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Welcome in What's Drip In the Great Episode two eighty five. A ton to do Today, A lot going on. Bill Belichick is the head coach of the North Carolina tar Heel football team. We are off a third straight winning week, well above five hundred in the Gambling Show eleven and four, the last three weeks, really feeling hitting our stride. Danny parkins Aragon ass you had a losing week, only one game behind him on the TV Picks, which had been
so Here's how we do the Gambling Show. Every Thursday morning, I pick my five bets for the weekend. Sometimes there's a Thursday night football game involved in those. There might be one this week and then by Friday afternoon, with more injury information, more weather information, more time to marinate.
Among those five, I pick my three favorite, and so the I'm fifty four percent ish on the five picks every week on this show, sixty one percent on the three picks that we do every Friday on First Things First. So that's going great a ton to do, so let's get right into it. Here's what missed the cut. The Bill's ownership group has added Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and oh my demons, I'm gonna send you do not read this text on the air, Okay, but I am
going to. You're gonna be able to tell from the initials who this text is too. And then read what I wrote, Read the very top what I wrote, I guess Sindra's screenshot, and then a couple replies later, here's why I might be getting involved in Obviously not the NFL, I don't have money like that, but with a sports ownership group. Might be being connected by dear friend. Again, I want to be a little cagey about it, but you saw that I got that response this morning. Now
I sent the initial inquiry. I looked, I think October thirty first, but it's a busy man. I was reaching out too. I got the response this morning to it doesn't matter. On the peloton working out is like I can connect you with the people, So that'd be that would be pretty sick, right, So we'll talk more about that. I apologize. I know that's annoying for the audience, but it'll hopefully there'll be a cool payoff in like six months.
We can play this cli and be like, hey, remember that thing I was talking about, Well, this is what it was. Also, Xavier Legett is getting shamed for eating raccoons. Listen, Xavier leget is country and I'm not country. However, especially on your side of the family, Demons, there's a lot of country and so the so I don't I I don't think that is what'd you say?
I said, I'm pretty sure I've had raccoon before. Like, way, wait you think so? Unless Grandaddy was lying to me, but well he.
Might have been lying to you. I don't know, but dies, but certainly your bloodline has like there's like that. We don't have to go far into the generational background possible. I think it's right. I think it's on the board. I maybe your mother, certainly your grandparents, and so I mean, listen, if you're southern per like the Southern country folks, you're gonna eat. You know, Shannon talks about this all the time, like, so, I actually don't find that as odd as other people
find it. And Aaron Rodgers some stupid alien thing. I don't really care about it. All right, let's get to the shocking news. And before we even get to it, I want to shout out Ali Connolly and Inside Carolina dot Com, who had this story nuts to Bolts days ahead of everyone. And I was a little annoyed yesterday because they had it a week ago that it was happening.
They had it yesterday early in the day that it was oli two days ago, had you know, about the Bible and all of this, And then Schefter and Chris Lowe kind of parachute in and are like, oh, breaking news, things done. And I was like, these guys, these guys beat everyone on this story. And credit to them for beating everyone on this story. All right. The only reason I even really know who Ali Connelly is is we were asked last week about podcasts I listened to, and
I said NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Ali Connolly, who I think is a British dude, has co hosted that show with Greg before, so I knew who he was. But regardless, all right, go ahead and give us the news and then we'll discuss.
Yeah, so Belichick's head to you n C. I'm not going to take the bait on that. But do you think that there's any case where this turns out to be a good move?
Oh? Yeah, I mean I think that if he gets to North Carolina the college football player, it greatly enhances his legacy. And I think that's on the board the I mean this year, two teams from the ACC made the College Football Playoff in Clemson and SMU. And so college football's change now where it's no longer like championship or bust. It's really or BCS Bowl or bust. It's like, hey, can I make the twelve team playoff? Like Colorado had an awesome year, but had they made the playoff, it
would have felt like they won a championship. That would have been their championship really, and so I think Belichick probably looked at what Prime did at Colorado and was like that was the worst team in college football, the worst,
and he got him playoff adjacent in two years. North Carolina won six games this year, they had the number three pick of the draft year like they had Drake May went there, like, so they're not a blue blood football program, like they're a basketball program, but they're not the dregs. They're not Rutgers when Schiano took over. So
I don't think it's a guaranteed disaster. I do think this Seth Wickersham article, and Seth is great, that involves massive spin zone from Belichick's people is ludicrous, So people should check out Seth Wickersham's article where he quotes a source close to Bill Belichick, who, again, this is rude of me, but I don't really care, and I used to actually do a podcast with this guy ages ago.
But I would bet any amount of money that's sourced close to Bill Belichick is Michael Lombardi, who's never met a microphone he doesn't like and is now gonna be Belichick's GM at North Carolina. The sore close said that Bill is quote disgusted with what the NFL had become,
and this is a big f you to the NFL. Okay, now we have to be honest and fair about what actually transpired here, and what transpired here is Belichick, after being left out in the cold for a hiring cycle, appears to have done the old high school maybe even junior high move, which is, hey, did you hear Sarah's gonna break up with you at lunch? And then you go find her in third period, like I break up with you. Oh no, no, no, I'm gonna move like that, like you didn't break up with me. I broke up
with you. It's like no, but I was going no, no, no, I broke up with you. I'm dumbing you, I'm leaving. I don't like you. I think Bill Belichick had on pretty good authority. The NFL was gonna pass on him again, and by the way, I think that's a mistake. I think there are teams out there that would have done well to hire Bill Belichick. I don't think that he's I don't think every If I were the Bears, I wouldn't hire Belichick because I want a coach who can
grow with Caleb for a decade, you know. So it's not a perfect fit everywhere, but if I were the Cowboys, I'd hire Belichick. They you know, a team that's already built that you know, has the quarterback in place, like so there are I think it's a mistake that no team wanted him, But I think it's very clear no team wanted him, and if any team wanted him, they only wanted him just as the coach. And no matter what Bill said and that those Falcons interviews, I he
clearly is prioritizing being the czar of everything. And at North Carolina he's going to get to and he's just getting the band back together. He's bringing Mike Lombardi back. I assume Josh McDaniels could be involved, and he is going to be the grand Puba of all things football. And that's that's what's gonna happen here. And so it is a stunning and shocking turn of events. In that last year, we were discussing demons. Should the Eagles fire Sirianni just to be able to hire Belichick? And the
Eagles were discussing that. Ownership was discussing that, and the we talked about if the Bills collapsed, should they fire Sean McDermott in order to be hired in order to hire Bill Belichick, and now he is taking the North Carolina job in order to I think, make sure he has a landing spot. One other piece on this before we get to the blackballing stuff. I know they just erased it, but I actually want you to ask me
about that. But before we get to that, the idea that, oh Belichick always wanted to go back to college, folks, if he always wanted to go back to college, Alabama was open a year ago, his good friend Nick Saban was leaving. They didn't have a succession in place. That's why they went and got Calen de boor the idea that he wouldn't have just decided, Okay, I'm going to go to college and I'll just take over for my buddy Nick Saban. I think that's I think that's foolishness.
But go ahead and ask me about the blackballing is too strong, but about that and we'll.
Get Yeah, you said that the NFL, but I consider not giving Belichick a job again. But like, there's gonna be teams like the Giants, the Giants, the Raiders and obviously owned by Tom Brady. Why do you think that he would not be able to get a job with you.
So I so I think that I really do wonder how much poison was spit in other owner's ears by Robert Craft, and I think that really damaged Bill. We know that Bill interviewed for one job last year, the Falcons job, and it would appear from the reporting I've read that Robert Craft kind of went out of his way to screw him on that that Robert Craft twice talked to Oh, what's the Falcons owner's name? Dude who owns Arthur Blank? Arthur twice talked to Arthur Blank and
did not give rave reviews. Sidebar shout out Arthur Blank origin story when home Depot was first opening, in order to get customers are their Blanks stood in the parking lot with tons and tons of one dollar bills and would tell people, I'll give you a dollar if you just walk in my store just to see what it's like. I like those stories. That guy's like, I got a good product I gotta get I gotta get asses in the door. I'll just hand you. I'll just give you money.
I have like I always in my brain, I separate owners into two groups. Built a business, got rich and inherited team from Dad, and I always assume like different levels of sophistication based on that. So like Robert Kraft built a business good for him. And again the guys who inherit, you know, inherited team from Dad, they might be sharp as well, but I don't assume it. Shod CON's origin story is one of my favorite. Shod Con
worked for a company. No shod Con. Shot Con worked for a company that made bumpers like things on your car and went to the boss was like, hey, better way to do this. I figured it out on my own time, and the boss was like, shut up, get back to work. So he quit, started his own bumper company with his own idea, and now he makes all the bumpers like if you got if you have like a Toyota or Honda or something that his shotgun does it.
So I'm like, oh, that's super cool. So like, uh all right, now back to Sorry that was a sidebar. I just find it interesting. The So I do wonder how much Craft hurt Belichick in this, because Craft, clearly we know from that Patriots doc Angry with Bill Kraft thinks pretty clearly that on the Patriot Dynasty movie poster, Tom Brady is the first name listed, but the second is his and not Bills that Robert Kraft and I
don't buy that at all. Uh. And so I Bill was going to it would appear get shut out of this coaching search. So why the Giants thing? I think he's nervous that the Giants might not be making a head coaching change, and if they do, that is pardon me, full on rebuild like from the Studs the Raiders thing. I don't you know, I don't know that he was confident Tom would say let's hire him, or maybe it was that he didn't want to work for Tom, or
maybe I don't I don't know. I don't know. There that's an odd dynamic that I don't really even want to speculate on. Also, it should be noted right that'd be brutal. That be brutal. And again I don't know their relationship, but if it's at all in question, could you imagine like you were this guy's if you're Belichick, you were Brady's boss for twenty years and then he gets to interview you and kind of rake you over the coals and then be like ah, denied, Like I mean,
that doesn't sound pleasant and so. And also, by the way, he should be noted Tom owns five percent of the Raiders, So I maybe the Raiders are like, hey, you know, give us all the input you have. And maybe the Raiders are like, okay, we'll take your suggestion. But he obviously doesn't have full control unless they just want him to have it. So it might just be Al Davis's kid,
Mark Davis, you know who's making that decision. And maybe and by the way, maybe the Raiders are gonna keep Antonio Pierce, Like I'm pre firing Antonio Pearce in my head, but he could keep the job. So Bill clearly didn't think he was getting a job. And I think that is I think that's really really fascinating. All right, let's go to some of these follow ups.
Demanse Uh, So you were saying that Andy Reid comes out a winner and all this howl. So is he just running himself into the ground.
No, I mean, I Andy Reid's gonna end up with the wins record. So the wins record right now, Shula is at three forty seven, Belichick's at three point thirty three and never moving past that, Like that's locked, that's done. Andy's at two ninety six and that's playoffs and regular season combined, so he'll be at around three hundred at the end of this year. Is he gonna coach at least three more years?
Will?
He just signed a five year, one hundred million dollar new deal. He averages fifteen combined win year as since Mahomes has been there. So he'll run Belichick down in a little over maybe just two years or a little over two years. And he could run Shula down in a little over three years. And when we're talking greatest coach of all time, Shula currently has two things really in his favor, more wins undefeated season. Andy, I think, is going to have in his favor the most wins
ever and first ever three peat. Right, Belichick's gonna have in his favor the six rings, which could be tough for Andy to catch. But Andy after this year might be at four with a three peat. And it's just the point that I was trying to make on TV was this. I think that right now, if you were to ask family feud style one hundred NFL fans, who's the greatest football NFL coach ever? I think Bill Belichick gets more than ninety of the votes. I think it's
almost a unanimously held opinion. But if Andy runs him down and wins and or pulls off the three peat, and then you do have the dichotomy of Bill eleven seasons without Tom Brady, eight losing seasons. Andy, like what, I think it's fifteen seasons, No way more than that, sixteen seventeen seasons without Patrick, three losing seasons, a Super Bowl appearance, what had a double digit win season one a division with four different quarterbacks. It starts to at
least become a discussion. So that's the Andy Reid piece of it. So all right, let's keep going with these other go ahead.
Yeah, So you had said something about Belichick having the potential to have that Dion Colorado type of effect on the team. But obviously Belichick is much cooler. He came in with his kids. I don't think he's Oh, do you think he's gonna Dion's much? Do you think Belichick is going to be as attractive as an attractive pool to like other seventeen year olds.
So not in the same way. And again it might not work at all, But I do think that I don't want to close the door to the possibility that a very certain personality, type of young person, especially someone that is laser focused on making the NFL, might find Belichick super attractive. And I think that's what they're gonna sell. I think what they're gonna sell is we are going to prepare you for professional football. Now hard at hard nosed coaching. It's very very tough to swallow if you
can't also sell. And at the end of the year, we get to have a parade and we win the you know, so like in New England, everyone knew who was gonna be hard. Everyone knew it wasn't a ton of fun, but they did the most winning. Saving at Alabama, everyone knew who was gonna be hard. Everyone knew that he was a you know, kind of a pain in the ass, but they did the most winning. If you and c is seven and five, that's a tougher sell. Now you might say Dion was able to sustain, you know,
not a great first year at Colorado at all. I think people look at Colorado as this is gonna be
insanely fun. We're we're you know what I mean, We're having a party where celebrities were also working hard and the other here's the other thing, and I have massive respect for what Dion's done, but what supercharged the Colorado rebuild was that Dion's son is the best quarterback in college football and that Travis Hunter came with him, the best player in college football, like Belichick's son is going to be a coordinator on the team, not playing quarterback.
So that is like, you know, that's a Colorado I believe in what Dion's done, and I undersold what they were going to be able to do this year, but it would have been a much more gradual build if Shador wasn't this superstar player. All right, Oh, this next question.
Is an interest, So yeah, the three peats matter and overall greatness.
In guys just trying to make this uh a Michael Jordan Lebron thing is the reason they put that in. But there is doing something no one's ever done in the history of the sport matters. So like nobody's ever done a three peet in the NFL. And I'm not taking the bait David Jordan Lebron debate here. I am interested in the bell the question above that demons in the rundown that they just highlighted that one I think is fascinating.
Any chance Belichick could pull Jets resignation two point oh move if the Giants offered him a job.
I mean, that would be so unbelievable. I can't put it at zero, but I will put it very very close to zero. So you don't you're not familiar with what they're referencing. So Bill, here was Bill Belichick's coaching history, because if you go to Bill Belichick's Wikipedia page, I think it will have listed head coach of the New York Jets. But you'll be like, wait, he was, and
the answer is not really. So Bill Belichick was with Bill Parcells with the Giants, won a couple Super Bowls, designed a game plan that shut down one of the greatest offenses ever the Buffalo Bills, and then in the Super Bowl, and then went on to be the Browns head coach. Okay, after he left the Browns to be the head coach, he got back with Parcells in New England, which is where Parcells was for one year. Parcells then left New England to be the head coach of the Jets. Okay,
Parcells then resigns from the Jets. They named Bill Belichick the head coach, and Belichick when he's on his way into the introductory press conference for him to be the head coach of the Jets, writes down on a napkin, I Bill Belichick hereby resign as head coach of the New York Jets, and at the introductory press conference says, I'm actually quitting and winning to New England to become
their head coach, their rival. That's how it happened. So that's so the it's one of the most unbelievable videos you'll ever see him at the press conference, and the reporters like what and so the so, because that's in the repertoire. And keep in mind when he did that demands he was not this legend Bill Belichick. He had been a one time fired head coach, and he.
Just believed he could do it.
It's legendary. And then he went to their rival, New England, and then, you know, a year and a few games into his tenure there, Drew Bloodsoe gets hurt. Tom Brady comes in and the rest is NFL history. But now, yeah, now he's gonna run the show at North Carolina. All Right, I think that covers all the Belichick stuff. We'll probably we'll talk more about it with me Jeanie on the
show today. Manginie and I honestly should feel a little snubbed because eight years ago there was a little listen to three person podcast called the Make Me Smarter NFL Podcast and it was me, Eric, Manginie, and Michael Lombardi. And Michael Lombardi now gets to be the GM of North Carolina football and Eric and I don't as much get a phone call today. I can't be your your nil CAF expert. You don't call Eric to CEV wants to run the defense. I mean kind of shitty if
you ask me. But whatever, all right, let's talk some Let's talk some of the games this weekend.
So, yeah, we've seen late season had to have matchups have a heavy thing to do with the MVP award. Last year was Lamar Jackson. He took Perty and McCaffrey out of their running with that win late in the season. So a similar situation is coming up with Golf and Allen. So if you think that you know Golf and the Lions will win the game, wouldn't it be smart to bet Golf at MVP. His odds are at plus one thousand.
So this is a point I've been trying to make for the last two weeks, and I've been making it while holding, you know, two plastic tiny hands on television, so understandably people have kind of missed it. But I think Jared Goff is super live for MVP for this exact reason that I thought Allan was going to lose to the Rams, and I think they're going to lose to the Lions and have all So, Allan's had some record breaking performances, but his overall numbers are not like
unbelievable the way Lamar's are or Joe Burrows are. To be honest, it's more of like he's been the story of the season, but it's hard to be the story of the season if the Bills end up being the
three seed in the AFC, behind the Chiefs and the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Lions just keep winning, and now we're gonna get a game with Nanson Romo on the call in Detroit, where if Detroit wins and Goff's numbers have been great and they get to thirteen and one, I think people are gonna be like, hey, why aren't we giving Jared Goff more MVP love. So I listen, I don't think Jared Goff's the MVP of that team. I think he's played really well, but I think we get a little
too fascinated by the quarterbacks. Like the running game, the offensive lines the MVP of the team, but the I absolutely think narratively demanse Golf takes a huge leap this weekend, and I think Josh if he loses too in a row, even though he was awesome obviously in the game against the Rams, the quarterbacks wins, folks are going to start to poke at his case.
And so that's that's where if Josh Allen wins, so the winner of this game, you're basically saying it's probably an MVP.
Well, I don't want to dismiss Saquan, but the other side is correct. If Josh wins this game and it's like, Okay, they lost to the Rams, but they scored forty two points, they then go beat a Lions team that hasn't lost since Week two on the longest winning streak in the league, it would put Josh in great, great MVP position. That that part is definitively true. All right, let's get to the next game.
So, yeah, last year you're riding on the Eagles high and so they all fell apart at the end of the season there and now it seems that there are some things going on inside of the locker room. Do you think that a lost by your Eagles to the to the Steelers this weekend will put you in dire straits?
Well, I don't know that they can. I don't know that they have the organizational leadership to sustain a bad game this weekend. I think that they have. They would have if they didn't set a fire then poor Kerosene on it then add other stuff to it to make it just an inferno. And now you've got Kellen Moore the OC having a press conference just telling the world, yes, we are going to try to get aj Brown more involved. That is a high priority. Like, guys, your running back
Mike is the other guy who can win MVP. You started one and two, you're now eleven and two. Nothing's wrong and now big picture. Bamani tweeted this and he was right, and it sounded mean, and I don't think Demands is gonna like it, which is why I said why I'm putting it on Bomani as the tweeter because he well, he was, which is ultimately every team Jalen Hurts has ever been on since Channelview High School has found itself limited by his passing. And that's just true.
It's why Alabama went to TUA of Oklahoma got the most out of him, but it was part of the reason they got rocked by LSU in the playoff. And Philly finds itself there right now. Jalen Hurts is a really good player whose biggest weakness as a player is his pure passing ability, and it's frustrating his receivers. But the receivers, I feel, made a massive error by not
letting that stay in house. And Brandon Graham made an error by making it clear also by the way, yeah, Jalen and Brandon, I'm sorry, Jalen and aj don't get you know, they're not friends anymore, like huh? And that also shed light on so what did happen to Philly at the end of last year? Oh?
Was it? That?
Was it? That the best player on your offense and the quarterback who had been super tight worn anymore? So? I just I think the Eagles defense has improved enough. Saquan's playing well enough, they have a great offensive line, they have so many components of an awesome team. They should be able to sustain this, especially against the Steelers team that isn't gonna have George Pickens this weekend. But I'd be nervous if I were a Philly fan.
There's no the least problematic guy on the team except for this.
It's Sirianni's job to to premit sometuthing like this from happening. Howie Roseman picks the players, Vic Fangio calls the defense, Kellen Moore calls the offense. Sirianni's job is game management, not great and vibes not great. So I mean, like, I mean, that just is the truth of it. All right, let's go to the next one.
All right. So we talked about the Rams a bunch on Tuesday, so we're gonna focus on the forty nine ers here. So at the beginning of the season, everybody was saying, you know, the forty nine Ers are supposed to come out of the the NFC on top that one seedon but if they.
Live, the favorite to win the Super Bowl, favorite over the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl the beginning of the.
Year, Yeah, So I mean, if they lose tonight, the season's probably over, but we don't talk about them like we talk about the Jets, the Cowboys and the Bengals. Why is that? Yep?
So it's an interesting Now. The Jets are almost a different story because it's been so cartoonish and they only have three wins and they just keep blowing games, and Roger like, that's been just a disaster. I think people want to give the forty nine ers a pass because of the injuries. Uh, and so I look at I look at those four teams all differently. So let's just deal with the meat before we get to the gambling show. The Jets were never going to be this contender people
thought they were going to be. They had a bad coaching situation, an aging enigmatic to use the Netflix word, quarterback, overrated talent on offense, a mediocre offensive line. So there's the Jets. They shouldn't be three and ten, but they were never going to be ten and three. Set them aside. The Cowboys. You saw the writing on the wall coming this offseason when they didn't. Now, not to this level, and I picked them to win the division, So I
you know, I got it wrong. But now when we look back, it's like Oh, they said they were all in. They didn't do any and free agency they let all these contract situations drag out. Then the quarterback tears his hamstring, and it's like, oh, okay, Micah got hurt and missed time, DeMarcus Lawrence missed a ton of time. Quarterback tears his hamstring. That's how it happens the Bengals, It's very very clear
what's going on there. Oh, the defense is just unplayably, unwinnably bad, and we normally want to put it on the stars, the quarterback or whomever. But the quarterback's playing great, Jamar's playing great, and the defense just keeps blowing games for them. Now. The Bengals, to me, is as disappointing as any team in the league because this is likely your last year with Chase and Higgins. Burrows bounced back from the wrist injury and been unbelievable, and you're gonna
miss the playoffs. The Niners, it's just been like a slow bleed. They're like Harvey Kite Tellent, not Harvey Kite tell the guy. Harvey Kite tell is uh is trying to make feel better in boon, not boom. Gosh darn it. I'm gonna get this whole thing wrong in Boondocks? Is it boon Dock Saints? What's the movie? It's not Boondock Saints? What the great? Hold on? Hold on? I'm gonna there's gonna bother me. What's the amazing Quentin Tarantino movie? Uh? Where Harvey Kye? Tell? Uh no? No dogs? Hold on
the Reservoir Dogs? Thank you? The the Irish guy in Reservoir Dogs. Who's just who's actually the undercover cop? Who the whole movie is just slowly bleeding to death? That's the Niners this season. It's like just a slow dramatic death. Uh. And there's at any given moment it's like, oh, could they be all right in the answer is no, And you can't be like, oh, well, Purdy just totally went pumpkin mode. Perty's been fine. He hasn't been good or great,
but he hasn't been bad. He's been fine. And at various times you're like, oh, they'll be okay they lose to the Chiefs. When they win their next two, and then that three game losing streak that they just went through getting rolled by the Packers and the Bills, you're like, oh, their season's over. But then they crush the Bears, and because they're only six and seven and they're not four and nine or five and eight, they feel more alive
than they actually are. The other reason the Niners, in my opinion, you are getting something of a pass is nineteen twenty twenty one, twenty two, twenty three. Those five years when four of the five years you're in the conference championship game, two of the five years you lose a Super Bowl to a dynasty, It's like, Okay, you were due for a down year. The reason this down years devastating for them is they're about to have to go into a bit of a reboot. You gonna it
seems like they're gonna pay party. I wouldn't. They're going to Kittle is awesome, but getting older. Trent Williams is banged up, and old Deebo is unhappy and not as good. Auk blew out his knee. McCaffrey, it's a lost season. He's old for a running back, and it's like, Oh, this team's gonna look way, you know, so much more different. Uh next season. So I don't know. So I don't know if that's the answer, but that's my diagnosis, Go ahead, demanse.
On the Bengals, Why is no, I don't know if we've talked on it at all. Why is that nobody calling for the decoordinator's job. Well, everybody's blaming on.
No. I mean the real reason is because that guy had earned so much credit for overachieving defensively with them. And like, I know, people get annoyed with me saying this, but everyone associated with the Bengals has gotten more credit for beating the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Then the Rams crew got for two weeks later beating the
Bengals in the Super Bowl. And when you that lou An Arumo, the decordinator there beat Mahomes and you know, kind of tricked him into the worst half of football of his entire career. Then the next year in the AFC Championship Game had the Chiefs on the ropes again. And even this year, it's like, oh man, like they gave the Chiefs trouble. So because of that they have earned so much credit and equity. But yeah, in any other spot, the decordinator wouldn't have made it through the year.
And I think there there's a good chance they bring him back next year. But it is a fascinating like that twenty twenty one playoff run of in three straight weeks of Bill's Chiefs thirteen second game, then Chiefs Bengals AFC Championship Game, then Rams Bengals Super Bowl. If we are discussing like legend and credit and who earned the most that playoff run, honestly, it would go the biggest winner was Josh Allen and the way we looked at him after that because of how amazing he was in
that game and them almost beating the Chiefs. The second biggest winner was Joe Burrow and the Bengals for actually beating the Chiefs, and the bronze battlest was then Matt Stafford and the Rams who won the Super Bowl. Like and so it's just like, yeah, of course it should be.
And so it's just like a it's a really facet but it is because and again people get annoyed with me saying this because I'm a Chiefs fan, But the all of the NFL storylines right now, just like during the Patriots run, they rotate on the axis of Kansas City, meaning can you beat the Chiefs in the playoffs? Have you you know, how do you play against the Chiefs regularly? Your quarterback is having this type of year? Is but yeah, is he can he be as good as Mahomes like?
All the NFL storylines rotate around the Chiefs, which is what happens when you're the team in the midst of a dynasty. All right, right, hot gambling show, we give you our picks. Next, what's up? Welcome back in What's right with ni? Great time Now for the week fifteen? Ah, that almost makes you sad. Gambling show. Last week another week in the Green we can show you the picks. Green Bay getting three and a half at Detroit. They cover. They don't win, but they cover on Thursday night. But
that's why that half point matters. The Giants getting four and a half against New Orleans. They don't win, but they cover. I told you guys, that was too many points. They lose fourteen eleven in that game, have a field goal blocked at the end. What's up doing today?
Oh? Yeah, no, I thought I heard something. I misheard it. But yeah, sorry that that happened.
No, No, you're good, do worry it. The I was nervous watching Giants Saints because I'm like, oh no, if the Giants make the field goal, we can go to overtime and lose by six. But they're the Giants, so they get it blocked. Tennessee minus three and a half against Jacksonville. That was a shameful loss by the Titans.
They're up three to nothing, have third and goal from inside the one, up three nothing, playing the Jags third and goal inside the run, they go pass, pass, and it's just awful and so and then late in the game when they had a chance to steal the win, I still wouldn't have covered. They just Calvin Ridley just runs out of bounds on third and five instead of getting the first down. They lose. The Rams plus four and a half against Buffalo, never a doubt there. They
were covering basically the entire game. And the Chiefs minus three and a half against the Chargers tough one, up thirteen to nothing, and then they go and Andy Reid's shutdown mode and end up needing a field goal at the end to win. So I don't get my cover, but three and two, and of course anytime touchdown Genie Cash, Josh Jacobs minus one point fifty me and Danny gave that to you, all right, first game of the week is the Thursday night game.
Go ahead, you got the Rams plus three at San Francisco.
Yeah, so this I think the Rams are on a mission right now and recognize they control their own playoff destiny. When they're rolling, they are as dangerous as any team in that conference. The Niners are not nearly as good as they looked last week. They also are not going to have Trent Williams again this week, so that's a problem. They're not gonna have another offensive lineman, Ben BArch that's
a problem. They're not gonna have their safety Mustafa, who's you know, the guy who plays One of the reasons we've seen so much Rams because Hufanga's out. It has been out. They might they probably all have Bosa, but they might not have Bosa. Their third string running back isaat Grendo, they might not have him. Meanwhile, the Rams, the only guys who are we know are not playing or Kobe Durant and Tyler Higbee. It's a short week. They're the better team. They need the game. I'm getting points.
I don't mind the LA to San Francisco travel, So I like the Rams plus three. Brock Perties only covered one of his last eight games against teams over five hundred and so I like the Rams in this spot. Your thoughts, Demanse, I.
Love that pick. I think the Rams are gonna get him tonight. I think they're gonna get them.
Yeah, I mean I might put a little bit on the Rams on the money line, but I certainly like him plus three.
All right, Next, you got Carolina minus two and a half versus Dallas. Look at that, all right?
The first time Carolina's been a favorite in thirty four games. It's the first time Bryce has been a favorite since Alabama. I think last week's loss ended the Cowboys. I think the way it de facto eliminated from the playoffs, even though they were already really eliminated, they were it was like, well, if we went out, we're alive. So I think that kills them. I think that Overshawn injury is devastating emotionally and actually because he's one of their best players. Obviously,
Micah did you know, struggled with that loss massively. Carolina, on the other hand, after beating the Saints and the Giants, played the Chiefs to a field goal at the gun, play the Bucks to overtime, and played the Eagles as close as you can play a team when you lose by six, had a you know, a perfect play touchdown to go up one with forty seconds left that was dropped. Carolina feels great after their loss. Dallas feels devastated, and I do wonder if the Cowboys pack it in a bit.
You then add to the fact that this is one of the rare spots where if you're Carolina, you're like, we definitively have the better quarterback in this game, and so Vegas finally had to adjust. Carolina had covered five straight and this line opened Carolina by one and a half and has just moved in their favor. But I think Carolina is gonna win. I obviously i'd like it more at one and a half than two and a half, and it might get up to three by kickoff. But
I think Dallas is for the season. I think Carolina has been this close to winning and I think they break through this week. I like Carolina minus the two and a half. I think they're better than the Cowboys right.
Now, first time they've been favored in thirty four games. Though I sketchy back now, but yeah, Cooper Rush is not good, all right?
This one is gonna shock America.
Yeah, so just a nasty game. You got the Jets finus three at Jacksonville.
Betting on the Jets the first time in Rogers' tenure that I'm taking the Jets in Knicks picks and I'm laying points. And the reason for that is the Jags right now, I know they won this past week. I truly believe they're the worst team in the league. I also think, as bad as right as I've been about the Jets, they're not three and fourteen bad. They might be five and twelve bad, but they're not three and fourteen We might get the number two pick of the
draft bad. I don't think the Jets are going to mail anything in because I think Aaron is still trying to prove he deserves a job somewhere next year. So the Jets had the Dolphins beat and found a way to blow that game. I think the Jets actually get a fairly easy victory this week so that I would lay I'd lay four in this game if I had to. I honestly think this is a twenty four to nine type of victory for the New York Jets and they break their God, what losing streak. Are they on six games,
seven game losing streak, whatever it is, it's mortifying. The four game losing streak, pardon me, they were two and one, so they've lost nine of ten and four in a row. I think that the Jets they have too many. Garrett Wilson's trying to prove he deserves a new contract. Aaron's trying to prove he deserves this place in this league next year. Jeff Ulbrich's trying to prove he at least can be a decordinator somewhere again, because he's not gonna
be a head coach. The Jags, meanwhile, are playing out the string with Mac Jones as the quarterback. I no one has been more down on the Jets than me this year. I'm three and one when I pick against them in Knicks Picks. This is my first time picking on them in Knicks Picks. I'll take the Jets minus three.
Yep. I can't say that I love it. I would never bet on the Jets.
Listen, I would never bet on the Jets. Is a winning gambling flow, I under but this is the rare time that I'm going with it.
All right, Next, you've got Tampa Bay plus three at the Chargers.
Yeah, I just think that Tampa's better than the Chargers and the Chargers this year, at some point they're gonna have to beat a team that has a pulse. I brought this up before, I'll bring it up again. Their their best win to me was the Bengals win, but we then saw the Cowboys almost beat the Bengals. They did beat the Broncos, but that was early bo Knicks when he was really struggling. There are other wins Raiders, Panthers in Week two that got Bryce benched, Saints, Brown's, Titans, Falcons,
and the Falcons game they tried to lose. The Chargers have not looked good the last three weeks. The Ravens cracked them. They the Falcons gave that game away with the four Kirk Cousins picks, and they obviously just lost to the Chiefs. The Bucks, on the other hand, need every game. They've won three in a row now. They didn't look overly impressive in that Raider game, but that Chargers offense right now is really struggling, and Tampa knows
if they can win this game. They then go Cowboys, Panther, Saints to end the year and they're going to win the division. They lose this game and Atlanta can retake control of the division, so all of that is at The Chargers, meanwhile, are in kind of an odd now that they lost to the Chiefs and the pipe dream of winning the division is over. They're in an odd motivational space where they need to win one more game the rest of the year to lock up a playoff spot.
And after the Bucks game it's Broncos then Patriots Raiders. So the Chargers can't win the division, basically can't fall out of the wild card. They just came off an emotionally devastating defeat to Kansas City. I don't love how they're playing. All the Chargers love playing close games, so laying three points or getting three points is valuable to me anyway. And I like how Baker's been playing, even
though he is turning the ball over all. Take Tampa going east coast to West, which you know I don't love, but going east coast to West Tampa getting three I just think they can win. And three points is too many points, all right?
Last year show you got Detroit minus two and a half versus Buffalo.
Yeah, I mean this this line should be four. Buffalo's listen, Buffalo's excellent, but de Troit's better than Buffalo right now and they're at home, so like if they are equivalent teams, it's two and a half. And I think that Detroit is going to be able to run the ball on Buffalo. I also think that teams that have multiple quality receivers can really punish the Bill's secondary. But against Detroit, you have to you have to stop the run first and foremost.
So I think if they dedicate those guys to the run, I think golf can cook a bit and if they decide to play too high, they'll just run all over you. And so I think Buffalo's really good. But I think Detroit wins this game thirty to twenty four something like that. And that, you know, there is also for me personally, Buffalo losing this game is the ideal because then the Chiefs all but lock up the one seed. But that's a you know, so that's why I'm rooting for Detroit.
But I'm picking Detroit because I think that this line should be three and a half instead of two and a half. That obviously that three is the most key number imaginable in this matchup, so I'll take Detroit minus the two and a half. I think Golf plays really well and gets himself firmly in the MVP top of the MVP conversation. All right, so let's get to the recap of the picks. My five picks this week, they're
all three or two and a half. The Rams catching three tonight at San Francisco, Carolina, laying two and a half at home against Dallas, the Jets laying three on the road against Jacksonville, Tampa getting three at the Chargers, and Detroit laying two and a half at home in one of the games of the week, one of the games of the year at home against Buffalo. All Right, Demons, let's get to your teaser. Last week didn't.
Go for you. Not a good teaser. I'm sorry for those that trailed me there. But I do think that against I was talking to the producers, I think Caleb Williams and that Bears team just I kind of look at it as a as a rookie team, and if they're playing anybody that has the potential to be an actual team, I don't think ten points is they can just get that need to be more exactly. That needed
to be more like fourteen. I mean, they lost by more than fourteen, but that would have been I feel like the smarter.
You have Carolina getting twenty. I mean that was they damn near won the game. But then she, yeah, getting eleven. So this week, I don't know what it is, but you're going back to the three team, well three team.
Or yeah we're told, yeah, we're yeah, we're at plus odds this week it's a three teams seven and a half. I do love the seven and a half. I gotta say Cleveland plus twelve versus Kansas City. We got Cincinnati plus three at Tennessee, and we're teasing the Giants up to twenty four against Baltimore. All right, the Giants, You're an NFL team to twenty four point spread, Come on, guys.
And then Cincinnati obviously is playing for their life right now, and it's the Titans and the Chiefs don't beat anybody by more than four to five points. So that's I'm feeling good. And honestly, I did think about Kansas City, like with the state that they're in right now, it's you know, I don't want to say that they're taking
their foot off the gas. But what if you know, what if something what if something weird happens, and this is the time that they you know, they blow somebody out in like a I don't know, but it's Cleveland. I trust. I trust Cleveland to cover a twelve point spread against the Chiefs. I trust anybody to cover a twelve point spread against the Chiefs.
Okay, I don't mind the part of it. Yeah, I gotta tell you, I hate every other piece.
Of this, every other piece. I really Bengals plus three against the Titans.
All right, so you have been twenty four, not crossing zero. That's first of all, so you you were unable to do that with Cincinnati, and Cincinnati's defense like they're they're liable to lose to anybody. I understand what you're saying. I get it, but I don't love it. And then the Giants, I.
I, you're covering the int you start off with twenty four points.
Now, I understand what the Ravens. The Ravens twice again, they're pissed, they're coming off of Bye, they're angry, and the Giants are hilariously bad like the and the Ravens twice this year have beaten teams by more than twenty four, and it was the bill shot in the Broncos Like, I don't like this one.
I don't the Giant. The Giants just covered for the lad I don't know who they are. Last week the Giants has covered for me. I think there were plus four and a half.
Yeah against against the Saints. Yeah, I had that bad to you. I understand that, but yes I did. Playing Darren Rizzy and the Saints. I listen the greade I'm getting, Okay, I hope you win. I hope you win, but I don't With the Chiefs game, you're not getting the key numbers sends it out of You're crossing the zero and you're teasing the worst team in the league. Vegas thinks they they're gonna lose by seventeen, and you're like, but they can't lose by twenty four. I just don't love it.
I'm telling you right now, I'd love to love it, but I don't love it. If I'm gonna tease the Giants Ravens game, I'm teasing it otherwise.
Down to nine, you know how the Ravens and let let teams back into it. It is the Giants.
It's the Giants. I don't know, man, I just I can't. I can't do it. All right, what's the offer this week?
Um? Yeah, So this offer that comes from the game of the week between the Bills and the Lions. Both teams are top five and interceptions right now, and the Bills are top three and fumble recoveries. So with the MVP on the line, can we see the throwback? That's it?
This week?
The offer is Detroit Buffalo game to have over two and a half turnovers at plus one twenty?
Do you like Detroit Buffalo game to have over two and a half turnovers at plus one twenty? I gotta turn it down.
The best like plus seven three turnovers?
No, I mean plus seven hundred we'd obviously take, but I think it's got to be closer to like two to one. So I get it that golf, you know, the golf stripsack or golf, but golfs aside from the five interception, game has been pretty good. Taking care of the football, Josh Allen's been good. Now, I actually think it's going to be a well played game. I sadly have to turn down the offer. All right, quick break, come back answer some listener questions, then get out of here.
What's right?
All right? Welcome back in What's right with Nick? Right demonse the listener Curtis It said, he knows what teams I'm picking face off in the Super Bowl? Who are you picking right now this moment to face off in the Super Bowl.
I've got to be loyal and say Ravens Ravens Detroit. I initially said that it was going to be Chiefs Eagles again, but with the stuff that's going on with the Eagles right now, I don't know I think that, but I'd go Lions. I'd go Lions Chiefs for being real.
Right, if you had to actually put money on it, you'd go Lions Chiefs, which I understand. That makes sense. All right, you can now go back to I'm sorry, I was for you. I wanted to ask it.
Yeah, so el Hayes, Hey, Nick, how's the triathlon training coming.
It's going pretty good. It was on the bike this morning. Again. I'm leaning maybe to making it a do Apple instead of triathlon because I don't know that I want to train the swimming that much. I just don't know how much I would enjoy that. But it's going good. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now, so yeah, I appreciate you asking, all right.
Next, Alex hay Nikka demands, with the rules changing this year for Comeback Player of the Year, do you think Russell Wilson deserves it to be the front runner winner of the award?
So I think the rule change hurt Russell Wilson because I think they clarified it because they didn't like that last year Joe Flacco won it over Tomorrow Hamlin because it was like, well, you just came back from sucking, So they they tweaked it to where it's like you need to be coming back from like an injury or something like that. So I think that Russell Wilson's like, what's he coming back from? So I think it's wide
open because Kirk might get benched. Aaron's been awful, Like, I don't know who even the front runner would be next.
Grayson. If Bill's luiseh to Lamar be MVP. He beats Alan in literally every single stat and would have only had one less would only have one less win, but with a tougher schedule and when they played head to head, let's say we beat the Bills this year too.
Yeah, but by thirty five to ten, I he has an argument. I and certainly, And this is why I think the narrative is gonna shift to golf, because Lamar has a pretty good argument versus Josh Allen. If they fall to ten and four, not nearly as good of an argument against golf. And right now Allen's running away with it. So that's one of the reasons I think golf could uh. I think golf could end up stealing this award.
All right, Next, Horton, Kaitlyn Clark has voted Times Athlete of the Year. Is she in the top five for most influential US athletes?
Oh? Yeah, absolutely, no question about it. Also, did you see this Kaitlyn Clark quote. So, Kaitlyn Clark did an interview with Time, and she did a good job, I thought, kind of advocating for black women in the sport and doing a lot of things people had said she should have done earlier. But it was good to see her do it. She had another quote that didn't get as much attention, but is legit hilarious because she unintentionally absolutely nay palms the girls she played against in college. I'm
going to read you this quote. Yeah, professional players and professional coaches, this is no disrespect to college women's bast baketball are a lot smarter. I love women's college basketball, but if you go back and watch the way people guarded me in college, it's almost like concerning. They didn't double me, they didn't trap me. They weren't physical, and it's hard. It's college. A lot of these women will never go on to play another basketball game in their life.
They don't have the IQ of understanding how the game works. So I completely understand it, and it's no disrespect at all. They don't have the IQ. You have to simplify it for girls at that age. Geez, absolutely naked rude. But I'm not trying to be rude. But these ladies were dumb and are not going to be playing basketball much longer. Torches them. Oh my god, it was unbelo So you
know women's college basketball. Me and your sisters and your mom went to the double head head at Barclays and Paige Beckers, who's either the best or the second best player in the sport, gave Deanna fist bump and she was over the moon. I know is living quite the life, but uh, and and by the way, one women's college basketball note, I understand UCLA is the number one team in the country. Oh, you should hold on a second here, that's a good idea, Nick, Ucla women's basketball. Let me
when does UCLA play USC? So they owe final game of the regular season. They're at USC February thirteenth, and they host USC March first. All if you have any interest, demonse, all hits you good tickets to either of those games.
I'd love to. So, yeah, this year, what day is it fall? I think the seventh, Okay.
Maybe the ninth. I should know the February ninth.
So, but i'd love so.
UCLA is the number one team in the country. The reason I even thought of it is because I watched Yukon and I'm like, listen, I haven't watched UCLA women yet this year. I don't know how any team is possibly better than Yukon. Yukon was just so unbelievable. Immediately I watched the Iowa Tennessee game before that game was awesome. Yukon came out looked like they were playing a different sport.
But seeing UCLA the number one team in the country, and then Juju against USC like for USC would be unbelievable. So that should be a great matchup. That'd be really, really good. So it's either February thirteenth at USC or March first against UCLA. All right, great show to Monday. Good job by you. I'll see everyone on TV. We'll have our holidays. Schedule announcements coming next week. But in the meantime, thanks for listening, Thanks for watching. See you
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