Play action fires picked off at the thirty yard line. Ronnie Hickman.
All the way touchdown.
The Ohio State rookie Black on third.
And goal, throwing tart Elijah.
More for the store.
Glory is now out. Marcus Goodwin comes in as the white out to look for and flackaw almost good sack. There he goes, grows on the run, caught inside the thirty inside the twenty, goes their own coward still going to speak board.
Looking for the ends up kicks there the Cleveland Browns our playoff bound.
That last touchdown was Joe Flacco's third score of the first half. Would be the last touchdown of the game as the Browns win thirty seven to twenty. I am Greg Rosenthal for the last time on Thursday Night this season, and I could not be more excited to be joined for this TNF finale and this Brown celebration by this Bengals fan, Nick Westling.
Let's go.
Let's ease up on the Bengals fan. I'm a casual Bengals fan. We'll say no to disrespect the real Bengals fans out there.
Of course, you know the brother of Chris Twstling, but a sharp football mind in his own right, and what better way to end the season on TNF than one of the stories of the season. Joe flaccoh this is really happening. Each week I watch it and I kind of just can't believe it's happening. In Some of the stats we can throw out in a second are just insane. But Flacco is out there slanging it against one of the top defenses in the league. By halftime, he had
almost three hundred yards. The Browns had thirty four points. This is real. This is a real thing that's happening. It's a beautiful story. It's one of my favorite things that's happened in the NFL this year.
Who would have thought the Joe Flacco would be the thirty nine year old quarterback we'd be talking about at the end of December.
Good one in this game, especially.
At the yes in this game. We know what Joe Flacco has always been. If you give him time to throw, he can deliver a great ball. He's always had the arm strength, always had the ability to read. It's when he's under pressure that he tends to falter. And there wasn't a lot of pressure tonight, so he was able to pick him apart that entire first half.
It was crazy.
But the thing I think that's get you know, surprises me the most is how well he's moving, Like I want to know what training he was doing.
I swear he's moving better.
I think they broke out a sneaky athletic term during the thing, and usually, you know, it's like they only give that to the white qbs who are actually athletic, But like Joe Flacco is sneaky athletic at this point because he's doing the play action fakes about as well as anyone. He's rolling out, he's making throws on the move.
That last touchdown that we heard, Quinn Williams hits him so hard in the helmet that when Flacco goes to the sideline and takes his helmet off, he's got a huge red mark on his helmet and Joe Flaka don't care. He continues to run to the left, improvises. And that's one of the things that's gotten me about these last four weeks of Flacco is that a lot of these plays are on the move, like design rollouts and even occasionally kind of improvising like he did on that play.
Yeah, well, I don't know if you heard that he was talking about running routes with his dad and throwing the ball sixty yards out of the field. I don't know if you heard that or not on the on the on the telecast, but I was something more than that had to have happened, because he's a much better shape than he was in last year. He's moving a lot better, he's throwing the ball better now. Some of that, obviously, is he's not playing for the Jets. Sorry, Dan, I had to get that dig in on that one.
But we'll have time for that, well left time.
But yeah, he's always been a solid quarterback if he has time to throw, and he showed it again tonight. He shown it the last five weeks. Is he up to now? Sixteen seventeen hundred yards? Sixteen hundred yards? Is that what it is?
Something like that.
There was a point at halftime, Like I said, he had two ninety six at half time, and then they couldn't do anything in the second half. It totally went away. He actually only ended up with three h nine. So there was a stat that the Jets hadn't given up a three hundred yard receiver in thirty three games over two years. And he got three hundred yards on his
first throw of the second half. That's how quickly he got another crazy one with That is since ninety nine when the Browns returned, that was when they returned, right that the organization has only had three games where a quarterback had three hundred had I think it was like two hundred fifty yards and two touchdowns at halftime. Flacco has done that three times already. Like Deshaun Watson does not have a three hundred yard game yet with the Browns,
Joe Flacco has four. He was close, if he had had a big second half to having the most yards any quarterback in the history of the NFL has ever had in one month. He did not pass Peyton Manning from like some ninety nine or some crazy year. But the stats are crazy, and then just the scenes are awesome.
What were you thinking, I don't know, watching that big man with his shirt off, enjoying himself and Jocos shaking the camera and just like a really great celebration in a way that really they haven't been able to celebrate since two thousand and two, because even in twenty twenty that it was the COVID year and they couldn't have this kind of fun.
Yeah, the Browns have played great and they deserve it, and the fans deserve it. One of the greatest fan bases ever. They showed up even when they stunk for the last twenty five years. Well, the better part of the last twenty five years has been three good years in there. Averaged the good years in there. You know, after the Deshaun Watson, I don't want to make it a Deshaun Watson thing, Like a lot of fans left and gave him a good reason to come back. This year.
They played great and it kind of shows who thought in twenty twenty three, with a good defense and a great offensive line, that you could win eleven or twelve games, which is what it looks like they're gonna do.
Yeah, But like, here's the thing. They don't even have a great offensive line anymore. They have a great offensive line coach. They have a pretty good interior because Buttonio is back in the lineup in Wyatt Teller, so they have a great guard tandem. But they played this game without They're on their four fourth quarterback. No running back Amari Cooper was out for this game, which was a surprise. Makes you kind of rethink why did they put him back in at the end of the last week's game.
He didn't play.
Elijah Moore, who was having a big first half, got what appeared to be a concussion late in the first half. And yeah, like I said, they're without their top left tackle, their top two right tackles. And we're going to get to some coach of the year talk later, but it's I think one of the reasons why Flacco is just he's on my screen right now with this huge smile on his face, is like, there are open receivers. This is a great offense even when you don't have any players left on it.
You saw Salt in Minnesota with Stefanski too. He can scheme it up and get guys open, no matter who is receivers or quarterback. Is that you said no running back there, I think you're underestimating what you're roomed Ford sure has met and I mean Kareem Hunts a nice little addition there too. But jerom Ford was outstanding tonight. He made people miss, ran people over, you know, whether it was running the ball or receiving it out of
the backfield. He was great. Like you said in Joku in the first half, he had reason to be yelling into that camera. At the end, he was. He was outstanding in that first half. We were texting about it and they were trying to trying to play man against him with linebackers and I don't know what looked like I was trying to cover him out there.
Yeah, there was that one play on the on the crosser where they caught CJ. Moseley and he's leaning inside and Joku just blows by him, and yeah, that was like A that was like a I've been in this league a long time. I mean, you know Moseley's been in the league long time because after the game it's
him and Flacco hugging at the sideline. I was like, man, they were teammates like a decade ago in Baltimore, and I think what I could be wrong, but I think what Moseley said to him when they're hugging was like they were chanting your name. I mean, it is. It is really a beautiful moment. And sometimes you know, these
seasons aren't about winning the Super Bowl. I of course think of one of the last pot cast sadly you know your brother did with us was when the Browns won that playoff game, and that was a really special moment on the podcast from Mark. We had been with him all this time being a Browns fan, and he got that and Chris, Chris was fighting his fight and
it was great to have Chris with us. And I couldn't help but think of that tonight, another another special night here in Cleveland, except this time it's just so weird, it's so improvable. Those are sometimes the best sports season. I don't know if the Bengals have had some of these where it's just like they're probably not gonna win the Super Bowl though at this point, like people are starting, you know, it's like maybe they'll dream.
To do it.
But just a total unexpected delight that was capped off tonight.
Why can't they win the Super Bowl? They they're the only team that really beat the beat the Ravens the other two games. Cravens kind of shot themselves in the foot, and I know, I know the Browns were down in that game light too, but they they beat the Ravens. It wasn't that the Ravens beat themselves in that game. And outside of that, the Ravens have outplayed every team they've They've gone against the Browns have made some pretty decent teams look bad and bad teams look worse. And
then again to night it happened again. The Jets never stood a chance in this game. But I want to talk a little bit about the Jets. How many times can you shoot yourself in the foot? I mean, you got fourth down where you get to play in with five seconds on the on the play clock.
You get.
It's not just that, I mean, I think it was twelve penalties. Most of the crucial situations lays a game on fourth down, you had they went for it early in the game on fourth, fourth, and sixth in instead of kicking an easy field goal. Then they miss a field goal. It could have been a different game in that second half if they if they make a couple of plays. I don't think they would have won anyway, but at least it could have been entertaining going down there.
I would to take a nap the whole second.
I mean, I'm not going to get on them for being too aggressive in the first half because they were driving me crazy with the lack of a great and in the second half they're down. They attempted a field goal to cut it to fourteen, like inside line on the thirteen, and then they get that block. Then they punt from midfield on fourth down and the fourth quarter down.
I think it was seventeen at the time.
Then another possession you mentioned where, yeah, they don't get to play in so it gets moved back to a fourth and eleven and they kick it there. They just kept deciding not to go for it on fourth down, but I guess you're probably not gonna get it on fourth down. If you go for it, you're you're sneaking it. But it's just like just try to you're actively trying to not win the game at that point. And I've never been afraid of Bob Sala's game management in general, and Dan's.
Been on him for several weeks now with good reason. It's more of the same now. In his defense, it was probably the best chance they were going to win is try to pin them back and get a turnover and maybe you can get a quick score. But even when they did that, they couldn't score the Jets. I really, you know, ate some humble pie. A couple of weeks ago when I was talking about the organization and the coaching staff, and I locked up who was the Texans.
They end up losing by thirty. But you know, and the Jets showed me that week. But I wasn't wrong about my analysis. It's an outrage that this team is even playing football at this point. It's an embarrassment every week.
I team, they're six and ten, and you know, I'm hoping that with a little extra rest they can beat the Patriots next week, so and that streak, so that Patriots don't keep messing up this this draft pick. You're right, they actually didn't take advantage of three turnovers by the Browns. Flacco had the one interception that was returned for a touchdown, a great play by Jermaine Johnson.
But Flacco could have had one or two more. You're gonna get those.
There was one throw this is when I knew they were living right where he basically threw it right into a Jets defender's chest. It bounced off and more caught it for for a first down. There was a fumbled kickoff. I believe Flacco had another fumble that he fell on. There actually were opportunities here for the Jets to do more. But to me, the biggest takeaway for the Jets, we don't need to spend a ton of time on them.
But to me, the biggest takeaway was, you know, they start the game and the Browns go right down the field seventy five yards, touchdown. It's all in Djoku for the most part. Jets respond with one of their best drives of the season. Six plays, seventy five yards against this Brown's defense. It's seven to seven after eight minutes. I'm like, wow, this is a great looking game so far. Browns get the ball back, go right down the field again. Nice mix of running pass. You're right, Jerome Ford. It
was big for them. They were able to run for one to twenty seven tonight, most of that in the first half. Ford was twelve for sixty four. They haven't been able to run at all last three weeks. That was big for them.
But that's a Jets defense which gave up, you know.
Two long touchdown drives on their first two drives and then another one a couple drives later early third quarters. So this Brown's offense was kind of shoving it down their throats. And if you got that as your defense, like every four or five weeks, which seems to happen to this Jets defense, it's like, what do you really have?
Yeah, I don't have anything to have to that excellent Jets talking.
I'm just honking right.
It was good honking because you were accurate on everything it was.
It was a bizarre game.
It was the highest scoring first half of any game in four years. Jets Browns thirty four to seventeen at halftime, which is just bananas. And then it was the first game ever to go over fifty points in NFL history in the first half and have no touchdowns in the second half. The second half, everyone was just kind of
wasting time. And there was that clip of Flacco very relatably starting to nod on off at one point, and I thought, well, maybe that's why he's not playing too well, Like he literally was falling asleep on the sideline, like get this man to bed. It is very tiring to play professional football.
Can you imagine?
Can you imagine nodding off while being a quarterback in an NFL game.
If you're involved in that game. Maybe because that second half was brutal, I just it was how many possessions were there. There had been eight or nine three announce in that in that second It.
Felt like it, but it actually wasn't. Uh that it was like at.
One point the Browns had four straight three an ounce.
Yeah, a total of eleven possessions, you know between the two of them, and and no touchdown. So there wasn't there wasn't much going on. We we mentioned, you mentioned why can't they go to the super Bowl? Okay, they are still alive for the one seed. They are eleven and five.
That's crazy. The Browns are eleven and five.
Uh, they need the Ravens to lose out. So that would mean the Ravens losing to the doll this week and then the Steelers next week.
Yeah, pretty unlikely, unlikely, it could happen.
It could, and you'll you'll have an idea after this Sunday whether there's even a chance. The Browns finished in Cincinnati. Not an easy game, but the Bengals have not won a division game all week. Most likely they're going to be the five seed, and I do think it might be. It's tricky. They might want to rest players next week, but they also might lose the five seed potentially if they rest next week, because the loser of Bill's Dolphins.
If they're both fighting for the division, would they have a better record than yeah, if they both lost, if they it depends, there's a lot of factors.
I'm trying to think.
Iither, wait, if you play at the AFC South winner, the Browns are probably as the five seed the favor in that game.
As they should be because the AFC South, there's been a couple of teams with some value and after, but they don't have a talent that this Browns team has. And we'll talk about. We mentioned Coach of the Year, we'll talk about there might be some names that come up from that from that South division and that on my list. I don't know about yours, but we'll see, and then I don't I still think you wrest them
in that week. You mentioned all the injuries on the offensive line, Amari Cooper now more, I don't think you can play them in that if you're I mean, I slid graphic ninety chance they get in. They're in.
They're in now, they're in the playoffs.
But in terms of the five, like the five versus the six, I was bringing up the possibility that if the Dolphins lost the next two, they would be eleven and six. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure who would get you know that that five seed. If you fall down to you know, six, then you're probably playing the Chiefs the first round. I don't think they would be too worried about that, but it's just just something I'm just putting out, Yeah, a little.
I guess we'll wait and see that. The Browns, I don't know mentioned the Chiefs. The Bengals have still have a chance at the playoffs. They'd have to. They have to win both games. I think, yes, they're still mathematic they're not mathematically eliminated if they lose one.
No, and I didn't help, not that it was a big deal, but they need to win both games and still get a ton of help. You we mentioned Coach of the Year. We've teased it, all rights to it. He's clearly one of the favorites for Coach of the Year. He's going to be on the list he's got. When we go to NFL Honors, they mentioned three coaches as finalists. That's not really how it works. You can only vote for one. It's not like MVP where you can vote
for multiple But they say three coaches named. They know who's gonna win, but usually three coaches get votes, so they'll, you know, that those are the top three, and you don't know who it's going to be. I'm gonna mention seven names on a long list in no particular order. Then you give me your what your list would be, your top four. Let's say so, in no order, Mike McDaniel, John Harbad, Dan Campbell, Kevin Stefanski, Sean McVeigh, Shane Stiken,
and Kyle Shannon. To me, those are seven reasonable names. I don't know if you would have anyone else on the reasonable list. Give me your top four in order.
I have, Well, you didn't mention John Harball in there?
I did? I did I miss that?
Okay?
I did?
So I have and you didn't mention Todd Bowles.
I think No, I don't think he's a reasonable choice. I don't think he's a reasonable choice.
He was on my long list, not my short list.
But I have if I had to make a top ten, he's on it that.
I have Stefanski three, stike In to Harball one.
Wow. Interesting, Okay, give me your reason.
Think well, First of all, I think we so often overlook the best team with the best coach. I think how many times did Belichick win it in all those years? Once or twice.
I think he got two in the end, Harbad did get one. I was just checking on this and he's that.
This Ravens team has played better than everyone else in the league. They don't make a ton of mistakes. I know some there's been some little management issues, but I think if you go through a whole season, you're gonna have that. But I think it's Harball and I don't think it's particularly close for me. Wow, I don't.
I think now if they lose to Miami, but when the division is the choice me, yeah.
We'll see. I guess we'll talk about it after Sunday if that's the case. I think Shane Steichen when he's done with that team and they're still playing well. You know, Damiko Ryan was on my long list too.
Oh, I forgot that. I forgot to mention Ryan. That is my bad, that's my foot.
He's on my long list too. But like I had a hard time putting him in the top four as well.
I mean, they've won three games the last couple of years and in he hasn't at eight right now.
And most people thought it was the most talent poor team in the league starting the year. Now, I think we're we proved that wrong over of course the year with two stud receivers and a great quarterback, but you know, the defense was extremely thin and they played okay most of the year. Now they've gotten exposed a little bit here more recently. And I don't think he'll end up getting it because I don't think they're going to make the playoffs.
How well, if they win their last two games. And I would preface all this by saying, I do think the last two games matter a lot for these awards because I think there isn't a lot of separation between it. And then you have Stefanski.
Three Stiking two Harball one is what I had.
Yeah, it's just crazy what Stefanski has overcome. Chubb Watson, although they're getting great quarterback play out of Flacco, Conklin, Jedrick Wills, some more depth pieces on the offensive line, and then on the defense. They aren't stars, but they lost a handful of players for the season, a couple of safeties, Grant up It who was having a Pro Bowl type season, Roddy McCleod, it was essentially a starter in Okroonquo. So they've just overcome a lot, even Dustin Hopkins.
Is he coming back this year? I don't know, but he's out like they've just overcome so much. And then when you watch them every day, you just see how he can coach offense, how he can create receivers. So
going into last week, Shanahan was my guy. And it's partly because I want to reward everything about coaching, not just like who is taking the over underwins of like seven and a half like the Browns and getting to eleven, but like the entire process, because we keep giving these guys coach of the years that like it doesn't look great in the long like Dable last year, now that already doesn't look good. Matt Naggi got one, Jason Garrett got one, Ron Rivera got two.
I mean he has more than Andy Reid.
You know.
He did.
Yeah, nine seven or something like that.
Like Stefanski in part gets credit for beating expectations, but you have to at least acknowledge somewhat he is partly responsible for setting those low expectations. And he made a great hire in Jim Schwartz, but he also like made the bad hire that required firing the old guy.
That yeah, I'm just saying, Hey, at.
Least you didn't try to stay with your mistake too.
Mike Smith won one with the Falcons. I mean that's fine. Dick gern one with the Bears. Then when four games, okay? And so with all that in mind, thinking about like what what's impressive to me? Stefanski is my number two. Harbaugh is my number three for all the reasons you say. But my number one right now I think is Dan Campbell. And it's partly for the whole list thing that he did bringing this Lions team from the Ashes, the whole
three year process to get to this point. How easy it would have been, after how last season finished, to take a step back, but instead they did take that step forward to kind of answer these challenges. They're not like a perfect team, but he's very good game management wise, he's very good at the at like bringing the team together, and so for the total job, I'm going to give it to him.
And Browns fans might not like this, but.
I am admittedly taking into account Stefanski won one year three years ago too. It's like, we really got to give Stefanski two and four years to come on. I don't know, there's part of me that actually thinks that Browns fans were so upset when I mentioned that online, but I was just like, I don't know, is Stefanski really the best coach in the NFL twice in four years?
That seems a little crazy.
Dan Campbell is a is a thought, you build a good case for.
You, Okay, thank you?
He it is. It would be a two or three year award. What was he o for his first to aid point? Yeah, was in you know, he's out there crying. It would have been very easy for the organization to move on from him.
And it started last year. Whatever.
It was.
No good organizations if they feel like they have the right person in place, stick with them. I mean not to say bad about any other organizations that have gone through three coaches in the last three years, but there's one out there that's bad again and they'll be looking for another one. I don't know. I wanted to get to one more thing before we got out here. I wanted to talk a little bit about the FC North because you look at the Bengals, they they're zero and five.
In the North, they'd be eight and two. They're eight and two against everyone else. The Ravens have only lost one game outside the North. The Steelers actually have the best Steelers actually have the best record in the North. They go up to, uh, what are they playing?
Seattle?
I guess it's a good time for me to go ahead and say that I don't like the Steelers. They're gonna be eliminated from the playoffs this week, and that's why I'm walking up the Seahawk.
Oh wow, a surprise live block on a TNF recap.
We were ready, Randy behind the glass. Do you have it there? It is so thanks. We didn't warn you on that. I didn't know that was exciting.
I feel like the just to read the Steelers. I mean, it's nice that they've gotten, you know, back into it, but they're not good enough. You know, defense can't carry them forever. So Seattle's gonna win that game. Well, you have to talk about one of the AFC North teams after this week, maybe too, we'll see.
I hope, I hope you're right.
As a as a geno enthusiast, it does worry me. Those two pass rushers versus these tackles who can't protect anyone Right now in Seattle, they've been they've been living a charm life these last two weeks with these last second touchdown drives is a tough way to live.
But I feel like they could do it again.
And yeah, oologies to all the coaches we didn't go for you know McVay, Ryan's I think a.
Lot of guys will get votes.
So uh that was that was very classy view a live lock to finish up En screw the Steelers by the way, and can you can you wake up and get a win there?
Bengals.
We were getting all excited about the Bengals. I mean seven point dogs in Kansas City. I do like that number for for you.
I don't know if make an appearance on that. I think every time they've played for the last six times now, it's been a one score game, So I don't know. I think the sevens a little you know, a little rich for that.
And your boy Ana Rumo always has a good plan for them, and well I know he's not I know their defense doesn't play well, but he's always has a good plan for Patrick mahomes here.
You had bought him three defenses in the league this year and I did not see that coming. So anyway, enough Bengals talk, what happens. We'll see what happens on the Year's Eve.
It's always good to uh get some Bengals suck. And what are you doing New Year's Eve? You working at the bar?
You know, I am working at the restaurant. At the restaurant, sorry, most like something like that ten to ten somewhere around there.
So do you ever listen to us, you know, la slash Hollywood media folk talking about common man rankings and think, Hey, how about me over here? I'm running this restaurant nine to nine on New Year's Eve every night. I'm not complaining about getting an extra game because there's ten and one am game, one pm games this week. I'm the top of the common man rankings. Nick Westling, There's.
There's worse things to be than an NFL analyst, I think. But you know, that's a conversation for another day. I love my job, so I'm not going to complain. So uh no, yeah, you guys.
Are we That's That's where what I was trying to say.
Chris.
Chris would always laugh when that conversation would come up, because he would he would just think, like, y'all are all soft.
You'll give you a drink.
You guys don't know nothing about the west side.
Uh, what is going on the west side? By the way, how are the west How was the westling Christmas? In general?
Christmas good? You know we went over to my uncle Ritchie've been there for Christmas Eve place on? Yeah, yeah, probably mine too. Phil came down from Columbus with the kids and Heather and obviously Tim, Mike and Me and Steph and Matthew were there, so my mom. So we we get We had a good time, got to see some relatives and you know, always a good time to see family and Christmas time, you know, it's the half happiest time of year.
The Wesseling Uh clan rolls deep. I mean it is.
It is a clan who does it. The one time I was there, you know there there were family members.
That's Taffy. You didn't even know there was his family members all over the place. I don't even know there was.
I think that was ninety five of them there that day. By my account, we were landing on one hundred with you and Colleen showing up, and I think someone someone got ill and couldn't come into town, so they left four behind. But I think I think it was or ninety six that day. And that wasn't all of them, by the way, there was more.
Well as a festive night in the a f C North. Congrats to to Mark too Uh, to all the Browns fans out there, to Joe Flacco. I'm excited that they're going to be part of our little playoff adventure. It was a treat, Nick Avenue on. Maybe maybe we'll make this a tradition. You could. You're you're the You're the closer. You're our Mariano Rivera insert great Reds closer.
Of the past. Come on, who's the best red An?
How about that?
You strike me more as a Rob Dibble Uh.
Every that was a fun year, but I don't think Rob Dibble's my guy.
For Nick and Uh and Randy behind the glass, we've enjoyed doing these tnfs every week. We'll be back on Sunday to bring you how our week seventeen recap. It's going to be a loaded one. A lot of Sunday games this week. Until then, do as Chris Westling would say, he'd beh