The volume.
Our divisional reaction is presented by Uber Eats. Get game day deals all season long on uber Eat. All Right, here we go, Let's chop it up for over an hour. John Middlecoff, former NFL scout, has his own podcasts Three and Out and twenty seven to twenty five Bills Win. I had a three and oh weekend, which is rare because I've been awful this year. Listen, I feel so bad for Mark Andrews. Who's I just think he's a
tremendous player. I remember in Oklahoma, I thought that fumble felt, I mean to me, for Baltimore come back down and score and have a chance to tie it. After that fumble by Mark Andrews. Then the drop by Mark Andrews which he catches ninety nine out of one hundred times, before we get into Lamar. This has been one of my favorite tight ends in the league. I thought that fumble forgets to drop. I thought the fumble it felt like Buffalo didn't score until he got a field goal.
I think in some of my notes here, somewhere in the third quarter, I thought the fumble really sucked the emotion out of Baltimore.
Yeah, I think Romo had mentioned it. They had scored on it essentially three straight drives, one of them was a kneel down at the end of the half. But Buffalo couldn't stop them. I mean, the game had kind of shifted. Lamar had settled down. They were running the ball right down their throat. That was I think we saw tonight and we saw last night. The games were different because obviously this was much lower scoring than the
Commander game. You can't turn the ball over at the rates in which the Lions and the Ravens did and lose and win the game. It can't. This is not basketball or baseball where it's a seven or five game series. You your margin for air in a sixty minute game. In a half, you could lose a game in a half. Yeah, And I honestly I thought when he threw the interception and the fumble in the first half, I'm like, I don't know if they can overcome that. But the Rave
have a good defense. They settled down, they started stopping Josh Brady started kind of calling some lateral plays. But that Andrews, I'm with you, Mark Andrews is a stud. Yeah, I mean for him to have that fumble and that drop. It's hard to shake. I mean, that's kind of because the goat of the moment.
Yeah, I mean Lamar is gonna take the heat because he had a multiple turnover game. I mean, Buffalo, I think had one penalty and no turnovers. But it was also the fumble that von Miller picked up, and so it was just you know, Mark Andrews drop, the Mark Andrews fumble, the fumble that von Miller takes in. I thought Lamar played well enough. Obviously one awful pick. I
thought he played well enough to win. Hell, if Mark Andrews catches it, I would not want to play Baltimore in overtime because I thought they'd seize momentum in the second half. So I think Lamar will get tagged for it. But I you know, like I'm not blaming C. J. Stroud for the loss in can City. The Texan special teams were awful. They were like collegiate goff, he can take the hit. I thought Lamar wasn't as good as
Josh Allen did. One of the takeaways for me was they really they didn't ask Josh to do a lot in this game. It was a lot of passes to the backfield, I thought they came in they didn't want it to be a Lamar versus Josh. I think they looked at the film and thought we can kind of death by a thousand cuts. They didn't ask him to make big throws much.
To me, this is a coaching loss for the Ravens, just like it was last year against the Chiefs. It feels like when they played last year Mahomes and they played Josh to night. They're obsessed with trying to prove he could pass early in the game. It's like you have the Shaquille O'Neal of running backs who as they started running as the game went on, it's like, why
don't you do this? And then what happened on the two point time the first time they passed, As they ran it right down their throats, It's like, why wouldn't you just hand it to him again? But you hit it on the nail on the head. I thought that this game felt like what the Steelers and Ravens used to feel like. Right It's like, Okay, the Buffalo Bill said we're gonna be as tough as you, and sometimes
that doesn't work for a pass heavy team. We've seen it with Ohio State against Michigan, and I thought the first half, on their first drive of the game, they ran it right down the Ravens throats who their strength is their run defense. It's like, whoa, they are not intimidated. We know Josh can run, but how good were their running backs? Their You know their line is not gonna look like Saquon Barkley or anything in terms of yardage.
But I thought James Cook was fantastic. The data was fantastic, was awesome, and it sets the tone in these games, like this game was not gonna be like last night. It was gonna be lower scoring. Every yard mattered, every first down mattered. And Sean McDermott deserves credit because his team came in physically ready to match the Ravens, who I think we all would have said are the more physical team, right.
Yeah, No, I think Davis. By the way, if you go read the life story of Davis, that running back to backup running back who is a big, strong kid. It's his life is remarkable. He's bounced around and it's so easy to guy to root for. But I wrote this down. I think Buffalo has a much better offensive line than people give them credit for. Now We know Philadelphia and Detroit feel like two of the best old lines in a decade, kind of like that cowboy line
dak inherited when he was really young. But I think Buffalo's old line and now again we know Dion Dawkins is excellent left tackle, but I thought there were you know, one of the only times they failed to me was on that chance to wrap it up and Josh Allen got stuffed near the goal line in the fourth quarter. That was one of the only times where I thought, being a shotgun, there didn't and don't I just don't. So that was one of the few and he almost tried to later all it, but that was one of
those that was one of those where they got stuffed. Listen, Sean McDermott is a little like Doc Rivers. We know he's good enough coach, and Doc ended up with a title. But I find myself really wanting Buffalo to get to a Super Bowl because it's like we all know Lamar Jackson's a really special quarterback, but it's hard when Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are in their prime and one of them's got Andy Reid. It's like and by the way, Kansas City and Buffalo may have the two best front
offices in the NFL, along with Detroit. When it comes to drafting, Rams are pretty good as well.
So I.
My takeaway today, I liked Sean McDermott and Buffalo's game plan. I like how they created They were physical early. They didn't ask Josh to be superman. It's almost like they prepared a game plan John expecting whether to be worse than it was.
The one thing they're going to go back to Lamar about running. It's one thing to run into mahomes when you lose to Josh Allen in this moment, I get it was on the road and you have multiple turnovers, and I will defend his overall play. He was much better today than he was in that AFC Championship game. Yeah, but you get to the point where if he ends up with this MVP and you and I both I think are on the same page here. I don't actually care about awards. You win three MVPs, you're on a
short list of guys in this league. You kind of become the James Harden of football really fast. And you know, I saw on Twitter this is his fourth game in the playoffs where he has multiple turnovers, yes, and that those are type things that listen the interception. You could have an interception and then you can have that interception right right. It was like Jared Goff's pick six. It's like, Jared,
where are you throwing this? That. It's one thing to have a ball tipped or you know, a dB just make an incredible play that when you hit guys in the bread basket, it's like that can't happen. And then the fumble, it's like you're trying to do too much. Sometimes you got to learn to go down. I mean that was a big deal with Josh and I did not turn the ball over. They actually played the game
like you said, Like I thought the Raven. I had the bills tonight and I had a decent amount of money on it, and I got nervous as they started running. I was like, why don't they just run it NonStop? Because the bills are not built to stop them. But sometimes it feels like, no, we have to prove final drive.
Totally get it. But in the EBB and flow of a game, when it's fourteen to seven or fourteen to ten, it's like, guys, your great strength right now is you have this Earl Campbell Walter Payton player in the prime of his career, and your quarterback is, I don't know, the greatest runner in the history of the league. Don't call pass plays. I don't know if it's Monken, I don't know if it's Lamar, combination of them both. I would have ran it. They did it against the Steelers
fifty times. I never would have called pass plays until I absolutely had to.
Like the end of the game, Yeah, in the third quarter they had that Derrick Henry run, Justice Hill run, Derrick Henry run than Derreck Henry for the touchdown. They had sixty eight rushing yards on that one drive in the third and you're like, yeah, that's who they are. By the way, again, the Bills prepared like it was gonna be a blizzard. They only passed the ball seven times with Josh Allen in the first half. I just felt like, I felt like Baltimore. I felt like I
got to give Sean McDermott credit. They came in with a plan. They're like, we're going to create physicality. We believe we can run on them.
We're not.
We don't know what The weather could get worse than we predict and you know, Josh did his Superman stuff. But I really got to give McDermott credit. I thought it would what do they have one penalty? No turnovers? You know, and even when Mark Andrews dropped that they still had time left on the clock. I mean that, like a minute thirty left on the clock. It felt a little like a Kansas City game where I kind of just felt I really did John.
It's easy in hindsight to say this. I had Buffalo too.
I I really thought Buffalo the entire day was going to win the game. And I know a lot of people thought early, you know, here comes Buffalo, They're more physical. But I just liked their game plan. I thought the Bills were really focused, laser focused on what they tried to accomplish.
Well. I think last week when we talked, I said, you know, I I think this is going to be a tough matchup for the Bills because the Ravens are so good against the run, and obviously, the I would say separating factor this year than in years past and even at the end of last year is James Cook. And it's just like it's not easy to run it against these guys, and they can run it against you, and it's like it becomes a time of possession deal.
First drive of the game, the Bills had a lot After the Ravens went right down the field and scored, You're like, okay, this is going to be a shootout. The Bills went they had nine carries for thirty six yards on that touchdown drive, and it was like, Okay, this feels like a Hardbob brother in Sean McDermott, like I'm here for the fight.
Yeah.
I think the Bills, remember when they've lost to Cincinnati and they've lost to Kansas City in the past, it's like they're not quite tough enough. And listen, personnel wise, they're not as tough just because they don't have the bodies as the Ravens, but mentally and the way they showed up with the game plan. They showed up to play like that, and I think that really benefited them as the game went on.
Yeah, I feel bad Lamar's gonna take the hit. But on that Von Miller play, it was a really bad in bad weather. That's a tough snap.
He was dramatically better than years past and flops. He wasn't a couple bad plays, but overall, I thought he was pretty damn good that final drive. It was like he looked like mid season Lamar.
Yeah.
So I mean, listen, Kansas City Buffalo is I think what most of us. I mean, I do think Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, I think we can say this now. And I feel bad for Joe Burrow. They had to sell naming rights to pay him. It is an antiplated front office. I mean, it's really sad, and Tobin the GM is kind of a powerless guy. So the Chiefs are minus one and a half against the Bills. I'll take Buffalo plus one and a half. I took Buffalo plus one and a half today. I think Buffalo is
going to go into Arrowhead and win. They're they're pretty healthy. Boy Milano again making nice plays. You know that guy doesn't get a ton of credit football. People know he made a couple of big plays near the goal line tonight. So I think it's been established obviously where you land matters, and you know Brady got Belichick and Joe Montana got Bill Walsh. But that's just the way it works. I think Josh Allen, Mahomes to me, John have separated themselves as the best two quarterbacks.
In the league.
I like Joe Burrow a lot, but he gets hurt and that's you know, genetics are what they are. You get hurt, it's part of your legacy. And then I think the next tier of quarterbacks after those two starts with Joe Burrow and Jaden Daniels may be right behind him. We'll get to that later in the podcast. But I kind of feel like I've watched these NFC teams, John, I do not believe. I think Kansas City and Buffalo are going to win the Super Bowl. One of those two.
I just don't think Philadelphia has buttoned up. I think Washington season well, and if it doesn't, they're just not talented enough.
Agree or disagree, totally agree. This game feels like forty nine ers Cowboy. He's nineteen ninety three at Arrowhead and listen, the Chiefs are my people. I probably wouldn't be sitting here with you if it wasn't for them. I do think this is the Bill's year. I think the Bills are gonna win next week, and I think they're gonna win the super Bowl. And you know, for one year when I was with Philadelphia, Sean was there and he's
just I mean, he's a really really impressive guy. I think he's become a really good head coach, and he hired the right coordinator. I mean, going from Dorsey to Joe Brady has changed their offense. But let's be real about this. The Bills. You know, if you look back when I was younger, Manning Brady was a rivalry. But up until six oh seven, Manning could not beat him and Brady at three Super Bowls. That's kind of what this feels like. This Lamar Mahomes is not a rivalry.
This is the third time in recent memory and the Bills have lost these games like last year the overtime game where they went three plays and fifty yards or whatever. But this is the game. It's Josh vers Moms and listen, you could make the argument because of the last lack of play off success, we got to reorder this is it goes Mahomes, Josh, then Joe Burrow and then Lamar Jackson. And the one thing and you just mentioned about Joe Burrow,
he does not have the infrastructure that Lamar has. I mean the team that he took to the Super Bowl and went toe to toe with Mahomes in the other playoff game that he lost in the AFC Championship game, Like I'm sorry, Like he's just accomplished way more now. I think, you know, I used the NBA comps sometimes, like James Harden or Joel Embiid in that individual sport. I would much rather have Lamar in football than if I was in basketball and have one of those guys.
So I and I think big picture, right, I still think the Ravens can win a Super Bowl. But as we sit here in twenty twenty five, like it's been a pretty big letdown given a guy that I mean, the guy could have like four MVPs and he easily could get his third. So it's this is tough. But the Ravens put themselves in this position having to go on the road. They lost a terrible game to Cleveland the second week to the Raiders. That first half against the Chiefs, they didn't play very well. I mean that
Raiders loss was really really bad. So I mean the Ravens and John Arbob put himself in this position.
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It's time to look at this weekend's tastiest matchup and this week's Sunday Night food ball, brought to you by Uber Eats. Philadelphia going to the NFC Championship against Washington again. We'll get the Jade and Daniels later. Philadelphia twenty eight, Rams twenty two. It was thirteen to ten Philly at half, closer than I thought, and I'll give the Rams credit.
I still feel there are about four players away. I think again like I felt last year, they're just incredibly coached, smartly quarterbacked, a little pooka reliant Kyron Williams again, a big fumble, he doesn't he fumbles too much. Remember cam Akers, they shipped him out of town. He fumbled too much. I feel like Kiron Williams is getting that point where he's fumbling in big games. But Philadelphia, Jalen Carter was spectacular.
Saquon Barkley was spectacular. And when I watched Philadelphia, I mean, they have the best interior D lineman in the league along with Chris Jones. They have the best running back in the league along with McCaffrey, who's hurt. It just this team is not led by Jalen Hurts. And it's not a knock. I just feel like it's their physicality on that defensive front. I feel like it's these young corners. You know I was thinking about this was Saquon Barkley.
I always root for great players to play with great teams, Lebron to Miami, OTAWNI needed to be a Dodger or a Yankee, not an Angel, and I look at Saquon Barkley and he was just too damn good to be stuck in a circus in New York. Now, he maybe he doesn't rise to Otawi or Lebron, but I will say this, I really believe this. Just in terms of jumping over people. Remember when he jumped over that player backwards John. He is on a short list of the
best running backs I've ever seen. Maybe He's not Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. Maybe he doesn't have the dexterity at Christian McCaffrey. John He's one of the five or six seminal running backs I've seen in my life. In terms of just talent, I think he's sensational.
Yeah, I mean I think in recent memory, just as a pure runner between the tackles. When you talk about vision, power and speed, I think he's got to be on the short list with Derrick Henry and Adrian Peterson, who are too low Hall of famers. The difference is Adrian Peterson got to play some pretty good teams in Minnesota, and obviously Derek Henry had vrabel the Titans, and now he has the Ravens. I thought today and I said this,
I did a quick reaction after that game. I thought today was a pretty big Howie Roseman muscle flex because the quarterback. We watch four quarterbacks today, three of them all have something in common when they pass. And then there's Jalen Hurts, who just feels like everyone's so critical of Kellen Moore. It's like, guys, you can call any play you want in the pocket. He's he's a coin flip you have no clue what's coming in, and it
usually it's more tails than heads. Saquon Barkley they got for under thirty million dollars guaranteed in a day and age. When guards you're getting fifty million dollars. Jalen Carter's a good example of let's face it. He was drafted ninth. He was the best player in that draft by a country mile. Pure talent, but like from like four to eight, everyone was terrified and it took balls to draft them. But you not only needed balls to take them, you
needed the infrastructure then of high character leaders. They had Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelsey, they had a bunch of Georgia guys, so they took the risk, but they had the infrastructure there. I mean Saquon and Jalen Carter and Jared Verse were the two best players. But Jared Verse you could argue relatively easy pick if you need a defensive lineman, high character guy, great player. I mean, Jalen Carter was a He had to leave the combine to go to the
police station. I mean remember that story. What this was a walking red flag? Who is an all time great talent, I mean, honestly, one of the more talented guys in the last like five years of the NFL draft. I mean today it was just what is going on their talent with just those two guys, and then on top of the rest of the talent that they have on the team, like how well they can play with their quarterback.
They I mean, it is conceivable they could win a super Bowl and he could not throw one hundred and fifty yards in any playoff game or the super Bowl, like that could be on the table because how good they are.
Yeah, I mean I said last week I thought Bo Limmer, you know, the rookie center six round Arkansas and Jalen Carter was a problem. I will say this in defense of Sean McVay. I mean, but that safety cut it to sixteen fifteen.
John.
I kept watching this game thinking, how in the hell are the Rams as close? They don't have the personnel they just I thought their offensive line played well. There was it was one of those games that got really loose, really fast. It's almost like, you know, it's like when you played the Dodgers in the playoffs. At some point if you go up against Otani Betson Freeman, there's guys on bass Taoscar Hernandez. You're like, shit, we can't. We
don't get a break here. Philadelphia can can just make play after play after play on both sides of the ball, and the Rams you really have to be smartly designed to face Philadelphia because the games go sideways. They can go on a four play drive and it's Saquon Goddard, AJ Brown hurts and you're like, shit, that's eighty yards and four plays. But I thought the Rams did a good job to hang around in like really bad weather for an LA team on a short week.
I think the conversation has dramatically changed this year, but I think the way Mike Tomlin was talked about, probably from like twenty fifteen up until like last year, is actually what Sean McVay is. I mean, what he does to overcome as an underdog. I am totally with you. One last week was like a Picasso moment for the guy. His city's on fire. He has to pick up this whole, not just his team, but they're family and their animals and fly out to what was a road game at Minnesota.
Then take a team. I mean, think about this. We talk about Miami NonStop. Well they're in seventy five degree weather. Well, what Weather's la in. The difference is the way him and Less build that team. Like they take Jared Versu and Braden Fisk. You know where those guys translate to. They could play in Alaska, They'd be awesome players. They build a tough team. This is what the Niners did for years. Build a tough team. It doesn't matter where
you play. Part of the reason Miami sucks in cold weather. They have a soft team for him to go and do that. I mean Jared Verse. The three best players on the field today were Saquon Barkley, Jalen Carter, and Jared Verse, who was a man amongst boys. And the difference is is Listen, Jalen's has a matchup problem against the You know, unless you're playing Larry Allen, he's gonna be better than your guarter center. Jared Versus going up against two of the better tackles in the league.
I was watching, John, I was watching. I was watching today and the two best defensive players I've ever seen in my life are Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor. Yeah, and I was just thinking against Philadelphia's old line and I'm like, holy, holy shit, are we looking at like, not Lawrence Taylor, but the closest thing to Lawrence Taylor. Now, I think Lawrence a lot of what Verse does is he just bulldozes you.
He goes right at you.
He doesn't have kind of the ability. I don't think he's quite as athletic as Lawrence Taylor, who was. But you look at Philadelphia's tackles and you watch what Verse did as a rookie. I mean it, I guarantee you if you're if you're Kyle Shanahan, or you're McDonald and Seattle, or you're the guy down in Arizona. I mean when you look you when you put that film in, you're gonna draft an offensive tackle this year, Like you have
to get that right. You cannot face the Rams and Verse for the next seven years if you don't have your tackles right.
Yeah. I talked to someone who was at a joint practice this year with the Rams, and he said, about five snaps in to their first practice with him, some of their veteran guys on their team were like, Holy Molly, who is this guy? You know? And the thing with Jared Verse, do you know who he reminds me of? Is young? Is and I don't know if he's gonna
become this good. But what Khalil Mack was early on in his career with the Raiders, because Khalil Mack's first year for the Raiders, he had four and a half sacks because the pushbacks always well first only had four and a half sacks. It was pretty clear. I remember a buddy on that coaching staff with the Raiders. Now, their talent on that team wasn't very good. The first OTA practice, He's like, this guy's the best player on
our team by a mile. Now that's not necessarily the case on the Rams because they got Pooka and Stafford, right, but he clearly has a chance. Like this guy could win Defensive Player of the Year.
I think he is the Belay I think I think right now him or Pooka, Yeah, Matt Puka and Jared Vers. Jared Verse was on the field today with a shirt off for the game. Dude, I it just doesn't look normal, Like it's like, I mean his speed. Remember last week against Men when he's picked up the Fumbland scored and then he was chasing down Sam Darnel and you're like, does he run like a four four five like, how fast is he for two sixty five?
Well, it's one thing to have the nine sacks last week against that offensive line. What they have to day six or seven. I mean they had sixteen sacks in two games. They said on the broadcast they had under forty on the season. I was like, where is this coming from? And to me is really And Braydon Fisk went out of the game, which I thought, you know on some of Saquon's runs, Braiden Fisk having him in there as an extra body, that's a big deal. You only dressed so many guys in a game. He gets
hurt early. I think you saw as the game went on the attrition of just the guys being out there. But I'm listen, the Eagles should win that they were basically a touchdown favorite for a reason. Their talent is I would say. Now, then the Chiefs and the Bills, you would say, subtract the quarterback. They are the most talented team. But the coaching job by McVeigh and him hiring his buddy Shula, where there's a lot of pressure. He felt a little insecure about how what is that
guy Dan? I mean down the stretch, getting those guys going I thought today was I was kind of rooting for the Rams to win because I like like historic moments from coaches, and it's like, how is McVeigh has this team on the brink of a super Bowl with this talent and stafford. He's been so bad outside and I know his numbers weren't great, but I guess it's a big time plays.
Yeah, he had a couple of no lookers.
Saquon Barkley against the Rams this year rushed for four hundred and sixty four yards, four rushing touchdowns, eight receptions for seventy four yards. A he's a superhero. He basically saved Nick Sirianni from getting canned, Jalen Hurts from harsh criticism, and AJ Brown going off the rails. I mean, really, this team is about Saquon Barkley. To me, it really is. He's a superhero.
It doesn't.
I mean, this is what's amazing about that I have this conversation with people around the league, either reporters or executives. This letting him go to the Eagles from the Giants is to me a fireable offense. And I'm never calling for a GM job, but Jesus, like, like I remember when they made that move, and I remember saying on the air, so he's going from arguably the bottom three to zero line to the best with Jalen Hurts and
two receivers that will. You can't cheat in the box like Barkley and New York had a quarterback that didn't move or they didn't they didn't do a lot of running with him, and they were bad at receiver because it was pre Malik Neighbors. So you could just cheat, you could bring a strong safety in the box. So it was like, guys, you can't put a safety in the box against Philip. He's gonna be He's gonna I mean, it is the least. It's like KD to the Warriors.
It's like it's like, although with KD, you thought, well, geez, they got so many guys that want to shoot on this team because Jalen's so limited as a passer. He's you know, as we've discussed, nobody in the league I talked to, everybody went, oh, he may rush for two thousand arms with his team.
Well, I think John Mara got a lot of like weird criticism for his comments in that in Joe Shane's office when he said, I don't think I could sleep at night if I lose him, And everyone's like, why is he so obsessed with his star player? And it's as simple as this guy's been around the team for a long long time and seeing obviously Lawrence Taylor's one of the greatest players. He's seen some of the ELI teams. He has a pretty good understanding of what a superstar
player looks like. And it feels a little bit like when Joe Shane said, I don't think he's going to go to the Eagles. Then he goes and he has a historic season. Now he has a historic playoff game. Like when you tell your parents like and they're just like, do not do this, do not do this, and you do it anyway and then it just blows up in your face and you have to walk back and look them in the eye. How can those guys walk into the office tomorrow and if they have to cross John
Mara in the hallway. I mean, this guy just carried the team, your bitter rival, this right down the street. I mean he's a superstar. Like you say, his individual years is good of a year. I mean Terrell Davis got to the Hall of Fame based on two years, if they were to win the Super Bowl and this guy has another one hundred and fifty yards and another one hundred and sixty yards in the playoffs, and he would run for a lot of yards if they played
Buffalo because they don't have a great run defense. That like, that's one of those Obviously they kept their jobs this year. How could you look at them the same You cannot look them in the face and go, I can't. I can't and listen even well, it's running backs and the value and we get it, but there aren't that many humans that can play like that on the field. I would say the same thing about the Titans. GM got fired. You're like, wait, Derek Henry just cost the Ravens eight
million dollars. That's what it cost the Ravens eight million dollars and he ran for sixteen seventeen hundred yards and he's clearly one of the best players on the planet. We couldn't have just used that this year. Like I think, sometimes these decisions, you know, get a lot of people fired really fast. I think Joe Shane and Brian Dable are the only reason they have a job right now. And I'm with you. Like, I don't want these guys to lose their job and at the back of their family.
But is John Morris said, like he doesn't want to fire anyone anymore, Like he's just tired of firing people. If he had had like if these guys have replaced Tom Coughlin, these guys would have been fired three weeks ago.
That's right, he doesn't want to be the Raiders. We'll get to a Raiders story before the end of this podcast. That was this week's Sunday Night Food Ball brought to you by Uber Eats as the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Use them every week Uber Eats the best gam edday deals all season long. Order now for Game Day Uber Eats. Love them, Use them, and now for our next segment. Whiskey Business, brought to you by Green River Whiskey, the official whiskey of the Colin
Coward Podcast. When you want to enjoy life simple pleasures, reach for Green River Whiskey. Whether it's rye whiskey or single barrel bourbon, you're getting over a century a craftsmanship packed into every bottle. Hop on over to Greenriverwhisky dot com and discover a legend in a bottle today. So let's talk about Jaden Daniels in Detroit. So I'm going to get to Detroit first. So Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni is
not a scheme wizard, nor is Dan Campbell. So when siriani lost his coordinators, that team circle the drain about Thanksgiving. Campbell's not a scheme guy as well. McVeigh is Andy Reid is. They can lose coordinators. It doesn't affect the outcome or the momentum of the franchise. But Dan Campbell probably isn't going to land Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn and I think because of their own line and running game. I think offensively, they're a double digit win team for
the next three to four years. But I think there's a chance Detroit takes a slight step back because.
Coordinators.
I mean, we've seen it through the playoffs. Spagnola is worth it feels like a touchdown. I mean, he's that valuable in situational football, we're watching McVeigh. I mean, look what Flores did to the Vikings defense.
We know that coordinators, you can say McDermott, I mean with his personnel, he's a defensive guy. He knows what he's doing.
So I look at the Lions and they'll be good, but they're gonna lose both coordinators and I and I also do you think they're looking at golf because look at this weekend golf and Stafford, the last two pocket quarterbacks in the playoff lost. If it was a really good quarterback year in the draft, I think Detroit would draft one. I really do.
I think Golf after he got his head slammed, you know, might have been playing a little fuzzy because he had not looked like that really for two years he had, especially in the Dome. I think looking back on Detroit, I think the Ravens fall under this too. Last year was your shot. I mean, they could they kick a field goal. They have a seventeen point lead against the forty nine ers on the road in the second half.
The Baltimore Ravens had Mike McDonald as their defensive coordinator, the number one defense in the league, the MVPA quarterback, and we're hosting the Chiefs. So both those two teams get bounced to the second round this year. It's like last year they were controlling their own destiny. I understand, you know, the Lions head home field. But that team on defense. I mean, what happens on that first drive.
The guy that just locked up justin Jefferson two weeks ago, his arms pointing the opposite way, So they lose their best corner. It's like their team's already banged up and they just ran into the greatest rookie quarterback we've ever seen. And they had even if they wouldn't have turned it over. One of them was a pick six. You can't win a playoff game if the offense is gonna score thirty five plus points at home. You know, Jared Goff obviously
was atrocious. I thought Ben Johnson kind of got weird. I mean, anytime you call a double pass, like the one thing with Jared Goff, he does have a long body of work for you to just turn on him in that moment. The wide receiver is very inclined, whether the guy's open or not, to always throw the ball, and I know the coaches tell him, hey it's not open, throw the ball away. They always throw it, and he threw it. You're like, hey, you can't do that, but
that's just you call that play. It's it's I thought it was pretty unnecessary. I know, you got that he was getting cute, and I tend to agree. I don't know if he's showing off for a Brady at that moment. I dodn't think he's necessarily showing off, But I just thought it was a poorly timed moment and it felt like he had turned on jer Goff. He didn't trust him because to call that play in that spot they were down ten points.
How about this, Josh Harris in twenty eleven buys with a group the Sixers. He still hasn't gotten to an Eastern Conference championship. With Joel Embiid, who's always hurt. He buys the Commander's first year NFC championship, which shows you why this league is so great. Houston was the embarrassment of the league playoffs. Washington had a fifteen year smell with Dan Snyder NFC Championship. One of the reasons I
love this league. I mean two a year ago, we thought Denver was just you know, they were a heap of tires on the freeway on fire. The Commanders for the next three years can just surround Jaden Daniels with talent, and I want to talk about him. I had a five game stretch middle of the season, he got banged up, bo Nick started to surge, and you were like, Okay, Jaden's more athletic maybe, but you know, but his last like eight games, his ability, I've never seen anything like this.
His last ten games, it says here, twenty touchdowns, seven picks, ninety eight passer rating, and they played some good teams. His ability to he's not Lamar the runner. And I'll tell you why it's an advantage. Lamar is so gifted as a runner, So was Michael Vick, Steve Young was to a large degree to and Josh Allen. That you're so great as a runner, it's always an easy out, especially in high school and college.
It's just an easy.
Jaden's fast, but he's not quite a vic or a Josh Allen when he can roll over you. But what he is he's evasive more so than like Kyler Murray. So he's he's fast enough to get out of trouble. But he's not as big and strong as Allen, or as shifty or pure speed as Lamar. So he's never he's always relied on the pocket. Right like he sits in the pocket. He feels so advanced to me, is a late game pocket passer. I thought Andrew Lucke was the best rookie quarterback I ever saw, but you got
downside with him. He was a risk taker. He had little sam Donold and Carson Wentz. I get no downside with this kid.
None.
If you just look at the best players in the NFL at quarterback, there's like three or four guys, and you know, I think Mahomes and Josh Allen are much more playmakers than Drew pocket quarterbacks. Obviously, Lamar's a hybrid. It would really be Burrow and what to Burrow and Jayden have in common. They both had a transfer to LSU. Their first year at LSU did not go well, and their second year they kind of mastered it. Well, think
about this. You know, Burrow's the talent he went against on defense every day in practice was better than Jaden's. But think about you play every year Alabama a Nick Saban Alabama, So with several NFL guys on the front, you play A and M who's always loaded with talent,
and you just play an SEC schedule. So over the course of a couple of years, after you had already been in another school, got some reps Jayden had played today as U Burrow hadn't, and you kind of get to master your craft because I watched Jayden Daniels and you go, he's pretty calm like Joe Burrow in the pocket, you know which, And he was considered this dual threat because last year was like, well, he's really good neat
ball thrower, that was like his Russell Wilson thing. But over the middle of the field, blitzes can get him. He looks completely under control. That's the craziest part about his game is how cool, calm and collected he is. To me, he's the more athletic running version of Burrow because he really plays much more like a pocket quarterback. How good is he throwing over the middle of the field. I mean, that's he's the crazy part.
In congested areas, He's just credible. It's just incredible.
And you know, my favorite part of this is I love I thought like cam Ward was a winner this weekend. You know you're watching You're watching Jade and Daniels come out of that draft and Tennessee's probably thinking, well, I mean, cam Ward's like a thicker version of him like Jade and Daniels' ability to just improvise. I mean Cliff Kingsbury. Steve Kaiin was texting me, He's like Cliff Kingsbury, you know, after that mess at USC in Arizona. He's like, he
earned this and deserved it. But I just think sometimes people are special. And whereas Mahomes gott to sit for his first year and Lamar didn't play until week eleven, this kid was inserted onto a really I would argue at best, second, probably third, best roster in that division. And and the other thing is that Brian Kelly said us in college, he said, he's just he's just a great student of the game. He was good early, little turbulent middle of the season, got banged up. He's just
gotten better. He's a better quarterback now than he was ten weeks ago.
He's just totally I was thinking about this, think about the first three quarterbacks, Caleb, him and Drake. You know, Caleb goes to a place where every coach got fired halfway through the season. Drake goes to a place where
clearly the guy was in over his head. And this guy gets to go to Dan Quinn, who had taken a team to a super Bowl, had gone to Kingsbury, who had coached in the NFL, had been a head coach for a long long time as the play caller, head coach in college, and the pros of just a very stable place immediately because they don't have that much talent. Mclaurin's a good player, but Zach Hurtz is like my age,
the brown guy. Most people that follow the NFL don't know that much about defensively, Bobby Wagner's been in the league forever. I mean he's on whole seventeen or eighteen of his career.
It gets best John at best, it's the twelfth to fifteenth best roster in the league.
At best, I think it's probably closer to low twenties. And what he's doing and the coaching staff's doing. And there's something in football right more than these other sports, Like in baseball, I can't even if Bochie's my manager, if I don't have the talent. I can't overachieve against the Dodgers over six seven games. Right if I'm playing the Kadie Warriors or the Shaq Kobe Lakers, I'm fucked.
Phil Jackson and doesn't John Wooden could be the coach in football coaching staffs won just the belief coming into a game. I think we saw it today with McDermott and the Bills. They believe they could win that game. That matters a lot. The Lions have had this for a couple of years with Dan Campbell and then the schematics of everything, But there is just an element that they just got this guy. I mean they go for it a lot on these fourth and shorts because they
got this guy. That's right, four fourth and two with Jamis Winston or some random quarterbacks is not the same, Like, I think part of the reason he's going for it constantly is this guy. The Lions do it a lot. They got the best defensive line in the league. They got a star tight end, they got a star wide receiver, they got multiple backs. It's a high percentage play. It's not the same if you've got Tommy DeVito in that offensive line, right, So things aren't all equal. I don't
think he's this crazy gun slinger. He's just going we have one of the most dynamic players I've probably ever seen.
Yeah, and I said this yesterday in my pod, you knew you had something special when a veteran coach Dan Quinn and you know a guy who had been a head coach in two plays is Cliff Kingsbury. In camp were effusive with their praise. I mean, the rule with rookie quarterbacks is he'll get there, let's lower expectations. And they kept talking to Dan Quinn zach Ertz told me this last week. He's like, yeah, this is different. This doesn't look like this. This is way better than a
rookie quarterback. And I remember people saying that about Andrew Lock, how he memorized the Colts playbook in like two and a half days. The instincts, the poise, to me, it's just unprecedented. I've never seen anything like it. And again, I wouldn't have guessed he would be the greatest rookie quarterback of all time. In Week eight, they had played bad against Pittsburgh, a couple of picks against the Cowboys.
He was banged up his last like eight weeks. It's like, is he a top five quarterback in the league.
He may be.
I had a scouting buddy texted me last night and said, you know, the Bears didn't even bring in Jade Daniels for a visit, and listen, I'm not trying to write off Caleb's career. We've seen Peyton Manning as bad as a rookie by all means he can give.
Caleb is not this accurate, no way.
But your job as a GM Adam Peters took a lot of crap because remember he had like all five quarterbacks not named Caleb Williams. He took him to top golf. That's kind of his job. Do we evaluate everybody who's going to be available. So I think you look back at Ryan Poles. It would have taken a lot of balls to not take Caleb Williams. It was the easy pick. But his job isn't to playgate to the media. His job is to get it right and get the right player.
And they didn't even look at this guy and listen, Caleb can become a good player. This guy is. It's mind blowing because his team's not that talented. It'd be one thing. It's like, well, he inherited this great roster. They actually traded up from pick twenty to pick two to get them. No, like this team was terrible. It's essentially the same roster that we all made fun of last year with Ron Rivera that ended up at number two. And it's actually not because remember they traded sweat mid season.
They traded sweat Chase Young. They don't even have a great defensive line. I mean, they don't have many defensive line beside the tackles. It's crazy what he's doing. They're the running backs for Eckler, who's a good little scat back. Yeah, McK nichols, who Adam Peters likes. And Brian Robinson, who a couple you know. Mid season started fumbling, so they kind of kicked to the curve. It's not like they're handing the ball to Saquon. That's not what's going on here. It's crazy.
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The original Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce perfect for those who demand great flavor with just the right amount of heat. This stuff is remarkable. Let's talk Kansas City Houston. So Houston had the worst special teams performance by any team in the playoffs that I can remember, starting with the opening kickoff by the Chiefs. They also had eight penalties.
There were a couple of calls. I thought the referees over the course of the weekend let guys play, and then they clearly on two instances got over protective of Mahomes. You know, it's what happens when you're the marque player in the league. The team only had Kansas City and it had two hundred and twelve yards and Travis Kelcey at one hundred and seventeen of them. It's interesting because dynasties, it reminds me a lot of grong dynasties tend to do this. New England had at Kansas City has it,
and I've seen this. You know, Steelers had this probably if you go back to their dynasty, maybe the Niners did you know that dynasty very well. In television terms and local TV, you know, there's kind of a term like red light guys, like when the red light of the camera goes on you're on a live shot. My buddy I worked with for years, Trace Gallagher, is a good friend he's at Fox News. We bounced around the country together, getting jobs in the same stations or markets.
And the first thing I noticed his first job in Las Vegas is I'd never seen anybody that could get dropped off in front of a hotel fire and we could go twelve minutes with very little information and just talk. And I'm like, that's a red light guy. And that's Travis kelce Like when you look at this season, and I mean there are there have been times the last two years, John I've looked at him in Week four and thought he looks overweight, Like I'm not even.
I mean, well, I don't even know what you do with him.
It's like Gronk. You get those big mits and big games, he gets open. He is just I mean, dynasties always have one of these guys. And and by the way, you can tell who Mahomes trusts he's getting. He's building a trust.
With Xavier Worthy.
He really likes Kareem Haunt, but he is looking for Travis kelcey on big plays.
Yeah, to me, you hear a lot is like, why how's he How's eighty seven always open in these big moments. It's like, well, guys, he's not running just routes that these teams have prepared for. Right, there are plays that every team runs, and you know, if you're running this defense kind of cheat here. This is where he wants to go. He will go wherever you don't, and Mahomes
knows that, and then we'll go to him. So in these biggest moments, it's like, well, we know what play they're gonna run, and he should end up in this like two yard radius instead in the hangar left, he'll hang a right because he knows you know that, and he'll be wide open. It kind of feels like almost like John Stock and Karl Malone in the pick and Roll. I'm sure there are some basic defensive rules for coaches, but they knew each other so well. By the peak
of their powers. You could go left, they could go right, and he knew he would go right. And that's what it feels like in these big moments, because he gets open, and it's not because someone's just screwing up. It's because they're playing chess and you can't play on their level. They're Bobby Fisher at this point, those two guys, because on his big play that kind of exploded the game open. He's not as fast as he once was. His top ten speed used to be elite for a tight end
and now it's probably average, like NFL average. But his instincts with the ball in his hands are still elite as it gets. Just like Gronk, because he got older, he couldn't move like he wants could, but he still had the strength and he still had the size. That was his separating factor, Travis. The separating factor is his instinctive athleticism. He's like you know at this point Michael
Jordan nineteen ninety eight. Michael Jordan wasn't jumping and dunking over guys then, but he was so much smarter than you and his instincts were so elite that to me is Travis. So it's like, yes, ninth one hundred yard game does not look like the game in seventeen when he was run by guys because he's not really running by guys now, he's making moves to get around guys. So I listen. He's one of the greatest champions this league has ever seen. And Andy said it last night.
Mahomes said it. He's just he's not just a bright lights guy like I just think he's smarter than you. I think his football intellect in IQ is Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Steve Young at tight end, which I would say is pretty rare.
Yeah, and you know, Kansas City gets ding done because we say, you know, it's kind of lucky. But the john they are taking leads on people. You know, that's what they do. They kind of come out, they take a lead on you a lot of the times. Now they don't make many mistakes. And then what they do in the second half is they start getting really situationally great on third, on fourth down, on goal line stands.
And I think, Johnny, you and I have talked about this, and I think this is now more true than ever. The five things you have to be really good at the NFL, like head coach, quarterback. You have to have a stable ow line, one reliable weapon. It can be Kelsey, it could be Puka, it could be Saquon Barkley. You have to have a reliable weapon, and you have to have some defensive presence on the D line, a difference maker, which now the Lions don't really have. The Bills have
a Von Miller. The by the way, their weapons they're running backs in Buffalo are underrated in my opinion. But I think about Kansas City is this weekend two or three things were really on display. Quarterback Jayden Daniels probably was one of the stars of the weekend. But I think when you watch McVeagh and Andy Reeve's teams, they are so resourceful, like they just figure out ways to convert and even if it's a field position, even if it's stopping you on third or getting an extra first down.
I just feel like they're always winning the margins. And that's why it's not luck. They just do that regularly.
Why I think one knock on Ay and Philly Fair or not was the situational stuff. And I think situationally, you look back, well like was it him or was it you know, Donovan Nabb was really out of shape in the Super Bowl and not make some great decisions. You know, Michael Vick was just a hard guy to coach because of the way he played. And I think he's like he Bill wallsh finally found his found his Joe Montana, Andy Reid found his Mahomes and now I
think he's situationally brilliant. And Demiko yesterday like it's it's two sided. Demiko is a stud like that team showed up ready to win. Dimiko is a high level coach. I mean, I think one of the best, if not the best young coach in the league. On defense. I mean just Demiko is awesome. But kicking that ball into the win for the field goal, It's like, this is what are we doing here? It's almost like a par five over the waters, like lay up. You know this
is not a good decision. And then late in the game, who was calling that game, was Collinsworth or Brady whoever was calling that game, was like, oh was Apeman. He's like, I'd call time out because it was fourth and long, yes, And Aikman's like I called they're all discombobulated. Call timeout. You either got a call timeout or just take the delay game and punt. He was just in no man's land. And that was this is not week four or week ten. That was John.
I thought, I'm glad you mentioned that.
That is mcvahan Reid.
That's the difference between mcvaann Reid Aikman, a former quarterback is screaming on TV, take a time out. You've got to take a time out. The defensive coaches and I like Demiko, but I swear if mcveighor Reid in that situation, they would have called a time out. And when when you're on the road and your special teams are a grease fire, you have to get that play right. That's one of those classic Nobody in Houston wants to talk about it. It's about the officiating. That play is why
I tend to lean toward offensive coaches. It's that playoff football, situational, circumstantial moment. I'm glad you brought that up, because that, to me, was a seminal play in the game.
I do think this, and I love Andy Naggi v those guys are my guys. But the mahomes going out of bounds and stopping is not just unbecoming. It's got to stop it. It's got to be penalized. I remember when it happened against the Niners earlier this season and Nick Bosa said, it's all the officiating is against these defensive players. I mean, there was a play today when DeVante Smith got blown up. In the history of the NFL up until three or four years ago, that's called
the hospital ball. When you throw that ball in the middle of the field, and get him killed. Now it's a fifteen yard penalty. The Mahomes thing of stopping at the sideline, and look, they didn't end up calling a penalty there, but one he's gonna get hurt. It's just stupid. Just go out of bounds. It's it's and he does this sometimes he stops and you stop and then he gains a couple extra yards that I don't blame the Chiefs and Mahomes like it's like Chris Paul and James Harden.
That's his version of what he's doing. The league has to say, if that happens again, we're gonna penalize you. And I don't know exactly how they do it. And listen, I thought the second penalty on Mahomes, you know, the the unnecessary roughness where they hit each other in the head and he didn't even get really touched, was pretty egregious. But that was the worst moment of all. And that this is to me a Mahomes thing of like, I'm pro you guys, but that's it's starting to get embarrassing
because it's like this is unfair. It's already not fair to the defense what the rules are, but that moment is like you talk, I'm all for loopholes in life. That feels like a loophole that is just screwing over people and that I honestly, I was surprised they didn't throw the fifteen yard penalty.
Okay, I want to touch on this. So we're gonna start seeing here in the next week some coaches, I imagine this this week. Do you think we'll see some coaches take jobs? Because I saw a story today, and there's so much information out there, I can't separate fact from fiction, like rumor from substantial unless it's somebody I trust.
But one of the things floated out there is Ben Johnson actually is leaning Raiders, And I thought, whoa, whoa whoa toughest division, no quarterback, impulsive owner and one of the poorest owners, mahomes Herbert, even bo Nicks. I'm like, week quarterback draft, what in the hell are you doing? Give me your feeling? And maybe that's the power of Brady,
who's clearly running the franchise right now. Like that, that's clear obvious if you were Ben Johnson, Because I thought I thought New England was the best job, and I thought Rabel was the best candidate, Like I thought Harbaugh was the best candidate in the Chargers was the best job last year. I don't think it's hard to spot. You could see it a mile away. Where would you go if you were Ben Johnson. They're all somewhat dysfunctional.
To me, I could understand go to the Raiders if you told me Tom Brady lived in Las Vegas and was gonna be doing this full time, and I essentially answered to him. But that is not what is happening. He's gonna stay in Florida and buy all reports, go keep rocking with Fox. Mark Davis is the guy in that building every single day. So even if you just go, don't even factor in the roster or the division with
the coaches and the quarterbacks. The Mark Davis situation is not one that I could get into business if I have options. The problem is what are his other options? The Bears. I'm sorry, like at least with if you can't fix Caleb, it'll kind of be on you, not him because of the hype coming in and you're gonna have to coach him for a couple of years, and what if you're not that indu him and you got
to answer to Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren. I'm sorry the Jags, like if Trent Balky's there, I'm not taking that job, say the Jets. He didn't even interview. So I do understand the Raiders like Tom Brady. Maybe he's just an all time great salesman. But if I was recommending to Ben Johnson, I'd go, well, is he to be there every day? Because if he's not, like Mark Davis used to yell at assistant coaches on the plane, and I'm not people are gonna say you're just a
Raider hater. No, I'm just telling you this that used to happen a lot. Well, it's been reported on like it's just a chaotic organization, right, I mean, it's just I think going there, especially when then if you factor in the division no quarterback, it's not like a quarterback draft. Pretty nuts. And I would have been like, well, maybe he can take his you know, Matt shabb with him
or whatever. His backup quarterback last night, Hendon Hooker. They clearly don't trust him because they made him the third string quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, whose coach in high school was the backup quarterback. That shows you it's not like even likes the backup guy to take with him. So I would say talent just on the roster the Bears, but that situation's kind of messed up. The only good thing the Raiders have going for him is you get
to essentially hire your GM as well. But like I've seen that Dog and Pony show, Gruden and got to hire what's his name from the NFL network, Josh McDaniel's got to bring Ziegel. They all fail. You could argue this cycles just awful. Maybe just stay with the Lions. Don't touch any of these jobs. No, And I get there's a lot of money on the line, Chefter saying he's good as gone. I think all these jobs are terrible, Colin, I mean not terrible.
The only one I like, because remember we thought the Washington job was a bit of a risk. I think I actually think I've been lucky on this three years in a row. I've picked the double digit win team Denver this year, Rams last year, Minnesota before where there's a team, and I think they are twice as good as Vegas things. I actually think because the Jets in Miami are pretty dysfunctional, and I actually think between Craft Drake May.
I'm not counting that one. I agree with you.
Yeah, I think that's a pretty good job. Actually, I think I think the next year they're gonna Patriots could make the playoffs, because I mean, let's be honest about it, like Steelers are going backwards.
They can't.
We know who's gonna win. Divisions like the AFC is pretty damn predictable. If you told me the same four teams ended up back here, I would say, I think the Chargers with another four or five players with Harbor Herbert will be better. But I just thought that that rumor for Ben Johnson to the Raiders. I And it's funny because I've bounced around the country before, and you know, I get people and the things I always think about whenever I join a job. I've had to replace really
good people. I replaced Tony Kornheiser at ESPN, even locally, I replaced a couple of really talented people.
It Fox.
It was easier because the network was FS one was kind of you know, it just wasn't substantial. But one of the things I look at is you know who was the predecessor, and so that's the one thing I like about the job is you know you're going to be a really clever offensive coach. But I got to tell you there, they'd have to give up so much draft capital to get cam Ward and they just don't have a roster good enough.
I just and yet, I don't.
Know how you don't consider read Harbond, Sean Payton. How do you not consider that?
You know? I started texting around because Mike Porgazzi viaches number two took the Titans job, and I texted my buddies on different teams. I said, what's the difference, because you would say the Titans job. I mean they've just run through two GMS in like a year, so that's a pretty risky job, right, even though they got the number one overall pick. But it's not like viewed as Andrew Lucker, Peyton Manning in this draft, cam Ward is a very risky player. I mean, I've texted my friends.
They're college directors. Draft grades are all over the board on that kid. This is not viewed in shador. And they said, simply because as the number two, depending on your organization, you make anywhere between seven hundred to one million dollars depending on your experience. As a GM, you get a five year contract. Usually somewhere three to four
million dollars, and that's obviously substantial, game changing money. But as an assistant coach for Ben Johnson, let's say he's making four or five million dollars, and it's for how are the Lions not going to be good on offense next year?
Oh?
They will? Yeah, his star wouldn't diminish. Now as a head CoA, he might get ten to twelve. But that's a big difference of like going from one hundred grand to five hundred grand, which changes your life. He's making five million dollars, he's at the office ninety hours. His life doesn't change at all. When he makes twelve million dollars, he gets more money in the bank. But he's thirty nine, forty years old. He's going to be a head coach. These jobs like, okay, you get a four year contract.
I see the Raiders fire someone every other year. I see the Bears is not a conducive place to win. The Jags with Trent Bulky, he will stab you in the back if the offense looks terrible. If these jobs, I don't He didn't interview with the Jets and the Cowboys field dead set on Kellen Moore that like, these jobs are places where people go to get fired and it changes your career.
Yeah, I said this before. Next year is a much better college quarterback class. And you also have the potential that like Joe Burrow would need a coach.
You know.
There you kind of look around and you're like, oh, there's next year is interesting. There could be some interesting job openings. And if you look at the last two years, I mean just think of the last four or five jobs that a coach took that we considered really good jobs. Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers in his prime, Mike McCarthy, Dak in his prime, Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert going into his prime, and Mike Frabele Drake may looks like he could be
really special, kind of a Justin Herbert comp. What you look at as a head coach is do they have the quarterback? Right in the Raiders, you face two of the top eight quarterbacks and the best quarterback and arguably two of the top four coaches, and you don't have a quarterback.
Like to me, I.
Listed a couple of weeks ago of the seven openings one through seven, I put the Raiders last. So to me, it's just Tom Brady has this gravitas or this aura and Ben Johnson's kind of starry eyed. But I would stand Detroit.
Yeah, I think the Bears is a sexy job in theory, but also a lot like the Raiders' division's really good. All three teams, I mean, you know, I know they've went oh and three in the playoffs, like would Shakas have had minimum two of those three teams are back in the playoffs. Another job I would put as this being like doesn't quite fit the criteria of dak or
definitely Aaron Rodgers, but Seattle ton of talent. They had a guy that you can function with, and they have a high level GM and a team that had just been kind of winning not big, but nine games a year and Mike McDonald that was a safe job. Seattle last year is way better than any of these jobs when you factor in GM that knows what he's doing, a ton of talent on the roster in just a
stable place. I think I think the Bears and I got a DM, an unsolicited beat DM that said they thought this Raider thing, he could still end up in Chicago, because listen, he's trying to get a lot of money. I mean there is a chance that, you know, if he gets a couple of teams bidding against him, that his salary, instead of being ten million dollars, could be
like fifty. He could be one of the higher paid coaches in the league, just based on like NFL free agency, right when guys get overpaid because you got people driving up the price. I don't know, man, I'd have a hard time accepting any I couldn't do the Bears because of the setup and the Raiders thing. I get it, you bring in your guy, but that is a tough building to change when the number one reason you'd be doing it is because Tom and he lives on the other side of the country.
All right, so we go into Ohio state and Notre Dame. I think we both probably like the Buckeyes. I'll throw this out to you. I said this last week.
On radio on TV.
I don't think Marcus Freeman has the horses to win, but if he kept it close or by chance won I wonder if he's not the second best candidate to Mike Rabel. I mean, there's a Sean McVay quality to this guy that people that have met him are just kind of blown away by him. Yeah, And first, do you think Notre Dame has a chance? And do you think if he again he put on a make vaylight
classic work. I mean they the fact that the Rams had the ball late with a chance to win made no sense, right like, it just made no sense at all.
Did you follow your chair when he had Pooka down the sideline?
I could not believe you.
I went, you have got to be kidding me. I literally Tethern thought, this is going to be the ultimate theft. They have no business being in this game, and I don't think Notre Dame has any business being in that game. If it was thirty to ten, I wouldn't be shocked if you were Marcus Freeman knowing that Notre Dame the academic umbrella, the religious realities. You know, the campus is in a cold weather campus, not in the big ten. If you're Marcus Freeman in won would you go to the NFL?
No, because these jobs are terrible. I think we just saw Sark re up with Texas coach in college now pays ten to twelve million dollars. You're the coach GM and your owner does not exist. Now with the nil situations why Belichick was kind of intrigued. It's actually much more like the NFL, and you don't have an owner breathing down today morning, yeah, with his three kids telling
you seven different ideas of what plays to call. I actually think college has kind of changed in the sense the money's huge and a place like Notre Dame you can pay your coordinators. There's no different than the NFL. Where's he gonna go? Like, I guess you'd go the Bears right down the street, but I just don't think
the Bears a good job. He then has to answer to Kevin Warren and deal with Ryan Poles where he's the Ryan Polse and his Kevin Warren is who the father you know, was like, as long as he's winning, they leave him alone.
And you know, I was thinking about this. Ryan Day was going to get run out of town without the playoff, right because he wouldn't have got into the Final four because of that Home lost to Michigan and that in a weird way, the twelve team playoff is a little like March Madness. March Madness because it's so vast with sixty eight teams. You know, guys like Jim Beheim you could always say, well, I made the tournament. I've made the tournament fourteen straight years.
I think this, well, that's Calipari's thing for a decade. He hasn't done shit.
Yeah, I mean he was losing to Oakland School in Michigan. He was losing. But in the end, you could always say, well, I made the tournament. I made the tournament twenty two years and I won a couple games in the tournament. I made the sweet sixteen, which pretty isn't that hard if you're like a Yukon and who you face in
the first two games. But I think if you get to the twelve team playoff every year and you win your opening game, it's hard to fire a guy because the reality is Chad Melman and I talked about this. Northern schools in the NIL most of them have more money. I think it's twelve of the top twenty three schools in terms of enrollment size are big ten schools. They have a lot of graduates, a lot of those kids make a lot of money. They give money back to
the university, and that I think. I think the money between Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, even I mean, God, USC's up in the twenty million. Now. They may not spend it wisely, but they have a lot of money in their collective. And my take is
nobody's going undefeated in college football. You will be able to eventually get in with three losses, but certainly two you can lose to your rival at home as a twenty one point favorite Ohio State, and that I think guys like if Ryan Day wins Natty, he set for the next four years. I think this playoff was great for college coaches.
Well think about this, if you know, remember when baseball, if there were no wildcards, you had to win your division to get into the playoffs. If that would have been in the NFL, Tom Coughlin wouldn't have made it past like two thousand and eight. I mean he won both his Super Bowls as a wild card, so forever. Like you said, neither one of these teams would have been in the final four. So I do give them a five chance to notre Dame because I think you
saw with Texas. If you have a really good defense, ugly the thing up. Just stay in the game and then your quarterback needs to make some plays. Your guy Riley Leonard's coming around on me. He made some big throws in that game against Penn State, two huge throws. If he can be superman, control the clock, run the ball. You know, I heard people saying they run a lot of man demand defense, where Texas played a lot of zone against them and it's slowed down Jeremiah Smith, So
can they change their defensive game plan? Al Golden's a really good defense. Like the coaching in this game, and really in the Final four, I mean, all these coordinators are seven figure guys. I thought the Final four in college football felt like today in the end, it was really high level two nights, and I do think, you know, coaching belief, like if you're Notre Dame right now, you've just beat Georgia and Penn State. You just talked about
the talent both those rosters. If you pulled the top thirty college coaches, they would take Georgia and Penn State's roster over Notre Dame right over Marcus from They have to be believing that they can win. Now, this is going to be the toughest test. But what if Will Howard, who had a little stretch where he looked like Peyton Manning in his prime, just has an off half a turnover. Sometimes you just get a freaky fumble. First split second, I thought the Ravens were gonna win, and then Mark
Andrews fumbles the ball right right. I thought the Rams were gonna win, and then all of a sudden, Jalen Carter sacks a big play and a key moment. These are nineteen year old guys, not thirty two year old four time pro bowler, guy worth one hundred million dollars, who's seen you know, already been divorced, seen a lot in his life. Things can change fast. We saw Ohio State they gotten that weird game with Michigan and kind
of crumbled. The only thing is, I do think from that moment on it's been like an enlightening moment for the team. But I think you can say the same thing about Notre Dame. That NIU loss right kind of was an enlightening moment for them. They have not looked back since. So I'm running for Notre Dame. I'm Ohio State hater, but I just think it'd be a pretty cool story. If Notre Dame it'd be one of the bigger upsets. What are they eight and a half point.
Underdock, Marcus Freeman with his energy, and I think you see this now in college football a lot of these older coaches like Brian Kelly, I'm not sure. I don't think he wants the I mean, Chip Kelly wouldn't recruit at the end. I don't think Brian Kelly's He's not.
Dabble the best recruiters. It's Kirby, you know, Dabbo for a long time, who's kind of viewed a little older now. But Ryan Day, Steve Sarkisian. I mean that's the thing with Lincoln. It's like Lincoln, you're young. Where's your energy with this? Dan Lanning, It's like you guys, Kenny Dillingham, I mean, you need some.
It's a lot, It is all right.
John Middlecoff love chopping it up for about an hour and ten to fifteen minutes.
Loved it.
He has a podcast, three and out former NFL Scout and Ohio State Notre Dame.
Uh.
We're doing this Sunday night on the docket for tomorrow. Thanks buddy, see you tomorrow.
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