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Welcome. In episode one fifteen of What's Right with Nick Wright, the NFL playoffs are set. We have so much to get into in fact, and well I'll get to the gambling stuff in about forty five seconds. Let's just jump right into the show. It's me Nick right, my son to Mons's here. Here's what's not on the show. Mike Tomlin has another winning season, the Bucks play starters and lose to the Falcons, and Sean McVay could leave Los Angeles.
Those things are not on the show. We will get to the Green Bay Packers and what will end up being about five minutes if I told you so in just a moment. But first, for folks that don't listen to the Gambling Show, we were having a rough season and we were six games under five hundred. We do five picks a week typically. We were six games under five hundred going into Week eighteen, and I made what some considered an irrational decision, which was, We're gonna bet
the board. We left out the Bills and Bengals game because when we were doing the show, we still didn't know Damar's health and there were a lot of things we didn't know about what they were gonna do. So we said we're gonna and by the way, and we'll get to the Bills and tomorrow the moment, it's an all time great sports moment we had. But so we said, we're gonna bet fourteen games this week at six under five hundred. I needed to go ten and four to keep my streak alive of being at five hundred or
above every year I've been on national television. My picks on TV this year finished because I only do three a week, and we missed a few weeks because of World Cup twenty six and eighteen. So on TV I did great, but I was under five hundred with the picks here. I needed to go ten and four to have a five hundred season. That would have been forty nine forty nine and two. Oddly exactly one hundred games. I needed to go eleven and three to Monsey to
finish above five hundred. Eleven and three. It's like seventy eight percent against the spread. Demonse, what did I go eleven and three? Eleven and three on the Gambling Show document?
It finish the game?
Well, two games technically fifty forty eight and two. The only losses were the Jags, which I just couldn't get a bet right on the Jags all year, even though my season long bet was correct on the Jags, the Cowboys, which was way off, and the Colts, which I'll be honest, kind of screwed me a little bit. They have fourth and twenty up seven. I'm laying two and a half
or three whatever it was. But you know what, I can't complain eleven and three, which is the exact number I had to hit in order to finish above five hundred, and we did it. We did it, and maybe the play next year for the Gambling Show it just pick all the games every week. Maybe my problem isn't with my picks. Maybe my problem had been with favoring certain picks over others. Maybe all the picks are just great, that's what. So I'm not sure, but here's what I
do know. Above five hundred going into the playoffs. Oh you know what, Demanse, let's play a have you looked at the lines for? This is a total ripoff of Bill Simmons cousin sal by the way, but it's have you do you know the week what the wild card weekend playoff lines? Okay, perfect, So this will be a fun way to do it, and then we'll get into the show. So let's go through the games in order.
I have looked at the lines, and we'll and I want to see how you do, not really how you do, but it'll give you an idea of what side you might want to be on. Okay, Because Demonse came into a realization this weekend, which was post football, He's moving to California, and California still stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to gambling, and so there's no legalized gambling out there. So Demanse said to me kind of sadly yesterday sitting on the couch. He was like, you know,
this is my last Sunday bet and football. And I kind of looked at him quizzically and I was like, you're not going to gamble in the playoffs and he was like, oh, yeah, yeah, the playoffs. That's probably a fun time to gamble. I'm like, yeah, buddy, But then this, but this is the last regular season Sunday. All right, let's go through the games. First game, Seahawks at forty nine Ers. What do you think the line is?
Forty nine Ers minus eight and a half? Not bad?
Ten ten, forty nine Ers minus ten, Chargers at Jags and the Prince.
Chargers at Jags Chargers minus three.
Chargers it was two and a half, Chargers minus two and a half. It is down to Chargers minus one because so much steam is on the Jacksonville Jaguars. All right, yea, Dolphins at Bills.
Dolphins at Bills, right, yeah, yeah, Bill's minus fourteen.
It's Bills minus eleven, which I think is actually splitting the difference between If Skyler Thompson is the quarterback, it's gonna be Bill's minus fourteen plus. I think there's a small chance to a plays and if not if Teddy plays. I think if Teddy plays, it will stay at eleven. If Skyler plays, will go to fourteen, and if two A players, we'll go to seven and a half or eight.
It's at Vikings, Giants at Vikings, Vikings minus.
One minus three minus three, Vikings minus three, Ravens at Bengals.
Ravens at Bengals, Bengals minus five and a.
Half minus six. That you nailed that one and last one.
Cowboys at Bucks, Cowboys at Bucks, Cowboys minus WHOA, I don't know that one's kind of well.
Were you gonna say Cowboys minus what?
Cowboys minus fours?
Cowboys minus three? You know what you've done grown up on the football gambling. You weren't more than a point and a half off on any of it. That's really well done. All right, let's get a game that was not listed. Is the Green Bay Packers at anybody? Because they choked again, Let's get right into the show. Go right ahead, de monts.
E couldn't grats cheeseheads.
You went on a pointless runs that ruined the spot or ruin your chance at the top pick. Yeah, the Packers fumbled the chance to see what they had and now they go into the offseason with a non committal Aaron Rodgers in zero.
Cool of Love's ability.
Yeah, well, the decision not to shut it down weeks ago come back to bite them.
I mean, I think it already has. I think that. So you after the game, Jerry, you know you've got James Williams as asked Aaron Rodgers for his jersey. He's like, I'm going to keep this one. He goes off a weird dude. He goes arm in arm with Randall Cobb and they were really playing up. This could be Aaron Rodgers last game as a Packer, if Aaron Rodgers might retire, which I don't think is going to, or if might want to be traded, or you might want to trade him.
You know what, you'd like to have been able to watch Jordan Love play this last month. And everybody killed me for that take. But and even yesterday after they lost, folks were like, Nick, you were obviously wrong. They had a shot, They had a shot at sneaking into the playoffs. Their shot at winning a Super Bowl died six weeks ago.
And if you're still in the Super Bowl championship business, which you should be, if you're the Green Bay Packers, and if you should be, if you have Aaron Rodgers, then once this year's done from a Super Bowl perspective, because even if they snuck in, they weren't gonna go to San Francisco and then go to Philadelphia and then go it wasn't gonna happen, then you must do everything you can put yourself in the best position for the next Super Bowl. And now what the hell do you do?
I guess you pick up Jordan Love's option. What if Jordan Love says, hey, guys, when you drafted me, I expected I might sit one year. I was open to the possibility of sitting two years. I swallowed that I was gonna have to sit three years. I'm not sitting four years. You guys have been a first round pick on me. Other teams would have drafted me. You're gonna make me sit. And when after Aaron you drafted Aaron around the same spot in the drafts you drafted me.
He sat three years and then you got rid of far. So there's that. So that's big picture. And we'll have plenty of the offseason to talk about the Packers and Aaron Rodgers all of that. I mean, it'll just be a version of I told you so, I told you so, I told you so. Should have played love and again, just to be very clear, if you play love and he's terrible, then you don't pick up the fifth year option, and you know you got to keep Rogers. If you play love and he's okay, then you pick up the
fifth year option. You keep Rogers. You play love and he's unbelievable, then you make the decision, do we want to trade Aaron Rodgers and turn the paid Jordan Love or do we want to trade Jordan Love for help for Aaron Rodgers right now?
Can you even get these days?
Well, it's you know, not as much because of the contract. You'd be able to get something though, Like for example, a team like the Jets that let's say they don't get Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr or they don't want those guys, and they're like, you know what, we're good enough to win right now. The Titans with Mike Vrabel, like those are teams that are like, let's with teams that think we can win right now if we have the right quarterback. The question is is Rogers the right quarterback?
After one? So this is how Aaron Rodgers last three seasons have ended. Two years ago, He's the league MVP. They're the one seed. They have a home playoff game. They're favored against Tom Brady. They blow it. Last year, he's the league MVP. They're the one seed, and that was in the conference championship game. They have a home playoff game in round two after the bye against the Niners. The Niners score zero offensive touchdowns and beat Green Bay.
Because Rogers was terrible this year, they have a de facto home playoff game against a team that's been eliminated, the Detroit Lions, and Rogers throws for two hundred yards, has a backbreaking pick at the end, and they blow it. There's no getting around this. He was outplayed by Jared goff demons. What's been the one con consistent point for the Lions their consistent weakness all year, start of the year to theoretically the end of the defense. Their defense
the dead last defense in the league. And you score sixteen points, can't capitalize in the red zone. Threw two picks to the same guy, had one of them called back due to a very questionable hands to the face, and then you threw a pick to him anyway to disastrous end, a disastrous end, and it follows a line of these Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs or in de facto playoff games in a big spot. It's not a
good look. Some of the in the mid twenty tens, the Aaron Rodgers playoff stuff, A lot of it was the defense was awful, okay, But the year they won the Super Bowl, they're in the NFC Championship game against Klee Haney, a backup for the Bears. He has zero touchdowns, two picks, and a fifty five rating, but they win. The next year, they're fifteen and one defending, and by the way, he was awesome in the other three playoff games,
including the Super Bowl. Even full credit the other three playoff games he had nine touchdowns, zero picks, a one to twenty five rating. Was unbelievable. The next year he's the runaway League MVP. They're fifteen to one. They lose a home playoff game to the Giants. He throws two hundred and sixty yards as a pick as a seventy eight rating. The next year, not his fault, the defense can't stop San Francisco. The next year, again they play San Francisco, but they're at home. By the way, they
lose the game. The next year, they are in Seattle with a chance to go to the Super Bowl, NFC Championship game one touchdown, two picks, a fifty five rating. They blow a big lead late, Seattle gets an on side kick. This is an unbelievable playoff. The next year you lose to the Cardinals in the playoffs. That one. I'm not gonna put on Aaron. He didn't play well in that game, but he did have two Hail Marys in the same game, but they lose, I think in overtime.
The next year, you can't stop Atlanta. I'm not putting on him. Atlanta scores forty four. Then you missed the playoffs for two years. Then you have the game against San Francisco two years or three years ago, you only score twenty points. Then you have the game against Tampa at home, has a favorite, you lose. Then the game last year against San Francisco where they score thirteen points. You're at home, you're off a bye, and you lose. And now this Lions game. It's just not a good
history for a guy as talented as he is. Two small coaching points in this game that I want to point out because I'm a coaching nerd. When the Lions looked like they were trying to run out the clock. They had a run on first and ten to get nine yards. It was like three minutes left. Packers had their timeouts. The Packers then smartly jumped off sides. So if you play Madden, you get this. The assumption is we're not gonna stop them from picking up the one yard,
so let's just give them the first down. That way, we don't have to blow it burn a time out after they pick up the first down. Teams have been starting to do that in the last few seasons. Dan Campbell and Detroit were one of the first teams I've seen recognize that's what they were doing and decline the penalty. Super sharp by the Lions, super sharp. The refs were surprised. Tarico and Collinsworth seemingly had never heard of this strategy. It was super sharp by the Lions. I give them credit.
A couple plays later, there is a critical moment and I can't leave Treco and Collinsworth screwed it up. It's second and seven. The Packers are down to one timeout. In fact, no, they're down to no timeouts. There's two seventeen left. The Lions run a play, they get two yards. There is a holding penalty called on Detroit. This is a critical moment because you have no timeouts left because of the penalty. The clock is gonna stop if you decline the penalty. It's now third and five with two
point fifteen left. You get a stop there, you're gonna get the ball back down either four or seven with the full two minutes. They idiotically accepted the penalty. So now yes, instead of third and five, it's second and seventeen. But the Lions could have can run two plays and then you get the ball back with a minut at fifteen left. And now the Lions ended up running two plays, getting it to fourth and one, and with a minute
fifteen left, went for it and got it. But that's a must decline penalty spot and Drigo and Collins were with on the broadcast. We're like, oh, terrible penalty, and it stops the clock for green Bay. But stopping the clock there isn't helpful if you accept it, because you just get the down over again. You understand what I mean, Like, so it's the it's the key thing is there that you can decline the penalty and get an extra time out.
So at the end of that game, Dan Campbell and his coaching staff super sharp on something that could have saved the Packers forty seconds, and the Packers really weak on something that could have gotten them a free forty seconds. Bad job there, bad bad job there? All right.
Next, so it looks like the Seahawks won the first trade ever. We also got a pull up that was like a little question.
Oh, is Rogers done in Green Bay? Seventy? Say yes, yeah, I mean I I to me, I'm more interested in that topic another day.
If he's gonna get traded, all right, go ahead, all right. The NFC East was up for grabs on Sunday. Doesn't seem like Dallas got the memo. Jerry Jones called their loss to the Commanders a nightmare, and the limited Jalen Hurts only scored one touchdown versus the Giants' third stringers Dak and Hurts both look like different people, and I dare say these teams look like frauds. With the three NFC East, of the three NFC East teams even win a single playoff game, all right, I.
Love that angle on a gambling opportunity, a money line parlay.
For each scene and playing against the Yeah.
So the way you would do that, because we don't know who the Eagles are playing yet, is you do a money line parlay on the vikings and bucks okay, and whatever you win you would set aside and then put that exact amount on whoever the Eagles are playing in round in round two, which would probably be Tampa. Yeah, I the all right. So the Giants. Actually, of the three NFC East teams, the Giants can comported themselves the best. This weekend. They were playing all their backups in a
game they didn't need at all. Philly had to have it. And it's a six point game and they're on side kicking at the end. It's a hell of a job by the Giants. Great job by us. One of our eleven script picks was plus fourteen Giants plus fourteen, way too many points. It was plus sixteen and a half by kickoff once field was playing. If you're Philly, you gotta be concerned you're playing your worst football at the end of the year. Hurts does not look right, and
maybe he'll get right in the next two weeks. But who knows and whomever you play in round one or in round two, pardon me, by definition, will be coming off their best moment of their season. You're not gonna be playing Seattle because the Niners are gonna annihilate Seattle. So in round one you will either be playing the Giants, a divisional rival who knows you and just plays you tough with their.
BACKUPSL Jones rubbing his hands right now.
Oh okay, like you like that meme, the Birdman meme, the Cowboys who you've beaten once, they've beaten you once, or Tom Brady in the Bucks who knocked you out of the playoffs last year. If you're Philly, I know Eagles fans hate me and they don't like to hear me saying it, but you've been staring one and done in the face for weeks and now it feels like it's coming closer. Then there's the Cowboys, Demansey, that was
a mortifying performance. Yeah, and you can't even give them the excuse of well, once they saw Philly was all, you know, running away with the Giants game, they stopped. No, because the Giants were in a better position to beat Philadelphia and open up the NFC East for the Dallas than Dallas was to beat Washington, who kicked their ass for sixty minutes. Worst Dak Prescott game maybe ever another pick six by him, Sam bleeping Howell cut up the
Cowboys pass defense. It was pathetic game. You played all your starters, you treated it like it was important, because it was. It is the worst possible way to go into the playoffs. And it shows such a to me emotional immaturity by that football team to not be able to like because I the way they played to me, it was like, all right, yeah, we know, if we win and if the Giants, I'm sorry, and if we win and if the Eagles lose, yeah we win the division.
But the Eagles aren't gonna lose, and so whatever, You've got to be able to lock in. And Dak's interception problem is bananas. The guy tied for the league league in interceptions, he missed the third of the season. So, like everybody is making the point I shouldn't say, I understand the point of Usually the league leader in interceptions are the best quarterbacks, and so right now this year, the guys with the most picks, Dak Prescott Davis Mills
not one of the best quarterbacks. Kirk Cousin's fine, Derek Carr not one of the best quarterbacks. But then Josh Allen, Matt Ryan got Matt Ryan. Come on, man, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow. Those are the guys on your list, right But those guys played fifteen, sixteen, seventeen games. Dak played twelve games and had was it fifteen picks? Dallas has to be terrified. Here is the silver lining for Dallas. Everybody knows Jerry Jones has loved Sean Payton for a
long time. Given how they played that game. If the Bucks beat him, I think they might fire McCarthy and give Sean Payton twenty million. And I think if you're Sean Payton, you kind of have a quarterback. If you go there, you're you're in the NFC.
You know.
Sean Payton's meeting with Denver today. We'll talk more about that Broncos Chargers game, another one I nailed in the picks, even though the Chargers played their starters, which the reason I picked Denver was because I thought they wouldn't. But the Chargers and the Cowboys had the two most emotionally devastating losses this weekend, and Dallas is in real trouble going into this playoff game, which against Tampa, Tampa team that somehow has more momentum than them.
All right, next, all right, so the biggest story this week is definitely with Damar Hamlin. Yeah, he's doing very well, seems to be recovering. And the Bills added to that with the win. Oh they even knocked out the Patriots in the process. I don't really think anybody feels comfortable playing Buffalo right now, especially you.
Are the Bills starting to look like a team of destiny.
All Right, so listen the demark that kickoff return touchdown is one of the greatest, most unbelievable sports moments I've ever seen.
Yeah, and it's like straight out of a movie.
Well, so you know Ernie Johnson, he goes inside the NBA with Kenny and Chuck and Jack. Ernie's a religious guy, and Ernie no, Ernie tweeted, I thought I'd never heard it put like this, and I'm obviously not a religious guy, but I thought it was a cool concept. Ernie tweeted, a god wink in Buffalo, and I ang, what that means is he believes occasionally certain things happen and it's God like, you know, winking at just saying I'm here. I've never heard of put like that. I thought that
was pretty cool. Yeah, And I don't know if Ernie came up with that or if that's just something people exactly right, you know what I mean. That's why I thought it was so cool. Was it was like a but whatever it was, it was a magical moment. With that said, and the Bills might be a team of destiny and Damar is going to get out of the hospital and they might bring him who could he be on the sidelines for some of these games?
Maybe?
Uh. With that said, the Bills didn't play great. Josh Allen had two unbelievable throws. Those two touchdowns were on the money rocket ships. They're unbelievable throws. But if I'm the Bills, I'm more than a little concerned about my past defense that let Mac Jones for a large part of that game. Deal, I'm concerned into that after the opening kick return, we then found ourselves down seventeen to fourteen to the Patriots. Even though the Patriots couldn't get
a call to save their lives. And then you had another kick return touchdown. Do you know what I mean to put yourself in position? It's right, And the Patriots were in the game exactly right after that. So there are some points of concern. Now if you are Buffalo, where you are very happy is that you got as close as you could get to a bye in round one unless Tua comes back. So the Dolphins without two have been a total disaster. Like the Bengals, if Lamar plays,
have a real game on their hands. The Ravens with that defense, if Lamar plays, that's a real game. The Jags charges coin flip game, you know. And so the and by the way, I think that the Patriots showed you that maybe they could fight with Buffalo if they would have snuck in the Steelers just because of Tomlin and you know what I mean, the defense they now they beat the Steelers like thirty eight to three earlier this year. So maybe not. But the Dolphins without Tua
should be a very soft spot. Yeah, I I would be nerve from a just football perspective, I would be nervous if I'm Buffalo about playing Cincinnati in Round two, even though the game would be in Buffalo. From a non football perspective, that would be one of the spookiest games ever played, right, you know what I mean? The same two teams chance to go to the AFC title game a month after. Now, maybe a little less spooky because looks like everything's gonna be fine with Damar, but
still odd. Now, that would be an unbelievable sports moment as well. If that's when Damar makes his return to the not to play, but his return to the team. And I think he and that there's a lot that could happen.
A lot riding on that game Buffalo.
Yeah, of course. And then and so Team of Destiny is on the board for the Bills, it's also on the board. And I don't I feel uncomfortable saying this, then maybe you shouldn't say it, but no, so I'll just be from a football perspective purely, DeMar was their backup safety because they're all pro safety went out with an injury early in the year, and he was playing great. With DeMar now out, they're now on their third string safety. And if you're playing the Bengals in that passing attack,
that's you know what I mean. That's concerning in and of it. So there's a lot of things. If I think everyone there's a part of them that are rooting for the Bills right now. But and I'm not gonna whether they had dominated that football game, it lost that football game against the Patriots, or it had been the way it was kind of a mixed bag, some good, some bad. I think there is a lot of unknown to how all of this is going to impact and affect them all.
Right, next, so your Kansas City San Francisco Super Bowl prediction.
Is very much how's that look in America?
It's looking pretty good.
Let's just see right now what my old fifty to one ticket right now, what it would be. You can keep talking. I'm just gonna look up what a Kansas City, San Francisco. Well, let's see. Hold on NFL Super Bowl the uh oh wait, hold on conferences is what I want. Oh, the Chiefs are the favorites in the AFC. The Niners are almost a favorite in the NFC. So I got Kansas City, San Francisco at fifty to one. Yep, if you want to make it right now, it's seven to one.
Wow.
So that means that means thousand dollars ticket right now is worth because if my ticket, if it wins, seventy bucks or something like no, no, no, seven no, no no, So my right. If you wanted to make fifty grand, which is what mine would make on you would have to mine thousand dollars tickets worth seven thousand dollars. Okay, if I put it up on prop swap or whatever, I'd be able to get about seven grand for it. Now Am I selling it? Of course not, but it's it's looking good. But go ahead.
In the AFC, the Chiefs.
Are once again the one seed for the third time in five years. I know you want to brag about that, though the Arrowhead Invitational may need to go on the road this year. ANDAs City is literally playing their opponents right now, and San Francisco is riding a league leading ten game wins winning streak into the playoffs. After watching the entire season, as anything changed your mind?
No, nothing at all, and.
Spoken like a true stubborn and.
Can we show you guys what the I mean the Chiefs? Demas, did you see you were? What the ring around the Rosie play? Were we watching together? I can't remember Saturday if we were watching together or not? I mean, they're I mean, they're toying with people, and I want to see the update on Frank Clark's health. And but the Chiefs are in as good a position as you could possibly be in and Mahomes but you know what's not in today's show, who's the NFL MVP? You know why?
Because there's no debate. Mahomes should get every single first place vote. He should, and that debates over. And are the Chiefs gonna miss Tyreek Kill? That debates over. And the Chiefs young defense is surging at the end of the year and they put it on the Raiders. The Niners, on the other hand, are okay, well you play who was on your schedule. The Niners, on the other hand, are a machine. They haven't lost since they played Kansa
City when Kansady kicked the crap out of them. And on the broadcast yesterday they said they're undefeated with Christian McCaffrey. I watched Christian McCaffrey play the Chiefs and loose, so that score the first Yeah, exactly, That's how I know they're not undefeated with him. But Rock Party is better than Jimmy Garoppolo. I'm ready to say it. Rock Purty is awesome.
He's got a nice story too.
He's unbelievable. Yeah, and so the Niners are terrifying.
All right, next, all right, since you didn't get to use your bonus time last week, we will give you a shot to talk about your favorite topic on this slot, and that, of course, is the Prince that was promised.
He won the AFC South.
Great prediction by another winning bet.
Yes, Tannehill got injured and the Titans lost seven straight, but still regardless, good call. You were definitely a little nervous Saturday night. Now it gets a little bit tougher, extremely tougher. It's not the Titans.
Uh.
He faces another untested playoff quarterback and Justin Herbert regular season is over. Who cares about the AMC self? Who do you trust to actually win this game?
Is that a real question? I mean, we're late, so I'll go fast.
I'm the Jacks.
The Jags are not I said this before, I will say it again. I said this two weeks ago. The Jags are not losing again until they come to Arrowhead in the divisional round and lose to the Chiefs. And in fact, for folks watching the pod, little spoiler, don't tweet about this, This will be our little secret. Those trumpeteers from First Things First, they're back today, bringing them back to celebrate the royal pronouncement of another championship. For
Trevor Lawrence. I mean all this guy does is play football and win titles.
And stretch you out and lose your money.
Twenty okay, twenty fourteen Trevor Lawrence, Georgia's six A Regional Champ, twenty fifteen, Trevor Lawrence, Georgia's six A Regional Champ, twenty seventeen, Trevor Lawrence, Oh no, I skip twenty thirteen, twenty thirteen Regional Champ, twenty sixteen, twenty fifteen and sixteen or sixteen seventeen Regional and State twenty eighteen goes Clemson ACC and National Championship twenty nineteen and twenty twenty back to back ACC championships twenty twenty one didn't happen. Twenty twenty two.
AFC South Championship. Guy just wins jewelry. So all he does wins jewelry and has luxurious hair, and he's about to kick the crap out of the Chargers. We will. What's the question? AFC South Championship. Yeah, they hang banners for that, buddy. I don't know which one of our smart ass producers put question works on that, probably which everyone's a Washington fan because they got no championship banners to hang out of any sort in the last thirty years.
But yeah, we hang banners. That's what Trevor Lawrence does. We will talk about the Chargers, we will talk about the Dolphins. We will do oh and the craziest battle for the number one pick you've ever seen. All that's next, Quick break, ninety second break, be right back, what's right?
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All Right, welcome back. In Episode one, fifteen. What's right with Nick? Right by the way. I want to try something maybe on Thursday's show, maybe next Thursday show, or you know what, Yeah, one of the upcoming Thursday shows. I want to try something which is instead of a traditional rundown for the second segment of the show, I want to in the I want to kind of do interactive like I read the comments as they come in
and respond to them. I know we do. We're gonna answer your comments at the end, but I've never I thought about it, and I was like, I could almost treat this like my old radio show where we have a text line where people can just comment in and we can almost have a free format. Maybe we do that Thursday. Maybe we do it afterwards. I'm not sure. But that's gonna be on there. That's gonna be on the board coming up for folks that are watching live
on YouTube. But don't forget about your comments. And last week, sorry that we weren't able to get to many of your comments because we went so late last week. And then we had our great Jeopardy champion Lloyd, who's a big fan of Demonse. He's a big fan of the pod. Shout out Lloyd who I'm sure is listening to this. Yeah, he did. He's a fun guy. He's a fun guy. I like him, and he also used his like is a little bit of many Jeopardy slash What's Right podcast
notoriety to promote some good causes. I thought it was cool. So we'll get to your guys comments in the YouTube section in the next segment. But there's more week eighteen to discuss or demonte Go right ahead, all right.
The Dolphins clinched the seventh seed in disgusting fashion without even scoring a touchdown on the Jets. When I asked about tour, returning head coach Mike McDaniel wouldn't comment.
But after his third.
Concussion, everything going on, you know, like with themar and stuff, shouldn't it have just been a no period. It's not like Miami's gonna go in there and upset Buffalo for being honest. Would it have been better for the Dolphins just to lose outright, to avoid these type of questions and put this season the rest.
No, I don't think it would have been good for them just to lose outright. I So here's the thing I left this in there. I saw the third concussion thing, and everyone is saying it's a third concussion, which is why I left it in there. It should be noted the Dolphins and Tua still claimed have a concussion the first time. That's a second concussion. That the first time in the game against the Bills. I think it was
when he fell that it was a back injury. I'm not saying they're right or wrong, but we talked about that before. Now the Dolphins thing was clearly a concussion, and obviously the most recent one was a concussion. My my question is this, if Tua clears the protocol and the doctors say he's gone through all the concussion protocol steps, if he wants to play, should he be allowed to?
And I think it is very important that the that players are not allowed to insert themselves back into a game or fight to play if they are suspected of having a concussion, even before you definitively know it, because if they were concussed, they might not be of their right mind. True, but if it's been weeks later and now all the so let me again, let me be I want to be very judicious with my words here.
Years ago, we didn't know the impacts of CTE long term concussions, all of it, and one could argue that in people did argue the league was intentionally hiding it from its players that was abhorrent. But now the information's out there, nobody can say, oh, I didn't know. Everybody knows. So the question that I would be asking is should Tua, if he's cleared, be allowed to make that decision for himself.
The doctor comes to him and says, if you suffer another concussion in the next weeks, your long term neurological function could be significantly hampered and your chances of significant terrible outcome are drastically increased. Should he be allowed to get that information and say I choose to play. I don't think it's as cut and dry as I think
some media members make it out to be. I think if Tua has said, I, do you know how many sacrifices I made throughout my entire life to get to this point and this is a potential fork in the road in my career. The Dolphins might go after Tom Brady again, But if I go out there and ball out, it's hundreds of millions of dollars my lifelong dream. So I don't think it's as simple as Mike McDaniel simply
saying we're not allowing him to play. Now. If he doesn't come out of the protocol, then he can't play. But if he does come out of the protocol, should he be allowed to make that choice? That's kind of what I think. I think that to protect him from yourself.
So it's only when in the immediate moments.
After the correct when you don't know if there are the now. I also do think that the protocol is good where it shouldn't be the he's a grown man element of it shouldn't apply to you're still in concussion protocol. I want to play anyway, No, but if you clear it, I should he be able to make that choice? I think he should. Like Now again, I've got to walk
a very careful type rope here man loves to play football. Well, let me ask you this, what if this offseason Damar Hamlin is clear, should he be able to make that choice on his own? I say absolutely, I should he be able to flatly say I've talked with the doctors. They've said what happened to me was, I think it's, you know, like getting struck by lightning. I'm making the choice another question. If the doctors clear him, but tell him because this happened, it is more likely to happen
to you again. But it is still the odds are whatever astronomical enough to with the doctors clear him. I think everyone would argue he should be able to make that choice. So I don't think it is as cut and dry as some people make it out to me. And I want to make one other point. Mitch Morris is the center for the Buffalo Bills. Right a month ago he got his sixth career concussion. He's already back
playing now. I have read certain things that say concussion that are suffered from in back to the front of your brain are different than the I don't want to say his aren't as bad, bird different than the ones that you get like tua gut from the back of your head. And I'm not a doctor, so maybe these are not an apples apples comparison. But I think it's a bit of a nuanced conversation, all right, now a much more fun conversation. Go ahead, demantsei, all right.
For some strange reason, the Texans had a comeback drive to beat the Colts.
You tweeted that the Texans should have kneeled on their two point attempt.
Yeah, maybe Texans ownership agreed with you, because Lovey was fired Sunday night. Was winning the game a more fireable offense than losing it would have been. Okay, this is the second black coach to get fired for winning games in like the last year that I've heard of.
Okay, so let's talk about that just for a second. In twenty eighteen, there was one black coach hired, Steve Wilkes. You lasted one year and they fired him. The next black head coach hired was Brian Flores. Lasted three years and was fired ostensibly for not participating in tampering and for winning too many games, and he filed a lawsuit.
Yep.
You then had David Cully hired by the Houston Texans, fired after one year, then had Lovey Smith hired by the Houston Texans, fired after one year. Todd Bowles was also hired this year, and we'll you know, he's not going to get fired this season. It is a bad, bad suit. And you know what I shooting Mike McDaniel. I think his dad's black to the coach of the Dolphins. I think people don't know people didn't know he was black.
But you can see he's a little season and so okay.
And so it's a really terrible look for the league and for the Texans to hire these guys that no one else was looking at. The hire just to fire him after a year is mortified.
Right, And then you're losing all these games, and then you fire him after a win.
Okay.
So the timing of it is also just like, so, I get you don't want to win because.
You no, no, they didn't fire. I think they were firing and win or lose. He met with ownership the day before the game to try to make the case that he should keep his job. You have no good players, like the Texans are trying to be bad to try to dig them to get the number one pick, and they so now, so listen, there is what's going on. Black coaches in the league's bad, bad, bad situation. There's
no question about it. Now to the number one pick thing, it is categorically insane that they did not kneel that two point conversion. I understand the idea of wanting to play hard in the season on a high note, see what guys can do. All that's fine. They had an opportunity to thread the perfect needle, play hard for fifty nine minutes, show you could have won, and then hold on to the most important asset that you can have when it comes to acquiring players, the number one pick.
Right now, they have the number two pick and the number twelve pick. If they want the number one pick, they would probably get it if they traded the Bears the number two pick and the number twelve pick Bears, because the Bears don't want a quarterback anyway, Bears moved down one spot pick up the twelfth pick. You could have just had it right by kneeling the two point conversion. And again, that is it. And I know people thought
I was crazy when I said it. If I told you your team or any team had the opportunity to acquire an incredibly valuable resource to team building and they directly chose not to, you would say, well, that's ridiculous, But that's what they did for what? So the players can go into the offseason feeling better. No, when you fire your coach, most of the players are gone anyway, so the coach can build something. No, he's fired. So the quarterback. No, you're gonna draft a quarterback now? Would
they get in trouble with the league. I don't know. Maybe we're not gonna strip them with the pick. Yeah, you can't have that in front of you, the opportunity. And this is even about me being so convinced Bryce Young's better than c. J. Stroud. It's not that. It's that even if you weren't gonna use the number one pick, even if you wanted to trade the number one pick, it was right there and it wasn't going to undermine the integrity of the whole sport.
I was just gonna say that, what go ahead. These guys like value the integrity of this.
But I don't think I think that if you threw the game, that would undermine the integrity of it. There are a lot, but like from start to finish, you played as hard as you could, You came out great, you gave up the lead, you converted two fourth and longs, including a touchdown fourth and twenty. You can lay down your sword. Then at the end we could have won the game. It was all it was possible for us to win. But we have. We're trying to become a
good franchise again. The number one pick's valuable. Instead, the Bears start two to one and when once the rest of the way and get the number one pick. Now, there are so many interests, we'll go ahead and ask your follow up.
Uh, I think thanks to former Bears coach former Bears and now former Texans head coach Love Smith, Chicago now is the first pick and a franchise quarterback? Or do they should the Bears trade the number one pick or I'm sorry, or pick Bryce Young in trade fields?
Well let me give you another option.
Oh here it is.
Justin fields for Lamar. Who says no. So the Ravens are in oriards. Maybe, but I think Lamar wants to guaranteed money and they've got the most caps play, saying tema the league. Via the number one pick, you can get a bunch of assets, multiple first round picks, players, a lot of stuff. The Ravens clearly don't want to pay Lamar, but they have a particular type of offense. It's not like they could trade Lamar for draft picks
and be like, we're signing Derek Carr. Their offense necessitates, which is why all their backup quarterbacks are just worse and worse versions of Lamar. Just go from Lamar to Tyler Hunley to Anthony Brown. It's just super athletic, mobile guys and their throwing ability just gets worse as you go down to depth chart. I mean that's what the So the Bears thing is fascinating because you have to
either trade justin fields or the number one pick. It would be franchise malpractice in a draft where there's multiple quarterbacks that people want to keep the number one pick and draft Will Anderson from Alabama the defensive end. You've got to you gotta flip it. Somebody threw this out there on Twitter. I think it's interesting. They trade the
number one pick to Houston for two and twelve. They then trade the number two pick to Seattle for five and twenty, so you then see Houston gets their quarterback, Seattle gets their quarterback. You then have the fifth, twelfth, and twentieth picks of this year's draft. Probably could trade one of those like the twelfth for future first the Bears can retool everything.
Yeah.
And by the way, on this pod, I want to shout out because one of the and Lorie, our social media manager, told me someone in the comments last week suggested the fields for Lamar thing. I didn't see that until I had tweeted about it. I don't see the comments during the show, but whomever that is, I don't want you to think I'm stealing your takes. But somebody else asked in the Last Time Last Pod what pods I listen to first and pod it's they have it
all screwed up? And how you have to search for it. The only way you can find it is if you type in first with the number one st and then for and use the amper signs, ampersand sign Well. It's hosted by Danny and Philippony and Danny Parkins and Andrew Philipponi. They do a great job on it, but Danny does radio on the Score in Chicago, and so they've got content all summer. Unbelievable. All right, we've got a game to play. We are as late as we've ever been. My apologies.
Go ahead, all right, man, So as you can see with the wig, we were playing Public Defender today.
Yeah, there is getting a little long, so it is a little tough.
So something.
Yeah, some coaches are gonna get bad news today, maybe even while we're on the air, So plead their cases. Let's bring in Nick right, Public Defenders first off, First case, we got here is Brandon Staley charges head coach. Brandon Staley left his starters in a game that meant nothing and still managed to lose to US and the Broncos. Even after Mike Williams got hurt, Justin Herbert was still in the game. Staley lost one of his last supporters, Nick Right, I think we're gonna show the tweet.
Okay, I wrote, Staley might have lost me a supporter after this. What are you doing? You've been riddled with injuries all year. You're locked in the five seed Shore to treat this game like a bye, so foolish, go ahead.
Good thing.
He has one supporter who will never leave this side because he can't Nicholas Wright esquire counselor defend your client, Brandon Staley.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to consider the full circumstances of the situation. Mike client, Brandon Staley. Have you seen how he treats the preseason in the league, doesn't play any of his relevant players one snap throughout this year. He saw this Chargers team riddled with injuries in a way almost no team in the league, certainly no team to make the playoffs. Dealt with. He has
key guys who have long injury histories. Furthermore, after the one o'clock games with Baltimore losing, my client knew his team was locked into the five seed. Could not improve the seed, could not hurt the seed. The only bad outcome would be players getting hurt. The worst possible outcome would be players getting hurt. And you lose some positive momentum by actually trying in the game and losing to
the terrible Broncos. Yet all of that happened, to which I say, is there any possible explanation other than temporary insanity? Is the actions of a sane man? Is this the actions of a man who rises to the top of his profession, who clearly understands win, probability and some of the advanced, more nuanced parts of the sport if he had his full faculties about him. It is not.
So.
When something is inexplicable, sometimes it is because it cannot be explained because either the supernatural is involved or someone has is having an out of body experience. And Brandon Staley, who some of the sharpest football minds in America, Folks that are sharp enough to be able to go eleven to three, picking against the spread in the final week of the season, sharp enough to see the Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs and the Tampa Bay Bucks season under
and all those things. Those people have always said, my client's brilliant, and yet he does this. So I don't know if it was possession of a football demon or simply old school temporary insanity, but that was not my client out there making those ridiculous, disastrous, season changing decisions. He never would he never has.
I rest my kicks, Jorge.
Yeah, I mean if you guys couldn't tell, I can't defend that.
Yeah, that was terrible. That was terrible, especially I mean just being the Chargers.
I mean I think any other team could have done that type of thing, like anything.
But particularly them, particularly them terrible. Next next up, we got Bill Belichick. So he says that he's coming back next year, but should he. Patriots had one of the worst offenses in the league this year. We haven't won a playoff game since Tom Brady left. Bill Belichick was so scared after two kick returns for a touchdown that he called for a kick out of bounds. His coaching staff is full of his family and his yes men
counselor defend your client, the coward, Bill Belichick. I mean, do you think you could win more games with Mac Jones? I like to see you try. I don't know. I'm just Oh, you're gonna say my special teams is the problem.
Were you saying that when the special teams won us the Jets game, when we had three points because Mac Jones, our quarterback and a punt return once the game, you're saying, oh, my sons, my sons on the defensive side of the staff, That defense that in this game, with all that emotion from Buffalo, held them to twenty one offensive points, That defense that has scored a half dozen touchdowns on their own, that defense that won them the uh the game last
week against the Miami Dolphins with a pick six. Guys, the villain here is not me and my six Super Bowl rings. The villain here is my quarterback, my client's quarterback. Pardon me, my quarterback who what was our lowest point of the season, the double lateral? Well, my quarterback was fault for that twice once because he has such a
noodle arm. I couldn't throw my client couldn't call a hil Mary and the other is because for a guy who seems to love cheap shotting and tripping and going after guys knees just got mushed faced by Chandler Jones to the core of the earth. So how are you blaming me, uh rather than my quarterback? Do you have a follow up question, counselor Uh? I think you do? Oh, your honor, we.
Should I think next time we should do public defender defend mac Jones. But uh, yeah, so did your client draft mac Jones in round one last year?
Uh?
That's was on the recommendation of Nick Sabanza one second, one second ar here. If it pleases the court, allow me to answer the first question. Uh, my client was led astray by alleged good friend Nick Saban, mac Jones's coach at University of Alabama, and I would like to present it in the court that my client has not spoken with Nick Saban since that incitant. In fact, the relationships ruined because this was obviously bamboozled him.
Uh.
So there's all mac Jones not on me, Bill Belichick, I won six Super Bowls. Mac Jones stinks.
Bailey's appy on here though, man out there, and you took him out.
You know there might have been a little ownership medaling there, but my client doesn't want to blame others.
Next clame insanity.
All right, Only the saw goodment of the sports world could possibly defend Jeff Saturday. He lost seventh straight after his debut victory and blew the largest lead in NFL history and managed to win a game or lose a game that he was trying to win that he should have been trying to lose. Counselor to defend your client, Jeff Saturday.
I mean, did my client fail or did he succeed in ways you couldn't imagine? What was What do you think when Jim Rsay hired my client fresh off America's ninth favorite sports television show?
What was the job to make history?
Oh?
You think so? Do you think it was to win football games? Or do you think it was to take a three.
What was it? Three break?
No? I'm sorry. When my client was hired, his team was three, five and one, and my client had one job, make sure we have a top five pick, and you wake up this morning and we have the fourth pick of the draft. And we managed that despite the fact that my client was up against impossible odds of playing Josh McDaniels and the Raiders in the first game, and while they were supposed to lose that game, they couldn't.
My client is so good losing. He managed to lose to a team that was playing for the number one pick. My client, what more? You do you think my client failed or was the only person in the world who could have found ways to have a lead against Philadelphia in the final minute and then lose it to let the Steelers score twenty four. You think it's a coincidence that my client's teams were, you know, in all these games through three quarters and then amazingly, in the fourth
quarter they were outscored. Let me go ahead and check that they were in the fourth quarter this year, going into the final week this season outscored in ninety seven to nine. My client who was down a field goal against the Cowboys and then the Cowboys scored thirty three fourth quarter points. My client that was up thirty three
on the Vikings and then lost that game. Outright, You my client that found a way to not only improve our draft position in the final week of the year, but cost our divisional rival, the Texans the number one pick. You think he was trying to win these games, or you think he did exactly what he was told to. Uh, sorry that we're playing five D chests over here and you guys are playing checkers. My client was hired to lose, hired to cost the Texas the number one pick. Check check.
I think you might be coach of the year. I rest my case. You're honor tampering, tampering with what what do you mean, tampering.
The integrity of the sport, trying to lose game?
Well, you know what, that's not my client's job. My client was hired by Jim irsay Jemmersey can answer Roger Goodell, not my client. He's got a segment on Get up to Do and he should be available for that here very shortly. All right, take quick break, come back, answer your questions. What's right? All right? Welcome back. In episode one fifteen, we'll try a little breaking news, and I think good news. Kevin Durant has an MCL spring, So it's good news because it's not an ACL and it's
not a tear. So he's gonna be reevaluated in two weeks. And Wode says there's optimism he's gonna miss less time than the six weeks he missed when he got hurt last year. So it's obviously Nets are rolling. They're eighteen and two. Durant's playing like an MVP, but that looked like it could be season ending. And the fact that it's Shu, you know, say he misses a month, they should be able to survive that. By the way, the Thursday night, if you're available Nets Celtics, Yeah, Bartha saw, Yeah,
I had. I had those, all four of those tickets spoken for, but then I kind of barked at demons irrationally last night, so now I'm giving them a ticket. I didn't know how mad you were going to be at me this morning, but you've handled this show quite well. Maybe you're just being a professional. But then I was gonna make it up to you with a ticket so you could see your beloved Celtics, So I figured we're good. My apologies for yesterday I was tired and arguing and whatever.
All right, let's go on to reading the listener comments.
Go ahead, all.
Right, dan As, who is winning the Natty tonight Georgia by.
More than thirteen?
Hopefully I'm betting on that game.
Actually, what are you betting on?
I'm kidding.
Okay, yeah, listen, TCUs that an unbelievable season. Georgia probably has twenty five NFL players on the roster. TCU might have five. I understand underestimating TCU has been a money costing thing, but I think if someone was gonna get Georgia, it should have been Ohio State. Last week they didn't
get them. I think Georgia rolls. I'm also listen, I bet this the moment the line came out at minus thirteen, thinking would be minus fourteen and a half by kickoff, and I could middle it take TCU plus fourteen and a half and try to land exactly on fourteen and when both it is stayed at thirteen consistently. That surprised me. But I like Georgia a lot.
Okay, I'm gonna have to watch this game.
Yeah, I want to see how twenty NFL future players play against five.
Yeah yeah, I mean it'll the you the talent discrepancy in this game. And to use TU has had an amazing season and their quarterback is an amazing story. Every single player that Georgia will feature except for their quarterback. Literally, I shouldn't say every of these guys will play in the league of their key contributors except for their quarterback, who's five foot eleven and has no business playing as well as he's played the last two years, and he's
about to be a back to back national champion. It's unbelievable. So TCU clearly as the better quarterback. Georgia has literally the better everything else, and I think they're going to roll them next Interesting.
All right, Marcus Trevino said, you have often floated the idea of allowing playoff teams to draft their opponents. How do you think the bracket would look like if that were to happen.
Uh?
So, I think in the AFC, the Bills would be picking the Dolphins, There's no question about it. I think the Bengals. The Bengals might pick the Chargers over the Ravens until, like I angry that it would be tricky. I think you'd rather play the Chargers right now than the Ravens if Lamar is coming back. If Lamar is not coming back, obviously you'd rather play, uh the way I said that wrong? But if with that, if Lamar
is not coming you'd want to play the Ravens. But if he is, so maybe I didn't say it wrong. In the NFC, the Niners would one hundred draft Seattle Minnesota would be drafting the Giants. So in this scenario, it wouldn't change much at all. Actually there are certain ye like but let's say the Packers had won last night. The Niners might then pick the Giants, you know, as oppose a red hot Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. But because of how it fell, I think it's fine all right.
Next, Singleton ask how many coaching coaching changes do you expect to see this offseason?
I mean at least half a dozen. I don't want to go through all of them right now, though we we'll hear more about that, but I don't. I'd have to go through the whole thing. And the Cowboys might fire McCarthy if they lose to the box.
Next, uh, Sam I am said, Yo, Demonse, when we get that stream back up, you owe me a game?
What is he?
When are you doing it?
I'll actually do it. I'll do it tonight. I've been I've been really improving at.
Madd DeMont had an unbelievable thing I've never seen happen. Demand was playing a guy and then the game paused and the game sent him a message, Oh yeah, saying saying you're better than we thought or something ye like we've we've misaligned your opponents.
Yeah, exactly, No, that that films.
I've never seen that happen.
Yeah, I mean I was beating one dude like thirty three to six, and then the next game after they sent me the message, I beat a guy forty nine to nine.
So hey, guys, can't beat me, but he's getting back. Or at Madden, how you beat me the one time? It's fair? We do random team sometimes. Demande also has gotten smart. He's rolling with the Chiefs.
Rolling with it.
He's a big difference playing that game when you have a quarterback who can throw versus one who can't. All right, we'll see you guys on Thursday. Fun TV show playing for you today, and the trumpet tears are back. We'll talk to you guys on Thursday. What's right,