2023 Super Wild Card Recap Part 1

The Around the NFL podcast, No floating trash bags. This week from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It is Around the NFL, the flagship program, the Playoff edition, the first of for these bad boys, this one being well, that's not even right because we're gonna have a double recap.

I know it feels very strange that as we talk, there's ten teams left that can win the Super Bowl. We're coming off a high scene the team of atl from a year ago win that game, and that game, to me, it didn't save the weekend, and because I don't think the weekend needed saving, but we needed a game like that that was tight, and there's game management decisions to talk about, because the other two were Sessler

So it had a little bit blow your mind blowout.

Yeah, And I mean that creates very juicy storylines. I mean some of the wreckage and there are there have been some floating trashback operations this weekend, and there will be consequences.

Oh, that is certainly true. In fact, Mark's gonna take them out back. In fact, let us get going here, and we're going to start with uh, I was gonna say the blow the blowout no one saw coming. There were a couple of those this weekend, but the one that went down in Texas today, there will be there will be reverberations, I think. So there will be tremors, there will be earthquakes, there will be dams breaking, there will be people swallowed by swarms of locus. That's that

First in ten football at the thirty eight of Dallas play action of bootleg left half boot leg?

Why don't put down the right side plus go turns out? Touchdown? Touchdown? Bloot lush craig a dagger, Hey, dagger, right to the heart of the Cowboys.

Oh my goodness. Ooo, bongas are nice. This is fancy when we get this is the official Big Funk theme song. The Randy Shah beds behind the glass. Die hard Packers fan. You know, there's another dude, seems like a nice guy that we watch these games in the theater here who's a Packers fan. And he came in up the steps during the late game, and everybody gave hi a little

I get that there will be a lot of daktok, and there should be, and we'll get to that too, but it wouldn't have mattered when you score six offensive touchdowns in your first seven drives, when you say we're not kicking the ball off, we're not deferring to the second half.

We're taking the ball.

And even when we can't run the ball the first couple plays of the game, we're gonna keep running the ball until it works. And we're gonna eat up seven and a half minutes of clock and score a touchdown on that very first guy, and we're gonna keep piling it up. And then when we come out of halftime, when you think you have a chance because you just scored a touchdown, make it a little closer at halftime. That to me was the moment of the game. They

And they did it all day today.

And when it mattered, Green Bay just lined up and they said, Michael Parsons, you're not gonna get near Jordan Love and you're not gonna get near Aaron Jones. In the second half, they made this Cowboys team look soft as hell, and they put up a forty burger before the fourth quarter started.

I can't believe not a single sack for the Dallas defense. I think a big narrative was like ken Micah Parsons make life incredibly tough for Jordan Love. I mean I just saw wide open wide receivers over and over. I mean Romeo Dobs one hundred yards before halftime.

Where was Parsons? He had like one pressure in the whole game.

I mean also he got dinged up later on, But like what we came to know and like respect about Dallas's defense completely vanished today and what we thought Jordan Love could be he tripled and quadrupled it today.

I mean it's like, where how far can they go?

I don't know.

If they play like this, they can take anyone on.

And even Aaron Jones, who had I think thirty yards in the first half, but you could tell he was running well, and that has been a weakness of this Dallas defense. Right able to just run right up the gut and I thought he'd down the stretch was such a huge difference maker for the Packers and really humbled Dallas. I mean I thought they were They come out of this with like as you said, Dan Tremor's earthquakes problems, huge questions. And we haven't even talked about Dak Prescott.

Yeah, the Packers there lost.

Aaron Jones goes over one hundred yards with three touchdowns and Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns with I think a perfect passer rating. You had the Darnell Savage picked six for sixty four yards. This was a game that was twenty seven nothing going into halftime before the Cowboys got on the board on the last play of the second quarter. It ballooned up to what was it at a ties point in the third quarter. I mean this this game was an absolute.

Forty eight to sixteen at the beginning of the fourth quarter. There you go, when Jordan Love hit that little side pocket, Orde shot just absolutely ridiculous into a into a pinhole.

I'll tell you what a big, a big picture narrative this weekend is that elite defenses quote unquote are a myth because between what we saw from the Browns on Saturday and the Cowboys on Sunday, all the talk about these defenses to get shredded the way they did, and with Jordan Love, he is my goodness, I mean, what he has been able to do in these last two and a half months now, it really does evoke memories of the rise of Rogers and if you're old enough, the rise of barv And I thought it was so

Love on that first throw to Dobbs, which I think was for about twenty two yards where it was second and thirteen on that first drive, and he's back pedaling and he's about to get crunched by Odigga diggies do it and he just makes it look so easy. And there were about six or seven throws like that in this game. That just reminded me. When you go through this season and you think of the best performances by a quarterback in any game all season, Jordan Love is

There was an incredible second half catched by Romeo Dobbs on a precise broken play throw by Jordan Love.

It's like he just was dialed in from wire to wire.

Here is Lafleur, the aforementioned Laflow who had a wonderful game himself on Jordan Love. Oh, Jordan Love. Wow. That was That's about all I can say. Bete is wow. And Mark he has he's got another quarterback and yep, and dating back to nineteen ninety two to present and now for the in the beyond. Now the Packers feel set up with a potential, not just a star. This guy's playing like a superstar. And what makes the Packers fascinating is that he's not alone. It's just not him.

Right like the much maligned Joe Berry defense, which caused multiple turnovers in the first half, and the final score is not indicative. I thought they did a nice job on Ceedie Lamb. He was double. You saw them trippled at certain points and like that. I always thought that the key for Dallas to get off to a fast start was have Ceedee Lamb dominate this game, and he really was not a factor until garbage time and a bunch of junk happen late like these the thirty two

And ask a question, how much do you how And this is not to take away from Barry or what Green Bay did today, but how much can you say is the Packers in their scheme and their players, and how much, honestly, Greg, do you have to like be honest and say the Cowboys choked in this game. Yes, they gagged, and they played at a far lesser level than we saw for the entire season, and you get like that's gonna be obviously be blown up in what

Yes, they after falling down early and then the first Dak interception, which that Dak said after the game he played poorly, that he played a terribly and I sucked, which is wild because he threw for four hundred yards in the end in the seven first times, but he knew that the important part of the game was the

Well, they're not in Charlotte injuries. Is a pup ponder. It was little for it was lit honestly like it was no better.

Feeling like there's a few quarterbacks who are thrown me multiple picks in my career and Jack is now one of them.

So he's along with my top qbs.

I feel like JayR, Alexander and my eldest son Jack would be like good buddies if they hung out. So yeah, Dak is now on Jaire's list, and Dak is going to This is going to be one of those losses where it will continue to stick to the ribs of everyone associated with the Dallas Cowboys. And you wonder if Mike McCarthy, the head coach, as an example, will even have a job after this. You wonder if Dan Quinn, who seemed to be a shoe in to get a job elsewhere the DC the highest paid DC in the league.

Hit that on Peacock.

Put it on Peacock. Absolutely worth it. And make sure if you're gonna put it on cocka the picture is clear the whole time. Just just something unsolicited advice. Here is Jerry immediately after the game talking to the media about what's next and how this was a loss almost like no other for him. It seems like the.

Most painful because we all had such great expectation and we had hope for this team, and I thought that we were aligned in a great shape, in a great shape, but it didn't happen for us. And it's just fresh show on me right now as it is or anybody else. But I don't I won't to get into any of the addressing of any aspects.

Of any part of it.

From the coaching to the players once around the corner, but a personal basis, how I'm full for dam so.

I mean, it's the Dallas Cowboys.

They're an experience exclusive to themselves in all of American sports, and it feels like it's an annual meeting with Jerry Jones discussing the disappointment that ends it all in January. It's three years in a row, and as you know, as problematic as the past two exits for Dallas were disorganized, discombobulated, final minute defeats under the watch of Mike McCarthy, I mean, this is a bigger disaster because I you know, how

It's the same.

And it's like because it's the Cowboys, because it's Dak Prescott, because it's Jerry Jones. I think that Mike McCarthy obviously is on a hotter seat than you could ever have imagined.

There's no chance of coming no, I think what you can do about it, because he's like a good coach and deserves respect. But the way they talked about all year that his future is going to be determined based on how this year finished.

This said it, this knows.

All that mattered right this game, And I like, I, you know, I brought it up as a hypothetical on Thursday Show that you know, you have someone like Bill Belichick sitting out there, and I just wonder if you're Jerry Jones, who already has a wandering eye in the pass for someone like Sean Payton, does everything turn and change in a way where someone like Belichick winds up with Els.

We'll see, But Mike McCarthy's future couldn't be shaking.

Jerry Jones is turning eighty two this year and this he just said it like this is a loss that really hurts. And they were certain this team was different. We were we visited this team back in July. You could just see the optimism just pouring out from every

Right, he said he was stunned.

I read Calvin watchword is one of the best Cowboys reporters out there, and he said the people that have covered this team at least for ten plus years didn't see this coming, not at all. And I do think that is there is something about them being Charlie Brown and Lucy pulling the football away. That's like, I think part of the reason they never see it coming is because they think that it couldn't be coming.

It can always be coming.

Like they sort of get in their own little cycle of like we're believing the hype and like, of course you could get blown out by a good young team that's coming if you're not on it. Like nothing that happened about this season and how they set it up is gonna make any difference when you get out there today and when you fall down in the game. They kind of just showed who they were, which is in a spot I think it's tough. When you got the home crowd there, you feel that that tension. They are

It's like, what do you do this?

This Packers team is going to be around for like all these teams are going to be around for one.

And I know the the the highly educated membership of the Football Gogna Zent, they is going to say this is ridiculous. But I really do think and the ghosts have become a thing around the Cowboys, and I think it seeps in under the doors and in through the windows and down the chimney at the Star and it's become this added layer of pressure. Now like when is when are things going to be different this year? And I think the team takes it, takes it with him.

I think.

That angst like starts with Jerry Jones because he speaks about the team and the experience of losing in a way that not other owners would would be as personally like open about the thing.

I like that about Joe.

I like it too, But I mean I think that that's where the weight begins. But I do think it's a surprising loss in the sense that you know, I got absolutely surprised home and away splits. Maybe maybe they don't, they don't mean much, but like Dallas at home was its most dominant version of itself. I mean, it's like destroyed teams and so for this to have and it's completely atypical to anything else that we saw happening in Dallas to this Cowboys team, let.

Me rephrase it. It is surprising, but maybe we shouldn't have been surprised, and like retrospect, like sure, maybe the clues were there all along.

Well, the clue, the number one clue is they were playing one of the best quarterbacks in the league who was playing playing free and could create in a way that Dak, who I'm always defending but hasn't in a big spot. And I do feel like he held the ball a little too long. He wasn't seeing the field tonight. He's gripping the ball a little too tight in the first half, and Love is out there making something out of nothing in a way that Dak just just wasn't.

Then oh yeah, you can.

Celebrate you are and oh the Cowboys weren't the only people having a rough Sunday. The Westling Brothers or I should say Nick continue their stumble and guess what, they no longer occupy second place alone. Wow, But that way they locked up the Cowboys and that did not work out.

Isn't this the guy used to get on me for, you know, taking like four or five point favorites.

Here he would get on me for not being bold.

Here he is taking a set desperate time seven and a half and then he'sake.

Seven yeah half. See nobody saw it coming. Nobody saw it. They should have seen it coming. Because Jordan Love is a rising superstar and we'll give him the last word before we go to our next game. Because he got he you know, it's it's noteworthy that Dak, a guy that's gonna get MVP votes, was clearly outplayed in his own building by the kid in his first full season as a starter. This is how he I think it

Problem with that?

Okay, Packers, why do you think?

I know you kind of.

I was like, I think, if you're gonna mimic him, like, let you go a little bit more.

I think he did.

He threaded the needle there where he had fun with it, but he wasn't being like a dick to Dak personally. So I think that's what he probably didn't want to like mimic him.

Imagine Jamis Winston had that opportunity. I know it's hard to imagine him a final kneel down to win a playoff game. But imagine he would have put it would have won.

An oscar for I think he would have pulled it off in a different way.

Packers Niners. Is the Saturday game next year? Oh, that is a delicious Division Round game. Is giving me a flashbacks that Colin Kaepernick back in the day against the Niners.

I believe in this same round.

Oh, I don't need to tell you football fans, Divisional Round weekend is the best of the year. But we're not through Wildcard round yet. Uh, let's go to the other game on Sunday. It was the only game that was decided by less than a touchdown, this one just one point. It was going off at Ford Field on Sunday night. Here we go. Golf works out of the gun.

Second down to nine, two minutes to go.

There's golf back looking looking throws.

It is caught Harvid ross Day Crown first sucking to do it?

Can it do it not? Can it do it?

Turn up delivers against this former team.

Now all they have to do is takeing me three times hit. This game will be over. Ah for the second time since nineteen fifty seven, for the first time since January fifth, nineteen ninety two.

Yeah, the Detroit Lions are gonna win a playoff game.

Yeah, Dan Miller with the call you of course you bring the bungos. Oh, it's playoff season for em rats behind the glass two. Dan Miller, the voice of the Lions, who's been through the bad times. Like the Lions fans, he was there. He was on the mic for Owen sixteen.

You had like Lions fans, and they cut to an eighty nine year old Lions fan, a very famous guy who's been going there for sixty years, that we're literally just shedding tears. And I sometimes it's hard to gauge the sound in the stadium depending on how the mics are set up on some of these stations, and it's like this place was on fire, and I found myself.

That's how they won the game. Greg that was a chance and a lot of teams run the ball, take it to the two minute warning, punt it away and then ask your defense to make the stop. But Campbell is shown all throughout his tenure he puts the faith in the guys that he trusts the most.

It was such a fitting ending for last year's team of atl I mean, this was what we loved about this team, and then they struggled a little bit and then they had it.

It was right there.

You're right in those final minutes because number one, it takes balls to throw the pass there, but number two, it takes intelligence to do it on the second down. Don't wait for the third down when they're possibly knowing that you're gonna have a higher likelihood to pass in that situation. And they can run some games up front, or they can send the blitzer, whatever they're gonna do. Trust a guy in Amano, Saint Brown, to run a route that he said after the game, you know they've

No, I know he wouldn't have.

Been You know that he wouldn't have hit it. It would have been a fifty one yarder. Or they could have gone for it on fourth and four. And that's the reason I think ultimately that Campbell said no, we're going to accept the penalty, because I thought that that was actually a very bold decision to push them back to third and fourteen because I think he's thinking, either they can.

Kick the field goal or they go for fourth and fourth.

I'm gonna go ahead and trust my defense to go make another play. And who wins again on the next play the guy they took second overall, Aiden Hutchinson. And I know Rams fans will be complaining about that miss pass interference for a long time. And they did miss it. It was a bad miss call. It was a type of bad miss call though that happens right.

And aids fans will tell Rams West, but a missed call in the.

Price, It was kind of like a subtle play by Camsutt and I think where like, I'm not gonna go crazy.

They missed the call.

But part of the reason that happened is because Kaminski and Aiden Hutchinson both won quickly and forced the difficult situation. And so like, that's big time players season on the line, stepping up in a big time moment, Aiden Hutchinson.

And you mentioned the sound inside Ford Field, and that was the first playoff game in the history of that building, which has not been around, you know, it's been around

Just really proud of him, you know, and what he means to us and his play today, and I bring it back again. He's one of the reasons that we won this division and he's another reason why we just won our first playoff game here in thirty years.

So what a stud I want more Campbell, give me Campbell on the line's getting another home game. I know this.

We were fighting for the two seed and we get to get another home game, and we got another home game, So it's awesome and we had to earn that, and we earned that with a win today.

They sure did. And by the way, all the drama around that two point conversion that I wiped out against the Cowboys, it's all gone because the Cowboys got their ass booted out of the postseason. So the lines now move up to the highest seed besides obviously the Niners, which means they get this second home.

Game, and that feels that just feels just and it's I think for all of us because that was a the low moment and it's like, we don't want the officials being the center of all this. I just it's like the Jared Goff experience because Brad Holmes, who obviously came from the belly of the Rams to become the general manager of the Lions, like showed incredible faith in Goff, like threw a lot of ups and downs here and also is the architect of a team that is like

Goff opens fourteen for fifteen.

It's nearly pristine in the first half, and it almost overshadows the fact that Matthew Stafford and we were watching this the other like through three or four of the most incredible passes you'll see, but Golf did too.

Gough made very few mistakes.

I go back to one incredible looping arching throw to Amorran Saint Brown with the team up twenty one to seventeen.

It's like golf can do it.

And he's grown a lot before our eyes, and I think he's become a different kind of person. And I think it's just a great NFL story to have the team put faith into him.

He's not just a placeholder.

And he came tonight and delivered and played one of his best performances of all time.

I mean, he played great.

And there is something about Dan Miller saying second time since nineteen fifty seven that actually hits harder than the first playoff wins since ninety one. Yeah, I mean that was like seven years before, like the Civil Rights Act nineteen fifty seven, and it's only either the second playoff victory that is absolutely preposterous.

And you're right.

Sometimes you can win the game in the first half like that. And they won it by winning in the red zone, even though they did not run the ball well tonight. I was impressed by the Rams defense pretty much stuffing the Lions run. After the first drive or two, the Lions go three for three in the red zone. The Rams go zero for three in the red zone. M they got a little pass happy in the red zone,

And here's next gen stats. Greg yeh fifty nine receiving yards after contact, the fourth most in any game this season.

He was a fifth round pick that came into the league. I don't think you can argue this this year was unquestionably a top five receiver in the league. And it wasn't just like scheme got gets him open or anything. You watched it tonight, he wasn't even that open half the time. He's just running over guys and making contested catches. And as great as Golf was, if I'm gonna give Golf an a minus for this game, maybe like a ninety two, it's like I would give Stafford one hundred.

He played incredible and I do I mean.

I he went over three in the red zone, so you gotta ding the quarterback a little bit there, but I don't want to take away from because he did play incredibly well.

Some of those like the third and nineteen early where he throws it across his body to keep that drive alive when they were down fourteen three. You just had so many throws that other quarterbacks couldn't make, and he was just getting absolutely brutal as he finishes with three sixty seven and two. They finished with almost one hundred yards more than the Lions. They were moving the ball. They looked like they were going to win this game.

Mcvay's obviously a great coach, but this was.

Literally by the subject of my like thing on Thursday in the Dreamatorium, is these coaches blowing timeouts to use delay of games. And we've been talking about it on this podcast for four or five years that McVeigh always

The finished one more drive and mar somehow splits the uprights one more time. They win twenty six, twenty four, and it all makes sense. But yeah, it would you lose by a point that it looks much better.

The Lions, for instance, did hit a fourth down in the red zone for a touchdown.

That's what they do.

Fight White play well.

I think that's the distinct different nature of these two coaches, and you kind of have to live with that with McVeigh for all the positive two But yeah, drives ending at the six, the nine, and eleven.

Poka Nakua, one more thing about him? Where's Walker Rosenthal by the way, I'm sure he's he's upset. The Rosenthal houses upset. The Rams are out of the playoffs. However, it was a good year for the Rams. They're ahead of schedule. Pooka. It's crazy watching this game because it's so how clear it is that Pooka is their number one wide receiver and it's Cup that's their number two.

And you know, the finality of it is still kind of it doesn't totally resonate, But man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group.

You know, they.

They helped me find my way again, and how much I love this and love the people that I'm around.

I was texting with Jordan Rodrig of the of the Athletic, of the rod Rig that's next He's going to buy out the Athletic from the New York Times, just worrying or wondering when the Rams special teams gaff will come

Punt, I forget who were the punt was struggled.

That's like when the Glover's character threw the chainsawp in the air when he was doing the ice sculpture. Like there there were so many moments that the Rams, uh, it almost happened. But this this is really ultimately mark about the Lions in a special day for them, and they they their journey continues.

No, it would have been like, uh a letdown for them after all of this to not pull out this win. And I do think like for the critique of McVeigh and I hear you're saying Greg like in general, like coaching is is better than ever and like the McVeigh journey in this two matters to me because.

That depends what team you're talking about.

By going, well, no, I'm saying like, if you're a Rams fan like this season.

One of the best coaches in the league.

You do want to get you do, and like I think I think he's revived, and I think this this brought him like a some you know, a whole new like breadth of fresh air, and like this was a five months ago where talking about the fact that Matthew Stafford probably or likely could be traded before the deadline, and we got the best Matthew Stafford season. So the Rams, like, I think there's a lot of hope ahead because of the way they're rebuilding their team too.

I think that's true.

And before we go, like and maybe this is the the fan in me, I was definitely rooting for the Rams going one, and now the Lions are the team I want to win the Super Bowl the most. But I do know we've been in this spot after playoff losses and said that so many different times, and I think this one hurts cut for either team. Was such an opportunity. The lines are either going to get the Eagles or the Bucks. The Rams would have played the Eagles or the Bucks. Matthew Stafford to me is playing

They were one of the most fun teams to watch.

Oh, Greggy, this.

Was a heat check, Greg, And like Peyton Pritchard when he just like pulls up from thirty after he's hit like four street threes.

I did miss this one.

You almost got it in this year of years, Greg, I bet you were thinking the whole time, it's gonna come out. Rosenthal.

In the end, I thought that I really was convinced the Rams were going to win this game.

Throughout I was. I was surprising how that thing ended.

All right. And lastly, before we take a break, two telecast notes. Loved Tariko and he lives in ann Arbor. He's a Michigan guy. He was juiced for this game. I like seeing that. I like emotion and people like being real to them, true to themselves. He wasn't come out coming out right and saying it until Collins were teat them up at the end of the telecast that he's from the area. But he had a line at the end, if you want to text the Lions fan congrats on the playoff win, do it. It will be

I mean, he doesn't land with the same gund It's like those other three.

It's like having a mount Rushmore and then putting Gerald Ford is the fourth guy.

We don't need it, Big Sean taking strays at a big spot.

Gerald Ford too. All right, let's take a break. We'll be right back.

Block out of the gun one back after motion, it's hunt flock, go to throw flock.

Oh, hitch pickcock. Oh, here we going to the left.

Twenty five twenty tix.

Seat ten to five touchdown Christian Harris. That's the second one, the second pick six of the game.

That's why they pay that guy. Welcome to Houston, Joe Flacco. Oh.

The Texans team pouring it on in the third quarter with two touchdowns.

Sus Dogs, we have a new Sension power Aid flavor down in Houston.

I think it's very possible.

Mark's face when he said, welcome to Houston, Joe Flagger.

Yeah, im porton some salt on the wound. I found it unnecessary from Andre Ware with his play by play man Mark Vandermere of Heilt. But you get their excitement because the Houston Texans absolutely dismantled the Cleveland Browns forty five to fourteen. The Texans route Cleveland, a game that started close, started looking like it was going to be a shootout, and then yes, mistakes by the Browns, the back to back pick sixes ended the game. But Mark, as you know, and I'm sure was not a pleasant

A complete disaster for Cleveland and an incredibly promising term of events for CJ. Stroud and the Texans who kind of feel like the AFC's packers to me right now, I think Cleveland, like everything over the past month plus in the Joe Flacco, you know, segment of this season that you could hang your hat on, just didn't show

It wasn't it didn't.

Look good, but they were in it, and you know, you kind of thought, like in the past, Flaco was found a way productive, why production wise, to get out of it. But in this game, like the Amari Cooper that fried the Texans a couple of weeks ago, not

And if you're gonna tell me in any of these games that.

Your starting quarterback is gonna go throw back to back pick sixes, like on the road.

You're not gonna win. And it's like, I don't know, Cleveland.

Cleveland's defense at home has allowed the least amount of points per game, but quietly, this nugget that was sitting out there as a bit of a menace was that they've allowed the most points in the league on the road. And so there was some easy It's a very strange breakdown, but there was some concern going in about what which version of the Browns defense would show up in this and c J.

Stroud is the story of the game. He was He was beautiful.

Sixteen of twenty one, two seventy four, three touchdowns, thirteen yards per attempt, Greggie perfect passer rating. And it could have even been crazier because he missed like a sixty seventy yard bomb in the first half to who was that? Nico Collins otherwise have been even crazier. He was a complete command in this game.

Right.

The pick sixes will stick on our memories and Obviously they were massive to happen back to back, especially that first one when it's only ten points. But that point of the game, I was thinking, man, the Browns are lucky to be down only ten. Their defense no showed much like the Cowboys game, like there will be like the quarterback for the Browns and the offense disappointed, no question, But I don't think that the defense gave the Browns a chance to win this game no matter what. And

What come down Greg.

Of this game? Like and you think back to like his very first throw of the game. Actually they had a dump off that first throw. But then the second throw of the game, they are getting right into Stroud's grill and he gets to twenty one yards like layering it, leading Nico Collins into very tricky zone coverage and he had four or five of those type of throws. The second pass actually of that drive that Schultz dropped, that was another missed opportunity. They actually had a first and

In the end, I mean, I'm glad you brought it up. Mark, It's funny. It's like the Spider Man meme. The Texans and the Packers to ten and seven teams that just

I think.

Also they're both well coached and like I'm glad you mentioned like Bobby Slog because earlier on in the year, one thing that it was noted that he did was they, you know, their offensive line was banged up, and he did a good job of like creating certain protections for Stroud And like against Cleveland's pretty ferocious pass rush, like they moved the pocket a lot, they found a way to nullify that pass rush. He was getting the ball out really quick and they were aggressively striking down field.

It was just like a couple missed assignments. And then the Brevin Jordan play where you know Ausa Cormoa, who was incredible otherwise, was like the best defensive player on the field for either team. I think he had four or five tackles for loss and was the one guy playing but him and another defender. They both kind of flash at Jordan at the same time and run into each other and Jordan ends up like running through for

Almost all that came at home.

Think about every defense that has been hoisted up at some point this season. They have had games where they weren't just bad, they were atrocious, And I just wonder what that's all about. I wonder I was thinking more like big picture, I was thinking about that is have anything to do with the almost unprecedented loss of starting quarterbacks across the league this year. Did some of these

CJ is the reason why we're in this position. He's special, special young man. Special player continues to shine no matter how big the moment is. Like our whole team is leaning on him, and he has the shoulders to carry that weight and he shows up week at the week. He continues to improve week at the week. No moment

And Mark, I want to also give the floor here to Joe Flacco because even though this game went poorly and the pick sixes will be remembered, it was an incredible run for Flacco, who really electrified and ignited that entire fan base. Before the clock struck midnight, here's Flacco on the end.

This is why we love football. This is why we love NFL playoffs. It's fourteen really good football teams and it's one game, and you know, unfortunately for us, but just fortunately, in just the general sense of everything, there's always a winner and a loser, and today, like I said, unfortunately for us, we were the loser. But that's what

Mark he's a free agent at the end of the year, and Deshaun Watson is obviously still the future of this franchise. So based on his play, you imagine he's gonna search for somewherehere he can play next year, which means just like that, Flaco Browns seems like it's over. It's amazing how quickly just things change.

It's uh.

I mean, we have Deamar Hamlin sitting out there as the overt comeback player of the year, but I can't think of too many case studies where someone who's played a third of the season has an incredible case to be the comeback Player of the Year. The Browns aren't in this position without Joe Flacco doing what he did week after week. And really, I think I felt like I saw a different version of Joe Flacko with a person came back from this exodus completely.

I feel at ease with himself.

He brought leadership to a position in Cleveland that has not had strong leadership from the quarterback. They've had chaos. That makes the whole of Shaun Watson thing. It brought a nice feeling to Cleveland season. I don't really it ended the way it did almost easier that it ended forty five to fourteen. There wasn't a lot of what ifs the thing melted, But Joe Flacker was one of the better stories for Brent's fans about them.

Mark what if it was the other way around? What if the brown forty five fourteen and then he plays well next week? Like what would Cleveland have done? In some ways it makes it more cut and dry, which doesn't necessarily mean good things for the Browns because who knows what Watson holds in the future with this organization, right, but there's little question now where things go.

And they had a fun run.

I hate the I personally don't like the sports talk show attitude of like, well, if you don't win a title, it's like, what was the point of it? Is, Like, the point is you're having fun along the way. That that's what that's what life is. They had some fun along the way. You're not going to get a title. One team gets a title at.

The ends where an organization is like when you're you keep on getting there and you can't get over there. I get it, but you can at least different.

Though, right, And but even if you can enjoy, enjoy the process and enjoy the week, the winds that you get along the way, no matter what, team was a special team because it had those wins like the forty nine ers win, and it had the defense at times was so special and flaccoh it's a it's a thud of an ending, and unfortunately the opponent makes you think about the long term of it all. It's kind of crazy how little pop the Watson trade got in all this.

Mark's in the room. Great, calm down.

Well, I'm just saying from a from a team building perspective, and it's kind of crazy. Houston legend, Andre Ware. You remember those running shoot teams at the University of Houston back then.

And you've got a coach, because I think this matter is too You've got a coach that beat Coach of the Year candidate Shane Stike in a year ag and Coach of the Year candidate Kevin Or a week ago, and Kevin Stefanski this week two weeks.

Yeah, and the Stike and that was a closely fought game.

And Ryan's who I think has If their defense had been a top five defense this year, he would have definitely won Coach of the Year. And I think Stevanci's gonna win it on.

That should have been the Coach of the Year Bowl. We should now.

It's kind of much smarlso vote on these things like during the playoffs or something.

There is a case to be made to just vote on everything after the playoffs. It'd be a big disadvantage if you were on a team that threw no fault to your own, like didn't make it, you know, like a defensive player of the Year or something like that. But I think there's something to be said that wouldn't be crazy. But they mixed things up a lot. Stingley had not traveled all year with the opposing top receiver.

Yeah, they didn't sack him in the first game, and I know that case Keenan was the quarterback for Houston, so that was a whole different situation. But Flacco was protected well in that first game behind that same offensive line. I think you're right all the injuries because they were so banged up upfront up to him.

Big time.

Texans.

Get the Ravens next week, the early Saturday game. If the Bills come through and win on on Monday, pretty simple.

If the Bills, it's like seven plus four.

Yeah.

If the Bills lose to the Steelers as ten point favorites, and what a ghastly moment.

That would be.

They don't need the stealers.

Then we would get Texans Chiefs, which would be a rematch of the divisional round a few years ago. You know, the Texans, I believe, are the only team in n in the NFL that have never been to a conference championship game. Mike Crazy, I think the Texans, they are the only franchise to never road playoff game, along the only one to never ap. Yeah, that makes sense a conference championship game. So they have now reached the furthest.

They've they're the patrons, say, of West of Us, which we just celebrated. Yeah one and done's all over the place with the with the Bengals through the years. All right then, right, so so so, so we have one more game to hit. I had one more thing I wanted to share there, but now it's gone. It happens. I was so caught up in Gregg's comments, it.

Escaped your mind.

Here's the thing.

Sometimes it comes back, but we've already moved on to the next game, and that hurts too.

Do it hurts? But I think we've done this show a long time. Mark.

I want to give Dan the grace to if it comes back during the next game, it's back. We can have an official time out or some some sort of song and you give us that's already back.

Oh okay, all right, well it's and the only disappointment it's not. It's not. All I wanted to say was respectfully, because I love the divisional round so much. Pittsburgh Steelers are not invited to my divisional round now, so we we do not want any upsets. We want chalk for this Monday game to be played, maybe in a blizzard, maybe not.

No, I think that was worth it. I think it was. I appreciate it respectfully. Just like the dis you can't come.

You've issued your edict.

All right, let's move on. It's time now for the Sunday Drive presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander. You know what you want to hear? Something funny, my wife says to me. So my wife says to me. My wife says to me, oh, you know a car I kind of like the Grand Highlander. And I say, I says to her, I've been talking about that damn car all year on the podcast. And she went no because she doesn't listen to the show. But I don't know.

Listened to this show.

Oh no, mine hasn't either.

Well, that's Hilander people, Johnny Hilander out there.

I know you love the show.

Dan just gave you, like a free one minute pop that's worth an action.

My wife wants your car. Can you give me the car. I'll drive the car. I'll talk about how much I like the car. Let's get to the game without further ado. A game played in some of the most miserably cold conditions in the history of professional football. Edwards Larry's in the game now. Running back Tay fake to him my.

Home soares right, Sarry top Rice at the five touchdown. City rookie rush Hey Rice his first postseason touchdown.

Eleven York trussing pattern.

And just like Germany, the Chiefs have an outstanding opening drive thro a touchdown to.

Start the game. I thought, what you talking about?

Like historical jermyn like just.

Like, don't get Greg going. We don't need to tea Greg up for some old h talk. We catch my drift.

Just like Germany, an alliance will decide the future of our company and we will have to take away that.

We don't need it. We didn't need it and now we got it, So thank you to you. Mark just passed out. Uh, Mitch Holtis, I'm just getting out of the way. Wtf with the call? Are the Chiefs gonna rope a dope us here? Raci Rice has a big, big game in his playoff debut. Eight catches for a buck thirty and a touchdown, another score called back in a dumb penalty by the Chiefs, and Kansas City easily takes care of business against a Dolphins team that, let's

Yup.

I thought it was an incredible case study on that front, because I you know, this matters like McDaniel's teams are four and ten in games played in December and January over the last two years, sixteen and six and others, and a lot of that has to do with, you know, you bring teams down to South Beach early on in the year, and teams are not ready for in the reverse one hundred plus degree temperature.

The boat race them.

You boat race them, and they finished one in six against playoff teams this year and you're facing a quarterback.

Because I thought that was exactly true.

The Chiefs looked comfortable in this climate much more so. Mahomes is twenty one and six in his career and games played in forty degrees or colder that matters. They're just they And I think you could lean on one thing. You knew their defense would show up at home, and they absolutely did. I think the Dolphins didn't convert a third down until some part of the fourth quarter. Like so everything that you thought Miami could maybe do, they

I know, I I but cold, Like multiple things can be true here. The Dolphins could be not ill prepared for this moment. This could be the worst game of the weekend. It was, and it could also be the Chief's best game of the season. And I don't even think it was a question. Like there was a game against the Chargers that they played a pretty complete brand of ball and finished close, but even that was a

Andy Reid talked about it afterwards.

Pat had a nice day just right from the gig go. I mean, I don't think they were anticipating us throwing the quite as much as we did, but we were able to come out and sling it. A lot of quarterbacks can't do that what he did in that kind of weather.

Yeah, And you know, talked about that on Thursday too, that you have Mahomes and you have Kelsey and it's like they're gonna make some plays in these conditions. And then it was like can the other team do that? And it's funny thing about Mahomes in general, like he kind of walks funny and he kind of talks funny, and he doesn't he doesn't even he doesn't even move very gracefully for one of the great athletes in the

And they had those sustained drives that I was talking about, so they took me. That was kind of portant. They did get one more touchdown. We didn't see a lot of ten, twelve, thirteen play drives out of this Chiefs team for a long time.

I three five of them, so that was pretty good. I agree with you.

I just I can't because I've been down this road with this team this year as as we all have, where you you kind of buy in on them again. I thought the opponent was perfect for them, Mark, I could say it now and your showman, and I respect you. I can't believe you locked up the Dolphins against me in this one. This I can't either. This was a Kansas City team that just was I mean, you couldn't have put it on a platter for well.

I did literally poorly for the confrontation in the in the but I yeah, but about four minutes into this game, I realized that was a dune Dolphins.

I mean they could not wait. There was a drive, I think their penultimate drive where I actively seemed like they were trying to run out the clock like they they We're a team that was ready to get on the bus, and I think it's gonna be interesting to see what's next around the Dolphins after this game. Obviously McDaniel loves Toua, and I don't think TWOA is like gonna be We're not gonna be talking about his job

Nobody on this team really harbored all the excuses, the kind of whether all the different variables that people would talk about injuries, whether all that stuff we came here to win didn't happen.

And it is fair to say Greg point out not to make excuses, because he's not making excuses. But they're missing so many key players on their defense. So in addition to the conditions not being conducive to what they liked to do, they were just missing so many playmakers that that factored in the Kansas City.

Successful The defense of injuries especially gave them almost no chance in this game. In retrospect, I think it was six defensive starters, and it was like, you know, their best is so many of their best defensive I mean six. It's a lot in their offensive line n because they couldn't run the ball. But ultimately I think they had one touchdown in their final sixteen offensive possessions, so like that really wasn't where the I know, they weren't totally

It was a second and one.

I don't know if you remember it, where he just threw one of those It was like a swing pass. Was it two moster just when it hit the helmet and no, and it hits the dirt and that was gonna be a forty yard play and he just threw it in the dirt. And then the very next play they got pressure on him and he throws one of those two floaters where he like tries to throw it over the defender that's in his face and ends up being an interception, and that they made him hold the ball.

The play clock down to five four three.

He threw for a six yard loss on third and ten in the late hurry up situation, and then he threw short on fourth and sixteen, and it was just.

Like, man, I know I'm not piling on here. Although Dolphins fins, you know he's right about your team in the end, but is this a guy?

Is this the guy well, I think if we're gonna if we're gonna say it's the guy, or to wonder if Dak Prescott needs to be reevaluated in terms of, like the moment that matters most, Dak Prescott hasn't lived up to it. Now too, It didn't have a chance to play in the Blastar's playoff, But like, this is someone that in big, big moments and sort of like mirrors the entire Dolphins, has not shown up when it mattered the most late in the season.

I mean, this team just ran out of gas.

You lose fifty six to nineteen to Baltimore, you crumble against the Bills a week ago, and you know, show in the playoffs and it's like, if everything isn't perfect for Tua in the Dolphins, there seem to be real issues. And I think that's what gives me that's not how it works. He got to go into adversity. I know they're banged up, but every team's banged up.

He reminds me a little bit of like earlier career cousins. I think he's a he's well over, he's definitely ahead of the Dalton scale. He's in a top he's a top ten to twelve type of quarterback, maybe higher that would be on the lower end. But things are going to have to be right around him. But like that, that's always the question with quarterbacks like that. I think Dak's even another little level above that. But I think that's where he is. That he's a good quarterback, but

But that's just like so sloppy.

Uh, they couldn't really run the ball that The Chiefs were the better running team, which you wouldn't have expected. So like Mahomes, you look at this box score and it's like two for forty one running. That's a Mahomes running box score if I ever saw. And he had like two backbreaking runs in this game. So Tua was bad. He's gonna need everything around him, I think, to be like really good, and I think that's possible.

But he's not going to carry you.

Yeah, big decision impossible though, big decision over the court.

Everything needs to be perfect around your back.

That's perfect. But I just mean, like we s.

Three isn't kind to those type of quarterbacks when you're trying to win Lombardi.

But everything kind of it has been perfect around to for Law until the injuries mounted.

I mean, like the.

This, this defense and the injuries and everything in the way. I hear what you're saying, but I don't know. We've seen some like mid level quarterbacks win super Bowls or higher than mid level if but he's probably not gonna be like the top five guy year after year.

And and Dolphins fans have been trying to tell us.

That the Dolphins finished one and six against playoff teams this year with a minus one hundred and ten point differential. So yeah, a positive season in some ways, like the fact that to a state healthy played every game including the playoffs, was a great development, But there are big questions because they keep winning the super Bowl in September, but that's not how it works in the big picture.

And this Chiefs, I mean, this is unquestionably we knew it all season, but seeing it in the playoffs is unquestionably the best Chiefs defense we've ever seen. So we do have a Hall of Fame coach, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and the best defense that they've ever had. It's why you got to say they got a chance. I mean, if they're in Buffalo, you're saying they don't have a chance against Buffalo, they of course they do.

And if they're hosting Houston, they're the favorites in that game.

Not like they're a lock or anything, but either way, they got a chance. Karloft has had a nice game, like the whole defense showed up, played great.

That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Let's go places. Learn more at toyota dot com. Slash Grand Highlander. Great girlfriend work too by Taylor going to the game open air with the glass It was crazy. In fact, we're gonna do the Dreamatorium this week. By the way, that's I think three. That's the hat trick Dreamatorium references. Do

She emits like super loyal girlfriend vibes. She's a growing football fan and it's like the critique is annoying to me.

Right they show her like, oh what you showed the biggest star in the world who is dating one of the biggest stars in the game, Like, oh, five, dare you do? Like that little picture with the with the snow beforehand, and that was like from a movie.

That was amazing.

I anger that I see on social media, Like what do you expect? Greig just said, it's true. It's literally the biggest star in the world with Travis Kelcey in a relationship.

It's fine.

It's like, how does television work? This is how it works.

This is how culture works. It's good. It's part of the story of the chief season. Whether you like it or not. Stop being such a boring football head and wake up. There's a whole world in front of you.

Okay.

Sometimes you get on me for you know, contrarian takes and whatnot. Sometimes I was laughing because I'm going to hit you with a big one here hit me.

People need to calm down about Peacock. I mean, number one.

You going, company man is not surprised.

Company Man. This is how I really feel. Number one, Like.

Everyone goes out to like bars to go watch these these games. It's like how much you're putting down.

When everybody goes out to balls.

I'm just saying, like, you go out, you watch games, you go out to the bars, you watch a game or whatever.

Yes, how much is a beer at like just one story?

You're trying to get me in trouble right now. You want me to get into it debate that gets me fired.

What I'm saying is this is Greg hosting the show. I'm saying, like, you.

Don't even think twice about drinking, you know, putting down however much on to watch the games. So that and you're putting down six bucks or whatever for Peacock. Now it's like an NFL playoff game. It's incredibly entertaining. And then on the back end, it's like, oh, do I want to check out Season ten a Top Chef again?

Maybe I do? Maybe I do, Yeah, but maybe I want to go check that. I hear you, it's I get six dollars.

Calm down.

People pay six dollars for a coffee. There's lines out the door in Santa Monica to pay six dollars for someting your financial situation on everyone else.

I think the thing is like, if you're going to a bar, you're choosing to Like I tell you, you.

Could choose not to watch it or go to the bar if you don't want to watch it.

If you know, people's a lot.

Of people don't want to go to the bar. And and by the way, you know.

Go to your friends.

Yeah, make me what if you don't have friends? What if you just want to sit home and watch the game. But maybe you're not great with a smart.

So you paid so I would I guess I would venture to say in that scenario, six dollars is fine, Like, calm down, six dollars a month, No, but you just cancel it. You also don't know it's not a lifetime rate.

Don't throw me directly to a Ted the Talking Teddy Bear reboot immediately after the game. I didn't ask for that, right, nobody asked for that. Uh, go check out the box office that Ted two did. Everybody Ted had a moment. It was weird. I was talking about with my buddy Bob on text today, like it's weird, the whole Ted phenomenon. And then everybody was kind of like, all right, we're kind of done with Seth MacFarlane. Ted two came out as stiffed. He made a cowboy movie of some kind.

It's funny because when that popped on Walker, you want to I want to watch that? I was like, I don't know. That's an our, that's a hard r uh, don't need it. Holdovers available on Peacock. Great, great movie. Your what's your financial steak in Peacock? All right, I'll give you the last word on that one.

Mark.

I'm very happy for Greg and his over.

I just fed. I went and paid twenty bucks to go see Holdovers.

You know it would be saying who asked for Ted? Who has for more? Ted? Honestly not a human that I know. What? What was Mark Wahlberg like in nineteen ninety three? Well go read some stories about.

That now if you want to say, Jason Garrett popping out of nowhere after not announcing games all year, maybe he had one or two and he's suddenly in like one of the biggest games of the year, and he's saying to go for on their own thirty five by the way down twelve.

Good job by Garrett. It's like you would have never done that as a coach.

That was a big moment for analytics in general, that Jason Garrett is saying, Gopher fourth out on your own thirty five.

But maybe he's had a Mike McCarthy esque epiphany during his time away from the.

G I would like a little perhaps super bullpen there.

Okay, real quick before we say goodbye. We didn't talk Steeler bills, of course, because there was a nasty blizzard in western New York. That game was pushed till Monday.

And Governor, I mean, if you don't know that, what are you doing?

Big pop for the governor. By the way, it's a woman, right, She's getting a ton of Kathy. Yeah, Kathy's getting a ton ton of publicity out of this. Uh she said today she said sed Hoculey's wife, Kathy. It won't be pushed backed again. So that game happens tomorrow of course. Also the Bucks Eagles tomorrow, and we're gonna have the

Mark, it used to annoy you so much.

They were two and five, so I don't know where he thought they were dead.

They used to hate the idea that they got Rogers right after farm. That used to bother you so much. And now here we are and this team is better with Jordan Love. Does this annoy you?

I kind of felt going into this season that it was an exhaustion with Aaron Rodgers that I that I will experience it.

This is different. Will this bother you Mark, if we put it in this perspective because I tweeted, because it's still bothering.

We start talking about Peacock again, I'll start to get annoyed.

Brett Farv nineteen ninety nineteen ninety two to two thousand and seven, Aaron Rodgers two thousand and eight to twenty twenty two, Jordan Love twenty twenty three to two thousand and thirty eight, followed by a disastrous stay with the Jets, my entire existence.

So you'll get one super Bowl title about eight if divisional round in conference lasses and I'll take that.

It'll be fine a couple of weeks, big fun.

Look, I know it's weird to say it because a lot of people would consider themselves lucky to have what the Packers have had. But we've had some really tough losses. So to be here now, I feel I feel great. I feel good.

One second, turn up this music. Let's just groove to this, and then I want you to come back in. Ready, turn it up all the way on my headphones. All big bong. He's got killing big bunk all the way till twenty the font the big Bong, come back in. Baby, what's happening. Guys, I'm feeling good. I know you all, baby, Oh yeah, I'm feeling rengratulations about I'm happy for you. Randy is a really good dude. So and I haven't met too many jerk Packer fans.

No, that's that's It's not their fault that they've had this fortune. They're not an unlikable thing. They know ball, they know ball. They have a good group covering the team. I feel like, which which helps.

They're ten point underdogs, by the way, in San Francisco, So your Housemarke, give me all the points.

I don't know, I want it.

I love it.

This game.

This game really was like we were just happy to be there, you know, I think going and humble, going in just zen. That's been my mood all week because Zen, I'm just happy to be here. I'm happy to watch the game.

If I'm the Niners, I'm thinking, like, wait, how did Marion loving the Packers?

Next early prediction either the Packers or the Texans, and damn it, maybe both win next week. I love that.

I would not I've been saying for a long time.

I think Texans two to two playoff wins, and I think it's It's not even a remotely impossible concept that they could challenge the rate.

What if your hoisted on your own petard there? You know well that there was something about the football gods.

You're getting behind one other team this year, the Texans, and then they dismantle the Browns. What is up with the football gods? Why can't they just be cool?

I never I never liked the fact that Cleveland got Houston at all at all, And it came to uh, it came to fruition those concerns.

Uh.

And then and then the team of ATN. He may be the Texans and Packers, the two teams that maybe should have been the team of ATN meeting the super Bowl, that would be it's all in play. We made a grave error with the with the team of ATEN.

I blame Tyler Goodson for dropping that fourth and one pass.

All right, time to go, Great job behind the glass, Great job listeners. Thank you to Sky Sports for having us on this week. We'll be back next week on Sky with Neil and the Gang and Domaquan Su. He goes by Sue and he introduces himself.

He the call