Championship Sunday with Gregg Rosenthal

quarterback royalty including Mr extremely Relevant. So much to get to Jerry Ferrara. Three more chances to win some money in the NFL. But how did you do last weekend? I did all right. My ten point teasers, which most people frowned, the palm, which I've been shouting on all year.

I have an impeccable record. I didn't even the only game I actually needed the points was our beloved Kansas City Chiefs because Doug Peterson took the three points instead of going for the touchdown, so that blew the cover. But I had them. I just put the Chiefs and the teaser all year long. And that's been very, very successful. So I did all right, and I'm looking to make some money in the last three games, that's for sure. I also like how you said our chiefs, I don't

have a team left anymore. I gotta adopt now, that's what happens. See, that's why I always say, you gotta have two teams, and I like to have one in each conference. Listen to this. Someone in Indiana cashed in on a five dollar four leg parlay for each game's first touchdown score five dollars paid out seventy two thousand seven bucks, and he tweeted like this is life changing money. I mean, it's that's amazing. That's a really good weekend. That's a great weekend. And also cheers to him for

having the guts. I don't know if he had to cash out option on this bet, but I'm sure once he hit the third out of the fourth leg or whatever he had, I'm sure the cash out was kind of That's where it becomes deal or no deal. Realize you could you could take this money or you could open up what's in the in the case. So congrats to someone in Indiana who that's an amazing run and I'm gonna do something like that, I think this weekend because it just sounds fun. Let's do it. It does

sound fun. And I was just thinking what would I do if the first three cashed out? I feel like if I only put five bucks on it, I'd be like, why stop now, let's just see this one through. Right. But if you're saying, like, okay, what did he win? He won seventy two grand, seventy three grand, I don't know what the cash out is, but there's just say, let's say or something, I mean cash out for you know, twelve tho dollars? Take it right? Maybe I don't know.

I wonder. I'm sure someone maybe let us know on Twitter what the buyout was in that. So here's something significant. Also as it pertains to betting for this coming weekend, both points spreads in the a f C and NFC Championship are less than a field goal. Again, it's Tuesday. I doubt it's going to change much right now. I think both games are two and a half, so that's

only happened twice before in the Super Bowl era. And these lines are on the move to like I mentioned, especially in Kansas City, Cincinnati and a lot of that has to do with Patrick Mahomes ankle injury. So we'll talk about how all of this is shaking out at the end of the show with bet MGMs betting analyst Peter Andrew. He also may be gloating because he went out to San Francisco. He's a big Niners fan, so

he had himself a really good weekend. But in Chiefs Bengals, the original line is what they call a bad opener um because kan City was favored by I want to say, like four or five points when it first opened, and then Vegas quickly realized that was not right. In addition to Peter earlier in the show, coming up, we've got NFL insider Greg Rosenthal. He's from NFL Network NFL dot Com. He writes in a on the NFL podcast he is

all over it and he knows everything. So we're gonna get him, get him on the show, and get us ready for Championships Sunday. Okay, Jerry. Overall, though, I mean great weekend, Yes, and I'm very excited to talk to Greg. I'm very excited to talk to Peter, But for the moment right now, I'm most excited to talk to you because you, as we mentioned last week, we're covering the game for what Westwood won, right the Chiefs Angles game. Your dad was calling the game. You were covered Chief

Chiefs Jaguar. Sorry, I'm already far ahead. I'm already Jags are completely out of my brain already. But I couldn't help but think of you as I was watching that game and the Mahomes injury happens, and the whole place goes what feels like silent for a playoff game, although it wasn't silent. What is going on in your world covering that game and Patrick Mahomes, biggest star NFL star in the world arguably goes down with an injury. What is going on in your mind? Jerry? I never going

to forget this moment. I've I've seen a lot of big injuries in my time, and there's something different when it's happening in real time in front of you, and you're right. The place goes quiet. The loudest NFL stadium going quiet is quite eerie, and it's nighttime and it's missing and the lights are on, and the whole thing was just very cinematic. And I am right by Patrick Mahomes like I thought he could spit on me as

he was yelling. And the coolest thing for me is how I'm always going to be left with this impression of his lack of quit. And I know that is kind of overused. I know people say, oh, he's such a competitor about athletes all the time, But my god, after seeing it right in front of me, he was significantly hurting. I mean he was in pain, like I

could see it on his face. You could even see after he threw a touchdown when he went back out and his teammates go to celebrate, I mean, the zoom and shot of his face was in so much pain. But he gets to the side the mine and of course athletic trainers first swarmed him. They taped up his ankle. They retaped it up, and he's kind of hobbling. He's kind of doing like caphrases, trying to get that ankle

warmed up. And his offensive coordinator Eric b Enemy, his quarterback coach Matt Nagy, and head coach Andy Reid all it looked like an intervention. The three of them come up around him and are like, you gotta go in

the locker room. They wanted him to get next Ray, and he's just shaking his head adamantly, vehemently, vigorously saying I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, like basically telling him like, f off, I'm going back on this field, and teammates coming up to him like you're good, and he's just not talking to anyone unless he's saying the words I'm good, I'm good, and yeah. I've never seen anything like that, the determination to stay not only on the field but on the sideline. He did not want to go in

that locker room. So then ultimately Eric b Enemy comes up to him and kind of puts his arm around him, and Patrick turns around. He rips off you know those Superman capes that they were on the sideline, yells an expletive, throws down his helmet, and Jerry I think I'm the closest person to him in this moment, and I'm just

I'm like speechless. And he runs in the locker room and I hit up my producer and I say, hey, come down to me, come down to me, because as a sideline reporter, you have to convince them to open up your mic, which is another conversation. And then they come down to me. And I just I have the first report, and I say, Patrick Mahomes is in the locker room. He's really upset about it, blah blah whatever

I said, And I mean, it was just amazing. And then he comes back out and he immediately puts his cape back on and his helmet on, so the crowd didn't see him run back out, so there was no reaction,

which was almost crazy. And so I go back on the air and I say, Patrick Mahomes is back on the sideline, same tape job, and he's got his cape on and his helmet on, and I don't think this crowd knows he's back out here, kind of implying that when he takes a field, which looks like he's planning to do, it's going to be like again, it's going to be like Superman taking his cap off. Everyone still thought he was in the locker room. It was wild. I know him going on and on about this, but

it's a moment I'll never forget. This is great, and some of this, you know, you can't really say in real time, like my producer even got in my ear. Make sure, and this is kind of a funny thing. Make sure I'm not reporting on anything that I can see with my access that people in the front row can't see. Your here. It's really a funny thing. And obviously, like you don't want to make a player look bad, coaches look bad at anything, So you're kind of doing

a dance in real time as I'm reporting it. But that that's what happened, and it was amazing, Patrick Mahomes is amazing. I would be. I think I would be terrible at your job because I just reliving that with you. I put myself in that position. And here's how all right, we're gonna her Dad's throwing to me right, and this is what I oh, Kevin O, Kevin, shit, it's bad. No, I don't know. My bet is out the window. My bet is Jeeves are not going to cover it's bad.

And he's telling everyone funk off. He's not getting it's crazy down here. N And let me also add in the Chiefs are NFL teams can tell you what they want to because you have to wait for the official word from the team. The Chiefs are notoriously tight lipped, and so I'm waiting for their head of communications to come over. And it's me and Melissa Stark who's doing the game for ENDBC. So he they have to tell us one thing and one thing only questionable to return

or will return or won't return. They can say lower body injury, even though everyone can see it's an ankle, you know what I mean. So and they come up to me and Melissa Stark and they say ankle injury, questionable to return. And the first thing we both ask is did he get next ray in the locker room? And they say, we can't say. I mean, it's just so you're you're playing detective down there. It's it's wild. And then Melissa and again we kind of go our

different ways. We're on two different broadcasts. And then later I saw that she reported that he got next Ray and I honestly don't know how she got that information. So it was I mean, it's just a lot. It's it makes the profession really exciting. It also you have to do a lot of investigative work and then you cannot put your foot in your mouth. Yeah, you can't speculate on anything. You cannot speculate. See again, we're gonna throw it back down to the sideline that Jerry Ferrar.

You know, they're telling me he didn't get an next ray. But I think that's bullshit. I think he actually got I think they're lied to me and I have been lied to before, and I mean, yeah, anyways, it was crazy. I was wondering, as someone who is really um constant better, had you had significant futures bets on the Chiefs, would you consider hedging at that point? Yeah, yes, but again

we're talking about My instincts would be yes. But then also, hearing you tell the story about Mahomes is courage and it's cool under pressure, just knowing what something like that could do for a team. You will talk about leading

through example. Is there any way now going into this Bengals game, And we'll get into who we like in that game, but is there anyone who's going to be taking their film work lightly, or their practice lightly, or their rehab and treatment lightly, knowing that their leader, who again probably the biggest NFL star in the world. Also, the talent backs up. I've had an high ankle sprain playing pick up basketball and I was out for eight weeks. I couldn't imagine if if a if a linebacker landed

on my ankle. So to show that kind of toughness, I just think that that's gonna go a long way with that team. Not that they need any more inspiration, but yeah, how do you uh not do the extra hour of film work knowing that your quarterback just gut

it out a game that they could have lost. They could have lost that game and it felt like they were going to And I've got to say I'm really impressed with Jacksonville and talking to Doug Peterson and a halftime he said, we got him right where we want him. I think at that point they were down seven or ten. I think they were down ten, came back, scored a field goal, and then they were down seven. And I talked to Doug Peterson on the field before the game.

Could not be more loose and comfortable. That guy is just cool. Trevor is cool. We had a Dog Peterson love fest. What Andrew Brandt last week? If you were I did, I said, I I host a podcast. Uh sorry, I co host a podcast and we had Andrew Brandt on and he immediately lit up. He loved Andrew. So yeah, I and props the Dog Peterson for saying we got him right where they want him in an age where like similar you're talking about how as a sideline reporter,

you have to be very very careful what you say. Well, coaches don't want to say anything in any of those we know that we've seen it. So even having the courage to say we got him right where we want them, I don't think we get a better SoundBite. Really, And as far as NFL coaches, gol So, what a game hap before you? That was awesome. I mean so much to to unpack with that game. Obviously my heart broke a little bit with the Giants. I felt for you, Yeah,

but I wasn't all that heartbroken or shocked. I again, like the minute you go into a game saying, oh, well, Hurts is a little banged up and Lane Johnson is not that healthy, and can they beat us three times and throw It's like, yeah, yeah, they can because it's a really terrible matchup for you. They're really strong on both lines, both sides of the ball, and they have

weapons all over the place. So, but cheers to Philly because they've kind of been the best team, or at least in the NFC, you could say the NFL for most of the year. They had their little slide, which still wasn't a slide. It was injury based and it seems like they're back to peeking at the right time for sure. I mean a thirty eight to seven victory, and really that score makes it sound like it was a game almost more than it was. It was. It was horrible and Jalen Hurts looks so strong right from

the jump, two past touchdowns, one rush. What gave me a lot of confidence in his oath was they had so many designed runs for him, so they're confident in where he's at healthwise. And yeah, like you said, that Philly offensive line gave him so much time. But either way, cheers to the Giants. That was a great year. As a fan, I'm completely grateful. That is way more than I expected. I know some people don't like to live their fanhood like that, like being satisfied with a loss.

Um just a great, great, enjoyable season. So thank you to all the Giants coaches and players. That was an awesome season for me for sure for sure. Okay, looking at Cowboys forty Niners defensive battle first and second NFL and defense squaring off, and it can be really exciting to watch this forty Niners defense played this weekend and I think beyond because I think the forty Niners are

winning this game this weekend. They were so impressive, so fast, Like that's the word that everyone keeps using with this forty Niners defense. Obviously the matchup Fred Warner with Ceedee Lamb, Like what that was the patch up the Cowboys wanted. They were like, oh good, we got the linebacker on CD and wow, I mean that was that play alone had a lot of people talking. And then offensively for San Francisco, the George Kittle bobble off the face mask. That will be an image we see over and over

and over and him staring down the camera. I mean, just fantastic. And when you look at Kittle, McCaffrey, Deebo, I mean, these weapons that they have in the backfield, let alone catching the ball, I mean, it's it's exciting. I've I've got to admit, for as many times as the forty Niners have broken my heart as a Packer fan, I'm on the forty Niners bandwagon. I like Mr relevant brock Purty. He is pretty great. He's definitely not afraid. I could tell you that even Cowboys defense is good.

And I was watching that game knowing like, Okay, these are the two. This is the kind of defense the Giants would need to beat the Eagles. So already, not like it my chances there, but all so just look like the play, the kiddle, the bobble those as as a Giants fan who seen plays like that, go my way. Those are the type of bounces you have to get. It's those. It's the fumble that you just your guy

gets right back on. It's the off the face mask bobbling catch, like those little plays that start making you believe, Okay, this is meant to be. It's breaking our way because both those two teams are pretty evenly matched. I mean, I know Dallas and Dad did not have the outcome they wanted, and the two picks definitely hurt and some weird play calls, but overall, I thought it was a

really good season for the Cowboys. Disappointing for sure. I still think they're loaded with talent, but the Niners have the at least to me, the kind of defense that could at least really make Philly work. So I'm I can't wait for that game to great gate the storylines and if Rock Purty goes to the freaking Super Bowl undefeated, Mr Irrelevant if I was taller, I'd be like I and younger. I'd I wish I could play this guy in his movie, but I can't because I'm short and old.

You can write it. You can write it. The Kurt Warner story, Kurt Warner story was so good it got a movie American Underdog. This I think as well. Now Kurt was undrafted. Technically, Brock was drafted. Okay, before we go on to look at the forty Niners ahead, we I've got to stay on this game for one more second because I've got to unleash on these Cowboys. It's unleash. Okay. Another disappointing end of the Cowboys season. Mental errors, bad decisions,

Dak Prescott. Two interceptions should have been three, They dropped one. Brett Mayor poor the kicker, My god, there was never more bets placed on a kickers missing extra points or more camera work on the kicker's face. I was watching that game with my family and we're all just like this, poor guy. And then a course it's blocked with a bad kick, a low kick, and it also didn't look like it was going the right direction. I mean, if that wasn't blocked, I don't think that was going in.

I think he's actually lucky it was blocked, But my god, I just it was five to one odds at one point Jerry for him to miss an extra point, I mean, just absolutely crazy. But just in general, with this, a lot of Cowboys fans wake up this week seething furious. I've seen people burning jerseys and it feels like a rerun. Really, the forty Niners ended their season last year in the wild Card felt like deja vous with how it ended, and the Cowboys now have back to back twelve and

five seasons. Now, I ask you, is twelve and five a successful year? One playoff win a successful year? Yeah? Yeah, maybe it is, But with Dallas, it just doesn't feel like that. With a team that is as hyped as any every year. We're thinking they said that we hear about him so much, we have to see him all the time, and dac led the league in interceptions this season, so it's not like it was a big surprise that

it came down to this in the final game. They might be losing their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Arizona. He's already on a second interview there. Their offensive coordinator Kellen Moore interviewing with the Panthers, and I think a few others, So it kind of looks like at least one of those two is leaving. I think dan Quinn. They have a lot of free agents. Cooper Rush, the backup quarterback who filled in for Dac when he was injured this year. He's a free agent. And I don't

mean this completely joking. A lot of people wanted Cooper to play because remember they were winning some games with him. Tony Pollard, whose ankle injury was gruesome to watch it, and when they were showing the replay, they kept comparing it to Mahomes injury. I thought it looked worse. He's gonna be having surgery and significant rehab, and just as free agency should really be heating up when he's supposed to get his bag, that's when he he is gonna

be doing all his rehab. So I really hope this hasn't set him back, because that guy deserves a lot of money. He played so well the season. He played better than Ezekiel Elliott. Would Zeke have like twenty six yards or something in that game. I'm such a disappointment for a guy who makes like a couple of million bucks to carry. It seems like, and I just my unleash is on Dallas in general. Even their own Twitter was taking shots at them. I'm kind of sick of

the Cowboys. I'm sick of the Cowboys underachieving. I guess I feel like, if you're gonna be so show body and be such a show, then when you know and and I guess to me as someone who's not a fan of the team, I think twelve and five, two seasons in a row, early playoff exit is a disappointment, and I'm just annoyed with them. I agree with everything you said. It's a great unleashed I do feel bad for the kicker there, because that might be a career

that we might not see much longer. I start talking about people's careers, it's like, all right, I know it like was a joke a couple of weeks ago, but now it's like, all right, this guy might be out of the the NFL. Tony Pollard completely And don't don't listen. The two interceptions, for sure hurt and the Niners were just a little bit better, but losing Tony Pollard at that point in the game was huge. So but I'm

with you like, yes, it's enough of already. Like now, it's almost like the new thing that's assumed every year is like the Cowboys will be a disappointment and won't go as far as everyone thinks they should. Jerry, Look, it's been twenty seven straight seasons without a conference appearance. That's tough. When you start looking around in the in the title game, you start thinking, like, the Panthers have made a super Bowl, you know, the Cardinals have made

the Super Bowls. Like, start looking around, I mean I think, yeah, the Commanders might have just the draught the walk off play, the walk off plate was watching Zeke just get drilled flattened, and you you understand they obviously going to try to laterally a bunch. They didn't even get one. I mean more, you know, like, don't maybe leave that party out of your interview wherever teams you were interviewing for Yeah, yeah, maybe they just fell asleep at that part, but I mean,

same thing as last season. So yeah, anyways, I feel better. I feel ten pounds later. I feel like you got something out there. I don't even want to follow that. I don't even have the No, this doesn't even qualifies in the least, this is like a quick one. I hate to keep going back to the Giants game. But for everyone criticizing Dable for the fourth and eight that early in the game, like I understand, it didn't work out, so it's easy to criticize that Giants have been doing

that all year. Go look at the Titans game, going for to walk off win like that. So at that point, I think Dable knew early on we got to score a bunch of points that our offense might not be built for. We were at you know, I think we finally crossed midfield or almost at midfield. I think he saw the storm come in, and I think that was just a guy trying to get every one out of the storm safely. And it didn't work out. But let's relax, and now we're going to turn on Dable already as

a coach. Calm down, everyone. Yeah, I'm sad. I know you were getting in some Twitter wars turned to twitter fingers. The guy he made a bad call, alright, move on. Is that really what influenced the game? Coach? Yeah, I don't think. I think he was doing anything he could to just smoke in mirror his way through that game. But all good, Giants, all good. I like your optimism. You know it's to sit here and be right your team. I think you're right. I think it was a successful season.

What they end up doing at quarterback will be no. But were we just sitting here last week saying how great Daniel Jones was and I kept saying last week he's he looked more like Josh Allen than Josh Allen, Like, I don't think the Daniel Jones ara is over. No, he might have just gave a few million bucks back to the organization, which is fine, which we said it to brand last week, or like you know, every company's like a dred thousand dollars more on war. He might

have given back a few million bucks. But either way, the Giants haven't necessarily treated him the most fairly in his time. They're like all those offensive coordinators, coaches all that. You know. It just was been bizarre until Dable and Shane got there. So I think everyone will be on the same page. I love it. So in the a f C, a lot of people were upset about the potential neutral site game in Atlanta. Tickets were sold, flights were booked, all of this, but the Bengals had another idea.

They ended what was going to be a lot of controversy. I know if if the Bills had made it, that would have been the talk all week. Is this really isn't fair? This should go through Arrowhead or whatever people thought. Anyways, that is going to go through Arrowhead, and Joe Cool had something to say about it in our audible of the week talk about it yesterday. Just that chip on your shoulder, everyone talking about a neutral a NFC championship game,

not even thinking about you. Guys, how much did that motivate you coming into this? You better send those refunds. Okay, Let's bring in our guests from around the NFL podcast, NFL Analyst. You also see him on NFL Network. It's Greg Rosenthal for his second appearance. Greg, what made you come back? I wanted to brag. I wanted to brag because I think I actually could be totally wrong. But you had me on when the Russell Wilson trade went down, and I feel like I was relatively like low key, mixed,

like not that excited for the broadcast. I might just be lying and wishing that's what That's what it was? My recollection? Is it was the day that that happened, which on the same day, Am I right? Aaron Rodgers said he was staying in Green Bay, which kind of stole the thunder from the move in general. But so we had all these questions for you. But I do remember saying that you were you were running around, as

I remember in the offices. Right now, I'm at home and we're right back to not knowing where Aaron Rodgers is going to be next to sisod. It's kind of every pie. Actually, can we start there before we get into this weekend's games and all the playoff action, When we look at all the quarterbacks who are going to be making moves, whether they're free agents or looking to be free agents, what are you most excited for in

this off season? Because once you know that final, the final whistle of the Super Bowl, I feel like that's when you really get cracking. Yeah, I'm very into the free agency period. Already put out like a top fifty one free agents. We end up doing a hundred of them. I'm into that off season. But you know what's crazy I've learned is like it starts now. The trade of Matthew Stafford happened in Super Bowl week the trade, or

at least it started to pop up there. Alex Smith to Washington happened during Super Bowl Week two, so like

it could start popping out and you hit it. It's the quarterbacks the most excited about because it's it's not just Brady and Rodgers, who are great to talk about, but it's Geno and Daniel Jones and Jimmy g And it's a weirdly long list, like even like the second level guys Derek Carr obviously available for trade, but then backups like Jake Jacoby Brissett and Teddy Bridgewater, and it's just if you go on and on, I've never seen

this many quarterbacks available. Cooper Rush. Everyone wanted Cooper Rush to play this last weekend. He's on the block. Ah, he'd be a little lower on my list. I actually have it right here. I got Gardner Mins, You've got Sam Donald who look good for a couple of games. You got Baker could be out there, Mike White, Taylor, Heinik. It's like kind of like all the filling quarterbacks of the of seasons past are going to be available. Yeah.

I've always said this is like the closest to you know, everyone talks about the NBA off season when free agency kicks in and tracking players planes and who's going where, who's having lunch with who. I think the NFL's finally they're at least just at the quarterback position, because you start looking around, you named all the quarterbacks, and you start looking at the teams. It's one big puzzle, like what are the Jet's gonna do? What are the Raiders

gonna do? And you probably have a lot better of a beat on it, but I mean it's too it's too hard to even make a prediction right now, I think. But hopefully something shakes out in the next two weeks. Would be really fun. During Super Bowl Week, someone steals the Thunder, I would love it, especially if it's Rogers or car which feels like the biggest trades possible. I

think someone's getting traded in Green Bay. I think it's gonna be Jordan's Love more likely than Rogers, just because like, the next team that gets Rogers has to pay him sixty million dollars next year, and that's just that's a lot. Some teams could figure it out, but it's a lot, and I think some people might want Jordan's love after he showed a little more UH this season, but it's not too early to have like a feel like your your Giants there, Jerry, Like I got a feeling after

their press conference. Daniel Jones is more likely to stay with the Giants then sae Quon Barkley, for instance. I you definitely get a feeling from the Seahawks. They'll probably keep Gino Smith. They'll find a way to do that. Whereas with Tom Brady, you know, I know he's you know, dropping f bombs on his podcast that he doesn't know what he's doing. But I feel like I know what he's doing and it's not gonna be on the bus. I'm just not sure where. Well, what do you feel

like he's gonna do? You can't just dangle that in front of us. Well, I mean, I think he's gonna look for the best non bucks situation. Most like it felt like a Vegas I I was on that corner a long time ago. Just because it's so logical. Mark Davis, their owner, wanted Tom Brady like it's out there, it's

public there at the UFC thing. There's been good reporting that John Gruden did not and which is really funny to think back on it because Brady almost want an m VP won a Super Bowl, and I think it was an ego thing that Gruden didn't want Brady running the show. But Mark Davis is still there, John Gruden is not, and who's the coach is Josh McDaniels. Sometimes I think we make it a little too complicated, and

it feels that's the best spot for him. You mentioned being here for the Russell Wilson news and then now we're all hearing about Sean Payton meeting with Denver and all that, And I just can't imagine if I'm Sean Payton. First of all, what a position to be in. If you're Sean Payton just sitting back. He could sit another

year and his value will only probably grow. But that Denver job, which they have a very talented roster, But I don't know if you see Russell Wilson bouncing back from this year but also maybe having to give up picks which the Broncos don't really even have. So is is Denver really a place for Sean Payton? Or she just chill and wait for more amazing job opportunities to open up. So, yeah, he's talking with Carolina this week, or he did. He's talking with Arizona, which to me

made some sense because of Kyler Murray. But if if you take Sean Payton at his word, and I don't, to be honest, he says, like ownership, front office matters more. We didn't have a quarterback. When we got to New Orleans, we figured out. I think he thinks he can make any quarterback work. I still think that Russell Wilson contract is a mess because if you keep him another year, it's like you're committed another year. So it's a contract thing.

It's a trade thing. But man, Walmart money, like that's long money. And I feel like the way Sean Payton has worked this is very interesting to me. I'm kind of a closet Saints fan. I'm a little annoyed how he's worked it. I think there's more going on behind the scenes that they're both playing these games in the media in terms of well, I might not take a job this year, or you know, and then my trade value will go down, so you better just get this trade done. But he's kind of got the Saints over

a barrel. He's got all these billionaires over a barrel, and no shade to him that he's not being totally upfront. You said it, Jerry, like more power to him. He learned from uh, your guy Bill Parcels on how to kind of work the media and and get everyone interested and and he's done a great job. I was joking earlier about Cooper Rush, but for real, Dallas is losing some players and maybe coordinators. As we're talking about head

coaches and coordinators interviewing. Both Dallas coordinators are interviewing this week. Do you think Dallas takes a step backward? Oh? Man, Everyone thought that this year because they've been really bad at handling success, and they ended up being I think a little better this year overall. You know, it ended similarly twelve wins. Though. I think dan Quinn gets a job in this cycle, I think Denver. If I had to guess who Denver ends up hiring, I think it's

dan Quinn. Just because I'm with you, Jerry that I don't know if Sean Payne's gonna want that job. Carolina makes more sense to me for him. I think dan Quinn has done an incredible job making all that talent on defense sing and they do have a lot of needs, So you're right. I think Zekiel Elliott should be gone. We'll see if Jerry Jones actually can be unemotional and do it. Tony Pollard is a free agent. Uh, They've definitely got questions on defense. I think that they have

some holes to fill, all right. I think we gotta focus on some of the stuff that just went on this past weekend. I mentioned earlier, as you know, I'm a Giants fan. Um, semi heartbroken. I mean I saw it coming. I knew everyone's on table about the fourth and eight go for that. My opinion as a fan, they were doing that all year and that's the furthest I saw them maybe even getting to in the first half. I was all for it, even though it didn't work out. Um, is it okay as a Giants fan to not be

crazy disappointed? I have Giant fans on Twitter mad at me because I'm not crazy disappointed we didn't beat the Eagles. No, I think you have to be realistic and obviously there were high hopes. Like I know some Giants fans too, and they were wild confident. I was surprised by that, just because you look at the talent on these two teams, and yeah, Philly didn't have a healthy quarterback, we thought,

but they ended up looking pretty great. They remind me the Giants of the Bills in their first year under Brandon Being and Sean McDermott, where they made the playoffs with Tyrod Taylor and I don't know if there'll be a quarterback switch there, but that was like a show that like, hey, we're not the old Bills were still a little while away, and they did take a step back actually before they became the Bills that we know now.

But I've said it for a while with Giants fans, I've been so down on the Giants for more than a decade. It's probably the Patriots fan in me, but I really meant that that. When they brought in Shane and Dable, I thought like, this is a start of something, and I kind of just trust these dudes to make the right decisions. I'm fascinated to see what they do with se Quon, though I think it's gonna be tough

to keep them. You mentioned the Bills. What did you make of the Stefon Diggs kind of storming out of the building and really the banter between him and Josh Allen on the sideline. I mean, you're you're an insider, So what did you read between the lines there? Well, just that he's like an emotional wide receiver. We saw this in Minnesota. I think it just kind of comes

with the package. I'm with Stefon Diggs where he tweeted out like it's easy to criticize the reaction instead of the play and in the long run, like the play does kind of matter more and you don't want that reaction.

But I think they all know Stefon Diggs like what a competitive is, what a pro he is in terms of the work that he puts in that you live with that off now over time, Like if that keeps happening, if they keep losing, is it something that ends up grading on you more and then you make a change?

Like sure, But Jerry, you mentioned how the n b A and the like, the NFL is becoming more like the NBA, Like, I'm with you because those wide receiver trades last year and these big names now getting traded, I think that showed the mistake of trading them, Like every receiver that went to a new place changed their team. I know the Raiders didn't have a good season, but they would still do that trade anytime. And like you do not want to get rid of a Stefan Diggs.

Big time receivers to me are just just about worth more than anything except for a quarterback. Yeah, I always talk about that Digs trade. Was that may be the most even trade that we can talk about for years to come, because there's not a winner but the Digs for the pick, which becomes justin Jefferson. It's only even though, because the Eagles took Jalen Reagor though, like it's only even because they had the best wide receiver pick of the last like ten years, so like, more power to them.

They got lucky that the Eagles took Jalen Reagor right before them or else that picked. I would not have traded stuff on things if I was them either. So Okay, now I think I don't know how much love you have for the Cowboys. You know, I don't have any love for the Cowboys at all. That was certainly a winnable game, not the most fun game to watch, and so but it came down to the wire. But in what on earth is the Dallas Twitter account doing tweeting

out article? I'm just very confused. Is this the sign that there's gonna be major changes in Dallas. Like I know, we just talked about it, but I'm still afraid of them too. Was a Giants fan. They're a loaded roster. I think they're closer than further away. But in this generation, how do you do that? As the gold check mark Dallas Cowboys Twitter account, I mean, I kind of loved it. I'm gonna push back here just because please do so.

I worked for NFL dot com and everyone thinks, you know, I don't write as much as they used to, but like, oh, you guys are biased. You're always carrying the water for the shield, and and we just say what we feel on our podcasts, and we were critical when we can. And there's certain third rail issues like ownership that are you definitely gotta be a little more careful than if

you were elsewhere. But like I know people that work for team sites and like some actually are pretty critical and and get good get give good information, and then there's others that are like pr arms that add no value, and everyone's like those guys are useless. So now when one is out there, I kind of Jerry Jones. It doesn't surprise me that Jerry Jones. I've heard some people

talk that. Jerry Jones basically told his website like in general, do whatever you guys want, and they have some really good writers over there and stuff, and like he doesn't mind, Like if Jerry Jones, if you I know you're not a fan, but if nothing else, he wants that smoke. Like he like doesn't care if you talk trash on the Cowboys apparently even if you work for the Cowboys. It's amazing. Oh man, Jerry, how can you say that

wasn't a fun game to watch? That was such a fun game, Like I just I'm telling you, I knew my face going into my night game as a Giants fan, So I just I just didn't see it being that competitive. So it was like eighties ninet nineties football when people ask like like the good old days, and I like scoring more ultimately, but when they asked for the good old days, it's kind of like games like that, you know what I mean, where it's like two great defenses

and timely offense. Well that's how I was watching it to Greg and Olivia. I was watching it kind of already no defeatist attitude, but watching and watching it scouting the defenses because then watching that Giants Eagles game. I knew the Giants were gonna have a hard time stopping that offense, but then seeing the surgical ease that they had with that defense, I really do think that the best team won Niners Cowboys wise. As good as the Cowboys defenses, I think the Niners defense might be a

slightly better matchup for that Eagles offensive defense. It is necessary you need a Fred Warner because I don't know that the Eagles have six guys on offense that could touched the ball in short yardage and turning into big plays at any time. It's the matchup I've wanted to see. I was kind of rooting for the Cowboys just because I feel seeing I feel bad for Dak, who's like an incredibly successful person and what he does is ridiculous.

Like I'm just saying, like, as a human, he's achieved more. It is better at what he does than than I'll ever be at what I do. I think he's a great quarterback, maybe not a top five, top six quarterback, but I kind of want to see him have his moment, and so for him to shrink in that moment was hard for me to see. But just as a football fan, forty Niners Eagles is the better matchup. These are the

two teams. These are the two matchups in both conferences that I wanted to see the most, and that one in the NFC especially, Like I have no idea how it's gonna go, but I'm with you, Jerry. Like their pass rush and especially their linebackers being able to maybe contain Hurts in the running game. Um, it helps stop Dallas Gotter w where who I think is just even bigger than you realize for the goals is huge, and I think it'll be much more of a defensive game,

certainly than that. The Giants put up well when we looked at what Jalen Hurts was able to do, again with a lot of question marks around him, definitely benefiting from the bye week. I think he had so much protection, he had so much time his offensive line dominated. They had to sixty eight on the ground six point one per rush. So as you look more at that matchup on that side of the ball and Nick Bosa in this forty Niners defense, do you think it'll be a

different story. Yeah, They're not gonna be able to run that well. The Giants were a great matchup for them. They knew it, and it was almost like a light warm up for this NFC Championship. I didn't think that going into the game. I picked the Giants to cover, so I was crazy. I mean I had the Eagles winning, but so it's not like I knew. But the way it played out, now you look at this matchup, there's no way they're going to run the ball that well.

They're gonna have to win on the outside. Jalen Hurts still doesn't get the credit for what a good pocket passer is. He's different than Maho Homes or Josh Allen or you know, even some of the running quarterbacks in that like when he wins throwing the ball, it is really from the pocket and he's kind of a hit his back foot and throw some beautiful deep balls. That's actually not what you necessarily see out of Mahomes or Allan,

Like he's not a second reaction thrower Jalen Hurts. So to me, that's where the mismatches in terms of them against their cornerbacks and the safety. So I think it's gonna have to be much more of a DeVonta Smith A G. Brown got her too, But winning on the outside and Hurts kind of showing that he really has improved, like I'm talking about compared to where he was in the playoffs a year ago when the Bucks really confused him. Yeah, anytime you're a fan saying, oh, well, you know Hurts

is injured and Lane Johnson is not. You know, that's not the things you need to be talking about before a game. All right, last thing on the NFC, and we'll definitely kick over to the a f C. And we talked a lot about quarterbacks. I think one of the more fascinating potential decisions to be made is if the Niners do run the table right and pretty will step into uncharted territory going undefeated, winning a Super Bowl.

He has to keep his job, right, Greig like, could they go into next season saying, well, it's an open competition here, Trey Lances back healthy, Jimmy G's parted ways, it's a think you have a quarterback competition when a guy who's never lost and won the Super Bowl. No, they won't. I wonder unless he totally bombs out this week, that might already be settled. Not that Trey lances future is done there, but that Brack Purdy goes into it as the starter. I think they love the way he

runs the offense. I think he has a higher ceiling than Jimmy G. I think he's already playing at a similar or better level to Jimmy G. Certainly there's some veteran things Jimmy G knows that Pretty doesn't. But like Pretty makes extra plays. I think he doesn't play scared,

and I think they love him. And it's weird because he's a late seventh round pick, But if he was a second round pick, you'd just be like, Okay, that's the dude, and we move forward, not that he's going to be a top five quarterback, but that he's going to be the guy next year. I feel like almost in any scenario and that they're gonna have lands there and it's gonna be awkward, but you know, there they can handle it. Okay, let's go over to the a f C. I live in Kansas City. I'm a Chiefs fan.

I was working the game and I was right by Patrick Mahomes as this happened. When he threw off the helmet, throw off the cape. It was a moment I'll never forget. Really, I'm so impressed with him as a competitor. But now this ankle sprain, which he was basically on one leg to finish that game, and I promise you it was even worse up close than it was on TV. He's saying it's not as bad as the one in twenty nineteen.

And he's not practicing this week, and he's never played without practicing that week, But it looks like that might

kind of be the plan. What are you expecting from Mahomes and the whole Chief's offense and what they're gonna be able to do without him or with him limited even I have this theory that it's almost like a like a great artist sometimes does his best work, like if you put limitations on it, like writers talk about the authors, and that now you're asking Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to come up with a way to win

without his mobility. And this Chief's team, to me, feels better suited than ones in the past because they're running the ball well, really well. I mean that that won them that game. They ran the ball with even Cincinnati last time really well in week thirteen. That that that was huge. And then Mahomes is different than he was in when he won the m v P he can win from the pocket. He can kill you with his decision making, and like his numbers actually got better Olivia

in that game. I don't know how it happened, but if you look at the yards per attempt, they went up and he wasn't he wasn't incredible, but man, he still made some big throws with good velocity, made good decisions. There was the last touchdown. I just never count that dude out. I still think it's gonna be tough to win, but I feel like their offense, I'm still more worried about their defense than I am about their offense. Even

with Mahomes with his ankle injury. That's sort of what I worry about cause I think back to the last time Mahomes had this injury. In the last time you saw Chad Henny, you come in and break all the Browns fans hearts and then you know, heroically he got them to the Super Bowl. But then against a good defense with Tampa, you just saw his mobility was limited.

They had offensive line problems as well, so it wasn't all the injury, And I'm just worried that this is a little bit of a repeat, meaning like if they do beat Cincinnati and it's heroic and I'm sorry, Olivia, and it can't happen, of course, But then are they just walking into the super Bowl? Those high ankle sprains, you know, they don't go away, even in two three weeks,

still gonna be painful. I just wonder, even if he gets to the sup Bowl against forty nine or an Eagles defense that has a million sacks in the last ten games, you know, is he even in more trouble? And would the best Super Bowl be entertainment? Why? Sorry, Olivia. If it's the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, I think either would just fan I don't love, I'm just a fan perspective. I think either would be great. I'm torn here because my instinct is to pick the Bengals too.

I picked them to beat the Bills, and I think they might be a better team than the Chiefs. Anyways, like a neutral site that said, like Mahomes to me, is the best player I've ever seen play, Like he's the best player to enter the league since I started covering the league twenty seasons ago. And so I don't I don't try to pretend I know anything about the guys before I just saw them on NFL Prime Time

or just hear what people say. But in those twenty years, he's the best player, so to me, Jerry, like, if he overcomes the high nicles, right and then wins this game, that's some Jordan's stuff, and you get excited about maybe he gets healthier for the super Bowl. So either way, I'm excited. I almost wish this was the super Bowl. But either way, like it's amazing. Okay, two things I think we're throwing out Michael Jordan's comparison to literally this

week Jalen Hurts with Michael Jordan's said seriality. And another thing, Greg, Now, I'm trying to figure out how old you are. If you've been covering the league twenty years, you look much younger. I'm about to turn forty four. Is twenty years right? That might not even right. The first season I did a little bit was two thousand three. My first super Bowl though, was watching the Patriots finished off their eight

seed in one season. Jerry, So I had to learn how to be a professional there in the crowd for that one. That was my first one. Listen, I'm I'm forty three years old with you, and uh, that's why the Giant. I find it hard to get mad at him because of that. Even going back to those years, and I skipped that Super Bowl like a total scared,

thinking we were gonna lose. I had an opportunity to go as in Arizona, so full circle, and I said, and I said no, And I watched it with three people in my house while we all cowered in the corner because we were terrified of that game. Oh man, well the Giants fans showed up in Glendale and uh yeah, I have bad memories of that game. But yeah, I've never seen I don't need to see more to see save Mahomes is the best player I've ever seen. I mean, I know he hasn't played as long as Brady, but

he's the best. So looking at the way teams are structured now and the way people are loading up their rosters also NBA like super team like and winning quickly, do you think this is now the age of aggressive gms like less need when all in last year, John Lynch did it this year, especially with Christian, Howie Roseman and Philly Is this just the way business will be done now? Yes? Because I just think the talk about window is overrated. I thought the Patriots proved that a

little bit the way they sustained success. I think Green Babe and has to a much lesser degree. They didn't get it done in the playoffs, but they've always been good. If you have that quarterback, be aggressive around him because you can still make some mistakes. The Patriots almost won a Super Bowl where they had the thirty first best

defense in the league. Like, so take big swings. And the reason I say yes is because I think trades is going to be a bigger and bigger part of the equation here, because look, I'm making this free agent list. It's not great, like teams don't let great players get to free agency. But since teams have done a good job managing having so much cap space, there's more flexibility for trades. And I think you saw the Patriots and the Eagles especially be on the forefront of that last decade.

They were the two teams that traded the most I remember, and now you're just seeing more and more teams like make trades. It's better for fans too, but I just think it's like one of the only good ways to get good players now is making trades. So speaking to that, down of all the fan bases that had the tough

weekend and lost, Dallas, Giants, Bills, Jaguars. You know, which of those four teams, if you're thinking about it from a GM perspective, has their work cut out for them most And you can make the case I will say to just remember, you know, with Dallas, obviously they're still loaded, but we're already now talking about the quarterback situation after one bad game. So which of those four teams you think that GM has the most cut outfit I'm going

into the next season. Well, I think it's the Giants, just because they have the most talent to get, but they also have lower expectations. But they have the most holes to fill. Twelve their starters are free agents, and that they already weren't that talented. It's hard to find wide receivers as we know. I think the Bills, though, are the other team that stands out, just because you really saw a change in the expectations and the fan base with everything they went through this year with themar

Hamlin and everything out. It's been a terrible year in Buffalo injuries but also just real life stuff. Um, you would think they would be somewhat understanding, but man, they're upset, like everyone wants people fired. They actually haven't drafted like a pro bowler in about four or five years, so that they've they haven't done a good job. They have talent, but they just kind of kept it. They need to

find new talent. I just think the bar is so high with them now with Josh Allen that like any step back, and I think the ANFC East is tougher, people will really be hard on them. So just expectation wise, I think the Bills do have some holes to fill. Tremaine Edmonds as a free agent, Jordan Player is a free agent. They have some problems up front on offense too. Okay, what do you think, Jerry? Final prediction for this weekend? Do you want to go ahead and end there? Sure?

I want to hear you guys first, Oh, go round, Robin. I actually, as much as I was hyping up the Chiefs and all that, I'm very concerned. I think I think Joe Burrow is exactly where he wants to be, and I think they smell blood and I like the Bengals here. I gotta say, wow, was that allowed that? You know what she's doing right? I'm not this week reverse psychology. You're doing reverse like I do this all the time. Greg, you got to tack against your team.

And then I like San Francisco and I'm not talking spread. We're gonna talk that later in the show with Peter Andrew. Both games are two and a half point games. But I just money line. I like Bengals San Francisco. I I I also like the Bengals. I think that, um, this is just gonna be so much fun for hopefully the next ten years getting to watch Mahomes verse Borrow. I don't want to discount Josh Allen and whatever other quarterbacks will enter into the a f C because they

all seem to be going over there. But I will say to your point, yeah, if Mahomes does this win, this win with the injury will rank up there and quarterback victories for sure. But I'm going with the Eagles. I saw enough. I have total respect for the forty Niners and Brock Purty, but I just really don't know how you stopped that offense. It's so confusing and everyone could get the ball. And also I think they have the best offensive and defensive line in football. No disrespect

to Bosa just all around. I just think they have the two best lines in football. So I'm going Eagles Bengals Super Bowl. I have the same one. Sorry for throwing it back to you, guys. It's like earlier in the week, I'm like, do I want to lock myself in here? I gotta think about it. Uh No, I'm with you on the Eagles. So that's I had the Eagles winning the Super Bowl before the season. My pick was Eagles Chiefs before the season, which is looking like

amazing right now. They have one seeds. I'm with you on the line play, like that's where they spend their money. You know, it's funny you think of them. They have a very forward thinking, analytics driven front office, and one of the their tenants is really like spend on lineman, offensive line, defensive line. That you can't have enough high

draft picks. You can't spend enough money, Like if you just have seven of those dudes on each side, like it, spend it all there and everything else is gonna look better. And they've done a great job with that with some of their pickups. So I'm with you on the egos. It feels weird, but I think the Bengals are gonna win this game. Even though you know I had the Chiefs before the season. The injuries enough to make me

flip it. I might have taken the Bengals anyway. It's just something about this team, man, and I'm all about wide receivers, and I think that mismatch them versus the chief secondary is what gets it done for them. Okay, good place to end, Greg, You're welcome back anytime. We have a lot of fun with you. Thank you so much. You can follow Greg Rosenthal on Twitter at Greg Rosenthal with two g's for a little something extract, Greg, Thanks so much, Thanks guy. I finally did it. I finished

season six and it was very good. You warned me. It's just a lot of love triangles, and you're right. I cannot believe how it ends with an engagement. I guess I shouldn't say who in case it gives it away. But for your character, for Turtle, Jamie goes to New Zealand and she tries to test you and at the airport says, you can see other people blah blah, and you cry and she was mad that you didn't cry. And then this seems very dramatic. She leaves and you

turn around and you do cry. I'm curious as an actor did you do because you do turn around? So I was thinking, oh, this could have been the eye drops or what do you do? Listen? That was real hears. It was something I've always been good at since I was a little kid. I can summon that up when I need it. It's actually funny. That's how we used

that skill. One time. We went up to the schoolyard to play hoops one time, and we're like twelve years old, but we didn't have a ball, and we thought maybe it would be like an extra ball we could bumm from someone to shoot around. And there was like a game going on and they were finishing up and we needed a ball and they had one other one. Some guy was an older kid was shooting around. So I pretend I put the tears on and I ran up saying that was my ball, and I left it in

the schoolyard. The night before, my mom's so mad at lost my I was hysterical crying in the older dude just like, here, take it, take the ball. I've always had that skill. But I will say, obviously entourage not a huge emotional show. It's a comedy. I think I was the first main cast member to tear up like that, And I will say I don't know if that was well received. I don't know if people liked all the male emotion back then. But those were real, a real

to you. I might have been listening to boys to mend in between takes, to get in the mood, to get a little sad, real tears wells magice being stuck on a flight to New Zealand from l A and then you find out you're going to see It's like, don't come here, awful, Oh my god. And that's what happens to your character, and it sucks. It's funny too.

One of the women who played one of the flight attendants, Nikki Wheel, and I end up doing a movie years later with her that takes place entirely on an airplane. I I swear at her and I are we're married. We're a newly married couple in the movie. It's a horror movie that takes place on the plane. I'm not suggesting anybody go watch this movie, but I'm just saying iron ironic that her and I would then be on

the plane for two months shooting a movie. Season six had some ups and downs, right, Like I told you, it was heavy with love triangles and relationships. But then there's also a lot of great cameos and stuff like that. Speaking of which, last question on season six, Lebron James and Matt Damon and Jim Edmonds the baseball player of all people quick cameo at the airport. Now, your character

is not in that scene in New Zealand. I know, of course, like and look, we're all big sports fans, but I don't think anyone would argue who the biggest basketball fan is in the can. I mean, I don't like any of them argue Connolly's got hockey, Dylan's like baseball. And yeah, I wasn't there. It wasn't even like a visitor. So Lebron came worked on the show. But we did have a dinner. I think after we wrapped that, I was at uh it might have been like a back

room at Mastro's something like that. In Beverly Hills. Lebron Maverick was there, Matt Damon. Funny quick story with Matt Damon and we mentioned like, you know, basketball. He was recently at courtside at the Knicks game, right and they always show, like even when I go like they do they show they go to Celebrity Row, they show a clip and they cut to the actor. They freaking showed this is Matt Damon. They showed his cameo from Entourage as his clip. Yes, if you go on and I

actually have to get back. There's a couple of reporters who hit me up wanting to like do a story on it because they thought it was hilarious of all of things to pick, I love you New York Knicks. Maybe you were trolling everyone, but that Oven twelve Jason Bourne, a little someone named Jason Bourne good Will hunting, but they showed his cameo from Entourage. I'm sorry, I must

fell off my chair. Um in my favorite, my favorite movie of all time is the talented Mr Ripley Awesome, awesome, Favorite mont And honestly, he was a prime example of someone who came on wanting to do something poke fun

to himself a little bit. And there's even like a great did you stick around to like after the credits of that episode to see there's like a post credit scene where it's just him doing a bunch of different takes, yelling at Vince on the phone and he has a complete meltdown, screaming at him like I think all your movies sucking, suck. How do you get I come there, I'm calling you, like he's freaking out, go back. There's

a post credit thing. Awesome. But yeah, Lebron him on and this was like not long after I think on like p t I Kornheiser when talking about like math and Lebron said like this is when they formed like their business and all that, and he said, this is exactly what Vince and E would do. Will Bon. He said that to Wilbon on PTI years ago. So just this is that. That's the high points of the season, for sure. It was. It was an interesting season six. I'm glad you finished it. Oh it was amazing. Love

season six. Now I gotta start season seven again. I always sy this. I watched on T at like six am. It's like what I turned on in the morning when I'm up with the baby. I'm like, all right, and he I'm not kidding. He watches the show. His eyes are That's why season I can't wait. I'm curious for your thoughts on season seven. Controversial season all right, more to come But in the meantime, let's get to bet MGM betty expert Peter Andrew to talk about this weekend's game.

All right, fresh and maybe not so fresh from a red eye flight back from the Bay Area, is our resident forty Niners fan who was just sitting here in a jersey and a hat, and I hope these have been washed maybe since the long flight. I'm not sure. It sounds like a great day in San Francisco. How was it, Peter? It was amazing, have been washed. I had to rock rock my guy George Kittle here after his stellar performance, amazing catch. We're clean here. I don't

have the Niners Pa Jamazon, so it's just top. Don't worry. I'm so glad I went. It is amazing team look, great defense, was balling, got a little help from Dock on some questionable throws, but it was amazing experience at LEVI and what was your betting angle? I was I hit my straight bet minus three half, but I missed by five yards my big bet. I needed the Caffrey forty plus rushing yards. He had that calf bruise whatever

was had Kittle yards. I had a spread. I had the under I had a lot of different things, so one easily run kind of cost me a couple hundred bucks. But it's okay as long as we get the w Tailgate was good. Tailgate was amazing. We did three and a half four hours. I met a couple of guys at the super Bowl. Um, a couple of met some guys at the super Bowl in Miami a couple of years ago, and every year they invite me back. So grateful for them to quell the shots. Mark's ribbed corn.

I mean, you name it, we had it. So that's why the flight was so rough on the way home that this sounds like the sounds like Hangover four Part four. Met some guys at the super Bowl five years ago. Every year you go out, we think we just came up with a Hangover Part four. So okay, you got a chance now to watch everything now. The spreads have been changing like crazy this week. Okay, mainly that Bengals

Chiefs game, obviously with the Mahomes injury. But when you saw that opening line Chiefs Bangles, what did you first think? Because I even thought I was even a little puzzled by that opening line, and now where it is now, I don't even I gotta check because it's changing so quickly. Yeah, listen, you take out the Mahomes injury and it makes more sense. But he looked pretty bad last week, and I think they're lucky he was able to come back in able

to do what they needed to do. That line puzzled me too, But as many know that are part of the betting industry or or close to it, sharp money dictates a lot of these things, especially early on the week, whether you have some inside knowledge or these guys have a typically positive hunch. That's what dictated that line moving so where it was could have gone down too close to a pick um, but instead went the complete opposite way and ended up being a three to four point

swing to the Bengals, which I think makes sense. It's you have to go with the healthy team. They're hot right now. They looked great against the Bills and and the Chiefs are dealing with a pretty significant injury. This

isn't Darius Tony, this isn't some lineman. This is your probably the best quarterback of our generation that's pretty banged up, and they're gonna make him throw the ball and try to throw the ball, and he's gonna get a lot of pressure this week, especially if at ankles in your So, I think the line moved in the right way, so we'll see where it goes. Do you know, off the top of your head, is this the first time the Chiefs are underdog all year? I think so, I think

it actually is. I mean, it's kind of hard to alry. Look, I I I've already feel pretty good about the Bengals, but it's hard to say, Like if you just think about like a restaurants, like, hey, today we're serving the Chiefs underdog plate. We haven't served it yet this year? Would you like to try? It's almost like you gotta try it, right, Yeah, it's any other team you maybe second guess it. I don't know, it's it's gonna be really interesting, the dynamic of the Bengals having their number

last year. I mean, there's so many things you can factor into this. But it will be a close game. As much as Mahomes will make a difference with his injury, I think it's still a really tight game. So I highly doubt it goes anything more than three ish points in favor of the Bengals, and we'll see the money changes things as the week goes on. As soon as the news wire comes around, it comes out of his health.

Things are gonna excuw it. So it's gonna be really interesting to see up until Thursday, Friday, and then obviously until the weekend. Yeah, both games are really close. As we record right now Tuesday, it's just two and a half point spreads for both of them, which is crazy, less than a field goal that's only happened twice before in the Super Bowl era. So do you have advice to betters when the line is that small and the games are this important, what to do to help sway

your mind? I have a couple of pieces of advice. I don't know about the swaying, but I think value perspective. If you really feel good about a team that two and a half point is, it's tricky. So I would just say take the money line, get the extra value. The other thing you can do is take the alternate spread. So we talked about teasers a lot on the show, or some sort of alternate line, push it up a

little bit. So if you you have it at let's say the Niners are plus two and a half and you think it's gonna be a field goal game, take the extra six points and combine it with something. So the six and a half points might be a minus to something at a prop that you think has a good likelihood of hitting. Get it back to that minus one ten amount. Buy yourself a little bit of flexibility. If I wasn't a Niners fan, that's probably what I would do for that game. Obviously, I'm confident in my

defense and my team. But we saw and we were dead wrong. Where I was dead wrong about the Giants last week. We saw how powerful that that Eagles offenses. The pressure they put on Daniel Jones. I mean, he had no time to do anything. He wasn't able to run rampant like he was against Minnesota a couple of weeks ago. So they're gonna come out hot. I respected you for picking the Giants plus seven and a half

last week. I also think that's part of the problem of one the Giants lost because we became a very popular pick. No offense. You went too and too. You were kind of robbed of three and one. Doug Peterson took three and one away from you, opting for the field goal instead of the touchdown a little backdoor cover, so you were on the wrong end of that should have been three and one. You were two and two.

So you're still you're kind of keeping the momentum. So in our second to last week remaining of NFL football, which is which is awful, the awful thing to say. I don't even want to say that ever again, but I'm sorry I had to. I've been sticking with what we've been doing. Where are you at this week? What our ten unit plays here? Yeah, so I'm gonna keep the same style is last week. Two and a half of the ten units for each of these four bets start with the easy ones Bengals minus one and a half.

I think injury, the way the Bengals played against the Bills, I mean they look phenomenal in a terrible weather game. Joe Burrow just getting hot again. I mean the right time of the season there. I think they're on the second biggest winning streak. They're probably eight in a row or something like that as the season ended and going into the playoffs. Ride the hot hand, the weapons between Chase Higgins, boy mixing, I mean, they had everything. I

would take it now at one and a half. I think if the news comes out and starts to progress worse and worse that my homes is limited on Thursday, Friday, whatever it is, you're going to see that line change a little bit. Um. So the minus one and a half is where I'm at there the other side of the spectrum. So those are these are the two straight or single bets. Um. I think to the point I made earlier with the plus money the plus two and a half, I'm taking my Niners money lines, so I

think it's plus one right now something around there. So on the Bengal side, next forty seven bucks. On the taking the money money line with the Niners being the the dog nets you around fifty seven dollars. So you see the value right there in what you're getting. You're losing a couple of points, But what are the chances that game comes down to one point or one and a half or two points, you know what I mean?

I think there's more opportunity for that game to get blown out in either way based off how good those teams are. I don't know, that's just kind of kind of my take, but I feel really comfortable about the Niners. I think it is a high scoring game. I don't think it's what you saw last week. Where is Ene with a lot of issues and a lot of mis throws. I look at an Eagles run defense that just hasn't done well this year. You combine now Elijah Mitchell coming back,

it looks like McCaffrey will be healthy. Get a bit of a calff bruders. Both are day to day though both are day to day. But I think, um, I think the scheme means more than anything there. I think they'll have their holes, and then on the other side of it, I think it's just containing Jalen Hurts. Again, if you can contain that guy, I don't know if they will, and you'll see that in one of my one game parlays here. But I think that's the name

of the game. Because nine A shirt up the the back end really well between the corners and safeties there. I mean they came after dark, they played the position well. The two interceptions were pretty telling. Fred Warner has just proven I think he is the best middle linebacker in football. Just the way he's able to cover Ceedee Lamb or the way he's a being boxed. It's it's insane. Um. So yeah, Niner's money line Bengals minus one and half

of the single bets there um. I know, Olivia, we were talking a little bit on this text, but interested in your guys thoughts on both of those games from a half biased and half non biased perspective. I suppose Jerry's laughing because already with Greg Ross with Thal, I said I was taking the Bengals, so the Cats out of the bag literally. I still think there's a little reverse psychology there, I feel like, but we'll see, alright, no games. I'm a little more clear on the Bengals

than I am with the Niners Eagles games. I leaned Eagles. This might be just because of what I had to go through with that you know, beat down that the Eagles gave us. But you know, because I'm looking at those two bets that you want. Though it feels like the Bengals Niners from last week and now you're kind of on them again. I do like to, you know, to get with it if you're running hot. But I I lean Eagles just because I just I saw too much and I think those are the two best lines

offensive defensive in football. No disrespect your boy Bosa. I love Bosa. Just think all around. But we're here for some single game, one game parlay as I should say, because that's where we really get some some good odds. You laid out a good case for your single bets. Those are two and a half units each five total. You have five units left for both games, so I'm hoping you got this one game parlay for each and we're getting a little crazy here with some good odds.

So let's do it. First one, we're going a FC Championship plus twelve fifty on this one four legs, so you got Bengals minus one and a half. So again sticking with that momentum of where they're at verse healthwise. First, the Chiefs anytime touchdowns. I think Tee Higgins has proven to be constantly a guy who's find the end zone. Um, expect a little bit of more pressure on Jamaar Chase especially looked really good last week. Kelsey, just Travis Kelsey.

I think when they get to the red zone, he is the guy that's just going to find the targets. So both of those guys to be anytime touchdowns and then Mahomes under three twenty nine and a half, I think there's gonna be a lot more of a dump off mentality. I think they're gonna have to be a little bit tricky in terms of what they do. You can expect an extra guy coming in the box, especially

with that injury. They're gonna put pressure on him and force him to make some of those quicker throws, maybe find guys on the out routes, not looking for the deep ball that he's used to. I think he's just gonna have a lot of trouble with timing and obviously the injury. So um, I think he still gets his yards to fifty plus whatever it ends up being, but I think they limit him a bit and they're focused on just a little bit more trickery, making sure the

backs are a little bit more active in the game. Um, so that's plus twelve fifty, that's twenty five. So the two point five units to win three forty or three thirty nine. Big pay day. Again, not getting too crazy, not asking for too much, but really nice odds there for that for that Bengals game. I like all that too. The only thing I will not worry about it because I'm just looking at from what I saw last week.

If the Bengals don't put four guys on Travis Kelsey in the red zone, that would be the craziest thing. But if they do, they have so many other weapons it doesn't matter, no disrespect. I would rather to take my chances with Valdez Scantling or Cadarius Tony. Then then a wide open Kelsey was opened by yards like three three releases. Before this last week, Kelsey had a six game drought where he didn't score a touchdown. So I think that that great. Yeah, double him up. It doesn't matter.

They still were winning games and Kelsey doesn't need to score. I'm thinking too about again, I'm assuming the homes is pretty banged up and they're going to find some trick things to do. Like we've seen Kelsey in the Wildcat, I wouldn't be surprised if he rush is a touchdown in here a little I thought we were have seen the Pacheco, Yeah McKinnon or yeah. I just never know who's gonna get the damn ball. They're so low that you gotta go with the shore of fire things. No,

I do like it. And look, I've said many times when Kelsey's caught touchdowns, how is he? How are they letting him do that? He you know what's coming, but sometimes it's just so good you can't stop it. Uh, all right, let's shift over to the NFC where your heart lies. Let's hear what you got yep. So I'm sticking. I'm staying away for this one. With any spread er

money line. I'm taking a little bit more conservative route because I think there's a winnable bet here even without the game going which way over fourty six and a half, I think explosive offense on the eagle side, Niner is gonna have to keep up with them. They're not gonna be able to just win a dog fight game. It just doesn't to me. It doesn't seem like it can happen. They're hating gonna put up three points, so over forty six and a half there, and then the theme is

really around rushing here. So McCaffrey anytime touchdown, it looks like he's gonna be good to go. It's just a bruiser, should be fine. Hurts anytime touchdown and over forty four and a half yards, so they're gonna need to contain him. But what we saw with Dak last week, who's not the most mobile quarterback. Um, if if that's any indication of what's gonna happen this week with Jane Hurts. He will get fifty plus yards UM, and that's something they're

just gonna have to live with. They're gonna have to protect the longer threat. But he's going to get his chunks of yards. That's his game. That's why he's one or two for m v P this year, probably finished number two. But um, but he will hurt us. No pun intended, it's it's gonna happen, um. And then the last one is just one I've seen, and I've taken a couple of games throughout the course this latter half

of the year. Jowan Jennings, who's pretty much known as kind of their passing widers or their pass block or run block wide receiver. He always gets these small, little chunk yardage big place on third down. I expect a lot of pressure on Brock Purty, and I expect a lot of those dump offs to happen, those big clutch third downs fourteen and a half yards um. He is kind of a George Kittleish in terms of a security

blanket for Purty. He's always just running those quick five ten outs and is sure handed, so I think he gets a couple of those big chunk yardage in big plays. I don't know what they're gonna do with Deebo, and I you, Shanahan always has something cooking up his sleeve for a big game like this, so I didn't want to mess with taking debot receiving yards when next thing you know, he's out of the backfield or or something crazy. So, um, fourteen and a half yards, that's one play, that's two plays.

This guy has been super clutch for us as an on your fan for um those big third down especially to stretch fifteen yard big plays. Um, So I love that. And it's plus seven seventy five again the twenty five dollars that's to win two nineteen. So when one of these two we're in for a nice pay day and doubling up essentially what we have for the week. That's all right. Yeah, it's sad that we only have this

and one more. And I don't know, maybe we could uh start segue and it's an NBA, but I'm gonna I'm gonna miss the I'm gonna miss the Niners jersey. I mean, you literally dressed like Turtle from Season two Vontarage buddy, and I I say that with all due respect. I love it making smile. I wish I was able to put the Giants jersey on and cheer from my team this Sunday. We'll listen, Pete, good luck. It's been a wild ride. I'm glad we got at least one

more of these coming up. Good Luck to your niners, and good luck to all your bets, and good luck to everyone out there betting and uh, there's nothing left to do but play football, right. Thanks for joining us for another great week guys, and good luck with all your bets this weekend. M H.