Brown. And the reason I say that is because the Ravens with Huntley, I think have a chance to run the ball well they did in a week ago. They've shown some good running lately, slow the game down and let that defense give the Bengals problem. I think this is the best defense in the a f C. I think they gave

Cincinnati all sorts of problems a week ago. I know that was a weird game, but they know this Cincinnati team and I think more than any team maybe in the NFL, they're built to stop this Cincinnati offense because they have versatile athletic players, big players in the secondary that can compete with these wide receivers on the outside.

There's so deep at safety and cornerback Marcus Peters is gonna be back for this game that you can just throw numbers at the Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton's all these guys up at the line of scrimmage. We know they're good at the second level with their linebackers. And I did take something away from that game that they kind of handed it to Joe Burrow and the Bengals, not that they're gonna hand it to him this week, but

that they can at least make it a game. I don't know if the Ravens offense can do anything, but I think the Bengals defense is a legit challenge for

Joe Burrow. I'm with you when you look at the fact that the Bengals are right back where they were a year ago, where if you have no Lyle Collins at right tackle, Alex Kappa ankle injury out ruled out at right guards, so that right side of the line, whether you're Cincinnati and trying to establish a ground game, which has been an issue for them all your long, you're not gonna be so it's like you can you know you're gonna you're gonna put Burrow into obvious passing situations,

which doesn't scare me. I think the Bengals take care of business here, but the Ravens in general, their defense is their way out of this thing. And I for for me, if you're the Ravens offense, you do get Mark Andrews back. Isaiah likely had a really good game last week. Maybe you gotta get find a way if you're passing game needs to funnel too those guys for the few throws you need to make their Gus Edwards practiced again today coming off of percussion. That would be

big for them. Uh Dobbins has been really good for them that last week too. Yeah, I mean that's that's the thing. If you're going super banged up beyond the quarterback. I just don't like their chances because I don't imagine a scenario where as well as they played against Cincinnati that Burrow doesn't find a way. There's just some mental confidence about Burrow in this offense, which like, do you really picture them dropping a clunker in this one? I

don't know. We're gonna say goodbye to the Ravens this weekend and it's gonna be a beautiful thing and they can figure out what's going on with their quarterback and their skill group and come back and be a different team next year. Um, I've said it, Greg, you know that. Like I agree that they have a very good defense, but they can't close the game to save their lives. That would. I'd be nervous about that. From the Baltimore the different defense since got there, and there's there is

exception every possible Jaguars game they didn't close. That's fair. What about the Steelers game Sunday Football and close that one either. I think Roquan was prominently involved there. I'm just saying, like there's I could totally see neither offense to do something for totally see their defense. There have been games like that, notably like the Halloween night game against the Browns, a couple of games here where Burrow

and the offense has just been a take off. That's the key here, that the Ravens can play their best defensive game and Cincinnati is a little out of sorts and maybe you get out to a lead and it becomes a different type of game. That said, I what what is so compelling and fun about these a f C playoffs to me is the Big three are all very worthy of winning a super Bowl this year. Um, you don't have to, you don't have to. Um, kind

of look closely and try to make it happen. Like Cincinnati, Uh could have easily won the super Bowl last year. I think they're a better team this year. Buffalo is obviously a superpower that's ready to take that next step. Kansas City is Kansas City, the number one seed, fourteen wins, coming off obviously a terrible loss in the playoffs last year. They they want it worse than ever. Um, and I

just don't see Cincinnati getting whacked here. And in fact, I think again another that that city, Cincinnati, with the terrible thing that happened with Tomorrow Hamlin that uh. Nick Westling, our friend who lives there, said that the whole region was so excited for that Bills Bengals game because they love the Cincinnati team and this feels like their year. That place is going to be going nuts on Sunday night,

and I think the Bengals roll in this game. I think also it's whenever we talk about the Bengals, it's always their offense, their offense, their weapons. It's like their defense last January, it was the turnovers and the defense that kind of held them through some clunky offensive outings. And they've been second in takeaways per drive over the

last month. And you've seen it because it wasn't just that Browns game, Like the Bengals offense has gone to for halves at a time and then that's the other half. They're fine. It's like, I, I don't know, if you just automatically get out of that against this defense, you just need to do it. They were kind of man handled a little bit. They've also won eight straight games.

But when I went back to look at some other numbers, like looking at expected points at an e P a P play, like their offense was fourteen since Week eighteen, a week fourteen rather the Bengals, because they've had those stretches in the Patriots game to a lesser degree but a little bit. But in the Bucks game last week

certainly wasn't a great game. I'm not that worried. I'm a little worried that Tee Higgins after everything that happened with him being involved in that play and having maybe the worst game of his career last week, just not fighting for the ball at the catch point, and was out of practice this week with illness. You just hope he's hed. You just hope he's in a good mental space because he kind of had a bit of a letdown game, which is understandable. I just love that there's

genuine hatred between these teams. The Bengals defense after last week's game talked to the athletic and basically said they'll have something with this Ravens offense for the next week, because they all but said the Ravens offense is dirty, that they're doing stuff after the plays, that they didn't appreciate that they were talking and they were going to have something for him the next week. Tyler Boyd walked off the field to screaming and yelling like they didn't

give anything to us. We took it. We took it, and I just like it. It's it's a vision matchup where the two sides legitimately do not like each other. But for that reason, I think actually it's a very challenging game for the Bengals, just especially their offense. I think I think it'll be a little tighter if Tyler, I just think a division game where this opponent knows you well, third time playing up two weeks, I got it. I see that. Speaking Nick Wesley, Gentleman Dorey goes, it's

finally playoff time. It's not gonna be much of a secret who we take here, So I'm gonna get a little breakdown. The Ravens offense can't move the ball consistently. Consistently, They have no firepower. They have an All year, with or without Lamar Jackson, they haven't been good. They just hope the other team makes a mistake or two and they can take advantage. That's how they've won all their games. On the other side of the ball, the Angles offensive

line pretty banged up. No Kappa O'Collins been by far the two best offensive lineman all year, so there is that concern. However, the skill positions are healthy. Joe Burrows healthy or break. He's gonna find someone open on every play. The Bengals start another Super Bowl run, Joe Burrows starts a Super Bowl m VP run, and the Ravens season

you guessed it will be nevermore. Oh ref um, what a showman that is a showman and remember listen to the Zoo Cincinnati Zoo ladies and gentlemen, Joe Burrow said, And I'll end with a two quarterback notes here, as Joe Burrow said, my whole career is our super Bowl window. You think that dude's going out one and done out? Hell no, number two, Greggy. It could be, and I hope it is the signature storyline of the upcoming off season. Give me a percent percentage chance. Lamar Jackson has already

played his final game as a Raven ten ten. You can franchise him, how about you. Yeah, but if he tells you I ain't playing, I ain't signing a new deal with you, they might be compelled to franchise him and then make a trade that shocks the LEADU. I think it's a fair question. I think what's going on here it's not if I believe he's banged up not ready to play, but it's been so mysterious and so strange. There's been sort of like a lack of communication what's

going on. Even when Harbaugh speaks, I would put it at eighteen eighteen eighteen, I'll go that's still low for both fifteen. Well, I'm not saying I think it's gonna happen. It's just given. And part of this is he represents himself, so there's no agent leaks or anything coming from his end. I think that's a big part of it. And maybe a lack of communication in general. Right, um, there isn't There is a chance that we don't know how bad it is. And this this injury, which certainly started as

a real injury. We don't know where he's at physically now, but he's obviously hasn't practiced in almost six weeks. He might be just done with the Ravens and he lets them know that, and he doesn't have anybody else telling them to rethink that, and maybe something huge happens here. Interesting. Can I say one thing, Like the only thing I find weird about that is like the Ravens are the one team that from the word go embraced him in every possible way. They were so open to make it money.

But I think they want to. But I right, I I think I think he's had a great relationship with him. I really think it's all about Deshaun Watson. Like it's about Deshaun Watson got a fully guaranteed contract for two hundred x amount of million dollars in Lamar Jackson understandably is saying, I'm not taking anything less than that, and he can find a team that until until I get a fully guaranteed contract. I'm better than that, man. I am a pillar of this Baltimore community. I'm not taking

anything less than that. And he doesn't have an agent there that can say, like, I get it. But that might not happen with the Ravens and I and the Ravens might not give him that contract because a lot of NFL teams don't want to go down the road that the Browns did for anyone. Um, and it's a tough agree with that. Hey, Woody Johnson, you sell a lot of cute tips. Get at that check book because ears ain't going nowhere. Oh man, we'll be right back,

all right, Welcome back, all right. Super wild Card Weekend preview ends Monday Night Football. Joe Buck Troy Aigman on the call. Here's the bone, guys, it's been a tough year. On Monday Night, Uh, Cowboys at Bucks and Mark another game where I feel it's got to be close, because I don't think even at the Cowboys, who are not playing very well right now, Um, don't play at a high level in this game. I don't think the Bucks

are explosive enough to run away and hide on him. Um. I guess it could go the other way, where the good Cowboys show up, But you know what, Marky, I don't think that team showing up. I don't feel good about Dallas right now. They have I mean, they're closed to the season has been about as inglorious as you can as you can imagine, Like the Washington loss was a mess. And it's not just the Dak Prescott interceptions. I got a bunch of them aren't on him, but

a bunch are. He just flat up played terribly against Washington, and I just don't like the floor there because how there's no guarantee that just doesn't happen again at some point the Bucks, Um. I thought the best game they played all season probably was way back in Week one when they put a nineteen to three stamp on Dallas. Doc went out with the injury, but they Cowboys had nothing going on. It is so long ago and it's another univorse, but it's like this Bucks team the thing.

I I also don't trust the Bucks much because they were explosive and the Brady Mike Evans connection came fully to life, and it was like, this is what you were waiting for against the Panthers. I don't care about last week Brady got pulled. They weren't doing much, But is is there any chance you get that against the Dallas defense? It isn't is a tick or two below

where they were, no doubt about it. I mean Dallas to me, I think has more pressure on them because if I look at this Bucks team all year long, They've been frustrated all year long, They've been a mess on offense. And what they have done though, d NA wise, with Tom Brady at quarterback, is in that fourth quarter in the last five six minutes, found their way out of jams. It's like, we get we're not flying, we

get we're not great. But the pressure isn't really on them in this situation because I've done that over and over.

It's a couple of years ago, a different And if you're Dallas and you're in that situation where it's tight at the end and everyone's like Dak Prescott's not had a great game and the run games continues to be a little bit sluggish, and the defense has to deal with Tom Brady, which team do you trust to kind of cave in and think, like Mike McCarthy's already said this week, like, yeah, we talked about last last season's playoffs. We're not owned, we're not living in it all the time,

but we talked about it. It's like there's something about the Cowboys or on everything about it where it's like if they're in this thing late. I don't know Tom Brady and Tampa, but I've already said I think they're gonna win the game in Tampa Bay. But it's like I think Dallas isn't a strange spot on record that like maybe seventy seven times. I'm trying to make sure it gets on the show. But I mean, wait that

the Bucks would win this game. The Bucks will win this game, Okay, absolutely, Yeah, I almost locked it up. But it's like I'm gonna and I was driving here and I said to myself, like, I will bet myself a hundred dollars that be in a situation where I'm getting pressure from Greg to lock it up for the exact words he said, And then Dan comes in. It's like I'm not doing it. I'm sticking you brought it,

it would occurred to me. Let's just before it became a thing and absolutely, but let's just think about it. You have been saying this is gonna be happening with this bad NFC style team will win a playoff game for months and months. What a way to underline it? Put some highlighter over it and a few slammers? Yeah, I would be away. Wow, what a that's that's the

ultimate show in a a parallel universe? Would if you were truly confident instead of just saying, this is the kind of thing where I, just like Greg could talk for six straight minutes, which will happen at some point and I'm not listening to a word of it. Tom Brady seven and over is the Cowboys in his career. How about that? Is that enough to get the lock? That kind of stuff I don't care about at all is compiled stats against the Cowboy It is crazy to think,

like Week one feels so longer. How about that Week one game when they were defending the title and back and Tom Brady are going back and forth and we're over at manner for that game? This matchup, right, it is the Cowboys are a better team. I I struggled to pick this game because of everything you said. I do trust the Bucks more in a big situation. Uh, they in a fourth quarter in a like they have

the championship medal. Mike McCarthy and maybe Tide Bowls are maybe coaching for their jobs, which is crazy for a playoff game. I feel like that's possible, Like the loser of this game, the team could get blown up before the divisional round. Yeah, but I mean, it's it's just weird. It's I don't, I don't. I hope not. I don't think so. But I just think you might be losing. You might be losing Tom Brady, you might just who

knows what's gonna happen here. The Cowboys, though, are just like a better team and and you They could attack the cornerback situation for the Cowboys, which they've sprung leaks lately, Like they lost Anthony Brown, which you wouldn't have thought would have been such a big deal. But their backups that have come in have just not played well well, whether it's like Nasan Right or Trayvon Mullin. They got

off the waiver wire, like you can. You can attack those guys, but they have better players like at their best, the Cowboys have been a top five offense and the top five defense. They probably don't need both to show up, just one of them as to show it up, because even that Panthers game didn't tell me anything new about the Buccaneers. I don't even think they played a particularly

good game. That they just had Mike Evans get open deep like three times, and most of the rest of the game they were in quicksand like they always are. They're a consistent team. They're like a nine and eight not very good. And and the Cowboys have a way higher ceiling. We just haven't seen them up there, uh in a while now. And that and that's the story with with this game, and um, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm We've talked about Michael Parsons and uh there was some some of that LT hype going on around him. Why don't why doesn't he pull up a chair, get his knife and fork out, put the bibb in and eat up thet year old smith. Go get him he did in week one. Go go take this game over and make plays Parsons that wins the game for your team, Like they had thirty three takeaways this year, most in

the league. Let's let's do it. If your offense is kind of at a sink, if Doc isn't quite cutting the mustard right now, Monday Night football, go beat this stagnant Tampa Bay offense, beat him up and and set

your offense up better. And that's why I picked the Bucks uh to get beat in this game, because I don't think that they have enough firepower barring yeah, and you said, like, you know, they have obviously that that big game with Mike Evans, But if you can neutralize that, it's like with the Chargers taking Mike Williams out of the mix, who's gonna step up and make big plays? I like the Cowboys nineteen the big play thing because it's like, so the Brady Evans connection this season has

worked about eleven percent of the time. And that's great that it happened against a Carolina defensive can handle him from a cornerback scenario. But that doesn't tell me that they've figured it out in that situation at all. They

haven't figured it out. Now, if I'm a Bucks fan, I'm almost a little worried that they're gonna run the ball too much on early down to get back to that because the Cowboys are so vulnerable against the run and their defensive tackles haven't been good lately, so they're gonna maybe try to stay bounce. I'm I do think they'll attack Brady though Dan Quinn is a creative defensive coordinator.

That's been what's been different about this team. You mentioned on our last show how that the the announcers are really fixated with dnps like blitzing Brady up the middle and everything. Last well, just that they had this relationship. These two know each other. You know what it worked like that is that's the only recipe against Tom Brady is to change your look, snap to snap, drive to drive,

keep varying it. Certainly, send pressure up the middle, never get let him feel comfortable, and letting him know what he's gonna see. And I think the Cowboys defense could do that. I'm not sure about this Cowboys offense though, I'm not sure we uh shall. By the way, the there is a remarkable amount of pressure on Mike McCarthy to get out of the first round of the playoffs. You've talked about that. The Panther is a requested permission

to talk with Kellen Moore. There o C. The Broncos have requested permission to talk to their d C Dan Quinn and uh, it's a huge, huge, huge game for the Dallas Cowboys organizationally, Uh, gotta beat this. Terry Jones all but said, they've got to win the games in the playoffs. And you can't get beat by the eight. And I know it's the Tom Brady Bucks, but it's an eight and nine team. You've had a big year for the most part, you got at least get back

to divisional playoffs. I would say that the like the Cowboys playoff loss a year ago is more fresh in their minds than even the Bengal Super Bowl losses in Cincinnati's that may sound sturg just like it seems hangs in the atmosphere in Dallas. And Mike McCarthy, if you lose this, like everything could suddenly flitter away. You've got what a great caper to the to the weekend. One last thing I just went which is just I find it very strange that a future Hall of Fame left tackle,

Tyrann Smith, he's out there playing at right tackle. That Tyler Smith, their rookie first round pick, who played well at left tackle all season, is now at left guard and that forty or forty one year old Jason Peters is over at left tackle. I feel like this has been an underrated, strange thing to happen in the last three weeks of the season. I don't understand, and I think there'll be a lot of talk about it. If

this game doesn't. I would say it's probably because Peters at this stage in his career that they need to put him in the best position to succeed, and they feel probably can handle the right side, and he has yet point The Cowboys have been one of the worst teams running on early downs, which is not the case before that line combination changed problem players. Don't give me any zeke in this game. He looks like he's running out of gas. He started this season. Well, give me

twenty five touches at Tony Pollard. We don't need the zeke alright, And Jason Peters, by the way, is forty years old. That's that's quite a roll of the dice for your blind side, for your quarterback that you know has been in a turnover machine this season. I'll just say this where nobody's on ther dog, Yeah, stop it, yeah, Zaddy, you know I'm a Fani. You know. I love your big Zaddi energy, but you gotta have that team ready,

I gotta win. If you wanted to going around calling yourself as Zaddie or being called Zaddy by the other would not be big Zaddy, so called Zaddie. Everyone's so everyone who's labeling themselves as Daddie needs to like, are there guys out there labeling themselves? Sure? I would imagine in our society right now? Do you labels? No? I don't see him as a Zaddi on any level. I think he's talking about you that Have I called myself as Addie? Probably have at some point. Yeah, absolutely, Let

others decide when it comes I don't. I'm not saying that I would deny that you are according to some stipulations. But I think when you picked Mike McCarthy's daddy, you you found a parallels Zaddi energy to yourself. That's what you're seeing. I don't think Greg, and I don't see Mike McCarthy as a Zaddie. That's fine, and I have more power to you. I do think you You've given that a lot of thought, it seems, and I that

kind of does it for me. I mentioned it before that I just I don't I'm mystified that Mike McCarthy is rolling. If he's a saddie, I don't know. Who isn't it, who is not an I didn't realize that that's it. Yes, we are on television NFL network. Check it out YouTube YouTube of course, Fast NFL dot com, Slash NFL channel beautiful. All right, we'll see a Sunday night flagship recap. He's the call