Colin Cowherd Podcast - Ravens & Lions Meltdown, Mahomes Greatest QB Ever, Super Bowl Preview, NFL’s Dominance

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rarely shocked. The Kansas City Chiefs dominating from the opening play of the game the Ravens. This Ravens team qualifies as a bit of a jaw dropper. I mean, let me start with this. At the moment I'm reading this, we're left with three offensive coaches, no pure defensive coaches again at the end of the season. And Harball is kind of a special teams guy. That offensive output that he okayed John Harbaugh, Gus Edward touches the ball. Things happen,

not used. They bailed on the run. Isaiah Lively terrific last seven games. Did they have a singular play design for him? It's amazing to watch what happened. Baltimore just bailed on the run game. I mean, that would be like watching the Niners and saying, yeah, they didn't use McCaffrey much and played a real finesse game. Their makeup is physicality and heavy. McCaffrey use. You know Detroit, they they love the drop back, Jared Goff protect him, big playoffense.

Kansas City. I'll get to them in a second. We know what they are in big games. But the story of this game, and I know Chiefs fans want credit, what was that game plan? It didn't make sense for three and a half hours. They didn't run the ball. And it's not like Gus Edwards as a backup running back isn't capable. He makes stuff happen. He's terrific. I sat there and I just now. Also, you also saw what champions do. They create pressure, They score first, they

take the crowd out of it. They put second half pressure on Baltimore. Zay Flowers melts down, Roe Kwan Smith, personal foul, melts down, Lamar Jackson end zone interception, bad one, melts down. They lost their composure. So Baltimore is a really, really, really good regular season team. But I thought they looked immature.

I didn't think they played smart football. I thought they were completely outclassed between Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelcey and Spags a masterclass, a complete and utter mismatch and You know, I'm a Harbaugh fan, Jim and John, but to sign off on that, I don't even know what to make of it. Like younger teams do lose their composure that happens, Lamar should not be making that throw

at this point in his career. But I mean, once again, Kansas City, what did the Kansas City staff sign off on? A lot of Travis Kelcey, run the ball, Pachecko, Rashi Rice. You know, they put the ball in the hands of their stars. Also, what did they do? They got a good, pretty good pass rush, pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure, so their

game plan was get it to our stars pressure. The Ravens, a power running football team average about one hundred and fifty a game, deviated completely from their DNA, and John Harbaugh apparently signed off on it and didn't really adjust. I mean, I have notes here that it just there were and there were moments. I mean, Lamar catching his

own deflection was a top five play. But I really felt when the Chiefs took a fourteen to seven lead and they had that nine minute drive in the second quarter, it was like, Okay, had you not watched the game and you said, well, Kansas City leads fourteen to seven. That'd be one thing, but to completely by that time, they had established their offensive line was pushing the Ravens around. I thought that drive was like first time, I thought, well,

that's a problem, Like this is a problem. One team, the one with Mahomes and Kelsey, decided we're going to run the ball. We're going to be really physical. The physical team decided we're going to pass the ball. We're going to deviate from who we are. In fact, my notes here third quarter Ravens bailing on the run. Why aren't they running? Ravens first drive met largest Baltimore deficit in thirty one games, seventeen to seven, which is again

that's why it's shocking. Again, if you would have told me this game was a go either way game, Mahomes wins it late. That's one thing. This wasn't as close, Thank god for some good field position edges by Baltimore. They had opportunities, and so a lot of times Kansas City was pinned a few times deep in the second half when they're not going to take big, big chances. Right, they were controlling it. By halftime, it had been established

that Kansas City was dominating the line of scrimmage. They were doing what they wanted running the football and Baltimore could not protect Lamar Jackson. And I also wrote this down coaching mismatch. Three offensive coaches left. Again. I know I say this and I beat on it all the time, but go look at the top quarterbacks in this league. We love Josh Allen defensive coach. Once again, look at that game planned by the Bills, everything behind the line

of scrimmage. Non offensive coach John Harbaugh signing off on that game plan brutal. I'm just really bad, and I think we have to be honest about this. Listen, when you go against Mahomes, he can shrink everybody like Garoppolo got so much heat for miss that deep ball against Kansas City, and part of the reasons because Mahomes wouldn't have missed it. Mahomes puts enormous pressure on you. Plays with a lot of leads. Can also come from behind

and play. But I thought you juxtapose Lamar, who I defend at every corner, and Mahomes, and I know Mahomes is better. Lamarro win the MVP based on regular season output, where he was better than Mahomes in many statistical categories, but he's got more weapons, more consistent weapons. There was a huge gap between those two quarterbacks. And I think it's fair, and I hate to say this, but I think it's fair to say that Lamar melted down late and now this is becoming his reputation. But he's an

enormously dynamic regular season quarterback. You know what he is. He's the opposite of Eli Manning. Eli Manning had two of the great playoff runs of all time, beat Brady and Belichick super Bowls, great last drives to win. But in the regular season, you're like, Eh, Lamar's unbelievable regular season now, but we are now left with he's not the same quarterback in the postseason. And I hate to

say it. It drives me nuts. I've never paralyzed by being wrong, but I really thought, Okay, this team's different.

successful second year in the NFL. Meanwhile, the offensive ingenuity, game planning, play designing of Andy Reid Rashi Rice every few weeks just got better, better, better better. Then you look up and you're like, yeah, that's a number one receiver in the NFL. Didn't start the year that way, thought he was a two. But again, an offensive coach, the soft, velvety touch, improving Travis Kelsey, Patrick Mahomes, I

thought trusted his offensive tackles more. Today, Notice how Kansas City just keeps getting better offensively, more refined sandpaper, the edges off, and in the biggest spot, Baltimore goes backwards. And I think that's the difference between the great offensive coaches, the Shanahan's, the mcveigh's, the Andy Reids. I think Sean Payton what he did with Russell Wilson this year, say what you want, but it was a massive leap in quality very quickly. They just have a feel for it.

And again, it's one thing to lose that you got to answer some questions. I mean, if you're John Harbaugh, you got to answer some questions. There's losing and then there's that right. And I don't want people to think you're not giving Kansas City credit. No, they are a champion, absolutely, masterclass bags read Kelsey Mahomes. Nothing taken away, but you have to acknowledge the story was the collapse of Baltimore. I mean, what was my homes at one point thirteen

or fourteen it was backyard catch. They weren't getting a pass rush. He was sort of manipulating and toying with him. It's, by the way, I'll never bet against Kansas City again. It's like the third time in a big game I've said, Okay, this year's Buffalo. What am I doing? Andy Reid is in a short list? Bill Walsh, Belichick, Andy Reid. I mean that list is getting shorter and shorter. Go back to September and October to this Kansas City offense. Weren't

they averaging like seventeen a game. I mean it was bad and at the end of the year they still let the league in drops, but they got Tony out and Rashi Rice just kept developing and developing. And Travis Kelsey was a monster tonight. He was you know what I really felt like I was watching. I felt like

I was watching Michael Jordan's Skye Pippen. Phil Jackson backs up against the wall, nobody believes in them in a big game, and they come out and play their best game of the year easily, which they played pretty close to it, and it wasn't perfect. They had those holding calls at the end of the first half so they couldn't get into the end zone. But I mean, this is what the great ones do. We're all ready to bury them. I thought this was going to be a

tweener year. It was stage one of the dynasty, gradually moving into stage two. And you just we saw it. You just you know, the spark plugs aren't all firing. It doesn't work. But never doubt any reading Mahomes, what spags read, what a staff, what a staff? I am excited for Kansas City. This isn't all dumping on Baltimore. It's not just the heart of a champion. That's a cliche. It's the execution of a champion thirteen or fourteen for Mahomes.

I wrote it down at one point, Like, yeah, mahomes first incompletion, second quarter, next time, third down, Kelsey catch, Wow, nine minute drive. That's what champions do. Congrats Casey on though, another super Bowl. All right, here we go. Former NFL scout got a podcast at the volume three and out knows the Niners back and forth. You've already heard my preamble on that mess. That was the Baltimore Ravens. All right, thirty four to thirty one Niners, second super Bowl in

five seasons. Overcame a seventeen point lead. So Dan Campbell's gonna get you know, barbecued because of his play calling. He's not my favorite coach. He never has been. He's much more of a player sensibility than like a coach than like a McVeigh who's young but is a coacha. Campbell, to me, this is who he is. He's built the culture on it. I get it. You know, here's my take. Josh Reynolds drops fumbles, blown coverages. How much heat as Dan Campbell deserves, Colin.

they have to score three times. I would understand if it's like, hey, it only makes sixteen points, it's still a two score game. It would have made it a three score game, which at that point the Niners defense wasn't playing well their offense. It would have it gave the Niners. And let's face it, the Niners had no life because party was up and down in the first half,

mainly down defense was atrocious. He didn't have to go with four and fourth down the first half because he was getting first downs in like second down every single series, right, they were like five to seven on third down. He was killing them.

I really do like Golf. It's the players. They remind me of a younger version of the Niners. But you know, I think if you'd have said all year long, what worried you about Detroit, it never would have been the talent. Everybody's secondary gets gashed. I mean, the Chiefs are one of the few teams you would have said, oh, Dan Campbell's coaching or golf doesn't come through. Wasn't that sort of what happened.

Dan Campbell. He gets it on you. It can be crushing, but if your defense gets it and you're in a position where you're down, it swings it and it swung it, and I'm with you, like listen, Dan Campbell's not calling the place right. Dan Campbell is there to give the thumbs up or thumbs down on that. And I'm a huge believer in like us, he did the right thing.

It's not about the end results bullshit. This is an end result sport, and when you don't get it in a win or go home situation, I have no problem touring the season. I do think situationally, second half NFC Championship, when you're beating the crap out of a team and you're at the underdog seven point lead, I would kind of understand it, like, really, try you're up fourteen points, Colin, I mean the seventeen points. It would have deflated the

forty nine ers, but that swing gave him life. But like you said, Dan Campbell lives by the sword, and sometimes the sword gets stuck right into his belly.

without a huge arm. But I did think in the second half and it felt like he was told by Shanahan they do some mann a man here run because it looked very in intentional to me by brought pretty in the second half, like it wasn't just hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna go. He played with a script in the first half, wasn't working second half of it Almost looks like Shanahan said, listen, don't don't be afraid to move. Okay, don't be afraid to move. It'll soften up the defense.

That's what it looked like to me. Do you think it was just him going or had there was some intention to it.

is the intangible stuff. The kids got some mox see, and he's got some toughness and mental toughness. He doesn't wilt because it would have been easy to go into the tank. I thought the first half he was playing like shit. I mean, he looked overwhelmed in the pocket. He looked bad some of the passes. I mean he was letting rip or flying over guy's heads. This is not raining today with seventy five degrees in the Levi Stadium.

So I thought more that he's just an instinctive player and he just had to find a way, almost like I have to will myself to make some plays. And he's a pretty good athlete. I know a lot of people don't think. You know, part of the reason they moved off Trey Lance so quickly is because Purty was the better athlete, right, you know, he moves a lot better. Honestly, his movement is really an NFL. It's an underrated skill in the league because how many plays do the Niners

make outside the script of the given play? Avoid some sacks. He's small, so he can kind of dip and run around. Obviously, he can run relatively quick in a straight angle, but he can move quick laterally keep some play that one play that he had the little lob to Jennings, but that can also get him in trouble, right, I mean you kind of live with the aggressive. He could kind of turn into a gun slinger. Well, one reason everyone had in Red Flag coming out of Iowa State. Now

looking back, they were an under man team. He threw a lot of interceptions, yes, because he is willing to take some chances for a guy that doesn't exactly have far for Josh Allen's.

spags Mahomes. Mahlmes is now a veteran player. Right, Yeah, there is something to be said, John been there, done that, because I thought, I mean you could see, I mean when Lamar with that terrible throwing the end zone, Za Flowers, what in the hell is that? Rokwan Smith with a personal foul? And then I watched this game and I'm like, oh, this is this is nerves. I felt San Francisco melted a bit. Listen, there is this historic pressure. They've never

met a Super Bowl. There's Jags, Houston, Brown's Lions, and not many of them left. I kind of felt like they melted.

That was happening in the first half. And obviously the Chiefs who have won Super Bowls, the Siner team hasn't won one, but this was They've been in this game four or five years, right, it was a huge deal for the lines to be here for the first time in thirty years, and you just see a championship level character and part of that, like you said, is just keeping your head, not attacking back, not swinging back when you get swung on, not you know, hanging your head

when you miss a tackle. Because the Niners easily could have gone to the tank. I would say about fifty percent through this game. And I think they proved a lot like the Chiefs showed up to win, that they had that championship character, that championship blood. They showed up ready to kick ass, and they did throughout the whole game. The Niners got hit in the teeth immediately, and they were hanging on for dear life, and they just won't fold.

And it gets back to a lot of the character of the guys from Deebo Samuel how many plays did he make in the second half, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Drake Greenlaw making open field tackles, all their dbs who had given up huge plays and big runs early in the game, flying to the ball. So to me, there's a level of like coaches say this, no, NonStop,

don't quit, don't you know, play the next play. These games come down a small even the Chiefs Ravens game, the score was it wasn't big, right seventeen to seven. You're you're a fumble and a touchdown away from being right in it. So you can't get down on yourself. You can't mail in plays and listen. I mailed in the Niners. I thought, listen this game. They're in major trouble, and they flipped the switch, starting with a Dan Campbell miss field or missed fourth down.

are both very good first quarter teams. The quarterbacks, Golf and Jordan Love stay on script. Where Jordan Love can get in a little trouble is off script, little radic. Where Golf can get in trouble is sometimes playing from behind or if you can get pressure on him. I did think the Niners got better pressure on him, But if you go back to the first half of that game, that was a lot of Ben Johnson. First of all, Golf had all day. They were running, so the Niners

couldn't pin their ears back. It is interesting. I mean, I think my takeaway in both games today, the one thing I'll say is for a seventh round, last pick and for an undersized guy, Purdy has been in so many games, high school, college and now pro. He's just had so many snaps that he's just kind of situationally, I see no higher low of him. I mean, if he goes to the podium, Johnny's unemotional. I've never seen him smile. He smiles less than Kawhi Leonard. Like he's

just like he's just kind of static. That's not a terrible quality. He's not very emotional.

You need to be able to make some plays with your legs. Jared Goff just cannot. Kirk Cousins cannot. And that is one element that Kyle, who likes Kyle, would like Jared Goff. But there is an element of having just an athletic quarterback. You don't need to be Lamar Jackson. You just need to be able to move.

So I don't know what brock Purty runs, but I know when he scrambles or when he moves behind the pocket, he moves fast enough to get away from some guys. Now he can't run away from everybody, but his play speed is really good. And this gets back to instincts and to me, instinctive football players. The Lions have a lot of them, you know, I mean they really do. They have a fast team, so do the forty nine ers. Fred Warner plays really fast and Drake Greenlaw played really

fast because they're instinctive players. I mean, they're good athletes. But when you can read and you know what's coming, I mean, these players in the NFL have been talking about this the history since I've been alive, about knowing

what's coming, preparing it helps you play faster. And then there's the upper level of like the truly great instinctive players, and obviously the forty nine ers are full of them, right, I mean they just are from Kittle to Deebo to I think their coach, you know, when he gets in a rhythm, Kyle's weird, right. Ben Johnson has just been red hot all season long. Kyle can have game for

you feel like got it? What's he doing? And then today it just kind of flipped and then he got his mojo and the rest was history.

I didn't think they didn't have a chance. But the way that game went was just classic, Like this is Belichick and Brady, but the twenty twenties version, and it was just I would never bet against this team now. I do think the forty nine ers you know in theory should be much more mentally capable. The Ravens melted down neutral Site. They're better in a dome. But Mahomes, I don't know if you saw the stat he has as many playoff wins now as Elway and Peyton Manning.

He has as many playoff wins at twenty eight years old as Peyton Manning and John Elway's career. He's too away from Joe Montana.

train wreck. Early McVay offensive coach salved the riddle. Lafleur over eight weeks. Jordan Love was a bust to a star, and I thought, this receiving, this is what they can do. This is what McDermott drives us crazy, is that basically what you saw with the Rams, Packers and Chiefs was a their very best football by the end of the year offensively. Yet John Harbaughs signed off on that game plan. All Gus Edwards does is make plays. They ignored him.

Isaiah Lively, they ignored him, and it was like, to me, it's the opposite that what Baltimore their basic DNA all season. And then you got into the game and Hardball signed off in this game plan and by the way halftime, no changes. They abandon the run totally. So they went This is what drives me nuts is that offensive coaches old Lions, young quarterbacks backup quarterbacks receiving course, they can fix shit over the course of a season. I watched

I watched that Todd Monkin hardball performance today. That right, and again I'm not saying Kansas City Spags doesn't deserve credit, but the game plan and the play calling. They basically said, like Buffalo does, Hey, Lamar, go make great plays.

Allen last week. Lamar's faster, So why wouldn't you have design power runs outside both They just never did it. I thought the first half part of that game plan, and let's face it, the game felt over at halftime, was one of the most embarrassing in recent memory. They just had somewhat of you know, the blueprint last week with Buffalo how to use a running quarterback against these guys and be very successful, and they did the opposite.

The other thing that really hit me, do you know who might be the best coordinator in all of football? If you factor in, you're never going to lose him. No one is ever going to hire Steve Spagnola to be their head coach. It's never going to happen. So Andy Reid has a defensive coordinator who's clearly one of the best in the league that he ever ever has to worry about being hired to be a head coach. This isn't college. It's not like someone else can coach him.

He basically just gets that as defensive coordinator. If he wants to coach another five years, this guy gets to just stay with him. Think of what a luxury that is what SPACs is doing these last five years, especially the last couple since their defense has gotten good. If he was a forty one year old named John Smith, he would have interviewed for four jobs or even as

a defensive coach all around the league. No one touch, no one even pick up the phone, no one will, so Andy doesn't even have to worry about that, and like you said, the offense is always gonna be taken care of. And I'll promise you this. I still think the Niers might win the Super Bowl. But this Chiefs team will never be as bad as they are. Offensively again, yeah, because they're gonna get better. But defensively, you know you're

in good hands because your defensive coordinator is elite. He's taken out Belichick.

best in the world at what they did. And I think to your point, I think, you know, monk and may lose his job after that, But I think what we forget about this because I don't think Green Bay wanted to get rid of Joe Berry. I think they had to there's such an outcry, but Green Bay's been one of those places historically that you know, players don't get in a ton of trouble. You know you're not going to overspend on free agents, no crazy owner. You got to draft and develop. Green Bays had a thirty

year continuity of offensive coaches, drafting and develop. No chaos at quarterback. I mean, now it looks like they're going to get another twelve, but Jordan Love, they're going to go almost fifty herds with no quarterback. Cast Marino left Miami, they've still never replaced him.

you got to get it right. And for twenty plus years, Belichick always got it right. Well, they made a decision, right, They got rid of Tyreek, but they just stuck with Travis who was easy to because he doesn't make that much money. He's a great player. And Chris Jones. So their corps was basically one of the great quarterbacks of all time, one of the greatest tight ends of all time, and one of the greatest interior pass rushers we've ever seen.

And then they've just built it around there with great cohesion. At coaching. Matt Naggie leaves, he gets fired, immediately comes back right, So a lot like the Josh McDaniels thing. You know, this guy who the quarterback knows cohesions and underrated part. And now Andy Reid historically has been used to losing a lot of coaches, right, and he's comfortable

doing it. But right now I think they got something special with the players and the coaches of everyone's on the stae the Niners have a lot of that going for him. With the players, right, Kyle and this group of players have all been together now for four or five plus years.

Philly is a great example. You miss replacing a brilliant oc it's a different everybody comes back down to earth. I was thinking about my homes today. Though when he started the game he didn't have an incompletion to the second quarter. Is that I don't think we've ever seen anything like this. Peyton Manning, as good as he was, was a teeth clencher. Elway had some really bad big games. Brady was mostly an early game manager. I can say it now. Mahomes is the greatest quarterback I've ever seen.

I can say it, and I've watched Marino and Elway. You know I love Brady now. Brady's more productive. But what we're watching here, as a player that against the best defenses, in the highest leverage moments, the biggest audience, the most pressure best defenses, is significantly better, not better, significantly better than he is in the regular season. His playoff numbers, they don't make sense. It would be like Derek Jeter was a three hundred hitter hitting three seventy

in the postseason. It's like, wait time out, what are we doing here? When I watched Mahomes, I'm like, hey, this he made a throw today and it was Travis Kelsey made a great catch, but he was running. It was a muddy pocket. He moved forward and he just sent a little floater up and it was like Thanksgiving backyard football and it was completed. And I thought, nobody

cares about that play. I honestly today in that environment juxtapos watching Lamar and him, and I'm like, if Lamar's number two in the league, the gap between those two is the Grand Canyon.

to me, I'm with you. The Brady thing, it's gonna be hard even if he wins a couple more to ever gets to the six.

this is it's unsexy to say this word. But when you get a lead in a big spot, the game manager aspect, or maybe Bill Coward did, He's like he game managed like a Hall of Fame player. I'm not No one on the other team is touching the ball, anyone around me. I'm either getting rid of the ball, throwing out of bounds. You're gonna have to beat us, but you're not gonna beat us because I give you something. And Tom and the Patriots were elite at that. Peyton

would screw up. He would throw the ball to the other team. Sometimes had some awful interceptions in some big games. Right, the teeth get tight, he gets loose, but he's very under control. A lot like Tom. It's like they're super focused, but they're very calm and loose. It's I mean, how many guys in the history of sports have had that, like Tiger, Michael Tom. It's a tiny, tiny list. Derek Jeter in the playoffs, maybe big poppy. Most guys just

naturally get a little tight. You saw Jared Goff like it. He just kind of got felt a little tighter. Lamar, the pressure you can feel it. You don't even need to be at the game. You can feel it on the TV. You're like, God, this drives huge. And then if you don't get a second and eight, all of a sudden, like third and eight, you're like, h The coaches clench up, everyone clenches up. And this is where

the championship blood and the championship medal. I saw it when I lived in the barrier with the San Fransco Giants. It all starts at the top. And I'm telling you, Andy Reid, if you talk to anyone that plays for him, they're like his team meetings after loss, his wins. They all feel the same. He's not a yeller and a screamer. He does not invoke tightness anytime you're around him. He's naturally kind of loose. He's not a big screamer, but you know, enjoy but he's not a big downer in

the negative times. So I think it all starts with him, and he has the perfect quarterback for him. But to me, Patrick, the maturity today to be in full control on the road against a great defense, Like you said early in that game, that dot he threw to Kelsey down the scene was like, oh my god. It was like it would have been like watching Michael Jordan ninety seven or ninety eight, Like, good luck, guys, you're in for one.

once was in at thirty two thirty. He was great today, but he's still It's like a throwback like Scotti pit, like Michael Michael looking at him like I need you and Travis like I'm ready, And he said it all week He's like, I've never wanted a game more than this game. Like these guys, their level of focus and obviously their talent is second to none. But today there it was watching greatness like that. That game was Were you shocked? You didn't think they would dominate like that?

Did you like the chief?

or thirty four to twenty seven. So that game, now, I didn't expect the meltdown in the huge lead, but the final result was San Francisco just made more big plays. Their physicality took over. Detroit was not quite ready in the moment. That's what I thought I would see it. Just how we got there was different.

He had no run support. I hated the game plan, but he melted a little late, and I think it's fair to say he had a couple of bad throws. I do think it's fair to say that he is. He tends to be run centric. He can melt a little. He's not as good from behind, most aren't. But when you watched him in Mahomes, I'm like, some of the criticism is just now. I defended it, but it's just.

was very under control. It's like, well, if this is the version of the player, I'm all in because he's calm, you know, kind of moving around today, he got very fidgety. He got very felt very uneasy about two seconds into the place. And part of that I think gets back to the immense amount of pressure in a spot like that against that opponent, and you start going we're down,

you just naturally kind of freak out. Now, maybe we look back in a couple of years and he wins a game like this and he says going through that experience helped me out. But today he resorted back to the guy. Like I said this last week, everyone shitting on Josh Allen. Was he perfect? No? But I never watched for a moment thought I wouldn't want that guy on my team. If you put that guy on a team that stacked, you're winning with that guy. It was

not his fault. He did not look overwhelmed. I'm not saying Lamar looked overwhelmed, but I need you to be in complete control the moment you get fidgety. It's the Peyton Manning thing. In the playoffs, you're playing the best of the best. He used to lose the Patriots. You're playing the Andy and Mahomes here. They're not gonna screw up, and this defense is solid. Like, just live to fight some other you know, get a seven yard game right complete some balls. The balls were flying on him, the

rain started coming. But to me, he was very very uneasy in the pocket. And that, to me, you kind of knew it right away, like you could feel it. And it happened against the Houston Texans, and then he came out a different guy. Why they started running the ball calmed everything down. He never calmed down. Their offense never calmed down.

Let's get him some yards. Let's not put the pressure on him. They never did that with Baltimore. They just kept dropping him back. By the way, and Spags is bringing extra people Baltimore can't block him. So at no point did Baltimore say, listen, because they saw what you saw. God Lamar's frenetic here, let's get him help. Nope, they just dropped him again with six rushing and five blocking.

have the forty nine ers overcame the pick party. It was early. Would they would not have been able to overcome a pick in the second half, and let alone countless turnof over stay Flowers, Lamar Jackson, the fumble trip sack. I mean, that's you're not overcoming that against you know, the New Dynasty. It's not possible, But it starts with him. I mean, the whole building. I would imagine every guy and and female that bought a ticket felt it early

like we're in trouble. This quarterback looks a little off kilter, and let's face it, he was.

that's shit what I'm watching. Yeah, that maybe he has a ring in his pocket he's delivering tonight, because that was like one of the he was engaged. I thought Travis Kelcey really set the tone. And you know what else I liked in big games. Baltimore didn't give it to Gus Edwards. It's like, what are you doing? Didn't they didn't go with their strength? What did Kansas City do? Travis Kelsey, Travis Kelsey, Travis Kelsey, But Checko Rice? Who's because I love their game plan, which is what spags

rep pressure? What did they do? Play right into his strains? Go look at everything Kansas City did today. It was all the best version of what they did. And I think San Francisco's second half, by the way, looked exactly Okay, here, guys at half, this is who we are. Let's go do what we do now. Detroit did the same thing, which is reckless. But Baltimore is the only team this weekend.

I thought, what was that? I don't get that. I thought Kansas City and San Francisco niners second half, Really that's who they are.

So the forty nine ers are gonna have to find a way to slow down this game because that if you're just giving up five six yards of carry, you're just gonna be up against the ropes. It's impossible not to be because it keeps your offense off the field. You know. Obviously this guy on if it's third and three, they're talented enough to get those, and they have the

greatest quarterback of all time. But you have to start if you cannot stop the run, like they would have lost this game the version of the way their defense was playing to the Kanatite Chiefs and now it's inside fast. Now that benefits the forty nine ers too. But the other kind of swing is think about Mahomes. These last two weeks just perfect. He's just been a plus A plus party's, you know, but a little bit of a

roller coaster. I don't think you can afford roller coaster party throwing a pick six or something against Kansas City and being down ten nothing to the level of coaching staff you're gonna go to. Now, maybe the Niners can figure out some defensive stuff. Here's one problem, Colin when you invest a lot into a certain position, like ultimately, like, why are the chief struggling with the wide receivers. Well, they don't have a great player. It's not like they've

bought one guy who's not living up. They drafted a guy in the second round. Sky More didn't work out, whatever, Rice is, whatever, a third round pick like that, they'll be fine. They will invest more in that. The forty nine ers have invested a ton into the defensive line right now. Bosa made some plays today, but Chase Young, they trade a third round pick for it, He's nowhere. Armstead and Hardgrave today were many places to be found. By the second half, at least Fred Warner and Dre

Greenlaws started making some places. But when you invest in an area, this was the downfall of the Philadelphia Eagles. When you put all that money in the defensive line, well, if the defensive line doesn't play it like an A minus level, and if you put them at like a C plus B minus, you're gonna be screwed because you're gonna have major liabilities to other spot. This is a business that you build the Pike chart over and the Niners are very dependent on this defensive line, and right

now it is not good. Beside Bosa, none of them are making place, and they definitely against the run. They're all getting turned around in these gaping holes. So Andy Reid might have been a passing coach, but I would imagine that you're gonna get a big dose of running game come the Super Bowl.

so Andy was working against the league. These offensive coaches, defensive coaches reigned supreme for years and decades in this league. Well, I mean, now you watch John Harbaugh's game plan today, you look at McDermott, Mike Tomlin, how these teams struggle in the O line run games. It's I mean, is it a surprise that Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid are in the championship game? Only McVeigh to me, maybe Peyton. But that's kind of the highest cut of the cloth in this league offensively, is it not?

coaches league. We have the two best offensive coaches.

Shanahan are huge believers. Now it doesn't always work, but doubling down on defensive lines, getting aggressive players, paying for corners, drafting guys high on defense because part of my ability, right is going to be I can help the guys out on this side. Now, it helps when you hit star players like Kelsey or Tyreek Hill, or trade for Christian McCaffrey. But Juwan Jennings, no one heard of the guy three years ago, and now he's making big plays

every single game. Right that they can. They can create that with no names. And defensively they've always, you know, allocated a lot of resources over there, and sometimes offensive coaches, you know, are either two hands off. I give Sean McVeagh a lot of credit. Look how the defensive coordinators he's always invested in, how much emphasis they put when they do have draft picks on that side of the ball, right,

because you cannot win in these big spots. Obviously the Niners were getting treaded, but their defense came through in big spots that are highly paid.

gonna need that side of the ball. And the Chiefs have really benefited from that this year because their offensive personnel is not as great, but they keep getting better, right and obviously Kyle since he's been since they've been good, they've always had very physical defense. I also think practicing physically is a really, really big thing, and Andy Reid is still known for running the hardest training camp. Kyle Sham talk to their players Monday through Friday is not

that fun. It's a very very intense environment. It's not negative like Belichick, but in terms of football wise, you better know your shit or people are on you. And practice is not just lollygagging around in sandals. What was the knock on the Eagles this year, It's like, oh, they weren't really practicing, they were an older team. Well I get it, but if you do not practice in football, you practice four or five times more than you play

every week. So yeah, the practice these coaches are addicted to practice, and Andy Reid and Kyle Shit, they like practice as much they like the games. Their excitement getting ready because it's the preparation for but it's also getting setting the team's tone. It's why Harbaugh's such a great coach. His practices are physical, like his team doesn't just show up and shove people around. It starts in the offseason, starts in training camp, and then it's through the weeks

during the season. It was always something famous Belichick did when they were always the number one or two seed and they got the Bie week. I heard Jillan Edelman is like, we used to scrimmage in full pads, like it was just step the tone for physicality. We didn't want to lose that because that is the separating factor offensively and defensively. And when you practice hard, everyone gets better. What do you watch when you watch the Chiefs and

the Niners. I mean, people are getting hit hard offensively, defensively, and it starts with the head coach. You can't fake that. Listen, most people in life aren't tough like Dan Campbell's a tough guy. You know, Jim Harb is a tough guy. You go is Kyle a tough guy. Well, the way he viewed football philosophically, one Andy reeves always smile and

nugging people, I promise you. And he loves throwing bombs, loves toughness in football, and it shows in the biggest moments because that's where you needed to come through.

four things are happening to the NBA. One, the NFL took Christmas back, which was a huge marketing day for the league. NBA NFL said, yeah, we're done with that. We're going to own it.

fans often they kind of root for their own. They want to see their Kansas guy and their Ohio State Guide. And so that's second thing. The third thing with the NBA is that Stephan Lebron carried the league for fifteen years and that was so much fun. As I watched it this weekend, and as I watched that, I thought, is this the last meaningful game between those two? I literally was getting romantic. I'm like, we're not getting any Steph.

I mean, Steph Lebron. This could be one of the last times they really light the world up.

in the NFL? And I'm sure you've talked about this, but I really noticed it in my life, whether it's my girlfriend, her friends, whether it's just other ladies in my life, my mother and her friends, a lot of women watch the NFL. Yes, my mom watched every snap to day and she she's because I worked for coach Read and he was so good to meet. She doesn't miss a Chiefs game. She's a diehard Chiefs fan, you know. And I know so many moms that you know, I'm

from northern California. They don't miss a snap of the Niners. And I think that's probably the same moms in Philly, women in Philly, Dallas. I think you go around the country. No way basketball has that. I mean, I think the under and this is not has anything to do this well before Taylor Swift ever showed up Dayton Travis. Yeah, I'm telling you, I think that the audience uptick in women watching football, specifically the NFL has got to be.

I think you're right. In fact, I saw a number six or I just got to Fox about seven years ago and they were showing I got some research from the people upstairs, Mike mulva Hill, and I stopped by. I used to see him like once every few months, and I see him a couple times a year.

real baseball fan to get baseball. There's literally one hundred and sixty two games spring training, postseason, there's over two hundred. It's a maze of games. I'm a sportscaster. I get lost with it. NBA so many meaningless games, load management. NFL players once a week they play hurt and you know, for most of your stars, the careers are ten years, so you just get used to seeing people. And by the way, many of those players that are great in

the NFL, they were great in college. So I just followed. You can go follow Caleb Williams at US to the Bears, so you have some connection to it.

might not turn it. It was going to be a negative thing if they lost, but it is something fun to do, and like you said, it's not one of those. It's once during the season, rights every other week. If you're a season ticket holder, I mean, I know countless season ticket hold it's very easy thing to fall. It's always easy to get rid of your tickets. And I don't know many people that are associated with a team as a season ticket holder or go to games that

complain about it. And I think it's the opposite in the other sports where I know so many people over the last five years that have taken their kids to see Steph Curry and just for whatever, he didn't play right,

and and that's dramatically hurt the game. You know, when you're going to a Kansasity Chiefs game or a forty nine er game, that if I'm wearing a Deebo jersey or I'm wearing a Kelsea Mahomes jersey, that guy's gonna have to have a broken leg or broken shoulder else he I mean Johnny and if you like, he's gonna give me everything he has.

of the sport has been lost. That's what's amazing about football is the money has Like Patrick Mahomes had a four hundred and fifty million dollar contract, and if I told you that guy was playing for his career, you would have thought today, like you know, his contract was on the line. So the money hasn't phased any of these guys. You might not play well, but you never

feel like anyone's mailing it in. Everyone's always trying. And I do think it's a culture of football from from pee wee's to high school to college to the pros. Guys are coaches yell at you, right, you're just getting yelled, you're getting humble.

two corners. There's just guys to talk to. In the NBA, there's like a player or a team that you have to have the access to. I used to have a buddy that covered the San Francisco Giants, and he's like, man, those guys will.

a long time. But I pretty much have my staff except for games like today when they're big games. But I have my staff pretty much run my social and I tell people all the time there's no value in reading it. But NBA got again. But I'm married, kids, business podcasts. If I was a twenty eight year old sportscaster and I didn't have any of that, I'd probably be on the phone all day. So I think I think NFL players tend to come into the league more mature.

They see the they also know one injury and they're done, so they put their money away. You don't hear a lot of NFL stories of guys going bro. Most of the guys put their money away because they know they're just a one hit from being done.

about my entire life. That's a rivalry going on thirty plus years. These two teams have been in the biggest games in the biggest sport now for decades.

my lifetime any sport. I mean, they they've just been to think of the good and now I mean they are just rattling like they're a bigger brand than Kansas City. Obviously Kansas City could win back to back Super Bowls, but it's not even close in terms of fans.

I mean, there are these occasional Kurt Warner stories are Antonio Gates or GMS and both of those, by the way, there were circumstances why they didn't get drafted. But I think there is this he's great, he's this. I think Brock Purtty is a good quarterback. If I argued he's Kirk Cousins with mobility, that's a pretty good quarterback. C J. Stroud is Jared Goff with mobility, that's a pretty good quarterback. So if I said to you, he wames Jared, Listen,

you win a lot of games with Kirk Cousins. Imagine if he could move, Oh you can, It's called Brock. Pretty that's what he is. Exactly When when when when c J. Stroud came out, all the scouts were like, he's Jared Goff, Well he is, really, except he moves better. Shit, Jared's good without moving, So what's he like when he moves? So I think I think the comp is like c J. Stroud to me, is I mean Jared throws a beautiful

Stroud throws a beautiful ball. He just moves better, So I think I think brought pretty feels like to me, kind of a pedestrian arm pedestrian average, yeah, pedestrian body, but he moves.