January 8, 2021 • 39 mins
Doug explains why it way too early to tell if Tom Brady has already “won” the divorce with Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Plus, former NFL scout John Middlekauff joins the show to breakdown the Wild Card games in the NFL playoffs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gottlieb Show podcast. Be
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Find your local station for the Doug got Leave Show
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fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What Up,
(00:26):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I hope you're having
a splendid day. The Doug Gottlieb Show broadcast live from
sunny southern California. We're ready, We're ready for playoff football. UM.
The Buccaneers take on the Washington Football Team and the
(00:50):
Washington Football Team. UM is gonna get a home game
because they won the NFC East, even though the Buccaneers
record is far better. But it is the first wild
card game Tom Brady's ever played in. Think about that crazy,
crazy stuff. Some of it speaks to the ineptitude with
the division in which he played in. Some of it
just speaks to the dominance of the Patriots, right. But
(01:13):
those two things like that really, uh, quite fascinating when
you get down to it. I saw this that Drew
bledso said to Tyler Dunne. That's a forever debate. Was
it Bill or was it Tom? The Patriots took a
big step back this year, And honestly, I think Tom
was smart enough to see the writing on the wall
that they had done everything they could do to stay
(01:35):
on top for the first time, they were gonna be
some salary cap issues. So I think part of him thought, Okay,
I'm gonna make a move here before this thing goes sideways.
But then he went to a great situation in Tampa.
Obviously he's played great again. There's no question there's motivation
there for him to win one without Belichick. Um, this
(01:56):
is a this is a divorce. But but when you're
married for twenty years, there doesn't always have to be
bitterness in the divorce. And who wins is not it's
not even decided right away, right you know, like when
you get a real divorce, somebody gets the house or
(02:20):
you have to sell the house, and then you split
it up, and then what does somebody do you buy
another house or do you rent one and buy one,
and then you know, you split up your savings, and
then of course you gotta what what do you do do?
You do you write a check if it's the guy.
Do you write a check to the woman and then
you keep everything in your savings or do you buy
her out of you? You know, do you do? You
(02:41):
just split the savings up like there's a lot of
you know, cashing in I R A S. You can
split those four O one case you can't. Here's a
lot of tricky stuff to it. But the short term
win isn't always the win. And you have by the way,
a loss isn't always a loss. What do you mean
You're trying to convince me that losing isn't actually losing. Yeah,
(03:01):
I actually am. The point that Drew Bledsoe makes is, look,
the Patriots, they weren't a great team last year. Between
Belichick and Brady, they were able to somehow cobble together
enough wins to get to the playoffs and then they
kind of got embarrassed by the Tennessee Titans. But even
the even Tennessee if you remember, they ran down the clock,
(03:22):
they shortened the game. They did everything they could to
keep Brady and his superpowers away from the football, just
you know, out of respect, out of respect. He didn't
play well, didn't have a great team to deal with.
Then they had eight opt outs to go with Tom
Brady opting to go to to Tampa and here we are.
Here we are. But if the if the Buccaneers lose
(03:44):
this weekend, is it really even close to a win
for Tom Brady getting called out by his head coach?
Not he he went and and everybody. While they had
a great thing going in Tampa. Okay, they only beat
one playoff team that they played this year. One that
was the Packers, which is and it wasn't because of
(04:06):
Tom Brady, was because the defense thoroughly embarrassed the offensive
line of the Packers, and you know, Pick six just
started an actolute absolute avalanche. And Brady played well late
in the year, but that was against the Lions and
the Falcons, two teams that were so bad they fired
their coaches mid season. So I just it's not that
(04:28):
I think Tom Brady stinks. It's just don't tell me
that he's won the divorce because he got the Buccaneers
to the playoffs. That was never the goal, that was
never the expectation. And even if they win this week
against the below five Washington team, they lose next week
and he looks old. What are we supposed to do
with that? Like the Patriots did the best they could
(04:53):
with an aging bunge for a while, and now they
get a chance to kind of hit restart. And I
would actually point out that the Patriots ability to win
six games with that roster is as good at coaching
as anything they did during Brady's tenure with New England,
including the sixteen wins. You had a quarterback who couldn't throw,
You had eight players opt out, defensively, lost Stefan Gilmour
(05:16):
for half the year, Julian Edelman for most of the year.
How exactly did they win six games this season? Sorry,
they won seven? They won seven games this year. They
won seven games this year. How does that happen? You
can tell me that, No, Brady, And that's a four
or five game okay, in losses, And remember Tom Brady
(05:40):
has lost to all playoff teams New Orleans twice, Rams, Bears,
Kansas City sixty completion percentage, eight touchdowns, eleven interception, six
point one yards per attempt in the wins, incredible thirty
two touchdowns, five interception, five turnovers, eight point three yards
per attempt, sixty eight sent completion percentage. But those are
(06:01):
against the bad teams. Those against the bad teams, and
the the Brady difference was supposed to be what you
do against the good teams, and he hasn't done enough
against the good teams. Do I think that Tom Brady
will win this weekend? I do. Do I think that
winning this weekend wins him a divorce. I do not
(06:24):
kick Cam Newton through for less than a hundred yards
four times one hundred yards and they still won seven
games this season. That is nothing short of miraculous. There
is not another coaching staff in the NFL who could
do that, Maybe not ane other coaching staff on Earth.
They could do that in the NFL, So I don't.
(06:45):
I mean, like, look, I think some people when they
get divorced, they just keep kind of plowing through and
they start a new life and they're they're feeling good
and they just keep marching right. Some people they're like,
you know what, I need to reflect, the need to
work on me. They take some time away from the world,
just let the other person kind of do their thing.
If they want to win short term, I'm gonna win
(07:07):
long term by being a better mean That's where the
Patriots are. They had to figure out themselves. They had
to figure out who can plain who can't play with
some of these young guys while the old guys were
sitting out, and then realize that Cam Newton, good guy,
good leader, not a good enough player anymore. All the
opt outs come back, a right cap space has opened
(07:29):
wide up. They still have Stefan Gilmore under contract um
at least an average too maybe above average. Chance that
they get their hands on Jimmy Garoppolo, who knows the system. Remember,
Josh mc daniels hasn't been mentioned any of these things.
He's not going anywhere. And while the Bills are good,
let's not act like the Bills are the eighty five Bears.
The Dolphins bear to be better. They don't know if
(07:49):
they have the quarterback. A quarterback who's dude, you'd have
a quarterback who's been to a Super Bowl and nearly
won a Super Bowl. Short term, yes, Brady looks like
the winner this weekend. Long term tb D still to
be determined, Still to be determined. How somebody looks six months,
(08:12):
nine months out of divorces, not how they look two years,
three years, five years down the road from a divorce. Alright,
coming up next I've been kind of hard on Deshaun Watson.
I have um, but it's it's gotten to the point
where everyone, including the Texans, are talking about his level
of unhappiness. I I'm empathetic towards Deshaun Watson, and I
(08:35):
will give him a little bit of a pass and
I'll tell you why up coming next. Be sure to
catch the live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays
at three p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the I Heart Radio. Ah app Doug Gotlip Show,
Fox Sports Radio. Can I share with you something on Instagram?
This is good? This is good? Um. This is some
(08:59):
guy named Jonathan Urbano who I view his profile out
of His profile is private. His profile is private, but
he slid into my d M s he said, Hey, Dan,
amazing take on Deshaun Watson's request for a trade. As
a Texans fan, I would happily like to say F you, Drew,
(09:24):
only he didn't say f you. He spelled it all out.
You're obviously a racist for always having an issue with Shawn,
but praise for Carson Wentz. I hope you get a
severe case of COVID and just barely make it out alive.
Well he did help that make it out alive. By
the way, your family is hideous. Huh. Sorry, Don, Actually
(09:48):
my name is not Dan. It is not Don, it
is not Drew. And you know what, I don't even
know what where to begin your clown um, but my
take on DeShawn Watson is the the sliding under the Hey,
if I don't get my way, I might want to
be traded thing, which, by the way, was out there before.
(10:10):
They didn't interview Um, they didn't interview Eric b Enemy
Adam Schafter said what Deshaun Watson was offered input on
potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor
consulted with those indorsed by their franchise quarterback. Additionally, the
Texans did not inform Watson that they intended to hire Caserio,
(10:33):
and he found out about the higher Tuesday on social media.
He did not expect Houston to hire those he endorsed,
but Watson was hoping that Texans would respect the feelings
of a group of teammates he was trying to represent,
even if the Texans didn't want to move forward with
any of Watson's recommendations. Sources told ESPN that Watson wanted
at least to have the opportunity to meet with ownership's
(10:55):
finalist so he could offer thoughts from a player's standpoint
to benefit the team, and then the Texans could hire
who they wanted. The opportunity never came. Now here's cal McNair.
Of course, he's now the owner. He took over his
dad who passed away. Here's cal McNair on his perspective
(11:15):
on what really happened. I've come to understand that has
been reported that the Sean feels left out of the process,
that he and I had several visits and I understood
his point of view before meeting with candidates. I've reached
out to the Seawan about Nick's higher and I look
forward to him getting back to me when he returns
from his vacation. Okay, so what's all that mean? Right? Well,
(11:40):
here's where I will. I will side with Deshaun Watson.
Right if if if he said, like, look, I'll wonders
be involved. I'll be a leader. I'll you know, I
can be the go between for the players and management.
You guys pick who you want to pick. I just
want to offer up my thoughts. I think that's a
very mature way of looking at it, and it's a
(12:02):
very reasonable way of looking at it. Um. I also
think that there's a there's a bunch of different there's
so many other things going on that don't get reported
that we we have to have a legitimate conversation about.
All Right. First, there's the Bob McNair element to it. Okay,
Bob McNair, um, before he died, he was the the
(12:26):
owner's He bought this franchise, remember it was an expansion team,
and brought them into existence. And in his last couple
of years of ownership, he uh, he stepped in it
with the quote of the was the inmates can't run
the prison, right His left tackle said, I can't play
(12:49):
for that dude. I'm out. They trade him to Seattle. Okay,
So you have that at play where there's a feeling
And I'm also guessing, and I don't know cal McNair's politics,
but in the state of Texas, a guy with a
lot of money, my guess is a pretty educated guess.
I believe I know what side of the aisle he
may sit on. Like the political infighting and and how
(13:14):
some players feel it affects them, even if it doesn't
truly affect them. It is real, is real, It's it's
a lot like I told people back when Lebron was
leaving Cleveland, like Lebron wasn't staying in Cleveland, and it
wasn't just because of past bad relationship stuff with Um
(13:35):
with Dan Um Dan Gilbert, Dylan Gilbert was a Trump
supporter like that. This has it's ended marriages, friendships, a
lot of business relationships. And Bob McNair's statement, and some
of the feelings of the current players are like, really,
you're gonna support that side or that guy. So I
(13:59):
would guess that for to Shaun Watson, look, Eric the
Enemy's kind of flavor of the month for a lot
of the players. He's the offensive coordinator for the Kansas
City Chiefs. Now, look, if we're being totally fair, we're
being totally fair, which is what I am, all right,
is one the enemy previous to the past couple of
years did not have a good um Uh did not
(14:24):
have a good reputation within front office circles in terms
of his viability as a head coach. He was because
because to be a head coach, you have to be
a guy that everybody wants to get behind. You also
have to work with management, work with the media, and
there was there was a lack of growth there. I
(14:45):
think we can also were blind to the fact that
some stuff went on when he was at Colorado. Not
as a player, I no, nobody's going back to but
as a as a coach. That when CEU's job came
open this past offseason, whether he would have taken or
not taken it, he was not really a fine list.
He wasn't offered the job. And some of it is
based upon whatever background research they did. Now here's another
(15:06):
element to it. The Texans. They didn't actually use the
search firm's recommendation, but the search firm was hired and
they met with a bunch of people and they had
five finalists for the GM job. None of them were
Nick Kisserrio wasn't even interviewed by him. They hired Kisserrio anyway.
(15:27):
But when I hear when when I know that there's
a search firm involved, search firms take out all emotions,
all feelings out of it, and what they do is
just background and research on you know, what's really going
on with this guy who's really well like it? Are
there skeletons in the closet. Are you gonna hire a
guy and something's gonna come out? There's that. Here's the
(15:50):
last part and this is probably the most important, most
real part about it. Yes, there's the Jack Easterby thing,
which there was an article that he might have too
much power? How to how to get in power? How
did he become somebody that cal McNair trusts and he
gets to and he's very close to Nick's area. Football
is just like business. And the reason that the the
(16:11):
reason that the Rooney rule exists should exist, you continue
to exist is it forces you to interview people, usually
from outside of your circle, but most and the the
issue is there's just not enough former head coaches and
guys that have long standing front office relationships with with
people in the Texans front office. You hire people that
(16:33):
you know that you have a relationship with. What are
their highs, what are their lows? How do they handle things?
How how do they hire? Jackieester Be came over from
the New England Patriots. We can say whatever you want
about how the Patriots draft or don't draft. The proof
is in the pudding, right Like even this year they
won seven games with the worst talent in the league.
(16:55):
I think they have the word, when you have a
quarterback who can't throw a football, you got the worst town.
So they went to how many straight Super bowls? They
went to six super Bowls total? He wasn't there for
all of the asuming nine super bowls total. It wasn't
there for all of them. But he has a relationship
with people who are making the decisions. He has respected
(17:18):
people in the league. And my guess is this is
just a guess that at the end of the day,
Brian day Ball is going to be the guy because
he and Cassario have a really good relationship. We haven't
heard anything of Josh McDaniels. Those are the two guys
you could bring in. That's a that's a guess. But
let me but let me take Deshaun Watson's side here
(17:40):
that this is what this is what schefters relate. You
didn't have to hire Eric b Enemy or whoever. Players
suggested that. Deshaun Watson said, you don't have to hire him.
But you want to feel like you're heard. You want
to be part of the process. You want to understand. Hey,
let me sit with the UH, with the with the
(18:02):
guys from the the committee. Let me talk to the
people who are in the search firm. Let me just
kind of be a guide from a different perspective. Doesn't
mean you have to take my word for it. Now.
Part of it with Deshaun Watson, and it feels like
he's mature enough. I don't know about other players. You
gotta understand that just because you're offered a spot at
the table doesn't mean we always take your advice. Right.
(18:24):
That's like people, It's all of this is just like
relationship stuff. When relationships go bad, it's when people stop
talking and stop communicating. Cal McNair feels like or says,
he feels like we communicated a lot with our quarterback,
the quarterbacks like he doesn't even tell me any of
this stuff. Here. I am trying. I'm here. I am
trying to keep everything together and keep the infighting down
(18:45):
and keep everybody calm and cool and collective. And you
don't even tell me what's up and why you didn't
even interview some of these guys. Come on, man. So
while I can be critical of Deshaun Watson and some
of the stuff leaking out, why I can be critical
of Deshaun Watson and the lack of win ends UH
to go along with the stardom of him as a player.
I can't be critical of the Shaun Watson for feel
(19:06):
like he was left out of a process which in
all honesty he deserves to be part of. If he
didn't have a long term contract extension, I would feel differently.
If he wasn't a guy who would always show up
and play whether he was hurt or healthy, I would
feel differently. But this guy has played through everything. This
guy has played hurt, this guy sounded a long term deal.
(19:28):
He wants to be part of the process, and and
he doesn't feel like he was communicated with. It's it's
much like a woman. If you don't if you don't
listen and here doesn't mean you have to do everything.
She says, bro that that is a fractured relationship that
is hard to be sure to catch the live edition
of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m.
(19:50):
Easter noon Pacific, Doug Olive Show, Fox Sports Radio. John
Middlcock joined us. He was a scout in the National
Football League. Now he has the award winning and UH
and the podcast Everybody's Talking About Three and Ounce on
The Herd Podcast Network. Um, here's my take on to Sean.
I'm I don't think he's a top five guy. I
do think there's he holds it a little bit too long.
(20:13):
He's a guy who everything was put around him, built
around him, whether you like the moves or not like
the moves, like that was why Bill O'Brien kept his job.
That kind of the same team record wise, regular and
postseason since he's been there as to pose the four
years before. So I was a little I've been critical
of de Shaun in terms of how people view him.
That said, if they didn't if they said, you know,
(20:35):
we want you to be part of this process and
then they didn't really let him be part of the process,
that is a failure in communication to failure in ownership. Now, yeah,
I agree. I I think he's a little overhyped in
the sense of he's not like a top two or
three quarterback where I would pushed back with you on
a little like he has moments in stretches of you know,
(20:55):
of a season where he's probably between four or five,
but I'd say, how verse around six seven? I mean,
we're nippicking. He's a franchise guy and I'm with you.
One thing I've heard is that the McNair that took
over after his dad's passing isn't the sharpest tool in
the shed. And to me, like, just because you were
(21:16):
born into it does not mean you're equipped to do it.
And I think sometimes on the opposite end, guys get
a hard time, Like Park Hunt with the Chiefs pretty good,
you know, I mean, you can be born into it
and do a good job, and you can be clearly
just over your head. And that's where I think the
situation it kind of starts. I also think Doug having
a guy who is basically the team chaplain, morphed into
(21:40):
what he's morphed into. Clearly he tried to remember Jack
Easterby tried to hire Cassario last time at the ring
ceremony and Craft freaked out in Belichick freaked out rightfully,
so like what are you doing? And to me, they
just there's a shadiness to this whole deal. And the
other element is usually when you fire a coach, right
go the opposite that they're just going back to the well,
(22:03):
Like where do you think Bill O'Brien implemented when he
was in Houston, New England, philosophies. And I'm not talking
about like offensive and defensive. I'm just talking about the
way you operate within the building. Well, check to serios resume.
He spent his entire career. He's got six ranks because
he's been with New England since two thousand one. I
mean I was like a junior high school. I mean,
he's been there a long. I had to google it.
(22:25):
I thought he'd been there maybe ten twelve years, been
there basically twenty years. You talk about all he knows,
that is all he knows. You know, at least Bill
O'Brien had been other places. I mean, this guy, you're
getting new, You're getting Bellid, You're getting a skinnier chisel
job Belichick. Um, ok okay, so yes, but here's I
(22:49):
mean giving my philosophical thoughts here. Okay, for the Detections
to get back into the playoffs, they're not gonna be
able to do it with early draft picks, right, they
don't have a first round traff pick um and so
that that's right or a second And so with that
in mind, how have the Patriots been successful this long? Yes,
it's been managing salaries, but it's also been finding diamonds
(23:10):
in the rough. Some of the draft was they've actually
done well, solid players, and a lot of it in
free agency, waiver wire. They're they're there, they're the best.
But more than anything, it's a it's a culture, and
it's pretty hard to go against to say that culture
hasn't worked right, Like, hell, they won seven games this
year with a Crumby team that's a bad football team
(23:32):
talent wise. They want seven They won seven games, seven games.
I'm with you. You you gave an average coach that roster.
They might win one game, correct, so so so that
if Gays has that team, they don't win a game.
They don't win a game. But here, but here's where
I pushed back, I'm with you on the culture. To me,
the culture was Belichick, Brady and then even when they left,
still Belichick and Mats later in mccordy like the problem.
(23:55):
It's harder to implement a culture when you're the general
manager and he's clearly going to be in troll because
they hired him before the coach. I also just think
there's just some weird things going on in Houston. It's
got weird. They do have some options, like they can
trade j j Watt probably get back a second, get
some cap space. Culture matters in the NFL. No one
argues that, but I do think it's a little harder
(24:16):
to implement, and and the Belichick guys for the most
part have failed because especially the the the guys that
only know Belichick because they force it and Bill can
do it. But it's you gotta be your own. Like
I give Brian floor Is a lot of credit, like
he clearly is using elements of that, but he's also
true to himself. I know John Robinson with the Titans,
(24:36):
and obviously Rabel there Belichick guys, but they do it
their own way. I wouldn't you say it will be
a little more difficult for a guy to kind of
put in his own spin when all he knows I
mean all, yes, That's one of the flaws that other
front office people have told me about some of the
some of the coaches that the Matt Patricia's of the world,
(24:57):
where if that's all you know, you think you can
treat people and talk to people and handle people the
way Belichick does, Like that ain't the way the rest
of the world. And here's here's the other thing, Doug
that I don't know, if a lot of people know
on like the inside, you know, with the scouting perspective,
the scouts have no role in New England beside the
fall gathering information. They don't care what they say. They
have the smallest draft room, not like you know, square
(25:19):
footage wise, but the amount of people Belichick let's in
throughout the draft. You know, when I was in Philly,
our draft room was huge and the doors were like open,
I mean you could walk in and out. It's much more.
And you see some of these videos now that come
out of like you know, Indianapolis and Seattle, and there's
forty people in there, all the scouts. That is not
the case now, be Causerrio might have played a bigger role.
But we once upon a time saw that with Scott Pioli.
(25:41):
You know, you think, oh, he's Belichick's right hand man. Yea,
Belichick's may get all the decisions. You know, It's like
I was Steve jobs right hand man. Yeah, he's doing
it all, you know, so I I just that's another
problem when it comes to the personnel guys. Even because
with the coach, he's a little more hands on just
because he has to be with the draft and free agency.
It's easier for Belichick to just kind of go gon
do his own thing. Um do do you think they
(26:02):
trade Deshaun Watson? I mean, it doesn't really make much
sense to unless someone offers you, you know, three first
and like two seconds santapolare you know? And if you're
another team, like for example where I live, people like
the Niners should do it. The Niners have the chance
to get him. They did not do it. Now they're
(26:23):
gonna do five years later when he makes huge money,
trade an unreal amount of picks, Like they had the
chance to buy Deshaun Watson if you just use a
round number for like a million dollars. Let's say now
he's worth twenty million dollars and they got to spend
thirty million dollars to get that twenty million dollars. I
said it just I don't know if a lot of
teams given what you'd have to trade to get him now.
(26:43):
I do think with the Houston Texans, the one thing
you'd say, never say never. The Patriots have shown right
there they're they're open to everything. So if you could
get picks, it would basically tank your season. So you
could get a high pick but when you trade to
Shaun to someone and I think you've seen this with
Jamal Adams and jam Ramsey are good examples. Is not
all first round picks are created equal. So when I
(27:04):
trade my top player that I drafted really high and
he's become an elite player to a good team, right
because good teams are gonna want this guy, then those
picks like for Jalen Ramsey and Jamal Adams, all those
picks are in the middle of the twenties. Now, those
aren't bad picks, but you did trade blue chip players
and to Sewan because he's a quarterback is even more important.
So I that that would be the other problem, Like
(27:25):
I'm trading him do let's say the Niners hypothetically, Well,
they're gonna win with him, So I'm just gonna get
a bunch of picks in the twenties from my quarterback.
That's where I'd struggled to do it. Yeah, I I
don't see that that one happening would be interesting. If
he digs his heels in and says I want to
be trade, I won't play And how often how often
does that happen with a quarterback? You know? I mean
happened before the draft for Eli, but never really happened.
(27:48):
But again, and think about that now, Doug, that's a
long time ago, A long time ago, long time ago. Um, okay,
let's le let's get to a couple of other things. Um,
Mike Nolan was just fired by the Dallas cow Boys.
That didn't seem to work. What will work if you
were if he said, if Jerry Jones picks up the
phone and says Middleko, give mean Devian's coordinator, who should be?
(28:12):
I'd say we gotta go for three because the league
is spreading out. It gets more speed on the field.
Is that interesting? It was everything was three four about
five years ago. Every three three three four. Now it's
all fourth three yep. And you look at Nick Saban
did that originally when he got back to Alabama, and
you just have to change because it gets you more
speed on the field. And to me, the league is
spreading out, and uh, you know the Seattle Tree. I
(28:36):
know the Seattle defense is not perfect, but those guys
from Gus Bradley and nowt to Robert Sala have proven
to be pretty capable coordinators. So I mean, I might
I would look in the Seattle Tree. Well, you just had,
you just had the originator of that defense just got
fired in Atlanta. He's available. I mean that that to
me that I know Chris roh Shard was there and
(28:58):
got fired when this guy's a man. I don't know
if you can really go back to that. But here's
the problem. I'd say, Jerry, you're the head coach you're
hiring has he's pretty consistent with his defensive stink, and
he hires he's only comfortable hiring on that side of
the ball because he's not that's not his baby, right.
He gives that guy full power. People he knows and
(29:19):
from Mike Nolan to Dom Capers, like that was always
the reason it felt like over the years they just
couldn't get over the hump, right. Their offense was always
fine because the had Rogers, their defense always got shredded. Yeah,
but who's the four don Kapers? Because don Kapers brought
in the three four? Didn't need a two green day?
Who is who is who is before that? Because they
were four three before the three four? That's a great question. Uh,
(29:42):
Like when Mike Sherman was there, right when Mike no, no, no,
When don Kapers didn't come in there until yeah, probably
oh nine or ten, you know eight. Yeah, what was
that Fritz Shermer. There you go, Friz Shermer, Nowther Schrmer.
It did help, you know in the nineties when when
Homegrown was there, having Reggie White and some of the
(30:03):
other guys they had. That was that was good coaching
right there. Let's go get the best rush end and
maybe in the history of football. That's good. That's that's
dead's that's damn good coaching. Let's previous in games really quick? Um,
you see anyway in which Washington I think they can
be a nuisance at his feet. But anyway, Washington scoreing
points against Tampa. Tampa's defense not good, but Washington's offense
is putrid. No, yeah, I just think that Tampa is
(30:25):
just so much better and there's so much more complete.
It's the one like obviously the spread is pretty big.
I don't I don't see how they keep it within
ten points because Tampa's defense is good. So Washington struggles
against whoever they're playing, let alone a top flight defense.
And I mean, can you just see Brady the game
plan like they're going to figure out ways too. I mean,
(30:47):
obviously a good defensive line can wreck a game plan.
But you know, Tom's been around the block a few times.
Antonio brown sneaky kind of coming on. You know, he's
he's starting to look good again. So whether Mike Evans
is fully healthy in this game, honestly, I just sit
him like you're gonna need him against the Packers, the
Saint Seattle, whoever you're gonna play moving forward. I just
to me this, it's crazy to say this because the
(31:08):
NFL is the playoffs, but this doesn't just feel like
a lock dog. It's just like it feels like a
bye for them. It feels like a bye for them. Um, Okay,
the Bears did a little bit of a reprieve. Trey
Hendrickson is not going to play, So, um, do you
Bears are ten point dogs? Could that be the upset
that people are missing? Yeah? You know an underrated part
about the Bears. Their defense isn't quite what it was.
(31:29):
You know the first couple of years with Fangio that
I thought math was just whether he's banged up, whether
he's not the same. To me, they're just not as
that team that lost to the to the Eagles when
he kicked the field goal off the post that defense.
If if that defense was with this team, I'd say yeah,
just because Breeze has looked old Kamara, who knows, you know,
(31:51):
you haven't been practicing right, he's been quarantining or not around.
But I just don't think their defense, like watching them
against the Packers, the Packers had their way like you
can shred the you know the uh the Bears defense
relative to what you could two or three years ago.
In the offense, I mean, how can you trust trust
Mr Trubisky? So yeah, in theory, I like betting against
through Breeze in these games. We saw it last year, right,
(32:14):
Minnesota beat him. I have a hard time seeing Trabinsky
and just check Logano sneaky hasn't been very good for
the Bears. Yeah, I would. I tend to agree with you.
Um Lamar's favored on the road against the Titans, hasn't
want a playoff game, hadn't beaten the Titans. Do you
think he does? I? I do think it's much easier
(32:34):
this time around in the last two years because they
get to fly under the radar a little bit. There's
not a I know, their favored, but there's doesn't feel
like there's a ton of pressure on them, like the
last two years, especially last year, right, it felt like, oh,
is this team gonna go to the super Bowl? And
then the Titans just kicked there. But I actually kind
of like the Ravens in this game, or at least
like the last couple of years, I bet against the
(32:55):
tit or I mean the Ravens. I just you know,
I don't see it. I don't think you can throw.
I still don't have that much faith if he gets
into these third and seven, third and eight situations. But
they have a lot of momentum coming in, right, they
had to play well the last month of the season.
They kind of their backs were against the wall and
they've just kind of right of the ship and been
rolling the type. The other problem with the Titans last
(33:16):
year their defense was just much better. Their defense is terrible.
They have no pass rush, They can't cover anybody. If
Lamar can't win this game, and I don't know when
he's gonna win a game in the playoffs, Uh, Seattle Rams, Uh,
it's just close your eyes, like John Walford starting a game,
How are you gonna win? It's it's feels very unlikely.
(33:37):
But the Rams have the ultimate matchup against DK and
Jalen Ramsey who is Jalen? Who is DK of corners
but he's better. And Aaron Donald's an unstoppable force. And
their defense as a whole has been fantastic to me
if they can keep it in the teams and I'd
watched in the Niners play Seattle, Russell has been off.
It's one thing people are taking away the deep ball
with DK, but Russell's just skipping balls. He just looks
(34:00):
out of rhythm. Now the Seattle defense is playing well,
but Jamal Adams heard a shoulder last week. It's just
I do feel this Gabe could get a little weird
and a little closer. And the other things the Rams
have is McVeigh and their players, And I saw Aaron
Donald say it like they don't look at Seattle like
you know, some perennial power. They just yeah, there's team
in our division that we beat sometimes, you know that.
That's probably that's probably the most interesting part of the
(34:22):
expanded playoffs is that many of these teams are playing
something for the third time this year, or at least
the second time this year, and so you're getting some
familiarity and that that exposes a lot more great stuff.
Has always enjoyed the weekend. Can't wait to see the
next pod. Thanks for joining us. Are the Buccaneers the
best team in the NFL right now? One current NFL
player thinks, So tell you what I think next. Fox
(34:43):
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. Doug ot Leave show Fox
Sports Radio. Heady for a good weekend, Me too. Let's
get to what the Fox said every day. This time
(35:04):
the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio, we played
for you a piece of sound from earlier in the
day on Foxport Tradeing or Fox Sports One. This was
from the Dan Patrick Show. Adam Feeling of the Minnesota
Vikings said this about the best team he's played all year,
probably the Bucks. Um. Just the way that they were
able to play defense, get after us um, you know,
(35:25):
get after the passer um. They got guys at every
level on defense. And then the way that they're able
to spread the ball around on offense, and and uh,
the weapons they have in office is offense is pretty impressive. Yeah,
the weapons that they have, and again it's based upon
how they played when they played them. Remember they played uh,
I think the Packers tough on one of those games,
(35:46):
not not both of them they played played one of
those games. Plus no Minnesota Minnesota and how do you
what do you have when you're from Minnesota, Minnesotian. I
don't know is ever going to give credit to the
Green Bay Packers, right, They're just not That's not who
they are. But in his perspective, remember they played the Vikings,
(36:06):
ruining the season. Um and they lost to the Vikings
the second time they played them, But they haven't played
him in a while, so he's saying, I like, look,
from my perspective, this is who I was. What I
think Uh my issue with with the with Tampa Tampa,
who I think has a walk in the first week?
I just do. I think they gotta walk the first
(36:27):
week the second week. I know Tom Brady has played
well in bad weather in the past, but he hasn't
played well in bad weather it recently in the playoffs.
He just hasn't. When you're forty three, it's hard to
get loose. And that was back when he wasn't throwing
the ball deep down the field. Um, the Packers are
a different and better team than they were when they
(36:48):
faced each other. But I don't think it's crazy for
him to say, Hey, based upon my personal perspective, Tampa
is the best team. Tampa has a ton of talent.
The question is more why hasn't Tampa played as well
when they've played the better teams in the NFL. That
is what the Fox said. We got our picks upcoming
(37:09):
next hour as well. Music. Where are you on your
Your easiest lock of the week is what or who?
Man lock of the week? You know? Light up? Uh?
I feel I really do feel like I was talking
to Dan about this a little bit during the break, Um,
(37:30):
I feel really good about the Seahawks. I know that
their offense hasn't been great, and I know that the
Rams defense is incredible. But whether it's Jared Goff, I
don't trust him coming off a thumb injury, let alone
if he's healthy, and I like the Wolford story, but
I'm not sure he's If I got to choose between
him and Russell Wilson, I think the Seahawks defense has
(37:52):
been good enough and I think their offense will be fine.
I feel pretty confident that the Seahawks are gonna go
get through, and yeah, that would be my one lock
of this week, the Seahawks. What about you, buyer, who's
your Who's your one? Yeah, Tampa. I just I don't
know how Washington's gonna run the ball against Tampa. So
that puts it on the shoulders of Alex Smith in
(38:13):
that receiving corps, and I just don't think that there's
enough there to to compete. Yeah, I'm with you, Ramos.
How are you feeling about your Rams? I'm okay with them.
I think they'll be They'll be okay, it's gonna be
a good game. Third times a charm those games, those
games are always close and feels like right, Rams, they split,
by the way, So third times a charm is there? Yeah?
(38:35):
Why are you picking on Ramos? Why? I understand he
did and I agree with you what he said. I
was like, wait, they split this, I was like looking,
I was like, I remember them winning one. I like
to say certain things that make no sense, so you
it makes sense. Third time is a charm that is
not wrong. Third time is a charm for who though
(38:56):
you didn't really for the Rams for the Rams, but
I like the Saints. I said it yesterday. I think
the Saints. I like them to win that game easily
with the Bears. Okay easily, Yes, Okay, they're the biggest
they're the biggest favorite. Um. Marshall Falk is a native
of New Orleans. We'll get his thoughts on the Saints,
We'll get his thoughts on on all of these things.
(39:16):
A matter of fact, we're just gonna put him on
a pressure and like Deshaun Watson, cal McNair says, we
talked Deshaun Watson, let it out there. He didn't feel
like he was part of the process. Does he see
anyway in which the Texans say, all right, we'll relent,
We'll trade Deshaun Watson. We'll ask Marshall Falk the Hall
of Famer. He joins us next Doug Gallup Show.
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gottlieb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every week day three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug got Leave Show
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the I Heart Radio app by searching
fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What Up,
(00:26):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I hope you're having
a splendid day. The Doug Gottlieb Show broadcast live from
sunny southern California. We're ready, We're ready for playoff football. UM.
The Buccaneers take on the Washington Football Team and the
(00:50):
Washington Football Team. UM is gonna get a home game
because they won the NFC East, even though the Buccaneers
record is far better. But it is the first wild
card game Tom Brady's ever played in. Think about that crazy,
crazy stuff. Some of it speaks to the ineptitude with
the division in which he played in. Some of it
just speaks to the dominance of the Patriots, right. But
(01:13):
those two things like that really, uh, quite fascinating when
you get down to it. I saw this that Drew
bledso said to Tyler Dunne. That's a forever debate. Was
it Bill or was it Tom? The Patriots took a
big step back this year, And honestly, I think Tom
was smart enough to see the writing on the wall
that they had done everything they could do to stay
(01:35):
on top for the first time, they were gonna be
some salary cap issues. So I think part of him thought, Okay,
I'm gonna make a move here before this thing goes sideways.
But then he went to a great situation in Tampa.
Obviously he's played great again. There's no question there's motivation
there for him to win one without Belichick. Um, this
(01:56):
is a this is a divorce. But but when you're
married for twenty years, there doesn't always have to be
bitterness in the divorce. And who wins is not it's
not even decided right away, right you know, like when
you get a real divorce, somebody gets the house or
(02:20):
you have to sell the house, and then you split
it up, and then what does somebody do you buy
another house or do you rent one and buy one,
and then you know, you split up your savings, and
then of course you gotta what what do you do do?
You do you write a check if it's the guy.
Do you write a check to the woman and then
you keep everything in your savings or do you buy
her out of you? You know, do you do? You
(02:41):
just split the savings up like there's a lot of
you know, cashing in I R A S. You can
split those four O one case you can't. Here's a
lot of tricky stuff to it. But the short term
win isn't always the win. And you have by the way,
a loss isn't always a loss. What do you mean
You're trying to convince me that losing isn't actually losing. Yeah,
(03:01):
I actually am. The point that Drew Bledsoe makes is, look,
the Patriots, they weren't a great team last year. Between
Belichick and Brady, they were able to somehow cobble together
enough wins to get to the playoffs and then they
kind of got embarrassed by the Tennessee Titans. But even
the even Tennessee if you remember, they ran down the clock,
(03:22):
they shortened the game. They did everything they could to
keep Brady and his superpowers away from the football, just
you know, out of respect, out of respect. He didn't
play well, didn't have a great team to deal with.
Then they had eight opt outs to go with Tom
Brady opting to go to to Tampa and here we are.
Here we are. But if the if the Buccaneers lose
(03:44):
this weekend, is it really even close to a win
for Tom Brady getting called out by his head coach?
Not he he went and and everybody. While they had
a great thing going in Tampa. Okay, they only beat
one playoff team that they played this year. One that
was the Packers, which is and it wasn't because of
(04:06):
Tom Brady, was because the defense thoroughly embarrassed the offensive
line of the Packers, and you know, Pick six just
started an actolute absolute avalanche. And Brady played well late
in the year, but that was against the Lions and
the Falcons, two teams that were so bad they fired
their coaches mid season. So I just it's not that
(04:28):
I think Tom Brady stinks. It's just don't tell me
that he's won the divorce because he got the Buccaneers
to the playoffs. That was never the goal, that was
never the expectation. And even if they win this week
against the below five Washington team, they lose next week
and he looks old. What are we supposed to do
with that? Like the Patriots did the best they could
(04:53):
with an aging bunge for a while, and now they
get a chance to kind of hit restart. And I
would actually point out that the Patriots ability to win
six games with that roster is as good at coaching
as anything they did during Brady's tenure with New England,
including the sixteen wins. You had a quarterback who couldn't throw,
You had eight players opt out, defensively, lost Stefan Gilmour
(05:16):
for half the year, Julian Edelman for most of the year.
How exactly did they win six games this season? Sorry,
they won seven? They won seven games this year. They
won seven games this year. How does that happen? You
can tell me that, No, Brady, And that's a four
or five game okay, in losses, And remember Tom Brady
(05:40):
has lost to all playoff teams New Orleans twice, Rams, Bears,
Kansas City sixty completion percentage, eight touchdowns, eleven interception, six
point one yards per attempt in the wins, incredible thirty
two touchdowns, five interception, five turnovers, eight point three yards
per attempt, sixty eight sent completion percentage. But those are
(06:01):
against the bad teams. Those against the bad teams, and
the the Brady difference was supposed to be what you
do against the good teams, and he hasn't done enough
against the good teams. Do I think that Tom Brady
will win this weekend? I do. Do I think that
winning this weekend wins him a divorce. I do not
(06:24):
kick Cam Newton through for less than a hundred yards
four times one hundred yards and they still won seven
games this season. That is nothing short of miraculous. There
is not another coaching staff in the NFL who could
do that, Maybe not ane other coaching staff on Earth.
They could do that in the NFL, So I don't.
(06:45):
I mean, like, look, I think some people when they
get divorced, they just keep kind of plowing through and
they start a new life and they're they're feeling good
and they just keep marching right. Some people they're like,
you know what, I need to reflect, the need to
work on me. They take some time away from the world,
just let the other person kind of do their thing.
If they want to win short term, I'm gonna win
(07:07):
long term by being a better mean That's where the
Patriots are. They had to figure out themselves. They had
to figure out who can plain who can't play with
some of these young guys while the old guys were
sitting out, and then realize that Cam Newton, good guy,
good leader, not a good enough player anymore. All the
opt outs come back, a right cap space has opened
(07:29):
wide up. They still have Stefan Gilmore under contract um
at least an average too maybe above average. Chance that
they get their hands on Jimmy Garoppolo, who knows the system. Remember,
Josh mc daniels hasn't been mentioned any of these things.
He's not going anywhere. And while the Bills are good,
let's not act like the Bills are the eighty five Bears.
The Dolphins bear to be better. They don't know if
(07:49):
they have the quarterback. A quarterback who's dude, you'd have
a quarterback who's been to a Super Bowl and nearly
won a Super Bowl. Short term, yes, Brady looks like
the winner this weekend. Long term tb D still to
be determined, Still to be determined. How somebody looks six months,
(08:12):
nine months out of divorces, not how they look two years,
three years, five years down the road from a divorce. Alright,
coming up next I've been kind of hard on Deshaun Watson.
I have um, but it's it's gotten to the point
where everyone, including the Texans, are talking about his level
of unhappiness. I I'm empathetic towards Deshaun Watson, and I
(08:35):
will give him a little bit of a pass and
I'll tell you why up coming next. Be sure to
catch the live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays
at three p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the I Heart Radio. Ah app Doug Gotlip Show,
Fox Sports Radio. Can I share with you something on Instagram?
This is good? This is good? Um. This is some
(08:59):
guy named Jonathan Urbano who I view his profile out
of His profile is private. His profile is private, but
he slid into my d M s he said, Hey, Dan,
amazing take on Deshaun Watson's request for a trade. As
a Texans fan, I would happily like to say F you, Drew,
(09:24):
only he didn't say f you. He spelled it all out.
You're obviously a racist for always having an issue with Shawn,
but praise for Carson Wentz. I hope you get a
severe case of COVID and just barely make it out alive.
Well he did help that make it out alive. By
the way, your family is hideous. Huh. Sorry, Don, Actually
(09:48):
my name is not Dan. It is not Don, it
is not Drew. And you know what, I don't even
know what where to begin your clown um, but my
take on DeShawn Watson is the the sliding under the Hey,
if I don't get my way, I might want to
be traded thing, which, by the way, was out there before.
(10:10):
They didn't interview Um, they didn't interview Eric b Enemy
Adam Schafter said what Deshaun Watson was offered input on
potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor
consulted with those indorsed by their franchise quarterback. Additionally, the
Texans did not inform Watson that they intended to hire Caserio,
(10:33):
and he found out about the higher Tuesday on social media.
He did not expect Houston to hire those he endorsed,
but Watson was hoping that Texans would respect the feelings
of a group of teammates he was trying to represent,
even if the Texans didn't want to move forward with
any of Watson's recommendations. Sources told ESPN that Watson wanted
at least to have the opportunity to meet with ownership's
(10:55):
finalist so he could offer thoughts from a player's standpoint
to benefit the team, and then the Texans could hire
who they wanted. The opportunity never came. Now here's cal McNair.
Of course, he's now the owner. He took over his
dad who passed away. Here's cal McNair on his perspective
(11:15):
on what really happened. I've come to understand that has
been reported that the Sean feels left out of the process,
that he and I had several visits and I understood
his point of view before meeting with candidates. I've reached
out to the Seawan about Nick's higher and I look
forward to him getting back to me when he returns
from his vacation. Okay, so what's all that mean? Right? Well,
(11:40):
here's where I will. I will side with Deshaun Watson.
Right if if if he said, like, look, I'll wonders
be involved. I'll be a leader. I'll you know, I
can be the go between for the players and management.
You guys pick who you want to pick. I just
want to offer up my thoughts. I think that's a
very mature way of looking at it, and it's a
(12:02):
very reasonable way of looking at it. Um. I also
think that there's a there's a bunch of different there's
so many other things going on that don't get reported
that we we have to have a legitimate conversation about.
All Right. First, there's the Bob McNair element to it. Okay,
Bob McNair, um, before he died, he was the the
(12:26):
owner's He bought this franchise, remember it was an expansion team,
and brought them into existence. And in his last couple
of years of ownership, he uh, he stepped in it
with the quote of the was the inmates can't run
the prison, right His left tackle said, I can't play
(12:49):
for that dude. I'm out. They trade him to Seattle. Okay,
So you have that at play where there's a feeling
And I'm also guessing, and I don't know cal McNair's politics,
but in the state of Texas, a guy with a
lot of money, my guess is a pretty educated guess.
I believe I know what side of the aisle he
may sit on. Like the political infighting and and how
(13:14):
some players feel it affects them, even if it doesn't
truly affect them. It is real, is real, It's it's
a lot like I told people back when Lebron was
leaving Cleveland, like Lebron wasn't staying in Cleveland, and it
wasn't just because of past bad relationship stuff with Um
(13:35):
with Dan Um Dan Gilbert, Dylan Gilbert was a Trump
supporter like that. This has it's ended marriages, friendships, a
lot of business relationships. And Bob McNair's statement, and some
of the feelings of the current players are like, really,
you're gonna support that side or that guy. So I
(13:59):
would guess that for to Shaun Watson, look, Eric the
Enemy's kind of flavor of the month for a lot
of the players. He's the offensive coordinator for the Kansas
City Chiefs. Now, look, if we're being totally fair, we're
being totally fair, which is what I am, all right,
is one the enemy previous to the past couple of
years did not have a good um Uh did not
(14:24):
have a good reputation within front office circles in terms
of his viability as a head coach. He was because
because to be a head coach, you have to be
a guy that everybody wants to get behind. You also
have to work with management, work with the media, and
there was there was a lack of growth there. I
(14:45):
think we can also were blind to the fact that
some stuff went on when he was at Colorado. Not
as a player, I no, nobody's going back to but
as a as a coach. That when CEU's job came
open this past offseason, whether he would have taken or
not taken it, he was not really a fine list.
He wasn't offered the job. And some of it is
based upon whatever background research they did. Now here's another
(15:06):
element to it. The Texans. They didn't actually use the
search firm's recommendation, but the search firm was hired and
they met with a bunch of people and they had
five finalists for the GM job. None of them were
Nick Kisserrio wasn't even interviewed by him. They hired Kisserrio anyway.
(15:27):
But when I hear when when I know that there's
a search firm involved, search firms take out all emotions,
all feelings out of it, and what they do is
just background and research on you know, what's really going
on with this guy who's really well like it? Are
there skeletons in the closet. Are you gonna hire a
guy and something's gonna come out? There's that. Here's the
(15:50):
last part and this is probably the most important, most
real part about it. Yes, there's the Jack Easterby thing,
which there was an article that he might have too
much power? How to how to get in power? How
did he become somebody that cal McNair trusts and he
gets to and he's very close to Nick's area. Football
is just like business. And the reason that the the
(16:11):
reason that the Rooney rule exists should exist, you continue
to exist is it forces you to interview people, usually
from outside of your circle, but most and the the
issue is there's just not enough former head coaches and
guys that have long standing front office relationships with with
people in the Texans front office. You hire people that
(16:33):
you know that you have a relationship with. What are
their highs, what are their lows? How do they handle things?
How how do they hire? Jackieester Be came over from
the New England Patriots. We can say whatever you want
about how the Patriots draft or don't draft. The proof
is in the pudding, right Like even this year they
won seven games with the worst talent in the league.
(16:55):
I think they have the word, when you have a
quarterback who can't throw a football, you got the worst town.
So they went to how many straight Super bowls? They
went to six super Bowls total? He wasn't there for
all of the asuming nine super bowls total. It wasn't
there for all of them. But he has a relationship
with people who are making the decisions. He has respected
(17:18):
people in the league. And my guess is this is
just a guess that at the end of the day,
Brian day Ball is going to be the guy because
he and Cassario have a really good relationship. We haven't
heard anything of Josh McDaniels. Those are the two guys
you could bring in. That's a that's a guess. But
let me but let me take Deshaun Watson's side here
(17:40):
that this is what this is what schefters relate. You
didn't have to hire Eric b Enemy or whoever. Players
suggested that. Deshaun Watson said, you don't have to hire him.
But you want to feel like you're heard. You want
to be part of the process. You want to understand. Hey,
let me sit with the UH, with the with the
(18:02):
guys from the the committee. Let me talk to the
people who are in the search firm. Let me just
kind of be a guide from a different perspective. Doesn't
mean you have to take my word for it. Now.
Part of it with Deshaun Watson, and it feels like
he's mature enough. I don't know about other players. You
gotta understand that just because you're offered a spot at
the table doesn't mean we always take your advice. Right.
(18:24):
That's like people, It's all of this is just like
relationship stuff. When relationships go bad, it's when people stop
talking and stop communicating. Cal McNair feels like or says,
he feels like we communicated a lot with our quarterback,
the quarterbacks like he doesn't even tell me any of
this stuff. Here. I am trying. I'm here. I am
trying to keep everything together and keep the infighting down
(18:45):
and keep everybody calm and cool and collective. And you
don't even tell me what's up and why you didn't
even interview some of these guys. Come on, man. So
while I can be critical of Deshaun Watson and some
of the stuff leaking out, why I can be critical
of Deshaun Watson and the lack of win ends UH
to go along with the stardom of him as a player.
I can't be critical of the Shaun Watson for feel
(19:06):
like he was left out of a process which in
all honesty he deserves to be part of. If he
didn't have a long term contract extension, I would feel differently.
If he wasn't a guy who would always show up
and play whether he was hurt or healthy, I would
feel differently. But this guy has played through everything. This
guy has played hurt, this guy sounded a long term deal.
(19:28):
He wants to be part of the process, and and
he doesn't feel like he was communicated with. It's it's
much like a woman. If you don't if you don't
listen and here doesn't mean you have to do everything.
She says, bro that that is a fractured relationship that
is hard to be sure to catch the live edition
of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m.
(19:50):
Easter noon Pacific, Doug Olive Show, Fox Sports Radio. John
Middlcock joined us. He was a scout in the National
Football League. Now he has the award winning and UH
and the podcast Everybody's Talking About Three and Ounce on
The Herd Podcast Network. Um, here's my take on to Sean.
I'm I don't think he's a top five guy. I
do think there's he holds it a little bit too long.
(20:13):
He's a guy who everything was put around him, built
around him, whether you like the moves or not like
the moves, like that was why Bill O'Brien kept his job.
That kind of the same team record wise, regular and
postseason since he's been there as to pose the four
years before. So I was a little I've been critical
of de Shaun in terms of how people view him.
That said, if they didn't if they said, you know,
(20:35):
we want you to be part of this process and
then they didn't really let him be part of the process,
that is a failure in communication to failure in ownership. Now, yeah,
I agree. I I think he's a little overhyped in
the sense of he's not like a top two or
three quarterback where I would pushed back with you on
a little like he has moments in stretches of you know,
(20:55):
of a season where he's probably between four or five,
but I'd say, how verse around six seven? I mean,
we're nippicking. He's a franchise guy and I'm with you.
One thing I've heard is that the McNair that took
over after his dad's passing isn't the sharpest tool in
the shed. And to me, like, just because you were
(21:16):
born into it does not mean you're equipped to do it.
And I think sometimes on the opposite end, guys get
a hard time, Like Park Hunt with the Chiefs pretty good,
you know, I mean, you can be born into it
and do a good job, and you can be clearly
just over your head. And that's where I think the
situation it kind of starts. I also think Doug having
a guy who is basically the team chaplain, morphed into
(21:40):
what he's morphed into. Clearly he tried to remember Jack
Easterby tried to hire Cassario last time at the ring
ceremony and Craft freaked out in Belichick freaked out rightfully,
so like what are you doing? And to me, they
just there's a shadiness to this whole deal. And the
other element is usually when you fire a coach, right
go the opposite that they're just going back to the well,
(22:03):
Like where do you think Bill O'Brien implemented when he
was in Houston, New England, philosophies. And I'm not talking
about like offensive and defensive. I'm just talking about the
way you operate within the building. Well, check to serios resume.
He spent his entire career. He's got six ranks because
he's been with New England since two thousand one. I
mean I was like a junior high school. I mean,
he's been there a long. I had to google it.
(22:25):
I thought he'd been there maybe ten twelve years, been
there basically twenty years. You talk about all he knows,
that is all he knows. You know, at least Bill
O'Brien had been other places. I mean, this guy, you're
getting new, You're getting Bellid, You're getting a skinnier chisel
job Belichick. Um, ok okay, so yes, but here's I
(22:49):
mean giving my philosophical thoughts here. Okay, for the Detections
to get back into the playoffs, they're not gonna be
able to do it with early draft picks, right, they
don't have a first round traff pick um and so
that that's right or a second And so with that
in mind, how have the Patriots been successful this long? Yes,
it's been managing salaries, but it's also been finding diamonds
(23:10):
in the rough. Some of the draft was they've actually
done well, solid players, and a lot of it in
free agency, waiver wire. They're they're there, they're the best.
But more than anything, it's a it's a culture, and
it's pretty hard to go against to say that culture
hasn't worked right, Like, hell, they won seven games this
year with a Crumby team that's a bad football team
(23:32):
talent wise. They want seven They won seven games, seven games.
I'm with you. You you gave an average coach that roster.
They might win one game, correct, so so so that
if Gays has that team, they don't win a game.
They don't win a game. But here, but here's where
I pushed back, I'm with you on the culture. To me,
the culture was Belichick, Brady and then even when they left,
still Belichick and Mats later in mccordy like the problem.
(23:55):
It's harder to implement a culture when you're the general
manager and he's clearly going to be in troll because
they hired him before the coach. I also just think
there's just some weird things going on in Houston. It's
got weird. They do have some options, like they can
trade j j Watt probably get back a second, get
some cap space. Culture matters in the NFL. No one
argues that, but I do think it's a little harder
(24:16):
to implement, and and the Belichick guys for the most
part have failed because especially the the the guys that
only know Belichick because they force it and Bill can
do it. But it's you gotta be your own. Like
I give Brian floor Is a lot of credit, like
he clearly is using elements of that, but he's also
true to himself. I know John Robinson with the Titans,
(24:36):
and obviously Rabel there Belichick guys, but they do it
their own way. I wouldn't you say it will be
a little more difficult for a guy to kind of
put in his own spin when all he knows I
mean all, yes, That's one of the flaws that other
front office people have told me about some of the
some of the coaches that the Matt Patricia's of the world,
(24:57):
where if that's all you know, you think you can
treat people and talk to people and handle people the
way Belichick does, Like that ain't the way the rest
of the world. And here's here's the other thing, Doug
that I don't know, if a lot of people know
on like the inside, you know, with the scouting perspective,
the scouts have no role in New England beside the
fall gathering information. They don't care what they say. They
have the smallest draft room, not like you know, square
(25:19):
footage wise, but the amount of people Belichick let's in
throughout the draft. You know, when I was in Philly,
our draft room was huge and the doors were like open,
I mean you could walk in and out. It's much more.
And you see some of these videos now that come
out of like you know, Indianapolis and Seattle, and there's
forty people in there, all the scouts. That is not
the case now, be Causerrio might have played a bigger role.
But we once upon a time saw that with Scott Pioli.
(25:41):
You know, you think, oh, he's Belichick's right hand man. Yea,
Belichick's may get all the decisions. You know, It's like
I was Steve jobs right hand man. Yeah, he's doing
it all, you know, so I I just that's another
problem when it comes to the personnel guys. Even because
with the coach, he's a little more hands on just
because he has to be with the draft and free agency.
It's easier for Belichick to just kind of go gon
do his own thing. Um do do you think they
(26:02):
trade Deshaun Watson? I mean, it doesn't really make much
sense to unless someone offers you, you know, three first
and like two seconds santapolare you know? And if you're
another team, like for example where I live, people like
the Niners should do it. The Niners have the chance
to get him. They did not do it. Now they're
(26:23):
gonna do five years later when he makes huge money,
trade an unreal amount of picks, Like they had the
chance to buy Deshaun Watson if you just use a
round number for like a million dollars. Let's say now
he's worth twenty million dollars and they got to spend
thirty million dollars to get that twenty million dollars. I
said it just I don't know if a lot of
teams given what you'd have to trade to get him now.
(26:43):
I do think with the Houston Texans, the one thing
you'd say, never say never. The Patriots have shown right
there they're they're open to everything. So if you could
get picks, it would basically tank your season. So you
could get a high pick but when you trade to
Shaun to someone and I think you've seen this with
Jamal Adams and jam Ramsey are good examples. Is not
all first round picks are created equal. So when I
(27:04):
trade my top player that I drafted really high and
he's become an elite player to a good team, right
because good teams are gonna want this guy, then those
picks like for Jalen Ramsey and Jamal Adams, all those
picks are in the middle of the twenties. Now, those
aren't bad picks, but you did trade blue chip players
and to Sewan because he's a quarterback is even more important.
So I that that would be the other problem, Like
(27:25):
I'm trading him do let's say the Niners hypothetically, Well,
they're gonna win with him, So I'm just gonna get
a bunch of picks in the twenties from my quarterback.
That's where I'd struggled to do it. Yeah, I I
don't see that that one happening would be interesting. If
he digs his heels in and says I want to
be trade, I won't play And how often how often
does that happen with a quarterback? You know? I mean
happened before the draft for Eli, but never really happened.
(27:48):
But again, and think about that now, Doug, that's a
long time ago, A long time ago, long time ago. Um, okay,
let's le let's get to a couple of other things. Um,
Mike Nolan was just fired by the Dallas cow Boys.
That didn't seem to work. What will work if you
were if he said, if Jerry Jones picks up the
phone and says Middleko, give mean Devian's coordinator, who should be?
(28:12):
I'd say we gotta go for three because the league
is spreading out. It gets more speed on the field.
Is that interesting? It was everything was three four about
five years ago. Every three three three four. Now it's
all fourth three yep. And you look at Nick Saban
did that originally when he got back to Alabama, and
you just have to change because it gets you more
speed on the field. And to me, the league is
spreading out, and uh, you know the Seattle Tree. I
(28:36):
know the Seattle defense is not perfect, but those guys
from Gus Bradley and nowt to Robert Sala have proven
to be pretty capable coordinators. So I mean, I might
I would look in the Seattle Tree. Well, you just had,
you just had the originator of that defense just got
fired in Atlanta. He's available. I mean that that to
me that I know Chris roh Shard was there and
(28:58):
got fired when this guy's a man. I don't know
if you can really go back to that. But here's
the problem. I'd say, Jerry, you're the head coach you're
hiring has he's pretty consistent with his defensive stink, and
he hires he's only comfortable hiring on that side of
the ball because he's not that's not his baby, right.
He gives that guy full power. People he knows and
(29:19):
from Mike Nolan to Dom Capers, like that was always
the reason it felt like over the years they just
couldn't get over the hump, right. Their offense was always
fine because the had Rogers, their defense always got shredded. Yeah,
but who's the four don Kapers? Because don Kapers brought
in the three four? Didn't need a two green day?
Who is who is who is before that? Because they
were four three before the three four? That's a great question. Uh,
(29:42):
Like when Mike Sherman was there, right when Mike no, no, no,
When don Kapers didn't come in there until yeah, probably
oh nine or ten, you know eight. Yeah, what was
that Fritz Shermer. There you go, Friz Shermer, Nowther Schrmer.
It did help, you know in the nineties when when
Homegrown was there, having Reggie White and some of the
(30:03):
other guys they had. That was that was good coaching
right there. Let's go get the best rush end and
maybe in the history of football. That's good. That's that's
dead's that's damn good coaching. Let's previous in games really quick? Um,
you see anyway in which Washington I think they can
be a nuisance at his feet. But anyway, Washington scoreing
points against Tampa. Tampa's defense not good, but Washington's offense
is putrid. No, yeah, I just think that Tampa is
(30:25):
just so much better and there's so much more complete.
It's the one like obviously the spread is pretty big.
I don't I don't see how they keep it within
ten points because Tampa's defense is good. So Washington struggles
against whoever they're playing, let alone a top flight defense.
And I mean, can you just see Brady the game
plan like they're going to figure out ways too. I mean,
(30:47):
obviously a good defensive line can wreck a game plan.
But you know, Tom's been around the block a few times.
Antonio brown sneaky kind of coming on. You know, he's
he's starting to look good again. So whether Mike Evans
is fully healthy in this game, honestly, I just sit
him like you're gonna need him against the Packers, the
Saint Seattle, whoever you're gonna play moving forward. I just
to me this, it's crazy to say this because the
(31:08):
NFL is the playoffs, but this doesn't just feel like
a lock dog. It's just like it feels like a
bye for them. It feels like a bye for them. Um, Okay,
the Bears did a little bit of a reprieve. Trey
Hendrickson is not going to play, So, um, do you
Bears are ten point dogs? Could that be the upset
that people are missing? Yeah? You know an underrated part
about the Bears. Their defense isn't quite what it was.
(31:29):
You know the first couple of years with Fangio that
I thought math was just whether he's banged up, whether
he's not the same. To me, they're just not as
that team that lost to the to the Eagles when
he kicked the field goal off the post that defense.
If if that defense was with this team, I'd say yeah,
just because Breeze has looked old Kamara, who knows, you know,
(31:51):
you haven't been practicing right, he's been quarantining or not around.
But I just don't think their defense, like watching them
against the Packers, the Packers had their way like you
can shred the you know the uh the Bears defense
relative to what you could two or three years ago.
In the offense, I mean, how can you trust trust
Mr Trubisky? So yeah, in theory, I like betting against
through Breeze in these games. We saw it last year, right,
(32:14):
Minnesota beat him. I have a hard time seeing Trabinsky
and just check Logano sneaky hasn't been very good for
the Bears. Yeah, I would. I tend to agree with you.
Um Lamar's favored on the road against the Titans, hasn't
want a playoff game, hadn't beaten the Titans. Do you
think he does? I? I do think it's much easier
(32:34):
this time around in the last two years because they
get to fly under the radar a little bit. There's
not a I know, their favored, but there's doesn't feel
like there's a ton of pressure on them, like the
last two years, especially last year, right, it felt like, oh,
is this team gonna go to the super Bowl? And
then the Titans just kicked there. But I actually kind
of like the Ravens in this game, or at least
like the last couple of years, I bet against the
(32:55):
tit or I mean the Ravens. I just you know,
I don't see it. I don't think you can throw.
I still don't have that much faith if he gets
into these third and seven, third and eight situations. But
they have a lot of momentum coming in, right, they
had to play well the last month of the season.
They kind of their backs were against the wall and
they've just kind of right of the ship and been
rolling the type. The other problem with the Titans last
(33:16):
year their defense was just much better. Their defense is terrible.
They have no pass rush, They can't cover anybody. If
Lamar can't win this game, and I don't know when
he's gonna win a game in the playoffs, Uh, Seattle Rams, Uh,
it's just close your eyes, like John Walford starting a game,
How are you gonna win? It's it's feels very unlikely.
(33:37):
But the Rams have the ultimate matchup against DK and
Jalen Ramsey who is Jalen? Who is DK of corners
but he's better. And Aaron Donald's an unstoppable force. And
their defense as a whole has been fantastic to me
if they can keep it in the teams and I'd
watched in the Niners play Seattle, Russell has been off.
It's one thing people are taking away the deep ball
with DK, but Russell's just skipping balls. He just looks
(34:00):
out of rhythm. Now the Seattle defense is playing well,
but Jamal Adams heard a shoulder last week. It's just
I do feel this Gabe could get a little weird
and a little closer. And the other things the Rams
have is McVeigh and their players, And I saw Aaron
Donald say it like they don't look at Seattle like
you know, some perennial power. They just yeah, there's team
in our division that we beat sometimes, you know that.
That's probably that's probably the most interesting part of the
(34:22):
expanded playoffs is that many of these teams are playing
something for the third time this year, or at least
the second time this year, and so you're getting some
familiarity and that that exposes a lot more great stuff.
Has always enjoyed the weekend. Can't wait to see the
next pod. Thanks for joining us. Are the Buccaneers the
best team in the NFL right now? One current NFL
player thinks, So tell you what I think next. Fox
(34:43):
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. Doug ot Leave show Fox
Sports Radio. Heady for a good weekend, Me too. Let's
get to what the Fox said every day. This time
(35:04):
the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio, we played
for you a piece of sound from earlier in the
day on Foxport Tradeing or Fox Sports One. This was
from the Dan Patrick Show. Adam Feeling of the Minnesota
Vikings said this about the best team he's played all year,
probably the Bucks. Um. Just the way that they were
able to play defense, get after us um, you know,
(35:25):
get after the passer um. They got guys at every
level on defense. And then the way that they're able
to spread the ball around on offense, and and uh,
the weapons they have in office is offense is pretty impressive. Yeah,
the weapons that they have, and again it's based upon
how they played when they played them. Remember they played uh,
I think the Packers tough on one of those games,
(35:46):
not not both of them they played played one of
those games. Plus no Minnesota Minnesota and how do you
what do you have when you're from Minnesota, Minnesotian. I
don't know is ever going to give credit to the
Green Bay Packers, right, They're just not That's not who
they are. But in his perspective, remember they played the Vikings,
(36:06):
ruining the season. Um and they lost to the Vikings
the second time they played them, But they haven't played
him in a while, so he's saying, I like, look,
from my perspective, this is who I was. What I
think Uh my issue with with the with Tampa Tampa,
who I think has a walk in the first week?
I just do. I think they gotta walk the first
(36:27):
week the second week. I know Tom Brady has played
well in bad weather in the past, but he hasn't
played well in bad weather it recently in the playoffs.
He just hasn't. When you're forty three, it's hard to
get loose. And that was back when he wasn't throwing
the ball deep down the field. Um, the Packers are
a different and better team than they were when they
(36:48):
faced each other. But I don't think it's crazy for
him to say, Hey, based upon my personal perspective, Tampa
is the best team. Tampa has a ton of talent.
The question is more why hasn't Tampa played as well
when they've played the better teams in the NFL. That
is what the Fox said. We got our picks upcoming
(37:09):
next hour as well. Music. Where are you on your
Your easiest lock of the week is what or who?
Man lock of the week? You know? Light up? Uh?
I feel I really do feel like I was talking
to Dan about this a little bit during the break, Um,
(37:30):
I feel really good about the Seahawks. I know that
their offense hasn't been great, and I know that the
Rams defense is incredible. But whether it's Jared Goff, I
don't trust him coming off a thumb injury, let alone
if he's healthy, and I like the Wolford story, but
I'm not sure he's If I got to choose between
him and Russell Wilson, I think the Seahawks defense has
(37:52):
been good enough and I think their offense will be fine.
I feel pretty confident that the Seahawks are gonna go
get through, and yeah, that would be my one lock
of this week, the Seahawks. What about you, buyer, who's
your Who's your one? Yeah, Tampa. I just I don't
know how Washington's gonna run the ball against Tampa. So
that puts it on the shoulders of Alex Smith in
(38:13):
that receiving corps, and I just don't think that there's
enough there to to compete. Yeah, I'm with you, Ramos.
How are you feeling about your Rams? I'm okay with them.
I think they'll be They'll be okay, it's gonna be
a good game. Third times a charm those games, those
games are always close and feels like right, Rams, they split,
by the way, So third times a charm is there? Yeah?
(38:35):
Why are you picking on Ramos? Why? I understand he
did and I agree with you what he said. I
was like, wait, they split this, I was like looking,
I was like, I remember them winning one. I like
to say certain things that make no sense, so you
it makes sense. Third time is a charm that is
not wrong. Third time is a charm for who though
(38:56):
you didn't really for the Rams for the Rams, but
I like the Saints. I said it yesterday. I think
the Saints. I like them to win that game easily
with the Bears. Okay easily, Yes, Okay, they're the biggest
they're the biggest favorite. Um. Marshall Falk is a native
of New Orleans. We'll get his thoughts on the Saints,
We'll get his thoughts on on all of these things.
(39:16):
A matter of fact, we're just gonna put him on
a pressure and like Deshaun Watson, cal McNair says, we
talked Deshaun Watson, let it out there. He didn't feel
like he was part of the process. Does he see
anyway in which the Texans say, all right, we'll relent,
We'll trade Deshaun Watson. We'll ask Marshall Falk the Hall
of Famer. He joins us next Doug Gallup Show.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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