January 1, 2026 • 40 mins
In Hour 2 of the show, Brian and Geoff discuss the Oregon Ducks taking on Texas Tech in the College Football Preview on the next slate of playoff games. Plus, the guys talk about week 18 headlining games and why things should have switched around and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh, good morning, Welcome in, Happy Thursday, Happy New Year,
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Let's get after it. I'll tell you what Jeff.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Twenty twenty five ended in maybe the best way possible
for myself. Not only was I right about Ohio State
being ripe for the picking and losing out right, I'll
tell you what I Finally, Jeff, I don't know how
I can accurately describe this. And we'll get to your
ducks here momentarily take it on Texas Tech. But I
(00:32):
can't describe to you how it has hurt my soul
year in and year out to lose the annual Mario
Kart showdown to my nephew Mini Matt. Every single year
he beats me. He'll maybe he'll win. Seventeen to fifteen,
we do thirty two races.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Old school.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Let's get out and we document it. We film it,
We do a whole thing.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We take a picture, we put all the bells and
whist those, the graphic on it, and there it goes.
That's another year in the books. I have won this
thing once, right, it goes all the way back to
like nine. We've done it every year. I've won it once.
It was a decade ago, in twenty fifteen. And you
know what happened yesterday, Jeff, I want to yet, finally,
victory is mine. I tasted the sweet nectar of wins
(01:21):
here and I got it done and it was sweet.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I just want to tell you where were yet? Oh
it was at least I.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Would say at least plus two I would say plus
two fifteen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So we're like in Miami territory here, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Right around there, yep, yeah, yeah, that's where I was.
And I just I showed the physicality just like you
know the O line, the D line, like you know.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Baine Junior and Messidor. That was me.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I showed real physicality during the Mario Kart showdown yesterday
and I got it done. Man, it was fantastic. You
would have saluted me like great driving. Note I think
you would have said that great driving. No is what
you would have said.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I probably would have said that, you know me very well,
that's right. My uh. We got my son a PS
five for Hanukkah, and my wife went with him to
like gameshop to buy games and there was a Mortal Kombat,
like old school Mortal Kombat and she convinced my son
(02:25):
to get it, and he's like, what's in Mortal Kombat? Mom?
Like why would I get this? And he's had the
most fun playing it.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Oh, nice, Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
We've been playing with him. So I beat him the
first time we played, and I was like, bro, what
are you doing? Like you're He's like, Dad, I'm like
trying to like press this button. Like, dude, just start
spamming buttons, bro, like just start just start mashing the keypad, like.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Just starting yeah, And he's.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Like really, I'm like, yes, just start hitting buttons. Who
cares what moves they do, Just start start mashing stuff.
He's like really, Dad, I'm like yes. And then he
started mashing up and beat me immediate like just like
I'm like, what are you like, stop being so perfrading.
He's like, Dad, I'm trying to block and I'm setting
out my move of no, don't do any of that.
Just start pressing buttons. And finally he started pressing buttons
(03:13):
because his mom smoked him, Like Meredith came out just
like beat them multiple times, just fifteen times in a row,
like buddy, great, Like Buddy, you have to start just
hitting buttons stop because my son's very analytical and very.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah yeah, yeah, I'm trying to go with this this
complex combo and I'm a little slow with it, so
it's not doing it. And you're like, bro, just just
mash him, man.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Just start hitting buttons. So he started hitting buttons and
he's been so much better. So the joy of playing
some of these old school video games is a lot
of fun. I play them a couple of times. And
we obviously we don't have Mario Kart. They'll probably have
it for PS five.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Right, I don't know, they might.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
They might have to switch. I mean, he's got a switch,
and we can get it for his switch. I would imagine.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah, it should be there too. I love the old
school version. Man, the old school. That's what we've done.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Would you play on sixty four?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Uh no, it's just a wi It's just like the.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Wheel. Okay, yeah, yeah, we used to have a WEE.
I don't know if we still do. Uh if not,
I mean it's gotta be. My house is eight years old.
It's got nine years it's gotta be nine years old.
If we have a Wii and then we got we
would have got it when we built the house. I
mean we might still have it in the playroom. That'd
be pretty funny. Fucking find it for us.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
You should dust it off, man, get after it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's making me want one again.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
We yes, I used to play we bowling. That was fun.
WE bowling was good.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, and always throw the controller at the TV because
I used to put the thing on my wrist.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, you gotta strap in, man, you never know. Yeah,
that's right, that's right. Playing baseball sucked.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I'd get so mad because it would never get out
of the park.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I gotta flick the wrist. Yeah, I got it.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
A real fast story. I gotta tell you. I have
to tell you. It's based on that reminded me. So
we're playing we tennis back in the day and it's
my younger nephew, Tie and he's a young kid, I
don't know, like three, maybe he was tiny, you know,
maybe five something like that, and uh.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
He's teaching me.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
It's like, you got to flick the wrist and it
hits the ball really fast, right, And I'm like okay,
And I'm like all right. So I'm standing there and
I flick my wrist and I hear this like smack, and.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm like what in the world.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Like I look down and Tide's grabbing his head looking
at me like, ah, like you just hit me in
the back of the head. And it's one of those
things where it's like if you tell a kid or
say like, oh, buddy, are you okay, they freak out.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Man, they think they're gonna die.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
They're like, I don't think I'm okay, And I'm just like, oh,
you're fine, and he was like, I guess I'm fine.
Like it just he just went with it, like I'm like, yeah,
you're fine. I think may in my old concussion maybe,
but you're fine. You're fine, and crazy cry it all.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
It's great. It is crazy. How often if you just
tell a kid they're fine, they're.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Like okay, yeah, They're like I guess I'm good here.
Whatever they react how you react, that's right, Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
My wife will sometimes be like you to show more compassion.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I'm like, no, not really, it's all mental right, Like.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, we're preparing for sports, okay, meritith, that's right what
we're doing around. Yeah, we're hard we're hardcore. We're prepared.
Everything's fine. Like my favorite two is like Emmy got
hit by the baseball. A few times in softball this
year when I was out of town and my wife
would be at the games. She's not sports person at all,
like zero sports. She woun't play sports, like no idea.
(06:30):
She would text me like, and you got hit by
the ball. I'm saying something to the coach. I'm like, no,
you're not. Yeah, she's fine. I promise you. It sounded bad.
I promise you, she's gonna be okay, she's gonna be fine. No,
young at the coach, please of the other team. I
don't need that in my life. Please, don't you do it.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Anyways, by the way she did, she still like I
still thought it called for it. Yeah, yeah, you'll have
that sometimes I just yeah, yeah, the coach, I get it. Hey,
let's shift it to your ducks over here. So Oregon
taking on Texas Tech. It's a great, great matchup. I
can't wait for the battle in the trenches, like we
(07:08):
had that on full display last night with Ohio State
and Miami.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
That was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
If you're into the battle in the trenches, Oregon's running game,
Texas Tech's D line, their front seven, it is gonna
be awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Man.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
But I'm curious what you think about the points spread
in this game, right, Jeff.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So it's ticked up a little bit. Oregon now favored
by two and a half. The total is ticked down,
stick down a couple of points down to fifty and
a half. Now, like, what do you think of the
movement with either of those?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
So it's interesting based off of yesterday, because yesterday Miami
got steam.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Like big time, big time.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah right, yeah, nine and a half down to I
think like seven.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It was at least seven and a half. I don't
know if it got lower.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah, but yeah, I'm curious to see where where the
motion comes in today. Vegas has been an organ this week.
They've been the Sharps have been an organ this week.
I don't know if that matters to anybody, but just
that's that's what it is really on the money line,
to be honest with the Organ money. Look, well, obviously
went to orgon. I'm wearing my Organ sweatshirt, I Organ
(08:08):
duck mug right now, drinking my coffee out.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Of you wearing duck socks.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I mean, no duck socks, but I probably I probably should. No,
here's the deal. So last night, and again I don't
want to use last night to reinforce a lot of
what I sort of have thought about this game. But uh,
Oregon has talked extensively this season about what happened in
the playoff last year to Ohio States and how this
(08:35):
season was about preparing to play in this game today,
Like that's what the whole season was about. And you
listen the players talk, you listen to the coaches talk.
Of course, winning games the market season mattered to them,
but the goal was to get here in a different
place than they were last year. Last year they were
beat up. If you listen to players talking, they practiced
(08:58):
too hard, they were beat up. They just kind of
weren't ready for the moment. And this year they've been
preparing to play in this game all season, and that
I think really matters. Texas Tech has not been here before,
and there is a it's a natural it's a natural
human emotion. I think Orgon felt this last year to
be very happy to be there. Now, you still play hard,
(09:19):
you still prepare hard. We're like Ohio State last year
was sort of like on a mission to win a championship,
you know, And I think that does matter in a
game like this, right when it's a close game, but
one team has been there before the other team hasn't.
And we talked about Ohio State and and and their schedule.
I mean Texas Tech has played Nope, I mean yeah, okay,
(09:40):
b YU, but by us is not. They lose to
every playoff team right like they just would every every
power for a playoff team. Utah great season, can't pass
the football. They're not the same team as Oregon. And
I just think that those two things way heavy on
my mind. Is that Oregon has been preparing to play
(10:02):
this game all season, Tech Tech has not. And that
Texas this is the best team Texek has played all
season on both sides of the ball, best offense, maybe
not the best defense, but easily the best offense they
played all season. Oregon has played more teams that are
like Texas Tech than not. Right then that they put Iowa,
(10:24):
who's got great on defense. Look, the Penn State game
is what is but Penn State's still really good on defense.
Right they put Indiana. They've played like more teams that
are closer to Texas Tech. The tech Teck has played
in Oregon, So any of those things are pretty big
advantages in Oregon. How do you feel about those points
right now.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
You know what, I'm a little bit different than you.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I hear what you're saying, but I would actually point
to the NFL to make a point here, right like,
because you're talking about the path for Texas Tech, and
you're certainly right, like Oregon is easily the most quality
team that Texas Tech is going to face to this
point this season, right for sure, and that could make
the difference today.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
We'll see what happens.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
But there's one team that I think is being sold
short because of their their schedule, and that's the Patriots.
You hear this a lot where and there's a stat
there are popular tweets going out there where it's the
Patriots have beaten one team with the winning record this season,
and the Giants have beaten two teams with winning records
this season. So the takeaway is like, oh, okay, well,
(11:26):
the Patriots aren't going to do anything come playoff time.
And there's another stat here that's really interesting to me.
So the Patriots have won thirteen games this season, and
so the thirteen plus win teams in the history of
the NFL, like this is the Patriots. The Patriots have
played the easiest schedule since the nineteen ninety nine Rams,
(11:48):
and it's like, Okay, what did the ninety nine Rams
do that season?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Oh, that's they want it all. They won a super Bowl.
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So I think that it can be a mistake to say, oh, well,
this team has played a very favorable schedule and look,
that could come back to bite them. But if that
team is still really talented and Texas Tech is right,
that might not make the ultimate difference.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
They still could.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Get a big win even though they haven't been as
tested as they will be today against the.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Ducks, the two teams with the easiest schedules that have
won thirteen games. I saw the tweet the d eighteen
that's right. Yeah, it was a ninety one Buffalo Bills
who made the Super Bowl again and the niney nine Rams.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Right, and then seventy two Dolphins who went undefeated won
a super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So so it can't the Patriots take us more than like,
I just don't know if they're ready as a team yet,
Like they're just not.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah, they're not as good as the other teams are
going to play. They've had a good season. So Texas
Tech has these defensive ends that are incredible height and
Bailey and Rodriguez and Roberts at linebacker. But otherwise, I mean, look,
organize the advantage at quarterback, skill guys, tight end, depth
at running back in the secondary, like they they're better detackle.
(13:04):
So I feel good about where we're at as a team.
You know, no one's tried to run it in the
A gaps against Texas Tech. I think we will today.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Absolutely will try today.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Yeah, absolutely, And so I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
By the way, Like how successful was Miami last night
doing just that to run straight up the middle, right
to the teeth of the defense. They had a successful
carry after successful carry right up the middle man.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's what kind of gets me geeked about what Orgon
can do. And two like this is the healthiest we've
been all season on offense. I mean, we will have
our wide receivers back, which we don't have for the
last month. Yeah, I see people doing this thing, were like, well,
Oregon went to Island only scored eighteen points. I'm like, yeah,
we had two wide receivers. I go, what do you
want from us? Wisconsin? Then like the was it a
(13:51):
month soon? And we lost our quarterback and you know,
start the second half like this is you have to
again that you have to stop as a culturable fan.
In my opinion looking at results of games that happened
six weeks ago, Yeah, it really it really doesn't matter.
And so oh you to Utah in week three? Who
(14:12):
cares that the game was in September? Right, it doesn't
it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
How about this, What would you say to this, Jeff.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
If if you were to say, hey, Oregon does this
really well in the game, and you feel like that
that is the most important thing that gives them a
great chance to win the game, and vice versa. If
Texas Tech does this really well, you're like, I actually
really like their chances all of a sudden to win
the game.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
What would it be for each team?
Speaker 3 (14:42):
If we don't turn the ball over, we're going to win?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Okay, I I could you know.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
There's an organ account that does like a ton of
like like incredible film study. I like most of it.
I think sometimes they don't really get football, but it's
it makes sense they did something where like if Texas
Tech has to drive sixty yards or more, I'm gonna
pull it up right here here it is right here. Sorry,
I wasn't prepared for this, but it is important. Texas
(15:09):
Tech is number on the country and forced turnovers, right,
and they're number in the country in field position for
their offense. Like it's been important here you go full field,
So sixty plus yards okay, Texas cans scored a touchdown
only twenty eight percent of the time. They have had
an empty possession fifty seven percent of the time. So
sixty yards or more okay, yep. On a short field
(15:32):
they have had score touched on fifty percent of the time. Wow,
an empty possession is only twenty three percent of the time.
If they have to go under thirty yards, they score
a touchdown sixty seven percent of the time if they
start on their own side of the field. Also again,
so that's like fifty plus yards to score a touchdown, right, Yep,
they have had They've had twenty nine percent touchdown rate,
(15:55):
empty percent, fifty five percent. On the opponent's side. They
have scored touched on a fifty three percent their drives. Wow.
So that that's turnovers, right, that's the forced ton of turnovers.
And so if we don't turn the ball over, we're
gonna win the game. In my opinion, I think it's
that simple.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
How about the other way, how about Tech?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
I think if if so, Oregon has lost seven games
in Dan Lanning, all seven have one thing in common.
The opponents scored at least thirty points all seven losses.
It's kind of crazy, right, Oregon is forty zero or
Dan Lanning. When the opponent scores less than thirty points.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
It's pretty good. So it's undefeated, right there.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yeah, yeah, and I think I think I put it.
I think we're seven and seven when scoring more when
the opponent scores more than thirty points. And I did
a ton of racers of the game. Of course, Oregon
has only played I think five games within one score.
If the opponent scores less than thirty points, they basically
have won every game by a lot.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Now, if the opponent scores more than thirty points, I think
it's like eight games are within a touchdown, right, So,
like it's so to me, that's so if Tech's got
a score points right like that? Of course that's easy
going to say John Manner.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, yeah, it's deeper than that. I get it.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, But they have to find ways to be better
in the red zone and find ways to just take
organ doesn't really give up exposed to plays. I'll tell
you right now, it's gonna happen. Org's gonna sit the
zone defense the entire game. They're gonna give up some
some some chunk run plays because of it. But they're
(17:28):
gonna say, Okay, we're gonna make you work for seventy yards.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, yeah, you gotta you gotta be like Carson Beck
a little bit last night, right, like, you gotta be precise,
you gotta be smart, you gotta take what the defense
gives you. And we're betting that maybe you get a
little impatient, maybe you do take a risk that you
shouldn't take. Yeah, it's like you got to earn it.
You got to execute all the way downfield, like like
little segment, little segment, little segment right that.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Yeah, I hear he.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Has a broken leg still. He asked him about his leg.
He said, like, yeah, may I I mean he is
the d he what Jones played through? Like that's a problem.
I I you know, like organist struggle and most teams
do against quarterbacks that can run. You can't run. So
I think a couple of things. I think all those
(18:16):
things play in our favor. The one thing that does
worry me as well as the start time. I mean,
it's a nine am body clock game for us. Sure,
we played one of those this year. Northwestern didn't go
terribly about to start. It's Northwestern, so well it should
be a fun game, man. I I uh, Luckily I'm
working up until then. I have more work after the show, Brian.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So wow, look at you.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I can sort of ignore my emotions to kick off.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Okay, but the nerves just hit you all at once.
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
It's not gonna be good. But again, I feel good.
I feel good. It's the probably the best I can
to play this game, so I'm not even playing. But
no matter what I feel, that's good.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Glad you got your game face on. Man, you're ready
to go here, hey.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
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Speaker 1 (19:14):
How pros get more done? All right?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Coming up next, He's got the name, but does he
still have the game? We will discuss around the corner.
He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian. Now we're in for two
pros and a cup of Joe right here on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live. Polly Fools go here with Tony Foods. Go Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
As everybody knows, we're the hosts of the award winning
Polly and Tony Foods Go shop.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
But instead of us telling you how great we are,
here's how Dan Patrick described us when he came on
our show.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Quick, knowledgeable and funny, opinionated.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
What are you doing interrupting our promo?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, it wasn't talking about you.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
You took those clips totally out of context.
Speaker 5 (20:03):
Oh yeah, Well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
out and beat you.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Let me put this into context.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Shut up. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Anyway, just listening to the Paully and Toni Fusco Show
on iHeartRadio. Apple podcasts oherever you get your podcasts, yee.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian, though,
worn for two pros and a cup of Joe. A
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Speaker 1 (20:47):
Buy you some. Let's go all right, We've.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Got the NFL on the brain as well, Jeff. We're
all geeked for the college football playoff games today. We've
got three of them, nice little triple header today, and
we will get to Bama getting smacked around like the
fools gold frauds that they are. We'll get to that
here momentarily, but let's focus on the NFL for a bit,
shall we. We've got Week eighteen. Now, this is not
one of the huge Week eighteen headlines, but just for
(21:13):
a minute, I think it's an interesting story. So the
Cowboys they released Trayvon Diggs.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah, right, it wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Trayvon Diggs having pick six after pick six and right
like he made a name for himself.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
He had a big impact.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
And now he was claimed off of waivers by the Packers,
and so the question is he's got the name, does
he still have that game?
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Right? Like?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Is this a remember when the Packers let Jayir Alexander
go and he went to the Ravens and there was
a lot of buzz like, oh, alrighty he linked up
with his former college teammate Lamar Jackson. He's still got
some game. He's been banged up like crazy, He's made
no impact whatsoever. So do you think Diggs, even though
he's got the name, does he have the game? Does
(21:57):
he make an impact for the Packers down the stretch year?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
If he was that good, the Cowboys would have kept them, right,
I mean this is a premium position. Yeah, and you're
just not letting these guys go if they're still good. Right,
You're not again, it's a premium position. You just signed
too long term contract. It would seem foolish to think
(22:24):
that he has enough skills to help a team in
the playoffs right now. Look, there are defensive pass rusher essentially,
right defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver. I mean, you're just
not letting these guys go if they're that good. You know,
it's it's funny because you know when the Pacers so
many years let guys go to early and everyone was
(22:46):
always questioned, like, how how can they do that? And
they go to the next team they're not very good
like that that that is what the Cowboys are basically saying,
he's not good enough anymore, because don't he'd be a
piece you want to build around next season, right, You're
just you're the They could even wait to the head
the rhythm now. They couldn't wait till March now, So no,
I mean, the Packers have whole slew issues. They can't
(23:09):
rush the passer. That doesn't change with digs in the.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Lineup, right, and think about that too. They know he
can go anywhere. And of course he went to the Packers,
the team that you know, the Packers traded for Micah Parsons.
And I don't think the Cowboys would be like, yeah,
maybe he'll resurface with the Packers.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
It's all good.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Like if to your point at all, right, if he
was an impact player, if they thought he was still
a difference maker, there's no way they would part with
him and to like outright release him, right, They they
put him on waivers. So yeah, that's that's you could
argue this, Hey, it changes scenery. Maybe this is motivating,
Maybe this is a you know, the boost that he needed.
(23:49):
Anything's possible here, but it's unlikely. I think of it
back to I mean, this was a much older player
at the time.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
But you know, these people were.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Like, oh my gosh, McNabb was trade to a team
in the division, and it's like, yeah, the Eagles traded
him to the Redskins at the time because they didn't
think he could play anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
They would never have done that if they thought he
could play.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Correct correct, right, Like, I mean, the Cowboys knew this,
knowing that he could go and sign with Philly, like
they didn't care, Like they just don't they care because
they knew he wasn't good enough to play anymore the
level that he was being paid, and so they said
audio which again, I mean that that happened is rare.
It happens this time of year. But maybe there was
some locker room issues and some cultural fit issues and
they just thought better to do this now the way
(24:30):
to the offseason, which is certainly a fair thing for
the Cowboys to do. As crazy as Jerry Jones is
they actually draft really well. Yeah, if Jerry Jones just
like let the people that he pays do their job,
the Cowboys would win more playoff comes and being the posies.
More of the problem is Jerry sabotages all this at
all times. I mean, there's talk now that he will
(24:52):
not negotiate with with George Pikett's potentially because we'll get
a the same agent that Dak has is the agent
for Pikets. And I mean, I don't know if you're
signing if you re signed Pickets. Anyways, I'm kind of
firmly against paying two wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
It works so well for the Bengals though, Jeff, you know, like,
I mean.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Look, who's it worked well for the Eagles, I guess,
but this year it hasn't. Right, the Dolphins paid Waddle
and two. How's that working out for them? Yeah, it
doesn't like you need to spend your money elsewhere, right
in a hard cap league, you can be with the cap, absolutely,
but paying two of those guys just does not make
sense to me. And so I think that we're at
that point with the Cowboys where you choose between the
(25:33):
lamb and pickuts, and maybe you choose maybe you end
up choosing uh Pickens over Lamb, but I wouldn't. I mean, Pittsburgh,
who has dealt with wide receiver headaches for years, said yeah,
we're dealt with Pickens, and he knew it was a
contract season. I could see him just started being on
his best behavior right now, and as soon as he
gets paid, we get back to the worst of Pickings.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
By the way, what a weird season for Pickens because
throughout most of the season he is outstanding and then
down there when this is like final impression territory, right.
It was what against the Vikings, wasn't it where Ceedee
Lamb gets banged up? And I don't know what it
was with Pickens, Like he's stuck in second gear the
whole game.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
He's not given full effort. It's like, what is what's
going on right now? How does that happen? No, it
was against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Because it was against the Lions, Ceedee Lamb got banged up.
I'm in ross Saint Brown was banged up that game,
full effort, like fifth gear.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
The whole game.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
And then you had George Pickens who's like in second,
third gear the whole game. It's like bro you're the guy,
You're the main guy. And he was just like, eh,
I'm just gonna kind of go half motion.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
That was unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
I don't know how that happens, especially when you're in
line for a huge payday.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
What is going on right there?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I think that has been him for a lot of
his career, just was sort of unnoticed because in Dallas,
I just say, because of Lamb. And when you have
so many eyeballs to Lamb allows to the work one
on one he knows is getting the ball. When he's
being double team now and more eyeballs to him, maybe
there's not as much effort, which isn't which is sort
(27:06):
of a divot on him, right that you have to have,
you know, you know, we see wide received all the
time that are being double team still continue to give
the same effort, and he just hasn't done that. And
again that's a problem for him in Pittsburgh too, But
you know, no one really pay attention to as much
because it was Pittsburgh. Now it's in Dallas, and people
are paying attention a little bit more to his effort levels.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
That's all right, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Okay, So we said this last Sunday, like we do
countdown to kickoff each Sunday here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
It's me, It's the Schwartz Syndicate.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
It's our guy, Bill Krackenberger, professional sports handicapper. But you
said something last Sunday, Jeff, where you're like, I hope
that the Niners beat the Bears on Sunday Night football,
and it sets up this week eighteen for the division
for the one seed scenario Seahawks Niners, And you're like,
I can't wait to fade Darnold now that this is
(27:58):
the matchup. Do you still feel this way? Are you
still rolling with San Francisco and fading Donald?
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I am, but their defense is so bad.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
It's so bad.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It is not a wager that I have made yet.
And I also swore of NFL side for the most
part of that. I just their defense. It's not in
their fault. They lost Bosa and Williams and Warner. It's
hard when you lose all your guys, right, so it's
not really anyone's fault, per se. But they can't stop
a nosebleed man. And you know this is it for
(28:30):
Darnald If Donald can't play well in the situation, with
this defense the way it is right now, like there's
no hope for him. But look, here's the thing. He's
played the Rams twice this year through six interceptions, right
he last year Week eighteen, need to win the game
played terribly, playoff game played terribly. And so it's a
fit of Sam Darnold, man, and it's a fatas Sam Darnald.
(28:52):
Also a hat tip to Kyle Shanahan, who's done an
incredible job this season and his team is prepared, they're
ready to play Brock perty. Look we got guys, you
have to get over the rock party draft pick like.
It's not he he's he's bawling man like he might
have not have the physical gifts of Josh Allen or
Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes. But dude is playing incredibly
(29:16):
well on this offense. He's a very good football player.
He's doing everything ask him. He's made a Super Bowl,
by the way, like he's done, he's done at a
high level. He's playing really really well right now. And
Niners offense is Shanahan. It's it's doing an incredible, incredible
job right now. Coach of the year market right, Shanahan
and Mike Rabel. We have to stop awarding giving these
(29:40):
awards out based on the final two weeks of the season.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Yeah. Sure. For example, Stafford things.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Right, if there's three awards that are coming down to
this weekend, it's Coach of the Year between Rabel and Shanahan,
It's Offensive Rookie of the Year between McMillan and Shock essentially,
uh huh. And then it's MVP Stafford and Drake May
(30:07):
And for I thought, the award is most valuable right
or Coach of the year for the season, not MVP
of December.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Right, that's right? Yeah, not Stafford, a Player of the
month award, not the MVP.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Yeah sure, I almost would you crack brude Matt Stafford
two games ago through four hundred and fifty yards on
the road at Seattle, Yeah, one about half against the Rams.
He's no longer the MVP. What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Listen?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Man, there was a great I'm gonna try to find
it real fast. You probably saw this as well, but
Dan Orlovsky put out a tweet that was amazing about
this Stafford thing and the competition, and I got a
lot of notes here, Holy cow gosh, and uh we
got to get to your boy, Chip Kelly at Northwestern.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
What my Okay, that's that's a little different, but uh,
here we go. Here it is.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
This is the tweet from Dan Olafski. Okay, So touchdown
passes against teams with eleven plus wins this season, all right?
Like the quality of competition these opponents have won at
least eleven games.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
All right.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Stafford has thrown twenty touchdown passes against eleven plus win
teams this season. That's the most in NFL history. Drake
May has thrown zero, not a one, and he did
a good job. He was like, not a knock on
Drake May. Just context of competition, right, this is just context.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Is not hatred.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
This is not Oh, Drake May has been fantastic. He's
not saying that, but he's like, in terms of the
quality of competition and who's done what against who, Like,
Stafford has had more opportunities against eleven win teams. But
you're throwing the most touchdown passes in NFL history and
we're just gonna cancel him moucuse he had a horrible
game against the Falcons and everybody watched it. It's in
(31:59):
Monday night foot ball, prime time, standalone game like it's
just an overreaction.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
It is.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Drake May got up to minus five hundred for the MVP. Wow,
it's come back down a little bit to like in
the two hundred range. But I am probably gonna take
some Stafford body this way. I don't know how you don't.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Like I just that's the only bet you can make.
You can't price with Drake at this point.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
No, And it's just it's just again like I I
you just should do these awards are not best Player
in December, it's not. And mass Effort to me, has
been the MVP this season. He's an incredible jog. You
remember he like they was talking about him not even
playing this season because it's backwards.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
That's that's why we were kind of fading. The rams
were like the off seat.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It was the it was training camp and McVeigh would
come out and be like, hey, guys, he was on
schedule to practice this week. It's not gonna be this week.
It might not be next week either. Where there's like
this doesn't sound good at all. And he's been phenomenal
old this season except for against the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
But just a half right, Like I know, is that horrible?
Like yeah, I know, this doesn't This isn't maybe the
best way to frame it, but like, there was a
long pass to Puka in a qua that would have
put the Rams in the red zone down fourteen nothing
I think it was, and he got they got called
for legal formation and it was it was like that
(33:23):
play would have made such a big difference in the game.
Of course, every there's a ton of plays that make
a difference, but the point is like that, like those,
there's a couple of plays here and there, the Mattern
games and like that would have changed the perception of
of Matt Stafford immensely in this.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Absolutely it would have.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
And you know, the near catch at the very end
of the game, like Puka looked like he one handed
a brilliant throw, looked like an insane catch, and the
ball just came out. It came loose, just for a
millisecond when his feet weren't down. That that's that's not
a catch. That is not And it looked like they're
going to be in field goal range.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But man, that was why people arguing.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I fell asleep, I woke up in the morning and
saw people are uing that it was a catch.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
They're stupid people.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Catch.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
It's not a catch.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Lost the ball. I don't, I don't.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
And they're like, I don't even know what it catches.
If that's not a catch, I don't even know what
I'm doing watching. It's like you don't understand the rules, man,
I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Like it feels like there's other battles to pick, not
that's not the play to pick your battle.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Right, It's like the argument was, but it looks so
cool it should be a catch. It's like, dude, it's
not a catch. Sorry, Like you got to have a
better argument than that.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I don't know what people have, right, Like, just keep
keep the cool catch like that.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Yeah, it looked too cool. It's such a shame.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
It's like, yeah it is, but it's not a catch.
So they ruled it correctly, Like shut up, like go
somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
You're not making any sense right now. It's such a
bad argument, man, that was really bad.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
All right?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Coming up next, he's Jeff Schwartz, I'm Brian. Now we
have got more NFL to discuss before we get right
back to the College Football Playoff Week eighteen Playoff implay cations.
What is your headlining act that's one thing we got
to dissect. Because my good friend Jeff Schwartz, he was
filling in doing another show. I was talking to my radio.
(35:11):
I disagreed with his conversation. So I was talking to
my radio and I thought it was great. But a
great job by him and his partner. We'll bring that
up coming up right around the corner. Keep it locked
right here. We're in for two pros and a cup
of joe right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (35:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian No.
We're in for two pros and a cup of Joe.
This show is sponsored by Draft Kings Sportsbook, an official
sports betting partner of the NFL and NBA. Right now,
use the promo code two pros to claim your special
offer at DraftKings. Again, that promo code two pros. At DraftKings,
(35:59):
the crown is yours. We're not done with the NFL yet,
not by a darn site. Jeff Schwartz here, So Week
eighteen here's the thing. Every now and then we're wrong
about things. Jeff, You're just wrong about this, Okay. I
gotta bring something to your attention. The headlining game of
Week eighteen, like the Crescendo game. This is what closes
(36:23):
out Week eighteen with a bang Sunday Night football. It
is forty nine Ers hosting Seattle. That is the Crescendo game.
It is not Mid Baltimore against Mid Pittsburgh and the
AFC North.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I don't care. I don't care as much about that game.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
You're like, oh, they're definitely gonna put you know, raven
Steelers on Sunday Night Football, that you have to put
it there.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
It's like, no, because the NFL always chooses the winning
get in game.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
That's why I get that they do that. Or they're
making mistakes over here is what they're doing. Like that's
it's a much better game. It's a much better matchup.
These both San Francisco and Seattle have a much better
chance of having a deep run in the playoffs. Like
they're both super Bowl contenders, Like the Ravens and Steelers
aren't even stiff sniffing super Bowl contention, Like why are
(37:13):
we making that the headlining game. I think it's just silly.
It should be it should be the battle for the
one seed. I think that means way more than the
battle for who makes it through this god awful division.
Like I know they have more history Ravens Steelers, but
right here, right now, no, they're mid they are average
teams at best. Don't want them to close out Week eighteen,
don't want Oh sorry.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They're terrible. But the the enjoyment I'm gonna have of
just like this game is gonna be as gross as possible.
Surprise Pittsburgh wins like people are and this is like
a Mike Tomlin special, right with the whole time where
like the best time to bet against Mike Tomlin was last.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Week, right, that's right, that's right, and I did it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
I took, I took the Browns. The best time I
bet on them is in the this situation.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, And so I'm looking forward to seeing how this
game goes. Look, La Marshall, he's gonna play, which thing.
If he didn't play in this game, oh my gosh,
it would have been bad.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
I still I like, listen if he goes out there
and plays and the Ravens win, and especially if he
does anything, if he's productive at all, everybody will have amnesia.
No one will remember that he, you know, woossed out
that last week. I listen, man, he's got a bruise,
he has a back bruce, he's got an aUI is
what he has.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Like, suck it up, man.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
How many quarterbacks in the NFL would have not only
been out there last week against the Packers, they wouldn't
have missed the second half against the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
It's a bruise, I get it.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
It doesn't feel good, there's some discomfort, might affect your
your quality of play.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
But it's football, man. You gotta suck it up. And
it's weird like he's sucked up numerous injuries this year.
He's had, you know, a hammy, a knee, a toe
and ankle. Like he's had a lot of stuff he's
been gutting through. I just I don't understand why this
one has been like way more severe than the other ones.
It's a bruise, man, Like we've got we've got d J.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Watt.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
He's tried to get out there with a partially collapsed
lung like that.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
This guy was practicing last week.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Lamar is not even practicing, so he's got he has
no choice.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
He's got to get out there. Man has to.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
When I bring up to people that are sort of saying, well,
Lamar has you know, he shouldn't play you way too?
Is healthy? I say, would Patrick Mahoons have played absolutely?
Say I'm like, well, I mean, what shouldn't you expect
Lamar to play like he should? Yeah? And so I'm
again I think he looks like he's playing this weekend.
The gambling number suggests that right there being a three
point road favorites. But he has not played well now,
(39:43):
he's not played up to his standard because he's been hurt,
and so the numbers are really down. And again I
I I think it's an indictment that people even suggest
in Tyler Howley should play on Lamar even if Lamar
is not healthy. But the offense, if the offense is
so predicated on his ability to run, that's not a
great right like this is not And it seemed like
last week they were successful because Hunley ran the football,
(40:04):
which again I don't want my office he built around
a quarterback being able to run the ball like I
want my office to have that option, of course, but
to be built around the idea that we have to
complete passes in a normal offense like to win, right,
And so I'm curious to see obviously how this ends
up going if he does play. But I think Pittsburgh's
love to win this game. I don't think we should
(40:25):
discount them.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
No, I think they are that. I think they're more
than live to win it. Yeah, what do you think
about the outside the box idea? My thought is with
a should they if Lamar can play, should they still
start huntly? Like they ran it like crazy against the Packers.
It's like they can run it like crazy it Just
give it to Derrick Henry even if Lamar is in there.
Just give it to Derrick Henry. You don't have to
sit Lamar to do that. We get to the CFP
(40:49):
coming up next
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh, good morning, Welcome in, Happy Thursday, Happy New Year,
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Let's get after it. I'll tell you what Jeff.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Twenty twenty five ended in maybe the best way possible
for myself. Not only was I right about Ohio State
being ripe for the picking and losing out right, I'll
tell you what I Finally, Jeff, I don't know how
I can accurately describe this. And we'll get to your
ducks here momentarily take it on Texas Tech. But I
(00:32):
can't describe to you how it has hurt my soul
year in and year out to lose the annual Mario
Kart showdown to my nephew Mini Matt. Every single year
he beats me. He'll maybe he'll win. Seventeen to fifteen,
we do thirty two races.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Old school.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Let's get out and we document it. We film it,
We do a whole thing.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We take a picture, we put all the bells and
whist those, the graphic on it, and there it goes.
That's another year in the books. I have won this
thing once, right, it goes all the way back to
like nine. We've done it every year. I've won it once.
It was a decade ago, in twenty fifteen. And you
know what happened yesterday, Jeff, I want to yet, finally,
victory is mine. I tasted the sweet nectar of wins
(01:21):
here and I got it done and it was sweet.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Man.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I just want to tell you where were yet? Oh
it was at least I.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Would say at least plus two I would say plus
two fifteen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So we're like in Miami territory here, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Right around there, yep, yeah, yeah, that's where I was.
And I just I showed the physicality just like you
know the O line, the D line, like you know.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Baine Junior and Messidor. That was me.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I showed real physicality during the Mario Kart showdown yesterday
and I got it done. Man, it was fantastic. You
would have saluted me like great driving. Note I think
you would have said that great driving. No is what
you would have said.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I probably would have said that, you know me very well,
that's right. My uh. We got my son a PS
five for Hanukkah, and my wife went with him to
like gameshop to buy games and there was a Mortal Kombat,
like old school Mortal Kombat and she convinced my son
(02:25):
to get it, and he's like, what's in Mortal Kombat? Mom?
Like why would I get this? And he's had the
most fun playing it.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Oh, nice, Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
We've been playing with him. So I beat him the
first time we played, and I was like, bro, what
are you doing? Like you're He's like, Dad, I'm like
trying to like press this button. Like, dude, just start
spamming buttons, bro, like just start just start mashing the keypad, like.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Just starting yeah, And he's.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Like really, I'm like, yes, just start hitting buttons. Who
cares what moves they do, Just start start mashing stuff.
He's like really, Dad, I'm like yes. And then he
started mashing up and beat me immediate like just like
I'm like, what are you like, stop being so perfrading.
He's like, Dad, I'm trying to block and I'm setting
out my move of no, don't do any of that.
Just start pressing buttons. And finally he started pressing buttons
(03:13):
because his mom smoked him, Like Meredith came out just
like beat them multiple times, just fifteen times in a row,
like buddy, great, Like Buddy, you have to start just
hitting buttons stop because my son's very analytical and very.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah yeah, yeah, I'm trying to go with this this
complex combo and I'm a little slow with it, so
it's not doing it. And you're like, bro, just just
mash him, man.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Just start hitting buttons. So he started hitting buttons and
he's been so much better. So the joy of playing
some of these old school video games is a lot
of fun. I play them a couple of times. And
we obviously we don't have Mario Kart. They'll probably have
it for PS five.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Right, I don't know, they might.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
They might have to switch. I mean, he's got a switch,
and we can get it for his switch. I would imagine.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah, it should be there too. I love the old
school version. Man, the old school. That's what we've done.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Would you play on sixty four?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Uh no, it's just a wi It's just like the.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Wheel. Okay, yeah, yeah, we used to have a WEE.
I don't know if we still do. Uh if not,
I mean it's gotta be. My house is eight years old.
It's got nine years it's gotta be nine years old.
If we have a Wii and then we got we
would have got it when we built the house. I
mean we might still have it in the playroom. That'd
be pretty funny. Fucking find it for us.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
You should dust it off, man, get after it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's making me want one again.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
We yes, I used to play we bowling. That was fun.
WE bowling was good.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, and always throw the controller at the TV because
I used to put the thing on my wrist.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, you gotta strap in, man, you never know. Yeah,
that's right, that's right. Playing baseball sucked.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I'd get so mad because it would never get out
of the park.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I gotta flick the wrist. Yeah, I got it.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
A real fast story. I gotta tell you. I have
to tell you. It's based on that reminded me. So
we're playing we tennis back in the day and it's
my younger nephew, Tie and he's a young kid, I
don't know, like three, maybe he was tiny, you know,
maybe five something like that, and uh.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
He's teaching me.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
It's like, you got to flick the wrist and it
hits the ball really fast, right, And I'm like okay,
And I'm like all right. So I'm standing there and
I flick my wrist and I hear this like smack, and.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm like what in the world.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Like I look down and Tide's grabbing his head looking
at me like, ah, like you just hit me in
the back of the head. And it's one of those
things where it's like if you tell a kid or
say like, oh, buddy, are you okay, they freak out.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Man, they think they're gonna die.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
They're like, I don't think I'm okay, And I'm just like, oh,
you're fine, and he was like, I guess I'm fine.
Like it just he just went with it, like I'm like, yeah,
you're fine. I think may in my old concussion maybe,
but you're fine. You're fine, and crazy cry it all.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
It's great. It is crazy. How often if you just
tell a kid they're fine, they're.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Like okay, yeah, They're like I guess I'm good here.
Whatever they react how you react, that's right, Yeah, totally.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
My wife will sometimes be like you to show more compassion.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I'm like, no, not really, it's all mental right, Like.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah, we're preparing for sports, okay, meritith, that's right what
we're doing around. Yeah, we're hard we're hardcore. We're prepared.
Everything's fine. Like my favorite two is like Emmy got
hit by the baseball. A few times in softball this
year when I was out of town and my wife
would be at the games. She's not sports person at all,
like zero sports. She woun't play sports, like no idea.
(06:30):
She would text me like, and you got hit by
the ball. I'm saying something to the coach. I'm like, no,
you're not. Yeah, she's fine. I promise you. It sounded bad.
I promise you, she's gonna be okay, she's gonna be fine. No,
young at the coach, please of the other team. I
don't need that in my life. Please, don't you do it.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Anyways, by the way she did, she still like I
still thought it called for it. Yeah, yeah, you'll have
that sometimes I just yeah, yeah, the coach, I get it. Hey,
let's shift it to your ducks over here. So Oregon
taking on Texas Tech. It's a great, great matchup. I
can't wait for the battle in the trenches, like we
(07:08):
had that on full display last night with Ohio State
and Miami.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
That was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
If you're into the battle in the trenches, Oregon's running game,
Texas Tech's D line, their front seven, it is gonna
be awesome.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Man.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
But I'm curious what you think about the points spread
in this game, right, Jeff.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So it's ticked up a little bit. Oregon now favored
by two and a half. The total is ticked down,
stick down a couple of points down to fifty and
a half. Now, like, what do you think of the
movement with either of those?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
So it's interesting based off of yesterday, because yesterday Miami
got steam.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Like big time, big time.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah right, yeah, nine and a half down to I
think like seven.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
It was at least seven and a half. I don't
know if it got lower.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah, but yeah, I'm curious to see where where the
motion comes in today. Vegas has been an organ this week.
They've been the Sharps have been an organ this week.
I don't know if that matters to anybody, but just
that's that's what it is really on the money line,
to be honest with the Organ money. Look, well, obviously
went to orgon. I'm wearing my Organ sweatshirt, I Organ
(08:08):
duck mug right now, drinking my coffee out.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Of you wearing duck socks.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I mean, no duck socks, but I probably I probably should. No,
here's the deal. So last night, and again I don't
want to use last night to reinforce a lot of
what I sort of have thought about this game. But uh,
Oregon has talked extensively this season about what happened in
the playoff last year to Ohio States and how this
(08:35):
season was about preparing to play in this game today,
Like that's what the whole season was about. And you
listen the players talk, you listen to the coaches talk.
Of course, winning games the market season mattered to them,
but the goal was to get here in a different
place than they were last year. Last year they were
beat up. If you listen to players talking, they practiced
(08:58):
too hard, they were beat up. They just kind of
weren't ready for the moment. And this year they've been
preparing to play in this game all season, and that
I think really matters. Texas Tech has not been here before,
and there is a it's a natural it's a natural
human emotion. I think Orgon felt this last year to
be very happy to be there. Now, you still play hard,
(09:19):
you still prepare hard. We're like Ohio State last year
was sort of like on a mission to win a championship,
you know, And I think that does matter in a
game like this, right when it's a close game, but
one team has been there before the other team hasn't.
And we talked about Ohio State and and and their schedule.
I mean Texas Tech has played Nope, I mean yeah, okay,
(09:40):
b YU, but by us is not. They lose to
every playoff team right like they just would every every
power for a playoff team. Utah great season, can't pass
the football. They're not the same team as Oregon. And
I just think that those two things way heavy on
my mind. Is that Oregon has been preparing to play
(10:02):
this game all season, Tech Tech has not. And that
Texas this is the best team Texek has played all
season on both sides of the ball, best offense, maybe
not the best defense, but easily the best offense they
played all season. Oregon has played more teams that are
like Texas Tech than not. Right then that they put Iowa,
(10:24):
who's got great on defense. Look, the Penn State game
is what is but Penn State's still really good on defense.
Right they put Indiana. They've played like more teams that
are closer to Texas Tech. The tech Teck has played
in Oregon, So any of those things are pretty big
advantages in Oregon. How do you feel about those points
right now.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
You know what, I'm a little bit different than you.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I hear what you're saying, but I would actually point
to the NFL to make a point here, right like,
because you're talking about the path for Texas Tech, and
you're certainly right, like Oregon is easily the most quality
team that Texas Tech is going to face to this
point this season, right for sure, and that could make
the difference today.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
We'll see what happens.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
But there's one team that I think is being sold
short because of their their schedule, and that's the Patriots.
You hear this a lot where and there's a stat
there are popular tweets going out there where it's the
Patriots have beaten one team with the winning record this season,
and the Giants have beaten two teams with winning records
this season. So the takeaway is like, oh, okay, well,
(11:26):
the Patriots aren't going to do anything come playoff time.
And there's another stat here that's really interesting to me.
So the Patriots have won thirteen games this season, and
so the thirteen plus win teams in the history of
the NFL, like this is the Patriots. The Patriots have
played the easiest schedule since the nineteen ninety nine Rams,
(11:48):
and it's like, Okay, what did the ninety nine Rams
do that season?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Oh, that's they want it all. They won a super Bowl.
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So I think that it can be a mistake to say, oh, well,
this team has played a very favorable schedule and look,
that could come back to bite them. But if that
team is still really talented and Texas Tech is right,
that might not make the ultimate difference.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
They still could.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Get a big win even though they haven't been as
tested as they will be today against the.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Ducks, the two teams with the easiest schedules that have
won thirteen games. I saw the tweet the d eighteen
that's right. Yeah, it was a ninety one Buffalo Bills
who made the Super Bowl again and the niney nine Rams.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Right, and then seventy two Dolphins who went undefeated won
a super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So so it can't the Patriots take us more than like,
I just don't know if they're ready as a team yet,
Like they're just not.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah, they're not as good as the other teams are
going to play. They've had a good season. So Texas
Tech has these defensive ends that are incredible height and
Bailey and Rodriguez and Roberts at linebacker. But otherwise, I mean, look,
organize the advantage at quarterback, skill guys, tight end, depth
at running back in the secondary, like they they're better detackle.
(13:04):
So I feel good about where we're at as a team.
You know, no one's tried to run it in the
A gaps against Texas Tech. I think we will today.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Absolutely will try today.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Yeah, absolutely, And so I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
By the way, Like how successful was Miami last night
doing just that to run straight up the middle, right
to the teeth of the defense. They had a successful
carry after successful carry right up the middle man.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's what kind of gets me geeked about what Orgon
can do. And two like this is the healthiest we've
been all season on offense. I mean, we will have
our wide receivers back, which we don't have for the
last month. Yeah, I see people doing this thing, were like, well,
Oregon went to Island only scored eighteen points. I'm like, yeah,
we had two wide receivers. I go, what do you
want from us? Wisconsin? Then like the was it a
(13:51):
month soon? And we lost our quarterback and you know,
start the second half like this is you have to
again that you have to stop as a culturable fan.
In my opinion looking at results of games that happened
six weeks ago, Yeah, it really it really doesn't matter.
And so oh you to Utah in week three? Who
(14:12):
cares that the game was in September? Right, it doesn't
it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
How about this, What would you say to this, Jeff.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
If if you were to say, hey, Oregon does this
really well in the game, and you feel like that
that is the most important thing that gives them a
great chance to win the game, and vice versa. If
Texas Tech does this really well, you're like, I actually
really like their chances all of a sudden to win
the game.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
What would it be for each team?
Speaker 3 (14:42):
If we don't turn the ball over, we're going to win?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Okay, I I could you know.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
There's an organ account that does like a ton of
like like incredible film study. I like most of it.
I think sometimes they don't really get football, but it's
it makes sense they did something where like if Texas
Tech has to drive sixty yards or more, I'm gonna
pull it up right here here it is right here. Sorry,
I wasn't prepared for this, but it is important. Texas
(15:09):
Tech is number on the country and forced turnovers, right,
and they're number in the country in field position for
their offense. Like it's been important here you go full field,
So sixty plus yards okay, Texas cans scored a touchdown
only twenty eight percent of the time. They have had
an empty possession fifty seven percent of the time. So
sixty yards or more okay, yep. On a short field
(15:32):
they have had score touched on fifty percent of the time. Wow,
an empty possession is only twenty three percent of the time.
If they have to go under thirty yards, they score
a touchdown sixty seven percent of the time if they
start on their own side of the field. Also again,
so that's like fifty plus yards to score a touchdown, right, Yep,
they have had They've had twenty nine percent touchdown rate,
(15:55):
empty percent, fifty five percent. On the opponent's side. They
have scored touched on a fifty three percent their drives. Wow.
So that that's turnovers, right, that's the forced ton of turnovers.
And so if we don't turn the ball over, we're
gonna win the game. In my opinion, I think it's
that simple.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
How about the other way, how about Tech?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
I think if if so, Oregon has lost seven games
in Dan Lanning, all seven have one thing in common.
The opponents scored at least thirty points all seven losses.
It's kind of crazy, right, Oregon is forty zero or
Dan Lanning. When the opponent scores less than thirty points.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
It's pretty good. So it's undefeated, right there.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yeah, yeah, and I think I think I put it.
I think we're seven and seven when scoring more when
the opponent scores more than thirty points. And I did
a ton of racers of the game. Of course, Oregon
has only played I think five games within one score.
If the opponent scores less than thirty points, they basically
have won every game by a lot.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Now, if the opponent scores more than thirty points, I think
it's like eight games are within a touchdown, right, So,
like it's so to me, that's so if Tech's got
a score points right like that? Of course that's easy
going to say John Manner.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, yeah, it's deeper than that. I get it.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, But they have to find ways to be better
in the red zone and find ways to just take
organ doesn't really give up exposed to plays. I'll tell
you right now, it's gonna happen. Org's gonna sit the
zone defense the entire game. They're gonna give up some
some some chunk run plays because of it. But they're
(17:28):
gonna say, Okay, we're gonna make you work for seventy yards.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, yeah, you gotta you gotta be like Carson Beck
a little bit last night, right, like, you gotta be precise,
you gotta be smart, you gotta take what the defense
gives you. And we're betting that maybe you get a
little impatient, maybe you do take a risk that you
shouldn't take. Yeah, it's like you got to earn it.
You got to execute all the way downfield, like like
little segment, little segment, little segment right that.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Yeah, I hear he.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Has a broken leg still. He asked him about his leg.
He said, like, yeah, may I I mean he is
the d he what Jones played through? Like that's a problem.
I I you know, like organist struggle and most teams
do against quarterbacks that can run. You can't run. So
I think a couple of things. I think all those
(18:16):
things play in our favor. The one thing that does
worry me as well as the start time. I mean,
it's a nine am body clock game for us. Sure,
we played one of those this year. Northwestern didn't go
terribly about to start. It's Northwestern, so well it should
be a fun game, man. I I uh, Luckily I'm
working up until then. I have more work after the show, Brian.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
So wow, look at you.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I can sort of ignore my emotions to kick off.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Okay, but the nerves just hit you all at once.
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
It's not gonna be good. But again, I feel good.
I feel good. It's the probably the best I can
to play this game, so I'm not even playing. But
no matter what I feel, that's good.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Glad you got your game face on. Man, you're ready
to go here, hey.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
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Speaker 1 (19:14):
How pros get more done? All right?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Coming up next, He's got the name, but does he
still have the game? We will discuss around the corner.
He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian. Now we're in for two
pros and a cup of Joe right here on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live. Polly Fools go here with Tony Foods. Go Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
As everybody knows, we're the hosts of the award winning
Polly and Tony Foods Go shop.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
But instead of us telling you how great we are,
here's how Dan Patrick described us when he came on
our show.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Quick, knowledgeable and funny, opinionated.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
What are you doing interrupting our promo?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, it wasn't talking about you.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
You took those clips totally out of context.
Speaker 5 (20:03):
Oh yeah, Well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
out and beat you.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Let me put this into context.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Shut up. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Anyway, just listening to the Paully and Toni Fusco Show
on iHeartRadio. Apple podcasts oherever you get your podcasts, yee.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian, though,
worn for two pros and a cup of Joe. A
hotly debated topic is who's this year's MVP. The most
valuable Poor Mine is the original Louisiana Hot Sauce. It'll
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(20:40):
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Speaker 1 (20:47):
Buy you some. Let's go all right, We've.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Got the NFL on the brain as well, Jeff. We're
all geeked for the college football playoff games today. We've
got three of them, nice little triple header today, and
we will get to Bama getting smacked around like the
fools gold frauds that they are. We'll get to that
here momentarily, but let's focus on the NFL for a bit,
shall we. We've got Week eighteen. Now, this is not
one of the huge Week eighteen headlines, but just for
(21:13):
a minute, I think it's an interesting story. So the
Cowboys they released Trayvon Diggs.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah, right, it wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Trayvon Diggs having pick six after pick six and right
like he made a name for himself.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
He had a big impact.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
And now he was claimed off of waivers by the Packers,
and so the question is he's got the name, does
he still have that game?
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Right? Like?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Is this a remember when the Packers let Jayir Alexander
go and he went to the Ravens and there was
a lot of buzz like, oh, alrighty he linked up
with his former college teammate Lamar Jackson. He's still got
some game. He's been banged up like crazy, He's made
no impact whatsoever. So do you think Diggs, even though
he's got the name, does he have the game? Does
(21:57):
he make an impact for the Packers down the stretch year?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
If he was that good, the Cowboys would have kept them, right,
I mean this is a premium position. Yeah, and you're
just not letting these guys go if they're still good. Right,
You're not again, it's a premium position. You just signed
too long term contract. It would seem foolish to think
(22:24):
that he has enough skills to help a team in
the playoffs right now. Look, there are defensive pass rusher essentially,
right defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver. I mean, you're just
not letting these guys go if they're that good. You know,
it's it's funny because you know when the Pacers so
many years let guys go to early and everyone was
(22:46):
always questioned, like, how how can they do that? And
they go to the next team they're not very good
like that that that is what the Cowboys are basically saying,
he's not good enough anymore, because don't he'd be a
piece you want to build around next season, right, You're
just you're the They could even wait to the head
the rhythm now. They couldn't wait till March now, So no,
I mean, the Packers have whole slew issues. They can't
(23:09):
rush the passer. That doesn't change with digs in the.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Lineup, right, and think about that too. They know he
can go anywhere. And of course he went to the Packers,
the team that you know, the Packers traded for Micah Parsons.
And I don't think the Cowboys would be like, yeah,
maybe he'll resurface with the Packers.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
It's all good.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Like if to your point at all, right, if he
was an impact player, if they thought he was still
a difference maker, there's no way they would part with
him and to like outright release him, right, They they
put him on waivers. So yeah, that's that's you could
argue this, Hey, it changes scenery. Maybe this is motivating,
Maybe this is a you know, the boost that he needed.
(23:49):
Anything's possible here, but it's unlikely. I think of it
back to I mean, this was a much older player
at the time.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
But you know, these people were.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Like, oh my gosh, McNabb was trade to a team
in the division, and it's like, yeah, the Eagles traded
him to the Redskins at the time because they didn't
think he could play anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
They would never have done that if they thought he
could play.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Correct correct, right, Like, I mean, the Cowboys knew this,
knowing that he could go and sign with Philly, like
they didn't care, Like they just don't they care because
they knew he wasn't good enough to play anymore the
level that he was being paid, and so they said
audio which again, I mean that that happened is rare.
It happens this time of year. But maybe there was
some locker room issues and some cultural fit issues and
they just thought better to do this now the way
(24:30):
to the offseason, which is certainly a fair thing for
the Cowboys to do. As crazy as Jerry Jones is
they actually draft really well. Yeah, if Jerry Jones just
like let the people that he pays do their job,
the Cowboys would win more playoff comes and being the posies.
More of the problem is Jerry sabotages all this at
all times. I mean, there's talk now that he will
(24:52):
not negotiate with with George Pikett's potentially because we'll get
a the same agent that Dak has is the agent
for Pikets. And I mean, I don't know if you're
signing if you re signed Pickets. Anyways, I'm kind of
firmly against paying two wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
It works so well for the Bengals though, Jeff, you know, like,
I mean.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Look, who's it worked well for the Eagles, I guess,
but this year it hasn't. Right, the Dolphins paid Waddle
and two. How's that working out for them? Yeah, it
doesn't like you need to spend your money elsewhere, right
in a hard cap league, you can be with the cap, absolutely,
but paying two of those guys just does not make
sense to me. And so I think that we're at
that point with the Cowboys where you choose between the
(25:33):
lamb and pickuts, and maybe you choose maybe you end
up choosing uh Pickens over Lamb, but I wouldn't. I mean, Pittsburgh,
who has dealt with wide receiver headaches for years, said yeah,
we're dealt with Pickens, and he knew it was a
contract season. I could see him just started being on
his best behavior right now, and as soon as he
gets paid, we get back to the worst of Pickings.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
By the way, what a weird season for Pickens because
throughout most of the season he is outstanding and then
down there when this is like final impression territory, right.
It was what against the Vikings, wasn't it where Ceedee
Lamb gets banged up? And I don't know what it
was with Pickens, Like he's stuck in second gear the
whole game.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
He's not given full effort. It's like, what is what's
going on right now? How does that happen? No, it
was against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Because it was against the Lions, Ceedee Lamb got banged up.
I'm in ross Saint Brown was banged up that game,
full effort, like fifth gear.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
The whole game.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
And then you had George Pickens who's like in second,
third gear the whole game. It's like bro you're the guy,
You're the main guy. And he was just like, eh,
I'm just gonna kind of go half motion.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
That was unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
I don't know how that happens, especially when you're in
line for a huge payday.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
What is going on right there?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I think that has been him for a lot of
his career, just was sort of unnoticed because in Dallas,
I just say, because of Lamb. And when you have
so many eyeballs to Lamb allows to the work one
on one he knows is getting the ball. When he's
being double team now and more eyeballs to him, maybe
there's not as much effort, which isn't which is sort
(27:06):
of a divot on him, right that you have to have,
you know, you know, we see wide received all the
time that are being double team still continue to give
the same effort, and he just hasn't done that. And
again that's a problem for him in Pittsburgh too, But
you know, no one really pay attention to as much
because it was Pittsburgh. Now it's in Dallas, and people
are paying attention a little bit more to his effort levels.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
That's all right, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Okay, So we said this last Sunday, like we do
countdown to kickoff each Sunday here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
It's me, It's the Schwartz Syndicate.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
It's our guy, Bill Krackenberger, professional sports handicapper. But you
said something last Sunday, Jeff, where you're like, I hope
that the Niners beat the Bears on Sunday Night football,
and it sets up this week eighteen for the division
for the one seed scenario Seahawks Niners, And you're like,
I can't wait to fade Darnold now that this is
(27:58):
the matchup. Do you still feel this way? Are you
still rolling with San Francisco and fading Donald?
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I am, but their defense is so bad.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
It's so bad.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It is not a wager that I have made yet.
And I also swore of NFL side for the most
part of that. I just their defense. It's not in
their fault. They lost Bosa and Williams and Warner. It's
hard when you lose all your guys, right, so it's
not really anyone's fault, per se. But they can't stop
a nosebleed man. And you know this is it for
(28:30):
Darnald If Donald can't play well in the situation, with
this defense the way it is right now, like there's
no hope for him. But look, here's the thing. He's
played the Rams twice this year through six interceptions, right
he last year Week eighteen, need to win the game
played terribly, playoff game played terribly. And so it's a
fit of Sam Darnold, man, and it's a fatas Sam Darnald.
(28:52):
Also a hat tip to Kyle Shanahan, who's done an
incredible job this season and his team is prepared, they're
ready to play Brock perty. Look we got guys, you
have to get over the rock party draft pick like.
It's not he he's he's bawling man like he might
have not have the physical gifts of Josh Allen or
Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes. But dude is playing incredibly
(29:16):
well on this offense. He's a very good football player.
He's doing everything ask him. He's made a Super Bowl,
by the way, like he's done, he's done at a
high level. He's playing really really well right now. And
Niners offense is Shanahan. It's it's doing an incredible, incredible
job right now. Coach of the year market right, Shanahan
and Mike Rabel. We have to stop awarding giving these
(29:40):
awards out based on the final two weeks of the season.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Yeah. Sure. For example, Stafford things.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Right, if there's three awards that are coming down to
this weekend, it's Coach of the Year between Rabel and Shanahan,
It's Offensive Rookie of the Year between McMillan and Shock essentially,
uh huh. And then it's MVP Stafford and Drake May
(30:07):
And for I thought, the award is most valuable right
or Coach of the year for the season, not MVP
of December.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Right, that's right? Yeah, not Stafford, a Player of the
month award, not the MVP.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Yeah sure, I almost would you crack brude Matt Stafford
two games ago through four hundred and fifty yards on
the road at Seattle, Yeah, one about half against the Rams.
He's no longer the MVP. What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Listen?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Man, there was a great I'm gonna try to find
it real fast. You probably saw this as well, but
Dan Orlovsky put out a tweet that was amazing about
this Stafford thing and the competition, and I got a
lot of notes here, Holy cow gosh, and uh we
got to get to your boy, Chip Kelly at Northwestern.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
What my Okay, that's that's a little different, but uh,
here we go. Here it is.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
This is the tweet from Dan Olafski. Okay, So touchdown
passes against teams with eleven plus wins this season, all right?
Like the quality of competition these opponents have won at
least eleven games.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
All right.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Stafford has thrown twenty touchdown passes against eleven plus win
teams this season. That's the most in NFL history. Drake
May has thrown zero, not a one, and he did
a good job. He was like, not a knock on
Drake May. Just context of competition, right, this is just context.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Is not hatred.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
This is not Oh, Drake May has been fantastic. He's
not saying that, but he's like, in terms of the
quality of competition and who's done what against who, Like,
Stafford has had more opportunities against eleven win teams. But
you're throwing the most touchdown passes in NFL history and
we're just gonna cancel him moucuse he had a horrible
game against the Falcons and everybody watched it. It's in
(31:59):
Monday night foot ball, prime time, standalone game like it's
just an overreaction.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
It is.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Drake May got up to minus five hundred for the MVP. Wow,
it's come back down a little bit to like in
the two hundred range. But I am probably gonna take
some Stafford body this way. I don't know how you don't.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Like I just that's the only bet you can make.
You can't price with Drake at this point.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
No, And it's just it's just again like I I
you just should do these awards are not best Player
in December, it's not. And mass Effort to me, has
been the MVP this season. He's an incredible jog. You
remember he like they was talking about him not even
playing this season because it's backwards.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
That's that's why we were kind of fading. The rams
were like the off seat.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It was the it was training camp and McVeigh would
come out and be like, hey, guys, he was on
schedule to practice this week. It's not gonna be this week.
It might not be next week either. Where there's like
this doesn't sound good at all. And he's been phenomenal
old this season except for against the Falcons.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
But just a half right, Like I know, is that horrible?
Like yeah, I know, this doesn't This isn't maybe the
best way to frame it, but like, there was a
long pass to Puka in a qua that would have
put the Rams in the red zone down fourteen nothing
I think it was, and he got they got called
for legal formation and it was it was like that
(33:23):
play would have made such a big difference in the game.
Of course, every there's a ton of plays that make
a difference, but the point is like that, like those,
there's a couple of plays here and there, the Mattern
games and like that would have changed the perception of
of Matt Stafford immensely in this.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Absolutely it would have.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
And you know, the near catch at the very end
of the game, like Puka looked like he one handed
a brilliant throw, looked like an insane catch, and the
ball just came out. It came loose, just for a
millisecond when his feet weren't down. That that's that's not
a catch. That is not And it looked like they're
going to be in field goal range.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But man, that was why people arguing.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I fell asleep, I woke up in the morning and
saw people are uing that it was a catch.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
They're stupid people.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Catch.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
It's not a catch.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Lost the ball. I don't, I don't.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
And they're like, I don't even know what it catches.
If that's not a catch, I don't even know what
I'm doing watching. It's like you don't understand the rules, man,
I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
Like it feels like there's other battles to pick, not
that's not the play to pick your battle.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Right, It's like the argument was, but it looks so
cool it should be a catch. It's like, dude, it's
not a catch. Sorry, Like you got to have a
better argument than that.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I don't know what people have, right, Like, just keep
keep the cool catch like that.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Yeah, it looked too cool. It's such a shame.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
It's like, yeah it is, but it's not a catch.
So they ruled it correctly, Like shut up, like go
somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
You're not making any sense right now. It's such a
bad argument, man, that was really bad.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
All right?
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Coming up next, he's Jeff Schwartz, I'm Brian. Now we
have got more NFL to discuss before we get right
back to the College Football Playoff Week eighteen Playoff implay cations.
What is your headlining act that's one thing we got
to dissect. Because my good friend Jeff Schwartz, he was
filling in doing another show. I was talking to my radio.
(35:11):
I disagreed with his conversation. So I was talking to
my radio and I thought it was great. But a
great job by him and his partner. We'll bring that
up coming up right around the corner. Keep it locked
right here. We're in for two pros and a cup
of joe right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (35:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Jeff Schwartz. I'm Brian No.
We're in for two pros and a cup of Joe.
This show is sponsored by Draft Kings Sportsbook, an official
sports betting partner of the NFL and NBA. Right now,
use the promo code two pros to claim your special
offer at DraftKings. Again, that promo code two pros. At DraftKings,
(35:59):
the crown is yours. We're not done with the NFL yet,
not by a darn site. Jeff Schwartz here, So Week
eighteen here's the thing. Every now and then we're wrong
about things. Jeff, You're just wrong about this, Okay. I
gotta bring something to your attention. The headlining game of
Week eighteen, like the Crescendo game. This is what closes
(36:23):
out Week eighteen with a bang Sunday Night football. It
is forty nine Ers hosting Seattle. That is the Crescendo game.
It is not Mid Baltimore against Mid Pittsburgh and the
AFC North.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I don't care. I don't care as much about that game.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
You're like, oh, they're definitely gonna put you know, raven
Steelers on Sunday Night Football, that you have to put
it there.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
It's like, no, because the NFL always chooses the winning
get in game.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
That's why I get that they do that. Or they're
making mistakes over here is what they're doing. Like that's
it's a much better game. It's a much better matchup.
These both San Francisco and Seattle have a much better
chance of having a deep run in the playoffs. Like
they're both super Bowl contenders, Like the Ravens and Steelers
aren't even stiff sniffing super Bowl contention, Like why are
(37:13):
we making that the headlining game. I think it's just silly.
It should be it should be the battle for the
one seed. I think that means way more than the
battle for who makes it through this god awful division.
Like I know they have more history Ravens Steelers, but
right here, right now, no, they're mid they are average
teams at best. Don't want them to close out Week eighteen,
don't want Oh sorry.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They're terrible. But the the enjoyment I'm gonna have of
just like this game is gonna be as gross as possible.
Surprise Pittsburgh wins like people are and this is like
a Mike Tomlin special, right with the whole time where
like the best time to bet against Mike Tomlin was last.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Week, right, that's right, that's right, and I did it.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
I took, I took the Browns. The best time I
bet on them is in the this situation.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, And so I'm looking forward to seeing how this
game goes. Look, La Marshall, he's gonna play, which thing.
If he didn't play in this game, oh my gosh,
it would have been bad.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
I still I like, listen if he goes out there
and plays and the Ravens win, and especially if he
does anything, if he's productive at all, everybody will have amnesia.
No one will remember that he, you know, woossed out
that last week. I listen, man, he's got a bruise,
he has a back bruce, he's got an aUI is
what he has.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Like, suck it up, man.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
How many quarterbacks in the NFL would have not only
been out there last week against the Packers, they wouldn't
have missed the second half against the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
It's a bruise, I get it.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
It doesn't feel good, there's some discomfort, might affect your
your quality of play.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
But it's football, man. You gotta suck it up. And
it's weird like he's sucked up numerous injuries this year.
He's had, you know, a hammy, a knee, a toe
and ankle. Like he's had a lot of stuff he's
been gutting through. I just I don't understand why this
one has been like way more severe than the other ones.
It's a bruise, man, Like we've got we've got d J.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Watt.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
He's tried to get out there with a partially collapsed
lung like that.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
This guy was practicing last week.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Lamar is not even practicing, so he's got he has
no choice.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
He's got to get out there. Man has to.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
When I bring up to people that are sort of saying, well,
Lamar has you know, he shouldn't play you way too?
Is healthy? I say, would Patrick Mahoons have played absolutely?
Say I'm like, well, I mean, what shouldn't you expect
Lamar to play like he should? Yeah? And so I'm
again I think he looks like he's playing this weekend.
The gambling number suggests that right there being a three
point road favorites. But he has not played well now,
(39:43):
he's not played up to his standard because he's been hurt,
and so the numbers are really down. And again I
I I think it's an indictment that people even suggest
in Tyler Howley should play on Lamar even if Lamar
is not healthy. But the offense, if the offense is
so predicated on his ability to run, that's not a
great right like this is not And it seemed like
last week they were successful because Hunley ran the football,
(40:04):
which again I don't want my office he built around
a quarterback being able to run the ball like I
want my office to have that option, of course, but
to be built around the idea that we have to
complete passes in a normal offense like to win, right,
And so I'm curious to see obviously how this ends
up going if he does play. But I think Pittsburgh's
love to win this game. I don't think we should
(40:25):
discount them.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
No, I think they are that. I think they're more
than live to win it. Yeah, what do you think
about the outside the box idea? My thought is with
a should they if Lamar can play, should they still
start huntly? Like they ran it like crazy against the Packers.
It's like they can run it like crazy it Just
give it to Derrick Henry even if Lamar is in there.
Just give it to Derrick Henry. You don't have to
sit Lamar to do that. We get to the CFP
(40:49):
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