And they're up to the whole of scrimmage at first and goal hand off, Jacobs blasting off the left side, fighting his way to the end. Top touchdown.
Fourteenth touchdown of the season for Josh.
And Jacob's a personal best. It is thirteen nothing Green Bays. They were just getting going. Yes, the Green Bay Packers authored the very first shutout of the twenty twenty four NFL season thanks to Josh Jacobs thirty four to nothing over the Saints on Monday Night Football. As we head into the holidays. That was Wayne Larvie of w R and W. I'm Greg Rosenthal in the garage. I'm looking at my friend Nick Chuck. Thank you for being with me on this thrilling game. Look, if it was gonna
be a blowout, at least they did it quickly. Nothing got too complicated. We got to see some excellence out of the Packers.
Yeah we did.
We got to see the Packers in the many ways they can beat you. We talk about the Bills in that fashion a lot.
Oh they can.
They can win in so many different ways offensively. The Packers kind of proved that tonight, starting with Josh Jacobs and his you know the ground and pound approach where he's one of the toughest guys to bring down on first contact. He basically doesn't go down on first contact. And they rolled. They absolutely rolled with the complete team performance. Offense was rolling, defense was rolling. Packers fans are having a blast. They're tube outside of lambeau Field. It's the
holiday season. What more could you want?
Well, I guess a close game, but if it was gonna be a blowout, it was quick, it was decisive, and Joe Buck and Chroy Aikman were having a good time. Like Joe Buok just decided to entertain himself. They really are the best right now. And they're not griping that it's like a bad game or whatever. They're they're enjoying it and look, I like seeing greatness. Some blowouts are
more entertaining than others. This was twenty one nothing before you know, the Saints had their fourth drive of the game, three straight touchdowns by the Packers, and then he just cruise from there. But the way they did it to me and the way they've done it the last two weeks is pretty telling. So Josh Jacobs sits for most of the second half because they're ahead by so much, which is great because they have a big game coming up on Sunday against the Vikings. But the first drive
of the game shook. He has six touches for forty yards touchdown. The next drive of the game, after a short Saints drive where they got a couple first downs but end up punting, he has seven touches for forty five yards. That drive is a seventeen play ninety one yard drive. Before those two drives were up, and at that point, yeah, Jacobs already has eighty five yards on thirteen touches. He barely touched it the rest of the
night after that. Before those two drives were over, seven different packers had run the ball, and you just felt like Matt Lafleur was just showing all the cool things he can do with all the cool players that he has.
Yeah, and that's exactly what I'm speaking about there, is that I know that he's kind of a mad scientist offense and that he can scheme up so many different ways. But so many different guys were able to get involved in this offense. It didn't have to be about Jordan Love. It could be about the entire offensive you and it could be Dontavian Wicks catching a touchdown pass with one of the greatest flop jobs I've ever seen from a defensive back in the NFL in the modern era.
Is that Yeah, that was commodi of thet there.
Yeah, he's just searching for a flag, desperate for a flag. You had Christian Watson taking you know, end arounds essentially just like jet sweeps, that sort of thing around the right side and picking up positive yards. You could go down this entire list. Chris Brooks gets a touchdown carry, Emmanuel Wilson gets eleven for fifty two by the time the game's over. Tucker Craft. We love Tucker Craft. He's had a great year. You had read Dobbs Wicks. Everybody's involved.
Then they can just hit it from so many different angles because their coach is so creative with this play calling. It got to the point where in the fourth quarter of this game, and I know I'm getting ahead of myself, Milake Willis completed one pass. It was a thirty four yard dined to Jayden Reid down the sideline, and I just it just occurred to me, God, he's in the
perfect place. He is in the perfect place to develop him as a quarterback, no pressure, a coach who knows exactly how to take advantage of his talents, and this entire offense is benefiting from the fact that Matt Lafleur is their coach.
So I was thinking today about the comeback Player of the Year and now you're not allowed to just vote for guys for getting better. It made me think, like we need to have a most improved player, Like that's a more meaningful award. To me, most improved is all about development and what you want to do as a pro. And I was thinking Sam Darnold, that would be a nice spot for him to win that award that Gino Smith did. Gino win it last year. And I was
thinking Malik Willis. If we had the ladder for most Improved Player of the Year, I'd try to sneak Malik Willison there at five. There's no rule that says you have to play a lot because we saw what he was before and we've seen what he is this year. And Lafleur gets a lot of credit, but Malik Willis gets even more credit because some of those passes he made in the runs, obviously he made in that early stretch.
That's helped set them up for this run that they we've had now where they're running the ball so well.
Yeah, it just made me consider their season in total, which is like Week one, Jordan Love gets hurt and it's doomsday for the Packers. We're on this podcast talking about, oh man, they lost Week one, what are they gonna do now they don't have their quarterback. They win the next two games with League Willis because Lafloor knows how to put him in the right spots and take advantage of his talents. I totally agree, by the way we should.
It's our show. We could do whatever we want. Let's have a Most Improved Player ladder?
Why not? Okay, maybe we will. And I know not that many important people are listening, but we do have an AP writer, Josh Debou, who listens to this show, So like, maybe we can get him to make the most Improved Player a thing. I mean NFL honors, they could use more words. We did Assistant Coach of the Year, no hate like that, But if we're doing Assistant Coach of the Year, I think we can have room for
most Improved. Yeah, Lafleur, there was one funny play early where he actually had kool aid mckinnistry so confused on like a playfake that he was like spinning like a top looking for the right receiver. I think that was on the fourth down where Love took the check down instead of going deep that Troy Aikman wanted to and
Love didn't have to do that much. I was glad he had that long throw to Jayden Reid in the second half because it felt like in the second half, Lafleur came out a halftime and it was like, we've all year we've been wanting a complete game. I don't think we've had a complete game. Special team's offense and defense, and certainly at halftime, you're like, this is the complete game.
It's twenty four to nothing in the second half, they're not really moving the ball much for a while, and you're thinking, oh, Laflaur's not gonna feel like he gets it. But they tack on ten points at the end with a nice deep pass from Love and Willis, and he definitely got his complete game. You can't get any more complete than gaining four hundred plus yards holding them under two hundred the shutout. The passing was more than efficient enough.
The offensive line has been awesome all year and is really underrated, and they should feel really good going into this Vikings game.
And Brandon McManus it's two field goals of forty five plus yards. Look, this is a Packers team that has dealt with inconsistency at kickers since the departure and really the end of Mason Crosby. They had Andrews Carlson last year and he was not good. And now they have consistency in the form of Brandon McManus. So this may be, you know, overreaction to one blowout win, but the way the Packers have played over the last five weeks, say, for that narrow loss to the Lions, their defense has
been phenomenal. I mean absolutely fantasticated. A pressure rate over fifty percent tonight, which is crazy, totally shut down the Saints offense, especially in that first half. They finished under one hundred yards in the first half. And so their defense has been playing phenomenally. We know what their offense can do. Now they have a reliable kicker as well. Calling crazy Greg, but I don't think it's too far fetch to throw them among the elite contenders in the
NFC right now. No, the problem is that it's not a normal year eleven and four. Should you win you a division and get you a home game at the very least some years it might have you in the mix for the one or the two seed. Instead, they have almost no chance to even be second place in their division. I shouldn't say that it's not that far Fett. All they gotta do is win their last two games. They got to beat the Vikings, and then they need the Vikings to lose against the Lions.
That's not that crazy of a scenario. And then actually they would get up to five, they would pass the Vikings. ESPN put out that scenario. Now they could fall down to seven as well if they lost down the stretch in Washington passed them. And I actually think it could be a meaningful difference between six, five, six and seven. You know, you get the five seed and you're playing the winner of the NFC South. That's great. If you're the sixth seed right now, you'd be playing the Rams.
That is probably who it will wind up being. Okay, that's manageable. If you're the seventh seed, you probably have the Eagles. So those are three different tiers. I think it does matter. I think the Packers will be tempted to rest everyone in Week eighteen against the Bear and maybe care less about seeding. But that that's a conversation, uh for a week from now. I'm glad you mentioned the pressure numbers. Yeah, Van Ness had a good game.
I thought Rashan Gary had a good game. He's been playing better and yeah, the running game is what really stuck with me. Guess their success rate tonight.
I don't know if you're like a success it was it was always over fifty percent of the last time I checked it was in the fourth quarter.
It was sixty four percent, which is.
Wow, it got even higher and like thirty five.
Anything over fifty is incredible on the ground for them to do that, Granted, everyone listening to this is like, are you gonna mention that they're playing the Saints. It's like, yeah, okay, other teams haven't done this to the Saint. It's what you do against teams that are dead, and the Saints
they're pretty dead. They couldn't they couldn't tackle anyone. I don't think we need to dive too deep into their roster that there's going to be a lot of changes, But give me, give me just your thoughts and Spencer Rattler back in the starting lineup after a couple stretch earlier in the season.
You know, I think it was pretty evident in the first half and by the third quarter that look, dude, he's playing with a deck that's just not full. You know, Alvium Kamara's not out there. The receiving core is made up of a number of guys who you may have never even heard of at this point. Juwan Johnson might be their best receiving threat at tight end right now, and they're just they don't have a lot of guys.
They don't have a lot of weapons, and it's a rookie quarterback against the defenses playing with its tear on fire. So it's going to be a challenge, especially when you face a pressure rate like he did throughout this game. I didn't think he actively hurt them. He had two turnovers, he fumbled the ball away when he got hit, and he also threw an interception by not putting enough on the football. I mean, there was a window there and he just didn't throw it hard enough, not enough velocity.
But on the play prior to that, he made a fantastic jump pass to convert a third down and I was like, there's the.
Yeah, but that play was crazy. That was the two play sequence that defined Spencer Rattler as a rookie. He didn't need to jump, he just jumped for fun for style. I've never seen anyone put that much velocity a jump pass that went fifteen twenty yards down the field. There's some starting quarterbacks in the NFL. I'm not gonna name names because their fans are gonna get mad, but they couldn't throw it that fast with their two feet on
the ground. Spencer Ratler's got a hose, so it'd be fun to see him at some point in a different system. But yeah, he lost his center today. Eric McCoy MVS got sick on Monday. He's been their number one receiver, so he didn't even play. I mean, it was a it was a disaster for them even before this.
Yeah, I mean, Kevin Austin and Dante Pettis are the leading receivers that aren't playing tight end, Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson, three guys finished with two catches each. Like this is a low ceiling offense with just no firepower, So I can't hold it against him. I see what fuels the agenda with Spencer Ratler. It's the throw like the one we just talked about, but it's not. You know, he's not and he's better than Dorian Thompson Robinson, I'll say that, but he's still a rookie quarterback.
I was talking to my friend Adam West, he does the Saints Block Party podcast. He was talking about, well, you got to you gotta see what you have in Rattler, Yeah, down the street, And I was like, yes, but there's literally nothing Rattler could do in this stretch that would impact what your decision making is. And that includes if he played incredible and the next three weeks he looked like one of the best rookie quarterbacks in the league
out of summer. You still are taking a quarterback if you want to take a quarterback, and you're still doing it a free agency and Rattler's there like he can be part of some competition. Let's move off from that because the only the only important takeaway I think from this game from the Saints perspective is just I believe big nights like this primetime could impact Mickey Loomis's chances to keep that job. It's all I thought was important over the rest of this same season. I know locally
they've talked that Darren Rizzy could keep that job. There's no way he's going to keep that job. But I do think meaning losing thirty four to nothing in primetime, I think it's going to help Gail Benson, the owner, look at what has happened with this organization and make a decision that for whatever reason, locally they don't think she's gonna make and get rid of Mickey Loomis, who's been running this organization like a mob boss for like
twenty five years. So everyone's afraid to say anything about it. It's like Tammany Hall if you're a historian. And I think when she fired Dennis Allen over his wishes, that showed me, Okay, she's a little more plugged in and how this season ended would maybe affect him or not. And we're seeing how it's ending, whether it's fair or not, I think he's going to be out.
So I'm just I'm glad.
I'm glad you described him as a mob boss because I wrote and though what we learned that he's Teflon strong because he just stayed for some reason he avoids all the bullets, like he just keeps his job. This may be the low point that makes them considered. I totally agree with you. It's just that we are heading into an offseason in which who are the candidates to replace? You know, a lot of gms are names that you don't know at the time until there's.
There's there's plenty. He's from a whole different generation. The reason he's teflon is because he runs the organization in a way. He he is almost an acting owner. She from all reports, she's very hands off. They have the Pelicans too, and he's involved in the business. He's involved, He's involved in everything, and I think it's just going to be a lot of work to replace him. But I think they need to do that work.
Yeah, there's a bit of a right hand man thing going on there, and you go away from that security. But how low do you do you sink before you decide to make a change. I think we're pretty close now.
I think I think we're there. I think we got there tonight. And yet we came through with energy, with professionalism, like uh like Rashaan Gary. If you happen to see that clip of him stepping into that interview with Jordan Love and scaring the hell out of Lisa Saulters. Just just check that out. We couldn't get the rights to it, but if we could, I would play it right here.
Came through.
We came through with energy and professionalism, and in the spirit of Christmas. We came through with a jug of eggnog. Right, Oh yeah, okay, this is for the audience.
We're gonna fit this.
You're you're an eggnog drinking the guy.
To the face. No alcohol, just aggnog.
Okay. I loved it as a kid, and it's been a long time. It's been a long time since I've had it. So maybe maybe an honor of you I will have that is it's like a little too sweet, you know, it's like little, a little sweet.
I don't need.
I don't need all that sweet at my age. All right, thirty four nothing Packers set up an important Week seventeen game. That's all we look for this time of the season against the Vikings. We will be back after the break. We are gonna make our coach of the Year ladder, do a little news and then get on our merry way back in the day, back on NFL daily, not a lot of news. Maybe just the teams are hanging out, they're buying presence. We got to get shook on the way.
I mean, Ship's got a massive family there in Cleveland. That's why he moved back. I'm sure he's got some presence.
He's got some I got some wrap. I'll tell you that.
Okay, So we got to get you on your way, and you lucked out because yeah, there's there's really not a lot of news. One item which I haven't seen him getting picked up in a lot of places, so I did want to shout it out. Here is Sean McDermott getting asked about possibly resting his starters, and they weren't talking about week eighteen. They were talking about this week. I thought it was interesting. Let's listen.
I think really we're in the motive taking it one day at a time right now. May know a little bit more later in the week, and if that comes up, we'll we'll kind of dive into that then, but for right now, we're just taking it one one day at a time.
Here. Hmmm, So I've said a lot on this podcast. How if a coach is saying he hasn't decided or he's evaluating the quarterback situation on a Monday. He always makes the change. I've been in this situation and enough to know when they say we'll come up with it. Then in this case, like, oh, he's probably gonna rest his starters in week seventeen if the Chiefs win, which
is really interesting to me. I think that was how I took that answer, that if the Chiefs win on Christmas and you're playing your fantasy championship, watch out that Josh Allen might not play that whole game, or they'll they'll be careful with injured players, or they'll just rest players in general. I think for him to give that answer shows that they've already thought about it, and maybe
they wouldn't rest week seventeen eighteen. Maybe they'd rest week seventeen and they'd play Week eighteen, but you know, going into the playoffs, who knows. But it just shows that it's on Sean mcdermoond's mind already.
I think he's operating with the rare privilege of the Chiefs playing the Steelers on Christmas and that being a determining factor. But if you look at the standings in the conference, at least that's not necessarily the only team that could threaten them for seating. So I think it's a cautious approach in which he looks around and says, we're going to evaluate what happens after this week. But I also think it's the right approach because your quarterbacks
are the most important guy. And we saw him loose feeling in his arm, and you saw what happened with that. So I think they got a reminder of how important your quarterback.
Well, he yeah, but the one to the two is huge. Do they care about, you know, the two to the three potentially, but they have a game to play with there as well. They're up too games on the Ravens, who would be the team that has the diyebreaker on them there, So they could even punt one week, or they could win with their backups this week and then play their starters next week. Just something to watch. I
just don't think it's gotten any pickup. But that got on my raidar there the Texans, who are also playing on Christmas, we're in the news quite a bit on my they claim Deontay Johnson. So is this just like a oh he's got all the Ravens playbook That's what people thought, because I know they could use some talent. But at this point, you got to assume Deontay Johnson is not helping your football team in twenty twenty four, I guess.
I mean he didn't help the Ravens.
He's on an odyssey of sorts this year, going from Carolina to Baltimore now on to Houston. I also think that it's a reaction to the fact that you lost Tank Dell. You don't have Stefan Diggs. You could use another veteran body in there, so maybe he does see the field. I think maybe it is more than just intellgating.
You know, maybe.
Maybe or they get a feel of him. And obviously other teams haven't loved what they've gotten out of Deontay Johnson, but he is a free agent. Maybe they'd be in a position to be like, hey, if you're going to take a cheap one year contract next year because you've hurt your value so low, where the team for you or the relationship gets work done, we'll see. I'm not expecting much. As you mentioned Tank Dell out for the season, Dimigo Ryans announced not only does he have a dislocated kneecap.
He also has a torn acl so once again just wishing the best. That is gonna be a tough recovery for Tank Dell for a second offseason and he's been through a lot and we hope that he gets better. Somewhat surprising news, Jimmy Ward, their safety, who had really played well for them, is also out for the season. So that was a big loss in that game. He left midway through that game. He is not going to be back at all, so that's a big hit in
their secondary. And Shaq Mason, who's one of the better players on a beleaguered offensive line, is week to week, So a lot of injuries there for the Texans before they suit up against the Ravens. They're heavy home underdogs. We'll talk about that on Tuesday show. We are having a Tuesday morning Christmas Eve Day show that Jordan, Rod reag and I are going to tape and so that'll be in your feed sometime on Christmas Eve afternoon, and then we're going to be dark for Christmas. Haven't laid
out the schedule here yet. I'm just honking Nick because I want to get to this ladder. The Coaches of the Year A couple just small injury items. Oulu Fashanu of the Jets, who's played well, is going to be out for the rest of the season, but it's not a serious injury, like a long term injury. It's a foot injury. And JK. Dobbins, the Chargers running back was designated to return, is going to be out of practice.
So would love to see him on Saturday in Foxborough on NFL Network with our friend Chris Rose and Ross Tucker on the call. That's a that's a fun duo. I will get your take on this. Vikings Packers moved to four to twenty five Eastern on Sunday, a rare flex for a game that's like five days away. I love that, like they're gonna be the whole national window. It's a very strange Sunday slate, Nick, I don't know
if you've looked at it. Only six games early and only two games late, so the whole country is going to be watching that Vikings Packers game. It's one of the only really big games we have left the rest of the season.
To be honest, well, I was hoping you're gonna get my Chris Rose takes, because that's my guy.
But I'm just kidding.
Okay, No, let's hear it. Let's hear Ran for like two minutes.
It's the homie. He's well versed in baseball, and I text him about baseball at the time. He's a great guy. No, it's that slate. It's not great. You already had to flex the Browns out of a primetime game into the four o'clock window just to get them out of there when they're playing the Dolphins. So why not put at least Packers Vikings a game with a ton of significance in the same window. I'm sure it'll be America's game of the week.
Uh yeah, it's literally the only game at four twenty five.
Now.
The Dolphins're right are at four five, and then there's only six games early and yeah, they're not a lot of big games. Cowboys Eagles is probably the best game early Saturday.
Well, the Christmas week a Thursday, nay, three Saturday games, we're gonna be all spread out, which means we're gonna be watching football pretty much every day this week.
Yeah, while we're While we're here, we got two Wednesday games. That's Christmas Now, NFL Daily on Christmas had Mercy on the Roberts family celebrating their first Christmas with their.
Baby baby's first Christmas.
Yes, and then we are gonna I'd be doing our Thursday preview show that it's usually taped on Wednesdays, but we're still doing the normal Steve Weish, Patrick Claibon and myself will be without Wish actually now that I'm thinking because he's going to be in Foxborough on NFL Network for too much information. Anyways, We're doing our previews show
on Thursday. That'll come out. We will not be doing a Thursday night recap this week because we're going heavy on these shows, and we will be back, of course as usual for our Sunday night recap. So that is the order. Let's get to the Coach of the Year ladder. This is what matters, this is what the people want. Our ladders have been taking over the internet. Denver Broncos fans loved when I left bow Nicks out of the Rookie of the Year conversation. Yeah, hasn't played great since,
but we'll see. I'm also leaving Sean Payton out of the Coach of the Year. I'm just going to start with that. Sorry.
Oh, this is so.
The the group is so good. I'm just gonna say the like four guys, and I guess I'm spoiling some things here. Here are four guys that didn't make mine that if you put them like two or three in years, I would say, totally understand it. Sean Payton just missed Sean McDermott. You know, they weren't even predicted to win their division in Vegas or whatever this year, although I had him, of course winning the super Bowl. Let's go Jim Harbaugh, big turnaround for the Chargers. And Matt Lafleur,
who we saw tonight. Those guys didn't even make my list. Let's start with your list at number five. We'll figure out who didn't make your list as we go.
We're gonna have some variants here.
And I had a really hard time figuring out figuring out number five because I think Lafleur does deserve a spot here. He is going to be number five on my ladder because of what we discussed earlier in the show, which is how he's really just grown this Packers offense to be a unit that can attack you from so many different angles. The way that he handled the league willis situation they didn't miss a beat with him. They changed their offense dramatically in those games to accentuate his
strengths and went out and won football games. That alone, plus the potential of what they can do as they ride this hot streak into the postseason, makes me think, Look, I know he's had a lot of success there, and a lot of people put all that on Aaron Rodgers early in his time there, But this is a damn good coach. And I don't care that they made, you know, a deep run in the playoffs last year. I don't care about that. I'm not you know, I'm not using
that as an evaluation here. He's had a great year of coaching. He's done a fantastic job. He deserves number five.
On my list.
Totally get it, Like it fits my criteria too of just is he a great coach, Like it's not just if you improve your team from a year ago, because the team before stuck. Like he is right there with McVeigh and anyone else as one of the best x's and o's coach and obviously can run an organization. That's why I have Mike Tomlin number five. I know they're coming off of a couple losses here and the last
couple of weeks are going to be really important. When I mentioned those four coaches that miss just for me, so that's that's nine different coaches. I probably could shake up my four through nine almost in any way. I feel good about my top three right now, top three to four. But the rest we'll see how this season shakes out. But as we stand now, I think he's done a great job. I think he was bold with
the Russell Wilson move. Overall, it's just the you see it on the hard knocks, what he brings to get them ready to play each and every week. They've exceeded my expectations. Mike Tomlin is my number five. You give me your number four.
I had eleven guys in total unconsideration there, So that's that's how deep this field is. My number four.
I actually just made a last minute change because I just thought about it. It's Sean McVeigh. And it's not because you know the he's got a Super Bowl ring and everything else. It's because they've weathered an incredible amount of adversity. We wanted to leave them for dead at about week five this season, they were in a bad spot. And then they go on a run just to get better to five hundred, and it felt like a significant
achievement with all the injuries they'd suffered. They lost Pooka Nakua in week one, they lost Cooper Cup shortly thereafter. They dealt with just an array of issues, and yet he's steadied this ship. They've won games in different ways. They won an ugly game this last weekend. They've won a couple of ugly games in a row. They've gone out and out gunned the Buffalo Bills at home. They've
done it in every way possible. And I think that all starts with their coach, who flirted with retirement, has come back when the team that struggled and has got them back in playoff contention.
Now, I think he deserves recognition.
And he's better at game management. You're right, he should be on my list of at least ten that you shake up, because again, no problem with that. You were really splitting hairs with all these guys. I'm making a last second change. I'm putting Dan Quinn actually as my number four. Now, this is an award that's more than just X's and O's their defense, and he's a defensive guy. Is twenty first in the league in DVOA. Now that's a big improvement from last year when they were thirty first,
So he gets some credit for that. I'm not going to give him a crazy amount of credit when they're twenty first, but it's a talent poor roster overall that's gonna make the playoffs. And is ten and five, and he made the decision to higher Cliff Kingsbury, and he also, like Mike Tomlin, is more than just x's and o's. He's a culture changer. He's he runs the building. I think he probably learned a lot from the first time
he was a head coach. If you're wondering why he's not higher, it's just because the other coaches are incredible. But I think he's deserving to be number four. Sometimes don't I don't totally love giving We tend to give Coach of the Year to the guys who pop up out of nowhere and have one good, surprising year, and I'm giving something that maybe a little more programmed building. So Dan Quinn, you get it at number four. If you get even better next year, like some of these
coaches are, you'd probably be even higher next year. All right, give me yours.
Mine is also Quinn at three. Okay, this for all the reason the show.
It was number three on mind and I wrote down, but I just changed it as I was going to.
I think that the state of the Washington franchise last year, as opposed to where it is now, they have taken so many steps forward. I know Jane Daniels has a lot to do it, I know the Cliff Kingsbury does, but what you just said I think rings very true with me, which is still a talent board defense that's
tenth in yards a loud per game. I know they're twenty first in DVOA and they're like eighteenth in points allowed per game, but they have taken enough of a step forward to make a playoff contending team, which is not anywhere near where we would have projected them when the season started, And that alone is an achievement that deserves some acknowledgment.
Yeah, I'm going Andy Reid number three. This is the one where just people are so sick of the Chiefs that I can imagine some would get annoyed, But it's just who has been the best coach this year, and who's just the best coach. It's a hard thing to evaluate, but I do think when you're evaluating MVP, it's just like, well, who's a better players, who's having the best year, but also just who's better? And how can you say that your coach is that you would argue for are just
a better coach than Andy Reid? I think it'd be hard to argue that. And then you look at the record that he's set in terms of consecutive one score wins, and I give Kevin O'Connell spoiler alert a lot of credit for his one score win record too. Well, you can't knock the goat, Okay, I guess I'm doing the thing that kids do where multiple people are the goat, because I don't think Andy Reid is the goat, but he's like, he's up there. He's the most important, I believe,
offensive mind of this century. And he's gotten so much better at the game management stuff, and they keep winning these one score games, and he's taken I think, a very flawed team and he has them with the best record in the NFL. Wins and losses matter a lot, I believe, for the Coach of the Year award. So if anything, you could argue he should be even higher. Andy Reid number three.
Yeah, I actually agree with this a lot. He's not on my top five because of Chiefs fatigue. Not that I experienced it, but I just expect this from him. Let's change goat to go greatest coach, greatest of currently active coaches.
He's the go cat.
He is, without a doubt, the gokak. Now that Bill Belichick is that unc his son Steve, another feather in the cap for our guy, Ali Connelly, who reported Steve Belichick was going there weeks ago before everyone else did, all right, give me your number two.
My number two is gonna be Sean Payton.
And look, it's not easy to like Sean Payton because of his demeanor, but you love to see him unleash his offensive genius on a team that has a quarterback that he realizes he can he can work with, and he can work with bow Knicks. The way that he has adjusted to Bownicks's strengths gotten him out on the run so much and allowed that player to develop and also succeed. Save for the last couple of weeks, I
think it was a massive feather in his cap. It was just a huge stride forward for this entire franchise because we knew that this is a team that had a defense that has played better than probably most people expected what was gonna be good, and now the quarterback is playing well enough for them to be in contention as well. Like they don't get here without Sean Payton. The way that he's adjusted to his personnel this year, which a lot of coaches struggle with. They try to
fit square pegs in a round holes. Sean Payton's not doing that grand He had to go draft the guy to fit him into the hole. But it's working out for them, So I think he deserves some praise for that too.
Love it. Like I said, this is not an award where I'm going to push back on what other people think. I really think there's a lot of ways you could go with this, and he does a lot of the things that I am saying is great about these other coaches, like what he's done to get the details and building this offensive line and getting the right coaches and just everything they are on their p's and q's, they've overachieved. He might end up on my top five in the end.
I had him six today. It means that you don't have either my number two or my number one on your list, which is interesting. My one B and it's I think it's going to be determined who wins my Coach of the Year and perhaps who wins the AP Coach of the Year in Week eighteen by who wins that. At least that's how I'm looking at it. My one B is Kevin O'Connell outstanding job. I think it's a more talented team than you realize, so it's not just a bunch of ragtag guys. I mean, they have a
really good offensive lineup. Of course they lost Darrisaw, but there's talent there, great skill position players around the quarterback. But he's right there with the foremost quarterback coaches in the league. And then he's like Andy Reid Nail's in these one score games. I think they're pretty good in game management. He lets Brian Flores do his thing, but he hired Brian Flores and he just seems like a player, that former player that has the pulse of his team,
So couldn't do a better job. I'm just going to give my top two in a row and then I'll let you go because I think they're connected. I have Dan Campbell still number one. I think they've overcome a lot this year with these injuries, and overcome a lot of stepping up from an NFC Championship disappointment where they were one of the best teams in the league and actually getting even better, which I think is harder to
do as a coach. So I am giving extra credit for the years of building that's gotten him to this point, because I think that is the hardest thing to do, is sustain success, and it's a great coaching job that he's done that, and in in game management and Ben Johnson and everything like, they're incredible at that too. So he's my one A, KOC is my one B, and I will probably favor whoever wins that Week eighteen game bar and anything else weird in between. That's probably how I'll go.
So I'm going to get hate for not including Dan Campbell, and that's totally fine. I also want to point out that I love what Dan Campbell's done, and I love what Mike Tomlin's done.
Mike Tomlin, I've okay, do want to say that.
I did the same thing with John Payton, So I know, just want to say that because I love them both very much. But I also think that Dan Campbell is somewhat comparable to Kevin O'Connell and that both are tied to a really good coordinator, Dan Campbell obviously, with Ben Johnson coordining that offense and they're putting up tons of points and everything else. Yes, they've overcome a lot, right, Kevin O'Connell is very much tied to Brian Flores, not as much though, I think, as Dan Campbell is to
Ben Johnson. And this is why Kevin O'Connell this year has gained so much credit with me for how he's piloted this team. This is a team with Sam Freakin Darnold at quarterback, and they're excellent. They are a team that I cannot doubt anymore. They're a good team. They're a talented team. They also have a defense that is damn good, a defense that's really aggressive, that creates turnovers and then the offense goes out and capitalizes on it.
But for some reason, when O'Connell first got there and they had all those one score wins a few years ago, I was like, I don't know, a flash in the pan. They feel kind of fraudulent. I'm a full believer in him. Now as a coach, he's confident. He goes out there and he gets the job done, and he does it in a number of different ways where he's just out coaching other guys. They're always like a step of ahead, and that to me is the sign of a coach is going to be around for a really long time.
I think that this Viking season has caught most people by surprise, if not everybody, including me. It started a quarterback, but it's much more than that. A lot of it has to do with their coach.
What a difficult job it's going to be in Chicago because you're going up against Dan Campbell, Kevin O'Connell and Matt lafleur ye six times a year. Indefinitely, I can't remember a division that was this good, especially with young head coaches. It's scary, it's competitive and it's scary. And then you think about the AFC West, where it's like the old crew Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, and Andy Reid. Good luck to the Raiders coach that comes in there.
It's like these two divisions are just loaded with really good they're just praying for retirements, early retirements for all those guys. Yeah, I mean in AFC West they're closer. These guys in the NFC North, they're going to be around a while. That was our Coach of the Year, Ladder. You know what time it is now, it's our favorite time of week. Time for the Captain's Corner, presented by Captain Morgan. I've got a really dumb pick, so I'm gonna let you go first.
All right, Well, my pick's going to be pretty chalk.
You know we talked yesterday about Actually Weisch was the one who texted you just the level of quarterback play that occurred between the Vikings and Seahawks and Seattle Sam Darnold.
Look, it's chalk, and I get it, but.
Wow, it could be justin Jefferson because he was kind of.
Well, you'll never see that game. You'll never see me do that. That's too chalky for me. And that's including the zeg Dog. You know, it's kind pretty chalky from time to time. Hey, Now, Donald made some throws in
that game that we've seen him make before. But that touchdown pass that we played as a highlight yesterday that put them in the lead doing it on the road, I don't know, man like There's just something about the way he's played this year and the way he played on Sunday that just again reinforced that, you know what I can get behind this team. He might make a mistake or two here and there, but he is a completely different quarterback than he was a few years ago, and Sunday proved.
It to me way less mistakes. I thought he was really good with his pocket movement, how quickly he's getting through his reads. Just really solid, really consistent snap the snap. Love that pick. My pick is Kenny Pickett, whoa I watch. I watched this game, okay, and we live in this world where if a receiver catches a ball, then suddenly everyone blames the whole game on the backup quarterback, like, oh, well they didn't take advantage with Saquon Barkley. You know
they're they're loading up to stop him. One's Pickett. Pickett was terrible in this Okay. It's like, I go and watch the game today expecting Pickett to be terrible. He hits on three fourth down throws, he hits aj Brown deep down the field, he gets a couple of deep pis. I'm not saying Kenny Pickett was the best Player in the Week. But I was like, he was exactly what
you would hope out of your backup quarterback. In that game, he came in and technically it was only seven to nothing at the time, they were in the red zone, but he hit the touchdown slant like they put up points. He made a bad mistake or two for sure.
Yeah.
He also finished the week thirteenth in EPA per play, fifteenth in completion percentage over expected. HiT's Kenny freaking picket. What do you expect anyone complaining about Kenny Pickett in this game? I don't like it. So I've decided if he's not, he's gonna get that much grief from all the Eagles fans and the media that I was listening to. He's going to get my Captain of the Week just because I'm I'm just feeling generous.
Yeah, if he would have, if he would have had his receivers catch a few more of those key passes late in that game, I think.
Won the game if DeVonta Smith got the ball, and then you're like, he hat that drive. He was great on that drive.
Actually, everybody's on board if they make those catches. So I'm not You're not too far off.
I just think he's get a miraculous like fourth down while on the move. I'm just saying he wasn't even that good. I'm I'm very low on Kenny Pickett. I thought Tanner mckeishould have gotten that job. But that was actually one of the best Kenny Pickett performances I've seen. And it was just like, you know, stupid people just people just watch the the score and they make their their highlights.
Yeah, they do.
And that was the Captain's Corner, presented by Captain Morgan. It's delicious and crisp, perfect for game day with friends. Spice it up. Visit Captain Morgan dot com to find a Captain near you. Please drink responsibly. That was it, Nick. You can you can get out of here. You can go do some presents. I haven't even told you this and I and that's bad, bad boss work by me. But next week I'm going to be in the studio
for Monday Night Football. We will be back together, me and you shook for a Monday Night Football playoff game. That is the true finale for Monday Night Football. But I appreciate everything you've been doing on these regular season Monday nights throughout the season.
And that's a reason for you to like and subscribe and come back for more.
That's right, Merry Christmas to you, Shook and the family. We will be back on Tuesday. Like I mentioned with Jordan Rod of the Athletic might have a little cameo in that. Looking forward to that. And look when you're getting the shutout and the next NFL game has Mariah Perry lydia off, you know football is back finally,