Championship Weekend Recap: Bring on Brady and Mahomes

goes into the A zone. Taiwan Jones comes with it the two yard line and give it off inside handoff goes to Darrell Williams trucks. They defender diving touchdown chans a city like an eighteen wheeler trusting through a bunch of a bails. It is Darrell Williams on the six yards touchdown run and the chief said the first lead of the game. The Sounds Championships. Sunday, Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan has I come to from a virtual room filled

with some heroes, Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal. Boys. We have a super Bowl and it involves Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, What could you really complain about? Honestly, I mean Mark could find some things. I'm sure, right, I am not I am. I think this is a marvelous matchup and it's pretty stunning that this is where we are. Um, when we started all of this back in March and Brady signed with the Bucks, I mean, this could have

gone one of a million different directions. I'm not surprised by my homes, but this is an incredible sports story. I think as we get older, it's like you feel even when we're not particularly invested, you know, these aren't our teams. You feel worse for the teams that lose. Like I was rooting for the Bucks today, and yeah, that Packers game seems haunting to me because we've all just loved watching Aaron Rodgers over the years, and I

know we're gonna get into it. But in the Bills too, you know, I'm sure a lot of people kind of went on that ride and and you feel it more. That's just like, Okay, yeah, the super Bowl stories are great, but these two stories that just ended today, you feel for him. I felt a little cheated um by especially the first game today, that we were overdue a classic, you know, of the playoffs, and that was all set up and in matt le Flora, I don't want to

pile on, but it's your fault. You took that classic from us. And then when the second game went sideways and we realized that was our last chance before the Super Bowl to have a classic, Oh bearded boy, Oh bearded boy, We're gonna it was pretty close. I know we're gonna get into it, but it was pretty close to a classic. It was a great game. It just you know, as you said, didn't quite stick the landing of like a classic. You're not that that was not

a classic by any by anyone's estimation. Right, They had a shot and then it did not did not happen with incredibly compelling for fifty seven minutes of game action Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. So I'm just saying, I'm not gonna come. I'm not gonna complain about that one, all right, Well I will and that and that's that's where we're That's how we're different. We're all different. That's what makes the podcast fun. We're gonna get it to

both games played today. We'll talk a little bit, of course about what comes next, um, Let's start with yes. The first game and it went down at lambeau Field and uh Man Tom Brady did it again. Here's the staff of the end a round to God when God, when running to the first got the first down across the party box. Are gonna win this buckball game? Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a re first play who would have

guessed Byron left? Which and Bruce arians dial up the right play Godwin our leading receiver he robs for the first down and the Buccaneers have a fresh set with twenty seven seconds left. Tampa Bay Bucaneers are going to be the first team ever to host a Super Bowl. The Bucks to punch their ticket to Super Bowl g w f U s with the call yes. That end around sealed it for the Bucks the Big Game to run out the clock of a win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC

Championship Game. The Bucks advanced to their first Super Bowl

since way back in the two thousand two seasons. From Tony Dungee and Brad Johnson and Warren sapp roamed the gridiron now and wishes excuse me, Bruden, You're right it was a long time ago, as I said, but this time it was a Bucks team led by Tom Brady and Greg tom Brady wasn't perfect in this game through three touchdown passes through for two yards, but he also threw three interceptions and gave Green Bay every chance to get back into this game when it seemed like it

was gonna be a blowout at a certain point. But at the end of the day, the Tampa Bay defense uh stiffened up and when Tom Brady was given the chance to seal the game, and that is a big talking point obviously, why did he get this opportunity in Matt la Floor's decision making, Brady and the Bucks offense closed it out and now they're going to the Super Bowl. I know a very Jamis Winston line there in the box score like two eighty three and three, you know,

with like thirty one points. But um, I think it goes to show every part of the Bucks contributed in this game. Godwin, who I've long thought is one of the most underrated players, not has been not been his best year. Man, he showed up today. He might have been their m d P. So many big plays the

defensive line. You know, Barrett um in Viata Vea and j Saint Pierre Paul where such difference maker white Head forces a couple you know, fumbles, and you said it like we take it for granted that Brady was throwing there when they got the past interference call against the Bucks that I mean against the Packers, that pretty much put the game away. But that kind of went with the rest of the game. Like Bruce arians was going for it, he was not going to run the ball

in that situation. I don't think he would have kicked field goals in the same situation that Matt Lafleur did. And he's going for on fourth and three too, and the first half with thirteen seconds to go, that was one of the biggest players of the game. They kept the ball and then they hit a touchdown the next play.

The fortune favors the bold and uh, you know la Fleur and the Packers they I think they had the better quarterback today, but they did not have the better team, right And it's you know, the field goal is because the nature of football, um, it was massively pivotal to decide to kick that field goal with two and a few seconds two minutes and a few seconds left and I guess to me, I I'm just stunned by the more global decision to put the ball in the hands

of Tom Brady because you're saying you somewhat trust the idea that Mike Petton's defense is gonna slow this Bucks team down versus going for it with Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks we've ever witnessed in our life. I mean, you know it's not just those mistakes though, because I thought that the the sequence before halftime where you get the Sean Murphy bunting interception of Aaron Rodgers that turned into the thirty nine yard Scotty Miller touchdown

were afterwards. I mean, La Fleur, who's while it is answering questions about his own issues um basically called out Mike Petton and said it was man coverage. Definitely not the right call for that situation. You've got to be guarding against the edges, you've gotta be guarding against the end zone, and you've got them one on one Scotty Miller,

who's in there, Frantonio Brown of all things. So you talk about different people stepping up, and I love the way the Packers were running ball running the ball in the second quarter, and then when you come out of halftime on right after that terrible sequenced and a half and you have the Aaron Jones fumble and it turns into another Bucks touchdown. That's essentially sort of a twenty eight point swing if you felt confident that Green Bay

could have potentially scored touchdowns on those drives. I mean, that's huge. The Mike pett decision not to give the safety in one and man coverage help uh that that evoked memories of Greg Williams did to get fired for the Jets against the Raiders. Just a lapse at the end of a half or at the end of a game that just cannot happen. It was too risky a play call for that juncture. They got burned for it.

And you know now what you mentioned it And it was fourth and goal at the Tampa Bay eight yard line. It was thirty The Packers had a chance to score a touchdown, convert the two point conversion, and get this game to thirty one with two minutes to go. This is this is what I talked about when I say this is why I felt as a fan it was

taken from us, because that's drama. Aaron Rodgers on the field fourth and goal at the eight with the game on the line, and you trot out Mason Crosby for a twenty six yard field goal, and Matt lafleur Um after the game said he regrets it, but he didn't regret it because he thought he made the wrong decision. I think some people were parsing his words. He regretted that it didn't work out, and whenever something doesn't work out,

I regret it. But the truth matter is he did and Greg, you tweeted the same thing I did right in the moment, which was in that moment, and this is why, and this when the stage is like this, and we saw it was Stefanski last week too. Sometimes

these coaches get tense. You go with I'm gonna trust my defense with essentially four time outs because you got the two minute warning, uh, and then the three time outs to get me the stop and get the ball back to score another touchdown over Aaron Rodgers on a fourth and goal spot. And that is that is very

hard to wrap your head around after the game. Uh, Aaron Rodgers says, you might expect was asked about Matt Lafleur's decision to pull the offense off the field and kicked the field goal to get it to five points with two minutes to play. Karon, did you agree with the decision to kick it there on fourth down? We didn't have a decision on that one. Um. Yeah, there wasn't my decision. I understand thinking above two minutes with all of our time outs, but yeah, it wasn't my decision.

That's as far as Rogers can go without actually throwing his head coach under the bus. Yeah, it's an impossible question to answer. He he had another telling answer when they asked about the third down though, two, which is that you know, he thought he might have had a chance to get it in running, that maybe he should have run it, and that he thought he might have had,

you know, four downs there. Now, you're right about the moment um, and I think Lafleur really aired and and not going for it in the first half to where they were closer. And I don't think it was the moment that got to Aaron Rodgers, but he made two straight bad decisions on second and third down. I I you know, I thought there was a play to be made on second down which we kind of forget and he ends up throwing it. He had a lane to run there, and I would love to see a different angle.

They never really showed it to us. We'll be able to see it when game pass puts it up from the overhead view of like how much room he had in front of him to run on that down angle. We never got it. It was a little you know, it was a little indecisive on both of those plays where he didn't have anyone right around it. I mean, he's a great player, but those are just two massive plays in an otherwise really good game out of him.

And I think about Davante Adams essentially dropping the touchdown on first down in the first half on the goal line. You were the best team in the NFL in goal to ghost situations. There were twenty four coming into this game, and and uh and they had two situations in this one where they didn't get it done. So it bothers

me that flurred did that. Um, But you have to put it on them on the players to not executing leading up to that well, and it's there was three straight incompletions to Davante Adams on that first drive that forced them to kick a field goal from the six, and I I like watching some another angle of that

chance to run on third down. I really think that's important what what Aaron Rodgers said, because in his mind, you'd have to imagine he viewed it his fourth down territory and if anything had he taken off, he could have gotten far enough where I think you'd have to change the idea to kick a field goal there if it's you know, from the two or something, maybe La

Fleur goes in a different direction. It's just an incredibly unfortunate I mean, listen, Aaron Rodgers, who is He's going to tell you how he feels, even if he doesn't put it into words. I mean, the weight of the entire season um just comes down to that moment. And it's been such a long journey. And this is someone who thought they'd be in the super Bowl with an m v peak, you know, season taking on the homes and instead a really bizarre coaching decision changes everything for

hundred of people attached that organization. To be fair, I think we should point out that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense, they're an offensive team, got the ball three times in the fourth quarter, Patton's defense got them three interceptions, they went three and out, three and out field goal and and so it was a lot. You know, It's like, I'm not I don't think any one thing is to blame, but it's like they had their chances. I think it's

the toughest loss of Aaron Rodgers career. Well, you maybe the Seahawks in the uh NFC title game six or seven years ago. Um, that is one of the worst losses I've ever seen any team suffered through. And I know when you're fifteen and one, you got beat by the Giants that year after in the first half of that game and did the exact same way Hail Mary to Hakim Nicks, right, But I think there was something

extra on this one that makes it hurt more. Um, the fact that he had all this drama around him, that he was coming off by his standards on season or two, that the Jordan's love move happened, that he was kind of in the media cross hairs about his future, and then he comes out and he plays it gives you know, this is one of the best quarterback seasons

you'll ever see. He's gonna win m v P, get home field advantage and now all you gotta do, um is get past Tom Brady in your building to get to the super Bowl and have the storybook ending for that not to work out for it and the way it did, where there's the frustration of being pulled off the field and not getting back on the field, and this leads to and we're gonna get to the bucks right after this. But I think this is important because is what people are gonna be talking about after the game.

Rogers is now musing about the future and what comes next after the deep disappointment of Sunday, the guys futures where you know, uncertain myself included. Uh, that's what's said about it most goodness far. Obviously it's gonna be an end to it at some point, whether we make it asked this one or not, but just the uncertainties stuff from the finality of it all. And Mark I think he if you ask me, there's no way he doesn't come back next year. And people are reading too much

into the emotions right after a game. But when he says that, you know he he doesn't know what happens next for him. It's because there is a first round pick quarterback on the roster, so that throws in a

little bit of mystery to all this. Um your thoughts on Roger's mindset after the game, Yeah, because I think number one, I mean Roger's in the summer, Um was so refreshingly honest about the fact that, look it, no matter what I achieved or have achieved, when you've drafted the first round quarterback, they're gonna want to see him at some point. So he already knew then that he may have a truncated finish with the Packers. But Um, tonight, I think it's what you get from a lot of

players when you suffer a grizzly loss. It's like, I need time to think about this. I need time to think about, um the future. And he mentioned you know that there are a lot of players on that team with UM, I didn't questionable futures. I mean, they have two pass rushers with a thirty eight million dollar combined price tag cap hit next year. And I mean, you know, for me, it's like, this is the worst Rogers loss,

and I those the Seattle one. I mean, you could say punch by punch, but we're we're guys, right, And so suddenly you think about where you were seven years ago and the worst thing that happened to you. But you're younger, you have time to get over it. Or that giant's lost from their fifteen and one. He had decades and EON's to get over it and to come back. But now it's like you're getting up there in age, and who knows better than Aaron Rodgers how tough it is to get back to this point. Yeah, I I

agree with everything both of you said. I do think he's he is Aaron Rodgers, so I give him the credit that he he is in control enough even when he's emotional, to have a point to that. Now is the point you're right there and just he's kind of thrown out there. Look, hey, they put me in this situation. You never know if I'm gonna be back or is it I've got in the back of my mind, I'm

gonna need something to be happy about coming back. I think either it could be possible, you know, he could look at it like I don't want to go into next year as some uh, in some situation where it's gonna be like I almost know it's going to be my last year unless I win the m v P here because you're gonna want to play love, so hey, maybe give me some more guaranteed money. Uh. It'd be

hard to imagine him saying, like, trade me. I see all these trades stuff popping up, and that seems a little premature, especially because I gotta imagine the Packers will do everything they possibly can to make sure that he's not going anywhere, and David Bach dir he's not going anywhere. He just signed a huge deal, and plenty of other great Packers players that he loves playing with aren't going anywhere.

But is there a little bit of you that maybe if you're in Rogers, you're looking across the way it Tom Brady, who you know, two years ago, no one would have thought that would happen. Maybe a start and you would get to your in control of your I guess your legacy in a different way, and not under

the Packers umbrella. I don't feels different to me, though, because I think one of the sins of the end of the Brady air in New England is that they didn't grasp the urgency and they left him that's never it never ended because they thought the end was four Super Bowls ago, right, But like by the end of the time. It was an easy decision for Tim to leave because his offense around him was not good, he didn't have the weapons, he felt like he was not

going to be able to get over the hump. I think Green Bay's done an excellent job the last two years with Matt Lafleur of building up an awesome ecosystem around Rodgers and a great offense, and you know, they got this far. They got they you know, had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter of the NFCY titled him how frustrating it must be to once again not be able to get over the hump.

But like the idea of Tom Brady needing to go somewhere else to be better set up or better appreciated, I think there's still is like the idea that this

is like a not a possibility. I mean, the NFL is evolving and changing and players have more say in power than ever before, and I think that there is a centage chance that he's somewhere else next year based on who he is, and give it to me, I give it as a okay on that okay, but by the way, that's the information we have that can grow and grow I'm not saying it stays there right now.

It's at nine on the Tampa Bay side. And let's let's give the Bucks there due now because what they were able to do as a wild card team here ripped through the NFC with three straight road wins, including this game. Again, and this kind of ties back to the Roger's point. This Packers offense has been so awesome. Uh just just a buzz staw that went through teams until they dealt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And it

was a theme earlier in the season as well. But in this game, Devin White, the superstar of last week's win, fifteen tackles and a fumble recovery. Shack Barrett blows up in this game with three sacks, two tackles for lost four QB hits. Jason Pierre Paul he also has multi uh has two sacks, two tackles for lost two QB hits.

They did exactly what we talked about um Gregg entering this game where they needed this pass rush, which on paper is rock solid, uh too, then actually do it and and pile up the hurries and make Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable. And they did that that was I think the key to the game the front seven performance by Tampa Bay. I agree with you. I think that was the difference because you look at that the money Um Green Bass

paying up front. They did not get enough pressure on Brady and then you look at what Tampa Bay did. And I've been kind of getting on this pass rush for being more named than than game for a lot of this year's Bucks fans. No, they have not been the same since Beta Veil lost. And I know Veya didn't show up in the statue, but I would watch them. They only brought him in on third down passing situations, and you know, I'm not like a coaching offensive line guru,

but he was getting pushed. And those were the players that Barrett Um was made can plays. Those were the plays that JPP was making play. So I don't know if that's all Vea or they all just sort of balled out um, But I know Mark was was having a tough time watching his boy Billy Turner. You know, we were on sky Sports. Neil asses for an X

factor of the game. I don't know, maybe X factor could be like bad X factor and Mark goes like super um hipster football hipster tape dog guy and goes Billy Turner and then Turners just getting beat up all day by his yeah, his old nemesis, Jack Barrett, you know.

And as I mentioned, I like it was t J Lang, the former Packers lineman who noted that that Um Turner had in the last playoff game basically gone into a three point stance on every run play, but at two point stance on every past play, and it was kind of a tell. And I just wondered if maybe they would pick up on that. And I think it was just massive. It was also just JPP overpowering. Um it's someone who's not David Patti. I think it's one of the biggest absences in this game was box tr Is

not being there for them. Um. Yeah, there wasn't much separating these two teams. I don't think it was those little goal line plays. It was the past or after what you didn't like look at you didn't watch this stand and think like, I don't know, the Packers didn't show up right, and it felt over And then Green guy goes right down the field, gets the touchdown and they get the interception I believe, and go back down the field again and it felt like the momentum and

the surge was there. Um that's what surprised me the most when they got that stop finally, especially the final Rady interception, and he thought, Okay, now they're really setting up Aaron Rodgers to march down the field and take control into Tampa Bay's credit, they just didn't let it happen. But it'll be hard. You know. My dad famously called Matt with Floor the bearded boy. And you know, winning

in the championship conference, championship weekend, that's man's work. I mean that that's when you need to have the means and the belief in your team. You have to learn from guys like Andy Reid. If Andy Reid can trust chat Chad Henny with his season on the line, you need to trust Aaron Rodgers. That That's what I'll remember about this game and maybe this whole playoff run because the Packers team, while everyone else for the most part,

was in on the Bills. I really like this idea of the Aaron Rodgers full on revenge season that that caps not just with the league MVP, but going to the Super Bowl and really sticking it to his team for not showing faith in him by taking Jordan's love. And now that's out the window. Tom Brady instead goes back to the Super Bowl. A couple of crazy Tom

Brady stats. His tent super Bowl appearance. Now Brady, that's double the next closest guy, which was Elway, and uh, this will be his this will be his third Super Bowl appearances. Is all from the great people at NFL Media Research, Jeff Greenholtz, his team. This will be Brady's third super Bowl appearance at age forty or older. Only eleven other quarterbacks have made three Super Bowls in their entire careers, and he has now made it in three of his four age forty seasons, and on a new team.

And the extra nugget that I love, Greg that I didn't even know it was a thing until you brought it up on our TV show on Friday. There are Patriots fans that are smarting tonight, and beyond Bill Pelichick, who's dying right now, other Patriots fans upset the Tommy boy is doing it for somebody else. And then I thought about it some more. It's like, what if Derek Jeter went to the Dodgers and did this. I guess that would bother me a little bit, so I understand it,

but I guess it depends on your rooty interests. And now we're like way down the rabbit hole here, but you have to accept them that there's I think even more Patriots fans And I was, you know, texting many of them that our loved nous and are you know living and dying with these bucks? Not not like if it was the Pats, but are enjoying the hell out

of this? Right? Because it's like a bandwagon, by the way, but like you're buying, it's not like it's not the same, but like, why would you not in joy watching this great player who gave you so much? Can I do something like offer for a reason? Why? Right? Because and you're right, we don't need to go down the rabbit

hole too much. But because Mark Brady is now offered definitive proof that the Patriots, if they just would have done better at housekeeping inside their building, could have had him for another few years and continued as a Super Bowl contemption. But they couldn't They hit the wall money wise? I mean, could you could run the team better, draft better, spend your money better, and maybe you could have gotten

another three or four years of Tom Brady. Instead you say goodbye and he goes to the Super Bowl somebody else. The relationships need to end at some point, and like this, this is a this idea that that Belichick is steaming behind the scenes. Literally no proof to this at all. Radio topic. Imagine if the Jets gave you six super Bowls like in the last twenty years, like you would feel so sad as that you would be grateful to this person. And and you just like football too. I

mean that's part of it. Obviously, I'm attached to Brady, but you love watching I love watching history. And yeah, he did not play. You know, people are like, oh, Brady's getting a little too much credit again, It's like, I get it. He threw three interceptions in this game, like in two two or pretty much on him. One one not so much. Um, the last one I'm not going to kill him for. But like he also made some great reads. You know, he had some gems in

this game. He knew exactly like where to go, when to go. He his arm looks amazing and he's the one you know who got them here, and it's it's just remarkable, I don't know, remarkable. It's remarkable. I mean like you're talking like he's he's won as many NFC championships as Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees have. I mean, it's not easy to do. It's not easy to do. Do you guys want to hear from Brady before we move on? Please on the road and win up? You

know another road playoff game? Is it just a great achievement? And uh, you know, now a home super Bowl for the first time in NFL history, I think puts a lot of cool things in perspective. Anytime you're the first time doing something, it's usually a pretty good thing. So now we just gotta go. Uh, you have great two weeks prepare for whoever it is, and you know, be ready to go. And he looks better than all of us to mark. Here's the thing, though, if you're the field,

goals can be the thing everyone talks about forever. Two of those Brady interceptions, the Packers took the ball and went to combine negative five yards off six plays. You've

got six points off of three Brady interceptions. If you knew coming into this game that he was going to throw those three passes, I would have predicted a Packers route right, And I would have predicted if the Packers get eight points there at the end, yes we get the classic game, Dan, But I would have predicted Tyler Johnson catching some crazy pass on the sideline to set up Ryan suck Up for a game winning field goal. And that's, you know, probably how it would end. Yeah,

I don't doubt it after all these years. I don't doubt at all. Markham on Belichick dying. I simply, I like, I know that you at this point, you're clinging to anything you can. This isn't I find that to be utterly you know. It's the funny part that that all you Belichick soldiers out there don't even entertain it as a possibility. I want to answer the question for me, I entertained it. You know. It's like, is he that small of a person? I think it's the people mostly

covering Belichick that veer towards the smallness. I mean, Belichick is competitive. He probably hates seeing like he doesn't want to be tagged as like the reason the Patriots failed this season. But I mean they achieve more together than any coach and player give me an I don't know. I mean, I have no saying it of course I'll allow it. It you you just do whatever you want to say it, will you? I got it work, though?

Will you allow me this? Then? Mark that he might think, Man, I wish, I wish I would have handled the end of this a little better because obviously this guy could have taken me to the big game super Bowl two years ago. I mean, I don't know how much better you handled the end? Like it needed to come to a close. It just did. That's why did it have to end? What does that mean? Because they couldn't even pay Brady what they needed to with their caps situation.

Like I just think it, like maybe I could have spent better, maybe I could have drafted better. It didn't have to be I didn't have to be watching. You don't spend that money than some of those Super Bowl wins which were all so close, don't become reality. So he's like he's made four out of the last six, by the way, it did have to at some point, and you know, not enough enough, But like you can be satisfied with what what you got. I am. They don't need to win anymore. Rest you guys, You guys

got a good job. You mentioned since age forty, if you back it up to thirty seven. He's made you know, four out of six super balls. That's just crazy. That's just crazy. Like we we a someone tweeted us at this could you now, could you now divide his career into thirds and they're all Hall of Fame careers. I mean, justintive that kind of had a Hall of Fame career. Now it's great, that is I mean, if you want to, I think that they divide the career in half, half

is good and they're both hall of Fame. That to me is what makes him the goat because I love that perspective. Divided by thirds, that's a wild thought. Now we're getting into Kurt Warners and his last third is is there with Kurt Warners? Maybe I don't. Tony Romo said today, he said that Patrick will Holmes is a Hall of Famer if he retired today. So maybe the idea of breaking his career into seven year chunks. Brady's done that three times at least, so I have no

part problem give him a third Hall of Fame. So it's the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who come out of the NFC. Who will they face in Tampa? In Tampa the Bucks and Tampa. COVID makes it weird, of course, because you're not gonna have a full house, good job by the NFL. It's gonna be some healthcare workers. In fact, in the stands at Raymond James Stadium for the Super Bowl. For the first time in NFL history, the team in the Super Bowl is playing in their own building. That's like

one little West note. I mean, if there has been one field that West and I in unified fashion have ripped on this show forever because of it. Now we want to deal with the daytime sunlight. I know, but I'm just saying it's hilarious to me that this is the field where this is occurring. But um, I'm sure it will look gallant in the evening. Well, I guess when you think about it's on the East coast obviously, so six eighteen kickoff. Uh, the sun will be down

by then, so that will help us. Now, you can't do anything about the Goofy pirate ship or the or the uniform matchup, which we'll get to, but I would just find that to be an absurdity. So there are some there's some lingering issues. Maybe you just drop a big tarp on that dopey pirate ship and then we do get about playing some champions at football. All right, there we go. Let's sorry, Buck Spens, enjoy the moment

you deserve it. It's been a long time. Um. All right, let's get to the a f C. We're gonna throw a slant car thirty five yard line. Shoot move Tyrey Kill forty five fifty yard line touch it back, lookout for thirty cheetah hit full speed ten telly five yard line. Dude player press, the cheetah will run you all the way around the earth. It's a seventy one yard pass play to the cheetah on a quick slant. Mitch holtas who said cheetah about forty seven times there during that call.

W d a F. Yes, it didn't go for a touchdown, but that's seventy yard gain by tyree Kell felt like the dividing point where the Chiefs had completely taken over and we're heading back to the super Bowl. And that's exactly what they ended up doing with a thirty eight win over the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium. And Mark the Bills, I mean, you couldn't have asked for a better start. They go down the field to kick a field goal. Then you have a huge special teams gap

by McCole Hardman that sets up a quick touchdown. You missed the p T and it turns out that that miss p a T was kind of the beginning of the end because a lot of things started going wrong for the Bills from that point onward. Yeah, and we've we've learned that um early point advantages over Kansas City

and the playoffs UM me next to nothing. But it was a gift in a in a fortunate start for Buffalo, and it's I guess you know, one of the shames of this weekend is that both games to me have really similar um unnerving issues by the losing team, because I find myself almost equally annoyed that Buffalo kicked a field goal from the Kansas City to UM and then on the following drive kicked the field goal from the Kansas City eight UM when it was so um crystal

clear to every human being watching it, including our children, who are UM, you know, they're they've just learned basic human skills at this point, that you are dealing with a team that is essentially unstoppable, that has two unstoppable players not even named Patrick Mahomes that they were struggling to even vaguely contain. You have got to put every islence of aggression into these opportunities when you get into the red zone. And I thought they just played it

way too safe. It's just it's to me, that was it. It's like the chief We know what the chiefs are. They're so dominant that they've become normalized and we take

them for granted. I'm like watching Travis Kelsey and Tyreek Hill do things that I've never watched, you know, a combo of two players on our offense ever do, And I'm just like, I find myself and this is the fault of me almost exhausted and board with them because it's like watching Um, Like, growing up, I'd go to the video arcade and I hated video games, but I watched like my one friend kick butt on the video on like some sort of like nineteen eighties game. It's like,

I guess I'm drawing pleasure out of seeing him be great. Um. I mean, I don't know what it was. That was a ridiculous tangent, but it's like, if you're the b you've got to storm that house and take it over, and I thought they played real cautious. It's stunned me. Well, I think it's a defensive coach not quite believing that the defense that his Executive of the Year Buddy Brandon Bean and him had built up for four years weren't gonna get stops. You know, he couldn't. He wasn't gonna

believe it. You know, they didn't get any stops the Chiefs, the Chiefs, Mahomes says, it's only even stopped once and in these two playoff games while he's on the field, and that was on the first drive of this game, when it wouldn't Tyreek Hill dropped what might have been the best past Mahomes made the whole day, like absolutely ridiculous. Would have been a forty five yard or um that he went back shoulder on and and that was it. They weren't gonna get any stops. I'm with you, they

they played it too safe. But in this in this game, I don't think it would have mattered because I don't think this game, um was close like the other where you couldn't separate them. There there was a big separation. One team couldn't throw the ball consistently and the other team had homes. One team was clearly better. It was

the Chiefs. And I'm not gonna say they rope a dope to us all because I think all of us that followed this team closely and follow our league closely always thought there was a chance that the Chiefs would know when to turn it on because they're that special.

They're like those mid nineties Michael Jordan Bulls teams were sometimes would feel like they're doing just enough, uh to win, and then when they really needed to step up, all of a sudden, there's Vinta gim mj and you know, Dennis Rodman is diving into the stands for a loose ball and Scottie Pippen is just filling up the box scoring. It's like, oh, they were always this team. Uh, they were just in hibernation. That's what I felt like watching

this game. But like to Mark's point, I love Sean McDermott. He's done such a great job there. I have him maybe in my top two for Coach of the year. Um, if you're putting together that that list. And yet it felt like he didn't know the team he was up against.

I just didn't understand that I feel like there should never be a game when you're against the Chiefs, especially in the play offs, when you have, as Mark said, a twenty yard field goal late in the first half and a twenty seven yard field goal edging towards the end of the third quarter. That's the thing. And you have a defense that you're proud of, and they just played really well the week before against Baltimore. But it's a whole different ball game against the Chiefs, especially when

you have no idea how to cover Travis Kelsey. Every time you need a third down stop, you needed to score, score, score, So not to grasp that basic thing. I know it's easy for bozos like us to oversimplify it, but sometimes like the simple explanation is the right one, which was the Bills played the game like they had a defense I could stop the Chiefs, but they don't, because nobody

really does, at least not on this stage. Yeah, and I think, like you know, it was a game where Stefon Diggs had like twelve yards at half or something in twenty eight deep in the game, and they just never This wasn't this wasn't the pristine Bill's offense that we've been used to and you're right, You're right, and it's it's I guess that's you know, they like these losses. They give you a lot to think about as your

team building and thinking about next season. But Emmanuel Akho, I thought, had this incredible um stat here that Patrick Mahomes will play in two Super Bowls before ever losing an NFL game by more than one possession. That's that's just stupid. I mean, it's the greatest. That's I. Um, you don't want to be a prisoner at the moment, but I I don't feel like I am because I said it like five games into his career. Like I like, I get it. There's accomplishments and people try to do

all this parsing. Aaron Rodgers is the most skilled player, but you know, you know Tom Brady is the goat because he's the most accomplished. Like, Okay, I get all that. Like just Mahomes is just like the best at at playing quarterback that I've seen. He's only played, you know, he's only played three years, but he's the he's the best total package. And I think that and that makes

sense because players generally get better. So the new generations guys are are probably gonna be better than the ones before. But the difference this year is his mind, which has always been good, but now they really are. They really are so patient. Where you mentioned that Kelsey just racking up those seven yard ten yard throws. I think that's the thing is Mahomes like Rogers was this year. That's how he won his m VP. Just took what they were given him. And then he'll have that drive where

you get a free couple of free rushers. You get a little cute if you're Leslie Fraser and actually send something at him. You get a couple of free rushers at him, and he just calmly like gets out of the way and makes a couple of ridiculous throws and then he just beats you a different way. He's just I don't know, he's the best I've seen. I think it's the best three year run for a quarterback since far of seven, when he was just out of his mind,

winning m vps, winning super Bowls. Actually have um a good tweet here from The Undefeated. Since two thousand eighteen, Mahomes has forty three wins, one touchdown, pack us is almost sixteen thousand passing yards. He's been an All Pro three times. Uh, he's won the league m VPS, won the Super Bowl MVP, he's won a Super Bowl championship, and now he's been to the Super Bowl to the

last three years. And oh, by the way, the one year he didn't go was that great AFC title game against the Patriots where he just went bonkers and did everything he could and didn't get a chance to get on the field and overtime. Otherwise he would have been in the Super Bowl all three years. This is heavy stuff. It is, I mean, one thing I'd be concerned about heading into the Super Bowl, just to monitor that I

thought that Eric Fisher injury at the end. Those are the little things that like we don't really think about, like coming out of the game. But I mean, we just talked about what happened to the Packers with their left tackle, their star left tackle out of the lineup, but just something to work to monitor because they were already down, so their tackle situation was already a hot mess. But you kind of look at the Chiefs and it's like,

I guess that will matter. But the way that Greg you mentioned that um Patrick Mahomes is evading what would be crushing sacks in a playoff game for an other quarterback weren't and they you know, frankly, it's like we go, we don't talk about their defensive whole lot. But Tyra Matthew made an incredible playing this game like heat seeking Allen and forced him into an intentional grounding. I mean, two weeks in a row, Honey Badger has been playing

out of his mind. And you know, some of their past rushing that they that they used to really create a tough I think situation environment for Josh Allen threw him off his game pretty early. Yeah, I think their defense has played their best two games maybe of the year, considering the opponents, considering they played two top five or six offenses, you know, the Bills, you know, as good an offense as they played all year. I mean, Romo

was on it. They were good in man coverage. Spagnolo sent a lot of heat, you know, more than anyone this weekend. He was the most aggressive. You know, Bowls really wasn't after they lost their safety. They it wasn't a typical Bucks attack, and they got they got to him a lot. And that's sort of what I mean about the difference maybe right now between Mahomes and Josh Allen. As you think about there was a segment late third quarter to the fourth where they did finally get heat

on Alan. He makes uh some mistakes. He you know, his four sacks took fifty three yards up um, Whereas you saw Mahomes seen exactly where the blitz was gonna come, changing the play like he's Rogers or Brady, except he's only twenty six years old, getting it protected up and taking the easy play, Whereas I don't think Allen, you know, and you wouldn't expect it is quite there in his third year, and they heated him up pretty good. They averaged under five yards per past play for the second

straight week. So that's like Gabert Zone stuff that did the past game for the Bills, and they're kind of an all past team. Uh kind of hit a brick

walities last two weeks. Yeah, it's it's I would you know, you try to make sense of teams entering the playoffs and the Bills when they were just going off on teams and running teams out of the building in December, they felt like they were peaking at the right time, But it turned out they did peek at the end of the regular season, and they were They needed Josh Allen and the Bills offense needed to deliver, you know, their masterpiece to get to the Super Bowl, as it

turns out, and they just couldn't do it. And and part of the reason why is because and Romo said it well on the telecast, the only way to beat the Chiefs is Travis Kelsey or Tyreek Kill. One of those guys can beat you, and you could survive it. But if they both are sticking it to you in the same game, your chances of winning are almost nil. And I just did a quick the quick math here, uh Hill and Kelsey combined for twenty two catches on

twenty six targets for two and ninety yards and two touchdowns. Well, it's crazy, and they did they did I think over two hundred last week. And you know, I I well, I think we all feel for the Bills fans because they're a special fan base. You know. It's a ugly Sunday. But I had a couple of being like, oh, I

get what you were saying last week. That like, even though the Chiefs are totally fun to watch, and I love Tony Romo, Tony Romo Gushi over Travis Kelsey When he is frying your team and ending your season, it's not a lot of fun for the viewers. So it's like, look at like, I mean, we all enjoy the Chiefs until you're dealing with the Chiefs with your favorite team, and then it's like this is ugly, this doesn't work. Yeah, I think it's not like the Bills came out of

this game thinking we're right there. You know we're gonna get the next year. You come out of this game thinking, oh man, this are is this gonna be? You know, to use the Bulls as an analogy, but going back to the eighties, this is gonna be the Detroit Pistons for us. We're we're just gonna get our ask kicked for a few years. Are we ever gonna get over the hump? Because it felt like the Chiefs were just a far better team, um and a team that's just

not going away anytime soon. It's bad news for everybody in the a f C. H including our team work and everybody else. Or are we the Knicks and the Chiefs are the Bulls? And unless Patrick a year off to go play minor league baseball, totally a stretch. You know, now they were good here, they were cope. You hope you're the bulls in the eighties getting past the Pistons. You worried deep down that you're the nineties Knicks that never get over the Jordan's bulls. You worry about that.

It is so I mean, we don't even need to get there because they're not even They gotta go win the Super Bowl first. But man, it is hard. You know, we've seen how hard it is to keep winning. They weren't close today. I think they had reason to come into this game with plenty of confidence, not just because they were the number one team and waited the v O A. But you know, it's like, what more can you do, uh, in the in the eighteen games leading

up to this than than what they did. I guess their defense could have been a little more consistent throughout the course of the season. They did not. They did not show up today. And and maybe you're right that maybe the Chiefs just have this championship mentality, but it is crazy that this is the game where they finally won by two scores. So it wasn't the falcon like

it could have been three scores. This was like they dominated the Bills more as much or more than you know, the Falcons or the Dolphins or the Panthers or any of these teams that they played down the stretch. They they just put it on them. It's funny that. And the Chiefs, of course, they they went to the Super Bowl, UM very early on. What were they in super Bowl

for something? I can't remember exactly. They were in a couple, right, they were in They won the year to the Jets, and then they didn't go all those years fifty years until last yearnother and twice back to back years and Andy Reid last year. It was all kind of it was the fun, feel good story of Andy Reid finally um getting over the hump and winning that Super Bowl and enjoying the perks of that and being the love

affair between Chiefs fans and Reid. UM. Now it almost felt just normalized hearing Andrew Read celebrating again on a riser. Let's listening. I still he's still a guy love rooting for. He's just a good dude and a great coach. I mean he's a great coach. I think he's also a lesson for if you're if you're smarting tonight over Boy with a Beard or or Sean McDermott and some of

their decisions. Andy Reid lost a bunch of a bunch of NFC title games early on, and Andy Reid was dog like had Twitter been Twitter way back when, I mean Andy Reid in his time, you know, like two minute warning time decisions would have been driving people nuts. I mean, he's grown and evolved in sudden you get Patrick Mahomes and you're like, oh, Bill Belichick, I know what it's like to have like one of the greatest

quarterbacks running the show with me. Now Twitter, Twitter was around for like the end of that Eagles right, and you're right, I mean, and I was, I'm sure part of it killing him for some of the clock management in the in the two minutes. It's great. Like the Bills, you know, we didn't mention like they stole a possession in the first half with the punt return, They stole a possession with the on side kick, and they and they stole a possession because they finished out the first half.

When the Chiefs got the ball back right at the end, it had been ten possessions to seven, like the Bills had somehow in three possessions and they were still down two touchdowns. I mean that is as big as that's it's just outrageous. I don't know what to say. Yeah, and they needed a Stefan Diggs to have a monster game. We talked about Bill Barnwell um the idea that somebody else had to step up. Was it finally the John

Smoke Brown Show? Nah? Again, John Brown was quiet, Cole Beasley did his Cole Beasley stuff, and the running game just wasn't there, never really was all season. But the only running they got was from Josh Allen, who had eighty eight yards of the ground. So Bills fans obviously bitter disappointment whenever you can get this far and they get turned back, but you're still feeling very good about the future. And and Cheese fans, this is just like, this is the magical time right now. If you're a

Chiefs fan, you know it. You you waited, you earned it because you were on the pain rankings. You knew what it was like, uh, to suffer for decades, to get closed, to get turned away, to have middle link teams, to have to root for Tyler big Pen on Sundays, and now you have you know, maybe Greg was right all those years ago. Maybe you have truly the one at quarterback and this is just the beginning of what's gonna be a long run back to back Super Bowls.

Pretty wild stuff. And I I don't know about you, guys, Um, I like the chances of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs going back to back. I think it's gonna be a great game and we're gonna be digging into that over two weeks. But right off the bat, what are your initial thoughts about this matchup. I'm torn because it's like I kind of want to root for the Bucks because of Brady, but just picking against Mahomes at this point

and I love watching him feel silly. I I think the Bucks have a real chance, and I do think Eric Fisher um having that Achilles injury and when they announced Achilles and reads over there talking you know you can you can, yeah, assume the worst and hope to be to be pleasantly surprised. You know that that helps? I think that gives that gives the Buck I mean they're on backup tackles that both spot. That gives the

Bucks a chance. I do think the Bucks are more complete, um than any other team in this playoff field, you know, including the Chiefs. I think they can win different types of ways. They had a great day returning the ball today, so I give them a pretty good chance. But I'm with you, and I think that you've got a coach and Bruce Arians who's his d n A is aggressive. Um,

tom Brady's DNA is aggressive. And so you're not gonna probably run into these same scenarios that younger coaches I think fell for today and and and got in in their own way. And um, that's not gonna be the case there. And I mean honestly, look at the Bucks and the way they're built and say, well, had they lost today, maybe next year is their super Bowl year because almost everyone is coming back. I mean, there's no reason to think they couldn't be just as dangerous. They

won this game without Antonio Brown. Um, I I'm just uh, I think it's gonna be a great one. And for me, it's because I simply refuse to doubt Tom Brady's um ability to be there in the fourth quarter. I the Chiefs, though, are they may be superhuman. They're only three and a half point favorites. It does feel like maybe I feel concerned to me a little what I like to call the thread the needle game. You know, the Chiefs win, but the Bucks you know, end up keeping it even

closer than that little internal housekeeping. Who had who with the locks for this game? The back to back? You know, the Chiefs are still hoping to get back to back titles, but I got mine. It's over you cheese, and you know, yes, wonderful job reckon. Like, honestly, I don't know if we've had the locks come down to records that this may be the best lock record anyone's won with. I'm not sure because it's it was tight, but um, I would

have picked Green Bay otherwise. So even after the first game, I thought, well, the lock thing is house money if they win, because I already would have, with my my inner feelings, picked the completely wrong team. So I did it twice and if it, if it makes you feel better, mark as the as the runner up. Um, the Locks will be back next year. So Greg, even power too straight, you can well, then you need to get like rules written down, you know, you know, need things need to

be changed. You would do it and you get get it out of here, you know. But Gregg it's like thinking of like Lakers dynasty type things right here. You gotta win five straight. You gotta win five straight. That's no, there's no you know, because I understand the number one factor is luck, the odds, and three straight it's not gonna happen. So it's like, that's why I want to You gotta end it right now. You gotta end it. It's not gonna happen. But congratulations that that was a

very really strong performance. Then I thought you were a little a little conservative with your picks you in the postseason, But how can you ultimately quibble when you're you got the lead and you closed it out by get behind a bunch of heavy favorites and you took the title. Hopefully it was the playoffs, but I took the Chiefs today. Yeah, what a big but a big heavy face. Give me a break. Good stuff? Anything else? Anybody else have anything

to download out of there? Um virtual notebooks or physical notebooks. Before we turn our attention toward the dark week, and it is different. First of all, this is the first Super Bowl ever that will feature the previous two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. So that's cool, Mahomes Brady Um. As we talked about this is the first super Bowl that will um be in held in the stadium of one

of the participants. I assume it's gonna be the first super Bowl that's not gonna be sold out, but I guess it will be capacity, but it won't be a filled The building won't be filled. Then it is sadly the first super Bowl UH in since we started in this podcast that we will not be there, but the the coverage will continue unabated here from Los Angeles. I feel much worse if they sent everyone but not us,

like we're not there because no one's there. So you know, the part of me that would be concerned about the dining inmixer, I think you know this in and a couple of the big big shots. She's going, she's going. I don't know if she's going for the game, but she's going for the week. Well, that does tell you that at least they view at least one media individual inside our building is more important than us. Uh Already,

I'm sort of annoying. Couldn't happen alright? And and our contemp posty, you are wearing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey Tom Brady, was that a gift or something because you, yeah, rooting for him? Yeah, No, I'm I was rooting for him just because the paths weren't in and I don't like Aaron Rodgers, so I was going to root for Brady even if the paths are. Now, are you with me on this? I think he's upset for sure. I was having this conversation today. A lot of people are like,

how could you root for Brady? Like, even if I won four thousand Super Bowls and he left for another team and took them to the super Bowl, I'd be like, f you, And I do feel like that, but also like I'm sick of all the Is Aaron Rodgers the best quarterback? Oh? Please home? That's where he's going? Do you guys? You guys think that you know, despite any any proof, you just it's in your minds that Bill Belichick like kicked his shoe through the TV screen today,

that that's how he handled this. No, he probably took his cute little husky dog, Nike for a walk and kind of grumbled about how like the one that got away. Yeah, it's upsetting. I mean I enjoyed this much more than like seeing my homes, you know, beat some Patriots team forty five to seventeen in the wild card around. That's what had happened. So this this is fun watching watching bring you do this? All right? Good stuff. We will be back on Tuesday to dig into the start of

the ramp up towards Cheefe Bucks. I'm with you, Mark, I'm not feeling this uniform matchup too much. Beyond beyond not feeling it like, um, I'm feeling the first time, I'm feeling jealous that Greg is you don't know what you don't know which colors, what if the where the

home whites? Well no, there, no, the movement has already begun because damn a check I put it at the at the height of of this these type of movements, the uniform movements, he is urging the Bucks to go, despite being the home team, to be wearing white jerseys because you've got to spend the next forty years looking at these highlights. How about we veer away from anything looking like an eyesore and do not go pewter tops and bottoms please. I mean, it's just there's a it's

a thorny um scenario with them in this game. On that front alone, at least the Bucks got rid of those terrible alarm clock uniforms. Well, yes, you're right, You're right, are you saying that one for the color blind? Because of all the red I'm saying, I'm wishing I were color blind this one time. It's a nice thing to be able to see colors, but this one time, if they how they go to colors, it's just like the

shades are a little off. The great whatever it is you're dealing with, you're very shady about explaining what how you're impaired on that front, but um, you know, and Packers fans, please spare me about saying this is why we belong to top the pain rankings. Don't stick the needle and it is. It is brutal. They have had a pretty knife or am I giving them drugs? Like? I mean, the show for that they made it this far,

they're already, you know, massochistic. But tweeting me about it, I've bet I was getting some tweets about it today, That's all I mean. They's it is amazing years. I don't care what you say, I get it, but it is crazy that decade. So I was at that Packers super Bowl, which was in Tampa. So they were trying to return to Tampa. It's crazy. In the decades since and Rogers will have won three m vps in that decade since, and the all the good teams they had

that they have not been back. Bitterally disappointed for Aaron Rodgers, you know he wanted to. It would have been good this season. But maybe in his age eight season he will get it done. All right, that's it. Dan has a signing off for Quiet Storm. The old boss Ricky tam Posey. Congratulations to both the Super Bowl participants. We got one game left hell Tuesday six