January 14, 2022 • 34 mins
Bucky Brooks drops by the podcast this week to talk meat and potatoes football. Bucky goes down memory lane about the infamous round of golf he played with Big Ben, plus a number of storylines fermenting around the pigskin world. We take a spin on the coaching carousel, how do NFL teams find head coaching candidates? talk Carson Wentz future in Indy, does Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers get moved in 2022, who’s the team to beat in the playoffs? Follow Bucky on Twitter @BuckyBrooks, listen to him on Fox Sports Radio, watch him on NFL Network, read his stories on NFL.com / Follow Danny G Radio on Twitter @DannyGradio, Follow Big Ben on Twitter @BenMaller and listen to the original "Ben Maller Show," Monday-Friday on Fox Sports Radio, 2a-6a ET, 11p-3a PT!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ka boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes
a week was enough, I think again. He's the last
remnants of the old Republic, a sole fashion of fairness.
He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as
the rich pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House
of Hot takes break free for something special. The Fifth
(00:23):
Hour with Ben Maller starts right now in the air everywhere.
We are back at it. Another weekend is underway. Happy happy, Happy,
Happy Friday. I know you're excited at another edition of
(00:43):
The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallard, and we will not
shut We're not going to shut up. It's it's more
audio content all weekend long, along with Danny g Radio.
But on this particular edition from the Fifth Hour podcast,
it is us me. I know you're disappointed, but Danny
(01:03):
will be with us throughout the weekend. So we'll have
Danny in on Saturday and Sunday. But on the Friday podcast,
we like to talk to somebody who we know. I mean,
we do this on the radio on the overnight. We
do this five nights a week, and this of course
podcast filling in the other part of the week. So
it's eight days a week because four hours a night
(01:25):
are not enough on the overnight. And I'm really jones
into talk some football today, and so I thought, who
better to talk to than a a man who is
a colleague at Fox Sports Radio, is a big star
on TV at the NFL Network and also on NFL
(01:48):
dot Com. So Bucky Brooks is going to spend some
time with us right now. He played in the NFL. Now,
you know, people say, well, former NFL player Bucky Brooks,
they don't often talk about, like where did he play?
And and Bucky got to bounce all over the NFL.
He must have like the greatest man cave uh in
(02:09):
the world. He played for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville,
Kansas City, Buffalo, played with the great Marv Levy, kind
of the tail end of the Buffalo Bills and they're
they're running. Also played for the Oakland Raiders, So he
bounced around the NFL. Was a defensive back, kind of
(02:29):
a kick return guy uh in the NFL. And he's
been on the NFL Network since oh nine. He's been
contributing to Fox Sports Radio for many years. So let's
welcome in now, Bucky Brooks and and Bucky before we
get into the meat and potatoes of the football. You know,
you're one of the few people, Bucky, that has seen
(02:53):
me play golf. A couple of years ago before COVID
in ten, we had a big company golf of somehow
I got invited to it, and uh, it was horrific.
I think people are still washing their eyes out, Bucky,
it was that bad. Do you recall that round of golf,
(03:15):
that faithful round of golf? What do you remember about that,
Lord Ben? I can't. It is one of the favorite
stories that I tell. The round the golf that you,
myself and Micael replayed at a Fox event. It was epic. Uh,
(03:37):
it was fun. It was forever memorable. That is the
way that I described the experience. Yeah, I think I
would be like a cross between Tiger Woods and Helen
Keller on the on the on the golf course. But
I I actually and you're you know, you listen, you
you're you're pretty good, you know, and I'm I'm you know,
I'm I sucked. But I I actually managed to hit
(03:59):
a plastic was it a chair or a table? I
forget I hit a inanimate object t at the t
on one It was insane. How bad I was that day?
It wasn't crazy, man, it was funny. But you know what,
that's what so beautiful about this sport of golf. Anybody
and everybody can participate, and as long as we're not
(04:20):
too serious about it, we all can have a good time.
And it was a good time being Yeah, it was.
It was a beautiful course. It was in where was that, Dina,
Dina point Newport, So I don't know. I was down
in Orange County somewhere. But it was awesome, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
But how about you, Bucky, I mean, you're a big
star over there at the NFL Network and the NFL
dot Com and you're blowing up here. And how many
(04:42):
years have you been doing that now? Oh my gosh,
I think I started over the NFL Network two thousand nine. Yes,
I've been around. I've been around a few iterations, a
few changes. He was trying to make my way through.
But now it's been a lot of fun. It's been
a lot of fun, kind of growing in doing more
stuff as opportunity to kind of come our way. Yeah,
(05:03):
And it's also one of those things, right, you've been
there so long you kind of know the ebb and
flow of you know, like we're getting into the playoffs.
Now it's coaching season, and then after that it's going
to be the draft, which is massively big. So like
there's certain events, right, you kind of have it all planned.
You've been doing it so long you kind of know
what you you know what what month it is, what
(05:23):
you've got to be doing, right. Yeah, So my arrival
at the NFL also coincided with the league kind of
making a shift where they wanted to make um where
they wanted to make football three sixty five. And so
I don't think it's a coincidence that every month of
account of year there's something related to football. And what
has done It has increased the interest, put more eyeballs
(05:45):
on the sport. And I've been one of the biggest
beneficiaries because we're more eyeballs that needs we have to
do more reporting and talking and all that other stuff.
So it's been great for business. Yeah, well, you know,
you are the expert, Bucky, So I did want to
get into it. I'm fascinated, you know, doing talk radio
all these years. The coaching carousel in the NFL. It
seems like every year, we get like anywhere from I
(06:09):
don't know, five to ten coaches. I think ten might
be too much. But we're eight right now as we're
talking now of NFL teams have decided to change coaches
and we're not I mean, we are we even done? Bucky?
Do you think we'll see some more? David Culley was
(06:30):
the latest coach apparently out with the Texans, so he's
number eight. Do you think anyone else is in danger?
As far as the teams that are in the playoffs
per se, I think any of these other coaches might
lose their job depending on what happens this weekend. Now
you know what's crazy. I think all the teams the
(06:52):
season should be safe. You want to keep an eye
on it. Obviously, the Los Vegas Raiders has done a
great job at the ENIM coach. Still doesn't mean that
he's assured of carrying on a dead head coach, so
we have to see how that plays out. And then
the last one to keep an eye on is the
conversations that were taking place in Seattle with Pe Carol
(07:12):
and John Snyder. I would expect him to stay on board,
but man, now you never know. And I think what
we're seeing is in this league and ultra competitive league
because the league has gone out of its way to
create Perry. You're seeing about of the league turn over
annually and so new coaches come in and if you're
(07:33):
not able to win with whatever rosster you inherit, it's
gonna be an issue. And so you just have to
be able to win games with what you have and
to you can do to rebuilding that you have to
do um In the meantime, it's it's crazy time in
the league for sure. Yeah. Well, it's almost like that
that the r word rebuild that's been eliminated bucky from
(07:54):
the end of it. And you can't like David Culley
of all people, right, that's a great examp. I mean,
I don't I don't know. David Colleess been around the
NFL a long time and just a veteran assistant coach.
He gets the job in Houston. They knew they were
gonna stink, right, Everyone knew they were gonna be bad
because of what's going on with the quarterback and all that.
And they won like four games, which I think is
(08:15):
three more games than I thought they would win uh
this year. But but he's gone after after one year,
So you can't. I don't think you can really rebuild bucket.
I think that's over. I think you, as you said,
you gotta win and if you're not competitive, you're done, right,
I mean that's those are the steaks you know going in.
But but the good news Buckeyes they pay a lot
(08:36):
of money, right, and these jobs pay a lot of money. Yeah,
I mean I think we're just beginning to kind of
get around the number that coaches are being paid. Uh,
you think about what John Gruden was able to find,
Tim million dollars, what people reporting Pete call and bi
ab Belichick getting anywhere from like if your team million annually. Yeah,
(08:57):
it's a big job. It's a big deal. And so
what she's trying to do is you're just trying to
see how can you win games with what you inherit
and too, you're able to put the pieces in play
to play the style of play that you want to
play long term. Well and also, Bucky like this is
always my argument. You know people sometimes I get upset
because then I'm I'm on late at night and I'll
(09:17):
rant and rave. And I've never had an issue ranting
about a head coach losing their job, because to me,
it's not like the real world. You know, in the
real world, when someone losing their job, they gotta go
get unemployment and all that stuff to big pain in
the ass. But like Joe Judge is a great example.
Joe Judge failed with the Giants. It did not go well.
(09:38):
They were not competitive and they were you know, they
just were just a blah team. And I don't feel
bad for Joe Judge because he signed a five year
contract and good for him. He's got three years and
I think fifteen million dollars or something like that coming
his way, which is great. So to me, that's not
like there's no comparison to the real world. So you know,
(10:01):
these guys, if they want to coach again, I guess
they can, or they can just kind of hang out
and collect the paycheck. So it's it's not it's not
something to be angry about. I mean, that's just part
as as we've talked about as part of the gig, right, Yeah,
it's part of the game for the upper guys, right,
So for the hit the head coaches, their money is guaranteed,
(10:22):
so I think it report Tims reported that maybe Joe
Judge had a bunch of pieza and beer sit over
to his house after you got this myth because he
does have your team knows that he's collecting over the
next three years. But for all of his assistance and
the people that have worked up under them, they don't
get those same guarantees in terms of the amount of
money and that stuff. So for the hand coteam, yeah,
(10:46):
it's great because they end up getting financial security. But
for the other guys, it might mean another move, it
may mean uprooting your family and doing some other stuff.
But that is also the business that teach of those
guys that choke. All right, So Bucky, we've got as
as we speak right now as we're recording this podcast,
there are eight coaching jobs open the NFL. If you, Bucky,
(11:08):
were a candidate for these eight jobs, which one would
you want? Bucky? Which one would you say? That's the
one I want. That's the one that is set up
to win and and get in the playoffs next year,
That's the one I want to have. I will take
the Minnesota Vikings job as the one where you can
win right away. Um. And the reason why is because
(11:29):
when you look at that the vision the Bears are down,
the Lions are down, the Green Bay Packers. At the
top of Aaron Rodgers thirty years thol, so how much
longer will he continue to play? You? Inherit the roster
that has a really good receivering Justin Jefferson, you have
Adam feeling, you have a quarterback. And I'm not necessarily
fired up about Kirk Cousin, but I think you probably
can win enough your first year when you have to
(11:50):
take him on to kind of jump side the program,
and then defensively you have some weapons. And so for me,
the Minnesota Vikings job is the first choice. The second
choice will be the Denver Broncos. But the biggest caveat
with the Broncos, who is going to be your quarterback
in the the vision that is motivate quarterback like Patch Mahomes,
Justin Herbert and even Derek carr Well. And then on
(12:13):
the on the flip side, Bucky Uh. If you know
Team X called you up, you would say, no, I'm
staying at the NFL network. I have no interest in
in coaching your team. Would that be Houston? Would that
be I don't know. Miami. Seems like people are really
down on the Dolphins. Because of what they did with
Brian Flores. With that, what's what's the worst gig that's available? Well,
(12:33):
I think that the Houston gig is probably the toughest
one to take on, just because of the instability within
the organization. You have David Color Ben Fried up for
one year, So then you wonder if I signed this,
you know how long am I going to be given
to rebuild the program too? I don't know what's going
on with the quarterback. He has the civil uh mitigations
(12:55):
that he has to work out. He says he doesn't
want to come back, So who's going to be my quarterback?
I got Rookie did just finishing Davis's mills, but we're
dead going to be good enough? And then I look
at the cat salary cap situation, the lack of draft pick.
It just makes it a very very hard rebuild. And
so you just kind of wonder, can I go in
there and be successful, and can I be successful early
(13:16):
in to get myself an opportunity to see the end
of my see it through the end of my contract. Yeah,
and I I agree, Man, that's a hot mess. That's
a hot stew that's not good. Uh. And he was now,
what what is your take, Bucky on on Brian Flores. Like,
I I kind of get what the Dolphins were doing
because the owners old he's got a lot of money
(13:39):
and he's upset that. The to me, that the problem
that Dolphins had as they've been passed by Buffalo the
last couple of years and now the Patriots are kind
of back. You know, they had that one down year.
I know the Dolphins beat the Patriots a couple of times,
uh in slash two here in January. But uh, Like,
(14:00):
the Dolphins are in a weird spot because they're not bad,
they're just kind of in the middle and they're ahead
of the Jets, but the Bills have passed them by,
and the Patriots have passed them by. But the Dolphins
have been getting killed here for the Brian Flores move.
But where are you at on that one? Well, I
think the reason why they've been killed is because the
(14:21):
dolphs the Dolphins at back and back when he season
and so you saw a team win eight out of
their last nine games, and so that the period that
the momentum we're going in the right direction. The issue
that you have when it comes to Brian Flores is
constant turnover, offensive line of coaches, offensive coordinators. You just wondered, Man,
(14:42):
if a guy that is easy to work with, can
you have kind of like that collaborative union that most
kids want to have. And so they decided to move on.
But I think he's a really good coach. I think
the results speaks for themselves, particularly on defense. I think
the one thing that he has to do on the
next go round is he has to make that the
people that you lined up with um all the line
(15:03):
when it comes to people holding people to high levels
of accountability commitment in those things, because if you don't
have people that are kind of get the same, it
just makes it very very difficult for you to do
your job in an effect the minute. So let me
let me run a conspiracy theory by Bucky because I
believe now I've seen these stories of the last week
or so since Brian you know, it's been a little
(15:25):
less than weeks as we're talking, since Brian Flores was
let go, and it reminds me I see this in
all sports. I see this basketball, football, Uh, baseball, the
sport where Brian Flores was like, oh, it is an
unpopular move, and the Dolphins are losing the PR battle
right there, getting killed by a lot of the media.
(15:45):
What are you doing? Is it true, Bucky, that somebody
around the Dolphins has been planting uh, negative stories about
Brian Flores. I've seen I've seen a few things pop
up here and and and you mentioned I think you
reference some of them, the the turnover and the coaching staff.
The I read his story the other day that you
(16:05):
know he shouted it to a tongue of Iloa, which
I think in the old days, Bucky, when you were playing,
they just called that coaching. Uh. And then you know
there's some other other negative stories that have been been planned.
You think, do you think those are kind of PR
stories trying to get back and when the when the narrative,
if you will. I mean, look, I think it's a
(16:26):
little bit of both. I think so there's some truth
and some of those nuggets that have been reported. Obviously,
what the Dolphins are trying to do is just trying
to kind of relived and justify why they made the
move and why Steven Ross said it was important to
move off from Brian Floyd's despite the ontil success that
something had seen. Um, Look, man, I believe that the
(16:46):
truth probably last somewhere in the middle. I believe he
probably felt what he was doing was coaching by holding
guys to a high standard. I feel like you probably
had some overly sensing of people within the building who
didn't like being held accountable for performance and standards. And
so what you have to do is just kind of
evaluate as you go forward what you want to do
(17:07):
with the team and what's the best way to kind
of build a winner down in mind? Is that the
guy most likely to get another job? If you if
you know all the guys that have lost jobs over
the last week, there's eight again, eight coaching jobs. Is
seems like that everyone seems in agreement that Brian Flores
is going to get another job. Is that a is
(17:28):
that a fatal complete here, Bucky, or is there a
chance Brian Flores ends up I don't know, sitting on
the sidelines, uh, you know, doing TV with you or
something at Man. I think it's always the possibility that
he ends up not landing in one of the music
but chairs. I think a lot of it has to
do with who's doing the hiring, that we have a
(17:48):
connection with those guys. Honestly, his name has been linked
to the Houston Texas because Nick cass and Jake used
to be Jack needs to be come from the Patriots
in the Patriots way, and so there's it previous relationships.
But just don't know because I think what people have
to what he has to answer for an interview, what
went wrong in Miami where they felt like they had
(18:09):
to move on and then they'll do some back digging
and kind of see what actually took place. But I
do believe he's in a good spot can get another job.
It just depends on who's doing the hiring. Got you
all right and explain to me this, But you've been
around the end if you played a long time, you know,
did on TV for a long time. So it seems
(18:29):
like the same every year, the same names pop up.
There's like there's a finite amount of names. I've seen
maybe seven or eight names that are mentioned for every
one of these jobs, and maybe there's a few more
than that. But how does this work? Does do the
NFL teams all used the same head hunting service? Uh?
(18:50):
It seems like there's only a finite, as I said,
amount of coaches every year that are the flavor of
that offseason. So how does that work? How did they
come up with the proverbial list of candidates? Uh? The
popularity contest, To be honest, what you've been Uh, it's
one of those situations where no one really knows what
(19:12):
makes up a good head coach. And so you have
agents who are tired with media members who give names out.
You have people who are speculating because they see an
offensive coordinator has success or defensive coordinator success that oh,
they're ready to be a head coaching. In all honesty,
being a great coordinator has nothing to do with being
a su customer coach. The two completely different jobs and scripts.
(19:34):
And so we get a lot of names that we
see on TV because we see them with the playsheet
in the card and it looked like their leaders. But
we really have no idea. And I think a lot
of the reasons and um, a lot of those teams
struggle when it comes to hiring and that they really
don't know what they want and what they need in
a head coach. Yeah, it's it's crazy like this, you know.
(19:58):
And you mentioned the agent thing, and I do think
that's also a big part of it, Like, because these
guys are tied in with the insider crowd, and then
that becomes becomes a dude. Now, I'm not gonna spend
all my time with you, Bucky, ranting about coaches, but
I did. I didn't want to run this by you.
Now this is probably related to the popularity contest, but
how many more Bill Belichick assistant coaches have to go
(20:21):
out of the Patriots and do a pratt fall before
teams kind of shy away. It seems like, you know,
even this year, I've I've seen Josh McDaniel's name mentioned,
Mayo the defensive guy, uh and the Bill Belichick coaching tree.
The guys that have left the Patriots have other than
I think Bill O'Brien is the only one that has
(20:41):
a as an overall winning record. I know Brian Flores
was was doing better, but it's a it's a bad situation,
you know, And yet teams continue to go back to
the well. You know why why is that? Why do
they keep going back? These guys have not done well
that have left the Patriots. One of the reasons why
(21:02):
they keep going back, and because over the last twenty years,
the Patriots have been the most successful franchise and so
everyone wants a little taste of the organization that won
six Super Bowl championships. The problem is you don't get
Bill Belichick when you bring on one of those guys.
You might get the program in terms of the way
(21:22):
that it looks, but you don't get the full understanding
behind behind why he runs the program like that. And
I think the big part that's missing is that these
guys are great with xes and oh they know how
to do all the winning things. I think the people's skills,
the interpersonal communication skills, is lacking for a Patriots assistant,
and until they figure out that part of it, it's
(21:44):
gonna be hard for them to win in a business
that is really a people's business more so than an
excello business. So explain to me. But you now, you
played for a bunch of teams, played with Packers, Jacksonville,
Kansas City, Buffalo, you know, the Raiders. You were all
over the place. But like when you were around all
those different coaches, like, how much actual coaching because the
(22:07):
head coach do. What I mean by that is if
you're not calling the players on offense, and you're not
calling the players on defense, like you know, how how
hands on is the head coach? Is? It? Is? It
more of dealing with the media and kind of overall situation.
If you're not calling the place, how much how much
of these guys actually doing I would say, like, I've
(22:29):
been fortunate because in my pro career I played for
Hall of Famer more of Levy Um super Bowl winner
and Tom Coughlin, John Gruden, Mike Hoglan and then uh,
you know, let Marty Schadham who want two in the games.
I would say that the the guys who weren't calling plays,
Marv Levy, Coughlin and Shodheimer, they basically just set the
(22:53):
vision for the program to make sure that hey, he's
really want to achieve this week, he's are we going
to do it? They trusted to do assistant coaches would
get it done. But then they always made sure that
the team was in line with the vision in which
they wanted the team to play. John Guten and Mike
o who are running the offense um look, they trusted
the defensive coordinator to handle death out of the ball,
(23:15):
and then they were basically offensive coordinator pluck. They were
hold of the offense. The guys in the front of
the room, but it was kind of two factions. It
was the offense and then the head coach of the defense,
and then they would come together on game there got you,
got you? So all right? Now, well, you do have
experience with all these these different coaches back back in
(23:36):
the day, I didn't want to talk Bucky about some
of these quarterbacks. Now on the story to me that
is most interesting since the season the regular season ended
is in Indianapolis where Carson Wentz is. I feel like
he's hanging on by a threat. I thought, well, there's
no way he's not back based on the contract. But
some of the comments this week Chris Ballard, the GM
(23:58):
of the Colts, uh, you know, he would not comment
on Carson Wentz and his future. Frank Reich, the guy
that was like the big cheerleader for Carson Wentz and
had him in Philadelphia, he distanced himself from Carson Wentz.
Is is this something or nothing? Bucky? Are we reading?
Am I reading too much into this? Or is there
(24:20):
is there something going on in Indianapolis? I think there's
something going on because the way they finished in disappointing fashion.
I think whenever you fail to live up to expect Tason,
you take a major step back because you gotta remember
the team not only went to the playoffs, which team
was one that was expected to be almost a Super
Bowl contended. Um, they bring back a roster that was
(24:41):
pretty solid and the quarterback didn't perform well. They also
had some other issues, but the thing that you saw
was Carson Wentz in big moments when they weren't able
to run the ball and lean on Jonathan Taylor. He
was not able to consistently get the job done. And
so what I think they wanted to do with give
themselves a little liberal room where they could reevalue the
program after all the emotions aside, and when they make
(25:03):
a solid decision on how to go forward with the quarterbacks.
But I do believe looking at the other quarterback bringing
competition in that stuff certainly has to be in play well.
And I've been I've been hearing for for years. I'm
sure you've heard the same thing. That Jim Rsey is
holding out hope that Andrew luck is going to walk
back through that door. We saw him the other day
(25:25):
at the College Football Championship. He did not look like
he's in any shape to come back and play football
in the NFL. I imagine they'll at least reach out
to him right Bucky to see, Hey, do you wanna
do you want to come back and play? Is that
door completely closed? Do you think? Because Andrew Luck is
still young enough where you know, I think he's gonna
(25:47):
be thirty three or he is thirty three, so he's
still still young enough, and he's still I believe lives
in Indianapolis at least part of the year, so he's
in the area. How do you think that's gonna go? Look,
I think based on the way he looked, it looked
like Andrew Luck has done we're playing football. It looked
like he's completely let uh the body go in terms
(26:08):
of light, the physicality, and the way that he physically
looked when he was a football player. And if he's
to be very very happy. So but man, you can
always kick the tires and see if he has any enter.
But didn't appear based on the integet view that we
saw with him in r G three, that he has
any inkling to return to the game that so many
of us thought he's gonna be a dominant player ahead
(26:29):
he does. He looks more like he's ready for the
Tour de France or something. Right. I mean, he lost
a lot of weight, he just kind of looks like
he's ready to get on a bicycle or something. To me,
I don't know what's going on with that, but uh yeah, yeah,
he definite doesn't look like a football player anymore for sure. Yeah,
and then I know the usual names will pop up out.
I'm getting out in front, Bucky's what I'm doing here.
(26:49):
But the quarterback roulette. Now, last offseason I wasted a
lot of valuable airtime ranting about Russell, Wilson and Aaron Rodgers,
and I feel like it's a de ja vous situation
that once the playoffs end, these guys are going to
be in play again. And who is most like between
(27:10):
those two, Bucky, who is most likely to be playing
for a different NFL team next season? Is it Russell
leaving Seattle or Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay? You know,
maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think either
guy leaves the situation. I think we're Russell. Russell doesn't
really have the leverage to force his way out, and
(27:31):
I don't think after last season, the Seahawks who want
to move on without welcome because the quarterback is the
hardest position to find. I think with Green Bay when
Aaron Rodgers surveys the landscape and let us he just
wants to leave and get out of Green Bay. There's
not another team to provise him with a better opportunity
to win the championship than the Packers. And so that's
(27:52):
what where we have to figure out what in with
Aaron Rodgers real motivation behind all of the soap opera
drama that we had to endure over the last I
don't know year and some change. I think it's best
bead is the end up in Green Bay. But if
one were gon move, I think Aaron Rods would be
the one to move, even though I don't expect it
that all right, well we but you we know the
(28:12):
rumors are gonna be there, right These guys have I mean,
we have things that we have to talk about, so
they'll of course both be prominently mentioned. And I'm I'm
looking forward to see who else pops up now as
far as the playoffs, but I got a couple of
minutes left with you, So as far as the playoffs here,
I know you've made all your predictions on NFL Network
and NFL dot Com and all that, but if you
could only pick one team and and and only one
(28:35):
team to win the Super Bowl out of all you know,
the teams in the playoffs. Who who would it be?
Would it be the Packers? Who would Who would be
your team that you would take in front of everyone
else in the postseason. I'll do it kan City Chiefs.
I would go to kan City Chiefs because, um, They're
(28:56):
going to three straight NFC title games, back to back
Super Bowls. They have a young quarterback who pay, They're
getting hot at any time. The defense is still a
sore spot and a problem. But they played better, Melvin
Engl moving Chris Jones inside. They just played good enough
to be able to get it done. And when I
look at their path in the a f C, I
(29:17):
think they absolutely gonna beat in. I think they're gonna
have a chance to go to the SC Championshire Game
and all they have to do is winn it uh
to get in. I'll take my chance to g the
Chiefs in mescenario. I got you, all right. And as
far as Matthew staff I I happen to have a
thing for the Rams and Stafford has been He's been good.
He's been better than Jared Goff was with the Rams.
(29:38):
He's made a lot of um awkward mistakes, shall we
as the season's gone on here, but we do I
don't know which quarterbacks gonna show up from from series
the series with him, he's he's been really good at times.
I think he set the Rams record for passing yards.
Which guy do you think shows up in the playoff
(29:59):
game on on Monday night on wild card weekend? Which
Matthew Stafford? Do we get well? But there's a lot
of pressure on Matthew Staffords to perform, and he hasn't
performed well of late. He's been bidden by the turn
of the books. I think we end up saying a
good version of Matthew Stafford because I believe Sean McVeigh
is going to run the football, and as long as
they run the football with Cam Makers and Tony Michelle,
(30:21):
this team would be good. Odebec and Jr. And Cooper
cup Vanta Jefferson are good enough to win on the outside.
If they're able to just to play a control game,
I think Matthew Stafford will have success. I think he
advanced is and I think you'll see him have a
chance to play go in the postseason. Now looking around
some of the other matchups, the one that intrigues me
the Cowboys in the forty Niners. Now, maybe it's just
(30:41):
because the forty Niners have punched the Rams a couple
of times and played very physical, But if they can
play like that against the Cowboys, to me, Dallas, they
have to prove they're not a bunch of show ponies.
The Cowboys like. I just my my my impression of
the Cowboys is they're they're not the toughest team, and
in forty Niners strike me the way they played the
(31:03):
second half of the season as a physical team. Is
that a dangerous spot for the Cowboys against a team
their favored to beat in the forty Niners. There at home,
They've gotten everything seemingly in their favor here. But I
look at that game, I think the forty Niners are
are dangerous. Am I wrong in looking at it like that? No,
they're a dangerous They're dangers because they are a physical
(31:25):
team and they can't run the ball, and when you
can run the ball, you can even frold the game.
I think I would normally say, like, hey, take the sheet,
pick take the Niners. But because everyone has talked about
the Niners has pumped them up and build them up
to be. I think the Cowboys are going to come
out and play probably one of the best games. I
think they would Matt and exceed the physicality. And if
(31:46):
this game becomes a Jimmy Garoppolo game, all of the
advantages go towards the Dallas Cowboys because Jimmy Garoppolo has
proven to be a turner with machine when you have
to put too much on him. I think this is
a tough game in the first half, but I think
the Cowboys eventually pull away from got You, got You?
And just to wrap up here, Bucky is uh and
(32:07):
I do thank you for spending some some time with
this year. What what happens in Tennessee? Does Derrick Henry
walked back through that door as like Superman and the
Titans are back to where they were when they were
winning all those games and they were the top team.
I know they're the number one seed in the a
f c Uh. How does that play out in Tennessee? Well,
(32:33):
I think they're even more dangerous now with Derrick Henry
coming back because the Titans discovered that they could see
it around the wall without Derrick Henry. The foreman gave
him a good Booth and when you look at the
number uh rushing yards while they were averaging about the
same as they were with Derrick Henry. So now you
have two big backs Derrick Henry Deanta Foreman, they can
(32:53):
just line up and hit you with a bunch of
body blows over the course of the game. I think
the Titans might be more danger is now than ever
because they found a backup that is a capable backup
to really make it a rotation situation in Tennessee as
the post and just a one man show that Gary
Kenny doing everything well. And of course is this all
for not all of this playoff talk? Is it just
(33:14):
gonna be another Tom Brady run to the playoffs? Is
is there any he's got the pixie dust this time
of the year, right, Bucky? I mean, there's no stopping
this guy. This Tom Brad's out of controls. He's in
his mid forties. Now, Buckey, you're not supposed to be
playing like that, your mid forties crazy now, You're not
supposed to play at the level that he's playing. Get
I do worry because this team is not quite as
good as they were moving Chris Good when ab kind
(33:37):
of falling off the rails hurt their offense and defensively,
they haven't played at the same level that they played
their last year when they got hot in the postseason.
We'll see if it picks up the Lavante, Dave and
Shack Barry coming back, but it'll be tough for a
lot tougher for John Brady to pull it off this
year as opposed to last year. Got you, hey, Bucky,
thank you. I appreciate you doing this and uh, you know,
we'll see it somewhere down the line. Fox Sports Radio
(33:59):
and continued domination at the NFL Network. Thank you, Bucky.
I appreciate your good
Ka boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes
a week was enough, I think again. He's the last
remnants of the old Republic, a sole fashion of fairness.
He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as
the rich pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House
of Hot takes break free for something special. The Fifth
(00:23):
Hour with Ben Maller starts right now in the air everywhere.
We are back at it. Another weekend is underway. Happy happy, Happy,
Happy Friday. I know you're excited at another edition of
(00:43):
The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallard, and we will not
shut We're not going to shut up. It's it's more
audio content all weekend long, along with Danny g Radio.
But on this particular edition from the Fifth Hour podcast,
it is us me. I know you're disappointed, but Danny
(01:03):
will be with us throughout the weekend. So we'll have
Danny in on Saturday and Sunday. But on the Friday podcast,
we like to talk to somebody who we know. I mean,
we do this on the radio on the overnight. We
do this five nights a week, and this of course
podcast filling in the other part of the week. So
it's eight days a week because four hours a night
(01:25):
are not enough on the overnight. And I'm really jones
into talk some football today, and so I thought, who
better to talk to than a a man who is
a colleague at Fox Sports Radio, is a big star
on TV at the NFL Network and also on NFL
(01:48):
dot Com. So Bucky Brooks is going to spend some
time with us right now. He played in the NFL. Now,
you know, people say, well, former NFL player Bucky Brooks,
they don't often talk about, like where did he play?
And and Bucky got to bounce all over the NFL.
He must have like the greatest man cave uh in
(02:09):
the world. He played for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville,
Kansas City, Buffalo, played with the great Marv Levy, kind
of the tail end of the Buffalo Bills and they're
they're running. Also played for the Oakland Raiders, So he
bounced around the NFL. Was a defensive back, kind of
(02:29):
a kick return guy uh in the NFL. And he's
been on the NFL Network since oh nine. He's been
contributing to Fox Sports Radio for many years. So let's
welcome in now, Bucky Brooks and and Bucky before we
get into the meat and potatoes of the football. You know,
you're one of the few people, Bucky, that has seen
(02:53):
me play golf. A couple of years ago before COVID
in ten, we had a big company golf of somehow
I got invited to it, and uh, it was horrific.
I think people are still washing their eyes out, Bucky,
it was that bad. Do you recall that round of golf,
(03:15):
that faithful round of golf? What do you remember about that,
Lord Ben? I can't. It is one of the favorite
stories that I tell. The round the golf that you,
myself and Micael replayed at a Fox event. It was epic. Uh,
(03:37):
it was fun. It was forever memorable. That is the
way that I described the experience. Yeah, I think I
would be like a cross between Tiger Woods and Helen
Keller on the on the on the golf course. But
I I actually and you're you know, you listen, you
you're you're pretty good, you know, and I'm I'm you know,
I'm I sucked. But I I actually managed to hit
(03:59):
a plastic was it a chair or a table? I
forget I hit a inanimate object t at the t
on one It was insane. How bad I was that day?
It wasn't crazy, man, it was funny. But you know what,
that's what so beautiful about this sport of golf. Anybody
and everybody can participate, and as long as we're not
(04:20):
too serious about it, we all can have a good time.
And it was a good time being Yeah, it was.
It was a beautiful course. It was in where was that, Dina,
Dina point Newport, So I don't know. I was down
in Orange County somewhere. But it was awesome, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
But how about you, Bucky, I mean, you're a big
star over there at the NFL Network and the NFL
dot Com and you're blowing up here. And how many
(04:42):
years have you been doing that now? Oh my gosh,
I think I started over the NFL Network two thousand nine. Yes,
I've been around. I've been around a few iterations, a
few changes. He was trying to make my way through.
But now it's been a lot of fun. It's been
a lot of fun, kind of growing in doing more
stuff as opportunity to kind of come our way. Yeah,
(05:03):
And it's also one of those things, right, you've been
there so long you kind of know the ebb and
flow of you know, like we're getting into the playoffs.
Now it's coaching season, and then after that it's going
to be the draft, which is massively big. So like
there's certain events, right, you kind of have it all planned.
You've been doing it so long you kind of know
what you you know what what month it is, what
(05:23):
you've got to be doing, right. Yeah, So my arrival
at the NFL also coincided with the league kind of
making a shift where they wanted to make um where
they wanted to make football three sixty five. And so
I don't think it's a coincidence that every month of
account of year there's something related to football. And what
has done It has increased the interest, put more eyeballs
(05:45):
on the sport. And I've been one of the biggest
beneficiaries because we're more eyeballs that needs we have to
do more reporting and talking and all that other stuff.
So it's been great for business. Yeah, well, you know,
you are the expert, Bucky, So I did want to
get into it. I'm fascinated, you know, doing talk radio
all these years. The coaching carousel in the NFL. It
seems like every year, we get like anywhere from I
(06:09):
don't know, five to ten coaches. I think ten might
be too much. But we're eight right now as we're
talking now of NFL teams have decided to change coaches
and we're not I mean, we are we even done? Bucky?
Do you think we'll see some more? David Culley was
(06:30):
the latest coach apparently out with the Texans, so he's
number eight. Do you think anyone else is in danger?
As far as the teams that are in the playoffs
per se, I think any of these other coaches might
lose their job depending on what happens this weekend. Now
you know what's crazy. I think all the teams the
(06:52):
season should be safe. You want to keep an eye
on it. Obviously, the Los Vegas Raiders has done a
great job at the ENIM coach. Still doesn't mean that
he's assured of carrying on a dead head coach, so
we have to see how that plays out. And then
the last one to keep an eye on is the
conversations that were taking place in Seattle with Pe Carol
(07:12):
and John Snyder. I would expect him to stay on board,
but man, now you never know. And I think what
we're seeing is in this league and ultra competitive league
because the league has gone out of its way to
create Perry. You're seeing about of the league turn over
annually and so new coaches come in and if you're
(07:33):
not able to win with whatever rosster you inherit, it's
gonna be an issue. And so you just have to
be able to win games with what you have and
to you can do to rebuilding that you have to
do um In the meantime, it's it's crazy time in
the league for sure. Yeah. Well, it's almost like that
that the r word rebuild that's been eliminated bucky from
(07:54):
the end of it. And you can't like David Culley
of all people, right, that's a great examp. I mean,
I don't I don't know. David Colleess been around the
NFL a long time and just a veteran assistant coach.
He gets the job in Houston. They knew they were
gonna stink, right, Everyone knew they were gonna be bad
because of what's going on with the quarterback and all that.
And they won like four games, which I think is
(08:15):
three more games than I thought they would win uh
this year. But but he's gone after after one year,
So you can't. I don't think you can really rebuild bucket.
I think that's over. I think you, as you said,
you gotta win and if you're not competitive, you're done, right,
I mean that's those are the steaks you know going in.
But but the good news Buckeyes they pay a lot
(08:36):
of money, right, and these jobs pay a lot of money. Yeah,
I mean I think we're just beginning to kind of
get around the number that coaches are being paid. Uh,
you think about what John Gruden was able to find,
Tim million dollars, what people reporting Pete call and bi
ab Belichick getting anywhere from like if your team million annually. Yeah,
(08:57):
it's a big job. It's a big deal. And so
what she's trying to do is you're just trying to
see how can you win games with what you inherit
and too, you're able to put the pieces in play
to play the style of play that you want to
play long term. Well and also, Bucky like this is
always my argument. You know people sometimes I get upset
because then I'm I'm on late at night and I'll
(09:17):
rant and rave. And I've never had an issue ranting
about a head coach losing their job, because to me,
it's not like the real world. You know, in the
real world, when someone losing their job, they gotta go
get unemployment and all that stuff to big pain in
the ass. But like Joe Judge is a great example.
Joe Judge failed with the Giants. It did not go well.
(09:38):
They were not competitive and they were you know, they
just were just a blah team. And I don't feel
bad for Joe Judge because he signed a five year
contract and good for him. He's got three years and
I think fifteen million dollars or something like that coming
his way, which is great. So to me, that's not
like there's no comparison to the real world. So you know,
(10:01):
these guys, if they want to coach again, I guess
they can, or they can just kind of hang out
and collect the paycheck. So it's it's not it's not
something to be angry about. I mean, that's just part
as as we've talked about as part of the gig, right, Yeah,
it's part of the game for the upper guys, right,
So for the hit the head coaches, their money is guaranteed,
(10:22):
so I think it report Tims reported that maybe Joe
Judge had a bunch of pieza and beer sit over
to his house after you got this myth because he
does have your team knows that he's collecting over the
next three years. But for all of his assistance and
the people that have worked up under them, they don't
get those same guarantees in terms of the amount of
money and that stuff. So for the hand coteam, yeah,
(10:46):
it's great because they end up getting financial security. But
for the other guys, it might mean another move, it
may mean uprooting your family and doing some other stuff.
But that is also the business that teach of those
guys that choke. All right, So Bucky, we've got as
as we speak right now as we're recording this podcast,
there are eight coaching jobs open the NFL. If you, Bucky,
(11:08):
were a candidate for these eight jobs, which one would
you want? Bucky? Which one would you say? That's the
one I want. That's the one that is set up
to win and and get in the playoffs next year,
That's the one I want to have. I will take
the Minnesota Vikings job as the one where you can
win right away. Um. And the reason why is because
(11:29):
when you look at that the vision the Bears are down,
the Lions are down, the Green Bay Packers. At the
top of Aaron Rodgers thirty years thol, so how much
longer will he continue to play? You? Inherit the roster
that has a really good receivering Justin Jefferson, you have
Adam feeling, you have a quarterback. And I'm not necessarily
fired up about Kirk Cousin, but I think you probably
can win enough your first year when you have to
(11:50):
take him on to kind of jump side the program,
and then defensively you have some weapons. And so for me,
the Minnesota Vikings job is the first choice. The second
choice will be the Denver Broncos. But the biggest caveat
with the Broncos, who is going to be your quarterback
in the the vision that is motivate quarterback like Patch Mahomes,
Justin Herbert and even Derek carr Well. And then on
(12:13):
the on the flip side, Bucky Uh. If you know
Team X called you up, you would say, no, I'm
staying at the NFL network. I have no interest in
in coaching your team. Would that be Houston? Would that
be I don't know. Miami. Seems like people are really
down on the Dolphins. Because of what they did with
Brian Flores. With that, what's what's the worst gig that's available? Well,
(12:33):
I think that the Houston gig is probably the toughest
one to take on, just because of the instability within
the organization. You have David Color Ben Fried up for
one year, So then you wonder if I signed this,
you know how long am I going to be given
to rebuild the program too? I don't know what's going
on with the quarterback. He has the civil uh mitigations
(12:55):
that he has to work out. He says he doesn't
want to come back, So who's going to be my quarterback?
I got Rookie did just finishing Davis's mills, but we're
dead going to be good enough? And then I look
at the cat salary cap situation, the lack of draft pick.
It just makes it a very very hard rebuild. And
so you just kind of wonder, can I go in
there and be successful, and can I be successful early
(13:16):
in to get myself an opportunity to see the end
of my see it through the end of my contract. Yeah,
and I I agree, Man, that's a hot mess. That's
a hot stew that's not good. Uh. And he was now,
what what is your take, Bucky on on Brian Flores. Like,
I I kind of get what the Dolphins were doing
because the owners old he's got a lot of money
(13:39):
and he's upset that. The to me, that the problem
that Dolphins had as they've been passed by Buffalo the
last couple of years and now the Patriots are kind
of back. You know, they had that one down year.
I know the Dolphins beat the Patriots a couple of times,
uh in slash two here in January. But uh, Like,
(14:00):
the Dolphins are in a weird spot because they're not bad,
they're just kind of in the middle and they're ahead
of the Jets, but the Bills have passed them by,
and the Patriots have passed them by. But the Dolphins
have been getting killed here for the Brian Flores move.
But where are you at on that one? Well, I
think the reason why they've been killed is because the
(14:21):
dolphs the Dolphins at back and back when he season
and so you saw a team win eight out of
their last nine games, and so that the period that
the momentum we're going in the right direction. The issue
that you have when it comes to Brian Flores is
constant turnover, offensive line of coaches, offensive coordinators. You just wondered, Man,
(14:42):
if a guy that is easy to work with, can
you have kind of like that collaborative union that most
kids want to have. And so they decided to move on.
But I think he's a really good coach. I think
the results speaks for themselves, particularly on defense. I think
the one thing that he has to do on the
next go round is he has to make that the
people that you lined up with um all the line
(15:03):
when it comes to people holding people to high levels
of accountability commitment in those things, because if you don't
have people that are kind of get the same, it
just makes it very very difficult for you to do
your job in an effect the minute. So let me
let me run a conspiracy theory by Bucky because I
believe now I've seen these stories of the last week
or so since Brian you know, it's been a little
(15:25):
less than weeks as we're talking, since Brian Flores was
let go, and it reminds me I see this in
all sports. I see this basketball, football, Uh, baseball, the
sport where Brian Flores was like, oh, it is an
unpopular move, and the Dolphins are losing the PR battle
right there, getting killed by a lot of the media.
(15:45):
What are you doing? Is it true, Bucky, that somebody
around the Dolphins has been planting uh, negative stories about
Brian Flores. I've seen I've seen a few things pop
up here and and and you mentioned I think you
reference some of them, the the turnover and the coaching staff.
The I read his story the other day that you
(16:05):
know he shouted it to a tongue of Iloa, which
I think in the old days, Bucky, when you were playing,
they just called that coaching. Uh. And then you know
there's some other other negative stories that have been been planned.
You think, do you think those are kind of PR
stories trying to get back and when the when the narrative,
if you will. I mean, look, I think it's a
(16:26):
little bit of both. I think so there's some truth
and some of those nuggets that have been reported. Obviously,
what the Dolphins are trying to do is just trying
to kind of relived and justify why they made the
move and why Steven Ross said it was important to
move off from Brian Floyd's despite the ontil success that
something had seen. Um, Look, man, I believe that the
(16:46):
truth probably last somewhere in the middle. I believe he
probably felt what he was doing was coaching by holding
guys to a high standard. I feel like you probably
had some overly sensing of people within the building who
didn't like being held accountable for performance and standards. And
so what you have to do is just kind of
evaluate as you go forward what you want to do
(17:07):
with the team and what's the best way to kind
of build a winner down in mind? Is that the
guy most likely to get another job? If you if
you know all the guys that have lost jobs over
the last week, there's eight again, eight coaching jobs. Is
seems like that everyone seems in agreement that Brian Flores
is going to get another job. Is that a is
(17:28):
that a fatal complete here, Bucky, or is there a
chance Brian Flores ends up I don't know, sitting on
the sidelines, uh, you know, doing TV with you or
something at Man. I think it's always the possibility that
he ends up not landing in one of the music
but chairs. I think a lot of it has to
do with who's doing the hiring, that we have a
(17:48):
connection with those guys. Honestly, his name has been linked
to the Houston Texas because Nick cass and Jake used
to be Jack needs to be come from the Patriots
in the Patriots way, and so there's it previous relationships.
But just don't know because I think what people have
to what he has to answer for an interview, what
went wrong in Miami where they felt like they had
(18:09):
to move on and then they'll do some back digging
and kind of see what actually took place. But I
do believe he's in a good spot can get another job.
It just depends on who's doing the hiring. Got you
all right and explain to me this, But you've been
around the end if you played a long time, you know,
did on TV for a long time. So it seems
(18:29):
like the same every year, the same names pop up.
There's like there's a finite amount of names. I've seen
maybe seven or eight names that are mentioned for every
one of these jobs, and maybe there's a few more
than that. But how does this work? Does do the
NFL teams all used the same head hunting service? Uh?
(18:50):
It seems like there's only a finite, as I said,
amount of coaches every year that are the flavor of
that offseason. So how does that work? How did they
come up with the proverbial list of candidates? Uh? The
popularity contest, To be honest, what you've been Uh, it's
one of those situations where no one really knows what
(19:12):
makes up a good head coach. And so you have
agents who are tired with media members who give names out.
You have people who are speculating because they see an
offensive coordinator has success or defensive coordinator success that oh,
they're ready to be a head coaching. In all honesty,
being a great coordinator has nothing to do with being
a su customer coach. The two completely different jobs and scripts.
(19:34):
And so we get a lot of names that we
see on TV because we see them with the playsheet
in the card and it looked like their leaders. But
we really have no idea. And I think a lot
of the reasons and um, a lot of those teams
struggle when it comes to hiring and that they really
don't know what they want and what they need in
a head coach. Yeah, it's it's crazy like this, you know.
(19:58):
And you mentioned the agent thing, and I do think
that's also a big part of it, Like, because these
guys are tied in with the insider crowd, and then
that becomes becomes a dude. Now, I'm not gonna spend
all my time with you, Bucky, ranting about coaches, but
I did. I didn't want to run this by you.
Now this is probably related to the popularity contest, but
how many more Bill Belichick assistant coaches have to go
(20:21):
out of the Patriots and do a pratt fall before
teams kind of shy away. It seems like, you know,
even this year, I've I've seen Josh McDaniel's name mentioned,
Mayo the defensive guy, uh and the Bill Belichick coaching tree.
The guys that have left the Patriots have other than
I think Bill O'Brien is the only one that has
(20:41):
a as an overall winning record. I know Brian Flores
was was doing better, but it's a it's a bad situation,
you know, And yet teams continue to go back to
the well. You know why why is that? Why do
they keep going back? These guys have not done well
that have left the Patriots. One of the reasons why
(21:02):
they keep going back, and because over the last twenty years,
the Patriots have been the most successful franchise and so
everyone wants a little taste of the organization that won
six Super Bowl championships. The problem is you don't get
Bill Belichick when you bring on one of those guys.
You might get the program in terms of the way
(21:22):
that it looks, but you don't get the full understanding
behind behind why he runs the program like that. And
I think the big part that's missing is that these
guys are great with xes and oh they know how
to do all the winning things. I think the people's skills,
the interpersonal communication skills, is lacking for a Patriots assistant,
and until they figure out that part of it, it's
(21:44):
gonna be hard for them to win in a business
that is really a people's business more so than an
excello business. So explain to me. But you now, you
played for a bunch of teams, played with Packers, Jacksonville,
Kansas City, Buffalo, you know, the Raiders. You were all
over the place. But like when you were around all
those different coaches, like, how much actual coaching because the
(22:07):
head coach do. What I mean by that is if
you're not calling the players on offense, and you're not
calling the players on defense, like you know, how how
hands on is the head coach? Is? It? Is? It
more of dealing with the media and kind of overall situation.
If you're not calling the place, how much how much
of these guys actually doing I would say, like, I've
(22:29):
been fortunate because in my pro career I played for
Hall of Famer more of Levy Um super Bowl winner
and Tom Coughlin, John Gruden, Mike Hoglan and then uh,
you know, let Marty Schadham who want two in the games.
I would say that the the guys who weren't calling plays,
Marv Levy, Coughlin and Shodheimer, they basically just set the
(22:53):
vision for the program to make sure that hey, he's
really want to achieve this week, he's are we going
to do it? They trusted to do assistant coaches would
get it done. But then they always made sure that
the team was in line with the vision in which
they wanted the team to play. John Guten and Mike
o who are running the offense um look, they trusted
the defensive coordinator to handle death out of the ball,
(23:15):
and then they were basically offensive coordinator pluck. They were
hold of the offense. The guys in the front of
the room, but it was kind of two factions. It
was the offense and then the head coach of the defense,
and then they would come together on game there got you,
got you? So all right? Now, well, you do have
experience with all these these different coaches back back in
(23:36):
the day, I didn't want to talk Bucky about some
of these quarterbacks. Now on the story to me that
is most interesting since the season the regular season ended
is in Indianapolis where Carson Wentz is. I feel like
he's hanging on by a threat. I thought, well, there's
no way he's not back based on the contract. But
some of the comments this week Chris Ballard, the GM
(23:58):
of the Colts, uh, you know, he would not comment
on Carson Wentz and his future. Frank Reich, the guy
that was like the big cheerleader for Carson Wentz and
had him in Philadelphia, he distanced himself from Carson Wentz.
Is is this something or nothing? Bucky? Are we reading?
Am I reading too much into this? Or is there
(24:20):
is there something going on in Indianapolis? I think there's
something going on because the way they finished in disappointing fashion.
I think whenever you fail to live up to expect Tason,
you take a major step back because you gotta remember
the team not only went to the playoffs, which team
was one that was expected to be almost a Super
Bowl contended. Um, they bring back a roster that was
(24:41):
pretty solid and the quarterback didn't perform well. They also
had some other issues, but the thing that you saw
was Carson Wentz in big moments when they weren't able
to run the ball and lean on Jonathan Taylor. He
was not able to consistently get the job done. And
so what I think they wanted to do with give
themselves a little liberal room where they could reevalue the
program after all the emotions aside, and when they make
(25:03):
a solid decision on how to go forward with the quarterbacks.
But I do believe looking at the other quarterback bringing
competition in that stuff certainly has to be in play well.
And I've been I've been hearing for for years. I'm
sure you've heard the same thing. That Jim Rsey is
holding out hope that Andrew luck is going to walk
back through that door. We saw him the other day
(25:25):
at the College Football Championship. He did not look like
he's in any shape to come back and play football
in the NFL. I imagine they'll at least reach out
to him right Bucky to see, Hey, do you wanna
do you want to come back and play? Is that
door completely closed? Do you think? Because Andrew Luck is
still young enough where you know, I think he's gonna
(25:47):
be thirty three or he is thirty three, so he's
still still young enough, and he's still I believe lives
in Indianapolis at least part of the year, so he's
in the area. How do you think that's gonna go? Look,
I think based on the way he looked, it looked
like Andrew Luck has done we're playing football. It looked
like he's completely let uh the body go in terms
(26:08):
of light, the physicality, and the way that he physically
looked when he was a football player. And if he's
to be very very happy. So but man, you can
always kick the tires and see if he has any enter.
But didn't appear based on the integet view that we
saw with him in r G three, that he has
any inkling to return to the game that so many
of us thought he's gonna be a dominant player ahead
(26:29):
he does. He looks more like he's ready for the
Tour de France or something. Right. I mean, he lost
a lot of weight, he just kind of looks like
he's ready to get on a bicycle or something. To me,
I don't know what's going on with that, but uh yeah, yeah,
he definite doesn't look like a football player anymore for sure. Yeah,
and then I know the usual names will pop up out.
I'm getting out in front, Bucky's what I'm doing here.
(26:49):
But the quarterback roulette. Now, last offseason I wasted a
lot of valuable airtime ranting about Russell, Wilson and Aaron Rodgers,
and I feel like it's a de ja vous situation
that once the playoffs end, these guys are going to
be in play again. And who is most like between
(27:10):
those two, Bucky, who is most likely to be playing
for a different NFL team next season? Is it Russell
leaving Seattle or Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay? You know,
maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think either
guy leaves the situation. I think we're Russell. Russell doesn't
really have the leverage to force his way out, and
(27:31):
I don't think after last season, the Seahawks who want
to move on without welcome because the quarterback is the
hardest position to find. I think with Green Bay when
Aaron Rodgers surveys the landscape and let us he just
wants to leave and get out of Green Bay. There's
not another team to provise him with a better opportunity
to win the championship than the Packers. And so that's
(27:52):
what where we have to figure out what in with
Aaron Rodgers real motivation behind all of the soap opera
drama that we had to endure over the last I
don't know year and some change. I think it's best
bead is the end up in Green Bay. But if
one were gon move, I think Aaron Rods would be
the one to move, even though I don't expect it
that all right, well we but you we know the
(28:12):
rumors are gonna be there, right These guys have I mean,
we have things that we have to talk about, so
they'll of course both be prominently mentioned. And I'm I'm
looking forward to see who else pops up now as
far as the playoffs, but I got a couple of
minutes left with you, So as far as the playoffs here,
I know you've made all your predictions on NFL Network
and NFL dot Com and all that, but if you
could only pick one team and and and only one
(28:35):
team to win the Super Bowl out of all you know,
the teams in the playoffs. Who who would it be?
Would it be the Packers? Who would Who would be
your team that you would take in front of everyone
else in the postseason. I'll do it kan City Chiefs.
I would go to kan City Chiefs because, um, They're
(28:56):
going to three straight NFC title games, back to back
Super Bowls. They have a young quarterback who pay, They're
getting hot at any time. The defense is still a
sore spot and a problem. But they played better, Melvin
Engl moving Chris Jones inside. They just played good enough
to be able to get it done. And when I
look at their path in the a f C, I
(29:17):
think they absolutely gonna beat in. I think they're gonna
have a chance to go to the SC Championshire Game
and all they have to do is winn it uh
to get in. I'll take my chance to g the
Chiefs in mescenario. I got you, all right. And as
far as Matthew staff I I happen to have a
thing for the Rams and Stafford has been He's been good.
He's been better than Jared Goff was with the Rams.
(29:38):
He's made a lot of um awkward mistakes, shall we
as the season's gone on here, but we do I
don't know which quarterbacks gonna show up from from series
the series with him, he's he's been really good at times.
I think he set the Rams record for passing yards.
Which guy do you think shows up in the playoff
(29:59):
game on on Monday night on wild card weekend? Which
Matthew Stafford? Do we get well? But there's a lot
of pressure on Matthew Staffords to perform, and he hasn't
performed well of late. He's been bidden by the turn
of the books. I think we end up saying a
good version of Matthew Stafford because I believe Sean McVeigh
is going to run the football, and as long as
they run the football with Cam Makers and Tony Michelle,
(30:21):
this team would be good. Odebec and Jr. And Cooper
cup Vanta Jefferson are good enough to win on the outside.
If they're able to just to play a control game,
I think Matthew Stafford will have success. I think he
advanced is and I think you'll see him have a
chance to play go in the postseason. Now looking around
some of the other matchups, the one that intrigues me
the Cowboys in the forty Niners. Now, maybe it's just
(30:41):
because the forty Niners have punched the Rams a couple
of times and played very physical, But if they can
play like that against the Cowboys, to me, Dallas, they
have to prove they're not a bunch of show ponies.
The Cowboys like. I just my my my impression of
the Cowboys is they're they're not the toughest team, and
in forty Niners strike me the way they played the
(31:03):
second half of the season as a physical team. Is
that a dangerous spot for the Cowboys against a team
their favored to beat in the forty Niners. There at home,
They've gotten everything seemingly in their favor here. But I
look at that game, I think the forty Niners are
are dangerous. Am I wrong in looking at it like that? No,
they're a dangerous They're dangers because they are a physical
(31:25):
team and they can't run the ball, and when you
can run the ball, you can even frold the game.
I think I would normally say, like, hey, take the sheet,
pick take the Niners. But because everyone has talked about
the Niners has pumped them up and build them up
to be. I think the Cowboys are going to come
out and play probably one of the best games. I
think they would Matt and exceed the physicality. And if
(31:46):
this game becomes a Jimmy Garoppolo game, all of the
advantages go towards the Dallas Cowboys because Jimmy Garoppolo has
proven to be a turner with machine when you have
to put too much on him. I think this is
a tough game in the first half, but I think
the Cowboys eventually pull away from got You, got You?
And just to wrap up here, Bucky is uh and
(32:07):
I do thank you for spending some some time with
this year. What what happens in Tennessee? Does Derrick Henry
walked back through that door as like Superman and the
Titans are back to where they were when they were
winning all those games and they were the top team.
I know they're the number one seed in the a
f c Uh. How does that play out in Tennessee? Well,
(32:33):
I think they're even more dangerous now with Derrick Henry
coming back because the Titans discovered that they could see
it around the wall without Derrick Henry. The foreman gave
him a good Booth and when you look at the
number uh rushing yards while they were averaging about the
same as they were with Derrick Henry. So now you
have two big backs Derrick Henry Deanta Foreman, they can
(32:53):
just line up and hit you with a bunch of
body blows over the course of the game. I think
the Titans might be more danger is now than ever
because they found a backup that is a capable backup
to really make it a rotation situation in Tennessee as
the post and just a one man show that Gary
Kenny doing everything well. And of course is this all
for not all of this playoff talk? Is it just
(33:14):
gonna be another Tom Brady run to the playoffs? Is
is there any he's got the pixie dust this time
of the year, right, Bucky? I mean, there's no stopping
this guy. This Tom Brad's out of controls. He's in
his mid forties. Now, Buckey, you're not supposed to be
playing like that, your mid forties crazy now, You're not
supposed to play at the level that he's playing. Get
I do worry because this team is not quite as
good as they were moving Chris Good when ab kind
(33:37):
of falling off the rails hurt their offense and defensively,
they haven't played at the same level that they played
their last year when they got hot in the postseason.
We'll see if it picks up the Lavante, Dave and
Shack Barry coming back, but it'll be tough for a
lot tougher for John Brady to pull it off this
year as opposed to last year. Got you, hey, Bucky,
thank you. I appreciate you doing this and uh, you know,
we'll see it somewhere down the line. Fox Sports Radio
(33:59):
and continued domination at the NFL Network. Thank you, Bucky.
I appreciate your good
Host
Ben Maller
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