2022 Week 16 Preview: Burbank Days, Hollywood Nights

most of us would not professionals. I think our our outfits also say who we are. Mark rocking the business on top, party on the bottom, beautiful sport cope. But then the carefully ripped jeans below, I very careful, meticulously ripped up I call. I have explained to you multiple times that I owned three pairs of jeans that are function saying it's Burbank days up topwod I'm just telling you, like, if I were not in a laundry scenario, I would

never wear these jeans to work. For this exact reason, the explanation. West used to come and super dressed up for a podcast every once in a while, and like Chris what's going on? Why are you all of a sudden wearing khaki's in a button shirt and a pull over sweaters like everything else is because it's absolutely true. That's why Mark sold One would be like, I have to leave the house early and I dressed in the dark. Do you remember that these are these are true anecdotes.

I believe it to be UM for men, especially men our age. Um. You're older, Mark, obviously, but UM. And it's in a startorial s only numerology from a numbers angle, got it. That's that's what consa UM. There's I've said it on the show before. There's a lot of self consciousness with men, especially middle aged men, about how they're dressed. They feel uncomfortable with it because I think it's part of getting older, and so whenever he gets brought up, it gets it gets a little bit like, oh this

I was dressing in the dark. I don't even know what I'm more. That's fair, but I also think that there is a heightened um element of analyst analyzing what one one wears in this room. It happens, it happens, but it's all it's pointed out, you know, and it's made a thing of birth Bank Days. Hollywood Nights. By the way, if you want to see us at night and maybe even see can you please wear these jeans

for the live show the people need to see. If you remind me, I am around the NFL Live the Homecoming Show Wednesday, January eight, team from the Bourbon Room in Hollywood. Of course, Mark has to wear the Hollywood Nights jeans in Hollywood. Doors open at seven pm. Tickets still available. Not too many, but they are available. Go to ticket Master or go to our Instagram feed. Check the link in the bio. Join us. It's gonna be fun. Very few available. Seven tickets remain. It's like Willy Wonka,

get the Golden ticket, all right? A lot to get to. No buy's. It's week sixteen. The machine is cranking on Christmas Week. Jason Harwood's Hanukkah Week nights. Great call by the Raiders. I wonder what Brent Musburger would have said. Imagine Musburger's Jackpot Baby after the Chandler Jones touchdown on Sunday. Glorious. Mussburger probably would not have said it was Hank miracle. Um can I hear Brent again? I don't know where

he's somewhere in Vegas right now. Jack Like, I don't think Brent, who's an older man now, I don't think he survives the jackpot baby. After the Chandler Jones touchdown, that would have been the end. Um, So it's good that he didn't do it. Let's get to the games a week sixteen um, and usually we start with the primetime games, and we have three Christmas Day games this year, there's obviously, um, the Saturday night game, the Monday night game, a reminder that means my dad will hand handle the

Jacksonville Jaguars New York Jets recap. Um check that out going up late Thursday night. Let's start with the draft this week, like it, I like, just better games. Well, because it's Saturday, though, we're doing it in order. It is confusing. I think a lot of people will be out doing things Christmas ever with their family, and they'll be like, wait, this is an NFL Sunday, but it's Saturday. You know, right, this is very much on your radar.

I think this puts you in a position, whether it's from a ps A angle or getting on Twitter, getting on well, no, you did it through this vehicle. But you're talking about people that maybe don't even listen to the show. How do you bring the news to the average American slash international? Right, I'm just gonna instead of being a caroler, I'm just gonna walk the streets of Los Angeles letting people know as a public service, you're

going to be arresting. I have the first overall pick in the draft this week, and I will select UH the NFL Total Access game of the week. That's the thing, by the way. The Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys from Jarro World, here we go, and what a break? Not a break? It was earned and the Cowboys didn't get it done last week against the Jaguars. They blow a big lead in the second half and coupled with another Eagles win against the Bears, now there's a three game

difference in the standings here. So the Eagles are in really good shape regardless of the outcome. They already beat the Cowboys the first time, so I don't have to worry about any type of head to head UH sweep that leads to a tie breaker issue. This team is trying to win the number one seed, and at thirteen and one, I think they need Greg one more win to do it simple? Not so simple. They don't have their quarterback this week. Jalen Hurts with the shoulder issue.

UH is going to be rested, Uh, and it will be Gardner Minshew starting for the Eagles going to Dallas. Mark, I know you've long had a warm spot in your heart for Minshew was a very marked player. But I am with you. We talked a little before the show started. This feels like a spot where surrounded by all this talent. Don't think that the Eagles are gonna go to Dallas and get beat up here because I think they're gonna

play well. No, it's not going to like a C grade backup where you have to completely change everything you do. I think that the Gardner Minshew pick up you know, which happened before this season obviously. UM was another example of Howie Roseman, Uh, you know who has had hot and cold streaks with the Eagles. But it's essentially built two Super Bowl contenders Um over the course of his run when he wasn't sent out to the back shed, when Chip Kelly was there for a year and a half.

In five years, he's built up two separate pretty crazy because if you think about why Doug Peterson left, It was over a slight rift, over having to make some coaching changes and not wanting to go through a rebuild. Well, the rebuild lasted like a year and then you found out, oh wait, Jalen Hurts, who was on an audition a year ago, is a superstar and a potential m v

P winner. UM. I think though the Gardner Minshew higher was another example of how well this team is built top to bottom because Minshew has a forty one to twelve touchdown to interception ratio. He had a season with the Jenny Bars where it was like twenty one touchdowns and six picks. So the one thing I'd say about him is you're not gonna put him in the lineup

and have a bunch of wacky business going on. Where there where the Eagles can be beat if they were to turn the ball over three times against the Cowboys. They are really good UM on offense in terms of their versatility. You've got great wide receivers. I think this is a big opportunity for Miles Sanders to have a big game where I think some of his opportunities because you have Jalen Hurts running the ball sometimes ten plus times. You're gonna lead on Miles Sanders and in Minshew's mobile

as well. So I just think that this is not a fatal blow for Philly at all, and I don't think they's see it that way. Light right. I love the Eagles plus five in this game. It was up to six at one point this week. That that seems crazy to me. I think they have a good chance to win. Minshew has taped on the Eagles. Uh. He was forty one for sixty last year with four touchdowns, moved the ball, uh, put up a lot of points

against the Cowboys. Granted that there's backups playing and it was it was a strange, but also how to win against the Jets. So I think we've seen he can work in this system, and I think you got to use the Cowboys aggressiveness against them. We saw the Jaguars do do it a week ago, and it got me thinking this Cowboys defense is not quite where it was

early in the season. They've had some injuries and they're not big name players Latent Vanderish, Anthony Brow, but you've seen their replacements get picked on and uh, you saw who was a Kelvin Joseph at cornerback is gonna probably have to match up against DeVante Smith on the outside or a J. Brown. That's a major mismatch. Uh. They had a linebacker come into the game for Dallas who really got picked on as well. Dron Bland's actually played pretty well for the Cowboys as a replacement, but it

hasn't been the dominant Cowboys. I think you can run on this team, and we know the Eagles love to run. Yeah, the Joseph thing is something to keep an eye on because he did get picked on um last week by Trevor Lawrence, and you know that's going to be something. Uh, Billy's gonna want to replicate. And they also the pass rush of the Eagles is gonna be a big part of this. Dak Prescott has had some issues with being loose with the football this year, a lot of turnovers

in his starts UM every week. Now the Eagles are picking up um lots of sacks. They have six plus sacks and three straight games this year. They're up to fifty five sacks this year, which is closing in on the franchise record back in eighty nine when they had all those studs like Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Um, so they can rec have it that way. One thing that's not getting a ton of love or deserves a little

more credit with the Cowboys this year. Their offensive line, which I know isn't at the Heyday levels of a few years back, but they're getting better. Their pass protection has been great. They did not allow sack last week. One of the reasons I think that that those takedown numbers are so high for Philadelphia is that their secondary

is so stacked. I mean Darius Slay Bradberry. They have against deeper passes ten plus yards, they allow forty eight point one passer reading, which is seventeen points lower than the next closest team, which is Seattle, And so you're basically clogging up all passing lanes, which is a problem for Dak Prescott. They can run the ball. They also fourteen interceptions on those type of throws, so they are a takeaway defense and I just like the matchup for them.

I'm annoyed by one thing though, because I feel like I've been out of brown Town and I keep seeing these like talking head shows about how Dak Prescott through to end the game last week. What bounced off Noah Brown's chest by the way. I mean, he has turned the over and he does force throws, but he didn't throw that pick six in a natural like, oh I didn't see the field and like it was a terrible play. They should have won the game. I mean, it just wasn't on dec I think it's just he's such an

easy target. Go ahead and tell the people out there watch the game. Well I just did. I said, go watch the player. Please go watch the play and tell me if the wide receiver of him bouncing off the chest of another go watch the play. There you go. The offensive line you mentioned for the Cowboys done our job. Uh. That has played really well, especially on the ground, and

I think that's how they win this game. I think both teams are better when they play with the lead and can run, and I think the Cowboys will be able to run on Philadelphia although they run defense has improved. There have been a lot of changes. I mean, last week, Tyrone Smith a future Hall of Famer. People throw that out pretty easily. I think with Tyrone Smith it's safe. Uh. They now have potentially three future Hall of famers on this offensive line, which which is crazy with Zack Martin

and Jason Peters now mixing. But Tyron Smith is playing right tag called out of nowhere, He's never played right tackle before. I think they're gonna keep that going. Jason Peters is mixing in at the different tackle positions. It's a bigger test this week of this new set up with the guys playing different position against Philadelphia. Uh. And I do want to say I think Ceedee Lamb is one guy that can make this Philadelphia secondary that can

win matchups. Like I just love what Ceedee Lamb is giving them, and I think Dak played well last week. I still like the Cowboys to win this game, but I just feel like it's a coin flip. Yeah, I'm a little my radars up about the Cowboys right now. There's a whiff of something familiar around them as the season reaches, regular season is reaching its conclusion. This is kind of me like a show me game for the Cowboys, Like you did get a gift here with Jalen Hurts out.

I know min who's a good backup, but he's no, he's not not even close to Jalen Hurts. And what this offense is when they have their guy go win this game in your building? Yeah, I mean, if you lose it. You nearly lost to the Texans. Um you were outshined by the Jaguars, which I was notable to me And I get it if you don't go beat it.

Jalen hurts free Eagles team. I'm just not sure what we say about the Cowboys of they're a playoff team that probably will be off, as in every other cop show us that that's not going to be your fate again this year. Up next in the draft is Greg Rosenthal. It is a bizarre week of games here. We have a seven early. I'm not gonna take one. I'm gonna take forty Niners commanders late because I just want one

of the two late games. And right now the forty What am I supposed to do during the just hanging out wrap your gifts? Because we're also being our residences, our homes, So I mean, I could I could get up to any anything I want to do, but you could you could just watch the games and contribute to the kind of mystery equally. I think it. I'm gonna take it because, uh, and I'm pulling a fast one here. I I told the producers that was taking a different game.

I changed my mind mid sentence and they're just on the ball. You can watch this on YouTube if you're not a listening or you want to double up see what we're wearing. See Marks jeans. Maybe he'll stand up at on the The forty Niners to me are just kind of must watch each week. I love this pretty experience because I think this is a perfect game for them.

I don't think they'll be tested overall, and they do need to keep winning to try to go get the two seed, but they certainly will be tested when they're on offense. And I think the interior line of this the forty Niners has really played better than you would expect throughout the course of the season. But man adding arc Armstead to this defensive line at this point in the season feels like one of the best editions out there because Armstead really wasn't himself early in the year

that he has this injury. He comes back and he was a monster last week, and I'd love to see, uh, rather what Pretty and the defense at the offense for the forty Niners does against Jonathan Allen and Deron Payne and Montes Wet and Chase Young might be back, so it's kind of like a a perfect match up against the Commander's team. I think they'll get pretty on the move. He throws better on the move than Jimmy Garoppol. I mean, I'm not saying that he's gonna be better, but he

does some things better. And I think he throws better on the moon. And since you brought it up and made me think of the last vital play of that game last week when Party, you know, it was a pass play. He scrambles all the right, he gets the first down. I'm just like, is Jimmy G make that play. I'm not saying that Party is a better player than Jimmy G. I don't think, but I think he he's

adding a little bit more athleticism to the position. And if he's gonna be able to hit passes like Jimmy G like he's done so far, they are they're cooking. Over his two games, he the forty Niners have a five point to nine offensive e p A per game, and that is the highest um of any starting quarterback ever during the Kyle Shanahan Niners era. I mean, I know it's a two game sample size, but he's looked the part. It hasn't been an operation or like they're

playing around him. It's the complete opposite. He's been totally aggressive. I do think like there's an opportunity for Washington there the fourth run defense and d v O. A UM, I'm not sure any of that matters when you're playing the Niners, because they just find a way to destroy you one way or another. And Christian McCaffrey like fits in so well with this team, and then I look at their defense and it's like, yeah, you know, Washington, I would have said they had no chance on that

Monday night game going in against the Eagles. They would be flattened by that team, and they found a way to hang around. I mean, I guess that's their move. But you've got Nick Posla, who, to me, outside of Micah Parsons, looks like the defensive player of the URI, leads the league in sacks. They've had a armstead, They've just been dominant. They haven't allowed more than seventeen points

in a game going back to Week seven. I believe yes, and they have allowed and they're basically they're statistically the same defense, if not better than defense that beat Damn Marino in the Super Bowl. The Commanders are heavy underdogs this week home for the Browns, home for the Cowboys, who may or may not be playing for anything that week, probably really won't. There's a real chance here they go one and two and missed the playoffs, and there there's

a chance they're going and three. It is nothing is guaranteed for this Commander's team. That the loss obviously against the Giants was a killer for them because it removed any wiggle ruin. Now they have a tough schedule, so I don't expect Washington UH to pull this off. I'm just checking out a New York Times playoff picture percentage breakdown. They haven't had a chance to make the playoffs Giants up to percent chance now, So there you go. Um they need this game, and yeah, I'm with you on

the forty nine is. It's just like they're so they're an interesting team to watch right now because they already were a compelling team that was talented and well coached and obviously feels a little overdue for a Super Bowl win. And now that you've added this party element to it, their story just got a lot more interesting and got

a little more Hollywood on top of it. So it's just a fun team to asked like a couple of weeks ago, like, what's the you know the variants here is they fall of the cliff or Party becomes this sort of super Bowl hero that is one of the greatest sport stories around, and it's like, uh, we're trending towards the totally unlikely side of that. No media night, the the the the huge circle of people around Party seven questions about being Mr Irrelevant or here is another

option for for media Night Jerry Jones. I'll take Party by the way, Nick Boss, Now, it would be pretty good at Do I need two straight weeks of it? No? I don't. I would love either one of those teams in the Super Bowl. I think the NFC we're getting a fun, fun team, no matter what, a bizarre team, no matter what. I'm intrigued. Yeah, I think you might

miss Jared when he's gone. I don't know. I want a Cowboy super Bowl two straight weeks of it, Jerry Jones, and you know doses do you want it once though we haven't had it? I want I would love a Cowboy super Bowl. It would be exciting. I was alive. I don't know where you are quickly, Nick Bosa, Well, we weren't covering football. I'm just saying covering it. You're a camp happiness by the lady. I had more, I

would make my own. I made my own football magazine on a dot matrix printer in my room, so I was covering it to some degree. Well, it was nerdy. I don't have a car I can drive. I would love to see those, actually, I think I have. Did you bring them in once? No? I don't have them on hand. There there have been a box in my parents house somewhere when Mark's old football magazines would be a good offseason game show. I noticed this week Nick Bosa is now the favorite for Defensive Player of the

Year over Parsons. That's one of the races I'm watching nicely the last three weeks. I think it's fair. I think it's a it's a coin flip. I would maybe take Parsons right now, but you don't for defense but only M v P, which is annoying. But yeah, I wouldn't have a problem. I think these last three weeks are big. I don't like to circle back, but two things. Parsons did miss practice this week with an illness? Uh? And did you mention that Calvin Joseph was benched. No,

I didn't know that. Um. Dan Quentin said Monday that there's a competition now to determine who will play a cornerback opposite Trey Bond Diggs. So they're scrambling now and the guy that they identified to replace Anthony Brown didn't work out. So that is you know, Meanshoe is licking his chops there. But we got to spin forward through that game, through the second game to Mark Daddie third pick. Mark. I'm just like this, it's Christmas time. Um, I want

to give myself gifts, things that I'd actually want. Um, So I'm gonna go Buffalo shka. That's what Christmas is about, give myself gifts that I want. Well, that's how I operate. I'm not saying that's the actual mold that people's other people should follow. Yes, it is better to receive than to give in some cases. Christmas the quarterbacks, it's really easy for me. I mean, I think, I think I want to see. For me, it's the trajectory of watching Josh Allen down the stretch. You know, they got into

a bit of trouble against the Dolphins. Obviously, I thought Miami made that obvious a game where you needed Josh Allen suddenly when the snow started to fall to take over that thing. And I love that. Just a couple of years ago was considered a hazardous draft pick that could have gone all over the map, and to watch what he did three yards, four touchdowns and you're gonna get the fumbles with Josh Allen. I think it's a

sort of part of his game. This year, it's not gonna be as pers seen as it was under the heights of Brian Dable perhaps, So it's like, I'm willing to live with the turnovers here and there when it's not killing them, because he'll he'll flip around and do the forty four yard run and dive for the two point conversion that no one else can do. And then it's like, all right, So on the flip side, why

do I pick the Bears? Obviously, Like, no matter what, Justin Fields is surrounded by really nothing in the passing game, Like their wide receiver group is absurd, and it doesn't really seem to matter. He's unstoppable on the ground, and

I wanted to see con Buffalo. It's a great test they might have to deal with some mobile quarterbacks down the stretch here, like, can you stop justin Fields because no one else can Watching him absolutely destroy last week, It's like he just every week is gonna do three or four things that makes the Bears. They're suddenly in a game they shouldn't be. And I feel like every

week because of him, Because simply because of him. Their defense also showed up for the first time in about three months after thereby, And I do think it's interesting to watch teams after thereby they often fix some things they're They're also a little healthier on defense, not on offense. You mentioned Clay the receiver group, Claypool is out, Equanimius st Brown is out. Uh, Tevin Jenkins, who's played well for them on their offensive line is out, so Cody

white Hair might be out also up front. So it's like they have really lost weapons. And I just want Fields to get to the end of the season here without getting hurt. I would say with alan Um the same is true. But and this is a perfect test because they should be able to put up thirty plus points. But you mentioned on the other side of the ball, Khalil Herbert's coming back for Chicago. They have Herbert Montgomery fields.

Buffalo got pushed around a little bit against Miami in the run game, and that was kind of an old Sean McDermott thing. If this defense had a hole was in run defense. That hasn't been a problem this year, but this is a great test for them. And I thought last week was a perfect test for the Bills and their ability to kind of look a loss in the eye on Saturday night, down eight points of the fourth quarter against the good opponent and find a way

to win that game. I just, you know, I moved It's all kind of silly, but in the power ranks, I moved the Bills one spot ahead of the Bengals this week um flop them basically three and four. So it's just like I just think, when it comes down to it, this year, Josh Allen is not gonna be denied. Like that's more about Buffalo and Cincinnati. They get to play in next week and Alan specifically in their ability, and that's that's such a huge when you look at

where these where these teams stack up. Buffalo is at eleven and three, Chiefs at eleven and three, Buffalo has the tiebreaker on the Chiefs, But guess what if things hold into next week and Cincinnati's ten and four and they beat Buffalo, then they both have four losses in Cincinnati has that tiebreaker in their head to head. They just need to win out the Bengals to get the one seed there and one Chief's Laws. What does that

even mean anymore? I don't know what right it made me nothing, But it's just if you get Lamar, it's a division game. They're the Bengals got one of the or one of these teams tagged with the tougher like final three games here. Absolutely, but but it's pretty simple for them if they could win out, they just need one Chief's Law and they get the number one seed.

So it is. It is fascinating. These three teams have really pulled ahead of the pack, and yet I kind of I still feel like the Eddie justin fields game feels a little dangerous right now, just looking forward to him having a you know, a team around him and just like stay healthy. Just note that the Chiefs, like for your one lost business, they got the Seahawks, but then they got the Broncos and Raiders, so somebody would

really need to go run the Raiders. It's crazy with it's the biggest, the best chance they're just because it's a division game. But you're right, they'll be and should be heavily favored in every game. And we've been talking about the Bears in this way, um which for several weeks, which really is a credit obviously the fields. They lose literally every week. They've lost seven straight games, so the second it's crazy. It's kind of been perfect. Other than

that Jets game. They're like always in these games, and yeah, they always lose them. All right, let's take a break and we will roll. All right, welcome back in case you're just joining us. Uh Mark Sassler Burbank up top, Hollywood down low. He might even show you his pants at the end of the show. Some people talking, but definitely if you go to the live shop, I'd say it like we should, we should make it. You know what,

you don't get the pack, you don't. But if you go to Hollywood on January eighteen in the Bourbon Room and see a t N Live all our listeners on the East coast, they're in the UK orusly like Kayak dot com, American arro live dot com. How do we get there? Australian listeners hit me up recently they're they're number four. Shout out to Australia. Well base there get here. Um anyway, you're up, Mark. Like I said, I'm picking games that I would I want to watch and be

home on the couch on Saints at Brown's. I knew this is Kevin. Can I tell you a weird weason like you could. You could probably guess five reasons why you think I picked this, and I'll tell you why. I'm really back to being a Browns fan. No, not at all. Like I love watching the Saints outdoors in cold weather. I just love seeing them thrown out of the doss. Your favorite team, they are not it is going to be. I heard this. We are your favorite team for thirty five years, and it's start to let

go of that. Well that is true, but I mean things have changed and they're on I'm on a break from them right now, so we'll see what happens. Thank you. It was Andrew Siciliano in our newsroom who announced loudly that it's going to be sixty two mile per hour wind. Gus and you said something loud Well, he does like he likes to prepare for a shot. Booming broadcasters voice sitting near him in the greatest sitting near him, and

we have discussions about things. I sometimes think of Andrew like as a three year old, just like having a conversation with his mom, just like, oh would you like I would like? I would like sereal like he just even as a young child. A listener to this shows he was slightly off. Actually, I think he was born with this beautiful, booming broadcaster voice that you had that for birth. Oh so the voice was the same when he was three years He's not. You didn't execute it,

and you made him sound like he's an infant. Yeah, as a man, we just not typically taken well by a man. Let's just move forward. He's probably jogging right now, but he listens to this. Um, I don't know. I want to see, like I guess from a Cleveland angle, like each week is a little bit more of what does this offense want to be? I think that they've

kind of lost their way with Watson in there. He's he's averaging six point four seven air yards per attempt, which is down almost three air yards two and a half from where he was with the Texans. So I mean we know that he's he's getting uh, you know, back into the groove of things here. I think that

the it's it's throwing the run game off. Um, it's weird that like watching that Ravens game again, like wait a minute, suddenly it's I know the Ravens are compromised on offense massively, but like the Browns defense has been, they've shown up a couple of weeks here like that. There are different defense right now. Like Denzel wardatop played his best game of the year against Baltimore. Miles Garrett, it's not just Myles Garrett this point, like he really

really is. Like I know he's he would never be Defensive Player of the Year because they've been a bad defense, and but individually he's had I think his best season. I really do. Nick Chubb was a question mark. It sounds like he will practice. I think that's essential for them. And when it comes to the Saints, like I know that they're a very frustrating team to their fan base right now with massive questions because I don't think you have a coach or a quarterback going in the next season.

I mean you definitely don't. I don't like the coach situation, and I'm not sure what happens. You could keep Andy Dalton around as a filling the blank back up, but what are we really selling anyone there? But you do have quietly and Christal lave or Shihat and Jawan Johnson like the making the makings of a really good wide receiver group. And so each week it seems like I'm looking up at Andy Dalton is not the Andy Dalton

that I knew for a long time. He's like a deep ball thrower in this offense at times, and like quite intriguing and like kind uncomfortable in his own skin version of Andy Dalton so very clean. Yeah, and he's used to this weather. So let's see what happens in Cleveland. I mean, yeah, the weather is hard to imagine overcoming

um to have like a great passing game. You never know in these games like Philly Chicago, Hurts was throwing the ball down the field with the shoulder and it was like fifteen degrees, So I guess you you never know. The Saints can't really run the ball though, and you you feel like the better running team wins this game, and and so I trust the Browns more. You're right, the defense has looked better. Part of that as you played Huntley and the Texans, but they also made life

very difficult on the Bengals in that game. I felt like the Bengals were lucky to end up winning that game convincingly. They had to work really hard, uh for what they got. And so there's some optimism for whichever team wins this game. This is essentially an elimination game for these two teams. The Saints, especially if they could win, have like a somewhat realistic path to surviving total by an NFC South team in December at this point in a driver's to this to the same point, and I

think this is gonna be doomsday for the Saints. Because they lose to Cleveland, which I expect them to do here, and the Bucks beat a third string quarterback in Arizona, that's it. They're eliminated from contention and you could take at least one team out of the mix in the NFC South the year. I'm just like, I've seen too much inconsistency in general from the Saints this year to expect them to to take that wind and then build on it. With a big road wind and bad conditions

a Dome team, I just don't see it. I just said Cleveland, like from a record angle, if you win this, you're seven and eight. You've got the Commanders, all right, I think that's anyone could beat the Commanders on the right day. And then you've got the Steelers, like which they hand they match up pretty well with much of the a f C race in terms of the sketchier

lower teams. Amounts to them needing the Dolphins and or the Chargers to lose two out of three, and and then if they do, it comes down to tiebreakers and which team it is. I think that's realistic that either the Dolphins or the Chargers could lose two out of three or maybe even all three. I think the Browns, the winner of this game, is gonna be in it. But but the offense, to your point, Mark, Yeah, it's much worth it was with Watson, they were fifth in

passing fourth and offense. With Present there twenty second in passing offense. It follows a markedly visually different team. Um. And remember when we're talking all these a f C permutations, some of those brutal Cleveland losses liked for instance, went to the Jets. Uh, they don't have the tiebreaker there, so there's so many things have to go right for Cleveland to get start by winning all these games and

Andy Dalton windless on the road in four starts. Uh, and they have They've average fifteen points per game in those road games. Pffs number two quarterback this year in passing grade that Altona sans has happened quietly, like very quietly, with all due respect to PFF. Like some of the quarterback situations, it's like, to the eye, is Andy Dalton net? Like I get where they're coming from. That's gonna keep

this one under their hat. I get it though he's played clean, and they just like don't ask makes any point of Andy Dalton on the road or outside, Like go watch him in that Steelers game. That was like that, you're gonna get that everything. But some things you keep under the hat. We love them. We adore the the glitch in the algorithm here, let's just keep this one under the mat. Uh, Greg, you're up, am. I I'm taking the Around the NFL team better known as the

team of Around the NFL and the Panthers. I take round. It's like I'm already on the Christmas vacation here. What is happening? Sometimes I forget we're even recording. I am so happy makes a good show though, you know, just three guys chopping up, just like three buddies in a bar. It's like that's the show right there. They're just friends. The football stuff, it's like they're just buddy is. It's like that's the show. I am so excited Mark didn't

take this. It was maybe a strategic error by myself to even let it sit out there. I love this Lions team. I love the way the defense tackles, and I think that shows up big this week because this Panthers team couldn't get the running game going last week. They count on a lot of yards after the catch, and this secondary for the Lions. Maybe they're not great in coverage, they're okay, but the pass rush has been

showing up. But when you get a ball out on the edge, or whether it's the running game or not, if it's a Kuda, if it's one of the safety's, if it's the linebackers like Rodrigo, if it's Adan Hutchinson. In the running game, they just play with great energy and they tackle really well, and it's it can be underrated, but you can just look at it and you can

see it. And I think the way that they're gonna lose this season at some point is a great passing attack exposes them and I just don't see that with Sam Donald. I think Sam Donald is stabilized this Panther's offense. I think he's been the best quarterback they've had this year. You gotta give him some credit. He's not making a huge mistake. He's had some nice throws. But they're so unaggressive in terms of the way they call games compared

to the Lions, who are aggressive in every situation. That's why I love them on the road this week. That's why I'm locking up the team around the NFL. This is a problem, uh this and this has not worked down in the past for me, But I learned our production team that I am also locking up the Lions. Um, but I feel Greg. I think it's our chance to get the lock Rose. Are you We won two and we won last time. We want a couple in a row. I think we lost at some point or the lock Rose.

What were you guys a kidding? I don't even know if we had a trenchant nickname. I mean, we we have to come up with one after we do when it's like when a Hollywood studio takes two real heavyweight stars and just stick them together in a production and like, oh, that will work, but you need chemistry. And I think when you guys lock up, there's just there's something off in the mix, like you would you would like this to be true, but the whole like, oh we're on

a roll here. You guys are sinking in this long lock competition because of games that you agreed on taking two big els, whereas I at least remember the last time we did it, we were fine. Mark. I don't like I don't like locking up with you because you're in the lead spots, like nothing changes. And the other thing is Greg You typically by Sunday regret locking with another human. So it's like, why didn't made the first pick here? And uh, it was time to let me know.

The last time that Mark and I locked together that was waved off is um an issue because Mark was out that week and we didn't have a chance to vibe. No, it's really sort of and we just could look at each other's eyes and we know that it's locks gonna get a chance to last time Mark and I locked together was a successful Bengals over Steelers. All right, so here we go. We're on a We're on a roll. You could say it factually. Um, I like I like

the lock. I have to say the Panthers kind of spooked me last week, and that just when people were starting to buy it on maybe they're the NFC South team that can you know, have their dignity playing in January football. They let Pittsburgh basically beat them at their own game. They were more physical, they played better defense, and in general was just like, oh, guys, get you know, you gotta you gotta beat the mitchro Bisky team in your building with a chance to tie for first place

in the NFC South. So I lost a lot of faith in them here. At the same time, um, is their defense good enough to really slow down the Detroit attack? Now, the Jets did it last week, but it really depends how much you believe in Caroline's ability to do that and whether you think the Lion win, while impressive, and how it ended and how they came back and closed out the Jets there. They did not look very good in that game on offense. For the first time in

a while. I mean, Carolina is fourth and points allowed since Week ten, so I think their defense has been pretty consistent. Um. I think they've responded to Steve Wilkes really well, who I think should flat out just get that job. But I I don't know how you stopped what Detroit's doing right now. And I think it's kind of like if you're Brad Holmes the Lions GM because you mentioned some of these guys like Aiden Hutchinson worked out,

he's working out, Malcolm Malcolm Rodriguez is working out. James Houston has one or more sacks in this last four games, where it's like it's just like a stat outline has been great for them. We'll think about this along with Alman Ross st Brown, who is if you were playing

somewhere else, would be massively celebrated. Did Um. Jamison Williams is getting a few more like at some point here they're gonna let them play like a full helping and they're starting to look at like this team they kind of reminds me of like the Cowboys, where outside of the golf quarterback position, I mean even he's playing well, I'll tell you why, because it's like they were so young and it was really just a team that had been formed in the last like two or three seasons

under Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones. But like suddenly you staught that you saw like the formula come together and they became dominant at the things they were good at, and then the next season they won the Super Bowl. I'm not saying this is the Lions, but there's so many young places pieces in place that will be here

for a really long time. They've got high draft picks because of the golf thing, and the golf things are working out better than Matthew Stafford right now outside of a Super Bowl ring kN Steve Wilkes kind of muddy. I'm saying the Rams got what they wanted out of it. But the Rams are in full fledged right now. But no one thought Detroit one with golf though, That's all and it happened. They are winning big on both sides. Ken Steve wilk kind of muddy the picture for golf

and make them hold the ball. Did not play well in the cold last week year, right like kind of when you get him to hold the ball and try to make up play off timing, it can get rough. And that's why I'm throwing a little fantasy nug out. I love being some DeAndre Swift this week and in your fantasy or dfs because you can see the big DeAndre Swift day coming. The explosiveness is back. It hasn't totally resulted in numbers. And you looked at this Panthers

team a week ago. They got pushed around. They were dominated in that game on the ground, and so I think the Lions gonna go run the ball a lot. And I think Ben ben Johnson, who's having a great year at offensive coordinator, I think he could get a job a big chair of this January and Dan Campbell have done a good job with Swift since he's coming back and looking better than not overworking him there. He's part of the puzzle, not the piece that they're when

they're playing for January. They're gonna unleash him in January. And thank you boys, because uh, I got two really good games here. Um to pick because some games that surprised me have come off the board early, So I'm gonna start here. You're prized by the team of a t L going off early. Watch him every week. It hurt me last week that was the first Lines game and watch live in about seven weeks. This is the team of th h A L two Cleveland, New Orleans.

Think would have gone off Buffalo Chicago going third overall? And I know it's at Cleveland, Detroit and Caroline. How about Giants at Vikings? How about how about the GMN coming off a very very big win on Sunday night? Now did they get they get some help from the zebras. He sure did, But that does not mean, that does not mean you take away, um, you take anything or everything away from them, because I saw a lot of

that early season DNA in this game. And and and that the drive that stands out to me more than any other drive in the game that made me think, okay, they might now have kind of recalibrated things and be able to take this and get to the playoffs was before the controversial game ending drive, uh after Heineke put it on the ground and Ron Rivera saying himself, this guy is terrible. Why does everybody like him so much?

And the Giants took the ball back and it was fourth quarter and they needed to choose some clock and get some points, but just kind of get things stabilized here before the defense lost the game, and he just gave it to see Kwan over and over and he just ran through people over and over and before he knew it, they kicked the field goal that allows them to hold on and win that game. And just, uh, that's important. That's Quon's healthy or looks healthy, and the

Giants now have that taste of victory again. Playing a Minnesota team, that what the hell? Man, you don't know what to expect in this game because you never know what to expect, but you do because like ten they're tenan o in one possession games. So it's like even when they were losing to the Cults that way, it's like, of course they're gonna every one of these games down three nothing or whatever it was. I would say, I will say one thing, and you don't have to believe me.

But we were on we were texting. I didn't see his text to later, but Dan, you said, right before the half off, the Vikings can just get a touch on here, and it happened later to but you were like, there was this confidence was joking, but I was also kind of serious in the sense that like if there's one team, well, there's two teams that could pull this thing off. It was the Vikings on one side and the Cults on the other. Cult what one offensive touchdown

in that game? I mean, you want the Giants were the most helped by the Zebras last week and the Vikings. Yes they won, but they had two touchdowns taken away that clearly should have been scores. You know what, that's a great point. Not only the Cults have the biggest collapse in NFL history, they also were the most helped by officiating and they still lost the game. They got fourteen points taken off the board by bad calls and they still lost, and they had a thirty three nothing lead.

And so wait, Saturday, this has been floated out there, and it's kind of remarkable that, you know, obviously six weeks ago he was doing what we do. Uh, then he gave up the biggest comeback in NFL history, what which wiped away Frank Reich's biggest comeback of all time front number one. But then to the week before against Dallas, they gave up the most points in a quarter. They gave up thirty three, and then they were up thirty three to nothing, and then they gave that up and

gave the game up. It's like Jeff Saturday's resume is insane. I think one thing about the framing with that was going around a lot like, oh man, the cults, how much they're doing so dirty? I was like, Frank Reich probably his way into this. This was a humiliating franchise lost for the Cults. I know that his win was in the playoffs against the great Oilers team. Foret forget that was a great day for Frank Reich. I love that he called Kirk Cousins this week to talk about

it and say, like, use this for good essentially. Uh, you know, people still come up to me and it's like, yeah, it's like a great example to talk to to other people about like never give up in life. And uh, you think Cousins will do that too. I think he seems like he's not gonna use it. I could see him speaking at like youth ministry camps. Yea, I said that that's why he called him. Is that, um, he knows Kirk has a strong Christian faith. Not Ny said it.

I mean, like that's exactly what the right right as well. I am curious about this matchup though for Kirk Kirk versus the Blitz, his numbers are terrible this year. They haven't been throughout his career like most veteran quarterbacks who can usually figure things out, but I think according to PFF, he's like third worst quarterback in the league against the Blitz. Against a heavy blitz team which suddenly has two great edge rushers in Thibodeaux and Ocelari who has really popped that.

Both of those guys are playing their best ball right now. So you add that to a heavy blitz team against Kirk, you could have some wild stuff. The one thing is they play a ton of man coverage, and Cousins has and Justin Jefferson has been dominant against everything, but they have dominated man coverage, so that I think if you can, can you somehow offset the blitz somehow in the rush, Like I just think it's a it's a game where

you can it can be who they are. Yeah, And it's interesting because the Giants we talked about the Vikings tennant oh and one score games and Giants are eight two and one, so they've been very good in these types of games too. And I just god, this one is like one of the hardest games to figure out because I could definitely see a scenario where the Vikings run the Giants out of the building because I still don't necessarily believe their offense is the best group in

the games. And and Jefferson and and cousins. I think they're looking to set records of Jefferson breaking the all time receiving record. He'll have another big game, I think here. I do think that this is a game where the Vikings take care of business, but I can't say that

the other side. And it's certainly not locking it up because if this game, there's also a coin flip where this game goes down to the less possession, because that's kind of what both these teams do that even if you go back through like the last three seasons, the Vikings lead the league in one score games. This year's obviously been like the waterfall, but like they've been this team in a weird way, it's like I don't, I don't. I'm not hanging around waiting for the Minnesota blow out

to happen. They can clinch this week too. The Giants is crazy. They can they get a win, uh and then either a Washington loss I believe are a Lions loss, and they're in if they get two of those. Those teams. I also want to see just quickly in this matchup Daniel Jones, because I think he's playing well right now and he's had a lot of tough matchups. He's working so hard to get what he gets. You don't have to work that hard against this Vikings defense. I think

you could have a nice little Daniel Jones game. Alright, let's take a break and we will roll on. All right, Welcome back the Week six team. Look how it goes, Look how it goes. Long season, But all of a sudden, here we are on the precipice of the postseason. Let's keep rolling. Six snakes to Zeuser and it's time now for the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota, and we're gonna drive friends into the woods of Foxborough to check in on the New England Patriots seven and seven, coming off

one of the worst losses you will ever ever see. Um. You kind of forget because of the Chandler Jones lateral thing um that they had a seven point lead uh in this game prior to that, and Derek Carr and the Raiders were facing a fourth and ten deep in their own end on that drive that led to the

touchdown pass um. So that is a backbreaking uh loss potentially for a team that's really feels like it's been on the ropes, perhaps internally with all the um consternation about the offensive scheme and the coaching and where mac Jones had had his at and speaking of mac Jones, um, this was interesting. On Wednesday, a reporter had a question about, you know, the the near future, not the long term future, the near future, the quarterback position in New England with

mac here a quarterback to the three weeks. Let's start a BA since mode, I don't even know what I said. What do you say something about Cincinnati? We're just trying to beat Cincinnati? Is the plan is to beat Cincinnati. I wish our listeners could could see that, because first of all, Bill looks like he's good. He's taking care of himself. The aren't He's showing off the biceps. He actually had a big smile right before that question. Then

the question comes out and his eyebrows a raised. He was totally surprised by it, and then total grimace answering, there, I've heard that Robert Kraft is kind of a Simmons throughout there. I don't know if this is accurate, but Bill Simmons through out there that like Kraft was a zappy guy that he's been pushing for Zapp. Bill doesn't

care about that though. But well, here's interesting. I think I talked to Ian about this because before Ian joined NFL Network rap sheet, he covered the Patriots for the Boston Herald, and there's a whole hierarchy. In fact, they

did talk to him about it. I found it fascinating, a hierarchy in terms of like who gets to ask Bill the type of questions when Bill kind of lets you into the circle, in terms of giving you a real answer or some type of stock answer, or ignoring you outright, or maybe the pasts media guy has to rough you up a little bit, not physically, but perhaps we don't know where those ball boys are, for instance, pr guy under the pike, perhaps from the flame um. But anyway, I'm what I was taken by there is

like who asked the question? Was that guy allowed to ask the question? Did Bill's eyebrows rays because he was surprised that guy asked the question when he's not allowed or was it a guy that is allowed to ask that question? And he was just surprised he got it in that moment, but when you just clear all that

other stuff out. The question was his first round pick in two thousand twenty one, Mac Jones, who went to the playoffs last year and won ten games as a rookie, the quarterback for the last three games of the season, and the coach's answer was, we're trying to beat the Bengals this week. I mean, like, first of all, I don't know that reporter may not exist at this point,

depending on where they are in this hierarchy. Um. I just think that if you look at what's happened, because these this Patriots team that is the scoring the second fewest points of the Bill Belichick era New England going

back to two thousand, Um, they've looked bad. Um they instead of though, what's so different to me is that Matt Jones, unlike previous quarterbacks, has been so emotive and there's been these been these spats in these incidents, and it's so clear how frustrated he is and he's not hiding it at all. And in fact, I think most people will look at mac Jones and say, we're siding with Mac Jones here. Yeah, maybe you don't want your quarterback blowing up on the sideline emotionally week after week.

But he seems to be in a really bad situation, in a fix um, in a Patriots coaching staff that to me feels out of control. I can never remember feeling this way about a New England team, but they feel out of control, and it's like happening on a weekly basis. So I would not be surprised in the Bailey's happy world of things that Bill belitics, like, get

this thing out of my face. At some point, I'm just not convinced mac Jones when we're sitting here in April May June, I'm not convinced mac Jones is even on this roster. I'm just not right, Spicy Mark here. Here's the thing though, that that you're right. The ending overshadowed everything that went on in that game, and it seemed like mac Jones had one of the worst games of his career. And then you rewatch it and so many of the routes are just terribly run. The spacing.

Greg Bdard's been sending this out where there's like three guys clustered together like routinely, the situational football where you can't score from the one you have so many pre snap penalties. They lost that game because of how they handled the end of half an end of game situations. They are so sloppy. I I heard Bill talking about

the Bengals earlier this week. We have the clipping. It's short, but I think the Bengals are the type of team that that Bill Belichick wishes he was, play a clean game, so make air and everything, so do over and over. In this press conference, he kept saying how they make they're clean, they don't lose games. They let other teams

lose games. And I think he knows in his heart that used to be us and listening to and I listened to his press conference because I started thinking we could be running out of Bill Belichick press conferences here as a member of the Patriots, I think this is a real thing. I think one is telling all these media members, let's name him, Peter King, Albert brier Uh, Karen Grugi in the Boston Herald, Tom Curran, Greg Bdard.

I think that's it has floated out some sort of version of if Bill Belichick doesn't make changes to the offensive staff and or the front office because he's just trying to do everything, then there could be a change. I got a pretty good guess where that information is coming from. It's coming from the highest parts of the Patriots organization. Yeah, but at the same time, like you trying to smoke Bill out through the media, that seems like a bad idea to plan be to hand it

off to Steve Belichick. No, well, let me just say that Bill's plan. I don't think that we could say that's coming from upstairs. And maybe it is, but I'm sure that Bill feels probably the same way after this is gone, that he needs to make changes to his coaching staff that he needs to obviously get the offense in a much better place, a healthier place. They gotta clean things up and become a more organized operation. Thought it was a real microcosm of their struggles in the

second quarter against Vegas. They had a first and goal at the Vegas too and uh, I think Mac missed what should have been a touchdown. Uh. And then they uh he hits a touchdown, but they gets blown dead because the sideline I think it was Patricia of course, calls time out and wipes out the touchdown. H. Then they have another incompletion, then they have to call another

time out. And now they burned two time outs in like twenty seconds, and then on fourth and goal from the Vegas one false start backing up six yards, they kicked the field goal. It's like Patriots fans know exactly the dry I'm talking about, because that is just like, why aren't they efficient? Why aren't they well put together? And it all set up for obviously the cataclysmic event with Chandler Jones. But this stuff has been going on all year. Yeah, go ahead, well, no, it's good. I

mean that. I think if if the Texans are doing what you just describe, burning time outs left and right penalties, your coach calling a time out to or to essentially remove a touchdown, then you have the killer penalty on John Smith's like, um, excuse me, we'd be frying other teams. But because it's new England has been this resistance to be like, no, they probably have their house in order. It's just these confusing too, because their defense is excellently coached.

Their number two in d v O A with a very sketchy like group of cornerbacks and using guys that linebackers coach castaways right, and and like now that Barmore's back I'm very curious to see if this Bengals offensive line, which has been better this year, holds up against U. J. Barmore in Jude, and they like they have a better defense than they had a year ago if they had Josh McDaniel. Still, I believe this team is ten and five because they would just would be they would just

be a mediocre offense and that'd be good enough. They've only played fourteen games where they get credit with nine five. I'm giving him nine and five. Um, the Bengals side of this, this has been my pick season. My lock season has been very similar to the Dallas Cowboys season. Started out with a ton of promise and almost juggernaut like, and then in the last like month or so, it's just like it's not a total collapse, but things just don't feel right. You're just not in the right group.

And I've realized, what I think i've realized here, what I hope I've realized here is one of the things i'm doing. I'm not locking good teams or teams I feel good about. So I'm gonna lock a team I feel good about. The Cincinnati Bengals go into New England and taking care of a Patriots team that just feels

like it's in all sorts of dire straits. Give me the team that's well coached, that's getting guys back healthy, that has Joe Burrow involved, and they they they believe they could be the number one seed in this a f C. So they are not gonna lay down up there. They take care of business. Look at how like from I think we're Belichick. You know we've and Greg, I know you've not been huge on on Zach Taylor, but like on defense, for instance, the way that they adjusted

against the Bucks, right, they're really they do. I can see why belichicks into it. And to me, that spoke who like that spoke to who the Bengals are like other teams, Like you question yourself, you fall into a pit. You allow the Bucks to play the best offense they have all year in that half, and they turn around and completely erased him. I mean, they made life so difficult for Brady. So I like this lock a lot

for you. This was my lock, and then I just felt what we do, see what we do with with Greg with locks, it's all this like the endless like stuff questioning, and you know, it's kind of like I'm just watched Godfather with my you know, the lock father watches The Godfather with my parents and children. They were in bed. Michael goes to Italy after shooting the the Lieutenant and falls in love with an Italian woman. Knock

it works and get they get married in tragedy. I don't want to spoil this, but tragedy ends that union. Michael comes back to America and reunites with Kay Adams, no relation to the football analyst host, and marries her. And that's how I feel. I feel like my lock for Greg. Greg said, do you know you want to lock up the Mangles and come with me? I am the Italian woman that you'll leave and you go back to America and okay, but you're not truly in love

with your luck. Your true love is the Bengals. Your true luck loves the Bengals. And instead you go home and you you go with the teacher back in America, and you don't truly love. Okay. That's if somebody followed that, that's good. There were some strange turns there, but I did follow it. I think, yeah, it just feels it

feels wrong to lock against your your own team. But I mean, you're a woman, and I liked it would be I would be surprised, it would be surprised by the way that that was the Sunday Dry presented, Sundry presented by they got their money's worth it all right? Interesting, Greg, your final pick of the draft where already at my final pick? I'll take Seahawks Chiefs. Oh, we got the prime ting gaginst that's what it is. Uh, Seahawks Chiefs.

Fun game, a lot of points, love the points, love the over love Geno Smith getting back on track here against this Chief's defense. I think this Chief's defense is very vulnerable. I know, I know Tyler Locketts out and that's massive, and um Walker ken Walker looks like he might be out too. So the Seahawks are. They do

have some issues. And yet I feel like Gino is gonna play a clean game because I just don't think the Chiefs Tea don't have their most reliable wide receiver and the running backs out, and their defense can't play totally compromised. Gino has to make every play to save this team, but I feel good about his chances in this. I don't trust this Chief's defense. I think they've shown some vulnerabilities are playing a lot of rookies on the back end. I think the Chiefs are gonna score a lot.

And so then Gino, who made his first Pro Bowl on pretty cool. That is very cool, pretty incredible career shurt around. Let's let's just say what it is. I think he'll be stuck in a position to score. Unfortunately, the defense is also going to have to play in this game, and I would put the over under for the Chiefs scoring around thirty five points. I'm with you and like I, the Geno Smith story has been awesome. Um, Greg, that's a victory for you coming out of the summer.

But I would say that if you look at his metrics since we gate, there's a couple of things that are concerning his passing grade. And passing grade is what it is, but it's gone from fourth to UM since Yeah, But actually it's more like I think it's PF passing grade. Actually, big time throw rate has gone from third, which was

so visible from third to UM. Turnover worthy plays have gone from twenty three most to ninth most so in every I mean, those last two categories matter a lot, and it's like, I think a part of it is environment because the running game has dried up, um their defense has put him in a tough situation. Things were really good around Gino before, but now they're not, and it's like, who is Gino when things around them aren't working.

The Seahawks who have to a decision to make, they're seeing all sides of this now in terms of what they want their quarterback position in the future that maybe just in time. It's not a shot on Gino, but it's like he's not going to carry your team when you when you need him. So maybe there's a young guy in the draft and you have a top pick that can be that guy. It's just something to think about before you pay thirty five million dollars a year. He needs more time, and I think this is the

game if you're a Seahawks fan. Hopefully he gets it because they're they're a vertical offense. They run routes down the field that need time to develop, and he hasn't had that time. Also recently, I do kind of look at this Chief's team. They're in a weird spot because they might be the one seed and yet they I think they have some pretty identifiable issues on this team. Number one turnovers one of the league leaders and turning the ball over minus six on the season. Now, that's

that's uh. As I wrote in The Power Rings, a puzzling data point for an eleven and three Super Bowl contenders, it's a lot of fun balls. I think Martin Marcus Fould this scantling just in general is a problem because he's so unreliable that he'll make great plays and he'll kill you twice a week or like that turns into a turnover. It's a huge drop. I think the rookie cornerbacks which I mentioned, and then maybe a little like Andy Reid is still playing like he doesn't have Michael

Jordan as its quarterback. That they went into overtime in that game, in part because he's setting up for a fifty one yard field goal at the end, in part because they don't go for a fourth and two on the eight yard line. It's like Patrick Mahomes is your quarterback. You really don't have to run it three times or throw little screens to set up Bucker, like show some aggression.

I mean, like also in the past you could count on Harrison Bucker to not miss an extra point and that's okay though that's it's such as the same from another angle, Butcker's Butcker's in a slump, and it's I think some of these great offenses when you can't rely on your kicker like you got he'll probably we have, um, we have this guy gets it, which is one of our great recurring series. We really need it. We we

dial it up, we dial it up. This is another one because I like that it's assesslerism from another angle with Mark. Sea's pretty good. More it's typically says like Greg is corrected, but what he just said, but I'm going to try to counter it with another factory. He maybe I don't think that Greg was wrong. I just think back again the reason the term exists. It's from another angle. We could say that Harrison, Butcker is not the guy you've relied on in the past. Right now,

Why is he slumping? He's had some injuries this season that you know, I'm gonna kill them another show. It's gonna have a lot of going a lot of different directions. Yeah, Um, that's all right, let's keep moving. Mark, you are up, my friend. Well, I have no choices. There's I have two picks in those two games left, so I guess I'll just like toy with you, which one I which one I picked first? I'm gonna go Falcons at ravensting how we're hanging on what you choose, but we we've

heard and I do like power. Uh this Raven's team you said it before. I don't know, like, uh, how I keep hearing like they're in trouble? Am I supposed to be excited about this Ravens team right now? It's just like Jackson. I keep hearing that too, and like they I know Lamar is like obviously a complete difference maker at his heights, but their offense was a problem before.

You your tight end leads, your leads your team and receiving Last week, you know, you had seventeen completions, like half of them went to Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Josh Oliver. Uh, Devin Duverns out, Rashod Bateman's out. Sammy Watkins is the new guy you're focusing on. He currently ranks seventy second in yards per route and eighties second and catch rates. So I'm not sure what you're hoping

he's gonna come in and do. I think your your anchor is just your defense and you hope that you know you know what you're getting Desmond Ritter, who is totally wet behind the ears. And if you can shut down the ground game with Tyler al Geer and Cordarold Patterson and they they've got the guys to do it because I think they've got the best two linebackers playing together right now in the game, and Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith interior linebackers. And like you, I don't see

any reason you don't win this necessary leap. But I think teams are gonna keep it tight because the Ravens are good for about ten to thirteen points a week right now. I mean, do I thought that. I'm surprise the Ravens are favored by seven. They are. They're begging you to take the Falcons, which I never like it when they're begging you. But that's that's people not watching the Ravens the last couple of weeks. I think that's

the defense. I think them that's them thinking the Falcons are now either the worst team in the league or one of the three three or four. Yeah, it's a little bit. I'd be I'm already noivous if I'm a Ravens fan. But a couple of weeks ago they circled Christmas Eve um Lamar's return and the fact that he's not going to be back Pittsburgh and Cincinnati next. Is this going to be one of those injuries where keeps on getting backed up and then we don't see him

again and they fall it Are we seeing? Are we seeing basically a rerun of last year? Right now? It feels like and I mean it's there's a lot of similar things going on. Maybe the defense is a lot of the difference is last year they needed wins to get into the playoffs. They're in with a win this week. Don't I get it, but they have three weeks. It just feels like a ship coming into shore where you

climb a board and everyone on board is dead. It's like something happened to the ship out at seat, Like that's what the Ravens feel like. To me, Yeah, you're gonna float into the playoff harbor, but like, yeah, that's what happened. I Also, I think they're as unlucky as any level disaster. They were finally getting healthier. Other than Lamar,

they actually had a lot of players back. Let's go through who they've lost, just in the last week, not counting Lamar Klais Campbell my choice for their best player on their defense having an incredible season, Marcus Peters, starting cornerback, not playing in this game, and then you mentioned Duverney is out for the season with a broken foot from practice.

That's just the last week. Those are three key players and they should win this game, and they they are obviously they've been through the wars and the coaching staff is gonna be hammering into their heads they need to get this game because if you don't, you're nine and six, and then you got Pittsburgh at home, and that's gonna

be tough. That's gonna be a tough game. And then you're at Cincinnati and they might have a lot to play for in them and they beat Cincinnati, But like, how different are those two teams since that Sunday night game there? For for a team that's nine and five, it feels very precarious for them right now. This is such a huge game in their season, and I think they'll respond and they'll win, but it's probably gonna be

like their team ten. And you know what, even if they get I just like their trajectory to me, it is like you're gonna lose a playoff game, have a nice time. I think they're not going on a three game run with Lamar Jackson. You got Lamar and a good defense. If you get a little healthier, I think you got a chance and good running game. They also get a little break here if Desmond Ritter doesn't get more comfortable as a passer, and maybe he will improve

over the next few weeks. This is a nice matchup for their defense and they should know no matter what happens. This is to your point from another angle with Mark Seler. Uh Dan Hans is sitting in this week. Um, they need to attack that offense in the off season and they gotta make that thing. They gotta get that thing up to stuff. They got to get it up to

snuff against the likes of Cincinnati. And can you give Lamar Jackson like two great wide receivers that you're going to get the same thing that you get in Philadelphia, or let's try somewhere else. Let's try it. What was your show again? Backdoor? My um? Backdoor wrong that I like that? That one's on after midnight. It's for different. Um, let's see, let's take a break now, let's do one last game and then, oh yeah, we got one more game.

In fact, if you'd be so kind, um, and I know nothing is kind when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. Right now to handle the last game, and I draft the Houston Texans at the Tennessee Titans. Yes, Houston has one win. But here's an interesting stat by the way, is the Titans in a most likely non Rhyan Tannehill world the rest of the season. Um, the Texans have

either been ahead or tied in seven games this year. Uh, they only have one in but this is not a This is not a typical you know, one in fifteen type team or now one and one. If you, you know, let him hang around, it gets dangerous. I know you're nervous about this game. With Malik Wills. It has to be multiplied by seven. At least seven, that's what number he wears. A good call, though, center Ben Jones, dealing with a concussion, might miss the game, right guarden Ate

Davis probably will miss the game. So the Titans down to three backup offensive lineman plus Malik Willis. We'll see if Traylan Burks is back. We still don't really know. Jeez, that was. That's a tough concussion. It looks like I think. I mean, if I'm picking games here, I think I would pick the Texans. They've been really competitive and their last two the Titans aren't gonna have a ninety plus yard drive. I don't think with Malik Willis to go

win the game. They definitely don't have Patrick Mahomes. They don't even have Derrick McKinnon. Now, Derrick Henry is the one hope for the Titans in this game. If Derrick Henry does what he's done to Houston the last five times he's played them, you need the two other yard game again here, you need such if they've been different defense radars that too. So you're down three offensive line or four defensive starters and the top swing back up.

That's the factories on fire. It's a different team this. I am picking the Texans in this game. UM on game debut for instance, people to check that out on Friday afternoon, will be here and spoiled. What you're gonna do though, this is this is it's on NFL dot com, slash game, so many things to promote. Doesn't change anything. I mean, I never changed. I don't really change to pick. I stay tuned to see who I picked. Yeah, but I feel strongly that I might surprise you what I'm

gonna do. Maybe I will change it by then if something crazy. I haven't chosen the Texans to win a game all year, but they want in Tennessee and that's worked out. They want in Tennis to do something I've not done all year. On NFL Game Friday, I can't wait for the offseason. I'm gonna go to Showman school with just come to our heart. They've been playing better, so I looked. I looked at d v o A for the four game losing streak that Tennessee has been on.

I guess it shouldn't be that big of a shock, but they are by far the worst team in the NFL over those four games in terms of offensive and defensive fishing. See, they're not doing anything well. The name of the show, Yeah, I got the name of Mark and I show. It's called the Showman. Show Man with a comment there it can we get that on the lower throat at some point, so I can just see it because I think it's gonna sing. I have to

have to tell you one thing. By the way, it'll be more funny to damn than anyone else on screen and off The Showman show comm U man, I'm on a roll when it comes to one aspect of this show. Um I have, I'm are gonna do it. No, I have another guy that I have. Yeah, well, the processing is gonna take us deep into way. Why wait another week if we're already talking deep spring Chicko con Quo, he's my new guy. Wait, that was one of my guys earlier, that guy Conflict Graver was there. Definitely shouted

him out. One of my guys who doesn't love an Let's go back and let's go back and check. It sounds like a case for Ted Becker. I think he can teach, even if great was taking forty seven guys. So it's like there's some element of like maybe the whole thing they got to build the whole plane out of a con turn the whole offense into You said that, I'm just denying that maybe maybe Ted would come up with an ill from a but he's also extremely passionate

about his job, and I know we'll have this. You have the graphic, can we see what it looks like the Showman show Man. That's pretty good. It's perfect, pretty good, coming soon. We actually should make that am It looks um when you see it, you just can visualize the show in text that way that we have to actually do that show in the off season. All right, it's going, it will come, and is Greg the guest, and then we kind of we sort of teach Greg. We give

him some pointers. It's almost like a Ted talk. And I'm in the audience. Yeah, it's audience, you and me on a stage. We'll figure out where and then it's just a one man audience and it's Greg. Uh, and it's just us just espousing. Maybe Urban room too, we go back to I think that goes well, we can

they let us. Maybe the show Man is from the Bourbon Room on January and you're in your Hollywood Nights jeans and were But I think this show is why we're hosting that show, because we're just coming up with richer ideas for that show. Even in the well, Greg's quietly listening and sort of just taking it in spun like a lot of notes. Honestly, Dan, you're on fire. You got wins Marks, win Mark's old football magazines from another angle and the Showman Showman all and don't forget

about back door wrong or wrong after after dark. And from another angle, we can throw that in his sad. Oh yeah, I'm building on an entire program a network. You gotta be careful. They'll they might want all this for NFL Plus in the offseason. Oh god, alright, well that race. No, just I'll be compensated if I'm launching a like a sub network with all his programming. Well, you sound like you're using a lot of my man hours too, I'll be I hope you're planning to pay

me as well. And let's see what Ted Baxter does or whatever his name is, Ted Bank. Well, let's start with giving the man respect. He had the flu three Ted Becker, he was a great He does a great job up there in the office in the corporate Uh, let's take a break and hit all these other games that right here we go. We did the draft first this week because a lot of these games are games. Let's start with the Raiders. Uh, six and eight at

the Steelers. This is Friday night. This is Christmas Eve night. So if you're not busy on Christmas Eve, you have football to watch. And um man, I know what the Raiders fans are thinking, speaking of like Charlie Brown and

the football being pulled on them. The Raiders are thinking after everything that's happened this season, after that remarkable comeback to beat the Patriots, with the a f C playoff field, the wild card field a little wonky right now, and there's just a sliver of hope they're gonna ruin my

Christmas Eve. That's what they're gonna do. That's what the Raiders fans are thinking right now and yet, and this is why earlier in the in the season, a few weeks back, I was kind of pumping up the Raiders every time they play a team, I'm like, I feel like they have a good chance to win this game. And I feel this way again against the Steelers. I think it's gonna be a tough game in Pittsburgh and primetime. Um, you're you're shaking your head, Mark, and I want to

know why, because I'll tell you why. I do believe they have a chance to stack another win. Here while I'll tell you why. And first of all, I'm gonna start right here. I'm switching my lock to the Steelers. WHOA I like that? I'll tell you why you like it? This is the the anniversary of the amount kill It reception. Franco Harris just passed away this week. You try to tell me that when you go to this stadium that this place is not going to be absolutely totally on fire.

Derek Carr is O N six in games when it's less than thirty seven degrees, it's gonna be the most nineteen degrees. This is a Raiders go and die spot. The Steelers are gonna absolutely celebrate this evening on the Raiders. If you throw out that Ravens game, you can't throw it out the division game. Though, Steelers are playing great football. I think the Steelers are vastly superior. They dominated Carolina, and I think they can stop a vastly superior I

think that Steelers win this game handily too. I'm with them. I should do not that would be a good showman tip that. See, you don't even need the ted talk. If you make the move, I'm not gonna do it. I'm not a showman yet. I need the class. I think this is a team Mike Tomlin want. Though they stopped to run well for the most part, they did it against Carolina. That's all you need to do against

the Raiders. I think to make them one dimensional. They they want to run the ball, and they've been running the ball great, and I think you can do that against Vegas. If this, if you had started the season like six or seven weeks ago, this is basically what Mike Tomlin dreamed of. If anything, I'm a little worried Kenny Pickett's coming back into the line up here, because I thought that was the best game I've seen out of a quarterback last year week, uh, by any court

Steelers quarterback last week with Mitch robiskuy. I think the the floor is higher, but the ceiling is a little lower with Kenny Picks. All right, I like, I like the things you said. UH like you both said. You make a compelling case. I don't think the Steelers are

vastly superior than the Raiders. I think, uh, they are playing much better UM of late, and I think it would not surprise me that when the season's over and and Tomlin's doing his UM interviewer press conference, if he if he calls us, you know, one of the most rewarding UH coaching seasons of his career, because as he has taken this team that could have easily in the post big Ben era with a rookie quarterback and injuries and some talent deficiency. Uh, this could have easily been

a four and thirteen year in Pittsburgh. But instead here they are closing strong um and like his losing record thing. They're gonna win this game. I already told you that. But then they're going to play a compromise Ravens team potentially if Lamar is not back next week. They just gotta beat the Browns at home. They're going nine and eight. Basically, these two teams, these aren't the old Steelers a lot of respect, but what's more steeling I'm saying those opponents are.

You're not beating the Chiefs and Bills there. These are imperfect teams, and it's like, what more? What's more Mike Tomlin than them finishing nine and eight after all this malarkey. So this is an NFL Network exclusive game in NFL Plus, and it's an elimination game. It's not the spiciest game in the weekend, but the losers out and the winner as hope, and the winner doesn't have the craziest amount

of hope at least going into Christmas. Basically, yeah, you gotta win out and you just gotta hope that a f C East teams none of them top nine and eight that for the Raiders they are in. If none of the a f C East team's top nine and eight they win the tiebreakers at nine and eight with any of the a f C East teams, It's a little wonk ear for the Steelers depending on the types

of tie breaks, but it's not crazy. Uh. The Steelers have one win against the winning team this year was Cincinnati, that weird game in Week one that they should have lost if Cincinnati hits an extra point um. But still their schedule heads the Raiders, who have been tripping over themselves all year at Baltimore team and as Mark would say, dipped in Chaos and then Cleveland to end the season. It's not the easiest close to the season, but totally possible.

I think there is. Josh Jacobs is gonna be able to run the ball against this defense. Is Derek Carr have one of those mind numbing interceptions? Possible? Does Davante Adams go for eighty yards? That's also possible to me in prime time? One of the greats, but you know what he can do. That's the thing like I'm gonna be I see this is twenty four, twenty one Raiders. How about seven Steelers the score of the Immaculate Reception.

Frank o'harris seventy two years old, rest in peace, one of the great players of that dynasty era and um Um one of the you know, I think it was voted by NFL the most memorable play or greatest play in NFL history was the Immaculate Reception. And I was reading about Frank o'harris. I was surprised to learn that they didn't win the Super Bowl the year of the Immaculate Reception. I always thought that kind of kick started

the dynasty was in the middle of it. That was in seventy two, I believe, which was the Dolphins perfect season. But that was kind of the first taste of magic for the organization, which it had been terrible for years and years before Bradshaw and everybody arrived. Um and then they started winning all those titles. So John Madden coaching the Raiders team, it is it is kind of tempting to switch over in the lock um, but I'm not

going to do that. Instead, I'm going to bring Christmas presents to all the boys and girls in the land and the Rainmakers coming out in Pittsburgh. Now three points on Christmas Eve. If you're running short, let's make it rain on the fiftieth anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. You guys have put a lot on that anniversary. You know, it's just that time of year, like maybe he didn't get that gift card for that one person, and here

comes rain Maker. You know you got I was just saying how the Raiders fans are flirting with a Christmas Eve disaster and Christmas being ruined. Now we got Marx lock on the line. We got Greggy and his Rainmaker, which I know he's precious to him. There's a lot riding on this game all of a sudden, great showmanship. You know what you're he's already taking notes. He's not there, I mean, not even close, but he is making progress by os mosis. Uh, let's head to Christmas Day. Packers

at Dolphins. Oh, Marky, Marky what I know you despise the Packers, but keep an eye on the Packers here because if they win this game, they are very much alive in the NFC playoff race. They need Rogers said it him something I kind of like it because players are always like, hey, listen, we just win the next

game on our schedule and shut up. Um. What what he said after Monday Night Football and the win they had was over the Rams, was like, listen, we needed to win X y Z, and we needed all these other things to work out, and so far we've been winning the last two weeks and all the things we've needed to happen have happened for the most part. So I just like a player showing the transparency is like, yeah, we need a big picture thing to come to our way.

Now here's the question the Dolphins, who shows up here for the Dollins because they look so good for large stretches of that Bills game, couldn't close it out. Now they're at home, they should take care of business. And as good as they've been playing, or played on on last Saturday against the Bills, they have lost three straight. Now in December, Aaron Rodgers also was asked if he thought they could run the table, and he said, I do.

Now we've got to play three better football teams the Dolphins, Vikings, and Lions. But I do believe definitely. So you know he said that before, but it's like there is maybe a turn here with green Bay's like the darkness of their season and they seem so lost and things were just such a mess that they are probably looking at this as a real possibility. Which is it? Which it is? And I mean, Miami answered a lot of questions for me in that Bills game. It's kind of like one

of the better losses you could have. I guess it's costly to them, but like it changed the narrative on the Dolphins. Where had they been you know, beaten like a drum in Buffalo, it would have been like, maybe the Dolphins are just falling off the cliff and we're never gonna see that early season version again. Instead, they

did the opposite. I thought one of the most hopeful things, because they've been so uh they've lacked balance, was that they were able to run the ball really well, to the point where like after what Rahim Suster did against Buffalo early, I thought they kind of could have maybe used more of that down the stretch. And you are dealing with the worst, one of the worst run defenses in the league in Green Bay, So do you seek that balance? Do you not put it all on Tyreek

Hill and Jail and waddle. Um, I still think you're gonna get them every game, but maybe if you can run that way, you can keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers hands. And this is a you know, it's also at home. I like that some games can be as encouraging as they are frustrating. That's how I classified

the Dolphins game against the Bills. It's a two parter for me now though, so it was like, you showed up against Buffalo, didn't close, but you showed up win this game at half in primetime against a Green Bay team that obviously took a big step back from last year, is playing better but not a great team, and the losing streak and then basically punch your ticket to the playoffs. Uh. In a most likely sense, you'll get to nine and six and you should be able to find a way

to navigate in from that point. Uh. This is another big test for the Dolphins for me. Yeah, I love points in this game. I love like it going over because to me, the packers of offense has solved their issues like they're back. They there are seventh in the league's right now in efficiency over the course of the season. The run game is strong, the offensive line is playing well. Watson has changed the passing attack. They're not the old Packers.

They're obviously not as good as they were at you know, when Davontae Adams was there. But they're a really good offense. And this Dolphins defense has holes you can pick on in the back end. They're not great always defending the run. And so I think it's back and forth. I like Miami better, but and I think the better ground game might win both teams. UH might struggle to get off the field. Like five points feels like too much. It was five points earlier in the week. I think it's

now four. Either way, I think this is a fun little game. This is definitely the best game on Christmas. If you're strategizing, this is the best one. Yeah, if they could, I would have. I would have flexed this game down to the late game. But we'll we'll get to it. Um all right, let's hit Broncos. How could you not be romantic about football? Member? I agree with that, Yes, producer, Yeah, you cut that for a job. I'm sure. Just I

get a lot of questions about that. I think that Justin is do you want to do you want to address that officially? Because like I I don't know why that happened. Half the stuff that happens on the show just happens. It's like I was, you know, I think Justin's accountability. That's just a does an incredible, incredible job, and he shows his value in increasing ways from show to show. Thank you. You could say that, I think you're saying your job. Yeah. One, Mark's apologizing for letting

you know how he really felt in that. Now. I just think it was the heat of the moment, which happens on the show, different than like, you know, we're doing some stodgy thing and somebody like we are emotions run free here. So markets cut off a lot, and I didn't mean to cut him off with that. Um, I just wanted to jump in to say that I think the Dolphins get right in this one. I'm locking up Miami. Where are you in the standings? What are the standings? And there is it's hard to see where

he is. He's so far I am killed. I am in last Still uh Nick was the only person who missed his lock last week out of all of us. So but he's still one game ahead of me, Marks, one game ahead of the West Bros. Dan's one game ahead of Mark, and Greg is two games ahead of Dan, so there's a lot of space. I should just bring in the trophy for Mark. For Greg at this point, well, there's a lot of weeks something, so I think it's

not enough runway to catch him at this point. With you, I would have said, at some point, are you gonna update this tired bit? I like going back. It does bother you. So that's why it comes out of a few things. Is I've said many times on the show one of the things about Greg, and I respect you for it. Greg, it's very hard to really get past Greg's the shield that and really bother him. But for some reason this one does this one. We're like, oh, Greg, there's no way you can catch it. You got the

title every time. Every time he won't show it, but you can bother him because the patent Greg move is if you get a zinger offic Greg within within fifteen or twenty minutes, if there's enough time left in the show, he's gonna he's gonna craft something that sends an arrow right through your neck. Oh we have something if Greg, if you want to fly that tweet, Oh well, I don't know if the timing at this point, it's a little late. Well, speaking of Showman, you've just announced it. So, um, yeah,

we're gonna have to submit to the committee. I did write a tweet about o'conquo over a month ago, and then's just gonna be submitt a to Ted Becker. It's up to Ted. I respect. I don't see in there. He's my guy though, That's all. It was, just like Ted Becker at, uh, that's my guy. Um at outlook I believe, I think yeah, like, uh, Ted Becker is unpredictable though, so Greg, you're operating logically, and I not

disagree with your logic. I just think that Ted Brecker, Ted Becker is gonna do what Ted Becker needs to do. Ted like for all his warts um and obviously, um, he hasn't seen his kids in years. Um, he's had some issues, um with the law. Um. He is very professional suddenly, Yeah, and he takes his job seriously and in this world you don't always see that anymore. He's not a group thinker. He's gonna look at this through. He's not a corporate climber. Like he's like, I know,

this is my job and it's important. And when I see this tweet from Greg, I will factor it in. He's also gonna know what Greg is attempting to do there. You can't pull one on a fast one on Ted Becker, so all right, can trying? Greg Broncos at Rams. Russell Wilson I believe is back for this game after they gave him the the extra week rest after the concussion the previous week. H Baker Mayfield still at the quarterback

for the Rams. His magic war off at lambeau Field through for under a hundred and fifty yards in that game. Uh So, here we are the middle game. This looked like an awesome game Greg back in September, but that's not always how it plays out. It is on Nickelodeon as well for the kids. My guess is all the networks like battled for this game and that on paper you we were at wondering before the joy is Tony

Ron was doing this. I'm just wondering that the paper this would be the most watched game of the entire year, because I think Christmas a couple of times. Right, Yeah, you've seen that Courtland Sutton's back rest is back. Baker still holds the ball too long. Michael Hoyt is fun

for the Rams. I think that's all we need. I mean, if you were I would just say this game is hilarious to me because if back in uh, you know, July, you took Sean McVeigh and Nathaniel Hockett into like a booth and said, I'm gonna you're gonna forget this, but I'm gonna tell you right now, what's happening to both of your team's um come Christmas weekend when you face off on this like Tony Romo Jim Nance game, and it's gonna be a totally failed Russell Wilson, who is

the most expensive flop job in the NFL, versus Baker Mayfield, who has been with the team for two weeks. You would with Mark Seler like, what would Sean mcveigh's head explode? And well, by the way, Nathaniel Hackett, you will your stock will drop through the floor. This is a breakfast program. This is our morning show, flop Jobs over Flapjacks, and it's Mark eating Breakfast, which is in its own way kind of a show. Everybody wants to see Mark eat,

and he's just discussing all the things that suck. I think That's a good way to start any day too for intending. Hey Rams, Rams want to build up like the the fan base here and everything. I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of Broncos fans at this game. Any any any Rams fans coming to this game, reward their loyalty with with a Christmas Day win. You know, if you're a Rams fan and you go. Jason Kleinman are our producer, just walked in, the one of our

many just walking in. He's got in with his family. What a great Jewish family thing to do on Christmas. By the way, go to an NFL game. But any fan that's there, nomination, reward them with the win on Christmas. Absolutely there it is go fill up so Fi Stadium. From another angle, wide put your family through this. But that's that's again from another angle. Uh, let's move to the late game on Christmas is the six and eight

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Oh my god, more Buccaneers football at the Arizona Cardinals, who are starting, I believe Trace McSorley because we're getting another Cardinals game on national television here. I'm gonna have to talk with those guys in park, haven't you Schule made. They made a couple, um, couple of gambles. I liked. Someone brought up like the hard Knocks thought that Cardinals got all these back end of the season games while they're the hard Knocks. We talked

about that last week. Yeah, which makes sense. Yeah, I didn't want to miss attribute it as you, uh, just a theory. But do you think it's like No, I think I think you're right. I think you nailed it. I kind of stopped watching that show to be honest too, and now and I were tracking it now, they're the worst team in the league. They would be number thirty two right now on a neutral field for me. Really, yeah, I guess along with along with the defense isn't really

plain We just called the Falcons. I said bottom three. I said at bottom three, I would put Cardinals would be an underdog to every team. Yeah. Well, plus just everything happening around them is like you want to turn your eyes away from it as soon as possible. It's no longer fun. Well, it's a TOUGHI and the Buccaneers. Uh. That was so many disappointing losses for the Bucks this year. I think last week's was the worst, um because it

was such a tease. They looked so good getting up on a great Cincinnati team seventeen nothing and everything was working. So for it to kind of absolute snowball, a snowball into hell type second half, it just like once again reaffirmed to everyone, the fan base, the team, everyone upstairs in that building, like we are not very good, Like we had a chance. He had a really jump start our season and instead it ended in an embarrassing home law.

So they obviously the schedule works out for them here with the Cardinals getting the third string quarterback, um, the division sets up for them. There's no team, there's no Aguars in this Southern Division making a charge looking to steal the division. Just take care of business. And yet to the Mark's viewpoint on things, sometimes like does it even matter because when this team or whatever teams coming out of the South, it's just a countdown to their Uh.

I did tell you that the NFC South would win a home playoff game though, and I think if of all those teams, it would be the Bucks because I could see them writ well, no I'm not saying it's to anyone's pleasure. I just could see what I mean, But like what I know what's Tom Brady, but like, why will this team because because because maybe because things were better this season, so weird. So that first half of that game, Tony Romo was going crazy about it.

Maybe maybe it was too crazy, it was fainted, but he was really impressed that they started changing what they do offensively, like they're such a static team, and it's like like the rest of the NFL will start doing motion, let's start doing play action on early downs, let's stop running on early downs. And it worked for a half and then they had a four turnovers in eleven plays. So if they're changing their approach offensively, that could help.

And then the schedule. Certainly, you can't clench the division this week, but you closed with the Panthers and Falcons. Can you see them winning three straight games and feeling better about themselves? I could. I still need to think that will happen to to battle my own point. I still think they're the team that, yeah, from an from another angle of my own angle. Um I we keep saying this is the team that will somehow kind of

their issues. No, I'm with you, but you can't go against your own angle from another angle from my own. I just you can though, because it's called it is. It is because right, you can call it hypocritical, but it's not. You're actually like adding another layer to the show. One of the segments of one of the segments of the show is Both Sides of the Fence with the second SEGM within that show, and uh CBS reported Jonathan Jones that the Cardinals are expected to part ways with

GM Steve Kin in the off season. Well, I know, I wonder if you go, if Cliff Kingsbury could be one of these kids right of him before the season to find out, you know, gonna early jump on the search. I don't know who's in Definitely, I wonder if like the sensitivity around the time situation will stop them from

doing anything like that. But the like before the end of week eighteen, but they'll say goodbye to Time and then what if they kind of want Sean Payton in there to work with, Like you guess, say goodbye to Time and then you hire a new GM or maybe you hire Sean Payton to do it all. Um. But I yeah, it does feel like this thing is about I hate when these teams higher like Coral Ferry to

find their new coach. That's always annoying to me. I mean we I mean it's at this hasn't been mentioned on the show, and I feel like we shouldn't and this is probably be the last time we mentioned time. Is that the offensive line coach is alleging that he didn't do anything because of mistaken identity and he looks

exactly like Steve Kaim. Where's this? He said that it was released respecting a woman as a core value For me, the mysterious allegations by the Cardinals are Andre want to clear my name, be it a miscommunication or mistaken at any of my family, and I will cooperate fully and honestly with the NFL Cardinals or any agency to restore my reputation. It was a couple of weeks ago, though, and then but the time disappears shortly thereafter. Okay, this

why see? Why is it hard knocks talking about this stuff? They have? They have? I have now tracked the last two episodes, Greg, but I feel like they've dodged some of these issues. I actually watched a couple of ones ago to see if you'd get anything extra from Kyler the Kyler thing, and I've started fast forward and they still didn't give you any insight. It was the point of the summertime Hard Knocks. It's it's hope season. There's optimism.

You cover the team, you cover the underdogs, setbacks, victories. If you're gonna do in season hard Knocks, I think you gotta cover it, Wortz, because you're in your now. You're in battle with these teams, and there are in the war. There are battles that you win, and there are battles that you lose. And if you only cover the battles you win and gloss over everything else. Is it the best program? That's no, it's not Hard Knocks by the New York Times, though obviously so there's you know,

there's other things going on here. Is that another show idea reach out to New York Times? Um No. NFL Films has done brilliant work over the years, but there are challenges inherent to doing this. I don't even put it on HBO. I think it's the team saying like we're gonna even though all this is out there, we're gonna act like if you're not seeing it on Hard Knocks. Got some tough luck with this team. This would might have been the number one team not to follow I

think you're right about that. Finally, there is a Monday night game, Monday Night Football from Lucas Oil Stadium. More Cults in prime time, Okay, more Charges in prime time. We can live with that. Weird Christian Chargers at Colts eight and six Chargers who are in very good position now to make the playoffs. In fact, I don't want to hear any excuses around the charge of this year.

I know they've they're still missing guys and they're not fully hold, but they've gotten guys back there playing much better. Of late. Herbert's playing out of his mind now, Mike Williams has made a huge difference. They're all the way up to number nine and the Dan Hans Power rankings, and and here we are. Now you have the Cults, your next three opponents, Cults, Rams, Broncos combined record twelve

nine and one. You are eight and six Chargers. It is murky as hell at the bottom of the wild card race, but you absolutely need to get out of there with at least ten wins and go to the dance. So absolutely Maybe the only excuse is that they're going against be d n. Mr Nick Falls is back in the mix starting this game over, but about well, I'm not good night recap. I don't know. Uh, you know, he actually played very well in the one game that

he played last year against Russell Wilson. No one will ever remember that game, but it was like a shootout Bears Seahawks, and the Bears had a crazy comeback. Nick Foles was a member of the Bears. I don't think he'll do it this week though, because he's on the Colts and he's going against an improving Chargers defense. That's what's been really encouraging. I think Brandon Staley has kind of been in his bag the last two weeks with really good game plans. They're getting the past Rush Derwin

James uh appears to be trending towards a return. Joey Bosa might return in the next week or two, probably not this week. Racehn Slater might return before the playoffs. They could actually be a team you don't want to face. And if they can keep it going defensively, that changes this team because they had so many problems defensively and

they should be able to shut down this Colt. You said this about the Vikings that you wanted to see the Vikings finally just obliterate someone and just flex their muscles and enough with this. Like the Chargers are kind of the a f c's vikings on some level. And that's seven of the eight wins have been by six or fewer points, Like they just don't blow teams out, and it's like their defense is has gotten so much better.

I think Brandon's the idea that Brandon Stily was going to get userved by Sean Payton, uh is always possible, but I think he's done a lot of Yeah, but I mean, I think he's also mentioned like the West Coast. I want a California team, I want a quarterback. It's like the Chargers just are that team. It's like, I don't know, Brandon Stily's plan looks like it's exists today right now. But you're right, like this is the most Chargery type thing would be to not close out of

a playoff spot here. You just simply have to go do it. You do not come out of these last three games with at least two wins, and you really should win all three if we are to take you seriously. And yeah, Matt Ryan thing, it's it's really a bummer. It's said for a guy that has had statistically Hall

of Fame considered career. Um, yeah, an m v P. Everybody knows about three now, considering where his career is, the level of his play, the fact that obviously the cults are moving on, there's a pretty decent chance that thirty three nothing uh tot is his last game ever plays. So he has the most famous playoff meltdown ever uh not him alone, but he played a part in it, and his career could end on on the greatest comeback or the greatest collapse every by a team. It's just

it's kind of some Greek tragedy stuff. I think it could go higher than that too, because he's still owed twelve million guaranteed they sign up for not just this year, but you go to over the cap, he's owed twelve million guaranteed next season, and if they try they do just play for them again, right, and if they just cut him, it's an eighteen million dollar dead money hit. So again, that's on Chris Ballard for year. How many

million years? Well, I just wonder, I wonder if things could change just because it's like Chris Ballard, how many years do you get to solve the corner? Would not have liked to be in that conversation or to hear that conversation between just Saturday and Matt Ryan. That. Yeah, but if you're from another angle, if I'm Matt Ryan, I'm kind of like, get me out of here. I don't know, you know, It's just he's obviously a proud guy and a competitor and a good team for It's

just it's kind of sad. It's tough. One last thing on this game. The Chargers team, doesn't you know, just as they start this game, they might know that they can clinch a playoff spot this week, So they need a Raider's loss possible. I mean we the Rainmaker believe so, and and Mark locked it up. So a Jets loss, UH and either a pit Pat's or Dolphins loss somewhat realistic scenario for the Charges to go into this game knowing they can clinch this week. That'd be great for them,

very good. There's the Week sixteen preview. UH. Reminder, no Friday Fund show this week, but we will have a TNF recap special with my dad and myself Jets, Jaguars, and remember we're launching at some point in our own network now. UH and Some of the programming will include from another angle with Mark Sessler, The Showman Show, and uh, we have back to our wrong that's after our show. What else we had? Flapjacks, Uh, flop jobs, flop Jackson,

flop Jobs, Our Morning Jobs over Flapjacks, flop jobs. Flop jobs is so good on its own. Well, we got flapjacks in the title. It's our morning show. That's our morning show. I know you could, you can have it. But the title we build it's a nice title of Breakfast at Wimbledon adds in a whole lone. We're trying

to grant it. That's all great. And don't forget the new Game Show when Mark's Old Football Magazine, when Marks Old right, and I also we're we're violently taking control of this guy gets it and pulling it from wherever it was before, not sure where that was to this new night. I've also been in contact with Joe Rogan on some type of ultimate fighting type program. It's a great network. It's gonna change, it's gonna bring cable television back to where it was fifteen to twenty years ago.

Stupid All right, thank you to everybody. Um, we'll see you I was gonna say Merry Christmas and all that, but we'll be back before then. So until Christmas Eve he the call