And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. What's up, everybody? Welcome to move the sticks.
DJ, Buck with you.
And by the looks of it, Buck, you are in the friendly confines of NFL studios. There. How you doing.
I mean, I'm good.
I've decided to get out of the home office one to get back into the studio. Have a little different energy, a little Bob. Because we're getting close to the playoffs. DJ, it matters, so you got to take our game. We gotta take the game up of notes.
Yeah, shoot, I'm gonna be in there. I'll be in there a week from today. And I don't know are you Are you scheduled? Are you going to be in there Monday?
I'm gonna have to check the schedule.
Artists and the artist formally known as black Monday. I don't know what we call it now. There's a new fancy term for it, but not a negative connotation. Sure, everybody's getting fired today, but let's not let's not make this a negative show. But that's yeah, is what it is. Le's out. Let's look at the playoffs and then, oh, by the way, there's all these guys that got fired let's talk about that as well. Anyways, well, Chance will
be together in studio next week. We've got a bunch of games to get to as well as I have a college topic I want to hit you on draft related as we get towards the end of the show here. But I want to start off first of all with a game that sets the stage for what will be I would imagine one of the biggest end of the year contests that you can ever remember, and that is the Minnesota Vikings holding off the Green Bay Packers. They won twenty seven to twenty five, which now sets up
a one or five game right next week. We've got Detroit welcoming in Minnesota. Winner. Congratulations the whole kitten Kabodle. You're the number one seed loser. Yeah, no home game for you. You're the five seed and you're going on the road next week. So the stage is set for next week.
But before we.
Get to that, Buck, what'd you think of this ballgame?
Man, the Minnesota Vikings. I will say this because that's to start with the quarterback. Like for so long we've touted on this show to three p's and how it's important to the success of the quarterback we talk about the play caller, the playmakers, and then the past protectors, and when I look at Sam Donald's success, it's just confirmation that that formula, that recipe remains true. When it comes up to quarterback play, Sam Donald looks like a
different player in Minnesota. Kevin O'Connell has done a really good job of setting him up for success, and watching the game with Tom Brady on the call, you see the subtle areas in which Sam Donald has improved the Minnesota Vikings, Like no one really talks about them being a legit title contender because there's just I guess waiting to exhale moment when it comes to Sam Donald. But DJ He's put up so many solid games consistently that I think you have to begin to think that this
team is legit. And we'll get a chance to see how legit they are next weekend.
Here's this theory. Give me your thoughts on this one, because I think the Packers have built one of the deepest rosters literally across the board. There's depth everywhere. They have so much depth on this team. But I just think like as we look forward and going into the postseason, I feel like depth can take a little bit of a back seat. It's always similar to baseball, right where it's about your front end.
Guys.
You don't need your four and five starters in the postseason. For baseball, it's whoever your top horses are. I'm watching this ball and I was like you, I said, had a chance to be home and actually on a Sunday and sit and watch an entire ballgame and listen to Brady. It was a fun watch. But I was just struck by the fact that, yeah, these are both really good teams, but one just has stars, Like there are stars in
Minnesota and Sam is quickly emerging into one. But I mean you just look around the field and they've got impact, impact dudes, especially on the offensive side.
Yeah, it's funny you talk about the star power because that's the difference between what I would say good and great.
I believe the Minnesota Vikings are a great team.
The Green Bay Packers are a good team, and when everyone is on the same page, yeah they can play great at times. But Minnesota is great, and they're great because of the star power on the outside, justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. I'm gonna save Jordan Adison is a star. That route that he ran for the touchdown that Sam dropped a dime on right there, that was star quality.
Then on defense, they have guys that play at a high level, the stars, and ultimately, in big games, in playoff games, your stars have to carry you over the threshold.
And when you look at the Minnesota Vikings, you can.
See a path to Super Bowl to the super Bowl because they have enough stars that can carry them over the threshold.
One thing, you know, looking at some of these clips, I'm reminded of what a incredible pivot by the entire organization. QUESSI leading the charge there. But when you lose Darrisaw, who's you know, one of the five best left tackles in the NFL, and they go to your Jags and they end up getting Cam Robinson buck I'd have to look at his contract to see. I think he's a free agent after this show. Is he's going to cash in?
He is going to cash in the way that he's played coming down the home stretch here.
Well, let me tell you what I learned about watching the Cam Robinson thing. And this is why we talk about environment. Culture is the buzzword that people talk about. People change in based on their environment. The environment in Minnesota is one that has maybe a little more accountability, Maybe the expectations are greater because this is a team
that is actually vying for a title. Cam Robinson has kind of risen to the level of expectation and his performance is certainly proved and he has given them a really high quality player at left tackle as a replacement. Now he's going to command major dollar. I think it's been a boom for his free agency status. He is going to make more money than he would have made if he had just finished the season in Jacksonville. But it's a lesson in terms of like high levels of accountability,
high standards that come with championship level teams. Man, they can bring out the best in some people because they demand more and they expect more from them.
Yeah. Mackay Beckton with the philadelph Eagles another one, you know, having kind of flamed out with the New York Jets, an organization that was a mess. I think there's lots of examples of that. It's a great point, you know, example of the culture. The video and the footage from the locker room in Minnesota after the ball believable. Like I'm not. I mean, I'm not exaggering like some goosebump
type stuff. You see just how how this team has you know, welcomed in Sam Donald embraced him, and you mentioned all the support on the field with the playmakers, the protection, the play colors, all those things, but just I mean, maybe the missing ingredient to there was just some love. I mean, this entire organization has loved on him. Kevin O'Connell uses that word love a lot. He used it when he was talking about Acres cam akers after
the ballgame. I just think, I don't know, if I don't know, if you can find You talked about Detroit being a model. You know, it's why it's going to be such a big game man coming up this next week. Detroit's model and also Minnesota in terms of the leadership, general manager, head coach, and the environment and the culture that's just brought these guys all together. It's pretty awesome.
It is pretty awesome.
DJ and we talk about like want and a half teams that operate at a championship level, and the thing that you're seeing from the top teams is there is an alignment from top to bottom, all the way down from ownership, to the management team, to the coaching staff. Everyone has the same set of values and that allows
everyone to kind of walk the same path together. And when I look at Minnesota and I look at how they're able to take these players in and how they play and perform with together, and how I'll say this, Kevin o connell doing a really good job of making it a player's first environment while also embracing the team. Sam Donald being hoisted on shoulders, all of that talks about. It speaks to the love and the just a caring
and consideration that these guys have for one another. The best teams are the most connected teams, and you can see the connectivity in the chemistry amongst the vikings when you see that little scene in the locker room.
Well, I'll get us to the second game on that thought, because what Washington has done and their transformation was on full display in the Sunday night ball game against Atlanta Falcons. A great game, and we'll get to Penix and a lot of the exciting things we saw from him, including just an absolute seed to extend this ball game. But Jayden Daniels with his arm, with his legs outstanding this team. I kind of look, I have to admit, hol you know, raise my hand up and say I was wrong about this.
They brought in so many of these older veterans, zach Ertz being one of them, and I was like, man, I don't know if there's anything left with some of these guys, you know, And turns out this is this is Adam Peters understanding the value having kind of these these culture guys and these kind of guys who just kind of raised the level of focus and intensity. And zach Ertz showed you in this ball game and a you know game you gotta have, they're still a little bit left in the tank as well.
Yeah, DJ, I think it comes down to relationships, and that might be the theme of twenty twenty four, the importance of relationships and team building. You think about zach Ertz and having spent time working and playing on the cliff Kingsburg so Kingsbury can vouch for him. You think about Bobby Wagner and Dorence Armstrong and some of the guys Dante Fowler coming over from the Dallas Cowboys because dan Quinn has a relationship with them. All of these
relationships are important because when you're bringing older guys. In sometimes it's about the talent. A lot of times it's about the teaching in terms of them teaching the younger guys how the culture is supposed to be, how you're supposed to prepare and play as professionals. All of that stuff goes. But let's be real, they knocked it out the park with the quarterback Jade and Daniels. The maturity, uh,
the leadership, the poise, the playmaking. All of that combined with the veteran leadership has had the Commanders reverse their fortunes in a quick turnaround.
On to Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.
Yeah, I mean we've seen some you know, awesome rookie performances at quarterback the last few years. I mean c J. Stroud last year was incredible what he accomplished, I would say with Jaden because of what he can bring with his legs. He's brought that same level of poise and like the low heartbeat in the passing game. But then oh yeah, by the way, he can run for hundred yards if you need him to.
Uh.
And on Keith third downs, you've got a playbook that's five inches thick, uh that you can go to including an under center quarterback Counter, which I hadn't know if I've ever seen that Bacon Bacon and around and they were in quarterback Counter. I was like, geez, but that's what you know. Like that play like that expands the playbook man.
He does explain the playbook, and Cliff Kingsbury has done a really good job of putting them in situations where they're able to run it. But I feel like, very similar to the way Lamar Jackson runs, I feel like all of the runs that Jayden takes on are kind of protected runs, meaning he always has a convoy with him, he always has an escort, or he's near the sideline and you don't really see him take a wicked shot. Lamar Jackson has a sixth sense when it comes to
not taking a big hit. Jayden Daniels has some of that, and I was worried about that watching him come out of LSU. Kingsbury at offensive to have done a really good job of really taking advantage of a I would say an underrated skill that he brought to the table is one of the reasons why the Commander's offense is really a headache to the fen and it's only going to get better as they continue to surround them with a level players.
Yeah, he took some blow up shots in college, blowing yard sale type shots, yes, yeah, taking those man. He And the other thing is I brought this up in the draft process was one of the things about that and I said it with Bryce Young too, because people were worried about his side and how we hold up. I'm like, look, I put clips together and showed all these huge shots that they took where they were no flags. In the SEC. I'm like, look, SEC is, you know,
has proven itself. It's been the best conference of the most players it is. It is a more physical brand of football in the SEC than it is in the NFL. People, that's that's crazy. They're bigger, faster, stronger than the NFL. Like, yeah, the referees, the officials don't protect them in the SEC like you get protected in the NFL. So a lot of those blow up shots he was taken, which would have been flags and in some cases maybe even injections
in the NFL. These NFL players are pros, they've been trained. They don't you don't get as many of those type of hits. So that's one thing. The other thing I would say, is this is going to age. Well, a lot of times you get quarterbacks that can run like Jayden. You're like, okay, well, once the legs go, what are you left with? No, no, no. He can win from the pocket, he
No?
can read things out, he can get it through progressions. This is just a nice bonus he has while he's young, and when he gets older, he's going to be able to beat you right in the cockpit. He's not gonna need his legs. So he's an exciting player, man.
The exciting player.
And you can see the many you can already envision the many iterations of the Commander's offense with him at quarterback. You can see them transitioning from what they're doing in the gun to being a more under center offense and using the stretched bootleg combination stuff as he gets older.
What we love, and.
We've said this because I think Brian Billikett has said that what I want is I want a quarterback who's athletic. I don't want necessarily an athlete who's playing quarterback. And there's a subtle difference in that because Jayden Daniels is a quarterback who can do all the things that you want to see from the pocket, but he gives you the bonus athleticism that allows you to utilize him in
the run game. That's the way the game is trending, and we're seeing more and more of those guys kind of make their way into the league and have a lot of success.
I'm gonna need the I'm gonna need our guys to go through the archive and find the exo of Pennix when he was coming out that I did when he was going to the draft, because the throw that he made against Texas in that semi final game, you remember, it was an end cut and it was like that ball I mean it had it was three feet off the ground. It was just an absolute seed. It was the same exact throw. It's a little different route, but the same exact throw in this one to tie the
ballgame late to Kyle Pitts. Where there's I mean that stuff to get excited about, because that is that is elite, leady, leady lead arm strength there from Pennix.
DJ And now I can say this is because I had a little preview.
The Jaguars played the Falcons in the preseason, and though Michael Pennick didn't play, you had a chance to see him work out and to just say, the ball spins differently, it jumps off his hand differently than Kirk Cousins. You could feel that and what I'll say like it was a late move to give him the starting job at this stage of the season, but you could see why they felt like it would give their offense more juice.
Welcome back to the party, Kyle Pits. Appreciate you showing up because Michael Pennix can get you the ball lick at Drake London, make him plays Oh, Donnielle Mooney gonna push it down the field to you.
And even though the.
Completion percentage wasn't exactly what you wanted, there are enough flashes for you to get excited about. If you're Atlanta Falcons fan and you feel an Atlanta Falcons coaching staff, there are some things that you can do to really take this offense to the next level.
With Michael PENNOCKX on the center.
Yeah, the exciting thing to me, and we talked about it previously, was you know they got a solid offensive line. Continue to invest in that because if you can, if you can give him protection and allow him to get the ball vertical down the field, and I'm talking about like I want you can run old school like nineteen nineties era come back. Yeah, fuck, you know back from well you remember that. I mean DJ he threw it like that last drive when they needed one. It was
a third and something. He threw like a fifteen yard comeback right on the boundary and I'm like, man, that's a smoking throw and having b Jon Robinson, like what it does is there's a comfort of always being able to run the football.
But it's also b Jon Robinson. He missed him on a slant and go.
And we talked about Bjon rob and being one of these seven h seven running backs that is a running back, but really he's a wide out on the perimeter. Like you can just see the imagination and the creativity that Zach Robinson wants to put on this playbook with the pieces that he has at his disposal, with this kind of quarterback available.
All Right, We've tracked down the XO book because I gotta I gotta show you this. Do you remember this, because I know you've seen this before, but I'm just watching this. These are these throws against Texas. So the first one is just that you know, deep post where he kind of puts a bunch of air underneath it. There's some examples of him moving around in the pocket. Again, this Texas game showed you kind of everything you needed. Then another absolute missile to Roma Donsday can drop the
ball in the bucket over the top. Yeah, just a beautiful ball. But this, this is the drive throw that we saw for the game winner. This is the exact same looking throw. Look at this throw, boom buck it's between it beats the it beats the help defender like it's just an absolute seed. It was the same exact thing.
So, I don't know.
I always find when you're watching these guys play an NFL field, then you're like, well, how does things translate? Well, I saw that exact same throw work in college, and I guess what it works in the NFL too.
Man, you talk about an exciting time to see some of these young quarterbacks, Jade and Daniels and those guys go at it, Jay and Daniels, Michael Pennix, seeing them play in a primetime game and really play up to expectation. Even though Michael Penix didn't have a lot of experience, I'm saying, man, the Atlanta fal.
Because you have to be excited about it.
You got to figure out a way to get into the postseason tournament because I want to see more of Michael Pennox in this offense.
This chance. We might have to wait, might have to wait for next year on that one, but it makes the off season a lot more fun.
No one.
You can build around him and then they'll move on from Kirk Cousins and see where he lands next. That win, by the way it gave, it helped clinch. I shouldn't say gave because that implies that the Rams didn't earn it. The Rams have played great football and now they can say that they are the champions of the NFC West.
They won kind of an ugly street fight game against Arizona Cardinals, but that win combined with what we saw in that game and wash and winning, now the Rams have won the NFC West nine and two since the bye week.
Book, you know, DJ, I want to stand up and give Sean McVay a standing ovation for the coaching job that he's done. The last two years, his teams have stumbled out the gate, but somehow he has been able to keep it together. This team started out one in four, had a losing record at the bye week, but he found a way to get them back on track. And I'm gonna say this, man, what They've won nine up their last eleven games, and they're doing it playing complimentary ball.
When we think about the Rams, it's quick to think about Matthew Stafford and Puka Naku and Cooper Cup, but it's really all of the pieces of the puzzle that are really working together. It's the running game being allowing them to control the game and manage the clock. Is Pookah and Cooper being able to make big plays when
they need it on third downs. It's Matthew Stafford being the playmaking quarterback that can win in the clutch, and then defensively, they're so opportunistic when it comes to making the clutch plays. This is a very difficult team to face, and I would say they may not have the highest selling of the playoff participants, but man, that floor, that
is a high floor. And if you don't play a solid game against the Rams, the Rams can knock you off because they've won so many of these one score games down the stretch.
Yeah, it's a dangerous It's a dangerous group for sure, and I'm excited to see Matthew Stafford in the postseason where he can just cut it loose. This was a game where defensively that took care of it. Did see some good things. By the way, I want to give Marvin Harrison some love. He did have it one of his better games. And what do you know, Bucket was on crossers and on the move, not asking him to gear down something he's not.
What a novel concept, big play, big big body guy. Let's speak cut him, Let's not stop and startom because that's not what they're ailing to do.
No, that's not him. But anyways, a nice, nice win for the Rams, and they are in the tournament, a team that will be a dangerous team to go up against for sure. All Right, that's a few ball games right there. We've got plenty more to get to. We'll get to that right after this, all right, buck not the most exciting division in the NFL with the NFC South, but Carolina Tampa Bay. I think there's reasons to be
excited for both ball clubs. Obviously more excited about Tampa when you look to score this thing forty eight to fourteen. But we still saw some good things from Bryce Young as he continues to play good football coming down the home stretch here. But let's stick with Tampa right back in the mix now due to Atlanta losing, they kind of control their fate. Now they just need to win
against the Saints. I would say that shouldn't be difficult, but you never know what can happen here when there puts them in And that's a team with Baker Mayfield playing lights out right now.
Playing lights out, and Bak is another case study in terms of quarterbacks and what quarterbacks need to be successful. When you think about Liam Cohen and what they've been able to build in Tampa Bay, you think about what they have around them. You have Mike Evans, you look a nice combo in the backfield with White and Irvin.
They have a lot of play around him. But let's also give him.
Credit for the way that he has really been able to flourish within this system. Less is more when it comes to Baker Mayfield. But when you throw for three hundred and fifty plus yards five touchdowns and you have the rhythm going like he hasn't. We have seen a Buccaneers team and an offense that look, it's kind of left for dead when Chris Godwin got hurt. They have continued to light it up, and a lot of it is due to the former number one overall pick playing like a Pro Bowl player.
Yeah, Buck Irving had some nice runs as well. I think he had four explosive runs in this game. So he continues to do his thing playing at a high level. I was curious and look this up just while you were talking there. So if you looked at the five quarterbacks leading the NFL in yards right now, Joe Burrow is number one. Let me pull it up again here, so you've got Joe Burrow is number one, obviously on
his original team. Baker Mayfield not his original team. Sam Darnold not his original team, Geno Smith not his original team, Jared Goff not his original team. So only one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of
yards is on his original team. So when we get ready for the draft coming up here in the spring, and we're looking at all these teams with quarterback needs and we're gonna lament the fact that this draft is not that deep, there is plenty to look at from an example standpoint of being able to hit on guys that sort of speak recycled through the program here.
Yeah, it's about finding the right fit, and you have to understand exactly what you're looking for, and you have to have an adaptable system that can work with various quarterbacks in terms of various playing styles and those things. Sam Donald and Baker Mayfield having success, to me goes all the way back to an old thing that used to be talked about in Green Bay when Rob Wolf was general manager and he learned it from Al Davis.
Anytime someone is drafted as high as Donald and Baker Mayfield were drafted, respectively, you always want to kick the tires on them because the draft status speaks to their pedigree, and the pedigree is about their talent and their potential. And you always give those guys multiple bykes at the apple because you're trying to find the right environment for that talent.
To fully flourish.
And for Baker Mayfield, he has found that in Tampa. Sam Donald has found that in Minnesota. But man, just because it doesn't work the first spot, the second or third spot could be the place where the talent finally matches with the scheme and allows him to kind of be the player that many of us Envision when we were doing the pre draft process.
Yeah, there's times you miss on guys and it's a talent thing, right, There's just times where you go, oh, man, you know what I didn't This guy just physically cannot make the throws. He physically can't stay healthy. You know, those are things where you're like, yeah, okay, I missed it. And the other times like, look, this guy's got ability,
but it's not working out. Those are the guys you want to try and you know, go find who guys who have had moments like Baker Mayfield in Cleveland had moments, Sam Donald had moments with the Jets. Like now, you go through that whole process early on you never had a moment, then you know, maybe you just missed on the talent and maybe that's somebody like Josh Rosen just kind of the league, just kind of flushed right out of the league. So but these guys that I all mentioned,
Gino had his moment. You look at golf. Obviously going to a Super Bowl showed you what he was capable of. But I think there is a formula there, talent and moments putting those together.
Absolutely, And I had an old scout used to talk about grade to flashes. Man, When guys flash and they pop on tape and they do it multiple times, like you got a grade in there, because that shows you that it can be done. Now, his job as the player is to do it over and over and over again. Your job as the executive, as the coach or whatever is to put them in a situation where they can repeat those flashes. We're seeing that with Baker Mayfield. It
has really worked for him in Tampa. And the thing about it, the mature version of Baker Mayfield gives you all of the stuff that you liked about him when he was coming out of Oklahoma, the confidence, the brashness, the boldness. But now he is doing it with emotional control, and he's also doing it while displaying the leadership that you love to see from your franchise quarterback.
No doubt, Buck. This would have been five six years ago, somewhere around there. I was living in Marietta, California, and there was a big high school playoff game that was right across the street from my house. I knew they had a quarterback that was kind of interesting that you know that was playing in the games. Like I'm gonna go watch this kid, just see what he is. So I go out there, I'm watching the game. I text David Shaw, who's the head coach at Stanford at the time.
I say, hey, are you on this this quarterback from Centennial. He's big, he's athletic, like he's impressive, and he's like, no, I think I think we have a shot at getting him. I think we have a shot at getting him. So, long story short, he does end up going to Stanford. Kind of lost tracking over the years, and then I'm just you know, I think I was watching the red zone at this time, and then all of a sudden, the Eagles popped on. I'm like, hey, it's Tanner McKee.
That's the kid that I that I watched in high school. I didn't even have totally forgot he was playing the Eagles, to be totally honest with you. Over the years got out there after Kenny Pickett got hurt and played quite well on a day where Saquon Barkley, you know, racks
up two thousand yards. I thought it was it was kind of cool to see the success of the run game, while also, you know, organizationally, it's a it's a little bit of a you know, it's a little bit of a proud moment when you're down to your third quarterback and you're not skipping a beat.
Yeah, that is that is great to see Tanner McKey.
I would say having been around Tanner McKey at the Nike opening he was on our team and watching him grow, and then watching him because you wouldn't see someone six ' six play in a system like Corona Centennial where sometimes they would run the quarterback, but he could do all of those things. And following his career at Stanford and watching him make his way to the league, you're very excited about the fact that he was QB three, but he could come in and have the success that he had.
For Saquon Barkley.
Man, this is everything that the Philadelphia Eagles could have hoped for when they look made the move to swipe their division rivals best player. Saquon Barkley comes in, puts up two thousand rushing yards and they still have a game to go. He does it while kind of taking over and becoming the centerpiece of this offense. We all wondered what he would look like behind a dominant offensive line. We have to wonder no more because he is in all timer when he's been able to play behind the
Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have to be excited about what Barkley is done. And you rest him up, you get him ready for the playoffs. Eagles offense looks good and their defense is also coming along.
All right, This is just a free piece of advice. Sit him next week. That chasing a record league, not a sixteen game league. That changes the value of some of these awards. And at the end of the records, at the end of the day, who cares two thousand yards? You got check that box. Get rested up. You have the number two seed. You're not gonna get a buy You're gonna have to turn and play. So no, put those dudes on ice. That would be mead Well.
I think they've already let us know that they're gonnaut him on ice because as soon as he got over to two thousand yard mark, here we go, come on ball cap. And I think it's smart because for the Eagles, Saquon Barkley is the one that really creates all the headache and heartbreak for defensive coordinators because you have to account for him because he can beat you on the ground. But now if you put too much attention on him. That's when Aj Brown and DeVante Smith can get off.
He is essential for an essential piece to the championship puzzle. That's why he has to be available in the postseason. No sa Kwan, no work in week eighteen will condition We'll do some other stuff. Get you on the staremaster, get you ready, but we won't see you again to the tournament starts.
I also want to mention one other connection in this game. We saw it in one of those clips. Kellen Moore on the sideline. Kellen Moore member with the Dallas Cowboys. Coach McCarthy wanted to take things over, so Kellen Moore goes. He goes to the Chargers, you know, up and down there, then comes to the Eagles. Now they are thirteen and three. He's got a two thousand yard rusher. He's shown that he can work with three different quarterbacks to find a way to get the job done. He's you know, he's
he's done a really, really good job. It was just interesting seeing him on the same column with the sideline playing against the Cowboys. That had to be a little bit of a sweet moment for him. As they clinched the number two seed.
Well give him credit also because DJ like the running game. Everyone always would talk about Kellen Moore in the passing game and the creative shifts and those things, and how he really helped Dak Prescott play well and that stuff. But the running game and his ability to adapt and to bring some things in that weren't really within his comfort zone. He has been able to find a way to unlock Jalen Hurst the last part of the season.
Getting back to the running game, what he was able to do with Sakwan bark and not only as a runner but as a receiver. The growth that he has shown, I think he puts some more shine back on his name.
As we began to.
Think about who could be available in the coaching carousel as a potential head coach.
Yeah, hey, Chicago Bears would be an interesting one there with Caleb. We'll see what happens. Some of these other jobs that could pop that have some young talented quarterbacks. Hopefully Kellen Moore, we'll get some looks there. Denver Cincinnati, what a game. I'll give you the scene. I'm on
the Chargers plane. We're flying back that long flight from New England, and that game is on the headrest, so we had we had live TV on this flight, so everybody in the whole plane is watching it, and you it's in a fun experience to be with a team who is somewhat impacted by this game, right because the Denver Broncos lose, that that is uh, you know, one to keep an eye on. But more importantly, it's Cincinnati winning.
Because Cincinnati now has everything to play for next week against Pittsburgh, they have a chance to still get into the postseason. So if somehow Cincinnati were to beat the Steelers next week and the Chargers beat the Raiders, the Chargers would go to the five seed instead of the six, which would mean going to Houston instead of potentially going to Baltimore. So anyway, I know you've been on those
planes too, Buck. It's always fun when you're on there and people are reacting in real time to something that could impact them.
Yeah, real time, and Joe Burrow certainly gave them a lot to react to. And DJ, I'm gonna say this and my little piece of advice to Mike run and Cincinnati Bengals, keep them both. You got to find a way to keep t Higgins and Jamar Chase and I know we don't like to commit so much money to one position, but man, when I just look at the combo and how good they are on.
Offense, no, not how good they are, how great.
They are on offensel O Burrow, T Higgins and Jamar Chase DJ We've talked about this sometimes. Man, you just want to be great on once out of the ball and you figure out the other side of the ball.
I know this.
I know if the Bengals can figure out how to start the season a little faster, their offense is good enough to get them into tournament and make them a pain in the neck to play, find a way to pay the money. T Higgins, Jamar Chase, both of those guys can go bokers at any point. And with Joe Burrow playing point guard, this team has a puncher's chance against anybody because the offense is that good.
Yeah, the challenge is going to be can you get in? And now you've got a Denver team that they lost this game, but they played well. Bo Nicks I thought was one of more impressive games. He made some unbelievable throws in this game. Excited to see, you know where he continues to go in his development. But next week they're going to play a Chiefs team that's gonna be sitting guys, So it's gonna be Bo Nicks up against
Carson Wentz and whoever else. Kansas City wants to roll out there for the Broncos to get into the postseason, which would be a heck of an accomplishment. Man, with these rookie quarterbacks finding their way into the postseason, Washington, if Knicks can get it done, put them in there as wells and Pennix is still there hanging around there as he's gotten that starting job. There a potential team. So I always think that's cool when you have young quarterbacks,
really young quarterbacks, and you're having some success. And I thought he played his butt off in that game.
He did, And I think the blueprint has been laid down about the kind of quarterbacks that you're looking for when it comes to early starters, guys who have played significant snaps as collegiance. We're seeing that they're able to transition fairly quickly into the NFL. It may not happen week one, but about week eight we're seeing them take on more. That's what we saw from Bownicks. We saw
it happened a little sooner for Jay and Daniels. It is exciting to see these young quarterbacks have success because DJ, a lot of times we beat people up in terms of ottest quarterback class isn't so good. I don't know, and this and that, But time and time again, some of these young quarterbacks are showing Hey, in the right environment, with the right coaching, they can have a lot of success.
I think experience is critical.
Though, Yeah, I think that's a great point.
Man.
Just how much have these guys seen and experienced. It's going to give you a definitely give you a leg up at the next level. All right, buck, it is time for cruising to victory, presented by Royal Caribbean. And this was a game I was at. The Chargers just absolutely mauled and hammered the New England Patriots. And that's another sign of a well coached team. And we said it about Jim Harball all year long. Beat the teams you're supposed to beat, and in this case, don't make it particularly close.
Yeah, don't mess around, go right to him. And it is very reminiscent of highest teams would take care of business at Michigan. The Chargers step into a team they're clearly better than, and they didn't mess around.
They were focused, they were locked in, and you saw it in.
The way they efficiently carved up the Patriots offensively. I can't say enough about Lab McConkie and Lab mccackiy having a thousand yards Lab McConkie just working people over. But it's also the other people in the past game that are able to get down. It's funny because you've seen it up close and personal. You've seen more talented Chargers teams not have the love of success that this team
is at. And a lot of it is Jim Harbaugh, the standards and expectations and the way that they're executing the game plan. Just a really good team, a really smart team that is playing well but playing within themselves when it comes to understanding who they are and how they need to play to win games.
And also JK. Dobbins being an X factor. I mean, he showed you kind of had his value getting him back in this ball game. I thought they might really ease him in, but they gave him a good load. He was physical, he ran well, he's excellent in pass protection. He catched the ball if you need him too out of the backfield getting him backs. Big Stone Smart is a name to keep an eye on, who they've used more and more as a tight end, you know, over the last month or so. He's helped provide some more
weaponry for Justin Herbert in this office offense. Darius Davis catches a touchdown second week in a row, who's got some real, real speed, you know, has found a role here. So I think with a first year coach with a new team, you know, and Jim Harball getting a chance to learn this roster, Greg Roman learning this roster, I think they're now getting to the point now where you're starting to see him Okay, they've figured out how to
use these guys and maximize what they do. And Justin Herbert this is a crazy thing, but he won't show it. I think he's playing as well as he ever has in terms of elevating the guys around him, not having those familiar faces that he's had for his entire career with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Eckler. But I've seen him lift all these guys up. The guy's not going to make the Pro Bowl, and I'm thinking about it
I was thinking about the day. I don't even know if Patrick Mahomes is going to make the Pro Bowl this year, because you're gonna have three quarterbacks. You've got Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen I would think are going to be the three, which is crazy to say because I think we would all agree Patrick Mahomes the best player in the NFL, and Justin Herbert's playing as well as he ever has. Long story short, the AFC quarterback situation is loaded.
It is loaded, and it is unfortunate that Justin Herbert won't make the Pro Bowl. But here's what I am sure he's willing to trade. The w's matter a lot more than the Pro Bowl nominations and burse and the fact that this team is winning and they're winning with him doing list and he had to do previously. It works for him, and I believe we talked about coaches and quarterbacks being married and how important that they compliment
one another. Justin Herbert is the perfect quarterback for Jim Harbaugh and the system.
He gets it.
Man, He's selfless, He's willing to put the team over his own individual agenda, and they are winning more because the quarterback. Doesn't matter how they get to the winner circle. He's just gonna do whatever he needs to get done to help this team get there.
Well buck the Buffalo Bills. I think that an inner squad game. I don't think never mind, Actually that was a real game. I thought they were just practicing against the Jets, but it turns out it was a real ball game. If you want to call it that a shellacking. Josh Allen didn't have to do much, just get in and get out of there. Are forty to fourteen over the Jets.
Man business as usual up in Buffalo, and Sean McDermott does a really good job of getting this team to embrace the blue collar approach that they have to follow.
To win games.
And even though you have an MVP candidate, MVP front runner and Josh Allen, this team is really one that has to play a certain way to be able to get it done. So it's impressive to watch them not only make six straight playoff appearances, win the division five straight times, but the way they're able to dismantle the Jets, and I would say a very workmanlike fashion. Josh Allen didn't have it crazy day, had three total touchdowns, but continues to just kind of drive the ship the way
that he needs to do it. This team is solid, man, This solid all around. And it's gonna be so fun to watch the playoffs because in the AFC, man the quarterback play is about as good as it gets and Josh Allen is one of those guys that deserves credit for it.
Yeah, and the fact that they're locked into the two chill, you have no buy, so just chill, rest everybody up, and get ready for the following week. I would think that has to be the plan.
That has to be planning.
I will say this though, they do not want the Cincinnati Bengals to get in there, just because like having to vanquished the Demons.
Cincinnati's got so in that if they're coming, that's up to the Chiefs to decide that. The Chiefs have to decide whether they'd rather have the Bills in or where they have, you know, potentially a team that could beat the Bills. The Bengals could go in there and beat the Bills. Maybe they could you know, eliminate the Bills. Or they could be saying, well, well then what's our where we gotta face Joe Burrow I don't know that
I want that. So the Chiefs got a lot of say so, and who say is going to be absolutely all right? Colts, Giants. Giants said first overall pick, not interested, We'll go ahead and take this one. Malik Neighbors went off. I think you get five explosives and some of them will quick hitters, run after catch. He's dynamic, He's going to be a fun It's going to be a fun toy for whoever's playing quarterback for this team next year.
But whoever's playing quarterback for this team next year might not be, you know, one of those top quarterbacks depending on how the draft shakes out. But they fall I believe, from one to four now in terms of draft pick. And then on the other side of it, the Indianapolis Colts, they're done. They are out. No postseason for them. A team that's stuck in the middle. Buck, I don't know what else to say. I mean, they're just kind of mired and myriad mediocrity right now.
Yeah, they're stuck in the middle of First, I want touch on the Giants thing, and I think everyone has to understand coaches and players, man, they don't worry about those draft picks. Man, you're Brian dave Ball and you've gone with ten eleven weeks without winning a game.
You just want to get a win.
And I think what his postgame comment said and revealed it is telling. He talked about, man, when you get good quarterback play, you always have a chance to win. And so Drew Locke played well. It gave the Giants a chance to win. You can say the same thing and reverse. In terms of the Indianapolis Coast, they put a lot of their hopes and dreams into the Anthony Richardson basket and they haven't been rewarded for going all in on a talented prospect who's not quite a polished player.
And they have to make a decision on how can they go forward with Anthony Richardson at quarterback?
How can they get them going?
Because when I look at the roster, I look at the team, the team is solid enough to be a perennial playoff team, but they not good enough at quarterback yet. Uh, that's gonna be the mission in the offseason. Can they get Anthony Richardson ready to play if he's going to continue to be QB one, or are they gonna have to find someone else? That can give him a little competition for the QB one job.
I also think Drew Locke, he kind of enters into that conversation. We talked about right tools and flashes. He's got tools, He's shown us flashes. He's the maybe maybe he's a bridge quarterback for next year as you bring in a young guy and and who knows, maybe he
catches lightning in a bottle like Sam Donald did. But that, uh, that to me is someone that if you're going to have a bridge QB, I kind of like the idea of somebody who's being young but has done something in this league, has some accomplishments and some ability, which gives you credibility inside the locker room, and when you're meeting with your offense there they take you seriously.
Yeah.
Look, he's always one of my favorites. Says meet him as a as a teenager, put the backpack. He got a little swagger, he was able to put it together. But I think he got the memo, Hey, the offense is a lot better when number one touches the ball early.
At offense.
Let's make sure the ball goes to number one and I look like a much better player. And the team looks much better when Malie Napers is doing his thing on the perimeter.
No doubt. Happy for Drew Locke, He's a nice kid. Miami Cleveland not a pretty game here, twenty to three Dolphins. I mean everybody I was laughing because everybody's clamoring for Jamis. They're like, look, and that's why. And that's my phrase that I've always had buck, which is, hey can't be bad and boring, no fun. You can be good and boring, but you can't be bad and boring. And without Jos out there, extremely boring as well as bad.
I mean, he gave you look, he'll throw you in it, he'll throw you out of it. But the one thing he's going to do, he's gonna keep throwing it. And this offense has more juice when Jameis Winston is there. I think the bigger news that came out is the contract restructure that they're going to do for the Shawn Watson that guarantees that he's going to be there in
twenty twenty five. The Cleveland Browns at a crossroads because how do they figure out how to build the team and get this team back up and running with the quarterback who hasn't played great for them while he's in there off injured, inconsistent, But they're really still trying to hitch their wagon to them. How do they do it? How do they pull it on? And how do they have a backup plan? What is playing B? If Deshaun Watson doesn't play well next year? What is playing B?
Can you get a young quarterback to challenge him? A lot of questions, a lot of things that have to be resolved in the off season for the Cleveland Browns.
As of right now, the Cleveland Browns hold the third pick, so they could stick and pick and potentially maybe get a quarterback, or you want to get Froggy. Thew England Patriots up there with the first overall pick, who already have a quarterback, so they're in strike one distance. They if they love, if they love somebody, you know, I don't know this class has one of those guys. For me, it's cam ord As we sit right now as the
top guy. But the hard thing would be, gosh, you want to pair up Deshaun Watson with a cheap started, but you also, just because of how much money you have in that position, you don't want to forfeit draft picks because you need more cheap starters to go along with that, which is going to lead us to having the inevitable offseason discussion about what do they do with Miles Garrett. But that's another topic for another day. We save that one file that one away, Buck, We'll have
that conversation a little on down the road. It's time for Monday Night Football preview, Buck. In this one, we have really a tail of two seasons here. The forty nine Ers, anything that's gone wrong has gone wrong, and the Detroit Lions everything has gone quite well. Everything in front of them right now holding the number one seed. If they can win this ballgame beat a very very tough opponent next week in the Minnesota Vikings, they would be the number one seed in the NFC.
No a lot of in front, a lot of stake in this game, I mean not really a lot of state, because next week we'll determine whether you win and secure the number one seed or not. But this still has to have like a little personal thing for the Detroit Lions. I felt like they gave away a game last YEARNFC Championship game where they were dominating the forty nine Ers,
early and didn't finish it. I think it's very easy for Danny Campbell to get his team motivated to kick a team while they're down, and they have an opportunity to kick the Niners while they're down and sharpen their tubs to get ready for a tough postseason gauntlet. Look for the Lions to play well, but also look for them to see how they can expand what they're doing without having all their weapons available, maybe early in the postseason, particularly David Montgomery.
Let's see how they get Jamiir Gibbs involved.
Let's see how they continue to lighten the load maybe on him, We'll get some others involved in a running game. We know where they can do in the passing attack. But the Detroit Lions are really special because they've been able to run the ball effectively with two backs. How do they make up for what is lost when David Montgomery's on the sideline?
Yeah, I would say for another team, another coach, maybe you almost kind of use this as a mini bye week to get ready for next week, considering, no matter what happens in this one, you still control everything going into that matchup against Minnesota. But and it's a short week, you lose a day. I just don't think Dan Campbell's wired that way, So I do not see that happen.
I see them putting their best foot forward, see if they can jump on the forty nine ers early in this ballgame, and maybe you can get some rest on the back end of it. But a game that, to me, everything does point towards the Detroit Lions keeping that momentum alive. One other topic I wanted to hit you on before we get out of here, because I was, you know, traveling, you know, doing the charging game and traveling long flight home, and I'm on the flight and I'm like seeing cam
Ward trending and I'm looking at people losing their minds. Yeah, because he did not play in the second half of a ball game. He tore it up in the first half in their bowl game, doesn't play in the second half, they go on to lose. It doesn't sound like Mario Cristobal did him any favors by not really giving an answer after the game on whether this was the plan or not. I don't know all the particulars in terms
of it was this communicated ahead of time. I'm imagining it was that there was you know, there was a decision made there collectively. But my point was, teams do not care. I'm constantly talking and texting with general managers about this kind of stuff, had these conversations at bazillion times. I said, play a quarter, play a half, don't play that.
It's not gonna move you up or down the draft board one time and then everybody loses their minds and I said, you know, well, okay, well then insert Christian McCaffrey's name. Were the one hundred plus guys that have skipped Bowl games, including I don't know, I'm guessing there's there's fifty of them in this year's of Bowl games that aren't playing. So the fact that he played a half, like, oh, it just looks bad. He played half of a game and then left. And I'm like, teams don't care.
They don't care, you know, DJ Like, to me, the outrage is so crazy, like he gave you a half. Most guys that are not playing in the playoffs, he gave you a half. He put it out there for half. And if he plays in the second half and he gets hurt, then everyone's will say, oh, Marie Chris the balsh and that play him should have pulled him.
He should have kept his shit.
You can't be right when it comes to these conversations that you're having on X. When it relates to cam Ward, cam Ward did the masalid he to me, it is like a preseason game. In a preseason game, you get a chance to see a half the look. Put it on your hat, pop off your pads, let the young guys play. There's nothing that was going to change Miami's trajectory if cam Ward plays this. They went to pop Tar Bowl and what nothing. You don't get anything out
of it. There's no crystal ball that you're getting at the end for winning the title. So cam Ward didn't more than enough for me. In fact, I would say that he took advantage of an opportunity because on a day when he played and Shador Sanders played, you had an opportunity to do a comparative analysis. And the impressive flashes that cam Ward put on in the first half certainly resonates because that's the lasting impression that evaluators will have until we get to the combat.
You know what, Hey, I tore my achilles. I can't do anything in the spring. I might miss the beginning of next year, but I got a toaster trophy, so it was worth it. Stop it doesn't stop, I think, I don't what are we're doing outrage?
I really it doesn't. It doesn't really.
Make a spring game. People have divorced them, and you know who it is. It's the people that are our age in a little bit older, who grew up where these bowl games mattered and they mean something and it was a big deal. It's not. It's not the same. Stop looking at the world through the lens of the nineties. This is not what that is anymore. This is a glorified spring game. In fact, somebody brought up a great
point which I would sign on right now. Is that your reward, like for how you finished this year for if you're not in the playoff, those bowl games were not playing them. Now those are going to be the kickoff games for next year. So we still have the bowl money, everybody still gets all their money, but that will be your opening game which will count next year, and it would be a huge like neutral site game every like what a way to like like launch the
college football season. Then it would be a meaningful game. These games at the end of the year outside the playoff, they mean nothing, and I'm gonna hear, oh you just you. It doesn't it doesn't matter. It's a spring game. It's a spring game. That's all it is.
It is what it is.
You have to be adapt will. If anything, it's a launching point for spring ball because you have the young guys their early enrollies, get a chance to practice with the team they babe and get a chance to play in the game and do all the other stuff. You get to play the young guys and then the way you depending on how you set up your calendar for spring ball, DJ, you're able to get four weeks of work, take maybe another six to eight weeks off, get back
to spring ball February March, continue on. I mean like this is part of the development plan for elite programs. Don't make too much of it, like a scals. No one cares. We don't care. It's fine. He played, he played a half. I got a chance to see him again. But if I like cam Ward, there's nothing that he did and walking off the field that made me not like him. If I like the talent, I like what he's shown throughout his career in his time at Miami, I'm good with cam.
Ward and that beings said, I respect Dion's approach that he took, which was our guys are gonna play and he set that tone from the top and they had, you know, a culture change there, and that was the message he wanted to send, including with his son and Travis Hunter. Now they got their breaks beat off him by Kloni Sataki and by you whoa man. That was
not fun. But that being said, I don't think Schudor drops a spot for having not played well in a bowl game that didn't carry a lot of significance as much as I don't think cam Wore drops the spot for bowing out. That's just my two cents buck.
No, man, I looked the outrage.
I was like, I can't believe, but I feel like this where we're at right now, DJ like people mad about the college football playoff oh.
In the nas munition they got here, Like, hey, man.
Can we just enjoy the fact that we got ball At this time of the year, we will see some of these top games. It is what it is like, just enjoyed. I don't know why we can't enjoy the good things. We always have to pick it apart. I'm fine with all of it.
No, now the college football playoff. You don't see guys bowing out. Those are meaningful games and games that we will recap right here on move the sticks. Appreciate you guys hanging with us. Tons more coming your way as we get to the good time of the year, College football playoffs, NFL playoffs, it's the good stuff. We'll take care of you right here under the sticks.