2023 Week 14 Preview

The Around the NFL podcast, two media insiders and.

Mark Sesssler from the Chris Wesley podcast studio. It's Around the NFL, and my mania is I'm mad that Greg somehow is claiming to be a median inside and that hasn't broken anything in his life but some dishes in kitchen over here? What's the track record? But I also don't like how it went for me, Well it went for you. The worst is like the lock competition. I just win, I just win.

All right, here we are week fourteen. Can you believe it? It's juicy? I can.

It feels like a lot like another life that we were like getting ready to go to London, and that was week six.

Got that expense report in just under the.

Deadmark Bule, when is it? I have not filed yet. When is the deadline?

You're taking the loss? You're taking the fin had I filed it?

I can promise I was taking it a massive l to begin with.

We have this is the last bye week and it's the Cardinals and it is the command Commandos on by which Tommy's interesting because those teams, there's very few teams that are out of it because of just the nature the bottom of the playoff fields. Here, everyone seems to be pretty much alive for the most part, but those two teams aren't. So we're going to talk about a lot of games that, well, not all of them are are gorgeous in terms of matchup, intrigue and a lore.

I would say, looking up and down the roster, yes, because I you know, my concern is there, like there there's no way not to discuss each of these games at length. Like the film Gandhi Have if you've ever seen it was three hours and eleven minutes long, starring Ben Kingsley, I believe this show might equal that runtime based on the that no games included.

It's a challenge, who stinkers, it's the challenge it used to be. It used to be you would use site Gandhia's a long movie. Yeah, but now like an Iron Man movie seven and just can we just yeah rain it in? Holly Weird? Got that one? All right, let's get into we have the draft coming up, but uh, let's start.

Let's start with the best game of the week.

Yes, there are two incredible games on the schedule, and I'm mean incredible, and I had to give a little pop to the AI schedule makers.

You know, for years we heard.

About the the sweaty men in the office and Park Avenue locked in there for months at a time.

And actually I used to visit that room. There weren't any women. So that's a bad job at the NFL.

That's a problem for them. I worked right next to is three men.

They just stuck him in there. It was actually they sealed the door, they opened up a latch. It would slide in food and drink and come out when the schedule may sense. We don't need to do that. In a Peter King would write a glowing profile and a way we go. Now you got the robots handling it. Yeah, the robots have been doing to have anybody noticing the back end of this regular season schedule. There is a hammer drop of a game or two every single week. Robots. Yeah,

It's that important to get that number one seed.

So now it's the Eagles looking hold on to place in the NFC East and the Cowboys Gregy looking to tie him, which a couple of weeks ago didn't seem possible, but the way the schedule set up here we does it seem possible.

On this podcast the night the Eagles lost, I actually said, keep an eye out when these two teams play again.

It's not in that long they'll probably.

We should I should have had that clip played just setun But yes, I'm just.

Saying the Eagles the Cowboys chances of getting the division that are over if they don't win this. So this is as big a game as as any team has this week. And and The Cowboys are favored by by three and a half in this game. That's pretty spicy. Uh, the over under is fifty two and a half. That's spicy. And I think the Eagles. The Cowboys are favored despite their recent history against the Eagles because there's such clear

All the defensive numbers over the.

Last half a season basically eight games are below average. They're a mediocre defense, and it's all because of that back end, and that back end having a match up against Jake Ferguson and who played really well against them, and the guys for the Cowboys passing game, and then it's the offensive running game. They're just not a great running team right now. They're not consistent enough actually trying

Yeah, I mean, we have this recent evidence of Philly's defense, which you know last year was such a dominant strength, being completely shredded by the other premier team in this conference. And Dallas right now is playing at that level where if you had doubts about them before, I don't now. And I mean Dak Prescott in his chase for the MVP, has been the most effective downfield thrower over the past month plus. He's been the best quarterback on third down.

They do matter for the Cowboys.

They have just been simply dominant at home and I you know, I guess in another universe, back in the eighties or nineties, i'd be concerned that they're head coach Zaddy. Mike McCarthy has been out with a you know, appendicit I.

Don't love that. I don't love it. But but the thing is he's already back.

And because now you know one thing that weis told us about append you know, appendix operations. Now they just stick a little tube in you and suck that appendix out. It's much easier.

He's got how many of them? He's home. He's already home on zoom. What's wrong with your inside?

He's already exactly, He's already home on zoom. Meetings Like, it's like, how does that really matter?

We've also got dan Quinn, Senheimer, Mike Salari, who is around with like the Cowboys in the Night, the very experienced coaching staff, is my point.

Yeah, this is the biggest game of the year for the Cowboys. The head coach, who's the head of the enterprise. He also he was doubled over in agony at some point. I'm sure on Tuesday, Well, they set the hospital, Quinn said, like he walked by at one point they encountered each other because you know, McCarthy went to the office and have you ever encountered someone that was about to get us?

I have not.

I have when I was a child in the and it's like it's a ghost. The person becomes a ghost.

So I'm saying, like that doesn't sound it seems like a bit of a distraction. Yeah, but they also there's a reason why dan Quinn's making like ten million dollars a year or whatever. Like, they have a nice staff in there to hold it down, so I'm not too worried about that. The Eagles, despite their issues on defense, which are considerable, they have allowed over two hundred and sixty passing yards per game. They've already allowed twenty seven passing touchdowns to their opponents this year.

That's bottom four in the league.

And Prescott, even in that narrow loss to the Eagles, lit him up for three seventy four and three touchdowns. It really sets up well here for Prescott not only to have another big game and move his team into first place, but also really I think take with all due respect to your boy, brock Purty, I think he becomes the MVP favorite with a big game and a big spot here. The Eagles, though they hold it in

Not an easy game, though, I mean, not as hard as it looks.

I hear what you're saying, but we're saying how great the Cowboys are at home and they just gave up thirty five points and had to win at the buzzer against the Seahawks. The part of that schedule that worries me most for feat Philadelphia is just the fatigue. It's not just the fact that the Cowboys are on extra rest and I've been on the extra rest bandwagon all season, and they've got the extra rest in this game, which

That's sort of how their team is built.

And if they're not amazing, Dak's gonna have a ton of time. And I just have zero concerns right now about this Cowboys offense. I think I'm not gonna bring out the rain maker, but the over under to me, this is gonna be a score fist, just like both of these teams to score a lot.

Can I ask a dumb question because I don't like I kind of hate this conversation.

But it's like Dak Prescott.

You can like look at EPA, you can look at all these stats and the stuff, and he and he lines up as an MVP, but like go back to the days of like Troy Ampion, like like quarterbacks from the past two would win these awards.

It's like I don't think he ever won a.

Well, but I mean, but I would talk about like Cowboys quarterbacks like in huge moments against division rivals, like Dak cannot go h to two against the Eagles and make a large argument to win MVP based off of metrics and stats and a bunch of pff. You gotta win this also for the story of the Cowboys, and it's not just on it's for the entire team.

You cannot go if made the easiest schedule in the NFL according to d v o A so far the Cowboys, So yeah, they need they need a big time signature any and to it. You know, to his credit, he had to put up forty to beat this.

Making a point. He had to score game.

He had to score a touchdown in every drive against the Seahawks essentially, and he did it.

He had to put a well he's been doing it, like, but this is kind of where it intersects.

Can deron Bland respond a little bit too, by the way, after a disastrous game, because that's where the Eagles can put up thirty plus is I think they still have big time edges.

He's getting killed this week and it's like, I'm sorry, what could he have not done more for this team this season?

Hey, that's life with the Dallas Cowboys. Gregy revealed is an anti iron sharpens iron.

Guy in a big spot.

The Eagles time teams a little iron sharpens iron.

I'm just saying, think not, they're like getting fatigued.

I could see them losing this game and still making the super Bowl, but like this is the little part of their season where they're just a little.

You don't think the Giants and their players are fatigued. Who they played twice? Like the Giants players are like get me to get me.

To they're coming off a bay bye.

I'm just saying, you play the best teams week after week and all these snaps.

But just in term of physics, Yeah, would iron sharp and iron.

I think it's I think that's technically true.

Let them well leave it there. That's a good way to end the analysis of the game.

Yeah, from a metal angle, like we nailed it, Yeah, buttoned it up all right.

The two Monday night football games.

So let's start with the one that doesn't look too good in terms of a competitive angle, the Tennessee Titans traveling to Miami to face the Dolphins.

Miami.

I think we mentioned, yeah, the Cowboys getting plenty of love from Vegas. The Dolphins are getting thirteen here, and they're getting thirteen here because of what they did to the Commanders. Now, Washington is a joke defensively and we know that, and they have a secondary that's as bad as any team in the league. So that was the perfect setup for Miami to get right and once again say look at us, we're the bad boys. We got to the MVP candidate, We got Tyreek the MVP candidate,

I don't care what's up his sleeve.

Like, I think you've got major problems dealing with the Dolphins' offense.

Uh.

Sam Munson from PFF I loved what he said about watching that Commander's game and this happens to other teams too, that it looked as if the Commander's defense had never seen Tyreek Hill before that they they went out there to play a football game and had never accounted him on any level. And like, I think he does that

Weird spot.

Two games at the same time, so different than the other Monday Night doesn't Is that.

Only annoying to me? I know it annoys you a little bit dimptly. That kind of knocks it out. You got one screen there, and you got one screen on the TV, and the way we got now you're pro like double Monday night game.

Well, now it's week fourteen.

It's weird to drop it in suddenly in week fourteen. I think they're the ESPN has showing you they value Packers Giants high because that's where they're sending buck An Akman.

That going to get you? Overall? Like twenty fifth.

It's not like it balances out to being average out to being terrible. They give up so many big plays. I think the Commanders are one of the only teams they give up more big plays. So it's a perfect matchup. Being able to stop the run doesn't really matter that much against the Dolphins.

Who who's still all run? And I'm with you, the defense has been excellent.

The numbers would say the Dolphins are one of the best defenses in the league over the last seven or eight weeks. That's largely, I believe, because of the matchups. But it just shows that they're a very good defense. That they've caught up with their guy Vick.

And that's kind of a trait of Fangio defenses to take up take a little bit.

Of time to season, and then they get rolling.

Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with eighty one yards twelve tds.

Already he is three hundred yards clear to.

Ninety ninety be exact of the next closest receiver, which is Ceedee Lamb.

So he is there.

You have to have any chance, and it's happened, by the way. So let's not act like because the commanders are a joke. Let's not like no one has been able to take Tyreek Hill out of the game plan in any way. Like He's had games that where he wasn't completely out of control. So if you can do that, you force to to look elsewhere. But here's the thing, like the fact that you can now bring a chan out of the injury mix and he immediately goes over

Now I see Will Levis is a very interesting watch and there's some hope there for the future. I just don't think it happens this week. And again to the Dolphins defense. They've allowed under twenty one points five games in a row, in under seventeen and four of those they're amping up. And so you're asking the tightens with a rookie quarterback and Derek Henry, you know, he's sounds like he'll play, but he was banged up last week in the protocol and all that business, and like.

I think they sit very straight to not acussion. They said he was not in the product.

But he played well last week, so they still have that.

But it's like in general, like you're asking teams against Miami that leads the league with six point nine yards per play, which is the most by any team in the Super Bowl era outside of the Kurt Warner Rams. In two thousand, to keep up in a massive.

Boat race housekeeping, they gave Austin Jackson the Dolphins a three year, thirty six million dollar extension with twenty point seven guaranteed. According to our guy Ian Rapport, a little surprising based on how his career started. But they're sort of splitting the difference of trying to get some good value as his career.

That's up there with us as improved with Dan salary.

It's in the in the ballpark, really, my agent, incredible work. The Dolphins also have destiny in their hands, certainly in the AFCEE.

So if they just take care of business and they.

Beat the Titans on Monday night, stump the Jets at home the next week, that gets them to eleven and three, and then you put it in a situation where the Bills basically have to go nuclear not lewing again and including that week eighteen. So just take care of your business in the next two weeks and you basically close off Buffalo from making Week eighteen dramatic. Okay, final game, Greg, you mentioned it. It's Packers favored by six.

And a half.

Demon this one's at the meadow Lands and they're a little bit We know the Packer side of things, and this is yes, as you mentioned Buck Akman Psalters, we know that the Packers are playing at a very high level. They are the team that kind of has arisen in the NFC.

Is real interesting.

Five hundred team, and they feel like a team that could just keep winning, and all of a sudden, they're the team you don't want to see in the playoffs. The Giants are the Giants. I'll just mention Greg that a little bit of surprise. Tommy DeVito, who was kind of a almost like the mascot of this lost Giant season and all those Italians in Jersey loving it, he kept He's keeping the starting job for another week, even though Tyrod Taylor is healthy.

Taylor not thrilled about it. I get it.

Kind of heartbreaking for Tyrod Taylor. He's just had so much bad luck through the years. You could see the disappointment. You know, he breaks his ribs right when he gets a chance to start, and then DeVito comes in. We might see Tyrod again, but Devido's played well enough that you can't kill them for just keeping it going.

He's also going to be on the team next year.

It's like a gift to the Giant fans, like, we know we botched the season.

One more week.

He's have to tell him, right exactly, he's a potential backup on this team next year, and Tyrod's probably not on the team this year. They did win two games before they'reby and they do have Saquon Barkley here against what's been a shaky, historicly shaky Joe Berry Packers defense defense. So if you were looking to keep it closer than six and a half, like that is your route to do it. The Giants have been a little feistier lately.

I mean, I think the Packers are sort of like the story of the past two or three weeks in the NFL, and like this we talked about like the Texans being the AFC version of that, and the Packers.

I think Matt Lafleur has coached the two.

Best games I've ever really I give them more credit over the past two games than I would have at any other point in his career in terms of like coaching up a young quarterback about quarterback development, like Jordan Love is becoming this like star before our eyes, and they've found a way, like team building wise, to surround him with all these young players.

People are ready to run him out of the building. Laflora about a month and a half ago.

It's just that's how it works. Let's coach work with the young.

I just I'm not quite certain what they can accomplish. I guess you worry about a young team like this. Could there be like a letdown game on the road on Monday night.

I don't know.

I mean they keep going, they keep going left and right and like showing who they are over.

You're not sure what they can't accomplish because I think, I don't say, because I think they could do.

I think they could go win multiple playoff games in a weird NFC.

You think that, you think they're in the neighborhood of the Big Three. I think, I think, I don't know. I can't go that far.

I can't go there with I know, but like that multiple playoff teams, one of those Big three, I.

Think that's possible. Maybe two. I think it's possible.

Well I think you get no, you get into a like a wild card round game, but that one of these ham and Eggers and like I'm not and then they could beat the Lions for.

That works, They're going to be playing one of those teams.

I think they I think they can do it, Like they just beat the Chiefs. We're talking about the but we're talking about the Chiefs. It's a crazy team and they just beat the Chiefs.

There is Also, it's not just Jordan Love and the wide receivers, like their defense, it's the whole team seems to be growing together at once. And it's like, I think that that's the kind of team in a weird NFL, in a bad NFL and a mediocre and a couch like they could It is like they could like go in and steal playoff game or two.

No problem. My big problem with.

That potential big loss that Christian Watson, that that hamstring injury did not look good to end Sunday Night football and he's not practicing. But they could get back Aaron Jones and JayR Alexander. So you're losing one of your best players, but you are getting back two of your best players, and you're right, Like Jordan Love to me, is one of the top five stories of the season right now.

His arc.

We actually talked about that contract the way it was locked in a couple of months ago, is like, no, they're not going to get rid of them probably no matter what, because the contract is sort of splitting the difference enough where it's really not that much. Now that contract looks like a bargain and there's actually talk of like do we want to extend him right now?

Do we want to?

Don't even don't even worry about keeping the bargain next year. You'll probably wait till the offseason. But that let's just get him signed up long term. It's kind of crazy. You're right, how much five weeks changes everything.

I just make it clear.

I am also enjoying this Packer rise, but I also think the NFC has the top three Super Bowl contenders like across the entire league, and so for them to get to that point would be surprising to me. But if they get a nice matchup in round one and they can they beat the Lions or something in the in the wildcard round, wouldn't stun me?

Yeah, that wouldn't stun me. Get there, it would be shocking if.

They knocked off the Cowboys or Niners or Eagles, it would be. But can they win a playoff game or they that? Are they that kind of team? Absolutely? Like that, like literally would be. That's what I'm saying, Like.

We have five weeks to talk about it, But that Packers Lions end of the season matchup, just like last year, could set up up this time it would set up a potential rematch and again the Lions might have a chance to kind of knock the Packers out.

And I think it matters that they're really well like they are.

I think Matt Lafleur, who I always thought, like, are you just riding on the cotails of Aaron Rodgers in years past two MVP campaigns, Like, I think this is a good coach. Like I think he's proven this year the same way that Sean mcvadamie has that he's done a lot with what people thought wouldn't be much.

Jordan Love getting hot in Philly in an early round game.

I could see it the Jets beat Philly. I mean, crazy stuff can occur down the road.

Absolutely one game. Let's take a break and then we will get to the draft. Yeah right, Welcome back to Around the NFL the Week fourteen preview. It is time now for the first overall pick presented by DraftKings.

And I'll tell you what I have had bad luck.

Whenever I'm up first, there never seems to be a banger.

Finally that comes to an end because you picked a lot of Eric Fishers.

I got a lot of Eric Fishers over the past few years, a lot of Luke Jogals. Now it's time to pick the Buffalo Bills traveling to Kansas City to face the Chiefs. The six and six Bills, who have had two weeks to just sit with an absolutely horrific thirty seven thirty four lost to the Eagles, a game they desperately, desperately needed, and somehow they find a way

Because if you don't win in Arrowhead, you gown.

You gotta find a way here, Greg, and I know you were saying, don't count out the Bills. I'm not counting out the Bills, but they can't keep losing every week. And then we're saying, oh, well, they got to run in and they at some point, you're gonna have to really show the world who you are. And I have to go, when's the last time, Greg, the Bills showed

And we know if this turns into a shootout.

It's crazy saying this, but mahomes at home, I don't think he could keep up in a shootout. I'm challenging the Kansas City Chiefs to keep up in a shootout in twenty twenty three because at a certain point, you are who you are and that's what they've shown us all year. I just it just makes me feel uncomfortable. As my mother would say, the sky Yeah. Well, and again I'm not anti Chiefs.

It just feels very strange like they're only favored by two and a half in this game over under his forty seven and a half. It's very low for these two teams in the past, and this is going into the season maybe the worst version of the game, this game that you would expect eight and four Chiefs aren't great on offense, six and six pills, and yet because of that, it actually puts more real weight on it. Yeah, like it's important to get seeding and all that, which

Is he just going to start running all the time now?

And is he going to put this team on his back and just be the best quarterback in the league, Because about halfway through that Jets game, through that Eagles game, that's what I felt he was.

And so I'm with you.

Even though the Bills are underdogs by two and a half in this game. I like the Bills in their last stand. And every time I do this against the Chiefs, I get it wrong, you know, like whenever you doubt them, like in a home, big spot.

Although they did lose to the Eagles, you know those only a few weeks ago in a big spot. You picked those Bills too, you were dying in that newsroom. Yeah, and I I still I'm not giving up on them.

I'm I'm I'm still thinking that they can get it done. And again, an extra week arrest does not hurt at this time of year.

It is interesting to think that, you know, coming out of out of this weekend of football, either the Chiefs will be eight and five or the Bills will be six and seven, that that wasn't something that we saw coming. So you're right, the stakes for this game are different than were they, Like Vine for that the buye, it's like the Bills are essentially executed if they can't win this.

But not for real, well, no, they would.

They would continue to exist in Western New York. They're probably really nice speaking.

Which I need to offer an apology. I called uh squid games? Is that what it's called? You had the wrong country attack? I called the Japanese It is a South Korean product.

But also I'd say a good game, you know, and Greg has a lot of you know, he knows a lot about the Japanese culture. Didn't jump into correct, that's what people were saying. I'm not saying that. You know what people are saying. You know what people good?

Call Greg, Come on, Bud, help me out. You've been to Japan many many times now? How many TV shows doing your wife is Japanese? You got to jump in and help me out there and say, well, I know, I know my Japanese exports and that's not one of them.

But hung me out to dry, maybe on purpose.

You're a diet American and we don't we don't doubt that.

I don't know what's.

Going on outside the borders, multicultural, and it would have been a nice you.

To help I've I've last watched like a TV show that was not part of what Patrick Cleaban would be called The The Shavers on Netflix, like you know, about a year ago. So you can't ask me, I'm that means that's the ultimatum queer love, that's love is blind.

You know those are the only shows you watch. I mean in terms of like TV shows lately, it's been a while. You know, if you just invite us over your house once, we could.

Have a nice little sporting sports a little reality.

You know, I don't know where to go with this. Well, no, I I think I was suggesting that the bills to me.

Oh should be executed.

Well yeah, because if you can't, if you can't handle this spot. Although like they are a different team on the road, Like how many weeks, I mean, it keeps saying Josh Allen's it's the best team in the AFC no matter what.

Even if they win there, they have the Cowboys next week, so it's still it just stays very difficult.

But I'm with you, they are We should know.

Von Miller, who Dan you know mentioned last week on the show after his domestic violence arrest, is expected to play in this game. I'm a little surprised by Well, that's.

The weird thing with the NFL because like the case is sitting in a place, right they haven't ruled on it, and it's awkward to have them go out there. But it's like from a football angle, purely, like the von Miller's kind of not really been a.

Factor that precedent, right, And that's the problem.

Like I think, like you you've got you're getting a good version of Josh Allen in some of these games, but not always the one you want. But I will say under Joe Brady, I don't know if it's because like we have no other choice to do this at this point, but what nine rushes for Josh Allen in their last performance, like he like they were trying to kind of shy away from that and not have that be an element of their offense.

But you don't have a choice.

Now it's mostly him because it's not like they're called then there's a design runner too, and they've worked. But he also, I think, is kind of like, Okay, it's go time. I gotta start running. Remember he did that his rookie year. Suddenly it was like, oh wow, Josh Allen is awesome, and it's like at the end of every season, Josh Allen's like, Okay, it's go time. I need to just start running. And I have I have concerned You mentioned the good Chiefs depens. Are they a

Don't need Donovan's If the Chiefs defense isn't good, they're going ten and seven, they're going.

Home in the middle of January.

And are they like, you know, a huge difference maker. They haven't been against, Like the best office.

Is the Chiefs? What are you?

I think they are just what we're watching all right.

By the way, this is for Eric producer Eric.

The Bills have never lost after the bye under Sean McDermott. The Bills also have the fifth highest point differential plus one oh one.

So those are positives.

That's like, what's your fan confidence one to ten right now?

Uh? Six? Okay, I take that on the road in Kansas City.

I would take that Andy Reid sixteen and one in December with these Chiefs teams.

So there's like ashing historical.

Stats and finally they're gonna have to put Romo Josh Allen v.

Patrick Mahomes in Arrowhead.

You have to put him on a delay, like a two second delay, just because there's gonna be kids watching. And it's not like it's this is not silk stockings, right, this is yeah, this is in channel ninety nine.

With the scrambler box.

This this is this is America watching this game, and we need to be clean.

Tony I even together.

I will come out of this game giving Romo some credit because at this point he has covered I think roughly seven seventy five Patrick Mahomes games, and it's like you have to keep coming up with new things to say. He doesn't that that's the problem.

But it's Jim. I think he's having a nice comeback season. I know you keep saying that, but I think he's actually you.

Can see I think he saw everyone was getting on him, and you could see going into the games. He has these little nuggets where that showed he did a little bit of Jim.

Jim. Look he's doing it only I mean get it, Chiefs fans.

I had to watch Phil Simms do seventy five thousand Tom Brady games.

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All right, second, overall pay we got to pick up the I like, I'm gonna go Seattle at San Francisco.

Interesting, uh late game.

I I kind of feel like we've talked so much about the Niners at this point that it's like, can you just keep it going? And you're kind of in a place where you could take Seattle almost completely out of the picture at this point. I what's happening to the Seahawks over the last couple, you know, the last month or so. Tells me they're just not a playoff team. Can they sneak in the NFC? Sure, but I just don't trust them on any level. Their defense has fallen

I think it's this thing.

Well, then people broke out the screen passes are like four times more effective for him than anything I was.

Gonna say that the irony is that the game that allowed him to move to the top of the Vegas odds makers, which is this Eagles game.

Came off of that.

Yeah, that this was a big yach game for the Niners. But I'm with you. Come on, yeah, I think, I mean, are we We don't have to make this case when he's now the number one.

I will say, Seattle, the one problem they have two which is not you know, it's not on them in terms of their perform They're really banged up right now, right They're pretty banged up.

By the way, Jamal Adams bro come back to us. Oh, I know what you mean. What an absurd thing for a human being to do.

You have a Jets beat writer that you have beef with, who I hated this quote, tweets a shot of you failing to cover Jake Ferguson on any level, and then you reply by posting a photo of that reporter's wife, him and his wife and mocking her appearance. And then when you have a couple of days to sit with it, and obviously there's a lot of criticism and even your coach says, that's not what we do. You don't back down like that you want to talk about La Rabi Magnifie.

It is he said when they go low, I go lower, which you know, different in a different circumstance would be a funny response.

But in the jo like the Jamal Adams Seattle experience has been dus.

Well that that's the problem.

Is he that the gentleman's f might be too kind of right, that he's emblematic to me of what's wrong with this team, which is like you can see him pop and have a splash player too and be like, oh yeah, Jamal Adams, he can make a difference, but the some of their parts are really disappointing.

Twenty fourth and Dvoa Pete Carroll just gets owned by two separate coaches in his own division. He's going to be zero and four against them again unless they win this game. Sean McVay and and Kyle Shannon and I do wonder like you were talking about hot butts, like

It's yeah, it happened.

And at that if they put up thirty five, the Desert has the Niners winning by ten and a half points, so it would mean the Niners put up that makes sense, That makes sense forty five and a half points. Tough to do it because even that Cowboys game didn't feel sustainable. They have great players, but like Gino's was under so much pressure that night. He actually faced one of the higher pressure rates he's faced all season. So it's not

I don't know, It's just tough to do.

Doesn't It feel like the Chase Young addition, you know, has worked where it's like it's added this like extra weight onuoffense.

That's the defense that's different.

That's the whole thing with me in Perty is like he hasn't really been playing that much different all season. Their defense just stunk for three weeks and he was on the wrong end of some turnover luck for three weeks. Their defense, which everyone is killing Wilks for, is number two in EPA since Dubai, and they're they're now starting

The Seahawks have one playoff win in the last seven years. You know, they've been competitive, and Carol is a great face of the franchise in terms of you know, they love him obviously up there, but that's certain pointing to see results again in deep playoff runs.

All right, Greg, you are up, all right?

I will take the Ravens favored by seven at home against the Rams.

Fun game.

Big test here for the Rams defense, especially, which has been playing really out of their heads, but going up against a Ravens run defense, I think it's gotten slept on, like a little bit that the worry with Greg Roman was like, oh, well, you know, you might lose something

Let the point go and show.

But for the Rams that try to hold up for four quarters, to me is a tough ask against a Ravens team that's been a weirdly injured team all year.

But he didn't have a ton of season ending injuries.

Sure, and actually right now yea almost completely healthy Rashad Bateman was the only player out of fifty three that missed practiced there.

Sometimes they coming out of the buy well that's though, because.

How many Yeah, and it's been Lamar in the last two years. Like you want to see what this team could do at full strength.

Marcus Williams is a big guy for them up front. They've had guys in and out. They're they're healthy now.

They do have to work around the Mark Andrews.

That's a good point. I was totally wrong. Could he come back they playoffs?

Yeah, like so it would be late. But to your point, they're number two and EPA. As a running team, they've been great. Lamar Jackson right now is having I would argue, like, I know he had the MVP season, but the version of him right now in this offense to me is more balanced. It's it's what you've been waiting for. He's never had a higher completion percentage or yards per attempt. Then at this point you're getting a little more from Odell Beckham, like say Flowers has been an absolute like

I mean, they're they're just a solid, good team.

The Rams, though, right now, are on a hot, hot streak, like they've won three straight. They've scored thirty six plus and two last two games. Matt Stafford is seven touchdowns in his last two games. I think Kyron Williams changes everything they can do, and so this Rams team, to me, is sort of a berserker down the stretch that can really hang with anyone.

It seems like I kind of love what they did against Cleveland.

I mean to put it on Cleveland's defense that way, even though you're going to Baltimore, I think that there is a chance that the Rams can hang around in the game.

McVay versus McDonald, just Mike McDonald, just when the Rams have the ball.

McVeigh versus Mike McDonald.

This Ravens defense, who to me is the best defense in league, is one of the most exciting matchups of the week.

I don't think the other side of the Rams.

Are gonna be able to hold up to keep it close enough, probably, but that is a great matchup. Danny that revive McVeigh against this defense.

Okay, Greg, Yeah, I think the Rams are a lot of trouble here. I think we could we could sell that and maybe it will turn out that way. But I think the Ravens at home rams coming across the country, and I think Lamar the difference between the MVP year, it felt to me a little more electric then and there was like a little bit of a different type of Lamar as a little unprecedented too. Yeah yeah, and it was just like, this guy is outrageous what he's doing on the field, and he was just making look

He's just a really strong, well rounded quarterback.

And I think one of the subplots Greg when you think about Greg, when you think about the offseason was man, anybody could have had him, they really wanted him, They could have gone and got him.

Probably tried the Falcons had they announced that they were not interested immediately now, how foolish want Lamar Jackson in Atlanta?

All those teams? How foolish do you feel right now? I hope they feel foolish. It is.

I find the Rams interesting from another angle that like if you thought that they were going to succeed in a year where most of us had them winning like four or five games, that obviously it would be Stafford in like Cooper Cup and it's like Cooper Cup hasn't crossed forty. Don't worry about yards body, Yeah, since like October fifteenth.

And they haven't healthy in two years, and they haven't been on the same page sometimes. It has been a little bit of a bummer there, all right, Gregs snakes back to you, Okay, unconventional pick here. I almost took it right away. Wouldn't it matter? They're both at the same time, Bucks Falcons two and a half point spread, the Falcons are favored at home.

I have a.

Dirty fascination with this terrible division and this game just feels I wanted to take it. I wanted to watch it live because I now that we're getting later in the season. This this Buccaneers team, which is as forgettable, I guess as almost any team in the league. This does feel like a winner go home type of game. And I know, yeah, the Falcons could fall apart down the stretch, but this would give the Falcons a two game lead over them with just four to play.

And am I crazy?

I should know this off the top of my head that the Falcons didn't they beat them already so it would be a two game sweet right?

Yeah? That was that.

That was the game where Bijon, uh you hadn't really play. Yeah, so everyone was confused about that. And I just look at this matchup and I see like, well, these two teams, I mean, he had like Migraines are crazy.

Hey slash Migrains wasn't feeling well that the don't these two teams. That's what they said. It's the same thing.

But yeah, like I know Mark wants to cross out teams right desperately, but I just feel like this team, this division, no one's gonna get crossed out, so that the fate of this division is for them all to be six and seven after this week, and for that that just feels like, what that's the fate of this division. Saints probably get the win over the Pail and that

I want to see what happens with the Bucks injury report. Because Videvea did not practice Wednesday with a toe injury.

We'll see that. Sometimes that means nothing.

But Jamel Dean Devin White also didn't like did not return to practice this week yet so far, I think that that's your defense right there, that all that matters.

A lot return which that is even that's big this this game.

So yeah, didn't when they I think it's fair to look back at how it played the first time out, because I don't think they're that different than they were back then. Ridder played one of his cleaner games. He was nineteen for twenty five with two hundred and fifty yards. He was good on the ground. He also lost three fumbles though, so it's like, no matter what, like Ridder is going to do something to x out what you know, the advantage he's creating. But you you do add Beijon Robinson to the mix.

I don't know.

I think the Bucks to me are just about his milk toast and average as you could possibly imagine. And Mayfield, though, has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league on the road in terms of touchdown interception like.

Rachel all Right, sell it.

So he's got twelve touchdowns and three picks on the road. Only Jordan is a better ratio. That's just from that one angle. But I think Mayfield battles every week. Mike Evans has battled every week, and they stay in these games. They were even with the Falcons this first time. That took a last second kick for them to win. I just don't trust either team to do anything week after week.

And please don't tell me about the Falcons in their top ten defense, Like, go watch that game they just played against the Jets.

There. They've been playing bad teams all year.

So they're allowing twenty points a game, that's seventh in the league. Their top ten in yards allowed a game, they're tied for first, and rushing tds allowed. Their third down percentages second in the league. Their opposition red zone touch on percentage is first line. It's like great data, great data points. But go look who they're playing, and if Baker Mayfield has a good Baker day, they're gonna go to work on this defense and they're not gonna look so hot.

Okay, that's that's why.

And people get on me sometimes say, you know, I lean on the DVOA and to the guys at Football Outsiders, I'm not gonna do it. That's why I love them though, because you gave all the basic pro numbers that the announcers for this game are going to say they're twenty fifth in defensive DVA. So they're looking at the number and the opponents and saying this actually is in a very good and.

They shut down. Tim Boyle on, Trevor Simeon, what a what a performance on the road. Jonathan Wilma come back to us. Is having a bad year. We want to talk about people having a good year. Tony Romo bounce back year. Vilma is dripped in a way. Okay, just to take but you mentioned that I'm not allowed to's uncomfortable, but.

No, I just like a spirit.

I don't think he's like elite, but I like his style that he just has like I think.

Some of the spirit we lost, we've lost like the Jesus Christ and some of that fun stuff, and what we're left with is I don't know.

The Falcons would be four to zero in the division if they win this. I do want to give a quick shout out. Elijah Canty was a defensive Rookie of the Month in the NFC last week, and man, he was flashing last week. So that looks like a very nice pick there by the books. Good job, Elijah.

Knt A right, Uh, keep moving, Let's keep moving. Please keep moving. Mark back to you.

All right, I'm gonna take an early game and go Browns at Jaguars. Uh tbd on the Jaguars starting quarterback. I don't think we're gonna get them.

What do you think? Like it sounds to me like a real stretch.

It's really difficult for us where we're taping to state it one way or the other. But he's got a high ankle spread. Yeah, I think that's a lot on a short week. I think they've talked about it fifty fifty. They've talked about it.

In like a weird fashion where it's like they're guiding hope.

I am totally with you.

I don't know how like even the human body would do that, although those high ankle sprains are all different. So you're gonna get CJ. Bethard in Cleveland. I think, yeah, I did not used to say that.

Now, did you see Brett Rippian signed with the Jets.

I'll shift to say Brett Rippon now if you really, if I must be, you know, told how to how to say things, go ahead.

I know beth Hard.

Beth Third, he yes, I mean he was okay when he played, I mean incredible Washington general manager.

You know, he almost fumbled away the first nap of the game and would have lost the game.

But he didn't. He wasn't out of his game. He wasn't bad. That was a weird game.

I mean, it's a weird place to say the game, Like, I kind of think that, you know, Cleveland's defense has floated away. The Denver game was was unappealing. Last week was unappealing. I don't believe that Miles Garrett is healthy, Amari Cooper is banged up on offense, like Flacco looked probably as good as you could possibly hope for last week, outside of the one fatal interception that doomed them. I feel like Cleveland's just trending down out of this playoff

They do it.

They have dendel ward back, which matters, but they've been banged up. But it's like they are literally the same. You know that you're at home, right, But they have been the worst.

Kind of these numbers, but they've been the second quarterback.

Right.

They've been the second worst passing team in the league, second or third all year long, and it's looked like it they're about to become the Browns. They were about an offense, an offense, not an offense, and like they were. There's a weird stat if Lacco starts and you will, like they will become just the thirteenth team since nineteen fifty, which is seventy three years ago, to have four different quarterbacks starting multiple games in a season.

A lot of us to go wrong for that to happen.

So and from that angle, I'd give Kevin Stefanski, the coaching staff, and the team a lot of credit to even be where they are and still in the hunt at the number six six?

Is it just me?

Has Cleveland gotten a lot of these games where a starter gets hurt and then they all of a sudden are playing. Yeah, but you know what, if you look at all these playoff teams, Yeah, they've all gotten that those games. The whole league has gotten those. It's not they're not especially Let's see that data point, right.

They've also been the team that's been without their starting quarterback like through ay percent of the season.

So well, I guess what I'm saying is with their defense, that is, I think something similar happened with the Jets last year.

Then they got a lot of backup kind of.

I mean, they have been a they have been a good defense when they when they've had bigger matchups and scarier teams.

The defense of a sudden doesn't look so historic anymore.

So, but take care of business here, let us go, well, what happened to Jacksonville's defense against a backup last week?

Why?

I've never totally bought in to the Jacksonville's defense. I think they're I think they're solid, but I would be worried about them Tyson Campbell, who is supposed to be their number one corner, really good player, but then got hurt and came off that injury and just didn't seem right. Last week, Joe Flacco threw the ball downfield ten plus yards, more than any Browns quarterback in the last five years. So he's out there and he's got to sling it,

Aspice don't.

I'll say one thing that we are doing we again, I don't know. It is like I combined with Spice Rack, yes, the longtime lifelong friend of Chris Wesling and our friend as well. We combine now to make picks on the NFL's website. And what we've done has gone totally rogue from but you'd hope people would do Like this week, we were the only team that picked the Titans, and so you get that fan base all on your side. But then last week Spice Rack and I you know,

As we all know.

The way the way that game turned out, there are a lot of people tweeting both of us asking, you know, what on earth is happening here?

So I reached out to some people behind the scenes here, Oh yeah, great to get where they actually rank in the standing.

Because the standings, say the top five and then it's like a participation or they won't list six through dead for some reason.

And this, this is this is actually good and bad for you, ye Mark, Okay. The good thing is we don't know where you actually are on the standing. Okay, good, that is good because this person that I reached out to didn't feel comfortable giving me the full rundown. The bad news is it must be really bad for him not to do that.

So I don't disagree, but I will, and I say, like from the angle, if.

You were one game out of fifth, he probably would have told used to play this just to be real.

And like when Greg goes and makes picks on his television show, right he is, You're like, You're so He's It's his entire world is based.

Around that, Right, that's what you think?

Yeah, Sess and Spice picked four overtimes this game over time games with him. We just like we picked the biggest underdogs. We can to create that moment out online where it's like the only team picking, like.

Tommy Lee Jones take us away here. I shouldn't have brought it up.

It's called being a showman. Show Men. There are two of us. The internet's on fire.

All right, I'm I wouldn't say that, but all right, I got a two pack here. Let's start with the team of around the NFL. Let's get a little Dick Banks, let's hear him, Let's let's let's go, let's go.

It's time. It's time for the Vikings.

To show us why they could take that down. I I like that they I like that O'Connell stuck with Dobbs.

Yes, because.

Yes, it was a wretched Monday night game. And is that within Dobbs's rainbow of outcomes? Yeah, we got the worst ops. But let's not forget that Josh Dobbs has done a lot of good things for the Vikings before that.

And before you.

Go and get so caught up in your feelings about how poorly played in that Bears game, let's give him a chance with Justin Jefferson. And if things don't work against a Raiders team that is middling at best, go ahead. If you're so excited about the rest of your depth chart that you've been developing, I understand it that these coaches are excited about the guys on the depth chart typically, So go ahead, but give chance. So the Vikings, who seem to be in the driver's seat mark for a

I think it's like we celebrated Josh Dobbs for in multiple spots over the past calendar year rolling into town and like winning games three hours after showing up and like putting in a uniform on, and then it's like it's unacceptable that he has a meltdown. It's like it seems very probable that a meltdown would occur and it didn't look good.

But I still think the things that.

We know about Josh Dobbs remain true, like an incredibly smart quarterback, a guy who probably over the course of the bye week that came at the perfect time, has learned a lot more than other quarterbacks might over that course. At that time that the coach something happened where if you know, if O'Connell lost faith to them in that moment and that was that You're right, Greg that you mentioned it on Wednesday, show a terrible fourth pick, But like this is a quarterback you can still believe in

Here's what we know about the Vikings.

With Jefferson back, him and Addison are up there with the best one to two combinations in the league.

Addison's a big time player.

I love I love Addison. Hockinson's having a really nice season. Josh Dobbs adds a little bit to their running game, which has struggled, but his running ability is gonna add a little spice to this whole mix. Kevin O'Connell's a good head coach. We know he's a good head coach, and he's had a week to get ready. And oh, by the way, on the other side of the ball, you got safeties coming out of your pockets. Well, how many safeties can you put on the field seventeen, Brian Flores will do it.

And you know who's been.

Tickets this week to Las Vegas Minnesota Vikings. Oh yeah, sick of being in that cold weather up there, and they're going down to Vegas and they're gonna watch the Vikings.

Lock it up? Same, double it up? Are you doing this again? Double it up? And another one and another one.

You cannot be doing this again with Gregy.

Let's check out the standings by the way while we're here, all right, So we got Greg Dan twelve and one, the West three, Sessler seven six, and then Dan hands a six and seven quotes.

Yeah, you gotta watch with you. Well, I thought the season here.

You're inconsistent here because you only joined me a week ago.

So you're says Greg and Dan twelve, Dan are one. I'm not responsible for the graphics. Okay, yes you are. You are. We are having a very nice season, and let's just close it out.

I guess it is all.

I mean, there's a lot of weeks to go. I'm fine with you on board. I have to admit you've already won in some ways because you're you. I thought about you this morning as I debated at the Jets.

I thought about, I tell you're going to do that.

I thought about flocking against the Jets. It's only three and a half. Uh, And then I was like, that'll make you annoyed.

But then I thought, what if the Jets will actually will be happy?

And then it was But you know what, I ultimately am a cold, calculating son of a gun, and in my heart I believe in the Vikings winning that game more than I do in the Texans. Actually, in my heart, I do believe the Vikings are the best pick on the board. That's what I always do. I don't I don't I picked. I'm not a showman. As you point out, it happened to work out that I'm believing in team

I believe they're better. We don't want to we don't want to do a rain maker on the Texas this week. I think you and I can get behind that. This is some sortin Uh.

The thing that's terrible for Greg is that no matter what, great let's say, Greg, no matter what, like it will go down his history as a COVID. Within a month, you will have, you know, spun the message that you lifted Greg up.

Down the stot. I know, I know, I am anna ask. I just want everyone to when I'm gone one day, to remember me as a lovable act. That's that's all I ask, Not the bad kind that works out.

Okay one Raiders not just to give them their fans just just one second about their team. I'm intrigue Bay and O'Connell coming off that last Chief's game.

Played very well in that game. He has been in general, been a professional unit. Spot. It is a tough spot under against Flores two.

Uh again uh Patriots, the coaching trees so bad. How about a little Patriots assistant off here, Patrick Graham of the Raiders, the defensive coordinator versus Brian Flores.

Now that's a cell.

That is a cell any time assistance together anything else on this game.

So what are the chances we get Jefferson? I think one hundred percent.

I mean I think they I think they wouldn't be doing this practic officially active. This was for me when I I felt good about team of atn Jefferson returning was kind of like pushed it over the finish line because there's not a more fun wide receiver to watch in the sport double j.

The team of aten Brand needs this win big time.

Pretty good narrative if they lose too, because we get to go down though. See you spiraled once upon a time with the Vikings. I could see entertainment value out of this team spiraling as well.

Yeah, but it's not on me.

I was getting blamed left and right like, oh you we voted, No, we voted unanimously.

But it's well Mark made a.

Getting like all right now I'm getting text left and right about like a team that I have nothing to do with this failing, Like this is not I'm not that vicariously attached anything.

So are you? Are you attached to the Vikings this time? Yes?

I really like the Josh Dobbs element the most. That's what pulled me in. Yes, all we need to hear because we're in this together. I'm not said a single word otherwise. I say they needed, they need to create a little more juice.

And you know, it was probably a really it was probably a really rough two weeks for Flores and for O'Connell, who blew that game together as much as anyone on the field, and you had to sit with that and stew over that for all that time. So I know that they're not going to coach harder on Sunday. But you know, if you've ever been motivated to cut your own mess, they're more talented, they're better. I feel good about this one, Gregory. I think we're gonna keep on rolling.

Wilson is playing. That was interesting. I think it's it's fair.

It's fascinating because Wilson was, you know, amongst the very worst starters in the league before he got benched. But that tells you how badly the Jets manage their backup quarterbacks underneath him, to the point where they cut Tim Boyle this week.

Tim Boyle was their starter on Sunday.

Not they just said, oh, you know this guy that we brought in and developed all through the offseason, Aaron Rodgers is a guy like has such little value.

After we got to look at him, he gone.

So now they got Brett Rippin, who, by the way, was talking with our friend Jordan Rodrigue of the Athletic Rippin is a class act and a really good dude and a hard worker. But the hope for Sala is that Wilson takes them to the finish line and they could get a couple wins here and keep their dignity.

The Texans.

This is there the story here. Nice set up here for them. Greg to keep rolling. Now, it is interesting. We are now in the in the post tank Dell era and how does that change their offense moving forward?

Yeah, I want to see Mechi or Robert Woods step up.

I don't think they'll be the same.

When you take away Dell, you just you're stacking parts of this team offensively that you do worry about a little bit. You don't have a running game, and then you don't really have great receiver depth. If Dalton Saltz isn't back this week behind Nico Collins, because I'm thinking of that play.

At the end of the first half.

I believe it was where Stroud over threw Machi for the touchdown wide open, and everyone was like, oh that, you know, Stroud making a mistake for once, and I did wonder if that's Tank Dell. Yeah, it was kind of like an improvised play. Would just the feel have been better? He was like, he points to go deep. I don't know, there's no way to know that. The good thing is that their defense, in their pass rush, Will Anderson Jonathan Gernard, I think they are getting better.

I mean, I like the Texans. I think they're a better than average team.

But John McClain pointed out of the Chronicle or it used to be the Chronicle, that I think it's seven straight games has come down to thirty seconds or less for the Texans.

So it's not like they're a dominant team.

They're a fun team, and it kind of would That's why I didn't want to lock this game. It kind of wouldn't surprise me if the Jets d balls out and I would expect the Texans to win that last minute, but it wouldn't surprise me if it comes down to that.

Last yeame and they score fourteen points because I just don't see the Jets getting to that right.

Like I kind of expect it's gonna be Zach Wilson needing to get a touchdown down four and they're driving and it doesn't work out.

But a game like that, yeah, they they.

I feel like every Sunday, you know, in the witching now we're watching like either CJ. Stroud or the opponent of c J. Stroud go up and down the field trying to do one last thing. They each of these games had done that. I kind of think though from another angle coaching and players and a lot of young players, like they've also gone three and two in those games. You know, they a nail biter loss to the Jaguars,

We know about him.

But it's not just that it's like Derek Stingley, you know, two picks last week, total game change the last Yeah, it's just like it kind of feels.

Like a team. And I know I've talked about him a lot. It's like, I think they're.

Gonna win a playoff game, maybe multiple ones. I really think they're gonna get Coach of the Year, They're gonna get Assistant Coach of the Year, they're gonna get Offensive Rookie of the Year. If Stroud doesn't do something more than that Offensive players of the Year, well why not, Like what, there's no reason that Stroud I think Stroud is like there are not a lot of Stroud. There's this is not a lot of good stories out there,

League nine thousand to win Rookie of the Year, so that one he could that in how Nico.

Collins Nico Collins here, Yeah, because oh they lose Tank Dell they're leading receiver.

No, he's not their leading receiver.

Tank Dell has been tremendous forty seven for seven or nine and seven touchdowns. Nico Collins is nine yards away from one thousand. He's got six touchdowns himself. He's averaging nearly seventeen yards per catch. That is an all pro type season. Nico Collins, It's like him and Jordan Addison are like, hey, look at us, give us more love.

Yeah, hey, if you we did it.

Nico Collins bit on NFL Plus in week three or four after the catch. You can't remember guys that tall that break that many tackles.

You know what I mean? Yeah, he's tall.

This guy's bounce off of Collins could have fifteen hundred yards receiving.

It's crazy. He's really thought you were gonna lock it up. That's what we were waiting for. Oh, somebody's gonna lock it up. Well I don't. I don't. I feel like locking against them again.

I don't say out of the race. I'm still out of the race. It's like I want to do things that for exciting. We're flocking against the Jets feels gutless.

That's your choice.

I have seen today's video, so keep the I don't take it personally. Lentra in your head because it is kind of a doozy.

That's my gun.

Hey, heroes, damn this week you guessed it. I'm picking against the Jets. I jokingly said earlier in the week that Dan should get into shape and try out to be the jets backup quarterback. Well, I'm guessing they almost gave him a call this week since Zach Wilson didn't even want to play this week. But somehow he's going to be the starter. I mean, are you kidding me? This seems an absolute show. How can they even be get considered an NFL franchise right now?

This is a joke.

How there are only three and a half point favorites is beyond me. The Texans are going to roll by thirty. This isn't even funny. I don't even know why I'm laughing. It's a disgrace. Good luck Jets, Better luck next year.

Bye.

How much did he seem like Chris Chris? I mean, they're the downs exactly like they are, the two brothers that resembled each other the most. From that, Oh, I'm annoyed at Nick because he just made me have to root for the Jets.

I mean, Nick locked up the Jets not too long ago.

Yeah no, no, listen, as I said to MJD, who tried to like get on me in the film room on Sunday night with some jets pop.

You can't kill someone who's already dead.

There's nothing you could do to me that is anything worse than what that team has done to me for forty years. So that's a smart lock by Nick Westling, and you are going to be probably close to correct because that could get gnarly. All right, let's take a break and then we'll finish up. All right, welcome back. Let's close out this draft. Mark you're up, Well, I'm going. I can't believe this game is still sitting out out there. I'm going cults, Bengals, I mean, what nothing, no, nothing

Although I just it's just for post show because now I realize I'm gonna have like four gate four early games.

I mean, I think behind the glass they know I picked this game twenty five minutes ago.

But then it makes you look really like a trench. A decision by you. That's good, though I think.

It makes me look like a like a straateggy man, like a star.

I know, but we're gonna have to flip around games now I realize, actually all right, Well, that is ha has nothing to do with it, right, People driving around this the next pick mark.

This game.

Suddenly it's like backup in December. Typically backup versus backup is like check you later. But Gardner Minshew has he I know, he's a little bit all over the map, but he's been really great for the Colts, considering that he's been a backup quarterback all year long and Jake Browning, I mean, I guess the huge interest level for me is like whatever we just saw happen on Monday night,

Te Higgins is there.

They're not getting a lot from the ground game, but he's doing it through the air, and it's like the Bengals to me, are back in the race.

They matter a lot.

This is two playoff contenders, and this is a spicy game.

I'm not saying that either one of them you can.

Project as like AFC powers, but they do matter if you care about the fact that seven teams make the playoffs. Yeah, Cincinnati, they are still in a lot of trouble because they're six and six, but they have a really bad conference record. They have a lot of tie breaker issues, so it's still an uphill climb. However, the browning makes them a team that's watchable and interesting. You don't want to get too caught up with one good game right quarterback because

But great?

He also he's at home. The Indie defense is not a group to be terrified of, so I think it does set up well. If he plays really well, then wow we got something.

Look in here.

I'm excited. I'm really excited about this game. What I think This was a great late pick by you, Mark Austin, Mark.

How did you see it? For multiple reasons.

Four hundred and ninety one yards they had on offense, twenty seven first down. I mean everyone stepped up around him. The offensive line had one of their best games of this season. I think we're second in the league in pass rush win rate.

Last week. Boy did not step up. Okay, you're right.

Jamar Chase though, was incredible. We almost gave him a little short shrift in that recap because a lot of those catches were difficult. He was making plays after the catch. He obviously had the bomb. I mean that was like a star wide receiver can make everyone around him look better. And the running game outing Chase Brown like they they would make the season a lot more fun if they have a little staying power. And I know Colts fans feel like we haven't given them enough credit.

There is something to them.

We talked about them a ton, we talked about them a lot, but it's just like there's something to them that it's like, how are they doing this?

I don't understand.

I kind of want the Bengals to win this game, for these teams to both be seven and six and to kind of both be in the mix, but not to I want Cincinnati part of our life.

You want more mundane, average play?

You want no, I just want I don't want the Colts to put the Bengals away here. I want the Bengals to be a fun story. I like the research guy getting going off here.

Gardner Minshew and Jake Browning, who both started the season as backup qbs, will face off against each other for the first time since the twenty eighteen Apple Cup.

It's crazy. Jake Browning was like a senior at that point.

Yeah, Browning, who finished like sixth in Heisman voting as well.

By the way, with Washington, once.

We watched that Apple Cup together, you and I, oh yeah every second and then we Washington again State.

Well yeah, well you gotta break it down, yeah, Minshew was Washington State. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.

I love Steichen though, because maybe more than any coach in the league, when the plays happen, you can kind of see, oh, that's exactly how they were hoping it would happen in when they like did it in walkthroughs, Like it's just these cool plays that usually end up with like Kylan Grayson getting forty yards and you're like, oh.

Wow, that was beautiful. What that that was cool? How they did that?

And it's him a lot, And I think they're running a lot of creve stuff even with Gardner Minshew, And that's a that's a credit to the coaching.

The Colts to their credit and again why Browning bawling out here would be a real eye opener to.

Do it two times in a row. They've been very good on defense during this run.

They're averaging less than five yards per play in the last four weeks so all wins.

So they are they're they're coming together.

Like you said, I think Mark Steichen is definitely in that conversation for Coach of the Year.

I think I've built seven or eight coaches as Coach of the Year. At this point, you can't be wrong. Well, you can be probably still could be.

But yeah, I think favorite pick one. I'm going to Why do you hate change stiking? It's a fair question.

Okay, let's go and goes. By the way, are favored in this give No, they're not. They're underdogs at home Colts getting one point. I don't like that. I'm taking bring some rain, but I'm taking the Bengals straight up for sure.

That's unusual. That's the like the way they went.

Yes, they've been winning, all right, let's go on. I need a late game so I will still.

Team just know how to win ball game.

Broncos at Chargers, Chargers getting two and a half points.

I can't imagine watching the Chargers. I couldn't even imagine it.

I know this.

This goes against what I was saying that I like these late season games where it's like the season's a bit on the line. Here the Charges feel just about dunzo if they get to five and eight or that would be their record, right if they lose this game in the division. And yet this game still does not really excite me too much. I have to admit as well.

So that that is a.

Bad sign, which I get because if you look at the numbers Kelly, I was trying to find a good Derrek Henry stat he's very high in yards after contact. I think he's like second or third league Dereck Henry still great. And you know I saw in that list, I was like, Josh Kelly was sixth per catch. I was like, maybe we should get a little more Josh Kelly. And so maybe Brandon Staley was just reading my mind. I was just at home alone watching this year, going in slow motion dropping the k.

It's it's been rough.

It's been rough. Every Their offense is bad. Their offense is bad.

He's a part of it. Yeah, he's a big part of it. He's a big party.

He's having a surprising down years, That's what I mean.

So a typical it's not that surprising because he's because of his size and the workload that he's had the last couple of years. They were always careful with him, and then they finally juiced him up to like full time status.

And you know that's what I'm mean.

From his overall body of work, he's getting very consistent. I mean, I think, like you know, there's so much disappointment around this Chargers team, Quentin Johnson like it's it's kind of like I can't wait for the season to end for him. It's like every week there's like a killer drugs.

He needs a Yeah, he needs to turn the page off season and try to try.

I guess you wonder if he can, if he can actually do it. I mean, I know, and that that Patriots game, which was an eyesore.

Quickly he looks okay, he just drops every pass. Yeah, but that's a problem. That's a problem. I'm not surprised at least he's that like kil Harry, which just was right. He's getting separation.

It's actually making it even worse because these drops are coming with some space and it's just like, come on, bra.

Yeah, I think, I mean, Brandon Staley is he's gone. We get it.

But like I would say, if you look at this defense since week eleg they've they're the fifth best points scoring defense in the league, like and like like the Patriots game again was very weather bound. But it's just that I know the overall but because this team the whole season and really the whole Brandon's Daily era, there are two sides never play well at the same time.

It's like, if one plays great, the other one stinks. It's like forty one to thirty eight Lions. If one plays great, the other one stinks. It's six to oh Chargers last week. And it's just they're just I don't think he's gone though. They they are the team that I'm like, just just see, you never know. They could win this game.

And they have a really tough remaining schedules. Yeah, and they've been very bad against teams that have been over five hundred so far. And and this will be of note at least in this room. We'll see how Dangerous bounces back from a turnover marred game last week. Can he turned the page, which he's good at turning the page, but get back to a more smart brand of football, protecting the ball, succeeding in the red zone, and beating a Chargers team that quite frankly, this should be something

Of course across I was driving around and I listened to the AM radio sports radio, like, well, there was this like they were doing an old school like trivia contest with a guy calling in, and the guy did very well and he won all these It was a bunch of Lakers, and like it was incredibly exciting for you, great, great drive time, but like that's great. He won the contest, but the prize was like tickets, you know, deep like

Do I want those?

They announce that they were nose bleeds. I just assume they're not great tickets. You got to put them in the two hundred section. If you get they're probably okay.

You can go online and find they're probably alas tickets for like twenty five at least.

At the front of the three hundred.

If you're a Broncos fan, you're in the playoff mix, you're in beautiful southern California, you know there's gonna be a lot of people excited.

To be right, I think this guy was from Southern he was not a Broncos fan. It's like, how excited is he about?

Is he? I don't know what he is.

That's the secondary market. Maybe you find uh people coming in from Colorado.

Yeah, if you're from Denver, fly and spend the weekend in you know, La and course, low level football.

Game with an NFL sanctioned second vendor.

Yes, Air, yes, of course, right now on third party site, thirty three dollars will get you into Chargers Broncos.

What section five hundreds?

Yeah?

No, I've been up in the five hundreds somebult watching the Cardinals Rams game playoff game a few years back, and we gotta get down.

I walked up to where you guys were.

I wasn't not you know, you were far away five a buck thirty.

This act, this actually isn't funny. But my neighbor, who's an elderly woman, very nice woman. It's not it's not that that isn't funny.

She took.

She took her and her daughter went to so far for a Rams game last year. Didn't realize they're in the five hundred section.

Got a heart attack. Wait what I mean, why are you telling the story right now? She was okay, we still have another game to go.

Greg.

There are bad things in the world, and there are bad players and bad announcers, and it's okay to talk about them.

So are you okay? Are you saying perfect? That's sort of what the follow up is.

You're saying that Austin Ekeeler is the old lady heart attack of running back.

I'm just saying the world is a scary place and just pull the one surprise surprised her that story.

Tell me I was surprised too, But that's why it's a good story. Yeah, I think it was an incredible story. All right, let's finish up here.

We still got two games left, so the Lions, we haven't taken that game, right, No, this is probably gonna be Dan's game. Just to let you know, I'm drafting for you Lions minus three at the Bears.

You ask me what I would suck it because I know.

Here, because I know you, buddy, and you said on this very program, I don't want to watch the Panthers anymore, and the Panthers the other option, and nobody watched the Panthers, So I'm sticking them with Mark and you can have Lions all fun game.

I had this.

Game just four weeks ago. I had this game just four weeks ago. I found it incredibly entertaining because you got justin fields against a defense that's just not giving up a lot of resistance right now, and he was the best player on the field that day. They should have won it, and then their defense collapsed and gave up two touchdowns at the end. I hope the Lions don't make it that difficult again, but I don't know. I'm not I'm just worried about this team. This This

Okay, how about this then, and Lions fans plug your ears because you want this to be a special season and you're nine to three right for the first time since.

What well you got a billion years ago? Yeah, like deep old America.

I define the way this is shaken out and you never know what could have with injuries and everything. I think success for the Lions this year is win this division, win a playoff game.

Yeah, but you gotta win games like this, Yes, which I don't feel incredibly because I just.

Don't think they're quite there yet, certainly not with the big boys in the NFC. But that doesn't mean the season is a failure if you don't want to go deep in the playoffs, just like close out the division, which you should be able to do and then game of playoffs and we're moving forward.

Another step forward for.

The cammel Rs, and they won't be the four seed because the NFC South will be, and so that means you will avoid the Eagles or Cowboys, which is nice.

We're in a weird place with the Lions because it's almost like they were elevated a little bit beyond where they are where it's like we just wanted them to be like the number one seed or two seed.

It's like, well, they're nine to three. They could be, they could be, but they but there.

Also there's this like all this fatalism around them because of their defense, and it's like, you know, we'll see what happened. I will say, like, no team other than the Commanders is giving up more points for games since Week seven, so it's it's real. At the same time, I like, look at a team that is like drafted well like Sam Laporta is becoming a huge factor down the stretch. I believe that they're going to handle their business.

When right now I'm locking that Lion's team up, I like that. All right, what have we got for the spread? Three points? There's some good there's some lockable games here, and it's on the road that you know, Lion's on the road.

I'll point it out, and the data backs this up. Jared Goff is not a good quarterback outdoors. He's not a good quarterback. Well, maybe I shouldn't lock it in December and January. He has a lot of a lot of trouble with that. In fact, I'll give you some data points eight and thirteen outdoors in December and January, completion percentage south of sixty, QB.

Rating of eighty.

He when the weather drops and he is playing outside of dome, that production has historically dropped. So let's see Goff is is Scoff a different player than he was with the Rams.

I don't know. We're gonna see.

Uh.

Now that we're get into some crucible games for the Lions. Let's see if he can play the guitar.

It's one of those draft stories that feel so stupid, but then you hear this data. He's got the old I just found he's in the bottom tenth percentile. AHD, tiny hands, coffee Mark.

Yeah, I feel for him on that front. They need it. They need to get Jamo Demo going.

They just I feel like they're one weapons short on office.

Oh yeah, Weymo, Weymo, Bro.

They're great on offense, but it's just man, it's a lot to count on.

Like lap, I guess you got the running game. They're they're interesting.

You have that Weymo clip from last week that was fun Waimo after that incredible end around where he went sixty seven miles per hour.

That I feel like this Bears team is better that they're they're four and eight, but they're a pretty good for it eight.

They're a little dangerous. They're a little.

Dangerous and and like I said, Fields is another uh subject subject of intrigue. I think he really needs the ball out if he wants to stay with the Bears.

I don't even know if he wants to stay with it. I almost presume he's gone.

But if he really does have some big games down the stretch, remember what an awesome stretch he had like last November for instance.

Yeah, but that's not even been like he's he's had a couple of moments like that or haves, but like what he did, had he picked it up from there, even just the running part of him right, like you'd see a lot. But it's like, I just presume he's not going to be on the team next year. I mean we will see a lot of questions there.

Uh you mentioned Hutchinson one sack in the last seven games.

That brilliant, Mark. I think it's a good player. Oh suddenly a score from last week. I didn't.

I spend twelve minutes saying I don't you know, I shouldn't have used that word.

You know, we already went through that all that business. You always underestimate our audience. A lot of people know exactly what can I promise you?

Our audience remembers and a lot of as I was talking about the multiple angers, all right, close it out, Mark, all right, well what I can't believe this is still hanging around Panthers at Saints. It's like two you know, faulty helicopters colliding in the middle of the sky. I don't I don't know why a huge last week I got Chargers Patriots.

So the helicopters were distressed before colliding.

They all they were faulty, and that's probably why you could have pilots were faulty, and that's why they could have picked.

The game you wanted.

But instead you tried to be cute and take the ship game, and it came back to bite you.

It was actually a very smart move. I compare this, I compare this next to Brown's Jaguars.

There you go, I don't know.

I guess how about this, Like Saints show up and do something and stop being totally pored.

They're an eyesore.

They're impossible to watch, one of the worst red zone offenses in the league. All I need is like when their fan base is that annoyed with their own team, and you do, you lose the pocket of the fan base. It's even like like illogically telling you they're great when they're not.

Like there aren't those fans don't even exist for this team.

We have to check in on the practice report for Thursdays, but Taysom Hill's not practicing well, and I feel a lot better about Jameis Winston being in the mix as the starter if you have Taysom to playoff.

Tam Hill has like he is three hundred and forty six yards on the ground, four touchdowns, two twenty plus and a touchdown through the air. He's not really even playing quarterback that much. And like there's been previous seasons where we talked about Taysom Hill all the time. I won sandwich bet on how many touchdowns he'd have, and Sean Payton, you know, fawned over. It's like this might be his best season in a way on a pretty lost offense.

I think he's been really reliable.

If he finishes this regular season strong, there will be generation of fantasy players that we'll talk about Taysom Hill's cheat code tight end season twenty twenty three. Yeah, and a otherwise bad group of producers in that game.

Taysom just does all these different things.

Derek Carr might play in this game because I think he was partial.

Somebody saved Derek Carr from himself.

So he's got a shoulder injury of back injuries, coming off a concussion. I mean, I don't know if we need to rush him back into this mailstrom.

No, and you mentioned the tickets you thought would be cheap. Here.

You can get into the Superdome for fifteen dollars. So but I do that less than a you pair that less than a beer and a hot dive.

I'm a nice weekend in no orld. Yeah, we've done that in that quarter. I'd be able to.

If there's one thing that could get Gayle Benson's attention. Sure, any owner in terms of the GM too, not just the head coach, but Mickey Loomis is as much power as any GM in the league that could get their attention if it starts getting real empty.

The booze there were very rare.

Alvin Kamara mentioned like he had never heard anything like that, and he said, like, I understand it, we're just not performing, but I've never heard anything like that, And.

It doesn't It doesn't help when you have people on the team like joining in with the fans and how much the team sucks.

Yeah, things have gone like they're only giving the Panthers, who are a disaster, five points in this and so I guess if like it would be really the.

Spot for the Panthers to get a win.

Yeah, but how about Bryce Young, Like if he could just string together a couple games were different. I just don't see how it's gonna happen. Saints are still in the mix if they win this game, right, very much? Are they very much?

But doesn't it feel like they are just a team that needs to hit the reset there?

Yeah? No for the division right? No false results?

Like I think it'd be better for the team to probably flush a lot of this down the drain and start over.

And it don't seem well.

Dennis Allen wins the division at eight nine and comes back for another year.

Everyone everyone wins.

The fans send our thoughts to Hurst that oh yeah, Anthers and very sad that his father said he was diagnosed with post traumatic amnesia as a result of a hit to the head.

I remember that.

I never heard that brutal three or four weeks ago that you know, caused a concussion and these are some of the symptoms. So he's been through a lot, if you know his story, battling back from depression too in college. I think suicide attempt I believe he had talked about and this is just as terrible.

It's a reminder what they're risking going out there.

Yes, okay, good luck to mister Hurst. That is the full week fourteen rundown. This is the Thursday triple header for at and so we're gonna have an NFL Plus Dreamatorium app which you can get on NFL Plus and also if you're outside the United States, you can get.

It on DA's own.

We also will have a Thursday night recap of Patriots Steelers with guests. We cooked something. We told you people, Cestag and I were going to cook something up.

We got something. Well, surprise him with the guests though. I like that.

And finally, what a great day this is or a week this is because we learned that are hardworking, intrepid young producer, sneaky handsome. I wouldn't say sneaky. I think I would say back door, like side door handsome, maybe coming through the front door. Good looking guy. Doesn't surprise me that he landed a wife of a wonderful, beautiful woman. And I guess it shouldn't surprise me. That's such a

Uh, great job, Bud.

Thank you man, appreciate all those What is your wife's name? By the way, my wife is Lenn.

Yeah.

The YouTube show, you could see we were holding our ultrasound of my baby boy.

Austin James is all, oh, he's ready to roll.

Yeah, we're you know, we're not young pups anymore, so we've been we waited it out. She's a doctor, so she went to school. I went through the morning radio life.

So we've been yourself a doctor. Dude, you just went up in Dan's eyes. I'm not.

I'm not the bread wind in the family, and I'm okay with every Listeners.

Like, what kind of doctor? What is her?

She's a clinical clinical psychologist, so she works with the courts and at risk youth and way smarter than me. Kept going back to school for some reason. It's yeah, nice job, and uh, you can find a good woman that's a doctor.

You are.

I don't know if you listeners on your Instagram, but you should. You have your own podcast. It's called the What's New Pod? And I saw that this is how I learned. On your page. You put up a clip of you letting your co hosts, Yeah show with for a long time, including Randy Chavez big follow and it was a great reaction.

Everyone should should check that out, seeing your.

Friend and a bunch of my old buddies from my radio days.

So it's wherever you get your podcast.

Check out the What's New podcast with Funk and buds from the old radio station.

And again, congratulations Eric to you. There is nothing better.

No and Eric, I cannot I cannot suggest more highly to have the followers of the show on your Instagram.

That's a that's a way to get out of here, guys. Let's go see the internet just breaks down the walls mark it does.

Don't need all We're all the same, stew together now, all right, till later heed the call.