Patriots-Bills Recap, Making Sense of the Cowboys with Jane Slater

breathe new life into this podcast. In particular, that would have out of that routine, that would have been valuable at any of that that came out of your mouth. N sincere on any level, grip, but it's true that was a different It woke me up. I'll decide. Why was you know, sending an email about you know, some holiday party drama and um, Dan, I was like, Oh, what's where's the end going with this? I gotta pay it engine. I like, good, do you think? Do you

think this is still a good podcast? Like, where do you guys come down on it? Actually, you guys are probably too clearly hit the sec definition good podcast. I think it is one of the best. And actually, that's funny you asked. This actually wasn't a set up. I got a message this morning from some Shadowy League figures and apparently around the NFL made pod tracks top twenty industry agnostic podcast rating rankings for the month of November.

What religion are you? Oh, I'm industry agnostic? What is that like? The podcast? It's podcasts and we the Daily the New York Times and number one nprs two our number sixteen out of twenty. That is huge. And that came from a Shadowy League fire because I've always been under the impression that none of the Shadowy League figures are aware that this is a podcast, that this exists.

But now they've got the you got the I Heart deal right, well, we don't got the higher Its some mad money flowing in and then they're like, huh, these boys are playing with the big hitters. Yeah, producers see And I'll go ahead, Mark, Well, would you have told us that had Dan not prompted you? Actually, yeah, I was going to tell you after that. I'm just sitting it seems like important addition. I've often you know, back in the day, this bothered. I remember West at the time,

I think you guys too. I was saying, like, we're the big bang theory of podcasts. Not critically popular and um, but just huge numbers, you know, the money. We're coasting along and like, and we're doing great. We're in season nine. The only thing is we're not making six million dollars an episode like all those actors. But uh, I was gonna say, enough of the naval gazing, but I did.

One thing I did want to talk about is Spotify releases. It's, you know, all the breakdown of your listening habits, and as happens every year, wrapped the wrapped very you know much welcomed all the fans that step up and send screen grabs that the top podcast was around the NFL podcast And so I want to give it a shout

out to like guys like and gals. But this is a guy, Declan mulve the Hill who listened to one hundred episodes for a total of six thousand, five and sixty seven minutes, and then like, okay, that's good, good job dec in a big spot. But then there's Jim Lorigan who listened to a hundred and seven episodes for a total of seven thousand, sixty one minutes. And that's pretty crazy, but it's not as good as Nick Lanza, who I don't know. If anybody beats Nick this year,

try to top Nick, please if you're out there. According to this screen grab, Nick listened to five hundred and five episodes for a total of twenty nine thousand and thirty eight minutes. Nick probably single, Uh, Nick, definitely loyal, and it's it's a UM it is a trend or it is something that people do connected to our show Mark, which is they re listen to pass seasons just to kind of follow the sport through the years. Of course that also get you back to Chris Westling, and that's

a great element of this. People listen from two two onward and catch up to the show, and that's obviously something Nick did. There are there are tons of deep gems in the past. UM. I find it interesting because I can't remember what we talked about on Sunday Night at this point. With the way this thing works, UM, if any of them are attached to uh significant others or burgeoning significant others, um, they'll be probably very annoyed

with the individuals you just mentioned. There's a lot of time going in other directions, but I find them to be delightful habits to be delighted. It's amazing, especially this year. I mean, we'll never have a year like this year that everyone stuck with us. I don't know, I know it was like a lot of people found it hard to stick with us after Chris died, and I totally

understand that it's hard to keep keep going. Doing the numbers though, of what Nick did, that equals twenty days, well twenty days of his year, and that's not counting sleep. So if you you know, throw in eight hours of sleep here, that's basically spent a month of his year listening to her podcast. To answer your question, if anyone can top that, send it to us. Um. And if you can't, I think, um, I think Nick deserves something. Nick. I'm sorry if someone tops you, you didn't, you didn't

get anything. Reach out to Ricky Hollywood on Twitter, Ricky Dumbean series, UM on d M and uh, however you want to connect and we got to send something. Yeah, for sure, listener there And if you're declin, sorry you you you got mentioned, but you're not getting a gift or anything. So I was just gonna, you know, to circle back. You asked if this is a good show, A good show, good show, and um jet was brought up something that you guys mentioned on like the last

you know Tuesday show. Who's driving to take finals at usc and is on all her stress is actually listening. I didn't even know she listened to a t N and she likes to be close to you guys, and she prefers Tuesday shows. It's just a little bit less. But I didn't even know that. I didn't even know that. She's full of surprises. I love that jet. Yeah, I love that jet. Keeper keep, She's a real keeper. Anyway, Thank you to everybody. Don't up. Yeah, I would say

that would be we regret boulevard. Yeah, there's no coming back from that. I'll bring that that plane in for a landing. Bregg continues just to type, like, what do you is it a novella you're working on over here while we're staging an actual show. Greg totally unplugs, staring at his wait. Greg's involved in my life. Alright, good stuff,

Let's get into the show. We're going to preview Thursday night Football Week four teen right around the Corner and it starts with a real great game borderline, not quite but kind of in that realm loser goes home match between the Steelers and Vikings at US Bank Stadium. Um, we will preview that game. Also, an old friend that we haven't had on the show in a while. We've tried, but she's tough to book, but we got her this time.

Jane Slater Cowboys Corner with James later check in on America's team where they're at as the season enters the home stretch. But before any of that, we got to close the door on week thir team and to do that we talk Bills. Patriots. Cost comes to an earside for Harris runs He's gone to the fifty first to the Hello to the twenty David Harris to the house, touchdown Patriots mom soch with call w e G. Little Black cumbling in the background somewhere. Damien Harris takes it

all the way. It was the biggest play of the biggest win of the year for the New England Patriots, who go up to Orchard Park and take out the Buffalo Bills four team to ten in one of those really weird fun primetime games. The weather absolutely a factor in this game, swirling winds, cold as hell, and it was the New England Patriots that came out on top. Mark Sessler, I know you love this. Mac Jones finished

the day with three pass attempts. They ran the ball forty six times, the Patriots, and they get it done. I adored it on deep levels. Um, I don't think this happens without a coach like Bill Belichick, who is just leaning on decades and decades and decades of experience and total buy in. During the week, while we're all talking about like, will Matt Jones shine in the moment against this Bill's defense? Will he make the throws we're expecting him to make, Yeah, he'll make three of them.

And meanwhile we're gonna bludgeon a defense that's been overpraised, that was blashed by the Cults a couple of weeks ago. On the ground they weren't afraid of the Buffalo Bills defense. The New England Patriots were not afraid of the Buffaloes Bills offense. They did not waiver from their plan for one second. Um. They weren't marvelous on offense themselves. They

did just enough. But I thought that the way they executed, the way that every player basically just said, we're gonna go in here and psychologically change the A F C East from the ground up. I mean, you had Sean McDermott coming out of this as testy as we've ever seen right here, because obviously the narrative narrative that formed during the game was Belichick has really cooked a special one up here, and I think certain elements of the Bills that rubbed them the wrong way. Let's listen to

Sean McDermott a few shots broadcast. Did you very visibly frustrated and handmted, How would you just explain the psychological component of coaching against Bill Knowledgchick, especially when he's doing something like that. Yeah, it's not the let's not give more credit than we need to give credit to Bill Belichick, And this one it was um, whether it's Bill or

anybody else, they beat us, right. But you sit here and you tell me when they start with the average starting when we start with average starting field position in the forty yard line and he starts with the twenty three yard line, and I'm rounding up in both cases, and we were one for four in the red zone. And they're all for one in the red zone. You give me that ahead, and I'm sorry. I like my chances. I like my chances. I would just I'll ask this

to you. I mean, I get what he's saying to some degree, but aren't they also telling on themselves a little bit. They did a better field position, they did get into the rend zone, they failed where the Patriots succeeded. I mean, this, to me was about as big a loss as the Bills could have dealt with this season so far. I mean, those comments to me were so telling because they made no sense. I didn't know what

he was saying. What was what was he saying? That we were putting great, you know, situations all night and we kept blowing it. He seemed to be pointing his finger at Brian Dable, the offensive coordinator, with those comments, and throughout that press conference talking about that they're not

a physical football team. Sean McDermott hates this. When he came to Buffalo, the last thing he wanted was to be the team that can't run it in a game like this, and so I really take that from this game that going into this Bucks game, that the Bills are gonna have like McDermott is really stressing how much he wants to run the ball more and be a physical team. He hates that it's getting pointed at his defense when they only gave up two forty one yards.

But to me, like that is a legitimate takeaway. I watched most of this game thinking like this is fun, but it means it kind of means nothing. It's not really football like it is, and it isn't. It's like they had to take advantage of the situation that was there, but it's not a situation we almost ever see. I mean, there's a reason why Bill Belichick has never done this before.

He's never had conditions to face like this before, And so it didn't tell me that much about like can the Bills win in good weather, in a normal weather situation in the postseason. But the Patriots have the type of team that are built for almost anything. And they did six offensive linemen all game, and they had the fullback all game, and they made the Bills put three linebackers on the field all game and it kind of worked. And if the Bill's offense was any good, then they

would have thrown more. I think that's what people lost in it. Was that if the if Belichick was ever worried about the Bills scoring, they would have started throwing, which is why they threw a little bit at the end of the game. So let me attempt to, in my opinion, translate with Sean mcderwood said, I think it rubbed him the wrong way, and it rubbed a lot

of the players in the Bills the wrong way. After the game, there was an interview between Micah hyde Um and Jordan Poyer were a Patriots beat reporter asked them if they were embarrassed to lose a game in which the other team only through three times, and they're like, wait, what, we lost fourteen to ten. I think what Sean McDermott was saying basically was, dude, look at look at the game. I know you're framing this as I was. I had um circles coached around me by the legend Bill Belichick.

But we won the field position battle. We were knocking on the door repeatedly in the red zone with a chance to win the game, and we lost. And that's why I agree with you. I think he's maybe Brian Dable. I think Josh Allen too. Josh Allen missing throws that

would have changed the trajectory of their season. Uh down in the red zone, making bad decisions, taking bad sacks, things that weren't happening in I think his frustration was he sees the way the game was being presented to the public as Belichick beats McDermott and outthinks everyone we're really his frustration was we didn't execute. We were in

possession to position to win, and we failed. And my thought on the Patriots, like they deserve a ton of credit for winning this game, is Tom Brady's gone and they still find ways to win games like this because there's they They continue to be a really well coached, well prepared, UH innovative thinking organization. And I do I do say, I am very happy that Tom Brady is

not there because that's why they won. They went to the Super Bowl nine times and won six or seven of them, whatever it was, because you took this this Brady player was unbelievable, and this coaching staff, which is unbelievably put them together and that was once in a hundred years. I I think I heard you say it doesn't mean anything or you don't take anything away about it.

I'm not saying that like if and disagree more if if the Patriots had one or a lot like it was a fun game, but I think going into it and watching it, I think it's dangerous to take huge sweeping conclusions. First of all, it's a close game. You know it could have gone either way. But my thing is, like, there were how many games, two hundred games played this year?

None of them were in conditions like this. This isn't this is football because you have to adapt, but it also is not something that I think it is that meaningful for when they play again in a couple of weeks necessarily, or like when the Bills are in the playoffs. It's it was a total flukey fun, like we gotta figure this out. Like intellectually, I was very entertained, but it's also kind of like not football. If you can't do a forward pass in the years any twenty, I

just I don't know. I guess I just look at it differently that there's one football team I know of that would have ever come up with this concept in this and that's what made that's what that's so that means something to me because the next time they get together and everyone's gonna say, throw out that game because

of the weather or whatever. Well, it's like you're still going to be dealing with the fact that Sean McDermott can be saying a couple of things in that in that press conference, but one of them is that the Belichick Patriots dark cloud that they thought that they had swept away is back, and I think it is extremely frustrated to the Bills, who are what one in four in their last one in their last bunch of games. I mean, they are going in the wrong direction, and

the Patriots are peaking. No one saw this coming two months ago, right they they they made the miss. Like expectations are so hard in the NFL. I think the Browns are finding that the Bills are finding that. That's why I give the packers under my floor a lot of credit. The hardest thing to do is be very good year after year, and you can almost see them

feeling that heat. Um, but I love that. My Day Night Football Crew recounted a conversation they had with Belichick about like the difference between this Patriots team and last year, and he was like, better players. It's like that is the main difference, Like Damien Harris pops that, so that they can play this style of game where they're playing

with the lead and don't have to be risky. They've got Juden and Barmore on on the In terms of the pass whorus they pressured Josh Allen of the time, he didn't complete a pass when he was pressured in this game, I thought Alan played really well. Like he showed I disagreed with you a little bit. I think he showed the difference of like what the strongest arm in the league could do. If Diggs catches that touchdown past the Dawson Knox doesn't play a terrible game, they

don't fumble in the plus territory. Allen did about as well as I think a quarterback could have done in that area. You thought he handled the end of that game well, and those two runs on drives, that's money time, and he did not make the plays he got, calling time outs, taking sacks, missing receiver. But that's it's also the time outs were on McDermott, and that's where McDermott

has to own up to. I blew two time outs, one with an emotional challenge which was a waste, and another one I didn't get the play and in time to Josh Allen or not having my quarterback prepared with the play uh to call. Not only that, I love that the Mannings pointed out when the Patriots had a third and long setting up their last field goal, the whole point of the play was to put their kicker on the on the correct hash. That was not what the Bills did on their last third and long at all,

and the wind ended up hooking it. But all these things are the difference between the Patriots coaching staff and sorry, every other coaching staff. Yeah. I'm not arguing that, I know, but when this whole idea of like, oh, you know, let's not put it on Bill Belichick, well I do put it on Bill Belichick. I think if they gone and faced the Cults are a different team that last night, that it's another team that we try to do the

same thing they always do. The Bills essentially try to just be who they are the Patriots like we're gonna be something totally different. Yet, and yet the if the Bills execute better in the red zone, they win the game. Probably because I think the Mars created a very small mare. There's only one play that I can think of where where that makes sense to me, and that was Zack Moss on the first red zone drive when they're inside

the ten. He's got the entire outside and they haven't been playing Zach Moss because the mistakes like this all year, Like there was a touchdown there to be run, like if vermondre Stevenson got that ball, he's going around the edge and he's scoring a touchdown and Moss just runs

straight into the line and misses it. But I can't think of another play where it's just like the Patriots players beat them, including the last play where Belichick goes incredibly aggressive and go and cover zero in that situation and Miles Bryant makes a really great read to break up that past. Now, the throw probably wasn't getting there anyways, but I was like, Wow, that was their offensive line

beat Buffalo's line all night long. If you're looking for someone, I mean, they just went in and they they dropped a bomb on them line, and I will I'll say this, we got a rematch, And I think maybe this speaks

to a little bit what you were saying. Right, They have a rematch coming up in two weeks, and I do look forward to as fun as that was in the crazy conditions in a primetime game and everybody's enjoying it together on social media, and you know, the Mannings are digging on it like I would like to see it. I want to see mac Jones involved in the game. I want to see the Bills able to run their offense. I want to see these two teams kind of be able to play a normal football game. Uh. And that's

why it's good they have a second matchup. This division race is not over. I know it feels over now, but I don't think it is. But at the same time, the Bills, hey, gut check time. But because before they get the Pats, they get the Bucks and they are seven and five right now, so all of a sudden that it is really this is crucible time for the Bills. I have a two truths in a lie coming out of this game. You don't have to even answer. I just want you to think about it. In fact, don't answer.

We have to agree or disagree. You don't have These are three items are the opinions three items? Two of them I consider to be truths, not a truth. You don't even have to respond. Item number one, the Bills are doomed. Just sit on it. Item number two. Everyone is doomed. Item number three, I have a twenty five year old daughter. One of those is not accurate. The other two are deadly accurate. Well, I know you have a year old, all right, So I don't know that

that's true. I think everyone is doomed, is the lie, because everyone includes the entire world. I'm not I'm not putting us in there, like we'll all die eventually, But that doesn't mean doomed. I think the fact that you can have a lot of joy and happiness on the way there. I don't consider everyone. So we've agreed the bills are doomed. Ricky, do you agree with that? If you're listening, I'm I I just yeah, I don't know. The bills dropped down to seven seventh seed, like they

have a lot of ground to make. There's one thing I know is to be sure about anything in the a f C. That's that's a good place. I tried it last week and it went really well. So here we are again, all right, So that's Monday night football. That was fun. Let's uh, it was fun. That was cool. I I do love weird weather. When the flag on top of the upright disappeared as I go it's about it's about to get nuts. It's about to get Yeah. Its like added juice and took juice out at the

same right. That's why it's good that we're gonna get another matchup and hopefully the New England weather cooperates, but who knows. All right, let's take a break and then Jane's later on the Cowboys. Alright, time for a guest, and it's a good one. It's our friend. We've been working with her for a long time though, and now she's back on the podcast, Jane Slater, who's all over the Cowboys. Cowboys corner I call it with Jane Slater.

Welcome back to the Around the NFL Podcast. Jay, I long for our day sitting pool side and talking football. And I've got a little bit of fomo knowing that you guys are gonna be at the Christmas party and I can't. So if you guys could just space time me and that'd be awesome, all right, we could bring it in on that, we absolutely can. So, Jane, we're trying to make sense of the Cowboys right now, and I know they so they get the job done on Thursday night in New Orleans, and that's a Aint team

that's got all sorts of problems. Their defense got it done in the third fourth quarter there, so you snapped the losing streak. But do you get the sense right now that the Cowboys are on a good trajectory or is this as still a searching team that's a little

bit of trouble as we hit the home stretch. You know, I do a podcast with a bunch of the Beat writers up at the Star once a week, and I found myself arguing with Steve Dennis, the moderator, because this topic came up, and I was defending the Cowboys based on their body of work during that six and one stretch. They beat the Chargers on the road. Of course, they almost had to win against Tampa Bay and Tom Brady uh, and I thought that there was some convincing signs that

this team was equipped for a postseason run. And then they sort of after Da got injured, and then they lost to Mary for two games, and then to see them play in that Saints game that you just referenced, the Saints didn't have their two starting defense events they're two starting tackles. They didn't have Alvin Kimbera, and they had Taysom Hill, who's been dealing with planner fasciitis and how to play four quarters. Yea. And they kept the door open for the Saints heading into the second half.

Now they were able to get Tony Pollard going that fifty or touchdown, And of course there was that one ref call that the NFL admitted they sort of messed up. And if you talk to the Saints, that took the steam out of what they were doing. But I look at that Raiders overtime loss, the Broncos loss. They're a confusing team. But I gotta tell you, guys, if you look at the Rams and the way they've been playing, or you look at the Tampa Bay Bucks, I don't know what to make of this team or the NFC

right now. So the Cowboys are getting a lot of pieces back of the defensive side of the ball. And I really appreciated dan Quinn's answer saying that if you had told me we'd be sitting here at eight and four in December without DeMarcus Lawrence not having Randy Gregory for a couple of games, um, he would have said,

oh wow. And essentially, now this is cool. These guys have been battle tested they're getting reinforcements back, and then they're playing a really weak NFC East here three of their four games this month, so there's an opportunity there. But I would also submit look at the way Washington has been playing. They're only two games back. The defense be Tampa Bay Bucks two two hundred seventy three yards picked him off twice. Then you see what they did

against the Raiders. She saw what they did against Seattle. You saw what they get against the Panthers. This is gonna be an interesting month for the NFC East. And I gotta tell you, I don't know what to make it as Cowboys team right now. They've got the talent, they've got the pieces, but for whatever reason, just the rhythm has been off. And if you got you, guys, I'd be curious your thoughts, because you're not as myopic as I am. What did you think of this offense

and the way it played against the Saints? Well, I think you know you're pointing out and everyone following the Cowboys is sort of wondering what's happened to them since Dad came back. But there's reasons for it. And now all these offenses around the league are going through ebb and flow and some slumps. I mean, the defense, if anything, has been a huge bright point coming off of last year, and Dan Quinn has made that a reliable part of

the team. I would ask it this way, like Kellen Moore's offense in general, and you can throw out last year if you want um. But they get three years in a row off to very hot starts, and three years in a row they said they tend to kind of I wouldn't say flat line, but they lose some of their star power that makes you think they're that explosive. Is it a Kelly? Is there anything about the Kellen Moore offense it has is contributing to what we're seeing.

I'd love to have our research department look into this and I and I might because it might be hard to quantify and qualify. But I think about the offenses and how hot they were, but when they started to lose steam was when we started having problems with the offensive line. Think about Travis Frederick, we had Yon Barrey syndrome. Uh. When I think about Zack Martin when he wasn't there with COVID, When I think about LEL Collins who had the suspension when I think about Tyren Smith, who has

had injuries pop up. Everyone wants to point to that offense that was predicated around the run. Well, it was easy to run the ball when you had the Great Wall of Dallas. They haven't really had that. And they've also been playing with that offensive line a lot, which we joke about around here because when we brought up the notion was it last year and this year? I can't remember. It's all blending together, Uh, the notion of the best starting five, and it was Mike McCarthy said,

we can't play fantasy football. Consistency is key. They haven't had a lot of consistency on that offensive line to share, and in fact, they've been tinkering with things not only during series or in game, but throughout the year, and so I think they're trying to figure out what to do with that left side and Connor Williams, I'm just not so sure that some of these games are the

place to do it. It's like I always have a theory with the Cowboys that they stink in the years that they're coming off good years because it's like they're just such first of all, their ownership like tells them how great they are all off season. They're like their celebrities. I think in a way in Dallas that almost no NFL team um is in their hometown down and they just come out the next year and they're like always disappointed.

I almost wonder if that happened halfway through this season, because Jerry Jones started talking about like like there, this is the greatest team ever. And I have this vision of the Cowboys, who to me, on paper are actually the best team in the NFC. And I still and they're actually healthier now than almost any of the other NFC teams, and they're they're gonna have everything in place for the next five games. It's in front of them.

But the Cowboys team that's in my mind is the one that destroyed the Eagles and the Panthers, and that was like two months ago. Now, like they gotta start showing up. Do you think they almost started buying their own Jerry Jones? What's the analogy and dating that every time man says he's starry, you start to love him less. I feel like that's the Cowboys like fan base. It's like every year like we're gonna come back next year, and it's like I've noticed I mean, my father is

literally he carries the flag for this. He's the type of guy that literally starts the first quarter with the cowboy flag flag play, you know, flying in the front yard, and then he takes it down. Not dissimilar to what happens with the Texas Longhorns. But I think the reason why people were so um high on the Hog this year was because of how bad this team was last year. I kept saying, if they got the middle of the

pack defense, this team could be special. Given what they had on offense, I mean, they have an embarrassment of riches when you look at their three wide receivers. Not to mention, you've had guys like Centric Wilson, Maurice Kennedy who have sort of come out of nowhere that are receiving threats. You've got Tony Pollard that can give you the burse for fifty yard touchdown. You haven't got much

play out of your tight ends. That's fair, um, But when you look around the league, what other teams have that many weapons in the NFC, and there's in they're all back, the old lines back. It's healthy. Like the weapons are back, they're healthy, and now the defense is back it's healthy, So show it to me. It's Washington twice, it's the Giants, it's the Cardinals, it's at Philadelphia. It's a very interesting, you know, division heavy sched you'll here, But to me, it's still all in front of them

to go get that two or three seed. And I do believe that team kind of turn two or three. I just I keep thinking, if they had ten other deat Prescott's on that offensive side the ball, this team

could really be special. And I'm not taking away anything from like the Zack Martin's of the world, or um, you know, the Tyrant Smiths or even Ezekiel And who's been battling through the right knew, which you could argue, is that the best thing that they should be doing right now is keeping I would have sat Zeke against the Saints personally kept in fresh for some of these divisial games, but that's above my pay grade. I'm just here to report. Um, it's just they just, for whatever reason,

can't seem to put it all together. Although I would submit I don't think any of us expected them to be what the four seed right now and the NFC given what we saw last year, so I don't know, it's keep the expectations low and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Yeah. I think you look at the schedule here, Jane, and it does look at I think because of the slump here and because of Green Bay, Arizona and Tampa to me being the clear class of the NFL, not just

the NFC. Um. I think right now, it's like, all right, let's go tenant seven, let's win our division, let's get a home game in the playoffs, and hopefully things start clicking again. Um. Do you think And I know you said like eleven dacks in their set, so you don't put anything in like the splits of the calf injury.

He comes back and and I know he made some real money throws, some brilliant throws against the Saints as well, but statistically and when you look at the offense as a whole, they haven't been the same since his return. Do you think he's been hindered at all physically since his return or is that a thing in the past.

I mean, to your point, you could say that, but then you see some of the throws that he makes and some of the throws that he makes in the fourth quarter, and you're like this is not a guy

that's feeling limited. I think, if anything, not having Michael Gallup for what was it five six weeks, not having a Marii Cooper for the two they've talked about this even coming into the Season's how you know it takes practice to get the timing right with some of your wide receivers, and I think it could be a combination of that and then also a combination of whether he'll admit it or not. You talk to any extreme athletes

who play in a in a fairly dangerous game. Once fear enters your mind or there's that hesitation, you're not playing as loose or as free as you used to, and when you're coming off to pretty significant injuries. And again I don't think he'll ever admit this, and maybe it's not even conscious, but I just don't think that you're playing as wild or loose out there as perhaps we've seen him in years past. And that's smart, by the way, like that's what the franchise wants you to do.

But I do think it's a combination of the O line not having the wide receivers there this year, having Ezekiel Elliott who has been injured I think all of those things. Everyone wants a clear cut answer, but I think it's it's a combination of a few of those things. But I do think that this team, if they just get in a rhythm here again, they they are, to your point, I think one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Now, can they be coached as well as some of these other teams, um and put it

all together in order to make a run. I have a very quick question for you. You're in Dallas. You're a Dallas site. Um if that's the term Dallas debut tant? Last time, Um, you can give me a ballpark date on this last time you were at the Grassy Knoll? Maybe for drinks a picnic on the Grassy Knoll. When's the last time you were there? Okay? So this see, this is why I love coming on this show, Mark, because you speak to my soul and conspiracy theories and

all sorts of fun. Fact. I live a block and a half away from the Grassy Knoll, suspicious and exactly. And my sister and I had just been to Chicago to visit my brother, and she dropped me off from the airport and she was like, where was Kennedy shot, and I'm like, you're kidding me, right, Like we've lived in the city our whole life, and so I said, literally, go a block and a half over and there's a big X in the middle of street. When I worked

local news here, there was a big debate. They removed the X the next The X is actually where Kennedy was shot to signify where he actually was harmed. I don't want to get too graphic, even though I know you're really into that stuff. Mark um where he was shot before they went unto the bridge. But people stand in the middle of that street X marks the spot

for a photographics morbid. It's like when Darren Ravel sent that video of his brains getting blown out and everyone was upset on Twitter that that that's how the import started. But I gotta tell you, I was. I was. I was disappointed that Q and On had this whole theory that JFK Jr. Was making his triumphant return to help the Republican Party, which was fascinating to me since totally legitimate to the to the three of us, to be honest, but JFK Jr. Is one of the main reasons I

went to journalism school. In fact, I have a bunch of rare George magazine in my living room. I love him, and I almost put on my Sunday best and went down there just hoping that he'd come back for me. Well maybe, you know, I know it hasn't happened yet, but we don't have proof that it won't happen. Jane, thank you for joining us and uh and and men out there, single men out there. He'd what Jane says, never apologize for anything was because it actually makes you

more unattractive to the woman. That's like the only thing I remember. I was just like burned into my head. Jane. Good, Um, all right there she goes Jane's later and by the way, blow blew his brains out. Do you need to be so great? Yeah? Great, that was an assassination. You took it to a place that was unnecessary. Well, I was trying to just put people in the minds of what that horrible morning on Twitter was like it was. It was something. It was still around. I haven't seen it

happened recently. People talked about the anniversary of him doing this, and I think it was because I was to um impacted and saw this video that he put out there which I had never seen before. Um, and it was a lot at seven film. Essentially, you had never witnessed that. Well, if you if you're if you're getting cold cold with that on Twitter? That I had seen the I had seen the Natalie Portman movie, which does quite a graphic recreation of it. Well, it was a terrifying moment the

history of the country. Right, But it's it's kind of like these videos of horrible things happening on Twitter, like you don't need to see him just you know, you don't need to watch it. Well, you know what happens, Dan, get us out of that. I will say, if you are ever in Dallas, Uh, the book to the Book Depository where Lee Harvey Ozald acted alone. By the way mark, they have turned that upper level into a museum. It's incredible.

I went there with Gonzo. Actually, it's incredible. Yeah. And and it's not it's not it's not a morbid thing. It's a piece of American history. And you know it's it's worth check out, spending a couple of hours of your day. Um, all right, where are we exactly? All right, let's move on, let's hit break and then there's a night football. All right, thank you to Jane Slater. Let's now turn our attention to week fourteen, and to do that, we bring in our girl, Mrs Jonas. Ah, there she is,

Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Get that hyphen in there. Yep. It is a double double last name situation. Sitch in a big spot, uh, and I hope that marriage stands the test of time. Now the Pittsburgh Steelers in Minnesota Vikings, WHOA it's kind of perfect, yeah, Mark, Mark thought this game wasn't gonna mean anything for one of the teams, and then the Steelers went and revitalized their season with a stunning come back against the Ravens. So they enter

uh this game six five and one. They are in the thick of it in the a f C Wild Card rays. And then you have the Vikings, the Vikings who three weeks ago beat the Packers and then lost back to back games at San Francisco and then it almost impossibly possible at the same time if you knew this team to the Lions. So now they are in

a essentially a must win situation for the Vikings. And I would say, Mark that the Vikings in a must win situation giving given their talent and what they've shown at times this season, makes me feel confident that they're gonna perform well on Thursday Night. But this is also now a different Vikings team than the one. For instance, that I looked at a couple of weeks ago and

saw a high ceiling. There's no Dalblin Cook. Uh there, it's very it's very unlikely that you have Adam Feland who suffered a high ankle sprain so on a short week. I don't think he's coming back from that. So now you have an offense that's been compromised and a team in general that has to be a little traumatized after

what's happened to them in recent weeks. Well they were they were, you know, toying with the darkest reality scenarios, and the losing to the Lions, which we think our show fairly called that is a realistic scenario, which just with the way they've been, Um, it happened, it's now you've got to deal with it. I like that they

get Patrick Peterson back. Um, I think it's gonna be interesting to see what happens to Justin Jefferson in this game with dealing out I guess if you're Pittsburgh, you're thinking, we we try to do our best to remove him. Good luck with that. He has nine more twenty yard catches since than any other human being on the earth. But if you're Pittsburgh, the one thing I kind of

want to see. I thought at the end of the Ravens game, they kind of just said, this offense that we've been, let's just kind of give it to Big Ben, open it up a little bit, try to have him make some throws. And it just seemed you got the more comfortable version of Big Ben there, and he looked better than me than he had another game. Is there

any sustainability to that against this Vikings defense? Is there any identity shift that they want to cling to down the stretch because their offense has been mostly unwatchable, But that became the opposite a little bit against the Ravens, who were really banged up in the second days. But so are the that the Vikings are not. Rather, Patrick Peterson is returning. That's been the strength of their team is past rush, past defense. Uh, it sounds like Anthony

Barrowby back, Eric Kendricks might be back. Like those three guys being out for Minnesota was huge, and I think the biggest injury for Minnesota and that Detroit game was they didn't have their left tackle, Christian Derrisaw, and so they they did the thing where they shuffled three different

guys and it didn't seem like it worked. And now you gotta go up against t J. Watt, who is coming off a three and a half sack game where he was so disciplined with those rush lanes where he I think he put himself in front for Defensive Player of the Year. I give him a little bit of an edge, uh for career achievement too, because the last three years, to me, he's been the best edge rusher in the NFL, and he the Steelers go as he goes.

I pointed out two weeks ago he was coming off an injury and he had his worst game of the season against the Chargers. He was backing in a big way and he's gonna get after Kirk Cousins. I think there'll be plenty of points in this game, I think. And it's funny because I wrote about in the Power Rings yesterday and then Big Ben came out today and said, this guy needs t J. Watt to be an m v P candidate, But we need to start looking at

him in that way. And it actually not to give Ben too much credit, but it makes sense that this would be a year where a defensive player could get in the mix. It hasn't happened in thirty five years since LT and eighty six. But I think what especially sixteen sacks he is Uh, he needs to get to twenty two and a half to break that Food Gazze

Stray hand record. And when you fact, when you think about the non quarterbacks in this sport, Uh, is there anyone that's important to their team who's as valuable to their team as t J. Watt is to Pittsburgh? No, because I would say that if you a couple of weeks ago, the sack leader was Myles Garrett and like Miles Gett is a star player. But t J. Watt has talked about the way that you talked about J. J.

Watt and Lawrence Taylor back in the day. Because he's that focal central to the run to Greg, I'm with you that where he goes, they go right and he he makes such a difference in every play and that's gonna be a big mismatch up front, and yet I don't know about the whole like Ben throwing the ball deep down the field is the new idea there he he did look better. I thought that was his best game.

I agree with you, Mark, And it makes sense because Deante Johnson Chase Claypool are the best two players on their offense. So why not just keep throwing up to him when it's when it's one on one. But Minnesota's had a way of doing pretty well against the past this year, and the way they've been kind of weak is is against the run. I I want to see what Justin Jefferson does here in this big spot like game.

He is about to set the record for the most yards that any receivers had in NFL history through his first two years of the season. To me, he'd be right there behind Cooper Cup right now as Offensive Player of the Year. I'd still have Cup there for sure. Uh And Joe Hayden has been out for Pittsburgh And to me, that was the most surprising part of that game, was like Lamar and the Ravens could not make that count.

They're they're playing guys that like a killer Weatherspoon as a starter and stuff that like the forty Niners cut like a couple of weeks ago, and they're just putting him picking the mop off the scrap heeople. Like you should be able to win some matchups on the outside if you're Minnesota, if Kirk Cousins is really a top ten quarterback, which I have him this year, like you

should be able to make some hay here. I think Jefferson is in that very um elite club with Davante Adams, maybe Cooper Cup uh, where it really doesn't matter who's across from them on the field. They're gonna get their make impact plays at some point or if you're getting doubled or whatever, it's like he'll get his UM. So I think it's all setting up with like, Okay, it makes sense for this Pittsburgh team, uh you continue their rise.

But at the same time, this also makes sense in a season that hasn't made sense for the Vikings for them to play really well here. Um, I would probably I'm gonna pick the Vikings as because at five and eight they're cooked and uh, I think they're gonna find a way to win. It would make sense to me, Like you, what was the game you looked at last week? Uh? I think it was charges bangles, Like, oh, it makes more sense if both these teams are seven and five.

It makes sense to me that after this Thursday, and this is really analytical, but it checks out that the Vikings are six and seven and the Steelers are six, six and one, that makes more sense to me. It's what I want. I think that's what we're gonna get. So what I want and so what I'm rooting for.

The Vikings are favored by three, and yet that the vibes and I know we're like leaning on last week a little much, but the vibes in Minnesota like it is on the it is on the precipice, the Vikings Twitter. I mean that losing to the Lions is just like the worst thing that can happen to you, and it is a home game. I don't know if that makes

me feel better. Like if they're loose, seen by eight points here in the third or fourth quarter, like Kirk Cousins getting a little tight and Mike Zimmer getting a little tight and the crowd being against them and like and they're being like a firing after this game, like feels like it's at least on the tape, Like if you could go, like, if you could give me ten

to one odds of that, like I would take that. Also, like if they lose by like twenty points in this game and Zimmer's not the coach next, it would have been a very rough three weeks for Zimmer. I'm just saying that this is these are nice Midwestern fans. They're gonna cheer the hell out of this. I don't think they're going to start hissing. And I think it's gonna be a home field advantage. I think that play is gonna be rock and I think it's one of the

best home field advantages in the league. And I could I could just see Ben really struggling on the road in the spot. I I feel pretty good about it. I'll go Vikings, uh two Steelers nineteen and overtime. They're done. And by the way, we are four games away from and we thought this would be a mythical thing that would take years to happen, and maybe it will. But an eight eight and one team the Steelers are perfect to become that I would enjoy to see that. Alright,

very good. That is Thursday night football, Mark and I will handle that recap together. Two hander as they called industry talk. They're back together industry parlance. You know, you know we had to you know, there were some things

to negotiate, but we're good. Right. It's like Mike and the Mad Dog when I got to the point where matt Dog wasn't invited to for incesss wed and then the wives had to get involved and be like, no, is it you're saying it's it is at that point that's alarming to me to just that's how we were able to get the get together for Thursday. The wives got involved. Well it's news to me. All right, there you go. That is Thursday night football. Um, we'll be

back on Thursday. How about that? Um with a full preview of week fourteen, and then we will have the mini pod Thursday night. If Mark and I were able to kind of work through our issues and then uh, I want everyone to want everyone today, everyone to have a good time tonight at the holiday party is the big I think Actually you're sensing that something will happen at the holiday holiday party that puts us in this bedsit.

You got it, Okay, you nailed it. There's room for adventure when you when you present it and wouldn't that be good because just to add something exciting to life. Yeah, like some type of huge dust up tonight at the holiday party, but Greg's secretly dance somehow they hit the match on and then you know. Then it's the Around the NFL Podcast with Greg Rosen though his lifelong goal. This is always your take here a lot, a lot about what in your head. Ricky, Um, let's keep this

music playing. We'll playing out is the holiday season, after all, We'll be back until then. This is Dan hands As signed off for Quiet Storm, the Old Boss, Ricky Hollywood, Jane Later, Oh Gay until Thursday Head the Call