Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger talk NFL Wild Card Round & Coaching Searches!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Live and Drey once again here on a fully loaded
NFL playoff Sunday.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
This is Red Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
We're broadcasting live from the ti raq dot com studios
ti raq dot com. We're gonna help get you there
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way tire buying should be. We have one game about
to kickoff right now, the Denver Broncos on the road
against the Buffalo Bills. Later on today Packers at the Eagles,

(00:34):
Commanders at the Buccaneers, and then tomorrow Vikings Rams in
Phoenix where that game of course got moved because of
what has been happening here in the southern California area.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Richie.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
It has been crazy this week, to say the least,
and obviously our thoughts and prayers with all those families
have been affected adversely by these fires, historic fires in
the general Los Angeles area, obviously in the Palisades, just
absolute devastation. A lot of people I know and have
known for years, you know, directly affected by these fires.

(01:11):
So and then yesterday rich here at Fox Sports Radio
there was the possibility of evacuations that really knocked us
off the air for about twelve hours.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
I know you were affected with your morning show. Yesterday.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
We got back on the air eleven o'clock on the
West coast. First voice we heard was our Monci, of course,
which was great to hear Monci, and we were.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
Able to do our show yesterday.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
But right now, just to update you, because I know
people listening, everyone around the world has been following this story.
The winds did pick up a little bit this morning
as they're trying to get containment on this Palisades fire.
Some of the good news though, is the fact that
they seem to be making some progress on the fire

(01:55):
out in the area out of Pasadena, where actually there
have been more fatalities at least so far than the
Pasadena Palisades fires. So but the Eating fire. They're trying
to get some control over these fires right now. So
obviously it's a it's still a very serious situation, far
from over the rich. I know you've been following obviously,

(02:18):
and it's been it's been crazy, absolutely, and by the way,
people reaching out to me, you know, we live out
in the Westlake Village area. You know, fortunately, and we've
been you know, we've been there before. We've had evacuation.
We had at fires several years ago in the Thousand
Oaks area where uh, you know, Denise and the kids
had to evacuate.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
So this is the problem about living in this general area.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
You know, you have these building of houses, you know,
the beautiful West Coast in California, but you're you're in
an area that can be susceptible, especially when the Santa
Ana winds, historic wins that we had certainly last week,
can prop up and and just case because absolute devastation.

Speaker 4 (03:02):
Yeah yeah, well, well put and it's absolutely true. And
I'm glad to hear that you're safe, buddy. My my
in laws all live in Los Angeles. My wife grew
up in Los Angeles. Her parents still own the home
that she grew up in, and and her brother and

(03:22):
his wife live, you know, just a few canyons down from.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Her parents' house.

Speaker 4 (03:29):
So they are currently an eacuation warning area. And I
drove up in the middle of night Friday night, was
on the roof trying to wet their house down, and
then with the intention that to be my last act
to try to save the home before driving them down
to San Diego. And you know, whenever I finished up,

(03:51):
they were exhausted. And so I stayed up Saturday night
to make sure that we'd end up in a mandatory
evacuation zone because the gridlock, and we know all the
things that we've seen in the news with bulldozers having
to move cars. So Saturday night I kept my on it.
The the worst it got was an evacuation warning. So

(04:12):
but as soon as we as soon as they all
woke up, I put them in the car, drove them
down to San Diego. You know, so we're here, We're safe.
The house as far as we can still safe, you know.
So look, I would say this, this is horrific, but
fortunately the death toll has been lower than actually I

(04:36):
expected because of the great efforts of the hero who
surround us on a daily basis.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
I cannot stress enough how unbelievably.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
I how how unbelievably impactful it has been to see
the sort of heroism of these brave men and women
who rush into the scene of danger and urgency to
save lives while all of us are worried about what
things we need to bring with us when we leave.
Those are the heroes. That's the story I want told here.

(05:10):
So I mean, whether you're with the LA Fire Department
and you're listening to this on a break eating a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich before you get back out
into the fight, or if you're one of these fire departments,
oh you know from surrounding areas, we thank you for
all of your hard work.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Well, right now, you're not gonna believe what just happened.
Troy Franklin just caught a forty three yard touchdown pass
from bow Knicks and the Broncos have taken an early
six nothing laid against Buffalo. He got behind that second
area of Buffalo, perfect pass by Bo Nix, and the
Denver Broncos have taken the early lead. As heavy underdogs

(05:48):
on the road against the Buffalo Bills. Everyone's saying, well,
you know, it's been a great story with Denver.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
They made the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
So the rookie quarterback, but still rookie quarterback, first playoff.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
Game on the road.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know, it's cold and Buffalo, how's he gonna handle it?

Speaker 5 (06:03):
Well?

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Right now, seven to nothing Denver and we are two
and a half minutes into this game. So just like that,
Bo Nick's two for two sixty two yards and a score.
Not too bad for him.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
You know.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Again, aside from obviously far more serious stories in the
sports world, we're here to talk football, and we will
obviously carry you through this game going on. We're gonna
get you ready for the Packers Eagles later at Commanders
Bucks and then tomorrow's matchup between the Vikings and the Rams.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
But Rich, I really want to go back to yesterday.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
So I am listening to the Chargers pregame show hosted
by our own Isaac Loehencron and then my dear friend
Matt Murney Smith, Daniel Jeremiah. Guys we've known for years,
you know, handling the play by play, and I'm not
saying it's an indictment on them, because I think they're

(06:57):
all super talented people. But this was a great sense
of concern about this matchup against the Houston Texans. The
Texans had basically crawled their way into the postseason, taken
advantage of a very weak division. If you look at
the last six weeks of the regular season, they didn't

(07:17):
they didn't play mediocre football. They played bad football. I mean,
they were just trending in the wrong direction as opposed
to the Chargers, who, even though they hadn't won a
lot of games against teams winning games. In fact, there
are eleven wins rich only three, two wins against Denver
and went against Cincinnati, were against teams that actually finished
the season with a winning record. So when you watch

(07:38):
this game and save that eighty six yard touchdown, I mean.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
This was a blowout.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
I mean a complete domination on both sides of the
football special teams. And you're like, how does a Jim
harbaught team, Knowing in his track record in NFL postseason
in his first three years in San Francisco, they got
at least to the conference championship game.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
You had a.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Team seemingly ready playing up or beyond their level throughout
the entire season. How shocked were you that they would
absolutely lay an egg in this playoff game against at
best a mediocre Houston Texans team.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Well three things here.

Speaker 4 (08:25):
I mean it's a mediocre Houston Texan team that was
still able to beat to win their division. And I
get it, I get the reality of situation. If you
asked me, I thought that that was going to win
this game, and I said it on our air. I
thought it was going to be the Chargers. I think
that Justin Herbert's bad day at the office had a

(08:47):
lot to do with it. But it's never just one guy.
I mean, there are so many complicating factors. Typically when
a quarterback's having a bad day, protection breakdowns, either poor
route running or a poor job by your receivers getting
uncovered from their defenders. Also, remember, and I think we
probably rated this a lot of us did, considering maybe

(09:09):
the disparity of the type of season these two teams
were having. But home field advantage in the postseason cannot
be understated. And having your home fans bearing down on
the visit team louder than maybe it's been all year long,
that makes a big difference. And I'm telling you that
stadium in Houston gets loud in there, It gets loud.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
There were times when we went down there.

Speaker 4 (09:35):
Gosh, this has to be twenty eleven, twenty ten, when
I was with the Patriots playing against the Houston Texans,
same building. It gets deafeningly loud on third and fourth down.
So it's an and erg field absolutely do break the
power of that home field advantage, right, That factored in

(09:57):
a big way.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, it was a nightmare for the Chargers. I mean,
losing the game is one thing. To get absolutely annihilated
the way they did is another thing. So let's take
it right there with the Chargers, because I was talking
about the fact this team won eleven and six the
year after they won five games.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
You go from five to twelve to eleven and six,
that's incredible.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
I never thought for an instant that this team was
going to be good enough to have a sniff of
the postseason. And I thought, maybe they'll prove a couple
of games, you know, go from five to maybe seven,
maybe eight. I didn't see him with a winning record,
but they did. They had an eleven win season. Here
would be my concern if you're a Charger fan, if
you really look over the course of the season, a

(10:37):
lot of things went right. They won every single game
that they should have won. In other words, every time
they played a bad team, they basically got a w.
When they played better teams, they didn't. And this reminds
me of Minnesota two years ago. Remember Minnesota was eleven
to zero one score games and they came out of nowhere,
made the playoffs and lost in the first round at

(10:58):
home to the Giants. And then last year suddenly they
weren't winning all those one score games, and they took
a step back before they took another step forward. I
think the same thing's gonna happen to the Chargers. I
have a lot of faith in Jim Harbaugh. He knows
how to win. He is a winner. But don't be
surprised if you're a Charger fan saying, all right, we
are eleven six, we got seventy five million in cap space.

(11:21):
You know we're gonna start filling up all these spots.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
Get better. My guess is the Chargers.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
Take a step back in twenty twenty five before moving
forward in twenty twenty six and beyond.

Speaker 4 (11:33):
I could see that it's possible, But also look at
what Jim harp has done trajectory wise over the span
of time he's been with teams. He gets him on
the right track quickly, and then they get better and
better and better. So I don't know if I completely
agree with that assessment. Also, look back at Minnesota last year.

(11:54):
They lost their quarterback early in that season, but.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
They were already losing games before he went down.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
Kirk Cousins.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
If you compare his record before then, what happened after
the injury. They I'm not saying it was going perfectly,
but I'm saying, look at Sam Darnold the way he
started the season, then he went through a trough in
the middle of the season, and then he finished strong.
When you have the same starter all season long, good
things typically happen. When you have a starter going to
go down early, that can have a dramatic effect on

(12:24):
your season. That's what happened to Minnesota in the twenty
twenty three regular season. With the Chargers, As long as
they keep Justin herb healthy, I'm expecting big things next
year as well. I think Justin Herbert is a special talent.
I think he's unfortunately been unhealthy for the majority of
his career because they've done a poor job of protecting him.

(12:47):
But if they find a way to keep him help,
if they continue to build a strong team on him,
which you know, Jim Harbaugh, that's gonna be his aim.
He's going to be the number one goal How can
we get a more talent, How could we protect him better?
And they're going to be I think one of those
teams you've really got to worry about in the AFC
next year as well, all.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
Right, we got a lot of coaching changes around the NFL.
Vacancy's filled, vacancy's out there. We're gonna break all the
off field stuff. Meanwhile, we've got the Bills on the
move right now, trailing the Broncos seven to nothing. They
got a third and two at the Denver fifteen yard line,
nine minutes to go in the first quarter.

Speaker 3 (13:23):
We're all over it.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
Keep it here.

Speaker 3 (13:25):

Speaker 5 (13:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
Ahright rolling along here on a Red Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Seven to three now, Broncos lead the Bills six and
a half minutes to go in the first quarter in
that game. By the way, a lot of people don't
know this about the Broncos defense. They led the NFL
in sacks number one, Yeah, sixty three sacks this year,
and they were able to stop Buffalo, who, by the way,

(14:02):
became the first team ever to have at least thirty
passing touchdowns and thirty rushing touchdowns in the same season.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
So Denver's defense hanging in.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
See what the Broncos do on this second drive again,
leading by a score of seven to three. Once again,
We're live from the tire Rack dot Com studios. By
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Speaker 3 (14:31):
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Speaker 2 (14:33):
Just click your talking Go to rapid radios dot com
now to sixty percent off and free shipping now. Rich
you began your career in the New England Patriots organization.
And I've said this many times about New England's success
during the Bobcraft ownership era, obviously with Belichick and Brady.
The one thing that the New England Patriots did better

(14:56):
and have done better than any other team the NFL
is admit when they've made a mistake. So you have
a high draft pick and he doesn't pan out, what
did the Patriots do?

Speaker 3 (15:10):
Cut him?

Speaker 2 (15:11):
You sign a free agent, you got eye opes for
the free agent doesn't pan out, what do you do?

Speaker 3 (15:17):
Release him?

Speaker 2 (15:20):
The New England Patriots made a mistake in hiring a
coach that wasn't ready for the job. I talked to
Adam Kaplan yesterday, and this is no disrespect to Jared Mayo,
but the word was is that he had already lost
that team, that maybe they had rushed him into a
job that he simply wasn't ready for, especially considering it is,

(15:44):
by most accounts, the weakest roster in the entire National
Football League. Did he do some good things, obviously, but
now you're bringing to Mike Vrabel, a guy that's been there,
done that knows the organization.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
You know.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
My attitude was, well, you could have had Vrabel last year.
Why why didn't you immediately hire Mike Rabel after he
got let go by Tennessee. And the answer is they
felt like they wanted to give Mayo an opportunity. But
the word was rich and no one knows this organization
better than you. He just wasn't up to the job.
The timing was too soon to handle being the head

(16:20):
coach of a team that really needed an experienced coach
to handle the myriad of problems facing this team going
into the twenty twenty four season.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, I feel for Jerrod Girod.

Speaker 4 (16:35):
Mayo was one of my teammates in New England for
three seasons, and the nickname we gave him was Lil Belichick,
Like the guy was so brilliant defensively and understood the
defense so well that it felt like having a second
coach on the field.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
And also, you know, Coach Belichick really trusted him.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
You know, he had him in his hip pocket basically,
and anything that needed to be expressed to the defense.
He had that leadership almost immediately once he joined the
program as a drafted rookie. So he was an exceptional player,
but also you could see the building blocks to one
day being a future coach. Now he was a coach,

(17:19):
and he was a coach on the defensive side of
the ball for New England for a few years there
toward the end of Belichick's tenure. The problem is, being
a head coach is nothing like being an ass an
assistant coach. You're still worried about football. As a head coach,
you're worried about contracts, perhaps massaging numbers to make things work.

(17:43):
You are a delegator of responsibility. You are somebody who
needs to be able to build a staff. And I'm
not just talking about from a standpoint of like, oh,
I got hire good assistant coaches.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
No, no, no, no. You need to hire people in
the medical field to work with the team.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
You need to high trainers who work with these players
and get them back to the field. You need to
hire a strength and conditioning a coaching council.

Speaker 1 (18:08):
You need to hire nutritionists.

Speaker 4 (18:10):
You literally are responsible of every single decision from top
down in an organization. Besides who works in the executive
suite next to the owner. That's the only thing you
don't touch. Every is up to you. Pro personnel, college personnel.
You got to keep your eyes on both. Yeah, you

(18:31):
have to. You have a myriad of decisions on a
daily basis, but many of them have nothing to do
with your football team this week. It's all about your
football team into the future, or the football team you're
hoping to have somewhere in the nearer future. It's a
crazy amount of responsibility, and I do agree with your assessment.
In many people's assessment, maybe this was too much, too soon.

(18:54):
I certainly don't want this to rule him out being
a great head coaching candidate at some point in the future, because,
like many of us, I'm not just talking about the
coach community, but just human beings in general, the first
time we try something, it doesn't go so well, but
with a little more experience, the second, the third opportunity
get it can go much better.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, I hope he gets another opportunity so I can
properly say girod Mayo, because I always yeah, well, I
always go Jared I when I see I always go there,
and I do that, and I apologize very quick.

Speaker 3 (19:26):
Tenure, you didn't have a lot of time exactly. So anyway,
Mike Vrabel, let's just stop there.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
Obviously another guy, you know, I mean Mike Vrabel when
you think back to his time in Tennessee without obviously
great quarterback play to say the least. Obviously he had
Derrick Henry and we can see what Henry's done with
the Ravens.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
We'll get that a little bit later on. But you know,
this guy did a hell of a job.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Was only a few years ago we were talking about
can you believe the Tennessee Titans are the number one
seed in the AFC?

Speaker 3 (19:58):
Didn't have a whole law lot.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
Of success in the postseason, but obviously a guy that understands.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
The job, they have a lot of work to do.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Though, I mean that that roster is so thin, and
you know, like any other team that goes through this process.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
We're talking earlier about the Chargers.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
I mean they were sort of you know, Ortiz did
a hell of a job his first year's GM of
the Chargers sort of you know, put some pieces together,
obviously had some great draft picks, but it's going.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
To be a while. But you but now you have
a head coach that gets it right.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
I mean, if you're Robert Kraft, You're like, Okay, I
don't have to worry about Vrabel even if we, you know,
go from four wins to six wins. I know this
is a guy that understands the process because he did
in Tennessee to build a winner. So I think they're
in good hands. And again I give Craft a lot
of credit. It's not easy because I'm sure no bigger

(20:55):
fan of Mayo than Robert Kraft.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
Otherwise he wouldn't have given him the job.

Speaker 2 (20:59):
So it had to be tough for him to say,
I'm sorry, I've got to make this move right now
for you know, a positive moving forward for the franchise.
And but I think Vrabel to do the job. How
far away are they? I mean, are we looking at
a year two years, three years. How long will it
take to get the Patriots to a level that is acceptable.

Speaker 4 (21:22):
I look at what Harbaugh did with the Chargers, I
look at what you're seeing happen with the Broncos, and
I think that the Patriots could be one of, if
not the biggest bounce back team of the year. So
Chargers had five wins last season, and I agree. I
know you can't say it under any other way than

(21:44):
got embarrassed in the first round of the postseason.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
But they made it to the postseason.

Speaker 4 (21:48):
I mean, that's a good season by any measure, getting
to the postseason in your first year. You know, as
a head coach with a franchise. You look at what's
happened with the Broncos. The Broncos were an absolute mess.
Yes after Nathaniel Hackett had his year, Russell Wilson's two seasons,
Sean Payton his first year with RUSS. It wasn't everybody

(22:09):
could see it, and it wasn't necessarily the coaching. RUSS
has really diminished it and it really descended that.

Speaker 1 (22:16):
First year with the Broncos. Sean Payton quarterback with.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
A rookie who really gets it is having success. You're
seeing that right now in this game against Buffalo. I
look at a guy like Rabel, who's gonna be no nonsense,
who's gonna piss some people off going into that building,
because some people are gonna have to eat some humble
pie in the front office, you know, because they're new
at their jobs, and Vrabel is not. He's gonna be

(22:40):
a veteran presidence who walks in there and shakes things up.
And there're gonna be some hurt feelings at first because
he's gonna tell people flat out you're not doing a
good enough job. You're longer going to be doing this job.
And so when things like that happen with a young
talented quarterback like Drake special things can be waiting on
the other side.

Speaker 1 (22:59):
So I think the Patriots could be a huge surprise
next year.

Speaker 2 (23:01):
In the plus column, all right, let's find out what
is trending right now. And I was looking at social
media and we have people that listen to Fox Sports
Radio religiously, you know, twenty four to seven, and there
was a lot of concern, you know, it's Fox Sports
Radio going to come back with live programming.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
What's that?

Speaker 2 (23:22):
And when they heard the voice first voice of Monte Belangos.
They said, no better voice to hear first.

Speaker 3 (23:31):
Than that of the beloved Monte Blogos.

Speaker 6 (23:33):
Well, I was supposed to be here, so you know.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
But thank you, thank you, Steve.

Speaker 6 (23:38):
Yeah no, it was a weird twelve hours of nothing.

Speaker 3 (23:42):
It was a weird day. Call weet how to understand this?

Speaker 2 (23:45):
So she came in, she did four hours of updates
right before our two hour show, and of course the
Chargers game is on the entire show.

Speaker 1 (23:53):
That we're on.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
So it was a great day.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
And she's sitting there decked out in her Charger gear
and a game that everyone expected the Chargers to win,
they were favored.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
Just yeah, no, I can't integra Rich.

Speaker 6 (24:06):
I can't say the things that I feel on radio,
you know, based on that performance. Like I'm legally not
allowed to say what I want to say.

Speaker 4 (24:15):
But yeah, you from sharing your thoughts.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
Exactly like my true thoughts and feelings.

Speaker 6 (24:22):
You know, I'll have to tell you in person, but
I just I it was a quite quite I felt
bamboozled based on how the Chargers started the game to
how they ended the game.

Speaker 7 (24:33):
I was like, you guys made me feel so good
to start the game, and now I feel so bad,
So thank you for that. But the Nickelodeon broadcast was
just confusing as af, you know what I'm saying. I
was like, why is there all these creatures on my screen?

Speaker 3 (24:47):
I had never seen a Nickelodeon broadcast. Why are all
these creatures always?

Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (24:52):
That was which is what I couldn't get over.

Speaker 6 (24:55):
I was like, is this was?

Speaker 3 (24:56):
I can't I didn't know this was like that.

Speaker 2 (24:57):
Well, we had two TVs with the Nickelodeon of the
regular broadcasts. Yeah, but you know, every time that SpongeBob
and Patrick showed up on the screen, you know, we
wanted to know what their commentary I did.

Speaker 6 (25:08):
And then the cat Dog was like the ten you know,
I just was like, Wow, there's a lot of war
going on to this production that I was unaware of.
H Let's check in on Buffalo the Bills. In the
Broncos on the opening drive, they looked like Denver knew
exactly what they were doing. Five plays, Bonicks with a
forty three yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin. Then in
the Bills opening drive they got a field goal out

(25:31):
of it. Denver went back out there but three and out,
So the Bills have the ball once again with about
one minute to go in the first quarter, and they
are at Denver's twenty eight yard line, so they're approaching
the red zone trying to score again. But right now
Denver is up seven to three. Bonicks three of three
sixty four yards and a touchdown Josh Allen five of
eight for thirty eight yards. We've got some college hoops

(25:51):
going on right now as well. Number sixteen Michigan State
beating Northwestern fifty eight to forty one with about eleven
minutes to go in the game. And Nebraska is losing
to Number twenty per Due ninety two to sixty with
about five minutes to go in that one. And lastly,
here's something we're gonna have to keep an eye on
the next couple of weeks. In hockey, last night, the
Capitals beat the Predators four to one. Alex Nozovechkin hit

(26:13):
or hit a home run, scored a goal. He is
now twenty one goals shy of tying when Gretzky's record
of eight hundred and ninety four, So getting close, getting close.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
I'll tell you, though, the record that will never be
broken is Gretzky's overall points record. Yes, yes, because he
had well over one thousand assists in his career. So
but the goals scored, I mean, even Gretzki has acknowledged
he thought there could be a time when someone could
approach that record.

Speaker 3 (26:44):
In Novechkin is definitely on him.

Speaker 1 (26:46):
He's on it.

Speaker 6 (26:46):
He was hurt to this season, so he missed a
chunk of games, but he's back in there. He's twenty
one goal shy.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
Interesting, all right, great stuff. Monzi, as always, was checking.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
With you a little bit later on once again Red
Zone ra video.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Here Steve Hartbin and Rich Orenberger with you.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
So yesterday the Baltimore Ravens made quick work of the Steelers,
and you know, Rich, we talked about coaching changes for
the gooder, for the better, for the worse of a team.
Here is a fact, Mike Tomlin is Owen six in
his last six playoff games. So Mike Tomlin obviously has

(27:27):
this amazing record and his ticket is secure for Canton, Ohio.
Eighteen years in the NFL, has never had a losing season.
That is a remarkable record and good enough to obviously
guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame. But
Rich Owen six in his last six playoff games, and

(27:48):
they finished this season on a four game losing streak
and then added a fifth consecutive loss in the playoff
game against the Ravens.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
So what do you do?

Speaker 2 (28:01):
I mean, you just say, well, I mean, this guy
still knows how to win more games than he loses.
He knows how to get the team at least into
the playoffs. But you're talking about a Steeler franchise with
six Super Bowl trophies.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
You know that's their standard winning super Bowls.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
And well it's been let's put it this way, sixteen
years since they won their last super Bowl, which was
Mike Tomlin's second year as a head coach. Do you
stay with Tomlin? He's still a young guy. He's in
his fifties. Remember he was in his thirties when he
got this job. Franchise that's only had three coaches since

(28:40):
nineteen sixty nine since Man walked on the moon for
the first time, three head coaches. Or do you just
ride it out with Tomlin and hope he catches fire
in the postseason, or do you think about maybe we
need somebody new, because just getting to the postseason and
losing that first game is not good enough.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
For this franchise.

Speaker 4 (29:07):
Let me put it to you this way. I think,
excuse me, Mike Tomlin is unfirable. And here's the reason why.
Look at the quarterbacks he has been asked to do
this job with over the past few seasons. And name
another coach who can make it to the postseason with
any level of consistency. The answer is Mike Tomlin. And

(29:31):
that's about it. Mike Tomlin's a special coach. He's a
great organizer. He's a players coach who's not afraid to
tell people where they stand. But all players love to
play with him. He's handled a ton of controversies that
rude inside of his own locker room and kept that bay.
And you know how bad they were getting because when

(29:53):
either one or both of the players have left organization,
it's like all of the bad stuff comes out after
the Like you started hearing how bad after the fact.
That means you have a button up operation, Like when
when players they they they refuse to disobey you while
they're playing for you, but afterward you hear how poisonous

(30:14):
maybe there was in the locker room, or you hear
about how tumultual, tumultuous, the experience may have been that
stuff doesn't see the light of day when those players
are playing for the Steelers, which which means that he's
a no nonsense guy and he notes how to lead.
Yeah what, here's what you fix the Steelers. Get them
a better quarterback. I'm so tired of people coming after

(30:36):
Mike Tomlin and not coming after the pro personnel people.

Speaker 1 (30:40):
Or the college.

Speaker 3 (30:41):
All right, well let me let me stop you right with.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
The personnel people. You gotta get them a better quarterback.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
Okay, okay, well, okay, all right. Easier said than done.
Here's the problem.

Speaker 2 (30:50):
When you're in the playoffs every year, you're not getting
a high draft pick, so you're not gonna get a
quarterback a high draft pick quarterback, so that's out of
the equation because you continue to win more games than
you lose. So you brought into you brought in two
quarterbacks this year and early in the season Justin Fields
had some moments, then it went sideways, and Russell Wilson

(31:11):
had some moments and then it won sideways. So I'm
gonna give you three options at quarterback for twenty twenty five.
Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or Kirk Cousins. Are any of
those guys going to suddenly ignite a fire that's going
to take the Steelers beyond just making it into the

(31:31):
postseason or just having a winning record.

Speaker 4 (31:34):
You're you're talking about two guys who over the past
couple of seasons have had dalliances being considered top ten
quarterbacks and a guy who may never be a top
ten quarterback. So Justin Fields may never be a top
ten quarterback in this league. And Kirk Cousins and Russell
Wilson have both been fringe guys in that conversation, maybe

(31:55):
twelfth best, maybe fifteenth best. You know, those are the
type of guys they are and have been for the
majority of the latter half of their careers. The answer
is no, none of those three fix it. So you're
gonna need a personnel guy in that room at some
point to stand on his desk, to beat the desk

(32:16):
with his shoe and say we need to trade up
to get this quarterback.

Speaker 1 (32:20):
He is going to be our future.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
And I don't know if Tomlin is standing in the
way of somebody doing that. I don't know if there's
been a general manager who can stand up to Mike
Tomlin in those conversations who can get them ahead on
the draft board to take a quarterback.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
But that's what it takes.

Speaker 4 (32:39):
When Mike Tomlin, when the Steelers were at their best recently,
and when I say recently, I mean over the past
fifteen years ago or so, it's been when Ben Roethlisberger
was healthy and playing well. Because he's a great quarterback.
He's a great quarterback. The Steelers need to have something
that resembles a great quarterback. And Cousins, Wilson and Fields

(33:01):
at this point are not answers to that question.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
I agree one hundred percent. None of those quarterbacks is
going to take you next level. I'll tell you who
did take Buffalo next level. James Cook is in the
end zone with a rushing touchdown and the Buffalo Bills
have taken the lead after spotting the Broncos the early
seven to nothing advantage, winning on the extra point. The
extra point is good ten to seven Buffalo right now,

(33:25):
thirteen minutes ago in the first half. So the Bills
again big favors to win this game at home today.
I think a little shell shock when bow Nick's connected
on that early touchdown pass Detroy Franklin.

Speaker 3 (33:36):
But right now, Buffalo getting that offense rolling all right.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
On the other side, we're going to get into the
Ravens after their big win yesterday against Pittsburgh.

Speaker 3 (33:44):
Could this be the year that.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
Lamar Jackson finally reaches the promised Land.

Speaker 3 (33:50):
We'll break it down. This is Red Zone Radio, all right, right.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
Now, Buffalo leading the Broncos ten to seven. We got
eleven minutes to go in the first half, and Denver
after that opening drive resulted in a touchdown, trying to
get something going offensively. They got a third and eight
right now and they are nearing midfield. Bo Nicks trying
to make a play and he doesn't almost intercept it,

(34:17):
so they're going to have to punt the ball back
to Buffalo.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
All Right, We've been sort of talking about what's.

Speaker 2 (34:23):
Happened yesterday with the two wins, the Texans dominating went
over the Chargers and an equally dominating win for the
Ravens over the Steelers. So yesterday Rich the Associated Press
announced they're all Pro team. And what was interesting was
the voting for quarterbacks. So there are fifty votes. Thirty
three went to Lamar Jackson, fifteen to Josh Allen, two

(34:46):
to Joe Burrow, and again when you look at Lamar
Jackson's numbers forty one touchdowns, four interceptions, over nine hundred
yards rushing, hard to argue, and based on the All
Pro vote, Lamar Jackson will win his third MVP award
that'll be announced the week prior to the Super Bowl yesterday,

(35:08):
sixteen of twenty one hundred and seventy five yards, two touchdown,
no picks, fifteen carries eighty one yards. Oh, and then
we had a fake punt by Denver. By Denver and
they've converted. So the punter threw an absolutely perfect pass
by the way, Wow, down the field, perfect pass, and
so the Denver Broncos we could get the first down

(35:30):
at the forty two yard line of the Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
Wow, that was a nice pass the Broncos.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
And this is Sean Peyton.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
All season long, they've had a couple of special teams
plays up their sleeves where you're watching these games, and
I mean they're not always conversion situations. Ra they're like, oh, well,
you know, that makes sense. It was fourth in real short,
you know, so to go for a fake punt, They're like,
some of these, some of these fakes, some of these
decisions come when the defense is sleeping, and they definitely

(36:02):
caught Buffalo there with their shoes tied together.

Speaker 1 (36:05):
That was impressive.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
By the way, they just showed the on side kick
that his Saints had against the Colts and the Super
Bowl out of nowhere.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
They're just showing it that when you.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Least expected, you should expect Sean Payton to try to
do something. Again, the Broncos being such big dogs, no
one expects him to win today. So what do you
have to lose, right, you gotta throw it out out there.
So but for the for the Baltimore Ravens, and I
mentioned Lamar Jackson's numbers and oh yeah, oh by the way,
Derek Henry twenty six carries hundred and eighty six yards

(36:33):
two touchdowns. Obviously he's made a significant impact on the team.
Rich we talk about this Buffalo team were watching, we
talk about the Baltimore Ravens on paper eyeball test. Both
these teams have looked better than the Kansas City Chiefs.
But they have to go through Kansas City in order

(36:56):
to get to the Super Bowl? Is it the Ravens?
I mean, it's like Lamar Jackson cannot play any better
than he's playing right now. He has been phenomenal. Derek
Henry has been unreal this year. I mean, if not
this year, and then equal with the Buffalo Bills. These

(37:16):
two teams are better than Kansas City, but you still
got to figure out a way of beating Patrick Mahomes
and Andy Reid and that now mistique of the Chiefs
team that has won three Super Bowls, including back to back.
Is it time for one of these teams? And if so,
which one of these teams you get past the Chiefs
get to the Super Bowl and perhaps win a Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
Well, if you look at the Ravens how they were
able to handle their opening round and the war that
Buffalo is in right now with the Broncos, I think
I'm leaning more Ravens at this point. Obviously, the low
seed is going to go to Kansas City, so that's
not yet decided.

Speaker 1 (37:56):
We'll see if it's going.

Speaker 4 (37:57):
To be the Bros the or the Houston Texans heading
the k And if it is the Broncos, that means
that it's most likely the Ravens in the AFC Championship
Game against the Chiefs. If it isn't the Broncos and
it's the Houston Texans.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
It's a toss up.

Speaker 4 (38:17):
I hope we're not robbed to see Bills versus Baltimore
in the divisional round.

Speaker 1 (38:24):
I hope we're not. I hope we get to see
that game.

Speaker 4 (38:27):
I hope the Bills pulled together and hang on and
win this game because I think that's the better matchup
in the next round.

Speaker 3 (38:35):
Can Baltimore win at Buffalo?

Speaker 2 (38:37):
Because if Baltimore and Buffalo win today, that divisional playoff
game will be in Buffalo.

Speaker 1 (38:43):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (38:43):
My answer is they absolutely can win a Buffalo. But
ken the Ravens or the Buffalo Bills win at Arrowhead
in the AFC Championship game, I don't know. I really
honestly don't know. I'm going to give you an answer today.
My answer is I don't think so. Because the Chiefs,
like you said, they have so much postseason experience. Whoever

(39:04):
they face is go is in for a really tough time.

Speaker 1 (39:07):
Experience matters, Steve.

Speaker 4 (39:09):
You know this in this sport, and the teams that
typically have the more experienced quarterback, the more experienced players
on their team who know how to hand these situations,
they typically have more sees.

Speaker 2 (39:19):
But you have two very experienced postseason quarterbacks, they haven't
had the success. Obviously, Mahomes is out, but it's not
like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson are new to the postseason.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
They've been there every year.

Speaker 4 (39:30):
No, but they've also been dispatched of the team we're talking,
well every year or in many of those years.

Speaker 1 (39:37):
Yeah, So I get the argument you're posing. But I mean,
if you were.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
Gonna choose a team right now, knowing what we know
up to the moment, are you choosing anyone to beat
the Chiefs on the FC side?

Speaker 2 (39:48):
Well, I've said this and I'm by the way, I'm
in locked up with you. Anyone that would bet against
the Chiefs that's insane.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
I mean, I mean, why would you?

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Why would you bet against the Chiefs when the quarterback
is fifteen to three in the postseason. All Right, we're
live from the ti iraq dot com studios.

Speaker 3 (40:09):
We got a.

Speaker 2 (40:09):
Game going on now, we got other games coming up
later on today, and we got it all covered.

Speaker 3 (40:14):
This is Red.

Speaker 2 (40:15):
Zone Radio rolling along here on this NFL Wild Card
weekend Sunday.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
Red Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
We're broadcasting live from the tyraq dot com studios tyer
rack dot com. We're gonna help get you there, and
I'm Matt Selection fast free shipping, free road azerd protection
over ten thousand recommended installers ti iraq dot com The.

Speaker 3 (40:35):
Way tire buying should be.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Bills are leading the Broncos, but it's only ten to seven.
Those were a healthy nine and a half point favorite
going into this game.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
Broncos struck first.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
On a forty three hour touchdown pass from Bownicks to
Troy Franklin. Bills of answer back with ten the Broncos
after the fake punt, we're not able to advanced the ball.
They punted and it was down at the one yard line.
The Bill's been trying to get out of that hole.
They've gotten the ball up to the forty yard line.
So we're inside three minutes to go right now in

(41:10):
the first half, and Buffalo is still leading this game
by a score of at ten to seven. So while
we watched this game, Rich, we're talking about some of
the teams that made some moves already in the offseason.
Last week we were speculating which teams were going to
make changes. One of the teams that was very easy
to predict was the Raiders and Toni A.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
Piers.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
Let go now, Initially they said Tom Telesco would be retained,
and then two days later Tom hit the road. By
the way, you know, here's the problem for Tom Telesco.
So on January nine, twenty thirteen, he was hired as
the general manager of the then San Diego Chargers. And

(41:55):
the problem for a guy like Telasco is he set
the bar high because the first significant move he made
with the Chargers as general manager on March twenty second,
twenty thirteen, was signed Rich Ormberger as a free agent.
So when you when I mean that was like his
first move, right he began the general manager of the
Chargers are like, all right, what do we need to do?

(42:18):
And he goes, we've got to get Ormberger out of Arizona.

Speaker 3 (42:21):
They're misusing him and put him in a Charger uniform.
But that's the.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
Probably set the bar high, yeah, too hot. After that
kind of a move, what do you do for an encore?
So Telsco one and done as general manager of the Raiders,
and so now it's a do over again from Mark
Davis and the Raider organization and ultimately they decide to

(42:46):
get rid of Telesco because they feel like, well, the
GM sort of has to go with the coach.

Speaker 3 (42:50):
You know they did that with Josh Daniels, right, I
mean he started It's a package deal.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
But there's a little difference this time because now you
got Tom Brady in the mix. What do you expect
to happen with the Las Vegas Raiders And how much
influence will the hiring of the general manager, the hiring
the coach, the direction of this team have now that
Tom Brady is in the mix.

Speaker 4 (43:15):
I think that when Tom Brady took over all of
a sudden or I shouldn't say took over, but join
the Raiders as an executive from the standpoint.

Speaker 1 (43:26):
Of the ownership group, that.

Speaker 4 (43:31):
Was going to have ripple effects that we weren't going.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
To forecast in some ways.

Speaker 4 (43:37):
But the ones that you can forecast, the ones that
you knew were coming, was that it was going to
be a much tighter ship. There's no chance that Tom
Brady's going to slap his name on something that isn't
well organized and doesn't feel like it has a chance
for success. Everything, literally, everything he's done has had a
very tom Brady stamp on it. I mean, is everything

(44:01):
he does like super fun and wacky and whoa like
you know this is exciting. No, some of the things
aren't as sexy, but they're effective and they're practical and
they work. You know, the fitness industry stuff that he's
done with, you know, the protein powders and the workout
bands and the lifestyle plan all that. It's very regimented,

(44:24):
very organized. The clothing brand is it is clothing brand.
It's a clothing brand that's supposed to look good on
you while you're working out or when you're stepping into
meetings with high level people, right, Like, that's the whole
goal with everything he's done on the field as a player,
everything he's done off the.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
Field as a broadcaster.

Speaker 4 (44:43):
If there's only been one complaint of Tom Brady in
the broadcast booth is he's a little wooden.

Speaker 1 (44:49):
He's a little robotic, Right.

Speaker 3 (44:52):
He's a little too technical. He's got to lighten up
a little bit.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
Right, I mean people, the reason that John Madden was
a superstar as a broadcast.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
There was he was relatable.

Speaker 4 (45:00):
Right.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
Tom Brady looks like artificial intelligence on camera.

Speaker 3 (45:06):
He doesn't even look human. He's that, you know, perfect
in every way.

Speaker 4 (45:09):
And that's my point is, is this guy who exudes
perfection to put in a word, I think that's perfectly stated.
Who exudes perfection, especially when it comes to football. Why
should we guess that he's going to allow Mark Davis
or those around him to run this thing any other
way other than organized. He's going to bring in more

(45:30):
organized people. This is going to be a much tighter ship.
And so I'm not saying Tom Telasco isn't an organized
guy or didn't you know, have talent selecting players. But
you know what Tom Brady's gonna do. He's going to
hire people who he trusts, and he's going to surround
the Raiders with people who he feel can live up
to the.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Tom Brady way.

Speaker 4 (45:50):
And the tom Brady way is about being organized, about success,
and about working a program that works.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
All right, So then he brings back Josh dan and
David Ziegler. I mean, these are two guys he knows, right.

Speaker 4 (46:04):
I mean, I'm telling you right now, I wouldn't be
surprised if one or both of those names had some
sort of role in the operation.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
You're talking about getting people that he trust, right, and
he certainly trusts Josh Daniels, Josh mcdannel, Josh McDaniels and
then he also obviously trusts a guy like Ziegeler with
his background with the Patriots organization.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
So McDaniel Ziegler, Well, I.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Think we're making a lot of assumptions about current relationship.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I mean, you're just talking.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
Well, I don't know why the current relationship, but I
mean he certainly had a great rapport with Josh McDaniels.

Speaker 4 (46:38):
Yes, And I also know that Josh McDaniels was Belichick's hire.

Speaker 1 (46:42):
So here's the thing.

Speaker 4 (46:43):
If he's going to hire, for example, Bill Belichick, you know,
or if he's going to bring in people from the
old Patriots regime, some of those people are gonna walk
through the door.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Okay, do you really seriously believe there's any chance that
Bill Belichick, after signing the five your fifty million dollars
deal North Carolina is going to back out of the
deal immediately and take the Raiders job.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
You think there's a chance.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
Yes, I do think there's jets I do you do not?
You don't think?

Speaker 4 (47:11):
You don't see a future where Belichick with the Raiders
is a part of that?

Speaker 3 (47:15):
Well, why did he sign with North Carolina?

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Because we're also hearing there are other NFL teams that
might be interested in talking to Belichick. Why was he
so anxious to sign that deal at North Carolina Because
if he does.

Speaker 4 (47:26):
Leave, coaches want to coach. Why did he sign with
the Jets if his plans were.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
To he had no faith that there wasn't going to
be a single offer in the NFL. I'm just saying,
especially with Tom Brady and the Raiders organization.

Speaker 4 (47:37):
Coaches want to coach. And so if you are coach
and your your aim is to coach, and you had
this gap year where you're doing this media circuit and
you're not loving it, which we don't know.

Speaker 1 (47:49):
He may have really enjoyed it, but.

Speaker 4 (47:51):
Said to himself, eh, you know what, but I belong
with a whistle around my neck.

Speaker 1 (47:55):
Or maybe he hated it the whole way. I don't know.
He seemed like he was enjoying it.

Speaker 3 (48:00):
The North Carolina job was his quote dream job.

Speaker 4 (48:03):
Yeah, and I bet you his next dream when he
goes down he lays on his North Carolina tar heels
pillow is to get back into the NFL. And so
if that dream becomes a reality sooner rather than.

Speaker 3 (48:14):
The North a Vegas job, was that a good job?

Speaker 2 (48:17):
Do you think of what Mark Davis is still technically
the owner. I mean, how many coaches has he gone
through since he took over for his late father.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
It's been mind blowing.

Speaker 4 (48:27):
Oh I know, oh, I know, there's been no consistency
at the top of that program for a long time.

Speaker 3 (48:32):
To answer those qu not Robert Kraft, Let's put it
that way.

Speaker 4 (48:34):
To answer those questions separately, just for a moment, Would
he want the Raiders job on its face?

Speaker 1 (48:40):
Yes, historic program?

Speaker 4 (48:43):
Obviously, we know Belichick has a predilection for history. He
loves the history of the game, NFL films, all that stuff.
He's contributed a mind boggling amount of time to helping
them with with you know, filling blanks and gaps in
you know, the NFL history because he and his father
steve their their NFL historians what he was all about

(49:06):
growing up with his dad. And he's taken the mantle
since now. So to go to the other question though,
would he be the raiders next head coach? Here's the
one caveat to all of this. Are there patriot ties
in New England? Yes, obviously Tom Brady's you know stance
being an owner there absolutely helps you connect those dots.

Speaker 1 (49:26):
But would he want to go.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
From being Tom Brady's employer to tom Brady's employee.

Speaker 2 (49:34):
That's a question I'm not sure I know the answer to. Again,
it begins at the top. And like I said, it's nothing.
I've known Mark Davis for over forty years and there's
a lot to admire about Mark Davis. I know there's
a lot to just look at him and belittle him.

(49:56):
And I've always said this about Mark Davis. Do not
sell him short. He will figure out certain things. His
business sense is better than his father's was. And obviously
bringing Tom Brady into the mix is good pr for
the Vegas Raiders. But it really comes down to somebody
has to have finals say in that organization. Is Mark

(50:16):
Davis willing to relinquish that to Tom Brady? And Tom
Brady the goat quarterback, does that necessarily mean that he's
the right guy to make the decisions moving forward for
this Raiders organization? Right now, I am looking up and
is it true? The Denver Broncos have the ball, so

(50:37):
the Buffalo Bills had to punt the ball away, So
a minute fifty two to go in the first half,
Denver takes over right now, trailing the Bills, by a
score of a ten to seven. We continue on not
only watching this game, We're gonna get you ready for
the other games today. Packers at the Eagles, Commanders at
the Buccaneers, and we're talking about an already busy offseason

(50:59):
around the National Football League.

Speaker 3 (51:01):
This is Red Zone Radio once.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
Again Red Zone Radio live from the tiraq dot Com studios.
So the Denver Broncos piece together are pretty decent. Drive
right before the half five seconds to go, Well, what's
fifty yard field goal?

Speaker 3 (51:18):
And he hit the upright, no good.

Speaker 2 (51:21):
So the Buffalo Bill's going in the half with a
ten to seven lead. The Broncos defense has done a
heck of a job so far. Some of the numbers
rich on this game. Bo nicks eight of twelve, hundred
and two yards and a touchdown, so not a lot there.
The running game, they got forty four yards on the ground.
The Bills have one hundred and twenty eight yards rushing

(51:44):
in the first half. But Josh Allen has done really
nothing through the air nine to twelve, only sixty nine
yards passing in this game. So the Bills came out running.
It's cold, but it's always cold in Buffalo. We don't
have that kind of you know, novelty for Buffalo the
month of January. But I think that the Broncos have to,

(52:04):
even though they miss this field goal, have to be
feeling pretty good about themselves that they're only trailing ten
to seven at the half.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 4 (52:12):
I mean keeping this game within one score for the
Buffalo or excuse me, for the Broncos, I mean that
is that is the aim. I mean, just be within
striking distance. That's all you can ask for. But if
at any point you can lead, I mean, now you're
talking about that, that's a free space on the Bengo board.
So Sean Payton bow knicks. They put together a real

(52:35):
nice game plan together. You can see that he's very
much so in control during their passing downs. He's not
doing too much. He knows exactly where to go with
the football. If the Plan A isn't open, he's seamlessly
you know, looking at Plan b's going through his rout
route concepts and when it's not there, he's not making

(52:55):
mistakes and he's getting protection. Also, this has been a
very good offense game planned so far.

Speaker 2 (53:01):
All right, So while halftime is going on in this game,
let's get ready for the next game up as the
Philadelphia Eagles are going to host the Green Bay Packers,
and the big question mark going into this game is
the well being of both starting quarterbacks. So Jalen Hurts
two week layoff with that concussion and he returned.

Speaker 3 (53:21):
And so far the reports are good.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
He looks sharp. He seems to be one hundred percent.
We'll see when the game starts. We're not quite as
sure about Jordan Love now. He of course hurt the
elbow in the regular season finale. It's still sore limited practice,
and let's be realistic here. The Green Bay Packers, of course,

(53:43):
remember what happened last year when they went into Dallas
against a favored Cowboys team and blew them out of
the building. Again, they're dogs in this game against the Egos,
But if they're going to win this game in Philadelphia,
rich they're going to have to get the kind of
game out of Jordan Love that they got last year
in the playoffs in Dallas.

Speaker 1 (54:03):
So here's the problem for Jordan Love.

Speaker 4 (54:06):
He's banged up and they just lost Christian Watson and
that looms large over the Packers. You look at Jalen
Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. They were still effective even
when Hurts went down because of the immense impact that
Sakuon Barkley has had on their offensive performances, and that

(54:27):
Philadelphia defense isn't to be trifled.

Speaker 3 (54:29):
With either number one in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (54:31):
So you look at this matchup and I'm not saying,
oh goodness, gracious, like the Packers, they're just gonna get
mopped up here, because we know it's the NFL postseason,
and we know how variable any given Sunday, Monday, Saturday
Sunday can be for any of these teams.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
So I'm not saying it's a.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
Fade out complete for the Eagles advancing here. But this
sets up, you know, more than marginally well for the
Eagles to get a by.

Speaker 2 (55:00):
The way history made and again a little bit with
the asterisk because of the expanded seventeen game season, but
we've never had a wild card matchup with two teams
combined with twenty five wins. So you know, the Eagles
at fourteen and three and the Packers at eleven and
six in a wild card week game that has never

(55:22):
happened in NFL history.

Speaker 3 (55:23):
Let's bring on bo right now.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
Is he will help break in our thoughts on the Eagles,
who obviously are a much different looking Eagles team that
was in a free fall last season then of course
got destroyed by Tampa in the playoffs, and it was
really no surprise that happened. Eagle's playing some really good
football at the end of the season, which your since
right now, assuming that Jalen Hurts is one hundred percent

(55:49):
on the Eagles destiny in this postseason.

Speaker 8 (55:54):
And more Saquon, that's pretty much how it goes. I
think if they're going to go as far as he's
going to take him.

Speaker 3 (55:58):
Well, he is well rested.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
It as it's that offensive line after sitting out that
final game against the Giants unfortunately.

Speaker 8 (56:04):
I think the unhralded part of that team, though, is
their defense. Their defense is actually really good this.

Speaker 3 (56:09):
Year number one.

Speaker 8 (56:10):
Yeah, so we'll see. I think it's kind of funny
Jordan Love basically did the same thing that Brock Perdy
did a couple years ago when he tore his UCL
and nobody wants to talk about that because I don't know, Like,
I wouldn't be shocked at all if it comes out
that Jordan Love needs reconstructive surgery after the seasons over.
He basically did exactly what perty did. So we'll see
what happens with the game today.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
Yeah, I would say you're talking about a lot of
Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 3 (56:36):
I think you're gonna see a lot of Josh Jacobs.

Speaker 8 (56:39):
Yeah, you know, thank you, Yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
I think that for both of these teams, the running
game is essential, and you've got two of the premium
running backs. Obviously in the National Football League, it could
come down to that Rich I mean Jacobs, Yeah, I
mean obviously with Saquon in the two thousand yard season
well chronicled.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
Josh Jacobs had over thirteen und yards for the Packers
this year.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
Yeah, it was a huge difference in that offense, no
question about that.

Speaker 4 (57:04):
I don't want to say it's the same impact, but
similar impact. You have Jacobs joining the Packers, you have
Henry joining the Baltimore Ravens, you have Saquon joining the Eagles.
Notice any similarities big time running backs jumping ship on
an old squad joining a new squad having an immediate
and enormous impact on their chances for success. All three

(57:27):
of those teams I mentioned playoff teams. One of those
teams with a playoff win under their belt already, and
Derek Henry looked unstoppable. So yeah, to your both of
your points, I think Jacobs is going to be a
huge part.

Speaker 1 (57:39):
Of this story.

Speaker 4 (57:40):
The unfortunate reality is if if Love does have bad
as bad of an injury as perty, if he does
need more work on this knee, and he's been staving
this off all season long. Remember he started this season
with with an mcl streen, so there could be more
issues there with that knee and instability with that them
we're even aware of. This could be a very lopsided

(58:04):
game for the Philadelphia Eagles if they can get out,
especially if they can get out to an early lead
and force the Packers into must pass situations.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
That's what I would do. I would try to put
together the best offensive script.

Speaker 4 (58:17):
I would pull no punches. I would even get a
little exotic, maybe a little dangerous. Throw a couple of
things out there that the Packers haven't seen yet, that
nobody has seen out of our playbook yet. Get an
early score on the ball on the board, because I
think the Packers.

Speaker 1 (58:31):
Are going to have a hard time chasing points.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
Well, you know, when you look at how this Packer
team has played over the last couple of years. Best
move they ever made saying bye bye to Aaron Rodgers.
Last year, the Packers were the youngest team to win
a playoff game since the nineteen seventy merger. In fact,
they were the youngest team to make the playoffs since

(58:54):
nineteen eighty and this year they're the second youngest team
to make the playoffs. Yea, a very young Packers team,
as they were able to you know, you know, and
this is the thing when when you talk about coaches
that aren't necessarily on the radar. You know, right now
we're talking about what Kevin O'Connell. You know, the Ludgs

(59:17):
talk about him obviously with Jim Harbaugh and the job
he's done. But you look at the two coaches in
this game, and if anything, I know that you know,
Bo loves to rip into Syriana. He's got two fourteen
win seasons on his resume, yeah, you know, and Matt
Floor I mean, wow, I mean, look at this guy's record.
These are two coaches that, for some reason, despite their

(59:42):
glowing records, don't seem to be in the conversation we
talk about premier coaches in this league.

Speaker 4 (59:49):
I mean, you have to include a couple of these
young coaches around. You know what, let's be very realistic
with each other. When you have a great quarterback that
checks a major box for you.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
So let's not.

Speaker 3 (01:00:05):
Do they have great quarterbacks?

Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
I mean I didn't see these two quarterbacks on any
All Pro lists this year.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
Well, I mean when you have, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
Jalen Hurts a great quarterback? Is Jordan Love a great quarterback?
Jalen Hurts has already appeared in a Super Bowl? Okay, Well,
I mean, but he's not Joe Burrow. He's on Josh Ally,
I get Mark Jackins.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
I mean, where is he? Is he the top ten?

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
So let's let's call it very good.

Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
So say you have a quarterback in the time, because
let's be honest with each other this and this is
the point you're kind of making my point for me.

Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
If you have a quarterback, I do that a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
But you do, you absolutely, you absolutely do when you
have a quarterback who's in the top sixteen of this league. Right,
So we're talking about a top half quarterback, not great
to your point, not great Jalen Hurts.

Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
Do I think he's great?

Speaker 9 (01:00:56):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
Because I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (01:00:57):
I'm not going to put him in the conversation with
an Alan Lamar Jackson, A Burrow, etc. Patrick Mahomes obviously
in that list, But like, do I think that Jalen
Hurts is a really talented quarterback who can help you
win a lot of.

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
Games in this league? Yeah? Do I think he's a
top fifteen guy? Yeah? Well, guess what.

Speaker 4 (01:01:15):
There are fourteen spots in the NFL playoffs now. So
if you have a top fifteen quarterback and you're vying
for one of those fourteen spots, you're getting a lot
of work done.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
If you have a.

Speaker 4 (01:01:26):
Guy like Jordan Love, a guy like CJ. Stroud, a
guy like Jalen Hurts, a guy like Jared Goff, and
Jared Goff is even getting closer and closer to that
greatness list that we're talking about, especially if he gets
a super Bowl win under his belt. We'll see if
he gets there, if he can get there, I digress.
My point though, is if you have a top fifteen quarterback,

(01:01:46):
you're sitting pretty in this NFL right now. Justin Herbert
throw his name on that list. You know, Brock Purdy
up until this season has played like one of those
top fifteen guys.

Speaker 1 (01:01:55):
You know so, I'm I'm.

Speaker 4 (01:01:57):
Telling you there are a lot of good young coaches there,
but if you look at who their quarterbacks are coaching,
it only goes as far as your quarterback.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
Typically.

Speaker 2 (01:02:07):
I think that I think in both these cases, and
this is no knock on the talent of either Jordan
Love or Jalen Hurts, the coaches that brought them success
are the coaches they have right now. Nick Sirianni's forty
eight and twenty is the coach of the Eagles, and
Matte Laflora sixty seven and thirty three is the coach
of the Packers.

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
And do you give more credit to?

Speaker 2 (01:02:27):
I give it to the coaches. I give it in
both of these cases. Look what Matte laford took over.
Obviously had Aaron Rodgers approven Hall of Fame quarterback Jordan Love.

Speaker 3 (01:02:36):
It was a nun no.

Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
We didn't know if Jordan Love could actually get his
team to this level, but he has.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
Who do you give more credit to? Sean mcdermotter, Josh Allen.

Speaker 3 (01:02:46):
Brian Dable.

Speaker 2 (01:02:48):
By the way, by the way, we're gonna get to
David One been goodye.

Speaker 1 (01:02:52):
He may be playing his best season after Dalls.

Speaker 2 (01:02:56):
Again, I'm gonna give credit to every GI coach, credit
Oliver quarterbacks except for Tom Brady.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
Tom Brady Minbella.

Speaker 1 (01:03:03):
Isn't insane conversation.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
Not an insane conversation.

Speaker 2 (01:03:07):
I'm trying to say, why do we not mention a
Nick Sirianni with a forty eight and twenty record or
a Matt la Florida of the sixty seven and thirty
three record. When we talk about the elite coaches in
the NFL and you're like, well, they have great quarterbacks,
I'm like, they got middle of the road quarterback, they
have top at what I said.

Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
And I correct it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
They helped develop him into better quarterbacks, Top fifteen quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (01:03:29):
Jallen Hurts came out of a powerhouse program. Jordan Love
needed a little more development, but he had that opportunity.

Speaker 3 (01:03:34):
Who develops one a Hall of fame quarterback?

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
No, no, no, mat Hold you're telling me Aaron Rodgers
barely gave him the time of day.

Speaker 1 (01:03:42):
Rodgers was more impactful at Jordana.

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
Love saying that Aaron Rodgers was worried about Jordan No,
he didn't get because even he admitted, like he goes
now at this point of his career. He's willing to
be that guy to help develop a quarterback and try
to save his job. We'll also get to that later on,
but first let's fight out what it's trending right now.
We are live from the tire rach dot com studios

(01:04:04):
with Monci Belagna.

Speaker 3 (01:04:05):
See how it heated? It gets here? It does get heated. Well,
here's the thing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
Normally on Red Zone Radio, we got seven or eight
games going round and we're constantly having to update you
on the game.

Speaker 6 (01:04:15):
Right, not the case, No, no, Now you can just
argue THEO. I enjoy it. We looked at each other
at one point started laughing at you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:04:24):
So it was good.

Speaker 1 (01:04:25):
It was entertaining.

Speaker 6 (01:04:27):
This game seemed to have been entertaining for a hot second.
I thought it was going to be a lot of
scoring back and forth. Denver scored on their opening drive
and haven't done much since. They did try to get
a fifty yard field going right before the half, but
it jointed off the right upright, and so the Bills
are up top ten to seven at the half. Josh

(01:04:50):
Allen nine of twelve, sixty nine yards, James Cook thirteen yards,
seventy eight thirteen carries seventy eight yards a touchdown. Bo
Nix eight of twelve, one hundred and yards and a touchdown.
So we'll see what the second half has in store,
because lately we have been seeing a tale of.

Speaker 3 (01:05:07):
Two different halfs between a lot of games.

Speaker 6 (01:05:09):
So we'll see how this one ends. The Patriots have
found their new head coach, and it's Mike Vrabel. He
played eight seasons in New England, won three Super Bowls.
There is a member of the team's Hall of Fame.
The NFL Network reported that the Bears are interested in
interviewing Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman about their head
coaching vacancy. He's obviously busy preparing for the Natty against

(01:05:31):
Ohio State, but when is it in like three months?

Speaker 3 (01:05:34):
So maybe he has time to talk to them.

Speaker 6 (01:05:36):
Maybe he has time. Guys, you guys were talking about
quarterbacks and who's gonna beware speaking about the Steelers. In
case you miss said, this is what Russell Wilson had
to say last night after the Steelers lost.

Speaker 10 (01:05:49):
Pittsburgh Steelers organization, man has been such a blessing to
beg here the guys that we have organization as truly
first class. We love the city obviously, and what it
means we have special coach and coach Tom. We've got
a special organization, special people, special players, a special fan base.
So it's been a truly, truly a blessing in my life.

(01:06:09):
It's been one of the best years for me personally
to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. And obviously I hope I'm here.
I trust God and whatever that is, and love black
and gold and just what it means to me.

Speaker 2 (01:06:20):
It sounds special, sounds special, brought a special rich. Are
we in agreement that Russell Wilson will not be a
Steeler next year?

Speaker 4 (01:06:28):
I think so. I mean I think he'll He'll be
moving on from this team They've gotten, I believe, as
far as they possibly can with Russell Wilson, which is
a playoff berth and a playoff loss. I don't think
there's much left. You could try to shake that tree again.
I think you're gonna get hit in the head with
a branch.

Speaker 6 (01:06:50):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (01:06:51):
I'm gonna steal that one.

Speaker 3 (01:06:53):
College hoops can't going on right now.

Speaker 6 (01:06:56):
Number twenty four Michigan on top of Washington four halfway
through the first half.

Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
That was good.

Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
Back to you, guys, alli On say thank you very much.
I'm with you on that.

Speaker 2 (01:07:06):
Russell Wilson will not not be playing for the Steelers
and next season.

Speaker 3 (01:07:10):
Justin Fields probably will be. He'll be sitting there.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
And they'll have to make a decision to see if
they can develop it into the quarterback he and they
hope he will be all right once again.

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
Red Zone Radio Steve Harbin and rich Orenberger with you.

Speaker 2 (01:07:24):
So the second half now underway, fills with the ball
first and they have gotten a first down nearing midfield,
leading the Broncos by a score of ten to seven.
And the meantime, we're talking about a lot of different things,
including the games coming up later on today and tomorrow,
and also all the changes that have been made. One

(01:07:44):
coaching change that we thought was going to happen that
did not happen was the Brian Dables situation with the
Giants now again. Adam Kaplan rich Our Fox Sports Radio,
NFL insider told me last week, do not expect them
to fire, and he was right. They did not fire
Ryan Dabele doesn't make the situation any better, and maybe

(01:08:07):
they just got tired of firing coaches every two to
three years. Because that's been the pattern ever since Tom
Coughlin left. So now what Okay, so you're gonna keep.

Speaker 3 (01:08:16):
Dabel great.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
The quarterback, he like Daniel Jones, doesn't play for the
team anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:08:22):
So what are you doing? What is the next move
for the New York Giants?

Speaker 1 (01:08:26):
Boy?

Speaker 4 (01:08:27):
You know, here's here's the promise that Dabell, whether he
likes it or not, that Dabell gave Giants fans was
that they were he was going to take Daniel Jones
and do to him what he was able to do
to Uh, to Josh Allen. Now that that promise obviously
wasn't kept because Saquan had an injury laid in year

(01:08:50):
and it didn't go so well for Daniel Jones, and
in fact, they couldn't even keep him healthy because the
offensive line was so poor and his decision making so
slow that it looked like Actually it made it somewhat
worse having Brian Daboles offense there because he wasn't really
catching up to the speed of the game. He almost
looked like a rookie who was just in over his head.

(01:09:12):
So here's the problem for Brian Dable. If the Giants
bring in a top tier quarterback and it's not going
well early in the season, they may get rid of
him before before he really has a chance to put
his imprint on this quarterback.

Speaker 2 (01:09:27):
Well, I mean, are they going to draft a quarterback?
I mean this this by the way, the Bills, by
the way, just updated. The Bills have the ball down
of the five yard line of the Broncos right now,
so they are on the move. But I mean, it's
so weird right now when you look at the order
of the draft right and I'm looking at draft predictions

(01:09:49):
right now, we've been talking should or Sanders, should or Sanders,
shoud or Sanders. I see a lot of them saying
the Titans are going to take cam Ward. Okay, yeah,
so this opens up the possibility of a Shador Sanders
with the Giants.

Speaker 3 (01:10:08):
But then we always think that this could be a
possible package deal with shoud Door in his father heading
to a team somewhere.

Speaker 1 (01:10:15):
Well, come a little.

Speaker 3 (01:10:16):
I'm a little confused on this.

Speaker 1 (01:10:17):
It could be. I mean, and I don't know how.

Speaker 4 (01:10:21):
I don't know if it's necessarily a must that Shoudoor
feels like he needs to play for his dad. Maybe
maybe Dion hopes to coach his son in the NFL.
But maybe I listen. I think we've all felt this
way at one point in our life. For another, I
think you get a little eager, little anxious to get
out of the house when you're down toward the end

(01:10:43):
of your high school days, or maybe if you extended
that time, you know, into your college college days, or
maybe you got went right into the workforce after high school.
What are typically children who lived in a house who
become young adults and then adults looking to do when
they're becoming their own people, They're looking to save up
and move out.

Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
So I get it.

Speaker 4 (01:11:06):
There is this thought process that coach Prime and Shadoor
are a package deal. But I could see Shaudor being
eager potentially to get out from under his father's very
broad shadow because Dion takes up a lot of the
oxygen in that room. Shaudor Sanders may have been a
bigger Heisman candidate on a different football team. And I

(01:11:30):
mean that because weren't we all inundated with Dion Sanders
news and dogamro Travis Hunter deserved it. But I'm just
saying there's only so much oxygen in the room for
the two of.

Speaker 1 (01:11:41):
Them, so I could see a situation where.

Speaker 4 (01:11:44):
A team who targets Shador who doesn't have room for
coach prime Shardor is okay with that decision, because, after all,
it is his decision.

Speaker 1 (01:11:54):
So we'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
So right now the draft order. If you have not
read up on this, Titans won Brown's two Giants three.

Speaker 4 (01:12:02):
That's right, and you're telling me the Giants can't trade up?
I mean one is so.

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
We know the Titans are going to take a quarterback, okay,
but Will Levis is not the future.

Speaker 3 (01:12:12):
We know that. Are the Browns taking quarterback?

Speaker 4 (01:12:15):
They may have to because you saw the deal on
Deshaun Watts. I mean, he's he's retorn this this achilles.
He reruptured his achilles. So I mean, if you're they.

Speaker 2 (01:12:27):
Both go quarterback, and let's say cam Ward and Shadora
Sanders is off the board, what are the hell's that
lead the Giants?

Speaker 1 (01:12:33):
Well, that's kind of my point.

Speaker 4 (01:12:34):
If the Giants, then you're trading down. If the Giants really, yeah,
you might in that situation. If you stand pat at
third overall and you miss out on the top two quarterbacks,
you may trade down.

Speaker 1 (01:12:47):
I mean, could he see Dylan Gabriel going as high
as three.

Speaker 3 (01:12:50):
No way, So I guess that's.

Speaker 4 (01:12:53):
The point you have to trade up if you're the Giants,
if if you want one of the top two quarterbacks
off the ball, if you want to be guaranteed to
get one of the top two quarterbacks off the board.

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
All right, Coming up on the other side of all
the jobs out there in terms of filling a coaching vacancy,
now the Patriots are off the board again. No surprise
with the hiring of Mike Vrabele. Right guy, right place,
right time. I think, unlike the Mayo hiring a year ago,
which is the most attractive job, there's one job we
haven't even talked about yet, the vacancy that needs to

(01:13:25):
be filled.

Speaker 3 (01:13:26):
Will break it down for you. This is Red Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
Once again, live from our ti iraq dot com studios.
So the Bills ended up selling for a field goal,
still a one score game. Bills have taken over after
a Broncos punch. So thirteen to seven Bills over Denver,
eight forty to go in the third quarter of the
first of three playoff games today in the National Football League.

(01:13:52):
You know, it's amazing, Rich, how you can have a
skyrocketing star as a coach and it can all fall
apart quickly. Let's remember the Doug Peterson story in Jacksonville.
So he takes over after the debacle that was the
Urban Meyer hiring in Jacksonville.

Speaker 3 (01:14:09):
His first year, he starts three and seven.

Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
Not unexpected from a team that won three games the
year before, and then miraculously win six of their last
seven games to win the division, get in the playoffs.
They engineered one of the great comebacks in NFL playoffs
history to beat the Chargers, and their season ended with
a seven point loss on the road against the Chiefs.
So then the following year they start eight and three,

(01:14:37):
everything's well, and then they collapse. They end up losing
five of the last six games. Last year missed the playoffs,
and then this year everything fell apart for the Jacksonville Jaguars,
and now what seemed to be a team in good
hands right right, just like a year ago, I know,
is now looking for a new head coach. Now you

(01:15:01):
talked about quarterbacks. You're big on this quarterback thing. You
know you gotta have the quarterback. Let me ask you,
this is Trevor Lawrence. An elite quarterback. Is Trevor Lawrence?
One of the top fifteen quarterbacks in the National Football League,
because that's the question you have to ask yourself if
you are going to take that job as the next

(01:15:23):
coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaker 4 (01:15:25):
I do think do I think he's elite? No, because
he's not an elite winner. And when you compare him,
you know, chapter and verse to some of the other
quarterbacks who are you know, without question playing better football
than he is right now team wide and individually. He's
not in that conversation, however, And it's weird to say

(01:15:49):
this because we're into second contract now, but I feel
about the way I feel about Trevor Lawrence is the
way I feel about Justin Herbert. So Justin Herbert with
Brandon Stally was the problem. A lot of people wanted
to talk about Justin Herbert as being with this program,
getting paid like one of these top level starters and

(01:16:09):
still not producing the wins. But I looked at their
head coach situation, I'm like, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:16:14):
But you do need both.

Speaker 4 (01:16:16):
You need at very least a serviceable head coach, if
not a talented head coach, and also one of these
top fifteen quarterbacks for it to push you into.

Speaker 1 (01:16:25):
The playoff conversation.

Speaker 4 (01:16:26):
And now, in my opinion, they got a great coach
in LA and they have a top fifteen quarterback in
my opinion, without question, in Justin Herbert. And here they
are in the postseason again.

Speaker 1 (01:16:37):
This year.

Speaker 4 (01:16:38):
Again they got waxed by the Houston Texans. That was
a bad game by the Chargers. But it's year one
in this new relationship with Jim Harbaugh. Going back to
the Jacksonville Jaguars, I thought they had a similar situation
heading into this relationship with Lawrence and Peterson.

Speaker 1 (01:16:58):
I was wrong.

Speaker 4 (01:17:00):
Doug Peterson, for whatever reason, did not get the job done.
And again the same way I was talking about Justin
Herbert when it was Brandon Staley. I'm not going to
blame Trevor Lawrence. I'm gonna blame Doug Peterson. It was
up to him to make these pieces fit, to make
this work, and he failed. Trevor Lawrence is in my opinion,

(01:17:23):
one of those quarterbacks who just needs a little.

Speaker 1 (01:17:26):
Bit sprinkle, a little bit of.

Speaker 4 (01:17:28):
That magic dust on him, and I think he's going
to take off in this league.

Speaker 1 (01:17:32):
They need to.

Speaker 4 (01:17:33):
This next hire may be one of the most, if
not the most higher the Jacksonville Jaguars have ever made.

Speaker 1 (01:17:40):
Because you only have so much time left with Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 3 (01:17:44):
It's a big question mark.

Speaker 1 (01:17:46):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
The Trevor Lawrence situation is this has he gotten better?
See I again, justin Herbert. His situation is a little
bit different because when we saw it in full effect yesterday,

(01:18:07):
he targeted lat.

Speaker 1 (01:18:09):
McCaughey, What I mean, it's so many.

Speaker 2 (01:18:11):
Fourteen times and he caught nine passes and the rest
of the team was targeted eighteen times and caught six passes.

Speaker 3 (01:18:19):
I mean, you can't.

Speaker 2 (01:18:20):
And we said this before the season that the reason
none of us seemly he was looking at oh yeah,
charges me a playoff because the limited resources.

Speaker 4 (01:18:29):
Are telling sure like like say say if a Ben
Johnson is available and willing to be Trevor Lawrence's next
head coach, that it doesn't go a hell of.

Speaker 1 (01:18:40):
A lot better than it does last year. I just
that's my point.

Speaker 2 (01:18:44):
When you're assuming that Ben Johnson, as great as he's
been as an offensive courter. We said this time and again,
just because you are a great offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator,
assistant coach does not necessarily translate into becoming a great head.

Speaker 1 (01:18:58):
Coach, I do, he don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
Oh I thought Ben Johnson.

Speaker 4 (01:19:01):
Okay, but all right, so let's let's go apples for apples.
Like say, and again this is not happening, but say
Trevor Lawrence all of a sudden was traded to Pittsburgh, right, and.

Speaker 1 (01:19:12):
He was playing for Mike Tomlin.

Speaker 4 (01:19:14):
You know, say Ben, say Trevor Lawrence all of a
sudden was traded to the Detroit Lions, and he was
playing with that team with an offensive coordinator like Ben
Johnson in the current structure, with Dan Campbell as head coach. Like,
that's my point about Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence isn't the
problem because if you put him, if you superimpose him
into some of these other situations, you know those teams

(01:19:35):
would have success. You know they would, and you know
that he would have more success. So that means to
me that Doug Peterson was more of the problem than
Trevor Lawrence. Ever was They need to find a great,
not a good, but a great next head coach. Who
knows maybe that that next head coach is gonna be
Bill Belichick.

Speaker 1 (01:19:52):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:19:53):
Let me ask you this, do you believe speaking about
Ben Johnson. Do you believe there's a possibilit that he
looks at the landscape of the coaching jobs available this
year and say, you know what, I'm going to wait
out another year, maybe getting another Super Bowl ring. If
indeed the Lions get to the promised Land and wait

(01:20:14):
until next year's round, I think there is a possibility
keep it here more. Red Zone Radio roll along hair
first playoff weekend of this NFL season.

Speaker 3 (01:20:24):
Red Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
We're broadcasting live from the tire rack dot Com studios
tyrack dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:20:30):
We're gonna get you there, and.

Speaker 2 (01:20:30):
I'm atch selection pass reshipping, free road ass of protection
over ten thousand recommend an installers, ty rack dot com,
the way tire buying should be.

Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:20:40):
The Buffalo Bills have just scored on a touchdown pass
from Josh Allen to Ty Johnson. It was an interesting call,
Rich it was fourth Was it fourth down? Was it
fourth and one?

Speaker 1 (01:20:53):
Yeah? I believe yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:55):
And by the way, the Bills have been running the
ball this entire game very effectively, and they had Josh
Allen in the shotgun formation, so it was like, why
are they not running the ball? And then he's scrambling around,
scrambling around, he throws in the back of the end zone.

Speaker 3 (01:21:10):
Caught. They are reviewing the play.

Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
We've been watching the review was a diving catch in
the back of the end zone. By the way, did
you were you surprised yesterday when they reverse that interception
for the Chargers a little bit?

Speaker 3 (01:21:28):
Irwin James?

Speaker 2 (01:21:29):
Yeah, there was a weird It was a penalty on
the play against the Texans, and then the reviewing the play.
Monsie and I were watching as we were doing the broadcast.
I'm like, what is the review about? And the next
thing you know, they'd reversed the call and I'm like,
what what happened here?

Speaker 1 (01:21:51):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:21:51):
And then they show the replay. It's like, did the
balls sort of touch the guy? I guess, Well, if
you look at the replay of this catch, it's actually
very similar. In other words, it looks like he catches
the ball, gets his hands under the ball, but as
he's sliding as part of the ball touch the ground.

Speaker 3 (01:22:11):
Yeah. So I'm watching the replay again, it.

Speaker 9 (01:22:14):
Is confirmed by the way, call on the field was confirmed,
So the confirmed touchdown.

Speaker 2 (01:22:19):
Okay, So ewen was different between this and what happened
yesterday with Derwin James and.

Speaker 4 (01:22:24):
See, I'll tell you what is the difference is subjective
plays are difficult to manage in the NFL, and every
single NFL postseason there's a play or plays that proves
controversial or obviously consequential for the Chargers. I mean that CJ.
Stroud pass to I think he was targeting Schultz where

(01:22:46):
Derwin James came up with the interception was in fact
an interception.

Speaker 1 (01:22:50):
Until it was overturned. And you can't convince me otherwise.

Speaker 4 (01:22:54):
But when you leave things up to subjectivity, which obviously, sports,
when it comes to certain rules, are highly subjective, there's
going to be somebody somewhere who disagrees with you no
matter what. I'm sure Texans fans won't disagree because they
were on their way down to kick a field goal
before Justin Herbert threw a pair of interceptions and that

(01:23:16):
was a huge momentum shift in that game.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
That interception, as we know, could have really been a.

Speaker 4 (01:23:22):
Turning point for the Chargers or the Texans, you know,
I mean, it's just it's it makes you sick when
you go back and review those moments.

Speaker 2 (01:23:30):
All right, Bills get the touchdown and they get a
two point conversion. So the Bills now lead the Broncos
twenty one to seven, a little more than three minutes
to go in the third quarter of that game. All right,
So we still have time to preview the games coming up.
But I want to continue on with this coaching carousel
around the NFL. By the way, not as many vacancies

(01:23:51):
as we've had in past years.

Speaker 1 (01:23:53):
Yeah, less than we thought.

Speaker 2 (01:23:55):
One guy that is still technically employed by a team,
but that's about to change in a couple of days
unless a deal is done.

Speaker 3 (01:24:04):
Is the Mike McCarthy situation in Dallas.

Speaker 1 (01:24:07):
That's right?

Speaker 2 (01:24:08):
So you know you had maintained that you could not
see Mike McCarthy back with the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 1 (01:24:15):
That is correct.

Speaker 3 (01:24:16):
And you know it's funny.

Speaker 2 (01:24:18):
We were talking about the Jacksonville job, right, and would
Ben Johnson be interested? And I speculated he may not
be interested in any of these jobs.

Speaker 3 (01:24:26):
He might decide to sit it out for a year.

Speaker 2 (01:24:29):
But if I was Jacksonville, would you be interested in
Mike McCarthy. No, is anybody interested in Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 4 (01:24:40):
Well, I think I think what I said to you
was the same thing I feel about Mike McCarthy. When
he left Green Bay, I think when we if I'm
remembering correctly, when we discussed it, I said, I could
see Mike McCarthy being sort of left out of this
musical chairs because, like we know, in me musical chairs,

(01:25:00):
there's always one less seat than there are people for,
you know, so everybody, you know, you wander around the
chairs and all of a sudden the music stops, find
a seat, and then somebody gets eliminated every round, but
along with that player, so does one of the chairs.
So there's only one chair left and there's two circling it.

Speaker 1 (01:25:19):
Only one person can get that job.

Speaker 4 (01:25:21):
And when he left Green Bay and now leaving Dallas,
I feel the same way about Mike McCarthy. I think
he may have to have another gap year because if
you remember he left Green Bay Packers, he wasn't working the.

Speaker 1 (01:25:33):
Year after that.

Speaker 4 (01:25:34):
Then Dallas fired Jason Garrett and moved on to Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 1 (01:25:39):
That's how that went down.

Speaker 4 (01:25:41):
So I could see Mike McCarthy being out of a
job in twenty twenty five. And to be perfectly honest
with you, I'm a little I'm a little stunned that
the Cowboys turned down the Bears interest in Mike McCarthy.
It almost feels to me, and I know nobody will
ever talk about it, but it almost feels to me
unless the Cowboy have sincere interest in resigning Mike McCarthy.

(01:26:04):
The only reason why you do something like that to
a coach who's under contract is if you're actively trying
to spite him. So you block the Bears from interviewing
Mike McCarthy, why, because you're busy writing him an extension.
If you were going to extend McCarthy, you would have
done it already. So I think that this relationship has

(01:26:25):
soured so much that, unless they're currently working on a
new deal for Mike to stay in Dallas, that Jerry
Jones is actively trying to block his opportunity to be
a head coach somewhere else, and in doing so, Mike
is not going to be able to work in twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 1 (01:26:41):
If you want to be a head coach in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:26:43):
He's got to get a deal done this week, yeah,
Because if he doesn't get a deal done by Tuesday,
McCarthy's a free agent.

Speaker 8 (01:26:50):
Can Can I make a bold prediction that's going to
turn out before this show ends. What do you got
Mike McCarthy is going to sign a deal with the
Dallas Cowboys at one Pacific time? No way, I know,
I guarantee you. Well, what does Jerry Jones love more
than attention? Yes, he's going to sign that extension, announce
it before the Eagles kickoff. Everybody is going to be

(01:27:12):
paying attention to Jerry.

Speaker 2 (01:27:14):
Okay, okay, but here here's here's the problem with that announcement.
You're you're you're thinking that somehow that announcement was like,
we just stole everything by resigning Mike McCarthy coming out
of a bad year.

Speaker 8 (01:27:26):
I don't think the ESPN pregames are going to be
how are you doing that? Doesn't I guarantee you I'm
going to get announced before one of these playoff games.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
But again, what kind of fanfare are you getting out
of resigning Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 8 (01:27:44):
After you you're getting attention.

Speaker 2 (01:27:46):
You're gonna like, for half a second, you know what
I'm telling you right now, I honestly.

Speaker 3 (01:27:53):
I don't know what news that is. Michaemccarthy's back, Okay, great, next.

Speaker 1 (01:27:57):
That that is about?

Speaker 3 (01:27:59):
That is a break it down as.

Speaker 4 (01:28:02):
Devious an idea as I could imagine, because here's the deal.
Jerry Jones knows it, Otherwise he would have already extended
Mike McCarthy. I don't know, sometime last offseason he knows
that he's not in love with Mike McCarthy. But say,
say they put him on some sort of weird poison
pill deal. Either they let him walk, and there's gonna

(01:28:23):
be a very, in my opinion, tepid market for Mike McCarthy.
Or maybe Jerry Jones puts him on a two year
deal and says, look, you know, we've done a lot
of winning in the regular season, but we'll only extend
you beyond two years if you get us into the
postseason and you get us a damn postseason win. You know,

(01:28:43):
maybe maybe he signs him to an ultra short term
deal and they announce it, like Boja said, sometime before
the Eagles kick off.

Speaker 1 (01:28:50):
This way you get a ton of attention. Here's the snap.

Speaker 4 (01:28:53):
You nauseate your fans because you're gonna have Twitter paying
attention to the Mike McCarthy rehiring or new extension. I
should say, rather than worrying about whether or not Jellen
Hurts is healthy enough, you know, uh to run with
the ball a lot in his game against the Packers.
I think I think it's I think it's you guys.

Speaker 8 (01:29:13):
If Mike McCarthy hit the open market, you guys don't
think he'd be the top candidate available.

Speaker 1 (01:29:18):
Oh, I think Ben Johnson is going to be regarded
as the top.

Speaker 2 (01:29:21):
It's hard to I mean again, we are talking earlier
about Mike Tomlin. There's a similarity in Mike Tomlin and
Mike McCarthy's resume. Yeah, here's the similarity since twenty sixteen.
Since twenty sixteen, both winning Super Bowls during their time
back in the day. Since twenty sixteen, that means over

(01:29:42):
the last eight years. We mentioned that Mike Tomlin has
won zero playoff games and Mike McCarthy has won one
playoff game. Yeah, one, that's over the last eight years.

Speaker 8 (01:29:57):
If you're the Jaguars of the Bears, though, that's a
ten wins a season is a pretty big step up
from where you are.

Speaker 2 (01:30:03):
Well, Mike McCarthy is twelve old time and wins in
the history of the NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:30:07):
How about Mike Tomlins eleven? By the way, how about.

Speaker 4 (01:30:09):
This kick your tires on Cliff Kingsbury As a candidate
to as as a retreat at head coach.

Speaker 1 (01:30:15):
He hasn't. Yeah, he has experience.

Speaker 3 (01:30:20):
He's had an.

Speaker 4 (01:30:21):
Unbelievable He's had an unbelievable year.

Speaker 1 (01:30:24):
I understand Aback in Washington and that that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:28):
Would be like New England taking a look at Belichick
from his Cleveland days and saying, let's take a shot
with this guy.

Speaker 3 (01:30:34):
How did that work? Oh, that's right, he won six
Super Bowls.

Speaker 2 (01:30:37):
Anyway, By the way, Marv Levy was the same. Mark
Levy had been the coach of the Chiefs for five
years where they never even made the playoffs, and somehow
Buffalo decided to, you know, kick the tires on the guy,
and then.

Speaker 3 (01:30:51):
He went to four straight Super Bowls.

Speaker 1 (01:30:52):
Here's here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (01:30:53):
I agree with that, do you really I mean, Cliff Kingsbury.

Speaker 1 (01:30:56):
But here's the deal.

Speaker 4 (01:30:58):
Statistically, when you look got a guy like like Mike McCarthy,
you say, wow, his numbers really hold up, especially when
we talk about the important ones w's and els. The
problem is, for whatever reason, he's got bad press, you
know what I.

Speaker 1 (01:31:13):
Mean, Like, it's just it's not it's not He left.

Speaker 4 (01:31:16):
Green Bay unceremoniously after he and Rogers started butting heads.
The Dallas Cowboys era for him has not gone all
that well because the expectations are so high on the
Cowboys and he did the same thing he did with
the Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (01:31:32):
The expectations by in Dallas considering they haven't even made
the conference championship game since the nineteen ninety five.

Speaker 4 (01:31:39):
Season, because they've had two playoff worthy quarterbacks in back
to back Romo and.

Speaker 2 (01:31:45):
Have proven that they aren't big time quarterbacks. They're not
Troy Aikman, they're not Roger staubas I agree.

Speaker 4 (01:31:51):
I agree with that assessment, but they've had two top
fifteen quarterbacks who can get postseason wins, and they've really
been flummixed getting to the next level.

Speaker 3 (01:32:00):
And they say they can, but they haven't.

Speaker 1 (01:32:02):
They haven't, but they can the same. I feel the
same way.

Speaker 4 (01:32:05):
Though about Dak Prescott as I do about you know,
Justin Herbert and Jared Goff until he got better opportunities
with the Rams when they hired Sean.

Speaker 3 (01:32:14):
Was a better opportunity.

Speaker 2 (01:32:15):
The last year for Dak Prescott, I mean, they were rolling,
they were the two seed a home game against Green Bay.
How did that playoff game go for Dak Prescott.

Speaker 1 (01:32:25):
It did not go well.

Speaker 4 (01:32:27):
It did not go well, I mean, but that's my
point is that Jerry Jones is going to be tireless here.
He is not going to give up on trying to
find either a splashy new hire or the right guy
to fix this problem for him because he needs to
win in the postseason. We know that there's always high
expectations in Dallas. But I'm telling you, I could see

(01:32:48):
a guy like Marcus Freeman getting a nod, you know,
if he wants to leave Notre Dame over Mike McCarthy.
I could see Cliff Kingsbury get a nod over a
guy like Mike McCarthy. I could see. I mean, I
could see Ben Johnson getting a nod, you know. For
some of the more high, highly prized coaching vacancy's over
Mike McCarthy. I think if he doesn't come to a

(01:33:09):
contractual agreement with the Dallas Cowboys, I don't see one
of these teams who has a current vacancy saying all right,
Mike McCarthy is going to be the one who comes
in here and fixes all of our problems.

Speaker 1 (01:33:21):
I just don't see it. I think he's gonna have
to sit out.

Speaker 2 (01:33:23):
I well, we'll see bo is making the prediction that
right as game is kicking off here between the Eagles
and the Packers, the Cowboys will announce that they have
re signed Mike McCarthy to a contract extension.

Speaker 3 (01:33:35):
Is that your prediction?

Speaker 1 (01:33:36):
Bo?

Speaker 3 (01:33:36):
Are we on the record with that one?

Speaker 8 (01:33:38):
Yeah? Before the Eagles kick off? Jerry Johnson, Yes, all.

Speaker 1 (01:33:42):
Right, that is so crazy.

Speaker 3 (01:33:43):
Okay, such that would be?

Speaker 8 (01:33:46):
When did they announce it?

Speaker 1 (01:33:47):
Put it on the ball.

Speaker 8 (01:33:49):
When did they announce Dak Prescott's contract extension?

Speaker 4 (01:33:52):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:33:52):
Wait, wait when did they do it?

Speaker 8 (01:33:53):
When did they do that? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:33:55):
I don't remember, but wait.

Speaker 8 (01:33:58):
One of the NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:33:58):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 8 (01:33:59):
We like, literally as we're going to air, where we
got a break news that Dak Prescott signed an extension
with you know what.

Speaker 1 (01:34:04):
You're one hundred percent right.

Speaker 4 (01:34:06):
And also, like we know on our show, there's not
a lot of things that happen immediately. A lot of
teams coming out of the lull of the preseason. It's
a little bit sleepy to start this season in a
lot of spots, and we spend a good chunk of
our show talking about that.

Speaker 2 (01:34:22):
All right, On the other side, we'll keep you up
to date on the game going on right now with
the Bills leading the Broncos twenty one to seven.

Speaker 3 (01:34:28):
They just ended the third quarter heading to the fourth.

Speaker 2 (01:34:31):
Much more in the games coming up later on today,
including what could be the most competitive game of the
day as the Commanders take the road against the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers.

Speaker 3 (01:34:42):
This is Red Zone Radio, all right, Well, the route.

Speaker 2 (01:34:46):
Is on in Buffalo, the Bills scoring again on a
fifty five yard hookup between Josh Allen and Curtis Samuel
twenty eight to seven Bills over the Broncos.

Speaker 3 (01:34:57):
We got about fourteen and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:34:59):
Minutes going the fourth co It will take a miracle
for the rookie bow Knicks to come back in this game.

Speaker 3 (01:35:04):
Red Zone Radio Steve Harbin, Rich Ormberger with you.

Speaker 2 (01:35:06):
We are live from the tiraq dot Com studios. And
this is again why the Bills are such an imposing threat.
We were talking earlier Rich about the Ravens or the Bills.
Is it time for one of these two teams, Two
of the great quarterbacks in the league, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen.

Speaker 3 (01:35:24):
They finished one two in the All Pro voting this year.

Speaker 2 (01:35:27):
To finally break through that Kansas City Wall and get
to the promised Land. You know, the Buffalo Bills early
in this game just ran the ball. We were talking
about Josh Allen, He's not throwing the ball now. All
of a sudden you look up. Sixteen to twenty two,
nine yards, two touchdowns, no picks, passer radio one forty
three point five. So they can do it on the ground,

(01:35:47):
they can do it through the air. What can the
Ravens do? They can do it on the ground, they
can do it through the air. When you have that
kind of weaponry, it makes it tough for opposing defenses.

Speaker 3 (01:35:59):
So I like what the Bills are doing. They spied
the Broncos.

Speaker 2 (01:36:02):
By the way, after that touchdown pass by Bo Nicks,
you know, to start the game, the Bronco offense has
done nothing nothing, yeah, zero.

Speaker 4 (01:36:12):
Yeah, It's it's kind of a struggle. I would say
that it is. Uh, it's it's difficult when you have
a rookie in a situation like this, you don't understand
until you get there. How different the playoffs feel at
the feel, at the field level. I remember during my

(01:36:34):
time as a rookie in New England. You know, the
preseason has its own pace, and Belichick. You know, any
of our coaches warned us the regular season, it's just
a different it's a different animal. It's a completely different
pace of play. And when you got to the regular season,
you're like, oh wow, yeah, there's an adjustment here. And
then when you see the the increase of the violence

(01:36:58):
and the desperation that you if you toward the end
of the regular season, because there's a lot of teams
who are already playing for their playoff chances late in
the regular season, so it is a huge.

Speaker 1 (01:37:09):
Amp up there.

Speaker 4 (01:37:10):
But then when you get to the postseason and it's
winner go Home, where either you're advancing to continue to
keep your vying for a Super Bowl championship alive or
you're gonna be heading on the next thing, smoking to
Aruba the next week, you can see the level jump
up again.

Speaker 1 (01:37:27):
And I'm telling you, having an early bite.

Speaker 4 (01:37:30):
At this apple for bo Nicks is just what the
doctor ordered, because he's gonna be able to handle this
much better next year, potentially in the years to come.

Speaker 1 (01:37:39):
In Denver.

Speaker 2 (01:37:39):
Well, he's not the only rookie quarterback starting his playoff
game on the road. The other will be, of course,
Jayden Daniels after his phenomenal rookie season. This was a
Commander's team that went from four to thirteen to twelve
and five.

Speaker 1 (01:37:54):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (01:37:54):
Why is dan Quinn not in the conversation for coach
of the year eight game turn around? We talked about
Jim Harborough that was a six game turnaround. We talk
about O'Connell. You know, eight game turnaround from four and
thirteen to twelve and five your first year on the job.

Speaker 3 (01:38:12):
Where's the recognition from dan Quinn with a rookie quarterback?

Speaker 4 (01:38:15):
No less, you know, a lot of the recognition for
what's happened in Washington has been given.

Speaker 1 (01:38:21):
To his quarterback.

Speaker 4 (01:38:22):
Yeah, you know, and I think it's misplaced slightly. I
think that actually Cliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn haven't gotten
enough attention for what they've done as the Washington Commanders
have not only completely switched over the coaching staff, but
brand new quarterback, brand new owners.

Speaker 2 (01:38:40):
Well, you know, let me ask stop you for a
second year talking about Cliff Kingsbury as a head coaching
candidate once again. And I'm not one hundred percent sure,
but you know, the Associated Press does have an Assistant
Coach of the Year award they've done that for several
years now. Who's done a better job as an assistant
coach at Cliff Kingsbury.

Speaker 4 (01:38:57):
I mean, you're gonna be hard pressed to name one.
You're gonna be hard press.

Speaker 1 (01:39:01):
And name one.

Speaker 4 (01:39:03):
I mean to take an LSU product who's never had
a snap in the NFL and to not only be
playing in the postseason, but if you look at the matchup,
I mean, I like the commander's chances here. I realize
that's Baker Mayfield, and I know what he's done this
regular season, which is nothing short of miraculous. Baker Mayfield

(01:39:23):
is a tremendous quarterback, and that Tampa Bay defense, not
all season long, but at times can give you some
real problems. You can't deny for a second that if
not only do they get into the postseason like they
are currently, but also get a W I mean, how
can you leave Cliff Kingsbury's name off a short list

(01:39:46):
of very available candidates, not only for a head coaching job,
but obviously for coach of the year assistant coach of
the year mentions accommodations. I think he deserves it.

Speaker 2 (01:39:58):
Oh well, again, we'll see how this all plays out. Now,
here's the thing about Baker Mayfield in the postseason. So
he's been there twice, one in Cleveland and of course
last year in Tampa, and in both instances he was
lights out in the first game, both wins. Remember the
Cleveland game at Pittsburgh where they got they blew out
the Steelers early in that game, he was twenty one

(01:40:21):
to thirty four to two sixty three, three touchdowns, no picks.
And then last year Tampa Bay just blew out the
Eagles twenty two to thirty six, three thirty seven, three touchdowns,
no picks.

Speaker 3 (01:40:32):
I think Baker Mayfield's gonna have a big day today.
I really do.

Speaker 1 (01:40:36):
I don't doubt it.

Speaker 4 (01:40:37):
I I'm calling it right now that Sunday night game
tonight is going.

Speaker 1 (01:40:40):
To be a shootout. I really do.

Speaker 3 (01:40:42):
I hope.

Speaker 1 (01:40:42):
I hope so too.

Speaker 2 (01:40:44):
You know, the points spread is like a three point
spread in favorite Tampa with a home field. But you
know now that he's got some of his weapons back,
and I think Mayfield a little smarting not making the
Pro Bowl. Jayden Daniels got that third slot in the
NFC over Baker Mayfil, but forty one touchdowns, forty five
hundred yards for Baker Mayfield his best season ever.

Speaker 3 (01:41:06):
I like the Bucks tonight, Yeah, I get it.

Speaker 4 (01:41:09):
Look, I think that I think that's what's missing from
this standpoint is the Bucks are facing a highly mobile
and athletic quarterback and that can change things, especially like
I want you to think about, for example, Lamar Jackson
when he's playing against teams outside of his conference. So

(01:41:30):
when the Ravens play against NFC teams, how baffled many
of those NFC teams are when they're facing his level
of athleticism. I think that's what the Buccaneers are going
to face tonight in the Commanders because it's a very
difficult picture to paint for your starting defense and there's
very few players on your scout offensive team who can

(01:41:53):
replicate that type of movement inside the pocket or when
a QB breaks free.

Speaker 2 (01:41:58):
All right, let's find out what his trend right now,
Monci Belanos is. You know, I've been fighting it obviously
after a disappointing day yesterday for her beloved Chargers.

Speaker 6 (01:42:08):
But disappointing is putting it nicely.

Speaker 2 (01:42:11):
By the way, I was listening to Isaac Longcron on
the postgame.

Speaker 3 (01:42:15):
Chargers show, and what did he say he.

Speaker 2 (01:42:19):
Just laid out what a disaster it was for Justin Herbert. Yeah, no,
MOA's completion percentage of any game in his career. He
had never thrown more than two interceptions in an NFL game.
He had four in a playoff game after throwing only
three interceptions the entire season. Basically, instead of taking personal blame,
which I think Isaac should have done, because in the

(01:42:42):
pregame show he basically said it was going to be
a walkover for the Chargers, he decided to throw Justin
Herbert under the bus.

Speaker 6 (01:42:49):
Well, I mean Justin Herbert after the game did take
accountability because there were those picks that went through the hands.

Speaker 3 (01:42:55):
But he did not look good when it mattered.

Speaker 6 (01:43:00):
Was in the second half, you know, after because he
didn't look bad at the beginning, and then it just,
I don't know, it got away from them real quick.
Momentum shifted after that touchdown was you know, returned or
they changed it whatever it was, Uh, just not not
the way you wanted the sea.

Speaker 2 (01:43:18):
I'll tell you what Herbert impressed though, because we were
sitting here, so remember this. Richie got sacked two straight
plays and the second sack he got level. Yes, he did,
and then the next play eighty six yard touchdown, and
I mean he got leveled.

Speaker 3 (01:43:35):
Yeah, where You're like, is he still there? Why is
he not?

Speaker 2 (01:43:39):
What I mean, hello, he could barely stand and he's
still in the game.

Speaker 3 (01:43:44):
And then the next pass eighty six yard touchdown.

Speaker 1 (01:43:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:43:47):
Yeah, it just it just was not a competitive loss.
And that's what sucks about it. It was a bad loss,
not a good one. But we'll see. I hope you're
wrong that they will, you know, not be as good
next road.

Speaker 2 (01:44:01):
Jim Harball will get it right, Yeah, I agree, but
they that they got it.

Speaker 3 (01:44:05):
They got to add some piece, of course they do.

Speaker 1 (01:44:07):
I know. Manzi's a big Chargers fan.

Speaker 4 (01:44:09):
We've talked about this many times on air or off air,
about the Chargers and their prospects. I'm telling you, Monci,
and this is since since twenty thirteen when I signed
with the Chargers as a free agent.

Speaker 1 (01:44:21):
This is the first time in that span of time what.

Speaker 4 (01:44:23):
Are we talking about, close to fifteen years, fourteen years
whatever it is in that span of time that I've
felt very very secure about the Chargers future.

Speaker 1 (01:44:31):
Yeah yeah, I mean, look.

Speaker 4 (01:44:32):
Philip Rivers was a great quarterback, but the laundry list
of head coaches that have cycled through until this point.

Speaker 3 (01:44:39):
It's true has been an issue.

Speaker 4 (01:44:41):
But Justin Herbert talented quarterback, Jim Harbaugh talented head coach.

Speaker 1 (01:44:45):
They're going to figure it out.

Speaker 3 (01:44:46):
Yeah, Yeah, you're right.

Speaker 6 (01:44:47):
It's a completely different culture and from one year to
the next.

Speaker 2 (01:44:50):
And so I do have one thing that's a concerned
So all these coaches since North Turner, so Mike mccolly,
Anthony Lynn, Brandon Staley, now Jim Harbaugh, what do they
all have in common? They had winning seasons their first
year is the head coach of the Chargers. In fact,
they had winning seasons in their first two years as

(01:45:13):
a head coach. It's year three that seems to have
unraveled these coaches with the Chargers.

Speaker 3 (01:45:19):
Yeah, I'm I'm just saying just pointing out. I will
acknowledge Harball is a different cat than the other three.

Speaker 6 (01:45:24):
You're just pointing out things.

Speaker 1 (01:45:26):
That's all.

Speaker 6 (01:45:27):
Well, guys, the Bills are definitely trying to run away
with it now, scoring already eighteen points in the second half.

Speaker 3 (01:45:34):
They just got the ball back.

Speaker 6 (01:45:35):
They are on top twenty eight to seven against the Broncos,
who scored those seven points on their opening drive, but
the Bills have really come alive in the second half.
The latest touchdown was a fifty five yard touchdown passed
to Curtis Samuel from Josh Allen, who is now sixteen
of twenty for two hundred and nine yards and two touchdowns.
Bo Nicks twelve to nineteen, one hundred and thirty seven
yards and that touchdown again, that was on their opening

(01:45:58):
drive ten minutes to go twenty eight seven. Is the
score still to come. It's the NFC Wildcard playoffs between
the Packers and the Eagles, which is to starting about
an hour for thirty eastern, then the Buccaneers and the
Commanders at eight eastern. The Patriots have found their.

Speaker 1 (01:46:12):
New head coach.

Speaker 3 (01:46:13):
It's Mike Rabel. Everybody expected this.

Speaker 6 (01:46:16):
He played in New England eight seasons, won three Super
Bowls there and as a member of the.

Speaker 3 (01:46:19):
Team's Hall of Fame.

Speaker 6 (01:46:20):
We've got NBA underway, a big one between the Bucks
and the Knicks in New York. Nickson top twenty nine
to twenty seven late in the first quarter. Jalen Brunson
sixteen points so far in the first quarter. The Mavericks
all over the Nuggets so far thirty two fifteen. They're
about to end the first quarter.

Speaker 2 (01:46:37):
Back to you guys, Hi MONSI thank you very much,
as we are live from the tire Raq dot com studios.
So the game tomorrow night between the Vikings and the
Rams has been moved to Arizona.

Speaker 3 (01:46:52):
The reason, by the way this actually happened. It's not like.

Speaker 2 (01:46:55):
Inglewood, where Sofi Stadium lies is in anywhere direct path
of the fire situation. But remember it is not a
dome stadium. It is a roofed stadium, and the air
quality situation was very uncertain based on these fires and
wind direction everything else.

Speaker 3 (01:47:14):
So really about air quality than anything else.

Speaker 2 (01:47:16):
Because if you go to Sofi Stadium, because I've been
there for night games when it's freezing outside, it's freezing inside.
I mean, you know you're going to get the same tamp.
You're also going to get the same win, air and
everything else. It just has a roof over it. So
this game gets moved to Arizona. Rich I want to
start with the Vikings. We had said all season long

(01:47:36):
about this Vikings team. If there was any question mark
about the Vikings, it would be Sam Donald. Can he
hold up? Can Sam Donald hold up? And continue to
play the way he has all season long, and he
had until that last game. And for the first time
that I watched Sam Donald this year, suddenly Sam Donald

(01:48:00):
went into panic mode. The defensive game plan of the
Lions was brilliant. We talked about the Lions and all
the injuries they had had. You know, they were going
to put man on man coverage against Justin Jefferson. This
should have been a field day for the Vikings, and
they had a lot of opportunities early in that game,
and Sam Darnold just could not deliver. He was under

(01:48:22):
pressure and as the game wore on, you could just
see that he got unraveled. Yeah, and I'm sure the
Rams are taking note and say get ready for this
Vikings team. I know it's not technically a home game
for the Rams. It's certainly not a home game for
the Vikings. But I think with Sean McVay and the

(01:48:45):
Rams can put pressure on the quarterback. I think they
took a lot of notes from that Lions game. And
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty good
about this Rams team tomorrow night against the Vikings.

Speaker 1 (01:49:00):
I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (01:49:02):
I think that the Rams okay so a couple of
things about the Rams.

Speaker 1 (01:49:07):
A Matthew Stafford.

Speaker 4 (01:49:09):
Okay, Matthew Stafford, in my mind is a future Hall
of Famer, healthy, with a full complement of talented receivers.
Hard guy to beat in the postseason.

Speaker 1 (01:49:19):
Stop there.

Speaker 4 (01:49:19):
Sean McVay, Yeah, veteran coach, been to two Super Bowls,
won one of them with his current quarterback.

Speaker 1 (01:49:26):
Okay, stop there. Switch it over to the Vikings.

Speaker 4 (01:49:29):
Kevin O'Connell, who's coaching treated he fall off of Sean mcvay's.
Sam Donald as good as he's been in the regular season,
he played in the biggest game of his life against
the Detroit Lions to have control of the conference heading
into the postseason, and he shrunk. Yeah, he looked like
a completely different guy. Many of those accurate throws that

(01:49:50):
we've seen Sam Donald throw time and time this regular
season were inaccurate. He was out of sorts. And he's
been a guy who's been a soldier this season. He's
been under fire before, he's seen blitz. The Vikings do
a good job of beating the Blitz, typically because Sam
Donald savvy and Kevin o'conno's coaching. So whatever happened in
that game I think was more about a Detroit's game plan.

(01:50:15):
I don't want to take anything away from Dan Campbell
and Aaron Glenn and the way they prepared for the Vikings,
obviously seeing them a second time that season even better
than the first. But I digress on the Detroit Lions
to focus on Sam Donald. This is now going to
be the biggest game of his entire life once again

(01:50:35):
in back to back weeks. I feel like the spotlight
is going to be really hot on the back of
Sam Donald's neck. And I trust the Rams and I
trust Stafford More.

Speaker 3 (01:50:46):
I one hundred percent agree on this.

Speaker 2 (01:50:48):
I mean the other thing about it was, and we
were talking about this before the Vikings Lions matchup, that
you know, everything on the line, the one seed, the
difference between the one seed and a five seeds, so
much on the line. A lot to be gained obviously
with a win, but how much do you lose? I mean,
how devastating would the loss be? And I just got

(01:51:12):
to think, especially the way they ended up completely unraveling
the second half of that game against the Lions, I
don't know where the mindset is for the Vikings going
into this game. By the way, just a note on
the Rams as they get ready for this playoff game.
Let's recall when the Rams won the Super Bowl three

(01:51:32):
years ago, the Rams were the four seed. You know,
I found it curious in that last game against the Seahawks, right,
why are the Rams sitting everybody out? You have a
chance to be a three seed? Do you really want
to play the loser of the Vikings Lions game? Or
would you rather play the Commanders? And I don't think.

(01:51:55):
And Sean McVay, here's the thing. Sean McVay, he's such
a good coach. He he knew his team. He's like,
first of all, my guys need rest. Yeah, you know,
we had a lot of injuries this year, and now
I got guys healthy. I don't want to risk getting
guys hurt.

Speaker 4 (01:52:10):
Yes, he's been playing with the banged up Rams team
all season.

Speaker 3 (01:52:14):
On pokon who.

Speaker 4 (01:52:15):
Has spent time out, Jared Goff spent time out. Stafford's
been dinged up throughout this year. His offensive line has
been through issues. His defense. Sean mcvain knew what was
right for his.

Speaker 2 (01:52:25):
As absolutely, and he's like, look at what why would
I fear being the four seed? You know, back in
the and when they won the Super Bowl, they had
a home game against Arizona and then the Rams had
to go on the road against you remember Tom Brady,
and they beat him. And then the Rams ended up

(01:52:46):
getting lucky with a home game against their nemesis, the
forty nine ers, And next thing you know, they're on
the way there's the Super Bowl that they won. I'm
not gonna say they're gonna win a super Bowl this year,
but I think that them sitting play in that game
and dropping to a four seed is almost by game plan.
I just think the Rams are gonna be very confident

(01:53:08):
going in this game against the Vikings. And you mentioned
Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford versus Sam Donald in a playoff
game that looks like a mismatch to me.

Speaker 4 (01:53:19):
If Sam Donald pulls this off, he will effectively completely
rewrite the way everybody will talk about his career forever.

Speaker 3 (01:53:29):
Well, what if it doesn't go?

Speaker 1 (01:53:30):
Well?

Speaker 3 (01:53:31):
What do you do with the Vikings?

Speaker 1 (01:53:33):
But hang on?

Speaker 4 (01:53:34):
Having said that, Having said that, can you imagine how
much pressure is on his shoulders knowing that, Yeah, Sam
Donald knows what's at stake here. This is his one shot,
This is his one opportunity to completely rewrite all of
the bad things that everybody said about Sam Donald since

(01:53:54):
he's been a drafted rookie in the NFL. Think about
the journey and the embarrassment that he's been through. Drafted
third overall to the Jets doesn't work out. A lot
of blame levied on him, even though the Jets as
an organization.

Speaker 1 (01:54:08):
Are a mess and have been my entire life. I'm
thirty eight, by the way, my entire life, the Jets
have been a mess.

Speaker 4 (01:54:13):
Then he moves on to Carolina where he gets some opportunities,
but he gets hurt a lot. He has shifted into
the background in Carolina before being shipped off across the
country to be a backup to a last overall pick
in brock Purty. Now Kyle Shanahan had some nice things
to say about Sam Darnold during his time with the

(01:54:34):
forty nine ers, But imagine backing up after being a
top pick in the NFL draft just years earlier, the
backup behind miss or irrelevant. You don't think he's aware
of everything that's weighing in on this moment for him,
both personally, professionally, and from a standpoint of career legacy.

Speaker 1 (01:54:54):
That's a lot of pressure. Man.

Speaker 4 (01:54:55):
Matthew Stafford can play light and free. Matthew Stafford already
as his Super Bowl ring. Matthew Stafford already has checked
all those boxes that Sam Donald is still trying to reverse.
He's dug himself that hole, or by virtue of circumstance,
the hole's been dug and he's climbing out of it.

Speaker 1 (01:55:13):
He's clawing for his life.

Speaker 4 (01:55:15):
Can you imagine showing up to this game, a win
or go home game, and being Sam Donald?

Speaker 1 (01:55:21):
The pressure could not be higher.

Speaker 2 (01:55:24):
Well, once again, we are watching an NFL playoff game.

Speaker 3 (01:55:27):
This is like the college football playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:55:29):
We haven't had very many competitive games so far, but
with the college football playoffs, we certainly had a couple
of competitive semi finals. Right now, twenty eight to seven
Bills over the Broncos inside six minutes ago. The Bills
are going to move on to the divisional playoff row.
We have much more coming up, including well some of
the thoughts about what's going on with that college football

(01:55:50):
playoff championship game.

Speaker 3 (01:55:53):
That's what eight weeks away.

Speaker 2 (01:55:54):
I don't know when it is. We'll continue on. This
is Red Zone Radio. Steve apartment and Rich Hornberger, Yes,
this is Red Zone Radio. We are live from the
Tirak dot com studios. Bills about of the field goal
thirty one to seven. Now four and a half minutes
to go in that game, and then we'll get ready
for the kickoff of the Green Bay Packers and the

(01:56:17):
Philadelphia Eagles. So Rich, the championship game is set for
college football and the matchup ends up the seven seed
Notre Dame versus the eighth seed Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (01:56:30):
YEP.

Speaker 4 (01:56:33):
Which, by the way, if we're being honest with each other,
if this was seeded correctly, there's no way Notre Dame
or Ohio State would have been as low seeds in
this playoff bracket.

Speaker 3 (01:56:45):
Well, first of all, let's put it this way.

Speaker 2 (01:56:47):
If you had a four school playoff, there's no way
Ohio State would have been.

Speaker 1 (01:56:51):
In not After with that, I agree with that.

Speaker 3 (01:56:53):
After losing in Michigan, there's no way.

Speaker 2 (01:56:55):
Now Notre Dame, I think would have been I do
so I would say that the fourteen would have been Oregon, Georgia,
Notre Dame. See, there would have been a lot of argument.

Speaker 1 (01:57:10):
Say you better say Penn State.

Speaker 2 (01:57:13):
Well, well, I again, but here here you know it
would have been tricky.

Speaker 3 (01:57:18):
I'll tell you why.

Speaker 1 (01:57:19):
Okay, tell me why, because.

Speaker 2 (01:57:20):
There would have been a huge argument for Boise State
because their only loss was by three points on the.

Speaker 1 (01:57:26):
Road to Oregon to the number one team to the number.

Speaker 2 (01:57:28):
One team of the country, you know, and Penn State
obviously having lost.

Speaker 1 (01:57:34):
To Ohio State.

Speaker 3 (01:57:36):
Yeah, I mean, you.

Speaker 1 (01:57:37):
Know it could.

Speaker 2 (01:57:38):
But the fact is is that Penn State would have
lost the conference championship game, and so you would have
had this one one So I think so might might No?
I think I think it would have. I think Boise
would have gotten in as a one loss team conference
champions losing only to Oregon. You would have had Oregon,
you would had Georgia, you would have had Boys, you

(01:57:59):
would have no Notre.

Speaker 3 (01:58:00):
Dame, and Notre Dame only had one loss.

Speaker 2 (01:58:02):
Yeah, and then of course have been a lot of
argument about Notre Dame because they lose that home game
to Northern Illinois.

Speaker 8 (01:58:08):
You you you think that the playoff committee that would
leave out Texas's point loses to Georgia, right, I think
you're right. I think Texas wouldn't have shouldn't have been
in a fourteen playoff, But I don't think the committee
leaves them out.

Speaker 9 (01:58:26):
I mean, you even have the option of something like Clemson,
who is at least ostensibly a Power five and a
conference champion, over over Boise.

Speaker 2 (01:58:35):
I'm telling you, the Boise argument would have been very
strong because their only loss was a three point road
loss to the number one team of the country. If
they lost to anybody else, is there no, Absolutely not,
not a sniff.

Speaker 3 (01:58:50):
It would have been quite an argument.

Speaker 8 (01:58:51):
Is there a TV network that runs the colleg football player?

Speaker 1 (01:58:53):
I hang on a second, bo You're onto something here.

Speaker 4 (01:58:56):
It's it starts with I mean, I think it's a
four letter acronym, and I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (01:59:01):
Yeah, Okay, but let me ask you this. How many
is it pronounced spen? Well, let me ask you this,
how many? How many SEC teams are in the championship game?
Can we count the SEC teams?

Speaker 8 (01:59:14):
You're totally correct?

Speaker 1 (01:59:14):
The SEC.

Speaker 3 (01:59:18):
This year? Okay, down this year from Espen?

Speaker 2 (01:59:22):
What conference gets a lot of heavy Texas blow you
away by the way we talk about the complete.

Speaker 4 (01:59:28):
Speak of it from this standpoint, yeah, if it's still
the same old way it is. The reason why we
ended up with the results we have is because, like
you said, Ohio State would have been on the outside
looking in if it was a fourteen bracket. But when
you expand the bracket to include twelve, there are going
to be results.

Speaker 2 (01:59:44):
So this is let me ask, this is this a
good thing that the first ever expanded college football playoff,
even those these are two of the most legendary programs
in college football history.

Speaker 3 (01:59:54):
That a seventh seed is playing the eighth seed.

Speaker 4 (01:59:57):
I think it proves that there should have been a
football playoff expansion a long time ago.

Speaker 3 (02:00:02):
You want to go seating method. By the way, Rich
wants to go sixty four. What do you think, guys?

Speaker 1 (02:00:07):
No, I didn't say sixty four. I'm up to sixteen.
Now sixteen.

Speaker 2 (02:00:10):
Oh you're up to sixteen. I thought you wanted to
go full, full blown sixty four.

Speaker 3 (02:00:15):
All right, we'll roll on.

Speaker 2 (02:00:16):
Get ready for the second game of the day here
on Red Zone Radio. One game down, two to go
on this wildcard Sunday here in the National Football League.

Speaker 3 (02:00:25):

Speaker 2 (02:00:27):
We're broadcasting live from the ti rag dot com studios
tyre rag dot com. We're gonna help get to their
and unmatched selection fasts reshipping free road ASID protection over
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Speaker 3 (02:00:40):
Buying should be.

Speaker 2 (02:00:42):
I didn't think about this initially, but now I'm thinking
about it. So we've had three wildcard games, all AFC,
So they had the three AFC games first, Yeah, and
now we got the three NFC games.

Speaker 1 (02:00:57):
And by the way, I didn't think of it either.

Speaker 2 (02:00:59):
Yeah, we're all said for next week, it's going to
be the Ravens at the Bills, and it's going to
be the Texans at the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (02:01:05):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (02:01:06):
We don't know anything. In fact, you know, Chris was
bringing this up. We were talking about this with the
next week. So I was asking Bo about the schedule. Well,
the two Saturday games in the Division Round are the
Chiefs and the Lions hosting.

Speaker 3 (02:01:19):
Well, now we know the Chiefs will be hosting the Texans.
But think about this.

Speaker 2 (02:01:24):
If the Buccaneers and the Eagles win as expected, that
would mean the winner of the Vikings Rams game playing
on Monday would have to be in Detroit on Saturday,
So you would have a Monday night game and they

(02:01:45):
would be on a short week coming out of that game.

Speaker 9 (02:01:49):
Well, I'm because if I'm using some logic from Vikings fans,
I guess that's only fair because the Lions are a
one seed.

Speaker 3 (02:01:56):
Yeah, advantage. Well I understand, but if you're the Rams,
you're like, whoa, whoa, who what happen here?

Speaker 8 (02:02:00):
What happened?

Speaker 2 (02:02:01):
Why are we on a short week? So, but that
would only be the case. Obviously, the Lions will face
the lowest seed. Right now, we have the Packers as
the seventh seed and you have the Commanders as a
sixth seed. If either one of those teams were to win,
then they would be the ones heading on a Saturday

(02:02:21):
game with you know, you know, Sunday's Saturday. But yeah,
I mean if the Tampa wins, if the Eagles win,
then the winner of the game Monday will be playing
Saturday in Detroit.

Speaker 3 (02:02:36):
So it looks like Christy, you have to acknowledge this.

Speaker 2 (02:02:39):
The league is doing everything everything to give the Lions
every single advantage to finally get to their first ever
Super Bowl.

Speaker 9 (02:02:47):
I mean every single advantage. I mean, the Vikings would
be in the same place if they had won that game.
But they didn't win that game.

Speaker 2 (02:02:54):
Did anybody think possible looking at the schedule, that that
Vikings Lions game was going to be for the number
one seed in the NFC.

Speaker 1 (02:03:02):
No anybody. No.

Speaker 3 (02:03:03):
I think maybe for the division.

Speaker 9 (02:03:04):
I mean, maybe it's for like the Lions to wrap
up the division, but I think it was more like, oh,
they'll be in like a tight race with like the
Packers or something.

Speaker 3 (02:03:12):
Yeah, you know, it's that weekend.

Speaker 9 (02:03:13):
You also had Bears Packers and a lot of people
hyped up the Bears. Maybe that would have been put
on Sunday night, but instead this game.

Speaker 2 (02:03:20):
My point is simply this, there are no excuses for
the Lions if they don't make it to the super Bowl.
I'm not saying win the super Bowl, but if they
don't make it to the super Bowl, it's a choke job.
I hold on, we're really gonna do that after I really,
we're already like extending that bar up. So come on,
you're playing You have two different teams that you would

(02:03:41):
play probably a third time in here, and.

Speaker 3 (02:03:42):
You don't think the are a better team than the Eagles. See,
that's kind of the thing.

Speaker 1 (02:03:48):
I'm not I'm not saying that they're choke artist.

Speaker 4 (02:03:51):
I think that's a little strong, but I will say this,
if the bed hasn't been feathered or the pillows haven't
been fluffed better for a path to the Super Bowl
than the Lions have right now.

Speaker 1 (02:04:03):
By the way, due to the amount of work that
they've done.

Speaker 2 (02:04:07):
I mean, they've overcome significant in this position because for
what they have done.

Speaker 9 (02:04:12):
So I don't think it's an easier path than like
the Chiefs have right now we're.

Speaker 2 (02:04:17):
Talking about the Chiefs don't have an easy You think
that they who.

Speaker 3 (02:04:20):
I'm saying, the Chiefs have an easier path.

Speaker 2 (02:04:23):
They have an easier path playing there because one of
those they have those two teams just playing each other. No,
those two are ridiculous. Does anybody believe out there that
the Eagles are better than Josh Allen, than the Bills
or Lamar Jackson the Ravens.

Speaker 3 (02:04:39):
I think there's Does anybody believe that?

Speaker 1 (02:04:40):
I don't think. I don't think it's even close.

Speaker 9 (02:04:42):
Chris, I hold on, But like those two teams have
to play each other next, they're going to bang up
the hell out of each other.

Speaker 4 (02:04:49):
Come come on, all right, I mean outside of the
situation where one of those teams, say, lose their starting
quarterback and the chief then the Chiefs will have an
easier path.

Speaker 1 (02:04:59):
But making look, I understand it you're a huge Lions fan.

Speaker 4 (02:05:04):
You're looking at this through a Wahoo Blue lenses.

Speaker 1 (02:05:10):
I get it.

Speaker 3 (02:05:11):
Can we not?

Speaker 1 (02:05:12):
Can we not?

Speaker 3 (02:05:12):
Please not do that to me? Like I've been.

Speaker 4 (02:05:16):
This is not objective, Chris easiest path to the Super
Bowl than any other team in the field, and.

Speaker 2 (02:05:24):
It's because they have shown over the course of this
entire season as many people predicted, including you.

Speaker 3 (02:05:31):
Chris. By the way, did we ever look over our records? Goodness,
we do have the records around here?

Speaker 1 (02:05:37):
Yeah, we do. I have them. I have them on
on my.

Speaker 3 (02:05:40):
Okay, hold on.

Speaker 2 (02:05:40):
The other thing I'm curious about is I would I
would say two things, because it's so extensive, there are
two things. Who had the most teams predicted correctly to
get into the postseason and who actually had the most
on the dot predictions as far as final regular season record.
Those would be the two things I'd be most curious about.

(02:06:03):
One team I do know I got one hundred percent
right was the Broncos. I had him in the playoffs
and I had him finishing ten and seven.

Speaker 3 (02:06:09):
That I know might be my only run right. But
those would be the two things.

Speaker 2 (02:06:15):
Who had the most correctly predicted teams that made the playoffs,
fourteen teams make the playoffs, who had the biggest number
of teams actually making the playoffs, and which person actually
correctly predicted on the dot the regular season record, because
I don't think anyone could have gotten more than what
four three four on.

Speaker 3 (02:06:35):
The dot.

Speaker 2 (02:06:37):
Let me see, I'm just curious about it. Yeah, we
don't have to do that the second believe.

Speaker 4 (02:06:41):
No no, no, no, yeah, but I would say I would say,
let's uh, let's do it next weekend so we can
be organized. Because over the course of this week, I'm
going to jot down and maybe I'll send it to.

Speaker 1 (02:06:52):
Our group text how far.

Speaker 4 (02:06:55):
Or near each of us were to having the exact
correct win total on the season. It'll be fascinating because see,
we should do it every year.

Speaker 2 (02:07:03):
Yeah, so we all five of us were part of this.
So this Yeszi Mansi too. So it was very very interesting. Okay,
so we are now going to get ready for this
Packers Eagles game, which is going to be kicking off
here at about twenty minutes. We were talking earlier about
the quarterback situation. He's just tuning in the news on
Jalen Hurts seems to be positive. Set out a couple

(02:07:26):
of weeks with a concussion reported back for the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (02:07:29):
He looks fine. It's a rested Eagles team.

Speaker 2 (02:07:33):
They made that decision to not go after Eric Dickerson's
rushing record. They sat Barkley, they sat their offensive line,
which I think was a smart play. They had played
twelve straight weeks. Remember they had a buy in week
five and obviously no by this week. So I think
Siriani made the right decision. I know it's disappointing for

(02:07:54):
you because Sakuon Barkley breaking the record against his former team,
the Giants, But would he have gotten one hundred yards
and a half.

Speaker 1 (02:08:03):
I think so. Maybe.

Speaker 3 (02:08:05):
I don't know what the Giants would have brought in
that final game, but.

Speaker 1 (02:08:09):
Let's put it this way. It was conceivable.

Speaker 2 (02:08:11):
It was conceivable, but it also would have required the
offensive line to show up.

Speaker 4 (02:08:15):
I think Look, I said this to you and I'll
repeat it. I think Saquon made the right choice for
his team, and I think that it'll it'll go down
recognized in Philadelphia with those players, that locker room, that
coaching staff, those executives, that Saquon Barkley values his teammates

(02:08:36):
more than maybe anybody else on that roster.

Speaker 2 (02:08:38):
Okay, I'll tell you will it will not be valued
if they lose today to the Packers at home. And
all I can say this is that the Packers were
the seventh seed last year, just like they are this
year on the road against the two seed, the NFC
East champions. Last year was the Cowboys, and the Packers
blew them out.

Speaker 4 (02:08:56):
But it would be easier. Okay, let me just draw
up two exams. Because you brought it up. It's worthwhile
talking about if Saquon Barkley goes out there and has
an off day, like maybe he only rushes for you know,
like I'm talking about a real bad day at the office,
maybe two point eight yards per carry, he fumbles once,

(02:09:18):
you know what I mean, Like he doesn't score any
touchdowns on the ground, Like just an unusually abnormal day
in terms of low production for Saquon Barkley. Okay, they nobody,
nobody would blame him more for that than if say
he went out there on the final game of the

(02:09:39):
regular season.

Speaker 1 (02:09:40):
He got his record.

Speaker 4 (02:09:41):
He is the single season rushing yardage total guy, and
he gets to write his name above everybody else is
in the history books. But they lose one of their
starting offensive linemen, and that proves to be the reason
or one of the reasons why the Eagles lose the
game to the Packers. I feel like the crowd would

(02:10:01):
come after Saquon Barkley more for that outcome than if
he just has a bad day at the office. I
really do, because I think Saquon Barkley's impact on this
roster has been so significant, and then the selflessness that
he showed by not chasing his record and keeping everybody healthy.

Speaker 1 (02:10:20):
I think it would be a more excusable.

Speaker 4 (02:10:22):
Loss on this side than it would be on in
you know, living in that parallel universe where he did
go for the rushing record and got a starting offensive
lineman injured.

Speaker 1 (02:10:32):
So I think he made the right decision.

Speaker 2 (02:10:34):
Well, first of all, you keep saying he made the
decision he did. He essentially not make the decision. The
decision was made by Sirianni. He went along with it.
He even admitted that, you know, he's like, yeah, I
think about it, and maybe I would have liked to
have gone after the record. Even brought up his own
family was pretty upset about the situation. So this wasn't

(02:10:57):
him saying Diggan like don't blay me this week, Steve.
This is how we're going to want He went along
as he said he was going to do whatever decision
the coaches make.

Speaker 3 (02:11:06):
I will go along with it. The idea that this
was his call, no way.

Speaker 1 (02:11:11):
That I'm telling you right now.

Speaker 4 (02:11:12):
If if Saquon Barkley walks into Nick sirian If he
walks up to Nick Sirianni on the tarmac before they
take off the game before the regular season finale against
the Giants, and he says to him, hey, listen, coach,
regardless of what you may be thinking, I'm chasing that
record next week against my old team.

Speaker 3 (02:11:32):
And sirian said, without your starting offensive line.

Speaker 1 (02:11:35):
Well, then he but that's my point. That's my point.

Speaker 4 (02:11:39):
He he goes, hey, listen, you know I'm thinking about
wrestling the line guy.

Speaker 3 (02:11:42):
Don't We don't I'm playing offensive line.

Speaker 4 (02:11:45):
What do you well, they started an offensive line, Steve,
what are you talking about.

Speaker 3 (02:11:50):
The idea is they started an offensive line.

Speaker 4 (02:11:52):
Yeah, they rested some guys, but there were still five
guys protecting their branderstand. There were still five guys opening
up holes for a rusher. My point is this, if
Sakuon Barkley.

Speaker 1 (02:12:00):
Said, I'm starting no matter what.

Speaker 4 (02:12:03):
Nick Sirianni couldn't say a word to the otherwise because
guess what, You're gonna piss off Saquon Barkley. Then maybe
he says to you, well, then good luck in the postseason, coach.
That's the seriousness of this thing. You gotta keep your
players happy.

Speaker 1 (02:12:18):
Now.

Speaker 4 (02:12:19):
Would that be career napalm for Saquon Barkley, Yeah, But
would it be career napalm for Nick Sirianni if he
didn't Letuon Barkley start the game, if he was looking
to chase that record?

Speaker 3 (02:12:30):
Also, Yeah, you can't do that in the NFL.

Speaker 1 (02:12:33):
You can't.

Speaker 2 (02:12:34):
I mean, if a coach has decided it's best for
this team to rest our guys as many as we
can and get ourselves ready to do the ultimate and
that's win an NFL championship, and then Barkley says, yeah,
but now I have a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Speaker 3 (02:12:49):
Coach, I know you want to rest anybody. That's why
I want to play.

Speaker 4 (02:12:53):
Coaches give the presence of making all the decisions, or
they give you the impression of making all the decision
In the NFL, I'm telling you right now, Steven, you
know this as well as I do. You've been around
this game for a long time too, and you've covered
it forever. Players make decisions. Do you think that Bill
Belichick was happy that the final eight years while Tom

(02:13:14):
Brady was his starting quarterback, he got to pick and
choose when he showed up for offseason training activities. You
don't think that he wanted tom Brady under his watchful
I practicing with the team the whole time during OTAs.
The answer is, he absolutely would. But guess what tom
Brady had real sway in New England. Robert Craft was
like a second father to him. Tom Brady could do

(02:13:36):
no wrong in Robert Craft's eyes. So if Bill Belichick
really had any problems with what was going on, he
could do whatever he wanted.

Speaker 1 (02:13:43):
That's the truth. Now, don't get me wrong.

Speaker 4 (02:13:45):
They were still winning Super Bowls and Tom Brady was
playing at a high level, and so there wasn't a
lot of slander or anybody could heave tom Brady's way
for the time he took off during the offseason.

Speaker 1 (02:13:55):
But my point is made.

Speaker 4 (02:13:57):
Saquon Barkley is the Philadelphia Eagles this year. What Saquon
wanted to happen is what would have happened in that
that regular season finale. Fortunately for Nick Sirianni, he didn't
have to cross that bridge because Saquon Barkley gave him,
gave him endoubt him with the ability to make the
decision quote unquote for Saquon. But I promise you, if

(02:14:20):
Saquon Barkley wanted to start in that game, he could
have put his foot down and he would have played
in that final regular season game.

Speaker 2 (02:14:27):
Well this I promise you, knowing the history of Philadelphia
Eagle fans, if he lays an egg today and the
Eagles lay an egg, they will get booed right off
the field.

Speaker 1 (02:14:35):
Oh I agree with that.

Speaker 3 (02:14:36):
They will get booed right off the field.

Speaker 2 (02:14:38):
All Right, We've got kickoff coming up here shortly between
the Packers and the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (02:14:43):
We'll have all the latest for you. This is Red
Zone Radio.

Speaker 2 (02:14:46):
All right, once scam, we are live from the tire
IRAQ dot com studios, getting ready for the kickoff between
the Packers and the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (02:14:56):
I want to divert back if I could here rich
to the situation.

Speaker 2 (02:15:01):
So there's an update now that the one guy the
Raiders are not interested in is Dion Sanders. Dion Sanders
has said the only way he would coach in the
NFL is if it would allow him to coach his sons.
And of course the Raiders because they won a couple
of late games, maybe part of the reason Antonio Pierce

(02:15:21):
got fired. Uh, they dropped to sixth in the draft,
so the chances of them getting Shador Sanders at six
would be zero unless they were to make some kind
of trade up in the draft to get him.

Speaker 3 (02:15:37):
But I'm looking at some of the other people they absolutely.

Speaker 2 (02:15:40):
Have interested in his head coach, and I want to
ask you about two of these guys you were mentioning
earlier about Cliff Kingsbury, you know who. You know, I
had moments in Arizona's head coach and then it fell apart.
But after what he's done this year with the Commanders
and Jayden Daniels, you think this guy should get an
out of the opportunity. Let me give you another guy

(02:16:01):
that maybe is overdue for another opportunity to be a
head coach, sure, and a guy that is interviewing for
the Raiders' job, Steve Spagnola. So if you don't know
the story about Spagnola obviously has made his mark as
one of the absolute premier defensive coordinators in the NFL
with the Chiefs piling up Super Bowl rings. He was

(02:16:22):
the head coach for three full years with the Saint
Louis Rams. His record in those three years was ten
and thirty eight. He also had four games as an
interim coach with the Giants in twenty seventeen. Add on
those four games, that's a record of eleven and forty one.

Speaker 3 (02:16:43):
He's also sixty five years of age.

Speaker 2 (02:16:46):
By the way, he will not be the oldest guy
I'm gonna ask you about, But is this a guy,
based on his amazing track record as the defensive coordinator
of the Chiefs, that you think maybe this time around
it could be a different story if you got another
opportunity to be a head coach. Yeah, Steve Spagnolo, Yeah,

(02:17:07):
of course, four time Super Bowl champion. I think that
when again, I want to pump the brakes on suggesting
that any coach who's had opportunities to head coach at
any level, the second time around it's going to go
better than the first, because that's obviously not true. Josh

(02:17:28):
McDaniels is a good example you know, and the list
of retreads that have not worked out is long. However,
I will say this in this game, experience matters. Experience
at two particular positions on the entire roster, coaching staff
executive staff otherwise really specifically matter, and that's head coaching quarterback.

(02:17:53):
If you have an experienced quarterback and an experience head coach,
it doesn't always work out, but it usually works out
better than if you have a rookie who has no
idea what he's doing, or you have somebody who is
highly inexperience trying to do it for the first time. Now,
it does work out where obviously rookie head coaches can

(02:18:13):
work out great even with lesser experienced quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (02:18:16):
We've seen it before. We've seen it before. But I'm
saying overall, experience does matter. It really does help. So
I think that his name should be one of the
names higher up on the board of viable candidates for
this run around the coaching carousel because he's done masterful
job with a team that legitimately can win a Super

(02:18:38):
Bowl again this year.

Speaker 2 (02:18:40):
Okay, now imagining he's not the oldest guy that's being
mansioned tomorrow, the Raiders will be interviewing, by the way,
Spagnola already interviewed.

Speaker 3 (02:18:50):
On Friday Tomorrow, the Raiders will be interviewing a guy
by the name of Pete Carroll.

Speaker 2 (02:18:56):
So Pete Carroll is one hundred percent I want back
in in the NFL. We heard initially about the Bears,
but all of a sudden, Pete Carroll's on everybody's list,
and well should be based on his track record at
every level as a head coach. What is your gut feeling,
will Pete Carroll be a head coach in the NFL
in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 1 (02:19:18):
I could see it. I could see him being back
in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (02:19:21):
Will give me give me a list of teams that
are most likely.

Speaker 4 (02:19:24):
To hire him in twenty twenty five, though, I was
gonna say, I don't think he's.

Speaker 1 (02:19:28):
Gonna be hired.

Speaker 3 (02:19:29):
Oh interesting, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:19:31):
I think that.

Speaker 4 (02:19:32):
I think if you look at a lot of these teams,
like the Jacksonville Jaguars, do I think that they're gonna
go for Pete Carroll? Probably not the Bears, the Bears,
Do I think they're gonna go for Pete Carroll? Probably
not the Raiders. I could see the Bears being very
interested in Ben Johnson. I could see the Raiders being
very interested in coach prime in Dion Sanders, especially Shador

(02:19:56):
moving on into the draft. He might end up in Tennessee,
he might end up in New York. Who knows where
he ends up. But I mean, with the Giants standing
pat On, Brian Dabole, and the question as to whether
the Dallas Cowboys will move on from Mike McCarthy still looming,
I mean, is there a spot on the Bengo board
where you feel strongly Pee Carroll is a good fit?

Speaker 3 (02:20:20):
Where is he a bad fit?

Speaker 1 (02:20:22):
Well, I'm just saying.

Speaker 4 (02:20:23):
I'm just saying, based on the philosophy and the prior
hires for a lot of these teams, I just don't
see the Bears hiring Pe Carroll.

Speaker 2 (02:20:31):
I mean, I mean, if the philosophy is, can we
find somebody in here that knows how to win?

Speaker 1 (02:20:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:20:38):
I mean I mean, I mean.

Speaker 2 (02:20:39):
That would be sort of My priority is, like, all right,
what do we need in a head coach? How about
actually somebody not only knows how to win, but actually
has a proven record of winning.

Speaker 4 (02:20:49):
I mean, what you heard from guys like Richard Sherman
and Marshawn Lynch was that the longer it got on,
the staler of the message from Carroll, the longer it
got on, the harder it was for to relate to
Russell Wilson, because he became more and more I don't
know what the word is, sort of ensconced in himself

(02:21:11):
like he was. It was almost like a walled garden
around him, you know. So I don't I don't really,
I don't really know if if that that vibe that
he left Seattle.

Speaker 2 (02:21:24):
With, well, he's not gonna stay anywhere longer than he
did in Seattle. I mean no, no, he's seventy Let's
see here, he's seventy three years old.

Speaker 4 (02:21:34):
I could sooner see Bill Belichick being hired this round
in the coaching carousel than pe.

Speaker 2 (02:21:40):
Care Oh okay, I'm going to get into that on
the other side, But first let's find out what's again,
what is a trending? And after a full season of
Red Zone Radio, Monci and by the way, how.

Speaker 3 (02:21:54):
Quick did this season go?

Speaker 2 (02:21:57):
You know, this team has been together for several years
now with Red Zone Radio, and we're just like week one,
It's like you're ready to go, And I was like, well,
it's my first time, so I'm well prepared this time.

Speaker 3 (02:22:10):
Yeah, eight or nine games the first week, and it
feels like that was last week.

Speaker 6 (02:22:14):
It really does so so fast, and then just when
the holidays kick in and he goes by even faster
those like five weeks. So it is crazy to have,
well I would consider a slow Sunday compared to others,
you know what I mean, Like, I know, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (02:22:31):
Game we had.

Speaker 2 (02:22:32):
We've had three games so far and none of these
AFC wild Card games.

Speaker 3 (02:22:36):
Either way, why did they do that?

Speaker 2 (02:22:39):
I'm not entirely sure games were the AFC games and
now we're going to get.

Speaker 3 (02:22:42):
The three Yeah, screames.

Speaker 1 (02:22:44):
By the way, I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (02:22:46):
Is it shocking to either of you at all that
after scoring that first touchdown, Denver went scoreless and the
Bills just I mean, was it thirty one unanswered scores?

Speaker 6 (02:22:57):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (02:22:58):
Absolutely, I'm shocked that they were.

Speaker 4 (02:23:00):
That could have the Gates, that had a little momentum
going and it just completely faded in the first half
the Chargers.

Speaker 1 (02:23:07):
A little bit like the.

Speaker 6 (02:23:10):
Sort of circle back to that. Yes, no, it's it
is incredible that the Broncos didn't score at all, not
even in a field goal. I know they went for
it at one point, but really like they just yeah,
they fell super flat, while the Bills just came out swinging,
specifically in the second half. Thirty one to seven was
the final score there. But Josh Allen twenty of twenty

(02:23:31):
six two hundred and seventy two yards, two touchdowns, James
Cook twenty three carries one hundred and twenty three yards
and a touchdown. Bo Nix in his first postseason game
thirteen of twenty two one hundred and forty four yards
and a touchdown. So everyone obviously waiting for the next
matchup for the Bills, which will be the Ravens in
the AFC Divisional Round. There is no date yet, but

(02:23:53):
it's either gonna be Saturday or Sunday of next weekend,
but we don't have an exact date yet. Starting any
second now will be the NFC Wildcard Playoffs.

Speaker 3 (02:24:01):
Starting with the Packers and the Eagles.

Speaker 6 (02:24:03):
Again it's about to start, and then the Buccaneers and
Commanders will play later today at eight eastern. Mike Vrabel,
as we all expected, will be the new Patriots head coach.
He knows them. He played eight seasons in New England,
won three Super Bowls there his member the team's Hall
of Fame.

Speaker 3 (02:24:18):
Bears are still looking.

Speaker 6 (02:24:19):
For their next head coach in the NFL Network reports
that they're interested in interviewing Notre Dame head coach Marcus
Freeman about their head coaching vacancy. We've got some NBA
going on, and Jalen Brunson is putting on a show
at Madison Square Garden.

Speaker 3 (02:24:33):
They just got going. In the third quarter.

Speaker 6 (02:24:35):
He has thirty two points and the Knicks are beating
the Bucks eighty five to sixty two. Damian Lillard has
fifteen points for Milwaukee. The Nuggets are coming in closer
to the maps the MAVs were winning with Al Kyrie.
Without Lukadancic, They're still on top, sixty seven to sixty
four halfway through the third quarter. Late in the second quarter,
the Bulls are beating the Kings fifty nine to fifty six.

(02:24:56):
Of course, de Monte Sebonis almost already has a triple
double eight points, nine rebounds of the seven assists with
one minute.

Speaker 3 (02:25:03):
Ago in the first half. Back to you, guys, h
Monzi and men, this job jo.

Speaker 6 (02:25:09):
Should I point out to you that it did not
go over It.

Speaker 1 (02:25:13):
Did on the Broncos. It did not go over.

Speaker 7 (02:25:15):
Did you notice that mister Harton who took me over yesterday?

Speaker 2 (02:25:19):
So I did sid it yesterday because I'm down to
like seven points. We're on the Stapleford system that I
was going to change some of the rules to pick
against the spread and everything else. I mean yesterday the
Ravens game against the Steelers. The over under on the
game was forty four and I went over and the

(02:25:40):
final score was twenty eight fourteen the Ravens. I was like,
somebody give me a field goal because I had the
bubble this way. I'm like, just give me a field goal.

Speaker 1 (02:25:49):
No.

Speaker 11 (02:25:49):
I literally was like, well news, well, I just Monzie
is finding out what everyone has ever found out going
head to head against me is that this is the
like the freeze on the Bengal board.

Speaker 2 (02:26:01):
I will win and Montsi's gonna up. Okay, congratulations. By
the way, don't forget after the show. Our podcast is
going up, So 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 follow, rate
and review the podcast. Again, just search Fox Sports Radio
wherever you gets your podcasts, and you will see the

(02:26:21):
show posted right after the year. I was just looking
at Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady as they get ready
to announce this game coming up, and it just hit
me as I'm watching, you know, if you're Kevin Bergart,
you're sitting next to Tom Brady, and as I say,
Tom Brady literally looks like an AI person, Like he

(02:26:43):
doesn't look human.

Speaker 3 (02:26:44):
Like everything is so perfect on him right now.

Speaker 2 (02:26:47):
You know the hair that he added, and I don't
know what he's done to his face over the years,
but like it's like perfect. And so I've been sort
of watching Burkhart, you know, and Burkhart's hair. I don't
know about how often do you get a haircut.

Speaker 4 (02:27:02):
Rich, I'm gonna say once every six weeks, maybe once
every two months, right, I.

Speaker 2 (02:27:09):
Actually get one like every month, like once a month, Okay.
And I'm looking at Burkhard's hair. He has good hair,
and it's a low grayish but the way that it
is groomed perfectly, yeah, tells me that he did it.

Speaker 3 (02:27:24):
He does it constantly. I know people like this. I
know guys like this, you know, very conscious of their
hair and everything else. They don't wait like normal guys.

Speaker 2 (02:27:33):
Where you get a haircut every you know, a month,
you know, six weeks, two months.

Speaker 3 (02:27:36):
Whatever it might be.

Speaker 2 (02:27:38):
But part of it is, you know, being next to
Tom Brady, because Tom Brady is literally like there is
like it's like perfect, right, and so if your burke aren't,
You're like, I'm really i gotta be perfectly groomed. So
I'm looking like, you know, like the sides of his
like there's you know, it's it's like the edges are

(02:27:59):
per you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (02:28:01):
You know when you get that, like when you're living
in the suburbs and all of a sudden the house
next to you and then the house on the other
side of yours gets bought and and they turned it
into like these giant old mc mansions, and.

Speaker 1 (02:28:13):
You're like, I can't.

Speaker 4 (02:28:14):
I don't have the kind of money to invest in
putting a second story on my house, so I better
keep the landscaping looking really sharp.

Speaker 3 (02:28:20):
I'm telling you, the edges are so sharp.

Speaker 2 (02:28:23):
I watch it every week, right, I'm like every I mean,
you are to take a shot of the two of them.

Speaker 3 (02:28:29):
Yeah, every game they've worked this year.

Speaker 2 (02:28:32):
Their hair is the exact same way every week, and
they work weekly. Yeah, so I just you know, I'm
not sure what is grooming process, but I've just imagined that,
you know, there's a lot of pressure on that. Yeah,
my review of Tom Brady's first year, he's far from bad.

Speaker 3 (02:28:49):
He is obviously well prepared.

Speaker 2 (02:28:53):
I think at times the problem for Brady, and it's
not necessarily a problem for everybody, but he he gets
very technical, you know. I mean that's the way he played, right,
There's a reason that he was the quarterback that he was.
He understands seemingly every defense, every offense, every play ever
manufactured on both sides in the history of the NFL,

(02:29:14):
at least in his history, and he wants to share
that information with you, but he needs I would say,
at the end of the year, say look, Tom, we
know you know football.

Speaker 3 (02:29:23):
Okay, no one's going to question your knowledge of the game.

Speaker 2 (02:29:27):
And it's not like he's not self effacing, because we've
seen a lot of that of Tom Brady. Certainly after
he left New England and joined the Buccaneers. He's had
plenty of fun at his own expense. I would just say,
maybe a little more of that.

Speaker 8 (02:29:38):
Do you do you think there's a next year?

Speaker 1 (02:29:42):
Well?

Speaker 2 (02:29:42):
That is that is that is an interesting question. All right,
so he's making thirty seven million dollars a year. I
don't know about rich, but I don't know if you
would walk out on nine years remaining on a job
that's paying at thirty seven million dollars a year. Yeah,
it's tough to walk but he is restrained because of
his position with the Raiders, and maybe he wants to

(02:30:04):
take on a bigger role with the Raiders, which would
be difficult to do if you have to get ready
each week for a national TV broadcast.

Speaker 4 (02:30:12):
I personally feel like, because Tom Brady is such a
tireless worker that and such a successful person at things
that he's dedicated himself to, I don't think he'd be
comfortable walking away from broadcasting until he's convinced the majority
of people that he's pretty damn good at this. And unfortunately,

(02:30:32):
you know, football, it's pretty fact based, right, You go
out there, you perform. There's not a lot of argument
around who the great quarterbacks are in the NFL today.
I realize when you get to maybe the fourth, or
the fifth, or even the sixth on the list, it
gets a little bit more subjective, like, oh, I think
he's really elite.

Speaker 1 (02:30:51):
Well, I don't, you know.

Speaker 4 (02:30:52):
But we know who the great guys are, we know
who the next tier are. For the most part, we
know who the third tier are. Tom Brady worked himself
into that top tier in terms of NFL quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (02:31:03):
And then there was no debating that.

Speaker 4 (02:31:06):
I think that he's at least going to work himself
into the top tier of broadcasters doing this on the
TV side, and then only then will he be will
he feel like it's acceptable walking away. I don't think
that he's going to feel comfortable walking away after one
year of doing this, because I don't think the reviews

(02:31:26):
have been to you know, his very lofty expectations.

Speaker 8 (02:31:31):
If he's going to have as big as big of
a role with the Raiders as it sounds like he's
going to next year. If I'm another team, I demand
that he not broadcast. Then yeah, I mean this entire
too much.

Speaker 9 (02:31:41):
This entire story with Tom Telesco has all taken the
role of Hey Tom, this is the work of Tom Brady.
Tom Brady is stepping in and putting his mark on
and he wants the Raiders to go after Ben Jonson.
That's not going to affect how other teams talk about
his broadcast jobs him into your building.

Speaker 4 (02:31:59):
Well, I get well, he's already banned from doing that anyways,
He's not this entire season. He hasn't been allowed into
anybody's facility. He hasn't been allowed to watch any practices
or access to practice film. He hasn't been you know,
obviously there's rules about exactly what he's allowed to say
during the course of a broadcast in terms of you know,

(02:32:19):
the faming, you know officials, because of his you know,
of his his role as a minority owner.

Speaker 1 (02:32:26):
I think this.

Speaker 4 (02:32:27):
I think he continues on as a broadcaster, and I
feel strongly about this. If if the owners want to
change the rules, if they want to move the goal
line to disallow a minority owner to also be a broadcaster,
well then and only then will I see Tom Brady
leave on anybody other than his own terms. But it

(02:32:49):
won't be because other coaches are Would he.

Speaker 9 (02:32:51):
Rather be a more successful minority owner or a more
successful broadcaster.

Speaker 1 (02:32:55):
It's a great.

Speaker 4 (02:32:56):
Question, and I personally think that he's going to try
to find a way to juggle this and do both.

Speaker 1 (02:33:01):
Well.

Speaker 4 (02:33:03):
I would say, you have to admit there needs to
be more of an investment in the broadcasting side, because
literally his face is all.

Speaker 1 (02:33:10):
Over that the Raiders.

Speaker 4 (02:33:11):
In terms of the Raiders, he's much more of an
ancillary character in that conversation than the broadcasting conversation.

Speaker 2 (02:33:19):
By the way, the website awful announcing something I know
you watch or look at every day.

Speaker 3 (02:33:26):
Rich God.

Speaker 2 (02:33:28):
So they actually ranked every single NFL announcing pairing or
in some cases three man booths okay, and Kevin Burkhart
and Tom Brady I believe ranked fourteenth. Okay, they were
sort of middle of the pack. By the way, Number

(02:33:49):
one Joe Davis and Greg Olsen.

Speaker 1 (02:33:53):
I could see that.

Speaker 2 (02:33:54):
I mean Greg Olsen is they have a leap ears
now when you old people, viewers, everybody in the business,
who is the best NFL analyst going on?

Speaker 3 (02:34:06):
They ranked him ahead of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
They ranked him ahead of every other duo. They have
number one, Greg Olsen with Joe Davis number one.

Speaker 1 (02:34:17):
Listen.

Speaker 2 (02:34:17):
I don't know what they say, and they say a
lot of it obviously has to do with so Yeah,
they have Burkhart and Brady at number fourteen.

Speaker 4 (02:34:25):
And I wouldn't doubt that the majority of people who
view Brady and Burkhart and the Fox games that they've
broadcasted on.

Speaker 1 (02:34:34):
Feel maybe similarly. But here's what I feel.

Speaker 4 (02:34:38):
I feel like Tom Brady over the course of his career,
and this isn't dissimilar to other greats, has proven people
wrong at every turn. You know, if you look at
Tom Brady early in his career in the early two
thousands with the Patriots, they called him a game manager.

Speaker 2 (02:34:52):
Says every turn. There's one thing he's done. Obviously great
play quarterback. Well, but doesn't mean that he's going to
be a great announcer. Doesn't mean it's like my kill, Jordan.
I mean he was the best basketball player around then
he tried to play baseball not so well.

Speaker 4 (02:35:05):
Yeah, well, I agree, I agree with that that is true.
The only metric I'm basing my side of the argument
on is what I saw in the football field. You're
absolutely right, and and the other things that he's touched
really have been I guess propelled by his football career. Yeah,
we're talking about promoting gear or promoting other brands that

(02:35:27):
he has created during the.

Speaker 1 (02:35:29):
Course of his career or after.

Speaker 4 (02:35:31):
So those are very different things, or I should say
those things are very much.

Speaker 2 (02:35:34):
Well, he was also part of the big promotion that
turned out to be a disaster.

Speaker 1 (02:35:39):
Well he was.

Speaker 4 (02:35:41):
You're talking about the ftxtans, the cryptocurrency world burned a
lot of celebrities. I wouldn't say that was his I
wouldn't say that was his failure. I would say that
was the failure of the people at the head of that.

Speaker 9 (02:35:54):
Okayamon takes more for that than Tom Brady and also
but steering it back.

Speaker 1 (02:36:00):
So it's the broadcasting conversation.

Speaker 2 (02:36:01):
Look, the idea that everything he touches turns to gold
is not all right, We're up up against it.

Speaker 4 (02:36:07):
Yeah, With the point is I think I think, I
think he's going I think he's going to have success
in the broadcast booth regardless of what awful announcing thinks
of him.

Speaker 1 (02:36:15):
Right now.

Speaker 2 (02:36:16):
Again, either you like him or you don't. It's a
simple thing. I mean, that's it. I mean, either you
like what you see or you don't like what you said.
I don't think it's going.

Speaker 3 (02:36:22):
To change minds. Red Zone Radio continuous, good all right.

Speaker 2 (02:36:25):
Red Zone Radio Live from the tirag dot Com studios.
This will not be a repeat of last year's Packers
Cowboys game because the Packers fumbled the opening kickoff. Wow,
recover by the Eagles three plays later hurts the Dots
and touchdown Eagles. So just like that, seven nothing Philadelphia.
That didn't take long.

Speaker 4 (02:36:46):
This is a problem for the NFL. This is a
problem for the NFL. Let me tell you why. You
have three division winners absolutely dominate their prom their their
side of the playoffs, and then you go to the
NFC side and so far not so good. I mean,
if you're gonna make the playoffs as a wildcard, Don't

(02:37:07):
get me wrong, We've seen plenty of wildcard teams knockoff
division winners in the wildcard round, but and get swept
by division winners, especially only a few years after playoff expansion,
it does not bode well.

Speaker 2 (02:37:24):
Well I'm gonna guess though, And we honestly we said that.
I mean, we looked at these matchups. You know, the
Bills were nine and a half point favorites. The Ravens
yesterday were nine point favorites. Chargers were favored. I mean,
we never thought that they would get They could lose
to Houston, but not get blown out, yeah, like they
did by the Texans. Philadelphia is obviously a healthy favorite.

(02:37:48):
Over the Packers. What really brings us to the two
remaining games? I mean, these I'm on paper, Commanders at Buccaneers,
Vikings Rams in Phoenix should competitive games. Yeah, so I
think we broke these games down earlier. But let's let's
go for the record here. Is anybody going on the

(02:38:12):
record and picking the Commanders tonight or is everyone going
by no?

Speaker 1 (02:38:16):
I told you earlier?

Speaker 4 (02:38:18):
I think Jayden Daniels presents a lot of problems. He's
the only rookie quarterback that I was backing heading into this.
Other than that, I have division winners, including the Rams,
So I'm I'm going to say the Commanders win that game. No, Okay, Okay, Chris,
maybe a friend friendly wager maybe.

Speaker 2 (02:38:38):
Well, who are you taking in tonight's game between the
Bucks and the Commanders.

Speaker 9 (02:38:42):
I think I'm going to have to take the Bucks here.
Like I know, the Commanders are young, hot and fresh,
but like this has been I mean, I think the
Buccaneers defense is starting to be on the mend in
the right way, and it's really hard for me at
this point with how he's playing to go against uh
one Baker Mayfield.

Speaker 8 (02:39:00):
How about you, bo, I'm never gonna pick against Baker,
So the Buccaneers are gonna win.

Speaker 3 (02:39:06):
By the way, Monzi and I A, I'm the Rikord.

Speaker 2 (02:39:08):
You can check out our podcast from our show yesterday
went through all the playoff games. All right, how about
tomorrow night, guys, Vikings Rams in Phoenix, bo Who do
you like there?

Speaker 8 (02:39:19):
I actually think the Vikings are gonna win that game tomorrow.
I don't know. The Rams offense hasn't been good for
a couple of weeks now, and I don't think one
bad game from Sam Donald means anything.

Speaker 3 (02:39:28):
So okay, Chris, where are you going on that game?
I think I've got to take the Rams here.

Speaker 9 (02:39:32):
I think they're kind of set up in a similar
way to give the same defensive pressure that the Lions
put on them last week. And I mean the emotion
behind them with everything going into LA. I know it's
you kind of take him out of Los Angeles, But
I still like the Rams here.

Speaker 3 (02:39:46):
I like Stafford. I'm with you as well.

Speaker 2 (02:39:48):
I mean again, playoff game matchup between Matthew Stafford and
Sam Donald.

Speaker 4 (02:39:52):
Yeah, I trust I trust the Rams also more so
for everything you guys just said, I mean it comes
down to a very simple equation.

Speaker 1 (02:39:59):
Coach quarterback.

Speaker 4 (02:40:01):
Who do I trust more, Kevin O'Connell and Sam Darnold
or Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.

Speaker 1 (02:40:05):
The answer is very simple and very clear to me.
I trust the Rams more.

Speaker 2 (02:40:10):
I'm watching this game right now, and this is getting
away from the Packers real real quick.

Speaker 3 (02:40:15):
Don't go anywhere, folks.

Speaker 2 (02:40:17):
A lot more coming up, all these NFL games, and
we got to cover right here on Red Zone Radio.

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