Aaron Torres & Jason Martin Talk Mike McCarthy's Future, NFL MVP Race, Overrated SEC & More!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:04):
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(00:27):
The way tire buying should be er Torris, Jason Martin
Here until two am Eastern Time. As de Sega just
told you, Cincinnati Bengals up nineteen to seventeen, two minutes
left in the fourth quarter. Bengals need to win to
keep slim playoff hopes alive. Jason Martin, what's going on?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Man?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
How you doing?

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Pretty good? Man? Pretty good? This game got interesting. It
looked like it wasn't gonna be one to watch, and
then this second half it seems like Pittsburgh wants to
do their part too. Just ruin since Sinnati tonight, so
they don't even have to watch the games tomorrow. They
know they're out. Crazy great play by Benton to sack
Burrow on third and three right there before the two

(01:10):
minute time out. Now we've got Pittsburgh with a chance
with Boswell was one of the best kickers in the league,
especially this year. All they needs a field goal to
win the game. So here we go again, Pittsburgh finding
a way. Potentially we'll find out. Well, we got some drama
in this Legue game. I like it.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, Cincinnati was up nineteen to seven. They kick a
field goal with eleven minutes to go. Pat friarm Youth
touchdown plus a extra point cuts it to nineteen fourteen,
and then as you just said, Boswell knock through a
fifty four yarder to make it nineteen seventeen. Uh, Cincinnati
only able to take thirty nine seconds off the clock

(01:50):
as they as they get the ball back. Bigger picture, Uh,
First of all, let me ask you this, j Mark.
So obviously, with a win, if the Steelers hold on,
they would clinch a five seed Bengal. I think most
people know the scenario by now. But they need to
win this game. They need to win this game, and
they need the Dolphins to lose Week eighteen on Sunday,

(02:11):
Then they need the Broncos to lose against the Kansas
City Chiefs, who are obviously going to be resting most
of their marquee players. Of course, the Chiefs have clinched
the number one overall seed in the AFC.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
What do you just make of these two teams?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
I mean, obviously Cincinnati feels dangerous if they can get in.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
I know I've asked you this before.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Do you think Pittsburgh kind of hit their ceiling already
with this kind of Russell Wilson iteration of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They have lost three in a row coming into tonight
trailing nineteen seventeen with two minutes to go in this one.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
J markin, Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I think this
is It's still been a pretty good season for them,
but you're looking at them now and just saying this
is not a team's probably going deep in the playoffs.
If anything, they're going to be a nuisance. The defense
is always going to give them a chance because they're
a big playmate kind of defense, But the offense definitely

(03:02):
has a suing to it with the version of it
that we're seeing right now. At the same time, Mike
tom Wins the kind of coach that can win a
game that he's not supposed to. He can motivate his guys,
and his guys step up and play a little bit
above themselves. I think the bigger story is just Cincinnati.
Cincinnati's the kind of team you want to see in

(03:22):
the playoffs because you want to see that offense. You
don't want to see the defense, but you want to
see the offense. But the problem is, did they turn
it around too late. Burrow has been MVP level throughout
this season, especially on this last stretch, but sometimes even
a great season goes for not and it does seem
like this could easily be just that season where Burrow

(03:45):
had an unreal year, Jamar Chase had an unreal year,
and at the same time they're going nowhere.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
It's funny because obviously we're coming off this second round
of the college football playoffs. But it's like you look
at some of these college football playoff teams, even the
teams that got in maybe have one area where they're
pretty good, but you can tell that they're weak in
other spots. You know, we'll talk about Georgia in a minute,
well in a minute.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
You know, probably top of next hour.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
But it's like that team didn't run the ball all
that well all year, didn't do this all that well
this year, And I think everybody kind of just thought
because they had that G on the side of their helmet,
they'd be fine.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
They weren't.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
And I kind of think of the same thing as
the Cincinnati Bengals, as there are things that they do well,
but obviously the defense has let them down so much
throughout the season. The run game has by the way
the Steelers are driving, they do have the ball back
with about a minute to go right around midfield here
as they're trying to get in a field goal range
for Boswell. But yeah, I think the Bengals, listen, you know, listen,

(04:43):
the Bengals are the cliche. And I know this isn't
like a unique talking point from my perspective, but the
Bengals are the cliche. Like nobody wants them in because
of how dangerous Joe Burrow could be in a playoff scenario.
But you know, I just if they don't get in,
I don't think any of us are going to shed
tears because they had some bad losses along the way.

(05:03):
By the way, Russell Wilson, with a very dumb play,
did not get out of bounds. The Steelers are out
of timeouts. Russell Wilson has now been sacked twice and
basically tried.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
Basically, let me set this up.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
The last two plays, Russell Wilson tried to make a
play outside of the pocket, could not get out of bounds,
clock was running, Steelers had one time out left. He
then proceeds to take a sack on the following play.
So basically Russell Wilson with two crucial mistakes.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
Well one mistake really, I mean that second snap. I
think you called the time out prior to that personally,
because I don't think Russ had much of a chance
on the sack play. It's not like it was like
you gotta get it out of your hand. I mean,
he didn't have anywhere to go. Like that was a
sack that was straight up the gut a second and
a half after he got the ball in his hands. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
I mean, I could counter by saying, if you are
a little smarter with the ball on.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
The first play, you don't have to but it doesn't
really matter.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
The point is back to back play where Russell Wilson
cannot get out of bounds, does not complete a pass
the second one. To your point, J Mart, he really
had nowhere to go. So Pittsburgh does use its final
time out again the scenario, Pittsburgh, they have been eliminated
from the AFC North title because Baltimore won earlier in
the day, locked up the five seed, and they are

(06:20):
trying now to get into field goal range for a
potential game winning kick. As Russell Wilson did throw the
ball deep, it looked like he had George Pickens wide open.
But I don't know if Pickens slipped or if the
ball was overthrown. We're trying to get a replay on this.
We're not allowed to do play by play now. It
looks like the ball was just overthrown, but he had

(06:41):
Pickens deep and if he hits him, there in clear
field goal range right now. So again, Cincinnati again, by
the way, for people who do not know, needs a
win and a Miami loss and also a Denver loss
tomorrow to clinch the final playoff spot. And we are
down to the final play at his fourth and twelve
with about fifteen seconds to go.

Speaker 4 (07:02):
Again, by the way, the FCC is listening.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
We're not doing play by play here, We're just we're
just talking about football here, j Mart.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
So weird that you guys are always like thirty seconds
ahead of me. We're ahead, Oh, yeah, like I get
everything spoiled here.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
Wow, No, I'm kidding nothing. Did I ever tell you
the story when I was on air with Arnie Spanier
the Jalen Suggs half court shot. He was, Yes, he
was thirty seconds ahead. And if you remember, UCLA had
scored a basket, and they score basket to either tie
it or take the lead or I forget. And as

(07:34):
soon as the ball goes as soon as the ball
is being inbounded to Jalen Suggs, or maybe it was
a little bit before, I hear Arnie just screaming, oh oh,
and I'm like, you're joking, And then of course the
ball goes in and the rest is history. We have
one of the most iconic shots in NCAA tournament history.
But Arnie Spanier was thirty seconds ahead of us. Now
apparently we're thirty seconds ahead of you. I will set

(07:57):
it up fourth and twelve. Cincinnati is on about their
own forty yard line, well out of field goal range.
Need to get into field goal range. They're trailing nineteen
to seventeen. There's fifteen seconds left in this game, and
so we will see what happens. We do have an
incomplete pass turnover on downs, the Cincinnati Bengals will get

(08:18):
the ball back.

Speaker 4 (08:19):
All they gotta do is snap it and take a knee.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yep, still don't have a snap here.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Well, sorry to ruin Christmas for you there, j Mark.
But yeah, the Pittsburgh Steelers are The Cincinnati Bengals are
going to hold on to win this game. Final score
nineteen to seventeen, assuming they can snap the ball without
fumbling it and take a knee.

Speaker 4 (08:39):
It is ballgame.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
The Cincinnati bengals slim playoff hopes are still alive. J
Mart needs your Denver Broncos to lose as like a
two touchdown favorite tomorrow if we want Joe Burrow in
the playoffs, among other things.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
But well, I'm hoping that he's not in the playoffs.
There would be times that I wouldn't feel that way,
but not this year. I mean, I want my Broncos there.
Ten and a half point I think is the last
number that I saw. It would be just like the
Broncos to find a way to lose that game, though,
So I don't know that I can watch it. Honestly,
I might just have to like keep up to date

(09:13):
through score apps or something like that. I don't know
that I can watch that game. That's gonna be a
little bit too nerve racking. And I'm quite superstitious when
it comes to watching my teams. They usually do better
when I don't watch them.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
So Cincinnati has officially won. They improve to nine and
eight on the season overall. Again, just resetting it one
more time for people who are just joining us. With
Cincinnati's win, it now means that they need the Denver
Broncos to lose at home. As as J Martin said
about a certainly a double digit favorite against the Kansas
City Chiefs, who will arrest everyone, they would need both

(09:48):
Denver to lose and then Miami to lose as well.
You know, it's a weird thing with Cincinnati. By the way,
the Steelers I think are pretty locked and excuse me,
to the five seed they'll open Houston. It looks like
they're not quite locked in yet. So we'll get into
all the scenarios with the Steelers in a second. I
misread something shaman I won't I won't name the website,

(10:08):
but misread it on a very credible outlet.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
But anyway, Bengals have won five straight.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Now I'll just say this a little bit of a
bummer that we're not gonna see Joe Burrow potentially in
these playoffs. But I don't know what else there is
to say. I mean, you'll lose in Week one to
the New England Patriots. Obviously throughout the rest of the season,
you don't really have a lot of bad losses.

Speaker 4 (10:30):
You did lose to the Steelers the first time you play.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
That was really maybe the peak of the Russell Wilson
experience with the sin with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Excuse me,
you lost that weird game of the Chargers on Sunday
Night Football where you fell way behind and then rallied
in the second half. But if Cincinnati Bengals missed the playoffs,
I mean, I don't think it's cliche or wrong to
say that they certainly had their chances, most notably with

(10:53):
a loss in Week one to a New England Patriots
team that right now is trending for the number one
seed in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, and sometimes even the great quarterbacks, they don't end
up making the playoffs. It's just the way the sport works.
And again, if I mean, the Bengals finishing above five
hundred is still pretty impressive, considering where they were, you know,
eight weeks ago, but it may have been just a
little bit too late when they really started to make

(11:20):
the turnaround. We'll find out, I guess in about twenty
four hours, which you're right. I mean, everybody I think
wants as many good quarterbacks, good offenses as they can
have in this postseason. The AFC is just murderers row
when it comes to great quarterback play and iconic guys
that are you know, seems like walking Hall of famers
that were watching all across the board, and a lot
of young talent that you like as well. NFC is

(11:43):
a little different in that regard, but it does think
you're not gonna get burrowed this year because he certainly
deserves it, as does his just his offense in general,
they deserve it, but you just you don't want to
go into it not being able to control your own destiny.
You like it with the Ravens. All the Ravens had
to do to clinch their division was to beat an

(12:05):
awful Browns team, And I mean that's what you want.
You want to be able to control your own destiny
and beat a team that's already given out mean Miles
Garrett came out after the game and said this year
was worse than the winless team. Wow, he said that
about his own franchise. So that tells you how things
are going in Cleveland right now. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
So Baltimore with their win earlier, we'll come back, we'll
discuss that. But Baltimore with their win, has clinched the
AFC North. That was independent of what happened with Cincinnati
and Pittsburgh. So the AFC North was clinched prior to
this Pittsburgh Cincinnati game. Cincinnati for the last time for
a while. It needs both Denver and Miami to lose
on Sunday. If they do, Cincinnati would get the final spot.

(12:48):
Correcting something I said earlier, Pittsburgh would get the five
seed if the Chargers lose in Week eighteen, and if
the Chargers win, then they would fall to the sixth seed,
where they would play the Baltimore Ravens, who, of course,
they just lost to a few weeks ago. This is
Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday, Ara Tors Jason Martin
broadcasting live from the Tirac dot Com studios.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
We'll come back.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
We'll talk a little bit about the early game as Baltimore.
As Jmarch just told you, took care of business against
the Cleveland Browns. Good news for Baltimore. Now what happens
with the vaunted MVP conversation? Everyone's got to take We'll
share ours next. Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (13:28):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.

Speaker 4 (13:41):
Welcome back, everybody.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Fox Sports Radio aer toards Jason Martin broadcasting live FROMTHTI
IRAQ dot com studios to NFL.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
Games on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Both are complete if you're just joining us. The Cincinnati
Bengals have held on to beat the Steelers. That one
goes final just moments ago. With the win, Cincinnati gets
into the playoffs, but only if both the Denver Broncos
and Miami Dolphins lose. In Week eighteen on Sunday, Pittsburgh

(14:15):
it will either be the five or the sixth seed.
They will be the five seed if the Chargers lose
to the Raiders. If the Chargers win, the Chargers then
get the five seed. Pittsburgh would get the sixth seed,
where they would play the Baltimore Ravens. That's because Baltimore
beat the Cleveland Browns thirty five to ten in the
early game. Bailey Zappi couldn't get the job done sixty

(14:39):
to thirty one, one touchdown, two interceptions. I did not
see this, but Jamar tells me that Miles Garrett says
that the Cleveland Browns, who finished three and fourteen, that
Miles Garrett says this was a worse season than the
season that he was part of, where the team went
owen sixteen under Hugh Jackson.

Speaker 4 (14:58):
However, many years ago that was brown season has done.

Speaker 3 (15:02):
J Mart.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
Ravens obviously have now clinched the AFC North, they have
the number three seed. Takeaways from this game, Jmart.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
The quote was, it's probably a more disappointing season because
of what we expected out of ourselves. That it was
more of a letdown than the windless year, because this
team should have been better, essentially, is what he was saying.
And this is the guy in Miles Garrett. As good
as he's been, his rookie year was the winless year.

(15:30):
So he's had a couple of these that he's had
to endure. So he's speaking from a place of experience.
The takeaway is that the Ravens are going to be dangerous.
But all right, here we go it. Now's the time.
Now we start paying attention Lamar. Like again, no one
is criticizing Lamar Jackson in any way, shape or form,
but now you gotta get it done. It's really that simple.

(15:51):
It's that simple for him, it's that simple for Josh
Allen as well. This is the whole point. We said
this before the season, Aaron, We said, I don't really
care what you do up until January, and now technically
we're in January, so I don't care what you do
until the second weekend in January, because now we're going
to see. Now it is time for you to take

(16:12):
that next step. The Chiefs, despite their record, are beatable,
you would think, but playoff Mahomes is a different animal.
Playoff Kelsey's a different animal. Playoff, Chris Jones a different animal.
All these things, but somebody eventually has to do this
or we're going to continue to have the same talk here,
which is, man, you guys are really really good, but

(16:32):
right now you're just Karl Malone's like, right now you
are guys that have not actually been able to get
there and in the case of these two gentlemen, they
would then have not made it to a super Bowl.
The guy who might not make the playoffs that we
just saw beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, that being Joe Burrow
and his crew. They at least made a super Bowl
and beat Mahomes on the way to do it. But

(16:52):
we know that the road to the super Bowl is
going to go through Kansas City. The question is, is one
of these two guys, because I think it's we want
to be one of these two. Is one of these
two guys gonna actually step up and take this thing?
And maybe Justin Herbert have something to say about it too.
I don't know, but that's where we are right now.

(17:12):
And now we get to this point where now we
care about what the Bills do. Now we care about
what the Ravens do, and now we see whether or
not these regular seasons are ready to translate.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
Really quick because I want to get to some other conversations,
but I think it's worth noting, like, you know, you
talk about an intriguing opening round matchup obviously the Harball Brothers,
but I mean, you know, these two teams played at
Sofi Stadium not that long ago. Baltimore wins thirty to
twenty three. But it's like you talk about a tough
first first round draw up potentially. Now again, if the

(17:46):
Chargers win, then they would actually get Houston, and then
the Chargers could conceivably play Kansas City as opposed to
Pittsburgh playing as the five seed whatever. But that's not
an easy draw. But let's talk Lamar and Josh Allen.
Now do the cliche NFL MVP conversation, but since you
defaulted to what are you gonna do in the playoffs

(18:06):
for both these guys, which I think is actually a
much more interesting conversation than the MVP, I feel like
the MVP has been beaten into a pulp, you know,
the last three four weeks. I just I just want
them to give you award to somebody because I'm tired
of hearing people argue over it.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
And we could say, look, Lamar Josh Allen. I think
I would go with Allen this year, but if Lamar
would have win it, I wouldn't be like so upset either.
They've both been phenomenal, and you had say Kwon Barkway
to that mix as well. You can add Joe Burrow
to that mix. Of course as well, like there are
guys where it's okay, so we don't even have to
have that debate. That's a regular season award, and you

(18:40):
play the sport to win a super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (18:42):
So let me ask you this.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
Then, obviously it seems likely that you know, it doesn't
even seem likely if if both teams win their opening
round game, Buffalo has clinched the two spot, Baltimore clinched
the three spot with their win today, they'll face each
other independent of who would win that matchup, Like, who
do you think player wise, who do you think needs

(19:04):
the run more and potentially to go through Mahomes more?

Speaker 4 (19:07):
Do you think it is Josh Allen?

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Do you think it is Lamar Jackson?

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (19:11):
What three?

Speaker 4 (19:11):
A curveball there.

Speaker 3 (19:12):
Man, that's a good question. I think it's probably Allen
just because of the history between the Chiefs and the Bills.
I think we still regard the best game that Josh
Allen ever played to be one he lost because of
what happened in overtime. So I think in terms of
the Kansas city of it all, it's Josh Allen overall.
Just in terms of making it to a Super Bowl,

(19:33):
I think it's Lamar Jackson because his highs have been
higher when it comes to multiple MVPs. The way he's
been talked about, and it's been justified, don't get me wrong,
Like that kind of talk has to eventually get you
into a super Bowl. At some point. You have to
stop being Peyton Manning before the Rex Grossman rain game, Like,
eventually you have to actually get there. And Derek Henry's

(19:57):
not getting younger. He's been in the league for a
long time. The Zay Flowers deal, we got to see
how that goes. He was injured in the game. Hopefully
that's not going to be bad because he's the number
one pass catcher in terms of yards and perceptions this
year for Lamar Jackson. But I think it might be
Lamar overall. But for the Chiefs in terms of that boogeyman,
I think that still belongs to the Bills.

Speaker 2 (20:17):
It's an interesting debate, I so, I think so my
personal opinion is the individual versus the team.

Speaker 4 (20:26):
As you said, it is two different conversations.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
I think the individual is probably Lamar Jackson because I
think even in these especially the most recent ones, I
think when when Kansas City has beaten Buffalo, I don't
think people have looked at it and said, wow, Josh Allen,
that's stunk, Whereas like we do still look at last
year's AFC Championship game, Lamar Jackson, It's hard for me

(20:52):
to say he didn't show up because I still go
back to I think the play calling from Todd Monkey
was terrible. I still a year later blamed Todd Munket
more than I blame Lamar Jackson. But it doesn't change
the fact that I, like, I could be wrong, and
maybe I'm getting old and my brain's getting fuzzy. I
don't think people blame Josh Allen for the losses as
much as.

Speaker 4 (21:13):
They blame Lamar Jackson for.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Specifically that AFC Championship Game loss last year really quickly.
What I will say, though, I think what you said
is right, and I think it's an interesting way to
look at it is the player Lamar probably needs it more.
I do think the team would be the Buffalo Bills,
because like, like if Lamar and and and Baltimore don't
get it right, like you know, nothing's gonna happen. Like

(21:38):
you said, Derek Henry is getting old or whatever, but
like John Harbaugh's this John Harbas said he's probably a
Hall of Famer.

Speaker 1 (21:44):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
I don't know how Hall of Fame works for coaches,
but we all agree John Harbaugh's awesome. He's not going
anywhere he's been there forever. I don't even think if
if Baltimore got shut out that Todd Munkin's gonna be
forced out or anything like that. Like I do think though,
if the Bills again again cannot get past the Kansas
City Chiefs. And I know it's tough to say because

(22:04):
in this hypothetical it'd be in the AFC Championship game,
it'd be at Arrowhead, But like I do wonder if
heads in theory could roll for the Buffalo Bills if
they were to lose to Kansas City. I'm not saying
it would happen, but what would this be Jmark Four
of the last five years they would have lost to
Kansas City in the playoffs. I think that status right.
Last year they lost at home. I know they lost

(22:25):
in an AFC Championship game, and then they lost the
thirteen second game. So yeah, that's three times already in
the last four years. And then it would be four
or five losing to Kansas City so that's a long
window way of me saying I think the player versus
the team, in my opinion, is different. I think Leamar
for kind of you know, for the like you said,

(22:46):
for the final narrative to die, I think Lamar needs
to make a deep run. But for an organizational perspective,
I would think it's probably the Bills.

Speaker 3 (22:55):
Yeah, I agree, I mean, and of course it's subjective
to some degree, because if the game turned out to
be like the thirteen second game, for example, you would
have to look at it differently than the Bills getting
beaten by two touchdowns and just kind of it coming
to the end with a whimper, as opposed to having
an opportunity to win the game, maybe even having scored
and then you know, there's thirty seconds left or something

(23:16):
of Homes makes some kind of crazy play. So it
would depend possibly on how that game transpired in terms
of how the heads rolling side of that argument, But
it would just be unthinkably difficult, I would think for
Josh Allen to just have to deal again with not
being able to get through this guy, and it would feel,

(23:38):
in some respects kind of like those many teams in
the East that could never get by by the Chicago Bulls. Yeah,
like those teams that could never get by New England
despite the fact they had more talent, they felt like
on their roster. Somehow it was always there was always
a way to get the Patriots there. There was always
a Jordan play, there was always the right past, the

(24:00):
curse shot, whatever it was. Something was there and it
would knock somebody out. It would keep somebody from making it.
And that's the kind of thing here where it would
just be it would be nightmares, you really would like
you would wake up in the middle of the night,
cold sweat, like, how do I beat this guy? We
were better than them all season long, beat him head
but still exactly, but still we lose to them in

(24:23):
the playoffs. It would be devastating for the Bills really quick.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
I know it's impossible without you know, there's no way
for us to know under these like would you be
an advocate of if they were to lose again? Having
a serious conversation about Sean McDermott and the only reason
why I ask I understand all of the regular season.

Speaker 4 (24:43):
I also do know like to expect Josh.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Allen with the way that he plays, and I know
he ran the ball a little bit less than he
has historically. This year they finally got a ground game
going with James Cook all that, if you lose again,
I don't know, cause again you'd be on the road,
casey whatever.

Speaker 4 (25:02):
But I do like it does feel like I don't know,
Like I don't know.

Speaker 2 (25:05):
Could you I guess you probably would run it back,
But I just I feel like, man, if you were
to lose that again, if you were to lose in
another AFC Championship game again, that'd be four times in
five years that you have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Like,
I don't know, I would have to at least think
about it. I think that it should have been considered
last year.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
It certainly we both did. Yeah, yeah, I mean see,
I don't know. I think it would depend upon information
that we don't have about what happens behind closed doors.
The biggest thing being how does Josh Allen feel about
his coach. I think that's really it. Like, as long
as he and Sean McDermott are getting along, I think

(25:45):
you would be hesitant to make that play. But if
there's any kind of friction, or if Allen is not
really sold anymore, on the vision doesn't like maybe the attitude,
the passing the buck that we've seen or whatever it is.
Some things that may have happened closed doors that were
not privy to at all. If there is some kind
of friction between Josh Allen and his coach, then you

(26:07):
make the move, because Josh Allen's the franchise, not Sean McDermott.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
This is Tours of Martin, Fox Sports Radio, Aeron Tors
and Jason Martin here in the Tireck dot Com studios.
Jmart will come back. We will go from the AFC
to the NFC. Chicago Bears need a new head coach
and an interesting name popped up over the last couple
of days.

Speaker 4 (26:27):
We'll discuss that next.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
Before we do, though, first time this evening, my official
fact checker, Steve Desagre, Thanks for keeping me honest.

Speaker 4 (26:35):
Up the Steelers playoff scenarios. What's up to Sager?

Speaker 6 (26:37):
Yeah, Pittsburgh and the Chargers entered with identical records of
ten and six. Pittsburgh has lost Chargers or at Las
Vegas tomorrow. So we had another good day for Cincinnati,
another bad day for the Steelers. Great day for Baltimore,
winning and clinching the division and potentially a very good
day for the Chargers. A Chargers win Sunday at Las
Vegas means they'll open the playoffs at Houston next week

(27:00):
in in other words, getting to play the worst of
the four division winners, and a Charger win tomorrow would
throw the slumping Steelers at Baltimore to open the playoffs
next weekend. The Ravens clinched the AFC North and the
number three seed with a win over Cleveland thirty five ten.
Lamar Jackson two touchdown passes. On the ground, he had
nine carries sixty three yards, Derrick Henry two touchdown runs

(27:22):
in the fourth For the game, he had one hundred
and thirty eight yards rushing. And then Pittsburgh lost its
fourth game in a row. Ten and seven record for
the Steelers lost at home to Cincinnati nineteen to seventeen.
Bengals had led ten to nothing in the first quarter,
led nineteen to seven in the fourth. Let's not forget
the final minute of the first half in this one
at Pittsburgh, because the Steelers were stopped on a third

(27:45):
and one and then a fourth and one back to
back plays turned it over on downs and the Bengals
turned that into a field goal before halftime. Cincinnati eventually
won by two points. Five straight wins for the Bengals,
they finished with a winning record. Despite all the close
losses this year, nine and eight the mark, they actually
still have a chance at the last playoff spot in

(28:06):
the AFC.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
Now.

Speaker 6 (28:07):
They needed a win tonight and losses Sundays by Denver
and Miami, so we'll see. But Bengals running back Chase
Brown was out with a sprained ankle, and still the
Bengals win on the road. Cincinnati went four for four
on field goals. Washington activated running back Austin Eckler. He'll
play in Sunday's finale at Dallas. The Eagles activated tight
end Dallas Goddard. Carolina activated running back Miles Sanders off

(28:31):
i Are. The Lions activated wide receiver Khalif Raymond and
linebacker Alex Anzeloni. Vikings running back Aaron Jones is off
the injury report and due to play in that huge
regular season finale this Sunday night, when the Lions host
a Vikings team that's won nine in a row. This
will decide the NFC North and the number one seed
in the NFC we'll find out who's getting next weekend off.

(28:53):
The Bahamas bull in college football went to Buffalo over
Liberty twenty six to seven in the late game. In
the NBA. Hey Kawhi Leonard has made his season debut
for the Clippers, coming back from the knee injury arms.
It's one game in a row that he has played.
The Clippers lead at the half seventy four to fifty
four over the Atlanta Hawks. Kawhi from three point range

(29:15):
three to three, nine points in the first half. Wins
for Utah and Golden State. Portland won at Miami one
O five, one O two, Chicago beat New York, wins
for Philadelphia and Indiana. Detroit beat Minnesota despite fifty three
points from Anthony Edwards, and Denver won in overtime at
San Antonio Nicola Jokic with forty six points. College hoops,

(29:37):
the day started with a top ten matchup at Kentucky.
The Wildcats beat Florida one oh six to one hundred.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
Back to you, thank you.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Very much, Steve the Seger. This is Tours of Martin
Fox Sports Radio. We are broadcasting live forth the Tyreck
dot Com studios. Tell you what j mart I want
a nice meaty segment here to talk about Mike McCarthy
potential Chicago as head coach.

Speaker 4 (30:00):
I'll tell you what we will come back.

Speaker 2 (30:03):
We will discuss what I think is the most intriguing
vacancy we have right now. By the way, our buddy
Rex Ryan set the interview with the Jets on Tuesday.

Speaker 4 (30:11):
I know you got takes on that as well. We'll
come back discuss.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
McCarthy to Chicago, Sexy Rexy back to New York. Producer
Ian can barely hold back his excitement. This is Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (30:23):

Speaker 2 (30:29):
Welcome back, everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday erratorys
Jay Smart.

Speaker 4 (30:36):
We are broadcasting live from the tyreck dot Com studios.

Speaker 3 (30:38):
Jam is a big song to come back from to
talk about Mike McCarthy. What is it?

Speaker 4 (30:44):
Green Day?

Speaker 3 (30:45):
Green Day? Brain stew just the lyrics and the idea.

Speaker 4 (30:53):
Green Day.

Speaker 3 (30:54):
I agree, My senses dulled, My eyes feel like they're
gonna bleed.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
Wow, all of that.

Speaker 4 (30:59):
You like my McCarthy less than I do?

Speaker 3 (31:01):
Just this idea, I'm just I don't understand. So without
even get we didn't even have to get that much
in detail. So Mike McCarthy apparently is eyeing the Bears
if he's out in Dallas. So Jeremy Fowler put that piece,
put that as part of like the ESPN roundtable thing
that came out this week, did he and Grasiano do?
And then it was picked up by eight trillion other

(31:22):
outlets and the Bears like it. Bears potentially are in
on the idea, and you're reading all these media pieces,
it seemed to be like, you know, that's not the
worst idea. I kind of liked that idea, and also
what what are we doing here? Like if that's not
the worst idea, then why is he going to be
out in Dallas? Why are we having this? Is it

(31:43):
just because he's worn out as welcome there? He wore
out as welcome before he got there, Like that was
not a great hire from the beginning. We're going to
give him to Caleb Williams in twenty twenty five? What
do we what? What are we doing here? What do
you say you do here? Guys like I don't understand
this whatsoever?

Speaker 2 (32:01):
All right, So Mike McCarthy, I think it's it's worth
noting so his contract, obviously he doesn't have a contract
for next year, and so I do wonder how much
of this is just him trying to strong arm the
Cowboys into extending him.

Speaker 4 (32:15):
But it is a very unique scenario.

Speaker 2 (32:17):
I mean, I would love to know how many times
a coach, especially the like the like a Cowboys coach
I'm not talking about like the Jacksonville Jaguars, like a
high profile coach, is in the final year of his
contract without an extension.

Speaker 4 (32:29):
And it's funny.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
I forget if I talk with you, or it might
have been VJ or somebody when I was filling in
here over the last couple of weeks. But like you know,
up until last week, when they were obviously playing a
superior team, the Cowboys, they kept winning, right and you
know the Sunday Night game a few weeks ago they
beat the Bucks. They had won four of five prior
to the loss of the Eagles last week. And so

(32:51):
I do think a little bit of the like maybe
we should bring back McCarthy buzz died down. I'll just
get my thought really quick, because I do think you
kind of you didn't kind of hold how.

Speaker 4 (33:00):
You feel is like to me, I don't think you get.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Credit for the guys playing hard when you have nothing
to play for, because like, don't tell me you have
nothing to play for. Like for first of all, the
fact that like Michael Parsons has been like, oh yeah,
I'd love to have him back whatever, Like that's part
of the problem is like, of course players are going
to want to stay in their comfort zone. They have
a guy, they know a guy, they like a guy,
they this a guy, they like that, whatever. So I

(33:25):
don't really care what if I was an owner now.
The problem is I think Jerry cares too much about
what other people think. And I you know, he's not
a maverick, He's not this he's he's kind of kind
of gets pushed over a lot by agents, by players,
by coaches, whatever. But my whole thing is, I've said
it a million times. I thought he should have been
fired a few years ago. Honestly, I certainly thought he

(33:46):
should have been fired after the Packers debacle.

Speaker 4 (33:50):
You and I were on air the day that they.

Speaker 2 (33:51):
Lost to the Falcons, of all teams, and that was actually, unfortunately,
the day that Dak got hurt, and so like when
they lose to the Falcons, Okay, that was the day
Dak got hurt.

Speaker 4 (34:01):
So you can't say, oh, they didn't have dak.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
They were three and five at that point, and oh,
by the way, had already lost three games at home
at that point, including getting embarrassed by the Lions, embarrassed
by the Saints of all teams, and oh, by the way,
the Ravens made that big rally to beat them as Erner,
excuse me, the Ravens were up big, and then the
Dallas Cowboys rally to make it look respectable. So don't

(34:26):
sell me. First of all, from the Cowboys perspective, don't
sell me on Oh, the guys are playing so hard
for him. It's like yeah, because they're either vets that
like playing for him because he's a pushover, or they're
young guys that are looking for an opportunity. I don't
care that they play hard for him. I think the
Cowboys would be insane to bring him back. That's the
first part from the bearest perspective, let's talk about First

(34:49):
of all, this can be a quick one word answer.
If you feel the same way I do. Are you
in agreement the Cowboys would be insane to bring him
back or do you believe that? Okay, okay, okay, all right,
So let's talk Bears for a second, because this, to
me is actually interesting because I've heard a lot of
different takes on the Bears, right is I've heard that. Listen,
we know the state of the organization. It's been a

(35:09):
mess forever.

Speaker 4 (35:11):
You know.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
The mccaskeys are like this weird ownership group, old money.
They don't really have a ton of money, and they don't.
They're kind of hands off and they whatever. Kevin Warren,
you and I know from college football circles, was the
Big Ten Commissioneri's now that the team president. He kind
of isn't the GM, but he butts his head into
person he's he's a meddler. That's probably the best way

(35:32):
to put it. So I've heard a couple of different theories.
I've heard, like this concept that you need a culture guy,
like a Mike Vrabel if he would potentially take the job.
I am of the personal belief because a lot of
people are like, it's too big of a job for
like a Ben Johnson type who's never been a head coach,
there's too many cooks in the kitchen whatever. I actually

(35:52):
just fundamentally disagree with that. I think I get the
idea of a culture guy, but I just think Caleb
when I look at him, I know what the stats
say if you you know, if you follow this account
or that account, they'll tell you that he's done this,
or that he doesn't look like the same quarterback. He
looks to me like his confidence is shot. He looks
like he's regressing, even though again the stats would tell

(36:14):
you that they that he had a good rookie year.
I think you have to go the offensive savant, the
Matt Lafleur type, this guy type, you know, all the guys,
the Sean McVay, whatever, and you hope that the guy
is not just a great play caller, but he's a
great leader, he's a great leader of men. Whatever. I
think you have to go offensive guy. By the way,
I think Mike McCarthy would be as I don't think

(36:34):
he'd be a disaster there. He just want to be
my first choice by any stretch. But what do you
think the Bears should do with this vacancy, assuming that
all of the viable candidates would be realistically interested in
the job.

Speaker 3 (36:47):
Exactly what you just said, I mean, I am. I'm
in favor of Vrabel wherever he would land. I know
he wants to go somewhere with a quarterback. But I
told you when we hosted for Jason Smith and Mike
Harmon on New Year Night that I felt like Verbel
I'm predicting. I think Verbel's going to be with New England,
and that would mean Mayo is out of a job,

(37:07):
and there's issues there, and I wish he would get
more time. But I also think if the Patriots want
to bring back Verbel, now's the time because he's going
to take a job in this cycle, and he's so
beloved there and I think he fits with the Mantra
in the way that they want to build, and they've
got what he wants. So let's say he's out right,
and if you want a quarterback, you could go there.

(37:29):
But I think it has to be a dynamic offensive mind.
It's got to be whoever it is that can get
Caleb Williams from zero to one hundred the Lamborghini that
Caleb Williams is capable of being the one that can
handle that and drive it the best. Put that guy
on the sidelines, and you have to get this right
this time, or I think you may irreparably break Caleb Williams.

(37:51):
This is as important to hire as that franchise we'll
ever see because of the quarterback and because of the
position that he's been in, because you foolishly back Matt
Eberflus this past year and set him back. It doesn't
necessarily have to be the most experienced guy, but it's
got to be a guy that has that right touch,

(38:12):
that mix when it comes to Caleb Williams, and I
don't know who the answer is. I mean Ben Johnson.
I don't think it's too big a job for him.
I have no idea whether it's too big a job
for him, but I know what he's done offensively, So
you look at that and you know, at the very worst,
if you get Vrabel would have to come in with
the right offensive coordinator. But that offense must be high octane,

(38:35):
ready to fire next year. And it's got to be
all about building Caleb williams confidence back, because if you
don't get this right, the ceiling is what Trevor Lawrence
is in Jacksonville right now. And I don't think that
is what Chicago fans want or what they signed up for,
and it's not what Caleb Williams wants either. So whatever

(38:55):
is going to unlock Caleb Williams. That's what you do,
and that is not a culture setting Mike McCarthy. I'm
not saying McCarthy should never coach in the league. Again,
I'm saying this is a horrible idea in terms of
where he could land. There is no reason why Mike
McCarthy would be the thing that would make Caleb Williams
shine next year.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
Sigaruth everything he said, and I think the most important
thing that you said, and this is concerning, is the
fact that, in my opinion, exactly what you just said
irreparable harm, irreparable damage to Caleb Williams. He can't survive
and I don't mean literally, I mean metaphorically obviously can't
survive another bad coaching higher because you know, you get

(39:37):
into year three or four, year five, you are who
you are. Then you just become you know, fill in
the bland. I mean, whoever. Seriously, we're talking about Sam
Darnold right now, because he's such an exception to the rule.
It's like, once a guy is lost, you never get
him back.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
And he and Geno Smith both are probably two of
the best examples we've seen. Yeah, that's fair, and there's
very rare examples.

Speaker 1 (40:01):

Speaker 2 (40:05):
Welcome in everybody, hour two Tours Martin, Fox Sports Radio.
We are broadcasting live from the tirac dot Com studios
tirerack dot Com. We'll help you get there an unmatched selection,
fast free shipping, free road hazard protection, and over ten
thousand recommended installers tirerack dot com the way tire buying

(40:29):
should be er.

Speaker 4 (40:30):
Torus Jason Martin. We are taking you up till two
a m.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Eastern time, So two more hours with us before Bernie
Fratto follows us here on Fox Sports Radio. Jymart So
you mentioned it last hour, by the way, to say
er to just get you caught up on all of
the all of the big news from the day in
the NFL if you missed it. The Baltimore Ravens easily

(40:53):
took care of the Cincinnati Bengals. They have clinched the
AFC North title and the number three overall seed.

Speaker 4 (41:01):
We do not know who they will play yet.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Because the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Steelers
are in position to get the five unless the Chargers win.
If the Chargers win, they get the five, the Steelers
would fall to the six spot, and they would face
the Baltimore Ravens again in the opening round of the playoffs. Oh,
by the way, on top of that, Cincinnati Bengals. They win,

(41:24):
but still need both the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos
to lose on Sunday. If both teams win, Denver gets
in over the Miami Dolphins. So that's everything going on
in the world of the NFL. And we'll get back
to the rest of Week eighteen here in just a
little bit. But do you want to switch gears back
to college football? Jmart You and I had the privilege

(41:45):
of filling in for Jason Smith and Mike Harmon on
New Year's Night, and unfortunately, and it is unfortunate, you know,
there was no Sugar Bowl the night we were on,
of course, because of the tragedy in New Orleans. Said
it a million times that night, I'll reiterated thoughts without
obviously all of the families that were impacted by the
terrorist attack in New Orleans, as well as of course

(42:07):
the city of New Orleans itself. Thank you to all
the first responders police who kept everybody safe. I know
how hard they worked to just get the city back
to normal. Let alone get a college football playoff game
going twenty four hours or so after that attack.

Speaker 4 (42:21):
The game did go on, thankfully without a hitch.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
And I want to talk about that game, j Mart,
because Notre Dame does take care of business. They do
beat Georgia. Final score, I believe was twenty three to ten.
I should have it pulled up here, but yeah, so
Notre Dame wins. Just your immediate reaction, you know. And
I want to talk about a big picture of the
college football playoff. But that was the most recent game.

(42:44):
That was Thursday afternoon. Notre Dame beats Georgia twenty three
to ten. Shit mention, just really quick, j Mark for
people who missed it or somehow don't know all the details.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
Weird game.

Speaker 2 (42:53):
It was three to three with about thirty seconds to
go in the first half.

Speaker 4 (42:57):
Notre Dame kicks a field goal.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
Georgia, deep in their own territory, decides to pass, the
ball is stripped. Notre Dame scores a touchdown one play
later to make it ten to three. Then they returned
the opening kick of the second half to make it
seventeen to three, and basically the game was there. But
Notre Dame wins. It advances, No play Penn State on Thursday.
Ohio State plays Texas on Friday. But your thoughts on

(43:22):
Notre Dame and George, I.

Speaker 3 (43:24):
Mean, you just laid it out the way that the
first half ended, and then the kick return, which Notre
Dame had struggled with doing all year long. But it
shows up at the right time. That was a game,
and those are mistakes you can't make. Putting your quarterback
in that situation, putting gunnerstocked in that spot late in

(43:44):
I don't know what Bobo was thinking, the offensive coordinator,
and I'm not sure why Kirby Smart didn't overrule it,
because it just seemed like such a unnecessary choice, just
a bad risk, and especially against the defense that had
been getting after him and forcing him into things, and
he was I mean, he had played pretty well to
that point, but there was just no need. There was

(44:08):
no reason to think that they were going to go
score right there against Notre Dame's defense. You just take
the six to three and get into the locker room,
reatol a little bit, do whatever you need to do
in terms of adjustments, and come back out there and
play the second half. The momentum that came from that play.
Just never Georgia was never able to really fight back
into it. They had an opportunity there late in the

(44:30):
third quarter where it got interesting for a bit, but
Notre Dame, made fewer mistakes, did the right stuff, and
then you have Freeman getting creative in the fourth quarter.
That was just an amazing That whole thing was amazing,
and to get Georgia to bite right there essentially ended
the game. You don't know what might happen if you

(44:52):
have to punt the football there if you don't get it,
but just a just brilliant strategy by Marcus Freeman and
his staff. They they seemed like they were more polished,
They seemed like they were more ready for that moment,
and they just had guys that stepped up. Riley Leonard
got that key first down, which is gonna be a
you know, a jiff forever most likely and a meme forever,

(45:16):
and just showed his toughness in that moment when they
had to get a couple of yards, they found a
way to do it. It was a grit and grind
kind of game, but it was very Ungeorgia like in
terms of the mistakes made at the end of the
half and giving up that kick return, but it was
not on Georgia. Like in that you had Bell with
a wide open would have been a touchdown, just bounces

(45:38):
right off his hands. The thirty sixth drop of the
season for a Georgia uh, for a Georgia wide receiver.
Just that team. We talked about it as we watched
them during the year. They just weren't all that good.
Like I got caught up and still thought, it's still Georgia.
I'm not sure Notre Dame is ready for this. They were,
they were, They were the better team that day. They

(46:00):
took advantage that got the balances to go their way,
which many times that determines wins and losses, and they
deserve to move on. And I'm really excited about the
matchup because I think Notre Dame in Penn State is
just a really intriguing First off, there's a rivalry, it
gets renewed here. But the big thing is just both defenses,
the way the offenses move, like that's a real chess

(46:22):
match of a game. And both those organizations right now,
both of those universities, both of those programs seem to
be in a really good spot. And I think that
that's the kind of matchup you want. The final four
in the College Football Playoff turned out to be a
little different in terms of the SEC representation, but the
transfer portal and NIL has changed absolutely anything and everything,

(46:46):
and I'll leave it here. Notre Dame a lot of
the key contributors in that win were guys that they
poached out of the portal. They did a great job
in the offseason, and those guys came through for them
in the biggest game of their year. And I think
that the other thing is we should not get caught
up too much in early season blemishes, as weird as

(47:08):
they might be. If a team then goes for months
without losing, maybe you should forgive them for the NIU game.
Because the team that lost to NIU was not the
team that we saw for the remainder of the season.
And I think some people just left them for dead
that moment and would never pick them back up, as
opposed to continuing to watch their season.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
Yeah, maybe on the back on the other side of
the break, we'll talk a little bit. We'll preview the
two games that are Thursday and Friday, but I want
to stick here. First of all, I agree and one
of the reasons that I did actually pick Notre Dame
to win this game is because Georgia was the exact
opposite of Notre Dame. Listen, you can argue about five
star this. You know, Kirby's been there before like it,
and it's not like a knock on Georgia. But I

(47:50):
kept going back to is that, like you said, with
Notre Dame, they I don't know if they progressively got
quote unquote better every game, but they really haven't played
a bad game since that Northern Illinois game, which was
literally week two. Doesn't excuse the loss, but in this
twelve team playoff ear it really doesn't matter. And I
go back to Georgia and it's just, yes, they beat

(48:11):
Texas in the SEC championship game, but also let's not
forget the week before that they played Georgia in an
eight overtime game and easily could have and maybe should
Georgia Tech. Yes, I apologize Georgia Tech, and it was
at home, George ch had a mobile quarterback, whatever. But
I thought this Georgia team, like you said, I thought
was flawed all year, and I thought it showed up
at the worst possible time. I know you can't account

(48:33):
for losing your starting quarterback, you know, in the SEC
Championship game. But I just I don't know that it mattered.
I thought Gunter Stockton played fine. I didn't think it
was a quarterback issue really quick. You know, I think
we got to have the conversation that everybody in college
football is having right now, which is what do you
make about the SEC? Because listen and I think this
is all part of the bigger picture discourse of the

(48:56):
postseason in college football. You know, SMU gets blown out
in the opening weekend, Indiana gets blown out, and you
have these Alabama fans screaming that they should have been
in and South Carolina fans are mad, and Old miss
fans are mad, and what proceeds to happen is well, Alabama.
You know, I wouldn't say they got destroyed by Michigan,
but they lost to I know Michigan played better towards

(49:19):
the end. They beat Ohio State, but they still did
lose to Michigan as a double digit favorite, by the way,
after losing twice as a double digit favorite during the
regular season. This is Alabama South Carolina who finished nine
to three and believe they were in the playoff picture
lost to Illinois in their bowl game. Now, Old Miss
did win, but you also had Tennessee get destroyed on
the road. Maybe Ohio State's just better than we realized

(49:40):
at the time Texas struggle with Arizona State. What do
you make of the state of the SEC? Because I'll
be real, is that listen, you know it. I believe
that it has been okay in previous years to basically
acknowledge that this is definitely the best league whatever. But
also watched all these teams all year and it's like,

(50:02):
I don't know, like I never watched out like I
was one of these people. I never felt like Alabama
was somehow screwed by getting left out of the playoff.
I never felt like Old Miss was screwed by somehow
getting left out of the playoff. And I just bring
it up because I think this postseason, I know, these
they're meaningless bowl games.

Speaker 4 (50:18):
Whatever outside of the playoff.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
I think this bowl season has kind of proved like
the SEC at least for this year, and we'll see
what happens next year the year after.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
Like we can't just default to oh.

Speaker 2 (50:28):
This is definitely the best best league and these teams
deserve the benefit of the doubt. I think the committee
is actually largely came out looking fine based on the
teams that they not only picked, but that they left out,
in large part because I just don't think the SEC
was quite as good as a lot of people think.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
I think I submitted a topic to us three quarters
of the way through the season where I wanted us
to talk about whether or not It's like, are we
sure the SEC is great? I remember absolutely, like good, yes,
but great? I don't know, because yes, it seemed like
they had these big time programs doing big time things,

(51:04):
but they were also beating up on each other. And
we used to do this with a Big Ten where
we wouldn't give the Big Ten credit for those kind
of wins because they were beating each other and we
weren't never sure how good they actually were. And what
generally happened in those circumstances is they would go play
some SEC or at the time even a Big twelve
team and get absolutely demolished. And because they were slower

(51:25):
or something had changed outside of Ohio State, That's generally
what was happening most of the time. And I just
think I think it proved out to be right I mean,
I do the show out of Nashville. My wife's a
diehard SEC fan, My father in law is an SEC crad. Like,
I mean, it's a big time deal. But at the
same time, like objectively, the SEC wasn't all that great

(51:48):
this year. They were competitive and deep, and there were
dramatic games and all this, but I'm not shocked that
this has happened this year. But I think the biggest
issue for the SEC go going forward is that the
playing field and the playing rules have changed in terms
of what they're going to be able to do on

(52:09):
their bench. The difference between this Georgia team and other
Georgia teams in the past is the depth is not
the same. They still have a great amount of talent,
but they don't have the ten to fifteen guys on
the bench that are also NFL prospects quite to the
degree that they used to, because those guys are sitting
somewhere else, playing in other schools and they're able to

(52:30):
make money doing so, and they have different like the
goals are different. You don't have to go through X
program to get to the NFL, and you also don't
don't have to go through X program to earn a
nice living while you're in college at this point, so
that changes it around. So the transfer portal becomes instrumental.
And let's be real, ETN didn't prove out to be

(52:52):
as big a deal for Georgia as maybe some had thought.
And you look at what Notre Dame was able to
pull off, and sometimes it work better than others. It's
going to be a system that it's going to be
a crapshoot to some degree. Some guys are going to
be can't miss, but I mean ole miss and what
they pulled off, well, I mean they end up beating
Duke in a bowl game. I don't know if that
was money well spent or not when it when you

(53:14):
really look at it at the end, but what the
SEC was able to do, and this is why Saban
got out because Saban didn't want to do this. And
they're gonna be other guys across the country in different
in different roles, in terms of head coaches, they're not
going to want to do this either, which is why
I don't really understand why Belichick is jumping into this,

(53:34):
because there's nothing about what he's going to be asked
to do that feels like something Bill Belichick would want
to do at his age or even twenty years ago.
So that that's that part of it baffles me. But
I think that's the biggest thing for the SEC is
they're not going to be able to stockpile depth three
deep with NFL talent because those guys are not going

(53:55):
to wait a round for their turn because they no
longer have to.

Speaker 4 (53:59):
They no longer have do uh.

Speaker 2 (54:00):
I also think, by the way, the Belichick point is
so on point, Like I love this Belichick point of well,
you know, you just buy players. Now it's like, yeah,
you know who else has money besides North Carolina?

Speaker 4 (54:09):
Literally everybody?

Speaker 2 (54:11):
Yeah, And it's like, you know, it's like at a
certain point there has to be another reason. And by
the way, for a lot of kids, it will be, hey,
you have a chance to play for you know, a
Hall of fame, maybe the greatest coach that's ever walked
the face to here. But for a lot of kids
it's like, Okay, well, you know, I'm a quarterback, I'm
a wide receiver.

Speaker 4 (54:25):
Is this really the best spot for me? Or whatever?

Speaker 2 (54:28):
I don't want to play for this guy, or I
don't like this guy, or he's hard, whatever, This isn't
a Belichick conversation, but I think it's a great point
about where we are in college football. The other thing
I'll say is this is like, you know, as far
as the you know, as far as like the state
of things, I think there's the portal. And like I
do think NIL is a thing from the perspective that

(54:48):
I know. I just said, Oh, everybody doesn't just buy players,
but like everybody does have money, and I think it's
the combination of things. Like I was just thinking about this, right,
is like if there was no NIL. This is just
a very simple basic way to look at it. If
there was no nil, Bryce Underwood, the number one recruit
in America, would be going to LSU next year.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
Yep, but he's going to Michigan.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
Riola was a little bit different because I think he
wanted to play this year but would have gone to
Georgia in a different universe. Now he's at Nebraska. Like
that's just two very easy examples. The best quarterback in
last year's class was committed to an SEC school, he
ends up in the Big Ten. The best quarterback in
this year's class committed to a SEC school, ends up
in the Big Ten, and I just think that. I

(55:30):
just think the combination of the portal. Obviously, everybody wants
to play, as you said, and I do think like
the NIL thing, like it is a thing, right is
everybody has money now, everybody's spending money now by the way,
these big ten schools, and I know that in theory,
with all these rules that are supposedly changing, you're gonna
you know, everybody's gonna have a cap and there's only
so much you could pay. I don't know how that's

(55:52):
all gonna work, because I don't think you can limit
how much someone can make on a free market, on
an open market. But I just bring it up be
cause if, like, if we get deeper into this NIL
world and it is still about highest bidder or about
having money and resources, you know, it is worth noting
the Alabama ad just came out a few weeks ago

(56:13):
and basically said, we need your help because we're behind
in NIL. Same time, you know, Michigan clearly has money
that they've never spent before that they're willing to spend.
We know about what Ohio State's been on their roster
this year, Penn State. You know, I haven't heard any
big NIL things with them. But like for people wh
don't know, I was thinking about this week, like they
have literally the biggest alumni base of any school in America,

(56:33):
like a Notre Dame, by the way, obviously has a
lot of high level boosters. So I just bring it
up because it's the portal. But if it's NIL two,
now Notre Dame doesn't have to feel guilty about paying
players when maybe other schools were ten years ago and
now and Notre Dame want to do it, or Michigan
or whoever. It's like now it's just, you know, kids
want to play. Everybody's got money. And I do think

(56:56):
that in any given year, the SEC might be the
best conference. But I think that at least for now,
of just defaulting to, oh, it's absolutely the best and
nobody's even allowed to question it. Obviously, we can't be
doing that no more.

Speaker 3 (57:07):
Yeah, there is no doubt and there is no coincidence
that this Notre Dame team has a real look at
a championship this year, unlike any year previous, even once
when they've been in the title game. I like this
team better than any of the teams that have come before.
There's no coincidence that this is happening right as these
rules have changed, right is the nil and all this
stuff has changed to where Notre Dame knows that they

(57:31):
can do this and it's all above board, just like
it is everywhere else. They no longer have to play
the same game that they had to play for years
and years, and they've got a head coach that has
built the culture. And we said this at the time
when he got the gig, there was something about like
watching him and watching him talk to those guys and
listening to the podcast with the Notre Dame players talking

(57:51):
about Marcus Freeman where you just knew it's like, all right,
that's a good hire. I feel the same way, by
the way about Sharon Moore. I know we'll get to break,
but just watch the way that that team played for
more down the stretch and the aggressiveness and of course
to win over Ohio State. Like, I think those are
two guys right now where it's just like, Yeah, you
didn't go out and go hire the flashiest name. You

(58:13):
hired the guy in the building that already had proven something,
and you've let them go out there, and I think
they've both already paid dividends. With Freeman certainly ahead right now,
but he's had a couple of years. But I mean
this Notre Dame team, They're gonna be a tough out
for anybody the way that they play, because they're so
sound and they're so physical.

Speaker 4 (58:32):
I'll tell you.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
What we'll discuss next. Will they be a tough out
for Penn State. Let's look ahead to the two games
Thursday and Friday of this week. Erin Torris, Jason Martin.
This is Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back, everybody, Fox Sports Radio.
Erin Torris, Jason Martin, broadcasting live from Thetireraq dot Com studios.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
By the way, football fans, be.

Speaker 2 (58:58):
Sure tuned into Fox Sports Radio every Sunday morning beginning
at ten am Eastern seven Pacific for Countdown to Kickoff
presented by bet MGM, Brian No, Jeff Schwartz, a professional
better Bill Krackenberger will have you covered three hours before kickoff.
Every Sunday morning, listen to Countdown to Kickoff presented by
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iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 4 (59:18):
Gonna come Back.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
We are gonna talk about the semi finals of the
college football playoffs set for Thursday and Friday night before
we do tho.

Speaker 4 (59:27):
Let's toss it over the news desk Steve de Sager.

Speaker 2 (59:29):
What in the world is trending at twelve twenty eight
Eastern time? Tell us, please, let's update the late NBA game.

Speaker 6 (59:36):
Kawhi Leonard is back from the knee injury for his
season debut, and the Clippers are leading the Atlanta Hawks
one eleven to ninety with about seven and a half
minutes to go. Leonard with twelve points in nineteen minutes
of play. Earlier, Detroit beat Minnesota one nineteen one oh five,
even though Anthony Edwards scored fifty three points, and in
late night NHL action in Vegas, Golden Nights up three

(59:58):
to one on Buffalo with two minutes to play. Cincinnati
Bengals have won five in a row. Not dead yet.
They finished with a winning record nine and eight after
winning at Pittsburgh tonight in the cold nineteen to seventeen
about twenty degrees in Pittsburgh for this one this evening.
The Bengals led ten to nothing in the first quarter
and they won without running back Chase Brown. He was

(01:00:18):
out with a sprained ankle. Cincinnati needed a win tonight.
They still need losses on Sunday by Denver and Miami
to get the last playoff spot in the AFC. Baltimore
had a good day. The Ravens clinch the AFC North
title and the number three seed with a win over
Cleveland thirty five to ten. Ravens finished twelve and five.
This was a bad loss for Pittsburgh, dropped four in

(01:00:41):
a row. They may not be the five seed. They
may have to go to Baltimore next weekend to open
the postseason. The Chargers finish up their regular season tomorrow
at Las Vegas. A Chargers win Sunday means they'll be
opening the playoffs at Houston next weekend. In college football,
Buffalo won the Bahamas Bowl twenty six to seven over Liberty.
Attendance was four thousand, six hundred for that game and

(01:01:04):
they were in the Bahamas.

Speaker 4 (01:01:05):
Would you go to the Bahamas Bowl?

Speaker 6 (01:01:07):
I don't know if I would, yeah, or did you
even know that it was being played?

Speaker 4 (01:01:12):
It is weird, I mean, first of all, and not.

Speaker 6 (01:01:15):
A good field if you saw any of it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
Well, just an eleven am Eastern on a Saturday, Like
it's like that feels like an eleven am Eastern. December
twenty first, kind of game. I don't know about the
Saturday after New Year's But what do I know about
bowl season?

Speaker 6 (01:01:29):
Well, TV does dictate everything. Liberty was six of twenty
one passing for eighty yards, three turnovers, and down twenty
six nothing in the fourth quarter. Buffalo wins twenty six
to seven. It scored on four field goals and an
interception return for a TV also a long touchdown run.
A reminder of the playoff semi finals start Thursday Penn
State against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl, and then Friday,

(01:01:50):
Ohio State versus Texas at the Cotton Bowl. The championship
game in college football is Monday, the twentieth Hideki Matsuyama
leads by one stroke in Hawaii is the golf seat
and begins He's ahead on Colin Moricawa. They each shot
third Round sixty two's NHL Montreal in a shootout one
at Colorado, two to one.

Speaker 4 (01:02:08):
Back to you, thank you very.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
Much, Steve to Sager To Sega will be back with
us in just one moment to give us his extended
update at the bottom of the hour. We do it
every week. Round twelve forty five. To Saga will be
back in just one minute. But this is Fox Sports
Radio er towards Jason Martin again. Take it up till
two am Eastern. Bernie Fratto will follow us with the
conclusion of the Bahamas Ball j Martin. It means that

(01:02:32):
we do, in fact have just three college football games left,
two semi finals and a final. Tell you what, schedules
a little quirky this week, to say the least Thursday Friday. That's,
of course, because next week we will have NFL playoff
games all day Saturday. And obviously the big news is
that that Notre Dame Penn State game will be on

(01:02:54):
Thursday night. Actually, somebody tried, I don't know if it
was ESPN or the CF try to see if we
could switch, you know, switch game days because obviously Notre Dame,
you know, the Sugar Bowl got pushed back a day,
meaning that Penn State basically has two extra days rest
going into that game. But the game will go on

(01:03:14):
Thursday night, seven thirty eastern, the Capitol One Orange Bowl.
Let's start with that one, Notre Dame facing Penn State.
I think it's interesting despite the despite the short time
the short time off for Notre Dame, Notre Dame is
actually a one and a half point favorite going into
this one against Penn State. Just your thoughts on the

(01:03:37):
Orange Bowl, which is again Thursday night. Notre Dame Penn
State the first semi final in the College Football Playoff.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
I mean, I could see it going either way. I
just think it's likely to be very good. They both
can run it with multiple backs. You've got two stellar defenses,
maybe the best secondary in the country with Notre Dame,
and you've got some absolute beasts for Penn State. Health
is going to be a big concern there, certainly for them.
Riley Leonard more mobile than Drew Aller. I like Aler's

(01:04:06):
arm better. I like his ability to throw the football
better than I do. Riley Leonard certainly so. And then
you look at Franklin and his staff or Freeman and
his staff. Both of them are dialing up pretty well.
Right now. I think I favored Notre Dame, but I'm
not sure it's and I think I could switch back
and forth because I really have been impressed with Penn State,

(01:04:29):
and I want to give them credit for that and
not just overlook the quality of opponent that maybe they've
faced compared to Notre Dame. Going through Georgia in New
Orleans and all of what they've done. Like I'm torn,
Like I even want to tell you now you know
what I'm thinking Penn State. But now I said Notre
Dame first, So I guess I'm gonna stick with them

(01:04:49):
for now. I think that they can beat you more
different ways, just because Leonard's athleticism gives you another dimension
that they're going to have to account for defensively with
Penn State, that might be able to open up the game.
And I think that this is the kind of game
the hinges on which team protects the football better and
doesn't make the key mistake. It could be one of
those games where whoever gets the bounces really turns out

(01:05:10):
to be the victor. But I would be very surprised
if either one of these teams is able to pull
away from the other one.

Speaker 2 (01:05:16):
Yeah, I'll be honest, I'm a little torn on that
one myself because what I it's tough because like what
I think we saw, you know, like we saw that
you know, Riley Leonard is a little bit limited, you
know in the passing game, and.

Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
Like I'm no, I want I think Penn State's gonna
win the game, and that's what I told you. I'm
just it's gonna happen. It might happen five times during
this segment, but I'm gonna go with my initial gut,
which was that Penn State would win.

Speaker 2 (01:05:45):
Well, no, and I think listen, I think I'm torn
just like you are, because I think Notre Dame's probably
a little bit more of the quote unquote fundamentally sound team.
I think that's the term that you used when we
were talking about them, you know, in the Georgia game.
But first of all, State, I do think the two
extra days matters. Now a dual Carter, I don't know
if anything's official, but I'm pretty sure he's planning on

(01:06:06):
playing in that game. And so that was the key
injury for for Penn State. But you also have to
think too, like and I don't want to oversell it,
but probably a little bit healthier after Boise versus a
Georgia game that was two days later in New Orleans.

Speaker 4 (01:06:22):
So I think that's that's a factor.

Speaker 2 (01:06:25):
And I'm with you, is I I I just think
that for me, I don't know that I have a
strong opinion on this yet. And guess what we got
a we got five days so I'm not gonna make
an official pick right now.

Speaker 4 (01:06:34):
But to me, well, I mean, listen.

Speaker 3 (01:06:39):
You don't I'm not. I'm not telling you put you
out on them. I mean I think that's what my parents.
This is perfout in fourth grade, all this peer pressure,
O Mike. Now, honestly, this is this is perfect for
this game, because this is what I want. Like, I'm
going into this one really just conflicted as to how
I feel. Like. I think both teams definitely have the
ability to win the game, and I think it should

(01:07:00):
be close and very dramatic and very physical well played.
I just I think it's going to be a really
fun game to watch well.

Speaker 2 (01:07:10):
And I will say this too, I think you know this,
but before we even get to Ohio State Texas, cause
I think we both have the same opinion on that one,
let me give a shout out and let me just
take an l on something.

Speaker 3 (01:07:22):
Is.

Speaker 2 (01:07:23):
I know that the results haven't been great, and I
know that we do need some tweaking.

Speaker 4 (01:07:28):
I think we all know.

Speaker 2 (01:07:29):
Most notably probably that the four automatic buys should not
just necessarily go to conference champs whatever. But what I
will say is is that I don't I wasn't in
love with the notion of a twelve team college football
playoff because I really felt like, Okay, most years it's
a team or two that's really capable of winning it.
But I will say this was the argument, is it

(01:07:50):
gets settled on the field. And yes, you could argue
Penn State's path was easier than this team and should
Oregon have had to play Ohio State and whatever. But
at the end of the day, you know, I can't
figure out exactly who would have been in and who
would have been out, you know, under the previous scenario,
but like some of these teams would not have been in,
like Ohio State or Penn State would not have been in,

(01:08:12):
probably Ohio State, maybe Penn State as well. You know, again,
I don't know exactly how it would have played out
the top four at the end of the season was,
you know, Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Penn State. Does that
change in a four team format? I don't know, But
I just want to give credit because it's like these
these four teams would not have been the four team

(01:08:34):
in four teams in a four team playoff, and they've
been able to settle it on the field. Notre Dame
was able to prove they can beat an SEC team.
Penn State is winning big games even if it's not
the toughest competition. So we'll get to our Georgia or
we'll get to our Ohio State Texas pick in a
second Chason. But I just want to say that really quick,
as somebody who was critical and was saying do we
really need this twelve team playoff, I'm actually excited that

(01:08:56):
we have these matchups because Penn State, Notre Dame, whoever
is all four of these teams have earned their spot
in this position to play for a championship remaining.

Speaker 3 (01:09:06):
Couldn't agree more. And I also think that it is
important again to mention you said it's being decided on
the field. Look, we're gonna have a lot of blowouts
year after year after year, no matter how it's set up.
That's just college football. There's gonna be a lot of
lopsided games, and you're gonna have the same argument made.
Well though, we're not twelve teams that could actually win this,
so we're only four, Okay, Well then who cares that

(01:09:26):
four can still be the final four? Like we still
have many more games as a result of this, that
have stakes, and we also no longer have to have
discussions about hypotheticals because now if you earn it, like
more teams are earning a chance, like Okay, so Indiana
couldn't win a national championship, and we knew that going in, right,
maybe we felt like or maybe you felt like that,

(01:09:49):
and you're in your car listening to us wherever you
are right now, you knew Indiana was gonna be able
to win a national championship. Yeah, but they get a
chance to prove that, they have to go through it,
and Okay, they lost the game, and so then you
move on from that. Would you have rather them just
gone to some bowl game that meant nothing and just
playing that or would you rather have potentially, you know,

(01:10:11):
at least seen them get a shot they weren't able
to cash it in. Okay, there will occasionally be teams
that will be able to cash it in. But I
think that's a much better reality for a team that
you deem to have been at least on the CUSP. Right,
you're a number, you're a top fifteen team in the country,
top twelve team in the country. Maybe you had one
bad loss on your record or something like that. To

(01:10:33):
also beat everybody on your schedule outside of that one loss,
and you know all these things is like, I want
to see that team get an opportunity to end the
debate beforehand. We don't need to have the hypothetical debate
about well what if Indiana I got no, we saw it.
What if Boise you god? Then what would Jeni? Well know,
we saw it. What about Aeron? We saw all of this,

(01:10:54):
and we almost saw Arizona State do it. They should
have done it as a matter of act, based on
the game in the way that it played out. So
you're going to get a lot of blowouts. You just
kind of have to accept that. That's fine. Like if
you as long as this tournament ends with a champion
that you deem worthy, then it doesn't matter because that's

(01:11:15):
the only purpose of any playoff system is to get
to a champion that deserves to be called champion. And
there is no doubt that whichever of the four teams
comes out of this is gonna have then deserved to
be called champion. Was the road a little bit tougher, sure,
but what's wrong with that? I don't think there's anything
wrong with that.

Speaker 4 (01:11:32):
No, And you know it's funny.

Speaker 2 (01:11:33):
I'll just be really quick because I just want a
quick take on Ohio State Texas. But like I was
thinking about it today watching the Bengals. Like, imagine if
the Bengals get left out of the playoff and somebody
went on social media and was like, well, you know,
huh they should have been in over the Steelers because whatever,
like you know, fill in the blank. Wise, it's like, no,

(01:11:53):
it's stupid, Like the Steelers might not be like every
single team in the AFC would rather face the Steelers
than the Bengals. It doesn't mean that the Bengals are
more deserving of being there than the Steelers. And so,
you know, I go back to what we talked about
with all the with all the playoff scenarios, and you're
exactly right as they got it right. It's settled on

(01:12:15):
the field, et cetera.

Speaker 4 (01:12:16):
Really quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
We only got about a minute because we got to
get back to the sega. Ohio State obviously, coming off
that unbelievable performance in the Rose Bowl, they look like
the best team. To me, does feel like a little
like nobody's giving Texas a chance. It is worth noting
this game is in Dallas, but Ohio State's obviously been
the best team in this playoff.

Speaker 4 (01:12:37):
They're operating at a really high level. And I do
think Ohio State wins this game.

Speaker 3 (01:12:41):
Yeah so do I. I mean, the reason sports are
played is to make fools of us all, so you know,
we'll find out. But Ohio State right now looks unbeatable, period.
Like when you look at Ohio State, you don't look
at the other three teams and say they should win.
Ohio State looks like they're playing I'm not saying, and
they look like an NFL team. I'm saying they look

(01:13:02):
better than a college football team, something between college and NFL,
whatever that limbo situation is. That's where Ohio State is
right now. And then, of course they have the best
football player on earth right now in terms of the
college game in Jeremiah Smith, who right now could be
a playoff wide receiver one in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (01:13:20):
Zero doubt.

Speaker 2 (01:13:22):
Ohio State dominates Oregon as Jeremiah Smith is the Rose
Bowl MVP. Good luck stopping them, Texas. The only it's
the oldest cliche in the book. The only people that
could stop Jeremiah Smith this year were Ryan Day and
Chip Kelly. So we'll see if Texas has any better answer.
Fox Sports Radio, This is the Tours and Martin Show,
Ara Torris, Jason Martin taking it till two am.

Speaker 4 (01:13:42):
Easter will come back.

Speaker 2 (01:13:43):
Steve De Sager always delivers the end of our two
everything you missed from throughout the afternoon.

Speaker 4 (01:13:49):
Sager's next Fox Sports Radio Welcome back everybody.

Speaker 2 (01:13:54):
Fox Sports Radio er tors Jason Martin broadcasting live from
the ti iraq dot Com studios. Let's not wagh stendy
more time around this time every week we toss it
over the news desk two De Saga for his extended
update Everything you missed throughout the Saturday in the world
of sports.

Speaker 6 (01:14:10):
Haysty Hey, There and a lot of NFL to get to.
But first off, the very sad note to pass along
from overnight that the father of Georgia football coach Kirby
Smart passed away, dying after a fall in New Orleans
this week. Sunny Smart, was a longtime high school football
coach in Georgia and Alabama, died overnight and the statement
says Sonny fell while walking in New Orleans during the

(01:14:33):
day on New Year's Eve and fractured his hip. He
was hospitalized, had hip surgery complications arose. Kirby Smart spent
part of New Year's Day with his dad at the
hospital after the Sugar Bowl was pushed back a day
and the Georgia coach returned to the hospital shortly after
their quarter final loss to Notre Dame. Well Cincinnati Bengals
have ended the NFL season with a five game winning streak.

(01:14:56):
They're not dead yet. They won at Pittsburgh nineteen seventeen
to even though running back Chase Brown was out with
his sprained ankle. Cincinnati needed a win tonight and still
losses on Sunday by Denver and Miami to steal that
final playoff berth. But how about this. Statistically for the
Bengals offense, Jamar Chase is on track to win the
triple Crown of receiving. He's over one hundred and twenty

(01:15:19):
five catches, over seventeen hundred yards receiving, He's up to
seventeen touchdowns, by the way, and Joe Burrow nearing five
thousand passing yards here as we end his season forty
three touchdowns, nine interceptions for him. So the Bengals were
up nineteen seven in the fourth nineteen to seventeen is

(01:15:41):
the final. George Pickens finished with one catch. In fact,
Cincinnati's Cam Taylor britt According to the next Gen stats
from this one, he lined up against Pickens on most
of his routes, shadowed him on almost eighty percent of
the routes. Head to head, he allowed no catches and
just two targets to Pickens overall, six targets, one reception,

(01:16:04):
and no yards in the game. In fact, the Steelers
offense under two hundred yards. Bengals went four for four
on field goals, including a key field goal before halftime.
Cincinnati wins by two, and Trey Hendrickson apparently leads in sacks.
Now he's got three and a half from this game. Tonight,
Baltimore clinched the AFC North. It'll be the number three seed.
We'll see if the Ravens will be hosting Pittsburgh next

(01:16:26):
weekend to open the playoffs. But Baltimore finishes twelve and
five after handing Cleveland a loss thirty five to ten.
Cleveland went one and eight on the road this year,
three and fourteen overall. Bailey Zappi at quarterback for the
Browns today, one touchdown, two interceptions, including an early pick
six Cleveland is a team with all the injuries, wound

(01:16:47):
up with not much on the ground nineteen carries just
fifty six yards, so the Browns lose six in a
row to end the season. Lamar Jackson, an MVP candidate
at least again this year, two touchdown passes and he
had nine nine carries sixty three yards rushing. This game
was twenty one ten mid fourth quarter thirty five ten
the final. The news from the Ravens offense, though Pro

(01:17:09):
Bowl wide receiver z A. Flowers left with a knee injury.
Derek Henry two touchdown runs in the fourth Ravens won
their fourth straight game. They did have ten penalties, but
the Ravens will open the playoffs at home next weekend.
We'll see if it's against the Steelers. The Chargers activated
safety a Lohi Gilman for their season finale at Las
Vegas tomorrow. A Chargers win Sunday means they'll open the

(01:17:30):
playoffs at Houston, the worst of the four division winners
next weekend. Chargers running back Gus Edwards with an ankle injury,
is out Sunday, as his wide receiver Josh Palmer with
a foot injury. For Las Vegas running back a Mer
Abdullah out with a foot injury. San Francisco will start
quarterback Joshua Dobbs tomorrow, as QB brock Perty is out
at Arizona with an elbow injury, and wide receiver Deebo

(01:17:52):
Samuel is out with rib and wrist injuries. Packers wide
receiver Romeo Dobbs is now questionable due to illness as
Green Bay hosts the Bears. Packers defensive back JayR Alexander
is going uninjured. Reserve Bill's wide receiver Amari Cooper out
for the game at New England due to a family matter.
We could have a division champion again with Tampa Bay.

(01:18:14):
The Bucks will clinch the NFC South tomorrow with a
win or a tie against the Saints, or even if
Atlanta loses or ties. Now Atlanta gets to host Carolina,
a team that has the league's worst defense and allows
thirty one points a game, which is worse. The Bucks
get to face a New Orleans team that has scored
under twenty points in five straight games since their bye week,

(01:18:36):
and the Saints. Star running back Alvin Kamara was listed
as doubtful with a groin injury, and running back Kendrey
Miller is out with a concussion, and wide receiver Chris
Alave is out as Tampa Bay hosts New Orleans.

Speaker 3 (01:18:47):
Bucks.

Speaker 6 (01:18:47):
Safety Jordan Whitehead is out for this game after a
car accident on his way to the team facility this morning,
and Tampa Bay safety and One Winfield is already out
with a knee injury. The Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts a
fish out. We're not expecting to see a lot of
other guys starters offense and defense sit in this one,
as the Eagles did at least activate tight end Dallas

(01:19:09):
Goddard and Washington will play running back Austin Eckler in
Sunday's finale at Dallas. He has been activated miss four
games after a concussion. Dallas Cowboys have signed quarterback Will Greer.
Will see how much Trey Lance we see on the
field with the Cowboys tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (01:19:25):
Hopefully not that much, Knob just kidding Fox Sports.

Speaker 6 (01:19:27):
Probably we'll see a little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:19:29):
Well, I think when you have five interceptions in one
of the preseasons.

Speaker 6 (01:19:31):
It'll be like, yeah, preseason when he could throw fifty.

Speaker 4 (01:19:33):
Times, I believe, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:19:35):
Thank you to Seger Tours and Martin back next Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:19:40):

Speaker 2 (01:19:43):
Welcome in everybody our three tours in Martin, Fox Sports Radio.
We are broadcasting live from the tyreck dot Com studios.
Tyreck dot com Well help you get there, an unmatched selection,
fast free shipping, free road hazard protection, and over ten
recommended installers. Tireck dot com the way tire buying should

(01:20:05):
be er tordsjy Smart. We are taking you up till
two am Eastern time. Bernie Fratto of The Bernie Fratto
Show follows us. Cannot wait to hear what Bernie has
to say about what was obviously a very eventful Saturday
in the NFL and sports in general, and.

Speaker 4 (01:20:26):
Of course a busy week eighteen in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:20:30):
Jmartin, I do want to get to the big one
Sunday night, of course, Vikings Detroit, before we do.

Speaker 4 (01:20:35):
Do you have any quick takeaways?

Speaker 2 (01:20:37):
We talked a lot in our one about the Steelers
falling to the Bengals. Bengals, I know we've talked about
it a bit if you've been listening all night, but
Bengals need both Miami and Denver to lose tomorrow to
get into the playoffs. We'll see if that happens Pittsburgh
with their loss tonight, I should have mention Cincinnati beats
Pittsburgh nineteen to seventeen. With Pittsburgh's loss, they will now

(01:20:59):
be the five sea if the Chargers lose. If the
Chargers win, the Chargers actually get the five seed and
it will be Pittsburgh going to Baltimore. Baltimore clinch d
number three seed and the AFC North with their early
win over the Cleveland Browns. From the Browns perspective, I
guess if you're looking for any sort of positive, they
did lock in a top three draft pick with their loss.

(01:21:22):
Browns finished the season at three and fourteen overall. Before
we look ahead to Sunday, Jmart anything specifically stand out
about week About the two games on Saturday and Week eighteen, I.

Speaker 3 (01:21:34):
Mean not really. Baltimore handled business against the Browns team
that was just ready to go ahead and end the season,
and Cincinnati ends up with a record that's above five hundred,
which is impressive considering how badly everything started for them,
and Burrow not even being healthy at the beginning of
the year. And Burrow has had MVP like numbers. No
question he's played like an MVP all season long. Won't

(01:21:56):
win the award, I don't think, but man, he has
been spell and I think they're going to get left out.
And that's just the breaks, right It's it's all about
the schedule that you play in your win loss record.
It's really that simple. I think that the Bengals right now,
I'd rather see them in the playoffs than the Steelers,
just because I'd rather see that offense. But at the

(01:22:17):
same time, Stewar's defense will be heard from they always are,
and you know there'll be a team that you won't
want to necessarily see either, even though I don't think
I think they'll be one and done. But stranger things
have happened in this league. I don't know if there's
any major takeaways except it feels like the Steelers and
Ravens in particular haven't played a game on a Sunday

(01:22:40):
in like half a decade because they played on Christmas
and they played on another weird day, and now here
they are playing on a Saturday. It's just strange. It
just feels like the AFC North has decided that Sundays
are They're like Chick fil A, Like there's not going
to be any Sunday games for the AFC North this year.

Speaker 4 (01:22:58):
Well, you know what I will say is for the.

Speaker 2 (01:23:03):
For the UH, for the for the the schedule, the
way it fell, it is weird. But obviously with with
Christmas on Wednesday, they kind of had to have all
those teams play on Saturday. So you had the Saturday
into the Wednesday, and then I guess, yeah, I guess
everybody since has played on Saturday again. So all say,

(01:23:24):
we talked about it last week. It was a weird
couple weeks in the NFL where you know, we talked
about it as like we love our jobs, but but
I think we all not just people that work in
our industry, but I think even people that you know
are just fans of the end. I wonder how many people, basically,
I guess, is the point I'm trying to get to
miss the day of just NFL or we're late to

(01:23:45):
the party, either you know that Saturday before Christmas or
that Thursday night game with with you know, the six
to three game Seahawks and Bears, or the Wednesday game.
It's like there was just so much football you kind
of got lost in the shuffle. So we already talked about.

Speaker 4 (01:24:02):
It last week.

Speaker 2 (01:24:03):
We don't have to relitigate that whole story, but there
was just a lot of football. But you're right, they
have those two teams, specifically the Steelers and the Ravens.
Because they played on Christmas Day, they played again on
a Saturday. It's been a minute since they've played a
Sunday game, So we'll see what happens with them. Obviously,
still a little bit to shake out. Baltimore is locked

(01:24:23):
into the three seed, the five, six, and seven are.

Speaker 4 (01:24:27):
Still up four grabs in the AFC.

Speaker 2 (01:24:29):
Let's get to the NFC. Jmart, we got a big
one Sunday night in Detroit. And listen, everybody on these
airwaves has been talking about this one for a week now.
It's really, you know, I don't want to say the
only game of significance because they're still seeding and things
of that nature, but this feels like, by far, the
game that everybody is most looking forward to. I am,

(01:24:51):
of course talking about Minnesota at Detroit. A pair of
fourteen and two teams, meaning that some team is gonna
finish fourteen three, not win the division, not get the
number one seed, and start the playoffs on the road.

Speaker 4 (01:25:07):
Yeah, you know, likely it'll.

Speaker 2 (01:25:09):
Be Tampa Atlanta, so you know they'll probably be a favorite.
But first thoughts on this one. By the way, the
big story that came out on Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings.

Speaker 4 (01:25:18):
How about this jam or did you see the story?

Speaker 2 (01:25:20):
Purchase nineteen hundred tickets in Detroit as an organization, spending
almost two million dollars, and it sounds like they're gonna
fly a lot of friends and family, staff members things
like that out for the game. So try not to
have quite too big of an advantage at Ford Field.
But but this should be a good one, should.

Speaker 4 (01:25:39):
Be a fun one. Your thoughts on this one?

Speaker 3 (01:25:41):
Yeah, I mean this is perfect for the NFL because
the stakes are so big in terms of number one
seed versus having to go on the road and you know,
play next week. I hate that in its own way,
Like it's great for the weekend, it's great for the
league for the week, but it seems ridiculous that they
would have to go on the road. But that's just

(01:26:01):
the way it is. And unless something changes, and you know,
there's always the argument, should you look at this differently?
Does it always have to be division winners? This would
be a good argument for it yeah, have a second.

Speaker 2 (01:26:14):
I was a guest on Steve Hartman and Mantiblanos's show
this afternoon, and Steve is still really caught up in
the college football playoff, and what I said to him was,
I said, look, the thing isn't perfect.

Speaker 4 (01:26:26):
It's gonna get tweaked.

Speaker 2 (01:26:27):
But I literally said, I said, how many postseasons, if
we were starting them now in real time would people
complain about? And I use this exact example, is like,
we just accept that this is the way it is
because it's the way that it's always been. You know,
if we had always had a twelve team college football
playoff where the top four seeds went to the conference champions, Like,

(01:26:47):
if we had had that for thirty years, nobody would
be complaining about it now.

Speaker 4 (01:26:51):
But because it's new, everybody's complaining about it.

Speaker 2 (01:26:53):
And I just feel like it's the opposite with the
NFL of we just default to this is the way
we've always done it, so this is how it's got
to be. But it just kind of shows you, like
how quirky some of these postseasons are. As to your point,
and to my point, and to everybody's point, one of
these two teams is not only not going to get
a buy not only not going to win the division,
but they're going to open the playoffs on.

Speaker 3 (01:27:12):
The road, but the winner is going to be the
one seed like that. That's what's so insane about it.
But yeah, I mean, it's gonna be a great it's
a great matchup. But at the same time, it's just
you want to see both these teams come out of
this game healthy, especially Detroit has just been ravaged all
season long. And then you have this added element of

(01:27:33):
Sam Darnold and the season that he's had and the
way that Kevin O'Connell has really utilized him and built
his confidence back and made me feel a little better
about how high I was on him coming out of USC,
just reminding me that, yeah, yeah, that dude does have
some talent in him, and I'm glad to see this happening.
And at the same time, there's this other storyline out

(01:27:55):
there about JJ McCarthy and whether or not they're gonna
try and shop for a top ten pick and extend
Darnald or pay Donald or are they gonna franchise Donald
and keep McCarthy and all this this is gonna be
so fascinating because what's the tipping point for Sam Darnald
in terms of okay, well, the Vikings have to find
a way here, or did they just maximize the value

(01:28:19):
and this is the move they're gonna make. Either way,
let somebody else pay him. I don't know, but I'm
so fascinated to watch him from this point forward because
so much of it is going to determine his future.

Speaker 2 (01:28:29):
Well, I think the other fascinating point is what if
he's a total dud in the playoffs? I mean, right,
what if the next two weeks, you know, they lose.
You know, I don't think it's gonna happen, but they
lose thirty one to seven tomorrow and it's not competitive,
and then you're wanted done the playoffs. Then all of
a sudden, a guy that people are talking about, you
got to pay him forty fifty million dollars a year.
Now maybe you let him walk. So I think that's

(01:28:49):
an interesting you know, I think everybody's so focused on
the and I'm not rooting for the guy to fail,
but everybody's so focused on the how much do you
pay him? Do you trade JJ McCarthy. It's like, what
if the opposite happens? And he's a disaster. Can you
pay him if the next two weeks it doesn't go well?

Speaker 3 (01:29:05):
Yeah? I mean right, That's what I'm saying, Like he's
got to keep it up and how well does he
have to play in order to stay in Minnesota. There
are going to be those that are going to suggest
that a lot of this is not just Kevin O'Connell,
but also the talent that Darnald has on his offense,
the receivers in Jefferson and Jordan Addison and just what

(01:29:27):
they have, the weaponry, the guys that he's thrown to
on a regular basis, They're going to do anything they
can not to give Donald all the credit that And
I do think he has played exceptionally well this year
and he's thrown some really nice balls and he definitely
has built his confidence back and somebody is going to
get him next year, whether or not he's in Minnesota.
But then, McCarthy, it's like you drafted him for a reason.

(01:29:50):
And if the idea is that Donald has flourished because
of his weaponry, well, then what's JJ McCarthy going to do?
Because when I've read this in a couple of different
plays over the last couple of days. JJ McCarthy would
be the first quarterback off the board this year. He
would be ahead of Ward, he would be ahead of
Shador Sanders. If that's the case, you can't let him go.

(01:30:13):
If that's the case, if you really do believe that,
and you believe that he would be the top quarterback
off the off the board, if he had, for instance,
come back to Michigan and played again for another year
or whatever, then I don't know that you can let
him go. So how do you keep both of those
guys on board? That becomes interesting. I know we didn't
really talk that much about the game. I think both.

Speaker 4 (01:30:34):
I mean, it's it's gonna.

Speaker 3 (01:30:36):
Be a great matchup. I don't I don't even know
who I favor, Honestly, I've thought Detroit was was the
team all year long. But Minnesota keeps defying expectations and
keeps winning games. And O'Connell is he's a much quieter,
more mild mannered coach than Dan Campbell. But both those
both those guys are just knocking it out of the park.

(01:30:58):
And then you look at green Bay, and green Bay
is still gonna be heard from too. It's just Chicago
that stinks as usual.

Speaker 4 (01:31:05):
Well, I'll say this really quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
On the McCarthy thing, we can talk a little bit
more about the game itself. You know, I actually don't
understand the JJ McCarthy thing. I mean, my whole thing
is one, first of all, you could franchise tag Sam
Donald this year, which I think is part of it,
but be mean to Sam Donald.

Speaker 3 (01:31:24):
Yeah, I mean it cost him a lot of money
to do that. It would be and you know it's
a business move.

Speaker 2 (01:31:29):
No, no, no, it doesn't really feel like that's really like
an option, Like doesn't feel like that's going to be
one of the things that happens. It feels like Minnesota's
gonna pay him. My thing with JJ McCarthy is now,
I do think it changes if like you give Sam
Donald like a five year contract, then yeah, that the
calculus changes. But I was I was saying to somebody

(01:31:50):
this week, is like there are rookie guys on rookie
contracts that don't play all the time. They're called bus
like guys that just aren't as good as we think
and they don't play the role that we expect. You know,
the one that comes to mind, like Quentin Johnson last year,
you know, this year the last couple of years, like
like he he played more this year for the Los
Angeles Chargers, but like last year, he was essentially like

(01:32:12):
unplayable as a rookie. And so, you know, whatever, the
point I'm trying to make is rookie guys don't step
on the field all the time because they're not good enough.
So I don't see why you would have to trade
JJ McCarthy. But I do think the Sam Darnold question
is interesting if things do not go well or if
things go very well, and it does feel like all

(01:32:32):
the reports seem to indicate that they plan on keeping
him so really quickly. I know you said that you
don't necessarily have a pick for the game on Sunday again,
the Sunday night game NBC eight twenty Eastern Vikings at Detroit.
Winner gets the number one seed, winner wins the NFC North.
Winner obviously has a buye to the to the to

(01:32:53):
the you know to to the divisional round weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:32:56):
Do you have an official pick yet? Are you still
kind of I think I'll.

Speaker 3 (01:32:59):
Go line because it's I mean, it's there. I think
just the fact that they get a home game in
this situation it's just going to be a wild environment.
Even with the nineteen hundred tickets that the Vikings have
paid to bring in family and all this kind of stuff.
It would be a just it would just what a
massive win that would be for Minnesota to go on
the road and then earn the number one seed by

(01:33:20):
beating this team that's been such a joker, not we
felt like all year, and then you look up and
the Vikings record is just it's staggering, it really is.
I think I favor the Lions in a close football game,
but wouldn't be surprised to be wrong.

Speaker 2 (01:33:35):
Yeah, I think I'll probably take the Lions too, not
only because they're at home, you know, with the Vikings. Listen,
it feels like when you say stuff like this, you're
picking on them. But I was noticing this. I think
they've won. Now, let me double check. Here three six,
so nine games in a row. I'm not dismissing a
nine game win streak in the NFL. What I will

(01:33:55):
say here are the nine wins Colts at home, Jacksonville
at Titans, two against the Bears. That's five falcons in
the second to last start for Kirk Cousins. Cardinals who
were obviously melting down, and the Seahawks prior to the
Packers last week.

Speaker 4 (01:34:14):
Obviously, the Packers was a great win.

Speaker 2 (01:34:16):
I'm not trying to take away anything from it, but
and Dartle played well and all that. But it's just like,
you know, like I think they're really good. I don't
think they're unbeatable by any stretch. And I do think that,
you know, just listen, they weren't good last year. They
had a last place sched not really last play schedule,
but they had a softer schedule.

Speaker 4 (01:34:34):
And I just bring it up.

Speaker 2 (01:34:35):
Because a little bit of a weaker competition to get
to this point. So I will take the Lions at
home to win, and I will take them to beat
the Minnesota Vikings in Week eight Team.

Speaker 3 (01:34:48):
Fox, Sorry, go ahead, No, I just I agree. I mean,
I think I think the Lions will win too. It's
what a great way to end the regular season, though,
no doubt that's an awesome game.

Speaker 2 (01:34:58):
Awesome game agains the one of note in Week eighteen,
which is you know, obviously why they're playing it on
Sunday night, Fox Sports Radio or towards Jason Martin. We
are broadcasting live from the Tyreck dot Com studios.

Speaker 4 (01:35:09):
We will come back. When we do.

Speaker 2 (01:35:14):
They say, NBA it's getting soft, there's no great rivalries.
Well we may have just come up with a new
great rivalry in the NBA.

Speaker 4 (01:35:23):
We'll discuss that next Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:35:27):
Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Eric Tords, Jason Martin.
We are broadcasting live from the ti Iraq dot Com studios.
Get to some very interesting uh jawing.

Speaker 3 (01:35:42):
In the NBA.

Speaker 2 (01:35:43):
We'll do that.

Speaker 3 (01:35:44):
Oh yeah, I was wondering what you were saying and that.
Oh yeah, that's right. Oh yeah, I know where we're going.

Speaker 2 (01:35:49):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, a new biggest rivalry in the NBA.
Now talking about Cavs, you're off the hook, Holmes, dude,
I mean well listen.

Speaker 3 (01:35:57):
I mean he used to be your rival.

Speaker 2 (01:35:59):
Whenever no one's got beef with one specific person, including Torres.
Maybe it's not a Torres problem, Maybe it's that other
person problem.

Speaker 4 (01:36:07):
Who could it be?

Speaker 2 (01:36:08):
It's not the saga, but let's get it over to
the news desk. Steve de Sager, it's Arne Spander, it
is Arnie Spander. Okay, secut listen to your Vegas rivalry
in the NBA Tours and Spaniard although I will say
Disager won What's trending two. I know Arnie wasn't working
at it because Arizona basketball one today.

Speaker 6 (01:36:25):
So yes, they held on to a lead at number
sixteen Cincinnati and Nebraska beat number fifteen Ucla, and the
day started with a top ten matchup at Kentucky and
the Wildcats beat Florida one oh six one hundred. Kentucky
shot fifty eight percent from the floor, had just six turnovers,
and the Gators on free throws in a close game
just twenty two for thirty five. The top five each

(01:36:48):
one undefeated Tennessee which is number one, Auburn one, Iowa
State Duke, and number five Alabama, which ripped Oklahoma tonight.
And in the late NBA game we mentioned earlier, Kawhi
Leonard made it season debut after the knee injury. Had
twelve points in nineteen minutes. Clippers all over Atlanta one
thirty one to one oh five. Golden State's Steph Curry

(01:37:09):
was out due to knee injury management. Golden State still
won against Memphis. Chicago beat New York despite forty four
points from Carl Anthony, Towns Detroit over Minnesota despite fifty
three points from Anthony Edwards. Denver won in overtime at
San Antonio, and Nicola Jokic was great again forty six points,
nine rebounds, tenn ASIS wins for Portland and for Utah,

(01:37:32):
which had lost five in a row but won easily
at Miami. Jimmy Butler of the Heat serving a seven
game team suspension, wins for Philadelphia and Indiana. Jadeki Matsuyama
leads by one stroke in Hawaii NHL. Among the twelve games,
Montreal in a shootout one at Colorado two to one,
LA with another home win two to one over Tampa Bay.

(01:37:52):
You guys were talking about the great matchup that's coming
up to end the NFL regular season on Sunday night.
It's going to be in Minnesota, team that's won nine
straight fourteen and two playing at Detroit fourteen and two.
This is going to be the first matchup, they say,
in the final week of a regular season where the
winner gets the one seed in the conference since Dallas

(01:38:13):
at the Giants nineteen ninety three, when EMMITTT. Smith played
with the separated shoulder and Dallas won in overtime and
went on to run the table and win the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati is still alive for a playoff spot in the
AFC after winning its fifth straight game, a victory at
Pittsburgh tonight nineteen to seventeen. Bengals led ten to nothing
in the first quarter and led nineteen to seven in

(01:38:35):
the fourth. Jamar Chase ten catches ninety six yards in
a touchdown. Bengals four for four on field goals, including
kicking one just before halftime. That turned out to be
key Cincinnati, though they not only needed this win, they
need losses on Sunday by Denver and Miami. Denver can
clinch the final playoff berth in the AFC tomorrow. The

(01:38:56):
Broncos are one game ahead of both Miami and Cincinnati
to start the week. With this one game left, the
Jets are due to interview Rex Ryan on Tuesday. They
already just talked to Mike Grabel for their head coach
opening Introim coach Jeff Olbrich expects an interview next week.
Titans are due to start quarterback Will Levis, but Mason
Rudolph will play against the Texans. Texans are the worst

(01:39:16):
of the four division winners. Houston next weekend will have
a home playoff game. It might be against the Chargers
because with Pittsburgh losing a fourth straight game tonight, a
Chargers win tomorrow at Las Vegas means they'll be opening
at Houston next weekend, and that would put the Steelers
at Baltimore next weekend. The Ravens clinch the AFC North

(01:39:37):
title and the number three seed with a win over
the Cleveland Browns thirty five to ten. The Browns finish
up with six straight losses and a three to fourteen record.
Baltimore twelve and five, but Ravens Pro Bowl wide receiver
z A Flowers left with a knee injury. Derek Henry
two touchdown runs in the fourth for the game. Today
twenty carries one hundred and thirty eight yards. Ravens have

(01:39:57):
won four straight again. Ravens will open the play at
home next weekend. Carolina activated running back Miles Sanders off ir.
The Panthers play it Atlanta, but Tampa Bay is in
the driver's seat for the final playoffs spot there that
is winning the NFC South because the Bucks will clinch
with a win or a tie hosting New Orleans. Atlanta

(01:40:19):
is going to be home to Carolina tomorrow. And yes,
we did have the Bahamas Bowl today in front of
four thousand, six hundred Buffalo beats Liberty twenty six to seven.

Speaker 3 (01:40:29):
Victim. I just see Buffalo can win a bowl game.

Speaker 4 (01:40:32):
Whoa postseason game that matters.

Speaker 3 (01:40:34):
That's what I'm saying. Buffalo can win in January. Folks.

Speaker 6 (01:40:36):
There we go, man, Josh Allen, sure if they play
in the Bahamas.

Speaker 4 (01:40:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know if.

Speaker 6 (01:40:42):
I don't know if they've won this before, as I recall,
it could be.

Speaker 2 (01:40:45):
I'm not I'll have to brush up on my Bahamas
Bowl history before.

Speaker 6 (01:40:49):
It is so lengthy it is. Yeah, you'll be at
it all night.

Speaker 2 (01:40:52):
It's about as lengthy as the Bills postseason. No, I'm
just kidding. I'm just kidding against at least in this era,
not not a lot of great things to talk about.
But by the way, if you missed any of our
conversation about the Bills about the Ravens, make sure to
go back and download the podcast. Great Tease by Tours.
I didn't even know we're going to go that direction,

(01:41:12):
but I just did shortly as a professional. Don't try
this at home.

Speaker 4 (01:41:16):
Don't try this at home.

Speaker 2 (01:41:17):
To ten and two, keep your hands on the wheel.
Shortly after our show. Podcast is going up. If you
missed any of today's show, be sure to check out
the podcast. Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get
your podcasts, and also be sure to follow, rate and
review the podcast. Again, just search Fox Sports Radio wherever
you get your podcast and you'll see this show posted
right after we get off air. I'll bring it up
because we did do a lengthy conversation about the Bills

(01:41:38):
and Ravens, who are in the two and three spots.

Speaker 6 (01:41:40):
Can I just add about the Bills. They could finish
fourteen and three. They could finish undefeated in the division.
They're averaging thirty two points a game this year, their
record in the division since twenty twenty. Here the Patriots
had dominated the AFC East for so many years. This
would put Buffalo's record at twenty five and five in
the division in recent years. If they went at New

(01:42:01):
England to finish up tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:42:02):
You know what I will say really quick, and I
do want to get to the the new NBA rivalry
that's sweeping the nation. But it does suck that we
have like the discourse, and you know, everyone in our
business is sort of part of the problem. But like
this discourse that like, oh, you can't be great if
you don't win this.

Speaker 6 (01:42:20):
It's like as an individual, you mean.

Speaker 2 (01:42:23):
Yeah, yeah, Like and I know football is a little
bit different. But even if Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson
breaks through and beats you know, likely beats Mahomes in
the playoffs, I can't imagine that Houston or Pittsburgh whatever,
even if Lamar or Josh Allen breaks through and beats them,
guess what we're gonna go into next year? And like, well,
you know, whoever doesn't win it, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, well,

(01:42:46):
you know, I mean Lamar once again couldn't get out
of the second round, Buffalo lost at home again in
the playoffs, third straight year.

Speaker 6 (01:42:54):
And like, these are legitimate storylines for the postseason. But
I'll just say Dan Marino was great.

Speaker 4 (01:43:00):
Sure, there's plenty of samples.

Speaker 6 (01:43:02):
End of story. Well, and j Martinfouns was great.

Speaker 2 (01:43:04):
Yeah, Jmart brought up in hour one, is that like
you know, you go through. Reggie Miller was great, Patrick
Ewing was great. By the way, Lebron went to eighth
straight NBA Finals, which means that, guess what. There were
great teams in the East. Remember every year. I mean
I remember Dwayne Casey, I think one Coach of the
Year and got fired because he couldn't beat Lebron the
Raptors until you know, until Lebron left, the East could

(01:43:28):
not get past them. They traded for Kawhi Leonard whatever.
But like Carl Malone's career, Karl Malone.

Speaker 3 (01:43:33):
Think about Rick Adelman and those Spurs teams so many
and the Lakers at the time, and yeah, I mean
there's there's a lot of Hall of Fame just outstanding players.

Speaker 6 (01:43:42):
Sacramento team in two thousand and two would have been
NBA champions if they hadn't gagged the Game seven overtime
against the Lakers, and.

Speaker 4 (01:43:50):
The Trailblazers probably would have too.

Speaker 2 (01:43:51):
Right the year that they lost in Game seven, they
had the eighteen point leader whatever in the second half
of Yeah, so it's just, you know, it just I know,
like foun Yeah, Like I understand it's our job to,
you know, contextualize everything and be critical for the sake
of being critical. But it sucks that one of those guys,
Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson in a best case scenario,

(01:44:13):
is going to lose in the second round. Of the playoffs,
and it's just like, it sucks that one of them
is gonna have to deal with another offseason of whatever,
and then one of them is going to get to
an AFC championship game and if they don't win an arrowhead,
the other one will be like, oh, well, look, I mean,
you still kick it.

Speaker 6 (01:44:27):
It's just it's just and it's not nothing. The postseason
is not nothing.

Speaker 2 (01:44:30):
Well to your point, but fourteen and three, fourteen and
three for the Buffalo Bills, six and zero in the division.
I don't care how bad the division is. You're destroying
everybody and.

Speaker 6 (01:44:41):
They have the best turnover margin in the entire NFL
this year, Buffalo Bills a plus twenty three turnover margin
for the regular season. Thing with Lamar Jackson, though, there's
just been so many, I think five playoff disappointments at
this point, and the offense has looked so bad in
so many of those games. It started with a Charger's
visit to Baltimore years ago when Anthony Lynn was coach

(01:45:04):
and the Chargers just rolled them for three quarters. It's
I mean, a better team would have been up, you know,
twenty four to not think at the time, so it's
a lot of playoff losses with not much offense. That's
what makes it a talking point.

Speaker 2 (01:45:19):
Nah, I get it, it does, it does. All right,
thank you to Sagreb. A great evening.

Speaker 4 (01:45:24):
Get home safe.

Speaker 2 (01:45:25):
You'll be on tomorrow with Sunday Afternoon with Arnie Spanier,
Chris Plank, et cetera, et cetera. All right, j mart So,
I think what was it last week that we talked
about the narrative that inside the NBA is actually more
detrimental to the NBA than anything else.

Speaker 4 (01:45:44):
It was a topic.

Speaker 2 (01:45:45):
I don't know if it was last week of the
week before, but our colleague Jason McIntyre brought up a
point on the Herd that he believes that inside the
NBA and the discourse around inside the NBA is actually
what's hurting the NBA. I love Jason McIntyre, he's great,
great at what he does. I just fundamentally disagree. But
after he said that, I don't know if he was
the first one to kind of bring this up. JJ

(01:46:07):
Reddick was asked about, you know, inside the NBA and
how the NBA has covered This was about two two
and a half weeks ago. He said, quote, I don't
think we have done a good job of storytelling, of
celebrating the game. If I'm a casual fan and you
tell me every time I turn on the television that
the product sucks, well I'm not going to watch the product.
And that's really what has happened over the last ten

(01:46:29):
to fifteen years. I don't know why, but it is
not funny to me. Didn't name inside the NBA directly,
but it seemed like it was a pretty direct shot
because inside the NBA, as we alluded to, has been
more critical of the NBA than probably any media, certainly
any media outlet covering the NBA.

Speaker 1 (01:46:48):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:46:48):
I bring it up because during.

Speaker 2 (01:46:50):
A Celtics Timberwolves highlight the other night, Charles Barkley went
on this rant, is.

Speaker 3 (01:46:57):
It she's just talking about folks?

Speaker 7 (01:46:59):
On he said something about we're the reason people aren't
watching this craptic product.

Speaker 3 (01:47:04):
We got that.

Speaker 7 (01:47:05):
Yeah, I was like, we out there jacking up one
hundred threes and JJ, I don't know Jason Monroe, I
don't know who that is, but JJ, you come for
the King.

Speaker 4 (01:47:13):
You better not missed.

Speaker 7 (01:47:14):
And I can get you, brother, because I got remember,
I got your Lakers games.

Speaker 4 (01:47:18):
You can't hote them flalls.

Speaker 3 (01:47:20):
They got.

Speaker 7 (01:47:22):
You're just a dead man walking. They got rid of
Frank Vogel, who did a good job. They got rid
of Darbnham, who did a good job. If you came
out that thing and you were gonna change things with
that same ugly.

Speaker 3 (01:47:31):
Girl you want them to hate with.

Speaker 2 (01:47:33):
By the way, first of all, that was awesome sound,
but it is worth noting that I believe it was earlier.

Speaker 4 (01:47:37):
Today.

Speaker 2 (01:47:38):
JJ Reddick was asked about this. Do we have the
sound Alex Tice shirt. Okay, let's get the sound.

Speaker 8 (01:47:46):
Gregon both showed me. I didn't make it all way
all the way through the clip. I gotta be honest
with you. My arresting heart rad is probably sixty four.
I watched it, but it was for literally don't care.
I have other thoughts, but don't care.

Speaker 4 (01:48:08):
First of all, my thought, my thought is this, you
say you don't.

Speaker 3 (01:48:12):
Care, and then you said, but I have other thoughts. Exactly,
those two things don't work together.

Speaker 2 (01:48:17):
Those two things don't work together. I obviously have thoughts
on Charles Barkley coming at JJ Reddick.

Speaker 4 (01:48:25):
I'll give you the four first game.

Speaker 3 (01:48:26):
Ark This is what Barkley does and honestly, what he's saying.
The thing that I don't get about, I understand, like
from the positive, from the optimism side, like what JJ
Reddick is asserting here. But that's not those guys' job.
Their job is not to puff up the league when

(01:48:49):
it doesn't deserve it. And yes, they are uber critical.
They are two of the best players that ever played,
and they're incredibly outspoken about what they believe the game
should be. And they are given in free reign by
TNT by Turner and have been for a long time
to just say what they what's on their mind, and
to sit there and riff their own way. They don't
break down all the offensive and defensive sets and all

(01:49:12):
this to the degree that Zach Lowe and some other
guys might that that's not their role. They talk about
the business of the NBA. They do talk about the
money in the NBA and contracts and guys that are
worth it and guys that are not, and things like that.
But it's what they's it's not stick. They're just what
they do. Their brand is that kind of content. It

(01:49:34):
is that kind of thing. They're not saying, don't watch
the product. The NBA stinks, But they are not going
to sit there and say something they don't believe. They're
not hype men. That's what makes them different. That's what
makes them unique, and it's what makes them so valuable.
Barkley in particular, because you know he is going to
tell you exactly what he thinks about this player or

(01:49:58):
this strategy, or this coach, or this ownership situation or
all of that. No one is buying and paying his opinion.
And whether or not you agree with it or think
it as stated as eloquently or as you know, basketball
savvy as some other things, or all this kind of stuff,
that's the that's the reason the guy has become such
an icon. That's one of the that's that's what's gonna

(01:50:21):
make him last long after his days on Earth are done.
It's just the idea that you know that whatever Charles
Barkley said was exactly what Charles Barkley wanted to say
in that moment, that he was as genuine and as
authentic with his commentary in that moment, sometimes to his detriment,
he would probably admit, but that's why I love that show. Like, yes,
they can be irreverent and funny and all that, and

(01:50:43):
that was the other thing about the original quote from
from JJ was like, I don't find it funny when
we're making fun of the league. It's like, well then, dude,
I hate that for you. Man, Like, there's a lot
of stuff that happens in the NBA. It's really funny.
I mean, the shockton of fool stuff. There's a reason
that's been there for a long long time. It is
because it's really really good. And they they're gonna poke

(01:51:04):
fun at these guys. But I don't, look, I don't
think the NBA players generally like don't like inside, like
they'll have their beast, you know, Draymond had his beef
for a little while and all this stuff. But I mean,
come on, like those guys they know that that is
important for the brand. I don't think that harms the
NBA at all. If anything, it actually gives it more
relevance because I'm willing to watch inside the NBA even

(01:51:26):
if I can't watch the games, and as such, I
actually am still up to date on what's happening. And
even if you want to look past the subjectivity that's
happening for the players. Ernie is perfect in his role
to make sure it gets brought back and the facts
are mentioned around these opinions. I just this whole thing.
I'm more on the Barkley side, and I just don't

(01:51:46):
I just think Reddick's trying to try and clap back here,
but I think he got stomped into the ground.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
Yeah, And I think Barkley's point is, you know a
point that I made when the hiring process went on,
and I know I've said this a million times, but
when Dan Hurley interviewed, I was like, why would you
leave a great job as a coach somewhere else to
go somewhere where you're inevitably gonna get fired? And it's
why I didn't think the Lakers job was a great job.

(01:52:14):
I think it's a bigger mess behind the scenes than
people realize.

Speaker 4 (01:52:17):
That's not JJ.

Speaker 2 (01:52:17):
Reddick's fault, but Charles Barkley's point about like, dude, you're
a dead man walking like you know, talk your talk, chirp,
but do whatever you want, but at some point Lebron's
gonna turn on you. So so you know, you could
come at us, but we're gonna be here longer than
you're going to be with the Lakers. That he said
something about I actually watched your game something like that.
But I like, I don't think anything that he said
was even like. I think certainly the way that he

(01:52:39):
delivered it was very Charles Barkley esque, But I don't
think anything that he said was incorrect. Is like, dude,
you got the toughest job in the league. You're coaching
a guy that's gonna want you out. I know you
think you have all the answers right now, but you
clearly don't. And listen, I did think the delivery was funny.
I didn't think whatever to your point with Jaj, I

(01:53:00):
thought it was one. I thought it was funny. Of
the oh the what did he say?

Speaker 3 (01:53:04):
He said, my resting heart right is sixty. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:53:07):
First of all, shut up, Douchie, Like, shut up, Okay,
we get it.

Speaker 4 (01:53:10):
You're smart. You wear a heart monitor when you work out,
big freaky deal.

Speaker 2 (01:53:13):
Okay. Two, Well, and he said, uh, I don't care.
I have more thoughts, but I don't care. It's like, well,
you do care, buddy, It's okay. Just acknowledge that you care.
It's whatever. And yeah, I thought I thought it was
a fun back and forth. It certainly made a lot
of headlines and uh yeah, certainly a lot of people
sent it to me. I could tell you that much,
so I bad, yes, yes, uh long story. Torres and

(01:53:35):
Reddick go back aways a long ways. But anyway, Fox
Sports Radio er towards Jason Martin. One segment left and
boy do we have a doozy for you. On the
other side, we will wrap the show. We still got
a lot to discuss Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 9 (01:53:52):
Aaron, I got a hot take for you. Top five
song of all time right.

Speaker 3 (01:53:59):
Here, top song of all time right here?

Speaker 4 (01:54:03):
Oh one, good man?

Speaker 3 (01:54:06):
Do you know?

Speaker 4 (01:54:07):
Do you know the story about this song and this show?
Alex Teischer?

Speaker 9 (01:54:10):
Yes, okay, that's any time I'm hearing Jay's here, I
play it. Wow, that's right, you did it Wednesday too,
I'm man.

Speaker 4 (01:54:17):
That's why I noticed.

Speaker 2 (01:54:19):
That's why Alex Teischer is one employee of the of
the month six times in twenty twenty four.

Speaker 4 (01:54:24):
I don't know how many people know that.

Speaker 2 (01:54:25):
So I didn't know that.

Speaker 3 (01:54:28):
No, So I watched that whole Barkley clip during the break.
Oh my gosh, man, when he I mean, they wouldn't
even further talking about how bad the Lakers are and
that Reddick was just like I'm jj Riddick, I'm going
to fix this, like he just buried him. And then
he said he's like, talk about them being the reason

(01:54:49):
the ratings were down. He's like, yeah, me and Shock,
if we were playing, the ratings wouldn't be down. And
he said, all fairness, wo'd probably be the third and
fourth best Lakers. Now. I was just like, I couldn't
hear this cratious.

Speaker 4 (01:55:02):
Oh my god, I did not hear that.

Speaker 2 (01:55:06):
I do think, I do think it is funny, Like
you know, I do think there's something to what Barkley
said about like, sorry, dude, you're destined to fail. The
Lebron's gonna turn on you like you turn on everybody else.
I know you think you're smarter than everybody. I know
you're his old wine drinking buddy on the podcast and
all that.

Speaker 4 (01:55:26):
But I don't think it's gonna end well.

Speaker 2 (01:55:28):
Lakers, by the way, in fifth place right now, tied
tied for the four spot really with Denver twenty and
fourteen overall. Have you been paying attention to this Jimmy
Butler story, I mean it's yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (01:55:38):
Got paying attention to his hair color.

Speaker 4 (01:55:39):
Yeah, that's WEIRDLL. What's the story on that do we
know that.

Speaker 3 (01:55:42):
Well, he's apparently he's got colors that seem to replicate
the teams that would make sense.

Speaker 2 (01:55:47):
For him to go to ooh what teams Like.

Speaker 3 (01:55:49):
He had orange for the Suns, he had different ones,
and they were all like teams that would make sense
for him to go try to win a championship as
part of their roster.

Speaker 2 (01:55:59):
Very interesting. I did not know that part. I did
see where he said I'm looking to get my joy
back in the insinuation being that, yeah, he ain't having
very much joy with the Miami Heat right now.

Speaker 4 (01:56:12):
Yeah, So NBA is going strong.

Speaker 2 (01:56:14):
Bronnie's probably the lead story so far, thirty four year
old Jimmy Butler wanting a trade.

Speaker 4 (01:56:20):
I mean, what are the big.

Speaker 3 (01:56:21):
Story not just wanting not just wanting a trade like
they're gonna give it to him. They're gonna give it
to him. It just again, NBA players have all the power,
Like think he came out publicly and said it, and well,
we're not gonna have somebody here that don't want to
be here. We're gonna go ahead and move him and
all this kind of deal. And I mean, the biggest
stories in the league really, I mean that's sort of it, right,

(01:56:42):
like you have that you have. Apparently, Kawhi Leonard has
played a basketball.

Speaker 4 (01:56:46):
Against this season, thirty six games in. He's back.

Speaker 2 (01:56:49):
By the way, this guy was ready to play in
the Olympics in July. Okay, he was on the Olympic
roster and I don't know who sent him home. I
asked Manzi about that on air the other day because
she's our Clippers inside, and she kind of ducked the question.
I don't know if that was like a Tailu decision
or a Kawhi decision I have, or if it was
just a I think it was a Clippers We're like,
wait a second, now, you're gonna play in the Olympics,

(01:57:11):
but you can't play here. I was gonna play in
the Olympics in July. It's January fourth, twenty five. The
Olympics concluded.

Speaker 3 (01:57:21):
Like, yeah, that's been about six months.

Speaker 2 (01:57:23):
Yeah, mid August.

Speaker 3 (01:57:23):
Yeah, all right. I did one. One cool story I
will say real quick is Derek Rose.

Speaker 4 (01:57:28):
Oh I saw this, yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:57:30):
Just they're going to retire his jersey. The Bulls are
going to retire his jersey obviously, you know, kind of
sidelined with his career with the injuries and all that
kind of stuff, but him getting really emotional when he
found out about it and then being able to film
and stuff. It's just cool. I mean, it just feel
good for him.

Speaker 4 (01:57:46):
Real quick.

Speaker 2 (01:57:48):
Why did Derick Grose not have the career that he
did because he played so freaking hard that's right. He
rushed back from injury yep, the first time, I believe,
in the regular season, and so it's like, you know,
that's a guy that's easy to roof for. And then
as his career went on, you know, obviously became a mentor.
Remember the last team he played for was the Memphis Grizzlies.

(01:58:08):
They brought him in to try to help straight in
job Moran out. So I mean it didn't go as planned,
but it wasn't because that guy didn't love basketball, didn't
leave it all on the court.

Speaker 3 (01:58:17):
So yeah, I mean, look, I feel good for him.
I mean, that's he definitely earned it based on what
he what he put out there on the floor, and
that's it. That's the kind of franchise where you get
your jersey retired, you've done something.

Speaker 2 (01:58:30):
Absolutely all right, really quickly. We got Lions tomorrow night.
Elect the Lions on Sunday Night. Okay, Notre Dame Penn State.
Do we have a final answer yet.

Speaker 3 (01:58:38):
Or no, Pence, I'm gonna go with Penn State. I'm
not gonna I'm not gonna waiver again. I'm gonna stick
with Penn State. But boy, I don't feel great about it.

Speaker 2 (01:58:45):
In Ohio State over over Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:58:46):
Yes, Ohio State over Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:58:48):
I I'll tell you.

Speaker 4 (01:58:49):
What we gotta get out of here.

Speaker 2 (01:58:50):
Want to thank the crew, Alex Tye shirt and for
Mary Mack on the board, Producer Ian Steve de Saga,
for my partner Jason Martin.

Speaker 4 (01:58:56):
I am er trus. Make sure to.

Speaker 2 (01:58:59):
Download the podcast wherever you get. Podcasts be available right
after the show. Coming up next Bernie Fratto of The
Bernie Fratto Show, Bernie Ha's got all sorts of good
stuff On a busy Saturday in Sports, A busy Sunday ahead.

Speaker 4 (01:59:11):
This is Fox Sports. Tarni

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