December 16, 2025 • 36 mins
Doug talks about the Steelers after their win over the Dolphins Monday night and gives credit to them for continuing to stay above water with Mike Tomlin at the helm. Doug welcomes NFL Analyst John Middlekauff onto the show to talk about Aaron Rodgers, the Bears and all of the other headlines round the NFL. Plus, Dan Beyer takes Doug through a game of "Rank 'Em".
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotleb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
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Speaker 1 (00:24):
I hope you're having a great day. The Doug Gottlieb
Show broadcast live every day. We're sort of by coastal.
We're on the coast of Wisconsin and the coast of
California as well. The boys are out and enjoy the sunshine.
I'm stuck in here with the snow, but we're here
with you for the next two hours plus. We have
an hour podcast which follows this show, which you can
hear every day, every single day if you just type
(00:47):
in the name Doug Gottlieb Show wherever you download podcasts.
Welcome In this hour of the show, John Middlcoff will
join us as we'll ask him not just about the NFL,
but about the news that archbe He is officially returning
to Texas next year, which it was part of the plan.
We did discuss it in the preseason, we did discuss
(01:10):
it in the summer, and it is part of what
the Mannings have always done, and based upon the unevenness
of some of his performances, it does make sense. But
it also makes it so there's one less big name
on that draft board for the upcoming NFL Draft before
we get to the NFL Draft, and teams will need
a quarterback, like maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers. They took down
(01:32):
the Miami Dolphins last night. Dolphins are on the playoffs.
Dolphins were down twenty eight to three. Game was essentially over.
Super slow start for the Dolphins. The offense was not
good against the Steelers defense, which is mid as the kid.
Do the kids still say mid? I don't know. It
feels like once I start saying mid, it's definitely over.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Seems like it's been replaced by six to seven.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
That's so mid.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
This is me and the YouTube channel. I'm doing the
six to seven thing, which again was like a throwaway
line from a rap song, but it's unbelievable. Tomorrow night
we play you see Santa Barbara at the Cress Events Center,
and I'm guessing once we when you get to sixty seven,
all the every kid goes crazy.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
That just can't do it.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Anyway, I want to take this moment to recognize something
that is amazing, Right, Jason and I both search for
things that are interesting. This is something that's amazing. You
ready for it. Here's what it is. Pittsburgh Steelers are
probably gonna finish above five hundred again. And like this
(02:38):
is the Mike Tomlin thing. It doesn't matter how average
they look. And again I understand that when you're eight
nine or nine and eight, you're by definition you're a
mediocre your averager slightly above. But his calling card is
he's never finished below five hundred, right, never finished below
five hundred. And now here they are. They're at eight
(03:00):
and six. They beat the Ravens on the road, they
beat the Dolphins at home. They have the Lions on
the road upcoming Sunday, then the Browns on the road,
then the Ravens at home. Ten and seven is not
close to being out of the question. And yet does
anybody think the Steelers are are really good? Like there
they were good last night, But are they really good?
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Not?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Really? It's there is something amazing about not ever losing
your team, and by losing your team, I mean they
just won't play for you. You know there, you won't.
You can yell and scream and rant and rave, you
give them the best game play in the world, but
the second they hit ad verse, theyd like, eh, I'm good,
(03:46):
I'm good. Now. Some of it is in the players
that you go acquire, and I do think there's a
little bit of something of what they've done there, which
I don't want to say desperation, but is an extra
piece of motivation for some of these guys. Some of
them are this is their last year, Aaron Rodgers, probably
last year playing. They've acquired a lot of one year guys,
(04:09):
but they've also gotten some guys kind of off the
scrap heap that are trying to prove themselves. Here is
here's bet here's excuse me, here's Aaron Rodgers talking about
how the win helps for the playoff push.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Obviously, the division game is the most important game, but
these guys have won four four straight. Coming in we know,
well some of us, maybe a few of us know
about how obviously the first way to get to the
playoffs is win your division. There's you haven't beaten Baltimore already.
There's obviously time breakers that come into effect, including divisional record,
(04:45):
conference record, so winning near AFC games are really important.
Keeping the one game leap plus the head to head as.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Big as well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
That is crazy. I think maybe the craziest thing is
that we all act like the NFC. The AFC North
is the best and toughest division in football, right, don't know?
We we have a tendency to do that. We're like
man AFC North, brutal division. Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, got Joe Burrow,
(05:21):
a lot of talent Browns. You could make a case
and I think I will that while I'm not trying
to dismiss as a matter of fact, I think it's amazing.
I'm not dismissing Pittsburgh's resilience in any way. But does
(05:42):
anybody think Pittsburgh's an elite football team? And yet here
they are a game up with a favorable schedule that
looks like they're gonna win their division, and they're gonna
win nine and they'll probably win ten games. And how
can I tell you other than just your eyes telling
you that they're not a great football team. Well, anybody
(06:04):
they played any good they did beat the Patriots in
the third week of the season on the road, but
outside of that, Seahawks housed them. Packer game wasn't crazy close.
Chargers are all banged up and they could do nothing
with the Chargers. The Bears beat them, granted, close game
on the road. The Bills smoked them in their own building.
(06:28):
They did beat the Colts when the Colts were healthy
or healthy or when they had Danny Dimes. And now
they have the Lions next. Like, you can make the
case that there's the NFC South and the AFC North
are the two worst divisions in football, But then of
course the AFC South is like, hey, yeah, hey, Philip
(06:49):
Rivers just started for the Colts. We got one good
team in this division. But still, I think there's a
lot to it. I think Tomlin's ability to continue to
get to the guys to where he doesn't lose his
team is really impressive. I do think that Aaron Rodgers,
he's not close to Aaron Rodgers before, but he's still
(07:11):
really good and it's gonna be fun to watch him
in the playoffs. If you hate Aaron Rodgers, it's gonna
be fun to watch him lose his last game because
they're not gonna go to a super Bowl. They're not gonna
win a super Bowl. I think the Steelers defense, while
it looked good early last night, is again very average
that they tried to throw together for a year. This
is not a great football team, but it is one
(07:33):
that finds a way to win, that finds a way
to get above five hundred, that's gonna find a way
to get in the playoffs. The other side to it
is it does show you just how crummy the AFC
North is this year. Some of that's injuries with the
Bengals and lack of defense of the Bengals. The Browns
are just a dysfunctional bag of poop, and the Ravens
(07:53):
are stunningly below average this year for the first time
really since Lamar Jackson became their starting quarterback. Dan Bio,
how'd I do on my synopsis of the AFC.
Speaker 7 (08:05):
North, Yeah, pretty good. I think you gotta give a
little bit more credit to the AFC South because I
think that the Texans are good and the Jaguars are good.
But on the AFC North, I don't think that there's
anything last night that would make me think that that
this was a Steelers team that was for real. I'm
not a huge Aaron Rodgers fan, but he is having
his moments last night, and there are quarterbacks that couldn't
(08:28):
do what he was able to do. So it's a
nice story, but I just don't think it's going to
affect anything in the grand scheme of how the AFC
playoff picture plays out.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I'm gonna I'm gonna have an honest Doug moment. You
ready for it?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Mm hmm?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I forgot the Texans were an AFC South That's all right.
I just I always think of like, well, the Jaguar,
the Colts, and then like Titans. The Titans are terrible,
and I just I was just thinking Colts sense injury,
not very good? Right, No, they were a good story.
And go ahead.
Speaker 7 (09:01):
The Patriots game that the Steelers won, a twenty one
to fourteen game. New England turned the ball over five
times in that game and a goal line fumble as well,
So if maybe New England only turns it over three times,
it's a Patriots victory. So to your point of, yeah,
they're not beating teams that are better than them, they're
(09:21):
beating teams that aren't better than them.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
It's the Doug Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
It is amazing that the Mike Tomlin thing and everybody
tries to run him out of town. Here's Ben Roethlisberger
on his podcast last week talking about Tomlin and the
Steelers need a fresh start, just because.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
I said that, you know, there's a time for like maybe.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Some new things.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
That that's just saying that. I think, you know, coach Tomlin,
if he wants to move on, he has every right
to want to move all. It's not they should it.
So it's up to him, you know, and he's earned
that right and that if he wants to go do
something else he can't should have We should honor him
when that time comes. Whenever that is. Maybe he wants
to coach your that's.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Fine too, Ben Roethlisberger. He played tight end before he
played quarterback. That was really good footwork as a cornerback.
That was some about Hey, if he wants to stay
here for next ten years, hey, let's do it, right Ben,
Ben Ben learning very quickly about spoken word instead of
(10:23):
just going ah. And by the way, you can own
what she said, like you could Ben could have just
gone like, look, the Dolphins are crummy. Great, we beat
the Dolphins. That shouldn't be the nine and eight every
year or ten and seven shouldn't be the standard of
the Steelers. We're trying to win super Bowls here, okay,
and I won one every year. We came in trying
(10:43):
to win a super Bowl. We have him in close recently.
This is we're gonna get into it in the podcast,
me and Jay stew because you know, Cam Newton, he
wants to be like, Hey, if you want to be
a black quarterback and be on television, watch what I do.
But the problem is he's you know, he dresses like
a clown. The subject matter he talks about. Oftentimes more
(11:05):
podcasts and first take are more clownish than serious. Not
that you have to be serious, but it's not in
the football analysis kind of spectrum. But I mean, Ben Roethlisberger,
you're just former Super Bowl champion quarterback, longtime Pittsburgh Steeler,
and you offer up a strong take, you're either wrong
(11:26):
or you double down. What you don't do is what
he's like, Eh, I listen, I just said it, because
he can if he wants to lave, he can leave.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
Yes, Jason stewartt the best part about what he said
on the podcast was not only did they say that
they should probably clean house and that he needs a
new start somewhere, he also was like, Hey, the Penn
State job's open, maybe he should do that would be
a nice soft land And I think he's what he said.
I guess Ben forgot that. Mike Tomlin delivered one of
(12:01):
the best sound bites in the history of sports in
twenty twenty one when some unlucky reporter in the room
asked him about the rumors about the USC job.
Speaker 9 (12:11):
Hey, guys, I don't have time for that speculation. I mean,
that's a joke to me. I got one of the
best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I
have any interest in coaching college football. That'll be the
last time to address it, and not only today, but
moving forward. Never say never, but never. Okay, anybody else
got any questions about any college jobs? Is not a
(12:31):
booster with a big enough blank check. Anybody asking Sean
Payton about that, you know, anybody asking Andy Reid about
stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
No, that's amazing that I forgot how good it was.
I know you love that sound bite, and we've played
it like three different times, maybe four I do. Every
time I hear it, I forget how good it is.
I mean, Ben just showing how he does. I don't
think he's wrong that it may be everybody thinks if
they see and then's poorly, you're probably gonna clean house.
(13:01):
This is like a one year all in thing. And
I don't know if Tomlin wants to come back and rebuild,
start a new quarterback or whatever, or Mike Tomlin could
easily go into TV. Now, are you guys gonna you
guys disagree with me with Russell Wilson being on TV?
Are you gonna disagree with me that Tomlin would get
a TV job? Literally, when he's walking out of his
press conference if he.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Ever resigned, Absolutely, yes, yes, I mean he's see you later,
Bill Kauer, Yes, goodbye, Yeah, I'll replace again somebody.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
He's literally he could sit there and go watch all
the networks in the pregame shows and go like, hmm,
I like that seat right there. That's the one. No, no, no,
when his if he doesn't like Bill Kawer, Bill Cower's gone.
If he doesn't like how he how, he's gone. If
he doesn't like straight hand, straight Hand's gone. But that
was some rather impressive and nifty backpedaling from Big Ben. Right, Look, Ben,
(13:55):
here's how it works. If you really believe that does faring,
just own it. Just go hey man, that was great.
I'm so happy they won. They're getting a bunch out
of it. We all know this thing is run its course.
It's time to start over in the meanwhile or meanwhile
Steelers are they're not definitely going to the playoffs. Feels
that way got a great shot to win this division,
(14:17):
which means a home game the playoffs. And if you
watch that Charger game and thought this was a playoff team,
you'd be like, no, no, why no, no, no, no way.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
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Speaker 1 (14:36):
Every Olympic dream starts with a first glide through learn
to Skate USA. Kids build confidence, strength, and enjoying the ice.
Learn Skate USA offers programs for skaters of all ages
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Skate usa dot com. I was thinking about this, Dan,
I've been doing national sports radio since two thousand and three. Right,
(15:02):
so twenty two years, and it's kind of crazy that
Lebron James still playing basketball, right, yes, right, I mean
think about that, like that's that's a long time doing
national sports radio, even longer time to play, right. And
(15:25):
then I was thinking about Aaron Rodgers and how long
he's played him, like, man, it's really remarkable. How many
Monday Night football games do you think you've seen Aaron
Rodgers play. He's played twenty one years in the NFL.
Speaker 10 (15:39):
Twelve years, So do you have the number?
Speaker 1 (15:41):
I don't. Oh, okay, again, this is not a I researched,
it got ya whatever, none of that. I'm gonna guess again.
I'm just gonna guess here. So he got hurt with
the Jets on Monday Night football, right, And I think
there was probably one last year, so you got to
guess there's like one to two a year, so I'm
(16:03):
guessing it's like thirty times. Plus you have some Thanksgiving
games which are not Monday Night football, but they're the
standalone variety. It feels like my entire adult life, I've
been watching Aaron Rodgers throw football.
Speaker 7 (16:16):
That's really my Yeah, And Aaron Rodgers was probably throwing
the football on Monday Night Football when Monday Night Football
was king like I can't remember the exact year that
it changed over on the where then Sunday Night Football
was getting all of the good games. But he probably
was a part of that era.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I'm gonna say, was it six or seven? I was
at ESPN at the time. Mark Shapiro was our boss.
Mark Shapiro now is second in charge of what is it?
They've changed the name of the Ari Golds Agency. What
was it?
Speaker 10 (16:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Well, they own you know, WWE, and they own w
and they own they own everything. Anyway, March Bureau is
our boss, and I remember him saying, like, you know,
we got a hold on of Monday Night Football and
we're probably gonna lose Sunday Night Football. They lost Sunday
Night Football and everything changed after that, everything changed. I'm
(17:15):
gonna go I'm gonna go seven buyer again. This is
only a guess because I remember it might have been
O six. It was very early on am I run
in the ESPN which started oh.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
Three, I just looked.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
I think it's two thousand and six. I think I
think that's what I'm what I'm seeing here. So yes,
Sunday Night Football on NBC began airing on August sixth,
two thousand and six, with the Hall of Fame game.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Wow. So and for people who forget, like NBC lost
the NFL, wasn't in the NFL. It was kind of
a nothing. Now NBC is like backpack, you know, they
got NBA now the college football and of course they
have a Football Night in America. But I just I
was watching last night and I was getting a little nostalgia, Like, damn,
(18:01):
I've seen Aaron Rodgers play a lot of football, a lot,
a lot, a lot crazy and still like you said,
I thought you nailed it. They're just he has He's
not great anymore, but he is great in moments and
you're like, no one throws it. He's just such a
unique style to playing the position. There's nobody before and
(18:23):
nobody since he started playing that looks or throws like him.
Nobody imitates that. But yeah, it's fun to watch. It's
fun to wat.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
I think it's I think it's very safe to say
that the Steelers would not be in this spot without
Aaron Rodgers this year, and they're about to win the division,
like they can lose them.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
That part, it's crazy part that they're gonna win. And
it's not they're gonna win division. They're gonna win the
AFC North, which normally when you go aft is like
whoa stuck out leap show. This is Fox Sports Radio.
Have you heard about trainer games? Add this to your
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and fifty thousand dollars, streaming on Prime Video starting January eighth.
(19:02):
John Mitocoff joins us he has a podcast. It's called
three and Out. It's on the Volume podcast network. John,
I'm watching last night. I can't believe I'm still watching it.
Rodgers play football. Even more surprising is the Steelers, who
I've watched all year long, are in prime position to
win the AFC North. How did this happen?
Speaker 11 (19:24):
Well, Burrow missed the majority of the year, so I
mean that cost him a ton of games. The Ravens
start was just atrocious, and they've kind of been all
over the map till they kind of showed some signs
of life last week. And the Steelers started fast. So
you get a four and one start, you have Burrow disappearing,
and were the Ravens won in five if I remember correctly,
(19:44):
So you gave yourself a little buffer because, let's face it,
up until the last couple of weeks, the Steelers were
leaking serious oil, right. I mean, they had lost a
ton of games playing good teams, and it does feel
like they got their mojo back a little bit. Obviously,
that Ravens game was huge, but even last night, you know,
to uh, you know his numbers if you if you
didn't watch the game, he's looking at the box score,
(20:06):
He's like, ah, pretty good game, which obviously wasn't the case.
But the Miami Dolphins defense for the first I would
say ninety percent of the first half was playing pretty good.
And then they have that long drive at the end
of the first half. Score touchdown, score a touchdown, right,
and you know, start the second half, and let's be real,
you're up fourteen to fourteen to three in that weather
(20:29):
that was freezing cold.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
It felt like the.
Speaker 11 (20:31):
Game was over. And then obviously you get a couple
more scores, but once they had the fourteen three lead,
it just didn't feel like Miami, unless they busted some
long run, was going to be able to score. And listen,
you know, Aaron I've been saying forever. I bet if
you've got Dan Marino right now, just have him throw
a ten yard out rout. It looked great. His arm
looks really good. He's obviously really smart. You know, they
have some limitations on offense because the personnel, But if
(20:53):
DK's going to make some big plays, I mean, Darnel
Washington's monster, I mean, he's probably I mean, if I
was him, I would try to become like a hybrid
right tackle tight end because the tackles make a little
bit more. But he probably likes getching touchdowns and make
them play. And then defensively, you just got to hope
that dry needling with TJ. Watt, which I've never been
(21:15):
dry needled. It sounds pretty painful. But hopefully he's okay.
And you know, they can win the division. I mean
there's a chance this week, right and now they got
a tough game going to Detroit on a short week.
But if the Patriots take down the Ravens and they win,
I mean, this thing could get away from the Ravens fast.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I mean, plus the Ravens got to come to their place.
They have two winnable games, how about this one? So
I don't know if you heard Dan Buyer's update, but
McDaniel said all options are on the table at quarterback
March fourteenth of this year to his contract for next
year became fully guaranteed. That's fifty four million dollars. Jeez,
(21:52):
what do you do?
Speaker 11 (21:54):
Yeah, I mean my take last night was I think
you got to cut him because at this point, I mean,
he's regressed. It's crazy. I mean we could have nitpicked
him a couple of years ago, but he was a
solid player. I mean it feels like this year, as
the year went out on, they started winning games because
they stopped having him passed. And then I mean it's
not even debatable. I mean he can't pass in the COLT,
(22:15):
which listen, but he's not alone. A lot of players can't, right,
and a lot of people, you know, he's a Wian guy,
played in the South. Now he's in Miami. Like you
just it's tough, but like, you can't function as a
quarterback and win important games if you can't play in
the COLT, especially in that conference. I mean, look at
their division Buffalo, dw England and New York. I mean
(22:36):
there's no avoiding it. So I just think I would
have the mindset in the offseason because I think it's
pretty difficult to trade him. Now, maybe you could eat some.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Money in dead cap money next year. Yeah, I four
million guaranteed.
Speaker 11 (22:53):
I think what I think you think about almost doing it.
But they're gonna have a new GM. I mean the
Sean Paytonside move, Russell Wilson and just eating it. And
I think it gets back to you and I were
talking then it made no sense when they extended him
like I didn't. Kyler Murray Won made even less. But
Kyler is a more physically gifted player than Tua. I
(23:16):
just never understood the to a contract. I just been
and we've seen in recent memory, right the last couple
of years, the Raiders made a tough decision with Carr,
with Josh McDaniels, like if they kind of knew after
last offseason like you might want to pivot, and they
still stood strong, So you could argue they made this
bad and now they got to lay in it.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
What's amazing about it is And look, I don't make
no one makes all great calls, and I don't purport
myself to be a football analyst, but the guys can
tell you, and you know, I you know, I've never
been a believer into his arm. And remember the Dolphins,
I think it was year two in the preseason, they
kept throwing out their footage of him throwing the ball
(23:55):
along to Tyreek Hill. I think when they got him whatever,
you know, and as if go like, no, no, really,
he's got a great arm, and he like he doesn't.
I remember going to that Charger game. I don't know
three four years ago at so far when? Uh who
was it who made the comments guys on Fox about
it about u about being a to a guy, not
(24:18):
being a Herbert guy. And if you went to that game, Ocho, yes,
yeah it was Emanuaco made comments about Justin Herbert being
a social media quarterback and he's not that good to
is the And if you went I went to that game.
It was night and day, like one guy looked like
a big time quarterback, the other guy looked like a
(24:39):
backup and he just didn't have the arm for it
was the last.
Speaker 11 (24:44):
Two weeks and then guy's got a broken hands. He's
playing you know, physical defenses. I mean Herbert the last
couple of weeks, like anyone with a brain knew how
talented he is. But you go up a different level
in sports and specifically football, when it's like, this guy's
one of the toughest guys in the league, I think
the last couple of weeks. I mean, and we know
(25:04):
his coach is crazy when it comes to toughness in
the intangibles, like I think he kind of became like
legendary status within that organization. I mean, let's Philip fell
off a cliff at the end, physically couldn't move in
his arm, but no one ever questioned. I mean, look
at him a couple of days ago, like Rivers toughness.
You know, players did have been around him, coaches that
they I mean, look at Shane Psyche loves the guy
(25:26):
because he's just a tough dude. Pervert to me, is
I mean, he's a throwback right the eighties, nineties, two thousands,
and you have that physical gifts. I mean, he's him
and the Jim harbonugh toughness of the franchise. They have
no business hit a ten win team right now with
their injuries, do they?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah? None, none. I you know, it's it's this is
what they do, how they try and get out of
this contract or what they try and do is I
don't know it's gonna be really interesting. I don't know.
I don't know enough about cap manipulation. I just don't
know how you get out of ninety nine million dollars
(26:04):
in the dead cap money. Oh, stug otleeb show here
on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, we've got a bunch of
other stuff to get to with. John Middlcoff, of course,
Three and Out is is his podcast on the Volume
Podcast Network. Let's go back to Sunday now, as the
(26:24):
Kansait Chiefs are no longer a playoff threat, this is
the team that has dominated the AFC. So rebuild versus reload.
My thought on the difference in the two is not
just in semantics, it's in this John. A reload is
you go through the draft. You know that the first
year it's going to be a little wonky, but you're
(26:44):
building for the long term. The reload that that's the rebuild.
The reload is when you go to free agency and
you try and fill the holes and try and win. Win. Now,
which is this which is the smarter thing to do?
Considering mahomes is coming off the acl entery age, considering
what their team.
Speaker 11 (27:02):
Looks like, well, I think it's going to be a
hybrid play for the what, let's face it, I mean,
now they have a lot of pride. I mean, there's
a legendary run. They're better off losing these last three games, right,
and it might just happen with Gardner Minshew playing quarterback.
And you know, coach Read, you know this, he's a
made man like kind of can manipulate it a little bit.
(27:24):
So there's a big difference. They've drafted basically thirtieth or
thirty first or thirty seconds the last several years.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Right.
Speaker 11 (27:30):
Well, now all of a sudden, you're drafting twelfth or fourteenth,
and that's in every round. So let's say your first
four picks, you could get maybe three long term starters
and maybe one high end guy, so you can change
your franchise fast. And the other thing is like DALs
in the room is Kelsey. He's we all thought he
(27:50):
was going to retire coming into the season. Now it
probably feels inevitable, right, And I do think the other
thing is Chris Jones. Last year, they traded Joe Toney
to the Bears, and coach Reid said after the deal,
I think during free agency, like he's one of my
favorite players We've ever coached, but in this financial situation,
we didn't have a choice. I think Chris Jones is
done man when it comes to I think he's his
(28:12):
last year on the Chief. He's going to be traded
this offseason. So I just think they're going to look
dramatically different, and it's it could bleed into next year.
Like if there's any sort of question with Mahomes, you're
a one not rushing him back. And maybe next year
in a weird way, is kind of a throwaway year
and you know, going, I don't know, six seven wins again,
(28:35):
it's not the worst thing to kind of just kind
of get your cap back on track, get Mahomes healthy.
Because the other thing.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Is, did you did you say six seven? Six seven wins? Seven?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Sorry, you're you're you're more in.
Speaker 11 (28:50):
That world around the young people than than I am.
But yeah, I don't know. He's too good of a coach,
even if you know he rolled me or you out
there playing quarterback like they would ever.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Looked like the Raiders, right, I know, I know, it's
it's a it's an interesting one, right, like, well, he's
gonna coach, They're gonna win, But are they gonna win too?
Many games, all right, real quickly? Can you envision the
Packers making a super Bowl run without Micah Parsons and
without Tucker Craft, without all the can you can you
envision that with the Packers?
Speaker 9 (29:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (29:20):
I do think super Bowl run is over, but I
you know, and I did this like most people are like, oh,
they're done. That's not usually how football works, right, They're
They're defense still pretty good, but they could win this week.
They could win a playoff game. Harder to envision them
just rattle off three straight playoff victories and be in
the super Bowl. And this is coming from someone that
(29:42):
had a super Bowl ticket on them to play the Broncos.
It was gonna be a pretty lucrative Fay out and
I felt pretty good about it. But Mike has been
pretty awesome for them, and they're just no replacing that.
Like the next man up. You can say next man
up when it's like a rotational linebacker. You don't say
the next man up when it's Michael Parson's.
Speaker 9 (29:59):
So I do.
Speaker 11 (30:00):
Think Matt Lafleur, though you win this week, you know,
happily get the defense rolling, like those two guys that
happily you want to be a head coach in the
NFL the floor. You want an extension, like they can
still prove a lot like winning a playoff game now,
I think like gets them a lot of credit. Where
before Mike is injured, what do you think anything less
than an NFC championship appearance would have been a disaster. Yes,
(30:25):
now the bar's lowered, but I still think with their talents,
they still got a quarterback, they still got an offensive
play call where they got a good defense. I don't
think it's inconceivable they can win a playoff game. I
mean they a couple of years ago, they went to
Dallas and killed them, and you could argue, this team,
assuming Watston's going to be okay, is better than that team.
Speaker 9 (30:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yeah, the defense is still good.
Speaker 11 (30:46):
You know, it's not as like it was a lead.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
The quarterbacks aren't very good, but they're covered up by
the fact that you have Michael Parsons being held every
time by like three guys. I want to see what
it looks like looks like without them, that's that's what
they want. I want to say.
Speaker 11 (31:01):
It's devastating because also he was he was everything they
could have wanted from a speed rusher, and how hard
he was playing, yeah, and he you know, he's not
a power guy. He's a speed guy. So it's like
you just get you like Mahomes, you got to be
very cautious. You can't exact well, you gotta have him
back for September next year. It's like, well, you pay
him one hundred and eighty eight million, you gotta like
you might not see him next year to like November.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Right, I don't think you will. I mean, I suppose
it's an LCL, not just an ACL tear. That's why
you had the surgery done already. So John Mittalcoff, NFL
analyst three and out podcast host Johnny are the best man.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I be anika to
uh all my peeps, and a merry Christmas to my
Christian brothers out there and sisters. Uh. We got a
good hour for you up coming Tuesday morning. Quarterback in
the afternoon. And I've seen the topics that most people
(32:06):
get to and I thought of another one that I
want to add. So I'm gonna probably get in on
there twice and I just be warned another one. That's
that's top of next hour. It's all the topics that
we want to get to. We just didn't have time
yesterday because there's kind of top item a topics and
these are a b ers if you will, Let's get
(32:27):
to Dan Byer and get to a game.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlieb Show.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
Doug as well, if I can add to that, there
was a segment that we once did every Tuesday on
the Doug Gottlieb Show. It was called Buyer's Remorse. Yeah,
there will be some Buyer's Remorse coming up as well.
In Tuesday Morning Quarterback or Tuesday afternoon, Monday Morning Quarterback
and two, what's the game today?
Speaker 10 (32:58):
Let's just go there. What do we what do we got?
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Sam rank them?
Speaker 7 (33:01):
Tuesday Morning Quarterback, that's right, Tuesday Morning Quarterback in the afternoon.
That's right, Jay, Right, that's the title.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I'm wondering whatever happened to Buyer's Remorse? Ye? Who made
the executive decision to acts that one?
Speaker 7 (33:13):
It just stopped appearing on the rundown, so it just disappeared.
But that's all right.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
The most common question I get when I'm out walking
the street. Whatever happened to Buyer's remorse?
Speaker 7 (33:23):
Well, I've got one for you coming up in about
ten minutes or so.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
But now we as went around for the judge. We
have a say called the Judge.
Speaker 10 (33:29):
Judge.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Yes, Judge Gottlie worked out really well. It was the
whole deal, all right. Doug ranked the top three teams
in the NFL through sixteen weeks of the season.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
I'm gonna be honest, I'm kind of ranking one team
sort of blindly. Like I've stayed away from talking about
them because I really liked their quarterback and I don't
think he did much of anything this weekend to win
him a game. But they're they're legit good and for
a long time I wouldn't talk about him because Dan,
(34:03):
they're your team.
Speaker 10 (34:04):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yep, Seahawks at three. All right, I'm good putting the
Seahawks at three. Now it gets interesting, Okay, I think
I'm gonna put the Broncos at two. That team is
real man, best red zone defense in the NFL, and
not in love with their quarterback, but they got a
(34:26):
great play caller and every third down they had somebody open.
They just did Broncos at two and at one. I'm
gonna go to the La Rams. I like their defense,
like their team. I know they face off of the
Seahawks this weekend, but they also have a Super Bowl
champion quarterback and an unbelievable at play caller. Go with
the Rams as the best team in football.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
All right, Doug, you we're gonna get this question. We
had it last week. We've got it again. Rank your
top three NFL MVP candidates. We had a showdown of
two candidates this past weekend in Foxborough between the Bills
and Patriots. Who are your top three MVP candidates right now?
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Well, I'm I'm gonna keep Mattta. I'm gonna put Matt
Stafford at uh at. I'm putting at Matt Stafford at one.
Speaker 10 (35:08):
Okay, he's the favorite right now.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
I'm gonna put Josh Allen at two, and I'll put
Drake May at three.
Speaker 7 (35:17):
All right, By the way, finally Las Vegas is coming
around to my take, Jackson Smith and Jigba at one
hundred to one. There are no odds for Sam Donald,
so he effectively passed Sam Donald. But it's Stafford May
and Allen in that order. Stafford right now two to
five minus two fifty to win the MVP. All right, Doug,
(35:37):
NBA Cup tonight in Las Vegas, rank the three best
cities for NBA expansion because this event could be moving
out of Vegas because no one was showing up.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
We're leaving Las Vegas. Believe in love. I mean the
obvious ones are Seattle and Nashville. Right, Okay, obvious ones
need top three?
Speaker 10 (36:01):
Yes, Nas show.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Where am I forgetting? There's somewhere else.
Speaker 10 (36:04):
That's very Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
I love Kansas City. I do think it's a little
bit more of a college town, but it'd be great.
Speaker 10 (36:12):
You've only got ten seconds, so.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Sure, let's go Kansas City and then Nashville, then Seattle.
Speaker 10 (36:19):
Nashville and Seattle. All right, and that's game.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Time Tuesday morning. Quarterback in the afternoon is next? What
stories do we have to get in that we missed yesterday?
Find out Next to Doug otlib Show
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotleb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Live every weekday three to five, twelve two Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Doug
Gottlieb Show at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching apps
car Booming Up America Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I hope you're having a great day. The Doug Gottlieb
Show broadcast live every day. We're sort of by coastal.
We're on the coast of Wisconsin and the coast of
California as well. The boys are out and enjoy the sunshine.
I'm stuck in here with the snow, but we're here
with you for the next two hours plus. We have
an hour podcast which follows this show, which you can
hear every day, every single day if you just type
(00:47):
in the name Doug Gottlieb Show wherever you download podcasts.
Welcome In this hour of the show, John Middlcoff will
join us as we'll ask him not just about the NFL,
but about the news that archbe He is officially returning
to Texas next year, which it was part of the plan.
We did discuss it in the preseason, we did discuss
(01:10):
it in the summer, and it is part of what
the Mannings have always done, and based upon the unevenness
of some of his performances, it does make sense. But
it also makes it so there's one less big name
on that draft board for the upcoming NFL Draft before
we get to the NFL Draft, and teams will need
a quarterback, like maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers. They took down
(01:32):
the Miami Dolphins last night. Dolphins are on the playoffs.
Dolphins were down twenty eight to three. Game was essentially over.
Super slow start for the Dolphins. The offense was not
good against the Steelers defense, which is mid as the kid.
Do the kids still say mid? I don't know. It
feels like once I start saying mid, it's definitely over.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Seems like it's been replaced by six to seven.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
That's so mid.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
This is me and the YouTube channel. I'm doing the
six to seven thing, which again was like a throwaway
line from a rap song, but it's unbelievable. Tomorrow night
we play you see Santa Barbara at the Cress Events Center,
and I'm guessing once we when you get to sixty seven,
all the every kid goes crazy.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
That just can't do it.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Anyway, I want to take this moment to recognize something
that is amazing, Right, Jason and I both search for
things that are interesting. This is something that's amazing. You
ready for it. Here's what it is. Pittsburgh Steelers are
probably gonna finish above five hundred again. And like this
(02:38):
is the Mike Tomlin thing. It doesn't matter how average
they look. And again I understand that when you're eight
nine or nine and eight, you're by definition you're a
mediocre your averager slightly above. But his calling card is
he's never finished below five hundred, right, never finished below
five hundred. And now here they are. They're at eight
(03:00):
and six. They beat the Ravens on the road, they
beat the Dolphins at home. They have the Lions on
the road upcoming Sunday, then the Browns on the road,
then the Ravens at home. Ten and seven is not
close to being out of the question. And yet does
anybody think the Steelers are are really good? Like there
they were good last night, But are they really good?
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Not?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Really? It's there is something amazing about not ever losing
your team, and by losing your team, I mean they
just won't play for you. You know there, you won't.
You can yell and scream and rant and rave, you
give them the best game play in the world, but
the second they hit ad verse, theyd like, eh, I'm good,
(03:46):
I'm good. Now. Some of it is in the players
that you go acquire, and I do think there's a
little bit of something of what they've done there, which
I don't want to say desperation, but is an extra
piece of motivation for some of these guys. Some of
them are this is their last year, Aaron Rodgers, probably
last year playing. They've acquired a lot of one year guys,
(04:09):
but they've also gotten some guys kind of off the
scrap heap that are trying to prove themselves. Here is
here's bet here's excuse me, here's Aaron Rodgers talking about
how the win helps for the playoff push.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Obviously, the division game is the most important game, but
these guys have won four four straight. Coming in we know,
well some of us, maybe a few of us know
about how obviously the first way to get to the
playoffs is win your division. There's you haven't beaten Baltimore already.
There's obviously time breakers that come into effect, including divisional record,
(04:45):
conference record, so winning near AFC games are really important.
Keeping the one game leap plus the head to head as.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Big as well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
That is crazy. I think maybe the craziest thing is
that we all act like the NFC. The AFC North
is the best and toughest division in football, right, don't know?
We we have a tendency to do that. We're like
man AFC North, brutal division. Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, got Joe Burrow,
(05:21):
a lot of talent Browns. You could make a case
and I think I will that while I'm not trying
to dismiss as a matter of fact, I think it's amazing.
I'm not dismissing Pittsburgh's resilience in any way. But does
(05:42):
anybody think Pittsburgh's an elite football team? And yet here
they are a game up with a favorable schedule that
looks like they're gonna win their division, and they're gonna
win nine and they'll probably win ten games. And how
can I tell you other than just your eyes telling
you that they're not a great football team. Well, anybody
(06:04):
they played any good they did beat the Patriots in
the third week of the season on the road, but
outside of that, Seahawks housed them. Packer game wasn't crazy close.
Chargers are all banged up and they could do nothing
with the Chargers. The Bears beat them, granted, close game
on the road. The Bills smoked them in their own building.
(06:28):
They did beat the Colts when the Colts were healthy
or healthy or when they had Danny Dimes. And now
they have the Lions next. Like, you can make the
case that there's the NFC South and the AFC North
are the two worst divisions in football, But then of
course the AFC South is like, hey, yeah, hey, Philip
(06:49):
Rivers just started for the Colts. We got one good
team in this division. But still, I think there's a
lot to it. I think Tomlin's ability to continue to
get to the guys to where he doesn't lose his
team is really impressive. I do think that Aaron Rodgers,
he's not close to Aaron Rodgers before, but he's still
(07:11):
really good and it's gonna be fun to watch him
in the playoffs. If you hate Aaron Rodgers, it's gonna
be fun to watch him lose his last game because
they're not gonna go to a super Bowl. They're not gonna
win a super Bowl. I think the Steelers defense, while
it looked good early last night, is again very average
that they tried to throw together for a year. This
is not a great football team, but it is one
(07:33):
that finds a way to win, that finds a way
to get above five hundred, that's gonna find a way
to get in the playoffs. The other side to it
is it does show you just how crummy the AFC
North is this year. Some of that's injuries with the
Bengals and lack of defense of the Bengals. The Browns
are just a dysfunctional bag of poop, and the Ravens
(07:53):
are stunningly below average this year for the first time
really since Lamar Jackson became their starting quarterback. Dan Bio,
how'd I do on my synopsis of the AFC.
Speaker 7 (08:05):
North, Yeah, pretty good. I think you gotta give a
little bit more credit to the AFC South because I
think that the Texans are good and the Jaguars are good.
But on the AFC North, I don't think that there's
anything last night that would make me think that that
this was a Steelers team that was for real. I'm
not a huge Aaron Rodgers fan, but he is having
his moments last night, and there are quarterbacks that couldn't
(08:28):
do what he was able to do. So it's a
nice story, but I just don't think it's going to
affect anything in the grand scheme of how the AFC
playoff picture plays out.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I'm gonna I'm gonna have an honest Doug moment. You
ready for it?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Mm hmm?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I forgot the Texans were an AFC South That's all right.
I just I always think of like, well, the Jaguar,
the Colts, and then like Titans. The Titans are terrible,
and I just I was just thinking Colts sense injury,
not very good? Right, No, they were a good story.
And go ahead.
Speaker 7 (09:01):
The Patriots game that the Steelers won, a twenty one
to fourteen game. New England turned the ball over five
times in that game and a goal line fumble as well,
So if maybe New England only turns it over three times,
it's a Patriots victory. So to your point of, yeah,
they're not beating teams that are better than them, they're
(09:21):
beating teams that aren't better than them.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
It's the Doug Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
It is amazing that the Mike Tomlin thing and everybody
tries to run him out of town. Here's Ben Roethlisberger
on his podcast last week talking about Tomlin and the
Steelers need a fresh start, just because.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
I said that, you know, there's a time for like maybe.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Some new things.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
That that's just saying that. I think, you know, coach Tomlin,
if he wants to move on, he has every right
to want to move all. It's not they should it.
So it's up to him, you know, and he's earned
that right and that if he wants to go do
something else he can't should have We should honor him
when that time comes. Whenever that is. Maybe he wants
to coach your that's.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Fine too, Ben Roethlisberger. He played tight end before he
played quarterback. That was really good footwork as a cornerback.
That was some about Hey, if he wants to stay
here for next ten years, hey, let's do it, right Ben,
Ben Ben learning very quickly about spoken word instead of
(10:23):
just going ah. And by the way, you can own
what she said, like you could Ben could have just
gone like, look, the Dolphins are crummy. Great, we beat
the Dolphins. That shouldn't be the nine and eight every
year or ten and seven shouldn't be the standard of
the Steelers. We're trying to win super Bowls here, okay,
and I won one every year. We came in trying
(10:43):
to win a super Bowl. We have him in close recently.
This is we're gonna get into it in the podcast,
me and Jay stew because you know, Cam Newton, he
wants to be like, Hey, if you want to be
a black quarterback and be on television, watch what I do.
But the problem is he's you know, he dresses like
a clown. The subject matter he talks about. Oftentimes more
(11:05):
podcasts and first take are more clownish than serious. Not
that you have to be serious, but it's not in
the football analysis kind of spectrum. But I mean, Ben Roethlisberger,
you're just former Super Bowl champion quarterback, longtime Pittsburgh Steeler,
and you offer up a strong take, you're either wrong
(11:26):
or you double down. What you don't do is what
he's like, Eh, I listen, I just said it, because
he can if he wants to lave, he can leave.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
Yes, Jason stewartt the best part about what he said
on the podcast was not only did they say that
they should probably clean house and that he needs a
new start somewhere, he also was like, Hey, the Penn
State job's open, maybe he should do that would be
a nice soft land And I think he's what he said.
I guess Ben forgot that. Mike Tomlin delivered one of
(12:01):
the best sound bites in the history of sports in
twenty twenty one when some unlucky reporter in the room
asked him about the rumors about the USC job.
Speaker 9 (12:11):
Hey, guys, I don't have time for that speculation. I mean,
that's a joke to me. I got one of the
best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I
have any interest in coaching college football. That'll be the
last time to address it, and not only today, but
moving forward. Never say never, but never. Okay, anybody else
got any questions about any college jobs? Is not a
(12:31):
booster with a big enough blank check. Anybody asking Sean
Payton about that, you know, anybody asking Andy Reid about
stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
No, that's amazing that I forgot how good it was.
I know you love that sound bite, and we've played
it like three different times, maybe four I do. Every
time I hear it, I forget how good it is.
I mean, Ben just showing how he does. I don't
think he's wrong that it may be everybody thinks if
they see and then's poorly, you're probably gonna clean house.
(13:01):
This is like a one year all in thing. And
I don't know if Tomlin wants to come back and rebuild,
start a new quarterback or whatever, or Mike Tomlin could
easily go into TV. Now, are you guys gonna you
guys disagree with me with Russell Wilson being on TV?
Are you gonna disagree with me that Tomlin would get
a TV job? Literally, when he's walking out of his
press conference if he.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Ever resigned, Absolutely, yes, yes, I mean he's see you later,
Bill Kauer, Yes, goodbye, Yeah, I'll replace again somebody.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
He's literally he could sit there and go watch all
the networks in the pregame shows and go like, hmm,
I like that seat right there. That's the one. No, no, no,
when his if he doesn't like Bill Kawer, Bill Cower's gone.
If he doesn't like how he how, he's gone. If
he doesn't like straight hand, straight Hand's gone. But that
was some rather impressive and nifty backpedaling from Big Ben. Right, Look, Ben,
(13:55):
here's how it works. If you really believe that does faring,
just own it. Just go hey man, that was great.
I'm so happy they won. They're getting a bunch out
of it. We all know this thing is run its course.
It's time to start over in the meanwhile or meanwhile
Steelers are they're not definitely going to the playoffs. Feels
that way got a great shot to win this division,
(14:17):
which means a home game the playoffs. And if you
watch that Charger game and thought this was a playoff team,
you'd be like, no, no, why no, no, no, no way.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Every Olympic dream starts with a first glide through learn
to Skate USA. Kids build confidence, strength, and enjoying the ice.
Learn Skate USA offers programs for skaters of all ages
and abilities. Find a program near you at learn to
Skate usa dot com. I was thinking about this, Dan,
I've been doing national sports radio since two thousand and three. Right,
(15:02):
so twenty two years, and it's kind of crazy that
Lebron James still playing basketball, right, yes, right, I mean
think about that, like that's that's a long time doing
national sports radio, even longer time to play, right. And
(15:25):
then I was thinking about Aaron Rodgers and how long
he's played him, like, man, it's really remarkable. How many
Monday Night football games do you think you've seen Aaron
Rodgers play. He's played twenty one years in the NFL.
Speaker 10 (15:39):
Twelve years, So do you have the number?
Speaker 1 (15:41):
I don't. Oh, okay, again, this is not a I researched,
it got ya whatever, none of that. I'm gonna guess again.
I'm just gonna guess here. So he got hurt with
the Jets on Monday Night football, right, And I think
there was probably one last year, so you got to
guess there's like one to two a year, so I'm
(16:03):
guessing it's like thirty times. Plus you have some Thanksgiving
games which are not Monday Night football, but they're the
standalone variety. It feels like my entire adult life, I've
been watching Aaron Rodgers throw football.
Speaker 7 (16:16):
That's really my Yeah, And Aaron Rodgers was probably throwing
the football on Monday Night Football when Monday Night Football
was king like I can't remember the exact year that
it changed over on the where then Sunday Night Football
was getting all of the good games. But he probably
was a part of that era.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I'm gonna say, was it six or seven? I was
at ESPN at the time. Mark Shapiro was our boss.
Mark Shapiro now is second in charge of what is it?
They've changed the name of the Ari Golds Agency. What
was it?
Speaker 10 (16:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Well, they own you know, WWE, and they own w
and they own they own everything. Anyway, March Bureau is
our boss, and I remember him saying, like, you know,
we got a hold on of Monday Night Football and
we're probably gonna lose Sunday Night Football. They lost Sunday
Night Football and everything changed after that, everything changed. I'm
(17:15):
gonna go I'm gonna go seven buyer again. This is
only a guess because I remember it might have been
O six. It was very early on am I run
in the ESPN which started oh.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
Three, I just looked.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
I think it's two thousand and six. I think I
think that's what I'm what I'm seeing here. So yes,
Sunday Night Football on NBC began airing on August sixth,
two thousand and six, with the Hall of Fame game.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Wow. So and for people who forget, like NBC lost
the NFL, wasn't in the NFL. It was kind of
a nothing. Now NBC is like backpack, you know, they
got NBA now the college football and of course they
have a Football Night in America. But I just I
was watching last night and I was getting a little nostalgia, Like, damn,
(18:01):
I've seen Aaron Rodgers play a lot of football, a lot,
a lot, a lot crazy and still like you said,
I thought you nailed it. They're just he has He's
not great anymore, but he is great in moments and
you're like, no one throws it. He's just such a
unique style to playing the position. There's nobody before and
(18:23):
nobody since he started playing that looks or throws like him.
Nobody imitates that. But yeah, it's fun to watch. It's
fun to wat.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
I think it's I think it's very safe to say
that the Steelers would not be in this spot without
Aaron Rodgers this year, and they're about to win the division,
like they can lose them.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
That part, it's crazy part that they're gonna win. And
it's not they're gonna win division. They're gonna win the
AFC North, which normally when you go aft is like
whoa stuck out leap show. This is Fox Sports Radio.
Have you heard about trainer games? Add this to your
binge list. Ten athletes go ahead to head for a
chance to win an I fit contract worth two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, streaming on Prime Video starting January eighth.
(19:02):
John Mitocoff joins us he has a podcast. It's called
three and Out. It's on the Volume podcast network. John,
I'm watching last night. I can't believe I'm still watching it.
Rodgers play football. Even more surprising is the Steelers, who
I've watched all year long, are in prime position to
win the AFC North. How did this happen?
Speaker 11 (19:24):
Well, Burrow missed the majority of the year, so I
mean that cost him a ton of games. The Ravens
start was just atrocious, and they've kind of been all
over the map till they kind of showed some signs
of life last week. And the Steelers started fast. So
you get a four and one start, you have Burrow disappearing,
and were the Ravens won in five if I remember correctly,
(19:44):
So you gave yourself a little buffer because, let's face it,
up until the last couple of weeks, the Steelers were
leaking serious oil, right. I mean, they had lost a
ton of games playing good teams, and it does feel
like they got their mojo back a little bit. Obviously,
that Ravens game was huge, but even last night, you know,
to uh, you know his numbers if you if you
didn't watch the game, he's looking at the box score,
(20:06):
He's like, ah, pretty good game, which obviously wasn't the case.
But the Miami Dolphins defense for the first I would
say ninety percent of the first half was playing pretty good.
And then they have that long drive at the end
of the first half. Score touchdown, score a touchdown, right,
and you know, start the second half, and let's be real,
you're up fourteen to fourteen to three in that weather
(20:29):
that was freezing cold.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
It felt like the.
Speaker 11 (20:31):
Game was over. And then obviously you get a couple
more scores, but once they had the fourteen three lead,
it just didn't feel like Miami, unless they busted some
long run, was going to be able to score. And listen,
you know, Aaron I've been saying forever. I bet if
you've got Dan Marino right now, just have him throw
a ten yard out rout. It looked great. His arm
looks really good. He's obviously really smart. You know, they
have some limitations on offense because the personnel, But if
(20:53):
DK's going to make some big plays, I mean, Darnel
Washington's monster, I mean, he's probably I mean, if I
was him, I would try to become like a hybrid
right tackle tight end because the tackles make a little
bit more. But he probably likes getching touchdowns and make
them play. And then defensively, you just got to hope
that dry needling with TJ. Watt, which I've never been
(21:15):
dry needled. It sounds pretty painful. But hopefully he's okay.
And you know, they can win the division. I mean
there's a chance this week, right and now they got
a tough game going to Detroit on a short week.
But if the Patriots take down the Ravens and they win,
I mean, this thing could get away from the Ravens fast.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I mean, plus the Ravens got to come to their place.
They have two winnable games, how about this one? So
I don't know if you heard Dan Buyer's update, but
McDaniel said all options are on the table at quarterback
March fourteenth of this year to his contract for next
year became fully guaranteed. That's fifty four million dollars. Jeez,
(21:52):
what do you do?
Speaker 11 (21:54):
Yeah, I mean my take last night was I think
you got to cut him because at this point, I mean,
he's regressed. It's crazy. I mean we could have nitpicked
him a couple of years ago, but he was a
solid player. I mean it feels like this year, as
the year went out on, they started winning games because
they stopped having him passed. And then I mean it's
not even debatable. I mean he can't pass in the COLT,
(22:15):
which listen, but he's not alone. A lot of players can't, right,
and a lot of people, you know, he's a Wian guy,
played in the South. Now he's in Miami. Like you
just it's tough, but like, you can't function as a
quarterback and win important games if you can't play in
the COLT, especially in that conference. I mean, look at
their division Buffalo, dw England and New York. I mean
(22:36):
there's no avoiding it. So I just think I would
have the mindset in the offseason because I think it's
pretty difficult to trade him. Now, maybe you could eat some.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Money in dead cap money next year. Yeah, I four
million guaranteed.
Speaker 11 (22:53):
I think what I think you think about almost doing it.
But they're gonna have a new GM. I mean the
Sean Paytonside move, Russell Wilson and just eating it. And
I think it gets back to you and I were
talking then it made no sense when they extended him
like I didn't. Kyler Murray Won made even less. But
Kyler is a more physically gifted player than Tua. I
(23:16):
just never understood the to a contract. I just been
and we've seen in recent memory, right the last couple
of years, the Raiders made a tough decision with Carr,
with Josh McDaniels, like if they kind of knew after
last offseason like you might want to pivot, and they
still stood strong, So you could argue they made this
bad and now they got to lay in it.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
What's amazing about it is And look, I don't make
no one makes all great calls, and I don't purport
myself to be a football analyst, but the guys can
tell you, and you know, I you know, I've never
been a believer into his arm. And remember the Dolphins,
I think it was year two in the preseason, they
kept throwing out their footage of him throwing the ball
(23:55):
along to Tyreek Hill. I think when they got him whatever,
you know, and as if go like, no, no, really,
he's got a great arm, and he like he doesn't.
I remember going to that Charger game. I don't know
three four years ago at so far when? Uh who
was it who made the comments guys on Fox about
it about u about being a to a guy, not
(24:18):
being a Herbert guy. And if you went to that game, Ocho, yes,
yeah it was Emanuaco made comments about Justin Herbert being
a social media quarterback and he's not that good to
is the And if you went I went to that game.
It was night and day, like one guy looked like
a big time quarterback, the other guy looked like a
(24:39):
backup and he just didn't have the arm for it
was the last.
Speaker 11 (24:44):
Two weeks and then guy's got a broken hands. He's
playing you know, physical defenses. I mean Herbert the last
couple of weeks, like anyone with a brain knew how
talented he is. But you go up a different level
in sports and specifically football, when it's like, this guy's
one of the toughest guys in the league, I think
the last couple of weeks. I mean, and we know
(25:04):
his coach is crazy when it comes to toughness in
the intangibles, like I think he kind of became like
legendary status within that organization. I mean, let's Philip fell
off a cliff at the end, physically couldn't move in
his arm, but no one ever questioned. I mean, look
at him a couple of days ago, like Rivers toughness.
You know, players did have been around him, coaches that
they I mean, look at Shane Psyche loves the guy
(25:26):
because he's just a tough dude. Pervert to me, is
I mean, he's a throwback right the eighties, nineties, two thousands,
and you have that physical gifts. I mean, he's him
and the Jim harbonugh toughness of the franchise. They have
no business hit a ten win team right now with
their injuries, do they?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah? None, none. I you know, it's it's this is
what they do, how they try and get out of
this contract or what they try and do is I
don't know it's gonna be really interesting. I don't know.
I don't know enough about cap manipulation. I just don't
know how you get out of ninety nine million dollars
(26:04):
in the dead cap money. Oh, stug otleeb show here
on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, we've got a bunch of
other stuff to get to with. John Middlcoff, of course,
Three and Out is is his podcast on the Volume
Podcast Network. Let's go back to Sunday now, as the
(26:24):
Kansait Chiefs are no longer a playoff threat, this is
the team that has dominated the AFC. So rebuild versus reload.
My thought on the difference in the two is not
just in semantics, it's in this John. A reload is
you go through the draft. You know that the first
year it's going to be a little wonky, but you're
(26:44):
building for the long term. The reload that that's the rebuild.
The reload is when you go to free agency and
you try and fill the holes and try and win. Win. Now,
which is this which is the smarter thing to do?
Considering mahomes is coming off the acl entery age, considering
what their team.
Speaker 11 (27:02):
Looks like, well, I think it's going to be a
hybrid play for the what, let's face it, I mean,
now they have a lot of pride. I mean, there's
a legendary run. They're better off losing these last three games, right,
and it might just happen with Gardner Minshew playing quarterback.
And you know, coach Read, you know this, he's a
made man like kind of can manipulate it a little bit.
(27:24):
So there's a big difference. They've drafted basically thirtieth or
thirty first or thirty seconds the last several years.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Right.
Speaker 11 (27:30):
Well, now all of a sudden, you're drafting twelfth or fourteenth,
and that's in every round. So let's say your first
four picks, you could get maybe three long term starters
and maybe one high end guy, so you can change
your franchise fast. And the other thing is like DALs
in the room is Kelsey. He's we all thought he
(27:50):
was going to retire coming into the season. Now it
probably feels inevitable, right, And I do think the other
thing is Chris Jones. Last year, they traded Joe Toney
to the Bears, and coach Reid said after the deal,
I think during free agency, like he's one of my
favorite players We've ever coached, but in this financial situation,
we didn't have a choice. I think Chris Jones is
done man when it comes to I think he's his
(28:12):
last year on the Chief. He's going to be traded
this offseason. So I just think they're going to look
dramatically different, and it's it could bleed into next year.
Like if there's any sort of question with Mahomes, you're
a one not rushing him back. And maybe next year
in a weird way, is kind of a throwaway year
and you know, going, I don't know, six seven wins again,
(28:35):
it's not the worst thing to kind of just kind
of get your cap back on track, get Mahomes healthy.
Because the other thing.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Is, did you did you say six seven? Six seven wins? Seven?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Sorry, you're you're you're more in.
Speaker 11 (28:50):
That world around the young people than than I am.
But yeah, I don't know. He's too good of a coach,
even if you know he rolled me or you out
there playing quarterback like they would ever.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Looked like the Raiders, right, I know, I know, it's
it's a it's an interesting one, right, like, well, he's
gonna coach, They're gonna win, But are they gonna win too?
Many games, all right, real quickly? Can you envision the
Packers making a super Bowl run without Micah Parsons and
without Tucker Craft, without all the can you can you
envision that with the Packers?
Speaker 9 (29:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (29:20):
I do think super Bowl run is over, but I
you know, and I did this like most people are like, oh,
they're done. That's not usually how football works, right, They're
They're defense still pretty good, but they could win this week.
They could win a playoff game. Harder to envision them
just rattle off three straight playoff victories and be in
the super Bowl. And this is coming from someone that
(29:42):
had a super Bowl ticket on them to play the Broncos.
It was gonna be a pretty lucrative Fay out and
I felt pretty good about it. But Mike has been
pretty awesome for them, and they're just no replacing that.
Like the next man up. You can say next man
up when it's like a rotational linebacker. You don't say
the next man up when it's Michael Parson's.
Speaker 9 (29:59):
So I do.
Speaker 11 (30:00):
Think Matt Lafleur, though you win this week, you know,
happily get the defense rolling, like those two guys that
happily you want to be a head coach in the
NFL the floor. You want an extension, like they can
still prove a lot like winning a playoff game now,
I think like gets them a lot of credit. Where
before Mike is injured, what do you think anything less
than an NFC championship appearance would have been a disaster. Yes,
(30:25):
now the bar's lowered, but I still think with their talents,
they still got a quarterback, they still got an offensive
play call where they got a good defense. I don't
think it's inconceivable they can win a playoff game. I
mean they a couple of years ago, they went to
Dallas and killed them, and you could argue, this team,
assuming Watston's going to be okay, is better than that team.
Speaker 9 (30:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yeah, the defense is still good.
Speaker 11 (30:46):
You know, it's not as like it was a lead.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
The quarterbacks aren't very good, but they're covered up by
the fact that you have Michael Parsons being held every
time by like three guys. I want to see what
it looks like looks like without them, that's that's what
they want. I want to say.
Speaker 11 (31:01):
It's devastating because also he was he was everything they
could have wanted from a speed rusher, and how hard
he was playing, yeah, and he you know, he's not
a power guy. He's a speed guy. So it's like
you just get you like Mahomes, you got to be
very cautious. You can't exact well, you gotta have him
back for September next year. It's like, well, you pay
him one hundred and eighty eight million, you gotta like
you might not see him next year to like November.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Right, I don't think you will. I mean, I suppose
it's an LCL, not just an ACL tear. That's why
you had the surgery done already. So John Mittalcoff, NFL
analyst three and out podcast host Johnny are the best man.
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I be anika to
uh all my peeps, and a merry Christmas to my
Christian brothers out there and sisters. Uh. We got a
good hour for you up coming Tuesday morning. Quarterback in
the afternoon. And I've seen the topics that most people
(32:06):
get to and I thought of another one that I
want to add. So I'm gonna probably get in on
there twice and I just be warned another one. That's
that's top of next hour. It's all the topics that
we want to get to. We just didn't have time
yesterday because there's kind of top item a topics and
these are a b ers if you will, Let's get
(32:27):
to Dan Byer and get to a game.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlieb Show.
Speaker 7 (32:38):
Doug as well, if I can add to that, there
was a segment that we once did every Tuesday on
the Doug Gottlieb Show. It was called Buyer's Remorse. Yeah,
there will be some Buyer's Remorse coming up as well.
In Tuesday Morning Quarterback or Tuesday afternoon, Monday Morning Quarterback
and two, what's the game today?
Speaker 10 (32:58):
Let's just go there. What do we what do we got?
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Sam rank them?
Speaker 7 (33:01):
Tuesday Morning Quarterback, that's right, Tuesday Morning Quarterback in the afternoon.
That's right, Jay, Right, that's the title.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I'm wondering whatever happened to Buyer's Remorse? Ye? Who made
the executive decision to acts that one?
Speaker 7 (33:13):
It just stopped appearing on the rundown, so it just disappeared.
But that's all right.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
The most common question I get when I'm out walking
the street. Whatever happened to Buyer's remorse?
Speaker 7 (33:23):
Well, I've got one for you coming up in about
ten minutes or so.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
But now we as went around for the judge. We
have a say called the Judge.
Speaker 10 (33:29):
Judge.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Yes, Judge Gottlie worked out really well. It was the
whole deal, all right. Doug ranked the top three teams
in the NFL through sixteen weeks of the season.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
I'm gonna be honest, I'm kind of ranking one team
sort of blindly. Like I've stayed away from talking about
them because I really liked their quarterback and I don't
think he did much of anything this weekend to win
him a game. But they're they're legit good and for
a long time I wouldn't talk about him because Dan,
(34:03):
they're your team.
Speaker 10 (34:04):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yep, Seahawks at three. All right, I'm good putting the
Seahawks at three. Now it gets interesting, Okay, I think
I'm gonna put the Broncos at two. That team is
real man, best red zone defense in the NFL, and
not in love with their quarterback, but they got a
(34:26):
great play caller and every third down they had somebody open.
They just did Broncos at two and at one. I'm
gonna go to the La Rams. I like their defense,
like their team. I know they face off of the
Seahawks this weekend, but they also have a Super Bowl
champion quarterback and an unbelievable at play caller. Go with
the Rams as the best team in football.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
All right, Doug, you we're gonna get this question. We
had it last week. We've got it again. Rank your
top three NFL MVP candidates. We had a showdown of
two candidates this past weekend in Foxborough between the Bills
and Patriots. Who are your top three MVP candidates right now?
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Well, I'm I'm gonna keep Mattta. I'm gonna put Matt
Stafford at uh at. I'm putting at Matt Stafford at one.
Speaker 10 (35:08):
Okay, he's the favorite right now.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
I'm gonna put Josh Allen at two, and I'll put
Drake May at three.
Speaker 7 (35:17):
All right, By the way, finally Las Vegas is coming
around to my take, Jackson Smith and Jigba at one
hundred to one. There are no odds for Sam Donald,
so he effectively passed Sam Donald. But it's Stafford May
and Allen in that order. Stafford right now two to
five minus two fifty to win the MVP. All right, Doug,
(35:37):
NBA Cup tonight in Las Vegas, rank the three best
cities for NBA expansion because this event could be moving
out of Vegas because no one was showing up.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
We're leaving Las Vegas. Believe in love. I mean the
obvious ones are Seattle and Nashville. Right, Okay, obvious ones
need top three?
Speaker 10 (36:01):
Yes, Nas show.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Where am I forgetting? There's somewhere else.
Speaker 10 (36:04):
That's very Kansas City.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
I love Kansas City. I do think it's a little
bit more of a college town, but it'd be great.
Speaker 10 (36:12):
You've only got ten seconds, so.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Sure, let's go Kansas City and then Nashville, then Seattle.
Speaker 10 (36:19):
Nashville and Seattle. All right, and that's game.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Time Tuesday morning. Quarterback in the afternoon is next? What
stories do we have to get in that we missed yesterday?
Find out Next to Doug otlib Show
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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