Secret Santa, Coaching Carousel and Broncos-Chargers TNF Preview with Colleen Wolfe and Jourdan Rodrigue

Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're in the holiday spirit so much that we're gonna drug our dogs and bring them to the mall.

That's right, Basher, met Santa. What did you do last night?

I mean the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio with my friends Colleen Wolf and Jordan Rodrieg I recapped a Monday night football doubleheader.

Good for you, Greg Shook, and you mentioned Drake May fourteen times.

Oh, I knew you would get on me.

And we only spent we only spent like four minutes on the Drake May conversation. I had a whole different intro planned. But the you showing me that picture of you and your dog but mostly your dog, and oh yeah, Santa Claus at the mall is amazing, And it was like such a beautiful image. And then you told me, well, but I drugged the hell out of him too.

Oh no, I gave him a tras doone and he gets triggered easily by pretty much everything and anything. So bringing Dasher to a mall where there's people and then other dogs, yeah, you know, there's just things around every corner.

You don't know what's gonna.

Happen among us has never popped the gummy and walked the mall.

Sure, it just felt like it was puncturing my idyllic you know.

So Dash had a great knife and then he just melted into the couch afterwards.

Yeah.

Do you think the Santa was drugged up.

Or I cannot confirm friendly? Because very friendly, because poor Eric. I don't know if you got a mic on you right now. Eric goes to the mall earlier this week, brings his you know, lovely baby for the very first time their panic and he doesn't have a MIC on him right now, and.

The Santa wasn't friendly to them at all because his baby, you explained.

Yeah, so he me and my wife walked up to the Santa Claus and I think he kind of connected the dots that hey, this baby's a baby six months old. He didn't play the role at all connected. He's kind of just talked to me my wife like it was some regular dude. And he's talking as if my baby saw him. He's like, who the hell's that guy? No, it's like, yeah, he did give you a ho ho ho a jolly laugh.

Right, you should the illusion immediately. Yeah, an impressionable young child. Sanda never broke character with Dasher.

That's your dog got a better experience than my baby.

That's a professional Santa there. Now I do get it on some level as a parent. There is that year where you'll say whatever the hell you want in front of your baby because it's a baby. It doesn't really understand anything. And then he realized after a certain way, you can't. You can't say anything.

The problem is, though, Eric, You're gonna have to be careful about how you tell that story, because that's gonna be a great story eventually that you and your wife tell over the holidays. But now you're gonna have to be careful about how you tell it and who it's in front of, because imagine saying, Santa broke the illusion.

Yeah you can. You can't tell that story.

You'll tell that a like, oh, you know, he puts you, you gave him me, you google got God, you wanted a rattle or whatever, and he laughed the day away or whatever.

I'm getting at a lot of hard questions from my son. Oh this year nine years old, that's about the time we got a big show today.

I'm excited for this.

It just keeps getting bigger and bigger too. It's beef a show.

Okay, we're giving Christmas gifts. We're giving Christmas gifts to teams that that need it. It's a little bit of like a secret Sanda. Yeah, and that's going to be really exciting. We're going to preview Broncos and Chargers, but we're going to start with a very short segment that I added to the mix.

And everyone with huh.

Anxiety is and thrilled that we added a segment at the last second about the coaching carousel.

I just feel like we haven't to.

Bring something to the show like information.

You do, you know a lot, You've been around the league, you have takes, and the thing is, this is going to be really quick. We talked about maybe this could be its own show, but I just feel like now is the time the coaching moves are going to happen.

So what we're going to do.

We're going to put a minute on the clock, Max, But I don't even think we need a minute. I just want to go through all the potential situations of what's out there for the coaches and who could and could not be losing their jobs over the next couple of weeks.

Lovely to discuss right around the holidays.

Yes, okay, so let's go, let's put let's put a clock on. So three teams, by the way, have already fire their coaches. We don't need to talk about them. That's the Jets, the Saints, and the Bears. I only I have four categories. One categories he gone, which Doug Peterson and the Jaguars.

I don't think there's much to say here.

I appreciate actually that they just decided we're just gonna keeping the rest of the year. He's the best coach in the building, and we'll handle everything. It is interesting. Our friend Oli Connelly reported that Bill Belichick had a conversation with the Jaguars. He said that on his podcast. So I feel like that's the public now, and it did not go well. So there we were already talking to people Peterson's well.

Like I mentioned that early in September, the time of year, I kept bringing this up about the Jaguars, in particular, that the vultures were starting to circle around a couple of jobs, specifically that would undoubtedly be losing their head coaches either in season or at the end of the season. The Jaguars were one of those teams that kept coming up in those conversations as coaches who are currently free agents were identifying and putting together staffs.

Bill Belichick included.

Yeah, and he obviously didn't get that job. They'll probably replace their I wonder.

If will end up there, just back in the division.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like the Browns are gonna hire him. He's in the building there. So the next category's three teams. I just solid chance, like there's a decent chance. So Doug would take it to four changes. There's usually about six to seven. We could have more this year. Start with a Giants. They've been publicly out there John Mara, their owner, that they're committed to Brian Dable.

It was like a room, Yeah, you gotta you gotta worry kids. Uh, we're waving at them.

We're recording right now.

Hello, will the Giants be waving by?

There you go, Brian Able, I think he's probably gone the way this is going. I don't believe John Mara in this case, like I believe he meant it when he said it.

But you got the you got the airplane going overhead.

But the only thing that trips me up on this is he so publicly said he was going to give them another year, both of them. I get that, but he also like, why not do it already then?

Right?

That's that's the only thing. It keeps tripping me up.

Like we kind of already have known that Doug Peterson is a foregone conclusion, and by the way, ownership hasn't come out and emphatically stated he's going to give him more time. That's what's tripping me up about this situation with John Mara and you hear kind of you know, people go back and forth up in that market, Well, could could they really get give them more time or not. It's just the fact that it hasn't already happened is what's tripping me up.

Yeah, and that's why I say solid chance that one I'm going to go like sixty forty.

Okay, Antonio Pearce in Vegas gone.

I know he just said that he's under contract for next year.

But I think that Tom Brady factor is a real factor people around the league, you know, those in the know, they think Tom Brady's going to be a pretty active owner considering the relatively low percentage state.

Mark Davis was on the record with my colleague DeShawn Reid last week at the league meetings, or at the one of the many league meetings that take place, saying he was going to be a significant factor in making decisions for this franchise. You know, he has Mark Davis' zer already and that's a factor here.

Yeah, when I have to shine back on the show. We were talking about having him back on the show, and then the Raiders.

Just they're just he was about talking to market.

I was, they're so not relevant. I said, look, if they make a coaching change, we got to get I hope that's not the only time he can be on, but let's get him back on the show.

Let's go to the.

Cowboys Mike McCarthy. The longer this goes and they're more reporting around the Cowboys, is actually that Mike McCarthy has a decent chance to stay is Yeah? Do you think like Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones and their sources are just like gas lading us, Because it's a pretty surprising development that the season went as poorly as humanly possible and Mike McCarthy would be back.

That doesn't make sense to me.

Uh No, Well, especially with what Dak said when he was like, you know, if mcarthy, he comes back and is allowed or sort of like, you know, give it a little bit more. I don't know, responsibility to tax on the offense, yeah.

To do his thing.

I don't buy it.

I actually still think McCarthy is more than likely gone. I just think they're like raising the intrigue.

I think this is another way of planting the seeds to get us to talk about the Cowboys for a lot longer into the off season. But the fact that Dak Prescott was lobbying for McCarthy, that is someone that Jerry Jones is going to listen to. And he won't necessarily listen to a lot of people, but Dak Prescott, who he just paid the most money to any player he's ever paid, Like he's going to listen to Dak.

Jerry Jones is getting up there in life too, and it's like, do I really want to find another coach that might I might not work with. Well, Mike McCarthy's very comfortable. He knows his place in the Cowboys' ecosystem, or the reverse of that, he'd like each other personally, clearly having.

Time is ticking and do you want to just like keep.

Shooting your shot?

Well, yeah, if McCarthy can get another contract out of them, like, go get it. He is didn't any reasonable expectation for how much money he has made, and good on him.

Ever since that PFF subscription.

Let's know, let's go to the let's go to the less than likely. This is under fifty percent chance, but I'm gonna put it in. Maybe I have two teams here. It's drowed Mayo and it's Todd Bowles in Tampa, which would sound crazy because the Bucks are playing well, We'll start with Mayo. He's part of my next segment. So I won't even go on here. Okay, I'm going to give him just a short gift, but I don't know. Every week there's something here, but this is.

Like the beginning of the beginning. So I feel like you need to give him at least another year.

Sometimes when you know, you know though, and it would be admitting defeat if you're Robert Kraft.

But I don't know.

I don't know.

I think I feel like he should get a longer runway. I think some of the external there there have been some big snaffoos like I don't get me wrong, I'm not excusing those, but we've seen young head coaches who have gone on to be very successful have some of those, like public verbal f ups Dan Campbell. I wouldn't call that an f up, but everyone was making fun of

I mean Nick Sirianni is still having.

Verbal snaffoos left and right, even when nobody else What about the.

Footballing is the look lost?

Yeah? But I think if you are a young head coach and you are being given the reins by ownership like this, with the understanding that you're going to adapt and evolve in the job. Like there's ownership and timeline patients and ecosystemic patients, and then there is impatience from the outside in. And I think those two are not congrassed.

I just think they're one of the most poorly coached teams in the league. And you have you have a gift, and.

That can be true. That can be true. It doesn't mean that it has to stay that way. That's my that's my only point. Like people who are football, people who are committed to that type of leveluce.

Okay, we're way over. Let's go to Todd Balls.

You wanted to talk about the Patriots a lot.

No, we were going on the actually good go into the minute every time Todd Bowles stays. The only reason I brought this out why, First of all, they would have to lose down the stretch and probably not win the division. But in that scenario, I just think they can't let Liam Cohen out of the building. And they have promoted from within a couple times before, for what it's worth, so there is some history with this ownership.

It's just too important that pr hit.

I mean, like, I just don't see the who I mean getting rid of Todd Bowles.

He's had the success.

If they end up winning the division and they're in the playoffs, like, how can you get rid of Todd Bowles and promote Liam Cohen?

That would be such a slap in the face.

If they win the division, You're right, and people make the this is why it's in a way less than likely. But if they lost one of these games and the Falcons somehow get it, it's unlikely. I just I just think it's so important to have that offensive clips letting Cohen leap.

Maybe I'll give him a lot of money.

And then the final section, it's five guys in the AH, and these can be quick. I think most of them would would be quick. Zach Taylor, I don't believe that this would happen. But this league, this has been a fiasco this year kind.

Of depends on what Burrow wants. Really it's going to we don't know what he wants or doesn't want.

In this case, and so much has just been bad luck and bad timing.

Why why is that?

I just think like the way that Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are playing, like the defense is bad. I feel like lou Anarumo potentially he's probably gone. But I don't think this is on Zach Taylor, Like he still has the players with it. They still want to play for him, they want to be involved. Like it's like you're not losing the locker room at this point.

This would be probably more nuanced on like a longer segment, but a lot of what owners ask themselves this time of year is how many other teams would immediately go hire that guy if I were to fire him, yeah, or if I were to let him go? And then also, do I already have someone in mind who I can guarantee will be better than that guy?

And then the Jags hire Zach Taylor after getting rid of Press Taylor.

Right, I think the answer for Zach Taylor would be he wouldn't get hired.

He's got great things.

Jamar Chas and Joe Burrow examples to me is the proving the point against Stefanski, by all accounts, is going to be safe. So despite that record, it really does sound like they're they're going to go back for the two time coach of the Year and that he would be safe Stich and I just wanted to mention he's going to be on the hot seat most likely going into next year when you're going into year three, But I think they're going to be committed to him. Dave

The last couple of weeks, like if the floor.

Just fell out and they lost three straight games like they lost to the Cowboys, than any who knows anything out table.

I actually I politely disagree. I think that Canalis and his offensive staff will be safe. I think that they're going He's going to want to bring in his own choice for defensive coordinator and a Giro ever was going to go get a job somewhere else. But we have to remember what some of the reporting was before entering the year, where other teams thought that they could get a Giro out of the last year of his contract and recording that possibility, and Dave Tepper did not let

If that's the case, Yeah, he would get hired quickly. And then finally Kyle Shanahan.

I would say the Falcons too. By the way, if he ends up anywhere else, I don't know why. That's just like the.

As a DC.

Yeah, oh hell yeah, yeah, that would make sense.

He could. I mean, he he'll probably have options.

Of where he gets hiring committees. Are you listening to Colleen?

Yes?

I have no reason to believe that John Lynch and the forty nine ers are anything but truthful on their stance that Kyle Shannan is going to be there forever. But when Troy Aikman throws it out there on Monday Night Football, like he just starts talking about Caleb Caleb and Kyle Shanahan and that they should try to trade for Kyle Shannan, I was like, Okay, I was like, Troy, I could be wrong, but I feel like Troy wouldn't just throw that out there, you know what I mean.

Least he doesn't have an original thought like.

That he would, But I don't.

I don't think he would throw I think he's careful enough he wouldn't throw it out there in that spot unless.

Millions of people watching something my crazy crazy, my craziest take if the tiny table was here, I would stand on I do think because there's a gap between maybe the perception of coaches who are ready, who are offensive coaches who are to take the big job, and the actual existing hiring pool. It's like Ben Johnson, who may or may not even want to go to your franchise depending on the situation. And I think the Bears genuinely

Be and is looking for right now.

You know, Kevin O'Connell has not gotten his extension yet for some God only knows why reason, and he's gotten till twenty twenty five. How what if you what if you try to what if you're the Bears and you say, how much?

Would I know they would never do it? Greg.

I know you're giving me Greg face. I know that, But I'm just saying the hot like the crazy face.

The crazy always said.

Like that's like image. Just imagine you're like the Vikings and you're like, oh, yeah, you know what, we could find another one of these.

They haven't extended him yet. Extend the man.

They should extend it.

He could, he could leverage this maybe.

Into I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if you heard like some weird, crazy like Shenanigan rumors about this based on trying to get that extension done.

He is the new favorite for Coach of the Year. We did it, we did it quickly.

I think it was good, just just a little like where we're at, temperature check, temperature check.

We're at four head coaching openings.

If Doug is gone as we expect, I'm putting the over under at seven this year. I feel like there's going to be a handful more would be interesting watch this space, all right, let's get to I mean that is kind of like Grinch stuff. That's why it's even better not to do it on our next show, which we're taping on Christmas Eve, Mourning, so that would be rude for that. Colleen, We're going to try to check in with your family. Maybe I'll see how you're doing

You should go whattshirt and a hat?

But yes, okay, yeah, go for it?

All right?

So here we go.

Oh wow.

I was thinking about giving Jerry Jones window treatments like some curtains, but I don't know.

He's such a tough person to shop for it. I like this one better.

What do you get for the man who has has everything except for playoff wins?

Okay, watches are a really popular gift this time of year. I prefer a men's wear watch that looks expensive but isn't if anybody wants to be my secret Santa. But specifically, I would like to give a pocket watch to Caleb Williams. And to be honest, I feel like I'm doing.

More of a service than giving a gift with this.

We need him to learn when to get rid of the ball, and like, I'm here to wish him a happy and healthy New Year, but considering he's been sacked a league leading fifty eight times, he needs a lot more than my well wishes at this point. Fifty eight sacks, it's the third most bio rookie quarterback since nineteen seventy and thirteen more than any other NFL quarterback this season.

I get it.

It's not all on Kleb.

The offensive line has allowed a ton of unblocked pressures. So I'll throw in some of Phil Swift's flex seal just as like, oh.

Wow, gives here nice.

But Caleb is top ten in longest average time to sack this season. So a pocket watch or a stopwatch, you know, whichever has faster shipping on my Amazon account is what I will be doing.

Nice. I love it.

Yeah, that offensive line every time I watch them, I'm just dumbfounded by that group when I'm like I So let me also be clear, Like I appreciated the aggressive calls in the first half on fourth and short, fourth and one, there are some of the side angles of the lack of push and effect, the inversion and implosion of that that offensive line was just getting moved backward

But to your point, I agree that the offensive line has been an embarrassment. But I think Troy Aikman again, he was pretty poignant, not hold back at all, and he's just like, yeah, there's a million wide open guys that Caleb's staring at and he's not throwing it and missing it. It's okay to points like multiple things can be true, that he's maybe got coached too hard to not make a mistake and he's just a little frozen there.

It's just a little bears.

So I do love this gift, Colleen, because you're also it's a symbol in a way.

Pocket it's also a play on words, just exactly. I love a play on word.

I love it the concept of time being so crucial for Caleb.

Love that.

Just give it a couple more cycles around this here. Pocket Watch and things will get better, buddy.

Very important for the entire end. I'm going to say thank you.

I overthink everything and sometimes it works out.

That was amazing.

Yes, Bears please, we know you're going to be in primetime five to six times every year, especially with Caleb Williams. So this is important for this show. It's important for the entire NFL. Get this higher, right, I mean the Bears most important. They could show. Yeah, they could miss it. They could miss it. I'm going to give a present. I'm going to give CJ.

Stroud. I don't know if we can do that all times.

I like, I like the I like the sounds, but the Santa he almost sounds like the A Christmas Story.

Guy like ho ho.

You got a real problem with.

You?

Yeah, you're with the guy who I was messing with. Eric's lovely boy.

This is where it all started.

I'm giving Strata a weighted blanket. Okay.

The weighted blankets can help put your nervous system into rest mode. Actually, it helps with anxiety, helps reduce some symptoms of that and often gives you know, people that have the weighted blanket and overall sense of calm. And I just think CJ. Is gonna need it. It's also good practice for how it feels to have a defensive lineman on top of you during a game. So just like you'll get you'll get used to that.

He during the game, he's.

Being important clarification, Thank you, Greg.

He's being asked a lot, like he just looks stressed. They come out of their bye week and you think, Okay, our coaches are going to come up with a plan for it. You know, we're gonna call plays, maybe a little more under center, stuff that helped me out last year. The protection is gonna be better. And for one drive they looked like the twenty twenty three Texans and then the rest of the game happened and it was a

It's like, well, he will be available.

Because like, this guy is putting so much stress on CJ. Stroud's life because they are not helping this kid out. And this is sort of what it looks like when what's happening to Caleb Williams is happening, but the players just more ready for the moment and is better and is making everyone else around him look better because he's holding it up to at least a good enough level.

He's taken so many sacks this year, he must feel like he's already under.

A there you go, there you go, right.

I mean, like just watching the difference from last year to this year. He was able to extend so many more plays last year and just make these throws on the run, and he it just isn't on the same page with his receivers.

You know what.

He did it pretty well Sunday again the Dolphins. It was kind of it was kind of back to okay, let's just have CJ fix everything, and he did for a game, but they had under two hundred yards and they had dominant defensive effort.

Certainly not sustainable for a seventeen plus game season. To that, like as if you're trapped in a chimney.

Right, Also, I'd like a weighted blanket. Doesn't that sound nice?

You did when you were opining about it and you kind of had your hands clasped in front of your heart.

That sounds Is this what Greg wants for Christmas?

It does sound great? I mean I'm not.

My wife has a heated you know pad that she always lies on on the cut you know those?

Oh yeah, it's nice.

You know those are nice. You're just all waited too, those aren't Wait, that's not way. They're separate. So that's nice. And sometimes I'll go over to her little couch area and steal that little warmth in the morning. When weighted that around, right, But then the next level would be the weighted blanks Wait, oh you do have?

It's great?

Well, it's only like a it's like a neck one, so it's not that big. But sometimes I'll just like like put it like a blanket instead of wearing it around my neck, and it's awesome.

Highly recommend sneaky cold, you know, in the mornings and at night, and those beach towns.

I mean, everyone feel bad for us.

I'll always lose the heat from my space heater right in the morning. And I couldn't figure out for the longest time. I'm like where it was going? And then I realized, my dog Tucker is getting up from his bed and standing with his butt to it and facing into the room. And so he stands there so he has his he can feel the space heater on his butt floofs like he's got really fluffy hind quarters legs, so.

He likes to the heat. And I'm like, where was my heat going? And then I realized, very good.

Surprise, Eric Roberts, that was your Christmas present to me. I don't expect anything else.

That was it. Thank you very much. All right, Jordan, you're up.

Uh well, my gift is not going to someone in need. Okay, to the Green Bay Packers. My gift to you is a command C command V button to copy and paste what worked for you in the first half on Sunday night for usage into the postseason sustainable way if you can do it. They got Josh Jacobs going early got moved and immediately on the line of scrimmage against that ascending young front Seattle that's been playing very well lately. This Packers offensive line all drafted and developed, most of

This is I'm going off the rails.

I just think so that they were also getting pushed on the other side of the ball early in the half. You know, the Packers defensive line was brought to life in this way. That was Yes, the Seattle offensive line is a complete Nutter disaster, has been all year. But just asserting themselves and dominating up front the way that they did so early. That is December football. That is

It's going to be difficult. I guess if you open it up, it's just last week's game plan. It's like copied and paste.

Well, I guess if I was going to follow the game correctly, that's what I should have said.

Okay, you know, I'm thinking.

More just making this up as we go a paking.

I love a copy and paste. I yeah all the time.

Yeah, And I just think that that particular, if I were going to create a gift, create a gift in this very real game that we're playing, I'm going to create a gift for the Green Bay Packers. I think, no, no team is going to hang with them easily. No team is going to hang with them easily, especially into the postseason, if they are able to come out of the gate in that particular style and with that ethos.

They came out so fast, and that was the emphasis because Jordan Love talked about it afterwards, saying, hell, they didn't do it before and that's been sort of an issue for them, so coming out strong and then having Josh Jacob so being they've ran on those two touchdown drives. They ran eighteen plays and Jacob's had the ball on eleven of them.

Love love that balance.

One thing that I'll think to put on my list next year is a better understanding of the game from.

Me too much.

It works a game we're just given, we're just given gifts.

Some colleen, to your point, sometimes overthink things and it doesn't work.

I love it and Look, this Packers team is on the list of teams that if they won the Super Bowl this year, I wouldn't be that surprised.

I agree.

Maybe that's a maybe that's our segment next week, Like what is that list? It's probably about six or seven teams for me, five six seven teams, and the Packers are one of those teams. It's gonna be tough for them. They're gonna have to win three road games.

Well, I think about last year playing but again it was possible.

That's what I factored in when you know, inventing this gift for them out of technology that we definitely definitely

Yeah, I like the gift of like space and time too.

Oh my god, I know.

Thank you for saving me over nine yards adjusted yards per attempt over the last month in aggregate, and like that is MVP level numbers, at least from Jordan lef.

All right, let's take a quick break. We've got a lot of gifts to hand out, some real, some not real.

Jordan's gonna try to refigure out what the segment is all about after this, it's like the magic of Christmas, all right. Outside of our weighted blankets that we all were under during the break, we've all taken some muscle relaxers, get loose for this next round of secret sandas. If we go fast enough, they we'll do a couple of rounds here and then we'll talk some t NF.

Colleen, Okay, I bet you're a great gift gift.

Well, it's always last minute, so that's kind of an issue. I'm someone who says, you know what I was going to get you, and it's something really really thoughtful, but I never executed on time.

So you know the thought I was just thinking about that yesterday that it's not the thought that counts.

If the thought counted, i'd be awesome.

Yeah, but I never you know, I rarely am going through with the nice things that you think about. So it's not the thought that counts. They're lying to you kids, Yeah, I mean it's the action, like it, that's it.

The action that.

Counts, follow through, Yes, that's I saw Steve Weitsch in the newsroom last night and I was like, I.

Haven't bought one gift yet for anyone, and.

He's like, oh, Wolfy, I got my Christmas shopping done.

Yeah before Thanksgiving.

Oh Thanksgiving. That does not surprise me one bit.

Give a gift out then, okay, fine, this is my second gift I guess that I got and I'm giving okay. You know, it kind of feels like you need twenty seven different streaming services to watch the shows this year, so I would like to give Giants fans the gift of access to joy once again. Now this is actually quite personal for me because I just recently signed up for another streaming service to watch a show that debuted

Of Giants fans, right, Okay, Max?

So whatever, Max and I thought of Giants fans because we're both watching a lot of the Homicide Unit at this point, mine of fictional drama.

There's a terrible reality show.

But I want to bring back the good times, the smiles for Giants fans with the gift of Max. So you can rewatch the off season Hard Knocks since that's when their season.

Oh Merry Christmas.

This is I want to say beneath you, but you're so small as it is, it's hard to get there.

I love it. I love it, and.

Catch us on Fast Channel.

Yeah, please do.

Joe Shane, I didn't mention him in the whole coaching thing, but well I was going.

To bring that up.

If that's a package deal, or if you could see maybe Brian Dabele going and not or Joe Shane going and not dable.

I think that is how they will split the baby, which is a weird phrase, but I think Joe Shane will stay. There's something about Joe Shane that I just think John Mara wants to work and he wants to have He desperately wants stability. He wants to be the roonies, and that'll be like the closest he can get is

Them to stay.

Joe Shane has the caliber. I mean, it's hard to argue for any of this, right, but like he has the caliber of what this draft class's potential is of some of the non Saquon related moves.

Yeah, they had a good draft.

And so I think that's where because you can see process product and result looks terrible. But if you can see process if you're Mara, and then you can also see that on the coaching side and you're maybe not thrilled with any of it, that this could be potentially it. But again, this trips me up because of what he so emphatically said, and I just don't think he likes being embarrassed like that, Like there was some interesting stuff the market. They were like saying, Okay, well, you know

He's done it before though I was living in New York. That's like he's said, we're not going to fire the coaches, and then he fired the coaches.

So that's that's kind of what his reputation now.

That's what I'm going off a little.

I love too that Colleen just loves punching down on the Giants as a rival, which I get. There was something it brings out the worst in you, because which is actually the best, right, because like, no matter how good the Patriots were and how bad the Jets were, that was the one team you just you just wanted to be and it's like a stress bowl and saying that that was the peak of their season.

They weren't happy even then. The expectations were very low and they were getting my funt of like even during that season with Saquan, but you're right, it really was the highlight.

I'm going to give a book to the entire Ravens team, so everyone in the organization, all the players.

It's going to be a book.

It is called Never Rest Easy or Never Easy, Never Pretty. It's by a man called Dean Bartoli Smith. I'm also going to give out from our friends at NFL Films a copy of America's Game twenty twelve. This book is about the story of the twenty twelve Baltimore Ravens in America's Game, of course, our great documented documentary that we do after every Super Bowl win, and it's a story of a team that John harra coached that was worse than literally every other team that John Harbaugh ever coached,

They sound like they also could use some sort of magical button that exists to reapply certain strategies to the current model that was used in the past, like a command see command, like some sort of some sort of metaphysical like butt.

Yeah, yeah, that would be great.

I agree, I think that would be awesome.

Great gift idea, Greg, And what a great book it is by Dean Bartoli Smith.

I gotta admit I have that. I could. There aren't many books out there.

There's no books about the twenty twelve Baltimore Ravens. But never rest easy, never pretty, never never easy, never pretty. I remember you Ravens, Like that was not a good team. Sometimes teams that aren't that good actually win the super Bowl.

And I actually think this Ravens teemans quite good. What like the Giants they just.

Have Yeah, like they weren't great during during the regular season. I just mean during during that regular season. Yeah, Like Harbaugh had been around at that point, I think for four years, and all the other teams if you look at like there's a value that Pro Football Reference has, like they were all way better teams.

They were eleven win teams, twelve win teams.

All this this team had so many problems and like, does literally anyone remember that at this point, no one cares.

All that matters is the playoffs? All right, give me a gift? What me.

Subliminally placed that in my brain. Once again, I will show my absolute mastery of the theme here. So we don't know if Pat Mahomes is going to be playing the next couple of games. He said Tuesday morning that he's going to try with dealing with an ankle sprain that's not as serious as one that he had before. My gift also based it totally in reality. To Patrick Mahomes. If he does play for the next couple of weeks, is he is allowed to pick any two NFC tackles.

I mean, come on, in the playoffs.

Yeah, so that's what their NFC tackles. I'm I am so obviously this little context here. I know people know the history of the situation that he's going through. But DJ Humphreys was signed to help alleviate as she is inclusive to injury and performance. Between the tackles the left tackles Wannie Morris and Kingsley Suamataia, d J Humpers was not active this week. He's dealing with the hamstring issue.

Seven.

Patrick mc mahomes has taken seven or more hits in a game for the seventh week in a row, which ties the record for most such games since two thousand. Oh that's not sustainable. So my gift to him. I think he is not only wants it, but very much in need of it if he does play. And I'm going to go in their NFC tackle So I'm gonna go Penney Seol on the right side, okay, and Andy Reid can also use him as a receiving threat.

Okay.

And I'm going with Tristan Wurf's at left tackle.

Okay, who are you guys picking?

I think those are the two. Those are the two all Pro tackles.

If Lane Johnson didn't get like banged up, maybe I'd Ohane in there.

I would say Lane would be good because he knows he knows how to get there in the postseason, and he's sort of like that long haul truckers.

I mean, if Lane Johnson's banged up, I'd hate to see what he looks like, you know, healthy, because he didn't give up a single pressure last week against j freaking Watt, so I don't know he is all right, I'll go Lane Johnson just for some just some spice and SPI.

Yeah, Tristan Worf's that is a great gift. He would love that, and.

Thanks, guys, I needed that.

It's okay.

I think I think sometimes it's Christmas. You want to live in a fantasy world.

It's just like when people, even if.

I can't make it happen, like just imagine it and and suddenly Joe Touney will be Tristan Worf's.

This is the gift equivalent of when your significant other buys you a star. You know, like you don't actually own that star. Oh yeah, you have a piece of paper that says this is your star, and some like you know both romance trope. But it's not really your star. It is that you versus star, and it has died long before you can even see the light from it.

It's kind of or when they do there's a dead star.

Merry Christmas.

They sell these, you know, they sell these trinkets, so it'll be like you can like adopt this dolphin for fifty bucks and you get a little certificate and they're probably like stealing out that much.

So this is my gift, my not that we're the gift equivalent of that to Patrick.

By the way, Lane Johnson only missed one play, but it was so scary that it just worried me that maybe there would be some type of lasting.

Oh he was playing like hurt the rest of the game and he was still awesome. It's crazy, It's crazy. I did get my son a certificate of adoption of a Koala. I remember, you know, like five years ago or something, and it.

Was where we're like a donation.

It's like a donation to the Koala Society and Australia or whatever something like that, and.

They give you a little certificate and you get a newsletter.

All right, have you checked in with it recently?

I really want to go to Australia to go to their little they have a little you know, koala party going on there?

Whoa yeah, okay, preservation society.

Now you have my attention.

Let's go all right.

Last gift for okay, this is like a quick or it could be very speed. You got any speedy ones.

This is for Bills fans and it's a collection of Hailey Steinfeld's music and movies to thank her for unlocking Josh Allen's full potential because since they got engaged during the Bills bye week, oh my god, Josh Allen has fourteen total touchdowns, zero turnovers, zero sacks taken, and the Bills are averaging forty two points per game in those

That is amazing.

Yeah, like that as good as he has ever been, Like this is even better and he is on a heater it is. I mean, it kind of makes sense when you know a man that is that happy, happy in his life.

Love.

It doesn't mean you have the you know, the the room here Bill's face to do any blaming if it turns south at some point, there's I've seen too much outside.

Yeah, the other the other side of it has not been great over the years.

Sometimes in these situations, I am gonna give a gift to NFL Daily.

Actually, so everyone behind.

Just so to yourself, Okay, Well, the real gift is a stock.

It's more front for the NFL.

We're gonna go ahead and buy some ads on Michael Parsons podcast in the off season because this is gonna be the podcast of the off season. I don't know if you saw the Cowboys soft launching their new off season story over the weekend, Michael Parson's trade candidate. Uh, that is gonna make the Michael Parsons Podcast like one of the fastest growing podcasts in the game. I think there could be a lot of carryover with listeners like

Of a budget.

Yeah, we've had no complaints and they've been great. But yeah, we're going to do some advertising on the Parsons podcast because this is going to be the story of the off season, which Ian Rappaport helped to introduce.

So thank you Ian.

It was like his gift to us. Yeah, it was these quotes. It was these quotes from Stephen Jones where he was saying, well, it's a balancing act. You need to look at are we paying our top two, you know, our top players too much money? Maybe we need to spread it out because when those top guys get hurt like Trevon Diggs and whatever, like, you really see we're

I've never done that kind of known.

As being a little bit of a high maintenance player. You know, maybe they would be considering actually trading like the best pure path rusher I've ever seen come into the league.

I think this podcast is going to go off.

That's what they want you to think, so that you keep talking about it.

Greg, that's been over this.

Well that was what I said. It's one or the other. But I I actually think they're.

Think Micah to do this. I think Micah understands it, understands it too. I think he and and Jerry Jones can sort of pull all of the levers and be the Woody Harrelson jiff of crying into their fistfuls of money at the end of this.

It's called The Edge with Michaeh. Parsons.

It's a great show, by the way, very candid.

And I think, yeah, this if he is on the trade block, like I can just picture it's not that far away.

We're at the combine.

We're doing a show from there, and everyone is talking about the biggest story of the day is what Michael Parsons said on The Edge with Michael Parsons about the trade rumors going around, and that's that's only like I wonder two months await and then everyone's like, Wow, what was the ad for that really cool podcast with Greg Rosenthal.

You think that there's going to be a situation with Cam Jordan's Off the Edge podcast and Michael Parsons The Edge podcast.

I don't know which one was first. I assume it was Off the Edge with Cam Jordan.

Yeah, he's been doing that for a minute.

That's that's not fair. I don't like it, all right, Jordan.

Okay, guys, Mike Evans has hit at least one thousand receiving yards per season in each of his ten NFL seasons. He's two hundred and fifty one yards away from exactly one thousand yards with three regular season games left two If you're a put seventeen games person, which in fairness that's that is a valid thing to be. My gift to Mike, You're gonna keep your streak intact. I don't care what happens over the next two weeks. You get

Only two hundred and fifty one yards away.

M hm.

He went off this weekend and really did.

He would tie Jerry Rice's record of eleven consecutive seasons with at least one thousand receiving yards.

He streak is a rare streak that everyone agrees on, like everyone's happy.

That that's what Christmas is all about.

I love it.

Just a couple of quick ones too that just thrown out. These are more like stocking stuff or for Drod Mayo, I'm just gonna like give them a filter.

I didn't get one like a Britta, like a Britta a Britta filter.

I don't know.

This is more of a metaphysical one, kind of like you were given out, just like I didn't realize this until pretty recently in life.

I'm not even kidding.

You can have on expressed thoughts, you know what I mean, Like if something moment, if something comes into your head, you don't have to just immediately say it. There can be a there can be something in between when you think it and when it comes out of your mouth.

Yeah, or it just doesn't come out of your mouth the thought.

That's that's what the filter's for. I could hold it for later, you can hold it for never. But I think Girod could use it.

I have a very timely story about this, actually, Greg, because you and I were texting earlier this week and you texted me a take about.

Drake may and we don't need to go back to more Ja and.

I said, well, I know this is the arc of the Greg universe always cycles back to Drake may So you texted me this take that you had and I said, oh, you said, I'm about to post it on Twitter just to feel alive. And I said, oh, ri ip and then you said no, you were the buffer between me actually saying it, except you said it anyway on the show.

Yeah, it wasn't that. How to take the podcast is different than sending on Twitter. Just that if you're in a redraft. I think he's an absolutely reasonable QB one now he would be then.

A second time. Yeah, all right, well that's good.

That's it. It's different.

Twitter is angry or they get they get all worked up podcasts. We're friendly here and then we're finally Arizona Cardinals. I just want to give them a night out without the kids, you know what I mean. I don't think they're enjoying the moment enough. They're like seven and seven. No one pays attention to them. It's like this story is great, they're over under before the year was like five and a half. Like it just feels like the vibes aren't as good as they should be, Like the

That's some real host stuff right there.

Yeah.

Nice.

This gift was written down before I knew the NFL Network triple header, which, by the way, in a couple Saturdays, Colleen I read as part of the press release is hosting this whole day.

Wait, you're giving me a look now you're going me brekface. I did.

I forgot that I was doing.

You are aware of this, Okay, So remember that I'm doing the doubleheader this Saturday too, and I recently remembered.

That it's pretty good on NFL Tripleheader Chargers Patriots. So you got Drake May Justin Herbert, which I think is probably his best comp in the NFL.

Maybe it's Justin Herbert. That's a fun quarterback magic.

You have Bengals Broncos, which depended on the results of this week's TF, Bengals could be right in it and hope that the Chargers are collapsing.

Either way, they should still well Denver.

Also, if they beat the Chargers on TNF that they could clinch a playoff spot.

So that's fun too. And then, yeah, the Cardinals haven't gotten a lot of pop this year. I feel like, despite all the fun, you want to prove it. Come to Hollywood. You got Jordan rod Rieg up in the press box. It's a Saturday night game. Everyone's watching. Their playoff lives will be on the line. That's fun.

Yeah, I mean, I think one of the previous games they played this year was the lowest watched game in recorded broadcast history, right the one on was that the Cardinals ESPN Plus.

Oh yeah, well that's it.

The INtime they'll be in primetime, they'll be able to hopefully, I mean you know what, they might even feel extra charitable this holiday season and get Trey McBride a touchdown. That would finally, that would be I mean, generally, as long as we're giving things, that would be.

No, absolutely great.

And I love I love that this division is coming down to these last couple of weeks. The Rams will have the Cardinals and Seahawks back to back, and those two games will help decide it.

All Right, we are taking another break.

We're gonna come back, We're gonna talk a little Broncos Chargers. Yes, that will game will inform your tripleheader. It's Colleen Wolf season on NFL Network.

It's the Winter of Josh and Colleen. Yes.

Hey, now where was this one?

Trans Siberian Orchestra? Oh, this is my style of Christmas music.

This is very like NFL game.

It's holiday coverage type of music, which is probably why it's in our music library somewhere.

It was.

It was like the TNF two thousand and seven team, like intro to cover.

I was thinking the other day, like I can't believe the Fox is still doing football robot too, Like that has been a thing for so long, Football robot.

It's like a mascot.

Yeah, oh baby, are people are attached to it? Maybe now that if they took it away they'd be mad. They're still doing the drawings, you know, the drawing that make you look like a superhero or just weird or way hotter than.

You actually are. It's like one of the one of the three.

All right, it's time for our TNF preview presented by Prime Video. Justin Herbert not a guy who needs to be made any better looking, A fine looking young man who is going to be going up against Bo Nicks and this Broncos team. The Chargers won the first time around, so they could sweep them, they would have the better seed in the AFC. I think that could kind of matter because if you can get the best wild card seed here or even the second best, you might avoid

How you do all of these like different combinations and yeah, oh all of the you go into the lab this time of season.

So I kind of rely on that that.

That is true, and that's why this game is in a weird spot. Sometimes games like this happen where both teams are probably in but it's a bigger game for the Chargers because they're a game behind and if they lost it, they would fall to eight and seven, and suddenly they would be in a situation where they would not be able to stumble down the stretch with some easier games. Broncos coming off a good one, like they just seem like they're a better team now than the Chargers.

Yeah, haven't they won four straight?

Because I'm always kind of rooting for the Chargers, but I have to admit the Broncos are just like when you're better. And I think about this every game for the Broncos. Is their offensive line better than the other team's defensive line in this game, despite Joey Bosa and Khleil Mak, The answer is yes, like the Chargers just haven't been rushing the past row. And then on the flip side, is their pass rush better than the other

Of One of the things I to that point is these are both units on either side of the ball that have gotten better and better and better and better as time has passed in Denver, and the Chargers have either stayed the same or have deteriorated in some ways, sometimes due to injury, other times just due to a lack of completeness or dimension that it exists within that team right now. You know, I've remained really impressed with what Jesse Minter has done with that defense considering what

This is the time of year.

Where you want to be as complete a team as possible in every phase.

The defense isn't just solid. They are attacking.

You know, the Broncos and the Chargers defense are two of the three teams that are leading the league right now in limiting points per game.

What is the third team? Your favorite?

Wait?

What the third team?

That's the third team that at the three way tie and teams that are a limiting.

Score Christmas, I'd like to get Colleen like, pay attention college.

I don't know.

I was trying to see the Eagles for you, Colleen.

Well, I go to see the Eagles, but I wasn't actually eat.

But the difference, though, is that the Broncos are scoring. They lead the league in scoring defense right now. They've accounted for thirty four points between interception returns for touchdown, fumble recovers for touchdown, and safeties. And that's the difference. And the Chargers I think have scored once on defense this season. I'd have to fact check. I'm sure someone will tell me online at some point after this runs.

And the Broncos they had this late buy, which is always helpful.

They've won four straight.

The Chargers have lost three of their last four, and like when you think about that game against the Chiefs, how it came down to the very end. Justin Herbert now he's dealing with this ankle injury on a short week. They need to fix things. They don't have time to fix things, they don't have time to heal. I expect the pass rush to absolutely get after Justin Herbert. He's not going to be as mobile, obviously, and we saw what they were able to do against Anthony Richardson, who

I don't think it's really great for the charge.

Okay, I don't either. I'm trying to make the case for it now. The offensive line for the Chargers really struggled with the Bucks blitzes last week. The Chargers are actually second in the league in terms of giving up unblocked pressures, so just no one's blocked, there's total confusion where to block the guy. And yet they're right in the middle of the pack in total pressures, which to me is a justin Herbert stat which he gets rid of the ball. I do remember this first game they

Said.

The Bucks cooked him up pretty good last week, especially after there was a play where they fell on his ankle. His numbers before that injury eight for ten one zero for one hundred and one yards. After he was thirteen for twenty three for ninety four yards in an interception.

So they were shut out in the second half.

Yeah, so it got ugly and we'll see. Like I do think like you just need Justin Herbert to be the best player in this game by a decent amount, and that's just the Charger's best hope that they have him, and the Broncos don't.

They have bo Nicks, who struggled the last couple of weeks.

That's part of the reason I think they're going to try to throw stuff at him and get him not just in a vulnerable position physically for you know, taking hits or whatever, but in a vulnerable position where They're going to see how well he can move on that leg, which is going to be harder to do as the game goes on, because you can treat it up the way that you know you do before a game, but as time passes through that game, if a team keeps attacking, attacking, attacking,

I think, because they can't establish the run, they're going to just be forced into obvious passing situations. And if Herbert's ankle is still a real issue, the Broncos are going to win this and they'll clinch their.

First playoff spot since twenty fifteen.

On the flip side, the Chargers defense got cooked by Tampa in the second half of that game. Look, they were head by four at halftime, it was seventeen thirteen. And there are some similarities I think between the Bucks and the Broncos in terms of their quarterbacks get the ball out really quickly, their coordinators can really scheme up open receivers. That both teams are really good blocking for their receivers on the perimeter and just kind of creating

He was at three or four yards per attempt.

And remember the game before that thereby he threw three interceptions in that game as well. So that's that's five picks in the last couple of weeks. That would be the hope for the Chargers.

I do wonder if the Broncos try to get his pocket moving a little bit, but also get him moving a little bit, picking up gimme yards, different things. You know this laid down the season. You obviously you don't want to put your quarterback in danger. But what you said about, you know, the Broncos and the Bucks reminding you of each other, like Baker and bow Nicks remind me of each other. Yeah, a lot in that regard. Were some of these games that Baker has won for

You might be able to.

Open up some of that short stuff because you're sending one extra defender maybe out into the side or the flat area to try to counter the potential that the quarterback can pick it up with his legs.

I'm amazed the Chargers are favored in this game by two and a half.

It's a home it's a home game, right.

You know it's at home. But it really just feels like the Broncos have been a better team lately. And even though I'll wear my biases like I want the Chargers to win this game. I'm picking the Broncos just because you got to pick the team that you think is the better team.

I do think they're a better team.

Yeah, I think the Broncos won.

I am picking the Broncos. I actually do think it will be very low scoring between both teams because I think Jesse Minter's defense will rebound in a little bit of a.

Love that and like the Broncos don't have much of a running game either, And if when you're making bonicks and they're passing game little one dimensional, you're right, that could be that could be a low scoring game.

And shout out to Nick Benito.

I love watching him play.

Brongos.

Fans are pushing like the defensive player of the year stuff, and it is.

You know, it's got.

It's a tough ass because the first five or six weeks of the season, like he had an extremely low pressure rate, Like he was by the numbers a below average pass rusher for five six weeks of the season. But awards are funny sometime. If you do something crazy in this game after having these back to back pick sixes and you have eleven sacks. If he ends up leading the league, in sacks, Like he gets to fifteen in sacks and he has one more like really crazy memorable play.

He's got to have a chance.

So go out there and be special, Nick Benido, because you're pretty fun to watch.

I know, his ascension since week seven Next Gen has him the seventh highest pressure rate among you know, all edge rushers with at least one hundred and fifty rushes. So it's not exactly like if you start the season hot, it's ascending. He is kind of to me, embodies what a lot of this team has done over this year is they've started to ascent, figure things out and really go from reacting and responding to what teams treateing to them to asserting in different ways.

And Nick Benito, I think embodies a lot of that.

It's a microcosm of the team.

And he's there's actually not an obvious defensive player of the Year right now, so maybe go a little crazy. That was this week's teenf preview presented by Prime Video. Be sure to watch the Denver Broncos take on the Los Angeles Chargers this Thursday on Prime Video.

That was it. This was fun.

This was the last Christmas themed episode until our next one, which will be on Christmas Eve morning. No, I don't know if that'll be Christmas Eve.

I don't have any more themed No, I'm I'm gonna.

Come up with something.

Okay, you're not even gonna be here.

Yeah, but maybe I'll just throw some ideas out.

We just need We're just gonna do an isolated fan cam on Colleen as she celebrates her family Christmas.

Hey, it'll be entertaining, I promise. Maybe Christmas Carols.

Maybe we give plat your brother Tim on the show.

Hey, finally give him some pop right, all right, Look, when we're breaking down, the NFL network's got a triple header with with Colleen in the mix.

You know football is back Wednesday