Super Bowl LVIII Predictions with Cameron Jordan and Kirk Cousins

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From Radio Row in Las Vegas, Nevada's Around the NFL Super Bowl Week Show three of four. On our final show from Radio Row. As we head into the weekend and then the biggest football game of the year, Dan Hans is here with the heroes, Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler, and yes, we got another great show coming up. Great guests, great conversations, go over NFL honors, the Hall of Fame announcements, make our game predictions, some sandwiches on the line.

Let's have some fun last.

Show of the week before Super Bowl fifty eight kicks off.

No, fine, we'll be had. We are serious football people. I don't think we are.

It sounds like Greg when we drove by the pinball museum and he's like, wait, what's pinball?

Were definitely born planet, but Greg, but that was stunning to me. Hemans will know. My brain just wasn't working.

I was thinking candle like it was a different version of candlepin bowling because it looked like a bowling alley or.

So I was like, what the hell, let's not lose the site that there is an actual pinball museum.

Yeah, what is I think there could be some cool items in there.

We're talking like nineteen seventy two pinball machine where the.

Gen xers are definitely feeling the pinball. I'm I'm not rushing over there, but I think it might have some charm. It is.

It is sad that the pinball has lost its cultural cachet, but the museum is here for those who are still.

Yes, it is. How are you feeling, Mark? How are we? You know what?

Like?

I am just here to do like what I could do the best I can. No, I'm not.

It's like it's it's it's it's a lost super Bowl level. But because I I don't think I've seen Las Vegas at all. I feel I've been in my hotel room and then wheeled over to this facility and then we'll.

Have to taking Mark to the set in a wheelchair. People should know that the full story of what's happening here.

Yes, we Uh, Dan and I did you know they rarely tried bang bang? Last night, two dinners both you know, great great company, A six o'clock dinner with our producer Eric and uh and our great friend Matt Casey from NBC.

That's fine, it's good to it's all.

It'd be nice if we made a dollar of merch income at some point in our career, but that's.

Not Will's fault.

I like that.

The fact he was repping repping us and we just walked by him in the casino is an amazing.

Like everybody's minds were appropriately blown, but just the happenstance of it all.

And then he was like, where's Mark And we're like, well, Mark's under the weather.

He was, well, I always whenever anything happened, there's an air of disappointment from Dan and Greg and I think they've been vaguely don't believe that I've been ill, but I've been hotel room the entire We believe you.

I am, I believe you. It's been an odd week. I have I.

Floor though, and I've had an incredible view of what's out in Vegas.

It's a surreal sight.

That that that meeting, a chance meeting, is right there with me too. A couple of years ago when we were walking through the streets of London and not a young man, a young bloke was walking towards us, and he stops in his tracks. He pulls his AirPods out and he just doesn't say where, he just points at him and he goes, I'm listening to you Mite, which is pretty tribute to So it's very cool to see and we have over the course of this week people

We get questions about that, either individually or combined on a I would say a if not weekly three or four times a week basis on.

Twitter, and there's some people out there that want it.

I think it's you know, we ran into tech issues last time. Those have been wiped away, and I think Connor and I are more free now.

You guys are on an amazing platform.

I remember that we literally had a meeting with the great people of iHeart earlier this week and like, if you guys have any ideas to do a show, like, we'd love to do one with you.

I could see it coming back. I mean, Connor and I want to you want to leave a heating light of water, but can you make a drink?

It's like, do you want to do the sequel to something twenty five years later? The fans wanted, like that's what that's what we're.

Working for, the Phantom Menace heat too, not a little bit of heat too? All right, so good stuff, great stuff. Let's let's get into it. Let's start with everything that went down here in Vegas at the annual NFL Honors Award Awards, in which they you know, make all the announcements.

Prince Harry was in the house. How about that thank you on his job.

I think that was the news of the week to me, is that Prince Harry is being, you know, tugged from place to place and made move handsome.

Hank the guy was like fourteenth in line for the throne, and now he's like one of the biggest celebrities in the world. And all he had to do was turn his back on everything that he was connected to in his life. There's something to take out of that. Perhaps, I don't know, let's get into it. I don't have

Is that's freaking Prince Harry. It was really threaded a needle. I guess this is the crazy moment.

It definitely like jumped up the star power for NFL Honors, Henry.

I would think God at least a twenty percent raise. Look, Chris Berman is.

Oh, shaking hand away over there, glad ending the big bell bottom. That's his only blazer, by the way, look at him.

We have reached the stage in the Super Bowl week where the splash page on ESPN dot com is Chris Berman picks the winner super Bowl fifty eight. So that's where we're at now, all right, it's time. Don't get impatient. Greg's the journey. I just mean that, that's like, what are we doing here? Yeah, make a big deal of who what the pick is?

All right?

Well, like we're gonna do in just a bit, We're gonna make our picks. But let's start with NFL Honors. And obviously the big award is NFL MVP. And this is not a surprise the way that in general a lot of these awards there wasn't a lot of fun intrigue this year for several of them, including MVP, because you knew the way the season ended, Lamar was gonna win. It really came down to was he gonna win unanimously? He did not, but he got forty nine of the

I'd rather signing a video to except the award if I was waining. You know that it was great players who was nominating as will not just himself and the heads off to those guys. I didn't do a lot for four teams as well, you know, just to get this award. To be here for the award, it's a hundred, but I rather would have been in the super vote. Except the war it's all doing, you know.

I feel like just enough time has passed where it's not weird for him to be on the stage after blowing the AFC title game.

So that's good for the lam Army.

Yeah, it's happened a lot in NFL history that these NFL MVPs accept the award after a crushing playoff disappointment. Actually it happened Wonky. Yeah. I believe Patrick Mahomes that the year he lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game as a starter his first one, same thing happened. It's happened a number of times, and it is awkward, but you're able. I think he's able to appreciate it and the bigger surprises.

Just like that.

It was such a blowout to me. I guess it was just the way the season ended. It felt like a very strange MVP year that Lamar would have been my pick.

So he was a deserving winner.

I think he was the right pick for this year, but it wasn't a year like where the last few years. I think the second or third place, like Jalen Hurts his twenty twenty two season would have won this, Josh Allen a couple of years ago would have won this, And there just wasn't one of those seasons this year, and Lamar was the best of the options.

You know, I think they there was the way the schedule worked out. MVP candidate knocked out MVP candidate, then the next week that guy got knocked out by someone else, and like Lamar kind of was on top of the hill at the end of the season. But I just go back to this thing, and I guess part of it is like we're in an arrow where like what happens in the postseason, it's not supposed to matter in terms of MVP Quarterback.

Offensive Player of the Year, but I would rather we vote later.

There is something awkward to me to have the MVP be someone this is just me who completely blew it in the playoffs.

It's a little It's a regular season award though, that's.

Just that's just what it is.

I guess it should be because otherwise it's gonna just tilt heavily no matter what happens in the Super Bowl.

But so here's the thing, I think, Well, it's not it would have been weirder had Dak Prescott got up.

Right.

It's not nineteen eighty two and the kicker for Washington winning, Right, there's.

Been this one.

I feel like we're going to look back and while we're not going to disagree that Lamar should have won, we're gonna be like, wow, he kind of this is not that he was lucky, but it's like.

Good year to be here.

To look at his numbers. He didn't have his best rushing year.

He was middle of the pack and touchdown passes and yardage everything else. He passed the eye test and he won a bunch of big time games in the season, so it makes sense. But the numbers, it's it's kind of a strange year. And but he got it. He's got the hardware. You know, you got to do it.

I don't know people will remember that though.

It's like when Palama There's been some Defensive Player of the Year awards like that too, where there's not a logical pick.

I think with the Palamala year, one of the.

MVP is different than that, right, That's what I mean, Like in the long run, though, you're just like, well he won two m vps.

I do.

I found the voting interesting. I believe it was Aaron Shots voted for Josh Allen first.

He came in fifth. Overall. I thought there would be more diversity.

Brock Perdy got nine second place votes, five third place votes. Dak just edged as you mentioned out Christian McCaffrey, but there wasn't like a lot of mixing it up.

I thought there would be a little more disagreement.

And I heard and we're at the point of the week where everyone you know, not us, of course, but everyone that works in media is just trying to like get now to the finish line.

And I heard Stephen A. Smith just railing against whoever was the one who didn't vote for Lamar Jackson. It's fine, it's a disgrace. No, like Josh Allen had Eric. I know Eric would have voted for joshup.

He had a big time year with like a lot of memorable splash plays, and I don't think it's absurd that he got a vote.

Also coming from Aaron Schatz, Like there's a lot of data in hard work and perception and ideas going into that.

It's not just sure from the middle of the front of the.

Show speaking of well, maybe you would feel differently, Mark because your Cleveland Browns had a nice award show. But if they factored in the playoffs, there's no way Kevin Stefanski is Coach of the Year. But he does win the award over Demiko Ryans, who obviously the Texans beat up on the Browns in the playoffs. They finished tied in points, but it was Kevin Stefanski that got the more first place votes, one first votes.

That's that's as closest against obviously.

I think that actually, I think that actually emphasizes my point forget the brown side of it. It's like, I think what Tomiko Ryans did ultimately was go and win a playoff game for a team that like absolutely was in another world a year ago. And Stefanski, it's, you know what, he earned it absolutely for regular season navigation of losing like a billion quarterbacks, bringing in Joe Flacco and you know, having all that happen the way it did, and kind of keeping a calm demeanor through it all.

He's won it twice.

There is a pretty short list of coaches, and it's an pretty credible list coaches that have won it two times. So I Thinkkevin Stefanski is a good coach. He stands out on that list is like wow, right.

Because he was a little bit on the hot seat and coming into this year because the other two years between the awards were.

Right, it's fitting. It's fitting that it was tied. I think it's fitting that it was just I would have loved that actually.

But it's crazy. Every vote matters.

Five people left Stefanski off their ballots entirely. You vote for the top three, but seven people left Ryan's off their ballot entirely.

So even though had more of those guys off your ballot, I.

Don't even think that's that crazy too, because like Dan Campbell got a decent amount of.

Support, he had three interesting years, Kyle Sanahan.

Got a decent amount of votes, John Harbaugh McVeigh.

And then deep deep I mean, but I'll use someone had Bowls third.

Come on, I'll use as the example. Yeah, if one of the playoff teams had a team that used five quarterbacks and made the playoffs, like, you can't not give him?

Well, no, it wasn't wonky at all.

It's just that I think that the vote to me is always ridiculous because just because Kyle Shanahan's been good for so long, we see this every year, like he gets far fewer votes. Like Kyle Shanahan has done a better coaching job than any one of these people.

He came in four.

Yeah, he came in fourth. Thirteen car which has got a vote.

Which is I can't remember if any voting awards Sean McDermott for that inspirational speech that galvanized his team to a big winning streak.

Oh wait, the speech was years ago, but it's still yeah.

So I'm cool though with Stefanski winning Coach of the Year, Flacco winning Comeback by the Year is wild. We're at dinner when we see that, and we had a friend who was connected to somebody who had wagered quite amount of money on Deamar Hamlin winning that because Damar Hamlin nearly died on the.

Field last year.

So Flacco gets it after starting five games, winning four of them. We have some flaccos sound. I would imagine. We've gotten to know Flack over the years. He's a humble guy. He kind of sees he has a good perspective on things. It had to be a little weird to beat the guy that almost died, you know, I keep saying.

It feels kind of strange.

I literally played in five games this year in the regular season, so it definitely feels a little strange.

But man, he's a special two months.

So I think anytime that you get recognized for playing some good football if it means a lot.

So Flacco takes that award. Let's keep moving. Offensive Player of the Year, we can come back to any of these. Christian McCaffrey takes that well earned. He was a monster, led the league of all purpose yards over twenty touchdowns. Another very close vote was Defensive Player of the Year Miles Garrett edges Maker Parson TJ.

Watt. How close was that vote?

That was twenty three from Miles Garrett, nineteen for Watt. Then you go down to Parsons at seven and to Ron Bland one.

And even closer because walk up more.

The second and third place votes matter a lot, So it was it was very tight, but TJ.

Watt didn't get it done.

And then ap Offensive Rookie of the Year. This is a great rookie class in the NFL. And it was CJ. Stroud, who could not as great as some of those guys. Pookin a coup really comes to mind.

He had two first place votes. Yeah, you had to give it to Shroud. If it's a rookie who blows up the way he did.

Yes, Stroud deserves that, even not taking into account that he had a massive playoff game as well. Yes, well deserved for Stroud and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Just like the Jets last year, a team sweeps this category, it is Texans Will Anderson Junior taking that trophy.

Hild Yeah.

Well, the Will Anderson Defensive Player of the Year vote was also extremely close in first place votes.

Actually, our guy, the.

Conductor, Kobe Turner tied for the lead there with Will Anderson and Jalen Carter.

They each get your guy. I mean, we like him, but he's your guy.

He's got fourteen place votes, But it was the second and third place votes that ended up deciding. So Carter got second, uh and and Kobe Turner got third. The Comeback Player of the Year, though, is maybe the most surprising NFL Honors award that I can remember.

I would say, like I've heard it's like put out there, and I kind of think this would be a good solution that just named the award after Demor Hamlin and then from here on out, because it's like and then give it.

But I know, but I like I'm saying they could have done give him the award. It's it's strange.

It's a lot of people must have really the flaccos to the narrative, like completely, I think outshine the fact that Hamlin didn't play much this year too.

But Brown's QB take.

I thought Baker deserved it more than Flakka for what he did this year.

Baker came in third, and this just reminds me of Wes because we would rail against the Comeback Player of the Year award, and I agree, it's just so nebulous. I think if you're going to have an award, make a definition of what it is, because you're trying to compare a player that came back from a near death experience to a guy, as I saw on Twitter, that was coming back from unemployment like he just was he

What it is.

This morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous.

Because eight people Damar Hamlin actually got eight more first place votes than Joe Flacco. So actually, the conventional wisdom was was kind of right, and they only changed the voting last year to include first, second, third in every vote.

But what happened was.

Eight people left Damar Hamlin off their bouts entirely. Now, they could have just thought, they might have just thought he doesn't really make sense for this award in their mind, or they could have completely forgotten him because he you know, just they weren't thinking about him because he didn't have.

A big season's gotten him.

Trust me, not every not all fifty voters are like completely locked into what's going on. So it's one of those two things. But either of those, to me, are kind of unacceptable. And I just think they got to define what the award is because Flacko only got left off three ballots and he got a ton of second place votes and that's why he won, even though actually way more people thought Hamlin should have won.

Well, well, a lot of it is what happens at the end of the season.

But when you say to define what the award is, I think it's one of the more nebulous awards out there because if you say it's just for returning from injury, or it's bad season, great season, or it's something obscure happened to you and then you return and play well, it's like there's all sorts of comebacks.

And heard he got six six total votes, including a first place votes, I was like, wait, what's he coming back? Calvin Ridley came in seventh for coming back from a gambling suspension.

I think the cynical.

The cynical to me with Hamelin is that happened late in the regular season last year, and then he was at NFL Honors last year and they celebrated him there, and it's almost like it's old news. So the fact that he didn't qualify for the award last year, the people kind of moved on. It was no longer compelling to them in the way it was. But right those that remember that night and really how that played, that's listen.

That's that's a coming, right.

But it's also the kind of thing where it doesn't like turn Joe Flacco into the villain in this exercise nod.

You know, he felt awkward about it and said as much because he was like, I don't even know, like what this be.

Like he gets it.

It's like Phil Rivers said the same thing when he was coming back from nothing and won the word. He came back from a bad season where he was just like, Okay, Ryan Tannehill that's still my favorite, had a similar one and the last awards they I just would want to say, it's like, yeah, it's very nebulous, calm down, TJ. Watt and Steelers fans, you want a Defensive Player of the Year award before.

They were such a hard on for TJ. Watt? What do you mean? You just always got to get him? I feel like, but there just gets so mad, like so fired up.

As if the top four candidates, and I would include Crosby in this who came in fourth, in Parsons, who came in a distant third, you were splitting hairs to pick between any of the four of them. So you really, I don't think you can feel that like crazy that anyone would get robbed here.

It made sense to me that Garrett won it.

A great sight of the night was calling Wolfe interviewing Joe Flacco before the awards, and he was towering over by what seemed to be like a foot and a half, and she mentioned that she was already in six inch heels and she just was like looking up at him like she would add a skyscraper, sneaky tall man.

My image also with Flakaumember from the night is that there's a clip of Lamar putting his arm around like that Blacko's shoulder and then he put his head on his other shoulder like it was he was like Joe Flacco's young child. So that's that's nice to see. After there were some reports of them being quite prickly with.

The jo like to be a Ravens quarterback who steps up in the playoffs. Tell me more, show me the path. Sorry, Greg took Joe a while too, right, Joe, listen, Joe, I remember this Super Bowl year, fifth year, well it was his fifth year they'd made the play. Remember him playing lights out in Foxboro a year or two later and that a great comeback by the Pats.

He was a big time January performer.

All right, let's uh, let's pivot and talk a little Hall of fame.

How about that?

Uh well, let's start a Super Bowl week after all with a great super Bowl memory of the Aughts and the Colts have had a hard time all season covering kicks. It's Hester trying to work it back to the middle, gets past.

The first raven. Here he goes. That's Hester and signed the thirty. Hester's gonna take.

It over the way for a touchdown and no flag ninety two yards.

Listen, it's hearing Jim Nantzer without romogon hod Jim. That was Devin Hester Hester super Bowl forty one. I call it the Prince super Bowl in Miami, the heavily favorite Colts against the Bears.

And that was the highlight. Ooh, it was the highlight on that night for the Bears.

The opening kickoff in an eventual Indianapolis win Devin Hester. And it's interesting, it's kind of fun now with as we get older and seeing these guys that you remember when they came into the league now getting into the Hall of Fame after watching their whole career Devin hester Is in the class of twenty twenty four, joining him Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis, and then in the Senior Committee class getting in as a Randy

I'm thrilled to see Andre Johnson and Julius Peppers get in. It's a great reminder, especially with Peppers, to just wait a little bit, wait a little bit to evaluate these careers. And when I was mentioning Flacco before I was thinking about I think it was his first three years he had like one touchdown, eight seven interceptions, and they were really getting on it.

You get it, Lamar Jackson. No, no, no, no.

I just meant like people were killing flac Oh for not being a playoff performer for years, and then it actually flipped the entire way, and Julius Peppers to me, was picked on for years of maybe not living up to his.

Like draft value. Like people have totally memory hold this.

They're like, well, he's so talented, but he really doesn't play that hard. And it was like just people who were kind of making vaguely racist comments about a guy who's extremely low key. And sometimes you have to really watch I think the film to appreciate and appreciate his consistency that it got better and better and better, and and he made things look easy.

And he was a guy who I think got in.

In part because he had such a long career of sustained excellence. But for the first five or six years of his career, where he was still very good, he got picked on and people were using the B word around him. And he's literally a Hall of Famer a and so it's really cool to see him get in.

This beward the bust word, I don't know, I called the bet. Yeah. I love this.

Class because this is the first. Like, I just think it's like a cool class. Aren't all these players cool?

Well, yeah, it's like we covered big chunks of their careers.

Like Devin Hester obviously stands out different that you will never have a player like him getting into the Hall of Fame ever again, assuming the NFL keeps the rules as they are for Kinnick and punt returns, it just will never happen. It's like that that element and the danger that he presented. Will has gone away in the NFL. I everyone always sort of brushes over the senior entries.

He was as badass as it gets.

And right now he's battling als, and I know he's going through a lot, But like he was like a mid eighties and he played a lot longer than that Bears team, but he was a mid eighties fire starter and an unforgettable if you watched him.

Andre Johnson is one of the one of the more dominant players of his era, and good to see him get in some of the guys as they get older, and that was the case with the Johnson's last three years. He was in decline as a player, and you know, bounced around a little bit, went to Indianapolis, even was in Tennessee at the very end. But those prime years, those peak years with Houston, he was just locking in.

I think Patrick Willis was essentially a perfect player.

He didn't have as long of a career as some of these guys, but like was a perfect player, right.

I love that he got in because to me, he's a little bit like Terrell Davis, where the first five years of his career he was the defining inside slash middle linebacker of those five or six years and then he got hurt and it was kind of it. It was really six years, And I think that's to me more worthy of a Hall of Fame induction, that you're dominant for a six years, six years a long time in the NFL than some of the compilers that get in. So to me, he's a particular type that I'm glad

Gates will get and eventually.

His chemistry with Rivers was unbelievable. And here's the thing with him, injuries just really kind of held him back. He played forever, but he remember, he's always battling those foot issues.

And when you.

Look back at his stats, he was always a red zone stud. As you mentioned the touchdowns one hundred and sixteen. He just had two one thousand yard seasons. Now, I know it's a different, but it's a different I'm just saying the injuries. He missed a lot of games in his career. But to go if you if you're a player who goes first team All Pro is big time, and he did it three years in a row, and then six he was either first team or second team. So I feel like this is the case I make

I had just got on a little Twitter rant because it annoyed me because I was such a fan. I think he's maybe the greatest receiving titand I've ever seen.

You just have to compare between eras. But I did not say anything. You should have showed him your little tweets. Well, he's annoyed. I mean, he's actually disappointed that you're in his camp. Though that would be clear, you know.

Sure, first step ever, and we're gonna have Cam Jordan on it a little bit. And Cam Jordan is right behind Freanie in the sack record. He's in the top twenty and sometimes in that. And I said it on the pod recently. The best rivalry, the two best rivalries Cowboys Niners in the nineties since I've been watching football, and Pat's Colts in the two thousands, and the Peyton and Brady It sucked up all the oxygen. But Freenye was one of the guys, one of the guys the

So also well earned. And he's in the top twenty.

All times, right, and he's the guy that was getting like Defensive Player of the Year second third. Like that's the difference between him and like a Willis who was really great at his position.

But he was.

Another one who was really dominant and had a nice little run too. I remember him ever and him in the twenty eight to three Falcons team. He had a nice little rebound season. I was kind of a team leader for them.

Mark, do you want to add anything on the final Veterans Committee, I'm gonna I'm gonna scour that.

He did well, he said Steve mcnichel. But there's also Randy Gratishar. We can't leave Randy at.

Bradishar was I believe Denver Broncos like during the Orange Crush era, that's before my time, So I kind of stay away from giving first hand knowledge about players that I was during.

I was essentially a toddler, having the runway in case you had something in there.

I think it's you know, actually my only commentary. It's kind of sad for me when it's great that they get in, but sometimes they're they're not alive anymore or there. It's so far away that people he's a glance over it and don't really like understand what their career was. It's like, I don't know how we do this with Hall of Fame, where some of these guys like get in and celebrated a little bit earlier.

If you're on the bubble that long, it feels like a rough ride.

I immediately think about speeches too. With these guys, I feel like this is a a good crew. I feel like Willis is going to bring some fire. Who else we got.

Well, I'm doing a little gradishar here. He is the heart of the Orange Crush defense. He's the all time leading tackler for the Denver Broncos. He's the nineteen seventy eight defensive Player of the Year. So went to the shadow shoudow all right?

Anything else? All right, let's wrap this up. Good conversation, that's what's happening in the news. Let's take a break and we'll welcome our first guest.

We'll be right back.

But our next guest is he's a dude. Let's start there. He's a dude. He's also a.

Part of the NFL Media podcast network. He's also a stud defender for the New Orleans Saints.

You know who I'm talking about, Cameron Jordan. Welcome to Around the NFL, buddy.

I appreciate you guys having me on. I mean the intro music dropped and I was like, oh, no, I get it. I get it. Welcome to the twilight Zone.

So that's okay. So twilight Zone.

It's always a good test, Like how the guests here what that song is.

So there's a bit of a sci fi vibe.

Yeah, it was quite eerie until the guitar started stringing.

You know, yes, I always found it.

It's nineteen eighty eight cop driving back to his apartment after his partner just got shot.

Yeah he's down and out. Yeah that makes it.

That makes perfect sense.

Ye, Cam, here's a little full circle moment. We've been doing this podcast for eleven years now. I'm getting emotional about it. And before the podcast started, we worked and just wrote for NFL dot Com. When you were drafted into the league, you came to the old Culver City Studios and in the green room a young journo Dan Hanss met with a rookie and the third person cover since he got the last contract, and I remember we

I don't know, you're Hall of Famer. I think you are. You're the all time sack leader of the Saints.

You're you're in the atn Era, one of the greats yeah, one of.

The greatst store and you are in outshine Jordan Cameron, who you were mistaken for on that that.

I mean, come on, come on. In two thousand eleven draft class arguably the greatest draft class of all times. There were so many, you know. There there was Cam cam Newton at number one, you know, me at twenty four, Cam Hayward at like thirty. Then there's Jordan Cameron and like the like the fifth or sixth round. Uh And I even got called by the Browns to get drafted by them because they it was Jordan Cameron, and it was Cameron Jordan. You know, there was a whole invert

Cameron Hayward. It seems like a great dude. You know, he won Walter Peyton Man of the Year award last night. Though, Is that problematic for you people? Still confusing?

I'm got called Cam Hayward a couple of times. Uh, in my my stay here for the last three days in Vegas, I've called I've been called. I was like, oh, man, Jordan, Cam. I said, that don't even make sense that he's been retired for so long.

Unless they go in like Jordan.

Maybe that's what it was. It was there was a pause in there, so maybe they was just reading it like you do the passport, you know, last name first and then go on to the name. But I also get I was like, oh, he's like, yeah, what they don't do? I was like, dude, you're Cam. I was like, come on say it, say it like I was like Newton, No, No, I was like you don't. I've gotten Brandon Marshall and Alvin Kamara And at this point, I'm just like, where are we going with this?

You you uh, you know you're a great player, but at this point, you're basically a podcaster. Uh, you're our colleague, like Alvin Kamara, great teammate. You're our teammate on the NF podcast. Yeah, the Off the Edge podcast. And I know that you're truly a podcaster because you're getting eight thirty, not even a wake up call, an eight thirty car to come over here to Radio Row every single day.

You're you're working harder than us.

Yeah, yeah, you know, it's a it's a six forty five wake up too. So I can go run down to the to the to the weight room down at the hotel just to get my thirty to forty five minute elliptic.

Goal in to get the juices.

Really, the creative juice is flowing, you know, the cerebral cortex has to be pulsating at ultimate levels for for me to you know, be able to get into a car at eight to be here by eight thirty to get this work in.

How season one going up being a podcast here?

Man? So you know, I don't even know what season this is. So me and mark Ingram had a podcast. Trust levels biggest, you know, biggest trust on the highest of levels. It was vibes, you know, and when you can bounce ideas and talk to other people. It's a party going solo, this solo act. You know, I'm not feeling like just about I'm feeling like justin Timberlake when he left in Sync, you know, like I'm like, I'm off on on my own. I miss my friends. Nope, won't say it out loud. We'll continue.

He made a lot of money.

Though, Well, you want to be Timberlake like two thousand and three to twenty fourteen, not modern day Timberlake when everyone hates him.

Wait, everybody hates him.

I feel like there's been a lot of pushback and blowback with Brittany and Janet and some other stuff.

Are they on trolls? Do their kids watch him every day?

I would not know.

I think Justine is doing all right. I think you're right in that Sta. Yeah, he's probably doing quite okay.

Between Branch and Princess Poppy. You know what goes on in my house?

How many kids you got? I've got four, okay, and three of them are girls.

So guess what. We watch a lot of musicals. I guess what trolls is? When heck of a musical?

We living in la I only know, like one dad has three kids and it just tears his life asunder. It's mostly two or one and people I know so to go. Oh, you're in LA, so the taxes are high. There three kids at a.

School that'll blow the house up. Yeah.

Down, Yeah, that sounds that sounds hurtful. I gotta take these kids out to eat every day. No, no, no, no no.

Can we talk a little Saints?

Absolutely? Why wouldn't I want to talk about the black and the gold or the gold on the black?

Can I ask you one like the most fascinating moment for me from the Saints all year. You know, you close out the season with a with a You're up forty one to seventeen over the desperate Atlanta Falcons. We're about to fire their coach and you're you're down at the one yard line after an interception, and Jameis Winston finished dials up, you know, unbeknownst to the coaching staff, a one yard touchdown for Jamal Williams. You go, you win the game forty eight seventeen. You know, Arthur Smith

Like your reaction to that, tell me, you tell me your version.

I'm so sorry. The locker room really enjoys being a brotherhood. Right, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry that we punished a rival team. I would do it again. In fact, I would have gone for two.

Now.

The only thing I'm gonna have discrepancy with is I was like I didn't understand the ramifications, Like, no, they were taking victory formation. Ah, so the Cantlanta fail Cons had already acquiesced and they were they were just trying to get out there, just like their head coach was about to get out there the Falcons.

And you know what that I love that about.

I didn't under Greg went to Tulane, so he was a little more into the world there, grew up in the Northeast. I didn't understand the true hatred between the Saints and Falcons until started covering the sport more closely.

We kind of need more Saints Falcons.

Like, good job, I'll see you next time.

But right when I saw jamis that clip that kind of went viral last week on stage at the church. As a I was like, Dennis Allen didn't have a chance against this guy.

Of course everyone's following. Jamis went absolutely yeah.

My only half my gripe was I was like, Dennis ended up saying sorry, and I was.

Like, why would you say sorry?

I was like, you know what you say sorry, We didn't go for fifty, So sorry on you.

But here's the test because like after the game, James like, listen, like, apologies to coach, but we made a decision as a team.

Jamal Jamal has been amazing team right, an amazing player whatever they called his number. He's been giving all the juice, all the all, you know, even giving up the possibility of accolades.

But as Dennis and Jamis cool, like it's James next year.

Now, Jameis deserves to be he deserves to be a starter.

That's fair.

I mean, when you see the quarterbacks that played, I'm not knocking anybody, but we played the Chicago Bears and it was not justin Phils on the film. We we played a guy in New York who whose agent was probably became more famous than he did. So you're telling me, Jamis, who's got you know, the arm of every Titans dream.

You know, that's right, you kind of I forgot y'all ended de Vito insanity.

I forgot that.

Man.

I'm glad we weren't part of DEFO one thing though, because I would imagine San Francisco like the players would never do that to Kyle Shanahan. So I guess I'm asking from another angle, like Dennis Allen kind of like they wouldn't.

I don't. I don't know, But is it is it.

Perceived as the players doing something to the coach or the players I.

Think the people the outside the locker room kind of question, like does Dennis Allen like have this team, you know, in every possible way, or is it like we're gonna go do what we want to do no matter who the coach.

But that happened. If Sean Payton's the coach, I don't know, absolutely would have gone.

So I would have gone for it wouldn't been a victory.

Said no, if Sean said we kneeling now, I don't.

I've seen I've seen us beat the breaks off of the Philadelphia Eagles and we're up by like thirty something forty something. He's like looking around and like it could have it's clearly a time to take a knee victory formation, and sees Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary, a legendary Saints player who had been gone to Philadelphia, and was like, aka, over the top now and we're up by like thirty five forty. You know. It was like, and we're going up top. So I don't see Sean Ever saying no

There was we talked about a lot on the show.

There was there was like a lot going on with the Saints this year, like they were just a strange team to figure out where I'm friends with a lot of Saints fans kind of followed the coverage, and the fans sometimes.

Were just like frustrated.

They were frustrated in a way that was almost unusual for a team that was still you know, in the mix in first place a lot of the years, and and I think it was understandable that they were frustrated with all the success that they had, and then after the season a few things kind of struck me of.

Somehow we blew a seventeen point lead to the Green Bay Packers.

That happened. I remember that that was early.

Mickey Loomis said something about after the season, this is what struck me of that like, we we need to do some changes maybe with the roster and personnel to improve the culture. And that that that comment was like, hm, improve the culture because when they hired Dennis Sound, they were like, we're keeping Dennis Ound because we want to keep this culture going. He's the guy that's been there

There I've learned to not put my GM hat on. Okay, yeah I've I've I've played this game and it's never worked out. Well. I was like, yeah, this is what we're gonna do with the draft, this is how we knowing it, this is what our team needs, and have been completely wrong, you know. So I was like, yeah, we're gonna get a defense Vin And then in the first round we got a corner and I was like, and then we got back into the first round and I was like, oh, this is the d N time.

We'll close it out with a little legacy talk. So I'm looking at.

Twenty six years toward in football there pick which pick which? You're talking about Pro Football Reference. By the way your head shots are, they're always on point. What do you got in start for this year?

Oh, I don't know, I don't know.

I like the the l Diablo look last year that that one was probably my were.

You talking about the mustache twist up? That was a few years ago. I still had like I'd still a dreads you do you take? I had a Jerry curl after that one. That was I now, I don't understand when you know. Dion Sanders was like, it looks dry, but it's it's wet, or it was wet, but it looks whatever it was. I was like, I need that.

This this best reason Butler with the NBA, he's kind of your version in the NBA doing Fallout Boy that way.

This that was crazy This year is kind of like you're looking like you guy that maybe was on the airplane and you kind of let one go and you're waiting to see if anybody notices no, no, this one.

This one was the Alan Iverson inspired walk over the Head but oh scraping over Tying Lou you know, yeah, but.

Here we go.

So you have one hundred and seventeen and a half career sex and the most ever by the Saints, and that is a team that has some big time players in their history. Number one on the list is Bruce Smith. We're not going to get to two two hundred. But if you get to one twenty three eighteen years Yeah, we saw him last and it looked like like he's thirty seven.

When I get to one twenty five this upcoming season, yeah, I.

Was gonna say that puts you in the top twenty, and that puts you in the club of the great late Derrek, Thomas, Dwight, Free, and e Von Miller.

Let's let's get in that top twenty eight.

Dwight had one twenty five and a half and to get to get into the top twenty, Math is at one twenty three, which is what five and a half sacks suck?

Sure, I think we could do that. Keep playing the Falcons, it's time.

Yeah. Yeah, as long as my ankle doesn't go out week eleven, I have to go hobble around for seven weeks. Yeah, I see, I see myself doing that. The key is to stay, you know. They say the best ability is availability. And although I played, I was not at my regular standard of living after. In fact, I had a dag on Atlanta game, So you think I care about Atlanta.

How frustrating is that when you're just a boy, won't listen to you.

Yeah, it was a tin car pile up and everything landed on my ankle.

All right, Well, hopefully next season you stay healthy and your dominant force as you've been your whole career. Thank you, buddy, and yes, check out the off the edge button.

Now listen.

We don't always give massive endorsements of podcasts, but we're gonna do it right here because Cam's the real deal. He's got obviously a big podcast future. So let's get on the let's get on the carpet ride.

Well, according according to you know, my people, last night, I showed some dance moves. Maybe I just I quit this football thing and you know, just go tap dancing for the rest of my life.

I don't get in the top twenty first. And then it all right, Cavin Jordan, thank you, buddy.

I appreciate you guys having me on.

Thank you.

All right, there it goes Cam. We'll take a break and we'll be right back right welcome back. It is time. It is time to pick the game. That game being Super Bowl fifty eight, and let's go around the horn. Let's pick the game. And then while we're here, as per tradition, please share your sangwage prop for Super Bowl fifty eight. We'll each have one. We should be hanging some onion here, right. I think we all know we should. It's a super Bowl, so Mark, get us going houses.

Correct.

I wouldn't call it a daring prediction, but I yes, and you deserve credit for that, Yes, so much credit. We have another situation going on as well. Unless I'm mistaken, do you have a win yet in the picks in the playoffs, because this could be history.

I don't think I've won since like November.

I think I think you are winless in your picks so far in the playoffs and the locks. So obviously this is also our final lock of the week, lock of the season. Second half standings on the line, Greg, A lot on the line in this game.

I don't think it's on the line anymore. You blew it.

I didn't blow anything. You lost last time, So that means your one game up with want to play?

Okay, you could tie in the site and I also believe in my situation.

And also I have the extra first place vote it would go to me.

Yes, there's an inglorious aspect to my situation that I believe I'm notched at nine wins and you need to get I was told that no one has ever finished with only nine wins.

All right, so there's a lot on the line. Let's see what you got, Mark, all right.

So I so this is what I predicted way back when forty nine Ers twenty eight, Chiefs twenty four. But I want to explain how this game ends. Yeah, go ahead, because the Chiefs, you know, they've not allowed thirty one points. All yeah, it's all these like their defense has been so tight. Kyle Shanahan's this is what I wrote for Endon for dot Com. Kyle Shanahan's winding quest to lift the Lombardi crescendos on a February night in Las Vegas is Brock Purty tilts Kansas City's defense for three scores

Right. I love that. I love it.

Mark, You are always looking to ring it on the old horseshoe there, and that's that's a needle to thread.

But I believe in you.

I like I also like we're not all agreeing and I'm picking the Chiefs, so I like we're on different sides. I'm locking up the Chiefs. Twenty seven to twenties my score, it's just under that number. I do think it's going to be more of a running and a little bit of defense games a little under that that over under.

You know, they're a dynasty.

Some would say my locks title, staying at home in Santa Monica is a bit of a dynasty. It actually started this four four lock trophies in five year run by picking the Chiefs over and over and over again. So I'm gonna go back to the to the people that helped me get there. And sometimes we talked earlier in the week about Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and the journey that they've been on into becoming all time greats, and sometimes that's all it is, is just elevating at

Not think it was one of the great players.

Three for fourteen all year and plus twenty air yard type throws, three for four in the playoffs.

They're just they're just playing better.

Look at the teams they beat to beat, to beat the Dolphins and to beat the Bills and the Ravens in a row, that's a murderers row.

Let's come though. Okay, Dolphins is a tough you know, the offense. I think the way that the defense bridget temperature is it's totally fair. But they won that game easily.

That competition they've been beating, to me, has been more impressive than the Niners sneaking by. So I do like the Chiefs to really put the dot on this dynasty get their third title. Good game twenty seven to twenty. But the forty nine ers, to me, they feel like supporting players in someone else's story.

All Right, So.

I'm annoyed now because I can't go against how I feel, and it's gonna cost me the second half title.

But I'll live with that second half co title.

Greg, We're always you know, well, I had that extra first place vote, but it's gonna be It's gonna show once again at the level of integrity that I operate on at all times. I'm not going to change just because Greg went chalk as he always does.

They're literally the underdogs for what it's worth. I mean, they're too stranibout.

Everybody knows how you do your things, Okay, so congratulations on your titles, you know whatever. Okay, I do like the Chiefs here, and I got burned like so many other people picking against them.

Me too, by the way, I been wrong in the.

AFC title game. I thought it finally was Lamar's year. I thought Baltimore was the better team. And I'm gonna say it again here. I think the forty nine ers as they are presently constituted, their best game, I think is better than the Chief's best game the way their roster is constituted.

And if Brock.

Perdy, for instance, came out, came into this game sharp, and he was hitting throws, and you get McCaffrey making plays, and you have all this talent that San Francisco is on offense, if their defense can just play a B game, they're gonna be okay. Because Kansas City has shown, even during this great run in the playoffs, that they're not an explosive offense. They're still not one, even though they've had better success than they were having in the during a very difficult regular season.

However, I just can't do it.

I'm not gonna be the guy that goes against Mahomes in this spot. I think he's gonna find a way. So I'm also and this this was already here, Greg, I also have twenty seven to twenty. So we have the same pick, the same score. Let's see what happens. I wrote on NFL dot Com that I thought Mahomes wins another MVP, but it's going to be the SPACs defense that makes plays that are memorable. The more I think about it, as I spin now to my Sangwich prop and we'll come back that starting on my side.

And one of the.

Most maddening dumb storylines around this NFL season and our world, emanating out of certain corners of news media, is that the NFL is fixed, that the NFL is somehow this has been preordained, and specifically, the corporate synergy on display between Taylor and Travis is a sign that the NFL would wield the chiefs to this spot. We'll get your popcorn ready. People that love that can conspiracy theory, because I think Kelsey is going to have a monster game here.

Wow, super Bowl twenty three. That is That is my lock. Kelsey goes for two.

Hundred tailored down on the field, sparks flying, and everyone is mad.

That's my thing. Everyone, well, sod everybody. We won't start mad. People will be big mad.

I'm happy they're happy. It seems like a beautiful relationship. I think they're in it to win it for the long run. That's I don't know. If I could put a sandwich prop on their marriage at some point, that'd be very long term. But I I like those odds. But I like the under two hundred yards even more.

I mean, they got a hang onion, bro. That's more the super Bowl. That's more than hanging. That's that's out there.

That's beautiful, and I relish how the hordes of people are just looking past the forty nine ers because of a two week sample size from the Kansas City Chiefs.

They're kidding, it's a very even in terms of happy I think their favorites amazing.

People just think that the Kansas City Chiefs are back entirely. It's like the larger like sample size tells us that they were going to regress back to gaffes, drops, some issues, some problems and having to be that.

Often, just like I thought that was gonna happen in the playoffs. But that's a.

Straw man argument because literally favorites and in terms of Vegas like the the this you know what they would say, the sharps, all the.

Money is coming in on the forty nine ers.

It's not a straw man in the sense that there has been a wave of support for the Chiefs that was simply not there two weeks ago.

It's based on a two.

Weeks sample size and it's not, you know, false or a ghost, but.

But it's not. I think people are looking past the niners in the city. It's like a five year sample size, that's all. And then I'm turning out the flipping the switch.

So we were talking about the Chiefs a certain way for eighteen weeks, yes, and now we're talking about them differently.

For three weeks it's a different Yeah.

Well that's but that's that's a presumption that that's exactly who they are from here on that.

That's all I'm with you. It's always very difficult in the playoffs, which deew balance more. And that connects with my sandwich proplem. I'm going Isaiah Pichecko is going over one hundred and fifty yards from scrimmage in this game because I am waiting what I've seen the last handful of weeks from the forty nine ers defense. I think they're what sticks out most in this game that they have not been up for the challenge. I don't care about the effort thing. That's like two plays essentially in

Oh you've been talking about that all right? How about you? Mark? Are we where are you taking that? Are you taking that?

Oh?

Yeah, yeah, we didn't.

We didn't take that.

Took you take it?

I thought that was for all the time that we call certain things onion hangers in terms of a game situation.

That's a huge one right now. Man, I'm probably doomed, but that's a huge one. If it like, will you guys buy me a sangwich? If he goes for one to eighty four, well then just lower the number of them. Not bro, I'm going for I think it's a nice round number. Yeah, give me two hundred first and stare. I'll take yours too. I think that yours is more probable. If like everything went right for the the Chiefs, you.

Could break off an eighty yard or at some point you know, you.

Know, still would be certainly longer long odds in terms of you know, it'd be like plus three hundred or something.

I will take you up on it, but it's certainly within the range of outcomes.

That's the other part. Mark.

San Francisco's defense certainly could could be exposed in this game.

That's true, but I would say their defensive woes are also more recent than the longer sample size. But I'm not big on their defense. But they gave up sixty what matters the most. It is, But I'm just saying like that they gave like in two playoff games, they gave up like sixty seven more yards on the ground than they had at any like average wise in the season. So and I honestly think that the come to Jesus talk from Wilke's like, yeah, does matter.

Like they lost the pride a little bit.

I'm usually with you, Mark, I'm usually the numbers over the season matter more. I look that the forty nine ers are favored. You just can't sell me on the no one believes in them argument. They're literally favored. I mean, and it's a coin flip. But I actually think you're making good points and if you're crow, if you're peacocking at the end of Sunday, it wouldn't surprise me, Like this is game, not much would surprise me.

And I think the forty nine ers, I agree with you too, that their best.

Game is the other thing that that doesn't matter is everything that came before this game. If I beat the both of you in this lot, that's all that anyone will remember. I'll give you that you want the trophy, I will. I will purchase my trophy if I'd vote for me. I vote for you too, Erica, vote too, Eric for one game? How many weeks have we had? I think I'm I think I'm seventeen and four. Right, Well, that that's might be a record.

That might be a r by the way, I buy into hashtag effort gait. I don't even know if some of the Niners defenders are going to show up for the game like I do not.

I'm lazy. I'm laying on the couch. We didn't get your sandwich.

Prap all right, So I'm gonna do a very mean thing because I got a I got it like a symbol from the sky. Earlier this week that in Las Vegas this week, a player was bit by a coyote.

According to some reports.

Okay, a lot of people reaching out about right, and I that's something that I said would happen a while back.

I often say things that will happen, and they happen, you know, down to that a player would lose.

I believe it was a player would lose like some playing time by being bitten by an animal.

Now this in this case, it's a little bit off. It's a little too specific.

I'm accepting that he probably did say that. Well, people are reaching out to me and saying this is true. Well, listen, I understand how this works with you guys. But it's been too quiet in Las Vegas. It's been far too quiet.

Like this city. It's Friday.

All of this business, this nonsense, this like look at look at me business is about to shut down, and it's about to become an explosion of human non virtue and problems and bad choices and all sorts of stuff. And I am telling you I'm not I just think this energy will feed out to the entire NFL sphere. Uh huh, that between now and the end of the game what I would call a far reaching NFL story.

Oh, but it can only be within the confines of the four quarters.

Well no, no, no, the minute I said this and the end of the game. What if something has already happened, it just hasn't been reported yet. I think that would qualify. I mean, it happened, not if it happened in September.

But if it happen, does it have to be reported by Sunday Night?

No?

No, No, I would I would say the bet has to close. Well, wager's got a close on the Sunday Show.

In spirit, I would think that it would have to happen that we know about it by the end of the game.

I'll go with that because I think otherwise neither or.

By the end by the time we get to this in the podcast late Sunday Night, which IST's coming out?

Stuff's coming out? Okay? And I think when I.

Say far reaching NFL story, I think we can agree on one that if we were back on the on the news desk, you'd be thinking headache, headache, headache, for weeks months to come.

I had something similar cooked up. So that's why I'm not going to take you on it, because I too believe something's gonna happen.

But would you not take that? I really I have.

A feeling that's the worst movie. Something newsworthy.

We'll move the needle, and yes, isn't it too hushed? It's too hushed? Right?

The forty nine ers having another alarm clock wake them up fifteen minutes early does not qualify.

It has to be massive. So I will take you.

Up on this.

Cam Newton's walking behind us with a cigar, saying, you can't do that. What is this nineteen eighty six?

Right?

They're smoking in our hotel all over the place?

Are that?

Yeah?

I walked down up it is Vegas. Yeah, I walked out of the hotel number two.

It's the last more horse smoking smoking men's cigarettes.

All right, there you go. Those are our super Bowl predictions. Those are our sandwich props. I stand with you on that one, Mark.

Okay, I'm glad that you do, because I think that that s the just legitimacy.

All right, let's uh, let's take a break, and then we will welcome in certain members of a certain team of a certain podcast up next.

Yeah, you heard it.

Our guests now joining us from the Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins and kJ Osbourne. Welcome to around the NFL, fellas, And there's the chant. Can you can you picture? It's almost your back. I can feel it inside the building. I can feel it. This is the best entro yeah, best stadium right.

Yeah, they hit a home run with it. Really well done, Pirk. Heyja, tell us what you're doing here with bounty. Let's get into that.

Well, you know you can't have We've had some wings that we've set up at these different stations, and you really can't have wings without having Bounty paper towels. So uh so we're really you know, I understand a lot of people on Sunday watch the Super Bowl gonna have wings. They're gonna have parties and have all kinds of good food.

You can't you can't have football with our wings.

What if somebody brings the wrong paper towels, you just kick them out of the party. Oh yeah, for sure, Yeah, he has to be bounty.

It's not gonna work.

It's not gonna I've.

Always felt that. I agree.

Howse little here's a little This start eleven season at ATEN and every year we pick a team of around the NFL. This year we picked the Vikings and it was after Kirk's injury and we we kind of said, let's get behind this as an underdog story didn't quite work out, but you we had your backs all season long. We want you guys to know that.

I love that.

Yeah, I appreciate it. Man.

What's going on with the with the Achilles. Let's I know you've been asked that seven thousand times. Where are you at?

Yeah, so I'm three months in, probably got about four months to go. I'm hoping I can get back. I expect to be able to get back for seven on seven and OTAs because you're you know, you're safe there. You're just taking your drop back with nobody around you making the throws. I'm hoping to be able to do team drills too. But we'll cross that bridge and we get there and then go into the summer break fully cleared, fully healthy. But the first three months has been a

Yeah, kjuh.

You know, I know at this point in the season when we chose you as a team of around the NFL podcast, clearly it made big We just blew out everyone's ears.

Sorry, guys, No, that was awesome. I like, I am so excited that it happened. Eric, You're fired. I'm sorry.

Uh, the team of at and you know, I'm sure that was big news in the locker room, you guys talking about it. We were now an international award winning podcast. How did how did that feel to be embraced by by the podcast with Josh Dobbs and all the different quarterbacks that kind of went through there.

Oh, we love it.

We love any any any love we get, man, we love it.

We appreciate it.

And uh, you know, we got a great fan base up there in Minnesota, so they show us a ton of love as well.

What was that like that that end stretch of the season which had some awesome ups, it had downs, It had a little bit of everything throughout that stretch and you're without your leader, Kirk, but you have different quarterbacks who come in and all sort of had their moments.

And then like, what was that whole season like?

Because it feels like the Vikings are always a lot like no matter what, there's a lot going on, Like it's a fun team to watch, like the ups and the and a little bit.

Of the downs.

Yeah, man, it was a lot of ups and downs. But you know, whoever coach puts in there, that's what we're gonna rally around. And one of the things in the receiver room we say, we try to be wide open, you know, so try to make the job easier for the quarterback man for you know, we talked about the forty seconds that before the play clock that you know, you guys don't hear on TV and everything like that, and the pre snaps and the motions and everything like that.

Kirk, can we talk a little carcassance? I don't know if you've heard that thrown.

Around, heard that thrown out?

So I really think obviously is a well known thing.

A year agoing onnors you came out as Kirk O chains and the famous team playing moment. I really feel like, and tell me if you agree or disagree from our standpoint. On the outside, it was like a turning point in how Kirk Cousins was seen. Like it was like, oh, these guys love playing with him. Uh, You've always been a well known as a good guy and a productive player, But did you feel like a change from the outside a little how you're seeing after that kind of took off a little bit.

That was interesting.

If I had known that, I probably would have been on a playing shirt list of chains On in like year two or three. But it took till year eleven to figure that out. So I know it certainly has has created a bit of a change. I think I've always been the same guy, but perception was probably different than reality, and perceptions maybe catching up to reality a little in some ways. And so that's kind of where we stand now.

kJ like doing Kirk as his teammate and as you know, the leader in your huddle. Did y'all watch the Netflix show and like, was there anything from it? You guys gave him some grief about from the Netflix show.

I think a lot of people I loving that show.

I love kirkt it.

I loved it, you know a lot of I got a lot of feedback from trying to.

Keep a secret during the season. So we were trying to be low key. We didn't want to be distractions. So if anything, the grief I got was, we.

Don't even know.

You didn't tell you didn't tell us, We didn't know. You know, it was a little fishy because you know, there was always cameras up at practice. I'm like, that's not the team. I'm like, somebody's miked up every day, but nobody you know, usually that stuff gets out. But it was it was a good secret. It was a good secret.

Yeah, that was such a great look. And I think maybe that also played into the circussants a little bit. I think, yeah, and just seeing like the dedication it takes and after the season ended in the in the playoffs, like you know, you're getting up early and spending the time with the family. That I mean, it's it's I think it's good for people that haven't played the game.

Too to see like the human side. That show was such a great job.

Yeah, that was the fun of it was that we do cover a lot of the football. Maybe this show can cover the football. And and I think the and was what was so fun.

About it, right, I like, my kid loves that and he has like an hour of TV he gets to watch a day, and he's choosing to watch that show, which kind of boggles my mind.

So he forces a child to watch football content.

Kids the same way, right, Like I've seen the ex players at NFL Network how they train their kids to become NFL players.

It's not gonna happen with my body him to be to be a podcast.

There you go.

Now, you guys are here at you know, as teammates.

Uh, your futures are are somewhat up in the area going into Have you ever thought kJ of seeing what Kirk's done as a businessman in his career.

He's gotten it done.

Maybe you combine forces, combine the leverage, you're stronger together as a free agent tandem just the thought.

I've never even thought of that, Like, go to free agency as a as a group, as as.

Like a team, not as a friends. Guy, did you watch Friends? Friends is a little bit ahead of my time.

I never really resonated with so you totally mispegged me there, I'm not a friend.

I'm sorry and apologize. It's a bad job by me.

But they had an ingenious move where the six main cast members negotiated together and they did we get the same amount of money?

We go to the same place and work out.

It was a record setting show. Maybe we try the same thing. I would not be against if I had to pick someone to team up with to do that, the guy to my right would be someone I would pick.

So, uh, it's a good idea.

How does it feel like this? This time of year is just an awkward time?

It is?

It's a good word when you're a little in between for both of you. Just I guess, how are you feeling? What are you thinking going into it as free agents?

Yeah, we said March is the month, and we're in February and the season at of January seventh, so you really have two months of no news and you're not supposed to have news.

It's just kind of a waiting game, and that's okay.

So you have a lot of people asking about it when you run into them in town and they want to all the.

Updates, and I say, I don't have any updates.

I'll let you know our seventh days ninth, that's when things will start to eat up. Until then, there's no reason to have news because you really shouldn't for short.

Just this is my first time doing it, so I'm going through it. I'm learning and I'm asking my as I'm asking guys, you know it gotta be something you hear, gotta be you know something. And I'm finding out the same way as Kirk are saying, you know, it just doesn't happen until it happens.

Well, I'll say, and we're gonna let you guys go because we know you're busy. But I've always had I grew up a Jets fan. I wanted you to sign with Jet a few years back then it happened, But the uh you, I feel like you found a home in Minnesota. You guys have great chemistry as teammates. Well, let's run it back, stay in Minnesota. We don't need but get paid do the friends thing get paid? All right, thanks guys, we appreciate it. All right, There goes Kirk

It was a little weird that Mark is still so anti Minnesota Vikings from what happened with Team of around the end of the walk off.

He refused to interview. But it's nice to welcome you back.

Well, it's uh, you know, I I feel like I could tell that I was missed. It's really evident, like it was just more talk space for the two of you, and so fine, have a nice time.

With it, all right.

So Mark is back though, because we have one more guest, and this is I mean, this is a little pop for this guest that it's the final guest of super Bowl Week at Radio Row. That shows how much we care and love Nicky Glazers.

The Great Friday is.

Glazer, who is a tremendously talented, uh stand up comedian and host.

And you're doing all podcast hosts.

You have your own podcast that is emanating out of this very spot.

Right after we finish up. You're Also, you're gonna be on it.

I can't wait. I can't wait. And uh, you're touring relentlessly making that gwop. So check out Nicky's tour dates on table side Gap, yep uh wherever and all the socials. Nicki Glazer, welcome to around the NFL.

Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here.

This is like, I'm a weird thing.

We go way back, we go way back, and Nicky and I, I remember.

It's not weird for Mark and I It's pretty normal. No, But I want to know. I want to know more.

So way back in like two thousand and eight, when Nicky was first like fresh from Saint Louis and college, and I was coming to LA to work with our buddies Bob and Jason Zumwaldt, and they were doing these videos and doing great stuff, and Nicky was a fan as well of the work they were doing for the Post show.

Y was well your friend, Bob.

I was drunk in college one night and I was a big fan of Best Week Ever. Bob worked on Best Week Ever. I followed the Best Week Ever blog on VH one. Bob did the blog. He had also posted his aim screen name on the blog, and because I was a super fan, I was like, I'll just add him to my buddy list. So one night in college, I came back to my dorm. I was a little drunk, and I was like, he's on I'll just like, you know, instant message him back in the you know, I heard

Never did, Bob. I don't know how you resisted, Bob.

There was a.

Rooftop moment where I think we could have kissed. But I really like I have a way of putting up a wall that lets people know, like, don't even try.

To keep their dignity. Yes.

Yeah, It's just.

Like I have friends who get hit on all the time where I'll just be with them and guys will just be like, hey, you're gonna finish all that salad? Like They'll just guys will just say something. But like or like I was walking with my friend in the park and some guy was just like, hey, do you dance? And he's leaning against this motorcycle and he just us twenty feet away.

It goes, do you dance? And he's not talking to me?

And I go, do people just ask you if you like? And then she's like, that's oh my god, no I don't. I go, don't stop talking to us, sir. So I think I put up a wall with people, and.

Especially though it's a skill, like a friend.

Zone thing, because I just I like being friends with men and I don't want a weird thing to get in the way of that until I choose.

I'm taking notes at the moment just about the tree thing and the leaning to learn tree don't just leaning.

I put up a similar wall.

That's why I really haven't gotten much attention from the ladies this week.

But it's just obvious the one no one's ever asked me to dance in the park, and I know it all connects.

Yes, no one asked me either. I have to explore it and go why am I not going?

And I wrote you had a Comedy Central show that Bob was a head writer on, like, so we're all connected, And well I was in that world working with the guys in two thousand and eight and we became friends, and I remember like, because I was broke, you were broke to i'd imagine at the time. And I remember taking our buddy Brian's car and I would drive you to like stand up sets occasionally, and it would be so it's kind of town.

It's kind of a uh, this is a moment, Hollywood. It was.

This is a full circle moment. It's so great to have you here. And I need the reason why it was perfect. It was a lot of reasons why it was playing. I don't know, but I.

Love having you.

Guys are literally in between you that you know, two of the greatest football minds.

And the reason I thought it would be a lot of fun is number One, you are a big Taylor Swift fan.

That's where I feel I do belong here.

Otherwise I would feel like such a fraud and I would be really embarrassed to be here because I don't like being places I don't belong and I feel because of my Tailor Swift knowledge, even though most people would disagree with that, I do feel like this is the only year in which I belong to.

Yeah, And like I remember when we got to know each other because I've always been a sports guy, like you were very kind of anti sports, like to keep the sports away from me, and because.

I'm scared of what I don't understand. It's not it's not because I I hate what I don't know, and I don't I don't seem to really understand football, and it's been explaining to me many times. I'm I'm starting to understand it, but I just don't understand how millions of people understand this very complicated game like second nature. There's no like training you guys go through. I always ask my friends, like, so where did you learn that?

That is?

What did you When did you learn what off sides were? Whatever? Like these, like did you ask your dad? Was there a course in school?

Like you guys start playing football as little kids, Like do they explain all the little intricacies of it?

Like how do you look?

It's a daunting sport to kind of jump into the water.

Video games, video games?

Okay, yes, but so here's a here's a data point. So Deshriver mentioned a report from Apex Marketing Group that estimated more than three hundred and thirty million in brand value. Taylor Swift is brought to the NFL and the Chiefs.

Would you want to you to watch it if she wasn't in Yeah, I.

Think so well, because it also lined up.

The time when Taylor Smith started going to games was also when my boyfriend moved in with me, and he's a huge football fan and watches most of it, and so that was when it just started being on all the time. So just to enjoy being around that, I

My friend or whatever.

And I know that discuss some people and confounds people as well, but it's it truly is a thing. Like when she won last week at the Grammys, I felt this like, oh, it's like my friend is winning.

Like I felt that kind of joy and I thought.

That's so ridiculous.

How she's not my friend. I don't know her. Why do I feel this? Is that really how I feel?

And then I go, actually, I've had friends when Emmy's and it's the exact same feeling that I had, So I do I do feel like she's my friend. And so when she first started dating Travis, I.

Was like, the Travis just like your first name basis with him, It's great.

Yeah, that's where we're at as swift Day's. I think when Travis and when Travis she first when he first gave the friendship bracelet, I remember being so annoyed and being like, who does he think he is? And him being like I wanted to meet her after, but she's too busy, and it's just like, yeah, she's Because I didn't know anything about him. I just thought he was just some guy and was getting headlines because he talked about her.

So I was like, because this is a thing. If you talk about Taylor Swift.

You'll get your name, your face next to hers in some kind of headline if you say anything in some lead exactly. And I've never done that intentionally, but yes, I get my name next to hers on headlines sometimes because I have a lot of opinions. But I just thought it was his attempt to like but he's not like that at all, it comes to find.

Out in it it worked.

Is the wild thing that that worked, like being that bold and when she first got with Travis, I was like, oh no, like she's gonna be a football girly, Like I've never related to girls that like football.

Like I'm losing her, you know.

Like it's like when my friends have kids, I'm just like, atually I won't relate to them anymore. We won't care about the same things. And then I said, try to let this in and I was able to, and I feel like, she yeah, I if she ever has a baby, though, that's.

When I'm at That's where I go, You're moving on.

I can't have a bit.

It's too much. It's a bridge too far. Yeah, yeah, she a.

Little Kelsey baby like, but yeah, I'm into it. I feel like the two groups, I mean you should. You should see like when football fans are like why would she? You know, Taylor Show fans get so into this or follow this person around that they don't even know and get emotionally involved them, Like there's a seventy thousand person stadium of people whose entire weeks or months or lives or years are going to rise or fall based on

That's really thank you for saying that, because I've always That's what I've envied envied about sports fans, is that you have this commune and this passion and this thing where you can get so excited about these events you look forward to. And I just never had that until I became a swifty and suddenly I have this community of people where we're all rooting for this nice the same thing, and it feels really good.

And yeah, she can.

The only place she plays now are places that are made for football, so it's like it is the same thing.

It's a huge connection. It's everyone dresses up, everyone.

But I've been to ten a nine eras concert tours in the past year, and I'm going to three next week, so I'm gonna I'm getting Australia.

Look at you.

I didn't go there for it. I'm just there for a.

Wedding and she happens to be there, so I'm going. But people go, how could you go that many times? And it's like, because it's just it's just a great Like people go to see games that many times, but my team always wins.

Always disappointment.

Yeah, I like I find a comparison here because when I was very young, I'd moved back from England.

These guys were tired to hear about this.

But my mom woke me up one morning in like nineteen eighty four and we went down and watched the very old television set.

It was the Charles and Die wedding.

It started at like four in the morning, and we sat there and like, I'll never forget watching that. And I kind of think, with where our culture is a little bit that this is the perfect kind of our version of Charles and Diana a little bit on some level. But my question more would be because it makes so much sense culturally for like the football star to date like the rock Icon. Yeah, and maybe the roles are

I think, yeah, I think we will love whoever she loves. But this is certainly playing into like, you know, she's always been the Like she has a song called fifteen where she's like, you'll do things greater, that you'll do things.

Greater than dating the boy on the football.

Team, like where it's like she has all these illusions throughout, like I wear short skirts, she's on the bleach shirt.

Well, all that stuff.

It's all been like leading to this, and I do think it will last a really long time. I don't think it'll last forever because I don't think anything's due, especially with the pressure of uh, you know, but I think I think that this will go the distance. I think they'll have kids. I think they'll get married and all that. I don't think there's a proposal coming. Sandwich on it, Yeah, all right, I'd love to.

We do sandwich pops. Yeah, they will have children. Yeah.

Running by we'll get an announcement twenty twenty five December of a baby only wed.

An Onion on the show. There'll be a.

Predict it now wedding summer of twenty five, announcement of baby in December.

That's beautiful prediction. By the way, do you have our our opening? Because I think she might recognize the voice. I think Nikki will like this. Let's see, it's a test.

Oh, I know who this.

Is already around.

That is so this is such a fun, cool thing to have Nikki here and you. By the way, check out Nikki on the Good Girl tour. If you're at the wedding and see your fame is reaching levels, It's like I got a million Instagram followers and my friend is getting married in Australia, I'm gonna go, like, if you can go to Australia for the wedding and then catch Taylor a few times.

Nikki, I'm proud of you, I guess, is what I'm saying as a friend.

Yeah, thirty thousand dollars on Taylor Show's tickets I'm not getting. I mean I'm getting some here and there. I get a little deals or like insider, like you can buy tickets for seven hundred dollars instead of seven thousand. But I'm not getting any shortcuts from my fame. I don't think I want to be friends with her.

Okay, it's too heavy, Yeah, it's too heavy. You're also the host of f Boy Island, which Mark I know you auditioned for. I'm sorry, Mark, maybe maybe next time we.

Can't allow shirts in the swimming pool and you refuse.

To take it off.

Take it off, Mark.

And finally, the Nicki Glazer podcast, which I'm I think about to do with you.

Yes, I'm so excited.

Awesome, And that wraps up our week of shows here at Radio Road.

Next time you hear from us.

It will be the flagship program super Bowl fifty eight.

Check it out.

I mean, if you listen to these shows, you're gonna listen to that one. But so I don't even sell it, you know, listen. Thank you everybody, Thank you, all our guests, Thank everybody behind the scenes.

Eric, thank you, Buddy. Great.

We had four old fashions with Eric and even guilted Rosenthal into one, so that was a big, big development.

Also highlight of the week, guys, Highlight of the week.

All right, love everybody, Thanks everybody, till Sunday.

Heat the Call.