The Richard Sherman Podcast - NFL Week 17 Reaction: 49ers-Raiders, Jets-Seahawks, Panthers-Bucs, Vikings-Packers

So use promo code RS and download the FanDuel app today to start making every moment more on noting sele states first nine really anyway your only TANDL FIRSTPOSI required. I want this issue as not with troll. The free expires fourteen days. Have to receive restrictions applies se terms at sports book, fandel dot Com, Gami Problem Gambler, the volume. Well, welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. Another week more chaos, Mitchell elimination. Rich it's Steward die time. It is do

or die time. We got that extra week. This stuff is come down to the wire drastically, and and we saw it in the NFC South, you know, I mean, we've been talking smack about this division all season long and we had a barn burner down to Tampa. Rich your thoughts on these Buccaneers, Well, it looked like Tom Brady finally understood that, hey, sometimes you can just throw it up to Mike Evans over and over and over

again and it will work. And throughout the season people were wondering what happened because they had such a great rapport and a great rhythm in the last season going into the playoffs, you know, made some huge plays and this year kind of you know, Mike was getting his yards, but there weren't the explosive plays that you're used to. And then this game it was like, hey, you got nothing to lose, toss it up to him over and

over and over. I mean, at at some point at the corner you gotta just start bail and say, hey, hey come on now, you'll you'll catch everything but a go ball today. But man, it was great to see Tom Brady vintage Tom Brady, right when he needs it, he got it. He shared a four and thirty two yards and capped it off with a rushing TD two and Rich to your point, I mean, this is the Mike Evans of the last several years, right, I mean

I thought I was watching replays. Every time I looked up, he was catching a goal ball down the right sideline and I was like, oh, that's another touchdown. You know. So these are the days you're used to seeing with Mike Evans, and now you've got Tom Brady entering, you know, the off season on a little bit of a little bit of a hot streak. Here can Tampa Bay realistically make any noise in the playoffs? Well, if Mike Evans is playing like that, he's unstoppable. I mean, he's gonna

they're gonna need to double him. They're gonna need to back up that. Maybe that'll open up the run game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if they keep singling him and playing eight man box football, eight men in the box football, then I mean, Mike, he might not have two oh seven like he had this game, but he's gonna have a day. And it was I had to have a game. You know, this is for for all the marbles. And it was cool to see them come back because they were down early, they were down

fourteen nothing. You know, team can quit, the team can give up and say, hey, you know, this isn't our day, this isn't our year and Tom Brady doesn't have any quit in him, and so it was great. It was great to see that from the team. Great game for Mike h But look at your Detroit Lions, Mitchell Oh, talk about another half to have it game. I mean, going into this game, you know you're the letdown game.

Last week it was bound to happen. The team was hot, they stumbled in Carolina and now they gotta win out and get some love from Seattle and the lost column. That didn't happen today. But in Detroit they're at home. They look like a great team. I mean, their offense is clicking on all cylinders. Jared Goff looks like Matt

Stafford out there. I mean, my goodness, Rich, if this team could only play at home every game of the season, they might be a serious, serious contender, but unfortunately they can't. I mean, the Bears got off rolling quick, justin fields a hundred yards running in the first quarter, but the Lions calmed things down. You know, they're offensive courtner Ben Johnson does a hell of a job and the Lions are still still have a glimmer hope. I mean, does this have you have any more faith in this team?

After last week, Rich with this big one this week. Menchel Mitchell, Mitchell, that's just come on. But Mitchell, you got something you got to win against Chicago's Bears teams that is gonna pick two in the draft. But like, let's go Metchell. We're not gonna go crazy here. But it was great. It was great offensive production. Jared Golf

eight straight games without interception. I mean, it's gonna be very hard for It's gonna be a hard decision for the Lions what they're gonna do this off season, because they're they're gonna they're gonna have to figure it out. They're gonna have the Rams pick, which will be top five. Will they need a quarterback? With Jared Golf playing like the number one pick that he was, I doubt it, you know, I doubt you go that way that direction. You've got other holes to feel hopefully you're able to

fill him. Um James Houston three sacks, Josh Pascal two sack. DeAndre Swift came through for your fantasy team, Mitchell, I, he came through for a lot of fantasy teams. Rich. This his championship weekend. We can't forget that. But Rich, I know you're high on Tyreek Woolin, but let's not forget about Aidan Hutchinson. I mean, this guy's got his third interception as a defensive end. I mean that's relatively

unheard of it in this league. At Fest, I think he's the first player to have three interceptions combined with a certain number of sacks, etcetera. And then you like giving love to random players every now and again. How about this rookie James Houston Rich he comes in, he's first off out of Jackson State. Dion Sanders Air. You know, I think this is the seventh or eight sack of the season. He's only played since Week eight or nine. I mean three sacks today, Rich, So I gotta give

kudos there these guys. You gotta give him a lot of love. Three sacks it is hard to get for anybody. And for him to come on the scene like that, I mean, it's awesome, but it's it's that's why Destroity is playing well. They're finding gold, they're finding these late round gyms. These young guys are in outside of their mine. It's cool to see, it's really cool to see. It's cool to see Jared Golf play well. Jamal Williams is playing well. It's exciting football. Um and you talked about

it earlier. Justin Fields was having a field day in the first quarter. I think you had a hundred and five or so in the first quarter. You know, kind of slowed it down after that. Um through interception late in the game. Wasn't very efficient passing the ball. And I mean, Detroit still needs some help. But going to Green Bay and beating green Bay would be big for their psyche, for their record, and for their playoff hopes. Man that but it's a it's a stretch. Mischell. Well,

let's stay in that division. Let's talk about green Bay. We'd like to call him Kirk Oh, I'm gonna call him Kirk No Rich three interceptions. This this Vikings team. I'm just gonna let you take the floor here. This is twelve and four. Rich. What do you think of this Vikings team at twelve and four? Mitchell, I think they're they're either a first round exit or second round exit team. They're not a super Bowl team. But it

was fun. It was a fun run. You know, they got a lot of veterans, a lot of guys I like on that team. But they're not. They're not winning the Super Bowl with this team. You know, you you wanted to believe in him. Last week, you know they played hard, they you know, had a balanced attack. They're like, maybe maybe they figured it out, but then this game shows you they have not, you know, And it's not even like Aaron Aaron just killed him and sliced and

diced him. Aaron wasn't going off like that. Their defense played really well. Aaron Rodgers only had a hundred fifty nine yards passing one touchdown. Um, they gave up a lot of yards on the ground and the Green Bay defense played outstanding. You heard all the trash talk earlier in the week, all the trash talk earlier in the week, Jaire Alexander, you know, talking about Justin Jefferson. Stuff was just a flute. Hey, you say that you better, you

better show up, and their whole defense showed up. Justin Jefferson didn't even have a catch in the first half, which is crazy. He had one catch for fifteen yards in the entire game, and I think he had six targets. Hey, that's backing up your talk. That's that's you talk about it. You'd be about it, and um, like you said Kirk oh struggled three interceptions, like you can't have that. But that's good Kirk versus bad Kirk. You know it's Jacqueline High.

They've won, I think, Tim, they're undefeated in one score games, you know, but then they got got these disgusting blowouts. You know, Dallas blew them out four to three. You know this this game got out of hand and you're like, uh, like, I can't I can't trust a team that gets blown out so easily. I certainly haven't seen anything like this, Rich. I mean, they're twelve and four. They have a minus

nineteen point differential on the season. I don't even how that is statistically possible, but the Vikings have have found some way to do it. Rich Aaron Rodgers eighteen and one in December, him and the floor in December. In January, and this team again, we talked about it last week. Rogers seems to speak things into the existence. You know, he's got this quiet confidence about him, a little bit of cockiness if you will, but Ard, he backs it up and he gets his team's wins in crucial positions.

Now they control their own destiny. You know, they win against Detroit, they are in do you foresee them winning against Detroit? And if so, what kind of noise can they make in the postseason. It's just so unpredictable. Um, but you know it's cool stat you know, with La Fleur and Aaron Rudder, the eighteen and one in December and January, and that's when you want to be playing your best football. I think they've won five in a row.

It feels like a much better team than their record shows, but I still don't think they're complete enough to really do a ton of damage. Now. Now, sure they can run into Minnesota in the first round again, repeat matchup. I think they can win that game. Um, but I think I'm much better. Green Bay Packers team played against San Francisco last year in the playoffs and went home. And they were at home. You know, with Davante Adams

and the boys. You know, there wasn't young receivers. But I still think, you know, when you got Aaron Rodgers and you've got Tom Brady, you got a chance. And uh, they'll have a chance, but it's gonna be a long shot. Not rich eye. I don't want to stray too far away from this playoff picture, but we had a team that eliminated themselves from contention today in the Washington Commanders. We talked about it last week, your bench, your boy

Heineke for Carson Wentz, and you questioned it. I questioned it. It didn't seem to make a ton of sense. And then we see it on the field today, what Carson wants struggling mightily against the Brown's resulting at a loss. Your thoughts on that coaching decision. I don't want to play Monday Morning quarterback here, but I think we have to. Your thoughts on Carson Wentz going forward. I mean that same way I felt about Carson Wentz before. You know,

I don't think it's a great quarterback. You know what, people keep thinking they can save, and people keep thinking they can be. They got got the answers, you know, not that Taylor Heineke is is perfect. You know, he's not Tom Brady by any stretch of imagination. But the guys played for him and they fight for him, but they haven't been winning. So I think Ron Revere is

just trying to get us sparked. The thing that is more stunning and and surprising is that that it didn't seem like Round RIVERA knew that they were eliminated from the playoffs, which is I mean, that's a whole story for a different day, But I mean it was great for the Browns defense. They got they got turnovers. Mile's Garrett played a really good game, Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson

played his best game to date. Still not a great, not great completion percentage, but three touchdowns one hundred sixty nine yards. Amari Cooper his one of his best games of the season. So as a Rounds fan, I'm sure you're you know, I mean, you can get excited about it. You can get excited about how this team is playing. You're not going to the playoffs this year. You're doing

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When you want the selectates first on nine really anyway, your only tendll first required issues with expired fourteen days after receipt restrictions applies. Setterns a sports book dot Com problem, un gambler, Well Rich, let's talk about a team that might be going to the playoffs. Your hometown Seattle Seahawks get it done against Mike White, your homeboy. I know you love you some, Mike White, but the Seahawks just came out the gates dominated. You know, gave it to

our boy. K nine runs right the field, six dr gasher right on the first possession and the Seahawks never looked back. This team I didn't believe in him a week ago. I didn't believe in them two weeks ago, but now they're looking like a team that maybe maybe they get hot at the right time. Rich your thought on the Seattle Seahawks, I mean, the thing that's really exciting for that team, you know. I mean Mike White

struggled mightily, you know, looked uncomfortable the entire game. Just didn't look look like the quarterback he had looked like against Buffalo in the games he started against Chicago. But that's the league. Every week, you know, it's a week by week league, and if you you know, the great ones show up week after week after week after week after week. And it was unfortunate that, Um, Mike, Mike

didn't play well. Two interceptions and I mean two interceptions that just one was really behind Garrett Wilson was open, he threw away behind him. Um, great play by Mike Jackson. Uh. Then Quandre Diggs made a heck of a play, you know, cutting off one of the routes. But those are mistakes you can't make. UM. But on the flip side, Gino played a really solid game. As always Pro Bowl season.

He did exactly what they needed to do. They revived the running game with Kenneth Kenneth Walker the third Dty three yards on twenty three carries, and d J. Dallas also did some damage in the past game, had a career high in total yards. That was huge. Darrell Taylor two and a half sacks. His best game as a pro was all over the place, huge sack at the end of the game too, to pretty much nipp it in the butt. Uh. Quentin Jefferson veteran. Uh. And they're

they're playing better against a run. You know they didn't. I don't think they gave up a hundred yard rusher to day, which is huge. You know, you need that kind of confidence and and it just seems like they're excited to play. But the Geno that Geno Smith revenged tour. He's played three teams, three of his former teams he three and oh, good year for you baby. He's done. It's certainly I mean, I know you were higher on him than most war but he's certainly revitalized his career.

What I love about this more and anything, though, Rich, is that you have to be a Detroit Lions fan going into next week as the Detroit Lions must win in order for Seattle to have a shot at getting into the playoffs. Let's keep it in the division. We saw a great game, a great finish, and certainly not a game I expected to be close at all. The San Francisco forty Niners pull off a very close, tight

win in overtime against the Las Vegas Raiders. Your thoughts on this game, Well, it's concerning for for the defense, you know, because like we've been talking about, that got healthier. Jared Stidham is his first start of his career and unless he's coming out here developing into a and Rodgers or Tom Brady or Drew Brees or one of the all time great this is gonna be calls for concern because they were running beaters, you know they were they

were finding holes in the San Francisco forty Niners defense. Um, they were still solid against the run, but I mean every team doesn't have a Davante Adams. He had seven for three. Majority of it came against Diamador Lenoir, who just you know, when you're young and you're dealing with the best receiver in football, you're gonna struggle. You know, you're gonna learned throughout the game why he's the best receiver in football. He just set a franchise record for receptions,

but are on a nine game win streak. The offense put up thirty seven points with Brock Purdy needed and had to have it drive at the end of the football game, Ice in his veins drove it all the way down the field. Unfortunately Robbie Gold which is the conversation. You can't miss that one, you know, regulation, Thank goodness, Tayshaun Gibson gave him, give him another opportunity, you know, on a past that was forced to be errant because

of Nicholas John Bosa. Huge play and overtime right when the team needed through just freaking destroys the tackle into the quarterback can't step into the throw, logs up a gimme for Tayshaun Gibson. He returns into the seven. The rest is history. Kicked the field goal. Let's go home, and uh yeah, I mean c MC c MC. I mean they've lost one game since CMC has has been traded for uh and now it was against the Kansas City Chiefs on his I mean he was a couple

of days in so some people counted, some people. But since then they have not lost the game, and he's been really efficient. Brandon I Youth plays his best game, nine receptions for one on one and a tug and guess what mentioned next week? Tyshan comes back. Deebo Samuel was back in the fold next week, and everybody's like, oh my god, you forgot about Deebo. You're gonna hear the music, m you know what I mean, kind of like Joel's But they're gonna show up and it's gonna

be and Torres Sante. I like the forty Niners rich, I think they needed a game like this is a gut check. You know, everyone's been pumping up their tires talking about how great this defense is. I mean, we've certainly been doing it for weeks on this podcast. They deserved every bit of it, you know, but maybe this was a perfect mismatch for him. You know, you got

a perfect compliment of Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams. By the way, Davante Adams said a franchise record toppled Tim Brown and his first season there, so kudos to him and in this game. I think a huge story here as well. The forty Niners are not the second seed. They're gonna be playing at home more and they're not gonna have to have to deal with going to Minnesota. You know, this is this is a big, big win for them on the road against a team obviously in

the Raiders, that wanted to win, you know. And it's even it's even bigger because the Philadelphia Eagles are struggling right now. And it's not just offensively. It's defensively they're finding holes in his defense, but offensively they're struggling. They scored ten points against the Saints today. The Saints of are we're fighting for that last playoff spot in the NFC South, But you cannot lose that game. They had just played a really great game, score thirty four against

the Dallas Cowboys. It almost makes that game seem worse because the Dallas Cowboys gave up thirty four to this offense. That that the Saints when he gave up ten to And if they lose this last one they played the Giants, I think at the end of the season, they lose this last one, forty are now the one seed and the Philadelphia Eagles dropped all the way down to the wild card. This is this is disastrous for the Eagles. And you talked about it last week. This is a team.

Everything was clicking, they were healthy, and then all of a sudden, the Jalen Hurts injury happens, and then the Lane Johnson injury happens. These things are happening at the wrong time. Unlike the forty Niners, who dealt with injuries early on in the season, we're able to build their depth, get back be healthy at the perfect time. This Philly team is reeling, Rich, and you hit on it. I mean they're reeling on multiple levels. Their defense, you know,

played okay today, but they're old line. I mean without Lane Johnson, they gave up five sacks in the first half and they hadn't allowed four sacks in a game prior to this. Rich, I mean, the offensive line without Lane Johnson is going to be a big, big issue. And now they gotta win against a division foe in the New York Giants to just maintain this number one seed.

This could be disaster zone for this team. Rich. It could be bad because now you you have to you may have to force Jalen Hurts in earlier than you wanted to. You were you were sitting there in a comfortable position. We talked about a few weeks ago, comfortable position. Everything is all good. You can tell your time. And I told you, Mitchell, if you have a shoulder injury, you missed more than one game, you missed two games. Mitchell.

It's serious. It's serious. These are tough individuals. They know what it takes to win. They know they hide playing tolerance. And he's out if he misses this next one with everything on the line and they potentially lose, this could ruin that they all of a sudden are on a road team in every playoff game. If you want to make it to the super Bowl, you're gonna have to go to Dallas. Potentially, you're gonna have to go to San Francisco. Potentially, you're gonna have to go You're gonna

have to go on the road. You're gonna have to show that you deserve this super Bowl because your quarterback. Guy. That's why it's so hard to win a super Bowl in the National Football League, because when you get injured, how you get injured? Who gets injured? Lane Johnson is not just one of the best players on that old line, He's one of the best players on their team. So you're gonna feel his loss and you're feeling in a

tremendous way. You can't protect the quarterback to win. I want to talk about the quarterback, and I want to talk about the style of quarterback, and Jalen Hurts, he's a dynamic game changer. But guys like this that get out of the pocket and create stuff on their feet are more and more injury prone. I mean, and watching the Lions game to game, Justin Fields has taken hits that you know, two pound running backs shouldn't be taken, and he's taken ten of them a game. You're bound

to be injured at some point. I mean, we saw it with Lamar Jackson. You're spot on with Lamar Jackson. You said he's gonna sit down. He's gonna sit down for the rest of the season. I don't know if he's gonna sit down for the rest of the season, but he hasn't been back yet. How do you prevent this as a running quarterback? Because they are the nice, shiny objects that totally transform offenses, But with one wrong hit, that offense is back to Gardner Menshew or you know,

Andy Dalton or Tyler Huntley. You know this is these are one wrong play away from ruining a team season, how do you coach? You're gonna miss you? Yeah, there's nothing excitement. So HiT's the risk you take when you when you get that style the quarterback you run across the fingers. You you crossed the fingers. You you have a competent backup that has a similar skill set. That's what the Baltimore Ravens. That's the strategy they went with.

Um it's weird that the Philadelphia Eagles didn't go with that strategy to go with a similar body type. So somebody that can come in and be able to do at least some of the things he could do, you know, not maybe not everything, but he can get some of the things done. He has some mobility. But you know, it's it's nothing to play for, you know. I mean

the San Francisco Fortnander has had a running quarterback. He got hurt and they had a pocket board a pockets as pocket of a quarterback as you can be pocket and he got hurt. You know, so it quarterbacks get hurt in the National Football League. You gotta have a good old line. You got a block for him, and freaky things happened. But the key is having capable backups that can get it done. That is the the sign

of any successful team. You're gonna have guys played that we weren't expected to be starters, and if you want to win in his football league, they better produced at a level comparable to the guys they were placing. Well. We saw it in Miami is out again with another concussion. This is becoming a huge storyline in his career. And I don't want to speculate on what's going on, but certainly that number of concussions and big time hits in

a season take their toll. But Teddy Bridgewater came in inevitably got knocked out, and they're left with Skyler Thompson. Now Miami is on the outside looking in, and the New England Patriots, who we just flat out rode off a few weeks back, are now win away from getting into this playoffs. Do you like either one of these teams here? Or is it? Is it done with the Dolphins and Patriots. We're in playoff season, Mitchell, and and they're there there their prey right now. You know, they're

just part of the cycle of life. At this point. You're not expecting either of those teams to go compete for Super Bowl that they will be you know, maybe they have a win in the first round and you know they upset somebody. We're on somebody season. But we're talking about from the sc side. We're talking about the Buffalo Bilds. We're talking about the Kansas City chief and the Cincinnati Bengals. Those are the teams that you're expecting to do damage. And then you got the Baltimore Ravens.

We we talked about the Mark Jackson, what he does. If he's not back, you don't really feel that there're a threat to throwing anybody. Their defense is playing okay down the stretch, but they need points. And without Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley is doing his best impression. But Lamar Jackson was an m v P candidate for a reason. He's not having his best season, but he creates an element that that few people can so. I mean, I still think, you know, the NFC is San Francisco, Philly, UM, Dallas

is there. Green Bay is probably right after them, UM and if Tom plays like he does, then you know, anything can happen with those boys. I love to see it because everyone was righting off the NFC. I mean, there seemed to be only one one true team. You know, at least two two true teams, the Eagles and the Niners. And now we're seeing these, uh, these quarterbacks of old Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady all of a sudden turning

to them old cells and giving them a shot. And rich we got a huge game tomorrow night and probably the best Monday night football game of the year, Buffalo against the Cincinnati Bengals. I want to talk about this game because I know it's gonna have serious implications on the playoffs. It's gonna have serious implications on the Richard Sherman power ranks. Richard, who do you like in this

game going into Monday Night? The way Josh Allen has been playing down the stretch, He's second, our third in the league. UM and interceptions throwing the game. Uh, He's throwing thirteen and majority of them, probably half of them is coming the red zone at the most inopportune times, and it's not seeming like he's gonna stop anytime soon. Uh. And Joe Burrow is hot as fish grease right now.

He's playing well, his receivers are healthy, his old lines playing as good as they played in a really, really long time. They're explosive, their defense is so scrappy, and and they're playing at high level. They're getting hot at the right time. That's why it's nobody wants Cincinnati to come to their stadium in the playoffs. Nobody wants to see that Bengal, those Bengal stripes come into their stadium because it's gonna be you're likely gonna go home. And

and he's proving it against my owns. I know Kansas City don't want to see him again. They've they've as to him three times in this calendar year, and I don't think they want to see him again. There's just something different about Joe Burrow Rich. I mean, even in college, he just is unwilling to lose, you know. And and he has taken the Cincinnati Bengals team, an organization that was a relatively acting stock for a couple of decades,

and turned them into uh NFL power, you know. And I don't see that changing any time in the foreseeable future. I mean, this might be Joe Burrows League if he's able to bring home a Super Bowl trophy, but it's just gonna be a heck of a game, certainly going to the next week. This NFL season is getting wilder and wilder by the week. I'll let you sign us off as we conclude Week six. Team. Well, another weird thing that's gonna happen is is the Bengals don't pay

anybody pass guaranteed money passed one year into your contract. Um, so Mike Brown is either gonna have to trade Joe Burrow or our figure something else out where he maximizes this contract because he's likely gonna be making fifty five to sixty million dollars and a lot of it is gonna need to be guarante t But that's against everything the Cincinnati Bengals have done in the past. Jamaar Chase is also coming up, so it's good problems to have, but it's gonna be very interesting to see how that

shakes out going going forward. But thank you again for joining us on Richard Truman Podcast. It's me, my guy, Mitch Eisenstein, and we'll see you next week. The volume