Welcome to NFL Daily, presented by Draft Kings Sportsbook, where we're always breaking house rules. I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio with my friend Patrick Claybond and for the first time in person, Yes, the host of the podcast Breaking House Rules with Cam Wolf and Javon Holland. It's NFL Networks, Cam Wolf.
I appreciate that intro, Greg, that was well done.
I know, I know. To get you on my side, just give you the plug right off the bat. You got one of those like player and reporter type pods. How's this going?
Yeah, one of the thousand, right, No, it's great, it's great. It's been going great. The Dolphin season is not going great, so that's that's been a challenge to get through that on our end, but it's challenged us to like create different deeper conversations that are just uh not just what happened to the game this week? You lost again with you know, So it's been a great experience showing different sides of Javon player media and a week ago, I'm Dre who's a fan.
So yeah, ultimate, ultimately it's the people, right Besides, like you know, you could be a certain a certain TV show or podcast and have a certain guest on every single week and have them say crazy stuff and then like eventually as the team goes to three and eight, they become irrelevant. Ye, it's not fun, but if you can have a person that the people can connect with, there we go when's losses like whatever, like we want to hear what you and Javon thinks.
Yeah, and I think that's what we've done the last month and it's been fun.
Yeah, you can check that out on YouTube and obviously as a podcast too. And we're all about getting the best people here too, that's why we're The numbers are through the roof on Patrick Clayband Review Wednesdays. We're not gonna go any deeper though, Like you said, you have some deep conversations and now we're sticking strictly to the surface level. Today we're going all through the week fifteen
games and look, the buys are done. So this is as full a show as we have had since Week four, and we usually go from the closest point spread to the biggest, but I decided to start differently this week because I think the structure of this week is so unique. The five best games this week are all four to twenty five on Sunday on the East Coast. That's four of them, and then the Sunday night games. So we're gonna start with those five games, starting with the four
to twenty five. It's crazy that four of the biggest games for the entire rest of the season in terms of playoff percentages are all going to be at the exact same time. It is going to be Scott Hansen and football fan Nirvana around it.
Yeah, and for those who don't have access to NFL Red Zone, we do a little show Game Day Live, sorry Sunday as it's okay, that's so great.
It's okay.
You know if financially everybody might not be there, and so we provide an opportunity, which I love. It's a great show highlighting are after opportunities, and we will start with the game of the week. Potentially there's two. There's two very good cases. I'm interested to see how you guys would stack these. The Buffalo Bills coming off their loss at Sofi Stadium, going to Detroit to take on the Lions, who were favored about two and a half.
They over under fifty four and a half. Jim Tony and Tracy on the call, Greg, we have seen this Bills team at their best. We have seen them play their best on offense, have a rough game against Stafford and company. How do they bounce back against an albeit hurt, very very good.
Lions team, great Lions team and possibly getting healthier. So Dan Campbell announced Wednesday who could be returning, and in some former fashion, Taylor Decker is expected to return, and Alim McNeil and Levi Onwuzuriki and Josh Pascal are all expected to practice at some point this week. You would surmise that they're all gonna end up playing this week. So suddenly that defensive line, which was in tatters for a couple is back to their version of full strength.
They're not gonna have Aden Hutchinson back, but the god Zadaria Smith. And that's the matchup to me, because the Bills they want to bully you. They go heavy personnel more than any team in the entire league. Our our friend, our co host sometimes Ali Connelly, who's been in the news this week for breaking that Bill Belichick story, and it's looking like he had it ahead of all the insiders. Who's like, oh, they don't know, but we're not gonna
talk about that right now. He had a great article last week on his substack about how they go heavy almost twice as much as any team in the league, and they get big passing plays from it, over ten yards per attempt when they throw, but they just love to mask you too and run the ball with six
offensive linemen. And so it's a great matchup to me, cam of a team that wants to be really tough in Buffalo and the Lions who pride themselves in being tough, and it looks like they'll be healthier to try to match up with them.
Yeah, I love this game. This is the game of the week for me.
To me, people were talking about Super Bowl preview, but I think this game is a lot about the Bills. We see this Bills team every year where they're very good. We don't know if they're great. Even at a description there you're talking about the Lions being great Bills. They don't get the great label until they do it in the playoffs, right, And so I saw how they played last week against the Rams, particularly defensively, and a lot of people brought that game up as this is why
at some point they'll get got. I actually think that's a perfect bounce back opportunity for them adversity wise, because now if they've clinched the division, there's not a lot of more obstacles for them the next month of the season. So this is a creative level of adversity. I actually like Buffalo in this spot as the home the road dogs here. I think it's two and a half and I'm looking at the overnumber. It's the highest of the week. I think there's gonna be a lot of points in
this game. I don't even know if that's high enough.
I agree, I think it's a mismatch when both teams have the ball on.
Yes, for sure, for sure.
But I am particularly eager to see Josh Allen face this Lion secondary because they're agree that can give up some yards, but they can also make plays on the back end. And Josh Allen's deal has always been is he going to turn over the ball? They've been really good this year for the most part. A couple of last couple of weeks, you know, there's been a couple
of turnovers. But I think that you know, Kirby Joseph on that side of the ball, Brian Branch, They're gonna try to entice a few play maker, a few plays on the interception side of things. I think the Bills have to take care of the ball to win this game. And I actually think it's going to be through Josh in the air that they win this game rather than on the ground.
It's it's Josh somehow, right, And I believe in terms of the way that this defense has played this season, between Brian and Carlton Davis as well as Kirby, those guys make plays. They do the Bills We're able to survive in a score fest across the street because the Rams secondary. We could probably count our hands right the number of plays that they've been able to make this year. And so it comes down to I think the issues that I talked about last week now again, Pookinakua is
not playing in this game. All due respect to ours as well as Jamie right, so to put up the performance. The only person that calls the person that.
Ours is a Mons. They are sb ours book.
I'm just trying to translate for the audience out. They might not even pick.
That up because you know, you write his name so much, because he's so involved in this game, whereas they deal with a different skill set uh in terms of two very good receivers, where I think that's the vulnerability and all credit to the Bills where they get into an AFC playoff picture where they're not going to have to play against guys like Cooper Cup and Aman Ross Brown and Jamis and Williams. So those types of receiver matchups
where it's not necessarily going to be a problem. It's a problem now uh in going up against this team and we saw it a week ago, a similar type situation for them.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, although you would hope, you know Toron Johnson on the inside, it's bad as good a matchup as you could put on them now. Their safeties maybe they're vulnerable against the everyone's vulnerable against the Lions. When you're trying to parse out these teams. And this was my super Bowl matchup coming into the season, and it's
looking fine, it's looking good. It could happen. Still, I don't know if the winner of this game is gonna tell me, as long as it's close and competitive, like what's gonna happen in January. If the Bills lose this game, I'm not going off of them. I have a hard time picking against the Lions in any situation. And then but I'm kind of like you, I kind of want to pick the Bills. They do have some good things going for them. They have Dalton Kincaid and the rookie
Keyon Coleman back at practice, so that's really important. But they have it's just crazy to pick against the Lions, who are one of the best teams I've ever seen when they're getting healthier and when they're at home. So I probably won't do it in the end. And if you're just looking at small differences, the special teams for the Lions. According to Football Outsiders or rather Aaron shots over at FTN Fantasy Now, Lions are number one in
the league, Bills are twenty ninth. And then you think about the game management, you think about how it ended last week for the Bills. I don't know if I always trust John McDermott and those just little small margins. I trust Dan Campbell and that coaching staff and Aaron Glenn, so just the little small margins, it's hard not to just say that the Lions are a little bit better, but wouldn't surprise me at all. And I wouldn't think any worse of the Lions if they lose a close game here.
Yeah, a couple of things that big picture that kind of stand out for me. I think this game's key for the Lions because of seeding. Right, you got Philadelphia, it's a game behind. I think the Lions would have to lose two technically for Philly to pass them in the one seed race. But I think the Lions need to play at home throughout the playoffs. I think that you see a different Lions team playing at Philly for the NFC Championship versus in Detroit. I know there's a
lot made about Buffalo playing at home versus Casey. Both of those places are going to be cold as heck. But Detroit in the seventy two degree climate versus you know, with all their speed and how they make plays, versus Philadelphia running the ball with Saquon Barkley at ten degrees in the snow game. I think that's a little bit different.
And at this point, the Bills have to hope for the Chiefs to lose twice. Yes, they've only won once so far, so it's unlikely.
I think the one seeds probably sailed away for the Bills in that respect. But I will say like, and I mentioned this a little earlier. I talked to the Bills GM Brandon Bean last month about this, and he talked about the scars from last year and he was like, the only way we're gonna prep for those like get those scars past us is how we respond successfully to adversity.
And so that's why I think that you know, they can create their own sort of spectrum inside this game of like, this is our own challenge, because the reality is they clinched the AFC East, and talking to some players there this past week, they thought whether whether intentional or not, there was a little bit of a relax period and maybe we saw that on defense where they relaxed. They had been a pretty good defensive team most of the year until they played the Rams. It's not like
this team has been slicing, diced all year. And so I wonder if we get a different level of intensity for the Bills as they create their own adversity they're trying to overcome.
Yeah, and an opportunity at a bounce back.
They got kind of embarrassed, especially on the defensive side of the ball at so far, speaking of teams leading their division. What about a team that hasn't lost since Week four, despite that the vibes always weirdly down horrendously. That's the Philadelphia Eagles, five and a half point favorites at home in state rivalry game going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Aaron Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi on the call cam. We have seen this Eagles
team go through a lot this season. Again, the only two losses. How do they match up against the resurgent Russell Wilson, Arthur Smith, everybody else that's having a bounce back season in the steel seats.
So I'll say this not just Eagles fans, this is all of Philadelphia. I lived in Philadelphia for a while. I grew up an Eagles fan.
This is just I didn't know that.
Yeah, yeah, I'm a hardcore Phillies fan. Hart who are six Ers fans?
This is who we are as people.
It's just never a happiness, you know, It's just it's always a complain about something. And I also, I can't imagine a sports fandom where that isn't the core of it. Like, I can't just imagine fans that are just walking around just happy we've won this.
You kind of live in one now. Miami they're not that happy either because of their their team. But yeah, that's why you move there though, just better vibes.
I can't even imagine that.
I think, Philadelphia, you win by twenty points, why didn't we win by thirty? You win this past game, Why why isn't Aj Brown getting.
The ball enough? And I get it.
They played a Panthers team that, you know, record wise, is one of the worst in the league. They're also playing very well right now with Bryce Young and sometimes you have to gut through those games. I think the type of style that Philly has chose to play after the bye has enticed some of this. They've chosen the route of the best way for us to win is to lean on Saquon Barkley, minimize Jalen Hurts and overs, and because of that, you're gonna have games where you
just do not throw the ball enough. Jalen Hurts has shown he is not gonna be a seventy seventy five percent completion quarterback, and so if you minimize your past attempts to twenty to twenty five attempts, you're gonna lessen the chances you're getting the ball to AJ and DeVante. I think, just like everything, we're gonna get a squeaky Will week. I think that because of all the talk of AJ and coach and coaches say they don't buy into this stuff.
This was loud enough, especially.
When you got Brandon Graham coming in talking about even though he took it back they used to be friends.
He didn't take it that far back. Actually, I thought him when I finally listened to him take it back and he did a couple appearances, Actually that made me think, Okay, this is a real thing, and in real things happen. They're human beings, like relationships, whatever it is. His take back was so light, he kind of wasn't really taking it back. So I was like, Okay, there's something.
Clearly as something. It's not just a made up media sensation. Now, how high of a level of importance it is?
Who who knows?
And feel like Donovan may Nabb and t O doing push ups in the in the parking lot of me like Heven.
Is still hot this week?
Wait?
Really, yes, that's amazing.
So I don't think it's that level, but I do think there is something to the fact of Jalen is naturally a quieter internal dude, and AJ is a very outward guy, and so those personalities sometimes, you know, you just receive things differently. And I think that for Jalen everything's about winning.
AJ.
I'm sure as well. But AJ wants his wants his stats for the whole crew. And one thing that I don't think is talked about enough. Davonte Smith did an interview at his locker after that game too, and he also was not with the passing game either. So is it isn't an Aj Brown thing. It's a the receivers are not getting the rock. Are we okay with winning this way?
You know? Because I don't think you think it's good enough. I assume Jalen Hurts is not happy with the passing game. I assume Nick Sirianni's not happy with the passing game. Their passing game is declining. If you look at their efficiency numbers, it's worse than it was last year overall, and it's significantly worse over the last four or five
weeks than it was the first seven or eight. So I think there are opportunities that when they're in the meeting rooms where aj Brown and DeVante Smith say throw the ball, yeah, and he's not throwing the ball, and so I think that's that's their biggest issue. And that is something that I don't know if it's you know, I'm not smart enough to know if it's what defenses
are doing to them. They did a good job last week Carolina kind of taking away the RPOs, and he made some bad decisions on the RPOs and then he's just holding onto the ball and the numbers show when he is holding onto the ball, it's not going well.
Right, And that's always been a Jalen Hurst thing. He's holds on the ball a lot. I think one question I would ask both of you guys early in the season issue with him was turnovers, but they were throwing the ball at a higher level.
Do you buy your theory back?
I think some of the thing as a quarterback, you know, you get told not to turn the ball over. You're going to miss open receivers because of hesitancy, And when I watch them on film, there's throws that I think he misses because he's a little hesitant to fire it in if it's close, And so do you want that fire.
Back or say we're winning.
Without you turn the ball over, We'll deal with the overall decline.
I think you have to try to hit the ceiling of what the football team can be, and part of that ceiling is going to be turning the ball over.
You're throwing the ball. Bad things can happen.
But what we've seen Jalen make plays throughout his career, He's not the type of quarterback that you have to hide. Right now, he's hiding himself and turtling up and taking sacks, and I can see where that's the frustration where Aj and DeVante are watching Xavier League at drop a touchdown that could have beat them. They feel like they left points on the field that they could have gotten. And the reason that I'm confident in the Philadelphia Eagles is
because they can make those plays. And I am banking on explosive plays from this Eagles team that we have seen, especially from number twenty six, who can make an explosive play anytime, Versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are on a great run. But I feel significantly different about this team. If there's no George.
Pickets and he's doubtful, he's basically not playing.
Yeah, doubtful from Mike Tomlin, like pre Wednesday, Mike Tomlin's going ahead and making out there like this may be we might not have George for a while.
Yeah, well the hamstring injury, I guess that he aggrevated but really suffered. The injury was at practice Friday, so it's not even a week old. There's a couple trends in this game that worries you about Pittsburgh. They're all
about the turnover differential. So maybe this game is the game where you're like, Okay, Jalen, keep playing like that, because they're plus seventy five in terms of points on turnover differential in terms of scoring off turnovers versus giving up, and they're also minus twenty seven points in the first quarter. They are very slow. It's one of the things that as someone who's seen Russell Wilson struggle, and I copped to, you know, digging dirt on his grave a little too
early on our last show. So I won't repeat all of that. But one of the things that I see too is you still have those half where just there's no production, Like they had seven possessions in the first half of that game. It like took to their eighth possession where they really started moving the ball. Sometimes you won't have that time. And so, like I said, they're
really slow starters. Can you do that against an Eagles team that is such so good at being front runners And they've been slow starters too, So I guess maybe they can cancel each other out. But when when the Philly has the ball, it's the it's best on best, that O line versus that defensive front, and they've got
so many pass rushers they can't even play him. Oh I need I need more Nick Herberg in my life, Like he kind of went back to the bench, and he was one of the best pass rushers in the league. So you got to find a way to get him on the field even more. But it's because they have five good pass rushers. So what a great matchup that is. I mean, this is you got Tom. You got not just the Eagles and the Steelers going against each other, you got Tom, Brady and Burkhart going against Nance and
Romo at the same time. That's the game within the war. I think I might. I don't know. Five and a half is a lot.
It is a lognificant out a point. So a team that's been squeezing.
By and like you mentioned, it's probably gonna be three to three at halftime. Giving these offense, right, you know, need an hour and a half to wake up, you know, So we're gonna keep the waking up.
Nobody's having any issues waking up because the afternoon, this is not your naptime. On Sunday, once again reiterating that because we have two teams in the thick of playoff hunts, one in the NFC, one in the AFC. Greg it is early season MVP candidate Baker mayfield Man and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Chargers, who are two and
a half point favorites. Adam Me and Mark Sanchez and Christina Pink on the call, we saw the Chargers use lose yet another heartbreaker, probably one of the most heartbreakers in this run of losses to the Chiefs this season.
A lot of them.
How do they bounce back and do they get the win and stay in this wild card hunt?
And Iday you were saying, like heartbreakers in the Chargers Chiefs rivalry, because my god, if you watch the end of those games since Herbert got there, it is crazy how they all end something like this. This game is so fascinating because these two teams are kind of the AFC NFC equivalents of each other. They are really uneven. The Chargers, like they got the quarterback and they got the defense, but the offense just not consistent, not explosive enough.
The Bucks, they got the offense, they got the play caller, but they don't really have the defense right now. They don't really have the quarterback right now either. If you could switch a couple of the little pieces here, like you put Herbert on the Bucks, you might be going to Super Bowl or something like you get the Chargers defense to the Bucks, you might be going to the Super Bowl. But Baker, and this is where I don't
know if you're lucky. I don't want, you know, if I don't see the Bucks game as closely on Sunday and then see it later in the week, because I'm going to bring the fire.
Now.
He's falling apart a little bit right now. Like last four games, five touchdowns, four interceptions, eight fumbles. I do not think he played that played well on that last game, and it's been against some bad competition. So it's kind of been the bad Baker under the radar because they've mostly been winning. They've been won three in a row. But you can't do that against the Chargers, or this game won't be close. The Chargers will win it.
Yeah, it's interesting with Tampa Bay because they may win ANFC South just by default. But I don't think they're playing at anywhere near the level that they were playing at last season. And you know, I know they had some injuries to receivers mid season, but it just felt like whenever that happened, the chemistry of the team just kind of shifted. To me, I think the health of Bucky Irving is going to be a big factor in this game. He's been really a big core of their offense.
I know they ever Shot White and Sean Tucker as well, but when he went out last game, you definitely felt a shift, a difference in there. I know he's been dealing with the you know, the kind of the core injuries, and they said he may be okay to play through it, but to me, he brings a level of intensity, a level of an attitude they need for that offense to have success against the Chargers.
Yeah, the injury status for a couple of rookies in this game, Bucky Irving for the Buccaneers and Lad McConkey being there the Chargers beat the Chiefs. In my opinion, if he's able to play consistently in that game, you having to rely on Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston so much, and it was a different Bucks team. Like the resurgence of Bucky Irving was kind of what rescued this offense. Yeah, when Baker had things started to go wrong late late in the season, and so it makes it a very
difficult pick. But Greg, we do return back to that legendary Thursday night football game where Baker Mayfield saved his career. It was there in Sofi Stadium. Oh good, he's been vibes and the friendly confines. If this is an opportunity for Baker to stick it to.
You, he's not sticking it to me either, because he's I think Liam Cohen is doing a great job cooking up this offense. They start really fast, so he'll have stretches of games and when it comes down to the end of games. I keep repeating myself, but it happened again last week. Granted it was against Raiders. He's played very well in the last seven eight minutes of games, and that's what you want. I gave Gina Smith a lot of love for doing that, and Baker Mayfield is
doing that too. I just worry about the Bucks defense. They don't have Antoine Winfield in this game. They're back seven has been thinned that the pass rush that they're getting is from unblocked you know, blitzers, which they're great at doing that. Last week it was Levonte David had a bunch of quick pressures. Can you do that against the Chargers? Maybe you can that This offensive line has been struggling a little bit lately. I think they need
to run the ball more consistently. They got it going a little bit in the second half of that game, so maybe maybe there's something there, because it just doesn't make sense to me that this Greg Roman team that put all this investment in the offensive lion is not been able to run the ball. I think they to get to where they want to go, like winning this game. This is a huge swing game for these two teams. If the Bucks win this game, their schedule is quite easy.
They are really in great position to win the division. And if the Chargers win this game, they're almost locked into a wildcard. So it's a big time bonus for whoever wins this game.
Yeah, and I think what you're talking about with the Bucks struggles, I mean, it's not a great week for them to get right.
The Chargers defense, I can't.
I don't think there's been a defense in the league that's had a better turnaround year year to year than the Chargers have had this year, their first in the league and scoring defense. And they just play with a level of continuity that it's hard to consistently beat them. And you really need elite quarterback play. Baker has not played elite recently. I think this is a This is definitely an opportunity for the Charges to flex flex a little bit.
Let's go and show their.
Stuff against the Buccaneers defense that's given the second highest rate of wide open receivers this year twenty nine point seven percent of dropbacks. Somebody's run down the field by themselves against this Bucks defense. We'll see if Greg Roman can scheme guys open against the Tampa Bay Buckets. Oh, come on, old beefs never died. Greg shout out to as well. Let's go to it. It game impossible, impossible, Greg, for me to pick it is the Indianapolis Colts at
the Denver who are a four point favorite. Spirodidis out of Marshalletta and Addie Kinkabwala on the call. It has been very difficult, uh to look at this game, Greg and and think about Gus Bradley's defense going up against Sean Payton and bow Nicks, one of the best zone passers and situations in the league. And then my love for Anthony Richardson. I need both of you to help me decide how to look at this.
I'm with you, I'm with you. I I'm having a hard time with it because I got the bow Knicks, Army and my mentions because I did not have him in my top five Rookie of the year, oh ballot, and oh oh boy, the Denver fans they're they're spicy right now, and I'm not going to go through all those reasons. So in my heart, like it'd be nice to give him some humble pie here. But coming off coming off of bye week, Gus Bradley versus Sean Payton.
Now on the flip side, you could say the same thing that you know, the Colts have a bye week, but that to me is a mismatch. I actually don't think these two teams have been that close over the course of the season. I think the Broncos have been a consistently really good team, and so I'm gonna pick him, even though I don't want it to happen.
Yeah, I actually don't think this is that hard of a pick.
I think the Broncos and it hurts me to say this as a fellow Anthony Richardson believer. I'm a big believer in Anthony Richardson. I believe he should not have got benched earlier in the season, and he is developing to the level that I think he will eventually be. I just think this Colts team is not ready, and I'm thinking less of Anthony Richardson, but more the team
around him to be able to compete here. They've last six games, They're two and four, and their two wins have come by one point trius into the Jets, two of the worst teams in football, and so this is not a team that's that's been punching with contenders over the last few weeks.
And the Broncos.
I know we talk a lot about bo Knicks, but to me, I know last week with standing, their defense has been incredibly impressive.
This year.
Last you know, Jameis Winston went off on them. He you know, Jamis Winston. Somebody's gonna cast a ball game, for sure. But I think Vance Joseph has done an incredible job for most of the year having them be aggressive but also consistent. I was at a game last year with the Broncos where they gave up seventy points to the Dolphins, and everybody called from them to fire
the fire vans, fire the defensive coordinator. They're in the top three and points per game allowed, next gen stat, pressure rate, sacks, all the categories that tend to lead to wins. And I think they win this game and not only that, And I talked about this on GMFF this morning. My hot take is if the Broncos get into the playoffs, which I think they do, and if they get the right matchup, which is a team we just mentioned earlier, I think they pull an upset.
Well who's the team they mentioned earlier, Buffalo or Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh. Okay, okay, yeah, pull a first round.
On that is intriguing weight. So you were on Good Morning Football this morning Peek behind the curtain. We're in the early afternoon here in Los Angeles. So what time were you in the facility? Yeah, so I got up here probably around five oh five.
Okay, I walked up.
We're putting you to work.
Yeah, I had. I had a late night flight, got in about midnight.
Oh my god.
I got back to the hotel about one fifteen. I got three hours of sleep And al rady, you're rolling.
That's Philly right there. You know, that's that's that's what it is. You know, you just do the work, you know, you don't you don't complain. You don't know unless it's unless it's related to a sports team. Yes, in which case, no matter how good the work.
Is, Yeah, you complained.
That's because we our lives are so much of grit and work that we expect. There is that level of focus and intensity for our teams, and so yeah, the Eagles, you know, we need more.
The reason it's difficult is the level of focus and intensity that I've seen late and these two wins on the road by this Indianapolis Colts team where Aley Richards was getting sold late there were guys like Colin Granson had to drop on the final drive and really, I'm with you, Cam on the way that this offense is constructed.
We got a couple of time hands and Grantson and mo Aley Cox and all the shots are deep down the field, and like the personnel doesn't necessarily match up like Alec Pierce and Josh Down's like perfect for this offense, but then there's some other.
Aspects and Downs might not play this game.
Yeah, and it's it's just but to see Anthony Richardson late in that game put the team on his back and play that way, it's it's almost that that inspiring sense of the way I felt about Matthew Stafford against the Bills where they have a puncher's chance, when you have a guy that can do things that not a lot of people can do. And that's that's why it makes it difficult because I did. I can't unsee Jerry
Judy running down the field by himself. It's very difficult for me to unsee that because it happened multiple times.
Well, one of the big reasons that happened was because Riley Moss was out, and it sounds like Riley Moss could be out not just this week, but a few weeks longer. That it was a little more serious and injury. And that's a big problem for them just because they had two really good corners and when you have a all pro corner and certain you need that second to be solid. And Moss was that guy and now he's not there, So that's that's vulnerable for that.
One quick thing.
Patrick on Anthony Richardson, I think you hit it on the nose, and it's less related to this game and more about his development. It was upsetting just to kind of see how all the talk on him was focused about having him not being ready.
You mentioned it, the offense is not ready.
For he he creates a level of energy that they feed off.
I talked to mo Alei Cox earlier this.
Year and he was talking about the losing streak where Anthony Richardson was gone.
The energy felt sapped out of the building. Like Richardson brings that.
He was like, you can say what you want about you know where he is, and you know how much work he needs to put in or develop the energy where a young team we need that, and this is a team that I just think is a is a year away from being ready, and I think Richardson got the brunt of it, when honestly, it's on the rest of the team and.
On it, okay, but this is an opportunity. Shane Snaiken's been in the building with his guy, this guy is Anthony Richardson for a year and a half. They had to reset it this year. They're coming off a bye week. It's a little bit of a coach off, Like you know, Stich and we gave Psyching a lot of love. I do give him a lot of love, and so come up with it, come up with a game plan. You've been using Richardson with a lot more design run since he came back in the lineup. It's off the charts. Actually,
it's like eight nine ten a game. It's a lot. Maybe maybe they'll lean to that even more. His numbers throwing the ball short are much better. And then on the other side, like you gave all this money and you drafted lat too in the defensive line. Not a lot of teams have been able to pressure Nicks this season, but his numbers versus pressure, it's one of the reasons I didn't have him on my Rookie of the Year list. It's they're bad. They're all in the bottom like, they're
not in the top thirty. All his numbers against pressure are bad, So you got the horses, no excuses. I think for the colds, I think this is an opportunity, Like, if you deserve to make the playoffs, you can go win this game. Cam and I both doubt it. But if you want to make a pick with your heart, I don't think it's that crazy got trick.
No, it is plenty of evidence to say that my picks with my heart are Yes.
Tune into a game debut on NFL Network with me and Patrick, especially the standing section right at the beginning. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to get to the primetime game. I'm really excited about this one. That's kind of the last of our our five pack of great games. To start this skit back on NFL Daily with the hardest working man in showbiz,
Cam Wolf. But it doesn't work hard at the genius Wolt Geno's in the building and just grinding tape trying to prove us right along with Jordan Love for keeping him on Quarterback Island. Those two were probably the two last guys on. They both played excellent football last week and made us looks fun.
Yeah, great quarterback matchup, which.
Is why it's time for the game of the Week presented by Draftking Sportsbook. The Green Bay Packers at the Seattle Seahawks and over under a forty five and a half. It's Sunday Night football, so that means Mike, Chris and Melissa on the call, Carrie Underwood in the pregame we saw the Fins go up cam to Seattle. That was it was one of those without two of games. Let's
just forget about all that. But since this early part of the late season, if that's the way to describe it, both the Packers and the Seahawks have been really good. How do you view this matchup between again two very good quarterbacks.
So I know we have the geno love, but I love the Packers. Okay, I love the Packers. I saw them on Thanksgiving against those Fins that also had an embarrassing showing on Thanksgiving. I just think they have a level of toughness that I don't know that I fully appreciated Matt Lafleora team before seeing them up close. I think, you know, we talk about them and their youngest team in the league, and they have a lot of you know, Jordan Love with the bevy of playmakers, and Jayden Reed
and Christian Christian Watson. All the play makes down field, but when they really needed to lean on Josh Jacobs and establish this this physicality, that's when I think they're at their best. And when you look at this Packers team, they've lost twice since September, both times to the Lions. If you don't play the Lions, the Packers are in really good shape. And you know, maybe that cost them at some point in the playoffs. But I just think they are, in my opinion, one of the three or
four best teams. And then m to me, they're right up there. It's them, Minnesota, Philly, and Detroit, and I think that's that's your group, that's your your your four, and I think Seattle's just on the outside. I've got too much inconsistency from Seattle for it to you know, transfer over. And so home game for Seattle, they certainly got the twelfth man there, Gino. Gino is gonna be Gino. But I like this Packers defense. I like their run game to come in there and make some noise.
Yeah, that makes sense to me. And yet they're catching the Seahawks at the wrong time for straight wins for them. The offensive line for the Seahawks has started to play well. I'm or much better, I should say, like all I've wanted watching Gino every week is just give them a passable offensive line. They had their center retire, Connor Williams, and the kid that replaced him has played pretty well. And then they get their right tackle back, Abe Lucas.
You get better players just settled down. They've been solid, and then they started to run block pretty well last week. And you think this matchup against the Packers, I look at who is going to get more pressure on the opposing quarterback. Usually that's Seattle's opponent. But the way Seattle's you know, pass protection has been lately, and green Bay's
pass rushes is pretty vanilla. It's it's not consistent. And Seattle, on the other hand's got five different guys who have a ten percent pressure rate plus only or I think there's only two teams in the league with that many different guys. They're hitting the Blitzeres Jordan Loves struggled sometimes Blitzer. So if Seattle is a team that gets more pressure than green Bay, Seattle's definitely got a shot.
Yeah, Packers' fourth lowest pressure rate in the league, and so yeah, they do not get consistent pressure on the quarterback. I think that, you know, the Seahawks consistency is my issue, but I also like their spurts Jackson Smith and Jig. But when he's on has been a top ten receiver in football this year at his peak, you know, they've had massive games out of him, and I like that they've shifted the offense a little bit more to focus on him as the primary. I think it was maybe
a year or two late. I think we could have got this last year. But you know, you've got to respect your Tyler Lockett and.
He might have not been ready either. Is tough out here for the rookie receivers.
I understand that.
But I think the motion element for Jackson Smith and Jiggle has really helped this offense because when you look at Seattle, his motion creates so much attention change to what they do defensively, and I think it opens up lanes for you know, whether it's Kenneth Walker or Zach Charboney, but also the other receivers in DK In particular, I think he's in the top seven in motion rounds and so that kind of just shows how much they use him as a focal point, kind of like how you
know the four and Niners will do with Deebo or the Miami'll do with Tyreek Hill. He becomes that guy that getses everybody's eyes, and I think that's definitely their difference maker in this matchup. Can they get Jackson Smith and Jigba to create more chaos in the Packers defense than you know, Xavier McKinney does and those guys with their playmaking ability.
Yeah, the Packers want of my picks to go to the super Bowl at the start of the season, right, and I still feel solid about this team. But the defense has been consistently mid right, especially in terms of rushing the passer where you flip the script and we've seen the bad Seattle Seahawks defense in these past few weeks, we've seen a very very solid Seattle Seahawks defense that's
been consistent. We've seen a Seahawks offense that was making frankly hilarious mistakes, big losses on bad snaps, turnovers in the red zone. And now they've been an exceedingly safe and reliable and responsible offense during this run where they get him at home. Yeah, and a home underdog. I can't help but feel good about geno.
Oh so we might be parking our car in the same grasc here. Yeah, I mean, I think I just want to I want this to happen, and it's close enough that i'll I'll probably take it. But I do think there are real reasons to believe to believe in it. You know, you mentioned JSN. He has the most yards in the slot in the NFL, but by far this year,
I really liked the Charbonnet backfield. And so even if Kenneth Walker is back and it's not like day yeah, you know, it's definitely not likely, at least as we tape this, I think he'll be a bigger part of that. It's the one thing I would worry about more than
anything from a Seattle perspective. Is okay, it's a real test for their run defense going up against Josh Jacobs in this group, who their offensive line I saw from next Gen stats had the second most amount of snaps together as a five pack, and they just throw every scheme at you. So they've been playing well stopping the run, but they were a team that really struggled early in the season. They missed a lot of tackles over and over.
I know they changed their linebackers out and stuff, but the Packers will really test you, and that I think is what one concern.
But it's the system stopper. That's why Mike Mac is there.
That's true. Is that system that's true. He's the Shanahan Tree stopper. Let's go, Mike Mac. Greg's definitely taking Seattle, all right. That was our game of the week. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now use the code daily. New customers can bet just five bucks. You get two hundred dollars in bonus bets only at DraftKings Sportsbook with Code Daily. The crown is yours.
Gotta go back to cam here, We'll go a teed up cam on a Geno Smith game.
Gre on.
That's all I mean, it's all good, It's all.
Good, all good, the Miami Dolphins cam.
Yeah, on the road, still in the hunt, still in this playoff picture. They get the overtime win, late Tyreek scores on a fourth down, they get the two point conversion, they get the John Neu Smith walk off touchdown. Right back at it. The very next week against the Houston Texans, who didn't have an overtime game, they didn't have a game at all. They're two and a half point favoritesly over under his forty seven Kevin Harland, Trent Green, Melody Collins on the call.
Can the Fins do this? They can, but ultimately it may not be enough.
I think we've talked about this Dolphins team a lot, you know, in the post to spectrum. They played really great ball to it leads the NFL on completion percentage passing yards, but theyre just has felt something missing with this Dolphins team all year. And once you start to believe with them, I call it hopium, it's a dangerous it's a dangerous rug. Once you start to believe that there's a chance, you get burnt. And that was the
Green Bay game for a lot of folks. You know, you finally think, oh, it's time for them to finally prove wrong that they can play in cold weather and in primetime. And then they lay an egg and then they beat the Jets and it's like, well they beat the Jets, so can we And whether they win this game or not, I just don't think they have enough
as a team this year. I will say, what's so interesting about this This upshoot of Tua through this last portion of the year, is that we're seeing a different evolution of a Mike McDaniel offense.
They for a long time.
Been even though we talked about Tyreek and Waddle, they had had their run game as a pillar. They've really struggled to run the ball. For the last month or two. They've been two three yards per carry and they've essentially
abandoned it as the core of their offense. And that's why you're seeing to a throw forty seven times like he did against the Jets, didn't get hit one time because, as Jets defender told me last week, he had never seen a quarterback where every single time his third foot hit the back the.
Ball was out.
It was It's literally like a science. His timing. That's his superpower. People want to know what to a superpower is. It's timing, anticipation. They're special in that area. But they have a lot of question marks on defense, and if we get the right level of the Texans, I think they can expose some of their balls on defense.
Well.
These two teams I think are similar in some ways that something's been missing. Yeah, the Texans are barely favored in this game, even though they're at home and they have the better record because they were so disappointing on offense going into their buy last time we saw them.
You know, the Titans beat him a couple of games before the bye, and then you know they're scraping out a win where mac Jones has a couple fourth quarter touchdowns on them that the next week after that, and I wonder if Bobby Slowick and this Texans offensive staff and CJ can come up with answers during the bye week. That's always the hope that you can come back looking a little better because they have not been able to
run the ball. He hasn't been consistent CJ Stroud in terms of his confidence and letting go of the ball sometimes. And he'll have a lot of great throws he did in that Jaguars games, but then he'll have a lot of curious plays that you didn't really see as a rookie. So this Dolphins defense hasn't been great by any means. Probably the best, most consistent units in this game will be going up against each other. It's a great matchup when the Texans defense is one of the best in
the league. And hopefully he's a little healthier here goes up against Toua and so it's weakness on weakness and strength and strength in this game.
I was glad to see Chop Robinson come back in the game against the Jets because when they initially drafted him, right, Chopp was coming in as this high upside guy, which you didn't necessarily know what the floor was. But then they have the injuries on edge and they need him to produce, and Chop is produced. Yeah, he's played pretty well.
And then over on this Texans pass rush where they have one of the lowest time to throws in the entire NFL, does that help you with geinst The Miami Dolphins like the way that this pass rush works in league with the coverage. If two is getting the rid of the ball as quickly as he normally does, does that kind of take away one of the biggest strengths on this side of the ball, where that's where the
Texans have the advantage. Yeah, in terms of health. They get some guys back on that defense this week, So.
It's maybe Christian Harrison, probably not Jalen Petrie. I'm looking for the updates.
Yeah, still, so we have to to wait on you know, a big part of their secondary. But I just when Tua is on right and late, it's such a key difference. Where I felt like on that fourth down call against the Jets, where the things that didn't work on the goal line stand on Thanksgiving against the Packers where they'd still had a chance to make it that game, it's like alec Ingold's in and they're going heavy, and it's just like at a certain point you just have to
be who you are. Let's spread the ball around and let the quarterback who gets rid of the ball quickly do just that.
To fast people, it's just such a small margin that they're threading, and they are threading it, but it's like they don't really throw the ball deep, they can't run the ball. They're bad and short yardage. And yet they're one of the better offenses in the league because they're that good at the thing that they do, which is throw it with timing. But you got to be great on third downs, and they were all season. Tua was like Patrick Mahomes god mode. But last week they weren't.
And that's why you almost, you know, gave up, gave up a loss to the Jets or whatever. So it's a hard way to live. They could do it though, because they have.
It's a great point there. I'm curious to see what scheme Demiko puts out for this game against them, because you mentioned it. Teams have played in an immense amount of cover to too high against them with the idea of taking away Tyrek and Waddle, almost to the point that I think the Dolphins have permanently changed her at least for this season, changed their offense to where they
don't even try deep. You know, it's a very much funnel offense where it's a lot of screens, a lot of a lot of checkdowns, and they didn't not did It didn't used to be this, and so it makes me wonder is this gone completely or is it based off of just the adjustment of how defenses play them. If if the Texans are willing to play a little bit closer to the line of scrimmage and jump these passes, I wonder if they can have their way.
It's a big risk with Tyreek.
And Waddle on that side of the field, but but it's it's it's something that I think would be intriguing, especially for the pass russ element. One thing to watch. Toront Armstead has been dealing with a knee injury. It's gonna be tough for him to go this week. As he came out after about what one drive last week, you could see him get a little emotional during a game. I talked to him in the locker room. He's dealing with something that's a little bit more serious than he should.
He probably should be playing through. But you know, this is a guy who may or may not be his last year, and you know, I think he takes a lot of pride in this stuff. They got Patrick Paul who they drafted in the second round, who stepped in and left tackle and played pretty decent and to his timing, maybe you can get away with it, but that could be an area that Daniel Hunter and that defense can particularly expose. So pass rush on both sides is something
I want to see. I love you to mention Patrick A. Chopp Robinson thirty one pressures since Week eight for him, top five in the NFL. So a guy who people wondered is is you know too small?
Is he a bust? Just give him time.
He's come along and so pass rush, I think it's gonna be a big factors.
A huge game for both teams. Because Miami, this could be how their season ends, like yep, but if he can get the win. They're seven and seven and they played three three losing teams down the stretch. One of them is the forty nine Ers is a good losing team. But still there's a path. There is a path. So and the Texans on the flip side, they literally can win the AFC South this week. They can clinch it
this week if the Colts lose and they win. But if you just flip that those scenarios, then suddenly the Colts are only one game back and and a lot will be decided in this one.
So so AFC and NFC North EC and NFC South for both divisions. So somebody's gonna win it by default. One fun story on the Dolphins playoff chances. I was talking to kalay As Campbell in the locker room after this game, and you know, he's talking about you know, the game and whatnot, and he's like, but Cam, every time we need somebody to lose, they don't lose.
The Broncos the culture, can you tell them to lose?
And I don't really have that power plays or if they listen to me, but yeah, Miami needs a lot of help from the Broncos and other teams, but they can help themselves by just handling business. And this is a game that I think they can win. They with their talent, they probably should win. With the Texans inconsistence.
A player asking you to have another team lose makes me think of when.
People ask us for Super Bowl tickets.
Yeah, as if, as if we possess that particular power from one team that's very hopeful, maybe hanging on to some playoff hopium, to a team that's definitely hanging on to some playoff hopium. The Cincinnati Bengals greg fresh off of their somehow victory on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys, taking on the Tennessee Titans. The over under
forty six and a half. Kevin Coogler, Mose Johnston, and Laura Open on the call, where Tennessee played in a dreadful game a week ago, Can they get back up and take on this this really special connection between Joe Burrow and jamar Chi.
No, probably not. They're one of those teams that, like, if you look at the numbers, sometimes you hear the announcers the number one pass defense and it's just they're not effective stopping the pass. Just teams don't even need to pass against them, so the yardage is low because they're always ahead of them, so they're gonna be able to pass against them. And maybe it is Hope him. But they got the Titans and then they got the Browns next week. That's a division game that they've.
Had to do. Sell Biggles fans some home.
No, I'm just saying when they're seven and eight. Yeah, if they're seven and eight mm hm, they will be alive very likely. And we're gonna be entering week seventeen and we're gonna be talking about the scenarios of like wey, the Bengals aren't totally out of it yet. That's a path that I do see happening for sure.
For sure.
This has been one of the most befuddling, wasted seasons that I can remember with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chay. Like, this is the best season Joe Burrow's had in his pro This may be the best season Jamar Chase has had when he's been healthy as a pro. Right, and they're five and eight and it's it's it's interesting because just a couple of years ago, lou Ana Rumo was getting the head coach love. I think he's a really good defensive mind. This year, for whatever reason, it just
is not worked. I was watching the game and it was so funny because he's almost like throwing his hands up like I'm gonna try whatever. I don't have a lot of confidence and what working. Like they went back to playing a lot of single high this past week and it still didn't work. Like it doesn't matter if they're playing heavy zone, if they're blitzing or not blitzing, they're just getting beat.
I don't think they're talented.
That's it is Trey Henderson. Trey Henderson and a bunch of guys.
Yeah, you know, with all due respect, they have talent because they're NFL players, But in respect to the rest of the league, like maybe two or three guys on that team of start on another plane and.
Some of them are hanging on from the previous time, so you think they're good. Hubbard got a good condact, but he's not playing like a good player. Jermaine Pratt has been there for a long time, but he's not playing well.
Like Cam Taylor, it same way he had it.
The rookie Yeah, the dbs that they drafted, because yeah, I think we love to put it all on coordinators. We probably give him too much credit, Like his players were way better in twenty twenty one. Those players deserve the credit and now they're not that good.
Yeah, it's it's ultimately where I have I can't think of a team that we have seen have so much success with the same guys where whether it's they all get hurt but they're still playing, did they all get old at the same time? Like, it was a sad experience to see Mike Hilton matched up with CD Lamb on the goal line and get absolutely diced up to the point where CD is opened by six or seven yards. They were only on the nine yard line in the
first place. The Cooper rushed thrown from the shotgun. So there's just you've seen the defense fall off, but with what the offense is doing, Like, yeah, it's gonna matter against a whole lot of teams.
Yeah, even Chase Brown's getting it done. Chase Brown's had a nice little bump in his career. We haven't mentioned him much on the show. He is playing really well. He's a good player. One just really small note on the Titans, which I just hadn't mentioned with trail On Burkes went to IR last week. It did not come up on NFL Daily. It's just disappointing first round pick from a couple of years ago, only ended up having five catches this year and probably moving on after this year.
Just kind of one that did not work out for them unfortunately.
Yeah, roughly, trust I still remember the the Mike Vrabel video as he gets up as they trade AJ Brown, and you know you can tell he's not happy. He just gets up and you knew he was right then.
But you know, just for that, you can trace their three and ten record and everything that's happened since to that moment. I really believe that.
For sure, because you lose the spirit of a team sometimes too, and.
It broke up the front office, coach. It just led to a bunch of it. Just that was it. That was a franchise like changing mistake.
People saw the Stefan Diggs trade and they draft one of the best receivers in the NFL and Justin Jefferson.
That's not you can't duplicate that. You'll get it justin Jefferson. Yeah, right, it's very simple. Kill the Batman.
Let's go to the Washington Commanders back off of the buy seven and a half point favorites against whomever we'll start at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. As we watch to see if it's Spencer Rattler or if it's the other option.
Jay can or Jay Hayner. I think it's gonna be Ja Cayner forty, but we don't know as of this.
Yeah, still waiting for some confirmation there. Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan o'levy on the call. Uh, the question is does it matter camp Well who starts.
No, it doesn't. It doesn't matter at all.
The Saints are one of those teams where, look, Darren Rizzy's been coaching his butt off, but at some point you just lose enough bullets where you wonder what level of fight you start to have. And I'm interested in what we see from Washington coming off this bye week because you know, I have the understanding that Jayden Daniels was battling through a little bit more than even maybe his coach was letting on what was limiting.
Him entry, and so he's got that insight.
I'm just saying, you know, don't always listen to what your your your head coaches say in press conferences.
Some of that's protecting your your guy.
But you know time rest will help a quarterback, and last week we saw him put forty two up against the Titans. This week, I think you can have a similar day. I think that they're gonna come out blazing. I think that this is a team that when all cylinders are functioning like they were early in this season, they're one of their better offenses in football.
And I think we see an elite Jaye Daniels this week.
So to just close the circle on the quarterback thing, Dearan Rizzy said they're going to compete at practice, which is just funny.
Yeah, that sounds like a college coach who doesn't know, like neither of these guys are good enough to be the starter.
But I just think he's lying. That's my guess that he knows.
Oh, he's trying to game dan Quinn and say like, you're gonna have to prepare for both Jake and Spencer Rattler, do.
We I don't know. They are kind of different. You know, Rattler is a big arm player who's gonna make some crazy plays his sack like his sack rate when he played was one of the worst in NFL history if it continued. But he's more talented that We're sleeping on the big story here though, I mean the big story at least in New Orleans for this game. This is the Marshawn Lattimore revenge game. This is going to be
Marshawn Lattimore's first game as a Commander. He's practicing fully, so I'm just assuming at this point, although you don't really know why you laughing so.
Well, if Dennis Allen was still kascher like Sewan will go over across the field deaf for everybody else, they'll hug Well.
That's true. Yeah, and he got paid from New Orleans. It's not like he even holds anamosity to the front office. But he had some issues with the coaches, and I don't know if Commanders would have made that trade if they knew he was going to be out a month. Maybe they did know he was going to be out a month, but it short, it doesn't matter. In the end. They're in position to go make a playoffs and they
just added a number one cornerback to their team. Now he doesn't have anyone to cover this because he out there to.
Lock up Marcos Veldez scallet Grew.
It's funny because he got traded and he hadn't played in a month, but we almost forget about him.
Wait, because he hadn't played it for three weeks before that for the Saints either. But he's a big time addition and Saints fans who've been watching Zach Bond play like an All Pro they're just waiting for They're like, Oh, Sean's just kind of come out there and he's going to have two interceptions and he's gonna do it. I actually, now that I'm thinking about it more, Darren Rizzley's going to get the call from Mickey Loomis and Jmmy says, I don't care what you guys do. You know, I
don't bother you with the game plan or anything. It's like, you do not throw the ball at Marshawn Lattenmore. No matter what happens in this game, we will not be embarrassed. I don't care if we lose by thirty. Yeah, because he would do something crazy. Tom would go go go in the middle of the logo. You know, it's something wild.
It just hit me that you know, playoff situations hold, we might get Marshawn versus Mike Evans in the playoffs depending on five matchups. So yeah, depending on some circumstances. Yeah, there's something to look forward to. I guess Washington would have to win some games. Yeah, one quick thing about Washington. I'm curious your thoughts. Do you believe in Washington? You know, beyond this week? I'm talking about like as a contender.
Like, I was just looking up Washington's numbers seven and one this year against the teams with a losing record, one in three against teams with a winning record. Do we know enough about this Washington team to think can they win a playoff game?
I think worst teams have like the Giants a couple of years ago. It happens even the even though, like, are they close around the same level the Bucks were last year where they could start playing better down the stretch and be a little more than the some of their parts, Yeah, I think they could, but I don't think they're that. I don't think they're talented enough. So I think they've They've done a great job with what they have, and they probably fit the normal profile of
a six or a seven seed. That won't win a game.
Yeah, a team that can that could beat anybody.
Right, when we've seen that they are good and serviceable, and let's go to a team that can also beat anybody.
They could also lose to anybody. Their sixteen point favorites.
Wow, the biggest one of the year.
Is this the biggest year?
That is that is going up against all Right, I'm just saying that, willy nilly, but I haven't.
I think fourteen and a half was as high as sixteen as as you've gotten is huge.
Over under forty two and a half.
So they think most of those points will be scored by the Baltimore Ravens, Andrew Cattle on Tiki Barber and Jason mccordy AJ Ross on the call.
Greg. Does Tommy DeVito break my heart?
No way? That's why then moved even since this morning because I checked this morning and I don't think it was a high like the Locke to de Vito change, got it moved about a point or something, I guess.
Oh, so Locke is considerably better than de Vito from Vegas.
Vegas thinks that we think, Yeah, I think maybe I think he might be that that much better. I don't know who. Like the vibes are gonna be horrendous there with the Giants, Like it's not a home field advantage. Baltimore is coming off of bye week. The just when Lamar made those comments when they lost to Philadelphia how ready he was to get back to it, and maybe it's a hard knock thing. I'm watching them. I'm just like, Oh, they're gonna they're gonna come out and they're gonna want
to just put it on the Giants. They're capable of doing that.
Patrick, I would, I would hope, So I would prefer the things are the improvements in the past Rush have been something to feel positive about.
The Giants have no healthy offensive lineman, by the way, like even their backups keep getting hurt. They they are in a tough spot for Dabo, Like no one could do well with this situation. I think at this point.
Yeah, it's a tough ask and that the hope that I'm taking, you know, maybe Cam that the relationship with Deontay Johnson is healed, that perhaps there's been hugs dished out in Owings Mills and the offense can can really get back on track. Because there's there's been some ups and downs here as of late, and also put the ball in the chest to number twenty two, let him get one hundred and fifteen and sit him down, put him on ice to get ready for the Steelers game.
Yeah, maybe by the middle of the second quarter.
Over under Malik Neighbors outbursts in this game. I feel bad for Elie because he's a He's actually a really good player, and I think he probably feared this type of situation happening. He gets the notion of a diva receiver, but it's just been awful. It's been an awful situation for him, and I hope he gets a quarterback in April.
I hear you. And it'll be interesting to see who lines up against. The Ravens made a couple of little changes before thereby or Wiggins was playing more, Trudavious White was playing more, Brandon Stevens playing less. They were playing who's that guy Chris Board at linebacker over Trent Simpsons. So I do have faith in the Ravens because they've done it year after year that they fix what's wrong, and so that I would like to see their defense
just completely dominating. And no, it's not gonna tell you everything but good teams do blow out bad team.
So this feels like an elite Ravens defense week. Let's go, let's go let them all.
Right, We're gonna take one more break. I know I wish I saw that as the pickup in my league, and I was like, oh, I should have done that. We'll be back after this, back on NFL Daily. Still haven't made a survivor pick. I checked out Commandos and we just took them a couple of weeks ago, so that was not an option cam. I know it's been getting a lot of buzz nationally, but Patrick and Steve is usually in that chair. We're on a streak like no other since week three, and so we're just trying
to keep it going. We got an option here. Cowboys and Panthers are both available as options. I don't personally feel comfortable taking either one of those.
We've had some discomfort here in the past a couple of weeks, but have managed to survive the Dallas Cowboys in Charlotte at the Carolina Panthers, who are favored by three. Greg has not picked them. I have not picked them that this year, and this time they are favorite. Joe Davis, g Red calling a Panthers game, talk about vibes. Pam Oliver on the call cam. Do you believe the Panthers gonna win this week? I do believe the Panthers get to win. Yeah, so much so that I would pick
them in the Survivors League. I think that Bryce Young and the Panthers have been playing at least average level ball since he's come back from the benching. I know that's what does that mean?
But like they were the one of the worst teams of football, I think they've risen that level to where they give every team they've played a scare. Like they gave the Eagles a scare they gave who they played the week before that they gave the Chiefs. This is a legitimate team and I think brace Young. It's one of my favorite stories of the year of how he's responded to that benching, because this is a guy who they look like they were ready to.
Move on from.
They looked like they were ready to, you know, go ahead and call it, we're gonna draft a quarterback next year. And I think what he's done over the second half of the year has helped them feel like we can still build around this young quarterback. He's playing with a level of confidence he didn't play before, a level of precision. Some of the passes he was making against Philly last
week were just and just. The team listens to him, like you could just see as they were going, even through the late late huddle situations, no huddle situations, he was commanding the team. I like the Panthers this week. I think that loss the Cowboys had last week was the straw that breaks them and fight short.
They were on the road.
Yeah, they were holding out hope. You know, you win that week, you can go ten and seven, make a run.
I don't know if there's any hope. I'm left in Dallas.
No, I don't think so. I'm intrigued. I got to say that I think there's two options. We're going to get to the second one later and we'll discuss it at that point, but they are a legitimate option. The plans kind of work build around a running game that'll end up helping Braysong. It took a minute to get going,
but it's absolutely working. We haven't mentioned on the show the results of the Demarvion overshone test results, and unfortunately he tore three knee ligaments and so that's a really heartbreaking recovery that he's going to have to go through. He puts his entire twenty twenty five in jeopardy after he missed most of his rookie season as well. So you really hope for him. And he was a great young core player for them to build around, and so that that'll be tough for them to recover from. Even
just on the field this week. They only have so many defensive playmakers and he really helped Mike Parsons by being another one.
Yeah, just a rangy, athletic linebacker can make plays in the past game, pass rush could do it all. A rough spot. Two teams that feel like they're moving in different directions. How two teams moving in similar directions as the New York Jets are three point favorites correct at the Jacksonville Jaguars the over under forty and a half. Chris Meyers, Mark Schlath, and Jen Hale on the call. Jets losing overtime in Florida a week ago, losing regular tom in Florida this week.
No, I would take the Jets. I don't know. This would be a next level of fraud.
Watch.
Yeah, we've been with The Jets have been on our fraud watch all year long. Now they are available, we could go really crazy and go with them as a survivor paper being that lake out there before. Yeah, I would never do that. Aaron Riders did look better last week. Thought it was his best game. Thought he moved well. You know, they didn't punt the ball until like the fourth quarter. Fashion New looks like a good young left tackle. So they have some things that they like, like it
was the DeVante Adams kind of expect to see. Everyone seemed like they had a little extra juice. I don't know why that is, but it's just something kind of watching. This is a great matchup for them. So if if you got Davante and Gary Wilson in fantasy, like I do, Actually, I feel like they might be turning the corner at just the right time.
Yeah, I think that Jets just the right time.
For me. I'm saying in fantasy, I got the playoffs. It's happened to have.
Gary Wilson on my lineup as well, so I'm with you.
Uh yeah.
I saw the Jets on Sunday against Miami. It was definitely their best offensive showing of the season. Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams made their secondary look like, you know, substandard. You know, I got a lot of respect for Jalen Ramsey, but Gary Wilson had had a day against him this past week, and so I think this is a team where, you know, you start to look at this time of year, which teams are gonna, you know, pack up for Cabo and are done. I was pleasantly surprised with the Jets
in their fight this past weekend the Jaguar. This is one of those games like the Jaguars Titans last week. I don't know who's watching except except the family and friends of Jets and Jaguars. But I think the Jets, the Jets have talent to win this game.
All the Netflix executives that are like, we need Aaron Rodgers revival, you know, before we drop a enigma, I really am now convinced, because it's gonna be impossible to get Aaron Rodgers out of our lives that now he's gonna like have like a kind of a sneaky good stretch run and then some team is gonna convince themselves into it. He is, he's kind of having the classic old guy season. He just doesn't want to get hit. Yeah, but if you look at the matches they have, like
maybe maybe you can survive that way. He just doesn't want to get hit. But everything else it's like it's okay enough if you squint.
Yeah, So which but which team? Who needs a quarterback as a good offensive.
There's a team across town in New York, New Jersey. He definitely office a lot, So why not? What about an opportunity for someone to play spoiler?
What the Jaguars and Mac Jones get a two game win streak and ruin their ruin their.
Draft pick Jameis Winston ooh, and the Cleveland Browns going up against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs was one ruining all these close games?
A spoiler opportunity, right, it absolutely is. But I do not want to spoil Cam's day. He has been so good with his time. I just realized he's he's done so many different shows and they got him going on another one NFL Insider, and we've been honking so much.
We got it.
We gotta let Cam go.
Yeah, run to the next next show. We'll tell Tom, Mike and Ian that we said, hello, well will I will. But I had a blast here.
Yeah, we should have got you on Fantasy last so you literally could have been on every show.
Yeah, almost that we produce out here, Cam Wolf like you see him flying around the country. He's he's at the Big Games. He's at he's in Green Bay, wherever, in Miami, wherever it's cold. Appreciate you check him out? Are you GMFB anymore this week?
Yeah, I'll be back on the okay morning, check it.
Out and check them out Thursday morning. So yeah, you got to go get some sleep too after all this.
Yeah, sleep for us off Philly, Philly folks, How would we sleep if we're just going to be angry all the time.
We have no time to be angry.
If we're sleeping, Just Nick Toanni's face on a pillow and just scream into it.
Nick's actually doing a really good job the post.
I sleep angry sometimes. Sometimes you just wake up in the middle of the night you're pissed off about something.
Appreciate you, appreciate you ca see you.
Cam What a what a reporter here, one of the best to do it at NFL network. So great having him in the studio. And yeah, this this Brown's game. Is this the week where they finally get got. That would be a great moment in this Jameis Winston hero arc. And yet I don't believe it because you know, watching that game last week against the Steelers, it's very Brown's like they do enough things well that you convince yourself they're not that far away, but actually they are really
far away. Like even with Jameis Winston, they're not a good offense because they can't run the ball consistently because in the red zone they make critical mistakes, whether it's penalties or mental errors. And then Jamis throws obviously some turnovers. Like they're not good. And the part that I wanted to get to here is like they're not a good
defense either. There's this idea that they are a good defense, and maybe it's having to play with this offense and who knows, Like I don't know the emotions that go into but the stats tell you they are a below average defense, not one of the worst, but they're not a plus despite having maybe the best defensive player on the planet. So it's hard to really imagine this is the week that Chiefs get got.
The case would be the Kansas City Chiefs have won back to back nineteen seventeen games. Sure, they have had to make changes that tackle because they can't protect one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. And again they're only scoring nineteen points where that's only a
couple of plays from. And again the defensive side of the ball, they again the past couple of weeks, they've made some tackles, but they did have a rough stretch there where they gave up thirty plus points to the Buffalo Bills, then twenty seven, I believe, to the Carolina Panthers, and they're I just don't know how to feel about this Chiefs team at this point.
I don't felt, but I'm just not going to learn that much this week. I don't think, you know, they need to blitz, which I think is a problem for them because they just don't have the talent in the back end to hold up and yet they're not getting
the pressure. But again, I don't think that's gonna necessarily haunt them against the Brown The Chiefs, speaking of average defenses, are down to fifteenth in defensive DVOA, and if you think about how high they were after five or six weeks, they were top top five, I believe, do the math. That's the kind of the level that they've been at. I saw this clip and I'm gonna take advantage of watching so in season Hard Knocks, I felt like it
was kind of like homework, but it's good. It's like doing my notes for this show while was on my I'm not gonna say criticism, but my game plan of watching that show is it's better before the games start. Actually, I think like the first thirty minutes of each episode is really excellent and some of the best Hard Knocks. Once the game starts, there are really cool moments, but it's less it's less compelling, Like if it was just
that first thirty minutes, it's fantastic television either way. Part of that thirty minutes was Miles Garrett talking to the rest of the defensive line room and Shelby Harris just kind of like, hey, man, I know we're out of it, but just like, you gotta find something that you really care about and play for in this last stretch. And I get it, Like you do have to say that, and it is all true, and those are the like the Shelby Harrises of the world find that, but does
the whole team find that? It just made me think It's just like it is tough for them to win a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. That's how I feel.
This is it.
This is that thing for your games to matter late in the season. That's why spoilers are so fun. And if the Arizona Cardinals were playing Gretor Betch Greig, the New England Patriots would have an opportunity here. The Cardinals still favored by six against your squad led by Drake May forty six the over under Tom McCarthy, j Peely and Ross Talker on the call along with Amanda Balleons. Where Kyler and the Birds have been struggling as of late, do they fix things against the past?
Yeah, I think they will. I think this is a great option for our survivor. In fact, I think the two options are Cardinals and Panthers. I just don't think the Patriots defense is trustworthy enough in a matchup against an offensive staff that yeah, it's gotten a little stagnant lately, but they throw a lot at you, and this Patriots defense has been one that it's not physically talented, but it also makes a lot of mental mistakes and gives up big plays. And so I have a hard time
seeing the Patriots win over four quarters. But it is. It's getting to the point where it's very scary to pick against Drake May because we are extremely lucky that we survived weeks ago against them.
Very very lucky in a in a team that was kind of in a similar run in the Indianapolis Colts to where the.
Cables are all right, maybe you're okay, I'm not.
I'm actually looking at the last game on the board here as my option for.
Okay, let's put a pin in that. We'll hold this discussion.
We'll come to that later. But it's it's two inconsistent teams where we've seen great highs. But I just I believe in the Cardinals a whole lot more than the Patriots.
Here six points might feel like a bit much.
Yeah, that feels too much. And even just thinking about that Colts Patriots game again, it makes me hesitate because that was by far the Patriots best offensive performance of the year. I don'tmost go to say it was their best game of the year, even though they didn't win. They just looked like the better team. They outgame the other team by one hundred and thirty yards. They were really confident and the thing I love about Drake May right now is how different he is than he was
advertised to be. He is not a up and down Josh Allen and his rookie year type of quarterback. He's actually taking what's given. He's not throwing the ball down the field. He's making good decisions. He's he's like changing protections. I think he's I'm trying not to be biased because I know he's on the Patriots, You're not. I think
he's playing quarterback better than the other rookie quarterbacks. Jaden like is a better pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year because he's been more productive and he's done more. But I just think he's playing at a better, more composed level that makes you really excited about what's going to come when other better players are with him. That's all. It's gotten better each and every week. Can that continue? I almost think it's too good to be true.
It's like one of those Coach of the Year's situations where you're evaluating base on who's doing the most with the least around him, and it's difficult. It would be difficult to argue, right they maybe Caleb, because we could make the case but for Jad and then for bo Nicks, right, there's a lot surrounding them. For Drake Maye, he doesn't necessarily have all of those advantages. Speaking of the number one.
Overall, Okay, I want to ask you not to cut you off.
No, don't you never do.
Fantasy playoffs have been right into a you know, very good in terms of total points scored. But I got Kyler here? Do I do I flip it up? Or am I getting too cute to go Kyler against the pageot?
I don't think.
I don't think it's cute because there was there was that huge stretch where Kyler was carrying you. We didn't have exactly and so there's so many people making decisions where I think that was the theme on our show today. He danced with the one that brung you, and if somebody helped get you here, both of those guys instrumental in that. I don't think you could go necessarily wrong either way. Kyler's matchup is better.
I'm leaning I'm leaning Kyler because I'm trying not to just go with what's been happening. I'm trying to go with the matchup, and I can just totally imagine Kyler in a game they need to win, having about sixty five yards rushing in a rushing touchdown and a nice passing day and we move on. Yeah, thank you. I just needed that. Thinking about it a lot.
Everybody always asks everybody else for fantasy, So I'm glad. I think we get hit over one hundred rushing yards by both quarterbacks combined. Yeah, in that game. So let's go to Caleb Williams. On Monday Night Football. We got a Monday Night doubleheader, the Bears at the Minnesota Vikings, fresh off of their big win a week ago against Atlanta six and a half points, so they were favored by forty three and a half is the over under. It's the Joe, Troy and Lisa half of Monday Night Football.
As this Vikings team, we saw them lose two games in a row several weeks ago. Oh my gosh, it's over. They've done nothing but win since Greg.
It's crazy how balanced they are. Aaron Jones finally got going again last week, ran really well. That was important for me to see because I think they're gonna need him to be great to win a bunch of playoff games, and they might on the road, which is what they might have to do. I thought Koc had one of his best games a week ago. He just creates confusion and what the defense is gonna have to do to
match what he's doing week after week. And then the talent that Sam Darnold has brought out in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, like it's just six and a half is not enough for me here. I think what Cam talked about of the Cowboys, like that they kind of
ran out of their juice. Maybe the Bears have one week where they pop up and you know, maybe it's not all bad, maybe Caleb has a good game, But like, both sides are not going to be good in this game, and both sides are gonna need to play their best game to me to even be in this game in the fourth quarter, if even one side, like the Bears defense, shows up like they look like a week ago, they're gonna get blown out. If both sides do, it'll it'll just be crazy.
When the Bears offense was resurgent this year, they were able to run the ball, but they've got the fewest yards after contact per carry in the entire league right now, and then that's.
A DeAndre Swift stat unfortunately.
But also the offensive lot isn't providing a lot of opportunity for DeAndre Swift to get yards as of late. And here's Brian Flores's defense still stopping the run at one of the highest rates in the league. It's tough to envision anything other than yeah, more than six and a half points Caleb.
If I could ask for him to do one thing down the stretch, it would take more chances a little bit. What we talked about with Jalen Hurts, like that touchdown interception ratio is awesome for Caleb, but he's he has the second highest pressure to sack rate in a league to Will Levis, and it's been going up and up. Last week was kind of the bottoming out of it. Seven sacks on only eleven pressures. Now, I watched that game. Three of them were quite quick, like he wasn't gonna
do much, but he is holding on the ball. I think just to take some chances. It's easy for me to say because it'll wind up when some interceptions and that's hard to deal with, but I think it would be good for his development. He maybe is almost playing a little too safe.
Yeah, you're not gonna lose your Caleb, And we've seen it where these first halves have been miserable for the Bears offense. Right they get behind and Caleb feels like, Okay, I have to try to make a play now. You making plays is why you were the number one overall pick. But we don't want safety Caleb. We want the guy going out there doing fun stuff because that's what we enjoy.
Also fun revenge game opportunities Greg Monday Night Football the Atlanta Falcons on the road where they are a four point favorite, potentially playing against the quarterback that they put to the curb last year, Desmond Riddle, with a revenge game the over Runners forty four. Chris Fallo, Lewis Riddick, dan Orlowski, and Laura Rutledge on the call.
I'm I would like this as the survivor.
No, I'm gonna you hate it. I hate it.
You hate it, so we're gonna have to work back through.
I there's no way I'm taking the Atlanta Falcons as my survivor pick in the year twenty against.
Against either Desmond Ridder or a hurt Ain't No, he was cardal off the field.
Yeah, but hey, we got the turn Eye, the Scott and North Turner, they're kind of getting it done. It's like, my most shameful take is Scott Turner's underrated, and I actually think they've been doing some good things offensively. They've been moving the ball, and it's probably if it's Desmond Ritter, I still don't want to take it, but it makes more sense to me. If it's An O'Connell, I might
take the Raiders straight up. And this season for the Falcons, I do not trust this Falcons team, and the Raiders are in all these games. They're they're actually kind of a competitive football team, and they probably will lose, but it's more about that anything that can go wrong with the Falcons is going wrong, and so I feel way better about the Cardinals or the Panthers, you know what.
I think, in the spirit of our enjoyment of what's been happening with with Bryce Young, maybe that's the move be a little bold, we take, we take I think we can agree on that.
Yeah, I would rather.
I would rather lose with love, okay then than to the sheepishly win and we we have skated by by the skin of our teeth. It's been fun to track so let's continue having fun. You know, damn the torpedoes great.
How about the symmetry of we picked the game straight up every single week. Neither of us have chosen the Carolina Panthers to win one single time, But the first time we take them to win, there are survivor picked. That's how much we believe in them. I do believe in them. I really I think they'll cover the three. That's how it I'll be picking. I think they're gonna win that game. Should we give the Falcons any more time? Because they are they are in the mix here.
Yeah, they're They're very much in them. If the Chargers beat the Buccaneers, the Falcons can win this game and be right back in it.
They're they're tied, They're literally in first place. Their favorite to win this game. The Bucks are favorite to lose their game. And I actually here's another very mild take. I understand keeping Kirk Cousins as your quarterback this week. I think this is the last week if it didn't go well. But he did so many really good things in that game last week that I just don't think people who didn't watch every step of that game saw that.
I want to stick with him one more week. I thought he played quite well throughout that game, except for the two interceptions. I know that's a big accept No, it's but like next level good throws down the field, good decisions, like tough plays, and the contract is part of it. I just think it makes sense to make sure you're out of it first. Maybe a Boulder coach would feel differently.
Yeah, there's only so many chances you have to win your division, I think, And it hinges on how the first three quarters of this game go. If it's close late, maybe you make a decision like, hey, perhaps we have a better chance short term and long term with Michael pennixtreme.
And the defense I thought for three quarters was like, okay, they're getting pressure on Darnold. They didn't quite finish those plays, and you know, the roof caved in on them, and it didn't end up being a great game. But I see the vision they could still make it happen. I think the ceiling, as crazy as it is, is higher with Kirk Cousins. Ceiling always high with you, buddy, we do it. We do it twice a week here on
NFL Daily with Patrick Claibund. But man, we do it all over the week in general, we got that extra show coming, so check your feeds out. My buddy Anthony Jesselnik and I and Colleen Wolf are going to be in your feed on Thursday before the tn F recap, which will be with Andrew Cziliano. I mean, when we're rolling out stars each and every day, you know football it's it's finally back.