NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio.
Everybody Welcome to game Debut, presented by Caesar Sportsbook. After Claybund glad to be back with Greg Rosenthal and Cynthia Freeland and we got a divisional.
Round to look forward to, guys, we do. I missed you guys last week. And this is the best week into football of the year.
I mean, I think both last week and this week two best in a row. So I don't know, We're lucky all around here.
He's just in a great mood since you know what happened.
Well, yeah, we'll get I know what happened. We'll get Cynthia's crown blue like Blunail a little bit in the show. But we are spinning the next twenty eight minutes and change running through matchups in the AFC. Let's look at these divisional round schedules, starting off with an AFC matchup a ringatch earlier in this season, the Houston Texans against the Chiefs, and then the Commanders and the Lions on Saturday, wrapping up with the Rams and the Eagles and the
Ravens Bills on Sunday. But we need to take a look back. That's the last time Houston Texas played the Kansas City Chiefs. Just a few weeks ago. Patrick Mahomes coming off with ankle injury. It was a high ankle spring that came a week previously. So how did he test that ankle by piling into the end zone with Texans on his back? Fifteen yard rushing touchdown Chase led seven anohing That's the second longest rushing touchdown of his career.
That was the most rushing yards he's ever had in the first quarter of a game, and that could be big in this game because the Texans have struggled against scrambling quarterbacks.
Yeah, he had thirty three rushing yards and that touchdown to finish the game third quarter. Now Texas trails seventeen to ten. Second and seven from the Chiefs thirty biggest play of the game, maybe one of the biggest plays of the season for the Texans. Stroud thirty yard touchdown to Tank Dell. The problem is Tank Dell holds onto that ball despite tearing his ACL and also having a dislocated kneecap. He was out for the season. Of course. CJ. Stroud,
one of Tankdelle's close friends. He'd overcome so much gunshot wound in the off season. Jared Rayn Jared Wayne just got elevated from the practice squad. He had to be consoled as well because it was him that ran into Tankdlle's knee. A rough loss for the Texans. Really a different game after that point. Castroud clearly emotional on the sideline. Later in the third, Chiefs leading seventeen sixteen Mahomes funds
Xavier Worthy eight yard touchdown. They led twenty four to sixteen, go on to win twenty seven to nineteen, but the Texans would earn their way back. So it's time for home field advantage presented by Zillo. The Chiefs and Texans meeting up again Saturday. Kansas City hasn't lost at home since Christmas of twenty twenty three. Does that win streak continue, Cynthia.
It sure does, but only by six points. I have twenty six to twenty in this matchup. Why because when I look at the opportunity for Patrick Mahomes to be special, there is some rust and I need to figure out if the O line is going to hold up in this one. One of the rest versus rust arguments that I think is most compelling is how was effect pressure
for Patrick Mahomes figuring out that rotation? And Andy Reid and his most recent press conference was talking about they're rotating in practice between DJ Humphries Joe Tooney, what's going on at left tackle? My friend, Well, if you're going to force Patrick Mahomes to run like this a lot, it's going to be more difficult. If you're going to force him to throw under duress, it's going to be
more difficult. So I think the actual benefit here for them having three weeks plus off will be to figure out how that O line gets just a smidge better.
I also have the Texans beating the number, but I've got the Kansas City Chiefs winning this game by four, twenty four to twenty. And I don't think it's because it's a US. I have a case to make in opposition to US, because Patrick Mahomes has played sixty one games since January of twenty twenty two. It's just now twenty twenty five. We remember that rest is good for you, and I love football. It's provided a whole lot for my life, including a lot of things that I care
about deeply. It's not good for you. The Texans were in that least sixteen game, but then the pressure started. Spags blitzed on forty four percent oh CJ. Strouds dropbacks. They had a fifty six percent pressure rate in the second half, and Houston really had no answers. Then I'm not going to count on them, Greg to have these answers. Now, I think the Chiefs survive in advance.
Yeah, it is such a big number, and it makes sense. It's a team going for their third straight title, and you guys both have the Texans cover in the number. I'll reach you on that and I'll raise you a Texans go. Let's go Texans pull off the upset.
We're just scregging it up. We're not worried.
It's about that Texans defense where Demiko Ryans really got out coached in that first matchup. I actually think it's an advantage that they just played them. They went into Arrowhead, they played them even really for three quarters until that tanked Dell injury. But Andy Reid was one step ahead of Demiko Ryans in that defense, and that defense, to me, was better than the Chiefs offense throughout the course of the season. You're watching Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter get
go nuts on what happened last week. Also at cornerback, Derek and Kamari Lassiter top two cornerbacks in the league in terms of opposing completion percentage. I do believe this defense is special. It's gonna take something special to beat the Chiefs, and that's what the texts.
They're gonna do what we.
Gotta just take it against the Chiefs. I love it. You can catch this game on NFL Plus. Folks postseason. With NFL Plus, it's a great opportunity to stream the entire postseason, including every playoff game and Super Bowl fifty nine live on mobile. Subscription required for NFL Plus. Visit Plus dot NFL dot com in order to see the terms. Time to make it buy an area. Let's go this guy or that guy who is more likely to row for two touchdowns? Cynthia CJ. Stroud Er, Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes, I think number one, this defense is now in full force for the Chiefs, so that's gonna make things more difficult. And number two, a short pass that it goes for a yack that actually works out too that counts as.
A passing touchdown for the quarterback.
While I want to point out that Travis Kelce has thirteen touchdowns in thirteen playoff appearances, I like that a lot. I think that it could also be a game where oh, I don't know, Noah Grave potentially sees the end zone, or perhaps a Kareem Hunt like get it going, get it going on, Buddy in this game type of situation. So I think at least one and a half, so two or more passing touchdowns.
Patrick Mahomes also counts as that overhand underhand Shouble Bass of the Chiefs run throat all the time also catches account. Travis Kelce typically a beast in the playoffs. Who do you think he's going to have over five and a half more catches? Who's more likely him or Nico Collins.
Well, I'm a rule follower.
You give me a question, I'm going to answer it directly. More likely is Nico Collins. I think they both get over five and a half. But Nico Collins is in the prime of his career. Travis Kelce's on the back end against the defense that is typically very good up
the middle. Nico Collins can win anywhere you saw him on those inbreakers a week ago against the Chargers, but he's just as good winning one on one on the outside, where I think he'll have some mismatches against a Chiefs group undersized and Nico Collins, he can rack up a lot of receptions. And this isn't about yards making get yards after the catch too.
If you're looking at what happens on crucial downs, so like third and fourth and those inbreakers to Nico Collins, who that is a good matchup. I think inbreakers were what changed the game last week, and that could be another area to look for.
And this one, it's.
About getting and keeping CJ Sprout in rhythm and it's all about the yak. So get CJ to get it to Nico Collins in space, and I think I like that.
I like that a lot space is the final front here, and it's a big part of why I'm taking this last one. Joe Mixon or Xavier Worthy over seventy scrimmage yards, I think Joe Mixon is more likely. I just discussed how much Steve Spagnolo might blitz CJ. Stroup in this game. I think it's a great opportunity to get Joe Mixon involved in the passing game, especially the quick passing game, give the Kansas City defense something else to look at. I know that we saw PFF Bobby have a lot
of first dound runs against the Chargers. Much of this grant of users on social media like myself, But I think Joe Mixon is involved in this game, not just in the traditional run. Since two really good football players, it's a shame only one of them can be good. Let's look back to the Week four matchup between the Ravens and the Bills. This is the first carry of the game for Derrick Henry. It was a seventy seven excuse me, eighty seven yard touchdown run. Baltimore led seven
to nothing. He finished with one hundred and ninety nine yards on the ground and a receiving touchdown. Skipping ahead to the third quarter, Bill's trailing twenty one to ten. It's a flip Josh Allen, but oh, Kyle van Noy causes a fumble. Kyle Hamilton jumps on top of it, runs it back eight yards. Look at the die from Kyle van Noyd to get that ball out before Josh Allen could cut loose. He'd finished sixteen of twenty nine for one hundred and eighty yards through the air. Next
Ravens possession, first and goal at the Bills nine. Lamar is gonna keep that, He's gonna take it for a nine yard touchdown run. The Ravens wore going to win five to ten and Josh Allen on the sideline thinking we're gonna get these guys in the divisional round and well, Josh, it's that time as a time for Seas the Season presented by seas Or Sportsbook. As we look at the first touchdown score odds between the Ravens and the Bills
and Derreck Henry who got that touchdown? Seconds in to the Week four matchup, the odds on favorite at plus four hundred with Josh Allen, James Cook and Khalil Shakir following him up Lamar Jackson at plus eleven hundred. Let's dive right in to this huge, incredible matchup. Everyone's gonna have to wait all weekend for it. Two MVP candidates going head to head Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen to see who gets a chance to go to the AFC Championship Game. Who do you think does it? Gric?
I think the Bills get it done. I'm sorry to break your heart, trick, but I'm wrong very often. Thirty one to thirty. I believe in points in this game more than I do in my pick of who is going to win the games, because these two quarterbacks are just that good. You feel for both of these guys having to go up against each other. If Josh Allen loses, it'd be fourth straight year they've lost in the division round. That's never happened in a history of the NFL, at
least in this round. Losing the same time. And if Lamar Jackson struggled in this game, he's had some of his worst performances in the playoffs. I think last week is gonna give both of them a lot of confidence. And I ultimately think as good as these defenses are and how much they've improved over the course of the season, I don't think they're gonna hold up. It's still an offensive league. I don't care about the weather. I think they're both gonna ball out, which will help an annoying
narrative for whoever loses this game. But ultimately, the Bills are at home. If it was in Baltimore, i'd probably go Baltimore. But at home the Bills a balanced offense that can run the ball against this Ravens front and can throw it.
I give them a one point win, but either way I like that over all.
Right, well, I too have a one point win. I have twenty seven to twenty six in this matchup.
Do you guys know.
Who DJ Sauce Von the Dawn happens to be? No, yeah, DJ name, and he, to me is the reason why I have the Bills winning this game. Why well, he lines up primarily on the left side of the defense, which means he gets to match up with Roger Rosengarden, the right tackle for the Ravens. Rosen Garden is near the bottom of the league in terms of pressures allowed at the position.
And if you're looking at what DJ.
Sauce Von the Dawn has done since returning from there by, oh, it's just a twenty four percent pressure rate. And if you look at just third down specifically, that number goes to thirty two percent. So listen, he's spinning. He spins in the locker room. That's a fun fact. You know, you can tell your friends. And he's actually, you know, he's very good DJ, and he's also very good at rushing pass.
He spins on the field too.
Oh there we go.
You know he ain't just a bull rusher. He's got the spin move both on and off the field.
Maybe Roger rosen Garden will have a great moment and he'll and he'll tell him he's somebody like Miles Garrett do.
Or like that that record scratch.
Yes, I I this is a great game, and I agree with you guys. It's going to be a close game. I have a two point game. I have Baltimore winning and a lot of it's the reason the Buffalo Bills had that dominant win last week with their ability to run the football. But the Baltimore Ravens can do it differently,
and we saw them do it. Looking back at that highlight with the way that Derrick Henry had that eighty seven yard touchdown on the first carret, I'm not reproducing that, but just look at how Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have operated the zone read late in the season. It feels like Lamar has made the right choice almost every single time. And with that run game, if you can limit the opportunity, especially with the Ravens having one of
the better run defenses in the NFL. The Bills play more Nickel than anybody ninety five percent of the time. Buffalo is going to have five or six defensive backs on the field. Baltimore one of the best rushing teams against Nickel and don defenses. I just believe the Ravens will be able to run the game, and I think they're going to run their way to the AFC Championship.
I swear there's got to be like a five percent air thing, because I basically don't see them not playing nickels. So I'm just curious, what are those five What is that five percent?
Because I gotta go find it.
It's like an accident, Like I guess, some teams were lucky enough to get to the goal line and they had some opportunities there. That was season. The season brought to you by Caesar Sportsbook. Bet just one dollar and double booster. Next ten bets up to twenty five dollars. Terms and conditions apply. Must be twenty one plus. Let's
get some notable player props. According to the folks that Caesar Sports Book, we can get Josh Allen at one and a half passing touchdown, Lamar Jackson going around two hundred twenty one and a half and a half pass yards, James Cook about sixty rush yards, Derek Henry ninety seven and a half, and Khalil Shakir four and a half receptions. So let's talk more or less some player props for this matchup, Greg Well Josh Allen have more or less than two hundred and eighty seven total yards.
Total being the total number, and word there, we're going way over. This is easy love that Cynthia and I are both on the same side of points in this game because she was over that number as well. Josh Allen is going to be very important in the running game now. When he was younger, he almost would wait to the end of the season to scramble more often, especially in the playoffs. Now he's just a big part
of the running game all the time. And I do think in this matchup when he drops back, he's gonna be running quite a bit.
Why are you laughing?
Because five seasons is not like I'm just saying. If you remember though, early in.
His career, like once he got to this point in the season, he just started running all the time.
I'm Josh Allen, Destroyer of Worlds, the other world destroyer the quarterback for the Raven Cynthia Well Lamar Jackson have more or less than one and a half passing touch.
I'm Lamar Jackson also destroyer of the World. Yes, I think he will have more than one and a half passing touchdowns.
High scoring game.
But also let's look at where this Bill's defense is most vulnerable.
In their first matchup, they actually did not stack the box very often. Big mistake. Huge Why because Derek Henry ran all over them.
This time, I think the stack the box a little bit more, which leaves to more vulnerability in the pass catching game. So I think that will benefit ra Shan Bateman. Should Zay Flowers play potentially Zay Flowers and of course the tight end Mark Andrews.
I'll take this last one. Will Derrick Henry have over one hundred and five scrimmage yards? We've seen more, especially since the Justice Hill injury. Justice Hill back Dereck Henry still catching more passes. I think he gets north of that number, which just saw the one hundred and ninety nine yards, and they do run very well against stack boxes. And the problem is if you stack the box and Derrick Henry and he gets to the second level you're
chasing he got and you're trying to grab hair. He's cut his hair off since then so that the hair is not there to grab. So I think there's more three mores and more or less as we look at this great end to divisional weekend here in the NFL, coming up the Division Round, usually the best weekend of the NFL year. We're expecting points on points when we return. We're giving you some of our favorite props for the weekend.
Stick around, write this down. Coming up next that four divisional playoff weekends Saturday at noon at Sunday at eleven am Eastern with NFL Game Day morning on Saturday, all six four and seven eighths two hundred and fifty five pounds of Max Crosby, which are smaller than Cynthia Freeland joined the crew in studio to see how the Texans can slow down Patrick Mahomes plus gimme checks, sitting down with Kansas City Chiefs pro bowler Chris Jones, all that and more. Saturday at noon.
He's the same height as Ian.
Yeah, he's right there.
Just between this, I'm taller the NFL media Cynthia and Ian.
I love it.
That puts rich in like the Wimby zone right there at the front of this graphic. It's time for expert playmakers presented by into it turbo attacks. Patrick Mahomes always seems to shine in the playoffs. Will he have over two hundred and seventy six and a half total yards on saturate against the Texans India?
He will shine, But I don't think his yardage total gets that high. Why because I think this is where Andy Reid coming off of bye, becomes a nice run play caller. Meaning let's not have Patrick Mahomes have to do too many crazy things against this defense that brings the second highest pressure rate, that has those great corners.
Let's run the football more so.
I don't think it's going to be quite as many yards as that. But remember, don't fret, Mary Anne Freeland, I'm not picking against Patrick Mahomes, who you love so much.
I am picking him to win. Just doesn't need to be throwing late in the game.
Well, Maryanne Friedland, listen up.
I am picking against Patrick Mahomes and I'm going under on this one too. I am curious if he's going to get rid of the ball as quickly as he did against the Texas. It was a great game plan. You would assume they'd be a little more prepared for it. Maybe he's feeling healthier and he actually hold on to the ball morn and weirdly that doesn't help him.
So yeah, they both say no, so confirmed. Greg and Cynthia say Patrick Mahomes is bad and we'll have a bag.
And Cynthia's mom is going to call her and be mean to god.
How do you hate Patrick mahone? Why do you hate heavy?
He's my favorite player in the league. That's what I'm in here.
Mom. Don't worry, because it's time to give your daughter her flowers. Congratulations to Cynthia Freeland, the regular season Picks champion. Just the competition, one hundred and ninety four and seventy eight. We have not seen numbers like that, Cynthia, congratulations.
Thanks.
I mean, you know, I just I guess, like you know, I didn't realize it was that I stop tracking.
Oh stop, no, it's true.
First of all, I take exception to demolishing the competition. I had you all season and then she passed me in week seventeen and eighteen because she's a closer. He's a finisher. Winners close.
Now, yeah, ABC, Baby.
It's cumulative. It's the whole season. Stop write this down, Cynthia. You're the champion. You've got that glorious crown. Also started off with this, what should people take me?
It is a beautiful crown, isn't it? Okay, I'm looking at Kareem Hunt. I told you I think Andy Reid will run the football more and I think Kareem Hunt's.
Going to be the guy to do.
But you heard him talk about in the past when he was in Miami and he was going shopping instead of being in the playoff, like all these things that made him so sad. So you know he's going to have a nice big game here, help es quarterback out from getting pressured. I think this is going to be a nice, solid game for Kareem Hunt so that he can show everyone I deserve to be here.
No big game for Kareem Hunt. What is your prediction?
So we were showing all the over enders in terms of rushing yards before, and James Cook was about half of Derrick Henry.
Give this man some respect. James Cook to the moon way.
Over fifty five and a half rushing yards.
Why is Derrick Henry double?
He wasn't double during the regular season because James Cook was one of the very best running backs in the league.
I think there's going to be a lot of points.
Ultimately, I do think Buffalo is one of the best rushing teams.
Goes Over, you know, scored more rushing touchdowns than Derrick Henry James.
Coup that's right, he did an all time record for the Buffalo Bills. Ti in Oorenthal, James Simpson. My prediction involves that game between the Ravens and the Bills. Isaiah. Likely we'll have over thirty seven and a half receiving yards against the Buffalo Bills. We don't know the health status of Jay Flowers. Isaiah likely out there on the field, especially when the Bill's playing all the nickel that they do. If they try to snack the box, they'll have a
leverage advantage. Isaiah. Likely over thirty seven and a half.
I feel, and you better actually write this down because Cynthia, you deserve you're the picks queen.
That's the ultimate test.
But can I just take this for a second here, come on, I want to give it to our friend Patrick.
Okay, what are you doing to my crowd? The most right where you're going.
This is this is teamwork. We wear this crown as a unit. We had a big merger back in nineteen sixty six. You may have heard about it. We're dividing our shows in the AFC and NFC. This is an NFC chat two Monster di visual matchups. I can't wait. Greg.
Yes, and the merger was a big change for the NFC in the NFL, and I'm wondering if this weekend is going to be a changing of the guard in the NFC. Maybe we get some crazy upsets because we have a big numbers.
You better not be talking about an upset. That would be very upsetting to me. Why didn't you say this.
In the AFC show, mister h I just same.
We got some young, exciting players.
Yeah, we have some emotional personal attachments to the NFC. Son, Hey, we all did decent in the picks last week. Let's take a look everybody going four and two. It wasn't all the same games. We all arrived at the same location, so no crowns to be distributed unless we were to have a thirty three and a third percent repeating of a crown sitting and that would fall off our head.
Thank you perfect each We're third, that's a third? I think it would be.
We love it. This is the visual schedule for the weekend, starting off on Saturday, Texans against the Chiefs, the reigning defending two time champs. The Commanders playing against the team Cynthia likes, the Detroit Lions or are that one seed? The Rams going up against the Eagles and then finishing off with the Ravens at the Bills. Cynthia's Lions have never won the game that she's not saying. Could this
be the year? Oh gotta love pel official he said season It's top for seas the season presented by Caesars Sportsbook. The first touchdown score odds it is all Lions. The roar has been restored to mer Gibbs. David Montgomery, welcome back. Plus four seventy five to get in the end zone. I'm on round Saint Brown, Jmo and then Sam Laporta and yeah, the other team has a pretty good football player, Jadon Daniels and the Commanders taking on the top seeded
Lions in Detroit. The Lions fresh off the buy. David Montgomery is back. How does it go?
Grik see now, Cynthia, I said, it could be the changing of the guard, and we have this young quarterback doing things as a rookie we've never seen before.
And now, who am I kidding?
The Lions are gonna roll over this Commander's defense forty one to twenty seven.
It's not the changing of the guard.
It's the same team that made the NFC Championship Game a year ago. Because they got the better quarterback in this game, as great as Jadon Daniels, Jared Goff is playing the best football of his career. A lot of these throws that you see are from a very comfortable pocket, and that's what I expect to happen on Sunday. Commanders couldn't get after Baker Mayfield last week. The Buccaneers did
not make them pay enough. I think it's a very similar matchup against really a great offensive line and a player in Jared Goff that, yes, he was great last year at this time, and he was good the year before, but he has improved. I've seen it like quarterbacks can
keep improving. He's only thirty years old. I saw Tom Brady play his best quarterbacking at thirty eight forty years old, and I really do believe his command of this offense with the weapons around him against this commander's defense, which is below average, is the biggest mismatch of the weekend.
I don't think it's close. I think they cover the.
Number your lips to whoever's in charges, ears, whatever the whoever's making the script writer. Anyways, I have a win for the Lions to a more modest win thirty one to twenty four. In this matchup. I want to point out the tight ends because both of these teams have been exceptional on going for it on fourth down.
In fact, they're the two best in the league.
The best is actually the Commanders in big part why because the tight end is a great opportunity to help out the quarterback. Sam Laporta in recent weeks has been a great reason why Jared goffin company are so good at going forward on fourth down this season.
Overall, on fourth down, do you know what's going on?
League wide? It's actually not going as well. It's down about eight or nine percentage points. But not for these two teams, oh contreire. Why because Laporta gives them another option the pass catching game, and they've got this great run situation and the offensive line.
But then on the.
Other side, zach Ertz, He's able to kind of beat whatever's going on, especially with the blitz. If you look at what goes on with Jayden Daniels passer rating when targeting zach Ertz when teams blitz him.
It's one twenty three. That's super high.
So when I'm looking at both of these teams and their kind of high risk nature, the tight ends do make the difference.
And the problem is for zach Ertz and the Commanders they're playing, it's the Lions who have been very, very good at stopping tight ends all season long. It's unanimous. I have the Lions winning by more modest score than Cynthia thirty two to twenty seven. We all have points here, but I think you need to be able to run the ball to keep this Lions offense off the field. And yeah, the Commanders were able to get a whole lot of opportunity convert all those fourth downs utilizing Jayden Daniels.
You know the last time a non quarterback led the Commanders in rushing it was before Thereby, if you take Jaydon Daniels away, they go from the best EPA per carry offense in the entire league all the way down to seventh. He's so much of the offense, He's so much of the run game. I think you just need more pieces. Yeah, this could be a seed change in years when the Commanders get more pieces around. The Detroit Lions have a complete offense. The Washington Commanders put a
lot on the shoulders of their very young quarterback. Mem Away, We've all got the Lions season. Season brought to you by Caesar Sportsbook. Bet just one dollar and double boost your next ten bets up to twenty five dollars. Terms and conditions apply. Must be twenty one or older, Folks. Don't miss any of the action this weekend extremely extremely entire NFL's postseason with NFL Plus every playoff game and
Super Bowl fifty nine live on mobile. Subscription required for NFL Plus visit plus dot NFL dot com in order to get the full terms. Time for more or less as socks of player props for this game between the Commanders and the Lions. In the fable, Jade Daniels have more or less than two hundred and ninety one total yards.
Well, the running yards count for that one.
As the rushing yards bolster this projection for me, I think he has more than this total. Why well, if you look at this O line, it lines up the fifth widest in the National Football League.
And what happens then.
It creates more lanes for Jayden Daniels to use those legs, and we knows he wants to do it. He's going to do it, especially because the Lions plays so much. Man, perhaps the space that's created from that will give him an opportunity to help go over that number.
All right, so we got one more. Let's go to the Lions. Greg Well, I'm on Ross Saint Brown have more or less than seven six receiving those.
Oh, I got a lot of respect from Mike Sandristell, who might be the matchup here, but Mike Sandristell isn't in the garage with Equanimius and mister Universe working out. Let's go him on Ron way over seventy six.
Love this matchup. I don't think they match up.
Well at all in the secondary against this Lions team. And just for the record, only one of us picked the Lions to cover the number.
And that's me.
So you guys are Lions haters and I'm a true yes, yes, that's me.
I'm a Lions hater.
We all know.
That it's hard enough to carry the offense in the receiving game, but to carry your big brother on a podcast is even more. Jamir Gibbs more or less than one hundred non scrimmage yards. I think it's more because Jamir Gibbs has set six point four yards per touch this season. I know David Montgomery might be back for this game. I think they get Jamiir Gibbs around the seventeen eighteen touches that he needs to hit that number. So I'm confident that Gibbs is going to get more.
The most explosive runs in the NFL are by the Lions when they're under center, by.
More than twenty explosive runs.
You know what, defense was dead last in success rate against in.
Terms of under center runs. The commander commanders, what a mismatch? Forty One's not enough?
Forty one? I love it. Let's go. Let's get Rory in here.
Rory, be careful. I might leave you know, Kyle for Rory. Oh yeah, I mean I love Rory.
Rory is amazing, not just the Hall Pass, the entire universe.
Who cares? Everyone would be happy about it.
We're just getting started. Here on game debut coming up, should Matthew Stafford and the Rams have the Eagles on upset Alerte, It's gonna be an epic NFC battle between powerhouses. Who's gonna win and who's gonna line up? The scoreboard will inform you next on game.
Day will inform you.
Let's look way back to this week twelve matchup the Rams and the Eagles at so far and yeah, it's a little bit of foreshadowing because the highlight starts with Saquon then he puts Christian rose Boom in the air backwards for four yards.
We I mean, look, stif farm's a good thing to add to his repertoire, obviously he.
Just needs more tools in the toolbox. They nominate defenders later on, why not have a seventy yard touchdown. The Eagles would lead twenty to seven. That was this ninth rushing touchdown of the season. He had seven games with one hundred rush yards in the season, second longest run of his career. Right there, next Eagles possession lead twenty to fourteen. Hurts hit Saquon, he goes for thirty one yards. He would finish with four catches for forty seven yards.
And the very next play he would not finish the drive. Saquon's like, hey, get Kenny G in here so Kenny G can score thirteen yard touchdown. What do you know he does just that.
Kenny G's underrated.
I mean they lose a lot when they take Saquon out, but he's a good bagup.
Yeah, very very good. Been good for a wild next Rams possession, Matthew Stafford gets sacked. It's Milton Williams Stavord. Not a decent game, though he finished twenty four to thirty six two hundred and forty three yards. He was sacked five times in the fourth quarter, Eagles late thirty to fourteen. Sakwan on third and six. Good night, everybody.
It's amazing how effortless he makes running that fast look. The other guys are also fast, but he makes them look so slow.
And he was still able to do the between the legs on the touchdown celebrations. Most rushing yards in a game in franchise history, he had two hundred and fifty five, and that brings us to home field advantage presented by Zillo. The Rams and Eagles squared off again Sunday afternoon, Philly six point favorites at home. LA got beat up the Vikings last week. They beat up the Vikings last week, and Glendale should the Eagles after that be on Upsettler.
You should always be an upset alert against Matthew Stafford. But I do have the Eagles winning this game and covering the number in the end because I think they wear down that Rams defense. It's a mismatch physically in the running game because of the size. This is just one of the biggest offensive lines that you'll ever see. Their guards are massive, and then you think about who they're going up against. You think Braydon Fisk, great season for him, not a great run defender, can get pushed
around a little bit in the running game. Neville Gallimore has been on the field a lot for them. Not a great run defender. They're linebackers Omar Spate's Kristin rosemu who you saw get face planned by Saquon Barkley. I just think physically, even at the secondary level at the cornerback position, not great tackler. So I think matchup wise it could be close for a while, but the run game for the Eagles ultimately too much.
I have a seven point win for the Eagles twenty seven to twenty And I want to talk about the fact you named all of those awesome rams defensive front players, and I want to note that last week they got after Sam Darnold quite a bit. But the problem is for them this week it's this old line. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive line is not going to let that happen either.
Is the scheme or game plan between being able to hand the ball off sake one Barkley, being able to leverage short, deep outside the numbers, passes a lot of different things from Jalen Hurts, You're gonna have to respect the run, the pass, the scramble, all of those things on every single down, which means as good as that front is, it puts a lot more pressure on the
back of the defense where they aren't as strong. So I'm looking at this O line and I'm saying huge advantage, and especially in playoff games, if you're just like a passer by who happens to know little something about OH lines and you want to pick who's going to win a game, and even if you think it's close, just always pick the team with the better O line.
In the playoffs, it works out more often than not.
I agree with that advantage, and one thing that kind of got Philly fans annoyed was how conservative the game plan was last week. I think it'll be a conservative plan this week as well, because they have that advantage. I've got the Eagles twenty five to twenty, and they can afford to be conservative on offense. But there is a point. I have a point of contention that I'm putting this Eagle on watch because they allowed the fewest yards per attempt when playing zone this season. But when
you look at man, it's the third fuse. They're good everywhere. Guys. It's so tough to find a spot to challenge this defense, and you just need to isolate the weakness. But where is it great on the edge? Darius Slayton made have one of the best interceptions that we've seen all season down the sideline on don Tavian Wicks. Carter got doubled more in that game against the Rams that he has in any other game this season. They still had that success late. It's just tough to find the spot. Meme Away,
Rams fans, we have all taken the Philadelphia Eagles. Check out some player props for this matchup. Those we see Matthew Stafford around two hundred and twenty six and a half passing yards, Jalen Hurts a significantly lower number, Eagles not passing that much two hundred and two and a half, Sakuon at one hundred and ten and a half on the ground, Kiroen at just seventy four and a half, and Pukainakua at seven and a half receptions, bringing us too more or less, Cynthia, Who's gonna throw for two
or more touchdowns? Matthew Stafford or Jalen Hurts?
Well, I actually have Matthew Stafford throwing for more. Why well, game script is part of it, and Sequon Barkley is the other reason.
For that when I'm well, and also with the toush push.
Let's be honest, when I'm looking at Matthew Stafford in playoff opportunities, he's going to have to be throwing per how we've all projected this.
Game, and that is actually where he's best.
Right, So, when you're looking at the opportunity here for Puku Nakua to find some space, is it going to be easy?
Huhuh?
Is it going to be possible? Absolutely? And that's why I think passing touchdowns. If you're asking me who's going to count for two or more touchdowns in general, the answer would Jalen Hurts. But passing touchdowns, the answer is Matthew Stafford.
An important caveat there, Let's go to receiving greg who's more likely to have eighty receiving yards? Aj Brown or puk.
I went back and forth.
I think there are two of the best four wide receivers in the entire NFL. Last week they actually didn't combine for eighty yards in the playoff game. But I'm going Puka Nakua because he has such a high target share and yards per route run. This season one of the most efficient seasons in wide receiver history. And ultimately my game script is that they're going to be trailing, and I actually think it's a problem for them that they're so Puka dependent. Really, he's the source of all
their big plays and almost all their receptions. In a lot of weeks, Cooper Cups production has really gone down. But for a choice like this, I think it could be a goddter Gamer, it could be a DeVante Smith, you'd never know, and yet it's always a Puka Nakua game.
So I am going Puka Nakua.
Fun fact about AJ Brown other than the fact that he obviously reads on the sidelines and watched inter Excellence is going to be a great book that will all be reading this offseason.
Oh for sure.
But when you're looking at the opportunity to throw outside the numbers, AJ Brown is the guy who does it the most often. That was part of the game plan last time around. So it's possible AJ Brown could earn eighty yards just before the game script gets out of control on those outside throws. But again, I'm with you that it's more likely to be Puka based on gamescript.
So much to figure out in this game. I figured out I'm going to write a book as well. Shout out to inter Excellence.
What about Outer Excellence?
Were other people which Terranian Winning?
Yes, Subterranean Winning is going to be in bookstores this fall. You heard it here first over four and a half receptions, Cooper cup or Devonte Smith. I'm actually gonna take Davonte
Smith in this one. There was that big play for Matthew Stafford to Cooper cup at last week in the win against the Vikings, which was kind of a dagger, but the Philadelphia Eagles in their wild card game had twenty eight passing yards before Jalen Hurts hooked up with Davonte Smith twice on the drive that Dallas Goddard finally finished things up with a touchdown here. I think getting five catches easy money for the slim Reaper in this one, but in.
Fact he actually has the second most yards off of hitch routes since twenty twenty one, second two only Stefon Diggs.
And I give a ton of credit to a Calla Witherspoon and Darius Williams who have stepped in as these veterans for the Rams. And yet I kind of think the Eagles had a little bit of a warm up game last week they got into the playoffs. Jalen Hurts hadn't played for a while. I think the passing game will be better this week than.
A William's got a J Brown kind of ya had had a lot of yards against Well.
We'll see if the Rams can force the Eagles put their foot on the gasket that passive game going more. They's just to use their advantages and run all over them like they did across the street earlier this season. Get sat for Divisional playoff weekends Saturday at noon and Sunday at eleven am Eastern with NFL Game Day morning.
On Saturday, Max Crosby joins us in studio to break down how the Texans can slow down Patrick Mahomes plus Kimmy check sits down with Kansas City Chiefs pro bowler Chris Jones all that more Saturday at noon.
Funny, I just realized what time the show was on. I didn't even know.
Okay, you need to stand tough, though, like Max Crosby, you in the end look a little soft when he's posing like that.
Well it's intimidating than him.
Do you really have to? So?
There six six in that photo Tom for Expert Playmakers presented by Into a TurboTax. Terry mcclarin is Jayden Daniel's favorite targets and you only have more than sixty seven receiving yards against your lion Saturday.
He will why because this is a DeFi that is still injured.
They're not fixed yet.
And you know who knows that, Cliff Kingsbury, You know who else knows that? Jaden Daniels and Terry mccorrn himself also knows it. They will find ways to match him up against the missing Carlton Davis, against the missing pieces of any part of the defense. So I think this is a bad matchup if you're a Lions fan, a good match up if you're a Terry Mclaorran fan, which I'm actually both.
He did have good news with Terry and Arnolds returning. He will play and he could be the only reason why Terry wouldn't hit this number just because he has pass interferences and traps are.
Say, does that mean he'll score a touchdown then? And the yardage might not be anything.
I'm with you, though I like Terry.
Despite me saying that the lines are gonna win easy, actually think the Commander's offense could have a really good day.
I just think twenty eight points might not be good to be even that close.
Yeah, a really good there. Because Commander's Lines is the highest over under of the week at fifty five and a half years. A look at all the divisional round projected point totals, it leading the way of the Ravens, Bills, Rams, Eagles, and then Texans Chiefs pulling up the rear there at forty one and a half points. Top for write this down. Let's get us some predictions in the NFC kick us off.
Greg, I will start with my guy, Jared Goff. He's my guy, now, why not? He's a Merrick, you guy, he is America guy. It was a typo when I saw the passing numbers for this game are two hundred and.
Seventy one and a half.
Easy money, because I think the Lions are going to pass to set up the run. They have a lot of advantages in the running game. Washington knows that. I think early on they're going to be very aggressive. They use all four downs. Marshall and Lattimore has not panned out so far for the Commanders, so I think he could get about two hundred in the first half and then cruise to this.
Okay, well again, I hope.
So I'm having David Montgomery score a touchdown in his return against the Commanders. You talked about those under center runs when the quarterbacks under center, Well, both running backs, him and Jamier Gibbs both have eight and they're the duo with the most since last season when they combined for twenty two, which they probably would have had had David Montgomery been held the whole season. But whatever, he's going to score a touchdown in this one. Again, dear
script makers, please listen to me. Thank you very much, xoxo, Cynthia.
Some my sakeingd note, So not only are their script makers, but their deities that you can pray to. I've got, obviously going over fifty four and a half receiving yards against the Rams. He's only played in five games this year where he didn't hit that number. Already told you. I think he's going to have more than five catches. I think a couple of them are going to be longer than the ten plus yards and he's gonna get fifty four and a half receiving yards in a great
divisional weekend. I can't wait, guys.
I love these matchups and they're big numbers, and that just means we're going to have one massive upset.
It's just hard to predict which one it's going to be.
I say Texans, so they does not want it to be the Lions. But we do want to see you guys next week. Enjoy the visional weekend. Thanks for watching.
NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.