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Welcome in Watch Drive with Me Great Episode two ninety one. We are here. It is the Wildcard Preview edition. The regular season has ended. The gambling portion of the regular season has ended. We we'll get to it later. Didn't love how Week eighteen went, But after breaking our on this show and on the TV show four straight years of profitability streak last season with just a season just littered with two and three weekends that ended in being
sub five hundred, back on the profitable side. All those bets all year long netted us a whole three point six units of profitability. But profitability is profitability. So that's good. Our quest, our dream of an undefeated postseason begins anew today where we will pick all six games. So we will do that shortly. First, however, what missed the cut one of on paper the best NBA games ever? Two teams that both had thirty wins and both had five or fewer losses that I don't know has. I think
it's happened once prior in NBA history. That took place last night. As Cleveland got the victory, ending okay SE's winning streak, Travis Kelcey says, I ain't scared of nobody. I'll play the Bengals in a Walmart parking lot. Cam Taylor Britt then says that's cap I mean, okay, buddy, I mean the Cincinnati Bengals. At some point, you gotta stop talking. You just got to stop talking. People wondering did the Chiefs lose intentionally in Week eighteen to avoid Cincinnati?
Did the Bengals lose intentionally eight times over the course of the season to avoid the Chiefs? That's the question I have. And then Micah Parsons says next year will be the year for the Dallas Cowboys. Demonse is here, demonse, how are you looking good?
Good? Pretty good? Thank you sir. Good to see you this morning.
Scar some scary times out in Los Angeles for all our viewers or listeners in Southern California. I hope you're safe. I can't really. I've never I've lived in tornado zones and hurricane zones. I've never really lived in fire zones. Yeah, fire or earthquake, and so what's happening in southern California
right now is legitimately terrifying. And because it's on the West coast instead of the Eastern seaboard, I do feel like the national news coverage of it would maybe be more round the clock if it were happening like if Washington d S Well, Washington, d C, Philadelphia, or it doesn't even have to be New York. We're on fire to this extent because it's happening out west. I'm not sure if people out east have the full scope of it.
But you're safe. Our Blue Duck team is safe. And obviously thoughts with all our friends out there and listeners out there, and hope primarily you're safe, and secondarily but also super important, your homes are okay. And I know that's not the case for everybody. But let's get right to it. Demanse talk a little Lamar Jackson.
Yeah, so, Lamar credited his past playoff playoff woes to being too antsy and emotional. I totally agree with him, by the way, But do you think that if this year, if you think that this year that he doesn't get through that hump or get over that playoff hump, that he'll never ever do it?
Well, So here's the thing. First, let me answer him saying he gets too antsy like that to me was confirmation of what I've been saying that before these games he gets. Another word for antsy is nervous, and he gets a little nervous, wants it that badly and tightens up a bit. And so I don't. So here's and I tried to explain this yesterday on TV, and I'm gonna do it again here but in a longer form, because I think people view my Lamar Jackson opinion as
more of an indictment than I view it. Because to answer the question, if he once again falls flat in the postseason, do I think that is just who he's going to be moving forward? The answer to that question is yes, But does that mean I think he won't ever win a Super Bowl. The answer to that question is no, and so I the obvious camp and the comp people would have gone to way earlier if not for the fact that style realistically they are such incredibly
dissimilar players. Is Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play. Peyton Manning also, year after year after year, got tight in the playoffs, did not play his best football. Peyton Manning won two super Bowls despite that, and the sports movie story would be Peyton Manning, after years of playoff failures, finally put it all together and was unbelievable and route to the super Bowl.
But that's not what happened. Peyton Manning. Forget the last super Bowl he won his final year in the league, when he was a shell of himself, Like take that out of it. The year they won smack dab in the middle of his prime. Here was his postseason that year. One against Kansas City one touchdown, three picks, a seventy two rating. They won Round two against Baltimore zero touchdowns,
two picks a thirty nine rating. They won Round three against New England in a crazy comeback, one touchdown, one pick, a seventy nine rating they won. The Super Bowl against Rex Grossman and the Bears, one touchdown, one pick, an eighty two rating. They won. He had three touchdowns, seven picks, and they was right, exactly right. And now the New England game, he was awesome in the second half. The
numbers don't really explain it. They round twenty one to three at halftime against a team that had dominated them the last two postseasons, and he was awesome in the second half. They just ran in the touchdowns, but still Round one against the terrible Chiefs team, one touchdown, three picks. Round two against Baltimore, they scored fifteen points. He had zero touchdowns, two picks, completed fifty percent of his passes
through for one hundred and seventy yards. Peyton Manning. So I don't find it to be in conflict to believe Peyton Manning is clearly one of the five greatest quarterbacks ever and Peyton Manning was not a good playoff quarterback. Finished his playoff career fourteen and thirteen. Peyton Manning his first six career playoff games, two wins, four losses, same as Lamar and this idea that, oh, you're gonna have this moment and be over it. It's just not what
it is if you go to Peyton's career. Peyton's first three playoff games were disastrous. A nineteen to sixteen loss to the Titans where he's had a sixty two rating and zero touchdowns, A twenty three to seventeen lost to the Dolphins where he had an eighty two rating, one touchdown, zero picks, A forty one to nothing lost to the Jets, where he had zero touchdowns, two picks, completed forty five percent of his passes uh and had a thirty one rating.
The next year, here's how it went. Played the Denver beat him forty one to ten, five touchdowns, no picks, a perfect passer rating perfect one, fifty eight point three. The next round played My Chiefs in the famous no punt game. Neither team ever punted. Just score score, score, score score. An offensive pass interference call on Tony Gonzalez killed us, a turnover killed us. They won thirty eight thirty one, three touchdowns, no picks. All right, he's over it. Patriots.
Next round, one touchdown, four picks of thirty five rating. Go home, Lamar's that very next.
Year tough figure describing Lamar Jackson's not having bad games like that, that.
He's not game here.
These games are egregious. No, no, he's not.
Okay, well i'll go through it for you because he is. Okay, well I'll go through it for you because he is. But that's but he also he also has never had anything close to the eight touchdowns, zero picks a one forty five rating over a two game playoff sample. But so the very next year, peyton first game of the playoffs, four touchdowns, one pick a, one forty six rating. Okay, we're good. The very next game lost twenty to three to the Patriots, zero touchdowns, one pick, a sixty nine rating.
The next year one and done against the Steelers at home, twenty one to eighteen, and then the Super Bowl run. And by the way, this continued for Peyton's entire career. He was not the same guy in the playoffs. Bill Simmons coined the Peyton face because you saw it when it was happening. And so you're saying Lamar is not the same guy. I'm here to tell you Lamar's playoff resume is as tattered Lamar's we want to take out. He don't take it out, but all graded with a
grain of salt. His rookie year when he saved that team, that team was dead in the water. They go to Lamar. He saves their season, maybe saves John Harbaugh's job, and then the Chargers play a defense that nobody had seen before, where it was eight defensive backs on the field, three down linemen. Lamar completed forty eight percent of his passes,
two touchdowns, one pick, three fumbles, one fumble lost. They lost twenty three to seventeen, and folks, if they don't remember that game, those numbers are misleading because they were down twenty three to three with seven minutes left, and then you Lamar in that game, they were talking about should he be pulled, but again he's a rookie. Take it out. The next year, Demonse, when they were fourteen and two and he was the unanimous league MVP. They
play the Titans at home. They lose twenty eight to twelve. He throws two picks and loses a fumble, so you're right, didn't have three picks, but he had three turnovers in that game, and they at no point could they move the football. The next year they play the Titans, little revenge spot. They win. Lamar in that game, zero touchdowns, one pick, a seventy five rating. And then they get the Bills and this Bills game, maybe because it was the COVID season, gets totally lost to history. It's ten
to three, Josh Allen is doing nothing. Ten to three Buffalo, and late in the game, they've driven down, they're at the goal line, and with a minute left in the third quarter, down a touchdown. Lamar throws one hundred and one yard pick six and they lose seventeen to three. And Lamar in that game throws for one hundred and sixty zero touchdowns, one pick, a sixty one rating, had
a fumble, didn't lose it. And then the next time he plays in the playoffs is last year when he's awesome against Houston and then brutal against the Chiefs.
So I don't this last playoff game wasn't brutal. I mean he threw for two seventy two, you rush for what fifty yards? I think that's a brutal game. I think he's shown improvement. I do think that, like he needs to get over that hump this year but oh, I mean, it's not consistently, it's just.
Okay, garbage, Okay. So I So this is where I just think that the numbers and the data doesn't back that up. And that's the other part of this conversation that frustrates me. So I said he was awesome against Houston. He only threw for one point fifty, but he was still awesome in that game. The flip side to that coin is just because he threw for two seventy against Kansas City doesn't change the fact he was brutal in that game. They scored ten points. So here's a stat.
People can work it however they want. Since nineteen ninety, there is no quarterback in NFL history who averages more points per game in the regular season than Lamar Jackson. Okay, in that same timeframe, there is no quarterback in NFL history who averages fewer points per game in the playoffs
than Lamar Jackson. That's not that like. So you go from the highest scoring quarterback in the league to the lowest scoring quarterback in the league, and the retcon of the he actually wasn't that bad in the Chiefs game started the game off with a lost fumble that set the Chiefs up, and when they were attempting to come back, he throws into triple coverage in the end zone for
an interception that essentially ends their game. And so the points scored by the Ravens in playoff games started by Lamar seventeen twelve, twenty three, thirty four against Houston ten. I'm gonna give you another one. All four years Lamar has been in the playoffs, they're season low in points that year came in the playoffs. Like so I. But
this is why I find the conversation frustrating. He gets credit for being so great in the regular season that even if he continues to struggle, they're probably going to win a super Bowl, like at some point like the six Colts did, where he keeps struggling and they win despite it, and he is the biggest reason they won because without him they wouldn't be there. And he only asked, you know, even if he's struggling, make a couple big plays.
So I don't. I don't think that it is likely, like people want there, that there's gonna be this light bulb moment where all of a sudden, Lamar is a great postseason player. I don't think that's coming. I think this is who he is. I also think one day he'll win a championship despite it. But I the I can let me. I'll tell you another guy who didn't have as many opportunities as some of the other all
time great quarterbacks because the team wasn't very good. But another guy who this applies to is another one of the no doubt ten and maybe five greatest quarterbacks ever, Dan Marino. Dan Marino was a statistical marvel when he came into the league in a way we'd never seen in the eighties. And yet in the postseason, who was he? The team was eight and two, his passer rating dropped ten points from where it was in the regular season. He completed fifty six percent of his passes, and find
me the great playoff run you can't. Also, this works in reverse oddly as well, Eli Manning across the board the definition of mid in the regular season dead five hundred quarterback for his career never led the league in anything other than interceptions. It was never had the you know, this gaudy regular season record was just consistently at in
the regular season and two times in the playoffs. The two Super Bowl runs, has fifteen touchdowns and two picks combined, and a guy whose career passer rating is in the mid eighties, those two super Bowl runs, it's at one hundred. He was a guy who in the biggest moment actually unlocks something better. And so no, I don't think Lamar gets over it now maybe this year. I don't think it'll be this year because the Chiefs are too good, but it would be a team like this where it
doesn't matter. You have Derrick Henry, you have a defense that's coming on strong, and Lamar can make just a couple wow plays. That's gonna be their path. And I if I'm wrong, then of course you reevaluate where he is in the all time quarterback pantheon, because he does have have a regular season resume of one of the four or five greatest quarterbacks ever. But I don't think it's binary in that he's either going to get over this or he's not as great as people say he is.
I think he is as great as people say he is, and he's probably not gonna get over these.
So so if he were to win the Super Bowl this year, where would he staying with you? You're saying he can't get over. I mean, is that that puts him no? So, I mean if he because you're saying he's gonna get one eventually, but like if he got one right now, if.
He got one right now. So again, let's just talk this out with me. Is it the way Peyton got his where he struggles in the games and.
The like Lamar is the focal point, like he I don't want to say he can't. Oh he plays well.
Well, then then he is a undeniable top ten all time quarterback. And because he already has a couple MVPs and an undeniable top two current quarterback, like that's that's what so the and oh, no question, I think he has an argument right now that he's already past Burrow
because Burrow's playing well in the postseason. That loses its luster when the last two years you don't play in the postseason, right, and so, and the the MVPs matter, and it is just this thing really really really dragging him down, is that Burrow plays a touch better in the playoffs. Josh Allen has had some unreal playoff moments. And you know it's not even like Lamar's break even it's the world and so yeah, a super Bowl, a super Bowl where he plays the way he's played in
this regular season, he would elevate. Yes, that's what I was gonna say. He would elevate in my mind, just by even if they if they lose in the AFC Championship game to the Chiefs, but he's good in Round one against Pittsburgh, beats Josh Allen and plays well. And then in the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs, plays well, but the Chiefs are just the Chiefs and they beat him.
That elevates him as well. Again, the other thing that hurts Lamar is there's not a single playoff game that you can look at and be like, well, he played great, but the team let him down. That's not on the resume, you know what I mean. All of these losses, he has more turnovers than touchdowns, and it's a really, really rough spot for him. And so I just don't think I Again, Peyton Manning was a statue white, super tall,
precision passer. Lamar's the most athletic running quarterback we've ever seen. Size isn't the same as Peyton black guy. They don't look at all alike when they're playing. So people don't compare them to each other. But Peyton Manning was a two time MVP that everybody thought was one of the best they'd ever seen, who really struggled in the playoffs and never had the light bulb moment. And so I just think that is and nobody the reason. And then
I'll stop here. But it's why I don't think I'm being Not only do I not think I'm being unfair to Lamar. I don't think it's as much of an indictment as everyone else does. Everyone knows. Everyone who watched Peyton Manning for two years knows that. And all those same people, if you ask him right now to name the five greatest quarterbacks of all time, are gonna have
Peyton Manning in there. Despite that, and so and the people don't like the embid and hardened comps because people look at those guys, as you know, embieds, the injuries, and he's people don't like the personality and that hardens a flake. So I'll go further back. Karl Malone's a
fair one. Karl Malon's one of the twenty greatest basketball players ever, third all time in points, two time MVP, play like consistent, amazing, production who any of us that grew up in the nineties were like, Oh, yeah, you're not gonna get your best Karl Malone in the postseason. Here's not. And so I I see that, and we're
seeing it right now with Aaron Judge. We see it in sports and you want guys to have and Brew yesterday on the show and its apologies for going so long in this, but I do think it's really interesting. Brew yesterday on the show brought up Lebron about Lebron failing in twenty ten against Boston and then the meltdown in twenty eleven against Dallas, and how after that moment he never looked like that again, and like, can Lamar
have that type of light bulb moment? And the reason I don't think that's a good comp is Lebron did have those failures, but in the seven years leading up to that, he also had some unbelievable his historically great playoff moments. At twenty two years old, he carries a team terrible team to the finals, has forty eight points an elimination game, has the goes forty five points in
a Game seven. As a twenty three year old against the Big Three in Boston averages thirty nine to eight to eight in a conference finals that they end up losing against the Magic. So you he had showed you he could be a great playoff performer repeatedly, even though he had the failure against the MAVs that if Lamar last year, Demanse had lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game thirty one to twenty eight, and he was an AUS and Mahomes was an A plus and
just like, what are you gonna do you feel? I would feel differently. It's not purely the loss. It's that he's never won a playoff game where his team allowed thirteen points more than thirteen points, Like, that's that's the issue there. So I'm excited to see it. The path laid out for him is, I mean, exercise all. The path if the bracket holds, is beat the Steelers, who you've struggled with mightily in your career. Beat Josh Allen,
who's gonna win MVP over you this year. Beat Patrick Mahomes, who you've struggled with your entire career and lost to in the playoffs last year, and then you're in the super Bowl. Just just if they were to just get to the Super Bowl. Lamar enters top ten all time and definitive top two. Right now, we'll see if it happens, all right, last couple ones before we get to the picks.
Uh. Yeah, So Bill Belichick apparently has a lot of suitors out there looking for him for that head coaching gig in Vegas one of the teams that was interested in, surprisingly with Brady having that stake in the team, and you know their relationship hasn't always been the best. Yeah, Belichick says that he's gonna he has no plans to go to the NFL, but could you see something enticing him?
So the fact that this exists is why I thought it was so odd he jumped on the North Carolina job. I understand that, you know, you'd put out feelers and hadn't gotten great responses from the NFL, but there's I thought he gave up the opportunity to coach in the NFL too early.
He was never going to get hired. You were like one of the main guys saying, like Belichick, like nobody he's about to pick up Belichick.
No hold on, well, no, no, no, I don't think.
You were saying that okay, Like I remember when it first came out, it was just he was it was no, yeah, he put the feelers hit him up.
Once he took the North Carolina job, I said, it was very clear no one was going to hire like he did it because he found out no one was going to hire him. But that surprised me, Like, so let me because what you're saying is true, but I think the sequence of events is not necessarily accurate. So prior to the North Carolina thing happening, I assumed he would get a job. I thought the Giants made the most sense, and I thought the Cowboys were a very
interesting one. As soon as the North Carolina thing got rolling, I said, he must have found out no one was going to hire it, that it was a you know, and I'm not going to be left out in the cold or else. Why would he take a college job when he wants to coach in the NFL. So that
was my true, honest feelings on the situation. It now appears he might have been premature in giving up the opportunity to coach in the NFL, And now folks are saying, well, his buyout's only ten million dollars After June first, it drops to one million dollars. Could he just pay the buyout and go coach in the NFL? I would, And you remember Deman's I had told the story about how you know, for our younger audience, which you're in. He was named the head coach of the Jets and resigned
on a napkin the next day. Uh, he cannot do that to North Carolina. I would find it truly objectionable if here too, Yes, exactly right, So I don't want to get we don't have to give specifics. But Demanse has a friend who was recruited by Bill Belichick, and you know some other players and the college aspect of these guys, And I understand coaches leave all the time, but you don't. There's there's never as an old twenty
year old they're gonna go play for Bill Belichick. And I'm sure someone in their lives have told them, hey, man, there is a chance you only play for him for one year, because there is a chance he leaves, you know, after a year to go back to the NFL. Even though he's swearing this is where I want to be. Fine, nobody thinks there's a chance you never get to play for him, that you have these opportunities, these offers to go to these different schools, you picked to play for Belichick.
In six weeks later, he's like, actually, I'm gonna go coach the Raiders. So I just I would find it to be egregious from a character perspective. And I'm not accusing him of even considering this, to be clear, but if the news came out he's void, and I understand the contract allows for it, I just think it would be horrible, and so I don't think it's gonna happen.
I also wonder how much of this was Brady being like, hey, so you want to work for me for a change, like uh, and so there there is that aspect to it. I don't think it's gonna happen, though, and so I think the Diana Russini said, it's you know, unlikely, And I would just find it to be really poor form. And that's putting it lightly, all right, let's do bracket to unpack it.
Oh yeah, So sometimes the easiest way to predict the playoff wins is to just go with the best quarterback in coach duo. We know obviously read them Mahomes will be at the top of your list, So we left him out of the bracket. But we've got a little bracket to unpack it. I think we've got a graphic here and on the in round one, on the left side, we've got McVeigh and Stafford against Sirianni and Hurts.
All right, Well, first I want to see who else got left out, because there's eight of these here. There's obviously fourteen teams in the playoffs. We left a lot out. Oh yeah, Strouden, Demiico are out that you've got left out? You have bow Nicks and Sean Payton. Wow, shots fired. I gotta tell you right now, for a coach quarterback, you would have to consider bo Nix and Sean Payton because of the Sean Payton piece of it, where Quinn and Jayden Daniels are maybe like that. It's at least
and Todd Bowles Baker left out the insults here. Uh, I'm the Dan Camill golfer there the the other ones left out. I'm going through the bracket in my head quickly. Tomlin and Ross, all right, that one makes sense that those guys got left out, and I think that I think that covers it. But still that okay, all right, now we'll do the actual bracket. Sorry about that. So McVeigh Stafford over Sirianni hurts that one's obviously mcveiy Stafford. Uh,
harball Lamar over Harball Herbert. I'll take Harball Herbert. I know people get mad. I think Jim's a better coach than John and.
Herbert better postseason performer than Lamar Jackson.
Well he doesn't. Justin Herbert doesn't really have postseason resume, doesn't Herbert has an unbelievable football and then agreed in egregious second half of football? So like is not? Is no resume better than an awful Like if if someone de Monds were applying to work for you, and they and one person brought in a blank resume and the other person brought in a resume that had four jobs, all of which they were fired from within three weeks, It's like, who do you like? What do we want?
The guy with no experience or the guy with a bunch of failures? I don't know? All right, So to the other the other side of the bracket, Campbell goff lafloor love. I'm gonna go Campbell golf. Uh, And I just think that Campbell he made a took a big risk playing that Monday night football game, but he ended up rolling seven. And now that they got the one seed, they're feeling great. McDermott Allen over Quinn Daniels Listen. I think Dan Quinn's fine. Jaden's a rookie in his first
playoff start. I'll go McDermott Allen. So now we have in the final four Bay Stafford.
Yeah, go ahead on the left and Stafford yeah. Mcveay Stafford versus Herbert in Harble, No.
I'm saying McVeigh Staffords. Yeah. McVay Staffords might pick. And then on the right Campbell Golf against McDermott Allen. I think this will surprise people. I'll take Campbell Golf. I think Sean McDermott in these big spots gets tight, man. I see it again and again. And while Josh Allen's better than Jared Goff, Goff has played so well this year that the gap is not as massive to me as Dan Campbell in big spots can get reckless but
doesn't get nervous. And then McVay Stafford against Campbell Golf, I'll go McVeigh Stafford, guys, I believe in the Rams flatly. And I believe in the Rams because of that that head coach, quarterback Combo, and that defense that I don't think is allowed fourteen points in their last three weeks.
I think the Rams are a very dangerous team. And Dan Campbell he didn't mean to, but he gave the Rams a little bulletin board material when after that Vikings Lions game he said to Kevin O'Connell, see you in a couple of weeks, Uh not if the Rams or something to say about it. And so I I don't know that we're gonna get Lions Vikings. We might get Lions Rams now again, if there's an upset in one
of the other games, the bracket gets receded. But if the if the two and three seed both win and it's the winner of Vikings Rams heading to Detroit, my money is you'll see in a moment we'll be on the Rams.
There.
Go ahead, though, pel.
Yeah, I was gonna say, like, I mean, how Stafford McVeigh, like, how scared would you be if they played the Chiefs? Like do you think that's it?
Is that a very you.
Always say that.
The exactly right, that's right, So I got it. Cooper Cup has not looked like Cooper Cup as of late, so I have to see what shape he's in. And Jalen Watt. The reason I'm so afraid of that is because it's since Jalen Watson got hurt. Jalen Watson broke his ankles six weeks ago. They opened his practice window up. If he's back, then nobody. If Jalen Watson is back, no one is coming close to the Chiefs. I'm telling you guys right now. I know it seems like an
odd player to key on. They have right now, they have they have two weaknesses. One was left tackle play. But if they they showed they could fix that by sliding Joe Tooney over. Now I think they prefer to play DJ Humphreys there. We'll see what they end up starting the playoffs with. But they know they have a fix there. They did not have a fix to cornerback two and it was just a rotating cast and none
of them were doing great. If Jalen Watson's back, the Chiefs go into the playoffs with as a team with no weaknesses and the freshest team in the league. Also, the other quarterback coach combo that didn't get mentioned was Kevin O'Connell, Sam Darnold Man. Week eighteen really killed Donald. I mean my I and I forgot about tomorrow. Good, all right, we'll do our Week eighteen I'm sorry, Week eighteen recap and our wild card weekend picks. Demonse's gonna participate,
give picks of his own. That's all next, What's Right? All right? Welcome back in What's Right with Nick Right? Kind of a bummer of a Week eighteen. Demonse I lose the season long picks competition to Danny on TV. He gets a fraudulent we both won. I had the Steelers plus two and a half. He's somehow had the Bengals minus one and a half. So the Steelers win by two, so we both get a win there, which didn't set the table for Sunday well, but I went
on too Sundays, so it ultimately didn't matter. And listen, Week eighteen picks didn't go the way I had hoped. We can show it to you I had. I didn't get the two and a half on this show because it was two when I did it, So I got a push there for Pittsburgh plus two. The Chiefs plus ten and a half didn't quite work out the way I'd hoped. They lost thirty eight nothing. Miami minus won
against the Jets. The thought those two picks were correlated because the thought process was if the Chiefs are just keeping it close ish, Miami is gonna be peak motivated because they're gonna know if the Chiefs win, they can make the playoffs. Instead, the Chiefs were down twenty four to nothing immediately, and Tyreek Hill's quitting on the team and the Miami's just getting cooked. So that was a disaster.
The Chargers handled the Raiders, and then Minnesota plus two and a half against Detroit totally on the wrong side of it. Minnesota got annihilated. So no bad luck there, just bad picks. There's no excuses, you know, point thumbs, not fingers, look in the mirror, all that stuff. So still is what it is, forty eight, forty and two for the year. Could have done better, but profitable. Demond's a your teaser. On the other hand, as a wise man once said, never a doubt.
Ever a doubt. It hit that put me at five hundred for the year. So that's all I could ask for. I mean, that's the best year I've had so far. I don't know if we did that. We've already done this two years, but I remember the first year it's pretty bad. So really step up, and I'm twitter that I'm going un defeated next year.
And this year started out poorly. So yes, you so you you got hot? You had you had Pittsburgh plus nine and a half against Cincinnati and the Bears plus eighteen against Green Bay. The Bear is obviously one outright, so that was good. All right, So you're gonna do these picks as well this week? And they said, you're not doing a teaser, but I might see if we can find one. I might try to convince you see if we.
Can oh it picks, not my name, stay on my lane.
No, no, no, no, I want you to pick, I'm saying, but no, no no. In addition, I'm I'm gonna see if there's a good playoff. I haven't really thought about these games through a teaser lens. But but we'll you know what I mean, we'll figure it out, all right. So we're gonna go in order of the games. The first game is Houston at home against the Chargers, and this one is was the hardest one. For me to pick, and it really really matters where you bet this right now.
So right now, Fan Duel has the Chargers laying two and a half. DraftKings has the Chargers laying three. Anyone listening to the show is a sophisticated enough gambler to understand huge difference between those two numbers. For this game in particular, I find this game to be super relevant. If you can get the three, I like the Charger. I like Houston plus three if you if you're gonna get the two and a half, I don't mind the Chargers. And so there is so my rationale here is very simple.
I don't think Houston's very good right now. I understand that. I also think they are probably a little undervalued in this regard. They've been locked in to their playoff spot for a few weeks and didn't really have real motivation after that. After the Chiefs loss and the Tank Dell injury. I felt I felt like they're playing the Ravens four days later on Christmas, knowing we're gonna be the four seed no matter what, and they put up a total no show, and because of that people have undersold them
a bit. Again. I think they're a flawed team and a banged up team. However, they have an excellent pass rush. CJ can play better than he's played. Nico Collins is still a great player, and they're at home against a Charger team. Demonse that I just think I know how harrball coaches in these playoff games. He's gonna put Herbert back on the leash. He's gonna run the ball, run the ball. Want it to be few possessions, low scoring, defensive battle. So if I can get three points, all three,
all take them. I again, if I felt like I would take the Chargers minus to an half, but Houston plus three, it means I don't have crazy conviction on this, but it feels like the public is gonna be all over the Chargers. So I'll take U plus the three with some trepidation. And I'll tell you right now because the pick and this is I haven't done this all year, but I it really, I really want to have a
shot to go undefeated on this on TV. Not that I value the TV more or less than this, but here's the here's the reason I'm mentioning it on TV. We are tied to the DraftKings line because DraftKings sponsors the TV picks hopefully next year for the gambling show, we're tied to a gambling sponsors line because I've mental lost a couple of shows. We are open for business.
We have a little we have a little open for business sign and our podcast window, and we hope to actually come to a decision on that here in the next few weeks for you know, your favorite sportsbook to endorse this podcast. However, on TV it is DraftKings. So if that line moves on DraftKings and it's two and a half by tomorrow when I'm doing the picks, I might go Chargers. I'm just in so the full disclosure, that's where I'm at. But Houston plus three demon's a ugo.
Yeah, so I originally made these picks on fan duels, so I got the Chargers minus the two and a half. I wasn't taking the Texans plus plus the two and a half. Yeah, I mean, I trust Harbor on Herbert and I don't think that I don't think that Houston. I think they're on a downward slope, but they definitely have lost a little bit of a mite since the Tank Dell And who's to know if they have been, you know, given it, they're all given that. They were
locked into that. CD could see it going some other way. But I'm comfortable with the charges.
Here, all right, So we're somewhat opposed, but not really. I mean, it's weird because we're looking at it two different numbers. The rest of these we at there is no line discrepancy across books. So the rest of these were either going to be exactly aligne or exactly just so.
If even if the if it were Chargers minus three and a half, or I might minus three, sorry, I'd still be taking it. Just want that record.
That's what I figured, all right. Next game, Pittsburgh getting nine and a half at Baltimore. This one will surprise no one. I'll take Pittsburgh. I think this is like how most Pit Baltimore games are, which are low scoring and close. That the one a few weeks ago obviously wasn't that. But that game got thrown askew by two
horrifying Russell Wilson mistakes. When it was it was seven to seven, they're driving to score, Russ fumbles at the two and then they're down seven after Lamar's only mistake of the game, A game Lamar played great in after the Lamar picked late third quarter and Russ immediately throws a pick six and now they're down fourteen in the game. So were the first matchup Pittsburgh won, but they didn't score a touchdown and that was the is justin Tucker cooked game, So that was you know, I just think
nine and a half points is insulting in too much. Now, maybe Derrick Henry runs wild and the Pittsburgh's offense. They've lost four consecutive games headed into the postseason, which is damn near unprecedented. But all still take Pittsburgh plus the nine and a half. Uh, go ahead, Demons.
Yeah, I'm taking Pittsburgh plus the nine and a half as well.
Wow.
But seeing this game and then going to the next game, is it is kind of crazy, like Pittsburgh was not there were nine and a half point dogs and then Yeah, I mean, I'm not I'm not gonna say I'm gonna be smart like I'm a Ravens fan. I think that the Ravens is gonna win the game. But nine and a half points is a lot of points. It's obviously a team in your vision points they always play tight. It's yeah, I don't. That's I'm not doing that.
But yeah, so that's the the other thing. And brew and I got into this a bit on the show, which is I said I would be surprised if Baltimore scores twenty four more than twenty four. I said, I said, score twenty four or more than twenty four like that. I think that this game, they don't get to the high twenties or thirties, and so to cover this number,
I think they'd have to. I don't think that it's gonna be twenty three to seven, like I think Pittsburgh's gonna be able to muster somewhere from fourteen to eighteen points. So how many points do I really think Baltimore is gonna score? Not enough to cover it, So I'll take Pittsburgh plus the nine and a half. You're saying the numbers crazy because Pittsburgh's nine and a half point dogs while Denver's only eight and a half point dogs.
Yeah, I think that's yeah, say to me, so Vegas is just saying getting over the Wolves this year's that's That's what I'm seeing.
Maybe spread but yeah, So Josh Allen in the wild card round is an absolute monster for his career, and it usually is against a totally overmatched quarterback and he cooks. So Josh Allen the last four years in the wild card round has faced Colt's Philip Rivers, who was cooked, Mac Jones, Skyler Thompson, and Mason Rudolph oh Now, Now,
to be fair, those haven't all been blowouts. But as far as Josh's production against those teams thirteen touchdowns, two picks, a one to eleven rating, and as far as the Bill's offensive production again the last four years in the wildcard round, twenty seven points against the Colts, forty seven against the Patriots, thirty four against Miami, thirty one against Pittsburgh. Now, again, to be fair, the Colts and Dolphins games, they ended
up winning by three, so they weren't blowouts. And I understand Sean Payton and bow Knicks have had an unbelievable season, but ultimately, this is a rookie quarterback on the road in the playoffs in Buffalo. I do not think this game is going to be close. I do not think Denver is going to have the answers, and I do not think bow Knicks is going to look how he looked the last few weeks. So I like Buffalo laying the eight and a half. I would love for the
Broncos to beat the Bills. If there is it's not a big one. But there is a world that exists where Patrick maho Holmes's path to the super Bowl goes through bow Nicks and Russell Wilson. And that's a world I would love to live in. But I don't think that's the world we're going to live in. I think Mahomes' path the super Bowl is going to go through either Stroud or Herbert and then Josh Allen, and if it's not Josh Allen, it'll be Lamar. But Buffalo, I think
blows out the Broncos. I think this is a over in the third quarter type of game, like thirty one thirteen. So I'll take Buffalo laying the eight and a half. Go ahead.
Well, I'm gonna take Denver plus eight and a half. Yeah, wow, after everything you just said, Yeah, I think Bonix he's like baby Josh Allen, But I think eight and a half points that's a lot. I think they'll be able to hang Uh yeah, No, Rocket Ricket quarterback. I like Sean Payton. I trust him and Bo Nicks isn't your average rookie. He's a little bit older, a little bit more seasoned.
Uh, that's definitely true.
He also has that I don't want to be corny or anything, but he has he's got some dog in him, and I like it. And I think that that part's all true.
And the Sean Payton angle, I do, they do have a coaching edge. I just don't. I think that we're gonna see a bad bon Knicks game, rookie quarterback, road, freezing, cold weather, buffalo, all of it. I I do like a little bit for him that it's not at night. I think that actually makes it slightly less intimidating atmosphere.
But I still think he's, Oh, he's used to the cold, and.
He played college football for a year at Oregon. I understand. I'm not thinking he can't play in the cold. I'm just thinking it's just the atmosphere. It's probably too much, all right. Next one maybe the game of the week and game that's on Fox Philly, laying four and a half at home against Green Bay. I when I went through and guessed the lines before they came or right when they came out, before i'd seen them I thought
this was going to be Philly minus seven. Jeez, And when I saw it was four and a half, I was like, Oh, they're baking in that Jalen. Like what I thought that was saying was they're worried about Jalen and they're splitting the difference on Well, if he plays, it'll be seven and a half. If he doesn't, it'll be basically a pick'm we're gonna set the line in the middle. That's not what's happened. They Jalen Hurts is pretty clearly playing. It has stuck at four and a half.
I love Philly here. I know Jalen hasn't played in a month. I get that, But this is again, prior to the Packers upsetting the Cowboys in this exact scenario a two versus seven, the two versus seven playoff games have been absolute laughers. So I want to go through it real quick. So one of the reasons that I felt this way about the Bills Broncos is because it's a two to seven game. The first year we had
a two to seven playoff field was twenty twenty. One of those games was that Bill's Colts game that I just talked about the Bills did only win by three. The other one New Orleans Chicago. I don't even remember that game at all. New Orleans won twenty one to nine. The next year, the two seven games Philly Tampa. Tampa won thirty one to fifteen. Kan City Pittsburgh Kmsity won forty two twenty one. The next year, the two seven playoff games were Buffalo Miami. Again, Buffalo has been involved
in some of these close ones. They beat Skyler Thompson Miami thirty four to thirty one, and San Francisco Seattle. San Francisco won forty one to twenty three. Last year, obviously, the Packers had the first ever two seven upset, but the two to seven game in the AFC was Buffalo Pittsburgh thirty one seventeen. A lot of blowouts in these spots, only one upset. I think Saquan.
Rested and fresh by this team.
The one upset was Green Bay in this exact spot last year. No, that's totally fair. Uh. I like Philly. I think Philly's gonna look awesome. This to me feels like a thirty one to twenty Philly victory. So I'll lay the four and a half.
All right, I'm sticking with my guy, Jordan Love. I'm taking green Bay plus the four and a half. I think that Philadelphia. I don't think green Bay is a type of type of team to melt down. And I've seen Philly melt down, and I think if something's not working, then green Bay can capitalize on that. I like Jordan Love, I'm going with Packers.
We're opposed on a lot of these.
I like like Philly minus two and a half, maybe like three. I like green Bay in the points. But yeah, no, I'm glad we've got some conflicted ones.
Yeah, all right. Next one, Tampa minus three at home against Washington. It's just a rookie quarterback on the road and so and I'm not I don't even have to lay a big number. I think Tampa is, as Wilde would say, first team all vibes with the Mike Evans stuff. Baker didn't play great in the first half against the Saints, was awesome late. Tampa has immense postseason experience. Fifth straight year they're in the playoffs, fourth straight year they won
the division. I just like I like how Baker's playing. I like how they responded after trailing the Saints. Throughout a lot of that game, even though trailing the Saints in general is not great and Jade and Daniels, it's been a great year for Jaden. But I think it comes to an end here, and I love that I don't have to do lay the hook, So laying just three Tampa minus three, I'm rolling with.
And if if Jade went out, if he went out there and won that game, that's so cute.
It's massive.
Yeah.
And if he goes out there and wins that game, they unless the Eagles upset the I'm sorry, the Packers upset the Eagles, then he gets to go play Detroit in round two. That'd be unbelievable. But I just I don't I like Tampa minus three. I think you do as well.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, same, same exact reasons. Just the Baker makes.
Sense here, all right. And then the last one, we don't even have to spend much time on it because everyone knows where I'm gonna go. The Rams getting one and a half against Minnesota, I get Matt Stafford and Sean McVay at home. They were there. They're undefeated at home or on a neutral site, and by the way, at neutral site, wasn't a neutral site in the playoffs. That super Bowl was in Los Angeles, so they've played.
I know it was called a neutral site, but they've never They're three to zero in so far in the postseason. Uh that vikings. I think Darnold goes into this game pretty anxious and the Rams defense has been unbelievable and so and Kevin O'Connell, as much as everyone likes him, he's coached one playoff game ever and he lost at home to Daniel Jones. So I'll just take the better coach, it's the better quarterback. I'll take the Rams getting a
point and a half. And I think the Rams are a dangerous, dangerous NFC team.
Yeah, I agree with you. There, Rams plus one and a half. I think we've seen what uh what's gonna happen with Darnold. I don't I think they turned their pressure on and he's cooked.
But uh, okay, Yeah, so you don't have a teaser this week. Here is a teaser that I will be making and a teaser that you might like part of and then take the other side of. So the Rams are getting one and a half, A six point teaser gets them up to seven and a half. I get through all the key numbers, so I like that. And then the Bills are laying eight and a half. A six point teaser gets them back through the other direction
the key numbers to minus two and a half. Now you you might like the Rams leg plus the opposite of the Bill's leg where you take Denver up through ten and thirteen and fourteen.
I'm done doing the like the high note, like I think I would put that, I would put it more towards the Bills. I'm not gonna give more to.
That because you don't think because you think so. Your Denver pick is you don't think they get blown out, but yeah, you don't think they're gonna win. So yeah, so I so I really like And now the other you probably because you like these seven pointers or whatever, you might be a bigger fan of teasing Baltimore down to two and a half nine and a half.
My initial when he talked teaser Pittsburgh was like the first thing that comes to mind for me, Like, I was just teasing Pittsburgh up as much as I could.
Yeah, but you just said you didn't want to do the big number of teasers you literally.
I did, I did, I did just say that. But like with that, with that game, I think that game's a little bit different from from uh Denver, from Denver playing Buffalo.
I'm saying, but if you the so I listen, I'm gonna make it demonse. You can you think on it and tweet it out if you want to do one, or you can just say it now. I'm going to make this bet. The Rams teased up to plus six and a half, the Bills teased down to minus two and a half. And I just listen, If I lose this because Buffalo doesn't cover the two and a half, that probably means Buffalo just got eliminated from the playoffs.
And I gotta tell you that wouldn't disappoint me. So if I if I lose the bet, I'll lose it with a smile on my face because if the Chiefs don't have to go through this Bills team in the postseason, I'll be very happy. So the pick recaps are for me. I've got how many dogs, how many favorites? I've got
three dogs, three favorites. Houston plus three against the true Chargers, Pittsburgh getting nine and a half at Baltimore, Buffalo laying the eight and a half, Philly laying the four and a half, Tampa laying the three, and the Rams getting one and a half. Demon has the same last two as me, but Andy has Pittsburgh same as me, but he has the Chargers laying two and a half, Denver getting the eight and a half, and the Packers getting four and a half. All right, let's do the offer.
Which are the producers really up twenty two units on these offers that I have?
They hit these offers. I feel like they hit at least four or five a year, like we're doing the pod from Trinsitch both of us. I'm pretty sure, like the offer I hit on like five weeks straight.
All right, well maybe, goh, let's see if we'll take this one.
So this week's offer is we got Jalen McMillan, the Bucks ride receiver. So he's gotten one or more touchdowns in each of his last five games, and he scored versus Washington in Week one as well, So we got Jayleen McMillan. Anytime touchdown scores plus one seventy Do you want that?
No? Sorry? Uh, I know that. I said the producers have been hot, they've been hitting, But no, I'm not the here's the problem with for me, with the offer, and it's not a problem with the producers. It's a problem with the just the offer always involves a player prop or multiple player props, and in general I don't think those are great value. And so I'm just my natural reflexive answer is that I say no to it
and listen. I hope the producers keep hitting, uh, And so that's you know, I hope the producers keep hitting.
All watching Kelsey touchdown Millan and Kelly.
Well that next week, Kelsey is three hundred and fifty yards and three touchdowns away from break jarr or from tying Jerry Rice for the most yards in playoff history running or receiving, and the most touchdowns in playoff history running or receiving. He's already first all time in catches, and he's first all time in something else. I can't even remember, maybe yards per game. So we'll see if
there's some Kelsey stuff a week from now. All right, quick break right back, and let's do some listener questions. What's right? All right? Welcome back in What's Right with Think Right? Episode two ninety one, Demons, Let's do these listener questions real.
Quick Curtis says which one would have a bigger impact on Patrick mahomes legacy, winning the Super Bowl this year to three peat or next season breaking Peyton mannings his story twenty thirteen statistical season.
I mean it's not even it's not even close. A three peat this year cements Mahomes and this Chiefs team in a way no regular season numbers could ever come close to. So it's the three peat by by an absolute mile.
Next, Andrew hey Nick, if the Bears hire Ben Johnson, what do you think of hiring Bob Sala as a defensive coordinator, first time head coach being able to pass the DTA Sala take a breath here and focus on offense and situational football thoughts.
Listen. I'd love that. I think that would be great. I don't think that's gonna be available to them. I think if Bob Sala doesn't get a head coaching job, which maybe he will, he's gonna go back to the Niners to be their defensive coordinator. So I think that it's pretty I don't think any other team's gonna have a real chance of hiring him because it's either gonna be head coach, which would be odd, but maybe it'll happen. Maybe we'll be looking. Well, the Jets fell apart without him.
I mean they weren't great with him, but they were terrible once he left. If not, he'll just go back to the Niners. I would imagine, next.
Neil, if Jalb Hurts leads the Eagles back to the Super out duels Mahomes again and wins it this time, are we gonna give him credit as the top three quarterback?
First of all? The out duels Mahomes again part of it?
Yeah.
Uh. But the answer to that question is probably if the Eagles go to the Super Bowl and Jalen Hurts let's just remove the word again, beats Patrick Mahomes and outplays him, will people think he's top three quarterback? Yeah? The answer that's yeah. Next it's I mean, I don't think it's gonna happen, but.
Yeah, Austin, what do you think is more likely for Josh Allen a career like John Elway or more akin to Bill's legend Jim Kelly kin oh a kin Mark my bad a kin to Bill's legend Jim Kelly, where he always gets close but never completely breaks through.
I think John Elway. I think the I don't know about getting to five Super Bowls and winning two like John Elway did, but I think I eventually, John Listen, guys, eventually, some people other than Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are gonna win Super Bowls. Not this year, but eventually it's gonna happen. And Josh Allen's very high on that list of the guys who it's most likely to happen to.
Next last one, uh Kafrikas is the Rams defensive line, the strongest unit no one talks about. They are young and always seem to impact games, and.
It's one of the reasons I really like this. Rams seem, love the coach, love the quarterback, and all of a sudden they have a young, fast, good defense, Chiefs Rams super Bowl is very very in play, very in play, and that would be unbelievable, especially because I think Golf is one of the only starting maybe the only start. I think golf is the only active starting quarterback. Mahomes has played more than once and never beaten. I think
Mahomes is zero to two against Jared Goff. I think I'm not certain on that, so that would be a fun one too. All right, great job. Demon's a great job. My friend's at Blue Dock. Great up Shane, who ups us? Set up the store here. I will see you guys on Tuesday. I'll see you on the TV show in just over three hours. Stay safe everyone in southern California. What's right? Hey? Thanks for watching. If you're still here,
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