2023 Week 18 Preview

The Around the NFL podcast will pick Shuck's game this week.

From the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's Around the NFL. I'm Dan hanss I'm a hero, but I'm not alone.

Let's start there.

Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler, and Mark we've made it to the end of the Yellow Brick Road. It's the Week eighteen preview show. After we finished today's show. Because it's the last week of the regular season, you can go into the Hollywood Hills and just slumber until September.

Just kidding, we're like halfway through the season. I mean a brief stop along the way.

This does feel I do love the feeling of this being the last preview. It will be the last time we preview an Eastern Stick Chargers game or some of these teams, so it'll be different. It'll be different next week, I well, Black Monday, when we do the previews, it'll just be on six games. It will be diving in a little more, but it won't be as many teams.

You know.

I think it's good to appreciate the Eastern Sticks in the world. The last time you'll ever hear Gift Smith's name. These are important things because these are people.

But I would argue that, like I normally want to get rid of a lot of these teams, like early November. Right, But the NFL finally got what they wanted because as of like a week plus ago, all but four teams were still essentially alive. I think the nfls fought against itself on one level. I was thinking about this, you greedily add an.

Extra week, Right, we'll edit out the greed.

Well you did, And it's like, had you gone with what always worked where it ended last week, you would have had all a slobber knocker of a week, credible amount of teams, more alive than ever before.

But this week you've gone into Nay, I would have been eliminated. Just a week before it would have been the same thing.

No, they would like still, I know what you're saying. More teams were alive, it would have been would have been tighter, and they wouldn't.

It's been alive because the season would have ended, been ending early. It changes everything.

This extra week though, this extra week added a lot of garbage, and that's always coming from But like then, then.

Well then the Bears would have been dead a week before.

Everyone would have been.

An extra week just to get to another like lineup of guards.

I don't think you can sell. I don't think you can fix.

And the super Bowl is like it on Valentine's Day, final week. It's like I'm saying, it's not overall, Like the argument is not now to go out a week so for people to.

Wonder why I started the show with a joke the mark that he was going to be able to rest in the Hollywood Hills.

That's what's going on in his head at all times. But you know they're adding a week nineteen soon. Sure, I do think that they should.

Actually I think I think seems silly that they're doing an extra Homer away game.

But my attached no, does just be an extra bye week? Only twelve quarterbacks have started every game.

Yeah, so that's the argument against these extra weeks from a court. Now, I'd say this year it's been charming. It's been charming. The backups have it'll I could tell, but the backups lot, a lot of them have been good stories.

But the first five minutes of every show is complaining about that we have the job.

No, no, no, it's I think it's also fair. I'm not complaining. Look at the League and.

Say like, hey, guys, like, let's be careful because if you go add six more teams eight more weeks, like the NFL changes.

Yeah, I'm with you. I don't think that.

I think the first thing they'll do is at a week, not a game. But that's just me like a bye week.

Can I say Mark that you were making a lot of salient points there. Yeah, but then lost your Paisley shirt today, which is great. I like this one big Paisley it from I call him Brad Paisley got it from the handful of them, so you got the extra button down, so I get a little bit of the hair. But also I'm getting a little mid riff from the bottom from this angle on me. It's almost like you're dressed like it's like a Drew Barrymore outfit from the Batman Forever premiere.

I love it.

I take the lowest button on the shirt and I unbutton it because it lays out nicer in the chair.

But I'm seeing up top and down low you are and I'm not complaining, no, and I don't want you to be, so I almost move in a little.

Anyways, Greg, Sorry, I know we need to get to uh the snow, we don't. We don't?

That was I want more of that? Aren't Taco met? And I'm lookingwhere else is going on.

I'm looking at Marks bear Torso and Greg's arguing about how perfect the NFL is, and Mark's like going off the deep end about how terrible it is, and I'm just scaring at Man's skin.

You know what, you have to self scout.

You have to be able to critique your own product, right or do you just company man everything until the end of time?

Just right?

You just hang around? I'm that So that was what I felt like my role. I was self scouting.

That matters. So we're just going to start the show over in.

The first five minutes complaining every show is probably not what I would want.

All right, let's know what you want.

Let's everybody, let's let's brain this in and get to what we need to get to because, as we know, this late in the season, final week of the regular season, there are no buys, a lot of games to talk about, and let's start on.

Saturday, the last Saturday of the regular season.

Remember there are playoff games played Saturday as well, so these this is not the last of Saturday football.

Let's start though, on Sunday.

How about that through a little curveball to you, because that's the game everyone wants to talk about.

Recover from that curveball hanging there. I think we'll be all right.

Sunday Night Football. It is the game of the week. It is the game to decide the AFC East. It is the ten and six Buffalo Bills traveling to Miami to face the eleven and five Dolphins.

And it is the Miami It is the Bills.

And you know what, it tells you so much about this season with the Bills and this general idea of what the Bills are capable of, and there's been so many ups and downs to this season.

It's been a topsy turvy year up in Orchard Park.

They're getting three points in this game, So the at least the desert and the public feel like despite all the ups and downs, despite the fact of the Bills haven't even played well the last couple of weeks, the fact that the Dolphins have a track record of bouncing back from disappointment, and hell, god knows they were disappointed after getting a fifty burger dropped down by the Ravens. It is the host Dolphins that are an underdog in

So the stakes are very high.

I can't think of another game like this that we've covered as a podcast with that much variant. It's not even they might get the two seed. They will get the two seed if they win, and they're likely to miss the playoffs if they lose.

That's wild.

Yeah, we kept looking at like a ten wins probably gets you in the AFC, probably don't need to get there in the NFC. Well, it turns out nine wins gets you in the NFC. Ten might not be enough in the AFC because the Bills are at ten wins And if they lose this game and either the Steelers or the Jags if they both win, then Bye bye Buffalo, which is crazy because it might be the end of an era. Like is Stefan Diggs back on this team next year? What other kind of changes could possibly happen

It's like gonna be.

Great or it's gonna be rough, like it kind of was last week against New England, Like can Miami forced Josh Allen to go into hero ball mode because he got a little wild last week against the Patriots and almost threw away the potential playoffs right there. And yet the way this Dolphins defense has been playing, it's hard to figure out because they were great for so long, but they're great because of their pass rush, and they lose Chubb on top of having already lost Phillips.

What does Fangio do?

Can he create pressure County on the guys up front, or does he get a little crazy sending pressure at Josh Allen which is not really what they've been doing.

Yeah, when I look at the spread, I think a number of things are a play, like a lack of confidence in the Dolphins against winning teams, and the last two weeks have been a disaster.

If they beat the Cowboys.

But yes, last well, last week was just I think like the one of the year two weeks ago. It was a huge I.

Mean, last week was a perception altering loss. But I think also to be fair. Like you mentioned Bradley Chubb, Xavier Howard, Raheem Mostert did not practice yesterday.

Devon a Chan is banged up.

You've got a potential issue with Tua who may not be one hundred percent. So you don't have this version of the Dolphins that have been so good at home. They've been seven to one at home. It sounds like Jayal and Wattle might come back. But that variance for the Bills feels perfect, a perfect way to finalize this regular season because they've been that team all year around.

And they need Waddle, they need Wattle yet.

And Eric the producer, listen, think whether or not you're confident and eighteen. I'm curious if you are. I just have this feeling that the Bills. It would be fitting if the Bills had one last let down here and it would not be an off brand. And I think as much as people seem to be confident about Buffalo. Now, Eric, I worry about this game because I guess I'm putting more into what we've seen in the last two weeks than other people are. Some people are looking at oh,

Who listen. McDaniel's a very good coach.

They're coming off a blowout loss, and he's saying, look, everyone's picking against us. They still have Tyreek Hill, they got two setting yardage records. They have a chance, obviously to win this game. And the Bills, I feel like, are more vulnerable than people realize. Where do you come down as a Bills fan.

You're kind of groomed to expect the worst, and the season itself has it's just been a hard watch. I mean last week, Great kind of mentioned like against the Patriots, it was there was points of that game, right, well, we're going to lose today, and and and they lost to the Pats already this year. I mean, their best game of the season probably was that early season game against the Dolphins. I will give them that, but I mean yeah, there's there's too many scars and too many

You're not gonna make don't want you know, because Pittsburgh will have already played and so will.

The jack then maybe it won't be a must win game.

There's a there's an outside chance it won't be, but the odds are they'll know when they line up that they have to.

I mean, Josh Allen.

Hero ball is always fun, but it's like it's it's a wild horse. It's a fun ride until you get bucked off the back end.

Here's the thing.

Though their defense has been fantastic, they're totally different than they were back in that Week four game, for good and bad. Like they lost Milano and Tredevius White who were in that game, and and they have a different coordinator. Everything's different. Digs is no longer like part of the offense. That's weird and not a great thing.

I'm sure that will go well. If they lose this game.

I do wonder if he's on this team next year either way. But the defense has adapted. I think Seohn mcdermot's had one of his best coaching years. Defensively, they've settled down all those posts, those injuries. They were awesome last week against the Patriots. They really their defense has been awesome. Daiquon Jones is back, Benford's turned into a really good starter. Brazil Douglas is like the pickup of the year. Bernard and Dotts and their linebackers have settled

Craft clapol almost like a play and I was like, wait, Chase Claypole's on the team.

It's it's too big of a drop off to keep up.

I think in a shootout, two is always so good in these early portions of the games, and then and then it tails off. I think it's gotta be a close game. I'm with you that I'm not counting on the bills, but I'm picking the bill.

It also met like what version of jayal and Waddle because he's dealing with an ankle. It sounds like he's got an ankle play, I mean, but that like as a wide receiver version.

But this does he make it through the game? Does Tyreek make it through the game. It's just a weekly thing with them in their lineman, like everything with them has been really bad luck.

And here's just the pure stats because we have talked about it and they did, because it wouldn't be fair to say, look over the Cowboys win, because that was a great win where they you know, they hung with him and then made the big drive to take the game at the end. But Dolphins defense first winning teams this season, last in points allowed or thirty first in points allowed thirty five opposed in completion percentage seventy three

Will Josh Allen do it? He obviously has the ability to do it.

Josh Allen is a superstar quarterback, but hot damn was he terrible the last time we saw him. So we'll see if he's in a slump or if that was just an aberration against the Pets. Oh to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Hey guys, we have a video weighing in on this particular matchup, and you know how these videos go.

Maybe a big week for the Zoo after a tough loss. Greg might want to listen to this one closely. Okay, hello heroes.

I want to tell all your listeners out there what a coward Greg is. I texted him earlier today and said, Hey, I have to pre record these things and I want to do a lockout.

You know what this guy wouldn't do.

He wouldn't even tell me who he's locking I told him he could have whatever favorite he wanted.

He's like, hey, hey.

Dolphins without half thirteen, you can have the Bills. You've been hyping them up the last eight weeks, how they're gonna win the super Bowl or this is crazy. Why don't you be a man block off against me? I'm taking the Dolphins. I have no idea if you're gonna do it or not. You take the bills and.

We'll see what happens. You can't be that afraid of me. With five to play, get out of here, do it? Greg? Be a man, all right? So love it?

Love it.

Great character work by Nick.

So it's such nine tense because he's all nice and doesn't say any of that stuff in the actual text.

Well he's a showman. But let me say this, Let me say I can take anyone. Let me say this, Nick.

I know you know Greg well, but Greg, it's built into his personality that he will not do what he's told. That's like, it's intrinsic to Greg's entire being that that he feels like being told what to do is somehow backing off from life or a challenge or makes him feel small.

It's the opposite of cowardice.

He's not so by telling him, he won't do it, And I know how annoying that is because it would make it a better show. And I hope that this is what happens. But I know Greg, and just because you told him to, he's not going to. And that's just you know, lesson learned.

I hope, Well, Dan is trying to Jedi mind trick me by saying that I won't do it. So now he's super seded what Nick's trying to do. I see what you're doing there. What the heck, let's go for it. Sorry the bills I have.

Picked him, I'd be nervous about it. On the road Island game inconsistent all year. Did put up forty eight points on the Dolphs.

I am.

I am four up, so I would still have, you know, plenty of wiggle room here if I were to lose this. But if I were to win it, uh, the lock competition would be over before the playoffs, which would be as close as I think I'm going to get, uh to ending the lock competition, which is what I which I've sort.

Of done a major race for second place. Though there's a second blow. You don't care. I mean, it's the thing mock cares.

Maybe next I don't want to be in last, which I am.

Looking at the standings, I'm fifteen and two. Wow. I mean, I would say it's been a down season for some of us.

Yeah, and it has been. And Greg stepped in stepped in poop this year. He's won fifteen of seventeen. You got to respect it. And uh, and good job Greg, because you know he did challenge you in this It's not the first time I am. Every time though you he's challenged you, you've kind of shoot him away. And finally we have a lockoff between one and two. I'm excited, even more excited to watch the game. Now.

Let's get to the other.

Saturday games now, starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens.

Here's here's the call in this one.

Chris Fowler, Lou Riddick, Danny Orlowski, Laura Rutledge on the sidelines. This is the Steelers getting three and a half. Steelers getting three and off in in Baltimore. How is that possible? Here's how it's possible. Lamar Jackson's not playing and John Harbaugh, as my mother would say, might be spitting in the skoy on this one. Because they're gonna do the same thing they did in twenty nineteen when they were the top seed. They're gonna rest their guys in the final

It's the right move.

I absolutely think it is. I don't think you toy around with this. I think the concept of like too much rest suddenly they get soft and kind of forget the goal.

Like I don't think football team are not.

Gonna win the sup Bowl anyway. If that was a concern about that team, that's right.

They're not built that way.

I mean, by the way, this is a special Ravens team that is like twenty four to one in the preseason over the past however many years, so their preseason team. You maybe give the Steelers a fight I don't have. But I mean, it's not just Lamar Jackson. It's guys like uh ro you don't want to lose, like a Roquan Smith or these other lynch pieces lynch pins to your team, and I just I think that's the only way to do it. You're the number. You've gotten to

But it's really worked. He's got it. He's brought a.

Vertical element to the passing game, and Najie Harris and Warren have been awesome on the ground too. Like all elements of this offense that you were waiting for for so long have finally come together at the perfect time, and it's like a comple letely different watch.

They're not going to get to your twelve wins, Mark.

Well, if they get into the playoffs. I had a couple of games like that.

Why do I feel like they are going to get into the that would mean I lose my lock because that means the bill is lost. Like, I think this is a better lock than the Bill, So I am definitely giving up my old my usual like just pick the best one because to me, the Steelers are going to win this game.

Yes, that's what you guys say.

It's like very analytical, Like, to me, the Steelers are going to win this game. I'm much more confident than Steelers win this game. I'm with Mark. I think they're different. You know what stand out to me that first the first third down of last week, Mason Rudolph. It's like a third and nine and he's looking to the right side of the field and he no one's open there, and he gets to his third read like so fast, and it's Deontay Johnson who's wide open on the total other side of the field, and he.

Got there fast.

And I'm just thinking, of course, Deanty Johnson's wide open because he's Deontay Johnson.

He's awesome at running routes.

And Rudolph got to that receiver in a way that Picket wouldn't have or Trubisky wouldn't have. He's been a different quarterback I know it's only two weeks and so it might not continue, and this is a tougher matchup, even against backups, but he's been a different quarterback and he's letting their best players shine. Pickens is suddenly like has eleven hundred yards on the season because the two games with Rudolph Johnson Friarmouth they're third. It's only two weeks,

You know, Mark, I thought initially when you mentioned the Ravens in their preseason success, I didn't know quite where you were going because.

They had won twenty four in a row and then they lost. I don't know what at.

All, because the preseason famously is utter nonsense.

Well, their backups are good. I'm just saying they're good, Like, can I finish there, guys? Oh, okay, I just say I'm getting to my point.

However, I think there's something to that that the John Harbaugh, this team, they always compete and he is a master motivator. There's a reason why they had that type of streak because it mattered to them to keep that going. I think it absolutely matters the idea of the chance to knock out the Haten Steelers.

I think they're the backups.

It's almost more of a flex and something that they would be more proud of than just beating him with the regular guys, like, look, we canna beat you at the backups and ruin your season and ruin your twenty twenty four. So I think he's going to be pushing all those buttons, and they are. They're a deep, excellent

I'd also ask, like, because it's only three and a half, right, Tyler Huntley has been in a situation in week eighteen years in a row like this is like you're not throwing someone out there that's like total newbie.

But how much of the roster do you sit? And how long you can't sit that many?

That's the thing. I mean, you're gonna have. It's like you're talking Lamar.

That makes a huge difference, but in probably some skill position guys.

But it's Lamar, it's Odell who's not practicing. It's Zay Flowers, it's Kyle Hamilton, it's Humphrey, it's guys who have injuries. Maybe a couple guys like Rocon and Queen. But you can't sit that many. Just the numbers don't work. So I'm with you. I think it'll be it could be competitive, and I give the Ravens a chance, but I think this is.

A different Steelers team.

December twenty ninth, twenty nineteen, the Steelers lost to the Ravens backups in Baltimore. They missed the playoffs. So there's history here too, and that was John Arba.

I remember that Bill's starters once losing to the Steelers' backups. I think it was two thousand and four to miss the playoffs in week seventeen.

That was with Drew Bledsoe. And like it happens, it happens.

There's a reason why it happens more when it's like the one seed resting players, which was the case, and the Steelers and the Ravens, because well, their team's good, like the backups are good, they.

Can still win. Interesting, that was yet twenty nineteen. So the Ravens, Yeah, they were then flat two weeks later against the Titans, they kicked the Steelers ass in that spot. All right, let's move to the other Saturday a game that would be the Houston Texans against the Indianapolis Cults. Are right, Greg, I'm gonna need your help with some tabulations on this one. There are three teams that are nine and seven in the AFC South entering a week eighteen,

Tell me who wins this division?

They're in the playoffs, which is exciting, and the.

Losers done or are they still a lot?

The loser is not done. They'll have to wait, I believe, to find out. But the winner gets to wait till Sunday to find out if they win the division. The Jaguars are essentially in pole position, and if they win.

That's what I was looking for. So the Jags destiny is in their hands for this division. But the winner of this game has obviously they're going to the dance and have a chance to get that home game as well.

Yes, that's a lot. It's a lot at steak here. Playoff game. It's a playoff game. I like it. I like it.

Who do we like in the game? Gardner Meanshew and the Colts. Do we have by the way, we have Minshew? Do we have the Minshe was playing the Raiders last week? Nice win. Minshew makes a big throw, touchdown pass. They beat the Raiders, keep their hopes alive. And you know, Max Crosby, this should not come as a surprise. A maniac on the field keeps on calling him what a sit down little boy, kept on calling him a little boy,

Dude, Max Crosby is.

So damn angry Burke Like.

The thing is that he's not living that Anthony.

I know, right, he just calls he keeps calling everybody low ass boy, ass boy.

I'm like, I'm little out here, but not always that was inside the NFL.

By the way, the good he's a hard guy not to like, obviously, but he has a chance here in a year where he started out as the backup to Anthony Richardson who goes down early, and he keeps the Cults relevant and now here it is mark your guy Minshew with a chance to take the Cults to the playoffs.

They've been really consistent in terms of points produced. I think with Minshew, it's the story week to week has been which version you're getting? They're five and oh when he doesn't have when he doesn't throw an interception and they and they markedly different team when he crumbles, and so I think that you're playing a Texans defense that is completely different under this coaching staff. I think this is a codyoff, like a Coach of the Year off between Shane Stike and Ryans.

I mean, this did have to be in the top.

Three coach of the year in terms of narrative, I think, let's check out the draft King of the year. If you're the voter that's that look doesn't say, like, you know what, we should just give it to Kyle Shanahan, which doesn't happen.

Your boy's the favorite is a heavy favorite right now.

And but Ryan's here's And this is why you're not off though, Mark, So it's the fans get a heavy favorite. But Ryan's and Stikeen are both plus eleven hundred on draft kings, so they're very in terms of how the odds makers see it. They have done an equally good job in terms of the story and what they've done with their teams. So maybe, like us with our picks, it's for second place.

It is for second place because I don't think anything the Browns, with no starters in their due would affense.

It's also assuming that the odds makers have this have it correct, which I don't think. Think it's that mean that's a monster favorite, giving them almost no chance, and I don't agree with that. I think if the Texans win this game in exciting fashion, Ryan's would have a chance, and.

I think he should.

I think he should because it's also his assistance the way that CJ. Stroud's developed the worst thing that matter either way, both of them, but one of them's on.

One thing's on my radar.

And it's a small sample size, but the numbers for Stroud post Tank Dell are pretty interesting. Like its yards per attempt dropped by like two point five yards almost Yeah, his passer rating drop by twelve points. It's not a big sample size, but it just reminds you that Tank Dell and him worked so well together and they were so dynamic. But I still think about, like I talked it about this Colts team a bunch, but the team that I want to see in the playoffs is the

I think that those numbers post Tank almost got to get tossed out because that was he gets hurt and then they go to the metal lens and play in a reign where they get shut out basically before he goes out with an injury, and their stats were terrible there.

So there's not a big sample size.

I believe he has the ability to make it work without Dell and Nico Collins, right, Like we've talked about Collins and what a year he's had, Like, I think there is dynamic offense in this team post Dell.

Maybe we see it here. I agree.

And I was really curious to see how he looked last week after the injury, because I think his season peaked in that Bengals game, one of the best games of the year. After that, I don't think he played. I don't think he's played at like a top five QB level the whole season, I think, which is an

He's got more pressures over the last.

Two week by far than anyone on the Eagles, almost doubled them. So like they just like put guys into this offense and it works, and so I'm just hoping it happens because he's a little more dynamic. But I do think Minsch's playing his best ball the year right now. He only has three PFF games all year over seventy it's three of the last games now. He's been a little mistake free and just kind of moving the offense.

It's like all RPOs and they have you're right and uh me, And this is a primetime game.

This is, by the way, c J. Strout's first primetime games.

A pro me and you probably hasn't played a ton I would imagine in his NFL career, And I do you know, he's an excitable fellow. Hopefully he doesn't get too fired up by the moment.

Starts trying to play hero ball.

If he stays within himself, I think the Colts have a have a good chance here. But I do love Stroud having a chance to do this under the lights as well. He seems like the type of guy you could blow up with. You know, the game's going to do a huge number and everything, and everybody's gonna be watching it.

Troy and Joe. How about that?

This coming out a true coming out party for Stroud in prime time to punch a playoff ticket the I like the Texans.

I need to correct a mistake. I apologize. Okay, this is an elimination, big of you. You know what it was because I had the tie thing in my head that technically they weren't.

No tabulate baby. But you lose, you go.

Yeah, you lose, you lose, You're out, you win, You're in period.

It's very simple. And then wait and see if you win the division. Yes, you wait and see. If you win, you're that that's under the retabulation. You're you're eliminated.

You know something, when you had the old T eight hundred calculator hit that one wrong button, it's a wrap.

That's what happened. That's true of all calculators. But yeah, but that T eight hundred. Yeah, for those who know, back to the drawing to your.

Point on prime time, this is actually the only game all year the Texans have played. That's not at ten am Pacific eight hundred game might.

Actually they did not have high hopes for the You might predate the T eight hundred mark in your education because you're years older. But what what about Western mess? Was the T eight hundred huge?

Yeah, it was like this is the highest of technological advance.

But is the T eight.

Hundred arnold from a terminator or was it what was the name of that calculator?

Something like that sounds right to me.

T I let's see calculator Texas instruments. We need to to that instruments ninety eight three games? Uh, oh, there it is. Oh, that son of a bitch and it would make the Uh, I'm gonna show it to you right now.

It's the T I eighty three. Oh yeah, no I had that and uh nothing was annoying. Well your had the crank and everything years. No, it did not. Dan, I'm like like literally like five years younger than you or something.

You have to like actually weirdly like put diamond you have to put coins into it.

Yeah, work, damn. It still costs two hundred and twenty bucks to this day. Why would people want to?

All right, why anyway I want that thing?

I don't know if you're if you're maybe it's in relics.

You need it basically because.

You would have to type in the theory or whatever and then and then you're you want the chart to do something that is the correct answer.

But then it's like you blow it.

Why they can't they can charge much because you don't have any other options, Like they've cornered that market, did it?

Those bastards at Texas Instruments. All right, I'll see what the Texans do. Let's take a break and then we'll get to the draft. Welcome back to around the NFL the week eighteen.

By the way, yes, I fixed this button down here because like not me off that you're like looking at my.

Mid Yeah, this is why we were we our roots are puritanical and you grew up in England and Connecticut. So it's just I think it's telling that you think that's fixing the problem, Like I want to see another button off.

Well, no, like that's for another less, that's for another time that we're not doing that during the during the show, the preview of week eighteen, and it's not for another time to be roddy.

All right, let's get to the draft to Let's start with the first overall pick, presented by Draft Kings Mark Sessler.

You are on the clock two of the games we just talked about.

There's a lot of ways to go here, but I'm going to go Jacksonville at Tennessee, which is kind of like part B of that Saturday night AFC South matchup. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a real mess. I'm concerned about them in this game because you know, you still have Trevor Lawrence dealing with multiple injuries, but right now it's they're listing it ash shoulder. He's practiced Wednesday on a limited basis. I don't know what kind of version

Yeah.

This was the year where they ceased to be a playoff contender, and now they have an aging roster and a coach it seems like he's got one foot out the door. And it does for the Titans and their fans like Grave Digger and everyone else. This was a tough year to swallow, but you kind of begin to reboot and ernest. Hopefully, if you believe in will Levis, you have brighter days ahead. The Jags have no excuse here.

Yeah, his status is looking up. He was at the throwing portion of practice Jersy. So I think the biggest question is you, right, Mark, what version do we get? Kirk has been aiming, according to Doug Peterson, for this state for a while, so I think they're hopeful he helps a lot. Josh Allen the Daguars version, he's another guy where look if he gets three sacks in this game and gets up to twenty, I don't think he's a crazy.

Yeah, it's a player that's like what Lamar did last week, like having that last big week and put you over the top.

Yeah, And it's important for them, I think, to get into some sort of offensive rhythm, obviously to make the playoffs because it would be a catastrophic loss, but also because you got the Browns next week if you win this game, and you better get ready. I'm with you on Vrabel. I'm getting some mid career Sean Payton vibes, where like there's a lot of Rabel chatter, and seems like that chatter to me is coming from Mike Rabel.

Because it sucks to lose.

Need to show you anything, Did you have another.

Thought or no, I'm just curious.

Well, he sucks.

Losing awful. That's why I want to win, because you don't sleep. You want to win for the players that they bluster tail.

That's it.

That is Gentry Estes, who was a calumnist for the Tennessee. And it's almost like when your mother would call you by your full name when you were in trouble as a child. When the reporter is goes one of two ways, right, It's either the reporter likes you and is having.

Some fun and he's like, yeah, Gentry, you know what.

I'm talking about, or cause it sucks Gentry and it's like, uh, oh, Daniel, get over here.

It's a thing. Then you get the do you have anything else to add to that? Like to the reporter, it's like, well.

The laser shooting out of his eyes if there's a second part to that whole answer. And the one thing I could see going through Mike Rabel's like mine was I was a little harsh on this guy, and so like he starts to ease up.

And get a little more.

Another question was asked and he went back to Gentry. But it was a good job by Gentry because he picked up on something very able, said how important it was to win, and then just quickly asked the fob why is it important?

He knew he was gonna go a have you ever met a person name Gentry before?

No? But if I did, I would games that there live in Tennessee. Uh, the Titans are five point underdog.

Like putting all the Gentries in a box in this game, I am it must be it's a Southern name and the Jaguars jentra.

Over under forty. I must say, Gentry pretty low.

The great question, I think you're onto something with the Josh Allen and Greg Pff has ranked the Titans offensive line dead last two years in a row. Oh yeah, that tells you a lot why that offense is hard to watch.

I like the Jaguars to get it done.

I do too, But if Lace is more hurt than we even know and he doesn't play, all bets are off.

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The crown is yours, all right, Greg.

I am so excited to me there was a clear number one in this draft.

I knew you said you wanted it, and I'm happy to give it to you.

That's very nice. Give me a break here, look very nice. Give me a break. It's Bears.

It's Packers, Packers.

Sessler's forehead favored by three stupid minus one sixty two. It's Nance, It's Romo on Bears. Packers got great. I think it's because I love watching Jordan Love play right now, and I've really enjoyed watching Justin Fields and the growth of this Bears team. I believe that this is a big Bears win here, not not like they win by a lot. But I think they're gonna win this game. I I considered locking this up, so I'm actually glad Nick's Big Bears win. I just think they'll win if

You're not gonna, We're not We've lost in for the just I'll say, you're gone, clear out your desk.

That matters how healthy they're getting, because I think that love is like thrived with a lot of those guys in and out of the lineup and and it's he right now has thirty four offensive touchdowns, which kind of I don't know like that.

Mark, You know this has been on our joint radar for years. Damn, Packers did it again. They got another long term starting.

Only. I mean, you got to credit him. That's few other quarterbacks have more offensive touchdowns than him this year.

Josh Allen, jillenher he has been on balance where they got killed for that pick. I always defended it. I always said the process isn't crazy. We'll have to see.

I was going to say, I was going to give the credit to Jordan Levin the Packers, but we must give it where it truly belongs.

Greg.

Well, we argue, what's the point of having all these arguments four years ago if we can't remember that?

No, I mean they they really did.

They held the fort, They waited out the Rogers melodrama, even when Love wasn't lighting it up, when he got a chance to play like they never they never moved off the plan.

And hot, Damn, he is a player.

He's got thirty touchdown passes and thirty four total. As you said, Mark, and I just see I see a guy that might be scratching the surface here and could become a true, true star in the league. But I like what you're saying too about the Bears.

I think that.

And I saw our buddy Rank, big Bears man, down in the dressing room before we came up today.

So did I. I must have just missed you, Love Love.

He was actually dressing, and he was getting dressed in clothing and like people just go walk in there and just walk around. Yeah, like he was actually going through the process of like he was in.

There and just walks around.

No.

I mean just like there's a lot of just you know, jabbering, but he was like doing that what you would what you'd actually.

Do getting dressed in the dressing room. Good friend.

And I I reminisced with Rank about I was on his Bears podcast in the off season and we're talking about all the optimism around that team and and the idea of you know, keeping fields and trading the number one pick and building around him. And a year later we're kind of having the same conversation where there's optimism around the Bears and there's this idea to keep fields and trade the number one o O picked a build

Uh.

And we talked about it Greg on our last show that this game really does matter because I almost feel.

That I know it would cement it.

It would cement it if he lights up green Bay here, uh, and he can against that Green Bay defense. It's all set up for him.

I feel like we're being a little down on the on the Packers just after a year ago.

I think this matters, like they were embarrassed.

What was one of the more indelible, indelible images of the year last year was when when Aaron Rodgers throws that interception the Lions win that Week eighteen game, and Aaron Rodgers walking out out of Lambeau with a look in his eye where we were sitting together thinking like I think he's gone. We didn't know that for sure. He walked off the field like arm in arm with Randall Cotty. Yeah, and it's like, I just think this

Another NFC NFC North team.

Like, no, they're not gonna lay down. It's a game. I just kind of like, I mean, the Packers are favored by three US.

I just don't know.

But I will say, like for all the Joe Berry stuff, like, and I know that there was you had. It was a rookie in there for the Vikings, But that was a positive performance for that defense.

A week could go against the Vikings.

I'm doing it over the course of the season, and I I think it's very tough to run on this Bear team. So Aaron Jones has really added a lot of juice, and Lafleur has been cooking. He deserves a lot of the credit for making this all work. I think it's a really positive season for them, even if they lose this game. But it would be a bitter pill to swallow. You're right, Mark, to have the same thing happened.

I mean, you can't. That's what the Cowboys do in the playoffs. You can't do that in Week eighteen if you're the Packers.

All right, So I'm up, I got two picks and uh, I gotta go hunt him. For just playoff games the matter right, games that have big, big ramifications.

So let's we're running out of them.

Yeah, let's start with hmm, let's go to the NFC South, not my favorite division in the world, but the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Gentry and.

An actual professional reporter that you're that you've now characterized.

Saints given three and a half here this is the haddle on Barber Ryan booth.

Three three seems like a lot.

I think any professional broadcasting outfit you don't need three people.

Two is fine. I thought you meant the point spread was a lot. I see you're seeing.

They thought maybe Matt Ryan could go play quarterback for someone in a year where there's fifty.

So don't think you need like three or even two people to do a show about football.

I'm gonna I'm gonna make a more than three.

I'm with you. I'm gonna make an edit. You just cross off Tiki Barber better.

How come you're every time I have any criticism of someone in the booth, you're like, oh, that's not right. You clutch your pearls. But now Tiki takes an arrow between the eyes.

Like I watched this group a lot, and that's my opinion.

But god forbid I say something bad about Jonathan Vilma, You're like, oh.

God, no, Jonathan Vilma. It's just a personal reference, all right. But I think Matt Ryan's very solid and Tiki's always think of shooting from the hip stuff like you did.

Tiki sounds like a guy that's on w f AN.

He sounds like a guy who does a New York radio show. He's a week and is not totally which I'm on the rest of the league.

I don't.

I don't mind that as someone that grew up listening to that. But what you're saying to sometimes it's like.

You were pointing to the same person to be taken out of the booth too, right now, who you who? Tiki? Yeah? Yeah, get Teky out of here, all right?

But because of what well I'm saying, I don't you know, I'll let you know if I don't like somebody in the booth for some reason.

With Greg, it's only Tiki, Oh, a New York Giant six.

That's he there for those I don't think he was for either, actually, right, you know he represented there in twenty eleven. That was a midd Bradshaw grudge. So let's legacy grudge. All right, let's figure out this game. I can't because obviously the Falcons are a team that I do not believe in and haven't believed in all year, But they just had a chance here to to steal a playoff spots the Saints. What do you expect from the Saints here now, Derek Carr, I'll say this playing better?

All really?

Is the vibes all of a sudden, all the reporting around the Saints that's also been on my radar, We're starting to see articles pop up about like the Saints have stayed together in tough times and their leadership is to you know, has really helped keep this team together and trying times. Are the Saints going to somehow despite all the negativity around them and the struggles they've had, steal this division? Well, I think they got the right opponent.

So I do like the Saints a lot in this game. Is it enough? Does it get them in the playoffs with the win? Greg? No, they need the fabula, baby.

They need the Bucks to lose to the Panthers to win the NFC South and they need to win this game. If the Bucks win that game, then they need either the Seahawks or Packers to lose and they could slide in as a seventh seed and we'd get to NFCA, which is fairly outrageous, fairly reasonable, and it means they'll still be alive, like going into Sunday Night football. They they might be the team that's and that means hoping to get in. Would they be playing each other in the wildcard round?

No?

Right, so that means an NFC South team would could be in the second round.

Okay, never mind, because they.

Are two teams. We don't need two of these teams. No, we certainly do not.

So maybe the best thing for football fans is the Falcons pull off an upset because they they're dead.

That we're dealing with the Falcons. They're not.

They're not dead.

They're not.

They can win the division at eight and nine, they win the three way time this division has broken my brain.

What you really need is Tampa Bay to be Carolina. Yes, that just and that's that's the most likely scenario of all these. And then some of this other nonsense is I don't like this for the sake. I want to see what's gonna happen with Alvin Kamara. Like he left that game last week. He's got an ankle injury. Not wonderful for them. But Derek Carr, you were right, four straight games with multiple touchdown passes that time a career mark for himself. I mean, I think he's been healthy.

He plays through.

He's played through a lot of pain in his in his career and he's been doing that most of this season. And I think that can explain some of the wonkiness with his play. But in general, what's happened of late, it should be happening right now at the most important time of the season. Guys like Juwan Johnson have stepped up. I I kind of feel like that matters a lot in this rivalry. These teams hate each other to be

The it goes they fall down a little early, like the negative energy and the booing and all that.

But that's that's sort of like the booing seems a little more isolated to this season.

That is just not a place where that was happening. I just mean there's a lot of pressure. You're right, they want the coach. I feel like it's it's everyone thinks Dennis Allen's totally safe. I feel like it's a it's a blowout, loser, coach goes home. I keep hearing Arthur Smith safe. Okay, you get blown out by the Bears in the Saints the last two weeks. Really shit, you're seven and ten. You're lucky to be there. Dennis Allen keep hearing he's safe. Okay, you lose to the Falcons.

Is there something we don't know about this?

Is there something did Let's say, I'll just throw out a hypothetical, but Arthur Smith did have reservations about Desmond Ridder and it was kind of like, we want you to give it a try with him, and if it doesn't work out, we promise you. Like, is there something else to the story that we don't know? Because based on just what we know, three seasons of essentially failure and no real growth should get a coach gone almost one hundred percent of the time.

Why would he be an outlier?

The what two things I could point to is I think Arthur Blank's pretty patient. And secondly, when we were at the Super Bowl, a year ago, Arthur Blank was not far from us giving an interview, and what happened during some of that interview was he was so strongly in support of Desmond Ridder, like like no questions asked, Like we believe in this guy so much, and so I wonder if some of that is at play. But Arthur Smith, it's been a disappointment. Like it hasn't been

This season, I agree, but this season's been close to it, Like after all that Ridder picking with him. Heineke is not healthy this week, He's not practicing really, and yet they're like holding out hope. So now it's gone from like we're gonna keep playing Ritter to like we hope we can get sixty percent Heinike to run back out there. And what's been embarrassing I think for Smith is they can't run the ball, like not consistently. And this is a team the Saints that you can run against. They

Maybe it is an upset. We shall see.

And Alvin kamaras Mark mentioned, he went down with that ankle. I don't know how high up on the ankle is this spring.

They don't tell us.

Not spotted in practice on Wednesday. I just did a quick search to see if we have any updates so far on Thursday. I don't see anything yet. But he has been good for them this year. And Carr I think needs a healthy Kamara to keep that offense.

It's one seventy money line, by the way, here we go getting that in there.

Like it.

I will go with the Snake pis so another game that has playoff ramifications, even if it isn't necessarily competitive.

Potentially, but you never know.

With the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys at Commanders eleven and five, Dallas coming off that dramatic, controversial win over the Lions twenty to nineteen, all the two point business, but I think it did overshadow that. I thought the Cowboys played a good game in a big spot against a very good Lions team. I don't want to wipe away that effort, and I don't want to wipe away that Dak is playing his best football in crucible moments down the stretch. And the Commanders are a bottom five team in the NFL,

Right, so here we go. I mean, there are.

No excuses, Mark, You need, absolutely need to hammer the Commanders and win the NFC East.

Anything less would be a disaster.

The idea of not winning this game and then going to the playoffs and going on the road just would be a disgusting idea for the Cowboys and their fans. Hammer the Commanders, steal this division from the Eagles, and you go into the playoffs hosting a home game and feeling like this year is different.

This was the game a year ago where we were introduced to Sam Howell, who will be starting. After some back and forth last week with the Jacoby Brissett unable to go, Howell came in not too bad out of the gate, a disaster down the stretch. He's been sacked a league high sixty one times, the most interceptions in the league. This dall defense, you can run on them. I don't think that's a big factor in this game.

No, you just got to actay healthy. This is like that too.

Tyler Smith got hurt, which you know. The Pro Bowl came out last night and he didn't make it, which is a little bit of a surprise for me. He's been fantastic. I don't think he's gonna play in this game. Look, this is something where they they should be cognizant of. Let's get it to Not like they're gonna give a pregame step speech talking about it, but it'd be nice if they got it to forty to seven and could just rest their starters in the fourth quarter and start

And this is the end of an era. Ron Rivera is definitely going to be out the door. So the last game from Ron and maybe the last game as a head coach in the NFL period. We talked about defensive Player of the Year being wide open. Here Michael Parsons another guy. If you have the Lamar game, we'll call it the Lamar game. Even though he plays on the other side of the ball. He has thirteen sacks entering this game. If he goes off for three in this game, all of a sudden, his resume looks that

I think Tyreek Hill like kind of took all years.

It's hard to say that he's been better than Tyreek Hill. So he's just getting boxed out here. Here's some just data points from our research team.

He needs one catch in Week eighteen to join the top ten of the most receptions in a season in NFL history.

He's got one hundred and twenty two catches.

He needs seventy two yards, which is going to get probably by the end of the first quarter in this game, to join the top ten of the most receiving yards in a season in NFL history.

His season average. This year his average and by the.

Way, I understand, there's an extra week played and you factor that in, but this is different. He has averaged one hundred and three yards per game this year, and if you want to even look closer at the numbers, you go from about the mid season point, maybe rund week seven, I would say he's probably about one hundred and twenty a game, scoring literally literally maybe with the.

Exception of one week.

He scores every week and sometimes multiple times a week.

Yeah, like Detroit had no answers for him. Like when you watch the Ravens offense, it's like teams don't know what they're doing to stop the Ravens. But like Ceedee Lamb put that same kind of magic on the Lions last week, and I think it helps when you've got like Dak Prescott and Lamb connecting the way to do. Like the one throw, the ninety plus yard touchdown for Ceedee Lamb was one of Dak Prescott's greatest throws of all time, one of the more magical quarterback throws you'll

He's incredible.

Yeah, people kind of got on the Cowboys because Jefferson's in that draft, chases in that draft, and they got to their superstar status first. But you're right, sixteen hundred and fifty one yards the Cowboys, by the way, thirteen point favorites in this game. That doesn't even feel funny. Line minus eight hundred, which is like, what are we doing here?

People? Just why bother?

By the way, just from a historical standpoint, when the Cowboys do get to the playoffs, whether it's the division champion or as a wild card, and it's probably gonna be a division champion, I do get a little remember Kurt Warner Larry fitz in eight when they just tore through the playoffs. Why didn't you picture Dak and Lamb just being nuclear this month?

Yeah, the good version of the Cowboys like that. Yes, I can picture could.

Win to the games.

Sure we can talk about the ghosts of the Cowboys, but I if we do believe this team's a little bit different. Lamb's one of the reasons why they're different this year. This guy is outrageous. I mean, I love des Bryant too. I mean, he was a great number eighty eight, but I think CD is their best receiver since Irvin, and it matters to have true Hall of Fame level players like that.

I agree. All right, let's keep moving. It is back to you, Greg.

Okay, I'm gonna take the Buccaneers minus four and a half at the Panthers money lines minus two twenty five.

I mean Buccaneers an win game.

Get to see a team win a division, a surprising team if they can do it, or see everything crumble and collapse in a surprising fashion.

That's Week eighteen to me.

These are the types of wiki team games you get, like the culmination of what they've been building towards. Because I don't think they're gonna win a playoff game, although the Eagles would be a pretty winnable matchup for them. I want to see Baker bounce back, although it's more his health. I just am a little worried about he's missing practice this week and they're not like totally locking in there.

He's playing.

But he did speak to the media, which is usually a good sign. He had a rib injury, which may explain his trumples in that game, but I didn't even think he played that bad once I watched it.

They just they never had the ball.

Their defense is not good, by the way, Like that's one of the problems with Todd Bowles is they have all these stars on defense. Defense it's a mediocre defense, and they were terrible last week. And I thought Mayfield played quite well in the second half. The game was kind of over, but he made a lot of really good throws, so I don't think the injury affected him.

The CJ. Beth Jaguars.

And that's why, for the first time in a while, despite having a sterling record, this week, I do forecast a little rain here, Oh Carolina. I think the Bucks blow this team out. I was gonna lock it up, but I'm giving Nick a little late Christmas present by going for the Bills. The Buccaneers roll Baker with four touchdowns.

They cover that four and a half. So brave.

Well, actually, every single rain Maker would be equally brave because it's fifty to fifty according to right.

But if you were gonna be locking against the Panthers, that would have not a great look for a fifteen to two.

Star fair fair.

That was in my head too, But rain maker wise, I started this season by drafting the under on Carolina as my number one overall pick in the Winds over underdraft.

I piled up a bunch.

Of shots out of your mouth.

Yeah, I piled up a bunch of wins in the Locks going against them early before everyone knew they.

Were trash bags. Let's wrap it up some rain.

I I if you put a gun to my head, I would not remember what I did in week one In terms of my picks to Greg, it's all categorized rope to size, like it's all there in the data internal database.

Do you know?

Did you know that Greg's children squared off against each other and that I did hear about championship?

Yeah, but I believe it was sort of a blowout, right, But that's not the point. Yeah.

The point is that out of like a twelve team league, Greg also had his children. It's like it's like when you hear about and your children have Japanese heritage, like the like how organized everything is and how you kind of you look at like the school systems there and everything like you have everything completely on lock right now, Greg, with your picks and your kids and the football universe, you're in complete control of it right now.

There's a lot of luck involved here. And Walker did it all by himself, which I'm very proud.

And did you make it off?

He came in second? You told him you loved him less though, right, No, I did not. I did not. In fact, we knew as a household no one was going to mention the finals, say nothing happened because of the result. If he had won, there had been a lot of condversation. But since he lost, we just have to give it a day or two for him to emotionally well recover.

I think this is a great rain maker. I'm feeling good.

And for those that maybe overspent and Santa was expensive this year in households, this might be a nice way. But of course we do not say what to do. We don't tell her. Yeah, I would never do that. This is a quick episode here because we do have to keep moving, but we got to have it. It's a very special episode of temper Bee talking. It's kind of a satellite episode. It's temper Be tossing, and you know we we were told to stand down for a

Out of Charlotte, this is when he was talking.

Now, this is an episode of Temper Bee Talking, which is not the same as Temper b tossin satellite app. Dean, Please.

Welcome to anpisode of teen be Talking.

He says, I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL's Code of conduct and accept the league's discipline for my behavior. He said he is passionate about his team but regrets his behavior, but no apology from Temper. This is one of the worst years for any team in the history of this podcast, and this is kind of a fitting.

Cheery on top that's well said. Three hundred thousand dollars. I mean, it's a lot of money for just throwing a drink, and yet it could have been a lot more.

Yeah, like there's it's bad, been bad football. It's been bad front office work. It's been bad in terms of the stories you're hearing about the actual vibe behind closed doors.

And what happened.

What happened ultimately was around the seventh or eighth inning, finally, because I knew he could hear us, he finally looked up and just said you. And it was like, if you're a player, I get the boiling over, and if you're a coach that happens too, because you're right there.

But it's like, I'm on owner. You can't like owner can't do it. I feel like it's a right of passage.

I remember in the in the bad old days for the Yankees in the early nineties, me and my cousin Matt went to an otherwise completely empty upper deck of right field in old Yankee Stadium and Mel Hall was the right fielder of the Yankees, and for in like the seventh inning of a twelve to two game, we were just going bell and finally he just looks up at us and just like holds his arms.

Like like what really, I don'llo But Kirk Gibson should have done that. You were children, but you shouldn't be yelling.

I shouldn't be.

I kind of think, no, there was no there was some other parent that was wasn't even our parent, But I think he should have done that, and I don't. I don't have a problem with a fit with a player doing that. In that situation.

But if your owner, you just can't be well, that's way different. I'm saying to drink. Throwing a drink is owner.

Back like an explodit. That's that's what I mean.

There's that Jets player who's who I love. It was like a new meme of just pointing out all the people in the Browns crowd that that he's saying, f you too, that's a that's a beautiful.

Well they're getting wet. That's fun.

Throwing the drink on the person is he's probably a little concerned he might get suit or something. Yeah, that's the other thing at risk. And just to put a good button on the whole thing.

As someone who's lived through it, like when you have ownership that you don't have faith in, necessarily you realize that that is the key to everything. Everything starts at the top of organizations, and if it's dysfunctional or or there's just not a strong base up top, that can lead to a year.

Or not years, decades of issues.

So if I'm a Panthers fan, and I don't need to tell you Panthers fans, you're very nervous about the trajectory right now over the organization.

We also got to like convince a top level coach in theory to come coach this team.

Good luck with that, Joana Marc. Yeah.

Yeah, there's a lot going on there. All right, let's keep moving. Mark, You're up, am I win Bucks, Just win that game?

All right. I'm gonna go Eagles at Giants.

There's I'm taking one of these late gams because they've spread this this late around in.

A there's a lot of late games.

Then well it's kind of kind of half and half six early seven late. Yeah, so I'm going Giants or Giants hosting the Eagles.

Let's see here. Uh, let's take a look at the spread you handled at Greg Why get involved with this game?

Here?

Let me tell one more story about yelling at people. Sure, I used to go to a lot of preseason games, like my dad at his company. Those tickets would float around. Yeah, because of fans have to buy preseason games with their season tickets, so there always be Jet preseason games floating around.

So I would go to these games.

Went to one of the games with my buddy Bob, who I do throwback podcast with, and we were sitting the first row right behind the Jets bench. And there was a reserve offensive tackle I don't even know if he made the team named Jonathan Hagood, and we were just screaming in the fourth quarter.

Good, how good is it? Gods?

And again Jonathan Hagood wherever you are. Good Man looks at us and he's like, what is wrong with you?

Yeah?

All right? I gave you enough time there, Greg, that was a little filibuster. I've found him. I have found it.

Actually, the Eagles are giving up five points a minus two thirty money line in a giant.

That feels fair to me. That's spread.

You could have tweeted him today, So that's what's different. Back then, it was your only access to him was like you have to shout at them.

It is there at some point when you become an adult, you realize, oh, these are other humans. I should probably not be doing this unless it's really warranted.

I think you're aisode.

It was also before social media and stuffing the idea of even connecting with these things and people, and it's just a different world now. You're right, Dane, Thank you. All right, we're signing off for the day. I can't find any record.

The Giants the only team the Eagles have beaten since November. I wow, if you think about it, I mean, and you know, we dug into them on our last episode, and it's like it does feel like an inflection point, like it's not just this game, but it's what happens

Is the entire problem.

I think the giveaways have been an issue, but last week he had PFF's second highest score for a quarterback.

I mean the offense played it. Wow. The offense was not a problem last week.

So it's like, how about just clean it up against the Giants and hush some of this nonsense and we'll see. But I think there's no doubt that you talk about these other teams that have gone through some adversity, if the Eagles do wind up winning a couple of playoff games, you'd have to look at them and say they went through a lot to get to make that happen, right.

It would show an adverse a response to adversity that they just haven't since they lost that first game that started this this streak. I guess it was against the Cowboys that they they just are soft. They're a soft defense. It makes no sense. They tried to load up against the run last week against Arizona. They were playing five man defensive lines, as Boat kind of pointed out, and they got steamrolled. So that's the that's the whole problem. It's all the defense. I know her to struggle a

Any confidence around the Eagles right now is just kind of, you know, hoping for the best rather than watching them week to week and knowing this team that's just struggling. So the Giants on paper seem like a good, get right opponent, but also the Giants at home, you know Dable's gonna have them ready to go. They're gonna have to earn it. We'll see how it goes. By the way, he was Jay Hagood. He turned fifty last August. Happy birthday to Jay Hagood, the.

Same age as as I am. So it's right, So that would have been How does that make any sense?

It was in nineteen ninety must have been like the ninety seven or ninety eight preseason because that's when he was on the Jets. So you weren't like a young child seven Okay, okay, it was yelling how good as it gets.

I mean, just Sully.

It a thug basically more or less Tyrod.

By the way, starting this game.

You did not start that other Eagles Giants game when it ended up pretty close.

He closed that game.

That's where Devido they are a totally different team with Tyrod.

They have a legitimate quarterback. All right, Marks neaks to you.

All right, I'll take the Browns Bengals matchup. You know, a week ago it looked like it could have been intriguing. It is not going to be intriguing in terms of the stakes. The Bengals eliminated.

All these Sinci games on the schedule a few weeks ago. That look hot turning out not to be.

No, and they look like they could have been a fun playoff team and it's that's not the case. Uh, Cleveland's sitting Joe Flacco and a flock of others and they need it.

I do want a flocko a flaco.

I wanted to do a little if we could sure if we have the sound and if Greg doesn't mind, Greg Go's runs the rest Stop uh program, but I have I want a little spin off called the rest Stop vending Machine.

You know, like when you when you go in the rest stop.

If it's if it's not a total like sky it got, you can buy something. There's the Browns right now if you think about it. Yes, Thursday Night football was their last game, so between then and now in Sunday ten days. Amari Cooper, who was a little banged up, didn't play for another.

Four days before that.

So that is extended rest for a Marque Cooper. Everyone else is getting rest this week. They don't play for another week. That's seventeen days of rest and about twenty one days for Amari Cooper.

That's a nice rest.

Now, do you trust Cleveland if we're going to be all up into arms about the Ravens showing up flat after like a two week rest like good team that has maybe the coach of the year, But how does the coach of the year handle a twenty one?

Yeah that's true. Where's the veting machine coming into this? I just I gave it a different name so I wouldn't he's got Oh no, that's just an episode of rest Stop. You got to integrate the vending machine in some way. Are they now got eating stale twinkies?

You just stole the ip then, like we I try not to stamp on the same name. If he didn't enjoy.

It, you just would, I asked, would have been totally cool, a lot of rest but then to give it a little bit of a different name.

But then do the segment that feels this is the first thing I thought of, like a restop was like a little vending machine. I thought I'd just throw that on there.

What about the bathroom?

Not the first thing I'd want to like discuss at, right, But you're right, that's why you go to a rest up.

Good app, Good app. I do think there's stressed out about the show, and I'm checking some injuries.

There is rest Stop has gotten versatility because I do I'm on the corner of too much rest stop. I do not want Joe Flacco disappearing for two weeks two and a half weeks here, right. I like Joe Flacco staying in the mix. But again, it's the right play that you keep the big man up right because you got big games to play ahead.

How exciting is that? Mark? It's interesting to see who they play. Nothing better than having playoff games to look forward to.

I kind of remember it favored by seven in minus two ninety eight, so that is a reflection of the Browns sitting all their starters and the Bengals not. Although I figure what t Higgins is like banged up. They're not going to force wait is Garrett to play week week a team, but damar Chase, it sounds like he'll play like they're they're trying to win. The Bengals are zero to five in the division. I think they want to win one game before.

I wonder what they'll do with Garrett because he has hardware on the line. Potentially he does, but he's I wouldn't play the City band to six in sacks right now, but I know the awards about other things.

But I wonder what he'll want to play. It would imagine. But he's got this like band around his shoulder.

Still.

I don't think he's gonna play in this game, all right, Greg, I think it's back to you that right is Mark. I've taken two, so you have taken two, all right, So I will take another early game. I will take Vikings at Lions. Lions are favored by three and a half. The money line is minus two of five. They're sending uh Joe Davis and Daryl Johnson, Moose Pam Oliver, putting them on a plane.

I think that's their.

Number thing, to put them over there, probably flying right now. Number three team. The Lions have said they're playing the wit makes sense in a week where everyone's sitting guys, the Lions are not, and they don't really have anything to play for, so they're going the other out. This is one situation where I don't have like crazy hot take.

Is playing and Wes Welker what he thinks about that plan blew out that acl that one.

It's it's really unfortunate. But I just think, like, I don't know, it's ball and you can't. You can't totally. If you think it's best to play and try to win and get this back, then that's fine.

There. The Vikings defense has struggled. Maybe they can.

Maybe he'll do the thing where he plays the starters for a little while and then takes him out, and then this line is gonna look silly because the Vikings should be favored. Nick Mollins is back as the starter, and uh, I think Jared Goff showed a lot a couple of weeks ago when he played this defense, and they just had answer after answer. The Vikings defense entered Week fifteen third in the league and EPA play or fifth in the league. They were the number five defense

Yeah? Like fake, like uh gazi charade. It was a charade a little bit.

I mean, but in the year with like like they were trading players away before the season. I think Brian Flores did a pretty great tea, did an incredible job and even overall at work.

But it's like you can only win maybe with schemes so long they might get the Lions, might get Alee McNeil back and the lie the Vikings are not out of the playoffs.

What about that? Nope, there's a chance. How should we uh yeah, because that's why it's the path. They have the team around the NFL, so we should know.

What they need to all a path I'd call it like a path with like machine guns firing.

But they have not been eliminated. They have a lot of good tie breakers on their side. They need to win. They need the Packers to lose, they need the Seahawks to lose, and they need either the Saints or the Bucks to lose. So basically, look at it like it there's four teams, it's not that crazy. There's four teams in line for that.

Pasidonto Rico was like laying up for us.

I mean, it's crazy enough. I think winning this game might be hard enough, especially if the Lions really try. But there's four teams in line for the wild card. Packers are first, Seahawks are second, Saints or Bucks are third, and then the Vikings are fourth.

Kind of like in the later levels of the old Super Mario Brothers when you get to Bowser's Headquarters and you have to make the seven jumps in a row, and then the big.

Fireball wheels going around, and then.

There's another fireball, and then you got to get under that and you have all those.

Like what are those? Remember the brown things? What are they called? The I didn't get to Bowser's headquarters. You didn't. I don't know. I wasn't my.

Favorite game, but I watched people play it a lot. They're like Mario, I did not like it. I just was like I had other interests, other diversions, other Nintendo things I liked, Like what Hidigrius was one game? You know, the minute like Techmobile came out, little little obvious, But what about the hockey where you could pick the fat guy the thin guy? You always go one of each? Yeah, you got to pick up ice hockey. It was coaching, learning about coaching.

You could you could win with two fat guys in a little two fat he's in a little I like to have a mid guy there though.

Mid guy keeps things balanced. All right, I.

Am, I'm up, and uh this one will be.

No Stafford. There's like forty two minutes of fat.

You know, let's take about how about this, Let's take a break and then we'll finish.

Finish only one game that matters left, all right, we'll be right back.

All right, welcome back. We have a few more games to hit here Week eighteen. I will start with, Man, this was the game that I really had circled on the calendar for so long, you know, at least before the season started.

Jet Jets at Patriots.

There's been so many things that went wrong with this Jets season, and we don't need to relitigate it, but it has been a crushing year in so many ways, and one that I think fundamentally has changed me as a fan. When Rogers went down four plays in, I think it, I think and we'll see, I think it extinguished the last what made me a little different as a Jets fan. Of that I always had some optimism that there was something good around the corner.

I don't.

I feel like this is a team that is just destined to always destroy me now until they prove otherwise.

I always looked at this.

Game in Foxborough with Aaron Rodgers as like they'd be clinching the playoffs, or they would be winning a division and it would be beating Belichick on the road and slaying all these demons.

Instead, they're kind of a joke, and they're going in the wrong direction.

And they just got blown out by Cleveland a Thursday night, and the owner, for whatever reason, gave everybody a pass this year. And and we'll see what happens when they run it back with the same gang and a potentially healthy Rogers next year. And now it's just playing out the string against a dreadful Patriots team, which is somehow, and this tells you a lot. Getting two points against the Jets, Zach Wilson has played his final game. That is, yeah,

If they win, then they kind of fall.

Back potentially into a more crowded mix, but they have from the tank perspective, which I don't love to focus on, but given what the trajectory of their season has been and potentially Bill Belichick's last game, a loss would help them in the long run.

It would They could be anywhere from the two to the seven pick they're most I mean, that's a big, the big difference, and it could be more like the six if they won that's strength the schedule stuff. Even five, they're probably not the two pick though, Dan, they're probably the three pick. Washington is likely the two pick. But there are strength of schedule variables that can change. Basically the opponents that the Patriots play, and they got to

You know, you gotta play with or without you.

For for Arcade Fire, for instance, it's like it's wake up, they have to play wake up.

Last.

For Belichick, it's beating the Jets for the sixteenth straight time. I can't. I can't pretend that I like it doesn't Some guy was saying, it's like, oh, he would just you know, torpedo their future if he loses the game. Okay, calm down, Like the difference between the three and the six pick. It might mean a lot, it might not mean a lot, like it might be better for you. You actually don't know, so just shut up about it.

I'm doing this.

I'm doing this for Dan and for the future of the Jets because a Jets win doesn't help their drafts either. It's like, let's just don't worry about a win.

Now. They could move up a few spots.

But I'm saying that they lose it helped they already, even some of their meaningless wins in previous weeks have only tarnished their draft stock. Sit at number eight right now. But you don't want the Patriots coming out of this post Bill Belichick experience, picking one of the great quarterbacks of the future in the AFC East. I want them falling back down to six or seven. So I think Belichick is going to do everything he can going out

I like it. By the way, I missed mine before I completely forgot. I am locking up the Lions against the team around the NFL. Well, let's get that on the record. It's become soiled.

It's it's over on that front.

It's Trevor Simeon on the road against a pretty good New England.

Defense, and it sounds like it's Bailey Zappy after throwing like three interceptions.

Have you watched how just that Brown Patriots defense. They're ready to go. It sounds like it's going to be potent snow game too.

It's a minus won thirty five money line minus two. We don't have to say the over under, but this one's so funny I want to it's thirty thirty and a half.

That is Is that a low for the entire season?

Well, there was that Steelers Patriots game which turned into a shootout in the first half.

The Jets aren't just rogers away from contending their defense has been good, better than great this year. They got lit up by Jake Briskett in the second half against Washington and then destroyed by Joe Flacklin.

Well be happy.

The first reg zuer line is the reason why the Patriots don't have the number two pick because he hit that freaking kick.

Though, the Jets should be very proud of themselves.

Very proud. I have plenty of reasons to be proud. All right, let's keep moving. I will take one last look at the Kansas City Chiefs before the playoffs. They travel to across the sidewalk here to face the Los Angeles Chargers. It is the Chargers getting three and a half points. Well you know where that is. No Patrick Mahomes.

They're not going to play them at all. Nope, playing gap baby. I don't know if I think that's the right move.

I gotta I gotta be consistent. I have to be consistent that it is the right move. You don't risk anything. Look at the Chargers themselves, and they got Mike Williams hurt. But do the cheat I guess there's what what could they possibly do? At this point, I would never play my home.

Yeah, they're locked into their seed, so they I think they were very fortunate that they happen to get locked in because now they get a bye week.

Yeah that's good, and they could just completely uh almost you have to lay, which is crazy. But this is their different type of team with a different track record, So the perspective is difference. But you gotta flush your ten win season and just kind of move.

Now.

This is January, and I feel like there have been, you know, the truly great teams across different sports that have had runs that the regular season becomes this really difficult thing and then against all odds and and really based on what you've watched season, they somehow flip a switch.

Could the Chiefs do that?

Could flip a switch and be proficient on offense and then pair that with a good defense. I think it's possible, but that would be almost a betrayal of what we do, which is actually watch the games all year and watch how this team is played and the scheme and the play of the guys around Mahomes. I still have big time questions about them being able to score twenty one points in a playoff game.

So we'll see the Chargers. We don't really need to talk about them.

Yeah, I mean, they've got fewer than twenty points in seven games this year. Is it's just a different experience watching this team, and I don't need to kind of trust or believe or come up with concepts and why they're going to suddenly flip the switch and become what they were even in last year's playoffs.

It's like they there's a personnel issue.

I think they got a lot of work to do in the offseason, and they masked over the Tyreek Kill absence last year very well, and it's why there was faith they could do it again.

But they missed a player like that. I think, just a player like that.

I think any team in the AFC playoffs can pick off this Chiefs.

Team, sure absolutely, and they might end up playing the Dolphins if the Dolphins lost on Hey, he's twenty eight years old, decent stick. I think he probably earned himself a couple more years in this league. This is the least of all the games. I'm voting this one actually the least important. All right, no impact on anything, all right, then let's move on Greg, you're up. I'm gonna take Rams Niners. The Rams are four point underdogs in this game.

Handshake the feeling. I've had it all year that Donald's gonna be on the field in a big spot for this team and I'm not rooting or hoping for an injury to party and he's not gonna get benched.

But like, I don't know, it just feels like there's something in the star.

Let's see what I think it could have the most interesting part of this game time.

It would be not what the Niners want, but I hear you.

Is the decision that the Rams are making to me is interesting. They're starting Carson Wentz. I don't know if they're gonna throw Puka and Kobe Turner out there to like work on some rookie the Year stuff that seems silly.

Pooka has been banged up all year, but thank you Walker.

I do think it's interesting that they're saying we don't care about becoming the seventh seed, which they will become instead of the sixth seed if the Packers win. They're just saying the risk of that happening and it might not happen isn't worth it. We want to take a rest. We're fine going to Dallas instead of going to Detroit, which is you know what, And again there's a lot

But they're deciding that they don't care, which.

You can make compelling Hayston either way there and you can't really get on them.

All right, let's close this out, mark all right.

Two more games they're both mine. I will go Seahawks at Arizona. Doesn't matter what order I go in here, but can start their Seattle.

Let's see here game actually matters.

The Seahawks can clinch a playoff birth if they win and Green Bay loses to Chicago, so that's not impossible.

Atamish, I took this game just space.

I'd be happy to give it to you if you want, like, okay, clip, nice guy, thank you.

I know you did get it. You can get a draft pick from from next week.

Make them for that bad they go trade for it.

Get draft pick next week. Yeah, we're still doing all right? Do we do drafts? Playoffs? Playoffs where I'll watch it?

I mean yeah, I'd.

Be like maybe five bucks twenty twenty four, twenty four draft pick?

How much would it cost?

Three bucks?

We should.

First remember would you pay them three bucks to switch three dollars? Now? Now, no, how about a lunch?

They could watch it anyways. You know, you can do whatever you want. What did you pay for marks lunch?

And now that anything about it? Let's keep going.

Okay, we'll just we'll deal with this later potentially, keep going.

I thought's all this interesting.

Stat that the Seahawks have trailed for you know how we talked about how like, what was it the Ravens that have been trailed for like eighteen minutes or something this whole season.

Never trail.

The Seahawks have trailed for seven hours, nineteen minutes, and twenty one seconds, which is tells you something fifth worst in the league, fifth worst?

Yeah, whoa worst? Yeah? Minor Miracle Giants.

They're playing for those and they're playing the Cardinals who are on that list too. But this Cardinals team, I don't know. Seattle's defense just leaves you ultra suspicious. And the version we're getting to James Connor, I'm going to be talking about him a little bit on our NFL Plus feature today.

I think he's been like talk about guys that have not.

Just saved their career because he was already a good player, but like he's in their future plans.

And not only that.

I thought one of the biggest news items that came out and I love it because it solves us potentially a lot of nonsense in the offseason. I love when this happens now is that Jonathan Gannon basically came out and said, Kyler Murray is our guy. There's no any

But he came out and said that.

And I feel like the way Jonathan Gannon's operated, the way they've operated with Kyler Murray this whole season, They've been pretty clean and fair about it, and honestly, they're just keeping him and he's been.

Good to know because he's in a normal offense. It's nice to see there is never any motivation to trade him because you take such a huge financial penalty that it was only gonna make sense if they didn't like him or if he struggled, and he's looked great. They're lighting up defenses with Michael Wilson Indorshin McBride. How about we bring in some a good receiver. It just only because of the contract and because Kyler is very good. But even if you take out that, it never made sense.

I don't know.

I just feel like this sex team can't stop power running, and that's what Arizona's gonna I'm gonna.

Give Arizona some flowers for the first time in a while on this show. I think they handled the Murray situation perfectly, where remember before the seasons started, there was this talk are they gonna trade them? Are they gonna bench them for the whole year to protect you know, their asset and then move them, But instead they said, no, you know we're gonna do We're gonna rehab them the right way. We're not gonna rush him back, but we're not gonna be overly cute about it. When he's ready

Doesn't the whole organization feel in a better place? In general?

It just seems like there's no storylines. It's like it's well cochd to get that.

I think they're sneaky good coaching staff. I think Petsing has done a good job offensively. Gannon at least try stuff. We'll see once they get some players in defensively. And I think this would be a feather in their cap. I know it hurt their draft pick, but I think they would feel pretty great going into the offseason if they beat the Eagles in Seahawks in a row. And yeah, this could be a little bit of a coach coach

I don't know what.

I don't know. I don't want that to happen, but I don't want out. I just think an insider, No, oh, I did ask about that. It's more of my ideas. All right, last one, Let's let's finish this up, all right. Broncos at Raiders. And it feels like a last give us one minute on this game.

One minute.

The Broncos are getting three points moneyline minus one fifty five. If you're on the Denver side of things, I think it's I think it matters for Sean Payton in general, like to close out strong, and there's a lot for them to deal with Russell Wilson the rest in this offseason. But I think it's a bigger game for Antonio Pierce, like keep this.

Job or not his job or not.

And I think he's look at they lead the NFL in scoring defense since he's taken over in Week nine, that's.

Possible he has no chance, and it's possible he's got it already wrapped up.

So it's hard does scoring defense.

I think he's a defensive It's not just that, it's like the players love him, Like there's people talking from inside the building, like people coming out saying.

We want this guy.

It's the same thing that happened with Basaccia and Mark Davis didn't do it.

It's the Mark Davis side of it matters.

What's so are we really still like, Oh, if only Rich besides you was coaching the Raiders right now, things would be different.

So like they go get some other retread that failed ahead.

Don't do that. Don't do that either.

I mean, I guess you could go get They'll get a young offensive mind that.

It's a young coach too, though I guess I don't know, like.

I kind of like it just because I like him, and I don't know if they're going to do any better. Who knows. It could be the end of DeVante Adams there, you never know. It could be the end of dossh. Jacobs. Definitely, the end of Russell Wilson. The one thing that made me laugh this week of all the like insidary reports about Russell Wilson.

Oh, they don't, you're not. You're not trading Russell Wilson. No one is trading you anything for Russell Wilson. Stop it.

Stop trying to puff up his value the contract? Did I.

Stop it? Go ahead, you can say it again. It's all right, is it? That was it? That's ridiculous.

Also, Dalvin Cook is a dynamic playmaker with fresh legs. You should know that as well.

That's true.

You're right, I did say this last day. Did too many shows? Hey, pa Jays?

All right?

That is the Week eighteen preview this is the triple Actually, no, no longer a triple Adeddit is no Thursday night football doubleheader, though NFL Plus Mark had a little tease earlier. The Dreamatorium is open for business, so check that out an NFL Plus. And then Sunday night, we recap every game that we just previewed.

You gotta be there for the flagship program till then he the call.