Thanksgiving Preview; Hott Butt Power Rankings, & The Weakest Link Recap

out of the laundry. Just tell me that you didn't buy it. Please tell me you didn't put money in his pocket. No one's bought it, Dan, don't worry this. This was a gift. This was a gift from d Day and now it's my gift to you. Well, it is clear that Daniel and uh I guess Bucky was part of the mailing campaign to um sent this shirt to everyone at NFL media save for uh the four of us, including Chris Wesley. You know now everyone tweeted

about it and has it it? Wait so you so Mark is now turned this into he wants the free merch. I don't want it. I just think that it was a very targeted, um nonsense to the four of us I needed. We're running low on the dish rags, so I was hoping one would come from me, but apparently not in the mail yet. I found my mom's favorite, my favorite Eagles T shirt that I owned. My mom was using it in a pile of rags to clean

the house, which is very fitting. And I'm sure I can find some more of those right now if I loved it's absolutely Colleen. Always a joy when you join us here on the show, especially here um during the holidays. Thanksgiving here in America on Thursday. Very strange Thanksgiving and what's been a very strange year. We still have each other though, and we also have and I'm just teasing this because I want to get into the end of

the show. We have Erica tam posts appearance on The Weakest Link that aired Monday night on NBC, and I'll say this as a tease. They were good things from the show. We'll start with The Strongest Link in the last round, and once again it's Erica and not so good things from the show. I'm tempted to just ask both and me to smell your first names. Yeah, it

was a true gift. I'm really excited to talk about it, all right, And okay, maybe we'll have some special guests at the end of the show as well, so that's coming up later. Also, we have to dig into the big Thanksgiving schedule in the NFL, as tradition dictates three NFL games played on Turkey Day, and we're gonna preview all those. Will check in on an updated Hot Bunt Hot Butt Power rankings amongst head coaches as we head

down the street. But before any of that, we must finish the week eleven slate with a Monday Night football recap. It's pretty well ward outstretched head at it too far, too far for Brett and intercepted. Jordan's Fuller comes off with his second interception of the night, and it was

the game sealer by Jordan Fuller. We picked off Tom Brady, the decisive play in a victory for the Los Angeles Rams, who improved to seven and three and keep themselves right in the mix at the top at the at the top of the NFC West and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You started asking some questions, Colleen, We started asking some questions. I can't believe those two Brady interceptions. Like, first of all, I had the pleasure of watching this game with Wes

and Keisha and Link. So maybe that's a humble brag to start the show at this point, but it was so awesome. Your and John who John Ronald gonzalaz Bo Mars twel is, an American sports writer, was married NFL meda broadcaster Colleen Wolfe. John, who was a Pisces, resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two dogs. Yeah, there was a there was a cake for Erica, but we won't get into that right now. Um, that's for

later in the show. So watching this game though, I mean those two interceptions that Brady through, they were horrendous. They were just awful throws right to Jordan Fuller, both of them. Obviously, that last one sealed the game. But I thought for sure when the Rams gave the ball back to Tom Brady at the end there, I thought it was kind of a curious decision to be so

conservative on Sean mcveigh's part. And then they gave Tom Brady the ball back with like two and a half minutes to go, and I thought that Brady was going to get it done for the Bucks, and that did not happen. Like the fact that the Rams weren't able to take the Bucks out of it at any point of the game. I think was frustrating because they played Jared Goff played so well in the first half and then some of that shine came off in the second half.

But I it's just so hard to understand this Bucks offense, Like some weeks they'll look amazing and then other weeks just a little loss. I don't know. I think McVeigh trusted his defense. Now, he loves he loves to run on third and long, and he loves to not go for it on for it down, and that that conservatives and bothers me. But he's such a good coach, and I think he had a feel for that game. The Bucks had the ball eight times in the second half

and they got a hundred and thirteen yards. Then for the fourth the third quarter, they didn't move the ball at all. I think he trusted his defense, and that's a credit to why I think one of the reasons why I think Sean McVeigh is such a good coach. Like ont a night where the number one running game in the league couldn't do anything. They were able to

win throwing the ball. After a season where they go nine and seven, which felt like everything's going terrible for the Rams, they bring back the same exact offensive line everyone hated their fine and he changes their defensive coordinator from an all time legend who brought them to the Super Bowl to a guy no one ever heard of, Brandon Staley. And that's like the most important thing a coach can do is is hiring a good coaching staff.

And Staley has made all the difference. And you saw it last night, the fact that they've shut down the Seahawks and the Bucks and back to back week Staley has been Uh he's a candidate mark for eurod Award Coordinator of the Year. Little Brandon Staley love, I think he is. I mean, this is a Rams defense that's given up nineteen or fewer points in six games. Uh. We keep talking about the Bucks. This one of the

difference making defenses. Well, the Rams are right there, and you know, I look at Bruce arians the whole Bucks thing. Do agree with Colleen sort of a week to week thing, And I think I feel the same way as a person, But you don't want to feel that way. About a football team that we were, you know, projecting to the NFC title game. And I look at Bruce Arians. You've been uh swept uh in Tampa Bay this season by uh, you know, by the by the Saints. Okay, you've been

You've been beaten by Sean McVeigh. Is this a difference making coach? UM? I love Bruce Arians. I've always sort of adored his upfront nature and in the way that he calls players out. He called Tom Brady out today for maybe just sort of not being all there with his reads and in the way he's seeing the field. And Fuller said that on the second pick, all he did was watch Brady's eyes. So I don't know what

to make of all of it. Um. On the on the Bucks offensive side, Uh, we are in deep November and they're talking about the fact that they're still sort of warming up and figuring out who they are. UM, I'd be concerned. This feels like a team that could be picked off, UM in the playoffs. I just I don't project them to the super Bowl at any point at this I think they will get there. Here's the concern.

If you're a Bucks fans. Bucks fan, did you peak because a month ago they looked absolutely unstoppable, and it did cross my mind at the times, like things are going so perfectly for this time, for this team right now, and everyone's in love with them and they're playing so well. But it was the end of October, and it's like, what's gonna happen when you hit a valley? Are you able to climb out of it? That's that's where they

are now. I just sometimes I have doubts, just like I did at the end of Brady's Patriots career, where when the competition steps up and you have a fast, ferocious defense like the Rams, for instance, he just starts to look a little bit old. And I thought he looked old in this game. Some of the plays there

was a throw. I know London Fournet dropped a bunch of passes, but I think the last drop he had was when Brady essentially was seeing ghosts in the pocket and just fired a screen past the Fournett near as shins Uh and you know, getting rid of the ball before before he would have liked to, I think led

to that first really grim interception. So they're interesting and and gret and Mark you should know that I was on the NFL Now with Andrew Siciliano this morning, and he made a point to bring you up by name and say you know some people I don't want to say who, and then he said Mark Sessler, Uh, don't seem to give the Rams any respect or love. Well how about now? And you yourself said Mark on Thursday's preview podcast that you needed to see the Rams deliver

a big performance against the Bucks. Well they did. Are you in now on the l A Rams? Well, whatever it takes to get on, you know, are the network that I'm employed by, but doesn't UM seem to want me on there too often. I'll take whatever whatever I can get, but I will say that I will say this like, um, yes, yes, because the Rams they've had a couple of losses that leave me questioning their d NA,

who they are, what they're seeling is UM. I have questions about every NFC team though there's no perfect team in the NFC, so they're one of those imperfect operations. But that said, to go out and do what they did last um, and you saw a better version of Jared Goff. And when they're wide receivers are operating the way they were. Uh, you see that you see the potential, so I'm not ruling them out in order. I have this innate dislike for the team based on the film

I'm watching. It's more the fact that, well, I'm not gonna get it's it's the it's that I am told that I must be pro Rams no matter what I think. That this is in your own head, voices in your head. You know what I'm disgusting. You know what I'm discussing That were propaganda by liking the Rams. That's not true. You feel that kind? Do you feel that because we're gonna you know, we're gonna be I know what you're all going to say, you're only doing you don't feel it.

I don't feel that before ever, never once? You know what, when you got when I'm working for like um Pact, like the PAC twelve conferences, like blogging website, you will know that I'm right UM one and a shout out to Jared Goff as well. Without his left tackle, without a running game, Uh, this you would think could be the set up where the Tampa Bay Bucks would torment him and he didn't have a perfect game. Intercept Colleen alluded to it wasn't a perfect game but he did

throw for over three to night yards. He moved the ball, and Cooper Cup and Robert Woods combined for twenty three catches. They were the first teammates and Rams history to both have at least ten catches in a game. It was just a really really good night uh for the Rams, and really a great two weeks because forget that narrative that was in place there Greg when people are saying, Ah, the Rams, I know their records good, but they swept the NFC East and they have a couple of losses

against good teams. Can't say that anymore after what's happened against the Seahawks. Uh. And now the Bucks, well, they're very complete. I don't think I I do worry about them being able to keep up in a shootout like last night. They should have put that game away. Their defense really uh kept them ahead, but the the offense kept trying to let the Bucks back in. That could be a problem in the playofs. But they're very complete

on both sides of the ball. Whereas the Bucks are like before we move on, like the team they remind me of the most is the two thousand nineteen Bucks, which gets back to Mark's point, which is if you really watch the Bucks last year, every game they would have two to three quarters sometimes stretches where they look like world beaters, and then it would all fall apart. And the defense is definitely better lot this year, and

they played well enough last night to win. I thought the Bucks defense, But that's been the case with this Bucks team throughout. And you do wonder if, like, look Brady throwing deep twenty times in the last three weeks and not complaining one of them. At some point you gotta think, like, is this is this the right approach? Where's Chris Godwin? Like you would think Chris Godwin and

Antonio Brown throwing short? Uh? That would worked with Tom Brady, Like having Tom Brady with a running back with no running box backs that can catch the pass. It's like, you know, it's like having Mark Sessler on a Sunday without a Browns game to to make them crazy. It doesn't make any sense for us doing this podcast while Mark is working for the Pack twelve. It wouldn't feel we don't we don't want that, all right, Wait one

more thing really quick, Um, Mike Evans touchdown. I feel like we just have to give that a shout out. When he dragged like multiple dudes into the end zone, would not be denied. That was like superhero stuff. He's so strong. I don't know how he does it. I think I speak for Mark not impressed. No, I am not really impressed by that impressed athletic move. You're cletely unimpressed by his physical There there a value add these bucks. They're entertaining. Whether they're good or bad. They bring a

lot to this season. We needed it. I will be canceled by the end of the show, So everything's fine. It did absolutely nothing for me. I did nothing, all right, didn't move the needle. That's fine. Moving on, Oh, what's going on? Somebody in Club Dug does Chris Westling locked up the Rams against Tom Brady and shocking development, the Rams pulled it off. What a what a waste? Because the Great Chris Wesling hates clubs. So he's gonna come in there and he's gonna leave within ten minutes. But

it's gonna be good to see. Maybe I can buy him a beer or something. He's not getting bottle service. Best lack of the year. I mean, that's a heavy underdog. That's a that's calling your shot. That's good. Well, he also had to make a lock like hours into Sunday's action, so he was left without, you know, a bevy of choices. But but but a nice luck. All right, Let's now move on and pivot quickly, lady and gentlemen to Thursday Thanksgiving three games. How about that. It's tradition. Let's jump

right into it. Texans at Lions, and you know, you know, Colleen, they couldn't even the Lions have been such a disappointment, both to the people of Michigan and surrounding territories and people that cover the league that just want things to be fun up in Detroit because it's been so long. We had thought on this podcast that the Lines would at least beat the Panthers in Week eleven and then go into this game with a real sense that they could like get into the playoff mix properly with a

win against the Texans. But they didn't give us that by getting shut out by Carolina. It's it's so disappointing because I keep believing in them for some reason. It's like it's like I'm in an abusive relationship with the Lions, because like they just keep doing the same exact thing, and I keep expecting them to actually show some signs of life. And obviously it's a tough setch right now

for the Lions. They're coming off the twenty to nothing loss, and I mean the Lions defense couldn't stop former xfl ace P J. Walker and his first start like that cannot happen. Also, you know you have that staffords them is obviously an issue. And now it's just a couple of days removed from that game. How much better is it even going to be? Plus they're dealing with a lot of key injuries with their playmakers. I mean, they

seriously have missed Kenny Golladay. There's a chance that he returns on Thursday, but Danny A. Mendola and DeAndre Swift. I'm not like DeAndre Stift to steal in concussion protocol. So they have a lot of issues going on, and they're going up against the Texans defense that allows over four hundred yards per game. So someone's gonna get right here. I just I'm not sure which who's going to be, And I guess it's going to be the Texans because I can't keep taking the Lions. They got no juice.

I mean, this is I don't know what the fan situation is gonna be there in Detroit, um, but what a what a dead atmosphere. Uh, it would be in theory for this team because they're just a dead team. They had one quarterback hit last week on p J. Walker, you know, so that's Matt Patricia's defense. And then when you're right when they take away Golladay and Swift, that that's all the juice they have. We're on the other side. You got Deshaun Watson, who I who would be in

my top five quarterbacks in the NFL this year? I would I would put him behind kind of the three m VP candidates everyone's now kind of circling as the biggest ones, which would be Wilson, Mahomes, and Rogers. I would put Josh Allen fourth, and I would put Watson five.

And he's coming off one of the best games of his career against the defense the Patriots, who has a lot of similar DNA in terms of how they want to try to stop Watson, and he's one of the hardest ones to scheme against because they now since O'Brien left, he's suddenly running way more, much much more. I think that's I think that has to do with Bill O'Brien leaving that they decided this, you know, please scramble some more. Um.

But he's still such a good pocket quarterback. He's been so accurate, so I expect a lot of points, especially if goladays back, which at least make this thing watchable. You know, Dan, you mentioned the fifty two yard flea flicker that Detroit scored against Carolina. That would have made that game, um, somewhat you know, watchable early on it was called back by penalty. The Lions had no answer for that. They never came back and and hunched Carolina

in the face, um, in the mouth. On any level, I find this to be, unfortunately, a game of zero consequence. The Texans are fun to watch, but the Detroit Lions have become synonymous with crappy early game on Thanksgiving that they continue to call a tradition. Uh, some traditions should be canceled. We've canceled a lot of traditions. They've given us some good games though, in fairness to them, and one of them and they were and they've been called

David Blow was David Black. You get David Blow in there, but you know if it's alone on this island. Last year, didn't I broach very lightly the idea of taking the Lions off Thanksgiving? And you did this? Yeah, why do they have? You know? Well, it's either it's you've got the Dominican sue stomping match shop in a terrible area, or you've got nothing. They have no identity, so I don't. Um, it's it's it's a slight disgrace that this game will

occur on a national television scale. Um, But we'll deal with it and there will be two better games after. This is why the theory it doesn't work that they're mark excited for the early game on Thanksgiving. This is why it does not work. Park Scessler today that no, I just it was like a while frankly, so we know. No, you know what, I always like, I peer at the Thanksgiving slate, you know before, kind of like ten days before, and the minute I saw this, I just thought, you're

wasting three hours of my time. So okay, So Greg, you say the reason for keeping the Lions on Thanksgiving is they don't have anything else. Okay, The Lions are one of the have nots of the league, and they've been that way for a long time. But they're not alone. So if we're really going to turn this into charity, why not just rotate that game with all the havenots. I don't know they stepped up at I there is

a reason to it. But at some point in the like fifties or seventies, you know, I sound stupid here, they stepped up and they said we'll take it. We'll do that game decades. They've had it for a while. Forties. Yeah, the Lines have played eighty games on Thanksgiving their thirty seven forty one and it's a family tradition. You're trying to take that away from the Patrick's. They don't have

the freelance, know, they don't have anything else to game? Wait, why don't the Patras and the freelance have anything else? I'm saying identifying who they are, I'm saying the Lions don't give them much joy, but it's a family tradition. You go to the Lions game. They actually have a good record on Thanksgiving. You know. Game two. Let's move on before Cessler's head explodes. Cessler, this is a good one for you. Wait, Colleen, I know you're you're doing

Are you doing any Thanksgiving work this week. If no, you're not actually, because I was gonna say you could steal You could steal some of those lines in analysis from Sessler for for the Network on Thursday. But I guess that I don't play well. Come join me at the Pack twelve. It's a vibrant operation up Max Washington at the Dallas Cowboys. All right, the Cowboys play a lot of Thanksgiving games too, but I've always enjoyed the

Cowboys a little more popping circumstance. Creed played halftime once at what else needs to be said? So here's a game I've now. I've turned the corner on the NFC East. I embraced the chaos and how disgusting it is. It's probably harder if you're a fan of one of those teams like a Connie Fox, like a tiny box. But for for me, I love it. And this is why I love it. Colleen Angelo, Yeah, I get it. I I now think the Cowboys are gonna win the division.

Last week, I thought the Giants are gonna win the division. The week before that, I thought the Eagles are gonna win the division. So there's there's something beautiful to that level of anarchy where it's almost impossible, as a quote unquote analyst to have like a take that less more than two weeks. I don't know if I would describe the NFC East as like a beauty a full thing. Um, it's it's pretty ugly. Like the winner of this game on Thanksgiving will be the first team to reach four

wins in the division to take the lead. I mean that's where we are right now. And it's all on the shoulders of Alex Smith and Andy Dalton, Like what what year is this is? How? How is this the thing? And? Uh? Something to watch here. Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson they both had injury designations on like the Monday estimation practice report. Now that could also just be a maintenance day for them, so it's just something to watch. But Terry McLaurin obviously

is super underrated. Um, I feel like he's just kind of stuck in this Washington purgatory and maybe maybe if he has a good game here, he'll get some of the love he deserves. But it's all about that that Washington pass rush. They were all over the Cowboys in that first game earlier in the year. Now, the Cowboys didn't have Zach Martin for that game, and he looked up. He looked pretty good it in the role that they

put him in last week against the Vikings. I mean, he bounced from guard to right tackle and didn't allow a sack. But the Washington pass rush is a lot different than the Vikings pass rush. I don't I can't um consistently expect the Cowboys they to have nice things, though, Dan, I'm with you. It feels like they're the better team here. Their their defense is legit played well for three weeks, and I include that Vikings game. The Vikings are a really good offense and they got enough stops there to

win the game. And Randy Gregory's at it a lot. DeMarcus Lawrence kind of has a stretch every year where he looks like one of the best players in league. And he's like in that stretch. And yet right when you think that the Cowboys are gonna turn the corner, that's when they rip your heart out. If you're a Cowboys fan. And I think this Washington team is frisky.

I think they've been a little watchable. I think Alex Smith's been I just I don't mind watching them because I think they're getting what they can out of what they have, especially on offense. I think they're pretty well coached. I think Alex Smith has played well. People are kind of like condescending and how they think he's played. I think he's played like you would expect aux Fit to play. They're just like, oh, yeah, he's been nice, but no one thinks he's good. He's pushed now, No, no, not

at all. I mean he's not. Let's let's calm down that. I know you've been hitting this bang of this drum that everybody's being condescending with Alex Smith. But he's not a special player either. I mean there's a way that he's He's right. He he just looks like an NFL quarterback, though, so does any Dalton. I mean, they're they're similar, they've

they've been he looks like an NFL quarterback. I didn't necessarily expect that, and I think it gives them a chance to win because they do have some dudes that are fun. Antonio Gibson is so fun to watch. It would be great if he had sort of a breakout game.

You would never know that he's playing running back as a wide receiver because He's a truck that just carries people along each week, and I just feel like, I can you know you were saying you picked a different team each week, Dan, I feel like maybe after this game, you're gonna be picking the Washington football team because I kind of like him in this. They're the last team on my bingo card for the NFC East, that's for sure. Let me let me say this. Let me say this.

I kind of enjoyed as chaotic as the locking up the Saints. So I was last week and being all bored of the Jamison Express and then ending up on Taysom Hill and that working out. I like being in the eye of the hurricane at the NFL right now when it comes to locks of the week and I'm gonna get behind the Dallas Cowboys is I understand this could backfire terribly, but I really liked what I saw from their offense and I think that will carry the

day here. They're going to continue to score points. And that's why I lock up America's team o Thanksgiving and it gives me another thing to root for or being a bad mood about what it's time to carve the turkey. Well, look at this shammers to turkeys this week something. Do you know? You often have locks that I find unrewarding, Dan, But Um, I would say the last two that you've

unfurled on us to quite um delight. This one is this having entertain You know, I like this, I like and and I called the last game that we discussed a game of no consequence. Um. You would think the two teams that are three and seven, UH can't offer much more. But this game has tremendous consequence. Because I've said all along and I'm sticking to this, I don't care which one of the four teams on the Bingo card win the division. They will win a playoff game.

So it's just deciding which teams some high fire UM is gonna tumble to in January in total disgrace and go into an offseason with a billion questions. So I'm excited to see who wins this, UM, I would say, I would I would say you should all just check out let Mark do two hours on the state of pro football. No, I just think I'm with you, Dan. I think Dallas has the most life energy right now. The Giants I would put second. Um, I would put Washington third, and I and and I'm sorry, Colleen, I

think I cut you. Probably you kind of agree with me that the Eagles are an eyesore and like they needed to go be Eveland in a game where they could have won. Um, they just simply can't get it done. And I don't think that winning a division, um, if you're Philadelphia, has any it makes any sense at this point, I'm gonna answer deeper questions every game now. When I turn on the Eagles, I just feel emotionless, and it's it's just a chore that I have to do and

there's no way around it. It just needs to get done. And so it's more of like just enduring the Eagles, uh and and just waiting for what I expect to be the result. Every week. I can I can relate to that, and I can totally relate to that. Hey, um and using the Bingo card analogy, don't be surprised when the free square in the middle somehow wins the NFC East. I'm going Giants a home game in the playoffs. Mark Blumbo wins the NFC East, All right, let's let's yeah,

let's pick the NFC East winner. You've got Giants, Gregg, I'll take Cowboys, Connie, you gonna ride or die of the Eagles, the Eagles, Eagles, Let's go and Sizzler, what would you pick again? Dallas, Dallas? All right, let's see what happens, all right, the late game, and this one is, unfortunately, in a COVID nineteen world, a lot up in the air. As we record on Tuesday, early afternoon on the West coast, the Baltimore Ravens Ravens traveling to Hines Field to face

the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. It should be a great game, um, featuring a as I said, undefeated Tenano Steelers team that is really uh playing excellent on both sides of the ball, and then a Ravens team that's been one of the disappointments of the a f C of this season and they are in desperate need of a win. So they got a bit of a cornered animal Game five going

on here. And yet Greg uh with the news early this week about various COVID nineteen list designations, You don't know what version of the Ravens we're gonna see, or if we're gonna see anything at all. Yeah, right now, the game's still scheduled. We we do you know, um, the two running backs j K j K. Dobbins, who's coming off his best game, and mark ingram are are on the COVI list. We don't know who the other players are that tested positive, but the you're just kind

of wondering what's left of the Ravens. I was totally planning to take the Ravens in this game, you know, just kind of like because it just feels like, like you said, cornered animal. And the first half of that Ravens Steelers game was the most surprising first half that I've seen any two teams play all year. The Ravens made the Steelers look like the Jets. It's it was. It was amazing, but they didn't take advantage enough on

the scoreboard and they end up blowing that game. And you think about that game, and you think about the Titans game where they had a big lead. The kind of the last thing the Ravens had left, um is that, Okay, they played great with the lead, and now they don't even have that left. They don't have their two guys in the middle of their in their defensive line, they don't have a great offensive line, and now they can't even hold leads. Like, if they can't hold leads, what

do they have? So it is hard to picked them. Here you're going full died oh here, Rosenthal, because you're going down with this ship. Two weeks ago, I'm taking the Steelers. I think that close, but I'm taking the Steelers win. It's just too I'm just gonna say, two weeks ago, you have the Ravens is the number one, number two team in football. So there's there's doubt creeping in for a lot of people that definitely banked big

on the Ravens entering well, they are different quickly. Just they are a very different team than when they played in Week eight. If you think about it, they've lost those running backs, they've lost two offensive linemen, they've lost their blocking tight end. So on top of them being disappointed,

they're like different. Along with the COVID stuff, it just feels like to the whole the Ravens offensive line is just a liability for this offense and that sort of is the place where all of their issues I feel like, really stems from because the offense hasn't looked the same and obviously it's no coincidence that you come into the year without Marshal Yanda, and then you lose Ronnie Stanley and it feels like things really went downhill after that, and you think of out the way that Lamar Jackson

looked Week eight. I mean four total turnovers in that game, two interceptions, two fumbles. Things obviously just have not been going the same way for them on offense. And then as you mentioned on defense, there Brandon Williams, I mean he was he's on the COVID list now because of close contact and Klaas Campbell he didn't practice on the Monday estimation practice report. So if they don't have those

two guys again, their defense looks completely different too. I couldn't agree more with the fact that you point the offensive line out. I mean, this entire offense is built around the concept of a dominating offensive line, and um, what they're missing this year. I mean, we Mark Andrews had his best game last week, but they have not had the Mark Andrews of last year. They have they are down, Nick Boyle. Their tight end group um is not a strength the way it was a season ago.

So you so they're just not able to function um the way that a team that won fourteen and two uh last season and and I I would question a little bit. I've never I would never say this about the Ravens historically because I think that their DNA is toughness. Uh, they will beat you up, and they were beaten up by the Titans. We talked about the A. J. Brown play on on Sunday. I mean, just you know, breaking tackles,

ripping through Ravens defenders. And I was because I think I have a similar play to them, Mike Evans play. So you know, that was impressive. And I think two times, two games in a row, the Titans embarrassed the Ravens physically and something out of you. Mark, I have a question for you. All right, let's think post vaccine world. You get the two shots. Okay, you get the shot, you go into quarantine for two weeks to get the booster shot, and guess what you're in the majority in

terms of uh, your defense, your immune system. Now you go have fun society that they roll it out great the vaccine and now everyone's having fun again. They start rolling sporting events back, they start rolling live music back. And I have it. I have an option for you. I have a ticket. I have three tickets. Okay, your first post Pandemic Concert. Okay, and it's all as Keith

Hansas would say. Everything's on the arm, the tickets, free, open bar, the little food that you like, ramen, all there, and one of these three artists, Dido, Dido has got some great songs we love. Dido's got some great songs, got great songs we love Ido. And yeah, and your choice too. Choice three Little Debbie Post Pandemic Comeback Concert, you can own. Only pick one. Died out a zero factor in this. The other two concern me. I'm not sure that Little Debbie and Colleen are different people, so

I'd need to explore that topic a bit. Um, How could I not pick any? Like it would probably be at like like on the the roaming front lawn of Enya's castle. Um, you know you'd bring up, you'd bring a few tasty treats with you, maybe some drinks and like you're listening to Enya in like Ireland with the

sea before you I go in. You don't know, you don't know, and you couldn't show up on your podcast and St. Lucia oh um, post Pandemic needs a little St. Lucia vibe, so that I'd have to think about that and get back to you on that one. I would love to see. I just have this image of Mark and a surprisingly aggressive Enya mosh pit in front of a castle coats of like Limerick. I think your mom would be there. She's a big en your fan. Deb loves Enya. That's the one thing. Um, All right, there

you go. That's Thursday. That's Thanksgiving action. And just a reminder, so we just preview three games because of the holiday here in the state. It's our schedules a little bit different. Our preview episode where we preview the rest of the week twelve games that will go up Friday, um, late afternoon here in excuse me Friday, hopefully early afternoon here on the West Coast, late afternoon on the East Coast, and morning time overseas in the UK and surrounding areas.

So look for that. And yes, also the NFL Network program will air on Saturday morning, UH previewing all our UH takes on week twelve. All right, before we get the weakest link talk, I want to just I want to check in here, um, Connie and the boys on the hot Butt Power rankings. Now, everybody knows the old zuser is right in the NFL dot Com Power rankings. But I also have kicker power rankings, which have a

really um, really passionate audience. And I have butt power rankings. Okay, and and and it's not the type of but you thinking of. It's not in a listit thing. It's about which coaches have job security and which coaches don't. And I'm gonna put him into categories first, categories, the biggest one. It's the one you want to be in, the biggest button, the biggest butt. Uh. This category I labeled untouchable. Can't touch his butt a k A freezing butts, but in

a good way, a real good way. Here we go, Sean McDermott, Brian Flores, and please, after you hear these names, jump in if you think any of these coaches are even in the slightest bit of danger. With six games to play for most teams in the NFL season, McDermott, Flores, Belichick, Tomlin, Stefanski, how about that. I don't think anything can get that

guy fired, even with that organization involved in Cleveland. John Harbaugh, Frank Reich, Rabel, Andy Reid, Jon Gruden, Ron Rivera, the Bearded Boy, Matt Lafleur, Mike Zimmer, Sean Payton, Mattie Rule, Sean McVeigh, Pete Carroll, Cliff Kingsbury, and Kyle Shanahan. I think everybody in the NFC West is completely safe those of the nineteen. Anybody that you think aren't absolutely lock lock it up safe out of that group, no debate, Well done, Okay, So keep in mind. Also, we've already

had two guys get canned. We lost Bob Bill O'Brien and Dan Quinn. And in my past studies of the hot butts um, usually on any given any given black Um Sunday or what is it, black Monday, we end up firing our league four to eight head coaches, and we're gonna right, yeah, it's it's eight is a full quarter of the league, which is just bonkers to think about it. We're gonna be potentially in that area because here's the category I put is probably safe. I'm not.

It's not for certain Bruce Arians who just missed the cut for me, but I think he's probably safe, and maybe recency bias for what happened Monday night is why he's on this list, but he's there for me. Zach Taylor probably safe. Doug Peterson probably safe and Joe Judge probably safe. I have judged theirs. I didn't like some of the reporting out in New York around this Mark Columbo situation, and that he's rubbing people the wrong way.

And if the giants flamed out and and things are really ugly behind the scenes, could that lead to a one and done scenario. I think Judge should be in the locks because I think the organization loves him, and I think they think these little ferrets talking to the media are are the enemy, so and and and they've been pretty well coached, so I think he'd be totally safe.

Arians is an interesting one. This is probably the right category because to me, he could almost be like a surprise retirement out of nowhere, you know, just based on his his recent past too. I feel like Arians isn't he should he should be, he should see this Brady thing through. But you're right, what if it went totally crazy ugly? Brady is uh guaranteed money into next year, his his whole salary next year. Because Peterson is interesting,

I'm I'm with you. I think Peterson like the one thing that seems to happen when you get to the point where and look at he's got a super Bowl ring, so like he's piste off, he's annoyed the credibility like peple like feel like I'm sorry, but I feel like Philly fans have basically forgotten about the super Bowl at this point and everyone attached to it. Um, I'm not sure Carson Wentz is the quarterback next year despite the guaranteed money, or at least could be in a competition.

And Doug Peterson, you know what I see popping up on my Twitter timeline is this? I think it's like Credential or something where it's like Doug Peterson knows how to invest, you should do the same. And it's like the comments um off of these promoted tweets. I think it's like Credential insurance or it's some insurance company. I'm

not sure. It's it comes up every Monday morning, every Tuesday morning, and it is getting flamed and it's like he has lost his buy in and poor timing on ads and reads like what happened at w I P Connie's all old gig? Why is everything connected to dud Pieterson? Ill timed? It's very ill timed. Well, he's about the book, right, now you know the book is an ill time party to Mark, it was a little about Frank, the real brains behind the operation. I just I don't need coach biographies,

um like two years into the job. Like, give it to me with some with a story to tell. Okay, how about this Devil's advocate here? I'm with you. Mostly the fact that David Tyree wrote a book is everything you need to know. But what if Kevin Stefanski takes the Browns to the super Bowl next year? You're buying that book leader, Leadership and glory. The Kevin Stefanski story copies. They can't get on the guy can't do it all. Right, now let's move on. Now we get into a little

bit of a legitimate danger zone here. Uh this is I call, and that's the sound you don't want to hear. Butts are starting to warm up, Mike McCarthy. I think McCarthy, you could say eggs should be a tear higher. But also, let's say the Cowboys do Go three and thirteen, and this discension behind the scenes continues to pop up, and we get a seth worker sham explosive story that comes out in December. At some point I don't know. I just it's something to track. Then you have Vic Foggio.

Just keep an eye on Vic because Vick are you there? And I need to hear Vix but sizzling, Ricky? Do we do? We really need to hear that? Right? It's like you know, dandemic and Thanksgiving week? Yeah, well listen, this is the yin and the yang. Vic Foggio always gonna look the point some fingers if he has to, So it could be Foggio that bites it. Uh, Anthony Lynn, I think we've talked about that. He needs probably a strong finish, I think to guarantee that he comes back.

And then Matt Naggy with the Bears. I put him at fifty fifty. Uh, what do you guys think about that? Who was the first one? I think McCarthy is way safer than that. I would maybe flip him in Zac Taylor if I if there's some reports that a Cincinnati in terms of some turmoil behind the scenes with that coaching staff, um, that would be concerned. I think when

when does Jerry Jones go one and done? Like he's hired a lot of bad Cowboys coaches with a lot of bad records, not just Garrett, and he sticks with them, so I don't think he's gonna want to admit a mistake. Is not getting any younger though I get it. I think Lynn is a lot safer to Um. You can you could argue, um why, but uh, I think they

believe that they have the right group. And I and I do wonder if the pandemic, especially with a team like the Chargers, you know, not known to be spending extra money, uh over the years, are they really gonna want to like blow things up? I think you give Talsco and Lynn another year just because they don't want to bother and they give they give him a little

pass somewhat because it's a tough situation. I mean on the Bears front, you know, because that ownership group is so glacier, like um, maybe they stick with it or maybe you know, Ryan Pace and Matt Nige have like Patty Hurst ownership and there is no one making decisions and they'll stay forever. But they should be removed. I mean,

there's no argument, there's no growth, there's no vision. Um, what they've what they've envisioned exactly well right, I mean, but what what they've envisioned is what is saying, don't do football wise, So, uh, we need to want to direction that Maggie would look like with a real quarterback. Though, No,

I don't want to see that. I know. But isn't it a little unfair to say that he's a bad coach because you had you had three years to choose the right quarterback, to find the right quarterback in free agency, to hire actual competition from Matt Mitch Robiski that which they chose not to do. I mean, I would say the average Bears fan has probably run out of patients. Do we need another year of this? And they'll shove them on primetime three you know, three nights a year

and we're all dealing with it. I don't. Let's move on, Yes, let's move on. Indeed, Uh, finally, this is the butt in flames division. It would take I think, something close to an act of God to get these guys hinees from being completely charred by the time we get to January Court. Everything about this is un adam gaze. I feel awkward. Yeah, that's been my role in this segment.

Thanks for joining me, Doug Maron. I feel tightened. The torture scenario it can why I feel uncomfortable and Matt Patricia. Those are the three. So I think Gates, Maron, Patricia, b O b dan Quinn. That's five. And then I think you're gonna get one to two other guys picked off.

So I'm gonna say we're gonna be replacing If I had to guess seven head coaches, Patricia make it to the end of the season at this point, I would say yes, but you never know, it might be one of those situations where they want to fire guy and get a get a jump start on there. You have a new owner to which is you know, I know it's the Ford family, but it's it's been a new owner, a new member of the family. Uh. So she uh, we'll have to make her presence felt at some point.

And looks six games a long time, especially for a guy like Naggy. I think that was a perfect It's like how these six games go. Maybe it shouldn't inform it, but it will inform it a ton for a guy like Naggy. But I think you're right about all the all the locks. I was thinking I was watching these games and especially like the bad teams, wouldn't this be

the worst year ever to be the worst teams. I mean, you're at You're Adam Gaze and you're You're the Eagle like to be a bad team in East Coast market, Like you're in the middle of a miserable pandemic. And there's probably nothing more miserable being than being on a head coach of a bad football team. And uh, and everyone in the middle. I think it's in this season

there's personally there's no fans in the stands. Uh. There people are distracted in general by what's going on in the world, and you kind of go under the radar just a little bit. It doesn't okay. I thought maybe people, including myself and our show like would have a little leeway, but we have, and we're it's basically all the same as normal. Like they're they're getting buried in Philadelphia, aren't they? Like, yes, this seals a little extra, all right, So there you go.

Those are the hot butt rankings. And just because there's some pearl clutching going on on the podcast, no one's butts are actually harmed in the making of that segment. It's all fun. That's it. That's it. But acting then by you on you know you and Erica, those sessions that you that you do behind the scenes to record the UM I kind of enjoy it all right, as promised before we say goodbye and head towards the Thanksgiving holiday. Uh, let's talk weakest link and let's do it. Let's let's

bring it. Let's get the round table going in. Let's get Erica and of course who was on the weakest link. Let's bring in, uh, the great, the iconic Lakisha Westling, who watching the show with us. And let's also bring in the great Gonzo John Gonzalez. Look at that dude, that's the dude right there. He has not given up on the Eagles yet. All right, let's uh, let's get into it. Okay, how are you doing, Lakisha? You look

beautiful here. Think I'm all over the place. It's chemo Tuesday, so I'm running around like crazy with you know, taking care of Chris and Lincoln stuff. But I am excited to be here right now though. I miss you guys. What a queen? Also, John Gonzalez, Yes, as I said, wearing the old school Eagles hat. John, how are you doing? Buddy kin FC East leading Philadelphia Eagles turned and everybody and what are we discussing, were we disgusting America's abject

ferrier on national television? Because yeah, you're using you're used to that. Huh. You guys look adorable by the way, huddled around that microphone. What a couple. The Wolves are, well, the Gonzals, the Gonzals, Wolves. All right, here we go. Let's get into it. Erica First, A big picture take, Erica, what what were your thoughts when? And if you haven't

watched yet spoiler alerts. Erica successfully navigates through the program. Okay, she She even gets it to the point where she masterfully, like uh, like a cor Leone, Don picks out the dummy and says that's the guy need to be against at the end of the show to win the weakest link, and then it didn't quite work out. Erica, take us through it well. First of all, I just would love to hear Greg's thoughts on the show. I'm proud of you for like advertising, I didn't watch it live. I think,

of course not, but I was. You know, we all got crazy deadlines here and Thanksgiving weeks that about me. I'm proud of you because like you've owned this and you you did better than I thought you did tell you know you it wasn't a secret. You told us what was going to happen. I knew you were gonna blew it, blow it, and I hadn't. Oh really, I thought we were all playing along. I um, I was impressed. Just let you put yourself out there like that. I don't know, it's good. I would be I would be

like not wanting anyone to watch. That'd be ashamed. Yeah, well it was. It was very very very very very very funny how it ended, and it's it was even more fun to watch you guys watch it and be like live texting and everyone's sort of freaking out as it got worse and worse because I was on the entirety of the show. Had I been voted off the first or second round, it would have been like, oh, that was stupid. I was on a game show whatever.

But I made it all the way to the final and I lost to the dumbest person possible on the show, And so to me, I was like like sick to myself. Mike, you guys like forty five grand like I I was so like it was painful, and he had a ton of softball questions. I knew every single one of his questions, it wasn't fair. It was the biggest regret question. What was the question that you in Russian? Was No, it

wasn't big. It was actually this one, Erica. Okay, Jane, I asked you for one word for the Hebrew word that means a little goodbye in peace, and you gave me too. And what were those two words mozel popters typhenated. So it's like, okay, I have two more words for you, varied by Jane Lynch in the biggest You know what I thought, I thought you had the right answer, so I'm not going to judge. Thanks. It was much harder

now I made that up. It was so hard though Everyone's like, oh yeah, I knew every single one of these questions, Like it's really easy when you're sitting on your couch and you don't have you know, six ft Jane Lynch looking down your like soul like it was, and there was like a hundred people behind cameras and every it was. It was terrifying. I couldn't imagine it. Lakisha, you are such a a beam of optimism in times of crisis, and and what were your thoughts on how

Erica comported herself during the program. I thought she was the best, Like she was the one that had like the best personality. She was so likable, Like I just I'm literally was just rewatching it right now, Like girl, you killed it, Like everyone else was just so stiff and stuffy and like she got she had a lot of um chemistry with um Jane, Like, it just was so much fun. I was proud of you. It was like watching like my little sister, you know, on stage.

It was awesome. I am so with Lakisha. My one note here was that she you were the only person that had any tangible chemistry with Jane Lynch, which is you know that that suggests a larger role for you in in mass media and um uh and start making in general. And the person you lost to this Aaron Fellow. Um, I'm waiting for his follow up to Tom Brokaw's the Greatest Generation. One of the dimmest figures I've ever witnessed on a television set. Just to be fair, tell me,

tell me more about the screw salesman. Yeah, that's him. That's it was terrible. It was horrible. That's what was so crushing about it, because I definitely respected how you handled the two rickey navigating it. You almost got voted out right at the beginning. You barely survived that. In fact, you were out because it was a tie and the person that had the rights of the tiebreaker as the

strongest link had voted for you. But then they switched to the other person, which I don't understand the rules of the game too. Well, that's stunned me. So that was great to see. Um I did. I did like your line after you went down in the finals in sudden death and tragic circumstances, getting shut out in five questions. Uh, you had set you had set up the chessboard so well, and then when you have to do your talking head, Uh, this is what you had to say, and it was

a shoeout. I'm never gonna love this down. They asked me, probably like they interviewed me for twenty minutes, and that's what they took it was. They kept going, they kept being like, so, how does it feel to lose to Aaron? And I'd be like, oh, you know, like I was trying to like play nice and they'd be like, no, how does it feel to lose to that idiot? And I'm like, um, I think he, you know, did his best, and then I, like, you know, did the shoe lines.

So I don't even remember anything that I really you got screwed, literally, I said that when they cut that from the show. Come on, John, did you think did you think that Erica and I want to get to these questions before we say goodbye? The sudden death questions? So no spoilers, but did you think it was a bit of almost the fix was in a little bit when you looked at the questions that the dummy got and then you got the questions that I do like to tease Erica. Uh, and you know, I was excited

for her to make the finals. But the final questions, yeah, I thought they were were considerably easier than Erica toll. The big one I thought you could have done better on. But the other ones that were difficult. I thought that the what was it the scorpio sign or leaver or whatever that was, I didn't know that are difficult. But

you did set up the board so well. And I was the run it all the at and listeners who go and listen to you guys and are on on run it said that it was like blowing the lead and that is what I was getting at Ricky was that you's so enjoyably you you enjoyed the experience, and you promoted it and you wanted everyone to watch. It would have been like Scott Norwood, you know, promoting the like a tape delay of the Super Bowl before Bill's Giants. It was like, everyone's gonna come see this, like in

the final moment. But it was great. Yeah, Well, some of us are on NFL network on Saturday mornings at seven am, Gragg and some of us are on NBC, so they want people to watch it. We have a great group chat called the A T. M. Bastards on on text and and Colley named it, so come after her if you think it's inappropriate, and and we were all live going back and forth. It was fun watching a live program that wasn't sports. Uh the way we were watching it. Greg was not on the chat. And

then there were some questions. People are Greg, people are ask some questions behind the scenes, Uh, should Greg be here? Should he be in Bob with this moment? Did Greg even watch it? And now here's the ultimate test, Greg, would you would you agree to me running the sudden death questions by you putting you in the in the sudden death chair, just to show the audience what the questions were and get someone new for the uh Q and a back and forth here. I mean, I did

not watch the whole show. If that's watch at some point lakha that I don't think that said something doesn't alright show right? No link was link was out by then? Alright, mom had to get a drink on wait, wait before we really quick, before we do this. Who where did you get the cake? What? What? What was the cake story? I got the cake? Um for? Like I woke up. It was the first thing I did. I was like,

I must go to the bakery. And fine, she woke up and it was the first It was its EA week and I will do what I want and that means I will sleep in until noon and then go get a cake. The first thing I did was go to a bakery. Uh but my god, they spelled your name wrong. And then I kind of thought that was even funnier. So it was good. It was so good. You guys posted on Instagram and I like looked at the box. I was like, there's no way they made that. And then I was like, did they do that on

purpose or they just rolling. It was classic. It was comasoul saying our faces. When we opened it up, it was like, oh, I'll I'll be fine, I'll be fine. Um all right, Greg you dad. That's all you have to do is beat You have to get one to beat Erica and to I thought it was show. Okay, let's try it to to defeat Umar. Aaron? Are you kidding me with that? Aaron? Anyway, here we go Stanford. Stanford Grad students Sergey Brinn and Larry Page launched what

revolutionary internet search engine bing is Google? Who is the only American Idol contestant to win an Oscar? Jennifer Hudson correct? When England's King George the Fifth changed his surname in nineteen seventeen, what became the official last name of the British royal family. I don't know. The correct answer is Windsor. Who was the first female US Secretary of State? Kind of Liza Rice earlier Madeline Albright? Of course, And this is to defeat you gotta answer quick, right, yeah, faster

and than you're doing it. In astrology, what is the only sign of the zodiac that is represented by a non living object? Oh? Aries, Sorry, Libra, you have tied Aaron but defeated Erica. Oh she didn't get any right, yea, the all bright one hurts, but yeah, you gotta answer it fast, job Mark? What did why did? Why didn't Greg watch Erica on the weakest, like, let's talk about it. I don't know he mentioned you mentioned a deadline. I don't know what type of deadline that we had to write.

I have to file my picks for today. We got another show coming up today and we had to file our entire tape request and everything for game debut by today. There's we also have children going on. But it was last night, right that? What do you think I was doing last night? I'm just now realized that he really didn't watch it, So I'm going I'm too gullible, man. I mean, Greg, it's okay, Erica will watch again. I watched ever again. But you also could not care less.

So it's kind of they worked together. I look at Erica Moore as like, you know, a colleague rather than a friend, you know what I mean. So we tried to keep that separate. Okay, see you next time. It just got dark on a different box on the show today. Alright, anybody have final thoughts, uh Lakisha and John before we say goodbout you. I just yeah, I just can't believe that Aaron dude just rewatching it. Like he got so

many freaking questions wrong. And it's just like out of all the people on the panel to like make it and win, that's what that's what hurts so bad. And I thought I was doing the right thing. But then he gets you know that he couldn't get the he didn't even get the NBA and he was like men's basketball like it was so those questions were so bad. He messed up the rainbow flag, which is like and Evan the one dude, like the Nicki Minaj what was that?

The Cardi b question Fantasia like no, come on, just just a terrible, terrible showing. And um, you know, Emma, Emma and I put out a broadcast episode late last night recapping what happened where I was locked in a room eight hours before taping. Go check it out, very good, So check out. You might have lost, but the rest of us won with all the names that you provided to thank you for the bottom of my heart, because

that will never leave our DVR. And I spend much of the holiday weekend, chopping that up stave until delete status for sure. And let's give the final word to the host, Jane Lynch, who who sent off Ricky Hollywood thusly, and have a great holiday everybody, and we will see you tonight on Friday. Eric gain some knowledge tonight, and that knowledge is that maybe this type of thing isn't freaky. I'll be thanks to everybody. Hi,