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Everybody, Welcome to Game Debut present about Mercedes Benz, Patrick laybaumb back here with Greg Rosenthal and Cynthia Freeland. The presence have all been opened, the trash has not quite been thrown away. But we've almost got the playoff picture completely crystallized. We just need a few more things.
Yeah, Christmas was, you know, somewhat of a big deal, but our picks race is really what America is talking about right now.
Clearly, just start bragging.
Just bragging we're tied. That doesn't mean anything.
Yeah, there it is. Why don't we just go ahead and the plow crowns to Cynthia and Greg, who are exactly we've played all of these football games. They have the same exact record, one hundred and sixty nine and seventy one. Cynthia has caught up to Greg, and that puts me in second place in our big Standing's hoay as we take a look at the AFC playoff picture with the Kansas City Chiefs have gone ahead and gotten
a bye. And this Saturday we've got a trip well header exclusively on NFL Network Chargers Patriots at one o'clock Eastern, Broncos Bengals at four Eastern, Cardinals Rams at eight Eastern Saturday, December twenty eighth, only on NFL Network. Streaming on NFL Plus. Subscription is required for NFL Plus. Let's dive into those Saturday games, starting with the Chargers. In the Patriots, the Bolts can clinch a playoff berth with a win. Did they get that win on Saturday?
They absolutely do.
I think it's gonna be a fun game between two of my favorite quarterbacks to watch Chargers win twenty six to twenty. And when you watch Drake May and Justin Herber on the field together, you're seeing one as a younger version of the other. Yes, Drake May as a rookie reminds me more of Justin Herber than I expected it.
Physically, they're similar.
Drake May a little more aggressive as a runner, but what surprises me is how much he reminds me of Justin Herber as a decision maker. The last five or six weeks, Drake May has been very careful with the ball, going through his reads, making safe throws. And that really wasn't the word on Drake May. Coming out of college at UNC, Justin Herbert. You basically if you come up with a quarterback in a lab, he's going to look a lot like Justin Herbert, with that body and the
physicality and the arm strength. And yet he is a very careful quarterback. And Drake May has learned he doesn't have the best team around him. He's not putting up the same numbers that Herbert did as a rookie.
Those are Herbert rookie games we're looking at.
But to me, they're both going to be part of our lives for the next decade plus. So, yes, the charters win, but Patriots fans they have a lot to be thankful for.
I like that comp a lot, and I'm just going to say my score is pretty similar to yours. I have twenty three to eighteen. I think it's going to be a very fascinating game through the air as well. And I want to point out another rookie, and that's Lad McConkey. We didn't know a head of the season who is Justin Herbert going to throw the ball to reliably And the answer has been number fifteen out of Georgia.
When I'm watching these games, and yes, you're looking at Justin Herbert's numbers this year and you're saying taking the fewest passing attempts that we've seen he's had in terms of like numbers per game, it's down. But if you look at per throw averages and his passer rating when completing passes, this is a good thing in large part because of how they're setting him up for success in
the passing game with lad McConkey. So he's not even getting any shine for a potential of offensive Rookie of the Year, but we love him and at least he should be in the conversation.
He's on my ballot. You can vote for five guys. He's like third or four.
Right, right, So there you go.
Yeah, and I'm going to vote for Cynthia and ire to get some balance as just kidding.
Yeah, I went to ballot Greg's ballot.
Do I talk to about this ballot?
Really have a ballot.
We're gotta get ballots for the show. I'm looking at a Chargers win as well, but just by two points, because we look back at the start of the season and things were looking great for this Chargers defense, but in the past few games they've had issues stopping the
opposition from running the football. In fact, two of the last five games the Chargers have seen the opponent run for over two hundred yards, including a game which I thought really doomed them and had some long term implications in that loss at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now these Patriots come in, who had a lot of success running the ball early against Buffalo, perhaps Drake Mays.
You know, he's Greg Rosenthal's one thing that matters, and I think his team can make a push here to beat the Chargers, but comes up late. So Patriots fans meme away as we go. Take a look at that playoff picture once again in the AFC, because you see the teams in the hunt. We got a couple of them coming up. A big matchup between the Broncos and the Bengals Saturday right here on NFL Network for you
looking forward to that game. That where there's you see a Broncos team that, oh my gosh, because Payton has them as world beaters right now and the rookie quarterback is playing so well. But then they falter a against the Chargers. And now the Bengals come in where I thought a few weeks ago there was no hope, but Greg, you laid out a plan, and that plan, despite slim margins, they do have a shot at the playoffs. I think
I've got the Bengals winning this game too. Twenty five to twenty three a bad year for the team, but Jamar Chase is great. He's been using so many different spots for so many different things. They're going to score. Currently on pace for a triple crown season. Patrickstan isn't just locked into one spot either. Those two were going head to head quite possibly all over the field, but
Riley Moss hasn't played since Thanksgiving. I think t Higgins gets good looks as well here, and I think that gives the Bengals a great shot to give themselves that slim bit of hope.
Cynthia, Well, I mean you have more hope for the Bengals than me, because I actually have the Bengals only winning by one point five to twenty.
Four in this matchup.
I do actually want to talk about bo Nicks here because something that will matter in this game is his ability to run smartly, not just run, but run small. Why do I say that, Well, something he's used on forty percent of attempts has been a short pass, and this is not an area that you want to target the Bengals defense. We've said, and very fairly that this is a defense you can target in many ways, but
with a short pass. They have the most interceptions on the sub ten ten air yard pass and now Bonnicks is going to need to use his legs instead of use his arm in that situation to prevent any turnovers.
Yeah, Bonnicks has not been playing that well lately. I thought he struggled against the Colts. You didn't finish off that game against the Chargers, and yet I think he's going to get the win. Talk about a lack of respect from these two on the Broncos. The Broncos win this one twenty three to twenty. Let's just scrag it up Broncos Twitter. You're so angry all the time at everyone, especially me. This is the respect that you've been looking for.
And it's partly because I don't respect this Bengals defense. All season long. They've been telling us who they are, and they are a team that gives up a lot of big plays on the ground and through the Sean Payton a month ago decided I'll let you switch that TNF game so I can get extra rest in this game against the Bengals.
He's a mad genius.
The TNF thing didn't really work out, but he does have extra rest in this one. That Bengals defense, which has been better lately forcing some turnovers, ultimately isn't up to snuff. I think Sean Payton dials up some big plays, bo Nicks has some easy passes, the running game gets it going, and Cincinnati's two banged up.
They've told us who they are all season, and what they are is not a playoff team.
They lose, so Greg takes the disrespect and slides it over to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Well, my question is is we're all on the same side if you're looking at it through the lens of some perspective, well, and yet we're disrespectful.
Got it? You are?
When they do the standings next week, my win picking the Broncos, right, that's what's gonna count or not.
The math on respect is within five points, whether or not your respect. But in the Saturday night game features one of the hottest teams in the league. Right now, for the Saturday Night Cap on NFL Network, we have the Cardinals in rams LA winning four straight, but they can clinch the NFC West in part with a win. Do they clinch.
Cynthia, Well, they win, so they do their part in the clinching scenario twenty seven to twenty. In this matchup, what I'm looking at on the other side is really Kyler Murray doing a little bit too much. And that was even before James Connor got injured, and Kyler Murray just trying to like make something, force things to happen as opposed to taking things when they're there. You've seen it manifest after their buy In terms of interceptions, we just saw a couple of them on the screen right now.
But then you're seeing it in like forcing like quick cadence issues. That's when you see those snaps and handoffs don't go right. When they don't go right, it's usually something to do with communications. So in my opinion in this matchup, I mean, especially with Jared Verse coming for your Life and all these other guys up front for
the rams it's going to be very different. If he tries to do it all on himself and without James Connor, it just would to me indicate maybe a little bit of doing too much.
Yeah, he also is without some offensive linemen. Yeah, that's why I like just barely the Rams covering the number twenty four to seventeen. They lost big time to the Cardinals before, but that was a different Rams team. Now it's Kien Williams's team. You think about the Rams and you think Pooka and Cooper Cup and Matthew Stafford. No, it's really a run first team and Kyron Williams has turned into the centerpiece of their offense. He sees a hole and he gets a little extra. If they block
him for four yards, he gets six or seven. They block him for two or three yards, he gets five. I know he's not there with all the explosive runs, but if you look at success rate, he is right there. Over the last two months with the very best runners in the league. They are a great running attack. Sean mcvagh dials it up and they get some revenge for that blowout that the Cardinals gave him early in the season.
Yeah, it feels like that blowout was an entirely different in a f the Rams were playing in that game without Pooka and Akua. I've got them winning this game, but just about one point nineteen to eighteen. I do want to look at this Cardinals passing game over the past few weeks. It's fallen off of the planet late the season. The last seven losses, they've averaged just over sixteen points, and since Week nine, Marvin Harrison Junior has only gone over fifty nine yards in a game once
and in that game he had sixty yards. He's still getting the targets, but the passing game is having real problems. For a team with glaring problems to beat the Rams right now, it's very difficult. The Rams could beat anybody, but I think in this divisional game it's close. But as you heard, the Beautiful Children, it is a name.
We are all aboard the Los Angeles Rams winning. To wrap up at Saturday tripleheader on NFL Network, It's time for the Drive to Excellence presented by Mercedes Benz, a monster matchup between the Packers and the Vikings, both teams already heading into the playoffs. Minnesota's still in the running for the one season. Winning this game could set up a huge matchup next week. Who wins this time?
Greg I like the Packers to finally get a signature win in this season. They've lost to only great teams like the Vikings, but this time it's Jordan Love who gets to win thirty to twenty seven on the road. When you dive deep into the numbers, this is one of the best offenses in the league by any metric you can come up with. And Jordan Love has turned into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league, in part because the running game sets him up to not have to do too much.
But when he does, he is going deep.
The throws are pretty and I think to beat the Minnesota Vikings, you need to have a quarterback who can stand back there and make tough throws. That's what Jordan Love has now been doing over the last two months. He's really become one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He's aided by a great play caller. There's very little separating these two teams, but sometimes you look at it and you just think, oh, they're gonna win one of these.
They can't just keep losing these close games to good teams.
I think they pull this one off.
Well, I have a closer game than you, but I have Green Bay winning this one twenty three to twenty two. I'm going to show you some very unsexy footage. If you are a fantasy football player, this is Josh Jacobs blocking.
Are you ready for it?
Because this running back is very dynamic in terms of stopping guys from getting pressure on his quarterback. Why is it such a big deal to have him block, Well, we know that this team likes to blitz and the last time out, which was a billion years ago, back in Week four, he did throw three picks against this team and two of them were when they were blitzing. Now, what's the difference over the past five games? Jordan Love
zero interceptions. What is one of the differences, Well, it's the production, it's the versatility, and it's how Josh Jacobs has been utilized all of those things, especially unsexy blocking, which I think is very sexy. No, Now, that to me is the big difference in this matchup.
I have a very close score as well. The differences I've got the Minnesota Vikings. I believe in the Packers. They were my pick to go in the Super Bowl. Josh Jacobs powering his way to a Packers win is something I can easily see, but I keep doubting Sam Donald and he continues to be successful, especially on third downs. Let's just watch Sam make plays well third down against really good teams. This year, He's in like a burrow in lamarka category on third and long since Week seven,
and if they even get there. Here's the thing with Sam Donald this season. He's throwing past the sticks on forty five percent of his attempts. He's not getting hidden. Kevin O'Connell's not doing some quarterback magic. This is just saying the Sam Donald. And So I've picked the Vikings, and I've picked against the Vikings and loss. I'm gonna stop doing that. It's a really good football team with a good quarterback, and so I'm all alone, which is
a place I'm very comfortable being. So the Lions get a shot at redemption Monday Night against the forty nine Ers Detroit, currently the one seed in the NFC. Does Dan Campbell get his revenge against the Niner Cynthia?
Yeah?
I mean I don't know if it's revenge because it feels like it's like such a different situation. I mean, both teams are really struggling with injuries, the Niners all season long, the Lions more recently. But I have Lions winning by three points twenty six to twenty three when I'm looking at this collapse last year, and this was actually the tape that I chose. When you talk about what Dan Campbell does really well, his entire personality becomes
this team. And if you don't think he's using this as motivation, if they've not rewatched this three hundred times over the past week to try to make sure that they have every t crossed and I dotted, you don't know Dan Campbell. And I think the amount of caffeine the man is going to consume between last year and this year, the total is going to be something that
pays off in dividends here. Now, do I love what's going out of the defense, No, But I think this is a situation where, given the injury report for the Niners, this is an opportunity for some of the guys who we may not know, not the household names as a Detroit Lions defense, to really step up. And we know they're going to blitz on every single freaking down and that's going to be really hard with this old Lion.
So banged up it is in I think the Lions offense is in such good shape to put a big point totals and just you know, on defense, don't let the ball bounce off your face. The Lions win this game thirty one to seventies go. If we're going all revenge, it's not even gonna be close.
I had this.
Whole package, you know, with smart football points. And then I heard Teddy Bridgewater was signing with the Lions, and I said, let's get Teddy into the show because I've run some next Greg's stats here and the Lions were close to having the best vibes in the league before adding Teddy Bridgewater. They have rocketed to the top of the charts. You add Teddy Bridgewater's leadership, his vibes, his high school state championship that he just won in Florida.
He's gonna just give that little extra juice. This is a super Bowl caliber team. This forty nine Ers team is all banged up. They are not ready to compete in this one.
Yeah's too, Danamous, I've got the Lions winning it. My score twenty seven to twenty a touchdown difference for this one where it's a shit Late in this season, because especially in the fantasy world, we were wondering where Sam Laporta at the start of the season. Well, he's on the receiving end of a lot of Jared Goff passes. His target share decline from his rookie season, but the
last three weeks he's gotten twenty four targets. That's more targets than he did in the first eight weeks combined. A big part of things. I think he probably gets in the end zone as well as the Lions. They don't get revenge, but they're gonna get revenge on the planet, perhaps with a trophy in a game. Let's go Cynthia doesn't talk about coming up, folks. Michael Pennix Junior has the Dirty Birds back in first place in the NFC South, but now he's going to DC to take on Jayden
and the Carniac Commanders. The playoffs are on the line. Which rookie phenom gets it done Sunday night, we'll tell you. Coming up next are Jayden Daniels and the Commanders coming off that crazy ending against the Eagles. They're playing host to Michael penn Junior and the Falcons Sunday night. Which rookie quarterback gets a win.
I'm gonna go with Jaden Daniels.
Michael Pennis had a really nice outing last week, but the guy who's been doing it all season long, he gets.
The win here twenty eight to twenty two.
I'm probably this offseason going to have to go back and make a new metric because we now have reached a tipping point in the NFL of quarterbacks who not just run or pass but also throw on the run, and now throw on the run and then go backwards about all these crazy things, and that just changes the way defenses have to play.
You.
Yes, we've seen in an uptick.
In efficiency from the Falcons defense in terms of generating more pressure.
They had two turnovers last week. Pick six is nonetheless.
However, when you have to be mindful of both the run and the pass, and the pass on the run, then it's not going to bode well for a defense that hasn't really been bringing a ton of heat all season long.
I just think Jaden Daniels his.
Ability to be so multiple, like triple, not just double, but multiple in so many ways is a little bit more overwhelming for that defense.
Yeah, it's a difficult spot for Michael Pennock Junior to come in and play this game, having just started one game, going up against Jade Daniels after a whole season for that rookie, and also this Commander's defense makes it very tough. I've got the Commanders winning by two twenty four to twenty two, because we can discuss the Falcons improvement on defense, but since Week seven, the Washington Commanders have the lowest completion percentage allowed in the entire NFL. They've forced all
these turnovers. You can see the way that dan Quinn has got this unit playing cohesively, getting pressure on thirty seven percent of their dropbacks. A real tough one for Michael pennockx junor to come in here and get a win and get a team into the playoffs.
Greg, all season long, I was fading this Falcons team. I didn't believe in him. I didn't trust the defense, I didn't trust the quarterback. And yet when it comes down to it, let's just Greg it up as a four point underdog take out Cynthia get into first place because we got the best rookie quarterback in that game.
Okay, maybe not, but Michael Pennox.
Look at last week and I think he has more talent around him. Watch some of these throws. He doesn't look like a normal rookie. The ball is out on time in rhythm outside the numbers to really good players like Drake London and Darnell Mooney. He also is supported by a terrific running game. I think Bajn Robinson is the best player in this entire game. And there's just
something different about this defense. So we're watching a lot of good Michael Pennix, he had some scrambles, that's not what he does best, but he ultimately is going to do enough at quarterback. And I think the team in Atlanta, at least by these eyes are different than they were the rest of the year.
I think they're a better team than the Commanders right now.
All right, the Falcons were able to leap frog the Bucks in the NFC South last week. Things did not go exactly as plan for Tampa. Monday night in Dallas, Panthers and Bucks Carolina is like Sir Perr frisky. They knocked the Cardinals out of the playoff contention last week. Do the Panthers shock the Bucks here? Great?
They do not.
I like the Bucks to bounce back. They need the game more twenty seven to twenty. I just trust that the Bucks have better defensive players like Vita Veya. I'm gonna use my time afforded to me just to watch display over and over.
It's Vita Van Coverage, watch out. I mean the way he closed ground here.
Backing up Jake Ferguson, can go win the game here?
No, it's Vita Via. I mean, they just they just better players.
And that's the sound that he makes every time he makes a tackle.
He just goes Vido vea.
Can you imagine how frightening that would be.
I want him and Coverage more.
Oh well, I like all that, and I even like Tampa Bay more than you. I have twenty eight to nineteen in this matchup. But I want to say something nice about Chewba Hubbard because he's had a great season. He's been forcing it a ton of mistackles, just like Bucky Irving.
In fact, both.
Running backs in this game are really nice surprises that we didn't have on our Bingo card ahead of the season. So you're still gonna want to play Tuba in fantasy. And here's some nice things that he's done. And I'm being mean to the Panthers in terms of the score, but I'm being nice to them in terms of talking about how Chuba Hubbard's done well. This season, So there we go. But both quarter are both running backs, excuse me in this matchup, big games from both of them.
I have a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win twenty five to twenty as well, So I guess I'm being mean to the Panthers. But twenty five is coincidentally the number of carries that Bucky Irving had against the Carolina Panthers the first time those two met. What did he do with them? He ran for one hundred and fifty two yards. He also had thirty three yards receiving in that game. I know Bryce and Carolina are playing very well that they'll have to accomplish a lot to play very well against
this Bucks defense. The Bucks it feels like they just have to hand the ball off to number seven in this one. So yes, it is a meme. Panthers fans, come get us, but we like you. We had you to win against the Dallas Cowboys. That didn't necessarily work out. The Cowboys and the Eagle ceed lamb out for the season. Jalen Hurts left last week's lost to the Commanders Philly hoping to have him back, not practicing up until Thursday. At the very least, do the Birds get back on track here, Cynthia.
Okay, so we have some if then scenarios. My answer is yes, the Birds get back on track. If you're looking at wins now, for the number in the win, I have twenty eight to seventeen. If Jalen Hurts plays, the number becomes only a four point difference if it's Kenny Pickett. So I'm interested to see who is going to be starting. I'm still I'm still holding out hope for Jalen Hurts here because of this man, Saquon Barkley,
and what he's been able to do. The opportunity to run against the Cowboys has been excellent all season long, start to finish, and this is now a situation where you're going to need Saquon Barkley to take over in it and maybe more goal line carries here. If it's not Jalen Hurts. I mean sometimes he gets down to the one and they just give it to Jalen Hurts
on the brotherly shove. But ultimately, the ability for Saquon Barkley to break tackles, for him to run to the outside, for him to run to the inside, really just target wherever the Cowboys defense is more than willing to not load the box, He's gonna run there.
If that's what he's been doing all season long.
That is a huge stabilizing force in this matchup along with the defense.
So there's a lot of uns certainty with the Eagles offense, but when the Eagles defense is on the field, that's the mismatch that I like. Zach Bond is a defensive Player of the Year candidate.
I've been trying to figure out whose defensive player there. I really don't know. It's not TJ. Watt. Just don't vote for TJ.
Watt.
Is it Miles Garrett?
Does it make sense?
Well, we don't have votes.
Me and Patrick john I votes.
You get file either.
I'm just saying the five you vote for five different guys. Zach Bond has made more game changing plays. A lot of the nation is going to be watching this game in the early window and they were the side of the ball and Zach Bond was part of it. I admit last week that really let them down against the Commanders. But each and every week he has made plays. I think he does it on Sunday and the defense gets the win.
Well, based on the befores and afters of having Michael Parsons and not maybe Micah gets a vote. I know I do have a three point Eagles win more if Jalen's able to somehow play. Hopefully he does. But we can discuss tendencies and abilities and all the things that actually matter to the game. But narratives are fun. And what we have in this situation offensive coordinator who was under a head coach who wanted to do things a
little bit different. He was a holdover from a previous staff and and so Mike McCarthy comes in and eventually it doesn't work out. The Cowboys have early seeds, late season, early playoff exits, and he goes to the Chargers, and now he finds his way back in the division. And now Kellen Moore could potentially be calling the plays with a backup quarterback against Mike McCarthy's backup quarterback. Revenge for the discarded off coordinator of the.
Eagles that look to the camera.
That it's what motivates Kellen Moore is going to try extra hard to call this game. It's the Seas the Season presented by Caesar Sportsbook and looking at the first touchdown score odds between rivals in the AFC East, the Jets and the Bills. Josh Allen, James Cook leading the way, Brees hal Khalil Shakir and DeVante Adams finishing things up in this matchup in the first touchdown score odds. Let's discuss the Jets and the Bills in Orchard Park Patriots
giving Buffalo a scare last week. Which Bills team shows up Sunday?
I think the team that cruises and they win thirty to twenty. I don't think it's close. They cover the number. The Jets have been playing better lately, but they're not tough upfront on defense. So when the Bills go heavy, and they like go in heavy formation more than any team in the league, they're just gonna run the ball down the Jets throw.
I know the weather might be an issue, it's not a problem.
This is a team full of mutters and James Cook, who runs so much like Dalvin Cook.
It's like their brothers.
I mean, I can't believe James Cook is right now about its good almost as good as Dalvin Cook was at prime. Like what a pair of brothers this team is. But yeah, I love what the Bills do. They go six offensive linemen, They have a lot of creative formations, but really they just kind of run the same plays over and.
Over and it really works well.
They're one of the toughest teams in the NFL to stop. Jets haven't been good stopping the run all year.
They lose big Well, I haven't even bigger win for the Bills than you twenty nine to seventeen. I have a twelve point when this is my most confident pick of the week in terms of who will win the game. But I want to talk about Christian Benford because over the past few games, we have seen areas where the secondary can get got as in we saw it against the Ramps, as in we saw it against the Lions, and we even saw it against the Patriots.
Although that was a little bit different.
But I will say, if you're trying to throw into Christian Benford's coverage, good luck, it isn't going to happen. The man has been excellent. Don't let where he was drafted fool you. He was the better pick in this draft. If you remember, they drafted a different corner in the first round. They doubled down with him in the late round, and now Christian Benford's the guy that you're going to
want to keep your eye on. So sure you can pass against this team, and I'm sure Aaron Rodgers will try, but not into Christian Bedford's coverage.
Well, I think a lot of it depends on who he decides to how Sean mcdummott decides to deploy Christian Benford Because when things aren't going well, and let's say you're at a job and your friends come in, maybe just slide in some more things your friend's way. Maybe some product leaves the door once your friends come in. And that's what's happened when has made his way to the Jets. I think they cover the number. The Bills win, but the Jets load up DeVante Adams with targets because
that's what's happened in the last four weeks. He's had forty eight of them in the last four weeks. The Bills do get Taylor wrapped back, not saying that they win, but I think Devonte gets the targets and the opportunity. But the Jets at the end are the Jets, and I think they lose to the Buffalo Bills. Here season Season is brought to you by Caesar Sportsbook. Bet just one dollar in double boost your next ten bets up to twenty five dollars. Terms and conditions do apply. Must
be twenty one or older. This weekend, we got a Saturday tripleheader exclusively on NFL Network Chargers Patriots at one Eastern, Broncos Bengals at four Eastern, Cardinals Rams at eight pm Eastern Saturday, December twenty eighth, only on NFL Network, Also streaming on NFL Plus, where a subscription is required for NFL Plus Premium. Let's discuss some player props for that
Saturday games, and it's time for more or less. We have, as his custom our foam fingers indicating more or less green, being more, red being less Greg.
Greg doesn't know which ones which because he's color.
Apologies to the community, but we'll try to differentiate there. Greg. Justin Herbert in the Charges more or less than one and a half passing touchdowns against your pier.
I mean, I know how to see powder blue. Let's go, Justin Herbert. I love watching you play, and I love you when you have a great matchup against this Patriots defense. They have not improved throughout the course of the season. I know Jonathan Jones is healthier Christian Gonzales good in the secondary, and yet you look at the numbers and they are one of the easiest teams to pass against each and every week. I just haven't seen any improvement. So justin Herbert over a touchdown and a half.
All right, let's go to the big playoff implication game. In the middle, Cynthia, Joe Burrow more or less than two hundred and seventy nine passing yards.
I'm gonna go with less in this matchup. Not because I don't think he's gonna play well, as you know, Patrick and I both have the Bengals winning, but I think that they're going to use the run a little bit more to try to get some of this pressure and some of the blitz away from Joe Burrow. He has been in a hit one hundred and five times this season. That is the most in the league. And he may not be taking his sacks, but that's a lot of pressure. So I'm not taking a bad game.
I'm just saying fewer than that many yards, all right.
I'm looking at that game as well. In Jamar Chase more or less than ninety three and a half receiving yards. I think it's more I think it's more and there was an opportunity late for not just for Jamar Chase to not be in the game against the Tennessee Titans, but to just be off the field rest up, trying to get this contract coming up. No, they're still throwing late passes to Jamar Chase. He scores a touchdown inside
of two minutes to go in that game. I think the volume gives us the opportunity for the guy that could be a triple Crown winner, like joining Cooper Cup, Jerry Rice, Steve Smith Sr. It's been we haven't had a lot of them. I think Jamar Chase joins that group at the end of the season. Greg Courtland Sutton more or less than five and a half reception.
That's a big number.
This passing game has been struggling a little bit lately. I'm going less on Courtland Sutton. I think he could hit a big play, maybe he.
Scores a touchdown.
But when you watch the Broncos and you look at their box scores, they're throwing it to Michael Burton and Vley and a bunch of other guys. They go Marvin Mims, it'll be seven to eight deep. So five and a half receptions is a lot for a low volume passing game. Courtland Sutton does not get it done against the Bengals.
Let's go to that night game on Saturday. Looking forward to it. The Arizona Cardinals in the Los Angeles Rams Cynthia Kyler Murray more or less than one and a half passing touchdowns?
Well, aren't I just a little piece of sunshine?
I have fewer than one and a.
Half passing touchdowns forecast for Kyler Murray in this matchup. While the Rams secondary can get gotten specific ways that front, especially with missing pieces along the O line. Yeah, I just don't think that. I don't think that that happens for Kyler Murray.
All right, last one for me, Pooka Nakua ninety and a half receiving yards more or less, I'll take more. Pooka missed out with an opportunity to play against the Arizona Cardinals. As Greg discussed earlier, that was not a great game for the Los Angeles Rams.
No.
Los Angeles Rams offense was frankly bad the passing game at the very least in MetLife. But Pooka Nakua is having a great stretch towards the end of the season, and I think Stafford gets some enough targets to get over ninety and a half receiving yards.
So that's been a while, but that was pretty good.
As Greg tries to hit the camera almost does there. I'll take one. Watch out, everybody. Brian's back there ducking and dodging. Foam fingers are coming up. Tua and the Fins still have a chance at the postseason. They just need a few chips to fall the right way, starting with their matchups Sunday against the Browns. Who's gonna win Dolphins or Browns? Will let you know.
After the I was like two of those three.
We're back on game day if you want. It's time for us to get into thick picks. Starting with the Colts and the Giants. Still a path to the post for Indy. Do they help that pass by getting a win or something.
They do what they can, they win twenty three to sixteen. I just want to talk about Jonathan Taylor for a second. He had a great opportunity last week, absolutely made the.
Most of it.
This week gets another great opportunity against a Giant's defense that has been pretty generous to opposing rushers, especially in specific spots where Jonathan Taylor wakes to run but don't beat not all a lost Tyron Tracy could have a good game too, so fantasy players don't forget to play him too.
Lock this one up.
I picked thirteen straight Colts games, correct, so we're gonna make it fourteen here.
This is a gimma.
WoT it is unanimously.
Locking it up? I already just it's locked.
Yeah. I hear the South in my head, the Dolphins and Brown's in Cleveland, the Finns still kind of the live. Do they take care of business over?
They do?
And I think they cover the number. It's twenty three to fourteen. I look for a revenge not a revenge game, but a squeaky wheel game for Tyreek Hill. He was coming off one of his worst games of his career. Some strange comments after the game, some speculation in Miami about Tyreek Hill's future drops the focus.
I don't know what's going on here.
He's not getting as open or the contested catches, and when he's the main story all week, and he's got a favorable matchup and it's not always easy against Cleveland. I just think they're gonna feed him and make sure Tyreek Hill has a bounce back game against the Browns.
Yeah, look, bounce on the floor.
No, you just don't see this too often out of Tyreek Hill. But last week was rough for him.
But yeah, the Browns still starting DTR it's not gonna happen for them.
Yeah, it's been a rough go for the Browns offense in this stretch, the Raiders and the Saints, somebody's got to win. It is gonna be I think the Raiders actually get the win here sixteen to thirteen. No, I don't expect a lot of points, but it feels like the Las Vegas Raiders are trying. The Saints are, of course trying to but a whole lot of injuries for them.
Let's just watch Aid and O'Connell operate. I would have loved to requested the scrambles in there, but there's only been before in his career, but they have come.
At least it is not zero.
Yeah, he's off of zero. He's making plays like this, Like once he got that scramble yard, he just had a taste for blood and could not be That was incredible.
I saw on Twitter an amazing comment about the ref having to scramble for more yards to get out of the way for him than anyways.
I thought, because you guys missed it last week, I just s gregged it up by creators because I knew that they were gonna fight hard, and I thought I'd get it done again. This is as disrespectful a memler as there has been Saints fans.
If you're out there, we did.
None of us picked you against eight O'Connell's Raiders at home.
I mean, you guys just watched that. Now O'Connell well AOC dealing right now. The last game in quick picks the Titans and Jags. Both teams are three and twelve this season. Who gets the very elusive fourth win?
I literally hated this one. In my model, I have the Jags twenty two to twenty. I believe I'm all alone. This might be a prime number for me, But Brian Thomas Junior is the difference maker in this.
Matchup for me.
I'm watching this rookie, another guy who should get some what what are you guys laughing at?
Oh?
The scores?
Yeah, sixteen to fifteen, seventeen to fourteen, y'all are crazy. Although the first matchup of this was the lowest scoring game in the entire season so far, with sixteen combined points.
I've got a bar. I've got like a barn burning.
You know, I'm laughing at the number. I've never seen minus point five.
You've never seen a half of Titans.
Jags could managed fire.
A minus point five. Like, No, I don't think I've ever seen that. That's amazing.
Good Thomas Junior, you're on my shore. If I had a list of five people for offensive Orgeer, you'd be honest.
He's my number three. I made a list just in case you're I do.
I've read a vote. He's talking to vote.
We're not allowed. We work for the NFL.
It's against the policy journalism for right down.
They never talk about that.
I'm I don't know how you know it has been talking.
It's never ever come up ever.
During the history of that illustrious show. Predictions for Week seventeen, gregs.
Okay, I'm on the comeback trail.
I hit my double pick last week, and so I'm going back with the same one again.
That always works.
Detroit Lions are going over their team total on Monday Night against the forty nine Ers. That's over twenty seven and a half points. I feel so good about that one. I did it last week, and they hit it in the first half. You didn't even have to sweat this week. I'm going back to Jamir Gibbs in terms of his scrimmage yards. He does it all over one hundred and twenty two and a half scrimmage yards.
This forty nine Ers.
Defense laying down just a little bit, giving up a lot of rushing yards to the Dolphins last week, and so I'm on the comeback trail. You combine these two picks and you have a great new year, feeling.
Good about it.
I would love it if that happens. One twenty two point five is a.
Lot of screen. We hit it last week.
We hit it last hilarious.
Yeah, I'm going a little bit more modest because you know what, a win's a wind doesn't matter. I'm saying that justin Herbert rushes for at least fourteen and a half yards more than that. Why because when I'm looking at this opportunity for him against the Patriots and to keep everything nice and predictable the way that his coach likes it.
His coach who's going.
To be wearing cleets out there on the field because that is what his coach does. I think he runs for at least fifteen yards.
Yeah, it feels it feels easy. It feels easy for Justin Herbert to do that. He's got so much talent, and at the start of the season it felt hard for Sam Laporta to get receptions. But we discussed this earlier in the show. He's got twenty four targets in the last three weeks, and the idea is that he might have less than forty six and a half receiving out on Monday Night Football in a revenge game where Greg says the Lions was gonna score six trillion points.
No way, I've got Sam Laporta getting past that number of forty eight and a half and me trying to fend off Greg taking two picks. I got to take two picks last week just to keep pace and staying there.
Now I'm well behind. We need to get a standings.
You guys are both doing great on your right the sounds, but I'm on the comeback trail.
Is that why you keep doing two?
Yes? Try to like there's term for that. That's when people may call it tilting. Greg is taking an advantage an opportunity to come back. We want you to come back and watch us here on game debut present of by Mercedes Beens next week. Thanks for spending your holiday season with us.
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