What was going on as Issiah Franklin linebacker the Napolis Coats, And this is the NFL Report.
All right, Welcome to the Week twelve edition of the NFL Report. I'm Steve whitehe as my guy, James Palmer JP. We saw the Jags, we saw the Ravens. Oh and did we ever see the Eagles get big wins as well as those Atlanta Falcons to take over the NFC South JP.
Every other team in the NFC.
South took a loss, and one of them proved very costly down to Carolina.
There is a second coaching change in the NFL. Steve frank Reich is out. We know this that happened this morning after starting one in ten and the offense that he was put in charge of, specifically David Tepper. The owner wanted to hire an offensive mind their twenty eighth or lower in almost every single offensive category. Soper moves on with his third head coach firing. He's had two
with his MLS team. And to break all of this down with the quick trigger finger of David Tepper is as I'm calling him, the official NFL Insider of the NFL Report. Mike Carrafollo should be joining the show. There, yeah, there he is. He just flies into the middle of the show. Mike, I know you got a pulse on everything.
Yeah, I mean, I'm the official insider because hean treated you so rudely on the inside of I don't think he's out for good.
Listen, you know why I made the call, and I'm making it today on the show official Insider of the NFL Report, Mike, you got a pulse on everything, you know when things are kind of coming. I did this game against the Cowboys a week ago, and I could start seeing things happening when I was at that game talking to people in Charlotte. When did you really get a sense that this was possibly or almost certainly happening on Monday morning?
Well back up, because I thought you're gonna ask me, when did I get a sense that this was possible that Frank Reich was not going to survive past year one. I would say back to when I had the game. I guess it was before the Cowboys game. It was the Thursday night game in Chicago. Maybe it was a couple of games before that where that was the game? Where did Frank Reraich take back play call? I'm so lost because he gave it up and he took a check. So I don't remember the Cowboys.
You must have gave it up then, like.
It maybe it was when he gave it up. And all these weeks are running together, guys, you know how it is. But I remember that night talking to people, was like, well, you know, Bryce's brain is kind of scattered right now, because you know, you've got a different play callers.
Thomas Brown was taking some of the concepts that he was doing.
With the Rams, or Michean McVay was doing with the Rams that he kind of learned there, and they were trying to mesh it with what Frank Reich was doing or had done with Indianapolis and Philadelphia, and it wasn't meshing. And so you've got two different guys, two different voices inside Bryce Young's head there, and then you add in Josh McCowen as well, who was trying to mesh these two together, and it just wasn't working. And I started to get the sense that this was just not a great setup.
Now.
I had Steve Smith with me that night, and I asked Steve just his opinion.
I said, Steve, what do you think he goes?
I don't think that they want to fire another coach after one and done.
I would imagine David Tepper doesn't.
And Ian reported that today David Depper did not want to do this, but felt like he had to.
So look, I know he wanted an offensive mind.
I understand that thinking that is something that Jeffrey Lorie and the Eagles have had. They want to higher offensive minded head coaches. It's worked out for them, but not because those guys are offensive minded, because they've been the right call.
And David Tepper really wanted Ben Johnson. Last year.
Ben Johnson withdrew from that chase, which I would imagine he's at least going to be on David Tepper's radar again this year.
Steve Walks was sitting there staring him right in the face.
Right, So, if your number one target was gone, why not just go with the guy that did a great job as the interim coach with a staff that wasn't even his and really didn't have a chance to set the table for himself. Never mind what happened back in Arizona when he never got the chance to hire his own staff and set the table for himself.
I just at this point, Steve Wilks could have done this.
So I go what you're saying, Mike, So that that leads me to this question as we push it forward and we want to move forward with this. You look at what they did in terms of naming an interim head coach. They didn't name Thomas Brown, who's going to run the offense. They didn't name Giero Evro who's going to run the defense. Either one of them isn't named
the interim head coach. What I'm curious is do you think that's a move to where you don't fall into the same situation that you were in last year when run happens like it happened with Steve Wilkes, and maybe just already your mind is made up that you wanted to be somebody outside of the building.
What was the thinking that maybe both of those guys, because.
They're on the list, almost every one of them for up and coming potential head coach and Cannon and and you don't name either one of them your interim head coach.
My sense is that it's a little twofold one.
This is kind of what we're seeing in the NFL these days, the days of well, let's just promote the offensive end or defensive coordinator that we think is closest to being a head coach.
No, let's go with the special.
Teams guy, or in Antonio Pierce's case, it was the linebackers coach. So we can allow our coordinators to be coordinators and focus on that. And I think, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, that is definitely what David Tepper wants, because he wants Thomas Brown to be focused on nothing except making sure that Bryce Young starts to move in the right direction. Because it doesn't matter
who the coach is next year. They want to make sure that they have some positive momentum with Bryce Young that he can capitalize on as he ends this season and carry it forward into twenty four. And then you would think, again, you would think with an offensive minded head coach the right higher, the guy that David Tepper feels really good about bringing a quarterback along, that you get that momentum plus to hire and now.
We've got this kid moving in the right direction.
Well, who says he need offensive coach to get a rookie quarterback going, because it looks like down in Houston that's working okay for Damico Ryans and CJ. Strout, But Michae a couple of points you made here. You know they wanted to streamline things right with Thomas Brown's voice there, so they get rid of Duce Daly and Josh McCown, two rising assistants whose careers now are probably going to be lateral at best because of the disaster it's happened
to Carolina. But more importantly, you mentioned Ben Johnson, the lines offensive coordinator, could be on the radar, but everyone knows David Tepper. Now, yeah, he pays big bucks, but he got an itchy trigger finger.
He meddles.
I think that's when Frank Reich stepped on the green Mile when he went publicly and said that the owner is very involved. Why is this an attractive job because it's one of thirty two and whoever comes in, he's got to take Bryce Young. Not everybody like Bryce Young.
Yeah, well, I would say that sometimes I've seen this where you get the bank bank firing, and then you get the extended run for the next coach, because you don't want to get into that rhythm of we're continuing.
To turnover coaches and turnover coaches.
I remember the Giants, a couple of years ago when I heard Brian Daboll Cleveland, Yeah yeah, and then San Francisco.
How about that one.
Let's got back to San Francisco because they made sure that they had matching six year contracts for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch as a message to those guys, to the team and to the fan base to say, no, we're giving these guys some runway here.
So that's a potential.
Positive here as you're coming up as a candidate for this job to say, you know, David Tepper does not want to do the quick trigger again, so I'll probably get a little bit more leeway here than maybe I ordinarily would have.
You know, that's number one, number two. It is a good organization.
Otherwise, I've heard a lot of positive things about working there and being an employee there, certainly under David Tepper, other than guys that have been the head coach recently, but he certainly is Listen, there's a passion there, there's a desire to win, right, I'll give him that much. I understand what you're saying about the meddling. Maybe one day we'll hear the full story about who wanted c J. Shrowd and who wanted Bryce Young because we've heard different
versions of it. Certainly behind the Steves, behind the scenes, Steve and James, I know you guys have as well. And maybe the owner who was on all those trips and in all those meetings and at the pro days, was making a little bit too much of the decisions. We shall see if that ever comes to late. Frank Braich did have a chance today in speaking with Scott and Filer of this Charlotte Observer, to take some shots back, and instead he took the high road.
Yeah.
I mean, honestly, guys, in my opinion, I think this job is less appealing now than it was a season ago. I agree, I really do, because now you don't have picks. You don't get to pick the quarterback. Quarterback's been selective for that quarterback's not going anywhere. And you also, as Steve mentioned, you now have concrete evidence, Mike in multiple occasions about how David Tepper operates and how difficult things kind of can be on you as a head coach
in that building. So I'm curious really in that sense to where I think it is is maybe less appealing this year than it was the time around a year ago. But Mike, before we move on, I am curious are we giving Bryce Young a pass in this situation? I mean,
you mentioned what they did. You know, they really changed offenses from what I'm told one way or another four different times during OTAs they continue to do it throughout this season, putting more and more in terms of what he did at Alabama and trying to find different ways room successful all the change and everything he's been through.
What have you heard about about him? Especially? Are we giving him a pass because of.
The situation or are there concerns about his future overall?
Because there has to be some. Yeah.
And first of all, by the way I do you were laying out the reasons why this job is less attractive, Steeves questioned me, was why is it attractive? I do agree with you, Yes, yes, you got to look at this job a little side eye if you are canaday for it for sure. But back to your question about Bryce Young? What have I heard? I he did talk about the differing schemes and how that was messing with his head and blowing him down a little bit.
That's number one.
The other thing that I heard is the way that he's trying to play quarterback it's almost like a positive became a negative. So coming out of college we talked about him and his ability to process and his ability to see everything and go through all of his reads.
This team is not there yet.
The offensive line is not going to provide him with the time number one, and it's not like he's got four legitimate options that he can kind of go through here and read from one all the way to four.
It's like, yes, he does feeling, Adam feeling.
Who else Adam feeling?
I think those are his best two reads. I think those are his first three. Yeah.
Well, and that's why Scott Fitterer of the GM did try at the trade deadline, even though they knew they weren't going to make the playoffs, to trying to bring in a legitimate target, and the price wound up being too high for any of the guys that were available. So he said, you know what, I'm not going to risk that just to get it in house this year.
We'll work on that in the offseason and they will.
This will be a team that will be lo in free agency and maybe via the trade market to bring in legitimate targets or Bryce Young. But the point I'm trying to make is he was trying to play quarterback as if he was loaded with the greatest show on turf, and I could just kind of go through everything, and they were kind of telling him, like, dude, that's not
where it is right now. So that's a good thing maybe down the line, or like in college when you played at Alabama, Yeah, and you had sec defenses on the other side, but you had Alabama's offensive line of.
Targets in front of you.
So yeah, he's got to figure this all out, right, He's got to sort of simplify it and dumb it down in his own mind, but not lose that ability because one day he may be in a situation where he's got a loaded offense and that's the way you do want to play quarterback in the NFL.
Yeah, he gets a pass.
Look, we see this a with Tua where he comes to a situation that's not very good. They changed coaches, it's a personnel. Now, look what happened. So this is I think he gets a pass on this because this was just a colossal disaster.
Mike.
One day, we're going to have you back on see if Jim Harbaugh might be a potential candidate even though issues with authority are something that he tends to have with a hair triggered owner.
I don't know if that is ideal. But also, Mike, no, not at all.
But you were at you were at like the best game of the weekend, Mike, the Giants and the Patriots.
Oh yeah, dandy right there.
And so we do know that the Patriots took a loss on that game on this misattempt.
At the very end, the rookie is set from thirty five to time, snap is.
Good, kick on, it's playing, and go for wherever it's go. Good bet mister white lamp.
Playal with mister white.
Laugh sonother rookie beats Bill Belichick. Oh boy, oh boy.
So we needed to see it again.
Yeah, we we just had to see that game of Mike. When you when you when you look at this game, and we'll forget the outcome.
Right.
We know the Patriots they are what they are. But Bill Belichick his situation because we know there's gonna be a bunch of coaching changes at the end of the season. Heck, Frank Wright might not be the only one from the NFC South, but Bill Belichick just some things that you garnered what could be happening in New England in the offseason and where his future could be probably not Caro lineup, based on the way he handled developing a rookie quarterback in mac Jones.
Well, let's actually start with the outcome of the game, because I haven't shared this yet and this is a perfect opportunity for me to do it. In the pregame, Dad Ryland from roughly where he was kicking that game winning or game tying field goal was missing left and right, as a matter of fact, missing left. And I was standing there with a couple of Patriots folks and I was like, is this dude struggling? And they were like, now,
I always does that in the pre game. He's terrible in the pregame and then he comes in and he's fine during the game. Literally, the kick after he tried a kick in the pre game missed it wide left, almost identical to the one that he missed there at the end of the game.
Is when I asked the question and they were like, Noah, w whatry about it. He's good, he's good, earned out he wasn't good.
Back to your question about Belichick in his future, it just feels like time it does Robert Craft really has not led it on his full feelings on the situation. Go back to March, go back to the league meetings when he said that girod Mayo was the basically coach in waiting, and it.
Was like, wait a second, I'm sorry, what hello? Oh did you just.
Say what we think you said? And he doesn't say it by accident. Robert Craft knows exactly what he's doing. I thought the League meeting in October was going to be the chance for us to get Robert Kraft's feel on what's happening with the Patriots. He did not elect to even walk by the cameras in the hotel lobby that day. I believe he's been on CNBC since then.
He did an interview with Rich Eisen in Germany before the game there and really didn't get into great depth about anything, which I think the fact that he's saying less actually tells me a little bit more so, it just feels like time for Bill Belichick to move on
from New England. He's not saying much. Craft isn't saying much, So this is gonna be a lot of speculation, But I will say I mean, I've had conversation with people in the building and they say that they're kind of feeling the same thing as well.
So let's see how it plays out.
Doesn't feel like Bill Belichick's the kind of guy that wants to just sail off into retirement.
There will be opportunities.
Some have speculated about Washington and it's proximity to Annapolis. You know about his Navy connections and his feel for the area down there. We shall see again, this is all informed speculation at this point.
Love it, Mike, Love all the insight. Right before we let you go, how do you feel about your new title? Exclusive insider to the Report.
I think I feel like it's great. I think it should be on the screen. I think it should be probably on the shelf behind me, right by Carmen's. This is the drawing of a football. This guy looks like a son of a beard. The upside down at heart. I don't know why it's upside down. No, she's getting to the age now, she's six, and James, you've got an artistic son. So we're now going to have to start look like we got to figure out what was in the artist's mind.
Why was the heart upside down on the football?
I don't know. You won't tell me. It's all the beauty of appreciating art.
Mike. You know this multiple levels, Mike, No, she's thinking that to a through it. It's the left handed rotation on the throw. As to why the heart is upside down, Mike, j.
Why she's a football art girl?
Thereil Mike t you are the man. Thank you so much, great insight. The story is not going away, and now what else.
Is it going away? Bigger news?
That was the biggest news watch But now the bigger news is coming back and it does involve the Houston Texans. Oh and the team they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Next on the NFL Report.
So the game ends if he misses from fifty eight yards away, Johnson puts it down.
There's the kick. The fifty eight yard.
Field goal is no God, it hit the crossbar.
It came back.
The Jacks have coment beaten the Houston Texans.
How good is that?
Welcome back to the NFL Report, James Palmer, Steve whitch with you.
Steve.
We slid down Bigger news because we had massive news with Leshi at the top of the show. But every Monday we usually like to start with bigger news. So
I'm gonna start with what is bigger news, Steve. Is it the Jaguars going down to Houston and beating the Texans, creating a two game lead in the Division of the AFC South, Or is it the Philadelphia Eagles where I'm still here in Philadelphia winning just an insane game over the Buffalo Bills to move to ten and one and remain the best team in the NFL as they look to face the forty nine Ers in a massive contest next Sunday.
I'll start.
I'm gonna say it's Philadelphia Eagles. That's why I'm still here, Steve. Not here's your hotel, my brother, them moving to ten and one, It's because of how they won this football game. Jalen Hurts has thrown for under fifty yards in each of the last two games in the first half.
Then he goes and does what in the second.
Half, scores thirty points four of his five touchdowns there and he runs again.
Shows how clutch he is as a player.
But it's not only that they beat the Bills, who came into this game second in the NFL and sacks without one of the best right tackles in football lane Johnson was out. Jack Dristol found out he was playing during pregame warmups. In this game, they also did it without Fletcher Cox in the middle of their defense, without Milton Wins in the middle of their defense, Zak Cunningham
in the middle of their defense. They learned, in my opinion, steve to win this game shorthanded and win games in any fashion has been the way the Eagles have operated this.
Season, and we saw it once again.
Oh yeah, they were extremely short at tight end in this game with their top two tight ends out.
So what can you do.
You can't help chipping next to Jack Driscoll against this front because you don't have any tight ends. I just think what they went out and did leading into this forty nine Ers game, jose us once again that this is the best team even football because they know how to win better than anybody else.
That's it. They know how to win.
And they've got Jason Kelcey on that touchdown run there in overtime when you saw him spring Jalen Hurts on that play. He's just he is amazing what he allows their offense to do. But the bigger news JP isn't so much that because the Eagles maintained their top seed, they weren't.
Gonna lose it anyway.
It is Jacksonville going down to Houston opening up that two game lead on the Texans who had beaten them earlier.
But it wasn't much a revenge game.
It wasn't so much to maybe establish the kind of negate potential tie breakers when it comes to playoff. I think the Jacksonville Jaguars needed to prove something to themselves because when they supposedly have been challenged this year, they really haven't risen to the occasion. They've got thumped by the forty nine ers and some other teams that they've had to play.
But they went down there and this was a fantastic game.
It was a great game between two great quarterbacks who I liken to on NFL game day previews. This could be this generations Peyton Manning Tom Brady. In the fact that Trevor Lawrence came down and led that drive. Calvin Ridley was spectacular. He looked like the Calvin Ridley we expected him to be. That they were able to come down and win. Now again this is my virtue of
a doink and missed field goal on the end. To me, that proved something because they missed a field goal, because their defense, in particular edgdrusher Josh Allen showed up at the right time on the final drive.
So I like that.
We've got two different opinions, and the Jacksonville Jaguars now sit at the number three playoff seed in the AFC. Okay, on that note, AFC, No, I don't know how.
Do not move forward? Do not move forward?
See, because I do want to make a note on Jacksonville and because of the AFC. The reason I also picked Philadelphia is because this also might have helped out everybody in the AFC. When I went out and watched Josh Allen go out and do what he did against the Eagles team, this might have helped the rest of the AFC avoid Josh Allen in the point as it's now going to be even more difficult for the Bills to get into the postseason and man died, Josh Allen,
like brilliantly was the best player in the field. One note about the Jaguars before you move us on, Steve. Or of their last six games are against teams with losing records. Yes, of the two teams with winning records. One of them is a Deshaun Wattle. Deshaun Watson lists Cleveland Brown's team. Could they make a play for the number one seed in the AFC? They need some help,
but it is in striking distance. That's why your game, I do agree, could be maybe the bigger news, but I'm sticking with them very much.
Striking distance. And you know one team that could be making a play to get into the AFC playoffs. Oh yeah, tell Denver Broncos. So bigger news that the Broncos won their fifth straight or that the seven and four Pittsburgh Steelers finally eclipsed four hundred yards of offense at their firing OC Matt Canada to beat Cincinnati Bengals yesterday.
Bigger news, JP.
I'm gonna say bigger news is a Denver Broncos because I believe the Steelers are the more talented team out of these two teams. So the coaching job that Sean Payton has done during this five game win streak, I think has been remarkable. They have figured out a formula with Russell Wilson which is limited throws. I think he's thrown more than thirty balls only once during this five game win streak. He throws for about under two hundred
yards in each of these games. I think he's only top that once during this win streak.
And what happens if the.
First read's not there, it's a checkdown Steve or they're running the football. I know that makes some people around the NFL want to pull their hair out, but they've figured out a way to win games. And the other part of it is we're seeing the best player on that team actually make a massive impact in how they're winning these games, and that's cornerback Patrick Sirtan and what he does planning that top corner spot. This defense has
turned the football over like crazy pills right now. And a big part of it the Broncos believe by what Sirtan has done doing at that corner spot where quarterbacks have to hold the ball for another tick for the number one receiving op is taken away where they can do different things with their defense because you can cover part of the field. I think this has been a phenomenal coaching job by Sean Payton and the turnaround, which we give the credit to defensive coordinator Advance.
Jokes, it absolutely is the Denver Broncos. Look, the Pittsburgh steel has got four hundred yards of offense, but they always scored sixteen points. I mean, come on, I mean whatever. So, but it's absolutely Denver Broncos and JP. Five games win five games straight in the NFL is difficult. We thought they were dead right. We thought this is the reducts of Nathaniel Hackett. At one in five, we thought Vance Joseph the defensive coordinator was in trouble.
And here they go.
They come out and now they are firmly in the cross hairs of making a playoff push. We're gonna find out about that as their next opponents coming up at Houston, at the Charger there at Detroit. Right, those next three games are going to determine whether what you said earlier on the NFL Report, JP, that the Broncos will make the playoffs, not earlier today, but a couple of episodes ago,
will absolutely come true. All right, coming up next on the NFL Report, Oh, we're going to the NFC North and we're going to the NFC West.
As Jordan Love is he the real deal?
Oh?
Our Stacy Dale's is about to join us and give us the skinny.
After the break on the NFL report.
Mons back Craft to the left, snip to Love left the left side of the end zone, kids center catch, touchdown, questioned Watson. Yes, yes, they make the Lions pay.
All right, that was ready a call from the Packers thanks Giving Day victory over the Detroit Lions, and we bring in our Stacey Dales and Stacy you were at that game.
It was the perfect.
Complimentary football by the Packers, like you know, the stuffing, the macaroni and cheese.
That went with a turkey on a lot of people's slates.
But Stacy, I gotta talk about the Packers quarterback Jordan Love. I mean, you know the team, well, he showcased in front of a national audience what he's been playing like actually for the past month. What are kind of some of the things you're hearing about how the Packers feel about Jordan Love, his teammates, front office, whatever, because he looks like maybe he's their guy.
Yeah, And I would say the opponents believe that too. You know, when I was preparing for this game, you guys know when you have these conversations with opposing defenders and they're telling you about what they see on the tape, like Alex Sandeloni told me last week before they played, you can see why they moved up to get him and drafted him where they did, because he's starting to look like the franchise quarterback they obviously had played earlier in the season, and he just looks so much more
confidence and that is it's real. I mean watching that game in person on Thursday, guys, and talking to Christian Watson after that game and then pregame, we learned so much on the field, right, James and Steve in terms of our conversations with coaches, and we knew, you know, the proverbial he's the first one in last guy to leave, but he's he's so steady Eddie in his daily and has been in his daily endeavors at the facility whether
they've won or they've lost. Throughout the season. We've been waiting for this, and Matt Lafleur said it after this game. The coach guys like they can now open up the playbook because the chemistry is finally developing with these youngest offense in football. It is literally factually the youngest offense in the National Football League, and so now you're feeling that manifest because all those little things they're doing are
starting to come together. Early in the year, my conversation with one coach was like, it's almost like a bull in a China shop type of offense because precision is so important with the quarterback and those receivers and the offensive line. And now we're starting to see it come together and they've won three of their last four games. So yeah, I'm all in on Jordan Love.
Guys.
I love it, Stace, because I said on the show last week, Steve, remember at the end, I was like, I talked to a couple of defensive coordinators that were like, he's about to break out. It's about that monster game from what they were seeing from Jordan Love.
And now we've seen it.
We've seen it the last couple of weeks, and it's fun to watch him grow with his young receivers. Stay, let's go to the team that they beat in the Detroit Lions now, Peter King and his colum because even and how we're both Rida is going have the Lions eaked with the turnover issues that they've had with them being unable.
To get stops.
What's your take on being there seeing them have the Lions eaped? In our sense because I don't want them to. They've been so much fun to watch this year.
Yeah, it's a great question. I think anytime you see them struggle against the Chicago team, though it's a divisional game, the comeback that they had to manufacture against the Bears, I honestly believe James to answer your question. I think it was just a very emotional week. You've got to win your divisional games, and you guys know covering this league for so long that divisional games are the hardest
games because you know each other so damn well. And you have that emotional roller coaster against Chicago four days later, which is the shortest game in the NFL that we have all season because it's the turnaround of Thanksgiving at twelve thirty kickoff. I just think that they were there was something energetically that just wasn't there. I mean, when do we ever see as you see on the lower third there Jared Goff fumble at three times. I don't
know if he's ever done that. Actually historically the Packers came to play though. What was interesting, guys when I walked in the Lions locker room after the game, the veterans had all cleared out and you know, you win that game, and you can imagine they're probably celebrating the veterans, many of them are still in there, probably going to talk to the media. Well, it was like it was
barren in that locker room. They were pissed. So I'll be anxious to see how they come out of this sort of mini buy and get ready, you know, and become the team that we think that they are. Problem is, they're just giving up too many points. By the way, defensively they are giving up I forget which week it was, whitch, but like they're giving up the most points in the NFL over these last few weeks, which is concerning.
Look, we saw the forty nine.
Ers go through a skill like this where they had other troubles and they directified.
I think the Lions can do it as well. Real quick stays he.
Since you live in Chicago, talk about evaluating Jordan Love. Justin Fields is a guy we know the Bears don't know what they're gonna do with, and we also don't know if the people making the call on that are going to be in the building after the season. What's kind of feeling about Justin Fields, who did look good run the offense in a loss last week.
Yeah, when his return from his hand injury. There's so much to dissect here that we could sit probably and talk for hours, hold a couple of cocktails, right like, it's here's the talk of the town. His starting record in the NFL over three seasons is six and twenty six, So he plays like he did. He has over one hundred on the ground. He had more designed runs than he's ever had against the Lions in that game I just alluded to. And they still lose because they don't.
Know how to finish.
And unfortunately in this league, that falls on the coach in the quarterback. And I think Mike Tomlin and had the best quote coming out of their victory over this past weekend when he said, quote, guys like myself and Kenny, we're judged by winning and losing. We don't run from it. We're winners today. But that's Mike Tomlin just stating the facts. If you win in the NFL as a quarterback, regardless of how you play. Look at Jalen Hurts, James, You're
there in Philly right now. He's fine in ways to win. They are ten and one for a reason because they know how to win games. And so the conversations around Justin surrounding Justin Fields. Who's up obviously next May, it's going to be so fascinating because of all those things we're going to talk about, right, who's going to be the coach? Is it going to be Mattyberflus Again, what's
the management going to look like? They've got probably two top picks in the draft which will take place before the judgment day in May as to whether they extend Justin Fields, And then I would just say this, does Justin Fields want to be a Chicago Bear because notoriously there are so many issues at quarterback and in terms of winning over the last decade. You've got to get
to the root of those problems in Chicago. But unfortunately Matty Burfluse doesn't have a win against the division in his tenure, and Justin Fields is six and twenty six, and I think he would tell you we've got to learn how to finish, which he did this week in his press conference.
Oh you're coming back. You are coming back, man. You cannot leave us on a cliffhanger like that.
Yeah, Yeah, cocktails are not Stacy, We're we're chatting this again.
Yes we are over.
Let's say, hey the Vikings tonight. Justin's never beat the Vikings.
There's a start.
Let's see, hey, that'd be the start, that'd be the star, and Stacy's gonna be sitting thanks for having the city or a monster one next week between the Eagles and.
The forty nine this is the aim of maybe the season all else.
Wait, the forty nine Ers the most versatile offense in the National Football League.
I want to play by brocks Purdy, un stappable, vend than my competitive.
EMC is a touchdown machine.
Turtles a man, say Ben, say.
Marks out of my game.
I got everything he needs channel now, but stay Bo can't be tackled.
The forty nine Ers are loaded charge kettle ts three touchdown catches tonight not a cat? Fine, boy, are you just the best team the Niners have had for a long time.
I'm step a ball down up, So dam's give them a show?
All right, I'm gonna be get omar Ruiz.
After getting that highlight film of the forty nine Ers, Big oh was in Seattle Thanksgiving to watch the forty nine Ers. But the beatdown on the Seahawks. Oh I was gonna want to get you in again. Right, they think the Seattle cannot beat the forty nine ers, But oh, besides that, and more so than just the way that the beatdown went, the forty nine Ers now are two and oh they are playing their best football of the season and moving forward. As James mentioned, they got the
Eagles next week in Philly. What is kind of the feeling coming out of that locker room with the boys in.
Gold and red.
Yeah, well, they're excited.
I think this is a team that is used to playing in big games. As Eric Armstead told me, he loves playing in big games as this.
Is certainly one of them. But they have that proper perspective.
Obviously, playing in three of four NFC Championship games, several of the players have made a Super Bowl run. They know that their real goals for the season and aspirations can't be accomplished until January and February, but they are excited to see where they match up against Philadelphia. We all remember the NFC Championship game last year. Asked Trant Williams about playing the Philadelphia Eagles the measuring stick component
of it. I think Philly is one of the few teams in the league that can match the physicality, if not surpass, what San Francisco brings to the table on both sides of the ball. And Williams told me that, of course, looking forward to play football coming out on top, whether they win or lose this first week of December.
You know, obviously they have a month left in the regular season to figure things out before the playoffs were to begin, but certainly a lot of excitement coming out of that locker room after the Seattle win on Thursday.
Oh, they're heading back to Philadelphia where Brock Perdy's injury happened. And you know that that's a chip on this entire organization that they've been using this entire off season. What about the chip they're using in season as they're heading into this game about their quarterback and maybe the places he doesn't get respect, which is not the NFL report, right, Steve.
Repeat, he is our MVP saying all season, well, well, you know, Brock Purdy has full faith of that locker room.
I talked to Fred Warner last week. He told me he doesn't know what brought. Priddy has to do more to gain that national respect, and I think it's been a somewhat of a galvanizing force in the locker room. You saw Christian mccaff free, Deebo Samuel, even a defensive lineman like Jabon Ginlaw posting on their social media chances about channels about Rock Pretty winning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time last week and
the support that he has there. And asked Pretty about that after the game on Thursday, and he told me that he appreciates the support, not just last week for that successful game he had against Tampa Bay and now that they've won three in a row, but really the support that he had from the locker room, even during the three game losing streak when so many people were doubting his ability to play quarterback and questioning whether he was truly the quarterback of the future of this team.
He said that he felt the love.
It's real.
It certainly galvanized them, and it's something that they're using as a motivational force, it seems to me. And there's nothing more dangerous than a talented team than a talented team that is motivated, and there certainly are that the San Francisco forty nine ers are as they head to Philadelphia behind that chip on their shoulder that they collectively feel about brock Perty Now.
Oh, Mary, you talk about team's got a chip on its shoulder and it's motivated the Los Angeles Rams, Right, this is a team we saw start out and we were like, Okay.
This team's gonna be better than what we thought.
Then they kind of hit this kid. They've had some quarterback injury. Sheu's Matthew Stafford gets hurt. He's back, Omar, You and I were at the game last week when he just looked absolutely fantastic and healthy. Then't they come out and they put another beat down, folks on the podcast you can't see you, that's my beatdown. They put it on the Arizona Cardinals yesterday with the return of running back Hian.
Williams from ir This is a dangerous team.
Now, in fact, to the point where they put themselves back in playoff contention in the NFC. What were some of the things that were coming out of the locker room in Arizona yesterday from the Rams.
Yeah, this is an interesting dynamic with the Los Angeles Rams because you have Super Bowl MVP in Cooper Cup, you have Super Bowl quarterback champion Matthew Stafford, the all everything, Aaron Donald, first ballot Hall of Famer, guys who have won so many games over the years, with Sean McVay and the La Rams, and I asked each of them how it feels to maybe be excited about being one game out of the playoffs for all they've accomplished, and they all gave the answer that Sean McVeigh gave keeping
it one game at a time, one day at a time, and continuing to build. But then at the other side of the locker room, we have all that young players, and Steve you followed this team as closely as anybody, all the growth and talk of development the last couple
of years. And to see a guy like Kobe Turner, a second year defensive lineman, with two sacks yesterday, I asked Aaron Donald about that and he just beamed with so much pride, had a huge smile on his face as he's excited that they can win a lot of games because Aaron Donald's still getting triple teams here week in and week out, and if a guy like Kobe Turner is going to step up with two sacks, they had four on the day on Kyler Murray. The real excitement not so much at how close they are to
the playoffs. Their one game out said they have that tie breaker over Seattle having swept them in the regular season. Thus part if they're able to finish there, the excitement is the development and the real time growth that they're seeing from these younger players to actually be in this conversation, to be in the hunt.
And Sean McVay said, they've.
Earned the right to now play meaningful games in December, and they have to keep it up to play meaningful games into January. So it's an interesting dynamic here with the Rams. You have all those established veterans, you have these new breed of leaders in the locker room like Ernest Jones, all coming together seemingly at the right time for the La Rams.
It's awesome, it's cool.
And also with the dead money going away guys and looking into next year, how it carries over for a way, Guys like Aaron Donald.
Might be on the fence going we might have something going here. I think I'm sticking I'm sticking around. I love it.
Oh maar, appreciate it, buddy goodness, see it?
And one more point, yeah, well go ahead quick.
Thank you?
One more point on all that of all the teams that are in that hunt with the Rams, you look at the quarterback situation, Matthew Stafford by far and away is the best quarterback there.
So as you look toward the rest.
Of the season.
Steve mentioned that the two scoring drives he led in the fourth quarter last week four touchdowns yesterday against the Cardinals, Matthew Stafford could be you know, the ace and the hole there as they come down the stretch.
Great point, Omar, great point. Love it appreciated, buddy. Thank you. That's what I'm here for. That's why we love having you on. Coming up on the NFL Report, Jeff Shadea.
It's Monday, it's his first read column, and why not talk about the city he lives in, Kansas City.
The chiefs, Oh, there's no problem in Kansas City. Why are we all panicking or coming up in the NFL Report.
We welcome back into the NFL Report, James Palmer and Steve Witch and Jeff Shadeah because it's Monday, and this is when we get into it with Jeff in his first read. This is when Steve tells you everything he dislikes about your column. We gotta start because I teased it before we got into this, and we're in your column. You're talking about the case for the case against kind of teams you trust going down the line, I'm looking
at number two right there. We'll get to number one, but I'm looking at number two with the Kansas City cheap. We were in panic mode after Monday night. What was the city sinking?
And now everybody's fine this Monday.
It's amazing what an AFC West opponent can do for you. I always seem to look much better after the Chargers go on the schedule, after the Raiders show up, the Broncos, everything's right.
All of a sudden, it looked better. That's that's the big thing.
Especially offensively, where you saw some of the change people had been hoping to see over the last whatever it's been three four weeks. Where you saw a simpler game plan, you saw the ball coming out quickly, you saw shorter rouse guy like Rashia riis there, getting a lot more shadow crosses and hitch and get the ball into the
hands type plays. And so that's where they really have to go with this passing game right now, because you know, still there's some questions about what Kadarius Tony who didn't play can Do and sky Mood and the other guys.
I was surprised that the.
Raiders didn't take Travis Kelcey away like every other defense is done over the last month, but certainly encouraging science Rashier Rice go over one hundred yards the running game being proficient and getting over thirty points.
Yeah, he mentioned Travis Kelcey. He came back big.
You know, I think they got a break too because the Raiders Max Crosby, he was he was limited here. But Jeff, another team that you have on this list should be number one. Baltimore Ravens. I mean, we saw them come out that game against the Chargers was actually a really good game. They got four takeaways and they have problems getting the ball into the end zone.
But as you say in here, make the case for the Ravens as.
To why they'll probably be the number one team that the AFC could be going through.
Baltimore most complete team in football. I mean, for my money, you look at their offense, their number six and scoring. You look at their defense, they're number two in scoring, and I know they get a lot of flak because they haven't.
Made a deep playoff run.
Haven't won a.
Championship with Lamar Jackson. This is the best they've looked since he's been there as far as what they can do, the variety of offense, the passing game, you sell, the weapons they have with they flowers, can do you see him here? Can you score on touchdown as well? In this contest? And I feel like they understand the gravity of the moment that they may never have a shot as good as this one to get that top seed again,
to have that home field advantage. It's so crucial in the way this AFC is tacking up to have those two games at home, to have that first round by and they're the driver's seat right now if they're able to keep winning.
I know Chiefs have the tiebreaker, but they have to play Buffalo.
They got to play the Packers by ableys have a tougher schedule, but again, I feel like they're a more equipped team.
To go get that number one seed.
I'm curious, Jeff, when I look at your third team, I want to push it forward real quick.
It wasn't what we're gonna talk about, guys, but I'm curious.
I said this to Steve earlier that There is a chance that the Jacksonville Jaguar could wind up with the number one seed in the AFC if you look at what the remaining schedule is, or of their last six opponents have losing record, and one of the two teams that hasn't winning record are the Browns without Deshaun Watson. How much faith I know you have them as third, but if they wind up in that number one seed, what would your thought be on the Jacksonville.
Jack They would feel a lot like the Tennessee Titans felt a few years ago when they got the top seed and then the Bengals beat them in the optional round. Because for me, good like Jacksonville. What's worried me about Jacksonville is you don't see them being dominant in the way you've seen the Ravens be dominator.
You know the Chiefs can be dominant.
Even in Miami.
That seventy point game was a long time ago against Denver, but you know they have a ceiling there that they can hit. And with Jacksonville, it just feels as if Trevor Lawrence is good but not great defense solid.
This is two weeks in a row.
It's just two weeks in a Row.
Jeff n Trevor Lawrence.
Come on, man, Yep it was Thanksgiving week, it was Travis Yep.
Yeah, listen, I'm just saying, well done stretch last year. But they got a great schedule. That's part of this. That's why Miami's in in the in this as well.
They have three easy games coming up, and momentum is a big thing at the end of the year.
Yeah, very well done to re Jeff to his first go to NFL dot Com Slash first read JP didn't.
Mean a battle a lot of adversity this year, but it was there.
When we come back, we're.
Gonna talk about some lost headlines, some things that got overshadowed by the big play of others.
That's coming up on the NFL Report.
We are back at the NFL Report and JP as you wrap this up on Mondays, you know, we we love to spend the show talking about some with great performances, but also some of the performances.
That got overlooked.
And I want to go back to that Texans Jaguars game, and I want to give some props to the Jaguars across the board.
Their offensive line.
They did not let Trevor Lawrence get sacked in this game, which made him look so good. And there were so many times, especially in the red zone, where he was clean, which leave he's my next Ploat.
Calvin Ridley was absolutely fantastic. That was the player we have been waiting to see in that game. He was getting shadowed a lot in that game.
And lastly, defensive end Josh Allen two and a half sacks, one of them coming on the final drive by the Texans which resulted in a significant loss, which also led to them taking that fifty nine yard field goal that jointed off the crossbar. Had he not gotten that sack, the way Houston was rolling, they might have got closer and an opportunity to score a touchdown.
Nice to hear somebody giving Trevor Lawrence some love on this show now that.
Jeffs has kicked rocks and he's no longer again segment.
Again, I'm gonna move to the game that I had Steve, and I'm gonna look at two players. We had great quarterback play, we had great skill position play. How about the two young interior defensive linemen with the Philadelphi Eagles and Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter played more snaps than they have ever played in their career. We know they rotate up front. We know how good Fletcher Cox is, we know how good Milton Williams is. He's one of the better guys. Actually on first and second down.
You talk to guys.
I was talking to Darius lay About in the locker room, just how good the defensive tackle play is for them in front of those two rookies that allow them to go after the quarterback on third down. They played a ton of snaps. Josh Wett told me the Jalen Carter he uses moves that are like used by defensive interior lineman like twenty thirty years ago. He's like, he is killing dudes with these old school moves, and they're gonna
have to rely on these guys. We'll see what happens with Fletcher Cox and his groin injury.
He couldn't finish that game.
One of the toughest players in the league always finds a way to get on the field. These guys are gonna need to be relied on to play more snaps. They played really well against a good Bills offensive line and got consistent pressure. Unsung guys usually on the enderior portion of the defensive line a lot in this league.
Steve, I'm gonna give two young guys that were actually at a lot of questions.
About them coming into the NFL on what their character was and who they were as players in terms of effort, those have not been questioned at all here this season with the Philadelphia.
I'm glad you pointed that out because Baldi R Brian Baldinger, who'll be joining us on Thursday, has a great breakdown of Jordan Davis actually doing a Reggie White hump move where he gets under the offensive lineman and tries to go awsom. So you talk about twenty thirty years ago when you're going after a stud Hall of Fame or first ballot guy, that's how you do it.
Also lost in.
Some of this because we didn't get to talk to Falcons because I had to give Jeff Toea sub Michigan time, was their offensive line play, especially Chris Linstrom and Kayla McGarry on the right side. I mean what they were doing at the end of that game against New Orleans for Tyler Algier and Bejon Robinson to run out the clock for Atlanta to beat their rival and to take the lead in the NFC South.
That was overly impressive. But JP coming up on Thursday. Speaking of those Falcons, we're gonna have safety.
Jesse Bates joining us here on the NFL Report.
We saw him at that ninety two yard pick six.
He also has a great my cause my cleats that we are going to hear about.
Great job, JP.
Please get home from Philadelphia safely, listen to the podcast, rate us, let us know what's up, and we'll be back Thursday on the NFL Report