3 & Out - Reaction to Baker Mayfield & Buccaneers MELTDOWN on TNF in loss vs. Falcons - The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
What I don't even know why, I just talk like that.
What's going on, everybody? How are we doing? Job that?
We got three and out podcast. Hopefully everyone is doing well.
This little show is presented by my friends at Zone Pouches.
Hopefully you're doing better than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who
lost tonight and are in complete shambles. They've lost how

(00:39):
many games now? One, two, three, four, five, five of
the last six games in a free fall. Baker was
outplayed by Kirk Cousins b Jhon Robinson looked like a superstar,
So we'll dive into that game. Joe Burrow rumors we
got to dive into that because I'm not quite sure

(01:00):
that the owner is going to agree with the Internet,
and I think we're almost underrating this story. With Philip
Rivers forty four coming back. Actually, I'm riveted. I can't
wait to watch if he does start, which Schefter said,
signs point to him starting. Stucky will also join us
and we'll go over all the games coming up this weekend.

(01:23):
So we got some good ones. And yeah, this would
be our last podcast till Sunday night, So you guys
know the drill. Subscribe to the YouTube page. If you're
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app today. Not gonna lie. When they were up two
touchdowns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I just want to hey,

(02:51):
some Falcons kind of in shambles. Cousins felt like he
was losing a little steam. It's like, this is what's
supposed to happen. Tampa's having a weird season, eight and six,
they'll win this division at like ten and seven, and
all is right in the world. And then all of
a sudden, that's not what happened. Atlanta started scoring. Raheem's
going for two and they end up winning it on

(03:12):
a walk off field goal. In Tampa Bay, I would
say somewhat stunning. Now when you watch the game, it
wasn't really stunning because here's just the reality of what
we witness tonight. Kirk Cousins was better than Baker Mayfield.
I mean, Kirk Cousins actually was pretty good tonight. And
I actually think that's a pretty big reflection of Tampa

(03:33):
Bay because their defense is atrocious. It is really really bad.
And when Baker mayfield on second and fourteen late in
the game to a pass that potentially ice is the
game to his star young rookie over the middle of
the field who is open, throws it behind him and

(03:53):
it's an incomplete pass, and the next play he sacked.
And then obviously they put in Atlanta drives the field,
makes a couple nice plays and they kick what a
forty three yard field goal to make this division pretty interesting. Now.
One takeaway I had is why you can't write your
headlines before the game ends. With about five six minutes ago,

(04:14):
when it felt like Dample was gonna win, I went,
listen the Bucks offense. You get Mike Evans, who's a
Hall of Famer, Godwin is just a stud. You got
a Buka, you get Bucky Irvin back, Tristan Wurf's was
locking up the young cats. You know at left tackle.
You get Baker playing solid, especially in the red zone.
You can just kind of throw it up to those
two guys. They are going to be a tough out,

(04:37):
but they were gonna be a one and done team.
Like as the four seed, they weren't beating whoever in
the NFC ended up as the five seed. I actually
think they would have been an underdog in that game. Now,
I mean, they still control their own destiny because they
play Carolina twice. But does this feel like a team
that's just gonna beat Carolina twice? And there has been

(04:58):
a lot of heat and a lot of people been
what about Todd Bowles? What's the deal here? Now? I'm
a little biased. I work with Todd and Philly I've
always really liked him. But I do understand, like fans,
when your team looks shitty and your coach has no emotion,
people cannot comprehend it. Now, you could argue when your

(05:21):
team looks bad and you're constantly screaming, they also think
you're a fraud. When you're losing. It doesn't really matter
how you act, they're gonna nitpick you. Right, you're seeing
it with Kaylin Debor and he's ten and two that
he is, or I guess he's ten and three now
if you're losing to Georgia, but like there's not enough
juice behind him, Saban would be ripping asses up and
down the sideline. Well, not everyone's personality is that. Not

(05:44):
every guy is a yeller and a screamer. Pete Carroll
was smiling, chewing gum and his heyday for Seattle, and
they were killing people. All that matters is what you
see on the field, because the majority of work happens
when none of us are watching. And clearly whatever they're
doing in Tampa and Todd is a defensive guy. And
when he was a defensive coordinator for Arians at multiple spots,

(06:05):
we all agreed he's one of the best defensive coordinators
in the league. But now as a head coach, the
defense is clearly falling off a cliff. I mean they
are atrocious. They make Kirk Cousins, who like Rivers, I
thought was washed years ago, who I was texted people
in the league. I'm like, isn't it crazy they paid
this guy almost thirty million dollars to be their backup

(06:27):
by the end of the game, like A he's pretty good.
I get that now, But it's a reflection on the team.
It's who he's playing. It's like, is JJ McCarthy good
or did he just get to play the Washington Commanders
probably a lot of the Washington Commanders. Now. Cousins has
a track record, but at his age like, my expectations
are pretty low. And as the game went on, he

(06:48):
skipped a couple of balls like he's got serious limitations,
can't move arms, strengths, a little hit or miss. But
if you're not getting any pass rush and your DB's
can't cover, like he could hit guys and he should
have thrown a touchdown to a guy. Honestly, I had
to go, I'm like, Kenny Stills. No, it's David Sills
from West Virginia. I'm like, who is this guy like
filling in for Drake London. He's Kirk Cousins locker mate.

(07:09):
I'm like, yeah, a lot of people want to talk
to those guys, I'm sure. But like, the best player
on the field tonight was b Jon Robinson. He looked
like he was back where he grew up in Tucson
playing high school football. He was just operating at a
different speed than everyone else. Now we'll get to him
in a second. He's a special talent like his just
pure ability. I would say, one of the more talented

(07:31):
guys in the league. And honestly, it's kind of sad.
I'd be lying if I've dialed in every single snap
of that many Falcons games over the last couple of months.
But like most people, I've watched this guy's career since
he was a Texas Like, God, God, this guy's really good.
I mean, this guy. There are a lot of playoff
teams like, hey, what Atlanta would you guys this offseason?

(07:52):
But we'll get to that in a second. But like
the Bucks, there's just something missing. And we were on
early Baker Mayfield get opened up at fifty to one,
it was down to like twenty to one. It's like, God,
where could this thing go? Could he be a favorite
by middle to the end of the season to win
the MVP? And the answer is no. And whether he

(08:12):
was banged up earlier this year, I'm not quite sure.
I mean, we kind of knew he was in and
out of the injury report. But his play is just
very hit or miss now. And one thing that he
has to kind of hang his hat on if he's
not doing the crazy playmaking running around is accuracy. And
you saw moments tonight where he's hitting Mike Evans on
the back shoulder fade over Terrell, which is just an

(08:34):
unstoppable throw. He had a great two point conversion to
Chris Godwin the timing was perfect. He back shouldered him
because the dB was on the inside. It's like, that's
pretty high level. And then he also had throws. You're like,
that's pretty bad. And clearly his numbers, I think he's
nineteen to thirty four tonight. Not great. But the margin
for error for their team because their defense is so atrocious,

(08:58):
they don't have any margin for aer on on offense,
like they can't afford to not put up points on
every drive, and that ended up costume tonight. And I
would say this about the Bucks if I was a
betting man right now, I would just have a hard
time seeing them beating Carolina twice. So you would just
be like, yeah, they split, and then Carolina ends up
winning the division. And there has been a lot of

(09:20):
talk about the Todd Bowle situation a head coach. Obviously,
he took over for you know, Bruce arians when he
retired and has done a good job. I mean, handled
that weird year with Tom Brady, But the last couple
of years of Baker Mayfield have not just been entertaining
like that. They've been a good team and it does
feel like it's starting to go the other way now,

(09:40):
and I think sometimes you know, when you have an
area of expertise. It's like the Sharon More thing is
a massive story right now, But from a football standpoint,
it's like their offensive line as a buddy in the
league text me, and he's been scouting their program the
entire Harbaugh era and obviously the own time he's like,
it's never been worse. Well, Sharon Morris an offensive line guy,

(10:04):
he's an offensive line min. That's his area of expertise.
So I'm watching Todd's. I know Todd can call blitzes,
but the overall defense just looks like it gets worse
and worse. And I do think there's extra emphasis in
terms of, like, hey, we're playing Kirk Cousins. It's one thing.
It's like if you had lost to Night, to Joe
Burrow or Josh Allen or you know, some top end guy,

(10:27):
he'd be like, listen, we got beat one of the
best guys. Our defense is not great. They lit us up.
But Kirk Cousins throws for what was his final yard
is tonight three hundred and seventy three yards, And let's
face it, if the dude catches a wide open pass
down the sideline does Cousin throw for like four hundred
and twenty yards tonight. Kirk Cousins, who everyone kind of

(10:49):
universally makes fun of the Falcons for having this contract
of this guy that's not able to play. I almost
said makes fun of Cousins. We don't really anymore. He's
actually kind of likable in a weird way. But that
one was tough, and you know, for the first time,
because I've never bought it. I do see a scenario
that if this team misses the playoffs, people often say

(11:10):
and I get a lot of dms. It turns out
the Bucks sneak. You have more fans than you realize. Sorry,
I've been battling this. My wife got sick, and my
immunity's battled it off. But it's it's kind of creeped
in and out that, you know, I get people like
Todd Bowles, gotta go, Todd Bowles, got to go. Jason
Light needs to fire Todd Bowles. In my take, always

(11:32):
with a GM and a head coach, it's not really
one or the other. Firing the guy like a coach
can kind of get a GM forced out, and a
GM can kind of get a coach forced out. But
it's through the owner. Like the owner has to be
on board. The owner is the one paying those two guys,
and beside the players, those are their two highest paid employees.

(11:54):
So if Todd Bowles is gone, it's because the Glazer
family wants him gone, right, It's not whether Jason says, hey,
it's time for a change or whatever. It's not his call.
That's not the way it works. You know, there's not
a more powerful GM in the league than Howie Roseman.
Sirianni's job status always came down the last couple of years,

(12:16):
you know, or two years ago when they had that
losing streak to Jeffrey Luriy, not Howie Roseman. And I'm
not saying how he was one way or the other.
But my point is that these decisions, you know, like
Joe Shane survived because the owner kind of likes him, right,
And whether he wanted Brian Dable or not, that's John
Mora and his crew. So I think this decision will

(12:39):
be If they keep crumbling like this at home short
week against a terrible team in your division, that's type
stuff to get you fired. Because it's not like you're
not firing Baker Mayfield, right, you saw Mike Evans at
the end of the game, right before they kicked the
field goal, just kind of going nuts, like he looked furious.
Don't blame him. He's like I came back. I had

(13:00):
my clavigal shattered. I've battled hamstrings the last couple of years.
I do everything humanly possible to get on this field.
I'm busting my ass making plays. I have six catches
for one hundred and thirty yards. I'm dominating this game.
Our offense. It felt like should dominate this game, and
what happens we lose now. I do think I Baker

(13:20):
threw a pick, you know, you'd have to get like
some more Lawski type to like, I don't necessarily put
all the blame on Baker for that throw. Has some similarities.
It's not an apples to apples scenario, but like kind
of like Jalen Hurts the last pass that ended the
game against the Chargers, I view that as a really

(13:41):
good defensive play, and you know, in this situation, it
was a great defensive play call. I think Kurbstreet says
they typically run man coverage. They had the slot corner
turned into a zone defender, and he read Baker's eyes
and he jumped the comeback or the out route or
whatever it was to Mike Evans. You know, has had
to jump a little bit and picked it off. But

(14:02):
that was a killer play, the interception in the misspass
to a Mecca over the middle. And this team, because
of the way that they're operating right now, need him
to be I don't know, a top definitely a top
ten quarterback for them to make the playoffs. And clearly
the way he's playing is not really that he had
some moments tonight. But like I said, I do believe

(14:25):
that on the course of the game, like Kirk Cousins
outplayed him. I mean that now, part of that is
Cousins was sacked one time. It's not like Tampa exactly
has Warren Sap and Simme and Rice coming after your ass. Right,
they don't get pressure on a guy that can't move.
It's not like Kirk Cousins is Caleb Williams and can

(14:46):
take off when the pockets a disaster knows he just
sits within a two yard radius. You could argue even
Jared Goff, no quarterback moves less than Kirk Cousins. I mean,
that's that's very he's an old school player. They don't
really exist. I mean, watch all these college quarterbacks, all
the guys were talking about in the draft, Fernando Mendoz's athlete,

(15:08):
Dante Moore athlete, even like the Ty Simpson type guys.
They can move around. Cousins cannot move around at all.
And they sacked him one time. Meanwhile, Baker sacked five times.
So I mean that's kind of the game you get.
Your quarterback gets outplayed, your quarterback gets sacked. Their quarterback
doesn't get hit, and for the most part he's really productive.

(15:30):
I mean, that's probably the best game Kirk Cousins has
played since like early last year. And part of the
reason I loved the Bucks and I was I just
kind of bet against Kirk Cousins and for a while
was working. But to allow fifteen points down the stretch,
obviously two touchdowns in a field goal, fifteen points, it
sounds a little better than it actually was because they

(15:52):
went for two twice. They didn't get either. I know,
you know, the analytic crew love going for you know,
two at every stop, right down fourteen, down eight or
down when they could be seven, they'd rather be down six,
which I get it. You're playing to win, and to me,
the Falcons, once you're four to nine and you don't

(16:14):
have your first round pick, just throw shit at the
wall and hope it sticks. But I mean, the one
thing they have going for them, I thought this tonight like,
I don't know if this win is enough to keep
Raheem in the front office alive. Their last three games
are at Cardinals, Rams Saints, so I guess it's not

(16:37):
inconceivable that they win a couple games down the stretch
and end up seven to ten, where at one point
in time it felt like they were gonna end up
five and eleven. So maybe their final record could look
better than the product we saw. But if they do
fire everybody and people come in and just take this
thing over, I think one thing you would want to
do is probably rip this thing down to the studs

(16:59):
and truly star over, which they haven't really done. Now,
if I own the team, I wouldn't want to get
rid of be John Robinson, right, He's a remarkable talent.
Clearly Herbstreet was talking about tonight like elite character guy,
everything you want in a player. But he is their
most valuable asset by a mile, and we have seen,

(17:20):
at least in the course of my life. Marshall Falk
was once traded. We have seen some big time running backs,
you know, Christian McCaffrey not that long ago, was viewed
to be over the hill and went for a second,
a three and a four. I mean, I think B
John Robinson you might be able to get two ones.
You definitely get like a one in two twos, and
you don't have a one. Your quarterback situation is in

(17:43):
major flux. You have just a weird operation going on.
I do think you would have to entertain it, and
I do think good teams, Like if you tell me
you put B. John Robinson on the Chiefs, like I
know B John Robinson is. I'm not a big fantasy guy,
so if you play fantasy, you know he's a name
talked about for years. But I feel like in the

(18:03):
world I live in that is just talking about the
major things that are happening in the NFL, watching all
these games that matter, and his games just don't matter.
He feels a little out of side, out of mind,
and that sucks because I think if you put him
on the Chiefs, if you just put him on some
big time team, I think he'd be a superstar. I mean,
look at Christian McCaffrey, kind of happened to him, came

(18:24):
to the Niners and became one of the biggest names
again in the NFL. And I do think depending on
who takes over and what their big picture is, that
is an easy way to get yourself some assets and
flipping around look at the Jets, I think your first
reaction is like, no fucking way, the Jets has traded
two guys and got three first round picks back. Now,
if you had to list those three guys when you

(18:46):
factor in age and contract Bejeon still in his rookie contract,
I'd rather have Bjeon, you know, than a twenty eight
year old Quinn Williams, assuming that I have to give
him his third contract is going to be massive. And
I definitely would rather have Bejon than Sauce Gardner. And
I don't say that lightly because it typically rather have
a corner than a running back. But I think Bjohn's

(19:06):
kind of like Christian McCaffrey. I mean he's bigger, I mean,
like same type deal, Like he could just be a
starting slot receiver and there would be no stopping like
Christian McCaffrey could have just been a wide receiver and
he would have been a dominant wide receiver. They just
happened to be unreal running backs. They can run inside,
they could run outside, they can break tackles, they can
make guys miss, and b John's twenty three years old.

(19:29):
I just googled it right before we press play turns
uh turns twenty four in late January, probably like the
AFC NFC Championship game weekend, So I that's something I
know people trade Joe Burrow like guys. We'll get into
that in a second. Pump the brakes there, But this
would be one that if I was the Falcons and
really just wanted to restart my franchise and kind of

(19:50):
tear it down to the studs because they have been
patchworking this thing and putting band aids over bullet holes
for a while and it has just not worked out.
And for us, coolest tonight was if you're a Falcons fan,
you go, where has that been? Even Kyle Pittson night.
I mean, halfway through this game, you're going, what's up
with this guy? He's got one touchdown on the year.

(20:12):
Maybe it's his cousins. He had he had eleven for
one hundred and sixty six and three touchdowns. He looked,
now again, you're playing the Bucks. But just his size,
his ball skills, his movements. He's a guy that you watch.
He's gonna go somewhere else and the second part of
his career. I bet he becomes a pretty eye end player.

(20:34):
I bet really good teams are extremely interested in this individual.
Pretty sure he's a Is he a free agent this offseason?
I think he is, And if he is, I think
a lot of people are gonna be very, very interested
in him. So bucks Man not good. Today's show is

(20:57):
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(22:28):
With it. Gambling problem call one hundred Gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois,
New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, speaking of Joe Burrow. I mean,
I've hinted it this a couple of times. I I'm

(22:48):
not floored because I get the business and I understand
saying star player X trade him to these three teams
gets headlines, gets excitement, gets people to engage. Yeah, I'm
not talking shit about that world. I'm in it too,
But I just think there are some things that when
we talk about it the Cincinnati Bengals, have you ever

(23:12):
known an old person, an old stubborn person. Typically as
they age, it gets worse. Have you ever known an
old stubborn rich guy. They definitely are not listening to anybody. Now,
I've never known an old stubborn billionaire, but that's what
Mike Brown is. Mike Brown is an old stubborn billionaire

(23:34):
that over two decades ago, had an issue with this
quarterback who wanted out. Do you know what he told him? Retire?
I'm not trading you, didn't, Budge? Do people forget that? Like,
I've been along long enough in the Internet era to
remember some things and Mike Brown, because all we do
is talk about how stubborn Mike Brown is, how poorly

(23:55):
he runs the team, like he had a situation with
the number one overall pick, a former Heisman Trophy winner
that resurrected his franchise named Carson Palmer. He wanted to
leave and Mike Brown would not let him. You think
and listen. I watched Joe Burrow's comments. I my first
takeaway wasn't that like one hundred percent this guy this

(24:17):
offseason is gonna pound the table wants to trade. I
think anytime your your team sucks, you've missed a large
percentage of the season with a bad foot, it's just
that sucks. Like you start looking around, you go, God,
if I hadn't been injured, we would be in first
place more than likely, even with our shitty defense. And

(24:37):
then I saw Jamar Chase say, like, I think you
guys are blowing this out of proportion. I'm around him
every day and he's been around him forever to coming
back to LSU, He's like, I see a happy guy.
That's positive. But regardless the reaction of like, here are
the teams that a trade for him, The Rams, the Eagle,
you just start listening, you know the usual suspects. I

(24:58):
expect Mike Brown to not trade Joe Burrow for the
next several years. If you think this offseason, It's like, oh,
the Rams are gonna trade them four first round picks.
What do you think Mike Brown wants with four first
round picks? He'd rather just have his star quarterback. And
here's what I will say about the Bengals. Joe Burrow
has dictated terms to them. From a personnel standpoint, he

(25:23):
was pounding the table for Jamar Chase over Pinasul that
I would say organizationally, obviously, both guys elite. Organizationally, I
think if we were running a team, we would place
star offensive tackle over a star wide receiver. But they
listened and they went with the receiver. And it's obviously
paid dividends, it's been awesome. But they found their receiver.

(25:46):
They drafted this other guy in the second round who's
also a stud. Joe Burrow's like, we can't let him go. Well,
we're gonna be paying two guys a ton of money
at that position. They listened and they did it. Now, defensively,
they don't spend a lot of cash, like actual cash
relative to a lot of other teams. No one's disputing that.

(26:08):
But you do know that Joe Burrow, because he grew
up in Ohio, then played for the Bengals, and then
they put an enormous offer in front of him. He
didn't have to sign it. Now you go, are you crazy?
They gave him two hundred and fifty million dollars. Well,
he could have played hardball, he could have used some leverage.
I don't know, but I have a hard time like

(26:30):
feeling too much sympathy for a guy who signs the
contract knowing kind of what he's signing up with. It'd
be one thing. If you sign a big contract the
owner that you're dealing with leaves, it'd be like the
reversal Washington. It'd be like you have Josh Harris, he
sells to Dan Snyder you didn't know you were getting
in business with, and you're like, this sucks. But that's
not the case. Mike Brown owned the team before he

(26:53):
went to the NFL, and he currently owns the team now,
and he's going to own the team or his family
is for the foreseeable future. When you get in business
with certain people and you have and like you understand
what you're getting into business with, it's kind of on you.
It really is. Now it's the NFL, that's not the NBA.
It's hard to force trades. You know it is complicated, right,

(27:15):
You're typically stuck on a team for a while, but
like you signed this big contract. They do a lot
of the things you want them to do, and then
we start complaining about, like why does this team have
a lot of holes? Well, most teams that invest huge
amounts of money in four or five players, especially at
premium positions, are going to have some holes on their roster.

(27:39):
Now you could argue they have more than than they
should if they were better at drafting. They just drafted
the dude, Jermaine Burton, who they cut I think a
couple of days ago. He's been inactive the last couple
of weeks. I think they left him at home for
the Ravens game on Thanksgiving of showing up play. I mean,
listen the Bengals history. They got a little like Al

(28:02):
Davis to him, like character. There are a lot of
teams that get character red flags you're off the board.
The Bengals like print you to two cards. They don't
discriminate there with some red flags off the field. But
then you get in positions where you're cutting the guy
a couple of years into his career. When you've drafted
him on the second day of the draft, and they

(28:23):
also do things like this year they drafted defensive lineman
really really high. I'm pretty sure he had like four
and a half career sacks in college. So I mean,
you're just this is the franchise you're dealing with, and
I listen, I know people are gonna say, like he
should demand his way out, even if he went scorts
to Earth like Miles Garrett last year, goes to Super

(28:43):
Bowl starts asking or hitting all the shows and saying
it's time. I've talked to my representative, I've told the
Bengals I want out. My belief absolutely nothing will happen.
I would bet you said, hey, you got a at
ten thousand dollars. If Joe Burrow demanded a trade, would

(29:04):
he be traded or would he not be traded? It
would take me less than a second to bet on
he will not be traded. I wouldn't even I wouldn't
even have to think, because I've just followed football long
enough and it's not like I even from that area.
But if you have a brain and just common sense

(29:24):
and just can put two and two together the way
this guy is operated, I don't see that I do
not see that happening at all. So this is gonna
be a story. I'm sure there'll be things said after
the season. I don't expect this to go away. I
do think teams, if it ever did become realistic, would
obviously be very aggressive. The Rams would move heaven and earth.

(29:47):
They would be like Matt Retire will get you. I'm
not disputing any of that, but it takes two to tango,
Like I mean, you know, you can't do a trade
without both sides agreeing to the deal. And I just
think one side is not only not going to be
interested in listening, I don't even think they like they
just want to know part of it, Like they're not

(30:09):
even in that world. So fun story for everyone to
talk about. I think it's about as unrealistic as any
story that kind of consistently gets brought up. And last
but not least, I don't think if he actually starts.
And Adam Schefter tweeted today quoting one of the local

(30:29):
guys in Indies posts about his practice, that like, I
think Adam's so dummy, he knows what he's doing. All
signs pointing to Philip Rivers starting this weekend. That's one
of the craziest things to ever happen if he actually starts.
He's been retired since twenty twenty. He's been coaching high

(30:50):
school football. He's forty four years old. I mentioned this
to Stucky today that during the Raven Steeler game, they
mentioned a stat that, like I think it was either
seventy five or seventy six games had been started by
a guy over forty two years old, and Tom Brady
accounted for sixty six of those, and Rogers is now
the sixty seven. So I don't even know. Maybe you'd

(31:11):
have to go back to like the seventies or eighties
some of these random old guys. This is not normal
and this is truly unprecedented. Kyle Shanahan said today that
Philip Rivers, because I told I mentioned De Stuckey that
the forty nine Ers were gonna sign him if they
made the Super Bowl the year that brought Perty heard
his elbow against the Philadelphia Eagles, and Kyle Shanahan said

(31:35):
that when Jimmy Garoppolo broke his ankle and Party came in.
They contacted Philip Rivers then and he was in the
Zoom meetings each week because they wanted him just up
to speed in case something happened to Perty. So, Philip,
it's weird, right, Like a lot of these guys, it

(31:56):
was clear like Drew Brees was shot and everyone was out.
This Burger's arm over Eli over, and then there's like
Flacca who just like legitimately keeps playing, but he's like
the backup. You know. Rivers was never in that position
where he's like, I'll just be someone's backup. But for
whatever reason, coaches just love this guy. And clearly his

(32:20):
relationship with Shane syken Is is pretty unique. He goes
back to who's his quarterback coach in San Diego? They
speak the same language. Sometimes. It's like in life when
you date, when you get married, there are certain women
that you meet that you just like. It's hard to explain, right,
you just have an instant connection with, right, ideally the

(32:41):
one that you're married to and spend the rest of
your life with. But throughout your life when you date
different people, you just you just vibe you have a connection.
Football is kind of like that too, right, some of
these individuals. Tom Brady had it with Josh McDaniels, right,
Philip Rivers clearly has it with Shane Stikeen Brock, Perdy
and and cousin, and some of these guys had it
with Kyle Shanahan. Sean McVeigh clearly has it with Matt Stafford,

(33:05):
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Alex Smith,
and that relationship is just it's just a pretty special relationship.
It's like you speak the same language immediately, and there's
a respect factor that goes both ways, and that can
only take you so far. I do think I don't
want to throw a red flag on this situation, but
at forty four years old that there's just no way

(33:28):
humanly possible. You've been training at the levels in which
you used to. You're going to Seattle, who as of
this morning was a two touchdown favorite. They are one
of the best teams in the league. They have one
of the best defense in the league, but specifically they
have one of the fastest defenses in the league that

(33:49):
is led by you know, he's a head coach, so
it's hard to like. I don't think most people consider
they go Robert Sala or whoever. The best defensive coordinators
in the league, you know, Shoela Spagnola, Fangio, Mike McDonald
should be listed in that group. If not at the top,
he just happens to also be the head coach. And

(34:10):
you're going into a hornet's nest. Place will be bananas.
They can operate at warp speed. All their dbs run
and hit. They have multiple defensive linemen who will fucking
rock you. I think it's kind of scary and I'm
fascinated to watch. At the end of the day, football

(34:31):
is entertainment. He knows what he signed up for. I'm
rooting for it to go well. I think him winning
or just competing and have the game close would be
one of the coolest things we've ever seen. It also
could get really ugly. And here's the other thing. I
went to the gym the other day and I usually
do this like a little circuit thing upstairs, and I

(34:54):
have like a set like five or six things I
do for like multiple circuits. And for whatever reason, there
was like this lady in the area and I came
at a different time than I usually did, and I
was like, you know, screw it. So I kind of
started doing some other things and I just one of
those benches that you can kind of do freeways on.
You can do sit up, so you can do a
lot of different things on it. I just put my
feet on it and did decline push ups like I've

(35:18):
been doing my whole life. I want to do some
push ups. Just put my feet up it declined. You
can use a medicine ball, whatever. But I didn't stretch
or anything. It was like one of the first things
I did after I kind of did the rowing machine
to get the heart moving, and the first push up
I did, I felt like a back muscle pulled. And
for the last three or four days, it's just like
something's off in my back. You know, I'm forty one.

(35:39):
Things that never happened before in my life. Just and
I'm not a professional athlete, but anyone once you get
in your late thirties, definitely into your forties, you just
start feeling things. You're like, God, I've never really felt
that before. I've been doing that same thing for the
last twenty years, and I've never felt this pain. Phili
Rid is forty four, so I would imagine towards the

(35:59):
end of his the hits hurt a little more, a
little harder to get up. I think we underestimate this
isn't nineteen eighty seven you know, you're not technically allowed
to totally kill people across the middle of the field.
The one area though, that allows you to be really,
really physical is a line of scrimmage in the offensive

(36:21):
and defensive lineman. Now you can say, well, you can't
hit their feet, and you'll get a flag for a
late hit. Okay, but you can still light hit them.
And I'm rooting for this to go. Well. I'm a
Philip Rivers fan. I've been saying forever. You see his
press conferences. Do you know how good this guy would
be on television? I nothing I feel stronger about than

(36:42):
Philip Rivers. If he went into television, like Brady or
Breeze or any of these guys in call games, I
think he'd be a superstar. If Treykman retired, I think
you could throw them on Monday Night and he'd be
the next John Madden or John Ruden. I think he'd
be that good. I'm very confident in that his love
of football, as we're seeing right now, Strap at forty
four years old, he's not doing this for the money.

(37:04):
Google how much he's made. I'll bet the number is
over two hundred and fifty million dollars. It ain't a
lack of cash in the bank. Now. He's got a
lot of kids and grandkids now, but I'm pretty sure
probably invested pretty well or at least safely. So I
just think this guy's a football junkie. I just I
hope everyone knows like this could be a little scary.

Speaker 3 (37:25):
For my man, Philip Rivers.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
Okay, fired up to be back again with my main man,
Stucky from the Action Network Big Bets on campus Action
Network podcast. And it turns out he's about to have
a child. That turns out ninety nine percentile might have
a little Trent Williams there in the baby or in
the belly. So congrats to you, Stucky.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Thanks. Yeah, twenty second, we'll be the first time dad.
So fingers crossed for good health and everything goes okay.
But yeah, he's ninety nine point nine percentile size across
the board. So I was just telling you, I'm gonna
trend to be a tight end backing quarterback sneak. That's

(38:23):
the future. Like just I'm gonna get an elite quarterback
sneak skills. Like as soon as he's you know, maybe
three under center, let's start practicing snaps. I'm kidding, do
whatever he wants. But yeah, it's exciting and it'll be
on a Monday. And the first thing I looked at

(38:45):
I'm very sick individual there is there's one bowl. It's
the famous Idaho Potato Bowl in the afternoon. I do
have money on it. But so yeah, I'm looking forward
to that. But we're in the middle of the grind.

(39:06):
There's no stopping kid or not.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, we don't know.
We have a loose date. But you know, if there
was a chance it's like a Monday night, you know,
you had that wild card Monday night football game on,
we we'd have to set up some plans with the hospital.
You know, we could be mid delivery of we got Niners, Eagles,
you know, Monday night football. We'll be dialed in. But

(39:30):
I mean, we got a lot going on. We're recording
this Thursday night Michigan's and Shambles. You got TJ. Watt,
who just went to the hospital. You got Philip Rivers,
who's back. I don't even know. Honestly, I don't even
I don't even know where to start. Let's start in
the National Football League. Let's just I mean, that's a
pretty big story, Philip Rivers. I look, this morning, they're

(39:53):
catching two touchdowns at Seattle. Do you expect him to
be the starting quarterback Sunday afternoon?

Speaker 1 (40:02):
I honestly, I usually have a take on those things.
I have no idea, Like I would imagine if Leonard's
healthy whole play but I don't know. I think must
have signed him for a reason. He knows the playbook
if he does. I also have no idea how to
price this game. We've never seen anything. We've never seen this.
The guy's forty five year old grandfather just put on

(40:23):
a couple of pounds as it played in five years.
Is going to go out and start against on the road,
against one of the best defenses in the NFL. How
do you price that? Then? I don't know. I mean,
it's close to impossible. I don't like the look oadline
for this. Obviously, you get a down grade the Colts
at the last week upgrade the Seahawks for their win.
But it was like three and a half is fourteen

(40:44):
the right number? I couldn't even tell you. I mean, also,
the Colts secondary is not the same Tarvarius Ward.

Speaker 2 (40:51):
I don't know if his I know that's awful third
concussion this year, Jesus.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
And then you have Sauce Gardner still her at the
bars buck, so their defense isn't the same. They have
an offensive line injury. So I don't know. I mean,
I really don't know what to expect. I don't know
if he's gonna start.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Now.

Speaker 1 (41:13):
I will say I'll be tuned in, but I won't
be betting it. But yeah, you gotta watch that. Who's
not interested to see how it turns out. It could
be a complete disaster, or maybe he's semi serviceable. I
assume he's gonna try to look they're gonna try to
run tailor a bunch. The Seahawks know that he's probably
gonna throw to Tyler Warren a bunch. Usually that's what

(41:33):
the Seahawks make you do, throw underneath and like if
you're a usually a backup does this. They rely on
their tight end a lot, but especially if you're like
a forty five year old come like you're gonna you
want to get rid of the ball quick, Like can
he get hit? Can he take a hit? That's another question.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
I just I have no.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
Idea, but it's gonna be fascinating to watch more betting perspective,
your guess is as good as mine. Full a coin.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
Did you have the audio on on the Steelers Ravens
game on some day morning with all the games going.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
On the what the audience that?

Speaker 2 (42:03):
Yeah, like when you watch a bunch of games, you
just choose one game to have the audio on typically,
or how do you usually do that?

Speaker 1 (42:08):
Well, it's funny that you ask. So normally, yeah, like NFL,
I if must there's a really big game that I
want to watch, then I'll just have that on the digital,
have like a red zone on my main with volume
and then the tvds around it with the other games.
But sometimes on a college football Saturday or college basketball Saturday,

(42:32):
I will have and I have to be by myself
because someone.

Speaker 2 (42:37):
You're gonna say, multiple audios going.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
On, I'll have audio on all the TVs and I
will be putting one lower a little bit. And then
it's if you ever walk in to a room when
I'm doing this, you'd be like, what is wrong? You
need to lock this person in a psych ward.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
You like Jeffrey Dahmer of football or something.

Speaker 1 (42:56):
Every once in a while I do do that because
and then i'm I'm is that I can catch more
like like someone will mention like an injury if I'm
paying attention here, and it's if I'm like really wrapped
up in the day and really excited, I'll do that.
But it's uh, yeah, usually just just one game.

Speaker 2 (43:15):
Well, because that you're right, because like when there's like
seven eight six, however many games going, like the morning
slate you just missed. Like if you just watch a
game individually, you get pretty good nuggets. Like one thing
that they said, like I typically have the audio on
the best game in the morning and same in the
afternoon with all the other games going around it, but
I had it on the Raven Steelers game. I was

(43:37):
going back and forth with Raven Steelers and Bengals Bills
with the audio. But when I was watching when they're
the audio on for this the Steeler game, there was
like a stat that guys of forty two years or
older because Rogers had just turned forty two, had played
like a combined I think the number was like seventy
five career games in the NFL, but sixty six of
them were Brady, so sixty seven of them. So it's

(44:00):
such a small sample size. That's the thing with Philip Rivers.
It's like if you remove Brady, it literally never happened
with people like forty two years old, let alone forty
four who has just been out with a four year break. Yeah,
that's I mean, it's it's gonna be cinema. I'm with you.
I might just recall little on Indy though, even if
he had been playing, you would say Philip Rivers kind

(44:22):
of a bad matchup. Can't move. Their defense is really
fast up there, let alone the break. I know his
high school team makes sense, right, Shane coached him in
in San Diego. You run across some guys like certain
people like for Brady, was Josh for Peyton, him and
Adam Gase just like you know, Shane Styke and Philip

(44:42):
Rivers just like a football relationship that you just hit
it off and you just talk the rest of your
life about football. So I do believe that they probably talk.
I think people would be shocked probably how often they'd
actually talk over the last three or four years. You know,
text like daily, you know about about like not like family,
not about food, just like simply football. Like it's it's

(45:03):
probably really in depth geeky. So I'm I think it's a,
it's a fun story, but let's you.

Speaker 1 (45:08):
Gotta feel bad if you're Brett Rippon. Though they're on
the practice squad, all the quarterbacks are hurt, and they're like,
let's call Philip Rivers and yeah, so I'm fascinated to
see what happens. I had literally no idea what's gonna happen.
And I have no idea how to price it. I
have no idea how about it. It's a pure pass

(45:28):
for me. But I will be ten in.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
Remember John Lynch when Purty messed up his elbow said
if they would have been able to win that game somehow,
the plan was to get Philip Rivers for the Super Bowl.
Really yeah, he said that a couple of years ago.
I get, like, like an off season interview, like they
because they start looking around again, like these guys when
you're so desperate, like you're not gonna go the ship's

(45:51):
not gonna go down, Brett Rippon or whoever the forty
nine ers, you know, because by then the forty nine
ers party was our third string quarterback. So it's like
they had nothing.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
I mean McCaffrey was throwing passes.

Speaker 2 (46:01):
Yeah, because then even their backup Josh Johnson had got
injured as well. So it's just like I do understand Indy, like,
are we gonna look Jonathan Taylor in the eye. Let
go down? At least he can respect our efforts. So
I had a weird way. I probably would have done
the same.

Speaker 1 (46:18):
I would have Yeah, that's fascinating. I never even thought
about that. If the forty nine ers have won that game,
what they would have done for a super like a
team gung to the super Bowl without a quarterback and
then having to find one, that would have been super cool.
I never heard. I never heard them and said, that's
that's amazing.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
Okay, let's uh, let's hammer some games. Let's just start
with not a great game, pretty big spread. I do
think the Cardinals are just kind of circling the drain,
and at this point that they're in shambles. Houston has
serious life, right, I mean they are kind of rolling.
I mean CJ. I don't even know what his box
score was last week against the Chiefs, but has a
little mojo going. I mean their defense is pretty incredible. Uh, now,

(47:00):
you know, take them to just blow people out. I
wouldn't say that's like the Houston texansm but I just
think this Card's thing is really starting to fall apart.
I mean they've been blown out a couple times. You
and I talked about they were like the best, like
three and eight team in the league. Every they could
have easily been at eight and three. I mean there
was they were probably seven eight plays away. But now
this thing's getting away from at Houston. You know, Dimico Casario, CJ,

(47:25):
the pass rushers and their dbs. Their team hit so
hard that that hit peetree hat across the middle. It
was like, God, this feels like an old school throwback
team right now. Even I heard Dimiico's like, yeah, sometimes
you kind of missed being out there watching these guys
FA lying around. I'm a hammer of the Texans this
week with my Niven and a half, not my.

Speaker 1 (47:45):
Cup of tea. I mean, the Texans look at they're
probably at the close the peak of their market value.
That they're coming off games against what the Bills, Colts
and Chiefs. Maybe they're they come out a little flat.
I could see. They're just not a team I want
to bet to win by a lot of margin. Having
said that, so, like we mentioned the Cardinals, how good,

(48:05):
how close they were in every game. I don't know
who's gonna play for the Cardinals, Like, so they might
just have no players available. I mean you're talking there
receivers they're down to, like maybe just Michael Wilson. I
don't think Marvin Harrison might not play Weaver. Their offensive
line is now in shambles, like Hernandez is on IR,

(48:25):
Christian Jones, Paris Johnson is out there. They're without their tackles.
They might be without both guards their defense like Walter
Nolan Thompson, Melton Mack Wilson's on IR. They are I
mean even there were Turners, their kick returner, punk return.
They are. You look, you pull up their injury report,
you it's a it's a CBS for seed like it's

(48:46):
insane both it's on all three phases. So yeah, all
the offensive line injuries in particular might just be death
for them. So not my cup of tea. But I
don't think they'll betting the Cardinals here. And you're right
on the Texans. They are extremely dangerous. I know people
will like they say that about say, that's not a
lot of teams, Like you don't want to face this team.

(49:08):
You don't want to face the Texans uh. If they
should get into the playoffs, it looks like the last
spot is probably going to be because if you look
at the Texans, the Texans have they're home against the Cardinals,
home against the Raiders the next two weeks, and then
they have the Colts at home and in Indy right yeah,
I mean India I think is done uh so and

(49:29):
the Texans right now, so that would they sweep down there.
At eleven wins, they're getting in and then it comes
down to they win the division with Jags have a
couple of easy games, but the Jags also go to Denver.
So the biggest, the hardest game on the Texans schedule
left is the Chargers. But with the state of the

(49:50):
Chargers offensive line, with that defensive line, and that's not
like the Chargers have a big home field advances their
road game, uh There're other three are at home. The
Texans are going to extremely dangerous. Their offense is playing better.
The offensive line has played better in the second half
of the year. Also, like Woody Marx has given the
run games and the juice and then they're I think

(50:11):
one of the best things that happened at the Texans
is when Nico Collins went out, then Nico Collins out,
they had Christian Kirk out with injuries and these other
and then you know Shroud was out. These other receivers,
these younger receivers had to step up, guys like Higgins
and now they're you know, they they were able, they
were able to develop depth the wide receiver and they
have some other reliable options outside of Nico Collins. So

(50:34):
while the offense isn't great, you don't need it to
be great. You just need this offense to be serviceable.
And you know, they're still probably gonna struggle to finish
drives in the red zone. But this is I think,
for my money, it's the best defense in the NFL.
It's nothing fancy. It's you know, we're gonna line up.
They're not gonna like blitz of a ton. They're not
gonna show a ton of exotic looks. Non Demika will

(50:57):
change the game plan based on who they're playing. But
it's just look at that front, look at the secondary talent,
and you don't need to do too much to it's
just a sound unit. And yeah, they can hit, they
can get after the passer, and they can cover. So
there's really no weaknesses on that defense, so they get
in and then like depending on what happens, like there's

(51:21):
a good chance Mahomes isn't in the playoffs. It looks
like Allan will probably by the way he's alan the
last two years against this Texans defense has been abysmal.
They have tortured him and tortured that offensive line. And
then you look around and it's like the other quarterbacks
are gonna have been here, like Lawrence Nicks may like

(51:41):
all inexperienced young quarterbacks that like this Texans team on
with their defense leading the charge, can certainly make a run.
They are dangerous, and the Cardinals are just so beat up.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
I think the one thing that separates I would say Houston,
Seattle and Denver. It's like you could have a good
defense if you just have like a good front seven,
like a domin a D line and kind of get
by with some random dB. So you know, i'd say
the Rams or someone like that. When you have I mean,
I listen, lassitors from Georgia, so it's not like he's
coming from UC Davis here, but you start to turn
him into a good player. Stingley is a stud with Petrie,

(52:18):
so all of a sudden you got dB talent and
dominant pass rushers that there is no nothing you can do, right,
I mean, that's that's what.

Speaker 1 (52:27):
Like, that's the Seahawks are able to do this too,
is and the Broncos. The Broncos blitz a lot, like
the Seahawks don't blitz at all, and they can get pressure,
gonna lead great Texans can do the same. That gives
you so much flexibility. If you can get that is
the key to an elite NFL defense in twenty twenty five.
You can get pressure without blitzing, and all those teams

(52:49):
that you mentioned certainly can do that.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
Well. Check the checkdowns. When you have elite team speed
in your defensive backfield, the checkdowns instead of going for
seven yards get tackled.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
Like two yards.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
Yeah, so it's like you're not really moving the ball.
You can't just dinc and dunk them to death because
their team speed to get up close is like, you know,
cushion is actually not a cushion Like you see some
of these slow defenses. You know, guys are wide open.
You're like they're just it doesn't nothing you can do.
That's to me kind of the rams downfalls, like do
you trust their secondary, you know, is it good enough?

(53:22):
And you know, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (53:24):
Yeah, that is the question with the Rams, I think
because in the NFC, as opposed to the NFC is
going to be a war. And now you can get
away with that. Against the Eagles, your secondary is just
Although their secondary got roasted for a half, I mean that,
it's not the last time in the Eagles offensive good.
Maybe the Giants game so, but you look at the

(53:47):
NFC playoffs the Packers.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
Cooper was locking down what's.

Speaker 1 (53:53):
His name, what's up?

Speaker 2 (53:55):
Cooper degene was He had some sweet plays against mccaukey.

Speaker 1 (53:59):
He was he looked great in space there. Yeah, the Rams,
I mean, I don't know. Maybe you can get through
the NFC. There's not like the Bears are running team.
The Niners can throw it. The Seahawks they want to
run it, but they certainly can throw. The Bucks are
are fading. Their offense has been very bad. We'll say

(54:21):
they have had some injuries. The Eagles can't throw it.
So maybe the the Rams, I mean, the Rams offense
is so good it might not.

Speaker 2 (54:27):
Well let's talk about that game, because that's another I'm
gonna go. You know, Lion's coming off a long week,
get some offensive momentum. They got a lot of team speed. Obviously,
Saint Brown is a badass. Maybe he wasn't as hard
as we thought, but like, I don't think anyone questioned
his toughness before that game. So it's like, yeah, when
John made off, he was like forty five fifty and
just toughed it out. Jamis and Williams has really exploded

(54:47):
since Gamble, since Dan Campbell kind of kicked you know,
Johnny Morton to the side, and like if you have
some secondary issues. You know, obviously the Lions offensive line
is not nearly what it has been the last couple
of week years. But you know, Gibbs in space, I mean,
now Landman's I don't know, look pretty damn good, but
I'm hammering the Lions, you know, this weekend plus five

(55:09):
and a half again, the Rams are you know, probably
a higher version of the Chargers, but it's not you
wouldn't say, exactly a home field advantage right at so
far for them. So I do think that extra that
extra week. I think also if you're the Lions, like
that game against the Cowboys just gave you life. I mean,
the season was kind of on the line. And now
you know, this is a pretty big Dan Campbell week.

(55:30):
But like you know, assuming Seattle wins, it's not like
when you look up at the standings, the Rams the
number one seed, but you're playing the Lions. Then what
they have a short week? They got to go to Seattle.
I mean, this is a massive four day stretch you
would say, I mean kind of must win if you're
just gonna give yeah, I'll give Seattle the benefit of
data at home on a short week. So let's just
assume you lose that game. All of a sudden, you

(55:51):
lose this game against the Lions. Forty nine ers, beat
the Titans, you know, beat the Bears, beat the Coles.
You know, this is a little more jumbled, I think
than Pete pull the casual. I hear a lot of
people say, oh, Ram's gonna win the super Bowl. It's
like They're gonna be the you know, one of the
top seeds. Like, are we sure?

Speaker 1 (56:08):
Yeah? It's that That is a huge game of and
I'm looking forward to that one next week. I have
nothing here, like I'm pretty close to market. This will
like this will probably come down where the lines could
have an advantage of mcday will get a little too
conservative at times and maybe like settle for field goals
even though he has an elite offense and you know
that especially as an underdog, Campbell's gonna go balls to

(56:29):
the wall and be really aggressive. Oh, it could work
for his advantage, especially like when you're trying to pull
off the upset.

Speaker 2 (56:37):
The secondary stinks too, so it's like it's not like
any stopping anybody.

Speaker 1 (56:40):
Yeah, that's my biggest concern here is can the lines
offensive line hold up against the Rams defensive line and
the I mean you maybe you get Kirby Joseph Back,
I think he's at practice today, but you lost Brian
Branch and that secondary with all the injuries that they've had,
like and they play man and they blitz, which is

(57:04):
just asking for trouble against Stafford and those receivers. But
can the Lions match them scores, Yes, certainly, I just
will probably come down to like three or four lines
fourth downs. They are I think all of their last seven,
so maybe they're due to get some fourth downs. But
I'm pretty close to market here. Getting Kirby Joseph Back

(57:26):
would help a lot, though, but I got nothing there
really good. When though especially for the Lions. Like if
you look at the lines right now, they they have
they have the Steelers at home next week, and we
just saw what is in the hospital, so hopefully he's okay,
but we'll see what what happens there. Right now, they're

(57:47):
in the eighth hole, so they're one game out and
they're behind the Bears, and I mean the NFC, man,
you could have teams to get through eleven wins and
don't get in this year. So they're one game back.
They're what five and a half six point dogs here.
If they lose this and the Bears play the Browns,
they're seven and a half point favorites. They're two back,

(58:10):
and now they did already beat the Bears, so all
you gotta do is be one back and then you
can catch the Bears in the finale because they they
play Chicago, but it's outdoors, late December golf outdoors might
not be the best spot. And the Lions they also
go too Minnesota, you know, not the easiest place to play,

(58:31):
but Chicago they have to They don't have an easy
schedule either, because this is going to go right down
to why Chicago has you know, they have the Browns
this week. He would hope they get that win.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
This is a massive game for them.

Speaker 1 (58:42):
Yeah, you can't mess this up. You cannot mess this up.
But then they they have the rematch with the Packers
at home. They then they go to San Francisco and
then they host the Lions. So those are you got.
The Browns is, We've got to win this game. They're
a tough spot right like sandwich in between the Packers games.
After the physical game, I think I might have to

(59:02):
take the seven and a half with the Browns. The
Browns offensive line injuries might scare me off there or
like down to their like twelfth combination their center just
when I are they might be down both tackles, both guards.
The injury report is I think they were all out
again today. But I will say this is like the total,
this is gonna be like five degrees. The total is

(59:26):
in the thirties. The Bears Rundy is really bad. The
Browns run these were really good on the year. Now
maybe last year. Last week they gave up all those
rushing yards to the Titans. Maybe Melie Collins went on,
I is that important. I doubt he's like Aaron Donald
on steroids because that's what you'd have to assume based

(59:47):
on what they did last week Without them, I still
think they're a really good run defense, so this should
be a lower scoring game. It's a tough spot for
the Bears. I might take the seven and a half
with the better run defense, but the Browns offensive line
issues are scary. But yeah, these NFC races these games
over the next two weeks, and a lot of times,
don't don't just pencil in the wins. You see this

(01:00:09):
every year in the NFL. Oh yeah, when you just
say like, all right, this one will be a win,
it's about next week. You see these teams, especially in
week eighteen, when you like it's a team that's dead,
like a team that needs to win. We see you
at least one upset every year. So yeah, I'm looking
forward to these next four weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
See, that's the thing. Like the Lions, the Rams, the
Broncos and Green Bay. You know you're gonna get the
best effort by both teams. But like if you're the Bears,
you're coming off a loss, but everyone kind of gives
you the win because it was pretty impressive. Yeah, and
then you're like, well we get them at home here
in a week, and all of a sudden, you know,
Miles Garrett's sack and Caleb Williams a couple of times,

(01:00:44):
Junkins busts off a fifty yard run. You're like, wait,
we're down seventeen to ten. It's freezing cold in the
third late in the third quarter, things get like you said,
these cold games. It's why you know Denver hosting Green Bay.
Denver had equivalent in college like Saban always did before
the Iron Bowl. He would play Mercer, he would play

(01:01:04):
McNee State or whatever. LSU always did that before they
played Alabama, and that game was a joke. You had
the Raiders right, and I did that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
One of the luckiest confers I will ever have in
my life. I'm sending Christmas cards and flowers to Brandon
Jones and his family for that delay of game.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
And game in that spot with like five seconds ten seconds.

Speaker 1 (01:01:29):
Left, unbelievable. And I'm sending Christmas cards to Pete Carroll
for kicking the field goal. I was watching that. I
was standing up so he he completed the pass and
I was like stood up off my couch and then
I saw I saw him like reach over him, and
I'm like, are they gonna throw a flag, and then
the announcers is like, what a stilly play? And I

(01:01:49):
saw the flag, so then I'm like, oh my god,
kick it, kick it. And then the announcers they're not
showing the sidelines on what they're deciding. The announcers are like,
and here comes the field goal team. I was like,
but then the better in me is like, he's gonna
miss it. He's one hundred percent going to miss it. Uh,
who's just been tortured for twenty plus years betting. So

(01:02:10):
then I'm on the edge of my seat like, don't
don't bring me all this way and miss this field goal.
And then it was like, I think it was the
only it was probably had to be the only time
in the NFL history that the a team that lost
it'll walk off field goal.

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
Did you have a peace logic on it? Do you
believe like he thought they had a little more time
and then he'd get an onside kick and then throw
a bomb.

Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
I mean, technically, if you had like that, I think
he got too much flack for because number one, what
else are you going to do? Like, yeah, if there's
one second left and then you need like eight nine seconds, right, like,
and then you have to kick the field there because
if you try to score a touchdown, the time's gonna
run out, right, So the only way if you're down ten,

(01:02:55):
the only way you could ever win there needs to
be like ten seconds. You have to kick the field
goal then, which only takes like five seconds. Then you
need to on side kick it, and then you need
to get the ball back around midfield and then you
run around throw a hill Mary. It doesn't matter if
time runs out because it's the last play of the game.
So from that sense it makes sense. But with five

(01:03:16):
seconds left, it doesn't matter either way. Like what you
should have said is just like we'll get we got
reps for the field goal team, and no one got hurt, right,
Like you don't get anyone hurt on a field goal.
But the miracle I probably will pay for that again,
got to make me pay, but that I will never
probably have a cover like that again in my life.
So but you're right, the Bronco.

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
That's my logic. Denver gets the gets a little bit
of a patsy. That's not like a lot of guys
probably hit the town. They don't need to go to
the ice bath. Green Bay Chicago the second half. I
mean there were plays where guys paint on the helmet
was coming off that that thing was the war zone.
I heard a lot of respect for the Bears, Like
we knew they were good, but that was like the
metal and physical toughness they showed.

Speaker 1 (01:03:57):
To fight, that they were on the brink of getting
blown out.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Of making plays. Ben Johnson dialing up some plays. It
was really impressive. But to me, that's both teams on
like Monday, you know, like when players talk about, you know,
sometimes I'm not feeling right till Wednesday or Thursday. After
big games. That has that's I feel. Then they go
on the road to Denver, especially when you got Chicago
next week. Not that I think they're gonna have a

(01:04:21):
letdown here because all these games are big. I just
think that's a tough physical spot when Denver kind of
gets a patsy and you play, I don't know, your
most physical game. I mean, especially you know they were
just coming off the Lions game, which the Lions game,
I know it was a short week, but it's much
more like Bill's Bengals, right, it's just kind of flaming around,
you know. It's a different toll on your body at

(01:04:42):
the highest level. So I'm gonna take Denver as a
dog in this spot. I don't feel great about it
because you know, bo Nick's against that defense. But part
of it is even at the end of that Bears game,
they were just huffing and puffing right and rightfully. So
I mean, it's it's these games are freezing cold. There
was un visual or Caleb was in the in the
huddle calling to play. You could tell like he has

(01:05:04):
to be because you're not able to get the same win.
He's flying around. I can't even imagine how all those
guys felt. Which I loved it. I mean, I thought
that was like as riveting of behalf as we've had
this year. Just on the edge of my seat watching
that game. Yeah, the first two games were entertaining the
two big ones, the Ravens Baltimore and Sincy Bengals. That
was on a different level from a physical standpoint of

(01:05:25):
like this feels like mid January, which I thought green Bay,
I mean, I have money on them to make Super Bowl,
but Chicago it's like, God damn, they fucking brought it.
So I just wonder if Green Bay can match that
intensity for three straight weeks because they're gonna have to
bring it next week again.

Speaker 1 (01:05:41):
Right, Yeah, it's not an easy spot for them going
on the road after that with the Bears again next week.
This game similar to the Bears. This game sandwiched in
between those two huge divisional games. It was a really
physical game. Broncos pretty much had you know what, an
amount into a walk through Broncos. By the way, Broncos
have won ten straight, Patriots have won ten straight. Both

(01:06:07):
may close as home dogs with both starting quarterbacks, so
without a quarterback injury. That has only happened one time
since nineteen eighty, and it might happen twice this weekend.
The only time it ever happened is never not in
the regular seasons the AFC Championship Game two thousand and five.

(01:06:27):
Steelers have won ten straight. We're hosting the Patriots and
Brady were plus two and a half lost forty one
to twenty seven. The only time it happened since nineteen eighty.
Might have it twice this weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:06:39):
I did.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
From a matchup perspective, I like the Packers are going
to play a lot of zone. Nick struggles a lot
more against zone. The Broncos are going to play a
lot of man single high Love is really good against that.
So there's some matchup things that I like for the
Packers here and I'm getting the better quarterback. But from
a spot perspective, Home Dog, it's one straight uh getting

(01:07:02):
the Packers in a tougher spot. I don't I don't
pat your logic.

Speaker 2 (01:07:07):
One thing is, you know Ben the Midwest, Kyle is
just He'll just run until the cows come home. You know,
Let's face it, Sean likes to pass, you know. I mean,
Sewan's is not gonna Sean's Andy Reid, right, I mean
Ben will just I mean, at the end of the day,
he would run it fifty times a game. It is working,
and that work to his benefit in that game because
it wears you down. That's Kyle's whole logic of the

(01:07:30):
Shanahan family is in these big games when we're all
equals in cold weather and you're not just gonna throw
for four hundred yards, right, and it's one of the games.
And that's you know, I think why they got back
in that game on that long drive and ball off
and I just think Denver, it's like Sean's like watch
if I guy Bo Nicks throw another incompletion. That's what

(01:07:50):
makes me nervous. Like you said, I mean, this game
is the Bills were in major trouble. Bro I mean,
the Bengals were driving and I thought it was twenty
eight twenty five. I'm like, he's gonna score. They're gonna
be down ten point. This is how this thing is
kind of gonna end for them. Just before then just smoke,
you're right, and that pick was just I mean it

(01:08:13):
was your mouth hits the floor moment. And then obviously
the next playing there was another one that's a little freakier,
but that that saved their season. You know, I know,

(01:08:35):
I know you like the Bills. I think a lot
of people are gonna hammer the Bills in this spot.
They're just not very good on defense.

Speaker 1 (01:08:41):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:08:42):
The New England, you know, Joe Burrow looked like lsu
Joe Burrow. I mean he was he came out that
game in the beginning, those first couple of drivers, He's like,
holy shit, he's good, you know, and uh, you know,
Ken Drake may do that. He's been doing that against
easier competition. I just think the Bills defense really care
for me. I mean, they are to me closer like

(01:09:02):
a lion's operation. Now they got this quarterback who's superhuman.
He had a couple of runs in that game. It's
like are there even defenders around?

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:09:09):
Where are you guys? He had like one that should
have just been like a first down for like you know,
it was like a big third down. He he just
kept running. It's like where is everybody? It's crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:09:18):
That was one of my favorite bets. Places here to
watch id the over? I got that SVP shadowed me
out on bad Beats the other day for a snover.
I've been talking about snowvers for like fifteen years, which
is when there's like an inch of snow on the
ground so you can't have like a foot because then
you can't move. But there's like an inch of snow
on the ground, and uh, there's no there's not a

(01:09:41):
lot of wins. These games historically have gone over at
like a sixty three sixty four percent clip and a
lot of.

Speaker 2 (01:09:48):
Shady didn't Shady McCoy have a big game in the
snow by the defenders?

Speaker 1 (01:09:53):
Number one? You can't. Brady always talked about this, so
you love playing in the snow. I mean they they
they put it. They were up like thirty five nothing
at the first half in the snowstorm against the Titans.
I think one year at the end of the first
quarter it was like with the Moss they scored like
on their top five touchdowns and five drives in like
the first quarter. But you as a as a d back,
the receiver knows where they're going, so you can't like

(01:10:14):
it's a running back too, if you're a linebacker, they
know where they're cutting. Pass rushers can't get any footing.
So quarterback has all day they know where the receivers
are going. And we saw that last week. And like
elite quarterbacks and the snow without wind can just it.
It's just awesome to watch. No. I do like the
Bills here. I like, look, the Bills defense does have

(01:10:36):
issues and it's not snowhere close to an elite unit.
We'll see if they get Bosa back, which will help.
But the Patriots their offensive line that they're gonna be
without their left tackle. I think that's big because the
Bills can still get pressure, especially if Bosa's back and
they're left tackle. Their rookie Campbell has been playing well.
Now they have Venerian Lowe who's not very good. Might
be a major issue in this game. The other thing,

(01:10:59):
there's a couple things I like here, but number one,
I just need Josh Allen to win the game. There's
not many quarterbacks of any that I trust right at
this moment to go out there and get me a
win if I need it and for what it's worth
in his career, if he's a dog or a favorite
of less than three. So he just needed to win
the game. He's thirty and fourteen against the spread. Historically,
only Brady and Breeze are better. He's eighteen eighty two
against the spread in that spot and just overall when

(01:11:22):
it spreads between three and three. So the competitive game,
he's nineteen and seven against the spread seventy three percent.
But the Patriots, look, they've been great. May's been great,
but they've also been a little bit lucky. They're fourteen
of eighteen on fourth downs, number one in the NFL.
Their opponents are seven of twenty two. That stuff adds up.
They've also had fifteen fumbles only lost seven. They've recovered

(01:11:42):
seventy percent of their opponent's fumbles. Here's where I think,
and when they met the first time, the Patriots to
beat the Bills in Buffalo, to their credit, but Buffalo
eleven penalties and three turnovers and the Patriots won on
a walk off field goal. The Patriots run defense is
also playing at an elite level at the time, but
they've lost Note and Williams and since Week eleven they're
thirty first in rush success rate allowed. So I think

(01:12:04):
the Bills will be able to get their run game
going attle bit more and one of the biggest problems
with the Patriots, because look, the Bills are gonna play
a lot of his own. May's been shredding zone is
one of the biggest problems with the place, So they're
gonna move the ball. But where the Patriots really out
of issues is in the red zone when the field shrinks,
because May's deep ball has been amazing. The Patriots on

(01:12:25):
the season are twenty fourth in red zone touchdown percenters
on offense. They're dead last on defense. So I think
the Bill's gonna have a finish off drives. Look, they
had a pick last time, they had a cook fumble
that killed two long drives, and this Patriot's run dye
is just not the same. So I think the Bills
go into Foxborough and get it done. I will say

(01:12:46):
Varibel has been very good. He's six to zero against
the spread off of the bye Patriots coming off of
a bye here. But I'm gonna trust Allen to get
it done. Make this race a little more interesting. Although
all the Patriots have to do is beat the Dolphins
and the Jets at home, and then no matter what
happens in this game, they will win the division. They

(01:13:06):
also go to Baltimore next. But I think the Bills
get done. Should be a really really fun game.

Speaker 2 (01:13:14):
Okay, I shorted JJ McCarthy last week. You did not well,
you just took the vikings that you weren't necessarily believe. Yes,
he actually had, you know, a pretty solid game for
his standard. Obviously, they're playing the Commanders, who part of
your logic was, bro, this is the worst defensive secondary
you might ever see, and that was true. Threw a

(01:13:34):
bunch of touchdowns. Little different animal going into Dallas coming
off a loss long week. I mean, even if the Eagles,
which they should take care of the Raiders, they still
have life right and they're still alive. Jerry even talked
about I saw some quotes this week, so I like
is JJ McCarthy gonna have back to back weeks where

(01:13:56):
he's like throwing touchdowns, So I guess I'm just gonna
stick with that lot. I know I got burned once,
but I'm gonna take the Cowboys in this spot minus
five and a half Sunday Night football.

Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
Again, different number, but I'm against you. I have some Vikings.
I just think the line's too high. This Dallas defense.
It's better with Quinn Williams, but it's still not trustworthy.
The Vikings offensive lines getting healthier, their defense is still
a problem. I think it's a bit too many. We're
asking Dallas to win by margin here like that's it's
I think this is getting too high. But I'm not

(01:14:28):
gonna be nervous by MacArthur. Yeah, but like O'Connell told
him to just go out there, let it rip, and
he saws mechanical issues, especially like throwing left. And he
looked a little better, so he all at least has
some confidence here.

Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
We'll see.

Speaker 1 (01:14:41):
We'll see if Ceedee Lamb goes with his concussion. I
didn't see his status today. I thought he was definitely
gonna be out the way that he was like fencing.
But yeah, oh, by the way, one last note the
Patriots have ten wins. Seven of the quarterbacks they beat
are either rookies are no longer The quarterbacks they beat
dark Bryce, Young Flacco, without Chase Fields, Pennix, Gabriel, Ward, Rattler, Tua,

(01:15:04):
and Baker. I mean, that's as easy as it gets.
It's easy at scheduling that I felt by far. But
I do think the Cowboys might have life they win
this game. They host the Chargers, who were in trouble.
I really like the Chiefs to speak and we can
talk about the next But this Eagles team is broken,
and it really reminds me of twenty twenty three. And

(01:15:27):
in twenty twenty three they had. It was with Brian
Johnson coordinator, much maligned right, the offense had major issues.
Everyone was talking about it, everyone knew it now. They
started off hot. They won a bunch once in overtime.
They won a bunch of close games and like I remember,
to beat the Commanders in overtime. They beat the Bills

(01:15:49):
in overtime in a game that they should have lost
like ten times. And they started off I think ten
and one, nine and one, so even better than this year.
And then they fell apart. They lost five of their
last six. They lost the division to the Cowboys and
then they got blown out, blown out in Tampa thirty

(01:16:10):
two to nine. It's the same exact vibes I mean.
And by the way, that year, they lost as eleven
and a half point favor in December at home after
a Monday night game to the Cardinals.

Speaker 2 (01:16:24):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah went around. Then they have
a big comeback at the Cardinals.

Speaker 1 (01:16:29):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:16:30):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:16:31):
They also lost in December to a Pete Carroll team
with a Gino Smith backup. They lost to the Seahawks
when Gino was out and Drew Locke beat them in
this meltdown.

Speaker 2 (01:16:45):
Jackson Smith game winning touchdown right side of the end zone.
It was a dime. So ye had two dives. Remember
we had to drive the whole field. He had dk
on a bomb and then he had Jackson Smith for
the walkoff. Yes, was that the sick? Yeah? It was
Monday night football?

Speaker 1 (01:16:59):
Yeah yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:17:02):
Did did you see today? And I don't think there's
random Jeffrey Larry gave a bunch of quotes. He did
an article with Mike Silver and I think he wants
to like support and show like, hey, we're not giving up,
because he had some quotes when Silver asked him if
this season's like anything a couple of years ago, and
he said, nothing like it, absolute opposite. We have a

(01:17:24):
super Bowl defense and great special teams. Our offense will
get it going. I'm not worried at all. He also
said on the turnovers, we had a lot of turnovers,
but some of them were flukes.

Speaker 1 (01:17:36):
Wow, well, turning it over two times first quarterback.

Speaker 2 (01:17:40):
And then their defense with Patricia was leaking oil to
that year, right, yes, yes, it was, yeah, Bradberry.

Speaker 1 (01:17:50):
Yeah, their defense was falling apart at the end of
the season. I mean they gave up like thirty something
to the Cardinals that in that loss. You know, they
let True Locke come back on them. They got destroyed
at the at the Giants, they got destroyed at Dallas.
They gave up. They were giving up. They thought that
oh against the forty nine ers, remember the forty nine ers,

(01:18:10):
and that's where it all started the slide. If put
like forty five on them in Philly, it was like
forty five to seventeen, and uh yeah, so their defense also,
So their defense now is more super Bowl caliber, but
the offense to me might be more broken.

Speaker 2 (01:18:25):
Like it's it is the star receiver doesn't like quarterback.
I mean it's evident, and then.

Speaker 1 (01:18:30):
The offensive line is way worse and injured, and you
have the play calling. It's just a bunch of hit routs.
There's no creativity. Hurts isn't running the ball at all,
Like that's one of his biggest assets.

Speaker 2 (01:18:42):
He wants He's like Anthony Davis, who wants to be
a power forward, not a center. Jalen Hurts wants to
be like Joe Burrow and he's not like Justin Herbert
with a broken hand, was like, you want to run
the plays used to call in San Francisco for Kaepernick,
I'll do it like whatever the Hurts does not, they
just call pocket passes.

Speaker 1 (01:19:01):
I mean yeah, it's like whenever when like that's like
Russ at the end of his career when he tried
to just be pure and that's not what makes Russ
and Russ can't do that right, Like that's that's this
isn't what Like Kurts isn't going to be the guy
that sits there like Burrow and just he needs to
use his legs. It's one of his assets that makes
splits the defense in conflict also makes the running game
go more today have all kinds of issues. Would it

(01:19:23):
shock me if they got upset by the Raiders? Probably?
Probably the Raiders are so bad. But I do think
with Picket he can at least move around, which you
need to do, like you know, just takes crippling Zach's
Picket can at least move around, move outside the pocket
because the Raiders offensive line is one of the worst

(01:19:44):
I've ever seen with the injuries.

Speaker 2 (01:19:46):
What's crazy about Jalen too as a runner is like
his running back instincts are like a running back, Like
he's very he doesn't take big shots when he's in
the space. He's got a very instinctive like feel know,
when he's outside of the tackle box moving and he's not.
He's actually really good at it. Like I mean, it's
you know, avoiding hits. It's not like he's getting molly

(01:20:09):
wopped like down the field like Lamar when he was younger.
Like he's he's pretty natural at avoiding it. So it's
not like it's twenty twenty five. This isn't nineteen eighty seven.
You're not gonna get killed, so like, and he's already been.
You get two hundred fifty million dollars. So it's like
what I don't understand, but clearly that is an emphasis.
We don't do this anymore, like we don't run those plays. Yeah,

(01:20:29):
like I would like institute like the option with him
in Saqua and probably dominate.

Speaker 1 (01:20:33):
Yeah yeah, not some element stuff, but they need to
use some play action, some motion, like more under the center.

Speaker 2 (01:20:40):
But the Herbert's legs killed the Eagles, I mean he
saved the game.

Speaker 1 (01:20:44):
Yep. So yeah, they played the Commanders twice there and
then they played there, so their schedule is fairly conducive here.
But if they drop one of the games, the most
likely game that they'll they'll lose. If the Cowboys can
win out is at Buffalo. Like I don't see them

(01:21:05):
winning at the Bills with the state of their offense
right now. But are they gonna sweep Washington? I don't
know that this team, like the way that they play,
they can't get margin in anybody. And by the way,
like the Cowboys, the Cowboys need to win out. I
don't think that the Eagles are gonna lose out with
their schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:21:25):
They lose to the Raiders this weekend, that would not
be a safe environment walk into that train. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:21:30):
No, uh, Patula better, Yeah, start getting the cleaning supplies
for the eggs on his house. So can the Cowboys
went out? I mean they have the they're at the
Commanders at the Giants the end of the year. That
those all be easy games because those are like division
rivals that will be up for those games. But they
host the Vikings this week and then they host the Chargers,

(01:21:52):
and I think the Chargers are done. Like the Chargers
they got to win over the Eagles. They were out
gained by one hundred and third yards, they had averaged
three point eight yards per play, they were they had
five turnovers. The Eagles turned over five times and they
had the ball in overtime at the ten with a
chance to win. So and why is that, Well, you

(01:22:15):
have the Herbert hand. So I really like the Chiefs
this week. The Chiefs haven't covered in five straight. I
think this is the bottom mark. And now they've taken
some money. It's the five and a half. Now anything
under six. It's a short week for the charters going
on the road outdoors, and like it's gonna be like
zero degrees. Probably not great for Herbert Tand but this
offense right now is incapable of functioning, especially on the road.
With the state of their offensive line. It's it's decrepit,

(01:22:39):
I mean. And what they've done on the road this
year since their offensive line injuries they got, they lost
by thirty at Jacksonville, they lost at the Giants, they
barely beat the Titans, and they barely beat the Dolphins.
That's what they've done on the road. And then if
you look since Week four, since they've had the offensive
line injuries, the Chiefs are fifth and EPA for play
on offense. The Charters are twenty fifth. Like this is
a trending to a bottom ten offense. They gave up

(01:23:01):
a seventy percent pressure rate, the highest of any game
this year to the Eagles, who didn't have Jalen Carter,
and Herbert got sacked seven times. The Chiefs have a
higher press rate than the Eagles even when they do
have Jalen Carter. So Chargers also played the highest rate
of zone in the league. This Chiefs offense has issues.
The receivers are really struggling to get separation and man
and but against zone, I mean, they're EPA for plays

(01:23:24):
seventy five percent higher against zone. That it is versus man.
They can still dink and dun't get down the field.
The Chargers want to present exposed to plays. I think
it is a great spot at the back the Chiefs.
They've had the much tougher schedule. They're forty points better
net points better than the Chargers. Short week on the
road in the cold, Herbert with his hand offensive line

(01:23:45):
is a disaster. Chiefs can still get pressure. Chiefs have
some offensive line entries. But the Chargers aren't the team
that's gonna They're not the Texans. I think they're like
twenty third and six in pressure rate. I think this
is the time to buy the Chiefs and it could
get interesting the chief in order to make the playoffs.
I put a little couch change bet on the Chiefs
to make the playoffs. I think that's like they're like

(01:24:07):
five to one. Obviously they need to win out so
there and if they went out, they get the ten
and seven. And if they were, assuming the Colts are
done so we can throw them out. I think the
Texans are in, the Jags are in, the Bills are
in the pass and the Broncos so, and then the

(01:24:28):
winner of the AFC North So then I think the
last spot comes down to the Chargers versus the Chiefs.
You might say, well, the Chargers of nine wins the
Chiefs of six. That's true, but Chiefs hosting this week
could close the gap to two. Then the Chargers are
at the Cowboys, won't be easy home against the Texans

(01:24:49):
with the state of their offensive line, that's not going
to be easy. And then they're at the Broncos with
the state of their offensive line, that's not going to
be easy. And then the Chiefs have the Broncos at
home next week or one of the games, and then
they're at the Raiders and at the Titans. I think
the Chiefs win this week, they're gonna win out. So
the question then becomes, can the Charters win two of

(01:25:12):
their last three against the Cowboys on the road, the
Texans at home, and at Denver. There's a chance that
Denver is playing in Week eighteen against the Charters with
a chance to clinch the one seed, and if they do,
they let the Chiefs in who they would play if
the Chiefs win the first game, which is just amazing drama.

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
Chiefs are could also be in a position where maybe
they know they're going to be the two seed and
would they rather just rematch the Chargers or.

Speaker 1 (01:25:45):
There's a chance. It depends on what the Patriots do too.
So the Patriots and Broncos are the same record, but
the Broncos have the tiebreaker. And by the way, in
that scenario that I just mentioned, if the Chiefs and
the Charters finished with ten wins, the Chiefs win the
tiger uncommon games, assuming the Chargers lose at Denver and
at the Chiefs, is.

Speaker 2 (01:26:04):
That is that the first tiebreaker for a division.

Speaker 1 (01:26:06):
Division record, which the first it's had to have then
division record whatever that if that had whatever I just subscribed,
they finished ten because they split, they would have the
same division record assuming the char Rogers lose at the
Broncos and then it would come down to common opponents
and the Chiefs would win. So they're not said the

(01:26:27):
Chargers they charged. I could see the charges going oh
to four, like when you at Denver, at Dallas, at
Case and home against Houston.

Speaker 2 (01:26:34):
That that's why that loss of Philly was so bad,
or that loss for Philly, because it's like they have
no business beating you. You can't lose to a team
with no offensive line, a quarterback with a broken hand,
you can't bad, bad, bad and they're running back. Like
I didn't watch much North Carolina football, but all my
buddies in the league like this guy. I remember watching

(01:26:55):
the highlights of them, like okay, and then they take
them in the first round. Even before he got injured.
There's something he doesn't look very fast. Now, I'm not
gonna judge him in that Eagle game coming off the injury,
but it's not like I mean, I would say the
running back crew so far this year, it's like I'd
rather have a Menujai and like the seventh and some
of these guys going on the first You know, this
is why people are at him, like, don't take these

(01:27:16):
guys as high. You know, for every Christian McCaffrey and
be John Robinson, a lot of guys that are whiffs.
And then all of a sudden, you're like, wait, the
best running back was a fourth rounder. So I'm with
you there. Do you know who whin's the tiebreaker of
the Texans and the Jags? They finished with the same.

Speaker 1 (01:27:31):
Uh so Texans. Let's see. By the way, if you're
there's a you're gonna be listening this after the game.
The Bucks playing the Falcons is an important game because
if the Bucks win tonight, then they will clinch the
tiebreaker of the Panthers if they split, so they play
each other twice.

Speaker 2 (01:27:52):
I kind of like the Saints in that game, how
about you?

Speaker 1 (01:27:54):
Yes, I agree, especially if I can get a three.
But if the Bucks lose on Thursday night and the
Panthers win against the Saints and the Panthers split, and
the panthersn't Buck split and they finished tiede the Panthers
would win the tiebreaker, but Texans Jags tiebreaker.

Speaker 2 (01:28:12):
So because assuming the Texans beat the Colts, they would
be their division record would be five and one, The
Jags still need to take care of action in the division.
They would still need to beat the Colts, and they
would need to beat the beat the Titan so they
could both go five and one in the division, and
so they split. Let's see, it's a little complicated. I

(01:28:32):
guess it depends on who you lose to, right, Like,
who would the Jags? What would happen if they finished
with the same record. More than likely looking at their schedule,
it would probably be like the loss of the Colts.
But I guess they could lose the Broncos too. Doesn't
it kick into conference record?

Speaker 1 (01:28:48):
So if they finished Tide, they're probably that means so
they split the series, they split head to head.

Speaker 2 (01:28:55):
Yeah, let's assume Jags loss division.

Speaker 1 (01:28:58):
Yeah, and it would come down the common games also
probably tied. Uh, And then then it would come down
the conference record where Houston have the edge because there
if it plays out like we say that Houston would
be eleven and two, Jags ten and three.

Speaker 2 (01:29:18):
That Bronco game is big. So the Texas have legit life. Yes, yeah,
it's it's for those of us that have their future
to win the division. It's it was dead until it wasn't.

Speaker 1 (01:29:30):
And now I played I had the Jags to win
the division preseason, and on this week I played, Uh,
I'm like plus three fifty. This week I played, uh,
Texans plus one seventy five.

Speaker 2 (01:29:57):
Right now, who do you think, if you were betting
see over the Rams, who wins that division?

Speaker 1 (01:30:03):
Oh that's a tough.

Speaker 2 (01:30:04):
One because I think I think common wisdom of people
to just talk about football just are like placing the
Rams there.

Speaker 1 (01:30:10):
And it's like I can see the Seahawks are their
their defense can be anyone on any day.

Speaker 2 (01:30:17):
In a weird way, too. The Niners, because they play
each other, aren't sneaky dead. They've already beat both those
two teams. They got the Titans, then they got the Bears,
and they got Philip Rivers. So and then they play
Seattle last game of season in San Francisco. So it's
their schedule potentially broke. I mean, the Bears game will
be hard, but again, they can never just go win.
But I mean, are the forty nine ers of a

(01:30:38):
buye losing the Titans. That feels like impossible, doesn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:42):
Yeah, the forty nine ers aren't dead, and you're gonna
have one of these teams gets a loss. Yeah, next
week on Thursday, and the Rams. Rams better be careful
this week, I agree. Us let's end on the Steelers. Obviously,
that news with TJ. Watt, I mean, you just not good.

Speaker 2 (01:30:59):
I mean, they don't just take random people in the
hospital in the middle of the week something like that.
And also again I'm not trying to speculate, but sometimes
with stuff like that, you know, you're probably more likely
to be gone for a while than just like, oh
I just missed a couple of days, right, Yeah, So
all of a sudden, you know, we see this in
the NBA sometimes like goes to the hospital, there's a blood
clot and he's out for six weeks. You just you
just never know that it will be they will air

(01:31:21):
on the side of precaution with anything. Internally, we know
that now. You know. DK had even Rogers when he
was interviewed after that Ravens game, was like he was
just raving about his week at practice. I mean, clearly
they got in his ass, like, bro, we're paying something,
we need you to carry. He's playing gunner. I mean
it was sweet. He looked pretty awesome, But is he
a guy you know he's doing that week in week out?

(01:31:44):
You know, Miami, I'd be I didn't even know that
Jets Dolphins game was going to Like the three and
out group text was like talking about the game, like
this game is even happening, and I look at the
box score. He throws for like one hundred and twenty
yards and they win by twenty four points. It's like
the Jets, what a joke, But clearly the Dolphins. If
I would have told you on December eleventh that the Dolphins,

(01:32:05):
you know, two months ago that the Dolphins and Chiefs
would have the same record, would you believe me.

Speaker 1 (01:32:09):
Incredible. No, I thought the Dolphins might have the worst
record in the league. M Daniels is gonna get fired and.

Speaker 2 (01:32:13):
Now here they are gonna get an extension.

Speaker 1 (01:32:15):
They're run defense is playing really well. Eight chain they're
they're basically just running it and then they're relying on
Now they've ad of that some easy games. I mean,
the Bills game is impressive.

Speaker 2 (01:32:24):
They called two throws for like und one hundred and
fifty yards every game.

Speaker 1 (01:32:27):
Yeah, they're just running it and then their run defense
is playing well. Their defense is playing better overall. Can
they just line up and run it at the Steelers?
I mean, that's what the Bills did. We'll see because
you guys aren't dead. I mean, the Ravens play the Steelers,
they end up, but the Rings have a tough schedule.
The Bengals aren't even dead. I sprinkled some of the

(01:32:48):
Bengals fifteen seventeen to one to win the division because
if they beat the Ravens this week, there's a chance
that eight to nine wins this division. And if the
Bengals went out they finished eight to nine, the Ravens
still will be stuck at six wins. They go to
green Bay, they host New England and then they go
to Pittsburgh. The Steelers go to Detroit. Next week they

(01:33:09):
host the Ravens and then they go to Cleveland. That's
not gonna be an easy game, Cleveland against their rival wanting
to end the Steelers season, and.

Speaker 2 (01:33:18):
Then the Dolphins, the Cards, and the Browns.

Speaker 1 (01:33:21):
Yeah. So if I think the if the Bengals win
this week, they're sneaky live because eight nine could win
the division and if the Bengals get there, they would
win all the tie breakers if they get the eight
nine and all the team's are eight and nine, which
is funny because they win the division.

Speaker 2 (01:33:34):
Record because that Placco went against the Steelers probably counting
pretty big.

Speaker 1 (01:33:38):
Or yeah, they would have the best division record. So yeah,
they're they're right, but the Ravens aren't dead, but they
need this game. Like you're going to host New England,
gone to Green Bay, gone to Pittsburgh. It comes down
to like is lamar gonna he's not healthy, he's on
target rate, he's he doesn't Yeah, is there a time

(01:33:59):
where like it's this week?

Speaker 2 (01:34:01):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:34:02):
Like okay, all of a sudden he looks like the
oldo Mark Ward? Does it never come this this year,
so I don't know. I haven't bet a Ravens game
in weeks because of that. It's just hard to know.
Like Okay is yet seventy If he's got sixty seventies
the now, is he gonna be at eighty percent this
week because he's had like a knee I am a
toe injury. So I don't know, but right now you can't.

(01:34:23):
I can't trust the Ravens. And then the scary thing
about like the Ravens defense is playing well overall. I mean,
lastly they get they get up way too many explosive
passing plays to Rogers. You've got to give the Steelers
credit for hitting them, but they can't. They don't get pressure.
It's where they miss mout of Buk. They don't have
a lad edge rusher, so like if you can't get
pressure on Burrow, he's gonna pick anyone apart. So huge game.

(01:34:45):
I think the winner of that game, the Bengals lose,
they're done obviously, but the winner of that game very
live in the division. Steeler was it's a field goal.
I think that's about right. The Dolphins are playing very well,
but in the Cal it's gon freezing to a historically
not at his best. But so that's what the key.
Can they eat steels run the show up here because

(01:35:07):
it's two in the cold, You're not gonna presumably not
gonna have wat They're gonna try to give it to
a chain a million times. That's what the Bills did
and you couldn't stop it. They around the same play
twenty some times. But you got to force to it
to throw in the cold here. So they had a
huge advantage as far as the weather because too historically
has been very, very poor in these conditions.

Speaker 2 (01:35:28):
I'm more in sandals and shorts. The way you've talked
about all these Midwest and Northeast games, it must be
a cold uh cold front going through.

Speaker 1 (01:35:34):
Huh, there's snow on the ground out here in Lexington,
so it's not fun.

Speaker 2 (01:35:39):
Well, uh, at least you got Kentucky basketball, which I
heard someone say is not going well for the twenty five.
They've spent on that.

Speaker 1 (01:35:46):
A lot of grumblings here, so yeah, it's it's uh.

Speaker 2 (01:35:50):
I watched a little I watched some of that b
Yu the star freshmen that played Bads that that second
half was sweet.

Speaker 1 (01:36:00):
Yeah, it's uh. They were they played. The funny thing
is this kind of sums up nil and like they
like b YU with all their money now has someone
who might be the number one pick in the draft.
I think, like the if you look at those rosters
the like they were playing Clemson, Clemson had two Mormons
on their team and Byu had one. I think so uh,

(01:36:24):
but yeah, b Yu, go watch if you b yu
is on TV. Even if you're just like a casual
fan of college basketborat if you like the NBA. This
kid a j Davanza who had like I think he
finished with like twenty nine points, dying, rebound, seven assists.
He's a player, uh, legit legit talent. So uh, but

(01:36:45):
Michigan is the story of college basketball. They are blowing
everybody out of the water.

Speaker 2 (01:36:51):
And il are just like good team.

Speaker 1 (01:36:53):
Good team, like they hit in the portal and have
a good coach in Dustin Maye. But they they've just
been destroying teams. I mean, so they're number one. They
rank their ranked number one. Analytically, everyone has them number one.
It's so and they might be double digit favorites all
the way up until January thirtieth, when they go to
Michigan State, so they might be number one and undefeated
for a long time.

Speaker 2 (01:37:14):
But uh, I think nil is sick. I mean it's
just like all of a sudden, Texas texts we to
football BYU's got like Kobe Bryant on their team. It's like,
count me in on nil. Just it's added a cool
little element. Or when people fail and they have a
high price seat like Texas's boosters are looking around we're
going nine to three paying forty million, or Kentucky basketball
cutting twenty five million, or checks cal Pari's talking about

(01:37:36):
some dudes paying alimony to his wife on nil. I mean,
it's just it's I'm all for twenty twenty five. Man.
It's great.

Speaker 1 (01:37:43):
Yeah, it's fun. But on the when it's not fun,
there's people get pass questions are and the patients is, hey,
we're putting this all the talking. This is Kentucky's in
lex and it's this is what twenty one million is.

Speaker 2 (01:37:58):
This is what twenty one and like when I get
him fired, does it get you fired faster?

Speaker 1 (01:38:03):
I don't know. It's not good so far.

Speaker 2 (01:38:07):
Okay, stuck, he enjoyed the weekend and have fun watching football.

Speaker 1 (01:38:12):
Talk to youbody, talk to you.

Speaker 2 (01:38:13):
Guys next week, have a great night, see everyone later
and we'll be back Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:38:21):
The Volume

Speaker 2 (01:38:25):
M

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3 & Out - Reaction to Baker Mayfield & Buccaneers MELTDOWN on TNF in loss vs. Falcons

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Colin Cowherd

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}3 & Out - Reaction to Baker Mayfield & Buccaneers MELTDOWN on TNF in loss vs. Falcons