2022 Week 17 Recap: Happy New Year!

at all. No, I did that. I did fall asleep, deep into a deep sleep and woke up in that mind haze where I was convince myself that not that this was the final week of the season, because it was weeks seventeen. I just thought it was week eighteen. And then about twenty seven seconds later, as consciousness started to take over, Um, I was slapped in the face psychologically hard. It's been it's been a tough one. It's been a year like we are remarkably fortunate to have

the jobs that we do. We love jobs. But when the calendar falls every five or six or seven years, when things lined up, Happy New Year, everybody, uh, and we have a full slate of games. For instance, Um, I'll be having some ibuprofrind rolled in here shortly because the bullet whiskey that I had last night for New Year's even still in the system, hasn't left yet. Well,

I mean, I'm sober, but in my head pain. Um. I also thought this was the end of the regular season right before and then I think that was just like a miccrackt Week seventeen. I feel like it's like that because it feels like the end. Often we we get rid of a lot of teams, a lot of tickets are punched, and the eight teen, the last week, often feels like a little bit of anti climactic. So maybe maybe we can push the NFL to just end the regular season a week early. I don't know how

that would work. Yeah, I'm sure that would lose through that single dollar loss would negate that as an option. And since you mentioned it, let's uh, let's say goodbye to some teams before we get into spoiler rundown. A little spoiler for people out there, the officially the following teams have been officially eliminated. Mark, This will lift your spirits,

take them out of your brain. Not all of them, but okay, So the Washington Commanders, the Las Vegas Rioters, the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Pounds, and yes, how New York Jets. That the Jets doesn't make me happy and the Panthers doesn't make me happy either. Yeah, this was a season of sneaky collapses, uh for a lot of teams out of nowhere. We'll get to it. We'll

get to it. Let's start, though, um with a game that was not um closely contested, but very interesting in the scheme of the NFC and the race for the Lombardi Trophy increasingly looking as if maybe both these teams will be playing uh in the postseason. Certainly one and the one that's definitely in was licking their wounds. At the end of Sunday's action set up, out of the shotgun,

he fires it over the middle. Hey, it's cooked it up, in complete, recepted on little flection picked off by Darnell Savage. Come the up side of the forty please got an ness court to the twenty fifty ten five touchdown freen Bay Packers. My goodness, that is what you call a tone center for the Green Bay Packers, who, with their playoff lives on the line, absolutely housed the fraudulent Minnesota

Vikings forty one to seventeen at Lambeau Field. That was Darniell Savage, yes, with the pick six, and it only got uglier from there for the Vikings, who entered the game at twelve and three final score. Uh, Greg Rosen thought, but this was a game that wast three with ten minutes to go. And this is now, you know, not the first time the supposedly mighty Vikings have been absolutely trounced by a half decent team. They trailed by more than twenty at halftime for the third time this year.

That's the most of any team in the NFL, along them tied with the Texans. I'm glad we started with the Savage return because this defense, and I'll throw the special teams in there too, with Keshaw Nixon who's been dynamite lately and had the first touchdown of the game, a hundred and five yard kickoff return. But it's really been the defense and the special teams that's helped turn

this season around. And the defense in this game was put on the field at the one yard line after the Packers had an early punt block, and they had a terrific goal line stand three straight stuffs of the of the Vikings force a field goal, then they get the return touchdown, they get the interception return touchdown, and Jaire Alexander had one of the s games any cornerback has had all season long. He traveled with Justin Jefferson for most of the day. More than half of the

past routes that Jefferson ran, Alexander was on him. On those twenty routes, targeted five times, only one catch by Jefferson, and passes defense. It didn't matter what the Packers offense did in this game. The defense and the special teams won it for him. It makes you think about the Packers in a different way because they had all their issues all season long, and a lot of it was just focused on where's the m v P version of Rogers.

Why is this offense lacking? You know, pre Christian Watson a viable wide receiver, the defense in the defense, you know, in certain metrical ways like looked promising. But today, to your point, Greg, like the Nixon kick return, the Darnell Savage pick six. These things happened at a point in the first quarter where they're up fourteen nothing, fourteen points and they had four They had fifteen yards on offense.

So it's like the offense, this isn't just green this isn't just rise and fall with Aaron Rodgers every week, and I mean gyro. Alexander did not track with Justin Jefferson in that Week one game nearly as much. And that's when he had eighty four yards. He had zero in the first half. This is one of those games the Vikings have done this that Dallas game, they gave up forty points thirty six in that collapse to the Cults,

thirty four to the Lions, thirty to the Bills. That your defense is who you're stuck with in Minnesota right now.

And I thought that Alexander defeated Justin Jefferson, who entered the game as a sneaky m VP contender if you wanted to look at at a wide receiver as even having an opportunity in that realm, and he beat him mentally and physically, and leading into the week, he had the comments at his locker calling that huge Week one by Jefferson against Green Bay a fluke, and you could see once Jefferson was getting frustrated on the field and Alexander is playing great and the Vikings offense was just

completely asleep, Jefferson kind of losing his cool and unable to kind of process the moment and stay in the game. At one point, he almost bashed up an officials over the back, like Randy Savage hitting whole Cogan with a steel chair in WrestleMania five. Like this, it was like a complete meltdown from Minnesota. He didn't say official that was there, and he like lifted his helmet as if to slam it down, ran into the official and then sort of could have been horrible. I'm glad that it

didn't happen that way. I know. I know Vikings fans have gotten on us for not giving them the credit due left and right and talking about the offense leaving everyone else by the side of the road. But there's a stretch here when they the game was manageable and they unfurrow an interception, they miss a field goal, another interception, than a mess field goal, then a fumble, then a pick, and then a bunch of garbage time nonsense. It's like this is the Viking, the version of the Vikings that

are very hard to try to be fair. The one thing they've done better than almost any team this year is play clean football. They have not been a turnover team, they have not been a penalized team. They had not been a pre snap penalty team, and they were all of today. Kenny Clark force Fumbo was another big defensive play. Cousins melted down a little bit on that forced fumble play.

Cousins didn't see that. Immediately before the snap, Justin Jefferson was covered by Preston Smith, a defensive lineman, and Kirk Cousins held the ball and then it got taken away and he was fritzen out. And it's partly because he lost his center immediately in this game, who was already their backup center, and and Romo pointed out smartly, I think like they couldn't change the call, so they're on

their third string center. They might get him back, but there are other um offensive lineman that left this game was Brian O'Neill, their right tackle, who was carded off. So it's really a nightmare scenario for the Vikings, possibly letting the Packers into the playoffs, probably losing the number two seed, definitely losing home field advantage chances, and you're starting to look at you know, you start to peek

ahead and with the playoffs. Uh could look like the Giants will get to there in the dance, and there's a very good chance. Now you could be a Giants Vikings rematch. Those teams played very closely on Christmas Eve, and and the Vikings might even if that ends up happening, or whoever they get in Round one, they might sneak out another close win. But do not tell me that this team is a serious Super Bowl contender. I don't want to hear it. I've seen it too many times

this year. You may win a close game in round one, but you are fodder, cannon fodder at some point in January. I've just seen too much. It's almost in a lock that they will win a playoff game in the fashion they've won all these other insane games. Probably a big comeback and we'll think, you know what, they can do that against whoever they're playing the next week, and then the floor will fall out because you cannot run away

from this team. They'll probably have to play two road games against two really good teams now, so this this will have an impact. They're now negative nineteen on the season in terms of their point differential, twelve and four.

The Packers and the Lions are both plus point differential uh at eight and A. And the Packers, even though Rogers didn't play an amazing game and like every part of their team hasn't always been perfect week to week, they're playing their best football without a doubt right now. And I had much rather be playing the Giants or the Vikings for that matter, in Round one of the playoffs than the Packers if the screen. But we will see, we will see. We got a lot to get to

talk about. These other NFC teams. Have to be slightly agitated at the Vikings for just allowing the Green batle waltz into the scenario here. How are you by the way mark? Because I know you didn't want Green Bay anyway to near the post. I think differently about them, because you know what I don't like is the thirteen and three team that you They fold the tent and they've done that over and over. This team is weird. I don't think you like any version of the Packers.

I'm honestly like this. This they're not They're not on my radar is an annoying concept right now. They're kind of the opposite. I do like though, because it's the packers. How Mark agreed that he'd be the one to pay the charity, the green Bay based charity, if they end up making I would love to help the people in green Bay. So they need to win one more game they're winning in. Now I get to pick what the

charity is, though, Yes, I mean I would. I would see us something like an orphanage or a local suggests. We'll see. I'll come up with something. Can't be something that goes back to you through some type of but I it's like, who do I want to help? What kind of who I do? Who do I feel? Can you benefit you? Though? Mark, in terms of the four Committee, we need to have some launt her money back into my bank account. I'm saying I might just pick an

eight typical okay target. All right, So we mentioned that the Vikings finally left an opening now uh for San Francisco to move up in the NFC seating. Did they take advantage of it? To the desert it's pretty good. I'm gonna throw up Landford Vante Adams. It's intersected, yes, thank you. The other one thirty tony five just rote pills Flagg down like Judy Garland. Now it's on the three yard line. Do you're bringing Robbie right now and you can't get how do you handle this? Yes? There

it is. Bongo deserves it. Wild games as I pop my pills, I mean, if we're requesting substances from behind the glass, I mean, like, I know, stop, that's what I Greg Papa with the call k n b R big interception and overtime by the Niners, who finally have a really down day on defense. Jared's Stidham, of all people, lights him up, including a late drive to tie the

game and pushing into overtime. But when it came down to it, they got the big stop and overtime, kicked the field goal subsequently and escaped thirty seven thirty four, So yet another win for the Niners and the Raiders. Yes,

eliminated with the loss. Mark Sessler, your thoughts totally bizarre occurrence because we spent all week thinking, well, you've essentially given up on your season because in a solid quarterback and Derek Carr, you're just You're he's been flushed out of the organization at this point, he's un followed them on social media. The last time we saw Jared Stidham play it was like, you're you're just asking to get romped two games in a row to end the season,

and Josh McDaniels somehow protected all of this mess. Stidham looked incredible. I mean, he's never thrown from more than I believe seventy five yards in a game, three hundred sixty five yards, three touchdowns, a hundred and twenty three rating, Especially in the first half. I thought what the Raiders did was very interesting and it reminded me kind of of what happened with Brock Purty when he had his first start. Was we're not going to dial back the offense or try to just hand the ball off to

Josh Jacobs four hundred times. We're going to attack down field. And he looked like he had been practicing and working with Davante Adams for months. I mean, he just looked just It was the most comfortable looking quarterback performance by any quarterback in the in the Raiders system I've seen in a long time. And it's not really a knock on Derek Harve, but it's just kind of like, how

weird can these seasons get? Because who would have thought two months ago you're getting Jared Stidham versus Brock Purty, and it's two of the better perform mints is we've seen all day long. And I mean for Purty. I thought this Niners team in general, they were tested today. Suddenly you give up five hundred yards of offense um. This is a team that hadn't been scored on in the final two minutes all year, and that happened to them. And so they went into overtime in a situation where

you could collapse psychologically if you want to. After Robbie Gould mrs. Would be field goal to end this thing and let this high flying Raiders team come back and stamping on you when you thought you get out of here with an easy win. I thought they're very resilient, like the Niners, just order sort of who are they are? Who they are? But pretty made all sorts of throws in this game too, that all their weapons are so impossible to stop. Christian McCaffrey was unbelievable in this and

so it's like they didn't. Had they lost, I think would it would have wiped away the sense that the Niners actually to me, it doesn't change what I think about them at all in this They had an off day defensively, they were caught off guard by Stidham. Uh, but they won and they found a way to do it. And it's like a lesser team, a team like the Vikings. Some of these middle tier teams would have found a

way to collapse, not San Francisco. It doesn't change how I feel about them, but it's a reminder that in two now that we're in and in this season, Yeah, if the weather is okay, Like happy New Year, buddy, we weren't. We weren't together on New Year's but we're together now, always together. We really are always together. Do you any defense can get lit up? And I know everyone threw that game away because like they were a little injured, they were playing the Chiefs, but they had

the worst performance any defense had all season against the Chiefs. Yes, the Raiders had a lot of good players. Happened to them. I just think good offense can beat good defense ultimately. Uh. And so that's why you need a quarterback to make place for you, and pretty to his credit to this point, I think has shown that he can make enough plays. It's trending towards Deebo Samuel being back for next week's games.

So that's good for their offense, and they're gonna be plenty motivated to beat those Cardinals and get the two. This was the first game where I thought a team made pretty look a little uncomfortable and he worked his way out of it. So I just I get you. You can point to the Chiefs game. They were so banged up their defense back then, and yes, this happened today, but this feels more for this defense, I mean yards

of offense. People need to apologize to Jared's steadhum. I hope they kept those apology notes that they sent to Josh Allen a couple of years ago. The Patriots apologized for letting the better quarterback out of the building today. Did we mentioned was Nick Bosa who had the hit on yards did now led to the interception that led to the game when a field goal. We talked about it last week that we thought he might have clinched Defensive Player of the Year honors. Now he's just patting

his resume at this point. So another huge Boasta moment. And you mentioned McCaffrey. Mark It's I don't think enough has been made. Uh, this is the John Lynch's credit to Kyle Shanahan's credit. What a huge trade, that was, and he has come as advertised and been an absolute anchor of their offense. I mean he had nearly two hundred yards of total offense in this game. And I know the fantasy owners out of there in Championship Week

are selebrating, uh that as fire right now? Yeah, I mean so, yes, I had San Francisco had number one of the power rankings. I'll keep them there. It did bother me a little bit that when it's thirty seven, when they go ahead late, I thought the defense is gonna make the stand there and then you just move on the fact that I got to overtime. I thought

the Raiders should have went for two. Um. In fact, it even looks more ridiculous now that they didn't go for two, uh, knowing that San Francisco went right down the field. But I know there's some logic to if there's too much time in the clock at the end of the fourth quarter, you don't go for two because it doesn't guarantee you the win and there's a chance obviously that you could lose. But I would have said screw it if I was the Raiders and went for it.

They didn't, and they get beaten overtime. So their season is over in a very strange while it's not over over, but their playoff aspirations are gone. I'm glad that you're keeping the Niners in the number one spot, like I'm not trying to beat this dead horse anymore. But it just it doesn't I feel like they had a weird

game on tap. That's to me. It started to say to play, But that's to me why I will take the team with Josh Allen or Joe Burrow Patrick Mahomes any day, because you just never know what could happen on defense. And it is sad to put this Raiders season to bed because I know what you look at it at six and ten, and we know it's humane that we're putting it to bed. To be honest, it's it's one of the most insane NFL seasons any team has had, just since we started this podcast, just in

terms of the amount of insane games. The most insane the Chailer Jones ending, the Baker Mayfield ending winning on the last play and overtime back to back weeks, broncoding uh in Seahawks, you lost to Jeff Saturday. You the lead against the Jaguars. You didn't score a point against the Saints, you lost by one in primetime against the Chiefs, you lost on a two point conversion at the buzzer against the Titans, and you blew a twenty point lead

against the Cardinal that's all at once. Blew another ten point lead today, by the way, did that and after everything that Josh McDaniels saw, his move was to knock go over two. Obviously they should have went for two and they would have got it. Because you just want to thrown it to Davante Adams, who, by the way, he's gonna be lost in this crazy season. He's amazing that the catch he made that's set up their game

time score. There's maybe maybe Jefferson gets it. Maybe you could throw out another name makes the play that Davante add was made to set up the game time score in the fourth quarter. But he goes seven for one, two touchdowns. That's another guy. The Raiders went out and got Adams, just like the Niners went and got McCaffrey. Both guys were over two thousand yards from scrimmage. Josh Jacob and this team misses the play. If you knew

all this was gonna happen. You would say, like, I'm gonna go put a lot of money on the on the Raiders to make the postseason. Not the twelve ft tall man in the back, giant spoken quiet two thousand and eight Raiders fan, who stick, who has no faith in this team, more real feelings though you can't hurt him and it doesn't strike Raiders. He's a passionate Get a camera on the big man, larious. Look, he's gonna look at the camera for the first time this season.

This is why you watch it on YouTube. Everybody, let's take a break. The thumbs up maybe you know, let's take a break and continue on. All right, Welcome back. So we talked about the Vikings. They drop in the NFC, the San Francisco forty Niners move up in the NFC. Yes, the Eagles the number one seed in the NFC and have been all season, but it's starting to get Harry to Philadelphia, takes the snap, throws a quick one and

that's big Dog Pig six. Welcome back Marshawn, Happy New year baby on this earlier and that was just a hitch route almost got he jump it all the way. That is exactly what the Saints team needed. Good night.

I love Dan, how you operate as a third or fourth man in the booth on these calls from the wounded animals screaming out up at the start of that don't so lackey in me, duce McAllister, there you heard and also my cost w W L. Yes, Marshawn Lattimore returned an interception eleven yards for a late touchdown, the clinching score for the Saints, who at the time, we're still alive in the playoff race after they beat the Eagles twenty to ten. Let's now welcome in the pipe.

That's what they all call him. Nick Shook from Ohio Shookie, Happy New Year, Happy New Year, fellas. Are you worried about the Eagles at this point? What are we thinking? No? I think they can't get Jalen Hurts back fast enough because for as well as Gardner Minshew played last week, their offense lacks the explosive playmaking ability of Jalen Hurts. It's really that simple. They had sixty one totally are

it's in the first half. They had more yards and their opening driving the second half than they did in the entire first half. They lost the time of possession battle nearly twenty three or seven. It was some seven ten. They barely had the ball, they had no plays in opposing territory, whereas the Saints were coming up on thirty in the first half, so it was essentially going to

be a tale of two halves. And then Gardner Minshoot throws the pick six that we all saw coming from basic pre snap leverage in Marshawn Latimore, who made a great read on the play, jumped in and walked into the end zone. Thenny Jalen hurts back. It's really that simple.

I think they'll be in a much better spot, but now they're in a position where they're a little threatened with that number one seed, the fact that they have to now actually play for it in Week eighteen as opposed to just coasting there like we thought they would a few weeks ago. So it's an interesting turn of events. But I'm not too worried about them overall, because they still have a great team defensively, one of the better pass rushers we've seen the last two decades, at least statistically.

Uh they need five sacks next week to take over the all time record for the most sacks from a defense in a season, so there's still a good football It shows how complete they are. I mean, and even in recent weeks, and Jalen Hurts had the rare miss qughes a couple interceptions. What he does so well, like you don't worry about it because he'll back you out of any corner and then overtake the opponent with what he can do on the ground and through the air.

If Minsho's making mistakes, you're a mess. And I if you look at the splits Lane Johnson did I missed. I think he missed three games last year, but when he was not in there, the offense was affected greatly. And uh Minshew took six sacks today without Lane Johnson, and I think, like that's another one where it's like, I know he's gonna be back for the playoffs, but this version of the Eagles offense um looked completely asleep

at the wheel for the first time all season. I'd be concerned, SHOOKI like, maybe it's not as simple as just get Hurts back in there. Maybe it is, but they've kind of lost their flow here that the And I know sometimes this word is frowned upon the momentum of the season where they were just a like a swaggering juggernaut and now you've been humbled a little bit back to back losses and you need you need this win obviously to get uh to get that number one seed.

Maybe you get the win next week and all this is wiped away, probably is, but still there have been some issues, the Hurts injury, the Johnson injury. Uh unfortunately, Josh sweat Um went down with a neck injury and was carted off the field. And Josh sweat by the way, is one of four Eagles players with ten plus sacks this season. They Maddox last week to who's really a

player for them? So yeah, along those lines, it's just been it's been a tough last few weeks for the team that I think everyone was universally praising as a Super Bowl contender at a high level. Yeah, I definitely think that they're gonna have a tougher road in the playoffs that we might have anticipated a month or two ago.

But there's also you know, instances like today's game, which could have gone very differently if if a referee didn't call holding on Landon Dickerson, who pancaked the guy he was blocking. That got you mad, Jookie, because you love that and in the trenches, and I heard that Moose Johnson was pissed about it. Uh back, I want to hear you get mad now. Well, Moose said I'd give him a plus plus rating. That's not a hold, and

I agree. When you drive someone to the ground, he trips over another guy's leg and he eats all that Lincoln Financial Field turf, he should know that he got pancake, lay on top of him, lay there for an extra second. What's that touchdown? What's that runner getting the end zone for a touchdowns? Celebrate by doing layout on top of the guy You just pancake. Put your arms and legs out like you're swimming, except you're just surfing on top

of him because you just earned that placement. That a flag. We should able to change those calls. I mean, it's just like, I don't know we went we went down that road pass interference was a reviewable play and that was a dumpster fire. Let's not open for reviewing anything. This.

They're giving me major Andy Reid vibes though, like this was Eagles fans know Andy Reid, Like those Eagles teams when they were at their best, would always race out like everything would be handled a little too early, and then the end of December would go poorly and it just it would feel like it would carry over. Based on my very scientific sample of Eagles fans at John Gonzas and Colleen Wolves New Year's Eve party, they were

already panicking before this game. They're such negative people that they thought it was already all falling apart. So I don't think it was. It was. It was not a good scene at that apartment. Hold on, like, like, let's let's hold back on the panic button, Like you don't have your star quarterback in there, a candidate. I'm not, I'm not panicking. But we're also laying out that it's not just uh all, it's here's the good news. And this is why Connie and Gonzo and everybody's got to

take a step back and breathe. You get the Giants next week. The Giants who are locked into the six seed, they have nothing to play for. Uh. They would be foolish to go all out knowing that they have a wild card matchup of the week after. So there's a very good chance Eagles get a layup against a Giants practice squad team. So the sky is not falling, but yes, some some clouds overhead for the first time the season.

Let's all right, you can experience some clouds. But I'll panic when they're getting the doors blown off with Jalen Hurt in the lineup, and so will they be because that would be the end. I had a scientific fact since Gregson that was very scientific research that he provided. The P in Philadelphia actually stands for panic and pessimism, So it's it's right on board there. So the very Saint see end to this season in terms of their playoff hopes here that they finished the season playing their

best football. Without a doubt. To me, their last three weeks have been the best three weeks stretch they've had that you get Lattimore back, and you've had a few different defensive players coming in and out of the lineup, but mostly they've been a little healthier lately and they've looked better. And I know there are a lot of Saints fans out there that think this is the worst case scenario, which is that Dennis Allen, who I believe is now seventeen and forty six as a head coach.

We'll keep his job, but they're not going anywhere anyways. If I would run it all back, It's been a great, a great campaign for the Saints and their fan base, and no one would see the roster as the top

three receivers. It's a fun little shout out. Cam Jordan's who once upon a time after he was drafted, came into old NFL Network studios and I sat in the green room and interviewed him, talked to him about his dad, Steve Jordan's, who did a Mr Perfect Hurt Henning vignette for WWF in two that I recalled, and he told me about being on the set and he was just a kid at the time. Fast fast forward. He is now the all time sack leader of New Orleans Saints m and that's a team with some Hall of famers

that are passed great career. I think it's it's possible. Your Q and A you know sparked him Mr Perfect. After all, at one point they had four sacks in eight place the Saints. Do you know who Mr Perfect is? Greg? Yeah? I did watch w W was come up with. It was good. Also, he his finishing maneuver was the perfect That was my favorite move, which I did all the time to my little brother Kevin with just startling accuracy. Yeah, back then you'd like supplex your younger brother here and there,

and like there's no parental supervision over this. It's like this is not a safe thing for brothers to be doing. But it's gonna happen. Um, alright, let's head to the nation's capital, well landover all, right, hipop Watch, he's got his snap, third down in five, he's looking like throwing Cooper's there, Hey got it, Cooper off the sideline, still going, Cooper running down the sideline, ted side Edson touchdown, Ary Cooper.

I'm Marie Cooper. Where you been? Bud wide receiver for the Browns had a big day, and so did Deshaun Watson, who had his first real statistical standout performance of the Browns ten win over the Commanders, who, as we said, we're eliminated with the loss tough one bad beat Chookie. The Commanders had Carson Wentz in the lineup and did not go well. No. Uh. It makes Ron Riveria's decision to go to Carson Wentz this week after benching kaylor

honekey last week. It makes it look foolish if shortsighted, um, maybe even desperate. I mean, this is the Carson Wentz we've seen at the end of seasons for the last three years. I was not surprised at all by the fact that he threw the interceptions that he threw, or the fact that he struggled mightily, and to the point where Brown's defenders after the game, we're talking about, Hey, we saw on film that he's got a slow delivery, slow release. We can see it, we can react to it,

and we can pick him off. They got him three times. I mean, it was it was an ugly game. It had one great drive this entire game. It was Greg you you sent me the fact that I think it was the longest drive in their history or maybe in football in like twenty some years plays eleven and a half minutes. Delicious. Yeah, And that was it for them. That was all they did the rest of the game. It was pretty bad because Carson Wentz is not a good quarterback and Washington is going to be in the

market for a quarterback again this offseason. I'm just curious to see where he goes next, Carson Wentz, because at this point there's no proof that that he's really any good, but held down, go ahead, not just he will invariably be oversold to us as some some other teams filling the blank starter and I'm not doing it again. I feel like I came into this week very down on the idea of switching over to Wents no matter what you had in Heineke. The fans agreed they were going

nuts channing Heineke's name during this game. Yeah, rag I think you were talking about Reggie Ragland on the Browns his comments. He said that he knows some guys on Washington's team and that they would have preferred Heineke. That's exactly what we talked about this week, Like what about the other players. I mean, the thing is like Heineke can't really play either. I think they need a quarterback

and they don't have it in the building. That That's why I said, though Riverboat Ron was making a pretty bold move here, because this is what you're gonna remember out of this season. They haven't won since November and this was the most important game of the season. And he throws two interceptions in the first quarter, I believe, and the booze are coming and then he it's weeks after the game in a in a sound bite, I feel like everyone's gonna remember for a long time, or

until Black Monday. To clarify, you said you would talk about quarterback next week. If you guys are eliminated today by what happens at four o'clock, is sam, how in consideration we can be eliminated. Yeah, if the Packers beat the Vikings, then you guys are eliminated. Well we'll see. Yeah, you know, I know that's it's a I guess, a bad look on the coach. I don't know. It doesn't really change much to it doesn't mean it change anything about today's his coaching, or the way the team performed,

or how they would be ready for next week. But I also understand you. You want your coach to be forward facing. This guy that knows. I also thinking Greg, Greg and I were talking about this, like these coaches are in their bunkers and they just want to come and win this game and let the rest it sort itself out. I get that. But in three here we are like head coaches can't get caught thank you into you as well until each of you into everyone behind

the glass. But head coaches can't get caught flat footed on this stuff. I mean they I was listening to the Niners game and they were talking about the fact that Shanahan behind the scenes had been pounding the table to his players, saying, if we can't get the number one seed, the number two still matters so much like it sounds just sounds like per coach A plugged in and coach B dinosaur like and like maybe that's not

the case. It's just bad pr and like that soundclip is gonna get played all day tomorrow, all day the next day, and it's the It's the final thing we'll remember about this Washington team as they float into a total abyss. They haven't had a winning season in seven seasons, just potentially new ownership coming. It's a tricky it's a tricky spot, especially when you're trying to throw out excuses that it's like we were just so focused on the wind.

Like these are the coaches that sort of brag about working fifteen hours a day and it's like, oh, we didn't have time. It takes three seconds, are you. All you have to do is look at this scenario. It takes three seconds. Famously in the old days, like it takes a lot of time. It takes five seconds, helped the guy out to the old days. In the glory days of the Washington football team, the Hogs um helped pave the way for three Super Bowl titles. They were

honored before this game. Joe gibbs Um and others from the franchises Heyday were there, and then the team unveiled their new mascot. It's a hog named Major Tutty, and the team said that Major Tutty is a muscular This is a quote six ft five thirty pound mail hog with exaggerated features that are anatomically similar to the animal, including a large belly, snout, and cloven hooves. Hooves, Um shook my question to you, first of all, do you

like Major Tutty? One and two? Just like everything else is funky and weird with the commanders, like they're probably selling the team and a new ownership is changing hands is most likely, Like why are they introducing a new mascot? What are we doing around here that teams a merchandise to generate excitement? Sweet seven seen like what was this a homework assignment that they were laid on? It was probably someone's bonus attached to it. I don't know how

much merchandise you're gonna sell of this. Um, we're looking at it here on the screen of this Major Tutty and it's a very strange looking pig. Um half human, half pig. It feels slightly off kilter to me in Washington, d C. And the Pentagon. Can we come up with nicknames for Major Tuddy? How about I got to Private Pork, reggaear, General Bacon. This is why we have nick joke on Private Pork is maybe seeing a movie at that title, Um shook Before we say goodbye, I'll check it onto.

Shaun Watson obviously played a lot better in this game. Yeah, um, you know, three touchdowns his first time that he really got going with the Browns, got into a rhythm, especially in the second half. I mean, this is a Browns team that got two takeaways in the first half and put three point on the board. Their offense was completely lost. That Washington pass rush was doing a great job of I mean I texted my dad who was upset. I said, they just broke his brain in the first half and

he was completely out of sorts. They come out a halftime three straight drives that ended touchdowns, that touchdown past to Mary Cooper, I think is really what unlocked their offense. He looked a lot more comfortable. From their stats wise, nine of eighteen is not super impressive. A D nine yards not super impressive. But the fact that he was able to throw three touchdowns to two guys, including one where he was pressured through it over the middle to

Donovan people's jones. It's an encouraging site for Brown's fiends who have nothing else to watch this team for other than to see is this guy gonna take another step forward? As we headed the offseason prepared for there you go, Shook delivers the news. We get one more week with Nick who's killed it all year long. Thank you, buddy, Thanks guys. All right, there goes Shook. Let's spend right into the battle for the moribund NFC South. It was

coming down to the Panthers and Bucks in the game. Actually, it sounds like it lived up to the hype. Takes the snaff and looks towards his way those toward the end zone. A hundred Mexico touch ups. Have a very favorite house three fire account its fire him, remarkable, fire him. Mike Evans ran up at five yards, he stuttered his feet and Tom Brady again, we've seen him not being sick on these deep throws over the course of the season,

but he hit three of them today perfect. That was Dave Moore and of course Jeane Dagger half w f us Jane, who's retiring after a fifty year broadcasting career that has also covered Florida State football. What a legend. Tom Brady threw for four thirty two and three long

Happy New Year, Jean. I'm sure you apply if you couldn't Brady through for four thirty two and three long touchdowns to Mike Evans just days after Greg Rosenthal through dirt on the greatest quarterback of all time, and the Bucks clinched their second straight South championship with a thirty twe for come from behind win over the Panthers, who jumped out to a big lead Mark Sessler. But in the end, Brady finally finding that chemistry again with Mike

Evans was the difference. It only took literally all of two um in a day into the New Year, and I think they're clicking, and I think that's that's a great sign. Um. We've talked about this bizarre division. I've said it before. I just see it within that they're gonna win a playoff game. And this version of this offense would scare you because it's what you thought you'd get all year, because you got it last year, and

you got it the year before. And they came out and you could tell right away that they were so deliberately going to do everything they could to make this finally work when it needed to matter most. And it was still a frustrating game, but as sixty three yard deep bombed Evans a fifty seven yard or a thirty yard or they just finally were completely in sync. And Brady, who you know, there's i'd think anyone all year long has said other than last couple of weeks that Brady

has been the problem. I think the turnovers and some impatience and sort of hesitation in the pocket last three or four games stood out. But he looked calm and collected today four d and thirty two yards three touchdowns. He's only a few years younger than I am. I don't know how he's doing this. Um here's the thing though, the Bucks defense played a big role in this. Sam Donald, who I think played the best, he alright, look at he had a fumble he had an interception and he

had a strip sec so that stands out. That was a big difference in this But the other what well, what Sam Donald did for the rest of this game was the best performance I've seen him play all year, and after that huge rushing performance last year, they did not come out and do that. I think Ben McAdoo deserves some credit for how this thing got started. That they aggressively had Sam Donald ripping the ball down field

to Dj Moore to like it. Just it looked like their passing game under Donald was a real problem for the Bucks. Then they tightened up, got the turnovers, handled their business. Mike Evans went off here, go to Bucks or go to the Panthers in the other direction. Yeah, it's surprising that this division is not coming down it.

Last week it just felt like it was gonna be a messy situation where the Saints were still alive and the Panthers were still alive in the Bucks and they were down to ten in the in the fourth quarter. It's crazy. Brady has more touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season then the rest than the other three quarters combined. I mean, he has been like lights out at the

end of these games. Evans going ten for two oh seven and three rewarded his loyal fantasy owners that kept him in the lineup, like my son Walker, So they enjoyed that. But you mentioned it like sometimes it comes down to this whole offseason planning. Anthony Nelson, who's what their fourth string pass rusher, gets a strip sack on the top ten pick Icky a conu at the end, Donald really didn't have a chance on that play. You don't play him Donald, and that was the end of

the game. I kind of thought the Panthers might go down the field there, but it didn't. That. Yeah, that plays, so doesn't happen with that Vida Vea like showing now he's a massive, he's big as a front door. The speed he chased down that ball and picked it up, I mean that was the difference. J C. Horne's injury might have flipped this division. I know that sounds like a cry, like a lament, but he would have been the guy on Mike Evans. He's built for that that

he's the big physics. They put different guys on Evans and nothing works. So correct and Evans for all the handwringing about this season for him and his failure to get on the same page with Tom Brady. He did go over a thousand yards again, He's done that nine consecutive years. He's called on the Hall of Fame, or at least he should. One of the most consistent guys of his era, if not the most consistent pass catcher of his era. Sixty three fifty seven and thirty yard

touchdown receptions. It was almost like, if you think about it, unless you think tom Brady's washed, um, which he's not. Maybe he's in a little bit of a decline at this point, right, He's no Stidham, But it's it's a situation where eventually this was gonna there was gonna be a game like this and for the Bucks, good timing nineteen division titles for Tom Brady. That's insane. Um, your tore Grossmadows on the Panthers had an incredible game. Had they one, we'd be talking about him a lot more.

And they mentioned we know Josh Norman, who we worked on that Super Bowl with on Sky Sports slightly he was actually working as a barista in a coffee shop. Um last week when he got the call that did he not save his money? Well, no, I think they were so well, that was my thing, was like people, but they tried to make it sound like starting a business.

That's a little different. They didn't They didn't tell the entire story on the thing, and I was like, wait a minute, like it can't be a money thing because he's got to have a ton of money. I just he was telling the truth. I think he was serving. But he he started sky sports, he started some business. He was working as a barista. That it wasn't just like back in the you know, it wasn't just like sending you know, emails out saying you go do it.

He was doing it. So good for him. The people would you go work in a coffee shop right now just for the to be around? Well, I guess that's true. Sure, maybe you owned it if I he signed, technically his mom owns it. But I think they they're sort of doing it. I keep shifting here, So I mean, well, I think she was helped out by her succeeded my interest. Now we know we're get learning more and more. Move

who co signed the lease? Oh? His mother? Well, Gregg seems very unwilling to give him any credit for anything. I just think it's like where you're coming from Greg on that one. Move on, and by the way, it does look like again peeking ahead. Um as Marcus said many, many, many times that he believes the Bucks will win a playoff game, most likely the host of Dallas Cowboys. That's not good for Dallas, uh as a first round matchup. I'll take it if I'm the Cowboy. I'm just saying

one of these predictions gets to go right. So I'm I'm I'm gonna go with it on this one, this one well, because it's a good one, because like there's no way for it to be wrong for twelve or thirteen weeks from when I made it way back when it just sits out there until the whole career as a broadcaster hangs in the balance of that wild Card Saturday Night or whatever it's gonna be. Probably it feels like a wild card Saturday Night game. Putting that much on it. I've got a lot of bills. He's a

top ten football insider. Let's take a break, all right, Welcome back, all right, Let's now swing over to the a f C playoff picture starting at Jillette Stadium, where the Dolphins and Patriots did battle Dogger up behind the front four. It's that they rough four bridge water is back to fire it right, pass it decepted by Dougers left to the thirty hot side of the then tug in to the five dog. They tucked into the house again.

Uh Bob Socci and the sentient power a bottle to call there for w b Z did you I tweeted about today and we're gonna get to the Jets. I feel like with a decent quarterback, the Jets would have won ten or eleven games this year. If the Patriots didn't have seven defensive scores this year, they might have eleven or twelve loss like it feels like, how about this though, if they had Josh McDaniels, they'd probably be eleven in five just those coordinators. All right, Well, that's

that's potentially true as well. But my point being that almost all of these defensive scores and the latest there by Kyle Dougger, have been huge in the context of the games in which they occurred. Because Duggers pick six of Teddy Bridgewater went back thirty nine yards for the go ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, then it allowed the Patriots to keep their postseason hopes intact. They rally past the free falling Dolphins three to one. UM. Yeah,

it was huge. It was It was a game that the Dolphins seemed to have uh not in hand, but they seemed to be in control of the game, even though Teddy Who wasn't playing poorly, but you you felt that lack of explosiveness with him in instead of tah Who. By the way, there's a report that they're hoping he could be back if they make the playoffs, so that tells you that the team again is trying to take

this um carefully after another concussion uh for Tua. But the game all turned on that pass because not only was it a pick six um run back the other way. On the follow through of the throw, Teddy wax his hand on a Patriot defender's hand and uh breaks we're hearing might be a broken finger and knocked him out of the game. Skyler Thompson comes, and Skyler Thompson might eventually be a player in our league. Right now he is not every time I've seen him. He can't throw

the ball, he can't shoot straight. And that allowed the Patriots to take care of business. So good job by the Pats in a season that's been greg very rocky obviously in a lot of ways. I think a lot of people expected them to fade uh in this game and disappear, but instead they're gonna go into week a team with a chance to make the playoffs. It's like Belichick can't help but win eight games no matter what terrible decision teammates with his coaching staff and personnel offensively,

and it's because he's still a great defensive coach. That's what I mean. They would win eleven games if they had decent offensive coaching because a lot of the things that they would have hoped to happen on defense have happened. Duggers turned into a total star, a playmaker. Barmore was back in this game and was very active. We've talked about j and Jude on they were down three top cornerbacks today they put Jack Jones and I are Marcus.

Jones was out, Jalen Mills was out. They had a couple of offensive players that the Dolphins were missing four or five of their best players, just like some of these teams have lost so many pieces. But the Patriots find a way because of these defensive scores, essentially to be in every single one of these games. Yeah, I mean the a FC East from where we were six weeks ago to now is the story of multiple collapses. And you're right about the Dolphins going into this game.

It's not easy to be Mike McDaniel in the situation. You did not at Bradley Chubb. You don't have too obviously, Xavien Howard was out, Tehran Armstead was out, Eric Fisher and other tackle is out, so you're limited there. And I you know this, the same thing happened to McDaniel the first time when two went out with concussion. That incomes Bridgewater and he was lost to the same game,

and in came Skyler Thompson. It's an ugly pattern. Both times Teddy played without Tron Armstead too, I think, which is and that's been for two or two a major problem. I mean, to your point about the New New England's shortcomings on offense, they're eight and oh in games where they allow fewer than twenty points and oh and eight in games where they allows right and if if they won this one allows going into this right. So you just say, but that's still but that might not even hold.

We're gonna have to recalibrate all the data now basically it's never their offense that scored defensive scored after touch that should be. It was a garbage time score. The doubtins that make it look like a closer game, that Patriots had the game in hand in the fourth quarter really starting with that dugger play um and yes, if you're gonna watch this game, if you haven't watched it yet, like, oh, the Patriots starting to get a little frisky. No, it's

still the same exact tam here. The offense is still pitiful. They had one big time drive. It was an eleven play, eighty nine yard big boy drive that allowed them to take control of the game after the pick six and kind of put the game away. So you credit Mac Jones and the offense for doing that. But otherwise it was another very quiet game for the offense. So that's going to continue to be a bugaboo. They're winning games because they're getting literally not just turnovers, defensive scores that

are allowing them to steal these games. The seventh defensive score, uh this season, that just doesn't happen. I think it's tied a record. Uh if they think at two thousand seventeen Jaguars um either at seven or eight defensive scores. It's just it's bonkers how often it's happening. It's almost I mean, it's not Vikings level aberration, but it's it's an incredibly strange environment to be winning these games. They are now winning in next week, but they're playing the Bills,

who have become their daddy. And there is a realistic scenario that the Patriots could end the season getting blasted by the Bills in back to back weeks, that they could get blasted by the Bills back into the playoffs eight and nine. Granted, a lot has to happen there. The Jets would have to lose, the Steelers would have to uh lose a game, but it's possible, and I don't know if this Patriots team needs to be in

the playoffs. We'll see the Dolphins, I know, but one one of these teams, UH is going to make it, whether it's the Dolphins, the Patriots, and we'll find out about the Steelers later. The Dolphins, now, you know, just hope that the Patriots lose to Buffalo and beat the Jets and they're in. So they have a very realistic chance to make it. Instill, But who the hell n we're supposed to cheerlead like everything, just give the scenarios.

This this seventh playoff team in each conference, Like more often than not, you're getting something that is undesirable to the eye that we don't we just like we just we don't want to see the Dolphins without two. We don't want to see the Patriots. We don't want to see the steel getting the Packers or the Lions. So but but so to speaks to it like you just don't know, like you're also getting I'm just saying it's

typically unpleasant. Fair there was what was it it was Washington or no, they won the division, I can't remember. But it feels like whatever, this this new reality with the extra playoff team, you're usually going to get a real dog, and it feels like that's what this final a f C team will be. But again we don't write last year you got the Steelers, who are not a good team, Steelers Chiefs game, when actually the Eagles who were were intriguing on some level but not really

against the bus. So you're absolutely right, this seventh seed is underwhelmed. It's making it's like doing parties. You have you have an invite list to your own party, and someone brings someone who drags the entire affair into darkness. It's diluting wild card weekend a little bit, but it's also adding intrigue to the back end of the regular season.

So maybe it's a watch here. By the way, before we move on, here is uh the Dolphins season win win, win, lost, lost loss win win win win and win loss loss loss loss loss. I worry about some consistency in that. Almost it's it's symmetrical. It's also embarrassing the way this is. Uh. They have nose dived here, and they're not the only team in their division to do. So let's move on. He's gonna throw in the back corner touchdown Hawks, What

a start. Kobe Parkinson from twelve yards out, runs a little bender into the back corner and Gina weighs it up perfectly, so only the big tight end at six seven can reach up and grab it. Steve Able with the K I are City, New York City? Thank you? Um yes, Gino Smith connects there with Colby Parkinson. Colby Parkinson on the twelve yard catch that was within about

two minutes into the game. After Ken Walker ripped off a huge run on the um for maybe the second play from scrimmage in the game, and it was kind of just like a rap. It was the first play from scrimmage Walker's run at that point, because before you knew it, it was seven nothing, then ten nothing and uh at that point, Uh, the Jets offense went to sleep and Seattle's defense credit them for stepping up and keeping their season alive with a twenty three to six victory.

So Seattle moves to eight and eight and Greg will tell you in a minute how they get to the playoffs. The Jets are now seven and nine, eliminated five game losing streak. I locked this game up. I knew it was a bad idea, but what the hell do? You went with your heart with my heart and U. It did surprise me though, and I'll tell you what ais me. And if you boys haven't watched the game, UH, you

will be surprised too. Because everything we saw from Mike White this season, UH told us that he was going to give the Jets a professional effort. He would hit the guys that were open. He would do hit the layup, said Zack Wilson couldn't. But instead they got a Zack Wilson game from Mike White, which we've also seen before dating back to last year. And I was always in the back of my mind, uh that that guy was

there too, and he showed up today. It was a dreadful performance from Mike White, who I feel bad for him because he cost himself a lot of money today. Uh, he cost himself any chance of being in the Jets conversation as their quarterback next year. All that is kind of wipe by the board, and that's part of sports. Sometimes you have a big chance to change your life in the trajectory of your career, and White just couldn't get it done, and neither could the Jets, who started

slowly also defensively in this game. Uh. Their defense went into a little bit of a slump here late in the season. Uh, in addition to the quarterback player that just butchered their year. And that's how it ends for the Jets. I mean the job by the Seattle they will getting the job done. When you're defense, which has been you know, you're selling point and playoff level for all season is giving up that sixty yard run. It was the DJ Dallas forty one yard catch and run.

It was like these big plays and again they're not generating takeaways. That's been a problem for this Jets defense to some degree. And you get this version of Mike White. I mean, glass half full. Let's say Mike White won these last two games and played above his head and they do turn him into the starter, and then the real Mike White appears, because last year, the overall body of work for Mike White is up and down. It's

just that he's had some real highs. Here's the thing, though, Mark, if he did play well and they won these games, the Jets would have went to the playoffs this year, and that would have been a huge lift for the organization and the fan base. And then yes, they might have blown there Mike White evaluation down the line. But god, I would have loved to even be in that position. It's been. That's why I'm calling a class half a half empty. But because you do now know there's no

doubt that he could be the backup. But he lost himself some money exactly do you know? I have a chance to make some money here down the stretch. Not that I think it's like all based on these last couple of games, but I think playing well at the end. Here is going to help him. Mike White is gonna hurt himself. He could be back there as a backup. But yeah, I saw something which surprised me with the Jets will have the longest playoff less streak in American sports.

If the Kings make it this year, and they look like a pretty good bet to make it, uh in the NBA, it would be disappointed just for the defense at the end of the season. You give up almost two hundred yards in the first quarter of this game, and then they they settled in. But it is hard to depend on defense totally and it's hard to have like a truly special defense week after week, just the way the rules are set up. And I think down

the stretch they weren't enough. They weren't playing complimentary. There's something I keep hearing about the Jets, and it to me is a bit of a be careful um. Not that you have every option in the world, but it's like, if they can just get a quarterback who's vaguely competent, they'll be fine. It's like, no, you'll just be a team, all right, team with a vaguely competent quarterback, that's your ceiling.

It's like the search must go on. I just think you cannot settle and that's all to be dissolved later. But a B minus quarterback away from going to the a f C title game. But again, when you have not been to the playoffs in twelve years, now get count that you just want to get to the playoffs again.

And like this year especially is frustrating because you know Um, the whiff on the Zach Wilson evaluation and the decision to take him with a second overall pick Um has it's a huge setback for the organization that will continue uh to mushroom until they figure out how to properly move on. And I think they will entirely from him, which is almost unprecedented to see the reporting now that Joe Douglas, so that stuff all sounds like mythology until

they have no other option. They want to have some leverage here, so they're gonna say that he might be in their plans next year. Obviously he's not their future anymore, and and we know that. But just the disappointment is you knew that this team, if they had a couple of things went their way, if they had got a little better health on their line and with Breee Hall and if the quarterback just played Okay, this is a

playoff team this year. They should be the seventh seed, and yet they're on a five game losing streak and it's another big Jets collapse. This did not feel like the year this was gonna happen. That's why I locked the Jets up today because I thought everything we knew about and this is on Soliditu and the coaching staff and the defense. I thought they were gonna kind of rally around White and play really well in the spot

against a fading Seattle team. The fact that they uh flatlined is very disappointing and a bad look for everyone involved and Greg. I I still think Solid is very safe job wise, even if next week goes poorly. But I think a head could roll, and maybe it's Michael Floor, their offensive coordinator. I don't know if I would agree with it, but they have four touchdowns in four weeks now. I hope, I really hope nothing happens in the a

f C East. But I've learned doing this job it's all about ownership sometimes, and I don't trust the leadership in Miami or the Jets to handle a six game losing streak the way that the season will end for

whichever team loses that game. So I think that's a big game and it's sort of the reverse, not that Pete Carroll would ever be in any trouble, but man, this is a monster win for the Seahawks to to to comfortably end there like losing streak, for their defense to play really well for a second straight week, to to shut to be able to run the ball on offense a yards on the ground like this. They've been collapsing too in the exact same way the Jets did. Now they get the Rams next week. If they can

win that game, uh, give it to us. I mean, unfortunately, they need the Packers to lose to the Lions uh in Week eighteen, and otherwise they're eliminated. So they just need to win and they need the Packers to lose. It's pretty simple for them. They have the tiebreak over the Lions, so a Seahawks win over the Rams would also eliminate the Lions next week. There you go. I

don't know. I don't know if it's happened so many years in our own including literally every year we've done this podcast, but it's almost getting to the point where it doesn't hurt as much because I'm just so used to them crapping the bed when it matters. I can relate to that, you know, when I was doing the Browns thing like that one little playoff win that they had over the Steelers. I mean, it's been a train

wreck since mattered a lot. It changed everything, and and it changed your complexion and your your what kind of hope you'd have going into the next season. If Greg this happens where Jets management decides to blame Robert Solo, frankly, even Mike Lafloor or any of these guys for what's happened at the quarterback position, that utter and total chaos they've dealt with, then I think you start building a binder of your own, Dan, because that would be massive mismanagement. No,

and I I don't think will happen. But Douglas, Joe Douglas is somebody that's very interesting now with the Jets because he's now the equivalent of a baseball slugger who it's forty homers but strikes out two hundred times. The Zach Wilson miss is reverberating and it ruined their season. I don't want to put too much on one player, but it's quarterback and that's the way it is. I'm not having a backup. Well, that didn't help him either. I kind of did until Mike White turned into that.

White was a great story until Bryan Costell the New York Post had a great lead today. It was like he went from Mike F and White to F and Mike White. All right, let's uh, I do not care what the watching post says. I still don't where are we at? Where are we at? Where are we at? Oh? Let's head to the team of a t L Onward and Upward takes the snap, looks left, now it comes back right. So that's up a screen got at the swift picks up a block at this one. Great for

boarding on Watergate though. We just need to have that out there. You're right about that, you got this one. I mean, you can enjoy this at lace just team. I like to just listen to it. Dick Banks, one man house man. I wrote the song. See yeah, I'm not the performer, no, but I get the royalties. How much money I've paid off the song? You like that? Jack anton Off of Around the NFL I just needs stupid hipster glasses. I've made seventeen million dollars on that

song and royalties from this podcast. How long did how many drafts did that song go through? I mean, there's the great ones. They come to you in five minutes. I woke up from a dream and I was just like, oh my god, it's poetry. The Lions are alive. What we're talking about the The Lions are alive. It's about me. The lines are alive because they just destroyed the Bears, which is not a huge achievement, but it's about me.

Credit the Lions for doing something like, for instance, the Jets in it taking care of business with at one win at Ford Field the Lions, in case you forgot, we're left for data at one and six was it? And now they've won seven of nine there, eight and eight, and yes they can get back to the playoffs for the first time since two thousand sixteen. Heading into week eighteen, and Greggy, you're gonna tell us in a bit how that exactly happens. But let's start by talking about this game.

How did they destroy the more a bunch of Chicago Bears. They had a championship response and yes, it's championship response. I love it. I mean it's against the Bears, yes, but it's also the biggest game they've had in many years. The crowd was going but nanas before the game even started, and there immediately down seven nothing, and that first drive to me like the moment where I'm sweating the most

because I locked up the Lions. I think was telling because two players in that drive, number one, third and ten, third player from offense, they blitz Goff. They do a good job moving him off the spot and he moves in the pocket, which I think he's done better this year, making a couple of plays where he has to move a little bit, calmly finds the open receiver after buying a little extra time on third and ten under pressure,

keeps the drive going. Later in that drive fourth and four, I mentioned on this show last week I thought Dan Cambo blinked a little bit with his fourth down decisions in Carolina, didn't show that same hutzpah that he had been showing all season. First drive of this game, down seven nothing, goes for on fourth and four, they get a penalty, they get the touchdown, and off they went. Five hundred and four yards of offense, the only a loud at nine first downs. Defensively, this was a beating.

I loved what one thing I love about what how Detroit adjusted in this game and got out of a fix. Was that early on and we were watching this, you know, together, Greg, I was more listening to you watching was happening. I mean, I I am, I'm a big I'm loving this line. I was watching justin fields though, and he looked like, because he tore them up on the ground the first

time they met, it's not a good run defense. We know what happened a week ago, and twenty minutes into this in real time, it looked like one of those games from him, and Detroit might not have any way to stop this. After what happened we go, they tightened it up. I mean, it seemed like it got banged up at one point and they kind of de emphasized him on the ground. And then then then what happens

to the Bears. Their leading receiver had twenty seven yards, so it's like they're so limited and they just can't if it's not him in the ground, they're done. Yeah, he finished a hundred thirty two yards rushing. He's up over eleven hundred yards on the ground, but seven a he won Greggy for seventy yards through the year. So the Lions defense, yeah, is like but they're a run funnel, as the fantasy kids would say, which they're just begging

teams to run against them. There. They were really bad run defense and that could hurt them against the Packers. But their pass rush was incredible today. The Bears lost to offensive lineman early. You're right, I think they got some breaks. Uh Fields got a little banged up at the end of the first quarter, and then he seemed a little more hesitant and then suddenly they were facing a big deficit in the end move but he they

could not protect him. Seven sacks. Josh Pascal, who's a second round pick for them and didn't play most of this season, has entered the line up late in the season got a couple of sacks. James Houston, who still doesn't have a hundred snaps on the season and was playing for Dion Sanders last year, is up to seven and a half sacks and had a forced fumble in a key spot on fields. Aidan Hutchinson had a terrific game creating Havoc had a Sack had an intercept, an interception.

The interception was amazing. It's like here these last week I know, well, I think that's to my point. I think when they can rush the passer, they're a good team. I think they're a good past even is a good pass rush right now. But they just can't stop the run and eventually the Bears and how do they before we move on, how do you how do you get to the playoffs? Detroit Lions. They are in the worst spot of the three NFC teams that are still alive.

So it's down to Seattle green Bay in Detroit, green Bay winning in the Lions, as I mentioned, win and they need a Seattle loss, Seattle the Packers so that we'll we'll see that they're They're counting on the Rams

to step up against Seattle. It's not impossible. But I do think no matter what, getting to Week eighteen with a chance to either make the playoffs or end the Packers season and end your season potentially on a win in a winning record, you can't tell me that that actually wouldn't be a better end of the season than getting blasted by the forty niners or something in the wild card round. And I think they have a lot

to play for. No matter what I can, I push back because we we were aways, Like I'll push back on that that winning in Week eighteen would be better than a Lions team. If we're gonna talk about the Jets is being but it's gonna it's gonna mean a

lot and give you a good feeling. And I mean I would much prefer the coaching staff and the players get to the playoffs and you deal with growing pains there and you learn front for the next year, because like this fan base has been through hell and back twice, making the playoffs is a massive organizational boost. Absolutely, that's the Bills. Remember when they had that long drought and

they got there. Remember West was all fired up because he hated that Bill's team with Tyrod because Andy Dalton had that huge touchdown against the Ravens. Like, yes, the Bills weren't a great team that year, but that was an organizational stepping stone and then all of a sudden they were a big time team. I hope the lines do make it. That would be fun. Did you get Sean McVeigh is going to be amped up to knockout

Seattle to Yeah? Seven, maybe get one one more big Baker game and it opens the door for Detroit seven and two in the last nine. Nice job. Let's hear from Dan Campbell before we take a break. It's just so special. Um, it's as good as it can get. I mean, seriously, you get to go to Lambeau, historic Lambeau, where the tops in this division has been Green Bay every year years and and to go earn your right,

you know, uh, to potentially get in. Even if you do get that win doesn't mean you're guaranteed to get in, I know. And uh, and so I just think this is as special as it gets. I mean, I just don't think you'd want it any other way. Very cool, all right, let's take a break. We'll be right back. All right, we're back, uh, we said earlier. The Lines haven't been to the playoffs since two thousand sixteen. There's another team that has not punched their ticket since. Let's

head to the swampster Jersey the middle ends. He takes the snap, plays Jones rolled to his luck, gets a block from Tamisey for the five Jones races in touchdown giants sucking Ruster cuts down for Daniel Jones and let the party begin at MetLife Stadium. Indeed, Papa oh w f a n with the call. Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes, ran for two touchdowns. That's four touchdowns for Mr Jones, and the Giants rolled over the completely like

corpse like Indianapolis Colts thirty eight time. Remember Zach Keefer said a couple of months ago, Oh, yeah, they'll win one more game with Jeff Saturday as that coach. They're gonna do exactly that, and I think they've won. They gotta win next week. Then yeah, they beat the the bag Raiders the first game and it's lost out since anyway, Giants over Colts and the Giants do qualify for the playoffs. Greg Uh, Listen, I'm not gonna take anything away from

the Giants. They've they've had a nice schedule this year. They've had some things go their way. But it doesn't matter the fact that they in Brian Dables first year with that roster, with those injuries, to win nine games and get to the playoffs, big, big, big development for the Frenchise and they're playing their best ball right now. I think their last three weeks is their best three weeks stretch of the entire season. I think their offense

is certainly playing their best of the entire season. And I love that Danny Dimes had a moment. I mean, you wouldn't have thought the way his career was going that he was gonna have a moment where Brian Dable very cool I thought, took him out in the middle of a drive in the fourth quarter, so he got the standing opation during the game NBA style, like when they're taking Tatum out after he started fifty. I loved it.

Deable has done everything right this year, even that it was awesome and this was one of his best games ever. Daniels owns uh like his first touchdown I think showed his progression as a player, where he gets to his third read, he moves outside the pocket. He was very common. He finds the guy he's like making plays, and he's being very smart when he's doing it. And they're healthier, Hodgens and Bellinger's making some places. I think they've stabilized

se Juan's running well. I actually do think they're a little better right now then I thought most of the rest of the season. Yeah, they did stabilize. Remember this seemed like a team that was free falling out of contention. Yeah, especially especially when you when you were wondering if if Sae Kwon Barkley was going to finish the season. Um, even the shadow of himself, And and that has gotten better. And when you get this version of Daniel Jones and

you have Brian Dable who works with Josh Allen. I'm not saying that Daniel Jones is Josh Allen, but you get that power on the ground. That's when you get those games. And then you get se Kwon doing what he's doing, Like the Giants are a tough out, I realize you're playing the Cults. I will mention this about Zach Kieffer, by the way. He had a pretty um telling tweet today. He said, I've covered some bad teams in my years on this beat, teams that unexpectedly lost

its starting quarterback before the season two. This is the worst Colts team of them all. And I mean, okay, he's been there for a long time. But like the plan also feels completely off the map. They're talking about Jeff Saturday is a legit candidate. Um, I would spread a wide net. Sounds like there, by the way, because by even think the owner chef Saturday the owner likes.

But that's the problem. My point is by floating that out there to the media, it makes it seem like the owner didn't really mess up because he's liked them enough that he'll be considered. But they'd be nuts. But I don't know what's going on about the cults. The better at this point, let's hear from se Kwon Barkley talking about Danny Dimes playing the biggest game in the biggest spot here his name, get chan it. Um. You know it's a beautiful thing and you can finally see

he's saw a good of respect that he earns. Um. I know everyone want to be a big credit of him or say this, say that, but uh, he gave this opportunity to play playoff football and he lost it in today. Um, when we need a most, when we need him mostly came up and made big place. There you go. We need some money. One of the reasons I believe in the Giants more than I did. And it's all relative, but it's the defense. They got Zavian McKinney back, one of their best players in their secondary today.

They got Dorri Jackson back their best cornerback today. Uh, their pass rush is healthier than it's been as he's a Gelari's back. Thibodeau had a great game. We can we can talk about his his celebration if you want. Dexter Lawrence Somewhere Dave Gettelman is watching this game and saying, how you like me now, Danny Dimes, Dexter Lawrence and say, Quon Barkley. I'm not all bad Giants fans, but all right,

he's right. He found some players for them. There you go. No, the the Cavan thing, cave on our buddy, not our friend, and he'll be on the show one day. Um. He absolutely creamed Nick Foles. Who Nick Foles? Uh? Upset that he's injured. He as a rib injury, was knocked out of the game. Probably should have never been playing in the first place. I really struggled the way this season.

I don't know if we'll see Nick Foles again. Period. Uh. He was doing a big time snow angel for ten twelve seconds as Falls was writhing in pay next to him about two feet away. I thought I even saw Cavan uh. And a lot of people pointed this on Twitter. Take a peek and see Falls there continued to do the snow angel. Uh some he got a lot of people got on him. Ryan Kelly Um of the Colts called it horse s Cavan claimed that he didn't see

Folds there anyway. It's you know. He also jester, I didn't mind the celebration because he could either see him or not and you're down there doing it. But he did put it like put him to sleep sign over on the sideline while also played great, which is also he's one of the reasons that the Giants are where they are right now because he's been a successful pick, no doubt about it. I mean I saw him waving

his arms and he's tapping Foles at the side. I just I don't know if he saw him or not, Like we have to try rust him on that, but it was and it was a weird look because I think for me, when you have these hits where you have someone like Fuld, someone that we've seen go to the greatest possible heights and then he's on the ground writhing in pain and ended up being a rib injury. So but I don't know, that kind of stuff is like it makes you think differently about the sport in

the general. And I agree about the Giants looking better than they have even when they were winning a lot of games earlier in the season. That's gonna be I know, you could say the Giants, it's not an exciting team that they're going to play a very close game again against the Vikings if they meet in the playoffs, and that probably rest their starters as we as we mentioned. Yes, oh nice lock. Yeah, this was probably my most successful

lock of the whole year. The first time I've been able to sit back and be like, all right, they took care of business. Hear something, hear something, and I didn't hear anything. I mean, I mean, hey, it's I was in last place in the PIS competition. Hey, happy New Year, New You're justin a great job on the lock. Um. I wish I would have locked that New York team. Um, all right, let's keep moving. Let's head across the sidewalk to Sofi Stadium, Battle of Los Angeles. The whole he's through.

It's a foot race. Ted Austin necklock touchstofs sharters seventy two yards, a new career law. Leonard Floyd giving it everything he's got. You're not gonna catch Austin Ekeler Matt money Smith going into the Hall of Fame. The around the NFL Hall of Fame, do you ever get like an exhibit somewhere? Yeah, he would be front and center. He's getting like a whole glassed in portion and and his partner is broadcasting. People put the exhibit on Mark's desk.

He has nothing else on the desk, so there's if something would happen chaotically. I don't want any possessions here that matter money and Daniel Jeremiah with the all K Y s R. Yes, Austin Ekeler again, if you have passed on him in your fantasy draft? Has I I? No? I did to take Jonathan Taylor. Oh you're eating dirt, because he's had another huge season and he led the way in a thirty one ten whipping by the Chargers of the Rams, the defending champions. Fault of five and eleven.

Not a lot on the line in this game, the Rams obviously just playing for pride and the Chargers pretty much locked in. I believe Greg in the a f C am I correct about that at ten and six. Now do you have a chance as we're taping this? Uh wish i'd inside it too late. Now could tease though for later. Yeah, anyway, thirty one ten, Eckler goes for a hundred and twenty two UM on the ground thirty nine through uh the air game, Herbert Herbert has

a very steady performance. Who watched this game? Who was on this game? Grave Digger? I watched this game. I will say this was a sensational game for Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler. Austin Ekeler was at one point in the third quarter was averaging fourteen yards per carry. I think he finished with like um, I mean, you could

have touched the ball more. But at the same time, the starters for the Chargers were out of this game with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter because it was wrapped up and they got to preserve these guys fair playoff game. There you go. I think this matters. I mean, it's the first time they scored thirty plus since Week five, and we're waiting to see the Chargers kind of flex their muscles and not be It's the same talking point every week, like why isn't Joe Lombardi

doing X, Y and Z with Justin Herbert? Why are they so sort of hemmed in and truncated. It's like, go blow someone's doors off. They've won four straight games. All the things that we expect out of the Chargers to slip up not happening. Joe, their injury luck getting better. Joe Mosa played in this game, returned even a week earlier than expected, might have Ragons later back for the playoffs. They are the team I wouldn't feel comfortable with if you're one of those top team is in the in

the first round. And we'll get into the Chargers more later in the week. Good job by l A. Anything else to add I don't think. So Let's move elsewhere in the a f C West where the Broncos and Chiefs are supposed to play a huge Week seventeen game. Uh. Instead, it wasn't a huge game, but the Chiefs still had to take care of business, did they. Now for the right four arm of Russell Wilson, and he's gonna be here.

Chris Jones got Now he gets rid of the ball and knocked down but picked up by the Chiefs in a minute thirteen to go in the game. Chris Jones just took the game in his own hands. Big play there sneaky big play for UH. The Chiefs who got into him straight up battle with the Broncos and went down to the last drive and Chris Jones makes the play sacking Russell Wilson to ensure a win. UH for Kansas City. UM. That keeps the Chiefs in the mix for the number one seed in the a f C.

At thirteen and three. The Broncos have now lost fifteen straight games to the Chiefs. How about that? How about that? UM? This was a game from the chief side of it. That was a big play for a young defense. I thought it was a good test there at the at the end, they needed to make the stop and they got it done. So I know Andy Reid obviously, UH is looking at that as another positive sign as January comes around. UM, Russell Uh. Patrick Mahomes went over five

thousand yards passing once again, which is just amazing. He does it almost effortlessly. UM. He also threw an end zone pick, missed a gimme deep ball touchdown pass. UM. I think Greg He's gonna probably win m v P. But I think maybe it's just me. But sometimes when I'm watching him, I don't see him locked in as in some other Pat Mahomes years, or it's just like, oh my god, Uh, this guy's out of his mind.

Sometimes there are those slip ups, but in general, Uh, he had another very good game and they took care of business. Althose quite a battle here. I think it's worst stretch of the season since December started. Not that it's been bad, but you lose to the Bengals, you struggle. You know, he played well in that first Broncos game, but that ended up being a shootout where where you don't score any in the second half. You struggle with the Texans. Uh, last week was a struggle offensively, and

then this game is close. It just feels like the same Chief stuff. I don't know what to think about it. But you end up with forty six yards rushing and then your special teams is bad week after week. And I and I know Chiefs fans have been saying it a lot, like special teams is going to get this team killed. And they keep winning these close games and a lot of the reason why they're close is because their special teams let them down. Yeah, they had a

botched a fumbled punt baked Arias Tony. They had a botched snap um on an extra point attempt, so they just you know, it's another misfield goal. I hate the consistently though. It's it's it's annoying. Yeah, it's something that, Yeah, I wonder if they're going to try to address in the off season. But that's you know, that is not the time. Jack McKinnon, by the way, has made history here is fifth receiving touch on five consecutive games as

a running back. So that's that's interesting. So it's they are getting production out of their backfield, even if it's not in a traditional way. Um on the Denver side, I thought Russell Wilson was better his two of his best games of the season or against the Chiefs. But in very uh two thousand twenty two now two thousand twenty three russ form, he kind of killed them with a really bad interception that led to a Kansas City

score in the second half. That kind of set the tone for this game shifting in addition to taking the sack with the game on the line, so kind of more the same and that. But you did get for the Broncos, what's the in term, coach Jerry Rossberg, Um, you did get that post firing bump from the team that played very hard to the end. Ultimately that came up short. I mean, Russell Wilson. If you want to try to sell it to the next potential coach, good

luck with that duty. First of all. But against the Chiefs, your most important divisional opponent. He's got four d and sixty nine yards, four touchdowns, two picks. Also four eight four yards on the ground with two touchdowns against Kansas City and seven quarters because Brett Rippian played a quarter, but rippy and ripping. It's every well, I say Rippyan, but that's but that's disrespectful to the man that's a Super Bowl m v P. I'll think about I'll think

about altering that. But that's how Dan has different pronunciations for your first name sometimes that you don't an appreciate that. One of Chris Wesley's favorite players on defense for years was Justin Simmons. He loved this safety combo. Justin Simmons has been a beast this year. Six interception and this doesn't quite qualify as developing news, um, but the Broncos

have already reached out to Jim Harbaugh. Uh the fields for a team that's gonna do the old thing where they go from the guy that was way too nice and soft too. That the hardass hardball. They're gonna spend a lot of money. It's Walmart money. That makes a lot of sense. I'm not saying it's gonna be the right move hardballs. He wears out flirtations with the Jets too over the years, something to keep in mind. The Washington Post about that, and also mentioned Sean Payton and

Dan Quinn. I just I don't know. I just I think this is a weird job. It's obsessively weird. It's a weird job. Oh you know what else is weird? I love this interaction between Adam ar Chiletta, whose voice I believe you'll hear first here, and Greg Gumbel, his partner in the booth for CBS. You never want to take a helmet to the Crotchell region, but crotche yes, that's uh, it's medical term. Being helped off the field is number twenty seven to Maori Mathis. I first heard

that from my good friend Ron Burgundy. Wait wait wait, wait, so Mathis helped off the you what what really sold it for me was that long, uncomfortable, pregnant pause. Because Greg gumble does not know who the hell Ron Burgundy is what that is. And so he just just quiet and Archi Letta just hangs. He just leaves Archelletta hanging to die there. I've had a lot of games where the two of them are doing their thing, and sometimes Chetta may have some complaints off the air about the

lack of chemistry potentially. Let's take a break. We'll be right back, all right, welcome back. Let's uh wrap up the afternoon games ahead of the Sunday night football, starting with Jags Texans AFC South. For all the marbles, not even a single marble. He didn't open field forty. Anybody have marbles anymore? What is the state of marbles? And what a great job the offensive line of opening up a huge cavalry Travis roll them all the way to the end zone. It's kind of okay, It's like your

internal monologue like interrupts every one of these calls. Frank Frangie, Uh with the call w O k V. That was Travis. Travis a t N with a sixty two yard touchdown. He had a buck oh eight and a score before halftime, and then he was done. They pulled him. Same thing with Trevor Lawrence got him out of the game, didn't matter the game for the Jaguars who were playing for the a f C South, Or did we establish that it actually did kind of matter. They can still get

the wild card whatever. They took care of business thirty one through him, like Ron Rivera. Now, who am I to judge Jacksonville's eight and eight first place in the a f C South. They'll win the division for the first time since Mark with a win over the Tennessee Titans next Sunday. The Titans have lost six straight. Of course, there were whispers out there like could the Jaguars decide to yank everyone because of the nature of next week's games?

And I just loved Doug Peterson basically sat, no one went in and then they on reverse got to pull a bunch of people playing in the game and they got the rest. I don't think he is anymore, not after this. No. He famously was upset that the front office made him sit his quarterback when he was the coach of the Eagles, and he was saying, I think, pointedly, this week, every game matters, and I believe in that that in this scenario, at least where it's a young team,

who's seven and eight. It's not like they've earned like let's like take off to keep it going. They have to feel like they have a lot of confidence right now, and it's because every part of the team is really contributing, like their running game, their defense, like everything's been really clean lately. I think they're feeling great. Yeah, I'm with you.

They're explosive. After that e t n sixty two yard touchdown, they flipped around and you know, the Texans have been playing well in recent weeks and putting up a fight, but Davis Mills had a sort of a wayward backward passed that fluttered, was picked up by Tyson Campbell. Was suddenly twenty one nothing and it's like this thing's over. Like when the Texans are bad, the really bad. But it has to do with the fact that, like to your point, Greg, when the when the Jacksonville Jaguars operate

in complete fashion like this, they're scary. I would rather play other teams that maybe would have a higher seed in the playoffs the Jacksonville right now. And I don't know if it's in the log zone, but the Jaguars, make no mistake, they're gonna boat race the tight. It's not in at least the today though I checked the early Oh there we go, Jack, Hello Grever, it's a

six and a half point spread right now. No, no, no, today it was lock where the yeah yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, I got you yea week huh, well that was that was three smart? Mark? Are you nervous? But great job? Are you nervous about our game next week? Mark? Which game? Our Titans? Fans of myself? You you literally had me removed as a fan on Twitter. So let's let's move to I do want to up the scenario you brought about. So if the Jaguars lose next week,

they could still potentially be the wild card. If Miami loses, possible Buffalo beats the Patriots happening, and as long as the Steelers don't finish this season on a long winning streak, they just have to lose one of very possible Steelers play. So this game did matter for Jacksonville on some level. Uh and uh. They took care of business in a way that the Chiefs and the Cowboys couldn't against the

Texans and the Texans, good job for the Texans. Stay right where you are, take some mils and and get that number one overall pick and the Jags I would say, like, yeah, we'd want them as the seventh seed over um, any other team that's in the mix right now. But then you would have a Jags team coming off a loss to the Titans in Week eighteen and the Titans host. Now want any of that? I want Jaguars over half

the teams you just mentioned. I want. I wanted just to see the Dobbs family reaction to him making the playoffs. Will they react? Will they not? Guys, the doors on the commissary upstairs closed with our free dinner. We don't wrap this up, so let's head to Atlanta. People need to know the real world steaks. But I'm doing my kicker rankings during Monday Night Football and during the during the call at this game. People wait for that tweet all year. The old zusers kicker ratings will be done

during the Monday night football telecast. Keep your eyes on Twitter, all right, People go nuts and talking during every radio. Now I'm just doing it for West Durham with the call. Apologies to Wes w z g C. Good call. Young Wake Coup hit the field goal at the gun. He's been doing that the last couple of years, and the Alkins take care of I lost my train of thought on this one. They take care of the Arizona Cardinals twenty to nineteen. So the Falcons moved to six and ten.

Obviously they're eliminated. The Cardinals now four and twelve. This was the only game of the week that had no playoff ramifications. Anybody have a thought it did have David Blow, who you know is a friend of the show. To sound degree, I'm not sure he knows that um two two yards a touchdown, no picks, just read in a box score over there. Yeah, because I have not yet had a chance to observe this as closely as I would, but I cannot wait to play. I think he played

pretty well and I think it's another chance. Ritter looks like he makes takes a little steps every week. Also, David but also had two carries for seven yards. He is a player three and a half yards and carry not a not a great average, but also not embarrassing. Arizona is still in the four seat. You know, if the number four pick right now, Atlanta went back a couple of spots with this win at six. I did want one more win. If this is going to be the end of the Cliff Kingsbury era, just for hard

knocks sake. They're trying hard every week and they just can't get it done. Another nice performance by your guy, Tyler Algiers. So something positive for the Falcons that they have a really nice backfield tandem there with Cordil Patterson. It's funny because I think, like two months ago it would not wasn't really getting much notice. But I think he's the leading rookie rusher right now. There you go. Doesn't help that he saw he saw it way ahead

of that. He has more than ken You actually, um when I first mentioned him, you looked at his yards per carry on the season and told me that the whole thing was a joke. And it's like, look where we are now. That's called scouting, Greg. Can we also say that Breese All would have won the rushing title if you blow no doubt about it, no doubt about it. And I still I'm upset about that. It wasn't like

an anti Breefe Hall take. I know, I know, but it did stir up more negative emotions about my personal fan experience. Anyway, Congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons on the victory. Let's now move to the final game of the day, Sunday Night Football from Baltimore Steelers Ravens. Let's go pick it wants the staff, He's got it. Back to pass, looking left under pressure, gets away, throws left side tad touchdown Pittsburgh. It's nausea Harris. Kenny pick An escape pick

pressure and finds Harris with a touchdown. Pittsburgh has taken the lead. Second touchdown catch of the year for Harris, and now Boswell's extra point is up and good and with fifties six seconds to go, the Steelers lead sixteen thirteen. What a drive put together by Kenny Picking of the Pittsburgh Steelers. How about that Bill hill Grove with the called w d V For the second week in a row, their young rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett leads the Steelers to

a dramatic fourth quarter comeback win. This time. Yes, his connection to Naja Harris, who had a huge game in his own right the difference in a sixteen thirteen win for the Steelers over the Ravens that keeps the Steelers in playoff consideration and and really sticks it to the ribs of the Ravens. Who still going to the dance at ten and six, but they had this one greggy, but pick It once again shows he's got a little something to him. And then the defense getting the pick

of Ty Huntley to close it out. He's got some hood spot. This whole Steelers team does. They're they're fun at least, they're playing their best at the end and like all these other teams trying to get the seven seats, and when we're in the film room watching this game and they get the ball, we all sort of thought they're gonna go down the field and go win the game right now. And that's exactly what he did. And it didn't do it on these simple players. That's the

thing with pick It. He can be quiet for a lot of the game. But the nice place he makes a really nice rolling to the left on that play to start the drive out of structure. Then the ball up the seam was a beautiful throw, and then the touchdown. Those are three awesome throws on one drive. Yeah, it was the he has a legit connection with at Firemouth.

That was a twenty yard game. Steven sims out of nowhere that yard er at fourth and one picket converts with the push the butt thing that everyone's doing with

the quarterbacks, You push the buttocks. And then that incredible throw to Naji Harris where it was Roquan Smith nearly had him, and it's like it took so much for any quarterback to do what he did on that play, to escape it, to see the field, to make the perfect throw and an incredible catch by Nazi Harris, and it's again, it's these Steelers that are all on their first rookie contracts, growing together as a group, and this team that was such a mess at one point in

this season, they were two and six after getting flattened by the Dolphins and Eagles, went into the by came out, smashed the Saints and really have not been the same team since because you've seen their offense, which in the earlier part of the year, the offensive line couldn't keep anyone healthy. The running game was a mess. They were just you know, it was like I was going off on Matt Cannon on our Thursday show, and here we are their running game looks Steve ers Esk and it's

just like it's it is an incredible coaching job. They ran for nearly two yards on the ground again, and Chris collins Worth was pumping up Harris saying it's the best game he's seen from him in the NFL. Jalen Warren's a really another really nice second banana in terms

of their backfield. And I know this gets thrown around in an annoying way sometimes, especially when talking about quarterbacks, but Kenny Pickett, he's poised, like in these moments, you could tell he's completely under control and uh, hitting those type of throws when there's that much on the line. The season is literally on the line there for the Steelers really tells you a lot about him and it makes you feel h much the way I think the way And this also shows how things can change so

quickly in the NFL. Not that the story is written about mac Jones, but how Patriots fans and the Patriots might have felt about mac Jones last year when he was making big plays and leading his team as a rookie.

Pickets the kind of that guy this year where it's like, Okay, he's not jumping off the page like Justin Herbert or something as a rookie, but there seems like they have something here in a well run organization might have identified a quarterback who can really develop over the years here, and that they're all getting better together, not just the running game you mentioned. And I really like Jalen Warren.

He's good in the offensive line. Like that's a group that stayed together even though they don't look good on paper. And all these games are so low scoring that it seems like the offenses stink and they're they're not great, but part of it is just they hold the ball forever and they they're these slow offenses. There were three drives each for each team in the first half, so there's not a lot of stops. There's just a lot

of like seven minute long field goal drives by. But the way that Chris Consworth said t J. Watt kind of felt himself more this week, I think that showed up. He hasn't really done a lot, even though the defense has been playing better. So going into next week now the Browns, we won't know the schedule until Monday, the NFL tells us, but we were talking about it with some people that are smarter than us producer types. They really think Steelers game will be a set. I just

mean in terms of TV schedules. They kind of had a feel of it. Craig throws you and I also under the bus from a sit down. I'm host a podcast and see how smart thing I wasn't speaking with them, so they go, I'm not sure we were really thinking about the Saturday schedule audience show. Yeah, Steelers probably a Saturday game. It's that most likely because that is a game that they can a good game. Because we have Saturday games. That is another question. But we do have

two Saturday games. What are we doing with the schedule this year? They want to keep you taking that ibuprofen the headache medicine that you're dealing with headache medicine. Disappointing loss for the Ravens to the very conservative. They're fading hard. They're fading hard, and like we said, uh Lamar Jackson's miss four games now with a knee injury. They need him back, obviously, Ty Huntley, he can't really play the guitar.

He's a nice backup, but when they needed him, they had some time to get down the field with the best kicker that's ever lived waiting on the sideline, and he made a couple like suspect throws, including the interception that where he forced it into cover Ridge. Uh, and we like, we're Cam Hayward fans. We love Kemyward. Cam Heyward we met over the summer. He came to this UH offices here and we got to talk to him. It seemed like a really like gentle giant type UH

and one of the great defensive lineman in the sport. UH. He almost got a goat horn down this one on what I thought was a fugazz he call at the end of the first half that gave the Ravens set the Ravens up for their only touchdown in this game. So I was happy and and NBC had the uh good thought to keep the camera trained on him during that last drive because that would have been the story around Hayward and the personal foul and that pile up late in the first half. So I'm glad that didn't

become the story. This is a way better story the way it ended it. It is, And I love how Mike Tomlin told the NBC crew about their troubles and how they got out and we don't die, We multiply, that's Mike. So Mike Tomlin estimate Nameless Gray Faces, that old hit from yesteryear. This Steelers team, I told you a couple weeks ago they were gonna win out and they're gonna do it. What nameless gray phrase. That's when they with called the Cleveland Browns nameless gray faces, then

got their butts kicked. Doesn't always work. It's great when they're a different type of teams. When we talked about Tomlin might save this over five hundred streak, I don'tn't think anyone really believe two at six. It was just something to talk about. Recember and U and they are not moving to Saturday. We've got developing news. We've got a Saturday announcement at least perfect and I like what the NFL has done here developing news here justin we

got Jared Stidman. An Island game Chiefs Raiders is going to be the early game Saturday, Chiefs will be playing for some sort of seating and uh Saturday night game. I like the compromise they made here. They're putting Titans Jags on Saturday night because they don't wanna put it on Sunday night, but they don't want to totally Sunday football. That is the ideal solution. There's no other scenario right there is, But because I think they're waiting to see

what happens with these Bills. This Bills game, and I think that'll be the game. But I'm our ay annoyed Seahawks fans. Don't don't die on this hill that this is so unfair to you to put Lions Packers Sunday night. This is an entertainment product. It's the most entertaining game, and the Lions are gonna try their hardest to win no matter what the situation is. I like, I just don't think scolding. I don't like in favor of his

new base and fans. He's now scolding the Seahawks fans, which four hours ago he was like, I could see. I love the Seahawks. I think the Seahawks might make the playoffs and that the Lions will help them out. Have some faith in the Lions that they can still beat the Packers. I don't think the results of earlier games are gonna sway the Campbell Lions. All right, good stuff, good stuff. Um, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers, finally out of the QB Wilderness after zero years. So there, Um,

We'll be back on Monday Night. The Monday Night Football Final with Chris Westling's brother, Nick, who sounds just like Chris if you want to get a little like nostalgic. Plus, Nick's a very entertaining man in his own right. Great analyst. Great see Cincinnati Bengals against the Buffalo Bills Monday Night Football. That's how you close a slate. You gotta stick the landing on that one. Greggy blow that recap Troy me Nick,

All the big names do not blow that. Nick likes to point out, Um, you know, this show has really taken off since he's joined the Monday night show, the preview show with his locks. He's not wrong. And then we'll be back Tuesday with another episode with the gang altogether. So thank you everybody for listening. Happy New Year, Happy new Year, another year around the NFL podcast. It's happening. It's all happening, Tillman and Night Football. He'd the call s