Carmen Vitali & Tracy Sandler talk Chicago Bears atop the NFC, the Cowboys season status, and more!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports where all right, guys, it
is Fox Football Saturday, and we are gonna get Carmen
back in just a second. You guys, we are into
week fourteen and it feels to me like December is
really the start of the playoffs. Things are crazy in
the NFL. Schedules are kind of bananas. But I'm going

(00:23):
to talk about something that I'd like you guys to know.
I'm the only person in America stressed about, and that
is the Vikings Commander's game tomorrow because my loyalties are
being tested with JJ McCarthy versus Mikey San Rustil and
Jake Moody. So that's where my anxiety lies. In week fourteen,
I've had a bye all week. I'm feeling refreshed, so

(00:45):
that's pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Be sure to subscribe to the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
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Speaker 3 (01:08):
Tracy, I think I'm back you.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Are back there, you are there.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
I already told everybody why I'm stressed about the Vikings
Commander's game tomorrow, so that's good news, and everybody knows, well.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
Hey, listen, I'm stressed. I've just I felt I felt
older and older this entire week because I need to talk.
I need to talk about something with you, Tracy.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Please.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
I was at a club last night.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
I did see that, and I had a lot of questions.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
For the first time and I don't know how long,
and listen, in my twenties, was I a stranger to
a club to a fun time to at two am?
I was not, but it has been a very long
time sinside step Foot. But a very dear friend of
mine and actually of the show's Adam Amine, was djaying
last night. So being the good friend that I was,

(01:51):
I was like, well, let me let me go see
you know, let me go see my friend. Let me
go support my friend in some of his endeavors, and
you know, Terrace.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
It was a lot of fun. But things are different now.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
Things are so different from when you and I were
frequenting these establishments. One thing, the girls were wearing jeans,
not just jeans, but like baggy jeans.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
I feel like we wouldn't have been allowed in in
baggy jeans.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
That's exactly what I was saying.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
I was like looking around and like, to be fair,
the dress spanned the gamut.

Speaker 5 (02:28):
Okay, but I mean there were guys in quarter zips
and jeans, and listen, I get their quarter zips are
all the rage at this point with gen z, which
is another thing in and of itself.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
I'm like, they never went out. Everybody's been wearing quarter zips.
They've just been in the financial districts of major cities
or a Manning or Eli Manning combined with like a
Patagonia best you know. But like that's what they were wearing.
Like the guys were even wearing that, and I was like,
good lord, things have changed.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Like the shoes are comfortable and practical. I mean, there
was snow on the ground, so I get it.

Speaker 4 (02:59):
But I'm also like, I did not traverse snow in
six inch six inch stilettos with a skirt that I
had no business wearing and a sock bun and looking
like I walked out of some weird job interview for
to like pay. I guess we've paved the way for
comfort in the club.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
You're you are.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Very much your two things right now.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
You're like in my day we went to the club
and six inch silettos and snow to get in. And
you're also that TikTok that in your twenties you will
go to a club in stilettos.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
It's important you go to that club.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
You go to that club, and you pave the way
for these kids to now just get to waltz in
there all comfy and cozy and whatever.

Speaker 6 (03:41):
It was.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
It was actually a great time and we were home
like right around midnight. So this is like all the
best things right now. But I just have to get
that off my chest because I don't know, Trace, I
just I don't know. I don't know whether to be
proud of them or to be the you know, the
old like curmudgeon being like back in my day, I
had to do this.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
And I'm proud. I think I'm going to say I'm proud.
But I watched your stories and I was like, where
is did she do? I was so fascinated and so excited,
And then I did see your story you mentioned the jeans,
So I'm glad you brought it up because I was
thinking it was like we weren't allowed to wear jeans.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
There weren't allowed war jeans. I mean it was like
we had the whole treatment.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
We were at a table, we get the sparklers come
out with a bottle of champagne. I realized that the
camera caught me going like, oh my gosh, thank you
girls like the elder millennial.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
I am.

Speaker 4 (04:28):
It's so embarrassing. It was all so embarrassing. But the
music was great. And you know what hasn't changed trace
is the music. It is the same music that we
were listening to in the club, because I think it's
just objectively better.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
It is better.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
And you know what's funny, I've noticed that I've been
to a few barn bup mids, so it's over the
last couple of years, and I'm like, all the music
is our club music.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
It's our club music, or it's like sampled from our
club music.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
And then like with a current.

Speaker 4 (04:53):
Artist, but even like I went to an Arizona State
Utah game last season, and this is an environment where
you would be catering to the current student body, right,
and they were playing all the same stuff that they
played when I went.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
To school there.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
Wow, And so I'm like, okay, no, this is like objectively,
I'm forced to deduce that our music from like twenty
twenty sixteen was like that's the ultimate.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, and even before because when I was I was
at the Big House last Saturday and as we sing
mister Bright's Side the end of the third third quarter,
which actually was preceded by All I Want for Christmas
is You, and I got very concerned that we weren't
going to get mister Brightside, but we did. I was like,
this is wig old, and I looked up how it started.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
There's no real clear answer.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
It's just that that was like the biggest song at
the time.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Well, I know it didn't start till like twenty sixteen,
and mister Brightside was I think like two thousand and three,
so it just kind of started. Because you're right, our
music and before was better not to sound like I'm
one hundred and six, but I'm just gonna go ahead
and say it.

Speaker 4 (05:58):
It gives me an appreciation for like these coaches that
have to go into these like NFL locker rooms with
just a bunch of gen z guys and be like
I have to connect with them and get them all
motivated and this, that the other and pretend to understand
the quarter zip trend with the macho latte and the
wired headphones. Because you know who's the poster child for
that right now is the Bear, Chicago Bear's quarterback Kayleb Williams.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
And that's how I'm going to bring this all full circle.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
Love love how you did that.

Speaker 4 (06:25):
The epitome of the gen z man is currently Caleb Williams,
and it's clearly working. And you know what's a really
good way to get everybody on like riled up in
the locker room. Take a listen to what Ben Johnson
did this week after they beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Oh

(06:45):
never mind, I don't know that we have the sound,
but essentially what happened was they the local hawk dog
joined the Wiener circle here in Chicago, who has already
given away free hot dogs. Okay, so that they do
it again. If Ben Johnson did this one thing and
it was taking off his shirt, and it went away
for a couple of weeks, and we like, we all right,

(07:08):
We're like, all right, Ben's not gonna do it, Ben's
not gonna do it.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Whatever.

Speaker 4 (07:10):
Well, then this Friday after the game, I think we
have it now this is what happened in the locker room.

Speaker 7 (07:17):
I know you guys are hungry for more, right, let
me tell you something.

Speaker 8 (07:21):
The city of Chicago is hungry too.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
I'm ready to run through a brick walk like they're down.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
That's how That's how you connect with your kids, man,
That's how you connect with your players, and that's how
you connect with the entire city of Chicago. Vibes are
so high in this city of Tracy. I mean you
could hear it in that like just how incredibly these
guys have responded to Ben Johnson's coaching and it's now
resulted in the Bears being the number one seed in

(08:27):
the NFC, the entire conference. If the playoffs were to
start today, the Chicago Bears would get the buy.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
It's it's actually pretty amazing, especially when you think of
how the season started as like, wow, it's a big
difference between the offensive coordinator and the head coach, which
it is, but Ben Johnson has risen to the occasion.
He's got these guys on fleeue. They don't have to
have a vibes bunny in their locker room like these
We're gonna.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
Get to that.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
So we're gonna get to that, because you want to
know how I know things.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Are going really.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
You bring in a vibes bunny no, and and that,
Like there's the word culture is is thrown around so
incredibly much, and it certainly was to when Ben Johnson
got hired in Chicago, because nothing was going right for
the Bears.

Speaker 3 (09:17):
The locker room was just it was not a.

Speaker 4 (09:20):
Fun place to be as someone who went in and
out of that locker room in the Eberflus era, players
were speaking out about how they wanted to be coached
harder and given more structure, and like nothing was working
and and no one was on the same page. And
I cannot stress to you the stark differences, not only
obviously you're seeing it on the field now, but this

(09:41):
is the kind of stuff that started weeks ago, and
it started in training camp, and it started before like
all while the season, and I was preaching like patience, man,
I was like, listen, Rome wasn't built in today. Like
you gotta give him time. You got to give Ben
Johnson some grace, you know, when he took over his
offensive coordinator Detroit, for instance, they went one in six
to start the season. I was fully envisioning something like

(10:01):
that because making the jump from offensive coordinator to head
coach on top of just everything about the Bears organization
needing to be essentially overhauled.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
I was like, this is going to take a while.
It hasn't. It hasn't. The Bears are nine and three.

Speaker 4 (10:13):
They've only lost three times, and two of those losses
were the first two weeks of the season.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
That is true.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
I mean, and now thinking Rome wasn't built in a day,
but it was built in thirteen weeks apparently.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
And the crazy part is that Ben Jonson said at
the beginning of the season that they wouldn't be playing
their best football until December. And now it's December and
they are I mean, Black Friday. I don't think it
was technically December. It wasn't technically December, but like it
might as well. And they knocked off the defending champions,
and to me, I think that launched the Bears into
legitimacy from a national perspective. Yeah, but I want to

(10:47):
ask you just how legitimate you view these Bears as
it relates to a playoff run and actually kind of
advancing and god forbid, I bring up the terms, sup.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
You said it.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
You know, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (11:04):
I was thinking about it while I was doing my
makeup today. Actually, I was thinking about this, and I
would say, like two weeks ago, I felt like they
were legitimate, but you know, it probably wouldn't be a
long playoff run, and that building for next year and
they're gonna have this great regular season and the vibes
are going to be high, and then next year maybe
that's a long playoff run. I feel differently now because

(11:25):
they did knock off the Eagles and they've been playing
good football. That's the thing. It's not even I know
that there are a lot of people that, well, they
haven't played anybody, well, they can only play who's on
their schedule, and they've played the Eagles, They've knocked them out.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
I think they are very much for real.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
I don't know that they're going to go to the
super Bowl, but I don't know that they're not. And
I think what's so cool about this season is we
sit here right now there are like ten teams that
could win the Super.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
Bowl, and the Bears are one of them.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
And when you listen to the thing that locker room
it that makes a difference in football, football and.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
It really is, no matter what anyone wants to tell you.
And coaches that say, like, oh, it's just another game.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
The Bears are playing the.

Speaker 4 (12:05):
Packers this weekend, and all of these coaches are kind
of like trying to brush it off like it's just
another game. I'm like, that's not doing what you think
it's doing. Like you're not You're not tempering anybody's expectations
by saying it's just another game. You're not doing like
I think I speak for the majority of fans in general,
where like I want to see my coach understand that this.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
Is not just a game.

Speaker 4 (12:28):
Yes, that this is not just another game, like this
is a storied rivalry in the case of the Bears Packers.
And the crazy part about all of this, and why
I understand people still kind of treading very lightly with
the Chicago Bears right now, is because the bulk of
the difficulty in their schedule is coming up for the
last five weeks of the season, and because they are

(12:50):
playing three division games to finish out the season. This
could still look drastically different by the time we actually
get to the regular season or the regular seas and
is over. Because they're playing the Packers this weekend, then
they've got the Browns, but then they have the Packers again.
So if you don't and then they have the Lions
to finish out the season. If they don't win at
least one of those games, those division games, they're looking

(13:14):
at a very small playoff chance.

Speaker 3 (13:16):
Which is wild to say that because they're.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
Sitting at nine and three right now, But there is
still a world where this kind of still implodes. And
as someone who has grown up with this team, I
have trust issues and I cannot be convinced there's not
going to be some weird stuff that doesn't happen down
the stretch. And I've had to pick their final five
games on quite a bit of places this week, and

(13:41):
essentially I have them winning two more games, which will
put them with an eleven win season, which is incredible,
Like that's way above and beyond what I had had
the expectations of this year for them. But you know,
it doesn't it doesn't win them the division. I think
I think I think the Packers still end up taking it.
It gets them a wild card spot almost certainly, but

(14:04):
it's still going to I think it's still an upward
climb to actually be a legitimate contender.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Well, the scriptwriters did a lot with the schedule in
this last month for a number of teams, and the
Bears are certainly one of them. I mean, it's pretty
crazy that they have not played the Packers at all,
yet they play them twice and then finish the Lions.
I'm actually I'm going to have them go three and
two in the stretch and I'm gonna go out and say.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
Think they're going to beat the forty nine ers because I.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
I think that's the one. I think they lose that game.
I think they lose. I mean, I think they lose.
You know, it would be really funny as if they
lose to the Browns and the Fourners and they beat
the Packers twice the Lions once, but the I want.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
That would be I mean, that would solidify them. That
would be either only NFC lost down the stretches to
the Niners.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
I will tell you this though, if I if they
win tomorrow at Lambeau, I am been dazzling a Colston
Lovelinger and we are doing this Bear down forever.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
Oh. I can't wait to see it.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's I mean, it's gonna be.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
But now they I don't want to add extra pressure
to them, but someone should tell them that's on the ste.

Speaker 4 (15:10):
That's not a thing right now. It's Bears Packers. It's
a rivalry that is storied and like whatever, and it's
been lopsided, and I don't get it's not it's not
just a normal game. There's actual stakes involved in our
time and there's the rivalry.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
So exciting.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
I'm so excited to see how the season finishes up
for the Bears. It's certainly not over yet, but we're
going to talk about a team who season might be
over at this stage in the NFC. Coming up right
after this. You're listening to Fox Football Saturday.

Speaker 8 (15:37):
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Speaker 3 (16:19):
Oh are you just gonna get Christmas music?

Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well, I love Christmas.

Speaker 1 (16:23):
Christmas music makes me happy, really, Navi Dune.

Speaker 4 (16:27):
Sorry, I woke up to Louis Armstrong's Christmas album this
morning through out like our home speaker system.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
It was great.

Speaker 4 (16:35):
It was just like we got our team and you know,
had Louis just crooning and fireplace going. It was so cozy.
This is the best time of year.

Speaker 11 (16:44):
To be clear, it is not the vibe that I
usually do. It is actually corporate mandated that it's Christmas music.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
Foll right, Well, you don't just ruin it like that.
I'm not.

Speaker 7 (16:52):
I'm just saying that.

Speaker 11 (16:52):
I'm just saying, like the vibes and the corporate mandate
intersect right now.

Speaker 4 (16:58):
Vibes in corporate mandate do not belong in the same
sometimes wish but I love it. That's Chrispovett, our technical
produce that We've got bo Benson as well, Martin.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Weiss in the update booth.

Speaker 4 (17:10):
We got Tracy Sandler, Carmen the tally Hey Christmas Carols
they're just Christmas Carol's Home with the radio station, and
we missed any of those. Because if you've missed any
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(17:32):
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Sports Radio wherever you get your podcast, and you'll find
today's full show posted right after we get off the air.
Keyword there, keywords be nice. It's the holiday season.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
It is the holiday season.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
It truly has the best season too, because like we
were at dinner last night and I was just like
looking around all the decorations in the restaurant and like
even the club that we went.

Speaker 3 (17:54):
To, and I'm just like, man, it's so sad that
this is the.

Speaker 4 (17:58):
Only time of year that like we have all these
wonderful decorations and twinkle lights and sparkly pretty bows and
you know, the Christmas wreaths and and whatever even all
of like the blue and silver for Hannic, Like just
I mean, this is the only time of year that
we get like really cool decorations, and I'm like, we
need to come up with more excuses throughout the throughout
the year to be merry and festive.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
I agree with that wholeheardly.

Speaker 4 (18:22):
Though, A team that's not feeling very merry festive right
now is the Dallas Cowboys, America's team losing to the
Detroit Lions, right Like, I'm I'm I'm not going to
get into that argument.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
There are a way to make.

Speaker 4 (18:43):
But the Lions did win in convincing fashion that game,
and I mean they keep suffering like catastrophic injuries though
along the way, Like it's it's like the you know
you won, but at what cost?

Speaker 9 (18:56):
Right?

Speaker 2 (18:57):
That is true? And it happened the last year.

Speaker 4 (18:59):
Too, exactly. No, So it sounds like Brian branch is
probably out done for the year. Who's just a pivotal
part of that defense. And I don't know how they're
going to keep surviving all of these injuries. But that
that notwithstanding, the Lions won the game. Dallas Cowboys did not,
and now their playoff chances are low.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
There I believe eight to nine chances to make the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Those are not not high, not a higher I'm just
gonna go ahead and.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
Breaking analysis, my smart breaking.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
Analysis, and I know you've come to me for that,
is that those playoff chances.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Are not high.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
Yeah, and it's it's honestly, it's infuriating because so I've
always been a Dak Prescott defender. I I I recognize
that he does not show up in the big games,
and I recognize that he has not had playoff success
and and there have been it has been directly his
fault that the Cowboys have lost big games or playoff games.
I recognize that. However, I don't know when we got

(20:03):
into this black and white. If you're not elite, your
terrible kind of mentality. When it comes to NFL quarterbacks,
Dak Prescott is firmly a top ten, top twelve quarterback
in the league and has been four years. And then
on top of that again Thursday, notwithstanding, he has played
out of his mind this season, out of his mind

(20:27):
and beaten some of those teams that were that you
know he was getting. He got a lot of flak
for not beating before, like the Chiefs and like they're.

Speaker 3 (20:38):
Like he was.

Speaker 4 (20:39):
He's been doing things that he hasn't ever done before.
And it's going completely wasted because they now suddenly have
an hate to nine percent chance to make the playoffs,
and you only have to look to the team team's
owner to figure out why that is.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
And you traded your best.

Speaker 4 (21:00):
Defensive player in Michael Parsons, and I realize that that
has now turned into guys like Quinn Williams and like
the defense seem to have been able to figure some
stuff out. But I can't think you would have been
this behind the eight ball if you'd have just held
on to Micah Parsons and paid him.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
And it's almost like a it's kind of a microcosm
of the Cowboys generally, right, So yes, Michaeh Parsons would
have made a huge difference, But that is how the
organization is being run and the move's being made. That
is a direct you see what I'm saying. It's like
a micro cosmo the whole thing. And so I agree
with you, and I don't know that that's going to
change because he's going to be the owner, so that

(21:42):
it's just unfortunate because it feels like I agree with you.
I've always been a DAK defender and it does feel
like it's being wasted.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
But it's like the Cowboys every year. It's interesting.

Speaker 1 (21:50):
The Cowboys are a team that I feel like every
year you expect to be good, and every year see
them on a schedule, it's like, oh, that's going to
be such a good game with the Cowboys. Why they
haven't been good in years and it's just been a
hot mess and it's just not going to change.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
I'm so torn, specifically with Dak because I've been a
Dak defender for a long time at this point, but
also this last contract he willingly signed back up for this, Yes, well,
at what point do I need to kind of you
need to share in some of this blame. You need
to be held accountable because you could have gone anywhere

(22:27):
the previous contract that had expired, Like, you could have
gone anywhere and gotten that many had Dak had all
the leverage, he could have gone anywhere, and he chose
to go back into this circus and continue to be.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
In the mix with all of that.

Speaker 4 (22:45):
So I'm it's not that I'm cooling on my defensive
Dak because again, he's been playing out of his mind
this season, and I do feel badly for him, But
at the same time, I'm like, this is what you
signed up for. You signed up to be the quarterback
of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 1 (22:59):
Specifically, Sometimes toxic relationships are the most comfortable. There you go,
there's my deep thought of the day. Nikes, Sorry, Dak.

Speaker 4 (23:07):
All right, well and on that noe Le's gonna see
what's happened in the world.

Speaker 3 (23:11):
Of college football. Speaking of toxic is speaking of toxic
with mart Wise.

Speaker 9 (23:23):
All right, let's see hear s SEC Championship scoreless right now,
nine minutes, fifteen seconds left in the first quarter, third
ranked at Georgia and ninth ranked Alabama going out of
Georgia's eleven and one Alabama ten and two.

Speaker 7 (23:35):
College Football Playoff seating on the line. That was the
case this morning as well as.

Speaker 9 (23:39):
The Big Ten Championship game was underway or early afternoon
for most of the country. Eleventh Ranks BYU started seven nothing,
all Red Raiders. After that Texas Tech thirty four to seven,
the winner, Texas Tech likely securying a buy in the
upcoming college football playoff. The win also likely making sure
that the Big twelve is a one. Big Leagues BYU
will fall out of the Top twelve and Kylee's basketball.

(24:03):
Tenth ranked Iowa State beat Purdue eighty one to fifty eight.
Is the worst home loss ever for a number one seed,
number one ranked team. I should say fourth rank Duke
beat six ranked I'm sorry beat Michigan State sixty six
to sixty six rank Louisville with a eighty five to
seventy eight meat over twenty seconds rank Indiana with twenty
two seconds left, twenty twenty seven seconds left. And in

(24:24):
the NFL, the Chargers running back on Marion Hampton's expected
to return on Monday Night football.

Speaker 7 (24:30):
He's been out since.

Speaker 9 (24:31):
Earliest season with ankle injuries and Chargers French courts the
running combining the doll out of the backfield.

Speaker 7 (24:36):
He was a practice squad calla ladies back to you.

Speaker 3 (24:40):
Thank you, Martin. I know that you know.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Michigan not really factoring in today is a bummer, Tracy.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
It's rubber for you.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
Kind of weird getting dressed today and not having not
having Michigan to wear. I mean I have stuff to wear,
but I didn't wear it, so it was just a
little bit. Feels a little empty today. I'll get over it,
but it does feel little empty.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
Well, I'm bringing on someone to commiserate with you because
we have from HSN covers the Chicago Bears.

Speaker 3 (25:09):
She does all Chicago sports. In fact, she does the Bulls.

Speaker 4 (25:11):
You can catch her on the Big Pro Football Show
on CHSN with David Haw and Clay Harbor. This is
Michigan grad one of my best friends, Ruthie Polenski.

Speaker 6 (25:21):
Hi, ruth Hi, guys go blue, Tracy, right, I mean
not our year. Things are tough out here for us
Michigan grads today. But the future.

Speaker 1 (25:33):
If the future the basketball team and the hockey team.
We are we are now a basketball and hockey school
for the foreseeable future.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yes, very much, let's go, and don't.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
I don't wonder why I always end up annoyed with
yell Michiganians. But we're all spoiled, you know, always been up.
I'm I'm personally, I'm actually very I want. I want
Indiana to take care of business.

Speaker 10 (25:58):
To night.

Speaker 2 (25:59):
We are all who's We're.

Speaker 3 (26:01):
All who's today?

Speaker 4 (26:03):
Well, Ruthie, there's another part of your job and your
life that's going really really well right now. Because the
vibes in Chicago could not really be higher heading into
what is their biggest game. So far, the Chicago Bear
is playing the Green Bay Packers for the first time
this season, the first time of two times in the

(26:24):
next fourteen days. What have you like, like, what's the vibe?
Just that you're seeing Ruthie as someone who you know
covers this team, is very entrenched with this team, but
also like, are you on board with the entire rivalry,
Like how much are you immersed in that after not

(26:44):
really growing up in it.

Speaker 6 (26:46):
Yeah, it's so fascinating. First of all, I think the
city is on fire right now. And I remember when
I moved here a couple of years ago, and everyone said,
you know, just wait till the Bears are good, Just
wait till the Bears are good, Like the city is
going to explode, And so I think that's sort of
definitely the vibe. But there's sort of this cautious optimism.
I get the sense from Bears fans, like just from

(27:08):
being around the city and I have a ton of
family here, and I just think that people are still
a little nervous, which I find fascinating because you're coming
off of a win over the defending Super Bowl champs,
and I know these aren't the Eagles of last year,
but They're a good football team, and they have really
good players, and the Bears held their own shorthanded and

(27:28):
they're going to be even stronger going up to Green
Bay tomorrow. So I think that's where I'm the most surprised,
is just that people are excited. You can feel the
excitement in the city while also people being like, Okay,
let's just wait and see, like there's still a lot
of football left, like they could still miss the playoffs.
And I just sort of that's been the surprising thing.
With that being said, Carmen, you asked about the rivalry,

(27:51):
I think what's been so fought about this year in particular.
Of course, the Bears being good makes the rivalry so special.
But this Matt Lafleur Ben Johnson beef that has been
brewing over the last what is it now, you know,
eight months or so since Ben Johnson said that in
his introductory press conference, that is so delicious to me.

(28:13):
I am just eating it up and I love that.
I think Bears fans should find some comfort in the
fact that it was a topic of conversation for the
Green Bay Packers this week. And I think the Bears
have moved on because they can you know it was
their coach that said it, and they're locked in and
they're just trying to go one to know this week,
whereas it feels like in Green Bay the drama is

(28:35):
at an all time high. So I think that's a
good thing for the Bears going into tomorrow, who just
feel like they have a job to do. Obviously this
is their biggest rival, but for them it's every week.
It's such a big week, whereas Green Bay this made
feel a little bit more emotional to them.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
Ben Johnson's obviously made a huge difference for the Bears.
Do you think there's any one player who's benefited from
it more than Caleb Williams.

Speaker 6 (28:58):
Yeah, this has been sort of a match made in heaven.
I think there were a lot of questions coming out
of last year about what Caleb Williams, what his feeling
could be with a coaching staff, would he be able
to take coaching in a certain way, what it had
his work ethic looked like. Those were all things that
got brought up last year coming out of a really

(29:19):
horrific season for a rookie quarterback. And I think what
we've seen this year is that these two are surviving
off of each other and guys, it's interesting because I
covered the Miami Dolphins when Brian Flores was there with
his rookie season and Mike McDaniel came in and sort
of revitalized a quarterback and made him, you know, the

(29:41):
quarterback that we saw that led the league in passing
last year, and so I think there was Obviously we
won't talk about the Miami Dolphins this year, but I
will say that I think there are a lot of
similarities where I just feel like there was a connection
between the two of them very early on. I think
Ben Johnson has is so brilliant, and I think he's

(30:01):
able to sort of create his offense to fit the
skill sets of his players in a way that people
in Chicago haven't really seen before. And I think that's
really what's been so exciting is that the two of
them are working very well on the field. And what
I'll say about them off the field is that the
messaging from the head coach to the quarterback has been

(30:23):
so consistent. And that's really I think when you see
really turning itself over on its head. And I know
the word culture can be a little you know, cheesy
or corny, whatever it may mean, but there is a
very strong sense of like consistency and just really everyone
speaking the same language in that building, and I think

(30:46):
that's the first signe of a team building towards more success.

Speaker 4 (30:50):
Ruthie, It's so interesting because I think we're seeing now
more than ever, whether it is Caleb Williams, whether it's
Drake May in New England, or like, the culture and
the environment that these young quarterbacks come into matters just
a tremendous amount.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
And you really have to.

Speaker 4 (31:08):
Carefully pair everything about this the coach and who he's
bringing in his staff. And where I'm going with this
is because it's not only Ben Johnson that is shifting
things on his own. He's got a staff that just
compliments each other within itself. You look at the levels

(31:29):
of experience where you have Dennis Allen, former head coach,
as a defensive coordinator, you have an up and coming
young offensive mind in Declan Doyle like learning under Ben Johnson.
But then at the position level you have Eric the
Enemy at running backs, you have Al Harris with defensive
backs like you have so much leadership at every single level.

(31:49):
How intentional has that been for like this organization to
really put these players in a good environment by the staff.

Speaker 6 (31:58):
Absolutely, and Kram and I do I want to say
before I answer that question, like we talk about the
Ben Johnson Caleb Williams connection, which I think is deserves
a ton of praise, but obviously it hasn't been perfect
for Caleb Williams on the field. We know the completion
percentage is not where it.

Speaker 12 (32:13):
Needs to be.

Speaker 6 (32:14):
But the fact that this team is able to win
while Caleb Williams is learning, I think it's really best
case scenario, and that I think you give Ben Jonson
a ton of credit for finding ways to win, overhauling
that offensive line, getting a dominant run game put together,
and just being able to score points move the football.
And then to tie this into your question, Carmen, hire

(32:37):
someone like a Dennis Allen who can literally Ben Johnson
can lock him in the defense in a room and say,
you guys handle the defense so that I can be
my genius self when it comes to the offense and
we'll be on the same page when it comes to
what we want the message to be and how we
want to convey. You know, this opponent each and every week.
But Dennis Allen to hire someone of his caliber and

(32:58):
with his level of experien and someone who has been
a head coach before knows what it takes to be
a head coach. That I think has been probably Ben
Jonson's biggest asset this year to be able to have
someone like Dennis Allen who you can trust to just
go figure it out each and every week. Not to
mention all of the injuries that the Bears have had
to deal with on the defensive side of the ball,
Dennis Allen has just I mean, I don't know if

(33:20):
this guy has gotten enough credit, and we talk about
him all the time. It's it's just been absolutely spectacular
what he's been able to do with a lot of
the guys that have been called up to fill a
lot of roles. Obviously, I'm the Nashon Wright story is incredible.
Who is just named defensive player of the Month led
the league in takeaway is for the month of November.
He is absolutely lights out and I think he's making

(33:41):
one point one million dollars this year. Like, you have
two cornerbacks who are two of the highest paid at
their position on this defense who haven't been out there,
and these guys just keep stepping up and making plays
for each other on my nineties. Excuse my car for
speaking out there, but I will say I will say, yeah,
this coaching stuff, I think has been another reason why
I think Ben Johnson should be the leader in the

(34:03):
clubhouse when you talk about coach of the year. And
obviously I know Mike Rabel's in that conversation, but Mike
Vrabel is winning a lot of games because he has
an MVP candidate on his team, like Ben Johnson's finding
ways to do this without a superstar quarterback just yet right,
Like we can see where Caleb's trajectory may be. But
I think with Ben Johnson and the staff he's put together,

(34:25):
the way he's finding ways to win, it's just been
the best story in the NFL if you ask me.

Speaker 4 (34:32):
Yeah, and it's going to call it's going to culminate.
A lot of this is going to culminate, I think
on this stage against the Packers and especially down the Strites.

Speaker 3 (34:39):
Ruthie, thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 4 (34:41):
I really appreciate you taking time out of your Saturday,
and we'll talk to you very very soon.

Speaker 6 (34:46):
Thanks again, thanks for having me, ladies, appreciate you all.

Speaker 4 (34:49):
Right, coming up, we're going to do the dues and
the don'ts of the week. You're listening to Fox Football Saturday.
I don't care if it's corporate mandata. I'm really happy
that there's Christmas music happening in my years right now.
What about you, Tracy Sandler?

Speaker 1 (35:01):
I love it so you can't see me, but I
am dancing, and I think Bo and Chris could confirm that.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
But I am fully dancing.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
I watched off last night. This is Fox Football Saturday.
I'm carbon batally. I just told that was Tracy Sandler.
We are having a holly jolly Christmas season, December holiday season,
and we're having a holly jolly NFL season.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
Some some hollier I was gonna say some hollier and
jollier than others.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
And that's going to tie perfectly into the dues and
the don'ts of the week.

Speaker 8 (35:40):
Spotlight on the don't.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
The subject brings me no joy.

Speaker 3 (35:44):
That's insane.

Speaker 8 (35:46):
It's time for the dues and the don'ts in sports, all.

Speaker 4 (35:49):
Right, Terray, I'm gonna start, and it's not necessarily a
do or don't, it's a knot, so you're not fooling me.
Philadelphia Eagles, because our good friend Ashton Sullivan covers the
Eagles for local Philadelphia News. She tweeted out a picture

(36:11):
of a gigantic And when I mean gigantic, I mean
like this thing. There's a guy standing next to him
and he comes up to his shoulder. So what like
if that guy's like five eight, that bunny is like
twice as big as him. So like a gigantic is
inflatable easter bunny.

Speaker 3 (36:31):
It's not just like a bunny.

Speaker 4 (36:32):
It says happy Easter on it, which, like I said,
you know, we're having a holly, jolly, festive holiday season,
but like that's not the holiday.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
No, that's not the holiday.

Speaker 4 (36:44):
And I can't help but think that, like, Okay, you
know what you like in this too. Tracy is like
when couples that you know are like not stable and
they are on social media posting each other and like
how much they love each other, and they're going into
like way too much detail and they're like showing all
of these things that they're doing together and they're talking

(37:06):
about what everything they love about each other, and it's like,
you know what, the more you tell me how much
you love this person, the more I think you.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
Hate them a whole hundred.

Speaker 4 (37:15):
And that's like what I feel like this positivity rabbit.
I'm sorry, it's not a ViBe's bunny, it's a positivity rabbit.
It showed up in the Eagles locker room today and
Ashland says the offensive line stressed to her that they
are not sad, they just wanted a good ViBe's bunny.

Speaker 3 (37:33):
So again, I'm.

Speaker 4 (37:34):
Back to my relationship analogy. The more you tell me
you're not sad, the more I think you're actually really,
really sad.

Speaker 2 (37:43):
You know what the.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
First sign is that you're sad is when you have
to bring in a positivity bunny. What you have to
say you're not sad exactly. This is my positivity bunny.
But just so you know, I'm not sad. I just
need a positivity.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
Bunny VI bunny. I wanted to, but he goes who
among us does not want to vibe?

Speaker 3 (38:03):
I like it.

Speaker 4 (38:04):
And the more I'm looking at this and the more
I think about it, I'm just like, if you didn't
want to like tip.

Speaker 3 (38:10):
People off or like be weird about it, Like why
didn't you just decorate the locker room.

Speaker 4 (38:14):
For Christmas or something, or Hanukkah or any of the
major holidays around this time of year, like just decorate
the like no one would have even they were like,
oh yeah, people are like getting into the holiday sperience.
But instead you like, there's like this twenty foot bunny,
easter bunny in the middle of the Eagles locker room.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
And for those of you who have never been in
an NFL locker room, they're not that big. They're not
that big, So that bunny is taking up a lot
of real estate.

Speaker 4 (38:39):
On top of the offensive line that Ashlton talked to,
I mean, like, just picture a room that's really not
that incredibly big with a bunch of lockers, a bunch
of stuff, and a bunch of three hundred pound men,
and then you're gonna put a twenty foot bunnies.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
It's amazing.

Speaker 1 (38:55):
I have to do a quick doome because I promised
somebody on social that I was because they mentioned that
we talked about the cowboys and didn't bring this up,
and it is one of my does George Pickens, why.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
Don't they not we ran out after Richard Sherman.

Speaker 1 (39:08):
That's all I'm gonna do that, Like, let's I mean,
why don't you be an adult?

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Why don't you acknowledge that maybe it.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Was your best game or I'm sure you tried your hardest,
But going after Richard Sherman and saying he's nothing without
the legion of doom a boom, Sorry.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
I have to do war boom.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
I am that who they were playing doom to them?

Speaker 3 (39:26):
Let me tell you.

Speaker 1 (39:27):
Okay, so like, let's not do that, because you're just
adding gasoline to the fire.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
I listen, I know, receivers are receivers. And I'm happy
that the Cowboys added George Pickens because they needed something
on the other side of ceedee lamb to take some
of that attention away. But like, not this much attention,
and this is not the attention we were talking about.

Speaker 3 (39:47):
George.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
No e.

Speaker 3 (39:49):
Everybody has bad games.

Speaker 4 (39:51):
We don't need to go after a potential Hall of
Famer in Richard Sherman too, you know whatever for things
that he said as a commentator. Anyway, got much more
show to go, so stick with us. You're listening to
Fox Football Saturday. Welcome into Fox Football Saturday, Championship Saturday,
and the college football world. We have Georgia's up seven

(40:14):
to nothing Overbama right now. I mean, yeah, I go Hoosiers.
We're all Hoosiers today for Ohio State, Ohio State, Indiana,
Indiana hoping to cap off. You know, they're another incredible season,
but like this was this really punctuate at this time.

(40:35):
You know, they weren't able to do it last year,
so really hoping that that's the case. And Texas Tech
earlier today b b YU, which opens the door for
Notre Dame, but it also opens the door for more
Notre Dame.

Speaker 3 (40:50):
Miami discourse. It's a whole it's a whole mess.

Speaker 4 (40:54):
The college football playoff and no shortage of drama there either.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Let me tell you wouldn't want it any other way.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
No, No, I love the drum. I love I'm Marie Kondo.
I love mess.

Speaker 4 (41:08):
And I mean the NFL has been particularly messy this
season too. I mean we've been talking about it all year,
all season long, about how parody is at an all
time high. I mean, no one has a clinched playoff
spot at this point in the season, and like the
way that there's so much like volatility right now with

(41:29):
how the last five weeks.

Speaker 3 (41:30):
Of the season are going to go.

Speaker 4 (41:32):
And I mean, like I think the Bears are a
really good example of that, where like they are nine
and three they have the one seed in the NFC
this late in the season, there's snow on the there's
snow on the ground, and they're still relevant. And yet
there is still a world where they missed the playoffs,
which is but Nanas and I think one of the
things that really showcases how incredibly parody rich I guess

(41:57):
this season has been is the fact that the Chiefs,
of all people, are on the outside looking in right now.

Speaker 3 (42:04):
Like if the.

Speaker 4 (42:05):
Playoffs were to start today, the Chiefs would not make it,
and their current playoff chances sit at thirty four.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Percent, better than the Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (42:15):
It is better than the Cowboys, but this is the
Chiefs we're talking about, like that the Cowboys are not
the Chiefs.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
No, there if the Chiefs.

Speaker 4 (42:21):
The Chiefs have Houston this weekend, if they win, they
their chances go up to fifty percent, which still isn't
a shoe in. If the Chiefs lose, their playoff probability
according to the NFL standings playoff picture those Dow's eleven percent.

(42:41):
So are we having to now potentially prepare for a
world where the Chiefs don't even get into the dance?

Speaker 3 (42:49):
You know?

Speaker 1 (42:49):
I go back and forth in this because on the
one hand, I feel like it's a true possibility, and
looking at their schedule, it's the Texans, the Chargers at
the Titans, Broncos at home at the Raiders. So of
those five games, only two of them feel like slam dunctions,
which there's really no such thing in the NFL, but
let's pretend for a second there is.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
So I I don't know.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
I go back and forth on this because I still
can't write them off until it's really done, because of
Mahomes and because they are the Chiefs. But they got
a tough road ahead of them. I think tomorrow, not
to put extra pressure on it, not that they care,
but not to put pressure on it. They beat the
Texans tomorrow, I think they're gonna go to the playoffs.

(43:32):
They lose the Texans tomorrow, They're not. That's what I'm
saying Tomorrow to me, is like they're that's.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
A I mean, statistically, it's kind of their make or break,
yeah game, and not even kind of like it is.
It's a make or break game. I mean, you don't
really come back from eleven percent.

Speaker 8 (43:44):
No.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
The only thing is, like the.

Speaker 4 (43:47):
Playoff picture is so like again, it's just volatile because
you look at the Texans, who have like the best
playoff chances of anyone right now, that's not like one
of the seven seeds already like the bubble teams. Of
the bubble teams, the Texans have the best chances of
making the playoffs. They currently sit at sixty percent. If
they lose, it goes down to forty five percent, if

(44:07):
they win goes up to eighty two percent. But then
you have teams like the Steelers where their current chances
are thirty four percent, and if they win, it goes
like the variance is sixty six percent down to sixteen
percent or eighteen percent. So you're like, the variance is wild,
and it all hinges on one game, like it all
hinges essentially on this weekend for so many teams.

Speaker 2 (44:30):
It really does. That's a good way to put it.

Speaker 1 (44:32):
It's almost like this is the first weekend of the
playoffs in a weird way.

Speaker 4 (44:35):
Yes, like honestly, yeah, like the stakes are that high
like from here on out, because there's again like it
can just things can change so quickly. But back to
like the Chiefs in particular, I've been very disinterested in
having this conversation about the Chiefs because I'm like, either
you believe in them or you don't. And if you
don't believe in them, then we can have the conversation.
But like the sentiment, the overarching sentiment that I got

(44:56):
from most people was like, now they're going to figure
it out. They're going to figure it out. So like,
if you think they're going to figure out, I'm not
interested in debating this. Like they're the Chiefs, they've done
it before, Like they haven't come back necessarily from all
of this. They're sitting at six and six, which is
like perfectly neutral, perfectly five hundred. They're third in the
AFC West. But you know, you can't really ever count

(45:17):
them out just because of the body of work that
we've seen from them over the last few years. But
this week in particular, leading up to this game against
the Texans is the first time that I've been willing
to entertain that conversation because I'm like, I don't think
that I trust that they're going to figure it out anymore.
And now that's a really interesting thing to say. And

(45:38):
if you're not ready to say that, I think what
I am definitively ready to say, though, is that this
Super Bowl is not going to be another Chiefs Eagle
Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
No, I think the sport's better off for it.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
I agree with that, and I am of the opinion
it's actually to me less about the Chiefs figuring it
out and the fact that there just is more competition now,
especially obviously in their division, but generally, and we talked
about parody a lot, but that to me is kind
of the bigger thing. Let's assume the Chiefs aren't gonna
win out, Okay, let's just pretend that they have a

(46:11):
very uphill battle here, and so to me, it's kind
of less about them in some ways and more about
the fact that the Broncos are really, really really good.
The Chargers are good TBD how good still, But that
to me is the bigger issue. So that's what is
for me. It's less about them and more about the

(46:32):
fact that they're just they have true competition now that
they haven't had in the last several years. And I
agree with you, it is not going to be a
Chief's Eagles Super Bowl. I don't think either of those
teams are going to be in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (46:43):
Yeah, I mean, with Paroity came like the new kids
on the block and or like an old kid that
left the block for a hot second but just moved
back in. The New England Patriots, who while NOAK teams
have clinched a playoff birth, they basically have. I mean
their part layoff probability is over nine. So it's essentially
the Patriots are going to win the as East.

Speaker 1 (47:05):
As I said before, the Bills have got to be
like you are kidding me, but their own fault.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
They're not capitaliz well.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
But I think that.

Speaker 4 (47:11):
Speaks to like the window that the Chiefs and Bills had. Yeah,
and sure, I mean the Chiefs took advantage of it.
Let's be honest, Like they have multiple Super Bowls at
this time frame. They've gone to the Super Bowl. It
seems like every year for like my lifetime at this point.
But you know, I think for the Bills especially, this
is incredibly like frustrating in the sense that like you

(47:33):
had a window where your major competition was there. It
was the Chiefs, potentially the Ravens, but like the door
was open, and now the door is getting like the
doorway is getting more and more crowded because the Patriots
are really good, Like you mentioned, the Broncos are there,
the Colts have faltered a little bit, but they're still
in the mix. I mean, the Ravens are still in
the mix. And now the Bills have to pay the

(47:55):
Bengals this week, and the Bengals, like listen, their current
playoff chances sit at three percent.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
But if they ran the table and they won out, there.

Speaker 4 (48:04):
Is a significant possibility that they could in fact still
make the playoffs, which is wild. And I mean, like
the end of we didn't even get really to the NFC,
but like it's the same all over the league, where
there is just so much can change between now and
the end of the season, even though it feels like
we're at the kind of the tail end of the
regular season, and but like this picture is really not

(48:26):
clear at all, and it's just it's just interesting that
we're going to have to prepare for potentially a Chief
Sliss postseason. But I'm very I'm happy that we are.
I mean, the chances of an Eagles Chief Super Bowl
again are so minuscule.

Speaker 3 (48:43):
Like we're going to get some new blood in there.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
You bring up the Bangals, and though there they have obviously,
it's it's a long shot. They're a team that if
I were a team on the bubble. I wouldn't want
to play right now right which.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
Is Buffalo essentially like Buffalo technically is the seventh seed.

Speaker 3 (48:57):
But that's that's the last thing you can be. And
you've got guys like the Texans like right on your
tail there. So I just I and you're not going
to win your division.

Speaker 4 (49:07):
The Bills aren't, like unless the Patriots lose out and
you went out, in which case I still don't know
if you would, But I just it's it's one of
those things where I'm just like, I I think the window.

Speaker 3 (49:19):
Might be closed for a couple of these teams in
the AFC.

Speaker 2 (49:23):
I think so for sure.

Speaker 1 (49:24):
The Bills, especially to me, if I were Bill saying
it's just so, it would be so frustrating because they've
been so close and really kind of had had no
one to blame but themselves, and it's just it's too bad.
It's too bad for them. But these Patriots are fun.
I mean, to me, these are the we'll say the
new kids on the block Patriots to.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
Borrow a term that you use.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
They're they're a different team obviously and in so many ways,
and they're a fun team to root for. And I'm
very into Drake may I think he is great. They're awesome,
and so good for them, Drake May Rake May MVP
potentially that's really pretty incredible.

Speaker 4 (50:03):
It is, especially when you consider too and I think
a lot of this is and not to get too
philosophical about.

Speaker 2 (50:07):
It, but like, please get philosophical.

Speaker 4 (50:09):
Well, you know, you have Mike Rabel who takes over
for the new England head coaching job, a role that
he's just seemingly born to play after playing for the
Patriots during his playing career. But like I think a
lot of you know, people think about these defensive coaches,
these defensive head coaches, and they and they don't really necessarily.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Trust them.

Speaker 4 (50:30):
I feel like with these young developing quarterbacks, and I
think what Mike Rabel's doing here is saying, like, hey,
I'm getting the right guys in the building to develop
my quarterback. Am I developing him?

Speaker 10 (50:43):
No?

Speaker 3 (50:43):
Because I'm a defensive guy.

Speaker 4 (50:44):
But that doesn't mean that I don't know how to
develop and create an environment with which everybody can succeed.
And I think that a good, a great defense is
something that helps a quarterback situation so incredibly much by
giving him a large margin of error essentially because you
know that if you do throw a pick, or you

(51:05):
do lose the ball in some way, or you can't
move the ball quite down the field, you have a
defense that you can lean on to back you up,
to get you the ball back, to mitigate the damage
that you would have otherwise caused. And that's all part
of creating a stable and successful environment where these these
young quarterbacks can thrive. So I just I think it's

(51:25):
a it's a huge win for defensive head coaches and
and just like kind of environment in general, and speaks
to Rabel's you know, chances for the Coach of the
Year consideration. I think there's a couple of guys Ben Johnson, uh,
Mike Frabel. Those guys I think are you know, kind

(51:45):
of leading the pack as far as who really just
has has overhauled that organ the organization between what they
took over and what they have now.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Well, we were talking about it with Ruthie in the
last hour with Ruthie Polinsky. Ben Johnson also as put
together a staff that he has full confidence in that
is developing all aspects of the team. And generally in life,
your most successful people know what they're good at, know
what they're not good at and surround themselves with people
that make up for their deficiencies. And so I think

(52:15):
that is nowhere is that more true then with an
NFL head coach, wouldn't it be something Well, I'll wait
till our next segment, but I just thought of something.
Well that very fun. Well, I think it's very fun.
Maybe you guys will think.

Speaker 7 (52:28):
It's fun too.

Speaker 3 (52:29):
But I love the tees.

Speaker 2 (52:31):
Yeah, it's a little tease for you. But I don't
know what the Chiefs.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
I mean.

Speaker 1 (52:36):
I I'm prepared for a Chiefs list postseason. I'm not
saying it's for sure going to happen, but I'm prepared
for it. And I think this is the first year.

Speaker 4 (52:45):
Where it's a rind Listen, the spicier, the better, the
MESSI are, the better, And if it doesn't include the
Kansas City Chiefs, I think it makes it all the
more messy.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (52:53):
For the best pregame show every weekend, be sure to
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(53:15):
up in that fun segment that Tracy just teased, stay
with us. You're listening to Fox Football Saturday.

Speaker 3 (53:22):
Who You're gonna make me cut off? Trans Siberian Orchestra? Like,
what are we doing?

Speaker 11 (53:26):
Sarah Havo has to end at some point. This is like, gosh,
I remember downloading this on Napster labeled as labeled as
Metallica Carol of the Bells, when it was neither of
those things.

Speaker 8 (53:42):
Are that enough to get it?

Speaker 3 (53:44):
No?

Speaker 4 (53:44):
It was, but it's but hey, the sentiment remains the same.
It is metal af yes it is, and it happens
to be an orchestra. I remember this like when I
was a kid, just being like what is this and
what is this? This is Fox Football Saturday. I'm Carmen Battali.
That's Tracy Sandler, our technical producer, Christoph fet providing the music. Gosh,

(54:07):
love the holiday season. Just just adore it.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
I love all. I love the music. And for anybody.
So I start listening to Christmas music in November. I
don't care.

Speaker 4 (54:15):
And if you want to come for me, then start
making Thanksgiving bangers because there are so many Christmas bangers.
There are so many Christmas movies, Like, there's nothing about Thanksgiving.
I'm sorry, like I will, I will give Thanksgiving it's
day and a half whatever, but I it's Christmas, It's
Christmas for me.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
Of what a Thanksgiving banger would be.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
I mean, there's plenty of stuff to talk about.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
They're really great.

Speaker 3 (54:40):
Food's great, family football, Like I mean, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
Yeah, well there's the first hit. Foods Great family and football.

Speaker 3 (54:48):
Food's great.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
Uh I I want to talk about the season. We
spent the whole show basically talking about the season up
until this point and how much this weekend in particular
means for so many different.

Speaker 3 (55:04):
Teams in the NFL. Mm hmm.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
But the ultimate goal is to make it, obviously to
the super Bowl. And what this parody I think has
done is just like I have, Like my my pre
season pick of Bill's Packers is still in play technically,

(55:29):
but I'll.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
Feel good about it.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Yeah, that's that's fair. I had picked the Rams to
win it all.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Like in April, I hadn't picked my AFC team, but
I have had, but the.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Look really good.

Speaker 1 (55:46):
I mean, I think both of those picks are still
in play. I'm going to tell you what I was
teasing in the last segment because it seems unfair because
we were just talking so much about you know, Mike
Rabel and Ben Johnson, and I mean, this probably isn't
going to happen, but wouldn't it be something if it
was the Patriots and the Bears.

Speaker 3 (56:03):
I mean, but it could happen. The poetics so crazy,
no listen, happens as someone Okay, I grew up in Chicago.
I live in Chicago.

Speaker 4 (56:10):
The way that the nineteen eighty five eighty five Bears
still loom so large over this city is absolutely insane.
It's borderline embarrassing considering that this was a for this
is a forty year old Super Bowl, And do you
know who they played.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
In that Super Bowl? Tracy?

Speaker 2 (56:26):
The New England Patriots.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
The New England Patriots.

Speaker 2 (56:28):
Oh, I mean forty years later.

Speaker 4 (56:30):
So like it would be incredibly poetic, literally forty, Like
this is the fortieth season since then, like that was
the eighty five Bears. They won in nineteen They won
the Super Bowl that was played in nineteen eighty six.
Maybe you were nineteen eighty six, so like this would
be the like exactly forty years later. My god, if
it was to be Bears Patriot.

Speaker 1 (56:51):
I think that would be kind of amazing. I'm I'm
very here for it.

Speaker 2 (56:55):
I'm alkalla to you. I'm I'm very here for it.

Speaker 1 (56:58):
I don't think it's going to happen, but as we're
talking about it's happening, it's done.

Speaker 2 (57:03):
As we were talking about the parody in the league.

Speaker 1 (57:05):
That's the thing that I think is crazy right now.
It definitely could happen. It's not a completely ridiculous thing
to say, because I do think there are currently like
ten to twelve teams that I think at this moment
in time could win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (57:20):
And like there's all these like really fun little nuggets
and narratives. So like going back to my original pick
of Bill's Packers, something kind of like cosmically for that
match up, or at least the Packers to be there
and then eventually win. Jordan Love is twenty seven, and
if both of his predecessors in Green Bay won Super Bowls,

(57:44):
in their age twenty seven season.

Speaker 2 (57:45):
Oh interesting, So.

Speaker 4 (57:47):
Aaron Rodgers won his Super Bowl he was twenty seven,
but far it did too. So there's all these like
weird little parallels. Like I'm sure, like you know, Green
Bay fans can probably speak to more of those parallels
than I can. But like there's so many like little
things where it just kind of points to like this
being the.

Speaker 1 (58:02):
Season well and for them to win it at Levi's
where they can't beat the forty nine ers in a
playoff game.

Speaker 5 (58:08):
But we can't be here, but we can beat somebody
else exactly, So that would also be something.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
I I think it's fun. I think it's be really
fun playoffs. I just think it's great.

Speaker 4 (58:22):
Well, going back to what we were talking about too earlier,
I mean, like it's it's got to be two different
teams than we've been seeing lately, Like it's not going
to be the Chiefs and Eagles, Like I just I
want to call that shot right now, because like the
the odds are not for that matchup, you know, right
now as it is, the vibes aren't for that matchup.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
Bunny or no Bunny or no Bunny.

Speaker 3 (58:42):
It's not there for that. I wouldn't know.

Speaker 1 (58:44):
I bought questions about this bunny because I mean, I
need to reach out to Ashland to get a little
more precient.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
Is the bunny going to travel?

Speaker 10 (58:50):
Like?

Speaker 2 (58:50):
Is it coming to La? Do they need the bunny?

Speaker 3 (58:52):
How long? Yeah? How long is the bunny going to
be up?

Speaker 8 (58:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (58:54):
How long is it be up? I mean they might
have to like does it.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
Get to on overnight or does it just sit there?

Speaker 2 (58:59):
I don't know. I think it has to come to
La though.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
If they need the positive vibes, their positivity bunny, you
can't just have the positivity bunny at home. Positivetivity bunny's
got to go with you everywhere.

Speaker 3 (59:10):
I know. I don't like any of this so.

Speaker 1 (59:13):
Aware, but I do have questions and I will be
reaching out to our friend Ashland to find out.

Speaker 3 (59:19):
So you think Rams and who is going to be
the Super Bowl?

Speaker 1 (59:21):
So I had just picked Rams, but I would say
right now as it stands, I going Rams Broncos, which
I think is also Broncos.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
By the way, there's another one, the Broncos.

Speaker 1 (59:31):
The last Super Bowl they won was at Levi Stadium,
Levi Stadium, So I just think I think Rams Broncos.
Uh is looking likely fun super Bowl too, really fun,
So that.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
I trust bon Nicks enough to get them to the
super Bowl right.

Speaker 2 (59:47):
Now, But I trust that defense.

Speaker 4 (59:49):
I mean I would also defense with literally anything my
first Like.

Speaker 2 (59:55):
The last Broncos Super Bowl, who really got them there?
The defense?

Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
M I mean they listen. Defense wins championships, is saying
for a reason.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
I mean, Peyton Manning obviously was a big part of it,
but it was that defense is the big reason.

Speaker 4 (01:00:08):
So yeah, I just I think that this might be
a hot take. I think that the scheme is holding
Bonex back a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
Oh that is a hot take that I like it.
Say more, I just.

Speaker 4 (01:00:21):
I think that he's capable of slinging it a lot
more than they have him doing. And I get that
that's Sean Payton's system, but I just I wish they
would play a little looser with him because.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
Of the defense that they have, you know what I mean, Like,
you can afford to play a little fast and loose.

Speaker 4 (01:00:36):
Yeah, uh, if you're if you're the Broncos offense, because
you have a defense that can make up for it
should things go awry.

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
But I so I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:00:45):
I just I think I think that it's becoming, you know,
like it before, I feel like, you know, as Bonex
was developing a little bit, like putting him on the
Drew Brees path was a good idea, and now I
feel like the unwillingness of Sean Payton like break free
from that, is holding Bonex back because I think that
he's more talented than what the scheme is.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
That's how I feel about under frankly, but that's neither
here nor there because he will not be playing in
the super Bowl this year. But that is how I
feel about Under It. It's it's gonna be fun, but
I don't know. I think I trust that defense so
much that we'll see. But that's an interesting take. I
think that's a good I actually don't think that's a
I don't think it's that hot. I think it's a
lukewarm take. I think it's a correct take.

Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
So there you go. I might call in and feel differently,
but I.

Speaker 4 (01:01:30):
Don't feel good about, like, am mending my take at
this point of Bill's Packers, because they made that like
it's it's still possible at least, you know, until the
Bills don't think.

Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
They playoffs and feel that that be I Bill Sackers.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
I mean, this is the thing that's so funny about
the NFL.

Speaker 1 (01:01:47):
We overreact so much in September and October, and rightly
so because those are the games we're seeing. But this
is the month that matters. Next month matters. All you
got to do is get in. That's really the key.
Once you're in, anything can happen.

Speaker 3 (01:02:00):
Anything can happen.

Speaker 4 (01:02:00):
I was part of a Bucks team that got in
on a wildcard or as a wildcard Tom Brady's first
time remember being a wildcard in the playoffs in fact,
and they won it all.

Speaker 3 (01:02:09):
So we won it all.

Speaker 4 (01:02:10):
Got to be on a boat baride because of it,
or on a boat with the defensive players during a
boat braide.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
Kyle Shanahan says, in the playoffs always it's not the
better team, it's the team that plays better for three
and a half hours.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
And that there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:02:21):
Yes, yes, like the season up util that point does
not matter, No, it does not. What does matter. That's
what's happening in college football right now. Let's go to
see what's what's up.

Speaker 9 (01:02:30):
Martin Wise, there's been all Georgia so far in the
first half of the SEC Championship Game fourteen nothing Bulldogs
fourth and one, Bulldogs knocking on the door right now again,
but again I got said fourth and one, one minute
left in the first half. They're talking about a Gunnerstock
team is twelve for fifteen, two touchdowns. One of those

(01:02:52):
is to I receiver Dylan bell Ty Simpsons five for
twelve with an interception. It looks like George is going
to punt here with one minute left in the first half.
The Big Big Twelve Championship game was oh wep sug
me out Georgia's offense coming back out onto the field.

Speaker 7 (01:03:07):
Keep you updated there then about midfield. The Big Twelve Championship.

Speaker 9 (01:03:10):
Game was a blow out Texas Tech one thirty four
to seven eleventh thrnks BYU, likely falling out of the upcoming.

Speaker 7 (01:03:16):
College Football Playoff.

Speaker 9 (01:03:17):
Texas Tech, like LU, securing a bye in the College
Football Playoff. Penn State one of the first teams to
fire their coach this season. I hired in their coach recently,
Matt Campbell, eight year deal for Iowa State's winningest head coach.

Speaker 7 (01:03:32):
Ever he moves, I want to be that coach.

Speaker 9 (01:03:34):
In Thedellons in college basketball men's college basketball tenth rank
i Aowa State beat per Due.

Speaker 7 (01:03:39):
Eighty one to fifty eight. It's the worst home loss
ever for a number one ranked team.

Speaker 9 (01:03:43):
Fourth ranked Duke beat seventh thrank to Bisco State sixty
six to sixty sixth rank Louisill beats his twenty second
drank Indiana eighty seven to seventy eight. And in the NFL,
Chargers running back on Maryon Hampton expected to return for
Monday Night football.

Speaker 7 (01:03:57):
He has been hurt. It's about week five this season, ladies,
back to you.

Speaker 4 (01:04:01):
Thanks Martin. Did you know with the iHeart Radio app
you can stream us wherever you happen to be. Catch
us and all of our Fox Sports Radio shows live
twenty four to seven and the new and improved iHeartRadio
app to search Fox Sports Radio and apps, stream us
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the iHeart app so we'll always pop up at the
top of your screen.

Speaker 3 (01:04:20):
With that, let's get to.

Speaker 4 (01:04:23):
Talking a little bit more about this playoff picture, specifically
the AFC Playoff Picture, because we have a very special
guest joining us. She is the reporter for the Los
Angeles Chargers. She does a ton with the NFL and
in pro spectrum la or okay, t LA, It's Hailey Ellwood.

Speaker 2 (01:04:44):
Hey, guys, how are you the great Hailey Ellwood?

Speaker 12 (01:04:46):
Hi?

Speaker 4 (01:04:46):
You like I was getting confused as to all the
things that you do, Hailey, because you are absolutely everywhere.

Speaker 3 (01:04:50):
We'll let me see it. I know.

Speaker 12 (01:04:52):
I made a joke earlier we were I grabbed lunch
with my parents and I was saying, I'm kind of
like the movie everything everywhere, all at once, but like
in the sports world. I had a one of my
friends at the Rams. I also do stuff with the Lakers,
as you guys know, and he texted me the other
day he was at the game and he goes, is
there anything you don't do in this city? And I
was like, oh, surprise, Hi, I'm also here. So anyway,
I'm happy to know you though.

Speaker 4 (01:05:12):
Well, thanks for taking some time out on your Saturday.
Incredible that we were able to catch you between everything.
But we are so thankful because listen, we've been talking
all show just about how insane this season has been,
how dramatic it's been, how messy it's been, how we
really still can't make heads or tails of teams that
we trust to enter into the postseason and potentially make

(01:05:33):
the Super Bowl. But you are Los Angeles Chargers sitting
at eight and four second in the NFC West playoff
probability currently it's sixty two percent and in the five
seed as it stands.

Speaker 3 (01:05:46):
One are the vibes like there in El Segundo.

Speaker 12 (01:05:50):
Yeah, you know, I think it's one of those things
right where this is one of those years. Yeah, messy, dramatic.
It sounds like an episode of the Bachelor, but it's
really not. It's literally the NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:06:00):
The greatest reality show on television.

Speaker 6 (01:06:02):
That is.

Speaker 12 (01:06:05):
You know, I think with the Chargers there's a lot
of things going into that's going on with them, right
and especially going on and happen with them in this season.
And I think when you look at the AFC specifically,
and I'm sure you guys talked about this, but when
you look at the normal heavy hitters of the Chiefs,
the Bills, the Ravens, and how those teams have kind
of faltered this year, you go, oh, shoot, this maybe
is the year for some of those other teams, especially

(01:06:26):
in the Chief's own division, like the Broncos, like the Chargers,
to make a push. And then you have the Chargers,
who have lost their two starting tackles, have had to
make up for that in other ways, have dealt with
a myriad of other injuries, including we've all been on
hand watch the week that I'm sure we'll talk about
with their quarterback. But I think you know, at this point, yeah,
like you mentioned the sixty percent, I'd say they probably

(01:06:47):
have to win, you know, at least two of their
last five games to get in. At eight and four,
I think you might need three. You might need eleven
wins to get in because the AFC, as you guys mentioned,
is messy, and all of these teams are going to
now start playing each other towards the end. But you know,
I think at this point it's it's full steam ahead, right,
And that's kind of the Jim Harbaugh way, is just hey,

(01:07:07):
we're blinder's on, We're focused. It's the next opponent and
we'll get there. But that's not to say that this
game is in coming without drama and is in coming
with its own sort of set of storylines as the
Chargers embark on it on Monday against the Eagles.

Speaker 1 (01:07:21):
You said the magic words, Jim Harbaugh. But first I'm
going to ask you about handwatch you brought it up
justin Herbert's fractured hand, the surgery. I mean, honestly, it
does feel like a reality to you show or even
scripted the will he play Monday night football against the
defending Super Bowl champs the playoffs on the line?

Speaker 2 (01:07:40):
So, Haley, what are you hearing?

Speaker 12 (01:07:42):
Yeah? So I think in every single aspect of the
situation here, you're going to see him on Monday. And
it's pretty remarkable because and I did this on KTLA
the other day. It's like, if someone said that you
had the hand surgery on Monday, would your first thot
be like, oh, let's go play a football game? Probably not,
But I don't get paid that kind of money, neither

(01:08:03):
of many of us do, but he does. And so
I think ever the competitor, you know, I think the
conversation around Herbert this week too has been you know,
is he hurt or injured? Because that kind of comes
into play, right, and so he has dealt with a
lot of injuries almost every season that he's been in
the NFL, but he doesn't miss.

Speaker 2 (01:08:19):
A lot of time.

Speaker 12 (01:08:20):
That really only happened back in twenty twenty three, where
he broke something on his right throwing hand had to
miss some time, but it was toward the end of
the season. He's played through a bunch of things, and
so it's really not surprising that he would play through
this as well. It looks like they have some sort
of configuration of like a cast glove almost mitten with

(01:08:41):
like the kind of fingers like tips kind of taken off.
At least that's what he was working on or working
with in practice this week. I saw some things when
I will say this, I was on the field on
Sunday when he got hurt. When he came out of
the locker room, he had this like fanos looking bus.

Speaker 3 (01:08:56):
Did he have the club?

Speaker 12 (01:08:57):
Because it wasn't the club, but it was. It's so
big and it looks like the infinity stone that situation.
Someone online put like the Hamburger helper glove on it
because it also like that too.

Speaker 10 (01:09:09):
Because that's the.

Speaker 12 (01:09:09):
Thing, right, you think about that if you're a defensive player,
these guys clubs their hands all the time, but when
you're a quarterback, you need the dexterity, you need to
be able to grip the football. And so that's a
huge conversation point going into this game. Greg Rohman said
yesterday he still hadn't taken snaps under center. I doubt
he will on Monday. I think everything's probably going to
be out of shotgun or out of the pistol formation.
He was limited officially every day in practice this week,

(01:09:33):
and he is questionable. That is the official designation going
into Monday. But I absolutely believe we will see him.
Could there be some packages with Trey Lance? You know
who knows? I mean, he's obviously a quarterback who has
a lot of experience in this league. But I think
Herbert's kind of the ultimate competitor, right and in every
which way he is going to be out there with
his teammates, especially on a national stage like you mentioned

(01:09:56):
on Monday Night Football, where you are the only game on.
You obviously want to give your team a shot, and
we talked about it. You need these games as they
head into this final stretch.

Speaker 2 (01:10:04):
Here too, the Harbaugh isms.

Speaker 1 (01:10:06):
If he comes out of If Justin Herbert comes out
on Monday Night and just balls out the Harbaugh isms
that we will all be treated to, They're going to
be incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:10:17):
It's worth of pres ionition.

Speaker 12 (01:10:19):
Also, I mean, what did he say over the summer
that he has the strength of ten men.

Speaker 1 (01:10:24):
Yes, and yes, he sure did. I mean it's gonna be,
It'll be. I'm rooting for it just for.

Speaker 4 (01:10:30):
That, I mean, justin Herbert's not dispelling any of this
by getting out there right after having no no.

Speaker 12 (01:10:37):
I mean, he not at all. And I think that's
kind of the funny thing. I mean, literally, he ran
into that locker room on Sunday, he came out with
the you know, we joke the fan of Hamburger helper glove,
and he was immediately, you know, taking some snaps from
their backup center Andre James on the sideline and then
I was like, all right, let's get on the horse
and go and lay the rest of the game. And
so that's just kind of who he is. And I

(01:10:58):
think unless it is an injury that is just so severe,
like to his right hand where he couldn't you know,
obviously do much with that a couple of years ago,
he's going to be out there and like to Tracy,
your point with with Harbor, it's going to be yet nuts.
I'm sure whatever will come out post game will be pause.
It's like late, you know, It's kind of like everyone's
kind of a little loopy at that time. You know,

(01:11:18):
at that point after a game, you're sort of like
you've been through it all day. You're playing late and
I can't even imagine what's going to come out, but
I bet it would be hilarious.

Speaker 2 (01:11:26):
It'll be iconic.

Speaker 4 (01:11:27):
It's also just like you have you have the quarterback
that has the audacity to go out there after just
having surgery, but you have a coach that has the
audacity to play him regardless of anything. Like Jim Harbaugh
is not saving quote unquote saving Justin Herbert from himself,
especially Like one of the things I found very interesting
about the Chargers this year is, I mean, Harbor has

(01:11:48):
been known for his run game, the offensive line, all
that kind of stuff, But you guys have had a
lot of injury along those that unit and what fourteen
different offensive line combinations, which is like the second most
of the NFL so this season, Like it's it's kind
of a revolving door. But that doesn't seem to affect
the trust that Harbaugh has in this unit, in this

(01:12:08):
in this offense, and certainly not the trust that he
has in Justin Herbert to still be able to execute.

Speaker 12 (01:12:13):
No, I think that's a great point, and I think
ultimately that also speaks to just a growth fit justin
Herbert's had obviously throughout his NFL career too, that you
can get a guy back there, and you know that
as long as he is back there, whether it's hunder
center or out of shotgun, as long as he's back there,
your chances of doing something good are going to go up.
But to your point, I mean, he has been pressured

(01:12:35):
a ton. I believe he is the most pressure quarterback
in the NFL this year.

Speaker 6 (01:12:38):
I believe he's the fourth.

Speaker 12 (01:12:40):
He's been sacked the fourth most times, and even last
week against the Raiders, I believe they still had three
sacks on him. So even though that score was pretty lopsided,
the Raiders, as we know, are not a great team
by any means, they still were able to get that pressure.
So up against Philadelphia and all, we obviously know what's
happened this week with Jalen Carter and him being out,
but they still got so many do and so much

(01:13:01):
debt on that D line that you know, you do
sort of go okay, you know this is a little
sort of there's a little trepidation there, I think because
also the pressure is what's interesting to me, because if
you're a quarterback that's dealing with that type of injury,
when you have to brace yourself on a fall or
something like that, could that reaggravate it. Who knows, But
you know, I think this is one of those things.

(01:13:22):
I think someone said Josh Allen played through a similar
injury last year, so it's nothing that's necessarily new. But
I do also believe that if there was the threat
of him not being able to protect himself or not
being able to truly have a go at it, this
wouldn't be a topic of conversation. But I think everyone's
got the faith in the trust, Carmen to your point,

(01:13:43):
that they can go out and execute.

Speaker 1 (01:13:47):
It's just it's just amazing. It's just so I'm just
still thinking about the harbordisms. But Haley, when you look
at the rest of the season, you look towards the playoffs,
obviously they had a disappointing playoff on short run last year.
Kind of what is a successful season for this Chargers team?

Speaker 12 (01:14:06):
You know, I think it's honestly winning a shelf game,
and I think it's getting in it's getting into the
dance and winning and it's it's hard to say that,
but now that you've seen it twice, right, because we
all know what happened in Jacksonville a couple of years ago,
and then we all saw what happened in Houston just
this past January, and you kind of you don't want

(01:14:28):
that to be the narrative, right, You want to turn
it around you and you don't want to be defined
by the fact that you can get in. But then
if every other team sort of knows that, well, hey,
this seems so susceptible in the wildcard round, we can
boot him out.

Speaker 6 (01:14:42):
You'd love to boot.

Speaker 12 (01:14:43):
Out a quarterback like Justin Herbert to not have to
even worry about him. So I think, honestly, it's getting
into the dance, which obviously the AFC West winning the
division is still an acouse. It's still on the table,
and they will play the Broncos in week eighteen, which
everyone's going, oh gosh, you know, could that the Sunday
Nights Flex douts about which it could. But you know,

(01:15:05):
in my personal opinion, I believe it's it's not just
getting in, but it's it's actually winning and actually jumping.

Speaker 6 (01:15:12):
On the chance.

Speaker 12 (01:15:12):
And granted they have had a lot that's happened to
them this year, and losing Reshon Slater and losing Joe
Alton and not being able to have those two guys.
I think if those two guys were playing, this would
be a much stronger Chargers team. But they are still
at eating four and they are still getting it done.
But in my opinion, I believe it would be getting
in and then just winning at least in that first
round to kind of prove get the monkey off their

(01:15:33):
back and just kind of prove, hey, we can do this,
we can hang and let's see what happens from here.

Speaker 3 (01:15:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:15:39):
Well, thank you so much for taking time out of
your very very busy schedule, Haley to come talk to us.
We love getting the insight on you know, justin Herbert
Jim Harbaugh, especially in Tracy's game.

Speaker 12 (01:15:53):
You love it.

Speaker 4 (01:15:54):
And the Chargers in general don't overlook the Chargers, So
we really appreciate the time.

Speaker 12 (01:15:59):
Yeah, no, Filly, thanks for having me. I did I
did see this one thing, and I don't know if
you guys talked about it, but at least there weren't
any positivity Rabbits that we're hanging out.

Speaker 3 (01:16:06):
Oh oh, we've talked about it, Hayley, don't worry.

Speaker 4 (01:16:08):
We've covered it extensively, and you want to know how
I know vibes are bad there. Yeah, I would feel
pretty good about playing the Eagles this week.

Speaker 12 (01:16:14):
I find yeah, between sweets of Antae Smiths juicing and
the positivity Rabbit, I'm not sure what's going on over
there in Silly, but we'll find out on Monday night.

Speaker 6 (01:16:24):
We'll see what happened.

Speaker 4 (01:16:25):
We'll see thanks again, Haley. All right, after this, we've
got one more segment, the LOL Moment of the week.

Speaker 3 (01:16:31):
We'll see you.

Speaker 4 (01:16:32):
You're listening to Fox Football Saturday. Is this the Charlie
Brown Christmas tree?

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
Like that's from the album?

Speaker 4 (01:16:38):
Yeah, Christmas Tree from tannam Bomb, right from the Tarlier
Brown Christmas album. Very fitting to lead into our last
segment here on Fox Football Saturday. I'm Carmen Batally. I
have Tracy Standler with me. I've had a great show.
We just got off the phone with with Haley Elwood.
Who does I shouldn't have even really tried to like

(01:16:59):
describe all the things that she does. She works with
the NFL, she does stuff with the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl,
she works with the Chargers during the season. She works
at the Lakers during the season. She does stuff on KTLA.
I mean, talk about the busiest woman in Los Angeles.

Speaker 1 (01:17:13):
Yeah, she really is, and she's amazing. And the thing
she's so good at every single one of them.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
She really is.

Speaker 4 (01:17:18):
I don't know where she finds the time of the
day to keep all of it straight because she's incredibly
well informed on all of it. Yeah, we had Ruthy
Polinski on your fellow Blue alumni.

Speaker 2 (01:17:28):
Yes, I sure do. We sure did go blue.

Speaker 4 (01:17:31):
That was grat I like, I've somehow found myself surrounded
by Michigan alum which is just hysterical.

Speaker 2 (01:17:38):
How lucky for you.

Speaker 4 (01:17:39):
You're right, You're right. My life is better, truly, my
life is better for it.

Speaker 1 (01:17:43):
You're doing something right. That's what I'm excited at all.

Speaker 4 (01:17:47):
Right, I want to get to our LOL moment of
the week because I this is one of those memes
or what's become a meme that like there's memes based
off the meme that's like how far this is gone?
And essentially one of the memes I've seen about this
meme and you'll see how this all ties in a second.
Is that your girlfriend needs to care more about the
Cam Newton Keon Coleman clip. And so this is me

(01:18:08):
caring more about the Cam Newton and Keon Coleman clip. Guys,
could you just I can't even describe it. We just
got to listen, listen in to what Cam Newton had
to say, A.

Speaker 10 (01:18:18):
Patient with you, that playful person that the Buffalo City
by storm in his first interview and he.

Speaker 8 (01:18:25):
Sat down and was like, yeah, I love cookies and
he had to.

Speaker 7 (01:18:30):
That was all cool, but we get that. Chris to young.

Speaker 10 (01:18:33):
Players, big dog, you're supposed to be our number.

Speaker 3 (01:18:36):
One coon and you're playing like a bum.

Speaker 12 (01:18:40):
I bet you better start doing your job.

Speaker 3 (01:18:44):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:18:44):
So that was an edit from x y Z Sports
s z uh So I know.

Speaker 3 (01:18:51):
So many letters.

Speaker 4 (01:18:52):
I want to give credit though, because it wasn't mine obviously,
and it was it was from Cam Newton show talking
about Keyon Coleman and the way that this is just
taken the Internet by a storm, and it's so I mean,
just like the way that he says and you're playing
like a bum like it's just it's seered into my brain,
not only because like of watching it and thinking it's hysterical,

(01:19:13):
but because my fiance just decides to go around the
house and keep quoting it to me.

Speaker 3 (01:19:18):
So that's my OL moment of the week.

Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
I love it. That's a good LOL moment of the week.

Speaker 1 (01:19:22):
My loll momber of the week comes from the Eagles
and it's not the Bunny. It's DeVante Smith talking about
his juicer. It was so I mean, he made me
want to get a juicer. He made me want to
go to his house for some sort of juicing extravaganza.

Speaker 2 (01:19:35):
So that was my LOL bument of the week.

Speaker 4 (01:19:37):
Well, thank you to DeVante Smith and his juicer. Thank
you all for listening. Thank you Tracy, thank you guys.
We'll see you next week. You're listening to Fox Football Saturday.

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