What's good.
This is Justin Jefferson with the Minnesota Vikings, and this is the NFL Reporter.
Yeah yeah, welcome to the NFL Report.
I'm Steve Whitson, the guy James Palmer, and Justin Jefferson's gonna be catching passes.
From another quarterback this week.
As rookie Jaron Hall is gonna be starting for the Vikings. JP, Well, if we have a huge show. We've got Dame Davis, the wide receiver for the red hot Buffalo Bills. This is gonna be awesome. We've got our own Brian Baldinger. We're gonna talk a lot about the Chiefs offensive woes, but of course bald He's got plenty in store. Jane Slater talking about the Cowboys big game with the Lions and Leslie Frasier boydes he has some insight on how to finish out a season as a head coach, JP.
I love it.
I love it, and as a couple of teams are trying to finish out this season. Steve with a Super Bowl victory. They were the two number one seeds, the forty nine ers in the NFC and the Ravens in the AFC.
I said going in that game last week that.
Lamar Jackson was the X factor, Lamar Jackson was going to be the best player on the field.
Well, Rokwan Smith.
After Lamar Jackson and the Ravens just dismantled the forty nine Ers made sure everybody knew who in his mind who the MVP of the NFL is right now?
Oh yeah, and our quarterback.
I think if anybody watched the game, if anybody watched football this season and watched the Baltimore Ravens, they know for a fact Lamar Jackson is the MVP hands down, anyone that watches football and no football, and to see the type of impact he has on the game, not even like stat wise, but just individually, like the plays that he may quarter in and quarter out, play in
and play out. Compare his film to anyone else in the league, and then I would love to hear what anyone else has to say after.
That strong statement.
And I love it, Steve, you just out of that game, right of them, just absolutely going and owning. The forty nine Ers. Now face Miami in Week seventeen. They win this game, they get the number one seed, they get to buy get the home field. What do we see heading into this game against the Dolphins team that went out and made a statement of their own against the Cowboys. But where do things stand in your eyes with the Baltimore Ravens JAP.
I mean, I know Lamar is that dude, right, he is the MVP of the NFL right now. But this is a game with the Ravens defense. That's what won the game for them against the forty nine.
Ers, right, they won up front. They want the second level.
Some linebackers you talked about, I mean Patrick Queen and Roquand Smith were amazing in that game. And then their secondary right that is going to be so hugely important against the Dolphins because we know they like to throw the ball, try to hit the explosive play. But safety Kyle Hamilton, and this is what I'm watching, he did not practice Wednesday.
He is very iffy with a knee.
Now that we've seen the Ravens do some things when they had the you know, replay safeties and dbs and the way they can switch things up. But if Hamilton is not on that field, that is going to open some things up for the Dolphins in this passing game. Because you know Hamilton, we saw him there with some pressures on that video. He can come down in the run, help out into them that explosive run game the Dolphins have. He can play deep and manned as he have range
on the underneath stuff. So to me, James, that is a huge, huge peg for the Ravens going into this game, even though the Dolphins might not have Jalen Wada wide receiver because he's nicked up two with that ankle.
Yeah.
I love that we started this off talking about Lamar, but we both want to talk about this defense. Yeah, because right now they are on pace, and they are leading the NFL in takeaways, sacks, and they're the number one scoring defense. No defense has ever led in the Super Bowl era all three of those categories when the season came to a close, two more weeks to go and they are leading in all of those.
I just love the physical nature in which they play. Steve.
We know how physical the forty nine ers are. We know they've been beating teams up for several weeks. But the what in my eyes, the Ravens went out and just show the Niners that yes, we will tackle you for four quarters. We will play as physical as you want to play. Specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Their front seven has been absolutely phenomenal. That has allowed players like Kyle Hamilton to go out there and make
plays in the secondary. Both their units have been able to play really freely because of the way that front has played. And with Lamar, I will say this, he plays his best against the best competition this season. I think that's why he's in the MVP discussion as the front runner right now, because if you go look at the biggest stages they've been on this year, that's when Lamar has played his best. Now, what I'm interested to
see is go against this Dolphins defense. Where we've talked about Vic Fangio, we will a little bit more in this show and way this Dolphins defense has played Steve since the return of Jalen Ramsey in Week eight when he started being a part of this defense, they are almost number one or top five in every category. He's transformed this group. It's going to be fun to see
these two go at it. Considering what both teams were coming off of and how similar kind of that Dolphins offenses to that forty nine Ers offense with where Mike Daniel comes from.
Yeah, there are different things there but they're a little bit differently to him.
Man.
One thing watching that Niners game, Lamar on the move isn't necessarily looking to take off, but he's creating this conflict with those defensive players so he can throw the ball over their heads.
You know who is not dealing offensively?
JP?
Those Kansas City Chiefs, man, those Kansaity Chiefs, they are not. They just don't look right, Okay. And so when you see we've been talking about this all season, which is a bigger issue.
We've been talking about it all season. But JP, when you look at.
At what they've got going on, especially heading into this weekend against a Bengals team that has given them fits. Mind you with Joe Burrow, what are you kind of expecting to do? Because it doesn't seem like they're gonna come out of this fun.
What I'd like to do is give the man some flowers that everybody said, what does he do?
In Kansas City? Andy Reid calls the plays? What does offensive coordinator Eric b Enemy actually do with the Chiefs. I'll tell you what Eric Jennemy does.
He is the guy who held everybody accountable each and every moment they were in that building, He is the guy that coaches with a fire that actually was rubbing some players the wrong way when he arrived in Washington earlier this season.
He is also the guy that I.
Know for a fact Patrick Mahomes at times has genuinely missed Steve because of how Eric Bienemy's attention to detail has pushed this offense. Remember last season and this is almost the exact same group, different tackles, but almost the exact same group. They were dead last in committed penalties a season ago, fewest penalties in the NFL. Now they're amongst the league leaders as an offense in committing penalties.
It's that attention to detail that Eric Biennemy brought that I think at this point in the season we finally have to admit no slight to Matt Naggi or anybody else on that staff. It's what the enemy brought, specifically himself, that I think is now showing its head that they're lacking it in some capacity and it's affecting this offensive unit in some shape or form.
Yeah, and let's not forget I mean, this is such great conversation, right or JP the Ennemy is so dedicated to the run game, we know, Andy Reid necessarily isn't He might have been kneeling in and you're saying, run the ball here, and that might be something that they are.
Point to me, they're missing that they're not going enough to put Checko, you know, when he's healthy out there, because they've got to give their offensive lineman some help and run the ball sometimes to keep them from trying to get in past that and committing some of these dumb penalties, you know. And watching the Chiefs last week though, and this is what struck me. They remind me of the Golden State Warriors in terms of they won so consistently and just looking at one another because you.
Got this, Okay, I got this, I got this.
Game where it's almost like it's almost stale. Like against the Raiders, they almost look spent. They almost look tired overall as a club, not physically because they competed, but they just look like, man, these little details, why aren't we working these out?
By then I'm gonna flip my wig.
Right.
They're losing their minds when things don't go right or they can't step out of their own way. And that's you know, when you see teams that win consistent Like I said, the Warriors did it so easily for years now. The Warriors are able to keep their superstars intact, something that the Chiefs have not been able to do.
And that's showing itself too.
But they have got to find some way jp coming down the stretch, and again, this game against the Bengals Sunday is.
Not going to be easy.
To figure something out, whether it's run the ball more, do something to alleviate some of their potential flaws. But they've got to wake up out of their slumber. You know, I don't know, Maybe Taylor Swift comes in and sing's a big song.
I don't know. They've got to figure something out to get it going.
And did it you went there State I did. But these guys on the field, this had another do with Taylor Swift. These guys on the field, they've got to step up and start playing football like they know they're capable of doing.
Yeah, we're gonna have Brian Balding or break this down a little bit further. I'm gonna be at that game on Sunday against since Saddi bald you'll be there to a little bit later in the show. He's going to break down what he sees as some of the issues with this Kansas City Chiefs offense and sticking in the AFC West Olbo Holmes isn't going anywhere, but Russell Wilson has been benched for the final two games of the season by head coach Sean Payton. And this right here is Peyton's explanation.
Role, Elsie, we're desperately trying to win and.
Sure in our in our game today, they're economics and all those other things. But the number one pushed behind this, and it's a decision I'm making is to you know, get a spark offensively. Obviously it's difficult, and you know, all of us feel like, man, we didn't do well enough.
Steve that last part right there, Man, we all didn't do well enough.
I know this because talking to people in the building and talking to multiple sources. Sean Payton was energized about trying to work with a quarterback that is very different than the previous one he had and Drew Brees. He was excited for the challenge because you can say it's a challenge working with any new player and working side by side like a quarterback and a play caller and a head coach like Sean Payton is, and how you want to make things successful for everyone involved. Sean Payton
and Russell Wilson two extremely competitive guys. They both have worked their butts off trying to make this work. And now, in Sean Payton's eyes talking to people in the building, Steve, it's just the offense is below average. There's communication issues which at this point in the season are driving Sean Payton nuts. The other issue that I'm told that is
really just irking him more than anything. They feel like at times there is too much in this playbook, too much in this offense, too much in this game plan each week for those operating it to handle. And you know, somebody like Sean Payton, that's going to bother if you can't handle all of that. And so those were the
main issues. Looking for a spark, we'll see if Jared's Didham's that guy, this might be more Ken Jarress send him be our guy next year, because we're gonna need to find Steve a serviceable quarterback for twenty twenty four.
Yea, at, I.
Don't know if I should say like discount bargain prices, you know what I mean, Like one of those type of stores because that might need need to be the guy who.
Plays quarterback for the Broncos because of the financial situation they'll be in.
Yeah, Russell Wilson's not going to be there. I mean he's gone. I want to go back to the economic part of it first, because this is if the Broncos cut him with a post June one designation, the number is insane. It's right around thirty five million. I want to say, accounting on the twenty twenty four cap getting closure of fifty million, right around forty nine million.
In year or two.
This is devastating to your salary cap. But as bad as that sounds, I want to let people know. Remember Atlanta did this in twenty twenty two when they had Matt Ryan after they traded him to the Colts in about forty one million in dead money on their cap and Julio Jones at about fifteen million in dead.
Money on their cap.
But then again in twenty twenty two, the Atlanta Falcons weren't very good because they had cap issues. And that is what Sean Payton and the Broncos could be doing. And this means that ownership is basically saying, let's cut our losses and we are giving you the carte blanche to rebuild and do something with this because this message one of the bays to take our time and JPL,
I want you to come back on this. But this also leads me to believe that Sean Payton's probably going to make a move in the front office or someone's going to make a move on the front office. Because where did Sean Payton come from?
The Saints?
What are they best known for over the past couple of years finding ways to clean up their salary cap. Ki Harley is the ultimate salary cap mathemagician. I would not be surprised if Sean Payton gives Kay a call to see if he can lure him up to Denver to figure.
Some things out.
And the other note on make Steve is what happens to the Russell Wilson next. I think this issue here was as much a fit problem as anything. It's just two different kind of offensive flaps and styles that just didn't mesh. I do think there is a potential landing spot for Russell Wilson in twenty twenty four. There are going to be teams that need somebody, and I do go back to what I've always been told about Russell Wilson, and this has been him for almost his entire career.
He does have that trait where he finds a way to win. He is a winner in a sense. You can't deny that, and you've seen that late in games with what he's been able to do. I just think the fit between these two wasn't working. It's just the idea if his style of play at thirty five and beyond is something that other teams value because it is a little bit different than some of these other guys that have played after the age of thirty five points.
Russell Wilson plays a position very differently. Now we'll talk to a guy who catches passes from quarterbacks, Gabe Davis of the Buffalo Bills, fresh off of one hundred and thirty yard performance last week. Now he just has to do it against Bill Belichick in company. The wide receiver joins the NFL report.
Next takes the snap, pocket collapsing, has to roll out to his right to buy time looking downfield.
He's got Dave Davis on the shoulder.
Come to fifteen, and he drives his way into the end zone for the touchdown.
Wow.
Josh Allen Bye's time rolls out and drops it over Davis's shoulder and he drags a defender the last eight yards for the score.
Hi went back to the NFL Report, James, we are now joined by that man who made that spectacular catch in week sixteen at a victory over the Chargers game, Davis, thanks for joining the NFL Report. And quick question just to kind of get things going here. We know we're in the holiday spirit. What did Josh Allen get the wide receivers for Christmas?
Man? Oh?
Uh, I know he got mean for Christians. He got me for Christmas. You got me that at tag watch, that golf tag watch. Oh yeah, why, I said, you can use like to report your shots and everything.
That was pretty dope.
I know he got the old line, a bunch of road Lexes, which is sick, and I know and then Steph guy, you know, he's a fashion guy, so he got a bunch.
Of guys like some clothes or some bags or something. I know, you did that for the whole room.
Love it, love it.
I'm like I was concerned maybe with all these watches, Gabe, Like Josh is trying to tell you all something that you got a better cut on time.
People are late to practice or you guys to watch, make sure you show up on time.
Exactly.
Let's go through.
Get you get that touchdown. You have one hundred and thirty yards against the Chargers. And obviously I'm not saying anything.
You don't know, you don't have anything the two games before. What did that game do for you, especially this late in the season, specifically for what you've gone through the last couple of weeks before. You just exploded because we all know it's there.
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's tough to you know, sometimes you know, you go I went a couple of weeks without even you know, really touching.
The rock and that's a hard that's a hard thing to do.
But at the end of the day, you gotta you gotta be the be the best team that you can for your team. And that's what I try to do for my guys, and when my numbers called, to be able to go out there and perform at a high level, which I have, you know, all the confidence in doing and I feel like I've showed that with my years in the NFL. People, can you know when it's getting thrown the game, you can trust them to make the play.
You know, you ask some people, you know, some people think I can't, you know, but I feel like mostly I.
Can't and you can.
And I appreciate yeah, yeah, and I appreciate you know, the people who understand how this game works. And you know, sometimes you know, I can't, I can't throw the ball to myself. But again, we're being successful at a prety high level. And I'm just happy for all the guys that are are doing.
The same thing.
Yeah, I mean, and Gabe, I think it says a lot about you, you know, to stay locked in and have a game like that after what you went through before. And I'm and I and I saw a quote that Joe Brady or new Oc said after the Jets game where you didn't have a catch. He said, you were the offensive player of the game for what you did in the run blocking, for what you did to set up your teammates to get open for this offense to
function so well. In using yourself maybe as an example, what about the selflessness that that people are putting themselves through for you guys to go on this run that you're having right now.
I mean that that's that's what you need. To win games.
And I feel like, you know, my grandpa taught me at a young Gays that you know you're gonna you're you're gonna have to block, and uh, that's that's what I'm just as happy, you know, scoring tests outs as I am springing somebody for a big run or getting someone else.
Open on the catch. Uh, it feels good to me.
I want all my guys to eat and I want all my guys, you know, play the level that they can play at. So but being able to you know, to be as a receiver, to be known that I can block and set up things for the guys, you know, it's definitely special.
Yeah, And that's why you don't really leave the field game. They don't want you to leave the field, whether the balls come in your way or not. Man, you're out there because of everything you do for this offense. And you mentioned springing guys, you know, for a big run
and things like that. You look at all these pieces you guys have now and when James Cook has been used in the passing game and the emergence of your rookie tight end and Dalton Kincaid, then Dawson Knox comes back and Steph and you what is it like in practice with all of these mouths to feed, now that Joe Brady has to go about trying to get some touches for these people, How can you set things up offensively?
Now that you have so many different ways you can align yourselves offensively, formational wise, and so many different talented guys that can do a variety of things.
You know, it's a good problem to have to be a two dimensional offense. You can both run in, you can pass it, you have a bunch of guys who can make plays. Again, it's a good problem to have. I don't feel like it's difficult for Brady to figure out anything at this time, especially at this point of the season. It doesn't matter how you do as long as you do it. And that's our mindset. That's what we're going each.
Every week doing so gave those of us in the media and folks outside of your building are saying the Buffalo Bills are the team that nobody wants to face right now. It's always a good thing at this point of the season.
Do you guys feel that way?
Yeah, I mean I feel like we've always been a team that no one you know, like not saying they don't want to go against us, like you.
Know all of us, you know, we love the competition. But I definitely is the Bills are somebody not to sleep on at all.
You know.
It's definitely a team that you know you're gonna get us, get our all.
You know, high energy, high effort, and extremely detailed team that is going to play football to win.
Gave.
We know what you guys have in Week eighteen, play in Miami. Everybody probably who loves the NFL is looking forward to that game, but you have to play Bill Belichick's defense before you get there.
What is set in the locker room this week?
To make sure you guys don't overlook a team like the Patriots by any stretch. You saw what they did Christmas Eve with Denver. How much has that talked about? To make sure you just block out that Miami game as much as you can this week?
I mean I don't. I don't think it's hard to block out. The most important game is the next game.
You know.
The Pages are Division division team, a team that has beat us this year and very tough, very sound defense, you know, looking at it offensively, So definitely something that.
We're not on and we're not looking over to you know, to Miami.
We're definitely worried about the Pagers because we know they're they're still a good team, Okabe.
The one thing we like to do here on the NFL Report is to ask players, you know who they study, right, you know what, what other offensive players or things like that. So what other receivers as you continue to evolve and grow in this game, do you study that you think could.
Enhance your game?
A big one I feel like is Devonte Adams. He's such a great uh at the line of scrimmage. When it comes to releases, It's like he's playing basketball out there. He's just so fluid and it looks effortless. So definitely a guy that you know, I watched when it comes to his feet and the way he moves his shoulders as well at the at the line of screens that really gets him separation.
All right, love it, love it.
Let I want to finish this up with We did this whole interview. We holtenly talked about Josh Allen in terms of the presidency. Gives what has he been like this second half of the season as his It seems like I don't know Gabe like his play is maybe picked apart, maybe more than any other quarterback in football. The immedia just loves to talk about any pick that happens. It's the end of the world. Josh can't not throw picks. Things like that, Like, what have you seen from your
quarterback this second half the year? You make a change in the way he's running this offense as a whole right now compared to the beginning of the season.
When it comes to Josh, I mean, you know, what you see is what you get. He's a great player, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. You know, to see him playing the way he is right now that everyone sees is like like he's kind of turned it on.
I feel like he's always had it, you know what I mean. But things aren't perfect. Yeah, this game, some games gonna be better than others. Some years are gonna be better than others.
But at the end of the day, you know, we're the team that everyone talks about for a reason. Seventeen has a lot of respect from everybody in the NFL and the people who watch, And I feel like if anyone's questioning what's seventeen you do, there's there's some lack of football knowledge for that.
Hey, if anyone's questions Josh Shallon or.
The Buffalo Bills right now, they might have a lack of football knowledge. Hey, Gabe Davis, good luck this weekend, man, good luck to rest of the way. We appreciate you taking some time to join us here on the NFL.
Yeah, thank you guys, Thanks Steve, Thanks Jameson.
I always love going inside the Bills practice facility to see these interviews, see what they're practicing on. But coming up, how about Lions Cowboys massive matchup? Why does Mike McCarthy think this is a bigger challenge for his Cowboys than the Niners of the Eagles.
Jane Slater will tell us next on the NFL Report.
You're listening to the NFL Report podcast, but you can watch me, Steve Weich and my co host James Palmer on the NFL Report at seven fifteen Eastern time on Mondays and Thursdays on the NFL app and free streaming platforms on the NFL Channel on Roku, twov Peacock, Pluto TV and other free streaming apps.
Whatever you do something like what we just did, it's special. It don't matter, man, and it don't matter how many you win in.
A road they're special.
But I can tell you this, when you're part of the organization and it's been thirty years, it's special, man.
And these guys been fucking dying fort and wait, Fort Man, it's for you.
Maybe that's first one for you.
Enjoy.
Welcome back to the NFL Report, James Palmer, Steve Whitch with you. That's Dan Campbell Jane Slater. As the Lions are now into the postseason looking for their first postseason win since January fifth, nineteen ninety two. Who did they beat Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys in that postseason win in ninety two, and that's who.
They face the Sunday.
And I'm fascinated, Jane, because Mike McCarthy believes that this game is bigger for the Cowboys than their game against the Niners than their game against the Eagles.
Why.
It's a great question, James, because I think when you look at this division and some of the struggles that you've had with the Eagles and the forty nine ers in recent years, those seem obvious. But I went to Tony Pollard to ask that question, James, and I said, what is it that you're seeing on tape that makes them a bigger challenge? And Pollard he kind of sighed and he said, it's all the coverages and I said, like, and he.
Rattled them off, James and Steve.
I mean, he said, it's the cover one, the Cover two, the cover of three, the cover four, man and shells and he says, because of that, you've got to be really careful.
You've got to be on your p's and q's. And so that is the challenge.
I think that standing out for them when they look at this defense, and not only that, you saw the energy from Dan Campbell in.
That locker room.
I mean, he's got players wanting to run through walls for him their first Divisional title in thirty years. I'm going to ask him on the sidelines pregame if he can record a motivational speech for me, because I just you're seeing the culture change and I you know, you talk about you know, history can repeat itself sometimes. Jimmy
Johnson is going in the Ring of Honor. Finally, this weekend, everyone kept saying the curse was broken for the Cowboys, and then they lost their first two straights under Mike McCarthy these last couple of weeks.
So this is going to be an interesting game on Saturday, Jane.
You know, ansing you follow it out and by the way, it is time for Jimmy Johnson going to the Ring of Honor. I'm glad that's finally happening. You said he spoke to Tony Pollard and the coverages. What about getting the run game going with Tony Pollard, that is something that has been so sporadic in watching this team all season.
Listen, Steve, We've talked about this before a lot of people said move on, but it's a hill I'll continue to die on. It wouldn't have hurt to bring back Ezekiel Elliott on a one year deal for some of those situations at the going on because Pollard, right, Pallard just doesn't have that upper body strength to be your third down guy in some of those areas.
Now, everyone asked him about Hunter.
Lepk and that's you know, the fumble at the goal line, and I appreciate that Tony Pollard owned that. He said, I should have gotten it in before.
You know, he took.
Essentially the wrong route. There was an easier route to get in there, and he didn't. It sort of put them behind the chains as a result of that. So I appreciate that, but I you know, looking at this roster, Mike McCarthy said, heading in the season, each one of these guys do something different, Malink Davis, Rico, Daddle, Tony Pollard, they all do something different and it's different from Ezekiel Elliott.
And that's the assets that you've had this year.
Jenna, want to ask you about Ceedee Lamb and what Dak Prescott's saying about him of late.
We know how dynamic he's been in the slot, Steve.
We've talked about it on this show repeatedly about him doing damage in the middle of the field. They have a youngster the Lions playing that slot corner in Brian Branch Now. He's played a lot of safety, played a lot of corner, but they're having him play a lot more slot corner now as opposed to splitting his time between those two spots.
He's one of many.
Rookies that Dan Campbell has been relying on on both sides of the ball that Jared Goff believes Jane just don't play like rookies, the ones on the offensive side, the one that defense said, they don't make rookie mistakes.
Well, you can't make any mistakes when you're lining up against CD. Lamb.
What does Dak see right now that he has to do to make sure CD is a big part of this game on Saturday.
How about get him ten receptions or more.
Guys, they are four and one when they use When they get ten receptions or more, I think they've got their abject about ten extra points a game when they get that done too.
It was curious.
You know, we talked about this earlier in the week on various shows and some of our other platforms. He came out after that Dolphins game that first Cordy had almost one hundred yards. He was lighting it up on the field. They really didn't have an answer for him. Jayleen Ramsey wasn't traveling with them, and then he said it was weird the second and third quarters they moved away from him.
He went absent.
And when I was talking to CD about that, I talked to Dak Prescott. I said, Dak, it's easy to get emotional. Obviously he made some of those comments. I don't think they were disrespectful. It's just all season long. He said, if you're gonna get me involved, keep me involved. If you're going to draft me in the first round, use me as a first round draft pick. If you get me the rock, I'm going to get it in
the end zone. Those are all things that Ceedee Lamb has said throughout the year, and when they've gone to him, good things typically happen. So I asked Dak, I said, when you went back and looked at some of the tape, did you see some missed opportunities? And he said, maybe one or two. But it was Vic Fangio who, while they didn't have Jalen Ramsey traveling with them, he did roll over some coverage there, double time, double teaming at time, obviously getting some safeties on him. And so I said,
are you concerned about that blueprint moving forward? I mean, Vic Fangio said other teams can learn from it a couple of years back when he beat them with Detroit. Obviously he did it with the Dolphins. And Dak's basic answer was, I think that you're going to see more motion. In other words, he's going to motion Ceedee Lamb to the other side see if they can readjust and so there, I think we're going to see a little more pre
snout motion as it relates to Ceedee Lamb. But I do think when especially when you look at Aiden Hutchinson on the other side of the ball and some of that quarterback pressure, what you essentially also need up front is time for Dak and he did not have that against the Dolphins last week. He was under duress a lot.
Yeah, that's interesting because you know, the news came out earlier Thursday that Tyron Smith is practicing.
They looks like he's going to be able to go.
I mean, how important is it to get him back in the lineup for a game like this because the Lions they're kind of come seek them solid when it comes with the coverage in their defense.
I think it's huge.
And you know, you could make the debate is it important to have Tyron Smith now or do you save him with the fact that the Cowboys are already in the postseason?
Right?
But I would argue after getting sacked four times and look, CHUMDOGA didn't necessarily do him a lot of favors. He hasn't started a lot of games. Maybe they make a couple of other moves. You know, they activated Matt will Let's go this week. You do have awesome Richards. There another guy you.
Could move Tyler Smith back. I think there's going.
To be some some movement with that line if Tyron can't go. But it sounds like Tyron was able to at least participate in some of the walkthroughs. Jerry Jones this week said they did an injection on that back that typically works, so they seemed really hopeful about him playing this weekend.
And my argument is, of.
Course she wanted to play because you don't want to get your quarterback hurt before the postseason. And having Tyron Smith that eighty percent is better than most guys at one.
Hundred and Jay real quick also, you know, and I guess real quick, it also works for both teams here they can face each other.
Nervist that Jane said, get your quarterback hurt, I'm just terrified.
Oh come on, man, we're not gonna lay on real real, real quick day.
And these teams can meet each other in the playoffs too.
It's there been any discussion about the scouting report. I mean, you know the wins are where it both teams are in, but do you think you know either team or both teams are going to be showing their hand, because you know, I think the Lions are still trying to possibly get this home field.
I mean, it is absolutely a good question, although I would submit that you know, Jalen Ramsey has talked about how boring some of these offenses have been, and the Cowboys have been boring the last two weeks, so I don't know what they're hiding from us. I keep waiting to see Micah Parsons in some sort of package that employs him as a running back, because he's told us that they've been they've got extra place. Remember they said they could seem as many as eleven different spots this year.
We haven't seen that, so maybe that's something that they say for the postseason. But what they need to do more than anything, Steve is get some consistency with this office. And don't put that on me, James. I'm just stating the facciat.
You got to care if you don't have him put that one.
Don't put that on.
Burn the tape, Jane. I'll burn the tape. Nobody will ever get a chance to see it.
Twice.
Appreciate it, Jane, love seeing your face. Your show as always one of our favorite guys.
Happen here well, another one of our favorite people coming up, and he'll be with me in Kansas City at Arrowhead. Well, that's Brian Balding or Baldy's favorite films are next, and he's gonna tell us what is wrong with this Kansas City Chiefs offense. He has all the answers. Listen, Andy Reid, this segments for you on the NFL Report. Welcome back to the NFL Report. James Palmer, Steve Witch with you. It's Baldy's favorite films. It is my favorite segment. And
guess what. Baldy and I Steve are gonna be in Kansas City together this weekend for Bengals at Chiefs. I'm not sure, Baldy, what you're doing the ball drops. Maybe we can go somewhere after the game celebrate the new year. Not sure what you got planned. You probably got something going on. I'm not sure. I'll probably be by my We wanted to.
Do NFL postgame. Yeah, I'm doing a postgame show.
Okay, okay, all right. That's a brain that we all desire on NFL Network. Baldy. That's why we use you every Thursday.
And let's talk about this game right here, and what we've seen from this Kansas City Chiefs offense.
What I'd like to just throw out there we have two weeks left. Is this who they are?
Baldy, Yeah, I don't see it getting fixed.
You know they they're amongst the bottom feeders right now. Just explosive place. They used to lead the league in that category. Just play the twenty yards of war. They can't get explosive place. So what happens when you can? You know, you're relying on gadgets, any kind of penalty, whether it's lining up all sides or a hold, they just get magnified.
Because it used to be if it was second or twenty Patrick Wilhold.
Would do his magic. They get an explosive play. Now, just the basics right now, Just the basics right here. Travis Kelcey dropping his past we all saw the other day. You know, it's and then the tackle position, you know, whether it's Jawan or the rookie on the other side. I mean, they have struggled all year long, and so you know, the Raiders just kicked their butt up front.
And it was it was more than just Max Crosby. It was Malcolm Goes.
It was a bunch of different guys that physically won that line of scrimmage on that Christmas Day game.
So you know ball they're playing the Bengals.
I mean, lou Anrumo has done some things, you know against this Chiefs offense. I mean, this is not a get well game, so to speak for the Chiefs. This is gonna be a very tough game. And one of the things I've been noticing besides the receivers just having issues, is DB's are.
Just lining up and getting hands on them. I mean, is there.
Anything I mean the lack I mean, I don't know if it's a lack of motion or whatever, but what can Mahomes do or what can they do with this offense to maybe spring some of these guys, to give them windows for Mahomes to drop the ball into.
Well, it looks awfully stale, first of all. Looks it looks like we've seen just about everything. You mean, the gad just didn't work the other day. You know, they kind of fumbled that away. But you know, just the idea that there was a play in the game last week which sort of personify the issues they have. This play it usually it's with Kelsey, it could be with anybody just why stick, you know, you just sort of
little stick route six yards turn around. It's a drive starter, and Mahomes threw it one way and Racy Rice one another way, and Mahomes is just looking at him like we do this every day, Like this is what we do to start drives. Just sit down on the zone and when I saw them, you know, throw that ball into the dirt and just miss that basic play. Like literally day one installation, I go, they've got some real problems. And I don't know if it's you know, concentration in practice,
if it's just lack of trust. I mean, it's hard to say without being there, but you know, Andy Reid has always been a tinker when things aren't working.
That guy could tink her with the best of them. And I feel like he's trying to do that.
But at the same time, like they can't get plays out on timing right now, So it's just all Mahomes trying to extend plays and try to find something beyond what it was drawn up to be.
Yeah, it's been remarkable, and we've seen the frustration on the sideline from guys like Mahomes, guys like Travis Kelce.
I think you mentioned Andy Reid there.
Maybe the steadiness of Andy we know he never gets too high or too low ever, is probably needed now more than they may they have ever in some time. Let's move to where Andy used to coach in the Filadelphia and Jonathan Gannon is heading back there with his Cardinals. And we've seen this defense in Philadelphia. Baldy have Sean de Si now it's Matt Patricia. They got two guys
trying to run this defense since Jonathan Gannon left. What can they fix as they come down the stretch into the postseason that can maybe turn the corner for them a little bit defensively?
Well, I mean, you know last week they give it to sixty nine yard touchdown to Darius Slayton with under six minutes ago to get them back in the game. Like I don't know how they turned them loose exactly. I mean it's it's kind of matchup zone and you know the safety should be running with them and Slayton gets right behind him, just like you know the week before against Seattle. Why you're a man coverage in that situation on third and ten they need a touchdown to
win the game and you let it go. I've given up thirty one touchdown passes and so some of that is okay.
The rush isn't nearly as good as it was a year ago. We understand that.
You just look at the numbers and say the rush isn't good enough, and then when they have blitz, they haven't really been very good at just being stout on the back end and kind of marrying good, good coverage with it.
So Matt Patricia's kind of left going.
Well, you could just see like there's no rush there and there's you know, Slayton right there getting behind a wake and ship. I mean, you see it week in week out right now, guys have too much time to throw.
The guys are wide open, and it's been a problem.
Yeah, Bald, you know, we don't even talk about what's going on in the inside linebacker spot. I mean, when they play some of these teams, they'd like to drop the ball off underneather can pop a run right there. That has absolutely been an issue with just the depth concerns that they have right now. But I want to go to a team that plays good defense even the way even though they're struggling. That's New England Patriots, and
this week the Buffalo Bills. You know, they play the Bills in this office, and the way Buffalo is really combining the run game and the pass game. We had Gabe Davis on the show earlier. He talked about not having not having games with catches because he's springing guys in the run game when the when the Bills are facing what the Patriots are doing the I mean, this is not going to be a walkover for Buffalo as well as I'm playing right now.
No, because it's it's just basic fundamentals. It's low pad level at this time of the year. Guys start playing too high. They don't. It's about using your hands, engaging, shedding blocks, getting off blocks, protecting Juwan Bentley and the linebackers at that level.
And so it starts with just the basics of defeating the run.
You know, Denver couldn't run the ball against them last week, hardly at all. That's what they wanted to do, but you know it's hard to run it when it's third and seven, and so yeah, they're really making teams one dimensional right now with just the fundamentals of the game.
And it's across the board.
It's detrich wise, it's all the guys that have been there bar more like, all these guys up front are playing great two gap in defense, and the linebackers are kind of nd safeties are free to kind of go and roam and make these tackles and attack the line of scrimmage. And you know, James Cook is having a phenomenal season. They're running the ball a lot better, but I don't see them just getting increases against this defense the way they have and some of these other teams they quickly ball.
Do you started this off with something I haven't heard people talk about enough, and I'm glad you brought it up at this point of the season. It's the fundamentals, pad level and things like that when you look across the league. Is this something that you're seeing with the teams that aren't winning or the teams that are getting leaky versus that? And why is that? Is it just a fatigue of the season.
It's I think it's some fatigue.
It's some you know, it's week seventeen, and you know, guys aren't putting pads on during the week, and it's walked throughs, glorified walkthroughs, and just you know, they're just playing too high.
They're blocking with their chests.
You know, I would say that when I watched Detroit Lions right now, they don't follow that category. They come off the ball and they're lower than the opponents and they're moving bodies.
But generally, you know, like if you.
Watched the Indianapolis Colts last week try to run against Atlanta, like they look like they were just way too high against Atlanta, and they got their tackles back, defensive tackles back, and what was of really good part of their offense last week was not existed. And if I went back and watch it and I just said, these guys, you know, we're Lake Freeland whoever, they're playing too high right now and it was too easy to underneath.
The pass ball.
I'm gonna say and just take a guess here real quick that.
Mike McDonald's group are not one of those groups that are off playing with their pads too high lately.
Well, you know that's one. I mean, they just have guys that it's almost impossible. And when you look at you know, Pierce, and you look at Washington and some of these guys up front, they're fire hydrants, like you can't get underneath them. But you know, they play a matchup zone. Teams will play parts of that, but they'll play a matchup zone. And this is really what got Rock Perdy in that first interception last week. They want to play their safeties back. It's a zone concept, so
everybody has their eyes on the quarterback. Everybody sees the ball delivered, and then they blitz out of that that shell look of theirs with the two safeties high. And really you have to keep running the against them. You have to make them pay or saying okay, we're not giving up the deep shots. We're gonna match up with you as you expanded to your route combinations and hopefully they break down, or.
You have to say, okay, you've got to throw the ball.
Like Matt Stafford's thought it right now, and like how they ran the ball against the cole the Ravens a couple of weeks ago, were Kyrin Williams really took advantage of those safeties, you know, fifteen yards steep and they ran the ball really good and then they got some play action passes behind it. Stafford was deadly accurate. But if you don't play like that, you're playing right into their hands.
Baldi, this is such good stuff, man, like this is stuff you just don't get. We appreciate you breaking down. I mean some of these exquisite nuances. I mean, you know, I really.
Really appreciate you and JP.
Don't too much barbecue or do any other things that we're not going to mention on the show.
When you're in Kansas City.
Right to my face and enjoy day on TV.
Hey, but appreciate you, baldy, and have a happy new year. Come up next, James, come up next. Leslie Fraser. He was on the eighty five championship Bears.
He's coached in Super Bowls, and he's gonna tell us, like we're sitting here with the Kansas City Chiefs, why it is so hard to repeat as champion.
Next, that's the NFL Report.
Real cold.
Hey, it's James Palmer, and you're listening to the NFL Report podcast along with myself and Steve Weisch. But remember, if you want to see our beautiful faces, this is a show at seven point fifteen Monday and Thursday at seven fifteen pm Eastern, and we are on the NFL app as well as fast streaming platforms. That's two B that's Roku, that's Pluto. That's Peacock all of those platforms, as well as the NFL dot Com slash NFL channel.
Find us all of those spots.
All right, back to the NFL Report, and James are about to be joined by head coach Leslie Fraser, who was with me Wednesday for the reveal of the Class of twenty two twenty four fifteen finalist of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As you're seeing, there's Antonio Gates, Devin Hester, Julius Pepper's, Reggie Wayne, friend of the show,
Andre Johnson. We've got Eric Allen, Yea, Jarry Evans, Patrick Willis, Dwight Freeny, Fred Taylor, Willie Anderson, Jared Allen, who coach, also coached Rodney Harrison, Tory Holt, just so many deserving people.
Coach, you did a great job on the show.
We really appreciate you joining us on our last show of twenty twenty three.
But on that note, let's go back to yesterdyear.
Right, you played on the world champion eighty five Chicago Bears. You've coached a Super Bowl championship team, and now we're seeing the Kansas City Chiefs kind.
Of roll into the cliche.
It is difficult to repeat, why is it so hard to get back, let alone win if you do.
Yeah, as you can imagine, there's so many factors involved, But one of those factors is you tend to lose good players when you are a team that has that type of success, you know, go to the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl. You have a lot of guys that are really playing at a high level, and the teams that are a lesser are looking at your roster and because of salary cap constraints, it makes it difficult to keep players in place. A good example of this James.
You remember in twenty sixteen when the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl and they would really carried by their defense, and they came back to next season to see there were only like five starters from that defense that was so dominant and doing that twenty sixteen season when they won the Super Bowl. So so partner problem is being able to retain your guys, and in the chief case, a good example of that is a player like a Juju Schuster who was their top target at wide receiver.
He had more receiving yards than anybody else, more receptions than anyone else. He was the leader in that receiver room and now you look at their receiver position and it's a disaster and it's really really tough for your offense. So that's an example of you know, being trying trying to keep your players, but because of the salary cap constraints, it makes it.
Difficult to do.
And that's all a part of the parity of the National Football League, which is what the league wants. I mean, they want parody, and you get that because of the cap. The other part of it is you have guys that are having career years when you when you win the Super Bowl, that's usually the case. You have some guys that really perform at a high level. They want to get paid. I mean, it's my turn, you know, I want to get paid now. And because of uh, you know,
the salary cap constraints. You know a lot of times you can't pay those guys. And so the teams that usually have the most cap, or the team that aren't doing so well, they're able to poach some of your players that really help you to get to that Super Bowl. And generally, because of financial constraints, eternal.
Win the league. Today.
Man, every off season, you know, you're losing about twenty twenty five players off your roster, So to try to come back and get that chemistry to get the team to work together like you did doing that Super Bowl season, it's a challenge. It's a major challenge. So it's a lot more difficult in today's NFL because of the salary cap and because of your inability to keep your players to come back and repeat again.
Yeah, I coach. I find that to be the biggest reason.
I also find the reason of and I've heard this with Kansas City last year, their driving force was everyone telling them they can't win a Super Bowl without Tyreek Hill. It's almost that motivational carrit in front of them the entire season, driving them behind the scenes. And I've been told this year they don't really have one of those. They don't really have something that's pushing them and pushing them this season.
It's kind of been something they're curious of if they find.
Here at the end, let's talk about teams maybe that are not in contentional right on the edge. When you're looking at teams like say the Vikings, the Jags, the Texans teams also they're in but Bengals are right on the edge. What do you do when you're one of those teams on the fringe or one of those teams maybe right on the outside, to keep coaching and keeping your team motivated when you're on the outside of the playoff picture kind of just almost looking.
At well, that's motivation in this self. The fact that you are playing meaningful games in December. That's the mattrum with every team. You know, you're you're hoping that when we get to December, Man, we're playing meaningful games. By that, what I mean is we're playing games that have playoff implications, and those teams are now they've got some hurdles that they've got overcome, you know, more so because injured than anything. But that's a motivating factor for your team that we
may not control our destiny. We're kind of in the hunt, but if we can win out, who knows what might happen. So as a as a coach, I mean, that's what you're preaching to the players to try to keep that carrot in front of them that we have a chance. But we got to come to work every single day and we got to bleed as a unit. Now, you need great leadership in the locker room because it can't just be the coach is talking about this. It's got to be your locker room has to be echoing the coach.
So you need strong leadership. But that's that's it. I mean you, I mean that's your carrot.
Yeah, Coach, that's a great point. Player.
Accountability often accompany success. That's a huge part of it.
Coach. We promised when we bring you back in twenty twenty four, we're gonna give you more bandwidth.
Here.
We gotta wrap it up because we got to get out of here, but thank you so much.
Have a happy new year, and JP.
As we wrap up our shoe at twenty twenty three, we want to remind everybody if you're watching, we'll be Mondays and Thursdays, seven fifteen Easter your time on the NFL app and on the fast channels. But we will be back on Tuesday of next week because you want, you want to have a new year to recover, and next Thursday and then JP, when I wish you a happy new year and that you and Baldi don't get down to be tough in Kansas City.
We'll be five. We'll tear care and see apart. Steve, see you on Tuesday, buddy
All right, everybody