The Season with Peter Schrager: End of Year Mailbag (Part 2)

a little end of the year treat. This is part two. Part one was an interview we recorded earlier today with Andrew Whitworth, who I don't know, it seems like I can still play for the Bengals and uh good that to listen went with this grant. I also discussed Sean Payton at length in that podcast. But Aaron wrong Kaufman, I love working with you. It is now week seventeen of the season with Peter Schrager. We've had a ton of guests and now it's time to dip ourselves into

the reader and listener questions. Do you want to just fire these at me? And then uh, I'll take my best stab at answering some questions from Twitter. Perfect sounds good, all right, So the first one we've got is from I apologize when I mispronounced all of these Twitter handles, but Saudi Banani, I think it sounds right. Yeah, and they rhyme, so that makes sense. They asked you, what's the key to the Packers earning a playoff spot and progressing beyond the wild card weekend? You know, shame on

everybody in the NFC. You know, the Packers were four and eight, four and eight, especially following two primetime losses, the terrible one at home to Tennessee and then the one where they fought hard put loss to the Eagles. And you come out of that fourign eight. The Packers should be done. Any team that's foreignate should not be going to the playoffs. And yet NFC team by NFC team by NFC team, one by one by one continues to screw up and lose games, allowing the Packers to

still have a flicker of hope. And now the Packers have won three straight games. They got rested on the bye week. Their special teams is suddenly something that's a strength. Run for the last year and a half, it was an absolute embarrassment. And you look, they got everything they needed this week. They got the Giants to lose, they got the Commanders to lose, they got the Seahawks to lose. You look at that NFC South that's irrelevant for the wild card race. None of those teams going on the

wild card. So all those other teams that they needed to lose lost, and the Lions lost. So suddenly the Packers are seven and eight. They are a half game out of the final NFC playoff spot, and they've got the Vikings and the Lions, two teams that they have just bullied around for the last two decades at home the next two weeks. What they need is this, they

need to win both of their final two games. Obviously, they've got to beat the Vikings in Lambeau and then they've gotta beat the Lions in Lambeau, which I think is doable, especially if Rogers is playing like you've been playing the last few weeks. And then they need the Commanders to lose one of their games. Okay, one of their final two games, which is Cleveland or Dallas or

Commanders can win both those games. They need the Giants to lose both so their best bet is this their best bet, and they got helped by the Eagles for losing on something because now the Eagles are gonna you know, I have to be playing and the Cowboys are gonna be playing to the final stretch. So here's what they need. Packers fans, you're failing me. Here's what you got. Win these final two games, and then you need Dallas or Cleveland to beat Washington. If you get that, you're in.

And then Rogers is the seventh seed. And guess who's most likely the two seed? Forty Niners? And guess what Rogers Niners revenge from last year in San Francisco. Let's roll like this thing is crazy. The fact that they even let this guy, and you know it's I always say he's like the Boogeyman in the NFC, like keep him out of the club. Do not let the Boogeyman back in. But here we are, and I think they

played well last week. I gets the Dolphins three picks yet and I'm not sure if Tour was concussed during that or not. It doesn't matter. The defense is all over the place. They just absolutely manhandled the Dolphins, uh in that final Stanza. So Packers are alive Vikings. If you want to put an end to everyone's misery, just beat them and and shut everyone up and show that you're not just one of these smoking mirrors teams that wins by one score every game and just hangs on

by the skin of their teeth. Go beat them if you really want to tell everyone that you're the power of the NFC North. If not, you better believe that game Sunday night is going to be on TV and it'll be national television Lions versus Packers with Aaron Rodgers playing for a chance to make it to the NFL playoffs. Wild Ride. I'm here for another team that we got a ton of questions about, was the Raiders and their

chances of making into the playoffs. Yeah. So I do a segment on Good Morning Football every year called a Beautiful Mind, and I take the team that has longest odds at making the playoffs going into Week seventeen, the longest odd so, the biggest long shot, and it's the Las Vegas Raiders, with Aaron a one point to five percent chance to make the playoffs. Here's a clip from the show where I explain exactly what they need to

see the Silver and Black playing in January. It might take a little bit more than a winning in like it did in one against the Chargers, But the Raiders are still alive for the playoffs, and I'm here to tell you how they will make the dance. Here's one way the six and nine Raiders can still qualify for the NFL playoffs. Producers, Can I have my music? Please?

Can I my music? Thank you? For the Raiders. To secure a playoff birth, Las Vegas must win their last two games home against the forty Niners, then home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Second, the Dolphins must lose their last two games Week seventeen at the Patriots, then we eighteen home against the Jets. Third, the Jets need to lose Week seventeen at Seattle, then win in week eighteen

at Miami. Fourth, the Patriots then need to beat the Dolphins in Week seventeen, but then lose Week eighteen at Buffalo against the Bills. Fifth. Fifth, the Steelers then need to lose at least one game. Now they can lose both, but Pittsburgh must lose at least once, either at the Ravens in Week seventeen this Sunday night or home against the Browns six six. The Titans they need to beat the Cowboys at home, then losing their regular season finale

against the Jaguars. If all of that happens, there would then be a sixth way tie for the seventh playoff spot, and that sixth way tie would be between the Patriots, the Dolphins, the Jets, the Steelers, the Titans, and the Raiders. Which team would get the final spot? Well, first, the tiebreaker is a divisional The Patriots would have the best had to add record among the Jets and Dolphins, which

would eliminate New York in Miami. The second tiebreaker is overall conference record in Pittsburgh would be four night in the conference in the a f C games, Tennessee would be five and seven in the conference in an f C games, but New England and Las Vegas would both be six and six. That eliminates both Pittsburgh and Tennessee. So it would then come down to the Raiders, and you guessed it, the Patriots. And what would the tidebreaker

be in that one. Let's go back to the final play Week fifteen, Patriots and Raiders tied at sixty four. Jacobe Meyers lateraling the ball and it landing in the

arms of Chandler Jones. After this, Romandre Stephens pitch this play right here would be the tiebreaker after a seven way tie for that seed and the Raider because of this game, this tidebreaker over the Patriots would have the head to head advantage, and it would be the Las Vegas Raiders getting the tiebreaker over the Patriots and learning the final spot in the a f C playoffs. Now, folks,

if you're saying that's crazy, you're right. There is a one point to five percent chance that the Raiders have to make the playoffs. But if we've learned anything following the NFL season this year, if you give me a chance, it means there is a way the Las Vegas Raiders would be able to make the playoffs if all those things happened. Do we have my full screen of what they need, producers, Do we have this? This is what they need, all of this help. They need to win

two games. They need to lose. They need the Dolphins to lose two games. They need the Jets to lose to the Seahawks but beat the Dolphins. They need the Patriots to beat the Dolphins but lose to the Bills. They need the Steelers to lose one game, and then they need the Titans to beat the Cowboys and then lose to the Jaguars. It is that easy, one point to five. The Raiders are alive and well, Jamie Jason

your thoughts. Second question was from Darth Greece's If the Rams recover from all of their injuries, can they be playoff contenders again next season? Also from Argentina Argentina, congratulations Darth Greasey's has been partying the last ten days. Good for he or she? Um Big messy fan by the way, I guess, uh that's not a crazy take, big messy fan. Um. All right, I gotta be careful with the Rams. Everyone knows my relationship with McVeigh and that I'm pretty plugged

in with that organization. I would say this, it's gonna be a really interesting offseason. I think the Christmas Day win was really cool. I think the Thursday night win

against the Raiders was really cool. But they have salary cap, hell, no draft picks, and a bunch of really highly priced veteran talent, and I'm curious to see what they do and whether it's hey, let's bring everyone back and and try to add more players and get more guys like Bobby Wagner who they got this year, or like Allen Robinson who they got this year, and try to figure

it out and sell more picks away. Or is next year one of those like let's give it our best shot, and let's see if Stafford's healthy, and let's see if Cooper cup recovers, and let's just try to roll it back. McVeigh is a big question mark. We'll see. I think there was a report earlier this this month that he might take some time away. Look, we and I have not spoken about that. I wouldn't be shocked with anything though. Um I know Sean has been burning the candle at

both ends, and that means both coaching and life wise. Uh. You know, he got married this past offseason, his grandfather passed away, he bought a new home, he went out on honeymoon. Um, he his wife's family is is Ukrainian. There's a lot going on for Sean McVeigh right now, and I would be curious to see how he handles the final two weeks of the season, then also maybe the final weeks of January as well, to see what

he wants to do with his future. But I'll say this, I think the roster got just absolutely riddle with injuries, a lot of veteran guys that they all come back healthy. I don't know if I'm if I'm looking at next year's Rams, I wouldn't expect them to be Super Bowl contenders just yet. There's just so many players that got hurt, and so many guys who are I think in in in a different stage of their careers and they were a year ago when they were all home and all right.

The third one is from gerr Ky, Yeah, Ky, Why isn't there more smoke about Brady to the Jets next year? Defense, good skill guys. Brady's kids in school in New York chanced to be back in the a f C East. I don't know if that's a positive, But yeah, I don't think Brady would do that to Robert Kraft. I

know that sounds wildly like sentimental and all that. I just I don't see Tom Brady, who was the pride of the New England Patriots, and if he goes out of conference and plays for them, and I guess you're saying, well, he's going to the Dolphins. I think Jets and Patriots are a different deal. I really do. I think Jets and Patriots are a different deal. I would see the Tom Brady story, and I guess Daniel Jones makes it kind of mood right now, but because he's playing well enough.

But I would see Brady is more of a fit for the Giants than the Jets. I just can't see Brady in the Green and white. I could see the Jets looking to acquire a veteran quarterback, whether that be a Derek Carr in the off season, or signing a Jimmy Garoppolo, or or going heavy after um, you know,

some other quarterback that's elsewhere. I just I could see them wanting to bring in Brady, and I could see I just don't see Tom Brady signing with the hated Jets over signing with another team if he comes back. Uh again, that seems like it's contradictory because he was willing to go to the Dolphins. We know that story was out there. I think the Jets are different than

the Dolphins. I really do. And I think with the history of dollar check and the Jets and all that stuff, I don't think Brady would want to end his career as a New York Jet. All right, number four from Devon Lynn nine. Who are your top three head coaching options that would be most beneficial for the Broncos? Okay, so Broncos are unique situation, as so many other teams

have unique situations to them. Broncos went with the young, hot offensive coordinator named Nathaniel Hackett and swung and miss desperately. It was terrible and the team was undisciplined on the sidelines on national TV, which I think was a great embarrassment to a lot of people um Sunday seeing a fight breakout and also seeing fisticuffs during the game on the sidelines with their own offensive line in their backup quarterback. Last year, dan Quinn was in the final interviews for

that job. I think dan Quinn makes a lot of sense to the Denver Broncos. I think uh Frank Reich makes a lot of sense for the Denver Broncos. I think Leslie Frasier makes a lot of sense for the Denver Broncos. Let's say Fraser is the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills right now. He has a history with George Payton, the general manager. Uh you know, I don't know what this team is. Is Russell Wilson as bad

as he's played this year? If so, is that at the turrant or is that a detrimental thing for a for a coach that wants to go there, like Seanpagne and we've talked about him at nauseum over the last several weeks. Does he want to go to Denver? Well, Look, they've got a great fan base, they've got an awesome new ownership group that hasn't hired a head coach yet and has a ton of money and is looking to make a big splash. And Denver's a great place to live.

It's a great place to raise a family, it's a great place to to to settle. Um. He would have to figure out the Russell Wilson deal. So I don't think it's a young offensive coach. I don't think overro Ijiro, who has been um great as a defensive coordinator, is going to get the head coaching job. I think they go to a guy who has been there, done that

before as a head coach and stabilizes this thing. Uh. The names I would put out there, as I've mentioned Dan Quinn Okay, I think he's a very viable option, and I think Frank Wright is a very valuable option. I think Leslie Fraser is a very viable option. And uh, I'll throw another one out there just because I think he's he's done the rounds before, and he's got an offensive mind, and it would be an interesting one. I think Jim Caldwell is an interesting potential higher offensive coach

Detroit Lions. For years, um took the Lions to the playoffs twice, got fired and hasn't gotten an opportunity since. Uh, those are the coaches I'm going with for the for the Broncos. As you can see, guys who have been there, done that. You need to stabilize that thing. It's it's kind of off the rails right now. Okay. Number five favorite Monmouth County restaurant. Do you know what Mammoth County is there somewhere in Jersey. Yeah, it's as far as Jersey.

I grew up in Mommouth County. I grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, and my favorite Mammoth County restaurant is a place called Federici's. Federici is in downtown Freehold. It's a legendary spot for Springsteen is often seen there where was at least twenty years ago when I lived there. You get those like random like Springsteen was at Federici's. It's the thinnest crust pizza you can imagine, and it's perfection. There pizza is the best pizza in America. I'll put

it up against anywhere. I grew up on Federici's pizza. I haven't had it in years. Uh. There was a second Federici's that opened and it was actually interesting if you really want to get into the dynamics of Mammoth County restaurants. One of the brothers opened up another one called Frankie Feds. I hear that those two brothers had a falling out. I'm not sure where this is, but there's like two rival Federici's. It's Frankie Feds, which is about a mile away from Federici's, and both of them

are outstanding. Uh my mouth is watering even thinking about it. That is my favorite Mammoth County restaurant. All due respect to pel Does, and I'll due respect to the rest of the Mammouth County restaurants that everyone will be arguing about when they listen to this. You know, I've heard a lot about Jersey pizza, but uh never, never really like had a great New Jersey pizza, which is partly my fault. It's different. It's so like I think like

a New Jersey slice. People think of like a New York Slice, and that's great, and people in Long Island will say, no, Long Island pizza is the best. Federchies is unique. It is like a cracker. It is so thin. I don't know if Portnoy did uh, I gotta look it up. If Dave Portnoy has ever done, you know, the pizza review for Barstool from feder Rechies. I'm curious what he would give it to me. It's a ten. It's the best pizza in the world. Following up another

food one favorite New York City steakhouse. Oh, okay, New York City steakhouse Peter Lukers is not necessarily the best steak or dining environment, and that Peter Lukers is legendary. It's under the under the bridge in Williamsburg and it's like no credit card, all cash. But it is a fun night out. It is old school New York. So I like the Peter Luker's experience, but I'm not gonna say it's the best steak. I'm gonna say this, this

is a bit of an outside the box pick. I don't think a lot of people talk about this place as a steakhouse because it's also one in l A. Wolfgang Puck has a fancy as steakhouse called Cut and Cut has that wago, which is, you know, two dollars for eight ounces of steak. It's absurd, But there is one in the four seasons downtown in Manhattan. I have been, I have been taken there. I certainly I am not

the one dipping into that. If you're ask me what steakhouse I choose, it's usually the outback variety um, which is nothing to shake a stick at. But if you are in New York or Los Angeles, and in Los Angeles they have one in the four seasons. They're also Cut by Wolfgang Puck. Um insane wa goose steak like just melts in your mouth. Nothing better in the world

than that, alright. Number seven from Josh B. Stern, Where did you get the sweatshirt you wore Christmas Eve on the show Good Morning Yes Yes, Yes, So on the show Good Morning Football, I wore a sweatshirt that had every NFL low go on it, and it was a hoodie. It is actually from a collection that the NFL put out called the Jeff Staples NFL X All Team Logo Sweatshirt. From what I got thousand in tweets about this, where'd you get swatsht Where'd you get that sweashirt? It's sick.

It's every team's logo. It's bizarre. It looks like your old sheets when you were a kid, with all the NFL logos on it. And it's just in a sweatshirt forum. But right now I'm told they're all sold out, so keep an eye out for it. Jeff's Staples, he is a streetwear brand. I don't know him. Uh, He's apparently a very popular designer, like of the Supreme Variety or one of those brands the I'm trying to sound cool. I'm not the one who's hanging outside Supreme waiting three

hours for a T shirt. But Jeff's Staples NFL X All Team Logo sweatshirt. I had those those sheets with the old school Paths logo and the oilers, like I had those NFL sheets. Yeah, everyone had those NFL sheets. They were the best. I would love to have those sheets now as an adult. All Right, Number eight, what's

been your favorite moment of Good Morning Football. I'll tell you my favorite moment of Good Morning Football, and it was a It was a pretty cool deal because we were in our second season as a show and we had really picked up a lot of steam and we were getting critical acclaim and everyone was like, we love

the show, we love the show. And the Eagles lost Carson Wentz and Nick Foles comes in and Kyle Brant, my co host, does a whole speech on Good Morning Football, mimicking the Rocky four speech, where you know, Adrian's telling him he can't do it, he can't do it at the top of the stairwell and she's like, you can't do it, You're not able to do it, Like what are you doing? You can't do it. And he's basically saying this to the Eagles, all right, and he's telling

them you can't do it, You're not good enough. What are you doing? You're done? What do you can't do? You're not going to fight if Andrago and Russia? What are you doing? Um? And Cole does this whole amazing speech. You can google it. It's great. Here's the wild, wicked turn to this thing. Doup Peterson, the head coach of the Eagles at the time, sees the clip, not knowing that actually he knew, but knowing that his team might

not know the reference to the Rocky speech. He plays Kyle Spiel to the Eagles the night before their game against the Falcons in the NFC Divisional Round, and it's Kyle Brandt saying you can't do it, You're not good enough, There's no way you can do it. Da da da da, all the stuff that probably uh Jason Kelsey scream about in a Mummer's costume. So Peterson plays that for the team.

They don't know the Rocky speech. They just see some white guy at Good Morning Football telling them they're not good enough and there's no way they can win without Carson Wentz and they're gonna lose their terrible team, the worst number one seed in football history. Great, they go out there, they go and they beat the Atlanta Falcons. Julio Jones has one in the back of the end zone, goes through his hands. They beat the Falcons. They're going

to host the NFC Championship game the following week. John Clark is the local NBC reporter for Philadelphia. He gets Brandon Graham, the team captain number fifty five, gets him in a moment and says, Brandon, what do you want to say to the fans who do who are rooting for the Eagles and all the people who doubted you? And he looks to the camera and says, Peter, not Peter, Peter Schreeger. Peter Schreeger, you didn't think we could do this. I want you to eat your words. You were wrong,

Peter Schreeger. You were wrong. Preeter Schreeger. Yeah, you better believe. And like I said, Brita Schreegor, you was wrong. We he good Morning Football. Y'all need to add that boy on there. He was wrong. My name is Peter Schreeger. I didn't even say anything. He just saw a white guy good Morning football and assumed I was Kyle and he's going off on the NBC, you know, broadcast. I'm sitting at home getting a million tweets. I'm getting a

million texts. All my Eagles friends like Brandon Graham is out for blood for who I picked the Eagles to win. They like, I'm like, all right, so we're all laughing, rub a good time. We run the clip on Good Morning Football. Sure enough, they're going to beat the Vikings. They're playing the Eagle, They're playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Me, Nate and Kyle, we get to go to the Super Bowl and we're sitting together. We're having a blast and it's an amazing day and the game

is incredible. Turns out Derek Barnett strips Tom Brady, Brandon Graham's trips Tom Brady, whoever does it? The Eagles win the game. The coolest moment of Good Morning Football was not my interaction with Brandon Graham, which did follow and we had a great time, and he came on our show and we had a blast and we unpacked it all. But the coolest thing was we were a part of that journey. We were on the show every morning. Kyle was kind of the resident Eagles rallying cry guy. I

had been covering the Eagles for years. I knew Doug really well, I knew how he Roseman really well, and I had really fallen in love with Nick Foles. The story, you know, from being discarded by Jeff Fisher on National TV to being cut by the Chiefs. You know, all this stuff coming out of really oblivion to come on this team because it was so cold in Minnesota, and

it was ice cold in Minnesota. We had to walk out of that stadium after the win, and there's these little corridors like almost like connecting what would you even call them sidewalks if you will, but like they're they're over what would you call them? And you know I'm talking about, yeah, toddles connecting all the hotels. And to be a part of this walk back with thousands of Eagles fans chanting E A G L. E S Eagles, all the Eagles, chance fly, Eagles fly, all the stuff.

And I saw grandparents crying with their sons who were crying with their sons and just joy and like I'm talking, I get goose bumps. Thousands of fans of a fan base I had not one since nineteen sixty finally winning the Super Bowl and all of them walking in Unison, singing, chanting, hugging, loving,

And I was with my two brothers. I was with Nate and Kyle, and we were walking through those corridors together and I remember getting back to the reminisc being like that was a cool moment, Cool moment for our show, and uh, I'm pretty blessed to be a part of this. So Nate has gone on to to to be on CBS. K is no longer with us, um she's with FanDuel,

But me and Kyle are still doing it. We got two new great hosts and Jason mccordy and Jamie Hurtle, and I'm looking forward to having plenty of memories with them. But that was my favorite memory. That whole Eagles run. It was pretty damn cool. That's awesome. I love that. I'm and I'm you know, very thankful that I get to work with the great Preetor Schraeger too. So Freeter, Preet, Aaron, anything else, anything else mailbag related that was our last

was great. To do that again, we'll do it again. Maybe we'll do it uh instead of uh, you know, having to book my own guests and try to ask for favors, We'll just do whilbags every week. It sounds fun. Let's let's have a nice end of the year. Thank you to everybody. To you, Aaron, You've been awesome. We've become really good friends and I appreciate all the work you've done. Jason English, who works for I Art Media,

Fantastic Stick, the NFL Network, the NFL digital folks. Um, everybody, thank you for listening, and hopefully you'll keep hanging with us into the playoffs as we're gonna be doing a ton of different podcasts and I already know we're gonna have a couple of good guests in the next two weeks and big names. I've already poked them uh and uh no tease. Hopefully they come through. Um, but I'm excited. I love doing this podcast and love working with you

all Right, next week, everybody to see you. The Season with Peter Schrager is a production of the NFL and partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.