2023 Week 15 Recap

They Around the NFL podcast won't talk about an onsidekick.

This week from the Chris Westling podcast Studio, It's Around the NFL. It is the flagship show. Sunday Recap Week fifteen. Week fifteen. Dan Hands is here. Greg Rosen thought, Mark Sessler he rose bol what's up? I'm okay, Yeah, we just learned or Mark reported this?

I reported it.

I'm okay that Actually, who was it?

It was?

Zach Martin told Mike McCarthy. You know, if you watched the Cowboys Bills game, the right guard exited with an apparent injury, but told Mike McCarthy afterwards, I'm okay.

Right, And then I was wondering how he said it because I thought that Mike relax, I'm okay.

That is how it That's how it was for or Mike Relax.

I'm okay. I mean Mike, Mike, Mike, I'm okay. Like which one wasn't?

We don't know. Inflection tone matters.

Maybe it was like Mike, I'm okay.

That's aggressive. But I think they have more of a bond than that.

I think the first one you did is probably at the closer the.

Truth, Like we could do this for an hour.

Yeah, because I'd rather do that than get to some of the football today.

Like I could just do this for.

You've been doing it for five minutes, so I'm glad to have started this.

It's really I'm actually talking about myself.

I'm okay, all right, we have a lot to get to because, yes, we're coming down to the wire here of the regular season, only three games left for each team after Monday night. We have I want to say we got some clarity on the Sunday, but not really. I mean, we had a division that was clinch we had a couple of playoff spots that are now officially taken, but otherwise it remains mark just a big old stew of confusion.

It is a yeah, it's a thick soup. I mean, only four teams have been removed from the playoff picture.

Thank god Steve Carn's back on Sunday nights right to give us clarites.

Central.

All right, let's get to it. Let's start. Yes, it was, at least on paper, the game of the week. It didn't play out that way, but it did. I think teach us something about both teams to Orchard Park.

Cook to the left of Allen and the shotgun. Two receivers left, one to the right. Here's the stat give us.

The Cook goes behind talking through a hole down to the ten to five and he leaps into the end zone. James Cook with his second touchdown of the game, one.

Receiving, one rushing.

It is a blowout oh Orchard Park, as the Cook has found the kitchen for the second time tonight.

Chris Brown bongos, early bongos. Producer, every producer, team, every producer has the power of the bongos, and you use that power. Good job, Eric, Chris Brown with a call. Good call by Chris. James Cook had a career best one hundred and seventy nine yards on the ground, a whopping two hundred and twenty one yards of scrimmage and two touchdowns. As mister Brown told you, the Bills dismantle the Cowboys thirty one to ten in Western New York.

Say bye bye to Dallas's.

Five game winning streak and open up a whole can of worms about Dallas being vulnerable because they haven't been so hot on the road, and with this loss, there's a very good chance they'll be on the road come the playoffs. Mark, you were in the whole position in the draft. You grab this game the Bills man, look.

Out, Yeah, I think I locked this team up too.

Oh he's dumbing out hot.

Oh he gets hot.

And I kind of felt like this was the moment for Buffalo to either wave farewell to this journey that's been real up or down, and certainly the last like ten days been rough for the coach and everyone else. And I'm looking at a game where Josh Allen completed seven passes, and if I knew that ahead of time, I would have thought that sounds like a potential disaster.

And it didn't require Josh Allen. James Cook.

I think we've seen James Cook kind of rise up and getting to the point where he's been a difference maker and changed their attack dominant today, utterly dominant. And you could feel the Dallas defense on a bad weather environment in Buffalo with no way to stop it. I mean, it's their pass rush that you think could take over a game and maybe neutralize Josh Allen. It never existed because Buffalo just kept sending Cook and friends right up the gut of the defense, and it worked to the

Dallas had no way back into this thing.

It's funny if the season goes long enough, sometimes you have storylines that are around early, then they go away for a while, and then they're back in December, and two storylines I remember honking about in September early October was Wow, the Bills actually have a good offensive line this year and a good running game, a little more physical than they've been in the past. James Cook obviously has been playing great now for a month, but that

Now.

I don't think it means it's some fatal flaw that if they find their way behind that they are never going to come back. But it's those weaknesses showing up, and more importantly for the Bills, their strength showing up in a massive spot where they have a couple of layups now in a row before a Week eighteen game, before the Dolphins.

Yeah, you got a you know, floating Chargers team, train wreck team on the road. Then you get the Patriots, another one of the worst teams in football. So they are really set up here. And you know, you could also say, man, we've been trying to trust the Bills all year long.

They've kept on telling.

Us, don't trust us, and yet this does feel different. You know, It's a great way to quickly move on from a frankly insane nine to eleven controversy. Let that story leak on like a Thursday night and then promptly beat the Chiefs and the Cowboys and back to back weeks.

Right, So it goes from Sean McDermott, the world's caving in on the guy too.

Wow this team, Listen, can't call them the favorites because they still got work to do just to make the playoffs, but they are as dangerous as any team in the AFC as we go into the final leg of the season. On the Cowboys side, Listen, I think we were all on the same page. Mark, you did a good job blocking it up. This felt like a tough spot for the Cowboys to go on the road against the Bills, team that was desperate, that was playing better, feeling itself

Now, I'm not.

Gonna say that I'm out on the Cowboys, but I really did like this idea. If you want to sell yourself on the Cowboys making the NFC title game, for instance, for the first time in a quarter century. It's like, find a way to win that division and get a home game, and maybe you get some luck, you get the top seat. Listen, all that is most likely out the door. Now, that's a damaging loss, Greg, and you

The situation is for Monday Night, they are in danger.

Now.

The Cowboys are being locked into that five seed and maybe I'm not feeling so hot about him in that spot.

Yeah, just tiebreaker wise, Cowboys and Eagles both ended up clinging a playoff spot on Sunday. But yeah, the Eagles pretty much have all the tie breaks, which means the Eagles now even have a loss to either Seattle or I forget whether there are other out of division game is maybe Arizona to play with. They couldn't lose in Division of the Giants necessarily, but that's a decent amount of wiggle room now for the Eagles. They could lose Monday Night and still control their fate in the division.

Yeah.

One thing I disliked about the whole Cowboys approach to this game early on was like a real lack of discipline too, which has not been the way they've been. I think they had three killer personal fouls on Buffalo's first three touchdown marches. Each of those kind of rescued Buffalo out of a situation where they could have been

Dolphins next week or the number two running team in the league. So all of a sudden, you know they're gonna be tested here and we'll see how it looks. Yeah, the Bills put you know the fact that they kind of put the game away by halftime, and you could say, well, Dallas is so explosive. Nobody thought the game was over. It felt pretty over it did. The energy was lacking around the Cowboys in this game, and that we talked about Zach Martin. He comes out and you see him

It's a tough one.

I'm more surprised I didn't watch it as close as ease Mark, but just that the Bill's defense got after Dak so much that the offensive line, and I know they didn't have Martin, but which has been great for so long, ends up giving up so much pressure that you know, the Dak in the passing game ends up with one hundred and six net yards passing on something like thirty seven dropbacks.

That that's insane. That's Carolina Panthers on a bad day type of numbers.

They're also I mean, I know this annoys you, Greg because you brought it up to but it's like they're totally out of this game. It's pouring down rain and they still have Dak in there, like when the thing is completely lost, throwing passes of ceed Lamb, who was limping around at one point. It's like, I don't I get teams do things differently, but why are we why are we risking like a pyrrhic loss, not even on our victory.

I can take you inside the head of that.

Well, you've already you've done it. Team aready.

We'll take it deep inside again.

And the cow is you know it just wanted to, you know, put something good on tape at the end of the game. You know it's a turn the page game, but we want to end on a high note. And we did that and we're gonna well they getting forward to uh, you know, better days ahead. Yeah, it's dumb, just like the the genius Kyle Shanahan, you know, sticking the ball and Christian McCaffrey's bread basket up twenty points

Anything else from this affair.

I don't know, Just like I think the Bills are.

I had real trust issues with the Bills and they're starting to melt away.

They've had a really.

Good, good ten days.

That's good.

That's good.

I know that matters to their fan base. That that I'm back on.

It's been I mean, McDermott is doing a great job connecting this defense, considering all the injuries they lost two more starters going into today. They are down so many players on that defense, and each week he's coming up with good plan. It's been a good couple of weeks for McDermott, you know, coming out.

Yeah, well post, you know, That's what I'm saying.

Though, if he loses that game most nine to eleven, that could have been maybe the end of his time in Buffalo, depending on how it goes been. Instead, his side of the ball, which has been criticized rightly, that he was trying to get people off the scent when he made that offensive coordinator change. We said that here this was his dream game. His defense is happening and they're running the ball like you want. It's like this

Say that this makes no sense. This season makes no sense. We talked about in Thursday, this is gonna be an epic shootout. Oh oh, Josh Allen threw for ninety four yards and they blew out the Cowboys and nobody got.

Like, you know, no connect those duds. All right, let's move to.

I think the game of the day, Cleveland the magic Mark, there's some magic in Cleveland.

Beliveland baby from the Browns.

Forty five fields back to pass, pup in the pocket, he rolls left times run out. He's gonna look, he's gonna look, he's gonna watch. It's going down into the end zone. Knock it down the ball, here's.

Our sat down, that's in our something by the bust.

That's the end of the fun. He got it full game.

Over Crouch win croats twin twenty to seventeen.

It's all over.

Jim Donovan with the call, great call, w k r K.

Well you didn't hear there was that ball gets knocked down directly into the hands of who is it, Darnell Mooney who has it in his hands for a game winning hail Mary completion from justin Fields. But somehow it pops out and then turns into an interception. And yes, there's a little bit of that magic dust on the Cleveland Browns this season. Remember we're talking about it feels

Wrong, Queu. It's the Brownies have some.

Magic to them after a twenty to seventeen win, a game in which they dug themselves out of a seventeen to seven hole in the third quarter or a fourth quarter.

Greg, what a magic carpet, right?

And I want to get to everything that led to that hail but I think we gotta start with that hail Mary, because the Bears get in position after the Browns kind of lose their minds and let who was a Tyler Scott run up the sidelines for a free thirty yards, the biggest play the Bears had all day. The Bears offense was dominated all day by the Browns. This was deserved victory, I think, a deserved comeback by

Also, Greg that is that is a professional wide receiver, right, Well, it wasn't like my seven year old son that it was padded down. It's like, oh, you almost caught it. I don't know how he doesn't catch it. That's it was a miracle. And then for it to pop up right to the right team, yeah, the wrong team depending on your perspective.

A little magic, little dust, little dust.

I like each of these Browns nail biers, and they they went through like at one point in the game, like, how what's happened in the final couple of minutes to the Browns in this season. These were games that the Cleveland Browns have been losing for you know, two and a half decades.

So it's something is a little bit different.

I know that Flacco he had three picks today and you're gonna get that with Joe Flacco, but there's something about him, I mean, just the veteran nature of also through for three seventy four, Right, that's the thing, Like you're gonna like, I just think that you've got like heads up and like neck up, like Flacco gives them something just been missing at quarterback and like you can

Yeah, I think it was that Cleveland one it actually started on and that was a four play Cleveland one. It even took four plays, including three penalties that knocked out two of those plays to score that type. So essentially, the Browns defense, I mean, the Browns offense gave up fourteen points. The Bears defense scored fourteen points. Otherwise, the

It had craziest I said.

Flacco throws for three to seventy four, a couple interceptions in Djoku, has a great game. But that play, first play of the fourth quarter, the Bears are at midfield. We're coming off of Flacco interception which felt like, ooh, this might be Kurt, and he threw it at the goal line after they were driving, and the Bears are

Like they absolutely.

Destroyed justin fields and this bears offense the whole day, which is why even though I know Flacco through three interceptions, they were removing the ball and it felt very deserved.

I was.

I would have been sick for the Browns if they had lost a close game here because the defense, it was another vintage were the best defense in the league.

Type of game.

And I'll point out the game tying touchdown Blacko to Cooper.

That's one of the last throws of the year.

Yes, And I also want to point out it's when you have actual good coaching and play calling. That's a great design play for Flacco with a beat up offensive line to have a design rollout to buy him a little time to give him a good look downfield and then he just like Turkey, holds it and Cooper does the rest.

It was.

It was brilliant and also brilliant my guy.

And Joko with two, i mean ten catches career high in this game. He had the toe tap touchdown. He had a big catch on third down to keep the game winning drive alive. In the fourth quarter, two catches to put the game away and to set up the short field goal.

He is a ser find weapon with Flaco and I don't know how much longer.

This the Browns can sustain injuries because they continue to come in waves. But they're finding ways every week and they're a fun team to follow.

And I you know, I think that Kevin Stefanski came into this season with a potentially hot seat. I mean, I think there were questions about what the whole organization was doing in general, and through all the injuries, especially at quarterback, I think Stefanski has proven himself to Browns fans to be a bit of a difference maker.

I might think Deshan Watson on the hot seat next year.

Well, I think Stefanski's proven two years in a row he can win with almost anyone at quarterback. It seems like he's I think that says a lot about the offensive scheming.

Blacko Head has the fifth most amount of yards in his first three games with a team in NFL history. It's probably as obvious, but he's he's the number one in terms of a guy that just joined the team in the middle of the season. All those guys are, you know, either rookie with Cam Newton or guys who had come over in free agency on a new team. I think this could have changed a couple of franchises here, because the Browns look like they're going to the playoffs here.

Just flackle behind a bad offensive line doesn't feel sustainable.

But also it just feels like a different.

Type of year.

Let's give the last word to Kevin Stefanski on that Hail Mary.

When it's there, I blacked out.

I don't know.

How about you, Mark, were you what was your ad space on the hill? Maary?

I mean, you know, I'm trying to watch all these games at the same time, and when I saw that happen, I thought.

Well, well, in the one eye that was that's probably gonna land.

In the lap of the didn't get spoiled by us on the other side or no, because you know, oh totally okay, Yeah, no, that the rest of the desks down there watching, I mean, it's eight seconds ahead of what I'm watching.

Or maybe you're just learning about the outcome right now.

But I don't know you was actually, to be fair, you were just shouting, So I don't so something cap.

Yeah, we went.

I went over there to watch the ending. David and Joke, I think spoke for a lot of Browns fans. He was asked on it and he said, damn near myself, dog fair.

Enough, all right?

Uh speaking to uh, speaking of pooping themselves. The Packers, in their defense, welcome the Bucks to lambeau Field today.

Shotgun look low, snap passed by Baker, caught ball and they first down the twenty five of the.

Twenty ten to five David Moore scro a touchdowns.

Haven't they what third down and three Wow, this is this is an out route and what.

A great catch.

I mean, this is in a group of bod he somehow more catches it and then he's able to spin out it air and runs away from everybody to pick up the touchdown.

That's a huge play, all.

Right, Thank you, David Moore. David Moore on the touchdown catch. Dave Moore on that color call, and that was of course Jee decker Hoff with McCall wfus. Baker Mayfield through for three hundred and eighty one yards four touchdowns, including that game clincher to More. He had a perfect passer rating and the Bucks won their third straight game. Who said nobody wants to win the NFC South thirty four to twenty over the Packers at Lambeau. The Bucks he

He's in a good spot.

He's uh, you know, a little out of not like under the microscope, and he's allowed to just do his thing, and and and let's be honest, in a lesser division, and he's just confident and feeling himself. And this year, this this game specifically, was kind of like the high point of what's been a really a good year for him in his career, where he's re established himself. And I'm interested what his long term future is in Tampa, especially if he keeps this up, maybe it won't even

It was outrageous.

And I was talking to big big Funk behind the glass. I don't know, and I know Joe Joe Barry is a figure of suspicion for Packers fans.

I don't know.

Oh how many games I've seen this.

Year that were as poorly played by defense than what you saw from the Green Bay Packers. When you watch this game, you're gonna be blown away by how many second and long second in forever, third and long and Baker just sits back there sets up a picnic blanket looks for a wide receiver to get open, usually Chris Godwin, who was just rolling through the middle of the field the whole game and just picking apart green Bay's defense with ease. So it wasn't so much that Green Bay

And then Baker was hitting all the throws. So this Packers team woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous.

And he was dangerous in this game, This Packers team, and they are such a perfect example of the season in the nutshell mark, this Packers team that we're all so sky high on, they get beat by the Packers of the Giants on Monday night, like a it's all right, then you let the Bucks come in here embarrass you, especially your defense, and you're like Jesus is another pretender that we started to believe.

In well, and it's like we mentioned on Thursday, this past week seemed to be like the bubbling up where everyone who's watching these games started to look at Green Bay and say, we can't trust you because of this this defense.

I mean, forget Jordan Love and him being up and down.

It's like he's in a terrible position when you're down twenty to ten and the Bucks are going all over the place.

Love played well in this game, right, That's the thing.

It's like, it's just that they have a fatal flaw and it's like it's a point where they're asking, you know, Laflour about Joe Barry in every press conference and I think we have that actually.

Met drever considered in season change and coordinator. Uh yeah, now's not the time for that, to be honest with you. So there you go.

You got Lafleur answering those questions and probably kicking himself because he was not gonna admit it there probably had doubts about Barry and the scheme going into the year, decided to ride with him and it might get them beat in the end.

I'm I'm not stunned by the defense, but I am stunned that the Bucks had it in him. I mean, that's the most offense they've had all year. That's the first opposing quarterback to ever go into Lambeau history the stadium and have a perfect passer rating.

Wow, Baker, it's this kind of wild.

Beker has been on like seventeen teams.

They big funk let me know about that. I mean, I didn't know they added him. I didn't know Chris Godwin had like a ten for one fifty in him. And they're seven and seven. And the Packers, who understandably were getting some buzz of like hmm, maybe they're gonna win this division eight days ago, like maybe they're gonna end up catching the Lions from behind, are suddenly eleventh in a pretty good looking NFC Wildcard picture where a lot of people won on Sunday and.

In a pretty brutal spot.

And I don't think I don't think Lafleur is gonna We'll see how this the rest of the season goes, because it's too early to bury any team who knows the way this season goes, maybe they'll freaking win three straight. We got Todd Bowles going for multiple fourth downs late in the game. Things can change in life, Todd Bowles, how about it?

Yeah? No, well, yeah, listen, they deserve credit. This was a big win. And I again I locked up the Packers, and I gotta tell you something, and I'll say it again. I don't care if I'm seven and eight. That was a fine lock. That was fine, It was good luck. How do you.

Predict that in green Bay that type of performance that Baker would play at that level and the green Bay Packers be that bad because, like I said, their offense was not the problem.

Green Bay continues to move the ball on offense. And I thought that there was a throw from Jordan Love that was one of the best of his young career on a scramble in the red zone that he just throws it on an absolute line to I believe.

It was Jayden Reed.

That once again reminds you that this dude has a very high ceiling and the Packers are right to be patient with Love. So the offensive side of the ball, okay, the defense.

Right, the lers today wicked Craft and Reid who combined for like two hundred yards. First of all, no one had ever heard of any of them practically going into the season. The other in Draftnicks, it's like mid round

This version of Baker they win the super.

Bowl, well right, but but even in games where they've not been productive, he finds a way, like late to do something crazy. And it's like, I think when he is a quarterback that when he's confident, it's a completely different version.

Oh sure, and I and I think they have, to your point, the highest ceiling of these NFC we.

Could there is a dark out timeline where we get two of these teams, because right now they're pretty close.

You know, it's listen, we had we're gonna get.

He also finally bench Devin White, who's having a nightmare of free agencies. I know he was inactive, but they essentially benched him.

It's out of them I think it's the Vikings. They're talking about the Packers.

We had all these teams that we had high hopes for UH at the bottom of the NFC, and and they're just not taking the reins.

Let's move to Miami.

Miami, throw looking beep down the left sideline, the watch loves gone touchdown Miami.

There's a new Cheetah in town.

Boy jam Mugattle just smoke DJ.

Reed on coverage, man demand on the outside and again to him, looked it off and came back to him.

So there was no help.

I couldn't really hear the songs that they played, but.

I did see Steven Ross and his suite doing the Wattle dance.

It's great. Yeah, it's hard to unsee that. Can unsee it. It's there forever now.

Jimmy Sevalo at the call with Joe Rose wb gg raheem Moster, Well you heard lonell and two of three for two twenty four in that one score, but ram most had two more touchdowns. He sets a Miami single season record with twenty on the air. It's December seventeenth and the Dolphins shut out the Jets thirty nothing. Yeah, without Tyreek Hill, he was a game time decision. They decided kind of the last second they'll be all right without him, and they were. They embarrassed the Jets team

Ball, and yeah, missing starters.

Yeah it didn't matter because the Jets, who looked so mighty or so it seemed last week against Houston, were unable to cross one hundred yards of total offense until late in the fourth quarter.

And I give credit.

Miami in general played a really sound game on both sides of the ball. It was a really nice bounce back for the team after the disaster on Monday night that collapsed. But they really won the game because of Bradley Chubb, who had I think he had either three or three and a half sacks causing turnovers, and the Miami pass rush that didn't need a blitzer absolutely put a clown suit on all the Jets makeshift starters on

I think this Dolphins because it's so easy just to laser focus on their offense and what Mike McDaniel has done and the stars on that side the ball, But like their defense has been really interesting, even with Jalen Phillips out of the lineup.

Like you don't get too many drive charts like this.

The Jets fumble downs five straight punts, an interception, another fumble interception, end of game.

I mean, they just never had a chance.

I know they're not a good offense to begin with, but it's like Miami shut down the run entirely and you're playing bad quarterbacks, but it's like they stomped them. And it's like I think that, you know, the Dolphins defense is not talked about enough.

No, they've been so much better in the second half of the season, and it should give Dolphins fans hopes that they have a chance in this AFC. I know you have disappointing nights like last week, but they're ten and four. This is a franchise that has not won a playoff game. In twenty three years, I mean since two thousand. They haven't won the division since I think

Yeah, Two is I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know if I still have my doubts about the Dolphins in the big picture against the big boys, but they are what they can do to the teams that are not that are in disarray, that don't have their stuff together.

It is a scary watch.

Like this game could have been the Miami even being injured to played depleted. I think they could have scored forty points easily in this game if they were a little more aggressive in the second half, and they chose not to be.

One thing I don't like is because I see that Austin Jackson, another offensive lineman, left with an oblique in dream and they're banged up along the line, like they've had to go without guys week after week, and I think that really changes Tua's game in some of these like more premier matchups.

Not today, we'll see, Yeah we saw.

Raheem Moster is up to twenty touchdowns on the season. That is seven more than the Jets have scored as a team. Moster four more than the Panthers, a couple more than the Giants, the same as the Steelers in the Patriots.

Raheem Moster, it can it can seem unfair when you could just roll him out. I don't even think he's the best running back on the team.

I think eight Chan is a better player that he is healthy for once for the entire year.

I wouldn't put him in the same bucket as like Jamal Williams what he did with Detroit last year. But it's not far off from that where they get inside the five and he's the guy and they have such a great scheming and the way McDaniels calls an offense that Mostar it is like it seems like he's like jogging in on these like tosses and it's like what

They're in a tough situation because you're supposed to.

It makes all the sense in the world for Woody to say, you know what, Bob's Joe Douglas has gotten like four and a half years to build this roster into a real winner, and Sala has a wretched record through three seasons. I look like they quit in this game. It's just dark. You got to kind of blow this thing up. Nathan Nathaniel Hackett, great guy, but you got

I hope.

I would imagine even though he's been cleared now, you're not gonna see him.

Next week or any time.

Well, that would be stupid now that they are mathematically eliminated. But honestly, when you're talking about a team like the New York Jets that have been a joke for a Baker's dozen of years. Now, I have my doubts to even assume that the he that we won't see Rogers.

But even even like in August and you know, coming off of hard knocks and it's like we're gonna get Dalvin Cook, we keep adding pieces sort of had this like super Bowler bust field because you only have Aaron Rodgers for two seasons. Uh, They're not a super Bowler bus situation where or without Rogers. In fact, I think like the one blessing for Aaron Rodgers and all of this because it's like, oh, if he were there would be different. So I think they'd be having a really

And look at you know, with the way that the offensive line watch this game, if you stomach to watch how non competitive that offensive line is in front of Zach Wilson and then Trevor Simmeyon and then tell me, even if Rodgers's Achilles dozen snap, that this season was going to be in a good place. And that is all on Joe Douglas, who preached when he was hired for that job in twenty nineteen. He preached that building a championship team is about building in the trenches, building

Injuries have played a role, but it's not just injuries. Gross gross, gross.

All right, let's head to New England, where Patriots fans have been dealing with some gross things as well.

As second down goal to go at the six, Mahomes wll look plump faking now turns left, Chase floats it for the.

Back of the end zone.

Taught Clyde Edwards Hilaire touchdown chansus Ceh nine and a half yards deep in the end zone, went up the elevator to get a six yard reception from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs lead by thirteen.

It's Clyde Edwards Hilarry even active in the Super Bowl last year, and he's like targeted in the red zone with.

This Chiefs well, they need him to the today.

He was active all of this season. Either its injuries and he's back.

Mitch Holtis with the call, Patrick Mahomes through for three hundred and five yards, two touchdown passes, two picks as well, including that score the c E H and the Chiefs take Care of Business Classic TCOB game seven twenty seven to seventeen over the moribund New England Patriots and Mark You know, there was the obligatory drop from Kadarius Tony that turned into an interception, but I think it was perhaps a good a good sign that the Chiefs even

Still, yeah, I'd agree.

I didn't blow It's not going to blow your doors off when you go watch. They're still DNA shared with some of the Chiefs problems from before. Homes had a second pick as well as two turnovers led to a touchdown and a field goal for the Patriots, who otherwise would have been like an apparition in this game. Edwards Hilaire did a nice job. It's like you Pachaco, who I think is you had surgery on his shoulder. I don't like that for this team either. But Jared mcjerrek

Think the story for them.

The one thing that's been a b line in most of these games is the defense. It's not just what's up with the offense. It's like the defense. New England in the second half had fifty seven yards on twenty two plays. Ten of their seventeen points I mentioned were just a byproduct of like the short field in turnovers, it's like they were completely nullified. Now that's not a surprise, but like this Chiefs defense can keep their offense afloat. It's not like if that side of the ball, we're falling,

They can't there's not much they can do to change.

So you need guys like Rice McKinnon the rest of them to be the best they can possibly be.

And they should win the division.

Now you're going into this week, there's legitimate concern about the Broncos, who are coming in their rear view. Still I think they have to be a little worried that a defense probably that was setting out to stop Kelsey does eleven targets for twenty eight yards. He drops a touchdown like Canarius Tony dropped the touchdown that was as easy as the one Kelsey did.

People would be killing him too.

And it's like, true, look at the data point.

No, it's true.

But I think he literally leads tight ends in yards this year as much as I hear what you're saying, but I agree, I agree.

It's just not his it's relative to tramps else of the past.

Yeah, And I saw in this game how like Bill Belichick was bunting fourth and three at the fifty down seventeen and then down two touchdowns. They were just eating up all the clock when they're on their own goal line, like they weren't trying to hurry up at all. They were just they were trying to end the game even though they were down two touchdowns.

It was just like, man, that was a that was a.

If there are people that saw their fantasy seasons end in the playoffs today and you're like me, it was a Patrick Mahomes fantasy manager. This was a perfect like distillation. Their first touchdown drive is a trick play where Jerck McKinnon shovels it to Rashie Rice and then the season ends. Your season or their game ends with the Chiefs kneeling it out to kill the past the last basically two

You you Matt Ryan, and you were never the same after that never fantasy season from about season.

Not aware, but things are weird.

Between feel it in the atmosphere, Yeah, anything else on this game.

There was that report from our guy Ian that the decision hadn't completely been made on Bill Belichick's future. I thought was interesting on Sunday morning.

I'm ready to just like, yeah, stash that story until January eighth, but let's do.

It, because I think the keyword was like no final decision had been made for that. That indicates that like a preliminary decision had been made.

They did one little newsl like they did.

Whack Andy Reid one hundred grand and Patrick Mahomes fifty grand for their outburst.

In the All right from a week ago. Yeah, makes sense, adds up.

I mean, if you're Patrick Mahomes, that fifty grands, you don't even know that's in your that's just coming out.

By yeah, ye bye.

All right, let's take a break and then we will continue on with the pipe.

All right, welcome back.

All right, let's now keep going the week fifth teen recap.

Let's head to Nashville.

Sixteen sixteen, two seconds to go.

In overtime, fifty four yard a tip left hash Mark, here's the snap, here's the spot, here's the.

Kick by fairbanasod the Duxons win.

Legendary fair Bear knocks.

It through, from which your hat now Wallsid's defeat armor oilers.

Oh, uniform back in the trunk.

Oh yeah, put that on your call.

Of the year list.

Oh, Mark, Vanderbier and Andre were all sorts of pumped up kilt Cayami. Fairbairn kicked a fifty four yard field goals time expired in overtime, and the Texans with case keenum at QB rally from a thirteen point deficit to beat the Titans nineteen sixteen on the day Titans leadership deemed it necessary to wear Houston oilers throw back uniforms. Let's welcome in Nick Schook, the pipe who watched the Texans find a way without CJ.

Stroud.

You know no better way to recap someone piping a field goal than by bringing in myself to the kais Kai guys, I mean Kayimi Fairbairn drills a field goal to bring some excitement to an otherwise kind of dull game. If you really think about it, both sides I mean case Keenum out played Will Levis, but that's statistically, not really visually. The second half was really the story and

Stroud.

Involved twenty six carries, one hundred and twenty one yards, no touchdowns, but he paced that offense when they certainly needed it, kind of unlocked. It allowed them to throw the football a little bit more. In the second half. They consistently outgained Tennessee. And I keep trying to say

So Texans still right in the thick of the Anty South. Should he Singletary almost had.

He did have a walk off touchdown and overtime as well, they got brought back by a holding. Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, So yeah, he had a big day. He's picked up the slack for that backfield.

A little peak behind the glass.

It was during the fourth quarter that I realized that this wasn't my game, that there had been some rapidati so I watched it pretty closely, and like the on the uniform front, I thought it was a little bit ridiculous that they showed that Mike Vrabel was walking around

Yeah, this is a defense that I'm sure Greg would like to point this out because I know we've talked about this in past weeks that I mean, they've given up a ton of points to different teams in the past. They've been a CIVI at times. I mean, I think about the Baker Mayfield game where CJ. Strout had to

But overall, I love that you brought up Grenard.

This is a game in which Jimmy Ward was lost pretty early because he got dinged a little bit of a friendly fire situation, and yet they were able to overcome. So it's it's a good win for them because of where they came from last week.

I felt like, you.

Know, even in the first core of this game, I was very conflicted about your team of ATM pick. You know, you went with the Vikings over the Texans, and from a fall and no voice in there, I thought, man, they should have gone Texans.

They're the more envoilable team to watch.

And in the second quarter, I'm going, you know what, I'm glad I didn't say that on records that they're not looking very good right now.

But luckily they turned it around.

I mean, it was thirteen to nothing. The defense pitch. They gave up a touchdown drive the first drive of the game for the Titans. They pitched the shutout the other the rest of the way because the only other points came off of turnovers in their end where they held up ten straight drives. I mean Singletary had one hundred and seventy yards the Titans had two oh four.

I didn't even know he was gonna play all week.

We thought it was gonna be Davis Mills because he's been the backup all year. And then afterwards he's quoted saying like I'm built for this, and you know what he is, right, he is built for winning a week fifteen start against the Titans wearing oilers uniforms like that actually is exactly what Case Keenum is built for. Maybe nothing else, but that's it. And it might be like the difference between the making the playoffs to not.

And in fairness, they're probably like the rest of us, where Davis Mills and Case Keenum are like the same person.

It's fine, it's not.

They're very different. I hate wise neck wise, they're very different.

But yes, one guy, if one guy understands Houston, it's case Keenum who went to the University of Houston.

Some ties there anything else on this game?

Shook it that defense again, last four drives for the Titans, punt, punt, go to overtime punt, and another punt in overtime.

That's a great way to get a win on the road.

And thank god, Kayimi shout out, because we didn't need a tie in the mix. The last thing this season needs is a tie to muck up the standings any further.

So we get and when that doesn't even matter anymore.

The Matt Prater hit one from fifty eight today and like the nobody even like batter an eyelash, right, we don't care anymore.

Shook. You had a nice dinner this weekend, as I understand.

Oh yeah, we uh you know, we went out a few times this weekend. My fiance graduated with her doctorate from Cleveland Stage. Yet I require anybody who sees her you must refer to her as doctor Bridget from here on out.

That's the rule.

When you get married, can you take her name so then we have to call you doctor Shook.

I think that's how it works, the transfer.

I don't think he becomes a doctor.

I think the official title. I think you can get away with it legally.

I don't know.

I was never good at math, so I don't quite understand the transitive property. But we'll have to double check on that. Yes, that dinner. So that dinner, guys. I'm sitting there Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland right having a nice time.

Go home.

Pull up Twitter about five hours later, and I see I have a mention from someone who happened to be in the same setting. He said, Hey, uh, I almost me and my buddies almost took your table from your party.

Uh.

You know, wanted to stop by say hey, but you know, didn't want to interrupt you. I would like to buy you a beer, but you know you are the pipe. I don't know if you have time. Got to get back to the weights. Hey, yes, we're making me a minor, the smallest of.

Proven Oh not the smallest and one of the biggest.

You know what.

The the universe is growing because uh Zumwaal told us he was at I think a soccer game over the weekend and an ATM listener it came up that Jay's the voice of the podcast now and then and the and the friend was like or the guy in the soccer fields, like, can you do the intro for me?

I mean, how did they know it was him? That's amazing?

Well, he must have explained.

He's wearing a T shirt that said, I'm the voice of the Around the NFL podcast.

Get that.

Do you think he's going to get that more than the fact that he voiced a video game character in one of the largest video games of about a decade ago.

Cousin, Yeah, Nico, would you like to go bowling?

That?

That is currently Jason's claimed the fame, But I don't know. He's starting to make some inroads here at NFL media. Shooky, Thank you, buddy, Thanks guys, see it all right? So thank you to Shook. Let's hit up these Saturday games. Let's let's knock these out. There were three played on Saturday week fifteen. Let's start in Cincinnati.

This will be from twenty nine yards away from straightaway, shorter than an extra point, looking for the seventh walk off field goal of his NFL career and his second in a span of three weeks. Robbin's ready to hold the snap. The placement through right footed.

Kick, Oh Kit is good and the Bengals are still alive in the playoff huh, as they rally from a fourteen point deficit in the fourth corner and beat them in sona Vikings hit over time.

Yeah, that's you know, I'm talking about the Bengals. That's what a real team does in lee. At the very least, I don't even need you to win a super Bowl. I don't even thinke the playoffs, but at least get me to Christmas Eve. Like, give me a Christmas Morning where my team is still in the mix. That's what Bengals fans can say. After another memorable Jake Browning afternoon, he led Cincinnati to three fourth quarter touchdowns and directed the game winning drive in ot.

That led to that field goal that allowed.

The Bengals to knock off the Vikings twenty seven to twenty four. So the Bengals are still alive in the AFC playoff race. They got to keep winning. They don't have a lot of tie breaker help, but they got to keep winning. That's what they've been doing. And they've also put Greg the football world unnoticed that they are more than their injured superstar QB.

I was so impressed how they came back. This was the game of the weekend by Fires actually, I think one of the most entertaining games of the season just in terms of things happening that were crazy. The Vikings hadn't allowed a touchdown for almost three games by the time they got to the fourth quarter, and then they give up three in the fourth by Browning. I just think of the plays that he had to make that

He's blown both quads down.

It's really sad because he's entering a free agency year and he was playing great and that that is devastating. But Browning gets that third and twenty one, they get a touchdown. They need a touchdown on their last drive and t Higgins makes one of the plays of the year by bossing the defensive back of Caleb Evans at the catch point and then reaching across with thirty four seconds to go.

That was outrageous.

No look reach.

I would say, that's like if you looked at the catches of the decade right like past ten years, that's in the top ten.

That was incredible.

That was there.

Before that, It kind of got lost to the shuffle. Joe Mixon got absolutely stoned on a fourth and goal, well at the goal line, we weren't going to get any points of the two yard line, and he somehow runs over I've in pace. And then the final one, Browning on the move and this is the one that I give him the most credit for, you know, a dime to Tyler Boyd when they were in a long yarded situation and looked like they were gonna punt the ball back in overtime and that sets up the game winner.

Right now.

I have like bad eyes sight obviously, so like on our NFL Plus things, I have to wear glasses to even see the monitor over there.

So uh, like I was watching this one.

And if you haven't seen the show, think junior soprano really like a coke rim thing.

Well, they're terrible, Like they're not you shouldn't be wearing them on screen because they're not the reflective so it just looks I have like light burning out of my eyes. But anyways, like I was watching this from a distance initially, and from.

A distance from a distance like Jake.

Browning to me if it was just like, that's actually just Joe Burrow. I know they're not exactly the same physically, but it's like what they're doing with the offense and who he is, It's like, I don't feel this is a big step down from Joe Burrow. I really don't like we'll be seen over the small sit. I'm not saying, you know, universally or that's his career.

Like Laul doesn't have the same zip, but he has there's something boxy something.

About him where it's like, and I think if we're going to credit Stefanski for what he's done with backup quarterbacks like Zach Taylor in the last three games and what he's done with Browning, and part of it is just Browning and who he is, and he's extremely confident this is working, and it's like the Bengals are an absolute factor in a mystery factor. To me, it's like I don't want to deal with this team down the stretch like Cleveland plays them in that week eighteen tilt.

Here's a good stat from ESPN.

Browning completed ten to fourteen passes for one hundred and sixty six yards and two touchdowns to his wide receivers on the final six drives. And like we said, we don't know how serious this Jim ar Chase injury is, but it obviously is something to keep an eye on. But like the Browns who you just brought up, this team is showing that they find a way to keep it going.

And I think we've talked about.

It because we got to get to the team of ATN, but we've we talked about t Higgins has had a really rough contract year. It's funny how almost like one game island game and a lot of ways could restore his prospects and free agency because you showed, he showed in multiple points in this game what kind of talented player he is and the instincts on that touchdown.

Incredible, You're right, and it was a tough one the team of atn Here. You have seventeen three in the fourth quarter, you have a seventeen to three lead in the fourth quarter.

I mean, we have cursed twenty four see three forty play.

And then you give up two touchdowns. You respawn.

Nick Mullins, who had a overall even though he threw for three hundred and three yards and twenty six for thirty three, had a regrettable day, probably the worst interception of the entire season, where he was falling down and just kind of gave it to the defensive lineman.

I mean, and that was.

He somehow it was like, I'll see your touchdown, Josh Doubbs, when you were falling down and throwing it, and I will top you like an all timer. I was the defensive lineman for the Bengals, said like I couldn't believe what he was doing, like when he was doing it, but then he drives them down the field even though they dropped. You know, there was a pick six that

I mean, I don't like the prospects.

We'll talk about the lines in a minute, but they got the Lions twice sandwiched around Green Bay with vikings.

That they needed to.

They were in a great position to stop the bleeding because like they've lost three of four, and some of it's on the coaching, some of it's on the decisions. You're flip flopping quarterbacks left and right, and Mullins is Mullins right.

He has one of the worst interception rates in the history. I think he has the worst interception rate in the history of pro football for anyone that's thrown over five hundred times.

But I didn't think he was like that crazy bable.

He's a second street Quarterack really is like almost a third tran guy. That defense who've been pumping up, has two chances to close out the game, and they can't.

Do it right.

But when when I was saying, I think O'Connell got in his own head. They get the ball in overtime, they move it to the opposite forty one forty two. They're on the edge of field goal range. They need about a yard to get a first down, and ty ty Chandler, who all day has been making o'conna look bad because he looks so good, twenty three for two, and all the Vikings fan in media who all season have been saying, we've seen ty Chandler. He has so much more juice than the rest. Why don't you give

That's the second time in three weeks that Minnesota coaching kind of gaffed and yacked on their own shoes in a big spot in the game.

And when you are.

A fringe team, when you don't execute and you don't call the game the right way, that's how you get beaten.

Now, only thing I'll say about team of aten. We got to keep moving here.

So seven and seven, that's an out of conference loss, so tiebreaker wise not his killer.

But geez jeez, come on, guys, are they they are still in the playoffs as of this recording.

Well so we're so we're you know, twenty eight other teams.

But no, actually, I mean the exact amount of teams that'll make the playoffs.

I'm saying that like they're just some part of this, like milk toast in the middle of the road, soup, keep calm, carry on. I'm agitated about this team right now.

Listen. We're all upset.

This one was deaf.

We're all upset.

This one was deaf.

We're all hurt and vulnerable, But angles get.

Team of atl what the Bengals were. We can't we can't do it. We can't do that to ourselves.

Sorry, I did find myself kind of enjoying this Bengals experience.

If nothing else, they're fun.

We can't speak that out loud.

Okay, that's inside the house.

Talk well, get us to the next game.

Then, all right to Indianapolis.

We're good job.

Lock it up the Bengals there, West Bros. They were sweating it out. They've had a few like this.

They won.

All right, let's keep moving.

Trey Serman, the back left of Gardner Minshew drops the throw on first down over the middle.

Touchdowns No Alley cots touchdown as he walks.

Across the goal line.

Touchdown Hi, indeed, why one play, no problem?

Eighteen yards to the tight end, and the Colts lead twenty to thirteen.

Who backup QBS everywhere you will look. That is Matt Taylor with the call wfn I. Gardner Meanshew matched his career high three touchdown passes. His team ran for one hundred and seventy yards. That's how you help out a Gardner Minshew type. And the Colts stay in the playoff picture with they thirty to thirteen went over the Steelers, who, to quote the great late poet Thomas Earle Petty, are

The matter of the Steelers. The last three games have been absurd with this team. Steelers are cooked.

We talked about the Colts like a couple of weeks ago, and I know that the response in general was well, yeah, okay, they're around, but they're not doing a lot for me.

But I would just say this, like there's a.

Lot of teams like that, and they're consistently really well coached, and it's like they didn't blink when they were down thirteen to nothing. And and when you get this the version of Minshew that can produce, and you're getting they have no Anthony Richardson. Jonathan Taylor is not on the in the lineup right now. They lost Zach Moss in this game. Michael Pittman goes down. Guys like Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson are coming in and carrying the ground game.

You can't take Tom Petty's line. I just said Tom Petty's line.

You hear it. I was connected.

Did you give him credit?

That is that is the not the first time that was ever said in human history, but he made that that praise very.

Give anyone credit when during the song because he probably wasn't there.

You would side against Tom Petty. This is your lowest height, Greg that I understand everything you're.

Saying, Mark four and against Mike Rabel, Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin the season that's good.

Well, who are the teams, not the coaches?

Who are the teams? All right, But I'm saying he's he's just going up and not the fakes.

No, no, no, no, no.

This This is why Stane Steiken will win Coach of the Year if he goes ten and seven in a day like this where it is Trey Sermon and Goodson and you lose your two best players. You mentioned Pittman and Moss, two of your best players, and you at a halftime or in the second half, have a drive where you run it thirteen straight times. Mmmm mm, that take up eight fifty seven. We're not even gonna let

What you said before, they ran the bault on twenty of the final twenty one plays and it works.

That's crazy.

I just don't have to take him seriously though, right.

And I don't know, Yeah, actually I don't think they will give them. There are five, eight and sixteen. There's so many teams two will get in.

There's so many teams that we've talked up more. I'll use the Vikings or the Packers examples. Is like, oh, this is a game you should take care of business against the team that you're better than, and then they go and get beat Like the Colts are a team that are proven, they're a kind of a step ahead of the real mediocre in the LIE.

I would just say like, like there are fan bases like Argers fans, if any of them exist, like they're they're thinking like we're in a lot of trouble, Like Colts fans could be like, we've got a coach that he's going to be around for a long time.

And oh, by the way, their defensive line like Odengbo and ebucom and everyone, like it's easily the best of the entire Chris ballad era. Like EJ. Speed had a big time game at Lineberg. They have things they can feel good about for when Richardson gets back, and they might they might just get into the playoffs.

Five teams again at eight and six.

At this point, only two of those five would get in if the Browns do make it.

Let me see this at Falcons home Raiders home Texans.

Okay, I mean to play on Saturday.

Two and one.

We'll be playing on Saturday.

I mean two and one right now, I'm starting. I've been saying all along, if you win ten games, you're probably in. That's still true, like probably meaning more than fifty percent. But the way these it's shaping up, some ten and seven team or two might be sitting at home watching because a lot of these teams are winning right now.

All right, let's hit the final game on Saturday to Detroit. We go.

Golf takes wants to throw on fourth and two, A lot of time grows and zone on touchdown suffer three on the night for Sam Laporta on fourth down, Golf came up prowing, found eighty seven, run him wide open in the end zone.

It's not the Lions.

Forty one and dead for seventeen lou Dan team of atail.

Let's bring them.

Back and do it.

We set them free world.

Yes, Dan Miller WXYT Jared Goff matched a career high with five touchdown passes, three to rookie tight end Sam Laporta, the Lions hammer of the Broncos forty two to seventeen Greg exactly the type of the game Lions needed, Swagger restore.

Yeah, I did not expect this.

You know, they were stopped on their first few drives and at that point they had gone tenth straight drives without scoring at all over the last.

Couple of games.

And then they went five straight touchdown drives. And these weren't just touchdown drives. They were fast touchdown drives, all of them four minutes or less, just like we're gonna go right down the field. And it's a little unfair to Russell Wilson, but I saw this idea in the athletic and I thought it was really smart. This matchup

Another top fifty pick.

Laporta is going crazy, all these young guys in Detroit showing what you can do when you build around draft picks. Come in their quarterback, who's kind of a mid level quarterback versus another mid level quarterback. They don't have any picks, and I just am so impressed with the Lions. I know they're not perfect, but they are. They've taken that next step in the way they're building this team and.

They're the opposite of the team we just talked about the Colts, because all these guys you mentioned were not on the roster last year. They're drafting well, they're organizationally well built, and like when you get golf playing like you did yesterday, that's the Lions team that could handle with that could hang with anyone.

They had all five of their offensive linemen stay healthy throughout the whole game. I think that might be the first time all season actually, so like they and they're getting healthier. They might get CD deuce back charging Chauncey Garden Johnson, they might get Ellen McNeil back and then James Houston and Pass Rusher. So on defense, they they told the broadcast crew, we're going to be way more aggressive. We've been sitting back and at least for this game at worked.

They But you did get Sean Payton getting into it with Russell Wilson.

That was spicy.

I didn't see that what happened.

Aiming at Russell Wilson on the sideline.

They he did do.

Do we have the sound of Sean Payton, uh talking about that? That Russell Wilson back and forth? Because it was nice.

It was upset about the call. That's all simple.

That's it.

Now.

That was up said it the call.

Listen. Would I talked with Russell abouts? None of your business?

Yeah, I'm sure. It was a frustrating night for Peyton and company. You thought maybe this was your chance to announce yourself in a primetime game, as you know, take a seriously, just beat the Chargers, get over five hundred. Instead, you're back into dropped into that beefy middle class again.

You do get the Patriots next week. But that's that was not a good showing.

They could go three and oh they will need to to possibly make it, but their schedule allows it. But this I think was a kind of an eye opener that revealed, yeah, we maybe can't really hang And I give Aaron Glenn some credit. Melafon with their safety who came in off the bench was had like a career day and they were just way more aggressive, like trying to take it to the Broncos with a lot of blitz is a lot of crazy stuff to fumble by Russell Wilson early was big.

Yeah, that was a great, great, great weekend for the Lions who say bye bye to the Packers in the division race. Jared Goff has a good pick me up game, five freaking touchdowns, so very nice, uh for the former team of ATM. Let's take a break and finish out Sunday. All right, welcome back time now for the Sunday Drive presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander. Let's head to the desert where the Niners kept doing Niners things.

Now they're gonna spread him out Rocos into a shotgun. How he goes out? Ride right? Watch by Antonio Hamilton Juwan Jennings goes in the right slot, watch by the safety Jaymon Thompson. Purdy looks right now comes.

Back middle wide open McCaffrey touchdown, see M see with a beautiful Calie routes.

What a play.

Bye bye Christian McCaffrey.

M greg popping Tim Ryan with a call k NB. Are some of the touchdowns of the Nighters scored today. We're just totally young contested. There was a debo touchdown to start the scoring. Or Deebo Samuel, Who's the most dangerous offensive player in the sport?

Right now? You career argue, I think he's.

Up to your two two three two. I don't know.

I got a thirty nine on a state mandated test back in ninety six, but I can tell you he's had a lot of touchdowns, multiple touchdowns all month. And he goes completely unnoticed in motion and just rolls out party just turns and goes, yeah.

All right, here we go essentially.

Jogs into the end zone to get to the scoring going in what was another blowout win for the Mighty Niners forty five to twenty nine. It clinches the NFC West title. Uh moves their winning streak to six consecutive games, and the Niners, like I said last week, are simply inevitable right now. Christian McCaffrey. Two interesting things here in the MVP. Watch Dak melts down in Buffalo Party has

But he ends up just missing about three plays.

This is in the first half, comes back in and goes right down the field and then throws another touchdown pass.

So the Niners keep rolling.

Yeah, if you're a Niners fan, you just hope that, like you, remain charmed on the injury front. They it's been pretty good for them overall. And just to your point on Deebo Samuel the touchdown to George Kittle, it's like, I'm sorry, is anyone on defense wondering that George Kittle is involved on this play? It's just simply what it wasn't even a great throw because he kind of leaped

It was that Kittle didn't have a score in this.

Game, well he was.

It was the one where hen for it after he caught it. I mean, and listen, I get it that no one cares about QB rating, but just as a relative like mark of where Brock Purty is. He has thirteen one hundred plus passer rating games in his first twenty appearances. Only Patrick Mahomes and Kurt Warner had more, and so yes, it's an environment of the Niners around him. But like we just say it every week, it's like Purty is like the he stirs the drink, and it's

On the ground.

If I knew that ahead of time, I thought, maybe they're finding a way to like stay on the field and keep the Niners offense off, and it's like, I don't think so. The Niners put up forty five points and there's an effortless nature.

To it, right.

I mean this game was kind of the case for and against Purdy because his numbers are gonna be so off the charts now efficiency wise, and it was absolutely perfect. And then as you point out, like three of the touchdowns there was not anyone in an area code and that's just how it worked out.

But I don't think they're sweating it.

I think McCaffrey's gonna if he keeps it going and gets like, let's say, twenty three hundred yards from scrimmage and twenty six touchdowns, he's gonna get some votes too, and.

He should like he's that good.

He's a he's at twenty touchdowns now and in over seventeen eight one hundred yards from scrimmage. But I don't think they're worried about it. They're pretty psych they won the division. You could hear it in Kyle Shannon's voice, just saying like they are pumped.

He threst step.

Yeah, they really want to get two home games, and I think they are on track to do it.

Oh yeah, I think they are the heavy favorite for that one seed. I don't I don't know what Colee Shannon said, but I almost a certain someone said, hey, this is just the first step.

Yeah, they do love to say that.

They got that coach speak down. You've got a beat on that. Thank you.

We've been doing this podcast a long time.

The only thing I'll say as we move on is should I get a little bit nervous about giving up two hundred and thirty four yards on a day when you were playing a little shorthanded? Maybe, But I almost sense Mark last week maybe a little bit too. This is so easy for the Niners right now that they're not even playing at their peak sharpness right now with some of these lesser opponents, and they're just just buzz swing everybody.

One little thing about that.

Eric Armstead, Javon Hargrave both not active today, and Nick Postill look banged up too. So I don't know the periods were like they didn't know the full cast and crew out there. And you know, Arizona's a good has been a good.

Don't that there's a it's a league wide trend right now. All these defenses which are great, and most of these teams are on teams that are leading by the way, the way to beat them is to run. It's true for the Cowboys against them, and so it's true for the forty nine, certainly true for the Jets, which have a great defense. It's true for the Ravens. I would even say, as good as the Browns are, it's probably true for the Like all the best defenses, if you're

You can, if you if they stay healthy.

The only way to beat this team literally is to do one of those games where you have a you keep the time of possession, weigh in your favor and running the football.

It's a good way to do that.

That was the Sunday Drive presented by by Toyota Let's Go Places learn more at toyota dot com. Slash Grand Highlander. Let's head across the sidewalk here.

Up to the thirty eight with a first down on the first snap of the third quarter, Stafford from a strong right set play fakes.

Set up a throw full set Dick down the left side.

Where is the coverage? I'll touch to the enzie.

Don't look now, Joe Barry on this statue.

He is Cooper Cup for the third week.

In a row, sixty two yards from Matthew Stafford.

Sorry, JB kucked over hit a cup line there.

I think you seem to want to jump into some of these booths I'll.

See I'll see JB at the barbershop.

Mane.

Yeah, I'll offer an apology, all right.

Uh.

Cooper cup all alone down the sideline against the worst pass defense in the NFL. Matthew Stafford hits him. Stafford throws for two fifty eight. He also hooked up with DeMarcus Robinson for another touchdown, and the Rams they hang on for a twenty eight to twenty win over the Commanders, who, like I said, haven't won in multiple months now.

Who was on this one? I was Regan talk about it.

I think you could use the word moribund to describe this Washington team, at least until Jacoby Brissett came in about ten minutes to go, because like the Rams totally dominated this game.

It was encouraging to see that.

Slice me off a piece of that Jake.

Brisk hm pracs always welcome.

It's too long since we heard him. Like they were doing everything. You had the Stafford like trick shots, You had the hole shots, he had the arm angles like you had it all. But one thing I like about this is that this Rams team is that when they need to run, they absolutely can. Like short yardage, They're a very good team just handing it to Kayen Ruins.

Game over. And that's a part of this Rams team.

I don't think nationally people have caught up to quite as much that they are a very good like straight ahead power running team. Cal get benched, Howell got removed, but Ron Rivera said that sounds more serious.

Yeah, he got taken out of the game.

But Rivera said he's still our starter and he's going to start next week. But he was terrible in this game, I would say, and he's been bad for about three or four weeks. I think his worst stretch of games has been the last month. Twenty six passes for one hundred and two yards and then Jacoby Brissett comes in

The Terry McClure. Oers came him finally, and I bet.

You know you got scary Terry sitting on your bench tonight.

With thirty eight points or whatever.

That's a rough one, hey, That that incredible sequence McLaurin. Forty eight yard catch to the LA one or forty seven to play. So a touchdown is taken off the board by an offensive pass interference, then the drive gets extended on a pass interference call on fourth down. The Commanders take eight snaps without scoring before Brisket hit Samuel, more than three minutes had passed on the clock. And then on top of it, GREGI obviously, well you see

They're down fourteen.

They decided to kick the extra points because of course Ronover is probably not even aware that that's a thing, and the kick gets blocked and it's just kind of a fitting way for Washington to lose yet again.

That was the worst game manager I think I've seen all season, because they were the touchdown was on the board, it was twenty eight to twenty with four to fifty five left. That it's reversed and they have it first to go at the one, and they they bled the clock down to under five seconds.

For their next three plays, they bled three minutes off the car.

I think that's do you put a little bit because I would say that not just Ron Rivera's got Eric the enemy involved in that. You've got Brissett who's not been on the field.

And like, I think that might have been part of it, that it was Bressett, but it's more on Yeah, the offensive coaching set, but that's it's Rivera, it's everything. I mean that that was ugly, but nice to see Stafford, who leads the NFL in EPA and UH success rate since week eleven according next to it. That's when he's in rhythm. I like that, like two point five to four seconds letting go to the ball.

What else Stafford leads Leagan uh. Greg Rosenthal newsroom moans.

I mean, yeah, roads are crazy.

It's like at certain points I have to like check to make sure Greg's pants are still on with some of these.

Ah.

The best throw of the game was when Kyraena Stafford's under pressure. He has to let it go about seven seconds early and just throw it up as high as possible to get rid of it.

And kyroen Wya has dropped that one.

But my god, is I look over at Mark when all these just men moaning, they look for his reaction. Mark just stoneface looking straight ahead. So maybe not out of the ordinary. I don't know.

You tell me, I'm very plugged into my job, but I don't know if I I don't think think too many things on the football field illicit the same reaction that you get from Greg when he's like deeply wound in something.

To the Superdome car back to throw, looking for the zone and he gets the touchdown to number eighty.

Great the touchdown?

Man, can you say wide open?

He was wide open?

It just makes you scratch your head.

I'll just leave it at that.

Can we just stop complaining?

Shut up? Saints Nations stopped complaining. It doesn't even the touchdown call. Oh oh, if only Jimmy Graham was playing eighty. Jimmy Graham was like fifty years old. If Jimmy Graham was playing more snaps, maybe the Saints to be better this year. You just won another game easily. You're in first place, okay, and maybe this.

Is my team hasn't been to the playoffs at thirteen years, and we're banging on the Saints coaching staff. After Jimmy Graham scores a touchdown, enough, Derek Carr passed for three touchdowns and the Saints took the sauce and the moots off Tommy Cutlets in a twenty four to six.

Win over the Giants at the Superdome.

The win keeps the Saints, as I said, tie to top the NFC South of three games to play. Good job, Saints. They're absolutely in the mix to win this division. Back to back one sided wins for the much derided hometown.

I would say that any Saints fan would have to say it in knowledge like this was the Derek Carr game you're waiting for on some level.

Play let's hear from Dennis Allen.

Sure.

I don't know how I'm getting questions about quarterback this week, but I thought quarterback played really well.

So make sure we get that on.

Record that I that's a troll job of all these people, yeah, in and around the Saints, both the people that cover on them, fans of the team.

I see you denna sound because I get it too.

Yeah, but that it's also kind of like, let's calm down. You're seven and seven against statistically the easiest schedule in the league by far, with the most expensive project.

Sure there's gonna be a column about that.

Uh no, No, I'm just saying they got to go win against the Rams. That is a big game. Both are seven and seven. The Rams are technically the wild card right now and the Saints are one spot behind them. They're trying to win the Division two. But like that, that is a big game, and they this was their best game of the season, no question. Defensively, they did not allow the Giants into the red zone. I mean they destroyed them. They sacked Dommy Devitos seven times before

It was outrageous.

The offense was really efficient, twenty four points and only eight drives. Carr was spotless. Camara goes for over one hundred. He was for one hundred and ten yards. And they won these two games fifty two to eight. To your point, against the bad teams, so they have set themselves up to save their season. I do think it is funny like him peacock and and everything when they've been incredibly mediocre.

But that's that's the thing they were Like.

I heard Tomario Davis and locker room talking about all the outside noise, we got to shut it out. And he's like talking about his own fans. That's the outside noise, which well, it's.

Pretty great, extraordinary about and the coach doing that is in part a response to this this team specifically, for whatever it is. Sometimes there's just a team and this is this is fine because I think we've all been in this situation. Saints fans are in it this year. There's just a team that gets on your nerves in a way. And if it's the coach and a quarterback tandem that are leading the way, that will make it even more pronounced.

And that's Saint sansor just fed up.

And I think Allen's frustration because he's been in the crosshairs and so has been the quarterback. That's him letting off a little steam more.

This game, I will get their hopes up in this game, will get them happy.

I think this was I have no problem with Saints fans being nonplus with Dennis Allen.

I just don't not obviously, Mark Knight, I'm saying, I know.

But I'm not oous.

I'm not even like.

I also like I don't want to keep his having the Derek Carr conversations. But that's but like the idea that like Derek Carr should be praised more than he's been praised is also ridiculous.

He's not at a good season.

The one guy who has been awesome and you mentioned is Damario Davis, who has been on arch your team and mine in the past, and they let him go. He has week to week, I feel like in year to year, this is the dude that shows up. He had ten tackles today, a sack. He was all over the place. It's like you can count on him every single week.

He he shows how much smarts can make a career. Because he's not quite a Hall of Favor of It man, he's like a Hall of very good, Like he's getting close. He's lost a step clearly this year, and he's not quite the same in past efense, and yet he's still a total difference maker. Paso had three sacks in this game, Brian Percie, their rookie had a couple of sacks. They were they just strangled the Giants offense, Barkley, Tommy DeVito, everything, So it.

Was really good.

If they can be that type of defense and they haven't given up a touchdown now and how long, I don't know, nine quarters.

I think right, they didn't give up one last week.

And if they can play defense like this, then you just needed a mistake free type offense, and that's how they played today.

Just flush it, try to have a nice end of the season. Passano, by the way, I liked what he said. He did the Tommy Couplet cutlets pinch finger gesture after one of his sacks, and his quote, I'm from Philly. We got a whole bunch of Italians out there, so we're used to Italian.

It's a good line. Let's move to Charlotte.

The ball is between the hashes. It is a twenty three yard chips show for the wind, chancewer to snap, Hecker puts it down, Eddie swings the leg.

The kick is up. It's good.

Chew up, Neil Diamond.

We haven't heard it in a long time.

I love it in a season where so much that could go wrong has gone wrong, And on a day where the elements conspired, Mother Nature gave us her own metaphor. Here is the rain, Here is the two access, Where is the clue? Here is the wind on the field. A little ray of sunshine.

Ah put it in the file. Wow, Christ put it in the file.

That is a man that has been through it with the Panthers, A little ray of sunshine. A niche shroth with a call w RFX steady Eddie Pinero got it done, booting a twenty three yard field goals time expired. Panthers beat the Falcons, come out guys nine to seven in that steady downpour. The Falcons playoff hopes now on life support with the lost mark good for the Panthers and interim coach Chris Tabor and they're play by play guy bad,

Take us back to that moment.

This is the kind of game that, like, if you had your doubts about Arthur Smith and you wonder about like the actual overall plan, here here's your evidence, Like Desmond Ridder had, I think maybe the worst interception of the day a red zone disaster, which seems to happen to him on a weekly basis. This is a team that says, our identity is to run the ball against a bad Panthers defense.

You run the ball thirty one times at well, that moment. Take me to that moment there. What's the score? What's the situation they're in the red zone? Because I remember looking at the box score and saying to myself, Oh, they kick a field goal, the game's over, and instead they have Ridder rolling out on a pass.

I don't have an answer for why they're doing that.

That slows my mind.

This is meant to be an offensive minded coach that would never put you in that situation. I mean, all your skill posions, players have been invisible.

The entire way.

It just it's a it's a it's a it's a low moment for this entire team. And like Bryce Young didn't look great either, but it's like they're the one team that found a way to have Bryce Young seal up a game winning drive when he's not been able to do this the entire season.

It's like it's like it's.

This ten and nice throw in there to meet build that once a week it's like this and the Falcons completely fell apart. I mean that is as crush. This is a this is a game that gets you fired potentially. It's a cry for help type of game. I trust Steve Weis saying that he thinks when he was here that there there was no way Arthur Smith was going to lose his job. Now they've lost a couple of games since one of them was to the Panthers, and to your point, you were saying, what thirty one rushes

Quarterback audibled out on his own there when you have a chance to go up that would have put them up.

What that was they were second and ten there, they're just inside the red zone. I'm not going to kill them for calling a pass play. Don't throw the interception. It was a terrible play.

No, but you can't could have done a fourteen to six.

You're just running the ball twice on second and ten with eight minutes to go.

The score at that point is what seven to six?

Seven six?

So you'll play conservatives, you believe the clock.

You kick a field goal that puts you ahead four points against the Panthers team that was not going to score a touchdown.

This is basic stuff.

I just mean on the blame by chart that's still player ninety percent there.

But you have to understand your personnel and understand who Desmond River has been all year to put him the ball in his hands to win that game. That just tell to me that is you're a coach that doesn't understan Dan is just too stubborn for his own good. And that has been a case with Smith all year. Can't lose that game.

You can't lose it.

And to Greg's point too though, because the Falcons on defense have been there's things to like about their defense, Like a seventeen play drive that started on Carolina's own five, you never get the ball back. They kicked the winning field goal, a quarterback that's not shown zero signs of development all year long.

Rough gonna be a lot of heat on him this week. And you know it happens in a week where the Bucks win a game that they weren't favored by Falcons still because of the schedule, because they still have division games and they have all the tie breakers. Like, they're not out of it. But this was the lowest moment of the Arthur Smith. They are no doubt, and they got the Colts, then at Bears at New Orleans. I mean they will be you know, they could lose all three.

If this season craters and he's three years Smith on the job without a playoff appearance, and what.

You got, you got wrong.

We're losing the script here with the Falcons. It's like, what are they about? And like, I think you have to feel that if you're the ownership.

Robinson was a non factor in.

This game seven for eleven. The conditions.

When I saw those conditions today, actually thought, oh, well that's perfect for the Falcons. That yeah, they're they're a rugged think so team that like they should be able to run the ball. And you end up with on seven for eleven, Cordell Patterson five for negative too, Ritter five for negative too.

It's like, what's what's happening all right?

To Sunday Night Football war?

The shotgun on second out of six, takes the snap, sets his feet, steps up, hits skins out of a sack back pedals are a forty five going deep, lookout trouble, but.

It is caught your vine coming down with the ball?

Is Isaiah likely in between a pair of Jacksonville defenders who looked in position to pick the ball off.

So there was a.

Don't throw that ball?

Yes, yes, yes, great catch.

A signature play well Lamar Jackson the call Jerry Sandusky and Rod Woodson Ravens Radio and.

Listen.

Do the Ravens win games with the same hanash as the Niners?

For example, or you.

Know when the when the Cowboys are going right, or even the Bills at their top gear. Maybe it's not as sexy, but they don't care. Nobody cares because the Ravens keep winning and they've been doing it all year and they continue to do it. And they did it on Sunday Night Football, a twenty three to seven win over the Jaguars, who.

Just didn't And this is like, come on, guys, we're supposed to be trying.

To They were frustratedly ye, I mean, who would have been frustrated? Imagine you're a Jaguars fan anyway, So the Ravens moved to eleven and three and one step closer to that number one seed in the AFC, and Mark this was a game in which Lamar Jackson did a bunch of magical things, even if it wasn't his most gaudy statistical game. And the Jaguars repeatedly shot themselves in the foot and you know, look pretty small in a big spot.

Yeah, I mean, Jacksonville is shrinking on both sides of the ball. And I know, number one, you don't have Christian Kirk. That's hurt them a lot more than I think people would expect, but I'm watching their defense also just cave in in the Ravens tonight. You're right, they aren't maybe the flashiest of outfits that come to memory or mind, but they ran for two hundred and fifty one yards at six yards per pop. I mean, you're getting a Lamar Jackson a version of where he ran

Frustrating because they missed.

Two field goals, which is kind of unheard of in today's NFL. For the most part, you got two fumbles for Trevor Lawrence won a strip sack, but won a pretty bad fumble in the first half, dropped the ball, yeah, and a drive that basically ended inside the Ravens five rip before the house. So it's lost opportunities, missed opportunities.

They are eight.

I mean they've lost three in a row. It's been a terrible, terrible run through the AFC North.

Right, they kind of got to their part of the schedule, which for the most part was soft. They had that nice win against Buffalo in London that really kind of turned their season around. But mostly it's been soft. And then you get to the tougher part of the schedule and they don't get any w's against the Bengals Browns, Magnifi, and it might not end up costing them. It might there they're eight and six. It's now a three way tie, Magnif.

Always welcome the Franks.

That's so good. We got her in twice.

We got the has done this twice where you it takes a lot of courage.

You get frags and everyone's transported and then Greg speaks next, and I but it's like we've got you know, it's a it's a jarring juxtableity.

Frags again and let's and then let's just let it breathe just for like five seconds.

I know it's late.

Magnie, hm hmm.

Well you couldn't do it. I just feel good, doesn't you alcoholic? You couldn't I did. We just have total silence, felt chief mighty honk. That's not honky, you can't ahm isn't a hawk? That just you felt so free and we couldn't get five seconds. Let's do it again, Magnie, mhmm. You're the worst, unbelievable you are. What did you say to me last week? Mark, you have to be the most annoying man in the world. All right, go ahead.

That wasn't even like a conscious things I know, Yeah, just guh, look jek. Trevor Lawrence needs to play better in these big spots. And it's weird to start with him because he also made a lot of good plays in this game that's typical of Trevor Lawrence. But I think of the first drive where he just sails a third and six that ends the drive. I think of those two fumbles, and then I especially think of the end of the first half where he makes a nice

The half ends after missing so many points.

You mentioned the field goals and the fumbles, Like to not get any points in that situation, that's totally on the quarterback, and there's just different leaks springing up every week. With Jacksonville, who I thought played pretty well defensively tonight, but in the second half just kind of got run over by Keaton Mitchell, who and Gus Edwards and Lamar and unfortunately Keath and Mitchell left with what looks like a serious knee.

Yeah, the old serious injury, so serious we won't even show it too on replay, but in real time you saw it really bad, the angle and everything immediately carded and very likely we don't see Mitchell again this season, and hopefully he'll get healthy because he was a really explosive, exciting player when he was on the field. So that's another running back in that cursed running back room of

That's a sign of a good team, right. They hit you at different levels defensively. Kyle Hamilton was back from the injury, look good, Matta Baka had a huge sack. They're just a team without a lot of weaknesses, and so something steps up during the game at some point, and something last couple of weeks has been Lamar's running

I do think that Keaton Mitchell assume presuming he's gone for a while.

I mean, that looked bad.

We'll see, but like he was adding this whole other element because likely also, I think is something that they didn't expect to have in this format, and it's happened because of Mark Andrews, but Keith Mitchell made them kind of special on offense in certain ways.

He really was emerging, So they're gonna have to work around that.

There's a reason they were favoring him over Gus Edwards really like, look, you can just look at it tonight. Gus Edwards averages three point six nine for seventy three. They just don't have that explosive element. Now without Edwards you'll see a little more justics.

So yeah, is that Mitchell.

My last take on this game is, Hey, Terry McClory, Terry McCauley, Terry McCauley, take the l my guy that play.

They're down sixteen the Jaguars.

They're going on on nothing burger drive to cosmetically make it a one score game.

But they're really struggling.

It's almost like Baltimore is saying, all right, we'll let you have this garbage time touchdown.

They still can't find a way to do it. There's a throw in the back of the end zone.

Who is at Ridley I think bobbles it, collects it rolling out of bounds.

It's ruled incomplete.

McCauley's really strong on the NBC telecast that it's a touchdown, the call stands as an incompletion, and McCauley is very upset.

He's a big mad and that was kind of funny.

We were remarking on that we go from the theater here where we watch the games on Sunday night, back to the studio, throw the game back on the tablet here, and they throw it back to McCaul He said, I've now called the league office and they said it didn't rise to the level of reverse and call.

It's like, Terry, big terror.

Just take the yel like move on, right, because call the league office if it's something that all of us sends as a pressing concern that truly impacted the end of the game. It's like none of us were like roiled up about it, and he's going nuts.

And how is that indisputable evidence? Anyways, It's like they're slowing it down frame by frame. Oh if you see like it had just stopped rolling with the thigh. It's like, no, today, it's just said a bad FIRS sending.

Then you stuck to it.

No anything else, No, oh there's something else, Oh yeah, another one locked it up.

You should have stayed in the nest with me.

I know, but you know, to to next point. There's not a lot of excitement with Lockham the Ravens. But you've done it probably eight times and it's not to be very effective.

Like four times. But yeah, decently, like, oh, we're.

Gonna watch the Ravens grind out another twenty three eight win. Like that's high five each other, Like I get what Nick saying.

That's all I'm saying.

They were like three and a half point favorites on the road against a first place team.

Let's let's go, h what are you gonna do? At eleven and three?

They they now gave themselves a little bit of room here where they can lose next week if you don't stop talking.

Literally, I mean I think we get it. I think we get it.

Like you have to understand, Mark, Greg you were in you were in mortal danger right now. It's got to get out of this video.

It's been a long day. I mean I have I have, you know, I find great enjoyment in these sundays. As the day creeps towards nine pm on the West Coast, it's like at some point hit me with a brick.

All right, Well, Can you imagine living with me?

That brick is the closing music, hurdling towards your face like Marv from Home Alone.

I welcome it, all right?

Well, we got more coming up on Monday Game of the Week on NFL Plus and Monday Night Football in News.

Recap till then heats the Cap