The volume.
Our Week fourteen reaction is presented by Uber eats. Get game day deals all season long on Uber eats. Used them today. There you go, baby, I went, had friends over at the house McDonald's, several chicken sandwiches, some French fries, farantastic rowers. It's easy enough to take care of at uber eat. Hop onto their app, order up whatever you're craving. Uber eats has game day deliveries dialed in. Couldn't be easier use it every weekend. Plus they got deals going
all season long. Uber eat. It is my regular go to. McDonald's was fantastic as well. One for me, maybe one for the crew. With Uber each you can actually score buy one, get one free fries with McDonald's through December fifteenth. That's what I did. Ordering Uber eats perfect addition to your pregame ritual or your postgame ritual anytime and as the official on demand food delivery partner of the NFL,
Uber Eats is keeping the deals going all season. Must grab deals on nugget sandwiches, drinks and more all season long. So order McDonald's on Uber eats now for game day terms supply see at for details. All right, It's time for our Sunday collaboration. John Middlecoff, former NFL scout with the Philadelphia Eagles, has a three and out podcast, rams hold On to beat the Bills forty four or forty two. Before I talk about the game, there was a really
interesting play at the very end of the game. It did not cost the Bills the game, but I thought Tom Brady touched on it and it drove me crazy. This is one of the things I don't love defensive coaches and sometimes a lack of sense of urgency with the offense. So there was about a minute fifteen left and Brady kind of nailed it. Spread your team out, take three quick shots into the end zone, get a touchdown. You want to have about a minute twenty left, drive
down and score. And then Sean McDermott twice ran the ball into the end zone, which he had to burn one of his own timeouts. The second one they scored on and it just situational football. It didn't in the end matter, but that was like one of those oh, this is really obvious. I think the Andy Reids, mcveigh's Shanahan's would get that. That drove me nuts. Did it bother you.
No to me when you're in that situation when you need the on side kick at the end of the game, I basically, in my mind give you a loss. I just it doesn't bother me. Like that game was lost early in the game when the Bill showed up really flat. Yeah no, they showed up like today. They showed up today like it was a trap game. Yeah. Right, Sunday night, they win the division, which it's about as early as
you can win a division in the NFL. December first, right, you fly across the country to play the Rams, who aren't some scrub team, but you got the Lions next week, and you come out flat, and it took a herculean effort from Josh just to get back into the game. And for whatever reason, your defense, which has been really good, was bad today. I mean they were getting slice and dice.
And let's face it, Nickveigh, Matt Stafford, these two guys, offensive wizard, great quarterback, both make a lot of money. They have not been that good for about a month. This was not the Rams team that we have been watching, right, they have not been played well on offense. Now they are offensive lines coming back together, but today I thought they went toe to toe. I thought with the best player in the league.
I thought it was the best the Rams have played since the Super Bowl season. I thought they played nearly a flawless football game. The fact that Buffalo scored so many points. Josh Allen first player in the history of the sport as a quarterback to have three rushing and three passing touchdowns in the same game. If you did not see this game, it may be the single greatest I don't think I've ever seen a moment of a player caring a franchise. The secondary for the Bills was
banged up and torched. They came in with no juice. He single handedly kept them in the game with running play, not just casual running plays, not six eight yards like twenty five forty yard running plays. I mean, Mahomes has all the trophies. Mahomes is not his talent, that is Josh Allen. Josh Allen's insane and I thought this was a You know, Pukas had injury issues, so is Cooper cup and they're gonna draft a receiver. I'm pretty strongly
a believer of that. But it shows you why the Rams are now seven and six and with Arizona fumbling San Francisco. Feels big win today for them, but it feels like they're just a little disjointed. If the Rams sneak into the playoffs, John, watch out, because I would have no interest plan this team.
Well. To me, Thursday night they played the Niners, so they could kind of end the Niner season, right, they could end the Niner season. They would be eight and six and they would be in position Seattle. If Mike McDonald was an offensive coach, we'd be talking about him like a mcpah shanny when he coaches defense. He's done a fantastic job. But this is must win for really the Niners, you know, aren't really alive and they lost
another player today. At the end of the game, they're running back got hurts and they're on their seventh running back. But the Rams, this goes back to last year. When Pooka plays like this he had twelve for one sixty, he becomes, you know, essentially, he becomes like Marvin Harrison or a Chris Carter or you know, justin he becomes an unstoppable force. They are tough to beat. Because I was texting with some buddies this week, Jared Verse and
Fisk are so good. Yeah, those those two draft picks are immediately people around the league they're violent because he's like I was texting with the buddy who's like, you know there, their talent on defense isn't that great, but their defensive line is via excellent. And it starts with those two guys, and a lot of people thought like, is Fisk a little bit of an overdraft you know verse will his power translate? It's translated. Yeah, And those
two guys are ass kickers. To me, it's all about Puka, who they had to wrap at the end of the game. Now he came back in something to monitor now short week. But the other thing and you hit on it. We have a lot of these arguments, I think on social media and just when we talk about Josh all In
and Lamar Jackson, I understand Lamar has a couple MVPs. Now, last year's MVP was not a great MVP season, Like if you look at his numbers, he had a much better season than nineteen statistically up until a couple of weeks ago. He was blowing that season away. This year, Josh Allen is one of the best players ever any sport I've ever read yes, Like, how are we arguing when we watched this game play? Like, yeah, does he throw a couple of picks? Yes, so did far.
By the way talking, he is to me Otani he is different than the other great players like Otani. Mookie Betts is amazing, but he looks small compared to Otani because he is. I mean, it has an o'tanni feel like while you may be watching, you may be watching the greatest talent ever. I mean, John Elway ran. He didn't do this. John Elway was strong. He wasn't this. John Alway had a good arm. I'm not sure it was this like and again we all acknowledged Mahomes, but
Mahomes has read a great ownership. I mean, everything is Patrick's terrific. But what I watched today, I mean, just here's the thing I worry about with Buffalo. Kansas City never delivers that Kansas City when they show up with no juice. Now, this did happen early in mahomes career. They'd fall behind twenty four to ten and you'd be like, oh my god. But in the last three years Kansas City does not do this. You can beat them, you can beat them at Arrowhead, but they rarely come with
no juice. And that's a team with two trophies. Buffalo doesn't have one, and it worries me at times. Like the first half was twenty four to fourteen. The Rams did whatever they wanted to Kyraen Williams rap Pooker cup. I mean, they just did whatever they wanted to do. It was like eight man football for Buffalo. It's like,
is anybody guarding the receivers? That does trouble me? They were on about a four or five week run where I had not seen this, But don't they give you this about four times a year?
Yeah, and they've been doing it now for a couple of years. But then they bounced back. You know, next week they're playing Detroit, who still I would imagine even with the mini buy, still gonna have a bunch of injuries. Like that's a pretty big moment for Buffalo because Colin they finished with Patriots, Jets Patriots. Yeah, so they should be able to sleep walk to go three and zero down the stretch. But what off to see. You know, Kansas City still got a couple of tough games. Every
game they play is close. I don't think this totally kills Buffalo from the number one seed because if you look at Pittsburgh's last four games, it's like Philly Baltimore brutal, Like they got a tough they got a tough schedule. So to me, Buffalo, their schedule eases up. And I think we're gonna learn a lot about them with Detroit because we already know about Detroit right their competitive character,
their makeup. You could never write them off for they could be thrown me and you out there on defense. But today was the first half was embarrassing for Buffalo. That can't happen if you want to win a Super Bowl. And then they're not even when healthy, are talented enough to just cruise out. Their defense is not loaded with names.
The back once you pay your star quarterback. Kansas City has offensive tackle issues. They're still trying to figure out. Frankly, their receiving corps. They're not as good at corner as they were last year. Like it's there once you pay the quarterback, you're I mean right now. Baltimore's back end, Joe Burrows defense is atrocious. If you look at Stafford, let's be honest about it. The offensive line, it feels like they're playing catchup with the Rams the last several years.
They don't pay a single person right now on the defensive side. They can't afford to, So I just I think it really that's why coaching and quarterback play john is so essential in January, December and early February. There are no perfect teams. They're just you can't. The transfer portal, by the way, has done this to college football in the NIL. The minute you think you're loaded, you lose all. Like in Ohio State can't carry three great tackles because
somebody poaches the best tackle they have. That's not starting. So like in college football, the unintended benefit of the transfer portal in ANIL is there's no more Alabama's.
That's over.
Like there's just too many teams here. And when I watch the NFL, you're like, quarterback play in coaching obviously matters, but there are coaching becomes essential because I mean, you watch Buffalo in the back end today, Baltimore's back end, Jesus, it's those are bad secondaries.
The one thing with Buffalo and same thing with Baltimore when their offense is on, I mean they scored, they flipped a switch in the second half, they can get to forty. How many teams, I mean, Stafford is one of the better quarterbacks of his generation. Puka looks like clearly when he's healthy, one of the best wide receivers. How many teams are beating Buffalo when they flip that
switch in the second half. There's a short list. Yeah, I mean, and you're gonna have to have a Stafford or a Lamar or a guy like that to beat them when they are playing like that on us.
Stafford Josh Stafford's last month one hundred and twenty passer rating, eleven touchdowns, no picks. Stafford's on a complete heater, and I think, honestly.
He was a little getting healthy. Yeah, the old.
Lion's getting healthy. It's time to look at this weekend's tastiest matchup. Sunday Night Football, brought to you by Uber Eats. Okay, I want to pivot to a game now. It's not the second best game, but I think it speaks. I think it speaks to The Bears are a fascinating topic. So they lost thirty eight thirteen, and it was the worst first half any team has played in the NFL this year. It was bordered on like Carolina and their offense last year, so at half they had twelve yards
in a first down. But what was interesting to me is generally you get an interim head coach bump. They didn't even get that. It was their worst performance with an interim coach. Total disarrays of franchise four yards in the first half, fewest by a Bears team since nineteen ninety one. So they they're just running through coaches and
they're getting no bounce. So my question to you, as we start with the Bears and then pivot to the Niners, who have to win Thursday or the season's over, is to me, you need a culture changer, not just a football coach. That's why Ben Johnson's not the answer. You have to come in. Somebody's going to come in and kick ass. I think you have to swing big. You have to go big. Horrid boss should have been at
last year. Who are we putting front and center in the coaching search because you and I would both acknowledge we don't love the owner. Don't Kevin Warren's not as strong president. Have you asked people around the league, the front office? Ryan Poles, I think there are moments I like him. Coaching staffs in disarray. Players today indicated they don't trust this staff. Where do you go for a coach?
Why? Normally with interim coaches, really quick, Colin, you get a bump because you mess with the staff. Yeah, they had already done that when it fired Waldron and made the interim head coach the offensive coordinator. So he actually got in a weird way diminished because he had to have more stuff on his plate. And clearly the offense was a joke in the first half. To me, I Vrabel makes a lot of sense. Yes, like they need
one thing. When you watch Dan Campbell when you took over the Lions, it was a job where you go, you can't do this, man, it ain't gonna work. It's it's this is not gonna happen here. And he basically said, screw you. It sure as hell is. And he had that type person.
And they have poor ownership too, the like the Bears, they have below average ownership.
I would say the Bears have a more glamorous franchise in city than the Lions. They're really not that. They're much closer together than they are close to the Vikings and the package, right, so you need to get a guy who comes in. But this is the problem, Colin. It gets back to Kevin Warren that press conference he gave after they fired Eberflus Ryan Poles, the GM was riding shotgun. Well, why does every president Like I'm sure
Kevin Warren's making seven figures. He was hired to build the stadium, which is an extremely important job, but no one really cares about that. Like you don't give press conferences for selling PSLs or getting the naming rights deal for four hundred million dollars even though it's a really big deal to the business in the business world, and no one talks about that. Where do you get credit
when you're around the football team? And I think football people get very, very uncomfortable when a guy like him is around when coaches are getting fired or if you were winning, he'd be right there. But when you lose like today in the first half, all I could think about is like Kevin Warren's probably slithering out in his seat, right. I don't want to sit next to Polls or this new interim coach, like this is not my problem, but if things go well, they want there. Look at the
forty nine Ers are a good example. It's John and Kyle and anything that happens is strictly on them. And they got an issue, they go right to Jed yep, And it's a streamline process. And that's the way with every good organization. If less And and Sean McVay needs something, they can go to the Kronkey. Yeah. Now they work with the president and you have good relationships. But it feels like he to have a coach fired and have him lead the press conference is one of the more
glaring things I've seen in recent memory. Shouldn't Ryan Poles be given? Yes? Yes? And I heard from a bunch of people in the league. All these candidates see that, and that's where you get a guy like Vrabel that goes maybe I'll figure out and I could fake it for a year and then I'll once I start winning, I will take over. But that's a turn off to a lot of people. And the other thing is and listen, And I'm guilty of this. I gave Caleb credit the
last I would say three or four weeks. He has made some high end place and the physical skills are undeniable. But is he a good player? Right? Because even last week against Detroit or on Thanksgiving, they were getting their ass kicked in the first half down sixty to nothing. Yeah, they have a lot They scored seventeen points in the fourth quarter against Minnesota. They have a lot of points when the game's kind of out of hand and they've
come storm. So why when the Niners are up like thirty to six, I'm like, get ready to bear is going to score a couple of touchdowns? Right, That's when they do their work. So I listen. He's very talented, but that franchise has a lot of issues and he's part of that. It's a team effort, and that's where Vrabel I'm not as dependent on my course.
That's right.
I'm gonna build the team. I'm gonna build the Yeah, the culture of the vision, Ben Johnson, a lot of guys. For every McVeigh and Kyle on the floor, we have seen countless offensive coordinator flop. I would not be in the business the first time head coaches. Yeah, I think that's too risky. Giveation.
Look look at the coaches who have succeeded taking over shipwrecks. Harbaugh with the Chargers a talented mess. With Brandon Staley, it was a talented mess.
He did it with the Niners two, same situation back in the day.
Culture builder Dan Campbell. He's not a schematic genius. He's a culture builder. So if you look at well, you look at bad franchise. Demiko Ryans is another guy, good looking, kind of stoic, intense. McVeigh rams were an absolute mess. McVeigh good with schemes, but if you ask him, it's his presence, his his ability to own the locker room when you have a bad franchise or a franchise that's turbulent or in disarray. McVeigh of the Rams, Dan Campbell,
Jim Harbaugh twice, it's not the schematic geniuses. You gotta change the culture. So Vrabel has the physical element which Dan Campbell and Harbaugh have. They're kind of physically intimidating Mike tom And I would say as a culture coach, right, Jimmy Johnson had that. Jimmy was a personnel and culture changer. Some guy Shanahan's about schematics. I think Matt Lafleur can do both. But I think Matt's schematics are really good. I mean he really breaks down Jordan and then builds
him back up. But I think Chicago's only choice Ben Johnson, I don't think he has the personality the gravitas to do it. I don't think of Cliff Kingsbury, those type of guys. They're not built for Chicago. You know. It's it's like, you know, it's it's it's like if if you just think about a family, Let's say a family's in disarray and they're you know you, and you're kind of like, what father figure, what parent could save a family that was in disarray. It wouldn't have to be
the smartest or the most experienced. It would be an ass kicker, somebody that came in and put their arms around the kids, and we are changing the environment. That's all football teams are. It's just young guys. It's family, it's young coaches. So I think we both I think Vrabel isn't and by the way, unlike Belichick, doesn't have to do doesn't have to dominate personnel. He's not going to be bitter if he doesn't dominate personnel.
One thing about Dan Campbell and Jim Harbaugh uses examples. They're former players, so they have a little bit of I think cockiness is probably the wrong way to describe it, but a willingness to be pretty I would say self confident in their own beliefs because they've done it as a player, and I think their physical presence in McVeigh let's face, it kind of feels like he played in the NFL for five years a slot receiver. Yeah right. It's the same with Tomlin like, yeah, but he played
in the NFL if you didn't know any better. And that's where you know the Ben Johnson's la floor's the Kyle's They are scheme driven, yes, you know, and you know it took Kyle a couple of years to build up. This is a different element right when you're building. Look at Lincoln. If you handed Lincoln Riley a team with a bunch of good players, I bet the team would be good. Yeah, but if you got to start from scratch,
it gets a little more difficult. Where Nick Saban bring it on, that's he lives for that moment, and that's where I think the Bears have to be very, very careful. And anytime you have Kevin Warren's just look at his resume. It's all business stuff. He's going to have such a heavy hand in this. It's that report last week that Jim Harbaugh would have been interested in the job, of
course he would have been. But if Kevin Warren would not want no part of him, why because he would suck all the energy out of the room and get all the credit. Even though that's what always has driven me crazy about football institutions. You know, in any other business, all you care about is like, hey, bring this guy on. We will make more money, we will have more success,
it'll be good forever. Everybody we're in football, it's like, Eh, he probably is the best option, but it'll diminish my role. Even though I'll make the same amount of money, i won't get the credit. So we're not going to go down that road. Look at Atlanta, they're falling apart. Yeah, and listen, Raheem was a legit candidate, but they wanted no part of Belichick. Why because those people in the building knew that they were going to get newter. Yeah.
And you're watching them now, you're like they are in a free fold. Yeah.
That was this week's Sunday Night Foodball, brought to you by Uber Eats. It's the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Uber eats has the best GameDay deals all season long. I use it every weekend. Order now for game day. The Emirates NBA Cup is here so you can win big getting in on the action at DraftKings sports Book, which is the official sports betting partner
of the NBA. There's sure to be rim rattling, slams, no look passes, get behind your favorite players and the prop bets you can make on DraftKings, the home of NBA player props. If you're ready to place your first bet, make it simple, team to win, go to the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Ninety seconds download it. Make your pick a team to win first time. Here's something special new DraftKings customers.
Bet five bucks. That's it, and you can get one hundred and fifty bucks in bonus bets if you're five dollar bet wins. So score big with DraftKings sports Book. Every point counts. Download the app and use the code column c ln CO l I N for new customers to get one hundred and fifty bucks in bonus bets betting just five bucks. If you're five dollars bet wins only on DraftKings. The Crown is yours.
Gambling problem called one eight hundred gambler in.
New York call eight seven seven eight hope and Y or text hope and Y four six seven three six nine. In Connecticut, health is available for problem gambling called eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven or visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino in Resorting, Kansas twenty one and over. Agent eligibility varies by jurisdiction, Void and Ontario. Bet must win to receive reward. Bonus bets expire one hundred and sixty
eight hours after issue INS four. Additional terms and responsible gaming resources see DKNG, dot co, slash b ball.
Let's pivot, Vikings forty two, Atlanta twenty one, good first half, and then Minnesota took over. I push back when you suggested that Minnesota may have to re sign Sam Darnold. First of all, he's going to have a very tasty free agent market. Vegas Giants, Tennessee minimum are gonna at least look at it. If they don't like cam Moore, Shad or Sanders will go number one to either Vegas or the Giants. I think you will. Not everybody's gonna
like cam Moore. But if you look in the last month Darnald has eleven tds no picks this receiving corps plus TJ. Hawkinson, Jefferson and Addison had five touchdowns today. We got to be honest about this. In the history of the league, you could put him in a very rich Gannon class, like nobody will leaves an M two. He's a top three quarterback, top four quarterback in the
league playing right now. I'm watching Darnold make plays today and our thing was, well, I think we both felt the same big, strong, athletic, coachable, tough kid, but his accuracy could be hit and miss. Well, Kevin O'Connell's taking the reckless out and elevated. You know he's made it very intentional. Sam goes back to pass, you get a very intentional play. And if he has to add lib, which he did today, he's fantastic. Not Lamar or Josh, but he is way high end in this league. He
is in the Justin Herbert class. Like I'm gonna move and I'm gonna crank it, and I never thought this. He's had one stinker all year. He had a couple picks against the Jags. They won that game. Remember that game down in Jacksonville. They were terrible in the red zone, so his stinker, they won. They could still be a number one seed. I think I'm sitting here thinking today, do you let him walk out of the building.
I think at minimum, right now he's in the category if you don't want to do the long term you got to franchise him right now. The problem with franchising it's forty one million dollars for a quarterback, and unlike these contracts, you don't get to push any of that off on you know, you know, years in the future. He has twenty eight touchdowns right now, Colin, they have four games left. He has twenty eight touchdowns and they
were eleven and two. The one player you're we're alluding to when he scrambled around and he kind of did a three sixty, went across, threw it to Jefferson across his body. I got that looked like Josh Allen and that was a play today. If you are the GM and the head coach, you go. This is exactly why we said Kirk Cousins were not in the market for you anymore because you don't want You've never had that in the bag. But the version that we're seeing out
of Cousins. Cousins just got one hundred million dollars guaranteed. He hasn't thrown a touchdown in four weeks, and he's throwing picks just by the you know, multiple picks every game. I mean, he might be cooked. Like you saw today was a pivot point. One guy's career feels like it's kind of headed toward the drain, like is he even gonna be starting next week? And the other guy is exploding? And you use rich Gannon as your example. Rich Gannon did not have this level arm. Rich Gannon did not.
That was the knock on Rich. While a lot of people back in the day were like, you know, it was hard for Gruden to sell Al Davis on Rich because he liked those big arm quarterbacks and that wasn't Rich. But Rich was really accurate. Sam Darnold sixty eight percent this season, Colin crazy. Now, listen, he's gonna turn the ball over a little bit. He's got ten picks, probably end up with thirteen and fourteen. How often do you watch him and you see him explode the ball down
the field. Well, now that they are left tackles injured, the best two players on the Vikings are the two white So those guys are thriving under Sam. How could
you I've said before Today is a great example. He threw five touchdowns against a team with a lot of good defensive secondary gyas yause in your wildest dreams, you would design are JJ to become this player one day, to be that good what we witnessed today and the chances based on the history of we all watching the NFL and knowing how hard this league is, it's less than fifty percent he's ever that good? Well, Sam currently
is this good? And now has this I would say, you know, resume of life in the league, of building on callouses, going through adversity, being very confident in himself, but having humility to know how hard it is. Like he's seen it all. He has seen the worst of the worst. And then with Kyle and now Kevin O'Connell,
I understand that they drafted a quarterback. But sometimes things change. Yeah, I mean the forty nine ers drafted Trey Lance and they pivoted in the blink of an eye, yep, to party and sometimes you just that's isn't that part You started the volume like pivot fast, right? I mean, you know, Sam Darnoldy. So what he's gonna cost you a lot of money if he's a top five or six quarterback in the NFC. I mean, this year, how many NFC
quarterbacks are better than him? He's better than Jalen Hurts right now.
Well, we're talking about Baker Mayfield. Baker Mayfield had a good quarter today, but was awful for long stretches in the game.
Awful.
Geno Smith, Yeah, Baker was awful and that by the way, And I've tried to be very positive with Baker because I was so rough on him early. But he can be really reckless and you can't coach that out of him. He's just a different personality. He literally lives for chip on his shoulder. Sam doesn't have that. Sam's not trying to prove anything other than I'm good. Sam's like a beach boy. He's having a good time. He's he's an ocean side, you know, linebacker basketball, He's an athlete. He's
a great kid. Baker's got that chip a mile along. Baker's battled his own family at times. It's part of his great fabric and his story. I love, but Geno Smith, there's limitations. Baker is reckless Darnold, you're getting a higher upside with I mean, I always thought Baker was a better pure pocket passer. This year, I'm not sure, and some of it's justin Jefferson, but it's not like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and the guys down there are bad either. I just think letting him walk out the door.
What if he goes to an NFC team?
To me, though, you know, use Baker is a good example. Aren't we all all a little bit of a product of our past. I mean, Baker was a walk on at Texas tach six feet tall, yeah, Sam Darnold six foot four at USC, you know, in the in the most turmoil time in the history of the program, leads him to eleven plus wins. I mean, in the ugliness of the mid twenty tens. He's a strapping, big arm like a blue chip.
He won a Rose Bowl against a good Penn State team with a really bad college football coach and no pros around him. I mean that you go back to that year and it was hero ball, that's all it was.
I'm pro Baker, and he's really matured and he's become a good player, But the skill set of the two, Sam is the more dynamic player, and looking back, like if you did a redraft, yeah, I think both of them probably aren't going one to three, but clearly they've lived up to like they're going to play in the league for a long time. Sam's high end is higher than base, yes, because his mobility bigger. And I just think it's pretty clear you watch Sam, He's got an
explosive arm. Yeah, and on the move he can really sling it. And that's the playmaking Minnesota what limited in the last limited that team the last couple of years. You know, Cousins was a stagnant can't move if you throw them off the spot, Sam's on face, got ad lib, no problem, Let's rip.
So now I want to go and we don't have to spend as much time on these two games because I want to talk a lot of college football playoff. Pittsburgh beats Cleveland twenty seven to fourteen. Russell Wilson six and one as a starter, good on third down. Now, they didn't have Pickens today who I don't know what they said, hamstring, but George Pickens wasn't around and there were real limitations like this is one of these you know how like AJ Brown leads Jalen as much as
Jalen leads AJ Brown. Like AJ Brown's got this weird stat He's like the most instrumental wide receiver in the league. Like the team STI front boy George Pickens with Russ is dangerous without him today, I mean they didn't do much, but again, this is the first time in years. They don't make a lot of mistakes. They get to the line, they're pretty good on third down. I think Pittsburgh's gonna have a hard time in a com and a division with Burrow. You don't want to start over again. You
got Burrow, Lamar Jackson, hell Jamis Winston's productive. I don't know what Pittsburgh does. They they have to sign him, don't they.
I thought Russell had two of his better throws this season on a couple of touchdown passes in the red zone to day the tight end quick balls, getting the ball out of his hand. He had a friarman on the one. On another one getting it kind of under a defensive back. I thought today was a really big moment for Russell because, like you said, I mean, George Pickett was kind of like Malone at Stockton and that was his guy, ye and then you remove him and
early on. You know, the brown clearly are going to play very well against these teams in the division. They're very confident at home or on the road, they are they're gonna have the worst record in the league that every team has to take very seriously. Down the streets you're trying to make.
They missed field goals today. They could have absent.
Their field goal kickers and shambles right.
Okay, they had a chance. This could have been a final drive of the game contest. I mean, there's no question Cleveland was in this thing, Jamis, you know, so that's my take. Russell didn't play particularly well. They missed their star, but they beat a division rival and he just doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
Yet to me, if he's not turning the ball over and can be productive for you in the red zone. Their defense, this franchise, how they are able to find these defensive linemen they had ninety five today, had an interception on a screen path from Jamis. They have like three or four pass rushers outside of TJ. Watt, Cam Hayward's been in the league. It feels like for twenty years still making place. I mean their franchise. I was wrong. I thought it was time for a divorcee and just time.
Like Andy Reid Philly, it was time.
That's what I thought.
And listen and I and I also thought this. I thought going from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson was going to be an epic mistake. In the Locks. He has been such a major upgrade and seeing some clips like Justin Field still in it, maybe listen, Maybe sometimes every human being fails at different times. Some are more public
than others. Maybe maybe it was healthy for Russell. Maybe it's just kind of changed him a little bit because he has it feels like ingratiate himself with a group and a city in a friend, it's not easy to do. I mean, that's not exactly diva. You know, it's it's blue collar, working man team, and he feels kind of one of them. I mean, I I take him pretty SERI. I was impressed today because I thought Cleveland early on was coming to play. Jamis was making some plays. I'm like,
Cleveland's confident against Pittsburgh. They just beat him a couple of weeks ago. You're like, uh, let's be a bad loss, and they kind of hit the Jets and all of a sudden they were up a couple of touchdowns and never looked back.
Okay, Seattle thirty, Arizona eighteen. Seattle's now eight and a five. They sweep Arizona, really dominate the game, ran the ball effectively. Kyler Murray had a couple ugly picks early in the game. You know, it's it's really interesting when I watch Gino again, you know, twenty four of I think thirty it would just again kind of stoic, sits in the pocket, makes the throws. I love Seattle's skill talent. I think they have two backs.
I like.
Smith and Jigba Lockett still banging around this league, which is crazy. He was a gadget guy and now it's a ten plus career. I look at Seattle, they're going to make the playoffs now it looks I mean, they're eight and five. They have a sixty two percent chance to make the playoffs. I got to tell you this, as Pete Carroll hangs around the USC inferno right now, I know, deep down, Pete Carroll would we'd take that job in two minutes? Is I think you and I
put Gino below Baker and sam Don. Maybe you don't, but I don't think he's I think there's I do, yeah, I do, so do I this roster, I mean they are they are missing a quarterback now. I thought they should have gone after Pennox last year. I parts of me think I don't know what to do with Seattle, but you know, I'm sitting there watching it today. This is a This is Arizona's biggest game of the year. They just got hammered by Seattle. Shit. Seattle took total
control of the game in the first half. Felt like they sealed it early with picks. I think this coach is good. I think the rosters fairly. I think we don't know a lot of their players. But you go watch the way they came back and won against the Jets. You watched the way they went to Arizona. Young teams tend to be more emotional John and Seattle's young in spots. But these young teams don't know what they don't know. I think Seattle's better than I thought. And before the
season you said, I said, give me a team. Denver was my team. No, Washington was my team. I thought was going to be better than everybody thought. And I said, give me a team that we're gonna look up in week fifteen and go damn. And yours was Seattle, you kept. Mine was Washington with the commanders. They had all new people, and I said, good, all the other people were awful.
They've upgraded everything owner down. It would Seattle. If the Rams in Seattle played in the playoff, we would take Stafford and McVeigh right.
It depends where the game was. I think you're understating the coach as being good. I think he's awesome. I mean, look at Baltimore since he's left. Their defense last year was historic and they've fallen apart same place.
They're awful now.
And you watch Seattle as they've gotten guys back, they are much better on defense. This was my favorite bet of the weekend was them two and a half on the road. One, they've just played well in Arizona for a long time. And two you could tell this Arizona team had been leaking oil. Now. Kyler Parlays has two picks down the stretching last game, right back in the first quarter, throws two awful picks and then unraveled on
him fast and once it's twenty four to ten. It's like you can tell with Arizona when they're vibing and they show up, You're like, Okay, it's gonna be a game. When they get a little off kilter, how about listen. He is a freak talent like you will. I don't think we'll ever see another five 'ot nine guy drafted number one overall. Now, granted Bryce went to and Bryce has looked a lot better. Yeah, but Kyler is truly you know, his version of like Bo Jackson or Deon Sanders.
Just physical talent, it's it's all time great. But his body language when he plays bad early he kind of can go in the tank. Yes, and your quarterback. You know, we're talked about Buffalo. Early they're getting their ass kicked and Josh keeps his head up and keeps swinging kind of just kind of gets MOPI And that was the knock on him, and it felt like he had matured a little bit. And it's like he kind of went back in the tank today and that's you saw Seattle.
You know, That's the thing they got with Gino is like he cannot play well and it feels like for the most part, his body language is pretty solid.
Even he feels terrible when Gino makes a mistake. Nobody feels worse than Geno. He's got a good heart, he is, He's got leadership qualities. You can tell us teammates in the sideline love him. Gino Smith has limitations, but it's not leadership. It's not work ethic, it's not added to Gino Smith bust his ass every week. He really and he really appreciates this opportunity.
The one thing with Seattle, Colin is their schedule these next two weeks. They are Packers Vikings. Now they're both in Seattle. But that's gonna be tough. You're getting the Packers, who I would say are gonna come into this. I mean, this's a big game for them. Gotta lick their wounds after that Lions game, right because now they're nine to four. They feel destined for a wildcard spot. That's a big moment for them in Minnesota. I don't know how they do it, but they feel like they're gonna end up
winning fourteen games. Then they play the Bears, and then they play the Rams. Now, if the Rams beat the Niners this week, that game Week eighteen could be the Sunday Night winner get in for the division, right, you know, two nine win teams, whoever wins gets ten and wins the division. The other team might be on the outside looking in, not even get a wildcard spot. So I think if Seattle wins one of these next two games,
they're gonna win the division. If they lose both of them and the Rams beat the forty nine ers, I think we got, you know, a division on our hands. I take Seattle pretty seriously. I think they're coaching staff. Head coach, the stud Ryan Grubb clearly is really good. The dude they took from Debor who had never coached in the pros. And Gino hasn't really you know, he's looked exactly like he has the last couple of years,
if not even he's been a little more consistent. What can they do this year is like they're a little more hammered the run. I mean today, Sharbonay, he's our backup running back, had one hundred and twenty five shards. And like you said, if they get walker to me, if they're gonna be taken yes, like and win a playoff game and win this division. That his injuries have been a little bit of a problem. If they can
keep him healthy. Their offensive skill guy minus the quarterback is as good as any like It's like Eagles level right with their wide receivers, the tight end, Yeah, multiple running backs.
Walker runs so hard, He's the kid that led college football at Michigan State yards after contact, he just he runs so hard he hurts himself. He's got a little bit of that James Connor in Arizona. He runs violently, so he's banged up a lot. Now for a segment called making It Look Easy, brought to you by Morgan and Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. Today Sam Darnold, boy did he make it look easy? Five passing touchdowns three hundred and forty seven yards against the Falcons, an
amazing second half. Just like Sam made it look easy, Morgan and Morgan does the same. So easy to submit a claim. Has over one hundred offices nationwide, more than eight hundred lawyers with over fifteen billion dollars recovered for their clients. Morgan and Morgan has a proven track record of fighting to get you full and fair compensation. They've
been fighting for the people for over five years. So if you're ever injured, go to fourthpeople dot com, slash Colin or dial pound five two nine check out America's largest injury law firm. Winning in the NFL is hard, Hiring Morgan and Morgan is easy. All right, last game I want to talk about before we get into the college football. Dolphins in overtime beat the Jets thirty two to twenty six. Best game Aaron Rodgers played this year twenty seven to thirty nine, three hundred and forty yards.
Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson combined for sixteen catches and over two hundred and twenty yards. Aaron looked good first half and second they played much better than I thought. They had a chance to win this game. But the reason I think it's interesting and two, I had a good afternoon, but the Jets averaged six and a half yards and Aaron was on his game, so we should say that. But they still lost. And so the draft order today is Raiders, and I assume they'll take Shduur
Sanders Giants. The question is do they go after a Darnel or is it cam Ward New England Panthers, Jaguars, Titans, Jets at seven? Actually probably go and either get Calvin Banks, the Texas tackle, or Will Campbell, the LSU tackle. That's a fairly predictable draft pick. But it's interesting because I was looking at the draft order as I watched the Jets and the Dolphins, and it's getting very defined now. Like the Raiders and the Giants, they're bad teams. Let's
talk about the Jets before we get into this. Miami's not going to make the playoffs. I mean again, Aaron tore them apart today. He was even two for two on fourth down. They're going to get a new coach now. As I said earlier with the Bears, they need a culture coach. I think that's exactly what the Jets need. And now Vrabel said he was interested this week in the Jets as long as he liked the general manager.
I'm just going to ask Skew straight out, because I don't think the Dolphins are really that much of a story. I think the Jets, like the Bears, are dysfunctional, but there's some really good players on both teams. Where do the Jets go for a coach? Because they'll have the seventh pick, they'll be able to address one of their I mean, I think it's a pretty good team. They I think they need to get a young you know, they have one tackle in from Penn State, right, they
need another one. Jets. Your thought on coach and quarterback going forward.
Well, I've been saying this for a while. I think the next head coach of the Jets is going to be Rex Ryan.
I don't think you're wrong.
He's been politicing for the job. You know, Mike Tannebaum I've known for a while is now running the search. He was Rex Ryan's general manager when they had some success of Phil Savage, who I think you know as well as their current interim GM work with Rex in Baltimore. Rex has been going on every single news out like he wants this job, and from all him and Woody did not have a bad relationship. When he got fired. It was remember they hired Itzick and it was one
of those he let his GM make a decision. But like the most success the Jets have had in my adult life I'm forty was by four with this guy. This franchise. It sucked. They had a little moment with herm Edwards I remember in the early two thousands. But what was that, like one and done in the playoffs? Yeah, like Rexl was beating Belichick in the playoffs. Yeah, I just think he gives them a little can handle. The media gives them a presence, like obviously I would be
interested in Rabel as well. That would make a lot of sense. But this is where it gets difficult with a guy like Rabel because he just had a situation when they fired John Robinson and brought in the new GM. It got weird for him fast. And these guys aren't comfortable, is why. And I know you talked about Kyle Shanahan getting traded to the Bears. Kyle Shanahan would do a swan dive off the Golden Gate Bridge before he answered
to Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren. You know why because when the forty nine ers hired Kyle Shanahan, it was very, very difficult for them to find a match. They were interviewing a bunch of number twos and He's like, I don't really want to work with it. I don't know this guy. How about my guy, John Lynch. That's what John Lynch became the GM. These guys they're not addicted to power. They just want to be comfortable with the guy.
They spend more time within their wife. It's a weird That's where it's like, well, Phil Savage's already their interim. He knows Rex really well. You can already see it coming, and it's kind of an easy move for the Jets. A lot of these teams don't fire coaches because I don't think their coach or their owner wants to go on a search all these guys. They don't really know. Once you hire enough coaches, you know, it doesn't Ben Johnson, you could have the greatest offense since Bill Walsh, that
doesn't translate into them becoming a head coach. When the Eagles hired Andy Reid in nineteen ninety eight or nine or whatever the reason they did it, he wasn't even technically the coordinator with Green Bay. They had done a long study that being a coordinator does not directly tie to just guarantee success. Right. That's why sometimes special teams coaches have got more opportunities over the years because there
is we're dealing with human beings here. It's why the draft stats and where you can none of it means. Josh Allen begged for scholarship offers from Fresno Satan San Diego State. They wouldn't call him back. This is all like hit and miss left and right, you never know, And same thing with a head coach, Like it's a lot when Ben Johnson, when Jamison Williams gets suspended or gets pulled over because they got three glock nines in the coach, it's not his problem. That's Dan and the
GM deal with that. You just keep on scheming, buddy. When you're the head coach that comes to your desk immediately, Hey we need a decision. What are we doing? And that's where to me. You get guys the Jets and the Bears, both those two teams have to hire a guy who's been a head coach before. They have to
because there's those markets. The pressure. Uh, the Aaron Rodgers decision is not easy if he just doesn't retire, like he's under contract, he has no trade value, right right, So it's like you know, if you Rex are Rabel, I could see them just handling him for a year, yeah, right, because like it's yeah, it's it'd probably be somewhat easy and also unload the contract. He might have a draft pick high enough to get a guy you want.
He'd also have power maybe the first year of a four year deal. Woudy Johnson likes him. Sola was somewhat powerless because Aaron came in. Aaron's the star, Aaron's got the ring, and Sala had a losing record. So I think that's I think Rex Ryan would come in. He'd handle him for a year. I think I think Rayble to the Bears and Rex Ryan to the Jets. I said this three weeks ago in my show. It makes sense.
I would.
I would have no problem hiring Rex Ryan. I think for these tire fires, you need a culture changer. I mean, we just sought in our election. You know, you don't have to be politically correct. You can offend some people, but if you're viewed as somebody who can change, you know a orchestrate change. You don't care about the criticism. You're big, bigger than life. You got that Captain America shield up front. It doesn't bother you. Rex Ryan's got fixed in. He can be joyful and playful and funny
when you're ripping him. I think it works.
Yeah, I mean, I just think it's gonna be the move. Yeah, I really do. And you know I think this is Listen, we can nitpick the bills and they are judged against the Chiefs and the Ravens, but I feel pretty confident they're gonna keep dominating this division for the foreseeable future.
All Right, let's talk college football. The twelve team playoff has come out, Listen, Let's get the one thing out of the way. I think Bama's better than SMU, but BAMA doesn't have an argument. I watched them get completely shelled against a Oklahoma team that was two and six in conference with like a minus seventy nine point differential in conference. Oklahoma was a bad team and they got I mean literally an overrun by them. So I don't
have any problem again that regular season has to mean something. Yes, Bama's beaten more good teams. If Bama got in I wouldn't lose any sleep if SMU did not. But I felt the same way both ways. I would have taken probably Abama, but SMU, after a really hard fought loss, kind of felt like the move. And I also think, listen, Bama's not consistent enough to be a national champion. SMU is not going to be a national champion. SMU may be a better story, it's better for the sport big picture.
I don't think anybody on the heels of Alabama's you know, fifteen year dynasty is losing sleep because they don't get in.
I don't disagree, but if I was part of the SEC, here's what I would say. College football, I mean, based on the numbers, has never been more popular. Yeah, like more people consistently have never watched more and the SEC ratings have been insane. So we are carrying the popularity of this sport as a conference and have carried the sport really for a long time now. And we only get three teams in. That's where you can just see them, even if it is justified as it is in this situation,
all these teams all miss lost a Casey Tucky. If any of these SEC teams is ten and two, they are easily in over SMU. We all agree, h but like we want guarantees. And this is where I think college football is gonna go. If, like, if I'm the Big ten who like the SEC is carrying college football with the ratings, the ACC is simply not, like I want to know, because getting into the playoffs is very
financial viable for the conference, right right. That's the same thing with the NCAA tournament and now we only get we only get one difference, like the difference of us in the SEC and the ACC is one team. That seems crazy, ye like I watch an unhealthy amount of college football. The gap between the change is Grand Canyon wide. So even if you could justify it records and everything, that's a big picture problem for me. If I'm Greg
saying I got it, we need some assurances. And this is where like the NFL, you know what, do tiebreakers go conference record? It's impossible to do tiebreakers and everything in college football because the SEC goes my eight and four? What is that worth? In the in the ACC? Am I ten and two in the ACC like by big twelve. Arizona State's an incredible story. What would their record be if I put them playing LSU, Bama, Ole, Miss, Yeah, Arkansas. You know. So it's it's not Apple's d apples, right,
And that's the hard part. I think we all agree on that, even if we go yeah, SMU deserves it, but it's like it's a little out of whack. Now it's first year. I'm not going to complain that much. I don't feel that bad. And I think the committee wanted Alabama because I do think Alabama. The needle moves a little more when you got Alabama playing, because who's SMU is playing Penn State? Alabama. Penn State is just a better television product, isn't it.
Yeah, So here's the one that really cracked me up. So the regular season. The committee said, the regular season matters. We're not going to give Bama three losses, two of which are Mulligan's Vandy and Oklahoma. But yet in Oregon has the most impressive regular season and arguably the most impressed of championship game performance. Georgie is up there as well. They get the winner of the Tennessee Ohio State game, which is a team capable of winning the national championship,
then they could face Texas than Georgia. How did Penn State get an easier route? They lost at home to Ohio State and got hammered by Oregon. I think they have now they play another game. I think they have a much easier route than Oregon. I thought Oregon kind of got hosed.
Yeah to me, them copying the basketball bracket where you're forced to play team instead of the NFL bracket where you receed by the round. Yeah to me, you gotta change football Wise receips round. Yes, because Oregon has the only undefeated team. Clearly, if he just watched the best and the second best conference and they get stuck with
Ohio State Tennessee, that seems pretty outrageous. I thought so because if they could pick the opponents, I think there's a decent chance that Ohio State would be the last opponent they would want to play. Yeah, maybe Notre Dame. Second Tennessee would be high up there too, Like the SMU's the Clemsons, you gotta receive. Now, this is where I'm not gonna freak out year one name. You gotta figure it out. But you cannot keep this. How can Boise and ASU potentially get easier opponents than Oregon?
Well, I mean Penn State.
Now, I think they would say Oregon's gonna play the Rose Bowl, like that's where their game's gonna be. I think, in the like their home game, so that you know it's kind of regionality. But playing Ohio State potentially, that's that's pretty different.
And Ohio State will fill half that stadium. I mean, Penn State gets SMU and Boise State, I mean potentially, it's like Jesus, they the biggest game of the year. At home, they lost to Ohio State, and I mean they they they got pushed around me. They they could not stop Oregon. I just thought Penn State, and I understand punishing. If you flip Penn State in Ohio State in the playoff, I'd be I think it's it's more
fair now Ohio State. Again. The Michigan loss was not only bad, not only at home, but it made you question the entire program. Like when when Penn State lost to Ohio State, you didn't question the program. You're like, well, Ohio State's better that that Michigan. I mean, listen, if you want to ask yourself who who's getting punished, it's Ohio State. I think Tennessee is the sleeper national championship picking this thing.
I was. I thought Herbstreet had a good point during the show when they released the bracket of you know, Ohio State, maybe would rather go on the road because a couple early three and outs, maybe you're down seven to nothing, ten nothing, that place will turn on your fast because that group's edgy, that group's already pissed off. Yeah, like in a weird way at ten and two. Hosting
a playoff game is a major disappointment. Yeah, you know, watching that game last night, I thought it was so insane that Clemson is now in the playoffs and Miami's just long gone, even though all season Miami it was like a top five or six team. And then Penn State. By takeaway with Penn State, Oregon's tough, and that's their skill group is better top to bottom. I think Penn State has their front seven full NFL guys. Yes, best tight end in the country. They have a one to
two running back combination. Quarterback a little all over the map, but he is extremely talented. And you saw a couple of passes, yeh, whoa, that's a top ten pick. And then you saw a couple other passes, You're like, that's a sixth rounder. But you never really know what you're gonna get with them. But they have a lot of talent on their team. Like to me, if the quarterback has a B plus a minus game, they could play with most anyone in this in this tournament. I'm with
you on Tennessee. Their defensive line is really good. Yes, And what's Ohio State's problem right now, Well, if they're offensive, they's had a guy Terry Achilles. They missing that could be a rough I'm telling you that place could start boosting. It's like ten to nothing in the second quarter.
The weather forecast for this weekend in Columbus is forty degrees. And what it's not playing to a finesse down field team. So Will Howard, who's been hot and cold in big games. It's forty degrees. The pressure's on. You'll be favored and Tennessee d line and Ohio State online. If you're forced to run the ball against Tennessee that's got a seventeen thirteen field to it, that's not gonna be a high scoring game, in my opinion.
One thing that's gonna be. You know, for the most part, in college you get a couple and you hammered this home when they went. When the West Coast team's got in the big ten, there aren't as many cold weather games as you think. In the NFL there are. Why they play all through December through January. Yeah, college football usually ends home games the last week in November and then they go to warm weather bowls.
That's right.
So's that's where this changed, because they don't. They're they're playing in two weeks, right, and it's Friday night Saturday night at South Bend and at Ohio State, which makes sense. I mean, two of the biggest brands. It's gonna get huge ratings. Plus the NFL plays Saturday, so it gets a little loss in the show Uffel. You know, like Texas, the Texas game and the Penn State game are going up against like Raven Steelers, so you know, but those
two night games are gonna be by themselves. It could be really cold, yep. I mean it's so it's gonna have one thing with playoff football, even with the best teams, it's usually not thirty five to thirty scores, right, It's usually lower scoring. You can't you can't feel your hands. I mean, you could have a game in two weeks at Ohio State with it. Couldn't it be twenty seven degrees or Notre Dame. It could be freezing cold.
Thursday Night Football is on. It's only on Prime video, best season yet, packed with big rivalries and even bigger stars al Michaels, Kirk Kurbstreet, Kaylee Hartung. Every week games you can't miss. Coverage begins at seven Eastern with Football's Best Party TNF Tonight. Thursday Night Football Tonight, if you're not a Prime member, no problem, sign up thirty day free trial, cancel any time Thursday Night football and it's on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon dot Com slash
Amazon Prime for details. Let's talk Clemson at Texas. I really like Texas in that spot, but I'm watching that game against Georgia. Georgia gets their quarterback knocked out and suddenly forced to run. In the second half. They found their run game there was when they went to overtime and the Texas series they do. They throw the ball out of the end zone, then they do a fade pattern and then they throw it out in the flat against you know, Georgia's linebackers and corners or NFL guy.
I mean, Georgia's got a first round safety, a first round corner for first round defensive end. It's like, you're not going to beat in the flat. You're not going to be Georgia. For the last eight years, I thought for an offensive coach, sark I hated the overtime Texas play calling. I thought it was awful.
Listen, I've been one of his biggest critics. I will defend him. I don't think he trusts his quarterback at all, and I don't blame him because I don't think he's very good. And early on in that game, when actually he wasn't playing that bad and Georgia was a little show shocked. Instead of being up seventeen to three, it's six to three. Ye. And then as the game went on, I thought, Yours became much more to who he's kind of become this season. Is very very averaged. Yes, and
he's just not an explosive player. He's not a good playmaker.
Is a former scout, You're nailing it when I watch him. He's not an explosive player.
No, he's just he's not a playmaker. Like you watched one thing Bryce Young his comeback story. He's starting to make play. Yes, right, most decent quarterbacks can make throw a slant route or an out route from the pocket. But half the plays you're gonna have to scramble, you're gonna have to move, you're gonna have to throw in the run, you might have to break a tackle. And you watch Quinn Yours. He cannot do any of that.
So as the game goes on, what does George do that I start getting pressure on him, he starts getting sacked, He's not a very dynamic guy. Carson Beck like one thing. When the other guy, Gunner Stockton, what an incredible name, by the way, comes in, he is so mobile that he can just keep plays alive. They don't have that. Texas does have that with Archie Manning. Now. I don't know if Sark believes he's as good of a passer right now as Quinn yours. Clearly by not playing him,
you've already paid Quinn the nil. But I think they have no shot to win the National championship with him at quarterback. You remove him if every team just has the same quarterback, like whatever, every if you put all twelve teams equal quarterback, Texas has as good of a chance to win the National Championship as anybody. You watch Oregon last night, that little quarterback look like Tua did at Alabama. I mean, some of the throws he was making.
It's like this guy is playing quarterback in college better than all these guys.
Yeah, yeah, I think, And that's.
A huge advantage. Obviously, Oregon has really good skill guy, yea better than Georgia. You watch Bowers he's making. They missed Bowers of mcaukey, but still Dylan Gabriel right now is playing the best at quarterback for all these teams, even though Georgia Texas, you know, like they have a bunch of talent, but their quarterback plays shitty.
Yeah, And it's really interesting. When I watched Georgia, they have an incredible defensive lineman McHale Williams. They have a great safety. When I watched Georgia, I mean they're running backs last night. They're bringing in second, third, fourth, they are running that second half. It was violent. They are running over guys.
You know.
With Texas, I know they have a bunch of good players, and Kelvin Banks, who got hurt, is a really really good tackle. But it's funny. When I watched Michigan win the Natty last year, they had Will Johnson at corner, Mason Graham, Blake Korhum, jj McCarthy. They had about six players that even in a game against Ohio State, You're like, wow, those are great players. Georgia's national championship teams, it can be picking Rock Bowers, Lad McConkey. It can be one of you know, Jalen Carter.
Jalen Carter.
Yeah, in Bama. Ohio State has four or five guys like that. Many at receiver, the Caleb Downs for Ohio State, the kid they got from Bama. He'll be the number one pick next year. He's an insane generational talent. When I watched Texas, this is weird, John. They got a bunch of good players. But I watched that offense and I'm like, they have good backs, they have good receivers. I don't see a lot of wow. And I know
it's a really good roster. But if you look at National championship teams Michigan last year, Georgia teams, you know, when Clemson was winning, you'd have like a Mike Williams, You'd have a Trevor Lawrence. You'd have a linebacker that you're like, oh, okay, that's different. Even in the game against Bama, that player's different. ATM the running back for Clemson. You know, Yeah, I look at Texas and I know this sounds crazy because their recruiting has been great, but
I just don't see enough wow. I see very good everywhere. But they couldn't score against Texas A and M. They can't move the ball against Georgia in the first set. That's with Sark and an NFL quarterback and the best left tackle in the sport.
Yeah, they should be able to run the ball better. Number twenty six, I mean he should average like one hundred yards a game. I mean that's one element. I mean I think sometimes the depth this gets back to these top teams are not ten deep, Like they don't go you know, back to back with their backup offensive line. Are not future pros. And that's where I think when you look at these former teams, Clemson in their heyday and the late teams beating Alabama, they were going too
deep with pros getting drafted. Yes, Sabans team forever, the last of Kirby, Like this version of Kirby's teams relative to the back that don't even have anything in common, right, I think Michigan's team last year would easily win the National Championship again.
Easily, even Washington last year that lost in the Natty. I mean you were looking at Roma Dunze, Michael Pennix, their receiving corps up and down, their receiver, they had a they had a right tackle and an interior offensive lineman. You were like, you could just tell this is like eight really good players.
Team was real, and I think is that a little bit. Why, you know, at first I thought Belichick was just interviewing with North Carolina to just you know, it's like the guy who's trying to impress the girl and brings a girl another girl of the party to get people to notice them. You just want to show NFL teams like hey, I'm talking to people. And then you start reading like what if he realizes it actually might be a little
easier in college because the parody is there. Yeah, and it's not like I'm not a huge disadvantage most of the time. And you watch in college football, like, like you said, Tennessee is a good value, you could say Notre Dame. If the quarterback just said all these teams, would it shock you? Like inferior Oregon is the best team. But then you look at the bracket. How hard it's gonna be? Like I don't take Boise and ASU seriously.
I expect both of them to get knocked out. But I would say, of all the the SEC and the big tent like Indiana, there'll be one and done. But I think, you know, Georgia could win any game, could lose anything.
Same.
Texas could easily be Like I could see them look like shit, Yeah, who knows. I mean, I think it's all on the table, which makes this tournament pretty intriguing. Maybe the transfer portal in the NIL spreading out makes the twelve team brack even that much more intriguing because back in the day, you put a Pete Carroll USC a Nick Saban their heyday, they would kick the shit out all these teams. Yeah, wouldn't even be fun. Yeah.
No, I think that's the benefit of the transfer portal is that nobody has depth, even the top teams. Just you lose a left tackle at Ohio State, then you move a guard to left tackle. Then your interior alignment gets hurt, you get weak, you get you have a unit that has a liability very quickly in college football.
Now do you think I haven't heard your take on the Belichick North Carolina. Well, do you think that's more just trying to prove or do you think there's some real substance behind that.
I think he wants to get his son the job. His son's at Washington. I think he wants to get his son a head coaching job. And I think Bill is so big on the East Coast. People out west don't care, but people out East do I don't think he would have to have an incredibly young collegiate staff, which I'm not sure he has the patience for. I just don't know if he has the patience. You know, Bill was always the grinder. It was always sacrificed for
the team. Shit, kids aren't sacrificing now, they'll bounce in a second. Now do I think schematically I mean, Charlie Weiss was schematically excellent. He just couldn't recruit. He just didn't want to get out there. Bill's not gonna you know, Bill will do some private jet stuff, but Bill's not going to be on the road. He views himself as he should, as a different level. I don't Andy Reid again as a funnier guy, a more social guy. I don't think he'd want to be on the road recruiting.
Did you see Albert Berr's report about how many homes Deon Sanders has been in the last eighteen months? Huh? Zero? Because in this day and age, they used to have rules, Like when I worked at Fresno State, only like six or seven of your guys were eligible to go recruit and go into someone's home. Now there are no rules. Anyone you could hire or recruiting staff, you know, former players that just go recruit you. You don't have to
go into homes anymore. And it makes sense like when I saw they technically had like an early recruiting signing day a couple of days ago, right, and some of these kids were saying, like, you know this guy just recruited me. No, you got paid the most money. It's the game has completely changed. And maybe Bill who views it much more from a strategic business mindset of like, hey, if you give me ten plus million in nil funds,
I feel I have a pretty good idea. I can bring a couple of my guys from the NFL to figure out how to allocate this pie. I'll pick the players. And maybe he've used it much more because it is it has much more of an NFL feel now. The difference is like when I sign you to a three year deal, you're under contract, right. You know in college, these guys, as someone texts me around college, he's like, if you've noticed some of these random teams and I didn't.
Did a kid just won't play the last couple of weeks, you know on a team that's like going to be six and six they'll just be sick. Yeah, well they're transferring. Yeah, they'll just go to the coach on Wednesday or Thursday of like week eleven when the team's not going anywhere, and like, coach, I just don't feel great. I'm out. And that's happening all over the place. Yeah before, I mean,
that guy would just keep playing. I said this before about like Kyle McCord transferring in the history of the sport, Kyle McCord just would have been Ohio State's quarterback again. And what if he just would have taken the next step and all of a sudden, Ohio State was twelve and zero in the number one seed. But instead they kick him out. Everyone's so quick to move. We're in the NFL. Sometimes you just have to keep a guy
because you drafted him high and he get he improves. Yeah, and now in college, you know, coaches and players are just so quick to like point the finger at the other guy and bounce or basically cut him. And it reflects when you watch these teams, because listen, the games are still fun, but you can feel that these teams aren't as good, the high end teams as they Oh no, no, I mean I don't even think like, is this the best Oregon team in the last fifteen years.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
No.
I mean the other thing is players in college are leaving now, and it's not that they're not productive. USC just lost to kids. Sam Green he was playing a ton I think he was a red and shirt freshman or a freshman. He was playing a ton somebody offered him more money. Bottom line, somebody played USC and went, you know, it could be a Penn State the kids from that part of the country. So kids aren't even
disgruntled they're leaving. You're getting cherry picked. Penn State could go, hey, we're losing, like all of our we're losing four really good guys up front. That's Sam Green kid, we lost out to USC. Let's just go buy him. So a guy doesn't even have to be disgruntled. It's it's can you imagine in the NFL if you didn't have contracts and you're like, let's just make a bid on you know, a great left tackle.
You know one thing I was talking to a buddy that said that the top end of this draft is not very good. It's not And I said, isn't that a back to back a couple of years now where it's just it doesn't feel loaded with guys. Are we concerned, like, do we have any theories? And I started thinking, I wonder if guys now bouncing left and right, you don't develop as you used to just being in a program
for three or four years, consistent practice, consistent training. Well, now guys are just mercenaries on the move.
The other thing is more guys are playing baseball. Moms don't want their kids to play football. Now, it doesn't matter in the South or Texas or maybe Pennsylvania, but there is lower high school football turnout and a lot of these great athletes are looking at these baseball contracts and going, you guys get ten year baseball contracts. So I think it's the mom. You know, moms are like, hey,
I don't want my son playing football. And I'm not picking on moms that that's just been discussed, right, Like that's been.
What is the O line D line doing that? You know, are six foot six, three hundred pound guys playing baseball? Well, I still think they just don't exist. I still think there's a lot of good football players. And again, for sure, I think high school football turnout has decreased. And by the way, the NFL smartly ten years ago I talked about this on my show Targeted Moms and their Ants. About ten years ago, the NFL was around that CTE stuff.
Those remember when that was getting the big payoffs for the NFL pivoted and said, hey, we have to make sure that both parents are into football. And by the way it has worked, it is remarkable the number of women who love football. It's half the league's fans. It's like fifty to fifty last time I looked. So this has been a point, a real distinction. The NFL has tried to own the household, you know, not just dad and dad loves Nope, that's not what it is anymore.
They want everybody. And I think that's part of it. And the other thing is to your point, I think players aren't as developed. I think, listen, it's like anything else. If you're bouncing around for money and not management, you're you're never going to be quite as good. I don't care if it's an AI or tech or football. If you if you had four bosses in six years, I mean one of the real look at you at our company. You just keep developing, getting bigger and bigger. Part of
it is the salespeople know John. It takes a year or two for the salespeople to get a line and we know you and then we can build your YouTube page. Everything takes growth. You know, My first couple of years at iHeartRadio weren't as good as the last four. Everything it's it's a hierarchy you have to build. It's a staff you have to build. So to your point, when some of these players are bouncing around a lot of times, they get the money and they get a worse coach, they get a worse position coach.
It's Brady's point that he hammers non stop, like going through some challenges in college is a healthy thing, Like you learn a lot about yourself and improve because in the NFL it's really hard. Yeah, so it's easy to get in the tank. Look at Bryce Young, who I would have bet against falling off a cliff. He was mentally prepared for the challenges. Why he had spent three years next to Nick Yep, you know, and who knows you know back at you know in this modern day
to you know Jalen. I know Jalen transferred at the end to Oklahoma, but he was there for a couple of years essentially as the backup, going back and forth that had to benefit all.
Those Yep, no question about it, all right, John Middelcoff, former NFL Scout three and out podcast on a stacked weekend. Good stuff, almost an hour and a half.
Thanks buddy, Talk to you soon, Colin the volume.
Let's talk about something really really important. If you're ever injured, check out Morgan and Morgan's America's largest injury law firm, and they're there for you. Over one hundred offices nationwide. Think about that, more than a thousand lawyers with over twenty billion. That's a b twenty billion dollars recovered for over five hundred thousand clients. Things happen in life unexpectedly. Submitting an injury claim with Morgan and Morgan is really
really easy. Like winning in the NFL is hard. We know that quarterbacking in the NFL is hard, submitting a claim is easy. You're ever injured, check out Morgan and Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. For more information, go to for the People dot com slash Colin Ordyl
Pound Law from your cell phone. Pretty easy, that's for the people dot com, slash Colin or pound Law, pound five two nine from your cell Morgan and Morgan has a proven track record of fighting for you to get a full and fair compensation if there's an unexpected accident in your life. This is a paid advertisement